SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 4/5/2020 1182249 Brinson Pasichnuk to sign with Sharks, ASU hockey gains 1182273 Note to Larry David: Rangers’ Greg McKegg is getting job credibility done 1182250 Arizona Coyotes have home workouts during NHL 1182274 Reliving most famous regular season game in Rangers coronavirus pause history 1182275 MSG Network giving Rangers fans something to watch Bruins 1182251 Acton hockey company back to work Senators 1182252 Jeremy Jacobs’s sons explain why family waited to set up 1182276 How the Leslie siblings are squeezing the most out of their relief fund for TD Garden workers in-house rivalry 1182253 EA Sports trolls Bruins' Brad Marchand for bad shootout attempt vs. Flyers Flyers 1182254 Hagg Bag mailbag: How to restore hockey when it's safe 1182277 Next year’s expansion draft for Seattle will affect moves to come out again made by Flyers GM this offseason 1182278 How Flyers prospect Cam York can help and torture goalies 1182255 Isles GM Lou Lamoriello is optimistic but it's still hard to see a path to play anytime soon 1182256 Buffalo sports' greatest what-ifs: What if Sabres had 1182279 Penguins on pause: Anthony Angello made strides as a drafted instead of ? rookie but still has a ways to go Flames 1182257 How the Leslie siblings are squeezing the most out of their 1182280 We’re all asking the wrong question about the return of in-house rivalry sports 1182281 The next Johnny Hockey? Maybe not, but the Sharks may Blackhawks have a keeper in John Leonard 1182258 Canceled NHL season would make Blackhawks’ deadline 1182282 Sharks' John Leonard hopes to follow in ex-roommate trades look smarter in hindsight Mario Ferraro's footsteps 1182259 'Oh, God, this is like a real thing': Ex-Blackhawk Darling on 1182283 Joe Pavelski's game-winner vs. Jets symbolic of clutch playing in Austria during pandemic Sharks' tenure 1182260 2010 Hawks Rewind: 3 things we noticed in Blackhawks' Game 2 win over Sharks St Louis Blues 1182261 NHL 20 sim: Blackhawks close strong late season push 1182284 Five days at 5 p.m. tell the story of St. Louis sports during with playoff berth the coronavirus pandemic 1182262 Prospect notes: Mathias From waits to hear from 1182285 Hockey is a family affair for the Dunnes Blackhawks Maple Leafs 1182286 Players can bet on themselves when it comes to 1182263 Chambers: Saturday marked the unofficial end of the contracts, but it’s still a gamble they can’t be sure of. Just NHL’s regular season. what? 1182287 Jr. Canadiens teammates Nelson and Fimis taken Nos. 1 and 2 in OHL’s Priority Selection Draft 1182288 Ups and downs of Leafs Nation now a film 1182264 How Rick Nash’s rare NHL feat was forgotten on a 1182289 Five of the Leafs' worst losses of the season, in review memorable night in Detroit Oilers 1182290 Trump wants fans back in stadiums, arenas ‘as soon as 1182265 Former scout Barry Fraser recalls we can’ selecting 1182266 Lowetide: Craig MacTavish’s most important Oilers moment? Picking Leon Draisaitl 1182291 Washington Capitals Tom Wilson sends Make-A-Wish kids heartfelt message and gifts 1182292 Backstrom backs away from previous comment that 1182267 Who's on top of Minnesota sports? Ovechkin is always yelling for the puck 1182268 The Athletic’s Wild fan survey: Tell us what you think of the franchise Websites 1182293 The Athletic / Bourne: The key to coaching success? Canadiens Giving assistants ‘leeway to run things’ 1182269 PUB CHALLENGE : Un jeu pour nos abonnés. A game for 1182294 .ca / Quick Shifts: Maple Leafs will face tricky our subscribers Nick Robertson decision 1182295 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks prospects to WATCH: Podkolzin Devils could be among best from 2019 Draft 1182270 Scouting Devils’ 2019 draft class: Nikola Pasic must 1182296 Sportsnet.ca / ‘Villains were villains’: Tucker to watch 2002 improve quickness and skating, but ‘has offensive talent’ triple-OT epic for first time 1182271 What New York-area sports owners have given to coronavirus fight 1182272 Islanders defenseman Andy Greene says he 'definitely' plans on playing next season World Leagues News 1182297 Can sport survive the coronavirus shutdown? 1182298 What New York-area sports owners have given to coronavirus fight 1182299 Coronavirus: Trump unsure when sport will resume, thinks it'll be "sooner rather than later" 1182300 Temporary changes in college sports may be needed due to coronavirus, athletic directors survey indicates 1182301 Did sports in Mexico learn anything from the swine flu pandemic in 2009? 1182302 What you need to know about sports during the coronavirus pandemic 1182303 NBA working on plan to televise H-O-R-S-E competition involving star players, per report 1182304 Sports’ finest hour coming during coronavirus fight 1182305 Michigan governor, Detroit professional sports teams call for health care volunteers to assist the state’s cor 1182306 NBA rumors: League 'angling' to cancel rest of season amid coronavirus 1182307 President Trump holds call with sports commissioners, reportedly hopes to have fans back by Aug. or Sept. 1182308 MLB debating playing games at spring training ballparks without fans, per report 1182309 What Premier League clubs are doing to help during coronavirus 1182310 A world without sports: How coronavirus has impacted athletics globally

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1182249 Arizona Coyotes “I think that relationship will never go away,” he said. “I always want to keep building that. I plan for ASU to be my training grounds every offseason when I come back here every year and train and skate with the Brinson Pasichnuk to sign with Sharks, ASU hockey gains credibility boys. Maybe when my hockey career’s over, maybe Coach Powers will recruit me to come be an assistant coach.”

BY MATT LAYMAN Arizona Sports LOADED: 04.05.2020 APRIL 4, 2020 AT 10:47 AM

TEMPE, Ariz. — When defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk got to ASU, the hockey program had just joined the NCAA ranks. He now leaves the program in a year in which a national championship wasn’t out of the question.

It’s come a long way.

The coronavirus pandemic cancelled hockey’s NCAA Tournament. Pasichnuk called it “heartbreaking,” but if it’s any consolation, Pasichnuk’s year was capped with him agreeing to terms with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. He’ll be the second Sun Devil to sign with an NHL team, joining now- Joey Daccord.

“Obviously what it does from a credibility standpoint as far as our ability to assist in developing players to reach their goals as a hockey player, it builds that credibility,” head coach Greg Powers said. “I think it’s important to say that Brinson showed up to Arizona State as an already elite player. Where he developed the most was just as a human being and as a person, and that’s what we’re most invested in with our players.

“But what he’s done and the performance that he had on the ice for us throughout his four years and gradually getting better and culminating to a day like today, it certainly helps us build credibility as a program.”

Pasichnuk has gone to the Sharks’ summer development camp multiple times, as amateur players are often invited to do so by NHL teams. He got a contract offer at the end of his junior season but decided to return to ASU for a senior year, citing his desire to continue building the young program, chase a national championship, playing another year with his brother Steenn Pasichnuk and still being in the first year of marriage. He also wanted to finish his degree.

Despite coming back to school, he had assurance from the Sharks that they’d still be waiting for him when his college career was over. Other teams showed interest throughout this past season, but he ultimately landed with San Jose. The Islanders, Panthers and Red Wings were among those calling. The Coyotes had Pasichnuk in for a development camp, but the two sides didn’t communicate much thereafter, he said.

One draw of the Sharks is that their AHL team, the , plays in the same building that the NHL affiliate does. For players who are bound to get called up and down between the two leagues, as is possible with Pasichnuk, that’s a benefit.

“That was another huge factor, especially being married,” he said. “If you’re up and down in the NHL all year, between and NHL, in other organizations that aren’t fortunate to have their AHL team in the same city, you don’t even really get an apartment. You’re mostly living out of hotels and this is mine and Halle’s first year of marriage, so we’re still trying to figure that out. So it’s definitely a huge advantage being able to make sure we’re in the same city no matter what happens.”

Whenever the NHL does play again, Powers thinks Pasichnuk is ready to play at that level, citing his natural physical ability, quickness and defensive acumen.

“He’s all heart, Powers said. “And he’s going to be a really easy player for fans to like and appreciate. His compete level every , he doesn’t have an off switch. He played on average 28-30 minutes a night for us, and there’s nights where he wanted more minutes. So he can play in any situation and he’s just an energizer bunny that can do it all, and I think fans are going to appreciate his work ethic more than anything.”

“He’s viewed as undersized, but don’t tell him that, because if you’re going to get into a battle of any physicality with him, my money’s on him,” Powers said. “He’s as strong as an ox and his explosiveness and north- south and his burst is unbelievable, and like I said, he wants to win. He’ll do it at all costs. His compete level, you can’t teach what he has.”

The eyes are on the next chapter for Pasichnuk, but he called his time at ASU the best four years of his life. 1182250 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes have home workouts during NHL coronavirus pause

BY MATT LAYMAN

APRIL 4, 2020 AT 6:20 AM

Most of the Coyotes players are still in Arizona while the coronavirus pandemic has put the NHL season on pause. But despite the players mostly being in close proximity to the team facilities, social distancing policies have prompted players to change the way they stay in shape.

“It’s been difficult,” GM John Chayka said. “Obviously it’s a challenging time in that regard. We’re doing what we can. Every player has an individual program that our strength staff’s put together for them. We’ve kind of taken stock of what they have at home. Everyone has a different setup. Some guys are lucky enough to have a home gym. Some guys have a great backyard, they [have] a lot of different opportunities to do some different types of training.”

The NHL suspended its season indefinitely the morning of what had been a scheduled home game against Vancouver on March 12.

Chayka said the team has since sent workout equipment to players’ homes in a safe and sanitized way so they could stay in shape. It’s not clear when the NHL season will resume, if at all, but the hope is to be ready for that if it happens. The workouts also help players keep a routine.

“They’re so regimented in their life when they’re here and in their offseasons, even, where they get up at a certain time, they eat certain things, they have certain regimens in terms of their training, skating, things like that,” Chayka said. “It’s easy when there’s a bit of unknown here to slip from that. So just trying to help each guy understand what the routine could be and making sure that they stick to it, have some discipline.”

Oliver Ekman-Larsson said last week that he’s been running a lot. Derek Stepan happens to have a home exercise bike.

“I’ve been doing a lot of home workouts,” Stepan said. “I actually have a Peloton bike so I’ve been hammering the Peloton really hard, just trying to do anything you can to get good sweats in and work those lungs the best you can. But there’s plenty of stuff that you can do at home and I’ve actually found a pretty good groove of just kind of mixing in as much of strength stuff as I can and doing home workouts on the Peloton.”

Head coach said he believed Michael Grabner — a known fitness fanatic who has a home gym — had made his gym available to teammates if needed. Stepan wasn’t sure that any players had gone over there to take advantage as players do home workouts. Stepan said he even got out for a hike. Tocchet has taken up rollerblading.

“You’ve got to get out there and move around,” Tocchet said. “Guys are going for runs, they’re exercising. Our strength coaches have delivered equipment to some guys’ homes that are in town. I think that’s important. The mental part and the physical part’s important for our team during this time, for sure.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182251

Acton hockey company back to work

By Matt Porter Globe Staff

Updated April 4, 2020, 8:53 p.m.

Russ Layton was at a loss.

The CEO of Acton-based Sparx Hockey, which makes portable skate sharpening machines, was running a nonessential business in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. He furloughed 18 of his 25 workers after Gov. Charlie Baker’s order to cease operations March 23. He was aching for them to return.

Hoping to help, Layton made a frustrated attempt at making breathing masks out of cloth. “It’s not something that was in our wheelhouse,” he said. “We’re good with die-cut parts and assembly, not sewing and clothes.”

A text arrived last Sunday. An employee had seen a story about New Hampshire-based Bauer Hockey’s protective face shield. CEO Ed Kinnaly was happy to share the blueprint. Sparx’ sourcing people went after materials. The engineers handled the design.

“Twenty-four hours later,” Layton said, “we were in business again.”

Sparx has committed to making 10,000 single-use shields a week, he said in a phone interview Friday. With help from the $350 billion aid package for forgivable small business loans the government unveiled Friday, he has rehired six of his employees. Also, Layton said his company heard from Massachusetts General Hospital, which believed their die-cutting capabilities could help produce more personal protective equipment.

Layton said they asked for intubation boxes: transparent plastic cubes, with portholes on the sides for hands to pass through, that sit over a patient's head and protect clinicians from expelled fluids during airway procedures (NE Journal of Medicine article: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2007589). Layton said he was determining how much the company could invest in materials.

“We’re not in a great spot as a business,” he said, but standing by is not an option. “We’ve got to stop this.”

His company had almost all the material to make the masks, which resemble a welder’s mask. It had polyurethane foam for the headband, and elastics for the strapping. It found polystyrene suppliers for the shield. As for the final piece, Layton throught he hit a dead end. In need of plastic clips that hold the shield in place, a local molder told him their manufacturing was backed up 3 to 6 months.

Turns out, Sparx’ die-cutting machines could do the job.

So Layton brought them to his home in Acton, and outfitted his garage with duct work to eliminate plastic fumes. His team makes daily deliveries of 9-inch by 18-inch sheets, which are cut into 250 clips. His two children helping him, he feeds the machine for 10 hours a day, to make 4,000 clips a day, 20,000 clips a week.

He goes to the factory early to drop them off, as to avoid contacting anyone. His team rearranged their factory space to keep each other separated.

It will be a long time before they’re rubbing elbows with the 25 NHL teams that use their skate sharpeners. But their hands are no longer idle.

“It’s a double win,” he said. “We get to help out. We were all sitting here, quarantined and waiting for this to be over, and now we can contribute in getting to the other side of this. And it takes a small business and gets it back to work.

“Everyone’s doing what they can. It’s the beauty of this country, right?”

Boston Globe LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182252 Boston Bruins said in 2019 the company invested $600 million on itself, part of its growth-oriented 96-97 percent reinvestment rate.

The brothers pointed to the $7 million-$8 million North provides Jeremy Jacobs’s sons explain why family waited to set up relief fund for annually to Buffalo-area organizations and the $8 million-plus they said TD Garden workers the Bruins Foundation doled out in New England last year as evidence of their philanthropy.

By Michael Silverman Globe Staff Jerry Jacobs said the notion of a family with its resources doing more in this time of increased need was misdirected. Updated April 4, 2020, 12:45 p.m. “I have to tell you, when you say ‘great wealth,’ you’re talking about companies, and as Charlie described our capital is largely invested in the business,” said Jerry Jacobs. “It’s sort of like The sons of Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs agree that they waited too long saying, ‘You have a net worth and that includes your house and you have to offer a relief fund for 1,000-plus TD Garden workers idled by the to sell your house in order to have the cash to actually give it away.’ coronavirus shutdown. That’s very much the situation we’re in. Our capital is tied up in our But Jerry, Lou, and Charlie Jacobs want it known that they weren’t tardy business, and our business is basically shut down. So, it’s tied our out of neglect. They were late because they prioritized meeting the more hands. As much as we want to be more philanthropic in a time of great pressing needs of their furloughed full-time workers spread out across six need, it’s really tied our hands and our ability to do so. countries in their $3.7 billion Delaware North hospitality empire. “Delaware North is the Jacobs family asset.” The flak the family took was not easy but was understandable given the The brothers said they understood the magnitude of the coronavirus nine-day delay and lack of communication from corporate headquarters. quickly, arguably more quickly than other team owners or leagues who That is why the sons wanted to tell New Englanders that there was more opted to address their workers’ needs immediately rather than wait. behind the lag in aid than what first met all the stink-eye. One thing the Jacobses didn’t want to do was pay workers now for “Without context, it seems perhaps arbitrary or there’s no rhyme or missed games that might be made up later. The prospect of paying reason — if you don’t understand the whole picture, it’s very difficult to workers twice or figuring out how to avoid doing that outweighed the oft- comprehend, to borrow Jerry’s words, the ‘triage process’ that we went heard complaint from TD Garden workers that they could use the through,” said Charlie Jacobs in a conference call from Boston with his economic relief now. A $1.5 million fund was eventually set up to assist brothers, both in Buffalo, on Friday. “There was this groundswell of workers with lost wages, contingent on the NHL canceling the games. voices saying, ‘Come on, Jacobses, step up,’ and ‘Do this and do that.’ “We understood very quickly the depth of this damage and the amount of When we got to finally address our part-time associates, it was several the pain that would be out there,” said Jerry Jacobs. “And I think some of days after other teams in other leagues and even other NHL teams had the other owners were focused really in their league and they didn’t see it already made plans for game-night associates. But again, those people quite as fast because they’re not seated where we are in terms of the don’t necessarily have a workforce of 55,000 people, they just don’t have industry and the visibility of what’s happening. So I think some people it.” thought, ‘Well, this is just a stopgap, we’re going to help our people out, The hospitality, entertainment, and leisure company has holdings in we’re going to get through this crisis.’ every sector the virus has immobilized: restaurants, casinos, catering, “We saw a much bigger picture, so we had to focus very quickly on and food services at resorts, stadiums, arenas, and national parks in the others. It’s very hard to say to an employee, ‘You’re not going to get United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, and New paid,’ and ‘Oh, they’re going to get paid twice — they’re going to get Zealand. relieved now and they’re going to get paid when the event happens.’ So It was “gut-wrenching,” said Charlie Jacobs, to tell roughly 98 percent of we had to really focus on taking care of the people who needed our help the company’s salaried workforce that their jobs were disappearing. the most, and that’s why it played out the way it did.” Those who still have jobs have accepted pay cuts, with senior level staff taking a higher percentage. Boston Globe LOADED: 04.05.2020 The company wound up providing full-timers eight weeks of health insurance and one week of pay, a time-consuming process for which the brothers said they had no playbook. During the process, they said their father, who has owned the Bruins since 1975, was urging them to help him do something in Boston.

“From the outset it was important to Dad,” said Lou Jacobs. “The Bruins were his early focus, but we were sort of saying, ‘Dad, we’re dealing with this portfolio of businesses here, we’ve got to come up with a better overall strategy for everything else.’ We actually were the ones who put our hands up and said, ‘Can we slow down on that and address that later?’ ”

After hearing from their father that “I’m getting beat up here, let me do this thing” one too many times, the sons finally addressed Boston.

“I think what got us in trouble really was the time it took for us to get there,” said Jerry Jacobs. “I hope you understand there’s a reason that it took us that time and it wasn’t because we were dispassionate. It’s the opposite. It’s because we were trying to take care of the people we felt needed the most. We did do it, but we just didn’t do it fast enough, and that upset people. But there’s a good reason why.”

Jeremy Jacobs is listed by Forbes as having a net worth of $3.4 billion.

Charlie Jacobs pointed to the 1,000-plus jobs created by the $140 million TD Garden renovation and $1.5 billion development with Boston Properties on the Hub on Causeway (the final phase of the project, the tower built for Verizon, is only 50 percent complete and the construction shutdown will make meeting next summer’s completion target date difficult, said Charlie Jacobs) as examples of how the company is focused on growth. 1182253 Boston Bruins

EA Sports trolls Bruins' Brad Marchand for bad shootout attempt vs. Flyers

By Erin Walsh

April 04, 2020 6:32 PM

Will anyone ever forget Brad Marchand's horrible shootout attempt against the from January? Probably not.

EA Sports is the latest to get in on the fun of trolling the Boston Bruins winger, and they couldn't have done it in a better way. In their NHL 20 update version 1.6.0 patch notes, EA Sports fixed an issue for every player in the game besides Marchand.

"Fixed a case where players other than Marchand would lose the puck at the start of a ," the patch notes said, according to gamerevolution.com.

That's pretty comical, and it seems that just about everyone is getting their jabs in at Marchand amid the coronavirus outbreak. In their last game before the NHL hit pause on the season even , the Flyers mascot, took the opportunity to bash Marchand.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182254 Boston Bruins fairly normal regular-season afterward. That would be the absolutely best scenario if everything falls into place across our country. I’m not even sure that’s going to be possible at this point, though.

Hagg Bag mailbag: How to restore hockey when it's safe to come out Here's my take - we are in an unprecedented time and in an effort to again primarily avoid having a 1-month offseason and then a full 2020-21 schedule, I feel that there should be a 12-team format (eliminate the wild cards). By Joe Haggerty We have to get past this "fairness" crap, because again, having a two- April 04, 2020 11:56 AM month playoff in August and September is simply too long. Nothing anyone can do about the times we live in, but it's too much to have the

final 5 teams having a month offseason. In addition, you can also We are now entering our second month of social distancing and self- realistically re-schedule the draft, FA, awards, etc. without the season quarantining and there isn’t a hockey game to be seen on the horizon. starting a month later. How this would work is all series are 7 games. You would have the 4 division winners on a bye, the other 2 teams in each Maybe the NHL will start up again in June or July if things go exceedingly division play each other for the right to go to the Conference Final. well. Maybe they will gather all healthy and tested players, officials and essential personnel in one location for a controlled playoff tournament This would mean Boston, Washington & St. Louis (more on that in a bit) that would be pretty amazing? and Vegas would have the byes. The first series would be (again, more on this) TB-TOR, PHI-PIT, COL-DAL, EDM-CAL. Those winners face At this point, there is no way of knowing what the NHL is going to do and each other in the Conference Final and then the . Having 3 when we will next see hockey, but the Hagg Bag mailbag is still here to rounds could be done in 6 weeks. If you started a camp on July 1, entertain and answer any questions. playoffs start July 15 and end around the end of August. Awards & draft happen the 1st week of Sept. FA begins on Sept 15. 2020-21 season As always these are real questions from real readers on Twitter using the begins Nov 15. Playoffs for next season starts April 30 Now, in terms of #HaggBag hashtag, real messages to my Facebook fan page and the matchups, Boston and Vegas have a large enough lead that 1 game real emails to my @[email protected] email address. Now, on to wouldn't change the winner. the bag: However, Washington and St. Louis are only 1-2 points ahead of Philly & Bruins opening night roster for next season? Stay safe Haggs! Colorado, respectively. In addition, is only 1 point away from JH: We’re already moving on to next season, eh? I kid. I kid. I suspect it Dallas. PIT, TOR, and CAL are locked into 3rd place in their divisions. won’t be all that demonstrably different from what we saw when the So, for playoff seeding, you have ONE game prior to the playoffs starting season was put on pause. I’m going to run under the assumption that for WASH-PHI, STL-COL, and WPG-DAL. If PHI, COL and/or WPG wins Torey Krug isn’t going to be back based on the salary cap numbers likely they get the division lead and bye or in WPG's case, the 3rd place spot dropping instead of rising next season with a chunk of this regular over DAL. I leave out the other teams because, for instance, if one game season canceled. It’s not a done deal by any means, but I just don’t think were to be played, CAR couldn't catch PIT, because PIT is 5 pts up and the Bruins are going to have a lot of cap space to deal with. And they still CAR has only played 1 less game. have to sign their own restricted free agent in Jake DeBrusk. So, here’s I understand that this would have blowback, but let's face it, any potential my stab at opening night lineup for next year: playoff scenario would face criticism from fans because an equal Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak of games have not been played. And as mentioned, the likelihood of regular-season games being played is becoming less likely each day. DeBrusk-Krejci-Kase You have to draw the line somewhere.

Bjork-Coyle-Ritchie JH: I respect the thought you put into it, Anders. But there’s no way you can have any teams on “byes” at the start of the playoffs. Do you realize Blidh-Kuraly-Wagner how much of a disadvantage a team such as the Bruins would have Chara-McAvoy headed into a second-round playoff series while facing a team that had just capped off a five- or seven-game playoff series? Grzelcyk-Carlo It would take them two or three games just to ramp up to that level after Moore-Lauzon sitting around and it would almost certainly end with them losing the Rask playoff series while being punished as the higher seed. There would be no benefit to a bye of any kind for any teams in this playoff format. Vladar The best thing they could do is two rounds of five-game playoff series, I don’t think Joakim Nordstrom will be back, and Kevan Miller, in the last then do seven games for the conference final and Stanley Cup Final. year of his contract, may not ever return to play after being out for about They could do that in roughly six weeks after starting in mid-July and a year. I suspect the Bruins are going to want a younger option in Vladar, wrap up right around Sept. 1. They could then take all of September and 22, backing up Tuukka Rask to gauge whether he might be the future No. October off and then ramp up for a Nov. 15-ish start to the 2020-21 1 guy for the B’s should Rask decide to ride off into the sunset after the regular season. 2020-21 season. Haggerty: Hindsight 2020 - Backes a clear miss for Sweeney and the B's Just curious but if they don't finish the season how would they determine draft standings? Would they still have a lottery? Would they just go by the Don’t forget in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, the last day of the Cup Final last days standings? Will they even have a draft? What's gonna happen between the Bruins and Blackhawks was June 24. The league essentially to teams that give up draft picks for rentals who would be RFAs? just took two months off in July and August and then came right back to work in September the following season. And it would only be two teams --Al Volante (Message via NBCS Facebook fan page) that would come up a little short on their rest between seasons.

JH: They would have to hold a draft. I’d imagine they would go by All of this may not even be possible, but it’s the best-case scenario to get winning percentage on the last-day standings before the season was in the rest of this season and then look ahead to “a normal season” next paused, so the Bruins would have the final pick in the first round. year.

It’s not really perfect by any means, but it’s probably the fairest way to do Strikes [me] that the Bruins two new additions haven't really gelled with it while still holding a lottery for the bottom 10 teams. All of the little the team. If hockey comes back, do you think it will be a problem for details would need to be ironed out with the draft and free agency most them in playoffs? (and lets hope Ritchie is using the time off to do likely pushed back into the summer, but it’s all a fluid situation right now. Chara's workout regime)

The most optimistic plan for the NHL would be holding a playoff in July JH: Ondrej Kase hadn’t played in almost a month due to a concussion and August, pushing the offseason to September and October and then injury prior to getting traded to the Bruins, so he was just getting back kick-starting the 2020-21 regular season sometime in November with a into midseason form when things were put on pause. Nick Ritchie seemed to just be finding his legs and his style of play while getting moved around the B’s lineup.

They definitely hadn’t jelled, but now everybody is going to be in the same boat when hockey gets going again. So, I don’t think it will be a problem specific to new guys such as Kase and Ritchie as much as it will be an issue for every player.

Right now most NHL guys have a stationary bike, dumbbells and maybe a swimming pool to train while in quarantine. Almost nobody is skating, so you will have a mass of hockey players that haven’t skated in months by the time things get going again.

That is going to turn into some very rusty, sloppy hockey when things do get going again…whenever that is going to be. That will be as much of a challenge as whatever the ice conditions might be if the NHL tries to hold the in July and August.

JH: I have not seen it yet as I hadn’t really watched all of the Clone Wars in the past. But I do now have a ton of free time. So I will be watching after I bought “The Rise of Skywalker” on the first day it was available on- demand. We are desperate for entertainment in the Haggerty house. Stay safe everybody and we’ll talk again soon!

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182255 Buffalo Sabres "I’m extremely optimistic that we will play at some time as far as this season,” Lamoriello told Newsday on Thursday. “Whether it’s in June, whether it’s in July, whether it’s in August, I’m not thinking about that. I’m Isles GM Lou Lamoriello is optimistic but it's still hard to see a path to just thinking, in my mind, knowing that we will play and using this time to play anytime soon get ready for that.

“But prior to that, the most important thing is everyone staying safe and everyone doing the things in the best interest of their families because By Mike Harrington we’re in a different world today."

Published Sat, Apr 4, 2020 Toronto and Calgary have both canceled all city-run events that require permits through June 30. Now, those are largely public festivals and not

professional sporting events in arenas or stadiums but there are still The days keep flipping off the calendar. Half the time, you barely extremely tight mandates on public gatherings. There's obviously going remember what day it is. to be no games in April and almost certainly May. Then we see.

I had to look up these dates up to keep them straight and out of our The NHL has given no indication of a drop-dead date for the season. Groundhog Day mentality: The Sabres' season finale was going to be Lots of plans are floating around that would push back the start of next Saturday in KeyBank Center against Philadelphia. Locker cleanout day season until November and deputy commissioner Bill Daly has been would have been Sunday. The Stanley Cup playoffs were slated to start adamant the league's mandate is to have a full 82-game season in 2020- Wednesday, without the Sabres for the ninth straight year. The draft 21. lottery, for which they seemingly have an annual reservation, was set for So that point alone will have the clock ticking on 2019-20 at some point in Thursday at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, N.J. the coming months. Lamoriello acknowledged we could reach a date We just got past April Fool's Day and there was no place for joking. April where it will simply be too late. 1, in fact, was the 101st anniversary of one of the lowest moments in “Without question,” he said. “But I think Gary Bettman and his complete NHL history. It was April 1, 1919, when Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final staff and the hockey people certainly are aware of all of that. And all of between Montreal and Seattle was called off due to the Spanish Flu that is talked about daily in many contingency plans. I’ll leave that up to pandemic and the series was abandoned, four days before the death of them to do that. We all individually have our own idea of when and where Montreal's Joe Hall. the last day is. Right now, that’s not the thought process. Right now, the We started a new month without sports, just like we ended March. We're thought process is using this time as productively as possible to be as not going to have any of the big four leagues in April either -- and it's ready as possible.” going to be the first April we don't have at least one of them since 1883. Lamoriello, of course, has a horse in the race and wants to see the Yes, I said 1883. regular season finished. The Isles went 0-3-4 in their final seven games prior to the pause to fall out of a playoff spot, one point behind Columbus Most of the time, we love the Elias Sports Bureau. But the keeper of the but with two games in hand. world's stats really hit us with a gut-punch with that nugget. Speaking of the Islanders, New York State ordered construction on their March of 2020 was when we learned about "social distancing" and new arena by Belmont Park to stop due to the virus but the team is not "flattening the curve." Maybe I was behind the curve but I had never currently concerned the stoppage could impact its timetable to open the heard of "Tiger King" when the month started either. Still haven't watched 2021-22 season there. The Islanders were planning to play all playoff it. games this year and all games next year in .

Think of all that went by the boards in March. The NHL and NBA shut The Islanders had two games left at when the pause hit, down. So did spring training. March Madness was wiped out. The March 17 against Calgary and March 22 against Carolina. The Sabres Masters was postponed. So were the French Open, Kentucky Derby, were slated to visit the Coliseum on March 26. Indy 500 and the Boston Marathon. And the Tokyo Olympics were pushed back a full year. When the NHL had its media Zoom calls in recent days, there was lots of chatter of how guys are filling their time at home and about how they The Canadian junior playoffs and were canceled, a big want to move forward if the games can resume. loss for Sabres mega prospect . The World Hockey Championships in Switzerland were bagged, and that's a loss for Jack The uneven number of games teams have remaining in their season Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin and probably a couple other Sabres who would would clearly be an issue in determining playoff teams. Even if there's no have benefitted from the competition in the absence of yet another way to playing 82 games, getting everyone to an equal number at least playoff miss. would be optimal.

It continued on April Fool's Day as Wimbledon was canceled for the first Edmonton's Connor McDavid was the most adamant about getting in time since World War II. regular-season play.

As for the NHL, it's not hard to find people who privately say the hockey "A fair season is a full season. If we can do that, then that's what we'd season is toast, that all the factors are too insurmountable to overcome. obviously prefer," McDavid said. "I don't think we can just step into Most rinks have taken out the ice to save on the costs of their playoffs, Game 1, Calgary comes to Edmonton, and guys are just refrigeration systems running to maintain it but that's not a huge deal. running around killing each other and haven't played a game in two You can rebuild your rink if you get the go-ahead within a couple days. months. It'll end up the [AHL] Stockton Heat versus the if that's the case. We want to keep guys healthy and we want to Still, I'm having a hard time finding a path to play for several more weeks. make sure everyone's up and ready to play some playoff hockey." It seems inconceivable there could be any resumption to the regular season, and that if we see hockey again we'd have to go right to the Still, the most likely scenarios -- with the caveat that this is if the NHL playoffs. It's almost certainly going to have to happen initially in empty even plays at all -- revolve around an immediate start in the playoffs and arenas, but can gave American and Canadian television networks some perhaps an expanded field to accommodate teams on the current bubble badly-needed programming and revenue in a summer that has seen due to games-played discrepancies. them lose the Olympics. "I wouldn't mind starting right at the playoffs," said Pittsburgh captain The Canadian border remains shut tight. And New York City is once Sidney Crosby. "But there are a lot of guys in different situations. The again Ground Zero, the hottest spot on the globe for the coronavirus more games you can play, the better integrity of it." pandemic. Aren't there going to be players -- or entire teams -- that just Said Washington's Alex Ovechkin on a call that also featured Islanders refuse to go the Big Apple if they're scheduled there? Two major captain Anders Lee: "We don't want to play extra games. I would rather obstacles. play playoffs right away. Sorry, guys." Still, NHL teams have been asked for arena availability through August and that's probably one reason Islanders General Manager Lou Lamoriello is one prominent name who is maintaining optimism. Sportsnet's Brian Burke, the longtime former NHL GM, did a live Twitter chat last week that was relatively boilerplate except for two interesting nuggets.

Asked by one fan for one thing he wants the NHL to change, Burke immediately pointed to the draft lottery when he said, "I think fewer teams should have the ability to win the lottery. But once you’ve picked top 5 once, you aren’t in the lottery again for three years."

The Sabres and Oilers would not have liked those rules.

Asked by another what trade he worked on as the GM of the Maple Leafs that would have "shocked the world but never quite came to fruition," Burke said he was pushing hard to get Roberto Luongo around the time he was fired in 2013.

Buffalo News LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182256 Buffalo Sabres After Robert was traded to Colorado in 1979, Seiling often saw time on right wing with Gilbert Perreault and . That's where he spent a bunch of his time during Buffalo's 1980 run to the Cup semifinals, which Buffalo sports' greatest what-ifs: What if Sabres had drafted Mike Bossy they lost to Bossy's Islanders in six games. instead of Ric Seiling? "He fit in there. He could move, not like Rene obviously but he had ability," Gare said. "The one thing about Ric is that he was a guy who was a deceptive skater and could make plays." By Mike Harrington "Let me ask you this: Who was (Bossy) going to play with here?" Seiling Published Sat, Apr 4, 2020 asked in the 2012 book, "100 Things Sabres Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die" by Rochester sports writer and Buffalo native Sal

Maiorana. "You weren't breaking up the French Connection, you weren't This is part of a series looking at Buffalo sports' greatest what-ifs. Today: breaking up Don Luce/Craig Ramsay/, so where was he What if the Sabres had drafted Mike Bossy instead of Ric Seiling in going to play? Punch knew why they had been losing games, and he 1977? knew I could play both ends of the rink. I was a 50- scorer in junior, and we won the Canadian championship. So I had proven I could win. Sometimes, the pick in a draft is obvious. Sometimes, it's a coin flip. That's why he drafted me." There are times when our teams have nailed the choices and times when we still shake our heads over what the front office did. As for Bossy, he scored 53 goals as a rookie and won the Calder Trophy. He scored 69 goals in his second year, one of his five 60-goal In the latter category, send your regards to Walt Patulski and Tom campaigns. In 1981, he became the league's second 50-50 man in Cousineau from the Bills' first rounds as well as Princeton's John history en route to a 68-goal finish. Hummer over Niagara star and future Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy as the Braves' inaugural choice in 1970. "The year Bossy was drafted we played the Islanders in an exhibition game in the Aud and I wasn't playing that night, I'm up in the press box," As for the Sabres, their first-round pick in 1977 sits as one of the most Gare recalled. "This was the first time I ever saw Bossy play. He scores gnawing decisions in franchise history. two goals against us and I swear he could have scored five. I'm serious. I'm like, 'Who the heck is this kid?' Imagine all the talent they had in those days and then add another Hall of Famer. It could have happened: What if the Sabres had taken Mike "I was more of a straight wrist shot guy and he was a 'push-pull' guy. He Bossy instead of Ric Seiling with the No. 14 pick? could throw off goalies. He'd have a little hesitation and then he would let it go and always seem to hit the target. He was amazingly accurate." The Sabres passed on Bossy and the New York Islanders snapped him up at No. 15. He went on to score 573 goals in 10 years and cracked the Bossy, of course, could have made a big difference with the Sabres. 50-goal mark nine times. He remains the franchise's career goal leader Buffalo never got past the second round during Bossy's career in New and the NHL's career leader in goals per game at 0.762. It's an even York, which ended in 1987 due to back trouble. The Sabres lost to the more befuddling pick when you consider Bossy had averaged 77 goals Isles in six games in the 1980 semifinals as Bossy had three goals and and 132 points a season for his four years at Laval in the six points in the series. The Islanders went on to beat Philadelphia in the League. next round for their first of four consecutive Stanley Cups.

