SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/11/2020 1187602 NHL and NHLPA vote to accept CBA and return to play 1187631 NHL, players approve agreements on CBA and season protocols conclusion 1187603 NHL, players’ union ratify return to play plan and four-year 1187632 Blue Jackets set qualifying dates vs. Leafs, announce CBA extension training camp 2.0 rosters 1187604 Jim Rome and other radio hosts share more memories 1187633 How the NHL’s flat cap will impact the Blue Jackets’ plans about the ‘Mighty 690’ beyond this season 1187605 The Ducks’ worst free-agent signings in team history 1187634 The Next Ones: Can Pierre-Luc Dubois be the next Aleksander Barkov? 1187606 NHL ratifies return-to-play plan and a collective bargaining agreement 1187635 Stars release schedule for Stanley Cup qualifying round 1187607 NHL round robin, qualifying series schedule 2020: Dates, 1187636 In front office shakeup, Dallas Stars’ Jim Lites transitions scores for every game to team chairman, Brad Alberts becomes CEO 1187608 NHL Round Robin Schedule: Dates for Boston Bruins' three games revealed 1187609 NHL, NHLPA officially ratify Return to Play plan and new 1187637 NHL, players approve plan to resume season, extend CBA CBA deal, announce key dates 1187638 Pavel Datsyuk, ex-Red Wings coach reunited in 1187610 As details emerge, Bruins likely to exercise caution during Russia 2019-20 restart 1187639 NHL, players approve four-year CBA, return to play plan 1187640 Former Red Wing Pavel Datsyuk not ready to retire at 42 1187641 What a flat NHL could mean for the Red Wings 1187611 Q&A: Val James, NHL's first U.S.-born Black player, on and their future racism in hockey 1187612 Fans (and a longtime Sabres beat writer) suggest how to Oilers upgrade KeyBank Center 1187642 ‘There is risk’: How safe will Edmonton be for the NHL’s return to play? Flames 1187613 Flames Hamonic opts out of NHL's Return to Play plan, citing family reasons 1187643 Here’s when the Florida Panthers will play the New York 1187614 Flames GM Treliving pleased with new CBA and Return to Islanders for their play-in series Play ratification by NHLPA 1187615 Flames prepare for camp with sense of excitement heading into play-in series 1187644 NHL and NHLPA vote to accept CBA and return to play 1187616 Flames ‘really, really cognizant’ of players’ health heading protocols into training camp 1187645 Kings are in perfect position to take advantage of a flat salary cap 1187646 NHL, NHLPA RATIFY 4-YEAR CBA EXTENSION & 1187617 Hurricanes set training camp roster, which includes injured RETURN TO PLAY PLAN; NHL DRAFT SCHEDULED Brett Pesce FOR OCT. 9/10 1187618 NHL, NHLPA approve CBA extension, Return to Play protocols 1187619 Wait, who are the Hurricanes?: Part II of a roster refresher 1187647 Wild will postseason vs. Vancouver on Sunday, Aug. 2 in Edmonton Blackhawks 1187648 NHL, players approve plan to resume season, extend CBA 1187620 The ’ play-in series against the Oilers 1187649 Coach of the future? Dean Evason ready for Wild’s return is set to begin Aug. 1 in Edmonton as the NHL finali — and whatever’s next 1187621 Blackhawks-Oilers schedule set as NHL, NHLPA ratify CBA, Return to Play plan Canadiens 1187622 Hockey will return: NHL, NHLPA sign off onplan to resume 1187650 The time has come for a Canadiens development pipeline season that starts in the ECHL 1187623 Where Blackhawks stand after NHL rules play-in series 1187651 ‘What if?’ Most consequential Canadiens play in 20 years will count as playoff stats and how it relates now 1187624 Blackhawks' Danny Wirtz issues statement on NHL's selection of hub cities 1187625 Key bullet points of NHL's new six-year CBA: Olympics, 1187652 NHL owners, players OK return to play; Predators vs salary cap and contracts Coyotes in Edmonton starting Aug. 2 1187626 Stanley Cup 2020 odds: How Blackhawks are favored in playoffs 1187627 Hockey is back: NHL, NHLPA officially ratify Return to 1187653 When will Devils’ rebuilding end? Here’s what co-owner Play plan and new CBA deal David Blitzer says 1187628 How Blackhawks can beat Oilers with 'wealth of success' 1187654 NHL, players’ union approve plan to resume season, in qualifying round extend CBA 1187629 Capturing ‘The Spirit’: Meet the couple behind sports’ most 1187655 Evaluating the pros and potential cons of the Devils’ hiring famous statues decisions 1187630 NHL is officially back in business; Avs to report to Edmonton for 24-team Stanley Cup playoffs 1187656 Three key questions for the Islanders 1187695 12 things you need to know as Canucks open COVID-19 1187657 Islanders got needed time to reset during pandemic camp on Monday 1187658 NHL, players' union ratify return to play plan, CBA 1187696 Where do superfans stand on the return of sports? We extension through 2026 asked seven fanatics across the country 1187697 Drance: A flat cap, inefficient contracts will delay Canucks’ window to contend 1187659 Three questions facing Rangers ahead of NHL's return to play 1187660 NHL, players' union ratify return to play plan, CBA 1187687 NHL, NHLPA ratify plan to resume season extension through 2026 1187688 A flat salary cap means the Golden Knights could get 1187661 Rangers in good shape ahead of play-in series vs younger soon Hurricanes in NHL's return to action 1187689 NHL Playoffs and Golden Knights Return In August, While UNLV Non-Conference Football Games With Cal, Arizona NHL S 1187662 NHL, players approve plan to resume season, extend CBA 1187690 NHL releases playoff schedule as return-to-play plan, CBA 1187663 The NHL returns as league and players’ union ratify CBA extension approved and agree to restart season; Flyers open Aug. 2 vs. Bo 1187691 Capitals get their restart schedule as NHL, union ratify 1187664 Alain Vigneault turned Flyers into Stanley Cup contenders. CBA and protocols COVID-19 hasn’t changed that. | Mike Sielski 1187692 NHL restart schedule: Capitals return to the ice Aug. 3 1187665 The Flyers are set to open camp before the NHL playoffs against Lightning sprint. They had better be ready. | Sam Carchidi 1187667 Sean Couturier named Flyers’ MVP for second Websites consecutive season 1187698 The Athletic / Burnside: NHL bucks its own history with a 1187668 Flyers' Couturier still improving, thinks he still has a ways new CBA and a bold plan to return to go 1187699 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: The NHL has its new 1187669 NHL schedule 2020: Qualifying round to begin Aug. 1; CBA. What will it mean for fans? Flyers vs. Bruins kicks off round robin Aug. 2 1187700 The Athletic / It’s official! NHL is returning this summer and 1187670 2020 NHL playoffs: NHL, NHLPA complete big step in it comes with a CBA extension return to play, announce schedule 1187701 The Athletic / USNTDP players test positive for COVID-19; 1187671 Sean Couturier earns Flyers' 2019-20 Bobby Clarke Summer Showcase in question Trophy 1187702 The Athletic / Duhatschek: How the pandemic is already 1187672 2020 NHL playoffs: Bob McKenzie has latest on Flyers' changing the future of arena construction hotel, importance of training camp 1187703 The Athletic / Q&A: Sports architect Matt Rossetti on the 1187673 Flyers' Kevin Hayes brings positive outlook to NHL return, future of sports venues eyeing Stanley Cup 1187704 The Athletic / The Next Ones: Can Pierre-Luc Dubois be the next Aleksander Barkov? 1187705 .ca / NHL is back in business with ratification of 1187674 NHL, NHLPA formally agree to resume playing; Penguins CBA, return-to-play plan to face Canadiens beginning Aug. 1 1187706 Sportsnet.ca / Three NHL teams that are hurt the most by 1187675 Double Team: Petr Sykora was a champion with a flat salary cap Penguins, Devils 1187707 Sportsnet.ca / NHL's choice of hub sites in , 1187676 Penguins camp primer: Will Jake Guentzel be fully Edmonton just make sense operational this postseason? 1187708 Sportsnet.ca / Flames' steps up to protect 1187677 Beers, bears and mafia threats: Meet the man behind the family by skipping NHL restart ‘Russian Penguins’ 1187709 TSN.CA / NHL, players ratify Return to Play Plan, six-year CBA amid COVID-19 uncertainties 1187710 TSN.CA / With help from dad, Jacob Perreault gives his 1187678 Patrick Marleau and other Sharks fan favorites prepare to game a makeover chase the Stanley Cup 1187711 TSN.CA / Friday Five: Lingering NHL questions to ponder St Louis Blues Jets 1187679 NHL camps get green light after new labor deal approved 1187693 The ' weird, wild ride in 2019-20 is about to 1187680 Game on: NHL and players approve labor deal and resume, so fasten your seatbelts return-to-play protocols 1187694 TED’S TALK: Bisons coach Dobie livid about USports 1187681 Finding NHL comps for 13 of the Blues’ best prospects decision to keep football age restriction World Leagues News 1187682 Dock Talk: Kenan Thompson, as Big Papi, predicts 1187712 New Mexico United relaunch season with road game, Lightning win the Stanley Cup taking coronavirus precautions 1187713 NASCAR to teams: Address ‘complacency’ to COVID-19 mask protocols 1187683 The NHL is back: Players, owners ratify return-to-play plan 1187714 Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill hospitalized after testing and CBA extension positive for COVID-19 1187684 The NHL’s hub city approach is low risk, experts say, but 1187715 Pac-12 cancels nonconference season due to COVID-19 there are still weaknesses to the plan 1187716 ACC Commissioner John Swofford says league will make 1187685 Leafs open door for Jackets, Hub games fall sports decisions by late July 1187686 The 8 biggest questions facing the Maple Leafs when 1187717 The NFL and players are on a collision course over safety training camp re-opens and money. They have weeks to avert disaster 1187718 Mike Pence to visit Louisiana, Tiger Stadium to discuss coronavirus, college sports SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1187602 Anaheim Ducks the ice next month and that has been our since we paused our season on March 12.”

pic.twitter.com/C5qWJwgFwk NHL and NHLPA vote to accept CBA and return to play protocols — Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) July 10, 2020 A view of the ice at Rogers Place in Edmonton, . Bettman, Fehr, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special assistant to the executive director Mathieu Schneider are scheduled to HELENE ELLIOTT take part in a media availability via Zoom on Saturday. It will be streamed live in nhl.com and the league’s Facebook page. JULY 10, 2020 Fehr thanked the members of the negotiating and Return to Play committees and the union’s executive board.

The NHL and the NHL Players’ Assn. on Friday ratified the terms of their “This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, Return to Play plan and also approved a Memorandum of Understanding and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” Fehr said. “I also to extend their collective bargaining agreement though the 2025-26 thank , Bill Daly and the NHL staff for their efforts towards season, decisions that clear the way for training camps to open next finding solutions to the problems we face. Most importantly, we are week and for the season to resume on Aug. 1 under an atmosphere of pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans. We look cooperation and labor peace. forward to the NHL’s continued growth here in North America and on the world stage.” The NHL paused its season on March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the league and the union have negotiated The Stanley Cup Final is tentatively scheduled to begin on Sept. 22, with elaborate protocols designed to safeguard the health of players, a last possible date of Oct. 4. coaches, and team staffers while permitting teams to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup. Staples Center before the final game of the Kings' 2019-20 season against the Senators on March 11. The revamped playoffs will feature 24 teams — 12 from the Eastern Conference and 12 from the Western — and will place those teams in A schedule is still being completed for TV coverage of the round-robin protective bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, respectively. The top four and qualifying games, a process complicated by the necessity of playing teams in each conference will play round-robin games for seeding; the multiple games each day. Start times for qualifying round games in other teams in each conference will meet in a best-of-five qualifying Toronto will be at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. Pacific time. Start times for round. All rounds after that will be best-of-seven. No fans will be allowed qualifying round games in Edmonton will be 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7:30 into the arenas. p.m. Pacific time but might fluctuate depending on the end of previous games. The conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will be played in Edmonton’s Rogers Place. The Final could end as late as Oct. 4, and the For statistical purposes, games played in the round-robin phase (which start to the 2020-21 season will be pushed until December. will start on Aug. 2) and the qualifying phase (which will start on Aug. 1) will be counted toward postseason totals. Players who chose to opt out of competition for health reasons can do so by Monday. Camps will run until July 26, when teams will travel to their Phase 2 of the draft lottery will take place after the qualifying games and assigned hub. League executives have said that isolated positive tests before the first round begins on Aug. 10. for COVID-19 during training camp or competition would not That phase became necessary when one of the eight qualifying teams automatically trigger a suspension of play, but an outbreak would lead won the right to choose first overall. The eight teams that lose in the them to consult medical experts and local health authorities for advice. qualifying round will be eligible for Phase 2. The draft has been The terms of the collective bargaining agreement address the revenue scheduled for Oct. 9-10. losses the NHL has sustained because of the pandemic. The salary cap LA Times: LOADED: 07.11.2020 will remain at $81.5 million next season, and players will defer 10 percent of their salaries. They will be repaid when the league’s revenues revive.

A noteworthy element in the collective bargaining agreement is a commitment from the NHL and the NHLPA to allow players to represent their homelands in the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics if they can reach an agreement with the International Federation and/or the International Olympic Committee.

NHL players competed in the 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 Winter Games but didn’t participate in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea because the league claimed it would gain no economic benefits from their Olympic participation. The IIHF and IOC have indicated their willingness to be flexible on thorny issues such as granting the NHL marketing rights to players’ Olympic activity and in covering expenses for players’ travel and insurance.

Also, as previously outlined, players’ payment to escrow will be capped at 20 percent next season and would decline according to future levels of hockey-related revenues. As far as scheduling, the league and the union agreed to continue discussing simplified travel by scheduling back-to- back road games in the same city when feasible.

In a press release issued by the league and the union, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called the agreements significant and described them as “the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our League.” Bettman added, “I thank NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr and Special Assistant to the Executive Director Mathieu Schneider, the more than 700 NHL Players — particularly those who worked on our Return to Play Committee — and the NHL’s Board of Governors for coming together under extraordinary circumstances for the good of our game. While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities. We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to 1187603 Anaheim Ducks trainers and other personnel. The league narrowed a potential list of hub cities from 10 to two, largely based on the decline of coronavirus cases in Canada.

NHL, players’ union ratify return to play plan and four-year CBA Cases in the United States reached a record daily high of 60,000 on extension Friday.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 07.11.2020 ELLIOTT TEAFORD

July 10, 2020 at 5:15 p.m.

Game on. The NHL and the players’ association on Friday ratified a return to play plan and an extension of the collective bargaining agreement that ensures labor peace through at least the 2025-26 season. Training camps begin Monday, with the resumption of play to follow Aug. 1.

Although the Ducks, Kings and five other teams at the bottom of the standings when the season was suspended March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic will be sidelined, the top 12 teams in each conference will compete for a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Scotiabank Arena in Toronto will play host to the Eastern Conference teams and Rogers Place in Edmonton will serve as the home of the West. Edmonton also will host the conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final to cap a one-of-a-kind, made-for-TV tournament.

Each site will host as many as three games per day, but without fans in attendance.

In addition, the league and its players agreed to a return to the Winter Olympics for 2022 in Beijing and 2026 in Milan. The deal must now win the approval of the International Olympic Committee. NHL players did not participate in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Ducks Ryan Getzlaf was denied a chance at a third consecutive gold medal with Team Canada when the league didn’t send its players to play in the 2018 Games, the first time they hadn’t played in the Olympics since 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway.

“The NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our league,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. Bettman thanked Don Fehr, the NHLPA’s director, and the players for completing the deal.

“While we have all worked very hard to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities,” Bettman added. “We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our season.”

If all goes as planned, and if there are no further delays or cancellations because of the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, Getzlaf and the Ducks and Kings counterpart Anze Kopitar will be sidelined until the delayed 2020-21 season begins Dec. 1.

Meanwhile, the league’s top 24 teams will return to work with the opening of training camps in their home cities Monday, but with a series of safety protocols in place. The teams will then travel July 26 to Toronto or Edmonton, the league’s two secure zones. They will be tested daily and monitored for symptoms.

Exhibition games will be played July 28-30, and then the playoff qualifying games will begin Aug. 1. The eight winners of the best-of-five qualifying series will then join the top eight-seeded teams for a traditional 16-team playoffs that will lead to the start of the Stanley Cup Final in late September.

While the play-in games are conducted, the top teams will play three round-robin games to determine the final seeding in each conference. The last possible day for Game 7 of the Final could be Oct. 4. The draft was tentatively set for Oct. 9-10, with free agency expected to being Nov. 1.

Training camps for 2020-21 could begin Nov. 17.

All of which is subject to change because of the coronavirus, of course.

Each team will take a maximum of 52 people into the so-called secure zones in Toronto and Edmonton, including players, coaches, athletic 1187604 Anaheim Ducks Lynch: The Coach was a character. We had him start this prep show on Friday night, and (it) really became really one of the most important influences in prep sports in the history of San Diego.

Jim Rome and other radio hosts share more memories about the ‘Mighty Jeff Dotseth (who began working in San Diego radio in 1991): Coach just 690’ fit San Diego like a glove.

Scott Kaplan (host, The Scott and BR Show): Sweet Coach. The guy Antonio Morales who’s coached everybody, coached at the local high schools, who celebrates local high school sports. Jul 10, 2020 Lee Jenkins (Clippers executive, San Diego native): On Friday nights with high school football, he would bounce you around to like El Camino, Vista, Torrey Pines. They would just go all around. I played in XTRA Sports 690’s lifespan as Southern California’s sports leader was high school. I was intrigued. Like, would Kentera mention me? What relatively short — nearly 15 years before it ended as most listeners would I have to do to get mentioned on that show? recognized it in 2003. Jeanne Zelasko’s early experiences at the station Last week, The Athletic published an oral history of the Southern California sports-talk radio station that covered a wide range of topics, Sports-talk radio is a field predominantly filled with males, which made including John Lynch’s vision for the station, the rise of Jim Rome, the Jeanne Zelasko one of the rare female on-air personalities at 690 — a dynamic between the station’s unique personalities and, ultimately, the fact that wasn’t lost on her early in her time there. station’s demise. Zelasko: When I first got there, it was pretty clear who wanted me there The story was more than 6,000 words, but it was impossible to cover and who didn’t want me there. I won’t name names because I don’t think every interesting aspect of the station’s history in just one story. With that that’s fair. I will say Jim Rome was very accepting and very inclusive. said, we’ve decided to follow up our with the best of the rest that didn’t make the initial story. I remember this is when they had the old AP machine, the ticker. The scores would come across. Somebody could walk in the room and say, Rome’s Hacksaw impersonation “Was that five yards or 10 yards?” and I could be the only one in the room and answer over and over and they would still go find the ticker to Rome’s relationship, or lack thereof, with Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton has verify me. You just let it roll off your back. It’s part of the landscape. I always been one of the most interesting aspects of 690’s history. They understand I’m new, but it’s not right. It wouldn’t be smart of me to start were two of the station’s main pillars and were successful, but they fighting it. Chet Forte was extremely accepting, was very nice, was couldn’t be any more different in terms of personality and how they excited to have a female in the building doing sports. approached their shows. Zelasko settled into a role doing updates, mostly for the Loose Cannons. Even though Rome has had a nationally syndicated radio show for nearly She also went on to host Chargers talk with Kentera before she left to 25 years, he still breaks out his Hacksaw impersonation every once in a work on Fox’s MLB broadcasts. while, which probably goes over the head of a vast majority of his national audience but serves as a nod to his past and to his longtime Rome’s doubts listeners. As noted in the original story, Rome’s smack-talking style, which grew Rome: I usually preface it by saying, “This is why I do this, and now when exponentially large because of the “clones” and resonated with a younger I do this, it usually takes a year off my life.” I’m not really good at audience, was something completely different than what sports-talk radio impressions … but I can do the Butter Knife. I can do the Hacksaw. That had ever heard at the time. one I do have. I’ll break that out on occasion. More than anything else, that’s a hat tip to the old school. That’s good-natured. I’m not carrying So, naturally, he had doubts about how management truly felt about his anything heavy. I’m into my 50s and have had this amazing run. I’m show. According to Rome, corporate officers at Noble Broadcasting coming from a good place. That’s a shout-out to 690, my San Diego days Group, which owned XTRA Sports 690, had more say in the matter than and where I got my start. That’s more of that than it is, “I’m coming for the one might imagine. old guy.” I’ve got much bigger things on my mind right now. Rome: My wife, Janet, was a vice president of human resources at Hamilton: It’s more of an inside joke than anything. It doesn’t bother me Noble. Noble owned 690. The really curious thing I thought about that is, at all. Hey, thanks for listening. To me, it’s weird because it’s an inside you had all these corporate officers who worked out of the building where joke. It’s not derogatory. He’s great. 690 was, and they all got to vote on programming. I came to find this out later on. You had people in HR. You had people in accounting. Maybe Hacksaw’s Summer Book Tour people in sales. And they could all say, “I don’t like that show. I don’t like that show.” And their opinion actually mattered. You could see where if John Ireland (co-host, Mason and Ireland): (Lee’s) one of a kind. … We nobody ever did a show like me before, and all these people are showing were the Chargers station. The quarterback for the Chargers was John up and voting because they’ve never heard it and don’t get it, that could Friesz. He was this big tall guy out of Idaho, and he was holding out hurt my career. because (Chargers ) Bobby Beathard didn’t want to pay him. So Brad Cesmat, who was one of our news guys, was at Chargers So Janet, who is this amazing heart and this amazing person, grew up a practice and said, “John Friesz just ended his holdout.” He just walked Dodger fan. And I’m on the radio saying, like, “Fernando Valenzuela is into practice and it was the biggest Chargers story everybody was going to be on food stamps by the end of the month.” She was mortified. waiting for, or else they were going to have to play some backup She was like, “I don’t know who this guy is or where he came from. That quarterback. Howard (Freedman, the station’s program director) walks is really mean-spirited. There is no place for that. We should fire him.” into the studio and goes, “Lee, after this break I want you to go live to She was the vice president of the company now and John Lynch’s right Brad Cesmat. He’s at Chargers practice and John Friesz just ended his hand. Luckily, luckily, luckily, Howard Freedman was a guy who believed holdout.” Lee looks at Howard and goes, “Not now, pal. I’m in the middle in me. He didn’t really know sports either, but he knew radio. And he was of my summer book review series.” Howard just started laughing. … like, “No, this guy, this is the next big thing. This guy is different. This (Lee) had everything very regimented. guy’s great.” When I needed someone to believe in me, Freedman was one of the guys who believed in me. “The Coach” John Kentera The interns We didn’t dive into John Kentera much in the initial story, but he carved out a place at the station in the weekday night slot after Hamilton. He The hosts were obviously the main draw for XTRA Sports 690, but the became a critical member of the lineup with his Friday night high school interns also went on to do some pretty big things as well, starting with scoreboard show, which covered schools from San Diego to Los Jenkins, the prominent former Sports Illustrated writer. Angeles, and with his knowledge of the local sports landscape. Jenkins: I wanted so badly to be a part of the station (that) I actually interned there. The guy I interned with, they put me on the late show, I assume after Rome. His name was Rick Schwartz. He would let his interns read at the end of the night, the home run list. That was a big Hartman: All the time. I get calls every single day, or texts. I do my thing. So I would get to go in and say at the end of the night all the guys national show for Fox Sports Radio on Saturdays and Sundays, and we in Major League Baseball who hit a home run. He’d invariably ask me a were talking on Father’s Day about some Father’s Day memories. Some really awkward question. I’d say, “B.J. Surhoff hit his 12th of the year.” guy goes, “My Father’s Day memory is me listening to you and Chet on And he’d say, “What does B.J. stand for, Lee?” Stuff like that on the air. the radio with my dad.” I’m like, “Wow, you’re really making me feel old.” I That’s how much I loved 690. I wanted to intern there. get talked about 690 daily, whether it’s Twitter, the text line or phone calls. There’s not a single day someone doesn’t want to share a story Aside from Jenkins, Ben Maller, who hosts the late-night weekday spot about 690. for Fox Sports Radio, was an intern for XTRA Sports 690 at one time as well. And so was University of Texas football coach Tom Herman. The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020

The callers

Of course, the callers also played an integral role at XTRA Sports 690, which benefited from having a 77-000-watt transmitter. That opened up the conversation to all of Southern California and welcomed Chargers, Padres, Lakers, Dodgers, Raiders fans and many more.

Marty Caswell (producer for the Darren Smith show on XTRA sports 1360, and former 690 listener): The callers were great. It’s funny because, in many ways, you became as familiar with the callers as you were with the hosts. They were consistent callers. They were very creative. They were smart callers. … The callers, I think, were a very big part of sports radio back then.

Kaplan: It was a great time in sports radio. When you had that transmitter and when you could reach that market, the L.A. market and the San Diego market, and you have these natural rivalries, it was so easy to get the phones going, get people to mix it up on the phones. … You had the mayor of Poway calling. Everyone had a handle. Everyone had a nickname. The audience became part of the show and when they called, people would perk up. … The callers back then became a part of the fabric of the show.

Steve Mason (co-host, Mason and Ireland): San Diego didn’t really like Los Angeles, and Los Angeles didn’t like San Diego. On our show, we’d get calls from L.A. and they’d take shots at San Diego. We’d get calls from San Diego and they’d take shots at L.A. That’s what made part of it fun.

Dotseth: The ability for all the different guys, whether it was (Steve) Hartman, ‘Saw, John (Ireland) and Steve (Mason), to manage all of the different personalities and have fun working all the fan bases against each other without turning off any of the fan bases against each, man, that’s good. That’s not easy to do necessarily as a host.

Jenkins: I think it (Hacksaw’s show) definitely brought San Diego’s neighborhoods to life for me. Because it would be like, “Cardiff, what’s your problem?” I didn’t realize Cardiff’s a town of a couple thousand people and he’s screaming at them. … I did call ‘Saw plenty. But I think I would have felt like I would have to write out a Rome call, and at (age) 15, I wouldn’t have felt ready for that.

Jorge Arangure (then a XTRA 690 listener and now a New York Times metro editor): I think Ireland was hosting a night-time show at one point and I won one of the call-ins on it. It was like the greatest moment. I was like in high school … and I actually won. It was like one of those quips and he thought it was the best one. And it was an amazing accomplishment. … But I was never courageous enough to go toe-to-toe with Rome for the huge call of the day. I was never that bold. … It was just too intimidating to impress Rome. I just psyched myself out every time. “Do I have a really good take today?” I never even tried. It was too intimidating.

Hamilton: I used to yell at fans, “Get off your ass and get on the phone.” … Raider fan would talk about, “I got all these rings.” I would say, “You’re in last place right now, look at what Al Davis has turned your team into.”

Ireland: Some obnoxious Raider fan, who thought he knew everything, called. Lee said on the air, “Why don’t you go into the parking lot, take out your gun and shoot yourself?” We all went, “Whaaaaat?”

Arangure: Now, obviously, with clips being posted immediately on social media — there were probably times there would have been suspensions (for Hamilton), for sure.

Steve Hartman (co-host, The Loose Cannons): It was unbelievable. It would never fly nowadays. In those days, Lee had a position of power, and they just let it slide.

Obviously, there is no more 690 to call into, but that hasn’t prevented people from still reminiscing about it. 1187605 Anaheim Ducks put Anaheim in a serious pickle under the $50.3 million cap. Needing to keep the fan favorite that was Selanne, Burke had to cut bait and move Schneider (to Atlanta for Ken Klee, Brad Larsen and Chad Painchaud) The Ducks’ worst free-agent signings in team history for what was the equivalent of pennies on the dollar after one year and 39 points.

8. Tomas Sandstrom Eric Stephens The Mighty Ducks signed the 33-year-old net-front pest to create havoc Jul 10, 2020 for netminders and put pucks past them on a two-year deal. After all, Sandstrom has scored 370 times over 14 seasons. Twice, he reached 40

or more. There were seven other campaigns where he surpassed 20 Hopefully you enjoyed The Athletic’s look back at the 10 best free-agent goals. And Anaheim desperately needed to give 52-goal scorer Teemu signings in Ducks history. Because we now bring you what you really Selanne some help. (A contract impasse and concussion from a hit by want. Gary Suter limited Paul Kariya to just 22 games). Sandstrom played in 77 games for the 1997-98 season but only scored nine goals and had a The flip side. meager 17 points in all. He rebounded somewhat in 1998-99 with 15 goals and 32 points but only played in 58 games due to injuries. It was As much as we warmly remember the great moments and the decisions clear that age and injuries due to his physical style on the ice had caught behind them, we grumble about the bad choices and poorly thought-out up with the Swedish power forward as the Ducks never did get the moves more. That’s fandom. We argue and we gripe. Cursing those version that had 45 goals for the Kings one year and played a big role in involved and in charge is a sport in itself. Heck, a recent fun question that their run to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. ran across my Twitter to describe your best and worst sporting moments in the most boring of manners drew me to engage. For as much as I went 7. Dany Heatley berserk when Kirk Gibson turned Dennis Eckersley’s backdoor slider into a made-for-Hollywood moment and one of the greatest in World Series For portions of their time when they had Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry history, I still have difficulty comprehending Tommy Lasorda pitching to manning Anaheim’s top line, the Ducks looked to have a left wing to Jack Clark with first base open and a possible Game 7 of the 1985 complement their prolific duo. The revolving door only spun further once National League Championship Series hanging in the balance. (Or Bobby Ryan was traded away. In 2014, Bob Murray took a flier on trading Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields, but I digress). Heatley, whom they knew from their battle for the Cup and the five years he spent in the Western Conference playing for San Jose and Minnesota. No NHL general manager is infallible. And when it comes to free agency, Heatley was once one of the NHL’s premier finishers and his 219 goals the decisions made and money thrown about often don’t come with the over a five-year span from 2005-06 to 2009-10 trailed only Alex Ovechkin reward that was imagined upon idea conception. The Ducks have chosen and . But the forward was already on the wane and his ice to make the biggest financial investments on their own players and when time and numbers plummeted in his final season with the Wild. It was you look at this list, you might understand why. Rarely do they have the readily apparent in training camp that Heatley was having plenty of kind of impact that and Teemu Selanne brought upon trouble keeping pace from a skating standpoint. A groin injury also put enlistment. You may wish for the day they make a John Tavares-level him on injured reserve and by the end of 2014, Heatley was put on UFA signing but the next day they bring that kind of excitement on July 1 . The six scoreless games that he dressed with the Ducks were might not come for a good while. his last in the league. What keeps this signing from not being higher up on the list is the Ducks only committed $1 million to him. But while we celebrated the brilliant moves, let’s also look back at the offseason blunders. The same rules apply. College free agents do not 6. Jari Kurri count. This also isn’t a verdict on how players did when they re-signed with the team. All of the mistakes weren’t exorbitant or even expensive. The Ducks had a penchant for going after some name players whose It’s just that the swings for these players left you wanting more. A lot greatest success was far behind them. None were bigger than Kurri, a more. great player on his own who ran shotgun with Wayne Gretzky to phenomenal seasons in Edmonton and some strong years in L.A. Now 10. Andy Sutton the high-scoring Finn wasn’t producing at insane levels in his last season with the Kings but he still had 17 goals and 40 points in just 57 games The Ducks had dealt and watched Scott Niedermayer and chipped in three scores and eight points in 11 playoff games with the hang up his skates. They needed defenders in the worst way in 2010 and Rangers. And the game was very different in 1996. How could bringing in so they went out and recruited big, hard-hitting Andy Sutton who was in Selanne’s idol as a teammate fail? Easy. Kurri was 36 by the time he got the Pronger mold. He even took Pronger’s No. 25 that the Hall of Famer to Anaheim and while he played in all 82 games, his points per game wore while in Anaheim. Of course, Sutton was not Pronger and any were career lows by far. Kurri’s contract was for one year with a team comparison was really unfair. Still, the Ducks didn’t get a whole lot out of option for a second year. The experiment rightly ended after one a two-year signing that cost $4.25 million. Injuries limited Sutton to just disappointing season and he’d end his NHL days after one more year 39 games in 2010-11. His 40.9 Corsi-for rating (per Hockey Reference) with Colorado. was abysmal despite being deployed in offensive-zone starts by Randy Carlyle more than half of the time. He’d only get into one game of a first- 5. Brendan Morrison round series against Nashville and the Ducks cut ties with him that summer, dealing him to Edmonton for Kurtis Foster. Sutton played in one Did you forget that Morrison played for the Ducks? You wouldn’t be more season with the Oilers and has settled down in north San Diego blamed if you did. After breaking through with Vancouver and having a County, where our Josh Cooper recently caught up with him and found highly productive seven-year run with the Canucks as the center on their out he’s raising alpacas. West Coast Express line with Bertuzzi and Markus Naslund, Morrison signed a one-year, $2.75-million deal with Anaheim in part because of 9. Mathieu Schneider familiarity with his former GM in Burke. The playmaker was looking to rebound after an injury-wracked 2007-08 season where he had wrist First things first. Schneider was not a bad player for the Ducks. He did surgery and tore his ACL. The wrist had recovered but his offseason what he had done for much of his 1,289-game career and that was eat a knee surgery was one reason why he had only 10 goals and 12 assists lot of minutes, distribute the puck and be a weapon on the power play. as he failed to give the Ducks consistent secondary production behind When Niedermayer (and Selanne) opted to miss the start of the 2007-08 the ascending Ryan Getzlaf. It wasn’t a good sign when unheralded season in contemplating retirement following the club’s Stanley Cup Andrew Ebbett was playing better and getting top-six minutes. After 62 triumph, GM sought a logical replacement in the proven games, Morrison was put on waivers and claimed by Dallas. He did defenseman. Schneider topped 50 points the prior two seasons with experience decent one-year revivals in Washington and Calgary, though. Detroit and had a career-high 21 goals with the Red Wings. Two years and $11.25 million got the deal done. 4. Todd Bertuzzi

The problem came when Niedermayer returned. Schneider became more Speaking of former Canucks, Burke gave the 32-year-old Bertuzzi a soft of a luxury piece as the Ducks still had Pronger on their blue line. The landing spot after his once flourishing career went sideways due to returning salaries of Niedermayer and Selanne along with the signing of injuries and the aftermath of the Steve Moore incident. Not only was Todd Bertuzzi to a team with a lot of money already committed to others Burke bringing in someone he previously had a lot of success with but Bertuzzi was joining a club that entered the 2007-08 season in defense actually had a solid first season in Anaheim where he led the defense in of its Stanley Cup. A concussion suffered early in the season had the big hits and posted solid underlying possession numbers. But injuries took a forward playing catch-up. There was a huge six-game stretch in January toll. He could only play in 50 games in 2015-16 and dressed in just 14 where he racked up five goals and 12 points. But there wasn’t much contests in 2016-17. And when you factor in the desire to shed his power left in his game as scoring once again became intermittent. mistake and lose a young defenseman — via the expansion draft — who Fourteen goals and 40 points in 68 games aren’t putrid but Anaheim was would mature into a 40-point producer, Murray’s inexplicable add stands expecting more. Instead of keeping him to fulfill his two-year contract that above as far as free-agent mistakes go. Or below. had initially cost the Ducks $8 million, the club bought out the winger to free up precious cap space to sign more important players like Dishonorable mention Niedermayer. Bertuzzi went on to remake himself into an effective depth Shawn Horcoff (one year, $1.75 million) didn’t have an inherently bad player for Detroit. 2015-16 season as a fourth-line center replacement for an injured Nate 3. German Titov Thompson but he’d serve a 20-game suspension for a banned substance used to treat a hand injury. The Ducks actually went on a 17-3-2 run that Do you remember the Sports Illustrated cover with included a franchise-record 11 straight wins without him in the lineup. … and Sergei Starikov posing for the magazine’s NHL preview issue in Vinny Prospal was another headline signing who had 19 goals and 35 1989? I’d have to dig for it but it’s possible the issue may still reside assists in 2003-04 but the Ducks got out of a five-year, $16.5-million somewhere in my attic. The two Russian-born defensemen represented commitment by dealing him back to Tampa Bay for a second-round pick. the wave of Soviet players — and, in a of cases, stars that were … Fliers were taken to resurrect Mark Bell and Kyle Calder but the one- among the best in the world — that paved the way for a flood of talent time Chicago forwards played in five and 14 games respectively in from those countries into the NHL in the early 1990s. Teams reaped the Anaheim. … Mason Raymond was another reclamation project who benefits of this infusion. became a superstar with Vancouver. somehow made the 2016-17 opening night roster, played poorly in four Sergei Makarov’s immediate success as a “rookie” with Calgary forced a games and then opted not to report to the AHL. change in the Calder Trophy rules for first-year players. Fetisov and Igor Larionov would win multiple Cups with Detroit. The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020

Titov was a burgeoning player in the Soviet Hockey League when he would first move to Finland and have a banner season in the SM-liiga before coming to the NHL. He had a 28-goal, 67-point season with Calgary and two other campaigns with 27 and 22 goals for the Flames. His numbers began to slide with Pittsburgh but that didn’t stop Anaheim GM Pierre Gauthier from signing him to a three-year, $4.6 million contract. Thought to be someone that could still provide offense in a second-line role, Titov delivered only nine goals over 71 games in 2000- 01 and was only marginally better in another bad Ducks season in 2001- 02. Greatly maligned, the left wing was already 35 and distracted throughout his first season as he dealt with the deaths of his father and brother from afar. It never worked from the outset.

2.

Time for a fun fact. Fedorov remains the biggest free-agent contract Anaheim has handed a player on the open market. Now for the not-so- fun part. The Ducks, in need of some damage control after going through the Kariya divorce, threw five years and $40 million at the star Detroit forward and 1994 league MVP. And Fedorov gave them his signature. At the time, it seemed like a coup. A franchise not known for attracting big- time free-agent talent had recruited a legitimate star. Fedorov was coming off a 36-goal, 83-point season and was always one of the NHL’s best two-way centers.

But there was a miscalculation. While a brilliant player with a deserving Hall of Fame career, Fedorov was more of an excellent complementary piece on Red Wings teams that were contenders every year, whereas the Ducks had caught lightning in a bottle in their 2003 run for the Cup. Now with their leader in Kariya gone, Fedorov was thought to fill that hole but he couldn’t lift a group that was less talented as a whole. A lost season happened and a month into a new ownership, executive team and coaching staff, the mercurial center was shipped off to Columbus. This signing was considered for the worst but Fedorov did lead Anaheim in goals (31) and points (65) in 2003-04 and Burke managed to procure a young defenseman, Francois Beauchemin, for Fedorov who would make a major impact.

1. Clayton Stoner

Hey, I did save the best — I mean, worst — for last. The thought of Murray wanting some toughness on the blue line was fine in theory. And you want that element when it comes to the postseason, which the Ducks were regular participants in when the summer of 2014 arrived. That May, they had lost the first Freeway Playoff series with Kings in dispiriting fashion, getting boat-raced in Game 7 at home. Adding insult to that was L.A. going on to capture its second Cup in three years. Tough minutes- cruncher Stephane Robidas, a deadline acquisition, was missed after he suffered a broken leg in the first round against Dallas.

Here is where logic begins to crumble. Four years and $13 million isn’t outrageous. Four years and $13 million in a cap system to a player who was a third-pair option at best with Minnesota and was the definition of “stay-at-home” defenseman with next to no offense from the blue line is outrageous. The signing of Stoner to that kind of term and money raised more than a few eyebrows on Day 1. Now the avid hunter (RIP Cheeky) 1187606 Boston Bruins Because of COVID-19, nothing today is normal times. The Bruins will play the three games in the upcoming round-robin tournament, hope to hold their No. 1 standing, and then face the No. 8 seed in the east. NHL ratifies return-to-play plan and a collective bargaining agreement However, they could slip as far as No. 4 in the East and be forced to square off against No. 5 in the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs.

Kevin Paul Dupont Per usual, all four rounds of the 16-team tournament will be best-of- seven affairs. The conference finals — Round 3 of the playoffs — will be July 10, 2020, 6:55 p.m. played in Edmonton, the Western hub. The northern Alberta city also will play host to the Stanley Cup final, the same place where the Bruins faced the Oilers during the 1990 Cup Final. Game on. Finally. The Bruins were nursing injuries to their back line when play was The NHL and its players agreed Friday evening to salvage hockey suspended. Both of their second-unit defensemen, Torey Krug and from its protracted stay in cold storage and resume play Aug. 1, after Brandon Carlo, were out with niggling injuries. Both are expected to be in nearly a five-month hiatus forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. camp off the hop on Monday and will join a formidable crew that includes pairings of Charlie McAvoy and captain Zdeno Chara and No. 3 duo of As expected in recent weeks, the sides agreed both to an intricate Matt Grzelcyk and likely Jeremy Lauzon. return-to-play plan — a full Bruins squad will practice Monday in Brighton — as well as a four-year extension to the Collective Bargaining Rock-hard defensemen Kevan Miller, still struggling with his rehab Agreement that will run through at least the spring of 2026. from knee fractures, was ruled permanently out of action for the remainder of the season by GM . The league and its players’ union announced ratification of the deals shortly after 7 p.m., with commissioner Gary Bettman praising the oft- The new CBA will allow NHL players to participate in the 2022 and warring sides for “coming together under extraordinary circumstances for 2026 Olympic Games, provided the NHL can come to a suitable the good of our game.” agreement with the IOC and the IIHF.

The players, represented by the NHL Players’ Association, ratified Later this month, clubs will be allowed a maximum 31 players — both via a rank-and-file vote that began earlier in the week. Meanwhile, essentially an 11-man taxi squad — when they report to the hubs. Each the league’s Board of Governors applied the rubber stamp to the plan club also will be allowed to bring 21 additional employees, including team presented by Bettman. managers, coaches, trainers, medical staff, etc.

The Bruins, along with 23 other NHL teams, now will prepare for As of early Friday evening, the Bruins had not released a training games that begin at two hub cities, Toronto and Edmonton, on Aug. 1. camp roster. It’s likely they’ll make that public on Saturday.

The Bruins, who will work out at their Brighton/Warrior practice facility, Boston Globe LOADED: 07.11.2020 will report to the Toronto hub July 26 and play at least one exhibition game there before formally beginning postseason play Aug. 2 in a round- robin game against the Flyers. Their last game during the regular season was in Philly on March 10.

Eight of the teams reporting to the hubs, including the No. 1 ranked Bruins, will play in the non-elimination, round-robin format aimed at determining seed placement in the top four spots of both the East and West conferences.

Meanwhile, 16 of the 24 teams will square off in a best-of-five-game elimination tournament, also known as the play-in or qualifying round, to determine seeds Nos. 5-8 in each of the two conferences.

The Bruins also will face Tampa (Aug. 5) and Washington (Aug. 8) in the round-robin format before formally entering elimination play Aug. 11 or 12.

All of this, of course, assumes the teams can practice for the better part of the next two weeks and not be forced to close shop because of the pandemic. It is possible the coronavirus, which has been on a frightening uptick in many United States citiesthis month, ultimately scuttles the elaborate RTP scheme, which would mean no Cup champion would be crowned for 2020.

No matter the outcome of the RTP, the CBA is a done deal, extended four years beyond its 2022 expiration date. The deal also provides conditions that could see the CBA extended through the 2026-27 season.

In agreeing to the extension, the players accepted what amounts to a flat cap, set at $81.5 million, for the next couple of years and possibly longer. All depending on how fast revenue streams are replenished.

Not an ideal situation for a group accustomed to steady cap increases the last 15 years, dating to the inception of a $39 million cap, but it allows them a degree of employment security and wealth at a time when much of the world’s economics have been dramatically disrupted.

If the Bruins again can reach the Cup final — as they did last spring — play against the Western Conference champ would begin Sept. 22. The latest date for a Game 7: Oct. 4.

When play was suspended March 12, the Bruins stood a league-best 44-14-12 (100 points/.714 points percentage), a standing that in normal times would guarantee them home ice for the duration of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 1187607 Boston Bruins (No. 8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (No. 9) Columbus Blue Jackets

Sunday, Aug. 2: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs

NHL round robin, qualifying series schedule 2020: Dates, scores for Tuesday, Aug. 4: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs every game Thursday, Aug. 6: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets

Friday, Aug. 7: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets* Nick Goss Sunday, Aug. 9: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs* July 10, 2020 8:56 PM *If necessary

Bean: B's better hope these teams don't get No. 1 pick The NHL is officially returning to play. WESTERN CONFERENCE The league and NHLPA ratified the Return to Play Plan and a new CBA deal Friday, paving the way for the 2019-20 season to finish. The regular ROUND ROBIN season is over, but the league is not yet jumping into the first round of the Sunday, Aug. 2: St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Monday, Aug. 3: Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights The top four teams in each conference will determine their seeding for the first round by playing a round robin format. The teams ranked No. 5 Wednesday, Aug. 5: Avalanche vs. Stars through No. 12 in each conference will square off in a qualifying round Thursday, Aug. 6: Golden Knights vs. Blues that will use a Best-of-5 series format. The four winners of the qualifying series in each conference will be matched up against the top four teams Saturday, Aug. 8: Golden Knights vs. Avalanche for the first round based on seeding. Sunday, Aug. 9: Stars vs. Blues These games will take place in two host cities. The Eastern Conference games will be played at Scotiabank Place in Toronto, and the Western QUALIFYING ROUND Conference matchups will be played at Rogers Place in Edmonton. (No. 5) vs. (No. 12) Chicago Blackhawks Here's the schedule for every round robin game and qualifying round Saturday, Aug. 1: Blackhawks vs. Oilers series. Check back to this article after each game for scores and updated schedules. Monday, Aug. 3: Blackhawks vs. Oilers

Ranking NHL's top 100 players for 2020 Wednesday, Aug. 5: Oilers vs. Blackhawks

EASTERN CONFERENCE Friday, Aug. 7: Oilers vs. Blackhawks*

ROUND ROBIN Saturday, Aug. 8: Blackhawks vs. Oilers*

Sunday, Aug. 2: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins (No. 6) Nashville Predators vs. (No. 11)

Monday, Aug. 3: Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Sunday, Aug. 2: Coyotes vs. Predators

Wednesday, Aug. 5: Lightning vs. Bruins Tuesday, Aug. 4: Coyotes vs. Predators

Thursday, Aug. 6: Capitals vs. Flyers Wednesday, Aug. 5: Predators vs. Coyotes

Saturday, Aug. 8: Bruins vs. Capitals Friday, Aug. 7: Predators vs. Coyotes*

Sunday, Aug. 9: Flyers vs. Lightning Sunday, Aug. 9: Coyotes vs. Predators*

QUALIFYING ROUND (No. 7) Vancouver Canucks vs. (No. 10) Minnesota Wild

(No. 5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (No. 12) Sunday, Aug. 2: Wild vs. Canucks

Saturday, Aug. 1: Canadiens vs. Penguins Tuesday, Aug. 4: Wild vs. Canucks

Monday, Aug. 3: Canadiens vs. Penguins Thursday, Aug. 6: Canucks vs. Wild

Wednesday, Aug. 5: Penguins vs. Canadiens Friday, Aug. 7: Canucks vs. Wild*

Friday, Aug. 7: Penguins vs. Canadiens* Sunday, Aug. 9: Wild vs. Canucks*

Saturday, Aug. 8: Canadiens vs. Penguins* (No. 8) vs. (No. 9) Winnipeg Jets

(No. 6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (No. 11) New York Rangers Saturday, Aug. 1: Jets vs. Flames

Saturday, Aug. 1: Rangers vs. Hurricanes Monday, Aug. 3: Jets vs. Flames

Monday, Aug. 3: Rangers vs. Hurricanes Tuesday, Aug. 4: Flames vs. Jets

Tuesday, Aug. 4: Hurricanes vs. Rangers Thursday, Aug. 6: Flames vs. Jets*

Thursday, Aug. 6: Hurricanes vs. Rangers* Saturday, Aug. 8: Jets vs. Flames*

Saturday, Aug. 8: Rangers vs. Hurricanes* *If necessary

(No. 7) New York Islanders vs. (No. 10) Florida Panthers Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.11.2020 Saturday, Aug. 1: Panthers vs. Islanders

Tuesday, Aug. 4: Panthers vs. Islanders

Wednesday, Aug. 5: Islanders vs. Panthers

Friday, Aug. 7: Islanders vs. Panthers*

Sunday, Aug. 9: Panthers vs. Islanders* 1187608 Boston Bruins

NHL Round Robin Schedule: Dates for Boston Bruins' three games revealed

Nick Goss

July 10, 2020 7:31 PM

Hockey is back, and soon the Boston Bruins will resume their quest to win the Stanley Cup.

The NHL and NHLPA have officially ratified the Return to Play Plan and a new CBA deal, the two sides announced Friday.

The league also released the schedule for the round robin and the qualifying round.

The top four teams in each conference will play a round-robin format to determine their seeds for the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The No. 5 through No. 12 teams are taking part in a qualifying round that will use a Best-of-5 series format. The winners of the qualifying series will be matched up (based on seeding) with the top four teams in their respective conferences for the first round of the playoffs.

The Bruins finished the regular season as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the league's best record. They will enter the Eastern Conference's round robin along with the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals.

Here is the Bruins' round robin schedule. All of their games will be played in the host city of Toronto, and the start times have not yet been announced.

--Sunday, Aug. 2: vs. Philadelphia Flyers

--Wednesday, Aug. 5: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

--Saturday, Aug. 8: vs. Washington Capitals

The Bruins will begin their formal training camp Monday at Warrior Ice Arena.

Here are the other key dates for the league's return:

All the key dates from Training Camp to the 2020 NHL Draft. https://t.co/IErZJ2hifT pic.twitter.com/gRlxklXNml

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) July 10, 2020

The Bruins have been on a mission all season to avenge last year's heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and finish the job in 2020. Their opportunity to accomplish that goal begins in just a few weeks.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187609 Boston Bruins

NHL, NHLPA officially ratify Return to Play plan and new CBA deal, announce key dates

Nick Goss

July 10, 2020 4:53 PM

Game on.

The NHLPA announced Friday it "has ratified the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the (NHL) and the resumption of the 2019-20 season."

The CBA now is in place through the 2025-26 season, which ensures labor peace for at least six more years. The agreement on the return to play protocols also means the league can begin its plan to finish the 2019-20 season. Formal training camps will open Monday, July 13, and the first non-exhibition games start Aug. 1.

With the CBA now ratified, NHL players can officially opt-out of this summer's training camp and playoffs without until 5 p.m. ET on Monday.

Players must notify their teams in writing before that deadline. No reason needs to be provided.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 10, 2020

Here are the key dates for the remainder of the season:

July 13: Start of formal training camps

July 26: Teams travel to hub cities

July 28-30: Exhibition games

Aug. 1: Stanley Cup Qualifiers begin

Aug. 10*: Phase 2 of NHL Draft Lottery

Aug. 11: First round of Stanley Cup Playoffs begins

Aug. 25*: Second round of Stanley Cup Playoffs begins

Sept. 8*: Conference Finals begin

Sept. 22*: Stanley Cup Final begins

Oct. 4*: Last possible day of Cup Final

Oct. 9-10*: 2020 NHL Draft

*Tentative dates

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187610 Boston Bruins

As details emerge, Bruins likely to exercise caution during 2019-20 restart

Fluto Shinzawa

Jul 10, 2020

In less than one month, the Bruins will face off against the Flyers to start the round-robin qualifying segment of the playoffs.

It doesn’t leave much time to prepare.

The Bruins will begin training camp on Monday at Warrior Ice Arena. A mere 13 days later, on July 26, they will travel to Toronto, where they will convene with their 11 Eastern Conference rivals.

The league announced Friday that on Aug. 2, following an undetermined number of exhibition games, the Bruins will play Philadelphia in the first of three round-robin squareoffs. They will play the Lightning on Aug. 5. They will close out round-robin play against the Capitals on Aug. 8.

Meanwhile, the eight remaining Eastern clubs will be competing in best- of-five series to advance to the first round. On Aug. 11, the first round will begin.

The Bruins will be seeded based on the round-robin results. High seeding might not be their priority.

There will be no home-ice advantage in an empty Scotiabank Arena. No matter how hard they compete in the round-robin segment, it will not earn the Bruins a return to friendly TD Garden.

It’s why health, not necessarily wins, will be their primary pursuit against the Flyers, Lightning and Capitals.

It might not serve Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron well, for example, to dress for all three round-robin games. The 43-year-old defenseman and 34-year-old center might feel like they need only one or two tuneups, following nearly two weeks of camp, to feel ready for the opening round. It’s a good bet that Tuukka Rask, who has started all 72 of the Bruins’ postseason games since 2013, will hand at least one round-robin match to Jaroslav Halak.

This means the Bruins might not dress fully optimized lineups for the three round-robin games. They will be fine with that.

Instead, Bruce Cassidy wants all of his weapons armed and ready for Aug. 11. By then, he would like to determine where Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase fit best. He wants to evaluate whether Joakim Nordstrom, Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner are his three most effective fourth-liners. He’d like to let Anders Bjork, Karson Kuhlman and possibly Jack Studnicka fight it out for the opening at No. 3 right wing. He’d prefer a few weeks to figure out whether Connor Clifton or John Moore would be better options than Jeremy Lauzon on the No. 3 pairing.

But all of these somewhat peripheral decisions will not really matter if Bergeron, Chara, Rask, David Krejci, Torey Krug, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy or David Pastrnak pull up lame between now and the first round. These are the Bruins’ most critical players. It would be a shame to let four months of recovery time go up in smoke by putting the lead dogs at risk of injury, either in camp or in the round-robin games.

So Cassidy and the Bruins will proceed cautiously. With their 100-point regular season, they earned the right to prioritize good health, not wins, in the qualifying segment.

Eight of their Eastern rivals are not as lucky.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187611 Buffalo Sabres these young athletes of color would have to put up with the racial slurs because they wouldn’t be there. That’s the direction we should work toward as the human race. I’m very strong with the human race thing. We Q&A: Val James, NHL's first U.S.-born Black player, on racism in hockey can’t get through all of this without working together. That’s the bottom line.

I can definitely say after putting in time in the minors down in the south, Lance Lysowski people became more accepting of Black players in that sport. It even had a run-off effect where it affected people in the community where they Jul 10, 2020 took a second look, rather than judge someone so quickly.

Q: Why have white coaches and players taken so long to speak out The racial slurs were spewed by white fans from every corner of the against racism? building in 1981 as Val James skated on the ice in Salem, Va. A: I guess you could say it’s the last frontier that has to be crossed. You A CBS News crew filmed the scene as part of a report on James, who can only sit back and watch it for so long before you have to do would become the first U.S.-born Black player to reach the National something. With the way society has broken down at this point in time, Hockey League. A producer from the network interviewed a teenager it’s something that can be addressed and since people are now listening, who brought a watermelon to the game to taunt James. this is the time.

James exuded courage and grace while confronting the racism he Q: What do you want to see the NHL do to make the sport more endured throughout his 12 years of playing professional hockey. He welcoming and available to everyone? made history by debuting with the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 1, 1981, and A: At this point, there aren’t enough people of color playing the game. appeared in 10 games that season, including three in the Stanley Cup That pool, so to speak, would have to be built almost from the ground up playoffs. James played part of five years with the at this point. You do have more of these programs that are in the inner and returned to the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1986-87. cities and, of course, if you have programs in the inner cities, then you’re He is among the sport’s pioneers and inspired many young Black players going to need people in those cities to step up and help out. You can’t training in the United States. However, the sport James loved is still just have it be a one-way street. Everyone needs to work together. grappling with inequality. The death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black Q: What emotions come to mind when you reflect on the role you played man who suffocated under the weight of a Minneapolis police officer's in inspiring young people during your career? knee on May 25, sparked mass protests and dialogue about racism across the globe. A: I’m just happy I was able to do something I loved to do and tried to go as far as I could with it. I did accomplish what I wanted to. I didn’t get to Wayne Simmonds, a forward for the Sabres, helped start the Hockey stay as long as I wanted to, but I still accomplished it, which ensured Diversity Alliance, which aims to make the game inclusive. He is anyone of color that was coming behind me would get that second, third continuing the fight that James and others have waged for decades. or fourth look. Before that, you never really got to see anyone of color White players also publicly denounced racism and police brutality against playing the sport or getting that second or third look. ... By the time I got people of color. to the minors, the United States had established a really decent program The Buffalo News spoke to James recently about why progress has been and won the gold medal. We came a long way in a short amount of time, slow in hockey and what needs to be done to finally end racism in the but a lot of people who were training us were Canadians. Even then, you sport. never saw a Black player or player of color, any color, trying to play hockey. It was easier to go for sports where you’re wearing sneakers or Q: Why has the culture of hockey been so slow to change? anything but skates. I don’t think it was interesting enough at the time, until you see a few more people who look like you are playing. A: It’s probably been a sport that only someone with a decent salary can afford. If we go back to the ‘60s and ‘70s when a lot of young kids were Q: How crucial are events such as the NHL's "Hockey is for Everyone?" learning the sport, many Black families did not have an income that would support such a project for kids. If you have three or four children A: These kids are dreaming about something they want to accomplish who want to play the sport, there’s no way. Not only are they paying for and they’re willing to do what it takes to get there. The "Hockey is for league fees, but they have to pay for travel on that team. That’s what was Everyone" event in Toronto was incredible. The amount of kids and it working against people of color back then. Today, we do have people was kids of every color. That’s what I’m working towards – we want unity. that can afford the sport, but we don’t have any institutions that have put We want everyone. We don’t just want one race. We want all races and if together programs that train those kids when they should be learning we can get that accomplished, the rest is easy. how to skate so that they know how to skate when they get to the ages of Q: What advice or words of encouragement do you give young people at 8, 11 or 12. That’s when you can really start teaching them about the these events? mindset of the sport. A: The racial abuse young players have to put up with hasn’t changed It would definitely create a change. You would have an unlimited talent since I was playing. When I was young, I got the same thing. I don’t think pool. If you look at it on those terms, and throw racism out the window, young athletes are being schooled on how to handle this when it does you’re going to build programs that will be great for everyone. That’s the happen. I would have to say that would probably be up to the parents to idea – to get everyone playing, so they can experience hockey and will educate themselves so they can educate the children, so when (the have the option of deciding whether they want to do it. While they are children) go into the world and situations come up, they have enough doing it, they’re also learning other skills, such as discipline, hard work, ammunition in their minds to be able to deal with it. the ability to think your way out of a situation. You have to ask the person, "Why would you do that to me? Did I do Q: Are you impressed with the way Black players in the NHL are using anything to you?" Kind of get them to become one-on-one with you and their platform to denounce racism and make the sport welcoming for from that point, they might start to think, "Yeah, he didn’t do anything to everyone? me, it was someone else." A: I think that’s great. There are so many players coming out now that in Buffalo News LOADED: 07.11.2020 another era would have never gotten the opportunity to try out for such teams. They’ve opened a lot of doors and helped a lot of kids that would have never been given that opportunity. I can’t give them enough credit for the job they’re doing.

Q: How important is it for young people of color to have role models in hockey such as P.K. Subban and Wayne Simmonds?

A: It’s a big thing. You have to diversify. It’s a matter of bringing society together and as much as people don’t think they’re one in the same, it is one in the same. If society were together the way it should be, none of 1187612 Buffalo Sabres The bowl in KeyBank Center never looked better than when the team celebrated Aud Night this season.

An oft-repeated complaint in our survey was that the building lacks Fans (and a longtime Sabres beat writer) suggest how to upgrade character. That’s especially true with a sea of dull blue seats as far as the KeyBank Center eye can see. Boston has black and gold seats to break up the monotony, so if the renovators feel four colors is too garish, at least gold and royal blue could be considered. John Vogl The upper bowl Jul 10, 2020 The 300 Level, especially in recent years, is a tough sell. The corners are often barren.

During one of the Sabres’ alumni events this season, a long-retired Rather than keep all the seats, the Sabres could create party loges. player headed to the arena concourse to greet fans. He returned to the Similar ideas have taken off in other arenas, including Tampa Bay and group with a surprised look. Las Vegas.

“I can’t believe that’s the same floor I used to run laps on when I was 18,” Sections 324 and 325 in the corner of KeyBank Center, for example, he said. have 481 individual seats. The Sabres could take them all out and install a bar with lounge seating that would appeal to the audience that wants to Yes, KeyBank Center could use some freshening up. do more than just sit and watch a game. As arena frontman Larry Quinn and architect Carl Yaeger looked back on “(Standing-room only) level with bars and concessions at the top of the the creation of the 24-year-old building, it was clear many of their design 300 Level,” a respondent wrote. features hold up today. Other spots are showing their age, especially as new arenas open with eye-popping amenities. The team could remove the top few rows from each section of the upper bowl and create a walkway where people could mingle while watching What steps can Buffalo take to give its aging arena some new looks? the action. “The best buildings wherever they’re built are ones where there’s a really “The 300 Level concourse needs to be widened by a lot. If there’s ever clear program: What are you building it for? Who are you serving? What another sellout I don’t know how long it would take to get out of there,” a are the important things?” Quinn said. “That’s the challenge that will face survey participant wrote. the area with the football stadium and the arena. What do you need to do? What’s the best way to do it? And that’s what they’re going through Altering a cramped concourse would take serious reconstruction, now is trying to figure that out.” especially compared to the easier moves we’ve suggested. But if the Sabres created more communal spaces up top, thereby reducing the Pegula Sports and Entertainment commissioned a study to address its seating capacity, things wouldn’t get as crowded. needs for the homes of the Bills and Sabres, and the organization is evaluating the results. In the meantime, here are ideas to revamp Amenities KeyBank Center from those of you who took our Sabres Fan Survey and a few thoughts of my own after working in the building more than 2,800 A stroll through the 100 Level concourse features concession stands, a times. few bars, some pictures of former players and souvenir shops.

While we’re living in a COVID-19 world now, these suggestions envision “Has nothing based on fan experience, all concessions and gift shops, no a day when we return to “normal.” If the virus lingers, that clearly cool experiences,” one respondent wrote. changes everything. Other writers for The Athletic have talked with a Touchscreens could give fans replays of Gilbert Perreault and Jack leading architect about the impact coronavirus might have on future Eichel. A store could be converted into a Hall of Fame with artifacts and design and how it is already affecting arenas under construction. alumni appearances.

Seats “Whatever the market modernization blueprint is for younger fans, do it, Let’s start with the obvious. Fans arrive at their seats and see dirt, grime, but with respect to heritage of franchise,” a survey answer said. chipped paint and broken cup holders. Some stains are older than The Sabres have added a new market and fancier signage, but it’s just Rasmus Dahlin. one step.

“The seats are from the Clinton administration,” wrote a survey “The hallways look ancient compared to most other NHL arenas,” a participant, noting that the 1996 arena has indeed been through four respondent wrote. “Redo the floors, add some interactive and/or presidents and counting. technological exhibits of Sabres history, etc. Just make the hallways look A couple of fellow Sabres reporters took a picture of a new phone this newer.” season, but the shiny device immediately gave way to the filth As we laid out in our interview with Quinn and the arena architect, surrounding it. KeyBank Center is actually three separate buildings: the atrium, the BREAKING: PAUL HAMILTON [@PHAM1717] HAS UPGRADED TO A arena bowl/concourses and the Lexus Club/offices. The last building has SMART PHONE. HE IS LEARNING HOW TO USE IT THIS MORNING plenty of potential. AT #SABRES PRACTICE PIC.TWITTER.COM/Z0UU5ZNRLN The Sabres have moved many employees out of the offices and into the — MATTHEW BOVÉ (@MATT_BOVE) FEBRUARY 25, 2020 Labatt building across the street. Those arena offices have grand views of Canalside, which add life to a drab interior. It’s prime space to add a People are paying as much as $145 to sit down. They shouldn’t have to food hall, lounge or interactive area. spring for cleaning wipes, too. After inviting those outside views in, take the inside outdoors. The plaza “Seating is too cramped,” a respondent wrote. features bands and good times when the weather is nice. In the winter, it’s dreary and empty. The Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee has a covered While it’s cool the Sabres have seating capacity of 19,070 – a nod to beer garden with big screens, an idea the Sabres have noticed. their 1970 founding – they shouldn’t re-install every seat when they get around to replacing them. It is too snug in spots, especially when bulky “Build up the outside perimeter with things for game day and year round,” winter coats are involved. a respondent wrote.

Though widening the seats would reduce capacity, it would benefit the The ideas are endless. We welcome yours in the comments. In the people using them. Plus, reduced supply would increase the demand meantime, we’ll let one survey taker finish what we started. (whenever the Sabres get good again). “Clean it. At least once. Please.” “Go back to gold, red, blue, orange,” a participant wrote. The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187613 Calgary Flames Hamonic has played 637 NHL games, including 193 with the Flames. He joined the organization in 2017 when Treliving traded the team’s first- and second-round selections in the 2018 NHL draft, and a second-round Flames defenceman Hamonic opts out of NHL's Return to Play plan, selection in 2019 to acquire Hamonic from the New York Islanders. citing family reasons His seven-year, US$27-million contract, which sees him paid US$3.8 million per season, is set to expire at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Kristen Anderson Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.11.2020

July 10, 2020 10:56 PM MDT

The Flames defenceman cited the life-altering situation he and his wife Stephanie experienced when their infant daughter Charlie had difficulty breathing and needed to be rushed to the Alberta Children's Hospital in early 2019.

Part of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association’s newly signed collective bargaining agreement gives players the opportunity opt out of the Return to Play plan.

On Friday night, Calgary Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic exercised that right.

All NHL players have until 5 p.m. E.T. on Monday to make their decision final, penalty-free, and are required to submit that decision in writing to the NHLPA and NHL Central Registry.

Flames general manager released a statement late Friday regarding the 29-year-old who hails from St. Malo, Man., and cited family reasons for his decision.

“Earlier this evening Travis called me to inform us that he has decided to opt out of the NHL Return to Play Program. Travis explained that due to family considerations, he has made the difficult decision not to participate in the Stanley Cup Qualifier and Playoffs,” the statement read. “While we will miss Travis in our line-up, we understand and respect his decision. Our focus remains on preparations for training camp and our upcoming series in the NHL Qualifying Round.”

Titan Sports 365, the agency that represents Hamonic, released a statement from the rugged blueliner, who cited the life-altering situation he and his wife Stephanie experienced when their infant daughter Charlie had difficulty breathing and needed to be rushed to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in early 2019.

“God has blessed me with the talent and opportunity to play in the NHL. Playing in the NHL is a privilege and I take a lot of pride in doing so for an incredible franchise like the Calgary Flames.

“Most importantly, God allowed my family the opportunity to see his love and grace first hand last year when our little girl contracted a very serious respiratory virus.

“Like every parent, everything we do is to provide and protect our kids and try to take away any suffering they may endure. Last year, we spent the longest, scariest and hardest week of our lives by our daughter’s hospital bedside. We were unsure of what would come next but with God’s strength our little girl fought her respiratory virus and recovered. During that long week, we were helpless and couldn’t do anything to help her except hold her little hand, kiss her head, and pray. We saw what a respiratory virus can do to our healthy little girl and it’s something no parent wants or should go through. Now blessed with our second child, a baby boy, the risk of today’s COVID-19 pandemic is a very difficult to weigh as parents.

“Due to what my daughter already has gone through and the concerns if she were to catch COVID-10, I’ve decided to opt out and seek a leave of absence from the Calgary Flames for the remainder of the playoffs. I wish I could lace up my skates and be out there battling, blocking a shot and helping the team win but my family has and always will come first. Being my little kids’ dad everyday is the most important job I have,” the statement read. “I love this game and my team. This is a decision that is extremely hard for me to make. I wish my teammates the best of luck and good health. I look forward to joining the C of Red, the greatest fans in the NHL, in cheering on my teammates as they chase the opportunity to bring the Stanley Cup home to Calgary.”

Treliving would not comment further on Friday regarding Hamonic’s decision. 1187614 Calgary Flames “But we’re ready.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.11.2020

Flames GM Treliving pleased with new CBA and Return to Play ratification by NHLPA

Kristen Anderson

July 10, 2020 7:44 PM MDT

The Calgary Flames' best-of-five series against the Winnipeg Jets to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs is a go — and will kick off on Aug. 1 with Game 1 at the Edmonton hub location.

The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association finally made it official.

There will be hockey this summer.

After a nearly four-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides came to an agreement Friday evening and ratified a four-year extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement through the 2025-26 season, along with making the NHL’s ‘Return to Play’ plan official.

For the Calgary Flames, it means their best-of-five series against the Winnipeg Jets to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs is a go — and will kick off on Aug. 1 with Game 1 at the Edmonton hub location.

“It certainly feels like it’s moving forward,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving, whose club will play Games 2 and 3 on Aug. 3 and 4, respectively. “We’ve been planning for it all along. This was a big hurdle in a long process, so it’s good to have that ratified by both sides and we’ll keep moving forward.”

In a release sent out by the NHL, the agreement indicated the conference finals and Stanley Cup final will be staged at Edmonton’s Rogers Place. Meanwhile, each team will be permitted to bring a maximum of 52 individuals into the secure zones — or ‘bubble’ — in the hub cities, including a maximum of 31 players.

When Phase 4 kicks off, each of the 52 members of club personnel will be tested daily for COVID-19, as well as being administered daily temperature checks and symptom screenings.

Reports suggested that nearly 79 per cent of NHLPA membership voted in favour of the new CBA and ‘Return to Play’ program.

Given the uncertain business climate presented by the global pandemic along with the cloudiness of the future, Treliving is pleased with the news.

“To get a CBA done in this environment that we’ve all been living in, uncertain times and all the stuff that’s been going on,” he said. “You really think about it, since there’s been a pause in play, we’ve gotten a CBA extension and ‘Return to Play’ plan put together in a time when there’s so much uncertainty. A lot of days (through the COVID-19 pandemic), you were wondering ‘What is going on (in the world)?’

“I think (NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman, (deputy commissioner) Bill Daly and all the people at the league and the PA should be commended on the work that’s been done and to get us to this point.”

A critical dates calendar was also released, which included details of the 2020 NHL Draft that was postponed from this past June to Oct. 9 and 10.

The Stanley Cup will be awarded at the beginning of October while the 2020-21 season will begin in December.

“There’s going to be a lot going on in a short period of time,” Treliving said. “It’s taking small bites here, our focus is getting ready for Monday (the start of training camp) and going through camp and getting ready. But from basically the beginning of October through Dec. 1, there’s going to be a lot going on. You just familiarize yourself with what is going to happen, be prepared and execute.”

Up next is the start of Monday’s training camp at and Phase 3 of the NHL’s ‘Return to Play’ plan.

“It’s all the same things that have to happen (like normal seasons), but they’re at a different time of the year and they’re in really rapid succession,” Treliving said. “It’s good to know exactly what those dates are now so you can prepare. 1187615 Calgary Flames bouncing everywhere. Whatever we get from a read on them is going to be from basically video and us just preparing and worrying about ourselves.

Flames prepare for camp with sense of excitement heading into play-in “To me, that’s kind of the angle we have to take.” series And, according to Lucic, it’s why Phase 3 is so important, almost more crucial than what a regular training camp is meant to accomplish.

Kristen Anderson “Because you don’t have 82 games to figure it out,” he said. “You have to July 10, 2020 6:22 PM MDT figure it out off the bat. Some pressure goes on all 24 coaches (of teams still in the hunt for the 2020 Stanley Cup) in a sense in how they get their team ready and prepared.”

