SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/27/2021 Islanders 1216490 NHL officiating in the playoffs has been nothing short of 1216511 Islanders’ special team problems cost them in the end haphazard 1216512 Weaknesses Islanders must fix to become 1216491 Will The Bruins Expose Frederic In NHL Expansion ? champs | BHN+ 1216513 was home to all during memorable run: ‘It was our dump’ 1216514 Islanders will quickly face offseason decisions after painful 1216492 What a perfect offseason could look like for the Carolina exit Hurricanes 1216515 Semyon Varlamov’s heroic night not enough for Islanders 1216516 Islanders emotional after crushing loss: ‘It sucks’ 1216517 Islanders-Lightning Game 7 recap: Turning , key 1216493 NHL mock draft: Blackhawks’ 11th pick may become top stats, more pick of 2nd-tier prospects 1216518 Mathew Barzal feels pain of loss for the Islanders' 1216494 Beginning of the end for Blackhawks? veterans 1216519 : Hard truth is that some of these Islanders won't be here next 1216495 Chambers: Stick tap to goalie Semyon Varlamov. He had 1216520 Did Lightning have too many men on ice for winning a better postseason run than his Avalanche successor, Ph shorthanded vs. Islanders? 1216496 Avalanche thoughts and attempted answers to questions 1216521 5 questions for the Islanders entering NHL offseason 1216522 Islanders Fans Welcome Team Back From Tampa after Heartbreaking Game 7 Loss 1216497 Muskets, bayonets and hardtack: The story of Twitter's 'General Tortorella' and 'General Larsen' 1216523 New Rangers coach is craving the Stanley Cup 1216498 Detroit has a checkered past with No. 1 picks, but there 1216524 Rangers GM has a very busy summer ahead have been big hits, too of him 1216499 Long-time Red Wings Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula face uncertain future 1216525 Analyst discusses the struggles (and futures) of Sanheim Oilers and Myers 1216500 Will the Oilers return to the WHL prospect pool in the 2021 draft? 1216526 Mark Madden's Hot Take: Bringing back Marc-Andre Canadiens Fleury would transform the Penguins 1216501 Dominique Ducharme expects to rejoin Habs for Game 3 1216527 Penguins A to Z: Mark Jankowski's second chance didn't of Stanley Cup final pan out 1216502 Cheaper to fly to Tampa than score playoff tickets 1216503 Canadiens's Finnish cohort steps up for playoff run 1216528 Beware, Lightning: Canadiens have success locking up 1216504 Canadiens Notebook: 'Take on this wild ride and have fun top forwards with it' 1216529 No pressure Lightning, but the boss needs you to win in 1216505 Bars and breweries could benefit from timing of five games Canadiens's Cup run 1216530 Montreal marvels: 5 Canadiens to watch in Stanley Cup 1216506 Canadiens's Brendan Gallagher has playoff experience final against Lightning 1216531 Lightning shut out Islanders, head back to Stanley Cup 1216507 Canadiens reflect on Lightning's 'grit' ahead of Stanley final Cup final 1216508 Stu Cowan: Canadiens proving that Dominique Ducharme's system works 1216532 Seven reasons why all of should be cheering for 1216509 Canadiens Stanley Cup notebook: Special-teams the Habs showdown, Ducharme’s journey, Gallagher and Petry get a first ch 1216510 WFAN’s ‘Carton and Roberts’ continue to roll ESPN’s Michael Kay in ratings battle 1216533 Golden Knights loss shows how difficult it is to win Stanley Cup 1216534 DeBoer ‘absolutely’ believes Knights can hoist Stanley Cup 1216535 Knights goalies hope to stay together for 2021-22 season 1216536 Knights’ competitive window remains open despite another upset playoff exit 1216537 What I’m hearing about the Golden Knights’ offseason — pending UFAs, goalies and more 1216538 VGK Season 4: Golden Knights Players Offer Final Thoughts On Coming Up Short Of Playing For Stanley Cup Title 1216539 Here’s How the Vegas Golden Knights Can Add Jack Eichel 1216540 Kempny helps rebuild his hometown in Czech Republic after tornado 1216541 How the Capitals’ bonus overage impacts their offseason Websites 1216542 The Athletic / NHL playoff predictions unplugged: Anonymous scout, coach and exec pick Cup Final winner 1216543 The Athletic / A busted camera and a reminder of life in the ‘duct-tape business’ of NHL broadcasting 1216544 .ca / 2021 Stanley Cup Final Preview: Canadiens vs. Lightning 1216545 24 TOGETHER 1216546 Sportsnet.ca / What the world was like in 1993 when Canadiens last won the Cup 1216547 Former coach confirms Blackhawks management met to discuss alleged abuse 1216548 Beniers rides boundless energy to top of NHL draft class SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1216490 Boston Bruins “That’s not fair. That’s not right. As a player, you would look at yourself first. But you would also look at the kind of direction you’re getting … you’ve got to look at the game plan.”