What was General Manager thinking? Well, he already had When the NHL had its draft in Buffalo for the first time in 1991, one of the two standout right wings in Rene Robert and Danny Gare and felt he ancillary events before draft day was a conference call announcing the needed some better two-way play after the Sabres were swept by the newest class of the . Islanders in the 1977 quarterfinals. The call was hosted by legendary play-by-play man "The last bloody thing we needed was another guy who could score Danny Gallivan. And in his unmistakable voice, he introduced the first goals," Imlach wrote in his 1982 autobiography, "Heaven and Hell in the inductee and started the questioning. NHL." "What we needed was to make the team more defensive-minded. That's why I chose Ric Seiling over Bossy. Seiling had a checking ability The voice on the other end of the phone? Mike Bossy. and a willingness to mix it up." Bossy was named a Hall of Famer in Buffalo, 14 years after he could Seiling was coming off a 50-goal, 111-point season with St. Catharines of have been a Sabre. the League. His older brother, Rod, was 32 and had already played more than 800 games as an NHL defenseman with four teams, so there was quite an NHL pedigree there. Buffalo News LOADED: 04.05.2020 "The first thing about it you have to look at those other teams that all missed on Bossy too," Gare said this week by phone from his home in Tampa. "Twelve other teams, and the Rangers and Toronto passed on him twice in that first round. Twice!

"He fit the two-way player role. He could score, he was a great penalty killer, a good teammate, a good guy in the room, has been helpful with our alumni over the years. He had a good career."

Gare is right. Seiling was no bum. The question of Bossy over Seiling, at its core, is a tad unfair. It implies Seiling's Buffalo career was a waste, which is simply not true. He was no draft bust like Buffalo immortals such as Joe Kowal, Jiri Dudacek or Marek Zagrapan.

Seiling played 664 games for the Sabres over nine years, tied for 12th on the franchise list with former captain Mike Foligno, before playing his final NHL season in 1986-87 for Detroit.

He's 14th all-time in Buffalo history with 176 goals, tied for 26th in assists with Jack Eichel and Maxim Afinogenov (200) and 17th in points (376). His career plus-minus of plus-116 is No. 8 on the club's all-time list and No. 4 among forwards.

Seiling had four 20-goal seasons and scored a career-high 30 goals in 1980-81. He also had 14 goals and 28 points in 55 career playoff games for the Blue and Gold. 1182257 practice, there was always some sort of competition. It got amped up between me and Rebecca, maybe being the two oldest siblings.”

Last spring, for instance, the two skated neck and neck, racing toward How the Leslie siblings are squeezing the most out of their in-house glory. rivalry Rebecca got there first, capturing, as a forward of the Calgary Inferno, the , the CWHL’s championship.

By Scott Cruickshank Which heaped the pressure on Zac, who tried to respond. As a blueliner Apr 4, 2020 for the AHL , he made it all the way to the Calder Cup final, before succumbing to the .

He calls the oneupmanship healthy — and, ultimately, productive. Not only did their dad build a backyard rink every winter, he went a step further, attaching festive lights to the upper reaches of the fence. It’s no different, really, than the fine line two goalies walk as they vie for the starter’s net, according to Zac. Cool. Especially once brother and sister learned how to raise the puck. “Both working toward the same goal of helping the team win, but there’s “I remember one day specifically we had a competition,” recalled those little internal battles,” he said. “We love each other and we want , with a laugh. “We were shooting pucks over the fence, each other to be the most successful athletes and people on the planet. into the neighbour’s yard, almost hitting our house — just so we could But, at the end of the day, we want to be that person who is the most break the Christmas lights. They would just come shattering down on the successful. That’s not a bad way to look at it. rink. Obviously, our dad wasn’t too happy about that.” “I think, for us, it works well. We’re constantly pushing each other. If she Zac, all these years later, doesn’t bother to plead his innocence. goes out and scores two goals, it makes me want to go out and score two goals.” “Every year we’d probably have to buy a new rope of lights,” he said, “especially once we figured out we could shoot it that high.” Off-ice, there are standards, too, among the family members.

For the partners in crimes, two years apart in age, this wasn’t some one- Ann and Ron possess university degrees. Rebecca majored in business off. Countless hours were spent together on the ice behind their home in at BU. Kathryn attends Queen’s in Kingston, Ont., while Grace goes to Ottawa. Whenever Zac would teeter onto the ice, Rebecca was never far Carleton. behind. (And in her footsteps came younger sisters Kathryn and Grace.) Determinedly, Zac intends to earn his own graduation day. The on-ice obsession, which included dragging out cones for drills, served well the eldest siblings. He’d started a commerce and accounting program while skating for OHL Guelph. Now, through Athabasca University, he continues to chase his Not only did they end up on the hockey map — Zac getting drafted by the degree, taking one or two online courses during the hockey season. , Rebecca earning a scholarship to Boston University — they forged a close relationship. “When you get home from practice in the afternoon and you don’t really know what to do … it’s easy for me to pick up my computer, pick up a They remain tight to this day. textbook, and put in an hour or two a day,” said Zac. “I find it gave me more of a perspective on things and gave me something else to spend Even if, for a recent two-week stretch, they had been forced to talk to my free time on. I felt like I was wasting it a bit if I was sitting on the each other through a screen door. couch watching TV all afternoon. Precautions around the coronavirus pandemic have had that effect. But “If I did something to keep my mind active, I have a theory that it’ll before any intra-family social distancing, there were mad (and actually help my hockey. It keeps you confident about your lifestyle. It independent) dashes home. made me confident to be doing school.” Rebecca, after participating in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players He laughs. “And confident that I was still capable.” Association’s barnstorming stop in Tempe, Ariz., had just returned to Calgary, where she trains with the national program. Stuck in his dad’s house right now, Zac’s schoolwork helps to fill his days. But that still leaves plenty of time to dig into Showtime’s “Ray But with news of the global crisis picking up steam, she decided to book Donovan,” which came highly recommended. “I threw it on and I’ve been a flight home to Ottawa, days earlier than planned. hooked ever since.” Zac, too, needed to call an audible. And he’s been easing himself into conditioning. Easing? Remember: the After team-mandated self-isolation in Stockton, Calif., home base of the Heat are in the home stretch of a long season, with 55 of 68 games Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, he grabbed a red-eye flight from San already in the books, so there’s an element of recovery for players like Francisco. And because his dad, Ron, had weeks earlier travelled to Zac. Tucson to catch a couple of the Heat’s games, it made sense that father “I’m sure a lot of guys feel the same way,” he said. “It’s a great time to and son would quarantine together in Ottawa after their time stateside. rest, so I’m doing a lot of rolling out and active releases and stretching, Meanwhile, a 10-minute drive from Dad and Zac, Rebecca and her starting to mix in some light cardio. Just trying to stay active at this point.” sisters were holed up at their mom Ann’s place. So it had been easy for Rebecca, no surprise, wants to stay sharp. (There’s a them to drop off groceries on the front step for the bunkered menfolk. For strength and conditioning camp scheduled for next month.) She’s heard which they received waves of gratitude. of others cramming backpacks with books or even using soup cans and As of Wednesday, though, Zac’s shut-in status ended. wine bottles as weights.

Not that it signifies anything resembling a return to normal. But at least “I’m definitely improvising. I think everyone’s kind of improvising,” she now brother and sister, with a safe gap separating them, could perhaps said. “We have dumbbells and bands and medicine balls and benches go for a jog. Or not. here, kind of whatever we need, but it’s different than a (proper) squat rack. We’re making do. It’s good.” “It would be too competitive,” said Rebecca. “I’m kind of serious. I can never picture us running together.” When she’s not sweating, there are jigsaw puzzles to complete and board games to contest. Such as? “My mom’s obsessed with Scrabble,” Told of his sister’s comment, Zac laughs, then wholeheartedly agrees. replied Rebecca, adding that Ann is an ace. “She’s been playing since she was young.” As with any siblings, there is the potential for rivalry on many fronts. Meaning there’s a competitive streak that runs family-wide, from triple- “In anything you can really think of, I’m sure we’ve argued about or letter point scores at the kitchen table to informal summertime skates battled about in some way,” said Zac. “Whether it was what we were with Rebecca and Zac and his buddies. going to watch on TV, whether we were on the outdoor rink doing target Last summer she had been eager to work on her puck-protection skills, in particular. So she hoped to be challenged on the ice.

“Some of them are afraid to kind of hit me or rub me out — to play contact with me, but Zac shows no mercy,” she said. “A lot of times Zac tells them, ‘Don’t be afraid to hit her. She’ll be OK.’ Because a lot of them will just play soft, but Zac always makes sure to tell them, ‘It’s fine. It’s my sister. You can do it.’”

It’s an attitude formed out of respect.

The mindset, he insists, is simple.

“We’re just all trying to get better. It’s not male and female,” said Zac. “We’re all capable hockey players. You see that all over the place — male and female athletes training together in any sport. You’re going to start to see it more and more in hockey.”

What happens in the coming months remains to be seen. “Definitely there are bigger things going on right now,” said Rebecca.

Which means putting on hold a significant amount of momentum for the Leslies.

Zac, in his first season with the Flames organization, had been thriving. A go-to player, he is Stockton’s top point-getter from the blue line. Then again, his one-year AHL contract expires on June 30.

“The way this business is, nothing’s ever guaranteed, right?” said Zac. “You never know what’s going to happen. Obviously, if you have a really good season, you can be confident you’re going to be getting something … but there’s always anxiety because there’s so much unknown.”

No one needs to tell Rebecca about the unknown.

A full-time athlete in her prime, she had no team after the May 2019 shuttering of the CWHL left only the five-city National Women’s Hockey League. This winter she made appearances on the PWHPA’s exhibition schedule — officially, the Dream Gap Tour — which included showcases around North America.

“Each one built our fan base a little bit more,” Rebecca said, “so that was really fun for us. We’re moving forward in a positive manner. I think it’ll definitely progress even further next year.”

The hope is one day seeing a single sustainable professional women’s league. Whatever happens, Rebecca knows that she can count on her big brother’s backing.

Zac has the advantage of perspective. He’s seen what goes into the women’s game. Not that there’s much of a difference — if any.

“In her entire life, she’s put in just as much work as I have, equally as much time and effort, blood, sweat and tears,” said Zac. “I think that’s something that everyone really needs to recognize — that they’re putting in the same amount of effort as anybody else. They’re making the same sacrifices, so they deserve to get the recognition.

“At the end of the day, that’s what we all want to see — the women playing hockey again.”

Rebecca feels that support. She points out that Zac always wanted to reach the NHL, always wanted to be a hockey lifer. Meanwhile, she aimed for the Olympics, understanding that any career aspirations she had were going to be narrow.

“Growing up, we had different dreams,” said Rebecca. “Hopefully one day, little girls and little boys can have the same dream of playing professionally.”

The Athletic LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182258 Even if the Hawks don’t, however, they still come out of this strange, messy spring looking — albeit inadvertently — shrewder than they did a month ago.

Canceled NHL season would make Blackhawks’ deadline trades look smarter in hindsight Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.05.2020

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Apr 4, 2020, 6:55am CDT

In an alternate, coronavirus-free reality, the Blackhawks would’ve finished their regular season — and likely their entire season — Saturday afternoon against the Rangers.

Instead, they’re now more than three weeks removed from their most recent game, and the odds of the 12 remaining scheduled ones ever being played are decreasing by the day. Most of the team also has left Chicago to ride out the pandemic in their respective hometowns and home countries, Jonathan Toews said earlier this week.

But two players — goaltender Robin Lehner and defenseman Erik Gustafsson — left Chicago a few weeks earlier.

As the trade deadline approached on Feb. 24, the NHL had successfully concluded the last 100 seasons it had begun. So the league conducted its newsiest day in typical chaotic fashion, and for the Hawks, that included shipping off Lehner and Gustafsson, pending free agents, for rebuilding assets.

The trades were criticized at the time — not that they took place but rather for the meager returns they brought.

A Vezina Trophy-caliber goalie for a second-round pick, average prospect (Slava Demin) and throw-in backup (Malcolm Subban) wasn’t a fair trade. A sometimes-elite offensive defenseman, although not so much this season, for a mere third-round pick wasn’t, either.

“The we-might-as-well trades Monday must not be interpreted as we- had-to trades — or, worse yet, it’ll-fix-things trades,” I wrote at the time.

Yet unbeknownst to Lehner, Gustafsson and Hawks general manager Stan Bowman, the season would be paused just over two weeks later.

The NHL still has not officially canceled the rest of the regular season or provided any deadline by which the postseason would need to begin, but given cancellation trends around the rest of the sports and entertainment industries, an eventual resumption feels tenuous.

Lehner, for one, has mentally written it off.

“You can’t turn 180 degrees and start playing again,” he told a Swedish newspaper last week. “I see a zero percent chance that you can save this season. Now I hope that next season can start as usual in October.”

So the roughly 20 regular-season games and hopefully multiple playoff series that the Golden Knights and Flames thought they’d get out of Lehner and Gustafsson, respectively, might end up being only a handful of meaningless games.

That would make the tepid prices they paid feel like exorbitant wastes of assets in hindsight, especially if one or both choose not to re-sign as unrestricted free agents whenever the offseason occurs. And, in turn, that would make Bowman’s decision to sell low on both players seem wiser, simply because he sold at all.

In the end, Lehner made only three appearances for Vegas before the shutdown. He was characteristically stellar in those games — going 3-0-0 with a .940 save percentage — but still barely had time to debut his new gold-and-black pads, much less make an actual impact on the franchise.

Gustafsson played in seven games for the Flames, with no goals and three assists, and made even less of an impact. His average ice time dropped from 20:40 with the Hawks to 18:01 with Calgary, and his shot- attempt (Corsi) ratio was an ugly 42.5 percent in those seven appearances.

The Hawks could even bring back both as free agents, although Gustafsson didn’t appear to be in their long-term plans and Lehner had harsh words for the Hawks’ front office — a recurring habit when discussing his former teams — after his trade. 1182259 Chicago Blackhawks "I put my hand out and he literally ran right through it and broke two bones in my palm."

At this moment during our interview, Moose went into zoomie mode, 'Oh, God, this is like a real thing': Ex-Blackhawk Darling on playing in forcing Darling to put him outside. Austria during pandemic "He's a big boy," Darling laughed. "We've got a little horse running around."

John Dietz The injury put Darling on the shelf for six weeks and forced him to look Follow @johndietzdh for work overseas. After talking to his agent about playing in Russia or Sweden, he found out Innsbruck needed a netminder. Updated Now, the Austrian Hockey League isn't close to the same competition 4/4/2020 9:44 AM you'll find in the Kontinental Hockey League or the Swedish Hockey League, but Darling fell in love with Innsbruck two years ago while on

vacation. The fifth-largest city in Austria with approximately 120,000 Twenty-five miles. residents, Innsbruck is in a valley located in the vast Karwendel mountain range. The city hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. That's how far away Scott Darling was living from the Italian border as the coronavirus began spreading like wildfire overseas. "It's just so beautiful. I've traveled (a lot) around the world and it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen," Darling said. "We lived at a The former Blackhawks goaltender had accepted an offer to play for really cool point where we could literally be on top of a mountain in 10 Innsbruck HC in the Austrian Hockey League in November and was minutes." doing everything he could to help the team advance in the postseason. And, yes, Moose made the journey as well. But little by little things were changing. "It was expensive," Darling said, laughing. "He's so big that he had to Fewer fans were showing up to games. Traditional postgame travel like he's a horse or a circus animal. It was a process, but we found handshakes were eliminated. A teammate took serious heat for going a pretty good company that's known for taking dogs international." into Italy on an off day. And, finally, a hotel got quarantined. Darling's team, which included former Hawks draft pick Luc Snuggerud, "When part of downtown Innsbruck got quarantined, we were like, 'Oh, was ravaged with injuries for about half the season. Things got so bad God, this is like a real thing,' " said Darling, who made it back safely to that Innsbruck lost its final 11 regular-season games. Chicago in early March. But the league gives every team a second chance during a 10-game The Lemont native has had a rough time since being traded to Carolina qualification round, and Innsbruck took advantage by winning three of its in 2017, and he was kind enough to talk about those struggles -- as well first four contests. As the round was winding down in late February, it as how he ended up in Austria with his fiancee and 170-pound Great became apparent that if Innsbruck advanced, it would likely face a team Dane -- during an interview last week. from Bolzano, Italy, in a best-of-seven series.

To understand how Darling went from being a highly sought-after NHL The coronavirus was becoming a serious issue in Italy at this point, goalie to playing in a mid-tier league thousands of miles away, we must causing concern for most of Darling's teammates. go back to May 5, 2017. "We were like, 'Uh ... can we play seven home games?'" Darling said. That was the day the 6-foot-6, 235-pound netminder inked a four-year, $16.6 million deal with the . He did so just weeks Not everyone was paying attention to the COVID-19 warnings, however, after the Hawks traded his rights to Carolina for a third-round pick. and one Innsbruck player took his family to lunch in a small Italian town on an off day. "I'm going to do everything in my power to learn how to be the best starter I can be," Darling said that day. "I have a good network of goalie "He posted on Instagram and we're all like, 'What are you doing?' " friends. I'm going to be picking their brains and asking them for help." Darling s aid. "Figure out what's going on right now in the world. Don't go down to Italy for lunch." But that's not what happened. Instead, Darling admittedly took his foot off the gas. He wasted that summer and showed up to training camp out of Innsbruck ended up dropping its final two games and did not advance to shape. the next round. Darling came back to Chicago March 4, and the league ended up shutting down just a week later. Making the transition from backup to starter can be tough mentally and that was the case for Darling, whose battle with alcoholism came to the Had Innsbruck advanced, though, Darling's experience upon arriving in forefront during the Hawks' 2015 Stanley Cup run. the U.S. may have been much different.

"Bigger contract, bigger expectations," Darling said. "I didn't do my job "I still would have been able to come home as a U.S. citizen," he said. that summer. I just started behind and I never caught up." "But I would have had to be tested and then quarantined when I got home. Like legit quarantine. When the 2017-18 campaign was over, Darling ranked dead last in save percentage (.888) and 46th in goals-against average (3.18). "Obviously we are quarantining, but it would have been a mandated quarantine for me. That happened probably 10 days after I got home." Things only got worse last season as Darling was put on waivers, assigned to the minors, dealt with injuries and tragically lost his father in Darling played 33 games for Innsbruck, posting an .898 save percentage a drowning accident in May. and 3.34 goals-against average.

Shortly after the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina's AHL team) claimed the He wasn't thrilled with that second statistic, but pointed out that Innsbruck Calder Cup over the Chicago Wolves, Darling was traded to Florida and wasn't exactly playing with a full deck for much of the season. Once the promptly bought out of the final two years of his contract. 10-game playoff began, Innsbruck started making some noise, with opponents averaging just 2.38 goals in Games 2 through 9. Austria bound "Personally, I thought I had a good season," Darling said. "Obviously you Darling's chance to find an NHL or AHL home this season came to an can see by the numbers my goals against was a little higher than I'd like. abrupt end during a freak "zoomies" accident that involved Moose, his But save percentage was decent. 170-pound Great Dane. "For the first 20 games I was there we didn't have a full team on the ice, "We call it the zoomies, where he gets hyper and starts running around so it was kind of rough. But after the imports got healthy we had a pretty the house," said Darling, who lives in Chicago with his fiancee, Jackie. good run." "He's so big that he literally took out a corner of one of our walls one time. So when he started doing his circles, I tried to stop him. So what now? Darling is 31 years old. He's 6-foot-6. He's a Stanley Cup-winning goalie. He produced a .923 save percentage and 2.37 GAA in 75 games for the Hawks from 2014 to 2017.

Odds are he'll land another job next season, but he's in no hurry to sign a deal with the NHL having halted operations due to COVID-19.

"This pandemic has kind of sidetracked everything," Darling said. "I was talking to some teams here. Ideally I'm going to try and play here next year, whether it be starting in the (AHL) or whatever.

"Right now teams have bigger issues to worry about than signing a second or third goalie for next year. It's kind of just a wait-and-see game."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182260 Chicago Blackhawks

2010 Hawks Rewind: 3 things we noticed in Blackhawks' Game 2 win over Sharks

By Charlie Roumeliotis

April 04, 2020 6:30 PM

In honor of the 10-year anniversary of the 2010 Stanley Cup team, NBC Sports Chicago is re-airing each of the Blackhawks' 16 postseason wins from the run that ended a 49-year championship drought. You can join the conversation using #HawksRewind on social media.

After stealing Game 1 in San Jose, the Blackhawks took care of business in Game 2 by beating the Sharks 4-2 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final. Here are three things we noticed in the win:

1. Building a cushion

You knew the Sharks were going to come out hungry after losing Game 1 in their own building, and the Blackhawks certainly matched that intensity.

After Andrew Ladd broke the scoreless tie at the 12:48 mark of the first period, Dustin Byfuglien and Jonathan Toews followed suit in the second to put the Blackhawks in front 3-0. It was crucial for the visiting team not to give the Sharks any momentum, and it wasn't until 31:08 into the game before the home team finally got on the board.

2. A make-up game on special teams?

The Blackhawks had zero power plays in Game 1, so they didn't get a chance of testing a Sharks team that had the fifth-ranked penalty kill percentage (85.0) in the regular season. But that changed in Game 2.

The Sharks racked up 22 total penalty minutes and committed six minor penalties, two of which came with 18 seconds left in the game that saw two Blackhawks get sent off as well. The Blackhawks committed only one minor penalty in the previous 59:42.

Both teams converted on the power play once, but the Blackhawks staying out of the box for the majority of the game certainly played a role in preventing the Sharks from getting within striking distance or taking control early.

3. Duncan Keith's strong performance

He didn't garner as much attention as others, but Keith was solid for the Blackhawks in Game 2. He recorded two assists, six shot attempts (three on goal), four blocked shots and led all skaters with 30:21 of ice time. No other skater logged more than 27:56.

Keith was pointless in his first five postseason games, but had nine points (one goal, eight assists) in his next nine.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182261 Chicago Blackhawks York was no different. Neither goal was really his fault. He was screened by his own teammate on the first and a defensive breakdown resulted in the second. The Blackhawks will need Crawford at his best to have any NHL 20 sim: Blackhawks close strong late season push with playoff berth chance in the first round against the Blues.

Power play:

By Matthew Rooney Chicago: 3-4

April 04, 2020 9:15 AM New York: 0-1

After a pair of power play goals against the Islanders, the Hawks were even better against the Rangers, cashing in on three of four chances. It all comes down to one game for the Blackhawks. A win at Madison The penalty kill stepped up as well, shutting down the Rangers in their Square Garden earns them a playoff bid as the second Wild Card team lone power play chance. Both special teams units seem to be clicking at and a first round showdown with the St. Louis Blues. A loss, and it’ll be a the right time for Jeremy Colliton’s crew. third consecutive season watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs from home. Notable Blackhawks performances: The Rangers come into this game having been eliminated from playoff contention, but with plenty to play for. This could very well be Henrik Adam Boqvist (Assist) Lundqvist’s last start in a Ranger uniform and there’s no doubt he and his Duncan Keith (Assist) teammates will be motivated to send the legend out on a high note. In addition, you can bet Artemi Panarin would love nothing more than to Brandon Saad (Assist) play spoiler against his former club. Will the Blueshirts bring the Blackhawks down to earth, or will Chicago punch their return ticket to the The pairing of Keith and Boqvist has led the way for the Blackhawks blue postseason? line in their defensive renaissance. Both factored in on the scoring in Saturday’s win, but they’ve been the top pairing for a unit that’s playing Blackhawks at Rangers (4/4) their best hockey of the season. Duncan Keith is showing flashes of his Norris Trophy-winning self from years past, and Boqvist is proving Result: Blackhawks win 4-2 doubters of his defensive abilities wrong while also showing off his : offensive skill. No doubt the 19-year-old Boqvist is benefitting from playing alongside a legend. First Star: Kirby Dach (1 G, 1 A, 3 SOG) Noticeable absences from the score sheet the last two games are Patrick Second Star: Alex Nylander (1 G, 1 A) Kane and Jonathan Toews. Toews registered just one assist, while Kane got only two secondary assists on empty-net goals. The defense Third Star: Alex DeBrincat (1 G, 1 A) stepping up, power play clicking, and youth movement showing promise The youth movement came into full form in Saturday’s win in Manhattan. are important to a playoff run. That said, you can surely expect Kane and While the Hawks young players stepped up vs. the Islanders, they Toews to step up in the playoffs. If not, it will be hard to see the Hawks doubled down on Saturday. All three Blackhawks goals were scored by having much of a chance against the defending Stanley Cup champion players aged 22 and younger and the game’s first star was the 19-year- Blues. old Dach. Secondary scoring and role players are vital come playoff time, so the youth contributions for Chicago down the stretch bodes well for their chances in the playoffs. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 Scoring summary

First period

4:48: Jesper Fast (R. Strome, T. DeAngelo) 1-0

9:35 PP: Alex DeBrincat (A. Boqvist, K. Dach) 1-1

Second period

5:30: PP Alex Nylander (D. Kubalik, B. Saad) 2-1

12:34: Phil Di Guiseppe (K. Kakko, F. Chytil) 2-2

9:37 PP: Kirby Dach (A. DeBrincat, D. Keith) 3-2

Third period

19:22 EN: Slater Koekkoek (A. Nylander, P. Kane) 4-2

Box score

Shots on Goal:

Chicago: 27

New York: 25

The Blackhawks picked up two points at MSG using a similar formula from their win in Brooklyn: special teams success and a sound defensive effort. For the second straight game, Chicago limited their opponent to under 30 shots on goal after allowing 35.1 shots on goal per game during the regular season.

Goalies:

Corey Crawford: 23/25 (.920 SV%)

Henrik Lundqvist: 24/27 (.889 SV%)

Corey Crawford stepping up in big situations is something Hawks fans have grown accustomed to over the past decade, and the win over New 1182262 Chicago Blackhawks from the beginning. It’s been too much in the back of my head, and I have to be honest with you to say it has been as a struggle sometimes.

“I would lie to you if I said it was not hard. It’s always been a dream for Prospect notes: Mathias From waits to hear from Blackhawks me. At the same time, I know I’m not going to play in the Blackhawks next year. I can’t have that as a goal for me. Of course, it’s a dream. Right now, I have to see realistic and see where I can play to be the best By Scott Powers me. I still have many things to work on. I don’t know if they still see that or they’re giving up. I don’t know. But I do know I have had four years to Apr 4, 2020 be a part of the organization. Things haven’t really worked out as I wanted to.”

Mathias From couldn’t help but notice the Blackhawks announced four As recently reported, Ryan Shea won’t be signing with the Blackhawks signings earlier this week. and will become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15. According to a source, the Blackhawks did not offer Shea an entry-level contract. Two of them were re-signings, but the other two were fellow unsigned drafted prospects, making From wonder whether he’s in the Blackhawks’ Shea certainly had a better senior season at Northeastern, but it’s not plans. surprising the Blackhawks decided not to offer him a contract for a few reasons, including the organization’s defenseman roster pool. From was drafted by the Blackhawks in the fifth round in 2016 and they will continue to hold his NHL rights until June 1. After that, he’s a free “He had a good season and sees the ice very well but lacks NHL agent. From would still love to sign with the Blackhawks, but he isn’t sure mobility,” The Athletic’s NHL prospect senior writer Corey Pronman said. they feel the same. “Doesn’t shock me (they didn’t offer him), he seems like an AHLer to me.” “I’ve been asking my agent two weeks ago about it,” the 22-year-old From said by phone from Sweden on Friday. “He was trying to get a hold Shea was hopeful to sign with the Blackhawks during an interview in of them, but they haven’t responded, and I saw they just signed four February, but if not, he thought he’d find a spot with another NHL team guys. “I have the confidence I feel like that would be on the table for me “I don’t know where I stand. I haven’t heard from them. My agent has whether it’s the Hawks or someone else,” Shea said. tried to talk to them, but he hasn’t gotten an answer. I don’t know. I don’t There isn’t any news on Ian Mitchell’s signing since he spoke last week, really know what the answer is. I know you want some information, but I but I was told by a reliable source in recent days the Blackhawks do actually don’t have any. We do want an answer, we do want to know expect him to sign and compete for an NHL spot out of training camp where I’m standing. But I also know I’ve had four years to show things.” next season. Of course, if the 2019-20 season resumes, Mitchell is Those four years have been a mixed bag, and From realizes that. He is expected to sign and join the team immediately. holding out hope for an entry-level contract, but he wouldn’t be terribly Stay tuned. surprised if that didn’t happen.

When the Blackhawks drafted From, he showed a ton of potential and was already playing in the SHL as a teenager. He had his moments in The Athletic LOADED: 04.05.2020 the World Junior Championship too. But he just never took that next step. His production didn’t improve in the SHL and he ended up spending the last two seasons in Sweden’s second division, Allsvenskan.

From is coming off arguably his best pro season. He produced 12 goals and 13 assists in 49 games for Modo. He was tied for 20th with 0.51 points per game among under-23 players in the league. He was also more defensively reliable.

“From my perspective, I think I could have done more,” From said. “I think I had a good season. I liked to play here and I got a good role. I played a lot this year. I made more points than I did last year. I still have a lot more in my baggage that I can pick up and show every day night in and night out. I’m satisfied. I’m trying to keep getting better over the summer.”

There is a chance the Blackhawks still offer From a contract. They didn’t give up hope on him this season. Blackhawks director of player development Mark Eaton went to see From play twice this season, including last month.

What the Blackhawks are probably weighing with From is whether his game might be better off in North America. He has some offensive and skating skills that have made him shine on the smaller ice at times whether in the World Junior Championship or at the Blackhawks’ development camps.

“That was a thing I hope they do see,” From said. “It’s hard for me to really explain, but I do feel like my game was better in tight areas and I could use my much more than I could down here. It sounds weird because there’s more ice in Europe and then you could use speed even more. I’m just stuck in the game in Sweden and I’m actually a bit tired of it, so I want to get a change. I have to look for it. I do think my game is much more complete when I’m on the small rink. I think I’m really confident when I’m there the last two development camps.”

As From waits to hear from the Blackhawks, he’s trying not to drive himself crazy wondering what they’ll do. He’s struggled with that in the past.

“That’s been one of my biggest problems just thinking about that for the last four years,” From said. “I think it would be different if I was signing 1182263 Colorado Avalanche supposed to be and we will overtime this storm and again become triumphant over adversity.”

Chambers: Saturday marked the unofficial end of the NHL’s regular season. Now what? Denver Post: LOADED: 04.05.2020

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post

April 4, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

The NHL’s regular season unofficially ended Saturday, and if all games hadn’t been postponed since March 12, the Avalanche would have hosted the St. Louis Blues in the season finale for both teams at the Pepsi Center.

The game probably would have had massive implications in identifying the Center Division winner and Western Conference regular-season champion. The NHL’s “pause” began with the Blues (42-19-10) leading the Avs (42-20-8) by two points (94-92), with Colorado having a game in hand.

St. Louis had 11 remaining games, the Avs 12. The next-closest Central Division challenger was Dallas, a distant 10 points behind Colorado with 13 remaining games. The next-closest Western Conference challenger was Vegas, with 86 points and 11 games to go.

Bottom line: What was then is what it is now. And what would have been an epic regular-season finale in Denver was not to be. Or it probably won’t be if the coronavirus pandemic continues to push the season so far back the league opts to ditch the remaining games, or some of them, and go into the playoffs.

Of course, this COVID-19 crisis could end the season entirely.

The City of Calgary announced Friday that all public events are canceled through June 30, meaning the Calgary Flames aren’t eligible to play home games until then. Other NHL cities will probably issue similar public restrictions if North American health experts can’t identify the approximate end of the pandemic.

Looking back, all we can do is speculate on what might have been. Would the Avalanche had finished first in the division and conference? What team would Colorado open the playoffs against Wednesday or Thursday at the Pepsi Center?

Here’s what the 16-team Stanley Cup bracket might have looked like:

Western Conference: No. 1 Avalanche vs. No. 8 Canucks (wild-card two); No. 2 Golden Knights vs. No. 7 Predators (wild-card one); Blues vs. Stars (Central Divison); Oilers vs. Canucks (Pacific Division).

Eastern Conference: No. 1 Bruins vs. No. 8 Islanders (wild-card two); No. 2 Capitals vs. No. 7 Hurricanes (wild-card one); Lightning vs. Maple Leafs (Atlantic Division); Flyers vs. Penguins ().

That would have been an exciting first round, particularly in the province of (Edmonton vs. Calgary) and the state of (Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh).

Open letters from Martin Lind. Colorado Eagles owner Martin Lind is writing regularly to his friends and employees from all his business ventures in Northern Colorado — many of which are closed during the coronavirus pandemic, including the Avalanche’s affiliate.

Lind said no layoffs are planned within the hockey franchise or his massive development project just east of Interstate 25 in Loveland that includes a new and bigger 10,000-seat hockey arena for the Eagles. Lind’s family immigrated to nearby Windsor from Germany.

“My grandpa was refused entry into the United States because he and his brother both had pinkeye at ages 5 and 7,” Lind wrote in his most recent letter. “Those two little boys made it back to Germany, back to American and found Windsor, Colorado, to reunite with their parents and sisters many months later. My father was a 3-pound premie born in the middle of the Great Depression, in the middle of the Dust Bowl, had no doctor, no hospital, and had a heart defect that wasn’t found for 70 years.

“I believe it’s my fate to be right here right now and I welcome you all to believe with me and my family that we are exactly where we are 1182264 Columbus Blue Jackets Nash’s unassuming nature and lack of team success early in his career helped bury his individual brilliance. If Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby had notched an unassisted hat trick, it likely would have earned more How Rick Nash’s rare NHL feat was forgotten on a memorable night in exposure. Detroit “It’s never really brought up,” Nash said. “I haven’t thought about it in years.”

By Tom Reed Almost every longtime Blue Jackets fan recalls the game. How could they not? It ranks among the most memorable highlights in a season in which Apr 4, 2020 they reached the postseason for the first time.

Joe Louis Arena had been a den of doom for the Blue Jackets since they entered the league in 2000. They won just five times in their first 24 trips COLUMBUS — When Rick Nash intercepted a Pavel Datsyuk pass and to the building, with so many losses in the final minutes against a star- beat for his third goal of the game on March 7, 2009, the Blue studded lineup. It’s why neither Howson nor coach Ken Hitchcock felt Jackets captain never lifted his stick in celebration. particularly comfortable as the Blue Jackets took a 4-1 lead into the third There were no fist pumps or shouts of joy from Nash on the Joe Louis period. Arena ice. The group hug, the kind that follows every goal, was also “I never felt like that game was in control until it was 6-2 or 7-2 with under muted. Look at the photo above the headline. Have you ever seen a 10 minutes to play,” said Howson on a night the Blue Jackets were more subdued group of victorious players skating to the bench to accept outshot 46-28. “The Red Wings were so dangerous and they were congratulations after a goal? Not a single smile. getting a lot of good chances. (Goaltender) Steve Mason played a great The show of restraint was mainly out of respect for the game and the game.” opponent. It was the Blue Jackets’ eighth tally of an extraordinary night, The contest is best remembered by Blue Jackets faithful for its collective extending their lead to six goals over the defending Stanley Cup effort. R.J. Umberger had a pair of goals. Twelve players registered at champion Red Wings. least one point. “The score was shocking,” former Blue Jackets general manager Scott “No lead was safe (and Detroit) always had you on edge,” Hitchcock Howson said. “I remember people coming up to me in the days after said. “But on that night, we checked so well and we really frustrated them saying, ‘Did you really win 8-2 in Detroit?’ Nobody could believe it.” and they started taking chances.” As the final horn sounded, Columbus fans in attendance were spotted The victory sparked a 6-1-0 run that propelled the Blue Jackets to the taking selfies with the scoreboard as the backdrop. Their team had postseason. Among the ironies in Nash’s historic performance is that it’s established new franchise marks for most goals in a game and largest not even his most memorable hat trick against the Red Wings that margin of victory at the expense of the hated Red Wings. season. What fans didn’t realize in that moment is that they had just witnessed On Jan. 27, 2009, the winger scored all three goals in a 3-2 overtime NHL history. All three of Nash’s goals were unassisted. In the league’s victory at Nationwide Arena. modern era, dating to the 1943-44 season, only one other player, Maurice “Rocket” Richard in 1948, has been credited with an unassisted “That’s the one I think everyone kind of remembers,” Nash said. hat trick, per the Elias Sports Bureau. Nash woke up in Dallas on the morning of Jan. 18, 2008, and was Think about all the prolific scorers who have filled the nets over the informed by the Blue Jackets’ media relations staff that he had five years. . Gordie Howe. Jaromir Jagr. . Alex requests for television and radio interviews. Ovechkin. Hours earlier, he had scored one of the most spectacular goals of the Think about the orgy of goal scoring from the 1980-81 season through season against the Coyotes, stickhandling the puck around two the 1995-96 season. Sixty players recorded at least one 50-goal defensemen like he was Curly Neal on skates. The highlight created a campaign in that dizzying span with Gretzky hitting the mark seven times. sensation. Twitter was in its infancy and the video of Nash twisting and turning past poor Derek Morris and Keith Ballard went viral. Think about all the hat tricks. Gretzky, , Mike Bossy and Hull combined for 162 three-goal games in regular-season play. It was vintage Nash, scoring a goal with a ridiculous degree of difficulty. It’s how most fans think of him when conjuring his career in their mind’s Yet in the last 72 years, it’s only Nash who has scored three unassisted eye. goals in a single game — two of them off turnovers from Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, future Hall of Famers. Which brings us back to March 7, 2009, in Detroit.

