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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 01/26/19 Anaheim Ducks Colorado Avalanche 1127648 Michael Del Zotto’s arrival to Ducks comes with range of 1127682 Women’s star Coyne Schofield shines at NHL All-Star emotions weekend in Nathan MacKinnon’s place 1127649 Ducks Film Room: Breaking down Anaheim’s struggling 1127683 Avalanche All-Star trio: MacKinnon, Landeskog and power play and how it can improve Rantanen share rare connection 1127684 Avalanche will host L.A. Kings in outdoor game at Air Arizona Coyotes Force’s Falcon Stadium 1127650 Coyotes’ Clayton Keller participates in NHL All-Star 1127685 Going behind the campaign that got Gabriel Landeskog Fastest Skater event “elected” to the All-Star Game 1127652 Clayton Keller heads to the All-Star Game, chasing idols 1127686 2020 Stadium Series: Avalanche now have opponents Kane, Gaudreau scheduled 1127687 “This isn’t a death sentence,” the doctor told Jim Boston Bruins DeMersseman — who feared it was 1127653 Quebec City has interest in an NHL franchise 1127688 Nathan MacKinnon “unlikely” to play in All-Star 1127654 Former Northeastern hockey player Kendall Coyne makes GameAdrian Dater history in NHL All-Star skills event 1127655 Bruins’ David Pastrnak wins accuracy shooting contest at Columbus Blue Jackets NHL All-Star Skills competition 1127689 After period of turmoil, Cam Atkinson rediscovered his 1127656 Data technology will change the way we watch the NHL love for hockey 1127657 Peter Chiarelli doomed by bad deals, overpriced/lengthy 1127690 John Davidson happy with state of Blue Jackets contracts 1127691 On Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, and the trade 1127658 David Pastrnak wins All-Star accuracy contest deadline that has all NHL eyes on Columbus 1127659 All Star notebook: New technology coming to NHL 1127692 Analysis: Measuring the Blue Jackets’ forecheck and why 1127660 Bruins’ David Pastrnak just starting All-Star career that matters 1127661 Bruins' David Pastrnak wins NHL All-Star Accuracy Shooting contest Dallas Stars 1127693 Miro Heiskanen gives Stars fans a fright with fall in NHL's Buffalo Sabres fastest skater competition, finishes fourth 1127662 Connor McDavid nips Jack Eichel to win NHL's Fastest 1127694 Dallas Stars to host Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL Skater contest Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl 1127663 All-Star Notebook: Sabres still awaiting word on NHL's 1127695 Stars’ 2020 Winter Classic opponent is one of NHL’s best 2019-20 international games teams 1127664 Jack Eichel in Fastest Skater contest, Jeff Skinner in Puck Control event at All-Star Skills Challenge Detroit Red Wings 1127665 Defenseman Brendan Guhle added to AHL All-Star 1127696 Filip Hronek improved in Detroit but may be locked in Classic Grand Rapids 1127666 Mike Harrington: $$$$kinner has leverage, so he's not 1127697 NHL All-Star Game has popcorn flavor for every team fretting about pace of contract talks including cherry for Red Wings 1127667 Former Sabres prospect, Williamsville product Justin 1127698 What’s a mid-round pick really worth to the Red Wings in a Bailey 'ecstatic' to join Flyers' organization deadline deal? 1127668 Inside the Sabres: Pressing questions entering post-break 1127699 Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break playoff push 1127669 Bang for their buck: Measuring the Sabres’ roster in terms Edmonton Oilers of salary value 1127700 JONES: Oilers bringing up rear in NHL Great Turtle Race 1127701 Lowetide: Caleb Jones has impressive first showing in the Calgary Flames NHL with Oilers 1127670 Matthew Gaudreau a proud younger brother 1127702 DGB Grab Bag: Weighing the pros and cons of some top 1127671 Ready for takeoff: Reliving Johnny Gaudreau’s jet to NHL candidates for the Edmonton Oilers GM job stardom 1127672 Assessing the Flames’ trade assets ahead of the deadline Florida Panthers 1127673 Hockey know-it-all Matthew Tkachuk’s love for the game 1127704 The Panthers are hoping to carry their momentum into the blossomed early and continues to grow second half. This is what’s next Chicago Blackhawks Los Angeles Kings 1127674 Collin Delia is into leather-making. He's also into 1127706 Kings will play Avalanche outdoors at Air Force's Falcon goaltending, as Blackhawks fans have discovered. Stadium next season 1127675 Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane loses to Johnny Gaudreau 1127707 Kings-Avalanche outdoor game set for Air Force venue in (again) in puck control contest February 2020 1127676 Chicago’s Kendall Coyne-Schofield is first woman in NHL 1127708 Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break skills contest 1127709 FINAL – COLORADO 4, ONTARIO 0 1127677 NHL All-Star Game: United Center unlikely to host anytime 1127710 KINGS, AVS STADIUM SERIES GAME IN COLO. soon SPRINGS; DOUGHTY SKILLS COMPETITION 1127678 NHL All-Star Game: Blackhawks' Patrick Kane goes from 1127711 PROSPECT DOMINIK KUBALIK TRADED TO CHICAGO upstart to old-timer FOR FIFTH ROUND PICK 1127679 Toews, Crawford and many more have ideas on how NHL 1127712 PREVIEW – ONTARIO VS. COLORADO, 1/25 can get better 1127680 Blackhawks 2018-19 midseason grades: Defensemen 1127681 As Blackhawks retool, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane doing anything they can to extend their primes into their 3 Minnesota Wild San Jose Sharks 1127713 Wild claims defenseman Anthony Bitetto off waivers from 1127749 Takeaways: Matthews wins over Sharks fans with Marleau Predators tribute 1127714 Wild claim defenseman Anthony Bitetto off waivers 1127750 A kid’s game: Burns, Pavelski turn All-Star Game into family affair Montreal Canadiens 1127751 Could the Sharks play preseason games in Europe next 1127715 A mea culpa about The Habs and more: We all make season? mistakes 1127752 No Sidney Crosby in NHL Skills Competition; Here’s what 1127716 Montreal Canadiens' literary winning streak continues the Sharks are doing 1127717 The science suggests the Canadiens should use more 1127753 NHL All-Star Game: NBC to showcase new puck, player than the All-Star break to rest Carey Price tracking 1127718 Brown: Midseason ranking of the Canadiens’ top 15 1127754 NHL All-Star Game: Sharkie, 28 others compete in Mascot prospects Showdown 1127755 U.S. gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield is pioneer in Nashville Predators NHL Skills contest 1127719 How to get tickets to the 2020 NHL Winter Classic 1127756 Auston Matthews honors Patrick Marleau at NHL All-Star between Predators and Stars in Dallas Skills Competition 1127720 NHL Winter Classic: Hockey fans stoked for new Winter 1127757 NHL All-Star Game: Four takeaways from Gary Bettman's Classic matchup between Preds, Stars press conference 1127721 Predators to face Stars in 2020 NHL Winter Classic in 1127758 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition results: Winners of Dallas at Cotton Bowl Stadium every event 1127722 Catfish Corner newsletter: Behind the scenes, in the 1127759 Stanley Cup keeper discusses visiting San Jose for NHL locker room with Paul Skrbina All-Star Game 1127723 It's show time again for Predators defenseman P.K. 1127760 2019 NHL All-Star Game: Captain Auston Matthews Subban discusses Bay Area roots 1127724 Predators Mailbag: Are Kevin Fiala’s days numbered? 1127761 Will Sharks' Joe Pavelski bring his son out for 2019 NHL What should be done about the second line? All-Star weekend? 1127762 Erik Karlsson speaks highly of Sharks owner Hasso New Jersey Devils Plattner as he ponders his future with the organization 1127725 What to watch for at the NHL All-Star Game St Louis Blues New York Islanders 1127763 Memories and more for Blues at NHL All-Star Game 1127726 Isles’ Mathew Barzal combines All-Star talent with team-first mentality Tampa Bay Lightning 1127727 NHL will have final say on Islanders' home playoff games, 1127764 Which format do the all-stars like best? Gary Bettman says 1127765 All-Star Game media day offers a chance for some fun 1127728 After break, there's little rest for Islanders 1127766 Kendall Coyne inspires as first woman to compete in NHL 1127729 How Michael Dal Colle reinvented himself last summer Skills Competition into an AHL All-Star and budding Isles mainstay 1127767 Andrei Vasilevskiy just short in the save streak at NHL skills competition New York Rangers 1127768 Gary Bettman addresses NHL topics before All-Star Game 1127730 Ex-Rangers star Brian Leetch's wife and sister take violation deal in piano bar scrap Toronto Maple Leafs 1127731 Henrik Lundqvist’s custom Godfather suit rocks at All-Star 1127769 For NHL’s Canadian teams, the season is half-empty and Weekend half-full 1127732 Wife of Rangers legend Brian Leetch scores no-jail plea in 1127770 Marner content with a weekend at the beach | The Star bar brawl 1127771 Leafs need to treat Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner as 1127733 Goldman: What we’ve learned about the Rangers heading equals | The Star into the All-Star break 1127772 NHL owners not ‘looking for a fight’ over bargaining, Bettman says | The Star Ottawa Senators 1127773 Sheldon Kennedy has spent most of his adult life fighting 1127734 Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break the good fight | The Star 1127774 Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews not losing sleep over ‘life Philadelphia Flyers changing decision’ 1127735 Flyers goalie Carter Hart has been plenty mature enough | 1127775 How the Leafs and a community rallied to help make a... Sam Donnellon 1127736 Flyers mascot Gritty does it all at 2019 NHL All-Star Game Vancouver Canucks festivities 1127790 The Canucks hit the all-star break with an unusual 1127737 Claude Giroux 2019 NHL All-Star Game: Live stream, sensation – optimism times, competitions, more 1127738 For Claude Giroux to be mentioned in same breath as Vegas Golden Knights Bobby Clarke, Carter Hart will be way to get there 1127776 Soft goal disappoints Marc-Andre Fleury at NHL skills 1127739 Scott Hartnell has hilarious response to Claude Giroux's event diss on Kimmo Timonen 1127777 Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury could make case for 1127740 Flexible as ever, Claude Giroux an All-Star again for Vezina Trophy Flyers 1127778 Golden Knights’ Gerard Gallant doing even better job in 2nd season Pittsburgh Penguins 1127779 Golden Knights midseason forward grades: Tuch and 1127742 Respect growing for Sidney Crosby's all-around game Reaves are top of the class 1127743 Penguins' Sidney Crosby to sit out all-star skills 1127780 Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break competition due to illness 1127744 NHL: International games likely coming soon for Penguins 1127745 Sidney Crosby to miss NHL All-Star Skills Competition 1127746 Marc-Andre Fleury brushes aside Vezina Trophy talk 1127747 Marshall: Penguins’ meticulous power-play is paying dividends Washington Capitals 1127781 Heading to first All-Star Game, John Carlson showing he’s one of the NHL’s best defensemen 1127782 Capitals coach Todd Reirden showing why he was coveted by so many NHL teams Websites 1127791 The Athletic / Gary Bettman and Mathieu Schneider come out beating the drums of … peace? … for upcoming CBA ta 1127792 The Athletic / Ranking the All-Star teams to see which squad has the best chance to win it all 1127793 The Athletic / DGB Grab Bag: Weighing the pros and cons of some top candidates for the Edmonton Oilers GM job 1127794 The Athletic / Well suited: A Montreal shop has been dressing the NHL for 50 years 1127795 The Athletic / Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break 1127796 Sportsnet.ca / NHL Notebook: New-look international hockey event in 2021? 1127797 Sportsnet.ca / NHL Skills Competition: Matthews, Coyne Schofield top memorable moments 1127798 Sportsnet.ca / NHL trade deadline buyers or sellers? Six teams on the bubble 1127799 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers' Connor McDavid: 'I'm here to be part of the solution' 1127800 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Matthews on how fun it is playing with Marner 1127801 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' Bergevin, Julien, Weber glaring omissions from mid-season awards 1127802 Sportsnet.ca / Trying to identify the best defensive defencemen in the NHL 1127803 Sportsnet.ca / How Flames' Gaudreau has evolved from star to superstar 1127804 TSN.CA / Coyne Schofield hangs with the boys in watershed Skills Competition 1127805 USA TODAY / The good, bad from 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition 1127806 USA TODAY / US women's hockey player Kendall Coyne Schofield thrills at fastest-skater event 1127807 USA TODAY / Injured Nathan MacKinnon didn't want to sit out a game, so he comes to All-Star Weekend 1127808 USA TODAY / Opinion: NHL, NHLPA have started CBA talks on a positive note, and that's different Winnipeg Jets 1127783 When coach Maurice talks, players and people listen 1127784 Trainer Adam Francilia pulled Jets backup goalie Laurent Brossoit's career out of the ashes and helped Connor 1127785 Laine-Little a second-line marriage not made in heaven 1127786 Voice of a (Jets) nation 1127787 Pettersson’s smarts, skill and will became perfect package for Canucks 1127788 Patrick Johnston: Left side of Canucks’ defence a question mark 1127789 Benning: Three factors drive Edler’s future with the Canucks

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1127648 Anaheim Ducks ALWAYS ASK ABOUT YOU BECAUSE OF THE POSITIVE IMPACT YOU MADE ON THEM. THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU, SHOWING ME WHAT HARD WORK, LOVE AND LIFE IS REALLY ABOUT. WORDS Michael Del Zotto’s arrival to Ducks comes with range of emotions CAN’T DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I WILL MISS YOU. RIP NONNO.

A POST SHARED BY MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO (@MDZOFFICIAL) ON JAN 18, 2019 AT 2:08PM PST Eric Stephens Dementia took its toll. Michael visited Lino last summer, and Nonno was Jan 25, 2019 no longer the lively man who could bust up a group with a touch of raunchy humor. After logging almost 15 minutes against St. Louis in a 5-

1 loss to the Blues, Del Zotto flew back to Toronto on Thursday. A funeral ANAHEIM – Bittersweet. service for Lino Del Zotto on Friday will bring sadness but also many joyful memories. It is the reaction that Michael Del Zotto had as he processed his trade from Vancouver to Anaheim. Now, this was not a sense where he had Outgoing and social like his grandpa, the 28-year-old defenseman is at deep feelings for the Canucks as he welcomed a new opportunity with peace knowing Nonno is at peace. the Ducks. There was joy at the promise of playing hockey again, which “We were very close, and he’s someone I idolized,” Michael said. he was no longer doing with his now-former team. Second-year coach “Although he has been struggling and I think it’s a bit of a relief knowing Travis Green put the 10-year veteran into his lineup once over a 20- that he’s not suffering anymore, it doesn’t make it any easier. It’s game span until the Ducks freed him from the press box. someone that has been a part of your life for so long. It’s tough, but it’s You could understand why he wore a big smile Wednesday morning, part of life. Not everyone lives forever. He lived a great life.” hours before he would suit up for his team debut against the St. Louis It has been a long time since Del Zotto was a touted first-round pick who Blues. became the first 19-year-old to break in with the New York Rangers since “It was frustrating,” said Del Zotto, alluding to the extensive time out of Brian Leetch in 1988. He was the youngest blueliner to make his Ranger Vancouver’s lineup. “Frustrating. Disappointing. I thought I had a great debut since Dave Maloney in 1974. And it has been a roller-coaster year last year. First year of my career I stayed healthy. Played all 82 journey ever since. games. I thought I had a great year. Came into camp, and things were There were four-plus seasons on Broadway and the high of a career different. 2011-12 season, when the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference “And, again, that’s their decision and there’s nothing I can do about that. final. There was a hardly memorable two months with Nashville. Three The organization is obviously rebuilding, and they have a direction they up-and-down seasons with Philadelphia. And then Vancouver, which was want to go. So be it. That’s in the past. I’m really excited to be here, and one full 82-game slate and then bits and pieces of another. whatever happened before is in the past.” Del Zotto has evolved. He isn’t the solid point producer he once was. But The conflicting feelings weren’t about changing teams. They were far he’s got an edge to his game that can still surprise those who only know more personal for him. of him and his reputation as an offensive-minded rearguard whose greatest strength is moving the puck. His 244 credited hits last season Lino Del Zotto was a constant presence in Michael’s life. When his ranked fifth in the NHL. He had 173 in his final season with Philadelphia. parents, Steven and Lee, were working and providing for a close-knit, three-generation household, Lino would shuttle Michael and his older “When I first came in, I was a power play guy,” Del Zotto said. “I was brother, David, from school to the rink. And a whole lot more. strictly an offensive guy, first power play, put up points. I had Torts (John Tortorella) at a young age, and he teaches you how to play the game “There’s so many things,” said Del Zotto, eager to share the impact his away from the puck. Being physical, blocking shots. I was always grandfather had on him. “We grew up on two acres. For me and my physical. I always had that edge to me. I think now more than ever, it’s brother, he made soccer nets out of trees. He’d cut trees down and make just understanding the role you are. The position you’re in. Not playing soccer posts out of them. It just goes to show that he would do anything power play. More of a penalty kill guy, a shutdown guy. Playing hard.” for us. He made our backyard rink growing up. Every day in the winter time, he was out there flooding it and making sure it was ready for us As much as how the NHL has morphed into a game more based on after school. speed and skill, the smooth-skating Del Zotto still has an appreciation for the rough and tough side of it. He still sees a need for that. And it is part “At night time, he played goalie with a shovel. I can’t tell you how many of his own adaptation to keep teams interested in him. times we’d hit him with pucks and he never once complained. The amount of things he did for us. He did everything for us. Around the “If you’re playing against the other team’s top player and I get a chance house. He was always making sure we were happy. to get a lick on him, I know in the second or third (periods), he probably doesn’t want to go in that corner again, right?” he said. “So, it’s having Bittersweet is the trade happening for him one day and then Lino Del that mindset maybe playing some mind games with the younger guys in Zotto passing the next. He was 91. the league that maybe aren’t used to it.

“His sense of humor was probably the best thing about him,” Michael “But it’s still a physical game. It’s still a contact game. You’re trying to use said. “Anyone who’s ever met him dies laughing from the moment they that much to your advantage as much as you can.” meet him. Sometimes it’s a little offside. All my buddies who come over and play road hockey or on the ice in the backyard, first thing they say is, Wednesday’s game became Del Zotto’s 590th in the league. Randy ‘Your grandpa is hilarious.’ Carlyle lasted for 1,055 of them in the regular season and another 69 in the playoffs. He had to evolve when he was no longer seeing prime “He’d bring a smile to any room. I could go on and on about the stories power play time and racking up points from the back-end. It is how you he did for us. It’s in a way relief because he’s not suffering anymore. The last. last couple of years, he wasn’t who I remember him to be.” “That’s players developing and trying to fill a need,” said Carlyle, the VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAM Ducks’ coach. “And as you get older and you get wiser, usually you have to adapt and change. Because you were something when you first came MY IDOL, ROCK, ROLE MODEL, GRANDPA/NONNO. FROM TAKING in the league and to last the number of years that people are lasting, they ME TO SCHOOL, HOCKEY, MAKING SOCCER NETS OUT OF TREES have to be somewhat of a chameleon and change. AND OUR FAMOUS BACKYARD RINK EVERY YEAR FOR DAVID AND I, BLOCKING COUNTLESS PUCKS OFF THE SHINS WHILE PLAYING “You have to change to the way and the needs of the hockey club you’re GOALIE WITH A SHOVEL AND NEVER ONCE COMPLAINING, GIVING playing for and the way the game has changed. The game has drastically ME A LOONIE FOR EVERY GOAL I SCORED, TEACHING US ALL THE changed from when he first stepped into the league.” ITALIAN SWEAR WORDS, PLAYING CARDS WITH NONNA, MOWING THE LAWN BEFORE EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT SOCCER GAME, Del Zotto’s first game with the Ducks was a player trying to get adjusted YOUR PROSCIUTTO AND WINE, TAKING US FOR RIDES ON THE to a group. It wasn’t mistake-free, but that has been his career. TRACTOR TRAILER AND OF COURSE THE NON STOP JOKES/LAUGHTER. ANYONE WHOEVER MET YOU WOULD Carlyle put him on the third pair with rookie Andy Welinski, and the two had anxious moments. A decisive second period was particularly costly. Del Zotto got caught up ice pinching in at the sideboard, but the resulted two-on-one rush against Welinski that ended in Zach Sanford’s goal was more about Daniel Sprong turning the puck over at the St. Louis blueline. Pat Maroon threw a nifty toe-drag move on the veteran, but Welinski failed to recognize Oskar Sundqvist coming in as a trailer to bang in Maroon’s backhand pass.

But there were positive moments. Del Zotto seemed get the message from his goalie, John Gibson, to defend against the pass on odd-man rushes against and let him take the shooter, which resulted in saves made. Five hits were a high for the Ducks on the night, with two blocked shots thrown in.

And while there weren’t many chances to do so, Del Zotto flashed some crisp passing ability along the blueline. For a third pairing that has been unsettled all season – with the trade of Marcus Pettersson for Sprong not helping there – Carlyle is hoping some veteran experience will offer needed stability.

“Everybody wants to be able to go back and retrieve that puck and move it as quickly as possible,” Carlyle said. “And that’s one of his strengths, obviously. He was an offensive player when he first started in the league and, now, he’s more of a veteran guy that is adapting his game to what the new game is.

“To me, the most important thing is that he can come in and solidify and give us a 5/6 defenseman minutes and solid minutes that we’re looking for from that pairing.”

The dressing room at Honda Center was still very new to Del Zotto. He knows backup goalie Chad Johnson from his days with the Rangers when he broke in and Johnson was a prospect in the organization. Adam Henrique has become a training partner in the greater Toronto area during the offseason. Otherwise, Del Zotto joked about getting to know Ryan Kesler by other means. “We’ve met plenty of times in the corners,” he said, chuckling. “I know what he’s all about.”

Anaheim might be a short-term stop on his hockey journey. But the likable veteran who readily says he’s “not a very reserved guy” could be a tonic for a morose Ducks team that needs positive vibes as it tries to shake free from its worst stretch of hockey in years.

“Grateful and excited for the opportunity,” Del Zotto said. “A team I know a lot about, being divisional opponents the last couple of years. But a great team. I think that’s what I was so excited about coming here. Great group of veteran guys who have been here a long time and obviously a lot of young talent as well.

“Just coming in, my main focus is do whatever I can to help the team get into a playoff spot, which is what I believe the team should be in. Come in, make an impact however I can. As I said, pretty, pretty excited about being here.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127649 Anaheim Ducks Option 3: (risky, very high quality) Force a pass through two pairs of legs and three defending sticks to Henrique backdoor for a one-timer tap-in goal.

Ducks Film Room: Breaking down Anaheim’s struggling power play and Getzlaf ultimately chooses Option 2, which resulted in Ritchie’s shot how it can improve being deflected by Rakell for the power play goal.

Though this structure resulted in a goal for the Ducks, I’m not satisfied Jordan Samuels-Thomas that this alignment and group is built for lasting success. Just a few moments before the goal, Getzlaf was guilty of taking a low percentage Jan 25, 2019 shot. Sure, there is something to be said about him at least establishing himself as a threat to shoot, but from this position, he’s not likely to score

on an NHL goaltender. The Ducks were awarded a power play with 3:22 remaining in the first The shot was easily redirected – back on Getzlaf’s tape – where he period. They were down 2-0 to the New York Islanders last Sunday at scans his options from a position where he really can only pass and this point with a great opportunity to cut the lead in half heading into the that’s where I see the first red flag. While Getzlaf is unquestionably the first intermission. Ducks’ best playmaker he also serves as one of the Ducks’ best The Ducks had registered five shots on goal to this point and were in shooters. desperate need for some positive momentum. A goal would have been I’d like to see him be a realistic threat to shoot on the PP for two very huge. Some possession would have been great. A shot would be good if obvious reasons. not expected. One, when he establishes himself as a true scoring threat from a The Ducks would finish the period with five shots on goal. relatively dangerous shooting area on the ice, more passing plays will A few nights earlier, during Anaheim’s two third period power plays open up because defenders will have to respect his ability and more against Minnesota, on multiple occasions the Ducks won offensive zone importantly his willingness to shoot. draws and failed to get a shot on goal. Minnesota appeared to show little Two, when Getzlaf gets focused on distributing – which he does more respect for the Ducks’ power play as they aggressively attacked the puck times than not – teams will eventually focus on the passing lanes which all over the ice. will eventually lead to a high quality shooting opportunity for the captain. The Islanders seemed to take notice of the Wild’s aggressiveness by Getzlaf has a cannon of a shot and he needs to be a threat to shoot. The being even more aggressive, committing all four penalty killers within five second red flag, Rakell – Who is the Ducks’ best goal scorer and has feet of each other during shrink situations. been the Ducks ‘leading goal scorer the last two seasons – is also not What does this say about what other teams think of Anaheim’s power being utilized in a shooting position. Yes, he’s being placed where the play right now? I see a lack of respect. As a guy who’s earned his stripes majority of goals are scored, but that’s not where Rakell does his as a penalty killer, I’d say the Islanders were far too aggressive in the damage on the power play. Rakell’s shooting ability should be utilized in screen shot above. But when a penalty killing unit knows that a team is the soft areas of the ice rather than having him screen the goaltender in struggling with its power play, that PK unit wants to eliminate any feeling front of the net. of hope, knowing that an aggressive style of play can easily frustrate a I understand the decision to switch things up, but is taking your two best power play that is lacking in confidence. goal scorers out of shooting positions the answer? Anaheim is struggling in a lot of areas right now and the Ducks’ power Let’s take a look at PP2, whose structure I much rather prefer play is no exception. However in today’s NHL, a strong power play can considering the options it gives the Ducks’ most skilled players. have the ability to hide a lot of problems because it can contribute directly to wins, especially with the current state of the Pacific Division. As Hampus Lindholm – a left shot – begins to walk the blueline, AHL All- Star Troy Terry begins working his way up the boards. Here’s a look at some of Anaheim’s recent power plays. The good, the bad and what needs to improve. The Ducks’ power play could ultimately *I’d like to see Lindholm take one more stride to the middle of the ice so be the difference between sneaking into the playoffs or missing the that Terry has a bit more time to get to the blueline so he can start his postseason entirely for the first time since 2011-12. attack a bit higher and with more speed.

The Ducks’ number one unit runs through Ryan Getzlaf. To the credit of Once Terry receives the pass from Lindholm he quickly adjusts his body coach Randy Carlyle, he’s mixed up Getzlaf’s power play position without and stick angle toward the net in an ‘attacking’ position. taking away his responsibility as the unit’s primary decision maker. From this position, Terry is operating in a similar fashion to Toronto’s Injuries and trades have had a lot to do with the power play groupings Mitch Marner – a skilled, right-shot forward positioned on his strong side that have been sent over the boards the last couple weeks. Because of (forehand, non one-timer side) on the power play. this, Getzlaf has had the added pressure of being the conductor of a power play train that hasn’t been able to maintain any form of Terry’s options are plenty. momentum. Option 1: (smart, safe, solid scoring chance) Take what the PK gives you Getzlaf’s latest position as the ‘goal line guy’ comes with as many and shoot. Knowing that Devin Shore is doing a phenomenal job as a positives as negatives. The screen shot below – which ultimately resulted net-front presence. in a power play goal – illustrates all there is to love and hate about having Option 2: (Deception, Quality) From his perceived shooting stance, show the captain QB the power play from this position. shot but aim for the blade of Max Jones’ stick for a high tip. An extremely Here we see Getzlaf – a right shot – posting up to the left of the Red hard play for the goalie to track considering how great of a job Shore is Wings’ net with his head up scanning three options. doing net front.

Option 1: (safe) Move the puck to the top of the zone to Cam Fowler – a Option 3: (Quick play, or odd-man options) Kick the puck down low to left shot – who would have the option to one-time the puck with Nick Shore who has his stick presented as an option. And from this option Ritchie serving as a high screen/tip option, Rickard Rakell serving as the comes many options. net front presence and Adam Henrique waiting at the top of the crease –Option A: Shore receives the puck and makes a decisive move toward with a well established body position. the goal for a quick one-v-one net-jam opportunity on goal.

Option 2: (relative risk, high quality) Find a seam to the loaded left shot of –Option B: (Quick 2v1) Allow the pass to take his feet to the goal line and Ritchie who can either catch-and-shoot or one-time the puck from the make a read off how the defender between him and Terry reacts. If the slot. Again, Rakell serving as the net-front presence, and Henrique defender quickly collapses down on Shore – due to the natural stick waiting at the top of crease with a well established body position. motion of a defender tracking a puck passed from a right-shot player to a left-shot player whose sticks are on the perimeter – a one-touch pass to a slashing Jones would be available for a Grade-A opportunity from the An improvement on the power play could very well be the difference in low slot. the Pacific Division race.

–Option C: (Quick 3v2) Shore again allows the puck to take his feet to Using a 1-3-1 setup, and considering the skill sets of the available the goal line. But this this time he takes a second to gauge the reaction of personnel, here’s what I believe can be the most effective power play the weak side defender to see if a seam to Daniel Sprong presents itself. units and where each player would best be utilized.

Terry chooses Option 1 for his first NHL goal. Fowler(L)

And as awesome as that was, the 90 seconds of PP time that led to that Getzlaf(R) – Henrique(L) – Rakell(R) moment was anything but. The Ducks spent the majority of the time retrieving the puck from their own end and were outworked and Ritchie(L) outmanned on the majority of 50/50 puck battles, which should never Montour (R) happen when a team has the man-advantage. Terry(R) – Jones(L)/Kase(R)* – Sprong(R) It took the Ducks 50 seconds to enter the zone, and 80 seconds to establish their power play structure before Terry’s goal. Shore(L)

The inability to enter the zone and establish their power play structure *Kase when healthy. has plagued the Ducks all season. The power play serves as the best I believe all of these combinations would highlight the skill set of each opportunity to score and at the very least, an opportunity to apply player while collectively resulting in a much-improved power play. When pressure and shift/build momentum for the team. you have one of the league’s worst power plays you’ll take help from That hasn’t been the case for the Ducks this season with a power play anywhere. that has failed to produce while counter intuitively succeeding in taking Who would you like to see on the PP? Put your thoughts in the away energy from the team. comments! Anaheim’s zone-entry struggles have hindered the Ducks’ ability to get to The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 their desired PP structures once finally entering the zone.

Because the Ducks haven’t been able to enter the zone seamlessly, once in the zone, they’re still fighting for possession of the puck. All this time chasing and battling in effort to get into their desired PP structure leaves the Ducks with less time to take advantage of the man-advantage. This has resulted in the following:

5v4 Shot Attempts per 60

2015-16: 109.5

2016-17: 110.5

2017-18: 101.4

2018-19: 87.4 (Ranked 24th in the NHL)

5v4 Expected Goals per 60

2015-16: 7.3

2016-17: 7.8

2017-18: 8.0

2018-19: 5.5 (Ranked 26th in the NHL)

**Shot from the blueline = 2% chance of going in (0.02 Expected Goals)

**Shot from the slot = 25% chance of going in (0.25 Expected Goals)

5v4 ACTUAL Goals per 60

2015-16: 7.8

2016-17: 6.6

2017-18: 6.2

2018-19: 5.4 (Ranks 27th in the NHL)

Data via Natural Stat Trick

Numbers through Monday’s NHL action. The Ducks went 0-for-1 on the power play in their Wednesday loss.

The Ducks power play currently ranks 28th in the NHL at 14.5 percent. With the Pacific Division being as tight as it is, the Ducks power play could wind up being the deciding factor toward their playoff hopes. Current playoff teams Calgary, San Jose, and Vegas all have power plays that are clicking at or above 17.9 percent. With Calgary and San Jose both boasting top-10 power plays in the league converting over 23 percent of their chances.

Vancouver a team that’s just ahead of the Anaheim in the standings by one point has a power play that’s converting 16.8 percent of their chances. Edmonton is the only real outlier in this division having a top-12 power play unit while sitting outside of a playoff position. Yet they are still only three points out of playoff spot. 1127650 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes’ Clayton Keller participates in NHL All-Star Fastest Skater event

MATT LAYMAN

JANUARY 25, 2019 AT 9:43 PM

Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller skated in the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater challenge at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Friday, finishing in last place with a time of 14.526.

The winner was Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who won the event for the third year in a row with a time of 13.378. He beat Cam Atkinson (CBJ), Mathew Barzal (NYI), Jack Eichel (BUF), Miro Heiskanen (DAL), Connor McDavid (EDM), Elias Pettersson (VAN) and Kendall Coyne (US women’s national team).

The 20-year-old Keller is in his second full NHL season and already has himself an All-Star selection. For his career, Keller has 34 goals and 68 assists in 135 games for his career.

Other events in the skills competition included the Premier Passer, Save Streak, Hardest Shot, Puck Control and Accuracy Shooting. Keller was set to appear in the Save Streak competition as well, which highlights goalies but features the whole field of All-Star skaters.

The NHL describes the Bridgestone Fastest Skater challenge as follows:

Eight players will compete in the Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater. Each skater will be timed for one full lap around the rink. The skater may choose the direction of their lap and can be positioned a maximum of three feet behind the start line located on the penalty box side of the center red line. The skater must start on the referee’s whistle and the timing clock will start when the skater crosses the start line. In the event of a clock malfunction, the official time will be recorded by the referee’s stopwatch. The skater with the fastest time is the winner of the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater, and if there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will skate another lap to determine the winner.

When Keller was asked at the NHL All-Star media day on Thursday which event he’d like to participate in, Keller hinted at puck control or breakaways.

“I think I’d be down for anything,” he said. “Maybe something to do with handling the puck or breakaway of some sort. I don’t know, something like that would be pretty cool.”

Keller will also participate in the All-Star game itself, of course, which takes place on Saturday. He will represent the Coyotes for the Pacific Divison team, which features other stars like McDavid, Pettersson and San Jose’s Erik Karlsson. The game is played in a 3-on-3 tournament format.

“It’s really cool. I mean, 3-on-3 shows everyone’s skill and hockey IQ, so I’m really looking forward to it and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Keller said.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127651 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes’ Clayton Keller participates in NHL All-Star Fastest Skater event

MATT LAYMAN

JANUARY 25, 2019 AT 9:43 PM

Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller skated in the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater challenge at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Friday, finishing in last place with a time of 14.526.

The 20-year-old Keller is in his second full NHL season and already has himself an All-Star selection. For his career, Keller has 34 goals and 68 assists in 135 games for his career.

The NHL describes the Bridgestone Fastest Skater challenge as follows:

When Keller was asked at the NHL All-Star media day on Thursday which event he’d like to participate in, Keller hinted at puck control or breakaways.

“I think I’d be down for anything,” he said. “Maybe something to do with handling the puck or breakaway of some sort. I don’t know, something like that would be pretty cool.”

“It’s really cool. I mean, 3-on-3 shows everyone’s skill and hockey IQ, so I’m really looking forward to it and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Keller said.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127652 Arizona Coyotes the next one you’ve got the back side and it leaves a good chance for the other guy.”

Keller showed off his tantalizing skill in a 4-2 win against the Maple Leafs Clayton Keller heads to the All-Star Game, chasing idols Kane, on Sunday in Toronto when he beat goalie Frederik Andersen high to the Gaudreau stick side on a bar-down shot where there was precious little daylight to shoot.

Craig Morgan .@CLAYTONKELLER37 RIPS IT OFF THE CROSSBAR AND IN FOR A 2-1 LEAD. PIC.TWITTER.COM/RT6476NSPE Jan 25, 2019 — NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) JANUARY 21, 2019

“(Christian Fischer) makes a great chip and I kind of wanted to go glove Coyotes forward Clayton Keller likes to compare his game to, and side, kind of like a pull shot, but at the last second I kind of switched my measure it against, diminutive stars Patrick Kane and Johnny Gaudreau. mind and tried to go short side,” he said. “Good thing it goes bar down He’ll get the chance to play with both forwards at the NHL All-Star Game and not up into the netting.” in San Jose on Jan. 26. When the Coyotes drafted Keller seventh overall in the 2016 NHL Entry “It’s a really cool opportunity,” said Keller, who is the Coyotes’ lone All- Draft, he wasn’t shy about comparing his game to the two Star representative. “They’re obviously two great players, two of the best aforementioned stars. It seemed brash, perhaps even unwise, but a in the game, and they’re having a lot of success this year. I try to watch comparison of the three players’ production through the first two seasons them as many times as I can. You can learn a lot from guys like that.” shows Keller is not far off.

It’s been an uneven season for Keller in his quest for NHL stardom. He The graph below takes into account the relative starting ages of the three had five goals and 11 points in his first 14 games, but he went stone-cold players. Gaudreau, who plays for the Calgary Flames, did not enter the in the goal-scoring department, scoring just four times in his next 36 NHL until he was 21 because he played three seasons at Boston games. College. Kane, who plays for the Chicago Blackhawks, and Keller began their NHL careers at about the same age. While Keller’s first season was When training camp began, Keller seemed almost dismissive of the comparable to Kane’s, his fall-off this season would project him to land notion that his second NHL season would be harder than his first, but he 14 points behind Kane’s second season unless he can heat up over the has learned the hard way what so many other players learn. final 32 games. “The second year is always tough,” he said. “Teams are going to play Interestingly, Keller’s first season, at age 19, was more productive than you harder, and you’re going to get the best matchups on the road. When the first season of Gaudreau, Keller’s 2017 World Championship you’re playing simple hockey, that’s when you’re going to get chances, teammate. Gaudreau, 25, has 29 goals and 73 points in 51 games this and I think the last couple weeks I’ve played the best hockey of the year. season. Kane, 30, has 29 goals and 71 points in 50 games. Keller plans I have been shooting the puck more, and when you do that, passes open to go to school off both in San Jose this weekend in hopes of one day up.” reaching that production level. As the All-Star Game approaches, Keller is showing signs of emerging Keller, Kane and Gaudreau all range between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11 in from that funk. He has three goals and six points in his past nine games, height. and he has 31 shots on goal this month for a 3.1 per-game average — the best average he has posted in any month this season. “The game has changed and there are a lot of smaller, skilled guys coming to the league,” Keller said. “They’re two of the best but not two of “He’s playing a complete game. He’s playing a 200-foot game,” coach the biggest, so I try to watch as much of them as possible to put parts of Rick Tocchet said. “When you’re not scoring sometimes – he’s not a their game into my game.” cheater, but I think you try to do the right things, but you want to score so bad you do the wrong things. The last two, three weeks he’s doing the Idol chasing right things.” * — Projected based on current stats As others did, Tocchet tried to prepare Keller for what was coming his way this season, but experience is often a better teacher than words. # — Kane turned 19 one-plus month into his rookie season

“I told him you’re not going to be a surprise anymore,” Tocchet said. “The The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 best players are going to be going against you. I think at the beginning of the year he thought it was going to be a lot easier than it was.

“He’s played a lot better for me the last two weeks in his overall game. He’s backchecking harder, he’s practicing harder, he’s valuing the little things. As a young guy, he has had a lot of success early. Sometimes, they lose sight of the value of a play along the boards to get it out over the blue line. Maybe a month ago, he didn’t value that. That’s a big play at the critical time.”

Tocchet has cut Keller’s minutes this month. It’s not a punitive measure. It’s an attempt to maximize his output.

“I just find we’re a more well-rounded team,” Tocchet said. “Kells was playing 20 minutes there, and sometimes you have to be careful. He’s 20 years old and his game was suffering. Sometimes when you overplay guys, they cheat.

“I’m not saying Kells was cheating the game, but you cheat defensively. You’re not diligent. Don’t get me wrong. There are some nights where he’s going to play 20 (minutes), but when he’s around 16, 17, he’s got some juice and he’s playing a better overall game.”

Tocchet has also convinced Keller to shoot more often, instead of hesitating when he has good scoring chances, or looking to pass.

“It’s hard sometimes, because I’m an unselfish player but when I shoot the puck, more passes open up,” Keller said. “Teams start to back off when you’re passing. They can say, ‘All right, he’s not going to shoot,’ especially on the power play. When you shoot and shoot and shoot, on 1127653 Boston Bruins Winnipeg, Toronto’s Auston Matthews, and Drew Doughty of Los Angeles.

Youth served Quebec City has interest in an NHL franchise During his news conference, Bettman offered his usual rosy picture about NHL business at large.

Kevin Paul Dupont ■ “The league is led now in so many ways by our young players, who are quickly making their marks – nine of the 11 players to hit the 60-point mark so far this season are age 25 or younger.” SAN JOSE, Calif. — NHL Quebec City, doing business since the mid- ’90s in Denver as the Colorado Avalanche, still has a chance of setting ■ Offense is on the uptick, with more than six goals a game being scored up shop again in La Belle Province. in games thus far this season. “That’s 6.1 to be precise,” said Bettman. “The last time we finished with that scoring pace is more than a decade According to Bill Daly, the NHL’s deputy commissioner, interested ago.” financial parties remain in regular contact with league headquarters in New York, ever hopeful that the NHL will land a franchise there again as ■ As of the All-Star break, said Bettman, a team erased a deficit and won it did with the NHL-WHA merger at the end of the 1970s. in 345 games thus far in 2018-19 — a league record for this point in a season. That includes teams erasing multi-goal deficits 96 times en route “We’re in fairly regular touch with Quebec City,” said Daly. “They to victory. continue to have an interest in an NHL franchise. We’re not in a position to promise them one at this point, but the dialogue continues for sure.” “This all demonstrates where our game is . . . ,” said Bettman, “. . . a competitive balance that keeps fans on the edge of their seats till the final Meanwhile, the city’s 18,259-seat Videotron Centre, which opened in horn sounds.” 2015, awaits a big league tenant. Shaped like a giant smoke detector, it was built on the hope it would entice NHL honchos to come back, giving Boston in running the home province Canadiens a neighborhood rival. Bettman said Boston remains on league radar for potential large future The main factor working against Quebec City: the relative low number of events, such as the All-Star Game and the draft . . . and potentially a corporations, and their spending power, within the immediate metro area. third outdoor game. It’s an avid hockey fandom — as proven when the Nordiques were in “We are constantly talking to all of our clubs,” said Bettman, “and the residence — but it takes corporations to fill luxury suites and buy into Bruins are very vocal about wanting to continue in league events. As you lucrative advertising sponsorships. can see from the schedule, we are trying to do some things we haven’t The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. done before.”

Houston remains perhaps the ripest and richest potential contender to Among those novel moves: the decision announced Jan. 1 this year to land another NHL franchise in the United States, following the recent play the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. Bettman announced approved addition of Seattle (to open in October 2021). here that the Stars will play the Nashville Predators in that game.

“There’s an interest in NHL hockey in Houston,” said Daly, echoing a Boston Globe LOADED: 01.26.2019 sentiment long held by Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs. “Houston is a very interesting and attractive market. Part of the issue is that they have one arena [Toyota Center] and the owner of the team [Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta] owns the facility, so there has to be an interest from that owner in wanting to use the facility of hockey.”

As for the market, Daly added, “I think NHL hockey could be very successful in Houston.”

The home state Dallas Stars are less than a 250-mile drive from Houston.

Coyne makes history

Former Northeastern winger Kendall Coyne, a two-time US Olympic medalist, stole some of the night’s spotlight in the Fastest Skater competition, tearing around the track in 14.346 seconds.

“Definitely top three in my career,” said Coyne, 26, asked where the night placed in her illustrious career.

Coyne is the first woman to compete in the annual Skills competition.

Edmonton captain Connor McDavid won the event for a third straight time, pocketing the $25,000 prize with a speed of 13.378, roughly a second better than Coyne. Former BU forward Clayton Keller finished eighth, one spot behind Coyne, at 14.526.

Coyne, not originally scheduled to participate here as a competitor, subbed for injured Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, sidelined by a foot injury.

Pastrnak wins shooting event

David Pastrnak, the hottest goal-scoring hand in the Bruins lineup, was on fire at the NHL All-Star Skills competition, too, winning the Shooting Accuracy contest.

He topped the eight-man field with a time of 11.309 seconds.

The contest requires shooters to rip off pucks from short range in the slot, eliminating the five dinner-plate sized targets stationed around the net.

Pastrnak, hitting leadoff, made quick, efficient work of the task and was never pressed by a field that included former Bruin Blake Wheeler of 1127654 Boston Bruins

Former Northeastern hockey player Kendall Coyne makes history in NHL All-Star skills event

Kevin Paul Dupont

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Former Northeastern hockey player Kendall Coyne, a two-time US Olympic medalist, stole some of the night’s spotlight in the NHL All-Star Fastest Skater competition, tearing around the track in 14.346 seconds.

“Definitely top three in my career,” said Coyne, 26, asked where the night placed in her illustrious career.

Coyne is the first woman to compete in the annual Skills competition.

Coyne, not scheduled to participate as a competitor, subbed in for injured Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, who is sidelined by a foot injury.

The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.

Boston Globe LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127655 Boston Bruins

Bruins’ David Pastrnak wins accuracy shooting contest at NHL All-Star Skills competition

Kevin Paul Dupont

January 26, 2019

SAN JOSE, Calif. — David Pastrnak, the hottest goal-scoring hand in the Bruins lineup, was on fire at the NHL All-Star Skills competition, too, winning the Shooting Accuracy contest.

He topped the eight-man field with a time of 11.309 seconds.

The contest requires shooters to rip off pucks from short range in the slot, eliminating the five dinner-plate sized targets stationed around the net.

Pastrnak, hitting leadoff, made quick, efficient work of the task and was never pressed by a field that included former Bruin Blake Wheeler of Winnipeg, Toronto’s Auston Matthews, and Drew Doughty of Los Angeles.

Boston Globe LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127656 Boston Bruins engagement, the NHL hardly the only pro league to believe that fans dig numbers, can’t live without ’em, gotta have ’em all night long.

If you accept that, then the league’s announcement here is the greatest Data technology will change the way we watch the NHL thing since Gordie Howe invented the abacus (a little known fact outside Original Six circles, by the way).

Kevin Paul Dupont If you don’t accept that, then I suggest it’s you who needs to get the hell off the lawn you’ve so long protected from the neighborhood kids. Not only are the numbahs here to stay, it’s possible they’ll soon be more iconic and central to hockey than that No. 99 sweater Wayne Gretzky SAN JOSE, Calif. — Another big win for the geeks. made synonymous with the game itself. Here in the state where digging for gold set off a cultural and economic “There’s a lot more to a hockey player than just the stats,” noted Mathieu stampede in the mid-19th century, the NHL on Friday went all in on the Schneider, 49, the former NHL defenseman who is now a special limitless motherlode of data mining. assistant to NHL union boss Donald Fehr. “When you look at guys like Coming soon to an NHL rink near you — yes, that includes you, Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky or Nick Lidstrom . . . they were never Causeway data denizens — all the statistics you ever wanted (and some defined by how big they were, how fast they were, how hard they shot. you never even thought to count) pertaining to a league that has built a “How does Brett Hull score 80 goals . . . and wasn’t the fastest skater on multibillion dollar industry around the capricious bounces of a 3-inch chip the ice? How does Wayne Gretzky become the all-time leading scorer of vulcanized rubber. when he was only 180 pounds at his highest? Nick Lidstrom, as we all NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made it official during his annual All- know, was the greatest defenseman of all time and his intuition on the ice Star weekend news conference: beginning in October, all Original 31 was probably second to none. Those things are hard to measure, and I NHL rinks will be fitted with technology that will measure and display think this kind of data and this kind of technology will help show that to such things as how fast players skate, how far they travel in a game, fans.” perhaps the force of their hits, their shots and, who knows, whether their All in all, said Schneider, the union and its players are psyched about LDL and HDL cholesterol levels fall within the AMA’s recommended puck-and-player tracking. The league? Heck, those guys are happier range. than a convention of CPAs set loose at the Caesars Palace cash We’re talking numbers here, people, lots and lot of numbers. The counting room. possibilities are about to explode in hockey’s new ice age, the numbers It ain’t your grandaddy’s five-hole NHL anymore. The numbers are in, to be delivered in real time to the mobile devices of fans sitting in NHL they’re in deep, and they’re here to stay. Count on it. arenas and also across screens — primary and secondary and fiduciary — all over the wide, wide world of sports. Boston Globe LOADED: 01.26.2019 The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.

“The puck-and-player tracking system can track pucks at the rate of 2,000 times per second, in real time, with inch-level accuracy,” said Bettman. “It will instantaneously detect passes, shots and positioning precisely. It will be equally accurate in tracking players, their movements, speed, time on ice . . . you name it.”

You name it. It slices. It dices. It will compute your IRS tax filings while you sip on a $13 Bud Lite at the Garden and pray your 50/50 ticket hits for $45k. Isn’t that amazing?!!!

We know what you’re thinking, Sabres fans. Had this stuff been around back in 1999, would the technology have detected Brett Hull’s big fat foot in the crease and perhaps helped to deliver the Sabres their first Stanley Cup championship?

Maybe. You never know, right?

Or, 20 years earlier, might the numbers have alerted Don Cherry behind the Bruins bench at the Montreal Forum, informing Grapes that he had . . . wait for it . . . too many men on the ice?

Maybe. I mean, anything and everything is possible in the digital age, ain’t it?

Truth is, how all this Carl Sagan universe of billions and billions of data is going to be utilized remains a bit of the dark side of the moon.

For instance, pucks will have embedded data chips. In theory, that should be the final piece needed to determine whether a puck has completely crossed the goal line.

Advances in camera technology in recent years have settled most of those goal/no-goal kerfuffles, but not all of them. So if the lens can’t catch ’em all, perhaps a data chip, like John’s Sewer, can get . . . the . . . job . . . done.

Bill Daly, the NHL’s deputy commissioner, isn’t so sure of that. Not yet, anyway.

“I don’t think it is its first utilization,” said Daly, speaking with a small group of reporters after Bettman’s presser. “It’s a possible utilization at some point in time. I think that technology still has to perfect a little bit — but certainly the potential is there.”

For now, the main role of the data will be to feed the info to cellphone- carrying fans (i.e. everyone) inside NHL arenas and integrate with TV broadcasts. All of that falls under the ever-expanding umbrella of fan 1127657 Boston Bruins the UFA market on July 1, so it’s just as easy for the Oilers to lose a rental forward as it is a goalie who they did not plan to bring back. It appears ownership felt differently.

Peter Chiarelli doomed by bad deals, overpriced/lengthy contracts It’s now up to the new GM to find a suitable, and affordable, backup for the 6-7 Koskinen, who actually proved to be one of Chiarelli’s most prudent acquisitions. Koskinen, a Finn, was a free agent out of KHL St. Kevin Paul Dupont Petersburg last summer and Chiarelli grabbed him on a one-year deal at $2.5 million. Now 30, he has a $13.5 million promise in hand.

But overall, Chiarelli will be remembered first and foremost for dealing If Las Vegas set a line last weekend on how long Peter Chiarelli would away Taylor Hall (last season’s league MVP) to New Jersey for Adam remain on the job as the Oilers’ general manager, all the action probably Larsson, a defenseman not nearly of elite status. His other grand boo- would have been shut off by bookmakers come Monday night. boo was bringing in a worn-down Milan Lucic, then 28, and showering By Tuesday morning, just hours after Chiarelli signed backup goaltender him with a seven-year, $42 million deal. Looch can’t score anymore, and Mikko Koskinen to a three-year contract extension, Edmonton media his best asset, fighting, was all but legislated out of the game while he already were posting names of his possible successors. One list included was still a Bruin. Ken Holland, who has yet to vacate that chair in Detroit, albeit with Steve All of that, and more, is now for the next guy to clean up, as Don Yzerman the favorite to move back from Tampa and take over as the Sweeney had to do in Boston in Chiarelli’s wake. The favorite: Kelly new-age Dead Wing’s sainted makeover artist. McCrimmon, assistant GM in Vegas, who is also being mentioned as the And by Tuesday night, just before midnight, Chiarelli was toast. The ex- guy who could call the shots with the NHL expansion franchise in Seattle. Bruins GM was let go less than four years after he took over the Oilers DANGEROUS PLAY on the eve of Connor McDavid arriving as the game’s generational talent and the franchise centerpiece. Bad deals and overpriced/lengthy Anderson calls for protection contracts — the combination that led to his comeuppance in the Hub — again ushered the former Harvard captain to the unemployment No telling what would have happened had Charlie McAvoy, rising up from badlands. his slide through the low slot, not knocked into Filip Chytil last Saturday as the Rangers forward charged hard to the net. After their initial uptick at midseason under new coach Ken Hitchcock, the once-proud Oilers were back deep in the bramble bush again, What we do know is the outcome: the 6-2, 210-pound Chytil went beginning the week parked 3 points out of a wild-card spot. The end airborne upon colliding with McAvoy. Chytil then connected derriere-first came for Chiarelli moments after a loss at home (3-2) to said Dead with Tuukka Rask’s head, a blow that tipped the Boston goaltender hard Wings, the Oilers still only 3 points out of it. to his right and slammed him into the ice along the goal line.

So they were close, which explained why Chiarelli still had a job by puck Rask lost his helmet amid the blow and was concussed, led off the ice by drop Tuesday night. Things certainly have been worse in Oiler town, teammates the way sailors once chaperoned drunken shipmates back although that has been little comfort to a Blue and Orange fan base fed from the Combat Zone during Boston shore leave. up with their ex-Cup champs being a league laughingstock ever since No substantive update on Rask’s condition is expected until Monday, their last trip to the Cup Final in 2006. A franchise is a terrible thing to when the club returns to practice from its “bye” week leading into the All- waste — and ownership decided Chiarelli was wasting it even more. Star break. But based on the nature of such brain injuries, and the vacant The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. look on Rask’s kisser, it’s a reasonable guess that the 31-year-old Finn will need at least another week to recuperate and regain game footing. Boston ownership had Chiarelli in the crosshairs at about this time in the 2014-15 season, but let him ride it out, then sent him packing only days It’s all guesswork, and Chytil might not be certain himself, but he was after the club missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years — and traveling at a speed and angle that probably would have driven him into less than 48 months after they won the Cup. He didn’t have that kind of and through Rask even had McAvoy not wandered into his path to equity on his résumé with the Oilers, who made it to the playoffs only become the unintentional launching pad. once during his 45-month tenure. Such is another increasing peril in today’s game: Forwards can attack the Riddled with injury on the backline, the Oilers should get a bump when net — and those who protect it — with a speed and vengeance not seen their top gun back there, 6-foot-3-inch Oscar Klefbom, returns to action. in the era when nets were immovable, when both posts were anchored Klefbom has been nursing a broken pinkie and inching toward a return. hard into the ice. Pinned to the ice by breakaway anchors for nearly the But with their “bye” break, the Oilers aren’t back now until Feb. 2 and last 30 years, the nets give way with only moderate force. Lucky for Rask they have 32 games to go in an attempt to close that 3-point gap. and perhaps even for Chytil. There was such force in that 400-pound pileup, the old nets could have cost one or both their careers. Realistically, they’ll have to play close to .666 hockey the rest of the way to qualify. A tall order for a club now in a .490 muddle. Veteran goalie Craig Anderson, just back in the Senators’ lineup after missing 11 games because of a concussion, was watching from afar on Backline issues aside, scoring has been a perpetual problem. Chiarelli Saturday. He has seen enough. earlier this season brought in his old draft pick, Ryan Spooner, hoping he would provide some spark. Nope. Spoons was so flat, and so out of favor “Tuukka Rask is out with a concussion right now because a guy went to with Hitchcock, that Chiarelli placed the Bruins former second-round draft the net,” Anderson told the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. “I missed time pick on waivers last Monday. because a guy went to the net hard.”

No takers, and no surprise. In 40 games this season with the Rangers Anderson would like league GMs to enact rule changes that better and Oilers, Spooner posted an anemic 3-2—5. He’s on the books next protect goaltenders. To wit: If a player enters the blue paint area in front season for another $4 million (not a typo), although the Rangers will pay of the cage, then have a referee blow the play dead. Albeit, said $900,000 of it, the promise they had to make the Oilers when they Anderson, after trimming some 6 inches off the blue paint where the swapped him for Ryan Strome (6-5—11 in 29 games with the Blueshirts). goalie works. He’s willing to give up some work space in hopes of gaining some job safety. Oddly, though somehow fittingly, Spooner played in Chiarelli’s final game. With no takers via waivers, the wisdom in Edmonton was, well, to “You won’t have guys running into the goalie,” said Anderson, 37, who is put Spoons back in there. Of course. He went 0-0—0. Had it not been for closing in on his 600th regular-season game. the glass partition behind the bench, fans in the lower bowl surely would Anderson was driven to the sideline for a month, concussed when have heard Hitchcock gnashing his teeth during every second of trucked Dec. 11 by New Jersey forward Miles Wood, ex- of Boston Spooner’s modest 6:56 time on ice. College.

Chiarelli’s move Monday to tie up Koskinen to a three-year deal with a “You wouldn’t see Sidney Crosby getting run over,” added Anderson. $4.5 million cap hit was his last transaction — and perhaps the final straw “You wouldn’t see the best players, making $7 million, $8 million, $9 for ownership. It likely set the stage for Chiarelli to deal workhorse goalie Cam Talbot for a legit scorer, even only as a rental. Talbot is ticketed for million, you wouldn’t see those guys getting run over. What’s different Orr’s card, a head shot centered in a faux TV frame, was No. 35 in the about a $7 million, $8 million, $9 million goalie? set and, according to Lelands, “is likely the most sought-after hockey card in existence.” For those who forget, Orr was 18 years old, had a “That’s one of the core components of your team and a guy that plays 60 buzzcut, and earned Rookie of the Year (Calder) honors with his games — and you’re putting him at risk because you want more freshman line of 13-28—41. scoring?” Orr’s contract with Boston shattered league standards for rookies. For ETC. the most part, headed into the 1966-67 season, $140,000 would have Brian Propp was one of the Bruins’ better trade deadline acquisitions, covered a substantial portion of a club’s entire player payroll. Orr flinched from the Flyers in March 1990 by then-GM Harry Sinden, who reportedly earned $25,000 each of his first two seasons, though that did yielded but a second-round pick (the unremarkable Terran Sandwith) to not include his signing bonus that placed the full value of the two-year acquire the then-31-year-old Flyers scorer. Propp reached the 30-goal deal upward of $100,000. plateau in eight seasons before pulling on the Spoked-B. No. 4 in the 66-card set was Gilles Tremblay. Orr, an unknown at No. 35, The prolific left winger averaged nearly a point per game in the 14 games was sandwiched between Wayne Hillman and Bernie “Boom Boom” remaining in the 1989-90 regular season with the Bruins, then Geoffrion. No one on that list in the autumn of 1966 knew how Orr was contributed 4-9—13 to the playoff run that took the Bruins to the Cup about to change the landscape of the entire sport. Final — and another knockout punch at the hands of the Oilers. Ex-Bruin Moran arrested

Propp, who will turn 60 on Feb. 15, was feted Monday night in Philly, Tough weekend for ex-Bruins defenseman Ian Moran, who suited up for where he was bestowed the “Most Courageous” award by the 60 games for the Black and Gold in their days with Robbie Ftorek and Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. Felled by a stroke during a then Mike Sullivan as coach. Moran was arrested last Sunday, 2:33 a.m. family vacation to Annapolis three-plus years ago, the ever-smiling Propp in Evansville, Ind., and charged with allegedly being intoxicated while is back near full strength, after a long, arduous recovery in which he had operating a motor vehicle. to re-learn how to walk and talk. Moran, 46, is the head coach of the Evansville Thunderbolts in the 10- For the first three months, recalled Propp, he could say only the word team Southern Professional Hockey League. Rather than fire him, the “and” and the name “Bernie Parent,” the Flyers’ Hall of Fame netminder. club suspended Moran for a week and handed the bench over to “I couldn’t even say my family’s names,” said Propp, as reported by assistant Bo Driscoll for the three-game weekend set in Fayetteville, N.C. philly.com’s Mike Jensen. “It just kind of popped in my head. I still work According to a local TV report, Moran was placed in handcuffs after with [Parent as a Flyer ambassador]. Maybe it’s the initials, BP. He gets refusing both a portable breath test and a chemical test at the arrest site. a kick out of that.” Once at the city’s confinement center, he also refused to take a chemical His motor skills severely impaired by the stroke, Propp learned to write breath test. with his nondominant (left) hand. The night Propp was felled, he recalled, Moran, who grew up in Acton and played four seasons at Belmont Hill he had a headache, one bad enough that he had stopped at a hospital and then two years at Boston College, also reportedly struggled when emergency room to be checked out the day he and the family drove to asked to perform a standard field sobriety test. Moran was asked to Annapolis. Sent on his way, he arrived in Annapolis and sustained the stand on one leg, per the TV report, but swayed before placing his foot stroke in his hotel room, a clot traveling from his heart to his brain. down.

“I was kind of quiet for a year,” said Propp, noting he was hospitalized for “The test ended,” noted the WEVV-TV report, “before the allotted 30 six weeks after the stroke. “Then I was another year, five days a week [in seconds due to safety concerns for Moran.” physical therapy].” Loose pucks Some 18 months later, Propp was back on skates. He recently played in a celebrity four-on-four tourney in New York’s Central Park and is proud Had he his druthers, ex-Bruin Frank Vatrano might have preferred not to say he’s even mixed a little defense into his attack. going on “bye” break, after delivering a career-best 1-3—4 Monday in the Panthers’ 6-2 win over the Sharks. Three straight wins for the Sunrisers, “It can be tough, depending on how [severe] the stroke is,” added Propp. who’ve seen little sunshine in their season (a nowhere 20-20-8 with 34 The award Monday night in Philly? It left him feeling humble, said Propp, games to go). “Sometimes how it goes, feeling confident going into every once one of the game’s greatest scoring threats. game,” said the Springfield Rifle, now 16-10—26 for the season, giving him career highs in all three categories. Vatrano will return to work after “My dad was a Lutheran minister,” said Propp, born and raised in scoring a goal in five of his last seven games, close to the pace in which Saskatchewan. “He taught me to be humble and not brag.” he potted 36 goals in 36 games as AHL Rookie of the Year with Providence in 2015-16 . . . Propp (1,004) was one of seven players in the Propp was selected 14th overall in the 1979 draft, the year the Bruins 1979 draft, including Bourque (1,579), to reach the coveted 1,000-point chose Ray Bourque No. 8. The Bruins had Propp on their wish list for plateau in their careers. The others: Mark Messier (1,887), Mike Gartner their second pick, at No. 15, only to have the Flyers pluck him one pick (1,335), Michel Goulet (1,153), Glenn Anderson (1,099) and Dale Hunter before they had their chance. They instead went with Saskatchewan- (1,020). Anderson was the latest pick in the bunch, selected 69th by the born defenseman Brad McCrimmon, Propp’s teammate on the Brandon Oilers. The Bruins made one of the best value picks in that draft, Wheat Kings. selecting Mike Krushelnyski at No. 120. The Krusher finished with 241 Orr rookie card will cost you goals and 569 points, 19th in a class that included 126 draftees . . . Kelly McCrimmon, by the way, is the brother of Brad McCrimmon, who Bids for Bobby Orr’s rookie card, published by Topps for release in 1966, perished seven-plus years ago in the plane crash that killed most of the topped $140,000 this past week in a Lelands Sports Memorabilia auction KHL Yaroslavl team he was coaching. (lelands.com) that will wrap up Feb. 1. Boston Globe LOADED: 01.26.2019 The pristine Orr card up for auction, according to Lelands, was part of a 66-card test set published ahead of the 1966-67 season and was targeted for the California market. Original Sixers will remember that the NHL expanded from six to 12 teams for the start of the following season, with California franchises awarded in Los Angeles and Oakland.

LA opened business as the Kings, and the sons of Gord Labossiere remain the state’s senior NHL franchise, joined in later years by Anaheim and San Jose (site of this week’s All-Star festivities).

Oakland opened as the California Seals and then thrice changed franchise names (Oakland Seals; Bay Area Seals; California Golden Seals) before finally packing up for Cleveland in 1976 to become the Barons (later to merge with the Minnesota North Stars). 1127658 Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak wins All-Star accuracy contest

Bruins forward places first in NHL Skills

MARISA INGEMI

January 26, 2019 at 2:53 am

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The NHL Skills Competition displays the best finesse in the game, but David Pastrnak had to take a hit to win, too.

Pastrnak won the accuracy contest Friday night with a time a tick above 11 seconds. He had to hit five targets in the net, and four of them were masked by faces of NHL All-Stars, including his own.

It was the second-to-last target he hit to win the event.

“That hurt when it hit my face,” he said. “Top-left corner. … It hurt. I could feel it every time I got hit from the other guys.”

Pastrnak went first in the event, and despite saying it was only the second time he’s ever done target shooting, he was nearly flawless. His time of 11.309 seconds beat the seven other All-Stars in the event. He was more than a second ahead of runner-up Kris Letang of Pittsburgh.

While he made it look easy, it certainly wasn’t. The accuracy contest was the last event in an itinerary that lasted more than three hours.

“It was tough sitting around all day. I barely touched the puck,” he said. “With the bye week, it was tough. I didn’t know what to expect coming back to the ice.”

The 22-year-old first-time All-Star also missed on his first shot, and while it didn’t sneak in his head, he didn’t think he was going to end up the winner.

“I knew I had a tough start, so I was like no way it’s going to stick,” Pastrnak said.

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty placed third at 13.591, and former Bruins forward Blake Wheeler, now with the Jets, finished with a time of 18.585.

Despite missing early, Pastrnak — who missed only three shots overall — ended up firing on all cylinders. The Bruins forward has 27 goals this season, on pace to eclipse his career high of 35 a season ago.

For his efforts, and slapping pucks off the likeness of his face, Pastrnak won’t even take home all of the $25,000 prize money, but that’s his own doing.

“I had dinner with (Islanders forward) Mathew Barzal yesterday, and we made a deal and shook hands on splitting the money whoever wins,” he said. “I didn’t really think about me winning. I thought maybe he was going to. He’s pretty fast.”

Pastrnak also participated in the save streak contest, won by the Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Pastrnak’s shots were stopped by Lundqvist and Capitals goalie Braden Holtby.

Boston College alum Johnny Gaudreau topped Patrick Kane to win the puck-handling competition. The current Flames forward skated last in the contest and narrowly edged his Blackhawks opponent, who held the lead throughout.

Boston University alum Clayton Keller placed last in the fastest skater contest. Fellow former Terrier Jack Eichel finished second, just behind Connor McDavid.

Washington’s John Carlson won the hardest shot contest with a 102.8- miles-per-hour slapshot, and Leon Draisaitl won the premier passing event.

Boston Herald LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127659 Boston Bruins Forsbacka Karlsson, made it to the national quarterfinals where they fell to Minnesota-Duluth.

Boston Herald LOADED: 01.26.2019 All Star notebook: New technology coming to NHL

Bettman describes high-tech future

MARISA INGEMI

January 25, 2019 at 8:50 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Player tracking has long been discussed, and it’s finally set to be a reality.

After testing it out in two regular-season games in Las Vegas, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced on Friday the league plans on using it for games next season.

“The puck and player tracking system can track pucks at a rate of 2,000 times per second in real-time with inch-level accuracy,” Bettman said. “We’ll instantaneously detect passes, shots, and positioning precisely. It will be equally accurate in tracking players — their movement, speed, time on ice — you name it.”

Testing began as long ago as 2015 for the NHL All-Star Game in Columbus, and was used again in the contest last season in Tampa. It’s also been used in the World Cup of Hockey.

“As a league, we have made significant investments to create new technology that quite literally didn’t exist,” Bettman said, “We think many of our fans, especially the innovation generations — millennials and Gen Z — are going to love this new frontier.”

The data would be potentially huge for daily fantasy and gambling, along with broadcasters.

“Amazingly, within the confines of our 200-by-85-foot rink, Brent Burns and Jonathan Marchessault each skated more than three miles,” Bettman said. “William Karlsson skated over 20 miles an hour. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The applications are endless.”

Labor update

With the World Cup of Hockey slated for next September scrapped with upcoming labor dispute concerns, the NHL is once again at risk for a lockout — its third in 16 years.

“We’re not looking for fight,” Bettman said. “The discussions have been cordial.”

2019-2020 events

After not naming their opponents at the Winter Classic, Bettman finally announced the outdoor game matchups for next season.

Along with the Heritage Classic in Regina, Saskatchewan being played between the Jets and Flames, the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas will pit the Nashville Predators against the Stars.

As a part of the Stadium Series, the Avalanche will host the Kings at Falcon Stadium at the Air Force base.

Top Dogs

There’s an alternate reality where Jack Eichel and Clayton Keller played on the same college team at the same time, and it was in the heart of Boston.

Eichel left Boston University after one season, and Keller arrived two years later, where he was also a one-and-done for the Terriers.

If they had stayed on the same team, if NHL draft rules were different, it would have been a historically strong BU roster.

“We talked a little bit at the world championships when we got together,” Keller said. “We talked about BU, just about coach (David) Quinn as well. I think we had a pretty special team with Charlie (McAvoy) and Jordan (Greenway), and if Jack was there, there’s so many good players who played at BU. We could have had a really special team.”

Eichel’s Terriers went to the national championship in 2015, while Keller’s team, which included current Bruins McAvoy and Jakob 1127660 Boston Bruins “I’m never satisfied, it’s getting better every day,” he said.

Boston Herald LOADED: 01.26.2019

Bruins’ David Pastrnak just starting All-Star career

Winger keeps improving

MARISA INGEMI

January 25, 2019 at 11:28 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For all the goals he’s scored for the Bruins, David Pastrnak doesn’t set many goals of his own.

The 22-year-old forward has been in the NHL for 4K years, yet it feels like he’s been around a lot longer. That this is his first All-Star Game, for all his accomplishments, is somewhat startling.

Pastrnak doesn’t get too caught up in that noise. For all his on-ice flare, his off-ice demeanor is all about getting better everyday.

It sounds cliche, but whatever he’s done to steadily improve has worked.

“I go into the season with no goals,” he said. “I just want to feel good and be healthy. When I’m healthy, I know what I can do. Just go out there and play.”

What Pastrnak can do, evidently, is continue to set marks with the Bruins. He became the third-quickest player in franchise history to 100 career goals, and is on pace to take a run at a 50-goal season.

It would be easy to assume that as Pastrnak’s numbers have steadily climbed each season in the NHL, his comfort level off the ice has played a factor. The more at ease he feels, the higher the production.

But Pastrnak never has had a problem being comfortable.

After making the adjustments he needed to earlier in life, he was equipped by the time he joined the Bruins, and his comfort level from the start has allowed him to just focus on developing his game.

“For me it wasn’t too hard,” he said. “I moved to Sweden when I was 15, so I had to go through it in Sweden, which prepared me to move to America. Obviously a different country, but I didn’t have much of a problem. It was really easy adjusting. The older guys helped me out.”

That presence from veteran players would help any young player, whether they were are from North America or elsewhere.

“I was an 18-year-old kid, so just having me over for dinners, always looking at what I’m doing,” Pastrnak said. “If I’m bored, they can have me over for dinner or play with the kids.”

Being a young player already has plenty of difficulties, adjusting to adulthood along with living up to expectations in the NHL, especially as a first-round draft pick. His fellow countryman, David Krejci, helped Pastrnak through a lot of that early on, along with a player no longer on the team.

“David Krejci and Milan Lucic, those two guys helped me a lot,” he said.

Pastrnak says he sets no goals going into the season, but he amended that statement. Other than staying healthy, he’s kept his mind only on what he can do to help the organization that drafted him.

“No personal goals, but my goal is to get better every day,” he said.

It’s a cliche, and hockey players are known, probably more than in any other sport, for cliche responses. With Pastrnak, though, it’s true. His focus has been laser sharp on improving his game from the second he arrived in Boston, and being well-adjusted has helped create that environment for success.

Set to eclipse his career high in points and goals this season, it’s no coincidence he’s improved each year in the NHL with his on-ice focus.

Whether he had aspirations of being an All-Star or kept no personal goals all along, he’s in San Jose and set to show his stuff on one of the league’s biggest stages.

It took him a while to get his first taste, but at 22, there’s plenty of time left. 1127661 Boston Bruins

Bruins' David Pastrnak wins NHL All-Star Accuracy Shooting contest

NBC Sports Boston \

January 25, 2019 11:41 PM

David Pastrnak has been having a career year so far, breaking on to the NHL scene as one of the league's top goal-scorers.

Now, he can add another achievement to his ever-growing list. Pastrnak came away with the fastest time in the NHL's Accuracy Shooting contest, hitting the four corners and center of the net in just over 11 seconds.

Pastrnak beat out the likes of division rival Auston Matthews, Joe Pavelski, and Kris Letang en route to his victory.

B's at the break: A team in need of an upgrade

Not only has Pastrnak earned bragging rights until next year's contest, he also comes away with a pretty sum of $25,000 for his first-place finish.

Pastrnak has notched 56 points with 27 goals and 29 assists so far this season. If the NHL Skills contest is any indication, he's just getting started.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127662 Buffalo Sabres went 0 for 3, getting stopped twice by New York's Henrik Lundqvist and once by Washington's Brayden Holtby. Skinner was 1 for 3, with his nifty goal ending Lundqvist's save streak at 12.

Connor McDavid nips Jack Eichel to win NHL's Fastest Skater contest That was good enough for Lundqvist to win the competition but left him two shy of the record of 14 set by Vegas' Marc-Andre Fleury.

Mike Harrington| "I kind of blacked out there for second trying something," Skinner said. "A couple guys hit posts right before me. Once you go a few times, you run Sat, Jan 26, 2019 out of regular moves and just try something new."

#sabres Jeff Skinner puts an end to Lundquists save strek. #nhlallstar pic.twitter.com/us9uYSPg4z SAN JOSE — Jack Eichel took over the lead with an impressive lap in the Fastest Skater competition Friday night at the NHL's All-Star Skills — Buffalo Sabres plays and goals (@SabresPlays) January 26, 2019 Challenge, but there was one more skater left. Mike Harrington: Sabres, city need Captain Jack now more than ever It was two-time defending champion Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. And McDavid, taken first overall and one pick ahead of Eichel in Buffalo News LOADED: 01.26.2019 the 2015 NHL Draft, made it a three-peat.

Skating seventh of eight competitors, Eichel completed his lap in 13.582 seconds to take over the lead. Flying around the SAP Center rink, Eichel reached a top speed of 24 mph as NBC showcased the NHL's new player tracking system unveiled earlier in the day by Commissioner Gary Bettman.

That left McDavid as the last man to beat Eichel, and he did, with a time of 13.378.

"I think I cut the last turn a little wide," Eichel said. "You're going so fast, I headed too much to the boards and didn't build the speed I wanted."

Eichel finished third last year in Tampa after a bobble at the start. He said he made sure to not have a similar slip-up this time.

"I thought I had a really good start and I thought about last year a little bit," he said. "You're trying to get out as quickly as you can and build as much speed as quickly as you can.

"Connor's first half I thought I had a chance but he pulled away at the end. I thought I had a good chance to be on top. You come up a little short, it's a little frustrating. I'm a competitive guy and you try to win everything you do. I guess try it again if you ever get the chance next year or whenever it is." replay of #sabres Eichel in the fastest skater competition. reaches 24mph #nhlallstar pic.twitter.com/rXQqloK2Eb

— Buffalo Sabres plays and goals (@SabresPlays) January 26, 2019

"He's pretty fast. That doesn't surprise me. I get to see it every day," Sabres teammate Jeff Skinner said of Eichel. "It makes it even more special to share this with someone else from your team. You get that memory together. It's fun to see him skating out there. I'm sure he'll put on a good show [in Saturday's All-Star Game] and I'll have a good seat for that one too."

Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders was third at 13.780. The competition was noteworthy for a complete wipeout by Dallas rookie defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who got up and completed his lap again, and by a standing ovation for U.S. Women's Olympian Kendall Coyne- Schofield, who registered a time of 14.346. She finished seventh.

In the puck control event, Skinner suffered an early stickhandling bobble, nearly made up all the time with two lacrosse-style scoops of the puck through targets but hit the final target to end his chances. Skinner finished seventh at 35.407.

"That's not something you really practice or pops up in any situation," said a laughing Skinner. "I didn't see the clock but I was on a bit of a roll there and couldn't get it through the last one."

#sabres Jeff Skinner competing in the puck control competition. Narrated by Patrick Kane. #Blackhawks #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/7nVUBMCh4R

— Buffalo Sabres plays and goals (@SabresPlays) January 26, 2019

Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau, the final competitor, won the event at 27.045. He edged Chicago standout and South Buffalo native Patrick Kane, who started the event at 28.611 and held the lead through the next six skaters.

Eichel and Skinner then joined all the skaters in the Save Streak contest, which was a gauge for the eight goalies to stop shootout attempts. Eichel 1127663 Buffalo Sabres each skating more than 3 miles in the game and Vegas center William Karlsson reaching a peak speed of over 20 mph.

••• All-Star Notebook: Sabres still awaiting word on NHL's 2019-20 international games In addition to the Nashville-Dallas Winter Classic, Bettman announced next year's Stadium Series game at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs will pit the Avalanche against Los Angeles. Cracked the Mike Harrington| commish: "We're confident this will have the absolute best flyover that anyone has ever seen." Fri, Jan 25, 2019 •••

Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby did not participate in Friday night's All- SAN JOSE — No word yet. Star Skills Challenge due to the flu. He is expected to play in Saturday night's game. That was the verdict from the NHL on Friday about next year's schedule of international games, as rumors continue to circulate that the Buffalo The only player who is uncertain for the game is Colorado's Nathan Sabres are a prime candidate to play two regular-season games in MacKinnon, who is nursing a foot injury. Because MacKinnon is here to November in Stockholm, Sweden. participate in appearances such as the Red Carpet and met the media Friday, he would not be suspended for one game for not playing. As previously announced, commissioner Gary Bettman reconfirmed that the league has plans for a season opener in Prague and the Stockholm MacKinnon was replaced in the Fastest Skater competition by U.S. games. He announced there would be preseason games in Switzerland women's Olympian Kendall Coyne. and Germany, and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said it's likely the league will again stage preseason games in China. Buffalo News LOADED: 01.26.2019

But who's going where? We all have to wait.

"We are not ready today to announce the dates or teams but more to come shortly," was Bettman's cryptic answer.

The Stockholm games are expected to be a series, much like Colorado and Ottawa played in the Swedish capital in 2017 and Florida and Winnipeg played in November in Helsinki, Finland. Each club would be considered the home game for one contest, so it's likely to be an East team against a West team, so their entire season series would be played overseas.

Rumors have abounded in recent weeks about the Sabres going to Sweden to meet the Nashville Predators, but the Preds were announced Friday as the Dallas Stars' opponent in the 2020 Winter classic at the Cotton Bowl. It's a virtual certainty the NHL would not put them in two marquee events in the same season.

A growing possibility for an opponent for the Sabres could be the Vancouver Canucks, as the 1970 expansion cousins will be celebrating 50 years in the NHL and each has a huge young Swedish star on the roster: Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and Vancouver center Elias Pettersson.

The Sabres also have several other Swedish players in their organization, such as Lawrence Pilut, Johan Larsson, Linus Ullmark, Victor Olofsson and Alex Nylander.

The Sabres last went overseas to open the 2011-12 season. They played a preseason game in Mannheim, Germany, then posted regular season wins over the Anaheim Ducks in Helsinki and the Los Angeles Kings in Berlin.

•••

The real crux of Bettman's news conference was to announce that the league is going full speed ahead on puck and player tracking starting with the 2019-20 season. Fans can get a glimpse of what's in store during Saturday's All-Star Game. While the game will be broadcast as normal on NBC (8 p.m, Channel 2), a digital call on NBCSports.com and the NBC app will feature several aspects of the new tracking system.

Speed of shots and passes, speed of players and distance skated are all among the prominent new features that will be available. Bettman said the league's system can track pucks at 2,000 times per second.

Microchips are inserted into the players' shoulder pads and antennas will be placed around each NHL arena to track their motion. Pucks will also have specially inserted chips to collect data.

"We think many of our fans — especially the Innovation Generations — millennials and Gen Z — are going to love this new frontier," Bettman said.

Bettman said the system was tested at two recent games in Las Vegas involving the Golden Knights against the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks. Examples he cited of data collected had San Jose defenseman Brent Burns and Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault 1127664 Buffalo Sabres

Jack Eichel in Fastest Skater contest, Jeff Skinner in Puck Control event at All-Star Skills Challenge

Mike Harrington|

Fri, Jan 25, 2019

SAN JOSE – Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres and two-time defending champion Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers are among the entrants in the Fastest Skater competition for the All-Star Skills Challenge, the NHL announced Friday afternoon. Sabres winger Jeff Skinner will be in the Puck Control event.

The six-event challenge in SAP Center begins at 9:30 EST and will be televised by NBCSN.

Eichel and McDavid will be joined by rookies Elias Pettersson of Vancouver and Miro Heiskanen of Dallas, 2018 Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders, Arizona's Clayton Keller and Kendall Coyne of the gold medal-winning U.S. women's Olympic team. Each skater will be timed for one full lap around the rink; there is no head-to-head racing.

Eichel finished third last year after a short bobble at the start of the race. McDavid won it in 13.454 seconds. Winners in each event earn a $25,000 prize.

Eichel finishes third in Fastest Skater competition

Skinner's event will also feature Pettersson, South Buffalo native Patrick Kane of Chicago, Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau, Philadelphia's Claude Giroux, Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog, Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele and Toronto's John Tavares.

The NHL's description is as follows: It is a single-round timed event that includes three skills: (1) Stickhandling, where a skater controls a puck through a series of ten pucks in a straight line; (2) Cone Control, where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight cones in a zig-zag formation; and (3) Gates, where a skater approaches each gate and is required to shoot or otherwise guide the puck through the lit rung of the gate. Following the gates, time stops when the puck is shot into the game net. Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next skill.

Eichel and Skinner will join all skaters in the Save Streak event, where the eight goalies will vie to make the most consecutive and most total shootout saves.

The NHL has announced that Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby will not participate due to the flu but is expected to play in Saturday's All-Star Game. Participants in the other Skills Challenge events are:

Premier Passer: Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes; Thomas Chabot, Ottawa Senators; Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers; Roman Josi, Nashville Predators; Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks; Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues; Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche; Keith Yandle, Florida Panthers

Hardest Shot: Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks; John Carlson, Washington Capitals; Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets; Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

Accuracy Shooting: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings; Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning; Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins; Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs; Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils; David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins; Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks; Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets

Buffalo News LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127665 Buffalo Sabres

Defenseman Brendan Guhle added to AHL All-Star Classic

Staff Writer

Fri, Jan 25, 2019

Rochester Americans defenseman Brendan Guhle has been named to the AHL All-Star Classic as a replacement for injured teammate Zach Redmond.

Guhle, the Sabres' second-round pick in 2015, ranks second among defensemen with 19 points (four goals and 15 assists) in 37 games. In 99 career AHL games, he has 51 points (14 goals, 37 assists).

The AHL All-Star Classic is Monday in Springfield, Mass., with the league's all-stars divided into four teams by division and playing a round- robin three-on-three tournament with six games of 10 minutes apiece. The two teams will the best record will play a six-minute game at three- on-three for the championship.

Buffalo News LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127666 Buffalo Sabres to announce the play every time he scores. This might take $9 million a year and $70 million in total to get a deal done for eight years.

Eichel is clear that he wants his left winger going absolutely nowhere. Mike Harrington: $$$$kinner has leverage, so he's not fretting about pace of contract talks "I think it would be great for us," Eichel said. "He's gotten closer and closer with our group all year. You can see his performance, his compete and work ethic. The way he's jelled and meshed with our group has been Mike Harrington| awesome. He's scored some really big goals and it's been a lot of fun to have him in the room. You can't say enough good things about him." Fri, Jan 25, 2019 Mike Harrington: Sabres, city need Captain Jack now more than ever

Skinner is on a 51-goal pace, which would shatter his career high, and SAN JOSE – Out here in the land of Google, where algorithms are king, has been ultra clutch this season. He has seven game-winning goals, it seems appropriate there's plenty of talk about number crunching at the second in the league to Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog and the most by a NHL All-Star Game. Buffalo player since Derek Roy had nine in 2008-09. The franchise record of 11 (Danny Gare, 1980, and Alexander Mogilny, 1993) is in It starts with the new hometown hero, defenseman Erik Karlsson. Will he reach. stay with the hometown Sharks or will he go? It seemed like a bad fit the first two months of the season, but lately Karlsson has been as good as Skinner is fourth in the league with 23 even-strength goals and has tied he was during his glory days in Ottawa. How much money for how long the Sabres' franchise record with three overtime winners. will the 28-year-old get? "This is the best production I've had and Jack is the most talented player Then you have Toronto's Auston Matthews, who might be pushing I've been with so that helps," Skinner said. "I don't know if you can call towards Connor McDavid money and a $12 million average annual value. that chemistry or plain talent. Reading off him is easy because he is so But TSN says the latest twist there is he may take a shorter term deal of talented. The game seems slower for him. As a result, he draws people five or six years, rather than the maximum eight, to help the Leafs with to him and he's able to make plays, opens up space and time for their need to pay both him and Mitch Marner. The Leafs would like to get everyone on the ice." Matthews' deal settled before the trade deadline next month to get clarity on their cap picture because Marner has opted not to negotiate during Skinner, remember, had a no-trade clause in Carolina and Buffalo was the season. one of the few places to where he would accept a deal. It's close to his home in suburban Toronto, allowing his family to see any home game (Aside here: The Leafs never figured Marner might become a 100-point they want without the chaotic hassles of playing for the Leafs. He said player ahead of Matthews, who has had injury issues. They are thus in he's enjoyed Buffalo and his new teammates. He said he's fascinated to quite a pickle now about how much of their cap will be used for two see how good Rasmus Dahlin can get after watching him blossom guys.) already as an 18-year-old.

Which brings us to the other big contract looming here: Sabres sniper Skinner's agent, Don Meehan, is the president and founder of Newport Jeff Skinner. Sports Management, the behemoth agency that has worked with the Sabres on contracts for Ryan O'Reilly, Sam Reinhart, Evander Kane and How much? For how long? How much risk? Rasmus Dahlin. The sides know each other well. Skinner is 26 and he has been great most of the season, with his 30 That's probably another reason Skinner doesn't seem concerned about a goals tied for second in the league behind Alex Ovechkin and already six contract. Maybe that's a good sign. If he's not worried, why should more than he had all of last year in Carolina. A huge inquiry to which the anybody else fret? Sabres must determine the answer: Is he just a super natural fit on Jack Eichel's wing or a player pushing to get paid in a contract year? "I've been having a good time," he said. "I think my agents and the management will take care of it. That kind of thing takes care of itself There's no question GM Jason Botterill and, by extension, owners Terry over time. When they call me, I can get involved. As of now, it's up to and Kim Pegula understand that Skinner must stay. The fan base surely them and I'm just focused on hockey." wants him, as it pounded the polls to get Skinner elected to the All-Star Game as the Atlantic Division's "Last Men In" winner. Buffalo News LOADED: 01.26.2019 It's known the sides have been talking, but now the heat will get ratcheted up. There was no contract chatter early in the season and the prevailing word was that the holidays were the demarcation line.

Well, Santa is back at the North Pole and "Auld Lang Syne" has flipped the calendar. Botterill is now on the clock to ascertain if a deal can be made, or he will be forced to ponder the hard-to-imagine possibility of trading Skinner at the deadline next month.

"As a player, you just focus on things you can control and that's not something that has an effect on the game for me," Skinner said late Thursday night at Media Day in the City National Civic Auditorium. "For us right now, we're in the thick of a playoff race. You want to play hard, pick up as many points as you can and put yourself in a good situation. That right there is enough for anyone to focus on. That's my main focus."

Skinner hasn't tired of contract talk. At least not yet. He actually laughs a little when you bring up the subject. Asked by The Buffalo News if he could characterize the talking as real live negotiations, he didn't want to get into detail. But for the record, he was smiling when he answered the question. A bit of a giveaway there.

"To me, I don't know what that means. Obviously they're talking all year long," Skinner said. "Management and agents talk all the time about different things. I don't have any details and that's what I go off of. They're smarter people and that's why they're in management and I play. I'll wait until they call me and fill me in. For now, I just focus on playing."

You can almost hear the ka-ching in the air every time Skinner scores a goal. A certain wiseguy on Twitter – hand raised – dubs him "$$$$kinner" 1127667 Buffalo Sabres “I was that kid who grew up watching the Sabres,” Bailey said. “My dream was to play in the NHL, but that dream stemmed from watching the Sabres religiously, so I know how all those kids are, the kids that shot Former Sabres prospect, Williamsville product Justin Bailey 'ecstatic' to me messages or even the people in the community, from Williamsville, join Flyers' organization from Amherst, from all over that shot me messages.

“I think that’s one thing I’ll miss, for sure, is having that hometown tie-in. But I know I’m bringing a lot of supporters with me where I go.” Bill Hoppe| Redmond, Wedgewood injured Fri, Jan 25, 2019 Amerks coach Chris Taylor said defenseman Zach Redmond, who has a team-best 19 goals and 39 points, and starting goalie Scott Wedgewood are week-to-week with lower-body injuries. Former Sabres winger Justin Bailey hasn’t felt the comfort of playing under a general manager who acquired him in more than five years. Taylor said both will be out at least until after next week’s AHL All-Star break. Redmond was supposed to participate in Monday’s all-star game Sure, ex-Sabres GM Tim Murray promoted Bailey to the NHL after in Springfield, Mass. signing him to an entry-level contract. Murray’s replacement, Jason Botterill, who traded Bailey to the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 17, recalled Redmond hobbled off in the waning seconds of Wednesday’s 7-5 win him a year ago. over the Binghamton Devils in Blue Cross Arena after falling awkwardly. Earlier in the game, he set the Amerks’ single-season record for most But Darcy Regier drafted Bailey months before getting fired late in 2013. goals by a defenseman. Bailey was never truly Murray's or Botterill’s guy. They inherited the prospect. Halfway through the season, Redmond, 30, might be the AHL MVP.

Now, Bailey, 23, is playing for Chuck Fletcher, who has started “You’re not going to replace a Zach Redmond, but it’s other chances for overhauling the Flyers since replacing Ron Hextall as Philadelphia’s GM guys to step up and make an impact on the team,” Taylor said. “That’s on Dec. 3, 2018. what you’re always curious about, how your depth is and what the opportunity brings to another player.” “I felt like every time I was kind of making a good impression or what have you that things were changing,” Bailey told The News on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Taylor said Wedgewood was dealing with a nagging problem “That’s how it is in sports. I think it is good I’m a Chuck Fletcher guy. before Wednesday’s game. The Amerks want to give Wedgewood time Having a GM that wants you … is definitely a confidence boost for me.” to heal.

The Flyers sent Bailey, who was dished for winger Taylor Leier, to the To replace Wedgewood, the Sabres recalled goalie prospect Jonas Lehigh Valley Phantoms, their American Hockey League affiliate. So far, Johansson, 23, from the Cincinnati Cyclones on Thursday. Bailey has two assists in four games, including a pointless outing against the Rochester Americans. Johansson is 13-5-1-2 with a 2.79 goals-against average, a .900 save percentage and two shutouts in 22 games for the ECHL club this season. Having already waived Bailey in September, it felt like the Sabres might The Swede played three games with the Amerks earlier in the year. eventually deal him. After they assigned him to the AHL, he was a healthy scratch for the Amerks’ second game. In other injury news, Taylor said Amerks center Sean Malone is still day- to-day with a lower-body injury. The West Seneca native has missed four “It’s tough to ever say, ‘Hey, they’ve given up on me’ or, ‘Hey, they’re games. moving on in a different direction,’ which I don’t think I ever thought that,” Bailey said. “I think I tried to work, I tried to do the best with what I could. Loose pucks … Amerks winger C.J. Smith has compiled five goals and six assists during “I don’t think they were trying to (mess with) me by any means.” a career-long seven-game point streak. … Leier and winger Scott Wilson scored their first goals for the Amerks on Wednesday. … Binghamton While Bailey said he knew he could be traded, the timing surprised him. goalie Cory Schneider, 32, made his second AHL conditioning start Still, he said he was “definitely ecstatic” when he heard he was joining Wednesday. An abdominal strain had sidelined the NHL veteran since the Flyers' organization. mid-December.

“It’s really exciting that I have a new coaching staff, new GM that wants Buffalo News LOADED: 01.26.2019 me here,” Bailey said. “Hopefully they’ll give me a look. Obviously, I have to earn that. But it’s good to be somewhere where I feel like there’s a better chance to be able to achieve what I want to achieve.”

He added: “They want to add size, they want to add speed.”

Those assets helped the 6-foot-4, 214-pound Bailey score 20 goals in each of his first two pro seasons, become an AHL All-Star and earn 52 NHL appearances.

But after enduring an injury-plagued 2017-18 campaign, Bailey’s role diminished this season.

As the Amerks roared out of the gate, he struggled, going goalless in his first 11 outings before finding a groove.

Bailey, of course, is the local kid born in Buffalo and raised in Williamsville who fulfilled his dream of playing for the Sabres.

“I’ll never forget the five, six years I was in the organization,” said Bailey, who has scored nine goals and 22 points in 41 games this season. “For me, it was a blessing and a dream come true. But for me, now it’s time for me to really dial it in. I want to make sure I do everything I can to get to the next level, and if that’s in a different location, then it’s a different location.”

Following the trade, Bailey tweeted a three part thank-you message to the Sabres organization, the team’s fans and the community. 1127668 Buffalo Sabres Forwards have to do a better job of reloading back and helping us. As a group, as a team, we need to play better. That’s what it comes down to."

4. Who starts in goal? Carter Hutton has been a victim of circumstance at Inside the Sabres: Pressing questions entering post-break playoff push times. For whatever reason, the Sabres have played worse defensively in front of him. The 33-year-old was 8-0 with a .936 save percentage during the win streak. He has since won only two of 12 starts while posting a Lance Lysowski| .898 save percentage.