Almost four months to the day after the NHL season was put on hold, the A different approach, indeed. Calgary Flames hit the ice Monday to prepare to face the Winnipeg Jets in a best-of-five series. “I mean, you don’t usually have to jump right into it,” said Flames netminder . “You get seven or eight exhibition games and get By all accounts, this will be a normal training camp. a chance to feel it out a bit. Jumping into a playoff scenario is not going to be easy for anybody. I think it’s whoever is the most well-prepared and It’s a format you’d expect any fall on any given year before the start of a came to camp ready to go is going to get the best opportunity. I hope National Hockey League season with groups of players, getting back into that’s us. A bunch of guys have been here for a while now and have the groove of skating with each other, handling the puck, passing, been champing at the bit. shooting, battling and preparing to kick things off for real. “It’s going to be different but it’s going to be fun.” Except nothing about this situation is normal. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.11.2020 With the COVID-19 pandemic shifting the world, the NHL paused the regular season on March 12. Life has returned to a (somewhat) new normal and the NHL is well on its way to salvaging the 2019-20 campaign in a ‘Return to Play’ plan.

Almost four months to the day after the season was put on hold, Phase 3 begins Monday as teams hit the ice in mid-summer to begin preparations for a makeshift pre-playoff round to determine who will compete for the Stanley Cup.

For the Calgary Flames, that means hitting the ice at a completely sanitized and sterile Scotiabank Saddledome and getting ready to face the Winnipeg Jets in a best-of-five series.

“It is unprecedented,” said Flames head coach who, as per the NHL mandate, has not been able to physically watch his players skate prior to Monday and the start of Phase 3. “But I think we’re approaching it like the playoffs are a great time of the year. We’re not looking at the ‘play-in’ like the regular season, obviously. It’s a round of five against another team. For us, we’re seeing everything that’s involved in this right now is a playoff situation. The fact that we’re playing at this time of the year and, in our minds, we’re playing games that matter now — that’s exciting for everybody. You can see the veteran players, in talking with the assistant coaches, the veteran players are excited about the prospect of what lies ahead. The coaches are excited, the management is excited. You can’t take the playoffs for granted. When you get there, you have to enjoy it. And we certainly are.”

The Flames’ coaching staff has been meeting with players regularly through web calls and sending video, analyzing parts of their game based on footage from the 2019-20 regular season. Preparations have been taking place over the last four months to ensure players know what to expect when they hit the ice on Monday.

“It was a tough process not knowing what to do,” said Flames forward of the preamble before the NHL officially released plans. “It was hard to leave my family, but it was nice to have a decision made. Was I going? Or was I staying? But I’ll be excited to get going.”

Backlund is not alone.

At the time of the NHL pause, the Flames were 70 games into the season with a 36-27-7 record and, with 12 games remaining, were just beginning to play some of their best hockey of the year — which would have been ideal timing considering that NHL playoffs usually take place in the spring.

But they were delivered an abrupt ending to their regular-season campaign, and their entire world were flipped upside down. Players went their separate ways and to their homes in different directions: to Sweden, , the U.S., and across Canada.

Now, they’re back and will spend the next few weeks bracing for the Jets, a team they only faced once on Oct. 26 in a 2-1 overtime loss at in the outdoor game.

“Conditions were way different,” pointed out Flames forward . “The rink was different. There was snow that night, so the puck was 1187616 Calgary Flames have. We have to trust everybody that they’re going to be vigilant with what they’re doing with their time away from the rink. We’re all on the same page with respect to how serious this is.

Flames ‘really, really cognizant’ of players’ health heading into training “I think we all know somebody who’s gotten it or had it. Listening to the camp stories they tell, what this virus puts them through, it can be extremely, extremely devastating. And for some, it’s fatal.”

Scott Cruickshank Ward didn’t rule out wearing a mask on the bench once games get underway in Edmonton. On that matter, he says he’ll defer to team Jul 10, 2020 physician Dr. Ian Auld and head therapist Kent Kobelka.

With no fans permitted in the rink, glass isn’t needed behind the benches. Perhaps coaches can stand a row or two back from the players. After all, In one of those initials rounds of Zoom chats with NHL stars, weeks and without crowd noise, it should be easy to communicate with the skaters. weeks ago, showed a lighter side, making cracks about “Tiger King,” ’s fitness as a quarantine partner, Oliver “I’m sure the NHL has been thinking about it,” said Ward. “It’ll be Ekman-Larsson’s questionable hits, and Connor McDavid’s pokiness. interesting to see exactly what the physical set-up looks like when we get to the hub.” But, turning serious at one juncture, the Calgary Flames captain brought up an interesting point. He already knows what it looks like in Calgary, where he’s witnessed troubling signs of slack-off. For instance, people not taking social “If we can ever get back to playing, I think this is going to be one of the distancing as seriously as they should — or even as seriously as they best playoffs ever because every team is going to have all their guys once did. healthy,” Giordano told reporters. “You’re truly going to be playing the best version of every team.” “I think the tendency, after we’ve been through this thing for four months, is to relax and not think about it that much,” Ward said. “You just have to In a perfect world, that is what the midsummer’s start line will look like — look at what’s going on south of the border … to understand that.” 24 clubs, brimming with players, all creak-free. Like 23 other squads, the Flames are preparing for Phase 3. But, as everyone knows, this is not a perfect world. Or a perfect situation. Because of the length of time between their last action and Monday’s Because nursing two dozen rusty rosters through intense pre-postseason camp opening — 127 days, believe it or not — things are fluid. camps — which, in the midst of unprecedented times, open Monday — will be nearly impossible. With varying degrees of fitness, of readiness, plenty is at play.

And it’s a challenge that goes beyond hockey-related harm. Consider, As general manager Brad Treliving recently pointed out, it’s not simply a too, the ongoing risk of coronavirus infection. matter of pencilling in the combinations from March 8 — a 5-3 loss to the visiting Vegas Golden Knights — and gliding into their best-of-five series In other words, goaltending, for the first time ever, may not be the key to against the Winnipeg Jets. championship-chasing success. The Flames’ deciders need to determine the best lineup for each game, Health trumps all. regardless of resume. “For me, that would be the factor, outside of everything else we talk “We’ve talked to the players about it — ‘What your job is, is to play about,” said Flames coach Geoff Ward. “Because if a team ends up with yourself into the top 20,’ because those are the guys we have to go with,” positive tests and they lose key people, that could greatly affect what a said Ward. “We can’t afford to wait for three or four guys to play series would look like. themselves into shape.” “It is going to potentially have a huge impact.” Campers include: Proper precautions by the NHL may help to minimize exposure to Forwards: COVID-19. -- But the prevention of more typical setbacks? That is in the hands of taskmasters across the league, according to Ward. Restraint is a must. -Mikael Backlund-

“The tendency might be to push really hard coming out of the gate when Milan Lucic--Dillon Dubé the players have been off for almost four months,” he said. “So we’re going to have to be really careful in terms of how we deliver our -- program.” Zac Rinaldo-Glenn Gawdin-Matthew Phillips

This means regular consultation with Flames strength and conditioning Buddy Robinson--Austin Czarnik guru Ryan van Asten, who, as always, will dictate the volume and intensity of workouts. Adam Ruzicka-

“The last thing you want to be is tired and run down coming out of Defencemen: training camp,” said Ward. “You want to be ready. You want your players to be ready and, obviously, (not sustaining) injuries is part of that. Mark Giordano-T.J. Brodie

“We’re going to have to be really, really cognizant of what we’re doing.” -

Understandably, Ward is concerned about his own health — these days Erik Gustafsson-Travis Hamonic at home in Calgary and, soon, in the postseason bubble in Edmonton. Derek Forbort-

Risk, after all, is real. Alexander Yelesin-Michael Stone

“I’m a little nervous about it — I’m not going to lie to you,” said the 58- Juuso Valimaki*-Connor Mackey** year-old. “I just feel that the more people you get into a scenario, the greater the chances are of something happening.” Goalies:

While having confidence in the NHL’s protocols, he says it’s still up to David Rittich individuals to take on everyday responsibility — to wear masks, to social Cam Talbot distance, to wash hands, to not touch your face. Jon Gillies “I don’t think we can get casual about it,” said Ward. “You’re relying on an awful lot of people to have the same kind of diligence that we all want to Artyom Zagidulin [*— injured; **— ineligible (contract starts in 2020-21)]

With sky-high stakes only weeks away, Ward quite rightly expects stiff in- house competition to stoke the pace of on-ice sessions.

“And, as a staff, we have to make sure that we’re paying attention to that,” he said. “We owe it to everyone who’s put in the work all year long to give ourselves the best opportunity to go and try to win a Stanley Cup. That starts with Game 1 against Winnipeg.”

Ward and his crew gathered at the Saddledome the morning of March 12 to prepare for the morning skate in advance of the evening’s meeting with the New York Islanders. Then? “This hit and it was done.”

The NHL shut down. Players scattered.

And the coaches? Well, they hunkered down and scrutinized whatever happened to be in front of them — video of European games, footage of old playoff contests. They also scouted every squad they could face in the event of a hockey reboot and, of course, they dissected their own group.

“We kept really, really busy,” said Ward. “I haven’t had a day off since the pause hit — none of our staff have. We’ve tried to keep it as routine as possible.

“We’re prepared. We’ve covered all our bases in terms of getting all that prep work done.”

During the pause they reached out to chat individually with players, then began to stage weekly chalk talks with the entire team.

“We’d show aspects of our game and we’d review that,” said Ward. “We really didn’t take our foot off the gas … and, thankfully, we didn’t, because we feel like we’ve done an awful lot of the work we need to do to move forward here.”

This weekend, the coaches plan to meet in-person away from the rink and run through their camp plans one more time. Already, they’ve discussed the progress of Phase 2 — the recent informal skates at the Saddledome — and the impressive conditioning of the players.

“Now we look forward to Phase 3,” said Ward.

Camp typically features only two or three practices before there’s a preseason match. But now? They don’t get to play a friendly — and only one is in the works — for more than two weeks.

“That, in itself, gives us an awful lot of time to prepare,” said Ward. “It’s a little bit of a luxury for us, having the extra time before we have to jump into our exhibition game. We’re going to take full advantage of that.”

Ward, who previously coached three clubs in Germany, likens this schedule to those in Europe. Tryouts there often run long, requiring a different touch.

“Having experience with those camps — and what they look like — we can draw on some of those things,” said Ward. “Because we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to go, that we’re at an intensity level, physically and mentally, that we’re prepared to put our best game on the ice right away.”

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Hurricanes set training camp roster, which includes injured Brett Pesce

Chip Alexander

July 10, 2020 08:25 PM

The Carolina Hurricanes on Friday announced their roster for training camp, which begins Monday at PNC Arena.

The roster, which the Canes said is subject to change, has 16 forwards, nine defensemen and four goalies. Also included on the roster, although listed as injured, is defenseman Brett Pesce, who is recovering from shoulder surgery in March.

In the Return to Play format officially ratified Friday, the Canes open play Aug. 1 against the New York Rangers in a best-of-five qualifying round in Toronto, the hub city for the Eastern Conference. The qualifying winners advance to the 16-team 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, set to begin Aug. 11.

The forwards on the roster: Sebastian Aho, Ryan Dzingel, Warren Foegele, Morgan Geekie, Steven Lorentz, Jordan Martinook, Max McCormick, Brock McGinn, Martin Necas, Nino Niederreiter, Vincent Trocheck, Jordan Staal, Andrei Svechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen, Justin Williams and Ryan Suzuki.

The defensemen are Joel Edmundson, Haydn Fleury, Jake Gardiner, Dougie Hamilton, Brady Skjei, Jaccob Slavin, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Sami Vatanen and Jake Bean.

There will be four goalies in camp: Petr Mrazek, James Reimer, Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg.

All practices will be held at 10:30 a.m. at PNC Arena and will be closed to the public under the Return to Play protocols approved by the NHL and NHL Players Association. The Canes will leave July 26 for Toronto.

News Observer LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187618 Carolina Hurricanes Director Don Fehr said in a statement. “Most importantly, we are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans. We look forward to the NHL’s continued growth here in North America and on the world stage.”

NHL, NHLPA approve CBA extension, Return to Play protocols In Phase 3 of the Return to Play, the Canes will face off against the New York Rangers in Toronto in one of the eight qualifying rounds. The winner will advance to the 16-team 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs and the loser will Chip Alexander be one of eight teams with a chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft -- and with a 12.5-percent chance of winning it. July 10, 2020 07:45 PM In Phase 4, the 24 teams — 12 in each hub city — will be sequestered in

a “bubble” at the hub site. They will undergo constant testing for COVID- It’s a done deal in the National Hockey League. Time to play hockey 19 and other health precautions in the “Phase 4 Secure Zone” and again. safeguards will be taken in terms of hotel, meals and transportation.

The NHL and NHL Players Association announced Friday night that final Teams will be allowed a 52-person travel party, with no more than 31 approval has been given to the league’s Return to Play protocols to finish players. A player’s family will be allowed to visit if their team reaches the out the 2019-20 season and a four-year extension of the Collective conference finals or Stanley Cup finals. Bargaining Agreement (CBA) through the 2025-26 season. Under the Phase 4 regulations, no disclosure will be made to the media The NHL and NHLPA announced Monday that there was a tentative or the public if a player tests positive for the coronavirus unless there is agreement between the two sides on the Return to Play plans to prior approval by the NHL after consultation with the NHLPA. determine the 2020 Stanley Cup champion and a memorandum of The players were given 72 hours to make a decision on whether they understanding (MOU) on the CBA. But the deal had to be ratified by the would play or opt out of Phase 3 and Phase 4. If they opt not to NHL board of governors and by a vote of the full NHL membership. That participate they will not be penalized. was completed Friday and is effective immediately. The CBA includes: Training camps open Monday and Return to Play game competition is scheduled to begin Aug. 1 in the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton, — A return to the Winter Olympics. NHL players will be allowed to although the coronavirus pandemic remains a constant threat of compete in the 2022 and 2026 Games, with agreement from the disrupting or canceling those plans should there be any outbreaks. International Olympic Commitee and IIHF.

“Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that — The NHL salary cap will remain frozen at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the season. completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our League,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said — Escrow to be capped at 20% for 2020-21. Escrow then would be 14- in a statement. 18% in 2021-22 depending on HRR, then 10% in 2022-23 and 6% for 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26. .”While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be — If there is escrow debt of more than $125 million but less than $250 our priorities. We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to million, the CBA will automatically extend for one additional year (2026- the ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our 27). In that year there will be a 9% escrow cap. season on March 12.” — NHL players will defer 10% of their 2020-21 compensation. The Under the agreement, there was much for the players to like — and not agreement calls for the money to be repaid in three equal installments in like. 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The NHL will allow the players to again participate in the Winter — The NHL minimum salary will increase from $700,000 to $750,000 in Olympics, an opportunity many have sought. The NHL sat out the 2018 2021-22. Games after participating from 1998 to 2014, preventing players from Key NHL dates representing their home countries on the Olympic stage. July 13 -- Training camps open. But the economic reality of the pandemic also was apparent in the NHL salary cap remaining frozen at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 season. That July 26 -- Travel to hub cities. could badly squeeze some teams’ budgets and influence contract signings. July 28-20 -- Exhibition games.

Before the 2012-13 season, haggling over the CBA resulted in a testy Aug. 1 -- Stanley Cup qualifiers begin. lockout. The season was abbreviated to 48 games and eventually Aug. 10 -- Phase 2 completion of NHL Draft Lottery. salvaged — unlike the lockout season of 2004-05 — but only after the players agreed to a 50-50 split of Hockey Related Revenue (HRR). Aug. 11 -- Stanley Cup playoffs first round begins.

The CBA was to expire Sept. 15, 2022 but now extends through Sept. *Aug. 25 -- Second round begins. 15, 2026, alleviating those concerns. *Sept. 8 -- Conference finals begin. “The problem is nobody knows the future, right?” Canes forward Justin *Sept. 22 -- Stanley Cup finals begin. Williams said in a media call this week. “Nobody does. You can have projections, you can put graphs up but nobody knows what’s going to Oct. 4 -- Last possible day of Stanley Cup finals. happen. Nobody knows how the game is going to come back next year when it does come back. Is it going to be half fans, no fans, full houses? ^Oct. 9-10 -- 2020 NHL Draft. We don’t know, so you don’t know what the (financial) numbers are going *-- Tentative to be like, either. News Observer LOADED: 07.11.2020 “All we know is we will be playing hockey. There will be labor peace. That’s good for the fans, that’s good for the TV audience, that’s good for the players. That’s good for everybody. It’s awesome they we’re able to do this. I don’t think a normal CBA negotiation goes this quickly but both parties wanted it done and it got done.”

No vote totals were released but Frank Seravalli of TSN Sports reported it was passed by a 502-135 magin, or almost 79% approval.

“This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA Executive 1187619 Carolina Hurricanes identity of the Hurricanes at a crucial time. I think as pressure comes off him (and Staal) to produce, there will be a newfound appreciation for the way he plays.

Wait, who are the Hurricanes?: Part II of a roster refresher Fun fact you might have forgotten: I know you’d never forget Round 1, Game 7, but I figured you want to relive it regardless.

Sara Civian Staal: Remember when Staal missed several months last season and returned a new man? He went from in three points (all assists) in 16 Jul 10, 2020 games pre-injury to 12 points (including two goals) in 16 games post- injury. Maybe this pause has done him good.

Fun fact: Staal has such a dry sense of humor that I almost completely OK, folks. missed this joke. Hurricanes players have been trickling back into Raleigh for Phase 2. I ASKED JORDAN STAAL WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DID ON THE ICE The hub cities are locked down. Even a new CBA agreement looms. TODAY And maybe, just maybe, by the time you’re reading this Friday, it’ll all be “YOU KNOW, JUST RIPPING SHOTS PAST REIMS” real. — SARA CIV (@SARACIVIAN) JUNE 30, 2020 According to The Athletic’s James Mirtle, there’s a “lot of optimism” that the NHL player vote on return to play will pass by an “overwhelming Williams: It was great to catch up with Williams — who was riding a five- margin.” game goal streak before the pause — earlier this week.

LOT OF OPTIMISM TODAY THAT NHL PLAYER VOTE ON RETURN Some choice quotes: TO PLAY AND CBA EXTENSION WILL PASS BY OVERWHELMING MARGIN. ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED TOMORROW AND START “I didn’t come back just to play 20 games. I came back for a chance to OF TRAINING CAMPS ON MONDAY. win a Stanley Cup.”

— JAMES MIRTLE (@MIRTLE) JULY 9, 2020 “Selfishly, I was really upset when we stopped playing. I had just come back, I played catch-up and I finally felt like I was where I wanted to be. So, we already got very reacquainted with the Hurricanes’ top line and Got abruptly halted, and now everybody’s in the same situation. defense pairing. We have approximately three days to remember the rest Leadership is going to be a huge key for these teams coming back, and of ’em. Let’s take a look at the forwards. the best leaders, I believe, will have the best success.”

Potential second line “We’re a Stanley Cup contender and we know it.”

Nino Niederreiter – Vincent Trocheck – Martin Necas Yeah. Nothing about his attitude has seemed to change.

Niederreiter: No one could blame Niederreiter for a bit of regression this Fun fact: Williams just appeared on the one-and-only Tripp Tracy’s new season after starting his Hurricanes career as an almost comically podcast … 10/10 would recommend. lopsided return for Victor Rask. That said, the streakiness was frustrating and reflected in his numbers. HOPE Y’ALL TUNE IN. PIECE OF CAKE FILLING TIME WITH MY BOY TT. ENJOY HTTPS://T.CO/CMQ09C34GZ 2018-19: 14 goals, 16 assists, plus-7 in 36 games — JUSTIN WILLIAMS (@JUSTINWILLIAMS) JULY 7, 2020 2019-20: 11 goals, 18 assists, minus-3 in 67 games Potential fourth line Though Niederreiter spent some time bouncing around the lineup during his struggles, his playoff experience and the addition of Trocheck allow Warren Foegele – Jordan Martinook – Ryan Dzingel for an intriguing spot on the second line. Foegele: Foegele’s proved himself as an impact player when it comes to Fun fact you might have forgotten: He plays the ukulele. the playoffs, no matter where he’s in the lineup. That seems to be one of his strengths in general, actually — you can toss him anywhere. He Trocheck: An unexpected albeit exciting trade deadline acquisition, quietly doubled his production in his second NHL season. Trocheck arrived in Carolina immediately ready to work. His first Hurricanes goal was a big one — that overtime thriller on Long Island 2018-19: 10 goals, 5 assists, 15 points, minus-17 in 77 games that would lift the Canes to their direly needed end of season win streak. 2019-20: 13 goals, 17 assists, 30 points, plus-9 in 68 games If we’re being honest, the Canes have needed a second-line center like him for a while, to let Jordan Staal excel with his checking line skill set. Fun fact: Apparently he’s been doing his very intense, solo warmup routine since at least junior. Fun fact you might have forgotten: This one’s sort of tough because Trocheck is still so new but he did release a fire playlist on YouTube a Martinook: When Williams said “the best leaders will have the best few weeks ago. success,” I obviously thought of Williams, Staal and head coach Rod Brind’Amour. But I also thought of the fact that Martinook is almost Necas: One of you asked in a recent mailbag who will be the Canes’ out constantly screaming his lungs off at every practice. The Hurricanes of nowhere hero this postseason, a-la 2019 Warren Foegele. The answer need that right now. I think he’ll be an underrated part of such a unique is Necas. Necas did a lot with modest playing time in his rookie season, situation. enough to rank No. 5 on the Canes in points with 16 goals and 20 assists. For a while there I seriously considered him part of the Calder Fun fact: When I caught up with Hurricanes trainer Bill Burniston a few Trophy conversation. weeks ago, he said Martinook lead the best Zoom workouts. Is anyone surprised? Fun fact you might have forgotten: Remember when Necas attempted a spin-o-rama on Brock McGinn (of all people) “one thousand times” at a Dzingel: Dzingel had a rough go of it to end the regular season, going random practice on the road and all hell broke loose? scoreless in his last 11 games and eventually clearing the way for the Legend of Morgan Geekie. I think this situation will be one of the most I do. intriguing training camp storylines.

Potential third line Fun fact: Dzingel and golf personality Elise Lobb just got married in a Brock McGinn – Jordan Staal – Justin Williams Raleigh backyard.

What a third line! Every time I look at this I remember why the Hurricanes The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 traded for Trocheck.

McGinn: McGinn is never going to put up the numbers some of you want him to put up, but what he did March 7 seemed to reinvigorate the 1187620 Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks’ play-in series against the Oilers is set to begin Aug. 1 in Edmonton as the NHL finalizes its return-to-play plan

PHIL THOMPSON

JUL 10, 2020 AT 7:26 PM

The Chicago Blackhawks now know the date and location of their best-of five play-in series against the Oilers: Aug. 1 on Edmonton’s home ice at Rogers Place.

Game 2 is scheduled for Aug. 3 and Game 3 on Aug. 5, with Games 4 and 5 set for Aug. 7-8, if necessary. The Hawks start a two-week training camp Monday at Fifth Third Arena and will travel to Edmonton on July 26.

Edmonton and Toronto had been reported to be chosen as hub cities to host the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the NHL confirmed as much Friday when it announced its finalized return-to-play plan. Chicago had been one of 10 finalists, but all U.S. candidates fell out of contention as cases of COVID-19 spiked or rebounded in many parts of the country in recent weeks.

Edmonton also was picked to host the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final. The Edmonton zone had 203 active cases as of late Friday, according Alberta.ca. That is 25 fewer than the Calgary, zone but Edmonton has had more than 4,000 fewer confirmed cases.

The league and the players association moved forward with a playoff schedule and ratified a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement, which will run through 2025-26.

Player concerns about free agency, safety protocols and other issues had to be addressed before the union agreed to resuming the season, which paused on March 12 as the pandemic spread in the U.S.

When competition resumes as part of Phase 4, each of the 24 participating teams — 12 in each conference) — will be allowed to bring 52 people to their respective hub city’s “secure zone,” including a maximum of 31 players. All personnel will live inside the “bubble” and be tested for COVID-19 daily.

Start times for the 10 days of Cup qualifiers have been staggered, starting at 11 a.m. Central time, then 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. for Eastern Conference games in Toronto. For Western Conference teams in Edmonton, starts times are 1 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. but could fluctuate.

The No. 12 seed Hawks will start their series against the No. 5 Oilers on Aug. 1, one of eight qualifiers featuring 16 teams, though game times haven’t been set. The top eight teams will begin a round-robin tournament for seeding Aug. 2.

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Blackhawks-Oilers schedule set as NHL, NHLPA ratify CBA, Return to Play plan

The series will begin Aug. 1 and end by Aug. 8. If the series goes the full five games, the last two will be back-to-back.

Ben Pope

Jul 10, 2020, 6:48pm CDT

The Blackhawks and Oilers’ series is officially on.

The best-of-five qualifying round series will begin in Edmonton with Game 1 on Saturday, Aug. 1, and conclude by the following Saturday, Aug. 8, when the if-necessary Game 5 would take place.

The Hawks’ series schedule came Friday as the NHL and its players association ratified via vote the Return to Play plan and Collective Bargaining Agreement extension that were settled upon earlier in the week.

With Friday’s announcement arrived a number of finally specified dates. The first round (after the qualifying round) will begin Aug. 11; the second round will begin Aug. 25; the conference finals will begin Sept. 8; and the Stanley Cup Final will begin Sept. 22, with the Cup awarded by Oct. 4.

Meanwhile, the second draft lottery — to determine the inheritor of the placeholder-won No. 1 overall pick — will take place Aug. 10, right after the end of the qualifying round, and the draft itself will take place Oct. 9- 10.

As was previously announced, the Hawks will begin training camp Monday at Fifth Third Arena in Chicago and travel to Edmonton — now officially the Western Conference’s hub city — on July 26.

The NHL plans to load up the playoff schedule with staggered start times in Toronto and Edmonton and play five or six games every day, if everything goes to plan and COVID-19 cases are (at least largely) kept out of the bubbles.

Hawks-Oilers is one of five series that will kick off the qualifying round on Aug. 1, along with Hurricanes-Rangers, Islanders-Panthers, Penguins- Canadiens and Flames-Jets. A round robin between each conference’s top four seeds will begin, intermixed in the qualifying round schedule, the next day.

The league also announced that individual statistics from the qualifying round games will count as playoff stats.

“This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA director Donald Fehr said in a statement. “Most importantly, we are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans.”

Blackhawks vs. Oilers schedule

Game 1: Saturday, Aug. 1

Game 2: Monday, Aug. 3

Game 3: Wednesday, Aug. 5

Game 4*: Friday, Aug. 7

Game 5*: Saturday, Aug. 8

*If necessary

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187622 Chicago Blackhawks • Toronto vs. Columbus

Once the play-in series are complete, the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will begin August 11. The NHL also announced that the Hockey will return: NHL, NHLPA sign off onplan to resume season conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will be played in Edmonton.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.11.2020 John Dietz

7/10/2020 7:23 PM

It's official: The NHL and the NHLPA both approved the Return to Play protocols and an extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The players began voting on the proposals Wednesday, and the announcement that both measures passed came shortly after 5 p.m. Friday.

What this means is that the 24-team playoff we've all been hearing about will begin August 1 in the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto.

The Blackhawks will take on the Edmonton Oilers in a best-of-five play-in round. Games 1-3 are August 1, 3 and 5. Games 4 and 5 (if necessary) are August 7 and 8. Start times are yet to be determined.

Before that, the Hawks will open training camp Monday at Fifth Third Arena. Fans will not be permitted in the building, but media will be able to cover the two-week camp under strict guidelines.

As for the CBA, it now runs through the 2025-26 season.

The salary cap is expected to remain flat at $81.5 million for the next two seasons, a serious problem for the Hawks. We'll explore why, then delve into how the Hawks can rectify the situation in an upcoming article.

The NHL wants to play an 82-game regular season in 2020-21 and hopes to begin it as early as December 1. Because the coronavirus situation is so fluid, however, we'll have to wait and see if that actually transpires.

The tentative dates of the NHL draft are October 9-10.

In the meantime, we can finally start looking forward to live hockey again. It's been a long road, but give the NHL credit for taking a patient and prudent approach, coming up with a solid plan and getting the players on board so it can be executed.

"This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time," said Don Fehr, the NHLPA Executive Director. "This would not have happened but for the enormous contributions that the players made throughout, particularly those who served on the Negotiating and Return to Play Committees, as well as those on the Executive Board."

Frank Seravalli, the President of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, tweeted that he heard the NHLPA membership voted 502- 135 in favor of ratifying the packages. Players have until 5 p.m. (EDT) Monday to opt out of the postseason without penalty, according to Bob McKenzie.

Once camps begin, players can participate in full team activities both on and off the ice. They can also have direct interactions with coaches, GMs and hockey operations personnel.

Rosters will be limited to 30 skaters, but teams can have an unlimited number of goalies. Only playoff-eligible players may take part, however.

When teams leave for their predetermined destinations, they will be housed in "Phase 4 Secure Zones" according to NHL.com. These include hotels, practice facilities and arenas where the games will be played.

The other three play-in matchups in the Western Conference are:

• Nashville vs. Arizona

• Vancouver vs. Minnesota

• Calgary vs. Winnipeg

The Eastern Conference play-in matchups are:

• Pittsburgh vs. Montreal

• Carolina vs. New York Rangers

• New York Islanders vs. Florida 1187623 Chicago Blackhawks

Where Blackhawks stand after NHL rules play-in series will count as playoff stats

Charlie Roumeliotis

July 10, 2020 9:15 PM

The Blackhawks are officially back in the playoffs.

In a joint statement by the NHL and NHL Players' Association announcing the ratification of the Return to Play plan and Collective Bargaining Agreement extension, it was revealed that all player and team stats from the round-robin tournament and qualifying round will be counted towards the 2020 postseason, and that teams participating in a best-of-five series during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers are considered to have made the postseason.

It's the first postseason berth in three years for the Blackhawks, who made the playoffs nine consecutive seasons from 2009-17 before missing out the past two. That's good news for Chicago, but a shortened regular season comes at a price for some individuals on the roster, although they probably won't lose too much sleep over it.

Jonathan Toews is one of three active players and only 17 in NHL history to score at least 20 goals in each of his first 12 seasons, and he was on pace to make it 13 but finished the pause with 18. Patrick Kane and Alex Ovechkin are now the only two active players whose streak have reached 13 seasons.

Patrick Kane was on pace to finish with 98 points but won't get a crack at hitting the 100-point mark for the third time in his career.

Dominik Kubalik scored his 30th goal in the final game before the season was put on pause to become the sixth rookie in Blackhawks history to reach that number, but he was on pace for 35 and was robbed of an opportunity to tie for third-most on the team's rookie list; only Steve Larmer (43) and (40) have scored more than 35.

After scoring 28 goals his rookie season and 41 his second year, Alex DeBrincat finished the 2019-20 campaign with 18 tallies, falling short of a third straight 20-goal season.

Now for the good news:

Corey Crawford ranks No. 1 in franchise history with 48 playoff wins. He needs two more to become just the 20th in NHL history to hit the 50-win mark. Only three other active netminders rank ahead of Crawford: Marc-Andre Fleury (78), (61) and Tuukka Rask (50).

Kane ranks fourth in franchise history with 123 postseason points; he needs six more to tie Bobby Hull (129) for third.

Toews ranks sixth in franchise history with 110 postseason points; he needs one more to tie Steve Larmer (111) for fifth.

Toews is also three games away from tying Denis Savard (131) for second on the Blackhawks' all-time postseason games played list; only Stan Mikita (155) has appeared in more. Kane ranks fifth at 127, Keith is sixth at 126 and Seabrook is seventh at 123.

Connor Murphy is FINALLY set to appear in his first postseason contest after going six straight years without one. Only four active players and 10 in NHL history have had a longer drought than Murphy, who's played in 444 regular-season games.

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Blackhawks' Danny Wirtz issues statement on NHL's selection of hub cities

Scott King

July 10, 2020 8:00 PM

Friday evening, after the NHL and NHLPA agreed on the Return To Play plan and a new collective bargaining agreement, Blackhawks Interim President Danny Wirtz issued a statement on the league's selection of the two hub cities for the 24-team playoff format: Edmonton and Toronto.

Chicago was reportedly a Top 4 finalist for a hub before the cities were narrowed down further.

The statement reads as follows:

The United Center, in partnership with the City of Chicago, received an astounding level of support from local government entities, health officials, hospitality companies, rink staffs and more in our bid to serve as a Hub City for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We would especially like to express our appreciation for the hard work and cooperation from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, United Center staff, McCormick Place leadership, the Chicago Sports Commission, Choose Chicago and the many other vendors and contractors who were a part of our plan, as well as the National Hockey League for their consideration.

Although we are disappointed the bid wasn’t selected, it was not for lack of effort. The teamwork to build our proposal was a true testament to the city and state’s commitment and creativity and set the bar for other cities to follow.

While the Blackhawks look forward to returning to the ice later this month and competing in the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round in Edmonton, Alberta, the City of Chicago and United Center will always be a hub for hockey in our eyes and we are proud to call Chicago home.

The Blackhawks are scheduled to open a best-of-five play-in series with the Oilers in Edmonton on Aug. 1. Training camps for teams competing in the postseason begin on Monday.

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Key bullet points of NHL's new six-year CBA: Olympics, salary cap and contracts

Charlie Roumeliotis

July 10, 2020 7:35 PM

When the NHL moved into Phase 2 of voluntary small-group activities and announced the target date for Phase 3 of formal training camps, it gave fans excitement that hockey could soon be on the horizon. At the very least, progress was being made.

But, in a video conference call on June 11, Blackhawks star winger Patrick Kane pumped the brakes on things and revealed there were many key hurdles for the league and players to overcome before resuming play.

"Nothing has been agreed to yet," Kane said. "There's a long way to go before we reach a certain agreement where we would want to come back and play and feel safe enough and feel like it's the right deal for us to come back."

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

The outspoken comments came as a surprise because there weren't many rumblings about the significant challenges going on behind the scenes until that day.

What Kane was referring to was the protocols and safety measures for Phases 3 and 4, what life would be like in the two hub cities, the salary cap transition rules and, oh yeah, a revamped Collective Bargaining Agreement. That's right, for the past month, the NHL and NHL Players' Association were negotiating a new CBA, which had been the root of three lockouts in the past three decades.

But now there will be labor peace for at least the next six years after the two sides agreed to a new deal that will run through the 2025-26 season with an escrow provision that could extend the deal by one year. The previous deal was set to expire at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Here are the key bullet points from the CBA extension:

The upper limit of the salary cap will be frozen at $81.5 million for 2020- 21 and remain there until hockey-related revenue hits $3.3 billion. The ceiling won't increase by more than $1 million until HRR reaches $4.8 million, unless the NHL and NHLPA mutually decide to modify it. Once HRR surpasses $4.8 billion, the cap will increase by more than $1 million per year.

Twenty percent escrow limit for players in 2020-21; between 14-18 percent (TBD) in 2021-22; a maximum of 10 percent in 2022-23; and a maximum of 6 percent in 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.

The players' final paycheck from the 2019-20 season will go to repaying their debt to owners. That number is approximately $140 million.

NHL players will be allowed to participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics and 2026 Milan Olympics, pending negotiations with the International Ice Hockey Federation and International Olympic Committee.

All no-trade and no-movement clauses will travel with the player in a trade, even if a player is moved before the clause kicks in.

The minimum salaries will remain at $700,000 for 2020-21, then increase to $750,000 for 2021-22 and 2022-23 and will jump to $775,000 for 2023- 24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.

For players on entry-level contracts, the maximum dollar amount of "A" level bonuses will increase from $850,000 to $1 million per year. In addition, the maximum base salaries are increasing from $925,000 to $950,000 in 2022-23 and 2023-24, $975,000 in 2024-25 and 2025-26, and $1 million in 2026-27.

Unlike in 2013, compliance buyouts to provide cap relief are not part of the agreement.

There will no longer be a six-day negotiating window for pending unrestricted free agents leading up to the free agency signing period. 1187626 Chicago Blackhawks

Stanley Cup 2020 odds: How Blackhawks are favored in playoffs

Scott King

July 10, 2020 1:17 PM

On Friday, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported updated Stanley Cup odds from a major sportsbook.

The Blackhawks' odds were listed at +4000 to win the NHL's 24-team playoffs beginning Aug. 1 when Edmonton and Toronto will serve as the two hub cities.

The Hawks start the tournament by taking on the Edmonton Oilers (+3000 to win the Cup) in a best-of-five play-in series.

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

Also per the odds, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorites to win the trophy at +550, then the Boston Bruins and the Vegas Golden Knights, both at +600.

The Montreal Canadiens had the worst odds at +10000.

Team training camps leading up to the postseason begin on Monday.

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Hockey is back: NHL, NHLPA officially ratify Return to Play plan and new CBA deal

Charlie Roumeliotis

July 10, 2020 5:40 PM

It's official: Hockey is back.

Four days after reaching a tentative agreement on the Return to Play plan and a Collective Bargaining Agreement extension, the NHL and NHL Players' Association have ratified the package. The new CBA deal runs through the 2025-26 season, which ensures labor peace for at least the next six years.

Formal training camps are set to open on Monday, and the 2019-20 restart is scheduled to begin on Aug. 1 in the two hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto. The Blackhawks and 11 other Western Conference clubs will head to Edmonton while the 12 Eastern Conference teams will stay in Toronto.

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

The Blackhawks will square off against the Oilers in a five-game play-in series for a chance to secure a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The eliminated team will have a 12.5 percent chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

If all goes well, Phase 2 of the NHL Draft Lottery will tentatively take place on Aug. 10 — immediately after the qualifying round — and the Stanley Cup will be awarded no later than Oct. 4.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187628 Chicago Blackhawks

How Blackhawks can beat Oilers with 'wealth of success' in qualifying round

Scott King

July 10, 2020 7:15 AM

Training camp is set to begin on Monday, and before long, the Blackhawks will be heading to Edmonton to take on the Oilers in a best- of-five play-in series beginning Aug. 1 under the NHL's 24-team playoff format.

NHL Network analyst and former NHL goalie helps us break down the matchup.

"One thing that's important for the Hawks, they've got superheroes in their group," Weekes told NBC Sports Chicago over the phone. "Obviously in (Leon) Draisaitl and Connor (McDavid) those guys are superhero players. ... Let's be clear, those guys have two Hart trophy candidates on their team, the Oilers. And they've really improved as a team. They're a more complete team, their special teams are both in the Top 5: power play, penalty kill. (Head coach) Dave Tippett's done a masterful job.

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

"I had a chance to speak to them when they were here at Madison Square Garden playing the Rangers, they've got a lot more experience: James Neal coming there, Mike Smith coming there, guys that know Dave Tippett (and) played for him in Dallas. You know the Great 99, Wayne Gretzky, I spoke with him numerous times about their team. He's excited about their team, literally gitty based on how much of a team they are. Let's say that, I'm just going to position their team and give them their due.

(And now the fun part.)

"With that being said, the Chicago Blackhawks have future Hall of Famers in their group and I always said, 'It's hard for me to justify betting against superheroes.' And that being (Patrick) Kane, who's going to go down as the best American-born player ever, passes 1,000 points, three- time Cup champ. I can go on and on about Kaner and then same thing for Jonathan Toews. Duncs (Duncan Keith) can still play at a high level and still play in the first pair and (Brent) Seabrook is close to returning I understand from three surgeries, which is wild, which is a huge testament to him, who he is as a person and his determination and his professionalism.

"When you have those guys that have seen that and have experienced that and have been through that and all the international success that they have, that's a wealth of success that those guys have to their credit, same thing for Corey Crawford. So knowing how to navigate a Stanley Cup playoff and not being fazed by the big stage... As I asked Jonathan Toews, I had him on my Instagram probably a month ago, I asked Tazer, 'What is it about winning?' Honestly, he wins at walking down the street, he's won at every level, every single level.

"So there's something to be said for that swag, that belief, that experience and he's unlocked the code. They have guys in their group that have unlocked the code numerous times. So that to me, is helpful. And especially when you're playing remotely and you don't have the benefit of the great crowd at the United Center, you don't have that 22,000 and the thunderous roars in your building, which is a huge advantage.

"But, to be fair, Edmonton won't have their crowd either. They'll have their rink, they'll be in their home city, but they won't have their crowd physically in their building. Although, it's a newer building so I think that kind of neutralizes things a bit in terms of a home ice advantage so to speak."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187629 Chicago Blackhawks France, the University of Colorado in Boulder and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her bio lists an exhibition schedule in 1983 that included stops in Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Israel and China.

Capturing ‘The Spirit’: Meet the couple behind sports’ most famous In 1985, she moved to Pietrasanta, where Michelangelo once looked for statues marble to carve and where, in the modern times, the power was turned off at lunchtime and students would gather in cafes.

Adam Jahns “It was just a real fertile place for interesting conversation and meeting artists all over the world,” Julie said. “There is so much great art in Jul 10, 2020 Europe and in Italy. You take a train ride to Rome or Florence to anywhere and see masterpieces to inspire you.”

Julie and Omri married in 1987 and moved to his kibbutz in Israel. It’s The first time that Julie Rotblatt-Amrany met Michael Jordan, he looked where their son, Itamar, was born and where more dreams were formed at her shoes. as their focus on art intensified. “He says, ‘Why are you wearing Reebok?’” Julie said, laughing. “I wasn’t A year before Julie and Omri moved to the Chicago area, visitors from wearing the Nike symbol.” the United States and Canada stopped into their marble studio in the Julie and her husband, Omri Amrany, were the sculptors and artists who kibbutz. Another joke from Omri, who has a natural charisma and were commissioned in 1994 to create the world-famous statue outside positivity to him, turned into an accurate prediction. the gates of the United Center. “One of the things that I told them is that they better buy from me my art During the eight-month-long process of bringing the Jordan statue to life, now before I become famous in the United States,” Omri said while Julie and Omri drove down to Nashville, Tenn., where Jordan was laughing. playing baseball with the Birmingham Barons. They had his clay head Omri thought the zoo called in 1999. A woman from the Little Caesars with them. corporation was interested in commissioning his and Julie’s studio, which “We stayed at rooms next to each in the hotel, where the minor league was founded in 1992, to sculpt five tigers. group stayed,” Omri said. “He came to our room and just sat there and “My brain starts to roll, ‘Where is the zoo in Detroit?’” Omri said. posed for us for about an hour. We tried to give him some tips for baseball but he didn’t listen.” With his brain still rolling, Omri thought about how time and money could potentially be saved on the designs of heads and tails. Of course, Jordan wasn’t done with basketball. His comeback, and a second three-peat, was coming. Omri told the representative from Little Caesars over the phone that they needed to start “yesterday.” As the conversation ended and a promise Omri and Julie were just getting started with what would blossom into was made to reconvene the following day, Omri said he got a look from storied careers of creating some of the most famous sports statues of all another artist in their studio. time. “‘Are you nuts?’ Little Caesars corporation owns the Detroit Tigers and Their legacy can not only be found in Chicago at the United Center, the Red Wings, and they probably want to do five baseball players — not Soldier Field, U.S. Cellular Field and Wrigley Field, but also in Detroit, tigers from the zoo,’” Omri said he was told. “So that’s how it started.” Los Angeles, Green Bay and all over the country. Five years after the Jordan statue, the Amranys’ sports careers took off Their statue of Jordan — called “The Spirit” — was unveiled on Nov. 1, like Jordan from the free-throw line. It started with Omri’s work with Lou 1994. The statue was moved indoors after the United Center was Cella, an artist from their studio, on the 12-foot-tall Harry Caray statue expanded. But it remains one of Chicago’s most popular tourist outside Wrigley Field. attractions. It’s arguably the most famous sports statue in the world. The Tigers then wanted to honor Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Hal The husband-wife duo now run the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany in Newhouser, Charlie Gehringer and Hank Greenberg. All of the statues Highwood, a northern suburb of Chicago. were designed and handled by Omri and Julie and placed in the outfield “That was kind of the kickoff for our sports career, I would say, but it took of Comerica Park. a while to develop,” Julie said. “Not all the projects came pouring in. It Kaline’s statue is unique. It shows “Mr. Tiger” leaping for a catch. But was years of development.” Omri added three spikes in the glove. Kaline, who passed away earlier Omri can vividly recall when he first saw Julie. She was walking her bike this year, was a broadcaster at that time. Omri hoped to hear him call a in the rain in Pietrasanta, Italy. Both had moved there to study marble home run caught by his statue. carving. But they worked in different studios. “That was my dream that never happened,” Omri said. “It took a month … to position myself to where she would always see Years later, Omri got another call from the Tigers telling him that Kaline me,” Omri said. “fell off the wall.” He didn’t know what to say because it was inexplicable. Even then, their courtship had different paths to converge. The statue built was too well designed, too well constructed.

Omri and Julie Amrany (Courtesy the Amranys) It turned out to be an April Fool’s joke, but his heart still dropped.

Omri is from Israel. He grew up in a family of artists in Kibbutz Ashdot “It dropped all the way from the glove the field, I could tell you,” Omri Ya’akov in the Jordan Valley. Art was a passion and a dream but also said. viewed as a “hobby after work” by his family. The Amranys’ list of private and public commissions is long. They don’t Before moving to Italy, Omri said he held six jobs and served in two wars work on every project together. Other artists from their studio are deeply as a paratrooper. He was nearly 30 when he was finally asked what he involved, too. But their list of completed and unveiled statues reads like wanted to do for education. an encyclopedia of sports icons: Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham, John Wooden, , Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Magic When Omri said he wanted to head to Italy, he was scoffed at and Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Gordie Howe, , Wilt Chamberlain, allowed to go only after he helped teach 5,000 scouts as part of the Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson, Frank Howard, Curly Lambeau, Vince Youth Counselor Scouts Organization in Haifa, Israel. Lombardi.

“When everybody started to go to a computer world, I chose to go to the In Chicago, the Amranys are responsible for Blackhawks’ statues of Stan stone age to carve marble in Italy,” said Omri, who is mostly self-taught. Mikita (Julie) and Bobby Hull (Omri), which were unveiled outside the United Center in October 2011. During the construction process, the Julie is from Highland Park. Mikitas would visit their studio with their children and grandchildren. Their current studio isn’t far from where she was raised. She traveled the Julie handled the statues of the Bulls’ Scottie Pippen and Johnny “Red” world to study art, including stops at the University of Bordeaux in Kerr. The Cubs’ statues of Billy Williams, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo were a product of their studio, too, through Cella and his own immense completed in 2003, it’s a sprawling 6 1/2-acre park that includes statues talents. and memorial sites that honor those who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. The same is true of the sculptures of Paul Konerko, Frank Thomas, Billy Pierce, Minnie Minoso and others on the South Side. Artists Cella, Oscar It was an immense undertaking that also involved working with landscape Leon and Maritza Hernandez were all involved. designer Cinda Berry, architect Fred Kaplan and researcher Kathleen Van Ella. Inside Soldier Field, there is a 26-foot-high wall that features more of Julie’s work. It’s a white bronze and granite tribute to George Halas that Beyond the actual hands-on construction of the statues, which is a was finished in September 2004. meticulous multi-step process, Julie and Omri spent time with the veterans. They listened and learned. It was an emotional, often heart- Julie worked with Michael McCaskey on it. She also met owner Virginia breaking experience. It’s different than building statues of sports greats. McCaskey. They visited Julie at the foundry in Pennsylvania where it was cast. “You’re dealing with people’s experiences, quite harsh experiences in war,” said Julie, who handled the Vietnam War portion of the memorial. It includes an 8-foot figure of Halas and honors players Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Sid Luckman, Bill George, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, The purpose behind the statues and the entire memorial became Walter Payton and Mike Singletary. apparent — and more important.

“It’s a timeline history,” Julie said. “We put their stories into eternity,” Omri said.

She still remembers the emotions of the McCaskey family when it was Not long after the Jordan statue debuted, Omri was back at the United unveiled. Center. He wasn’t there for another project, but for himself. He was becoming a naturalized American citizen. Omri and Julie don’t have to say to it, but it comes with what they create and who they are. They pour themselves into their projects. They tap into Upon leaving, Omri ran into a local reporter interviewing a fan by “The that human element through their own humanity. Spirit.” They had met and spoken before but now wasn’t the time for another interview. Omri was on the move. The Jordan statue was done. “You’re not just fabricating something to represent an icon,” Julie said, So he got on his motorcycle and sped away. He knows fans and tourists “but you’re bringing up the history, you’re touching somebody.” take pictures with his statues. But he prefers to not notice.

Outside of the ’ in Glendale, “It depends how fast I’m riding on a motorcycle if I can turn my head or Arizona, there is a memorial for , the former safety who not,” Omri said. enlisted in the Army after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He was killed by friendly fire in 2004. The Jordan statue always will have significance. It was a whirlwind experience and came together after driving home from a show in Fort “The story of Pat Tillman, I look at this as the ultimate sacrifice that every Lauderdale, Fla., and “three days without sleep,” Omri said. It was a 12- American child should know the story,” Omri said. “Not in the way he artist competition and Omri and Julie won it with three sketches by Omri. died, but the way he lived. He lived the American spirit that everybody in the world wants to be today. There is no match to that.” Toward the end of the intensive clay process, where the likeness is formed, Julie also was diagnosed with breast cancer. She asked her A statue of Tillman, which was handled by Omri and artist Gary Tillery, is doctors to put off treatments until completion. The work helped her get part of that memorial. Tillery, who works with Amrany’s studio, is based in through it. Arizona. “It was really my will, my motivation, my clarity on forging ahead and “Both of us, as veterans, we could not tell you how honored we were to getting through this basically and surviving,” Julie said. “My family was a be involved in the project,” Omri said. “It’s not about being an artist. … huge driving force in pushing me to do the best that I could in the bit of There is nothing that we could do that will justify the work that he did control that I did I have in the situation.” because it’s so huge. The Jordan statue was a family event, too. A nursery was created for “There are some sculptures that are not about you the artist. The artist their son in the studio so they could spend all day and night on it. At has to put himself aside and to say that I’m serving something bigger times, Itamar was stationed under Jordan’s shoes. than me.” “We can say today when he’s 31 years old that at 5 years old he worked The Pat Tillman statue outside of State Farm Stadium. (Kirby Lee / USA on Michael Jordan,” Omri said. Today) Shaquille O’Neal’s statue unveiling ceremony at Staples Center in 2017. The story of Omri and Julie wouldn’t be complete without mentioning (Kirby Lee / USA Today) such projects. In Chicago, it includes the five life-sized statues at the Gold Star Families Memorial and Park next to Soldier Field. In 2012, the Abdul-Jabbar statue was unveiled outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It was the result of a full collaboration, including Completed in 2011, the statues are a tribute to officers who were Itamar. They said it had the sense of passing down art to the next permanently injured in the line of duty. It features an officer in a generation but it was also a full-circle moment in their careers, which wheelchair with his family and his partner behind him. keep spinning and creating.

It was the result of meeting and getting to know Chicago police families “The creative mind is always going,” Julie said. “And you can only create who were affected, including those of Cedric Brumley and Bernie maybe just a tad of what goes through your brain basically because it Domagala. takes so long to do these projects.”

In 2002, Brumley was paralyzed in an on-duty crash en route to a shots- There is one that Omri has in mind. Again, it’s about family. It’s the fired call. Domagala was shot in his head in 1988 responding to a moment that Phil Jackson shook Itamar’s hand at the Jordan statue shooter and hostage situation. A father of three sons, Domagala would unveiling. eventually require 24-hour care. He died in 2017. “Itamar’s hand was the size of half of Phil Jackson’s finger,” Omri said. “There is nothing that we as simple civilians can do to appreciate more “I’ve always wanted to do that sculpture. That would be my fine art.” than that,” Omri said. “I met those children. I met those kids. They are today adults with families and some of them also became police officers. Omri mentioned that to Jackson when he saw him again at the O’Neal They’re very proud people. I respect them with everything.” statue unveiling in March 2017. It was another full-circle moment. There is more, too. The dunking, hanging design of the O’Neal statue also was For Julie, there is the statue of astronaut Jim Lovell at the Adler rooted in an alternative design for the Jordan statue. The same is true Planetarium or “Solace,” a personal piece that serves as a September 11 about the Baylor statue, which debuted in 2018. memorial and features a kneeling firefighter. It found a home outside of Highwood City Hall in 2015. They can feel proud of all of it, but their work isn’t done.

Together, there is the Community Veterans Memorial Park in Munster, Far from it. Ind., which was one of their first projects. Commissioned in 1999 and “For the artist, the past is the past,” Omri said. “The present is the past as well. The future is the present and the real the future for the artist is his dreams. When people ask me, what is the best piece you’ve ever done, I would say the one that I have not done yet.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187630 Colorado Avalanche

NHL is officially back in business; Avs to report to Edmonton for 24-team Stanley Cup playoffs

MIKE CHAMBERS

July 10, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

The NHL is back in business — without fans.

The league and its players’ association on Friday finalized a collective bargaining agreement extension and ratified protocols of the return-to- play plan in hub cities Edmonton and Toronto for the 24-team Stanley Cup playoffs.

The moves pave the way for training camps to open Monday in 24 cities.

The Avalanche and the 11 other Western Conference playoff teams will report to Edmonton on July 26, where they will play games before no fans at Rogers Arena. The Eastern Conference teams will play at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

The NHL previously said the first games will begin Aug. 1. The Avalanche, which is among eight teams with byes to the best-of-five play- in round, will play St. Louis on Aug. 2, Dallas on Aug. 5 and Vegas on Aug. 8 for Western Conference seeding purposes only.

Following the play-in/seeding round, the traditional 16-team, best-of- seven series will begin Aug. 11. The second round will tentatively begin Aug. 25, the conference semifinals Sept. 8 and the Stanley Cup Final on Sept. 22. The 2019-20 season will end approximately a year after it began.

The Avs on Friday said their training camp will take place at Pepsi Center until they travel to Edmonton on July 26.

The four-year CBA extension guarantees labor piece through 2026; it was scheduled to expire in 2022. And it includes allowing NHL players to compete in the 2022 and 2026 Olympics.

“Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our league,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a release. “I thank NHLPA executive director Don Fehr and special assistant to the executive director Mathieu Schneider, the more than 700 NHL players – particularly those who worked on our return to play committee – and the NHL’s board of governors for coming together under extraordinary circumstances for the good of our game.

“While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities. We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

Fehr said in a statement: “This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time. This would not have happened but for the enormous contributions that the players made throughout, particularly those who served on the negotiating and return to play committees, as well as those on the executive board.”

“I also thank Gary Bettman, Bill Daly and the NHL staff for their efforts towards finding solutions to the problems we face. Most importantly, we are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans. We look forward to the NHL’s continued growth here in North America and on the world stage.”

The NHL draft is tentative scheduled for Oct. 9-10. The start date for the 2020-21 season could be Dec. 1, but that’s to-be-determined.

Denver Post: LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187631 Columbus Blue Jackets Also released Friday was a plan for staggered broadcast times in the qualifying round that will put live NHL playoff action on television almost non-stop some days. Days with three scheduled games in each hub will NHL, players approve agreements on CBA and season conclusion feature games at Noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (ET) from the Toronto hub (Eastern Conference) and also 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (ET) from Edmonton (Western Conference).

Brian Hedger That’s a lot of live hockey to watch for fans who last watched it four months ago. Jul 10, 2020 at 7:09 PM Full CBJ attendance

Six more players joined the Jackets’ Phase 2 workout sessions at The voting is over and there’s a lot for fans of hockey to like about the Nationwide this week, headlined by captain Nick Foligno and results. defensemen Zach Werenski, David Savard and Ryan Murray. The NHL and its players association voted Friday to approve agreements That makes 33 players, working out in groups no larger than 12, and reached earlier this week that add four years onto the current collective that’s the group that will begin training camp Monday, in which rosters bargaining agreement – taking it through the 2025-26 season – and are limited to 31 players plus an uncapped number of goalies. Four of the cement protocols governing the league’s 24-team return format, which Jackets’ Phase 2 players are goalies: Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo, will start Monday with the opening of training camps. Matiss Kivlenieks and Veini Vehvilainen. That includes the Blue Jackets, who will host their camp at the Friday night, the Blue Jackets made it official by revealing their camp OhioHealth Ice Haus rink attached to Nationwide Arena. Finalizing the roster. Practice days will be divided between two practice groups, which league’s return plan, which was sparked by the NHL pausing the 2019-20 consider of 22 players in Group 1 (NHL playing group) and 11 more in season on March 12 for the coronavirus pandemic, adds another level of Group 2. Surprise members of Group 2 include veteran forwards Devin certainty for players and teams still alive in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. Shore and Nathan Gerbe, who made a significant impact as an injury fill- "Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that in from the from December through the start of the addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the league’s pause in early March. completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued Shore, a center, was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks for former long-term growth of our League," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said forward Sonny Milano in February and was the Jackets’ lone addition at in a statement. "I thank NHLPA executive director Don Fehr and special the trade deadline. assistant to the executive director Mathieu Schneider, the more than 700 NHL Players – particularly those who worked on our Return to Play Camp will begin with a team meeting at noon Monday, followed by Group Committee – and the NHL’s Board of Governors for coming together 1 practice at 1 p.m. Practices are not open to the public. under extraordinary circumstances for the good of our game. Let the (intra-squad) games begin. While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our Return rules set priorities. We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the Earlier this week, the league released its protocols for both Phase 3 ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our season (camps) and Phase 4 (hub locations), which were approved Friday. They on March 12." are extensive, stringent and call for players to be isolated until the What the agreements mean short-term for the Jackets is a shift from conference final and Cup final rounds, when family members can join Phase 2 voluntary workouts into full camp work Monday, preparing for a them inside the quarantine "bubble." best-of-five series in the qualifying round against the Toronto Maple Friday’s voting also made the basics of the league’s return plan official, Leafs, whose city was officially picked along with Edmonton as the two including the 24-team field and the splitting of it for the first three rounds "hubs" that will host this year’s playoffs. between two hub locations – Edmonton for Western Conference teams The Jackets and Leafs are slated to begin their series Aug. 2, a day after and Toronto for the Eastern Conference. The conference final and Cup play in the qualifying rounds opens in each hub. final rounds will be held in Edmonton.

After nearly four full months without hockey, that’s a reason for fans and Health protocols for Phases 3 and 4 will be increased even further than teams alike to celebrate. There isn’t quite as much reason for players to what was required for voluntary workouts, mandating more frequent rejoice, after they agreed to financial concessions in the CBA extension testing of players, the wearing of masks at all times outside of workouts, and stringent protocols to preserve quarantine "bubbles" in the hub cities, practices or games and not breaking quarantine rules once inside the but even they have something to be happy about. "bubble" at hub locations.

Players on 24 teams can now look ahead to a chase for the Cup – not to The list of Phase 3 protocols presiding over training camps is 19 pages mention helping the league recoup some of its huge revenue losses that long, while the Phase 4 protocols take up 28 pages. Players may also occurred after the pause wiped out the end of the regular season. opt-out of competition without penalty from teams or the league. Players and owners split that "Hockey Related Revenue" or HRR right CBA extension down the middle every season and thus far it’s the players who’ve taken the escrow hit in their take-home pay to make that happen. The additional four years added to the CBA is owner friendly to the extent that players will continue to foot the escrow bill to achieve the 50/50 Citing league sources, multiple reports have said roughly half of the $4.8 revenue split, with escrow capped at 20% in 2020-21 and scaling down billion revenue intake was realized prior to the pandemic freeze, which significantly in the next five years – down to 6% in the final three years. means it would behoove both sides – players and owners – to finish the season, even with no fans in attendance at games and advertising As for this season, players’ final paychecks – believed to be worth as dollars the lone cash grab. much as $140 million – will now go toward their debt to owners in the annual revenue split. Players will also defer 10% of their salaries plus So, while these agreements aren’t exactly an equal win-win for all signing bonuses for the 2020-21 season, which will be paid back to them parties, they are a win for the sport as a whole – both in the short and in equal amounts in the CBA’s final three years. long terms. The league’s salary cap will also be frozen at its current ceiling of $81.5 Here are some highlights of what became official, as the Blue Jackets million until the league’s revenue returns to the $4.8 billion that was and 23 other teams prepare to drop the puck: expected this season, meaning there could be a number of interesting Jackets vs Leafs cap-related trades in the next year or two.

One of the most enticing series in the qualifying round will begin Aug. 2 in Among several gains for players is the restoration of NHL players being Toronto, according to a tentative schedule released by the NHL and eligible to compete in the Olympics in 2022 and 2026, pending an NHLPA. Remaining games will be played Aug. 4 and 6 plus Games 4 agreement between the NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation. and 5 on Aug. 7 and 9 if necessary. "This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said in a statement. "This would not have happened but for the enormous contributions that the players made throughout, particularly those who served on the negotiating and Return to Play committees, as well as those on the executive board ... most importantly, we are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans."

Key dates

The pandemic pause threw the NHL’s annual calendar completely out of whack, which the new agreements address.

New dates of significance include the start of camps (Monday) along with teams traveling to assigned hubs July 26. The qualifying round is slated to open Aug. 1 and the league’s second lottery draw – for the eight teams that don’t make it out of the qualifying round – is set for Aug. 10, when one will gain the first overall pick that went to a "placeholder" in the first draw.

The start of the Stanley Cup Final round is slate to begin Sept. 22 and end no later than Oct. 4, followed by the NHL draft Oct. 9-10 and the start of free agency to follow.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187632 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets set qualifying dates vs. Leafs, announce training camp 2.0 rosters

Aaron Portzline

Jul 10, 2020

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Once the National Hockey League Players’ Association ratified the league’s return-to-play plan and a new collective bargaining agreement Friday, the news moved fast and furious for the Blue Jackets.

This much you already knew: The Jackets will play the Toronto Maple Leafs in a best-of-five qualifying series in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

Now there are dates. The series will open Aug. 2, with Game 2 set for Aug. 4 and Game 3 set for Aug. 6. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, would be played on Aug. 7 and Aug. 9.

“My buddies back in Canada were threatening me,” said Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno, who spends his summers in Sudbury, Ont. “It would be great to shove it up their asses.

“Seriously, though, it’s a great opportunity for our franchise to play against a team like that, with how good they are. It’s really going to get us into playoff mode.

“It’s going to be awesome. There’s so much excitement among the players — just getting back into the rink and getting to play again. Every game we play is going to have so much on the line. There will be some crazy mistakes, huge momentum shifts, and then it’ll steady down as the games move on.”

BEHOLD THE #NHL QUALIFYING ROUND SCHEDULE: PIC.TWITTER.COM/DGGYLPOYJJ

— AARON PORTZLINE (@APORTZLINE) JULY 10, 2020

The Blue Jackets open training camp 2.0 on Monday in the OhioHealth Ice Haus, starting with a team meeting at noon.

Columbus has invited 33 players to training camp: 18 forwards, 11 defensemen and four . They’ve been divided into two groups: a “game” group consisting of 22 players, and another group of 11 players who appear to be extras.

The “game” group:

Forwards (12): Cam Atkinson, Emil Bemstrom, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Pierre- Luc Dubois, Nick Foligno, Liam Foudy, Boone Jenner, Riley Nash, Gus Nyquist, Eric Robinson, Alexandre Texier, Alexander Wennberg.

Defensemen (8): Vladislav Gavrikov, Scott Harrington, Seth Jones, Dean Kukan, Ryan Murray, Markus Nutivaara, David Savard, Zach Werenski.

Goaltenders (2): Joonas Korpisalo, Elvis Merzlikins.

The “extra” group:

Forwards (6): Nathan Gerbe, Ryan MacInnis, Stefan Matteau, Kole Sherwood, Devin Shore, Kevin Stenlund.

Defensemen (3): Gabriel Carlsson, Adam Clendening, Andrew Peeke.

Goaltenders (2): Matiss Kivlenieks, Veini Vehvilainen.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187633 Columbus Blue Jackets Dubois is the only one in that group who needs a new contract. Talks between the Blue Jackets and his agent, Pat Brisson, were put on hold at midseason, and it’s still unclear if the Jackets would be willing to go long- How the NHL’s flat cap will impact the Blue Jackets’ plans beyond this term with Dubois or stick with a bridge deal. season The stagnant cap could make a short-term deal more palatable for the Blue Jackets, as it would bring a lower salary-cap hit. It could also make sense for Dubois, who could put up two or three more solid seasons and Aaron Portzline come back to the table when the league is back in business with a growing cap. Jul 10, 2020 One thing to consider: The hockey world could be looking at a market

correction this offseason. No longer can teams bank on salary-cap COLUMBUS, Ohio — The summer of 2020 was setting up to be the inflation when they make long-term offers. summer of trades for the Blue Jackets, but, as we’ve all learned by now, We’re betting on a short-term deal (for the purposes of this exercise) and there’s nothing the COVID-19 pandemic can’t alter (or totally destroy). pegging Dubois at $4.8 million per season on a two-year deal. The big For one thing, the NHL’s offseason has been pushed to the fall, meaning payday — probably $7 million per season — is on the horizon, but it the summer of swaps should now be referred to as the autumn of could get here sooner if he signs a long-term deal instead of a shorter exchanges. Free agency will open Nov. 1. bridge contract.

For another, the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement has set the Again, the Anderson situation is looming. It’s impossible to say salary cap at $81.5 million for 2020-21 and likely beyond, meaning the definitively that he’ll remain in Columbus. Blue Jackets have lost their catbird seat as a team with abundant salary- The Blue Jackets will certainly extend a qualifying offer ($2.1 million) to cap room that could be used to make moves beyond just keeping their maintain his rights, and Anderson could accept it to clear his path for young roster together. UFA status only one year later. He could also file for arbitration, but one The Blue Jackets won’t be devastated by the flat salary cap like some goal in 26 games this season isn’t the best argument for a big raise. franchises. They won’t have to bite down hard and trade away There’s a chance, of course, the Blue Jackets and Anderson could get foundational players. together on a multiyear deal, and all would be right with the world. For But by simply re-signing their restricted free agents — center Pierre-Luc now, we’re including him in the chart above with his qualifying offer as his Dubois, right-winger Josh Anderson, and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov salary. are the headliners — the Blue Jackets will likely nudge right up against Nathan Gerbe, Liam Foudy, Stefan Matteau and Kevin Stenlund should the cap. all be seen as candidates to fill out the forward ranks. “We have some RFAs who are going to fill out that room we have under There are other restricted free agents to consider, too. the cap pretty quickly,” general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said. “The reason we had some room under the cap was not just for (2019-20) The Blue Jackets will qualify Stenlund, who showed sporadic promise in flexibility, but also for next season and the seasons beyond that. Columbus during spot duty earlier this season.

“We’ll be a little bit tight next year. After that, we’re going to be in good It seems unlikely the Blue Jackets will bring back Devin Shore, a forward shape.” they acquired in a trade with Anaheim last February. To keep his rights, Columbus would need to extend a qualifying offer of $2.3 million (his The Blue Jackets’ outlook could change significantly if they make a flurry current salary), and that seems out of line with his projected fourth-line of trades before the 2020-21 season. role. The Jackets have had a glut of defensemen for over a year now, and it Two other RFA question marks: Ryan MacInnis and Jakob Lilja. has only gotten more crowded with Gavrikov arriving from Russia and Andrew Peeke emerging ahead of schedule from AHL Cleveland. MacInnis may get a qualifying offer as a serviceable farmhand with AHL Columbus. Lilja may get one simply to protect the Blue Jackets’ rights to They have two starting-caliber goaltenders in Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis him, as he has already signed to play next season in Russia. Merzlikins, both of whom could be in high demand. So if we count the 11 forwards mentioned above, along with Anderson And they have Anderson, a power forward, who is recovering from and Gerbe, the Blue Jackets have $41,222,500 committed to that shoulder surgery but may not remain in Columbus if he isn’t willing to position. (Again, these numbers include our educated guesses at salaries sign a multiyear contract. (Otherwise, he’d be an unrestricted free agent for Dubois and Anderson.) after next season). Defensemen The Blue Jackets could use any of those trades — or a combination of them — to acquire a forward who could add some firepower to a rather The roster locks: Seth Jones, Ryan Murray, Markus Nutivaara, David pedestrian group. But, given the flat cap, it would likely need to be a Savard, Zach Werenski, Vladislav Gavrikov, Dean Kukan and Scott money-in, money-out deal to make it work. Harrington.

There’s also an albatross to consider: the long-term, incapacitating wrist That’s eight defensemen on one-way NHL contracts and a prospect, injury to center Brandon Dubinsky, who has one year remaining on a Andrew Peeke, who should be part of the top six. Yeah, there’s a trade contract that pays him $5.85 million annually. comin’.

Columbus could bite the bullet and live with Dubinsky on its roster for one There’s very little housework to do on the blue line beyond getting more year, or it could trade him to a club with plenty of cap space (like Gavrikov signed to a new contract. Ottawa or Detroit) if Kekäläinen feels the franchise needs that salary-cap space to make deals. (We’re hearing there’s still a market for such a He’s a 10.2(c) restricted free agent, meaning he isn’t eligible to receive deal.) an from another club. That puts the Blue Jackets in the driver’s seat for this contract, and, as we’ve seen, they rarely cede much Let’s take a closer look at the Blue Jackets’ situation: ground in that scenario.

Forwards Gabriel Carlsson, also an RFA, needs a new contract, too. He helped his cause significantly with a good 2019-20 season in AHL Cleveland and The Blue Jackets have 11 forwards who would seem to be locks to be on has played his way back into the organization’s long-term plans. (That’s the roster next season: Cam Atkinson, Emil Bemstrom, Oliver wasn’t clear for a time.) Bjorkstrand, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner, Riley Nash, , Eric Robinson, Alexandre Texier and Alexander Barring a trade, we’d bank on the eight defensemen listed as roster Wennberg. locks. If we put Gavrikov’s short-term payday at $2 million, that’s $27,233,333 on defense. Goaltenders

They should all be this easy: Merzlikins ($4 million per season) and Korpisalo ($2.8 million) signed contract extensions during the pandemic pause, meaning that position is settled.

The sense around the league is that the Blue Jackets are content with letting both Korpisalo and Merzlikins battle for playing time next season, too. They feel no compulsion to trade one of them in the near term.

But if they get an offer they can’t refuse …

The picture

If you put together the puzzle that’s been broken up into pieces here, that’s $75,255,833 in payroll for 23 players next season. If you include Brandon Dubinsky’s salary (and they’ll likely need to before rosters are set prior to 2020-21), that’s $81,105,833.

Or, only $394,167 under the $81.5 million salary cap. The cap will remain at $81.5 million until the NHL’s revenue returns to the anticipated $4.8 billion of this season. That could take a few years.

To be clear, the Blue Jackets are in pretty good shape. Many NHL clubs will have a hard time keeping their own players and coming in under the salary cap.

Tampa Bay, for instance, has $76.1 million committed to next season already with only 15 players signed. The St. Louis Blues will need to get creative to keep star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. The Capitals will almost certainly lose goaltender Braden Holtby.

But the numbers could be tight in Columbus next season, especially if there are injuries that take away anything close to the 419 man-games lost this season.