“The longer we’re talking about it, it’s almost more impressive than “I’ll be honest, I had to go on YouTube and look at those goals again,” almost anything I’ve done,” said Nash, who finished his 15-year career Nash said. “I remember the Phoenix goal and the one between the legs with 437 goals and six All-Star appearances. (against the Blues) and some of the ones in the Olympics and world championships.” But Nash’s low-key reaction to his third-period goal at The Joe that night set the tone for how the achievement has been remembered. Or, should If Nash had delivered one of his signature goals in the 8-2 rout, the story we say forgotten. It remains one of hockey’s most obscure feats. of his unassisted hat trick is probably framed in a different light.

It’s only fitting Nash is linked to an NHL accomplishment involving no “I knew he had a monster game, but I didn’t remember it was an help. He spent the majority of his career playing for the Blue Jackets unassisted hat trick,” Howson said. when they were bereft of high-end talent. His one playoff appearance in Columbus, during the 2008-09 season, came with Manny Malhotra as his The first goal came late in the second period as he deflected a pass by primary center. Zetterberg and beat Chris Osgood on a short-handed breakaway to make it 4-0. The Blue Jackets in that era were among the most anonymous franchises in professional sports. The second goal calmed Howson’s nerves early in the third period. An errant Red Wings pass in the defensive zone went right to Nash, who “The best forward I ever played with is Rick Nash,” said former whipped a low shot past Osgood to make it 5-1. defenseman Mike Commodore, who played for seven organizations from 2000 through 2012 and won a Stanley Cup title with the Hurricanes. “The The third goal closed the scoring and was aided by an unpenalized trip things he could do on the ice were incredible. He could dominate on his by Malhotra on Datsyuk, creating a turnover in the defensive zone. Nash own. He was big. He could skate. He had great hands.” rarely scored on slap shots, but his drive glanced off a Red Wings player’s stick and eluded Conklin. “He’s a player who doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Part of it is he’s quiet and part of it is he played in a smaller market for so many years.” Many Red Wings fans already had left the building. Only one hat was tossed to the ice by a delirious Blue Jackets supporter, who could not believe how badly his team was drubbing the Red Wings. “After the game, I can remember people asking me if they thought there should have been a penalty called,” Nash said. “I really didn’t care. I just knew it was a big win that ended up giving us a lot of momentum.”

Retirement brings time for reflection, especially for a father of three young children. Nash, 35, can tell them stories about his playing days in Columbus, New York and Boston. The kids can hold the international medals that he’s won in their tiny hands.

Among his most prized possessions is a trading card purchased by his dad and presented to him as a gift a decade ago. It features the autographs of Nash and Richard.

In 2003-04, his second season, Nash scored 41 times, earning him the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, given annually to the NHL’s top goal scorer. (He shared the honor with Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk.)

“Every so often I will look at the card and show it to my son (McLaren),” Nash said. “It’s pretty special to be mentioned with Rocket Richard.”

In 2009, Nash and Richard were yoked again by history. But six years later, an article published in made a case for that bond to be severed.

According to the periodical’s research, Richard unwittingly collected his unassisted hat trick in the Canadiens’ 6-3 win over the Rangers through dubious circumstances.

The game, on March 14, 1948, was played at , and the only thing at stake was the league’s scoring title. Richard’s teammate Elmer Lach and Rangers forward Buddy O’Connor were locked in a tight race, separated by only one point, with three games remaining in the regular season.

Trailing by a goal in the closing minutes, the Rangers pulled netminder “Sugar” Jim Henry for an extra attacker. Lach twice won faceoffs and moved the puck to Richard, who scored two goals into an empty net. Instead of giving Lach a pair of helpers, the official scorer listed Richard’s goals as unassisted, allowing O’Connor to retain his slim lead in the points chase.

To this day, Richard is credited with the first unassisted hat trick which, according to The Hockey News, came courtesy of some creative New York bookkeeping.

“That’s pretty funny,” Nash said. “I’m not sure I ever heard that story.”

Nash gladly would trade his share of the distinction for a happier ending to the 2008-09 season. The Red Wings avenged their embarrassing defeat by sweeping Columbus in the first round of the playoffs.

The Blue Jackets’ records for goals in a game and margin of victory have since been broken thanks in part to an outrageous 10-0 win over the Canadiens at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 4, 2016.

By then, Nash’s illustrious career was beginning to wind down in New York because of a series of concussions.

Last year, he rejoined the Blue Jackets family, and he now works in the front office as a special assistant to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. At some point, his familiar No. 61 is likely to be raised to the arena rafters.

Nash still holds all the franchise’s meaningful scoring records. His contributions won’t soon be forgotten. Well, except for maybe one.

“When you think of all the great players in league history, and how good Crosby and Ovechkin and (Connor) McDavid continue to be, it’s really amazing (an unassisted hat trick) hasn’t happened more often,” Nash said. “It’s neat to have done it, but it’s really not a big deal if people don’t remember.”

Eleven years later, Nash still won’t raise his stick in celebration.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182265 Edmonton Oilers the Oilers got him after Michel Goulet went No. 20 to the .

“To me Kevin was all-around pretty good at everything as a junior. He Former Edmonton Oilers scout Barry Fraser recalls selecting Paul Coffey was physical and a leader. To me he was a sure bet especially where we were picking,” said Fraser.

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal The 1979 draft was the one where World Hockey Association kids who had left junior to sign pro were folded in with Canadian Hockey League April 4, 2020 2:27 PM MDT juniors, arguably the best first round of all-time.

Ray Bourque went eighth that year. (Birmingham) went No. 1, (Cincinnati) No. 4, (Birmingham) No. 5 and Barry Fraser, one of the all-time best hockey scouts, is living here again Craig Hartsburg (Birmingham) No. 6. Goulet was also playing for the with wife Tina after two decades in the sun in Cabo San Lucas, now 80 WHA Bulls. and forever the reason the Edmonton Oilers got great in a hurry in the NHL. Outside of the star teenagers playing against men in the WHA, the NHL scouts were in the dark about the rival league, though. Whenever we get another NHL draft, it should be noted that 40 years ago this June, Fraser called out Paul Coffey’s name with the sixth overall pick “The NHL wouldn’t let them go to the games. The owners wouldn’t pay after Washington had the fifth selection and took fellow for their tickets. ? They never saw him play. Lots of people Darren Veitch. aren’t aware of that,” said Fraser.

The same draft Fraser got winger at No. 69, goalie Andy Moog Fraser is still upset by the one who got away, Bengt Gustafsson. at 132 in round six, and a very good NHL centre Walt Poddubny at No. 90. He was dealt to Toronto a few years later for centre The Oilers signed Gustafsson out of Frolunda in the Swedish Elite and was a point-a-game NHLer who died of a heart attack at 49 after 422 League in early 1979, and used him as one of their two protected points in 468 games. forward/defencemen along with Wayne Gretzky in the expansion draft that year. Obviously, Fraser’s glory day was the NHL phone draft Aug. 9, 1979 when he got with the 21st pick — last one in the first round The NHL ruled they had signed the centre after a Dec. 31 deadline even — had a swing and miss with tough winger Shawn Babcock from though the Oilers claimed to have never been told about that date. He Windsor in the second round and then called out Mark Messier at No. 48 reverted to Washington who had drafted him in 1978 in the fourth round and at No. 69. but hadn’t signed him.

But to this day, Fraser remembers Coffey, voted one of the 100 Greatest “If we had been able to keep him, I don’t think Mark would ever have Players in NHL history, and his pick more than just about any other in an played centre,” he said. “Does not keeping Gustafsson bug me? Yes it early first-round that featured three future Hall of Famers ( does. Gustafsson wouldn’t have been as good at centre as Mark but he at No. 3 to Chicago, Larry Murphy No. 4 to Los Angeles and Coffey was a pretty good player in the NHL for a long time.” sixth).

Coffey, now 58, had 1,531 points in 1,409 games and won three Norris Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.05.2020 trophies.

“Paul was the best skater I’d seen since ,” said Fraser, who retired in 2000. “I was lucky. I saw Paul a lot because he played for Kitchener and I was living there then. For home games, pretty handy. Paul and I knew each other.

“Question with Paul back then was he was such an offensive player whether he’d ever be able to play good defence. But here’s the way I looked at it: the worst he would be would be a good left-winger.

“I never wanted that to happen, of course. But if Coffey had been a left- winger, then maybe Mark Messier doesn’t play there to start his NHL career.”

And yes, Fraser was more sold on Coffey than Coffey’s junior coach, former NHL defenceman , who played for Canada in the ’72 and played close to 1,000 NHL games.

“Rod S said I needed to work on my skating and my passing. True, he said that. I’m like ‘that’s easy to work on.’” said Coffey in a text. “Skating and passing. My two strengths.”

“I don’t know what Seiling was thinking,” said Fraser.

Fraser, who always watched lots of NHL games from his Mexican abode after retiring, moved back to Edmonton last June. This is where he became an Oiler scout in the WHA days, then oversaw the draft table for two decades.

Again, there were early misses, like Babcock, who never played an NHL game.

“He was a tough kid and he could skate really well. He was 17 when we took him and looked like he would develop but never got much better,” said Fraser. “It’s always projection but I always said I didn’t know what my daughter at 17 was going to be like at 20, so how do I know about one of these kids.”

The first Oiler draft was the way the 2020 draft might well go because of COVID-19, video conference. It was a phone draft in August, 1979.

Fraser, laughing heartily when told that most of the media hanging around the team back then asked; “who the heck is Kevin Lowe?” when 1182266 Edmonton Oilers interior. Before he returned that season, Draisaitl’s junior rights had been traded there by the Prince Albert Raiders.

MacTavish managed the situation and found a way to get his prized draft Lowetide: Craig MacTavish’s most important Oilers moment? Picking pick to Kelowna, where Draisaitl romped. He led the Rockets to the WHL Leon Draisaitl championship and then to the final game of the Memorial Cup, where the club lost in overtime to the Generals.

By Allan Mitchell The Draisaitl maneuvre was one of the final moves by MacT (he would trade and Jeff Petry) before he was moved into another Apr 4, 2020 position to make room for Peter Chiarelli.

What does it all mean?

On Jan. 4, 1998, the Edmonton Oilers traded centre Jason Arnott to the The complete MacTavish resume is a major item; his time with the Oilers . It took over 15 years for the organization to replace is not to be trifled with when documenting a career. Arnott, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound pivot best described as a load. He was an exceptional checking centre with substantial scoring ability Craig MacTavish, who was Arnott’s teammate with the Oilers in 1993-94 and was a big part of Stanley Cup victories in 1987, 1988 and 1990. (until the deadline), was Edmonton’s head coach from 2000 through the end of the 2008-09 campaign. He could have used a big man in the He was an excellent head coach at the beginning of this century, guiding middle like Arnott in every one of those years. the 2006 team to within a whisker of a Stanley Cup. He left that role after the 2008-09 season after the team managed 85 points. Without him, That story gives us a foundation for what might have been the most Edmonton dropped by 11 wins and 23 standings points the next season. important day in MacTavish’s time with the team, in any role he held: The MacTavish was a helluva coach. day he drafted Arnott’s replacement, Leon Draisaitl. He did some innovative things in his short time as Edmonton’s general The Oilers drafted Draisaitl No. 3 overall in 2014, meaning MacTavish manager, although it was not a successful time. and his scouting staff went out of order based on the lists from TSN (Bob McKenzie), , “The Hockey News” and “McKeen’s” (they all All of those things are part of his record as a member of the Oilers. ranked him No. 4 overall). ISS and Hockeyprospect.com had the big MacTavish’s decision to draft Draisaitl, and finesse his first season, has German at No. 6. already paid dividends for the organization.

MacTavish said at the time of the Oilers pick landing at No. 3, “I’m not In the next several years, it’s possible the current group of Oilers could devastated by it, that’s for sure. It’s very debatable which players will be win the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup. the best players over time. I didn’t want to drop back to No. 4. That was the important thing.” MacTavish will have played a role in the victory, by virtue of his work as a general manager and with his scouting staff, in identifying a special Edmonton had other options, notably Sam Bennett, but the club had player in 2014’s first round. done their homework on Draisaitl and were focused on him or defenceman Aaron Ekblad, who went No. 1. This had been expressed As incredible as it sounds, that event could be the single biggest publicly as early as March 2014, three months before the draft. contribution of a hockey lifetime. Considering the individual we’re discussing, it’s remarkable. Draisaitl was clearly one of the best players in the draft and the scouting reports were extremely positive. Corey Pronman wrote after the pick: “I think there was a reasonable argument to take him. He’s a guy who is an elite passer with high end skill and a good brain, he’s a guy who could be The Athletic LOADED: 04.05.2020 a pretty high end NHL player offensively. Considering the Oilers current roster, getting a high end offensive player with size was a priority for the organization.”

Draisaitl signed in August, with Oilers fans already preparing for another teenage phenom to go right to the NHL. A string of draft picks who were on stage in June and in the starting lineup on opening night (Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov) was broken by Darnell Nurse’s selection in 2013 as Nurse spent the following season in the OHL.

In fairness to MacTavish (and coach ) the Oilers’ depth chart in the fall of 2014 had some holes. Nugent-Hopkins and Boyd Gordon were locks at centre, with Mark Arcobello, Anton Lander and Draisaitl all in the mix for opening night work.

That summer, Eakins seemed cautious about Draisaitl, saying, “he’s just a very, very young player and we don’t want to rush him.”

Draisaitl made the team and was in the opening night lineup. By early November he’d scored 1-3-4 in 11 games, produced 1.49 points per 60 at 5-on-5 and was getting chances. He was a little unlucky, cashing only once in 17 shots despite several goalmouth looks.

Draisaitl played for the Oilers on Dec. 31, 2014, and delivered two assists vs. the Calgary Flames. But word got out early in the New Year that he would return to junior.

MacTavish commented on Draisaitl and what he needed to do, saying, “Leon has got learn to be more impactful without the puck. He was OK this year. But he’s got to learn how to check, and when he does that, then he’ll be playing here because all other elements of his game are good enough. He can pass, he can run a power play, he’s got unbelievable vision and strength. But there are a few boxes we have to check off before he’s (ready).”

On Jan. 7 he was playing for the Kelowna Rockets, scoring a goal and an assist while shifting the power base in the WHL by landing in B.C.’s 1182267 Minnesota Wild Oversees Vikings’ public and community relations after playing a key role in getting U.S. Bank built and getting a Super Bowl to Minneapolis.

Who's on top of Minnesota sports? Mike Zimmer

HEAD COACH

Star Tribune staff Zimmer is entering his seventh season as head coach. The 63-year-old April 5, 2020 has charge of the team’s 22 assistant coaches and plays a key role in player personnel.

Minnesota Timberwolves There is a direct line from the top of each sports organization to the manager or coach. Or ... maybe there isn’t. We’ve tried to simplify the The Minneapolis Lakers were an NBA dynasty, with five titles, before power structure of the six major professional sports teams, and the leaving for Los Angeles in 1960. The NBA returned to Minnesota in 1989 University of Minnesota, on the competition side ... although business with the Timberwolves. bought the team from co-owners and marketing spill over in many cases. Here are the faces and titles for Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner in 1994. They made the playoffs in the power structures on the sports decisions for the teams in the Twin 2018 for the first time in 14 seasons, but restructured last year when Cities. coach and president of operations Tom Thibidoeau was fired. They have advanced as far as the Western Conference finals just once Vikings Timberwolves Wild Twins United Lynx Gophers (2004) in 30 seasons — and that was the only time in nine playoff appearances they have ever won a series. Minnesota Vikings Glen Taylor Zygi Wilf led a group that bought the Vikings in 2005; they were brought in by the NFL because a proposed sale from Red McCombs to Reggie OWNER Fowler was blowing up. There have been no complaints about the Wilfs, who made their fortune in real estate development, providing both The 78-year-old founder and chairman of Taylor Corporation was listed stability and financial resources for the team to grow. U.S. Bank Stadium at No. 296 on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest Americans by Forbes last opened in 2016, and the Vikings also have a state of the art training year. facility in Eagan. The team reached the NFC title game after the 2017 Gersson Rosas season, but has not captured a Super Bowl title in its 59 seasons in Minnesota. PRESIDENT OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

Zygi Wilf Rosas, 48, is a former Rockets executive who was hired May 1, 2019. He makes all final decisions on personnel moves (trades, signings, draft CHAIRMAN picks) and hired staff.

Wilf, 69, and five partners purchased Vikings in 2005 for a reported $600 Sachin Gupta million. EXECUTIVE V.P. OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS Mark Wilf The MIT grad and former Pistons assistant GM oversees the “strategy, PRESIDENT performance and analytics” end of the Wolves operations, which includes Brother of Zygi, the 58-year-old runs business departments. analyzing trades.

Leonard Wilf Scott Layden

VICE CHAIRMAN GENERAL MANAGER

Zygi and Mark’s cousin is president of real estate company. A holdover from the previous regime, Layden serves as a scout and adviser to the Wolves front office. Jonathan Wilf Gianluca Pascucci V.P. OF STRATEGIC PLANNING ASSISTANT G.M. AND Zygi’s son; involved in the team’s business initiatives. IOWA WOLVES G.M. Rick Spielman Runs the Iowa team. Heads the Wolves’ scouting operations. GENERAL MANAGER Joe Branch Since being named GM in 2012, Spielman, 57, orchestrated and helped scout Vikings drafts and is in charge of all football operations. Began as ASSISTANT G.M. the Vikings’ V.P. of Player Personnel in 2006. Coordinates draft efforts and handles relations with players. Advising on George Paton personnel matters.

ASSISTANT G.M. Emmanuel Rohan

Frequent candidate for GM positions around the NFL coordinates pro ASSISTANT G.M. scouting and assists in college scouting ahead of the annual NFL Draft. Involved with helping the Wolves navigate the salary cap and CBS. Has worked with Spielman in Chicago, Miami and Minnesota. Robby Sikka Rob Brzezinski V.P. OF BASKETBALL PERFORMANCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE V.P. OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS Oversees performance, including health, wellness, nutrition and strength The contract guy. Brzezinski helps lead many of the Vikings’ player using analytics. negotiations and is responsible for the fine print and salary cap management. Ryan Saunders

Lester Bagley HEAD COACH

EXECUTIVE V.P. OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS In charge of Wolves player development, coaching staff and in-game strategies. Minnesota Wild Laura Day

Following the boondoogle of the North Stars leaving Minnesota in 1993, EXECUTIVE V.P.; CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER the state lured back an NHL franchise for the 2000-01 season into the brand new Xcel Energy Center. The Wild has been a success at the box The former Minnesota Wild executive has been with the Twins since office and frustrated on the ice, with no appearances 2006, and in 2016 was put in charge of all revenue-generating and only one Western Conference final berth. bought the operations, including ticket sales, broadcasting and corporate team from a group headed by Robert Naegele in 2008. sponsorships.

Craig Leipold Kip Elliot

OWNER AND GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE V.P.; CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL OFFICER Leipold, 68, oversees the day-to-day business operations of the Wild and serves as the team’s governor at the NHL Board of Governors’ meetings. All accounting and budgeting functions and strategies fall under the purview of the Iowa native, who has worked for the Twins since 1992. Bill Guerin Joe Pohlad GENERAL MANAGER EXECUTIVE V.P. FOR BRAND STRATEGY AND GROWTH Hired last summer, the 49-year-old former NHLer supervises the Wild’s hockey operations department including player personnel, coaches and The son of Bob Pohlad has worked for the team for nearly a decade, and scouts. now is in charge of the team’s marketing efforts and its gameday experience. Tom Kurvers Matt Hoy ASSISTANT G.M. SENIOR V.P. FOR OPERATIONS Kurvers, 57, is former assistant GM for Tampa Bay. He supports the day- to-day operations and serves as GM of the Iowa Wild. A 35-year employee of the Twins, the St. Paul native develops plans for putting on home games and then puts them in motion; his purview Chris O'Hearn includes all ballpark operations, including security, maintenance, concessions and the grounds crew. DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY OPERATIONS O’Hearn handles player contract research and negotiations, scheduling, salary arbitration, salary cap management and compliance with the CBA. SENIOR V.P. AND G.M.

Brad Bombardir Falvey’s second-in-command in the department, Levine has also worked for the Dodgers and Rockies, and came to Minnesota after DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT 11 years as assistant general manager of the Rangers.

The ex-Wild defenseman evaluates prospects in the organization and Rob Antony implements programs to help continue their development. V.P. AND ASSISTANT G.M. Dean Evason The team’s interim general manager after Terry Ryan’s firing in 2016, the INTERIM HEAD COACH 32-year Twins employee handles many contract negotiations, prepares Evason, 55, was Bruce Boudreau’s lead assistant before Boudreau was arbitration cases and oversees many major league departments, fired on Feb. 14. He supervises the coaching staff and support including the clubhouse and medical staffs. personnel. Mike Radcliff

Minnesota Twins V.P. FOR PLAYER PERSONNEL

The Twins and Vikings started in the same year, 1961, and have their A member of the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame, the Kansas native histories etched in the brains of Minnesotans. bought the has coordinated all player evaluation, both amateur and professional, for Twins before the first of their two World Series titles, in 1987, and his the past 12 years. sons are now at the top of the operation. Derek Falvey was pilfered from the Cleveland organization to head baseball operations before the 2017 Daniel Adler season, and last year built a group that set a major league home run record and won the Division. ASSISSTANT G.M.

Jim Pohlad Hired in 2017 to design, expand and staff the team’s research and analytic efforts, the Harvard grad and former Jacksonville Jaguars CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD employee was promoted in November to oversee those departments while also consulting on day-to-day operations. The oldest of Carl Pohlad’s three sons — Jim, Bob and Bill — who have been the principal owners of the team since their father’s death in 2009, Jeremy Zoll Jim Pohlad, 67, also served a two-year term on MLB’s executive council. ASSISTANT G.M. Dave St. Peter The former Dodgers executive, hired with Adler two offseasons ago, is in PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE charge of all player-development strategies, including the team’s minor league operations. The 53-year-old North Dakotan was hired in 1991 to run a team-owned merchandise store in 1991; only 11 years later, he took over the franchise's day-to-day operations as president in 2002 and has guided the team as its top executive ever since. MANAGER

Derek Falvey Had no managerial experience when he took over in 2019, but the 38- year-old won American League Manager of the Year honors for the work PRESIDENT OF BASEBALL OPERATIONS of his first season.

The 37-year-old Massachusetts native, who spent nearly a decade in the Minnesota United FC Cleveland Indians’ front office, was hired in 2016 to modernize the Twins’ baseball department and make the team more consistently competitive The Loons joined MLS in 2017, jumping from the NASL. The 20,000- on the field. capacity Allianz Field opened in 2019. Bill McGuire heads a 16-person ownership group that includes Glen Taylor and the Pohlads. Bill McGuire Each Gophers program has its own sports administrator, who helps with specific budget and scheduling issues. Senior Associate AD Tom OWNER McGinnis, for example, is the sports administrator for men’s and A former health care executive, the 72-year-old bought the franchise in women’s hockey. 2012 and oversaw its transition to an MLS team and the opening of $250 Jeremiah Carter million Allianz Field. COMPLIANCE DIRECTOR Chris Wright His office works to keep each sports program in check under the CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER labyrinth of NCAA rules.

Longtime Timberwolves executive oversees team’s business and Head coaches sporting sides. Each coach is CEO of his or her program, tasked with bringing won-loss Manny Lagos success and ensuring the well-being of the student athletes. Fleck’s staff CHIEF SOCCER OFFICER includes 10 full-time assistants, and an assortment of football operations types who oversee player personnel, recruiting, video, strength and Former Olympian was United’s first Sporting Director. conditioning, etc. Other sports might have a head coach, one assistant coach and an administrative Adrian Heath

HEAD COACH Star Tribune LOADED: 04.05.2020 The 59-year-old has a contract extension and additional power after the Loons reached the playoffs last season.

Minnesota Lynx

Formed in 1999, the Lynx are the most successful pro sports franchise in Minnesota, with four WNBA titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017).

Glen Taylor

OWNER

Taylor Corp. boss owns Timberwolves, Lynx and Star Tribune.

Cheryl Reeve

GENERAL MANAGER AND HEAD COACH

Reeve, 53, was promoted to GM after fourth title and runs the team’s basketball operations.

Claire Duwelius

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER

Oversees salary cap, player contracts and player movement. Oversees the operations. In charge of team travel.

Michelle Blexrud

BASKETBALL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

In charge of day-to-day player movement and practice prep.

University of Minnesota

The University’s power structure is multilayered and different from those of Minnesota’s pro teams, starting at the top with relatively new U president Joan Gabel.

Board of Regents

This 12-member body, appointed by the legislature, hires the University’s president and must sign off on the hiring of an athletic director, as well as any coaching contract that exceeds the university president’s base salary (currently $640,000).

Joan Gabel

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

The former provost at South Carolina became the U’s first female president last year. The president typically hires and fires the athletic director, who handles the coaching personnel decisions.

Mark Coyle

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Coyle, who took over as Gophers AD in 2016, is in charge of the department’s annual budget and oversees the 23 sports programs. Besides the hiring and firing of coaches, fundraising is a central part of the job.

Sport Administrator 1182268 Minnesota Wild

The Athletic’s Wild fan survey: Tell us what you think of the franchise

By Michael Russo

Apr 4, 2020

First off, thank you.

As we all find ourselves in this uncertain, very difficult and stressful time in our lives, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you because the one thing that has proven true in the past near-month without sports is you all continue to be incredible with your support of The Athletic.

Even with sports on hiatus, our writers continue to churn out creative content, whether that be in the written form or with our vast podcasts, and the data shows the community we have built here at The Athletic is eating it up and perhaps finding it a welcome escape to what’s going on in the world. Even without sports, we continue to grow our subscriber base, amazingly enough, and engagement continues to be astonishing.

So, we thank you and want to continue to keep you coming back for more.

As we continue to look for cool ways to keep our loyal The Athletic readers engaged, we thought it would be fun to put together a series of surveys seeking your opinion about what’s currently going on with the local teams.

The Wild are first out of the gate.

As you know, it was an interesting season and specifically final month for the Wild after such an arduous opening month of the season way back in October.

In February alone, Jason Zucker was traded, Bruce Boudreau lost his job, Dean Evason took over on an interim basis, Kevin Fiala turned into a gamebreaker right before our eyes, Mikko Koivu declined to waive his no-move so he could end the season and maybe his career with the franchise that drafted him 19 years ago, Zach Parise was nearly traded to the Islanders and the team won eight of its final 11 games to pull within a point of a playoff spot.

Because of the COVID-19 virus, we don’t know if this season will get to resume with summer hockey and if the Wild would even be included in that if the NHL does re-start. So, we want to know what you think about the Wild, what makes you most excited about next season and seasons beyond, if you think Evason deserves a shot on a full-time basis, if you’re buying into the Kirill Kaprizov and Fiala hype, if you’d trade one of their top defensemen for a bona fide No. 1 center and more.

So, have fun with this, take the weekend to vote and the results will appear on The Athletic next week.

Enjoy.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182269 Montreal Canadiens torch, the standing O for Rocket; I can just imagine the atmospheric emotions ranging from somber, to joyful, to reminiscent, and the hope of the future. The Forum will always be Montreal's most iconic building, and PUB CHALLENGE : Un jeu pour nos abonnés. A game for our to be there to close it down would have been an incredible experience.” subscribers 1 point – Andrew M. (April 2, 2002)

I know that, according to the rules of the game, I should give the point to Staff Report Claude C., who was the first to mention the game where Saku Koivu came back after beating cancer. Especially since he rightfully points out that this might have been the first real emotional moment in the still relatively new building that was the Molson Centre. But I can't, Claude. I Yesterday’s question was: If you were given the chance to attend one let people choose a game in Canadiens history that they would like to game in Canadiens history, which game would you choose and why? see live, and pick a game... that you actually attended? Reliving the It feels a little strange to have to choose between what are essentially same emotion again instead of trying something different ? Sorry, but no deeply personal memories and dreams; each is as worthy as the next. :) Every single submission was on point, and eminently deserving of our So the point goes to Andrew, who recalls the nine-minute standing respect. In the end, I went mainly with originality and symbolism. ovation that greeted Saku's return and the two mentions of help that he 5 points – Benoit C. (March 13, 1955) added to the score sheet. "I still get chills just thinking about it," he says. You'll ask Claude what it was like. The infamous night where lost it on Hal Laycoe (his former teammate, as Claude C. reminded us this week) and touched off 1 point – Joshua H. (May 10, 1979) the “Richard Riot.” Benoit not only picked a game he’d love to see, he Joshua opted for a classic encounter that several others also put forth, also created a role for himself in that evening: the sacrificial lamb to the famous Game 7 in the Cup semi-final involving the Canadiens and ensure that Rocket didn’t flip his lid. Doc Brown from "Back to the Future" Bruins. You remember: the one where the Bruins were called for too would say that’s messing with the space-time continuum. Yeah. And? many men on the ice. Down 3-1, then 4-3, and all of a sudden comes the I’ll let Benoit set the scene: “March 13, 1955, , behind the penalty that changes everything. ’s goal on a long slapper Bruins’ bench. At 14 minutes of the third period I throw my beer at Hal from just inside the blue line (no chance that one goes in today, by the Laycoe. He flies into a rage, climbs into the stands to break my face, gets way), followed by Yvon Lamber’s game-winning overtime goal. a penalty; therefore he’s in the box in the 15th minute and doesn’t slash Joshua gets a point because he was first off the mark, but I also want to Maurice Richard, who doesn’t slug the linesman, and doesn’t earn a give 1 point to Peter T., who was actually in the stands that night... and suspension. No riot at the Forum, the Rocket finally wins the scoring title, left before the end. OK so, I know, not giving him a point would be the the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup, and yes, the the Quiet Revolution coherent thing to do here. But then I wouldn't be able to relay the great still happens.” tale he has to tell. 3 points – Lucas M. (Dec. 31, 1975) “I was there for almost all of it but I had a professional exam first thing Many of you submitted the 1976 New Year’s Eve game, which pitted the the next morning so when my all-time favorite player, Ken Dryden, let in a Canadiens against the Red Army. What I find interesting about it is you wraparound goal late in the game, I bailed to beat the crowd leaving. I chose a game that ended in a tie and had no impact whatsoever on any heard Claude Mouton announce the too many men on the ice penalty as standings or any championship. But this one was rich in symbolism. I was walking through the Forum lobby to get outside to the Atwater Some context is in order: it was the first-ever series of games between a metro station. Back in my apartment next to the Longueuil metro station, I Soviet team and NHL clubs. The Red Army had beaten the Rangers 7-3 watched Tremblay pass to Lambert for the overtime winner. At least I a few days earlier at Madison Square Garden, and rolled into the Forum passed my exam the next day, but I wonder if leaving made me the to face the mighty Canadiens. stupidest faithless fan in the team’s history.”

“The storylines are incredible - the Soviet Machine against Les Glorieux,” What a yarn! said Lucas. “The fact that it was New Year's Eve. The star power, the 1 point - Josh H. (May 10, 2010) intrigue, the politics, the fact that (apparently to everyone who watched) the game completely lived up to the billing. The lifelong love affair I decided to reward Josh’s suggestion because it encapsulates what 25 between (Vladislav) Tretiak and Montreal that developed because of it. years of no Cups has created for a younger generation of Canadiens There was so much that came from this game. At a time when Montreal fans: high notes and special moments not from championships, but from was roaring, both the city and the team. I would have loved to be at it for first and second round victories. After the surprise triumph over the top- the NYE's parties afterward as much as the game itself.” seeded Capitals in the first round the Canadiens once again faced elimination against the defending champion Penguins in the second I also attributed a point to Susan K., who provided an evocative round. The Canadiens had lost Andrei Markov and Hal Gill to injury, and description of this game by highlighting the uncommon level of respect a rookie named P. K. Subban had played 29:11 in a 4-3 Canadiens win. between the teams. “Because it was played during the time of what I That may well have been the game that put him on the NHL map for consider to be the greatest Canadiens team, wrote Susan. Because I good. Jacques Martin had sent him out to jam as many sticks as possible watched these guys many times from standing room at the old Forum. in Sidney Crosby’s spokes; Sid was more or less completely neutralized Because the Red Army was the best there was. Because it wasn’t a and, unusually, expressed outward signs of frustration at the end of the game full of cheap shots and fights. Because was game. Mike Cammalleri scored yet again (twice in fact), and in net phenomenal, and years later made an appearance in Montreal when his Jaroslav Halak recovered from a soft goal and ended up winning the rival Ken Dryden’s number was retired... and received a massive ovation. head-to-head contest with Marc-André Fleury. And because there was a sweetheart ending… two teams at the top of their game battled to a tie...ultimate mutual respect.” But why did so many of you pick the home games in that series rather than the pivotal road wins? Because of emotion 3 points – Casey B. (March 11, 1996) “When Cammalleri fired one home just over a minute into the game, the I was in the stands for this one, thanks to the old ‘standing room’ tickets arena absolutely exploded,” Josh remembers. “That moment is arguably at the Forum. It was the last game to be played in the venerable old barn. the loudest the Bell Centre has ever gotten, and once that goal was The game itself was of no particular importance, so much so that Casey scored, everyone in the arena knew that this series was headed back to misremembered the opponents that night. It wasn’t the Rangers, but the Pittsburgh. If there is any hockey game to prove that home advantage is . Sometimes serendipity delivers the goods, and on this real, this is it. The crowd won that game and showed the new generation occasion it allowed for Guy Carbonneau (by then a Dallas player) to pop of fans what it means to be a Hab.” back out onto the ice after the game with his Canadiens jersey to take part in the passing of the torch. 1 point – Nicola T. (June 9, 1993)

“Never again will you get the combined talent and the combined Stanley In a similar vein, Nicola chose Game 5 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, the Cups rings on the same sheet of ice, wrote Casey. The emotion, the night Montreal secured that 24th banner. “I would absolutely have loved to live through the experience of winning the Cup, to be in the building, at home, and to celebrate with everybody (we’d stay away from all the vandalism, though).”

And now, today's question:

(11/30)

We recently brought up Gilles Gratton, the goalie who became famous for his feline-themed mask (well, among other things). Other than Gratton’s cat, what’s the coolest goalie mask in hockey history?

What is the ugliest uniform in the history of sports ?

Which Canadiens player should have had a better career than the one he ended up having ?

What would be the most suitable nickname for Brendan Gallagher ?

Who boasts the best mustache in hockey history?