Fri, Jan 25, 2019 Linus Ullmark, meanwhile, is 10-4-3 with a 2.93 goals against average and .914 save percentage this season, though he has lost three of his

last four starts. Hutton has allowed a few soft goals over the past month, When the Buffalo Sabres concluded a three-game western Canada road but Ullmark likely has not done enough to earn the job outright. trip last week in Vancouver, coach Phil Housley and his staff planned to Mike Harrington: $$$$kinner has leverage, so he's not fretting about pace take a short break before returning to work. of contract talks Upon reconvening in Buffalo, they likely concocted a practice script to 5. Does Nathan Beaulieu play after the break? Housley could opt to address the team's porous defensive play. The Sabres, 24-18-6 at the change personnel again after what happened in Vancouver. Lawrence All-Star break, are four points behind Pittsburgh for the second wild-card Pilut and Marco Scandella both committed errors that led to Canucks playoff spot after allowing 14 goals in western Canada, including seven in goals. Beaulieu, who reportedly asked to be traded if he does not play, a loss in Edmonton. could be in the lineup ahead of Pilut in Columbus. "We just continue to work on it," Housley said following a 4-3 loss in Beaulieu has the team's second-highest 5-on-5 shot-differential Vancouver. "Work on it in practice -- checking detail, being quicker to percentage since the Sabres' win streak ended -- trailing only Pilut -- close in the defensive zone. ... That’s what has made us a really good though he has a negative-7 rating in those situations during that span. hockey team, and we have to continue to work and focus on it." Housley also could choose to play Matt Hunwick, who has been a The Sabres will have only two practices and one morning skate before healthy scratch for 13 consecutive games and has played only twice all they play in Columbus on Tuesday night, and fixing those defensive season. Scandella is important to the Sabres' penalty kill, but his play has mistakes is not the only item on Housley's post-break to-do list. been erratic. Housley, like most coaches, has remained patient with Here are some of the post-All-Star break questions surrounding the struggling veterans. Will that continue? Sabres: Mike Harrington: With season sliding away, Sabres are facing tough 1. Will Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson break through? Rasmus choices Dahlin has only scratched the surface, which is remarkable considering 6. Will Eichel have a big second half? Eichel was in the Hart Trophy all he has accomplished as a rookie. He is one of only four 18-year-old conversation before suffering an upper-body injury that forced him to defensemen in NHL history to record a five-game point streak and is on miss three-plus games, yet the entire fan base was alarmed when he pace for the second-most points in a season for an NHL defenseman went scoreless in three games upon returning. before his 19th birthday, trailing only Housley (57 points in 1982-83). Eichel broke out of his mini-slump with the game-winning overtime goal However, the Sabres need more from their other two young players, in Calgary and had an assist in the loss to Vancouver. The 22-year-old Mittelstadt and Thompson. center has 16 goals and 36 assists in 45 games. He seemed to be Mittelstadt, 20, has two goals in his last 16 games and seven in 48 gaining traction during the road trip, an important development games this season, while Thompson, 21, has two goals in his last 22 considering how important he will be to the Sabres' playoff hopes. games and six in 41 games this season. Both have the potential to take "Obviously, you put pressure on yourself," Eichel said. "You want to be a pressure off the Sabres' top line but have struggled to produce. difference-maker every night. When things aren’t going well, you want to "The grind of the schedule can be very tough on young players," Housley be one of the guys to make a difference. That’s when you start gripping said. "They haven't faced an 82-game schedule and the travel, going on your stick and start thinking about it too much." the road. Just managing their own lives. I think the guys have done a 7. What's next for General Manager Jason Botterill? Botterill and really good job of that but it’s just a consistency within their game. We Skinner's agent, Don Meehan, began preliminary discussions about a know and understand they’re going to make mistakes. It’s learning from long-term extension and those talks will continue into February. Skinner those things moving forward." wants to remain in Buffalo, and Botterill has the cap space to get a deal 2. What is wrong with the power play? Offense hasn't been the Sabres' complete, within reason. problem recently. They beat Calgary, 4-3, on the road Jan. 16, and had Botterill has much more on his plate, though. He has to decide whether plenty of scoring chances in Edmonton and Vancouver. now is the time to make a bold trade. Vladimir Sobotka has not scored a That said, the Sabres must fix their power play, which is only 2-for-27 goal in 33 games, and Conor Sheary has one goal in his last 28 games. over the past 10 games and ranks 21st in the league. The Sabres could use a reliable, veteran scorer for the second line, possibly a center. They generated more chances with a man advantage during the final week before the break but the attack also has looked stagnant and They have the assets and cap space to make a move, but would it be predictable at times. A top unit of Jeff Skinner, Jack Eichel, Sam wise to wait until the summer? This team is likely a year away from being Reinhart, Dahlin and Rasmus Ristolainen is far too talented to be a legitimate contender, and Botterill will not be interested in a rental producing at such a low rate. player.

3. Can they fix their 5-on-5 play?: The Sabres were allowing too many Buffalo News LOADED: 01.26.2019 shots on goal during their 10-game winning streak, as illustrated by a 46.8 Corsi-for percentage -- a measurement of shot differential -- during 5-on-5 play, the third-worst mark in the NHL during that span. They also allowed the third-most shots on goal.

It would be unfair to only blame defensemen. Forwards also need to do a better job without the puck. The 5-on-5 problems have started in the offensive zone, where defensemen have pinched to join the attack, only to receive little help when an opponent breaks the puck out, leading to odd-man rushes.

"It’s a five-man group," defenseman Zach Bogosian said. "I wouldn’t just throw it all on the defense. As a five-man checking unit we needed to do a better job. [Defensemen] have to do a better job of reading pinches. 1127669 Buffalo Sabres Reinhart held out to get his two-year deal, and at the moment it’s favoring the Sabres. He’s the most productive in his bunch. Though it certainly helps playing alongside Eichel, Reinhart is doing his part to move up the Bang for their buck: Measuring the Sabres’ roster in terms of salary value salary chain in 2020.

Bang for the buck: Yes.

John Vogl Vladimir Sobotka, $3.5 million

Jan 25, 2019 Clutterbuck is a fourth-line winger for the Islanders, who use him often in the defensive zone. Yet he’s still more productive than Sobotka, who has no goals in the last 32 games despite skating on the third or second lines. Early last season, after I wrote about Matt Moulson being one of the Sabres’ worst free-agent signings, one of his teammates called me over Bang for the buck: No. for a chat. During his defense of Moulson, he offered a salient point on the deal. Conor Sheary, $3 million

Why blame Moulson for the contract? What was he supposed to do, turn Sheary is in the middle of the pack in every category except offensive- down the five years and $25 million offered by then-general manager Tim zone starts. Buffalo certainly hoped for more goals, but Sheary is in the Murray? right peer group as far as salary.

It was a solid point. GMs and agents create the deals, not the players. Bang for the buck: Yes. The negotiators use comparable players to come to an agreement – then Zemgus Girgensons, $1.6 million that’s where the player comes in. It’s up to him to fulfill that spot on the salary-cap chart. In other words, he needs to provide bang for the buck Girgensons is a go-to guy in the defensive zone and a top penalty killer, relative to those making the same salary. yet he’s chipping in more points than the Kings’ Clifford.

Moulson didn’t. He’s not alone. Bang for the buck: Yes.

As the Sabres reach the All-Star break in playoff contention, here’s a look Johan Larsson, $1.475 million at everyone on the roster and the players around the league who are making the same salary. Buffalo is getting good value in some places Like Girgensons, the Sabres overwhelmingly use Larsson in their own and overpaying in others. end. His ice time and shot generation are comparable to Granlund.

If the underwhelming Sabres can catch up to their peers during the Bang for the buck: Yes. second half, the playoff race should remain interesting. Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson, $925,000

Forwards The maximum salary for rookies is $925,000, which is why so many Jack Eichel, $10 million players fall into this category. There’s a wide range of ages and abilities, too. Is it really fair to compare a rookie like Mittelstadt to highly heralded The centers are tied for seventh in the NHL for highest salary and they’re young veterans such as Matthews and Laine? Probably not, which is why expected to perform like All-Stars. Eichel is in San Jose for the showcase the center is so far down the production list. game and the Kings’ Kopitar is a four-time selection. If Mittelstadt and Thompson are still this low on their salary chart next Their roles are different – Buffalo expects Eichel to score with his high season, then it will be a problem. offensive-zone percentage while Los Angeles wants a two-way game from Kopitar – but both players are providing their teams with what they Bang for the buck: No, but with an age-related asterisk. need. Remi Elie, $735,000

Bang for the buck: Yes. Even ignoring the Penguins’ Guentzel, who may be the best value in the Kyle Okposo, $6 million NHL, the seldom-used Elie fails to compare to his peers.

Forwards making $6 million are supposed to be difference makers. Some Bang for the buck: No. of the biggest names in the league slot into that salary, including Panarin, Evan Rodrigues, $650,000 Duchene, Pavelski, Forsberg and Hall, the reigning MVP. Rodrigues is making the league minimum, but the pending restricted free Murray pegged Okposo as a player of that caliber. It hasn’t worked out agent can rest assured he won’t be at the bottom next year. Only three (though the previous two seasons had compelling reasons). This year, players start more in their own zone, yet Rodrigues leads everyone in only two players at Okposo’s salary get less ice time, and his stats are assists and sits third in points. below average despite heavy deployment in the offensive zone. Bang for the buck: Yes. Bang for the buck: No. Defensemen Jeff Skinner, $5.725 million Rasmus Ristolainen, $5.4 million Once again, this salary is game-changer range. Skinner certainly qualifies. He’s far and away the best scorer in the group – which is why This trio is tied for No. 37 among highest-paid defensemen, and his next contract will move the pending unrestricted free agent up the Ristolainen is holding his own. He’s used way more defensively than the salary chart. (The contract that kicks in for Dallas’ Seguin next season is Blue Jackets’ Jones, yet he’s keeping up in the offensive end. eight years at $9.85 million per season.) Bang for the buck: Yes. Bang for the buck: Yes. Zach Bogosian, $5.14 million Jason Pominville, $5.6 million Winnipeg, which signed Bogosian to his seven-year deal in 2013, Pominville was starting a 30-goal, 60-point season when Minnesota expected the defenseman to be an elite two-way player. While he’s signed him to a five-year extension. The 36-year-old is in the final year of having one of the best bounce-back seasons among anyone in Buffalo, that contract. While Pominville is fourth on the Sabres in goals, his Bogosian doesn’t produce like his peers (though it should be noted the overall usage no longer compares to a guy like Winnipeg’s Wheeler. Wild’s Spurgeon and the Capitals’ Orlov get power-play time while Bogosian doesn’t). Bang for the buck: No. Bang for the buck: No. Sam Reinhart, $3.65 million Marco Scandella, $4 million Technically, Scandella is in the middle of the pack for everything but ice time, where he sits last. But the middle of the pack is way behind the top of the group. Nashville’s Josi is a Norris Trophy hopeful, while Muzzin will be one of the most sought-after players at the trade deadline.

Bang for the buck: No, though a case could be made for yes given his averages among peers.

Nathan Beaulieu, $2.4 million

If the oft-scratched Beaulieu played as often as the Canucks’ Stecher, he’d be just about even in offensive production, which is what both teams expect given their deployment. Since Beaulieu doesn’t play, he’s asked to be moved.

Bang for the buck: Yes for production, no for playing time.

Matt Hunwick, $2.25 million

Hunwick, whose salary was acquired from Pittsburgh in the deal for Sheary, is eighth on the eight-man depth chart. He’ll fall to ninth when Casey Nelson returns from injury.

Bang for the buck: No.

Jake McCabe, $1.6 million

It appeared Murray reached a favorable deal when he re-signed McCabe in 2016 and the numbers back up that theory.

Bang for the buck: Yes.

Rasmus Dahlin and Lawrence Pilut, $925,000

Once again, this is the rookie-max salary, where 18-year-olds go head- to-head with college graduates and European veterans. Yet only the Blue Jackets’ Werenski – a 21-year-old in his third full season – can claim an edge on Buffalo’s wunderkind. Given what Dahlin has accomplished against his peers, his rookie year is probably being undervalued despite all the attention he’s getting.

Pilut, despite starting the year in Rochester, has quickly shown he can handle defensive assignments against the game’s best.

Bang for the buck: Yes.

Casey Nelson, $812,500

An injury has kept Nelson out since early December, preventing him from keeping up with the Red Wings’ Jensen. But there’s no comparison in terms of ice time.

Bang for the buck: A case can be made for yes and no.

Goaltenders

Carter Hutton, $2.75 million

Unique fact: All three netminders are 33 years old. Hutton is used the most, though Boston has begun starting Halak almost as often as Tuukka Rask. Halak has the edge in save percentage, but the Bruins are much more defensive-minded than Buffalo.

Bang for the buck: Yes.

Linus Ullmark, $750,000

Ullmark may provide the most bang for the buck of anyone in Buffalo. His numbers are comparable to goalies with a much higher salary – something the pending restricted free agent is sure to command this summer.

Bang for the buck: Yes.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127670 Calgary Flames “It was crazy, but Calgary loves their hockey and my family loves hockey, so seeing how the people treated him was super cool to see.”

While they are currently playing in cities more than 3,900 km apart, the Matthew Gaudreau a proud younger brother time difference between Connecticut and Calgary has actually made it pretty easy for Matthew to follow along with the Flames.

Daniel Austin Most of the Flames home games don’t start until 10 p.m. EST, so he says he normally spends a couple nights a week watching the Flames before bed, and Matthew’s got every intention of taking advantage of the AHL’s all-star break this weekend to watch Johnny take part in the NHL’s Matthew Gaudreau has been hearing the chirps about being Johnny’s festivities. brother from opponents for as long as he can remember. The two brothers also talk regularly and share experiences and advice, They’re not that effective, though. and even if that never leads to Matthew putting up numbers that mirror Telling Gaudreau that his older brother is a better hockey player than he his brother’s tally in the NHL, that’s never going to change the pride he is just isn’t all that hurtful. feels when he watches Johnny on the ice.

First of all, Gaudreau is a proud younger brother, and there’s probably no “I’m playing the game I’ve always enjoyed playing,” Matthew said. “It’s bigger supporter of Johnny anywhere. not like I see what he’s doing and I’m disappointed that I’m not doing as well as him. We’re close enough that I can just be happy for him … and I Secondly, when your brother is one of the very best hockey players in the love watching him play hockey.” world, chances are he’s a lot better than the guys doing the chirping, too. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 01.26.2019 “He’s one of the best players anyone’s probably played against, so it really doesn’t bother me,” Gaudreau said. “He’s one of a kind. People saying ‘you’re not as good as him’ … well, you’ll never be as good as him either.”

Speak with the younger Gaudreau about his older sibling and it doesn’t take long for it to become abundantly clear that he’s a young man who is immensely excited about what his brother is accomplishing with the Calgary Flames.

The two grew up in a hockey family in New Jersey, with their father – an accomplished player in his own right – teaching them the ropes on the ice and helping prepare them for college careers at Boston College.

Johnny was a couple years ahead of Matthew, but they both had enough of an impact that they earned a shot at the pros.

Johnny, of course, was drafted by the Flames in 2011 and has emerged as one of the NHL’s most electrifying talents and will be playing in his fifth all-star game this weekend in San Jose, Calif.

Matthew has taken a different path, signing with the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2017.

He has played 17 games with the team since then, although he likely would have played a lot more this season had a training camp injury last fall not disrupted his year.

After a stint with the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, he got called back up by the Tigers around Christmas and has pitched in with four points in eight games.

Throughout it all, he’s been paying close attention to what his older brother has been doing and is as thrilled as all the Flames fans in Calgary are with the 73 points Johnny has put up through 51 games this season.

“What he’s doing is unbelievable,” Matthew said. “I always knew he could play the game he’s playing now, and they have a great team and a great connection, and it’s all working out for them now.

“I’m always a Flames fan. I always want to see his team do well no matter where he’s at. I’ve been out to Calgary a time or two and met a couple of the guys. They’re super nice, and the guys in Calgary are super nice to him.”

While it’s no surprise to Matthew that his brother is lighting it up the way he is this year with the Flames, there are admittedly some things that are weird about being the sibling to an NHL superstar who plays in one of the world’s most hockey-mad markets.

Seeing your last name on thousands of jerseys at the Saddledome when you come to visit, for example, or realizing that simple tasks can take a lot longer than you were planning on.

“The first time I was out in Calgary, I was still in college and we went to a mall and he kind of didn’t want to be noticed, so we tried to sneak around, but people saw him,” Matthew said. “What was supposed to be a 30-minute trip to the mall turned into an hour-and-a-half. 1127671 Calgary Flames drafted by the Flames — would be signed for the return flight, just in time to debut in an otherwise-meaningless regular-season finale against the Canucks.

Ready for takeoff: Reliving Johnny Gaudreau’s jet to NHL stardom After the Eagles were eliminated in semifinal action, Conroy presented the offer to Johnny Hockey’s agent, Lewis Gross.

Wes Gilbertson And then, like countless fans back in Calgary, anxiously waited word. There was widespread worry the itsy-bitsy scoring sensation would return for another winter at Boston College — his younger brother, Matthew, was also on the team — and then wait it out to become an unrestricted In this particular case, Johnny Gaudreau came as advertised. free-agent. Immediately. “My wife was saying there was a bet out on whether he is going to sign or The ink was barely dry on Gaudreau’s entry-level contract with the not,” Conroy said. “She saw it on TV, and the odds were like 50-50. I’m Calgary Flames, with the 2014 Hobey Baker Award winner — at the time, thinking ‘Jeez, they don’t trust me.’ ” perhaps the most intriguing prospect in the hockey world — whisked Truth be told, the Flames’ assistant general manager wasn’t always away on a private jet so he could meet his new teammates and log his convinced this would be a successful mission. NHL debut just two nights later in Vancouver. “Peter and I were having dinner and I called Brian Burke and said, “I remember Johnny, someone had bought him a sandwich and I’m ‘Listen, it hasn’t gone quite the way that I imagined it would,’ ” Conroy watching him and he maybe took a half a bite out of the sandwich, and said. “And he was unbelievable. He said, ‘No problem, Craig.’ And I’m then he was eating Skittles,’ ” reminisced Flames assistant general like, ‘Really?!?’ manager Craig Conroy, laughing at the memory. “The advice that Brian did give me was, ‘Hey, tell him we love him, but “So that turned out to be true. They had a whole sub for him and we had pull the contract at some point. And when you pull the contract, they’ll some food on the plane, too. But he had a little bag of Skittles and that’s have to make a decision either way.’ So we did do that. I was waiting what he munched down on. He was sitting directly in front of me so as until the bitter end, but I finally called Lewis and I said, ‘Hey I think we’re we were flying, I was chuckling to myself thinking, ‘Jeez, he really does going to pull the contract. We understand he wants to go back. We’re loves Skittles.’ ” good. We are going to be sitting in the same spot next year and we’ll love It’s not everyday — or every year, or even every decade — an NHL him just as much as we love him now. So I think we’re going to take the organization dispatches a private jet in hopes of delivering a prospect. contract … ’

The Flames weren’t certain that a 20-year-old Gaudreau was ready to ”And Lewis said, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Give me just a few minutes.’ He turn professional and skip his senior campaign with the NCAA’s Boston said, ‘Johnny hasn’t talked to his parents about it yet. They’re driving College Eagles. back home, and they’re going to talk about it.’ It was probably about an hour after that and I got a call back.” And even if he did sign on the dotted line and board that flight back to Calgary, there were a lot of folks who were sceptical the wee winger With good news. could soar at the highest level. Johnny would be on the jet, scheduled to depart immediately after the Not anymore. Hobey Baker Award ceremony the following day.

Now 25 and both a first-line fixture and a fan favourite in Calgary, Two nights later, the Skittles-chomping newbie scored the lone goal for Gaudreau is representing the Flames this weekend at the 2019 NHL All- the Flames in a 5-1 road loss to the Canucks. Star Game in San Jose, his fifth consecutive invite to the mid-season He has tallied 360 more points since. Only five fellow marquee-men — showcase event. Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, Kucherov, Alex Ovechkin and Blake “It’s always a special weekend — I had a blast my first time, and I’ll have Wheeler — have done more offensive damage over that same span. a blast my fifth time,” said Gaudreau, who won the puck-control relay at (Arnold also suited up in Vancouver, his only big-league appearance.) Friday’s skills competition with a clocking of 27.045 seconds. ”I always enjoy playing with the best players in the league and in the world.” “You work all your life to try to play in the NHL and when you get the opportunity to do that and they say you can go play in Vancouver, it was He is one of the best players in the league and in the world, even if he hard not to take up,” recalled Gaudreau, who averaged two points per still winces a bit when asked about that perch. game in what turned out to be his final collegiate campaign. “That was a “I don’t like to put myself in that type of conversation,” Gaudreau whirlwind of a weekend. We lost on the Thursday night and obviously our reasoned. “It’s hard for me to talk about, but it’s nice to be recognized team was out of it, so I was pretty upset. I figured that I was going to each year. I think we could have had two or three other guys that could sign, so I knew it was my last game with those guys, which was kind of have been recognized as all-stars this year, as well. I’ve thought a lot of upsetting. guys are playing really well.” “And then the next thing you know, the next day I’m winning the Hobey Like it or not, Gaudreau belongs in any conversation about the NHL’s Baker and you’re excited that you won a pretty cool award, and then next best of the best. thing you’re hopping on a private jet to fly out to Calgary to go play your first NHL game. It was a whirlwind of emotions. My mom was kind of With 73 points already, he is currently tied for third in the league-wide upset that I signed. My dad was pumped. So it was crazy. It was scoring race, chasing Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Mikko definitely mayhem. Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche) and even with provincial rival Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers). “But looking back at it, it all worked out.”

When the Professional Hockey Writers Association polled its members Indeed, it did. on mid-season award frontrunners, only Kucherov received more votes “When you watched him in college, you were always thinking, ‘Can he do for the Hart Trophy. it in the NHL? Can he do it against the best players in the world?’ That The still-not-very-big Gaudreau — listed at 5-foot-9 and 165 lb. — is a was my only question,” Conroy said. “To sit here now, he’s done massive reason that the Flames hit the all-star break in top spot in the everything that we could have hoped for — and more. For a being Western Conference standings. smaller guy, it’s how strong he is on the puck, how quick and elusive he is, his skating … He did all that stuff in college, but he just continues to In some ways, his ascent to superstardom started on that private jet. get better. It’s hard to imagine he could get better, but this year he’s taken it to a whole new level again. With Brian Burke at the helm at the Saddledome as interim general manager, Conroy and vice-president of communications Peter Hanlon “It’s special because when you’re on that plane with him, these are all the headed to Philadelphia for the 2014 NCAA Frozen Four. The hope was a things you were hoping for.” pair of prospects — Gaudreau and Eagles linemate Bill Arnold, both Calgary Sun: LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127672 Calgary Flames Mark Jankowski, C

Mark Jankowski’s development into an everyday NHLer has been a very gradual one. The lanky, 24-year-old center still leaves something to be Assessing the Flames’ trade assets ahead of the deadline desired at even strength but has been one the club’s better penalty killers this season. He’s also a guy with a lot of tools like a big reach, soft hands and a hard, accurate shot that suggests there is room for improvement. Kent Wilson Nevertheless, Jankowski is relatively expendable compared to Bennett Jan 25, 2019 and Frolik. He doesn’t really drive play yet and is just a mediocre scorer at five-on-five. Losing him would mean bumping up Derek Ryan and

inserting one of Alan Quine or Dillon Dube on the fourth unit, which For the first time in a decade, the Flames are an unambiguous buyer at wouldn’t be unmanageable. the trade deadline. Usually, at this point in the season, fans and Jankowski is another tier down in terms of quality of the asset, but the management are grappling with the uncertainty associated with the team certainly isn’t going to give him away either given his age and status of being a bubble-team, a position the club has so frequently potential. occupied. Instead, we’re about a month away from the deadline and we’re not only considering the roster’s strengths and weaknesses but Oliver Kylington, LHD what rental players may be available to help put the team over the top. Like Sam Bennett, Oliver Kylington is caught in a kind of bind between If the Flames feel they need to find the final piece of the puzzle, making a quality guys above him and some of the organization’s best prospects trade before the deadline is their best chance to achieve that. Calgary’s bubbling underneath. With Mark Giordano and Noah Hanifin ensconced roster sports a few potentially tradable assets, available at the right price, in the top-four rotation and blue-chipper Juuso Valimaki poised to be a while some of their more notable prospects might also draw enough full-time NHL defenseman sooner rather than later, there doesn’t seem to interest to garner a notable return. be a lot of opportunity for the 21-year-old. In addition, Kylington’s transformation from an intriguing prospect to an everyday NHLer this The roster players season means his name will garner a lot more interest in talks from Michael Frolik, RW/LW potential trade partners.

Even absent Bill Peters’ strange ambivalence to the player and the social Kylington represents valuable depth the franchise can hoard going into media drama with Michael Frolik’s agent on Twitter, there are a few the playoffs, but he’s also the most expendable player amongst a reasons the winger may potentially be a trade asset of interest. youngster group that includes Hanifin, Valimaki and Rasmus Andersson.

First, because he’s a high utility veteran with a year left on a relatively Austin Czarnik, RW/C affordable contract. Although his cap hit is 4.3 million, Frolik’s actual Over 20-teams were reportedly interested in Austin Czarnik this past salary next year is just $3 million, an attractive quality for cash-poor clubs summer after an incredible AHL season with the Boston Bruins farm like Ottawa and Arizona who are also always hungry for guys like Frolik team. A player who seems stuck in the purgatory between AHL to add some structure to the roster. difference maker and useful NHLer, things haven’t really worked out for Secondly, because the Flames may be looking to free up some cap Czarnik in Flames colours this year. However, he might still have some space heading into next year with Matthew Tkachuk, David Rittich and fans amongst NHL scouts around the league. Czarnik’s contract is cheap Sam Bennett set to receive raises. There are probably more expendable ($1.25 million this year) and he’s a pending RFA, meaning any team that players on the club’s payroll right now, but they’d be much harder to get acquires him would have an asset that’s inexpensive and easy to retain. rid of relative to Frolik. Czarnik is unlikely to be the main piece in any potential trade, but he On the other hand, Frolik is typically the kind of guy teams look to add at could be a worthwhile addition in a bigger package. the deadline, not subtract. He can play almost anywhere in the lineup The prospects and is a part of the Flames best shut down trio at even strength. The player has also been scoring at a pretty healthy clip recently, which is an Juuso Valimaki, LHD added bonus. No doubt the first player every potential trade partner will ask Brad As such, it wouldn’t make much sense for the Flames to move Frolik at Treliving about is Valimaki, arguably the Flames only blue-chip prospect. the deadline unless they are certain to get a clear upgrade in return. Valimaki’s rookie season has unfortunately been derailed by a high-ankle sprain, but his pedigree is sterling and the team loves the player and for Sam Bennett, LW/C good reason. It wouldn’t surprise me if there is a lot of interest in Bennett around the Valimaki is the complete package: big, strong, an excellent skater with deadline. Although his scoring has only marginally improved over last high hockey IQ and offensive upside. Of all Calgary’s youngsters, season, Bennett’s overall game has taken a huge step forward and he’s Valimaki has the best chance to develop into a difference maker at the starting to resemble an effective two-way NHLer as a 22-year-old. His NHL level, which is why he leaped directly into the show from junior. mean streak doesn’t hurt either. For all of these reasons, I think it’s almost impossible that the team will Bennett is also on a cheap deal and shouldn’t be too expensive to re-sign trade the player. Of course, I didn’t expect them to trade Dougie Hamilton this summer, relative to what he is making now. A young player with an in the summer either. excellent pedigree on the upswing would be an asset of great interest for teams looking to gear up for the future. Dillon Dube, LW/C

In addition, the Flames are very well set on the left side at forward. Aside An argument could be made to name Dillion Dube as Calgary’s best from stars like Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk, Calgary boasts potential forward prospect. A surprise roster player out of training camp, Dube was up-and-comers like Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube looking to steal eventually demoted to the AHL, where he has operated at a point-per- jobs in the near future. game pace so far.

Of course, all the things that make Bennett an attractive addition for A smart, mature player who can play all three forward positions and in sellers are reasons the Flames may be reluctant to move him now. A any circumstance, Dube was Team Canada’s captain at last years World year ago the team may have been much more willing to entertain deals Junior Championship, and a guy with quick feet and a strong for Bennett, but his solid step forward likely gives them pause this year. understanding of the game. Also, there’s absolutely no guarantee that either Mangiapane or Dube evolve enough to become solid third liners as Bennett has now. His Like Valimaki, however, the Flames really like the player and aren’t going penchant for mixing it up and playing hard are also skills Calgary would to be eager to part with him. like to retain heading into the postseason. Andrew Mangiapane, LW

Like Frolik, any potential deal that involves Bennett would have to be Mangiapane doesn’t have anything left to prove at the AHL level, but he pretty attractive to pry him out of Calgary. still hasn’t figured out how to translate that to success at the NHL level yet. The 22-year-old was easily the Stockton Heat’s best forward last of immediate draft picks either. In addition, this makes Calgary’s lone season, but the Flames might be getting suspicious that Mangiapane is first-rounder seem much more valuable given their recent dearth of picks. one of the small class of guys who dominate the lower league but cannot clear the first hurdle in the show. 2020 first rounder

Mangiapane doesn’t have the NHL results to land a big return on his If the club doesn’t want to sacrifice this year’s first-round pick, they could own, but like Czarnik could be a very attractive piece to a larger deal. try to convince their trade partner to take next year’s instead. Although this pushes the return down the road a bit, it also means the pick may be Matthew Phillips, RW/C more valuable, given the Flames are likely to finish near the top of the standings this season. If the opposition GM bets on a step back from Diminutive Matthew Phillips finished his junior career with 48 goals and Calgary in 2019-2020, they can anticipate getting a higher pick just by 112 points in 71 games and was one of the best forwards in the WHL last deferring the choice one year into the future. year. His pro debut with the Heat this season started out slowly, but he has steadily worked his way up the rotation and recently has become one Overall, there are enough pieces here that the Flames could make a of the club’s best offensive players. His 10 goals and 25 points in 36 trade of note if they are so inclined. That said, they also have a lot of games is good for sixth best on Stockton, though every guy above him is reasons not to enter the auction-like environment of the deadline as well. an established pro. Many of their most valuable trade assets are worthwhile roster players or prospects. The Flames decision makers may also decide against Phillips has something of Gaudreau vibe to him, though he obviously isn’t disrupting the team’s chemistry and dressing room down the stretch, as preternaturally talented at the Flames top scorer. Nevertheless, his particularly if they continue to run hot in February. high skill level and excellent junior career might make him a target of interest for some trade partners. The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019

Jon Gillies/Tyler Parsons, G

The organization went into this season hoping that one of their goaltending prospects would step up and become a legitimate NHLer. One of them did – David Rittich.

The other two guys, in contrast, have mostly struggled to find their footing in the AHL. Jon Gillies was re-signed to a two-year contract this past summer, with the assumption that he may work his way into a full-time job by 2019-20. Instead, the 24-year old has had his worst professional season and seems to be further away from NHL than ever before.

Tyler Parsons was considered one of the best junior puck stoppers during his last two seasons in the OHL, but his professional career has been punctuated by injury, inconsistency and personal struggles. His skill level and athleticism are still obvious here and there, but the 21-year old hasn’t found a way to truly grab the reins as the team’s starter despite Gillies’ stumbles.

Both guys have likely seen their stock fall as prospects of note, but goalies are enough of a mystery that they could garner some interest from teams who think a change of scenery would get them back on track.

In terms of the Flames, it’s likely they would rather part with Gillies than Parsons given his sizeable step back in his fourth pro season. Parsons not only has a higher ceiling, but a lot more developmental runway to work with.

Honourable mentions:

Kerby Rychel

Dmitry Zavgordniy

Adam Ruzicka

Martin Pospisil

Emilio Pettersen

Some of the Calgary’s other prospects have had good enough seasons to potentially land on the radar, but aren’t in themselves notable enough to consider as key pieces in any potential deals.

The draft picks

2019 first rounder, 2019 third rounder

Draft picks are the most common coin of the realm when it comes to deadline deals. The bad news for the Flames is they don’t have many of them. Their 2019 first rounder is the only pick they currently have inside the first 60 choices this June (this may change depending on some of the conditions in the Hamonic trade).

This would be less of a concern organizationally if the team had been stock-piling prospects before now, but Brad Treliving has been borrowing from the future to build his current roster for years. Travis Hamonic, Mike Smith, Curtis Lazar, Dougie Hamilton and Elias Lindholm/Noah Hanifin all cost some significant futures to acquire.

As a result, the club’s cupboards are relatively bare beyond their first tier of the pro prospects and they don’t have a lot to negotiate with in terms 1127673 Calgary Flames Should he choose to monitor one of the pregame shows, his viewing day begins at 4:30 p.m. and goes through the late slate, which wraps up about six hours later.

Hockey know-it-all Matthew Tkachuk’s love for the game blossomed “Then I shut it down,” said Tkachuk. “I have every hockey channel, so I’ll early and continues to grow go to every game and I’ll have tabs on the games, so I just go back and forth throughout (the night), it’s pretty easy.”

Scott Cruickshank Suppertime barely disrupts the evening’s routine. Occasionally he’ll zip out for a bite. Often, he orders in. Jan 24, 2019 “So I don’t miss anything,” he said. “A lot of time, I have people in town” — Mom recently spent a week with him — “and they like to cook for me, so I have dinner right in front of the TV or from the table where you can Certain assumptions can be made about the toddling days of Matthew see the TV. I’m not really missing too much.” Tkachuk. Nor does he downplay his fixation. When something big happens — That, with his pacifier chewed flat and hanging from the corner of his wins, fights, deals, hits — he’ll make sure others know about it the next mouth, he openly smirked at passersby. day. That, mini-stick in his gummy mitts, he teetered around the premises, “He’ll come in and he’ll be like, ‘Hey, did you see this last night?'” Jamie fearlessly courting confrontation. Pringle, video coach for the Flames said. “You wonder how much players That, obsession already taking hold, he knew more about hockey than are watching, but I know he’s one guy who definitely does, for sure. any of his diaper-dragging peers. Because even then, Tkachuk was Some guys are just wired that way. Chucky, he’s just a fiend for that.” immersing himself in the game. Tkachuk is hardly alone, of course. Thanks to his parents. With a stake in the sport, players do follow developments around the His mother Chantal and his father Keith, who was skating for the Phoenix league. Paying close attention to their workplace just makes sense. Coyotes in those days, had discovered a simple way to engage their “Some guys maybe won’t admit it, but if you play in the NHL you’re frenetic first-born. keeping tabs around the league,” Sean Monahan said. “You’d be lying if “We would drill him on names and numbers,” Chantal said with a you said you’re not. It’s the best game. If I’m not playing, I’m usually chuckle. “I would say, ’27,’ and he would say, ‘Teppo Numminen.’ Or I watching. I would say that’s the same with a lot of guys. would say, ‘Dallas Drake,’ and he would say, ’11.’ It was really funny. “Some guys have kids, some guys are in different situations. As a That started way back. He was probably two or three years old.” younger guy, you can learn a lot. It’s pretty cool to watch other players How often did he mess up? throughout the league.”

“Never,” she said. “It was really, really tough to stump him. It was just a As for Tkachuk’s appetite for hockey content? fun game we would play. It was a good way for him to learn his numbers “Obviously, he’s a great player,” Monahan said, “but he’s a big student of because he’d just associate them with hockey players. the game.” “Honest to god, he’s been hockey-obsessed ever since he was a toddler. Given that this is their job — and a pressure-packed one at that — it Everything was hockey, hockey, hockey.” becomes necessary to unplug, just for a breather. Hockey every waking Not much has changed since then. hour can be a bit much.

Anyone spending even a little time with the young man can attest that the “Sometimes guys, to mentally free themselves up, like to watch Calgary Flames winger’s knowledge of the sport is broad and deep and something else or get away from the game a bit,” Noah Hanifin said. actually kind of infectious. “Sometimes if a good game’s on, I’ll throw it on, watch for a bit. Or if we’re playing a team (soon), and they’re on TV, I’ll watch. Usually, when I His desire to scour the NHL landscape — for old-school feats and current do get home — we’re so busy and we do so much work at the rink — it’s goings-on, for statistics and controversies, for streaks and trends — nice to unwind and free yourself up mentally to get ready to go the next remains ever high. day.

(Courtesy of Chantal Tkachuk) “But (Tkachuk) is all-in. He knows what’s going on. He’s watching hockey every night.” “I’m embarrassed to say this, but he probably knows a lot more than me right now when it comes to all that,” said Keith, who retired in 2010 — Asked to assess his viewing habits, Tkachuk was adamant that he’s not after 1,201 games, 1,065 points, 2,219 penalty minutes — and now “extreme, extreme.” Oh, OK. Then who spends more time than you scouts for the St. Louis Blues. “He’s a history buff. It’s unbelievable how tracking the NHL? much he knows. He just has that gift where he’s a hockey guy and the only thing that matters to him is hockey. He knows everything, I’m telling He laughed. you. Plays. Players. Coaches. Drafts. Everything. “I don’t know,” Tkachuk said. “I think guys are very passionate about it, “If I talk to him today, he’ll fill me in on everything about the (Flames’ next but I don’t know what everybody does every second of the day.” opponents) and their players — what they do and how they do it. He’s What about the idea of just letting go, even briefly? To revel in some got a bit of that coaching mentality in him. That’s the only thing that healthy in-season distance from the game? matters to him right now – playing hockey and trying to become a better student of the game and becoming better.” The 21-year-old laughed again. “I don’t feel the need. That’s what I want to watch, so I watch it. Even if you don’t want to watch it and things aren’t There are players like former Flames winger Steve Begin, who once told going great, you still watch it.” reporters that the first NHL game he watched from start to finish was the first one he played in. A television broadcast could simply not hold his Tkachuk’s idea of stepping away? Instead of toggling back and forth attention. between a handful of NHL contests, he’ll mix in an NFL game. That’s as big a concession as he’s likely to make. At the other end of the spectating spectrum is Tkachuk, who has already soaked up thousands of telecast hours — with countless more ahead of This passion, naturally, was fuelled by his upbringing. Being around rinks him. It’s a staggering pace he merrily maintains. and being around players helped to forge a keen interest in the sport, which went hand in hand with his boyhood clip — described as “pretty On non-game days at home, he luxuriates in his downtown condo. Well- active” by his mom. worn remote in hand, he eagerly clocks full shifts. (Courtesy of Chantal Tkachuk)

In fact, only one thing could cut through his whirling dervish-ness. Yup, you guessed it. “I honestly knew not much, if anything, about Calgary and he (emphasized that I should) know who played here before, who was on “If I put hockey on at night, he would actually sit down and watch,” the Stanley Cup team,” he said. “He wanted me to be very interested in Chantal said. “It became a bit of a babysitter for me because I knew he the Battle of Alberta. Who were the big rivalry teams? Who was on them would relax a little bit, instead of running around.” back in the day? He thinks it’s important for you to know the former Tkachuk, shortly after the family settled in St. Louis and he started players. He knows from experience that former players come to games, attending elementary school, ironed out his own weekday plan. “I don’t they come to the rink a lot. It’s important to pay your respects.” know why I remember this,” he said before offering the details. Added Keith: “Hopefully, he listened to me. A lot of these young kids are In order to get to Oak Hill School on time, they needed to be out the door video-game freaks and all this stuff, but I think it’s important to know the by 7:30 a.m., so he’d wake up at 6 — without an alarm — to shower and game and know the people in front of you — what they meant to the dress. Then, with a couple of slices of toast, he’d curl up in front of the organization, what they meant to the game.” TV to watch the NHL Network. Since the highlight program began at the Tkachuk also stays well-versed on the statistical side of things. Every top of the hour, he’d see the second half first — 6:30 to 7 — and the first morning, teams provide packages, filling both sides of more than 30 half second. pages and detailing everything from standings to individual data.

“So I’d catch it all, but it would be in reverse order,” he said. “My dad His base of knowledge extends to salaries. About everyone: “I would always thought that was pretty cool.” have a pretty good idea, ballpark, I’m sure.”

Told of her son’s recollection, Chantal chuckled. Soon enough, Tkachuk’s own pay packet will be a topic of discussion “That is absolutely true.” around the NHL (and behind closed doors at the Saddledome). For a restricted free agent who’s thrived throughout his entry-level pact — with Chantal added that, while her eldest had been glued to the replay its average annual value of $1.775 million— there is a meaty raise stream, he was rarely alone. Brady — 21 months younger — was there coming. to keep him company. That’s the business side of this venture. “Par for the course,” she said. “I mean, if Matthew was down watching the hockey highlights, well, Brady was watching them because Matthew But the zeroes Tkachuk envisioned when he was daydreaming of big- was watching them. league exploits were scoresheet-related. For instance, he thought it was fantastic that he and linemate Mikael Backlund hit the 20- and 10-goal “I know they were both big on going on YouTube — looking up hits and plateaus, respectively, the same night. Those are the kind of numbers fights and goals and goal celebrations, all that stuff. They enjoyed doing that resonate. that.” His own point totals — 48, then 49, now 57 and counting — are trending Said Tkachuk of his baby brother: “He is a pretty happy-go-lucky guy. upward. As a livelihood, puck-chasing is not something that’s going to be He’ll just go along with anything. Honestly, I don’t know if he was as pried away from him. interested (in hockey as me) at the time – but I know he is now.” “I trust him — knock on wood — to make good decisions,” said Chantal. These days, as Brady breaks in with the Ottawa Senators, it is each “As a mom, you just hope that everything goes well all the time. Not other’s performances the brothers are observing over. For efficiency’s unlike a lot of other little kids, it’s a goal he’s had for the majority of his sake, there’s even software that allows them to cherry-pick video files of life. I mean, he did everything he could possibly do to get here. It wasn’t their sibling’s shifts. just saying it, it was actually doing it. Shooting pucks all the time. Working out. Whatever he felt he needed to do, he did — and never with Further, they take advantage of the two-hour time difference between any complaints. It’s a dream for a lot of kids, but I think not a lot of people their home bases. realize just how much work goes into it. And he really did work very, very “On nights we both play, after his game he gets to watch mine,” said hard.” Tkachuk. “And before our meeting here, I’ll be in the back room watching Said Keith: “I know he’s not going to mess around. He wants to be a his game. It works out well.” hockey player. He’s going to do all the right things. He’s a lot more Without a doubt, Tkachuk’s fascination is legitimate. You couldn’t fake mature than I was at that age, for sure. I don’t have to worry about him.” that many hours of hockey-watching, no matter how much you want to Chantal’s take is slightly different. “I’m a mother, so I worry about please the old man. But one question — did all the screen time actually everything.” Including her boy’s culinary deficiencies. “I’m not even sure make him better? he could successfully scramble an egg,” she laughed. “I just pray there’s Keith thinks so. no massive storm and he’s snowed in — he would starve.”

“Honestly, doing that helped him understand,” he said. “I used to say all Tkachuk, who lived with Monahan for only the first two months of his the time to Matthew and his brother, ‘Whatever you do, I want you to rookie campaign before getting his own pad, realizes his parents have watch only one player — Pavel Datsyuk.’ Not only because he was highly faith in him. Which is meaningful considering his father travelled a similar skilled, but the way he played.” path — from first-round pick to star forward in a Canadian market.

Tkachuk kept a close eye on Datsyuk — and every other player in the “He knew when I came up here I wouldn’t be going crazy or getting hockey universe. He, too, figures that all of those hours aided in his distracted a lot,” said Tkachuk. “He was confident, at a young age, at 18 ability to play the game, even now. years old, that I wanted to be a player, that I wanted to make a difference, that I was going to be smart with everything I did. “You pick up on things, other guys’ habits and stuff. It’s like repetition, right?” he said. “You watch enough, some stuff becomes natural. There’s “Since I was younger I never thought about anything other than being a certain teams you watch more than others. I like watching Pittsburgh a player. I love hockey. Hockey’s my life. It’s been a huge part of me since lot. I like watching Tampa a lot. I like watching Toronto a lot. So when I was born.” you play those teams, you get what guys do.” From the days when he could recite the Coyotes’ roster — Who is No. Beyond committing to memory the tendencies of today’s trailblazers, 22? Which sweater does Greg Adams wear? — until now when, with Matthew has an appreciation for those who came before him. ease, with enthusiasm, he delves into a rival team’s action without skipping a single spin of his brother’s outing. Spoiler: Keith, in no uncertain terms, demands appropriate levels of reverence. “I couldn’t imagine there being a night when he doesn’t have a hockey game on,” said Chantal. “Any time I’m here, it’s kind of automatically “Dad gets all over me when he brings up a player’s name – like former what we do at nights.” players that are coaching now – and I’m like, ‘Who are they?'” said Tkachuk. “And he’s, ‘How do you not know that? It’s embarrassing.'” She laughed again.

Soon after the Flames drafted the kid sixth overall in 2016 there came a crash course in the team’s history — at his dad’s insistence. “He definitely does not unplug from hockey, that’s for sure,” Chantal said. “There’s no question that he’s driven to be a hockey player. I don’t think he had a Plan B. It was Plan A or nothing.

“If it didn’t work out, he’d probably be on my couch right now.”

Clicker in hand, eyes on the screen, you-know-what in progress.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019

1127674 Chicago Blackhawks “I walked into the roller rink with my dad when I was 4 and I can tell you the colors of everything in the rink,” Delia said. “The smells, where everything is located. The skates I wore, the layout of the locker rooms, Collin Delia is into leather-making. He's also into goaltending, as where the snack bar was, where the games were. I absorbed everything Blackhawks fans have discovered. from that experience. I was very lucky to know what I wanted to do from a young age.”

For the first eight years of his hockey life, Delia was exclusively a roller- Jimmy Greenfield hockey goalie. Southern California just didn’t have a lot of ice rinks. He converted to ice when his parents recognized his skill and passion — and that colleges didn’t offer scholarships for roller-hockey goalies. Enter Collin Delia's apartment and you immediately see sheets of leather He tried out for a local team, the Junior Ducks, and made the team even covering an unfinished couch he's building by hand. though he had skated on ice only a few times. It came naturally to him. There’s more leather spread out on the island in his kitchen that one day “I felt like someone else was guiding my body in a way,” he said. might be turned into belts or tote bags. Upstairs in his loft work space he has finished wallets and backpacks made of — you guessed it — leather. When he was 18, Delia moved to Texas to play for the Amarillo Bulls, a Tier II junior team. Two years later, he receive a scholarship offer from If you hadn’t guessed, Delia is into leather-making. He’s also into Merrimack. After becoming the starter as a sophomore, Delia attended a goaltending, as Blackhawks fans have discovered since he was called up Hawks prospect camp. He returned to Merrimack for his junior year, then from Rockford last month. The 24-year-old rookie craves the attention to signed a two-year deal with the Hawks during the summer of 2017. detail required to make leather goods and sees a clear parallel to the art of playing goalie. Delia’s first few months of pro hockey were rough. He was sent to the ECHL's Indy Fuel and had a 4.12 goals-against average in 10 games. When Delia is working on his couch or creating a wallet for a friend, he’ll But in December 2017, the Hawks moved him to Rockford and work for hours only to discover the day has flown by and he has forgotten everything began to come together. Delia got a brief call-up to the Hawks to eat. near the end of that season and started two games, including the one in which emergency backup goalie Scott Foster had to relieve Delia, who “I’ve learned that I can’t do leather work on game days,” Delia said. “It’s a had developed cramps. passion. You get in this existential space and you’re so zoned in. Everything else just kind of fades away. And that’s how it is in Delia began this season at Rockford but never stopped dreaming about goaltending too. You’re only worried about the puck. Everything else — Chicago. the crowd, the other nuances — they kind of have sensory deprivation. I love that flow state that you’re in. “I would go to bed almost every night thinking, ‘What’s the process for me?’” Delia said. “What am I going to pack to take to Chicago? I was “As a goalie, that’s something I always chase. To have that feeling of, thinking about the drive, thinking about pulling up to the United Center. man, I can’t even remember half the game or three-fourths of the game Envisioning pulling my gear out of the car, taking it into the locker room, because I was so engaged. And time just flies by.” getting dressed, practicing — literally running through what could happen. Every night. Just being prepared. I thought that was my job as a While Delia has flat-screen TV on the wall of his apartment, he doesn't member of the Blackhawks organization.” have cable. He does, however, have a steel hammer he calls “The Enforcer” that he uses to make leather goods. He hopes one day to turn When the Hawks promoted Delia after Corey Crawford's injury, he had to the hobby into a business. leave most of his leather in Rockford. But he bought a traveling kit that allows him to do some work from his hotel room. Cable TV is far too distracting, he says, and he’s very careful about what he lets inside his head. Instead of listening to talking heads on a news “I love the idea and the feeling of progress, working towards something,” program or letting TV ads bombard him, Delia puts on a “TED Talk” Delia said. “I feel like I’ve always been working toward something. When podcast and immerse himself in positive messages while he builds. I don’t have that it’s tough for me. Maybe last year when things weren’t going great with hockey, I found this. It was something I could say I did “I always stand on guard to my mind, what I let in,” said Delia, who has something good. I don’t know why it was leather specifically. I always just been writing journals since he was 16. “The information that’s being loved the tactile nature of sturdy leather bags, leather jackets, wallets, received, we’re just recording devices with our eyes and our ears. We’re belts. Just the idea that something can outlive you. hearing things, seeing things subliminally and we're not even paying attention subconsciously.” “Hopefully, I'll give that couch to my grandkids one day or my kids. My leather bags and my wallets. It’s like a legacy.” READ MORE: Goalie Collin Delia learning how to succeed even when he's not at his best: 'My B game is still pretty good' » Whether it’s goaltending or leather-making — or even Legos — Delia has found a recipe for success. Delia didn’t take up leather-making until November 2017, but he has had a lifelong interest in building things, which he developed from his father “Everything you do builds upon the other,” Delia said. “You make a and grandfather. His grandfather was a stonemason and his father, Nick, mistake, it can compound if you don’t stop it right away. That’s huge. a fireman in Southern California, is a woodworker. When you’re out on the ice and you let a goal in, do you snap back or are you still thinking about that goal? If I make a missed cut here on a piece “Somewhere it’s in my blood,” Delia said. “(My grandfather) had his thing of leather, am I going to fix it or am I going to just leave it because it's and my dad has his thing and now I have my thing.” good enough and no one’s going to see it? Delia was a civil engineering major at Merrimack College in “Every little thing matters.” Massachusetts and has the ability to sketch a design of what he wants to make quickly. The couch he’s building is the product of many Chicago Tribune LOADED: 01.26.2019 conversations with his father, who isn’t the least bit surprised Collin discovered this outlet. “It goes back to when he was playing in bantam or midget (leagues),” Nick Delia said. “The gear would consistently wear out, so we were always having to try to repair it or take it some place to repair it so it would stay together. He was always into improving things that could be designed a little bit better.” When Delia was young, he received Legos for Christmas each year. They weren't toys to him. He would get annoyed when friends didn't treat his Lego creations with the reverence he felt they deserved. Instead playing with Legos and returning them to their box, he would create intricate, lasting structures that still exist in his parents’ homes. Delia’s parents separated when he was 4, and the apartment his father moved into was near the Wayne Gretzky Roller Hockey Center in Irvine, Calif. 1127675 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane loses to Johnny Gaudreau (again) in puck control contest

Jason Lieseremail

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The All-Star Game never gets old for Patrick Kane, and neither does the skills contest. He was assigned to the puck control event, like last year, and nearly won it. Kane weaved the puck deftly through a line of 10 dummy pucks, swerved through cones at center ice then finished by lifting it through elevated openings in three gates on his way to putting it in the net for a time of 28.6 seconds. He was the first competitor, and his time held up until Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau ripped through the obstacle course in 27 seconds as the final competitor to claim victory for the second consecutive year. “It’s probably not the best thing going first and then just waiting,” Kane said. “It was nice for Johnny to go last, but you understand that because he won it last year. It would’ve been nice to go a little bit later and kinda get a feel for how the guys were doing, but I did it last year so I had a pretty good idea what was going on.” His only snag was at the first gate, when he had to lift the puck through the highest opening and struggled to get it on his stick at first. That brief setback was the difference. The NHL chooses skills for each player and determines the order of participation. Players can have some input on which event they get, but Kane was content to take whatever the league gave him. He liked the idea of taking another crack at puck control. “I thought I could do well in that one,” he said. “Pretty happy with what I did. Would’ve been nice to pick up the puck right away, but overall not too bad.” Kane won the accuracy shooting contest in 2015 and the breakaway challenge in ’12. He will play in his eighth All-Star Game on Saturday, the most of any player participating. He was the only Blackhawk selected. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127676 Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago’s Kendall Coyne-Schofield is first woman in NHL skills contest

Jason Lieseremail

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The biggest roar from the crowd at the NHL skills contest Friday was for a player who isn’t in the league. When two-time Olympian Kendall Coyne Schofield lined up to take on the All-Stars in the fastest skater race, fans filled SAP Center with chants of U-S-A. Fueled by the surge of energy in the building, she circled the rink in 14.346 seconds as the first woman to compete in the league’s annual showcase. “The crowd was electrifying,” she said. “Everyone erupted when I started. It definitely gave me some momentum, and adrenaline was pumping.” Coyne Schofield, who grew up in Oak Lawn, clocked a 14.26 in a practice run the day before and was “bummed” she couldn’t match it Friday. She was the first skater to take the ice and officially finished seventh out of eight, beating Coyotes center Clayton Keller. She should probably also get credit for outdoing Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who followed her and wiped out on a curve before getting a chance to retry. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid came in at 13.378 to win the event for the third consecutive year. Coyne Schofield is a longtime Blackhawks fan and friend of Patrick Kane, who spurred her on and congratulated her on a performance that was not only competitive, but a landmark for women’s hockey. “She worked really hard and she put up a great score, so she should be proud of herself,” Kane said. “She was really the only one that competed in an event, too. She should be proud of herself. It seems like she kinda broke a barrier tonight. “She threw up that 14.3 right away. There was probably a lot of [players] thinking that she was gonna beat more than one guy. But there were some great scores tonight. That was a pretty cool event to watch, and she did a great job.” Coyne Schofield was a late addition to the field after Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon withdrew because of an injury, a move the NHL announced Friday afternoon. She originally was one of a few women’s players invited to demonstrate events for the crowd before the men competed, but she became the star of the show. She was already one of the most popular players in women’s hockey after helping the U.S. win gold at the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, but competing against some of the NHL’s best talent could make her a transcendent star. Of course, she wasn’t thinking about that as she sped around the ice. “You’re thinking move your legs as fast as you can,” she said. But before and after the event, she grasped the magnitude of the moment. “I would say especially to young girls and to women, follow your dreams,” Coyne Schofield said. “Believe in yourselves and there’s nothing you can’t accomplish. Tonight was an example of that.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127677 Chicago Blackhawks

NHL All-Star Game: United Center unlikely to host anytime soon

Jason Lieseremail

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A decade-long run as arguably the most prominent team in the NHL gave the rest of the hockey world Blackhawks fatigue, and the league seems acutely aware of it. With the All-Star Game in non-legacy markets like San Jose, Tampa and Nashville recently, it raises the question of why the United Center has never hosted the game in its nearly 25-year existence. Don’t expect it anytime soon. “We have to move things around,” commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday. “We have 31 teams, and everybody wants league events. And we’ve certainly not been bashful about including Chicago.” Since the league began playing Winter Classics in 2008, the Hawks have played in four and hosted two of them at Wrigley Field and Notre Dame Stadium. They’ve also played in two Stadium Series games, including 2014 at Soldier Field. They also held the 2017 draft at the United Center. But that’s not enough for the Hawks. Bettman said president John McDonough “is constantly banging on the door” to put the organization in the mix for league showcases and he praised Rocky Wirtz for being “an incredible owner.” That’s nice and all, but the rest of the country is sick of Hawks fever. “Chicago certainly has had its share of league events,” Bettman said. “Every time we announce an outdoor game, somebody thinks Chicago’s gonna play in it.” That’s true. Thanks in large part to them being a major television draw, even with the team sputtering the last two seasons, the Hawks were rumored to be a possible visiting opponent for the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl and the Stadium Series game at the Air Force Academy. Bettman said the league doesn’t want a team in its signature games back-to-back years, ruling out the Hawks after they played at Notre Dame this month. Next year’s Winter Classic will be Predators-Stars, and the Avalanche will face the Kings in Colorado Springs. Next season’s All-Star Game is in St. Louis, and the league hasn’t announced sites beyond that. The United Center has never hosted an NBA All-Star game, either, but it will in 2020. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127678 Chicago Blackhawks And one of his favorite parts is getting to hang out with the other players, regardless of the age difference.

“I love being here at these types of events,” Kane said. “It’s cool to meet NHL All-Star Game: Blackhawks' Patrick Kane goes from upstart to old- the young guys, too. This is a young man’s league, and it’s fun to talk to timer them here about their seasons and their careers and different things like that. Jason Lieseremail “I’m getting a little bit older, but I’m still having fun with it. I guess it’s weird to be one of the older guys because I was always one of the younger guys coming to these events, but it’s still pretty fun.” SAN JOSE, Calif. — Auston Matthews, a leading face of the next wave of Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 NHL stars, was barely old enough to drive when Patrick Kane debuted for the Blackhawks. Like many of the league’s youngsters, he spent a lot of his teenage years watching Kane’s highlights on YouTube and emulating his moves. Now they’re in the All-Star Game together, and it’s surreal to see Kane as the grizzled old-timer of this year’s group. “I’m sure it’s a little weird for him,” Matthews mused. “He’s what, 28 or 29?” Try 30. “Thirty? Well yeah, maybe he is the old man now,” Matthews said. “But he’s still an incredible player. He still gets it done. He puts you on the edge of your seat every time he’s out there.” That’s why age isn’t a sensitive subject for Kane in Year 12. He earned his way to San Jose with 29 goals and 71 points — he’s on pace for career highs — and looks as agile as ever. Getting older is merely a novelty to Kane, who is one of eight 30- somethings on the Hawks and just four years younger than his coach. This is his eighth All-Star appearance, and he noticed as soon as the rosters came out that it’s the most of any player in this year’s game. He shook his head and laughed. He’s seen dozens of All-Stars come and go over the past decade, and 22 of this year’s selections are making their first or second appearance. “It’s pretty cool that they watched me when they were younger and they wanted to take some parts of my game to put into their game,” Kane said. “When I hear that, I don’t think, ‘Oh man, I’m like so old,’ or whatever. It’s cool that these guys like me.” He remembers being in that phase when he first made it in 2009, which doesn’t feel like a decade ago to him. He was one of the upstarts in Montreal that year, along with Jonathan Toews, and was dazed in the presence of Mike Modano, Joe Thornton and Alexei Kovalev. “All of a sudden you’re considered to be an All-Star with these guys,” said Kane, who has made it every year since other than when it was scrapped for the Olympics or because of labor issues. “It was pretty wild.” It makes him wish he’d asked for a stick or a jersey from one of them like a lot of his young teammates will after Saturday’s game at SAP Center. They’ll surely be stopping by Kane’s locker before they go. Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho started clicking on Kane videos when he was 15 and still does. Same story for Mikko Rantanen from the Avalanche, who is making his All-Star debut and thought, “It’s pretty funny that I’m here with him,” after watching the Hawks’ first Stanley Cup run when he was 14. Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, a first-time All-Star at 19, is just happy he doesn’t have to deal with Kane since they’re both on the Central Division team. One of the newcomers already had his moment with Kane last summer. Bruins right wing David Pastrnak, 22, met him when the two shot a Bauer commercial in Maine. “What he can do on the ice is unbelievable,” Pastrnak said. “Sometimes you don’t recognize it as much during games when you’re playing against each other because you’re don’t have much time, but when I saw him this summer, it’s just crazy. “It’s awesome to skate around with him and see what he can do.” The feeling is mutual. Kane is just as impressed by the young All-Stars as they are by him. He thinks of himself as still a kid in some ways, and this weekend remains a thrill for him. He can’t imagine skipping it for rest or treating it like an inconvenience. 1127679 Chicago Blackhawks the first round. "Some (divisions) are better than others in certain years," Schmaltz said. "The Metro in the East, every year it's Pittsburgh- Washington. … Nashville-Winnipeg last year could have been the Toews, Crawford and many more have ideas on how NHL can get better Western Conference Final." Said Saad: "When I first came into the league, that's how it was. You seed 1 through 8. I like that where you're seeing someone new every John Dietz time rather than seeing these powerhouses playing in the first round and then you see a good team go home. I know you're going to have to face them eventually, but being a traditionalist, I kind of like that old system." The National Hockey League has had its share of rule changes over the • Joel Quenneville said he would add four teams to the playoffs -- two in years. each conference. The former Blackhawks coach would create a play-in round in which the No. 7 seed faces the No. 10 seed, and the No. 8 seed Some -- like changing overtime to 3-on-3 or introducing a coach's faces the No. 9 seed. He wasn't quite sure if it should be a one-game, challenge -- have been fairly drastic. Others -- like making goalies trim winner-take-all scenario or a three-game series. But he did say it would the size of their gear -- are enacted and all but forgotten. add quite a bit of excitement to the end of the regular season. The question is, what else could be done to improve things? It's a Goalie issues question I posed to players, coaches, executives and media members. Today begins a two-part series that reveals their answers. • The Blackhawks' Cam Ward would love to eliminate the trapezoid behind the net. "There's an art and a skill as a goaltender to be able to The schedule play the puck behind the net and not feel like you're teetering along the Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, center, would love it if the lines of a penalty. Also, D-men in this league feel a lot of pressure. The NHL would allow divisional teams to play two games in one city in two or game is really fast and they take a lot of hits behind the net. Goalies three days. Toews was adamant that less travel would equal fresher playing the puck can probably prevent a lot of that." players. "It just seems like everything's chopped up now," Toews said. • Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild wants 3-on-3 overtime stats for "It's brutal." goalies to become a separate category. He believes a goalie that plays in Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, center, would love it if the 15 to 20 OTs is at a "huge disadvantage" stats-wise compared to one NHL would allow divisional teams to play two games in one city in two or who plays in 10 or fewer. "Every shot in overtime is pretty much a Grade- three days. Toews was adamant that less travel would equal fresher A chance. So you're not comparing what a typical good save percentage players. "It just seems like everything's chopped up now," Toews said. (or goals-against average) would be. In overtime, every 4 or 5 shots "It's brutal." - courtesy chicago blackhawks (might be) going in. Not every 12, 13, 14 shots." The 82-game NHL season is a grind. So much so that players talked with The Blackhawks' Collin Delia is the perfect example. His goals-against great passion about how they would fix this grueling -- some would say average is 3.00 in nine games, but he's lost three games in the first two unfair -- part of the game. minutes of overtime. Take those out and his GAA would be 2.69. • Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews' suggestion is to allow divisional Game play opponents to play two games in two or three days at one location. "When Hawks D-man Erik Gustafsson believes that the puck-over-the-boards you play a playoff series, you go play two games there and then you penalty should be changed. Right now it's a penalty if a player throws the come back. So why can't we do that during the season?" puck into the stands from the defensive zone. Gustafsson would like to Toews was adamant that this would help keep everyone's energy level see that extended all the way to center ice. "I've been on the ice when up as the season progresses. guys are tired, they go over their own blue line and they just flip it up. In the playoffs two years ago in Sweden, guys did it all the time." "It's constant on the plane, on the bus, on the plane, on the bus," Toews said. "Just for one game here, one game there? That's frustrating. • Minnesota's Zach Parise and former Blackhawks forward Jamal Mayers believe a player should have to control the puck before "If I go to Dallas or Denver or Winnipeg -- all those two-hour flights -- I'd advancing it into the offensive zone. Said Parise: "I've got a lot of rule like to go there, play a couple games and not go back the rest of the changes, but I think they've got to do something where you can't just slap year. Go play two in three nights or back-to-back and then see ya later. the puck up the ice, tip it in and go forecheck. I would love to see that gone somehow. You should have to make a pass to get up the ice. … "It just seems like everything's chopped up now. It's brutal." For people to be able stand behind their own net, take a slap shot up the • Corey Crawford wants the season to start in mid-to-late September so wall and let someone tip it, it just takes the skill out of the game. If you teams can play three games a week and never back-to-back. "It's only have to carry it up, there's going to be more turnovers and more scoring going to make our games faster and give teams a rest. You won't get chances the other way." those game where teams are waiting for other teams just to pound on • Vegas D-man Nate Schmidt thinks the NHL should take a page out of 'em. Get rid of the back-to-back games. Enough with that. Guys are tired, the NFL rule book and make a play onside as soon as the puck touches guys get hurt. It's too high a level to ask these players to compete night the white when it goes over the offensive blue line. "Right now the puck in, night out like that. It doesn't make sense. Somebody's got to say has to be fully over," Schmidt said. "I think it would make things so much something about it." easier. … Just like a goal line -- a guy breaks the plane and puts the ball • Artem Anisimov is OK with back-to-backs, but only if both games are at over -- it should be onside." home. "(Sometimes) one game starts at 7:30, the next game (in another • St. Louis Blues D-man Colton Parayko wants a subtle change to be city) starts at 6. How are you supposed to be recovered after that? You made in the faceoff circle. Right now, if you win a faceoff, but the man go to the airport, fly, drive home. How are you supposed to recover and you went up against cheated, the referee blows the play dead and the play at a high level the next game? It's painful for the body." faceoff is reset. Parayko said play should continue. "It doesn't happen • Connor Murphy's solution to the back-to-back issue is to reduce the very often, but you just notice it. It's one thing I've always thought about." number of games from 82 to 75. "Spread out games more so you don't • Predators forward Ryan Hartman wants there to be a time limit on have awkward breaks. Try to make the schedule more consistent." replays. "If it's not clearly obvious in 30 seconds, leave the call as is. You Playoffs/standings can sit there and slow stuff down -- go frame by frame -- for two minutes and eventually you're going to think you're seeing something." • Marcus Kruger wouldn't mind seeing teams getting 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for an overtime or shootout win, 1 for an overtime loss A few more and zero for a regulation loss. • Duncan Keith believes coaches should not be able to call a practice or "If you can put up three wins in a row with 3 points, that's huge," Kruger morning skate for 12 hours after the team's plane lands. "It's tough on said. "Right now it feels like both teams are so afraid. That point is huge. people's bodies," Keith said. Right now, the CBA calls for at least nine … If you have a good overtime or shootout team, you might be a little hours off "between the time that they arrive at the team's hotel on a road more careful (at the end of regulation)." trip" and when they must report to practice or a "work-related activity." • Nick Schmaltz of the Arizona Coyotes and Brandon Saad of the Hawks • Chris Kunitz would like to see the NHL go back to having just one coach would seed the playoffs 1 through 8, rather than the way they're done on the bench. now where the top overall seed plays the second wild-card team and the second- and third-place divisional teams automatically face each other in "Make the players use their brains and talk it out a little more. It seems like over the years we've added a few more coaches. It would obviously be a tough task to get everybody to communicate and on the same page, but it would make for some entertaining bench talk, that's for sure." • Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf wants more accountability from the referees. "I feel like they should have to A) face the press and B) do a better job translating it to the ice for the players. We should have meetings with them before the season. I feel like too much is in their hands. To me the game is going the wrong direction. They have too much power in how the game goes -- from the flow of the game to penalties to everything. The flow of the game sucks. They're kicking guys out of draws. They're worried too much about controlling the game." • Former Hawks goaltender Scott Darling and Predators forward Filip Forsberg want to see players participate in the Olympics again. Said Forsberg: "Growing up I was watching all of the Olympics and obviously my biggest memory was when Sweden won the gold in 2006. It's a great honor on the biggest stage possible for your country. I don't see why we wouldn't be there." • Las Vegas forward Ryan Reaves wants to get rid of the instigator rule. "Make hockey violent again. Guys can take liberties on players without repercussions. That didn't happen back in the day. You had to answer the bell if you did something stupid. Now you can get away with being a little rat." Daily Herald Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127680 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks 2018-19 midseason grades: Defensemen

Charlie Roumeliotis January 25, 2019 11:15 AM

The Blackhawks' defensive group has been all over the place this season. This is what the Opening Day roster looked like on the blue line: — Brandon Davidson — Erik Gustafsson — Henri Jokiharju — Duncan Keith — Brandon Manning — Jan Rutta — Brent Seabrook Two of them have been traded (Manning and Rutta), one of them has been sent to Rockford (Davidson) and another is a 19-year-old who was away from the team for three weeks while he participated in the 2019 World Juniors (Jokiharju). Since then, Gustav Forsling and Connor Murphy joined the mix from their offseason injuries, Carl Dahlstrom was recalled and Slater Koekkoek was acquired. The rotation has constantly changed, which hasn't exactly helped but was necessary following a coaching switch. The same issues on the back end that haunted the Blackhawks last season are still a concern this season, although it's worth pointing out it was a difficult in-season adjustment to go from a defensive zone coverage under Joel Quenneville to man-to-man under Jeremy Colliton. Last year, the Blackhawks got 33 goals from their defensemen but a majority of them came in the final two months. This season, they've gotten 20 so far — 13 of which have come from Gustafsson and Seabrook. Over the course of an 82-game season, that's 32 goals total. It's not terrible, but there aren't many possession drivers on the blue line. The No. 1 concern is the high quality scoring chances the Blackhawks are allowing, which usually falls on the defensemen. Through 51 games, no team is giving up more high-danger chances at 5-on-5 than the Blackhawks at 11.1 per game and 14.1 in all situations, according to naturalstattrick.com. That's simply way too many. But it doesn't necessarily fall all on their shoulders. After Keith (35 years old) and Seabrook (33), the average age on defense is 23. It's a young and inexperienced group, and these are part of the growing pains. It's likely to be a young group again next season with the possibility of top prospects Adam Boqvist and Ian Mitchell part of the equation. But it's important to surround them with the right personnel because there could be even more growing pains when they arrive. Grade: C- Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127681 Chicago Blackhawks next season figures to be a transition one for all the young and promising defensemen in the system.

And if Toews and Kane can play like this at 30, why can’t they play like As Blackhawks retool, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane doing anything this at 32 and beyond? they can to extend their primes into their 30s It’s a one-shift-at-a-time sport, but the Blackhawks’ two biggest stars have had no choice but to take a bigger-picture outlook lately. Mark Lazerus “Sometimes it’s hard not to,” Toews said. “You try and just concentrate Jan 25, 2019 on now, because whatever the big picture looks like a year or two years from now, you know these moments right now are still very important. Everyone wants to win in the moment. But everyone’s got to work toward the future goal, whenever that’s going to come.” An NHL dressing room after a game is a pretty gnarly place, particularly the visitors’ room, which usually doesn’t have the creature comforts and For Kane, there’s never been much of a concern that he could play at an various hideaways that a home room does. The floor is spattered with elite level well into his 30s. His greatness is built on skill and vision, not spit, sweat and spilled protein shakes. Wads of tape pile up around the his physical gifts. Toews, however, plays a harder game. Despite all his trash cans. There’s gear on hooks, gear on locker benches, gear on the natural skill, he’s a grinder. He works in the corners and in front of the floor, gear in giant hockey bags. And everywhere you look, there are net. He plays a taxing 200-foot game. He kills penalties. sweat-soaked men in shorts and undershirts limping around and shoveling junk food into their faces. And for the past two seasons, it looked like his best days were behind him. It’s usually pizza, but many cities have their, uh, specialties. In Buffalo, there are always wings available. In Montreal, poutine. In Los Angeles, Battling nagging injuries and some lousy puck luck, Toews posted just 21 greasy double-doubles from In-N-Out. Anything to replace all the calories and 20 goals, respectively, the past two seasons. His defensive play they just burned on the ice. Professional athletes are fanatical about their never waned, but fans and scouts alike fairly wondered whether the diets, but postgame is cheat time for everyone. Blackhawks were getting close to the point where they’d be paying $10.5 million a season for a checking-line center. Well, almost everyone. Toews, though, never shared those doubts. “I don’t touch that stuff,” Jonathan Toews said. “I’ve always had that belief in myself, and the expectations, and it’s nice So what is it that Toews eats after burning upward of 1,000 calories in a to see that I’m getting back to close to where I want to be,” he said. “Just game? the way I play the game over the years, I had some injuries and some things catch up to me. Sometimes you learn things the hard way. I just “Same thing I eat before a game,” he said. kind of made corrections to not only how I think the game, but how I prepare and how I play, too. It’s fun. It’s fun when things don’t go your That means more veggies. More quinoa. More sweet potatoes. Good way and you get challenged. It’s always a fun process to overcome those lord, the amount of sweet potatoes this guy eats. challenges.” Doesn’t it get old? Toews might have a different definition of “fun” than most, but that “It is what it is,” he said. “It’s what I feel I have to do.” obsession with self-improvement — from the books he reads to the food he eats to the way he trains — has paid off with arguably his best season This is 30. In the NHL, at least. since the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign, when he had 48 points in 47 games. Everyone who’s ever played alongside Marian Hossa pretty much wants to be Marian Hossa. Not just because of his sublime gifts on the ice and He spent the offseason working on his lateral movement, on getting his tenacious devotion to defense, but because the guy looked like he quicker without losing the strength that allows him to thrive in the dirty was sculpted out of marble. Even into his late 30s, there wasn’t a areas. He’s spent more time messing around after practice and working stronger, fitter player in the room. In any room. on his puck skills, something he noticed Kane doing the past couple of years with the younger players on the team. He’s also working on “See him with his shirt off?” Kris Versteeg once asked. “He’s a Greek managing his ice time better, taking his cue from Kane and 35-year-old god. Like a statue.” Duncan Keith, both of whom seem to be able to effortlessly play 27-28 Patrick Kane shared a Hossa story that Patrick Sharp once told him. minutes a night. Toews’ grueling style of play will never allow for those Sharp was hurt, and not traveling with the Blackhawks at the time. He kinds of numbers, but he’s averaging 20:35 per game, his most since the swung by the gym to get in a workout, and when he got there, he saw an 2011-12 season, when he averaged 20:51. older man cleaning and deadlifting an enormous amount of weight, and Like Kane — who frequently changes up his offseason training regimen doing it with relative ease. to stay ahead of the aging curve — Toews is constantly seeking out ways “It turned out to be Hossa’s dad,” Kane said, laughing. “That falls down to extend the prime of his career. Knowing that another window of into the genetics with Marian. He was just a freak. But he did do a really contention is likely at least a year or two away only adds urgency to that good job of taking care of himself and making sure he’s ready and quest. prepared. You can learn a lot from a guy like that.” “Absolutely, for sure,” he said. “The game’s so fast now, and guys like Like what? Kaner and others his size seem to be able to go up and down the ice so well, but conserve energy and use it at the right time. There are a lot of “I learned that sometimes, nature always wins over nurture,” Toews little things I’m learning to try to tweak my game to not only get better joked. “Not much you can do there. He was special.” offensively, but just be smarter with my energy. Over the long haul, you want to keep playing as long as you can. But you want to play as great Kane and Toews, the Laurel and Hardy of hockey back in the day, the as you can for that length of time, too.” precocious youngsters that ushered in the golden age of Blackhawks hockey, aren’t that young anymore. They both turned 30 in the past year, It starts with all those sweet potatoes. a sobering round number in a sport in which a player’s “prime” seems to be inching closer to 20 every year. In the tense moments before Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, the Blackhawks had all the motivation in the world. A legacy-defining third The good news is, they’re both having monster seasons at 30. Through championship was on the line. A chance to win at home for the first time. 50 games, Kane has 29 goals, 42 assists and 71 points, on pace for A chance to avoid a harrowing Game 7 in Tampa. career highs in each category. Through 51 games, Toews has 22 goals (already more than he had in each of the past two seasons, when he was But as the players ate their pregame meal, another thought popped into supposedly on the decline) and 26 assists, on pace for a career-high 78 their heads. points. “We had eaten the same chicken, broccoli, asparagus and sweet potato On the one hand, it can all be seen as a big waste, their terrific individual pregame meal over and over and over, so many times,” Toews said. “We campaigns squandered in a lost season with no realistic chance of all looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s just win tonight so we don’t have making the playoffs. On the other hand, it’s all awfully encouraging for a to eat this meal again.’” team that’s trying to re-tool on the fly rather than do a long-term rebuild. These days, Toews probably would have eaten it again the next day A most optimistic outlook probably pegs 2020-21 as the year the anyway, win or lose. Blackhawks can realistically get back into some level of contention, as Keith is the original nutrition evangelist in the Blackhawks room, but Toews has taken the mantle and ran with it. His community initiative to teach and encourage kids to eat healthier and learn to grow their own fruits and vegetables in urban gardens isn’t some PR ploy. It’s one of Toews’ great passions. It literally fuels his other great passion, hockey. His diet is largely plant-based, but not exclusively. He gets his carbs from those sweet potatoes and quinoa. He eats meat, but not a lot. He’s crafted his own diet through trial and error, working with the team nutritionists and head athletic trainer Mike Gapski. Toews has given all the fads a try. The ketogenetic diet didn’t work out — too low on carbs. He even went vegetarian for a while, but found it wasn’t for him. Eventually, he settled on his own style. “That’s when you realize that everyone’s in a different spot,” Toews said. “One of those trends or fads or popular buzzwords might work for some people, but it’s not necessarily what you need. I think it’s just not overdoing one thing, you know?” That’s another thing Toews picked up from Keith, who dived into books and websites to do his own nutrition research in his late 20s after noticing he wasn’t feeling as well as he used to on the ice. Of course, Keith, like Hossa, always has been something of a physical freak. But he’s another role model for Toews and Kane as they look toward their 30s. After all, Keith won the Conn Smythe a month before his 32nd birthday, averaging an absurd 31:07 per night during the playoffs. “I’m kind of all over the place,” Keith said. “I just try to eat healthy. Everybody’s different, but for me, I need calories. If I get a calorie deficit, then I lack energy. So sometimes it doesn’t matter what I eat, as long as I’m getting food inside me. Because I’m just burning it up, anyway.” Keith avoids the postgame junk food, too, but that’s because he’s not all that hungry after a game. He’s dehydrated. But once he rehydrates and gets on the plane, he’s just about ready to eat the seat in front of him. And fanatical as he is, Keith still enjoys pizza, burgers and pancakes from to time, calling it “a mental break” as much as anything. Toews? Toews has cheat days, too. Yes, every now and then he’ll — gasp! — eat a slice of pizza on an off day. “Once in a while,” he said with a shrug. “It’s more on the rare side, though.” Toews isn’t necessarily thrilled with his play so far this season. He never really is. Satisfied isn’t really in his emotional vocabulary. But even the relentlessly self-critical Toews can see the significance of the bounce- back season he’s having — what it could mean for him individually and the Blackhawks as a whole as they look to the future. “You’re always looking to be better, no matter what,” he said. “So if I’m comparing this season to my previous two years, yeah, things are better. But I still have a higher expectation for myself than that.” That’s what keeps Toews motivated — in the gym, on the ice, in the kitchen. That drive always has been there. It’s ingrained in his DNA, etched in his face and his fiery glare. It’s who he is as a hockey player. And he’ll need it. Because the Blackhawks’ championship window slammed shut in the aftermath of their four-game sweep against the Nashville Predators in 2017. And there’s no way of knowing when it might reopen. Or, heck, if it will ever reopen. So Toews and Kane aren’t taking any chances. If and when the opportunity comes around again, they desperately want to still be on top of their games, not glorified mascots — shells of their old selves — playing bottom-six roles. The way they see it, 30 doesn’t have to be the beginning of the end. It can be just the beginning. “I think both of us will probably do whatever we can throughout the summers and throughout the seasons and throughout our careers to be at the top of our game and get ourselves feeling good,” Kane said. “And I don’t see why there’s any reason we shouldn’t be able to.” The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127682 Colorado Avalanche Pastrnak finished the drill in 11.309 seconds to edge out Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang, who had a time of 12.693 seconds. Toronto’s Auston Matthews drew big applause by donning the jersey of teammate Patrick Marleau, a Women’s star Coyne Schofield shines at NHL All-Star weekend in longtime San Jose Shark, but finished last in the competition when he Nathan MacKinnon’s place stopped briefly after hitting just four of the five targets. The 26-year-old became the first woman ever to compete in the NHL All- “He’s such a legend here for everything he’s done for the city,” Matthews Star skills competition. said. “All the chants made me so nervous, I forgot there were five targets.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 01.26.2019 JOSH DUBOW January 25, 2019 at 11:41 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Connor McDavid won the fastest skater competition once again but Kendall Coyne Schofield won over the crowd. The U.S. women’s hockey star became the first woman ever to compete in the NHL All-Star skills competition on Friday night, racing around the rink in a time competitive with the top skaters in the men’s game in a barrier-breaking moment for women’s hockey. “The crowd was electrifying,” said Coyne Schofield, who took the place of injured Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon. “To hear the USA chants, everyone erupted when I started. Definitely gave me some momentum and the adrenaline was pumping.” Coyne Schofield was the first skater to take the ice and finished her lap in 14.346 seconds, impressing the NHL’s biggest stars with her speed. “When she took off, I was like, ‘Wow!'” McDavid said after winning his third fastest skater competition. “I thought she might have won the way she was moving. She was a really good skater and that was an amazing thing for the game to see her participate like that in an event like this.” The 26-year-old Coyne Schofield plays for the Minnesota Whitecaps of the National Women’s Hockey League and won an Olympic gold medal for the United States last February. She found out earlier Friday that she’d get the chance when MacKinnon pulled out with an injury and then took full advantage of the opportunity. She had been previously invited to All-Star weekend with other women’s players from the U.S. and Canadian teams but now she had the chance to perform on the big stage. “My first impression was, I can do this,” she said. “My speed is definitely my strength. Obviously, I was a little nervous. I knew it was a moment that could break a lot of barriers and a moment that would change the perception of our game and show support to our game.” She finished seventh out of eight skaters, beating Arizona forward Clayton Keller’s time of 14.526 seconds. “She beat me so she’s doing something right,” Keller said. “She’s really fast. I was surprised. It was great to see that. It was a great experience for the NHL to have her do that event. It was really cool.” McDavid skated last and finished his lap in 13.378 seconds, edging Buffalo’s Jack Eichel (13.582) and the New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal (13.780). The other winners in the NHL All-Star skills competition Friday night were Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau in the puck control contest, the New York Rangers Henrik Lundqvist in the save streak competition, Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl in the premier passer contest, Washington’s John Carlson in the hardest shot, and Boston’s David Pastrnak for accurate shooting. Gaudreau narrowly beat out Chicago’s Patrick Kane in the puck control contest as the two were among the only contestants who made it through the course without a mishap. Gaudreau finished the course in 27.045 seconds, beating out Kane’s time of 28.611 to repeat his title from a year ago. Lundqvist stopped 12 breakaways in a row to win the save streak competition. Lundqvist threw his arms up in celebration after stopping John Tavares for his ninth save in a row, topping Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy for the top spot. Draisaitl completed the passing contest in 1:09.088, beating out Carolina’s Sebastian Aho. Carlson beat out local fan favorite Brent Burns for the hardest shot, recording the fastest two times at 102.8 mph and 100.8 mph. Burns missed the net on his first attempt and had the next fastest time on his second try at 100.6 mph. Carlson’s teammate, Alex Ovechkin, won the competition last year. 1127683 Colorado Avalanche “We’re all good friends,” MacKinnon said. “Hopefully we’ll have some good memories, get some pictures together and really enjoy it.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 01.26.2019 Avalanche All-Star trio: MacKinnon, Landeskog and Rantanen share rare connection Three Avalanche players represented for first time since 2004

KYLE FREDRICKSON January 25, 2019 at 8:22 PM

The lights went dark ahead of the puck drop in the Avalanche’s final game before the All-Star break. A single spotlight found three players standing together near the home bench. A sold-out crowd roared as the trio smiled and waved. A hockey toast to history made in the Mile High City. The Avs’ top line of center Nathan MacKinnon and wingers Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen are competing together at the NHL All- Star festivities this weekend in San Jose. They are the first Colorado trio to earn the honor since Joe Sakic, Rob Blake and Alex Tanguay made the trip back in 2004. The Rocky Mountain Line is regarded as the most notable in the NHL since at least 2006, when the Senators touted Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza. “We’re very fortunate we get to spend this (time) together,” MacKinnon said. “I don’t think it’s ever going to happen again in our careers, the three of us going to the All-Star Game.” Unfortunately, MacKinnon was unable to participate in Friday night’s All- Star skills competition because of a bruise on the inside of his left foot, according to an NHL.com report. The center will also sit out Saturday’s All-Star Game. The casting for Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Line is no buddy comedy. It’s all business on the ice. But strong personalities mesh to create a rare connection. Rantanen, 22, is the youngest in age and NHL experience. He’s pictured on his Instagram profile in his native Finland last summer riding a wave runner and wearing a backward snap-back hat with a big smile. “Mikko is a happy-go-lucky guy,” Landeskog said. “But when he wants to focus, he’s very quiet, driven, motivated and hard working.” MacKinnon, 23, has always carried the weight of star expectations as a former No. 1 overall draft pick. Rantanen described him as a “little more demanding, especially on the ice” and that “it pushes us forward.” Yet MacKinnon is not immune to 20-something crazes, most notably squading up in Fortnite with Rantanen. Who’s better? “I think it’s Nate,” Rantanen said, and then smiled, “but he plays more.” Landeskog, 26, is the stoic Swede and team captain who brings maturity to the line as its lone married member. Video games aren’t his bag. “There are better ways to spend my days,” he said. “He leads the way on the ice and rarely does any mistakes,” Rantanen said. “The way he speaks to the team is so calm.” Their connection began Oct. 28, 2017, when the line debuted against the Blackhawks at the Pepsi Center. Colorado won 6-3 with its new top unit totaling seven points (four goals, three assists). Coach Jared Bednar relayed to reporters post game that the trio went “flying right out of the gate” and “led us to victory.” They’ve continued to ever since. Colorado enters the All-Star break with 199 combined points between the three linemates — MacKinnon 71 (27 goals, 44 assists), Rantanen 74 (23, 51) and Landeskog 54 (29, 25). Bednar’s decision to feature his three top forwards in the same group rather than layering them within lines relates to the chemistry they’ve formed. “They get along real well, they have similar work ethics, all three guys in the way they approach the game and what they expect out of themselves and their linemates,” Bednar said. “It pushes them all to be better. I think we’re seeing that now. Last year, they established themselves as elite players and this year they’ve taken the next step … and probably have been more consistent than even they were last year.” Rantanen and Landeskog are making their first All-Star appearances. “I don’t want to think about it too much and be nervous,” Rantanen said. Landeskog added: “It’s an honor to be voted in by the fans.” MacKinnon is making his third career trip. 1127684 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche will host L.A. Kings in outdoor game at Air Force’s Falcon Stadium

MATT L. STEPHENS January 25, 2019 at 4:22 PM

Grab your coats and head toward Colorado Springs. The NHL announced Friday the matchup that will bring league’s stadium series back to Colorado next season for an outdoor game at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The Avalanche will host the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 20, 2020, at Falcon Stadium (capacity 46,692), marking the second home outdoor game for Colorado in a span of five years. The Avs hosted Detroit at Coors Field in 2016. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman previously announced Jan. 1 that there would be an outdoor game for the Avs at Air Force Academy, but the opponent at the time was unknown. The 2020 game will be the second outdoor NHL game played a military academy; Washington and Toronto played at the U.S. Naval Academy in March 2018. Denver Post: LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127685 Colorado Avalanche Even before the commercial started, the team’s social media department was busy with their side of the campaign. They walked around to several players and asked them to wear a button supporting Landeskog while Going behind the campaign that got Gabriel Landeskog “elected” to the also offering any endorsement about their captain. All-Star Game “I asked them, ‘What do you want me to say?’ They said, ‘Say whatever you want,’” recalled Avalanche defenseman Ian Cole. “I’m like, ‘Should I just list off a bunch of great things and then say, “This message is Ryan S. Clark brought to you by Ian Cole and I approve this message?” They were like, ‘Oh, that’s a pretty good idea. We should do that.’” Jan 25, 2019 Those quick blurbs of support were the first phase.