The relief won’t likely come until the summer of 2021, when several veteran players have contracts expiring. Forwards Foligno ($5.5 million), Dubinsky ($5.85 million) and Nash ($2.75 million), and defensemen Murray ($4.6 million) and Savard ($4.25 million) are all set to be unrestricted free agents in 2021.

That’s $23 million among those five players. There’s a strong chance Foligno sticks around at a lower cap figure, but the others’ futures are murky at best.

In the summer of 2022, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexandre Texier will need new contracts, but that shouldn’t be onerous.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187634 Columbus Blue Jackets Panthers didn’t outscore opponents at 5-on-5 with Barkov on the ice that season, that would change. It was Barkov’s third year where he really exploded, scoring 59 points in 66 games with the Panthers and earning The Next Ones: Can Pierre-Luc Dubois be the next Aleksander Barkov? an over 60 percent goal share.

Dubois hasn’t been able to produce like that in any season yet playing at a 60-point pace the past two years, but a breakout feels imminent. He’s Dom Luszczyszyn been at or above two points-per-60 at 5-on-5 during the past two seasons and only this past season saw time on the first power-play unit. Jul 10, 2020 He was largely ineffective there, but once he figures out that skill set it wouldn’t be surprising to see him approach the point-per-game threshold.

No two hockey players are the same, but some are more similar than The most impressive thing about Dubois’ NHL career so far is his play- others. They may not look or play the same way on the ice, but the end driving ability which has out-paced Barkov’s to date. Dubois not only result is close enough to wonder what it means for a player’s career matched Barkov’s 55 percent expected goals rate in his rookie year, he trajectory. For young players, a statistical comparable from the past can did a much better job of maintaining it in the following two. In his first showcase a potential path forward – hope for a brighter future. They three seasons, he has a 54.1 percent expected goals rate and 55.1 won’t follow the same specific path, but the similarities shown to date can actual goals rate. Barkov in his first three seasons was at 52.2 and 53.2 help visualize what could happen going forward. These players might be percent respectively. the next ones. It was in 2015-16 where Barkov started to receive Selke buzz for his two- This is the second in a five-part series. Part 1: Hischier-MacKinnon way prowess and it seems Dubois is a step ahead of where Barkov was in that regard over his first three seasons. Part of that may be due to The Player: Pierre-Luc Dubois, age 21 Dubois being on a more structured team, but even his relative numbers are stronger. Barkov may have had the offensive explosion that Dubois The Comparable: Aleksander Barkov, age 20 hasn’t been able to replicate yet, but the idea that Dubois may be on The similarities track to be a stronger play-driver based on his early career numbers is a truly scary thought given Barkov’s current reputation. Every draft comes with plenty of surprises, but the first one is always the most memorable. Anyone watching the draft usually studies the insider What the future might hold draft lists and while no one expects the draft to go exactly to script, it’s It didn’t take long for Barkov to become a bonafide elite player after that still a mild shock when the first team goes a little off script. What do they breakthrough 2015-16 season. He was pretty much at that level from that know? point on after adding elite offensive flourish to his toolkit. Over the last Two examples come to mind and it turns out the teams in question knew three seasons, he’s been one of the league’s best players as a result. quite a bit. Barkov hasn’t been a finalist for a Selke Trophy yet, but he came close in In 2013, Nathan MacKinnon was the presumptive first overall pick and 2017-18 and 2018-19 finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. It’s obvious after his selection it was expected either Halifax teammate Jonathan the talent is there to be one of the game’s premier two-way forwards, but Drouin or promising defenseman Seth Jones would go next. That it’s also true his play-driving has slipped a bit the past two seasons. seemed to be the consensus top three. The Panthers went in a different That may have something to do with a bigger focus on offense for Barkov direction with the second overall pick taking Finnish center Aleksander as he’s become a big-time offensive player over the past three seasons Barkov, the top-rated European skater and consensus fourth-best player scoring 236 points in 227 games, peaking with an explosive 35-goal, 96- in the draft. point campaign in 2018-19. A lethal power play where Barkov scored 6.3 Three years later in 2016, there seemed to be another locked in top points-per-60 which is more than double what Dubois mustered in 2019- three: Auston Matthews, and Jesse Puljujarvi. The 20, a paltry 2.9 points-per-60. Like clockwork, Barkov has also been at Columbus Blue Jackets, led by Finnish GM Jarmo Kekalainen, had the 2.3 points-per-60 at 5-on-5 in each of the past three seasons, good for floor after Matthews and Laine were selected and the expectation was 24th in the league. Dubois isn’t fair off, but he still has a fair way to go Puljujarvi was the choice. The Blue Jackets instead took Pierre-Luc when it comes to offensive upside. Dubois, the top-ranked North American skater, who ranked fourth or fifth One of the issues with that though is teammate quality. Dubois’ best in pre-draft rankings. offensive season was his second one in 2018-19 where he got to play Two ballsy decisions, both of which have worked out pretty damn well for with superstar winger Artemi Panarin. It would’ve been exciting to see the each club. Barkov has turned into the better player over Drouin and MVP version of Panarin playing alongside Dubois in 2019-20, but with Jones while Dubois has easily surpassed Puljujarvi who looks like an Panarin moving on via free agency, Dubois was left on a bit of an island. NHL bust so far. There isn’t much offensive help among the rest of his teammates and that creates a more difficult environment for Dubois to be his most Dubois and Barkov are both 6-foot-3 and both played around 18-to-19 productive self. minutes in their compared seasons at slightly above average usage. Both players were good for around 25 goals and 60 points at the time, though Like most superstars, Barkov isn’t alone in Florida. He’s spent most of his Barkov was the better scorer and Dubois the better play-maker. Both career with his running mate Jonathan Huberdeau and the duo’s offense players drove goals-for at a similar rate, though Dubois had the edge in has blossomed brilliantly in lockstep thanks to their strong chemistry. In terms of driving expected goals as well as on defense. Barkov was better 1,400 minutes without Huberdeau over the last three years Barkov’s at drawing penalties, although neither was particularly good at taking point rate drops slightly to a still very strong 2.09 points-per-60 at 5-on-5, faceoffs. a mark that’s only a touch higher than Dubois’ 2.07 over the last two seasons. Having another elite offensive force on the power play is also a In total, Dubois is worth around 2.04 wins at the moment while Barkov at huge advantage for Barkov and partially explains why Dubois likely a similar age was worth around 2.29 – both of which are first-line center struggled there this season. material. The two players have a similarity score of 61 with Barkov being Dubois’ best match. To date, their numbers are pretty damn similar. While Dubois is already a great player in his own right, it seems that in order for him to take the next step into the Barkov stratosphere it’s What each player has shown to date imperative that Columbus surrounds him with some offensive help. There isn’t really a Huberdeau-calibre player on the roster ready to help out. It took some time for Barkov to accommodate himself with the NHL Dubois’ play-driving ability is already very strong, making him a game. With a September 2 birthday, Barkov was extremely young dependable top line center, but in order to be an elite, game-breaking, playing in his first season post-draft and his 36-point pace wasn’t exactly difference-maker, he needs to show he can be an offensive force. It’s not eye-popping. Neither was his 42-point pace the following season. impossible, but it is very difficult to be that on your own. Does he have What was eye-catching were his underlying numbers at 5-on-5, that in him? especially in his rookie season when he had a 55 percent expected goals Other comparables rate. Controlling play at a young age is very hard to do, but Barkov managed and it created a reputation as a responsible player. Though the Barkov is Dubois’ best comparable, but he’s not the only one, nor is he the only flattering one. It bodes very well for Dubois that among his top comparables are other top-tier forwards and even the lesser cases seem unlikely.

The best-case scenario is a player who was well above where Dubois is now, and that’s . At his best, Benn was an elite four win player, an MVP-candidate, and arguably one of the best wingers in the league. That path is a possibility for Dubois, but it’s probably on the unlikely end of the spectrum (though it’s worth noting this is comparing Benn to his age 22 season. On the other end of the unlikely spectrum is 2012 third overall pick Alex Galchenyuk who was deemed roughly as good as Dubois at the same age, but fell off a cliff shortly after. With Galchenyuk’s game being plagued with defensive issues, I don’t see Dubois going down the same path.

The other names are pretty fascinating, from another elite center in to elite play-driving wingers like Mark Stone and Filip Forsberg. That’s the upside Dubois has with the latter two showing a potential path toward becoming an elite player that doesn’t include Dubois needing an elite Huberdeau-like teammate. In that vein though, there’s also Max Pacioretty and Jordan Staal who didn’t really elevate themselves from the level they were at age 21, which is also a possibility for Dubois.

The end result has Dubois becoming an excellent first-line center that approaches the elite tier but doesn’t quite get there. It’s still a possibility, no doubt, but there’s also a chance Dubois won’t deviate too much from his current level.

With what Dubois has shown to date, I’m very optimistic he gets there. He has all the tools to be an elite force and like Barkov at a similar age, it feels more like a matter of when, not if. Based on his play to date, the when feels like it might be very soon.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187635 Dallas Stars

Stars release schedule for Stanley Cup qualifying round

Matthew DeFranks

6:54 PM on Jul 10, 2020 CDT

The Stars finally have some games on the calendar.

As part of the announcement of a newly ratified memorandum of understanding between the NHL and NHLPA that will alter the collective bargaining agreement and keep labor peace through the 2025-26 season, the NHL also released the schedule for the qualifying round.

The league confirmed that Toronto would host the qualifying round and first two rounds of the Eastern Conference teams, and that Edmonton would host the qualifying round and first two rounds of the Western Conference teams plus both Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Final.

The Stars were the fourth-best team in the Western Conference (by points percentage) and automatically clinched a berth in the first round. They will play a round robin with St. Louis, Colorado and Vegas to determine seeding throughout the playoffs.

Here is the Stars schedule.

Aug. 3: Vegas

Aug. 5: Colorado

Aug. 9: St. Louis

The league did not assign times to specific games, but announced that games in Edmonton would start at 1 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Central Time, with the possibility of shifting 30 minutes to maximize television audiences. In Toronto, games will start at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Central Time.

The NHL said a complete broadcast schedule would be released in the coming days.

The schedule breaks decently for the Stars. They will not have to play any back-to-backs and will have a three-day break to prepare for what could be a pivotal round robin game against the Blues. The No. 5-12 seeds playing in the best of five series could each play a back-to-back set, dependent on how long their series goes.

Briefly: In Edmonton, the Stars (as one of the top six teams in the Western Conference) will stay at the JW Marriott next to Rogers Place. The team typically stays at the -owned Sutton Place hotel, where the bottom six teams in the West will be staying.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187636 Dallas Stars “It’s just a great situation for me, couldn’t be better. I’m happy,” Lites said. “Alberts is my guy, and is my guy. Tom’s been really good to me, and I’ve enjoyed working with him.

In front office shakeup, Dallas Stars’ Jim Lites transitions to team “The day-in, day-out, the grind, I won’t have to spend as much time chairman, Brad Alberts becomes CEO doing, although you never know. If they need my help or want an opinion, I’m there. But our business is really day-to-day blocking and tackling. And I get to be more of a punt returner.” Matthew DeFranks Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.11.2020 12:40 PM on Jul 10, 2020 CDT

One of the longest-tenured Stars executives will be taking a step back.

Jim Lites, who has worked with the Stars during three stints beginning in 1993, will no longer be the team’s CEO, the team announced Friday morning. Lites will instead become the team’s chairman, a role that will lessen his day-to-day duties but keep him involved with the club.

Brad Alberts, who previously served as Stars president, will be the team’s CEO and president. Alberts will report directly to owner Tom Gaglardi, work more closely with general manager Jim Nill on hockey operations decisions, and assume a greater role in the management of American Airlines Center.

“Always the plan, maybe sped up by COVID,” Lites said. “Quite frankly, makes you look at everything: What are we doing? How are we doing it? What’s good timing? What’s the best time for me personally and for Brad and for everybody? Seemed natural, and the right thing to do.”

Lites rejoined the Stars on Nov. 18, 2011, when he was hired by Gaglardi. He previously worked as a team executive from 1993-2003 and 2003-07. Lites was key in the design and construction of American Airlines Center and helped the Stars hire Nill as general manager in April 2013.

As chairman, Lites will still guide Alberts and serve as a top adviser in the United States for Gaglardi’s hotel and restaurant business. He will also still be involved with the management of AAC and chair the Dallas Stars Ownership Advisory Group.

“Those are my hot buttons,” Lites said. “But my hot buttons aren’t going to meetings, looking at ticket reports. It’s really important that there are people engaged with that every minute. You have to be relentless about taking care of customers and doing all that. Brad is really good at it. He has assembled a really good staff.”

Both the Stars and Mavericks have two seats on the board of the Center Operation Company (AAC), and previously Lites was the lead while Alberts was secondary. Now, Alberts will be the lead and Lites will be secondary. The board deals with renovations, capital expenditures, changes to suites and premium areas, managing the City of Dallas and financing the building.

Alberts has been with the Stars (his second stint with the team) since 2011 and has served as the president since 2018. He will continue to oversee the business side of the team and will remain the president of AHL affiliate Texas. Under Alberts, the Stars have drawn marquee events such as the 2018 draft and the 2020 Winter Classic to Dallas.

As far as hockey operations, Alberts will be more involved in the financial side of transactions than the personnel side.

“Jim [Nill] and I will work very, very closely with ownership on how we build the team,” Alberts said. “Obviously, the finances are a big part of how you build a team. … I think coming out of the pandemic, it’ll be really, really important to work with ownership on exactly how the team is financed and how we pay players. It’ll be very important. So Jim and I are going to be in lockstep with Tom to make sure that we’re all in good shape.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the financial consequences, the NHL is expected to implement a flat salary cap of $81.5 million for next season and remain there until leaguewide revenues hit $4.8 billion.

Lites said he will attend all the home games as usual but spend about half as much time in the office, allowing him to spend more time with his family, including two grandchildren. His granddaughter, Sloan, turns 2 in October, and grandson James was born March 12, the day the NHL suspended its season. 1187637 Detroit Red Wings Columbus and in the West No. 5 Edmonton vs. No. 12 Chicago, No. 6 Nashville vs. No. 11 Arizona, No. 7 Vancouver vs. No. 10 Minnesota and No. 8 Calgary vs. No. 9 Winnipeg.

NHL, players approve plan to resume season, extend CBA Action will begin with five games on Aug. 1, starting with Hurricanes- Rangers, Islanders-Panthers and Penguins-Canadiens in Toronto, and Oilers-Blackhawks and Flames-Jets in Edmonton.

Stephen Whyno and John Wawrow The preliminary round will feature 52 games played through the first nine days before teams will get a break on Aug. 10, when the NHL will hold 4:28 a.m. ET July 11, 2020 the second phase of its draft lottery. Each of the eight eliminated teams will have an equal chance of winning the No. 1 pick, after the first phase of the draft lottery left the choice undetermined. Hockey became the latest sport to finalize a return during a global pandemic after NHL owners and players approved an agreement Friday The first round of the playoffs will then begin at each of the two hub cities to resume the season – and with it an assurance of labor peace through on Aug. 11. Teams will be re-seeded every round, and the remainder of September 2026. the playoffs will all be best-of-seven series.

Games are scheduled to begin Aug. 1 in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, The NHL draft has been tentatively set for Oct. 9 and 10 and likely be with coronavirus cases in the U.S. pushing the league into Canada for held by phone rather than in a traditional arena setting. the summer and fall until the Stanley Cup is awarded in late September Players have been able to skate and train off-ice in voluntary, small- or early October. group workouts since June 8. The league has reported 35 players testing Training camps open across North America on Monday, which is also the positive since that point, though the hope is that number will hit zero once deadline for players to opt out of participating with no penalty. teams are scheduled to travel to their respective hubs on July 26. Minnesota’s Zach Parise said earlier this week he doesn’t think a lot of With personnel limits – each team’s travel parties are limited to 52 players will choose not to play, but the NHL already has one example. people, with rosters capped at 31 players – quarantining restrictions and Calgary defenseman Travis Hamonic became the first to publicly opt out, daily tests for players, coaches, management, plus arena, hotel and with the Flames’ announcement coming just hours after the agreement restaurant staff, the NHL will try to complete a season that was shut was reached. General manager Brad Treliving said Hamonic won’t play down March 12 with 189 games and the playoffs remaining. because of family reasons. Teams will be quarantined from families and the general public during “While we will miss Travis in our lineup, we understand and respect his play at least for the qualifying and first two traditional playoff rounds. decision,” Treliving said. Getting back on the ice also comes with labor peace through at least The return-to-play plan, tentatively approved by the NHL and NHL 2026. Players’ Association on Monday, was ratified by the league’s board of The CBA extension includes an agreement to send players to Olympics governors and with majority approval from players following a three-day in 2022 and 2026 – pending an agreement with the International Olympic voting period, ending Friday. Along with it, the two sides also formally Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation – and includes some approved a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. salary deferrals that allow both sides to bear the brunt of losses from the “This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, COVID-19 pandemic and share in the benefits of an upcoming U.S. TV and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA executive rights contract. director Don Fehr said. “We are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey “All we know is we will be playing hockey, there will be labor peace so back to the fans.” long as this thing gets ratified for another four years, six years maybe,” The NHL is back with an expanded 24-team playoff format, but things will Carolina veteran Justin Williams said. “That’s good for the fan, that’s be much different from the norm: There will be no fans. There will be good for the TV audience, that’s good for the players, it’s good for between five and six games a day at the start – up to three at each site, everybody. So we’re obviously excited about that. It’s awesome that they which will be heavily cordoned off from the public. were able to do this. I don’t think a normal CBA negotiation goes this quickly. But both parties wanted it done and they got it done.” And for the first time in league history, there will be an unusual final four in Edmonton to settle a championship later than ever before with Detroit News LOADED: 07.11.2020 ramifications pushing back the start of next season to December or even as late as January.

Still, hockey is preparing to go on in a year that has upended life for millions, and sports along with it. Only twice since 1893 has the Cup not been awarded: in 1919, when the final couldn’t be completed because of the Spanish flu pandemic, and 2005 when the season was wiped out by a lockout.

“While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month, and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

Even so, the NHL is being cautious in its return with Toronto and Edmonton to serve as hub cities through the qualifying and first two rounds of the playoffs. The 12 Eastern Conference teams will play in Toronto and the 12 West teams in Edmonton, with home-rink advantages for the Maple Leafs and Oilers conceded in a nod to television preferences.

The top four teams in each conference – Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia in the East, and St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas in the West – automatically advance to the field of 16 and will play separate round-robin tournaments to determine seeding.

The best-of-five qualifying round series in the East are No. 5 Pittsburgh vs. No. 12 Montreal, No. 6 Carolina vs. No. 11 New York Rangers, No. 7 New York Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida and No. 8 Toronto vs. No. 9 1187638 Detroit Red Wings Last month, Milstein was forced to respond to a report from a Russian media network that Datsyuk was holed up in a barricaded Russian monastery with a priest who made headlines for denying the existence of the coronavirus. Pavel Datsyuk, ex-Red Wings coach Bill Peters reunited in Russia "When the news broke, I knew it wasn't true," Milstein said. "He was at home at his cottage. He sent me a video. 'Here I am, chopping wood.' I figured that was the best way to prove the report wasn't true. His family is Mark Falkner priority No. 1. He's at home with them, staying in shape and preparing for 3:12 p.m. ET July 10, 2020 the upcoming season."

Detroit News LOADED: 07.11.2020

Former Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk signed a one-year deal with the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the Kontinental Hockey League, according to agent Dan Milstein.

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Pavel Datsyuk and former Red Wings assistant coach Bill Peters are reunited in the Kontinental Hockey League this year.

Datsyuk, who will turn 42 later this month, signed a one-year deal on Friday with the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL. No contract details were disclosed.

Pavel Datsyuk signs 1 year extension with his hometown KHL club Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. #WeAreGoldStar! pic.twitter.com/3PX7nblDEY

— Dan Milstein-Hockey (@HockeyAgent1) July 10, 2020

"He (Datsyuk) feels good, has no major injuries and feels he can help out his team," Datsyuk's agent Dan Milstein said.

Datsyuk had five goals and 17 assists in 43 games for Yekaterinburg last year, ending speculation that he might return to Detroit after spending 14 years with the Red Wings.

"The last three years, he's been signing one-year extensions," Milstein said. "He takes his time during the summers, sits down and decides whether to play another year. He's home, he's happy and he'll finish his career at some point in Russia."

Peters, who spent three years on Mike Babcock's coaching staff from 2011-2014, signed a two-year contract with Yekaterinburg in April.

The 54-year-old Peters resigned as head coach of the Calgary Flames in November of last year after forward Akim Aliu said Peters directed a racial slur toward him when they were both with the Rockford IceHogs of the .

The 24-team KHL plans to start the 2020-21 season on Sept. 2 after cancelling the rest of the 2019-20 playoffs because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Avtomobilist, which posted a 35-19-8 record during the regular season, lost in the opening round of the playoffs.

"Pavel had a leadership role with the team last year because of his age and experience," Milstein said. "He'll talk to the new coach who he knows from their days together in Detroit and figure out what to expect this year."

In 2011, Peters was hired by Babcock along with current Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill to replace assistant coaches Brad McCrimmon (/KHL) and Paul MacLean ().

In the three years with Peters behind the bench, Datsyuk averaged more than a point per game (175 points in 173 games) but a knee injury during a Hart Trophy, MVP-type season in 2012 led to a first-round playoff loss to the Nashville Predators.

In 2013, Datsyuk went to Russia with Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin during the strike-shortened season and had 36 points in 31 games with CSKA Moscow. The Wings lost in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs on an overtime goal by Brent Seabrook of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

After retiring in 2016, Datsyuk, a four-time Lady Byng Trophy winner (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct) and three-time Selke Trophy winner (top defensive forward), played three years for SKA St. Petersburg and won a gold medal with the Olympic Athletes from Russia at the Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018.

He now lives with his wife and four children in his hometown of Yekaterinburg, east of Moscow and the fourth-largest city in Russia (1.5 million population). 1187639 Detroit Red Wings

NHL, players approve four-year CBA, return to play plan

Jul 10, 2020

Ansar Khan

The NHL and the NHL Players Association have ratified a four-year extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement that will run through the 2025-26 season and approved the return to play plan.

Following a 142-day pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the best-of- five qualifying round will begin on Aug. 1 in the “bubble” cities of Toronto (Eastern Conference) and Edmonton (Western Conference). The Stanley Cup champion will be crowned by early October

Each team will be permitted to bring a maximum of 52 individuals into the Secure Zones in the hub cities, including a maximum of 31 players. All personnel will be tested daily for COVID-19 as well as being administered daily temperature checks and symptom screenings. As well, individuals who might have direct or indirect contact with NHL teams will be tested daily. Any person inside the Secure Zone who tests positive will immediately be isolated.

Games have been scheduled on a staggered basis, providing hours of continuous action. The start times for the 10 days of Stanley Cup Qualifiers in Toronto (will be: noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. In order to maximize the viewing experience for fans across North America, the start times for the three game windows in Edmonton will be 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET.

The Eastern Conference qualifying series matchups are Pittsburgh vs. Montreal, Carolina vs. Rangers, Islanders vs. Florida, and Toronto vs. Columbus. The Western Conference qualifying series matchups are Edmonton vs. Chicago, Nashville vs. Arizona, Vancouver vs. Minnesota, and Calgary vs. Winnipeg.

The top four teams in each conference will play a three-game round- robin series to determine seeding in the first round (Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington, and Philadelphia in the East; St. Louis. Colorado, Vegas, and Dallas in the West).

The complete broadcast schedule will be released in the coming days.

Phase 2 of the draft lottery to determine which team has the first overall pick will take place on Aug. 10. It will feature the eight clubs that lose in the qualifying round. Each will have a 12.5 percent chance of winning the lottery.

Michigan Live LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187640 Detroit Red Wings

Former Red Wing Pavel Datsyuk not ready to retire at 42

Jul 10, 2020

Ansar Khan

Pavel Datsyuk might not play as long as Gordie Howe did, but the former Detroit Red Wings star isn’t ready to retire.

Datsyuk, who turns 42 on July 20, signed a one-year extension with Yekaterinburg Automobilist of the Kontinental Hockey League, his agent, Dan Milstein, announced.

This will be Saturday’s fifth season in Russia after leaving the Red Wings following 14 NHL seasons. He had five goals and 17 assists in 43 games last season.

This will be Datsyuk’s 24th professional season. He began his career in 1996-97 with Yekaterinburg Spartak.

Datsyuk has played longer than most players but has a long way to go to match Mr. Hockey. Howe wrapped up his career in 1980 at age 52 with the Hartford Whalers, collecting 15 goals and 26 assists in 80 games. He didn’t miss a game that season.

Michigan Live LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187641 Detroit Red Wings other players currently in Grand Rapids) all would fall slightly below that $1 million mark. Back of the napkin math, then, says that a reasonable ballpark for filling out their 23-man roster internally would land right around $68 million. What a flat NHL salary cap could mean for the Red Wings and their future But, of course, the roster won’t just be filled internally. There is a glaring hole on the goaltending depth chart behind Jonathan Bernier, with no internal heir apparent, and the team as a whole just had the worst season of the salary-cap era. Trotting out a virtually identical roster to last Max Bultman year seems … well, let’s call it improbable. Jul 10, 2020 Put goaltender at the top of the list for an outside addition. Then perhaps a veteran to join a defense corps that has Danny DeKeyser as the only veteran signed beyond this season. And up front, second-line center If last summer’s lower-than-projected NHL salary cap created a crunch would also be an area of need, but the free-agent market is not exactly for teams banking on a higher limit, this offseason’s fallout may take that flush with options there. strain to a whole new level. Thanks to their favorable cap space, the Red Wings could easily address The Athletic’s Scott Burnside reported the league’s salary cap is most of those needs via free agency. Yzerman has said he doesn’t expected to remain flat at $81.5 million for 2020-21, and stay there until envision himself being a top bidder for premier free agents during the revenues reach $4.8 billion. That means several teams could be facing rebuild, but Detroit should be able to make competitive offers within its harsh cap realities in the coming seasons, as games are played (for now) desired price range for another goalie, at minimum. without fans in attendance. Some contract extensions have already been signed under what had generally been a safe assumption of continued Once that need is filled, the Red Wings could consider another cap growth. Free-agent deals will inevitably be affected. Teams’ plans interesting option for their cap space: Using it to offer relief to other will be altered. teams feeling the crunch, in a package that includes a draft pick or prospect as a sweetener. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, though, sit the Red Wings, owners of one of the league’s most favorable salary-cap situations. Any team that signed big contracts while anticipating steady cap growth, and now finds itself in panic mode, could be a reasonable partner, and Unlike so many teams trying to maximize contention windows, the Red doubly so for such teams with high-profile contracts due for renewal this Wings are not brushing up against the cap. Far from it, in fact: They have year. just over $46 million committed for next season, according to CapFriendly.com. With a completely flat cap, that list of teams could be fairly long. Think St. Louis, which needs to re-sign Alex Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn while in a That figure is a little deceiving, considering Detroit still needs to fill out its crunch. Or Vancouver, which should be OK re-upping Jacob Markström roster and re-sign Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi, who will both this fall, but has Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson up for new contracts receive healthy raises as part of a group of eight restricted free agents at one year from now. Or perhaps even the Islanders, who have Mathew the NHL level. But still: Considering that most of the Red Wings’ RFAs Barzal’s and Ryan Pulock’s next contracts to sign this offseason. are likely to sign for low-maintenance, relatively low-salary deals, Detroit should still enter the roster construction phase of this offseason with Taking on another team’s burden contract requires an owner willing to plenty of cap space with which to work, and remain that way for the near pay those salaries in exchange for young assets, and a front office willing future. to sacrifice some flexibility, but look no further than last offseason to see the kind of incentives that can be attached to such deals in the right That could put and the rebuilding Red Wings in a situations. At last year’s draft, Toronto packaged its 2020 first-round pick comparatively advantageous spot, both this year and in the years to (top-10 protected) in order to trade Patrick Marleau (and the one year at come, depending on the team’s approach. $6.25 million remaining on his contract) to Carolina.

Here are how things are shaping up for Detroit in the next few years, and Finding a deal like that is easier said than done; Toronto was in a unique what it means for the Red Wings. squeeze amid Mitch Marner’s high-profile contract negotiation and with high-dollar contracts for Auston Matthews and John Tavares already 2020-21 signed. It may be tough to find that level of incentive for that short a deal Unrestricted free agents: Trevor Daley, Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy this time around, even with this level of cap stagnation. But that type of Howard, Sam Gagner, Cody Goloubef salary-purposed trade remains one of the best ways the Red Wings can try and benefit from the flat cap. Restricted free agents: Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi, Robby Fabbri, Madison Bowey, Christoffer Ehn, Adam Erne, Dmytro Timashov, And their options could come in all shapes and sizes. Short-term deals Brendan Perlini, Evgeny Svechnikov, Taro Hirose are naturally more likely to come with less incentive, but would also be the easiest to manage, particularly since Detroit’s cap sheet appears Cap hit currently accounted for: $46,259,166 relatively uncomplicated in the near term. Longer-term contracts, Prior to any signings or extensions, here’s what Detroit has in place, especially those with high-dollar figures, pose the risk of putting the Red carrying over from the end of last season: Wings in a bind of their own down the line — around the time their top prospects and young players are negotiating second contracts — but That’s 13 players, meaning the Red Wings need 10 more to fill out an have the potential upside of including much more appetizing incentives opening-night NHL roster (though it’s certainly possible not everyone in as a result. this rendering is on that opening-night roster, too). That’s the balance Detroit will have to strike if it pursues this route, Penciling in Mantha, Bertuzzi and Fabbri gets that number down to seven making sure the asset it receives for taking on another team’s problem (and likely leaves between two and four forward spots available), adding contract is worth the cap anchor it could create. a rough estimate of $14.5 million to the cap hit based on Evolving Hockey’s contract projections. Don’t put too much stock in that number, There’s also the matter of cost from a true dollars standpoint, and the since it could vary fairly significantly depending on the lengths of the importance of cash flow in the current economic situation can’t be deals all three sign (Evolving Hockey has four years as the projected underestimated. That’s why it bears repeating that ownership has to be term lengths for Mantha and Bertuzzi, and two years most likely for on board to pull something like this off. But it can become less painful if Fabbri, but longer-term deals could drive the price up). For now, though, the Red Wings are able to kill two birds with one stone, taking on a it’s a useful ballpark figure. contract to pick up an asset, but doing so for a player who also fills one of the team’s needs in reshaping the roster, such as that goalie, veteran Beyond that trio, it’s unlikely any of Detroit’s restricted free agents end up defenseman or center. costing much more than $1 million each on short-term deals (Evolving Hockey has Bowey projected the highest, at $1.8 million). And the other Again, that’s easier said than done, since teams won’t want to package players not being factored in (such as defenseman Moritz Seider on an meaningful assets to move a player who is still a solid NHL contributor. entry-level contract, Swedish free-agent signee Mathias Bromé and any But the Red Wings are starting from such a (relatively) low bar that the pool of players who would be potential upgrades for them should be larger than would be the case for most teams.

Either way, this looks like a serious opportunity for the Red Wings to explore this offseason, with even more contracts coming off the books a year from now.

2021-22

Unrestricted free agents: Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula, Luke Glendening, Patrik Nemeth, Alex Biega, Jonathan Bernier

Restricted free agents: Filip Hronek, Michael Rasmussen, Gustav Lindstrom, Dennis Cholowski, Givani Smith, Chase Pearson, Mathias Bromé, Joe Hicketts

Cap hit currently accounted for: $21,494,167

Remember: The above number will be higher once Mantha, Bertuzzi, Fabbri and the rest of the RFAs sign their next contracts (and if the Red Wings sign or acquire any other deals this offseason longer than one year). The presumable entry-level contracts entering the fold (like Seider) will add to it marginally, too. But for now, the Red Wings have just five NHL contracts locked in for 2021-22: DeKeyser, Dylan Larkin, Justin Abdelkader, Frans Nielsen and Filip Zadina’s ELC.

Abdelkader’s and Nielsen’s are obviously not value contracts for the team. But without any cap squeeze, the Red Wings’ best option at this stage will likely be to keep riding them out. For Nielsen, the 2021-22 season would be the final year of his contract.

It will also be the final year of DeKeyser’s deal, which will be an interesting situation to monitor partly because of the expansion draft set for 2021. The Red Wings won’t likely want a blue line exclusively composed of players 26 and younger. That means exposing DeKeyser would be a risk, and if he can stay healthy next season, one that may not be worth taking. But DeKeyser’s recent injury history needs to at least be taken into consideration on that front, especially if Cholowski and Lindstrom take meaningful steps forward this season.

Larkin, meanwhile, will continue to be one of Detroit’s best contracts. The only problem is the Red Wings don’t project to truly contend in time to take advantage of it.

2022-23

Unrestricted free agents: Nielsen, DeKeyser

Restricted Free agents: Zadina, Filip Larsson, Kaden Fulcher, Victor Brattström

Cap hit currently accounted for: $10,350,000

Again, this number will be higher based on the deals handed out in the next two years, but still: Larkin and Abdelkader are the only contracts on the books right now for 2022-23. And it will be final season for both contracts, meaning a new deal for Larkin will be the top priority in 2023 (or earlier).

That’s ultimately the Red Wings’ big picture of the next few seasons from a salary-cap perspective: The canvas for 2022 and beyond is still mostly blank. ELCs for some top prospects will of course be part of the fold, on top of Larkin and Abdelkader, but other than that, this stands out as the “fresh start” range for Detroit’s cap sheet. It also could very well be around the time the Red Wings have turned, or are turning, the corner to contender status.

That means every long-term contract the Red Wings sign or acquire this offseason (or next year) that stretches beyond this checkpoint are the ones they’ll be maneuvering around to extend Larkin, Seider and more, all while trying to begin making their push.

That’s the key point to remember about free-agent signings this summer, or the more extreme examples of acquiring big contracts to pick up a young asset. The ripple effects those moves could have two to three years down the line, on contracts of paramount importance, will some day matter too.

But with plenty of flexibility this offseason, and more on the way in years to come, the Red Wings are certainly in better position to weather a flat salary cap than most.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187642 Edmonton Oilers Edmonton surpassed Calgary in active coronavirus cases in late June. On Wednesday, the latest numbers available on the provincial website, Edmonton had 215 active cases to Calgary’s 220.

‘There is risk’: How safe will Edmonton be for the NHL’s return to play? Most active cases in the province are in the 20 to 39 age group. That’s the demographic of NHL players, although their experience in Edmonton in a bubbled safe zone will be much different than the general population.

Daniel Nugent-Bowman “These are young, healthy people – the hockey players,” Smith said. “When we’re looking at the risk of them getting COVID in the first place Jul 10, 2020 and then them getting severely ill, it’s lower than someone that’s 75 and has diabetes and hypertension. That has to be taken into context, too.”

An infectious disease expert says the NHL is tempting fate by planning to While people like coaches and trainers are older – and in some cases, disregard an Alberta COVID-19 law, although the threat is minimized potentially more suspectable to the virus – Smith said the use of masks, because of the league’s protocols and quantity of testing planned. frequent handwashing, and physical distancing whenever possible should help reduce any transmission. The provincial government requires Albertans to isolate for 14 days if they come in close contact with someone with COVID-19, but the NHL’s The NHL’s protocols excuse players from wearing a mask when protocols only call for daily testing during that same period. Self- exercising, on the ice or in hotel room – or during interviews and when quarantine is not required by the league if those close contacts test eating while adhering to appropriate physical distancing. negative, don’t exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus, and are fever-free Smith said it’s important to monitor symptoms of all people in the hub-city — a plan approved by Alberta’s top health official. bubbles because test results aren’t always accurate. The official announcement of Edmonton and Toronto as the NHL’s Testing is scheduled to occur daily for participants in Groups 1-4, anyone postseason hub cities could come as early as Friday evening. coming in close contact with each other within the bubble. This, above all “There is risk, but it’s mostly risk to the other players as opposed to these else, provides optimism for the doctor that the league is taking matters players being a risk to other members of the public,” said Dr. Stephanie seriously and that the tournament can be held safely. Smith, an infectious disease physician and the director of infection “As soon as someone’s positive, they will know it,” Smith said. “Then that prevention and control at the Hospital. person can be removed. It’s a risk-mitigation strategy. Since hockey isn’t “An exception has been made. It’s not up to me. Is it the right thing or the essential, they really need to go over and above to do as much risk wrong thing? It’s hard to say. They are trying to minimize any impact on mitigation as they can.” the rest of the province.” NHL players have been able to train in their team arenas or practice Smith added she has tremendous respect for the advice and direction facilities since June 8 under Phase 2 of the return-to-play protocol. provided by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the Alberta chief medical officer who Initially, on-ice sessions were limited to six skaters at a time, but that signed off on the NHL plan. number grew to 12 as more players returned to their club markets.

“If she thought that there was excess risk, this wouldn’t be going Some players are only just getting on the ice this week with their forward,” Smith said. “With my knowledge of all the regulations, I think teammates after either training in their offseason cities or having to self- they’re doing everything they can to mitigate the risk to achieve their isolate after returning from another country. objective, which is to have these playoffs.” As of Monday, the NHL said 23 out of 396 players participating in Phase The type of discrepancy between the Alberta law and what’s spelled out 2 – almost six percent – have tested positive for COVID-19 during Phase by the NHL is said to be a key reason why Vancouver withdrew its hub- 2 activities. Since June 8, the league said it is aware of 12 additional city bid late last month on the advice of provincial health officials. players outside of Phase 2 participation who have tested positive.

Oilers senior vice-president of corporate communications and The Lightning and Blues had to briefly close their training facilities government relations Tim Shipton has worked closely with the provincial because of positive tests. Las Vegas was considered a frontrunner for and city governments to construct Edmonton’s likely successful bid. one of the hub-city spots for weeks before COVID-19 cases in the city spiked last month. Shipton said the Alberta government’s acceptance of the NHL’s terms, in concert with the Oilers, wasn’t done lightly. Training camps in local markets are scheduled to commence on Monday. Teams are set to travel to the hub cities July 26 and the start of the “We have been working with Alberta Health and the NHL group for qualification round is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 1. almost four months on the health and safety protocols around this hub bid and us being a host city,” he said. “The level of diligence and The next few weeks could be crucial to predicting the likelihood of the oversight that has been put into this by Alberta Health, by the NHL playoffs going ahead – and the Stanley Cup being awarded in Edmonton. medical team and by our medical team is extraordinary. “Kudos to them that they actually chose places that are not seeing huge “The Alberta government and Alberta Health didn’t just grant us their numbers of COVID cases circulating. I think they are actually looking out blessing on this process. It took a lot of time and a lot of work. It was a for players’ health,” Smith said. real strength of the bid that we put so much time and effort into the health “My biggest concern will be when all these teams initially arrive. It’s those protocols. It created that degree of comfort that we could do this safely.” first 14 days. If we can get through those first 14 days without any Another potential concern is a recent uptick of coronavirus cases in incidents, then I think we’ll be fine because they’re being super careful.” Edmonton, highlighted by the death of six people and 36 infections at The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 Misericordia Community Hospital – located 11 kilometres southwest of the Oilers arena. The hospital hasn’t admitted any new patients since Wednesday and the emergency department is closed. However, there have been a total of 20 deaths in the Edmonton district as of Thursday.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told on Wednesday he doesn’t expect the outbreak at the hospital to impact the league’s hub city announcement.

“At my site, it’s allowed us to take a second look and make sure that we’re doing absolutely everything perfectly, so that we don’t have this spread,” Smith said. “I can’t predict the future, but it’s a wakeup call for the rest of the hospitals in the Edmonton zone and to make sure we’re on guard and doing all the right things protecting patients.

“If players had to come to the hospital, they would be safe.” 1187643 Florida Panthers

Here’s when the Florida Panthers will play the New York Islanders for their play-in series

JORDAN MCPHERSON

JULY 10, 2020 07:38 PM

The NHL Return to Play plan and a new collective bargaining agreement have been finalized, and the Stanley Cup Qualifier schedule is set.

The Florida Panthers’ quest for a Stanley Cup finally has dates attached to it.

The Panthers open their best-of-5 series against the New York Islanders in Toronto on Aug. 1, with the rest of the series being played on Aug. 4, Aug. 5, Aug. 7 (if necessary) and Aug. 9 (if necessary).

Times have not been announced, but all Eastern Conference games in Toronto will be played at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The 24 teams taking part in postseason action can now plan to open training camps Monday. This also serves as a deadline for players to opt out of competition without penalty. Teams are scheduled to travel to their respective hub cities on July 26. Edmonton will be the hub for Western Conference teams.

Miami Herald LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187644 Los Angeles Kings the ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

pic.twitter.com/C5qWJwgFwk NHL and NHLPA vote to accept CBA and return to play protocols — Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) July 10, 2020 A view of the ice at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada. Bettman, Fehr, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special assistant to the executive director Mathieu Schneider are scheduled to take part in a media availability via Zoom on Saturday. It will be streamed HELENE ELLIOTT live in nhl.com and the league’s Facebook page.

JULY 10, 2020 UPDATED4:50 PM Fehr thanked the members of the negotiating and Return to Play committees and the union’s executive board.

“This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, The NHL and the NHL Players’ Assn. on Friday ratified the terms of their and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” Fehr said. “I also Return to Play plan and also approved a Memorandum of Understanding thank Gary Bettman, Bill Daly and the NHL staff for their efforts towards to extend their collective bargaining agreement though the 2025-26 finding solutions to the problems we face. Most importantly, we are season, decisions that clear the way for training camps to open next pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans. We look week and for the season to resume on Aug. 1 under an atmosphere of forward to the NHL’s continued growth here in North America and on the cooperation and labor peace. world stage.” The NHL paused its season on March 12 because of the COVID-19 The Stanley Cup Final is tentatively scheduled to begin on Sept. 22, with pandemic. Since then, the league and the union have negotiated a last possible date of Oct. 4. elaborate protocols designed to safeguard the health of players, coaches, and team staffers while permitting teams to complete the Staples Center before the final game of the Kings' 2019-20 season season and award the Stanley Cup. against the Ottawa Senators on March 11.

The revamped playoffs will feature 24 teams — 12 from the Eastern A schedule is still being completed for TV coverage of the round-robin Conference and 12 from the Western — and will place those teams in and qualifying games, a process complicated by the necessity of playing protective bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, respectively. The top four multiple games each day. Start times for qualifying round games in teams in each conference will play round-robin games for seeding; the Toronto will be at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. Pacific time. Start times for other teams in each conference will meet in a best-of-five qualifying qualifying round games in Edmonton will be 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7:30 round. All rounds after that will be best-of-seven. No fans will be allowed p.m. Pacific time but might fluctuate depending on the end of previous into the arenas. games.

The conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will be played in For statistical purposes, games played in the round-robin phase (which Edmonton’s Rogers Place. The Final could end as late as Oct. 4, and the will start on Aug. 2) and the qualifying phase (which will start on Aug. 1) start to the 2020-21 season will be pushed until December. will be counted toward postseason totals.

Players who chose to opt out of competition for health reasons can do so Phase 2 of the draft lottery will take place after the qualifying games and by Monday. Camps will run until July 26, when teams will travel to their before the first round begins on Aug. 10. assigned hub. League executives have said that isolated positive tests for COVID-19 during training camp or competition would not That phase became necessary when one of the eight qualifying teams automatically trigger a suspension of play, but an outbreak would lead won the right to choose first overall. The eight teams that lose in the them to consult medical experts and local health authorities for advice. qualifying round will be eligible for Phase 2. The draft has been scheduled for Oct. 9-10. The terms of the collective bargaining agreement address the revenue losses the NHL has sustained because of the pandemic. The salary cap LA Times: LOADED: 07.11.2020 will remain at $81.5 million next season, and players will defer 10 percent of their salaries. They will be repaid when the league’s revenues revive.

A noteworthy element in the collective bargaining agreement is a commitment from the NHL and the NHLPA to allow players to represent their homelands in the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics if they can reach an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation and/or the International Olympic Committee.

NHL players competed in the 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 Winter Games but didn’t participate in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea because the league claimed it would gain no economic benefits from their Olympic participation. The IIHF and IOC have indicated their willingness to be flexible on thorny issues such as granting the NHL marketing rights to players’ Olympic activity and in covering expenses for players’ travel and insurance.

Also, as previously outlined, players’ payment to escrow will be capped at 20 percent next season and would decline according to future levels of hockey-related revenues. As far as scheduling, the league and the union agreed to continue discussing simplified travel by scheduling back-to- back road games in the same city when feasible.

In a press release issued by the league and the union, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called the agreements significant and described them as “the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our League.” Bettman added, “I thank NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr and Special Assistant to the Executive Director Mathieu Schneider, the more than 700 NHL Players — particularly those who worked on our Return to Play Committee — and the NHL’s Board of Governors for coming together under extraordinary circumstances for the good of our game. While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities. We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to 1187645 Los Angeles Kings The Numbers As hinted, there will be plenty of cap space for the Kings, a far cry from

the early days of Blake’s tenure as GM. Our hard-working friends over at Kings are in perfect position to take advantage of a flat salary cap Capfriendly.com do more than hint — the Kings will have close to $21 million in projected cap space ($20.7 million). Subtracted from that will be the salaries for their pending restricted free agents, but we’ll get to that in the next section. Lisa Dillman There is $60.762 million on the books for 2020-21, including a combined Jul 10, 2020 $11.012 million of dead cap space associated with three players no longer on the roster, Ilya Kovalchuk, Dion Phaneuf and Mike Richards ($700,000/termination) Philip Anschutz, rest assured, remains a wildly wealthy individual. The owner of AEG and the Los Angeles Kings is the richest billionaire in the With Richards, it’s worth noting the Kings are no longer on the hook for state of Colorado ($11 billion), according to the calculations by Forbes. the cap recapture penalty, the final installation of $1.320 million, which came off the books after the 2019-20 season. First off, the Kings are only a small fraction of his diversified business empire. But if your wealth is tied to the live entertainment business, the The meaningful dollars go to Phaneuf. Phaneuf last played for the Kings oil industry or hospitality — as it is with Anschutz — those sectors have in that disastrous 2018-19 season and finished a minus-21. The Kings been weakened by the pandemic and even the wealthiest owners are bought out his contract last summer and owe him three more seasons feeling a little less wealthy these days. with the financial outlay jumping to $4.062 million in 2020-21, followed by $1.062 million in each of the final two seasons. To that point, the coronavirus could impact how teams are operated going forward. Kovalchuk, whose contract was terminated by the Kings last season, will still haunt them with a cap hit of $6.25 million. He has played for two Three teams in the recent draft lottery — the Kings, the Ottawa Senators teams since the Kings terminated him — signing with the Montreal and the Detroit Red Wings — have managed to successfully create cap Canadians as a free agent and getting traded to the Washington Capitals space in the midst of an organizational rebuild. Cap space is a at the deadline. Who knows? He could reach three or more four teams commodity that you can use, sell, trade or otherwise strategically deploy while the cap hit lingers on the Kings’ books. to make your team better. Future Watch It may become even more valuable with the great financial unknown that lies ahead in the NHL. 2020-21

It will be fascinating to see when each of the three franchises — which Unrestricted free agents: F Trevor Lewis, D Ben Hutton, D Joakim Ryan. are at various stages of their resets – move to take advantage of the cap Restricted free agents: F Nikolai Prokhorkin, F Austin Wagner, D Sean space. But the Kings are nicely equipped to deal with the NHL’s flat cap Walker. set at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 season. Blake’s to-do list with his RFAs isn’t a lengthy one. He already took care That $81.5 million will remain the limit until preliminary hockey-related of re-signing defenseman Kurtis MacDermid. MacDermid’s deal was for revenue for the just-completed league year surpasses $4.8 billion. two years with an annual average value of $875,000. So, what should the Kings do? It appears unlikely that any of the unrestricted free agents will be back Kings general manager acknowledged in April that the team next season. Lewis is valued for his contributions during the two Stanley was in a position where it did have some flexibility. But he reiterated then Cup championship runs and his veteran presence in the dressing room. that he thought the big cap year would be another year away. But with there will be a serious logjam at forward and the organization will want meaningful playing time for its many prospects. Blake did say, though, they were in a position to at least look at some things. Of the RFAs, Walker will be due to get the biggest payday. The advanced stats gurus at the Evolving-Hockey.com ran the numbers. Teams in a rebuilding situation are mindful that the prudent course is to see it through once you’ve set The Plan in motion. So often, teams have Walker’s predicted term, via Evolving Wild, is four years with a cap hit of been seduced by a quick fix, fast-tracking what had been a carefully $3.776 million AAV. In 70 games, Walker had 24 points (five goals, 19 constructed game plan. assists) in 70 games this past season.

The rebuilders might be presented, however, with the chance to do For the speedy Wagner, who had 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 65 something bolder, and sooner, when the free agent frenzy kicks off in games, they projected a term of two years and a cap hit of $1.637 million. November. (It still feels odd to write those words). In fact, in The Athletic’s mock expansion draft for Seattle (4.0), Wagner But in these uncertain times, it may be advantageous to do something far was the selection from the Kings. splashier. There’s a pretty decent crop of unrestricted free agents coming Prokhorkin’s projected term by Evolving Wild was one year with a cap hit to market this fall. Given the circumstances, they might get less money of $988,500. He had his moments in his rookie season with the Kings but and less term than they otherwise would have had a right to expect. the sample size (43 games) was far from conclusive and he could be One of those teams impacted by a flat cap are the Vancouver Canucks. headed back to the KHL, based on reports in June from Metallurg With the Canucks’ priorities starting with re-signing UFAs Jacob . Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli, it’s hard to see room for UFA defenseman For this exercise, the Kings’ RFA estimate from Evolving Wild is limited to Chris Tanev, a right-shot defenseman. The Kings need more help on the Wagner and Walker: $5.413 million. left, but they also could use a steady mentor for their young defensemen and Tanev was exactly that and then some with rookie Quinn Hughes in 2021-22 Vancouver. Unrestricted free agents: F Alex Iafallo. The Kings got an up-close look at what a healthy Erik Haula could do in the playoffs back when he was with the Vegas Golden Knights. The oft- Restricted free agents: D Matt Roy, F Michael Amadio, F Trevor Moore. injured Haula of the Florida Panthers may be worth a measured risk. He Who knows what the Kings will do with all that extra cap space? They can play center and wing, and be effective up and down the lineup. In will, of course, have spending decisions to make with their own free other words, a steady two-way veteran placeholder while the Kings’ agents, starting with Iafallo, who could be in for a substantial raise if his prospects develop in the AHL. After all, you can only have so many career trajectory continues. rookies in an NHL lineup at the same time. When it comes to internal decisions, their biggest ones could very well The Kings could be poised to take advantage of the new world order. involve what to do with veteran forwards Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter and And if not a big swing this fall, perhaps a medium-sized one? goaltender Jonathan Quick. Brown ($5.875M) and Carter ($5.272M) will be in the final year of their contracts in 2021-22. With Quick ($5.8M), his deal will run two more years, through 2022-23.

Again, this will be a team in transition and presumably deep into the next phase of its rebuild. At least, by then, the Kings should know a lot more about their young talent, where it stands and if it is the right time to step up and make a big statement in free agency.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187646 Los Angeles Kings For statistical purposes only, all games from the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers (round robin and qualifying rounds) are considered part of the 2020 postseason. Accordingly, all skater/goalie/team statistics accumulated in these games will be included in the 2020 player and team NHL, NHLPA RATIFY 4-YEAR CBA EXTENSION & RETURN TO PLAY postseason stats. Achievements from these games and series will be PLAN; NHL DRAFT SCHEDULED FOR OCT. 9/10 included on Records.NHL.com.

Teams participating in a best-of-five series during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers are considered to have made the postseason and participated ZACH DOOLEY in a postseason series.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 07.11.2020 The NHL and NHLPA announced this afternoon that the two sides have agreed to a four-year CBA extension, as well as a scheduled date for the 2020 NHL Draft, Phase 2 of the Draft Lottery, and the return to play for the 2019-20 NHL season.

The biggest pieces of information from the Kings point of view are the CBA extension, which holds labor peace through September 2026, and the date of the NHL Draft, to be held on October 9 and 10, during which the Kings will have the opportunity to select a franchise-changing player at second overall.

Some of the key bullet points from today’s release –

– The Kings will return to NHL action, in draft form, on October 9 with the 2020 NHL Draft. LA holds the second-overall selection, as well as several Day 2 picks. The Kings will determine the team that selects in front of them on August 10, the day before the First Round proper of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, in Phase 2 of the Draft Lottery. Phase 2 will feature the eight teams that lose their best-of-five series in the qualifying round.

– With the new CBA, the NHL Salary Cap will remain at an upper limit of $81.5 million, until preliminary hockey related revenue (HRR) for the just completed League Year surpasses $3.3 billion. Once HRR exceeds $3.3 billion, the the cap ceiling will rise on a pro-rated basis, based upon certain perimeters related to HRR. The cap floor will be set at $60.2 million for the 2020-21 season.

– The Olympics! “The NHL and the NHLPA commit to participate in the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics, subject to negotiation of terms acceptable to each of the NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF (and/or IOC).

– There are a ton of additional alterations to contracts, trades, free agency, etc. For more on the additions/subtractions/changes to the CBA, check out Bob McKenzie, & Frank Seravalli for a rundown on Twitter.

Return To Play

The Kings will not participate in the NHL’s Return to Play, but the league also provided details surrounding the return to action, which is slated to begin on August 1. The Stanley Cup will be awarded no later than October 4.

Game Schedule

Games have been scheduled on a staggered basis, providing hours of continuous action. The start times for the 10 days of Stanley Cup Qualifiers in Toronto (Eastern Conference games) will be: Noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. In order to maximize the viewing experience for fans across North America, the start times for the three game windows in Edmonton (Western Conference games) – 2 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET – may fluctuate by up to 30 minutes during the qualifying round.

The Stanley Cup Qualifiers featuring the 16 teams that are contesting best-of-five series to determine the eight teams advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, commonly referred to as the qualifying round, will begin on Saturday, Aug. 1, with five games: three in Toronto (Carolina vs. NY Rangers, Florida vs. NY Islanders and Montreal vs. Pittsburgh) and two in Edmonton (Chicago vs. Edmonton, Calgary vs. Winnipeg).

The Stanley Cup Qualifiers featuring the top four teams from each conference to determine seeding in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, commonly referred to as the round robin, will begin on Sunday, Aug. 2, with two games, one in each hub city: Boston vs. Philadelphia (at Toronto) and Colorado vs. St. Louis (at Edmonton).

Broadcast Information

A complete broadcast schedule will be released in the coming days.

Statistics 1187647 Minnesota Wild

Wild will open postseason vs. Vancouver on Sunday, Aug. 2 in Edmonton

Sarah McLellan

JULY 10, 2020 — 7:34PM

The Wild's NHL play-in postseason series against Vancouver will start on Sunday, August 2, in Edmonton.

The league released the first round schedule for the best-of-five series. The NHL postseason will be at two sites, with the Eastern Conference teams playing in Toronto and the Western Conference playing in Edmonton.

The dates are set; Game 1 is Aug. 2, Game 2 is Aug. 4 and Game 3 is Aug. 6, with Game 4 on Aug. 7 and Game 5 on Aug. 9, if either is necessary. The Canucks also tweeted game times but followed that by tweeting that the times were subject to change, saying Games 1, 4 and 5 would be at 9:30 p.m., and Games 2 and 3 would be at 5:30 p.m.

The Wild starts practice under interim coach Dean Evason on Monday at Tria Rink in St. Paul, and will leave for Edmonton on July 26.

The NHLPA and the league approved a four-year extension on a Collective Bargaining Agreement on Friday to pave the way for a return to play this season.

The NHL draft will be held, online, on Oct. 9-10.

Star Tribune LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187648 Minnesota Wild The best-of-five qualifying round series in the East are No. 5 Pittsburgh vs. No. 12 Montreal, No. 6 Carolina vs. No. 11 New York Rangers, No. 7 New York Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida and No. 8 Toronto vs. No. 9 Columbus and in the West No. 5 Edmonton vs. No. 12 Chicago, No. 6 NHL, players approve plan to resume season, extend CBA Nashville vs. No. 11 Arizona, No. 7 Vancouver vs. No. 10 Minnesota and No. 8 Calgary vs. No. 9 Winnipeg.

Action will begin with five games on Aug. 1, starting with Hurricanes- STEPHEN WHYNO and JOHN WAWROW Rangers, Islanders-Panthers and Penguins-Canadiens in Toronto, and JULY 10, 2020 — 11:20PM Oilers-Blackhawks and Flames-Jets in Edmonton.

The preliminary round will feature 52 games played through the first nine days before teams will get a break on Aug. 10, when the NHL will hold Hockey became the latest sport to finalize a return during a global the second phase of its draft lottery. Each of the eight eliminated teams pandemic after NHL owners and players approved an agreement Friday will have an equal chance of winning the No. 1 pick, after the first phase to resume the season — and with it an assurance of labor peace through of the draft lottery left the choice undetermined. September 2026. The first round of the playoffs will then begin at each of the two hub cities Games are scheduled to begin Aug. 1 in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, on Aug. 11. Teams will be re-seeded every round, and the remainder of with coronavirus cases in the U.S. pushing the league into Canada for the playoffs will all be best-of-seven series. the summer and fall until the Stanley Cup is awarded in late September or early October. The NHL draft has been tentatively set for Oct. 9 and 10 and likely be held by phone rather than in a traditional arena setting. Training camps open across North America on Monday, which is also the deadline for players to opt out of participating with no penalty. Players have been able to skate and train off-ice in voluntary, small- Minnesota's Zach Parise said earlier this week he doesn't think a lot of group workouts since June 8. The league has reported 35 players testing players will choose not to play, but the NHL already has one example. positive since that point, though the hope is that number will hit zero once teams are scheduled to travel to their respective hubs on July 26. Hours after the agreement was reached, Calgary defenseman Travis Hamonic became the first to publicly opt out, citing family reasons. With personnel limits — each team's travel parties are limited to 52 Hamonic's daughter was hospitalized last year with a respiratory illness people, with rosters capped at 31 players — quarantining restrictions and daily tests for players, coaches, management, plus arena, hotel and "I wish I could lace up my skates and be out there battling, blocking a restaurant staff, the NHL will try to complete a season that was shut shot and helping my team win, but my family has and always will come down March 12 with 189 games and the playoffs remaining. first," Hamonic said. "Being my little kids' dad every day is the most important job I have." Teams will be quarantined from families and the general public during play at least for the qualifying and first two traditional playoff rounds. Flames general manager Brad Treliving said, "While we will miss Travis in our lineup, we understand and respect his decision." Getting back on the ice also comes with labor peace through at least 2026. The return-to-play plan, tentatively approved by the NHL and NHL Players' Association on Monday, was ratified by the league's board of The CBA extension includes an agreement to send players to Olympics governors and with majority approval from players following a three-day in 2022 and 2026 — pending an agreement with the International voting period, ending Friday. Along with it, the two sides also formally Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation — and approved a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. includes some salary deferrals that allow both sides to bear the brunt of losses from the COVID-19 pandemic and share in the benefits of an "This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, upcoming U.S. TV rights contract. and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said. "We are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey "All we know is we will be playing hockey, there will be labor peace so back to the fans." long as this thing gets ratified for another four years, six years maybe," Carolina veteran Justin Williams said. "That's good for the fan, that's The NHL is back with an expanded 24-team playoff format, but things will good for the TV audience, that's good for the players, it's good for be much different from the norm: There will be no fans. There will be everybody. So we're obviously excited about that. It's awesome that they between five and six games a day at the start — up to three at each site, were able to do this. I don't think a normal CBA negotiation goes this which will be heavily cordoned off from the public. quickly. But both parties wanted it done and they got it done."

And for the first time in league history, there will be an unusual final four Star Tribune LOADED: 07.11.2020 in Edmonton to settle a championship later than ever before with ramifications pushing back the start of next season to December or even as late as January.

Still, hockey is preparing to go on in a year that has upended life for millions, and sports along with it. Only twice since 1893 has the Cup not been awarded: in 1919, when the final couldn't be completed because of the Spanish flu pandemic, and 2005 when the season was wiped out by a lockout.

"While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities," Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month, and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12."

Even so, the NHL is being cautious in its return with Toronto and Edmonton to serve as hub cities through the qualifying and first two rounds of the playoffs. The 12 Eastern Conference teams will play in Toronto and the 12 West teams in Edmonton, with home-rink advantages for the Maple Leafs and Oilers conceded in a nod to television preferences.

The top four teams in each conference — Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia in the East, and St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas in the West — automatically advance to the field of 16 and will play separate round-robin tournaments to determine seeding. 1187649 Minnesota Wild It’ll be interesting to see if the Wild can, after so much time off, pick up where they left off. They won eight of their last 11 games, including an exciting overtime win in Anaheim in their final game.

Coach of the future? Dean Evason ready for Wild’s return — and “I think one of the biggest things was … we were trying to play with a lot whatever’s next more pace,” said Zach Parise, who led the Wild with 25 goals in 69 games in the technically-completed 2019-20 regular season. “We were playing a pretty slow style of hockey before, so we wanted to play faster, move the puck quicker and get our defensemen more involved. Michael Russo “And I think one of the biggest things with Dean was letting players like Jul 10, 2020 Kevin take off, and other players. I think just allowing guys to be comfortable making plays, to be comfortable trying stuff on the offensive side and getting our defensemen more involved in the rush. I think once Dean Evason worked his entire coaching career for the opportunity that we did that, we started to score a lot more, we started to have way more arose in February. offensive-zone time, and we weren’t just defending the whole game. So I feel like that suited us a lot more, and we got better at playing that type of He took over the Wild on an interim head coaching basis, won eight of 12 hockey.” games and had the team playing fast, exciting hockey only to have the rug pulled from under him with 13 games left as Minnesota surged #MNWILD COACH DEAN EVASON ZOOMING ON WILD- toward a playoff spot. CANUCKLEHEAD SERIES PIC.TWITTER.COM/LGWTHP0Y3Z

So, one of the biggest questions as the Wild open training camp 2.0 on — MICHAEL RUSSO (@RUSSOHOCKEY) JULY 9, 2020 Monday is whether the team must beat the Vancouver Canucks in a qualifying round and actually achieve something in the playoffs for Evason said the only thought on his mind heading into training camp is Evason to have the interim tag removed or if he has already done getting Wild players back into a playoff mentality. enough to prove he warrants taking over the club on a full-time basis into Summer hockey with no fans in the stands is beyond unusual, but these the future? games will come quickly. The Wild are expected to fly to their Edmonton It’s pretty telling that general manager , who loves Evason’s hub July 26 and begin play against the Canucks in a five-game play-in “detail, communication skills and fire,” insists he spent no time in the past round as early as August 1. four months searching for, investigating or talking with potential coaching “The puck’s dropped, you play,” Evason said. “Growing up, whatever, candidates beyond Evason. whenever, even now, wherever you play, you play the same way.” “I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world to be sitting here talking to you A practice plan has been formulated, and videos for their tutorial and guys and, even if my job there’s an interim in front of it, I’m a head coach remedial sessions have been long set. After all, the Wild have known in the NHL,” Evason said on a Zoom with Wild reporters Thursday. “I since late May they were going to play Vancouver. actually say that a lot to the guys when I walk in the room. They say, ‘How you doing?’ And I say, ‘I’m doing awesome. Like, what would I have After so much time off, Evason said he’s going to be very mindful of rest- to complain about?’ I’m coaching in the NHL. It’s a pretty, pretty unique to-work ratio during this accelerated training camp. situation, a pretty unique job and a pretty special job. So, I don’t take any of that for granted. And I know that I’m very fortunate to be in this spot.” “There’s no rush to get out there that first skate and get on the ice for two hours and skate them,” Evason said. “We’re definitely going to ease into Evason, 55, who played 803 NHL games, has coached at all levels since things and hopefully do the right things to ramp up to be prepared to play 1998. when we do get to Edmonton.

Besides being a Wild assistant for two seasons and Washington Capitals “Without getting into too much detail, we’ll worry about us and getting assistant for seven, he was head coach of three back. Talking about our structure, teaching our structure, how we want to franchises and coached the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee play, and then we’ll have some scrimmages in between there and then Admirals for six seasons before arriving in Minnesota. we’ll talk about Vancouver. Obviously work on stuff practice-wise with our scouting reports and then how we want to play the game against them. It was there where Evason first began coaching the lightning-fast Kevin … We don’t want to overload them too much because we’ve got so much Fiala, the Wild’s star in the making who erupted in the month of February time (before Aug. 1).” in part because of the added responsibility and ice time he received from Evason. Once the team gets to Edmonton, if it’s fortunate enough to advance and get into the playoffs, Evason said the team has planned some “team- Fiala scored 14 goals and 26 points in the final 18 games (six of which building stuff” to attempt the players from going bonkers if they’re stuck in were under Bruce Boudreau, whom Fiala has also credited for pushing the NHL’s Secure Zone for weeks on end. him to untap his vast potential). Starting goalie, line combinations? And while Guerin has made it crystal clear the next head coach of the Wild must worry about 23 players, he has also said it’s an extra benefit As for more training camp questions, the two biggest beyond Evason’s that Evason is willing to confidently deploy Fiala in every situation. immediate and long-term future is which goalie he’ll start in net and what the line combinations will look like. “It’s Dean’s ability to communicate to every individual and to the group as a whole,” Guerin said earlier in the NHL pause. “The fact that he does Backup Alex Stalock, who essentially became the team’s No. 1 down the have a history with Kevin is great. It’s just an added bonus.” stretch, was 11-4-1 in his last 15 decisions. Longtime No. 1 Devan Dubnyk had a down year. goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, the AHL’s Besides Evason, some potential candidates could include veteran NHL Goalie of the Year, will also be on the expanded roster. coaches Gerard Gallant and Peter Laviolette, Iowa Wild coach Tim Army and a bunch of respected college coaches like Scott Sandelin, Mike So who starts Game 1 vs. the Canucks? Hastings and Tony Granato. With so much time off, Evason has said multiple times during the pause But Guerin said earlier in the pause that Evason elevated himself into that whichever goalie performs the best in camp will open the play-in legitimate coaching candidate territory. round against Vancouver.

“He’s got great communication skills with me and more importantly with “The one thing that I’ve never really liked as any kind of a coach is when the players,” Guerin said. “He can relate to them more on a player-for- you say, ‘This guy is our guy,’” Evason said. “The guy that’s in that net player level because he played for so long. He’s very organized. I just that night is our guy. The four guys that are playing center ice, those are like Dean’s fire, I like his intensity, too. But he’s also not a hothead. He’s our guys that night. That’s the way it is. That’s the mentality we have to got a good, calm demeanor behind the bench. So far, it’s been really have. You have to trust that each guy is going to get the job done and good.” that’s no different in our net. “If one of the three guys are in our net we expect them to get the job done and we expect them to be the ultimate team guys and play for their teammate. And if they aren’t in the net then we expect them to be very good teammates being positive about supporting the guys that are playing the games. That’s the same with every guy on our team. We are going to need a lot of different bodies if we are going to make the run that we want to make.

“We will take analytics into it for sure and how they have played. But it’s no different than a regular training camp of who starts in Game 1. It’s about how they perform. We are going to have plenty of opportunities to see them practice in game situations and how they are playing. Then we will make an evaluation as a group as to who starts.”

As for brainstorming line combinations, Evason said it won’t necessarily be the line combinations that were together in the final practice March 11 (see below) heading into a short series that could pose different matchups versus one opponent.

Jordan Greenway-Eric Staal-Kevin Fiala

Zach Parise-Joel Eriksson Ek-Luke Kunin

Marcus Foligno-Alex Galchenyuk-Mats Zuccarello

Ryan Donato/Victor Rask-Mikko Koivu-Ryan Hartman

Defense pairs:

Ryan Suter-Jared Spurgeon

Jonas Brodin-Matt Dumba

Brad Hunt-Greg Pateryn

*Defenseman Carson Soucy should return from his wrist injury sustained Feb. 21 at Edmonton. That would likely make Hunt or Pateryn an extra.

Goalies:

Alex Stalock

Devan Dubnyk

“Mat Sells, our analytics guy, has had a nice opportunity to put together some packages for us, who has played well through the year together as far as forward combinations, D combinations, that type of stuff, and then what we finished with as far as our line combinations, what we liked about that, what we didn’t like about them, defense pairings, power play, penalty kill,” Evason said.

“So we’ve had more opportunity to evaluate. And again, the key is probably not to get too deep into it and remember that we’re still playing a game out there and the guys have to go by feel and a lot of coaching is that as well. But we’ve definitely been throwing around different combinations.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187650 Montreal Canadiens Jonathan Quick, Devan Dubnyk, Aaron Dell and all spent significant time in the ECHL, while Jaroslav Halak, Darcy Kuemper and Braden Holtby, among others, had brief stops there.

The time has come for a Canadiens development pipeline that starts in Nearly everything about the new ECHL team has been settled for the city the ECHL of Trois-Rivières, which was why all the interested parties felt comfortable making Thursday’s announcement. But the team doesn’t exist yet. An ECHL expansion would require the approval of the league’s board of governors, which should come in September. Marc Antoine Godin Neither the Canadiens nor any other team can associate themselves with Jul 10, 2020 something that doesn’t exist, yet.