Who is the most unique character in NHL history, the league's rare and strange bird ?

Who is the worst player in Montreal Expos history ?

Which athlete, from any sport or era, had the best name?

Beyond the Rocket, Béliveau and Lafleur, who would rate the fourth face on the Canadiens’ Mount Rushmore?

Which player just didn’t look quite right wearing the Canadiens uniform?

How does the Pub Challenge work exactly?

Every day in this space, at noon ET, we will post a question. You'll provide your best answer in the comments below. There are no good or bad answers, only some are better than others. And the judge of that will be, well, me. I promise to apply criteria that will be subjective, mostly arbitrary and perhaps even whimsical. Please, no whining if I didn't like your response as much as you did.

The best answer will score five points. The second-place finisher will earn three, and third-place will get one.

Some questions will surely inspire similar answers. When that happens, and the comment is deemed worthy of finishing in the points, those points will be attributed to the first person to have submitted it.

On some days you'll need to sell us on why your answer is the best. The idea is to set yourself apart, but the pitch has to be brief and punchy. If your argument is long-winded, well, no points for you.

This is open to all subscribers to The Athletic. Feel free to participate in the language of your choice, it's a bilingual game.

Ever notice that your comment section handle is identical to another subscriber's? If that's the case, you'll want to make sure we can tell the difference. How you do that is up to you.

The winner's prize is: actually, there is no prize. Well, other than the fact that you'll be able to walk the streets (while social distancing) with a little extra swagger, safe in the knowledge that when people see you walk by from afar, they'll look with respect and say to themselves, "yeah, that's him/her."

The Athletic LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182270 New Jersey Devils

Star Ledger LOADED: 04.05.2020

Scouting Devils’ 2019 draft class: Nikola Pasic must improve quickness and skating, but ‘has offensive talent’

Posted Apr 04, 2020

By Randy Miller

When it comes to evaluating NHL prospects, nobody does it better than Craig Button, who doubles as director of scouting and television analyst for TSN, Canada’s version of ESPN.

The Calgary Flames general manager from 2000-03, Button knows the strengths and weaknesses of every NHL player and just about all of the drafted and undrafted prospects from all over the world.

NJ Advance Media recently phoned Button to provide fresh scouting reports on the Devils’ 2019 draft class, and he didn’t disappoint sharing his insight for 25 minutes from his home in Calgary.

We’re sharing Button’s take in a series.

Here’s Part 11:

NIKOLA PASIC, RW

Drafted: 7th round, 189th overall.

Hometown: Gislaved, Sweden.

Age: 19 (20 on Oct. 16, 2021)

Size: 5-10, 187.

Shoots: Left.

Contract status: Unsigned.

2019-20 clubs: BIK Karskoga (Hockey Allvenskan, 2nd highest league in Sweden) & Sweden Under 20 (International & World Juniors).

2019-20 stats: BIK Karlskoga, 45 games, 8 goals, 27 assists, 35 points, 10 PIM, minus-9. Sweden U20 (World Juniors), 7 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 points, 0 PIM, minus-1; Sweden U20 (International), 19 games, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, 2 PIM, minus-3.

Fast fact: Pasic spent a lot of time as a child rollerblading in a pizza shop run by his parents, who moved from Serbia to Sweden six years before he was born.

Quoting Nikola’s mother Marijana Pasic: “As a kid, Nikola tried different sports but nothing was fun enough,” Marijana Pasic told Devils in the Details. “His father was a basketball player, and we didn’t know much about hockey. We explained to Nikola that we were very busy with the restaurant and didn’t have the time to support and help him with the hockey, to drive him to the games and help him with the equipment. So we bought him a pair of rollerblades, and whenever there were no customers in the restaurant he would skate between the tables.

“After a while, I noticed very strange black marks on the wall in the hall at our home and even on the front door. I thought at first that it was shoe marks, that the kids were kicking the doors open, leaving black marks everywhere. Then we realized that Nikola was using the hall to shoot pucks on the door. We finally said, ‘Let the kid try hockey.’ He had a motor helmet on his head, an old goalkeeper stick, a beret to catch the pucks and he had taped cartons around his legs as leg protectors.”

Craig Button scouting report: “Quite frankly, you take players like Pasic based on offensive talent. He has that. But I don’t think he skates well enough, I don’t think he’s quick enough and I don’t think he’s dynamic enough. Now maybe in time he’ll show that he’s capable of being more than I think right now, but not every player you draft is going to make it. But you draft players that you think have a certain element, and then you try to see how much they’re going to develop and how much you can work with them and how much they themselves can find a little bit more in their development.

“Pasic was a later-round draft pick for a reason, but I can see why the Devils took him. He’s competitive. He goes to the net. But I don’t know if he’s got enough in his overall game to get to the NHL.” 1182271 New Jersey Devils

New York Post LOADED: 04.05.2020

What New York-area sports owners have given to coronavirus fight

By Zach Braziller

April 5, 2020 | 1:22am

As the novel coronavirus has wrecked the New York area, sports owners with deep pockets have emerged to help in the fight to battle this deadly pandemic. Here’s a look:

James Dolan

The Madison Square Garden chairman, who has tested positive for coronavirus, but is said to have mild symptoms, is paying arena workers in his many venues through at least May 3 and has established a $2.3 million relief fund for them.

Joe Tsai

With help from the Nets’ owner, is donating 2,000 much-needed ventilators to New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday. Cuomo singled out Tsai, his wife Clara Wu Tsai and , co- founder, with Tsai, of Alibaba, for helping to make it happen. Tsai has also pledged to pay Nets and Barclays Center workers through the end of May if games and events are canceled, as is expected.

Fred and Jeff Wilpon

On Friday, the Mets announced they were creating a COVID-19 Disaster Assistance Fund to aid employees who haven’t worked due to the pandemic and they are putting $1.2 million into the program for eligible game day staff, employees who worked 15 days last season and anyone who lost work after the season was suspended on March 12. Employees can file an application on the team’s official website starting Tuesday.

Hal Steinbrenner

On Thursday, the Yankees established a $1.4 million COVID-19 Disaster Relief Program that will provide assistance for eligible full- and part-time game-day staff impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, including those working for the Yankees, Legends Hospitality and NYCFC.

John Mara and Steve Tisch

The Giants are offering free childcare to emergency response personnel at the Meadowlands YMCA for the next 10 weeks. During this crisis, the program works with the Bergen County Department of Health, Hudson Regional Hospital and Hackensack University Medical Center for children of those who work at the aforementioned place. The donation has allowed the YMCA to expand the program for up to 42 children.

The Johnson family, which owns the Jets, announced March 23 it was making a $1 million donation to United Way Agencies to support in the fight against the coronavirus. That includes the United Way of New York City’s COVID-19 Community Fund, the United Way of Northern Jersey’s ALICE Recovery Fund and the United Way of Long Island’s United Together: A Response Fund for COVID-19.

Josh Harris and David Blitzer

The Devils’ managing partners have given a six-figure donation to RWJBarnabas Health’s Emergency Response Fund. That will aid in getting medical equipment to more than 35,000 employees working for the health system, which is based in Newark. They run Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, which donated 7,000 pairs of gloves, 10,000 packages of hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies used at to the cause. Harrison and Blitzer are also paying their Prudential Center staff while the NHL season is suspended after initially wanting to cut salaries by 20 percent. The duo has done the same for personnel of the 76ers, the NBA team they own.

Robert Kraft

Along with Patriots president and son Jonathan Kraft, the New England owner partnered with the state of Massachusetts to purchase 1.7 million N95 masks, costing $2 million, and gave 300,000 of the protective masks to New York-area hospitals. Kraft had his team plane pick them up in China and delivered them Friday. 1182272 New York Islanders Greene said he has moments when he thinks about whether the season will resume and other times when he tries to focus only on the things he can control.

Islanders defenseman Andy Greene says he 'definitely' plans on playing “You can’t sit there right now and go, ‘We’re done. I’m not going to train next season or do this,’ ” he said. “Then all of a sudden, in three weeks, this is where we’re at and we’re going to try something. All of a sudden, you’re like, ‘Oh, my God, what have I been doing?’ By Andrew Gross “I’ve been getting up every morning, training, doing pretty good workouts [email protected] @AGrossNewsday and trying, I think, to mentally stay sharp,” Greene added. “It’s a good release and a good focus to get dialed in there for an hour or two or Updated April 4, 2020 11:24 PM however long your workout is.”

Andy Greene expects to continue his NHL career next season. But with Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.05.2020 this season paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether the former Devils captain and impending unrestricted free agent ever plays for the Islanders again is very much uncertain.

“Oh, yeah, for sure, in my mind, I’m definitely going to play,” Greene told Newsday this past week.

But there are no guarantees that the NHL will be able to resume its season and no guarantees that the Islanders will seek to re-sign Greene, 37, who was acquired from the Devils on Feb. 16 to fill the gaping lineup hole left when defenseman Adam Pelech suffered an Achilles tendon injury on Jan. 2.

Greene is in the final season of a five-year, $25 million deal he signed when current Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello was the Devils’ boss.

Greene said he has had no discussions about his long-term future with Lamoriello, who signed Greene as an undrafted free agent out of Miami (Ohio) in 2006. He went on to play 923 games over 13-plus seasons with the Devils.

“It’s my first time going through a lot of situations the last two months here, not even including what we’re going through right now,” said Greene, who is spending the NHL’s self-quarantine period at his New Jersey home with his wife, Rachel, and their two young sons.

“It’s one of those things in terms of what’s going to happen next year, we’ve got to figure out what’s going to finish this year off and then worry about that when we get there. I’m not going to worry about it. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

Greene said he is open to playing for the Islanders next season. But he also remains open-minded about exploring all of his options.

“I loved my three weeks that I’ve been there,” he said of the Islanders. “It’s been a very unique situation. The familiarity [with Lamoriello] and the guys have been great. It’s a great situation there in terms of everything they do as an organization. I’ll focus and worry about what we’re going through now and we’ll figure everything out later and go from there.”

Greene said he never expected to have any long-term discussions with Lamoriello until the offseason.

“When everything happened, it was just ‘let’s focus on what’s at hand, get situated, fit in with the group and go from there,’ ” Greene said.

There’s a chance that Pelech, who has yet to resume skating, might be available if the season resumes, particularly if play is pushed deep into the summer. He’s certainly expected to be ready for the next training camp.

Lamoriello declined to comment last week when asked by Newsday if he expects to try to re-sign Greene.

The Islanders, who struggled after a franchise-record 17-game point streak (15-0-2) ended on Nov. 25, went 2-5-4 after acquiring Greene. He had three assists in 10 games, missing a 3-2 overtime loss in St. Louis on Feb. 27 with what appeared to be a left shoulder issue.

They were 0-3-4 after acquiring center Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the Senators on Feb. 24.

“No one player or two players will change how the team plays,” said Lamoriello, who described himself as “extremely optimistic” that the NHL season will resume. “We still feel very comfortable and confident that the two players we brought in are going to be an asset to us once we get going, without question.” 1182273 New York Rangers for the unit with Lemieux on it, and then, even more so when 2016 first- rounder Gauthier (21st overall) joined the club in a mid-February trade with the Hurricanes in which Joey Keane went the other way.

Note to Larry David: Rangers’ Greg McKegg is getting job done The line was disruptive and hard on the puck in its six games intact, getting about eight minutes a night at five-on-five. It was worthy of trust and it provided the Rangers with an added dimension. By Larry Brooks Moore is the gold standard for Rangers fourth-line centers, with Brian April 5, 2020 | 1:48am Boyle playing the wing and up in the lineup more than you probably remember. The short-lived combination of Sean Avery on the left with

Boyle in the middle and Brandon Prust on the right would be Maybe Greg McKegg had no business being elevated into Kaapo remembered as perhaps the best of the crop, except that it was the Kakko’s spot on the wing for those shifts in the third period at Calgary on second line in the 2011 playoffs against Washington. Jan. 2 in the sequence of events that drew Larry David’s ire on Michael Lemieux will be battling for top-nine minutes and Gauthier likely will get Kay’s fine radio show. an opportunity to show off his offensive talent. But if the Rangers are But the fact is — and you had to know this was coming — the 27-year- serious, they could sure use a defined fourth line. They could do much old Rangers forward did a pretty, pretty, pretty good job in his standard worse than re-upping McKegg to center it. role as coach David Quinn’s fourth-line center.

The problem is that for Quinn’s two years behind the Rangers bench, the New York Post LOADED: 04.05.2020 role of the fourth-line center has been as narrow as the role of the fourth line, which has been used for the most part as a repository for tough guys and mismatched forwards, but rarely as a defined unit.

Oh, for the days of the HMO Line, the combination of Ryan Hollweg, Dominic Moore and Jed Ortmeyer that played such a significant role in the 2005-06 club’s chemistry and unexpected climb to a playoff spot after a seven-year drought. That was the season in which Jaromir Jagr made a point of praising “the best fourth line in the league” after nearly every game.

Or for the days of 2013-14, when Moore — back for his second tour in the Blueshirt — primarily centered Brian Boyle on the left and either Derek Dorsett or Dan Carcillo on the right, the group constituting a perfect blend of disturbance and ability that proved an important factor in the club’s march to the Stanley Cup final.

But in 2005-06, you had a coach, in Tom Renney, who was committed to going with four lines. So was in 2013-14, though his enthusiasm for being a four-line coach waxed and waned.

Do you remember who was part of the fourth line down the 2014-15 stretch and in the ensuing playoffs? If you called out the name, “James Sheppard” without consulting your go-to hockey website, well, you are a better man (or woman, uh, you know what I mean) than I.

The fourth line in the 2017 playoffs was decent, with Oscar Lindberg working well in the middle, generally with a conglomeration of Tanner Glass, Michael Grabner and Jesper Fast on the flanks. It became much more than decent when, in the playoffs, J.T. Miller found his way onto the unit with Glass and Lindberg (who was lost to Vegas in the expansion draft) in the series against Ottawa, but, uh, duh.

Almost without fail you could predict when Vigneault would bounce Miller to the fourth line. There’d be a game pockmarked by wild decision- making in the defensive zone, maybe a blunder or three, and you’d walk into the rink for the next morning skate or practice and, yup, there was the grease board with J.T. down in the lineup.

Those were the days.

Quinn has insisted that he views himself as a four-line coach, but not through two seasons in New York. Part of that surely is personnel-driven. But Quinn loves to ride his top-of-the-line talent, and until the last month or so of this season, he apparently felt it was necessary to have a pseudo-enforcer in the lineup. Hence, Cody McLeod in 2018-19 and, until his season ended in early February with surgery on his bilateral core muscle, Micheal Haley this year.

So, really, the fourth line that most often included Brendan Smith, needed on the penalty kill at his usual defense spot, kind of got leftover minutes and produced little in terms of offense or change of momentum.

McKegg, though, did his part as an energetic, effective forechecker with speed who had an offensive trick or two. Though Quinn occasionally used him as a third-line wing (Calgary!), McKegg got 38 games in the middle of the fourth line that finally gained some definition over the final month of play when No. 14 skated between a demoted Brendan Lemieux and either Brett Howden or Julien Gauthier.

See, right there, the reference to Lemieux’s demotion that makes the term “fourth line” a pejorative one. But Quinn seemed to have more use 1182274 New York Rangers Wings goal that made it 7-3 late in the period? Why, on an assist from, of course, Bruce MacGregor.

“So now we’re playing the third and you could feel the swell coming out Reliving most famous regular season game in Rangers history of the stands as you went up the ice,” Park said. “You could feel the presence. There was no holding back. The floodgates had opened.”

By Larry Brooks There were two more goals from Balon to complete the hat trick as the Blueshirts poured 26 shots on goal for a single-period franchise best to April 4, 2020 | 8:28PM also establish the franchise-record 65 shots in a game. It was 9-3 and coach Emile Francis pulled Ed Giacomin with about four minutes to go.

Detroit scored twice. It ended 9-5. Do you know where you were and what you were doing 50 years ago “We were upset we didn’t score more.” tonight? I do. I was leaning out of my bedroom window, aiming the transistor radio in one hand toward the Empire State Building, the phone So the Rangers were 38-22-16 with 246 goals. The Canadiens were 38- receiver in my other hand as I kept an open line with my friend Fred Balin 21-16 with 242 goals. Montreal needed either one point or five goals. The so we could both listen to the Canadiens-Black Hawks game through the Canadiens got neither. crackle of static from the station in Chicago. Through the cackle of static, I could hear the Hawks go up 5-2 midway It was April 5, 1970 and it was hours after the most famous regular- through the third period. Park was listening, also. season game in Rangers history, the 9-5 afternoon victory over the Red Wings that meant the Blueshirts would make the playoffs if the “A few of us had gone to Mr. Laff’s,” Park said, referring to what was a Canadiens lost to the Black Hawks while scoring fewer than five goals. most popular night spot at the time. “A guy there called his mother in Chicago, asked her to turn to the game, and put the radio to the phone. In fact, this was not only the most famous game in Rangers regular- So I was sitting on a chair next to the bathroom, and I was calling out season history, this represented the most dramatic and uproarious final what was going on to Rod [Gilbert], Walter [Tkaczuk] and Nevvy [captain day ever of an NHL season. The Blueshirts had entered two points Bob Nevin].” behind Montreal, needing not only to win to have a chance to finish fourth and qualify for the Stanley Cup tournament, but needing to score at least Chicago needed the game to finish in first place and get home-ice five goals more than the Canadiens did in a defeat. advantage in the playoffs. When Pit Martin scored to make it 5-2 at 10:44, the Canadiens pulled . They needed only to score Yup, that was the first tiebreaker: goals scored. The Rangers came into three more goals. They got none. The Black Hawks scored five empty- the final day at 37-22-16 with 237 goals. The defending Cup champion netters. It ended 10-2. Habs came in at 38-21-16 with 242 goals. The Blueshirts owned the second tiebreaker, so a differential of five would be enough. The Habs were out and the Rangers were in. The Blueshirts lost the first round in six games to Boston in the series that featured the famous The Rangers had been sailing along in first place with a 34-12-12 mark Game 3 brawl at the Garden after Giacomin allegedly told Derek until Brad Park sustained a broken ankle in Detroit on Feb. 19. The Sanderson there was a bounty on his head. Good times. Blueshirts won two of their first three without No. 2 and then collapsed, going 1-9-3 in their next 13 to fall out of a playoff spot. The NHL changed the tiebreak rule immediately, replacing goals scored with goal differential. But the league couldn’t change the history that “I played 17 years and never missed the playoffs,” Park said by phone on those Rangers made. Saturday. “If there was ever a year that put that in jeopardy, that was it.” “It’s one of the highlights,” Park said. “We had a little reunion at Walter’s Park returned with a week to go, the team won two and tied one, but then place a couple of years ago, Billy Fairbairn, Teddy Irvine [who came were blown out in Detroit on the penultimate night of the season to later], Nevvy, Rod Seiling, Eddie, and believe me, it came up. remain two points behind Montreal. The Red Wings clinched a spot with that victory and as their reward, partied hard even with an afternoon “It was a wild and crazy day and it represents one of the great comeback game at the Garden coming right up. stories ever. We were totally out of it and went into that last game with nothing more than a wing and a prayer. And we had it answered.” By the way, my copy long ago fell apart, and at one point I probably had memorized every word, but if you’d care to read a book on the season, Where were you 50 years ago today? and you likely have some time to do so at the moment, “A Year on Ice,” I know where I was. So do the 1969-70 Rangers. by the great Gerald Eskenazi is for you.

And if you’d like to read a book on this game and this day, then “9 Goals” by Reg Lansberry fills the bill. It hits every note and it is terrific. Plus, New York Post LOADED: 04.05.2020 even I am quoted.

The place was maybe half-full at the start. The building — well, at least 419 where I was, in Row C, Seat 4, with Balin on my left in Seat 3 and Chief Dennis Ryan in Seat 6 and either his wife, Pat, or son, Bernie in Seat 5 — took on the atmosphere of an Irish wake.

“We got there and it was like, ‘What do we have to lose?’ ” Park said. “I never played in a game like it. It was all offense. My partner was Arnie Brown and one of us was up joining the rush every time and the fifth guy was cheating, too. No defense. All go-go-go.”

Rod Gilbert scored 36 seconds in. The Red Wings tied it quickly. Jack Egers, replacing the injured Vic Hadfield, scored twice. Dave Balon scored another. Four goals in the first period. The Garden was like a party. The Rangers noticed.

“We came into the room between periods and it was like, ‘OK, that’s a good start, now let’s get ready,’ ” Park said. “We go out to start the second, and if there were maybe 7,500 there at the start, it was now about 12,000. It was tremendously uplifting. And then, when we came back out for the third, the Garden was full.

“Wow!”

There were three more goals in the second, another from Gilbert, a quite unlikely pair from Ron Stewart, and hey, guess who scored the Red 1182275 New York Rangers

MSG Network giving Rangers fans something to watch

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated April 4, 2020 5:59 PM

In the last days before the sports world ground to a halt, as the coronavirus pandemic grew more and more threatening, the decision- makers at MSG Network knew they had to prepare for a possible stoppage of the NBA and NHL seasons.

So when the NBA season paused on March 11 and the NHL followed suit the next day, the network had a plan of action.

“Knowing that we’re going to be doing this for a while, we wanted to have some kind of rhyme or reason for what we’re doing,’’ MSG executive Jeff Filippi said. “So we wanted to show what are now classic games, and games that really haven’t been seen since they aired.’’

During the first week without games, MSG rebroadcast games from the current season. The old-time games would come later.

According to Filippi, the network’s executive producer and senior vice president of programming and production, the current season — in which the Rangers were engaged in a battle for a playoff spot — had been so much “fun” that the network thought viewers would want to relive some of the more memorable games.

So they came up with themes such as “St. Hat Trick’s Day.’’ On March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, they broadcast all the 2019-20 games in which a player had a hat trick, including the five-goal performance by Mika Zibanejad against Washington on March 5.

Last week, the network aired games from the 2013-14 season, when the Rangers went to the Stanley Cup Final. The week finished on Saturday with rebroadcasts of the four games the Blueshirts won in the Eastern Conference finals against Montreal that season. The games were enhanced by present-day interviews by MSG broadcaster John Giannone.

Filippi said fans have requested particular games. Many want to see replays of the run to the 1994 Stanley Cup. That has been broadcast many times over the years and will be featured in due time, Filippi said.

During this pause, the network has an opportunity to re-run other games, such as the 1997 playoff run — led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier — to the Eastern Conference finals. That was the Rangers’ last playoff experience before 2006, when Jaromir Jagr and rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist finally led them back into the postseason.

At some point, viewers will see the 1979 playoff win over the Islanders that advanced the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final against the Canadiens. That is about the oldest thing in the library, Filippi said. Though the network began in 1969, programming wasn’t routinely saved before the 1980s.

Filippi said people are watching and seem to be enjoying the programming. It is providing an escape from the non-stop bad news about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s how I think people are consuming us at this point,’’ he said. “With the news, it’s so down, [people] can’t watch it. Well, if you’re home in the evening, there’s a chance there’s going to be a fun Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils game for you to watch, if that’s what you’re inclined to do at that moment. So that’s what we’re trying to do for people.’’

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.05.2020

1182276 Ottawa Senators practice, there was always some sort of competition. It got amped up between me and Rebecca, maybe being the two oldest siblings.”

Last spring, for instance, the two skated neck and neck, racing toward How the Leslie siblings are squeezing the most out of their in-house glory. rivalry Rebecca got there first, capturing, as a forward of the Calgary Inferno, the Clarkson Cup, the CWHL’s championship.

By Scott Cruickshank Which heaped the pressure on Zac, who tried to respond. As a blueliner for the AHL Chicago Wolves, he made it all the way to the Calder Cup Apr 4, 2020 final, before succumbing to the Charlotte Checkers.

He calls the oneupmanship healthy — and, ultimately, productive.

Not only did their dad build a backyard rink every winter, he went a step It’s no different, really, than the fine line two goalies walk as they vie for further, attaching festive lights to the upper reaches of the fence. the starter’s net, according to Zac.

Cool. Especially once brother and sister learned how to raise the puck. “Both working toward the same goal of helping the team win, but there’s those little internal battles,” he said. “We love each other and we want “I remember one day specifically we had a competition,” recalled each other to be the most successful athletes and people on the planet. Rebecca Leslie, with a laugh. “We were shooting pucks over the fence, But, at the end of the day, we want to be that person who is the most into the neighbour’s yard, almost hitting our house — just so we could successful. That’s not a bad way to look at it. break the Christmas lights. They would just come shattering down on the rink. Obviously, our dad wasn’t too happy about that.” “I think, for us, it works well. We’re constantly pushing each other. If she goes out and scores two goals, it makes me want to go out and score Zac, all these years later, doesn’t bother to plead his innocence. two goals.” “Every year we’d probably have to buy a new rope of lights,” he said, Off-ice, there are standards, too, among the family members. “especially once we figured out we could shoot it that high.” Ann and Ron possess university degrees. Rebecca majored in business For the partners in crimes, two years apart in age, this wasn’t some one- at BU. Kathryn attends Queen’s in Kingston, Ont., while Grace goes to off. Countless hours were spent together on the ice behind their home in Carleton. Ottawa. Whenever Zac would teeter onto the ice, Rebecca was never far behind. (And in her footsteps came younger sisters Kathryn and Grace.) Determinedly, Zac intends to earn his own graduation day.

The on-ice obsession, which included dragging out cones for drills, He’d started a commerce and accounting program while skating for OHL served well the eldest siblings. Guelph. Now, through Athabasca University, he continues to chase his degree, taking one or two online courses during the hockey season. Not only did they end up on the hockey map — Zac getting drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, Rebecca earning a scholarship to Boston University “When you get home from practice in the afternoon and you don’t really — they forged a close relationship. know what to do … it’s easy for me to pick up my computer, pick up a textbook, and put in an hour or two a day,” said Zac. “I find it gave me They remain tight to this day. more of a perspective on things and gave me something else to spend Even if, for a recent two-week stretch, they had been forced to talk to my free time on. I felt like I was wasting it a bit if I was sitting on the each other through a screen door. couch watching TV all afternoon.

Precautions around the coronavirus pandemic have had that effect. But “If I did something to keep my mind active, I have a theory that it’ll before any intra-family social distancing, there were mad (and actually help my hockey. It keeps you confident about your lifestyle. It independent) dashes home. made me confident to be doing school.”

Rebecca, after participating in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players He laughs. “And confident that I was still capable.” Association’s barnstorming stop in Tempe, Ariz., had just returned to Stuck in his dad’s house right now, Zac’s schoolwork helps to fill his Calgary, where she trains with the national program. days. But that still leaves plenty of time to dig into Showtime’s “Ray But with news of the global crisis picking up steam, she decided to book Donovan,” which came highly recommended. “I threw it on and I’ve been a flight home to Ottawa, days earlier than planned. hooked ever since.”

Zac, too, needed to call an audible. And he’s been easing himself into conditioning. Easing? Remember: the Heat are in the home stretch of a long season, with 55 of 68 games After team-mandated self-isolation in Stockton, Calif., home base of the already in the books, so there’s an element of recovery for players like Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, he grabbed a red-eye flight from San Zac. Francisco. And because his dad, Ron, had weeks earlier travelled to Tucson to catch a couple of the Heat’s games, it made sense that father “I’m sure a lot of guys feel the same way,” he said. “It’s a great time to and son would quarantine together in Ottawa after their time stateside. rest, so I’m doing a lot of rolling out and active releases and stretching, starting to mix in some light cardio. Just trying to stay active at this point.” Meanwhile, a 10-minute drive from Dad and Zac, Rebecca and her sisters were holed up at their mom Ann’s place. So it had been easy for Rebecca, no surprise, wants to stay sharp. (There’s a Hockey Canada them to drop off groceries on the front step for the bunkered menfolk. For strength and conditioning camp scheduled for next month.) She’s heard which they received waves of gratitude. of others cramming backpacks with books or even using soup cans and wine bottles as weights. As of Wednesday, though, Zac’s shut-in status ended. “I’m definitely improvising. I think everyone’s kind of improvising,” she Not that it signifies anything resembling a return to normal. But at least said. “We have dumbbells and bands and medicine balls and benches now brother and sister, with a safe gap separating them, could perhaps here, kind of whatever we need, but it’s different than a (proper) squat go for a jog. Or not. rack. We’re making do. It’s good.”

“It would be too competitive,” said Rebecca. “I’m kind of serious. I can When she’s not sweating, there are jigsaw puzzles to complete and never picture us running together.” board games to contest. Such as? “My mom’s obsessed with Scrabble,” replied Rebecca, adding that Ann is an ace. “She’s been playing since Told of his sister’s comment, Zac laughs, then wholeheartedly agrees. she was young.” As with any siblings, there is the potential for rivalry on many fronts. Meaning there’s a competitive streak that runs family-wide, from triple- “In anything you can really think of, I’m sure we’ve argued about or letter point scores at the kitchen table to informal summertime skates battled about in some way,” said Zac. “Whether it was what we were with Rebecca and Zac and his buddies. going to watch on TV, whether we were on the outdoor rink doing target Last summer she had been eager to work on her puck-protection skills, in particular. So she hoped to be challenged on the ice.

“Some of them are afraid to kind of hit me or rub me out — to play contact with me, but Zac shows no mercy,” she said. “A lot of times Zac tells them, ‘Don’t be afraid to hit her. She’ll be OK.’ Because a lot of them will just play soft, but Zac always makes sure to tell them, ‘It’s fine. It’s my sister. You can do it.’”

It’s an attitude formed out of respect.

The mindset, he insists, is simple.

“We’re just all trying to get better. It’s not male and female,” said Zac. “We’re all capable hockey players. You see that all over the place — male and female athletes training together in any sport. You’re going to start to see it more and more in hockey.”

What happens in the coming months remains to be seen. “Definitely there are bigger things going on right now,” said Rebecca.

Which means putting on hold a significant amount of momentum for the Leslies.

Zac, in his first season with the Flames organization, had been thriving. A go-to player, he is Stockton’s top point-getter from the blue line. Then again, his one-year AHL contract expires on June 30.

“The way this business is, nothing’s ever guaranteed, right?” said Zac. “You never know what’s going to happen. Obviously, if you have a really good season, you can be confident you’re going to be getting something … but there’s always anxiety because there’s so much unknown.”

No one needs to tell Rebecca about the unknown.

A full-time athlete in her prime, she had no team after the May 2019 shuttering of the CWHL left only the five-city National Women’s Hockey League. This winter she made appearances on the PWHPA’s exhibition schedule — officially, the Dream Gap Tour — which included showcases around North America.

“Each one built our fan base a little bit more,” Rebecca said, “so that was really fun for us. We’re moving forward in a positive manner. I think it’ll definitely progress even further next year.”

The hope is one day seeing a single sustainable professional women’s league. Whatever happens, Rebecca knows that she can count on her big brother’s backing.

Zac has the advantage of perspective. He’s seen what goes into the women’s game. Not that there’s much of a difference — if any.

“In her entire life, she’s put in just as much work as I have, equally as much time and effort, blood, sweat and tears,” said Zac. “I think that’s something that everyone really needs to recognize — that they’re putting in the same amount of effort as anybody else. They’re making the same sacrifices, so they deserve to get the recognition.

“At the end of the day, that’s what we all want to see — the women playing hockey again.”

Rebecca feels that support. She points out that Zac always wanted to reach the NHL, always wanted to be a hockey lifer. Meanwhile, she aimed for the Olympics, understanding that any career aspirations she had were going to be narrow.

“Growing up, we had different dreams,” said Rebecca. “Hopefully one day, little girls and little boys can have the same dream of playing professionally.”

The Athletic LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182277 Philadelphia Flyers solid two-way player who was coming into his own this season -- for a draft pick instead of losing him for nothing.

Laughton figures to get protected, however, if Patrick or Lindblom is not Next year’s expansion draft for Seattle will affect moves made by Flyers able to play next season. (Promising forwards Joel Farabee and Morgan GM Chuck Fletcher this offseason Frost don’t have to be protected because first- and second-year NHL players are exempt.)

Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, and Phil Myers would probably be the by Sam Carchidi defensemen the Flyers protect. That would leave available, though he could have a bounce-back season in 2020-21 to

give the Flyers a reason to pause. Seattle’s expansion draft won’t be held until 2021, but it will affect moves Carter Hart (duh) will be the one goalie protected. Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher makes this summer. If Lindblom and Patrick are healthy, the protection list might look like this: Right now, the expansion draft is low on teams’ priority list, though it’s on general managers’ minds, especially with the NHL season on hold and Forwards (7): Giroux, Hayes, Couturier, Konecny, Voracek, Lindblom, possibly over because of the coronavirus outbreak. and Patrick. (Laughton would probably be added if Patrick or Lindblom isn’t healthy.) Front-office personnel are preparing for the draft and kicking around which of their own free agents they will try to re-sign. They are mindful Defensemen (3): Provorov, Sanheim, and Myers. that all moves they make, including summer trades, will have an effect on which players they protect in the expansion draft. Goalie (1): Hart.

They are also mindful of the expansion rules: Each team must expose The Flyers’ unprotected list may include van Riemsdyk, a highly one defenseman who is under contract for 2021-22 and played in at least consistent scorer; Gostisbehere; Laughto; and the underrated Hagg. 40 NHL games in 2020-2021 or played in at least 70 NHL games in the Losing any of the four would be painful prior two seasons. Seattle might also have Aube-Kubel (assuming he’s signed), Michael They must also expose at least two forwards who meet the same Raffl, and goalie Felix Sandstrom available, among others. conditions, and make one goalie available who is under contract for Teams will lose only one player, and Seattle will get a pretty good one 2021-22 or will be a restricted free agent on July 1, 2021. from the Flyers. In a way, the quality of the players the Flyers potentially All of those factors will be considered as Fletcher negotiates salary and will leave exposed shows the strides they have made since Vegas’ contract lengths with his free agents this summer, including Nolan expansion draft. Patrick, Oskar Lindblom, Phil Myers, Robert Hagg, Misha Vorobyev, It also means Fletcher may be more inclined to deal someone like Derek Grant, Tyler Pitlick, Nic Aube-Kubel, Justin Braun, Mark Friedman, Gostisbehere this summer for a draft pick or prospect who doesn’t have , and Nate Thompson. to be protected. Better to stockpile draft picks or prospects than lose a In the expansion draft, teams can either protect 11 players (must be promising player and get nothing in return. seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie) or eight skaters (any combination of forwards and defensemen) and one goalie. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.05.2020 Difficult decisions

The Flyers figure to use Option No. 1, and they will have some difficult choices.

As the team is currently formed, the Flyers would lose a more valuable player than they did in 2017, when Vegas plucked fourth-line center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare from them in the expansion draft.

Bellemare was a leader and a solid penalty-killer. He was a nice role player, but he was replaceable.

Before examining whom the Flyers might lose in 2021, let’s look at the team’s expected protected list as it now stands.

First, centers and have no-movement clauses, meaning they have to be protected.

That leaves five more forwards who need to be protected. Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny are locks. Jake Voracek is close to a lock, though the Flyers could gamble that Seattle doesn’t want to pick up his big salary and leave him available so they can protect someone else.

From here, it’s too risky to make Voracek available. He’s one of the Flyers’ best forwards and should be protected.

In that scenario, the Flyers would be able to protect only two of the following four players: Patrick, Lindblom, , and Scott Laughton. There is also a possibility the Flyers could ask the ask the league for a health exemption, in which case Lindblom or Patrick might not need to be protected.

Health uncertainties

It’s difficult, of course, to project the health of Lindblom and Patrick, forwards who are restricted free agents this summer. Lindblom has been undergoing treatments as he battles a rare bone cancer, and Patrick has missed the season because of a migraine disorder.

If Patrick and Lindblom re-sign, return to good health, and are playing next season, they would almost definitely be protected in the expansion draft. If that were the case, the Flyers might try to trade Laughton – a 1182278 Philadelphia Flyers scorers — Boldy, Zegras, Cole, Jack and Alex Turcotte. We never utilized him because this just doesn’t make a lot of sense when you’ve got that firepower up front, but he was probably our best shootout guy."

How Flyers prospect Cam York can help and torture goalies As a defenseman on that team.