Filming Ladd’s political-style ad commercial was next. They used a Secrets. All political campaigns have them. Even the one involving Saturday after practice and had a 15-minute window to piece together Avalanche fans who voted to send Gabriel Landeskog to his first-ever what they hoped would be a memorable clip. NHL All-Star Game. Ladd’s video — which is 65 seconds long and has nearly 50,000 views Landeskog did not take any bribes, although he bribed his teammates on Twitter — opens with the type of music one would hear in an actual with orange slices. He even worked to get the animal vote by playing with campaign. The first shot is a sunrise over the Rocky Mountains followed a golden retriever that was wearing an Avalanche sweater inside the by a soaring bald eagle. Immediately, Ladd’s voice begins urging fans to team’s practice facility. vote for Landeskog. Or rather, he worked to get part of the animal vote. Landeskog was Here’s where in Ladd’s words, the commercial went a “step over the initially supposed to rescue a cat out of a tree. OK. Let’s be more line.” accurate. He declined to save a fake, toy cat from a tree branch. It started with Landeskog walking around the dressing room with a plate “I said no to the fake cat out of the tree,” Landeskog said with a big smile. of orange slices that he served to J.T. Compher and Alexander Kerfoot, “Yeah, that’s where I drew the line.” among others. That was supposed to be one of the scenes in the now famous “Yes, I took an orange slice. Absolutely,” Cole admitted. “He handed me commercial starring Landeskog in the build-up to the “Last Men In” an orange slice because orange slices are delicious. But no, I was not campaign for this weekend’s All-Star Game in San Jose. part of the acting at all. I was just an extra.” “Honestly, if I had explained the cat in the tree a little bit better and there Cole’s two seconds of fame did not make the final cut. was more time, I’m sure he would have done it,” said Paul Ladd, a senior producer for the Avalanche 360 television show that airs on Altitude. “I Ladd’s voiceover describes Landeskog as a leader who is always there am always of the mindset of, ‘Take it to the line and then let’s just take for his teammates. At this point, he’s tying Tyson Jost’s skates. Jost one step over the line.’” immediately smiled while looking at the camera. Landeskog, with a straight face, gave a thumbs up before delivering a delayed smile. THE CAMPAIGN TO #GETGABEIN IS GETTING SERIOUS… He was then touted as “a citizen of the world” with books about Canada, OUR CAPTAIN NEEDS YOUR VOTE TO GET TO THE #NHLALLSTAR Colorado and Sweden displayed in his stall. The story there is the 26- GAME! year-old was born in Sweden and played junior hockey in Canada before he was drafted in 2011 by the Avalanche. VOTE NOW: HTTPS://T.CO/XTWAMI49NR #GOAVSGO PIC.TWITTER.COM/8S1YZTZLZQ From there, Landeskog is shown playing with a dog. Then he’s picking up trash and that’s followed by Landeskog wearing reading glasses while — COLORADO AVALANCHE (@AVALANCHE) JANUARY 8, 2019 peering over a book about hockey to further illustrate how he’s “a student Ladd and several members of the team’s marketing and production of the game.” teams went further than most of their NHL colleagues when it came to The commercial then goes to a wide shot of Landeskog walking getting Landeskog into the All-Star Game via fan vote. prominently as he’s clearly trying his hardest to not burst into laughter. The Avalanche created two commercials, posted billboards throughout And then Landeskog became a true politician. He ended his commercial Denver and had an aggressive social media campaign so Landeskog by holding a baby in his left arm and saying, “I’m Gabe Landeskog and I could join linemates Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on the approve this message and so does this baby. Don’t let this cute little Central Division roster. More than 11.5 million fans voted across all four baby down.” divisions with Landeskog beating out a competitive field featuring Jets star forward Patrik Laine, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and Stars Exactly how did Ladd go about finding a baby for this commercial? star center Tyler Seguin. “I had to go through three different friends who luckily all had babies,” he Professional sports franchises are always doing something to attract said. “One of them, the timing would not work out with nap schedules. I attention to their teams. So what made the Avalanche decide to take an then contacted (Avs equipment manager Brad Lewkow) and (Altitude approach as if Landeskog was running for a faux political office? pregame producer Mike Rigg) because they each have kids about the same age. Brad could do it the morning before practice and Mike was “So the idea kind of came up at two different places simultaneously,” said willing to bring his baby to the airport (before the team flight to Winnipeg). Ladd, who directed, edited and narrated one of the two commercials. “(Altitude reporter and studio host Lauren Gardner) was in a marketing “It definitely sold the ad to end with that shot of him holding that baby. meeting and I was just driving home from work one day. I was thinking Who can say no to that?” about, ‘We want to get Gabe in. He’s a good guy. He’s always been fun to work with,’ and it just dawned on me, ‘Wait. It’s a political campaign, Landeskog said, whether he made the All-Star Game or not, he just essentially. We should go all in and go over the top.’ wanted to have fun with the commercial. “Lauren literally texted me around the exact same time like, ‘Hey. Just “I don’t take it too seriously and I don’t really take myself too seriously,” got out of a meeting. We should do a campaign ad for Gabe.’ I texted her Landeskog said “But I also didn’t want it to look like it was too serious. back like, ‘Absolutely. Great minds think alike. Let’s see what we can get We just tried to have fun with it and keep it at a good level and hopefully, out of this.’” the fans would enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed the part with the puppy. When they brought the dog in here, that was awesome.” After clearing the idea with the team’s public relations staff, the next step was pitching the idea to Landeskog. Ladd, who was worked with Altitude Well, looks like Landeskog can forget sealing the cat vote in the next for many years, said Landeskog has always been really easy to work election cycle. with whenever the network has needed anything. The Avalanche made a second commercial that also had a political Gardner and Ladd told Landeskog about the idea. He agreed to do it but focus. Radio play-by-play announcer Conor McGahey altered his voice to with the understanding that he did not want to come across as being a go with the 1940’s black-and-white film reel-style clip telling fans to vote braggart or pounding his chest, Ladd recalled. for Landeskog. “We stayed away from that and went way more into the amazing citizen It featured a few clever one-liners. The most notable being when of the world that Gabe Landeskog is,” Ladd said. McGahey said, “If you don’t vote, a member of the Wild could be headed to San Jose. Do you want to be responsible for the downfall of the Central Division?” His words were accompanied by footage of an explosion suggesting all would be lost if such a thing were to happen. “Something like this where we could plan it out and follow through for someone like Gabe, it was a great feeling. I’m not going to lie,” Ladd said. “When it went up on Twitter, I was reading the comments and looking at the likes and the views. … Just to see everyone come together and for it to pay off, was great.” The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127686 Colorado Avalanche

2020 Stadium Series: Avalanche now have opponents scheduled

Rich Kurtzman January 25, 2019

In 2020, the state of Colorado is hosting something special. Well, really it’s the city of Colorado Springs and the Air Force Academy, which is hosting the 2020 NHL Stadium Series game outdoors at Falcon Stadium. And as of Friday, we now know the Avalanche will be hosting the Los Angeles Kings. The Stadium Series match up has been finalized! The @Avalanche will face off against the @LAKings inside Falcon Stadium in 2020!  pic.twitter.com/8oUP7jiXJl — Air Force Falcons (@AF_Falcons) January 25, 2019 The date of the matchup is still not known, but what we do know is that it will be the seventh straight year of the Stadium Series and that game will be the 11th all-time. Starting back in 2014, the NHL decided to start playing games outside at other sports’ stadiums. 2014 saw three games played, at Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium of the MLB as well as Soldier Field in Chicago, home of the NFL’s Bears. Every other year in the series has featured one game except the 2016 season, in which the Avalanche hosted the Detroit Redwings at Coors Field in Lower Downtown Denver as part of two contests. 50,095 people attended that Avs-Redwings game at Coors which saw Detroit win 5-3. Falcon Stadium was completed in 1962 and has been home to the Air Force Falcons team since then. The Falcons compete in the Mountain West Conference with fellow Centennial State school Colorado State and their home is the second-highest college football stadium in the country in terms of elevation at 6,621 feet above sea level. Falcon Stadium’s capacity comes in at 46,692 and this will be the first- ever ice hockey game the ancient arena has hosted. Currently, the Avalanche are tied for fourth in the Central Division at 22- 20-8 with 52 points on the season. The Kings are currently last in the Pacific Division, at 20-26-4 this year. And Colorado sports three All-Stars set to compete both in the NHL Skills Competition Friday night (7 p.m. MT, NBCS) but in the All-Star Games on Saturday, too. Nathan MacKinnon is part of the fastest skater competition, Gabriel Landeskog will be in the premier passer competition and in puck control it will be Mikko Rantanen. Then, the Central takes on the Pacific at 6:15 p.m. MT before the final game sees puck drop at 8:15. milehighsports.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127687 Colorado Avalanche Multiple myeloma is not the most insidious of cancers, but threatening enough. The statistics fluctuate on how early it is detected, but the five year survival rate is about 50 percent. “This isn’t a death sentence,” the doctor told Jim DeMersseman — who DeMersseman is a success story, not a miracle. feared it was Jim DeMersseman of Greeley is among those holding the U.S. flag on the ice on Fight Cancer Night at the Colorado Eagles-Tucson Terry Frei Roadrunners game last weekend. He’s the sixth person down from the top right corner. (Ashley Potts, Colorado Eagles.) January 25, 2019 He was part of a UCHealth-organized celebration of northern Colorado cancer survivors, their families and supporters at the American Hockey League Colorado Eagles’ annual Fight Cancer Night at the Budweiser Early in 2018, a doctor at the Orthopaedic and Spine Center of the Events Center in Loveland on Jan. 19. Rockies in the Greeley Medical Clinic walked in and posted the image from Jim DeMersseman’s MRI in front of both of them. Multiple myeloma doesn’t disappear, but the black dots can go away because of healthy replacement bone growth. In the best-case scenario, “Well,” the doctor said, “this isn’t a death sentence.” it is under control and doesn’t wreak havoc. Any remaining cells can grow and divide, leading to relapse. “Oh, —,” thought DeMersseman. Officially, he is considered to be in the “maintenance” stage of treatment. For a moment, he assumed that’s exactly what it was. The point is, it was caught and aggressively treated, and now is being “You see all those black dots on your spine and your ribs?” asked the held at bay. doctor. For how long? “Yeah,” said DeMersseman. The best answer is this: For however long that is. “They’re not supposed to be there,” the doctor said. DeMersseman isn’t fooling himself. DeMersseman had guessed that. When we talked last week, he couldn’t recall the doctor’s name. He did remember the impact of what the doctor “There’s remission, which means you don’t have it any more,” he said. “I said and what happened next. won’t be that.” Within an hour, massive blood samples and blood work already were in He said of the chances of a relapse: “It’s not a question of if; it’s a motion and a couple of body scans were taken over the next few days. question of when.” The diagnosis: DeMersseman, an English teacher at Greeley Central So, yes, there is an on-borrowed-time element to this. High School from 1971 until his 1998 retirement, had multiple myeloma. “It’s under control,” said Kemme. “This is a cancer we cannot cure, but “I’ve always been a pretty positive person,” he said. “I knew I was sick we can control. Every year, thankfully, we’re getting more and more and all that, but it’s hard to vision yourself dead.” treatments and the prognosis keeps on getting better. The prognosis now is in the four-to-five year range, but that’s data that’s four to five years He quickly hooked up with Dr. Doug Kemme, an oncologist at the old. We would hope it keeps getting better. … We talk about partial UCHealth Cancer Care and Hematology Clinic in Greeley, who for the remissions because we can’t cure it. We can’t make it go away.” most part plotted his treatment. Kemme agrees DeMersseman has perhaps five more years. He also “He was in pretty bad shape when we first met,” Kemme told me. “His emphasizes he’s basing that on averages. cancer had really weakened him and was causing a lot of bone pain. I recall that he came in to us in a walker or a wheelchair even. When these Those would be five years DeMersseman wouldn’t have had if the cancer folks come in, they’re in such horrible pain and shape that it’s just hard to hadn’t been diagnosed when it was. baby them through the first couple of months to get them responding and improving.” DeMersseman turns 76 in March and is feeling so much better than he was a year ago, he is playing tennis again. The Mayo Clinic site explains that multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in plasma cells within white blood cells, and takes up residence in “The only reason to tell the story is you don’t realize how many people bone marrow, with the malignant cancer cells shoving out healthy cells. have had cancer until you have it,” he said. “Then people tell you things “When they become cancerous, they grow too much and take up space they wouldn’t tell you otherwise. . . I don’t want to be some kind of star. in the bone marrow,” Kemme said. “That can cause all kinds of problems, But you need good care, you need good support and a positive attitude. including weakening and even fracturing on the bones.” You can’t just sit back and play, ‘Woe is me.’ If you play, ‘Woe is me,’ you lose. That’s my message.” Oncologist Dr. Doug Kemme has been Greeley resident Jim DeMersseman’s primary physician as DeMersseman battles multiple DeMersseman is familiar to many in Greeley because of his teaching myeloma. (U.C. Health.) career and eclectic interests, including directing productions of the Stampede Troupe community theater group and playing competitive At various points in a weekly regimen, DeMersseman has been treated tennis. with non-chemotherapy drugs, including the powerful Revlimid in pill form for cycles of 21 days on and 7 off, and Velcade administered in a Born in Rapid City, S.D., he didn’t know his real father, Clyde Williamson, subcutaneous shot to the stomach; plus bone strengtheners and an artillery officer who was killed in action in the early stages of the Battle steroids. of the Bulge. His mother, Billie, a nurse was left as a widow with two children, Jim and his brother, John. “The doctors’ job is to try to cure you but also see what the body can tolerate,” DeMersseman said. “That’s the key phrase. I could only She remarried. tolerate the Revlimid for about four cycles. Then I said I was getting this massive rash all over. Doctor Kemme saw it and said, ‘You’re done.'” At Jim’s stepfather, C. Joe DeMersseman, was a decorated war hero in the that point, Kemme replaced Revlimid with another drug. Pacific Theater who met Billie while being treated in Utah. Just this month, DeMersseman was able to cut back to infusion visits After he and Billie married, Joe eventually became an Aurora banker, only every other week. and the couple had five more children. Then a horrible sequence of events culminated in Joe pleading guilty in early 1962 to second degree That was progress. murder in Billie’s death. He was sentenced to serve 10 to 60 years in prison. In addition, DeMersseman makes occasional trips to the UCHealth Hematology Clinic on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, to visit “I was a senior in high school,” Jim said. “The kids were farmed out to multiple myeloma guru Dr. Peter Forbserg. (No, he is not the former relatives.” Colorado Avalanche hockey player.) DeMersseman also visits the Cancer Rehabilitation Institute program on the University of Northern To emphasize his tie in the testing times to his younger siblings, to whom Colorado campus, communing with other cancer patients. he was (and still is) close, Jim changed his name from Williamson to DeMersseman. “I was never adopted,” he said. “When I was 18, I went to a judge to change my name to DeMersseman so I’m part of this extended family.” Jim eventually graduated from the University of Colorado in 1966, majoring in English. He got his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins, taught junior high in the Cleveland area for four years, then landed the job at Greeley Central. At GCHS, in addition to teaching English all along, he also was the head of the school’s theater program for about 10 years and also served as the student newspaper sponsor. In 1974, he was a co-founder of the Stampede Troupe and remained involved in that for many years. He loved teaching, but retired from the school system in his mid-50s. In retirement, he has been an NCAA Division I tennis official. Also, at the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake, he was on the board of directors and served as chair of the education program. His wife, Sheryl, was a high-ranking administrator for the Boy Scouts of America, and during the early years of Jim’s retirement, her job took the couple to Colorado Springs for four years of the Los Angeles area for four more. “Then I said, ‘It’s time to go back to Colorado,'” DeMersseman said. “That was in ’06, and she didn’t come back until ’07 because her contract wasn’t up, but I came back and bought a house in ’06.” Early last year, he was in pain when he played tennis. “My back had gotten bad and then it got better,” he said. “I never could figure it out.” When he clearly was struggling during a mixed doubles match, his partner said, “Jim, let’s quit.” DeMersseman said he insisted it was just a sore back. “We finished the match, we won, and that was the last time I played tennis for a long time,” he said. “That was Jan. 8, 2018 … not that I’m counting.” DeMersseman had first followed the usual procedures for back problems. Physical therapy. Chiropractor visits. X rays. He had gone through similar trials with bad knees, eventually undergoing two knee replacements. But this time, there was no easy surgical solution. At his 75th birthday party in March, his family and friends told him he looked terrible. He said a back specialist finally told him, “There’s nothing wrong with your X rays, Jim,” and suggested an MRI. His high protein count in his blood was suspicious, too. Then came the diagnosis and the treatment protocol. “I wasn’t the happiest boy who ever lived, though,” DeMersseman said. “To give you an idea, I lost 35 pounds. My children all thought I was dying.” But he has made progress. “I have blood drawn almost every week,” he said, then gestured at his left shoulder. “I have a port right here, so they can keep an eye on the protein count. The myeloma never go away. If (relapse) sets in, it’s not an overnight thing. It’s a slow progressive thing.” Greeley Tribune LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127688 Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon “unlikely” to play in All-Star GameAdrian Dater

Adrian Dater January 25, 2019

Remember when we all tweeted out the other night that Nathan MacKinnon was “hurt” during the game with the Minnesota Wild? We also tweeted out that he returned to the game just a couple minutes later. But the aftereffects of a lower-body injury, believed to be to the left foot, may keep him from participating in the NHL All-Star Game Saturday night in San Jose. A source tells BSN Denver that MacKinnon is “unlikely” to play. That’s a tough break for him if it happens, but there’s no sense risking something worse by having him play a possibility of 40 minutes of 3-on-3 hockey, which under the round-robin format of the game is possible. The injury is not believed to be serious, and there is every expectation that MacKinnon will be ready to play when the Avs resume their schedule next Saturday. MacKinnon is in San Jose. There is still a chance he could play in this thing. We’ll just have to wait another day to find out for sure. BSN DENVER LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127689 Columbus Blue Jackets You need to be one of two things to play in those areas — nuts or driven — and Atkinson realized he wasn’t either. He was just a guy playing hockey, going through the motions. After period of turmoil, Cam Atkinson rediscovered his love for hockey The broken foot is what ultimately snapped him out of it, acting as the flint he needed for a spark. Wearing a walking boot whenever he could, Atkinson began firing pucks in a makeshift shooting gallery contained Brian Hedger within a small room down the hallway from the Jackets’ locker room. He worked on balance, accuracy and velocity — all without skates, like a kid putting dings into an old dryer in the basement. That’s where the so- The toothy smile is back. called “reset” button was pushed, for Atkinson’s season and career. That’s the most obvious sign Cam Atkinson’s love for hockey has “I was shooting pucks by myself at the rink and kind of fell back in love returned, something the Blue Jackets’ longest-tenured player couldn’t with it,” said Atkinson, who’s on pace for 47 goals and 83 points, which say after a miserable start to last season. would both be franchise records. “I just wanted to get back to the way I know I’m capable of playing, and sure enough, since then I kind of took “It was supposed to be a pretty exciting start of the season,” said off.” Atkinson, who went into it as a pending free agent coming off a career- high 35 goals in 2016-17. “It was a contract year, free agent and for Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.26.2019 whatever reason, it was like … I didn’t like hockey. It was weird. I just didn’t want to play for whatever reason.” A year ago, on Jan. 25, 2018, Atkinson returned from a broken foot, scoring a winning goal late in the third period at the Arizona Coyotes. It was the start of a scorching personal rebound, which helped the Blue Jackets qualify for their second straight playoffs and included Atkinson winning a bronze medal with the U.S. at the world championships in Denmark. After finishing tied for sixth in scoring at the world championships, with 11 points in 10 games, he has kept it going this season. Atkinson has a team-high 27 goals and 48 points, and he’s in San Jose, California, soaking in his second NHL All-Star experience this weekend with wife, Natalie, and infant son, Declan. To fully appreciate how much Atkinson has done, you need to go back to the start of last season, 16 months ago. Between October and late December, when a one-timer by teammate Seth Jones broke a bone in his right foot Dec. 23 against Philadelphia, Atkinson wrestled with numerous things in both hockey and life. He went through a goal drought and dearth of points. He was heartbroken by the passing of a beloved grandfather. There was also a humbling healthy scratch, news that his wife was expecting their first child and the internal pressure of living up to a seven-year contract extension worth $41.125 million that he signed in November 2017. On top of all that, Atkinson came to a numbing realization. He didn’t really love hockey anymore. At age 28. “I wasn’t having fun,” he said. “I wasn’t putting up a lot of points, but every time I’d score, I just didn’t have that excitement.” It was reflected by the lack of smiles, not to mention his numbers. Before the foot injury, Atkinson had just six goals and seven assists in 32 games. It was even uglier when narrowing the focus to the 17 games after his contract extension, when Atkinson had just seven points and didn’t score a goal in 13 games before the injury. “It was more like I was on autopilot,” Atkinson said. “I was there, but I wasn’t fully there. I wasn’t devoting my time to my craft and getting better. I just wanted to get in and out, and get through the game. It was kind of weird.” It was completely unlike him, too, which why he bent the ear of Hockey Hall of Fame forward Martin St. Louis, whom Atkinson befriended during summer workouts in his home state of Connecticut. “He was coming off signing a big deal and I’ve been there,” said St. Louis, whom the Blue Jackets hired this week as a special-teams consultant. “You try to live up to the contract and you put more pressure on yourself, and that can really crowd an athlete’s mental space. You start second-guessing yourself.” St. Louis’ advice was simple. “Just go read the game and have fun,” he told Atkinson. “You didn’t forget how to play hockey just because you signed a deal and you’re making more money now. You didn’t forget how to play hockey overnight.” His motivation didn’t flame out overnight either. Drafted 157th overall in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, Atkinson had tapped into a love of hockey to succeed. Listed at just 5 feet 8 and 179 pounds, he’d scored the bulk of his goals, at all levels, around the net. 1127690 Columbus Blue Jackets The Jackets will hang on to Bobrovsky through the deadline and then lose him to free agency. There is a good chance Panarin goes the same way. There remains a lesser chance that Panarin signs an extension and John Davidson happy with state of Blue Jackets stays. In any scenario, the Jackets are a good bet to make the playoffs. They might get dented at the deadline, but they’ll probably add some parts, as well. Staff Writer Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.26.2019 Jan 25, 2019 at 8:19 PM

The Blue Jackets named John Davidson their president of hockey operations on Oct. 24, 2012. At the time, the Jackets were ranked among the worst professional sports franchises of the 21st century. They asked J.D. to help lead them to respectability. Davidson has been in Columbus for six years, three months and a couple of days. During this time, he has hired Jarmo Kekalainen to be general manager, lent support to Kekalainen’s hiring of coach John Tortorella and tested our patience with “brick-by-brick” and “curveballs” rhetoric. During this time, too, the Jackets have gone 266-195-45 (.535, this season included), recorded five of the best six seasons in their history and thrice made the playoffs. Things have improved to a point where there are real expectations — like, come on already, win a playoff series. I caught up with J.D. while he was taking a little R&R and we talked CBJ SOTU. The Jackets (28-17-3) are on a nine-day break. They are in third place in the Metropolitan Division and, by and large, performing like a team that is playoff-bound. They are also facing a critical month leading up to the Feb. 25 trade deadline and must decide what to do with star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, 30, and game-breaking left wing Artemi Panarin, 27. Both players are in the final years of their contracts, and neither has been negotiating an extension with the Jackets. Curveballs, people. “We have the trade deadline coming up,” Davidson said. “We have some things that are going to be taken care of, one way or another, by then. ... We’ll know a lot about Panarin’s situation and Bob’s situation (as the deadline approaches). There’s asterisks to Bob’s situation that I don’t want to talk about. It’ll resolve itself by the trade deadline or by July 1.” July 1 is when both players can become free agents. As for the “asterisks,” one presumes Davidson is referring to Bobrovsky’s no- movement clause. It may well be that Bobrovsky is unwilling to waive the clause or provide a list of teams to whom he’d accept a trade. But I am speculating here. There is a shred of hope that Panarin will opt to stay with one of the three youngest teams in the league, at a time when the window for contending is just beginning to open. The Jackets can put Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson on Panarin’s right side and Seth Jones and Zach Werenski at his back. It’s a good situation. Generally speaking, Davidson said, “I like where we are. I do. We’re right in the hunt for first place in the division. This division is playing really darned well. It’s going to go down to the wire. It’s going to be fun, captivating, wild.” He identified a few things he and Kekalainen are watching closely. They’d like to see a bit more offense from the bottom-six forwards (and maybe they look for a boost at the trade deadline). They’d like to see a further ratcheting down of the team’s goals-against average (3.02, ranked 19th in the league). And, oh, that awful power play (14.6 percent, ranked 27th). They’re hoping Martin St. Louis, recently hired as a consultant, can help. “It has got to get better, not so much for the playoffs — when there are not a lot of power plays — but to help you get to the playoffs,” Davidson said. “We’ve had a little more success the past two weeks, but it has got to get better. So much of the game is confidence, even for veteran guys.” Among the positives Davidson mentioned is the players’ on- and off-ice culture, only the veneer of which is in view of fans and most media. “It’s very strong right now,” Davidson said. “When you get to the point where it’s a players’ room and it’s running properly, the lines of communication (are streamlined and effective). The captain brings issues directly to the coaches, and vice versa. It’s a good situation and we’re very, very happy with that.” In conclusion, he said, “I think things are going to be really interesting between now and the deadline, for a lot of reasons. If things fall in place, outstanding. Per ususal, we’re going to do what’s right for the Blue Jackets long term. That’s just how it is.” Here’s my take: 1127691 Columbus Blue Jackets If Panarin provides the Blue Jackets with a list of teams with which he’d consider signing long term, the Blue Jackets would be wise to start there, of course. And there’s a benefit for those teams to having Panarin in the On Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, and the trade deadline that fold before the trade deadline: They can sign him to an eight-year has all NHL eyes on Columbus extension. (If he’s traded after Feb. 25 or signed as a free agent this summer, the maximum is seven years.)

What if the Blue Jackets don’t get a definitive answer from Panarin? Aaron Portzline What if he continues to heap platitudes on the city and the organization but declines to negotiate a contract? It seems the Blue Jackets still would Jan 25, 2019 pursue a trade. Kekalainen had offers for Panarin last summer, but they were loaded with prospects, top picks, etc. The Blue Jackets feel like they’ve built a pretty COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Blue Jackets have played the long game with strong club, so they’d like immediate help in return for Panarin, but that goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and left winger Artemi Panarin, taking both might not be realistic coming into the stretch drive of the season. veterans into the final years of their contracts and hoping that the circumstances around each player might change in the club’s favor with Sources have told The Athletic that any suggestion of a “gentleman’s the passage of time. agreement” on contract terms would not be acceptable to the Blue Jackets. They’d want ink on the contract. But general manager Jarmo Kekalainen can’t keep kicking these decisions down the road much longer. The feeling around the NHL and within the Blue Jackets is that Panarin has warmed, if only slightly, toward staying in Columbus. He gets along With the NHL’s trade deadline one month from Friday, the situations very well in the dressing room and has a strong relationship with coach surrounding Bobrovsky and Panarin have turned the Blue Jackets into John Tortorella. Area businesses — small-batch distillers, dentists, you one of the NHL’s most interesting teams. The next month should be name it — have begged him to stay with lifetime offers. (Minor note: He’s fascinating. already got free dentistry through the NHL.) Bobrovsky’s situation seemed awkward but manageable, until he walked And there’s a chance that Kekalainen, if thoroughly displeased with the out on his teammates after getting pulled from a game in Tampa on Jan. trade offers, could keep Panarin through the deadline even though he’s 8. He was suspended one game and appears to have lost his grip, at certain he won’t be re-signing in Columbus. least temporarily, on the starter’s job. Now it’s more awkward, and the outlook is more uncertain than ever. Kekalainen subscribes to the theory that keeping your own unrestricted free agents through the trade deadline is akin to treating your own Panarin’s situation is far less confrontational, almost cheeky, but the Blue players as “rentals,” with the benefit of not giving up anything to acquire Jackets need an answer. Does he want to sign a contract extension in them. This was mentioned last season when defenseman Jack Johnson, Columbus or not? At some point soon, the Blue Jackets will need a who couldn’t fetch a first-round pick on the market, was held through the commitment or a rejection, giving them time to negotiate a contract with trade deadline as a blue-line insurance policy. Panarin or trade him. But the idea of a “self-rental” really only makes sense for a club if they Bobrovsky and Panarin are not a package deal — as of now, they have have a decent chance of winning the Stanley Cup. As presently different agents — but they’re spending this extended break lounging constructed, it’s hard to objectively view the Blue Jackets — who have together with their significant others at a posh hotel on South Beach, the never made it out of the first round — as anything more than a Cup dark famous strip in Miami. (Oh, to be privy to those conversations.) horse or long-shot. They’ll be back to work Sunday when the Blue Jackets reconvene for What about Bob? practice in Nationwide Arena, with possibly just 13 games remaining in their Columbus careers. This story has changed dramatically in recent weeks, first with Bobrovsky’s emotional display in Tampa — leading to his one-game Here’s a closer look at each situation, as the Blue Jackets head into one suspension — and then with a revelation by The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun of the most pivotal months in the history of the organization. that Bobrovsky has been willing to waive his no-move clause for months Bread rising? now. Panarin’s agent, Daniel Milstein, planned to have a gathering with Kekalainen has not wanted to trade Bobrovsky, not during a season in Panarin and some of his other clients last Sunday in Miami, the first day which management thinks the Blue Jackets can make a playoff run. But of this prolonged break. we should pause here to appreciate the irony. This wasn’t a formal meeting, just a get-together among friends and The reason the relationship between the Blue Jackets and Bobrovsky fellow Russian NHL players, celebrating the first half of the season and, has unraveled in the past two seasons has been Bobrovsky’s chronic in some cases, All-Star berths. struggles in the postseason. Yet the Blue Jackets don’t want to trade Bobrovsky because they think they can make a run in the postseason? Milstein, one of the NHL’s top jet-setters, was in San Jose, Calif., and Red Deer, Alberta, earlier this week, before flying back to South Beach In the previous two seasons, backup Joonas Korpisalo only played when for a formal meeting with Panarin, likely Friday or Saturday. Bobrovsky was sick, injured or needed a rest. There was nothing he could do to unseat the veteran. It’s the formal meeting that interests the Blue Jackets. But at the start of this season, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella Panarin’s camp has been saying since June that he isn’t ready “as of signaled a different tack, noting that Bobrovsky’s uncertain future in today” to negotiate a contract extension with the Blue Jackets, but it’s Columbus compelled the club to see what they had in Korpisalo. time for “as of today” to be dropped from the proceedings. Korpisalo’s play was not consistently strong, however, and the club started leaning on Bobrovsky almost like old times. Either Panarin wants to sign an extension with Columbus or he doesn’t. The Blue Jackets can’t keep punting this decision down the road, hoping One has to wonder whether another role is being primed for Korpisalo in for him to find an attachment to the city. the month leading up to the trade deadline: No. 1 goaltender. If he’s willing to negotiate, the Blue Jackets can start throwing money Korpisalo started four of the Blue Jackets’ six games before the break, bags on the table. They would offer him the largest contract in the but Tortorella has said that’s due to his strong play, not because of organization’s history, starting with an eight-year term and an annual Bobrovsky’s misbehavior. In his last six outings, including the four starts, salary expected to be at least $9 million or $10 million. Korpisalo is 3-1-0 with a .943 save percentage and a 1.68 goals-against average. The Blue Jackets would head into the trade deadline looking to build around Panarin as their centerpiece, hoping they could boost to the If Korpisalo is given the No. 1 job for the first time, it could be a strong roster’s talent enough to hang with the Eastern Conference behemoths, signal that the Blue Jackets have changed course and are considering like Tampa Bay, Washington and Pittsburgh. trading Bobrovsky … but only if Korpisalo looks up to the task. If Panarin tells the Blue Jackets he doesn’t want to sign or still isn’t sure, That would present another set of hurdles, of course. Kekalainen will have to get busy on the phone, seeking a trade partner for the only point-a-game player in franchise history. Ideally, a GM would The field of teams in the market for a goaltender is rather murky, like a minimum of two weeks to a month to put together a deal like this. especially if you consider that only playoff-bound clubs would likely give up something of value to get a starting goaltender now as opposed to simply waiting for July 1. Remember, Bobrovsky would have to approve any trade. That could further limit the market. It’s quite possible there’s significant drama left to play out between the Blue Jackets and Bobrovsky, a long month to go before the deadline. It all makes to a sad ending to a relationship that started so brilliantly only seven seasons ago. The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127692 Columbus Blue Jackets This work helps us understand the impact of a team’s ability to limit opponent exits, but what does this mean at the player level?

The incredible tracking work of The Athletic’s Corey Sznajder was also Analysis: Measuring the Blue Jackets’ forecheck and why that matters part of Stimson’s study, and now Sznajder is capturing that data at the player level, too. Alison Lukan So which Blue Jackets are making an impact on the forecheck? Let’s take a look. Jan 25, 2019 To date, Corey has tracked the first 18 games of this year’s campaign. For each player, in five-on-five play, he tracks when the skater applied pressure, forced a turnover, or forced a clear on an opponent’s exit There’s no question that the measure that matters most at the end of any attempt. For our purposes, we then rated each of these numbers out to a hockey game is goals scored. But, that’s certainly not as easy as it “per 60” measure to accommodate for differences in time on ice. sounds. Plenty of work goes into getting those points on the scoreboard, and so the more we understand about what makes it more likely a team It should come as little surprise that Josh Anderson leads the way in can score a goal, the more we can look for efficiencies to exploit, talents pressuring opponents’ exits. He has the skill set and the role to do this to develop and systems to design. effectively in all areas of the ice, including in the game against Nashville when the forechecking of both Anderson and Jenner led to a Columbus So let’s backtrack a common story to a score. A team moves the puck goal. out of their own zone (a zone exit), successfully gets through the neutral zone (transition play), gets the puck into their opponent’s zone (a zone We also see strong showings from Markus Hannikainen, Riley Nash and entry), fires off a shot — or two or three or more — and one gets past the Brandon Dubinsky. While these three weren’t yet on a line together when goaltender. this data was collected, it speaks to why they can be so effective defensively when playing together. We’ve already begun to understand ways to improve these basic steps. We know that a zone exit with possession is more likely to lead to a zone In terms of forcing turnovers, again, these same four skaters led the way, entry; a zone entry with possession will generate more shot attempts for but showing up fifth is Anthony Duclair, who has 6.42 turnovers forced one’s team; and that more shot attempts increase the likelihood of per 60. It speaks to why advancing the defensive side of his game could scoring a goal. make him an incredible threat. But what are some other efficiencies we can exploit? What if, in addition In this play against Washington, we see how Duclair ends the Capitals’ to continuing to find the right strategies within each of these steps, we possession, pushes play into the Jackets’ offensive zone and then could find a way to just remove some steps altogether? By preventing disrupts the flow just enough that he causes an icing to stop play. opponents from getting all the way through their process in the first place (and all the way down the ice), a team has fewer steps of their own to Now let’s look at the Jackets’ defensemen. Their numbers will obviously complete when working toward a goal. be lower than the forwards as the defenders’ role is to play farther back on the forecheck. (Tabular view HERE) Enter the value of forechecking. In this early sample, Dean Kukan showed to be the most aggressive, From an “eye test” perspective, anyone can see the value of a good while Zach Werenski and Scott Harrington were most successful in forecheck, but what’s exciting is that we’re starting to find ways we can generating turnovers. measure forechecking’s impact at a team and player level. That means we can, hopefully, drive innovation and improvement for both. Summary Earlier this year, The Athletic’s Ryan Stimson wrote on the ability to As Peter Drucker has famously said, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t measure forechecking effectiveness. His work resulted in a team-level improve it.” The fact we are discovering ways to quantify forechecking at measure called opposition controlled exit percentage (OppCE%) and he both the player and team level opens all kinds of doors in terms of was able to quantify the impact a team’s forechecking has on shot understanding what might need tweaking systematically; what players generation and goal scoring. are most effective in different forechecking roles and schemes; and what behaviors to practice when it comes to applying defensive pressure. Here’s how NHL teams sorted out in his analysis of the 2017 and 2018 seasons combined. The lower a team’s score (the shorter the bar), the There are still limitations, however. Understandably, Sznajder’s work only better, as that means opponents have a lower rate of getting out of their captures “forechecks” that occur during an exit attempt. Much like with own zone with possession. faceoffs, we’re only seeing a handful of all the actual battles that go on within a shift or an entire game. It’s data such as this where player Visual via Ryan Stimson tracking might be able to help us get our arms around a more complete set of “forechecking activities” to better understand how we can improve. As Stimson pointed out in his study, the variance between the “best” team (Tampa Bay) and the “worst” (Calgary) in these seasons doesn’t GIFs via The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman; data used by Ryan Stimson look huge — it’s just an 11 percentage point difference. But the impact is from Corey Sznajder and Corsica.hockey. All numbers represent five-on- significant as Stimson explains in his article. five play unless otherwise stated. “The equation basically works out to say that for every percentage point The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 we can reduce the opposition’s controlled exit percentage by, we’ll see our goal-scoring rate increase by 0.05 per sixty minutes . … Therefore, in order to gain an additional tenth of a goal per hour (or one every ten games or so), we’d need to increase our team’s forechecking ability by 2%. Doing so would give a team about eight more goals a season, possibly more depending on their scoring talent.” Part of what Stimson’s work is based on were findings from Alex Novet in his 2017 talk, “Establishing Foundations of Transitional Play.” Novet dug into the specifics of what kind of impact challenging an opponent’s exit can have. Visual via Alex Novet What are some key takeaways Stimson highlighted? “Pressuring” an exit can have a significant impact on what type of exit an opponent attempts as well as whether that exit will be successful Without pressure, 57 percent of exits retain possession. With pressure, that drops to 17% With pressure, the likelihood of a failed exit or turnover increases from 7% to 38% 1127693 Dallas Stars

Miro Heiskanen gives Stars fans a fright with fall in NHL's fastest skater competition, finishes fourth

Staff Writer

The fans in San Jose could hear the collective gasp of the Dallas Stars front office as their prized-rookie Miro Heiskanen lost his edge around the first turn of the NHL Skills Competition's fastest skater event. Luckily for everyone involved, the 19-year-old defenseman was fine, regrouped, and flew around the rink on his second attempt in 13.914 seconds. Unfortunately, Connor McDavid again chose to compete in the event, and his back-to-back titles turned into a three-peat with a blazing time of 13.378 seconds. Heiskanen finished in fourth place. Final results Connor McDavid, Oilers: 13.378 seconds Jack Eichel, Sabres: 13.582 seconds Mathew Barzal, Islanders: 13.780 seconds Miro Heiskanen, Stars: 13.914 seconds Elias Pettersson, Canucks: 13.930 seconds Cam Atkinson, Blue Jackets: 14.152 seconds Kendall Coyne, U.S. Women's National Team: 14.346 seconds Clayton Keller, Coyotes: 14.526 seconds You just heard a collective gasp from the Dallas Stars front office. — Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) January 26, 2019 Analysis: Miro Heiskanen is pretty fast when he’s not crashing into the boards. — Scott Bell (@ScottBellDMN) January 26, 2019 Dallas Morning News LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127694 Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars to host Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl

Matthew DeFranks

The Stars have their opponent for the 2020 Winter Classic: the Nashville Predators. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the matchup Friday afternoon during his annual press conference at All-Star weekend in San Jose. The game will be played Jan. 1 at the Cotton Bowl. It will be the first outdoor games for both teams, and the southernmost outdoor game in NHL history. "We're excited for their fan bases and probably country music as well," Bettman said. In initially choosing Dallas and the Cotton Bowl as the site for the league's premier outdoor event, the league expressed a desire to expand into non-traditional hockey markets. By picking Central Division rival Nashville, they will match up two franchises that began playing in their cities in the 1990s. "We haven't been bashful about trying new things, whether or not it's now having Nashville play Dallas in Texas, or playing at the military academies, being at an iconic venue like we were on New Year's Day at Notre Dame," Bettman said. "These are all part of the mystique of the outdoor game. I tell you for certain, it certainly hasn't lost its luster." Nashville has become one of the best teams in the league, making the playoffs in each of the last four seasons and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016-17. The Predators entered the All-Star break tied for first place in the Central Division and boast star power in defensemen P.K. Subban and Roman Josi, along with young forwards Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. The Stars have missed the playoffs the last two seasons but will boast at least five All-Stars in Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen and Ben Bishop. When the Cotton Bowl was announced as the site on New Year's Day, NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said music would be an integral part of the event. With Nashville's inclusion, the league will add a market known for its country music scene. "Music will be a huge part of what we're going to do in Dallas," Mayer said earlier this month. "I think it's a little bit of 'Hey, look where we are' and music is such a part of outwardly showing the world what Dallas can bring to the table." The league did not announce the Stars' opponent when the event was announced as a way for the league to receive input from fans and media, it said. The decision was made by a combination of the NHL, the Stars and NBC, which broadcasts the Winter Classic. After the announcement, Plano natives and Devils forwards Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen lobbied for New Jersey's inclusion in the event. Minnesota (given the franchise's relocation history) and Buffalo (a hockey-crazed market that would be a rematch of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final) could have also made sense. If the league wanted to include a different, flashy newcomer, Vegas could have been an option. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127695 Dallas Stars

Stars’ 2020 Winter Classic opponent is one of NHL’s best teams

PETER DAWSON JANUARY 25, 2019 03:14 PM

One of the NHL’s marquee events is set, and it involves the Dallas Stars. Earlier this month the NHL announced that the Stars would host the 2020 Winter Classic, which will be played outdoors at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas on Jan. 1, 2020. On Friday, league officials finally revealed the identity of the visiting team. And it is none other than the Nashville Predators. Nashville, along with the Winnipeg Jets, occupy first place in the Central Division standings. The Preds also own one of the highest point totals of any team in the Western Conference. The Stars’ all-time record against the Predators is 43-36-1. Nashville joined the league as an expansion team in 1999. However, in the past 10 meetings between the two teams, the Stars record versus the Predators is 3-5-2. It will be the first NHL regular-season outdoor game for the Stars. The league started the outdoor Winter Classic in 2008 in Buffalo, N.Y. Star-Telegram LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127696 Detroit Red Wings

Filip Hronek improved in Detroit but may be locked in Grand Rapids

Posted January 25, 2019 at 10:28 PM

By Peter J. Wallner

GRAND RAPIDS - Filip Hronek returned to the Grand Rapids Griffins lineup Friday for the first time in more than a month with an understanding of reality rather than a list of questions about why he’s not still with the Detroit Red Wings.

The third-year defenseman, paired with Joe Hicketts in the Griffins' 4-0 loss to San Jose at Van Andel Arena in a meeting of divisional leaders, is back with the team while the Red Wings head to the NHL All-Star game and subsequent break covering nine days in all.

Red Wings reassigned Filip Hronek to Grand Rapids

The return keeps Hronek sharp in Grand Rapids. In his first game with the team since Dec. 11 and first home game since Dec. 5, he played well despite the score with two shots, strong special teams work and an agitator around his net. He wasn’t on the ice for any of the four goals.

The return followed 17 games with the Red Wings the past month in what was his second and longest stint with the parent club this season.

“It’s part of the business, but it’s not that big of a change for me,” Hronek said afterward. “It’s a little bit different here, but I have to take it how it is.”

He opened the season in Detroit and has three goals and seven assists along with a minus-5 rating in 23 games.

But it’s unlikely he will be back immediately after the break. The Red Wings expect Michael Rasmussen back off the IR and, barring another injury, Hronek’s unlikely to crack the lineup among Dennis Cholowski, Mike Green, Danny DeKeyser, Niklas Kronwall, Nick Jensen and Jonathan Ericsson.

The organization would rather have him skate in Grand Rapids than sit in Detroit.

“I’m here and go day by day and I’m not thinking what happens in a week or whatever.” he said. “I’m trying to help the team here and get to the playoffs.”

It will get further complicated when Trevor Daley returns from a broken foot.

Hronek played well of late with the Red Wings with a goal, five assists and a plus-3 rating his past seven games. In assessing Hronek’s first game back, Griffins coach Ben Simon said, “I thought he tried to do too much at times.”

“I think he has to realize this is still a very hard league to play in,” he said. “As you go down levels, there’s a little bit less structure within the game inself. You’re not going to have as clean a game and you have to manage your game.”

It will also get interesting form him over the next month ahead of the NHL trade deadline Feb. 25. A trade - Nick Jensen and Trevor Daley are most often mentioned - could bring him back to Detroit.

Hronek has five goals and 13 assists, 28 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating in 21 games with the Griffins. He played all of last season with the team and was their most productive defenseman with 11 goals and 28 assists, along with a plus-24 rating, in 67 games.

The Griffins host San Jose again on Saturday.

Michigan Live LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127697 Detroit Red Wings

NHL All-Star Game has popcorn flavor for every team including cherry for Red Wings

Posted January 25, 2019 at 4:26 PM

By Brandon Champion

Hockey fans traveling to San Jose for the NHL All-Star Game will have some gold star-level snack options as well.

In addition to the plethora of food options available at the SAP Center, NHL patrons from around the United States and Canada will also be able to get a small taste of home.

That’s because Aramark, a Philadelphia-based food service provider, has partnered with the league to create 31 flavors of popcorn, each representing an NHL franchise.

According to the company, more than 400 pounds of kernels are being popped for All-Star Weekend, which begins on Friday with the skills competition.

400lbs of kernels are currently being popped to create 31 flavors of each representing a team in the @NHL. Come pick your favorite this weekend @SAPCenter during the 2019 NHL All Star Game!! #NHLAllStar #popcorn pic.twitter.com/oK5sNsmu9o

— Aramark Sports (@AramarkSports) January 25, 2019

So, what did the fine folks at Aramark come up with for the Red Wings?

Cherry, of course.

According to the National Agriculture Statistics Service, Michigan accounts for nearly 74 percent of the tart cherries produced in the United States. In addition, the Red Wings’ training camp home of Traverse City is home to the National Cherry Festival each summer.

So, gold star for the selection Aramark. Now to find someone in San Jose to tell us if the cherry popcorn tastes good or not.

The 2019 NHL All-Star Game begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday. It will be broadcast by NBC and NBCSN.

Michigan Live LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127698 Detroit Red Wings phone rings and someone is offering a first for any of his pending UFAs, he’d do well to accept.

But such offers are far from guaranteed. This year, the Red Wings have What’s a mid-round pick really worth to the Red Wings in a deadline at least one player in Nyquist who, if traded, would figure to return more deal? than the trades mentioned above. But for other potential trade candidates, if the offers fall beyond those first couple rounds, the calculation for how to value draft picks in the middle rounds becomes By Max Bultman Jan 25, 2019 important.

For starters, some numbers: Based on data pulled from HockeyDB, the average third-round pick over the last 10 drafts has played just about 37 In an ideal world for the Red Wings, it’s a conversation that would never NHL games to date. That includes many “0” entries from the four most need to happen. recent drafts, which should graduate more players to the pros in the Every trade deadline offer they received would include a top prospect or coming seasons, but history still suggests that the majority of third- first-round pick, and saying “yes” would be all too easy. rounders won’t become NHL regulars.

But that’s not reality, and as the NHL’s Feb. 25 trade deadline draws Here’s a plot showing the average career games played by those nearer, there are all kinds of scenarios that must be considered — each selected in the third round from 2009-14 (bearing in mind many never carrying questions when it comes to the franchise’s priorities. made it):

With a handful of players on expiring contracts — including forward Data via hockeydb.com, plot by Max Bultman Gustav Nyquist, defenseman Nick Jensen and goalie Jimmy Howard — Of course, there have been some major hits in this round recently (Colton plus others still on movable deals, what kind of offer should be “enough” Parayko, Brayden Point, Brett Pesce, Shayne Gostisbehere and Freddy for Detroit to pull the trigger should a team come calling? Should the Red Andersen, for instance) and certainly that’s why a team would want to Wings just make sure to “get something” for pending free agents, or is make as many draft selections as it can. But those players are the there value in holding their ground? And is there a point when a certain exception, not the rule. If scouts had been truly confident all those draft pick is simply not enough, even for a franchise that’s still rebuilding? players would become what they’ve been, they’d have gone much higher Does one exist? to begin with. There are a number of ways to approach those questions, but let’s start Instead, the facts remain. Fewer than 50 third-round picks from the last with a basic appraisal of draft pick values. By now, I think most are 10 drafts have played 100 NHL games so far. In the fourth round, that familiar with Michael Schuckers’ draft value chart from 2011, and that’s number is less than 35. Both numbers will go up a bit as the recent mid- not a bad place to start. It illustrates how various slots might be valued rounders develop and make the league, but not by enough for the point relative to each other, and while teams will surely have their own views to change too meaningfully. And the fact so few recent picks have made about how exactly to assign those values, it’s a useful visual just to note it illustrates how long it can take, even when picks do hit. how rapidly worth declines. Don’t get it twisted: Drafting a player in the middle or late rounds can still But -- MTL got Suzuki and a 2nd round pick. How valuable are they? be a more educated, researched process than the “lottery ticket” By the end of R1, expected pick value drops severely. No pick in one comparison that often gets thrown around. Teams can be skilled at round is worth much more than the next. Anything after 24th overall is a identifying talent there. But the sheer odds of nabbing even a legit NHL lottery ticket, with ~1/5 the value of the #1 pick. regular are not particularly favorable for a given team, either.

So really, the crux of the deal is Suzuki. These expected pick values by Here’s the same pool of third-round players as the last chart (from 2009- Schuckers value a 13th overall selection like Suzuki at ~1/3 the value of 14) grouped by each class’ average points per game: a player chosen with the #1 draft pick. Data via hockeydb.com, plot by Max Bultman Realistically, we don’t need to get too precise with the graph, since we’re Not too bad, right? Especially those last couple classes, those numbers not talking pick-for-pick trades right now. It is, however, a workable are actually pretty solid. entry point into the question of how much return picks in various rounds could really bring to a team like the Red Wings, expected to be selling at Well, here’s that pool of third-rounders with the highest-scoring player the trade deadline. from each year removed (Tyson Barrie in 2009; Bryan Rust in 2010; Vincent Trocheck in 2011; Shayne Gostisbehere in 2012; Jake Guentzel With Detroit beginning the rebuilding process, accumulating picks via in 2013; Brayden Point in 2014). trade has made plenty of sense over the past couple seasons. Getting second- and third-round picks for Brendan Smith, Tomas Jurco, Tomas Data via hockeydb.com, plot by Max Bultman Vanek, as well as Riley Sheahan, was all part of the process to accrue more total selections for the scouting staff to then try and turn into NHL The above names should illustrate that a big winfall is possible. But each talent. class’ numbers without its star player also reinforces the dicey proposition that comes with trading an asset for a pick in this range. 2014 The products of those trades are not yet fully developed, but they are falls off a cliff without Point in the mix. coming into view: forward prospect Jonatan Berggren resulted from the second-rounder acquired from New York, and a pair of goalie prospects Which brings us back to the Red Wings. (Keith Petruzzelli and Jesper Eliasson) were each plucked in the third Nyquist, in the midst of his career year, should be attractive to plenty of round with picks acquired in trades. So were forward Zach Gallant and rival clubs. Any deal involving him should, in theory, be immune from any defenseman Kasper Kotkansalo in 2017. And last year, defense prospect offers this low. Howard’s situation could depend significantly on the Seth Barton was the eventual result of Detroit’s Petr Mrazek trade. goaltender market elsewhere. And Jensen, who at one point looked like Especially at the beginning of a rebuild, that all makes sense — the the odd man out in Detroit, is having a solid year himself at age 28, which Berggren scenario being the ideal, but those additional third-round could interest teams. selections are also fairly reasonable for a team in Detroit’s position. But if a first rounder or top prospect isn’t on the table — the most likely Third-round picks can take a long time to develop (since 2015, just six scenario in the case of Jensen — then it’s worth examining exactly what players drafted in the third round have played an NHL game, according mid-level draft assets like these are worth to Detroit, anyway. to data on hockeydb.com), but for an organization looking toward the Before anxiety sets in, this is not based on some kind of intel that Detroit future, more picks means more chances to find pieces for your eventual won’t be able to find any attractive deals at the deadline. But especially next contender. It might take three or four years (optimistically), but as Detroit’s young core gets closer to its prime, waiting four years for rebuilding teams have enough time, and enough unfilled needs, to wait. mid-round picks to maybe develop into players who might play more than That’s the standard wisdom. a couple pro seasons may not be a compelling enough reason alone to Everyone likes earlier picks more, of course, and first- and early second- move a guy like Jensen — who the Red Wings could otherwise try to re- round picks are the no-brainers of the rebuilding world. If Ken Holland’s sign at a reasonably affordable cap number this offseason, if they think he can fit their direction.

Howard, at the least, looks like a fit to be back in Detroit next year. And while trading him for a pick doesn’t necessarily preclude that, it could be a needless risk to take — unless the pick is worth it.

The bottom line is, once you get three or four years down the line, the Red Wings will want to already be competitive again. So a mid-round pick coming their way now may not even affect the team’s outlook by then — unless Detroit nabs one of the few mid-rounders who strike it big.

Otherwise, fringe or league-average players aren’t what the Red Wings will need in 2022.

It is not lost here that Nyquist himself was a fourth rounder, or that Jensen was a fifth, or even Howard a late second. Those kinds of results do happen, and they’ve happened for Detroit. But they’re not the norm.

It likely won’t come to this for an upper-tier target like Nyquist, and Howard’s best market may in fact be Detroit. But with Jensen, or even alternative options like Trevor Daley, these are the kinds of decisions Detroit may have to weigh.

There are still plenty of good reasons for the Red Wings to make a move, and one of the best might be to simply help clear space along the team’s crowded blueline. That logic would help justify any trade of a defenseman, even if the return is otherwise middling.

But either way, as February nears, the Red Wings will have to be prepared for all the possibilities. The no-brainers, yes — but also the offers that force them to examine just how much, and on whom, they’d be willing to compromise.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127699 Detroit Red Wings Chicago Blackhawks: D

How the mighty have fallen as the once powerhouse Blackhawks parted ways early in the season with future Hall of Fame head coach Joel Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break Quenneville. In spite of brief spasms of life, they remain mired in 14th place in the Western Conference, ranking 30th in the league in goals allowed per game and headed for a second straight playoff miss. By Scott Burnside Jan 25, 2019 Colorado Avalanche: C-plus

If we did this ranking six weeks ago, the Avs would be an ‘A’ club for As the clock ticks inexorably toward the 2019 trade deadline and most sure, but inconsistent goaltending from both Philipp Grubauer and teams now having roughly 30 games left on their schedules, the annual Semyon Varlamov, and a lack of depth up front caused the Avs’ fall to NHL All-Star break is a natural point at which to take stock. the edge of the playoff picture. The Avs should still should be among the top eight in the West when the dust settles, but they aren’t making it easy Which teams have exceeded expectation? Which teams are miserably on themselves. failing to live up to preseason prognostications? Which stars are hitting their stride? Which ones need a shot of adrenalin to carry their respective Columbus Blue Jackets: B-plus teams forward over the final third of the season? The Blue Jackets have had lots of off-ice stuff to digest, including the Here’s our All-Star break report card for all 31 NHL teams. possible departure of stars Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin and then more recently the one-game suspension of Bobrovsky for departing Anaheim Ducks: C-minus the bench after being lifted in a game against Tampa. Through it all they The Ducks, not unlike Arizona, battled injury from the get-go. And were it managed to stay competitive and they hit the break just four points out of not for the otherworldly (at least on most nights) goaltending provided by first place in the Metropolitan Division and with a real chip on their John Gibson, the Ducks would be thinking draft lottery not wild card. Still, shoulder. the fact GM Bob Murray had to publicly throw his support behind head Dallas Stars: C-plus coach Randy Carlyle tells you that this Ducks team is very much in transition. Never a dull moment in Dallas, eh? President Jim Lites calls out Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, rookie head coach Jim Montgomery bemoans Arizona Coyotes: C the culture of mediocrity, and the team, once again, can’t find ways to win Hard to assess the Yotes given their never-ending list of walking consistently on the road (they are 9-13-2 away from American Airlines wounded, a list that may now include captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson who Center). A team that missed the playoffs in eight of the past 10 seasons was set to undergo an MRI Thursday. Maybe they deserve a better grade is desperate to make the tournament this season, but they need to be given that they hit the break just two points out of the second wild-card much better down the stretch to make that happen. spot in the Western Conference. But that’s more a function of the Detroit Red Wings: D mediocrity in lower echelons of the conference than the team itself. We knew the Red Wings weren’t going to be very good this season and Boston Bruins: B well, they aren’t. Lots of questions moving forward about GM Ken If the Bruins got to play Toronto every night they’d be an A-plus team, but Holland’s future with the team, whether – or when – Steve Yzerman ends I digress. Tuukka Rask’s injury (he was concussed in a collision in net up managing the team and what will become of head coach Jeff Blashill. just before the All-Star break) is problematic given that he returned to Short-term Holland has to decide what to do with netminder Jimmy form in recent weeks, but Jaroslav Halak is a more than adequate Plan Howard, who is the team’s most consistent performer but who will be an B. The offense is middle of the pack but Bruce Cassidy’s group is hard to unrestricted free agent in the summer. play against (they are tied for third in goals allowed per game) and Edmonton Oilers: F playoff tested. Sorry, a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl shouldn’t be this Buffalo Sabres: C-minus bad, this dysfunctional. But the Oilers are what they are and that is a The Sabres ran the gamut from A-plus play to D or worse of late, which mess. The firing of Todd McLellan early in the season didn’t change that sees them settle in here with a C-minus. The problem for the Sabres is and the abrupt firing of GM Peter Chiarelli in the middle of a game this that, having won 10 straight games early in the season, the expectations week doesn’t fix that. Maybe they make the playoffs, maybe they don’t, went through the roof. They hit the break four points back of the second but as president Bob Nicholson noted this week, there’s something in the wild card and now the pressure is on head coach Phil Housley to get the water in Edmonton that needs to be addressed. Sadly pretty much the team back in its earlier groove. There is also no small amount of same thing has been said for more than a decade. pressure on GM Jason Botterill to take advantage of the team’s Florida Panthers: D-minus surprising start to make some adds at the trade deadline to give this squad it’s best opportunity to qualify for the playoffs for the first time The Panthers were expected to be vying for a playoff berth, maybe even since 2011. challenging for one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division this season but it didn’t turn out that way as goaltending and injuries derailed Calgary Flames: A-plus yet another season for the Cats. Too much talent for this team to be GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters should both be in where they are and that is 10 points out of a playoff spot. consideration for some postseason hardware, along with Mark Giordano, Los Angeles Kings: D-minus who is a contender for what would be his first Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. The Flames, whose plus-45 goal differential is Another for the ‘mighty have fallen’ category as the Kings are dead last in tops in the Western Conference, far exceeded expectations, opening up the conference and also fired their coach. Willie Desjardins is a place a six-point lead on San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific Division and holder as GM Rob Blake figures out a way to reroute what became a top seed in the Western Conference. dead-end train. The team has an embarrassing minus-36 goal differential, worst in the league, and the league’s most impotent offense Carolina Hurricanes: C with just 2.26 goals per game. The signing of Ilya Kovalchuk to a three- A season that began with high hopes for Scott Darling, and newcomers year deal in the offseason is symptomatic of a team needing to reboot Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland sees the Canes enter the break but not taking the proper steps to do so. once again outside the playoff bubble. Ferland will likely be traded by the Minnesota Wild: B-minus deadline, Darling has seen his career go off the rails once again and Hamilton’s name has even surfaced in trade talks – while former Zach Parise’s return to health and return to form are pivotal for the Wild Hurricanes Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner enjoy career seasons in as they are starting to put some distance between themselves and the Calgary and Buffalo, respectively. Still, the Hurricanes are just four points rest of the pack in the battle for playoff positioning. The third-place Wild back of what would be their first playoff berth since 2009, and Rod won three straight hitting the break in spite of dealing popular Nino Brind’Amour has his team playing an entertaining up-tempo style. Niederreiter to Carolina. Montreal Canadiens: A-minus revelation in goal but can the kid help salvage the Blues’ season? Seems like a lot to ask. Carey Price is back to being Carey Price, the Habs kept the ship afloat long enough for Shea Weber to return from injury and all of a sudden the San Jose Sharks: A Habs are pushing the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division. Kudos to much-maligned GM Marc Bergevin for staying the It took some time for Erik Karlsson to hit his stride with the Sharks but course, and Claude Julien has done a masterful job behind the bench as now that the two-time Norris Trophy winner is back to being the Karlsson the Canadiens appear headed for an unexpected playoff berth and of old, and the Sharks have once again established themselves as a perhaps even a long-awaited matchup with the Leafs. legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The challenge will be in holding off Vegas for the second spot in the division, which would give them home- Nashville Predators: A ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Predators have muddled through a series of injuries and Tampa Bay Lightning: A-plus suspensions, which prevented them from being the dominant regular season team they were a year ago when they won the Presidents’ The Lightning are crushing the competition in the Eastern Conference Trophy. But as they get healthier watch for them to continue to pile up the and have a comfortable lead over Calgary as the presumptive points in a bid to win a second-straight division title. They hit the break Presidents’ Trophy winners. They give up more than they’d like (tied for tied with Winnipeg atop the Central, although the Jets have four games in 21st in goals allowed per game) but a top-ranked offense, top-ranked hand. power play, a top-10 penalty kill and league-best plus-59 goal differential make the Lightning the All-Star break Stanley Cup favorites. New Jersey Devils: D-minus Toronto Maple Leafs: B-plus Perhaps a drop-off in play was to be expected this season after the Devils, behind Hart Trophy-winner Taylor Hall, earned a surprise trip to The bar was set pretty high for the Leafs and they’d likely be an ‘A’ squad the playoffs last spring. But no one expected this kind of fallback as the had they not gone flat in the days leading up to the All-Star break. Devils find themselves tied with woeful Ottawa with the fewest points in William Nylander struggled after missing the first quarter of the season the league. The emergence of rookie netminder MacKenzie Blackwood is waiting for a new contract, and Auston Matthews had his own ups and a lone bright spot but not nearly enough to cover the other blemishes downs when it comes to production. Still, the Leafs are a deep, dynamic displayed by the Devils. offensive team led by John Tavares and, with strong goaltending provided by Frederik Andersen, are headed to the postseason for the New York Islanders: A-plus third straight season. Now they need to prove they can hang with the big boys by winning a round or two. The problem for Bill Peters vis a vis the Jack Adams as coach of the year is that Barry Trotz is likely going to walk away with the prize if his Vancouver Canucks: A-minus Islanders continue their confounding level of play. No John Tavares? No problem for an Islander team that is the league’s stingiest and is getting it What a revelation Elias Pettersson is to long-suffering Canucks fans to done by committee under Trotz, who looks to follow up his Stanley Cup say nothing of his teammates. Even with a couple of injuries Pettersson turn in Washington with an unexpected playoff berth and possibly a is running away with the rookie scoring race and appears a shoo-in to Metropolitan Division championship as the Islanders hit the break with win the Calder Trophy as the top first-year player. Meanwhile head coach three-point bulge on Washington. Travis Green has the Canucks, tied in points for a wild-card spot, believing in the playoffs –something that would have been unthinkable in New York Rangers: C-minus September.

This was expected to be a season of transition for the Rangers and it is Vegas Golden Knights: B-plus just that under rookie head coach David Quinn. The Rangers have decisions on players like Mats Zuccarello (he’ll almost certainly be dealt) When the Golden Knights got off to a middling start to the season lots of among others in the coming weeks, but the challenge for a team with a people felt this was the team finally acting like they should have acted a minus-25 goal differential is to stay competitive and that’s no small task year ago when they were an expansion squad. But defending Jack given this lineup. Adams Trophy-winner Gerard Gallant has his crew back where they belong, firmly ensconced in a playoff spot thanks to the return from Ottawa Senators: F suspension of defenseman Nate Schmidt and the play of Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Another team with myriad issues that aren’t all related to on-ice play and must be dealt with before any hope of a renaissance can be Washington Capitals: C contemplated. And while the Senators were expected to be near the bottom of the standings, being dead last in goals allowed per game The defending champs waited until just before the All-Star break to have merely reinforces just how far this team has fallen. Interesting days their Stanley Cup hangover, going winless in seven – a stretch that saw ahead for GM Pierre Dorion as he must either sign Mark Stone and/or them give up three hat tricks. They’ve allowed 30 goals in the past five Matt Duchene or get good return in trades. games. This is still a talent-laden team with the ability to present a vigorous title defense. They just don’t look like it right now. Philadelphia Flyers: D-minus Winnipeg Jets: A Another team that began the season looking to be in the playoff mix but ended up with major upheaval that included the dismissal of GM Ron The Jets are where most expected them to be: battling with Nashville for Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol. Wayne Simmonds is likely out the the top spot in the Central Division. Interesting goaltending debate door but the work ahead of new GM Chuck Fletcher is significant given upcoming for head coach Paul Maurice as Laurent Brossoit (2.01 goals- the steps taken back by many of the team’s promising young players as against average and .943 save percentage in 12 appearances) put the Flyers rank 29th in goals allowed per game. pressure on incumbent Connor Hellebuyck, but it’s a good problem to have for a Jets team that is built, once again, for the long haul. Pittsburgh Penguins: B-minus The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 The Penguins are making a bid for a 13th-straight playoff appearance, which is pretty mindboggling, but it hasn’t all been a straight line with netminder Matt Murray struggling to find consistency and then overcome injury. Evgeni Malkin is not having a Malkin-like season but still the Pens, led by the indomitable Sidney Crosby, are just five points out of first in the Metropolitan.

St. Louis Blues: D-plus

Sure, the Blues are just three points out of a playoff spot at the break, but for a team that should have been competing with Nashville and Winnipeg atop the Central Division, this season is a major disappointment as witnessed by the firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Jordan Binnington is a 1127700 Edmonton Oilers It was the loss of Klefbom (and Kris Russell) that brought down Peter Chiarelli’s house of cards.

When Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach and got out of the gate JONES: Oilers bringing up rear in NHL Great Turtle Race with a 9-2-2 record, it looked like Edmonton was off to the races.

When Klefbom was injured, the wheels fell off the already wobbly blue Terry Jones line and everything unraveled.

Published:January 25, 2019 It would likely take another 9-2-2 run coming out of the break to give the Oilers a chance to make it happen. Updated:January 25, 2019 2:28 PM MST But that’s a lot to put on Oscar Klefbom, or anybody coming off an injury.

Another sign of hope, of course, is that what we’re dealing with here The hard, cold truth is that the Edmonton Oilers — in a span of three might be the greatest (perhaps not the best word) Turtle Derby of all games in four days — became the long shots among the long shots in time. the Great Turtle Race. On the last night of play heading into the break, Colorado, Anaheim, Unless there’s a five-turtle crash in Turn 4, they’re in tough to make the Vancouver and Arizona all lost. That left Edmonton, remarkably, only National Hockey League playoffs this spring. three points out of the final playoff position.

Las Vegas oddsmakers were a little too busy on Thursday setting their The problem is that the Oilers also sat seventh in the wild-card standings, proposition odds for the Super Bowl to call a timeout to create a line on points-wise: the Turtle Derby. 1. Dallas 52 But you can be sure of one thing: When the latest odds come out, they will not be kind toward the Oilers. 2. Colorado 52

With the firing of Peter Chiarelli as general manager by the Oilers the 3. Vancouver 52 equivalent of ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange as 4. Anaheim 51 the league went into the all-star break, at the request of this columnist produced odds for the Oilers qualifying for one of the two Western 5. Arizona 50 Conference wild-card spots. 6. St. Louis 49 BetOnline.ag puts them at 6-to-1 to get in. 7. Edmonton 49 Sports Club Stats, the computerized website that combines statistical information and strength of opponents on their schedule offers the An examination of the Oilers schedule doesn’t offer either following percentages of the Turtle Derby teams making the playoffs: discouragement or encouragement.

1. Colorado 63.4 A total of 15 of the 32 remaining games are at home and 15 are also against teams not currently in possession of a playoff spot. Furthermore, 2. Dallas 60.7 eight of the games are against other Turtle Derby teams.

3. Vancouver 43.7 Besides, the schedule has proved to be largely irrelevant when it comes to this hockey team. 4. Arizona 23.9 Remember, the Oilers are coming off a seven-game stretch leading into 5. St. Louis 16.2 the break in which they played six at home and six against out-of-the- 6. Anaheim 10.9 playoff teams. It was where they were expected to make their move. Hope was for a 5-2 record in there. They went 3-4. 7. Edmonton 9.8 Losing nine of their past 11 at Rogers Place has left the Oilers’ home The website now lists Edmonton’s chances of winning the Stanley Cup at record this season at 12-13-1. Edmonton has been better on the road at 0.0% and the chances of winning the President’s Trophy at 0.0%. 11-11-2.

If it is 93 points that it will take to win a wild-card playoff position, do the The Oilers, who return to he ice on Jan. 31 for a 6 p.m. practice, then math. climb on a plane for their first trip to the Eastern time zone since Nov. 8, play in Philadelphia on Feb. 2 and Montreal on Feb. 3 before returning The Edmonton Oilers will have to go 21-9-2 to play in only their second home on Feb. 5 to play Chicago. post season in the past 13 years. Also to be considered is the Connor McDavid factor. To what extent can This is a team that went into the all-star break on a three-game losing the captain carry the club? streak, has lost 12 of their past 17 and, the most damning stat of all, lost nine of their past 11 at home. McDavid sits tied for third in NHL scoring as he attempts to win his third Art Ross Trophy. His 29-44-73 scoring totals are identical to Calgary’s This is a team that has been outshot in 17 of the past 20 games and has Johnny Gaudreau, one point back of Mikko Rantanen of Colorado and been nose-diving in several statistical categories. five behind of Nikita Kucherov of Tampa Bay. There’s not much about the NHL stats at the break to suggest the Oilers McDavid is on a pace for a career-high 48 goals and 120 points and has are a playoff team. While the Edmonton power play ranks 11th at 21.1%, a history of finishing strong. the penalty kill is 24th at 77.3%. The Oilers are 23rd in the league in goals per game at 2.82 and only seven teams give up more goals against Last year, despite winning his second straight Ted Lindsay Award as the per game than Edmonton’s 3.26. Their faceoff percentage ranks 26th. NHL’s most outstanding player, voted by the players association, he was judged by the hockey writers unworthy of repeating as the Hart Trophy The Oilers have produced no real winning streaks — just one four-game winner due to the Oilers missing the playoffs. On Wednesday, the and three three-game win streaks this season — will have to go on a Professional Hockey Writers Association revealed their mid-season poll tremendous tear. of voters and Kucherov was ranked No. 1, Gaudreau No. 2 and McDavid The No. 1 thing to sell in sports is hope. And the hope here is that the No. 3. return of defenceman Oscar Klefbom — who missed 19 games with a San Jose Sharks’ Erik Karlsson (65) tries to catch Edmonton Oilers’ broken finger — when the Oilers finally get back in action next weekend Connor McDavid (97) during second period NHL action in Edmonton on will help their attempts to right the sinking ship. Saturday December 29, 2018. Jason Franson / CP In the 31 games Klefbom has played this season, the Oilers are 17-12-2. Leon Draisaitl is also having a career year with 27 goals and 34 assists In the 19 since he was hurt, Edmonton has gone 6-12-1. for 61 points. His previous best was 29 goals and 77 points two years ago. With 32 games to go, his numbers project to 39 goals and 100 points.

Also having a career year is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at 16-30-46. His top goal total to date is 24 and career-high point total is 56. This season’s numbers project to 26 goals and 75 points.

Coming back rested and refreshed, to what extent can they carry the club in the home stretch?

You’re not going to find a more motivated player in the NHL than McDavid and his co-stars are right up there. But what totally confounds me is the bottom third of the lineup.

I can’t fathom how guys making just above the league minimum and are waved through the league, in danger of going to the KHL or riding a bus in the minors, etc., can be a passenger sand not bust their butts for every second of their nine minutes of ice time.

It’s time to consider what happens if the Oilers continue to skid.

Look at the overall standings.

Edmonton sits 24th in the 31-team league and only six points ahead of the dead-last Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils with 43 points apiece.

The further the Oilers fall out of a playoff spot, the more they move into contention for yet another NHL Draft Lottery.

And can you imagine how it would play with the rest of the hockey world if Bill Daley held up another gold Oilers logo card and Edmonton had won another No. 1 pick in the draft and the chance to select Jack Hughes?

‘Lose for Hughes’, however, is not a chant anybody wants to hear coming out of Edmonton.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127701 Edmonton Oilers Ken Hitchcock is Caleb Jones’ first NHL coach and raved about the young defenceman’s ability early in the recall. “I know it’s a really small sample and I have to be careful here, but I see something special. What I Lowetide: Caleb Jones has impressive first showing in the NHL with see is composure under fire, which is an easy thing to talk about but a Oilers hard thing to handle. He doesn’t panic in high traffic, and that’s something that not many players have. If he grows from that, we have a helluva player.”

By Allan Mitchell Jan 25, 2019 Personal observations

Jones has great boots and an idea about where to move the puck. He can transport by carry and make an effective pass. He is a more The Edmonton Oilers sent Caleb Jones to Bakersfield of the AHL on substantial player with the puck on his stick than we’ve seen in the past, Monday after the young defenceman played 17 games (1-5-6) with the something Jay Woodcroft mentioned to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The big club. Jones impressed everyone during his stay, including coach Ken Athletic recently: “He’s someone whose greatest asset is his ability to Hitchcock, who played the youngster 19:48 a night, often alongside skate and transport the puck up the ice. I’ve seen some growth on the Adam Larsson and against tough NHL competition. offensive side of things for him with his shot and ability to move the HITCHCOCK WAS COY WHEN ASKED ABOUT CALEB JONES THIS puck.” Defensively, his 84 AHL games have benefitted him. As we saw a MORNING. THE OILERS HAVE SINCE SENT JONES DOWN TO THE year ago with Ethan Bear, Jones is learning the difficult job of defending AHL. NOTHING WRONG WITH THE 21-YEAR-OLD’S FIRST STINT IN fast trains and closing gaps in the lightning fast NHL. THE NHL. IT LOOKS LIKE THE OILERS HAVE A LOT TO WORK WITH. What does it all mean? — DANIEL NUGENT-BOWMAN (@DNBSPORTS) JANUARY 21, 2019 The goal of a demotion to the minors is for the player involved to regain The first taste of the NHL can be difficult for a defenceman. Paul Coffey, his confidence by finding the range again and dominating lesser in his rookie year, lived in constant fear of being sent back to junior, and competition for a time in the AHL. Jones’ recall could come right after the wondered if he would have made it back if he’d seen the lights of All-Star break or closer to the deadline. It’s also possible we won’t see Kitchener again. Kevin Lowe, in his rookie year, was almost sent away him again until the fall. early in the campaign (Mike Forbes was demoted instead). Coach and Based on his first 17 NHL games, the Oilers can safely project him as a general manager Glen Sather said, “If a guy is making the same third-pairing option for 2019-20. Jones accomplished a lot in his mistakes over and over again, you’ve got to be concerned. But if he’s Edmonton visit. He’s in Bakersfield (and scored a goal Wednesday night) learning, then you’ve got to be patient.” And Lowe continued learning on while the NHL team goes through a front office change. The next time we the job. see Jones in Edmonton, it might be for good. Playing defence in the NHL is difficult for rookies; the step up in speed The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 and recognizing danger is an enormous gap no matter the quality of the league that newcomers arrive from. I spoke to former NHLer Jason Strudwick about playing with rookies, and he talked about recognizing danger and what a rookie sees in front of him. “I had one partner who had a tough time reading the rush, so a 3-on-3 would turn into a 2-on-1. Once (he) get the reads right, then you can talk him through it (the defensive sortie), but you have to get the reads right.”

Jones in 17 games

The first thing to remember about freshman defencemen in the NHL is that survival is success. Jones didn’t get hurt, he did struggle but only after the adrenaline wore off and he was forced into a higher spot on the depth chart than his experience recommends. A good way to break down quality of competition is to list Jones’ performance with specific partners. Adam Larsson routinely plays the toughest competition available, Matt Benning or Kevin Gravel usually facing easier competition. Here are the numbers via Corsica.Hockey from Jones’ 17 games (this is 5-on-5):

Jones-Larsson

133 minutes, 43.4 Corsi for, 5-11 goals for

Gravel-Jones:

66 minutes, 55.5 Corsi for, 2-2 goals for

Jones-Benning:

39 minutes, 57.3 Corsi for, 3-3 goals for

This is textbook for a rookie who is entering the NHL successfully. On the third pairing (Gravel and Benning minutes), he is well above 50 percent in possession and holding his own in goal differential. Moved up the depth chart due to injury? Predictable results.

The usage compared to other available defencemen in this window is a tell and a revelation that uncovers both his utility and the lack of available options. The organization deployed 10 rearguards during the period in which Jones was on the active roster, with player shuffles routine. At 5- on-5, Edmonton used Darnell Nurse (19:47), Kris Russell (19:00) and Adam Larsson (18:54) as major players to prop up the club defensively. Next up? Rookie Jones, coming in at 17:05. No defender on the roster played more than 15 minutes according to Natural Stat Trick. Jones won an NHL job, moved quickly inside the top two pairings and then the de facto top pairing. In a season with many surprises, Jones’ usage out of the box by a veteran NHL coach is a shocker.

Ken Hitchcock 1127702 Edmonton Oilers The third star: Brent Burns – Look, we all deal with excitement in different ways.

WHAT.. WHAT IS BRENT BURNS DOING DGB Grab Bag: Weighing the pros and cons of some top candidates for PIC.TWITTER.COM/7WBNCZP4D4 the Edmonton Oilers GM job &MDASH; DIMITRI FILIPOVIC (@DIMFILIPOVIC) JANUARY 23, 2019

The second star: Magnus Paajarvi – Honestly, this is pretty much me By Sean McIndoe Jan 25, 2019 every time I’m feeling good about accomplishing something in life.

WE LOVE A GOOD CELLY. PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZCJYLKM0WZ

After months of rumors, the Oilers finally fired GM Peter Chiarelli this &MDASH; NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) JANUARY 19, 2019 week. But while the move seemed to be welcome by most Edmonton fans, the organization is now faced with the difficult task of choosing its The first star: The Columbus Blue Jackets – When we said they should next GM. It’s a call they really can’t afford to get wrong. be falling all over themselves to sign Artemi Panarin this isn’t quite what we meant. So who should it be? Pierre LeBrun ran down some of the rumored names on Wednesday, and I want to help the Oilers make the right BLUE JACKETS FINDING OUT THAT HOCKEY IS HARD choice. After talking to my well-placed sources around the league, I’ve PIC.TWITTER.COM/04GR8YO5NV come up with some pros and cons for a half-dozen of the leading candidates. &MDASH; CJ FOGLER (@CJZERO) JANUARY 20, 2019

Former Flyers GM Ron Hextall Be It Resolved

Pro: Already has plenty of valuable experience when it comes to hacking There was a time when the NHL’s best lines had cool nicknames. Go and slashing away at an entire Oilers roster. back to the 1980s and 1990s and you had The Legion of Doom or The Crash Line or The Hound Line or The Banana Line. Go back further to Con: While it’s vaguely comforting that he described Mikko Koskinen as the 1960s and 1970s and you could find The French Connection or The “a way better goaltender than anyone I ever had as GM in Philadelphia,” Triple Crown Line or The Production Line. Go back even further and you it’s worth mentioning that he also said that about Kris Russell, Ken can find The Kraut Line so, uh, maybe we shouldn’t go back any further Hitchcock and the broken vending machine in the hallway. than the 1960s. Still, it used to be a thing.

Golden Knights assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon Those sort of nicknames are all but extinct now. And there’s a simple reason: it’s our fault. Pro: He was able to assemble a Cup-contending team in less than one year despite starting with a roster that was completely barren without so We’ve gotten lazy. All of us. The media especially, but fans too. We don’t much as a single NHL-caliber player on it, so based on what the Oilers come up with cool nicknames anymore. That’s true for players, where we already have in place he could probably do it for them too in like eight or just let them add a “er” or a “sy” to the end of their last names and call nine years max. that a nickname. And it’s especially true for lines. We don’t even bother to try. Con: Would have a long commute from Seattle, where he will also be GM. Granted, top lines don’t stay together as often as they used to these days. Several teams prefer to use a pair of stars with a rotating third Current Oilers interim GM Keith Gretzky wheel, rather than one set unit. But even the great lines that do stick Pro: Given where the Flames are at these days, it probably makes sense together don’t get cool nicknames anymore. for the Oilers to hire somebody with extensive experience with And maybe they shouldn’t. I’m a traditionalist, but sometimes traditions unsuccessful little brother syndrome. die out and that’s just how it goes. If the era of the line nickname were Con: Cynical media would probably claim that Gretzky’s hiring was purely just over, I could live with that. a result of the franchise’s longstanding pattern of nepotism, although let’s But that isn’t what’s happening. Instead, we’re giving out lazy, half-assed just say they could be convinced not to write that pretty easily, according nicknames. And we’re doing it the same way: By just taking a letter from to the team’s PR staff of Dave Semenko Jr., Marty McSorley Jr. and each player’s name and pretending that’s a real nickname. The HBK line. Georges Laraque Jr. The 3M line. The TSA line. This is what passed for clever these days.

Kings assistant GM Mike Futa No. Stop this. It’s terrible. This type of nickname didn’t start recently – we Pro: Anytime you have the opportunity to land the guy who helped build occasionally did it back in the old days too. But the key word there is the worst team in the NHL, you have to grab it. “occasionally”. It wasn’t our go-to for absolutely everybody like it is now. You know it’s gotten bad when we look back fondly on the days where Con: Being a full-time NHL GM might take time away from the true we gave out line names based on jersey numbers. Even that feels passion he’s spent the last decade pursuing: Being mentioned as a top creative by comparison. candidate for literally every opening for an NHL GM. So be it resolved: No more line nicknames based on player initials. We’ll Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin allow the PB&J line because it’s at least kind of clever, but that’s it. We need a moratorium on initial nicknames for everyone else. If that means Pro: Has experience in the front office of a winning organization, which is line nicknames get creative again, awesome. If they die out completely, considered one of Edmonton’s 10 key requirements for a new GM. Is then maybe it’s better that way. also a former Oiler, which is every one of the other key requirements. So here’s what has to happen. The next time your friendly local beat Con: He’s a Bill, so Daryl Katz would probably just stick the taxpayers writer or your radio play-by-play guy excitedly informs you that the new with most of him. top line is going to be called the PZG Line or the QLB Squad or whatever Canadian men’s national team GM Sean Burke it is, you slap them on the nose with a rolled-up magazine and yell “NO” and send them back to the drawing board to come up with something Pro: Was the GM of the 2018 Canadian Olympic team, so already has cool. plenty of experience working with a roster that was supposed to have lots of good players on it but then didn’t. Any existing initial nicknames need to go MIA. New ones should be DOA. The whole thing can RIP. And if you don’t like it, you’re just SOL. Con: The in-process interview process has been complicated by the fact that every time somebody in the front office says “Burke is here,” Kevin Obscure former player of the week Lowe instinctively tears off his shirt, kicks down the door and sprints This was easily my favorite stat of the week: toward the nearest barn.

The week’s three stars of comedy THATCHER DEMKO BECOMES THE FIRST GOALTENDER IN We get some quick highlights of NHL action, and we’ll go ahead and set #CANUCKS HISTORY TO BEGIN HIS NHL CAREER 2-0. the over-under on “plays shown before we get to one that looks like it PIC.TWITTER.COM/CT7NOW7XI3 caused a horrifying head or neck injury” at 2.5. If you took the under, cash your winning ticket at the window. &MDASH; SPORTSNET STATS (@SNSTATS) JANUARY 19, 2019 Our broadcast resumes with some scene-setters from Calgary, which is I mean … what? How is that even possible? The Canucks franchise is described as “the home of the Canadian cowboy” while we watch a rodeo almost 50 years old, how could they have never had someone win their rider who certainly seems to be dying. That guy’s dying, right? I’m no first two decisions? rodeo expert but that didn’t seem healthy.

As it turns out, they actually have. While Demko is indeed the first Our host is Al Trautwig, and it should go without saying that he’s dressed Canuck to win both of his first two games, one other Vancouver goalie up as a cowboy. He’s got the hat and the boots and the bandana, and did start his career 2-0 while also mixing in some no-decisions in relief welcomes us by saying “howdy.” work. That seems like a good reason to bestow Obscure Former Player honors on a guy, so this week let’s take a look at Frank Caprice. He’s doing this because ignorant Americans act like every single person in Calgary walks around dressing and talking like this at all times, when Caprice was a diminutive goaltender who was listed as weighing 150 of course in reality it’s only like 85 percent of them. pounds, or roughly the same as one of Pekka Rinne’s pads does today. Caprice played his junior for the London Knights and was picked by the “This may be the home of the cowboy, but it is no cowtown.” Uh, that’s Canucks in the ninth round of the 1981 draft, a few picks ahead of future literally Calgary’s nickname. Like, exactly that. Now I kind of want to see Brady Anderson impersonator Scott Bjugstad. After another year in Trautwig cover events in other places. “Chicago is a city that may be junior, Caprice spent most of the 1982-83 season in the AHL. But he did windy, but it is no windy city.” make it to the NHL for part of one period, allowing three goals on eight shots to finish the year with a .625 save percentage and 9.52 goals- Al goes into an extended bit about the game’s 15 first-time All-Stars, and against average. Given this was the early ’80s, I’m surprised those reminds us that playing in this game is always better than having the time numbers didn’t earn him the Vezina. off, at which point our clip is briefly drowned out by the sound of every current NHL star laughing. Caprice would serve as the Canucks full-time backup for the next two seasons and played reasonably well, including briefly sporting that 2-0 The list of first-timers is actually kind of fascinating. It features several record, before injuries sidetracked his run at the top job. He was back in eventual Hall of Famers, including Mario Lemieux, Scott Stevens, Chris the minors by the 1985-86 season, but returned to Vancouver for two Chelios and Al MacInnis. It also includes Thomas Gradin and Miroslav more years as the backup after that. The Canucks traded him to the Frycer, who I believe ended up falling just short on the final ballot. But I Bruins in 1989 for a 12th-round pick, but he never cracked the roster. His think my favorite is Edmonton’s Mike Krushelnyski. He might not be the NHL career was over, clocking in at 102 games and 31 wins with one first guy you think of when someone mentions NHL All-Stars, but he shutout, although he’d play in the minors, Europe and even roller hockey really had to be on the roster because otherwise the Oilers would have for another decade to come. only been represented by [checks roster] seven other guys.

And for all that time, he was the only Vancouver goalie to ever go 2-0 … Seriously, the Oilers had eight guys on this team. And that includes both until now. This is now my second favorite fact about the history of the goalies. Seriously, how does that happen? There must be a story there, Canucks, trailing only “They’ve been around for 49 years and yet you and I hope it’s something more than “Glen Sather was being a prick to somehow can’t remember them ever having a star defenseman.” troll Calgary fans.” Actually, scratch that, I’d be perfectly happy with that answer. All-Star troll jobs are the greatest. Classic YouTube clip breakdown Trautwig throws it to Dan Kelly and Gary Green in the booth, both of It’s All-Star weekend, and you can feel the excitement throughout the whom are also dressed up as cowboys. Kelly refers to Gary as “Lash” hockey world! which was already a 30-year-old reference 30 years ago so I’m not even going to pretend any of you kids out there get it now. (Tumbleweed blows by.) Dan and Lash run down the matchup, highlighting the obvious fact that Yep. So today, let’s head back a few decades and get hyped for a both teams are stacked with offensive stars. They also mention the midseason classic that involves plenty of big stars, terrible special effects goaltenders, leading Dan to observe that “both teams have two All-Star and grown men playing dress up. goaltenders,” at which point Gary agrees that “they really do” and that It’s Feb. 12, 1985, and we’re coming to you from Calgary. This year’s “they are really four terrific goalies.” Uh, we can go ahead and admit that game is being played in the Saddledome, less than two years after its neither guy has any idea who the goalies are in this game, right? OK, just lavish grand opening that we broke down in this space a few years back. making sure. Our broadcaster tonight is the USA Network, because in the 1980s the And that’s it. Just as we seem to be hitting out stride with Gary calling NHL damn well took what it could get. Dan “Hoss” and a promise that we’re about to see something called The We start off with a recap of the last two All-Star games, because there Calgary Fiddlers, our clip ends. I’m not sure who the Calgary Fiddlers was a time when people actually cared about who won these things. are, but I think they were running the Flames front office during the last We’re reminded that the Campbell Conference scored “the most goals in few years of the Jarome Iginla era. All-Star history” back in 1983 with, uh, nine. Or, as it would come to be In case you’re wondering, the Wales Stars beat the Campbell Stars by a known by the 2000s, a suffocating defensive effort. relatively low-scoring 6-4 final. Mike Krushelnyski had three assists and We’re also told that the Wales Conference “set fire to the ice,” which is was named the game’s second star in a losing effort, proving that the something we all know the NHL wouldn’t actually allow at an All-Star Campbells probably would have won if they’d taken nine Oilers. weekend. But it is kind of cool to watch these highlights featuring players The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 actually trying block shots and even sliding along the ice to try to break up plays. Weirdly, players treating the game as being worth something approaching an actual effort made the whole thing more fun. You can learn more about this in my upcoming book, “A sad old man in a darkened room rants about things from his childhood.”

Our American broadcaster helpfully shows its viewers where Calgary is by explaining how close it is to Montana while zooming in on a map. That’s followed by some cutting edge 1985 special effects, as tiny stars with players’ faces on them divebomb onto the Saddledome roof where they presumably splattered like lemmings. Look, 1985 TV was more about “can we” than “should we.”

Also, the USA Network’s animated intro for hockey was the greatest thing about being alive in the mid-80s. I will not be taking questions at this time. 1127703 Edmonton Oilers Chicago Blackhawks: D

St. Louis Blues: D-plus

Sure, the Blues are just three points out of a playoff spot at the break, but for a team that should have been competing with Nashville and Winnipeg atop the Central Division, this season is a major disappointment as witnessed by the firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Jordan Binnington is a 1127704 Florida Panthers affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, allowing them to continue to work on their games during Florida’s break.

However, they could all return once the Panthers get back on the ice The Panthers are hoping to carry their momentum into the second half. Feb. 1 against the visiting Nashville Predators. This is what’s next Brown and McCoshen have replaced two defensemen: Alex Petrovic, who was traded to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 30; and MacKenzie BY WALTER VILLA Weegar, who went on injured reserve on Jan. 15 as part of the concussion protocol. JANUARY 25, 2019 11:57 AM “These are two big d-men who can move bodies in front of the net,” Luongo said of Brown and McCoshen. “They play physical in front and make it hard on forwards, and that’s maybe an element we were missing We’ve reached the NHL All-Star break, and the Florida Panthers have earlier in the season. been a disappointment, sitting 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot currently held by the Pittsburgh Penguins. “[Brown and McCoshen] have done a fabulous job as a pair. It’s brought a lot to our club.” The Panthers (20-20-8) have 48 points, and they would need to leapfrog three other teams in their remaining 34 games just to get to the Miami Herald LOADED: 01.26.2019 Penguins.

But then there’s also the fact that the Panthers were the hottest team in the league last year from Jan. 30 to the end of the regular season. They finished just one point short of the playoffs.

This year, they got started a little early — as least compared to last season — as they have taken their current nine-day break while on a three-game win streak.

So … are the Panthers too late to make a serious push to contention … or are they actually a bit early?

It might well be the latter if the Panthers can maintain the level they have showed in this winning streak, beating three teams who now hold playoff spots — the Leafs, Predators and Sharks.

“We have our confidence back, that swagger,” Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo said after his team’s last game before the break. “Three good teams, and we were able to play hard and get the wins.”

The Panthers have shown they won’t back down from elite squads. They are 3-3-2 against the four division leaders and 9-11-4 against teams currently holding a playoff spot.

However, the Panthers need to do a much better job against teams such as the Rangers, who are rebuilding, and the mediocre Canucks. Against those two teams, the Panthers are 0-4-1.

On the positive side, the Panthers’ win streak began with the first game back from injury for second-line center Vincent Trocheck, a 2017 All-Star who missed 28 games this season due to a fractured right ankle.

Trocheck, who scored 54 goals the past two seasons — never missing a game — has been hot upon his return.

He has two goals and four assists in those three games, and he also provides speed on the back-check as an all-around contributor.

“[Trocheck] coming back is huge for our club,” Luongo said. “He energizes the guys in the locker-room. He gives everyone a little bit more jump.”

When Trocheck returned from his injury, the Panthers were mired in a seven-game losing streak that was the longest for the franchise in nearly six years.

But, just like that, the momentum has been changed.

“It’s fun to win some hockey games,” Trocheck said. “It’s been tough for us this year in that department. To go into the break with a little bit of momentum, it’s going to make a big difference in the second half.”

Besides the return of Trocheck, the other change that started last week was improved defense. The Panthers this season have the third worst defensive record in the league in terms of goals per game (3.54).

However, during their three-game winning streak — with new defensemen Josh Brown and Ian McCoshen in the lineup — the Panthers allowed 1.67 goals per contest.

Brown, 25, and McCoshen, 23, have added physicality to the Panthers defense. Brown is a a 6-5, 215-pounder. McCoshen is a 6-3, 215- pounder.

On Tuesday, the Panthers sent Brown and McCoshen — along with rookie forward Jayce Hawryluk — to their American Hockey League 1127705 Florida Panthers Chicago Blackhawks: D

St. Louis Blues: D-plus

Kings will play Avalanche outdoors at Air Force's Falcon Stadium next season

By CURTIS ZUPKE

JAN 25, 2019 | 2:00 PM

The Kings are headed outdoors again.

This time, it will be in high altitude, at Air Force’s Falcon Stadium to play the Colorado Avalanche as part of the 2020 outdoor game schedule that the NHL fully unveiled Friday.

The event, to be held Feb.15, 2020, will be the first outdoor hockey game at the stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo., according to the league. The venue opened in 1962, primarily for football, and hosts Air Force’s graduation. The field sits more than 6,600 feet above sea level.

“Playing in the game will be really cool,” Drew Doughty said in a release. “[It] might be hard with the altitude and Colorado’s a good team, so it’s going to be a good matchup. [I’m] always excited for outdoor games.”

Doughty and the Kings have played in two other regular-season outdoor games, against the San Jose Sharks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in 2015 and against the Ducks at Dodger Stadium in 2014. The Kings also played a preseason game outdoors in Las Vegas in 1991.

That outdoor history aside, the Kings do not play in the same division as Colorado, although the teams played each other in the former preseason Frozen Fury event in Las Vegas. The Kings’ parent company, The Anschutz Corporation, is based in Denver, and the game follows the Washington Capitals-Toronto Maple Leafs game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium last year.

“The game at the Air Force Academy was an opportunity we were eager to participate in due to our connection and focus on honoring the military and our history with the Avs and connection to Colorado,” Kelly Cheeseman, Kings CEO said through a spokesman.

“Also, the connection and influence in California to aerospace in particular was an exciting point. It has been, and remains, a passion of our organization and ownership to participate in this unique event since the NHL announced the game at the Naval Academy. We appreciate the opportunity to fulfill this desire.”

Capacity for Falcon Stadium is listed as 46,692 for football. The Dodger Stadium game had an announced attendance of 54,099 fans and the Levi’s Stadium game had 70,205 fans.

LA Times: LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127707 Los Angeles Kings

Kings-Avalanche outdoor game set for Air Force venue in February 2020

By J.P. Hoornstra | PUBLISHED: January 25, 2019 at 4:24 pm | UPDATED: January 25, 2019 at 4:26 PM

It’s official: The Kings will play their first regular-season outdoor game outside California next year.

The National Hockey League announced the Kings and Colorado Avalanche will play at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs on Feb. 15, 2020. The NHL had previously announced the Avalanche would host the “Stadium Series” game against an opponent to be determined.

The 46,692-seat venue serves as the home venue of the Air Force Academy football team. This will be the first time it has hosted a hockey game.

The Kings have previously played outdoor regular-season games at Dodger Stadium (a 3-0 loss to the Ducks in 2014) and at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara (a 2-1 win over the Sharks in 2015). The Kings have played preseason hockey games outdoors in Las Vegas in 1991, and from 1997 to 2016, including 16 games against the Avalanche.

The NHL will announce ticket and broadcast information for the 2020 game at a future date.

“It is an honor to represent the NHL at this special event in Colorado Springs,” Kings president Luc Robitaille said in a statement released by the teams. “The Air Force Academy has an incredible tradition and we are thrilled to take part in the first hockey game at Falcon Stadium. We believe our fans will look forward to attending the game and watching the game on TV in what will truly be a very memorable event and moment in L.A. Kings history.”

The NHL played its first game at a U.S. service academy venue last season, when the Maple Leafs and Capitals played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.

“I don’t know a lot about the Air Force and so I’m excited to maybe go in there early and experience it,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said in a statement released by the team. “Playing in the game will be really cool. Might be hard with the altitude and Colorado’s a good team so it’s going to be a good matchup. Always excited for outdoor games.”

Orange County Register: LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127708 Los Angeles Kings Chicago Blackhawks: D

St. Louis Blues: D-plus

Sure, the Blues are just three points out of a playoff spot at the break, but for a team that should have been competing with Nashville and Winnipeg atop the Central Division, this season is a major disappointment as witnessed by the firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Jordan Binnington is a 1127709 Los Angeles Kings On generating high-quality chances and if he feels that doing the same things tomorrow can lead to a better result

Hopefully. We got a lot of good looks tonight, their goalie just played FINAL – COLORADO 4, ONTARIO 0 really well. I mean, we couldn’t really do much else.

Mike Stothers on if at any point he wondered what more could his team ZACH DOOLEYJANUARY 25, 2019 do

No, you just keep going. I thought we played a great hockey game, it’s the best we’ve played in a long time. With the lineup we had, it provided ONTARIO REIGNPOSTGAME NOTESPOSTGAME QUOTES us with some different options, some different looks. You fire 68 shots on goal and you figure you’re going to score at least one, but we didn’t. I’m 68 shots and 68 saves. The statline from Colorado’s goaltender, Spencer very encouraged by the game, the way the guys played and we’ll just Martin, was unlike any I’ve ever seen before. The NHL record for most take it from there. saves in a shutout is currently held by former Los Angeles King Ben Scrivens, nine fewer than Martin turned aside this evening. I was not able On many of those looks being quality chances and if doing the same to find the record for most saves in an AHL regular-season game, things should lead to a rebound tomorrow. however Reign alum Michael Leighton holds the league record for most saves total, with 98 from a Calder Cup Playoff contest in 2008…..in a That’s all you can do. You get 68 shots, you’ve got to be doing something game that had five overtime periods. Martin turned in his 68 stops in just right so there’s no sense in changing that. I think the quality of the shots the allotted 60 minutes. we could have got maybe a bit better, maybe there were a few that hit him in the middle of the chest. Again, you’re putting pucks at the net The Reign peppered Martin from puck drop through the final buzzer, looking to score or get a second or third opportunity, so I’m not going to setting season records for total shots and shots in a period (27, second). over-analyze this game. We played well. The Reign had opportunities of all varieties – one-timers, odd-man rushes, second chance, third chance, power play, shorthanded…you On whether they ran into a hot goalie, or if they made him look better name it, they had it. Martin stood tall between the pipes, however, putting than he was in an outstanding effort in net for the visitors. I mean, you can’t take anything away from Martin, he played a good It’s a tough result for a team that hasn’t won in regulation on home ice game. He pitched a shutout with 68 shots against, he made some saves. since November 11. When you have 68 shots on goal, you’d imagine you Again, I’m going with we played extremely well so if we do that again earned the two points and it’s hard to say you played anything but well, tomorrow, it’ll be a different result. despite what the final outcome reads, though that doesn’t make the LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.26.2019 defeat any easier. The Reign will get another crack at the Eagles tomorrow evening. Law of averages would state that if they are able to accumulate another 68 shots, they’re likely to find the back of the net at least once.

The teams are back at it with a short turnaround in a 6 PM rematch tomorrow evening back here at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Kale Clague on having so many shots and what the team could do differently

I don’t think much of anything. We’ve got to just keep funneling pucks, over the last few weeks, we’ve been working on getting pucks off in a hurry and thinking shot first and I think we did a good job of that tonight. I mean, we keep doing that, we keep getting 60 (plus) shots and they’re going to come.

On whether they just hit a hot goalie, or if they made him look better than he was

I don’t know, I think we’ll do a better job of testing him tomorrow. We had 60-something shots, there’s not much else we can do in terms of shooting pucks on net and getting shots. We’ve just got to bear down when we get our Grade-A chances.

On if it felt that if they could’ve gotten one, the floodgates might’ve been able to open

Definitely, I think that happens with a lot of goalies, you get one and you get him on his heels. The play stayed in front of him tonight, so we’ll try to do a better job of getting on him early.