NHL officiating in the playoffs has been nothing short of haphazard Paul Stewart, the longtime former NHL ref from Dorchester, noted in a phone conversation that officials don’t have regular pregame meetings during the season, but they do in the playoffs. That’s where all kinds of By Matt Porter Globe Staff bugs can be put in their ears — like “No. 11 is cheating on faceoffs,” he said, conjuring an example that would perk the ears of Bruce Cassidy. Updated June 26, 2021, 10:07 a.m. Though the league has denied it, “letting the players play” is a long-

accepted practice. A few seasons ago (2017), the NHL told its men in It’s advisable to steer clear of the yearly playoff officiating discourse stripes to focus on slashes to the hands. That’s how we get what whenever possible. The calls typically even out. The NHL’s officiating this happened in Game 4 of Vegas-Montreal: Joel Edmundson retaliated by postseason has been so inconsistent, so haphazard, that it is an cross-checking William Carrier into the boards (no call), Suzuki hooked unavoidable topic. on the hands (penalty).

In this third round alone, we had a goal scored with seven Lightning “This is an annual event,” Fraser said. “We have one set of rules in the skaters on the ice. We had Islander Scott Mayfield’s pair of cross-checks regular season, and then a whole different standard in the playoffs. on , which sent him face-first into the dasher, and Nikita “Yes, we like to let them play, but when you let the players decide the Kucherov, which knocked the leading playoff scorer out for Game 6. In outcome of a game, which I never subscribed to, then you’re actually as Game 3 of the Montreal-Vegas series, referee Chris Lee missed a high a referee letting things go that could affect the outcome of the game. stick that left bloody. He was standing a few feet away as Brayden McNabb punched Nick Suzuki in the face. “Draw the line. Players will play within it. They’re smart. But if you let the inmates run the prison, the warden might as well take his skates off and You may be thinking of several more incidents left unmentioned. Maybe watch it on TV.” something from the Bruins’ playoff run? Canada’s best Rage against the referees has been a part of hockey since the puck was a chunk of wood and the sticks were fashioned from saplings. There This is as deep as the Canadiens have been in a generation. They have used to be a few cameras in the building, and now there’s a few hundred, not been to the Stanley Cup Final since 1993, when they won the most and we can clearly see what the officials a few feet away miss, as the recent Cup in their (and Canada’s) history. players skate by in a blur. Maybe we should accept that they’re going to miss some bad ones. And they got there on an goal. The last time they went to the Final on an OT winner was … for the sake of anyone who remembers Judging by the numbers, nothing should change. On average, officials 1979, let’s not go there. Already too much discussion of penalties here. call more penalties in the playoffs than in the regular season. According to the NHL, playoff games in the last two seasons have averaged 8.33 But give the Habs their props. They took it to a Vegas team that rolled penalty calls, compared with 7.05 during the regular season. over the West Division, and now we have to question whether the West, not the North, was the weakest division in hockey. The Knights went a But that doesn’t sound right, does it? When the prize is greater, players combined 33-6-1 against the Ducks, Coyotes, Kings, Sharks and Blues, battle harder, empty their tanks completely, finish checks more violently. two of which (Arizona and St. Louis) made the playoffs last year. They Why aren’t there more penalties called? split with Colorado (4-4-0) and went 3-4-1 against surprising Minnesota.