"The things that he would do to our goalies and Spencer Knight, he would make them look silly with the edgework," Wroblewski said. "He By Jordan Hall looked like a video game the way that he could come in, carve his edges and then just like sling it underneath the crossbar. It was really cool to April 04, 2020 7:00 AM watch. I’d never seen anybody be able to create on the shootout like he did."

NHL talent evaluators couldn't miss Cam York's offensive exploits. In his freshman season at Michigan, York dealt with a pair of injuries but still put up 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and a plus-9 mark through 30 -me-if-you-can defenseman lit up score sheets and caught all games. The 19-year-old led the Wolverines in secondary assists (eight) eyes during his draft year. When a teenage blueliner skates as smoothly and was third in blocked shots (54). and handles the puck as dynamically as York does, pro clubs watch in bunches and envision big things for the future. A healthy and stronger York as a sophomore will bring him closer to the Flyers. He'll play a ton of minutes — which is what he's shooting for at Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said the team's entire the pro ranks, as well — and an even bigger role on what should be a scouting staff had seen York 10 to 15 times during the 2018-19 season. formidable 2020-21 Michigan team. The Flyers then drafted York at No. 14 overall last summer after he set a U.S. national team development program single-season record with 65 York's strength and developmental curve at the Division I level, especially points (14 goals, 51 assists) in 63 games. next season, will determine how quickly he signs his entry-level contract.

For John Wroblewski, the head coach of the loaded USNTDP under-18 “Defensemen are always going to take a little bit longer," Wroblewski squad that year, he didn't want NHL suitors hypnotized by just the said. "Goalies take the longest, defensemen are the next, you look at the offensive gifts. middle of the ice, centermen, that’s next and then wingers transition the quickest to the NHL obviously. He emphasized York's defensive strengths. “I think any opportunity, as long as he’s being challenged at the college "One of the things I kept telling scouts that I was so impressed with Cam level, he should stay. But I also appreciate the challenge of the American was how the game was always in front of him," Wroblewski said last Hockey League. I know a lot of guys don’t want to go there, ride the bus, month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. "The puck but after having worked in that league, that buffer zone between there hardly ever advanced behind him, you couldn’t beat him 1-on-1 — I could and the NHL is very important and can be pivotal for defensemen and probably count on one hand how many times he got actually beat 1-on-1 young players. over two years — and his strength around the net; he just understands. "You look at [Casey] Mittelstadt in Buffalo as an example of how college "He has innate defensive ability, it’s natural. It seems effortless. Some wasn’t challenging enough for him, the NHL might have been too much guys you know they’re competing in their defensive zone and they have — that American League is a really, really, really pivotal spot for a lot of to, they scratch and claw — he just always has the right spots. His gap young players. ... It can be a huge tool and not one that prospects should control, his stick detail, it’s all organic. be scared of or feel slighted if they end up there.” "I think he’s going to be rock-solid offensively in the NHL, but his prowess But Wroblewski doesn't see York far down the ladder. will be how reliable he is defensively. Working around him and watching his video on a daily basis, he never got beat." "Just from his past, the way that he came into the program, U-17 and was able to fit right in, and then really thrive at the U-18 level as an York is now with Michigan and his upcoming sophomore year could be underager and then set the scoring records that he did," Wroblewski said. his last at the collegiate level. Because of two impressive years in the "He looks at home in the college game and displays the same offensive USNTDP, he went to the draft and Ann Arbor with hype. characteristics. A kid that truly appreciates keeping the puck out of his "I think if you asked him, he would want to turn pro tomorrow," Flahr said net first and then letting the offense come to him — those are after the Flyers drafted York. "He's going to a good program at Michigan, characteristics that should prove worthy of him making a quick climb to we'll take it year by year. I don't see him as a four-year guy, let's put it the NHL.” that way."

In 2018-19, York was the go-to defenseman on a U.S. team that Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 produced eight first-round draft picks last June — Jack Hughes (No. 1), Alex Turcotte (No. 5), Trevor Zegras (No. 9), Matthew Boldy (No. 12), Spencer Knight (No. 13), York (No. 14), Cole Caufield (No. 15) and John Beecher (No. 30).

York, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound lefty shot, was third on the U.S. in assists (behind only Hughes and Zegras), fifth in points and sported a team-best plus-56 rating.

"He just hit the ground running at the program, he was such a student of the game, he’s smart in practice, his instincts were outstanding," Wroblewski, who led the U-17 team this season, said. "He never really hit any type of a speed bump throughout his two years with the program. He seamlessly went from being our top defenseman to running the power play for the U-18 team in February and beyond, and then of course he set defensive scoring records at the program.

"Really kind of a seamless two years, but a kid that never really took it for granted, either. He always showed up, he had a workmanlike attitude in regard to practice. He was like a pro from a young age — he showed up, did his job, low maintenance, but a fiery competitor at the same time."

Just how skilled and electric is he with the puck on his stick?

"It’s interesting, for as much talent as we had on that team, I think Cam might have been our best shootout guy," Wroblewski said. "We didn’t utilize him because of the star power that you had with those top-five 1182279 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins on pause: Anthony Angello made strides as a rookie but still has a ways to go

Staff Report

The NHL has “paused” its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear if it will resume. So, with one eye still on the future, the Post- Gazette’s Matt Vensel and Mike DeFabo are looking back at what each Penguins player did in 2019-20. We started with the captain, No. 87, and will count down by jersey number.

Anthony Angello’s rookie season began in Buffalo with a coach’s challenge.

The 6-foot-5 forward skated for the Penguins in the annual Prospects Challenge in Buffalo in September. He scored in the team’s first game but Mike Vellucci, the first-year coach for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, let him know afterward that he wanted to see more fire going forward.

Angello brought it in the final two games of that tournament and carried it over into the regular season for the AHL club. The 24-year-old had 16 goals and nine assists when he got called up to the NHL for the first time in late January.

Angello, a fifth-round pick in 2014 who played three seasons at the NCAA level at Cornell, feels he made strides down in Wilkes-Barre under Vellucci when it came to hitting smarter instead of harder and using his big frame to protect pucks.

But he did not make much of an impact at the NHL level as a rookie. Skating on the fourth line, he had one goal, no assists and a minus-1 rating in eight games. He never played more than seven and a half minutes in a game. He then suffered an upper-body injury March 3. That was the last time we saw him.

Still, coach Mike Sullivan said Angello showed he can be “an effective player in this league,” citing his size, skating and willingness to get in on the forecheck.

“It’s more about just decision-making, awareness, all of those things that players need to adjust to the pace of the game,” he said. “I don’t mean that physically. I mean how quickly players in this league process the game. [It’s] the anticipation skills and the awareness away from the puck and things of that nature.”

So Angello, one of the heaviest players on Pittsburgh’s roster at 210 pounds, has some intriguing tools. But he is still figuring out how to put them to use.

DEFINING MOMENT: Angello will have a heck of a story to tell his grandchildren someday. He was supposed to be a healthy scratch Feb. 18. But Evgeni Malkin was a last-minute scratch due to an illness, pushing Angello into the lineup. The rookie tipped a shot past Toronto’s Frederik Andersen for his first NHL goal.

STAT THAT STANDS OUT: Angello dished out 13 hits in his limited minutes. That resulted in an average of 17.0 hits per 60 minutes of ice time, tops on the team. Brandon Tanev, who led the Penguins with 244 total hits, averaged 14.6.

IF THE SEASON RESUMES: It would be in the best interest of both Angello and the Penguins if he finished out the season in Wilkes-Barre, helping the AHL club try to climb back into playoff position. Angello needs to play. And that wouldn’t happen here after the Penguins added three forwards at the NHL trade deadline.

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK: Whenever the 2020-21 season starts up, Angello will get a chance in training camp and the preseason to earn a spot on the team. But he will have plenty of competition. Samuel Poulin and Nathan Legare, a pair of 2019 picks, may push him, along with Kasper Bjorkqvist, Sam Miletic and others.

Post Gazette LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182280 San Jose Sharks It’s easy to see how Newsom is pessimistic about the fall. Relaxing social distancing, enough as to make it acceptable to fill a stadium, too early is a recipe for creating a second wave of infections. We’re seeing this in China, where movie theaters have been closed again and hopes of re- We’re all asking the wrong question about the return of sports starting the national basketball league have been put on hold.

So how will sports resume?

By DIETER KURTENBACH | [email protected] | “The one thing that we hopefully will have in place [if we are to see a Bay Area News Group second wave] — and I believe we will have in place — is a much more PUBLISHED: April 4, 2020 at 3:29 p.m. | UPDATED: April 4, 2020 at robust system to be able to identify someone that’s infected, isolate 4:04 p.m. them, and then do contact tracing,” Fauci said. “If you have a really good program of containment, that prevents you from ever having to get to mitigation [social distancing]… The ultimate solution to a virus that might keep coming back is a vaccine.” When will sports resume? Everyone has a thought. The North American professional sports leagues are hoping for late May, early June. Per So without a vaccine, we’re going to need a lot of T and T: treatment and ESPN, President Trump told commissioners Saturday that he hopes testing. leagues can resume — with fans in the stands — in August or September. If there is a treatment plan that could obliterate COVID-19’s hospitalization and death rate, putting them in line with, say, the seasonal Yes, it’s his hope that the NFL starts, with fans in the stands, on time. flu, that could facilitate a swifter return to normalcy.

California Governor Gavin Newsom disagrees. “I’m not anticipating that Near-free and overwhelmingly accessible and copious testing with near- happening in this state,” he said Saturday. instant results — the kind we do not have in the United States right now — could take us back to something resembling normal, too. It’s fair to wonder and project, when normal — or whatever normal will be after this pandemic — will return, but the truth is that no one — not even But we’re all going to be wearing masks and watching quarantined NBA the world’s best experts — can reasonably put a date when we’ll be able players play H-O-R-S-E and video games while we wait. to go to our favorite restaurant, travel to see love ones without having to go into quarantine, or cheer on our favorite teams in person or even on The wait is all we can do, for now. TV once again. Without a breakthrough, it’s hard to see a circumstance where the That’s because the pressing question when it comes to returning to Warriors play again this season. The Sharks, too. NBA and NHL playoffs normal isn’t “when?”. seem far fetched at the moment as well. If they happen, they’ll be closed- door events, perhaps in one venue. It’s “how?”. The season seems destined to be played behind Until there is a vaccine, COVID-19 will be a threat. Right now, because it closed doors, too — at least in San Francisco and Oakland. That’s if they is a novel virus, humans have no antibodies, the world of medicine has don’t play an entire season in Arizona and Florida. no uniform treatment plans, and a safe, effective vaccine is a year away. And given Newsom’s comments Saturday, September games at Levi’s Social distancing and wearing masks when in public are currently our Stadium will be even more empty than usual. Pandemic is a better only proven means for fighting back and saving lives. excuse than “it’s too hot.”

And until we no longer have to socially distance, it’s antithetical to expect The games will resume. I can guarantee that. But this reality TV show that we can cram 250 people into a venue, much less 20,000 or 75,000. won’t have a live studio audience for a while.

Closed-door games — even at a single venue — are inherently That stinks, but we have to remember that around the world, professional problematic. No matter how hard leagues might try, they won’t be able to sports leagues were not aggressive enough in shutting down. It’s fully quarantine every essential person for the operation, and, as we presumptuous to say there was malicious intent on behalf of the teams learned with the NBA, one positive test can — for good reason — shut and leagues, but it’s impossible to say that those games didn’t contribute the whole thing down. to the devastation this virus has wrought. Sports can’t make the same mistake twice. The only surefire way to return to the norm teams traveling all over the country to play in front of sold-out arenas is a vaccine. In Northern Italy, a Champions League match between Atalanta and Valencia on Feb. 19 in Milan is being called “Game Zero” for the COVID- Still, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, there might be some relaxation of 19 outbreak in that region. The Warriors played the Clippers despite the social distancing in the weeks and months to come. city of San Francisco’s request that they re-schedule or cancel the “If we get to the part of the curve… when it goes down to essentially no contest. Instead, they put some 8.5 by 11 sheets of paper on the doors of Chase Center asking people not to enter if they recently had flu-like new cases, no new deaths, I think it makes sense that you’re going to symptoms or had traveled to China, Italy, South Korea, or Iran. The NHL, relax social distancing,” he said in a White House press conference Major League Baseball, and were planning to ride earlier this week. it out — to keep playing games and making money — until the NBA was But if social distancing is done correctly — if the curve is “flattened” — forced to shut down because of Rudy Gobert’s positive test. then that portion of the curve is, inherently, further away. It’s worth noting that even after Gobert’s test, the NBA continued to play In California, according to the University of Washington projections, that games that night and planned on tipping off a late Pelicans-Kings game could be in July. in Sacramento. New Orleans players refused to take the floor and the game was canceled. But no two states are on the same timeline. Some cities, like New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Detroit, are being hit harder than others, and Now that we’re heading towards the other side of the curve, I’d hope the the virus started spreading in communities at different times, too. Right lesson was learned and the leagues will err on the side of caution, not now, the logistics of a normal schedule are nearly impossible to capital. And I’d hope that governments will stop all those who make the overcome for leagues that have teams from coast-to-coast. wrong decision.

And because there was no national lock-down — every state gets to call I’m not holding my breath, but, again, we can hope. its own shot — it’s ridiculous to think that there will be a single day where the country “re-opens”. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.05.2020 No, returning to normal will also have to be a gradual process. Sports and other large gatherings needed to be the first things shut down and, inherently, they should be the last thing to re-open. 1182281 San Jose Sharks “My family, coaches, advisers — we just thought that I’m ready for the challenge,” Leonard said about turning pro. “It was a tough ending to the year, but with all that being said, we thought it was a great time for me to try to make the jump and start my pro career.” The next Johnny Hockey? Maybe not, but the Sharks may have a keeper in John Leonard Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said both Leonard and Pasichnuk could see time in the NHL this season if the league is able to resume play.

By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Otherwise, both players will have the opportunity to compete for NHL Area News Group jobs whenever training camp for the 2020-2021 season begins. The PUBLISHED: April 4, 2020 at 5:08 a.m. | UPDATED: April 4, 2020 at Sharks might be in need of a sixth defenseman and could use some 4:13 p.m. more scoring punch up front, and it doesn’t hurt that both players will be on economical entry-level deals.

Odds are, though, that both players will start the season in the AHL with San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro made the jump straight from the Barracuda, learning the Sharks’ system and adjusting to a busier the NCAA to the NHL without having to spend time in the minor leagues. schedule at the developmental level. In the case of Leonard, the Sharks already have Evander Kane, Timo Meier and Marcus Sorensen on the After he agreed to join the Sharks earlier this week, John Leonard hopes left side of their forward group and a number of other players already in to carve the same path as his former roommate at UMass-Amherst. the system vying for depth jobs.

Given his skill set, he’ll get the chance. “At the end of the day,” Leonard said, “I’m playing for a job and playing “The reason why Mario was able to do that was just based off his work for a spot on the team.” ethic and his drive to want to be great,” Leonard said Friday in a teleconference with local reporters. “He’s definitely someone I look up to. I was his roommate at school and we worked out together every day and San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.05.2020 trained together.

“His work ethic alone gets his to where he is, and I’m definitely going to try and do everything I can to follow that up.”

Perhaps Leonard wasn’t widely known when the Sharks selected him in the sixth round, 182nd overall, in 2018. He had enjoyed a solid freshman season at UMass with 28 points in 33 games and as a sophomore, was part of a team — with Ferraro and now Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar — that advanced to the Division I national championship game.

But Leonard established himself as one of the Sharks’ top prospects in an impressive junior season.

As Makar shined with the Avalanche and Ferraro became a regular in the Sharks’ lineup , Leonard and Mitchell Chaffee — who just signed with the Minnesota Wild — shouldered much of the offensive load and combined to score 43 of UMass’ 107 goals in 35 games.

Leonard, 21, finished with 37 points, including an NCAA Division I-best 27 goals, in 33 games.

“I think the biggest thing (this season) was my overall commitment to conditioning and being able to play top minutes every single night, and having that consistency day-in and day-out,” Leonard said. “My sophomore year, that was something I struggled with a little bit was being able to play those top minutes every single game and be consistent with it.

“That was one of the biggest things I focused on this past summer was just conditioning, skating as much as I could, running — all that kind of stuff that helps you on the ice.”

Leonard, listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, was named a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award last month, and although he wasn’t selected as one of the top three finalists, was a major reason why the Minutemen went 21-12-2 and finished the season ranked ninth in the country. Leonard had 15 points, including 10 goals, in his last eight college games.

In other words, it didn’t seem like Leonard had much left to prove at UMass.

“John’s unbelievable,” said former Arizona State defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk, who got to know Leonard and Ferraro at last year’s Sharks development camp.

“He’s one of the most skilled forwards I’ve played against and seen play at the college level, to say the least. The guy has incredible hands and he’s so smart with the puck. And he can put a puck in the net when you give it to him.”

Leonard, like Pasichnuk, is waiting to see what the NHL does with the 2019-2020 season before he puts pen to paper and officially signs an entry-level contract. 1182282 San Jose Sharks

Sharks' John Leonard hopes to follow in ex-roommate Mario Ferraro's footsteps

By Brian Witt

April 04, 2020 8:29 PM

UMass-Amherst has produced its fair share of NHL talent. Aside from longtime Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, the school's most prominent NHL alumni are defensemen, such as Colorado Avalanche phenom Cale Makar. The Sharks have found plenty of success with UMass defensemen, whether it be former blue-liners Justin Braun and Matt Irwin, or current rookie Mario Ferraro.

Ferraro, San Jose's second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, made the jump straight from college to the pros, and was arguably the brightest spot of the Sharks' season that has since been indefinitely paused due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The following year, San Jose went back to the UMass well in the 2018 draft, but this time used a sixth-round selection on forward John Leonard.

Fresh off of being the NCAA's leading goal-scorer and a Hobey Baker award finalist, Leonard officially agreed to join the Sharks franchise this past week, and he hopes to follow in his former college roommate's footsteps.

"The reason Mario was able to do that was just based off his work ethic and his drive to want to be great," Leonard said on an introductory conference call with reporters on Friday. "He's definitely someone I look up to. I was his roommate at school and we worked out together every day and trained together. His work ethic alone got him to where he is and I'm definitely going to try to do everything I can to follow that up."

Though Leonard has committed to San Jose, he has yet to officially sign, as he's waiting for clarification as to if and when the current season might resume. In the meantime, just like the rest of the NHLers currently practicing social distancing, he's doing his best to stay in shape.

Given that he used to work out with Ferraro in college, naturally, it begs the question as to whether or not Leonard has tuned into Ferraro's "quarantine" workouts that he is posting online. According to his former roommate, this is nothing new.

"Yeah, he was actually doing those at school, too," Leonard explained, "but they were a little bit more under the radar. Now they're open to the public and he loves it."

Ferraro surpassed even the wildest of expectations in his rookie season, and Leonard will certainly be challenged to do the same. If he's able to, however, it stands to reason that the former roommates might be reunited.

From the sounds of it, Leonard wouldn't mind -- though he might want to keep an eye on the pantry.

"The best thing about it is just his personality," Leonard said of rooming with Ferraro. "He's always in a good mood. He's a hilarious guy and he's just always fun to be around. Worst thing? I don't know. The guy ... he's always eating, so maybe he takes my food a little bit."

Ferraro already appears to be an important piece of the Sharks' core moving forward, and they're definitely hoping that Leonard can join him.

If he impresses enough, he'll have his own room in no time.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182283 San Jose Sharks

Joe Pavelski's game-winner vs. Jets symbolic of clutch Sharks' tenure

By Brian Witt

April 04, 2020 4:13 PM

Programming note: Joe Pavelski's game-winning goal in the Sharks' thrilling, last-second 2019 victory over the will re-air on Saturday, April 4 at 9 p.m. on NBC Sports Bay California.

What a game. What a finish.

Joe Pavelski served as captain in multiple capacities throughout his time with the Sharks. Captain of San Jose, Captain America, and frequently, Captain Clutch. On March 12, 2019 against the Winnipeg Jets, both bookend descriptions were apt.

The Sharks entered the game on quite a run. They were undefeated in March, riding a five-game winning streak, including an impressive 3-0 road shutout over the Minnesota Wild the night before. Marc-Edouard Vlasic got San Jose on the board first, but Winnipeg responded with two goals over the ensuing 65 seconds, an early sign that the Sharks would have their hands full.

San Jose pulled even before the first intermission, and both sides managed to score once in the second period. Precisely two minutes into the third, Marcus Sorensen gave the Sharks their first lead since Vlasic's opening goal, but Matheiu Perreault knotted things up for the Jets with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, setting up for what appeared to be an overtime finish.

Pavelski never let it get that far.

With less than 15 seconds remaining in regulation, Winnipeg broke into San Jose's defensive zone, but Vlasic got a stick on a Jets' cross-ice pass, turning a scary defensive situation into an odd-man rush opportunity. Timo Meier raced up the open ice and collected the puck right as he crossed Winnipeg's blue line. Coming in at high speed, Meier attempted to set up Pavelski for the game-winning goal by lifting a saucer pass over the lone remaining Jets' defenseman's stick.

Before the puck reconnected with the ice, Pavelski swatted it out of mid- air, directly into the back of the net with 4.3 seconds left on the clock.

Game over. Winning streak extended in Winnipeg.

It was the usual suspect. Throughout Sharks franchise history, only Patrick Marleau has accounted for more game-winning goals than Pavelski's 60. Though it wasn't apparent at the time, his game-winner against at the Jets that night turned out to be the final one he scored for San Jose. Pavelski departed for the Dallas Stars in free agency last offseason, and while his goal total (14) might be on the decline, he hasn't lost his penchant for the clutch (three game-winners).

Pavelski worked his way from being the No. 205 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft to being named captain of the United States National Team. Though not the biggest or fastest skater, there was never a harder worker. He endeared himself to Sharks fans through his leadership and effort, and those 355 regular-season and 48 playoff goals didn't hurt either.

Sharks' captain. Captain America. Captain Clutch. Any and all will do.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182284 St Louis Blues How did they get in here? Are they allowed in here? Is this their truck? Should I interview them? I don’t want to be near strangers these days. They probably don’t either.

Five days at 5 p.m. tell the story of St. Louis sports during the I get back in my car. I text my friend, the youth soccer coach, a photo of coronavirus pandemic the fields.

“It’s a lonely place these days,” he responds. “I don’t even drive by there — too painful.” Benjamin Hochman If possible, this day is even nicer than the previous day at the soccer fields.

5 p.m. Monday: Basketball court at Tilles Park, North Hampton The grass is a little taller than it should be. Leaves crunch as I walk neighborhood toward the popular handball courts, where the only activity is one lone The sign says: “No littering.” The lock says: “No loitering.” bird walking slowly across. Yellow tape blocks the handball court entrance. Black font screams across the yellow: “POLICE LINE DO NOT Here at this South City park, which shares the name with one in Ladue, CROSS.” silver shackles are wrapped around the sliver of an entrance to the basketball court. A Master lock secures the chains. It’s lonely in there. It’s “I probably play 3-4 games a week,” said 74-year-old Terry Whitford by lonely out here. The court is green, as is the fencing surrounding it, as is phone. “There is a range of people, from laborers to trash-truck drivers to the grass surrounding it, but nothing feels fresh. They’ve stopped sports. doctors to college instructors — it’s a whole lot of society that shows up Not just the Cardinals and Blues, but many recreational sports across St. there, and we all get along.” Louis city and county. Some city parks remain open during the COVID-19 Whitford first played handball in 1968 after the Marine Corps. He was in pandemic, but the sports venues aren’t. California. “It’s difficult for all of us to have to make these decisions, it’s difficult for “I’ve been playing this game a long time,” he said. “Over 50 years. I’ve folks who actively get involved in these sports,” said Greg Hayes, the been to Forest Park so many times in my life, if I start my car, it drives director of parks, recreation and forestry for the city of St. Louis. “We’re there automatically. I’m missing this. It’s a big part of who I am. And not making sure folks know that social distancing protocols are critical … to to be able to do it is, man, tough. It’s really difficult.” ensure we keep all of the public in the city as safe as possible.” On the weekends, it’s particularly crowded here. In the mornings, The day is gray. Occasionally, a jogger will pass by. I’ll instinctively start Whitford said, “the old timers, which includes me, get there early. And walking the other direction, but not so fast that it looks obvious, as if the about 11 o’clock, the young studs show up to play.” The games get person doesn’t already know what I’m up to anyway. Is there social intense. Local legends are made here. There’s even the occasional etiquette for social distancing? wager on a game — “It’s been known to happen …” Whitford said. “If I miss the harmony of basketball. And the cacophony. This is a nice you’ve got any competition at all in your bones, you’ll like playing this setup here with this court — they probably have some good games. Or game a lot.” perhaps a neighborhood kid will come alone, find an unused hoop and Since the pandemic, he hasn’t played this game at all. escape in his or her jump shots. For so many of us, playing sports is our outlet. And now, something so welcoming and safe is suddenly so “I don’t go anywhere,” he said. “I just stay at the house.” dangerous. You can’t play games with playing games. 5 p.m. Thursday: Flynn Park tennis courts, University City 5 p.m. Tuesday: Lou Fusz Soccer Complex, Maryland Heights As I drive, I think about the beautiful symmetry of the little girl taking The turn left has almost this enchanting feeling, as you’re suddenly tennis lessons on these courts, where she now gives tennis lessons to facing this landscape of fields that are illuminated by sunlight … until you little girls. reach a steel barrier specifically in place to keep you out. “It’s a special place to me,” said Rachel Stuhlmann, 28, earlier in the Park’s closed. There’s a sign that says “No Trespassing.” Wonder if day by phone. that’s always been there? I got out and walked toward the barrier. Should I walk in to see the soccer fields up close? There is a lone silver GMC A former Mizzou tennis player, Stuhlmann spends time at Flynn Park’s truck parked on the other side. Is there a person in here, just waiting for courts, whether it’s coaching or making tennis videos. trespassers? These days have me feeling just a little more paranoid, if “ only because everyone else is also a little more paranoid. When I’m playing tennis, whenever I’m on the court, it’s a way to forget about everything else going on,” she said. It really is a glorious day outside, stupidly beautiful. Perfect for playing soccer. Perfect for playing anything. It’s partly sunny outside, but that means it’s also partly cloudy. I drive closer to Rachel’s childhood courts and — what in the hell? — there are “Those fields,” 14-year-old Natalie Miller said by phone, “are where I people playing tennis. On every court. Doubles, too. Some of the male grew up. It’s basically part of my life, part of my passion.” players have their shirts off and are lathered in perspiration.

A friend coaches a soccer team out here. He put me in touch with I’m instantly mad. My thoughts swirl. Do they realize how easily the Natalie, an eighth grader who is normally here 2-3 times a week for coronavirus spreads? Why would they take this risk? How selfish can practices and 2-3 times a weekend for games. these people be?

“It just makes me sad because I don’t get to do something that I love,” But then I wondered about the technicalities of the social distancing she said. “And I don’t get to do it with the people that I love.” rules. Yeah, I guess when you play tennis, you’re more than 6 feet away from your opponent. And there can’t be that many more than 10 people The coronavirus has paused childhoods. This spring and summer, kids gathered here. Maybe these people are being very conscious about will grow, but they won’t grow. No lessons or practices. You think about being safe, but also just want to sneak in some fun during these how many big accomplishments won’t be achieved, and how many little depressing days? moments won’t be experienced. I didn’t want to get close to the courts. I got nervous while thinking about I then heard this sound. the “respiratory droplets” we keep hearing about in the news. I drove away. Puh! 5 p.m. Friday: Shaw Park baseball field, Clayton It’s coming from the farthest field in the farthest corner of the facility. The sky is as ominous as the world beneath it. Puh! But the baseball field makes me smile. I squint. There are two guys, two stick figures, kicking a soccer ball back and forth. During my sophomore year, in 1996, they unveiled the new field at Clayton High School. It was a big deal. We never had a proper setup with an outfield fence and scoreboard.

But all these years later, my new field became the old field.

After Leo Goodfriend’s sophomore year for Clayton, the school planned to construct a new turf surface to replace the grass. Didn’t happen. He played his junior season on the dingy, gross grass. Afterward, they began construction.

The turf was ready for Goodfriend’s senior season. The 2020 season.

“Finally,” he said. “And we can’t play on it.”

This new turf and scoreboard look really sharp. Which, of course, makes this all even more heart-wrenching. They just sit there, unused, waiting for an opening day that has past.

I think about the Clayton seniors, whose junior season ended with a 1-0 loss in districts. A long summer, all fall, throughout winter — they thought about the loss and looked forward to a chance at redemption. And now, to think, that 1-0 loss as a junior was Goodfriend’s last high school baseball game.

I think about the parents of high school seniors across St. Louis. Students in the class of 2020 were born around Sept. 11, 2001. Must’ve been so strange. Now, their babies are seniors in high school, missing the final months of class and possibly graduation because of a global pandemic.

“Three of us — myself, Will Laakko and Ty Sucher — have all been on the varsity team since freshman year,” Goodfriend said. “I’ve played with Will, on and off, since second grade. … We actually made a point to go at 5 o’clock on Friday (March 20), which was supposed to have been our home opener, the big opening day on the new field. I played catch with Will, just to sort of give it a little opening day ceremony.

“In a sense, it was kind of nice. But in another way, it was really sad and just sort of hard to fathom. We were supposed to be playing a game right then and there.”

I walked to the outfield fence and peered in.

My memories of my senior season are so full.

Those of Goodfriend and his good friends are so empty.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182285 St Louis Blues It ended a stellar career at OSU for Jincy. For the second year in a row, she was named a first-team All-American (the first Ohio State player to do that) after making the second team as a sophomore and for the second year in a row was the WCHA’s defensive player of the year. Her Hockey is a family affair for the Dunnes 31 points this season (seven goals, 24 assists) left her at 99 for her career, the third-most for a defenseman in school history.

Meanwhile, Clarkson, located in Potsdam in upstate New York (the Tom Timmermann closest big city is Ottawa, Ontario), was getting ready for the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament, having finished second in the league (23-8-3 overall) for a first-round bye. The club was ranked The Dunne kids — Jessica, Jincy, Josh, Josey, James and Joy — of seventh and eighth in the two national polls. O’Fallon, Mo., could well be the first family of St. Louis hockey. “We were at home, preparing for the playoffs and kept getting updates,” Yes, the Tkachuks have sent two kids to the NHL, following in their said Josh, a sophomore. “It was crazy how fast the updates came. father’s footsteps. But for sheer volume, it’s hard to top the Dunnes. Harvard was the first team to get rid of all its athletics, which changed Jessica, Jincy and Josh have played NCAA Division I , and who were going to play. Then another team dropped out, then the ECAC Josey is in line to make it four when she starts at Minnesota in the fall — canceled, then the NCAA. Everything was done. provided sports are back by then from the coronavirus-caused shutdown. James and Joy still are in high school and working their way through the “We couldn’t believe it, there aren’t words to describe it. I felt bad for the pipeline. seniors, that this is how it ends. We had a good team and could make a run in the playoffs. It (stinks). I don’t have words for it. We found out on So as you might expect for a family with six hockey players, when there Friday or Saturday and had to be out by Sunday. I still have some stuff was something to win or lose around the Dunne household, things could up there. I can’t believe it.” get a bit messy. It had been a good season for Josh too. He was named the ECAC’s best “We had some pretty intense shinny games,” said Jincy, who just defensive forward, and a third-team all-conference selection. He was finished, abruptly, her senior season at Ohio State. “Any family game, third on the team in scoring, with 13 goals and 14 assists, and centered whether it was whiffle ball or Sorry!, we turned everything into a contact the team’s top line as Clarkson had its third straight 20-win season. sport. Lots of tears, accusations of cheating. No one could ever win a clean game.” Though Josh is third in age, he’s the one who gets credit for starting the Dunne family in hockey. Neither of his parents, Tom and Tammy, played. “People would get mad and leave the game, say ‘I’m not going to play But they exposed all their kids to every sport they could: Hockey, anymore,’ that kind of thing,” said Tammy Dunne, who as the mother of basketball, baseball, softball. When Josh was 6, he told his parents he the six had a ringside seat for all this. “Basketball would tend to get more wanted to pursue hockey and Jessica and Jincy, who were taking figure physical.” skating lessons, decided they would play, too.

But the lessons learned in those knockdown, drag-out board games “Josh always loved hockey,” Tammy said, “and the girls enjoyed skating served them well and helped turn them into the players they are: One and took to it. The three youngest ones, it was cheaper to put them on Division I hockey player after another, and pretty good ones at that. skates than send them to the game room or the concession stand.”

“It was nice,” said Josh, who just finished his sophomore season at The family was living in Florida at the time and started out in roller Clarkson University, in Potsdam, New York. “It led to some good habits hockey, but soon moved to the ice. on the ice. And we made up afterwards.” “I loved the pace of it, how fast it was, the physicality,” Josh said. “But it Sudden stop didn’t have to be certain aspects. I loved all aspects and the This could well have been the best season ever for the Dunnes, rivaling competitiveness and the determination. It fit in with all the things I loved the year Jincy was on the U.S. team that won the world under-18 to do.” championships (she scored the gold-medal winning goal in overtime) as “We did everything together,” Jincy said. “Musical instruments, dance, Jincy and Josh had a chance at an NCAA title. (Jessica, who also played we did it together. Josh always loved sports and wanted to try hockey, at Ohio State, has graduated and lives in Colorado.) and Jess and I got thrown in with him. We had a really good summer Ohio State was ranked fourth in the nation and was coming off winning experience with roller hockey, and then got into ice hockey through that.” its conference tournament as the Buckeyes entered the NCAA field. The family attended the Fulton School in St. Albans, which Tammy said Clarkson was ranked seventh in the nation and was about to start its accommodated their many hockey travel obligations. Josh played junior conference tournament. And in a flash, those hopes ended. hockey with Green Bay in the United States Hockey League. When that For Jincy (the name comes from her mother’s maternal grandmother), was done, and before he started at Clarkson, he joined the Blues at their Ohio State had just won its first Western Collegiate Hockey Association prospects camp two summers ago. championship, beating Wisconsin in overtime in the conference final. Jincy’s college eligibility is done but she plans to return to Ohio State in Jincy assisted on the goal. The Buckeyes (24-8-6) closed their season the fall to finish her masters in their sports coaching program and would with a 7-0-1 run, including a 2-0-1 mark against No. 2 Wisconsin. Ohio like to continue playing. Josh has two more years to go at Clarkson. State would face Minnesota in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament Meanwhile, James just finished his sophomore season at Timberland in Minneapolis. A win there would send them to the Frozen Four, in High and Joy played with the Junior Blues under-19 girls team and the Boston on March 20 and 22. ‘05 boys squad. Jincy was at the airport, about to board her flight to Minnesota, when the Josh and Jincy didn’t expect to be home right now, and while they’re off news came down that basketball conference tournaments were being the ice, they’re able to work out together. And the competitiveness hasn’t called off. About three hours later, the NCAA announced that all winter stopped. When Josh is told that Jincy gives him credit for getting the and spring championships were off. whole family started in hockey, he doesn’t hesitate. “They called us back,” Jincy said. “We have one house where a handful “I’ll have to remind my sisters of that,” he said. of girls live and we were waiting to hear and that afternoon, we found out everything was cancelled.

“It was . . . it was interesting. You just, it’s not something you plan for. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.05.2020 At the end, it’s heartbreaking. You train for four-plus years. . . . We just won our conference, had been hot. It was our year. We were going to do something and boom! It was over before we knew it.

“The entire team went home. It was spring break at the time. It’s just weird. The season’s done and everyone’s home.” 1182286 Suddenly everything is out of the athlete’s hands. Consider the case of Leafs defenceman Tyson . A season ago, when he was still a member of the Colorado Avalanche, he made it clear he wanted to stay in Denver for the long haul. He spoke openly of his hope to sign a Players can bet on themselves when it comes to contracts, but it’s still a contract extension with the Avalanche in the off-season — an off-season gamble they can’t be sure of. Just ask the Leafs’ Tyson Barrie. that saw him traded to Toronto.