Mike Amadio on accumulating 68 shots on goals and if there’s anything they could have done differently to change the outcome

We’ve just got to find a way to capitalize next time, obviously, and find the back of the net. We played a pretty good game, we had a lot of chances obviously, we’ve just got to bear down a little.

On his power-play unit creating a large quantity of chances tonight

I think we had some good chances, we had a lot of good looks out there. We were finding seams and lanes, so tomorrow we’ve just got to be able to bear down and find the back of the net.

On his power-play unit creating a large quantity of chances tonight

I think we had some good chances, we had a lot of good looks out there. We were finding seams and lanes, so tomorrow we’ve just got to be able to bear down and find the back of the net. 1127710 Los Angeles Kings David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks

KINGS, AVS STADIUM SERIES GAME IN COLO. SPRINGS; Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets DOUGHTY SKILLS COMPETITION Via LA Kings:

The National Hockey League announced today that the Colorado JON ROSENJANUARY 25, 20190 Avalanche will face-off against the LA Kings in the 2020 NHL Stadium Series™.

Earlier this month, the NHL announced that the Colorado Avalanche NHL NEWSOUTDOOR GAME would host the 2020 NHL Stadium Series™ on Feb. 15, 2020 at Falcon The full announcement is below, but as first reported by Elliotte Friedman Stadium in Colorado Springs. earlier this month, the LA Kings and Colorado Avalanche will meet for a The 2020 NHL Stadium Series will mark the third regular-season outdoor Stadium Series game at Falcon Stadium on the campus of the U.S. Air game for the Kings and the second for the Avalanche. Force Academy in Colorado Springs next season. The event, which will be held on February 15, 2020, will mark the second time a Stadium “It’s exciting for sure,” Drew Doughty said. “I don’t know a lot about the Series game has been held at a U.S. Service Academy, following Air Force and so I’m excited to maybe go in there early and experience it. Washington’s 5-2 win over Toronto at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Playing in the game will be really cool. Might be hard with the altitude and Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland in 2018. Colorado’s a good team so it’s going to be a good matchup. Always excited for outdoor games.” Los Angeles has split a pair of Stadium Series games, losing 3-0 to the Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium five years ago today on January 25, The Kings hosted the 2014 NHL Stadium Series, a 3-0 loss to the 2014, and defeating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 at Levi’s Stadium on Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and travelled to Santa February 21, 2015. Colorado hosted a Stadium Series game at Coors Clara for the 2015 NHL Stadium Series at Levi’s Stadium, where they Field in Denver on February 27, 2016 and lost, 5-3, to the Detroit Red defeated the San Jose Sharks 2-1. Wings. With the announcement that the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas will play host to the 2020 Winter Classic between the Dallas Stars and The Avalanche hosted the 2016 NHL Stadium Series at Coors Field in Nashville Predators, all four participants announced today are Western Denver, a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Conference teams. The game at Falcon Stadium will mark the second time the NHL has Los Angeles’ selection in this event shows that even on the precipice of brought the NHL Stadium Series™ to a U.S. Service Academy following roster reconstruction amidst a trying season competitively, ownership the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs matchup at Navy- and the organization’s executive and operational branches retain very Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland in 2018. tangible clout across the league. With Philip Anschutz’s ties to Colorado “It is an honor to represent the NHL at this special event in Colorado Springs and stable ownership, and the pull by the club’s large-scale Springs. The Air Force Academy has an incredible tradition and we are event and game operations, the Kings have hosted the 2010 NHL Draft, thrilled to take part in the first hockey game at Falcon Stadium,” Kings the 2017 All-Star Game and have participated in the Europe-based NHL President Luc Robitaille said. “We believe our fans will look forward to Premiere in 2007 and 2011 and the NHL China Games in 2017. Los attending the game and watching the game on TV in what will truly be a Angeles also traveled to Colorado Springs’ Broadmoor World Arena for a very memorable event and moment in LA Kings history.” preseason game against Colorado in October, 2014. Standing in the base of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains, Drew Doughty is taking part in the NHL Accuracy Shooting contest at Falcon Stadium opened on Sept. 22, 1962, when a then-overflow crowd today’s All-Star Game, the drill that was replicated in many of our of 41,350 saw Air Force defeat Colorado State 24-0. The stadium was hallways and playrooms when we stacked blocks and taped paper plates originally built solely for football, but lacrosse plays all of its home to goals to imitate NHL players while watching the skills competitions of matches in the stadium, which is also the site of the Academy’s annual our youths. While it might be tall order for Drew to beat the likes of graduation. Auston Matthews and David Pastrnak in this event, I’d like to see any other 2019 NHL All-Star defend a two-on-one against Matthews and The 2020 NHL Stadium Series™ will be the first-ever outdoor hockey Pastrnak like Doughty. The rules: game held at Falcon Stadium.

Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting™ The 2020 NHL Stadium Series™ will showcase a host of the top talent in the NHL. The Avalanche are led by 2019 NHL All-Stars Nathan Eight players will compete in the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting™, a MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog. The Kings timed event where a shooter is positioned 25 feet from the goal line and counter with All-Star defenseman Drew Doughty, captain Anze Kopitar shoots pucks at five LED targets located in the net. On the referee’s and goaltender Jonathan Quick. whistle, one of the five LED targets will randomly light up for three seconds and the player will attempt to hit the lit target. Hit targets will be The Avalanche (1996 and 2001) and Kings (2012 and 2014) are both taken out of the random sequencing and if the target is not hit within two-time Stanley Cup champions. three seconds, the next target will light up. The clock stops when the The two franchises have met 134 times in the regular-season, with Los player has successfully hit all five targets, the player that hits all five Angeles holding a 25-point edge over Colorado/Quebec since the 1979- targets in the fastest time will be crowned the winner of the Honda NHL 1980 season (Colorado/Quebec 56-63-15-127, Los Angeles 70-52-12- Accuracy Shooting™. If there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players 152). will compete again to determine the winner. Additional details relating to the 2020 NHL Stadium Series™, including Demonstrated by: ticketing and broadcast information, will be released at a future date. Kendall Coyne, U.S. Women’s National Team LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.26.2019 Renata Fast, Canada’s Women’s National Team

Participants:

Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings

Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils 1127711 Los Angeles Kings pace. The 22-year-old remains unsigned and has five goals and seven points in 27 games with SKA.

With the trade, Los Angeles now has eight draft picks in 2019: their own PROSPECT DOMINIK KUBALIK TRADED TO CHICAGO FOR FIFTH picks in each round, plus Arizona’s fifth round pick. ROUND PICK LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.26.2019

JON ROSENJANUARY 25, 2019

PROSPECTS AND SCOUTINGTRADES

A trade! 2013 seventh round draft pick Dominik Kubalik has been sent to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Arizona’s fifth round pick in 2019. The 23-year-old Kubalik, who has a high degree of skill and has shown good finishing ability internationally and in upper-level European leagues, did not demonstrate much interest in committing to the LA Kings and hadn’t participated in training camp since September, 2013. (He did not attend development camp that year.)

An import forward with OHL-Sudbury when he was drafted by Los Angeles, Kubalik has developed well beyond his 67-game, 17-goal, 34- point 2012-13 season. Currently leading Switzerland’s National League A with 43 points (18-25=43) in 37 games with Ambri-Piotta, Kubalik also found offensive success in the Czech Extraliga with HC Plzen before joining the NLA midway through last season. He followed up a two-goal Olympic performance with eight points in eight games with the Czech Republic at the World Championship and then signed a two-year contract with his Ambri that contained an NHL out clause. He had been slotted fairly high up the Kings’ lineup board as shown at the 2017 State of the Franchise forum, but did not report to training camp in 2017 or 2018. No check-ins throughout this span gave off any encouraging omens that he’d ever be wearing team colors.

From June 15, when Kubalik signed his two-year contract with Ambri- Piotta:

This isn’t really anything that should make you raise more than an eyebrow as of now. The team had Kubalik fairly high in a reserve listing shared at last year’s State of the Franchise meeting, but I’m yet to see much of any indication that the forward who turns 23 in August has fully committed to the organization or to playing hockey in North America again. Drafted in the seventh round in 2013 out of OHL-Sudbury, Kubalik has emerged as an intriguing young scorer in the Czech and Swiss leagues, and last season split time between Ambri and CZE-Plzen, where he was on loan, totaling 26 goals and 51 points in 45 games. He also added two goals for the Czech Republic at the Olympics, and led the Czech team with eight points (3-5=8) at the World Championship. That sounds very interesting, but having watched him against higher competition at the Olympics, and having followed his career, it’s still not quite clear what the Kings have there. I didn’t notice a ton of touches other than when he scored in PyeongChang, but given some impressive scoring rates in Europe, he’s absolutely worth bringing over at the appropriate time, should the team and player come to an agreement.

So! On one hand, that’s essentially a fifth round pick at the cost of a seventh round pick from six years ago. Nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, Chicago thought highly enough of Kubalik to acquire him in advance of his out clause – and in doing so paid a tangible price even though they, like Los Angeles, currently operate with a thrifty mindset towards trading draft picks.

Blackhawks say Dominik Kubalik will finish the season in Switzerland, where he leads the National League in scoring.

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 24, 2019

The Europe-based Kings prospects with unclear NHL futures often lumped together have been Kubalik and Russian forwards Nikolai Prokhorkin and Alexander Dergachyov. The Kings have been on Prokhorkin’s trail again this season and are holding a contract open for him; his current contract with SKA St. Petersburg expires after this season. While he is interested in certain protections, Prokhorkin, 25, has given the Kings assurances that he won’t sign a new contract with SKA after the season. He has 19 goals and 34 points in 35 KHL games this year.

While the Kings had also previously kept a contract spot open for Dergachyov, it wasn’t quite clear whether the 6-foot-5, 220-pound power forward fit with the overall organizational bent towards speed, skill and 1127712 Los Angeles Kings

PREVIEW – ONTARIO VS. COLORADO, 1/25

ZACH DOOLEYJANUARY 25, 2019

GAME PREVIEWONTARIO REIGN

WHO: Ontario Reign (12-19-4-2) vs. Colorado Eagles (19-16-3-1)

WHAT: AHL REGULAR SEASON GAME

WHEN: Friday, January 25 @ 7:00 PM

WHERE: Citizens Business Bank Arena – Ontario, CA

HOW TO FOLLOW: Video: AHLTV – AUDIO – Mixlr – TWITTER: @ontarioreign & @reigninsider

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign are back on home ice for their final two games before the AHL All-Star break begins on Sunday. The Reign will host the Colorado Eagles tonight and tomorrow evening at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ontario enters tonight’s action looking to end a 10-game home winless in regulation streak, which was extended on Monday in a 4-1 loss against the San Diego Gulls. Ontario has won three times overall at home in that span, but has not won in regulation on home ice since November 11. The Reign are also looking for their first win of the season over Colorado, falling in overtime on December 15 to move to 0-2-1 against the Eagles on the season. Cal Petersen was the first goaltender off this morning for Ontario, while Boko Imama, Nikita Scherbak and Chaz Reddekopp were on late for extra work.

EAGLE EYE: Entering today’s action, defenseman Sean Walker and forward Mikey Eyssimont lead the Reign with two goals apiece this season versus Colorado, with Walker posting three points (2-1-3) from two games played. Forward Matt Moulson leads the team overall with four points (1-3-4), with his goal coming as the game’s first tally on December 15, the team’s teddy-bear toss goal at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

DRIVE FOR FIVE: Speaking of Moulson, the Reign forward and alternate captain enters tonight’s action on a five-game point streak, extended with the game-opening goal on Monday against San Diego. Moulson’s tally came 37 seconds into the game for his team-leading 15th goal of the season. Moulson has now posted three separate point streaks of four games or more, and has six goals and eight points on his current run.

WAGNER AND WALKER: Ontario received reinforcements earlier this week as forward Austin Wagner and defenseman Sean Walker returned to the Reign, with the NHL on its All-Star break. Wagner has collected nine points (4-5-9) from 34 NHL games this season, in addition to three goals from seven AHL contests. Walker has tallied three NHL points (1-2- 3), as well as 17 points (6-11-17) from 20 games with Ontario.

LUFF ACTUALLY: Prior to Monday’s game against San Diego, forward Matt Luff was assigned to the Reign by Los Angeles. Including Monday’s action, in which he flanked Mike Amadio and Matt Moulson on the right wing, Luff has collected 12 points (6-6-12) from 10 games played at the AHL level. The Oakville, ONT native has also posted seven goals and 10 points from 30 NHL Games with the Kings, after he made his NHL debut with the team in November.

HOME SWEET HOME: Today’s contest against the Eagles continues a stretch with 13 of 16 games coming on home ice, and all 16 games being within the state of California, that began on Monday against San Diego. Ontario will travel twice to San Diego and once to Bakersfield in that span. The Reign will host seven different opponents over the 13 games, including three matchups against this weekend’s opponent in Colorado.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127713 Minnesota Wild

Wild claims defenseman Anthony Bitetto off waivers from Predators

By Sarah McLellan JANUARY 25, 2019 — 11:31AM

Players are in the midst of an eight-day break, but that hasn't stopped Wild management from fussing with the roster. The team claimed defenseman Anthony Bitetto off waivers from the Predators Friday, its second addition to the blue line this week. After a win over the Golden Knights Monday, the Wild traded for Vegas defenseman Brad Hunt. Bitetto is another familiar face to General Manager Paul Fenton, who was an assistant general manager with the Predators before joining the Wild before this season. The left-shot, 28-year-old has skated in 18 games this season, chipping in three assists. Overall, through parts of five seasons, Bitetto has two goals and 19 points in 114 career games. A sixth round pick by the Predators in 2010, Bitetto gives the Wild more depth once it resumes playing next Friday against the Stars in Dallas. His addition, coupled with the eventual activation of center Eric Fehr off injured reserve, would put the Wild at the 23-man roster limit. Star Tribune LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127714 Minnesota Wild

Wild claim defenseman Anthony Bitetto off waivers

By John Shipley | PUBLISHED: January 25, 2019 at 3:50 pm | UPDATED: January 25, 2019 at 3:50 PM

The Wild claimed defenseman Anthony Bitetto off waivers from the Nashville on Friday, the team said. Bitetto, 28 had three assists, 23 blocked shots and 40 hits in 18 games with the Predators this season. Bitetto, 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, has skated in 114 games for the Predators and has two goals among 19 career points, plus 122 blocked shots and 194 hits. He skated in all 14 playoff games in 2016 On Thursday, the Wild re-assigned Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin to Iowa, where they could play two games while the Wild take an eight-day break. Which Wild team will show up in Colorado? Eriksson Ek, 21, has two goals and seven points in 36 games with Minnesota this season; Kunin has a goal and five points in 21 games. The Iowa Wild play American Hockey League games on Friday and Saturday. Minnesota, which brings a three-game winning streak into the mid-winter break, next plays Feb. 1 at Dallas. Pioneer Press LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127715 Montreal Canadiens I was beginning to suspect this was not the right time to ask for a raise. I tried to defend myself. I was mostly right about the Blue Jays. Generally speaking. A mea culpa about The Habs and more: We all make mistakes “Mostly?”

Largely. CATHAL KELLY “What about Tiger Woods?” PUBLISHED JANUARY 25, 2019 Okay, I may have got that one wrong. “You called him the next John UPDATED 6 HOURS AGO Daly.” How do you remember all of this? Jim from Montreal keeps e-mailing to ask when I’m going to write my Milos Raonic’s name came up. Sure, I may have been a little hard on Montreal Canadiens column. Raonic, but I don’t think I was wrong wrong. It’s not like I said the guy is Jim asks nicely, but he is insistent. He’s sent me a few reminders … let trying to lose. The man can’t make his soft tissues stay connected by me check here … about a hundred million of them in the past little while. force of will. Jim and others are upset at something I wrote at the beginning of the Then Raonic beat hot, young thing Alex Zverev at the Australian Open NHL season about the Canadiens and their prospects. In it, I rubbished and, when I came into work, that editor was also giving me a look. So, the team’s chances, mocked them freely and decided that Montreal sure, I apologize to Raonic. I was wrong. would be better off taking a year-long sabbatical from the game and Somebody recalled that I had said some critical things about former Blue coming back in late 2019, refreshed and ready to lose again. Jay Steve Pearce – none of which were objectively incorrect when I said Well, in prognosticatory terms, that turned out to be more palm-reader- them – and also recalled that he was chosen MVP of the past World who-works-out-of-a-room-behind-the-deli than Nostradamus. Halfway Series for the Boston Red Sox. through the year, the Canadiens look like class. In my defence, everyone in baseball who does not work for the Boston Jim would like me to take it back. And, after trying to squirm out of it for Red Sox got that one wrong. All of them make a lot more money than I several months, I’m doing that here. do. Unlike some people I could mention, I am habitually wrong at a reasonable wage. Jim, I apologize. I was wrong. You were right. Mea culpa. What did Peter Chiarelli get paid to trade away half the Edmonton Oilers Just thinking about admitting my errors of sports judgment had me for a half that doesn’t play hockey? Surely, that makes some sort of feeling lighter. difference? (This is distinct from my errors of fact, which are numerous, occasionally “Are you making this about class?” an editor – I was losing track now – egregious and almost always caught by editors who are smarter than me. said. Would that work? Then yes, I am. I like to tell people that I am a ‘big-picture’ person rather than a ‘detail’ person. That goes over about as well with your average professional Nonetheless, sorry Steve Pearce. You were always a lovely guy. I’m copy editor as you would expect it to.) happy to be wrong in this instance. Perhaps I would be happier about it if it wasn’t being presented to me in struggle-session format, but okay, I made the mistake of telling my colleagues in the Globe’s toy department whatever. about my Carlos Castaneda moment. I thought maybe that way I could just say it out loud, rather than publish it. “Remind us why Jose Bautista hated you so much?” They liked the idea. I think ‘hate’ is a strong word. A lot. “Fine. Extreme dislike.” Too much, in fact. I think we’re getting off topic here. “Maybe you should do more of that,” my editor said. “Just answer the question.” More of what? You know, there’s no point arguing about this any more. Bautista doesn’t even live here any more, or play baseball. But I apologize to him. For “Falling on your sword.” what, I’m not sure, but I apologize. Wasn’t that what I just did? The slaps kept coming. It was by now a Vaudeville act. I’ll skip to the apologies. “I mean, maybe you could find a couple more swords.” I was wrong when I suggested, repeatedly, that Tom Brady is finished. More swords? That was more wish-fulfilment than anything else, which is not an excuse, but also sort of is. “Don’t you think there’s a bunch of swords you need to fall on? Like, a field of swords?” Toronto FC? I’ve kicked it like a kid with a can for years. I’ve done so many drive-bys on that club, I could drive to its house blindfolded. I do Then she gave me this look. I started writing things down in anticipation not apologize for that. of my next performance review. But then the team president gave me a signed paintbrush to rub it in after Another editor began rhyming columns I’ve got horribly wrong off the top it won a championship – a play on a joke I’d made about painting the of his head. He would’ve kept at that for a while, but he only has 10 town red – and, despite myself, I was charmed. I hate when that fingers. happens. “We can’t just go sport by sport or team by team,” he said. “You’ll have to In lieu of admitting being charmed, I apologize instead. Take that. eat crow on multiple things under a single topic.” I said that Kawhi Leonard didn’t want to come to Toronto. I was wrong Except he didn’t say “eat crow.” about that. But then, years ago, I said the same thing about Toronto He opened a research tool I don’t understand and showed me the display Raptors president Masai Ujiri, and was galactically wrong about that, too. on his desktop. He’d been keeping a list. So this isn’t so much a mistake as my own NBA tradition. “Maybe I should set aside two pages in the paper for this,” my editor said. I have written off every Olympics and World Cup over the past decade as a disaster in the making and, eventually, I will be right about that. Not yet. “He could do it yearly,” the other editor said. But eventually. “More like quarterly.” Still, wrong for now (which is word-for-word what Isaac Newton said right before he got the light bulb right). “Weekly.” “Tell them that I’m beating you in our Premier League fantasy league,” an And then they laughed and pointed. editor said. He is beating me in our Premier League fantasy league. Him and a whole bunch of other people who do not write, in small part, about the Premier League for a living. I could go on about being wrong, but there must be some space in the Sports section left to my colleagues who are busy getting it right. This is the point at which I should round back and offer some perspective on all this columnistic guessing. Say something about aiming for the successful gambler’s benchmark – being right 51 per cent of the time. But I’m not exactly sure where I heard that and it might be wrong. So, sorry, I can’t. Globe And Mail LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127716 Montreal Canadiens In this Aislin illustration from Hockey Night in Moscow, Boris Mikhailov and Phil Esposito symbolize Team Canada’s uneasy 1972 Summit Series victory. AISLIN Montreal Canadiens' literary winning streak continues The most important 60 minutes in hockey history? That would be the first game of the 1972 Canada-U.S.S.R. Summit Series, in which communism humiliated democracy in the Montreal Forum. Sure, Canada eventually IAN MCGILLISUpdated: January 25, 2019 came back to win the series in storied fashion, but the blow to the national psyche was struck. Hockey Night in Moscow (McClelland & Stewart, 1972) was an early literary response, with Winnipeg novelist and sportswriter Jack Ludwig providing an embedded time-capsule account. As the current edition of the Montreal Canadiens — young, creative, What really makes the book worth seeking out, though — and what seemingly unburdened by the weight of history — holds out hope of a qualifies it for this Montreal-focused column — are the illustrations by deep springtime run, a fan’s thoughts may turn to how deeply the team Aislin. The cartoonist born Terry Mosher was already a master of what he and the sport it represents have figured in Quebec literature. With that in has been doing in the pages of the Montreal Gazette for decades, mind, here is a selection, by no means complete but hopefully summing up a complicated subject with a single deftly chosen, hilarious representative, of some of our best hockey writing of the past half- and finely rendered caricature: Valeri Kharlamov with a puck taped to the century. blade of his stick, Foster Hewitt struggling to pronounce “Cournoyer,” a Poor Brian Savage. A perfectly serviceable if injury-prone forward whose drunk Canadian supporter under the baleful gaze of a Lenin statue. only hockey crime was failing to live up to unrealistically high How many times has Montreal won the Stanley Cup in the modern NHL expectations, he achieved an unsought literary immortality in the pages era? It’s a pretty effective sports-trivia trick question. Adepts will know the of Mordecai Richler’s 1997 novel Barney’s Version (Alfred A. Knopf Habs have done it 23 times, but only the truly clever know the correct Canada). “Savage, that idiot, passed to an open wing,” rants aging answer is 25. Spare a thought, if you will, for the Montreal Maroons, all- filmmaker Barney Panofsky in the midst of a general lamentation on the conquering in 1926 and 1935, yet written out of history to the point where state of his beloved Canadiens, once great, now “effete.” While his fans they’re not even included in the present-day Forum’s gallery of team in places like Italy might not have twigged the fine points, Richler was portraits. (You know, the one in a distant top-floor hallway on the way to employing exactly the kind of shorthand detail that places a reader the washrooms.) William Brown does his best to redress the injustice squarely in a specific time and place. It’s hard not to wish that his only with The Montreal Maroons: The Forgotten Stanley Cup Champions book devoted solely to a sport had been about hockey and not snooker, (Véhicule Press, 1998), saluting long-lost stars like Charles (Babe) but you can’t always get what you want. Siebert and charting the sad tale of how the Depression finally forced the Montreal-raised Adam Gopnik has often worked hockey into his New team out of business. Brown also wrote Doug: The Doug Harvey Story Yorker pieces and bestselling essay collections; for many of his (Véhicule Press, 2002), a tribute to the third-best blue-liner who ever American readers, his work may well be their gateway into the game. In lived. (Before you ask: Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidstrom, in that order.) Paris to the Moon (Random House, 2000), about his spell as a North Arguably the MVP of the Canadiens’ 1956-60 Cup run, Harvey was also American attempting to get to grips with France, he upbraids World Cup a born rebel and a labour activist in hockey’s indentured servitude age. soccer announcers for waxing ecstatic when Brazil’s Ronaldo makes the Brown’s account of his career twilight and impecunious post-hockey kind of move “that Mario Lemieux made three or four times a period after years is a sobering reminder of what happened to players who didn’t toe receiving radiation therapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and having three the company line. Saskatchewan farm boys whacking at his ankles with huge clubs.” With Gratoony the Loony: The Wild, Unpredictable Life of Gilles Gratton Hockey 1, soccer 0. (ECW, 2017), the genial 1970s goaltender and Greg Oliver vouchsafe a Another Montreal exile who loyally reps for Les Glorieux is comedian, view into a pro sports world now irretrievably passed. “Loony” might be actor and screenwriter Jay Baruchel, whose Born Into It (HarperCollins, over-egging it, but there’s no doubt LaSalle-born Gratton embodies an 2018) affectingly charts a lifelong relationship that has survived spells in unapologetic individuality that has been effectively banished from places as far away as Hollywood and as Habs-hostile as Oshawa, Ont. contemporary big-money sports. How many players today would say that Baruchel’s steadfastness is all the more laudable given that his only they’re in it only for as long as it takes to earn enough to go to India and living memory of a Canadiens championship (in 1993) is dim and fading. meditate? The book scores bonus points for its riotous stories of the His fandom, and that of legions like him, exists apart from the binary, ramshackle World Hockey Association. entitled, Cup-or-bust mindset; it is, dare one say it, a richer and more (Note: Not all of these titles are currently in print; however, patient online nuanced thing. In hockey, as in life, it’s the little victories that really digging and used-bookstore browsing may well turn them up.) matter. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.26.2019 Hugh Hood’s Strength Down Centre: The Jean Béliveau Story (Prentice Hall, 1970) may have baffled some early-’70s Christmas gift recipients. What looks at a glance like a standard sports bio is something quite different. Hood, a neglected hero of the early CanLit era (see his Around the Mountain for the shining testimonial of an anglo outsider fully embracing Montreal), approaches his subject in an elliptical, lyrical manner wholly suited to the dignified style of Le Gros Bill, aided by a (perhaps excessive) number of period photographs. Ken Dryden’s The Game (John Wiley & Sons, 1983) has grown canonical to a point where it’s easy to take for granted just how good it is, and what an impact it had upon its initial publication. Imagine a Hood- quality writer who is an actual player devoted to getting the essence of a team’s season (the dynastic 1978-79 Canadiens campaign) exactly right, in real time. And succeeding. You’ll strain hard trying to come up with any book, about any sport, that’s remotely equivalent. Charles Foran clearly has a way with Montreal icons whose initials are M.R. The definitive biographer of Mordecai Richler also contributed Maurice Richard (2011) to Penguin’s Extraordinary Canadians series. A vivid extended set piece involving the ovation given to the frail Rocket on the Forum’s closing night in 1996 is worth the price alone, and there’s a lot more. Working the same turf through a Québécois lens is Roch Carrier’s Our Life With the Rocket: The Maurice Richard Story (Viking, 2001). Heavier on the social context than some might expect, but all the better for it, the book does a fine job of conveying how Richard’s cultural importance extended far outside the rink. And of course, there will always be Carrier and Sheldon Cohen’s The Hockey Sweater (Tundra Books, 1984; available in a 30th-anniversary edition with a DVD of Cohen’s animated film adaptation), a true-life parable woven so deeply into the national fabric that it’s hard to conceive of a time when it wasn’t there. 1127717 Montreal Canadiens But there is an unstated implication: if there are fewer opportunities to practice, it follows they must be seized and maximized.

And that’s the real problem. The ambient conditions of the NHL – heavy The science suggests the Canadiens should use more than the All-Star travel schedule, a premium on quality practice time, team-first culture – break to rest Carey Price conspire against optimal rest for a goaltender. Price is being deployed judiciously in games, and he is plainly being held By Sean Gordon Jan 25, 2019 back in practice, but he should almost certainly be doing even less. And the practice work he does get involved with should be weighted strongly in favour of small-group sessions with Waite. The pair do On most practice days Carey Price will go out ahead of the appointed extensive off-ice preparation and video study, and it’s clear from time with his position coach, Stéphane Waite, Canadiens backup Antti speaking to Price that focusing on the minutiae on the ice with Waite also Niemi and whichever pigeons they can round up in the dressing room to benefits him greatly. If goaltending is about adjustments and staying take a few shots. ahead of the opposition’s scouts – and yes, more and more NHL teams do goalie-specific scouting – then the best route is to constantly refine This past Tuesday, Waite arrayed three shooters in loose formation and one’s technique and tinker with the general approach. had them practice cross-ice passes and shots while Price, then Niemi, worked through various permutations that saw them push out from one It’s fine and even necessary for Price to face shots, but they should be post to confront the opposite point, shuffle to square up to each shooter, the right kind of shots and ideally mirror game situations. The problem for then slide across to take away the back-door shot. Price and basically all starting goalies is team practices generally feature neither. Nothing is perfect in this world, but given older goalies’ Price did 14 sets of five over 20 or so minutes. At one point, he took a susceptibility to wear and tear teams would do well to reconsider the way wayward Matthew Peca wrister right in the bean. they work on the ice. “I felt bad,” Peca said later, “but he’s a gamer, and he was pretty funny Modern goaltending puts a lot of stress on hips and the other leg joints about it. Next time I’m sure he’ll shoot it back.” (Price’s niggling problem is widely believed to affect a knee), and while the butterfly by definition strains the body, the medical literature suggests After Price was done, it was time to head to the neighbouring ice sheet it might not even be the biggest issue. where his teammates were milling ahead of the main on-ice workout. A widely-cited study that appeared in the American Journal of Sports Since the Canadiens’ main structural pillar went out for 10 days with a Medicine in 2015 concluded the internal rotation resulting from lower-body “irritation” in December, the Canadiens have been especially deceleration – think here of the dozens of times every game where a diligent about managing their franchise goalie’s workload. goalie makes a diagonal T-push to confront a shooter and slams on the This weekend, he’s skipping the All-Star festivities in California with his brakes with a sharp C-cut on his outside foot – puts exponentially more team’s blessing (or was that an order?). He’ll have to sit out a game as a strain on the hips and groin than the butterfly. The researchers, a team of consequence; everyone involved appears to agree this is a small price to kinesiologists based at the University of Michigan, also found that pay. recovery movements can take a heavy toll. He hasn’t played in back-to-back games since the beginning of Then there’s the (in)famous “reverse-VH” goalpost sealing technique, December, he’s taken therapy days, he was largely held out of last where the outside pad is held fast to the ice while the inside leg is held at weekend’s fan event and skills competition (instead Aubrey Haynes, a an angle off the ice. onetime practice goalie who works in the club’s marketing and hockey “Essentially, you’re leaning your entire body on the one hip. It’s, ah, not development operation subbed in). great for muscles and ligaments,” said kinesiologist and goalie expert Look, it’s impossible to argue with the results. But is Price being handled Maria Mountain. optimally? Is it the right sort of rest? Recent scientific research suggests As The Athletic’s Paul Campbell has pointed out, it’s a technique Price it might not be. used sparingly during the stretch earlier this season where he was Montreal’s Jan. 14 overtime win over Boston saw Price drop into the playing through his “irritation.” butterfly – a position from which he frequently moves around by digging So is it worth considering a shot limit for goalies in the way pitch counts his toes in to make “power pushes” – 112 separate times over the course are sometimes imposed in baseball? In a newsletter published by the of three hours. It was a busier-than-average night; the Bruins peppered American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine last spring, orthopedic the Canadiens with 70 shots and attempts. surgeons Dr. Austin Stone and Dr. Shane Nho make exactly that Contrast that with Tuesday’s 55-minute practice, where Price went to the argument for the butterfly and youth players (Nho has provided second ice 92 times. On any other day the number would have been higher, but opinions for NHL players and is a team physician with the Chicago Steel Montreal spent roughly 14 minutes practicing the power play, which . . . of the USHL, the MLB White Sox and NBA Bulls). That’s probably not a well, let’s just say it doesn’t generate much even in practice. realistic option for NHL goalies, particularly those who are relied upon as heavily as Price. On Wednesday, he took 78 shots at the morning skate, and another 41 in the pre-game warm up. Then he stopped 30 of 31 against Arizona, which Mountain, who preaches the gospel of dynamic stretching and restorative had 27 failed attempts at hitting the net. exercises at GoalieTrainingPro.com, suggests what they could do is institute a pitcher-style off-day maintenance program. But the central So the unofficial tally for the week: 301 shots and attempts in practice, issue, in her view, is athletes at all levels including the NHL have tended another 58 against the Coyotes. to focus on the wrong things in their training and practice habits. This is Carey Price being careful and, in relative terms, taking it easy. Work conducted at the NCAA level suggests goaltenders’ heart rates tend to be higher, and for longer, in practices than in games. They’re also The B.C. native is not the sort of guy to shirk on the job; he likes to see drawing energy in different ways and from different metabolic sources. lots of shots and, in the parlance of the position, “feel the puck.” “Would you have somebody do a bunch of 800 metres and 1500 metres “But there’s a fine line to it as well,” he said. “You don’t want to be in if they’re meant to be 25-metre sprinters? I mean, of course you there every day taking 400 shots. It can be taxing at times, so it’s kind of wouldn’t,” she said. a push and pull kind of deal . . . you’ve definitely got to manage it as you progressively get older.” Pro hockey is famously hidebound, if teams bothered to heed the experts’ advice they wouldn’t practice in the morning or skate on game On this, athlete and team are resolutely on the same page. days. “When you look at our schedule, we don’t practice that often and that’s It’s no different when it comes to preparing goalies. what it is in this league now. We just played Saturday, we got nothing on Sunday just the (skills) session at the Bell Centre, no practice (Monday). “I find that in most cases they’re not using advanced strategies or the He took a few shots (Tuesday), he’ll take some more (Wednesday), he’s most up-to-date knowledge base. I’ll give you an example. Goalies are off for 8-9 days,” coach Claude Julien said Tuesday. “And if you back up, typically so worried about flexibility that they’re not thinking about there’s times where we have to rest versus practice. So I don’t think that mobility,” she said. “In other words, they’re working on lengthening their practice is a big issue as far as wear and tear. And in February, and muscles but working in situations where those longer muscles are weak, March especially, it’s a big month for us so you’re barely going to see us not strong. A lot of these guys just don’t know how to use their hips.” practice.” Mountain was speaking generally, not about Price or the Canadiens, and It’s an interesting point and raises another question: if the shooters like to was at pains to point out NHL teams are not generally the worst measure themselves against their starter what, exactly, are the goalies offenders (“think of the kid in the minors, who’s trying to make it, and has getting out of a team practice? to do 200 butterflies in the pre-game warm-up then go play,” she said.) That doesn’t mean exercise science types don’t cringe inwardly when Montreal has perhaps the NHL’s most fearsome blue line weapon in they see videos online of an NHL netminder doing leg presses or flipping Shea Weber. How hard does the big man shoot in practice? tractor tires. “Like with the goalies in or people in front? Not as hard as I can, that’s for As with many older goaltenders – hi Roberto Luongo! – every hour spent sure,” he laughed. on the ice is accompanied by two or three more in the ice bath, on the In the Canadiens’ most recent on-ice session, Price and Niemi faced massage table or hooked up to electrical stimulation machines. Price has multiple waves of 2-on-0s and shooters steaming down the wing to rip an elaborate pre- and post-game routine, and is a regular visitor to the wide-open, un-screened wristers and slappers, a situation that hardly treatment room even on off-days. ever happens in a game. Asked after the Arizona game whether his nagging injury was getting Even then, there’s an etiquette. better, Price responded with something very much like the Anahim Lake, B.C., version of Jim-from-The-Office-looking-directly-into-the-camera. “Yeah, don’t hit him in the head. Goalies tend to appreciate it when you stay away from shooting it at their mask and throat, in my experience” “It feels like we’ve made improvements,” he said. “For sure.” said Paul Byron. “My first practice after I got here Carey got one right in Price has started 38 games this season, and is on track to play in 61. the grille, (coach) Mike (Therrien) called us all over and gave everybody The final total could end up being slightly less, what with the busy hell.” schedule of games in February (13 games in 25 days) and March (15 in So players are keeping their shots down. Well, mostly. 30). The workload is at the high end of the sweet spot most NHL teams are aiming for; it’s escaped no one’s notice that since the 2004 lockout “I think that might be more of a North American code,” said Brendan only one goaltender has won the Stanley Cup in a season where he Gallagher, “you talk to Tuna (Tomas Tatar) and he’s shooting right by the flirted with 70 starts (Jonathan Quick in 2012). ears every shot.” Sixty starts is still going to mean between 40 and 50 morning skates this It’s not news that Gallagher can be a severely aggravating guy to play season, plus two or three dozen team practices. Even if they’re being against, but he doesn’t generally provide the full Gallagher Crease careful, that’s a lot of shots, decelerations, butterflies. Experience in practice. Contra the conventional wisdom, nor would it particularly bother him to shoot on Price less often. Price has missed a lot of games through injury over his career but only four goalies have started more games since he broke into the league. “For me it’s about getting reps. I know if I made a good shot or a bad shot This is a man who has played 656 regular season and playoff games and regardless of if it goes in. Sometimes on Pricey you make a shot and faced something like 18,000 shots – if you include practice, pre-game he’s going to make a save, you’ll think to yourself ‘any other goalie…’,” skates and warm ups the number becomes slightly terrifying. He’s being he said. “It can also work the opposite way, you score on a bad shot doing this since childhood. you’re not exactly going back to the line feeling good about yourself. Most of all you want to execute good shots, so that when you’re in a The obvious solution to all of this is simple: use practice goalies, and game situation you’re confident of putting it where you want to put it.” keep the starter off his feet as much as possible on the morning of games. It’s not that players and goalies are working at cross-purposes, exactly, but at the highest levels they aren’t all deriving the same benefits from The Athletic‘s Pierre LeBrun recently raised an interesting possibility, full team practices. Indeed, when Price decided to have his now-famous namely relaxing the salary cap rules in order to allow teams to bring in an reset in early November, it was to dedicate more time to working one-on- extra goalie from the minors. one with Waite. It bears mention that the three-headed goaltending monster was the NHL Again, it should be blindingly obvious that a player occupying an norm until the 1980s. In a recent conversation former Canadiens goalie incredibly specialized, highly technical position will get more from Wayne Thomas recalled it as something of a necessity. specific, detailed instruction and drilling than from a workout where he’ll “One or more of us would often get hurt in practice. It even happened face dozens (hundreds?) of shots in situations and from spots that have that all three of us had to leave the ice,” he said. “The practices were, little bearing on what he can expect from a game. shall we say, intense. And the equipment wasn’t anything like it is today.” “You definitely get benefits whenever we’re doing things beforehand, Remember, Thomas played on clubs with eight and nine Hall of Fame either warming up for practice and seeing a few pucks before the hard calibre players, and if you wanted a spot on the roster you had to bring it drills start, or we’re working on something specific to correct maybe in practice. something that happened on a goal the game before,” Price said. In the AHL, where roster limits are more flexible, it still happens that The focus is already on quality versus quantity, so why settle for half-a- teams choose to put three goalies out for practice (in some NCAA loaf? programs it’s not completely unheard of to have four). In fact, the Marc Denis, the RDS analyst, recalled that when he was starting 70-plus Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Laval has been rolling with a trio for a while games in the late 1990s and early 2000s, “my pads wouldn’t touch the now as Charlie Lindgren works his way back from injury. ground on game day.” If he went out for a practice, it was often only for a There is a recent precedent establishing the benefits of lightening few minutes. everyone’s practice load: when Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk started 38 He also points out that he had a luxury Price doesn’t: there weren’t 20 straight games in 2014-15, it was largely if not primarily because the club reporters and five television cameras tracking his every movement had Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom to handle practice and he whenever his team was on the ice. could focus on position-specific drills. The scrutiny on Price is unsparing and neverending. And the Montreal It would doubtless be simpler logistically to keep a non-NHL practice commentariat has priors when it comes to applying the “nonchalant” tag goalie on staff; Carolina equipment manager Jorge Alves has regularly based solely on watching Price’s body language in practice on television. strapped on the tools of ignorance for the Hurricanes and even appeared in a real game once (for 7.6 seconds). As Price has returned to a simulacrum of his former MVP self this year – all of a sudden he is in the elite tier of most statistical metrics – it has It’s surely too much to ask Price to change a lifetime of work habits by reinforced his importance to the Canadiens. It might be telling that when skipping team skates altogether. But having a regular practice goalie it was announced he would skip the All-Star Game the news was mostly rotate through the team’s workouts would at least have the benefit of greeted with shrugs. Or it might not. limiting his exposure to shots in situations where he reaps a lesser benefit from stopping them. Anyway, he’s embarked on a nine-day break, which Price reckons is the longest non-injury layoff he’s ever had during a season. The fact it’s not happening regularly surely owes more to cultural factors and longstanding habits more than anything else. Goalies like to get their “To be able to take some time off like this is going to be great for the work in and some just plain don’t like sharing a third of the net. Then body and for the mind,” he said after the Coyotes game. “It’s been a grind there’s the fact that a lot of NHL players expect to shoot on NHL-calibre this season and the schedule’s not getting any easier. To take some time goalies. As one NHL goalie coach observed privately, “most of the guys to sort of exhale is going to be huge for us.” on our team and probably most NHL players will tell you that.” When he was asked whether having a new baby and a toddler in the house qualified as an according-to-Hoyle holiday, he smiled. “Sort of! I’ve got my sister-in-law coming, it’ll be nice to get a few days,” he said. “Then I’m sure I’ll start getting ansty and wanting to do something. I’m not the type to sit idly for very long.” Yes, well true enough. If Price wishes to maintain his exacting standard of play into his mid and even late-30s, he might consider revisiting his position on the idle life. Or perhaps his employers should do it for him. The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127718 Montreal Canadiens Explanation: If Suzuki’s skills are the best in the prospect pool, Poehling’s are second. What he might lack in pure skills he makes up with pace and smarts. Brown: Midseason ranking of the Canadiens’ top 15 prospects 3. Jesse Ylönen – RW – Pelicans (Liiga) Age: 19 | Drafted no. 35 in 2018 By Mitch Brown Jan 25, 2019 Stats: 9 goals, 7 assists, 16 points in 34 games Ylönen has performed well in a third-line role in Liiga with the Lahti With the World Junior Championships behind us, it is now prospect Pelicans. His skating and handling are his defining traits. He has a ranking season. separation gear generated through extensive crossover usage. He’s elusive along the boards with his powerful cutbacks, as he surveys the For a player to be eligible, they must be a drafted or contract player of offensive zone for options. With his speed and ability to make plays in the Canadiens in their 22-year-old season, at the oldest. Therefore, stride he’s been the primary puck carrier on his line at every level he’s players like Michael McCarron are excluded. Full-time NHLers as well as played. Both a capable shooter and passer, Ylönen has the markings of those who have played more than half a season’s worth of games are a top-six scorer. While his decision-making needs refinement, he’s an up- excluded as well. As a result, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Noah Juulsen, and tempo defensive player who can make the occasional play. Victor Mete aren’t eligible, but before you ask, I’d rank them first, fourth, and fifth, respectively. Explanation: Ylönen is the third-most skilled player in the organization, and his puck skills are second to only Suzuki’s. Therefore, he’s third on Players that are excluded due to insufficient viewings (less than 10 my list, and the third player I believe has top-six upside at this moment. games) are Jack Gorniak, Arvid Henrikson, Nikolas Koberstein, and Hayden Verbeek. 4. Josh Brook – RD – Moose Jaw (WHL) As per my previous rankings, the emphasis is placed on upside. Upside Age: 19 | Drafted no. 56 in 2017 is defined by the level of skill (ranging from skating to defence to Stats: 9 goals, 37 assists, 46 points in 35 games shooting) and their production, accounting for league and age. A player’s NHL readiness isn’t considered, as my goal is to identify long-term, Brook has undergone an impressive transformation this season, quality NHL players. emerging as one of the WHL’s best blue liners after an underwhelming 2017-18 campaign. Brook’s statistics might overstate his offensive ability, While the graduations of Kotkaniemi and Juulsen and the departure of but he brings all-around value unmatched by any other defender in the Nikita Scherbak weaken the top end of the pool, I consider 24 players in system. He’s a pro-ready puck-mover with a separation gear and the organization to be owning some level of ability, ranging from a call-up precision passing, giving him a variety of options in transition. His best option to a top-six forward. offensive trait is his vision, as he finds teammates in scoring areas Currently, I project three prospects with top-six upside, two more with frequently through his usage of the shot pass. He’s a deceptive player some top-six skills, two possible top-four defencemen and a potential from the point, and seeks to improve his shooting location as much as starting goaltender. possible. His defensive game is highlighted by his aggressiveness through the neutral zone, but requires further refinement. As always, all the information presented is in my opinion. My rankings are a fun way to organize information, and not much more. Differences Explanation: I’m more confident in Ylönen’s top-six upside tag than between prospects are often so slim I’ve probably already changed Brook’s top-four, hence the ranking. multiple rankings in the time it took you to read this introduction. 5. Alexander Romanov – LD – CSKA Moscow (KHL) Anyways, without further ado. Age: 19 | Drafted no. 38 in 2018 1. Nick Suzuki – C/RW – Guelph (OHL) Stats: 0 points in 32 games Age: 19 | Acquired via trade (Vegas Golden Knights) Romanov is probably the toughest prospect in the organization to get a Stats: 23 goals, 30 assists, 53 points in 36 games clear read on. A rare 18-year-old blue liner with a regular role in the KHL, Romanov’s defensive ability has allowed him to stick around. He has Although Nick Suzuki’s production remains at the same 1.5 points per closing speed, four direction mobility and explosive two-step game pace of the last two seasons, it’s easier than ever to be optimistic acceleration. He’s an aggressive, physical defender with refined stick about his NHL future. Suzuki is playing with more pace than before and work and gap control. The World Juniors saw Romanov’s transition and looks even more dangerous as a shooter. His versatility is a major selling offensive skills shine brighter than any other level I’ve seen him. He point. He can carry bottom-end players while lining up against top looked confident as a puckhandler and capable as a passer in transition. competition, or take high-skill plays to new levels. He’s a high-end While I don’t think his offence is top-four level, his transition and defence passer, finisher and stickhandler, and he’s one of the most creative are. players in junior hockey. A 60-point NHL player who can play on both special teams and provide defensive value is within reach for Suzuki. Rxplanation: Like Noah Juulsen before him, Romanov is a prospect I value because of efficiency in key areas for the modern NHL defender. I Suzuki was traded a couple of weeks ago to the Guelph Storm. Since, he believe Brook brings more upside as a point producer and in transition. has logged eight points and 25 shots on goal in eight games. He’s Therefore, I ranked Romanov below Brook. It’s close though. probably deserved a couple more, too. 6. Joni Ikonen – C – KalPa (Liiga) Explanation: Save for skating, Suzuki’s skills are the best in the prospect pool. He has both the high-end skills and results. Therefore, he’s the Age: 19 | Drafted no. 58 in 2018 easy choice for number one for me. Stats: 0 points in 2 games 2. Ryan Poehling – C – St. Cloud (NCAA-NCHC) Joni Ikonen has just returned to the lineup after missing the entire first Age: 19 | Drafted no. 25 in 2017 half due to a knee injury. Ikonen is a skilled, high-tempo centre with deft puckhandling. He’s agile and coordinated, allowing him to create with Stats: 3 goals, 16 assists, 19 points in 20 games passes out of the corners and around the net. He can manipulate even the Liiga’s best defenders with shoulder fakes and well-timed dangles Fresh off a World Junior MVP, Ryan Poehling brought his strong into space. performance back to St. Cloud. Poehling’s playmaking ability is his best trait; he finds teammates in or across the slot multiple times every game. Ikonen’s shot is a major selling point, as he can load up a powerful His 16 assists in 20 games might actually undersell how many looks he wrister or one-timer given space. Adding more diversity in his shot creates for his teammates. He’s an average shooter with below-average through different release points and shot selection could turn this big volume, but he shows better finesse around the goal mouth than his shooter into a sniper. totals would indicate. His stickhandling, creativity, and skating project closer to NHL average than above it. Poehling’s defensive awareness Ikonen might bring some defensive value because he stays involved in and stick work are among the very best in the NCAA, but what really the play, but his decision-making and reads need refinement. He’s an separates him is his ability to weaponize defence into offence. I believe average skater most times, sometimes below-average, with a sloppy he has second-line centre upside, with the ability to play on both special stride, which is concerning. And at some point soon, he’s going to have teams. to start scoring more. Explanation: My evaluation on Ikonen won’t change from summer, as he shows no fear of hanging onto the puck a second longer to ensure a just returned to play his first two games of the season. He’s one of two controlled play. forwards who I’m debating between having a top-six or bottom-six upside. His skating, strength and lack of secondary traits like deception Not a skilled puckhandler, but he has some upside as a shooter from the (in shooting) are my biggest concerns, although he’s looked faster in his point. I think Fleury’s upside is a bottom-pairing defender, but a good two games back. one. 7. Allan McShane – C – Oshawa (OHL) Explanation: Evans versus Fleury was a difficult choice. I ranked Fleury below because I’m slightly less confident in his upside because of his Age: 18 | Drafted no. 97 in 2018 more limited puck skills relative to his position. If Fleury keeps up his recent play, there’s a reasonable chance he’ll be a big riser. Stats: 19 goals, 21 assists, 40 points in 39 games 11. Cam Hillis – C – Guelph (OHL) Last week, I detailed Allan McShane’s various skills and why I’m confident in his NHL upside. McShane flashes dynamic puck skills and Age: 18 | Drafted no. 66 in 2018 playmaking ability. He’s an imaginative player who creates space for himself and teammates. Few prospects can make as many plays happen Stats: 9 goals, 12 assists, 21 points in 30 games off the backhand as McShane. While his scoring ability is a secondary This season’s Cam Hillis is playing much more passive and safe than last trait, he’s begun to find his way as both a sniper and goal-mouth finisher. season’s. He remains one of the organization’s best passers, showing an He’s made moderate improvements without the puck, competing harder ability to hit teammates with a variety of distances, situations and skills. and making a few stops defensively. The biggest concerns are skating He’s an above-average skater with defensive acumen. This season, Hillis and strength, but I’m believing he can overcome those issues more and is making more uncontrolled plays, decreasing his overall effectiveness more. in transition. And he’s still not shooting much, which means that he’s Explanation: Like Ikonen above him, the main inhibitors are physical easier to defend than a player of his skill should be. Hillis has been tools. I ranked Ikonen above him because I think Ikonen is a better injured since mid-December, but will return to the lineup soon. I expect a shooter and slightly better skater, but I could be swayed either way. much better second-half on the new-look Guelph Storm team. McShane has several top-six skills. If he could bring a couple more and Explanation: I’ve come down on his skill since last season, but I still improve his consistency, I’d give him the top-six upside tag. believe he can carve out a third-line role. I think Fleury and Evans have 8. Cayden Primeau – G – Northeastern (NCAA-HE) roughly the same upside relative to their positions, but Fleury is trending up, and has shown that he can play at the professional level. Age: 19 | Drafted no. 199 in 2017 12. Jacob Olofsson – C – Timrå (SHL) Stats: .922 SV%, 13-4-1 Age: 18 | Drafted no. 56 in 2018 I don’t think Cayden Primeau has been quite as good as he was last season, although he’s been excellent regardless. Primeau is a Stats: 3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points in 24 games technically-sound goaltender with an upright, economical style. He While this list has been full of players who have improved their stock, makes the difficult stops look easy and the easy ones effortless. Primeau Jacob Olofsson’s is holding steady, at best. He started out fine in the is one of the most consistent goaltenders in his age group, and he has an SHL, but has since logged just one goal since October 27th. His overall unshakeable mentality. Case in point: Primeau was pulled for the first play has taken a bit of a hit, too. Olofsson is skilled, but he doesn’t play time in his NCAA career after allowing five goals on 22 shots last with the aggressiveness or confidence necessary to make the most of his weekend. The next game? He stopped 46 of 47 to take down the then- skills. He’s a balanced offensive player, showing playmaking ability as number one ranked University of Massachusetts. While I wouldn’t well as shooting ability, but I question his ability to finish plays. Overall, consider him an elite goaltending prospect, he continues to make his Olofsson is one of the most confounding prospects in the organization. argument as one of the best. He always leaves me wanting a bit more offensive execution. Explanation: Primeau’s ranking reflects a more broad uneasiness I have Explanation: Hillis and Olofsson are two prospects that I’ve lowered on. I about evaluating goaltenders. This is about as a high as I’d rank a non- liked Hillis more pre-draft, and I’m more confident in his vision and puck elite goaltending prospect – essentially between the players who are skills than Olofsson, which is why I gave him the edge. close to top-six/top-four upside, but above the bottom-six/pairing candidates. 13. Cole Fonstad – LW – Prince Albert (WHL) 9. Jake Evans – C – Laval (AHL) Age: 18 | Drafted no. 128 in 2018 Age: 22 | Drafted no. 207 in 2014 Stats: 18 goals, 30 assists, 48 points in 47 games Stats: 10 goals, 16 assists, 26 points in 41 games With 33 points in the last 23 games, Cole Fonstad has been one of the Canadiens’ hottest prospects. But it’s also important to remember the Jake Evans has been quite good in his first professional season, holding context: He plays on a team with a 40-5-0-2 record. His best stretch also down a top-six role in the AHL. Evans isn’t particularly elusive, fast, or coincides with even better play from his linemates. That said, Fonstad strong, but he manages to create chances through intelligence, vision has assumed more of a shooting role this season, while maintaining his and patience. He tilts heavily to the passing side of the shooting-passing dangerous medium and short-range playmaking ability. He’s slippery spectrum, but has looked better as a shooter in the AHL than I along the boards, and makes an above-average number of plays in the anticipated. He’s skilled, but lacks a dynamic gear. Although he lacks slot. He’s average defensively and he projects as an average skater, at traits commonly associated with defensive strength, he’s a plus- best. Fonstad’s game is tailor-made for gaudy junior numbers, but his defensive player with the ability to kill penalties and take tough lack of pace and tendency to disappear in the background leave competition. It’s unlikely he’s a top-six player in the NHL, but a bottom-six legitimate questions for his projection. centre is possible, perhaps on the fourth line as soon as next season. Explanation: Fonstad versus Olofsson and Hillis was basically a coin-flip. Explanation: Primeau acted as a divider between the players who I think I’ve remained steady on Fonstad, so I just kept the ranking in the same have top-six upside or are close to it, and those who I’m relatively order as my pre-draft one. I think he has bottom-six upside, but if he comfortable projecting as bottom-six forwards. Evans is the best player of carries this scoring run deep into the season I’ll revise. prospects like Olofsson, Hillis, and Fonstad, so I gave him the edge. 14. Jordan Harris – LD – Northeastern (NCAA-HE) 10. Cale Fleury – LD – Laval (AHL) Age: 18 | Drafted no. 71 in 2018 Age: 20 | Drafted no. 87 in 2017 Stats: 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points in 21 games Stats: 4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points in 27 games Harris has stepped right onto Northeastern’s top pairing and performed Cale Fleury’s transition to the professional game has been just as admirably for a freshman. Harris’ skating is his standout trait, as he can smooth as his skating stride. He’s made it look effortless so far, separate from forecheckers and jump into the rush. He uses footwork to continuing to excel in the same facets of the game as he did in junior. close gaps and break up plays, but he’s an even better small space He’s Laval’s best neutral zone defender, using his mobility, decisiveness, defender. He’ll need to improve his net front coverage. He’s a capable and stick work to break up plays and punish those who venture too close. puck-mover, but I’m not convinced his offensive zone skills are He’s also Laval’s most efficient defender in transition, using his speed to noteworthy. While there’s still work to be done, Harris is ahead of the escape and his vision to locate a passing target. Patient and agile, he curve for an 18-year-old NCAA blue liner. He’s a potential bottom-pairing candidate in my eyes, but has plenty of room to grow. Explanation: I could see an argument for Harris being the 11th-ranked prospect or the 18th. I settled in the middle, but it’s really close overall. 15. Brett Stapley – C – Denver (NCAA-NCHC) Age: 19 | Drafted no. 190 in 2018 Stats: 5 goals, 11 assists, 16 points in 19 games Drafted as a re-entry with nondescript Junior-A point totals, Brett Stapley’s effectiveness in the NCAA has been a total surprise. He’s a legitimate top-six centre at Denver University, one of the best programs in the NCAA. Although his skating projects as average, with each passing week his skill level becomes clearer. He’s a dexterous passer, routinely hitting targets through traffic and across the slot. Lacking a powerful shot, Stapley can still finish off the odd play around the net Stapley is an above-average stickhandler with the ability to beat defenders and create chances. His skill isn’t dynamic and he’s not particularly creative, which leads me to believe he’s a bottom-six candidate. He’s certainly a player to keep an eye on. Explanation: The other players considered for a spot in the top-15 were Jarret Tyszka, Samuel Houde and Michael McNiven. I like Stapley’s skill relative to his position more than Tyszka’s, although recency bias may be playing a role here. (Tyszka missed the entire first half of the season). Houde’s puck skills are better than Stapley’s, and quite honestly, many of the players on this list, but his execution is sub par, leading me to give Stapley the edge. McNiven has been very good in the AHL lately, but his lack of consistency, the small sample, and my lack of experience properly evaluating goaltenders led me to rank Stapley higher. The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127719 Nashville Predators

How to get tickets to the 2020 NHL Winter Classic between Predators and Stars in Dallas

Jonathan Garcia, Nashville Tennessean Published 3:39 p.m. CT Jan. 25, 2019

The Predators will finally play in an outdoor game when they visit the Dallas Stars for the 2020 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Jan. 1, 2020. The game will almost certainly sell out, and Nashville fans wanting to make the trek to Texas will have to get their tickets early. Unfortunately right now, there is no information on tickets. On a section of NHL's website for the event it states simply, "Tickets will be made available at a later date." Stay tuned. Tennessean LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127720 Nashville Predators

NHL Winter Classic: Hockey fans stoked for new Winter Classic matchup between Preds, Stars

Nicklaus Gray, Nashville Tennessean Published 3:28 p.m. CT Jan. 25, 2019 | Updated 8:23 p.m. CT Jan. 25, 2019

The scene will be the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day 2020. The Predators will play the Dallas Stars in the next NHL Winter Classic, the premier regular season matchup on the league's schedule. Of the 12 Winter Classic games, the majority have been in the Northeast (Boston, Buffalo, Queens, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and so on) or in cold- weather Midwest cities (St. Louis and South Bend). And their opponents have usually been Original Six or marquee teams. For example, the Chicago Blackhawks have played in three of the last five Winter Classics. Dallas vs. Nashville is a departure from that matchup. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the Predators' involvement on Friday, and the hockey world rejoiced. Fresh pairings may liven up the Winter Classic concept that used 11 of 31 NHL franchises in the first 11 seasons. Tennessean LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127721 Nashville Predators

Predators to face Stars in 2020 NHL Winter Classic in Dallas at Cotton Bowl Stadium

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 2:50 p.m. CT Jan. 25, 2019 | Updated 4:23 p.m. CT Jan. 25, 2019

The Predators have an outside play date with the Stars next New Year's Day. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced Friday during NHL All-Star Weekend festivities that Nashville will play Dallas in the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. "We're excited for their fan bases and probably country music as well," Bettman said, according to the Dallas Morning News. It will be the first time the Predators participate in the annual signature event, which began in 2008 and has been played in a football or baseball stadium. "The opportunity to be a part of another of one the NHL's premier events on an international stage at the 2020 NHL Winter Classic is so exciting and would not be possible without our passionate fans and the entire Smashville community," Predators president/CEO Sean Henry said in a statement. "We look forward to working with the league, the Dallas Stars and the city of Dallas to make this the best Winter Classic in the series' 12-year history." The Predators, who hosted the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, have expressed interest in bringing the Winter Classic to Nashville. General manager David Poile told the Tennessean in December that he believes it's a real possibility. “Do I think we’ll get one eventually? Absolutely,” Poile said. “Nashville puts on good events. I would like to see us and the city of Nashville get together. “I would think our Winter Classic would be a little different than anybody else’s. I think it would be pretty special to get it.” First, though, the Predators will get their first taste of the Winter Classic as the road team. They are one of eight teams, along with the Stars, Coyotes, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Panthers, Lightning and Golden Knights, that hasn't participated in an outdoor game. The Cotton Bowl holds 92,000 people, but ticket information won't be available until a future date. "We haven't been bashful about trying new things, whether or not it's now having Nashville play Dallas in Texas, or playing at the military academies, being at an iconic venue like we were on New Year's Day at Notre Dame," Bettman said. "These are all part of the mystique of the outdoor game. I tell you for certain, it certainly hasn't lost its luster." The NHL also holds games outdoors in its Stadium Series. The Avalanche will play the Kings at Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., as part of that series on Feb. 15, 2020. The Blackhawks faced the Bruins in this year's Winter Classic, held at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. Predators forward Ryan Hartman attended a Winter Classic in 2009 at Wrigley Field in Chicago and played in one while he was with the Blackhawks in 2017 in St. Louis. “It was crazy cold, crazy snow," Hartman said of the 2009 game."Just being able to go and see that, it was awesome. It’s something that you cherish because you don’t get to do it very often.” Want to stay informed on the latest Predators news? A Tennessean subscription gets you unlimited access to the best inside information and updates on the Predators, plus podcasts like Catfish Corner, newsletters and the ability to tap into sports news from throughout the USA TODAY Network's 109 local sites. Tennessean LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127722 Nashville Predators

Catfish Corner newsletter: Behind the scenes, in the locker room with Paul Skrbina

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 7:00 a.m. CT Jan. 25, 2019

LAS VEGAS – P.K. Subban was all bark after getting to know bite. The Predators defenseman let loose Wednesday night after he said he was bitten by Vegas' Pierre-Edouard Bellemare during a skirmish in front of the net. Turns out what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas, though. Sometimes it goes viral, as this story did as word spread on social media. One thing that did stay in Vegas, though, was the memory. A billboard Thursday in Sin City featured a picture of Subban with the words "Bellemare bit my finger ... and it really hurt!" The drama of “Bite-gate” continues. This is a real billboard in Las Vegas today. Speaking of Vegas, I was informed Wednesday morning by Rocco Grimaldi that I was put on "The List," a reference to WWE Superstar Chris Jericho's popular bit. As we were discussing the finer points of fast food, I mentioned that In N' Out Burger's burgers were good, but its fries disgusting. Needless to say, Rocco didn't agree. Oh, and the Golden Knights trolled the Predators with this pregame sideshow. In other news, Ryan Johansen returned Wednesday from a two-game suspension for high-sticking a Jets player last week. He scored a goal in the Predators' win over the Golden Knights, the team's last game until Feb. 1. Tennessean LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127723 Nashville Predators "He touches society in a different way," Flood said, using as an example the video Subban sent to a black hockey player who had racial taunts aimed at him. "He also is one of those guys, to steal a Doc Emrick It's show time again for Predators defenseman P.K. Subban phrase, who wants the game on his stick. When it's money time, he wants the puck on his stick. That's what you love about great athletes. He takes that same attitude off the ice. Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 6:00 a.m. CT Jan. 25, "The fact he wants to do this one-hour special, he's going to sink or swim 2019 | Updated 11:39 a.m. CT Jan. 25, 2019 on his ability to engage." Tennessean LOADED: 01.26.2019 LAS VEGAS -- Leave it to P.K. Subban to add entertainment value to nose-hair clipping. The Predators defenseman spoke of the importance of grooming during a preview of "The P.K. Project," a series offering a peak into Subban's life on and off the ice that debuted Wednesday across NBC platforms. In the clip, Subban visited his barber, Patrice. The two traded verbal jabs as Patrice trimmed Subban's nose hairs. "It's a love-hate relationship," Subban said in the preview. "But at the end of the day I need him." New way of thinking Generally, hockey players generally are reluctant to become brands, especially while they are playing. "Culturally, within a hockey team, it remains about the logo on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back," said Sam Flood, executive producer and president of production for NBC and NBC Sports Network. "Players need to be willing to break free of that. P.K. always has been a great teammate ... very noticeable on the ice. "He's also a star off the ice; that allows him some leeway. He loves it and clearly engages in it." Subban and his production company, PeeK Productions, teamed with NBC Sports Group on the series, which will be streamed on NBCSports.com, the NBC sports app and on its YouTube channel. The idea was born, Flood said, after Subban's personality shined through during a telecast of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Subban also will host a one-hour special Friday at 10:30 p.m. Central on NBC Sports Network after the NHL All-Star Skills competition. The first episode of "The P.K. Project" chronicled Subban's visit to his parents' house in Canada during a Predators trip to Toronto. Earlier Wednesday, several hours before the Predators faced the Golden Knights, Subban worked out alone on the floor of the team's locker room at T-Mobile Arena. His day job, as he's said, comes first. "That’s the whole fun part about your playing career – everyone knows what your first and foremost responsibility is, and that’s playing hockey," Subban said. "But you can mix in some other things and have fun with it; that’s great, too. It doesn’t take away from your responsibility." On the ice: P.K. Subban on Vegas' Pierre-Edouard Bellemare: 'He knows he bit me' Seal of approval Predators coach Peter Laviolette said Subban has done a "really good job of managing" his responsibilities and praised the charity work he's performed. "We knew exactly the person and player we were getting with P.K.," Laviolette said. "The fact he goes the awards shows or does things for the league, the Christmas events and the charity work he does. As long as he maintains his work on the ice and his work with the team, that time is his time. "Our team has been successful in the time he's been here, and he's been part of that. We know he has a bigger personality." Subban said he hasn't thought long-term about being a TV star, or his post-hockey career in general. "Just want to have fun with it in the moment," he said. Show time Subban knows how to put on a show on the ice, where he's been a three- time All-Star. Now is his chance to put on a show off the ice. 1127724 Nashville Predators “veteran, top-nine piece,” according to LeBrun. The Predators should pass on Burakovsky. (On the other hand, would a change-of-scenery trade involving Burakovsky and Fiala make sense? Just a thought.) Predators Mailbag: Are Kevin Fiala’s days numbered? What should be Any insight into the photographs displayed above the players’ lockers, done about the second line? which seem to be taken after they were awarded a dog collar? — Kelsey C. By Adam Vingan Jan 25, 2019 As you may remember, the Predators’ unofficial mascot during their Stanley Cup Final season was a cartoon bulldog named “Stanley.” He had bulging muscles and carried a bone in his mouth with “speed” on one end and “attitude” on the other, typifying the Predators’ aggressive style. P.K. Subban’s right pinky finger was the most talked-about body part in Las Vegas on Wednesday. And in Las Vegas, that’s no small feat. After wins, the player of the game received a “dog chain” bestowed by the previous recipient. (Freddy Gaudreau is wearing it in the photo below As Subban explained his side of the skirmish that resulted in Golden from 2017.) Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare allegedly biting him, he turned the line of questioning around on reporters. This season, the Predators have adopted “The Boss,” a roided-up version of Stanley, as their spirit animal. The award is basically a leather “If it was anything other than that, I probably wouldn’t have reacted the choker, which resembles a dog collar. The Predators keep track of how way I did,” Subban said. “But when you get bit, when someone’s biting many collars each player has received, and the totals are displayed on your finger, have you ever had someone bite your finger? It’s completely the screens above each player’s locker stall. (I unfortunately don’t have unexpected.” the latest count, though.) Unless my puppy accidentally nibbling my finger as I feed him peanut During the period of time that we were missing Viktor Arvidsson and Filip butter counts, then I can’t say that I have. Forsberg, it was really obvious that we were lacking a real secondary scoring punch. Poile was on the radio the other day stating that he Anyway, the altercation reached billboard-sized proportions Thursday, wanted to see how we looked once we get healthy, i.e. Kyle Turris. when this appeared off the Strip: With the lack of secondary scoring that we are seeing now, how about a The Predators’ return to Vegas on Feb. 16 should be quite entertaining. trade involving someone like Mark Stone or Mike Hoffman? They both Your questions: had great success in Ottawa playing with Turris, who helped lead them to a conference final. All articles are pointing towards it being a “buyer’s Does Kevin Fiala finish the season with the Predators? — Josh W. market” this trade deadline, with many forwards available. I believe outside of JOFA we are lacking secondary scoring this year. — John M. The majority of the questions I received were some variation of this one. (Josh’s was the most succinct.) On Wednesday during his weekly appearance on the Predators’ flagship station, Poile shared where he stood on the team’s current lineup. First off, I understand the frustration over Fiala. He teases you with his obvious talent, then does things that make you want to slap your palm “Our first line, we’re very confident that that’s one of the best lines in the against your forehead. The eye test has not been kind to Fiala this league,” he said. “But we’re not as confident in our second line, and season. that’s because Turris has been out a couple of times this year and there’s been some inconsistency with some of the other players. I feel confident In defense of Fiala, he’s 22, something that his detractors seem to forget. on the third and fourth lines, whatever we put together. … Second line is He’s still learning. For what it’s worth, his underlying numbers are really the biggest question mark on our team right now.” promising. (Yes, Fiala does turn the puck over quite a bit, leading the Predators with 3.45 giveaways per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. But that’s part None of what Poile said was revelatory. It’s clear that the Predators’ of being a creative player who has it a lot.) second line is in need of a boost. They hope that Turris, who is expected to return from his second stint on injured reserve shortly after the bye Take a look at this chart from Sean Tierney, who was kind enough to add week, will provide that for them, though he hasn’t wowed anyone this context below: season when he’s been healthy. Turris himself is a huge question mark. Fiala shoots from about league-average distance for a forward and does Because John specifically asked about Stone and Hoffman, let’s address most of his damage with the wrister. He’s got eight goals on 12 xG, which them first. Here’s how Turris performed with each player at 5-on-5 during makes him one of the biggest underperformers in the league so far. His the 2016-17 regular season: quality-chance creation ebbs and flows a bit, but his peaks are elite. Turris with Stone: 202:49 TOI, 55.65 CF%, 57.14 GF%, 51.81 SCF%, That last part is important. I think it would be foolish for the Predators to 48.65 HDCF%, 55.32 OZF% sell low on a 22-year-old with high potential, even if his growing pains are frustrating to watch. It’s part of the process, and the Predators get that. At Turris with Hoffman: 315:22 TOI, 50.47 CF%, 55.56 GF%, 49.28 SCF%, this moment, I don’t see Fiala going anywhere. 43.56 HDCF%, 64.8 OZF% (I will say this, though: The Predators should lean toward re-signing Those aren’t eye-popping numbers. Still, Stone is an elite two-way Fiala, whose entry-level contract expires this summer, to a bridge deal if forward, and Hoffman, now with the Florida Panthers, is good for at least he sticks around. He needs to prove he’s worthy of a long-term 20 goals every year. Both players would undoubtedly help the Predators, investment.) but neither seem to be realistic options at this time. (Elliotte Friedman speculated on the most recent “31 Thoughts” podcast that the annual With all the talk of Wayne Simmonds being the perfect fit, why have we average value on Stone’s next contract could be “in the $10 million not heard of any interest from David Poile in Andre Burakovsky? Is it the range.”) salary that scares him? It just seems like he’s a perfect type that would solidify middle-six scoring. Maybe not fill the physical need, but worth at Many of you who submitted questions wanted to know what the least a few phone calls maybe? — Jacob P. Predators will or should do at the trade deadline. I believe that shoring up the second line will be the Predators’ main priority. There are plenty of Burakovsky’s name has been floating around the rumor mill for the past choices. I’m on record as saying the Predators need to target players, month or so as he has struggled to stay in the Washington Capitals’ specifically wingers, with size who can provide offense in a top-six role. lineup. Simmonds and Micheal Ferland come to mind. Colleague Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday that the Arizona Coyotes, It bears repeating, however, that with little in the way of tradable assets, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are among not to mention an insufficient prospect pipeline, the Predators should be the teams that have sniffed around Burakovsky, who has 12 points this careful not to overspend. The team is in win-now mode, and many of its season and is a pending restricted free agent with a $3 million cap hit. stars are either in or just entering their primes. But the future is important, “He’s taken a step back, but we anticipate that he will find his game and too. become a better player after he goes through all of this,” Capitals general The Preds are a “magnificent” 0-for-25 with the man advantage over their manager Brian MacLellan told reporters earlier this month. past seven games. This was already a bad team on the power play, but My concern about Burakovsky, who turns 24 on Feb. 9 and whose now it has sunk to great depths with no REAL solution in sight. Granted, career-high 17 goals came three years ago, is that he’s a lot like Fiala. Ryan Johansen missed a couple of games, and Turris has missed them He can be maddeningly inconsistent. It doesn’t make sense to trade for all in this stretch, but considering Johansen, despite leading the team in another player like that, especially at the Capitals’ preferred price of a power-play points DOES NOT HAVE A SINGLE POWER-PLAY GOAL this year, and Turris has barely been effective in that area as well, here is my question: When does the word “accountability” get passed down to the coaching staff? Or is it, when does the word “accountability” get passed up to the coaching staff? Did you know that (despite his missed time due to injury) Arvidsson has FOUR shots in 28 games on the PP? This is a guy who can get four shots in a period at even strength. Clearly, his positioning is not maximizing his strengths with the man advantage. — Marc N. There’s no need to shout, Marc. The Predators’ power play, which sits 30th in the NHL at the All-Star break and is 2-for-38 since Jan. 1, has been a major source of angst this season. It’s understandable. The Predators have too much talent to be this dreadful. On Wednesday morning, I asked Peter Laviolette how much thought he and his staff have put into restructuring the power play, which tends to be over-reliant on point shots. (And before you ask, associate coach Kevin McCarthy isn’t going to be fired.) “You’ve got to remember that we’ve operated at a fairly high percentage for the last four or five years, even last year and in the playoffs,” Laviolette said. “After the injuries started to happen, we’ve never put the unit that probably has had the most success back together. … These aren’t excuses, but when Arvidsson goes out and Forsberg goes out and P.K. goes out and Colton Sissons goes out, who is a net-front presence and did a really good job, those are a lot of pieces and a lot of movement that has to happen. And we just haven’t found any consistency. We’ve tried a lot of different pieces and moved in different places and tried to generate and manufacture offense from different ways, and I think we have tried to be patient with it. “(Adjustments) do happen on a regular basis, from the personnel to the different looks, the different breakouts, the different in-zone setups to try to find that consistency back.” (The Predators rank 26th on the power play since Laviolette took over in 2014, though they rise to 14th if excluding this season. Since Laviolette’s first year, the Predators are 27th with 5.83 expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-4 and were 26th with 5.87 before this season, according to Evolving Hockey.) The unit Laviolette was referring to was Forsberg, Johansen, Arvidsson, Craig Smith and Roman Josi. Against the Golden Knights, that particular 4F/1D setup was, in Laviolette’s mind, effective at generating scoring opportunities. “It was really good,” he said. “For me, that’s a sign of life for it. Those players were out for a long time. They’re all in good shape right now. I thought they moved the puck really well. … There were some good things and something to take as a positive from it that we can build off of coming back off of the break.” As for Arvidsson, he’s the Predators’ most consistent net-front presence, hence his low shot totals on the power play. That’s why someone like Simmonds, who’s among the better players in the league in those situations, would help them. You’ve said that continuing to carry eight defensemen would hamstring the Preds, and that’s why waiving Anthony Bitetto made sense. If they sign Dante Fabbro to an ELC and have him travel/work with the team, doesn’t that put them right back in the same spot? — George S. That won’t be an issue. Fabbro’s junior season at Boston University won’t end until after the Feb. 25 trade deadline, when the 23-man roster limit is lifted. At that time, the Predators can carry as many players as they want. The Minnesota Wild claimed Bitetto off waivers Friday. Wild general manager Paul Fenton, formerly the Predators’ assistant GM, also recently traded for Pontus Aberg and Brad Hunt. He’s getting the band back together! The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127725 New Jersey Devils

What to watch for at the NHL All-Star Game

Abbey Mastracco, NHL writer Published 1:41 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2019 | Updated 5:19 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2019

Hockey has descended on the South San Francisco Bay Area for the annual NHL All-Star Game. The San Jose Sharks and the SAP Center play host to the game this season, with the festivities kicking off with the skills competition 9 p.m. EST Friday night on NBC Sports Network. The game takes place at 8 p.m. Saturday on NBC. Here are a few things to watch for. New Jersey Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at Prudential Center. 3-on-3 format The decision to play three mini 3-on-3 games (division vs. division, winner vs. winner) has been the best one the league has made in a long time when it comes to the All-Star Game. Gone are the days of a watered down 5-on-5 games with superstars hiding on the ice and phoning it in for the day. A 3-on-3 game showcases the best of the league’s speed and skill, it lends itself to creativity and with such a thin margin for error, it’s extremely entertaining to watch. Sure, there is an argument to be made for bringing back an Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format. It would be great to see Palmieri skating with Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and Toronto’s John Tavares reunited with Islanders’ forward Mathew Barzal. Ultimately, as long as the league sticks with a 3-on-3 tournament-style format, they will have an entertaining product. Jersey boys The best person to represent the hockey team of New Jersey is its native son, Palmieri. The 27-year-old winger was rewarded for his standout, 24- goal, 20-assist season with his first All-Star selection. Palmieri replaced Taylor Hall on the Metropolitan Division roster with his top-line teammate injured and back in New Jersey rehabbing a lower-body injury. But some have argued from the start that Palmieri is just as deserving as Hall. Oct 25, 2018; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) celebrates after a goal against Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) during the first period at Prudential Center. He’s the perfect player for a 3-on-3 game with his speed, vision and shot. The product of North Jersey junior leagues has a cannon of a shot that can beat many goalies clean which makes him particularly dangerous off the rush. New Jersey will be well-respresented between Palmieri and Washington Capitals Defenseman John Carlson, a Colonia native and product of the New Jersey Rockets Youth Hockey Organization. Carlson will also make his All-Star debut. Advanced tech San Jose is in the heart of Silicon Valley, so hockey is taking a cue from the tech capital of the world by implementing new tech into this year’s All- Star Game. The NHL’s puck and player tracking system will debut at this year’s edition of the game in order to measure skating speed, shot distance and other aspects of the game that will further enhance television broadcasts. Each player will have sensors in shoulder pads and sensors will be embedded in pucks as well. Some elements will be featured in the NBC broadcast and more will be available online. It’s not unlike MLB Advanced Media’s integration of advanced tracking features that measure the ball coming off the bat, like launch angle and exit velocity. While some in hockey and baseball have been slow to come around to these features, these insights simply add to the story of the game. Bergen Record LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127726 New York Islanders “It’s pretty cool just to be quote, unquote All-Star,” he said before he was reminded that there’s no need for the quotes. “But to just be there with guys like Crosby and Giroux and just the top of the league. I don’t put Isles’ Mathew Barzal combines All-Star talent with team-first mentality myself in that class, so for me to be playing with those guys and be at an event with them, it’s pretty special for a young guy like me.”

New York Post LOADED: 01.26.2019 By Brett Cyrgalis January 25, 2019 | 8:15PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — This past March, as the Islanders were nearing the end of another disappointing season that eventually brought an organizational overhaul, it became clear Mathew Barzal was their shining beacon of hope. He was pretty much a shoo-in for the Calder Trophy at that point, but even before he went on to win it, he was thinking long term. “At the end of the day,” he said back then, “it’s a career and I don’t want to just be a one-season guy.” Barzal, the lone Islanders representative for All-Star weekend, has backed up his great rookie campaign with a stellar sophomore season. Though it didn’t start very fast for the 21-year-old under new head coach Barry Trotz, it did pick up, and he has accumulated 14 goals and 45 points in the first 49 games. He was the team’s most deserving player to get this honor, and it was the next step in his own internal narrative. “There are certain things you want to check off that at the end of your career you can look back and say I accomplished this and did that,” Barzal told The Post shortly before the break began, with his team surprisingly in first place in the Metropolitan Division. “But right now, when you’re in the present and the moment, you’re worried about the season. We’re having a good season right now. I just want to get to the playoffs. “You can have all those individual [awards], but at the end of the day, I don’t want to be a guy that goes to play 15 years and makes the playoffs three times, you know? I want to be in there consistently.” Mathew Barzal It’s that team mentality that seems to be the first thing on everyone’s mind when discussing Barzal. For a player with such prodigious talent, what makes him tick is trying to win the Stanley Cup. That was reiterated by first-year team president Lou Lamoriello, who came aboard after having discussions with now-relieved general manager Garth Snow and his assistant, Lamoriello’s own son, Chris. “Anybody I spoke to prior to coming here within the organization — whether it be Garth, whether it be my son Chris — no matter who it might be, they said [Barzal] was really a good person,” Lamoriello told The Post. “So my preconceived notion was I was going to find somebody who wasn’t cocky, didn’t have an ego. That was my thought and that’s what it was. So I can’t say I was surprised, but I was pleased.” The acquisition of Barzal was one of Snow’s best moves. He traded first- round bust Griffin Reinhart to the Oilers in exchange for first- and second-round picks in 2015. At No. 16 overall, they selected Barzal out of WHL Seattle, and he still remembers setting goals while playing for that junior team — which included winning the Calder and being an All- Star. “It’s obviously been a goal of mine, both of those things,” he said. “But three years ago, I was still in junior, I would have told you I’m just trying to get in the NHL. I want to be a regular.” Barzal is more than regular. He has become the face of the franchise, whether he thinks that way or not. With captain John Tavares leaving this summer to sign with his hometown Maple Leafs, the spotlight turned to Barzal. But he has approached the season like he’s any other player and was receptive to Trotz’s system that put more emphasis on defending. In turn, the Islanders drastically went from dead-last in the league in goals against (3.57 per game) to first (2.41). “I’ve been extremely impressed with him, especially at the age he’s at, with the success he had certainly last year with the Calder Trophy. Just seeing how he’s handled the change, handled putting more emphasis on defense,” Lamoriello said. “He’s been receptive to anything and everything and is as good a team player as you could want. He’s happy for his teammates, he loves the game, he wants to be good.” Now he’s rewarded by being put on a stage with the best players in the game, with him singling out Sidney Crosby and Claude Giroux as examples. He’s not far behind them, either. 1127727 New York Islanders He said it “can track pucks at the rate of 2,000 times per second with inch-level accuracy. It will instantaneously detect passes, shots and positioning precisely. It will be equally accurate in tracking players, their NHL will have final say on Islanders' home playoff games, Gary Bettman movements, their speed, their time on ice, you name it.” says The system uses sensors on each player’s uniform and a chip in each puck. In testing during two recent regular-season games, including the Rangers’ visit to Las Vegas, data showed that Brent Burns of the Sharks By Mark Herrmann and Jonathan Marchessault of the Golden Knights each skated more than three miles and that William Karlsson of Vegas skated faster than Updated January 25, 2019 10:00 PM 20 miles per hour. Said Bettman, “We think many of our fans, especially the innovation generations, the millennials and Gen Z, are going to love this new SAN JOSE, Calif. — If Islanders fans had a vote about where potential frontier.” playoff home games would be played, it would be a landslide. If opposing players had their choice, the result likely would be just as definitive in the Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.26.2019 other direction. As it is, though, National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday that the league will have the final say. He did not indicate whether he is leaning either way, nor would he comment on whether the Islanders will be able to play all of their home games at Nassau Coliseum next season. “It will be a collaborative decision among the Islanders, the Barclays — their landlord, whether it’s in Nassau or in Barclays Center — and the league,” Bettman said during his annual state of the NHL news conference during All-Star Weekend. “I suppose the league has final say, but at the appropriate time, all parties will get together and figure out what the best way to approach the playoffs would be — if the Islanders make the playoffs.” Fans have expressed great hope that the games would be at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum, where the energy and noise for regular-season games has been exceptional and where the Islanders have a 5-1-1 record in their return this season. But Barclays Center has greater seating capacity and many more luxury suites, which produce high revenue. Long Islanders also have been pushing, especially through social media, to move all home games to the Coliseum next season, up from the half- schedule being held in 2018-19 in the team’s original home. When he was asked about that, Bettman said, “We haven’t focused on where the games will be played next season.” All of this, of course, revolves around the plan to build a permanent home for the Islanders on the grounds of Belmont Park. Residents have made public their objections, on the basis of traffic and other concerns, at hearings recently. But the commissioner remains optimistic about the initiative. “The reports that we’re getting on the Belmont project are that everyone seems to be on track. We hope to have a groundbreaking in May or June,” he said. The Coliseum has been a sensitive issue during the Islanders’ surprising rise to first place in the Metropolitan Division this season. After experiencing the atmosphere and advantage it brings to the home team, Barry Trotz said right after the Dec. 1 return that the building would be worth about 12 points over the course of an entire season. All-Star defenseman Seth Jones of the Blue Jackets, a member of the visiting team in that first regular-season game back on Long Island (and son of Popeye Jones, who was an assistant coach of the Nets at Barclays Center), addressed the factor without having specifically been asked. During media day here Thursday night, he was questioned about what has put the Islanders on top at the break and said: “Have you seen that building? Come on!” But the economics of the situation offer a different picture for Barclays, which operates both arenas, and the league. Fastest Skater contest. Kendall Coyne, a member of the U.S. Women's National team, was named as a last-minute entrant in the Fastest Skater contest during the Skills Competition Friday night. Coyne was chosen by the Avalanche to replace Nathan MacKinnon, whose bruised foot caused him to pull out of the event that also included Mathew Barzal of the Islanders. Coyne had been scheduled to be one of several non- competing female presenters in another skills category. Connor McDavid of the Oilers won the contest for a third time. Mathew Barzal of the Islanders finished third, behind the Sabres' Jack Eichel. New tracking system to debut at All-Star Game NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s chief topic during his annual state of the NHL address Friday was the league’s new high-tech player and puck tracking system that will be used in all games next season. It will be previewed during the telecast of the All-Star Game (actually a three-on-three tournament) Saturday night. 1127728 New York Islanders on the third line with Valtteri Filppula and Leo Komarov. For now, rookie Michael Dal Colle has been playing well in that spot.

Defense, man After break, there's little rest for Islanders Last season, Nick Leddy seemed a defenseman in name only as he produced 10 goals and 32 assists but struggled away from the puck with Updated January 25, 2019 9:58 PM an NHL-worst minus-42. But Trotz and his staff have gotten the 27-year- old Leddy to concentrate on his defensive efforts. Which is why this can By Andrew Gross be considered a turnaround season for Leddy, a plus-three despite his having just one goal to go with 17 assists.

Look no further than Tuesday’s overtime as he chased down the The Islanders handled the dog-days portion of their schedule with Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane to thwart his breakaway without drawing a aplomb, rising to the top of the Metropolitan Division through December penalty. and January. “Last year didn’t go the way he probably would have liked,” Trotz said. “It certainly can be tough,” left wing Matt Martin said. “But everyone is “He’s playing with a lot of confidence with his defending skills, those going through the same things. I just try to take it game by game. I don’t areas around the net, positionally, what he does in terms of controlling really think about the amount of games. There’s always that part of the people with his stick, stick on puck technique. All those things. He’s been season where it is a mental grind. I think every player will say they go very effective.” through that at some point. It seems to be that December, January time frame.” NHL honors The same game-by-game focus must be applied to their playoff push The Professional Hockey Writers Association announced its midseason over the season’s final nine weeks. awards and Trotz finished first in balloting for the Jack Adams (top coach), goalie Robin Lehner was first for comeback player of the year The NHL’s dog days in the marathon 82-game season comes after the and Lou Lamoriello was third in general manager of the year voting: excitement of the start of the season wears off and before the intensity of Here’s a look back at the top Islanders’ regular-season trophy winners: the playoff stretch. Hart Trophy (MVP) The Islanders will enter February off the extended rest of a combined All- Star break and bye week, not reconvening for practice until Thursday and Bryan Trottier – 1979 with 10 days between games. The Islanders, who face the NHL-leading Lightning on Friday at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum, completed a 15-3- Norris Trophy (top defenseman) 1 run with Tuesday night’s 3-2 shootout loss at Chicago. Overall, they Denis Potvin – 1976, 1978, 1979 went 17-6-2 in December and January. Selke Trophy (top defensive forward) “You never really look back ever,” right wing Leo Komarov said. “You just have to be good every day. Some days, you’re going to have a bad day. Michael Peca – 2002 You’ve just got to hope you don’t have too many of them.” Calder Trophy (top rookie) Once the season does resume, the Islanders will have little time to reflect on any bad games as they play their final 33 games over a 65-day Denis Potvin – 1974; Bryan Trottier – 1976; Mike Bossy – 1978; Bryan stretch, essentially a game every other day. Berard – 1997; Mathew Barzal – 2018 Only once do the Islanders have three days between games. Art Ross Trophy (top scorer) The practical result is there will be little time for practices as Barry Trotz Bryan Trottier – 1979 expects to prioritize rest and recovery over on-ice, off-day work. He Vezina Trophy (top goalie) estimated the number of practices the rest of the season could be counted on two hands. That does not include game-day morning skates Billy Smith – 1982 but many of those tend to be optional. Bill Masterton Trophy (perseverance, dedication to ice hockey) “Personally, I like it,” defenseman Scott Mayfield said of the reduced practice schedule. “Everyone is different. For me, I just want to play Ed Westfall – 1977; Mark Fitzpatrick – 1992 games. Jack Adams Trophy (top coach) “As long as mentally, you’re ready, once you’re halfway through a Al Arbour – 1979 season, we’ve had enough where we don’t need to practice the structure as much,” Mayfield added. “We have our plan and we know what [the Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.26.2019 coaching staff] wants from us now. It’s just mentally executing and getting your body ready.” No return dates Defenseman Thomas Hickey (upper body) and left wing Andrew Ladd (lower body) remain on injured reserve without a timetable for returning from their lengthy absences. Which means Trotz does not have to worry yet about how he can fit them back in the lineup — if that’s what he wants to do. “That’s a good question,” Trotz said when asked when either might return. “I know Hicks is getting a little closer all the time. If he gets back and if he gets the OK to skate with us, he’s going to be a few practices away. But we don’t have a lot of practices.” Trotz estimated at one point in Hickey’s recovery process he would need four to five practices before being able to play. That could delay Hickey’s return until late February. Hickey has missed 17 games since Dec. 18 and, in his absence, rookie Devon Toews has shown he can not only play in the NHL but add a unique, offensive element to the Islanders’ attack and power play. Fellow lefthanded shot Adam Pelech would be the other candidate to come out in favor of Hickey but his somewhat erratic play improved noticeably during the previous two or three weeks. Ladd has missed 31 games since Nov. 15 and Trotz indicated the earliest he might be ready is the end of February. Ladd had been playing 1127729 New York Islanders But still, there was a confidence factor. Dal Colle got to Barry Trotz’s training camp and didn’t flash — Kieffer Bellows had a better showing among the young forwards. As is the way with Lou Lamoriello and Trotz, How Michael Dal Colle reinvented himself last summer into an AHL All- even the prospects who had strong camps were shipped out fairly Star and budding Isles mainstay quickly. Dal Colle seemed to be lost in the shuffle once again. “Michael, from my standpoint, didn’t have much pace during camp,” Trotz said. “He was a player maybe lacking a little bit of confidence.” By Arthur Staple Jan 25, 2019 But Dal Colle didn’t pout or bemoan fate. He had eight points in his first seven games with Bridgeport. After a brief recall in November, he continued to score at an elite pace in the AHL, converting six consecutive The smile was so genuine, so full of joy and relief. Michael Dal Colle’s shots over a three-game span. His 16 goals is still in the top 50 in the first NHL goal came last week in Nassau Coliseum against the Devils AHL despite playing only 28 games. and he was smiling, a rare sight for a young man who hardly ever looks anything less than serious. “Wherever I am, it doesn’t change,” he said. “I still wanted to improve, play well, develop good habits and it would translate if I got up here.” “Mike is one of the most stoic guys I know,” said Dan Noble, Dal Colle’s trainer since the Islanders forward was a teenager. “He’s been through So when it came time for another trial at the NHL level right after some real tough shit in his life. In his mind, this isn’t adversity — this is Christmas, he looked like a different player. hockey. But he also accepts the responsibility that he needed to get better.” “Massively,” Trotz said. “He’s gotten pace back into his game. When he went down there, he was one of their leading scorers and he’s gotten Even before the Islanders made Dal Colle the fifth pick in the 2014 NHL some confidence. He plays a real consistent game. He’s becoming a Draft, he’d understood the divide between life and sport. His older good young pro — I have no issues with him playing against top people. I brother, Jonluca, is autistic. His mother, Wendy, battled breast cancer. never get worried about that. I trust his ability to play the game the right To rise to the elite level of junior hockey takes a focus and commitment way, he’s been a good surprise for me since camp. He continues to from every family and Dal Colle had to keep that focus while living grow.” through challenges that so many families face. It took a few weeks, but finally getting that first goal in the NHL on Jan. From the hockey side, things looked great after his draft year. A 17 was a weight off Dal Colle’s shoulders. He’s back in the AHL again Memorial Cup win with a loaded Oshawa team, then a rejuvenation after during the Isles’ long break, able to participate in his first All-Star Game a midseason trade to Kingston the following season, his last as an this weekend in Springfield. Andrew Ladd is inching closer to a return amateur. from a knee injury and the trade deadline is on the horizon; either Ladd’s return or an added forward could bump Dal Colle back to Bridgeport for But the transition to the pro game didn’t happen quickly. Dal Colle was 6- the remainder of the season. foot-1 and 180 pounds when he was drafted and by the time he was 20, he was 6-3 and nearly 200 pounds. His game seemed to stall among the But he has accomplished something: being a player people notice again. older, faster players in Isles training camp and the AHL. “We did talk about having a funeral for the past — it had to be a fresh After going 15-26-41 in 75 games for Bridgeport in 2016-17, the winger start,” Noble said. “Not carrying over any of those stigmas, ways that bottomed out last year, even with a four-game call-up to the uneven other people were perceiving him. It’s back to how he perceives himself. Islanders. In 60 games with the Sound Tigers, Dal Colle had seven goals It’s building that champion’s mindset. — this was a scoring power forward who’d racked up seasons of 39, 42 and 35 in last his three OHL seasons. He dropped from just about “You have to reinvent yourself every year in the league. If you’re not everyone’s radar as far as being a real prospect. adapting your game, this might pass you by. Credit to Mike for embracing that.” Outside of the upheaval in the Isles front office and behind their bench, this past summer was a huge one for Dal Colle individually. With the final The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 year of his entry-level deal approaching and coming off his worst hockey season, he needed a fresh outlook. “I just wanted to prove I could play in this league,” he said. So he got a new skating coach to work with him at Noble’s Hill Performance Academy in his hometown of Vaughan, Ont. Dal Colle was on the ice by June, far earlier than he’d done so in past offseasons. With his old friend, Mitch Marner, training alongside him and former Oshawa teammate, Anthony Cirelli, a third-round pick who’d found a role with the elite Lightning, also in the gym and on the ice, Dal Colle felt the push. It was time to remind everyone why he was a chalk selection at No. 5 in the draft — every scout had had him there. “For the longest time, when Mike was younger, it was ‘he needs to gain weight,’” Noble said. “Then you blink and you realize, it’s not weight he needs to gain, it’s explosiveness, it’s change of direction. Last season, there was that focus — everyone wanted him to get stronger, we all went away from what we know works for him. This year was more dumbbell work, not a ton of lifting heavy. Explosive movements. Mike’s unique, he’s actually one of the fastest guys off ice we have. We have a test that measures your speed over 30 yards, your acceleration and top speed. Out of the pro group we had, including Mitch, Mike was the fastest guy. It was in how long he gets to top speed, that first 5-10 yards. That changed our approach and gave us a number we could focus on. Lot of power, lot of running, lot of hills, getting that power and that spring into his legs. “The heavy lifting was taking a toll on him, his body wasn’t responding well to that. We went back to things from when he was younger. Everything was fast, explosive. And we have the technology to track the gains. I think he gained three inches on his vertical this offseason, his power output went up significantly. Sometimes coaches try to make guys who they’re not instead of work with a guy to find a program they feel good about, rather than feeling broken and beaten up.” Dal Colle participated in pro skates with other local NHLers in August that were more intense than usual. “I think those really helped me,” Dal Colle said. “Those guys are all NHL players.” 1127730 New York Rangers

Ex-Rangers star Brian Leetch's wife and sister take violation deal in piano bar scrap

By SHAYNA JACOBS JAN 25, 2019 | 2:00 PM

The wife of hockey hero Brian Leetch and her sister settled their Upper East Side bar fight case on Friday with violation pleas. Mary Beth Leetch and Tracy Murphy, 49 and 44, copped to disorderly conduct and will have to do five counseling sessions each as a condition of the deal. The sisters were accused of attacking a bartender and other employees at Brandy’s Piano Bar on E. 84th St. on May 12, 2018. Leetch’s lawyer, Joseph Mure, said the siblings had just left a hospital visit with their ailing father when they popped into the bar. Their dad passed away a few weeks later. He said they were unwelcome “from the second they walked in the door.” But staff employees said the women attacked three of them. The bartender said he ended up with a cut on his head and has sued the sisters. The women complained to investigators that they were also injured in the scuffle and called for charges to be brought against the other side. No members of the staff were arrested. Leetch’s husband, Brian Leetch, is a retired NHL Hall of Fame member who won the 1994 Stanley Cup with the Rangers. His wife allegedly tried to use her connections when she got caught in the jam. “I have friends who are cops. I even know the commissioner,” she told cops, according to court papers. The siblings were facing misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief and related charges. New York Daily News LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127731 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist’s custom Godfather suit rocks at All-Star Weekend

By Michael Blinn January 25, 2019 | 10:06PM

A man in Henrik Lundqvist’s position can’t afford to look ridiculous, and the Rangers goalie made sure he didn’t at the NHL All-Star Weekend. Making his fifth All-Star Game appearance in San Jose, Lundqvist, known as much for his satorial chops as his big-time stops, wore a custom suit adorned with quotes from one of his favorite movies, “The Godfather” on the jacket lining. Henrik Lundqvist's suit has The Godfather lining, complete with movie quotes. Says he's a fan of the movie, especially the characters. #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/25MqzfhPxX — Cristina Ledra (@cledra) January 26, 2019 Among the lines to make the cut in the three-piece suit: “I have learned more in the streets than in any classroom.” “Great men are not born great, they grow great.” “Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.” Lundqvist will help tend the nets for the Metro Division squad on Sunday, and with a share of a $1 million prize, you can bet it won’t be personal, but strictly business for the King. New York Post LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127732 New York Rangers

Wife of Rangers legend Brian Leetch scores no-jail plea in bar brawl

By Rebecca Rosenberg January 25, 2019 | 2:01pm | Updated

The wife and sister-in-law of retired Rangers legend Brian Leetch scored no-jail plea deals Friday for a wild Manhattan bar brawl that injured three. Mary Beth Leetch, 49, and her sister, Tracy Murphy, 44 — both wearing somber black ensembles — copped to disorderly conduct, which is categorized as a violation and not a crime. Leetch and Murphy, who have three and six children, respectively, agreed to attend five sessions of solo counseling and must return to Manhattan Criminal Court on April 2 to show proof of completion. Both women insisted that they were the true victims of the May 12 hair- pulling, nail-scratching fracas with staffers at Brandy’s Piano Bar on East 84th Street. Leetch’s lawyer, Joe Mure, said the women were pleased to put the misdemeanor assault case behind them but believe the other people involved should also have been arrested. “They still feel that when they walked into Brandy’s, they were targeted, they were profiled, and they were bullied by the employees,” he said. “Both sides were involved, and they never arrested the other side.” Murphy’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, said his client took the offer because she didn’t want to endure a trial. “She wants to focus on her six children and beautiful family, as opposed to going to trial and proving that she and her sister were the true victims in this matter,” he said. The fight erupted when the sisters and another pal were asked to leave for singing too loudly, according to court papers. Leetch allegedly charged at a female staffer who was trying to record her and yanked her hair while Murphy twisted her arm and scratched her. The feisty duo set upon the bartender next, ripping his shirt, hitting him on the head and leaving him with a gash on his forehead, the criminal complaint alleges. The third victim allegedly was hit in the face when he tried to intervene and was left bleeding. The sisters also are being sued over the incident in Manhattan civil court. Leetch’s hubby, Brian, 50, retired in 2007 after 18 seasons in the National Hockey League, 16 of them with the Rangers. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. Murphy is married to Rosecliff Capital hedge-funder Michael Murphy. New York Post LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127733 New York Rangers The positive of earning those points and staying somewhat afloat in 22nd is morale. The wheels came off last season as the team’s play worsened and familiar faces were moved out of New York. Familiar faces are Goldman: What we’ve learned about the Rangers heading into the All- bound to be moved again and that may subsequently worsen their play, Star break so the road ahead isn’t going to be easy. If they plummet to the bottom of the standings before season’s end, it may only worsen the environment for this rebuilding team. As it stands, the Rangers likely aren’t bad enough for a top draft pick, but that can still change. If it does, the By Shayna Goldman Jan 25, 2019 concern is how the players still on this team will handle that adversity and how this coaching staff will approach it.