The 26 ECHL teams believe they will emerge from the pandemic For his 23rd birthday on Thursday, Michael McNiven received a gift he unscathed, but the U.S. border could be a problem for the Growlers and surely would have preferred receiving much earlier. In fact, it wasn’t even the Brampton Beast. Still, prior to COVID-19, the ECHL was in relatively him who received the gift, but what began to take shape Thursday would good health thanks to the efforts of several teams to build a strong have been extremely useful for the Canadiens goaltending prospect had presence in the communities where they play. it been available to him this season. It is something MacDonald appears to understand well. It has been well-documented that McNiven bounced around from one “We are conscious that the team’s success will be due to our involvement ECHL team to another this season because the Canadiens, with a in the community as much as our success on the ice, and our mission will surplus of goalies in the AHL, couldn’t find him a net. If the Canadiens be to serve as a corporate citizen that is active and involved with the had their own ECHL team, they still wouldn’t be offering McNiven the Trois-Rivières community,” MacDonald said in a statement. calibre of play he was looking for, but they still could have followed his progression and gotten him minutes instead of having him live out of a That’s a good thing, because the people of Trois-Rivières will want to see suitcase as he went from the Adirondacks to Jacksonville to Norfolk a product they can identify with. searching for ice time. Another aspect that could be a winner for the Canadiens? The In a little over a year, this type of situation might be avoided. organization would be adding a way to curate more players within its system in the hopes one of them might reach the NHL one day. The city of Trois-Rivières announced Thursday it has reached an Back in the day, the Canadiens signed Francis Bouillon and David agreement in principle with Deacon Sports and Entertainment, owned by Desharnais after they proved themselves in the ECHL, and they provided business executive Dean MacDonald, to bring an expansion ECHL years of fine service for the big club. Cases like these are not common, franchise to the brand new Colisée de Trois-Rivières for the 2021-22 but the presence of an affiliate in Trois-Rivières could help the Canadiens season. The Canadiens have not yet been formally linked to the project – ensure more Quebec players are linked to them and that a player like they remain an “observer” for now – but there is strong reason to believe Yanni Gourde (another ECHL alum) doesn’t slip through their fingers. the new franchise will become a Canadiens affiliate. “There will be a strong orientation towards giving Quebec prospects a “There is obviously a natural link with the Montreal Canadiens – they sent second chance and allowing them to prove themselves and, like many letters months ago stating they were interested – but at the end of the good players who passed through this league, eventually reach the day, the fact is there are other teams interested and we don’t have an NHL,” Trois-Rivières mayor Jean Lamarche said in announcing the agreement with any team,” said former Canadiens defenceman Marc- agreement in principle with Deacon Sports and Entertainment, which is a André Bergeron, who will be part of the management group for the future five-year lease of the new 4,390-seat arena with two options to renew for team. another five years each. “We spoke to another team more seriously and I’ve been told through There are several links between Deacon Sports and Entertainment and some back channels that another team was watching what was going on the Canadiens. They start with Bergeron, who has become MacDonald’s in Trois-Rivières.” de-facto ambassador in Trois-Rivières. But back in May, MacDonald also There are currently 25 of the 31 NHL teams who already have an secured the consultancy of Mark Weightman, former president of the affiliation with an ECHL franchise; the Canadiens are one of six not to and the Laval Rocket, three months after he had left have one. But more and more teams are now seeking to strengthen their the Rocket. There seems to be mutual interest to keep Weightman link with their second farm team to create a vertically integrated around, and he could pass on his experience managing Place Bell in development model. The Toronto Maple Leafs are among that group Laval to Bergeron. after they created a pipeline that began with the , Finally, there is MacDonald’s associate, Glenn Sanford, who once served who are also owned by MacDonald. (Not only does it not appear to be a as president of the Hamilton Bulldogs when they were the Canadiens’ problem to have one man own two teams in the same league, but it was AHL affiliate and was CEO of the St. John’s IceCaps when the also ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin who first suggested MacDonald Canadiens switched their affiliation to the Newfoundland capital. look into the opportunity in Trois-Rivières.) The Canadiens rarely announce anything until it is set in stone. Right The Growlers aligned their system with the one used by the Leafs and now, stone is all Trois-Rivières has in the form of their arena. It could , all three teams working in lockstep. An organization with take a few months before a formal affiliation announcement is made. the means to do it and that values the proper development of potential future NHL players would not thumb its nose at the prospect in Trois- Unless another team comes out of nowhere and snatches this Rivières. Having all three teams within a two-hour drive from one another opportunity away from the Canadiens from under their noses. would only help matters. The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 But that’s not all.

Without a better alternative, the Canadiens have leaned on a partnership forged by Rocket coach Joël Bouchard and Daniel Brière, the general manager of the ECHL’s Maine Mariners. Even with that arrangement, the Canadiens are still leaving players in the hands of an organization that will naturally give priority to their own prospects. That is primarily why McNiven, despite solid numbers in the ECHL, was constantly pushed aside and bounced around so much.

The Canadiens having a vertically integrated strategy and a mechanism to follow their young players more closely can only help their development. It’s particularly true in the case of goalies, who often fall victim to a numbers game, no matter their potential and talent. Among NHL goalies who played this season, Phillip Grubauer, Anton Khudobin, 1187651 Montreal Canadiens When we were reporting our look back at that 2010 run, I asked Brian Gionta how it feels to have been part of what was the greatest Canadiens run an entire generation of young fans has ever seen. And his thoughts immediately turned to 2014. ‘What if?’ Most consequential Canadiens play in 20 years and how it relates now “I get the excitement because we were underdogs and we knocked off the defending Cup champs and the President’s Trophy team, but the one that hurt the most was the conference finals we lost in what would have been my last year in Montreal,” Gionta said. “The 2010 team was an Arpon Basu unprecedented run. The other team was a team that was built to win a Jul 10, 2020 Cup and had a legitimate chance to win a Cup.

“So that’s what hurt the most.”

As was living his quarantine life in Kennewick, Wash., he, When I made reference to Kreider losing his balance, Gionta laughed as like many of us, took to watching some old hockey games. soon as the word “balance” left my mouth.

It was just a bit more meaningful for him. Do you not think Kreider lost his balance?

His nostalgia viewing of choice was the second round of the 2014 “He’s a pretty damn good skater,” Gionta said. “I don’t think that was by playoffs when Price and the Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins in seven accident. Hey, it worked.” games. It was Price at his best; he had a 5-on-5 save percentage of .943 OK, we won’t go too deep into that debate. But when you look at the play in the series and .936 in all situations. In Game 7, the only goal he at full speed, it’s hard to imagine Kreider planning to do what he did. allowed on 30 shots was deflected by right in front of him. Here it is again. Nothing else beat him. Rebounds were swallowed whole. He was at the height of his powers, a few months removed from winning gold with Except when Brandon Prust labelled the play the following day as having Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics, and one year away from winning been “accidentally on purpose” it appeared to be based on how hockey the Hart and Vezina trophies and the Ted Lindsay Award. players know how to fall, and more specifically that they know not to fall with their skates up. Does Kreider have the time to make that Price choosing to watch a series from six years ago at this particular determination? Only he knows. juncture might just be a way for him to pass the time. We’ve all been seeking ways to do that. It is, however, quite obvious that Alexei Emelin, with one hand on his stick, hits Kreider’s right leg with enough force that the stick bends on But it might also be a window into his mindset approaching this impact. That had to have been what made Kreider fall because unprecedented postseason format, one where all logic based on how the remember, even though the Rangers had a 2-0 lead at that point, this regular season played out can be thrown out the window, one where he was still a prime scoring chance. Falling didn’t benefit Kreider. has been regularly cited as the primary reason why this play-in format is unfair because he is capable of playing the way he did in 2014 and The problem Prust and several of his teammates had with the play was winning a series by himself. Price has watched all this unfold and was what Kreider did – or didn’t do – after he knew he was going to fall. Six conflicted in talking about leaving his family behind in Washington to years later, that feeling is still there. return to play. But the other side of that conflict is what Price watched on his screen, that series against Boston, the opportunity to win that has “Whether that’s an accident or not is going to be up to what Chris Kreider unexpectedly presented itself to him, and – perhaps most importantly – tells you. Nobody knows except him,” Josh Gorges said. “There’s always how rare those opportunities are. moments in games where it’s accidentally on purpose. I told () this all the time when he first came in: You live in front of the In Price’s next game of the 2014 playoffs, his right knee was torqued net, if a guy comes to give you a shot after the whistle, fall on the goalie. between the goalpost and Chris Kreider’s skates as the New York Like if they want to come and push you towards the goalie, fall on him. Rangers forward came crashing into him in Game 1 of the Eastern Don’t hold yourself up. So maybe it was one of those things, like, ‘I’m Conference Final. He was done for the series. That opportunity was driving hard to the net, if I go down and take him out while I’m going …’ gone, just like that, and Price hasn’t had another one remotely like it So, I don’t know. Maybe it was an accident, maybe it wasn’t. He’ll be the since. only one that can tell you that.”

“No question about it,” Price said recently when asked if he ever thinks Kreider has always denied it. back to that series against the Rangers. “It was a great opportunity. I actually just finished watching that Boston series. It’s for sure, absolutely But really, we should have all seen it coming, because this happened something that feels like it slipped away. But you never know what the three minutes earlier, involving the same three players. future holds. And at the time, you feel like you have plenty of The initial shock of seeing Price writhing in pain on the ice wore off opportunities on hand. So, I’ve heard lots of players, lots of veteran quickly because he remained in the game and played the final 16:45 of players in meetings leading up to playoffs talking about how opportunities the second period, allowing two more goals in the final minute of the are sometimes few and far between. period, starting with this one from you know who. “So, I will take every opportunity I get.” “At that point, when he went down, the thought of him being out kind of Early on in the pandemic, we at The Athletic were bouncing a ton of was erased because he stayed in the net,” Brendan Gallagher said. “He ideas around on how to produce content with no sports happening. One skated around, he shook it off and you’re like, ‘OK, Pricey, he’s as tough of those ideas was to identify the most important play of the past 20 as they come.’ Regardless of position he’s as tough as anyone in the years for the team you cover and break it down. Which got me thinking NHL, and he’s going to be playing. So that thought kind of went out of about the Canadiens and how the last 20 years have not produced such your head, it wasn’t a concern and you just went back to kind of being a moment, at least in a positive sense. They have gone as far as the pissed off at the situation you were in Game 1 and dealing with it.” conference finals twice in that span. They have won eight playoff rounds Down 4-1, Canadiens coach Michel Therrien sent Peter Budaj out to start in that span. They failed to reach the playoffs seven times, and that still the third period, and he allowed three goals in the first five minutes. The might become eight if they lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the play-in. morning of Game 2, after Price missed the skate, Therrien revealed to No, the most important play of the last 20 years for the Canadiens, the the world that he would be out for the series. play that might have shaped everything the team has done since then, is CAREY PRICE IS OUT FOR THE SERIES – MICHEL THERRIEN undoubtedly this one from 2014. — АRPON BASU (@ARPONBASU) MAY 19, 2014 When the Canadiens reached the conference finals in 2010, it required a run very similar to what this year’s team would have to pull off for Price to What Therrien didn’t reveal to us at that time was that it would be Dustin get that opportunity he was talking about. It was a plucky, underdog run Tokarski replacing Price, and not his longtime backup Budaj. That only that was made thrilling largely because of the odds that were overcome, came when Tokarski led the Canadiens onto the ice for the game that less so because of the quality of the team. evening, but inside the room, players were already starting to do their research on their new goalie. “We knew we had options,” Max Pacioretty said. “We knew Carey was But Tokarski’s style, which was basically the polar opposite of Price’s, led the best goalie, definitely still in the playoffs and probably in the league at to a lot more unpredictability in their own end. When Price stops a shot, that time. In that sense it was frustrating, but playoffs is just a whole other both he and his teammates generally know where the rebound is going. mindset where you can kind of grab on to any hope and just try and run That was not the case with Tokarski. with it. So when he went down, I don’t remember anyone saying, well, this is it, or anyone feeling like this is it. Perhaps that was one reason why the Canadiens had so much trouble generating offence at the other end of the ice, because they found it “What was cool was that they kind of gambled and put Ticker in. Once more difficult to exit their own zone cleanly. Whatever the reason, the we knew that, guys started looking into his background and found out, Canadiens scored five goals total in their four losses in the series, like, alright, this guy’s a winner. This guy just wins. So we kind of because too many of their scoring chances looked like this. grabbed onto hope that way.” Or this. Tokarski had never started a single NHL playoff game. But in the AHL, he had a 1.67 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in 20 Meanwhile, the Rangers were getting chances like this, forcing Tokarski playoff games, along with a championship two years earlier. to perform miracles. He won gold with Team Canada at the 2009 world junior championships Maybe that was the real difference in that series, the real reason that and the Memorial Cup with the in 2008. He had opportunity slipped through the Canadiens’ fingers. Maybe it had nothing pedigree. to do with Price or Tokarski or Kreider or any of it. But what makes it But he wasn’t Carey Price. difficult for those involved is not knowing. Because it’s impossible to know. “That had changed momentum and belief within the room,” Gionta said. “If you remember, all of a sudden Tokarski comes in over Budaj, who Think about what might have happened had the Canadiens reached the was your backup for the last year or two. And he played well, I’m not Stanley Cup Final that year. The Rangers bowed out in five games to the saying that, but it just completely changed the dynamic of that series.” Los Angeles Kings, and the Canadiens might very well have done the same. Though, with Price as dialled in as he was that year, who knows? Tokarski put up a .916 save percentage in the series and made several huge saves. He kept the Canadiens in every game. The problem was at “I still think about it quite often, for a lot of different reasons,” Gorges the other end of the ice. said. “I mean, right after the playoffs were over, that was when I got traded. I would reflect back on this and it always came back to that. “Ticker came in and played unbelievable,” Gallagher said. “We lost that We’re in the Eastern Conference finals, the best goalie in arguably the series because we couldn’t score, not because of what our goalie was world gets hurt. Now, does that mean if he stayed healthy we were a doing. Ticker was doing an unbelievable job. Obviously you’d like to have shoo-in to beat the Rangers and go play for the Stanley Cup? No. But did Pricey in there and you feel like it probably would have made a he have the ability to win you a series on his own? Uhhh, yeah. Really, difference. But if we’re able to score a couple on Lundqvist it probably he could. would have been a different story.” “So the ‘what if’ is always there. You sit and wonder, ‘If he stayed No, Tokarski didn’t lose the Canadiens that series, but Gionta put it healthy, could we have beat that team?’ We’ll never know, but if you’ve perfectly. Having Tokarski in net instead of Price changed the dynamic of got a healthy Carey Price, you can do anything. Then we get in the the series. Stanley Cup finals and who knows what happens there? But it’s hard to sit and wonder about the ‘what ifs’ of what could have been, because you It took more than four minutes for the Rangers to get a shot on Tokarski can’t answer those questions honestly, because you don’t know.” in Game 2, or roughly 15 minutes in real-time. But when it came, it was a doozy. Only adding to the “what if” nature of it is knowing what might have been possible. Tokarski would make several more big saves, responding well to the pressure in that building and playing behind a highly motivated team “I’m pretty sure if we’d got to a Game 7, he was playing Game 7,” looking to prove they could win without Price, one that dominated the Gallagher said. “You’d have to talk to him and the doctors, but I start of the game, one that had taken a 1-0 lead on a Pacioretty goal remember having conversations with him at the time, and obviously he when this happened 17 seconds later. was trying to find motivation. It was either Game 7 or Game 1 of the next series, he was playing.” That shot from Ryan McDonagh deflects off Gorges’ leg directly in front of Tokarski. Would Price have had it? Would he be further out of his net? For both Gorges and Gionta, that series marked the beginning of the end Would his bigger body have gotten in the way? Maybe. Maybe not. of their respective NHL careers. Gorges was traded to the Buffalo Sabres that offseason and Gionta signed with the Sabres as a free agent. Both The same questions could be asked of the go-ahead goal in Game 2, a were out of the NHL four seasons later. one-timer off an odd-man rush that Rick Nash kind of fanned on and shot directly to the middle of the net. P.K. Subban was traded for two years after that series. Pacioretty was traded four years later. If that team even reaches the Then there’s the biggest goal of the series in overtime of Game 4 that Final, does any of that happen? came off the stick of Martin St. Louis. “Those are things that I don’t have the answers to, so I don’t know if But all of this is unfair, because Tokarski genuinely played quite well in winning that round or even winning the Cup would have changed things the series, and most of the goals he allowed would not have been because ultimately, it’s a business. They have to look at it in that fashion, stopped if Price were in net. We looked at every one, and aside from I guess. Well, I guess they don’t have to,” Gorges said. “But they look at these three, there were maybe one or two more that you could have it and we were only two wins away from playing for a Stanley Cup, so questioned in that way. And who’s to say some of the saves Tokarski how far off were we? And that didn’t stop them from dramatically made wouldn’t have been goals with Price in net? The bigger question is changing the makeup of the team that summer. It wasn’t like, ‘Let’s see how the Canadiens played in front of Tokarski, and how the way Tokarski what happens next season, we’ll give it a month, two months and see plays the position impacted the way the Canadiens had to play. where the team’s at.’ It was right away, we’re changing this, we’re going JOSH GORGES JUST TIPPED A SHOT AWAY FROM TOKARSKI A in a different direction. So maybe that was pre-determined beforehand.” FEW FEET IN FRONT OF HIM. EXHIBIT A OF THINGS #HABS But not everyone thinks back to that series and wonders what might have WOULDN’T DO IF PRICE WERE IN happened.

— АRPON BASU (@ARPONBASU) MAY 20, 2014 “No,” Pacioretty said. “Winning the Stanley Cup, there has to be so many Gorges alone tipped two pucks past Tokarski in the series and bowled things go right for you and go wrong for other people. For someone to him over on another goal in Game 3. A goal went in off Emelin’s skate as ever say, ‘We would have won the Cup if this guy was not injured’ is just he stood in his own crease. The Canadiens were collapsing defensively so unfair to say because look at all the stuff that plays out in every other in a way they didn’t necessarily do with Price in net, with the unintended series on every other team. So I’m a big believer that you can’t look back consequence being that it often made Tokarski’s job more difficult. and say, ‘We would have won if…’ because, one, it didn’t happen and, two, every other series and every other team has had their own obstacles and bounces and whatnot. “Like, look at what happened to our team last year (when the Vegas Golden Knights lost in Game 7 on a controversial major penalty call). I don’t even think about that anymore. You just move forward because so many things happen in a playoff that you can’t get stuck on one player or one play. That’s why the Stanley Cup is so special, because it’s not even a question it’s the hardest trophy to win in sports.”

Gionta and Gorges have regrets. Gallagher and Pacioretty don’t. Price is somewhere in between.

The first two are retired, the latter two are still in their prime. Price is somewhere in between.

There’s something there.

Missed opportunities of the past become more meaningful when you know you have no more opportunities left. And when you see that window of opportunity closing, you cherish any opportunity you can get.

This began as a reflection on the most consequential Canadiens play of the last 20 years, but it is very much tied to the present.

It’s telling that Price was watching that 2014 series against the Bruins, knowing he was going to have a chance to do something just as special in a few weeks. Or perhaps even more special. Price will turn 33 on Aug. 16 and he has not been shy in saying he sees the writing on the wall, that his chances to win are dwindling and he wants to speed up the process of building a team that will give him that chance while he’s still young enough to play a significant role.

Shea Weber, who turns 35 two days before Price’s birthday, must be feeling the same thing. Jeff Petry, who turns 33 in December, has to be as well. Even Gallagher, at age 28, risks having the same thoughts creep into his mind. After all, Price was 26 in the 2014 playoffs, and look what’s happened since.

While the benefits of the Canadiens losing the play-in to Pittsburgh are considerable from a team-building standpoint, the benefits of winning shine much brighter to these guys because of the opportunity that would present. This will be the most unconventional playoffs we have ever seen. What happened in the regular season has little bearing on what will happen in August and beyond. This is a new season that begins with a chance to have your name engraved on the Stanley Cup. No player can be blamed for thinking about this in those terms, and only those terms.

“Well, I like opportunities right in front of me,” Price said. “So, I would say having a shot at it right now, I would take it.”

The opportunity right in front of Price is to do something that would not only replace the Kreider play as the most important of the last 20 years of Canadiens history, it would also render that play moot.

It is up to Price and his teammates to seize it.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187652 Nashville Predators

NHL owners, players OK return to play; Predators vs Coyotes in Edmonton starting Aug. 2

Erik Bacharach

The dates are set and the return is finalized as it has now become official: The Predators, like 23 other NHL teams, are back.

The NHL and NHL Players Association on Friday evening ratified a four- year extension to the collective bargaining agreement (which will run through the 2025-26 season), in addition to a resumption of the 2019- 2020 season.

No. 6 Nashville is set to meet the No. 11 Arizona Coyotes at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta — the Western Conference hub city — for a best-of-5 series in the NHL's first-ever Stanley Cup qualifying round. Game 1 is set for Aug. 2, which will mark 145 days since the Predators last played before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the season to an abrupt halt.

Games 2 and 3 are set for Aug. 4 and 5, respectively. If necessary, Games 4 and 5 are scheduled for Aug. 7 and 9, respectively. Game times and television broadcasts have not been announced.

Training camps open across North America on Monday, which is also the deadline for players to opt out of participating with no penalty. Then, on July 26, teams will head to their Canadian hub city — for the Eastern Conference, it's Toronto — after surging coronavirus cases in the U.S. pushed the NHL north.

The Stanley Cup Final is set to begin on Sept. 22, with Oct. 4 marking the last possible day of the Final.

There will be no fans in attendance as the 24-team playoff format unfolds. There will be five or six games a day at the start – up to three at each site, which will be heavily cordoned off from the public.

And for the first time in league history, there will be an unusual final four in Edmonton to settle a championship later than ever before with ramifications pushing back the start of next season to December or even as late as January.

“While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said, according to the Associated Press. “We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month, and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

The qualifying round will feature 52 games played through the first nine days before teams will get a break on Aug. 10, when the NHL will hold the second phase of its draft lottery. Each of the eight eliminated teams will have an equal chance of winning the No. 1 pick, after the first phase of the draft lottery left the choice undetermined.

The first round of the playoffs will then begin at each of the two hub cities on Aug. 11. Teams will be re-seeded every round, and the remainder of the playoffs will all be best-of-seven series.

Players have been able to skate and train off-ice in voluntary, small- group workouts since June 8. The league has reported 35 players testing positive since that point, though the hope is that number will hit zero once teams are scheduled to travel to their respective hubs on July 26.

With personnel limits, quarantining restrictions and daily tests for players, coaches, management and team, arena, hotel and restaurant staff, the NHL will try to complete a season that was shut down March 12 with 189 games and the playoffs remaining.

Tennessean LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187653 New Jersey Devils Devils will start adding big pieces once the young ones take a few more giant leaps forward in their developing.

“The reality is we’ve got that great core,” Blitzer said. “We have pieces When will Devils’ rebuilding end? Here’s what co-owner David Blitzer coming in. We have moves obviously that we would intend to make over says the summer, meaning in addition to what we have today. And I’d like to think that we will be a very competitive team on the ice next year as we continue to grow and build.

Jul 10, 2020 “I certainly think over a couple of years that we should be in a zone of contention. When that first step to the playoffs is, it would be wonderful if Randy Miller it was next year. Is there a line in the sand that says we’re going to make the playoffs next year? Of course not.

Josh Harris didn’t participate Thursday in the Devils’ trumpeting their “We would certainly be aiming for that in this coming season, but I think long-awaited management decisions with a video media conference on you continue to build, and the players are going to be telling us, to a large Zoom, so tag-team partner David Blitzer represented ownership to usher extent, when that moment is.” in the Tom Fitzgerald GM (minus the interim tag)/Lindy Ruff coaching Star Ledger LOADED: 07.11.2020 era.

Maybe Harris was busy dealing with the deadline to make a bid on the Mets, whom he and Blitzer reportedly have pondered adding to their sports empire, which includes ownership stakes in the Devils, Philadelphia 76ers and the English Premier League’s Crystal Palace FC as well as a small piece of the (as of last month).

There was no Mets talk on this day - “A spokesman for Harris and Blitzer declined comment on questions regarding their potential bid,” the Devils told NJ Advance Media – but Blitzer sure was in a mood to talk up his hockey team, which seemingly has a few building blocks in place despite missing the playoffs two seasons in a row and seven of the last eight.

“I’m very excited about the (Devils) organization,” Blitzer said. “We have fantastic young talent. We’ve got cap space. We’ve got prospects moving through the system. We’re really excited about what the future holds for the organization.”

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Since the Devils’ season effectively died when the NHL went on pause March 12, their two owners have been hands-on helping to reshape their front office. Along with Hall of Fame goalie/franchise icon/team advisor , Harris and Brodeur spent months interviewing and studying up on GM candidates before deciding to stand pat. All three also had long meetings with Ruff, which led them to the same conclusions as Fitzgerald for picking a head coach.

But no matter how you look back on 2019-20, this was a disaster for the Devils. They expected to be a playoff team after drafting teen center Jack Hughes first overall and trading for former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman P.K. Subban. Both were big disappointments, plus a slow start for the team turned into a bad first half. Along the way, the coach was fired, the GM was fired and top players ended up being sold off, captain Andy Greene and 2017 league MVP Taylor Hall included.

The silver lining was that the Devils’ fire sale brought them two first-round picks, a second and two others as well as a top forward prospect who was a No. 1 pick in 2019 (Nolan Foote). Those trades plus the Devils’ core, which include lottery-pick winning centers Nico Hischier and Hughes, had Blitzer oozing glass-half-full optimism on this summer day.

So when can this rebuilding end and lead into perennial playoff berths, and then possibly runs at a fourth Stanley Cup?

“It’s such a difficult question,” Blitzer answered. “Here’s the reality: We think that the core of our team is obviously very exciting for a very long period of time. At the same time, there’s going to be some very different dynamics here in the coming season and future seasons obviously from what’s going on from the global pandemic standpoint.”

Translation: The Devils could be one of the teams that benefits from the cap staying at $81.5 million next season instead of increasing to the $84- million/$88 million range. This coronavirus-induced development figures to be really bad news for cap-strapped powerhouse clubs like the Tampa Bay Lighting and St. Louis Blues, but it has the Devils sitting pretty with about $26.2 million to add to next season’s cap, according to Cap Friendly.

Will the Devils go shopping for premium free agents and/or deal high draft picks for lineup upgrades to try speeding up their climb in the Eastern Conference standings? Possibly, but Blitzer suggested the 1187654 New Jersey Devils Action will begin with five games on Aug. 1, starting with Hurricanes- Rangers, Islanders-Panthers and Penguins-Canadiens in Toronto, and Oilers-Blackhawks and Flames-Jets in Edmonton.

NHL, players’ union approve plan to resume season, extend CBA The preliminary round will feature 52 games played through the first nine days before teams will get a break on Aug. 10, when the NHL will hold the second phase of its draft lottery. Each of the eight eliminated teams will have an equal chance of winning the No. 1 pick, after the first phase STEPHEN WHYNO of the draft lottery left the choice undetermined. JUL 10, 2020 AT 8:56 PM The first round of the playoffs will then begin at each of the two hub cities on Aug. 11. Teams will be re-seeded every round, and the remainder of the playoffs will all be best-of-seven series. Hockey became the latest sport to finalize a return during a global pandemic after NHL owners and players approved an agreement Friday The NHL draft has been tentatively set for Oct. 9 and 10 and likely be to resume the season — and with it an assurance of labor peace through held by phone rather than in a traditional arena setting. September 2026. Players have been able to skate and train off-ice in voluntary, small- Games are scheduled to begin Aug. 1 in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, group workouts since June 8. The league has reported 35 players testing with coronavirus cases in the U.S. pushing the league into Canada for positive since that point, though the hope is that number will hit zero once the summer and fall until the Stanley Cup is awarded in late September teams are scheduled to travel to their respective hubs on July 26. or early October. With personnel limits — each team's travel parties are limited to 52 Training camps open across North America on Monday, which is also the people, with rosters capped at 31 players — quarantining restrictions and deadline for players to opt out of participating with no penalty. daily tests for players, coaches, management, plus arena, hotel and restaurant staff, the NHL will try to complete a season that was shut “I don’t think you’re going to see a lot of players saying I don’t want to down March 12 with 189 games and the playoffs remaining. go,” Minnesota forward Zach Parise said. “If one of my teammates says they don’t want to go, you respect their decision for whatever reason. We Teams will be quarantined from families and the general public during all want to keep our families safe.” play at least for the qualifying and first two traditional playoff rounds.

The return-to-play plan, tentatively approved by the NHL and NHL Getting back on the ice also comes with labor peace through at least Players’ Association on Monday, was ratified by the league’s board of 2026. governors and with majority approval from players following a three-day The CBA extension includes an agreement to send players to Olympics voting period, ending Friday. Along with it, the two sides also formally in 2022 and 2026 — pending an agreement with the International approved a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation — and Hockey will be returning in August. includes some salary deferrals that allow both sides to bear the brunt of losses from the COVID-19 pandemic and share in the benefits of an “This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, upcoming U.S. TV rights contract. and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said. “We are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey “All we know is we will be playing hockey, there will be labor peace so back to the fans.” long as this thing gets ratified for another four years, six years maybe,” Carolina veteran Justin Williams said. “That’s good for the fan, that’s The NHL is back with an expanded 24-team playoff format, but things will good for the TV audience, that’s good for the players, it’s good for be much different from the norm: There will be no fans. There will be everybody. So we’re obviously excited about that. It’s awesome that they between five and six games a day at the start — up to three at each site, were able to do this. I don’t think a normal CBA negotiation goes this which will be heavily cordoned off from the public. quickly. But both parties wanted it done and they got it done.”

And for the first time in league history, there will be an unusual final four New York Daily News LOADED: 07.11.2020 in Edmonton to settle a championship later than ever before with ramifications pushing back the start of next season to December or even as late as January.

Still, hockey is preparing to go on in a year that has upended life for millions, and sports along with it. Only twice since 1893 has the Cup not been awarded: in 1919, when the final couldn’t be completed because of the Spanish flu pandemic, and 2005 when the season was wiped out by a lockout.

“While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month, and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

Even so, the NHL is being cautious in its return with Toronto and Edmonton to serve as hub cities through the qualifying and first two rounds of the playoffs. The 12 Eastern Conference teams will play in Toronto and the 12 West teams in Edmonton, with home-rink advantages for the Maple Leafs and Oilers conceded in a nod to television preferences.

The top four teams in each conference — Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia in the East, and St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas in the West — automatically advance to the field of 16 and will play separate round-robin tournaments to determine seeding.

The best-of-five qualifying round series in the East are No. 5 Pittsburgh vs. No. 12 Montreal, No. 6 Carolina vs. No. 11 New York Rangers, No. 7 New York Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida and No. 8 Toronto vs. No. 9 Columbus and in the West No. 5 Edmonton vs. No. 12 Chicago, No. 6 Nashville vs. No. 11 Arizona, No. 7 Vancouver vs. No. 10 Minnesota and No. 8 Calgary vs. No. 9 Winnipeg. 1187655 New Jersey Devils in Buffalo, but when he did, the Sabres lit up the scoreboard. Even after losing Daniel Briere and , who set career highs in goals or points and helped Buffalo reach the conference finals in 2006 and 2007, the Sabres were fourth in goals the first year without them. Evaluating the pros and potential cons of the Devils’ hiring decisions Ruff’s teams in Dallas were known for engaging in high-scoring affairs. The Stars scored the second-most goals in the NHL over those four seasons. Meanwhile, New Jersey has finished the past two seasons 25th Corey Masisak and 24th in goals per game. Jul 10, 2020 The Devils have also been among the worst clubs in the league in most of the puck possession metrics, dipping even further in that category after Hynes was fired in December. Lindy Ruff, the coach who has more experience at his job than nearly everyone else active in the field, was the surprise; Tom Fitzgerald, the “Played a super-fast, possession type of game,” Ruff said of his Sabres general manager who had no experience when he took over the interim teams in the mid-2000s. “Which is the same type of game I’d like to bring role six months ago, was not. to this Devils team, with a lot of puck pressure. Using the skills we have to own the puck and be a team that can dominate with speed and with That’s just one of the intriguing subplots from the Devils’ decision to hire possession. But at the same time, knowing that defending is a passion Ruff as head coach and to retain Fitzgerald as general manager. Ruff that we’re going to have to have as a team.” has coached more NHL games than all but six people in the history of the league. Fitzgerald had never been an NHL GM before when the Devils New Jersey played a slower place over the past two seasons, straying promoted him to the role on an interim basis in January. from the fast, attacking philosophy Shero and Hynes had intended. Part of that was personnel-related — they put more of a focus on protecting Together, they’ll be tasked with leading the Devils out of the most fallow goaltenders because of their erratic play, and last season the club had period since the franchise moved to New Jersey in 1982. The Devils significant issues transitioning from defense to offense. have won a single playoff game in the past eight seasons, and now have two seasons that were derailed by Thanksgiving between them and the A faster pace with an emphasis on possessing the puck could be great last postseason invite. for players like Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, P.K. Subban and Will Butcher. The Devils do have an assortment of young “It’s such a difficult question,” managing partner David Blitzer said when players who should be able to play at a higher pace, but do they have the asked about a timeline for returning to the playoffs. “I think the reality is firepower to convert enough chances to win consistently while playing we have that great core. We have pieces coming in. We have moves that that type of game? we would intend to make over the summer, in addition to what we have today. And I’d like to think we will be a very competitive team on the ice The biggest questions about Ruff’s plan stem from the troubles his Dallas next year as we continue to grow and build on the organization. teams had at the other end of the ice and his work with the Rangers as an assistant the past three seasons. “I certainly think, over a couple of years, that we should be in a zone of contention. When that first step to the playoffs is? It would be wonderful if The Stars created a lot of chances, but also yielded a lot. Kari Lehtonen it was next year. Is that a line in the sand that says we’re going to make had a great first season after Ruff arrived and the Stars reached the the playoffs next year? Of course not. But we would certainly be aiming playoffs. He struggled for most of the next three seasons, which led for that in this coming season. But you continue to build, and I think the Dallas to add Ben Bishop after Ruff’s contract was not renewed. players are going to be telling us, to a large extent, when that moment Will Mackenzie Blackwood be able to handle the workload that comes is.” from back-and-forth shootouts? He has the size and athletic ability to No NHL franchise has ever had to hire a GM and a coach during a global make spectacular saves. pandemic. Ruff noted that he is likely the first NHL coach to be New Jersey did play a more aggressive style as recently as 2017-18, to introduced on Zoom. There can’t be many others who have been hired the point where some of Ruff’s former players in Dallas had told ex- without an in-person interview. Devils forward Blake Coleman, “Man, you guys suck to play against.” Fitzgerald noted that, despite the travel restrictions the Devils were in an Many of those players are gone now, but it’s a mentality Ruff will try to advantageous situation during the interview process because of the rekindle. volume of successful, experienced NHL coaches who were available. Defensive deficiencies Ruff has not been a head coach for three seasons, making him a surprise choice at the end of a months-long process. Issues in the defensive zone have been common for the Devils in recent years, and that was with Sami Vatanen and Andy Greene. Fitzgerald will That Fitzgerald was conducting a coaching search as the interim GM was almost certainly look for upgrades at the position this offseason. Looking a strong indicator that he was a favorite for the official job. How ahead, will players like Severson, Subban and Butcher provide Fitzgerald handled the search, Blitzer said, was further conformation that Blackwood with enough support while also attacking more on offense? he was ready for the role. The Rangers have been one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL in Still, both decisions come with some risk. While the Devils have two recent years. Both Rangers and Devils fans have been circulating a chart young centers they believe are capable of leading the franchise to from SBNation writer Adam Herman over the past two days: Stanley Cup contention, they have much roster reconstruction and player development left to do before they get there. The only team in the league LINDY RUFF, IN A CHART. PIC.TWITTER.COM/2JXEEQO6DW that has won fewer playoff games than the Devils in the past eight years is Buffalo, a franchise that reached its greatest heights with Ruff at the — ADAM HERMAN (@ADAMZHERMAN) JUNE 23, 2020 helm more than a decade ago. Ruff was likely asked to address these metrics during the Devils’ Normally, when a franchise introduces a new GM and coach, it’s either interview process. John Vogl, who covered Ruff’s teams in Buffalo, noted because it is time for a rebuild (like when Ray Shero and John Hynes that he was able to shift his team’s style of play based on the roster he arrived in New Jersey in 2015) or the club has had some success but had. isn’t maxing out its potential. Shero helped the Devils begin to emerge He may need to if Plan A leaves the club too vulnerable at one end of the from a deep hole, but much work remains for the franchise to be back ice. The Devils’ defense corps might also improve because they’ll be among the NHL’s best. playing with the puck more. Let’s take a look at some of the positives of the hiring of Ruff and the Developing young players retention of Fitzgerald, and some of the questions they still need to answer. While the Rangers struggled as a group when they didn’t have the puck, Adam Fox had a sparkling rookie season. He could finish in the top five Style of play of the Calder Trophy voting. If he does, he’ll be the third defenseman to If there’s a through line for Ruff’s career as a head coach, it’s that his do so while playing for Ruff in the past decade. teams score a lot of goals. He didn’t always have high-end scoring talent Tyler Myers won the award in 2010 for Buffalo. John Klingberg finished fifth in the voting in 2015 for Dallas, and followed that up by finishing sixth in the Norris Trophy voting the next year.

Thomas Vanek became one of the top young goal scorers in the NHL for Ruff in Buffalo. blossomed into a star at 21 years old in his first season with Ruff in Dallas.

Ruff has a long track record of young players developing into stars for his teams. It was clearly one of the key selling points for Fitzgerald.

“As the process continued to move forward, Lindy just continued to step to the forefront,” Fitzgerald said. “One, I was looking for experience, NHL head-coaching experience. Two, a presence — someone who’s been there, done that and could walk into our room and actually grab the attention of our young team with the experience they’ve gained as a head coach. …

“The infectious personality that Lindy Ruff has is a big part of who he is. He’s a light-hearted person. He’s played the game. He’s coached young talent, which was another criteria — be able to coach young talent and watch them develop into budding stars like he did with the core young players in Buffalo and the core performers right now in Dallas. So, the more we kept digging, the more Lindy kept rising.”

The successes are easy to point out, but Ruff also garnered a reputation for being hard on younger players. Some bristled at his coaching style, and at times those players’ roles and ice time were reduced. A few of the young Devils are familiar with that, and a vocal section of the fan base often disagreed with how Hynes distributed ice time for his most precocious talents.

“My philosophy is constant communication with young players,” Ruff said. “It’s building a role and a responsibility, knowing that you know all players are bringing different skills to the table, and inside the way we want to play the game — which will be a puck-pressure game, on top of the puck, try to keep possession — that some players bring greater assets than other players.

“I think a lot of times you can tell them what you want to do, but most times they want to know why. ‘Why do I have to do it?’ … And for most times the answer to that is, for the team to be successful.”

Patience in the face of pressure?

In part because of the other high-profile names who were available, Ruff’s appointment was not met with the excitement that ignited the fan base after Shero drafted Hughes, acquired Subban and Nikita Gusev and signed Wayne Simmonds a year ago. The disappointing season they had after increased expectations could also weigh heavily on the franchise in the coming months.

It’s not just that the Devils missed the playoffs for a second straight year. The early-season collapse was stunning and demoralizing after an offseason victory lap. It could be a delicate balance: There’s a clear desire to win as soon as possible, from the managing partners down to the new coach. But, to use Blitzer’s phrase, will the players show them it’s time to do so?

Ruff had a lot of early success in his first two NHL head-coaching stops. He reached the conference final with Buffalo, though that team had an all-world goaltender in his prime. He also helped the Stars reach the playoffs in his first season, after they’d missed it for five straight years. A slow start in his third opportunity will embolden anyone who looked at the Devils’ decision Thursday with skepticism.

Fitzgerald’s first offseason in charge of an NHL franchise isn’t a rebuild in the strictest definition of the word. He proved he can navigate trade negotiations at the deadline and the returns on his transactions earned near-consensus praise.

Those were moves in the other direction, though. Now he has to show he can perform on the other end of those deals and not give up too much for an NHL player.

“He just brings a holistic set of characteristics,” Blitzer said of Fitzgerald. “His character, his values, the way he looks at the chessboard, and the players that we have and the development plans that he’s been putting in place and will be putting in place, his leadership qualities. The way he brings an organization together. His decision-making at a critical time in the organization at the trade deadline I think speaks for itself. … I think Tom just brings a ton to the table.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187656 New York Islanders

Three key questions for the Islanders

Andrew Gross

July 11, 2020 1:35 AM

1. How well will Adam Pelech/Casey Cizikas perform? The Islanders struggled without these two important pieces in the lineup. They need Pelech, whose defensive stickwork might be the best on the team, to resume his role as a shutdown, top-pair defenseman as he returns from an Achilles tendon injury. Cizikas’ fourth line with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck set the tone for the team’s play.

2. Which goalie stands out? Goaltending typically is the most crucial factor in any long playoff run and will be even more important in a best- of-five qualifying series. Either Semyon Varlamov or Thomas Greiss must stake a claim as a No. 1.

3. Will there be a camp surprise? There will be opportunities for younger players such as Kieffer Bellows or Oliver Wahlstrom to earn a spot on the expanded roster.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187657 New York Islanders The Islanders gave up an average of 2.6 goals in Pelech’s 38 games. That rose to an average of 3.1 goals in the 30 games after Pelech’s injury.

Islanders got needed time to reset during pandemic Devon Toews with Scott Mayfield and Nick Leddy with Boychuk were the other steady pairs when Pelech was healthy, but Trotz does have defense depth. Former Devils captain Andy Greene, acquired on Feb. 16, filled in admirably and will push for a spot in the lineup in training Andrew Gross camp. July 11, 2020 1:34 AM So will former regular Thomas Hickey, who spent almost all of his injury- filled season with Bridgeport, and rookie Noah Dobson.

Nobody wanted a pandemic. But the Islanders certainly needed a reset. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.11.2020

Training camp 2.0, which starts Monday at the team’s practice facility in East Meadow, represents a chance for the Islanders to shake off the inconsistency that marked much of their play from Thanksgiving through March 12, when the season was placed on pause in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The four months since their last game — the Islanders were on an 0-3-4 slide after losing a 5-4 shootout in Vancouver on March 10 — has allowed top-pair defenseman Adam Pelech (Achilles tendon), center Casey Cizikas (left leg laceration) and defenseman Johnny Boychuk (left eye) to heal.

Coach Barry Trotz’s main job during this second training camp will be to assess, and quickly, where players are with their fitness and which lineup will give the Islanders the best chance to win — with little room for losing.

The Islanders, who put together a franchise-record 17-game point streak (15-0-2) from Oct. 12-Nov. 25, were one point out of the final wild-card spot when play was halted.

The top 12 teams in each conference based on points percentage will resume play, with the top four teams playing a round-robin series for playoff seeding and the others playing a best-of-five qualifying series for a berth in the 16-team postseason. The qualifying series will begin on July 30.

The Islanders, seeded seventh in the Eastern Conference, will face the 10th-seeded Panthers in Toronto. The Islanders will report to their hub city quarantine bubble on July 24, with exhibition games beginning the next day.

A maximum of 31 players can be on the roster once the teams travel to their hub city. For training camp, the teams can have a maximum of 30 skaters and an unlimited number of goalies participating. So part of Trotz’s job during training camp will be to determine which extra players to bring to Toronto.

Bridgeport forwards Kieffer Bellows and Oliver Wahlstrom likely are candidates to compete for a spot on the travel squad. Sound Tigers goalie Christopher Gibson almost certainly will be brought as a third option behind Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss.

Either Bellows or Wahlstrom might add scoring punch to the lineup, but Trotz will have little time to experiment.

Instead, Pelech, Cizikas and Boychuk will be the key additions to the roster the Islanders dressed on March 12.

Cizikas’ crucial fourth line, which Trotz relies upon to set the team’s hard- working identity, was intact for only 19 games during the season. Matt Martin missed nine games after suffering a left leg injury on Oct. 25 and Cal Clutterbuck was sidelined for 30 games after having his left wrist cut by a skate blade on Dec. 19.

Trotz has said Cizikas’ return will allow him to balance the rest of his forward lines. Mathew Barzal is expected to remain between Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle on a top line, with Brock Nelson likely centering Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, acquired from the Senators at the trade deadline on Feb. 24, will anchor a third line. Derick Brassard will be one of Pageau's wings and Michael Dal Colle, Andrew Ladd, Tom Kuhnhackl and Leo Komarov will vie for a spot on the other wing in training camp.

Pelech’s return is important. He has developed into the Islanders’ best shutdown defenseman and has formed a very efficient top pair with hard- shooting Ryan Pulock. 1187658 New York Islanders The NHL has been regularly testing players participating in the voluntary, small-group workouts at the team facilities, which began on June 8.

This Monday, the NHL reported 23 positive test results for COVID-19 NHL, players' union ratify return to play plan, CBA extension through administered to the 396 players who have reported back to their team 2026 facilities for voluntary, small-group workouts.

Edmonton Oilers' home arena Rogers Place is seen Edmonton Oilers' This week’s positive rate of 5.8% is a slight improvement over last week’s home arena Rogers Place is seen initial report, when the NHL said there were 15 positive tests among 250 players (6.0%).

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.11.2020 Andrew Gross

July 10, 2020 9:01 PM

Now all they have to do is start playing the games in three weeks.

The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association jointly announced on Friday that both sides have ratified the return-to-play plan/collective bargaining agreement, which paves the way for the resumption of this season and ensures labor peace through 2026.

“Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our league,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be priorities.”

Formal training camps will open on Monday for the 24 teams participating in the restart of play. Toronto will be the hub city for the Eastern Conference and Edmonton will be the site for the Western Conference. Each will have a quarantined arena/hotel bubble.

The NHL Board of Governors voted — reportedly unanimously — on Friday to approve the agreement. It includes a four-year extension to the CBA, which is set to expire on Sept. 15, 2022.

The NHLPA’s executive board approved the agreement earlier this week for a full vote of the NHLPA membership, which reportedly voted 502-135 in favor of ratification over three days of balloting.

“This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said in a statement.

Players have until 5 p.m. Monday to opt out of participating at the hub cities.

Unsigned draft picks, such as Russian goalie Ilya Sorokin, who was taken by the Islanders in the third round in 2014, can be signed during a 53-hour window that begins at noon Monday. Those players cannot participate in games this season but can have the first season of their entry-level contract burned off.

The teams will report to their hub city on July 26, with exhibition games planned for July 28-30.

The best-of-five qualifying series will begin on Aug. 1 for the final eight spots in the 16-team postseason. Both the seventh-seeded Islanders, who are facing the 10th-seeded Panthers, and the No. 11 Rangers, who will meet the sixth-seeded Hurricanes, will open their series that day.

The top four teams in each conference based on points percentage will play a round-robin series to determine playoff positioning. Each of the four playoff rounds will be best-of-seven series.

The CBA extension was necessary for the return-to-play plan in order to reconcile the tremendous loss of revenue caused by the pandemic and with no fans in the stands for the foreseeable future. Under the current CBA, players and owners split hockey-related revenue 50-50, with players owing escrow in order to maintain the even split.

The salary cap will remain flat at $81.5 million until the hockey-related revenues return to the $4.8 billion projected for this season.

Escrow taken from the players’ contracts will be capped at 20% for next season and decrease until it’s capped at 6% over the final three seasons of the agreement.

Now comes the NHL’s last hurdle: avoiding a significant COVID-19 outbreak so it can play the games. 1187659 New York Rangers

Three questions facing Rangers ahead of NHL's return to play

Colin Stephenson

July 11, 2020 1:30 AM

1. Who will be the No. 1 goaltender against the Hurricanes? Four months ago, Igor Shesterkin had won the starting job. But with everyone back at Square One after the COVID-19 shutdown, Henrik Lundqvist (3-0 with a .947 save percentage against Carolina this season) has had time to work on his game in Sweden and will give coach David Quinn a lot to think about.

2. Can Mika Zibanejad be as hot as he was when play was halted? He had 11 goals in his last six games, 17 in his last 13 and 23 in his last 22 before the break. So, most likely, no, he won’t be that hot at the restart. But if he’s just elite – instead of unbelievable – that will do.

3. Who will be the fourth-line left wing? Brendan Lemieux will be suspended because of his hit on Colorado’s Joonas Donskoi in the last game before the break, so someone will have to step in for him. Will it be Phil DiGiuseppe or maybe Brendan Smith, with Libor Hajek taking Smith’s spot on defense?

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187660 New York Rangers The NHL has been regularly testing players participating in the voluntary, small-group workouts at the team facilities, which began on June 8.

This Monday, the NHL reported 23 positive test results for COVID-19 NHL, players' union ratify return to play plan, CBA extension through administered to the 396 players who have reported back to their team 2026 facilities for voluntary, small-group workouts.

Edmonton Oilers' home arena Rogers Place is seen Edmonton Oilers' This week’s positive rate of 5.8% is a slight improvement over last week’s home arena Rogers Place is seen initial report, when the NHL said there were 15 positive tests among 250 players (6.0%).

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.11.2020 Andrew Gross

July 10, 2020 9:01 PM

Now all they have to do is start playing the games in three weeks.

The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association jointly announced on Friday that both sides have ratified the return-to-play plan/collective bargaining agreement, which paves the way for the resumption of this season and ensures labor peace through 2026.

“Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our league,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be priorities.”

Formal training camps will open on Monday for the 24 teams participating in the restart of play. Toronto will be the hub city for the Eastern Conference and Edmonton will be the site for the Western Conference. Each will have a quarantined arena/hotel bubble.

The NHL Board of Governors voted — reportedly unanimously — on Friday to approve the agreement. It includes a four-year extension to the CBA, which is set to expire on Sept. 15, 2022.

The NHLPA’s executive board approved the agreement earlier this week for a full vote of the NHLPA membership, which reportedly voted 502-135 in favor of ratification over three days of balloting.

“This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said in a statement.

Players have until 5 p.m. Monday to opt out of participating at the hub cities.

Unsigned draft picks, such as Russian goalie Ilya Sorokin, who was taken by the Islanders in the third round in 2014, can be signed during a 53-hour window that begins at noon Monday. Those players cannot participate in games this season but can have the first season of their entry-level contract burned off.

The teams will report to their hub city on July 26, with exhibition games planned for July 28-30.

The best-of-five qualifying series will begin on Aug. 1 for the final eight spots in the 16-team postseason. Both the seventh-seeded Islanders, who are facing the 10th-seeded Panthers, and the No. 11 Rangers, who will meet the sixth-seeded Hurricanes, will open their series that day.

The top four teams in each conference based on points percentage will play a round-robin series to determine playoff positioning. Each of the four playoff rounds will be best-of-seven series.

The CBA extension was necessary for the return-to-play plan in order to reconcile the tremendous loss of revenue caused by the pandemic and with no fans in the stands for the foreseeable future. Under the current CBA, players and owners split hockey-related revenue 50-50, with players owing escrow in order to maintain the even split.

The salary cap will remain flat at $81.5 million until the hockey-related revenues return to the $4.8 billion projected for this season.

Escrow taken from the players’ contracts will be capped at 20% for next season and decrease until it’s capped at 6% over the final three seasons of the agreement.

Now comes the NHL’s last hurdle: avoiding a significant COVID-19 outbreak so it can play the games. 1187661 New York Rangers Teams are allowed to bring 30 skaters and an unlimited number of goaltenders to camp. They can take a maximum of 31 players (including skaters and goalies) to the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton (where the Western Conference teams will play). Rangers in good shape ahead of play-in series vs Hurricanes in NHL's return to action Presuming Quinn brings all 23 players who were on the roster at the time of the shutdown (including forward Micheal Haley, who had abdominal surgery in February), that would mean eight players from AHL Hartford or other places would be going with the team to Toronto. Colin Stephenson Defenseman Libor Hajek, who spent the first half of the season with the July 11, 2020 1:04 AM Rangers before being sent down to Hartford in January, should be one of those. Forward Vitali Kravtsov, the 2018 first-round pick, also will be at camp. He went home to Russia last fall when he didn’t make the team The NHL is going to try to make a go of this restarting-the-season thing, out of training camp but later returned and was playing at Hartford. opening training camps on Monday for the 24 teams that are returning to play, with the games set to resume Aug.1. And no team in the entire Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.11.2020 league could be more excited about that than the Rangers.

When play was halted March 12, the young and still-rebuilding Rangers were in the thick of a playoff race. Their 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver the night before had pulled them to within two points of a playoff spot with 12 games to go.

Now, under the league’s restart plan, which will have the 12 returning Eastern Conference teams playing in an empty arena in Toronto, the Rangers find themselves preparing to play a best-of-five qualifying series against the Carolina Hurricanes, with the winner advancing to the 16- team playoffs that will (fingers crossed) produce a Stanley Cup champion sometime in early October.

“We were digging in,’’ Rangers president John Davidson said on a Zoom call with reporters six weeks ago, referring to the team’s play before the stoppage. “We had players playing to the heights of their talents; we had combinations on the ice, with [Artemi] Panarin and [Ryan] Strome, with [Mika] Zibanejad and [Pavel] Buchnevich was starting to go; [Chris] Kreider was going to come back — the whole thing was starting to really go.

“And I liked what I saw with our group,’’ he said. “We were really becoming a team.’’

Davidson called “invaluable’’ the experience the young Rangers will gain from being in this play-in series. And there is the added bonus that the Rangers’ opponent in the qualifying round happens to be the Hurricanes, whom the Rangers swept in four regular-season meetings in 2019-20.

The Rangers, who were 37-28-5 (79 points) when play was halted, are seeded 11th in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes (38-25-5, 81 points) are seeded sixth. But if the Rangers had been asked, off the record, to choose their opponent for the best-of-five series, there is no question they would have wanted to play the Hurricanes. And it is somewhat telling that when teams were asked in late May to vote on the structure of the return-to-play plan, Carolina was one of only two teams to vote against it.

Of course, with teams not having played a game in four months, the Rangers’ regular-season dominance of Carolina doesn’t mean that much, particularly because the Hurricanes were the most active team at the NHL trade deadline in February — including trading for defenseman Brady Skjei from the Rangers. The Hurricanes also will benefit from the return from injury of defensemen Dougie Hamilton (broken leg) and Sami Vatanen (undisclosed), who were not healthy when play paused.

The biggest question for the Rangers as they reconvene is whom coach David Quinn will pick to be the team’s No. 1 goaltender for Game 1. Going into camp, that figures to be one of the more intriguing coaching decisions in the league.

Rookie Igor Shesterkin had established himself as the team’s No. 1 goaltender at the time play stopped, having gone 10-2 with a 2.52 goals- against average and .932 save percentage since his call-up from the minors in early January. But Henrik Lundqvist, the face of the franchise for the last 15 years, owns the Hurricanes, with a 33-12-1 record, a 2.00 GAA and a .934 save percentage against them. This season, Lundqvist was 3-0 with a 2.33 GAA and a .947 save percentage against the Hurricanes.

Shesterkin was a 5-2 winner (27 saves) in his only start against Carolina on Feb. 21.

Watching that battle play out between the rookie and the Hall of Famer- to-be over the next three weeks will be fascinating. 1187662 NHL The best-of-five qualifying round series in the East are No. 5 Pittsburgh vs. No. 12 Montreal, No. 6 Carolina vs. No. 11 New York Rangers, No. 7 New York Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida and No. 8 Toronto vs. No. 9 Columbus and in the West No. 5 Edmonton vs. No. 12 Chicago, No. 6 NHL, players approve plan to resume season, extend CBA Nashville vs. No. 11 Arizona, No. 7 Vancouver vs. No. 10 Minnesota and No. 8 Calgary vs. No. 9 Winnipeg.

Action will begin with five games on Aug. 1, starting with Hurricanes- JOHN WAWROW and STEPHEN WHYNO Rangers, Islanders-Panthers and Penguins-Canadiens in Toronto, and Oilers-Blackhawks and Flames-Jets in Edmonton.

Hockey became the latest sport to finalize a return during a global The preliminary round will feature 52 games played through the first nine pandemic after NHL owners and players approved an agreement Friday days before teams will get a break on Aug. 10, when the NHL will hold to resume the season — and with it an assurance of labor peace through the second phase of its draft lottery. Each of the eight eliminated teams September 2026. will have an equal chance of winning the No. 1 pick, after the first phase of the draft lottery left the choice undetermined. Games are scheduled to begin Aug. 1 in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, with coronavirus cases in the U.S. pushing the league into Canada for The first round of the playoffs will then begin at each of the two hub cities the summer and fall until the Stanley Cup is awarded in late September on Aug. 11. Teams will be re-seeded every round, and the remainder of or early October. the playoffs will all be best-of-seven series.

Training camps open across North America on Monday, which is also the The NHL draft has been tentatively set for Oct. 9 and 10 and likely be deadline for players to opt out of participating with no penalty. held by phone rather than in a traditional arena setting. Minnesota’s Zach Parise said earlier this week he doesn’t think a lot of Players have been able to skate and train off-ice in voluntary, small- players will choose not to play, but the NHL already has one example. group workouts since June 8. The league has reported 35 players testing Hours after the agreement was reached, Calgary defenseman Travis positive since that point, though the hope is that number will hit zero once Hamonic became the first to publicly opt out, citing family reasons. teams are scheduled to travel to their respective hubs on July 26. Hamonic’s daughter was hospitalized last year with a respiratory illness With personnel limits — each team’s travel parties are limited to 52 “I wish I could lace up my skates and be out there battling, blocking a people, with rosters capped at 31 players — quarantining restrictions and shot and helping my team win, but my family has and always will come daily tests for players, coaches, management, plus arena, hotel and first,” Hamonic said. “Being my little kids’ dad every day is the most restaurant staff, the NHL will try to complete a season that was shut important job I have.” down March 12 with 189 games and the playoffs remaining.

Flames general manager Brad Treliving said, “While we will miss Travis UW’s season opener against Michigan canceled as Big Ten adopts in our lineup, we understand and respect his decision.” conference-only football schedule in 2020

The return-to-play plan, tentatively approved by the NHL and NHL Teams will be quarantined from families and the general public during Players’ Association on Monday, was ratified by the league’s board of play at least for the qualifying and first two traditional playoff rounds. governors and with majority approval from players following a three-day Getting back on the ice also comes with labor peace through at least voting period, ending Friday. Along with it, the two sides also formally 2026. approved a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. The CBA extension includes an agreement to send players to Olympics “This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, in 2022 and 2026 — pending an agreement with the International and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA executive Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation — and director Don Fehr said. “We are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey includes some salary deferrals that allow both sides to bear the brunt of back to the fans.” losses from the COVID-19 pandemic and share in the benefits of an The NHL is back with an expanded 24-team playoff format, but things will upcoming U.S. TV rights contract. be much different from the norm: There will be no fans. There will be “All we know is we will be playing hockey, there will be labor peace so between five and six games a day at the start — up to three at each site, long as this thing gets ratified for another four years, six years maybe,” which will be heavily cordoned off from the public. Carolina veteran Justin Williams said. “That’s good for the fan, that’s And for the first time in league history, there will be an unusual final four good for the TV audience, that’s good for the players, it’s good for in Edmonton to settle a championship later than ever before with everybody. So we’re obviously excited about that. It’s awesome that they ramifications pushing back the start of next season to December or even were able to do this. I don’t think a normal CBA negotiation goes this as late as January. quickly. But both parties wanted it done and they got it done.”

Still, hockey is preparing to go on in a year that has upended life for Seattle Times LOADED: 07.11.2020 millions, and sports along with it. Only twice since 1893 has the Cup not been awarded: in 1919, when the final couldn’t be completed because of the Spanish flu pandemic, and 2005 when the season was wiped out by a lockout.

“While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month, and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

Even so, the NHL is being cautious in its return with Toronto and Edmonton to serve as hub cities through the qualifying and first two rounds of the playoffs. The 12 Eastern Conference teams will play in Toronto and the 12 West teams in Edmonton, with home-rink advantages for the Maple Leafs and Oilers conceded in a nod to television preferences.

The top four teams in each conference — Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia in the East, and St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas in the West — automatically advance to the field of 16 and will play separate round-robin tournaments to determine seeding. 1187663 Philadelphia Flyers The NHL announced that the Stanley Cup Final will begin Sept. 22 and will end no later than Oct. 4, which is the exact date the Flyers started the season in Prague. The conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will be held in Edmonton. The NHL returns as league and players’ union ratify CBA and agree to restart season; Flyers open Aug. 2 vs. Boston The league also said the draft will be held Oct. 9 and 10, and free agency will begin after the draft.

Breakaways Sam Carchidi, Flyers captain Claude Giroux was on the ice in Voorhees on Friday for the first time since the season was halted. He had been skating in Ottawa. ... The NHL said the salary cap will remain at $81.5 million in The NHL returns as league and players’ union ratify CBA and agree to 2020-21. ... The league’s minimum salary will increase from $700,000 to restart season; Flyers open Aug. 2 vs. Boston $750,000 next season. Hockey is on the verge of coming back. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.11.2020 The NHL and the players’ association ratified its collective-bargaining agreement Friday and agreed to protocols to start training camps Monday and resume the season on Aug. 1.

Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, said the parties agreed to a pact that “addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the season and the foundation for the long-term growth” of the league.

While some games will be played Aug. 1, the Flyers will open the Eastern Conference round-robin tournament Aug. 2 against best-in-the-NHL Boston in Toronto. The four-team tourney, which also includes Tampa Bay and Washington, will determine the top four seedings in the East.

The Flyers will face the Capitals on Aug. 6 and the Lightning on Aug. 9, and all of those games will be in Toronto.

The current CBA was scheduled to expire on Sept. 15, 2022 and has been extended to Sept. 15, 2026. The four-year extension includes a return to the Winter Olympics in 2022 in Beijing, and in 2026 in Italy.

With the ratification, Phases 3 and 4 of the Return to Play plan are ready to become a reality, bringing the NHL closer to its return. The season was stopped March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak.

During training camp (Phase 3), players and coaches will be allowed full activities on and off the ice while following preventative health measures, including enhanced coronavirus testing.

Bettman thanked both sides for getting a deal done.

“While we have all worked very hard to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities,” he said. “We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

At training camp, teams can have as many as 30 skaters and an unlimited amount of goalies. The Flyers are expected to announce their roster Saturday.

The Flyers, who won nine of their last 10 games before the regular season was stopped and eventually declared finished, will start training camp Monday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. The camp will be closed to the public, and a limited number of media members will be allowed to watch from upstairs but must conduct interviews virtually or over the phone.

On July 26, the Flyers will travel to Toronto, one of two hub cities being used for games, with Edmonton being the other. On most days, there will be three games at each site daily; the games in Toronto are expected to be held at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (The Edmonton games will be held at 2 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET.)

When play resumes, 16 teams will play in eight best-of-five play-in series to determine who goes into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Meanwhile, the top four teams in each conference, including the Flyers, will be in a seeding tourney and will also go into the playoffs.

In Phase 4, rosters are limited to 31 players, including goaltenders, and there will be daily coronavirus testing, symptom checks, and temperature screenings for players and club personnel

A maximum of 52 individuals per team are allowed in the secure zone, including players and the club’s staff members. Gritty, the Flyers’ mascot, is expected to make the trip. All 52 members will live inside a secure “bubble,” the league said, and any person who tests positive for the coronavirus will immediately be isolated. 1187664 Philadelphia Flyers has been around long enough to appreciate the effect that a coach with a track record such as Vigneault’s can have on a team, provided the team has the requisite talent and depth.

Alain Vigneault turned Flyers into Stanley Cup contenders. COVID-19 He’s right: Coaching systems around the NHL are cut-and-paste stuff hasn’t changed that. | Mike Sielski these days. Other, more intangible qualities matter more.

Put Vigneault behind the bench for the 2014-15 team that Berbue coached or the 2015-2017 clubs that Hakstol had, and the results are Mike Sielski likely similar: The Flyers still would have been, at best, a team on the margins of the playoffs.

Put him behind the bench of this team, with an infusion of solid, The Flyers are scheduled to begin camp Monday and restart their season experienced players among younger, developing ones, with goaltending on or around Aug. 1, and as long as they get themselves back into game stability, with some highly paid stars who probably needed a kick in the shape in less than three weeks, wear their masks, don’t give each other tail, and the result was the best Flyers season in nearly a decade. any high-fives or fist-bumps or handshakes, don’t sweat or breathe on each other too much while they’re on the ice or in the locker room, and “A lot of coaches will think, ‘If you don’t play my way, you’re not playing,’” don’t have too many of their players test positive for the deadly virus that he said. “And the guy keeps playing, because he was a top guy. I can has been rampaging across North America for the better part of four look at James van Riemsdyk and Jake Voracek, guys who at the months, the hard part for them is over. beginning of the year didn’t play the way AV wanted them to play. Guess what? They dropped down to the third and fourth lines. They were about as together as a team can be when the pandemic froze everything in place back in mid-March. They were humming along, “A lot of coaches, they talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk. AV gave having won nine straight games before a perfect performance by one of a speech in training camp: ‘You’ve got to play my way, or you’re not the best goaltenders in the NHL, Tuukka Rask, for the best team in the playing.’ And to his credit, he did it day one. If guys didn’t play the way he NHL, the Boston Bruins, prevented them from winning 10. wanted, he took their ice time.”

They’re one of the four teams in the Eastern Conference that earned a That was the challenge for Vigneault and the Flyers. From a pure hockey bye in the postseason’s opening round, which means they’ll play a round- standpoint, that was the hard part. They’re past it. If there were ever a robin for seeding, which means they’ll have an opportunity to get their time when they could wash their hands of all these years of frustration, skating legs back before their games take on the pressure and it’s now. importance of potential elimination from the tournament. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.11.2020 Assuming that an ideal scenario or something close to it plays out for the league over these next several weeks – that is, there are no major COVID-19 outbreaks, and the teams complete the playoffs – the Flyers would seem well positioned and prepared to make a decent run at the Stanley Cup.

Sure, that’s an awfully big assumption, given the volatility of the virus’ spread and our collective reaction to it. But when you’re a franchise that hasn’t won a championship in more than 45 years, and when one asymptomatic carrier might cause a sport’s entire jury-rigged structure to crumble, you take what hope you can get. In that context, in this fragile situation, the Flyers have reason to be more hopeful than most teams.

“The biggest part of being coaches is selling your system, selling your game plan, and we don’t need to sell our game plan,” Flyers assistant coach Ian Laperriere said in an interview Wednesday. “Guys bought it. We were having a really good season. It’s not like we’ve got to go in the room and convince the guys it’s the right way to play because they know it’s the right way to play. We were successful with the system. It’s going to be more repetition and reminders.”

The notion that all the Flyers have to do to become contenders is reconvene, refamiliarize themselves with their head coach’s teachings, and fall back into a groove they were already in is pretty wild, even if it’s probably true.

The roster additions and changes that general manager made before the the season – most notably, Kevin Hayes and Matt Niskanen – account for a good bit of that shift from the stagnancy of the Flyers’ recent history. So do the maturation and improvement of several players who were already here: Carter Hart, Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, etc.

But there’s no getting around one important factor, maybe the most important factor: the instant credibility that coach Alain Vigneault had with the players.

“Let’s be honest here: It’s the same system that we used with Dave Hakstol,” Laperriere said. “That’s what cracks me up. People think we just thew a magical system out there. I think it’s more the approach of AV. AV was more like, ‘If you don’t play my way, you’re not playing.’

“I hate to go back, but you can’t ask a Dave Hakstol to coach like Alain Vigneault. They don’t have the same pedigree. AV has a Jack Adams Award, two Stanley Cup Finals. The guys maybe listen a little bit more. For me, that was the biggest difference.”

After playing in the NHL for 16 seasons, Laperriere has been working for the Flyers since June 2012 and has done so under five head coaches: Peter Laviolette, Craig Berube, Hakstol, Scott Gordon, and Vigneault. He 1187665 Philadelphia Flyers 11, so if van Riemsdyk goes back to being the No. 3 left wing, my guess is that Laughton moves to No. 2.

The versatile Laughton could also drop to the fourth-line center spot, but The Flyers are set to open camp before the NHL playoffs sprint. They that would knock Nate Thompson out of the lineup, and the Flyers like his had better be ready. | Sam Carchidi experience, his penalty killing, and his excellence on faceoffs.

5. After not playing for nearly five months, can the Flyers regain the momentum they had built when the season was stopped? Sam Carchidi, With a veteran coach and a strong group of veteran leaders, the Flyers will not be complacent. They know the teams that are quickest to regain their mojo will probably still be playing playoff games in September and, The Flyers have many fewer questions now than when this season’s first perhaps, October (October!). training camp started. That’s because the team flourished once it adapted to new coach Alain Vigneault’s system. Once the Flyers got acclimated to Vigneault’s system -- it took about six weeks -- they began to roll. They were focused and playing with a It also didn’t hurt that newcomers like Matt Niskanen, Kevin Hayes, and playoff-type urgency when the games were halted. Justin Braun blended into the lineup seamlessly, and goalie Carter Hart, in his first full NHL season, was playing up to expectations when the Look for that to continue. season was halted March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak. 6. How is the team’s health? And, now, as Training Camp II is scheduled to start Monday, the Flyers, one of the league’s top surprises in the regular season, are viewed as As far as we know, very good. General manager Chuck Fletcher has legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. been elusive during the break and has declined giving updates on Nolan Patrick (migraine disorder), but we know van Riemsdyk (fractured right At camp, teams will be trying to get into a quick rhythm. Unlike normal index finger), defenseman Phil Myers (right kneecap fracture), and training camps in September, teams won’t have six months’ worth of Thompson (sprained left knee) have all recovered from injuries and are games to prepare for the playoffs. This camp will be immediately followed ready to go. by a 24-team tournament that will eventually produce a champion. 7. How did the Flyers fare against the three teams they will face in the Be ready or be eliminated. round-robin tournament?

Players need to quickly find their legs and timing as they prepare for a The Flyers went a combined 5-3-1 against Boston, Tampa, and restart to the oddest season in NHL history. Washington, which was the best record among the four teams in games against one another this season. They had a .611 points percentage When play (hopefully) resumes, the Flyers will start with a challenging against those opponents, followed by the Capitals (.600), Lightning round-robin tournament in which they will face Boston, Tampa Bay, and (.563), and the Bruins (.500). Washington. The tournament will determine the Eastern Conference’s top four seeds and will also serve as a much-needed tuneup for the 16- 8. What were the Flyers’ strengths and weaknesses when we last saw team Stanley Cup playoffs, which could end as late as Oct. 4 -- or the them play? same date that the Flyers’ season started in Prague in 2019. Strengths: Balanced scoring, a superb penalty kill (86% over the last 14 Yes, it’s been a bizarre year. games) and power play (30.6% over the last 12 games), and top-flight defensive work and goaltending. In their last 10 games, the Flyers went In any event, here are 10 questions facing the Flyers as they get ready 9-1 and outscored their opponents, 39-19. for camp, which will be held in Voorhees and closed to the public: Weakness: The power play, which had been blistering, was 0-for-8 over 1. Where will left winger James van Riemsdyk play? the last three games, but that is nitpicking. Truth be told, the Flyers were Van Riemsdyk has recovered from a broken finger and could be on the clicking on all cylinders, which is why it stung when the season was Flyers’ second or third line. Since he played on an effective third line stopped. (primarily with Derek Grant and Tyler Pitlick) during the bulk of the Flyers’ 9. In the past, how have Vigneault’s teams done in the Stanley Cup nine-game winning streak late in the regular season, that seems to be his playoffs? likely spot. Vigneault, in his first year as the Flyers’ coach, has a 68-71 playoff 2. Will rookie Joel Farabee come out of the lineup? coaching record, and his inaugural seasons have been rather successful. Farabee, 20, has had an impressive rookie season and has been an In his first seasons in Montreal and Vancouver, he took unproven teams energy creator, but he may be the odd man out -- at least at the to the second round. After that first season in Vancouver, he won the beginning of the tournament. Farabee had been playing as the No. 2 left Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2006-07. winger when the season was stopped, but with van Riemsdyk now More recently, he directed the New York Rangers to the 2014 Stanley healthy, the Flyers have five left wingers for four spots. Cup Finals in his initial season on Broadway. 3. How will Carter Hart be used in the round-robin tournament? If Vigneault wins his first Cup this season, he may start a new trend: In theory, the higher the Flyers finish in the mini-tournament, the better martini spraying in the locker room. their seeding -- and that could potentially give them more favorable 10. What is the Flyers’ best chance to win their first Stanley Cup since playoff matchups. 1975? Vigneault has to weigh using Hart in all three games ... or trying to keep Well, it wouldn’t hurt if someone else knocked out Boston and Tampa sharp because he will be needed down the road. and gave the Flyers a much easier path to the conference finals. Teams will play at least one exhibition, so Vigneault might divide the That said, even if the Flyers end up facing one or both of those teams, goaltending duties in that game (or games) to give both players a chance the games will be highly competitive, and the X-factor will be Hart and to wipe away the rust. whether he’s ready to handle the pressure of his first Stanley Cup It wouldn’t be surprising if he started Hart in every round-robin game until playoffs. Based on how he’s performed for Team Canada in the World the Flyers lost. Hart, who turns 22 on Aug. 13, was peaking (remember?) Juniors, the unflappable Hart likes challenges, likes big stages. when the season was stopped, going 9-2 with a .934 save percentage in When the season was paused., Hart was playing his best hockey. Ditto his last 11 games since returning from a lower-abdominal injury. the team. All four lines were contributing, and the defense was in sync. 4. Will Scott Laughton move up or down in the lineup? So were the special teams.