And even once in Toronto, there was at least faint hope he’d be able to land a new deal. At one point this season, word around the league was By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist Barrie was seeking an eight-year extension worth an annual average Sat., April 4, 2020 value in the neighbourhood of $8 million. With Barrie set to become an unrestricted free agent this off-season — whenever the off-season actually begins — those contractual aspirations seem beyond far-fetched now. The prospect of taking your career-best crack at the open market in It was in Las Vegas in November, with the Maple Leafs riding a five- — game losing streak destined for six, when an embattled head coach this particular year this with the league staring down the possibility of began speaking in the third person. losing an estimated $1 billion in revenue if the season can’t be resumed — is daunting stuff, to say the least (although it ought to be noted that the “I have always bet on Mike Babcock. I’ll continue to bet on him.” plight of millionaire athletes is hardly on the long list of real-world concerns). This was Mike Babcock talking about Mike Babcock as though Mike Babcock was a reliably bankable race horse or greyhound. Which, of “Needless to say, it’s a tough summer to be a free agent,” one hockey course, he wasn’t. Two days later, the Leafs would let the gambler know agent said this week. he was fired – a blow to the coach’s ego if not his bank account, considering he was early in the fifth year of an eight-year guaranteed Heck, there might not be free agency this summer, which goes to show contract worth $50 million (U.S.). that self-belief is one thing but timing is everything. If things would have gone better for Barrie in Toronto from the get-go, maybe he would have Investigations continue, but to date we’ve yet to locate anyone already signed a new contract. Maybe it would have been Barrie, and not associated with the team who shed a tear when the Leafs made the fellow defenceman Jake Muzzin, who got the ink dry on a new deal change, and fair enough. Babcock was about Babcock, and it’s safe to before the coronavirus changed the world. Muzzin signed a four-year say that turned off more than a few players who have come to believe deal worth an annual average of $5.65 million that, seen from this side of such self-serving vanity is hardly a recipe for team success, and certainly the sports stoppage, looks awfully prudent. not a portal to better relationships within a dressing room. If the Leafs had done what they clearly should have done — if they had Still, as much as Babcock will never be described as a players’ coach, he fired Babcock in the off-season when clearly they intended to fire him at exhibited a players’ mentality in his waning days. His vow to bet on the first sign of a slump — maybe Barrie would have come out flying, himself spoke to a quality that, when it comes from the mouth of a player, empowered by ’s unshackled style. As it was, Barrie and is invariably praised. Babcock weren’t a fit. Barrie’s bad start proved essentially insurmountable, even with Keefe’s injection of faith. And instead of a In Toronto it has probably been best embodied by an NBA player. Fred guarantee in the bank, Barrie faces months in limbo, with hat’s supposed VanVleet, the Raptors guard who rose from undrafted prospect to NBA to be the biggest payday of his life postponed to a date yet to be Finals linchpin, has turned his underdog free-agent story arc into a determined. personal tag line he now sells on T-shirts: “Bet on Yourself,” with a money bag and dollar sign appropriately placed for emphasis. It’s an That’s not to say Barrie, like Babcock, hasn’t always bet on himself; that’s admirable sentiment, this idea that we’re the creators of our own destiny, not to suggest he won’t continue to do so. That’s only to say that this is a the universe’s whims be damned, and that the most driven and moment when it’s become clear that even the safest bets are still bets, determined among us will ultimately earn their just reward. subject to forces beyond even the strongest of wills and best of intentions. And a lot of times, it works out. A couple of summers back, when Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $787,500, there were those who wondered why he agreed to a contract that barely came with a raise from his initial three-year pact that paid him Toronto Star LOADED: 04.05.2020 $750,833. Johnsson, after all, had been a point-a-game player with the AHL Marlies and performed well enough in six playoff games. He probably could have squeezed more from the team. But he explained his reasoning.

“I want to bet on myself,” Johnsson said. And sure enough, after a 20- goal season, this past summer Johnsson inked a four-year deal worth an annual average of $3.4 million.

There are plenty of stories of that ilk in recent memory, in part because we’ve existed in a sports universe in which salary caps have been chronically on the rise, when next year’s contracts are invariably bigger than last year’s. But that era appears to have come to a halt, at least momentarily. We’re currently living through a moment in history that underlines why level-headed, risk-in-check player agents often encourage clients to take whatever modicum of security they can negotiate. Never mind gambling on yourself in a quest for the metaphorical home run. Secure the guarantee, even if it means settling for the equivalent of a solid double in the gap.

It’s because when you’re betting on yourself, you’re not simply engaged in a test of the limits of your ability to perform under pressure, as is the common perception. You’re not simply beholden to the whim of a head coach and how he plays you, to the fortunes and talents of the teammates that perform alongside you, to the random bounces that can turn a decent season into a spectacular one or something far less than that.

You’re forgoing certainty for uncertainty. And maybe there hasn’t been a scarier advertisement for the perils of the latter than the ongoing shutdown to the global sports industry. 1182287 Toronto Maple Leafs

Jr. Canadiens teammates Nelson and Fimis taken Nos. 1 and 2 in OHL’s Priority Selection Draft

Staff Report

By The Canadian Press

Sat., April 4, 2020

Teammates Ty Nelson and Pano Fimis were the top two picks in the ’s Priority Selection Draft.

Nelson, a 16-year-old defenceman from the Greater Toronto Hockey League’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens, was announced by the North Bay Battalion as the first overall pick on Friday, the night before the OHL draft formally began.

Fimis, a centre with the GTHL’s Jr. Canadiens, was taken second overall on Saturday morning by the Niagara IceDogs.

North Bay had the first overall pick when the season was cancelled on March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nelson led all GTHL defencemen in regular-season scoring with 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) over 33 games. He then posted a league- best 12 points over 11 playoff contests as he helped lead the Jr. Canadiens to the league title.

Fimis had 14 goals and 28 assists in 32 games for the Jr. Canadiens. Three more centres were taken after Fimis on Saturday.

Maxim Namestnikov was selected third by the Sting, Bryce McConnell-Barker was picked fourth by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and the made Paul Ludwinski the fifth overall pick.

Namestnikov is the younger brother of Colorado Avalanche forward Vladislav Namestnikov. The younger Namestnikov had 53 goals and 75 assists in 59 games for the midget Honeybaked U15 team, then had 12 goals and 11 assists in 13 games for the same team in the High Performance Hockey League.

Defenceman Jorian Donovan, the son of former NHLer Shean Donovan, was taken sixth overall by the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Highly touted prospect Adam Fantilli went 18th overall to the Saginaw Spirit.

Fantilli is a six-foot-two 181-pound centre who spent 2019-20 with Kimball Union Academy — a U.S. high school prep program based in Plainfield, N.H. — who had already committed to the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel on March 25.

That means it’s very unlikely the Toronto native comes back north while allowing him to keep the NCAA route open when he turns 18.

The Priority Selection has been held online every year since 2001. However, this year teams worked remotely and adhered to all government and public health guidelines on physical distancing when selecting the 2004-born skaters.

Team staff were not allowed to work the draft from their hockey offices or arenas and made their announcements through a conference call, most often from home.

Players were not permitted to enter into league offices for introductions and sweaters on draft day. They also weren’t allowed to meet their new fans and interviews were out of the question.

Toronto Star LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182288 Toronto Maple Leafs and Bob Stellick, Joe Bowen, and a key resource, the Hall Of Fame’s Kevin Shea.

“I wanted a European perspective on the Leafs, so I spoke to Nik Ups and downs of Leafs Nation now a film Antropov,” Patskou added. “And (New York hockey maven) gave us a great story about tuning in Foster one night on his little radio in the ’40s. We also have the connections of (musician/author) Dave Bidini, Lance Hornby Steve Ludzik and Dan Donahue, who has Barilko’s overtime goal puck.”

April 4, 2020 9:14 PM EDT Morrisey hopes today’s young fans can gain an appreciation of what preceded Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander.

“So much great Leafs history didn’t happen in the TV era (seven Cups Dale Morrisey and Paul Patskou get it. Why the constant fan fuss for a between 1932-51). It’s going to show them there’s a lot more about this team that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup in 53 years, never mind make a team to love.” documentary about them? PATIENCE FOR PICTURE “We’ve certainly seen the dark days since 1967,” said Morrisey, co- executive producer of Being Leafs Nation, scheduled for an autumn Like everything else, COVID-19 has slowed or stopped a lot of media release. projects, including Being Leafs Nation. But Morrisey and Patskou are confident their 85-minute documentary will “Why do fans still care about the Maple Leafs? Because they cared for be out sometime in the 2020-21 season. Foster Hewitt, Conn Smythe, Syl Apps, Bill Barilko, Dave Keon, Darryl Sittler, and when I was a kid, Rick Vaive. “The world has turned upside down, but we do have a North American distribution deal; TV, digital, DVD and video all lined up,” said “The Leafs are the Chicago Cubs of hockey, who went from glory days Morrisey. to so much heartbreak and so many near-misses. It was as if the Leafs became Charlie Brown and the equivalent of Lucy was always there to However, the delay means Morrisey has to dig into more of his personal yank the football back. funds to complete the doc and struggle with sponsorship. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which would obviously benefit from such a “Like when they were a player away in the ’70s, but Harold Ballard blew film, produces its own content through Leafs Nation Network and rarely it up. Then going strong in ’93, and Kerry Fraser didn’t make that call. gets involved with projects outside its walls or the NHL umbrella. They were still strong in the ’90s, then the lockout came. They had Boston on the ropes in Game 7 (2013), and blew the lead. Why do we care? It’s all history, the good and the bad. We’re going to pull on those strings in the film.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.05.2020

Two things kept coming up in the course of hours of interviews.

“The theme of fathers and sons,” said the 47-year-old Morrisey, who was raised in Oshawa and looked forward to his one trip to each year with his dad, Ron. “The love of the team passed down. And the immigrant experience. Becoming a Leafs fan has often been a way to feel like they’re part of Canadian culture.”

Morrisey has churned out several docs including Hockey’s Lost Boy, about George Patterson’s first Leafs goal in 1927; Only The Dead Know The Brooklyn Americans, on the defunct NHL team; and a profile of Capt. James T. Sutherland, whose service to the sport included running the Ontario Hockey Association and help creating the Hockey Hall Of Fame.

Morrisey and fellow Leafs devotee Patskou, who is Canada’s top hockey film archivist, originally planned this doc to be on ‘Ultimate Leafs Fan’ Mike Wilson’s massive memorabilia and many other personal collections across Canada.

But once Patskou got all the way back to Hewitt, whose Great Depression and Second World War radio broadcasts linked the vast country, the scope of the project widened considerably. When the Leafs toured Western Canada in the 1930s, Hewitt was as popular as the players, an influence that spurred the building of the Gardens in 1931.

“We interviewed author Bill Fitzell, who served on a Canadian Navy ship in the English Channel and remembered Hewitt’s games,” said Patskou. “They were recorded on acetate cylinders here and sent overseas. Sometimes they were a week old, but the servicemen didn’t care when they listened.”

Patskou also brought his camera to Sunnybrook Hospital Veterans Centre in Toronto where nonagenarians gave similar accounts of how much hockey meant to them so far from home. The 1942 Leafs came back and won the Cup from a 3-0 deficit to Detroit.

“It’s important to hear these stories before they leave us,” Patskou said. “A couple of them even recalled what it was like to watch the Leafs at (their first home) Mutual St. Arena.”

Patskou and Morrisey are still in the final edit process with a diverse group of players, executives, media, celebrities and fans. They spoke to Keon, Vaive, , Bob Baun, Dick Duff, Mark Osborne, Jim McKenny, actor Art Hindle (who portrayed bad boy Billy Duke in 1971’s Face-Off), Suzanne Primeau (granddaughter of “Gentleman Joe”), Gord 1182289 Toronto Maple Leafs Babcock would have been fired before the club continued its trip west to Las Vegas, Phoenix and Denver.

As it was, Babcock was fired on Nov. 20, the day after the Leafs lost to Five of the Leafs' worst losses of the season, in review the Golden Knights.

3. OCT. 5: Canadiens 6 Maple Leafs 5 SO

Terry Koshan Yes, it was just the third game of the season and the Leafs got a point, giving them five of a possible six to start, but the way in which the game April 4, 2020 7:54 PM EDT ended, in hindsight, wound up being an indication of the inconsistencies that would plague them for the next several months.

A seed of doubt in backup goalie Michael Hutchinson, one that would From blowing a big lead on opening weekend to being beaten by an grow into something much bigger, took root that night at Scotiabank emergency backup goaltender, the Maple Leafs treated themselves to Arena. some embarrassing performances before the 2019-20 regular season was put on pause on March 12. The Leafs were looking good to start the season with a mark of 3-0 when William Nylander scored on a Toronto power-play five minutes into the Here’s a look at five of the Leafs’ worst losses prior to the coronavirus third period. That goal, Nylander’s first of 31, gave Toronto a 4-1 lead pandemic putting a stall on the sports world three weeks ago. against the Canadiens. 1. FEB. 22: Hurricanes 6, Maple Leafs 3 Jonathan Drouin scored for Montreal 11 seconds later, but no problem, Shall we get the worst of the bunch out of the way first? Probably a good the Leafs still held a two-goal lead. The collars tightened when Brendan idea. Gallagher scored at 6:29, and the Montreal comeback was complete when Jeff Petry beat Hutchinson on a penalty shot at 13:02. The free David Ayres — you’ve heard of him, right? Less than two months ago, breakaway came about when Kasperi Kapanen threw his broken stick at you would have likely shaken your head and said no. the puck — while Petry had possession.

Few outside the Leafs organization and Ayres’ family could have picked After Petry’s tying goal, Phillip Danault gave the Canadiens their first lead him out of a crowd. Then Carolina goalies James Reimer and Petr just more than two minutes later. Mrazek got hurt against the Leafs, injuries that gave the visitors at no choice but to use Ayres, the appointed EBUG and Auston Matthews tied the game with 75 seconds remaining and with occasional Leafs practice goalie. Hutchinson on the bench in favour of an extra skater.

In 28 minutes and 41 seconds, Ayres, who entered the game with Hutchinson also redeemed himself a bit in overtime when he made nine Carolina holding a 3-1 lead, stopped eight of Leafs 10 shots, allowing saves, but it was little consolation after he allowed four goals on 12 shots goals only to and Pierre Engvall. in the third period.

Weeks later, it remains mystifying that the Leafs couldn’t find it within In the shootout, Marner, Matthews and Tavares failed to score on Carey themselves to put more shots or pressure on the 42-year-old Ayres. Price. A Paul Byron goal gave the Canadiens a victory.

Mitch Marner, who had five shot attempts, after the game said it was a “Mentally, we just weren’t there,” Matthews said afterward, sounding a “dogs—t effort” by himself. He could have been speaking for the whole bell that would be heard more than a few times in the Leafs’ dressing team. room as the season unfolded.

“It’s another embarrassing night,” coach Sheldon Keefe said after the As for Hutchinson, he lost each of his next five starts in regulation, failing Leafs’ final game before the NHL trade deadline. to win a game until Dec. 21.

The loss put a cap on one of the more roller-coaster weeks of the Leafs’ Another tidbit from that day: Babcock was wearing a Raptors zip-up season, as it came after demoralizing losses in Buffalo and Pittsburgh; sweater during his morning availability. 48 hours before Ayres beat the Leafs, however, Toronto had turned in The next month, Babcock was gone. one of its best efforts of the year in a 4-0 win over the Penguins. 4. JAN. 18: Blackhawks 6, Maple Leafs 2 2. NOV. 16: Penguins 6, Maple Leafs 1 The Leafs had been stumbling in the games leading up to the all-star Mike Babcock’s penultimate game as Leafs coach ranked among the break, losing four of five (including an 8-4 setback in Florida when they club’s worst efforts during his tenure behind the Toronto bench. were down 5-0 three minutes into the second period), but figured they The Leafs proved to be a team that couldn’t win the second game of would have a shot to enter the break with positive vibes in playing a back-to-back sets no matter who was coaching, but they were especially Chicago team that was not in a playoff spot in the Western Conference. terrible a night after losing to Boston in Toronto. Instead, the Leafs were dismal against the Hawks, going down 3-0 in the In what would be Kasimir Kaskisuo’s lone appearance of the season in first 11 minutes and later trailing 5-1. There was no life in the third period, the Leafs net — never mind, his NHL debut — his teammates-for-a-day as Toronto didn’t score in the final 20 minutes. ensured that he quickly learned what opponents in the best hockey Putting an exclamation mark on the loss was a Leafs tumble out of third league in the world could offer. place in the Atlantic, falling to 10th overall in the Eastern Conference and Pittsburgh had 19 shots on goal in the first period, scoring on two of out of a playoff spot. them, and had a 5-0 lead before Jason Spezza scored the Toronto goal The game also marked the 10th time in 12 starts that Frederik Andersen at 14:49 of the second. When the evening was done, Kaskisuo had allowed at least three goals. allowed six goals on 38 shots. Keefe spoke of the Leafs’ “immaturity” and “reality checks” during his It was the 17th time in 22 games the Leafs were down 1-0, and a playoff post-game availability, and Tavares said this: “We have to ask ourselves spot remained elusive. where we want to get to and how bad that we want to get there.” The Penguins didn’t have Sidney Crosby or Kris Letang, who were The lone positive was the first NHL game for defenceman Timothy injured. Missing for the Leafs because of injuries were Marner and Alex Liljegren, who became the 1,000th player in franchise history. Kerfoot. The Leafs rebounded after the break, winning three in a row. Babcock had some post-game resolve, but he was wasting his breath after Toronto’s season-high losing streak hit five games. 5. FEB. 18: Penguins 5, Maple Leafs 2

Hockey Hall of Fame festivities were under way back in Toronto, and The Leafs were bad in a 5-2 loss in Buffalo, and then were chased out of there was some thinking that if it had been just another weekend, the rink by Crosby and his pals 48 hours later. Pittsburgh built a 5-0 lead 13 minutes into the second period — Crosby had one goal and three assists — before Toronto got goals from Matthews and Kyle Clifford, who scored his only goal in 16 games with the Leafs after being acquired from Los Angeles.

What rankled after this one was the effort was no better than it had been against the Sabres.

In Buffalo, Keefe said: “This is the worst we have been in a really long time.”

One would have thought the Leafs could have used the mirror as motivation once they moved on to Pittsburgh. Didn’t happen.

“As the schedule has gotten harder, more issues are coming up with our group in terms of some of our habits and details that are lacking,” an exasperated Keefe said at PPG Paints Arena after the loss.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182290 Vegas Golden Knights

Trump wants fans back in stadiums, arenas ‘as soon as we can’

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

April 4, 2020 - 12:17 PM

Updated April 4, 2020 - 3:47 PM

President Donald Trump held a conference call Saturday with leaders of the major North American professional sports leagues and said he hopes to have fans back in arenas and stadiums “as soon as we can.”

The call to discuss responses to the coronavirus pandemic featured 12 top officials, including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and UFC president Dana White.

“I want fans back in the arenas … by whenever we’re ready. As soon as we can, obviously,” Trump said during his daily news briefing. “And the fans want to be back, too. They want to see basketball and baseball and football and hockey. They want to see their sports. They want to go out to the golf courses and breathe nice, clean, beautiful, fresh air.”

ESPN reported that Trump told commissioners on the call he hopes fans return to arenas and stadiums as early as August and also reportedly said the NFL schedule “should” start on time in September. Trump offered a more vague outlook during his news briefing.

“I can’t tell you a date, but I think it’s going to be sooner rather than later,” Trump said.

The NHL paused its season March 12, following the lead of the NBA after center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the COVID-19 virus the day before.

The NFL has continued with its offseason during the pandemic and reportedly is preparing to conduct its draft online this month after it was originally scheduled to take place in Las Vegas.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California contrasted Trump’s optimism during his daily news briefing Saturday and said he doesn’t anticipate NFL games being played in the state by September.

“One has to be very cautious here. One has to be careful not to over promise,” Newsom said.

The other commissioners included in the call were the NBA’s Adam Silver, the WNBA’s Cathy Engelbert, Major League Baseball’s Rob Manfred, the PGA Tour’s Jay Monahan, the LPGA’s Michael Whan, WWE’s Vince McMahon, NASCAR’s Steve Phelps, Major League Soccer’s Don Garber and Drew Fleming of the Breeders Cup.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182291 Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals Tom Wilson sends Make-A-Wish kids heartfelt message and gifts

By Quinton Mayo

April 04, 2020 5:51 PM

Washington Capitals right-winger, Tom Wilson is utilizing his newfound free time by giving back to the children of Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic.

Saturday, Wilson was featured on the charity's Instagram page delivering an uplifting message to the kids that are going through unforeseen changes due to quarantine.

"I understand a lot of your wishes are on hold right now due to this very weird time in the world," Wilson said. "I just want to let you know I'm thinking of you."

"You guys are so strong, keep fighting and I'm looking forward to seeing you around."

Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic detailed that "Tom also went above and beyond and brought activities for us to send all our kids whose #WishesAreWaiting to pass time at home or in the hospital."

A class act gesture from an even classier man.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182292 Washington Capitals

Backstrom backs away from previous comment that Ovechkin is always yelling for the puck

By J.J. Regan

April 04, 2020 7:00 AM

With no live sports to watch, people have to find ways to pass the time. A fun way to do it is with NBC Sports Washington's NHL 20 simulations of the Capitals' scheduled games. Some of the players have even gotten involved joining the broadcast or reacting to the game results. So now, we have and Craig Laughlin providing commentary plus actual players reacting to a video game simulation. What a time to be alive.

Nicklas Backstrom was the star of the first game that was broadcast on NBC Sports Washington -- a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on March 24 -- with a hat trick performance. The real Backstrom gave a FaceTime interview afterward and said, "I don't do hat tricks that often, so it was nice to seal it off with a hat trick. You see what happens when you can't hear Ovi scream all the time for the puck."

On Wednesday, Backstrom joined the media for a Zoom video conference and was asked about that very answer. He quickly clarified that it was meant as a joke.

"You know what?" he said. "I felt so awkward doing that interview to be honest. I'm like, I've got to try to make this funny as possible. I don't know how to answer questions about simulation games. That was obviously a joke."

When you think about a real person having to do an interview about their digital player's performance, you can see how things could get awkward pretty quickly. Then again, if Ovechkin were always calling for the puck it would not be that surprising. He is, after all, one of the greatest goal scorers of all time. He could be forgiven for wanting the puck on his stick as often as possible.

Backstrom, however, said of Ovechkin that he doesn't need to call for the puck. Part of what makes him great is his ability to find the best place to be to score at all times.

"I think looking at it, [Ovechkin's] never yelling for the puck," Bacsktrom said. "He's just that good of a goal-scorer and I'm happy to give him the puck every time too. I was just trying to make that funny interview."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182293 Websites • talking to the player who hasn’t smiled in a week about what’s going on.

• encouraging certain players to try something different on their zone The Athletic / Bourne: The key to coaching success? Giving assistants entries. ‘leeway to run things’ As I said, they’re boots on the ground, in the dressing room and gym, focusing on special teams, in the video room and on the ice. There are few days when a good assistant coach isn’t busy as hell at the rink. It By Justin Bourne obviously varies team to team and person to person, but the more Apr 4, 2020 effective assistants I’ve seen have been busy.

So the more head coaches allow their assistants to handle (even when those things aren’t going well), the more they can focus on the bigger- I get the impression that to the average fan, an assistant coach is a picture things that really matter. Those who want to control everything coach who hasn’t yet reached head coaching status. That they kinda end up having control of very little because they can’t really commit scuttle alongside the boss, weighing in on decisions when that coach themselves to any one thing. can’t make up his mind. It definitely feels like the general public would see assistant coaches as sort of interchangeable, as they don’t have a I thought it was interesting to hear directly from the league’s most recent visible effect on a team’s win/loss total at the end of the season. If Stanley Cup champion head coach (who’s also been fired before, so he’s nothing else, we certainly wouldn’t know where to begin quantifying seen both sides) on the role, on how he views the division of labor. On who’s a good one and who’s a bad one. Monday’s “,” I was able to ask Craig Berube about coaching staff roles, and he perfectly highlighted his views and how The answer there is that certain guys with certain skill sets only suit they’ve changed over the years. certain coaches. A good assistant to one coach might be a bad one to another. There’s a reason head coaches want to hire their own guys. “Every coach is different. … This is how I do things, and I’ll just give you how I view things. I never did this my first couple years with the Flyers — To pull it back to the big picture of coaching staffs in general, a coaching I probably didn’t do enough of this: I didn’t give my assistants enough staff is not, in fact, a head coach, then two or three other guys who leeway to run things, to do things for me. I probably should’ve given them sometimes get asked for their opinions. The jobs are very dissimilar. more, I probably should’ve let them handle more stuff than myself, and I Some guys are better suited to do one job than the other, though surely could’ve focused. … I think as a head coach, for me, focusing on players they all aspire to be head coaches (because, hey, money). It’s actually individually and their play and their compete level and work ethic is surprising we aren’t aware of at least a few assistant coaches who don’t probably, for me, the most important thing as a head coach. You gotta even aspire to be head coaches. The jobs are that different, and I think get your players to compete at a high level and play hard at a high level. were the titles not as they are, we might not see one as a step on the If you don’t, you will not win in this league — there’s no way. ladder to become the other; rather, as part of a different ladder entirely. And you can go back — (Brian) Burkie can tell you when they won in In most cases, assistant coaches are very much “boots on the ground.” Anaheim how hard they played, how competitive that team was. So, my When there’s an issue with a player’s play, they’ll stay out after practice assistant coaches run everything, all the tech packs and the special and work on that one detail with that one player, mano a mano. They’ll teams and things like that. They do a magnificent job, these guys. I’m bring their laptop from the coaches office into the dressing room to sit very fortunate to have three guys that work for me that played a long time with individuals to point out little fixes. Many of them spend more time in in the NHL that really understand the game. As a head coach, I really and around the room, sipping coffee and chatting, talking with the guys focus on, one, my leadership group and, two, individual players — what and learning what they need to know from them on a more personal they need to do better to get better, get young guys to compete harder to level. You don’t see head coaches do that as much because it would be play harder, all those things like that. I focus on those things, so there’s a a mostly futile endeavor. Most players just clam up and put on their lot of meetings that I have with players, a lot of communication that I shiniest team-first faces for the head coach, like a lot of people do for have with players on a daily basis about their game and things like that. their bosses. Assistants can at least claim middle-man status, which And then, obviously, I oversee the team game and how we’re playing as makes them safer. a team, making sure we’re putting the team first, putting the team ahead Head coaches have to make bigger, top-down decisions about the lineup of the individuals and things like that. So that’s how I do things. and address the bigger concept of how they want the team to play (and, Everything’s handed out to my assistant coaches. They do all that work, in-season, how they want the team to change). They’re also in much you know; I handle players, personnel, that kinda thing.” more of a position to ask for more out of players they think have more to Things that stand out in that answer to me: give. It’s not necessarily good cop/bad cop with head coaches and assistants, but players are definitely handled differently by the two. I’d • He wishes he handed out more responsibility to his coaches in say assistants tend to offer more specific in-game tweaks, whereas head Philadelphia. You can understand how that would happen as a first-time coaches are able to address heavier topics like effort or commitment. head coach.

Furthermore, the workload is often divided so the head coach can focus • He wants to be the guy who directly addresses players when he wants on those big-picture things like structure or the body of work of specific more out of them. individuals, as opposed to the day-to-day minutia. Almost every team has an assistant focus on the execution of one side of the special-teams • His assistants do, in fact, handle a lot. battle, though the head coach would have the ultimate say and would You can see how important good assistant coaches would be to a head generally make the call on what the actual personnel on each unit would coach. More specifically, you can see how a head coach would want be. The trick for a head coach is to trust his assistants to do all the work assistant coaches who do things the way they like, given they can only that goes into coaching a team each day. I’m talking about … spread themselves so thin. That reality is why I am curious to see what • helping that rookie work on that offhand one-timer he keeps fanning happens with Sheldon Keefe’s staff in Toronto. In my experience as a on. part of his staff with the Marlies, I saw how heavily he leaned on A.J. MacLean and how effective they were in establishing a program together • helping that new call-up get up to speed on the systems in all zones. that helped them reach their league’s pinnacle. By all accounts, the Leafs are happy with all of their coaching staff, but they’re more open to • sorting out the line that doesn’t like playing with one another. creative solutions than most teams, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they made an effort to get Sheldon a guy who was an integral part of how he • taking the time to explain the day’s drills to the player whose English ran things in the minors. isn’t great. That thought just comes from knowing how the best coaches have to • doing scout work on the opposing PK if they run their team’s power know that to properly oversee the bigger machine, you have to trust play. others to handle many of the individual parts. You can see how some people would be better suited to one role — that of the head or that of the assistant coach — than the other. Some people are better with bigger concepts, some people are better being more hands-on with the day-to-day minor fixes. It’s not surprising to me that the defending Stanley Cup champion has found success with a group of guys to whom he’s comfortable farming out important parts of the work. And while one or more of those assistants might one day be a very good head coach (Mike Van Ryn stands out in that regard), some of the best and most important coaches in the league are best suited just one step to the side of the direct spotlight.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182294 Websites Gretzky: “Hear that, everyone.” On getting checked…

McDavid: “Now they’re starting to do the shadowing, which I’m sure you Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Maple Leafs will face tricky Nick Robertson got a lot of. Which is the dumbest thing ever. It’s not a lot of fun to deal decision with.”

Gretzky: “It should be an automatic penalty soon as the guy’s standing Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox beside you.”

April 4, 2020, 8:12 AM McDavid: “The coach should get kicked out.”

Gretzky: “It’s the dumbest thing in hockey. I used to hate it, but you’re too fast for any of those guys. I don’t know who’s gonna shadow you.” A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. Zoom is making all the hockey- 4. Selfishly, an upside of this paused season is that interviews with related revenue these days. hockey players have become more varied, more human. Questions around last night’s power play or tomorrow’s big tilt have disappeared, 1. Nick Robertson could find himself in a tricky spot when 2020-21 is opening space for more personality-based interviews. ready to roll. Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom held court over video conference this The prized Toronto Maple Leafs prospect will be 19 by October. He’ll be week and happily reported that he and fiancée Liza Berg had just too young to join the AHL Marlies. At five-foot-nine and 164 pounds, he’ll returned from the hospital with their third bundle of joy, baby Alizee. He perhaps be too slight to make the leap all the way to the NHL — and left struck by all the good work nurses and doctors are doing. swiping a roster spot from one the club’s established top-nine wingers is no easy task. Backstrom has been texting back and forth with Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman over this break and staying active with runs, bike rides, Yet how much would a fourth OHL season improve his development? baseball and hopping in the pool with his children. Robertson dominated the junior circuit with a 55-goal, 86-point showing in 46 games for the Peterborough Petes. Backstrom gets a chuckle at the Instagram stickhandlers out there — “That’s not the same,” he said — and believes a mini training camp with In retrospect, GM might’ve underestimated the second- a couple exhibition games would be necessary before a return to action. rounder’s readiness and buried him too far down the pecking order at the Leafs’ 2019 camp. Despite the uncertainty of staying in shape without an end goal, the star playmaker definitely wants playoffs — even if that means waiting until Robertson is back home in California, dedicating this extra-long summer August. to weight gain, strength training and boosting his acceleration with the hopes of hanging with the pros. 5. Backstrom negotiated his own contract extension in-season and will get a well-deserved bump from a $6.7 million AAV to $9.2 million in the While he has arrived with less fanfare and expectations, Robertson could fall. find himself in a similar situation as Mitch Marner did in 2016: undeniable talent packaged in a frame so small that there is real risk of getting But Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said on a conference call Monday that injured trying to create offence while weaving around towering he now finds himself in a holding pattern that makes it difficult to work defencemen. plot a course for all his UFAs still unsigned: Ilya Kovalchuk, , Brenden Dillon and Braden Holtby. Marner made the jump out of juniors at 19, put up 61 points as a small teenager and never glanced back at the O. That’s the challenge being The likelihood of a flattened salary cap will be particularly challenging to thrown at the feet of Robertson. A lofty blueprint to match. MacLellan considering Washington has already committed more than $71 million in salary for 2020-21 and was banking on a raised ceiling. 2. Inside the pressure cooker that is Toronto, new captain John Tavares has faced some criticism for failing to live up to the high standard he set Backstrom confessed he actually forgot the Capitals were leading the in his first year as a Leaf. Metropolitan Division at the pause. He made a pitch Wednesday to maintain the core intact because he likes their chances of hoisting a In 2018-19, Tavares was healthy for all 82 games and centred one of the second Cup. He’d love to see Holtby re-sign. league’s most dominant trios with Mitch Marner and . The result was a career-best 47 goals, 88 points and plus-19 rating. A lofty 6. John Chayka, who’s been generous in these difficult times, spoke to bar. NHL.com this week about his very preliminary contract extension talks with Taylor Hall. This season, he’s had to battle through a broken finger and a juggling of wingers. Still, he was tracking for a 31-goal, 71-point season with seven Outside of the rink, the Coyotes GM is hoping Hall has fallen for missed games. Phoenix’s great weather and the city’s affordability.

It was refreshing, then, to hear how his young competitors view him. Chayka’s negotiations with Hall’s agent, Darren Ferris, won’t plunge into the nitty-gritty of exchanging numbers and salary structures until the Brady Tkachuk has skated with Tavares in the summer and is blown economic landscape of the NHL becomes clear. away with his “no-days off” work ethic. “It’s tough to do any business of that magnitude,” Chayka said. “Taylor Dylan Larkin is usually the Red Wing tasked with facing off against knows what we think of him as a person, as a player, and at the right Tavares. time we’ll maybe look to move forward on those discussions. But 3. Have 24 minutes to kill? (Yes, you do.) anything right now is probably on the back burner, realistically.”

I thoroughly enjoyed the dual interview GQ set up with Wayne Gretzky 7. “Tootka” Rask, a strong Vezina candidate, is tempering expectations and Connor McDavid (watch below). Three highlights: that he might retire after his current contract ends in July of 2021.

On Edmonton… Rask can begin negotiating an extension with general manager as early as this off-season. McDavid: “What’s it like to win there?” It’s worth noting that the Bruins’ two greatest cap hits — Rask ($7 million) Gretzky: “Oh, wow. Well, we created a job for the guy who carries around and David Krejci ($7.25 million) — are set to come off the books at the the Stanley Cup.” same time.

On the Olympics… Marc-Andre Fleury inked a three-year, $21-million extension with Vegas around the same age Rask will be, so that might provide a ballpark for Gretzky: “It would be something you would never, ever forget.” negotiations. McDavid: “I’m dying to play, for sure.” 8. Blake Wheeler and wife Sam don’t have time to get bored. Their days are packed with homeschooling three young children and breaking up squabbles between Louis, 7, Leni, 4, and Mace, 2.

“It’s a full day job, and I’m more tired now than I was a few weeks ago,” the Jets captain sighed on a Zoom call with Central Division leaders. “We get ’em all down by typically 8 on a good night, and then there’s a half- hour of just numbness. Our wine collection’s getting low, so… yeah.”

Fellow dad Zach Parise said he and his wife started cracking a bottle at 5 p.m. the other day.

The candid Wheeler also let us into his love-hate relationship with rival Jamie Benn. The two finally met off-ice last summer and shared “a couple laughs and a couple of cold ones,” but the possibility of an on-ice throwdown remains. Largely because Benn keeps asking to drop the gloves.

9. Sadly, Nazem Kadri did not nail this chip on the first attempt.

We appreciate the honesty, but sometimes you don’t want to hear how the sausage gets made.

10. Sad thought: What if Zdeno Chara has played his last NHL game and no one knows it?

Not that Big Z has suggested retirement, but he does not have a contract for next season, and the Bruins’ UFA priority has to be the younger Torey Krug.

The oldest man in the league put up an assist and helped shut out the Philadelphia Flyers on March 10, logging a mellow 23:49 of ice time against one of the hottest clubs in hockey.

One week later, Chara “celebrated” his 43rd birthday by packing up his family and driving 24 hours south from Boston to their place in a gated Florida community. Why? Warmer weather for the kids to run around outside. A private pool and a gym to keep in tip-top shape.

“So, not really big celebrations,” Chara says. “You reach a certain age, you try to hide it.”

11. I love the creativity that has sprung out of this stagnant state (and I’m not just talking about the Toosie Slide).

NHL players and teams have drummed up some fun. The Maple Leafs created Zoom backdrops for fans to use.