The Rangers’ best forwards are playing like it Forty-eight games into the season and just past the midpoint, the Rangers get a break with the bye week and All-Star Game. That gives Mika Zibanejad has 10 points in seven of his last eight games and is just the team a chance to reflect on the first half and get refreshed for a seven points back from his career high of 51 with 44 in 48 games. Chris second half that may be far more challenging than what they’ve faced so Kreider’s 22 goals are six shy of his career best. Mats Zuccarello’s far. So what have the main takeaways of the first portion of this rebuilding playing like himself again with nine points in his last five games. year been so far? Here are a few we’ve zeroed in on. Those three have been leaned on recently as the first-line trio and The Rangers haven’t been good enough to win consistently they’ve been stellar. What may stand out is that the Rangers have outscored their opponent 12-5 with them on the ice, but their underlying There have been sparks this season with encouraging victories and even numbers are also strong. Through their 101 5-on-5 minutes together, the a few winning streaks, but this team just hasn’t won consistently enough. Rangers have taken more than 54 percent of the shot share with them on While the Rangers did go into the break with a three game winning streak the ice and are expected to score almost 60 percent of the goals share. and an encouraging win over the Bruins, the dominant wins have been Before leaving the lineup with injury, Kevin Hayes was excelling. He’s on few and far between. Their record and points aren’t exactly indicative of pace to have a career year with 33 points in his first 39 games and he what the team is capable of since shootout wins have skewed the results should still exceed his career-high 49 points even after missing time. and some of the losses have been terrible. The Rangers’ 21-20-7 record Hayes has once again been one of the team’s best 5-on-5 producers; and 49 points looks even worse when considering their regulation or he’s behind Kreider’s 24 points in 48 games with 22 in 39. overtime (ROW) column of 16, which is the worst in the league. Unlike years past, while playing Alain Vigneault’s system in a A major reason for the Rangers’ record and ROW column is their 5-on-5 questionable role, his underlying numbers rank among the best of the play. team. The Rangers just break even with him on the ice with a 50.61 Chart by Sean Tierney percent shot share that’s second on the team. They take about seven percent more of the shots with him on the ice. His expected goals of The Rangers have struggled almost across the board this season at 5- 56.21 percent leads the way on the team. on-5. Two areas unsurprisingly stand out – their shooting percentage and goaltending. Those four forwards were expected to be the best for the Rangers and while each have had their struggles at times this season, in general Through 48 games, they’ve been chasing the puck, with a shot share of they’ve been exactly that. 45.33 percent that’s the second worst in the league. They are behind only the Ottawa Senators, a team that nobody in the league wants to be But there’s one more forward that’s emerged and joined the conversation compared to. – rookie Filip Chytil. Chytil was expected to make 2018-19 Rangers and he earned it in preseason. There were some rough patches for the It’s not just that the Rangers struggle defensively or aren’t offensive rookie, along with a lack of playing time and shuffling in the lineup, but enough, it’s both, which makes it that much more problematic. The he’s been one of the brightest spots for the Rangers this season. Rangers are the worst in the league at generating shots for, with just 50.13 attempts per 60. To compare, the team on the other end of the His 18 points may rank seventh on the team, but his tenacity to score spectrum creates a rate of more than 66 attempts per 60. and make a difference on each shift has shown through even when he hasn’t scored. Individually, at 5-on-5 he’s third in shot attempts (136) If the Rangers were to just be lackluster defensively but could outscore behind Zibanejad and Kreider, second in scoring chances (78) behind their problems, they’d probably be a lot higher in the standings. They Kreider and tied for first in high danger attempts (48) with Kreider, all have a goaltender that can help mask their deficiencies in their own end, while playing less time. as he has throughout his career and this year, where they’re second to last in the league in the rate of shots they concede. But Henrik Lundqvist The Rangers’ top forwards just need more from the depth around them – can’t get out of the Rangers’ net, skate into the offensive zone and from Vlad Namestnikov, who has one point in his last 12 games, to Brett literally do it all himself. The team in front of him, at the very least, has to Howden, who has hit the rookie wall and hasn’t scored a goal in 30 give him offensive support. games. They rank higher in expected goals for, which weighs shot quality, among …But the same still can’t be said about the defenders other factors, to determine the likelihood of a goal being scored. The The Rangers defense is problematic as a whole and on an individual Rangers are expected to score 2.22 goals per 60, which is 22nd in the level. league. So, while the Rangers aren’t generating a high volume of shots, they’re at least generating more quality chances. However, if they’re There have been some positives in recent games. Kevin Shattenkirk going to progress, both have to improve. seems to finally be hitting his stride over the last few weeks; he has five points in his last 10 games. But the nine points in the 30 games before It may be redundant to keep checking in on their 5-on-5 play, but it’s that can’t be overlooked. When given the opportunity, Tony DeAngelo is where the majority of the game is played. As this season, last season proving why he deserves a place in the lineup. His discipline is still an and the years before that have shown, improving that aspect can go a issue though. long way and translate to wins. But the Rangers’ defensive issues really span further than those two. But they’re likely not bad enough for a top draft pick Brady Skjei has struggled this season and as much as the coaching staff The Rangers are actually bad, which was expected in this rebuilding believes the Adam McQuaid has provided him enough balance on his year. But somehow they’re not bad enough. right, more is still expected of him. McQuaid’s performance and the perception of what he brings to the lineup haven’t added up all season It would be demeaning for the Rangers to finish at the absolute bottom of either. the standings and it would be particularly demeaning for Lundqvist. As long as he’s in net, they’re not tanking to the bottom. Neal Pionk’s offense has dried up as of late too. He has just one assist in his last 10 games. Before that, his 19 points in 32 games – even though Instead, the Rangers’ 21-20-7 record and 49 points lands them in 22nd 12 were power play points – distracted from the fact that his underlying place in the league despite having the fewest regulation or overtime wins. numbers on both ends of the ice were dismal. Had they earned five points fewer from losing the shootouts they’ve won, they’d have 44 points, which would put them in 30th. Come the end of Defense was expected to be the Rangers’ weakness again this season the season, those five or more points may impede their chance to win the considering their personnel, but with a mostly new-look coaching staff, Jack Hughes or Kappo Kakko sweepstakes. The better the talent they’re the hope was that systematic changes would make a major difference. It able to draft, the brighter their future looks. hasn’t exactly happened and the onus is on the players and coaches – particularly the one holdover assistant coach that works with the defense. What happens after the break will be very telling about the defense, absence, but they could flip them to give one of their top prospects more though. Will Pionk automatically return to Staal’s right, even though he’s time at his natural position. formed a surprisingly solid pair with DeAngelo in his absence? And if there’s more room down the middle without Hayes, does that In their 102 5-on-5 minutes together, the Staal-DeAngelo pair’s 52.55 mean there’s more of an opportunity for Lias Andersson? percent shot share is actually the best of any duo to be deployed for at least 50 minutes together; their 54.57 percent expected goals share is Will space open up on the defense to give Chris Bigras, Ryan Lindgren, second best. John Gilmour, and Libor Hajek a chance to show what they can do at the NHL level, like Pionk and Gilmour had last year? Their time together is only a fifth of what the Staal-Pionk pair have skated this season and it’s entirely possible that they can’t maintain this in a Will there be more room on the wings for Ville Meskanen to get a taste of longer sample. However, it’s worth a shot to find out, as tempting as it NHL action? Will Ty Ronning or Tim Gettinger get an opportunity as well? may be to reunite Staal and Pionk when given the opportunity, because And how much more will Lundqvist be playing? Will Alexandar Georgiev their results have been that much better. To compare, the Staal- absorb a number of starts to end the season like last year? DeAngelo pair’s Corsi is 11 percent higher than that of Staal-Pionk and their expected goals is about 14 percent better. Along with questions about the younger players, there will be questions about the mainstays still on this team – who will step up and grow into Pionk could instead slot alongside Skjei, who he spent some time with more of a leadership role? Whose role will be expanded because there (which would also break up the Skjei-McQuaid pair that will likely be are openings higher in the lineup? broken up at the deadline anyway) or alongside Fredrik Claesson when he’s healthy. If Claesson slots alongside Pionk, then maybe Shattenkirk There may not be a postseason to look forward to, but once the trade can move up to Skjei’s right, forming a top six of Skjei-Shattenkirk, Staal- deadline passes, so should a lot of the pressure. Players won’t have to DeAngelo, and Claesson-Pionk. constantly worry about their future but instead how to be a part of this rebuilding team moving forward. So, the Rangers actually have a chance to make positive changes to their defense, but do they take them? The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 36-year-old Lundqvist is doing just fine Making positive changes on defense certainly would help their goaltender – that past their prime netminder, whose window is slammed shut, who can’t be relied on, and all of that. Lundqvist shouldn’t be relied on to keep the Rangers relevant. Then again, he shouldn’t have been in his prime, so he certainly shouldn’t at 36 – especially when the idea is to preserve him as much as possible so he’s as sharp as possible when the team is back to contending. It’s refreshing that his head coach recognizes that. Lundqvist has already played a lot of hockey, skating in 35 of 48 games. In that time, he’s faced a lot of shots; he’s fourth in both all shots against and high danger shots against already. But head coach David Quinn seems to have recognized how important it is to give him both physical and mental breaks – both of which he needs while playing behind this team, particularly during some of their awful stretches this season. Who stays and who goes? With the first 48 games of the season in the past, the focus has to be on moving forward. The most pressing question is which players will stay and which will be on their way out of New York at the deadline. Unrestricted free agents Hayes, Zuccarello and McQuaid could be playing their last games in Rangers’ sweaters. But they aren’t the only players on the block. The Rangers are likely listening to offers on all but a few untouchable players. Since they’re rebuilding, it would be a disservice to themselves to not listen to all of their options. Besides their pending UFAs, those options may include players that aren’t rentals, but short-term additions. Namestnikov, Jimmy Vesey, and Jesper Fast all have one season after this year left on their contracts, giving an acquiring team two playoff runs with them. And none of them would cost as much as the premiere players available in this year’s sellers market. Kreider, who also has one more year on his contract, is another player that could be on the move. If the Rangers don’t see a future with him because of the rising costs and term it’ll take to retain him, they’d get the most value in moving him now. The value from that return could facilitate their rebuild more than most of the players they’d consider moving. It’d be in their best interests to look for suitors for the defenders with multiple years left on their contracts, even though they don’t have many options since most aren’t a part of the Rangers’ long-term future. The Rangers have one of the most expensive defenses in the league and little to show for it, so they should try to see if there’s any interest in Brendan Smith, Marc Staal, or even Shattenkirk. It’s not clear which combination of players will be on their way out, just that numerous players will be. What will the team look like after the deadline? Once it’s answered which players will be on their way out of New York and who will be on their way in as a return, we can start to get a better sense of what the team will look like for the remainder of the season. Will Chytil shift back to center without Hayes on the team? Ryan Strome’s been slotted down the middle with Chytil on his wing in Hayes’s 1127734 Ottawa Senators Quenneville. In spite of brief spasms of life, they remain mired in 14th place in the Western Conference, ranking 30th in the league in goals allowed per game and headed for a second straight playoff miss. Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break Colorado Avalanche: C-plus If we did this ranking six weeks ago, the Avs would be an ‘A’ club for Scott Burnside sure, but inconsistent goaltending from both Philipp Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov, and a lack of depth up front caused the Avs’ fall to Jan 25, 2019 the edge of the playoff picture. The Avs should still should be among the top eight in the West when the dust settles, but they aren’t making it easy on themselves. As the clock ticks inexorably toward the 2019 trade deadline and most Columbus Blue Jackets: B-plus teams now having roughly 30 games left on their schedules, the annual NHL All-Star break is a natural point at which to take stock. The Blue Jackets have had lots of off-ice stuff to digest, including the possible departure of stars Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin and Which teams have exceeded expectation? Which teams are miserably then more recently the one-game suspension of Bobrovsky for departing failing to live up to preseason prognostications? Which stars are hitting the bench after being lifted in a game against Tampa. Through it all they their stride? Which ones need a shot of adrenalin to carry their respective managed to stay competitive and they hit the break just four points out of teams forward over the final third of the season? first place in the Metropolitan Division and with a real chip on their shoulder. Here’s our All-Star break report card for all 31 NHL teams. Dallas Stars: C-plus Anaheim Ducks: C-minus Never a dull moment in Dallas, eh? President Jim Lites calls out Tyler The Ducks, not unlike Arizona, battled injury from the get-go. And were it Seguin and Jamie Benn, rookie head coach Jim Montgomery bemoans not for the otherworldly (at least on most nights) goaltending provided by the culture of mediocrity, and the team, once again, can’t find ways to win John Gibson, the Ducks would be thinking draft lottery not wild card. Still, consistently on the road (they are 9-13-2 away from American Airlines the fact GM Bob Murray had to publicly throw his support behind head Center). A team that missed the playoffs in eight of the past 10 seasons coach Randy Carlyle tells you that this Ducks team is very much in is desperate to make the tournament this season, but they need to be transition. much better down the stretch to make that happen. Arizona Coyotes: C Detroit Red Wings: D Hard to assess the Yotes given their never-ending list of walking We knew the Red Wings weren’t going to be very good this season and wounded, a list that may now include captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson who well, they aren’t. Lots of questions moving forward about GM Ken was set to undergo an MRI Thursday. Maybe they deserve a better grade Holland’s future with the team, whether – or when – Steve Yzerman ends given that they hit the break just two points out of the second wild-card up managing the team and what will become of head coach Jeff Blashill. spot in the Western Conference. But that’s more a function of the Short-term Holland has to decide what to do with netminder Jimmy mediocrity in lower echelons of the conference than the team itself. Howard, who is the team’s most consistent performer but who will be an Boston Bruins: B unrestricted free agent in the summer. If the Bruins got to play Toronto every night they’d be an A-plus team, but Edmonton Oilers: F I digress. Tuukka Rask’s injury (he was concussed in a collision in net Sorry, a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl shouldn’t be this just before the All-Star break) is problematic given that he returned to bad, this dysfunctional. But the Oilers are what they are and that is a form in recent weeks, but Jaroslav Halak is a more than adequate Plan mess. The firing of Todd McLellan early in the season didn’t change that B. The offense is middle of the pack but Bruce Cassidy’s group is hard to and the abrupt firing of GM Peter Chiarelli in the middle of a game this play against (they are tied for third in goals allowed per game) and week doesn’t fix that. Maybe they make the playoffs, maybe they don’t, playoff tested. but as president Bob Nicholson noted this week, there’s something in the Buffalo Sabres: C-minus water in Edmonton that needs to be addressed. Sadly pretty much the same thing has been said for more than a decade. The Sabres ran the gamut from A-plus play to D or worse of late, which sees them settle in here with a C-minus. The problem for the Sabres is Florida Panthers: D-minus that, having won 10 straight games early in the season, the expectations The Panthers were expected to be vying for a playoff berth, maybe even went through the roof. They hit the break four points back of the second challenging for one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division this wild card and now the pressure is on head coach Phil Housley to get the season but it didn’t turn out that way as goaltending and injuries derailed team back in its earlier groove. There is also no small amount of yet another season for the Cats. Too much talent for this team to be pressure on GM Jason Botterill to take advantage of the team’s where they are and that is 10 points out of a playoff spot. surprising start to make some adds at the trade deadline to give this squad it’s best opportunity to qualify for the playoffs for the first time Los Angeles Kings: D-minus since 2011. Another for the ‘mighty have fallen’ category as the Kings are dead last in Calgary Flames: A-plus the conference and also fired their coach. Willie Desjardins is a place holder as GM Rob Blake figures out a way to reroute what became a GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters should both be in dead-end train. The team has an embarrassing minus-36 goal consideration for some postseason hardware, along with Mark Giordano, differential, worst in the league, and the league’s most impotent offense who is a contender for what would be his first Norris Trophy as the with just 2.26 goals per game. The signing of Ilya Kovalchuk to a three- league’s top defenseman. The Flames, whose plus-45 goal differential is year deal in the offseason is symptomatic of a team needing to reboot tops in the Western Conference, far exceeded expectations, opening up but not taking the proper steps to do so. a six-point lead on San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific Division and top seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota Wild: B-minus Carolina Hurricanes: C Zach Parise’s return to health and return to form are pivotal for the Wild as they are starting to put some distance between themselves and the A season that began with high hopes for Scott Darling, and newcomers rest of the pack in the battle for playoff positioning. The third-place Wild Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland sees the Canes enter the break won three straight hitting the break in spite of dealing popular Nino once again outside the playoff bubble. Ferland will likely be traded by the Niederreiter to Carolina. deadline, Darling has seen his career go off the rails once again and Hamilton’s name has even surfaced in trade talks – while former Montreal Canadiens: A-minus Hurricanes Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner enjoy career seasons in Calgary and Buffalo, respectively. Still, the Hurricanes are just four points Carey Price is back to being Carey Price, the Habs kept the ship afloat back of what would be their first playoff berth since 2009, and Rod long enough for Shea Weber to return from injury and all of a sudden the Brind’Amour has his team playing an entertaining up-tempo style. Habs are pushing the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division. Kudos to much-maligned GM Marc Bergevin for staying the Chicago Blackhawks: D course, and Claude Julien has done a masterful job behind the bench as the Canadiens appear headed for an unexpected playoff berth and How the mighty have fallen as the once powerhouse Blackhawks parted perhaps even a long-awaited matchup with the Leafs. ways early in the season with future Hall of Fame head coach Joel Nashville Predators: A Presidents’ Trophy winners. They give up more than they’d like (tied for 21st in goals allowed per game) but a top-ranked offense, top-ranked The Predators have muddled through a series of injuries and power play, a top-10 penalty kill and league-best plus-59 goal differential suspensions, which prevented them from being the dominant regular make the Lightning the All-Star break Stanley Cup favorites. season team they were a year ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. But as they get healthier watch for them to continue to pile up the Toronto Maple Leafs: B-plus points in a bid to win a second-straight division title. They hit the break tied with Winnipeg atop the Central, although the Jets have four games in The bar was set pretty high for the Leafs and they’d likely be an ‘A’ squad hand. had they not gone flat in the days leading up to the All-Star break. William Nylander struggled after missing the first quarter of the season New Jersey Devils: D-minus waiting for a new contract, and Auston Matthews had his own ups and downs when it comes to production. Still, the Leafs are a deep, dynamic Perhaps a drop-off in play was to be expected this season after the offensive team led by John Tavares and, with strong goaltending Devils, behind Hart Trophy-winner Taylor Hall, earned a surprise trip to provided by Frederik Andersen, are headed to the postseason for the the playoffs last spring. But no one expected this kind of fallback as the third straight season. Now they need to prove they can hang with the big Devils find themselves tied with woeful Ottawa with the fewest points in boys by winning a round or two. the league. The emergence of rookie netminder MacKenzie Blackwood is a lone bright spot but not nearly enough to cover the other blemishes Vancouver Canucks: A-minus displayed by the Devils. What a revelation Elias Pettersson is to long-suffering Canucks fans to New York Islanders: A-plus say nothing of his teammates. Even with a couple of injuries Pettersson is running away with the rookie scoring race and appears a shoo-in to The problem for Bill Peters vis a vis the Jack Adams as coach of the year win the Calder Trophy as the top first-year player. Meanwhile head coach is that Barry Trotz is likely going to walk away with the prize if his Travis Green has the Canucks, tied in points for a wild-card spot, Islanders continue their confounding level of play. No John Tavares? No believing in the playoffs –something that would have been unthinkable in problem for an Islander team that is the league’s stingiest and is getting it September. done by committee under Trotz, who looks to follow up his Stanley Cup turn in Washington with an unexpected playoff berth and possibly a Vegas Golden Knights: B-plus Metropolitan Division championship as the Islanders hit the break with three-point bulge on Washington. When the Golden Knights got off to a middling start to the season lots of people felt this was the team finally acting like they should have acted a New York Rangers: C-minus year ago when they were an expansion squad. But defending Jack Adams Trophy-winner Gerard Gallant has his crew back where they This was expected to be a season of transition for the Rangers and it is belong, firmly ensconced in a playoff spot thanks to the return from just that under rookie head coach David Quinn. The Rangers have suspension of defenseman Nate Schmidt and the play of Marc-Andre decisions on players like Mats Zuccarello (he’ll almost certainly be dealt) Fleury in net. among others in the coming weeks, but the challenge for a team with a minus-25 goal differential is to stay competitive and that’s no small task Washington Capitals: C given this lineup. The defending champs waited until just before the All-Star break to have Ottawa Senators: F their Stanley Cup hangover, going winless in seven – a stretch that saw them give up three hat tricks. They’ve allowed 30 goals in the past five Another team with myriad issues that aren’t all related to on-ice play and games. This is still a talent-laden team with the ability to present a must be dealt with before any hope of a renaissance can be vigorous title defense. They just don’t look like it right now. contemplated. And while the Senators were expected to be near the bottom of the standings, being dead last in goals allowed per game Winnipeg Jets: A merely reinforces just how far this team has fallen. Interesting days ahead for GM Pierre Dorion as he must either sign Mark Stone and/or The Jets are where most expected them to be: battling with Nashville for Matt Duchene or get good return in trades. the top spot in the Central Division. Interesting goaltending debate upcoming for head coach Paul Maurice as Laurent Brossoit (2.01 goals- Philadelphia Flyers: D-minus against average and .943 save percentage in 12 appearances) put pressure on incumbent Connor Hellebuyck, but it’s a good problem to Another team that began the season looking to be in the playoff mix but have for a Jets team that is built, once again, for the long haul. ended up with major upheaval that included the dismissal of GM Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol. Wayne Simmonds is likely out the The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 door but the work ahead of new GM Chuck Fletcher is significant given the steps taken back by many of the team’s promising young players as the Flyers rank 29th in goals allowed per game. Pittsburgh Penguins: B-minus The Penguins are making a bid for a 13th-straight playoff appearance, which is pretty mindboggling, but it hasn’t all been a straight line with netminder Matt Murray struggling to find consistency and then overcome injury. Evgeni Malkin is not having a Malkin-like season but still the Pens, led by the indomitable Sidney Crosby, are just five points out of first in the Metropolitan. St. Louis Blues: D-plus Sure, the Blues are just three points out of a playoff spot at the break, but for a team that should have been competing with Nashville and Winnipeg atop the Central Division, this season is a major disappointment as witnessed by the firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Jordan Binnington is a revelation in goal but can the kid help salvage the Blues’ season? Seems like a lot to ask. San Jose Sharks: A It took some time for Erik Karlsson to hit his stride with the Sharks but now that the two-time Norris Trophy winner is back to being the Karlsson of old, and the Sharks have once again established themselves as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The challenge will be in holding off Vegas for the second spot in the division, which would give them home- ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay Lightning: A-plus The Lightning are crushing the competition in the Eastern Conference and have a comfortable lead over Calgary as the presumptive 1127735 Philadelphia Flyers “I think there’s a lot of experiences you go through. From my junior career, competing in world juniors, the draft … you build through it all.”

Little surprise then that Hart is an offseason drinker only. And then, he Flyers goalie Carter Hart has been plenty mature enough | Sam said, only on weekends when he’s golfing “with the boys.” Little surprise, Donnellon too, that he has decided to stay in his Voorhees hotel room for the time being rather than accept Jake Voracek’s generous offer to use his Philly apartment for free. January 25, 2019 - 10:37 AM “You’re playing almost every second day here,” he said. “The schedule is Sam Donnellon a lot tighter than juniors or the American League level. So I think you have to manage yourself on and off the ice with your energy levels, taking care of your body, making sure you were getting the rest and doing the right things to be fully prepared for every game. … Manage all If you want to know what it feels like to be Carter Hart when he's off his the little details and stay sharp with those details, so when it comes to game, blink. game time, you’re ready to go.” Blink a lot. Because that's what he does as he tries to regain his focus, Yeah, he said all that. his cool, the tools that have allowed him such success at such a young age, allowed him to so far handle the pressure of playing in big arenas And yeah, don't blink. among big men with big pressure attached to every game, to every save. But maybe, just maybe, the Flyers have finally found that goalie they’ve "I kind of have a little bit of a tell when I get a little bit flustered, or been seeking for decades. frustrated,” the Flyers' 20-year-old goalie was saying after a recent practice. "I don’t even know that I’m doing it. But my mom can tell. She’s Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 01.26.2019 the one who has pointed it out.” Shauna Hart saw this when the Minnesota Wild came to town earlier this month. With a stable of big and aggressive forwards, the Wild muscled their way around her son's crease for much of the first period, bumping him, obstructing him, knocking in the first two goals amid the mayhem. As interim coach Scott Gordon called a timeout to keep his new team from heading off the rails, as the Flyers had done for so much of this season, Hart paced around the ice near the bench, blinking as if a genie trying to wish the first 8 1/2 minutes of the game away. “Couple of bounces didn’t go my way,” he said. “But you just have to stick to it, and find a way that you can compete and get the job done. The second half of the game, I felt a lot better just because I started to compete more with authority.” The Wild scored two more goals on Hart over the game’s final 51 minutes. The last came only after Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg had pushed Eric Staal toward Hart and Staal used that opportunity to bulldoze the 6-foot-2, 180-pound goaltender one additional time. The Flyers scored seven goals over the same time period. When it ended in a 7-4 victory, Hart had stopped 34 of 38 Minnesota shots, including 13 of 14 in the final period. It is the single most encouraging aspect of his game, that “compete” he talks about, and harkens to the game’s greats. Brodeur. Roy. Parent. They all could keep their teams in it on their worst nights. Three days after Minnesota jumped Hart and the Flyers with two early goals, the Bruins did the same thing — and the same thing happened. The Flyers scored the next four goals, then held off intense late pressure by another playoff-aspiring team. This time, Hart made 39 saves. This time, he didn’t blink once. “I've never been on a team with a goalie this young,” James van Riemsdyk said, “who is this good.” “He doesn't play young,” Radko Gudas said. Not yet anyway. The fear, the reason Hart was sent to the Flyers' AHL affiliate at the start of the season, the reason they shipped him there for a few games this weekend, is his youth. Being a pro for the first time in his life, living on his own on the other side of the continent from where he played as a junior or where he grew up — well, this isn’t Russia, is it? Ah, but for Hart, it is, kind of. From the moment he served a five-game suspension as a 10-year-old for protecting his crease with his stick, this so-called kid has been focused, been an outlier. Any pause in his progress, like when he brooded as a backup in his first season in juniors, has been both brief and educational. That’s to his credit. Simply put, he’s a quick learner, which has allowed this maturity beyond his years. He’ll gladly recount his mileposts for you. A broken stick in frustration meant he paid for a new one. A conversation with his junior coach, Kevin Constantine, halfway through that first year as a 16-year-old triggered a rededication to his craft. "He said, ‘You have to show me you want to play. Show you care,’ " Hart said of that conversation with Constantine, who had already coached the Sharks, Penguins and Devils. " 'If you show that to me, we will play you more. But you have to compete harder and show that you care. “I really took that to heart the second half of the year, and I took over the job the second half of that year. 1127736 Philadelphia Flyers BREAKING: Gritty and Carlton just became best friends #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/xcBKeyi9cC

— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) January 25, 2019 Flyers mascot Gritty does it all at 2019 NHL All-Star Game festivities Never turn your back on Gritty #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/bEV4IXXh0j

— Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) January 25, 2019 Jordan Hall Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 January 25, 2019 10:30 PM

We had a feeling Gritty was gearing up for a busy and active All-Star weekend. For one, he was going with his best bud Claude Giroux. And also, just look at this list. Packing for my big All Star trip, tryna keep it to the essentials. Am I missing anything? pic.twitter.com/BolkKa6X8l — Gritty (@GrittyNHL) January 22, 2019 As we expected, Gritty has been all over the place — and with Giroux a lot, obviously (seriously, that's his best friend). From showing off his speed skating, playing dodgeball with the fellow mascots, picking fights with the ref and walking the red carpet with Giroux, Gritty has had an action-packed time in San Jose, California. Here's a look at all his grittiness: That's fastest skater @GrittyNHL to you. pic.twitter.com/In47kVRmTY — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) January 26, 2019 I’VE DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN. pic.twitter.com/ctEovn5zj2 — Gritty (@GrittyNHL) January 26, 2019 Never let you go @28CGiroux pic.twitter.com/bWXxydeKHe — Gritty (@GrittyNHL) January 26, 2019 The thirst is real. #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/l1cYcojUDB — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 26, 2019

This is so pure. 李#NHLAllStar | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/DzFvoTui4d — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 26, 2019 Every breath you take, Every move you make, Every bond you break, Every step you take,@GrittyNHL will be watching Claude. #NHLAllStar | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/URXrTLaqqd — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 26, 2019

Red carpet nightmares #NHLAllStar #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/EhC4rPRrP1 — Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 26, 2019 All those practices with @28CGiroux are paying off at #NHLAllStar Weekend. pic.twitter.com/ULbW1TKfwN — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 25, 2019

Next ⁦@NHLFlyers⁩ goalie? Five hole ⁦@GrittyNHL⁩ pic.twitter.com/9Zyv5FvHFl — E.J. Hradek (@EJHradek_NHL) January 25, 2019 It finally happened. @EJHradek_NHL vs. @GrittyNHL. #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/UMKdtybHrb — NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 25, 2019 Gritty is now throwing hands with the ref #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/MuxReorb2I — Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) January 25, 2019 Gritty goes out the only way he knows how: not giving a damn #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/KFqrz7cmoe — Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) January 25, 2019 1127737 Philadelphia Flyers commissioner Gary Bettman said, via NHL.com. "We'll instantaneously detect passes, shots, and positioning precisely. It will be equally accurate in tracking players — their movement, speed, time on ice — you name Claude Giroux 2019 NHL All-Star Game: Live stream, times, it." competitions, more Below is the Metro roster: Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes, F Jordan Hall Cam Atkinson, Blue Jackets, F January 25, 2019 4:35 PM Mathew Barzal, Islanders, F Sidney Crosby, Penguins, F Whenever Claude Giroux steps on the ice, you want to watch. Claude Giroux, Flyers, F He's a candidate for a highlight-reel play every time the puck hits his Kyle Palmieri, Devils, F stick, which makes him perfect for events like the All-Star Game festivities. John Carlson, Capitals, D This weekend marks his sixth All-Star Game. At 31 years old, he's Seth Jones, Blue Jackets, D uniquely in his prime surrounded by a wave of younger players (see story). Kris Letang, Penguins, D We all know Giroux will be worth keeping an eye on Friday and Saturday Braden Holtby, Capitals, G among the league's stars. Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers, G Let's get into the essentials for how you can best follow the Flyers' Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 representative for the 2019 All-Star Game. Skills competition • When: Friday at 9 p.m. ET • Where: SAP Center • Broadcast: NBCSN • Live stream: NBC Sports All-Star Game • When: Saturday at 8 p.m. ET • Where: SAP Center • Broadcast: NBC • Live stream: NBC Sports • There are six events for the skills competition: Fastest skater, premier passer, save streak, puck control, hardest shot and accuracy shooting. Giroux will be taking part in the puck control contest against Johnny Gaudreau, Patrick Kane, Gabriel Landeskog, Elias Pettersson, Mark Scheifele, Jeff Skinner and John Tavares. The drills include stickhandling, cone control and gates. That third part requires the player to shoot or guide the puck through the lit rung of the gate. The player to finish all three steps the fastest is declared the winner. Giroux isn't too shabby at handling the puck. Remember this? He also owns the NHL's most assists since the 2010-11 season with 452 and is third in points with 655, behind only Kane (669) and Sidney Crosby (667). • The All-Star Game should be a lot of fun. Giroux, of course, is on the Metropolitan Division team for the three- game, 3-on-3 competition. What will make this year's game different from others in the past are NBC's new streaming features, which will include puck and player tracking technology. Here's what to expect: The new puck and player tracking technology will be emphasized prominently throughout the digital broadcast, highlighting elements such as skating speed, shot speed, skating distance and shift times. In addition, graphic identifiers for players and the puck will be utilized as they move on the ice. NBC Sports will employ a number of graphic layouts to illustrate the real- time information alongside the game action, including which players are on the ice and iso camera shots to hone in on a specific player’s data. The new technology is also an aspect the NHL is looking at as a whole for 2019-20. "The puck and player tracking system can track pucks at a rate of 2,000 times per second in real-time with inch-level accuracy," NHL 1127738 Philadelphia Flyers

For Claude Giroux to be mentioned in same breath as Bobby Clarke, Carter Hart will be way to get there

John Boruk January 25, 2019 1:15 PM

Claude Giroux spent a few days in San Francisco with his wife before arriving in San Jose for this weekend’s All-Star Game festivities. Once again for the organization’s lone representative, the honor and distinction of being chosen as an All-Star isn’t lost on the Flyers' captain. “When I was young, all I wanted was to play in the NHL," Giroux said. “I remember how special it was for me to participate in my first All-Star Game. You go there the first time, you don’t know what to expect. You meet those other guys you’ve competed against and rivals. It’s a great weekend.” Now at the age of 31, Giroux no longer stares around the room in admiration of the greatness that surrounds him. Of the current All-Stars in San Jose, only Chicago’s Patrick Kane has played in more of these events. With 11 All-Stars in San Jose 22 years of age or younger, Giroux’s now that guy that the next generation of stars looks up to. “I hope not. I hope that I’m not that old,” Giroux said smiling. “It’s always great. The young players in this league are good and they’re quick. You see more younger players at the All-Star Games and it’s fun to see what kind of things they can do on the ice.” From the time Giroux made that first appearance in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the age of 23, he has continued to redefine his greatness. His sixth All-Star appearance Saturday now ties him with Hall of Famer Eric Lindros, whose last All-Star Game came in 2000 — which also coincided with his final season in Philadelphia. This season, Giroux has leapfrogged Rick MacLeish for fourth place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list and became only the second player in Flyers history to top 500 career assists. And after this season, only Bobby Clarke will have served a longer tenure as Flyers captain. If Giroux averages between 85-90 points (depending on where he finishes this season) over the final three years of his current eight-year contract, he and Clarke will be the organization’s only two members of the 1,000-point club. But before we can link those two stars in the same stratosphere, Giroux has to lead this franchise to a championship. For starters, he has to win a playoff series again, and his best shot of winning a Stanley Cup undoubtedly will be with Carter Hart in net. The Flyers' rookie goaltender has proven to be well ahead of the NHL timetable that many expected. During Thursday’s media day, Giroux compared Hart to the kid's idol Carey Price, the Canadiens' goalie who also broke into the NHL at the age of 20. "I was watching him during practice the other time and I told Sean Couturier I thought he looked a lot like [Price]," Giroux told TVA speaking in French. “Sure, he still has time before he gets to his level, but in his way of life, Carter reminds me a lot of Carey. He is calm and always in a good position.” Indeed, no Flyer has garnered more attention at such an early age than perhaps Giroux did when he became a full-time NHL regular just weeks before his 21st birthday in 2008. Two years later, Giroux led the Flyers in scoring, prompting the team to trade Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, paving the way for Giroux to become that cornerstone player. But the Flyers' captain can only succeed with complementary pieces and Hart has been that one, big missing component. The 2010 Stanley Cup Final may have tilted differently with a player of Hart’s caliber in net. “You don’t see a lot of goalies that are 20 years old and they come in this fast,” Giroux said. “For him to get called up and do the things that he’s doing right now, it’s obviously not a circumstance that we wanted to happen. For him to come in, play the way he is right now, it’s pretty amazing. It's certainly very motivating for us.” And Giroux’s legacy in Philadelphia very well may be determined by how well Hart performs over the next few years. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127739 Philadelphia Flyers

Scott Hartnell has hilarious response to Claude Giroux's diss on Kimmo Timonen

Josh Ellis January 25, 2019 9:45 AM

Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell has two words for you. The NHL All-Star Game is this weekend in San Jose, California, and the stars are out in full force, including Timonen, who is working for a TV station in his native Finland. During media day Thursday, Timonen found Claude Giroux, who he played with for seven seasons in the orange and black, and asked him one very important question. Kimmo Timonen, who is working as a member of the media, asked @28CGiroux who his favorite old-time Flyers player was... "Scott Hartnell"

Their reactions are priceless. #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/xoH13bkdam — NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 25, 2019 It’s possible he could have asked his “all-time” favorite, forgive us for mishearing. His answer, and reaction, were awesome and it looks like Hartnell agrees. Hahahaha Suck it Kimmo!!! @kime4kids https://t.co/n3pBbxryIn — Scott Hartnell (@Hartsy43) January 25, 2019 This video brought back some nostalgia for Flyers fans who recall the glory days of these three guys playing together en route to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. We look forward to seeing Giroux represent the Flyers in San Jose in the NHL Skills Competition Friday at 9 p.m. and Saturday on NBC at 8 p.m. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127740 Philadelphia Flyers He’s not often considered in the same conversation with Clarke, the Hall of Famer who drafted him, but quietly he’s putting together a career that will be among the best ever in Flyers history. Flexible as ever, Claude Giroux an All-Star again for Flyers Even relative newcomers like interim coach Scott Gordon are finding out Giroux is a little more than meets the eye. Gordon has tried a couple times, since taking over in December, to get Giroux to take a practice off Dave Isaac, so he can save energy for games. 9:38 a.m. ET Jan. 25, 2019 No such luck. “Better than expected and that’s not to say that I had thoughts of him not being a good leader or being a player that wasn’t as good as he is,” Bobby Clarke had the Stanley Cups, a literal parade escorting the ex- Gordon said. “I just have more appreciation for what he does bring to the Flyers captain to immortality and eventually the Hall of Fame. table, his passion for the game, his attitude, his work ethic, his desire to win. Those are all important things that set an example for your team. Claude Giroux may not get all that, might not get any of it by the time his I’ve had conversations with him, and his mindset is about the team and career ends. He figures to still end up on the Flyers’ Mount Rushmore of what’s best for the team.” greats, up there with Clarke and the Broad St. Bullies. Courier-Post LOADED: 01.26.2019 This weekend, the 31-year-old Flyers center is in San Jose for his sixth All-Star appearance in 10 and a half seasons. When he was drafted back in 2006, Clarke infamously forgot who the Flyers were selecting at 22nd overall when he was standing at the podium in Vancouver. “A smallish junior, but he has tremendous hockey sense, skill and intelligence,” Clarke told reporters afterward. “He’s very competitive.” Clarke and Giroux are the only ones in Flyers franchise history to rack up 500 assists for the team. In five more games Giroux will be in third place on the franchise’s games played list behind only Clarke and Bill Barber. He is also fourth in points (729) and will soon be on the top-10 list for goals (he has 228). It was only two seasons ago that some thought he was rapidly declining and didn’t have much left in the tank when he produced only 14 goals and 44 assists after hip and abdominal surgeries. Whoops. Last season he finished with a career high in points and was fourth in Hart Trophy voting. Giroux has been flexible for the Flyers, doing whatever they ask him to do from moving his power-play office to the position he plays on the ice to helping out on the penalty kill and taking extra faceoffs. “Last year, being able to move to the left wing and being able to play with (Sean Couturier)…Coots is always in good position, plays the right way and it was kind of a pretty smooth change,” Giroux said. “It’s the same thing for anybody on this team. If they’re asked to do something they’re gonna do it. That’s just being a hockey player.” Not every star would be so willing. He has set up camp on the left-wing boards on the power play for most of the last decade and since the 2014- 15 season, no one in the NHL has more power play points. When the Flyers tried a new five-forward alignment on the power play earlier this month, he was game for trying his hand at directing traffic from the right-wing boards. “He’s good at everything,” ex-teammate Brayden Schenn said earlier this month. “He’s strong on the puck, strong in the faceoff circle, obviously sees the ice very well, competes really hard. He’s obviously the leader of that team that makes them go. If you match up against him throughout the night, he’s gonna try to make it tough on you and he does a good job of that.” As Clarke’s scouting team saw then, the NHL sees now: Giroux’s competitiveness is what has taken him to six All-Star games and helped him climb up the Flyers’ all-time ranks. It’s also clear that Giroux is eager to soak in the experience. Some NHL stars like Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Montreal’s Carey Price are skipping the All-Star Game and have to face a one-game suspension for doing to. Giroux is going because he likes it, but also wouldn’t purposefully take himself off the ice in a meaningful game. “Any time you have a chance to represent your team to the All-Star Game, it’s always a good experience,” Giroux said. “It’s always good to go back to California, too. “Any time you get a chance to go to an event the NHL puts together, it’s always well put together and it’s always a good experience for me and my family and my friends. You get a chance to play with other good players. I’ve been a few times and I’ve had fun every year.” Because the Flyers have won only two playoff series since their 2010 Stanley Cup Final run, which was Giroux’s first full season in the league, he isn’t typically among the most marketed players. 1127741 Philadelphia Flyers Quenneville. In spite of brief spasms of life, they remain mired in 14th place in the Western Conference, ranking 30th in the league in goals allowed per game and headed for a second straight playoff miss. Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break Colorado Avalanche: C-plus If we did this ranking six weeks ago, the Avs would be an ‘A’ club for Scott Burnside sure, but inconsistent goaltending from both Philipp Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov, and a lack of depth up front caused the Avs’ fall to Jan 25, 2019 the edge of the playoff picture. The Avs should still should be among the top eight in the West when the dust settles, but they aren’t making it easy on themselves. As the clock ticks inexorably toward the 2019 trade deadline and most Columbus Blue Jackets: B-plus teams now having roughly 30 games left on their schedules, the annual NHL All-Star break is a natural point at which to take stock. The Blue Jackets have had lots of off-ice stuff to digest, including the possible departure of stars Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin and Which teams have exceeded expectation? Which teams are miserably then more recently the one-game suspension of Bobrovsky for departing failing to live up to preseason prognostications? Which stars are hitting the bench after being lifted in a game against Tampa. Through it all they their stride? Which ones need a shot of adrenalin to carry their respective managed to stay competitive and they hit the break just four points out of teams forward over the final third of the season? first place in the Metropolitan Division and with a real chip on their shoulder. Here’s our All-Star break report card for all 31 NHL teams. Dallas Stars: C-plus Anaheim Ducks: C-minus Never a dull moment in Dallas, eh? President Jim Lites calls out Tyler The Ducks, not unlike Arizona, battled injury from the get-go. And were it Seguin and Jamie Benn, rookie head coach Jim Montgomery bemoans not for the otherworldly (at least on most nights) goaltending provided by the culture of mediocrity, and the team, once again, can’t find ways to win John Gibson, the Ducks would be thinking draft lottery not wild card. Still, consistently on the road (they are 9-13-2 away from American Airlines the fact GM Bob Murray had to publicly throw his support behind head Center). A team that missed the playoffs in eight of the past 10 seasons coach Randy Carlyle tells you that this Ducks team is very much in is desperate to make the tournament this season, but they need to be transition. much better down the stretch to make that happen. Arizona Coyotes: C Detroit Red Wings: D Hard to assess the Yotes given their never-ending list of walking We knew the Red Wings weren’t going to be very good this season and wounded, a list that may now include captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson who well, they aren’t. Lots of questions moving forward about GM Ken was set to undergo an MRI Thursday. Maybe they deserve a better grade Holland’s future with the team, whether – or when – Steve Yzerman ends given that they hit the break just two points out of the second wild-card up managing the team and what will become of head coach Jeff Blashill. spot in the Western Conference. But that’s more a function of the Short-term Holland has to decide what to do with netminder Jimmy mediocrity in lower echelons of the conference than the team itself. Howard, who is the team’s most consistent performer but who will be an Boston Bruins: B unrestricted free agent in the summer. If the Bruins got to play Toronto every night they’d be an A-plus team, but Edmonton Oilers: F I digress. Tuukka Rask’s injury (he was concussed in a collision in net Sorry, a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl shouldn’t be this just before the All-Star break) is problematic given that he returned to bad, this dysfunctional. But the Oilers are what they are and that is a form in recent weeks, but Jaroslav Halak is a more than adequate Plan mess. The firing of Todd McLellan early in the season didn’t change that B. The offense is middle of the pack but Bruce Cassidy’s group is hard to and the abrupt firing of GM Peter Chiarelli in the middle of a game this play against (they are tied for third in goals allowed per game) and week doesn’t fix that. Maybe they make the playoffs, maybe they don’t, playoff tested. but as president Bob Nicholson noted this week, there’s something in the Buffalo Sabres: C-minus water in Edmonton that needs to be addressed. Sadly pretty much the same thing has been said for more than a decade. The Sabres ran the gamut from A-plus play to D or worse of late, which sees them settle in here with a C-minus. The problem for the Sabres is Florida Panthers: D-minus that, having won 10 straight games early in the season, the expectations The Panthers were expected to be vying for a playoff berth, maybe even went through the roof. They hit the break four points back of the second challenging for one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division this wild card and now the pressure is on head coach Phil Housley to get the season but it didn’t turn out that way as goaltending and injuries derailed team back in its earlier groove. There is also no small amount of yet another season for the Cats. Too much talent for this team to be pressure on GM Jason Botterill to take advantage of the team’s where they are and that is 10 points out of a playoff spot. surprising start to make some adds at the trade deadline to give this squad it’s best opportunity to qualify for the playoffs for the first time Los Angeles Kings: D-minus since 2011. Another for the ‘mighty have fallen’ category as the Kings are dead last in Calgary Flames: A-plus the conference and also fired their coach. Willie Desjardins is a place holder as GM Rob Blake figures out a way to reroute what became a GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters should both be in dead-end train. The team has an embarrassing minus-36 goal consideration for some postseason hardware, along with Mark Giordano, differential, worst in the league, and the league’s most impotent offense who is a contender for what would be his first Norris Trophy as the with just 2.26 goals per game. The signing of Ilya Kovalchuk to a three- league’s top defenseman. The Flames, whose plus-45 goal differential is year deal in the offseason is symptomatic of a team needing to reboot tops in the Western Conference, far exceeded expectations, opening up but not taking the proper steps to do so. a six-point lead on San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific Division and top seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota Wild: B-minus Carolina Hurricanes: C Zach Parise’s return to health and return to form are pivotal for the Wild as they are starting to put some distance between themselves and the A season that began with high hopes for Scott Darling, and newcomers rest of the pack in the battle for playoff positioning. The third-place Wild Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland sees the Canes enter the break won three straight hitting the break in spite of dealing popular Nino once again outside the playoff bubble. Ferland will likely be traded by the Niederreiter to Carolina. deadline, Darling has seen his career go off the rails once again and Hamilton’s name has even surfaced in trade talks – while former Montreal Canadiens: A-minus Hurricanes Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner enjoy career seasons in Calgary and Buffalo, respectively. Still, the Hurricanes are just four points Carey Price is back to being Carey Price, the Habs kept the ship afloat back of what would be their first playoff berth since 2009, and Rod long enough for Shea Weber to return from injury and all of a sudden the Brind’Amour has his team playing an entertaining up-tempo style. Habs are pushing the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division. Kudos to much-maligned GM Marc Bergevin for staying the Chicago Blackhawks: D course, and Claude Julien has done a masterful job behind the bench as the Canadiens appear headed for an unexpected playoff berth and How the mighty have fallen as the once powerhouse Blackhawks parted perhaps even a long-awaited matchup with the Leafs. ways early in the season with future Hall of Fame head coach Joel Nashville Predators: A Presidents’ Trophy winners. They give up more than they’d like (tied for 21st in goals allowed per game) but a top-ranked offense, top-ranked The Predators have muddled through a series of injuries and power play, a top-10 penalty kill and league-best plus-59 goal differential suspensions, which prevented them from being the dominant regular make the Lightning the All-Star break Stanley Cup favorites. season team they were a year ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. But as they get healthier watch for them to continue to pile up the Toronto Maple Leafs: B-plus points in a bid to win a second-straight division title. They hit the break tied with Winnipeg atop the Central, although the Jets have four games in The bar was set pretty high for the Leafs and they’d likely be an ‘A’ squad hand. had they not gone flat in the days leading up to the All-Star break. William Nylander struggled after missing the first quarter of the season New Jersey Devils: D-minus waiting for a new contract, and Auston Matthews had his own ups and downs when it comes to production. Still, the Leafs are a deep, dynamic Perhaps a drop-off in play was to be expected this season after the offensive team led by John Tavares and, with strong goaltending Devils, behind Hart Trophy-winner Taylor Hall, earned a surprise trip to provided by Frederik Andersen, are headed to the postseason for the the playoffs last spring. But no one expected this kind of fallback as the third straight season. Now they need to prove they can hang with the big Devils find themselves tied with woeful Ottawa with the fewest points in boys by winning a round or two. the league. The emergence of rookie netminder MacKenzie Blackwood is a lone bright spot but not nearly enough to cover the other blemishes Vancouver Canucks: A-minus displayed by the Devils. What a revelation Elias Pettersson is to long-suffering Canucks fans to New York Islanders: A-plus say nothing of his teammates. Even with a couple of injuries Pettersson is running away with the rookie scoring race and appears a shoo-in to The problem for Bill Peters vis a vis the Jack Adams as coach of the year win the Calder Trophy as the top first-year player. Meanwhile head coach is that Barry Trotz is likely going to walk away with the prize if his Travis Green has the Canucks, tied in points for a wild-card spot, Islanders continue their confounding level of play. No John Tavares? No believing in the playoffs –something that would have been unthinkable in problem for an Islander team that is the league’s stingiest and is getting it September. done by committee under Trotz, who looks to follow up his Stanley Cup turn in Washington with an unexpected playoff berth and possibly a Vegas Golden Knights: B-plus Metropolitan Division championship as the Islanders hit the break with three-point bulge on Washington. When the Golden Knights got off to a middling start to the season lots of people felt this was the team finally acting like they should have acted a New York Rangers: C-minus year ago when they were an expansion squad. But defending Jack Adams Trophy-winner Gerard Gallant has his crew back where they This was expected to be a season of transition for the Rangers and it is belong, firmly ensconced in a playoff spot thanks to the return from just that under rookie head coach David Quinn. The Rangers have suspension of defenseman Nate Schmidt and the play of Marc-Andre decisions on players like Mats Zuccarello (he’ll almost certainly be dealt) Fleury in net. among others in the coming weeks, but the challenge for a team with a minus-25 goal differential is to stay competitive and that’s no small task Washington Capitals: C given this lineup. The defending champs waited until just before the All-Star break to have Ottawa Senators: F their Stanley Cup hangover, going winless in seven – a stretch that saw them give up three hat tricks. They’ve allowed 30 goals in the past five Another team with myriad issues that aren’t all related to on-ice play and games. This is still a talent-laden team with the ability to present a must be dealt with before any hope of a renaissance can be vigorous title defense. They just don’t look like it right now. contemplated. And while the Senators were expected to be near the bottom of the standings, being dead last in goals allowed per game Winnipeg Jets: A merely reinforces just how far this team has fallen. Interesting days ahead for GM Pierre Dorion as he must either sign Mark Stone and/or The Jets are where most expected them to be: battling with Nashville for Matt Duchene or get good return in trades. the top spot in the Central Division. Interesting goaltending debate upcoming for head coach Paul Maurice as Laurent Brossoit (2.01 goals- Philadelphia Flyers: D-minus against average and .943 save percentage in 12 appearances) put pressure on incumbent Connor Hellebuyck, but it’s a good problem to Another team that began the season looking to be in the playoff mix but have for a Jets team that is built, once again, for the long haul. ended up with major upheaval that included the dismissal of GM Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol. Wayne Simmonds is likely out the The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 door but the work ahead of new GM Chuck Fletcher is significant given the steps taken back by many of the team’s promising young players as the Flyers rank 29th in goals allowed per game. Pittsburgh Penguins: B-minus The Penguins are making a bid for a 13th-straight playoff appearance, which is pretty mindboggling, but it hasn’t all been a straight line with netminder Matt Murray struggling to find consistency and then overcome injury. Evgeni Malkin is not having a Malkin-like season but still the Pens, led by the indomitable Sidney Crosby, are just five points out of first in the Metropolitan. St. Louis Blues: D-plus Sure, the Blues are just three points out of a playoff spot at the break, but for a team that should have been competing with Nashville and Winnipeg atop the Central Division, this season is a major disappointment as witnessed by the firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Jordan Binnington is a revelation in goal but can the kid help salvage the Blues’ season? Seems like a lot to ask. San Jose Sharks: A It took some time for Erik Karlsson to hit his stride with the Sharks but now that the two-time Norris Trophy winner is back to being the Karlsson of old, and the Sharks have once again established themselves as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The challenge will be in holding off Vegas for the second spot in the division, which would give them home- ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay Lightning: A-plus The Lightning are crushing the competition in the Eastern Conference and have a comfortable lead over Calgary as the presumptive 1127742 Pittsburgh Penguins Add in the fact that he has begun to kill penalties regularly, and Crosby is a legitimate contender to win the award given to the league’s top defensive forward. Respect growing for Sidney Crosby's all-around game “I don’t see why not,” Brassard said. “It’s always (Anze) Kopitar, Bergeron, those guys that are winning it, but he could get recognized for how well he’s playing away from the puck.” JONATHAN BOMBULIE What impresses his teammates most isn’t the minutia of goals-against Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, 6:09 p.m. numbers. It’s the fact that Crosby plays against the world’s top players every single night, and much more often than not, his line is the one doing the scoring. NHL ALL-STAR GAME “That’s just part of it when you’re playing with him,” linemate Jake Guentzel said. “You’re going to get their top players and their top ‘D’ pair. When: 8 p.m. Saturday It’s a challenge, but I think it’s something he likes to live up to. Play that Where: San Jose 200-foot game, and he can control the play.” TV: NBC Tribune Review LOADED: 01.26.2019 Format: Three-on-three tournament between the league's four divisions with the winning division receiving a $1 million prize Penguins representatives: Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang Jack Johnson cocked his head and squinted his eyes, pausing for a moment as if he had been asked a trick question. Should his Pittsburgh Penguins teammate and longtime friend Sidney Crosby be considered for MVP honors this season as sports writers around the league begin to contemplate their Hart Trophy ballots? “Well, he’s the best player in the league, so …” Johnson said, feeling no need to finish his sentence. As Crosby prepares to play in the NHL All-Star Game for the fourth time in his career Saturday night, the sentence does need to be finished. The 31-year-old Crosby won’t have to look too hard around SAP Center in San Jose to find younger players who could be considered the league’s best, depending on how the question is framed. No one is faster or more dynamic than Edmonton’s two-time defending scoring champ, Connor McDavid. Tampa Bay star Nikita Kucherov is the best player on the league’s best team through the first half of the season. Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and a handful of others are having magnificent years. Why should Crosby still be considered their superior? “When you look at his overall game, it’s the most complete game, I think, that any player possesses,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s the best 200-foot player in the game.” It doesn’t require a particularly rigorous analysis of the numbers to find a metric that supports Sullivan’s claim. When Crosby has been on the ice in five-on-five situations this season, the Penguins have outscored their opponents 53-21. Breaking that down a little further, Crosby has been on the ice for 4.57 goals for and 1.81 goals against per 60 minutes of ice time. The 4.57 goals-for figure is the best in the league, better than Kucherov (4.38), better than 37-goal scorer Alex Ovechkin (3.91) and way better than McDavid (3.17). The 1.81 goals-against number is the best among all players who have recorded at least 50 points this season, including Calgary’s Mark Giordano (1.88), the odds-on favorite to win the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. There are variables involving shooting percentage, goaltending and quality of teammates that stop the stat from being a be-all, end-all, but it is tangible evidence of what teammates and Penguins fans have thought for a while now. Taking both sides of the puck into consideration, it is fair to assert Crosby is the top all-around player in the game. “He’s always been playing on both sides of the puck,” teammate Derick Brassard said. “Early on in his career, I think faceoffs were an issue, but now, he’s really, really strong. He’s solid everywhere.” While Crosby’s offensive production has declined slightly since he hit his late 20s, his defensive acumen seems to be getting stronger. The 1.81 goals-against figure is the best of his career. It’s well ahead of Boston’s Patrice Bergeron (2.93), Florida’s Aleksander Barkov (3.18) and Ottawa’s Mark Stone (2.63), the three leading vote-getters when the Professional Hockey Writers Association released its midseason Selke Award ballots this week. 1127743 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins' Sidney Crosby to sit out all-star skills competition due to illness

JONATHAN BOMBULIE Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, 3:03 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will miss Friday night’s skills competition at the NHL All-Star Game in San Jose due to illness, the league announced Friday afternoon. He is expected to play in the All-Star Game on Saturday night. The other Penguins all-star representative, defenseman Kris Letang, is expected to participate in the skills competition and game. The Penguins had the week off after playing last Saturday night in Las Vegas. Crosby stayed in the western part of the country during the break, visiting Jackson Hole, Wyo. Tribune Review LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127744 Pittsburgh Penguins agreement. It remains to be seen whether the players association agrees.

“We’re at a place in our relationship where we communicate very well,” NHL: International games likely coming soon for Penguins Bettman said. “We’ve had constructive and candid dialogue. “The players financially and the league financially has never done better. JASON MACKEY Everyone is going to take a good hard look at what’s important and what they may or may not have to have. JAN 25, 2019 6:18 PM “I think at this particular stage in our history and with the opportunities ahead for us, I think labor peace would be a really good thing.” SAN JOSE, Calif. — As the NHL is finalizing its international schedule for • While there won’t be a World Cup in 2020, it sounds as if there might be next season and beyond, it sounds as if the Penguins are on the short list another version in February 2021, if the league and players can figure to soon participate in either the league’s Global Series or China Games. out logistics. “Yes,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said when asked whether the Nobody is scheduled to stage the All-Star Game in 2021 — yet — and it Penguins were being considered for international competition, something sounds as if they’re going to at least entertain the idea of having a Ryder they haven’t experienced since 2008. Cup-style tournament in lieu of a traditional game. Pressed further, Daly — speaking after commissioner Gary Bettman’s “An international competition in a February time period is certainly All-Star Game address Friday afternoon inside San Jose’s Forager possible,” Daly said. “I don’t think you can have a traditional World Cup in Tasting Room & Eatery — said it’s a tricky balance involving the the February time period. But can we fit some type of international Penguins overseas. competition in that window? Potentially. Is it a traditional World Cup? Probably not.” “We have something in mind that we think would work well for the Penguins,” Daly said. “It involves us aligning on the other side of the • One of the most light-hearted exchanges occurred when Bettman was equation with what we’re trying to put together. asked whether he plans to retire anytime soon. Golden Knights Marc-Andre Fleury smiles at some Penguin fans during “We were doing so nicely, now my back hurts, and I’m achy,” Bettman warmups Thursday Oct. 11, 2018 at PPG Paints Arena. said. “I haven’t given it any thought. Anybody who knows me knows I don’t operate on timeframes like that. I love what I do. I feel energized “You don’t want to use the Penguins for something that isn’t what you every day.” have in mind, if in fact what you have in mind can come to fruition rather quickly.” Post Gazette LOADED: 01.26.2019 That’s obviously a little bit of a cagey answer, but the takeaway here is that the Penguins are being considered. And with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin et. all, it seems only a matter of time until the Penguins find themselves playing overseas. Among the other takeaways from the session: • The other Pittsburgh-related item of business involved the NHL All-Star Game, which has never been held at PPG Paints Arena and not locally since 1990. Daly hinted that the Penguins likely have prioritized other events. “It’s certainly not disinterest in Pittsburgh and its ability to host a big-time event,” Daly said. “It just hasn’t aligned. That could be for a variety of reasons. It could be that the club hasn’t prioritized an All-Star Game at the top of the list of things it wants to accomplish. There’s a variety of things that go into that.” • The lead item for Bettman was the official announcement that the NHL would incorporate puck and player tracking for the 2019-20 season, a perk that should bring hockey up to speed with other pro sports leagues and maybe push it a step or two ahead. Bettman said the league recently tested puck and player tracking in Vegas and came away hugely impressed. San Jose defenseman Brent Burns and Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault each skated more than 3 miles. Golden Knights center William Karlsson surpassed 20 mph. With the tracking technology, we should be able to see how fast players are skating, how hard shots are, space between defenders … all kinds of stuff to modernize a stats system that has been woefully behind the times. Bettman even said it could impact sports gambling. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Bettman said. “The applications are endless.” There’s apparently buy-in from the players, but some older ones have reservations, NHLPA representative Mathieu Schneider said. “There are guys who are a little skeptical on how the data will be used,” Schneider said. “The players are very hopeful that we’ll be able to see progress, and the positives will outweigh the negatives.” The tracking data will be protected against being used for contract negotiations, though that might be tough to enforce. • Speaking of negotiations, while the league faces the possibility of another lockout, Bettman and Daly were very optimistic about how talks have gone. They expressed a belief that a deal could get done, and they could avoid a work stoppage while negotiating a new collective bargaining 1127745 Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby to miss NHL All-Star Skills Competition

JASON MACKEY JAN 25, 2019 2:43 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Because of illness, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will not participate in Friday’s NHL All-Star Skills Competition, the league announced this afternoon. Crosby does plan on playing in Saturday’s All-Star Game at SAP Center. Crosby and Kris Letang are the Penguins’ two representatives here. Neither was present for Thursday’s media day — in all, seven players missed the event — and Letang is expected to speak at approximately 7 p.m. EST on Friday. Crosby was expected to talk around the same time, although with this news, that's probably not likely. The Skills Competition will start at 9 p.m., and it will be televised on NBCSN. Post Gazette LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127746 Pittsburgh Penguins His current team wasn’t all Fleury talked about. He also answered some questions about a few of his former Penguins teammates.

One was Evgeni Malkin, who’s 18 points away from 1,000 for his career. Marc-Andre Fleury brushes aside Vezina Trophy talk “He’s so good,” Fleury said. “Since he first came in the league, it’s tough to describe. He’s a big guy. He protects the puck so well. He shoots well. JASON MACKEY He passes. He makes the plays out there. Pittsburgh is lucky to have these guys [Malkin and Sidney Crosby], having so much success and JAN 25, 2019 10:25 PM helping their team throughout all these years. It’s not an easy thing to do, and he’s been doing it.”

Fleury also said he’s not the least bit surprised that Matt Murray has SAN JOSE, Calif. — A year ago, Marc-Andre Fleury led the Vegas been playing better. After dropping six of his first 10 decisions this Golden Knights to an unprecedented run of success for an expansion season and posting some awful numbers (4.08 GAA/.877 SV%), Murray team, accumulating the most wins and points for a first-year franchise has been lights-out since returning from a lower-body injury on Dec. 15 and advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup final. (10-1, 1.81 GAA, .944 SV%). For an encore, Fleury is flirting with another historic possibility, this one “He’s real mature for his age as we saw with his first two Cups,” Fleury more of the individual variety. At the All-Star break, Fleury leads all NHL said. “He’s big. He can move around well. … He’s a good goalie. I’m sure goaltenders in wins (27) and shutouts (6), and he has a very real chance he’ll be fine.” of winning the first Vezina Trophy of his career. Although he missed seeing Crosby, who’s sick, Fleury said he rode the Speaking before Friday’s Skills Competition at SAP Center, Fleury tried bus from the players’ hotel to SAP Center with Kris Letang, happy to to tamp down any talk of individual accolades. There’s still a long way to catch up with one of his best friends over the years. go, Fleury reminded. Winning the Vezina isn’t really something on which he’s focused. And while Fleury said this weekend is “maybe not an ideal situation for goalies,” he was excited to get it started. After the hard stuff, of course. “I don’t know. It’s still early,” said Fleury, whose best career Vezina finish was fifth in 2017-18, when he was tied for second in goals-against “I feel like the red carpet and all of this is more stressful than going out average at 2.24. “A lot of games to be played. Obviously it would be nice there and playing,” Fleury said. “Everybody is so good. I’ll try my best, to beat that No. 5, but we’ll see. What matters is winning games. Not not think too much about the outcome and enjoy the weekend.” individual trophies.” Post Gazette LOADED: 01.26.2019 In this Sept. 21, 2017, file photo, Chinese watch an NHL China preseason hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. The Penguins might be given an opportunity to play in the China Games or Global Series. That’s fair, but what if you can do both? Since Nov. 21, Vegas (20-7-3, 43 points) has the third-most points in the NHL and has allowed the second-fewest goals (72). Meanwhile, Fleury ranks No. 1 in wins (18), second in goals-against average (2.41) and tied for second in save percentage (.917). Simply put, Fleury has played some of the best hockey of his career, including the 13 years he spent in Pittsburgh, and he’s on pace to set career-highs in games played (71) and wins (43) while matching the 10 shutouts he had in 2014-15. “It’s a team thing, right?” Fleury said when asked what has gone right for him. “You win as a team, you lose as a team. Our team has been playing some good hockey. Everybody is aware of our defensive zone also, helping out around the net, always back-checking and coming back in our zone. Makes my job easier, too.” For its midseason awards, the Professional Hockey Writers Association had Anaheim’s John Gibson (Whitehall) as its top Vezina candidate, with Fleury listed second. That could easily change over the final 30 or so games. Gibson plays on one of the worst teams in the league. He had won just two of the past 14 games in which he’s played while putting up a .903 save percentage. Fleury’s team, meanwhile, is surging. “We had a little bit of a tough start to the season, a lot of ups and downs,” Fleury said. “I think we’ve cleaned that up. We’ve been very consistent. I’m proud of the way the guys are playing. I think they showed a lot of character to get back to that position.” Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, front, controls the puck during the first period of the NHL hockey team's game against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, in Los Angeles. In his first year in Vegas, Fleury led the Golden Knights to a terrific run through the first three postseason rounds, winning 12 of those 15 starts and posting a 1.68 goals-against average and .947 save percentage with four shutouts. But after the Capitals knocked off the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup final for their first-ever championship, Fleury said that’s been a huge motivating factor for his team. “It was a tough loss, disappointing,” Fleury said. “It’s frustrating when you go so far. It doesn’t happen every year. It’s tough to go to the finals. When you have that taste, it’s so close. You just want to go back and finish the job.” 1127747 Pittsburgh Penguins purple. Not only that, they do it by working the puck on the perimeter and drawing opposing the penalty kill’s attention away from the soft spots in the ice. Let’s take a look at some examples. Marshall: Penguins’ meticulous power-play is paying dividends I mentioned earlier that the Penguins power play used the half-wall as their set-up alley. This is a great example of what I mean by that. Justin Schultz pinches low here to out-wait the penalty-kill and allow his Jesse Marshall teammates to find the soft areas of the ice. Jan 25, 2019 Those same soft areas of the ice just happen to be the same areas where the Penguins generate shots in excess relative to the rest of the league. The up-and-down motion of the players manning the half wall is what creates this space. Rather than fire shots from low-percentage Mike Sullivan’s power play has a track record of success. areas, the Penguins bypass those areas as they hunt for open space During his tenure as head coach dating back to December 12, 2015, the elsewhere. Penguins’ power play is ranked fifth among all teams, its zenith occurring Consider the roll some patience and restraint plays for Kessel in this next last season where a 26.2 percent conversion rate on the man advantage clip. was good for tops in the league. As the adage goes, patience is a virtue. It’s a power play that is continually evolving over time, and one that is starting to boast an attribute that is boosting its ability to generate high- This is just out-waiting your opponent to death. With time and space quality shots: patience. being given away like candy on Halloween, Kessel gives Malkin all the time he needs to settle into an area and make himself available. If you’ve found yourself yelling “Shoot!” at home or inside PPG Paints Arena with the Penguins on the power play, that would be an And it’s right in the Penguins sweet spot. understandable ad lib despite the team’s perennial success in 5-on-4 situations. It often seems as if the Penguins are trying to conjure up a This motion off the half wall, combined with the perimeter passing at the picture-perfect opportunity before taking their chance. top of the ice, allows Sidney Crosby to find open space while the rest of the penalty killing unit is focused on Kessel carrying the puck. The reality isn’t all that far off. The Penguins are not a shot-volume power-play. They haven’t been at any point in Sullivan’s aforementioned Take a look at the focal point of the penalty killers in the freeze frame of tenure. Although they boast two units laden with elite shooting talent, the that clip. No one is aware that Crosby has nestled into an open area of Penguins have become selective about when and where their shots the ice. Another area that just so happens to appear in purple in the map come from on the man-advantage. The results tell us that isn’t from Micah that we saw above. necessarily a bad thing when you look at the big picture. The Penguins umbrella structure is one that can lull opposing penalty Consider the numbers at work behind-the-scenes this season among the killers to sleep. While they shoot off of the half wall and the center of the league’s power-play elite: circle less than league average, the area’s they’re focusing on are producing high-quality chances that put the Penguins’ power play among Note: Data provided by Corsica and Natural Stat Trick. the league’s elite. A few things jump out from this data set. For starters, San Jose is The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 absolutely lethal with Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns manning their top unit, to the surprise of just about no one. Unfortunately, all of the luck in shooting percentage has fallen to the Tampa Bay Lightning, which leads the league in percentage despite posting underwhelming numbers with regards to shot- attempts and scoring chances. Take a look at where the Penguins rank in these various buckets in relation to the other top power-play units in the league. While the Penguins’ shot volume is in the bottom half of the league, their expected- goal totals and high-danger chances for sit in the top ten and pace this group outside of San Jose. The Penguins aren’t just firing shots at the net, they’re careful in their shot selection, and it’s an inherent boost to their ability to generate quality shots and scoring chances. As we’ll see later on, the Penguins aren’t afraid to outwait their opponent and draw their attention to the puck carrier like a snake charmer. A closer look at the Penguins shot maps courtesy of Micah Blake McCurdy at HockeyViz.com give us more detail into this approach. For a quick explanation of how to decipher this information, the dense areas of purple represent on-ice locations where the Penguins take an excess of shots relative to league average on the power-play. The green locations indicate the Penguins take fewer shots from that area in relation to league average. It’s a map that tells us where the Penguins are generating or not generating their shot attempts compared to everyone else. The Penguins are loading up on shots in the net front areas and the edges of the circle in the slot. If we think about traditional sections of the ice that are considered high-scoring areas across the league, the Penguins are making a living in them. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that they generate so many high-danger chances as we saw in the chart above. This information isn’t surprising when you consider the Penguins’ structure on their power play and the way they work the puck from the half wall. The areas of dense green we saw in the map above, which indicate locations where the Penguins shoot less than the rest of the league, are their set-up alleys. They are office locations for the likes of Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. The Penguins aren’t shooting from these areas because they’re using them as springboards for shot-attempts in the areas highlighted in purple. The video backs this up. The Penguins bypass shots from traditional half wall areas to work the puck diagonally into the areas highlighted in 1127748 Pittsburgh Penguins Quenneville. In spite of brief spasms of life, they remain mired in 14th place in the Western Conference, ranking 30th in the league in goals allowed per game and headed for a second straight playoff miss. Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break Colorado Avalanche: C-plus If we did this ranking six weeks ago, the Avs would be an ‘A’ club for Scott Burnside sure, but inconsistent goaltending from both Philipp Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov, and a lack of depth up front caused the Avs’ fall to Jan 25, 2019 the edge of the playoff picture. The Avs should still should be among the top eight in the West when the dust settles, but they aren’t making it easy on themselves. As the clock ticks inexorably toward the 2019 trade deadline and most Columbus Blue Jackets: B-plus teams now having roughly 30 games left on their schedules, the annual NHL All-Star break is a natural point at which to take stock. The Blue Jackets have had lots of off-ice stuff to digest, including the possible departure of stars Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin and Which teams have exceeded expectation? Which teams are miserably then more recently the one-game suspension of Bobrovsky for departing failing to live up to preseason prognostications? Which stars are hitting the bench after being lifted in a game against Tampa. Through it all they their stride? Which ones need a shot of adrenalin to carry their respective managed to stay competitive and they hit the break just four points out of teams forward over the final third of the season? first place in the Metropolitan Division and with a real chip on their shoulder. Here’s our All-Star break report card for all 31 NHL teams. Dallas Stars: C-plus Anaheim Ducks: C-minus Never a dull moment in Dallas, eh? President Jim Lites calls out Tyler The Ducks, not unlike Arizona, battled injury from the get-go. And were it Seguin and Jamie Benn, rookie head coach Jim Montgomery bemoans not for the otherworldly (at least on most nights) goaltending provided by the culture of mediocrity, and the team, once again, can’t find ways to win John Gibson, the Ducks would be thinking draft lottery not wild card. Still, consistently on the road (they are 9-13-2 away from American Airlines the fact GM Bob Murray had to publicly throw his support behind head Center). A team that missed the playoffs in eight of the past 10 seasons coach Randy Carlyle tells you that this Ducks team is very much in is desperate to make the tournament this season, but they need to be transition. much better down the stretch to make that happen. Arizona Coyotes: C Detroit Red Wings: D Hard to assess the Yotes given their never-ending list of walking We knew the Red Wings weren’t going to be very good this season and wounded, a list that may now include captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson who well, they aren’t. Lots of questions moving forward about GM Ken was set to undergo an MRI Thursday. Maybe they deserve a better grade Holland’s future with the team, whether – or when – Steve Yzerman ends given that they hit the break just two points out of the second wild-card up managing the team and what will become of head coach Jeff Blashill. spot in the Western Conference. But that’s more a function of the Short-term Holland has to decide what to do with netminder Jimmy mediocrity in lower echelons of the conference than the team itself. Howard, who is the team’s most consistent performer but who will be an Boston Bruins: B unrestricted free agent in the summer. If the Bruins got to play Toronto every night they’d be an A-plus team, but Edmonton Oilers: F I digress. Tuukka Rask’s injury (he was concussed in a collision in net Sorry, a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl shouldn’t be this just before the All-Star break) is problematic given that he returned to bad, this dysfunctional. But the Oilers are what they are and that is a form in recent weeks, but Jaroslav Halak is a more than adequate Plan mess. The firing of Todd McLellan early in the season didn’t change that B. The offense is middle of the pack but Bruce Cassidy’s group is hard to and the abrupt firing of GM Peter Chiarelli in the middle of a game this play against (they are tied for third in goals allowed per game) and week doesn’t fix that. Maybe they make the playoffs, maybe they don’t, playoff tested. but as president Bob Nicholson noted this week, there’s something in the Buffalo Sabres: C-minus water in Edmonton that needs to be addressed. Sadly pretty much the same thing has been said for more than a decade. The Sabres ran the gamut from A-plus play to D or worse of late, which sees them settle in here with a C-minus. The problem for the Sabres is Florida Panthers: D-minus that, having won 10 straight games early in the season, the expectations The Panthers were expected to be vying for a playoff berth, maybe even went through the roof. They hit the break four points back of the second challenging for one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division this wild card and now the pressure is on head coach Phil Housley to get the season but it didn’t turn out that way as goaltending and injuries derailed team back in its earlier groove. There is also no small amount of yet another season for the Cats. Too much talent for this team to be pressure on GM Jason Botterill to take advantage of the team’s where they are and that is 10 points out of a playoff spot. surprising start to make some adds at the trade deadline to give this squad it’s best opportunity to qualify for the playoffs for the first time Los Angeles Kings: D-minus since 2011. Another for the ‘mighty have fallen’ category as the Kings are dead last in Calgary Flames: A-plus the conference and also fired their coach. Willie Desjardins is a place holder as GM Rob Blake figures out a way to reroute what became a GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters should both be in dead-end train. The team has an embarrassing minus-36 goal consideration for some postseason hardware, along with Mark Giordano, differential, worst in the league, and the league’s most impotent offense who is a contender for what would be his first Norris Trophy as the with just 2.26 goals per game. The signing of Ilya Kovalchuk to a three- league’s top defenseman. The Flames, whose plus-45 goal differential is year deal in the offseason is symptomatic of a team needing to reboot tops in the Western Conference, far exceeded expectations, opening up but not taking the proper steps to do so. a six-point lead on San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific Division and top seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota Wild: B-minus Carolina Hurricanes: C Zach Parise’s return to health and return to form are pivotal for the Wild as they are starting to put some distance between themselves and the A season that began with high hopes for Scott Darling, and newcomers rest of the pack in the battle for playoff positioning. The third-place Wild Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland sees the Canes enter the break won three straight hitting the break in spite of dealing popular Nino once again outside the playoff bubble. Ferland will likely be traded by the Niederreiter to Carolina. deadline, Darling has seen his career go off the rails once again and Hamilton’s name has even surfaced in trade talks – while former Montreal Canadiens: A-minus Hurricanes Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner enjoy career seasons in Calgary and Buffalo, respectively. Still, the Hurricanes are just four points Carey Price is back to being Carey Price, the Habs kept the ship afloat back of what would be their first playoff berth since 2009, and Rod long enough for Shea Weber to return from injury and all of a sudden the Brind’Amour has his team playing an entertaining up-tempo style. Habs are pushing the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division. Kudos to much-maligned GM Marc Bergevin for staying the Chicago Blackhawks: D course, and Claude Julien has done a masterful job behind the bench as the Canadiens appear headed for an unexpected playoff berth and How the mighty have fallen as the once powerhouse Blackhawks parted perhaps even a long-awaited matchup with the Leafs. ways early in the season with future Hall of Fame head coach Joel Nashville Predators: A Presidents’ Trophy winners. They give up more than they’d like (tied for 21st in goals allowed per game) but a top-ranked offense, top-ranked The Predators have muddled through a series of injuries and power play, a top-10 penalty kill and league-best plus-59 goal differential suspensions, which prevented them from being the dominant regular make the Lightning the All-Star break Stanley Cup favorites. season team they were a year ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. But as they get healthier watch for them to continue to pile up the Toronto Maple Leafs: B-plus points in a bid to win a second-straight division title. They hit the break tied with Winnipeg atop the Central, although the Jets have four games in The bar was set pretty high for the Leafs and they’d likely be an ‘A’ squad hand. had they not gone flat in the days leading up to the All-Star break. William Nylander struggled after missing the first quarter of the season New Jersey Devils: D-minus waiting for a new contract, and Auston Matthews had his own ups and downs when it comes to production. Still, the Leafs are a deep, dynamic Perhaps a drop-off in play was to be expected this season after the offensive team led by John Tavares and, with strong goaltending Devils, behind Hart Trophy-winner Taylor Hall, earned a surprise trip to provided by Frederik Andersen, are headed to the postseason for the the playoffs last spring. But no one expected this kind of fallback as the third straight season. Now they need to prove they can hang with the big Devils find themselves tied with woeful Ottawa with the fewest points in boys by winning a round or two. the league. The emergence of rookie netminder MacKenzie Blackwood is a lone bright spot but not nearly enough to cover the other blemishes Vancouver Canucks: A-minus displayed by the Devils. What a revelation Elias Pettersson is to long-suffering Canucks fans to New York Islanders: A-plus say nothing of his teammates. Even with a couple of injuries Pettersson is running away with the rookie scoring race and appears a shoo-in to The problem for Bill Peters vis a vis the Jack Adams as coach of the year win the Calder Trophy as the top first-year player. Meanwhile head coach is that Barry Trotz is likely going to walk away with the prize if his Travis Green has the Canucks, tied in points for a wild-card spot, Islanders continue their confounding level of play. No John Tavares? No believing in the playoffs –something that would have been unthinkable in problem for an Islander team that is the league’s stingiest and is getting it September. done by committee under Trotz, who looks to follow up his Stanley Cup turn in Washington with an unexpected playoff berth and possibly a Vegas Golden Knights: B-plus Metropolitan Division championship as the Islanders hit the break with three-point bulge on Washington. When the Golden Knights got off to a middling start to the season lots of people felt this was the team finally acting like they should have acted a New York Rangers: C-minus year ago when they were an expansion squad. But defending Jack Adams Trophy-winner Gerard Gallant has his crew back where they This was expected to be a season of transition for the Rangers and it is belong, firmly ensconced in a playoff spot thanks to the return from just that under rookie head coach David Quinn. The Rangers have suspension of defenseman Nate Schmidt and the play of Marc-Andre decisions on players like Mats Zuccarello (he’ll almost certainly be dealt) Fleury in net. among others in the coming weeks, but the challenge for a team with a minus-25 goal differential is to stay competitive and that’s no small task Washington Capitals: C given this lineup. The defending champs waited until just before the All-Star break to have Ottawa Senators: F their Stanley Cup hangover, going winless in seven – a stretch that saw them give up three hat tricks. They’ve allowed 30 goals in the past five Another team with myriad issues that aren’t all related to on-ice play and games. This is still a talent-laden team with the ability to present a must be dealt with before any hope of a renaissance can be vigorous title defense. They just don’t look like it right now. contemplated. And while the Senators were expected to be near the bottom of the standings, being dead last in goals allowed per game Winnipeg Jets: A merely reinforces just how far this team has fallen. Interesting days ahead for GM Pierre Dorion as he must either sign Mark Stone and/or The Jets are where most expected them to be: battling with Nashville for Matt Duchene or get good return in trades. the top spot in the Central Division. Interesting goaltending debate upcoming for head coach Paul Maurice as Laurent Brossoit (2.01 goals- Philadelphia Flyers: D-minus against average and .943 save percentage in 12 appearances) put pressure on incumbent Connor Hellebuyck, but it’s a good problem to Another team that began the season looking to be in the playoff mix but have for a Jets team that is built, once again, for the long haul. ended up with major upheaval that included the dismissal of GM Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol. Wayne Simmonds is likely out the The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 door but the work ahead of new GM Chuck Fletcher is significant given the steps taken back by many of the team’s promising young players as the Flyers rank 29th in goals allowed per game. Pittsburgh Penguins: B-minus The Penguins are making a bid for a 13th-straight playoff appearance, which is pretty mindboggling, but it hasn’t all been a straight line with netminder Matt Murray struggling to find consistency and then overcome injury. Evgeni Malkin is not having a Malkin-like season but still the Pens, led by the indomitable Sidney Crosby, are just five points out of first in the Metropolitan. St. Louis Blues: D-plus Sure, the Blues are just three points out of a playoff spot at the break, but for a team that should have been competing with Nashville and Winnipeg atop the Central Division, this season is a major disappointment as witnessed by the firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Jordan Binnington is a revelation in goal but can the kid help salvage the Blues’ season? Seems like a lot to ask. San Jose Sharks: A It took some time for Erik Karlsson to hit his stride with the Sharks but now that the two-time Norris Trophy winner is back to being the Karlsson of old, and the Sharks have once again established themselves as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The challenge will be in holding off Vegas for the second spot in the division, which would give them home- ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay Lightning: A-plus The Lightning are crushing the competition in the Eastern Conference and have a comfortable lead over Calgary as the presumptive 1127749 San Jose Sharks “It’s a huge honor to be the first woman to compete in the NHL All Star Skills’ Competition,” Coyne Schofield said. “It was surreal.”

She kicked off the event by being the first skater in the contest, drawing Takeaways: Matthews wins over Sharks fans with Marleau tribute loud chants of “USA, USA, USA,” from a crowd that clearly appreciated Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews wore a Patrick Marleau the historical moment they were about to witness. Coyne Schofield jersey during the accuracy shooting competition. zipped around the ice in 14.346 seconds, beating Clayton Keller of the Arizona Coyotes. Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers won the competition by reaching the finish line in 13.378 seconds. Paul Gackle “My first impression was, I can do this,” Coyne Schofield said. “My speed is definitely my strength. Obviously, I was a little nervous, but I knew it January 25, 2019 at 11:19 PM was a moment that was going to break a lot of barriers and a moment that would change the perception of our game.”