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, through a league spokesperson, told Entering the postseason, the commonly held belief was that Colorado, the Globe that players, not officials, determine the calls. Vegas and Tampa were the three best teams, and that an eventual Avalanche-Knights series would be a de-facto Cup Final. But the Avs “Officials are directed and encouraged to call the same standard as in the flunked out, and the Habs shut down that raucous party in the scorching regular season,” Daly said. “That’s always been the case, but it’s been an desert summer. even greater point of emphasis in recent years. What changes in the playoffs is the way the game is played on the ice, and that changes how This, from a team that fired Claude Julien and finished 18th in the officiating is perceived.” regular-season standings. Montreal was supposed to be blown out by Toronto in the first round. But after offing the Maple Leafs in seven Not everyone buys that. (coming back from a 3-1 deficit) and sweeping the Jets, here they are. “It’s different from regular season to playoffs. The refs are letting a little Not enough offense? Young talent too unreliable? Carey Price is washed bit more stuff go,” Vegas winger Jonathan Marchessault said, calling it up? Oublie ça. Forget it. “adversity that teams need to face in the playoffs. Good teams will find a way to go through it. Just have to battle through it. Find a way.” A major key, to this eye: after Julien was fired in February, interim coach Dominique Ducharme — who last week gave way to assistant Luke More bluntly, NBC analyst Brian Boucher tweeted he was “tired of people Richardson because of a positive COVID-19 test — asked his team to crying about officiating. Deal with it!” play more passively in the neutral zone. Similar to the Islanders, the Sure … but … why? Do we want what amounts to a different rulebook for Canadiens play patient and reliable defense, work as a unit, and strike off the postseason? turnovers. They don’t dominate the puck or own the offensive zone. It doesn’t matter. They had 14 different goal scorers, a dozen among the Does it make sense that Connor McDavid can go eight games over the forwards. last two playoffs without drawing a penalty, despite numerous clear-cut infractions against him? Analyst Rachel Doerrie said she watched every Nick Suzuki is making plays all over the ice, showing why Julien liked to McDavid shift from the Oilers-Jets series and counted 30 non-calls. compare him with a Patrice Bergeron-in-training. Shutdown center Phillip McDavid, as you’d expect from the league’s premier talent, had the most Danault neutralized Mark Stone (0-0—0, seven shots) to a degree rarely offensive-zone puck possession time of any player during the regular seen, after having a similar effect on the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews. season, according to Sportlogiq. He earned 53 penalty calls in 120 Brendan Gallagher, after missing the last six weeks of the regular season games, ranking sixth in the NHL. Not one penalty call in the postseason? with a broken thumb, is back in his heart-and-soul role, irritating Vegas stalwart enough to draw consistent attention away from Longtime NHL official Kerry Fraser, who retired in 2010, said the missed the play. Corey Perry is still an on-ice jerk, albeit one with some gas left calls this year have been “troublesome,” pointing to a “regression” in the in his tank. performance of veterans in stripes. Montreal leans heavily on four big defenders (Ben Chiarot, , “This is painful to say, and to watch, because I know all these guys, and and Joel Edmundson), all of whom play 23-25 minutes a night. worked with some of them,” Fraser said on TSN 1050 in Toronto. Jon Merrill (13) and Erik Gustafsson (sub-10) don’t see much action, the “They’re good people. They don’t deserve the kind of work that they’re latter used mostly for power plays. Montreal is 11-0 this postseason putting forth. when scoring twice. While Price has been stellar, he isn’t making a slew of spectacular stops. He’s seeing pucks. It’s a team that blends age (Perry and Eric Staal, both 36; Weber, 35; “What I miss most about the game of hockey is providing inspiration,” he Price, 33) with youth (Suzuki, 21; Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Cole Caufield, wrote. “If I can inspire one person to climb out of their hole, then that’s a 20) and had enough grit to withstand whatever Vegas threw its way. successful trip.”