Laughton was the third-line left winger when the season was paused, but From here, the Flyers have a perfect blend of young, on-the-rise players he had been No. 2 in four earlier games during the Flyers’ nine-game (Hart, Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, etc.) and proven winning streak. During the nine games, he had nine points and was plus- veterans such as Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek, Niskanen, van Riemsdyk, and Hayes. It’s a combination that should make them a dangerous opponent this summer.

They don’t have to be as captivating and entertaining as Hamilton to make a long playoff run. They do need to be executing with precision, showing poise when things go wrong, and playing as a team -- as they were just before the season was halted -- to bring home their first Cup since Gerald Ford was in the White House.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187666 Philadelphia Flyers 11, so if van Riemsdyk goes back to being the No. 3 left wing, my guess is that Laughton moves to No. 2.

The versatile Laughton could also drop to the fourth-line center spot, but The Flyers are set to open camp before the NHL playoffs sprint. They that would knock Nate Thompson out of the lineup, and the Flyers like his had better be ready. | Sam Carchidi experience, his penalty killing, and his excellence on faceoffs.

5. After not playing for nearly five months, can the Flyers regain the momentum they had built when the season was stopped? Sam Carchidi, With a veteran coach and a strong group of veteran leaders, the Flyers will not be complacent. They know the teams that are quickest to regain their mojo will probably still be playing playoff games in September and, The Flyers have many fewer questions now than when this season’s first perhaps, October (October!). training camp started. That’s because the team flourished once it adapted to new coach Alain Vigneault’s system. Once the Flyers got acclimated to Vigneault’s system -- it took about six weeks -- they began to roll. They were focused and playing with a It also didn’t hurt that newcomers like Matt Niskanen, Kevin Hayes, and playoff-type urgency when the games were halted. Justin Braun blended into the lineup seamlessly, and goalie Carter Hart, in his first full NHL season, was playing up to expectations when the Look for that to continue. season was halted March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak. 6. How is the team’s health? And, now, as Training Camp II is scheduled to start Monday, the Flyers, one of the league’s top surprises in the regular season, are viewed as As far as we know, very good. General manager Chuck Fletcher has legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. been elusive during the break and has declined giving updates on Nolan Patrick (migraine disorder), but we know van Riemsdyk (fractured right At camp, teams will be trying to get into a quick rhythm. Unlike normal index finger), defenseman Phil Myers (right kneecap fracture), and training camps in September, teams won’t have six months’ worth of Thompson (sprained left knee) have all recovered from injuries and are games to prepare for the playoffs. This camp will be immediately followed ready to go. by a 24-team tournament that will eventually produce a champion. 7. How did the Flyers fare against the three teams they will face in the Be ready or be eliminated. round-robin tournament?

Players need to quickly find their legs and timing as they prepare for a The Flyers went a combined 5-3-1 against Boston, Tampa, and restart to the oddest season in NHL history. Washington, which was the best record among the four teams in games against one another this season. They had a .611 points percentage When play (hopefully) resumes, the Flyers will start with a challenging against those opponents, followed by the Capitals (.600), Lightning round-robin tournament in which they will face Boston, Tampa Bay, and (.563), and the Bruins (.500). Washington. The tournament will determine the Eastern Conference’s top four seeds and will also serve as a much-needed tuneup for the 16- 8. What were the Flyers’ strengths and weaknesses when we last saw team Stanley Cup playoffs, which could end as late as Oct. 4 -- or the them play? same date that the Flyers’ season started in Prague in 2019. Strengths: Balanced scoring, a superb penalty kill (86% over the last 14 Yes, it’s been a bizarre year. games) and power play (30.6% over the last 12 games), and top-flight defensive work and goaltending. In their last 10 games, the Flyers went In any event, here are 10 questions facing the Flyers as they get ready 9-1 and outscored their opponents, 39-19. for camp, which will be held in Voorhees and closed to the public: Weakness: The power play, which had been blistering, was 0-for-8 over 1. Where will left winger James van Riemsdyk play? the last three games, but that is nitpicking. Truth be told, the Flyers were Van Riemsdyk has recovered from a broken finger and could be on the clicking on all cylinders, which is why it stung when the season was Flyers’ second or third line. Since he played on an effective third line stopped. (primarily with Derek Grant and Tyler Pitlick) during the bulk of the Flyers’ 9. In the past, how have Vigneault’s teams done in the Stanley Cup nine-game winning streak late in the regular season, that seems to be his playoffs? likely spot. Vigneault, in his first year as the Flyers’ coach, has a 68-71 playoff 2. Will rookie Joel Farabee come out of the lineup? coaching record, and his inaugural seasons have been rather successful. Farabee, 20, has had an impressive rookie season and has been an In his first seasons in Montreal and Vancouver, he took unproven teams energy creator, but he may be the odd man out -- at least at the to the second round. After that first season in Vancouver, he won the beginning of the tournament. Farabee had been playing as the No. 2 left Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2006-07. winger when the season was stopped, but with van Riemsdyk now More recently, he directed the New York Rangers to the 2014 Stanley healthy, the Flyers have five left wingers for four spots. Cup Finals in his initial season on Broadway. 3. How will Carter Hart be used in the round-robin tournament? If Vigneault wins his first Cup this season, he may start a new trend: In theory, the higher the Flyers finish in the mini-tournament, the better martini spraying in the locker room. their seeding -- and that could potentially give them more favorable 10. What is the Flyers’ best chance to win their first Stanley Cup since playoff matchups. 1975? Vigneault has to weigh using Hart in all three games ... or trying to keep Well, it wouldn’t hurt if someone else knocked out Boston and Tampa Brian Elliott sharp because he will be needed down the road. and gave the Flyers a much easier path to the conference finals. Teams will play at least one exhibition, so Vigneault might divide the That said, even if the Flyers end up facing one or both of those teams, goaltending duties in that game (or games) to give both players a chance the games will be highly competitive, and the X-factor will be Hart and to wipe away the rust. whether he’s ready to handle the pressure of his first Stanley Cup It wouldn’t be surprising if he started Hart in every round-robin game until playoffs. Based on how he’s performed for Team Canada in the World the Flyers lost. Hart, who turns 22 on Aug. 13, was peaking (remember?) Juniors, the unflappable Hart likes challenges, likes big stages. when the season was stopped, going 9-2 with a .934 save percentage in When the season was paused., Hart was playing his best hockey. Ditto his last 11 games since returning from a lower-abdominal injury. the team. All four lines were contributing, and the defense was in sync. 4. Will Scott Laughton move up or down in the lineup? So were the special teams.

Laughton was the third-line left winger when the season was paused, but From here, the Flyers have a perfect blend of young, on-the-rise players he had been No. 2 in four earlier games during the Flyers’ nine-game (Hart, Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, etc.) and proven winning streak. During the nine games, he had nine points and was plus- veterans such as Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek, Niskanen, van Riemsdyk, and Hayes. It’s a combination that should make them a dangerous opponent this summer.

They don’t have to be as captivating and entertaining as Hamilton to make a long playoff run. They do need to be executing with precision, showing poise when things go wrong, and playing as a team -- as they were just before the season was halted -- to bring home their first Cup since Gerald Ford was in the White House.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187667 Philadelphia Flyers

Sean Couturier named Flyers’ MVP for second consecutive season

Ed Barkowitz,

By midseason, Alain Vigneault was calling him “Dr. Coots.” Any time the Flyers’ first-year coach wanted to get a struggling player back to form, he’d put him on Sean Couturier’s line and the results would be remarkable.

The good doctor on Friday picked up his second consecutive Bobby Clarke Trophy as team MVP. Couturier, 27, was second on the team in points (59), tied for second in assists (37), led the team with a plus-21 rating, and led the NHL by winning 59.7% of his faceoffs, a career high.

“[It was] another year where I improved and as a team, we evolved and got better as the year went on,” he said shortly after play was halted in March. “I kind of feel my year reflected the same as the team.”

Couturier also should be in the running for the league’s Selke Award for best defensive forward. He was sixth last season, second the year before.

The Bobby Clarke winner is selected by a panel of local sportswriters and broadcasters and was first awarded to Pelle Lindbergh in 1984-85. (1986-89) and Eric Lindros (1993-96) are the only players to win it three years in a row. Among active Flyers, Claude Giroux has won it five times, Jake Voracek once.

“There have been a lot of great names throughout Flyers history who have won this and it’s a great honor to receive it,” Couturier said in a statement. “Without my teammates, it would be hard to accept this. They were a big part of my success this year and I think the overall experience of our lineup that we’ve added this year and the younger guys getting older every year, it’s been a good mix and has led us to have that success.”

A PPG and a breakaway tally. Sean Couturier does it all. #PHIvsWSH | #NowOrNever pic.twitter.com/r2osjlLgqH

— x-Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 9, 2020

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187668 Philadelphia Flyers "It was the most comfortable I've been on the ice in my time in the NHL." Delaware County Times LOADED: 07.11.2020

Flyers' Couturier still improving, thinks he still has a ways to go

Rob Parent

Having earned back to back team MVP awards, Sean Couturier wanted everyone to know Friday that he wasn't satisfied.

Leading the way among a week's worth of Flyers team award winners, Couturier was named winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the club's most valuable player, the second consecutive year he's won.

And yet...

"There's always room for improvement," Couturier said. "I'm not perfect. I still do mistakes sometimes. I just want to keep improving every year, every game. I think I can."

Couturier, a defensive checking specialist earlier in his career, this season alternated between the top two lines at the center spot, finishing second in team scoring with 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists) over 69 games played.

"Obviously, it's a great reward, it's a tremendous honor, but I still think I have a lot of hard work to do to stay a good player in this league and to be a great player," said Couturier. "I'm just focused on doing the right little things and trying to improve in all areas of the game.

In a statement, Couturier stressed how honored he was for winning the award that has had "a lot of great names throughout Flyers history who have won this." Doing it twice in a row is all the more impressive, posting 33 goals and 76 points in 2018-19.

This time around, Couturier had all the more help, as newcomer Kevin Hayes provided a perfect complement at center.

"As a team we had a great year," said Couturier, just 27 years old despite having put in nine full seasons with the Flyers. "With new coaches coming in, a lot of experience, they kind of prepare us realy well. We made a few additions during the offseason last year with some experiences, with guys like Hayes, (Jason) Braun and (Matt) Niskanen, those are three veterans that brought some leadership and made our team that much better. As a team we bought into the new coaches' game plan and we had a lot of success. My success kind of reflects the team's success also, so that's kind of nice."

It’s kind of nice for the Flyers to be heading for what’s supposed to be a full playoff tournament in Toronto beginning next month, one of four top seeds out of the East. The plan for that tourney carried with it an official end to the coronavirus-impacted regular season, which was limited to 69 games due to the pandemic.

Flyers training camp will begin next Monday with a full roster and schedule to be announced at a later date.

As for the other Flyers annual team awards, presented by Constellation Energy:

Niskanen provided great help this past season to top defender Ivan Provorov, who rightly won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the club’s top defenseman.

Checking line center Scott Laughton won by the Yanick Dupre Class Guy Award by the team’s beat writers for his honesty win or lose. He also won the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy as most improved player.

That came despite him missing 20 games at the season’s start with an injury.

"I think it's pretty special," Laughton said. "Being in the organization for a little bit of time it might have taken me a little bit longer to kind of get my wheels spinning and get comfortable in the league. It definitely means a lot. Just a lot of hard work that I put into it to try to get better and create a role for myself. So yeah, it's pretty special.

"Obviously our team play was really good. We had a really strong team and a lot of guys I played with throughout the year really helped me, and just the opportunity I was given by the coaching staff of carving out my role and being the reliable guy helped. 1187669 Philadelphia Flyers a 1-0 defeat and the other was a chippy 5-3 loss with an empty-netter during the final 22 seconds (see story).

The Lightning can flat-out score, putting up a league-best 3.47 goals per NHL schedule 2020: Qualifying round to begin Aug. 1; Flyers vs. Bruins game. kicks off round robin Aug. 2 However, the Flyers hung with Tampa Bay in other statistical categories.

The NHL's best teams since Oct. 21 prior to the stoppage: Jordan Hall 1. Bruins — 88 points July 11, 2020 12:15 AM 2. Blues — 85 points

3. Flyers — 84 points Come Aug. 2, it will have been 145 days since the Flyers last played a 4. Lightning — 83 points game that counted. — Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) March 31, 2020 If all goes as planned for the NHL, Aug. 2 will be when Flyers hockey officially returns — and when the team will start (or restart) its push for Interesting stat from the Flyers' perspective: The Flyers are 2-6-3 over the 2020 Stanley Cup. the last four seasons against the Lightning.

On Friday night, the NHL and NHLPA completed the ratification process Here's the rest of the East's qualifying round/round robin schedule (team of the league’s return-to-play plan and four-year CBA extension, setting on left signifies "road" team). Per the league Friday night, a complete up for a resumption and conclusion of the 2019-20 season in the broadcast schedule will be released in the coming days. anticipated 24-team tournament (see full details and new NHL calendar here). In the announcement, the schedule for the qualifying round/round Sean Couturier this season against the other three round-robin teams — robin was released. Bruins, Lightning, Capitals:

As we know, the Flyers have a solid outlook in the round-robin tourney as 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) and plus-5 rating in 9 games. the Eastern Conference's No. 4 seed and with a chance to climb to ( by Flyers PR guru Zack Hill) pic.twitter.com/eezamu869O improve their first-round matchup (see story). — Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) July 11, 2020 Let's analyze the Flyers' round-robin slate and outline the full Eastern Conference schedule from Aug. 1-9 in Toronto: The Flyers went 22-8-5 against the Eastern Conference playoff field during the regular season. No. 4 Flyers vs. No. 1 Bruins, Aug. 2 Not too shabby. pic.twitter.com/vYuoeSCldZ The Flyers will start things off against the NHL-best Bruins, who were the last team the orange and black played before the suspension of the — Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) May 27, 2020 regular season on March 12 (see story). Aug. 1 Alain Vigneault's club went 2-1-0 in three regular-season matchups with Boston. The Bruins finished the regular season with an NHL-high 100 • No. 11 Rangers vs. No. 6 Hurricanes points and a league-low 2.39 goals allowed per game. • No. 10 Panthers vs. No. 7 Islanders Boston goalie Tuukka Rask, a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, is 15-2-4 • No. 12 Canadiens vs. No. 5 Penguins with a 1.94 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in 22 career games against the Flyers. Aug. 2

Interesting stat from the Flyers' perspective: Carter Hart has four career • Flyers vs. Bruins wins over the Bruins, tied for his most against any NHL club. The 21- year-old is 4-1-0 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .910 save • No. 9 Blue Jackets vs. No. 8 Maple Leafs percentage in five lifetime matchups vs. Boston. Aug. 3 Carter Hart this season against the other 11 teams in the Eastern • Capitals vs. Lightning Conference field of the 24-team tournament: • No. 11 Rangers vs. No. 6 Hurricanes 13-5-1 with a 2.28 goals-against average. • No. 12 Canadiens vs. No. 5 Penguins ( by Flyers PR guru Zack Hill) pic.twitter.com/bt6BHTldRT Aug. 4 — Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) June 25, 2020 • No. 9 Blue Jackets vs. No. 8 Maple Leafs No. 4 Flyers vs. No. 3 Capitals, Aug. 6 • No. 6 Hurricanes vs. No. 11 Rangers When looking at the regular-season results, this is likely the most favorable matchup for the Flyers in the round robin. • No. 10 Panthers vs. No. 7 Islanders

The Flyers went 3-0-1 over four regular-season matchups with the Aug. 5 Capitals, outscoring Washington 16-8 and earning a point in all four • Lightning vs. Bruins meetings. • No. 7 Islanders vs. No. 10 Panthers The Capitals are the Capitals, though, a team that scored the NHL's second-most goals per game at 3.42 and has a guy named Alex • No. 5 Penguins vs. No. 12 Canadiens Ovechkin (he went scoreless against the Flyers during the regular season for the first time in his 15-year career). Aug. 6

Interesting stat from the Flyers' perspective: Washington has the NHL's • Capitals vs. Flyers top power play percentage since 2000 but the Flyers held it to 1 for 17 on • No. 8 Maple Leafs vs. No. 9 Blue Jackets the man advantage during the four regular-season matchups. • No. 6 Hurricanes vs. No. 11 Rangers (if necessary) No. 4 Flyers vs. No. 2 Lightning, Aug. 9 Aug. 7 Among the round-robin teams, the second-seeded Lightning were the club that gave the Flyers the most trouble in the regular season. The • No. 8 Maple Leafs vs. No. 9 Blue Jackets (if necessary) Flyers dropped two games in regulation to Tampa Bay — albeit one was • No. 7 Islanders vs. No. 10 Panthers (if necessary) • No. 5 Penguins vs. No. 12 Canadiens (if necessary)

Aug. 8

• Bruins vs. Capitals

• No. 11 Rangers vs. No. 6 Hurricanes (if necessary)

• No. 12 Canadiens vs. No. 5 Penguins (if necessary)

Aug. 9

• Flyers vs. Lightning

• No. 9 Blue Jackets vs. No. 8 Maple Leafs (if necessary)

• No. 10 Panthers vs. No. 7 Islanders (if necessary)

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2020 NHL playoffs: NHL, NHLPA complete big step in return to play, announce schedule

Jordan Hall

July 10, 2020 7:00 PM

Signed, sealed and hockey soon to be delivered.

The NHL and NHLPA completed the ratification process of the league’s return-to-play plan and four-year CBA extension, setting up for a resumption and conclusion of the 2019-20 season in the anticipated 24- team tournament.

The NHL’s board of governors and the full NHLPA membership needed to sign off on the agreement in a vote Friday night. For full details on the agreed upon CBA memorandum of understanding, Click here.

Meanwhile, here's what we know on the return-to-play 24-team tournament:

The hub cities are Toronto (Eastern Conference) and Edmonton, Alberta (Western Conference).

The NHL has set Aug. 1 as the start date of the qualifying round. The round robin, featuring the Flyers, Bruins, Lightning and Capitals in the East to determine the conference's top four seeds, will begin Aug. 2. The Flyers open against the Bruins, as you can see the schedule right here.

Mark your calendars! pic.twitter.com/hYwzknN3js

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) July 10, 2020

There will be five games a day from Aug. 1-2 and six games a day from Aug. 3-9.

Per the NHL's release:

The start times for the 10 days of Stanley Cup qualifiers in Toronto (Eastern Conference games) will be: Noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. In order to maximize the viewing experience for fans across North America, the start times for the three game windows in Edmonton (Western Conference games) — 2 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET — may fluctuate by up to 30 minutes during the qualifying round.

Monday is when clubs are scheduled to open formal training camp at their respective practice facilities and July 26 is when clubs are expected to travel to their respective hub city. Exhibition games will be played July 28-30 prior to the qualifying round.

Training camps are a big step for the NHL in its goal of finishing the 2019-20 season and awarding the Stanley Cup. The season was suspended March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Flyers have a nice opportunity in the round-robin tournament as the East's No. 4 seed and with a chance to climb.

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Sean Couturier earns Flyers' 2019-20 Bobby Clarke Trophy

Jordan Hall

July 10, 2020 5:25 PM

Could this be the appetizer for Sean Couturier?

On Friday, the Flyers' alpha dog down the middle earned the 2019-20 Bobby Clarke Trophy, which is given to the team’s “most valuable player,” an honor voted on by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters. It marks the second straight season Couturier has taken home the award.

"There have been a lot of great names throughout Flyers history who have won this and it's a great honor to receive it," Couturier said in a statement released by the Flyers. "Without my teammates, it would be hard to accept this. They were a big part of my success this year and I think the overall experience of our lineup that we've added and the younger guys getting older every year, it's been a good mix and has led us to have that success."

During 2019-20, the do-it-all pivot was first on the Flyers in even strength points (46), faceoff win percentage (59.6 percent) and plus-minus (plus- 21), second in points (59) and shots (185), tied for second in assists (37), third in goals (22) and shorthanded time on ice (140:29), fourth in time on ice per game (19:50) and tied for fifth in power play points (13).

"There's always room for improvement, I'm not perfect.

"As a team, we had a great year."

- Sean Couturier

( by Flyers PR guru Zack Hill) pic.twitter.com/yAv1zegRCJ

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) July 10, 2020

On top of that and Couturier consistently drawing the opposition's toughest assignment, Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault used the 27- year-old center numerous times as a spark plug for different teammates struggling to produce.

“I’ve got to say that everybody that I’ve played with Coots has played well,” Vigneault said in late November, a phrase he ended up saying on many occasions throughout the regular season. “I don’t know if that’s Coots or guys getting excited playing with him."

Couturier is the opposite of ostentatious but he warrants attention and has the utmost respect from his teammates.

"I think because he might not be as flashy or look as spectacular as some of the other guys, maybe people don't notice him as much," Vigneault said in December. "But I can tell you, the people in this room, the people that play with him every day, they notice him."

“Sean Couturier is one of the best two-way centers I’ve seen in this game.”

- Alain Vigneault pic.twitter.com/PktkVj3bLN

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) February 2, 2020

The question is will he be noticed on the league-wide stage? The icing on the cake for Couturier's 2019-20 accolades would be the Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. The three finalists for the award will be announced on July 20 and Couturier is expected to be one of them.

Those that follow him believe this should be the year it's not just team honors for No. 14.

“His 5-on-5 play has been elite level.”

- Alain Vigneault on Sean Couturier pic.twitter.com/tBVyOq51jY

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) March 11, 2020

The Flyers handed out their annual team awards throughout the week. Below are the winners: 1187672 Philadelphia Flyers

2020 NHL playoffs: Bob McKenzie has latest on Flyers' hotel, importance of training camp

Jordan Hall

July 10, 2020 1:50 PM

The Flyers will be making friends with some of their biggest foes in the NHL's return-to-play 24-team tournament. Well, not really, but it looks like they'll at least be sharing a hotel with those teams.

According to a report by TSN's Bob McKenzie on Thursday night's "Insider Trading," during the NHL's 24-team tourney, the Flyers will be staying in Hotel X Toronto with the Bruins, Lightning, Capitals and Penguins. Per McKenzie, the two hotels for the Eastern Conference's 12 clubs will be split between the top five regular-season points percentages (the aforementioned teams) and the remaining seven, which will stay at the Fairmont Royal York.

The key dates ahead: Monday is when teams are scheduled to open formal training camp (Phase 3) at their respective practice facilities and July 26 is when clubs are expected to travel to their respective hub city for the eventual resumption of play (Phase 4). The NHL's hub cities are Toronto (Eastern Conference) and Edmonton, Alberta (Western Conference).

Here's what we know for the scheduling of games and the new critical dates on the NHL calendar.

Friday marked 121 days since the last NHL game was played before the 2019-20 season was put on pause because of the coronavirus outbreak. The league is getting closer to its return-to-play plan kicking into another gear.

The importance of this next step, from McKenzie:

My area of concern is the same as so many others in the hockey community and that is simply this: how do we get from now until July 26 and make sure that everything is still on the rails? There's a huge influx of players over the past week coming into Phase 2. There's going to be a big influx of players coming in for Monday's opening of Phase 3, the training camps. Lots of them are being tested, so now the question becomes, are we going to get a big spike in terms of the number of people testing positive? And if you do get a big spike in Phase 3, when players are not fully locked down during training camp, could that possibly derail a team's ability to get to Phase 4 — that's what everybody's concerned about. As for Phase 4, I think most hockey people think once they get to the bubble, they've got a fighting chance to get this thing finished, but it's between now and July 26 that's a concern.

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Flyers' Kevin Hayes brings positive outlook to NHL return, eyeing Stanley Cup

Joe Fordyce

July 10, 2020 9:00 AM

When the Flyers begin training camp on Monday in preparation for the NHL playoffs, there’s bound to be plenty of surprises along the way.

The continued emergence of COVID-19 in this country makes this situation very fluid, and despite the NHL having both of its bubble cities in Canada, there will still be a heavy emphasis on health protocols upon arrival. Flyers center Kevin Hayes thinks the empty buildings will be the thing that stands out most.

“It’s definitely going to be interesting with no fans and kind of being locked in a bubble, but that’s why we play the game. We play to win the Stanley Cup and this is just another chance to do that,” Hayes said Wednesday to Flyers senior director of public relations and communications Zack Hill.

While baseball’s return-to-play plan has teams playing in their home stadiums with no fans present, the NHL and NBA have elected for the bubble plan with the NBA playing entirely in Orlando, Florida, and hockey has targeted Edmonton, Alberta, and Toronto.

Hayes believes while the plan has a downside, there are plenty of silver linings.

“I don’t think anyone wants to live in a bubble at all, but it’ll be kind of nice to be with the guys every day that you haven’t seen for a while," Hayes said. "If they say that’s the safest way to finish the season, I think the guys will be cool with it.”

The players do have the option of not playing and opting out of the NHL’s restart. We’ve seen it with players from the NBA and MLB, with some saying they aren’t going to play for various reasons citing family concerns, health concerns or things of that nature, but for Hayes, this was never on his mind.

“I never considered opting out," Hayes said. "I know the Flyers' organization has done their due diligence on making sure every player is protected and in the safest environment.”

Hayes said he’s been extremely impressed with the protocols that have been in place since he’s returned to Philadelphia after working out with a trainer in Boston for much of the NHL pause.

“I haven’t felt unsafe once," he said. "We pretty much test every day and they take every single situation pretty serious.”

This is certainly a new world for the players, coaches and everyone involved as the league looks to resume, but if Hayes’ perspective is any indication, the Flyers are embracing the challenge in front of them and are ready to get going. This has been an interesting start to his Flyers career for the prized offseason free agent signing and Hayes is hoping to bring the city some hardware, regardless of the time or situation it happens.

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NHL, NHLPA formally agree to resume playing; Penguins to face Canadiens beginning Aug. 1

SETH RORABAUGH

Friday, July 10, 2020 7:31 p.m.

Note: CCPA compliance requires embedded widgets like Facebook, Twitter and inline videos be disabled in stories.

Hockey is back.

After months of discussions and planning, the NHL and the NHLPA have formally agreed to resume play this summer.

And Penguins fans finally have a date to circle on their calendars: Aug 1, which is when the team’s best-of-five qualifying round series against the Montreal Canadiens is set to begin.

The plan to resume playing with a 24-team tournament in two venues — Toronto and Edmonton — was agreed to by the league’s board of governors and approved by a vote among players association members. The agreement was announced Friday evening.

Additionally, the parties agreed to a four-year extension of the current collective bargaining agreement, which will run through the 2025-26.

The agreement clears the way for teams to open training camps Monday to resume the 2019-20 season, which has been on hold since the NHL paused March 12 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Monday is also the deadline for players to opt out of the tournament with no penalty.

Following three days of exhibition games July 28-30, the season is scheduled to resume Aug. 1 with a flurry of 52 games in nine days — five or six a day — before an Aug. 10 break.

The Penguins, who have not played since a 5-2 road win against the New Jersey Devils on March 10, will begin practicing in Cranberry on Monday before facing the Canadiens in Toronto less than three weeks later. As the fifth seed, the Penguins will serve as the “home” team in Games 1, 2 and 5 (if necessary) in the series.

If a Game 4 is required, it will be played on Aug. 7, Sidney Crosby’s 33rd birthday.

Game times are yet to be determined.

After the qualifying round, the first round of the playoff is tentatively scheduled to begin Aug. 11. Other tentative dates include the start of the second round Aug. 25, the conference finals Sept. 8 and the Stanley Cup Final on Sept. 22. The last possible day of the final series is Oct. 4.

The final two rounds will be played in Edmonton. The draft is set to follow on Oct. 9-10.

Penguins-Canadiens schedule

Aug. 1 — Canadiens at Penguins

Aug. 3 — Canadiens at Penguins

Aug. 5 — Penguins at Canadiens

Aug. 7 — Penguins at Canadiens (if necessary)

Aug. 8 — Canadiens at Penguins (if necessary)

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187675 Pittsburgh Penguins Sykora had another fine season with the Penguins in 2008-09, scoring 25 points and 46 points in 76 games but a foot injury late in the regular season hobbled him throughout the postseason as he was limited to seven playoff games and a single assist. Regardless, he lifted the Double Team: Petr Sykora was a champion with Penguins, Devils Stanley Cup for the second time that spring.

After bouncing between the Minnesota Wild and a handful of European teams the next two seasons, Sykora returned to the Devils on a tryout Seth Rorabaugh basis and earned a contract out of training camp. He rewarded the team Friday, July 10, 2020 11:16 a.m. with 21 goals and 44 points in 82 games and helped it reach another Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Los Angeles Kings.

He retired following the NHL’s 2012-13 lockout. Note: CCPA compliance requires embedded widgets like Facebook, Twitter and inline videos be disabled in stories. 2. Paul Gardner, center

While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, To say Gardner was one of the franchise’s best players before it moved the Tribune-Review will offer the Double Team project, an examination of to New Jersey wouldn’t be a stretch. It wouldn’t exactly be a compliment the five best players who have contributed substantially to the Penguins either. and another franchise. For consideration, a player must have played at It’s more of a statement of attrition. There aren’t really many candidates least the equivalent of a full season for each franchise. (Sorry, Jarome for that designation. Iginla fans.) Gardner was selected by the Scouts in the first round of the 1976 draft in Today, a look at the New Jersey Devils. The franchise came into the NHL June. Less than two months later, he was a member of the Rockies. in 1974 as the . After two particularly terrible seasons Debuting that fall, Gardner established a still-standing franchise record on and off the ice, the Scouts looked west to Denver and became the for rookies with 30 goals as well as 59 points in 60 games. Colorado Rockies. In six seasons, the Rockies only qualified for the postseason once. By 1982, things had gone downhill so far, the franchise While injuries limited him to only 36 games in 1977-78, he still reached was sold and moved to the Garden State. Named after the Jersey Devil, 30 goals as well as 52 points, helping the franchise qualify for the a mythical creature said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of South Jersey, the playoffs for the first time. He was in the midst of another strong season in Devils existed in East Rutherford before moving to their current location 1978-79 with 23 goals and 49 points through 64 games but was traded to in Newark in 2007. the Toronto Maple Leafs by March of 1979.

In 241 all-time games against the Scouts/Rockies/Devils, the Penguins Largely struggling during parts of two seasons in Toronto, Gardner was have a 106-109-26 record. traded to the Penguins in November of 1980 and resurrected his career with Pittsburgh. In 62 games during the 1980-81 season, Gardner scored 1. Petr Sykora, right winger 34 goals and set a career-high with 74 points. If the Devils played for the Stanley Cup, chances are Sykora was He also became the first player in franchise history to score four goals in involved. a game during a 6-5 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 13, A first-round pick in 1995, the Czech native played for the Devils in three 1980. of their five Stanley Cup Final appearances (and even played against Becoming a dominant force on the power play, Gardner led the team with them while as a member of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003). 36 goals in 1981-82 while also putting up 69 points in 59 games. He also Blessed with a dart of a left-handed shot, Sykora wasn’t exactly led the team with six points in five playoff games as the Penguins nearly emblematic of the stagnant defensive style New Jersey deployed during upset the powerful Islanders in the preliminary round. their glory days. But he was certainly a marvelous fit as evidenced by the Midway through that season, Gardner was the victim of an attack by team’s on-ice success during his time in red and black. Winnipeg Jets forward Jimmy Mann who, in reaction to Gardner cross Debuting in 1995-96 at the age of 19, Sykora appeared in 63 games and checking Jets forward ’s head, sucker-punched Gardner, recorded 42 points, finishing seventh in voting for the Calder Memorial breaking his jaw in two places during a 6-1 home win by Winnipeg, Jan. Trophy which recognizes the NHL’s top rookie. After bouncing between 13, 1982. the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) levels the next two Gardner simply wasn’t as effective following the injury. Powering through seasons, Sykora had a breakthrough campaign in 1998-99 when he the 1982-83 campaign, Gardner appeared in 70 games and put up 28 enjoyed the first of his 12 seasons with 20 or more goals, recording 29 goals as well as 55 points. After a rotten start to the 1983-84 campaign, goals as well as a team-leading 72 points in 80 games and helping the Gardner was assigned to the AHL for most of the season. In July of Devils claim the Atlantic Division. 1984, he joined the Washington Capitals as a free agent. In 1999-2000, Sykora formed the “A Line” with Jason Arnott and Patrik 3. Bill Guerin, right winger Elias, putting up 25 goals and 68 points in 79 games while helping lead the Devils to the franchise’s second Stanley Cup title, defeating the The fifth overall pick of the 1989 draft, Guerin spent two seasons at Dallas Stars. Boston College and turned professional by 1991. A 6-foot-2, 220-pound power forward who could skate with anyone, Guerin established himself A season later, Sykora established career-highs with 35 goals, 46 assists as a full-time NHLer in 1992-93 by recording 34 points in 65 games. He and 81 points in 73 games. During the postseason, he led the team with followed that up by breaking through to the 20-goal barrier with 25 goals, 23 points in 25 games as the Devils reached the Stanley Cup Final once as well as 44 points, in 81 games. again but fell to the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. During the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, Guerin put up 25 points in After seeing his production tumble to 48 points in 73 games during the 48 games then helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2001-02 season, Sykora was traded to Anaheim by July 2002. franchise history, sweeping the Detroit Red Wings. Five years later, he joined the Penguins as a free agent signing. Initially Guerin remained a steady 20-goal threat the next two seasons, including hoped to be a linemate with franchise center Sidney Crosby, Sykora a 29-goal effort in 82 games during the 1996-97 campaign. ultimately found a home on a line with the Penguins’ other franchise center in Evgeni Malkin. A contract holdout at the start of 1997-98 led to Guerin being traded at the age of 27 to the Edmonton Oilers by January of 1998. Along with power forward Ryan Malone, that trio drove the Penguins throughout the 2007-08 season with Sykora recording 28 goals and 63 Just over 11 years later, Guerin was traded by the New York Islanders to points for the Atlantic Division champions. In the postseason, the the Penguins at the 2009 trade deadline. More of a net-front presence Penguins reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Detroit Red than mobile power forward at this point, a 38-year old Guerin found a Wings. Sykora contributed nine points in 20 games, including the winning home on Crosby’s line and helped the Penguins win the franchise’s third goal in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, a 4-3 road win in three Stanley Cup championship by recording 15 points in 24 playoff games. overtimes. After a 21-goal, 45-point effort in 78 games during 2009-10 with the Penguins, Guerin retired.

4. Paul Martin, defenseman

Martin was out of central casting for what the Devils wanted out of their defensemen in the mid to late 2000s. He operated within the confines of the system, never freelanced and made the correct, by-the-book play.

A second-round pick in 2000, Martin debuted in 2003-04, putting up 24 points in 70 games. Over the next four seasons, he was a safe bet to appear in 70-plus games and reach the 30-point mark. During his six seasons with New Jersey, the Devils won the Atlantic Division four times.

Despite missing most of the 2009-10 season because of a broken arm — which also cost him a chance at representing the U.S. in the Olympics — Martin was a highly-sought free agent in the 2010 offseason and signed a five-year contract with the Penguins.

Despite joining a team which had a far more aggressive approach to everything than the Devils, Martin’s play largely remained the same during his half-decade with the Penguins. While he did struggle throughout the 2011-12 season, Martin was largely a reliable presence on the Penguins’ blue line throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh.

His finest moment with the Penguins might have come during the 2013 postseason. Helping the Penguins reach the Eastern Conference final, Martin was was fifth on the team with 11 points in 15 games.

Primarily serving as All-Star defenseman Kris Letang’s partner throughout the 2014-15 season, Martin left during the ensuing offseason as a free agent, joining the San Jose Sharks.

5. Jaromir Jagr, right winger

This was just an odd marriage. A dynamic offensive force and a free spirit, Jagr was just out of place with the defensive Devils and their buttoned-down conformist culture.

But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a quality player, particularly as 40- something, during his brief time in New Jersey.

After losing star forward Ilya Kovalchuk, who bolted to Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League in July of 2013, the Devils signed Jagr in part to replace Kovalchuk’s offense as well his box office appeal. For the most part, Jagr did the former, recording 26 goals and leading the team in assists (43) and points (67) during 2013-14 but the Devils missed the postseason.

Jagr largely struggled through the 2014-15 season due in part to his age as well as simply being a poor fit with the conservative Devils. After 57 games and 29 points, he was traded to the Florida Panthers.

Of course, Jagr’s greatest days came in Pittsburgh. The fifth-overall pick of the 1990 draft, an 18-year-old Jagr helped the Penguins win their first two Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992.

He won the Art Ross Trophy, as the league’s top scorer, for the first time during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season with 70 points (32 goals, 38 assists) in 45 games. The following season, Jagr put up 149 points in 82 games, second in the NHL to linemate Mario Lemieux’s 161 points.

After Lemieux’s first retirement in 1997, Jagr won another Art Ross Trophy in 1997-98 with 102 points. He followed that in 1998-99 by winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP for the only time in his career as well as the Art Ross Trophy again with 127 points.

Jagr spent two more seasons in Pittsburgh and won the Art Ross Trophy twice, with 96 points in 1999-2000 and 121 points in 2000-01 before requesting a trade that sent him to the Washington Capitals in July of 2001.

Still an active player in his native Czech Republic, Jagr is the NHL’s second-leading all-time scorer with 1,921 points.

Honorable mentions: Chuck Arnason, right winger; Denis Herron, goaltender; Mark Johnson, center; Dennis Owchar, defenseman; Mike Rupp, center.

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187676 Pittsburgh Penguins Post Gazette LOADED: 07.11.2020

Penguins camp primer: Will Jake Guentzel be fully operational this postseason?

Mike DeFabo:

With the NHL targeting July 13 for the start of full-squad training camps in Phase 3 of its return-to-play plan, Penguins beat reporters Matt Vensel and Mike DeFabo are counting down the days until Pens Camp Part Deux by examining some of the key questions that will be waiting when the Penguins hit the ice:

Jake Guentzel’s first All-Star season very nearly ended on the same day he learned of the honor.

After he flew shoulder-first into the boards on Dec. 30, the rehab was expected to keep the left winger sidelined for four-to-six months. During a normal season, that meant he wouldn’t have been back in uniform until about the Eastern Conference finals. Certainly, there was no guarantee the Penguins wouldn’t be playing golf by then.

But if the last four months have come with any sort of silver lining for the Penguins and their fans, it’s that the pause has given Guentzel several key months to get closer to full strength. By the time the puck drops for the first game of the qualifying round on Aug. 1, he’ll be more than seven months into a four-to-six month recovery.

So, while we can finally can stop asking if Guentzel will be back, it’s time to move on to the next question: Which version will the Penguins get?

Guetnzel's last touch on the puck was a goal. What will his next touch look like?

“I’m trying to get back to pre-injury [level] as much as I can,” Guentzel said during Phase 2. “There’s always that doubt. You never know what’s going to happen with an injury, any sort of injury. I’m committed to putting myself in the best possible position that I can.”

The Penguins have confidence in their team of doctors, as well as in their training staff. Still, the collision that rattled the boards and sent shockwaves down the Penguins’ lineup was violent. No one knows for sure how an athlete will respond, physically and mentally, to something like that.

Will he still have the same zip on his slap shot? Will he be as fearless going into the corner? Will the surgically repaired shoulder cause additional complications during a rugged playoff run?

To this point, the only glimpses of Guentzel have been brief videos from the team. However, training camp will be opened to the media, which should begin to offer some answers. Still, it’s impossible to answer any of these questions with certainty until the puck is dropped for Game 1 of the qualifying round.

One thing that works to Guentzel’s advantage is his style of play. Listed at 5-feet-11 and 185 pounds, Guentzel is not the biggest or strongest player. He’s a good skater, but not the fastest. And the puck doesn’t explode off his stick the way it does other bombers.

Instead, what made Guentzel a 40-goal scorer in 2018-19 and an All-Star this year is his elite-level hockey sense. No matter how his body is feeling or what challenges might come with jumping directly into playoff- intensity hockey after seven months on the shelf, it won’t change the fact that Guentzel can think the game at another level.

Odds are, the Penguins will start the qualifying round against Montreal with Guentzel playing in his familiar spot on Sidney Crosby’s left wing. Conor Sheary, a deadline-day acquisition, is the most likely candidate to be the third wheel, same as he was during the 2017 Cup run. Those three worked out together during Phase 2, which probably isn't a coincidence.

“Obviously my first year we had a lot of fun playing together,” Guentzel said. “It was kind of cool that ‘Sid and the Kids’ got a little name going around. ... It would be an awesome experience again.”

Time will tell if they’re all healthy enough to reclaim some of that magic. 1187677 Pittsburgh Penguins and that was the common toilet. And there was never any toilet paper because people would steal it. We obviously put guards around and gave out toilet paper. That was sort of a cute little canary in the coal mine. That wasn’t the best promotion in the world, but it was stating that we’re going Beers, bears and mafia threats: Meet the man behind the ‘Russian to be clean and a nice place to visit. Penguins’ Right, it wasn’t a draw, just an indicator of the way stuff would work in your building.

Sean Gentille The Disney-fication, if you will.

Jul 10, 2020 Oh, we’ll talk about Disney in a few minutes. First, you mentioned (media relations VP/broadcaster) Viktor Gusev as your right arm. That came up

a lot in the movie — that he saved you from some cultural mistakes. He You could try to choose the strangest part of the “Russian Penguins.” stopped you from stepping in a lot of shit. You’d fail, sure, but there’d be valor in the attempt. He did. I studied cultural anthropology at Syracuse University, so I knew Is it that they existed at all? Maybe. But in 1993, Western capitalism had that the last thing you want to do is insult your host and make a cultural flooded Russia, and the former “Red Army” team, CSKA Moscow, was boner. You don’t want to do that. There’s always the perception of the drowning. Howard Baldwin and the Pittsburgh Penguins saw an ugly Americans and not only that, let’s face it, the Russians, who are opportunity to start a pipeline — of both players and sponsorship money rightfully the most distrustful people in the world after 500 years of — with minimal risk. czarism and emperors and communists and Putin, they’re just waiting for the next shoe to drop all the time. So we were being looked at under a Thus, a post-Soviet partnership was born. The Penguins would gain a huge microscope, and I didn’t want to make any moves that would derail foothold with Russia’s greatest team in a hockey-mad, emerging us. We were already looking at the fact that the NHL had stolen all of capitalist market. CSKA, decimated by player defections and the their great players. So there was this fear — “What else are you gonna reallocation of government funds, would get new uniforms and some take? You’ve taken our players, are you gonna take our coaches next? butts in the seats. What are you gonna steal from us?” They were very wary of Americans, and the irony of the story is we were only coming with good intentions. Is it that it took 25 years to make a movie about the whole deal? Maybe. We went overboard making sure that we weren’t perceived as the ugly But in 2020, we’re getting a great one. “Red Penguins,” directed by Gabe Americans and that we were there to help. That’s the crux of the whole Polsky, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. It will film, that the distrust level was so high that no matter what we did it was be available on digital and on-demand Aug. 4. never enough to prove that the other shoe wasn’t going to drop. What isn’t strange, though — or at least, not much of a surprise — is that I wanted to ask about that, specifically. All this stuff was assembled so the whole thing ended badly. Steven Warshaw, hired by the Penguins to long ago, and now, a week of news is like a year of news. So who knows fill “The Ice Palace” and act as their Russian conduit, did his job. And what’s happened since you made the film? But as someone who had that then, for reasons including a threat on his life and a cartoon penis, he experience at that time — how does that inform how you watch U.S.- left. Now, he’s a documentary star. It’ll have to do. Russian relations now? I know that’s a huge question. “It was the best time of my life and then the worst time in my life,” It’s a fair question. We joke that every day is Groundhog Day. I honestly Warshaw, 25 years further into a career as a marketing executive and see a parallel with where we were. We had a window of opportunity when very much alive, told The Athletic. “It’s like a great love affair that goes we arrived to treat Russia the same way we treated Japan and Germany bad. You get your heart broken, but it’s worth it. Because you were in after World War II. The Cold War was over, and instead of pushing love.” defeat into their face, we should’ve taken the exact opposite approach. And, ah, love makes people do crazy things. Sometimes, they involve the We should’ve built up our former rival. And I guarantee that if we did, we Russian mob. Sometimes, they involve feeding beer to bears. would not be in the position that we’re in today. Because now, we’re the Sometimes, they involve the Mighty Ducks. And even if failure was odd man out. … We missed that opportunity from a political standpoint, cosmically inevitable, success for Warshaw and Co. was very, very and certainly from a hockey standpoint — because the NHL should’ve close. reached out and helped.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. That seems like the point of the film.

Early on, you said that the Penguins needed someone who was OK with Absolutely. When I walked into the arena for the first time, I see this big dying in New Russia, and that was you. I think that sets the movie in Mercedes Benz logo on the front of the arena, and I walk in, and there’s motion and gets at your mindset. Mercedes cars all over the place. It’s ironic because the Russians lost 27 million people. and thankfully they stopped the Nazis. We owe that to the That’s true. After the collapse of the , no one really knew Russians. But here we are, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ice what to expect. There are all these horrible tales of people getting beaten Palace — a misnomer at best — the fact that they’d sold the front of the and killed who tried to capitalize on the New Russia. We arrived on the arena and the naming rights for, probably, dinner, was very upsetting to heels of the major multinationals that had tried to plant their flag. So for me. I looked at my partner and said “How could you give this to the me, as a marketing man, it was easy to follow the money. We knew that Germans? Have you forgotten what happened?” the money was going to come from the multinationals. It wasn’t gonna come from the Russians for two reasons. One, they didn’t have any. That’s when I realized that this was the time to make hay. And we tried Two, they don’t trust Americans. We knew at the beginning we’d need to over and over. You mentioned Disney. That’s the tipping point. When our get Coca Cola and Ernst & Young and McDonald’s and Panasonic. We Russians partners refused to sign the Disney agreement, that would had Baskin Robbins, Delta, all the major multinationals that were make us all partners, that was the end. We knew that was the end. streaming into Moscow. We knew that if we could take our arena and (Former Penguins owner Tom Ruta) lays that plain; when Disney pulled turn it into a promotional machine, we’d attract sponsors. out and the mafia came in, it was time to go. There was a power struggle So if we were dealing with Gillette, it was very simple. We’d say “Hey, — military, mafia — and you guys lost out, really, to those other interests. listen, we’d love to give out your razors and shaving cream.” To them it Yeah. One of the stories that didn’t make the film was one of my favorite was a minor expense. To fans coming into the arena? Wow, if you can moments. I was in New York, and Viktor Gusev called to tell me that the get razors and shaving cream and see some hockey, that’s a great night. army tried to take the team back from (Legendary coach Viktor Tikhonov And we tried to do that every night. and general manager Valery Gushin, who owned 50 percent of the And it was all stuff with low margins, whether it was the corporations or team), even though they had 99-year contracts. And Gushin will probably you. You talked about giving people clean bathrooms and two free live to 180. He’s like Rasputin. You can’t kill this guy. He’s had heart meters of toilet paper. That cost nothing, but was still some sort of selling attacks, drinking issues, car accidents, he went to jail — nothing can kill point. this guy.

The state of the bathrooms in arenas, oh man — there were very few toilets. If you had to take care of business, there was a hole in the floor There’s a funny moment in the film when they’re showing footage of the In February ’94, we played against IHL teams and got our asses kicked. constitutional crisis in 1993, and they go through all of it, and then it gets You see it in the film. We played against the . They sent to you, and you’re like, “Oh yeah, I was there for that.” a bunch of Disney guys, obviously, from Anaheim to San Diego. It’s 89 miles or whatever. So they sent a big group of people down there, and I used to call and say “Is there anything crazy going on downtown? Can the building was jammed with people saying “U-S-A, U-S-A. You fuckin’ we go watch some gunfighting?” There was always something. On all the commies!” Don’t forget, that’s where the Naval base is. And all the squids streets there were little kiosks selling cigarettes and chocolate and were there, getting shitfaced. I run into this big sailor in a bar afterward, condoms and vodka. All the essentials. All of a sudden at a traffic light, wearing a hat that says “Centralnyi Sportivnyi Klub Armyi” in Cyrillic. And these guys pull someone through the window of a kiosk and start beating he looks at me and goes “Yo, I know you’re involved with the team the crap out of him. Then the light turned green and we left. I said to the somehow. What does this say on my hat?” And I look up at him and go, driver, “What happened?” He said, “Oh, this happens all the time. They “It means, ‘Americans Will Buy Anything.’” And he goes “You motherf—” didn’t pay their 20 percent so they get beat up.” And I say, “No, no, I’m just kidding!” And the Disney people were there, The word in Russian is “krisha,” which means “roof.” They don’t call it the watching this scene unfold and all this merchandise being bought. mafia, the call it the krisha. The roof. You need a roof over your head to And all these stories were getting back to Eisner, whether it was Kevin survive. For me, it was a culture shock, it was an everything shock. There Gilmore going to Moscow to see it for himself or what. It looked like it was was never a day that went by where I didn’t think to myself, “Am I making gonna happen. All the money we were making — merch, sponsorship, this up?” touring, the whole thing — Disney was ready to go.

The juxtaposition with you and Gushin — you said, “I fell in love with They just never could embrace us, no matter how nice and successful someone who didn’t love me back.” and clever and generous we were. It was always skepticism and fear and Who was trying to kill me, yeah. distrust, and to this day it exists. And it’ll continue for the next 16 years as long as Putin is running the show. You’re recounting all this scary shit that happened, and then they cut back to him and he’s just laughing. Also, you guys missed out on a Mighty Ducks movie. That’s a shame.

It’s a sinister laugh. And the funny thing is, Gushin was like a cartoon I’ll never forget, (Eisner) said, “American boy falls in love with Russian character that came to life. He was the prototypical Soviet man. And he girl, visas expire, governments step in.” Then he put his notes back in his just, no matter how good it got, found a way to destroy it. And personally, pocket and said, “yep, we’ll do that.” Then he talked about doing a I really like him. He’s a sweet man. We had some great moments Saturday morning Russian Penguins cartoon. Then we talked about together. But if he had behaved and been smart, he would’ve signed the selling merch in Disney stores and Disney theme parks. Even the deal Disney deal, we all would’ve been millionaires, I would’ve been teaching that Gushin and Tikhonov didn’t sign, they were gonna fly those guys to international business and lecturing and consulting somewhere. And Anaheim every year and Pittsburgh and All-Star games. Basically, it was instead, we were all pounding the pavement. the best deal in the world, but the Russians were so afraid that there was gonna be a trap door that’d open up that they never signed it. That’s a good segue into talking about the Disney deal (A proposed agreement to license and merchandise the Russian Penguins that, In the beginning of the film, I described the smell of Moscow airport. It despite ample evidence to the contrary, is denied existence by former literally smelled like death. Everyone was sad. Everyone wore dark Disney CEO Michael Eisner). Was that public knowledge before this? clothes. Nobody smiled. It was almost Pavlovian, after 500 years. And for three hours a night, we wanted people to escape the doldrums and the I asked (director Gabe Polsky), “Why didn’t you put all the proof of the sadness and just have fun. The weather is dark, there’s no sun, it’s cold. deal into this film?” I have the press release from Bill Robertson, who It’s just such a sad place to be. And what we wanted to do was provide was the head of press for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on Disney an escape from the crushing ennui of the collapse. And that’s what hurts letterhead. We got the press release announcing this partnership with for me; we built such a beautiful story, and it was sincere, but the CSKA. Then we have contracts that we drew up. Then, in the film, we Russians always felt that there was another shoe about to drop and have (former Disney exec) Kevin Gilmore. He was in Moscow. We have crush them. all the correspondence. And not only that, in the film, they show the designs of the tank firing the hockey pucks — this is all from Disney At one point, you said “I’m not worried about making money, I want to Imagineering. This is all after we had dinner with Michael Eisner. And not create a good sports experience.” I think that comes through. Look, only that, I have personal letters from Michael to me on his personal everyone wants to make $100 million in merch, but you can’t do that if letterhead, saying “Hey Steve, thanks for the penguin” — I sent him a you lose sight of the overall goal, which is to put on a show and actually stuffed penguin after his bypass surgery — and “I can’t wait for the give people something to watch. hockey season to start, all the best.” There’s enough proof to choke a And you’ve got to understand — we talked at the beginning about “Why horse. But for whatever reason, this is one of the mysteries: Why is me, why would I go?” It was an undiscovered country. It’s this gem of a Disney disavowing all knowledge of this venture? historical country that not many people had seen. And here we are, being And I’ve talked to some business people about it, and they say “Eh, when thrust into the middle of this. There was a big faction that wanted no part corporations don’t succeed, they try to bury their mistakes.” of a free enterprise system. They wanted to know that they’d have their jobs, and their communist book that would get stamps in it, and that The logos they flash during the movie — those are actual shots of the they’d be eating every night even if they were waiting on lines. Because designs that Imagineers sent back to you? they knew it could always be worse than a sure thing. So we were lumped in like an extraterrestrial that had just landed. Oh yeah. A week after we had dinner — when Howard, Karen Baldwin and I had dinner with Michael and Jane Eisner at the 21 Club — Michael Even the media was wary of us. They were pissed. We had Nikolai said, “How are the merchandise sales?” I said, “Well, we just sold Khabibulin, Sergei Brylin, some really good young players. The media $250,000 of merch on our IHL tour.” It was a 14-city tour. And we were wanted no part of that. They wanted Mogilny, Bure and Fedorov back. I getting royalty checks from CCM for like $20,000 a month. We were said, “Listen, the oak tree might be in the NHL, but we’ve got the acorn.” outselling a few NHL teams in jersey sales. It was the And a journalist said, “Fuck you and your acorns, we want our oak tree and the Winnipeg Jets, back then, and someone else. The CCM rep told back.” me that. I gotta know: Is there anything that happened with the bears or the So we had all of this success with our merchandise, and that’s when dancers that didn’t make it into the movie? Because those are always the Eisner said, “Eh, it’s cute, but I want something a little more bellicose. I’ll first things that people think of. have Disney Imagineering work on some stuff.” And the next week, we got a book of about 20 designs, including “the regal double eagles” that Oh, there’s one great answer. Everyone was busy that night during the we ended up using as our third jerseys. We called it the Disney jerseys. game, and it was time for the strippers to come out and do their thing as Disney sent the designs to CCM. cheerleaders. We put red carpets down so they wouldn’t slip while they worked. They had CCM practice jerseys on, like you saw in the film. So It seems like it was going to be an entry point for them. It’s easy to what happened was … I didn’t like what they did. As a choreographer, I imagine, like, Disney Moscow with a Mighty Ducks/Russian Penguins wanted them to do better. So I go into their locker room — no interpreter. ride or something. They don’t speak a lick of English. And you’ve got to understand, it’s cold as shit on the ice, but they’re also sweating and they’re chilled and it was awful.

But I was trying to teach them that they had to be synchronized. “You can’t all be doing a different thing.” It’s like Diana Ross and the Supremes. You’ve got to be moving together. I didn’t know how to explain that in Russian, so I got behind one of them and sort of undulated like, “Move with me. We’re dancing.” That got lost in translation — so when they came out between the second and the third period, they started performing, like, simulated sex acts on the ice. They thought that’s what I was asking for. So the crowd is going apeshit and I start pounding on the glass trying to signal, “NO, NO, NO!” And the more I kept pounding on the glass, other people started pounding on the glass. And they thought that the signal was “MORE, MORE, MORE!”

And then they’re down on the ground, and they’re hugging each other and, oh no. And that’s when Viktor Gusev said to me, “Nice job,” as they’re coming off the ice. And I said, “Where were you?!”

So that was the last time you guys did that?

Oh, no no. Another game, we had a woman start behind the Zamboni with a tow rope, like a water skier. And she was wearing tearaway sweatpants like a basketball player. So she skated behind the Zamboni while he was cleaning the ice. And she’d occasionally take off the jersey, and then the pants. And by the time the ice is clean, she’s in pasties and a G-string. That didn’t make the movie, because we don’t have a lot of the footage. There’s a good one for you.

I was amazed that you actually had footage of the bears.

Incredible. I don’t know who got that. I’ve never seen that footage, so it was exciting to me. The woman who came out with the bears, she was the trainer who said “whatever you want to do, we’ll do.” And then they’re drinking beers.

We met really fascinating, intelligent people that really were rooting for us to succeed. Because for a couple years, they were doing nothing and nobody was coming to games. It was dead. Then all of a sudden, bang, they’re back in business. Unfortunately, the two people who didn’t believe us were the two people we needed.

I think people here remember it happening but don’t know the specifics and also don’t know how close it came to working exactly like you hoped it would. Was there a moment that you knew that it was over?

When you look at the film, the credits, those are some of the juiciest parts. Did you notice the shot of the contract with the penis and testicles drawn on it? If you want a moment when I knew it was over, when you get a picture of a dick and balls on your contract offer, you know it’s over. And that was Gushin. He faxed it back to me. It was an agreement, without Disney, to go forward but with new rules, and they wanted no parts of it. They couldn’t.

It was all very artful by Gabe, showing that they were mafia without saying it.

Right, so clearly that is one of the major downfall moments. That’s when (the team) asked me to come work for them. They said, “We’ll get you women, drugs, an apartment, a driver.” I said, “Look, I can get all those on my own. Just pay me. All I want is the money.”

And here’s something that’s not in the film. Matsak, you saw him. Dark hair, 6-foot-7, a monster. On skates he was as big as Zdeno Chara. Huge guy. And this is the guy that threatened to kill me after I said I wouldn’t work there because he said I was worth $6,500 dead. I countered and said, “You’re grossly overpaying for a little guy like me. I’m only worth $3,000.” Then he laughed and flicked his Adam’s apple. That means “Let’s go drink vodka.”

I saw Matsak years later. I was consulting for Russian fashion week after that — a far cry from hockey — and I saw him at the supermarket. And I said, “Holy shit, Matsak!” In Russian, I say my thing. “You motherfucker, how you been?” And we hugged each other, and I said, “So are you still with the mafia?” And he says “Nope. I left, I got married, I bought a farm north of Moscow on the way to St. Petersburg.” It was like two high school buddies meeting, like none of this shit ever happened.

“Red Penguins,” a film by award-winning director Gabe Polsky, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. It will be available on digital and on-demand Aug. 4.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187678 San Jose Sharks The Flyers were among the best teams in hockey after Christmas, earning the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, with Braun playing mostly in a top-four role on the blue line. He is averaging 17:06 minutes of ice time per game and is fourth among Flyers defensemen in total Patrick Marleau and other Sharks fan favorites prepare to chase the minutes this season. He averages nearly two minutes per game on the Stanley Cup Flyers’ 11th-ranked penalty kill.

Offensively, Braun is contributing more than he did last season, with 19 points (3g, 16a) in 62 games. In his final season with the Sharks, he Kevin Kurz posted just 16 points in 78 games, although to be fair he was used Jul 10, 2020 mostly in a shutdown role with longtime partner Marc-Edouard Vlasic. This season, Braun spent the majority of his time with young Travis Sanheim, a 24-year-old who has steadily improved in each of his three NHL seasons. The NHL’s recent announcement about returning to play on July 30, with hopes of getting in a full postseason, probably wasn’t greeted with much Braun is in the final year of the five-year, $19 million deal he signed with excitement in the Bay Area. After all, the Sharks won’t be among the 24 the Sharks in 2014. His trade to the Flyers netted the Sharks a second- teams with a chance at the Stanley Cup, thanks to their worst regular round pick in last year’s draft and a third-round pick in 2020. season in more than two decades. Flyers writer Charlie O’Connor: “After a bit of a tough-luck start to 2019- Still, Sharks fans tend to show loyalty to individual players as much as 20, Justin Braun ended up being exactly what the Flyers were looking for. they do to the home team in general. There’s nothing wrong with that, of Braun’s underlying metrics appeared to be in freefall at the end of his course, and in some ways it’s admirable. Guys who have worn a teal tenure with the Sharks, but Philadelphia eased up a bit on the difficulty of sweater at some point in their careers are almost always met with cheers his minutes and reaped the rewards, as Braun delivered his first season when they return to SAP Center in another team’s colors. (Heck, even as a true even-strength ‘play-driver’ from the back end since 2015-16. Marty Havlat got a polite round of applause when he played his first Primarily in a second- or third-pair role, Braun’s job was to provide game in San Jose after he seemed generally disinterested in playing defensive support on the right side to the Flyers’ talented young left- hockey during a three-season stint with the Sharks.) handed defensemen — he particularly thrived alongside Travis Sanheim — and to give a boost to the team’s long-struggling penalty kill. Consider In the last 12 months, some of the team’s most respected, longest- both boxes checked for Braun in Philadelphia.” tenured and well-liked players have departed for other organizations. Joe Pavelski, Justin Braun, Brenden Dillon, Barclay Goodrow and Patrick Brenden Dillon, Capitals Marleau are preparing to head to their respective team’s training camps that open on July 13. All of them are on clubs that should have a One of the more emotional postgame moments we’ve seen in a while legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup, provided the virus doesn’t came on Feb. 17, when Dillon couldn’t help but tear up in front of the invade the NHL bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton. cameras after what was assumed to be his last game at SAP Center as a member of the Sharks. Once the Sharks fell out of playoff contention, it Pavelski, the former captain, joined the Dallas Stars as a free agent last became inevitable that they were going to deal Dillon to a contending summer. Braun was traded to the Flyers last summer after the Sharks re- team that needed blue-line depth. The next day, Dillon was off to signed Erik Karlsson. Dillon, a pending free agent, is now manning the Washington for a second-round pick in 2020 and a third-round pick in blue line for the Washington Capitals. Goodrow went to Tampa Bay in a 2021. mildly surprising deadline deal, while Marleau is presumably a rental forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Dillon played just 10 games with the Capitals before the shutdown, going scoreless with a minus-2 rating. Of course, he’s not relied upon for his It’s been such a long time since an NHL game took place, so let’s review offense. The Capitals were looking for a player who could seamlessly fit what happened with these former Sharks, how they’ve played with their into their dressing room while adding some toughness and physicality to new teams and what kind of impact they could have in the Stanley Cup the group, too. There’s no question that the Capitals will consider playoffs with some insight from our crackpot team of The Athletic beat anything less than their second Stanley Cup in three seasons as a failure writers around the league. this season.

Joe Pavelski, Stars Capitals writer Tarik El-Bashir: “Trade deadline additions can be a tricky thing, especially when adding a piece to an established, first-place team. The Stars will not have to partake in the play-in round due to finishing That said, there’s been nothing tricky about Dillon’s transition in D.C. — with the fourth-best points percentage in the Western Conference. once he figured out the Caps’ weird and elaborate pregame handshake Despite adding Pavelski in the offseason on a three-year, $21 million routine, that is. He debuted on the top pair alongside Norris Trophy contract, though, the Stars have had trouble generating offense. Dallas candidate John Carlson and, in just 10 games, has emerged as a key ranks just 26th in the NHL with 2.56 goals-per game. ingredient in the room and on the ice, where’s averaging 20:02 of ice Pavelski struggled at times this season, perhaps still hindered from a time a night. If the Caps’ blue line turns things around and the team knee injury suffered in Game 5 of the Sharks’ playoff series with St. Louis makes a deep run, Dillon will receive a lot of the credit — and rightfully last season. He has 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 67 games — so.” well off his pace of 38 goals in his final season with the Sharks in 2018- Barclay Goodrow, Lightning 19. He had two goals in his previous 13 games prior to the league shutdown. Perhaps the long break will help him in the postseason. Goodrow is now viewed in San Jose primarily as the player who returned the Sharks a first-round pick in this year’s draft, although it probably As Sharks fans well know, Pavelski’s importance can be as much in the wasn’t easy for many to see him depart. Goodrow, after all, is the author dressing room as it is on the ice. His leadership qualities can be vital to a of one of the most iconic goals in franchise history and was one of the team’s success (as the Sharks discovered without him this season). That few players this season who played above what was expected of him. He leadership is something Dallas might have been lacking before it inked was a versatile player and arguably the Sharks’ best penalty-killing the soon-to-be 36-year-old, and it could come in handy now, especially. forward. Stars writer Sean Shapiro: “Numbers-wise, Joe Pavelski hasn’t had the Goodrow managed just two assists in eight games with the Lightning impact Dallas had been hoping for. Pavelski struggled to find an instant after the trade on Feb. 24, playing primarily on the fourth line and fit with John Klingberg like he had with Brent Burns for years in San Jose. averaging 12:25 of ice time per game — more than two minutes of which The duo started to click more before the stoppage and in the Stars’ final came on the penalty kill. The Lightning look as deep and dangerous as 17 games, Pavelski had 12 points (6g, 6a). While the production hasn’t any team in the league, and they’ll be hungry, too, after getting been what Dallas paid for, the leadership has been a big factor in Dallas. embarrassed in the first round last April by Columbus. The Stars endured a 1-7-1 start to the season and a coaching change, and while he hasn’t worn a letter in Dallas, the former Sharks captain has Lightning writer Joe Smith: “The Lightning were looking for a center with been credited with helping to keep things stable during a chaotic some size and an edge at the trade deadline, and many of us thought it season.” might be Joe Thornton. Well, GM Julien BriseBois had his eyes set on fellow Shark Barclay Goodrow and had to be aggressive, giving up a Justin Braun, Flyers first-round pick in the deal. Goodrow made a quick impression, including his momentum-swinging fight with the Bruins’ Chris Wagner in a ‘bad blood’-filled win in TD Garden. That kind of presence should pay off come playoff time, not to mention Goodrow’s ability on the penalty kill with other deadline pickup Blake Coleman.”

Patrick Marleau, Penguins

Seeing Marleau in a Maple Leafs sweater was strange enough, but it looked even weirder when he played in a Penguins sweater at SAP Center on Feb. 29 — just five days after the Sharks traded him to Pittsburgh for a third-round pick. It was the Penguins, of course, who defeated Marleau and the Sharks in the 2016 Stanley Cup final, ruining the best chance the franchise ever had at capturing a championship.

When Marleau was dealt to the Penguins on Feb. 24, it was probably the easiest one of these departures to take from an emotional standpoint for much of the fan base. It’s possible, if not likely, that Marleau will return to the Sharks next season with a chance to break Gordie Howe’s all-time games played record. That’s what we reported shortly after the trade happened, although it’s difficult to predict whether recent circumstances have altered those plans.

In eight games with his new team, Marleau managed just one goal and one assist. He had 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 58 games with the Sharks.

Another championship for Pittsburgh would likely lead to some mixed emotions for Sharks fans, but it’s probable that most would love to see Marleau finally raise the silver chalice he’s been chasing for 22 seasons. Plus, if the Penguins — who face Montreal in the play-in round — win it all, that third-round pick becomes a second-round pick in 2021.

Penguins writer Josh Yohe: “Determining how Marleau looked in eight games with the Penguins is tricky because they were playing their worst hockey of the season when he arrived. That said, he hardly looked out of place and still appears to have the wheels necessary to play in the Penguins’ up-tempo system. Marleau is going to play on the Penguins’ third line with Jared McCann and Patric Hornqvist when the season resumes. He will also see duty on the second power play. The Penguins don’t need him to be the Marleau of old because their top six is so good and will be aided by the return of a healthy Jake Guentzel. They just need Marleau to score every now and then and be a reliable presence. He looked very much capable of that in his short stint earlier this season.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187679 St Louis Blues But one player who will be on the ice is Vladimir Tarasenko, whose race to get back into the lineup before the playoffs began was rendered moot when the season stopped. His shoulder has been cleared for action for four months, though he hasn’t gotten any game time since October. NHL camps get green light after new labor deal approved That’s the one big change Berube will have to make, rearranging his lines to get Tarasenko back on one of the top lines. It sounds like

changes will be minimal. Tom Timmermann “Looking at our team, what we did before the stoppage, really the lines we had were pretty good,” Berube said. “But Vladi is coming back, he’s new, we’ve got to get him back in. Listen, those lines did well before the It may be presumptuous to say that NHL games are definitely going to stoppage. There’s no reason to change right now.” happen this summer, since few things seem certain right now, but at the least, it seems definite that NHL training camps are going to take place. NHL labor negotiations have seldom gone smoothly, but the two sides quickly banded together this time, negotiating the extension while also The NHL Players Association and the league’s board of governors maneuvering around losses that for this season are expected to exceed approved a new collective bargaining agreement on Friday which also $1 billion as the league plays its showcase playoffs in empty buildings. included the league’s complex return-to-play protocols designed to finish the coronavirus-interrupted 2019-20 season. Under these provisions, “This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, approved reportedly by a vote of 502-135, a 78.8 percent yes vote, by and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA executive the players and the unanimous agreement of the owners, the NHL has a director Don Fehr said. “We are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey labor deal in place through 2025-26 that, among other things, will hold back to the fans.” the salary cap at $81.5 million for next season and allow NHL players to Depending on how long the best-of-five series in the play-in round go, go to the Olympics in 2022 and 2026. there could be as many as 52 games played in a span of nine days in the More immediately, training camps will open on Monday after a break of NHL. The Blues know they will get at least three games, to determine four months. The league plans to restart the season on Aug. 1 and the their playoff seeding, then a best-of-seven series after that. Blues will play their first game on Aug. 2, against Colorado, and then face “I’m ready to go,” Berube said. Vegas on Aug. 6 and Dallas on Aug. 9 — all in Edmonton, Alberta. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.11.2020 “Excited to get back to work on Monday!” texted Blues general manager .

“I’m excited,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “Hopefully we can get through Phase 3 and play some hockey.”

The NHL is, for a couple more days, in Phase 2, with players taking part in voluntary workouts. Phase 3 will be the organized training camps; Phase 4 will be the actual games. If things work out, the Stanley Cup would be awarded in Edmonton in early October.

The path from practice to the bubble, which the Blues will enter on July 26, may be short, but it will be difficult. Blues players have been taking part in voluntary workouts at their Centene Community Ice Center training facility for a few weeks, in increasing numbers. Now, a second training camp, this one running about 2 ½ weeks, will get underway while the players are still living at their homes in St. Louis and the coronavirus rages all around.

“I think when you go out, you’ve got to be smart,” Berube said. “Keep your distance, wear a mask, stay safe. It’s about making sure we’re doing the things right, protecting yourself. It’s important, important to the team, important to yourself, to stay safe. You can do everything right and you can’t control everything. Things happen. We’ve got to take it day by day. We’ll look at Day One, and when we get through Day One, we’ll look at Tuesday.”

On Monday, for the first time since the Blues flew home from Anaheim on March 12 after beating the Ducks 4-2, Berube will have his team together. Though it’s billed as training camp, it will be different from what the Blues went through in September. Teams will be limited to 30 skaters and an unlimited number of goalies in camp (the Blues are expected to have four goalies), with no more than 31 total players traveling to Edmonton. Also, under terms of the CBA, players will have until 4 p.m. on Monday to opt out of playing.

“It’s a different mindset (from a preseason training camp),” Berube said. “We have a lot more time here to practice before a game. We’ve got a schedule mapped out. It’s always competitive stuff on the ice. The guys have to compete to get ready. They’ve all got to be ready to play. In this kind of a tournament format, we’re going to need a lot of guys.

“We’re starting in two smaller groups, with more passing and skating, flow stuff, early, to get everybody moving and up to speed before the competition begins.”