The Olympian left quite an impression on the NHLers who witnessed the SAN JOSE — Sharks fans wanted Patrick Marleau make a cameo historic moment. appearance at the 2019 NHL All Star Game in San Jose. Auston Matthews granted their wish as best he could. “She was flying,” Matthews said. “She came out for warmups and was buzzing around and everyone took notice. She just looks fast.” In the weeks leading into hockey’s mid-winter showcase, Sharks fans held out hope that the NHL would find a way to include Mr. Shark in the “When she took off, I was like, ‘wow,’ ” McDavid said. “I thought she all star festivities at SAP Center. It didn’t happen. But Matthews sent the might have won, the way she was moving. She’s a really good skater and home crowd into a frenzy during the Skills’ Competition Friday night, it’s an amazing thing for the game to see her participate like that.” ripping off his Toronto Maple Leafs sweater just before he competed in the accuracy shooting contest, revealing a white No. 12 all star jersey Pavelski took pride in the performance of his fellow Team USA alumni. with his teammates’ name on the back. “She did a tremendous job out there,” the Sharks captain said. “I was “It was amazing. I wasn’t expecting that (reception). That’s just a glad I didn’t have to go after her and do a lap.” testament to how much of a legend he is here,” Matthews said. “All the cheering got me so nervous that I forgot there was five targets.” Coyne Schofield called the crowd at SAP Center “electrifying,” and credited it with giving her a boost. Joe Pavelski said he “absolutely loved” Matthews tribute to Marleau. He got tipped off to the plan by NBC analyst Jeremy Roenick just moments “To hear the USA chants, everyone erupted when I started,” she said. “It before Matthews revealed the jersey. definitely gave me some momentum and the adrenaline was pumping.” “I was like, oh that’s great! Incredible!” the Sharks captain said. “I looked 3. The Marleau tribute and Coyne Schofield appearance gave the Tank a at Brent (Burns) and said, we’ve got to get a picture with him. We chance to go crazy on a night where the Sharks contingent failed to bring probably should have turned him around. We just wanted the number on home a top prize. the back. It was pretty cool. Patty means a lot to just about everybody Brent Burns finished second to John Carlson of the Washington Capitals who’s come through this organization. He’s left his mark.” in the hardest shot contest, hitting 100.6 on the gun after he missed the Marleau is leaving his mark on the Maple Leafs, as well. The 39-year-old net on his first shot. Pavelski finished fourth in the accuracy shooting veteran is playing a mentorship role with the Maple Leafs two budding competition and got a big hug from his son Nathan after he finished. Erik superstars, Matthews, and Mitch Marner, serving as their surrogate Karlsson ranked seventh out of eight in the challenging premier passer father in Toronto. Marleau hosts regular dinners with Matthews, 21, and event. Marner, 21, plays cards with them on the road and teaches them how to Pavelski was glad he got to compete in accuracy shooting contest rather embrace the grind of an 82-game season like professionals. than premier passing competition with Karlsson. When the Maple Leafs visited San Jose on Nov. 15, Marner posted an “It seems like one of those events where you need a little bit of Instagram video of he, Matthews, Marleau and his kids singing along to momentum,” Pavelski said. “You get a couple early, it’s good.” the Village People’s “YMCA” on a drive to breakfast. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.26.2019 “I like to make fun of him and tease him. He’s like a second dad to me,” Matthews said. “We’re extremely close, myself and Mitch. He’s an amazing teammate. He treats everybody so, so well.” the greatest team in the world pic.twitter.com/bTChUwIJ4X — thomas (@nosalaryretaind) November 14, 2018 Matthews came up with the idea for the tribute Thursday night over dinner with his family. He informed the league and they made a special Marleau all star jersey that was ready in time for Friday’s Skills’ Competition. “He does so much for myself and the team beyond his amazing abilities on the ice,” Matthews said, adding: “Just his presence. He never gets too high or low, that’s something that I’ve learned from him. Just the way he carries himself. He’s such a professional. There’s a reason that he’s played the amount of games that he’s played.” The Maple Leafs center said he threw on the Marleau jersey underneath his Maple Leafs sweater during the event’s intermission. Though he didn’t inform Marleau about the planned tribute, he received a text message from the Sharks all-time leading scorer after the event. “It just said ‘thanks’ and ‘that was awesome,’ Matthews said. Sharks fans sure thought it was awesome, as well. 2. Before Matthews honored No. 12, U.S. Olympic gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield got the crowd warmed up by making history. Coyne Schofield became the first female to compete in the Skills’ Competition when she took Nathan MacKinnon’s place in the fastest skater competition. With MacKinnon sidelined by a foot injury, the Colorado Avalanche asked Coyne Schofield to fill his skates in the contest over Twitter, an invitation she accepted. 1127750 San Jose Sharks

A kid’s game: Burns, Pavelski turn All-Star Game into family affair San Jose Sharks Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski relish chance to include their kids in weekend’s festivities

Curtis Pashelka January 25, 2019 at 10:24 PM

SAN JOSE — The children of Sharks players Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski were front and center Friday night at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition at SAP Center. Peyton Burns, Brent’s daughter, interviewed players on the red carpet on their way into the building and Jagger Burns and Nathan Pavelski skated onto the ice for warm-ups with all of the Western Conference players. Jagger and Nathan stood beside their dads as they, along with Erik Karlsson, were individually introduced before the competition began, and made themselves right at home among the best players in the game today. “It was really special to have Nate out there, and for him to share it with Jagger and all of us who he’s familiar with, and in the locker room with the trainers,” Joe Pavelski said. “Just all around, it was pretty cool to share that kind of experience.” The Burns and Pavelski kids have joined their dads for high-profile events before. Three years ago, Jagger Burns and Nathan Pavelski were on the ice with their dads when the All-Star Game was in Nashville. In the breakaway challenge, the four of them did a ‘flying V’ of sorts, with Nate Pavelski giving a between-the-legs drop pass to Jagger Burns, who scored after Florida goalie Roberto Luongo pulled New Jersey’s Cory Schneider out of the net. JAGGER BURNS WITH THE SAVE! #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/UKOnBsGDc4 — NHL (@NHL) January 26, 2019 Just recently, when Brent Burns was honored for playing his 1,000th NHL regular season game, Jagger led the Sharks out of the locker room before the start of the game and skated through the Sharks’ head, a gesture from owner Hasso Plattner and general manager Doug Wilson that dad appreciated. “It’s always been a special thing to skate out of the Shark head, and kind of earning it, and for them to allow my son to do that and share that moment — he still talks about it every day,” Burns said Thursday. “It just shows how close-knit the organization is, how much they want to make this a place that guys want to be part of and stay here.” Nathan Pavelski, wearing a Connor McDavid all-star sweater by that point, gave his dad a big hug after the Sharks captain finished the accuracy shooting competition. “It think it’s awesome. That’s the way it should be,” Karlsson said when asked about the family atmosphere the Sharks try to foster. “You want to share the experience with the people who you love, and I think that this entire organization is very into that, and that’s something that to me, means a lot. “I think it’s the way it should be. Having the kids around is energizing and great, even for us who do not have kids, we know them just as well, it feels like. To be able to have those two out there today is awesome.” NHL All-Star Weekend ends Saturday with the All-Star Game at 5 p.m. The Pacific Division plays the Central Division in the first 3-on-3 semifinal and the Metropolitan Division plays the Atlantic Division in the second semifinal. The winner of the game will meet in the final to conclude the event. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127751 San Jose Sharks

Could the Sharks play preseason games in Europe next season? NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday the league will be holding more preseason games in Europe next season, including Germany

Curtis Pashelka January 25, 2019 at 6:20 PM

SAN JOSE — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday the league will be holding more preseason games in Europe next season, including Germany, raising the possibility the Sharks will be one of the teams taking part. On the heels of games held in Europe and China last fall, Bettman, at a downtown press conference, said the league will be holding more exhibition games overseas next season, tentatively scheduled in Switzerland and Germany. A season-opening game will also be held in Prague of the Czech Republic and two regular season games will be held in Stockholm, Sweden in November. The NHL held Global Series Games in Europe this past October, with one preseason game between Edmonton and New Jersey taking part in Cologne, Germany and a regular season game between the two teams in Gothenburg, Sweden. “We are not ready today to announce the dates or teams,” for next season, Bettman said, “but more to come shortly.” Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner is a native of Germany and the software company he helped found, SAP, is a major corporate partner of the NHL. In talking about the Sharks, the host team for this weekend’s NHL All- Star Game festivities, Bettman praised the stability of the organization, led by Plattner and general manager Doug Wilson. “It is incredible to see the central role that this organization and the SAP Center have played, and are playing, in the success of this great city,” Bettman said. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127752 San Jose Sharks San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.26.2019

No Sidney Crosby in NHL Skills Competition; Here’s what the Sharks are doing Sidney Crosby out due to illness; Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski all taking part

Curtis Pashelka January 25, 2019 at 5:01 PM

SAN JOSE — Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will not be taking part in the NHL’s All-Star Skills Competition on Friday night at SAP Center due to illness, the league announced. Crosby, a member of the Metropolitan Division all-star team, is still slated to take part in the NHL All-Star Game’s 3-on-3 tournament on Saturday. The NHL announced later Friday which players will be competing in each competition — the fastest skater, the premier passer, the save streak competition among goalies, puck control, hardest shot and accuracy shooting. The three Sharks representatives — defensemen Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns and captain Joe Pavelski are all taking part Karlsson will be in the premier passer competition, Burns will be in the hardest shot competition and Pavelski will be in the accuracy shooting competition. The Skills Competition will be begin after 6 p.m. on Friday. Karlsson, who missed the last three Sharks games before the all-star break with a lower body injury, said Thursday that he will be able to participate in both the skills competition and Saturday’s All-Star Game. Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon is attending NHL All- Star Weekend but is not participating in on-ice activities. Here is who will be participating in each skills competition. NHL Fastest Skater Participants: Cam Atkinson, Columbus Blue Jackets; Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders; Kendall Coyne, U.S. Women’s National Team; Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres; Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars; Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes; Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers; Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks. NHL Puck Control: Participants: Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames; Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers; Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks; Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche; Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks; Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets; Jeff Skinner, Buffalo Sabres John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs. NHL Save Streak: Participants: Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild; Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights; John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks; Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals; Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings; Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers; Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators; Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning. NHL Premier Passer Participants: Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes; Thomas Chabot, Ottawa Senators; Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers; Roman Josi, Nashville Predators; Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks; Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues; Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche; Keith Yandle, Florida Panthers. NHL Hardest Shot Participants: Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks; John Carlson, Washington Capitals; Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets; Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning. NHL Accuracy Shooting Participants: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings; Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning; Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins; Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs; Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils; David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins; Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks; Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets. 1127753 San Jose Sharks San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.26.2019

NHL All-Star Game: NBC to showcase new puck, player tracking Innovations reveal how fast players are skating, the speed on their shots, and more

Chuck Barney January 25, 2019 at 2:44 PM

Baseball fans watching a game on TV, or at the park, long have been able to know just how much zip a pitcher has on his fastball, thanks to radar-gun readings. But what about the hockey watcher who wants to know the velocity of a Sidney Crosby slap-shot? That kind of intel, and more, will be showcased by NBC Sports this weekend during the NHL All-Star Game in San Jose. The network plans to use new puck and player tracking technology as the centerpiece of a separate, digital-only presentation Saturday night on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. With each player and puck fitted with special microchips, NBC will graphically highlight not only shot speed, but skating speed, skating distance and shift times. “We’re really just scratching the surface,” says NBC Sports producer Steve Greenberg. “What viewers see on Saturday won’t be exactly what they see a year from now, or into the future. But there’s some valuable information becoming available to us and we’re pretty excited about it.” The digital broadcast will deploy a separate production truck and announcing team, with Kenny Albert doing the play-by-play and Keith Jones providing analysis. Of course, the traditional TV broadcast can be viewed on NBC (KNTV in the Bay Area) with play-by-play man Mike “Doc” Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk and “Inside the Glass” analyst Pierre McGuire. Both television and digital coverage begin at 5 p.m. PT. The NHL has been experimenting with tracking technology for some time now. It was tested at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. And in the run-up to the all-star game, it was used during a practice session in San Jose (with non-NHL players) in December and during two real games in Las Vegas earlier this month. “It gave us a chance to see how these chips reacted,” Greenberg says. “We’ve really come a long way in such a short period.” Of course, even in an era when sports fans are obsessed with analytics, there remains a fear of information-overload. “My task is to just throw everything at the wall and then try to find out what people like and what they don’t,” Greenberg says. “We’re encouraging fans to give us feedback.” That said, Greenberg believes hockey needs to catch up to other sports in terms of available information. “Things are missing,” he insists. “You’ll watch a game on TV and an announcer will mention that a certain player has been out on the ice for a long time. But don’t just tell me that he must be tired. Tell me exactly how long he has been out there. … And tell me how fast Alex Ovechkin shoots it.” But what do the players think? Sharks all-star forward Joe Pavelski preaches caution when it comes to how the metrics are used and interpreted. “There’s so many questions that need to be answered with it — distances traveled and puck speed, types of shots. It is what it is,” he says. “It’s not always the hardest shot. There’s a lot of times you miss a shot and it bounces off something and it ends up in the net. “There’s certain things that they’ll be able to attach to certain plays. It’s hard to really control what they’re going to use it for yet. Am I worried about it? Yeah and no.” It might be a while before the tracking system becomes standard across the NHL, mostly because the set-up is elaborate. (40 pucks were fitted with chips for this weekend). Still, it seems that the technology will, sooner or later, become a staple of NHL broadcasts — just as the yellow first-down line is in football, and the ball-tracking wizardry in golf. “It’s not going to be perfect right away,” Greenberg says. “But we’re going to have some fun with it and see how it goes.” 1127754 San Jose Sharks Western Conference NHL Mascots Wild Wing from the Anaheim Ducks NHL All-Star Game: Sharkie, 28 others compete in Mascot Showdown Howler from the Arizona Coyotes Which will be more challenging: The dance-off? Broom ball? Or an actual Harvey the Hound from the Calgary Flames hockey game? Tommy Hawk from the Chicago Blackhawks

Bernie from the Colorado Avalanche Nhat V. Meyer Victor E. Green from the Dallas Stars January 25, 2019 at 12:29 PM Hunter from the Edmonton Oilers

Bailey from the Los Angeles Kings The NHL All-Star Game isn’t just a competition among hockey’s finest. Nordy from the Minnesota Wild It’s a four-day test of their team mascots’ skills — on and off the ice. Sharkie, Wild Wing, Louie, Chance, Slapshot and the others may be pros Louie from the St. Louis Blues at raising the noise level in the rink, posing for selfies and charming Fin from the Vancouver Canucks children, but how are they at playing broom ball and shaking booty? Chance from the Vegas Golden Knights Fans of all ages are invited to watch the antics during the 2019 Mascot Showdown, held inside the NHL Fan Fair at the San Jose McEnery Moose from the Winnipeg Jets Convention Center. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.26.2019 Sharkie, naturally, is team captain for the 15 Western Conference mascots while last year’s Most Valuable Mascot, ThunderBug of the Tampa Bay Lightning, leads the 14 from the Eastern Conference. There’s even a rookie phenom in the mix: Gritty from the Philadelphia Flyers. The competition kicked off Thursday night with a spirited scavenger hunt and a game of dodge ball. It was a split verdict, with the East winning the former and the West the latter. At 7 p.m. Friday, the Playmobil All-Star Rink becomes a dance floor for the contest between the mascots. (However, we’re told that Sharkie will not be in attendance at this event. Is he a lousy dancer or does he have something better to do?) Saturday is a three-contest day, with musical chairs (watch out for Chance in that one; remember, he has Vegas show experience!) and broom ball starting at noon. The real test, however, comes at 3 p.m. when the mascots actually play hockey. Their game — two 8-minute periods — will be live-streamed on NHL.com and on the NHL’s Facebook page. By Sunday, the pros’ game will be over, but the mascots will still have more to prove. At 1 p.m. they will compete in relay races. Those will be followed at 2 p.m. by the presentation of the Most Valuable Mascot Award and the NHL Mascot Showdown Trophy. You’ll save if you buy tickets to Fan Fair at the door. Admission there is $20 adults, $15 for youth, seniors, college students and members of the military. (If you order online via Ticketmaster, the fees push the adult ticket price to $25.) Here are the teams and their mascots. Note that not all mascots will be in attendance at all contests. (On Friday, besides Sharkie, six other mascots will not appear: Blades, Carlton, Gritty, Moose, Nordy and Youppi. On Sunday, Bailey, Gritty, Iceburgh, Tommy Hawk and Chance will not be in attendance.) Eastern Conference NHL Mascots Blades from the Boston Bruins Sabretooth from the Buffalo Sabres Stormy from the Carolina Hurricanes Stinger from the Columbus Blue Jackets Stanley C. Panther from the Florida Panthers Youppi from the Montreal Canadiens NJ Devil from the New Jersey Devils Sparky from the New York Islanders SpartaCat from the Ottawa Senators Gritty from the Philadelphia Flyers Iceburgh from the Pittsburgh Penguins ThunderBug from the Tampa Bay Lightning Carlton from the Toronto Maple Leafs Slapshot from the Washington Capitals 1127755 San Jose Sharks and Erik Karlsson of the Sharks. “That would be fun,” he said, “except none of us would be trying to play defense.”

Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby sat out the Skills competition because of U.S. gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield is pioneer in NHL Skills an illness but he will participate in Saturday’s game, the eighth All-Star contest selection of his career. His teammate, defenseman Kris Letang, said he was happy to be back in Susan Slusser U the building where the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016. 1:01 pm PST, Friday, January 25, 2019 “I have great memories, obviously” he said. “I don’t know if they’ll be cheering me on here or against me but it’s a rink I love to play in, not only because we won, but because they have a great fan base and there’s a great atmosphere.” San Jose’s SAP Center made a little history Friday night when, for the first time, a woman took part in the NHL Skills competition — and wowed San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 01.26.2019 the All-Stars. In the kickoff event, the fastest skater contest, U.S. gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield went first and set a good pace, sailing around the rink in 14.346 seconds; she wound up finishing ahead of Arizona’s Clayton Keller in the field of eight. “I was a little nervous, but I knew it was a moment that would break a lot of barriers and a moment that would change the perception of our game,” Coyne Schofield said. “It was so exciting.” The Colorado Avalanche contacted Coyne Schofield earlier in the day and asked her to fill in for Nathan MacKinnon. “It was a no-brainer,” she said. “Obviously, it’s huge honor to be the first woman to take part in the NHL Skills competition. It was surreal.” The fans in the sold-out building helped, too. “The crowd was electrifying,” Coyne Schofield said. “To hear the ‘USA’ chants, everyone erupted when I started, that definitely gave me some momentum. The adrenaline was pumping.” When Coyne Schofield took the ice, the NHL players were in awe. “She was flying,” Toronto’s Auston Matthews said. “She came out for warmups and was buzzing around and everyone took notice. She just looks fast.” “They were awesome, they were so supportive,” Coyne Schofield said of the All-Stars. “They kept saying they were nervous I’d beat them.” The winner: Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, with a time of 13.378. It was his third win in a row, but even he thought Coyne Schofield had a shot. “When she took off, I was like, ‘Wow!’” McDavid said. “I thought she might have won, the way she was moving. She’s a really good skater and it’s an amazing thing for the game to see her participate like that.” While Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl officially took the premier passing contest to win $25,000, it was Team USA star Brianna Decker who had the top time while demonstrating the event; she finished in 1:06 to Draisaitl’s 1:09. “That was phenomenal,” Coyne Schofield said. “It just shows the top players, man or woman, belong.” Matthews might have drawn the biggest cheers of the night when he donned a Patrick Marleau jersey for the accuracy competition. He said the longtime Sharks star, now Matthews’ teammate with the Leafs, texted him his thanks as soon as he got off the ice. “He’s like a brother to me,” Matthews said. “It was pretty cool,” Sharks All-Star Joe Pavelski said. “Patty means a lot to just about everyone who’s come through this organization and he’s left his mark. It was pretty cool of (Matthews) to do that.” Sharks defenseman Brent Burns missed the net on his first attempt in the hardest-shot competition, but his second effort was clocked at 100.6 mph, good for the third-hardest shot of the night. Washington’s John Carlson had the two hardest shots, winning with a velocity of 102.8 mph. Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau went last and swooped in to take the puck- control contest away from Chicago’s Patrick Kane with a time of 27.045 second to Kane’s 28.611. The save-streak competition went to New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 12 in a row to bury the competition. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy staved off eight straight. Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty was in the accuracy competition and guaranteed that he would not win. “I’m sure the crowd will be booing me, so I’ll be super nervous and embarrassed,” Doughty said with a smile. He was correct: He was booed lustily throughout the evening and Boston’s David Pastrnak won. Doughty was asked before the competition about the possibility of playing on a three-on-three line Saturday with two division foes, Burns 1127756 San Jose Sharks

Auston Matthews honors Patrick Marleau at NHL All-Star Skills Competition

Brian Witt January 25, 2019 8:59 PM

The Sharks already were well-represented at NHL All-Star Weekend in San Jose, with Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson all participating. Then Toronto's Auston Matthews decided the Skills Competition on Friday night needed a little extra Sharks-flavor. As he took the ice for the shooting accuracy challenge, Matthews ditched his own jersey for that of his current Maple Leafs teammate, Patrick Marleau. A little tribute to a @SanJoseSharks legend. #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/x0lEVer3Q2 — NHL (@NHL) January 26, 2019 Marleau, of course, played the first 19 years of his career with the Sharks before joining the Maple Leafs as a free agent prior to the start of last season. He ranks first in San Jose franchise history in games played (1493), goals (508) and points (1,082). When Matthews revealed Marleau's jersey, the SAP Center crowd roared with approval and greeted him with a standing ovation. BAH GAWD THAT’S MARLEAU’S MUSIC! #NHLAllStar #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/2mPMB8PUfh — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 26, 2019 After Matthews finished his round in the shooting accuracy challenge, he posed for a photo with the three current Sharks All-Stars. Our guys just had to take a group photo with "Patrick Marleau" #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/4YjxQyvkdf — San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 26, 2019 Good on you, Matthews. Very cool. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127757 San Jose Sharks Daly said the NHL anticipates “presenting a couple more games” in China next season, but neither he nor Bettman announced who the NHL had in mind to headline its international slate next season. NHL All-Star Game: Four takeaways from Gary Bettman's press Could the Sharks play in one of those games? It’s worth noting that conference majority owner Hasso Plattner was born in Berlin, the site of the NHL’s last regular-season game in Germany, and the Sharks opened their 2010-11 season abroad in Sweden. Marcus White San Jose a model for Seattle? January 25, 2019 9:08 PM The Sharks will have a new rival in the Northwest in the 2021-22 season, when the unnamed Seattle franchise joins the NHL as its 32nd team. While San Jose hosted its second NHL All-Star Game this weekend, SAN JOSE -- The NHL All-Star Game provides a rare opportunity to talk Bettman was asked what Seattle could learn from the Sharks’ success. with commissioner Gary Bettman about the statue of the league, and he delivered some notable updates when speaking to the media Friday. The short answer? A lot. Here are the four main takeaways from Bettman’s press conference -- "This team has always been well-owned,” Bettman said, “whether it was and what came after. Gordon Gund initially or Hasso Plattner now. This team has had incredible stability. Doug Wilson has been the [general manager] for as Cautious optimism as CBA negotiations begin long as I can remember. Mathieu Schneider is a veteran of four NHL work stoppages. The special “The organization does everything in a first-class way, and the assistant to NHLPA head Donald Fehr was a player during a strike and organization ... has, from Day 1, been an important part of the community two lockouts, including one that wiped out a whole season. He also [and] investing in the community. Whether its building rinks, or being worked with the players’ association during the last lockout in 2012-13. involved in enterprises that make positive impacts in people's lives. And so, across the board they've touched all the bases." Both the NHL and NHLPA can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement this September. This time, however, Schneider believes Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 things feel different. “I think the thing that stands out to me the most,” Schneider told reporters Friday after Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly spoke, “is we’re able to have these discussions with a lack of tension. … And we’re able to have these discussions now without [it], without any wrongs being built up, and it’s been very positive so far.” Daly noted that the relationship between the league and the players’ association “has evolved to a point far beyond where it’s ever been before. I think we communicate very well on virtually every aspect of our business, and I think our interests are aligned.” Will the positivity ultimately mean anything? Schneider said it’s too early to tell, and the players want to see the process play out. Bettman, meanwhile, reiterated that the NHL is “not looking for a fight” -- the exact phrase he used a year before the 2004-05 lockout began. But, even with potentially thorny issues remaining (we’ll all learn a lot about escrow in the coming months), both sides seem optimistic at this stage of their negotiation. Player tracking: Coming to a city near you So, about that player tracking. All-Star weekend marked the final phase of its testing, a culmination of an effort the league said began with the “glowing puck” at the 1996 All-Star Game in Boston. Starting in the 2019-20 season, every arena will be outfitted with more than dozen antennae in the rafters and four cameras to support tracking. Every player will have a sensor placed in their shoulder pads, and every puck will contain a sensor. Bettman promised “inch-level accuracy.” “We’ll instantaneously detect passes, shots and positioning precisely,” he said. “It will be equally accurate in tracking players -- their movement, speed, time on ice, you name it.” The NHL hopes the data will enhance its broadcasts, improve tracking of old (and new) statistics, and engage with younger fans. After some resistance from older players, the NHLPA signed off on tracking “with some protections,” according to Schneider. He revealed the data that player and puck tracking provides will not be used in salary negotiations or salary arbitration. Games, games and more games Bettman wrapped up his opening remarks by announcing the NHL’s slate of outdoor and international games for next season. Those include: Preseason games in Switzerland and Germany A season-opening game in Prague, Czech Republic, and a regular- season game in Stockholm, Sweden The Dallas Stars hosting the Nashville Predators at the Cotton Bowl in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2020 The Colorado Avalanche hosting the Los Angeles Kings at Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium on Feb. 15, 2020 1127758 San Jose Sharks Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues -- 1 minute, 25.897 seconds Keith Yandle, Florida Panthers -- 1 minute, 34.611 seconds 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition results: Winners of every event Thomas Chabot, Ottawa Senators -- 1 minute, 40.568 seconds Roman Josi, Nashville Predators -- 1 minute, 47.128 seconds NBC Sports Bay Area staff Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks -- 1 minute, 58.824 seconds January 25, 2019 8:55 PM Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche -- 2 minutes, 17.379 seconds Hardest Shot Kendall Coyne made history Friday night in San Jose, when she became Winner: John Carlson, Washington Capitals -- 102.8 mph, 100.8 mph the first woman to participate in an NHL All-Star Skills Competition event. Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets -- 99.4 mph, 95.1 mph Coyne, a 26-year-old gold medal-winning forward for the U.S. women’s national hockey team, accepted the invitation to join the fastest skater Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks -- Miss, 100.6 mph event after Colorado Avalanche star Nathan McKinnon pulled out with an Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning -- 96.2 mph, 93.1 mph injury. Accuracy Shooting It would be my honor! I’ll get to the rink as fast as I can! #NHLAllStar #HockeyIsForEveryone https://t.co/D0FyiQ1uZM Winner: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins -- 11.309 seconds — Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) January 25, 2019 Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins -- 12.693 seconds While Coyne was the only woman to compete in a skills event Friday, Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings -- 13.591 seconds other U.S. and Canadian women served as event demonstrators. Rebecca Johnston of Team USA demonstrated in puck control, Brianna Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks -- 14.423 seconds Decker of Team USA did the same in premier passer, and Coyle and Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets -- 18.585 seconds Canada’s Renata Fast did it in accuracy shooting. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning -- 19.706 seconds Here are the complete results from the 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition at SAP Center. Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils -- 20.209 seconds 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition results Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs -- 35.626 seconds Fastest Skater Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 Winner: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers -- 13.378 seconds Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres -- 13.582 seconds Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders -- 13.780 seconds Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars -- 13.914 seconds Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks -- 13.930 seconds Cam Atkinson, Columbus Blue Jackets -- 14.152 seconds Kendall Coyne, U.S. Women’s National Team -- 14.346 seconds Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes -- 14.526 seconds Puck Control Winner: Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames -- 27.045 seconds Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks -- 28.611 seconds Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers -- 30.270 seconds Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets -- 32.161 seconds Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche -- 33.425 seconds John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs -- 35.210 seconds Jeff Skinner, Buffalo Sabres -- 35.407 seconds Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks -- 43.622 seconds Save Streak Winner: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers -- 12 saves Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning -- 8 saves Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild -- 7 saves Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights -- 6 saves John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks -- 3 saves Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals -- 3 saves Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings -- 2 saves Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators -- 2 saves Premier Passer Winner: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers -- 1 minute, 9.088 seconds Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes -- 1 minute, 18.530 seconds 1127759 San Jose Sharks

Stanley Cup keeper discusses visiting San Jose for NHL All-Star Game

Chelena Goldman January 25, 2019 2:12 PM

SAN JOSE -- There was already a decent line forming at NHL All-Star Fan Fair on Friday morning in San Jose as fans clamored to get their photo taken alongside the most coveted prize in all of hockey. The Stanley Cup, in all its glory, was posted up on a large stage looking out onto a mini-museum in the middle of the concourse where the NHL's trophies and old team memorabilia were displayed in glass cases. Fans could weave their way through displays of California Seals sweaters and the Vezina Trophy, among other things, on their way to taking their picture with the Cup. At least -- that's what most of those fans in line probably thought the game's majestic and mysterious prize is called. "The coolest thing about it is that nowhere on there does it say 'the Stanley Cup,'" Philip Pritchard, the Hockey Hall of Fame's official keeper of the Cup, told NBC Sports California. "It's just become a nickname over time. The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup is its official name. A great trivia question is 'tell me the real name of the Stanley Cup.'" This weekend marks Pritchard's second visit to San Jose with Lord Stanley's Mug, including a stint in 2016 when the Sharks hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Cup Final. In these two quick visits Pritchard, who has been handling the Cup since the late 1980s, has a pretty good idea of what hockey fandom in San Jose is all about. "You know what I think is amazing about San Jose hockey fans? They're very loyal to their teal and white," Pritchard observed. "I remember during the Final when (the Sharks) were playing Pittsburgh, you walk around town and there are the 'Sharks Territory' signs everywhere." That's nice praise coming from someone who has traveled all over, spreading knowledge about the league and its prized trophy to devoted hockey fans far and wide. It wasn't that long ago, in fact, that Pritchard was busy traveling the globe as the Washington Capitals' players had their turns with the Cup. "They had a truly global team," he said. "They had guys from seven different countries. So besides guys all across the US and Canada, we were in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, all across Russia into Siberia, and the Czech Republic. We were all over the world, and to celebrate the game of hockey in that many countries is pretty special." Of course, having the Cup back in San Jose for the All-Star festivities is a different scene than it was during a Final, given the vibe on All-Star weekend is more commemorative. "It's more of a celebration than anything else," Pritchard said of the All- Star festivities. "All 32 teams fans including the Seattle fans are all here. It's great because people get to meet one another, which is a great social experience for everyone. "I think that's what's great about hockey. It doesn't matter what age or what level of hockey interest you have, there's something there." The Cup has visited San Jose City Hall and Apple so far on its stay in Silicon Valley and has a couple more engagements before hitting the road again. "You spend a lot of nights in hotels," Pritchard said with a slight sigh. "Everyone that travels knows this -- hotel beds aren't the best thing in the world." Not that he's complaining. Pritchard clearly loves taking the Cup all over and pointing things out that fans may not know. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127760 San Jose Sharks

2019 NHL All-Star Game: Captain Auston Matthews discusses Bay Area roots

Chelena Goldman January 25, 2019 8:43 AM

SAN JOSE – It’s become something of a social media joke in Bay Area sports circles to refer to Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews as a “San Ramon native”, mainly because the No. 1 overall pick from the 2016 NHL Draft moved to Arizona with his family when he was just an infant. (At least it’s a joke for this writer, who called the San Francisco suburb home for 20 years.) So it came as a bit of a surprise at NHL All-Star media day in San Jose when Matthews was quick to acknowledge his Bay Area roots. “I was actually born pretty close to here, so it’s nice to come back,” the Toronto forward told the media on Thursday. Again, the 21-year-old only spent the first couple of months of his life in the Bay Area suburb. So suffice to say, he doesn’t remember much of it. “I didn’t spend much time (here) when I was born here, but it’s definitely an exciting weekend to spend with some of the best players in the league and my family,” said Matthews, who has only visited the Bay Area twice since coming into the NHL since the Maple Leafs visit the Sharks once a season. While he may not be as familiar with his birthplace, Matthews is well- acquainted with one of its former residence – ex-Sharks forward Patrick Marleau, who became Matthews’ teammate at the start of the 2017-18 season. “We love Patty,” Matthews said without hesitation. “He’s obviously a special player. He’s a future Hall of Famer.” Marleau is nearly two decades older than the Leafs’ captain, and Matthews admits to looking up to him. Not just on the ice where Marleau has helped set Matthews up for a number of goals, but off the ice as well. “He’s really helped me – myself and (Mitch) Marner are really close with him,” Matthews admitted. “Just his presence in the locker room every day – he’s such a calm presence. Never gets too high, never gets too low. I think that’s something good for us young guys to look at.” Matthews is participating in his third consecutive All-Star Game, having made the squad in all three seasons he’s been in the league. 2019’s game marks the first time he will serve as captain for the Atlantic Division team, which includes Maple Leafs teammate John Tavares. (Yes, the same John Tavares who almost became a member of the Sharks last summer and was booed by Sharks fans during the media day festivities.) While Matthews may not have many memories of his time in the Bay Area he’s more than happy to be here for the weekend – especially considering the forecast that is expected to continue through All-Star weekend. “It’s nice to have some warm weather,” Matthews said with a chuckle. “The last couple of weeks have been pretty cold in Toronto.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127761 San Jose Sharks

Will Sharks' Joe Pavelski bring his son out for 2019 NHL All-Star weekend?

Chelena Goldman January 25, 2019 7:00 AM

SAN JOSE – Some of the most memorable footage from the 2016 NHL All-Star weekend didn’t come from a professional video camera. It came from a GoPro that was fashioned on a helmet atop young Nate Pavelski’s head. The pint-sized skater, son of Sharks captain and All-Star skater Joe Pavelski, took the ice on the evening of the NHL Skill’s Competition with Brent Burns’ son, Jagger. The camera captured the Sharks’ sons connecting to score a goal and then skating down a high-five line comprised of the weekend’s All-Stars – some of the biggest names in the game. Jump forward three years, and the All-Star festivities are taking place in San Jose – and Joe Pavelski is once again representing the Pacific Division. Will Pavelski's son be participating in the fun this year? “We’ll see if he gets out there or not,” Pavelski said to NBC Sports California with a smile. “There’s no real plan, but he likes to talk about it.” Although the All-Star weekend festivities have only just gotten underway, it’s pretty clear this is a family-friendly affair. Not just for fans, but for the players and their kids as well. “The NHL, they always do a great job for us as players,” said Sharks’ defenseman Brent Burns, who said he planned on taking his own kids to the fan fair. “The (Players Association) they do everything to make this a great weekend for us and our families.” Outside of the actual game – or rather, three-on-three tournament – the vibe on All-Star weekend is a very relaxed one. Who can forget Erik Karlsson and his fellow countryman Victor Hedman showing up to last year’s Skills Competition dressed as pirates? So while there doesn’t appear to be a set plan yet to get the Sharks players’ kids out there, it sounds like something that’s a possibility. Pavelski said he was excited about the possibility of his son being involved in the festivities now that he’s a few years older and it actively follows a lot of the players participating in All-Star weekend. “Nate’s eight years old now and he watches these guys play and he talks about them,” Pavelski said. “He plays NHL 19 so he always knows who we’re going to play next. He’s excited to meet some of them.” Whether the younger Pavelski and Burns have a repeat performance at this year’s All-Star weekend or not, the Sharks' representatives are still enjoying hosting festivities in their city. “We’re excited to host in our hometown,” Pavelski said. “We know what San Jose has to offer and we’re excited for this event to be here.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127762 San Jose Sharks It was the second time he was involved in the push for a major free agent, including when the Sharks were in pursuit of Steven Stamkos in the 2016 offseason before he ended up re-signing with Tampa Bay. Erik Karlsson speaks highly of Sharks owner Hasso Plattner as he Tavares was asked at Thursday’s media day what his impressions were ponders his future with the organization of the Sharks owner. “What was most impressive to me was just his commitment. Certainly we Kevin Kurz felt a great relationship and structure among management and the organization,” said Tavares, who chose to sign with the Maple Leafs Jan 25, 2019 instead. “When you see that, it makes a lot of sense why they’ve been so successful for so long, especially in an era where it’s very difficult year after year to be as competitive as they have been.” Erik Karlsson didn’t get a chance to meet Hasso Plattner before he was Stamkos said: “I’m not going to go into that stuff right now, but I know traded to the Sharks on Sep. 13. He and his wife Melinda spoke on the some guys that play (with the Sharks) very well, and from what I hear, phone with the Sharks’ owner, something he called “reassuring” at his he’s great and they love him.” first press conference in San Jose on Sep. 19, but Karlsson also mentioned that day that he looked forward to meeting the billionaire Stamkos appears to be correct. After all, the Sharks have done a founder of tech giant SAP. remarkable job keeping their top players in San Jose, including former Norris Trophy-winner and current NHL All-Star Brent Burns, who could Over the course of the past four months we’ll assume that Karlsson has have been an unrestricted free agent in 2017 but signed an eight-year, met Plattner at some point, as the Sharks owner prefers to operate away $64 extension on Nov. 22, 2016, instead. Ownership naturally plays a from public view. Plattner hasn’t gone on the record about the team since role in that. moments after the conclusion of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, and apparently has no interest in doing so any time soon, even with the “He’s just a special owner. He’s got a great energy,” Burns said. “He annual NHL All-Star Game taking place in the building that bears his creates such a great culture here, and one of family. He does a lot of company’s name this weekend. really special things for not only us, but our families and the wives. I don’t know a lot of owners but I know we’ve got a special one here.” Whatever their relationship is at this point, Karlsson and Plattner could get better acquainted over the course of the next few weeks and months. Joe Pavelski said: “First thing that comes to mind when we see Hasso in The All-Star defenseman can sign a maximum eight-year contract the locker room after games or when he shows up is, the guy loves to extension with the Sharks as soon as Feb. 25, or he could wait until the win. He loves to be successful. And that’s the biggest thing, is he’s a offseason and test the market as an unrestricted free agent. competitor out there. He wants the best, and he’s excited when we win. If we won 5-2, he wanted probably six. He likes when we score goals and Karlsson has kept mum about his contract situation since arriving in San play an exciting brand of hockey. He’s always given us what we need.” Jose, but during media day for NHL All-Star weekend on Thursday at San Jose’s City National Civic Auditorium, he finally offered some This season, the Sharks needed Karlsson in order to compete for a thoughts regarding his potentially being a long-term presence in the Stanley Cup. With him here, the team seems to be in as good a position South Bay. as it has been over the last 10 years at this stage of the season to end its championship drought. “It’s coming up. We all know it,” Karlsson said. “There’s no way around it. You guys (the media) are going to talk about it. I’m going to think about it. “With Doug and Hasso, they’ve always given us that chance, whether it’s That’s just the way it is.” spending to the cap or going out and making a move that they see fit,” Pavelski said. “They’ve made some great moves over the years, and He continued: “We have no timetable on anything. Whatever goes on is another one this year with Karlsson coming in.” going to be handled privately. (Sharks general manager) Doug Wilson has been great with us ever since we got here. He’s been very Now, the task will be keeping him. Karlsson indicated that the Sharks respectful. I appreciate that a lot, both me and my wife. When the time have given him plenty of time to adjust to the life-altering move since the comes for a decision to be made, whenever that is, I think they’ve done trade. everything they possibly can to give us the most information we need to make the right decision. But the time to get serious about a contract extension is fast approaching. “We came in here with an open mind, and I think we’re going to do everything we can to make the best possible decision for everyone, and “They’ve done a fantastic job in letting me have that freedom,” Karlsson especially ourselves, with the information that we have at the time. said. “They’ve been very respectful of that, but at the same time, the time They’ve provided more than enough.” is coming up here now and things are starting to wind down. It’s something that we’re going to have to think about, but yeah, we do have While Wilson will be doing the lion’s share of the negotiating — and he a lot more information now than we did before, and we like it. Once that reportedly already met with Karlsson’s agent, Don Meehan, in Tampa, time comes, we’re going to sit down and try to figure that out. I’m sure Fla., during the team’s recent road trip — it’s the 75-year-old Plattner that we’ll do it in the best possible way. So far, the Sharks organization has would be writing the check. done everything more than good.” It wouldn’t be a small one, either. Karlsson will likely command at least That starts at the top with Plattner, even if he prefers to remain in the $11 million a season, and maybe more. shadows. There’s no reason to believe Plattner will sit on his sizable wallet, though, “I think that the way that he is and the way he likes to run things trickles as he’s shown during his six years of being the team’s primary owner that all the way down,” Karlsson said. “You can see that atmosphere not only he’s willing to do whatever it takes to put a winning hockey team on the in the hockey team and amongst the players, but the front office and in ice. The Sharks’ team payroll of approximately $78 million is one of the this organization in general. That’s come from him.” highest in the league. The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 That’s something that will surely be important to Karlsson, who has played some of his best hockey in the postseason. When asked about his impressions of Plattner since arriving in San Jose, he said: “I think that everything leading up to this, all the things that we heard about him, things he’s done for this community and how passionate he is about this team and this organization and how badly he wants to win — but at the same time, win it the right way. “The way that he treats people and the way that he views life in general I think is very rare for a person in his position sometimes.” Plattner most recently came into public view, at least in terms of representing the organization, when he was spotted at a meeting with then-free agent John Tavares in late June. The owner flew from his native Germany to Los Angeles on one day’s notice. 1127763 St Louis Blues Hull. “I was a part of a lot of them. And I enjoyed each and every one of them, going to each city and seeing what the home team would put on and the parties. Family and friends that would come in. It was an exciting Memories and more for Blues at NHL All-Star Game time.” Brett’s father Bobby Hull, with a goal and an assist, was MVP of the 1970 game in St. Louis. As for Brett, he played in eight All-Star Games, but not Jim Thomas the 1988 contest in St. Louis. He was a member of the Blues by then, his first season in St. Louis, but wouldn’t play his first All-Star contest until the 1989 event in Edmonton. Defenseman Rob Ramage was the only Blues representative on Feb. 9, Only 23 at the time, Hull will never forget walking into the Oilers’ locker 1988, the last time the NHL All-Star Game was played in St. Louis. room after arriving for that game. He remembers being on The Arena ice that night with the likes of Wayne “There’s Messier, (Jarri) Kurri, Gretzky, (Paul) Coffey, and (Kevin) Lowe Gretzky, Larry Robinson, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr. And Pittsburgh’s and Fuhr,” Hull said. Mario Lemieux. Gretzky was in his first season with the Los Angeles Kings by then; Lemieux set an All-Star Game record with six points on three goals and Coffey was in his second season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But they three assists, including the game-winner in overtime as the Wales were all holding an impromptu Oilers reunion that day. Conference (East) defeated the Campbell Conference (West) 6-5. “Kurri and Gretzky are drinking beer playing ping-pong in the back, and “I mean, it was a big deal when I played in it,” said Ramage, now director my eyes were as big as saucers,” Hull said. “I’m like: ‘This is incredible.’ of player development for the Montreal Canadiens. “It’s a whole ’nother So that first one was unbelievable, and then to win the MVP in Philly (in level now, as is the game obviously with the media attention and 1992) was a really neat experience.” coverage and everything else. Hull had two goals and an assist in the 1992 All-Star Game, a 10-6 “It was obviously for me a tremendous honor to be able to represent the victory for the Campbell Conference. Blues and play at home here in St. Louis in front of our fans.” It’s a given that not much defense and no hitting occurs in the All-Star The day before the game, Ramage remembers having a limo pick him up setting. That’s been true for a long time. But how many goals would the for an appearance on the wildly popular Morning Zoo radio show on “Golden Brett” score in today’s 3-on-3 format? KSHE with DJs John Ulett and J.C. Corcoran. “We never did that when I played, so I don’t know,” Hull said. “But it “Even though I was 29 and had played a long time, I doubt I’d been in a seems to me there’s a lot of open ice, and I think I’d get one or two, limo one or two times in my life,” Ramage said. “I remember my brother anyway.” piled in with me and it was pretty cool. “ St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.26.2019 He remembers the All-Star banquet the night before the game at the Adam’s Mark near the Gateway Arch, now the Hyatt Regency. “You’re sitting up on the stage with all the other All-Stars,” Ramage said. “I sat beside a guy named Greg Adams who lives in Scottsdale now and is part of the (Arizona) Coyotes alumni. I’ve bumped into him a few times over the last couple years, we always reminisce about it.” Adams was a member of the Vancouver Canucks back then. Most of all, when Ramage thinks about the 1988 All-Star Game, he remembers Barclay Plager. The Blues’ icon was scheduled to be an honorary captain at that game along with brother Bob Plager, but he died three days earlier from a brain hemorrhage. Ramage’s NHL career was floundering when he came to St. Louis in 1982 from the Colorado Rockies. Barclay Plager was then a Blues assistant coach. “My career was kind of at a standstill,” Ramage said. “Barc got a hold of me, gave me some tough love initially. And then just became a tremendous mentor and I’d say friend. To the point where my son’s name is John Barclay Ramage. “He was the coolest guy I ever met in hockey. He was Clint Eastwood.” So the All-Star Game was a very emotional and bittersweet time for Ramage. There was a moment of silence in honor of Barclay Plager before the game, and Ramage presented a Campbell Conference sweater to Barclay’s sons, Kevin and Kelly. That was 31 years ago. Next year at this time, St. Louis finally gets another turn to play host to the best in hockey when the 2020 All-Star Game comes to Enterprise Center. Besides the 1988 event, the only previous NHL All-Star Game here took place Jan. 20, 1970 — in only the third season of the Blues’ existence. There were seven Blues on the West squad, which lost to the East 4-1, including Red Berenson, Jacques Plante and ... Barclay Plager. Things have changed since then, and since the 1988 affair as well. It’s no longer just an All-Star Game, it’s an All-Star Weekend — with a fan fest, skills competition and a 3-on-3 format for the game itself. A sizeable St. Louis contingent, including Blues president and CEO of business operation Chris Zimmerman, is in San Jose — the site of this year’s All-Star Game this weekend — to observe and learn. The group includes several members of the Blues’ organization as well as leaders of the St. Louis Sports Commission. January 24-26, 2020 will be here before you know it. “For the city and the organization and the hockey fans of St. Louis, it’s wonderful,” said former Blues great and current Blues ambassador Brett 1127764 Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.26.2019

Which format do the all-stars like best?

Diana C. Nearhos

SAN JOSE, Calif. — What if the NHL All-Star Game were the Lightning against the all-stars? TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun made that suggestion on Twitter. It would be interesting, especially the way the Lightning is playing this season. Other leagues do pit an actual team against all-stars, but not necessarily against the top team. In the ECHL (two steps from the NHL), the host team plays the all-star team. MLS puts its all-stars up against a team from a European league. In the ECHL, that format brings in local fans with a game that doesn’t feature household names. Teams tend to have mixed feelings on the format (the host team doesn’t have any all-stars), but it does make for a fun event at that level. Logistically, that doesn’t work in the NHL. For one, the all-star game is a celebration of the host city so bringing in a different whole team skews that dynamic. Plus, from a sponsorship standpoint (which is a big focus of this event) it changes a lot. So what formats do the players like? In general, players enjoy the current three-on-three format, though they are less attached to the divisional teams. For the fourth consecutive year, the league chose all-stars by division, and the four teams square off in two three-on-three, 20 minute semifinals. The winning teams advance to the championship, another three-on-three, 20-minute affair. “I like it,” Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov said. “There are a lot of goals, a lot of shooting, and a lot of skilled players. It’s fun for the fans.” It’s especially fun for a skilled player like Kucherov, who can show off some of those highlight-reel moves. That sounds like less fun for goaltenders, but Andrei Vasilevskiy agrees with Kucherov. “There are more shots, more opportunities to score and more opportunities for goalies to show their skills,” he said. “It sucks in the game, but for the all-star game, it’s good.” No one worries too much about how many goals a goalie allowed in an all-star game. Really, it’s the eye-popping saves that stand out. The wide-open three-on-three means you go up against the best shots from the top shooters in the game. Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne feels the league designs the all-star game to feature skaters. He wants to have some fun, make some big saves, but the instinct to play conservatively and avoid creating any openings is too strong. Toronto center John Tavares suggested the three-on-three format makes for a more competitive game. With more space, players get to show off their creativity and put on a show for the fans. Speedy Calgary winger Johnny Gaudreau wouldn’t want to change the format for the same reason. It plays to skilled skaters’ strengths. The players seem less committed to the divisional team aspect. No one said anything bad about it, but it does restrict who can make the game. Look at the Atlantic Division with Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point and Toronto’s Mitch Marner, two of the league’s top scorers, glaringly absent. They might have done more to be here than some other players. But every team gets a player and there are only 11 players on an all-star team, so there was no space on the Atlantic Division team. No one yet has advanced a better idea, so the league may maintain the current format. Lightning center Steven Stamkos is a little old school. He definitely knows the options, having played in almost all the formats over his six all- star games (including the live draft in 2015). “I didn’t mind the old East vs West, where there’s a little bit of bragging rights on the line,” he said. “The three-on-three gets a little bit more competitive, especially with some money on the line. The first couple of years you saw some guys going a little harder at the end, knowing they could win that.” 1127765 Tampa Bay Lightning

All-Star Game media day offers a chance for some fun Moms, mullets and moments prove topical during day one of the NHL Showcase

Diana C. Nearhos

SAN JOSE, Calif. — NHL All-Star media day isn’t nearly on the Super Bowl media day’s level — no one showed up just so he wouldn’t get fined, as far as we know — but it was something of a smaller circus. Players got a chance to talk about things serious and fun, plus there was a Drew Doughty bobble head roaming around. Here are some of the fun moments. Here for the fans. This event isn’t about the hockey for Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy. That’s not to say it isn’t fun to play in an all-star game, but the fans make the impact. Fans from all teams come together in one city. “It’s not about the game,” he said, “it’s about that atmosphere, and getting that feeling.” They go way back. Columbus’ Cam Atkinson might be working more with former Lightning winger Martin St. Louis, now that the Blue Jackets have brought St. Louis on as a special teams consultant, but their relationship goes back further. St. Louis lives in Atkinson’s hometown of Greenwich, Conn. They trained together while St. Louis played and still golf together. Atkinson even got engaged at St. Louis’ house. Can I have your autograph? Winnipeg’s Blake Wheeler had his young son Louie with him for media day, and Louie got a good collection of autographs. Fellow Jet Mark Scheifele, at his first all-star game, said he might ask Louie to bring his jersey around as well for a souvenir. Unless Mom says otherwise. The hairstyle sported by Buffalo’s Jeff Skinner’s approaches throwback status to the mullet hockey heyday. How long is he going to keep it? Until his mom yells at him to cut it. Missing faces. A few players were missing in action for media day, but one of them was there in another form. Drew Doughty’s bobble head (complete with cowboy hat and boots) made the rounds and a few appearances at other players’ podium. Not the enemy here. Watching, playing in or coaching, the all-star game provides a chance to be a fan. Lightning coach Jon Cooper will be behind the Atlantic Division bench and he enjoys the chance to see some players in a different light. In most of his dealings with non-Lightning players, they’re the enemy. Here, he gets to know the human side of these players and appreciate what they can do on the ice up close. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127766 Tampa Bay Lightning When USA Hockey tweeted in advance of the competition, it got responses like “And after she gets smoked by the dudes will we get to see her cry on live TV?” and “Unless the ice rink is in the kitchen… no Kendall Coyne inspires as first woman to compete in NHL Skills one cares.” Competition Fortunately, Coyne Schofield got a different reaction inside the arena: a U.S. Olympian and National Women’s Hockey League Player competes standing ovation when she started off with a 14.246-second lap. She in fastest skater ... and it was awesome. finished seventh and called it one of the top three moments of her career. One woman tweeted she let her 6-year-old daughter stay up late to watch Coyne Schofield. Many responded to USA Hockey’s video of her Diana C. Nearhos skate with a simple “wow.” That tweet didn’t get as many negative responses. There wasn’t much to say.

Earlier in the day, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league was SAN JOSE—Kendall Coyne Schofield stepped up to the line in her Team committed to supporting the women’s game. This was a good step in that USA jersey and a chant broke out “U-S-A, U-S-A.” She stepped back to direction. wait for the introduction. When she actually took off, the crowd stood. “I think today the NHL took that stance, they made that statement,” This was something special. Coyne Schofield said. I just saw the first woman compete in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition. Now, let’s make it a regular thing. It was amazing. No, amazing doesn’t describe the feeling. It was inspiring. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 “I was more nervous, just wanting to do well and prove that we belong,” she said. Coyne Schofield proved exactly that. Her 14.246-second lap put her in seventh in the fastest skater competition and earned her a lot of respect. When Coyne Schofield finished, the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews and the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal gave an enthusiastic stick tap. Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson gave an impressed nod. The crowd went crazy.

Wheels �� @KendallCoyne pic.twitter.com/iu6vuW0B4k — USA Hockey (@usahockey) January 26, 2019 Actually, the crowd went crazy before she finished. As soon as Coyne Schofield took off, the fans stood. It was enough to give you chills. Allow me to be a fan here for a moment. I first saw Coyne Schofield play as a freshman in Northeastern in the Beanpot (a college hockey tournament in Boston). Covering the Beanpot made me fall in love with women’s hockey. That four-team tournament was chock full of Olympians; the skill on display was incredible. On Friday, I saw a woman demonstrate that she can compete with the best in the world. That’s something fans of women’s hockey have known and many men’s hockey fans have denied. It started with a tweet. Nathan MacKinnon couldn’t compete in the fastest skater competition, so the Avalanche reached out to a replacement: Coyne Schofield, who was scheduled to demonstrate the event. It would be my honor! I’ll get to the rink as fast as I can! #NHLAllStar #HockeyIsForEveryone https://t.co/D0FyiQ1uZM — Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) January 25, 2019 “It was a no-brainer,” Coyne Schofield said, “and a huge honor to be the first woman to compete in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition. It was surreal.” Coyne Schofield wasn’t the only one to make the statement that women are just as good, but she was the only woman to get the chance to make it officially. Brianna Decker, another U.S. Olympian, demonstrated the premier passer event. Her unofficial time was 1:06. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl won with a time of 1:09. “It was phenomenal,” Coyne Schofield said. “I think it just shows that the top players, man or woman belong.” Last year, Hilary Knight demonstrated the shooting accuracy competition. Her time would have put her in fourth. Lightning coach Jon Cooper approached Coyne Schofield, who plays for the Minnesota Whitecaps in the National Women’s Hockey League, on the bench. “I was so excited for her,” he said, “for how she performed on such a big stage. It was great to talk to her. I just wanted to make sure she knew. Part of this event is to grow hockey, and the step she took tonight to help hockey is going to go miles down the road.” It wasn’t all perfect, though. Those deniers had to make themselves heard as well, whether or not anyone wanted to hear from them. 1127767 Tampa Bay Lightning

Andrei Vasilevskiy just short in the save streak at NHL skills competition The Lightning goalie finishes second to New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist

Diana C. Nearhos

SAN JOSE—Andrei Vasilevskiy was a Steven Stamkos goal away from winning the save streak. The Lightning goalie went second in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition event and made eight straight saves. The Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist went last and had a streak of seven goals when Stamkos stepped up for the second time, trying to get the win for Vasilevskiy. Lundqvist made the save and went on to win with 12 straight saves. Stamkos really wanted that goal for Vasilevskiy. He broke one streak of Lundqvist’s, but couldn’t do it again. Vasilevskiy had a good run. He didn’t even need to make any of his trademark crazy saves in to get his eight-straight saves. However, all he could do was sit back and watch the rest of the goalies take their turns. “I get a front row seat to that every, single night,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said in a video the team tweeted. "I’m just proud of him too. As a young kid you get nervous. I’m the luckiest guy around to have him in the net. Vasilevskiy, himself, took the high road. He’s happy to be one of the great goalies here for the event. He said the night before that the best part of all-star weekend is the atmosphere with the fans and the crowd lived up to expectations. “That was awesome,” he said. “All the fans were amazing. That was pretty impressive support.” Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127768 Tampa Bay Lightning

Gary Bettman addresses NHL topics before All-Star Game Could the Lightning get an outdoor game or play in Europe? Maybe.

Diana C. Nearhos

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Lightning owner Jeff Vinick would love to host an outdoor game in Tampa. Could it happen? Gary Bettman essentially said maybe on Friday, in advance of the all-star game. Having a game in a warm climate isn’t unprecedented. Dodger Stadium hosted a game in 2014. “Teams, no matter where they’re located – Southern California, Arizona, Florida – all express interest in having the outdoor games,” Bettman said. “If you’ve been to one, you realize it’s a truly special experience. Our fans, our teams and the cities can’t get enough of them.” He didn’t specify where the league is considering beyond next year’s three games in Colorado, Saskatchewan, and Dallas, but said they aren’t bashful about trying new things. Could the Lightning play in Europe? Again, maybe. There are five tentatively-scheduled games in Europe next season: preseason in Switzerland and Germany, season-opener in Prague and two regular-season games in Stockholm. Bettman said nothing about dates or teams, but the Lightning has to be on the list to consider. The Lightning is heavy on Europeans. Of the countries and cities listed, Ondrej Palat is Czech and both Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman are Swedish. League will bring new tracking technology It’s a 200-foot rink, but San Jose defenseman Brent Burns and Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault skated more than three miles over the course of a game. That’s what the NHL learned while testing its new puck and player- tracking technology at a game between the Sharks and Golden Knights during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Now, the league is ready to put the technology in full-time use next season. Players will wear electronic chips, which will also be inserted into the puck, to provide data at a rate of 2,000 times per second in real time with accuracy down the to the inch. Exactly how far players skate isn’t the most practical stat, but an example of what the technology can do. Exactly what stats will be available isn’t immediately clear. Lightning coach Jon Cooper will use any tool at his disposal, but isn’t sure what that looks like until he sees the stats The data will be available live, including to coaches on an app developed by Apple and SAP. There will be interesting applications to the league’s new gaming initiatives as well. Both the league and the players hope this leads to better and more accurate stats, and do more to convey the speed of the game on TV broadcasts. CBA talks underway It’s that time again, time for collective bargaining negotiations. The NHL and NHLPA have met with some preliminary discussions early. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly both said the relationship between the two parties is better than ever. Bettman called the discussions cordial and constructive. He also said neither the players nor the league has ever done better financially. “We’re not looking for a fight,” Bettman said. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127769 Toronto Maple Leafs Dale Sheehan, who is with the International Centre for Sport Security, wrote that he could live with a “rebuild” but not with the apparent “teardown” that is the current state of the team. Sign UFA (Unrestricted For NHL’s Canadian teams, the season is half-empty and half-full Free Agent) Mark Stone to a new contract and he’d renew a half-season package. Also sign UFA Matt Duchene and he’d return full time to this seat in the stands. ROY MACGREGOR Gruneau says that being a fevered fan of any team is all about “identification and belonging.” It might be a “faux connection,” but it JANUARY 25, 2019 makes fellow fans “your people even though you don’t really know them.” Gruneau recalls walking into a British pub years ago and being asked if he, as a Canadian, paid any attention to soccer. Gruneau allowed that he The NHL likes to say that the all-star weekend is for the fans. liked Liverpool and instantly four people began singing You’ll Never Walk Actually, it’s far more for the sponsors. Rabid fans – you know, the sort of Alone, the Liverpool theme song. They had bonded without even person legendary New York sportswriter Jimmy Cannon claimed “boos a knowing their names. TV set” – have little-to-no interest in a meaningless game that only “Fandom makes you feel part of something bigger than yourself,” interrupts what they are really wound up about as the season enters its Gruneau says. “It’s all about my team, my community. You allow yourself stretch drive: the current state of their team. to do that and you are on a roller coaster. You’re gambling with your “Hockey,” author Roch Carrier says, “is life in Canada.” Some of the emotions. It’s euphoria when your team wins, depression when your more rabid would modify Liverpool manager Bill Shankly’s famous line team loses. Despondency comes from allowing yourself that much about British soccer: “Some people think [hockey] is a matter of life and attachment. death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.” “But to reach that joy of euphoria, you have to take the risk that you could It certainly seemed so in Edmonton this past week, as fans and media just as easily feel immense disappointment.” turned, often viciously, on Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli, And that pretty much explains Edmonton this past week. blaming dreadful trades and bad contracts for the baffling fact that this team with the best hockey player in the world is entering the all-star Globe And Mail LOADED: 01.26.2019 break five spots short of the final wild-card position for the playoffs. No wonder team president Bob Nicholson canned his GM after the second period of Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the lowly Detroit Red Wings so Chiarelli could slip away before the surly mob, hockey sticks aflame, gathered in the parking lot. “I’d feel betrayed, too,” says Richard Gruneau from his home on British Columbia’s Bowen Island. Gruneau is a sports fan, but is hardly an Oilers fanatic. He is, rather, a professor at Simon Fraser University and specializes in the sociology of sport. His most recent book is Sport & Modernity; with David Whitson he previously published Hockey Night in Canada: Sport, Identities and Cultural Politics. He knows what he’s talking about. Why would there not be so much fury, Gruneau asks. Edmontonians rightly anticipated a return to past glory as their struggling team landed four first-overall draft picks this decade, six top-five picks in all. In the 2015 draft they lucked into 18-year-old kid Connor McDavid, properly tagged a franchise player. Edmonton fans saw their taxes contribute hugely to the city’s state-of-the-art $480-million facility – and their team stinks. “Intense fandom can lead to a situation where ‘We need a fix!’ ” Gruneau says. Tuesday night Edmonton fans thought they got it, but that was merely revenge; the fix remains a long, long way off. Three hours down Highway 2, Calgary Flames fans feel they have that “fix” fans demanded in Edmonton. No new rink, but a new coach in Bill Peters, a white-hot power play led by a young forward, Johnny Gaudreau, who sits in third place in league scoring – tied, ironically, with McDavid. And a team entering the all-star weekend in first place in the Western Conference. In Winnipeg, there is also fan delight as the Jets are just a point out of second place in the conference and have had one of the league’s top power plays all season. The one niggling concern apart from injuries is the unexpected struggles of 20-year-old Patrik Laine, who scored 18 times in November alone but has only 25 goals to show for the season. Much more had been expected. As for expectations, they weren’t high in Vancouver as the Canucks began their season having missed the playoffs the previous three years and were supposedly in a rebuilding year. That was before Canucks fans realized they had a sensation in rookie Elias Pettersson, who missed 11 games with a concussion and a knee injury but still leads the team in scoring with 45 points and has his team fighting for a wild-card spot in the playoffs, Equally surprising has been the Montreal Canadiens. Despite a dreadful power play, the Habs trail the Toronto Maple Leafs by a single point. While the national sports media continues to obsess over the Leafs, little notice has been given to the team that has won more Stanley Cups, 24, than any team in history. As for the league’s last-place team, the Ottawa Senators, one disgusted season’s ticket holder took disenchantment to a new level when he declared himself a UFA (Unrestricted Fan Again) in an op-ed piece for the Ottawa Citizen. 1127770 Toronto Maple Leafs

Marner content with a weekend at the beach | The Star

Kevin McGran

Mitch Marner will be somewhere on a beach, most likely, when teammates Auston Matthews and John Tavares play in Saturday’s all- star tournament in San Jose. The Maple Leafs’ leading scorer is cool with that. “I get a seven-day break out of it,” Marner said. “Time to refresh your body and mind and go away and enjoy the sun for a couple of days and enjoy that feeling of being away from snow storms in Toronto.” Might he watch the games? “If there’s a TV and I’m around the TV, then I’ll watch it. Other than that, I’ll be sitting around the beach with a couple of guys hanging out, playing spike ball or something.” Marner leads the Maple Leafs with 62 points (20 goals, 42 assists) and is on his way to career numbers. He had 61 points in his rookie season two years ago, and 69 points last season. Marner and Tavares have been the team’s most consistent contributors in a post-Christmas lull with 12 points in 12 games. The combo was broken up with coach Mike Babcock trying to use Marner to get Matthews going. It clicked, kind of, with Matthews scoring on the power play and Marner scoring into an empty net in Toronto’s 6-3 win over Washington on Wednesday. The entire team seemed to play the version of Leafs hockey that fans were used to in October and November. It was only one game, but it lifted their spirits, sending them into this break feeling good about themselves. Marner seems to have more fun playing — and more fun in the locker room and the hallways — than anyone else, player or fan. And if anyone was built for the all-star skills competition, it’s him. But for this year at least, he sounds like he’s going to take head coach Mike Babcock’s advice on what the players should do with their time off. “I’d like them to have fun, I’d like them to not think about hockey and I’d like them to work out enough so that, when they arrive back, they’re ready to go,” said Babcock. Here’s what folks around the NHL are saying about Marner. Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman: “You can tell Marner is unbelievable. He’s an unbelievable player. Pretty underrated in my mind. He finds openings. Finds open guys. Great speed, and he’s got his head up the whole time. Goes to the net hard. There’s not a whole lot of talk about him. He’s not going to the all-star game. The way he plays the game, the way he is, he is one of their more important players.” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet: “Hell of a hockey player. Great hockey IQ. Makes the right play at the right time. The one thing with Marner, Tavares — game on the line with two minutes left, they make that play. There are only so many of those guys in the league. And (the Leafs) have a lot of them.” Toronto Star LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127771 Toronto Maple Leafs He was a more mercurial player, sometimes prone to be involved in office scrapes, but he had also scored the Cup-winning goal.

The Hawks didn’t want to differentiate between the two, reward one more Leafs need to treat Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner as equals | The than the other. So they didn’t. Chicago then went on to win the Cup again Star in 2015. Did the identical deals help? They obviously didn’t hurt. A year ago, few would have tried to have make the case that Matthews Damien Cox and Marner were equals. But Marner has changed that conversation. He is among the most dynamic players in the sport, a true gate attraction.

Matthews has been bothered by injuries, and because of that we may The NHL is going through its annual theatrical performance of pretending actually have a closer read on Marner’s potential than that of the big the pointless all-star break isn’t pointless. Serious hockey fans and centreman. Of course, trying to do these deals illustrates the essential independent observers can prefer to focus on meaningful things. Watch trouble with attempting to negotiate long-term deals off of entry level the NBA. Or watch the Australian Open. Or watch Tiger at Torrey Pines. contracts. You don’t know exactly what players are yet. But that’s the Or shovel the driveway. landscape for Kyle Dubas and all NHL general managers. For Maple Leafs fans, this needless pause in a compelling season offers The essential idea for the Leafs is to bind both players not just to the the opportunity to examine the overriding long-term question facing this franchise, but also to each other. Like Toews and Kane. The mechanics marquee organization, an organization that has righted itself from being here are a lot more complicated, however, and the primary problem the worst team in hockey to one of the best in five years. The Maple facing Dubas is that the two young stars may not want the same deal, Leafs can say they are focused on winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, but and more specifically, could prefer different terms. by not having Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner signed to new contracts, either by choice or by being unable to do so, this story has become an Moreover, as previously mentioned, these contracts aren’t being unsettling cloud hovering over the franchise. negotiated in a vacuum.. So figuring out the market — with the cap going up and other young stars doing new deals and another work stoppage There is no easy resolution in sight, and the situation is troubling. very possible in the near future — is very difficult. This is particularly the case given the cumbersome manner in which the Given the Nylander experience, the Leafs have to be prepared to start William Nylander negotiations, and settlement, played out. Well, multiply next season without one or both of these players. Getting them to think that times two, and you’ve got where the Leafs are now. Actually, multiply the same, and accept the same, is a massive challenge for Dubas and it by more than that, because Nylander’s contract (six years and $42 the Leafs organization. million) is going to be significantly less than what his two colleagues will be getting. As of today, there are talks ongoing with Matthews, but none expected with Marner until the summer. It was one thing to put a concerted full So that’s where we are in January, 2019. Not ideal, and the best the court press on John Tavares last summer, persuade him that his future Leafs can say is that it hasn’t derailed their season, and that other teams was in Toronto, and quite another to get two players to see their futures — Colorado with Mikko Rantanen, Calgary with Matthew Tkachuk, the same way. Tampa Bay with Brayden Point, Winnipeg with Patrik Laine — are facing similar situations with their young stars. But that’s got to be the objective. With respect to Matthews and Marner, one thing appears to be Toronto Star LOADED: 01.26.2019 abundantly clear as we review their stories and imagine the future. They deserve the same paycheque. You cannot make the case today that Matthews is worth decisively more than Marner, or Marner more than Matthews. Now, Jeff Jackson and Judd Moldaver, acting on behalf of Matthews, will certainly try to make the case that Matthews deserves more, as they should. Similarly, Darren Ferris wouldn’t be doing his job as Marner’s agent if he didn’t insist the same. These are two exceptional talents, both only 21 years old. You might like one over the other. You could cite the fact that Matthews is a centre, more valuable than a winger, and won the 2017 Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. You could also cite the argument that Marner plays like a centre, is just as much an architect as a sniper, and in his short NHL career he has proven so far to be the more durable player. Marner has been more productive this season, averaging 1.27 points per game (tied for eighth in the NHL) while Matthews has averaged 1.23 points per game (tied for 12th). Then again, those numbers might be different if Matthews (18:06 of ice time per game) was getting the same workload as Marner (19:40 per). We can go ’round and ’round on this. Most would concede they are extremely close in terms of their value to the franchise. But here’s the key part to all of this. The Leafs need Matthews and Marner to believe they are partners going forward, equal contributors to one great cause. The hockey club does not need either to believe they are less valued than the other and, in these salary cap days, an annual cap hit defines a player as much as that player’s actual ability. The Blackhawks showed the way for this type of situation in 2014 when they signed Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on the same day to identical eight-year extensions with identical cap hits of $10.5 million. They got the same base salary, the same signing bonuses, the same total salary. The Hawks had won two Cups in 2010 and 2013, and were coming off a discouraging seven-game loss in the conference final to Los Angeles. Toews was 26, the third player taken in his draft year, and the team’s captain. He was regarded as a low maintenance, superb two-way player. Kane was 25, the first player selected in his draft year, a more prolific scorer and winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2013. 1127772 Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL owners not ‘looking for a fight’ over bargaining, Bettman says | The Star

Josh Dubow

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday the owners aren’t “looking for a fight” when it comes to collective bargaining negotiations with the players. The current CBA runs until 2022, but the league and players each have the option this September to terminate it effective Sept. 15, 2020. Bettman said at a news conference at all-star weekend that the owners are mostly satisfied with the last two negotiations that instituted a salary cap and then provided an even split of hockey-related revenues between players and owners. “There’s no question that the league is healthier now dramatically,” Bettman said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today if we didn’t have a system that corrected some of the ills in the past. We have stability, we have competitive balance and the game is able to grow. That’s good for everyone involved with the game.” NHLPA special assistant to the executive director Mathieu Schneider agreed that the tenor of discussions has improved in a sport that has had one strike and three lockouts since 1992, but that players want to recoup some of the losses they suffered in the last two negotiations, including an end to the escrow payments that ensure the 50-50 split in revenues. However, Schneider said he didn’t agree that the players are in control of whether there will be another work stoppage. “There’s no question that the players have given back billions of dollars over the course of the past two negotiations,” Schneider said. “That’s no secret. I don’t think I’d characterize it as the ball’s in the players’ hands.” Both sides have had productive talks already and were able to reach an agreement on player and puck tracking, which Bettman said bodes well for more difficult negotiations ahead. Schneider said the tension that was present at the start of the last talks that led to a lockout that wiped out 510 games is in the past and both sides agree the relationship between players and owners is stronger than ever. “Hopefully, we’re at a place where labour peace can be more important than anything else we need to accomplish,” Bettman said. “Because I think the opportunities in front of us are even greater than what’s been behind us.” Another potential sticking point is international play. Players were upset the league didn’t allow them to participate in the 2018 Olympics and want assurances that they can play in the 2022 games in Beijing. The sides agreed not to stage the World Cup of Hockey in 2020 because of the uncertainty of the labour agreement but hope to hammer out a plan for international play in the current CBA negotiations. Schneider said the players would be open to playing the World Cup in February 2021 during a break in the season, but Bettman downplayed that possibility. “I think we’d all like to develop that long-term calendar,” Schneider said. “For whatever reason, we can sit here and point fingers at each other, it hasn’t gotten done.” In other news, Bettman said next season will open with a game in Prague and there will also be regular-season games in Stockholm, as well as exhibitions in Germany and Switzerland. The league also is working on going back to China for pre-season games. The league announced two outdoor games for next season with the Dallas Stars hosting Nashville in the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day at the Cotton Bowl and Colorado playing Los Angeles at the Air Force Academy later in the season. Toronto Star LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127773 Toronto Maple Leafs Twenty-three years. His last of seven rehab stints was 14 years ago. He knew where people could go for help because he’d been in the treatment centres, explored the legal system, been in psych wards and hospitals. Sheldon Kennedy has spent most of his adult life fighting the good fight | He has had those suicidal thoughts. He has been there. He has spent so The Star much time in the country’s coffee shops, listening. He knew the ground. Almost all of this — the calls, the listening, the help, an average of 112 keynote addresses per year — was volunteer work, by the way. Kennedy Bruce Arthur has a six-month-old son now. He wants to be the best dad he can be. “I absolutely experienced burnout, and it’s real,” he says. “And you start second-guessing yourself, and you can’t sleep. I experienced that. Your Sheldon Kennedy was tired. How could he not be tired? Everyone gets brain never stops. So I needed to make some decisions in my life. And worn out at some point by the grind of work, responsibilities, life. We can it’s not that I want to go away from the issues, but I understand how all buckle under the things we carry. Sheldon Kennedy just had a better important it is to be present in my kid’s life. I did the best I could with my reason than most. daughter, who’s 23 years old. Now I got a chance to do it all over again, and shame on me if I don’t learn from that.” “I really learned that I can’t, I just can’t carry all the weight,” says Kennedy. “And I didn’t realize that. Basically, I have to be healthy myself. He has spent 23 years fighting for kids like him. Facing not just his If I’m healthy myself, then I’m going to show up the best I can for others. demons, but everyone else’s. Earlier in his life he couldn’t sleep because his abuser, James, used to come to him at night. It’s part of what broke “At the end of the day I don’t think it’s been anything special other than up his first marriage. He couldn’t sleep again. Sheldon Kennedy had a learning to listen, and understanding that I can’t fix people, but what I can right to be tired. do is offer to guide them to the help that they need. But I had to learn that, right?” *** *** He’s trying something a little different. He thinks all that training that his company Respect Group did with hockey coaches and parents, with Kennedy is a great Canadian, and not because he played hockey. Well, teachers and students, can be applied to workplaces. His has partnered partly. He played 310 NHL games for Detroit, Calgary and Boston, and with corporate giant KPMG to adapt Respect’s program to prevent that prominence helped his crusade to fight for victims of child abuse. bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination for workplaces. Kennedy Kennedy was a Flame when he came forward and accused his Swift would talk to parents who said, as he puts it, “Frik, we could use this at Current Broncos junior hockey coach, Graham James, of sexual abuse. work.” His testimony put James in jail, for a criminally short time. Kennedy has somehow decided, despite everything he has seen, that “When I rollerbladed across the country (to raise awareness of child most people are good. He has tried to give them tools to be better. He abuse in 1998), we had to have the conversation outside of town. Right?” wants companies to care about their culture and their employees, first. says Kennedy, who turns 50 this year. “A lot of times nobody wanted to He thinks people need to learn to listen, really listen. talk about these issues. We were invited into schools and they told us, we have to be very sensitive about how we talk about these issues. It He knows everyone carries something. He thinks better workplaces could was unreal. That was 23 years ago. People would stop you on the help. It’s also a way to make an impact without devouring his life. highway and tell you their story. And we were getting 20, 25 disclosures a day. “I think if we can educate people, and empower the bystander, in the workplace or in sports, that’s our best defence,” he says. “When we have “If you look at it, there’s been a shift. This is the shift: Back then if you healthy people, we have a healthy company.” had a program like this in place, if Hockey Canada did, that was a hockey problem and they have problems. Now, if you don’t have a process and But he still gets those phone calls. He always will. Sheldon Kennedy has education and this isn’t a priority in your organization, (parents say) we’re given all of himself for so long, until he couldn’t anymore. And he will not signing up. That’s a shift. never be able to walk all the way away. “What we’ve done is make people focus on the impact, the impact of Toronto Star LOADED: 01.26.2019 trauma.” His company, Respect Group, has trained over a million hockey coaches and players, teachers and students. He received the Order of Canada in 2014. So it took him two years of deliberation before he decided to take his name off the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary late last year. He founded the centre, which brings together multiple disciplines under one roof, in 2010. He feels it can still do good work. Kennedy, however, had to walk away. I tell him the story of a great doctor I knew who had to give up ER duties — duties that he felt defined him, helping people on the front lines — to find balance in his life, for his family. That doctor spends some of his time teaching other doctors now. Kennedy’s other half is a doctor who does ER work. He nods. “Exactly. Yeah. I had to get to that place,” he says. “To me, this is not about Sheldon. This is about doing the right thing for kids and families. I don’t do this for acknowledgement. I do this because Sheldon can offer these issues a platform. “I felt something had to go, right? Because I wasn’t having the impact that I could on the issues that I felt I could. Because I was spread too thin, and I definitely wasn’t available to those I loved at home. And that was important for me. I wanted to be available to them. If I wasn’t healthy, and being able to have honest conversations with people, I never would have gotten to this point.” *** He spent 23 years hearing the stories that used to only be told outside of town. Twenty-three years. Children’s stories that mirrored his own past of physical abuse from his father, or sexual abuse from his coach, or drug and alcohol abuse, or feeling abandoned by the system. For over two decades parents called and said, my son is on the streets, Sheldon, my daughter is out of the treatment centre. Children said, can you help me. I need help. It had to be Sheldon, because Sheldon Kennedy was the fighter. 1127774 Toronto Maple Leafs renegotiate five or six years from now, when the cap is potentially higher and he can earn even more money during his prime years?

And if Matthews signs first, what will that mean for Marner? Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews not losing sleep over ‘life changing decision’ At the end of last season, Marner seemed closer to Nylander than Matthews in terms of financial worth. Now, with Marner amongst the top 10 in league scoring, you can make the argument that he deserves as Michael Traikos big a slice of the pie as Matthews does. Matthews has scored 95 goals and 175 points in 179 games. Marner has 61 goals and 192 points in 208 games. That’s a difference of only .055 SAN JOSE — It might have been more than just coincidence that Auston points per game. Matthews endured the worst slump of his career at a time when his agent happened to be in town holding contract talks with the Toronto Maple The two were put together on a line right before the All-Star break, which Leafs. resulted in Matthews ending a seven-game goal drought and Marner scoring his 20th of the season. There’s chemistry there between two After all, we’re talking about a potential windfall of close to $100 million. friends who entered the league at the same time and will now become immensely rich at the same time. As general manager Kyle Dubas said the other day, “it’s a life-changing decision.” John Tavares didn’t sleep a wink — not even in those Maple Not that they talk about it much. No point in causing anyone to lose sleep Leafs bed sheets — when he was wrestling over whether to sign in over something that’s sort of out of his control. Toronto last summer. “It’s not really something that comes up, I guess,” said Matthews. “If we And that was Tavares’ third NHL contract. This is the first time that do talk, it’s not really hockey-related, it’s really just anything. I think it’s Matthews is going through this. just a big distraction as far as with the media and Toronto and the way they play it out and everything. But I don’t think it’s something that either Well, sort of. of us stresses about too much in our minds. I just think we want to go out and play hockey and have fun. Four years ago, Matthews faced the biggest decision of his teenage life when he had to choose between spending his draft year in the NCAA, “That’s why you have agents that take care of this stuff.” the Western Hockey League or over in Europe. Of course, deciding to play professionally in Switzerland was the easy part. Actually getting onto Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.26.2019 the ice proved to be a three-month ordeal of roadblocks and red tape, with Matthews continually wondering if it would ever work out. “That was a debacle,” Matthews said at the All-Star Media Day on Thursday. “Oh man, I had to go through a ton of stuff. It was a long summer, especially when you don’t really know where you’re going.” In order to suit up for the Zurich Lions, Matthews needed a work visa. But they don’t give work visas to 17-year-olds, much less 17-year-olds who are still in high school. So Matthews had to wait until his 18th birthday before he could play. And he had to take a high-school equivalency test in order to graduate in time for the season. “Taking the GED, an eight- or nine-hour test, I’m not a big school guy,” said Matthews. “My little sister is in high school and I look at her homework sometimes and it absolutely looks like Chinese to me. All the steps I took to kind of making that process happen, it was more stressful than this one is for sure.” Still, this next contract negotiation could prove to be just as taxing and time-consuming. Though there were signs that things might be moving quickly after Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldover, met with Dubas in Toronto last week, don’t read much into it. There’s “talk” and then there’s negotiations. This one sounds like it was the former. So don’t expect Matthews to have an eight-year contract in place by the end of this weekend — or by the Feb. 25 trade deadline, for that matter. There is no rush. At least, not from Matthews’ side. “I mean, I wouldn’t say it’s a relief,” Matthews said of wanting to get the contract signed. “I would say it’s just another step. For me, it’s not something I think about much. When it happens and it gets done, it gets done.” The Leafs, on the other hand, have a reason to get going on this now. It’s not just Matthews who is approaching restricted free agency. The team also has Mitch Marner to think about. Considering that Marner’s agent has stated that he won’t negotiate until after the summer, it looks like the Leafs will try to get Matthews done before that, in hopes of avoiding another William Nylander situation that drags into the second month of the season. But good luck with that. While the Nylander contract was complicated by the fact that he had played less than 200 games, so you were paying for potential more than his past production, knowing what Matthews and Marner bring to the table doesn’t really change the fact that there’s only so much money to go around in Toronto. Does Matthews want Connor McDavid type money? Does he want an eight-year deal to remain in Toronto until he is 29 or will he be happy to 1127775 Toronto Maple Leafs By game time there are 20 people — all friends and family — in the box. At the first intermission, the already-crowded suite has added a few more

familiar faces thanks to a visit from some Leafs alumni. How the Leafs and a community rallied to help make a... “Mommy!” shouts Billi’s eldest son Will, 7, as he runs over to her. “Look at my hat!”

Scott Wheeler “Did Darryl Sittler sign your hat? And CuJo signed your jersey!” Billi answers.

The entire family, from Gary down to each of their grandkids and Two Christmases ago, Mark Campbell turned to his wife Heather and his nephews, is in awe of their new guests. kids, Scott and Billi, with an idea. “It’s amazing that that’s Curtis Joseph, 12-year-old me is freaking out.” He wanted to find a way to take their growing family, which now boasted four generations, on a train trip from their hometown of Picton, Ont., a Everyone gets an autograph before Joseph pauses for a group photo. small community of close to 5,000 people, to see his favourite team, the “Wow, you guys are a great group to organize a photo like that that Maple Leafs. It was his dream. quickly. It normally takes a while. This is the best box I’ve ever been in,” Then, nearly two years later, on Dec. 20, he checked himself into the Joseph says. “Very nice to meet you all.” hospital with what he thought was pneumonia — something the doctors Shortly after the Leafs’ alumni leave, Campbell pauses to reflect diagnosed him with. surrounded by Heather, Billi and Scott in the hallway outside their suite. Christmas came and went inside the Kingston General Hospital. Campbell is gentle, engaging and full of spirit. “Everything was put on hold,” said Campbell before pausing to correct Scott he says, has acted as his “determined son” to ask oncologists all of himself. “Not on hold because it was actually a very spiritual Christmas the questions he can’t quite muster. Campbell went back to school for a and it was done with a ton of compassion and care.” second career and started a practice with Billi, an optometrist, in Picton Shortly after Christmas, the 59-year-old was diagnosed with terminal lung eight years ago. cancer. “It has been overwhelming. His recent diagnoses was a shock,” Billi says, On a visit to the hospital, his wife Heather’s sister, Wendy Goodman, choking up, “because he’s a healthy, active guy. And he’s not just my reminded him of that dream of his. dad, he’s my business partner. I’m really able to put the business thing in a box somewhere over there and just be daughter right now.” “That train ride hockey trip, it’s got to happen. It’s got to happen now,” Goodman told him. Heather is quiet but when she does speak, it’s in thinking of her husband.

After tracking down various pairs of tickets, Campbell initially turned her “This is bittersweet for all of us. But he has such good spirits about him. down. He wasn’t going to have his family scattered across Scotiabank He’s a good man, a special guy,” she says. “We will carry this with us Arena. They needed to find a way to have the entire family — all 16 of when times get tough.” them — together, at a game. Campbell, it’s clear, is what binds this tight-knit family. A little over two weeks later, seated in Suite 233, Campbell’s dream Not by coincidence, their suite shows up on the jumbotron in the third became a reality thanks to strangers and friends, with additional help period. from Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman. “Doug Gilmour made it happen. He was the one that got people to It started with his wife Heather, a palliative care nurse in Prince Edward sacrifice the booth – the booth,” he says with a laugh. “More like the County, who reached out to a contact who knew Leafs legend Doug suite!” Gilmour to see if there might be a lead on a suite. Heather points to how generous Yzerman was for a group of strangers, With the help of Gilmour and the NHLPA, they managed to convince a too. group to give up their corporate box. It came with a condition: they had to recover the cost of the box, which totalled $12,000. “We think a lot of the goodness that we’ve received today has come from him,” she says. And it had to happen fast. It wasn’t lost on Campbell how willing Sittler was to sit with him and chat Because his son Scott was flying in from Calgary for the week, the Leafs’ either. It wasn’t the first time they’d met. That happened decades ago, at Sunday night game against the Arizona Coyotes was their only hope. But a hockey camp hosted by Bobby Orr in Orillia, Ont. The pair shared a they didn’t have the money. laugh about how Sittler was just shy of a decade older than Campbell, So they started a GoFundMe page to help with the cost. and of time spent at Lake Couchiching.

Within days, friends, family, and complete strangers donated to reach “It was a family affair and he was there with his wife Wendy and his kids their target. By Sunday, they’d raised more than $28,000, with a promise and we were there as hockey players. So my memory of him was not just to donate all surplus funds to the local hospice and hospital in Prince on the ice but as a tennis player on the beach. That’s a huge memory Edward County. and then to have the chat with him today and have him come by, it was awesome,” Campbell says. Campbell arrived at the rink two hours before game time to a suite full of Leafs merchandise thanks to Shanahan. He’d heard about the trip There’s even more good being done as a result of the GoFundMe through Yzerman. Yzerman knew the daughter of the family’s old campaign. babysitter through a shared club membership. “The community is the real big push behind it (and) it has spread. Word travelled fast and the hockey community stepped up to make Heather’s classmates from Queen’s that we haven’t seen since we were Campbell’s final Leafs game one to remember. 19 years old have picked up on it. It just had tentacles,” Campbell says.

An area friend who owns a sporting goods store even made them each And then there’s his diagnosis. Campbell continues to face his battle with jerseys with the No. 1 and their nickname for Campbell on the back. grace and a positive attitude. Soupy, his nickname from his hockey days. Grampy to the youngest “It has been really challenging but I’m really quite at peace because generation. Snarf to dad. Marky to mom and Heather. when I first got the news that I had cancer and you don’t know where it’s Campbell’s dad, Gary. going to go, my first spectrums were really just worry for my parents because you see them there and worried about my grandkids,” he said. “I Campbell’s daughter-in-law Anastasia and granddaughter Lucia just love them both. And it’s not that I don’t worry about my own family represent a third and fourth generation of Leafs fans. because I love my own family but they know, they’re closer to me, they’ve lived with me. I was really sad about what I was leaving to my A man of many nicknames. grandkids. But my worry isn’t there. I’m content, I don’t have any anxiety, passion for the game came from. So I told him about 1967 and Maple I just know that we’re going to live while I’m living.” Leaf Gardens for the first time.”

And for a few hours on a Sunday night in downtown Toronto he got to do One thing led to another and quickly they were talking like they were old just that. friends and recounting shared memories of time spent with Rick Curran, Shanahan’s agent, and longtime hockey executive Don Maloney, who It reminded him of his first visit to Maple Leaf Gardens in the fall of 1967, was in Campbell’s age group, at Orr’s camp. after the Leafs had won their last Cup the previous spring. He remembers that day, as 7-year-old. He could get the Blackhawks on the “We just talked hockey and just had a great, memorable night. CuJo was radio in Picton. He remembers Bobby Hull dropping what he was doing to just phenomenal too. He basically just told us how great we were,” engage with him and sign his book in the lobby of the Blackhawks’ hotel Campbell says. “We just keep recapping the day. It’s a wonderful sport and the way he followed Hull on the ice for the entire game because of and it’s a caring community, it really is. We’re pretty lucky.” that. For a brief moment, surrounded by all those who care for him, Campbell By the time the night was done, he was confident Will was going to be was lucky. They all know that. And they’re thankful for it. They’re also converted from a Capitals fan to a Leafs fan, making it a clean sweep of looking forward to passing some of that luck on to others in need. the Campbell family’s fandom. “All of those not-for-profit organizations, they can really benefit from that “I think it’s done already,” Heather says with a laugh. kind of money, especially in the rural communities. It’s pretty incredible. It has been fun,” Heather says. “Will was sitting just totally enthralled with everything that was happening before the warmup had even started,” Billi adds. “I went down and sat #CheerForGrampy beside him and he was like ‘Mom, I am going to remember this moment forever.’” Babcock and Marner meet the Campbells.

While the Campbell family makes efforts to get together each summer at A memory to last a lifetime. their cottage, they’ve never experienced something like this together. While Campbell will hang onto those moments for as long as he can, he “It’s not the same love that it has been this last little while,” Campbell also knows it doesn’t change what comes next. says, laughing. “These last couple of weeks have been full of love. And Heather speaks quietly, struggling to get the words out. The visit to the part of that is because we do believe that this life that we have here is doctors confirmed the severity of the cancer and the extent to which it temporary but that we do have eternal life. And so we know that as short has already spread to the bone. Doctors have advised that radiation and as beautiful as what we have here is, it’s not over. Whether I was treatment is the best route forward. The treatment won’t extend dying or not, I wanted to create a memory like this for forever. Because Campbell’s life but his doctors say it will provide as much comfort as that age 7 trip to Maple Leaf Gardens was a big deal for me.” possible. The Campbells are happy they were able to get the process When the game ends, a member of the Leafs’ staff arrives at their box to started. invite Campbell and his family to the Leafs’ locker room. “We re-frame hope for us on a daily basis and that’s a good thing. We’re There, standing outside, Campbell is greeted by a well-dressed kid in a pleased to be able to have that and Mark is peaceful and calm and he red suit. His face lights up just like it did 52 years earlier. sees joy in every small thing – pretty incredible,” Heather says.

“Wow,” the group says, almost in unison, as Mitch Marner greets them. “Our Sunday night extravaganza, I don’t ever need to do anything fun “This is crazy.” and exciting again. I have had my cup filled to the top with everything that that was and being together with Mark and our family.” In the days since, Campbell has been reliving that moment in his head. On a trip back to Picton from Kingston General Hospital four days later On Feb. 5, the same day Campbell will get the next round of biopsy after a brief stop for lunch, he picks up a phone call and launches into it results back, Gilmour will be in Prince Edward County for a fundraiser. once more on speaker phone, surrounded by his wife and two kids just Campbell plans on being there to shake his hand. like he was in that hallway at Scotiabank Arena. The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 “We are all sharing in this journey,” he says.

He remembers Marner offering to sign his jersey. He remembers complementing Marner on his “fancy shoes” and the way the Leafs winger returned the complement to point out his Toronto Maple Leaf blue alligator boots.

After sharing a laugh, Marner went to the Leafs’ locker room to grab and sign a stick for Campbell.

“It had a couple passes on it,” Campbell said of the stick.

Moments after their exchange and a group photo with Marner, Mike Babcock emerged from the dressing room to invite the Campbell family in.

Babcock, he explains, also shared a special moment with Heather, and detailed his own experiences with cancer.

“He said ‘When I’m on the bench before the game starts I pray to my mother, who died of cancer, and I pray for other people and I will include your family,'” Heather says.

While standing alone in the Leafs’ locker room to soak it all in, Campbell was finally greeted by Shanahan.

“He comes up and talks to me on a first-name basis and he says ‘Mark! How do you know Stevie Yzerman!?’ And I said ‘I don’t know Steve Yzerman but I know what you’re talking about and this event is happening right now because of Stevie.’ So Shanny in the midst of it thought I was tight with his buddy Steve,” Campbell says, laughing.

“And he then asked me ‘What made you a Leaf fan, Mark?’ and he wasn’t putting on his promotional hat, he just wanted to know where our 1127776 Vegas Golden Knights The Knights were not chosen to participate in the two outdoor games next season.

Nashville was announced as Dallas’ opponent for the 2020 Winter Soft goal disappoints Marc-Andre Fleury at NHL skills event Classic at the Cotton Bowl. Also, Colorado will play Los Angeles in the Stadium Series game at the U.S. Air Force Academy. By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal Crosby scratched Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby did not participate in the skills competition due to illness. He is expected to play in Saturday’s 3-on-3 tournament. SAN JOSE, Calif. — Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t mind losing his title in the save streak competition at the NHL All-Star Skills event Friday. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.26.2019 It was the way it happened that didn’t sit well with the Golden Knights goaltender. “I was so disappointed,” he said. Six great saves and, well, one interesting goal. #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/9WYxMfi6AE — NHL (@NHL) January 26, 2019 Fleury finished fourth out of eight competitors with six consecutive saves, but saw his reign end when Winnipeg’s Blake Wheeler slipped a shot through Fleury’s pads. New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist won the event with 12 straight stops, two off the record Fleury set last year in Tampa, Florida. Fleury allowed goals on two of the first three shots he faced against the Central Division all-stars before he stopped the next six attempts. Wheeler appeared to fan on his shot, but the changeup fooled Fleury and the puck trickled across the goal line before he could recover. Fleury tossed his stick in frustration, accidentally hitting a cameraman who was filming the action from the ice. “You want to have fun with it, but once you’re there and they’re coming, you still want to do well,” Fleury said. “I think I would have rather get beat fair and square on a nice move, and then you’re like, ‘All right, he got me.’ But then when it’s something like that, oh jeez. It sucks.” Fleury, who attempted to build a snow wall similar to what he did in Winnipeg on Jan. 15, was booed throughout the competition by the Sharks’ fans at SAP Center. “I think it’s pretty funny, right?” he said. “We face them a lot during the season and in the playoffs, obviously, last season. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a little bit expected.” Tracking technology The NHL will implement puck and player tracking technology for games next season, commissioner Gary Bettman announced at a news conference Friday. The system, developed by German company Jogmo World Corp., places microchips on players’ pads and inside game pucks to gather real-time data. It will be used during Saturday’s All-Star Game. NHL Commissioner Talks Player Tracking Success with Golden Knights - VIDEO Ahead of the NHL All-Star game, commissioner Gary Bettman discusses how the league implemented player tracking during two Golden Knights games and how the Knights have been a positive impact on hockey. Volume 0% Next Up: Gerard Gallant loved coaching in the NHL All-Star Game 00:00 03:13 03:13 The NHL joins the NFL as professional sports leagues with wearable tracking technology. The tracking system was tested in two regular-season games involving the Golden Knights, and Bettman noted the data showed Jonathan Marchessault and Brent Burns skated more than three miles. “As a league, we have made significant investments to create new technology that quite literally didn’t exist,” Bettman said, “We think many of our fans, especially the innovation generations — millennials and Gen Z — are going to love this new frontier.” Pond hockey 1127777 Vegas Golden Knights Two categories could hold back Fleury in his quest. He is ninth in the league with a 2.49 goals-against average, but his save percentage (.911) ranks outside of the top 10. Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury could make case for Vezina Trophy Nashville’s Pekka Rinne won the award last season, and his 2.31 goals against was the highest by a Vezina recipient since Ed Belfour in 1992- 93 (2.59). By David Schoen Since 2005-06, every Vezina winner had a save percentage of .920 or better. SAN JOSE, Calif. — Marc-Andre Fleury’s resume stacks up favorably Fleury’s best chance at the award is for the Knights to continue to have with most of the NHL’s all-time best goaltenders. success. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and is making his fourth “You win as a team, lose as a team, and our team has been playing appearance at the All-Star Game this weekend. some good hockey,” Fleury said. “I think everybody is aware of defensive zone, also, helping out around the net, always backchecking, coming But the Golden Knights’ netminder has one hole in his lengthy list of back in our zone. That makes my job easier.” accomplishments. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.26.2019 Fleury has never won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender — he hasn’t even been a finalist — but there was enough buzz among his peers to make one think this could be the year he finally breaks through. SHORT DESCRIPTION (Las Vegas Review-Journal) “It’s still early, a lot of games still to be played,” Fleury said Friday. “Obviously it would be nice to beat that (fifth-place finish in 2017-18), but we’ll see. I think what matters is winning games and it’s not the individual focus.” Fleury reached the All-Star break as the league leader in victories (27), shutouts (six) and games played (45), while helping the Knights to third place in the Pacific Division following a slow start. He finished second behind Anaheim’s John Gibson in the Professional Hockey Writers Association’s midseason vote for the Vezina. “For us, he’s been our best player,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “Especially the first 20 games, he was a big part of us staying around .500 and giving us a chance to win. I think he’s the best goalie in the league. He’s been outstanding.” The Vezina is voted on by the league’s general managers and often goes to the goaltender with the best statistics. The 34-year-old Fleury has never led the league in victories, goals- against average or save percentage, which is usually a prerequisite to win the award. He finished fifth in the voting for the Vezina Trophy last season, the highest of his 15-year career. Fleury’s previous best was seventh in 2011-12 when he went 42-17 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .913 save percentage for Pittsburgh. “You see how much he means to our group,” Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “He’s played so many games for us now. The ageless wonder, right? Have you ever compared his draft-year photo to this year? It looks the same. “He’s just such a smart player. I hope that he’s up there at the end of the year. I think he should be, given everything that he’s done.” Gibson, who has the Ducks one point out of a playoff spot, is the frontrunner for the Vezina despite his 17-16-8 record and 2.74 goals- against average. The Pittsburgh native said during media day he would vote for his Pacific Division teammate. “When I was younger, everybody always asked if I had a goalie (as a role model). I don’t really think I had a goalie. I kind of watched (Mario) Lemieux,” Gibson said. “But then as I grew older, Fleury was there and kind of took over the reins, so it was definitely somebody that I looked to. “I think Fleury’s had a great year and he’s at the top of the list in everything, so I’d probably go with him.” Fleury’s remaining competition for the award over the final 30 games likely will come from the Eastern Conference. Toronto’s Frederik Andersen is third in wins and fourth in save percentage, while Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy is in the top five in victories, save percentage and shutouts despite missing a month. Vasilevskiy also went with Fleury when asked who would get his Vezina vote. “It’s tough to play 40-plus games and to be that consistent as Fleury,” Vasilevskiy said. “He’s competing hard every game, so that’s very exciting to watch.” 1127778 Vegas Golden Knights done so far. I had coaches in my day who showed a lot of confidence in me and the more you do that, the better they’re going to be. It’s easy to whip guys once in a while and sometimes they need a little, but for the Golden Knights’ Gerard Gallant doing even better job in 2nd season most part, I try to be 90 percent positive and push the right buttons that way.