Caufield, the Habs’ version of Alex DeBrincat, scored four times in the Loose pucks series, including a Game 6 goal that showed his touch, acceleration, and verve. After Vegas netminder shut him down on a Swerve in Seattle: Dave Hakstol, who coached the Flyers (and made a Game 4 breakaway and cracked how five-hole or high glove were pair of first-round exits) from 2015-19 and was a Maple Leafs assistant Caufield’s two moves, the rookie roasted him upstairs. the last two years, is the expansion Kraken’s first . Hakstol did good work with Toronto’s defense (in two years, 26th to seventh in After sitting Caufield for the first two games against the Leafs (and goals against). Bruce Cassidy and Mike Sullivan, among many others, Kotkaniemi for Game 1), Ducharme found one of the breakout stars of would tell you that all you need is a second chance … Gerard Gallant, the playoffs. Game 6 was the ex-Wisconsinite’s 24th career game, his the Rangers’ replacement for David Quinn, wants to coach the “hardest- 14th in the playoffs. Caufield won the Hobey Baker some 10 weeks ago. working team in the league,” which is a thing often said during He can still win the Calder Trophy next year. introductory press conferences. Will GM Chris Drury add a few gritty types to fill out the roster? Are the Rangers a playoff team next season? If Tampa is next, Montreal won’t shrink. They enter the final having killed We say yes, and no … Expecting some team to overpay for Vegas’ Alec 30 consecutive power plays — a league-record 13 straight games Martinez, the defense-first, top-four defender with two Stanley Cup rings without a PPG allowed — so why would the Lightning’s man-advantage from . Same feeling about Tampa’s David Savard and Blake scare them? Coleman, and whichever UFAs the Islanders don’t re-sign on their fourth Abuse allegations line … The Sedin twins are back in , Canucks GM Jim Benning hiring them as special advisers to learn the management side. Think of the Chicago Blackhawks of the 2010s and what comes to mind? “We care about this team,” Henrik said, noting that he and brother Daniel Probably the names of star players — Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, have a lot to learn. Any fresh ideas on how to sign RFAs Elias Pettersson Duncan Keith — and the three Cups they won. and Quinn Hughes, with $15 million in cap space and a roster that currently includes 15 skaters? ... The NWHL’s Toronto Six made a The legacy of that team might be shifting. splashy move, hiring Hockey Hall of Famer Angela James as an TSN recently uncovered stunning claims of sexual assault on the watch assistant coach … Who’s going to be a more interesting TV analyst: of the Blackhawks’ management. The Canadian outlet reported that two on Turner or Mark Messier on ESPN? Not expecting former Blackhawks reported to then-skills coach Paul Vincent in May spicy takes from either ... RIP to René Robert, a member of the Sabres’ 2010 that they had been abused by video coach Brad Aldrich, who went famed French Connection line, who died at 72. Robert gave Buffalo its on to abuse others at subsequent career stops. first win in a Stanley Cup Final game by finishing Game 3 against the Flyers in 1975 with an OT strike in a foggy Buffalo Auditorium … Podcast Vincent, of Beverly, told TSN recently his plea to Hawks management to recommendation: Bernie Corbett’s “Games People Play,” featuring take the allegations to Chicago police was rejected. He says he is willing lengthy interviews with a range of sports figures (including the Globe’s to testify on behalf of the plaintiffs in court. Bob Ryan and John Powers). Hockey subjects include Keith Tkachuk, Theo Fleury, and Eddie Johnston ... Draft trivia: forward In May, two unnamed players filed lawsuits against the franchise, Cole Sillinger, a first-round prospect, is the son of well-traveled Mike alleging the team covered up alleged abuses by Aldrich. Sillinger, who made an NHL-record 12 stops during his 18-year career. According to multiple reports, Aldrich was convicted of abusing a 17- Cole was born during his father’s two-year stay in Columbus … The year-old player in Houghton, Mich., in 2013. He resigned from his aluminum bottles and cans were likely empty — why would anyone position as Miami University hockey operations months before, under waste a drop? — when Islanders fans celebrated a Game 6 win by giving suspicion of “unwanted touching of a male adult,” according to police the Nassau Coliseum sheet a silver shower. Throwing objects is normally records obtained by TSN. a protest, not a celebration, but that’s life at the old barn in Uniondale. “That building coming into overtime was smelling like cigarettes,” mused A former Blackhawks marketing official told TSN that Alrdich would winning goal-scorer Anthony Beauvillier. “Now it smells like beers.” “routinely befriend young interns” and invite them to hang out at his Chicago apartment. The official said he was told to “steer clear” of Aldrich because he had “tried something” with a few players, and that “the entire Boston Globe LOADED: 06.27.2021 training staff, a lot of people knew” about Aldrich’s behavior — it was “open secret,” the official said.

It is a situation the Blackhawks and the NHL must address. Neither entity has commented.

Raising awareness

Got big summer plans? Stephen Johns didn’t, until a couple weeks ago.

The former Dallas defenseman, who did not play last season because of post-concussion syndrome, retired June 13 and announced a new adventure: he’s roller-blading and road-tripping across the US to raise awareness for mental health.