Berube said “a couple guys” could be missing from practice on Monday, “but they’ll be ready to go in a couple days.” The Blues cancelled a voluntary practice late last week after four players and a member of the coaching staff reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. Depending on what day those test results were received, the 14-day isolation period is likely not yet over. 1187680 St Louis Blues

Game on: NHL and players approve labor deal and return-to-play protocols

Tom Timmermann

The NHL Players Association and the league approved a new collective bargaining agreement on Friday that will start the league's efforts to finish the 2019-20 season while giving labor peace through 2025-26.

This means that training camps will open on Monday, with the league looking to restart an expanded playoffs on Aug. 1 in Edmonton and Toronto.

The Blues, who will be in Edmonton, are scheduled to play their first game on Aug. 2 against Colorado, followed by games on Aug. 6 vs. Vegas and Aug. 9 vs. Dallas.

"Excited to get back to work on Monday!" texted Blues general manager Doug Armstrong.

The NHL has been shut down since March 12 because of the coronavirus and COVID-19. The league will have gone more than 4½ months without a game when they begin a 24-team playoff structure.

“Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our League,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities. We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

“This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time. This would not have happened but for the enormous contributions that the players made throughout, particularly those who served on the Negotiating and Return to Play Committees, as well as those on the Executive Board,” said Don Fehr, NHLPA Executive Director. “I also thank Gary Bettman, Bill Daly and the NHL staff for their efforts towards finding solutions to the problems we face. Most importantly, we are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans. We look forward to the NHL’s continued growth here in North America and on the world stage.”

Among other things, the contract holds the salary cap steady at $81.5 million for next season and would allow NHL players to go to the Olympics in 2022 and 2026.

The entirety of the players union voted on the proposal, which also included the protocols for the league to try to restart. Players will be isolated in hotels in the two Canadian cities for the duration of the season, though some "field trips," such as to golf courses, are planned.

Games will be played in front of empty arenas as contact between teams and people outside the league's "bubble" is extremely limited. The two Canadian cities won out over their American rivals because the virus is more contained in Canada.

Labor peace has been a rarity for the league and its players association, but this deal was put together very quickly as both sides had to make allowances to keep the game on track during what figure to be some tough financial times for the league. The loss this season alone of playing games in empty arenas figures to be above $1 billion.

There's still no guarantee the games will be played. The next two weeks, when teams hold training camps in their home cities, will run the risk of players picking up the virus. Already, four members of the Blues and one member of the coaching staff have reportedly tested positive for COVID- 19.

According to Frank Seravalli of TSN in Canada, the CBA passed 502- 135, about 79 percent. Players will have until 4 p.m. Central time on Monday to opt out. The Blues are expected to have their first practice on Monday morning, though no announcement has been made yet.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187681 St Louis Blues So, in alphabetical order, here goes: I provided Wheeler with the list of Blues’ prospects, while he offers an NHL comparable and his own take (goalies were not included in this exercise).

Finding NHL comps for 13 of the Blues’ best prospects (Note: Year-by-year stats are of the comparable player.)

Nikita Alexandrov, F, 19

Jeremy Rutherford and Scott Wheeler Drafted: 2019, 2nd round (No. 62)

Jul 10, 2020 Team, league: Charlottetown, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)

2019-20 stats: 42 games, 23 goals, 54 points It comes up a lot: When fans haven’t seen one of their team’s prospects play, they want to know if there’s a comparable player in the NHL. NHL comparable: Tobias Rieder (Calgary)

At first, my colleague at The Athletic, Scott Wheeler, wasn’t fond of Wheeler’s take: Alexandrov is one of those players who has a lot of B- picking someone already established in the league who might play level tools but doesn’t have a skill that will carry him to the next level. similarly. It’s not that Wheeler doesn’t know his stuff; he recently ranked Sometimes being well-rounded is enough, though, to become a the top 50 drafted prospects under the age of 23. There’s another complementary middle-six piece. And though Alexandrov still has reason, perhaps an obvious one. considerable growth to do to get there, I’m confident he’s more than the sum of his production under a closer evaluation of his skills. He’s strong “I think we tend to do it, actually, a little bit too much,” he said. “I think on the puck, he has learned how to leverage his strength to win battles that they can often put expectations on these kids that just really aren’t consistently, he has proven he can drive results offensively as a scorer fair because the vast majority of these kids aren’t going to make it, or if and playmaker on a weak junior hockey team. I’m confident the they do, they’re going to be depth players.” production would look more impressive were he surrounded by more talent – and we saw a glimpse of that at the world juniors, where he was But Wheeler understands the interest level, so during the NHL pause, excellent. I’ve been a big fan for a long time and he hasn’t given me he’s collaborated with beat writers such as Max Bultman in Detroit and reason to pull back on that belief. The Rieder we saw early in his career, Kevin Kurz in San Jose to produce comparables for the top 10 prospects who could do a little of everything and contribute 15-ish goals and 30- in each system. I wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity, so I recently something points while playing on both (second) special teams fits the solicited Wheeler to do the same with the Blues, and he obliged. mold well, both from an upside perspective and a stylistic one, though But I had one obnoxious request: The Blues have good, young prospects Alexandrov might not end up on the penalty kill. such as Hobey Baker winner Scott Perunovich, but they also have a Jordan Kyrou, F, 22 couple of 24-year-olds in Austin Poganski, Jake Walman and Mitch Reinke, who could be among the team’s first call-ups in the future. Drafted: 2016, 2nd round (No. 35) Wheeler usually leaves these players off his lists, but thankfully he made an exception. Team: Blues/San Antonio, American Hockey League (AHL)

“I can definitely do all 13,” he responded. 2019-20 stats: 28 games, 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points/16 games, 9 goals, 6 assists, 15 points Before we get to Wheeler’s list, I was curious about the process, so I asked him to explain for all of us how he selects his comparables. NHL comparable: Jakub Vrana (Washington)

“Sometimes there are players that I’ve always had in the back of my Wheeler’s take: There are some differences between Vrana and Kyrou. mind, and sometimes there are players that just felt natural — that sort of Vrana is heavier along the wall when he has control and more powerful snap of a finger, like ‘Oh my God, I know exactly who it is,'” he said. “But when he drops a shoulder to drive the net as a shot threat. Kyrou’s stride there are others, sort of distinct players, who are impossible. In those is lighter through his crossovers (which is saying something, considering cases, I’ve had to say, ‘I don’t think there is a natural fit.’ Sometimes that Vrana’s skating is the hallmark of his game) and there’s a little more can be a good thing — it means that that player is really unique and there finesse to his game. But they’re a lot alike, with roughly equal playmaking aren’t many players like him. But sometimes it’s a bad thing and it skill, brilliant north-south speed that can turn defenders, and the ability to means, ‘Maybe I don’t believe he’s going to be an NHLer.’ There’s no make a lot of different things happen off the flank. I suspect Kyrou will perfect science in terms of figuring it out.” follow a similar trajectory and timeline as well, beginning in a depth role before slowly carving out a niche as a 50-60-point, top-six player. No science, but more thought than one might think. Klim Kostin, F, 21 “You try to find comparables in terms of skill set, and in terms of height and weight and size,” Wheeler said. “One of the things you’ll see when Drafted: 2017, 1st round (No. 31) these comparables get thrown around is a 5-foot-10, 170-pound kid Team: Blues, San Antonio (AHL) compared to a 6-1, 210-pound kid, and that has just never made sense to me. Normally mine are all within an inch of each other, maybe two 2019-20 stats: 4 games, 1 goal, 1 point/48 games, 13 goals, 17 assists, inches. Then I go from there in terms of trying to match style of play and 30 points people who maybe fit the mold of what you’re projecting.” NHL comparable: Radek Faksa (Dallas) And don’t forget, his projections err on the side of caution, which doesn’t always go over well with fans. Wheeler’s take: I’ve long been low on Kostin for coming up on half a decade now, but he has slowly begun to come along and work his way “I try to be a little bit more reserved,” Wheeler said. “I don’t want to be closer to the NHL. I still have serious reservations about his ability to pumping anybody’s tires too much because I think it just sets them up to execute plays offensively at NHL pace, which likely makes him a chip- fail and it sets fans up to believe, ‘Oh this guy is going to be that guy.’ and-chase type. Like Faksa, Kostin is a heavyset kid with a hard shot Fans get this false sense of hope about how good all of these kids are, (this part of his game has improved though it will never be as hard as so that’s the way I approach it. Faksa’s, which famously won the AHL’s hardest shot competition), strong puck protection skill along the wall, and a reliable game without the puck. “Fans don’t love when their second-best prospect is projected to be a 30- Kostin is who he is at this point. He’s not going to be a top-six forward, point player; everybody wants all of their great kids to be on the first line. and he’s going to have to prove that he can contribute in a depth role at But unless you’re one of the top 20 or 30 prospects on the planet, and for the NHL level, which Faksa has now done after also spending some time me St. Louis only has one of those in Perunovich … unless you’re that in the AHL as a first-round pick. I’m not sure Kostin ends up as a 15-20 level of a talent, chances are you’re just not going to be more than a goal scorer and low-30s point producer that Faksa now is, but that’s his depth option. So you have to give context and try not to get carried away upside if he can continue to round out some of his once-stilted puck skills with every single kid is going to be a good player.” and skating.

Hugh McGing, F, 21 Drafted: 2018, 5th round (No. 138) also has fallen into that kind of territory as he has tried to establish himself in Colorado. Team: Western Michigan University, National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Mitch Reinke, D, 24

2019-20 stats: 35 games, 13 goals, 22 assists, 35 points Acquired: 2018, signed as college free agent

NHL comparable: Paul Byron (Montreal) Team: San Antonio (AHL)

Wheeler’s take: Plays hard? Check. Plays bigger than he is? Check. 2019-20 stats: 46 games, 5 goals, 17 assists, 22 points Scores with accuracy instead of power? Check. Problem-solves his way out of problems created by his size through smart decisions, spatial NHL comparable: Tim Heed (San Jose) awareness and a willingness to get rid of the puck if he has to? Check. Wheeler’s take: Reinke is among a trio of defensemen on this list who Leads by example and is universally well-liked? Check. Has enough skill are old enough that I wouldn’t normally qualify them as prospects, per se. to support better players or drive a line with lesser ones? Check for But they’re all close enough to the fold in the NHL that their games still Byron and we’ll find out on McGing, who has proven he can do it at the warrant serious analysis and projection. Reinke’s a little on the smaller college level. I’m confident he will do it at the AHL level, but he might not end for a defender, but one of his strengths is that he rarely looks small be quite talented enough to pull it off the same way Byron has in the or ineffective in board battles/around the net. He has played big minutes NHL. in San Antonio defensively, pairing a tactical, poised approach with a Niko Mikkola, D, 24 cerebral defensive style through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone, where he’s known for his ability to walk the line and distribute. I Drafted: 2015, 5th round (No. 127) don’t think the minus- 23 he posted in 2019-2020 tells the full story of his ability to defend at the AHL level. There are legitimate questions as to Team: Blues/San Antonio (AHL) how well his game might translate, but I suspect he complements the 2019-20 stats: 5 games, 1 assist, 1 point/48 games, 2 goals, 12 assists, Blues’ big blueline well if he’s given a real opportunity in a depth role. 14 points Heed played a similar game in the SHL and AHL before carving out a niche in a lesser role at the NHL level. NHL comparable: Kevin Gravel (Toronto) Alexei Toropchenko, F, 21 Wheeler’s take: There’s more to Mikkola’s game than meets the eye – or the stat sheet. It’s easy to look at his numbers and wonder why he’s held Drafted: 2017, 4th round (No. 113) in high regard within the Blues organization, or assume that he’s a stay- Team: San Antonio (AHL) at-home type because he doesn’t produce and he’s 6-foot-4. And though there’s an element of truth to all of those things, he’s actually a lighter, 2019-20 stats: 59 games, 5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points more fluid skater than you might expect, and he doesn’t have to rely on the off-the-glass and out play. Though Crohn’s disease has prevented NHL comparable: Tomas Jurco (Edmonton) Gravel from becoming the 82-game defenceman he was probably Wheeler’s take: Jurco is one of those players who has driven me crazy capable of becoming, he played the same kind of game to possession- over the years. When you watch him play, there’s no denying he looks driving, strong underlying results in Los Angeles for a while. like an NHL player. But then you match his style of play and overall skill Scott Perunovich, D, 21 level with his results and those two things have just never lined up. So either your eyes are playing tricks on you or a player who has been in the Drafted: 2018, 2nd round (No. 45) NHL for more than half a decade, has skill, and is 6-foot-2 has somehow been misused across three different organizations. Toropchenko brings Team: University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) about the same kind of analysis. He’s big, he’s an excellent skater, he 2019-20 stats: 34 games, 6 goals, 34 assists, 40 points has pure one-on-one skill, and he consistently shows flashes without ever putting it all together on a consistent basis. The result is a player NHL comparable: Erik Gustafsson (Calgary) who leaves you wanting more even though you know he has it in him.

Wheeler’s take: Perunovich was the hardest prospect for whom to find a Tyler Tucker, D, 20 comparable, which is weird because the better players are normally easier to associate with an active NHL player than those whose odds at Drafted: 2017, 7th round (No. 200) making it are already slim. But the truth is that there aren’t a lot of 5-foot- Team: Barrie/Flint, Hockey League (OHL) 10 defencemen in the NHL (just eight were regulars this season) and none of them play quite like Perunovich. Gustafsson, who is 6 feet, felt 2019-20 stats (combined): 55 games, 17 goals, 39 assists, 56 points like the closest thing, if only for the way that he sees the ice. Gustafsson sees right through pressure like it’s not even there, and he’s a NHL comparable: Somewhere between Joel Edmundson (Carolina) and phenomenal quarterback when he has the puck as a result, directing play Ryan Lindgren (New York Rangers) exactly how he wants to. He’s also a fine defender, but that’s never going Wheeler’s take: Tucker is just a pain in the ass. He’s the kind of player to be the strength of his game. Perunovich is similar in those ways, who finishes every check, will willingly fight opposing players if they push particularly in his ability to dictate play to the opposition as a heady, back, goes out of his way to give the opposition that extra jab after the anticipatory passer. whistle, and has the muscle and size to make each of those things hurt. Austin Poganski, F, 24 He’s a throwback defender who plays an in-your-face style defensively and a simple but effective game offensively that leverages his strength Drafted: 2014, 4th round (No. 110) behind a hard shot. Edmundson and Lindgren have always played the same kind of game, and though they’re a bit of a dying breed, there’s Team: Blues/San Antonio (AHL) always going to be room for hard-nosed defenders if they have enough 2019-20 stats: 1 game/56 games, 10 goals, 20 assists, 30 points skill. Tucker might just be talented enough to make it work.

NHL comparable: (Colorado) Jake Walman, D, 24

Wheeler’s take: Poganski’s game just screams “serviceable depth Drafted: 2014, 3rd round (No. 82) forward.” He’s not talented enough to play in a top-six role. He might not Team: Blues/San Antonio (AHL) even be talented enough to be more than a passenger in a third-line role. But he’ll execute the odd pass that surprises a defender, he’s an 2019-20 stats: 1 game/57 games, 8 goals, 19 assists, 27 points excellent player off the cycle despite not being particularly mean or physical for a 6-foot-2, 200-plus-pound player, and he can penalty kill. I NHL comparable: Jake McCabe (Buffalo) do worry, however, as to whether he’s going to be able to contribute as Wheeler’s take: Walman’s a standout athlete who excels in the gym and more than a tweener at even strength, given that more than half of his has some clear NHL qualities but has been slow to progress and grab a already low-end goal-scoring totals in the AHL have come on special job at the next level for seven years. It was nice to see him get some teams – because he’s not going to play on an NHL power play. Kamenev power-play time this season because he has always had more to give offensively in the AHL than we’ve seen to date. He’s strong and sturdy, which helps him leverage his frame as a powerful defender when he’s on the ice. He also skates well and does a good job closing gaps in one or two strong pushes from a standstill. Add in improvements to his game in the defensive zone by keeping his head up, his stick in passing lanes, and his feet moving, and you’ve got a player who suddenly looks like a real option as a call-up. In each of those ways, his game resembles McCabe’s, though McCabe has a little more snarl.

Keean Washkurak, F, 18

Drafted: 2019, 5th round (No. 155)

Team: Mississauga (OHL)

2019-20 stats: 49 games, 22 goals, 30 assists, 52 points

NHL comparable: Casey Cizikas (New York Islanders)

Wheeler’s take: Washkurak is a pest. His feet are always moving. He’s always chasing. He finishes all of his checks. He’s engaged. And though he’s not big or particularly gifted offensively, he plays heavy (with and without the puck) and fights for body positioning all over the ice to chip in wherever – and however – he can. Cizikas has made a career out of refining those skills, playing on the interior, and carving out a niche. Washkurak should look to replicate that in his own game because he’s probably never going to be talented enough to play high in the lineup.

Mathias Laferriere, F, 20

Drafted: 2018, 6th round (No. 169)

Team: Cape Breton (QMJHL)

2019-20 stats: 40 games, 20 goals, 28 assists, 48 points

NHL comparable: Richard Panik (Washington)

Wheeler’s take: Laferriere, like Toropcheko but to a lesser degree, is one of those players who has obvious NHL tools but isn’t always “on.” His play seems to change from one game to the next and finding that consistently high level, that next gear, has proven to be fleeting. He’s a very good junior player who does a good job putting pucks into space for his linemates. There’s just something missing in his game a little too often, though, and when he doesn’t move his feet, he can take himself out of shifts and games. Panik was that kind of player for a long time, and they’re both the same height and handedness. It wasn’t until well into Panik’s career that he established himself as a versatile playmaker who could give you 30-40 points a season. There’s a heaviness to Panik’s game that has helped him get there, though, and I’m not sure Laferriere will ever develop that – at least not to the same extent.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187682 Tampa Bay Lightning

Dock Talk: Kenan Thompson, as Big Papi, predicts Lightning win the Stanley Cup

Diana C. Nearhos

TAMPA — Kenan Thompson works in New York and plays in Tampa, so after Alex Killorn posted a video parodying D2: The Mighty Ducks, Thompson’s first movie, the actor wanted in on the action. He hopped on a Sea-Doo and joined Friday night’s season finale of Alex Killorn’s Dock Talk on Instagram Live.

Killorn, who watched D2 again recently as “research,” pointed out that Thompson might have been the original trash talker in hockey.

“I mean that one line, what did you say,” Killorn said. “Goldberg — ”

“If that was a cheeseburger, you’d stop it,” Thompson jumped in without pause.

Impressions are a staple of any Saturday Night Live actor. Killorn took advantage of Kenan Thompson’s David Ortiz voice.

Soooo good!!! Flying V on the water?! Whaaaat?!!! Put me in the sequel bros!!!! https://t.co/j11ZiNfFvm

— Kenan Thompson (@kenanthompson) May 28, 2020

Killorn, who went to school in Boston, asked Thompson, as Big Papi, to define hockey terms like icing — “You know, icing, it’s like the little cup you get with the snow cone in it, and the cherry on top? Icing, man” — and bender (a chirp for people whose ankles bend on skates) — “Oh, I know what a bender is, man. It takes way too long to get back in good with your wife.”

Killorn finished with one final question: Who does Big Papi think is going to win the Stanley Cup.

“The Tampa Bay Lightning, man!” Thompson/Ortiz said. “We got redemption coming.”

Killorn also visited with teammates Anthony Cirelli and Kevin Shattenkirk. Cirelli was featured in the Mighty Ducks parody as a waiter and hopped on a Sea-Doo in jeans. He’s been hearing about it ever since. So Cirelli, playing a server at American Social, where employees are required to wear jeans, took the opportunity to clear things up.

“If that was just me and Killer just going out, I’d wear a bathing suit and jump in,” Cirelli said. “But for the part that I played, in my role as that character, I wanted to be in full mode.”

Shattenkirk, who went to Boston University, shared a story of scoring on Killorn, who played at Harvard, in the Beanpot Tournament and how Killorn’s father was less than impressed.

“It’s really strange because Killer is one of our best penalty kill guys,” Shattenkirk said. “He came out to block a shot and I absolutely walked him.”

Later, when Killorn and his father watched the replay, Matt Killorn laughed and quipped, “nice defensive play, Alex.” Killorn said he lost it, that he was “a little sensitive back then.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187683 Toronto Maple Leafs required for players, team personnel and others who will be in the vicinity of players (ice and building maintenance, security, etc.) 48 hours prior to returning to team facilities and every other day after that.

The NHL is back: Players, owners ratify return-to-play plan and CBA When the teams come to Toronto and Edmonton, rosters will be limited extension to 31 players (including goalies), with a maximum of 52 individuals per team (including ownership, players, coaches, executives and staff) being permitted inside the secure zone. There will be daily testing, symptom checks and temperature screenings for each person. Kevin McGran Here are a few key things to know about the NHL’s return to play: Fri., July 10, 2020 Game Schedule

Start times will be staggered. The start times for the 10 days of Stanley NHL hockey this summer. NHL players in the Olympics. NHL labour Cup qualifiers in Toronto (Eastern Conference games) will be: 12 p.m., 4 peace until 2026. p.m. and 8 p.m. The start times in Edmonton (Western Conference And it all starts Monday. games) will be 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. (All times Eastern.)

The NHL players and the league’s owners each passed two complex, Qualifying Round interlinked deals: one that outlines the return to play during the The Stanley Cup qualifiers, featuring the 16 teams that are contesting coronavirus pandemic that will crown a Stanley Cup champion this best-of-five series to determine the eight teams advancing to the Stanley summer, and the other an extension to the collective bargaining Cup playoffs, will begin on Aug. 1, with five games: three in Toronto agreement that addresses long-standing issues regarding how much (Carolina vs. N.Y. Rangers, Florida vs. N.Y. Islanders and Montreal vs. players get paid. Pittsburgh) and two in Edmonton (Chicago vs. Edmonton, Calgary vs. “This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, Winnipeg). and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” said Donald Fehr, the Round Robin executive director of the NHL Players’ Association. The top four teams from each conference playing to determine seeding On Monday, all players will be allowed to report to their team’s training will begin on Aug. 2, with two games, one in each hub city: Boston vs. camps in the 24 cities that will be in the summertime Stanley Cup Philadelphia (at Toronto) and Colorado vs. St. Louis (at Edmonton). tournament. The bottom seven teams in the 31-team league from the 2019-20 season will not participate. Statistics

On July 26, the 12 teams from the Eastern Conference will come to For statistical purposes only, all games from the qualifiers (round robin Toronto and the 12 from the Western Conference will fly to Edmonton for and qualifying rounds) are considered part of the 2020 post-season. a couple of exhibition games, followed by the beginning of the Accordingly, all skater/goalie/team statistics accumulated in these games tournament. The Leafs will face Columbus in a best-of-five series to will be included in the 2020 player and team post-season stats. advance to the round of 16. Achievements from these games and series will be included on records.nhl.com. The federal government, the governments of Ontario and Alberta and the local governments in Toronto and Edmonton cleared the way for the In other words, teams participating in the best-of-five series re players not to have to quarantine individually, the way anybody else considered to have made the post-season and participated in a post- coming to Canada would have to. season series.

Instead, players and other team officials will be allowed to quarantine The Lottery, Phase 2 together with movements limited to hotels, practice facilities and game facilities, with a few team events like golf. Remember that one of the teams eliminated in the qualifying round will also win the first overall pick in the NHL draft. All eight eliminated teams On Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended the waiver. have a 12.5 per cent chance at that pick. The lottery for that pick will be Aug. 10 (between the qualifying round and the start of the first round). “We went to the federal government, they approved it. Our municipalities, city of Toronto, approved it,” said Ford. “(The NHL has) very stringent The biggest issue was escrow, the amount of a player’s paycheque that rules and regulations for their players. I even thought, when they told me is held back each year in case the league fails to meet revenue they were getting tested every single day — I’m not a medical projections. Both sides believe they have found a way to get that professional — I don’t think they need testing every day. Every third day percentage as low as possible. or whatever. But man, they’re tough on the players. To do so, the salary cap will be held to $81.5 million (U.S.) until revenues “I’ll tell you, I think people would like to see a few hockey games on surpass $4.8 billion. Escrow will start at 20 per cent in 2020-21, 14 per television. I don’t think it will be too bad.” cent in 2021-22 (with provisions for a different number based on revenue), then it will lock in at 10 per cent in 2022-23, and finish the final The collective bargaining agreement was also approved, a four-year three years of the extension at six per cent. extension that will see the NHL negotiate with the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation. It also sees Other tidbits sweeping changes to how the players are paid, including limits on how much the players pay back to owners if hockey-related revenue targets The league will negotiate NHL player appearances with the International are not met. Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation.

The Star has learned a key component of the deal is salary protection for The CBA features increased health benefits and pension benefits. the 2020-21 season, now slated to begin in December. The players will The league minimum salaries rise to $775,000 by 2026 (from $700,000). be paid for next season if it is played or not, or if it is played to empty seats. The entry level maximum salary rises to $1 million by 2026 (from $925,000). As for this season, Hotel X, on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition, will host the top five teams in the East according to points The playoff fund is $32 million (up from $17 million) this year. It will revert percentage from the coronavirus-shortened season: Boston, Tampa Bay, down to $20 million next year, and up to $24 million in 25-26. Washington, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. No-trade clauses follow players to their new teams. The other seven teams, including the Maple Leafs, will be housed in the Fairmont Royal York on Front Street. Games missed due to suspension now count toward pensions.

Rosters will being limited to 30 skaters for training camp while allowing Critical dates for an unlimited number of goalies per team. Participation is limited to Monday: Training camps open players who are eligible for the playoffs. COVID-19 testing will be July 26: Travel to hub cities

July 28-30: Exhibition games

Aug. 1: Stanley Cup qualifying round begins

Aug. 10: Second part of draft lottery

Aug. 11: First round of playoffs begin

Aug. 25: Second round of playoffs begin

Sept. 8: Conference finals begin

Sept. 22: Stanley Cup final begins

Oct. 4: Last possible date of final

Oct. 9-10: NHL draft

Toronto Star LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187684 Toronto Maple Leafs quarantining exemptions that will allow the NHL to announce Edmonton and Toronto as the hub cities for a 24-team tournament to complete the 2019-20 season.

The NHL’s hub city approach is low risk, experts say, but there are still “That regime is going to prevent big outbreaks from happening, but it’s weaknesses to the plan not going to stop individual cases,” Furness said.

As for testing, Morris fears the cases that will be missed. Teams are allowed an entourage of 52, including 31 players, meaning as many as Kevin McGran 624 people in each hub. There will also be league officials, referees, linesmen, scoring officials. Everyone will be tested, daily. That could be Fri., July 10, 2020 up to 2,000 a day.

Testing for COVID-19 means self-isolation until cleared by medical staff. Health experts say using Toronto and Edmonton as hub cities for the But Morris suggests maybe as many as a dozen within the bubble could NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs probably isn’t a danger to public health in the be contagious, asymptomatic and pass a test. age of the coronavirus. “It does rely heavily on the efficacy of testing,” Morris said. “I keep telling But they add there are no guarantees and that the system has its flaws, people, professional sports does not have a great track record with including the movement of people like bus drivers and hotel staff in and routine testing of anything.” out of supposedly coronavirus-free bubbles, a dependence on testing Hockey has a checkered history of players playing through injury and that can be less than 100 per cent accurate, and the reliability of illness, either by their own will or with their team’s encouragement. professional athletes, teams and the league to follow self-isolation polices after a player tests positive for COVID-19. “Give me an example, when testing in elite sports, actually, when people have trusted it. Is there even an example?” Morris said. “Whether it’s “It’s not awful. The risks are relatively low. Still, it’s not what I would have concussion testing in the NHL or NFL, or performance-enhancing drugs, wanted to see,” said Andrew Morris, a professor in the Faculty of or blood doping, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Medicine at the University of Toronto. “They have the advantage of having bubbles in cities that have relatively little COVID at the moment. “Would a player think twice before disclosing symptoms?” The biggest unknown for all of it is what will it be like a month from now or six weeks from now?” Toronto will host the 12 Eastern Conference teams, largely housed in Hotel X on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition. Edmonton “It looks like a good plan, but there are a couple of weak points,” said will host the 12 Western Conference teams, and likely hold the Colin Furness, an assistant professor at the Institute of Health Policy, conference finals and the Stanley Cup final. Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. “You’re setting up a city within a city,” Furness said, “This is a really The governments of Canada, Ontario and Alberta, as well as local health interesting experiment. The alternatives are to be dangerous, or to not officials, created quarantining exemptions that allowed the NHL to play at all. announce Edmonton and Toronto as the hub cities for a 24-team tournament to complete the 2019-20 season. “I think this is way better than no sports.”

Training camps open Monday, and teams will descend on the two hub Toronto Star LOADED: 07.11.2020 cities starting July 26, with qualifying round games beginning Aug. 1. (The Maple Leafs will play the Columbus Blue Jackets in a best-of-five series for the right to advance into the playoffs.) No teams will be subject to 14-day quarantining like anyone else coming into Canada, though player movements will be restricted to their hotel room, hotel restaurant, practice facility, game facility and team outings.

“I am not a fan of the fact that they are not endorsing a 14-day quarantine for each player,” Morris said. “The various levels of government could have pushed for the 14 days and it’s not like the NHL would have another, better choice.”

A total of 10 cities vied to be one of the hubs. Las Vegas had been a favourite, but outbreaks of COVID-19 throughout the United States — plus the low value of the Canadian dollar — put the focus on the three Canadian cities on that list. Vancouver, which appeared to be the leading Canadian candidate, withdrew because health officials there did not like some of what the NHL was asking.

That left Edmonton and Toronto in what will amount to an experiment in COVID control, according to Furness.

“We will learn a lot from that, from what works and maybe what doesn’t work,” Furness said. “This is a big learning exercise in addition to trying to get the NHL to have these playoffs.

“Even if there are mishaps, that’s still going to be very useful for us to figure out, can this work, can that work?”

Furness, like Morris, sees places where the coronavirus could leak into or out of the hub.

“So housekeeping is coming into rooms every three days,” Furness said. “If I rent a hotel room now I would say, ‘No thanks, housekeeping.’ So I’m surprised. Maybe that’s because VIP athletes don’t make their own beds. I would have looked more carefully at that.”

Housekeepers, like anyone coming into even remote contact with players, will be tested daily.

Exhibition Grounds with the X Hotel. The governments of Canada, Ontario and Alberta, as well as local health officials, have created 1187685 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs open door for Jackets, Hub games

Lance Hornby

July 10, 2020 10:06 PM EDT

Back in March when everyone in town said they didn’t care how the Maple Leafs got in the playoffs or who they met, a start date of Aug. 2 against Columbus didn’t leap to mind.

But the best-of-five series — all to be played at an empty Scotiabank Arena — is just part of the COVID-19 concessions that players and owners OK’d Friday night. The entire 24-team tournament, 12 teams in the Toronto and Edmonton hubs, has the go-ahead. Leafs – Jackets is one of eight qualifying rounds in the Eastern and Western conferences, while the top four clubs in each who were ahead when play halted March 12 get a bye to stage a round robin event for first round seeding.

The first three games in the Toronto – Columbus series will be every other day, with Game 3 and if necessary Game 4 back-to-back, having the Jackets as home team. Game 5 would be Aug. 9. Start times for all teams in Toronto are staggered at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., with full broadcast information to follow. It’s the first ever playoff series between the teams who haven’t met since Oct. 21.

It’s expected the Leafs will address the media on the weekend to detail their plans and perhaps some of the enhancements at SBA to replicate a full house, after the league and PA hold Saturday Zoom press conferences to comment on ratification of the collective bargaining agreement. The Leafs have been working out in small groups, but move to full camp on Monday at with a maximum of 31 players.

Though the Leafs trumpeted their official Hub status on Twitter Friday night, they get no special breaks. They must stay in a hotel like the other 11 squads, might have to give up their spacious dressing room to a higher seeded team and shift to the visiting bench for Games 3 and 4. After the first three rounds, Edmonton has been pre-selected for the conference final and Stanley Cup championship.

But with COVID numbers down in Ontario and a second ‘bubble’ environment available around Coca-Cola Coliseum on the spacious Exhibition grounds where the AHL Marlies play, Hogtown was always high on the league’s list. The 12 teams will split between staying at the Royal York Hotel near SBA and Hotel X beside the Coliseum.

“The Leafs, working in concert with the NHL, NHLPA, and health officials from the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario, are determined to create and maintain a safe and secure hub city experience for the players and the league alike,” a statement from the club read. “More importantly, we are also deeply committed to help ensure the health and safety of the residents of Toronto by adhering to the strict and comprehensive protocols of the hub strategy so that the experience is a positive one for all.”

Once all visiting teams arrive here by July 26 (a couple of exhibition games will precede the start of the tourney Aug. 1), players and staff that comprise a total of 52 people can’t stray from a daily routine of practice, hotel, meals and games, though Mayor John Tory said earlier he wouldn’t deny them a chance for “fresh air” now and then. All will be tested daily as well as temperature checks and symptom screenings. Individuals who might have direct or indirect contact with the teams will be tested daily, too.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187686 Toronto Maple Leafs Alex Kerfoot and Kasperi Kapanen? Or does he do the old hockey thing and make Robertson “earn it” by starting from the bottom Drake style? It doesn’t feel like the Leafs will have time for the latter approach, and Keefe doesn’t seem inclined for those games either. Is there any risk of The 8 biggest questions facing the Maple Leafs when training camp re- alienating Pierre Engvall by having Robertson leapfrog him for a spot opens from go?

This could end up being the biggest storyline of training camp.

Jonas Siegel (The betting here is Robertson makes a splash.)

Jul 10, 2020 Who plays with who? — Pt. 1 (Forwards)

We have a pretty firm idea of who Toronto’s top-six forwards will be coming back (assuming everyone stays healthy, of course, which we’ll We’re back! get to in a second): Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, Maybe? Sort of? Hopefully? Mitch Marner, Zach Hyman, and Ilya Mikheyev.

Training camp (another one) is finally here, a restart on two fronts for the The question of the moment: How does Keefe arrange those pieces? Maple Leafs. There’s the starting back up after months of quarantine, but Creative and willing to experiment after he replaced Mike Babcock in late also an opportunity to restart a season that never did get on track. What November, Keefe nonetheless largely stuck with Matthews and Marner should we look for from the Leafs over the next few weeks, before the on one line up top and Nylander and Tavares on the other, with a rotating play-in round against the Blue Jackets begins in early August? cast of wingers surrounding them. Let’s dive in. The time-on-ice numbers for the Big 4 indicate as much: How does everyone look after the long layoff? Matthews with Marner: 500:15 The Leafs played their last game on March 10, a thorough 2-1 victory Matthews with Nylander: 264:12 over Tampa. It’s almost five months from when they’ll play Game 1 against Columbus, and just over four months from the scheduled start of Tavares with Marner: 158:49 camp on July 13. That’s an entire offseason, but without any of the rhythms and routines of a normal offseason. How will the disruption to Tavares with Nylander: 379:46 training affect the Leafs? What kind of shape will they come back in? Those two combos were mostly a hit, until March when things — How seriously were they able (and willing) to train? Is the general youth particularly with Matthews and Marner — went stale and Keefe finally of the Leafs an advantage that way — easier to spring back? — or a went back to the more familiar look of Nylander with Matthews and disadvantage — less diligence (maybe) in staying on top of everything Marner with Tavares. with access to ice and facilities limited for some time? What does the Leafs coach do now? He knows what’s worked this How will the pause impact older players like 37-year-old Jason Spezza? season, but also knows what worked in the past in his back pocket. Will they have enough time in training camp to rev back up? There’s no combination with those six forwards that doesn’t have a made it a focal point of his message to players during the chance to pop. Hyman and Mikheyev are almost interchangeable too, pause that they come back in the best shape possible. The Leafs GM capable of fitting around either of the two centres with their big bodies described it as a “major competitive factor.” Did players heed his advice? and work ethic.

Is Nick Robertson ready for the NHL? During one of the last pre-pause practices in El Segundo, Cali., in early March, Keefe played around with Mikheyev (still hurt and not all that What Robertson will be attempting is unprecedented: Cracking his first close to a return) alongside Tavares and Nylander, with Hyman tag- pro roster to play NHL games for the very first time — do-or-die NHL teaming with Matthews and Marner. games — in the middle of a pandemic for one of the league’s most scrutinized teams. Oh, and doing it all before turning 19, and eventually By the finale against the Lightning, it was back to the good ol’ days of doing it inside a bubble on the grounds of Exhibition Place. Nylander, Matthews, Hyman, with Tavares and Marner reunited and Kapanen on their left. It’s quite the ask of Robertson, who, remember, hasn’t suited up in an NHL preseason game or even a full NHL practice. Lying ahead are play- Other matters Keefe will have to sort out: in games with the Leafs’ season on the line. No pressure! What to do with Robertson, of course? None of that means it can’t or won’t be done. Does Alex Kerfoot return to centre the third line? (That seems like a Robertson dominated the OHL with more than a goal per game for given.) Peterborough this season. The Leafs could use that extra punch in their What’s the ideal trio on the fourth line? lineup — and know it. It’s what fuelling the 18-year-old even getting a look. There’s also something to this kid, an apparent determination to If Robertson snags a spot, who does he bump from the lineup — succeed, that makes you think he can pull this off and make an Engvall? Frederik Gauthier? Kyle Clifford maybe? impression. It’s a curious question. Engvall brings the obvious speed dynamic, which STAYIN IN THE RHYTHM PIC.TWITTER.COM/HEVQAMGYXR tends to wreak havoc on the penalty kill especially; Gauthier frees Spezza from playing centre and brings 239 pounds to the table; Clifford — NICHOLAS ROBERTSON (@NICKROBERTSON01) MAY 15, 2020 boasts experience and a veteran voice as well as a heaviness that might Sheldon Keefe won’t have long to decide if Robertson is ready, just a few play well against the Blue Jackets. weeks after this unprecedented layoff when removing the rust will be half Who plays with who? — Pt. 2 (Defence) the battle for everyone. What might Keefe be looking for in determining Robertson’s readiness? You’d have to think he’d want to know if This all comes down to what Keefe wants to do with Tyson Barrie. Robertson, listed at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds (before the shutdown Does Keefe want to reconnect Barrie with Morgan Rielly? Or does he anyway), can handle the physicality of the league right now? How does prefer to lighten Barrie’s defensive load and put him with Travis Dermott he respond in the corner when he’s got a Jake Muzzin-sized defender on on the third pair instead? his back? Will he be comfortable and confident making plays against competition like that? Heady enough to not be a defensive liability? What The Leafs finished the regular season with the latter construction, with about the NHL pace? Will he find a fit with his new teammates? Will he Barrie totalling under 16 minutes in third pair duty (alongside Rasmus be overwhelmed by the scale of his task? Sandin with Dermott still playing higher in the lineup) in that unexpected finale against Tampa. Rielly, remember, returned from a two-month It will be interesting to see where Keefe slots Robertson initially at camp: Does he give him a spot in the top-nine right off the hop, alongside say, absence that night but instead of rejoining Barrie, was with Cody Ceci was sliced by a skate in late December. Mikheyev probably would have again instead. returned before the regular season concluded — had it concluded in a normal fashion. But there was no telling how comfortable he would feel Dropping Barrie onto the third pair would allow Keefe to stuff the point after such a serious injury, one that kept him from putting pressure on his machine out there for offensive zone draws and limit his defensive zone right hand for 90 days to allow the tendons to heal. interactions with Columbus’ top lines. That would seem to cater to his rushing skills and thrust him into the attack as much as possible — even He was shooting pucks just fine the last time we saw him, for what’s it for the odd offensive zone start with Rielly. Conversely, it might also keep worth, but we’re talking about seven months between games — a his minutes down and limit his impact. complication slightly negated by the fact that everyone else hasn’t played in forever either. On the other hand, Keefe could go back to Rielly-Barrie and leave Dermott and Ceci to tangle with the Jackets’ second and third lines (with Mikheyev is such an important component to the Leafs forwards, in that Muzzin and Justin Holl handling the No. 1 unit). Dermott played the best he can play with the big boys and allow everyone else (namely Kerfoot, hockey of his NHL career in the final weeks of the season when he was Spezza and Engvall) to fall into place elsewhere. He’s all the more crucial handed top defensive assignments alongside Holl. with Andreas Johnsson out.

Can he prop up Ceci though? What does Sheldon Keefe’s first NHL training camp look like?

If you go simply by the numbers, the Rielly-Barrie connection went fine How about this for your first training camp as an NHL head coach — from the time they were put together initially by Keefe in early December: preparing a team to return to play in the middle of a pandemic? 53 percent expected goals, 53 percent possession, 66 percent goals-for percentage. That was with heavy duty in the offensive zone (59 percent We’ve already touched on some of the lineup questions facing Keefe, but zone start percentage) though. More worrying, particularly with a rugged what about the structure of this unusual camp. How much of it will be a Columbus forward group ahead, Rielly and Barrie were often ground refresher course, a reminder of systems and good game-play, or a deep down by heavier attacks. dive into video? How much does the Leafs coach focus on conditioning? How much depends on the skill development he incorporated into It was notable that Keefe opted not to reunite them in Rielly’s return from practices after taking over from Babcock? How does he keep his players a broken foot. in the right frame of mind as they prepare to live in a bubble — away from family and friends — for weeks, and maybe months, while playing Rielly and Ceci finally came apart when No. 1 lines were on the menu, hockey in an arena without fans? but they might be fine against secondary competition. Easy stuff for the first-year NHL coach. Finally, there’s the darkhorse possibility of Sandin. Will there be any inclination to give him a shot? And if so, where? Unless they’re sitting The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 Ceci, which seems unlikely given the need for him to soak-up shifts in the defensive zone and kill penalties, it’s hard to see a path to Sandin getting in beyond injuries.

Speaking of…

Can the Leafs stay healthy?

On the one hand, it seems reasonable to expect some minor injuries after the layoff. But given the short timeline they’re looking at here, the Leafs have to hope nothing serious, or even semi-serious, arises.

Even a seven-to-10-day absence might derail availability for the start of the play-in round.

More concerning is the possibility of somebody contracting COVID-19. A sick player, assuming no further complications, likely wouldn’t be able to recover, quarantine, and get back in shape without missing some games. That could damage the Leafs’ chances, especially if it’s a key player. There’s also the risk of further spread within the team, a more troubling prospect given that players will be bubble-free in Phase 3, free to do what they want while hopefully (like all of us) exercising good judgment.

Will Frederik Andersen be ready?

For whatever reason, Andersen has had a hard time starting seasons, for the most part, since he became a Leaf. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t play much in exhibition? Maybe it’s inherently difficult for goaltenders to slide into a rhythm without much real work? Maybe it’s something mental? Maybe a bit of everything.

Whatever the case, coming back after a break that mirrors the offseason figures to pose a challenge for Andersen, particularly given the unusual circumstances.

Maybe no one in hockey is more disadvantaged by the break than goaltenders, who need a lot of shots and thus, outside help, to get their work in, effectively. And while he spent some time quarantined with Matthews — potentially peppered by one of the finest shooters on the planet — he’s surely missed the daily preparation he’d normally been doing with coach Steve Briere heading into the playoffs.

Andersen will have to get up to speed, with maybe only a game or two of exhibition action. Then, suddenly, he’ll be facing the most critical shots of the season.

What do the previously injured guys look like in their return?

Technically, we need to include Muzzin in this category since he missed the last six games of the season recovering from a broken foot. But really this is all about Mikheyev, who sat out the final 31 games after his wrist 1187687 Vegas Golden Knights The salary cap will remain at $81.5 million until revenues return to pre- pandemic levels and escrow, the portion of each player’s paycheck withheld to ensure a 50-50 revenue split with owners, will be capped at 20 percent next season. NHL, NHLPA ratify plan to resume season The deal also provides clarity on a couple of issues for the Knights.

The NHL indicated teams participating in the qualifying round are David Schoen considered to have made the postseason, meaning the Knights are in line to receive a 2021 third-round pick from Winnipeg based on the July 10, 2020 - 7:17 PM conditions of the Cody Eakin trade.

The status of Jack Dugan was finalized as well, with the league ruling The NHL is ready to drop the puck for the postseason. that the 2017 fifth-round pick is not eligible to play in the postseason tournament, according to an attachment in the new CBA. The league and NHL Players’ Association approved the return-to-play plan Friday and also ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that However, Dugan can sign for the 2019-20 season and burn the first year paves the way for a 24-team postseason tournament to award the of his two-year, entry-level contract. The signing window runs from 9 a.m. Stanley Cup. Pacific time Monday to 2 p.m. Wednesday.

I’m back. “This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time. This would not have — The Stanley Cup (@StanleyCup) July 10, 2020 happened but for the enormous contributions that the players made throughout, particularly those who served on the Negotiating and Return The Golden Knights will begin training camp Monday and play games in to Play Committees, as well as those on the Executive Board,” said Don Edmonton, Alberta. They open the round robin Aug. 3 against Dallas Fehr, NHLPA executive director. “Most importantly, we are pleased to be followed by games against St. Louis (Aug. 6) and Colorado (Aug. 8) to able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans. We look forward to the NHL’s determine seeding for the Western Conference quarterfinals. continued growth here in North America and on the world stage.” Toronto will serve as the hub city for the 12 Eastern Conference clubs, LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 07.11.2020 the league announced. The conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will be played in Edmonton.

Las Vegas was one of 10 finalists to be selected as a hub city and appeared to be one of the front-runners throughout the vetting process. The league’s decision to pivot toward Canada coincided with a surge in new COVID-19 cases this month in Clark County, including an unknown number of casino and hotel employees.

“Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our League,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

“While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities. We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12.”

The Knights will travel to Edmonton on July 26 and live in the league’s “Phase 4 Secure Zone.” All members of the 52-person traveling party, including a maximum of 31 players, will be tested daily for COVID-19 and receive daily temperature checks and symptom screenings. Any individual who tests positive will immediately be isolated.

Players have until Monday to notify teams they are opting out of participating in the postseason tournament.

Hearing #NHLPA membership voted 502-135 in favor of ratifying full CBA and RTP package. That's nearly 79 per cent in favor.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 10, 2020

The Knights will play an exhibition game against an opponent to be determined between July 28 and 30. Games during the qualifying round and round robin will start each day at 11 a.m., 3:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m., and fans will not be allowed inside the arena. Broadcast information is yet to be released.

The conference quarterfinals will begin Aug. 11, and the Knights’ opponent will be determined based on their seed and the results of the qualifying round.

The Stanley Cup Final is tentatively set to begin Sept. 22 and will end no later than Oct. 4.

THE BRACKET IS SET

Who's your pick to win the #StanleyCup? pic.twitter.com/UsXpgYL44n

— NHL (@NHL) July 11, 2020

The new CBA, which was tentatively agreed to Monday, provides labor peace through 2025-26 and allows players to return to the Olympics in 2022 and 2026. 1187688 Vegas Golden Knights That leaves only $3.5 million for Cousins and unrestricted free agent Robin Lehner. As you can see, keeping their newly acquired star goaltender could prove difficult, especially with the flat cap.

A flat salary cap means the Golden Knights could get younger soon Oscar Dansk, who has played mostly with the over the last three seasons, just signed a new deal worth $700,000 per season. If Vegas opts to use him as the backup, it suddenly has a full 20-player roster with $2,811,667 remaining in salary cap. That money could be Jesse Granger used to keep Cousins, unrestricted free agents Jon Merrill, Tomas Nosek Jul 10, 2020 and Deryk Engelland, or seek outside help in free agency. Trying to play out the same scenario while keeping Lehner is increasingly difficult, especially after signing Ryan Reaves to his recent extension.

The coronavirus shutdown has wreaked havoc on the NHL, and after Ready for the good news? If you’ve made it this far I’d say you deserve details from the proposed collective bargaining agreement were unveiled, some at this point. it’s clear that it will have a long-lasting impact on the NHL for years to come. Unlike some other teams that are pressed against the salary cap ceiling, Vegas actually doesn’t have many expiring contracts over the next With the league’s revenue reportedly falling as much as 30 percent this couple of seasons. Toronto, for example, is in a similar jam but also season, it will be forced to make adjustments to the salary cap. That faces the potential of losing UFAs Tyson Berrie and Codi Ceci this means the NHL’s salary cap could remain flat at $81.5 million for several offseason, and Frederik Andersen and Zach Hyman the following year. seasons, only going up after the league reaches $4.8 billion in revenues. It could be several years before that happens, considering last season’s So while the Golden Knights won’t be in a position to add major pieces, revenue barely surpassed $5 billion, and it doesn’t appear likely hockey they also aren’t at the risk of losing many. Even after the 2021-22 will be playing with jam-packed buildings for a while. season, their only expiring contracts are those of Stastny and Alec Martinez. Vegas’ core of Stone, Pacioretty, William Karlsson, Jonathan The flat salary cap will impact many teams, including the Golden Knights, Marchessault, Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore are all signed through who have pressed themselves tightly to the cap ceiling for the last couple at least the 2022-23 season. of seasons. According to CapFriendly, Vegas has already committed $75,125,000 to next season with only 16 players under contract. That Reilly Smith will become an unrestricted free agent after 2021-22, as will leaves only $6.375 million to fill out the remainder of the roster, and the Brayden McNabb and Marc-Andre Fleury. But by that time, the hope is Golden Knights still have two restricted free agents and three young players like Peyton Krebs, Hague, Elvenes, Dugan, and perhaps unrestricted. Ivan Morozov, Pavel Dorofeyev and Kaedan Korczak will be ready to fill roster spots with cheap entry-level contracts. Based on the way they’ve constructed the roster, general manager Kelly McCrimmon and president of hockey operations George McPhee were The flat cap certainly makes the Golden Knights’ path forward more banking on the salary cap continuing to rise each year. Now that it won’t treacherous. It means they’ll need to rely on development within their be, they’ll have to slightly adjust their plans. organization, and contributions from young players. They haven’t needed to do this yet. How so? To start, the Golden Knights will need to improve their team with younger, cheaper options, which is something they really haven’t They appear to have plenty of promising prospects to get there, but only done much of to this point in their franchise. That’s not necessarily their time will tell. fault, it’s a product of being an expansion team. Prospects take time to The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 develop, and Vegas started from the ground floor three years ago.

Up until now, the moves of McPhee and McCrimmon to improve their roster have all been relatively expensive. Whether it was signing Paul Stastny to a $19.5 million deal as an unrestricted free agent, trading for Max Pacioretty and signing him to a $28 million extension, or trading for Mark Stone and handing him a franchise-record $76 million deal.

Moving forward with a flat cap, those types of moves will be nearly impossible for the Golden Knights, at least for a couple of seasons. Instead, Vegas needs an injection of youth, and more importantly — entry-level contracts. Luckily they are just now reaching the point where prospects are beginning to graduate to the NHL.

The first pick in franchise history — Cody Glass — just played his rookie season, as did 2017 second-round pick Nic Hague. Meanwhile Jack Dugan led the NCAA in scoring and recently agreed to join the team, and Lucas Elvenes led the Chicago Wolves in scoring in the AHL.

Here’s a brief outlook of what Vegas has returning next season, using CapFriendly’s Armchair GM tool. I included Glass and his $833,333 cap hit, which takes Vegas’ roster total to 18 players and $76,488,333 (including the $500,000 hit for the retained salary of Tomas Tatar).

That leaves Vegas with roughly $5.5 million to fill its backup goalie spot, another winger and any scratches. Because the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate will be in town next season, it will allow them to carry only 20 players as much as possible, especially with how tight they are to the cap, so I wouldn’t expect them to use a full 23-man roster very often.

The Golden Knights still need to work out deals for restricted free agents Chandler Stephenson and Nick Cousins — both are eligible for arbitration. Stephenson is likely due a significant raise from his current cap hit of only $1.05 million. He broke the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career, and was a perfect fit in Vegas’ offense after being traded from Washington. Based on his production, and comparable contracts given to RFAs lately, I expect Stephenson to get somewhere between $2-2.2 million per year. For the sake of projecting, let’s say Stephenson settles for a $2 million AAV. 1187689 Vegas Golden Knights

NHL Playoffs and Golden Knights Return In August, While UNLV Non- Conference Football Games With Cal, Arizona State At Allegiant Stadium Are Scrubbed

July 10, 2020

Alan Snel

The National Hockey League will go toe-to-toe with the COVID-19 pandemic this summer when it re-launches a paused season with a 24- team championship tournament starting August 1, with the Vegas Golden Knights set to play the Dallas Stars Aug. 3, the St. Louis Blues Aug. 6 and the Colorado Avalanche Aug. 8 to determine the seeding for these unprecedented Stanley Cup playoffs.

Not only did the league and the players association approve the return- to-play plan, the two sides also took the opportunity of this novel coronavirus-created 142-day pause in play to ratify a four-year extension of their labor deal to 2026. Here’s a look at the first 10 days of hockey that will involve the Golden Knights and 11 other Western Conference teams playing in a “bubble” environment in Edmonton, while another dozen NHL teams in the Eastern Conference will compete in Toronto.

But Friday also brought disappointing news for Las Vegas, which had the inside track to be one of the two NHL playoff host cities. Las Vegas, with a surge in COVID-19 cases, ended up sitting on the sidelines to play host to the NHL postseason, meaning a major loss in revenue for MGM Resorts International hotels that were expected to host the NHL teams in Las Vegas.

The Stanley Cup Final will also be staged in Edmonton.

Here are your dates:

Las Vegas and T-Mobile Arena are out:

In addition, the UNLV football team suffered bad news when it learned it will not play Pac-12 football teams California and Arizona State at the new Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium in late August and mid-September because the Pac-12 said Friday it will ditch its non-conference games and play only conference games.That means UNLV’s scheduled season- opener against California at Allegiant Stadium Aug. 29 is wiped out and the UNLV-Arizona State game at Allegiant Stadium Sept. 12 is also scrubbed.

UNLV sports issued this statement: “We are aware of the Pac-12 announcement today and we will continue to work with the Mountain West regarding our fall schedules.”

Here is one UNLV fan’s response:

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187690 Washington Capitals The NHL also announced that Phase 2 of the NHL draft lottery will take place between the qualifying rounds and the start of the first round Aug. 10. Phase 2 will assign the first overall pick for the 2020 draft to one of the eight qualifying-round teams that fail to advance. The 2020 draft is NHL releases playoff schedule as return-to-play plan, CBA extension tentatively scheduled for Oct. 9 and 10. approved Washington Post LOADED: 07.11.2020

Samantha Pell

July 10, 2020 at 8:49 PM EDT

The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association announced Friday the approval of the league’s 24-team return-to-play plan and a four-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement.

The return-to-play protocols and CBA extension were tentatively agreed to Monday, and the NHLPA executive board specifically approved the proposal on Tuesday. The board then sent the tentative agreement to a full NHLPA membership vote. All 900-plus players had 72 hours to submit their vote via electronic ballot. The league’s board of governors also convened via phone Friday afternoon and approved the all- encompassing proposal. A simple majority was required to pass in both constituencies.

The NHL will officially resume Monday with formal training camps after a four-month hiatus because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Any player can opt out of the return-to-play plan for any reason without facing a penalty. Players will have 72 hours to notify their teams if they plan to opt out.

After two weeks of training camp, teams will travel to one of two hub cities (Toronto and Edmonton) on July 26. A qualifying round will start Aug. 1 and include the 16 teams playing eight best-of-five series to determine who advances to what the league is calling the Stanley Cup playoffs. The four top seeds in each conference (including the Capitals in the East) will play a three-game round robin to determine seeding.

The playoffs, which will be best-of-seven series, are slated to start Aug. 11 and the conference finals Sept. 8. The Stanley Cup finals are tentatively slated to start Sept. 22, with Oct. 4 as the last possible day of the series.

The NHL and NHLPA agreed to the return-to-play format in late May after the pandemic abruptly halted the regular season in March. Under the expanded playoff format, 12 teams from each conference will be housed in hub cities, living in bubble-like environments and playing games without fans.

With the Eastern Conference teams playing in Toronto and the Western Conference in Edmonton, the conference finals and the Stanley Cup are also tentatively scheduled to be held in Edmonton. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that there will be two hotels for teams to stay in at both locations. The Capitals, who will be in Toronto, will stay in the same hotel as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Capitals will face the Bruins, Lightning and Flyers in the three-game round robin to determine seeding. The Capitals will play their first round- robin game Aug. 3 against the Lightning, then will face the Flyers on Aug. 6 and the Bruins on Aug. 8.

The NHL will kick off the playoffs with five games Aug. 1. The start times for the 10 days of Stanley Cup qualifiers in Toronto will be: noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern. In Edmonton, the start times will be 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Eastern. For statistical purposes only, all games from the 2020 qualifying rounds (round robin and qualifying rounds) are considered part of the 2020 postseason.

According to return-to-play protocols released earlier in the week, players will undergo daily coronavirus tests, symptom checks and temperature screenings while in the hub cities. If a player tests positive and is showing symptoms, he will be isolated immediately and must test negative twice at least 24 hours apart to be cleared to play. The player can also come out of isolation after a minimum of 10 days in self-isolation following the onset of symptoms if he has had no fever or respiratory symptoms for more than 72 hours.

For asymptomatic players, a confirmation test would be given and he would remain in isolation until producing two negative tests 24 hours apart, or for 10 days. 1187691 Washington Capitals

Capitals get their restart schedule as NHL, union ratify CBA and protocols

Adam Zielonka

Friday, July 10, 2020

Hockey is officially back.

The NHL and the NHL Players Association each voted to ratify the return-to-play protocols and a new collective bargaining agreement, the final step needed for the league to move forward with its plans to resume game action in August.

After a brief training camp phase in their home markets, the 24 teams participating will travel to two Canadian hub cities — Toronto for the Eastern Conference teams, Edmonton for the West — on July 26.

Games will begin Aug. 1, with five qualifying round series getting under way that day. But the Washington Capitals won’t play their first game until Aug. 3.

Here’s what their initial schedule looks like:

Aug. 3 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Aug. 6 vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Aug. 8 vs. Boston Bruins

For those still catching up on how the return-to-play will work, the Capitals are only playing this round robin in order to determine the order of the top four seeds. They can fall anywhere from No. 1 in the conference to No. 4 based on these three games, so there’s something at stake, but they don’t risk being eliminated early.

Then, with 16 teams, the official first round of the postseason begins on Aug. 11. The second round will begin Aug. 25, the conference finals will start Sept. 8 and the Stanley Cup Final begins Sept. 22, which could run until as late as Oct. 4.

See the full schedule below:

Schedule to start #NHL Qualifying Round: pic.twitter.com/OxsKS8MKsW

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 10, 2020

Washington Times LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187692 Washington Capitals

NHL restart schedule: Capitals return to the ice Aug. 3 against Lightning

Matt Weyrich

July 10, 2020 7:54 PM

In one fell swoop, the NHL and its players union voted Friday to approve a package deal that included both the NHL’s return-to-play plan and a new Collective Bargaining agreement. The tentative agreement reached upon Tuesday became official when it was approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors and received a simple majority in the player vote.

The 24 teams that qualified for the expanded Stanley Cup playoffs will begin formal training camps Monday in preparation for an Aug. 1 start to the postseason. The Capitals have already guaranteed themselves one of the top four spots in the East and will play in a round-robin tournament to determine seeding before the first round.

Here’s what Washington’s postseason schedule will look like in the seeding round and when they would be on the ice if they make it all the way:

Aug. 3 – Capitals vs. Lightning (seeding game)

Aug. 6 – Capitals vs. Flyers (seeding game)

Aug. 8 – Bruins vs. Capitals (seeding game)

Aug. 11 – First round of Stanley Cup playoffs begins

Aug. 25* – Second round of Stanley Cup playoffs begins

Sept. 8* – Conference finals begin

Sept. 22* – Stanley Cup Finals begin

Oct. 4* – Last possible day of Stanley Cup Finals

*Date still tentative

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187693 Winnipeg Jets Oct. 3: on his club rallying from a 4-0 deficit to beat New Jersey 5-4 in overtime and get in the win column.

"Of course I was dreaming of that." The Winnipeg Jets' weird, wild ride in 2019-20 is about to resume, so Oct. 7: , the 18-year-old rookie defenceman who made the fasten your seatbelts team out of camp, after scoring his first NHL goal in a 4-1 win in Pittsburgh that snapped a Jets 18-game losing streak at PPG Paints Arena. Mike McIntyre "He broke a bone in his foot trying to intercept a football." 07/10/2020 7:00 PM Oct. 25: Maurice, on forward getting injured during a pre-practice warmup at Regina's Mosaic Stadium prior to the outdoor Heritage Classic game with the Calgary Flames. You know how television shows often recap key plot developments to get viewers up to speed before the next episode? It feels like we could use "The fireworks are going on, the (military) jets come over, 'O Canada' is that kind of montage right now when it comes to the Winnipeg Jets. on, it’s snowing out. I had said earlier, you just needed Santa and the reindeer blasting over and it would have been the perfect scene." In case you've forgotten, the local hockey club had enough juicy storylines during the 2019-20 season to fill a daytime soap opera, Oct. 26: Maurice, on the snow-swept setting in Regina as the Jets beat whether it was the Dustin Byfuglien saga, training camp contract the Flames 2-1 in overtime. disputes, car accidents, freak injuries, health ailments, surprising rookie debuts, waiver-wire pickups, trade additions or enough saucy soundbites "When I heard we were playing outside I definitely had this one circled on to give the whole thing a PG-13 rating, the Jets were anything but boring. my calendar and it definitely lived up to everything."

And that was before a global pandemic shut it all down indefinitely. Oct. 26: , just back from a concussion, on scoring the OT winner in storybook fashion. Speaking of which, the Jets were enjoying some of the best days of their recent lives when we last saw them on the ice. Four consecutive wins "It's a real complicated issue when it comes to answering any questions had them at 37-28-6 and sitting in a playoff spot with only 11 games left that you might have." in the regular-season. The lineup was the healthiest and deepest it had Oct. 30: Cheveldayoff, on the Byfuglien situation, including the been all year. suspended blue-liner having undergone ankle surgery in Minnesota. Since that 4-2 victory in Edmonton on March 11, it's been nothing but re- "He’s shut down for six months. Here’s the positive, because it can be a runs for the past 122 days and counting. really tricky situation: he’s going to be fine. They have full faith he’s going But fear not, fans. The hockey hiatus is almost over, even if it's not going to be back to complete health." to look and sound and feel anything like what we're used to. The Jets' Oct. 30: Maurice, on Mark Letestu being diagnosed with myocarditis, record has been reset to 0-0-0 as they prepare for a unique, 24-team which is swelling of the heart caused by a virus. Stanley Cup tournament that will begin Aug. 1 in hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto, where players will live inside a bubble and play in empty "I think they kind of punched themselves out." rinks because of ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Nov. 1: Wheeler, after the San Jose Sharks outshot the Jets 53-19 but Preparation officially begins Monday when abbreviated training camps lost 3-2, thanks to Hellebuyck's heroics in net. open under extensive health and safety protocols, including here at Bell MTS Iceplex. "I’ll answer all your questions about how horses--t we were tonight, tomorrow." To get you ready for the immediate future, it's helpful to look back at the recent past. So, without further adieu, let me clear my throat and go into Nov. 1: Maurice on the grand larceny pulled off by his lethargic squad. serious announcer voice mode for a minute. Ahem. "I just saw him drop down and saw him start bleeding."

Previously, on Winnipeg Jets... Nov. 7: , on hitting Little in the side of the head with a "Let’s just put it this way — there’s nothing sinister to this." slapshot that sent the veteran centre to hospital with a perforated eardrum, brain bleed and vertigo that ended his season. Sept. 12: Jets coach on defenceman Dustin Byfuglien dropping a bombshell by contemplating his playing future just prior to the "Listen, I work here. I’m willing and able to do whatever they need. start of training camp. Probably outside of playing goalie, I’ll try anything."

"I had a few seconds when I realized, ‘Oh my God, we’re hitting." Nov. 7: Wheeler, on moving from wing to centre to fill Little's void.

Sept. 17: Sami Niku, recalling a Friday the 13th car crash in which he "He’s standing on his head right now and it feels good for everyone in the and teammate Kristian Vesalainen were injured as they drove to the room." Iceplex on the first day of camp. Is this team cursed? Nov. 19: Ehlers on the solid play of Hellebuyck, after the Jets go a "We’re just starting to scratch the surface of what he actually brings to perfect three-for-three on the road through Florida, Tampa and Nashville the table." as part of a November to remember for the club.

Sept. 26: GM , on ending a contract stalemate by "I wish we played 82 against those guys, because I’d have a lot of goals. signing sniper Patrik Laine to a two-year, $13.5-million bridge deal. Thank God they're in our division. I'm laughing."

"Term, everything. I wanted to be here, I love this team and the way it's Dec. 3: Laine, after scoring his 18th goal in 16 career games against going, and this whole organization." Dallas in a 5-1 victory, being his usual candid self.

Sept. 29: on signing a seven-year, $50-million contract "Same weight class, right? extension just in time to start the season. Dec. 8: Ehlers, on dropping the gloves against the much bigger Ryan "I felt like I played a lot better than five goals against. I don’t know, it just Getzlaf in a scrappy win over Anaheim. seems like the puck was always in the wrong spot for me." "You’ve got to give them credit. Enough’s enough after a while."

Oct. 2: on springing a leak in a season-opening loss Dec. 12: Wheeler, after the Jets roll over and hand lowly Detroit their first to the New York Rangers on Broadway. Could a goalie controversy be triumph in 13 games. brewing? "For a guy that works that hard every day, you deserve to have good "I think no matter what happens the rest of the year, you still have that to things happen." fall back on." Dec. 21: Maurice, after Wheeler becomes the franchise scoring leader in "It’s a great milestone, but it’s a testament to the guys in front of me and a 6-0 victory in his home state of Minnesota. how well we’ve been playing. When we bring it we know we can shut teams down." "It’s a pretty bad play. I was pretty pissed off, to be honest. I play a hard game, but I never do anything dirty. So I don’t understand where that March 6: Hellebuyck, after posting a league-leading sixth for his came from." suddenly surging squad.

Dec. 28: A fired-up on a nasty hit from behind courtesy "I haven’t heard of any cases around here. I guess it’s more when we of Philadelphia's Joel Farabee that resulted in a concussion. start travelling it will be in your mind a little bit. Try not to worry about that too much." "There’s no question the line to success for any National Hockey League team doesn’t go in a straight line. It doesn’t in life." March 9: Perreault, on growing worldwide concern over COVID-19, which included NHL teams closing their locker rooms to media as a precaution. Dec. 30: Cheveldayoff, on his team's eventful season so far, with more likely to come. "It’s just an unusual kind of night, overall. I think the way things have unfolded over the last few days, certainly going into the game tonight, our "It’s goalie interference all day long for me. There’s not a lot of grey area pre-game meals, our pre-game skates, pretty much everything leading in that one. But I’m not giving them any money. Not one dime." up to the game was talking about this. Shoot, we barely even got to puck Jan. 4: A seething Maurice refuses to dish out any criticism of the officials drop and the dominoes were already falling. A crazy time right now." after a controversial overtime goal stands in a 3-2 loss in Minnesota. March 11: Wheeler, after Winnipeg's fourth straight victory was "I can’t use the words that came into my head... a free for all of fecal overshadowed by news of the NBA abruptly shutting down operations matter. It’s a s--t show out there and that’s great." while the Jets were on the ice in Edmonton. The NHL would follow suit the next day. Jan. 8: Vintage Maurice, after a wildly entertaining 4-3 shootout victory in Toronto in which defence was at a premium. Turns out this most compelling show wasn't actually cancelled and there are more episodes to come. Now that you're all caught up, you might "Player safety, my ass. Now I've got to take matters into my own hands. want to stock up on your favourite cold beverage and salty snacks and Next time this happens, I get to swing my stick across his forehead and I get ready. shouldn't get suspended." Given what's already occurred, we can only imagine the kind of plot Jan. 16: An irate Perreault, after just returning from injury only to receive twists still ahead. Stay tuned. an elbow from Vancouver's Jake Virtanen that went unpunished. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.11.2020 "Moms make you in a good mood. You can’t walk around growly because they’re just happy, right? They’re such a positive force in the big scheme of things. Two losses doesn’t mean you’re going to kick your kid out, so it’s nice to have some positive energy around the room."

Jan. 20: Maurice, on the team's first-ever mother's trip happening in the middle of a tough losing streak.

"It just wasn't our night."

Jan. 31: Wheeler, after the reeling Jets come out of the All-Star break with their seventh loss in eight games despite a terrific effort against Boston.

"It’s a two-month sprint to the finish line right now, so you’ve got to handle it day by day. We’re playing like it’s the playoffs right now."

Feb. 1: , following an impressive win over Stanley Cup champion St. Louis that gets the good vibes flowing once again.

"We had a very cool relationship and we still do. I'll definitely cherish those memories, for sure, of playing with him."

Feb. 4: on Byfuglien, after news emerges that a mutual contract termination is looming.

"Selfishly, it hurts, but you've got to be respectful of the guy."

Feb. 6: Wheeler, speaking on the Byfuglien saga for the first time.

"He's built a form of accountability in this locker room, which a team needs to have."

Feb. 13: Hellebuyck, on Maurice signing a contract extension to remain behind the bench, following earlier rumblings he could be on the move.

"I think I'm just a solid, reliable defenceman. I'm a guy that can log minutes against top lines."

Feb. 18: Defenceman Dylan DeMelo, on being acquired by Winnipeg from Ottawa just before the trade deadline to boost the blue line.

"It should be fun coming home."

Feb. 23: Forward Cody Eakin, on joining the hometown Jets following a trade from Vegas, to provide some depth up the middle.

"Sometimes you take it for granted. But being away and watching the guys on TV, you miss being a part of it. Just getting a clean bill of health, professionally it’s great, but even personally, it’s even better."

March 3: Letestu, after returning to the ice with a clean bill of health and the possibility of getting back in the action. 1187694 Winnipeg Jets volleyball team, the basketball team, you can join the chess club. You can be involved in student politics. You can be 52 years old, going back to school.

TED’S TALK: Bisons coach Dobie livid about USports decision to keep “There’s no discrimination except (the age restriction) in the sport of football age restriction football. Really, does that not resonate in some way? Come on people. Really?”

This seems like an issue that could end up in court, as around 300 Ted Wyman student athletes across the country are affected.

July 10, 2020 3:43 PM CDT “I would love just one rich dad, whose son is affected by this, to take a lawsuit to court,” Dobie said.