“We have a lot of good guys and they’re trying hard. It was tough without By Ed Graney Nate to start the season. That was a grind. But we still had some real good players. We’ve stayed the course. Just keep playing hard and, in the long run, (adversity) is going to make the team better.” A crazy part of it all: Under normal circumstances, which is to say the Crazy. The guy before the guy ended up being the guy and then some. Golden Knights would have followed a traditional expansion journey and struggled along for several seasons before making any sort of real NHL LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.26.2019 noise, Gerard Gallant would have likely been the guy before the guy. He would have kept the job warm for another. Happens all the time with new franchises. It’s how things usually work. Gallant was named the team’s first head coach as much for his demeanor as skill, because if the internal feeling matched all others and no one really believed much winning would occur for some time, a steady and patient hand was needed to navigate through the choppy waters of development. Turns out, nothing has been all that normal these past 16 months. Turns out, Gallant has proven the guy tenfold. There is no other guy. The league has landed in San Jose for its All-Star weekend and when the break is followed by a week off for the Knights, they will return to the ice with an eye on chasing a second Pacific Division title. Vegas sits in third place with 62 points, six fewer than this time last year, when it was perched atop the Pacific. But when you consider a lengthy list of injuries and the fact the Knights played their first 20 games without their best defenseman, a fair question arises: Could it be Gallant, last year’s runaway winner for the Jack Adams Award as the league’s Coach of the Year, is actually doing a better job this season than when leading Vegas to a Stanley Cup Final? I’ll make it easy for you: Absolutely. Coaches just don’t win the Jack Adams in consecutive seasons — only Jacques Demers of the Red Wings did so in 1986 and ‘87 — and it’s probably going to take some doing for anyone to overcome (at this point, at least) a deserving Barry Trotz of the Islanders for this year’s honor. But this isn’t the same Knights team as last season. Winning has proven more difficult — they dropped four of six entering the break — and it begins with a significant decrease in Vegas Flu cases in regard to visiting teams. That, and the Knights over 52 games have yet to offer the complete lineup it envisioned when things began in October. “For sure, (Gallant) is doing an even better job this year,” said Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault, who also played for Gallant in Florida. “Teams are more prepared to face us. They know we’re a tough team to play and come ready. (Gallant) has us ready every night because of that. We’re no longer a surprise to anyone. “He never changes. He’s the same all the time. Even when you’re not producing, he still believes in you. We’re still his guys that can win games. He’s the best kind of coach to have. He’s always going to help you. He’s not going to bury you.” Trust and confidence They use the T(rust) word a lot when speaking about him. And the C(onsistent) word. They know when he’s disappointed, because on those rare times he tears into them, it’s a scolding they openly accept. Gallant could have panicked and over-thought the room when defenseman Nate Schmidt was suspended for those 20 games and the Knights stumbled to an 8-11-1 start. He didn’t. SHORT DESCRIPTION (Las Vegas Review-Journal) He could have gone crazy with mixing and matching of lines when each week the past few months seemingly brought another injury or illness and name on Injured Reserve. He hasn’t. He preaches to his players a next-man-up mentality and, more importantly, coaches that way. “We just do the same things every day as a staff,” said Gallant. “It’s all about what your players do on the ice. I’m proud about what we have 1127779 Vegas Golden Knights William Carrier: B-plus Carrier’s season is very comparable to Reaves’. The two fourth line wingers have done their job and done it well, checking opposing Golden Knights midseason forward grades: Tuch and Reaves are top of defensemen into oblivion. Carrier leads the NHL with a whopping 219 the class hits despite playing in only 44 games. Reaves is in second place with 188 hits and the closest non-Golden Knight is Milan Lucic with only 173. By Jesse Granger Jan 25, 2019 Now, I’m not saying the stat keepers at T-Mobile Arena are generous recording hits … wait, no that’s exactly what I’m saying. But even still, there’s no doubt Carrier and Reaves are one of the most physical duos in the entire league, and both have added more offense to their game. For the first time all season, Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant did not Carrier had only six career goals entering this season and has already attend his postgame press conference on Wednesday. scored eight in 44 games. He had to catch a redeye flight to Prince Edward Island, where he’ll William Karlsson: B spend his All-Star break relaxing, decompressing and forgetting about hockey for a few days. It’s easy to be disappointed with Karlsson’s 16 goals and 16 assists this season. He’s on pace for 25 and 25 after a monster 43-goal season a “As coaches, we get tired out too with our routine,” Gallant said. “I’m year ago, which is a considerable drop-off. Last season it seemed going to go home and take the hockey hat off for about five or six days. Karlsson couldn’t miss, and this year he has been robbed by outstanding Then I’ll be refreshed and ready to go. My grandkids will be back home goaltending in what feels like nearly every game. so I’m going to spend some time with them.” I’m expecting a bit of a run out of Karlsson before the season is over, but With the All-Star break and bye week running back to back, the players even if he continues at his current pace he’s still outplaying his $5.25 don’t play another game until February, so this seems like a great time to million contract when you factor in his phenomenal defensive play and evaluate each player’s individual performance over the first 52 games, penalty killing. Karlsson’s 1,002 minutes of ice time this season trail only starting with the forwards. Marc-Andre Fleury, Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore. His recent play (and really the entire top line’s play) is not up to his usual standard, These grades are based mostly on performance, but remember that a but Karlsson is still an extremely vital part of Vegas’ success. player’s salary and expectations entering the season also factor in heavily. Cody Eakin: B-minus Alex Tuch: A-plus I know this grade seems low considering Eakin is on pace to set new career highs in goals (13) and points (26), but when you factor in his Tuch exceeded most expectations set for him entering his sophomore salary it’s pretty spot on. Yes, Eakin’s sudden ability to score goals is far campaign and transformed into the most dangerous offensive weapon on exceeding what most expected out of him entering the season, but he is the team. The 6-foot-4 power forward is also one of the fastest skaters on the fifth-highest paid forward on the team at $3.85 million, so this the ice. He uses that speed, and surprisingly good hands for someone production is right about where he should be. his size, to dance through defenses on his way to the net. In order for Eakin to bump this mark to an “A” by the end of the season, The key difference this season is the mental side of Tuch’s game caught he will need to fuel the third line. Most of his points this season came up to his elite physical abilities, and he is seeing the ice far better. That when he was filling in for Stastny on the second line, benefitting from led to a team-high 23 assists and an already career-high 39 points. Tuch’s phenomenal playmaking. If Eakin can provide that same spark to Whether it is Cody Eakin, Max Pacioretty, Brandon Pirri or Paul Stastny, a third line that struggles immensely offensively it will go a long way Tuch has turned nearly everyone he steps on the ice with into a scorer. toward propelling Vegas on a deep playoff run. Oh, and he’s doing all of that for a salary of $925,000. Jonathan Marchessault: B-minus Ryan Reaves: A With 17 goals in 52 games, Marchessault is on pace to almost match his When general manager George McPhee signed Reaves to a two-year, goal total from last season. This despite going through a cold stretch with $5.55 million contract on July 1, he said Reaves “keeps the flies off the only four goals in 28 games from late November to mid-January. He honey,” meaning he can protect the team’s goal scorers on the ice. finally snapped the slump with a hat trick against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 19, but he still isn’t the dynamic playmaker from a year ago. Reaves performs that duty spectacularly well. His heavyweight fight with the Rangers’ Adam McQuaid after a big hit on Pacioretty is just one The biggest drop off from last season for Marchessault is in the assist example on a long list this season. But what really earns Reaves an “A” department, where he has only 18 after collecting 48 a year ago. If for this semester is his offensive ability. At times this season he has Marchessault can find his passing touch it will likely lead to better play become “the honey.” from linemates Karlsson and Reilly Smith. The 32-year-old already set new career-highs in goals (8) and points Max Pacioretty: C-plus (15), and played more minutes on the power play than his entire career Pacioretty hasn’t been bad by any stretch, but when McPhee sent Tomas prior to this season combined. Tatar, former first-round pick Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick to Paul Stastny: B-plus Montreal, he was likely hoping for more. Prior to Pacioretty’s down season in Montreal, he scored at least 30 goals in four straight seasons The only thing holding Stastny back from an A-plus grade is the fact that (averaging 35 goals and 65 points during that stretch). The hope was a he missed 30 games with a knee injury early in the season. change of scenery would boost Pacioretty back up to those levels, but to Unfortunately, attendance counts in this class so I had to dock Stastny a this point it hasn’t. letter grade, but his play since returning from the absence is phenomenal. Pacioretty’s 28 points have him on pace for only 23 goals and 44 points, but he struggled through some injuries so there’s a good chance he Stastny centers the second line, which is by far the most consistent finishes above those marks. The 30-year-old winger has three goals and offensive weapon for the Golden Knights since his return. He’s nearly on three assists in the past five games and appears to be hitting his stride. a point-per-game pace with 18 points in 22 games played and has natural chemistry with Pacioretty and Tuch. The three have combined for The good news is the real reason McPhee brought Pacioretty to Vegas 18 points in the past five games alone. doesn’t start until April. If he can deliver in the playoffs, it’ll be assets well spent. Brandon Pirri: B-plus Pierre-Edouard Bellemare: C-plus Pirri took the NHL by storm with seven goals and three assists in his first eight games after being called up from the AHL. The veteran bounced up Bellemare is unspectacular yet steady and is exactly the calming and down from the minors to the NHL for most of his career (and a lot of influence needed to center a fourth line that includes two of the NHL’s this season) but may have finally found a home with the Golden Knights. most aggressive hitters. His production slowed recently, with only one goal in the past six games, Bellemare doesn’t produce much on the offensive end with only four but his play on the defensive side of the puck may be the best it’s ever goals and five assists on the season, but his defensive responsibility is been. The main reason Pirri struggled to make NHL rosters was his lack second to none. He leads all Golden Knights forwards with 1:59 of of defense, and while he is still far from a shutdown forward, his defense shorthanded ice time per game and is second amongst forwards with 30 is much improved. blocked shots. Reilly Smith: C I only give Smith this low of a grade because I know he’s capable of so much more. Ask the players on the team and they’ll tell you he’s the best offensive player on the team, but he’s currently fifth on the Golden Knights with 27 points and he’s well off of his pace of 22 goals and 38 assists from last season. Smith remains one of the most tenacious forecheckers on the team and is a vital part of one of the league’s best penalty kills, but his offensive production leaves a lot to be desired. Smith found the chances but didn’t cash in on them at a rate a player of his caliber should. He missed the past seven games with a leg injury but skated with the team a few times before the break so could return soon. Ryan Carpenter: C The weakest link on the Golden Knights this season is the lack of offensive production from the third line, and Carpenter is a major part of that. He has only four goals and nine assists this season, but constantly finds a spot in Gallant’s lineup because the coach appreciates his work in other areas. All of Carpenter’s analytics are solid. His Corsi for percentage is well above even at 56.22, as are his scoring chance percentage (57.05) and high danger chance percentage (55.12). He rarely makes a mistake, but also doesn’t make many game-changing plays. Oscar Lindberg: C-minus Like Carpenter, Lindberg is largely responsible for the Golden Knights’ ineffective third line. Lindberg found himself a healthy scratch a lot more often than Carpenter, playing in only 28 games this season, but has similar analytics. Shockingly, Lindberg has the highest Corsi for percentage of any player on the team with at least 200 minutes of ice time at 59.03. Tomas Nosek: C-minus Once again it is important to note these grades factor in expectations. While Nosek finds himself at the bottom of this grade book, he isn’t been the worst player on the Golden Knights this season. Only Bellemare plays more shorthanded minutes per game than Nosek (1:50). The 26- year-old forward does a fantastic job of denying entry at the blueline and chasing players off their spot during penalty kills. Having said that, entering training camp Nosek was one of the most exciting players on the team. He appeared ready to possibly make the leap into the top six and become a scoring presence. But here we are 52 games into the season and Nosek is 15th on the team with only 12 points and a team-worst minus-11. The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127780 Vegas Golden Knights place in the Western Conference, ranking 30th in the league in goals allowed per game and headed for a second straight playoff miss.

Colorado Avalanche: C-plus Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break If we did this ranking six weeks ago, the Avs would be an ‘A’ club for sure, but inconsistent goaltending from both Philipp Grubauer and By Scott Burnside Jan 25, 2019 Semyon Varlamov, and a lack of depth up front caused the Avs’ fall to the edge of the playoff picture. The Avs should still should be among the top eight in the West when the dust settles, but they aren’t making it easy on themselves. As the clock ticks inexorably toward the 2019 trade deadline and most teams now having roughly 30 games left on their schedules, the annual Columbus Blue Jackets: B-plus NHL All-Star break is a natural point at which to take stock. The Blue Jackets have had lots of off-ice stuff to digest, including the Which teams have exceeded expectation? Which teams are miserably possible departure of stars Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin and failing to live up to preseason prognostications? Which stars are hitting then more recently the one-game suspension of Bobrovsky for departing their stride? Which ones need a shot of adrenalin to carry their respective the bench after being lifted in a game against Tampa. Through it all they teams forward over the final third of the season? managed to stay competitive and they hit the break just four points out of first place in the Metropolitan Division and with a real chip on their Here’s our All-Star break report card for all 31 NHL teams. shoulder. Anaheim Ducks: C-minus Dallas Stars: C-plus The Ducks, not unlike Arizona, battled injury from the get-go. And were it Never a dull moment in Dallas, eh? President Jim Lites calls out Tyler not for the otherworldly (at least on most nights) goaltending provided by Seguin and Jamie Benn, rookie head coach Jim Montgomery bemoans John Gibson, the Ducks would be thinking draft lottery not wild card. Still, the culture of mediocrity, and the team, once again, can’t find ways to win the fact GM Bob Murray had to publicly throw his support behind head consistently on the road (they are 9-13-2 away from American Airlines coach Randy Carlyle tells you that this Ducks team is very much in Center). A team that missed the playoffs in eight of the past 10 seasons transition. is desperate to make the tournament this season, but they need to be much better down the stretch to make that happen. Arizona Coyotes: C Detroit Red Wings: D Hard to assess the Yotes given their never-ending list of walking wounded, a list that may now include captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson who We knew the Red Wings weren’t going to be very good this season and was set to undergo an MRI Thursday. Maybe they deserve a better grade well, they aren’t. Lots of questions moving forward about GM Ken given that they hit the break just two points out of the second wild-card Holland’s future with the team, whether – or when – Steve Yzerman ends spot in the Western Conference. But that’s more a function of the up managing the team and what will become of head coach Jeff Blashill. mediocrity in lower echelons of the conference than the team itself. Short-term Holland has to decide what to do with netminder Jimmy Howard, who is the team’s most consistent performer but who will be an Boston Bruins: B unrestricted free agent in the summer. If the Bruins got to play Toronto every night they’d be an A-plus team, but Edmonton Oilers: F I digress. Tuukka Rask’s injury (he was concussed in a collision in net just before the All-Star break) is problematic given that he returned to Sorry, a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl shouldn’t be this form in recent weeks, but Jaroslav Halak is a more than adequate Plan bad, this dysfunctional. But the Oilers are what they are and that is a B. The offense is middle of the pack but Bruce Cassidy’s group is hard to mess. The firing of Todd McLellan early in the season didn’t change that play against (they are tied for third in goals allowed per game) and and the abrupt firing of GM Peter Chiarelli in the middle of a game this playoff tested. week doesn’t fix that. Maybe they make the playoffs, maybe they don’t, but as president Bob Nicholson noted this week, there’s something in the Buffalo Sabres: C-minus water in Edmonton that needs to be addressed. Sadly pretty much the The Sabres ran the gamut from A-plus play to D or worse of late, which same thing has been said for more than a decade. sees them settle in here with a C-minus. The problem for the Sabres is Florida Panthers: D-minus that, having won 10 straight games early in the season, the expectations went through the roof. They hit the break four points back of the second The Panthers were expected to be vying for a playoff berth, maybe even wild card and now the pressure is on head coach Phil Housley to get the challenging for one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division this team back in its earlier groove. There is also no small amount of season but it didn’t turn out that way as goaltending and injuries derailed pressure on GM Jason Botterill to take advantage of the team’s yet another season for the Cats. Too much talent for this team to be surprising start to make some adds at the trade deadline to give this where they are and that is 10 points out of a playoff spot. squad it’s best opportunity to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Los Angeles Kings: D-minus Calgary Flames: A-plus Another for the ‘mighty have fallen’ category as the Kings are dead last in the conference and also fired their coach. Willie Desjardins is a place GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters should both be in holder as GM Rob Blake figures out a way to reroute what became a consideration for some postseason hardware, along with Mark Giordano, dead-end train. The team has an embarrassing minus-36 goal who is a contender for what would be his first Norris Trophy as the differential, worst in the league, and the league’s most impotent offense league’s top defenseman. The Flames, whose plus-45 goal differential is with just 2.26 goals per game. The signing of Ilya Kovalchuk to a three- tops in the Western Conference, far exceeded expectations, opening up year deal in the offseason is symptomatic of a team needing to reboot a six-point lead on San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific Division and but not taking the proper steps to do so. top seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota Wild: B-minus Carolina Hurricanes: C Zach Parise’s return to health and return to form are pivotal for the Wild A season that began with high hopes for Scott Darling, and newcomers as they are starting to put some distance between themselves and the Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland sees the Canes enter the break rest of the pack in the battle for playoff positioning. The third-place Wild once again outside the playoff bubble. Ferland will likely be traded by the won three straight hitting the break in spite of dealing popular Nino deadline, Darling has seen his career go off the rails once again and Niederreiter to Carolina. Hamilton’s name has even surfaced in trade talks – while former Hurricanes Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner enjoy career seasons in Montreal Canadiens: A-minus Calgary and Buffalo, respectively. Still, the Hurricanes are just four points back of what would be their first playoff berth since 2009, and Rod Carey Price is back to being Carey Price, the Habs kept the ship afloat Brind’Amour has his team playing an entertaining up-tempo style. long enough for Shea Weber to return from injury and all of a sudden the Habs are pushing the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Chicago Blackhawks: D Division. Kudos to much-maligned GM Marc Bergevin for staying the course, and Claude Julien has done a masterful job behind the bench as How the mighty have fallen as the once powerhouse Blackhawks parted the Canadiens appear headed for an unexpected playoff berth and ways early in the season with future Hall of Fame head coach Joel perhaps even a long-awaited matchup with the Leafs. Quenneville. In spite of brief spasms of life, they remain mired in 14th Nashville Predators: A Presidents’ Trophy winners. They give up more than they’d like (tied for 21st in goals allowed per game) but a top-ranked offense, top-ranked The Predators have muddled through a series of injuries and power play, a top-10 penalty kill and league-best plus-59 goal differential suspensions, which prevented them from being the dominant regular make the Lightning the All-Star break Stanley Cup favorites. season team they were a year ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. But as they get healthier watch for them to continue to pile up the Toronto Maple Leafs: B-plus points in a bid to win a second-straight division title. They hit the break tied with Winnipeg atop the Central, although the Jets have four games in The bar was set pretty high for the Leafs and they’d likely be an ‘A’ squad hand. had they not gone flat in the days leading up to the All-Star break. William Nylander struggled after missing the first quarter of the season New Jersey Devils: D-minus waiting for a new contract, and Auston Matthews had his own ups and downs when it comes to production. Still, the Leafs are a deep, dynamic Perhaps a drop-off in play was to be expected this season after the offensive team led by John Tavares and, with strong goaltending Devils, behind Hart Trophy-winner Taylor Hall, earned a surprise trip to provided by Frederik Andersen, are headed to the postseason for the the playoffs last spring. But no one expected this kind of fallback as the third straight season. Now they need to prove they can hang with the big Devils find themselves tied with woeful Ottawa with the fewest points in boys by winning a round or two. the league. The emergence of rookie netminder MacKenzie Blackwood is a lone bright spot but not nearly enough to cover the other blemishes Vancouver Canucks: A-minus displayed by the Devils. What a revelation Elias Pettersson is to long-suffering Canucks fans to New York Islanders: A-plus say nothing of his teammates. Even with a couple of injuries Pettersson is running away with the rookie scoring race and appears a shoo-in to The problem for Bill Peters vis a vis the Jack Adams as coach of the year win the Calder Trophy as the top first-year player. Meanwhile head coach is that Barry Trotz is likely going to walk away with the prize if his Travis Green has the Canucks, tied in points for a wild-card spot, Islanders continue their confounding level of play. No John Tavares? No believing in the playoffs –something that would have been unthinkable in problem for an Islander team that is the league’s stingiest and is getting it September. done by committee under Trotz, who looks to follow up his Stanley Cup turn in Washington with an unexpected playoff berth and possibly a Vegas Golden Knights: B-plus Metropolitan Division championship as the Islanders hit the break with three-point bulge on Washington. When the Golden Knights got off to a middling start to the season lots of people felt this was the team finally acting like they should have acted a New York Rangers: C-minus year ago when they were an expansion squad. But defending Jack Adams Trophy-winner Gerard Gallant has his crew back where they This was expected to be a season of transition for the Rangers and it is belong, firmly ensconced in a playoff spot thanks to the return from just that under rookie head coach David Quinn. The Rangers have suspension of defenseman Nate Schmidt and the play of Marc-Andre decisions on players like Mats Zuccarello (he’ll almost certainly be dealt) Fleury in net. among others in the coming weeks, but the challenge for a team with a minus-25 goal differential is to stay competitive and that’s no small task Washington Capitals: C given this lineup. The defending champs waited until just before the All-Star break to have Ottawa Senators: F their Stanley Cup hangover, going winless in seven – a stretch that saw them give up three hat tricks. They’ve allowed 30 goals in the past five Another team with myriad issues that aren’t all related to on-ice play and games. This is still a talent-laden team with the ability to present a must be dealt with before any hope of a renaissance can be vigorous title defense. They just don’t look like it right now. contemplated. And while the Senators were expected to be near the bottom of the standings, being dead last in goals allowed per game Winnipeg Jets: A merely reinforces just how far this team has fallen. Interesting days ahead for GM Pierre Dorion as he must either sign Mark Stone and/or The Jets are where most expected them to be: battling with Nashville for Matt Duchene or get good return in trades. the top spot in the Central Division. Interesting goaltending debate upcoming for head coach Paul Maurice as Laurent Brossoit (2.01 goals- Philadelphia Flyers: D-minus against average and .943 save percentage in 12 appearances) put pressure on incumbent Connor Hellebuyck, but it’s a good problem to Another team that began the season looking to be in the playoff mix but have for a Jets team that is built, once again, for the long haul. ended up with major upheaval that included the dismissal of GM Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol. Wayne Simmonds is likely out the The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 door but the work ahead of new GM Chuck Fletcher is significant given the steps taken back by many of the team’s promising young players as the Flyers rank 29th in goals allowed per game. Pittsburgh Penguins: B-minus The Penguins are making a bid for a 13th-straight playoff appearance, which is pretty mindboggling, but it hasn’t all been a straight line with netminder Matt Murray struggling to find consistency and then overcome injury. Evgeni Malkin is not having a Malkin-like season but still the Pens, led by the indomitable Sidney Crosby, are just five points out of first in the Metropolitan. St. Louis Blues: D-plus Sure, the Blues are just three points out of a playoff spot at the break, but for a team that should have been competing with Nashville and Winnipeg atop the Central Division, this season is a major disappointment as witnessed by the firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Jordan Binnington is a revelation in goal but can the kid help salvage the Blues’ season? Seems like a lot to ask. San Jose Sharks: A It took some time for Erik Karlsson to hit his stride with the Sharks but now that the two-time Norris Trophy winner is back to being the Karlsson of old, and the Sharks have once again established themselves as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The challenge will be in holding off Vegas for the second spot in the division, which would give them home- ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay Lightning: A-plus The Lightning are crushing the competition in the Eastern Conference and have a comfortable lead over Calgary as the presumptive 1127781 Washington Capitals the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. Carlson is represented by Orr’s agency, the Orr Hockey Group, and while Orr gushed about what kind of father Carlson is to his two sons and his Heading to first All-Star Game, John Carlson showing he’s one of the charitable work in the community, his main comment about Carlson on NHL’s best defensemen the ice is “every night, you’re going to get the same thing.” That was another of the goals on Carlson’s list.

“You’re going to get tested and things aren’t going to go your way all of By Isabelle Khurshudyan January 25 at 11:30 AM the time, and it’s how you stand up to those situations,” Carlson said. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve harped on with myself is just the consistency and making sure I’m not living up to my expectations one game and then taking a couple games off. I think that’s how you measure It’s been nearly five years since Washington Capitals defenseman John yourself, how high you can keep your level of play and for how long.” Carlson was asked to dream big and list his goals. Then an assistant coach working with blue-liners in his first year with the team, Todd Orr laughed that Carlson is “the quietest superstar” he knows. He’s Reirden met with Carlson in those first days of their new relationship to known for being laid-back, and while that can be misunderstood as him map out the direction of Carlson’s promising career, a hopeful step-by- appearing lax on the ice, it usually works in his favor, being calm in any step progression. Most important to Carlson was winning a Stanley Cup, situation. It’s also not to be confused with a lack of competitive fire. He’s but individual accomplishments were discussed, too, from increasing his shown a penchant for being at his best on the biggest stages, from role on the ice to making an All-Star Game. scoring a gold medal-clinching overtime goal for Team USA in the 2010 world juniors to racking up 20 points in 24 playoff games during Since then, how much of the list has Carlson managed to figuratively Washington’s Stanley Cup run last season. check off? And while a big, new contract that made him the NHL’s second-highest- “Quite a bit,” Carlson said. “But that’s the thing: never being satisfied with paid defenseman by cap hit could add a lot of pressure for most players, where you are as a team or as an individual. I know I can be a lot better.” Carlson largely shrugs that off. When the Capitals made that On pace for another career offensive year with eight goals and 39 assists commitment, they were confident he’d be well worth the money, hopeful through 49 games, Carlson is at his first All-Star Game this weekend in that he could continue to be the elite, workhorse defenseman he was last San Jose, all part of the grand plan set in motion five years ago. It’s the season. That he’s been even better is a bonus. latest bit of recognition for a defenseman who’s become increasingly “At this point, I think I’m in a good space, and I think that allows you to be regarded as one of the NHL’s best, coming off a season in which he led free and live up to your capabilities a little more than if you don’t have all blue-liners in scoring with 68 points. that,” Carlson said. Washington rewarded him with an eight-year, $64 million extension this “Not much bothers him,” Orr said. “We sit back and wonder about Norris past summer, and Carlson has already proved that last year was no Trophy consideration, and John just goes about his business.” fluke. Averaging nearly a point per game while skating a career-high 25:20, Carlson is fourth in scoring among defensemen, behind San Washington Post LOADED: 01.26.2019 Jose’s Brent Burns, Calgary’s Mark Giordano and Toronto’s Morgan Rielly, three of the four players who finished ahead of him in the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association midseason vote for the Norris Trophy. The award goes to the best all-around defenseman, and cracking the top three was one of the goals from five years ago. The Capitals certainly felt like he deserved to be there last season, when he finished fifth. “He’s picked up where he left off last year, and he’s probably even a little better than he was,” General Manager Brian MacLellan said. “Everyone else is realizing how good he is and his consistent level of play,” goaltender Braden Holtby said. “The last few years, he’s put himself into that star defenseman category. On a team like this where you can easily get overshadowed by the forwards we have, that shows you even more how good he is. He’s becoming a star on his own.” Because Carlson doesn’t exclusively play against top forwards — he splits the load with Washington’s defense pair of Dmitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen — he gets a lot more credit for his offensive ability, particularly in manning the top power-play unit, and the defensive side of his game occasionally gets shortchanged when it comes to postseason awards consideration. But as the Capitals are on a seven-game losing streak, Carlson, along with captain Alex Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom, has been one of the team’s steadiest players. Of players on the team who have skated at least 300 minutes, he’s one of just three who have been on the ice for more shot attempts for the Capitals than against them. But it’s Carlson’s play away from the puck that has impressed some of his idols. Growing up in New Jersey, Carlson admired Scott Stevens, a Hall of Fame defenseman who was drafted in the first round by Washington but played his final 13 seasons for the Devils. In a league much more inclined toward physicality at the time, Stevens was a bruising force in a way that Carlson isn’t and arguably can’t be in today’s game. But watching Carlson recently, Stevens appreciated Carlson’s play near the crease area in front of Holtby, how solid his positioning was when boxing out opposing forwards. Stevens compared Carlson to Los Angeles’s Drew Doughty, the 2016 Norris Trophy winner. “He was a very offensive defenseman when he was drafted, but I think he’s really developed into a great all-around defenseman,” Stevens said. “I think it’s great that he understands the defensive part and can be used in any situation, that he can be used as a shutdown guy. … “Most defensemen have some deficiencies, so it’s very hard to find those type of defensemen, and John is one of those guys.” The legendary Bobby Orr, one of the greatest players of all time, has monitored Carlson’s career track from when he was a teenager in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program to when he starred for 1127782 Washington Capitals “He was ready to be the head coach. He’s put in his time. He had the level of expertise to where this was his chance. He’s worked a long time to get to this point and he’s in a good situation and he’s doing a good job Capitals coach Todd Reirden showing why he was coveted by so many at it.” NHL teams It is a unique situation for a first-year coach to take over a team that just won a Stanley Cup and one that presents some challenges. By Chris Kuc Jan 25, 2019 “The tough thing about coming in and taking over a Stanley Cup championship team is that there is really nowhere to go but to the same level,” Reirden said. “I definitely had a blueprint for how to build a team from the bottom up ready to go, but I didn’t have a blueprint for how to Todd Reirden takes a seat on the couch — complete with Capitals logos take over a championship team. sewn into the cushions — in his office at the team’s practice rink and stretches his legs. “But instead of building something from scratch, now I have an opportunity to earn a spot in the All-Star Game. I didn’t envision after The 47-year-old is fresh off the ice and covered in Capitals apparel, from winning the Stanley Cup taking over as the Washington Capitals’ coach the baseball cap perched on his head to the t-shirt, pullover and and I certainly didn’t envision a half a year later being coach of the All- sweatpants he’s wearing to the blue sneakers on his feet. Star team.” On the wall behind him is a photo of Reirden, his wife and teenage son Thus far this season, Reirden has yet to have a full complement of posing with the Stanley Cup during the aftermath of the Capitals’ victory players available due to Tom Wilson’s lengthy suspension followed by a over the Golden Knights in Game 5 last June that gave the franchise its spate of injuries. That has provided Reirden with another challenge. first championship. “Our lineup has been ever-changing and that was something that I knew That Reirden has fulfilled his dream to become a head coach in the NHL was potential for happening but I was hoping that it wouldn’t be as is a story in itself, but the fact he is in this office at this time, wearing prevalent as it has been,” he said. “That’s part of coaching. I did expect those team colors and having just put Alex Ovechkin and Co. through there to be injuries this year for sure. It’s just the way they’ve come about their paces is rather remarkable. Throw in the fact that Reirden will be has been different. Some of those types of things I knew were out there behind the bench coaching the Metropolitan Division and representing but until you actually go through them … that’s probably been the biggest the Capitals during the 2019 All-Star Game on Saturday in San Jose and thing that has been different for me.” it becomes downright surreal. Reirden is unfailingly honest and has at times also found it difficult to hold “It’s everything that I had hoped for and worked for and sacrificed for,” back information to the media. Reirden said. “It’s amazing. There is no better opportunity than working with guys that I have already established relationships with and have won “I probably had the hardest time in that I am very transparent and don’t with. It’s provided a little extra challenge to it but it’s been amazing. want to hide anything,” Reirden said. “That’s how I am with my players and they know exactly what to expect while my coaches know when I’m “To me, the best job in the world is coaching at any level, let alone the happy or unhappy. You can’t tell the media every single thing that’s out best players in the world, which we’re fortunate to have here in there and that’s not really how I like to be. I’d rather share everything but Washington. And to have an opportunity like representing the Capitals at some things you have to keep to yourself as a competitive advantage.” the All-Star Game is an amazing time.” While not always forthcoming with information, Reirden hasn’t had Reirden’s journey to become coach of the Capitals goes far beyond that difficulty is dealing with the media, which has been pushing for answers of a former player who paid his dues while working his way up the as the current skid has progressed. A degree in communications from coaching ranks to land his dream job. It took a ton of hard work, Bowling Green State University has helped that process. dedication, timing, luck and even a bit of intrigue to get Reirden to where he is today. “It’s something I studied in school not ever envisioning totally that this was how the rest of my life was going to end up,” Reirden said. “But I Over the course of the past couple of years, Reirden was the hottest was hoping to be an NHL player when I went to college and I had been young coaching commodity in the NHL with, according to league drafted as a high school player and I knew I would have interaction with sources, no fewer than five teams interested in talking to him about being media and had to know how to properly get my message across.” their next head coach. That has also been imperative when it comes to communicating with In the most publicized search, Reirden finished second to Glen Gulutzan players, including often delivering bad news, such as demotions or for the Flames’ coaching job in 2016 and that close call prompted the healthy scratches. Reirden makes sure to look them in the eyes when Capitals to promote Reirden to associate coach, working alongside Barry talking to them. Trotz. “I obviously don’t like being the one who delivers bad news but I think the That didn’t stop teams from coveting Reirden. According to a league players always respect that I have an answer for them and I always go to source, prior to last season the Sabres and Coyotes each were prepared them face-to-face,” said Reirden, a former defenseman who played 183 to offer Reirden their head coaching job but Capitals general manager games in the NHL from 1998-2004 with the Oilers, Blues, Thrashers and Brian MacLellan denied permission for the teams to speak with Reirden. Coyotes. “They don’t have to read it and they don’t have to wonder about The Islanders and another team — which seemingly was prepared to fire it. I’ve always said that, if I was going to be in that situation, the head its current coach and bring in Reirden — were also in the mix but Reirden coach should come and tell me to my face because he’s the one who remained Capitals property. made the decision. Maybe I’ve been in situations as a player or even as a coach where that message wasn’t done that way. But that’s part of the Trotz’s and Reirden’s job statuses appeared to be directly linked to business and that’s who I am. The players are always going to get the whether the Capitals could get over the hump and win the title that had truth from me.” proven elusive. If the Capitals failed to win the Cup in 2018, Trotz was likely gone and MacLellan had Reirden waiting in the wings — a situation Devante Smith-Pelly is a veteran who recently found himself a healthy that a source said did not sit well with Trotz and also didn’t do Reirden scratch and Reirden was the one who delivered the news. any favors as he coveted jobs around the league — and if they did win, Trotz would stay and Reirden would be free to chase his dream “I appreciate him talking to me before it was happening,” Smith-Pelly elsewhere. said. “I don’t know if that changes how I feel but whoever isn’t playing or whoever he feels needs to step up he’ll talk to you and that’s very When the Capitals did capture the Cup, the saga took an unexpected important.” turn when Trotz resigned a short time later due to a contract dispute. MacLellan and the Capitals then handed the reins to Reirden, inking the There is little doubt that Reiden is a player’s coach and he stresses the Deerfield, Illinois, native to a four-year contract to become head coach. positives as much as possible. He knows there is balance between being hard on his team and backing off and letting them figure things out The Capitals’ current seven-game winless streak notwithstanding, themselves. No matter the situation, Reirden keeps his cool. Reirden has been an ideal fit for the defending Cup champs. His familiarity with the team, attention to detail, demeanor and tireless work “How calm he is has been impressive in the guy’s first year as a head ethic have made him popular with players and fellow coaches. coach,” veteran T.J. Oshie said. “His positivity has been very good for us. His eye for picking out people’s strengths is really good and not only “Things worked out the way they worked out,” MacLellan said. “We had a showing the team who scores the goals but the guys who are doing the good team and guys were familiar with Todd. It was just a natural little stuff right to lead to those goals he’s very good at recognizing and transition given what went on. giving the guys recognition for their hard work. “He’s very practical in the way he approaches the game. There isn’t a lot of guessing what the coach wants when Todd is back there. Todd is very forward and direct and positive. He genuinely wants guys to get better and have fun doing it.” If hard work translates into success, Reirden will have a long coaching career. He survives on four to five hours of sleep per night (his alarm is set for 5:30 a.m.) and spends the bulk of his time at the practice rink or Capital One Arena recapping previous games and preparing for upcoming ones. When he can, Reirden does take time for himself, shutting off his computer and settling onto the couch to read — mostly books and articles about leadership — for an hour before getting back to work. His goal is to be there whenever a player needs him for advice, direction or to break down tape. “My message to players is if you want me, I’m here,” said Reirden, who credited Trotz and former Penguins and Sabres coach Dan Bylsma with helping his coaching development. “Anytime you want something, come knock on my door and I’m here for you. I’m proud of my work ethic. It’s gotten me here. I have video for every single player every day if they ever want to see it. And they know that. “There is not one detail of the game that the players don’t know. Every single thing is posted, printed, they’ve already watched video of it. That’s where my detail side of things comes in. There is no stone left unturned on the reason we’re doing something.” It is those sessions with players that is perhaps what Reirden takes the most joy in. “I am driven to making players better — I love it,” he said. “My favorite part of coaching is trying to help them as players and as people. It’s the best.” The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127783 Winnipeg Jets To help drive it home for his listeners, Rome played off a previous comment made by Wheeler, who compared Winnipeg’s love of the Jets to the same relationship people in small-market Green Bay have with the When coach Maurice talks, players and people listen NFL’s Packers. "I work in pro sports my whole life and the best thing I can say is when I die and I gotta meet St. Pete at the gates, he’s not going to be saying Mike McIntyre ‘Hey, go on in, you coached in the NHL.’ You know what I mean? There’s got to be more to your life. There’s got to be a bit of a social contract, Posted: 01/25/2019 9:00 PM there’s got to be something that you give back to people," Maurice said. "That’s why being in Winnipeg is great. I can work in pro sports and still feel like I’m doing something that’s good for your community, because Jets head coach Paul Maurice is finally getting the recognition he they’re so connected to it." deserves. Of course, it’s what Maurice says on the ice during practices, in the Give Paul Maurice credit. He’s a heck of a pitchman. dressing room and on the bench during games that matters most. The Winnipeg Jets head coach clearly has his players buying what he’s There’s no doubt he has the attention of his players, not to mention their selling as they sit near the top of the NHL standings for a second straight respect. season with a 31-15-2 record. That’s generating plenty of buzz around "My career took off as soon as Paul walked through the door. He doesn’t the league as they appear to be a bona fide Stanley Cup contender. get the recognition he deserves around the league. I’ve felt that way for a With the all-star break upon us, Maurice has been using his notoriously long time," Wheeler told a horde of media on Thursday in San Jose. slick communication skills on a much larger audience as prepares to step "The fact he wasn’t up for the coach of the year last year, I thought was a behind the bench tonight in San Jose to lead the Central Division squad real shame. I don’t think those things really matter to him. I think in the annual mid-season showcase of the stars, including a pair of his coaching our team, getting the most out of us every single day is what own players in Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele gets him out of bed. In doing so, Maurice is playing a central role in pushing the merits of both "It’s great for him to get a little recognition at an event like this." his organization and the city he’s called home since taking the reins in 2014. Maurice is up to 679 career regular-season victories to sit ninth overall in NHL history. Pat Quinn (684) and Dick Irvin (692) are next in sight. "At the best of times, the players don’t want to listen to the coach. They’re sure not listening to him at an all-star game. I’m going to try to "You go to a coffee shop after a win, you’ve got a lot of happy people. pick a good suit and stand in the right spot on the bench and smile a lot," After a loss, they’re still with you, but they’re not quite as happy. So, you Maurice cracked in self-deprecating fashion as he appeared on the Jim feel that connection to your community, that’s a real important thing," Rome radio show earlier this week. Maurice told Rome. A pretty good opening line, and one that quickly endeared himself to the "We think we’re capable of contending for a Cup, but we don’t think we’re host. there yet. These two or three months before the season ends are really, really important to us, just in terms of the development of all these young "My man, Paul Maurice. That’s a great plan," replied Rome, who went on guys. But we think we’re close enough. When the dance starts here in to tell his approximately two million listeners that his 10-minute talk with April, we’re confident we’re gonna be there, but we’ve got some work to Maurice "more than lived up to the hype... that was a blast." do to be good." Now, let me pause to say I think it makes us seem small when we go There’s no doubt Maurice can talk the talk, as we’ve seen again this gaga patting ourselves on the back any time someone outside of ‘Peg week. But in a results-oriented business, he’s also proving he can walk City gives us the time of day. the walk. But it’s noteworthy that the coach of a Canadian hockey team was given Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.26.2019 a platform on Rome’s popular syndicated show, which is broadcast in more than 200 markets on the CBS Sports Network. Rome rarely talks puck, but clearly had a heads-up that Maurice would make for a good guest in "The Jungle," the nickname for his show. Maurice made the most of the opportunity, spending much of the time giving a global audience a crash course on what he loves about Winnipeg. It’s a theme that has continued as the week went on and Maurice held court with a huge throng of media members in San Jose, sharing plenty of insight from his 22 years of coaching along with funny stories of the past. "You know the rap about Winnipeg that existed in the past. Players would talk about it being cold, dark, boring. Hell, the San Jose Sharks wondered if there was Wi-Fi," Rome said, serving it up on a tee for Maurice in response to this past season’s playful promotional video that backfired. Maurice hit it out of the park with a lengthy reply that is sure to make him even more popular around these parts — and might not hurt a future organizational sales pitch on an unrestricted free agent, either. "They’ve got wonderful, wonderful people. I don’t know if you’d ever fly into Winnipeg to go shopping. But if you’re looking to have a good life, to raise a family, to have good people around it. And for us, hockey is our passion, it’s our life and that’s true up here. It’s not like any other Canadian city, though, because they lost their NHL team, and they came back. They love them differently. It’s the prodigal son. They love this team and the players on it," Maurice said. "It’s a wonderful place to live and work, but most importantly, it’s a great place to raise your family. When you have kids and you feel that responsibility of giving them an opportunity to have a good life. Winnipeg, you couldn’t ask for anything more." This isn’t a case of Maurice blowing smoke. Maurice and his family truly enjoy it here and have become part of the community fabric. It’s certainly a common thread we’ve seen through the True North organization, where loyalty goes a long way. 1127784 Winnipeg Jets "He's a pretty unique specimen, as far as physiology. So that required a bit of a unique approach," said Francilia. "We had to stabilize, tighten and connect his connective tissue system. And after doing that, reworking the Trainer Adam Francilia pulled Jets backup goalie Laurent Brossoit's biomechanics of his body to show him what he needed to do. He's a very career out of the ashes and helped Connor Hellebuyck become a Vezina observant kid, so he's very easy to work with in that regard." finalist Brossoit's training is on display nearly every day in the Jets dressing room, where he can often be viewed spread out on the floor doing a series of careful stretches following a practice or morning skate. By: Mike McIntyre | Posted: 01/25/2019 7:00 PM "He's actually not stretching. He's creating space in the joints, so he actually maintains integrity in them. That's part of his restoration phase," said Francilia. Laurent Brossoit has been the surprise of the Winnipeg Jets' season, a relatively no-name free-agent signing who has turned into the best The result is tremendous "core stability" which allows Brossoit's body to backup goalie in the NHL, statistically speaking. now react to shooters without giving them the usual opening that other goalies provide, he said. But to understand just how the player and organization got here requires some outside-the-box thinking. In essence, they're waiting for him to blink. But it doesn't happen. So picture, if you will, that Brossoit is not a hockey player but a straw. "It's a real tough read for guys. Not too many goalies have the physiology Seriously. that we could even do that. As you can imagine, it was quite a complicated process," said Francilia, who credits Jets goalie coach Wade "You take a straw and you put it in your hand, straight up, and want to Flaherty with playing an important role in the process. balance a paper plate on it. (Brossoit), because of the laxity in his joints, he's doing that, but as a bendy straw. You're moving that straw around, "There's a tremendous amount of trust. He's not going in there trying to but the laxity in the middle of the straw creates a wobbly, delayed effect," blow everybody up saying, "You've got to do it my way," said Francilia. his trainer, Adam Francilia, told the Free Press Friday in a lengthy phone "I've learned a ton from him and, likewise, he from me. It's made us both conversation. better. He's exactly what LB needed." "I think that's a very good visual for people to understand. We had to As off-season training partners and Francilia's clients, Brossoit and make the bendy straw less bendy." Hellebuyck have developed a strong friendship. Brossoit is now helping to stir the high-flying Jets' drink, going 10-0-1 in "It doesn't get much better than that. And LB knows his role. He knew his his 11 starts this season while resurrecting a career that looked to be on role going in. There's no conflict there. Obviously Helly's the guy. It's a life support just a season ago. His 2.01 goals-against-average and .943 beautiful thing," said Francilia. save-percentage are tops among the 56 goalies with at least 11 starts this season. He believes Brossoit is built for long-term success and will eventually be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. The pending restricted free agent is likely due And Francilia was a driving force behind that. The British Columbia- a significant raise after this season and could ultimately be too rich for based trainer with Alpha Hockey Inc. and his NET360 Program had the salary cap-stretched Jets. already helped transform No. 1 Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck into a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, and now Brossoit's rapid turnaround is "Some goalies come up, you throw them in the deep end, they are being touted as his latest success. treading water, but eventually you can't tread water for 60 games, you're going to drown. Guys figure you out. you can't be protected by the "I'm so proud of him this year. When we initially talked at the end of last opponents that you're playing," said Francilia. season with LB, I really felt a nice maturity had happened in him. And he was really being self-honest," he said. "(Brossoit) is not treading water. He's having success in a very specific and measured way. That's not a body or style of play or psyche that's "Boy, oh boy, whenever I hear a player talk like that, I really think we can going to get worn out. That's what makes me optimistic he's taking a step effect some change. Because that's usually the limiting factor with these that can be followed by another step." guys." Francilia is currently taking a tour around North America, visiting his five The key to tightening up Brossoit's movement was "shoring up his NHL clients, who also include Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk, Florida's connective tissue" to maximize the impact of his big, athletic and flexible James Reimer and Thomas Greiss of the New York Islanders. He also frame. has four AHL clients, including Manitoba Moose No. 1 Eric Comrie, who is having the best season of his four-year career and is also a pending "It seemed like, from an optics point of view, there was kind of a very RFA who could be a trade chip for the Jets, assuming they retain over-relaxed, almost to the degree of being too slow in his movements Brossoit next summer. and his reactions," said Francilia. "Man, oh man, he's taken steps. He looks so much stronger in the net Brossoit, 25, was coming off a rough season that he started as the this year than he did last year," Francilia said of Comrie, who leads the backup to Cam Talbot in Edmonton, but lost that job after 14 AHL in saves and is third in save percentage. appearances and was banished to Bakersfield of the AHL as the Oilers crashed and burned. Dubnyk is an NHL all-star this weekend, Greiss is having a strong year on the Metropolitan Division-leading Islanders, and two of his other AHL "I remember when he got sent down, obviously he was disappointed as goalie clients were just named all-stars. anybody would be who's a competitive athlete, but he said, 'Now I don't have to worry about being the backup guy up in Edmonton, I can work on Which leads to a question: why aren't other organizations pounding on a bunch of things in my game that I know I need to work on,'" said Francilia's door? Francilia. "I can only do this for so many people. It's a lot of work. What I do is very "The attitude he had when he went down was basically, 'Yeah it sucks,' intense. I don't want to overstretch myself," he said. but I really think he saw opportunity in it. And that's pretty admirable. A lot of guys would have pouted their way through the rest of the season." Fortunately for the Jets, three of Francilia's nine goaltenders are their property. After putting up solid numbers on a weak Bakersfield team (29 games, 2.68 goals-against average, .912 save percentage), Edmonton passed "Sometimes (clients) call me the secret weapon. Well, if everybody's on re-signing the unrestricted free agent. That's where Francilia and walking around with it then you're not really very unique anymore. Brossoit's agent, Steinbach's Ray Petkau, came in. They spoke "We want to keep this a little bit mysterious," he said. extensively with the Jets prior to July 1 about the plan they had for Brossoit, and the organization decided to roll the dice and sign him to a Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.26.2019 one-year, one-way contract worth $650,000. "When (Brossoit) saw that support from Ray and myself and the trust of an organization like Winnipeg, that fuelled part of the fire that he needed," said Francilia. And so, the hard work began last summer. 1127785 Winnipeg Jets Unfortunately, Laine seems to really struggle to move the puck in the defensive and neutral zones while under pressure, and Little isn’t an active enough transition player to compensate for that weakness. Laine-Little a second-line marriage not made in heaven Among Jets’ forwards, only Mathieu Perreault takes part in fewer than Little’s 12.4 transition-driving plays per 20 minutes, which is interesting because he and Little were Laine’s two linemates at the beginning of the By: Andrew Berkshire season, which forced him to take a bigger part of the transition play while his line was on the ice, and he has struggled. Posted: 01/25/2019 4:40 PM None of this excuses Laine’s struggles; he absolutely needs to take ownership of his poor defensive play and find a way to improve, but I don’t think he and Little are a duo that should stick together long term, Last week I wrote about Patrik Laine’s defensive play, an area of his their skill sets work together fine offensively, but outside the O-zone, they game that gets a lot of criticism, some of which is justified and some of make the Jets’ second line very exploitable. which isn’t. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.26.2019 The big issue I found with Laine’s defence is his puck-management in all three zones, creating a ton of turnovers, especially in the defensive zone, which put extra pressure on his teammates, who have to scramble to defend plays when the structure isn’t set up. That makes things messier, and any analysis of his linemates’ play has to have that context, but one thing I’m not ready to blame Laine for is the puck movement that the Jets allow while he’s on the ice. One thing I pointed out though, was that it’s more often the centre’s job to cover the middle of the ice and cut down those passes to the slot, so that led me to wonder if Bryan Little is doing the job of a second-line centre effectively enough to insulate a player with the defensive weaknesses that Laine has. Looking at differentials, we can see that Little’s presence on the ice this season for the Jets hasn’t been as negative as Laine’s has, which likely points to Little not being the direct problem on the second line, but it is worth noting that both players seem to be better without the other, as Laine’s shot-attempt differential jumps up to 49.08 per cent without Little, and Little’s jumps to 56.83 per cent without Laine, so it’s possible that this combination just doesn’t work at even-strength. The one area where Little seems to have as much trouble as Laine in the differentials is in passes to the slot, which is exactly where we wanted to focus, anyway. Overall, Little blocks 1.7 opposition passes in the defensive zone per 20 minutes, slightly above the Jets’ team average of 1.62 for forwards, and of the passes that he has a chance to block, he succeeds in stopping 80 per cent, just a hair below the team average of 81.5 per cent. That doesn’t strike me as a significant problem or weakness for Little, yet among Jets forwards no one is on the ice for more passes to the slot against per 20 minutes at five-on-five than his 4.82, which is an even worse mark than Laine’s 4.65, and when that line is not on the ice, the Jets allow only 3.5 per 20 minutes. My next thought was that maybe the second line is playing a disproportionate amount of time with Jets’ defencemen who are poor at blocking passes, but none of the Jets’ regular defencemen are on the ice for as many passes to the slot against as the second line is, even Joe Morrow, who is known to be a defensive liability, is on the ice for just 4.23 passes to the slot against, so it’s not on the defence. The only reasonable conclusion that I can come to with Little and Laine as a duo is that their line is poor enough at positioning in the defensive zone that they aren’t close enough to passing lanes to have a chance to get in the way of pucks going into the slot. Little and Laine are the only Jets forwards who spend more than 30 per cent of their ice time in the defensive zone, which is anecdotal evidence that they get caught running around in their own zone more than their teammates, and a big reason for that is how both players handle zone exits. Between carrying the puck out, passing it out or receiving passes in the neutral zone, Laine takes part in 10.3 controlled zone exits — skating the puck over the blue line instead of just chipping or lobbing it — per 20 minutes, while Little takes part in 8.3. The big gap between them is a result of Little rarely carrying the puck out, exiting the zone with the puck on his stick just 1.74 times per 20, while Laine carries it out 3.75 times per 20 minutes. This issue with Laine’s zone exits is that his success rates are alarmingly low; of attempted exit-pass receptions he’s in the neutral zone for, he controls only 51.7 per cent, a team low and far below the team average of 63 per cent. Laine’s passes aren’t much better, which brings us back to his league-high turnover rate, with a team-low outlet-pass success rate of 54 per cent. 1127786 Winnipeg Jets the Rammstein song (Du Hast) kicks in. Paul (Duque), our music guy, will fade down the music as soon as I’m done with the starting lineups, at which point I’ll throw it over to Stacey. She’ll do her thing, and after that Voice of a (Jets) nation it’s game on." If Richardson has heard it once, he’s heard it a million times: getting paid to watch professional hockey night in, night out must rank right up there By: David Sanderson | Posted: 01/25/2019 7:00 PM | Last Modified: with chocolate consultant and private island caretaker on the list of the 01/25/2019 8:14 PM world’s most coveted vocations. "Sure it’s a long day sometimes, especially if it’s a midweek game when I’ve already worked at my full-time, credit union job from eight to four," he Prior to Game 5 of last spring’s Western Conference final between the says. "But when people tell me being an NHL PA announcer sounds Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, public address announcer Paul awesome, they’re absolutely right. It 100 per cent is." McCann greeted those in attendance at Bridgestone Arena by referring to the Predators’ home rink as the loudest in the National Hockey Richardson, 40, graduated from Major Pratt School in Russell, in June League, a not-so-subtle dig at the 15,320 rabid Jets fans who’d 1995. He relocated to Winnipeg two months later to study science at the screamed their lungs out at Bell MTS Place during the third and fourth University of Manitoba, a period in his life he describes as a "catastrophic games of that series. failure." Seconds after that slight, Jay Richardson, the only PA announcer the "I was really good in elementary, junior high and high school, to the Jets 2.0 have ever known, began hearing from people curious about how degree I really didn’t have to try. The thing is, if you get to university and he was going to respond when the proceedings shifted back to Portage haven’t developed good study habits, you’re dead in the water. That was Avenue for Game 6. me to a T." "As tempting as it would have been to say something back, there’s no Not sure what he wanted to do after dropping out of university, he moved way we would ever do that," Richardson says, seated in a Salter Street to Steinbach where his father, a banker, and mother were already living. coffee shop, 16 hours after a 4-1 home win by the Jets over the Vegas He was 19, he supposes, when he heard through the grapevine Golden Knights, during which he took a moment in the first period to Steinbach AM radio station CHSM was hiring. Despite having no media acknowledge Jets centre Bryan Little’s 800th NHL game, a milestone the experience, he landed a job producing commercials which, in time, led to sell-out crowd properly saluted with a 10-second standing ovation. various on-air responsibilities. "Our thing is, we don’t have to be gimmicky or hold Winnipeggers’ hands "At one point I was handling the overnight shift so, yeah, if you happened during games, letting them know over the PA when the Jets are going on to be driving around Steinbach between midnight and 6 a.m. back in the the power play or when play has been called for icing. Our fans are as day, I was definitely No. 1 in that time-slot," he deadpans. savvy as you’re going to find anywhere in the NHL. So no, I would never try to draw attention to myself during a game. Since the day I started, the Richardson moved back to Winnipeg in 2001 after accepting a production way I know if I’ve done my job correctly is if, by the end of the night, assistant’s position with Power 97 FM. By 2003, he was hosting his own nobody noticed me at all." Saturday night show, which occasionally required him to perform his duties live from the Winnipeg Arena, the then-home of the American It’s 5 p.m. on a Tuesday. Two hours before the Jets are scheduled to Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose. take on the Golden Knights, a highly-anticipated affair that will mark the first time the two clubs have met since Vegas knocked Winnipeg out of "At the time, our parent station CJOB was the official voice of the Moose the playoffs last May, Richardson is in his usual perch, five storeys above so my bosses thought it would be a good idea for me to set up in one the downtown rink’s ice surface, poring through the opposing squads’ corner of the rink, when the Moose were in town on weekends," he says. rosters. Obviously, names of Jets’ stars such as Mark Scheifele and "One night there was an on-ice promotion I was asked to help out with Connor Hellebuyck roll off the tongue for the married father of four as and through that, I got to know Kyle Balharry, who was in charge of game easily as his coffee order ("just black, thanks"), but tonight he has a production for the team." question about Valentin Zykov, a winger the Golden Knights acquired Over the phone, Balharry, now the Jets’ senior director of game from the Edmonton Oilers in late December. production, figures it was early 2004 when he first heard Richardson "I’m pretty sure it’s Zee-kov versus Zy-kov, but as for his first name, I still doing his thing on the radio. need to check if it’s Valen-tin or Valen-teen," he says, citing YouTube as "Back then I was a big fan of Andy Frost, another Winnipegger who a valuable resource for any queries he has in that regard, especially happened to be the PA announcer for the Maple Leafs, and whose voice recorded interviews when a skater is asked to pronounce his own name. I always found to be so commanding and powerful," Balharry says. "To (Even better: there’s a website, www.announcerhelp.com, independently me, the makings of a great PA announcer is someone who can get the maintained by the league’s public address announcers that offers tips crowd excited without screaming. It takes a special talent to do that and how to pronounce individual players’ names for all 31 clubs.) simply by hearing Jay on the radio, I could tell he had that quality, too." After grabbing a quick bite — it’s taco night in the press box — In August 2004, three months before the Moose relocated from Maroons Richardson flips through a provided script to verify entries such as who’s Road to the brand new MTS Centre, auditions for a new Moose PA performing tonight’s national anthems, in the event it’s not usual singer announcer were held at the Winnipeg Arena. Richardson recalls being Stacey Nattrass, plus whether there are any pre-game events that asked to announce a series of mock goals and assists while a half dozen require his attention, such as the team’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer True North staffers sat "in this bare, empty space," listening to him boom ceremony or last season’s emotional, Humboldt Broncos tribute. out the names of Moose players such as Jeff Heerema, Joe DiPenta and His microphone remains off until precisely 55 minutes before the opening — OK, this would one would have been a piece of cake — Tim Smith. faceoff, he explains, at which point he’ll clear his throat — he keeps "a "Before the audition Kyle told me they were looking for the voice of the tubful" of lozenges nearby, in case he’s feeling under the weather — and building, which is something I took to heart," Richardson says. "So I formally welcome any early birds to this evening’s contest. asked myself, what would a building sound like? The answer I came up Richardson and anthem singer Stacey Nattrass outside Bell MTS Place with was, a little big bigger, a little bit clearer and a little bit deeper than I after the Jets eliminated the Minnesota Wild in their opening playoff normally talk." round last spring. “We were both taking in all the sights outside. A few weeks later, Balharry contacted Richardson stating, "Jay, we want Everyone was deliriously happy after advancing.” to offer you the job." "For the next half hour or so, (in-game co-hosts) Brody (Jackson) and Richardson believes his exact reply was, "Kyle, I want to take that job." Drew (Kozub) will handle all the corporate stuff and game hype but if there’s a game sponsor or anything, they’ll throw it back to me," he says, To those who, in the ensuing months and years congratulated him, only nattily dressed in a charcoal grey suit, navy blue shirt and matching blue to turn around and say with their next breath something along the lines tie. of, "That’s great but it’s too bad it’s just the AHL," Richardson had a stock reply. "Around 10 minutes before the game is supposed to start, one of the NHL’s off-ice guys will deliver a sheet listing the official starting lineups," "I heard that a lot, how ‘it’s just the A,’ or ‘it’s just the Moose,’" he says, he continues. "I’ll radio that information down to our control room, so they shaking his head. "To that I would respond that there was nobody in our know what order I’m announcing the players in, so they can have the organization who ever used the word ‘just’ when they were talking about appropriate headshot and power ring ready to go. When the team’s about the Moose. From the start, True North treated the team as if they were an to take to the ice, I’ll say, ‘Here come your Winnipeg Jets,’ at which time NHL franchise. We were the only professional hockey team in Winnipeg — a true hockey town — and to us, that was a huge responsibility, one "No question about it, I’ve had a couple unfortunate ends to some jobs in we all took very, very seriously." radio that left me struggling to make ends meet. So just for my own ego or satisfaction or whatever word you want to use, having a job I can be A lifelong sports nut, Richardson was as excited as everybody else proud of at the end of the day is pretty big," he says, his voice cracking a around these parts when Mark Chipman, the chairman of True North touch. Sports and Entertainment, stepped to the podium on May 31, 2011 to announce the Atlanta Thrashers would be relocating to Manitoba’s "Right or wrong, the PA gig is a pretty big part of my identity and for sure, capital for the start of the 2011-12 NHL campaign. I’d be crushed if it ever went away. Because let’s face it: there’s not a lot of call for freelance PA announcers. It’s not like I can get a job standing His excitement quickly turned to anguish, however, when he began to on the corner, telling passers-by that Adam Lowry just took a two-minute wonder whether the powers-that-be at True North intended to turn the minor for slashing." page, now that the NHL was back in town. Besides his game duties, Richardson also hosts team events during the "There’s no other way to put it, that summer sucked," he says with a year, one of which led to an interesting exchange three years ago, when laugh. "I understood they had to move two teams in the space of a few he was helping emcee a Jets charity fashion show at the convention months — Atlanta to Winnipeg and the Moose to St. John’s — so centre. obviously, PA announcer was pretty low on their priority list. At the same time, sitting around, not knowing what was happening, drove me right up "I was backstage, reading the guys’ names as they were preparing to the wall." head out on the catwalk, the same way I do at the rink. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Blake Wheeler staring at me, talking to one of the In August 2011, when he still hadn’t heard a word, he sent a message to other players saying, ‘Uh, is that our guy?’ I was like, ‘Sorry to let you Balharry, the gist of which read how he understood the team had tough down but yep, this is what it looks like... this is the best I got. And if you decisions to make, and if they decided to go in a different direction where don’t like how I say your name when you score, speak now or forever he was concerned, he would totally understand. He ended his missive hold your peace.’" stressing if they were still interested in retaining his services, he would be over the moon. But if they weren’t, "hey, no hard feelings." Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.26.2019 "It’s true we could have started fresh, saying ‘OK, those were the AHL days but for the NHL, we’re going to go with a new PA announcer, a new music guy, everything," Balharry says. "But as you probably know, from our owner on down, True North has always been about loyalty. "There were a lot of people who spent a lot of years honing their craft in terms of the Moose, so instead of saying, ‘Let’s replace these folks,’ our feeling was, ‘These are the ones that got us here.’ So yeah, Jay was a slam-dunk. There was never any doubt in our minds he was coming with us to the Jets." Despite 15 years on the job, Richardson still finds it surreal to hear himself announcing tallies scored by the likes of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. That said, there is one game that stands out above all others, on his list of career highlights. "Without a doubt, when I got the chance to say, "Winnipeg Jets goal, scored by No. 13, Teemu Selanne," not once but twice during the Heritage Classic’s alumni game at Investors Group Field a couple years ago, that was the pinnacle, right there. That night I think I tweeted out something like, ‘OK, I can now die happy.’" Other noteworthy matches include the 2011-12 season-opener versus the Montreal Canadiens, the Anaheim Ducks’ first visit that same season "when the crowd booed every Duck except Teemu" and, more recently, the two games the Jets played versus the Florida Panthers in Finland, last November. "I was given the opportunity to do PA for both games — maybe that’s why the guy from Florida isn’t talking to me right now — but luckily, I didn’t have to learn any Finnish, as it was a total NHL production from start to finish, not much different, really, than what you’d see or hear at Bell MTS Place," says Richardson, the NHL’s pick to handle PA duties for the bulk of the World Cup of Hockey games staged in Toronto prior to the 2016-17 NHL season. (Another cherished memory is when a Jets season-ticket holder sent him a video of his mother, seated behind the penalty box, mimicking how Richardson painstakingly enunciates every last syllable of "Dustin... Byfuglien," every time the towering Jets D-man ends up on the score sheet.) Richardson hosted a viewing party during the playoffs last season. The fan dressed as a polar bear — as one does during a Winnipeg Whiteout — helped him with the 50/50 draw at the Game 7 party. "Oh my god, all the time," he says with a chuckle, when asked how often he’s in a social setting and is asked to "do the voice." "I can’t, it would sound completely insane, because there isn’t that same rush of emotion I get when the Jets score a goal late in the game to take the lead or tie things up, I tell them. To me, it would be like sitting down to dinner with a comedian and ordering them to stand up and tell some jokes. The context is all wrong." Richardson, former host of The Big Show on 1290 TSN and, since November, the "evenings and weekends guy" at QX104, admits radio can be a fickle business, where quarterly ratings sometimes mean the difference between waking up to a paycheque or not. Want more great journalism? That’s one of the main reasons he holds his role with the Jets so dear, he allows. 1127787 Winnipeg Jets Gradin and Pettersson are separated in age by 42 years, but just 120 kilometres apart from where they were born — Gradin in Sollefteå and Pettersson in Sundsvall.

Pettersson’s smarts, skill and will became perfect package for Canucks Gradin scouted Pettersson on numerous occasions during the forward’s draft year, but also ventured on his own more than a dozen times to see the whiz kid. Ben Kuzma “His skill with the puck and eye-hand co-ordination are excellent,” added Gradin. “So as long as the puck is close to him, things happen. And when he controls the puck, he controls the play. “He’s playing the same way he did in Sweden, and he signifies the generation that is coming and has a sense that he’s exceptional." “Daniel and Henrik Sedin were two guys controlling the play — Elias can do it on his own.” There were reservations. Europeans are often involved in several sports growing up, while those There are always moments of reflection — and even last-minute offers to immersed in a hockey-crazed Canadian culture can have a one-sport consider — before an NHL club approaches the draft-floor podium to focus as young as six and burn out in their teens. Several sporting announce a top-five selection that will either become a solution, a interests not only kept Pettersson engaged, they helped develop elite- problem, a foundation piece, or in the rare occurrence, a generational level flexibility, anticipation and co-ordination. talent. “You put Elias on the soccer field and it’s: ‘Holy smokes, he’s pretty good The Vancouver Canucks were sold on Elias Pettersson with the fifth pick there, too,’” added Gradin. “He’s an athletic type of person and it’s in the 2017 draft because of the player, the person and where the game significant for him here (NHL), because he reads the play ahead of time. had already been trending. That’s what makes him special.” The popular narrative that a slight Swedish forward could stumble over Canucks general manager Jim Benning first saw Pettersson at the 2017 North American transition hurdles of a gruelling schedule, smaller ice world junior championship. And even though he only had one assist in six surface, culture shock and even a language barrier, were trumped by the games (Sweden placed fourth), Benning couldn’t take his eyes off him. understanding of how the game has evolved on a global level. “Every time he touched the puck, he made something happen,” recalled Concern about how the 6-2 Pettersson would transition from 165 pounds Benning. “That’s the first thing that jumped out at me — his ability and on draft day to his current 176 pounds — and become the Calder Trophy vision to see where everybody was. And with the accurate release on his front-runner with a team-leading 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists) in 40 shot, he didn’t take much time and could rip it.” games to earn an All-Star Game appearance in San Jose at age 20 — were eased by early reads on his incredible skill, remarkable will and It was the same story when chief amateur scout Ron Delorme and inner belief. director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett saw Pettersson do his thing. It got to the point where Delorme was adamant the slick Swede had to be Transition? What transition? on top of the club’s draft board. “He didn’t have to change because the game is changing,” said Thomas “Ronnie saw him early and was a loud voice for him right from the start Gradin, the Canucks’ associate chief amateur scout. “He’s playing the — even before any of us saw him,” recalled Benning. “He was in my same way he did in Sweden, and he signifies the generation that is office and said: ‘We’ve really got to watch this guy.’ He loved his skill and coming and has a sense that he’s exceptional. hockey sense.” “And sometimes, where you’re excellent at certain things in the game, Jim Benning hit a home run by balking at switching selections, adding you might also be excellent with your brain on and off the ice. He played pick, to ensure he landed Elias Pettersson. with men for three years before he came here, so he’s used to playing with us and hearing what we have to say. Collectively, the Canucks had as many as 90 scouting views on Pettersson in his draft year because he was a late bloomer and didn’t “In Sweden, he heard comments like: ‘Hey, kid. Back of the (team) bus.’ have a growth spurt until he was 17. He has been taught that (respect), and it’s a disadvantage for Canadian guys who grow up because they play with the same age group. With “Everybody really liked him, but the things we worried about were his size (young) Europeans, a majority are playing against men age-wise.” and strength — and if he was going to have the frame to add the size and strength needed in the NHL,” admitted Benning. Knowing your place in a professional pecking order at age 17 is one thing. Knowing you have the tools to take over a game, or the diligence The GM also wondered if he could hit the daily double on opening night to be responsible defensively, has produced an amazing three-zone of the draft. Could he get a quality centre by swapping first-round picks awareness that didn’t happen overnight. and adding a second- or third-rounder by changing places?

When Pettersson became a fixture on the Canucks’ radar during his draft The Vegas Golden Knights suggested swapping No. 5 and No. 6 picks to year with 41 points (19-22) in 44 games for Timrå IK of the second- ensure they landed Glass because the Canucks also had a level of division Hockey Allsvenskan, it was already evident he played and interest. thought the game on a different level. The Golden Knights also dangled a second-round pick to move up one And when he moved up last season to the Swedish Hockey League with spot because they owned three second-rounders. But they backed off Våxjö Lakers HC as a winger — he only played nine games at centre — when the buzz was the Canucks were going to select Pettersson. he was dominant. He was regular-season and playoff MVP with 56 points (24-32) in 44 games and 19 (10-9) in 13 postseason games to lead the In theory, the Canucks could have picked Pettersson sixth overall and Lakers to the league title. had another second-round pick, but the Golden Knights could have also changed their minds and snagged Pettersson. Elias Pettersson poses after being the fifth overall selection at the 2017 draft in Chicago. Stacy Revere / GETTY “We talked to three or four teams about moving down, but as we were doing it and going through the process, I made the decision that we didn’t The Canucks could have gone the traditional route in 2017. They could want to risk losing him,” said Benning. have selected Canadian Hockey League centres Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks or Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires — they When Pettersson spoke that night, he sounded a lot like he does today. went sixth to the Vegas Golden Knights and 11th to the Los Angeles “I don’t like to talk about myself, but I like to be one step ahead of my Kings, respectively — but there was always something intriguing about opponents if I’m forechecking or in a 50-50 situation,” said Pettersson. “I Pettersson that placed him atop the wish list. always like to have a plan to win the situation. I create a lot of scoring Gradin, who would compile 550 points (197-353) in eight seasons with chances for myself and my teammates and I like to pass the puck more the Canucks from 1978 to ’87, had more than a passing interest in his than shoot it. countryman. “I play with a lot of instincts and I like how Nicklas Bäckström (Washington Capitals) plays. He makes his teammates better and creates chances for himself, but I’ve got a lot to learn to get to the next level.”

All that led to this NHL season where rivals can’t help but heap praise on the Canucks for having the draft-day foresight to pick Pettersson.

“It’s amazing how Vancouver stepped up because you didn’t know how it was going to go because of his size,” said a Pacific Division scout. “I saw him a couple of years before the draft and he was special — he had four or five points.

“It’s the package and the competitiveness and his body language — he wants to be a difference-maker at all times. And that’s what you’re looking for.”

NEXT GAME

Saturday, Feb. 2

Vancouver Canucks at Colorado Avalanche

7 p.m., Pepsi Center, TV: CBC, Sportsnet, Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM

The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127788 Winnipeg Jets “He’s more of a depth guy at this point,” he said.

Benning hasn’t been to Utica to watch a game in person yet this season, but was planning to sneak in a visit in early February, when the Canucks Patrick Johnston: Left side of Canucks’ defence a question mark are also going to be on an eastern road trip.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 Patrick Johnston

The Canucks may take a look at one of their minor league defencemen before the season is out.

The Canucks’ defensive struggles of late go beyond just the sextet they’ve been putting on the ice — the breakout struggles Wednesday against Carolina, for instance, were also about how the forwards adapted to the pressure the defencemen were under — but in the big picture, it is important to note the struggles of Derrick Pouliot in particular.

With the departure of Michael Del Zotto, the left-side defenceman currently has no competition for playing time.

Of course, the plan had been for Olli Juolevi to come up in the second half of the season and get a first look at National Hockey League competition, but his knee injury earlier this season, one that’s put him out of action for six months, put an end to that.

Pouliot was signed to a one-year, show-me contract last summer, but this season hasn’t gone well for him. His struggles were so bad in Wednesday’s second period that he was benched for a time.

It’s fair to assume that he won’t be back in the off-season, given that Juolevi will be looking for playing time and Quinn Hughes is likely to arrive as well.

Hughes’s time with the University of Michigan could come to an end as soon as mid-March. The Canucks are surely going to push hard to sign him and give him some games to close out the season, if the Wolverines’ season ends in time.

But before that, bet on a younger defenceman or two getting their own look in the NHL.

“I’d like to get a look at those guys,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning said this week, referring to Ashton Sautner, Guillaume Brisebois and (right-sided defenceman) Jalen Chatfield.

“Sautner played games for us last year and I thought did well,” he said. “Brisebois has been playing real good (in Utica); he’s getting 21, 22 minutes per night. And Chatfield was playing well before he got hurt.”

Both Sautner and Chatfield have been dealing with injuries but are expected back in action soon.

To get another player in the lineup will require another roster move, as the Canucks currently have a healthy roster of 23 players. Alex Biega is currently the seventh defenceman, but has played just 14 games this season.

If there is an injury on the right side, he’s likely to get in the lineup, but Chatfield could also be a factor in the mix. Veteran Luke Schenn, acquired in the Del Zotto trade with Anaheim, could also conceivably get a look on the right, although the plan for now, apparently, is to keep him in Utica.

To get either Sautner — who played five games last season for the Canucks — or Brisebois, who was called up earlier in the season but didn’t see any action, into the lineup would require an injury to the current 23 or trading or waiving another player.

A trade of Alex Edler would open up a spot, for instance.

As much as the Canucks have wanted Pouliot to succeed, you have to wonder if they’d consider waiving him just to have a look at one of Sautner or Brisebois.

The other option on the left side would be Evan McEneny, who has put up a strong season after missing most of last season following serious knee surgery.

He has six goals and 17 assists in 43 games with the Comets, while quarterbacking the first power-play unit.

But despite his strong play, Benning indicated McEneny isn’t likely to see time with the Canucks this season. 1127789 Winnipeg Jets

Benning: Three factors drive Edler’s future with the Canucks

Patrick Johnston

The Canucks have a dilemma in the hands in the form of Alex Edler.

As Jim Benning sees it, there are three things to recognize when considering Alex Edler’s future with the Vancouver Canucks. The defenceman is expected to be a sought-after player ahead of the Feb. 25 trade deadline.

First, there’s the no-trade clause that he holds in this, the final year of a six-year deal that carries a cap hit of $5 million.

“If he decides (not to waive), then he’s not going anywhere,” Benning acknowledged Thursday in conversation with Postmedia. “That’s his right.”

Second, a team has to want him.

“Last year, a team called about him, but they had him fifth on their list and they got their No. 1 guy, so we never heard back from them,” Benning cited as an example.

Benning wouldn’t say if he has had any calls on Edler recently, but given past experience, it seems fair to assume that there will be in the coming weeks.

And third, there is his value to the team.

“He’s a valuable player for us. He’s been good for our young players.”

Edler has been deployed as the Canucks’ lead defenceman, playing on the power play, the penalty kill, and on the top pairing with Chris Tanev at even strength.

His defensive play this season has been a bright spot on a squad that has had plenty of predictable struggles this season.

With the Canucks still in the playoff hunt, it’s clear that their place in the standings is also going to be a factor, even if Benning didn’t say so in so many words.

Benning said he expected he would meet with Edler and his agent early next week to start talking about what Edler’s feelings are about his future.

Edler has been reticent to discuss his future, but it’s always been assumed his preference is to remain in Vancouver — his agent said as much last fall.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127790 Vancouver Canucks structure to the Canucks’ play this season, but occasionally his players go rogue and end up getting flattened in the process.

Still, you don’t hear the fans complaining after a loss like that in the same The Canucks hit the all-star break with an unusual sensation – optimism way you would have even a year ago. It’s because they actually see something good forming on the horizon, see a future that looks brighter than it has in a long time. GARY MASON NATIONAL AFFAIRS COLUMNIST Globe And Mail LOADED: 01.26.2019

Before the start of the current NHL season, fans of the Vancouver Canucks found themselves in a familiar mood: desultory. Their funk had some association with the surprise ouster of team icon Trevor Linden as club president over the summer. But it had more to do with the off-season manoeuvrings of the club’s general manager, Jim Benning. Canucks Nation always knows better than the brass, and the expensive free-agent signings of veterans Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel made no sense to the fans. When Benning said he’d brought these players in to provide the kind of grit and experience that comes in handy come playoff time he was nearly laughed out of the market. You could almost hear the fans mocking him in their best Jim Mora voice: “Playoffs? Don’t talk to me about playoffs. Playoffs?” Except here we are, a little more than halfway through the season and with the team starting a much-needed nine-day break, the Canucks are sitting at the edge of a playoff spot. Playoffs? Yep, playoffs. Of course, there is plenty of time left for a late-season swoon – the team had similar point totals at this stage in the three previous seasons and ended up with draft lottery picks – but even if that is to take place, this year’s iteration of the Canucks has the fan base more excited than it has been in years. And much of the giddiness surrounds the spectacular play of prized rookie Elias Pettersson. Pettersson stopped being a league surprise some time ago. Now, the game plan of Canucks opponents is to stop him. So far, various strategies to do just that have mostly failed. With 23 goals and 22 assists, he sits comfortably atop the rookie scoring race and is the odds-on favourite to win the Calder Trophy. If he hadn’t lost 11 games to injury, his totals would be even more remarkable. There hasn’t been this much excitement around one player on the team since Pavel Bure. Behind Pettersson, the team has another sniper teams need to worry about, Brock Boeser. His season has been overshadowed somewhat by Pettersson’s accomplishments. It has also been undermined by injury; he’s missed two more games than the sensational rookie who is his centre on the team’s most dangerous line. (Their left winger has often included Nikolay Goldobin, a talented Russian whose play has been erratic at best). And then there is centre Bo Horvat, the fourth-year player who is destined, it seems, to be the Canucks’ next captain. The 23-year-old possesses the soul of someone much older and wiser, a natural leader who learned from two of the best: Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Arriving next year is the much-touted, puck-moving defenceman Quinn Hughes, currently starring at the University of Michigan. Together, this group represents a nucleus around which you might build a championship team. Not that anyone is going there quite yet. The defence remains a question mark after you get beyond veterans Alex Edler and Chris Tanev. Young players they hoped would be further along by now remain frustratingly inconsistent, Jake Virtanen being chief among them. But Benning has also made a few deft moves that have helped bolster his lineup. On that front, there might be none better than his pickup of Josh Leivo from the Toronto Maple Leafs for very little. Getting to the playoffs this year would be an unexpected bonus, and a great training ground for the very young, core leadership group. Looking further ahead, Benning and company will be eyeing one of the most talented free-agent crops in years, which includes Erik Karlsson, Artemi Panarin and Mark Stone. But they’ll be heavy competition for those names if they do, indeed, test the market. The Canucks head into the all-star break coming off a 5-2 home loss on Wednesday to the Carolina Hurricanes. It wasn’t even close. The score actually flattered the home side. Which is why the fans aren’t budgeting for playoff tickets just yet. Against Carolina, the Canucks made the kind of sloppy, bone-headed plays that a young team does. The defence, in particular, looked soft and out of sorts. Coach Travis Green has done a brilliant job bringing some 1127791 Websites that there’s this optimism out there that’s never existed or there’s pessimism that everything is going to fall apart. It’s just too early to tell.’’

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly underlined what he feels is a The Athletic / Gary Bettman and Mathieu Schneider come out beating the drastically different tone in the relationship with the NHLPA nowadays. drums of … peace? … for upcoming CBA talks “I think our relationship has evolved to a point far beyond where it’s ever been before,” said Daly. “I think we communicate well on virtually every By Pierre LeBrun Jan 25, 2019 aspect of our business, and I think our interests are aligned. I think there’s a recognition on both sides that our interests are aligned. It’s about growing the business. It’s about growing the sport. It’s about growing revenues in the sport. I think those things are important.’’ SAN JOSE, Calif. — Somebody pinch me. I think I’m dreaming. As I’ve said before, finding a way to carve out more revenue streams for There was NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday doubling down on players as part of Hockey Related Revenue, which would help mitigate his comment from a few weeks ago in Seattle, insisting not once but escrow, is going to be paramount. twice in his news conference that he comes in peace this time around in these CBA talks. I would hope there’s a way to increase funding from owners to help cover medical costs for current and former players. That will almost certainly be “I stand by what I said before,’’ Bettman said during his state of the union brought up. All-Star Weekend news conference. “I’m certainly not looking for a fight.’’ So will agreeing to a long-term vision for international hockey. Moments later, there was NHLPA executive Mathieu Schneider echoing peace-time overtures. “I think we would all like to develop that long-term calendar,” said Schneider. “For whatever reason, and we can all stand here and point And if all of us look confused right now, it’s because none of us knows fingers at each other why it hasn’t gotten done … but I think we have a how to take this. Like, we have zero frigging training for this. group on both sides that has the potential to put that together on both sides, that has the willingness. That falls back to the CBA talks. That’s All we’ve known are lockouts since 1994. The idea that these two sides going to be a big part of what we’re going to be talking about over the could actually hammer out a new CBA without a protracted fight is next couple of months. I think everybody understands what the beyond foreign to anyone who has been around this league for the past significance of it is.’’ 25 years. The World Cup for September 2020 is toast, but both sides revealed But it is exactly the tone being set this early in talks. Friday that there have been conversations about a condensed “I mean, frankly, as a member of this organization for the last three international event to be held potentially mid-season for 2020-21. decades, this is something that hasn’t happened before,” Schneider said. Interesting, to say the least. “So, we’re obligated to play it out, our players that we represent want us Then what? to play it out and see where it goes, and it’s clear the owners want Gary to play it out and see where it goes.’’ The Olympics are a must for the players in February 2022 in Beijing. Then, a World Cup return for 2024? As I wrote recently, I will believe labor peace when I see it. I just can’t totally buy it fully until I see tangible proof beyond the preliminary There is no better stage to sell this sport than best-on-best hockey. goodwill. I’m sorry. Too many nights on frozen New York sidewalks interviewing lawyers frothing at the mouth. Both sides know this. Which is why they’re talking about finally fleshing out a long-term vision for it. Still, you can’t deny what you’re hearing so far. Both sides have had meetings, and nobody is trying to throw the other side under the bus. Yet. Will it get done? Will we get labor peace? The next six to seven months will answer that. Buckle up. “I would just say this is something that we haven’t had in the past. That in itself is very positive,” said Schneider. “The thing that stands out to me The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 the most is that we’re able to have these discussions with a lack of tension. When you start bargaining meetings like we did in 2012, you could cut the tension with a knife when you’re sitting in those first couple of meetings. And most meetings. We’re able to have these discussions now without that tension, without any walls being build up, and it’s been very positive so far.’’ The difference, of course, is that the NHL and its owners aren’t looking to dramatically alter the system. They scrapped an entire season in 2004- 05 to get their hard salary cap and half of one in 2012-13 to bring the players’ revenue share down from 57 percent to 50 percent. Now, well, they’re rather satisfied. “Carry on” is what the league wants while understanding the players will want some changes. “The players financially, as the league financially, have never done better,” said Bettman. “And everyone is going to take a good, hard look in terms of what’s important and what they may or may not have to have. In a cold, sober look at where we are, both the players and the owners are going to have to figure out what’s important. I think at this particular stage in our history and with the opportunities ahead for us, I think labor peace would be a really good thing.’’ Added Bettman: “Hopefully, we’re in a place where labor peace can be more important than anything else we need to accomplish. Because I think the opportunities in front of us are even greater than what’s been behind us.’’ And so this is going to be what it was always shaping up to be — the players dictating how this will play out. Do the kinds of concessions the players want this time around warrant a work stoppage? Because there’s no question it’s the players who need some things back this time. “Well, there’s no question that the players have given back billions of dollars over the course of the past two negotiations,” said Schneider. “That’s no secret. But I don’t think I would characterize it that the ball’s in the players’ hands. I mean, it is what it is. I know everybody wants to say 1127792 Websites Highlights: The forward group is stacked, with the seven invited having arguably the best collective 2018-19 season. There are five players on pace for 100 points or more here with the Pacific being the next closest The Athletic / Ranking the All-Star teams to see which squad has the with three (though the Atlantic left three such players at home). best chance to win it all Lowlights: Miro Heiskanen is having a nice season for a rookie – just not for an All-Star. I get it, all the other Stars are playing like horseshit, but that doesn’t make the first year defender look less out of place. In net, By Dom Luszczyszyn Jan 25, 2019 Devan Dubnyk’s numbers look passable, but everyone knows it’s the Minnesota system and not him putting those numbers up.