The reached back and retweeted their original in- game tweets during a broadcast of their classic 2011 Game 7 overtime match versus the Blackhawks.

12. So, Dylan Larkin, now that you’re cooped up with your girlfriend and your dog and have some time on your hands, can we expect a sequel to your legendary “D-Boss Shooting Pucks in the Basement” video?

“Might come,” Larkin teased. “I got a little shooting area in the garage — the Dungeon 2.0. So, I might have to get out there and make a video. Fans might like it, so we’ll see.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182295 Websites LW, 5-9, 190 lbs., 19 years old Draft: Vancouver, 40th, 2019

2019-20 team: Rögle BK, SHL Sportsnet.ca / Canucks prospects to WATCH: Podkolzin could be among best from 2019 Draft GP: 50 | G: 7 | A: 7 | P: 14

What’s good: Hoglander has first-round skill and elusiveness but slipped to the second round due to his five-foot-nine frame. In his second season Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet with Rogle’s SHL team, he had nine goals and 16 points in 41 games in a April 3, 2020, 6:33 PM mostly-third-line role, but was dominant at the world juniors with 11 points in seven games for Sweden.

What’s intriguing: Hoglander competes and plays bigger than his size, VANCOUVER – When the Vancouver Canucks came home from the going to tough areas to score and create goals. He plays with swagger, 2015 entry draft, not many people outside the player’s family paid much demonstrated by his “” goals for both Rogle in the SHL, where attention to Adam Gaudette. he embarrassed veteran defenceman Marcus Hogstrom, and the Swedish junior team. He has confidence to match his skill. That was the Connor McDavid-led draft in South Florida where the Canucks snagged Brock Boeser, who had a compelling story as well as Benning says: “First of all, he’s a year older for his draft, so he a little enticing ability, 23rd-overall in the first round. It was where general more physically mature and mentally mature. He’s got good hands and manager Jim Benning traded goalie Eddie Lack and defenceman Kevin skillset, and he protects the puck well. He’s strong for his size. When we Bieksa and took a run at Milan Lucic before the Boston Bruins traded him get him signed and get him over here and on to the smaller ice, we’ll see to Los Angeles. Luckily, the Canucks lost out to the Kings on that one. where he’s at. But he’s definitely got all the tools to come in and compete in the fall. The way he plays the game and the things he’s good at, we’ll Gaudette was just a skinny fifth-round draft pick, a choppy skater coming think he’ll make the adjustment.” off a modest season in the United States Hockey League that saw him manage 30 points in 50 games for Cedar Rapids, which is in Iowa. Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, But then Gaudette went to Northeastern University, and in three seasons they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover added 20 pounds, got faster, led the NCAA in scoring and won the Canada’s most beloved game. Hobey Baker Award. Jack Rathbone And this National Hockey League season, the 149th pick of the 2015 draft produced 12 goals and 33 points in 59 games and was fourth on the D, 5-10, 176 lbs., 20 years old Canucks with 2.71 points-per-60-minutes in all situations. At this stage of his career, Gaudette is 32nd in NHL scoring among the 211 players Draft: Vancouver, 95th, 2017 drafted in Sunrise, Fla., five years ago. 2019-20 team: Harvard, NCAA Gaudette quickly became an intriguing prospect. All teams have them. GP: 28 | G: 7 | A: 24 | P: 31 The Canucks’ two best prospects, Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander, What’s good: Like Gaudette, Rathbone has far outplayed his draft are also two of their most interesting considering when they were chosen position in his first two years of college hockey, developing into an in the 2019 draft, and where and how they spent their draft-plus-one offence-generating dynamo with the mobility to cover both ends of the seasons. But the team has other fascinating prospects drafted a lot ice. Rathbone had 31 points in 28 games this past season, his second at lower. Harvard, and will decide later this spring whether to sign a professional Here are five intriguing players to consider as the suspended NHL contract or return to school for his junior year. season blends into signing season for prospects, and a thumbnail What’s intriguing: With a pre-college season remaining after he was assessment from Benning on where they stand. drafted, Rathbone chose to play another year at prep school in order to Vasily Podkolzin spend more time with his brother who has autism rather than upgrading to the USHL. His maturity – Rathbone turns 21 in May – has helped him. RW, 6-1, 192 lbs., 18 years old A lot of other NHL teams have noticed this natural leader, but the Canucks are keeping their fourth-round pick, believing Rathbone could Draft: Vancouver, 10th, 2019 be playing in Vancouver within two years. 2019-20 team: St. Petersburg, KHL Benning says: “I like Jack a lot. He’s an excellent skater and he’s GP: 30 | G: 2 | A: 6 | P: 8 aggressive with the puck. We think with development he can be a dynamic, real good player for us. He’s one guy who when I’m talking to What’s good: Podkolzin is a classic power forward, a six-foot-one, 192- other teams, his name always comes up. The type of seasons he’s had pound bull of a winger strong enough to go through defenders on his way the last couple of years, everybody’s aware of his game and what he can to the net. Were he not still under contract to St. Petersburg of the KHL, do. There’s a lot going on in the world right now, obviously, so they’re he likely would have been picked higher than 10th last June. He has the going to take some time here in the next month or two and decide what potential to be one of the best players from that draft. they want to do.”

What’s intriguing: Although he had just two goals in 30 regular-season and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey games in the KHL as an 18-year-old and bounced between three tiers of world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what Russian hockey with St. Petersburg, Podkolzin improved significantly they think about it. during the year and as a fourth-liner, producing 11 points in his final 17 league and playoff games at the top level. He has leadership qualities Carson Focht and, by all reports, a great attitude and is eager to come to North C, 6-1, 181 lbs., 20 years old America when his KHL contract expires after next season. Draft: Vancouver, 133rd, 2019 Benning says: “He’s close to being an NHL player right now because of his size and strength. He’s willing to play a physical game, and he has 2019-20 team: A, WHL the hands and vision to play with good players. He plays a 200-foot game. He’s a pretty complete player. He’s got one more year left on his GP: 61 | G: 32 | A: 24 | P: 56 contract, and he’s going to honour that and then we’ll see. I think he’s a What’s good: The two-way centre scored 32 goals in 61 games this guy, with the physical skill set and the size and the strength, that can season for the Hitmen, although his overall offence was flat compared to make the jump.” his draft year (56 points in 61 games vs. 64 points in 68 games). At six- Nils Hoglander foot-one and 182 pounds, Focht is a good skater who improved his 200- foot game and may be ready next season for the American League, where the Utica Comets are short of centres.

What’s intriguing: Focht was 19 when he was drafted, a late-bloomer who nearly quadrupled his WHL points from the previous season. He was one of the draft picks who stood out at both the Canucks rookie camp last summer and the early stages of training camp last fall. Focht competes and may be able to adapt his game to build a pro career from the bottom of the lineup, working his way up.

Benning says: “He was one of the guys that caught our eye (at camp). He was involved in the play all of the time, whether it was with the puck and making plays or without the puck and defensively. We think he can develop into a third- or fourth-line, you know, hard-working player. He can kill penalties and block shots and play good down low, but he still has skill and can make plays with the puck. We’re just waiting to see what happens with the rest of this year, but he’s a guy we’d like to sign and get into the fold next year.”

Nikita Tryamkin

D, 6-8, 254 lbs., 25 years old

Draft: Vancouver, 66th, 2014

2019-20 team: Yekaterinburg, KHL

GP: 58 | G: 2 | A: 9 | P: 11

What’s good: Tryamkin is six-foot-eight and 254 pounds and skates well enough to play hockey. Beyond that, we’re not sure what, if anything, is good.

What’s intriguing: Tryamkin is six-foot-eight and 254 pounds and skates well enough to play hockey. Had the third-round pick from Benning’s first draft chosen to stay with the Canucks after a solid rookie season in 2016- 17 (66 games, nine points), the Russian could be moving into his third NHL contract by now and making at $2-4 million per season.

Instead, he was unhappy with the situation in Vancouver, darted home to Yekaterinburg, where he was unhappy there, and now badly wants another chance in North America. No other NHL teams have inquired about him, but the Canucks never forgot him.

Benning says: “I get that the league has sped up the last three years, but with his size and his skating ability for a guy as big as he is, I think he can make the adjustment. He got married the year before he came over, and it was a big adjustment for him not only coming over here and playing, but it was an adjustment for him off the ice, too. Like, it was a big step for him. Now they’re a little bit older and he wants to come back, so we’ll see where it goes.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182296 Websites Curtis Joseph made 54 stops in Game 2. Is there a particular save that sticks with you?

I’m not gonna lie to you: CuJo saved our rear ends come playoff time Sportsnet.ca / ‘Villains were villains’: Tucker to watch 2002 triple-OT epic quite often, so they kinda all run together. He made some unbelievable for first time saves in that series, for sure. Thinking back on that game, I’d have to watch it — and I’m definitely going to on Saturday. But I’m sure he made some 10-bellers in that game to even get us to overtime, let alone the ones in overtime. Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox Have you ever gone back and watched Game 2 before? April 4, 2020, 9:56 AM I haven’t watched it back, to tell you the truth. It was amazing. The other

night, we watched the ’04 Game 7 [of the Eastern With no minor hockey playoff games to rush his sons to, no early GTHL Conference quarterfinals versus Ottawa]. We watched it as a family. It tryouts for 2020-21 to oversee himself, and no live NHL games on was fun and interesting to look back on some of the things I’d forgotten. television, Darcy Tucker says “it’s eerily weird around our household” So, we’re enjoying watching the games together as a family because my when we ring him up in quarantine. boys didn’t get to see a lot of my NHL career. To look back at these games is a lot of fun for them. What these unusual circumstances have brought to the Tucker house is a rare chance to gather around the TV and watch Dad in his prime — in What sticks out in terms of style of play or how the broadcast looked or prime time. how players acted in those days?

Saturday night, Sportsnet is re-airing the Toronto Maple Leafs’ epic, 104- There was a lot more personality in the game, I found, watching the other and-a-half-minute 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 2 of the night. The villains were villains. There was a lot more going on in 2002 Eastern Conference semi-final. between shifts than there is now in the NHL. And I thoroughly loved the physicality of playoff time, especially then. It was physical, man. Tucker, 45, was happy to whisk us back to May 4, 2002, when he was in [chuckles] You better be ready to play hockey at playoff time back then. the midst of the longest, fiercest post-season run of his career. And that But, man, this era is so much faster than it was back then. It’s just crazy gruelling, relief-filled night Gary Roberts played hero. how much faster it is. I watching like, “Man, we weren’t very fast.”

DARCY TUCKER: We really needed to win—that’s for sure. We didn’t What do you remember about your goal in Game 2? want to go down 2-0 going back to Ottawa. We got our rear ends kicked in Game 1, if memory serves correct. I haven’t looked back at it. A wrist shot over [Patrick] Lalime’s shoulder, I believe. From the slot. I can watch it on Saturday to remember exactly. I’ve got hazy memories of You did. The Sens beat you 5-0 in Game 1. it, but it’ll all flood back to me when I watch. Second goal of the game?

[laughs] Yeah, we needed a bounce-back. I think we jumped out to a 2-0 That’s right. And Travis Green opened the scoring. In your time with him, lead, let them back into the game, and then it was a seesaw back and did you see a future NHL head coach? forth. Those overtime periods, both teams had chances to end it, couldn’t get it done, and then based off a face-off play, Robs ended it there. I Future NHL head coach? Probably not. I talk to Travis once every couple think we were starting to get a few more chances than they were later in of weeks to check in and see how he’s doing. We’re pretty good friends. the overtimes. It was so good to see that puck go in because not many He’s put a lot of time and effort to get to where he’s at right now. He’s guys on our bench had much left in the tank. done a hell of a job with that organization. He’s really brought a lot of those young kids along and mentored them. When you look at coaches What does it feel like to play nearly six full periods? in the National Hockey League, I think Travis has taken a little bit of everything, and I’m sure he’s taken a lot of what he learned from Pat You’re so tired, you’re going out the door as opposed to jumping over the Quinn during his time in Toronto to throw into his coaching repertoire. So, bench because your legs are just gone. And you’re cramped up, and you did I see him becoming a head coach? No. But now that he is one, I haven’t ate since 1 p.m., and it’s now close to 1 a.m. or midnight, and it absolutely see what a great job he’s done. just gets to be exhausting. And then it becomes more mental than physical. You got to find a way to be good defensively. You don’t want to What are your phone conversations like with him? be one of those guys that makes a mental mistake because you’re exhausted, so it’s more of a war of attrition than it is anything else. I talked to him yesterday. Just talking about how the families are doing. We talk hockey. We bounce things off each other, just different aspects I’ve heard tales of players scarfing down pizzas during those multiple- of the game that have changed. I coach some young kids [minor midget overtime playoff games. But you didn’t eat during the game at all? next fall], so high-level stuff about what he thinks is good for young kids growing up in today’s game to get them to the next level. The funny Some guys did. I couldn’t do it. If I ate something at that point in time, I memories kind of come back in the course of a conversation when you’re became very lethargic. You’re hydrating for sure, with whatever you can talking over half an hour or 45 minutes. get into you from an electrolyte standpoint. I figured it would be Robs that ended it. He was in such good shape that he had as much energy as Are you emotional as a coach? anybody else did at that point in the game. Yeah, that’s my biggest problem. I still think I’m a hockey player as Do you celebrate a little harder after a victory so gruelling? opposed to a coach. [laughs] And coaching is the hardest thing to do as a former hockey player. I don’t really want to coach beyond minor For us, it was more of, “Wow. Thank God we got this one.” Nobody hockey. wanted to go back to Ottawa down 2-0. It was in our minds that absolutely we could not win that series if we went to Ottawa down 2-0. You finally beat Ottawa in seven games, and your first-round series We needed to win. Thank God we got it. When you played Ottawa then, versus the Islanders also went seven. Could the conference final against they had such a great building at that time. I know people say there’s a Carolina have gone a different way if you weren’t so tired? What was the lot of Leafs fans at Ottawa games now, but their building was pretty good feeling at that point? when it came to playoff time for them. It was pretty loud in there. We were totally beat up. Mats [Sundin] was hurt. I was hurt. I think Tie Who most stood out to you on the other side? [Domi] was hurt. We had a couple D-men that were in and out of the lineup that were big parts of our team. We were just absolutely beat up. The normal characters. Daniel Alfredsson was always a huge part of their My recollection on it was how well [Shayne] Corson and Green played team. I know we ended up beating them a certain amount of times in the and how well Roberts and [Alyn] McCauley played. They were the reason playoffs, but he was a hell of a leader for them. He played extremely hard we got to the point that we got. And then our D was so good, and you at playoff time. So, he stuck out. Radek Bonk, Marian Hossa, people of gotta throw CuJo in there. He stopped 50 shots a night, no matter who that ilk. They had Wade Redden on defence and big Chris Phillips. They we played, for crying out loud. If you’re stopping 50 shots a game in the had a really good hockey team. To tell you the truth, they were probably playoffs, you got a hell of a goaltender in there. more skilled than us as a team. The intangible we had, we were a little bit older and a little bit more playoff-tested. You were hurting from the Alfie hit? Alfredsson broke my shoulder in Game 5 of that series. I missed Game 6 and 7 and Game 1 of the Carolina series [all Toronto victories]. We had a three-day break, and I came back for Game 2. We lost [2-1] in overtime to Carolina, but I was struggling. You want to get in the lineup, but when I look back on it now, I probably should’ve waited until we got by Carolina. Because I think we could’ve done it with the group that we had there. As a hockey player, you always want to play. So you’re doing as best you can to get back in the lineup. As a little bit older and more mature now, I wish I would’ve waited at least until Game 5 or 6 of that series to get back in there.

This has been great, Darcy. I appreciate your time. Enjoy the game Saturday.

It’s fun reminiscing about these things. It’s great you guys are showing these, too.

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1182297 World Leagues News Analysts caution that it is too early to calculate the damage to sport businesses. Consultancy KPMG predicts the “Big Five” football leagues and their member clubs in England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy Can sport survive the coronavirus shutdown? face a collective hit of almost €4bn in lost broadcasting, sponsorship and match day revenue if the remaining games in their seasons are not completed.

4 hours ago ft.com Business 0 Japan’s New National Stadium will now not welcome Olympic athletes until July 2021

Some are expected to cope with the cash crunch better than others. The Martin Slumbers usually works from a wood-panelled room overlooking organisers behind the Wimbledon tennis championships, cancelled this the 18th green of the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. The chief year, and the Tokyo Olympics, postponed until next summer, believe executive of the R & A, golf’s governing body outside the US and Mexico, their insurance policies will recoup the vast majority of costs. But many says his office was closed two weeks ago. The same goes for the ancient football, and cricket clubs are among those to find their links, the first time this has happened since the second world war. insurance arrangements do not cover pandemics. The coronavirus pandemic has shuttered global sport, with North The shutdown has already brought casualties: MSK Zilina, seven-time America’s National Basketball Association and Europe’s football leagues football champions of Slovakia, and USA Rugby, the sport’s national suspended and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games postponed. Others are governing body, are among those to declare bankruptcy in recent days. at risk, including Indian Premier League cricket due to begin this month Industry executives say if social-distancing measures enforced in many and the start of American football’s NFL season in September. countries continue for many more months, bigger franchises also face Yet to fall off the calendar is The Open on July 16-19, one of the four collapse. annual golf “majors”, which makes up the vast majority of the R & A’s Many are responding by cutting costs. Even the world’s two highest paid annual revenues of around £90m. Mr Slumbers says all options are on athletes, footballers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, have accepted the table for this year’s tournament in Kent, England and the organisation pay cuts or wage deferrals alongside teammates at Spain’s Barcelona has “rainy day reserves” to withstand the financial hit should it be forced and Italy’s Juventus. English Premiership rugby clubs, Australian Rugby to postpone or cancel the event. League teams and top NBA executives are among those to have slashed But Mr Slumbers — in common with sports administrators around the salaries in recent days. In England, leagues and clubs want players to world — is also thinking further ahead. He is contemplating how to accept temporary salary cuts. But the Professional Footballers’ reduce expenses for future tournaments, such as installing a reduced Association, the players’ trade body, has so far rejected that call and number of grandstands for spectators or having fewer golfers compete. instead sought a deferral of wages. “The impact of this black swan event will make us think of how we Bailouts are planned. Fifa, international football’s governing body, wants manage the financial risk of The Open Championship,” says Mr to draw on its cash reserves of $2.7bn to create an emergency fund for Slumbers. clubs, national federations and governing bodies. Enders Analysis, the Sporting groups across the world are facing up to the same problems. research group, says Europe’s football teams, considered institutions in With the help of big money television and branding deals, they have many cities and towns, are also likely to receive government assistance transformed games played recreationally for decades into multibillion- rather than be allowed to fail. dollar enterprises. Leading athletes are protagonists in unscripted, A calendar of missing sporting events unmissable dramas for thousands in stadiums or billions watching on screens. Sport is a uniting passion. And, until the coronavirus shutdown, Indian Premier League a growing global market, with sales in sport services and related goods worth $489bn in 2018. Season due to begin on April 15

Now the business model of many sports is under threat. While each one With India in lockdown, there are doubts if the league will be played this has different characteristics, most of their money is made in three ways: season broadcasting deals, sponsorship contracts and “match day” income from NBA Basketball playoffs tickets, hospitality and spending during events. These revenue streams are drying up. From April 18

There is optimism in some quarters that the lockdown measures will be a Matches in US and Canada remain suspended; NBA is considering short-term blip to business. But many sports executives believe there will curtailed playoff schedule be lasting disruption. The willingness of spectators to rush back to crowded stadiums will be tested. Many governing bodies are scrambling Uefa Champions League final to reorganise calendars to ensure delayed tournaments take place later May 30 this year. Postponed. No new date for Istanbul final scheduled with tournament “[This] is the biggest disaster to hit the sports world in 75 years and the postponed indefinitely biggest challenge our business has ever faced,” Simon Denyer, chief executive of the television and internet sports streaming group DAZN, Uefa Euro 2020 wrote in an internal email to staff. From June 12 Greater changes await. Broadcasters are re-evaluating both the value of The tournament of national sides, to be held in 12 European cities, has current deals and business models that are reliant on live sport to hold on been delayed until 2021 to subscribers. Sponsors are slashing spending in response to an impending global recession. The pay packets of leading athletes will be Tokyo Olympic Games depressed for months, if not years, to come. From July 24 Even those imagining a glorious future have had ambitions overturned. Leeds United is top of the Championship, the second tier of English The International Olympic Committee has postponed the games until football, and well placed for promotion to the Premier League, the sport’s next July most valuable domestic competition, where the club would earn an Brett Gosper, chief executive of World Rugby, the international governing additional £150m in revenues. Instead, postponed fixtures have led the body of rugby union, says it is working on a “Marshall Plan approach”, players to agree to pay cuts as they await games to restart. wanting to borrow against its capital reserves worth between $150- “Imagine it for them, the players, coaches . . . they see the finish line, and $200m to backstop cash-strapped members. this pandemic is stopping everything,” says Leeds United owner Andrea “Obviously we don’t have enough money to fund [rugby groups] to the Radrizzani. “We’re all living and working on the edge.” level they are used to,” he says. “But we certainly can relieve some unions in some cases which have high pressure points.” These efforts will not help emerging competitions, such as women’s Realising broadcasters will have less cash to spend on sports rights, football in the US and UK, which have sought new investment to fund some such as Germany’s Bundesliga football league have paused growth. And a generation of young athletes, unable to play and receive upcoming media rights auctions. Industry executives say privately they their first pay cheques, may be forced out of the game altogether. are braced for the value of sports rights to fall, as TV companies count the cost of the shutdown. Broadcasters find themselves with empty airtime to fill. Rather than NBA basketball playoffs in April and May, US sports network ESPN has been In the UK, Sky has allowed households and pubs to pause their offering viewers cherry pit spitting, hamburger eating contests and a expensive sports subscriptions “until normality returned”. Allowing “national puppy day” marathon. In the week up to March 22, ESPN’s customers to halt subscriptions will cost Sky £700m if accounts are primetime ratings were down 29 per cent compared to the previous paused for a period of four months, according to Enders Analysis. These week, according to Bernstein. pauses are leading to concern about the longevity of expensive subscription bundles that marry sport with other entertainment channels, The current lack of live sport is exposing the business model of traditional at a time when viewers are slowly moving to a pay-per-event model. TV companies such as Disney and WarnerMedia in the US; Sky and Discovery in Europe; beIN in the Middle East. Each has invested billions “Broadcasters and sports like the Premier League have been locked into in sports media rights in the search for a rare asset in the age of Netflix: a the hamster wheel of the big, fat bundle for a long time now,” says one show that is best watched live. European football broadcasting executive. “[Customers are] going to get more and more impatient with being locked in.” These companies recoup investment — and seek to turn a profit — by selling advertising alongside matches, asking consumers to pay for In February, eMarketer predicted 28m American households will cancel expensive subscriptions, or charging hefty fees to the cable companies their cable TV subscriptions by the end of this year. The research that run their channels. This model has inflated the value of premium company now suggests the current crisis will trigger further falls. “All we sports rights, and the industry’s value as a whole. can tell you is: the forecasts are outdated,” says eMarketer analyst Ross Benes. In the US, the NBA in 2014 struck a nine-year TV contract with Disney and Time Warner totalling $24bn — more than three times the value of Simon Denyer, chief executive of DAZN, wrote in a company email that its previous deal. Last year, the English Premier League, the world’s the coronavirus crisis is ‘the biggest disaster to hit the sports world in 75 most watched domestic football competition, revealed its domestic and years’ international contracts will be worth £9.2bn between 2019 and 2022, an increase of around £1bn from the previous three years. Sports With finances under considerable strain from coronavirus, many sporting broadcasting rights contracts worldwide totalled $49.5bn in 2018, organisations want to adapt in order to withstand the next financial shock. according to SportsBusiness Consulting. World Rugby’s Mr Gosper, says governing bodies may need to morph into regulators, closely monitor accounts of their members and enforce As coronavirus has become a worldwide problem, defending the value of strict limits on spending. broadcasting contracts has become critical. The Euro 2020 championships and Copa América, flagship national team tournaments in Many competitions already have these measures, but there are calls to Europe and South America, due to be played in June have been tighten existing regimes. Last year, F1 introduced a “cost cap”, with no postponed until next year. That is designed to allow domestic leagues to team allowed to spend more than $175m, although this does not include resume this summer to complete their seasons. Some leagues are items such as driver salaries and marketing budgets. While most racing contemplating quarantining some players to allow the resumption of teams never reach such a figure, the constructors that do — Mercedes, matches as early as May but without spectators, sacrificing ticketing Red Bull and Ferrari — dominate the sport. income to protect more valuable broadcast revenues. Zak Brown, chief executive of McLaren Racing, the F1 team, says the Formula One, the global motor racing series, has called off Grands Prix current crisis means it will be “irresponsible” not to reduce the cap further in Australia, Bahrain, Vietnam, China, the Netherlands, Spain, Monaco to $100m, a move to ensure smaller teams survive the shutdown. That and Azerbaijan so far. Even so, it is drawing up plans for a curtailed will be fought by the richest teams. calendar of between 14 to 16 races to begin later this year, down from But Mr Brown reckons all sports groupsmust face the reality of a poorer the scheduled 22. F1 executives believe this is enough to satisfy the future. “I think the damage caused is going to [go] far beyond what has broadcasting contracts worth around $565m in 2019, around 40 per cent happened for four months,” he says. “This is going to change the world. of F1’s overall revenues. When we get back to racing, I don’t think everything simply picks up One former F1 adviser recommends caution, however, saying: “[There’s] where we left off.” no way they will get that many races in.” Companies have spent big to be associated with athletes, teams and Tricky negotiations have begun between sports leagues, broadcasters competitions. Global sports endorsement deals were worth $55bn in and advertisers on who foots the bill for lost coverage during the 2019 according to Brandessence Market Research, which prior to the shutdown. Some discussions are friendly, as many TV companies do not shutdown forecast that sports sponsorship market will grow to $86.6bn want to jeopardise relationships and future deals. by 2025.

Martin Slumbers (left): ‘The impact of this black swan event will make us That growth is now in doubt. As a global recession looms, companies are think of how we manage the financial risk of The Open Championship’ slashing their marketing budgets just to keep companies afloat. Big sports endorsers, such as Coca-Cola and Heineken, are among those US broadcaster Turner has offered its advertisers a full refund on cutting huge marketing budgets. GlobalData, a research group, predicts inventory they bought for the cancelled NCAA college basketball the near-bankrupt airline industry, which accounts for $2.2bn in sports tournament, according to Michael Neuman, partner for Scout Sports & sponsorship, will scale back deals in an effort to hoard cash. Entertainment, which manages $900m in sports assets for TV and digital advertising clients. The International Olympic Committee expects to roll Brian Wieser, business intelligence head at GroupM, the WPP-owned over its global broadcast deals for the rearranged Tokyo games in July agency, says that for advertisers who are looking to trim spending amid a 2021. global downturn, “here’s some money that just freed up”.

But DAZN, which has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to stream It may take time for this hit to be realised. Many sports sponsorship football and boxing worldwide, has told some leagues it will not pay for contracts are on multiyear terms, meaning sponsors are obliged to pay games left unplayed, while deferring payments for future seasons. In regardless of whether matches are played. However, these deals often France, beIN and Canal+ have paused payments due to organisers of include “force majeure” clauses that are yet to be tested and could Ligue 1 football because of the lack of games. relieve payment obligations.

The absence of live sport is also accelerating a debate within media Rory Stewart-Richardson, chief executive of Connexi, an online platform circles about the long-term future of funding models for big broadcasters. that works with football, rugby and cricket clubs to find corporate Digital groups like Amazon, which has acquired the UK rights to sponsorships, says clients are becoming flexible. Some are offering broadcast some Premier League football fixtures as well as ATP Tour discounted endorsement deals for a year, hoping to renew endorsement tennis, have emerged as threats and are offering fans cheaper, more contracts at a higher rate at a later date. Others are being forced to tailored packages. accept services from sponsors such as energy groups or banks, instead of simply cash lump sums. “There will be a huge amount of unsold inventory which means it will be a buyers’ market,” he says.

LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182298 World Leagues News NY Post LOADED: 04.05.2020

What New York-area sports owners have given to coronavirus fight

By Zach BrazillerApril 5, 2020 | 1:22am

As the novel coronavirus has wrecked the New York area, sports owners with deep pockets have emerged to help in the fight to battle this deadly pandemic. Here’s a look:

James Dolan

The Madison Square Garden chairman, who has tested positive for coronavirus, but is said to have mild symptoms, is paying arena workers in his many venues through at least May 3 and has established a $2.3 million relief fund for them.

Joe Tsai

With help from the Nets’ owner, China is donating 2,000 much-needed ventilators to New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday. Cuomo singled out Tsai, his wife Clara Wu Tsai and Jack Ma, co- founder, with Tsai, of Alibaba, for helping to make it happen. Tsai has also pledged to pay Nets and Barclays Center workers through the end of May if games and events are canceled, as is expected.

Fred and Jeff Wilpon

On Friday, the Mets announced they were creating a COVID-19 Disaster Assistance Fund to aid employees who haven’t worked due to the pandemic and they are putting $1.2 million into the program for eligible game day staff, employees who worked 15 days last season and anyone who lost work after the season was suspended on March 12. Employees can file an application on the team’s official website starting Tuesday.

Hal Steinbrenner

On Thursday, the Yankees established a $1.4 million COVID-19 Disaster Relief Program that will provide assistance for eligible full- and part-time game-day staff impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, including those working for the Yankees, Legends Hospitality and NYCFC.

John Mara and Steve Tisch

The Giants are offering free childcare to emergency response personnel at the Meadowlands YMCA for the next 10 weeks. During this crisis, the program works with the Bergen County Department of Health, Hudson Regional Hospital and Hackensack University Medical Center for children of those who work at the aforementioned place. The donation has allowed the YMCA to expand the program for up to 42 children.

Woody and Christopher Johnson

The Johnson family, which owns the Jets, announced March 23 it was making a $1 million donation to United Way Agencies to support in the fight against the coronavirus. That includes the United Way of New York City’s COVID-19 Community Fund, the United Way of Northern Jersey’s ALICE Recovery Fund and the United Way of Long Island’s United Together: A Response Fund for COVID-19.

Josh Harris and David Blitzer

The Devils’ managing partners have given a six-figure donation to RWJBarnabas Health’s Emergency Response Fund. That will aid in getting medical equipment to more than 35,000 employees working for the health system, which is based in Newark. They run Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, which donated 7,000 pairs of gloves, 10,000 packages of hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies used at Prudential Center to the cause. Harrison and Blitzer are also paying their Prudential Center staff while the NHL season is suspended after initially wanting to cut salaries by 20 percent. The duo has done the same for personnel of the 76ers, the NBA team they own.

Robert Kraft

Along with Patriots president and son Jonathan Kraft, the New England owner partnered with the state of Massachusetts to purchase 1.7 million N95 masks, costing $2 million, and gave 300,000 of the protective masks to New York-area hospitals. Kraft had his team plane pick them up in China and delivered them Friday. 1182299 World Leagues News

Coronavirus: Trump unsure when sport will resume, thinks it'll be "sooner rather than later"

With the coronavirus pandemic having brought sport to a standstill, United States president Donald Trump hopes it can resume soon.

Coronavirus: Trump unsure when sport will resume, thinks it'll be 'sooner rather than later'

United States president Donald Trump is unsure when sport can resume in the country, but hopes it is "sooner rather than later".

With the coronavirus pandemic having brought sport to a standstill around the world, Trump spoke with leaders of the USA's leagues and organisations via a call on Saturday.

The NBA, NHL, MLS, PGA Tour and NASCAR seasons were among those suspended, while the start of the MLB campaign was pushed back and there are concerns over the NFL.

Trump: "I want fans back in the arenas"

Trump hopes to see sport resume shortly, telling a media conference: "I want fans back in the arenas.

"Whenever we're ready, as soon as we can obviously and the fans want to be back too, they want to see basketball and baseball and football and hockey, they want to see their sports.

"They want to go out onto the golf courses and breathe nice, clean, beautiful fresh air."

Asked about a possible resumption, Trump said: "I can't tell you a date.

"But I think it's going to be sooner rather than later. We're not going to have to have separation for the rest of our times on the planet.

"We need it for this period of time, but eventually people are going to be able to occupy those seats in arenas next to each other, like we have for all of my life and all of your life."

Nearly 8,500 dead in US as a result of Covid-19

More than 64,000 people have died from coronavirus worldwide, with the death toll in the USA exceeding 8,400.

DIARIO AS LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182300 World Leagues News The APR measures the academic eligibility and retention of athletes. Teams must meet a benchmark to be eligible for postseason play. The NCAA also has rules that require athletes to make various rates of Temporary changes in college sports may be needed due to coronavirus, progress toward their degrees with certain minimum grade-point athletic directors survey indicates averages.

On the broader financial picture, McMillen said: “Folks are torn between the mission of college sports — providing as many broad-based Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY opportunities to participate as possible — and the business side, relative to making budgets balance. Some of them are saying, ‘Sixteen sports — Published 9:27 a.m. CT April 2, 2020 | Updated 9:28 a.m. CT April 2, can’t we have a break on that for a while?’ Everything is dependent on 2020 football."

USA TODAY LOADED: 04.05.2020 A new survey of major-college athletic directors indicates that some have interest in short-term changes to the pay of highly compensated employees and to the NCAA’s academic rules as their programs deal with impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The survey’s overall picture of college sports’ current financial landscape — including the prospect of a disrupted football season — has some athletic directors also wondering about a temporary change in the NCAA’s requirement that Football Bowl Subdivision schools have at least 16 varsity teams, the leader of the AD’s organization that co-sponsored the survey said in an interview with USA TODAY.

Forty percent of respondents said they believe, or strongly believe, that “high earners should voluntarily offer to make a personal financial sacrifice during this crisis,” according to results unveiled Thursday by the LEAD1 Association, which represents athletic directors at the NCAA’s 130 FBS schools, and Teamworks, which provides internal communications software for many college sports programs.

This article is available free as a service to our community during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing.

Forty-five percent of respondents said they were neutral on his notion.

The survey was taken last week. On Tuesday, NCAA president Mark Emmert informed the membership that he and other top executives of the association are taking 20% pay cuts. Wednesday evening, Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard announced a one-year temporary pay cut for coaches and certain staff, as well as a one-year suspension of incentive bonuses for all coaches. In addition, Wyoming AD Tom Burman said on Twitter that he will be taking a 10% salary cut through Dec. 31.

The new survey also showed that nearly 90% of the respondents said that academic progress is one of their top three concerns for their athletes over the next three months, an outcome that shows possible sentiment for a temporary change in the NCAA’s academic-progress regulations as campus closures have moved all students into distance learning.

The survey provided other insight into FBS programs’ financial situations:

►Nearly 70% of respondents said their worst-case scenarios for the 2019-20 fiscal year involved a revenue decrease of no more than 20%.

►But more than 60% of respondents said their worst-case scenarios for the 2020-21 fiscal year involved a revenue decrease of at least 20%, including 35% who said their worst-case involved a decrease of more than 30%. That’s without knowing whether the football season will be impacted.

►More than 55% of respondents said their programs do not have a financial reserve to help them through this situation.

The 15-question survey was conducted electronically from March 23 through March 27, and 111 AD’s responded, according to LEAD1. Of that group, 48 were from schools in the Power Five conferences, 62 from schools in the Group of Five (one did not indicate a classification). That means the number of respondents skewed somewhat toward lower- revenue schools. Respondents did not have to answer every question, and no question was answered by more than 100 respondents.

LEAD1 President and CEO Tom McMillen highlighted athletic directors' concern about athletes’ academic progress. While he said his organization was not yet advocating for temporary changes to NCAA academic rules, he said online-only class situations, combined with disruption to normal academic-support routines and some schools’ increased use of pass-fail grading for the spring semester “changes the whole calculus” of the NCAA’s Academic Performance Rate system. 1182301 World Leagues News "There was a lot of fear through misinformation during the pandemic," Chertorivski said. "Back then, social media was still somewhat in its infancy and didn't have the penetration you have now."