“I’d be shocked if things didn’t change, pronto.” Brian Dobie is widely known as one of the nicest guys in . HAIL MARY THROWN BY CFL

He’s a classy man who loves the game and cares deeply about his A huge step toward there being a shortened student athletes. season was taken on Friday, with the league submitting a request for financial aid, with the endorsement of the CFL Players Association, to the But he was mad enough to say words I can’t print on Friday after the federal government. governing body of Canadian University Sports made a baffling decision which impacts hundreds of senior football players. TSN’s Dave Naylor reported 100% of the money will be directed toward playing a shortened season and money will be used to cover player “I am disappointed, I’m beyond angry,” said Dobie, the head coach of the salaries and operating costs. University of Bisons. “I think this is fundamentally wrong.” The league made a point of saying the money is not intended to On Thursday, put out a release saying that it will not extend the subsidize financial losses incurred by the nine member teams due to the age restriction for Canadian university football players, even though the pandemic. The ask is reportedly for roughly $37 million. 2020 season has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If the government approves financial aid, it’s believed the league will look That means any player who turns 25 before Sept. 1, 2021 will no longer at six-game season, played in a hub city, quite possibly Winnipeg. There be allowed to play, even if they have eligibility remaining. will also be an eight-team playoff round, ending with the Grey Cup game. It directly affects 13 members of the Bisons football program — ending It’s not clear if playoff games would be played in the hub city or be hosted their university football careers immediately — and will cause 16 other by the teams with better records during the season. That decision could Bisons players to lose a year of eligibility because they will eventually be made as the season goes on, depending on advice from health age out before they can use it. authorities regarding the spread of Covid-19. “I’ve been playing football since I was 7,” Bisons receiver Riley Harrison I have been skeptical about suggestions there will be a CFL season this wrote on Twitter. “I love football for the person it has made me, and the year, but have always said it might be possible with financial aid. memories it’s created. To hear that I won’t get to play my final year of football this way is saddening. I am hurt. Angry. Heartbroken. A part of This is now a make or break moment, with time running out, and it’s a me has been ripped from my body.” Hail Mary into the hands of the government.

In total, 29 of 85 players (34%) will have commitments made to them by SOME REAL, LIVE SPORTS! the Bisons football program negated. This sports shutdown has been tough on everybody and it has certainly “What about integrity, what about commitment?” Dobie said. “They made changed the daily routines of sportswriters. a commitment to us, based on the rules, based on good faith and they have lived up to their commitments as student athletes. Now we will not After months of writing daily stories, without actually covering any events, fulfill our commitment to them at the end. things will change on Monday, with the opening of Winnipeg Jets training camp. “This is the decision we’re gonna make? When this is taken away from our athletes, totally out of their control, because of a pandemic, this is Media access will be very different from usual, with all interviews done by what we’re gonna do?” Zoom, even if reporters are at the rink during training camp.

Dobie is vehemently opposed to the age restriction in the first place. Media can observe practice sessions at the IcePlex, but can’t personally Football is the only university sport that has such a rule. It was interact in any way with the players or team personnel. implemented as a safety measure, with the suggestion being that it was It will be unusual no doubt, but it’s going to feel very good to get out of too dangerous for players as young as 18 to be on the field competing the house and actually cover something, like we did what feels like 10 against players as old as 25. years ago, in March. Like many other football coaches and players around the country, Dobie It’s going to be weird to have summer NHL hockey and I’m not yet hoped an exception would be made because of the pandemic and the convinced this upcoming tournament is a good or safe idea, but the idea lost season, but U Sports stuck to it’s guns, saying it is a safety issue. of having real games to cover in a few weeks is simply delicious. “It was veiled as a safety issue,” Dobie said. FANS CAN BE SEEN, HEARD “But if I’m looking you in the eye right now, can you tell me there’s one The Jets sent out an email to season ticket holders and wait-listers on iota of data that says a 24-year-old playing against at 18-year-old is OK, Friday, asking fans to submit videos of themselves cheering, clapping, but a 25-year-old or 26-year-old is too dangerous? chanting and fake reacting to the Jets scoring goals or winning games. “It’s bull—- about safety. It’s about competitive advantages and All NHL teams are doing the same and the plan is for those video clips to disadvantages.” be used on broadcasts and social media leading up to and during the The age rule has been around for more than 10 years and there are return to play. certainly people who believe it was designed to limit strong football It all sounds pretty contrived, but with no fans in the stands at the hub programs in the West, including the Bisons. cities of Toronto and Edmonton, the NHL is clearly looking to create Now it’s having a more profound effect than anyone could have some artificial atmosphere. imagined. Like I said before, it’s all gonna be weird. “You can go to any university in Canada and it doesn’t matter about your LONG-LASTING EFFECTS gender, about your race, about your age, about anything,” Dobie said. “You can take part in sports on that campus. You can play on the One thing that hasn’t been talked about much during this restart of hockey, basketball, baseball, football, soccer and golf is the fact that scientists and doctors do not yet know the long-term effects for people who contract even mild or asymptomatic cases of Covid-19.

All of the professional leagues that are restarting have had athletes and personnel test positive for the coronavirus, including stars like Ezekiel Elliott of the and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

These athletes are young and uber-healthy so leagues don’t seem overly concerned about them catching and getting over the disease.

However, some studies have suggested there are many potential long- term effects that have to be concerning to these athletes as they get set to return to play.

One article out of England showed expressed the concern of neurologists who are warning of serious brain disorders in people with mild coronavirus symptoms.

The neurologists published details of more than 40 Covid-19 patients who reported complications including brain inflammation, delirium, nerve damage and stroke.

Other doctors have reported patients with long-lasting stomach issues and kidney problems.

In North America, some doctors are warning of long-term effects on organs and a syndrome they are calling “post-Covid lung disease.”

This is why many people question the need for professional athletes to return to work right now, as the pandemic rages in the United States and remains a threat in Canada despite very positive testing numbers.

It’s not just about getting symptoms for a short time and then feeling better. It can be, no doubt, but not always.

For that reason alone, I would not blame any athlete for opting out.

Curling Canada to review qualifying process for Olympic trials due to pandemic

Another day, another announcement of changes to the game of curling.

This week, we heard about return to play guidelines that could impact the game greatly, including limiting teams to using only one sweeper on delivered rocks, and about the cancellation of four Grand Slam events, which are a big part of the livelihoods of high-performance curlers.

On Friday, Curling Canada announced it will review the qualifying process for the Olympic Curling and Olympic Mixed trials, slated for late 2021 and early 2022.

With a couple of Grand Slam events cancelled this past spring and four more on the shelf next year, curlers will not be able to accumulate Canadian Team Ranking System points in a normal fashion.

Essentially curling is in a holding pattern until there’s a resolution of the Covid-19 pandemic, so there’s a need to change the Olympic trials qualifying process.

“The safety of our athletes is our prime consideration and we don’t want to put them under any kind of duress to be trying to participate in events to pursue qualifying points until we know they can do so safely,” Curling Canada’s high performance director Gerry Peckham said in a release.

“Until that time comes, we will look closely at the qualifying process and consult with our athletes to fine-tune the system to make sure it identifies Canada’s most deserving nine men’s and women’s four-player teams and 16 mixed doubles teams.”

Teams that have already qualified for the 2021 Olympic trials in Saskatoon will retain their berths. They include 2020 Brier champion, of Newfoundland, and Toronto’s on the men’s side, along with 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champ of Manitoba and Ottawa’s Rachel Homan on the women’s side.

In mixed doubles, and Brent Laing, along with and have earned Olympic trials berths and will retain them.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 07.11.2020 1187695 Vancouver Canucks And when they get to Edmonton, they’ll all be back in strict quarantine, with almost no allowance for departures. Only emergency situations, like the birth of Jordie Benn’s baby at the end of July, will allow a player to leave and possibly return. 12 things you need to know as Canucks open COVID-19 camp on Monday 5. Who has the most to gain?

Given he asked for a trade numerous times this season, Sven Baertschi could do a whole lot for his stock if he forces his way into the PATRICK JOHNSTON conversation to be more than a warm body for this postseason exercise.

July 10, 2020 6:08 PM PDT He skated well in the six NHL games he appeared in in November, but couldn’t put the puck in the net and in the end the coaching staff

preferred other players. It's official: the Canucks will be back on the ice as a team on Monday. The situation on the wings is even tighter now for the Canucks, but if he Remember the Vancouver Canucks? They, like everyone else, had their makes himself a must-pick player and then produces, other teams will personal and professional lives turned upside down by the novel likely take another look at him, especially since he’s got only one year left coronavirus pandemic. on his contract.

They haven’t been on the ice since March 10 when they beat the visiting 6. Who has the most to lose? New York Islanders 5-4 in a shootout. With the best-of-five play-in series against the Minnesota Wild, every Now that both the NHL’s board of governors and the NHL Players’ lineup decision matters. Any player who falls down the pecking order Association have voted to return to play, the Canucks will be back in during training camp is at risk of not playing at all against the Wild. action next week for a second training camp to get ready for what Jake Virtanen was producing points this season, but was mired in a remains of the 2019-20 NHL season. seven-game scoreless drought when the season was paused. He’s being Here are 12 things to consider before Monday’s first formal team skate counted on to provide depth scoring, but the Canucks have options on with head coach Travis Green: the wings if he can’t do the job.

1. Will everyone clear quarantine? 7. Tanev, Markstrom and Ferland are healthy?

The Canucks had a swath of players travel to Vancouver from abroad, Yes, the Canucks’ star goaltender is fully recovered from the minor meaning they were self-isolated for 14 days as a cohort at the JW meniscus tear he suffered in February. Marriott Parq Vancouver, which is about a two-minute walk from Rogers Ferland also is said to be fit and raring to go after battling concussion Arena. issues for much of the season. He’s been skating with his teammates at Players travelling on commercial flights from across Canada were Rogers Arena, but the key test for him is how he’ll feel after the practices required to self-isolate for one week by the NHL. get physical. The last time he tried to play in a game, on a conditioning loan for the , he felt a recurrence of concussion symptoms To date, as far as we know, every Canuck has tested negative for and wasn’t expected to play again in the 2019-20 season. COVID-19. The Canucks declined to provide an update on Friday, when asked. Veteran defenceman Chris Tanev, who said he probably would have missed a handful of games after he “tweaked” his knee in the last game That means they’ll be allowed to mingle as a group on Monday, not just the Canucks played against the Islanders, is also fully fit. in the smaller groups they were divided into for the past two weeks of pre-training camp workouts at the rink. 8. Can players opt out of training camp?

2. Can the players go home? Yes, but that would be the end of their season. And while players in baseball, soccer and basketball are opting out of their return-to-play Once players have cleared their current cohort quarantine, which will be plans, as yet no NHLer has announced he’s not feeling safe enough to this weekend for most, they are allowed to return to their regular homes, play. assuming they still have one in Vancouver. 9. When do the games start? Any player, especially the AHL call-ups, will be provided with accommodation if they don’t have a place to stay. If any player without a The Canucks will face the Wild in a best-of-five series in Edmonton next permanent home in Vancouver brought his family along for training month. camp, the family will also be put up by the team. Game 1: Sunday, Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m. 3. How often are they tested? Game 2: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 3:30 p.m. The players were required to return a negative test within the 48 hours Game 3: Thursday, Aug. 6, 3:30 p.m. before their first use of team facilities. Since then, they’ve been tested every other day, with results returned within 24 hours. Game 4: Friday, Aug. 7, 7:30 p.m. (if necessary)

4. Who will make the final 31? Game 5: Sunday, Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m. (if necessary)

When the Canucks head to Edmonton for the qualifying round at the end — All games on Sportsnet of the month — and then, they hope, the actual Stanley Cup playoffs — they’ll be allowed to take 31 players with them. 10. If a player or team official tests positive, who is considered a close contact? It’s certain they’ll take at least three goaltenders. On top of the players involved in training camp and their families, a group The Canucks have also added Sven Baertschi, Tyler Graovac, Justin of support staff and coaches will be in contact with the players. They will Bailey, Brogan Rafferty, Ashton Sautner, , Olli also be regularly tested. Juolevi and Jalen Chatfield from the Utica Comets to their training camp roster. Anyone who tests positive will be isolated and if they are asymptomatic, they will be tested again. If they test positive twice while asymptomatic, With 25 players already on the roster — the 23 who were active when the they’ll be confirmed as positive and required to continue their isolation season paused, plus the recovered Jacob Markstrom and Micheal and be cared for as needed by medical staff. Ferland — that means just five skaters out of those eight will make the expanded playoff roster, assuming they take both Michael DiPietro and If the confirmation test returns a negative result, they will remain isolated Louis Domingue as spare goalies. for another 24 hours and will be tested again. A second negative test in this situation would make the initial positive test considered a false positive. When someone is confirmed positive, their close contacts will also be tested. Under the NHL’s guidelines, a close contact is anyone the positive person has been within six feet of for 15 minutes or longer in the 48-hour period leading up to the time the positive test was taken (if asymptomatic), or 48 hours before the onset of symptoms.

Close contacts who test positive will also have to isolate and then their close contacts will be tested using the same protocols as the original positive test.

11. How close can reporters get?

Media aren’t allowed to do in-person interviews; all interviews will be done over the phone or using video chat services like Zoom. If reporters are allowed to watch training camp in the stands, they’ll have to remain far removed from the ice and each other. (The Canucks are still confirming their plans.)

12. Do players have to wear masks?

The only time players don’t have to wear a mask is when they’re on the ice playing.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187696 Vancouver Canucks and I know their health condition, I’m more apt to go. Because I already interact with them on a daily basis. That would probably be the only way I would go to a game without getting a vaccine.

Where do superfans stand on the return of sports? We asked seven Story continues below fanatics across the country In the meantime, Netflix is getting a workout. I’m going for a haircut on Friday, so I’m looking forward to that. That’s my biggest outing in a week.

Simon Houpt Lori Bursey, president, Friends of the Argonauts fan club

July 10, 2020 Open this photo in gallery

Lori Bursey, president of the Friends of the Argonauts fan club, next to the Grey Cup. As the major North American leagues lurch toward a return to play this summer, fans are desperate to see them back on their TV screens. But I live for Canadian football. I watch every game. I never miss a game. Not with financial models depending on stadiums full of the beer-and-hot- just the Argos. So, needless to say, what’s happened has been a dog-and-merch-buying masses, and players saying it might be tough to massive disappointment. At the same time, I understand what’s going on get pumped for a game if no one is cheering them on, leagues are in the world and I don’t want anybody’s health to be risked, and I gaming out how they might be able to bring in fans. Limit capacity to, say, understand why things have shut down. I can’t think of another sport that 25 per cent? Institute physical distancing? No-touch food payments? has more contact, close contact, than football. Once someone’s tackled, Timed entrances and guided exits? Mandate face masks? there’s this great big pileup.

We canvassed superfans across Canada to hear how they feel about the For me to go back to games, it would take a huge decrease in the return of sports, and what it might take for them to go back to the number of cases on a daily basis and a huge decrease in the number of stadiums to cheer on their teams in person. deaths, obviously. And a confidence that I would have that the facility was absolutely sparkling clean, and that people were taking the Clayton Imoo, Vancouver Canucks vlogger necessary precautions. Nobody wants to go to a game when it’s 30 degrees outside and have to wear a mask, but if that’s what has to Vancouver Canucks superfan Clayton Imoo shares a moment with the happen, that’s what has to happen. If that means going to a game and Stanley Cup during the 2019 NHL All-Star Weekend in San Jose, CA. not eating or drinking anything, I would do it. I want to put this into perspective. From the standpoint of having the I hope the CFL can come out with a plan that will be satisfactory to money, having the time to be a season-ticket holder, I realize how everybody. People who love the CFL are sheer diehards. My concern is blessed I am. A lot of people are suffering. But I will not shy away from the logistics and the finances of the whole thing. They’re talking about saying I’d be one of the first to get back to games when I can. hub cities, but my concern is the money that would cost. First of all, the Maybe it’s just my nature, I really trust the health authorities, I trust that American players coming in to the country would have to isolate, and the NHL officials and the Vancouver Canucks organization will do then you have to house all these players and staff in hotels, pay for all everything in their power to ensure safety. As long as they don’t do it the meals. It becomes a huge financial undertaking. And the testing – if stupidly or blindly, as long as they do it properly, intentionally. I don’t you don’t pass, you go back into self-isolation for 14 days; it’s a logistical worry about bringing the virus home to my family. I feel I’m healthy, my nightmare. And financially it’s not easy. The CFL doesn’t have money to kids are healthy, my wife’s healthy. I don’t want to just sound like I’ll throw around. That’s why we love it. blindly go, but if it makes sense I will go and take proper precautions – Marek Whitechurch, Montreal Impact fan whether they say you’ve got to wear a mask and you’ve got to sit two rows apart from the next person, or whatever! However they figure it out. Superfan Marek Whitechurch in his element at a Montreal Impact match.

I could see a lot of things like staggered entrance times, or sitting one or I come from London, my team that I followed in England is called Millwall two rows apart from each other, five seats apart from each other. I FC, and the fans were very intense, and I kind of got brought up watching probably wouldn’t buy any food, to be safe, but I could see myself that team in the 1980s. When you go to the Impact, it’s a very aggressive walking in, getting my temperature scanned, going in to sit at my seat, and strong scene, but I’m kind of used to that. maybe using the restroom every intermission and then not really touching anything aside from the seat I’m on. But it’s easy for me to say that, I’ve been here about 15 years, I started going to the Impact when they because I’m trying to justify going, because I do want to get there quite were in the USL division, then when the Impact got into MLS I had badly. season tickets and I was going up until the season before last. I go a little bit less now because games are on a Saturday and I usually have to Martin Shaff, Winnipeg Blue Bombers season-ticket holder work.

Winnipeg Blue Bomber superfan Martin Shaff (left) with friend Jay When COVID came in it was my first time of actually having, like, two Diamond at the 2011 Grey Cup. months off work – I own the salon, Monokrome, and it’s temporarily closed now, and I was like, ‘Ah, I can watch footb-! Oh, no, I can’t watch I go to the Labour Day game in Regina every year. A supplier of mine football, because everything’s suspended!’ gets me tickets, and I couldn’t wait to go this year, with my Bomber Grey Cup-champion hat, just walking down the aisle – and everybody would But I’ve been watching football on TV now that it’s started up again, the just be quiet. I was so looking forward to that. leagues that have come back that are doing the no-fans-in-stadium, and it’s really soul-destroying. It just has got no atmosphere. The skill of play It’s a very trying time right now, because there’s lots of reports from all is really good, obviously, when you watch Bundesliga or whatever. But it the major sports sectors about what they’re planning to do, and the really shows you the fans make the atmosphere, even on TV. prospect is obviously no fans in the stands because of different provincial regulations. Like, in Manitoba, they said there’s going to be no mass To do the social distancing at a football game is going to be very, very sporting events until Sept. 1, at least. So that puts a damper on things. hard to do, even if they have half the amount of fans, or a quarter, if they have a seat in between everybody. Yeah, my business partner just And it’s so important for teams. I mean, there’s lots of loud stadiums in shouted out ‘especially for English people,’ because we like to jump up the CFL and with no fans I wonder how the play is going to be. I’m sure and down. For me to go back I think is going to take a vaccine. Because I you played sports growing up, you know what it’s like when there’s really don’t see, logically, how that can work with social distancing in people cheering and the adrenalin rush you get. How does that happen place, to go to a football match. Because you’re with your friends, you’re now? drinking some beers, all of a sudden there’s a goal scored, you jump on And, to be honest, to make it safe I think we’re going to see no fans in your friends – do you know what I mean? As soon as you take that away, stands for possibly a year or longer. I won’t go personally unless I’m it becomes very sterile and kind of weird. Cheering by yourself with a vaccinated. two-metre thing around you? I don’t think it’s fun.

Except, the company I work for has a suite at Investors Group Field. So I Harman Baweja, Josh Capulong, Ryan Ocol know if I go to a game in the suite, and I know exactly who’s in that booth Oilers superfans and Edmonton dance instructors from left: Ryan Ocol, Josh Capulong and Harman Baweja, who created the Oilers Celly Challenge dance in 2018.

Harman: We did the Celly Challenge in 2018 and we actually talked about revamping it for the playoffs this year, but obviously that didn’t work out. We’ve talked about doing the quarantine or social-distance version of it. Just to kind of keep fans engaged.

Ryan: It feels like we’re a long ways away from fans being at games. I’m not a health professional. So I’m just going off of what Dr. Deena Henshaw in Alberta is saying. And if she says it’s good to go, then I’m going to obviously take her words into consideration. I want to be able to see the protocols and be like, ‘Okay, yeah, that seems like it’s safe.' I just want to make sure that there’s a standard that everyone can follow. So right now, it’s kind of just a waiting game.

Josh: Once that green light is there, I’m in! I miss my hockey. I had Sportsnet NOW and I cancelled it because there’s nothing on. But there was an e-mail that said they were offering it as a free service because of everything that’s happened. So I resubscribed. But even if they double the price when hockey starts up again, I think I just miss hockey and sports in general so much that I’ll pay it.

Ryan: We haven’t been able to see each other, but we’ve been playing [the video game] NHL 20. We’re kind of getting our fix that way. But it’s just not the same. And we need sports to come back, because we’ve been playing against each other. We have heated battles. And friendships are being broken.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187697 Vancouver Canucks roughly $1.7 million in overage penalties from Pettersson and Hughes maxing out their Schedule A bonuses in 2019-20.

As it stands in the above image and factoring in the club’s assorted Drance: A flat cap, inefficient contracts will delay Canucks’ window to bonus overage and recapture penalties, the Canucks have $65.2 million contend in salary-cap space committed to 15 players (and Baertschi) for the 2020-21 season. That leaves the club with $16.3 million in available cap space to sign eight additional players.

Thomas Drance Now, let’s assume that in recognition of the potential salary-cap crunch, the Canucks opt to defer part of their overage penalty into next season. Jul 10, 2020 This is a new wrinkle from the MOU and a convenient one for the Canucks.

Hockey is returning, and with it, some certainty about what the immediate So now instead of $16.3 million we’re talking about $17.15 million in cap future will look like for NHL teams. space for eight players. Better, but still enormously problematic, particularly when you consider the quality and probable cost of some of While NHL clubs continue to parse the specific details contained within the key unrestricted and restricted players whom we’ve yet to factor in. the memorandum of understanding, we can at least confidently project Once you begin to weigh the likely cost of locking up team MVP Jacob that — subject to a complicated set of MOU details pertaining to the Markstrom or first-line winger Tyler Toffoli or top-four defenceman Chris escrow balance and the “Lag formula” — the salary cap will be set at Tanev, it becomes evident that things are going to get very tight, very $81.5 million or thereabouts for the foreseeable future, or at least until quickly. hockey-related revenues exceed pre-pandemic levels (i.e. $4.8 billion dollars). Not to mention that the club also has a variety of key restricted players, including Adam Gaudette, Jake Virtanen, Troy Stecher, Tyler Motte and Welcome to the flat salary cap years. Zack MacEwen to factor into their cap math.

The impact of the flat cap will be far-reaching across the NHL. It was only We know that retaining Markstrom and Toffoli is a top priority for the days before the pandemic struck, after all, that the league was projecting Canucks this summer, so let’s start with the big pieces. It’s really difficult a range of probable cap growth from as low as $3 million to as high as to gauge what the free agent market is going to look like with a flat cap, roughly $7 million. but let’s give them twin $5.5 million extensions for the purposes of continuing down the rabbit hole with this thought exercise. A stagnant cap will reshape the market for restricted and unrestricted free agents alike. For teams, meanwhile, it’s going to necessitate some For Markstrom, a $5.5 million valuation — or $100,000 less than where very tricky choices. we valued a Markstrom deal when we tried to design an expansion proof contract for Vancouver’s starter last month (with a deal that would no The Canucks will be particularly impacted by the circumstances of a longer be permitted according to the terms of the MOU – life moves fast) multi-year flat cap. Weighed down by a whole host of inefficient deals for — would represent the 13th highest cap hit among all NHL goaltenders. marginal contributors, the Canucks’ short-term future will be shaped by You can probably quibble with the valuation by about a half million in how they’re able to navigate the looming cap crunch. either direction, but it’s the right ballpark. There should be no doubt that a flat cap is going to make the next For Toffoli, a $5.5 million valuation would tie him with Bo Horvat behind several seasons significantly more challenging for the Canucks, 92 NHL forwards that carried a higher cap hit during the 2019-20 particularly as the club looks to both upgrade their roster and preserve campaign. It’s lower than what we’d expect him to sign for in a more the requisite cap space to lock up Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, normal climate, but in a flat cap environment and in an economy racked ideally long-term though who knows, following the 2020-21 NHL season. by the coronavirus, it could end up being a relatively realistic estimate for What’s perhaps interesting to note about the state of the Canucks’ books a very good top-six winger. is that, arguably, the most significant crunch is coming immediately — In this scenario, since the club is opting to re-sign Markstrom and Toffoli this offseason. to significant tickets, the club will have to accept that it doesn’t have the Between expiring salaries, buyout cap hits, recapture penalties and the requisite cap space to retain Tanev. He’ll be permitted to walk as an like, the Canucks currently have about $20 million in expiring salaries unrestricted free agent. due to come off their salary cap ledger following both the 2020-21 and There’s good news and there’s bad news in the image above. 2021-22 seasons. And the expiration of their key players — Pettersson and Hughes in 2021, Brock Boeser in 2022, Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller in The good news is that the Canucks now have one of the most lethal top- 2023 — staggers quite nicely. six forward groups in the NHL and a goalie tandem that can be counted on to provide at least average — and most likely better — goaltending. Things could still get complicated in those seasons depending on the cap hits on the second contracts that Pettersson and Hughes ultimately sign, The bad news: The Canucks are now up to $75.35 million in committed not to mention the possible bonus penalties the Canucks could face in salary, are looking at having about $6.15 million in available cap space to 2021-22 and beyond. Still, it’s probably fair to say that the club has a sign five additional players and only have one right-handed defender relatively flexible long-term cap outlook — even in a flat cap environment under contract. — provided that they operate with some discipline and avoid too many missteps going forward. So now you can see, surely, why the Canucks are going to be facing so many difficult decisions this summer. We haven’t even got into the If the situation looks open and promising in the long term, the immediate restricted free agent pool, which includes a handful of really useful young future is a very different story. Because of the pressures of the flat cap, players like Virtanen, Gaudette and Stecher. the Canucks are going to face some very tough decisions in constructing the 2020-21 roster. Once the Canucks re-sign both Markstrom and Toffoli, if that’s the route they decide to take, there really isn’t much left over. How challenging will this be? Let’s model it and take a look. Before we get into the bigger ticket items that remain though, let’s Here’s the Canucks’ cap committed roster for the 2020-21 season. This assume the Canucks use their leverage to grind restricted players like is the roster before accounting for re-signing any restricted or Motte and MacEwen to flesh out the roster. We’ll lock them up on one- unrestricted free agents players, using CapFriendly’s indispensable year deals for the value of their respective qualifying offers and also ArmChair GM tool. promote Brogan Rafferty because he had a tremendous rookie campaign in the AHL. Also, let’s be honest, his league minimum $700,000 one-way For now, I’ve also excluded any players who spent the majority of their contract for the 2020-21 season is simply too potentially efficient to season outside the NHL and it should be noted that in addition to the exclude from the roster considering the cap situation. salaries listed below, the Canucks will also have an absurd $3.033 million recapture penalty on the books for the contract, $1.033 Now we’re up to 20 players on the Canucks roster representing roughly million on the books as the cost of the Ryan Spooner buyout, $2.291 $77.9 million in salary cap commitments once we factor in the assorted million from burying Sven Baertschi’s cap hit below the NHL level and the penalties. That leaves the Canucks with $3.6 million for three players, but really, the club still has to completely reconstruct the defence, which was projects to be a minor league backup. This trade essentially permits the already a significant weakness and we haven’t even dealt with a trio of Red Wings to take a flier on Baertschi for the raw dollar cost of $400,000. young players in Gaudette, Stecher and Virtanen that could — depending Steve Yzerman is probably still saying “no” to this trade, but roll with me on your mileage — be considered part of the club’s young core. so we can continue through this exercise.

If you’re still on the “the Canucks don’t have cap problems” wagon, it The Canucks have bought out Sutter’s contract. might be time to give your head a shake. The Canucks have buried Eriksson “below the line” in the AHL. At this point in our exercise, it’s time to look at what realistic options the Canucks have to carve out additional cap space. In the scenario described above, the Canucks have 17 players signed with roughly $71.95 million in cap space committed. It’s still not ideal, but Some fans and commentators seem to take it as a matter of faith that at least they’ve now opened up $9.6 million in cap space that can at least Loui Eriksson will decide to walk away from the $5 million in remaining be used to re-sign key restricted free agents and perhaps Nikita salary left on his deal once his signing bonus is paid out in the middle of Tryamkin. this month. That’s possible of course, particularly with higher levels of escrow and an uncertain future regarding the AHL, but colour me Let’s go about filling out the roster with these restricted players: skeptical. We’re now up to 21 players on the 23-man roster.

At this point in his career and in this particular hockey economy, Eriksson The Canucks have made some tough trades to save space, buried probably can’t make that money back if he walks out on his contract. Eriksson’s contract in the AHL and bought out Sutter. Additionally, Motte, Much more likely, the Canucks could attach a hefty asset and try to trade MacEwen and Gaudette have been ground to the bone in negotiations Eriksson to a team with cap space. That’s likely to prove just about and forced to accept their qualifying offers or thereabouts. impossible in a flat cap environment, though perhaps it’s possible if the The Canucks have signed Tryamkin to a one-year deal at the absolute Canucks were to retain and take back salary in a deal with a team minimum value that he’d likely accept if he’s going to return to the NHL struggling with cash flows. from Russia, they’ve promoted Rafferty at his league minimum salary, For the purpose of this exercise, we risk getting into real “pie in the sky” they’ve managed to avoid arbitration with Stecher with a team-friendly territory if we proceed with a scenario that includes the club moving the extension and have ended up paying Virtanen roughly market value Eriksson contract, so we’ll leave our analysis there. If the Canucks front because he’s got a strong arbitration case despite his complete lack of office can find a way to move off of the Eriksson contract, it’ll be a two-way reliability. Houdini quality escape and we’ll cover it accordingly. Even with all of those bounces going their way, the Canucks are now just Beyond retirement fantasies and an unlikely trade, the Canucks don’t about at the salary cap upper limit — with just under $1.5 million in have too many options with Eriksson. Eriksson’s contract is signing remaining cap space — with only 21 players signed. bonus laden and basically buyout proof. The Canucks’ best remaining Now the Canucks have the space to bring in a seventh defender option will likely be to bury Eriksson’s contract in the minors, which would (Guillaume Brisebois at the league minimum) and properly flesh out the at least net an additional $1.075 million in cap savings. 23-man roster with Tyler Graovac at the minimum salary, because the The club could also consider a buyout of Brandon Sutter’s contract, cap situation is too tight at this point and we can’t even fit Nils which would net an additional $2.33 million in cap savings for the 2020- Hoglander’s entry-level deal on the roster to go through the Gaudette 21 season (though it adds over a $1 million cap hit to the books in 2021- “earn your minutes slowly in the first two months of the season” program. 22). We’ll get into other buyout options next week, but Sutter’s deal is far And voila, finally, a cap compliant Canucks 23-man roster for the 2020- and away the most “buyoutable” of the contracts on the Canucks’ books. 21 season:

And they could shop to find takers for a variety of players on the trade The above roster has 23 players on it and comes in just about $20,000 in market. There are scenarios where the club moves a more talented, annual cap space below the $81.5 million flat cap upper limit, according expensive piece in a trade, but for the purposes of this illustration, we’ll to CapFriendly’s calculations. assume that the club would prefer to shop the likes of Jordie Benn and Baertschi in a trade as opposed to dealing a legitimate top-six player like The margins here are tiny. This is a roster that’s not particularly good and Tanner Pearson or Brock Boeser. is still pretty much pressed up against the upper limit.

Despite a brutal first season in Vancouver, there’s a chance that Benn Even to get to this relatively dismal spot required a lot of pain, some might still have some value based on his long track record of success buyouts, some tough trades. And for all of that, is this sample 23-man and reputation for playing sturdy, physical defensive hockey. Perhaps roster better than the one they iced this season? It’s not. At least, not there’s a team willing to play him on the right side, where he’s been far really. more effective over the past couple of years. Certainly the club’s biggest issue — their defence corps — isn’t fixed in A Benn deal isn’t likely to net the Canucks too much in return and this scenario. In fact, having lost Tanev’s reliable defensive presence, it’s perhaps they have to retain a bit of his salary to lubricate the trade in a probably worse. flat cap environment, but it should be a relatively straightforward deal. Which brings us to the point of this entire exercise: this has never been Baertschi, on the other hand, clearly has no value on the trade market. In about recommending what we think the Canucks should do. Nor is it a all likelihood, if the Canucks are able to move Baertschi they’ll be taking rough estimate of what we think they will do. It’s about walking the VIPs some money back, probably retaining the maximum amount on his deal step by step through a somewhat realistic model of the Canucks’ cap and adding a sweetener for the privilege. situation that doesn’t include four AHL players holding down prominent roles in the lineup, an act of Eriksson ex machina in which a veteran These options aren’t pretty, but that’s the point. Considering the player walks away from $5 million in guaranteed salary (minus escrow) circumstances the Canucks find themselves in, every penny of available for no reason, or an unrealistic trade in which the Canucks get off of a cap space matters. multi-year cap commitment and somehow also get a pick in return.

Let’s put these four moves together, just to illustrate the potential impact The point of all this is to illustrate that, going into a season in which the on the Canucks’ books. Canucks will employ two of the top 25 players in the NHL in Hughes and In the following illustration, the Canucks have done the following: Pettersson for a combined cap hit of about $1.85 million before bonuses, they’re going to be facing some enormously tricky decisions just to They managed to trade Benn without retaining salary. maintain the level of a team that probably overperformed to be on the playoff bubble over the course of 69 games in 2019-20. They have retained 50 percent of Baertschi’s salary to facilitate a move for an expensive AHL player with a cap hit below $1.075 million. For the When a team lands players like Pettersson and Hughes in consecutive purposes of an illustration, I’ve bundled him within the CapFriendly drafts, a pair that already drive elite level goal differential for their team, engine with a draft pick and sent him via trade to the Detroit Red Wings the last year of their entry-level deals tends to be the season to really go for Calvin Pickard who struggled in the AHL last season and has an all in. If they’ve prudently managed their books, a club should have the expensive $800,000 one-way salary for a 2020-21 season in which he cap space necessary to chase a top free agent — think Taylor Hall, or Alex Pietrangelo — to really “go” for it.

The Canucks aren’t in that position, though. In fact, they’re facing a pretty serious cap crunch next season, one that seems likely to cost them good players and, perhaps, depending on the moves they make, the first season of their realistic window to credibly contend.

As it stands and having modelled it at length, it’s impossible to see how the Canucks can possibly spend this upcoming offseason going all-out to upgrade their roster. Instead, particularly if they’re intent on retaining both Toffoli and Markstrom, this summer is going to be about managing the books.

Because of some inefficient salary cap allocation over the years and the impact of a flat cap, the Canucks’ window may have to wait.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187698 Websites “The understanding of having that relationship and moving this game into a better place than it is right now was more important for everybody.”

Central to this collaboration, according to multiple sources close to the The Athletic / Burnside: NHL bucks its own history with a new CBA and a proceedings, was the leadership on both sides, starting with Bettman and bold plan to return his counterpart with the NHLPA, executive director Donald Fehr.

“I think that’s what I respect the most about Gary and even Don, I think, they put egos aside,” the veteran player said. “They needed a way to Scott Burnside make this league even better than what it is so we can withstand something like this if it ever happened again. And almost benefit coming Jul 10, 2020 out of it.”

Can the league hit the ground running after the pandemic is over? As the results of the parallel votes by NHL owners and more than 700 “I think we’ve put ourselves in a great position with this agreement to do NHL players began filtering through social media Friday, confirming that that,” the player said. “And then we can enjoy some labor peace for a there would be labor peace and that the NHL and its players would forge while where everyone’s benefitting and the game of hockey becomes ahead with a bold plan to complete the 2019-20 season in hub cities even stronger than it is right now.” Edmonton and Toronto in three weeks, there remained a palpable sense of disbelief that it had unfolded this way. Let’s be clear.

Really? This is the NHL? The league that had perfected the labor This is not a perfect document. And in the end, it might not work. stoppage? The coronavirus isn’t something that can be contained by a labor As Images flashed of the schedule featuring a unique 16-team play-in agreement, so the best-laid plans to survive this are just that: plans. competition and an eight-team round robin beginning Aug. 1, it seemed as though we might be considering an entirely different sport given the There are, to be sure, elements of this new CBA that rankle both sides. history of acrimony between the league’s owners and players. One source from the ownership side told The Athletic that a number of For those of us who can remember watching NHL commissioner Gary owners are unhappy with issues carrying over from the old CBA that they Bettman close the door on the entire 2004-05 season back on the felt needed to be addressed and weren’t, or rather couldn’t be addressed morning of Feb. 16, 2005, and for those of us who would later spend the given the circumstances. last days of 2012 huddled in a freezing bank alcove outside the league’s Salary arbitration needs to be overhauled, he said. offices in New York as the NHL and its players frittered away half of another season, Friday evening’s turn of events qualifies as nothing short The fact the new agreement enshrines at least the possibility of returning of monumental. to the Olympics in Beijing in 2022 and Milan in 2026, pending an agreement with the International Olympic Committee, is a slap for some Going back to Bettman’s first work stoppage in 1994, whenever these owners who feel that Olympic participation is disruptive and two sides met to discuss matters of great import, the players and owners counterintuitive to the NHL’s best interests. always chose different paths, turned right when they needed to turn left and let egos rule the day and disrupt the game they purported to love “I think what Gary did was Gary was focused on the macro and wasn’t in and cherish. a position to worry about the micro,” the source said. “So we gave up a lot of things, too, on the small side, like the Olympics. I’m dead set Yet, in the face of a pandemic that has thrown the entire globe into against the Olympics. And now essentially the door is open for that to chaos, with 12.4 million cases worldwide at the time of this writing and happen. 558,000 deaths, more than 135,000 of those in the United States, these two sides accomplished what would have seemed impossible given the “On a macro basis, it’s good; on a micro basis, it’s not, but we just didn’t circumstances and their shared history of acrimony. have the time. We just didn’t have the time. We had to get a deal done. We had to play. And the players knew it, too. We had to think fast. So Not only did the owners and players come up with a comprehensive plan this system keeps it stable.” for a 24-team return-to-play competition in Toronto and Edmonton, but they simultaneously crafted a new collective bargaining agreement that The fact the two sides had already begun preliminary discussions on a will carry at least through 2025-26 and was specifically designed to help new CBA before the pause of the season helped facilitate a dramatic turn the game emerge intact from the economic chaos caused by the COVID- in the negotiations in mid-March. 19 pandemic. “Now we’ve jerry-rigged it to help the teams survive,” the source said. “So One could not be done without the other. we have a system now that should allow the league to survive.”

To not play again this season was to forfeit more than $1 billion in If there was no pandemic, would the discussions have been much revenue. different?

But to play, the players and owners needed a new economic framework Absolutely. under which to operate, which meant confronting cornerstone issues such as the salary cap, escrow, signing bonuses and Olympic There are details that owners would have preferred to address heading participation. And it meant confronting those issues with the clock ticking. into a new collective bargaining agreement.

So the two sides put aside a long history of failing to find common ground “Arbitration is a joke,” he said. “There’s just a bunch of stuff that’s just not and did just that, an incredible reversal of fortune finalized Friday evening right. Unfortunately, none of those got fixed.” with both the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHLPA’s membership Instead, though, the focus was on the big picture, which will allow teams announcing the ratification of the massive return-to-play/CBA package. to function through what this owner predicts will be several years of The players voted 502-135 in favor of the new deal, one player source difficult times. told The Athletic. “It’s a deal that allows us to carry on,” the owner said.

One veteran player who was part of the ongoing discussion that It’s not just the owners who may grumble at some elements of the new ultimately led to the agreement said it was gratifying to see both sides agreement. find common ground at such a critical moment in the league’s history. The salary cap will remain stagnant at $81.5 million until hockey-related “I was on those calls,” he said. “It was really nice to hear the NHL side, to revenues surpass $3.3 billion, and the cap will not surpass $82.5 million understand this is bigger than dollars and cents. This is a way for our until revenues reach $4.8 billion. Over the life of the deal, the vast league to be healthy coming out of a global pandemic. And that was majority of NHL players can become free agents. more important to everybody than gouging each other, and nickel-and- diming on certain things. With a flat cap for the foreseeable future, players’ earning potential is going to be blunted. It means that teams that have been spending to the cap and have locked sides have recognized that ‘wow’ moment, where you go, uh oh, we’d up assets long term are going to face difficult decisions on key players. better get through this together, and I think that’s what they’ve done. Good on both sides.” As one salary cap expert noted, “Whoever has salary cap space is going to rule the realm.” Another former player and current analyst thinks the focus of this new CBA is really the young stars around whom the game needs to grow. According to the tremendous hockey resource CapFriendly.com, 17 teams had less than $1 million in final cap space at the pause. Two He points to the Olympic involvement, which will — assuming an teams, Arizona and Toronto, had zero cap space. Dallas had $815. agreement can be reached with the IOC on things like insurance, travel costs and use of merchandise and likenesses for marketing purposes — The timing won’t be great for a crop of potential unrestricted free agents, allow stars such as Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, Connor McDavid, such as Alex Pietrangelo, Torey Krug and Taylor Hall. But this new CBA Jack Eichel and others their first opportunity to play in a true best-on-best is better than the alternative. tournament as an indication of the league’s focus.

“I told my guys, this is a template that gives you an opportunity for “I can’t remember the last time the ‘youth’ of the NHL was taken care of recovery,” one veteran agent said. so much in a CBA,” he said.

The bottom line was simple: If you don’t accept this deal, then the next “It just seems like this CBA had a heavy emphasis on growing the game time you sit down to negotiate a contract it’ll be nowhere close to what through the young stars. Personally, I think that’s a good move because you are making right now, he added. of how young the league has gotten and how important the young The fact that escrow will be capped at 6 percent in each of the final three players are now to their teams.” seasons of the deal has the potential to be a significant benefit to the Finally, one veteran agent said the two sides have essentially split the players. debt on the damage being wrought by the pandemic.

“Economically, there can’t be a better deal, it just doesn’t make sense,” “I’m impressed with the enormous scope of work that needed to be the agent said. done,” the agent said.

The agent said to a couple of GMs who were amazed the league agreed “The bank book has to be balanced.” to the escrow formula: “But in retrospect, they had to give that up, they had to give them something.” Will it take a few years or the life of the entire deal to get the game back on track? That remains unknown, but the path forward is lit in an His final word to his clients before the vote? unprecedented way in these unprecedented times.

“I said to my guys, I don’t want to hear any fucking whining, everybody is “I think this is the first time where all that bitterness and animosity had to taking a hit on this,” the agent said. be thrown out the window,” said the agent.

One former NHL executive and longtime NHL player noted that the vision The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 of the new CBA is critical.

“It builds around what’s happening right now and what’s happening moving forward,” he said. “We’re going to go through a tough stretch here.”

The solidarity from the two bitter opponents, “that’s the first thing that jumps out at me,” he said.

He acknowledged he was surprised the players were able to hang onto the existing bonus structure, noting that a team like the Maple Leafs had doled out something in the neighborhood of $122 million in bonuses over the past two Julys.

Not all teams can compete on that cash-flow basis.

Meanwhile, the flat cap is going to hurt those teams that have committed long-term to key players.

“It’s really going to hurt teams like the Leafs that are cash-strapped in a big way,” he said.

One NHL GM agreed that it’s critical to take the long view on this deal and its impact on the game.

“I think this is just life for us,” he said, adding that having been involved in negotiations in the past, the simple truth is “you don’t get anything if you don’t give up stuff.”

Both sides had to accept that in this deal, he said.

Without the pandemic, maybe this exercise takes a different path. But the GM said both sides knew the critical nature of the moment.

“Having labor peace is good. We’ve got to make sure we don’t miss any work going forward,” he said.

Longtime NHL player, broadcast analyst and former member of the NHLPA’s executive board likewise thinks that this deal is born out of necessity and allowed the two sides to move beyond the sometimes petty elements of previous negotiations.

“This negotiation, I think they knew it hit them right between the eyes which is, OK, we didn’t plan for the pandemic, we know what the financial scar is going to be, we’re not stupid,” said Healy, now the head of the NHL’s Alumni Association.

“You’re having games without fans. It’s a fan-based industry. It’s not football, where you don’t even need a fan to make money. I think both 1187699 Websites They didn’t do any of that. Instead, they basically served up the same format we’ve had for years. Given the urgency to get a deal done as quickly as possible, you can understand why they didn’t do anything crazy. But if you’re a fan that’s used to defending your team’s budget The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: The NHL has its new CBA. What will it crunch by saying “It’s OK, the cap always goes up,” then you’re about to mean for fans? see what life’s like when it doesn’t.

At a more granular level, the same concerns apply to fans of teams with one or more bad contracts. Sorry Blackhawks fans, there’s no get-out-of- Sean McIndoe jail-free card coming for Brent Seabrook. Same with the Sharks and Jul 10, 2020 Marc-Edouard Vlasic. We could name plenty of others. If you cheer for those teams, it’s time to shift your thinking from “compliance buyouts will save us” to “the expansion draft will (somehow?) save us.”

The NHL has a new collective bargaining agreement. With the results of So yeah, tough times for a lot of teams in the league. Of course, that this week’s vote now in and approval from nearly 79 percent of players, could present an opportunity for others. If you root for one of the few per reports, the league can move forward with its return-to-play plan for a teams with lots of caps space, you’re about to see how creative your GM summer playoffs paired with a new deal that will last through 2026. A wants to get. new CBA, let alone one reached with little in the way of animosity, would have seemed unthinkable just a few months ago, but pandemics have a It will be nice to have some certainty around the cap going forward way of shifting priorities. Once we get out of the flat cap phase of the deal, there’s a small but By now, you’ve probably already seen plenty of smart breakdowns about important change being made to the formula that determines future caps. what this all means for the owners, for the players, for Gary Bettman’s Once league revenues recover from the pandemic, it will be based on legacy and for the bottom line. But I want to look at it from a slightly actual revenue from two years prior, combined with projected revenue different angle: What does this mean for the fans? What does it mean for from the past season. That should mean more clarity about where the you and me, who don’t really care where every single dollar winds up as number will wind up and sooner. long as we get to watch our favorite team chase a Stanley Cup? Remember how we made it through the 2019 draft without knowing what Let’s try to figure that out. I’m going to focus on the actual CBA – the the salary cap would be for the following year that was just a few days return-to-play agreement is its own separate category, and we’ve already away? That was bad for fans, not only because it made the NHL look looked at what that might be like for fans and whether we should even bush league but because it created a drag on the draft floor trading want it to happen in the first place. Today, let’s worry about the new CBA market. That shouldn’t happen again under this new deal, which is good itself, and what it might mean for us over the years to come. news.

And we can start with the obvious. The next few offseasons might be chaos … or just terrible

Just getting a deal done is a big win for fans … What happens in a hard cap league where nobody has any cap space?

Let’s start with the important thing, and we can just cut to the chase: This We’re about to find out. It’s possible that we’ll get a ton of movement, as is good news for fans. There’s no need to go looking for a contrarian cap-strapped teams desperately try to find a taker for contracts they need angle here. For the first time in the Gary Bettman era, and in fact, the first to shed. For once, the league’s have-nots might be the ones calling the time since the players briefly went on strike late in the 1991-92 season, shots, and it could result in chaos. You know, the good kind. the NHL is going to get a new CBA without a work stoppage. That’s good But while that might be fun, it’s not hard to imagine an alternate scenario news, full stop. where not much happens at all. The flat cap will mean several teams I’ll admit, I didn’t think it was going to happen, and maybe it wouldn’t have to sit out free agency entirely, and the flood of players that hit the have if the world hadn’t been hit by a global pandemic that upset market might end up deciding to sign short-term deals instead of the big everything we thought we knew about pro sports economics. Or maybe it tickets we’re used to. Trading will be difficult and mostly focused on cap would have happened anyway, because there are only so many times management instead of teams trying to improve their rosters. And that’s that smart people can try to pull the same act on their customers. We’ll before you factor in that this offseason, and maybe the next one or two never know. But the point is they made a deal without locking the doors, after it, will happen on compressed schedules. and now we’ve got another six years before we have to wonder about I hope I’m wrong. Maybe the league’s conservative GMs won’t have any this stuff again. choice but to mix it up. Maybe those short-term UFA deals will result in Should it have taken a global catastrophe for the NHL to do what every something that looks like the NBA, with big names jumping to the best other league seems to have already figured out a way to do? No, but it situations to chase championships with their friends. And maybe it will all did, and here we are. If you’ve spent the last quarter-century ripping on happen over just a week or two because that’s all we have. But you could the league for always needing a lockout to get a deal (raises hand), you forgive teams if they just tried to do the bare minimum and emerge with a have to applaud them for finally getting it right this time. workable cap situation, and not much else.

… as long as you don’t cheer for a team that’s up against the cap One bonus to keep in mind: The elimination of the free agency interview period means we’ll go back to all of the blatant tampering unpredictability A flat cap for several years, until revenue returns to pre-pandemic of the old system. projections? Hoo boy. Sorry, fans of the Maple Leafs, Lightning, Blues and all the other capped out teams who only a few months ago were told The Olympic are (probably) back and they’re going to be amazing that next year’s cap could be as high as $88 million. This might get ugly. Back to the positive side: The NHL is headed back to the Olympics, That’s not to say there was any way to avoid a flat cap, and in fact, pending an agreement with the IOC. Good. It should never have left, and having it stay where it is might be a victory of sorts. If the league had it’s ridiculous – and I suppose a testament to Bettman’s negotiating skills insisted on the cap remaining tied directly to revenues, the wreckage of – that something so beneficial to the league was somehow spun into a the 2019-20 season would have meant the cap dropping, maybe major concession that players had to fight for. But from a fan’s significantly. That would have been a nightmare, as teams scrambled to perspective, that’s all in the rearview mirror now. McDavid, Crosby and cut wherever they could to stay compliant. Nobody would have won in MacKinnon vs. Eichel, Matthews and Kane, let’s go. The 2022 Olympics that scenario – not fans, not players, not the teams who’d have to are going to be awesome. frantically gut their rosters – so avoiding it is a win of sorts. (Assuming we even manage to have an Olympics by 2022. Sorry, I don’t That said, there were options available to mitigate the pain for capped do positivity well. Let’s move on.) out teams. The league could have thrown in a compliance buyout or two. Extension talks during the playoffs might be an interesting wrinkle They could have borrowed cap-bending measures from other sports, like a Larry Bird exception or variable cap hits. They could have got really One of the small details that was slipped into the agreement allows creative, allowing teams to trade for cap space or borrow from future players to start negotiating new contracts and extensions pretty much years. immediately. THREE DAYS AFTER THIS AGREEMENT IS CLOSED, PLAYERS They made some tweaks, but in the broad strokes this is pretty much the WHO NEED CONTRACTS FOR 2020-21 CAN BE SIGNED — AS CAN same CBA we already had, and have had since 2005. The agreement EXTENSIONS FOR 2021-22. continues to evolve, but the deal we’ll go forward with today would be almost completely familiar to a fan from a decade ago. The big — ELLIOTTE FRIEDMAN (@FRIEDGEHNIC) JULY 7, 2020 breakthroughs came around escrow and salary deferral, and while those That makes sense. Those extensions would normally be allowed as of were no small details under the circumstances, they matter a lot more to July 1 and we’re already past that, and with a compressed offseason players and teams than to fans who don’t really care when each dollar ahead of us it’s only fair to let everyone have a bit of a head start. But it arrives. will create an interesting dynamic where players can sign extensions for Again, that all makes sense given what both sides were up against. I’ve 2021-22 while the 2019-20 season is still underway. made my pitch for bigger changes in the past, and I still think that some Signing an extension multiple seasons ahead of time is fairly standard in of them would make for a better product, but it’s understandable that the other sports, but we haven’t seen it in the NHL under the post-2005 NHL and its players would just want to stick with what mostly works. CBAs. Now we will, kind of, and it leads to some mildly intriguing Still, it’s worth mentioning just how many key pieces of the deal won’t be scenarios. Will somebody get overpaid based on a hot playoff run? Will changing at all. There’s no significant change to contract lengths, or how somebody else’s talks hit a snag because they’re slumping? Will some cap hits are calculated, or how signing bonuses can be used. The rules teams refuse to negotiate while the season is still happening? (The around front-loaded deals will be a little bit tighter for high-value contracts answer to that last one is almost certainly yes.) but only a little, and the changes to 35+ deals only affect a handful of It’s not a big deal, but it could lead to some big deals, and they’ll come players. Minimum salaries and entry-level bonuses have been adjusted with timing we’re not used to. That’s worth keeping an eye on. upwards, but that’s unlikely to have much impact on roster-building strategies. Eliminating signing-based conditional draft picks in trades is They did fix three of the dumbest problems with the old CBA interesting but not radical, and a new rule on qualifying offers will discourage bridge contracts that take big jumps in the final year, which Sort of. They went two for three. I’ll explain. makes sense. There’s nothing about trading LTIR players or other Let’s start with the ones they got right. Players on the last year of their loopholes to avoid cap hits. And there’s not a single thing in the whole contract who are traded to a new team prior to the deadline will no longer agreement that would make you say “Wow, that’s a big change.” have to wait to be eligible to sign a full eight-year extension. That rule In a way, this might feel like good news because it reiterates that the pain affected guys like Erik Karlsson and Jeff Skinner in recent years, and of losing the entire 2004-05 season at least paid off in a CBA that’s never really made sense. It’s fixed now. That’s good. largely worked for both sides; imagine if we’d gone through all that only Another update: Players who have negotiated a no-trade or no- to have them tear the deal up and start over a few years later. Most fans movement clause will now have the clause follow them even if they’re have their own ideas about how things could work better, and the status traded before it kicks in. You might assume that had always been the quo probably wasn’t anyone’s first choice. But on the bright side, you case since, you know, there’s no other clause in a contract that can just won’t have to pull any all-nighters studying up on the new deal. It’s pretty disappear after a player has negotiated it in good faith. But no-trade much the same one you already know. clauses were special and didn’t have to be honored by a team that The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 acquired the player before they had activated. That’s why, for example, the NTC that P.K. Subban negotiated with the Canadiens didn’t follow him to Nashville.

TECHNICALLY, SUBBAN NMC/NTC THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO KICK IN JULY 1 DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY TRAVEL FROM MTL TO NSH. UP TO PREDS TO DECIDE FATE.

— BOB MCKENZIE (@TSNBOBMCKENZIE) JUNE 30, 2016

This was, to put it mildly, completely and indefensibly stupid. It was also a source of a lot of confusion, with many fans assuming players who waived their no-trade clauses lost them. That’s not what was happening; the rule only affected players who were traded before their clause had started. In any event, the new CBA eliminates that scenario, and that’s good because it was dumb.

Also dumb: Creating a cap recapture rule that punishes teams for signing long-term, back-diving contracts even though those same contracts had already been reviewed and approved by the league years earlier. The league did that with the 2013 CBA, and I’d long held out hope that they’d come to their senses and scrap the rule before any teams were actually punished. That didn’t happen because Roberto Luongo’s 2019 retirement meant the Canucks were on the hook for a $3 million cap hit this season because of a contract that, I’ll remind you, the league had reviewed and approved when it was signed. The rule wasn’t even passed to discourage future back-diving contracts, since those were already eliminated in that same 2013 CBA. It was purely punitive.

The new CBA still doesn’t get rid of this unfair rule, but it does modify it. Teams can still be penalized, but not for a higher cap hit than the original contract carried. That means we no longer have to worry about nightmare scenarios like the one where Shea Weber retiring a year early would somehow result in the Predators eating a $24 million cap hit in a single season. Did I mention that the league apparently didn’t bother to think this rule through before they passed it? Because they didn’t.

Fixing the worst-case scenario is good. What would have been better is scrapping the rule entirely and giving Vancouver a $3 million credit on future cap hits to make up for this year, along with an apology. Still, the new version of the rule is an improvement as long as you’re not a Canucks fan.

Ultimately, the big news might be all the things that didn’t change 1187700 Websites There will be restaurants inside the bubbles, but the league also plans to bring in chefs as well as “own and operate” restaurants that aren’t inside the bubble. These restaurants would only be used by the NHL throughout the playoffs and could be accessed by shuttles operated by the NHL. The Athletic / It’s official! NHL is returning this summer and it comes with a CBA extension Edmonton and Toronto were chosen as hubs over eight other finalists: Las Vegas, Vancouver, Chicago, Los Angeles, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Dallas.

The Athletic NHL Staff The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 Jul 10, 2020

After months of negotiations, rumors and uncertainty, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association have agreed to resume the 2019-20 season this summer.

As part of the Return to Play discussions, the two sides extended the collective bargaining agreement for four years, which includes a flat salary cap for next season, a 20 percent cap on escrow next season and will allow players to go to the Olympics in 2022 and 2026.

The players voted on the decision to resume the season and the CBA extension in one vote, with the membership reportedly split 502-135 in favor of the agreement. The NHL Board of Governors also had to ratify the deal.

Next season’s salary cap will stay at $81.5 million and will not go up until revenues reach $4.8 billion. After that, a formula for establishing the cap will be employed that uses hockey-related revenues from two seasons prior. For instance, the 2022-23 cap would be calculated using hockey- related revenue numbers from 2020-21. In theory, this will blunt escrow growth.

Escrow on players’ salaries will be capped for the length of this CBA. The 2020-21 season is capped at 20 percent, the 2021-22 season is capped at 14-18 percent depending on revenues from the previous season, the 2022-23 season is capped at 10 percent and the following three seasons are capped at 6 percent.

Training camps will open on July 13, and by July 26, the 12 Eastern Conference teams will travel to the Toronto hub and the 12 Western Conference teams to the Edmonton hub. Games are scheduled to start on Aug. 1.

There is language in the agreement that allows players to opt-out of returning this summer without penalty. Players have until 5 p.m. ET on Monday to inform the NHL and NHLPA in writing of their decision to not play.

There are expected to be 50 members of each team’s traveling party. All those members, as well as NHL staff, tasked with setting up the hubs and the extensive testing that will be needed frequently for players, coaches, team staffers and support staff, will have waivers to avoid Canada’s mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone who crosses the border.

Instead, it’s believed there will be a shorter length, quarantine in the “bubble” once the NHL arrives in Canada. If U.S. media want to travel to Canada to cover the league’s return, reporters will have to follow Canadian government quarantine protocols, a source said.

In Edmonton, there will be a multiple block bubble that includes the recently-built JW Marriott, the Sutton Place Hotel, the state-of-the-art Rogers Place and the arena’s attached practice sheet of ice. A wall will literally be built around the bubble, sources said.

In Toronto, the bubble will include a 40-acre campus-like village on the grounds of the Exhibition Place, which includes BMO Field, the OVO Athletic Centre, Coca-Cola Coliseum and the 404-room Hotel X. Because that hotel doesn’t have enough rooms to hold all 12 teams, NHL staff and support staff, it’s likely the league will need to extend its bubble into a downtown Toronto hotel that includes other amenities.

The NHL has long worried about the psyche of players and staff who won’t be allowed to leave the bubble for potentially several weeks to upward of two months. So the league is trying to create a resort-style district for players to have multiple restaurants, food trucks, movie theaters, state-of-the-art fitness areas and other activities at their disposal so they don’t feel trapped in their hotel rooms when they’re not at the rink. 1187701 Websites The current state government mandates combined with the recent positive coronavirus cases out of USA Hockey Arena have prompted questions about the viability of USA Hockey’s 2020 World Junior Summer Showcase. The Athletic / USNTDP players test positive for COVID-19; Summer Showcase in question The event is slated to begin July 24 at the arena, and USA Hockey’s website says it will be open to the public, subject to state guidelines. Finland, Sweden and Canada pulled out of the event but USA Hockey is still hoping to host it, with 43 American players invited from all over the Craig Custance and Katie Strang country to attend. Top prospects like Montreal’s , Jul 10, 2020 Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras and Los Angeles’ Alex Turcotte are listed on the roster.

Some sources harbored concerns about the propriety of holding the At least three players from USA Hockey’s National Team Development showcase given the current state of the health crisis in the United States Program have tested positive for COVID-19, multiple sources have and the risks it poses to amateur athletes. confirmed to The Athletic. The players had been participating in on-ice skills training at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., the venue for One NHL player personnel source expressed uneasiness about whether USA Hockey’s 2020 World Junior Summer Showcase later this month. players who are fighting to crack the world juniors roster would be swayed into participation for fear of losing a prime opportunity, even if it One source close to the players said the cases have been mostly could pose health risks. asymptomatic. Additional participants in the on-ice skills training who are not members of the USNTDP have also tested positive, according to a “If you’re on the bubble for world juniors and USA Hockey gives you the source. invite, you feel the pressure to attend,” the source said. “That’s your chance to prove yourself.” “It’s hockey players who hang out together,” said a source with knowledge of the situation. “One person got tested, found out they had it Other sources close to U.S. players and parents countered that they and so they all did.” understood the risks of playing right now and still want to participate.

Michigan is currently in Phase 4 of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Safe Start “The parents I talk to are risk-tolerant people,” said one agent with Plan, which allowed several businesses to reopen but not indoor facilities players in the program. “People have to go forward.” like arcades, rinks, bowling alleys or trampoline parks. According to an Michigan would have to move to Phase 5 of its recovery plan for the advisory found on the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association’s website, Summer Showcase to happen under current rules, which seems unlikely “all ice rinks, leagues, associations, coaches, players and volunteers” are by July 24. COVID cases are rising in the state compared to June expected to abide by “all mandates and restrictions from the State of numbers. Michigan, including those communicated by the Governor through Executive Orders.” USA Hockey is seeking to clarify whether the Summer Showcase is eligible for the same exemption that allows professional sports teams to Whitmer and the League of Independent Fitness Facilities have been compete without fans in attendance at games. A decision on the Summer mired in a legal battle over her executive order. A USA Hockey source Showcase is expected early next week. said the arena opened one sheet of ice with limited rentals from June 24- 29 in anticipation of restrictions being lifted, an action that was halted by The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals late the night of June 24.

During that June 24-29 window, USNTDP and other high-level hockey players trained with skills coaches. Players were required to sign waivers provided by USA Hockey Arena, which is owned by the USA Hockey Foundation, and to do daily temperature checks in order to skate. The waiver, which has been reviewed by The Athletic, asks participants to answer health screening questions and requires a signature by both player and guardian (if under 18) acknowledging mandated social distancing guidelines (6 feet when possible; masks required in common areas; no more than 25 skaters per session) and other conditions of entry.

That group skated for three days before being told everyone had to leave the arena because of a positive COVID test. In March, USA Hockey Arena was identified as a possible place of exposure by public health officials. Multiple calls to USA Hockey Arena GM Mike Henry and the program’s senior director of operations Scott Monaghan were unreturned.

Though USA Hockey has since closed its rink, many others in the metro Detroit area are allowing limited skating as youth teams and recreation leagues return to practice. Multiple sources cited the continuing legal battle between Whitmer and gyms as creating a gray area for rinks to open to small groups, with many setting up strict rules in order to operate. St. Clair Shores Civic Arena is allowing training on its ice and requiring anyone entering the rink to conduct a daily symptom assessment. Social distancing is required on the ice “when puck is not in play,” according to a list of guidelines sent to youth parents. Mask use is required and an employee at the rink said locker room access is being restricted to five players at a time, with no bathroom or shower use allowed.

Mt. Clemens Ice Arena requires masks as well as temperature checks for players, according to rules sent to parents. Troy Sports Center is also requiring temperature checks and masks, according to an employee who asked not to be identified.

“If you’re a 16-year-old kid, hockey is back, for sure,” said one coach who works with players of all ages in Michigan. 1187702 Websites Those are the first steps – and involve changes to protocols as opposed to actual physical structure – and theoretically should be easier than undertaking a major retrofit of an existing building, which will be far more costly and complicated. The Athletic / Duhatschek: How the pandemic is already changing the future of arena construction “We’ve studied no-fan scenarios, limiting fans, programs to help us to figure out capacities in seating bowls, all those kinds of things,” said Clark. “We’ve also studied a lot of things relating to segmentation of concourses, from ways of doing more one-way circulation, to limit the Eric Duhatschek way people cross over each other and interact that way.” Jul 10, 2020 Let’s look at a few other specifics that may come into play in the pandemic era and the world that will follow.

Currently, there are three new NHL buildings either under construction Size matters (New York Islanders, Seattle) or in the planning stages (Calgary). There was a time, decades ago, when the traditional mantra for buildings Given everything that’s happening in the world relating to COVID-19, and was some version of “bigger is better.” Nowhere was that principle better its possible aftermath on the sports viewing habits of the public, we illustrated than in Calgary when the Saddledome was constructed in the wondered: Are these teams – and their architects – imagining what the early 1980s. For a time, one of the NHL’s smallest markets also boasted post-coronavirus universe looks like? the largest building – capacity over 21,000 when tickets in the so-called nosebleed sections were counted. And if so, and if you’re a team with a new building in the pipeline, do you try to rethink everything (concourses, seating bowls, washroom facilities, Capacity has varied over time. There was a time when the seats in the concession areas, entrances and exits) to anticipate what may be upper bowl were covered and withdrawn from sale because interest in significant changes in the way people consume spectator sport? the team was flagging.

The answer is yes. Once during that time, a former owner in Calgary, Norm Green, suggested the path forward would be to shrink the size of arenas to a “I’ll call it a proba-tunity,” said Rob Adamson, principal architect at Dialog point where the live experience would be more intimate and that the Design which, along with the international architectural firm HOK, will inventory of tickets would be reduced, theoretically creating additional design the new building for the Flames in Calgary. “In other words, it’s demand and the possibility of higher prices. Ultimately, the price of the both a problem and an opportunity. It’s a problem for us to solve because league’s television rights would increase too as more people would have the data is unclear and thus, the answer is also unclear. But it’s also an to digest the fan experience at home. opportunity for us to be pioneers and do something really special and different that sort of sets the trend and hopefully establishes benchmarks In the coronavirus era, the primary reason to install fewer seats would and informs others.” simply be to create more social distancing in what are usually such tightly enclosed seating spaces. Last month, Calgary announced that the same two companies that collaborated on the design for Edmonton’s Rogers Place – HOK and Capacity would shrink if fewer seats were installed, or some were Dialog – were awarded the contract to build a new arena that will removed, but then that would either see revenues decline or force the ultimately replace the aging Saddledome. price of tickets ever higher.

Construction is scheduled to begin next summer, with a view to Could Clark ever imagine a scenario where professional sports teams completing the project by 2024. deliberately and significantly shrink capacity to enhance social distancing? One of the first steps taken by Dialog tied to the coronavirus pandemic is getting input from medical experts at this early design stage. “In my experience over the last 30 years, the answer to that is typically going to be no,” said Clark. “I will say this, though: We are trending a little “We’ve already engaged medical professionals – infectious disease and bit smaller … But can I see an NBA or an NHL team playing in a 12,000- infections control specialists – on our team, to help us understand what a seat venue sometime in the future? It’s really hard for me to get my head pandemic is and what does a vaccine look like and when might that be around that as a concept. So, I think what we should be focusing on is coming,” Adamson said. how we can make the experience better. Make people want to come to the venue. Of course, make them feel safe coming to the venue.” “But as a starting point, we’re thinking there could be a need for wider concourses, greater separation in seating areas, different configurations You say you want a revolution of washrooms, indoors and outdoors, separation of different fixtures. Even things like how do you deal with queueing on the entry sequence – As The Beatles once sang, “We all want to change the world.” Back in and health checks. How do we plan for that? 1988, Bill Davidson, then the owner of the Detroit Pistons, did just that, when he oversaw the opening of The Palace of Auburn Hills. “ALSO: How does all that’s happening affect the finishes and materials you might use? Do we need to have more of a health-care facility design Up until then, the only luxury seating in most venues were the so-called protocol in public buildings? For decades, hospitals have focused on Skyboxes, located high above the seating bowl. infection control and disease prevention through materiality, through Essentially, teams were asking companies to pay a premium price to spatial design and through mechanical systems. Mechanical systems will view the action from the worst seats in the house. It made no sense. play a big role in the filtration and the purification of air, all those things.” Davidson figured it out. He created concourse-level private suites that Brad Clark, a senior principal and design director at Populous, the global provided far greater value. It was a shift in arena construction philosophy architectural firm, is leading the design efforts for both the new that was quickly embraced around the sports world. Milwaukee Bucks arena as well as the Belmont Arena, which will be the There has been a great evolution in arena design since the Palace came future home of the Islanders. and went, but nothing quite so revolutionary. Clark acknowledged that “the whole aspect of viewing sports is likely to Might that have to change again now? Yes and no. change forever, based on this pandemic.” “I’m not sure about fundamental, structural change,” Adamson said. “But “We’re beginning to think about what is going to be the new normal and what we’re seeing is the real need for flexibility in the seating product – can the new normal be better? That ends up being the question. and how these buildings can become adaptable buildings, and not just Ultimately, the big challenge will just be getting people comfortable have fixed elements that can’t be changed.” coming back and gathering together in their offices, let alone in stadiums and arenas.” Part of it has to do with a generational shift in how customers want to consume a live sports event, Adamson said. According to Clark, his firm is currently studying ways in which fans can slowly return when it becomes safe to do so. “A lot of young people now have different interests and needs in how they experience an event in any kind of seating product. So how do you deal with demographics that are so different now than they historically simulated fans and a simulated fan experience, because of the television have been? When people are using their phones at the same time that component to all this. So, we’re thinking of technology and what are the they’re watching the game to access information about the game – or to technological needs that drive the event experience that’s appropriate to order food, or to interact with a friend on the other side of the building. the professional status of the players and the leagues.” So, it’s changing all the time.” According to Adamson, the design team is also anticipating what other Clark too saw a shift in the way the modern sports fan and/or concert usages there might be for a building if a natural catastrophe were to goer wants to take in an event. occur. Calgary had serious flooding in 2013. New Orleans had its infrastructure put under extreme duress by Hurricane Katrina. “We’re seeing more SRO (standing room only) experiences,” said Clark. “We’re seeing younger demographics of fans who want to move around “We think back on Katrina, the Superdome in New Orleans was intended the building and not just experience it from one particular seat. They want to be a safe refuge for people who were affected by this world climate multiple vantage points. event,” said Adamson. “What happens if there’s another flood in Calgary? How can this building potentially serve a different need other “So yes, there’s been an evolution. Is it a revolution? It’s hard to say. But than an event centre or entertainment purposes? Perhaps there can be a there’s no question that the buildings we’re designing across all of our humanitarian or health-care purpose? That goes to the whole notion of markets are changing markedly. They’re changing and adapting with the adaptability. How can this building be the Swiss army knife of event times and with expectations. That’s at the root of what we do.” centres?

The Calgary advantage “Two other things are important. One is sustainability. These buildings Of all the teams in the NHL with new buildings in the pipeline, Calgary are energy hogs. So how can we design the most energy-efficient may well be in the best position because the Flames have time on their building that fits in with the intended function? So, we’re looking really side. The first shovels won’t go into the ground until next summer, at the hard at what might be – hopefully – the most sustainable arena/event earliest. centre in North America and be socially responsible.