Division MVP: Nathan MacKinnon leads not just the Central in Game Another year, another All-Star weekend, another article debating which Score, but all players. What separates him from linemate Mikko division’s squad is the best from The Athletic’s resident numbers geek. Rantanen is his ability to drive play, where the Avalanche seem to have a It’s what you’ve been waiting all year for, I know. much easier time out-shooting and out-scoring their opponents with MacKinnon on the ice. Rantanen may have a three-point lead in the The All-Star Game is just for fun, so there’s no need for any serious scoring race, but it’s MacKinnon driving the bus there. His status being in debate – this article is really just for fun, a way to highlight some of the question for the game could be a big blow for the team’s chances though. amazing seasons being had by the players representing each division in a prolific scoring season. 3-on-3 stud: It’s definitely Mark Scheifele, who has been sneaky elite at 3-on-3. Guys like Gaudreau and McDavid get a lot of publicity for their Here’s a look at how each division stacks up, who’s stood out the most efforts in the format, but Scheifele has been right up there with the this season, which players deserve to be there most that aren’t and what league’s best. His 11.9 points-per-60 rate is higher than both of those their chances are to win the cool million that’s on the line for the best Pacific players and ranks seventh in the league and second among All- team. For those wondering at home, last season my model had the Stars (the player in first may surprise you). Pekka Rinne’s .910 save Pacific beating the Atlantic for the crown, so we’ve got a pretty good track percentage there is worth consideration too. record in our extremely large sample size of three mostly meaningless All-Star periods. 3-on-3 dud: Surprisingly, not many of the Central players come out looking too hot which is why their forward group ranks third despite For the projections, I combined 2018-19 Game Score with each player’s collectively having the best 2018-19 seasons. The big one for me is last three seasons of 3-on-3 Game Score per 6.5 minutes (the amount MacKinnon, who’s insane speed and hockey sense feel like a perfect they likely play in each game) to get an All-Star Value and then combined recipe for an elite 3-on-3 force. Not so. MacKinnon has just three points it to get an expected win percentage similar to how our regular season in 38 minutes (4.8-per-60), nine shots and is a minus-two. projection model works. Please keep in mind that my model does not consider how hungover the players will likely be, but the hope is that Snubs: Amazingly, the guy leading the Predators in scoring on defence they’ll all be on an equal playing field. this year isn’t Roman Josi, nor is it P.K. Subban (though he missed time with injury) – it’s Mattias Ekholm. He’s by far the biggest omission here, The 3-on-3 stats cutoff was 20 minutes. Elias Pettersson and Miro especially now that the defensive stalwart is on a surprising 59-point Heiskanen were treated as average forwards as a result. pace. Ben Bishop warrants consideration too. Pacific Verdict: The Central looks like the stronger of the two West divisions, but Highlights: Come June, there might be a lot of silverware handed out to only because goaltending likely won’t completely sink them, though guys on this team. Johnny Gaudreau and Connor McDavid are certainly Dubnyk is no prize pig himself. The skating core is the weakest of any in the Hart discussion, John Gibson should be the runaway Vezina team here and could look even worse without the services of their favourite if the voters can find a way to ignore wins, Elias Pettersson won captain MacKinnon. the Calder back in October and this year’s Norris practically has Mark Atlantic Gior …. oh, right. Oops. Highlights: In this division, it’s always going to be the forward talent Lowlights: It’s always going to be the guys who are there only to fill out available. This team has so much firepower that will be tough to contain – the one player per team requirement. Clayton Keller is on a sub-60 point except for the fact everyone here seems to forget how to hockey once 3- pace, and while he might be the best Arizona has to offer, he’s far from on-3 hits. All-Star level (yet). Lowlights: There aren’t many. Even the two “we had to invite someone Division MVP: This is a tough one as the Pacific is the only division with from that team” guys, Keith Yandle and Jimmy Howard, are having two serious Hart candidates on the team (maybe three if you count John decent campaigns. If there’s any qualm, it might be that the Last Man In Gibson). Gaudreau has had an arguably better season, especially at 5- went to Jeff Skinner, who may be having a spectacular season but was on-5, but the degree of difficulty for McDavid can’t be ignored. I’m calling still arguably the least deserving of the eight available options. this one a tie, and hoping the people of Alberta cut me some slack deciding between the heroes of Calgary and Edmonton. It’s very close. Division MVP: Easy. It’s the guy leading the league in points with 78 in 49 games, a ridiculous 131-point pace. More impressive for Nikita Kucherov 3-on-3 stud: Of course it’s Gaudreau, one of the league’s best when it is that he only plays 19:22 per game. Four of the other five skaters with comes to extra time. He’s plus-eight over the last three seasons, tied for 70 or more points play more than 21 minutes, while the other plays the league lead and his 10 points are second to Pacific teammate Leon 20:22. The difference between his points-per-60 of 4.93 and second Draisaitl (in 12 fewer minutes). place (Brayden Point’s 4.28) is the same as the difference between 3-on-3 dud: Somehow, it’s the league’s best (arguably) goalie, John second place and 17th. Gibson who’s given up 15 goals on 54 shots at 3-on-3. His .722 save 3-on-3 stud: It has to be Auston Matthews who has shown a penchant for percentage is the worst of the eight goalies invited and it’s not all that calling the game in the fourth frame. His five overtime goals sit behind close either. Expand the field to the 61 goalies that have played 20 or only Brad Marchand and Seth Jones for the league lead. more minutes of 3-on-3 hockey over the last three seasons and he’s still ranked dead last. 3-on-3 dud: Who to pick on a team with so many surprising disappointments? Let’s call it a tie between Steven Stamkos and Yandle. Snubs: In a year where scoring is way up there’ll be a few marquee Stamkos only barely made the time cut-off of 20 minutes thanks to some names that stand out in each division. In the Pacific, it’s mystifying that injury woes and his own ineffectiveness in overtime. In his 20 minutes of the team with the second most points this season and second most ice-time, Stamkos has just four shots to show for it. No goals, no assists. potent offence, the Calgary Flames, only has one representative. Mark Nothing. In 49 minutes, Yandle somehow has zero points too, is minus- Giordano is the Norris front-runner this season, while Sean Monahan is four and has been out-shot by 16. currently one of three top-10 scorers who didn’t make the cut. Snubs: In arguably the league’s most star-powered division, there were Verdict: The hometown team and reigning champ is the oddsmaker many who deserved mention. Point and Mitch Marner both sit in the favourite for the mini-tournament, but I’m not so sure. There’s a dazzling league’s top 10 for scoring heading into the break, on pace for over 100 array of talent, plus home-ice advantage in favour of the trio of Sharks points, but will be watching the festivities from home. Marchand and headlining the squad, but the team could be sunk entirely by the play of Patrice Bergeron are both scoring at a 90-point pace along with their the Gibson, whose recent history (small sample size warning mind you) teammate but didn’t make the cut. Mark Stone is having an excellent suggests he’s ill-equipped for the format. year analytically on a very poor Ottawa team and deserves recognition Central for it. On defence there’s Morgan Rielly, one of three defenders playing at an above point-per-game pace this season or last year’s Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman. Finally, in net, there’s Frederik Andersen, who sits third in save percentage this year (1,000 minute minimum). Honestly, you could make an entire Atlantic B Team out of players who have a case for inclusion. Verdict: From top-to-bottom the Atlantic might be the team here with the most talent. They have the best balance of dynamic forwards, capable puck-moving defenders and strong goaltending. What hurts them is the format. The goaltending looks fine from that standpoint, but all but two skaters seem to struggle mightily at 3-on-3. That could just be their undoing. Metropolitan Highlights: It simply has to be the team’s 3-on-3 upside. Up front the team has the first, second, and seventh best forwards by 3-on-3 Game Score. On defence, the second and third best. And in net the second and fourth best guys. It’s a big reason why this tournament might just be theirs to lose. Lowlights: Goaltending. This season at least. Henrik Lundqvist has been decent, but is no longer All-Star shoo-in material aside from the fact that the rest of the Rangers don’t belong anywhere near San Jose this weekend. Braden Holtby has played worse, though much of that has been of late. Since being named an All-Star, Holtby has allowed 28 goals in eight games, sporting an ugly .880 save percentage in the process. Division MVP: In his 14th season Sidney Crosby is putting in one of his best seasons to date. He’s on pace for his sixth 100-point season and has been a beast at both ends of the ice, turning in one of the most dominant seasons of his career from a puck possession standpoint. His average Game Score – after accounting for usage – ranks second to only MacKinnon. He’s firmly in the Hart Trophy discussion. 3-on-3 stud: You might be shocked to discover who one of the league’s best 3-on-3 players over the last three seasons is. Yes, he’s here at the game. No, it’s not Gaudreau. Or McDavid. Or Crosby. It might take 30 guesses to finally get to him: Cam Atkinson. According to his 3-on-3 Game Score, only Tanner Pearson has been more impactful in overtime than Atkinson has over the last few years. In just 32 minutes, Atkinson has four goals, four assists and is plus-seven – top five marks in the league. The Blue Jackets surprisingly carry the league’s best 3-on-3 record over the last three seasons at 25-11 – Atkinson is a big reason why. Atkinson’s teammate Artemi Panarin tying for the lead in goals with six might be another reason too. 3-on-3 dud: For a guy who’s lauded as one of the game’s premier offensive defencemen, John Carlson doesn’t seem to get the job done well in overtime. He does have three points in 45 minutes of ice-time, but the Capitals spend a lot of time in their own end when he’s out there. His minus-24 Corsi ranks fourth worst in the league and per minute ranks 11th, ahead of All-Star Gabriel Landeskog and Metropolitan teammate Kyle Palmieri. Snubs: If there’s one guy who deserves it, it’s Robin Lehner, the man leading a surprising Islanders team to the top of the Metropolitan division with a league-leading .931 save percentage. Really, this one comes down to timing as Lehner wasn’t The Guy just yet for the Islanders, starting only 17 games, though he did have a .930 save percentage. Since then, he’s started eight games going 6-1-1 with a .935. Considering his story, he would’ve been a perfect candidate for this year’s game, a very well-deserved one at that. Panarin is better than a few invited forwards here too – including the one actually selected from Columbus. Verdict: No other team is built better for the format. While the goaltending duo of Holtby and Lundqvist have been the weakest of those invited, the two are stellar when it comes to 3-on-3. Atkinson, Crosby, Jones, Mathew Barzal and Kris Letang lead the way as guys who know how to win when it comes to 3-on-3. The Metropolitan division may not have the dazzling star-power of its Atlantic foes, or the hometown advantage of the Pacific, but they have the right pieces for the style of hockey being played at the All-Star Game and that’s what makes them favourites to win Saturday’s tournament. The All-Snub Team In a year where scoring is way up, the All-Star selections felt ‘snubbier’ than usual. There just isn’t enough room for all the players deserving to go, especially not with the NHL’s rules about team representation. The solution is simple: an All-Snub team. Imagine the theatre of the uninvited rolling into San Jose ready to take names and win the million. (And yes, they might just be better than any other team here). Here’s who I’d pick. The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127793 Websites &MDASH; DIMITRI FILIPOVIC (@DIMFILIPOVIC) JANUARY 23, 2019 The second star: Magnus Paajarvi – Honestly, this is pretty much me every time I’m feeling good about accomplishing something in life. The Athletic / DGB Grab Bag: Weighing the pros and cons of some top candidates for the Edmonton Oilers GM job WE LOVE A GOOD CELLY. PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZCJYLKM0WZ &MDASH; NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) JANUARY 19, 2019 By Sean McIndoe Jan 25, 2019 The first star: The Columbus Blue Jackets – When we said they should be falling all over themselves to sign Artemi Panarin this isn’t quite what we meant. After months of rumors, the Oilers finally fired GM Peter Chiarelli this BLUE JACKETS FINDING OUT THAT HOCKEY IS HARD week. But while the move seemed to be welcome by most Edmonton PIC.TWITTER.COM/04GR8YO5NV fans, the organization is now faced with the difficult task of choosing its next GM. It’s a call they really can’t afford to get wrong. &MDASH; CJ FOGLER (@CJZERO) JANUARY 20, 2019 So who should it be? Pierre LeBrun ran down some of the rumored Be It Resolved names on Wednesday, and I want to help the Oilers make the right choice. After talking to my well-placed sources around the league, I’ve There was a time when the NHL’s best lines had cool nicknames. Go come up with some pros and cons for a half-dozen of the leading back to the 1980s and 1990s and you had The Legion of Doom or The candidates. Crash Line or The Hound Line or The Banana Line. Go back further to the 1960s and 1970s and you could find The French Connection or The Former Flyers GM Ron Hextall Triple Crown Line or The Production Line. Go back even further and you can find The Kraut Line so, uh, maybe we shouldn’t go back any further Pro: Already has plenty of valuable experience when it comes to hacking than the 1960s. Still, it used to be a thing. and slashing away at an entire Oilers roster. Those sort of nicknames are all but extinct now. And there’s a simple Con: While it’s vaguely comforting that he described Mikko Koskinen as reason: it’s our fault. “a way better goaltender than anyone I ever had as GM in Philadelphia,” it’s worth mentioning that he also said that about Kris Russell, Ken We’ve gotten lazy. All of us. The media especially, but fans too. We don’t Hitchcock and the broken vending machine in the hallway. come up with cool nicknames anymore. That’s true for players, where we just let them add a “er” or a “sy” to the end of their last names and call Golden Knights assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon that a nickname. And it’s especially true for lines. We don’t even bother Pro: He was able to assemble a Cup-contending team in less than one to try. year despite starting with a roster that was completely barren without so Granted, top lines don’t stay together as often as they used to these much as a single NHL-caliber player on it, so based on what the Oilers days. Several teams prefer to use a pair of stars with a rotating third already have in place he could probably do it for them too in like eight or wheel, rather than one set unit. But even the great lines that do stick nine years max. together don’t get cool nicknames anymore. Con: Would have a long commute from Seattle, where he will also be And maybe they shouldn’t. I’m a traditionalist, but sometimes traditions GM. die out and that’s just how it goes. If the era of the line nickname were Current Oilers interim GM Keith Gretzky just over, I could live with that. Pro: Given where the Flames are at these days, it probably makes sense But that isn’t what’s happening. Instead, we’re giving out lazy, half-assed for the Oilers to hire somebody with extensive experience with nicknames. And we’re doing it the same way: By just taking a letter from unsuccessful little brother syndrome. each player’s name and pretending that’s a real nickname. The HBK line. The 3M line. The TSA line. This is what passed for clever these days. Con: Cynical media would probably claim that Gretzky’s hiring was purely a result of the franchise’s longstanding pattern of nepotism, although let’s No. Stop this. It’s terrible. This type of nickname didn’t start recently – we just say they could be convinced not to write that pretty easily, according occasionally did it back in the old days too. But the key word there is to the team’s PR staff of Dave Semenko Jr., Marty McSorley Jr. and “occasionally”. It wasn’t our go-to for absolutely everybody like it is now. Georges Laraque Jr. You know it’s gotten bad when we look back fondly on the days where we gave out line names based on jersey numbers. Even that feels Kings assistant GM Mike Futa creative by comparison. Pro: Anytime you have the opportunity to land the guy who helped build So be it resolved: No more line nicknames based on player initials. We’ll the worst team in the NHL, you have to grab it. allow the PB&J line because it’s at least kind of clever, but that’s it. We need a moratorium on initial nicknames for everyone else. If that means Con: Being a full-time NHL GM might take time away from the true line nicknames get creative again, awesome. If they die out completely, passion he’s spent the last decade pursuing: Being mentioned as a top then maybe it’s better that way. candidate for literally every opening for an NHL GM. So here’s what has to happen. The next time your friendly local beat Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin writer or your radio play-by-play guy excitedly informs you that the new top line is going to be called the PZG Line or the QLB Squad or whatever Pro: Has experience in the front office of a winning organization, which is it is, you slap them on the nose with a rolled-up magazine and yell “NO” considered one of Edmonton’s 10 key requirements for a new GM. Is and send them back to the drawing board to come up with something also a former Oiler, which is every one of the other key requirements. cool. Con: He’s a Bill, so Daryl Katz would probably just stick the taxpayers Any existing initial nicknames need to go MIA. New ones should be DOA. with most of him. The whole thing can RIP. And if you don’t like it, you’re just SOL. Canadian men’s national team GM Sean Burke Obscure former player of the week Pro: Was the GM of the 2018 Canadian Olympic team, so already has This was easily my favorite stat of the week: plenty of experience working with a roster that was supposed to have lots of good players on it but then didn’t. THATCHER DEMKO BECOMES THE FIRST GOALTENDER IN #CANUCKS HISTORY TO BEGIN HIS NHL CAREER 2-0. Con: The in-process interview process has been complicated by the fact PIC.TWITTER.COM/CT7NOW7XI3 that every time somebody in the front office says “Burke is here,” Kevin Lowe instinctively tears off his shirt, kicks down the door and sprints &MDASH; SPORTSNET STATS (@SNSTATS) JANUARY 19, 2019 toward the nearest barn. I mean … what? How is that even possible? The Canucks franchise is The week’s three stars of comedy almost 50 years old, how could they have never had someone win their first two decisions? The third star: Brent Burns – Look, we all deal with excitement in different ways. As it turns out, they actually have. While Demko is indeed the first Canuck to win both of his first two games, one other Vancouver goalie WHAT.. WHAT IS BRENT BURNS DOING did start his career 2-0 while also mixing in some no-decisions in relief PIC.TWITTER.COM/7WBNCZP4D4 work. That seems like a good reason to bestow Obscure Former Player “This may be the home of the cowboy, but it is no cowtown.” Uh, that’s honors on a guy, so this week let’s take a look at Frank Caprice. literally Calgary’s nickname. Like, exactly that. Now I kind of want to see Trautwig cover events in other places. “Chicago is a city that may be Caprice was a diminutive goaltender who was listed as weighing 150 windy, but it is no windy city.” pounds, or roughly the same as one of Pekka Rinne’s pads does today. Caprice played his junior for the London Knights and was picked by the Al goes into an extended bit about the game’s 15 first-time All-Stars, and Canucks in the ninth round of the 1981 draft, a few picks ahead of future reminds us that playing in this game is always better than having the time Brady Anderson impersonator Scott Bjugstad. After another year in off, at which point our clip is briefly drowned out by the sound of every junior, Caprice spent most of the 1982-83 season in the AHL. But he did current NHL star laughing. make it to the NHL for part of one period, allowing three goals on eight shots to finish the year with a .625 save percentage and 9.52 goals- The list of first-timers is actually kind of fascinating. It features several against average. Given this was the early ’80s, I’m surprised those eventual Hall of Famers, including Mario Lemieux, Scott Stevens, Chris numbers didn’t earn him the Vezina. Chelios and Al MacInnis. It also includes Thomas Gradin and Miroslav Frycer, who I believe ended up falling just short on the final ballot. But I Caprice would serve as the Canucks full-time backup for the next two think my favorite is Edmonton’s Mike Krushelnyski. He might not be the seasons and played reasonably well, including briefly sporting that 2-0 first guy you think of when someone mentions NHL All-Stars, but he record, before injuries sidetracked his run at the top job. He was back in really had to be on the roster because otherwise the Oilers would have the minors by the 1985-86 season, but returned to Vancouver for two only been represented by [checks roster] seven other guys. more years as the backup after that. The Canucks traded him to the Bruins in 1989 for a 12th-round pick, but he never cracked the roster. His Seriously, the Oilers had eight guys on this team. And that includes both NHL career was over, clocking in at 102 games and 31 wins with one goalies. Seriously, how does that happen? There must be a story there, shutout, although he’d play in the minors, Europe and even roller hockey and I hope it’s something more than “Glen Sather was being a prick to for another decade to come. troll Calgary fans.” Actually, scratch that, I’d be perfectly happy with that answer. All-Star troll jobs are the greatest. And for all that time, he was the only Vancouver goalie to ever go 2-0 … until now. This is now my second favorite fact about the history of the Trautwig throws it to Dan Kelly and Gary Green in the booth, both of Canucks, trailing only “They’ve been around for 49 years and yet you whom are also dressed up as cowboys. Kelly refers to Gary as “Lash” somehow can’t remember them ever having a star defenseman.” which was already a 30-year-old reference 30 years ago so I’m not even going to pretend any of you kids out there get it now. Classic YouTube clip breakdown Dan and Lash run down the matchup, highlighting the obvious fact that It’s All-Star weekend, and you can feel the excitement throughout the both teams are stacked with offensive stars. They also mention the hockey world! goaltenders, leading Dan to observe that “both teams have two All-Star goaltenders,” at which point Gary agrees that “they really do” and that (Tumbleweed blows by.) “they are really four terrific goalies.” Uh, we can go ahead and admit that Yep. So today, let’s head back a few decades and get hyped for a neither guy has any idea who the goalies are in this game, right? OK, just midseason classic that involves plenty of big stars, terrible special effects making sure. and grown men playing dress up. And that’s it. Just as we seem to be hitting out stride with Gary calling It’s Feb. 12, 1985, and we’re coming to you from Calgary. This year’s Dan “Hoss” and a promise that we’re about to see something called The game is being played in the Saddledome, less than two years after its Calgary Fiddlers, our clip ends. I’m not sure who the Calgary Fiddlers lavish grand opening that we broke down in this space a few years back. are, but I think they were running the Flames front office during the last Our broadcaster tonight is the USA Network, because in the 1980s the few years of the Jarome Iginla era. NHL damn well took what it could get. In case you’re wondering, the Wales Stars beat the Campbell Stars by a We start off with a recap of the last two All-Star games, because there relatively low-scoring 6-4 final. Mike Krushelnyski had three assists and was a time when people actually cared about who won these things. was named the game’s second star in a losing effort, proving that the We’re reminded that the Campbell Conference scored “the most goals in Campbells probably would have won if they’d taken nine Oilers. All-Star history” back in 1983 with, uh, nine. Or, as it would come to be The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 known by the 2000s, a suffocating defensive effort. We’re also told that the Wales Conference “set fire to the ice,” which is something we all know the NHL wouldn’t actually allow at an All-Star weekend. But it is kind of cool to watch these highlights featuring players actually trying block shots and even sliding along the ice to try to break up plays. Weirdly, players treating the game as being worth something approaching an actual effort made the whole thing more fun. You can learn more about this in my upcoming book, “A sad old man in a darkened room rants about things from his childhood.” Our American broadcaster helpfully shows its viewers where Calgary is by explaining how close it is to Montana while zooming in on a map. That’s followed by some cutting edge 1985 special effects, as tiny stars with players’ faces on them divebomb onto the Saddledome roof where they presumably splattered like lemmings. Look, 1985 TV was more about “can we” than “should we.” Also, the USA Network’s animated intro for hockey was the greatest thing about being alive in the mid-80s. I will not be taking questions at this time. We get some quick highlights of NHL action, and we’ll go ahead and set the over-under on “plays shown before we get to one that looks like it caused a horrifying head or neck injury” at 2.5. If you took the under, cash your winning ticket at the window. Our broadcast resumes with some scene-setters from Calgary, which is described as “the home of the Canadian cowboy” while we watch a rodeo rider who certainly seems to be dying. That guy’s dying, right? I’m no rodeo expert but that didn’t seem healthy. Our host is Al Trautwig, and it should go without saying that he’s dressed up as a cowboy. He’s got the hat and the boots and the bandana, and welcomes us by saying “howdy.” He’s doing this because ignorant Americans act like every single person in Calgary walks around dressing and talking like this at all times, when of course in reality it’s only like 85 percent of them. 1127794 Websites “You see, a completely different style,” Giovanni said. “See how tight it was. This was my style. I come in from nowhere. All the big stores were after me to get my merchandise. All the stores, they were looking for The Athletic / Well suited: A Montreal shop has been dressing the NHL me. That was my success, a completely different style.” for 50 years Giovanni’s suits “catalog.” Giovanni spurned offers to join his competitors. As business grew, his By Jeremy Rutherford staff increased to about 50. They stayed in Montreal, but sold meet-to- measure suits in other Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Edmonton. MONTREAL — With the fabric of Domenico Vacca’s life being hockey “The main thing was to keep the customer happy,” he said. “In other and, well, fabric, the salesman stood nervously in front of the New York words, you have to make sure that whatever you make, it’s perfect. Rangers hawking suits from his father’s store, Giovanni. Whatever style is on the market, we make it. There was not a suit that we could not make. Anything. And they keep coming.” It was the late 1990s, and on an invitation from Kevin Stevens, who had once visited the Montreal-based shop, Vacca now had the floor in the “Giovanni would be the first one to open the doors, around 6:30 in the conference room of the team hotel. morning, and he would be upstairs pressing on the sewing machines, and the employees would start at 8,” said Denny Morieta, one of “It was total nerves,” Vacca said. “You’re face to face with Brian Leetch, Giovanni’s employees. “He was always about work. He always put his Theo Fleury and all these guys, and they’re just standing there. I couldn’t heart into it.” believe it. I sold to everybody. Afterward, Kevin said, ‘If you can go to New York, why can’t you go to L.A.?’ … So I went to L.A. Then a guy in Business was booming, but in the mid-1990s, the NHL and MLB went Boston calls and says, ‘Come see me.’ It developed, the demand through a lockout and strike, respectively, limiting the flow of traffic developed, and I networked to every single team.” through the store. Giovanni has a history of suiting up hockey players for a half-century, Stevens had met Vacca a few years earlier when he was breaking into dating back to Montreal’s Dickie Moore, with top-of-line cloth from Italy. the league with Pittsburgh. The Penguins had a day off in Montreal, and But for the past 20-plus years, Vacca has been traveling around the NHL, on a walk that afternoon with teammates Paul Coffey and Dan Quinn, the and from Stevens’ traditional black suits to Brent Burns’ camouflage three strolled into the store. jackets, he has tailored nearly an entire league of players, coaches and executives. “As a young kid, to go make your own suit, that was a big thing for me back then,” Stevens said. “There weren’t suits on the walls. It wasn’t like If you’ve tuned into Hockey Night in Canada, All-Star weekend or the you go there and say, ‘I want that one.’ He measured it right to your body Stanley Cup final and watched buses unload the players at the rink, and you picked the material. We didn’t want to spend a lot of money, chances are you’ve seen one of Giovanni’s suits, which are handmade at and they were great prices and great suits.” the family’s three-story building located at 5240 St. Laurent Blvd. in Montreal, about 15 minutes from Bell Centre. The friendship took off from there, and now years later, after Stevens had joined the Rangers, he asked Vacca about selling the suits at the team’s The Athletic stopped by Giovanni earlier this season and sat down with training camp. the 54-year-old Vacca, along with his 85-year-old father, who opened the business in 1965, to find out what it takes to keep the league looking “At first my dad didn’t like it,” Domenico said. “He felt like, ‘Why are you sharp off the ice. It’s a story that has seen fashions come and go and leaving here?'” players’ dimensions evolve, but one common thread has been Vacca’s Giovanni was an old-school Italian and didn’t understand the motivation relationships, which he’s crafted and cared for as carefully as his of being away from Montreal. designer clothing. “This is the place, this is the place,” he said. “You can sell other places, In 1948, Giovanni Vacca came to Canada from Italy at the age of 15, and but this is the place.” immediately his father got him a job working with a clothing company. At 22, he was running the business, and by 30, he branched off to open his But Vacca decided to go, and to this day Stevens remembers the fright own made-to-measure suit business. on Vacca’s face when he showed up at the hotel conference room. Giovanni began renting the third floor of the building on St. Laurent in “I know he was setting it up, saying, ‘How should we do this?'” Stevens 1965, he took over the second floor two years later and added the first recalled. “He was kind of nervous how it was all going to work out. It was floor a year later. By that time, he and his wife had three children: Marisa, funny, but we had a good bunch of guys there, so he kind of settled into Paolina and Domenico. and just ran with it. It was a learning experience the first time he came to the rink, but then it was just word of mouth. Everybody was asking me, “I opened in 1965, and by ’67 I was flying,” Giovanni said. “I was working ‘Who is this Domenic guy?'” every day and night. Of course I was afraid, but I had to do it because I had three kids and I wanted to progress in my life. I had a lot of people Eddie Olczyk, a former player and coach and now a national help me, a lot of people came to work for me, and I took off.” broadcaster, snickered recalling Stevens suggesting Olczyk buy some suits from Domenico. Sitting in his office, surrounded by framed autographed pictures of professional athletes, Giovanni has a memory for each 8×10 photo on “In his typical Boston accent, Stevens says, ‘Edzo, you wear second- the wood-panel wall. hand shit, not like my guy Dom,'” Olczyk said. “I’m like, ‘A lot of the clothes I see you wear, if you wore your jacket inside out, it would look “Dickie Moore was the first guy, he used to come in here quite often, and better.’ But then I’m like, ‘OK, Dom, who is this guy?’ Everybody’s got a then all the Canadiens,” Giovanni said. “At the time of the Expos, Rusty guy, and they just open up the trunks of their cars, and you look in their Staub used to come here with all the baseball players, and he got us trunks. But Dom met us at a hotel in Montreal, we go in this room, and almost every one of them. You see, one pulls the other. I don’t have to behind a curtain there’s all these clothes. So here’s Domenic, he’s as big explain because it becomes like a chain.” as a jockey, and he’s sitting there measuring your inseam.” Giovanni Vacca in his office. A newspaper clipping of Domenico Vacca measuring former NHL coach As far back as Giovanni can remember, hockey and baseball players Bob Hartley hangs on the wall at Giovanni. have dressed well around the rink and at the stadium, and they flocked to The secret to Domenico’s success has always been his presence at the him perhaps because they could afford the authenticity. But it was more rink, which requires tidy packing and trust-building with players and than the material; it was about the design and the durability. teams. He started with a briefcase, but now carries two suitcases of “First of all, you’ve got to buy good cloth,” he said. “But then, I have books with sample clothes and fitting gear, such as a jacket, for sizing patterns; you have no idea. When I came into this business, the fashion purposes. was big suits. My secret was to go against all these manufacturers. I “I can carry 50 books with all of my swatches,” he said. “People want to came with a tight, tight suit. I’ll show you.” see the fabric. When you’re there, they want to look at the stuff.” Still moving well for his age, Giovanni stands to his feet and leads the Vacca can be seen toting those suitcases in arenas all around the way back to a stack of binders with sketches of suits that date back to the league, setting up temporary fitting rooms outside the team’s dressing late 1960s. He flips through the laminated pages, pointing out what made room. It can’t be emphasized enough that clubs consider these areas his suits unique. sacred, and if you’re not a member of the organization, media or security, The quality of the suits has stood the test of time, which is impressive you’re typically not allowed in the vicinity. considering the wear and tear of athletes traveling from city to city, but the fashions have changed over the years. “It’s the lounge access that I get that’s crazy,” he said. “But if they set me up someplace, I don’t move around. I make it a point not to interfere. “The way the style changed, we look at the European, the Italian style,” That’s really important.” Giovanni said. “Italian comes up with different style, then we make it. It was a big suit, then a narrow suit, then bell bottom, and now it’s tight.” Players come off the ice, pull off their gear and then pay Domenico a visit. The style when Domenico started traveling in the 1990s was the big suit. “He made everything so easy, and that’s the biggest thing for athletes,” “Baggy pants, ‘baller’ suits they used to call them,” he said. “Very broad Stevens said. “You don’t have to go anywhere, which is half the battle. I shoulders, jackets down to the knees, six buttons.” think guys just want to go in there, get fitted, and that’s what he did.” Thorburn, giggling, recalls those days. Another attractive attribute is Domenico never asks for tickets or memorabilia, and he always comes alone. “It’s funny, looking back to the suits I got in Pittsburgh, they were like Steve Harvey suits, baggy with pleats in them,” he said. “I’ve never brought anybody to the rinks to sell with me because I was worried they would become a hanger-on and follow the guys,” he said. Domenico laughed when reminded that players like Thorburn used to swap jackets and pants at the department stories to find a fit. In 2003-04, the peak of Domenico’s venture, he was dressing a majority of the league. “For sure they had to do that, and those days guys were a lot thicker,” he said. “The size has gone down. The average size in the 1990s was a 44- “Team by team and before I knew it, I did close to 600 people,” 46 chest, or 48 for Kevin Stevens. Today, an average size is 40 or 42. Domenico said. “It’s like anything, in the beginning, you get everybody But the legs and thighs are bigger today. An average thigh is 25, 26. I and then you’ve got to keep the guys because everybody tries different think it reflects on the game. Guys were stronger in their upper bodies, people. So you know you’re going to lose 10-15 percent, but loyal grabbing guys, and now it’s all about skating.” customers stayed with me.” It’s not just about the cut and size today, it’s about the material and From Stevens to Olczyk, the loyal ones remained and new ones were accessories, which can add up in cost. In the 1980s and ’90s, a Giovanni added. suit might have cost $500-700, whereas now they range anywhere from $1,500 and up. In 2006, 23-year-old Chris Thorburn was picked up on waivers by the Penguins and his wardrobe needed an upgrade from what he was “Domenic had a lot of good stuff back in the day, but now, forget about it, wearing with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. you’ve seen Burns and some of his get-ups,” Stevens said. “Back then, shirts and ties, that was like extra stuff, and now you get the whole “I was getting suits from like Macy’s and JCPenney, the department gamut. But people have a lot more money now. These guys, they can go stores,” Thorburn said. “But my torso was so much bigger than my waist, in and buy 10 suits without even batting an eyelash.” and back then they wouldn’t let you sub out a jacket or a pair of pants, so you had to be sneaky. Recently Burns was wearing a Giovanni-designed red and black tuxedo- style suit with a skull handkerchief. Fans have perhaps also seen him in “A bunch of us would go in the store and mismatch the suits and hope a camouflage suit, which San Jose turned into a bobblehead for Military that the cashier didn’t catch us. One time a couple of my teammates got Night. through, but my luck, I got caught and she made me put everything all back together. I got back to the truck and the guys were dying laughing.” “When I saw it, I was pretty excited,” Domenico said. Meanwhile, there was an 18-year-old eccentric personality beginning his Morieta says he’s never shocked by Burns’ suit selections, though career in Minnesota named Brent Burns. Morieta admits to re-reading his orders just to be safe. “When I started playing, I probably had one suit, that was it,” Burns said. “We write a cloth number, and there’s so many cloths I figure that maybe “(Domenico) had a relationship with our trainer, so that first year he he wrote the wrong number,” Morieta said. “Sometimes what I do is I would come in the room every once in a while. It was great quality and double-check with Domenic, ‘Is this the right number? I’m not sure.’ But the service was top-notch, so from there we just built a friendship.” he goes, ‘Yeah.’ Brent Burns, he just walks so confident with the suits. I find he’s an amazing dresser.” Eventually, after the Expos moved to Washington D.C. in 2004 and the economic recession in 2007, Giovanni saw the benefit of his son Olczyk, meanwhile, would like to keep dressing well, but jokingly said traveling. Today Domenico has an estimated 400 NHL customers, that he can’t get a hold of Domenico to order more shirts, which have his including at least one client from every club. nickname, “Edzo,” stitched on the cuff. “He comes back with the sales,” Giovanni said. “I know he’s got a good “I’m still waiting for him to return my call from six months ago,” Olczyk name, and everybody loves him. He’s good at what he does. He takes said, chuckling. “That’s alright Dom, you don’t need me. You’ve got guys good measurements and sells them the right merchandise. We buy the making $9 million a year, you don’t need some stiff broadcaster.” best, and we give him the best.” In order to keep up with the demands, Domenico averages 350,000 miles Turning swatches into suits that drape NHL stars takes two to three in the air and 225 nights in a hotel every year. He’s constantly charting weeks. The cloth is ordered from Italy, and once it arrives, the made- which teams will be playing where, who they’ll be facing, and which from-scratch process heads through several hands-on stations. clients he has on both sides. When finished, hundreds of suits hang at the shop, which for fans of the “I’m on the computer all the time, looking at calendars,” Domenico said. “I NHL and fashion might be the world’s most amazing closet. schedule at least two, three months ahead.” Of his suit, Montreal coach Claude Julien joked: “Was (Domenic) using it Still, all the years of traveling have kept him away plenty from wife, as a curtain?” Nathalie, and their children. He did his best not to miss any birthdays or graduations, though remembers cutting it close. Once a team’s order is shipped, the paperwork of the custom measurements are filed away. Every NHL and MLB organization has a “I remember once, it was almost like ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles,'” box in Giovanni’s second-floor office. Domenico said. “I landed in Boston, snow starts, I go see the Bruins and then the airports close. I went to the train station and there were no “I can show you all the measurements of all the athletes here,” Giovanni trains. I took a bus to Albany and then bused home to get home in time said. “If you want to see anyone, I pull it out. This is all the guys’ names.” for my daughter’s birthday.” We asked to pull the San Jose box and show us Burns’ file. Now 33, he’s Vacca’s life on the road has placed him in some amazing situations, been getting suits from Giovanni for 15 years, so he’s accumulated including seeing one of two planes high-jacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, dozens over the years. 2001, crash into the World Trade Center towers. “I probably have — Dom would be able to answer it better because “I was in a Town Car heading to the Garden in New York,” he said. “I saw they’re all from him — but probably 40 suits, 45 maybe,” Burns said. the first tower smoking and the second one go right in it. I was following “They still take those suits from when I was 18, 19, 20, when I was a tall, along in the sky, and it just went right through. It was terrifying. You have skinny kid, and alter them and they’re still lasting.” military jets flying all over the city and closures everywhere. I called my wife and said, ‘Put on CNN,’ and then the phones went dead.” “I turned it on and I thought they were filming a movie; it looked like ‘Die Hard’ or something,” Nathalie said. “I couldn’t believe it was real. He said, ‘No, it’s real. I just saw this.’ Then the lines cut and I couldn’t reach him. It took a good four hours before he got a signal.” Nathalie admits her husband’s job, as glamorous as it may be perceived, has been hard on the family. “I’m happy for him obviously, for all the work he did,” she said. “But we have four kids, and you raise your kids alone because during the week he is not there. But he’s doing a good job and we have a goal, we’re doing it for the family. People always say, ‘I love hockey, can I work for you?’ It’s not only about loving hockey, it’s about selling suits. If you only love hockey, you will not make a living.” In addition to a paycheck, the real satisfaction for Domenico is seeing NHL players in his clothing. “I ship to the rinks, so I’ve only had a few times when I see the suits arrive,” he said. “But guys will send me pictures once in a while, or I watch them at the All-Star Game. They had one of the biggest red-carpet events ever at the All-Star game in Carolina in 2011, and a lot of the guys mentioned my name. That was exciting.” Like a Hollywood red carpet, Domenico claims it’s a challenge making sure there aren’t multiple players wearing the same suit to the rink. “One year I made 12 cherry red corduroy suits and I was worried,” he said. “So I’ll tell guys who I made them for because you don’t want the teams to meet in the playoffs, or whatever, and they’re wearing the same suit. I’ve had a couple of guys change their mind because of that.” Stevens marvels at how it all played out. “It’s a credit to Dom, how he spring-boarded this whole thing,” Stevens said. “He parlayed that into going to see all the teams. I’m glad he was just able to run with it. Now he’s welcomed to the rinks, now they want him there. None of this happens if he’s not a great guy and people don’t like him. Hockey people just wouldn’t go. He’s humble, he doesn’t bother anybody, he doesn’t want anything … he just delivers the goods.” Julien echoed the sentiment. “Great service, great guy,” Julien said. “I think they’ve done a good job and when you’re happy you stick with it.” Six decades after Giovanni decided to branch off on his own, he still comes to the office six days a week. But when he walks out the door every afternoon, he knows he’s leaving the company in good hands. “I love my business,” Giovanni said. “I opened up this business from nothing. I should love it. Anybody that builds something himself doesn’t want to leave it. People that create something, they can answer that, not anybody else. But I am not so young and my son, he is a young guy. Of course I am (proud of him). He’s got to take care of his family, and this is it.” The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127795 Websites place in the Western Conference, ranking 30th in the league in goals allowed per game and headed for a second straight playoff miss.

Colorado Avalanche: C-plus The Athletic / Grading all 31 NHL teams at the All-Star break If we did this ranking six weeks ago, the Avs would be an ‘A’ club for sure, but inconsistent goaltending from both Philipp Grubauer and By Scott Burnside Jan 25, 2019 Semyon Varlamov, and a lack of depth up front caused the Avs’ fall to the edge of the playoff picture. The Avs should still should be among the top eight in the West when the dust settles, but they aren’t making it easy on themselves. As the clock ticks inexorably toward the 2019 trade deadline and most teams now having roughly 30 games left on their schedules, the annual Columbus Blue Jackets: B-plus NHL All-Star break is a natural point at which to take stock. The Blue Jackets have had lots of off-ice stuff to digest, including the Which teams have exceeded expectation? Which teams are miserably possible departure of stars Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin and failing to live up to preseason prognostications? Which stars are hitting then more recently the one-game suspension of Bobrovsky for departing their stride? Which ones need a shot of adrenalin to carry their respective the bench after being lifted in a game against Tampa. Through it all they teams forward over the final third of the season? managed to stay competitive and they hit the break just four points out of first place in the Metropolitan Division and with a real chip on their Here’s our All-Star break report card for all 31 NHL teams. shoulder. Anaheim Ducks: C-minus Dallas Stars: C-plus The Ducks, not unlike Arizona, battled injury from the get-go. And were it Never a dull moment in Dallas, eh? President Jim Lites calls out Tyler not for the otherworldly (at least on most nights) goaltending provided by Seguin and Jamie Benn, rookie head coach Jim Montgomery bemoans John Gibson, the Ducks would be thinking draft lottery not wild card. Still, the culture of mediocrity, and the team, once again, can’t find ways to win the fact GM Bob Murray had to publicly throw his support behind head consistently on the road (they are 9-13-2 away from American Airlines coach Randy Carlyle tells you that this Ducks team is very much in Center). A team that missed the playoffs in eight of the past 10 seasons transition. is desperate to make the tournament this season, but they need to be much better down the stretch to make that happen. Arizona Coyotes: C Detroit Red Wings: D Hard to assess the Yotes given their never-ending list of walking wounded, a list that may now include captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson who We knew the Red Wings weren’t going to be very good this season and was set to undergo an MRI Thursday. Maybe they deserve a better grade well, they aren’t. Lots of questions moving forward about GM Ken given that they hit the break just two points out of the second wild-card Holland’s future with the team, whether – or when – Steve Yzerman ends spot in the Western Conference. But that’s more a function of the up managing the team and what will become of head coach Jeff Blashill. mediocrity in lower echelons of the conference than the team itself. Short-term Holland has to decide what to do with netminder Jimmy Howard, who is the team’s most consistent performer but who will be an Boston Bruins: B unrestricted free agent in the summer. If the Bruins got to play Toronto every night they’d be an A-plus team, but Edmonton Oilers: F I digress. Tuukka Rask’s injury (he was concussed in a collision in net just before the All-Star break) is problematic given that he returned to Sorry, a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl shouldn’t be this form in recent weeks, but Jaroslav Halak is a more than adequate Plan bad, this dysfunctional. But the Oilers are what they are and that is a B. The offense is middle of the pack but Bruce Cassidy’s group is hard to mess. The firing of Todd McLellan early in the season didn’t change that play against (they are tied for third in goals allowed per game) and and the abrupt firing of GM Peter Chiarelli in the middle of a game this playoff tested. week doesn’t fix that. Maybe they make the playoffs, maybe they don’t, but as president Bob Nicholson noted this week, there’s something in the Buffalo Sabres: C-minus water in Edmonton that needs to be addressed. Sadly pretty much the The Sabres ran the gamut from A-plus play to D or worse of late, which same thing has been said for more than a decade. sees them settle in here with a C-minus. The problem for the Sabres is Florida Panthers: D-minus that, having won 10 straight games early in the season, the expectations went through the roof. They hit the break four points back of the second The Panthers were expected to be vying for a playoff berth, maybe even wild card and now the pressure is on head coach Phil Housley to get the challenging for one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division this team back in its earlier groove. There is also no small amount of season but it didn’t turn out that way as goaltending and injuries derailed pressure on GM Jason Botterill to take advantage of the team’s yet another season for the Cats. Too much talent for this team to be surprising start to make some adds at the trade deadline to give this where they are and that is 10 points out of a playoff spot. squad it’s best opportunity to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Los Angeles Kings: D-minus Calgary Flames: A-plus Another for the ‘mighty have fallen’ category as the Kings are dead last in the conference and also fired their coach. Willie Desjardins is a place GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters should both be in holder as GM Rob Blake figures out a way to reroute what became a consideration for some postseason hardware, along with Mark Giordano, dead-end train. The team has an embarrassing minus-36 goal who is a contender for what would be his first Norris Trophy as the differential, worst in the league, and the league’s most impotent offense league’s top defenseman. The Flames, whose plus-45 goal differential is with just 2.26 goals per game. The signing of Ilya Kovalchuk to a three- tops in the Western Conference, far exceeded expectations, opening up year deal in the offseason is symptomatic of a team needing to reboot a six-point lead on San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific Division and but not taking the proper steps to do so. top seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota Wild: B-minus Carolina Hurricanes: C Zach Parise’s return to health and return to form are pivotal for the Wild A season that began with high hopes for Scott Darling, and newcomers as they are starting to put some distance between themselves and the Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland sees the Canes enter the break rest of the pack in the battle for playoff positioning. The third-place Wild once again outside the playoff bubble. Ferland will likely be traded by the won three straight hitting the break in spite of dealing popular Nino deadline, Darling has seen his career go off the rails once again and Niederreiter to Carolina. Hamilton’s name has even surfaced in trade talks – while former Hurricanes Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner enjoy career seasons in Montreal Canadiens: A-minus Calgary and Buffalo, respectively. Still, the Hurricanes are just four points back of what would be their first playoff berth since 2009, and Rod Carey Price is back to being Carey Price, the Habs kept the ship afloat Brind’Amour has his team playing an entertaining up-tempo style. long enough for Shea Weber to return from injury and all of a sudden the Habs are pushing the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Chicago Blackhawks: D Division. Kudos to much-maligned GM Marc Bergevin for staying the course, and Claude Julien has done a masterful job behind the bench as How the mighty have fallen as the once powerhouse Blackhawks parted the Canadiens appear headed for an unexpected playoff berth and ways early in the season with future Hall of Fame head coach Joel perhaps even a long-awaited matchup with the Leafs. Quenneville. In spite of brief spasms of life, they remain mired in 14th Nashville Predators: A Presidents’ Trophy winners. They give up more than they’d like (tied for 21st in goals allowed per game) but a top-ranked offense, top-ranked The Predators have muddled through a series of injuries and power play, a top-10 penalty kill and league-best plus-59 goal differential suspensions, which prevented them from being the dominant regular make the Lightning the All-Star break Stanley Cup favorites. season team they were a year ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. But as they get healthier watch for them to continue to pile up the Toronto Maple Leafs: B-plus points in a bid to win a second-straight division title. They hit the break tied with Winnipeg atop the Central, although the Jets have four games in The bar was set pretty high for the Leafs and they’d likely be an ‘A’ squad hand. had they not gone flat in the days leading up to the All-Star break. William Nylander struggled after missing the first quarter of the season New Jersey Devils: D-minus waiting for a new contract, and Auston Matthews had his own ups and downs when it comes to production. Still, the Leafs are a deep, dynamic Perhaps a drop-off in play was to be expected this season after the offensive team led by John Tavares and, with strong goaltending Devils, behind Hart Trophy-winner Taylor Hall, earned a surprise trip to provided by Frederik Andersen, are headed to the postseason for the the playoffs last spring. But no one expected this kind of fallback as the third straight season. Now they need to prove they can hang with the big Devils find themselves tied with woeful Ottawa with the fewest points in boys by winning a round or two. the league. The emergence of rookie netminder MacKenzie Blackwood is a lone bright spot but not nearly enough to cover the other blemishes Vancouver Canucks: A-minus displayed by the Devils. What a revelation Elias Pettersson is to long-suffering Canucks fans to New York Islanders: A-plus say nothing of his teammates. Even with a couple of injuries Pettersson is running away with the rookie scoring race and appears a shoo-in to The problem for Bill Peters vis a vis the Jack Adams as coach of the year win the Calder Trophy as the top first-year player. Meanwhile head coach is that Barry Trotz is likely going to walk away with the prize if his Travis Green has the Canucks, tied in points for a wild-card spot, Islanders continue their confounding level of play. No John Tavares? No believing in the playoffs –something that would have been unthinkable in problem for an Islander team that is the league’s stingiest and is getting it September. done by committee under Trotz, who looks to follow up his Stanley Cup turn in Washington with an unexpected playoff berth and possibly a Vegas Golden Knights: B-plus Metropolitan Division championship as the Islanders hit the break with three-point bulge on Washington. When the Golden Knights got off to a middling start to the season lots of people felt this was the team finally acting like they should have acted a New York Rangers: C-minus year ago when they were an expansion squad. But defending Jack Adams Trophy-winner Gerard Gallant has his crew back where they This was expected to be a season of transition for the Rangers and it is belong, firmly ensconced in a playoff spot thanks to the return from just that under rookie head coach David Quinn. The Rangers have suspension of defenseman Nate Schmidt and the play of Marc-Andre decisions on players like Mats Zuccarello (he’ll almost certainly be dealt) Fleury in net. among others in the coming weeks, but the challenge for a team with a minus-25 goal differential is to stay competitive and that’s no small task Washington Capitals: C given this lineup. The defending champs waited until just before the All-Star break to have Ottawa Senators: F their Stanley Cup hangover, going winless in seven – a stretch that saw them give up three hat tricks. They’ve allowed 30 goals in the past five Another team with myriad issues that aren’t all related to on-ice play and games. This is still a talent-laden team with the ability to present a must be dealt with before any hope of a renaissance can be vigorous title defense. They just don’t look like it right now. contemplated. And while the Senators were expected to be near the bottom of the standings, being dead last in goals allowed per game Winnipeg Jets: A merely reinforces just how far this team has fallen. Interesting days ahead for GM Pierre Dorion as he must either sign Mark Stone and/or The Jets are where most expected them to be: battling with Nashville for Matt Duchene or get good return in trades. the top spot in the Central Division. Interesting goaltending debate upcoming for head coach Paul Maurice as Laurent Brossoit (2.01 goals- Philadelphia Flyers: D-minus against average and .943 save percentage in 12 appearances) put pressure on incumbent Connor Hellebuyck, but it’s a good problem to Another team that began the season looking to be in the playoff mix but have for a Jets team that is built, once again, for the long haul. ended up with major upheaval that included the dismissal of GM Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol. Wayne Simmonds is likely out the The Athletic LOADED: 01.26.2019 door but the work ahead of new GM Chuck Fletcher is significant given the steps taken back by many of the team’s promising young players as the Flyers rank 29th in goals allowed per game. Pittsburgh Penguins: B-minus The Penguins are making a bid for a 13th-straight playoff appearance, which is pretty mindboggling, but it hasn’t all been a straight line with netminder Matt Murray struggling to find consistency and then overcome injury. Evgeni Malkin is not having a Malkin-like season but still the Pens, led by the indomitable Sidney Crosby, are just five points out of first in the Metropolitan. St. Louis Blues: D-plus Sure, the Blues are just three points out of a playoff spot at the break, but for a team that should have been competing with Nashville and Winnipeg atop the Central Division, this season is a major disappointment as witnessed by the firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Jordan Binnington is a revelation in goal but can the kid help salvage the Blues’ season? Seems like a lot to ask. San Jose Sharks: A It took some time for Erik Karlsson to hit his stride with the Sharks but now that the two-time Norris Trophy winner is back to being the Karlsson of old, and the Sharks have once again established themselves as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The challenge will be in holding off Vegas for the second spot in the division, which would give them home- ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay Lightning: A-plus The Lightning are crushing the competition in the Eastern Conference and have a comfortable lead over Calgary as the presumptive 1127796 Websites “I’m certainly not looking for a fight,” the commissioner reiterated. International best-on-best hockey returning in February 2021? Sportsnet.ca / NHL Notebook: New-look international hockey event in Although a 2020 World Cup has been ruled out, the idea of hosting an 2021? international competition in February 2021 is on the table, and the players have an appetite for one.

This hypothetical event would not be a traditional, two-week World Cup. Luke Fox | January 25, 2019, 6:50 PM A Ryder Cup–style contest and other formats are being considered. One hurdle regarding player and puck tracking and all the second-screen SAN JOSE, California – In the heart of Silicon Valley, NHL Commissioner fun it will offer: The wi-fi in the majority of NHL arenas will need to be Gary Bettman and deputy Bill Daly unveiled the revolutionary player and upgraded to meet the tech’s standards. puck tracking technology, which the league has been developing and That won’t be cheap. testing for three years and has been given the thumbs-up by the players. “I think it’s at our expense,” Daly said. Of course, a number of state-of-the-union topics were also brought up as reporters grilled the NHL brass on a variety of subjects. Islanders’ playoff site unknown Here are the highlights. If the New York Islanders, who enter the break at first place in the Metropolitan Division, qualify for the playoffs, no one knows (yet) where Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, they’ll host playoff home games: Barclays Center or Nassau Coliseum. Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. That call will be made by the league in conjunction with the club and Barclays, which owns both facilities. New data off-limits in contract negotiations “I suppose the league has final say but at the appropriate time, all parties The greatest concern from the NHLPA’s side on the fancy player and will get together and figure out what the best way to approach the puck tracking that will be introduced for the 2019-20 season is that all this playoffs would be,” Bettman said. new data (skating speed, shot strength, etc.) now available to teams could be used against players in contract negotiations. “The reports that we’re getting on the Belmont project are that everyone seems to be on track, we hope to have a groundbreaking in May or “There’s a segment of players who are concerned the stats could be too June.” dominant in terms of measurables on how good a player is,” Daly said Friday. One-Timers No, the GPS chips won’t be able to calculate heart, map leadership, or Installing a chip in the puck presents an opportunity to definitively know measure character. where it has crossed the goal line, but the NHL isn’t committing to using the chip for that purpose right away. … Seattle’s NHL franchise is As a result, the sides have agreed that the data will be off limits in targeting late summer to decide on its nickname and unveil its brand contract negotiations and arbitration cases. identity. … Although Bettman has offer some consult from the sidelines Fine. But how does the league make sure the clubs don’t use the when called upon, he is staying out of the Ottawa Senators’ downtown information they have? mediation, describing it as “a party I haven’t been invited to.” … The NHL anticipates holding a couple more games in China early in the 2019-20 “You tell ’em,” Daly said. season, and Daly said the league is “enormously pleased” with the traction hockey has gained in that market. … The Predators get to Stat accuracy an added benefit participate in their first outdoor game, New Year’s Day versus the Dallas Stars at Cotton Bowl Stadium. … No, Gary Bettman, 66, hasn’t even Besides the smorgasbord of gambling and broadcast opportunities the considered retiring yet. tracking will open up, Mathieu Schneider of the PA noted the importance of improved statistical accuracy to the players. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.26.2019 Categories such as hits, giveaways, takeaways and even shots have fallen victim to human error and vary from game to game or venue to venue. “The chip won’t lie,” Bettman said. Schneider had his concerns about the implementation reducing athletes to series of numbers, but the players ultimately decided to not fight the future. “The positives are going to far outweigh the negatives when it all shakes out,” said Schneider. “There’s a lot more to a hockey player than just the stats. “How does Brett Hull score 80 goals when everyone knows he wasn’t the fastest skater on the ice?” Bettman wants labour peace Bettman described preliminary CBA discussions between the league and the PA as “cordial and constructive.” Although there is a chance to extend the labour agreement prior to September’s reopener window, Daly said a CBA extension is not an essential result of these meetings and stressed that the sides are still in the “very early stages” of an agreement. “I still consider ourselves three-and-a-half years out from contract expiration, so there’s a long way to go,” Daly said. “Our relationship [with the PA] has evolved to a point far beyond where it’s ever been before. I think we communicate well on virtually every aspect of our business, and I think our interests are aligned. “It’s about growing revenues in the sport.” Under Bettman’s reign, an expiring CBA has always spelled a work stoppage, but as of now, the tone is definitively rosy. 1127797 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / NHL Skills Competition: Matthews, Coyne Schofield top memorable moments

Rory Boylen | January 25, 2019, 7:24 PM

The 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition is complete and we leave this year with a few memorable moments. Topping the list is Kendall Coyne Schofield, who made history by becoming the first woman to ever compete in the skills competition. It was a huge moment made even bigger when she was the first one out of the blocks and finished with a 14.36-second lap that finished seventh of eight. Last week prior to the CWHL’s All-Star Game, Natalie Spooner joined Tim and Sid to talk about growing the women’s game and attracting male fans, too. “I do see a lot of young girls and women that are fans at our games, but I also think we need to broaden that to even young boys because I think if these young boys are hockey players, hopefully they can appreciate a hockey game and great hockey players no matter what,” she said. “They might have a class with a young girl who is an awesome hockey player, but they don’t realize, wow she might be just as good as him. Or she might be able to go play in the CWHL just like he has a dream of playing in the NHL. And I think that’s something that’s so special for not only girls, but boys to realize that there are good female role models out there too.” Coyne Schofield’s performance holds a place in history that will be recalled in every skills competition to come. And near the end of the competition, Toronto’s Auston Matthews surprised everybody and won over the crowd when he revealed a Patrick Marleau jersey under the one he was wearing all night. The home crowd gave Matthews a loud cheer, which will surely follow him through the 3-on-3 tournament Saturday. With all the events in the books we have compiled the full results and all the winners. Check back at Sportsnet.ca Saturday night for another live blog around the All-Star Game from San Jose. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127798 Websites GM Bob Murray has been the busiest manager in the NHL this season, but it’s still not clear which direction his team is headed.

The Ducks have made nine trades since October, but all have been Sportsnet.ca / NHL trade deadline buyers or sellers? Six teams on the minor moves that haven’t addressed any major needs. They also lead bubble the NHL in man-games lost to injury by a lot, and recently snapped a 12- game losing streak during which Murray had to endorse his coach and say “We have higher expectations for this group, and (the players) should Josh Beneteau | January 25, 2019, 2:20 PM expect more from themselves.” With injuries to Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler, the Ducks could make some room under the cap to add a rental like Wayne Simmonds for a Every year at the NHL trade deadline, teams can usually be split into two playoff push. But if the losing continues, they could consider moving groups: buyers and sellers. some bodies to the open door for younger players such as Troy Terry and Max Jones to get NHL experience. But with the deadline still a month away, there are some teams on the bubble that don’t know which group they’ll be in yet. Buffalo Sabres These teams are the ones to watch heading out of the all-star break. A Players they could buy: Ryan Dzingel, Wayne Simmonds, Micheal winning streak could propel them into a playoff spot and give them Ferland, Alex Edler, Joel Edmundson, Andre Burakovsky, Chris Tanev reason to add. But a string of losses could sink their season and force them to consider tearing it all down. Players they could sell: Jeff Skinner, Nathan Beaulieu, Zemgus Girgensons With the trade deadline set for Feb. 25, here are six teams that could still go either way. The Sabres got off to a very fast start this season and through their first 24 games were first place in the entire league. In the next 24 games Vancouver Canucks though, they’ve posted a disappointing 8-12-4 record and their 20 points are the fewest by any team in that span. They’ve also dropped out of the Players they could buy: Wayne Simmonds, Andre Burakovsky, Joel playoffs completely. Edmundson, Micheal Ferland, Jake Muzzin, Jakob Silfverberg With the additions of Rasmus Dahlin and Jeff Skinner, and the great play Players they could sell: Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, Josh Leivo, Nikolay from captain Jack Eichel, the Sabres have the pieces to hang in the race, Goldobin but a trade deadline addition could be a real difference maker. The Canucks were expected to be racing to the bottom of the standings The Sabres are a bit tight to the cap but both Wayne Simmonds and by the all-star break but instead they find themselves competing for a Micheal Ferland would provide value as an extra body in their top six. wild card spot. Thanks to the massive breakout of Elias Pettersson, the They could also bring in a defenceman like Alex Edler or Chris Tanev to Canucks’ rebuild appears to be ahead of schedule. be a mentor with playoff experience for their young defence corp. With many key contributors on reasonable contracts the Canucks have But if things don’t improve before the deadline, pulling the plug on this just under $10 million in cap space for a rental player. Wayne Simmonds season and recouping some future assets is a plan GM Jason Botterill or Micheal Ferland would be a nice complementary piece to their forward could consider. Skinner as a rental in the middle of a 30-goal-season group, while Joel Edmundson or Jake Muzzin (signed one season could bring back a big return, if he’s not going to sign an extension with beyond this one) could bring some playoff experience to their blue line. Buffalo first. And if they wanted to take a big swing, they have the cap room for Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and pending UFAs Matt Duchene or Mark Stone. fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the On the other hand, the Canucks have some valuable pieces of their own country’s most beloved game. that could be flipped for picks or prospects. It’s up to GM Jim Benning to Carolina Hurricanes decide if his team is ready to compete in the west. Players they could buy: Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, Mats Zuccarello, Lots of playoff feedback. Sure, would be great to make playoffs, but Wayne Simmonds, Jakob Silfverberg, Cam Talbot not at expense of our long-term plan. We want to build a team that challenges for the Cup year after year. Like we had 2008/9/10/11. That's Players they could sell: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, Justin Faulk, the path we're on. Brett Pesce, Curtis McElhinney — Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) January 24, 2019 Outspoken new owner Tom Dundon wants results and, right now, the Hurricanes aren’t getting them and risk missing the playoffs for the 10th Montreal Canadiens consecutive season. With more than $15 million in cap space and loads Players they could buy: Tyler Toffoli, Micheal Ferland, Ryan Dzingel, of talent on the blue line, the Hurricanes could be busy in the market Kevin Hayes, Andre Burakovsky leading up to the deadline. Players they could sell: Karl Alzner, Mike Reilly, Matthew Peca The team enters the all-star break ranked 27th in goals-per-game, 24th in total goals and 23rd in power play success. They need more scoring and After missing the playoffs last season and trading captain Max Pacioretty, have the cap space to bring some in. few expected the Montreal Canadiens to still be in the race at the all-star break. But now that they are, GM Marc Bergevin has a chance to add Their AHL affiliate in Charlotte currently has a massive lead atop the another offensive weapon to his team. Atlantic Division standings and two first-round picks Jake Bean (2016) and Martin Necas (2017) have been key contributors. One of those Bergevin says he isn’t interested in parting with his first-rounder or his top prospects, perhaps packaged with other pieces, could bring in a prospects, so any trade he makes will be on a smaller scale. That being superstar like Matt Duchene, Mark Stone or even Artemi Panarin if he’s said, the Canadiens could look to a player like Tyler Toffoli or Ryan made available. Dzingel to spark their league-worst power play. But before that happens, Dundon and the rest of the management group Micheal Ferland might be another option, although a bidding war could needs to see that the team is ready to win now. They’ve been one of the price the Canadiens out on him. hottest teams in January, tied with the New York Islanders for the second-most points (17) in the new year. But they’re still four points out Montreal has a tough schedule in February that includes four straight of a wild card spot, so the team as a lot of work to do to get in. games against the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning. If they get to the trade deadline If things fall apart in February, management will be forced to consider further down in the standings, then selling off some players might be a selling off players like pending UFA Micheal Ferland or Justin Faulk (UFA better option. in 2020) for more future assets. Anaheim Ducks A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. Players they could buy: Matt Duchene, Wayne Simmonds, Mats Zuccarello, Brayden Schenn, Micheal Ferland Arizona Coyotes Players they could sell: Josh Manson, Nick Ritchie, Jakob Silfverberg, Players they could buy: Cam Talbot, Jimmy Howard, Micheal Ferland, Ryan Miller Mats Zuccarello, Brayden Schenn Players they could sell: Jordan Weal, Richard Panik, Kevin Connauton, Calvin Pickard, Josh Archibald Like the Hurricanes, the Coyotes are trying to snap a playoff drought after missing the tournament the previous six seasons. Arizona has been hot in the new year, posting a 6-3-2 record, and they find themselves in a very competitive race for the wild card spots in the west. GM John Chayka isn’t afraid to make trades — he’s already made 41 in the three seasons he’s been on the job. The Coyotes also are dealing with a lot of injuries, and have six regulars currently on injured reserve. Getting an experienced goalie to replace the injured Antti Raanta should be a priority. Adding another forward to replace the recently acquired Nick Schmaltz, who is out for the season with a knee injury, should also be high on their shopping list. However, Chyaka has a reputation for taking a big-picture view. So if their success in January disappears in February, he’ll probably turn some of his expiring contracts into draft picks and prospects with the future in mind. “We’re on the right track but there’s a small margin for error right now and we have to thread the needle,” Chyaka said on the 31 Thoughts Podcast recently. Spoken like a true bubble GM. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127799 Websites McDavid arrived in California with a fresh haircut, free of his flowing hockey hair (“It was getting a little bit shaggy and a little bit long,” he explained, “so it was a good time to get it cut”) but, as is too often the Sportsnet.ca / Oilers' Connor McDavid: 'I'm here to be part of the case, looking like he’d just made more room for the weight of the world solution' on his shoulders. He declined comment on Chiarelli’s firing, saying this weekend was for fun. That he and teammate Leon Draisaitl, whom the fans voted into the Luke Fox | January 25, 2019, 12:15 AM exhibition, have earned that right. He wants to relax. Breathe. SAN JOSE, California – Connor McDavid had skillfully stick-handled “He deserves that. He needs that,” Nicholson said. “He’s fully on-board, through more than seven minutes of uneasy questions about the tenuous he wants the team to get better. We just gotta take a little of the pressure state of the Edmonton Oilers, the franchise luck gave him to save, when off him. He’s the best player in the world.” finally, mercifully, a reporter floated a softball about how fun he thinks 3- on-3 hockey is. A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. “Oh. My God,” he exhaled, half-smiling for the first time. “I was gonna get off the seat, it was so hot. I love the 3-on-3.” So even though McDavid couldn’t quite hide his annoyance for the line of questioning, he dutifully got through another long shift. McDavid’s first meeting with reporters since the man who drafted him but failed to surround him with enough working parts, Peter Chiarelli, was He described his relationship with new interim GM Keith Gretzky as fired just happened to coincide with Thursday’s All-Star Media Day — “basic”: “I know him a little bit. I don’t know him a tremendous amount, typically a session made for lighter topics. but that [the case] with a lot of GMs.” But these are dark, confusing, angry days in the city McDavid captains: He touched on Wayne Gretzky’s involvement as a mentor: “Wayne’s another round of coaching and GM overhaul, enforced in a backwards around for sure once a month, every couple weeks. He’s obviously a order; another round of chatter about something rotting the water; busy guy. He does what he can to be around the team and offer advice another rebuild refusing to acknowledge itself as one; another season where he sees fit.” where the most awe-inspiring player in the game is on the outside of the And he answered, briefly, some hard questions on how he feels about playoff picture looking in. the incongruity between a sagging team and a soaring superstar. The Oilers are at risk of missing the playoffs in three out of four seasons Does Connor McDavid feel let down personally by what he’s been given with McDavid. A waste. to work with? But maybe it’s lazy of us on the outside to paint the whole thing black “I’m not going to comment too much on that at all. I’m just as much a part when McDavid sees hope. of this group as anyone, if not more,” McDavid said. “It’s on all of us as “What positives? We’re three points out of a playoff spot. I think that gets players. It’s on me being part of that. It’s on me being the captain.” lost. I think that really is lost. We’re going through a lot of different Has he reached a point, as some have speculated, where he no longer changes but we’re three points out and have a chance to make the wants to be part of the losing? Maybe taste some other water? playoffs,” said McDavid, looking forward to a chance to make the haters eat their words after a much-needed bye-week. “That’s just not the case at all,” McDavid said. “Things seem pretty down on us. There’s a sense of negativity within “I’m here to be part of the solution, and that’s all I’ll say on that.” media, within everyone around the team. We get to prove people wrong. We get to decide how we’re going to finish the second half. That’s what Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.26.2019 I’m looking forward to.” Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. He’s right. The West’s wild-card spots are wide open for the two subpar clubs who decide they actually want them down the stretch. McDavid is encouraged by the impending return of a healthy Oscar Klefbom, noting that the one year he did make the post-season, Klefbom and Andrej Sekera were the Oilers’ best two defencemen and they’ve been out for the bulk of the past two losing seasons. But Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson, who has spent much time speaking with McDavid over the past 24 hours, came clean that the issues with the 23- 24-3 club go beyond a dearth of skill. “We need to get the character straightened out,” Nicholson told Hockey Central at Noon Thursday. “We have to build a real positive environment here when the players get back.” McDavid, riding for his friends like a good captain should, sees things differently. “Character-wise, I think it’s easy to think we have turmoil in our locker room or we have this and that. We don’t have that at all. We’re a tight group. Guys love to play for each other. So it’s not that,” he asserted. “Losing isn’t fun. It’s not fun for anyone. I’m no different. You want to win. You want to build something special, something you’re proud to be a part of. We gotta still build that. “You’ve got to believe. We have to believe that we’re going to turn it around.” Leon Draisaitl puts it on the Oilers players: "There’s only so much those people—coaches, management—can do. To a certain degree, it’s us players. We need to figure out a way to win hockey games and be a successful organization." — luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) January 25, 2019 1127800 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Matthews on how fun it is playing with Marner

Mike Johnston | January 25, 2019, 1:41 PM

While most of his peers are enjoying a mid-season vacation, Auston Matthews is in San Jose for the 2019 NHL All-Star Game after being voted in as captain of the Atlantic Division team. One all-star calibre player absent from the festivities, however, is his Toronto Maple Leafs teammate Mitchell Marner. Although Matthews won’t get to skate alongside Marner in Saturday’s three-on-three tournament – he’ll have to settle for Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, David Pastrnak and John Tavares as the other Team Atlantic forwards – he did recently get a taste of what it’s like playing an entire game with the talented winger. Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock switched up his team’s forward lines ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Washington Capitals and it paid dividends. While it was the trio of Nazem Kadri, William Nylander and Connor Brown who stole the show in a 6-3 win, Matthews and Marner each scored and the third-year centre said he enjoyed skating alongside Marner and Patrick Marleau. “I liked it,” Matthews said Friday during an appearance on Hockey Central at Noon. “Mitch is an unbelievable player and we have a great relationship off the ice, as well as Patty. I love playing with him. I haven’t really gotten the chance to play with him really at all five-on-five our first 2 1/2 years. “He’s a special player. He makes guys around him better and for a guy that likes to shoot,” Matthews said referring to himself, “he’s as good as anybody at setting people up for goals. He’s just a fun guy to be around, fun guy to play with.” Matthews, who will participate in the accuracy shooting competition during Friday night’s 2019 SAP NHL All-Star Skills showcase, has found the back of the net 21 times in 35 contests this season. That puts him seventh in the NHL in goals per game, one spot behind Tavares. An impressive rate considering Matthews had scored just once in the 13 games prior to facing the Caps. Playing with Marner seemed to give him a spark. “I don’t know what the lines are going to look like after this break but I’m not really too worried about it,” Matthews added. “Whoever Babs puts me with, whatever lines he goes with, I’m going to probably be playing with a pretty good player but there’s not too many guys that are of Mitch’s calibre — even in the NHL. His raw skill and talent, his vision, just what he can do on the ice not many people can do.” Marner is currently eighth in league scoring with 62 points through 49 games. Both he and Matthews, if you hadn’t heard, are pending restricted free agents in need of new contracts prior to the start of the 2019-20 campaign. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127801 Websites You also have to consider that Bergevin did this all from the hottest seat in the NHL outside of the one Peter Chiarelli was sitting on in Edmonton.

Bergevin had a brutal summer in 2017. Easily the worst of his seven as Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' Bergevin, Julien, Weber glaring omissions general manager. Most would deem he was lucky to keep his job after from mid-season awards his decisions led the Canadiens to an utterly embarrassing ’17-18 season. Eric Engels January 25, 2019, 12:23 PM But there aren’t three GMs who have done better work than Bergevin has since April of last season.

Why he was snubbed: The Canadiens are one of the richest teams in the Marc Bergevin, Claude Julien and Shea Weber were three names I league but came into a second straight season with over $8 million in expected to see on the list when the finalists for the Professional Hockey salary cap space. Writers Association’s mid-season awards were announced on Thursday. Jack Adams Award – to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most Not that I was surprised to see the candidates who earned nominations to his team’s success. for GM of the Year, the Jack Adams Trophy and the Comeback Player of the Year Award. All nine men who were named are more than worthy. Finalists: But there’s a debate to be had about where some of them stack up 1. Barry Trotz, New York Islanders against the omitted members of the resurgent Montreal Canadiens. 2. Bill Peters, Calgary Flames Let’s go through it category by category. 3. Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning GM of the Year Award – to the General Manager adjudged to have How I voted: contributed most to his team’s success. 1. Barry Trotz, New York Islanders Finalists: 2. Claude Julien, Montreal Canadiens 1. Brad Treliving, Calgary Flames 3. Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning 2. Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks The Case for Julien: 3. Lou Lamoriello, New York Islanders It’s hard not to be impressed with what Peters has done to help the How I voted: Flames jump from outside the playoff picture a year ago to first place in 1. Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens the Western Conference after 51 games. 2. Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks Jon Cooper has the best roster in hockey, but he’s also kept it on its toes — and in front of every other team since Day 1 of the season. And one of 3. Brad Treliving, Calgary Flames the most respected scouts in the game recently told me he thinks the Islanders are playing the most structured hockey they have in over two Why Bergevin should be there over Lamoriello: decades, which is perfect validation for where Trotz landed on the list. All due respect to the Godfather, but his influence on the New York I just wonder how close Julien was to making the ballot. Islanders’ success isn’t quite on par with Bergevin’s on the Canadiens. A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Granted Lamoriello is at the root of a much-needed culture change in the Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. organization. He also hired coach Barry Trotz fresh off a Stanley Cup- parade float and signed goaltender Robin Lehner to one-year, $1.5- A man with a reputation for riding his veterans promoted the youngest million contract. Those two men are largely responsible for the Islanders player in the four major North American sports (Kotkaniemi) to his lineup being atop the Metropolitan Division in their first season post-John this season. He did that and opened by boldly scratching Tomas Tavares. Plekanec (who was sitting on 998 NHL games) and Karl Alzner (who was starting Year 2 of a five-year, $23.1-million contract and riding a 622- But those were just a couple of moves, whereas Bergevin made many to game ironman streak). bring the Canadiens from 28th place in the NHL last season to third place in the uber-competitive Atlantic Division through 51 games this season. It was moves like those that saw Julien create an internal competition that is largely responsible for where the Canadiens currently find He fired his AHL coaching staff, and recruited some of the best coaches themselves in the standings. Moves that backed up his promise to run a from outside the NHL in Joel Bouchard, Dominique Ducharme and Luke meritocracy, earning him unanimous buy-in from his players. Richardson; he made a bold decision to take Jesperi Kotkaniemi at third overall in the draft when virtually all the prognosticators had players Overhauling his team’s breakout and redesigning its offensive strategy ranked ahead of him; and he traded a maligned winger in 24-year-old has also led to the Canadiens owning some of the most impressive Alex Galchenyuk for what’s turned out to be a point-a-game centre in 23- numbers in the league at 5-on-5 (fourth in shot attempts and seventh in year-old Max Domi (who he also signed to a contract that’s a total of goals for). $3.75 million cheaper than the one he swapped out). Why he was snubbed: The 31st-ranked power play has to be it. And then there was the Max Pacioretty trade, which was projected to be an abject failure for Bergevin but ended up being his best move of the Comeback Player of the Year Award – to the player who returned to a summer. previous high level of performance that was interrupted by subpar play, long-term injury or major illness. It was remarkable for him to obtain an A-level prospect in 2017 first- rounder Nick Suzuki and a 2019 second-round pick from the Vegas Finalists: Golden Knights for Pacioretty after a well-publicized falling out with the 1. Robin Lehner, New York Islanders pending unrestricted free agent and former captain whose production dipped from 35 goals in 2016-17 to 17 in 2017-18. Getting Vegas to also 2. Jeff Skinner, Buffalo Sabres chuck away Tomas Tatar — he’s two years younger than Pacioretty and has out-produced him in every category so far — and having them retain 3. Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild $500,000 a season for the remaining three he was under contract for put How I voted: it over the top. 1. Robin Lehner, New York Islanders Also of note: Bergevin traded AHLer Simon Bourque to the Winnipeg Jets for goaltender Steve Mason’s expiring contract (AAV $4.1M), Joel 2. Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens Armia (who has played as a top-nine forward in all his games), a 2019 seventh-round pick and a 2020 fourth-round pick. He traded AHL 3. Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild defencemen Rinat Valiev and Matt Taormina for Brett Kulak, who has Why Weber should be there over Skinner: been a fixture on Montreal’s defence for 27 games this season (many of them spent on one of the top two pairings). While Skinner deserves full credit for finding the net 30 times in 48 games after scoring 24 goals in 82 games a season ago — that really is incredible — he does have the benefit of playing every night alongside one of the NHL’s best setup men in Jack Eichel. Also, there are many players across the league who have already surpassed last season’s totals in both goals and assists (Skinner is still 11 assists short of the 25 he had in 2017-18). The 33-year-old Weber? He has 7-9-16 totals after missing the first 24 games this season because a right-ankle injury — followed by a radical procedure to fix it — and major knee surgery on his left knee kept him out of action for close to a calendar year. That Weber hasn’t lost a beat (he had the same amount of points in 26 games last season as he has in 27 this season) is nothing short of a miracle. And it’s no coincidence the Canadiens are 17-10 since he returned. Why he was snubbed: Have to think it was because voters got caught up on ensuring at least one of their candidates fit with the "subpar play" factor. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127802 Websites As usual when you look at streaks in small sample sizes, there’s a bit of a mixed bag here. The Coyotes are doing a better job creating and defending high danger chances, with fewer scoring chances on net Sportsnet.ca / Trying to identify the best defensive defencemen in the overall for themselves and their opponents, but their control of passes to NHL the slot has been worse than before. Overall the Coyotes remain in the negatives basically everywhere at even strength, so while the hot streak is a nice story it probably isn’t Andrew Berkshire January 25, 2019, 12:39 PM signaling a turnaround. Too many injuries to key players has really hurt a season where Arizona has at times appeared to start finally putting things together. When the PHWA released its voting on mid-season awards, it included Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and the “Rod Langway Award” — a fictional category intended to reward the fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the best defensive defencemen. But how do you parse out all the offence to country’s most beloved game. identify who the best shutdown blue liners are? BUY OR SELL Plus, the Arizona Coyotes are on a very successful run heading into the break, so is something changing for the better that may signify a playoff • With a changing of the guard in Edmonton it’s probably unlikely that push in the second half, or is it a blip on the radar? Jesse Puljujarvi is traded even if Edmonton is disappointed in his development. While he has been relatively disappointing he’s just 20 That, and more, in this week’s column. years old and is fourth among Oilers forwards in transition plays per minute and scoring chances at 5-on-5. Doesn’t make sense to give up on SPOTLIGHT PERFORMANCE him yet. The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association released its mid-season • The 31 Thoughts Podcast talked about the possibility of Edmonton votes for NHL awards, and mixed in among them is one that doesn’t being interested in Andreas Athanasiou, which I’m all for. He has some really exist called the Rod Langway, which was to specifically give credit serious defensive inefficiencies but per minute at 5-on-5 he’s getting the to a defenceman who excels in the defensive aspects of the game. 44th-most scoring chances in the league. He’s also creating nearly seven The hypothetical award clearly exists to answer the gripes of those who scoring chances every 20 minutes, the 84th-best mark in the league. feel that the Norris Trophy has often been given to defencemen who Athanasiou has the speed to play with McDavid, too. excel offensively instead of in the traditional aspects of the position. Of • The Ondrej Kase injury news is disappointing because he’s a budding course, most of the best offensive defencemen in the game excel on star player. He’s tied for 14th in the NHL in scoring chances per minute defence too, but I get wanting to shine a light on the blueliners who don’t this year with Sean Monahan and Steven Stamkos, and he’s 10th in get as much credit. scoring chances on net, sandwiched between Vladimir Tarasenko and Ironically, the PHWA recognized Mattias Ekholm as the top defensive Taylor Hall. That’s elite company and shows what kind of potential he defenceman in the midst of the best offensive season of his career. has. Knowing that defensive defencemen were going to be a focus, though, it • A month ago I mentioned there was more than meets the eye with makes sense to look at this analytically, and see who are actually the Carey Price’s struggles, then I broke it down in detail, and he’s only been best defenders this season. better since then. Even without adjusting for quality of shots faced, Price is up to the 10th-best 5-on-5 save percentage in the NHL among goalies Looking purely at defensive statistics, meaning on-ice offence against, with 25 or more games played and he’s ninth in overall save percentage. individual plays that gain or remove possession from opponents or Price also boasts the third-best high danger save percentage in the NHL defend the offensive zone, and puck management, we come up with a bit behind David Rittich and Andrei Vasilevskiy. of a surprising list. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.26.2019 Obviously, with all this information you can’t show everything on one graph, so this may not be overly illustrative, but here are the top-10 rated defensive defencemen so far this year. The statistics I used to come up with these names were the following: High-danger chances against, shots against, shot attempts against, passes to the slot against, defensive zone loose puck recoveries, neutral zone loose puck recoveries, total controlled entries allowed, controlled entries denied, entry denial rate, odd man rushes against, defensive zone blocked passes, neutral zone blocked passes, penalties taken, offensive zone turnovers, offensive zone turnover rate, defensive zone turnovers, defensive zone turnover rate, neutral zone turnovers, and neutral zone turnover rate. Some players like Brett Pesce are on-ice wunderkinds, boasting some of the lowest offensive plays against rates in the NHL, while also having the NHL’s best high danger chance differential at more 66 per cent. Some others are monsters at removing the puck from opponents, such as TJ Brodie, Jared Spurgeon and Shea Theodore. And then there are puck handling wizards who just don’t ever turn it over, like Nick Jensen, Alex Pietrangelo, and Spurgeon again. There are multiple ways to be strong defensively and none of these players are exactly the same. When you remove transition play and offence from the equation, these are the players who stand out most as pure, high quality defensive impact players, with honourable mentions to Niklas Hjalmarsson, Colton Parayko, and Drew Doughty. THE QUESTION Heading into the All-Star Weekend, the Arizona Coyotes are 6-2-2 in their past 10 games. They’re not exactly tearing up the league, but they’re definitely on a bit of a heater considering they were 17-21-2 before this stretch. With that in mind, Steve Dangle asks… “What’s changed in Arizona that has them winning games all of a sudden?” Small samples can see some real fluctuations in performance, but percentages can vary even more wildly for no apparent reason. Is it the percentages or performance for the Coyotes? 1127803 Websites “Because of it he has the puck more, they don’t get caught in their own zone a lot, and he’s been really dangerous in transition trying to play fast.” Sportsnet.ca / How Flames' Gaudreau has evolved from star to superstar Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. Eric Francis | January 25, 2019, 8:48 AM Gaudreau is tasked with entering the zone with the puck, setting up shop and dishing to any number of weapons with a playmaking ability, creativity and hockey sense few can match. Of all the things Johnny Gaudreau has sacrificed to nestle himself in amongst the NHL’s elite, cheese pizza isn’t one of them. Few have more magical mitts and no one in the league is shiftier. “No, non-negotiable,” chuckled the NHL’s third-leading scorer. The main ingredient he’s added this year is consistency – something he’s improved on annually. “After a game playing 20 to 23 minutes I think I can handle a pizza – or at least a couple slices – in my hotel room before I go to bed. He’s a factor in every game now. “Even if it’s one or two in the morning I’ll order a pie. Although radically different players, Gaudreau’s ascent is reminiscent of Jarome Iginla’s breakthrough season in 2001-02 when the former captain “That won’t change.” went from a 31-goal scorer to a 52-goal season in which he won the scoring title and finished second in a close Hart vote to Jose Theodore. Despite the healthy alternatives offered up post-game by the team, Gaudreau’s go-to sharply contravenes the typical athlete’s diet. Flames assistant GM Craig Conroy was Iginla’s linemate that year and said there’s one significant difference between the two dream seasons in From the time he learned to skate with the aid of Skittles as his proverbial his mind. carrot, the Calgary Flames dynamo has been inextricably linked to shaky sustenance. “I’ve always thought Johnny was a superstar and I thought Iggy was a very good young player,” said Conroy, well aware Gaudreau’s next goal In the local quest to determine what the Calgary Flames’ 25-year-old will tie a career high at 30. scoring leader is doing differently than years past, he’s the first to make it abundantly clear his nutrition has nothing to do with it. “When I got here Iggy scored 31 goals, so I knew he was good. But I probably could have named 40 or 50 guys I thought were better. Then at “I like a few vegetables, just not many,” said the way-too-generously- the end of the year I don’t know if I could name anybody better. listed 5-foot-9, 165-pound Jersey native, attending his fifth all-star game in five years. “I would put Johnny in the top 10 every year. “I like green beans and peas and that’s about it. “He’s always doing it – maybe it didn’t translate into points as it is now. But now, holy cow, it’s special.” “I was really picky when I was younger – I’ve grown out of it a little bit now, which is nice. The comparison is an interesting one as Iginla has long credited his late invitation to Team Canada’s summer Olympic camp that year as the “But I still have those tendencies every once in a while to not eat very confidence boost he needed to become Hall of Fame material. well. The guys still give me a hard time about it.” Conroy thinks Gaudreau’s experience for Team North America’s young Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, stars at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey was similarly beneficial. blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley “I’m biased for sure, but I thought he was the best player,” said Conroy. Cup Playoffs and more. “I think Johnny is a competitive guy and with Connor there he wants to Fact is, the lads don’t want him changing up anything, as he’s elevated show ‘I’m here too. He’s not the only guy in Alberta.’ himself from star to superstar. “In my mind he should be in all those conversations with Sidney Crosby, A 23-point scoring binge over his recent 11-game point streak earned Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin and top players in the league like him endless league accolades while carrying the Flames to the top of the Kucherov, but for whatever reason he just didn’t get the exposure. Western Conference. “It took him to do something off the charts and now everyone is paying Results of mid-season voting by the Professional Hockey Writers’ attention.” Association released Thursday landed Gaudreau second in the Hart Trophy race, behind Nikita Kucherov. Flames assistant coach Martin Gelinas believes what Gaudreau is doing this year is part evolution and part motivation. Gaudreau’s 29 goals and 73 points tie him with Connor McDavid and trail the Tampa star by five in a scoring race Gaudreau has only once finished “My personal opinion is our team is maturing and every year our younger in the top 15 (seventh, three years ago). players are maturing into what they’re going to become,” said Gelinas, who credited Peters with giving Gaudreau even more ice time (20:22 on So what has changed? average) than his predecessor (19:25). How has he made the jump from star to superstar? “We always knew he was a special player and now he’s ensuring that and is a little bit older. Now he knows what the league is all about and Gaudreau shrugs off the question, suggesting his off-season training he’s taking charge. regimen was the same, as was his mental and nutritional approach. “He’s playing with passion and some purpose now – he’s going for the “I think I’m shooting a little bit more this year,” offered Gaudreau, on pace NHL scoring lead. There’s some incentive.” for 40 more shots than his career high. Gaudreau says the incentive revolves around what his team now “Obviously Lindy (Elias Lindholm) is a good guy to play with – he’s really believes it’s capable of achieving. helped out our line a lot. He gets me to shoot a little more because he’s got a really great pass and sees the ice really well.” “In college I was part of some good teams but the guys in this locker room care about each other,” said Gaudreau, who will soon eclipse his Indeed, Calgary’s big summer acquisition from Carolina has elevated the career-best 84-point season. Flames’ top line to another stratosphere, helping Sean Monahan and Gaudreau five-on-five and on the power play. “They love to be at the rink. We give each other a hard time in practice and just have a really good mix. Lindholm has added a layer of defensive consciousness to the trio coach Bill Peters believes has translated into more offence. “I think we can do something special here, especially starting with our captain Mark (Giordano). He leads the way for us every night – a great “Johnny’s taken his game to another level and I think a lot of it is because leader to look up to.” his defensive play is that much better,” said the Flames’ first-year coach of his star pupil, who sits a robust plus-20. A man of few words, the soft-spoken Gaudreau has become a leader too, spearheading his club’s surge from 20th and out of the playoffs last year to second overall at the all-star break. “I’m not on the bench but I think every time Johnny steps on the ice he’s thinking we’re going to do something special, and that’s a mindset,” said Conroy of the role confidence is playing in his success. “It’s getting to the point you can’t believe the chances he’s getting and what he’s doing. Breakaway after breakaway, it’s fun to watch. “This kind of stretch I’ve never seen as long as I’ve been here. It’s amazing.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127804 Websites NBA’s Three Point shooting contest, or a woman crushed a ball in a Longest Drive contest on the PGA Tour.

It’s never happened. Not on a stage like this one. Not anywhere. TSN.CA / Coyne Schofield hangs with the boys in watershed Skills Competition “I think today the NHL took a stance, they made that statement,” Coyne Schofield said. “I was fortunate to be a part of a lot of people pushing for it. A lot of hard conversations have been had. I’m fortunate for the Frank Seravalli opportunity and I think it went pretty well.” The amazing thing is Coyne Schofield’s Friday night time was actually slightly slower than her practice run of 14.226 seconds from testing on SAN JOSE, Calif. — Kendall Coyne Schofield owns one Olympic and five Thursday in San Jose, when she arrived off a five-hour flight with no World Championship gold medals, but Friday night was one for posterity. warmup. She can flat out fly. “This is definitely a top three moment in my career,” she said. For Coyne Schofield, a staple on the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2011, she is used to the competition. It was so much more than that. Friday night was a watershed moment for women athletes everywhere, proof that as much as the NHL says it, She broke another smaller barrier as the first woman to play in the hockey really is for everyone. Chicago Pro Hockey League with 80 other pros in the summer of 2018. Coyne Schofield, a Chicago native, met her husband - Los Angeles Coyne Schofield became the first woman to participate in the NHL’s Chargers offensive lineman Michael Schofield - training at a local gym. Skills Competition at All-Star Weekend in San Jose. They went to the same high school but didn’t begin to date until they both Previously, the NHL used the top Canadian and American women stars were in university, where Coyne Schofield won the Patty Kazmaier only to demonstrate the Skills Competition drills. Award as the top female college hockey player in the United States while at Northeastern University. But in a Fastest Skater competition in which the All-Star veterans have bowed out in recent years because they didn’t want to be embarrassed Coyne Schofield’s husband was rooting hard for her Friday from home, by Connor McDavid, Coyne Schofield readily laced up her skates in just like he was in the stands in PyeongChang at the 2018 Winter place of injured Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon. Olympics. A shot at McDavid and the boys? Heck yeah, Coyne Schofield said. But the power of the transcendent moment meant that so too were rivals Bring it on. from the Canadian Olympic team they beat in that gold medal game. “It was a no-brainer,” she said. “My first impression was I can do this. My Ditto little girls everywhere, who will wake up on Saturday and head to speed is my strength. But I knew this was a moment that would break a their local rink to skate with the boys armed with a whole new kind of lot of barriers and change the perception of our game and show support powerful confidence. to our game. It was so exciting.” “I would say to especially young girls, follow your dreams,” Coyne Coyne Schofield, 26, was first out of the gate because, as she said, Schofield said. “Believe in yourselves. There’s nothing you can’t “beggars can’t be choosers.” Chants of U-S-A, U-S-A echoed in the accomplish. I think tonight was definitely an example of that.” roaring Shark Tank. She glided up to the line and took her starting position. TSN.CA LOADED: 01.26.2019 Then the 5-foot-2 fireball turned on the jets. “When she took off, I was like ‘Wow’,” McDavid said. “I thought she might’ve won the way she was moving.” She rocketed off the line like she was shot out of a gun, hitting a peak speed of 24 mph. Her short strides crossed over with a ferocity not normally seen from NHLers at All-Star Weekend. Coyne Schofield skated like she wanted to “prove to the world we belong,” she said. Coyne Schofield proved women don’t merely belong. She beat an NHL All-Star. Coyne Schofield zoomed around the rink at 14.346 seconds, finishing seventh of eight skaters and ahead of Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller, who skated his lap at 14.526 seconds. “She was flying,” Auston Matthews said. “She came out for warmups, was buzzing around, and everyone was taking notice because she just looks fast.” McDavid became the first player to win the Fastest Skater contest in three consecutive years with a blazing time of 13.378 seconds. He reached a top speed of 26 mph, according to the NHL’s new player tracking technology, narrowly edging out the player drafted behind him in 2015 in Jack Eichel (13.582) who clocked 25 mph. It would be my honor! I’ll get to the rink as fast as I can! #NHLAllStar #HockeyIsForEveryone https://t.co/D0FyiQ1uZM — Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) January 25, 2019 “She’s a really good skater and I would say it’s an amazing thing for the game to see her participate like that in an event like this,” McDavid said. As much as McDavid pushed to retain his title as Hockey’s Fastest Man, there was no question Coyne Schofield stole the show. “I was blown away,” said Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato, who was watching from home. “I thought it was incredible and inspiring. She was within a second of Connor McDavid. “We’ve always wanted to be known as hockey players, not women trying to play a man’s sport. This was another huge step forward.” Really, the significance of Coyne Schofield’s performance cannot be overstated. Think about the last time a woman beat the boys in the 1127805 Websites Bad: No Sidney Crosby to go with Ovechkin. We learned a while ago that Ovechkin wasn't coming by choice, but Crosby missed the competition because of illness. He does intend to play on Saturday. But it's never USA TODAY / The good, bad from 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition good for fans when two of the NHL's top three highest-profile players are missing.

USA TODAY LOADED: 01.26.2019 Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Published 1:53 a.m. ET Jan. 26, 2019

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Other NHL players have held the title of the NHL’s fastest player. Connor McDavid actually owns it. For the third consecutive season the Edmonton Oilers superstar won the fastest-skater event at the NHL Skills Competition. He neared nicked the boards on his turn and still turned in a time of 13.378, not far off his best time of 13:02 set in 2017. “Some guys like doing this and some guys don’t,” McDavid said. “Personally, I like doing it. It’s always fun.” What makes this result noteworthy is that McDavid is considered the league’s fastest player. He’s not just the fastest player of the group assembled. If you want a better understanding of how fast he is, watch him jet up the ice with the puck on his stick. What makes his speed more spectacular is that McDavid can make plays while leaving defenders in his wake. Zdeno Chara won the hardest shot competition five consecutive seasons, and it’s possible McDavid could surpass that mark in the fastest-skater category. Unless he is injured, he’s almost a lock to be an All-Star every season. It is unlikely anyone will beat him in the near future. McDavid’s win was among the highlights of the Friday night competition. Here are other good and bad happenings in the Skills Competition: Good: Before the last event, Auston Matthews played to the San Jose crowd by peeling off his own jersey to reveal he was wearing a Patrick Marleau Toronto Maple Leafs jersey underneath. Marleau was a very popular player when he played for the Sharks. Auston Matthews takes off his jersey to reveal one with Marleau's name. San Jose fans are loving it. pic.twitter.com/kcjFXlcpnu — Flintor (@TheFlintor) January 26, 2019 “Last night, I was at dinner with family and thought it’d be a great idea,” Matthews said. “They made a jersey up quick this morning and I had it ready when I went there. He does so much for myself for me and the team.” The crowd responded with a loud ovation. “It was amazing. I wasn’t expecting that. It was a testament to how much of a legend he is here,” Matthews said. “All the cheering got me so nervous, I forgot there were five targets.” Bad: Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen suffering a scary fall when he competed in the fastest-skater competition. If he had been injured, it might have changed how we look at that event. “That was a bad fall,” McDavid said. “It was really awkward. We were all happy he was OK. Credit to him for going back out there and putting up another pretty good time.” McDavid said he always checks his edges before competing in this event. Good: Washington defenseman John Carlson saved the hardest-shot competition by winning with a rip of 102.8 mph. With no Zdeno Chara, Shea Weber or Alex Ovechkin in the event, it lacked star power. But Carlson satisfied the crowd with a mighty blast. It was the first time his shot had been clocked since he was a teenager. Carlson doesn’t put himself in a class with Chara and Weber. He said Chara once broke his shin guard with a shot. “That’s a whole different league,” he said. Bad: Trolls on social media suggesting that the decision to allow former U.S. women hockey gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield to compete in the fastest-skater contest made a mockery of the event. C’mon folks. This is an exhibition, a night of fun, not the Stanley Cup Final. Fans chanted, “USA, USA, USA” as she lined up to skate. Everyone was curious about how she performed. She skated impressively, finishing ahead of Clayton Keller to place seventh. Good: Johnny Gaudreau won his second consecutive puck control title, edging fellow American Patrick Kane by a little more than 1.5 seconds. Did everyone notice how prominent Americans were in this competition? Jack Eichel was second to McDavid in the skating contest 1127806 Websites

USA TODAY / US women's hockey player Kendall Coyne Schofield thrills at fastest-skater event

A.J. Perez and Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Published 10:31 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2019 | Updated 2:01 a.m. ET Jan. 26, 2019

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Kendall Coyne Schofield wasn't just the first woman to compete in an NHL All-Star Skills Competition event. The two-time Olympian was also the first competitor in the opening fastest-skater competition, which was claimed for a third consecutive time by Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid Friday night. "Beggars can't be choosers," Coyne quipped when asked if she'd prefer a spot a little later in the fastest-skater event. Coyne, who wore her Team USA jersey as fans at SAP Center chanted "USA, USA" completed her barrier-breaking lap of 14.346 seconds. “When she took off, I thought she might have won, the way she was moving,” McDavid said. Coyne's time was good enough for seventh out of eight competitors as she finished ahead of Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller (14.526 seconds). Olympic Gold Medalist @KendallCoyne kicked off the Fastest Skater competition in style! pic.twitter.com/4Ug3dpsuja — NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) January 26, 2019 “It’s amazing, her stride,” Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon, whose injury gave Coyne the opportunity to participate, said on NBC Sports Network. “She is so powerful." Coyne was notified earlier Friday that she'd be needed in the fastest- skater competition to take MacKinnon's place. She was already set to attend the competition with Team USA teammates Brianna Decker and Alex Rigsby. Coyne was among the Team USA players who threatened to boycott the World Championships over better wages and other support from USA Hockey. They came to a new four-year agreement in March 2017 and the team went on to secure gold at the 2018 Winter Games. Coyne said "the NHL took that stance" for equality on Friday. "They made that statement," she said. "I was fortunate to be among the people pushing for it. We had a lot of hard conversations I am thankful for the opportunity and it went pretty well.” Coyne's entry also served as a major platform to promote three-game Rivalry Series (Feb. 12-17) against Canada. "You cherish these moments," Coyne said. "That’s that I tell kids all the time. When I was putting on my hockey skates when I was 3 years old, I didn’t think I’d play in two Olympic games, get the education that I received or sitting in front of you here today after being the first women to compete in an All-Star skills competition. It’s amazing what this game has brought me.” USA TODAY LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127807 Websites

USA TODAY / Injured Nathan MacKinnon didn't want to sit out a game, so he comes to All-Star Weekend

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Published 9:16 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2019 | Updated 9:36 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2019

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin believed he needed a break badly enough that he accepted a one-game suspension in order to sit out the All-Star Game. Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon took a different approach. Bothered by a badly bruised foot, MacKinnon won’t participate in the Skills Competition or All-Star Game, but showed up to be part of the festivities. Under NHL rules, if a player takes part in the festivities, even if he doesn’t compete, he doesn’t have to sit out a game. That’s the penalty for players who skip the event. "It’s not broken, just really sore, swollen still. I am not going to force it this weekend,” MacKinnon said. “Also, I like to be here … but I’d get suspended. I was forced, but I do love coming to this. It’s still fun. I’m still the captain. Going to get my jersey and take a couple of pictures.” The Avalanche, barely holding a wild-card spot with a 22-20-8 record, are 3-7 in their last 10 games. MacKinnon didn’t feel like he could afford to sit out a regular-season game. “It’s all good – glad to be here,” MacKinnon said. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is going to play in Saturday's game, but won’t take part in the skills event because he is ill. U.S. women's hockey team player Kendall Coyne will replace MacKinnon in the fastest skater contest. MacKinnon will get time off to rest his foot because the Avalanche are going on their team break. They don’t play until Feb. 2. He said he has looked forward to All-Star Weekend. “It’s definitely lighthearted,” MacKinnon said. “Every day you go to the locker room, it’s very intense, and everyone is pretty focused. But everyone around here is light and loose." Fans at the Skills Competition might be disappointed because MacKinnon is an exceptional skater. Could he have challenged Connor McDavid as fastest skater? “I get killed every year, so I’m happy I don’t have to do it,” MacKinnon said. “Connor is so fast.” USA TODAY LOADED: 01.26.2019 1127808 Websites It’s impossible to know where the talks go from here or whether the NHL or NHLPA will throw a curve ball that would create a more hostile environment. But they are at least starting with some hope or optimism. USA TODAY / Opinion: NHL, NHLPA have started CBA talks on a We really haven’t seen that before. positive note, and that's different USA TODAY LOADED: 01.26.2019

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Published 6:45 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2019 | Updated 6:48 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2019

SAN JOSE, Calif. - In my 33 seasons as USA TODAY Sports’ hockey writer, I’m seeing something I’ve never witnessed before. The NHL and NHLPA have started collective bargaining discussions in a cordial way. Acrimony. Mistrust. Skepticism. That’s how negotiations usually start, and historically they have deteriorated from there. Since 1992, every CBA negotiation has resulted in some disruption to a season. That’s why it is noteworthy that the NHL Players' Association and the NHL are talking constructively about the CBA, even though it’s far too early to draw conclusions about what lies ahead. “The thing that stands out to me the most is that we are able to have discussions with a lack of tensions,” said Mathieu Schneider, the NHLPA’s special assistant to the executive director. “When you start bargaining meetings like we did in 2012, you could cut the tension with a knife in the first couple of meetings and most meetings… (Now) we're able to have these meetings without any tensions, without any walls built up and it’s been very positive.” The current CBA doesn't official expire until after the 2021-22 season, but both the NHLPA and NHL can opt out of the deal in September. They are talking now with the hope of heading off early termination. Commissioner Gary Bettman repeated Friday during his All-Star Weekend state of the game address that he doesn’t want a fight. The league’s message has been that it likes how the current CBA is working. “We are in a place in our relationship where we communicate very well,” Bettman said. “We have constructive and candid dialogue. The players financially, as the league has financially, has never done better. Everyone is going to take a good hard look in terms of what is important and what they may or may not have to have.” The potential sticking point is that players have issues they want resolved. It’s also important to remember that the last two CBA negotiations have resulted in significant concessions by players, including the introduction of a salary cap and restrictions on the length of player contracts. Today, players strongly dislike the escrow system, which allows the NHL to withhold a percentage of their wages to make sure owners and players receive the proper 50 percent share of the revenue. Plus, players want to go the Olympic Games. And there are other issues. That’s why Schneider cautions against reading too much into what happens in the early going. But he does appreciate the early tone of the talks. “I know everyone wants to say there is this optimism out there that never existed or pessimism that it is going to fall apart,” Schneider said. “But it just too early to tell. But frankly as a member of this organization for the past three decades, this is something that hasn’t happened before.” Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the NHLPA-NHL relationship has “evolved to a point far beyond where it has ever been before.” “We communicate well on virtually every aspect of our business and I think our interests are aligned,” Daly said. From the outside in, these negotiations look like it will be about what the NHL will have to give the players to make sure they don’t reopen the CBA. It feels as if it is the players’ move. Schneider doesn’t see it that way. “There is no question that players have given back millions of dollars in the last two negotiations,” Schneider said. “That’s no secret. I don’t think I would characterize it as the ball is in the players’ hands. It is what it is.” Bettman said his hope is that “we are at a place where labor peace can be more important than anything else we need to accomplish.”