Did sports in Mexico learn anything from the swine flu pandemic in 2009? Mexican clubs Guadalajara and San Luis pulled out of the Copa Libertadores that spring after Reynoso's incident stoked fears of potential infection. In the waning minutes of Chivas' April 29 group-stage match Eric Gomez against Chile's Everton, defender Reynoso approached striker Sebastian Penco, who earlier had come close to scoring a decisive goal for the

Chilean club. Footage of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert mocking the coronavirus "I wanted to disrupt his concentration," said Reynoso, who retired in outbreak by touching microphones at a news conference two days before 2015. "I pretended to cough and sneeze on him, and it worked. I could testing positive quickly became a notorious chapter in the story of how tell it scared him, so I kept doing it." the pandemic has affected the sports world. Reynoso hounded Penco for the remainder of the match, and the Imagine, then, if instead his faux pas had been using fear of a pandemic strategy worked. Everton failed to score, with the 1-1 final allowing to gain a competitive advantage. Chivas to move on to the next round. These were precisely the mental Images most associated with the H1N1 "[Penco] never stood up to me during the game, and I figured that was pandemic 11 years ago, when Hector Reynoso of Guadalajara's Chivas the end of it." was caught trying to cough and sneeze on an opponent during a Copa Libertadores match in Chile. The H1N1 flu strain -- commonly known as It was not. swine flu -- originated in Mexico, so the sight of a player from a country stricken with the infectious disease using that to intimidate an opponent TV cameras caught Reynoso in the act. Though he apologized, he was caused an immediate uproar. fined and suspended by CONMEBOL, South America's governing body and the tournament's organizer. A few days later, Mexican clubs were "They kicked us out," Reynoso said. "Teams didn't want to come to forced to retire from the competition when opponents refused to travel Mexico after that." because of potential contagion.

As the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 continues to bring the Despite the initial panic, sports eventually returned to normal in Mexico world to a halt, it can be easy to forget that in 2009 Mexico found itself at even as the H1N1 pandemic spread around the world. In June, the the center of a global health crisis. The H1N1 virus was responsible for national soccer team vied for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the U.S., and the eventual infection of up to an estimated 1.4 billion people worldwide, the NBA held a preseason game in October between the Philadelphia according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 76ers and in Monterrey.

The virus originated in the rural town of La Gloria in the eastern state of In the United States, only events at the amateur levels were cancelled or Veracruz, where 5-year-old Edgar Hernandez was declared "patient postponed because of the outbreak. President Barack Obama declared a zero" in early April. A third of La Gloria's population of 4,000 eventually national health emergency in October following confirmed deaths in all 50 fell sick, and the Mexican government estimates that almost half of the states. town's citizens made the daily 150-mile trek to Mexico City for work in 2009. That same month, the New York Yankees won their 27th and most recent World Series title in six games over the . Hall "This is how the disease spread. It went into a major city and turned us of Famer Pedro Martinez, who pitched four innings in his final Series start into the epicenter of it all," said Salomon Chertorivski, Mexico's former while struggling to breathe, said he and several other Phillies teammates secretary of health, who was part of the country's response team during played that postseason despite being stricken with H1N1. the H1N1 pandemic. "We concluded something very strong was coming and that we had to Reports of Gobert's positive test on March 11 sparked a chain reaction take immediate measures as far as social distancing." that virtually shut down the sports world, not unlike what happened on a much smaller scale in Mexico in 2009. During the early stages of swine Salomon Chertorivski, who was part of Mexico's H1N1 response team flu detection, the country went into lockdown, promoting social distancing while temporarily closing businesses and suspending sporting events, among other mass gatherings. It was a foreshadowing of what would "Some of the guys had swine flu and had to be kept away. I caught some come globally a little over a decade later. In the midst of the worldwide of the virus," Martinez said in 2019. "It wasn't told, but most of us were recession, the closures hit Mexico's economy the hardest, with the sick." country's GDP contracting 5.3% by the end of 2009. The World Health Organization declared an end to the swine flu "Those measures were taken with many degrees of uncertainty," pandemic in August 2010. The CDC estimates that the final death toll Chertorivski said. "We concluded something very strong was coming and from H1N1 ranges between 151,700 and 575,400, with most occurring in that we had to take immediate measures as far as social distancing." Africa and Southeast Asia. Outside of Mexico, no other country applied social distancing measures. Fans were barred from attending soccer and baseball games throughout affected areas in Mexico in an attempt to curb the spread of infection. "The world should have taken more of those techniques to halt the Officials handed out more than six million surgical masks in Mexico City, spread," Chertorivski said. helping to flatten the curve of new cases by late April. In 2020, the approach around the world to COVID-19 has been markedly Before a vaccine became available for H1N1, doctors prescribed the different, and the near-universal stoppage or delay of sporting activity is antiviral drug oseltamivir, commonly sold under the brand name Tamiflu, just one of several social pillars affected by the coronavirus pandemic. to treat symptoms. That's a key difference from COVID-19, which currently has no decisive treatment and can be asymptomatic. While "Stopping mass events like sports from happening is an effective way to experts have said it might take up to 18 months to develop a vaccine for inform the masses that attention needs to be paid to a specific threat," COVID-19, the H1N1 vaccine was rolled out in the United States in said Alberto Diaz-Cayeros, director of the Center for Latin American October 2009, just six months after the disease had been classified. Studies at Stanford.

Though the measures taken were effective, athletes connected to Mexico Following the abrupt and widespread suspension of events and leagues were nevertheless shunned internationally. Events involving athletes or in mid-March, those starved for action turned toward the slim pickings teams from Mexico were scrapped. A mid-May baseball exhibition available around the world. Liga MX was one of the few and notable scheduled at Dodger Stadium between Mexico City's Diablos Rojos and holdouts at the time -- the league was still hosting games with fans in the Sultanes de Monterrey was cancelled. The 2009 A1 Grand Prix set to attendance on March 13, though the remaining matches that weekend run in Mexico City was also lost. were played without crowds before the league halted entirely that Sunday. The relatively late move to fall in line with the rest of major North American sports organizations was notable considering Mexico's H1N1 history. The delayed coronavirus response on the sports front can be traced to the strategy carved out it by the current Mexican government, which delayed full-on social distancing in an effort to slow the negative impact on the economy.

"It's ambitious, but risky," said Diaz-Cayeros, whose work focuses on the intersection of politics and economy in Latin America. said. "And it is certainly a departure from how the previous pandemic was handled."

Mexico has been put under the microscope. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been criticized for holding mass rallies and engaging in physical contact with supporters until late March. The tepid reaction was reason enough to label Mexico among the worst responders to the coronavirus pandemic.

With COVID-19 making its way through the world at an uneven pace and intensity, only time will tell if internationally prominent events scheduled within Mexico toward the back end of 2020 -- such as yearly commitments with the NFL, NBA and Formula One -- will even take place. MLB's two-game series in Mexico between the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks has already been cancelled.

With uncertainty reigning, it's likely that each country's specific response to the outbreak will determine how long athletic pursuits are sidelined.

"We might be looking at a near future in which sports become more local than global," Diaz-Cayeros said.

ESPN LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182302 World Leagues News that schools will finish the year with distance learning, which almost certainly would mean no spring sports season.

SOCCER What you need to know about sports during the coronavirus pandemic MLS: The regular season, which began Feb. 29, is suspended until mid- Here are the latest updates on sports cancellations and postponements, May. MLS extended its team training moratorium through April 24. and when the games may begin again. NWSL: The top domestic women's league delayed the start of its season, scheduled for April 18.

By Naila-Jean Meyers APRIL 4, 2020 — 7:36PM International: All the major European leagues, including England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga, Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A, have stopped playing after some briefly held games without fans. The This article will be updated regularly and is available for free to non- Champions League was halted at the round-of-16 stage. The European subscribers as a public service. Please consider subscribing to the Star Championships and Copa America, the premier events of the summer, Tribune. were rescheduled from June 2020 to June 2021. UEFA, which governs European soccer, is developing a plan to resume play in July and With many countries and state and local governments banning large August. gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus, sports have been shut down across the world for several weeks. And it is expected to be several OLYMPICS more weeks, if not months, before sports return. Federal stay-at-home guidelines in the United States were recently extended to April 30, and The Summer Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled for July 24-Aug 9, were the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended no postponed and will instead begin July 23, 2021. The Olympics have gatherings of 50 or more people through mid-May. Here is the latest on previously been canceled because of wars, but they had never been sports cancellations and postponements and when the games may begin postponed. again: GOLF

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PGA Tour: The tour stopped play after the first round of the Players Spring training was suspended on March 12, and Opening Day, Championship on March 12. Since then, the Masters (April 9-12) and scheduled for March 26, was postponed indefinitely. In an interview with PGA Championship (May 14-17) have been postponed, and all tour ESPN on March 25, Commissioner Rob Manfred said he hoped to start events through May 10 have been canceled. The next North American the league up in May. But he acknowledged that teams probably won’t be tournament on the schedule is the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial able to play 162 games, but that "the goal would be to get as many in Fort Worth, Texas, May 21-24. regular-season games as possible, and think creatively about how we The U.S. Open is scheduled for June 18-21 at Winged Foot in can accomplish that goal." Mamaroneck, N.Y., just outside New York City, the area hardest hit by NFL the virus. The club is currently closed, construction on the course has stopped, and local qualifying tournaments for the Open have been The draft will proceed as scheduled April 23-25, but instead of a public canceled. The USGA has acknowledged that postponing or relocating extravaganza in Las Vegas, it will be a television-only event with no the tournament are possibilities. A decision is expected by mid-April. players or team representatives in attendance. Team facilities were ordered closed on March 25; the league intends to re-evaluate that order The R&A has not yet made a decision about the British Open, which is on Wednesday. The NFL has not yet decided whether teams can hold scheduled for July 16-19 at Royal St. George’s in England. their draft war rooms at team facilities or if they must use remote The 3M Open in Blaine July 23-26, if it is held, could benefit from the locations such as personal residences. Both scenarios would limit the postponement of the Olympics and the British Open by gaining a number of participants. stronger field.

NBA LPGA: The top women’s pro tour hasn’t held a tournament since mid- The season was suspended on March 11, with five weeks left in the February, and three majors have been rescheduled. The ANA Inspiration regular season and most teams having played about 65 of their 82 in Rancho Mirage, Calif., which was to end Sunday, is now Sept. 10-13; games. In an ESPN interview on March 18, Commissioner Adam Silver the Evian Championship in France shifted back two weeks to Aug. 6-9; said he was considering scenarios for resuming games without fans or and the U.S. Women’s Open, scheduled for June 4-7 in Houston, was putting a charity competition to help the “national psyche.” moved to Dec. 10-13. The next LPGA tournament on the schedule begins June 19 in Arkansas. NHL Minnesota courses: The state’s courses are closed until at least April 10 The season was suspended March 12 with teams having between 11 by Governor Tim Walz’s executive order. and 14 games remaining in the regular season. The league extended its quarantine period for players and staff to April 15, and many players TENNIS returned to their home countries. The NHL has asked teams to evaluate No top-level pro tennis events are scheduled through July 13. The arena availability through August. French Open has been rescheduled from May 24-June 6 to Sept. 20-Oct. WNBA 4. Wimbledon, which was to begin June 29, was canceled for the first time since World War II. On Friday, the WNBA postponed the start of its season, which was to begin May 15 with training camp opening on April 26. The draft will be The U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam event on the year, remains on the held April 17 as scheduled, without players, guests and news media on calendar for Aug. 31-Sept 13, but some buildings at the tennis center site. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on where the tournament is played in Queens, N.Y., are being used as a ESPN, and players will participate remotely. temporary hospital and food distribution center.

COLLEGE SPORTS HORSE RACING

The NCAA canceled its winter and spring championships, and The Kentucky Derby was postponed from its traditional date on the first conferences have largely stopped all spring sports activities. Saturday in May until Sept. 5. Officials at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore are looking for a new date for the Preakness Stakes, MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOLS scheduled for May 16. Whenever it is, it will not have its famous infield activities. Many tracks around the country have closed, and most that The winter sports season ended abruptly on March 13, five days before remain open are holding races with no spectators. tip-off of the boys' basketball state tournament and the day before the girls' basketball state finals. There will be no spring sports practice or AUTO RACING competition until May 4 at the earliest. Full-season cancellation looms. Gov. Tim Walz said Thursday that there’s a “relatively strong possibility’’ NASCAR: Races were postponed through May 3, but officials have said they intend to run a full 36-race schedule this year. The next scheduled race is on May 9 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, but the state is under a stay-at-home order through June 10.

IndyCar: The series canceled or postponed its races until May 30, bumping its traditional month of May events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to later in the summer. The Indianapolis 500 will not be held on Memorial Day weekend and instead will be Aug. 23. It will be the first time in the race’s history it will not be in the month of May.

Formula One: The first eight races of the season were postponed or canceled, including the Monaco Grand Prix in May. The series hopes to have between 15 and 18 races in 2020, and the season will likely extend past its original end date of Nov. 29. The next race on the schedule is the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on June 14. Nearly half of the COVID- 19 cases in Canada are in Quebec.

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NBA working on plan to televise H-O-R-S-E competition involving star players, per report

Jack Maloney

As the coronavirus continues to spread across the country, we are likely months away -- at least -- from sports leagues returning to action. With that in mind, the NBA has had to turn to alternative forms of competition. They put together an NBA 2K tournament between players, and now are working on a H-O-R-S-E competition, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Details right now are scarce, and it's still unclear who would participate, or how the competition would work. Initial reports indicate it would be star players, which makes sense, and that everything would be remote in order to keep everyone healthy.

While those requirements are necessary, it also may prevent some players from participating -- for example, Giannis Antetokounmpo said recently he doesn't have access to a hoop at his house. There will also likely be some technical hurdles in terms of getting the shots filmed and broadcasted. The plan is for the event to be shown on ESPN, but it's not clear if it would be live or pre-recorded.

Despite those potential hiccups, this is a great idea by the league. Obviously everyone would rather be watching real games right now, but that's simply not possible. Putting together an actual athletic competition between players is the next best thing and would be a great distraction for everyone sitting at home trying to stay safe and wait this thing out.

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Sports’ finest hour coming during coronavirus fight

By Mike VaccaroApril 4, 2020 | 5:29pm | Updated

The thing to remember is, many of the people who engage in the most profound examples of philanthropy prefer to do it away from the glare, away from the lights. One of the last conversations I ever had with George Steinbrenner was trying to convince him to attach his name to a story detailing an extraordinary hand he’d provided someone.

“The satisfaction comes in the helping,” Steinbrenner said, gently refusing to take part in the story, “not in the telling.”

It is important to remember that as we see, in ever-increasing numbers, sportsmen and women who have stepped forward to assist New York City and elsewhere in this time of unrelenting need. Much is being done, as usual, without PR campaigns to spread the word. The helping is more important than the telling.

Still, every day, we are allowed a glimpse of how sports is lending a hand, sometimes modest, sometimes extraordinary. In the past few weeks alone, we have seen countless athletes underwrite the salaries of arena and stadium workers. We have seen Shin-Soo Choo of the Texas Rangers donate $191,000 so that each of the franchise’s 191 minor leaguers could add a much-needed $1,000 to their bank accounts.

Around here we have seen the Yankees announce a $1.4 million Distress Relief Fund for Yankee Stadium employees, and we have seen the Giants fund a 10-week program so that emergency response workers can have childcare at the Meadowlands YMCA. Pete Alonso, the Mets’ first baseman, has been a Pied Piper, popping up on so many platforms and in so many ways to offer support.

Of course there was Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots, caretaker of one of New York’s blood rivals, flying the team plane to China to retrieve a million masks, then sending 300,000 of them to New York. They were delivered in a truck festooned with a Patriots logo, Patriots colors and six Lombardi Trophies, a sight that in normal times might’ve drawn the egg- throwing wrath of locals, but in these times was seen, rightly, as an 18- wheeled angel of mercy.

Saturday, it was the basketball locals’ turn. Nets owner Joseph Tsai and his wife, Clara Wu, helped facilitate the donation of 2,000 ventilators, 170,000 goggles and 2.6 million surgical masks from China to New York, supplies that cost in the neighborhood of some $50 million, earning thanks from Gov. Cuomo during his daily press briefing.

“We finally got some good news today,” Cuomo said.

Later, Cuomo announced the Nets, Knicks, NBA and China’s Consul General, Huang Ping were arranging to provide a million surgical masks to help resupply New York’s ever-diminishing stock, for which Cuomo tweeted: “We are beyond grateful.”

These, of course, are the things we know about, the things too public to keep private. We all do what we can, after all. We order from local restaurants because we want them to stay afloat. We deliver groceries to our neighbors who are too old or infirm to do it themselves. Some of us have been bludgeoned by the economic downturn the virus has inflicted, yet still manage to give as much of our time, our hearts and our resources as we can.

These are not our greatest days. But in these days we are discovering something else, because it just may be our finest hour.

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Michigan governor, Detroit professional sports teams call for health care volunteers to assist the state’s coronavirus response

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer teamed up with the , Lions, Tigers and Red Wings to encourage health care workers from around the country to assist the state’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

In a video released Saturday, members of the sports teams called on nurses and doctors to bring their skills to Michigan and volunteer on the frontlines as the outbreak rapidly evolves in the state.

Related: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 14,225; Death toll now at 540

“I am grateful for the health care professionals who are on the front lines of this pandemic every single day, but these brave men and women can’t do it alone,” Whitmer said. “That’s why we are asking nurses, doctors, and qualified health care professionals across the country to bring their expertise to our state to combat this virus. If we work together, we can slow the spread and save lives.”

Watch the video announcement below.

The @Tigers, @Lions, @DetroitRedWings, and @DetroitPistons know that when it comes to fighting #COVID19, we’re all on the same team. Visit https://t.co/WZ51AQdAZw to sign up to volunteer. pic.twitter.com/P03JJhfwZK

— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) April 4, 2020

The video features messages from Dwane Casey, Head Coach, Detroit Pistons; Matthew Stafford, Quarterback, Detroit Lions; Ron Gardenhire, Manager, Detroit Tigers; Matt Patricia, Head Coach, Detroit Lions; and Jeff Blashill, Head Coach, .

In the video, health care professionals are encouraged to visit this website to fill out a form to volunteer at hospitals and medical centers in Michigan. clickondetroit.com LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182306 World Leagues News

NBA rumors: League 'angling' to cancel rest of season amid coronavirus

By Josh Schrock April 04, 2020 8:44 AM

As the sports world remains frozen due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA reportedly isn't optimistic it will be able to restart and finish its season.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst went on "SportsCenter" on Friday and gave an update on the league's current line of thinking and the realistic possibility that basketball won't return until next season.

"It's been a bad week," Windhorst said in regards to the feeling the season might not be salvageable. "I think there was optimism about progress a week ago, and some things that have happened this week have turned it south about what could happen. A big factor was what happened in China, where they halted the return of their league and one of the big reasons was they really believed that if they just tested the players' temperature all the time that it would. The Chinese are finding that asymptomatic carriers are causing maybe a second wave in that country. They have just slammed the breaks on sports.

"The talks between the players union and the league this week -- I've talked to both sides of this issue -- and it is clear the NBA is angling to set up a deal that enables them to shut the season down. Now, they don't have to do that yet, and the way they are negotiating, they are leaving themselves an option either way. But they are not having talks about how to restart the league, they are having financial talks about what would happen if the season shuts down and I think there's a significant amount of pessimism right now."

The NBA reportedly had been looking at the idea of playing the playoffs in Las Vegas while keeping the players in a bubble without fans, but public health officials have poked holes in that idea.

Windhorst noted the NBA is walking a fine line in finishing this season without impacting the 2020-21 season, and the widespread availability of fast, reliable tests will be needed to finish this season.

"They do have runway here," Windhorst said. "I do think that they could go into August or September to finish this season. But I'm not sure they feel confident about that right now. A big factor is testing. We just don't have the testing. At some point, not only does there have to be a test that is quick and can tell if a player is healthy enough to enter the game, you have to know that you have the tests available so that you aren't taking them away from people who need them."

The NBA suspended its season March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. Gobert and teammate Donovan Mitchell both have fully recovered from their bouts with COVID- 19.

Not finishing the NBA season would be a tough pill to swallow for the league, its players and its fans, but as we focus on social distancing and flattening the curve, it might be the only option.

As of April 3, there were more than 270,000 cases of coronavirus in the United States and more than 7,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and NBC News reporting.

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President Trump holds call with sports commissioners, reportedly hopes to have fans back by Aug. or Sept.

Jasmyn Wimbish

When the NBA announced it would suspend play on March 11 due to the growing concerns of the coronavirus pandemic, it set off a chain of reactions which caused several other sports leagues to postpone or cancel events. At this point, it's still unclear when play will resume, though on Saturday afternoon, leading sports figures from around the sports world did hold a conference call with President Donald Trump.

Trump told the commissioners that he hopes to have fans back in arenas and stadiums by the late summer or early fall, according to Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. That proclamation will likely be taken with a grain of salt, however, as it's still far too early to know how the virus will still be affecting us by that time.

"They want to get back," Trump said of the sports leagues during his press briefing later on Saturday. "They've got to get back. They can't do this. Their sports weren't designed for it. The whole concept of our nation wasn't designed for it. We have to get back. We want to get back soon."

During the call, NBA commissioner Adam Silver noted the need for an "all clear" from health officials before that can happen, however, according to a report from Wojnarowski.

Along with Silver, the other sports commissioners involved in the call included Roger Goodell (NFL), Rob Manfred (MLB), Gary Bettman (NHL), Cathy Engelbert (WNBA), Jay Monahan (PGA Tour), Michael Whan (LPGA Tour), Dana White (UFC), Vince McMahon (WWE), Roger Penske (IndyCar), Drew Fleming (Breeders Cup) and Don Garber (MLS), according to the White House.

Silver has tried to stay optimistic about the chances of the league pressing play again on this current season, and the NBA has reportedly been 'very determined' to crown a champion for the 2019-20 season. There have been talks of a truncated playoff format, with all games taking place in Las Vegas as a way to limit the amount of travel, and thus slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. There's a lot of hoops to clear and questions to answer to make that a possibility, but if this season could be salvaged in some way, the NBA would try it.

There's also a report that the NBA is prepping for the possible cancellation of the season altogether, if it looks like there's no safe way for games to resume. This doesn't mean that the season will be canceled, but that the league is preparing for all possible outcomes as the spread of the coronavirus continues to worsen across the United States. The league has billions of dollars on the line, and canceling the remainder of the season isn't ideal, but if there's no way to continue playing games in the next couple months, then chances of not having a 2020 NBA champion will grow.

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MLB debating playing games at spring training ballparks without fans, per report

Katherine Acquavella

Major League Baseball, like many sports leagues around the world, has been shut down indefinitely because of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic. Spring training was canceled altogether and 2020 Opening Day has been pushed back to at least mid-May, and that remains subject to change as the situation develops.

MLB, along with the MLBPA, has discussed a variety of scenarios for the 2020 regular and postseason, including doubleheaders and extending the season into October. Now, MLB is considering playing in empty spring training ballparks in Florida and Arizona, with no fans and all while quarantining players. From Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:

MLB is prioritizing public health as it examines all possibilities, sources say. The season, at least initially, could be played in Florida or more likely Arizona, where spring training parks are more concentrated. But the logistics of quarantining 30 teams in one area would be extremely complex and potentially controversial, sources say, requiring local, state and federal government cooperation and resources that might be necessary to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

As Rosenthal notes, the Premier League is reportedly is discussing quarantining its teams in parts of England and finishing its season with televised games from empty stadiums. The NBA is also discussing a similar concept with a truncated playoff tournament in Las Vegas.

Obviously, there are many concerns that arise from this proposed format for the return of baseball. There's the issue of gathering all the 40-roster players from every MLB club, most players have left spring training complexes to return home to their families, and who they might have come in contact with during that time or while they return back to the spring training ballparks could pose a risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.

The responsibility would fall on the league for protecting not only the players and coaching staff, but also the umpires, those producing the television broadcasts as well as hotel staff, bus drivers and anyone else who might require direct involvement with the players and games. Plus, finding and using health care supplies for these games would be another issue. Take this worst-case scenario from Rosenthal:

As an example, the official cited the possibility of a hotel worker going home, catching the virus and bringing it back into the baseball environment the next day. The effect might be similar to what occurs on a cruise ship. Infections would spread rapidly, and the sport again would need to shut down.

Diverting resources from health care would be another concern. Baseball would need to conduct wide-ranging testing for the virus, isolate anyone who gets sick and provide proper medical attention. Such an effort would require outside assistance, the kind of resources the league could not justify drawing away from the general population in the middle of a public health crisis.

When MLB originally looked into formulating alternative plans for regular season games, the league was thinking about using different sites for games once the 2020 regular season got underway in late March, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reports.

Since MLB commissioner Rob Manfred officially announced the delay of the start of the 2020 season, the federal government has extended social distancing guidelines through April 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended against gatherings of 50 or more through at least May 10, and nearly all of the 50 U.S. states have ordered stay-at-home and shelter-in-place mandates.

CBS News has the latest updates about the virus, which has affected various sports globally and in the United States. Here at CBS Sports we have a running updates on how sports leagues are responding to coronavirus.

CBS Sports LOADED: 04.05.2020 1182309 World Leagues News Stadium car park and other facilities offered to NHS. Staff help stack shelves at local grocery stores and volunteer to help NHS however they can.

What Premier League clubs are doing to help during coronavirus Liverpool

A significant donation has been made to St Andrews foodbank in north By Joe Prince-WrightApr 4, 2020, 10:28 AM EDT Liverpool by the first-team players and Liverpool FC Foundation. Andrew Robertson is said to be behind a similar anonymous foodbank donation in his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. Staff take part in having a virtual cup of tea with elderly people in local community. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new Man City window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Hospitality areas of stadium offered fo NHS staff training. Along with Man All 20 Premier League clubs have stepped up to help their local United, the two clubs donate over $125,000 to Manchester food banks. communities during the coronavirus pandemic, as players, managers and Club makes phone calls to vulnerable people in local community. all members of staff are trying do all they can to help. Man United As we await the return of the Premier League following its suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, let’s take a look at some of the more Along with Man City, the two clubs donate over $125,000 to Manchester notable things each club have been doing to help out. food banks. Free parking for NHS staff staying at Hotel Football at Old Trafford, Man United’s academy doctor returns to NHS and staff Talks are ongoing between Premier League players, the Professional volunteering for NHS. Food provided for local hospitals and phone calls Footballers’ Association (PFA) and the league as to how best to take a made to vulnerable people. Club will protect earnings of casual workers. wage cut and/or make further donations to the NHS and other institutions, with players acutely aware that they are in a financial position Newcastle United to step up and support those who support them all season long. Stadium car park used by NHS staff and club helping to employ Arsenal youngsters in NHS/care roles. Urgent food supplies delivered to over 2,000 children. Have promised to pay their casual workers in full until the end of April and will review the situation in the coming weeks. Close to $200,000 Norwich City given to charities and cars made available to mental health workers. Over $245,000 donated to local communities in Norfolk after players, Increased visits from foundation staff to vulnerable people and doubling coaching staff and club officials donate wages. Staff delivering and of educational facilities for children in home school. Club helps with collecting food for vulnerable locals. delivering groceries. Sheffield United Aston Villa NHS using stadium car park, distributing hand sanitizers to local care Fresh food donated to local charities and stadium kitchens providing hot homes and staff volunteering for NHS. meals to vulnerable. Southampton Bournemouth Saints Foundation providing over 1,000 meals per week to vulnerable Free tickets for NHS staff and manager Eddie Howe and leading people in local community, as chefs remain working at St Mary’s Stadium executives announced they will take huge wage cuts. Players reach out to provide fresh meals. Club medical staff assisting the NHS. Easter to vulnerable people with phone calls and club helps with delivering soccer schools for children of key workers and helpline launched for groceries. vulnerable fans. Prescription delivery service for locals needing Brighton and Hove Albion medication and video calls to vulnerable young people.

Free tickets for NHS staff and manager Graham Potter and leading Tottenham Hotspur executives announced they will take huge wage cuts. Storage of NHS Stadium offered to the NHS and used as a storage facility for food banks equipment and using car park for testing. to help the local communities in north London. Spurs defender Toby Burnley Alderweireld donated hundreds of iPad’s so people in hospital due to coronavirus could speak to their family and friends. Jose Mourinho The Clarets have promised to pay all non-matchday and matchday staff volunteers for Age UK to help with home deliveries of groceries. Club in full throughout the crisis. Tickets have been offered to NHS staff and doctor seconded to NHS for three months and supplies donated to local Turf Moor made available to NHS. Helping with foodbank delivery food bank. scheme and players make phone calls to vulnerable people in the community. Watford

Chelsea Players, manager and staff make phone calls to older and vulnerable fans, with club staff volunteering to support local hospitals. All club Hotel at Stamford Bridge offered to NHS to house staff and parking at the facilities offered to NHS. stadium offered for nearby hospital workers. First team squad donate funds to foundation to help local community. West Ham United

Crystal Palace Food and toiletries donated to local food banks as captain Mark Noble also makes donation to food bank. Players make phone calls to older and The Eagles have promised to pay all non-matchday and matchday staff vulnerable West Ham fans. in full throughout the crisis. Wilfried Zaha offers use of his personal apartments to NHS staff. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Everton Protective equipment donated to City of Wolverhampton and a prescription and grocery delivery service set up for vulnerable people. All The Toffees have said non of their staff will be ‘disadvantaged’ financially food stocks donated to local homeless charity. by the crisis and casual workers will receive normal pay. Players and manager Carlo Ancelotti have made personal phone calls to vulnerable NBCSports LOADED: 04.05.2020 supporters to check in on them during the coronavirus pandemic.

Leicester City 1182310 World Leagues News schools. While the Tournament has a $250-275 million business- interruption insurance contract, the NCAA was scheduled to collect $827 million from its contract with CBS and Turner. In 2019, the NCAA A world without sports: How coronavirus has impacted athletics globally received $170 million in non-CBS/Turner revenue from championships and NIT tournaments, but most of this revenue also came from March Madness. Prior to the tournament’s cancellation, the NCAA planned to distribute around $600 million among its Division I member schools, but Jude Papillion, Staff Reporter this amount has been slashed by more than half to $225 million. Due to the lost season, the NCAA approved an extra year of eligibility for spring athletes, but not winter athletes. Due to the spread of the coronavirus, sporting events around the world have either been canceled, suspended or postponed. Major League Baseball also decided to postpone its regular season until a later date on March 12 due to the Centers for Disease Control and This includes postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Prevention recommending that all events in the U.S. with more than 50 Tokyo, Japan — a move announced by International Olympic Committee people present should be canceled for the next eight weeks. Opening Chairman Dick Pound. The games were set to take place between July Day, which was originally scheduled for March 26, will now be pushed to 24 and Aug. 9. They have now been postponed almost exactly a year mid-May at the earliest, and teams and players believe that around two with a new opening ceremony date of July 23, 2021. The date was to four weeks of additional spring training will be needed prior to the chosen on three main considerations by the International Olympic commencement of the season. Many are questioning whether or not all Committee: to protect the health of athletes, to safeguard the interests of 162 regular season games will be played, as well as the fate of the MLB the athletes and Olympic sport, and the international sports calendar. All-Star Game, which is set to be held on July 14 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. According to the IOC, the “new dates give the health authorities and all involved in the organization of the games maximum time to deal with the Following the actions of other American sports leagues, the NHL decided constantly changing landscape and the disruption caused by the COVID- to suspend its season indefinitely. 19 pandemic.” “In all likelihood, we weren’t going to get through the rest of the season There were several options discussed when deciding to postpone the without a player testing positive. Particularly because the Utah Jazz had games. One idea was postponing the games to the spring, allowing the used locker rooms within 24 hours of our teams using the same locker Olympics to occur at the same time as the blossoming of Japan’s famous rooms in buildings that we share with the NBA. I just decided that instead cherry blossoms. This move, though, would have disrupted sports of waiting for it to happen, to just get ahead of it,” NHL commissioner leagues in Europe and North America. Gary Bettman said in an ESPN article.

The Olympics are not alone in terms of sporting events affected by Following first round play of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, COVID-19. Many other sporting events around the world have either the PGA Tour decided to cancel all of its events through mid-May. While been cancelled or postponed until the pandemic ceases. In Italy, a nation not a PGA Tour event, Augusta National Golf Club decided to postpone ravaged by the coronavirus, the Italian Government issued a decree its 2020 Masters Tournament, originally slated to be held from April 9-12. declaring that all sporting events in the country must take place without It is rumored that the tournament will instead take place in October. The fans until at least April 3. This will affect several sports, including Italy’s PGA Championship, originally scheduled to take place in early May at Serie A soccer league, along with rugby and tennis. TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, has been postponed to a later date in the summer. Although not officially postponed yet, the New York Post In addition to Serie A, La Liga, the Champions League and Europa reported that the 120th U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club will be League have been suspended indefinitely. All four of these leagues are postponed until September instead of its original June date. If true, all at risk of having their seasons canceled. The Premier League has also four of gold’s majors will have been postponed or canceled, with the suspended its current season until at least April 30, however the league Open Championship, scheduled to be played at Royal St. George’s Golf has stated that it will not begin its 2020-21 season until this one ends. In Club in Sandwich, England, rumored to have been canceled Wednesday. North America, Mexico’s Liga MX has suspended its season until further notice, and America’s Major League Soccer has extended the Tennis has also been affected, with the Wimbledon Championships suspension of its season until at least May 10. Furthermore, Euro 2020 scheduled for June 29 to July 12 having been canceled Wednesday as and Copa America have been postponed until 2021. well.

On Thursday March 12, the NBA, NCAA, MLB, and NHL all decided to Statement from Chairman Ridley: either end or suspend their seasons. "Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided After Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19, NBA at this time to postpone @TheMasters, @anwagolf and @DriveChipPutt Commissioner Adam Silver immediately made the decision to suspend National Finals." the NBA’s season indefinitely. While Silver initially stated that the season would likely be suspended for at least 30 days, many around the league Full details at https://t.co/FX2AN1MLsY pic.twitter.com/Z2DjS5TYdG are hoping for the season to resume in mid-to-late June at the earliest. — The Masters (@TheMasters) March 13, 2020 The NBA is currently evaluating three options in regard to resuming its season: playing games with fans whenever it is safe to do so, continuing While COVID-19 has not had a profound impact on football, some such games without fans, or having players compete in a charity tournament as ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit are questioning how the virus will impact the or game for the “good of the people.” upcoming college and professional football season.

The NBA still faces looming questions like whether there will be a “I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college permanent shift in the NBA calendar, whether the NBA will skip the football. I’ll be so surprised if that happens,” Herbstreit said on ESPN remaining regular season games and immediately begin the playoffs and radio. “Just because from what I understand, people that I listen to, whether the season will even continue at all. Since Gobert tested you’re 12 to 18 months from a [coronavirus] vaccine. I don’t know how positive, a number of NBA figures have also tested positive including you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant and three of his how you can play ball. I just don’t know how you can do it with the optics teammates and owner James Dolan. of it.”

NBA To Suspend Season Following Tonight's Games So far, the NFL has only modified two events: the league canceled its pic.twitter.com/2PTx2fkLlW 2020 Annual League Meeting in which all 32 owners meet to discuss rule changes and other football matters. The NFL has also canceled all public — NBA (@NBA) March 12, 2020 events for the 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas. The draft will still take place The NCAA made the decision to cancel all of its remaining winter and from April 23 to 25 and will be “televised in a way that reflects current spring NCAA championships for the 2019-20 season on March 12. This conditions.” In the meantime, NFL free-agency is still on-going. includes the cancellation of March Madness, the men’s Division I When Coach O speaks, we all listen. Basketball Tournament, and baseball’s College World Series. This decision will have a huge impact on both the NCAA and all of its member For more information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit: https://t.co/89sZCjY9n3@Coach_EdOrgeron @LADeptHealth #lagov #lalege #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/OxJ5u2xBmo

— John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) March 14, 2020

Saints’ HC Sean Payton tested positive for the coronavirus, he told ESPN on Thursday. Payton is the first person in the NFL world known to test positive for the virus.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2020

This is an an unprecedented time in sports. While fans cannot enjoy the teams they love right now, commissioners and sporting authorities have made choice in an effort to prioritize the safety of fans and players.

The Hullabaloo LOADED: 04.05.2020