“Are we fortunate and do we have the luxury that we are literally just “The second thing is, how does this building become accessible to all starting down the design process?” asked John Bean, the Flames’ populations? How is it not just a building for people that can afford an president and chief executive officer. “Yes. It would be naïve for us not to expensive ticket to see a professional sporting event or a concert? at least be thinking and considering what, if anything, will impact design. Hopefully, this place around us here becomes Calgary’s living room.” But at this point, from an organizational point of view, we are seeking first Conclusion to understand what really will be the impact. I mentioned my fear to Clark: That I’ve seen a major musical concert at “Our attitude is going to be: Let’s entertain it all. Let’s listen – and let’s an indoor arena for the last time and that no matter how much safer they evaluate. We have the luxury of 14 to 16 months and even more than may make the viewing experience it might never feel quite safe enough that, right? Because in 14 to 16 months, we’re going to break ground and to me. He believes there are others who may feel the same way, older start building a basement. And so, as the building comes out of the people, or people with preexisting health conditions. ground, we’re going to have a design. We have to have a good detailed design. But it doesn’t mean you can’t flex and again change 24 months “When you’re thinking about the psychology of fans returning, there is from now.” probably a difference between an interior and an exterior venue,” said Clark. “I’m talking about an outdoor ballpark versus an indoor arena, with The restroom conundrum a roof and is fully enclosed. There’s probably some psychology related to For as long as there have been stadiums and arenas bringing people that that maybe makes the return to arena properties a little more difficult together to eat and drink, there is almost always a familiar, if in the minds of fans than maybe an outdoor ballpark or stadium.” uncomfortable, pattern that follows: Long lines at women’s washrooms. Ultimately, Clark frames himself as an optimist. Will there ever be a way of fixing that? “Those of us who do this come to work every day thinking how are we Adamson says maybe. going to create the next great idea – and the next great experience for “There are attitudes that need to be explored,” said Adamson. “Like what someone when they come to one of our venues,” said Clark. about non-gender specific washrooms? This is 2020. Those are “Maybe this is an opportunity – and out of crisis comes innovation and strategies that have to be applied in any kind of event building or any that we look at these venues in a completely different way and we create kind of public building because then the choices are exponentially the new paradigm. Maybe that’ll be the benefit of us all going through this increased for a man or a woman. So, I think that’s something that’s crisis – that there’s something better on the other side.” important. The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 “I think we also have to understand the population that’s attending and the size that’s going to be in the buildings, and do some better forecasting about demand, but it’s never accurate. So, I think you’ll see, in this building we’re doing (in Calgary), a strategy around non-gender washrooms.”

Adamson sees other innovations on the horizon as well.

“Parts of the building will have special family-assist washrooms to cater to the person who might be aging and needs some assistance to go to the washroom,” he said.

“Let’s stretch our minds further – to dog relief areas in public buildings. We’re now designing dog-relief areas inside the public terminal areas of airports because there are now comfort animals and service dogs. That demand has changed exponentially in the last five years. So, part of it is education. Part of it is placement – you have to have those washrooms in the right places.”

Technology and alternate building usage

There may come a time when there is a resurgence in COVID-19 cases or a new pandemic, so buildings that are supposed to last for decades or longer may find there are times in the future when sporting events again will take place without fans.

As a result, Adamson believes the new buildings will “look at technologies so that these buildings can function like a stage set – with 1187703 Websites VISITORS ARE ASKED TO FOLLOW GUIDELINES OFFERED BY BROWN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, THE WISCONSIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND THE CDC TO MAXIMIZE SAFETY IN LIGHT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. The Athletic / Q&A: Sports architect Matt Rossetti on the future of sports PIC.TWITTER.COM/ROBT0TRMJU venues — TITLETOWN (@TITLETOWN) JUNE 26, 2020

What are your other major client sectors outside of sports? Bill Shea We have three different residential projects right now that we’re doing in Jul 10, 2020 Eastern Market in downtown Detroit. They’re really cool renovations to older buildings there that will become retail on the lower level, residential

up above. We’ve got other places where we do retail, hotels, and casino Matt Rossetti is a third-generation architect and president of the Detroit- work. based ROSSETTI design firm that has worked on dozens of arenas and What sports projects are in your pipeline now? stadiums over the decades since his father launched the company in 1969. We’ve got a lot of COVID work for different venues, consulting with them on seating, circulation, safety. We’re under construction for a new The ROSSETTI portfolio is a mix of fully-designed sports venues and an training facility for the , a new training facility for the increasing number of renovation projects. It boasts of having designed or Packers, along with a big new renovation for Arthur Ashe Stadium at the refreshed the Palace of Auburn Hills, Daytona International Speedway, U.S. Open, and a bunch of little things. Little Caesars Arena, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, TD Garden, CenturyLink Field, Red Bull Arena, Dignity Health Sports Park and How much sports work is a refresh or modernization versus design of sports-anchored entertainment districts in Green Bay, Edmonton and new venues? Calgary. The firm has been the United States Tennis Association’s master planner and architect since 1990. Probably 80 percent. We were really early in the focus on renovations. We started probably 20 years ago with our work at the Palace of Auburn The University of Michigan graduate initially went to school to study Hills. (Then-Pistons President) Tom Wilson understood hospitality. oceanography because of his admiration for the late undersea explorer You’ve got to stay fresh. Every five years, they were doing a major Jacques Cousteau. But he changed course and joined the family renovation there to the tune of $10 million or $20 million or $30 million. company in 1989 and has been its president since 1999, billing himself Wilson helped me invent this return-on-the-design concept. We design as the “chief architect of serious fun.” The firm employs about 70 people for ROI. We understood where the money was made and how to create and had about $15 million in billings last year. more revenue streams. Once we got on that path, we started winning a ton of renovation work. Rossetti spoke with The Athletic to share his thoughts on the current state of sports architectural design, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, How many projects do you bid in a given year? and what may be in store for future stadiums and arenas. Maybe 15 to 20. A lot of our work comes to us without bidding. A lot is (This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.) relationship-based. Word of mouth. Someone calls us because of the work we did for another team owner. What project are you most proud of? Of those bids, how many do you land? Oh, boy. That’s like asking me which of my children I prefer. The one that has the most meaning for me is the U.S. Open Tennis Center. It’s an I’d say maybe 25 percent. amazing complex. My father did the first one. He redid their campus in 1990. (Arthur Ashe Stadium was originally designed by Rossetti in 1997, Are multiple design firms involved in bigger sports projects? and the firm later designed its retractable roof.) We won the master It’s getting more like that. It never used to be like that. It was all a singular planning in 2008. We’ve spent the last 12 years (creating a master plan, firm. Now, we’re seeing more of these collaborations. Our project in which includes two new stadiums, Grandstand Stadium and Louis Cleveland was like that. Our work in New York for the U.S. Open is Armstrong Stadium, anchoring two sides of the campus). I got to re-do singular. It’s not a lot, maybe 10 percent is collaboration. If it’s out-of- work that my dad did. It’s really cool. town work, there is often a local architect involved but they typically don’t In 2016, from L-R: Matt Rossetti; Danny Zausner, National Tennis Center influence the design a lot. They are there more for understanding the COO; Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Arthur Ashe’s widow; Billie Jean context of wherever we’re doing the work. King; Katrina Adams, immediate past president, chairperson and CEO of Has the pandemic affected the sports project pipeline? the USTA; and Gordon Smith, former USTA CEO and executive director. (Rafael Gamo) It’s had a big impact. Most sports teams are hemorrhaging tens or hundreds of millions of dollars right now. Everyone knows this will pass, I love Ford Field because it was just so well connected to the city. That’s but at the same time people are getting laid off. It’s not an ideal time to a really good example of integrating a venue into its context. That was be making large investments. I think it’s more a mental thing or optics. A one where we did invent a whole new way of suites, putting all the lot of projects have either slowed down or paused for a while. We know hospitality and premium seating on one side of the venue. they’ll come back, but for right now they’re definitely in a pause mode. How many stadiums and arenas are on the Rossetti portfolio now? Do you think the pandemic will change sports venue design long term? We’ve worked on hundreds of sports facilities, from training centers to I don’t. I think right now, there are a lot of temporary changes we’re arenas and stadiums. The last 10 to 15 years we’ve been doing tons of working on. There are some characteristics that have more to do with renovations. From suites and clubs, to the Cleveland Cavaliers — we technology and operations than real design. That have to do with security gutted the building from the exterior and interior. and control. We’ve had these roundtables and forum discussions with How much of your work is sports versus non-sports? dozens of team presidents and facility operators, and our suggestion is getting on the leagues to act like the TSA and put together guides that It’s probably 60 percent sports. We do a lot of mixed-use stuff that has a are league-wide guides on how you can maintain better control of who’s sports component to it. Titletown (in Green Bay) is a good example. The coming into your venue and control where they are going. Touchless bulk of the work that we did is all related to a mixed-use and authentication provides frictionless transactions, coming into the building, entertainment-focused development that happens to be next to Lambeau buying a hot dog, getting merchandise. If there is trouble, “smart” Field, but there are no real sports pieces to it. It’s all about entertainment buildings can track it, and to augment the experience to get around, to a for events and non-event days for the . less crowded food place. There is a lot that can go on that would be permanently revolving around that concept. THE TITLETOWN PLAYGROUND + FOOTBALL FIELD ARE NOW OPEN FROM 8 A.M.-9 P.M. DAILY. How have stadiums and arenas changed in the 21st century? Venues have become so much more socialized. The popularity of spaces That’s changed dramatically over the last bunch of years. Little Caesars like open decks and places for people to gather not in the seats, those Arena was about the last one to get the gravy. You don’t see that are the hottest places in venues. The idea of being only connected to happening much anymore. That will be one of the reasons people will your seat is kind of a thing of the past. There’s a whole cultural shift of look more carefully at the size of these venues. Why not bring baseball going to venues for different reasons. It’s not only about seeing a show or down to 30,000 seats? And arenas down 12,000 to 13,000, and football team. It’s about being there with friends and family. Selfie moments and down to 40,000? sharing it with them. These spaces that will get more socialized but they’re the antithesis of what people want to do during COVID-19. What What project do you look back on and wish you did something differently we’re suggesting is enhanced open spaces that can be used for queuing or pushed back more strongly on a team or owner’s bad decisions? people. Once it’s over, they can go back to being socialized spaces. The Ottawa Senators’ arena (now called Canadian Tire Centre). They did What have been the milestones in stadium and arena design during your it on a shoestring budget. There were so many corners trimmed, short career? cuts. In the end it did not represent what we started with at all. It’s like a little haircut trim, but by the time you’re done, you’re bald. There have really been only two major changes. The Palace of Auburn Hills was the first venue to ever integrate suites (both atop the seating What venue do you wish you had designed? bowl and via a ring of them around the middle of the bowl). They used to I guess I don’t look at things like that. There are always things of interest. be called skyboxes because they sat at the top of buildings. It was the first indoor arena to have upholstered seats. People that went to concerts The “cookie-cutter” stadiums of the mid-1960s and 1970s are reviled for and games were wild animals. The old venues were painted concrete their dull design today. What do you think of the retro trend that began blocks. We designed the Palace in 1986 (and it opened in 1988). From with Camden Yards? then on, you watched in the 1990s and 2000s, the spaces and clubs are Those (cookie cutters) were awful, holy cow. They were really bad. (The incredibly luxurious. They’re every bit as nice as airports and museums. design shift) goes back to Camden Yards. It was such a hit, people Second, there’s been this transition to these socialized spaces. Basically, realized we can have personality to these venues. It made a huge the seating bowls haven’t changed. You still have suites in the middle of change. But I think it ruined baseball stadiums for a long time. Like the bowl that act as a separator between the upper and lower bowl. The Comerica Park, they became like Disneyland, retro and fake. That was thing I cannot wait to see is a true shift in the seating bowl configuration the new cookie cutter – the fake old. I admire Minnesota (Target Field). where you lose the upper bowl. The ROI for an upper bowl is just not That was one of the first modern venues and the best-looking design. there. Essentially every row you move away from a performance you Who influences the design most often in sports – team owners? earn less money, but it costs more to build. You have this inverse Executives? Public officials? relationship financially. It really depends. We’ve had everything from team owners, like (Dolphins What will happen, in your view, with sports venue design in the far owner) Steve Ross, who really gets involved with the interior design of future? facilities and will be selecting fabric and colors and materials. He really What I think and what I hope is they will become more wedded to the gets it. He had a really good knack for interior design. Other times, fabric of cities, so they’re no longer standalone facilities that light up only owners are really hands-off, and they rely on team presidents and facility when there are events. You’ve got all kinds of things connected, office managers. Some are interested in just the financial side. space and retail. There should be civic uses. No reason not to have a fire The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 station or police station or daycare or teaching facilities (inside the building), so they become more part of a community rather than a folly for billionaires.

I think the other thing, I think the size will shrink. The Tier 1 sports events or concerts will become so expensive they basically get more and more corporate-oriented. But there will be a plethora of other events, almost like the minor leagues.

Will future stadiums and arenas have fewer seats as people opt to stay home to watch more cheaply on their HD televisions?

There’s always been this talk about your home system (being) so great that people are going to stay home and watch. To me, it’s relative. People sat home and listened to the radio instead of going to the game. I’m not a believer in that alone keeps people home. I think it’s other things like COVID and security issues, parking. If venues can take the friction out of the experience, how you get there … if you’re within a city typically you have public transit that brought you to the venue. That’s where facilities belong, within urban scenarios. Remove the friction of waiting in line for transactions. You can order from your seat and have a pick-up place. We’re stuck in these old models of a concession stand and waiting at a counter. A lot of those things, we just need to get rid of these old habits and focus on technology to alleviate those fiction points. People want to continue to come. We are tribal beings and we want to be with our tribes.

How has the influx of corporate money for suites and premium seating affected design?

It plays a big part of design, for sure. But there’s been a swing back. Until about 10 years ago, the whole focus was premium, premium, premium, and how to design for that. The general admission was left completely unattended. People had to eat food on their laps or on trash cans. Now we create more accommodations for the general admission patron. More places to eat and mingle. The smart (venues) have areas that are both premium and public. The two can see but not touch. It engages both groups and leverages one asset.

Is the trend of tax dollars for private arenas and stadiums drying up, and if so, does that affect design? 1187704 Websites rate. Controlling play at a young age is very hard to do, but Barkov managed and it created a reputation as a responsible player. Though the Panthers didn’t outscore opponents at 5-on-5 with Barkov on the ice that season, that would change. It was Barkov’s third year where he really The Athletic / The Next Ones: Can Pierre-Luc Dubois be the next exploded, scoring 59 points in 66 games with the Panthers and earning Aleksander Barkov? an over 60 percent goal share.

Dubois hasn’t been able to produce like that in any season yet playing at a 60-point pace the past two years, but a breakout feels imminent. He’s Dom Luszczyszyn been at or above two points-per-60 at 5-on-5 during the past two Jul 10, 2020 seasons and only this past season saw time on the first power-play unit. He was largely ineffective there, but once he figures out that skill set it wouldn’t be surprising to see him approach the point-per-game threshold.

No two hockey players are the same, but some are more similar than The most impressive thing about Dubois’ NHL career so far is his play- others. They may not look or play the same way on the ice, but the end driving ability which has out-paced Barkov’s to date. Dubois not only result is close enough to wonder what it means for a player’s career matched Barkov’s 55 percent expected goals rate in his rookie year, he trajectory. For young players, a statistical comparable from the past can did a much better job of maintaining it in the following two. In his first showcase a potential path forward – hope for a brighter future. They three seasons, he has a 54.1 percent expected goals rate and 55.1 won’t follow the same specific path, but the similarities shown to date can actual goals rate. Barkov in his first three seasons was at 52.2 and 53.2 help visualize what could happen going forward. These players might be percent respectively. the next ones. It was in 2015-16 where Barkov started to receive Selke buzz for his two- This is the second in a five-part series. Part 1: Hischier-MacKinnon way prowess and it seems Dubois is a step ahead of where Barkov was in that regard over his first three seasons. Part of that may be due to The Player: Pierre-Luc Dubois, age 21 Dubois being on a more structured team, but even his relative numbers The Comparable: Aleksander Barkov, age 20 are stronger. Barkov may have had the offensive explosion that Dubois hasn’t been able to replicate yet, but the idea that Dubois may be on The similarities track to be a stronger play-driver based on his early career numbers is a Every draft comes with plenty of surprises, but the first one is always the truly scary thought given Barkov’s current reputation. most memorable. Anyone watching the draft usually studies the insider What the future might hold draft lists and while no one expects the draft to go exactly to script, it’s still a mild shock when the first team goes a little off script. What do they It didn’t take long for Barkov to become a bonafide elite player after that know? breakthrough 2015-16 season. He was pretty much at that level from that point on after adding elite offensive flourish to his toolkit. Over the last Two examples come to mind and it turns out the teams in question knew three seasons, he’s been one of the league’s best players as a result. quite a bit. Barkov hasn’t been a finalist for a Selke Trophy yet, but he came close in In 2013, Nathan MacKinnon was the presumptive first overall pick and 2017-18 and 2018-19 finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. It’s obvious after his selection it was expected either Halifax teammate Jonathan the talent is there to be one of the game’s premier two-way forwards, but Drouin or promising defenseman Seth Jones would go next. That it’s also true his play-driving has slipped a bit the past two seasons. seemed to be the consensus top three. The Panthers went in a different direction with the second overall pick taking Finnish center Aleksander That may have something to do with a bigger focus on offense for Barkov Barkov, the top-rated European skater and consensus fourth-best player as he’s become a big-time offensive player over the past three seasons in the draft. scoring 236 points in 227 games, peaking with an explosive 35-goal, 96- point campaign in 2018-19. A lethal power play where Barkov scored 6.3 Three years later in 2016, there seemed to be another locked in top points-per-60 which is more than double what Dubois mustered in 2019- three: Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi. The 20, a paltry 2.9 points-per-60. Like clockwork, Barkov has also been at Columbus Blue Jackets, led by Finnish GM Jarmo Kekalainen, had the 2.3 points-per-60 at 5-on-5 in each of the past three seasons, good for floor after Matthews and Laine were selected and the expectation was 24th in the league. Dubois isn’t fair off, but he still has a fair way to go Puljujarvi was the choice. The Blue Jackets instead took Pierre-Luc when it comes to offensive upside. Dubois, the top-ranked North American skater, who ranked fourth or fifth in pre-draft rankings. One of the issues with that though is teammate quality. Dubois’ best offensive season was his second one in 2018-19 where he got to play Two ballsy decisions, both of which have worked out pretty damn well for with superstar winger Artemi Panarin. It would’ve been exciting to see the each club. Barkov has turned into the better player over Drouin and MVP version of Panarin playing alongside Dubois in 2019-20, but with Jones while Dubois has easily surpassed Puljujarvi who looks like an Panarin moving on via free agency, Dubois was left on a bit of an island. NHL bust so far. There isn’t much offensive help among the rest of his teammates and Dubois and Barkov are both 6-foot-3 and both played around 18-to-19 that creates a more difficult environment for Dubois to be his most minutes in their compared seasons at slightly above average usage. Both productive self. players were good for around 25 goals and 60 points at the time, though Like most superstars, Barkov isn’t alone in Florida. He’s spent most of his Barkov was the better scorer and Dubois the better play-maker. Both career with his running mate Jonathan Huberdeau and the duo’s offense players drove goals-for at a similar rate, though Dubois had the edge in has blossomed brilliantly in lockstep thanks to their strong chemistry. In terms of driving expected goals as well as on defense. Barkov was better 1,400 minutes without Huberdeau over the last three years Barkov’s at drawing penalties, although neither was particularly good at taking point rate drops slightly to a still very strong 2.09 points-per-60 at 5-on-5, faceoffs. a mark that’s only a touch higher than Dubois’ 2.07 over the last two In total, Dubois is worth around 2.04 wins at the moment while Barkov at seasons. Having another elite offensive force on the power play is also a a similar age was worth around 2.29 – both of which are first-line center huge advantage for Barkov and partially explains why Dubois likely material. The two players have a similarity score of 61 with Barkov being struggled there this season. Dubois’ best match. To date, their numbers are pretty damn similar. While Dubois is already a great player in his own right, it seems that in What each player has shown to date order for him to take the next step into the Barkov stratosphere it’s imperative that Columbus surrounds him with some offensive help. There It took some time for Barkov to accommodate himself with the NHL isn’t really a Huberdeau-calibre player on the roster ready to help out. game. With a September 2 birthday, Barkov was extremely young Dubois’ play-driving ability is already very strong, making him a playing in his first season post-draft and his 36-point pace wasn’t exactly dependable top line center, but in order to be an elite, game-breaking, eye-popping. Neither was his 42-point pace the following season. difference-maker, he needs to show he can be an offensive force. It’s not impossible, but it is very difficult to be that on your own. Does he have What was eye-catching were his underlying numbers at 5-on-5, that in him? especially in his rookie season when he had a 55 percent expected goals Other comparables

Barkov is Dubois’ best comparable, but he’s not the only one, nor is he the only flattering one. It bodes very well for Dubois that among his top comparables are other top-tier forwards and even the lesser cases seem unlikely.

The best-case scenario is a player who was well above where Dubois is now, and that’s Jamie Benn. At his best, Benn was an elite four win player, an MVP-candidate, and arguably one of the best wingers in the league. That path is a possibility for Dubois, but it’s probably on the unlikely end of the spectrum (though it’s worth noting this is comparing Benn to his age 22 season. On the other end of the unlikely spectrum is 2012 third overall pick Alex Galchenyuk who was deemed roughly as good as Dubois at the same age, but fell off a cliff shortly after. With Galchenyuk’s game being plagued with defensive issues, I don’t see Dubois going down the same path.

The other names are pretty fascinating, from another elite center in Mark Scheifele to elite play-driving wingers like Mark Stone and Filip Forsberg. That’s the upside Dubois has with the latter two showing a potential path toward becoming an elite player that doesn’t include Dubois needing an elite Huberdeau-like teammate. In that vein though, there’s also Max Pacioretty and Jordan Staal who didn’t really elevate themselves from the level they were at age 21, which is also a possibility for Dubois.

The end result has Dubois becoming an excellent first-line center that approaches the elite tier but doesn’t quite get there. It’s still a possibility, no doubt, but there’s also a chance Dubois won’t deviate too much from his current level.

With what Dubois has shown to date, I’m very optimistic he gets there. He has all the tools to be an elite force and like Barkov at a similar age, it feels more like a matter of when, not if. Based on his play to date, the when feels like it might be very soon.

Data via Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick

The Athletic LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187705 Websites Players also have the option to opt-out of the restart without penalty, provided they inform their teams in writing by 5 p.m. ET on Monday. They aren’t required to give a reason for doing so.

Sportsnet.ca / NHL is back in business with ratification of CBA, return-to- So, yes, obstacles remain here, but many significant hurdles have play plan already been overcome.

There have been moments since the season was stopped on March 12 where it seemed natural to look at the mounting logistical issues and Chris Johnston wonder if this might be just the third year in the Stanley Cup’s history where it wasn’t handed out. July 10, 2020, 6:35 PM Somehow, some way, NHL owners and players have navigated those

challenges. Here they stand with an industry-stabilizing CBA deal, a set The NHL is back in business. And a Stanley Cup tournament unlike any of return-to-play protocols that epidemiologists believe can keep COVID- other is on the horizon. 19 at bay and setups in two Canadian cities where the spread of the virus has been kept to levels that can be handled safely by the local health- Call it all systems go on the league’s summer restart following Friday’s care systems. ratification of protocols governing the return-to-play plan and an extension to the collective bargaining agreement running through Oh, and every intention of dropping the puck on a season restart three September 2026. Saturdays from now.

That paves the way for training camps to open Monday in 24 cities — Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.11.2020 more than four months after the season was paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This promises to be an ambitious undertaking.

Teams will travel from their home markets on July 26 to either Toronto or Edmonton, the hub cities where all of the games will be played. The entire playoff tournament is scheduled to be played in no more than 66 days — commencing Aug. 1 with the best-of-five qualifying round and producing a champion by the first week of October.

When it’s all said and done, the 2019-20 NHL season could span a full calendar year.

Players had to agree to extensive protocols governing camps and the bubble environment around where games are played, requiring them to be separated from their families for up to six weeks this summer. They also had to agree to terms on a revamped collective agreement, which will see them defer 10 per cent of next year’s salary while the upper limit of the cap is held firm at $81.5-million for as long as it takes NHL business to return to normal.

It was the best both sides could do under trying circumstances, and should see players return to the Olympics in 2022 and 2026 while achieving modest gains to the league minimum salary, the amount they can be paid on entry-level contracts and how much escrow can be deducted from future pay cheques.

By guaranteeing labour peace for at least six more seasons, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association have also created a stable environment to try and wait out the storm brought on by the coronavirus.

In a press release, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman thanked key stakeholders on both sides for “coming together under extraordinary circumstances for the good of our game.” Don Fehr, the NHLPA’s executive director, hailed the new agreement as a “meaningful step forward.”

The next steps will be taken in a made-for-TV tournament played with no fans in the buildings. The 12 returning Western Conference teams will report to Edmonton for games at Rogers Arena, while the 12 left standing in the East head to Toronto for games at Scotiabank Arena.

The conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will all be played out of Edmonton. It’s the first time the NHL has held its playoffs entirely on Canadian soil since 1925, according to Sportsnet Stats.

The restart will arrive with a bang thanks to a staggered schedule featuring five or six games per day during the qualifying round.

The only question still hanging over the NHL’s plan is a fundamental one: Can this be done safely? Great lengths will be taken to try and keep an outbreak from affecting the participants, which is something that could cause the entire thing to be called off.

Thirty-five NHL players produced positive COVID tests between June 8 and July 6, according to information announced by the league. And that was with only about 53 per cent of the returning players getting tested on a regular basis.

That number will increase once everyone is tested every second day once camps open. 1187706 Websites though, that Alex Killorn‘s situation changes from a full no-trade to a modified no-trade this off-season, in which he can submit a list of 16 teams to which he would not allow a move. The Lightning may have to explore those other 14 options. Sportsnet.ca / Three NHL teams that are hurt the most by a flat salary cap 3) St. Louis Blues

There’s almost no way the Blues don’t make an impact trade this off- season. With nearly all of their cap room already spoken for ($79.425 Rory Boylen million to be exact), St. Louis has one important RFA deal to get done (Vince Dunn) and one massive pending UFA to extend: Alex Pietrangelo. July 10, 2020, 10:38 AM The team captain is a vital, all-situations part of what makes the Blues

go, and he was setting up to be one of the most sought-after free agents Following news of a tentative agreement between the NHL and NHLPA this summer. It was always assumed the Blues would find a way to get on a CBA extension and return to play plan, we’re just awaiting the business done, but the flat cap will make that much more difficult to results of a ratification vote from both the players and Board of accomplish. Governors. It’s expected both will pass, putting us on track for Phase 3 Pietrangelo himself may have to change expectations. Is it wise, even training camps to open on Monday, and for games to resume in August. considering the risk, to sign a shorter-term deal now and hope for a It’s the kind of labour peace we’re unaccustomed to in the NHL, which sunnier financial outlook league-wide in a few seasons? How much do has seen multiple work stoppages in the past 30 years over CBA talks. his salary expectations need to change, if at all? This agreement will run another six seasons and charts a course for how If Pietrangelo gets extended, there’s no getting around other roster the league will recover financially from a COVID-19 interrupted season moves. Will the Blues have to explore trades for the likes of Colton that is expected to have consequences for at least the next few seasons. Parayko? How about Tyler Bozak or David Perron, who both have partial As a result, we know the cap will remain flat at $81.5 million next season trade protection? The goalie trade market is never good, and will be less and probably the one after. From there, it could gradually rise, though attractive now, but does backup Jake Allen‘s $4.35 million need to go (or that will depend on how revenues recover. at least a portion of it)? St. Louis has some tough calls ahead.

It’s necessary to keep player escrow payments down, but this new deal is Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.11.2020 going to put some teams in an especially tight bind. Remember, prior to the pandemic, next season’s cap was expected to rise to at least $84 million.

The fact is this will pinch everyone’s purse strings to some degree, and change previously laid plans. However, some teams will immediately be in a tougher situation than others and faced with hard questions. Using CapFriendly as a guide, here are three teams that will feel it the most:

1) Toronto Maple Leafs

Even if this season hadn’t been interrupted and the cap rose a couple of million dollars this off-season, the Leafs still would have faced some tough decisions. Now things could get really interesting.

Toronto currently has $76.908 million committed to next year’s roster, and that’s without extensions for notable players such as Jason Spezza, Kyle Clifford, Travis Dermott and Ilya Mikheyev. Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci, long shots to sign new deals before, are now all but certain to leave.

But as tough as this off-season will be for the Leafs, it sets up a potentially difficult conversation after 2020–21, too. That’s when Frederik Andersen will become a free agent. As reliable as he’s been, he’ll be 31 by then and you have to wonder how those negotiations will go considering these new factors.

Adding players on entry-level contracts will be key for the Leafs in the next little while, which should open opportunities for the likes of Nick Robertson, Timothy Liljegren, and many other prospects pushing up through the system.

2) Tampa Bay Lightning

If there’s good news here, it’s that the Lightning already have most of their impact players signed for the long term. Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman are all signed through at least the next four seasons. Brayden Point has another two left on his deal, and he’ll still be an RFA when it’s over.

But they’re not completely out of the woods.

With $76.1 million committed to next season’s roster, the Lightning have two other important contracts to deal with in the off-season: Anthony Cirelli and Mikhail Sergachev. Both are RFAs, but will be seeking healthy raises. Young defencemen, generally, get shorter-term extensions — that may have to hold true for Sergachev. But Cirelli, at 22 years old, has become Tampa’s most important penalty killer among forwards while seeing his offensive totals rise year over year. He alone could take up nearly all of the remaining cap space.

Making room won’t be easy because there are a number of players with no-trade and no-movement clauses on the roster. It is interesting, 1187707 Websites The breaking point in B.C. revolved around what would happen if a player tested positive for COVID-19. It is believed that B.C., led by the revered provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, would not bend on contact tracing protocol that would mean a lengthy quarantine for anyone Sportsnet.ca / NHL's choice of hub sites in Toronto, Edmonton just make deemed to have been in close contact with an infected player. The NHL, sense of course, is unable to conform to protocol that would see multiple players — or perhaps an entire team — quarantined for several days

mid-tournament. Mark Spector In Alberta, Henry’s counterpart — the equally respected Dr. Deena July 10, 2020, 7:22 PM Hinshaw — was accepting of the NHL’s testing protocol that was deemed similar to what medical personnel undergo. Medical professionals across the world are exposed to the virus on a daily basis, but continue working after passing rigorous testing. Players would be treated similarly, allowed EDMONTON — It was supposed to be about safety, a claim that was at to continue playing as long as they pass the requisite testing for the virus. times questioned. But eventually, Edmonton and Toronto won the nod as hub cities, as a circuitous route took the National Hockey League to all- In moving on from Vegas, it became impossible to defend going to a Canadian destinations that make the most sense. state with over 58 deaths and more than 25,961 confirmed cases, over a prairie province with 8,519 cases and 161 deaths since the pandemic By the time the deadline arrived, there really was no decision to be made began. The Edmonton region, with a population of roughly 1.3 million between southern Nevada or northern Alberta, between the Eastern people, has had just 19 deaths and 1,202 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Time Zone south of the 49th parallel, and the centre of the hockey world that lies north of it. COVID-19 made the decision, the NHL simply Now Edmonton, and Toronto, will also be able to boast of being the sites announced it. of hockey’s strangest playoffs.

Toronto and Edmonton are where the 2019-20 season is to be The COVID Cup has its sites. Let the games begin. completed, with Edmonton hosting the conference finals and Stanley Cup final. The two cities share common ground as homes to historic NHL Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.11.2020 franchises, yet their choice as hubs is born from completely different sets of circumstances.

For Toronto, the need for games in the Eastern Time Zone pitted them against few American sites willing to host games. A hub setting at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds is the centre of the Toronto bid, and includes the 6,300-square-metre OVO Centre as a workout hub and the Coca-Cola Coliseum as the primary practice rink – both located within walking distance inside the bubble.

The expansive parking lot that is the CNE grounds will allow players to be serviced by any means imaginable, while the tennis centre and rooftop pool at the Hotel X will also enhance what could be a two-plus month stay for some teams. The downtown Royal York hotel will be another home for some of the teams.

Even though there was a time when it was believed the hubs would land in the Pacific Time Zone cities of Las Vegas and Vancouver, it never squared with the established norms of televised sports that teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins would be made to start games at 10 p.m. ET. Or even later, depending on whether earlier games went to overtime.

Once Vancouver pulled out and Vegas became untenable, a hub in Toronto only made sense. And the myth that had the Eastern Conference going West and the Western Conference going East turned out to be exactly that, as both the Maple Leafs and Oilers will be the centrepiece teams in their own cities, even though no fans will attend the games.

The NHL fell into Edmonton as Vancouver pulled out of the race and COVID-19 numbers in Las Vegas spiked to the top of the graph. The NHL spurned what was believed to be free accommodations at the 3,000-room MGM Park in Vegas for a set-up in Edmonton that requires three hotels for the qualifying round, but will have all players at the ritzy J.W. Marriott — connected to Rogers Place by an enclosed walkway — once four teams go home and the real playoffs begin.

Players and staff will have their own private, fenced-off walkways from the hotel to Rogers Place and its adjoining practice rink – both inside and outdoors in some cases. A four-rink complex will be available to the 12 teams for practices via bus ride, while two state-of-the-art workout facilities and multiple private outdoor patios will exist inside the bubble.

Teams will have access to local golf courses and many more outdoor activities in both Edmonton and Toronto, as maintaining the mental health throughout the two-month tournament became a key issue. As discussions went on, players figured out that living in an air-conditioned bubble in 40 C heat was not preferable, and the Vegas they would be visiting ruled out outdoor sports, lying around a pool, or enjoying all the things that make it the place we love to visit in the colder months.

The question will be asked, why did the health czars in Alberta and Ontario accept a scenario that British Columbia’s would not? 1187708 Websites His focus is now on his own kids, which no one can question at a time when there are so many questions and so few answers or guarantees.

This is a decision that should be universally respected. Sportsnet.ca / Flames' Travis Hamonic steps up to protect family by The ultimate team player, no one has ever doubted his dedication, as his skipping NHL restart on-ice trademark has forever revolved around sacrificing his body with an eye on winning.

Eric Francis His character will be missed on a blue line that is still deep in talent thanks to a pair of trade deadline acquisitions in Derek Forbort and Erik July 11, 2020, 1:34 AM Gustafsson.

With Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie penciled in as the first pairing, Hamonic’s spot on the second pairing alongside Noah Hanifin could be When Dillon Dube’s very first NHL shift included being run at by Erik replaced by Rasmus Andersson, while the newbies could form the third Gudbranson, Travis Hamonic stepped up for the youngster, having his unit. face shattered in the ensuing fight. “While we will miss Travis in our lineup, we understand and respect his Now he’s stepping up to protect his daughter the best way he knows decision,” said Treliving of the Manitoba native, who will become an how. unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the playoffs. “Our focus The ink had hardly dried on the historic agreements that will see NHL remains on preparation for training camp and our upcoming series in the playoff action and labour peace return, when Brad Treliving’s phone rang NHL Qualifying Round.” Friday night. It was Hamonic, dealing the Calgary Flames the latest in a and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey season full of setbacks. world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what “Earlier this evening Travis called me to inform us that he has decided to they think about it. opt out of the NHL return-to-play program,” said the Flames GM in a It was Brodie who collapsed during practice earlier in the year, marking press release issued at 9:16 p.m. Friday night. the first of many traumatic moments for a team that soon thereafter lost “Travis explained that due to family considerations, he has made the coach Bill Peters due to racial allegations made by Peters’ former AHL difficult decision not to participate in the Stanley Cup Qualifier and player, Akim Aliu. playoffs.” Hours before Hamonic’s call, Treliving said he had been given no Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it indication any of his players were considering taking a pass on the play- 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, in series against the Winnipeg Jets, as is their right up until Monday night they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover – the same day camps are set to open. Canada’s most beloved game. One gets the feeling the surprises won’t end anytime soon for a Flames Hamonic issued a statement through his agent less than an hour later, team that continues to have curveballs thrown its way. explaining why he is the first NHLer to exercise his right to the The Flames open their best-of-five play-in series against Winnipeg Aug. playoffs as per the return-to-play plan signed Friday. 1 in Edmonton. “God has blessed me with the talent and opportunity to play in the NHL,” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.11.2020 started the 29-year-old defenceman, who left the team for several games in mid-January while his eight-month-old daughter, Charlie, was hospitalized.

“Playing in the NHL is a privilege and I take a lot of pride in doing so for an incredible franchise like the Calgary Flames. Most importantly, God allowed my family the opportunity to see his love and grace first-hand last year when our little girl contracted a very serious respiratory virus. Like every parent, everything we do is to provide and protect our kids and try to take away any suffering they may endure. Last year we spent the longest, scariest and hardest week of our lives by our daughter’s hospital bedside. We were unsure of what would come next, but with God’s strength our little girl fought her respiratory virus and recovered. During that long week, we were helpless and couldn’t do anything to help her except hold her little hands, kiss her head and pray. We saw what a respiratory virus can do to our healthy little girl and it’s something no parent wants or should have to go through. Now blessed with our second child, a baby boy, the risk of today’s COVID-19 pandemic is a very difficult one to weigh as parents.

“Due to what my daughter already has gone through and the concerns if she were to catch COVID-19, I’ve decided to opt out and seek a leave of absence from the Calgary Flames for the remainder of the playoffs. I wish I could lace up my skates and be out there battling, blocking a shot and helping the team win, but my family has and always will come first. Being my little kids’ dad every day is the most important job I have. I love this game and my team. This is a decision that is extremely hard for me to make. I wish my teammates the best of luck and good health. I look forward to joining the C of Red, the greatest fans in the NHL, in cheering on my teammates as they chase the opportunity to bring the Stanley Cup home to Calgary.”

Hamonic, who lost his father at age 10 to a massive heart attack, has forged quite a name for himself as a man who has always put family first.

His charity work has long focused on helping children who have lost a parent, spending several years meeting such families after every single home game to offer support. 1187709 Websites Everyone, even the losing teams, have something to look forward to in the qualifying round.

Every player in the hubs will have the day off on Aug. 10, when the Draft TSN.CA / NHL, players ratify Return to Play Plan, six-year CBA amid Lottery is scheduled to take centre stage. The eight teams that fail to COVID-19 uncertainties qualify for the playoffs will go home with an equal 12.5 per cent chance at the No. 1 overall pick and Alexis Lafreniere.

With Oct. 4 scheduled as the last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final, Frank Seravalli the 2020 NHL Draft is tentatively slated for Oct. 9-10 and will likely be held virtually.

Until then, with the only travel scheduled for when the Toronto hub Game on. victors shift to Edmonton by Sept. 8 to begin the Conference Finals, the Well, almost. NHL plans to zoom through each round as quickly as possible in order to minimize time spent in the bubble. The NHL Players’ Association and the NHL’s Board of Governors voted overwhelmingly on Friday to ratify a sweeping agreement that includes a There will be sacrifice for all involved. Players advancing will go a six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement and a Return to Play Plan that minimum of five weeks away from their families before they are permitted brings hockey back after a historic, 142-day pause. to enter the bubble during the Conference Finals. The hundreds of staffers and officials will not have the same opportunity. According to sources, the NHLPA’s full membership voted 502 to 135 with 78.8 per cent in favour, while the league’s vote was unanimous, as The motivation to complete the 2019-20 season in the face of a expected. Both only required simple majorities to pass. pandemic is undoubtedly driven by business. More than $400 million USD is at stake in a two-month tournament, plus the priceless tradition of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman lauded the stakeholders involved "for carrying on the Stanley Cup. coming together under extraordinary circumstances for the good of our game." The NHL and its players have faced the grim financial reality that remains. The new six-year CBA, which guarantees labour peace through "This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, at least 2025-26, is not a rosy one for the players. It’s akin to an and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time," NHLPA executive adjustable rate mortgage - with the players paying back the owners a director Don Fehr said in a statement. nine-figure promissory note - with the resulting escrow cap serving as the interest rate. Now, after months of heavy lifting with two sides hammering out the game’s first peace-time labour agreement in three-plus decades, the During that time, the players’ house won’t appreciate much in value NHL’s real dance on thin ice begins. because there is little room for growth with a relatively frozen salary cap for much of the next four or five seasons. Only the NHL’s best and The NHL’s owners have said ‘yes.’ The NHL’s players have said ‘yes.’ brightest stars won’t feel the cap crunch coming. Now, they only need the cooperation of a virus that has claimed the lives of more than a half million people worldwide over the past six months. The trouble for the players - and really the hawk owners who wanted the entire amount owing from players to be paid back now on the spot - was Yes, the road back to the rink is one paved in peril, but the lure of that there wasn’t much of a viable alternative. hockey’s holy grail and more than a 100 years of history is on the other side. That meant Friday, even with more than a fifth of the NHL’s players expressing their dissatisfaction, was the next in a series of critical (if not I’m back. plodding) steps forward to get the game going again. — The Stanley Cup (@StanleyCup) July 10, 2020 Some 368 days after the season started, Lord Stanley’s chalice awaits The NHL and NHLPA must safely navigate the arrival of 744 players and now - if COVID can cooperate. hundreds of staffers in two secure ‘bubbles’ in Toronto and Edmonton TSN.CA LOADED: 07.11.2020 and avoid a mass-outbreak of COVID-19 in order to drop the puck in three weeks from Saturday on Aug. 1.

Once settled inside, the NHL is confident its strict protocol will minimize the risk of an outbreak in an effort to award the Stanley Cup by Oct. 4 in Edmonton. Every player and every person - from team staff to hotel housekeepers - who has a chance of coming in contact with a player will be tested daily. Any positive test will require isolation and contact tracing. The NHL says it can manage individual or multiple isolated positive tests, but it has not defined what it would take to put play on pause again or put a pin in the bubble, either due to health risks or the integrity of the game.

"While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID- 19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities," Bettman said Friday.

Cautiously make it through training camp. Then into the bubble without many flare-ups.

Then Giddy Up.

What awaits is March Madness on steroids. The blood-and-guts intensity of the Stanley Cup playoffs, for 14 hours a day, for nine days straight. And then the first round begins.

To start, it will be games from 12 noon well past midnight in the East - or longer with the delirious joy of playoff overtimes.

The NHL’s top eight teams will battle each other in round-robin games for seeding, while the other 16 teams will fight in a best-of-five to see who survives to the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Then a traditional, 16-team playoff with four rounds decided by best-of-seven, will take over as planned. 1187710 Websites you just try and give it your all every day. I think by the end of the year we were doing a lot better job."

What's your favourite memory of being around NHL rinks growing up? TSN.CA / With help from dad, Jacob Perreault gives his game a "Oh geez, I have a lot, but I think one of them is the [2007] NHL All-Star makeover Game. I remember going there and seeing all those stars and going into the locker room with my dad. I have pictures with [Sidney] Crosby and all those guys. That's one of my biggest memories. I was maybe around Mark Masters eight or something."

Any interactions with NHLers that stand out in particular over the years?

Jacob Perreault has leaned on his dad for guidance throughout his "My dad got the chance to play with Kane and [Jonathan] Toews which is burgeoning hockey career. pretty nice, and you still see them today. Living in Chicago, I go to a lot of Blackhawks games and see Kane, Toews and I got to see [Artemi] Yanic Perreault has a wealth of experience, having played 859 National Panarin and it was really fun to see how they do it on the ice and as a Hockey League games from 1993 to 2008, including stints with the pro." Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Did you ever talk to those guys? "He's given me a lot of advice," Jacob said. "The best was, 'Just give it your all every time you step on the ice,' and also to keep your head up "There were always family skates with the Blackhawks that I would get to when you're doing some simple drills so that carries into games and it will go to, but most [conversations] would happen in the summer when my be a lot easier to make plays." dad used to have a tournament. He'd bring some pro guys in and play four-on-four hockey, a tournament, during one of the weekends in the The Sarnia Sting right winger made a lot of plays this season in the summer. He'd invite guys like Patrice Bergeron and David Perron and , producing 39 goals and 70 points in 57 games. now David Perron lives near me in the summer, so I get the chance to He came in first in a number of testing categories at the Canadian skate with him and ask him for some tips. He's good friends with my Hockey League top prospects showcase in January, including skating dad." with and without the puck. But his final ranking among North American skaters by Central Scouting remained frozen at 17, which is what it was What's the biggest thing Perron has said or done to help you out? in the mid-season report. "I just watch him and see what he does. He's always trying to get better if TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie had Perreault at No. 21 in his final list it’s stickhandling or anything. He's doing whatever it takes to become a of all draft prospects describing the 18-year-old as a "fascinating wild better player, so I try to pick up on that." card" who could go higher based on pure skill, but could also slide lower due to concerns about his inconsistent effort level. What stories has your dad told you about the top guys on the Blackhawks and their work ethic? — TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 22, 2020 “He's always seeing what the players do and how they're getting better Needing to solve the consistency issues, Jacob has turned to his first and and telling me and he's pushing me to be the best player I can be. Kane most trusted hockey coach. was the biggest surprise. On the ice, he's one of the best players in the world and he's been that for years, but my dad told me he's one of the He has been living in Chicago with his family since the pandemic brought guys who works out the most in the room. I was surprised and that the junior hockey season to a halt, and Yanic, who finished his NHL motivates me to work even harder." career with the Blackhawks and now works for the club as a development coach, has been watching video with him. You play a different style than your dad, who was a defensive-minded centre. Who do you see in the NHL that are maybe modern-day role "He pulled out some clips to show me some stuff," Jacob said. "It was a models? lot of my shifts last year and what I can improve on and also a couple clips from the Blackhawks, like of [Patrick] Kane to see what he does and "I try to watch a lot of players, but the one guy I think I have a similar how he always keeps his feet moving." game to is Brock Boeser. His shot is similar to mine and his skating ability is similar to mine and some playmaking as well." With rinks opening up again in the Chicago area, the Perreaults have started applying the lessons from the video work on the ice. So, when Your shot is already pretty lethal. How did you develop that? NHL teams ask about the consistency issues in his game, Jacob confidently tells them that it won't be a problem moving forward. "Just practice. We always had a shooting tarp in our basement, and we'd go there pretty much every day and all my siblings and my dad would "Last year I might've gotten away with a lot," he admits, "but I've always spend at least 30 minutes of just shooting pucks and stickhandling and been a pretty solid two-way player and what I need to improve on is over time it shows improvement." totally fixable. Coming into next year, I'm going to be a completely different player. So I'm excited for the season to start again and see I'm convinced that Jacob Perreault has the best shot in the 2020 NHL where that goes." Draft class. His one-timer will translate very well to a NHL power play. pic.twitter.com/EujhTRqhyt The key to fixing things, Jacob says, is his movement on the ice combined with a greater attention to detail in his own zone. — Josh Tessler (@JoshTessler_) May 7, 2020

"I have done a lot of video on the defensive side," Jacob explained. I was talking with Saginaw forward Cole Perfetti and he said you have "Having quick feet and being more constant with those starts and stops deceptive speed. How did that skill come together? will be the biggest thing. I do a lot of agility work on and off the ice. I do "My dad always had power skating drills he'd do every week and almost starts and stops, hurdles, ladder and all that." every morning, before school, I’d go and do some power skating with a Jacob spoke to TSN this week via Zoom and took a trip down memory figure skating coach and that was helpful to see a different side of lane reliving his favourite moments growing up around NHL rinks. He skating. And then it was just being repetitive and doing that growing up." also explained why his current NHL role model is Vancouver's Brock You led the field at the CHL top prospects game in January in a lot of Boeser. testing categories, including skating with and without the puck. With no The following is an edited transcript of the interview. combine on the schedule, are you hoping that will be a big factor for teams? It wasn't a great season for Sarnia with the Sting finishing last in the Western Conference. What sort of challenge was it staying locked in "Yeah, for sure. A lot of people were saying my speed was going to hurt when you're not in a playoff race? me, but I've always known I was a pretty good skater, you know, deceptive. But, also, one thing I want to improve is just keep moving my "It's really hard. Obviously at the beginning of the year we had a lot of feet during the games and staying in movement and that will help a lot. injuries. We had Jamieson Rees out, Ashton Reesor out, Ryan McGregor We don’t know when the draft is and if my season will start before, but if out, and all our top guys so we started the year off badly. It's hard and it does I’ll be able to showcase what I’ve learned over the summer." Your dad was one of the top faceoff guys for a long time. Does he ever talk to you about draws?

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at faceoffs too. He's shown me a couple tricks and if there's a draw we need to take then I’m pretty confident in taking it."

Can you share one of his tricks?

"I can’t share, really. It’s a secret. I can’t tell that."

TSN.CA LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187711 Websites the national anthem in 2017 – will handle social messaging when the puck drops.

Plans are still being developed by the NHL’s events and social TSN.CA / Friday Five: Lingering NHL questions to ponder responsibility teams, and will need to be made in conjunction with the NHL Players’ Association, but the league does plan to engage players in a similar fashion. The league’s hope is that all players will amplify the meaning of the night on opening night next month. Frank Seravalli 4. How many players will opt-out of the 24-team tournament?

Sources indicate multiple NHL players are indeed considering opting-out With the Return to Play plan and CBA extension officially ratified, here of participation. The MOU allows any player to decline participation for are some lingering questions to ponder in the return of the Friday Five: any reason, without penalty. 1. Will playoff records be broken? The window to opt-out begins when the new CBA is ratified by vote and The NHL’s memorandum of understanding revealed that qualifying round the deadline is 5 p.m. ET on the third day following, so likely Monday, statistics will be included in playoff statistics for 2019-20. July 13 – the same day players are scheduled to report for training camp.

There was no easy answer. Even though they are technically not playoff Some players with underlying medical conditions may not have to make games, the individual stats had to count somewhere – and the regular the choice. After consultation with team doctors and infectious disease season didn’t make a whole lot of sense, considering seven teams aren’t experts, if a player is determined to “be at substantial risk of developing a participating and not all 24 teams are playing the same number of games serious illness as a result of exposure to the novel coronavirus” he will be with the format. That left the option to count them as a separate career “deemed unfit to play and shall not be permitted to participate” in both stat line, have the round vanish from record, or roll them into the playoff training camp and the bubble. stats. The Canadiens’ Max Domi, the Rangers’ Kaapo Kakko and the Wild's If the playoffs can indeed be completed, the qualifying round adds a Luke Kunin all have Type 1 diabetes, plus Domi and Kakko also have minimum of three to five games onto the usual maximum of 28. Wayne Celiac disease, which may put them at further risk. There are other Gretzky’s record 47 points in one playoff run is probably safe, but those players who have family members who may be at substantial risk and will extra games might be enough to threaten other records. choose not to take the chance.

Hall of Famer Newsy Lalonde’s record of 17 goals in 10 playoff games 5. What will happen to the conditional draft pick from last summer’s with Montreal in 1918-19 – coincidentally the same year that the Stanley Calgary-Edmonton swap of James Neal and Milan Lucic? Cup was not awarded due to the Spanish Flu pandemic – stood for 57 Answer: Still TBD. years until Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach scored 19 in 16 games in 1975- 76. That record, matched by Jari Kurri in 1984-85, has stood for 44 You remember the trade. Neal straight up for Lucic. The Oilers agreed to years. retain 12.5 per cent of Lucic’s contract and would also send Calgary a conditional 2020 third-round pick, but only if Neal scored 21 goals and Sidney Crosby (2008-09) and Alex Ovechkin (2017-18) have gotten the Lucic scored 10 or fewer goals than Neal. closest in the salary cap era, with each netting 15 goals in 24 games on their way to the Cup, but more games equals more opportunities for As fate would have it, pause was pressed on the season just as it greatness. appeared the condition might be met. Neal had 19 goals in 55 games, missing 16 due to injury. Lucic had eight goals in 68 games, 11 fewer 2. What happens to player salaries if the 2020-21 season is shortened? than Neal. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said the league intends to play a There is all sorts of language in the MOU about how to pro-rate stats as full 82-game season in 2020-21, and the MOU has pegged a tentative they relate to bonuses being paid to players, but there is nothing about start date of Dec. 1. how to handle conditions on trades. That is tentative because a lot will depend on how quickly – or in what Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said this week that the NHL intends to capacity, if at all – fans can fill arenas. Some NHL owners and team develop a process (sounds like arbitration?) where both clubs will make presidents have privately stated that they would rather play a shortened arguments, be heard fairly, and then a decision will be rendered. season with some fans or full buildings rather than starting a full season without. This will be a fascinating case. If Neal played the final 11 games of Edmonton’s season at the same goals-per-game pace he did this There is a paragraph in the MOU that might put some player salary in season, he would finish with 23 goals in a possible max of 66 games. jeopardy in that case. Though it is likely not their intention to use it, the Lucic was on pace to finish with nine goals in a possible max of 80 NHL has seemingly preserved the ability to invoke Paragraph 17 in games, but he was also just starting to heat up, with two goals in his last player contracts in the case of COVID-19. Paragraph 17 states that “if four games before the pause. any condition arising from a state of war or other cause beyond League control” that the NHL has the power to cease or reduce operations, which Stay tuned. would give them the ability to pro-rate or cancel salaries altogether. The MOU language only restricts a team from individually invoking Paragraph TSN.CA LOADED: 07.11.2020 17, so the NHLPA did reserve the right to challenge the applicability of

Paragraph 17 as it relates to COVID-19.

But that means a worst-case scenario is still on the table for NHL players. If the league shortens to a hypothetical 48-game season, then players could receive just 70 per cent of their share of 48 games’ worth of pay, which is the pro-rated amount minus 20 per cent for escrow withholding and a 10 per cent deferral. That is all language the NHLPA and BOG are voting on today.

3. What social message will the NHL deliver on its restart?

If you watched the MLS’ return to play this week, you saw an incredibly powerful image of unity on the field. Some players took a knee together at midfield and others held their fists in the air in solidarity, while the slogan of “MLS is Back” was changed to “MLS is Black.”

It makes you wonder how the typically conservative NHL – which saw just one player, Tampa Bay’s J.T. Brown, raise a fist on the bench during 1187712 World Leagues News Until then, everything is up in the air. That includes the team’s travel plans, which will see the team charter buses to travel to the seven road games in Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.

New Mexico United relaunch season with road game, taking coronavirus “It just feels safer and smarter, really, to not put a team on an airplane,” precautions Lesesne said. “We’ll just have to find ways to keep the guys’ legs stretched and keep them as fresh as possible on an eight- or 10-hour bus ride.” By Will Webber [email protected] Jul 10, 2020 Updated 1 hr ago 0 Trevisani said the fundamental difference between the United and the amateur sports that have already been postponed or canceled by the coronavirus is professional franchises are not unlike any other business. To maintain a chance of surviving the shutdown, they have to field a The key word here is “fluid.” team, take every precaution, follow the governor’s mandates and find a As in things are in a constant state of motion. way to make it work.

As in everything can change in a heartbeat. “This is the hand we’ve been dealt and it’s our job to keep pushing forward,” Trevisani said. “Folding’s not an option.” As in everyone should buckle up for a wild and unpredictable ride. Trevisani said before the team’s first game last year that to keep the Just two days after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pulled the plug on high franchise financially viable would require an average of 8,000 fans over school contact sports and said she’d ask the state’s Higher Education 18 home matches. It far exceeded that, giving rise to the possibility that Department to do the same with college athletics, professional soccer state and local governments would collaborate on building a soccer-only springs back to life as the New Mexico United relaunch their United stadium for the club. Soccer League Championship season on Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colo. Those plans began this year when the city got a $4 million allocation from the state to review potential sites and draw up tentative plans. Trevisani Several times during interviews this week, team owner Peter Trevisani envisions a stadium that includes living and retail spaces, cultural centers and United head coach Troy Lesesne stressed the need for caution amid and restaurants that allow the area to remain active 365 days a year a world of uncertainty in the expanding global pandemic. Trevisani’s staff rather than just game days. has outlined extensive return-to-play protocols while Lesesne has created a tight bubble for his players and coaches to operate in. “My personal feeling is that we need some projects like this to push through these difficult times,” he said. “That we all have some hope on “I know the Governor’s Office and the United want the same thing, which the other side and we’re not in just a state of decay. That we’re going to is, how do we keep people healthy, how do we allow ourselves to be pushing forward, and this is one of many projects that can do that.” operate and function but do so in a way that really minimizes the risk of catching COVID?” Trevisani said. santafenewmexican.com/LOADED: 07.11.2020

In short, the team is banking on the idea that it leads to a fruitful USL season that has every team in the coast-to-coast league playing a 15- game sprint to the finish between now and late September. A playoff participant in its inaugural season, New Mexico is back with a team that replaced two of its top three goal scorers.

Gone is Kevaughn Frater and Santi Moar, who combined for 25 goals as the United earned a play-in berth to the USL postseason. Returning is the franchise’s hometown player, Albuquerque product Devon Sandoval, following a 13-goal run last season.

Sandoval and returning midfielder Chris Wehan will provide plenty of scoring punch and Cody Mizell will be back in goal but with fresh faces everywhere he looks. Lesesne sees a team that will look and feel a lot different than the 2019 United.

The most impactful newcomer should be Kalen Ryden on defense at center/back, but youth will be served with a slew of newcomers like former New York Red Bulls system player Armando Moreno at forward.

NOTES FROM THE NORTH

James Barron and Will Webber discuss the significant toll the COVID-19 pandemic has had on sports locally and nationally, and also share their thoughts on a bizarre state basketball tournament that finished in front of no fans.

The team’s greatest advantage might have been the pandemic. With the entire roster arriving in Albuquerque in January and the season starting with the opening match in March before the shutdown, the club has spent the last four months training at the team’s practice facility south of town in the growing Mesa del Sol soccer complex that will eventually house 32 fields.

Lesesne said playing all or most of the USL season in empty stadiums will take some getting used to. The United, which took the league by storm by leading in attendance, will play all (or most, anyway) of its home matches at the University of New Mexico’s Track and Soccer Complex across the street from its former home at Isotopes Park.

The baseball stadium will be used exclusively by the Colorado Rockies’ taxi squad once the Major League Baseball season starts July 23, leaving the United with options to play at multiple venues. Trevisani said that if and when fans are allowed to return, the team could play at Isotopes Park, the UNM soccer stadium or inside Dreamstyle Stadium to accommodate social distancing. 1187713 World Leagues News

NASCAR to teams: Address ‘complacency’ to COVID-19 mask protocols

By Daniel McFadinJul 10, 2020, 8:39 PM EDT

NASCAR sent a memo to teams earlier this week advising them to address “pockets of complacency” toward its COVID-19 mask protocols.

The memo was first reported by WCNC, NBC’s Charlotte affiliate.

In the memo, NASCAR said it was “seeing more and more van loads of crew members rolling up to the track without masks on, and people wearing their mask down around their chin.”

The memo stated that further flouting of the protocols “will threaten our ability to continue racing.”

“More people in our industry are going to contract the virus,” the memo added. “The key is limiting it.”

“It is important for everyone to do their part ALL THE TIME. One cluster outbreak can derail our season.”

In May, NASCAR issued a bulletin stating failure to comply with COVID- 19 rules could result in a $50,000 fine.

The memo comes after seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 last week, forcing him to miss the Brickyard 400. Earlier this week Johnson had two negative tests, allowing him to be cleared for Sunday’s race at Kentucky Speedway.

Previously, Stewart-Haas Racing had two employees test positive for virus and Team Penske had one employee test positive.

In North Carolina, where most NASCAR teams are based, the state now has 81,000 cases and it has reached 1,000 hospitalizations for the first time.

The Cup Series is scheduled to hold its All-Star Race on Wednesday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Northeast Tennessee. Tennessee has just over 59,000 confirmed cases and has had 86 deaths since Sunday, a single-week record.

NASCAR is scheduled to compete next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Texas has more than 235,000 cases and almost 3,000 deaths. On Thursday, it recorded 10,000 new daily cases for the second time. nbcsports.com/LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187714 World Leagues News

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19

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Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill tested positive for COVID-19 and has been hospitalized in Rhode Island, the team announced on Friday afternoon.

Bidwill developed symptoms over the past few weeks, per the announcement, before they subsided. He is expected to be released from the hospital this weekend.

The 55-year-old has been working remotely since the team’s facility was shut down in March, the team said, and has not been in contact with any coaches, players or football staff. They believe he contracted the coronavirus while traveling on the East Coast over the past few weeks.

Bidwill has served as the team’s president since 2007. His father Bill, the team’s previous owner, died in October.

Michael Bidwill's symptoms have subsided, the team said on Friday, and he's expected to be released from the hospital this weekend.Michael Bidwill's symptoms have subsided, the team said on Friday, and he's expected to be released from the hospital this weekend.

There were more than 3.1 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of Friday afternoon, according to The New York Times, and more than 133,000 deaths attributed to it. The country set a single-day record on Thursday, recording more than 59,800 new cases.

Cases have spiked in Arizona in recent weeks, too. The state has nearly 117,000 confirmed cases, and has averaged more than 3,600 new infections a day over the past week.

NFL training camps are scheduled to kick off July 28, and the league is still planning to move forward with its season amid the pandemic. The NFL still has plenty of details to work out before that can happen and is reportedly working on an opt-out clause with the players union for players who do not want to participate.

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Pac-12 cancels nonconference season due to COVID-19

Nick Mendro and Andy Yamashita The Daily Jul 10, 2020 Updated 4 hrs ago 0

The Pac-12 CEO Group announced the cancellation of all nonconference games for fall sports during the 2020-21 season due to rising trends in COVID-19 cases. In a press release Friday, the conference said football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball will all be affected, and also said it would delay the start of mandatory team activities.

“The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports continues to be our number one priority,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said. “Our decisions have and will be guided by science and data, and based upon the trends and indicators over the past days, it has become clear that we need to provide ourselves with maximum flexibility to schedule, and to delay any movement to the next phase of return-to-play activities.”

According to the release, student-athletes who decide not to participate in intercollegiate athletics this academic year because of COVID-19 fears will have their scholarships protected and are to remain in good standing with their team.

Washington Athletic Director Jen Cohen also released a statement in the hours following the anouncement from the Pac-12.

"We feel that this step of having a clear and consistent model for all 12 institutions to follow allows us the safest environment, most flexibility and greatest opportunity to compete this fall," Cohen said.

The decision comes just one day after the ’s highly anticipated home-opener against Michigan, initially scheduled for Sep 5, was cancelled after the Big Ten and ACC announced complete shutdowns of their nonconference play.

With their schedule’s second and third-week matchups against Sacramento State and Utah State now cancelled, first-year football head coach Jimmy Lake and his team will presumably start the season with a trip down the I-5 corridor to face rivals Oregon for the former defensive coordinator’s first game as Washington head coach.

The press release also said this will impact the start dates of sports in general, and the decision is effective immediately. The Pac-12 CEO Group is still hopeful that football and the other fall sports will still be played.

But with seismic shifts taking place across football and collegiate athletics, Husky fans know as much about the future of the 2020 season as they do about offensive coordinator John Donovan’s playbook.

While the fate of Pac-12 competition remains up in the air, Cohen noted that decisions would come from the top down before any additional information is announced by the UW.

"When the Pac-12, state & local government, and university officials are able to provide better clarity on schedules, gameday restrictions and other potential parameters, we will reach out with additional updates and information regarding ticketing and attendance inside our venues," Cohen said.

The new start dates for the conference-only schedule will be released no later than July 31. dailyuw.com/LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187716 World Leagues News

ACC Commissioner John Swofford says league will make fall sports decisions by late July

BY CHAPEL FOWLER CORRESPONDENT

JULY 10, 2020 06:33 PM ,

The ACC expects a decision on “the best possible path forward” for the return of fall sports amidst the coronavirus pandemic by late July, commissioner John Swofford said in a Friday news release.

Swofford’s announcement came a day after the ACC announced it would delay the start of fall Olympic sports until at least September 1. Later Thursday, college football insider Brett McMurphy reported the ACC was considering a conference-only schedule.

“Over the last few months, our conference has prepared numerous scenarios related to the fall athletics season,” Swofford said in the release. “The league membership and our medical advisory group will make every effort to be as prepared as possible during these unprecedented times, and we anticipate a decision by our Board of Directors in late July.”

The ACC’s announcement came after a slew of news this week that’s brought mounting concerns to the feasibility of college sports in the fall.

The Ivy League said Wednesday it wouldn’t compete in fall sports, while keeping the option of playing those sports in the spring as a possibility. The Big Ten said Thursday it was opting for a conference-only schedule. It was the first Power Five conference to do so.

The CIAA — home to eight North Carolina schools — also announced Thursday it was suspending fall sports competition.

Those decisions came as North Carolina and Ohio State suspended voluntary workouts after positive COVID-19 tests, and Stanford, a longtime proponent of Olympic sports, discontinued 11 varsity sports programs.

In his statement, Swofford said the “health and safety of our student- athletes, coaches and administrators remains the ACC’s top priority.”

“As we continue to work on the best possible path forward for the return of competition, we will do so in a way that appropriately coincides with our universities’ academic missions,” he said. newsobserver.com/LOADED: 07.11.2020 1187717 World Leagues News season en masse. Planning to get the season underway is only half of the effort. Keeping the season underway looms just as large. And there may not be a way to convince players that adequate measures exist for The NFL and players are on a collision course over safety and money. that until an outbreak happens. They have weeks to avert disaster Financial storm is going to hit NFL hard

There are two significant fronts of attack that the NFL and NFLPA are Charles RobinsonNFL columnist trying to remedy now. The first is getting everything in place to have an actual season. The second is how to deal with the unavoidable financial meteor that is heading for the NFL. The one that players believe they shouldn’t have to deal with, because they’re taking the lion’s share of An NFL source was breaking down the league’s proposal to draw back infection risks by going out and slamming into each other in the name of player salaries as much as 35 percent to help manage revenue losses in having a season and keeping the television revenues safe and sound, is 2020. Framing it as an ask that was just the tip of the iceberg, the source money. said it foreshadowed a coming fight that will put the NFL and players’ union into deeply dug trenches and possibly endanger the start of the The players and union have been sending a unified message: They season in September. should be paid every single cent owed to them — with no 35 percent discount — and they should get that money with no preseason games Finally, the source spelled out the revenue loss and lack of a player and with teams doling out massive sums of money for testing and safety giveback in one sentence. while simultaneously selling significantly fewer tickets. “It’s a major problem that isn’t going away,” the source told Yahoo Sports That’s setting up a financial face-off that is bound to rear its head again on Thursday. “One way or the other, it’s going to have to be bargained before September. By suggesting a 35 percent reduction in salaries to out [between the league and the union] if this is going to work.” help offset operating costs, the NFL has sent a clear message from the A major problem that isn’t going away. franchise owners: If we’re going to lose revenue, players should lose some salary. We should be equal partners in the loss. This is the NFL behind the scenes right now. As the league puts forth ancillary — and somewhat nonsensical — protocols like not being able to One league source familiar with some of the revenue-loss models spelled do a postgame jersey swap, there are bigger fish to fry in the next few out why team owners feel this way, telling Yahoo Sports on Thursday weeks. And the space to get this work done is shrinking to the point that that some projections suggest a revenue hit so costly that the 2021 it’s alarming players. salary cap may have to reduce by as much as $40 million per team to reflect the 2020 dip. Such a reality would be Armageddon for a multitude So much so, that when the NFL Players Association had an open call of teams that are already looking like they’ll be pressed against the salary with membership last week, a litany of players expressed serious cap in 2021. misgivings about the reliability of safety protocols — not to mention the swath of unanswered questions. quarterback Philip “More likely than not, [the NFL] and the union would smooth it out by Rivers asked what would happen if an asymptomatic player tested taking away smaller increments of money from future caps,” the source positive before the Super Bowl. defensive end J.J. Watt said. “It would be made up in the aggregate of five or six or 10 salary questioned whether the NFL had all the right protocols lined up for the caps than all at once.” opening of training camp. A high-ranking AFC team source confirmed this same likelihood — that a Suddenly, a picture emerged: With camp reporting just weeks away and hit will be absorbed, but also spread out. COVID-19 anxiety as real as ever, NFL players appeared to be extremely But the league source added: “That hit could be remedied if players were uncertain about whether they were the ones taking the majority of the willing to give back some salaries now to help teams deal with costs that risks in this endeavor. Naturally, their questions have centered on are going to rise and revenues that are going to shrink.” whether the NFL was ready to protect them. The union has made its feelings on a lump-sum salary giveback clear. It’s An agent who listened to the NFLPA call with one of his players said he not going to happen. As in, never. Instead, it will be future players who heard “a lot of anxiety.” will lose out on some capital as future salary caps rise less aggressively Considering the work left to be done — and with multiple team officials than originally planned. who spoke to Yahoo Sports describing the upcoming training camps with Which takes us back to the start of the dwindling days that lie ahead — some type of verbiage describing a litany of unknowns — “a lot of and the reality that for this to work, every fundamental building block has anxiety” makes sense. Not to mention a lot of potential for things to go yet to be put into place. Things that aren’t going to be resolved by issuing sideways. Consider the considerable work left on the table before camps decrees about jersey exchanges. In the larger picture, that’s just a are slated to open on July 28. minuscule detail. The money — whether it’s the pay of players in 2020 or the impact on And unless the league and the union can get on the same page in quick future salary caps — has to be bargained out. fashion, none of the minuscule stuff will matter. Because there won’t be The COVID-19 testing regimens have to be bargained out. an NFL season to implement it in the first place.

The protocols about how camps can be run on a daily basis have to be Yahoo Sports: LOADED: 07.11.2020 bargained out.

The safety protocols beyond testing have to be bargained out.

Equipment changes, such as mandatory face shields, have to be bargained out.

And maybe, above all else, players have to be convinced the NFL has done everything possible to guarantee their safety.

That’s a lot to accomplish in less than three weeks. And it might be impossible. It might mean a late start for training camp. It might mean no preseason games. And it might lead to a delay in the regular season, something the NFL absolutely does not want, evidenced by an offseason that ran largely on time, albeit in a different form than past years.

But for 2020 to start on time, all of the aforementioned questions have to be resolved. And after they are, the NFL has to have a clear plan to keep players in the fold once an outbreak of coronavirus happens — which could have a chilling effect that causes players to pull out from the 1187718 World Leagues News

Mike Pence to visit Louisiana, Tiger Stadium to discuss coronavirus, college sports

BY EMMA DISCHER | STAFF WRITER PUBLISHED JUL 10, 2020 AT 4:19 PM | UPDATED JUL 10, 2020 AT 4:36 PM

A large monitor displaying a map of Asia and a tally of total coronavirus cases, deaths, and recovered, is visible behind Vice President Mike Pence, center, and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, left, as they tour the Secretary's Operations Center following a coronavirus task force meeting at the Department of Health and Human Services, Thursday, Feb. 27, in Washington.

Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to visit Baton Rouge next week to address Louisiana's fight against the coronavirus, according to a press release from the White House.

Pence will meet with Governor John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Department of Health officials about coronavirus in Louisiana. He is also scheduled to meet with higher education leaders at LSU's Tiger Stadium regarding the return to campus and sports. The visit was first reported by WBRZ.

The news comes amid near record-breaking numbers of new cases diagnosed statewide. More than 2,600 additional cases were reported Friday.

"On Tuesday, July 14th, Vice President Pence will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There, the Vice President will meet with Governor Edwards and his health care team on their efforts to combat COVID-19. Afterward, the Vice President will participate in a roundtable discussion at LSU’s Tiger Stadium with Governor Edwards and higher education leaders focusing on fall reopening plans and university sports programs. Following, the Vice President will host a press briefing with Governor Edwards. Later that evening, the Vice President will return to Washington, D.C.

The Advocate LOADED: 07.11.2020