Johns, from Wampum, Pa., reports he traveled from Pittsburgh to Wisconsin in his first week, logging roughly 40 miles a day. He’s on three wheels, with a helmet, elbow pads and wrist guards, and has a friend, Jeff Toates, driving alongside him, documenting the trip and carrying necessities. There has been lace bite and leg burn. In Chicago, the former Notre Dame standout skated to Lake Michigan and did a front flip into the water.

The genesis of the trip was Johns’s battle with depression, which sank him during a 2018-19 season in which he suffered a head injury during training camp in Boise, Idaho. He did not play the entire season. After 22 months away from the game, he returned to play 17 games in 2020, earning a finalist nod for the Masterton Trophy.

Johns recently wrote on Instagram that he was “tired of letting depression destroy my life,” and wanted to provide the same kind of inspiration to those facing their own battles. 1216491 Boston Bruins Exposing Frederic could also save defenseman Jakub Zboril, another 2015 first round pick from walking away for free and help the Bruins keep rugged blueliner Jeremy Lauzon, whom the Bruins clearly were willing to Will The Bruins Expose Frederic In NHL Expansion Draft? | BHN+ be patient with after some tough playoff games.

Sweeney was never asked what went wrong with Frederic in his end-of- the-season Zoom call with the media but did acknowledge that the Published 9 hours ago on June 26, 2021 expansion draft will play a role in what could be a series of changes coming to the Bruins’ forward corps. By Jimmy Murphy “We have tough decisions to make all the way across the board, as does

every team,” Sweeney said back on June 15. “I think we all experienced Will the Boston Bruins expose forward Trent Frederic in the NHL that going through the Vegas expansion. So, you’re going to lose a good Expansion Draft on July 21? player. We’ve come to a decision like we did last time. I think you limit the – maybe the mistakes of adding to that, based on the fact that they put Despite inking the 25-year-old forward to a two-year contract with an themselves in a position. annual cap value of $1.05 million per season on Friday, the Bruins may choose to expose Frederic to the in order to keep fellow The rules are there for their benefit and you just have to try and hope that 25-year-old forward Nick Ritchie and 24-year-old winger Jake DeBrusk. they pick one guy that you might have the depth to replace. Or you have to go to market to replace. But I think we’re going to stick with exposing “That wouldn’t surprise me at all now,” a prominent NHL scout told the one player and move on from that.” Boston Hockey Now on Saturday. “I don’t know what happened when he came back from COVID but I was stunned they didn’t put the kid in Frederic is scheduled to speak to the media via Zoom on Monday against the Islanders. I figured a young kid like Frederic would be the afternoon. Unless he sheds light on what soured between him and exact type of spark they could have used. He’s physical, fearless, and Cassidy down the stretch and in the playoffs, it’s fair to assume that he energetic. I understand that maybe he’s a little too much of those at times could be exposed to the Kraken. but that could’ve been a game-changer if you ask me.”

This scout wasn’t the only one wondering what happened to Frederic Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.27.2021 down the stretch run after becoming an instant fan favorite with his high- octane and physical game. He instantly had the collective heart of Boston Bruins fans when he fought arguably the toughest player in the league, Tom Wilson, twice. While he held his own against Wilson, Frederic failed to hold his spot in the lineup after a bout with COVID and a pattern of undisciplined play.

After not playing in 14 of the final 20 regular-season games, Frederic never cracked the lineup in the Bruins’ 11-game run in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He also went scoreless in 14 of 15 games at one point during the regular season. He finished with four goals and one assist in 42 games.

The NHL Expansion rules state the following about second-year players such as Frederic:

All first- and second-year professionals, and all unsigned draft choices, will be exempt from selection (and will not be counted toward protection limits

As reported here though (with the help of PuckPedia.com), this past Christmas Eve, Frederic is eligible for the NHL Expansion Draft because despite the 2021 season being considered as only his first NHL season, he played 42 games. That’s 15 games more than the pro-rated (from 40 games) minimum 27-game exposure requirement. The 2022-23 season will be considered as Frederic’s third in the league.

With just five goals and nine assists in 40 regular-season games and just two goals and an assist in ten playoff games, DeBrusk is coming off easily his worst pro season yet and is once again the subject of NHL trade rumors. DeBrusk was a healthy scratch four times during the course of the regular season and the playoffs and also had a lengthy bout with COVID. Following his last game spent in the press box during the Bruins’ six-game series loss to the , DeBrusk admitted that this past season had taken its toll and then after the playoffs, head coach Bruce Cassidy said that he, his staff, and Boston Bruins management needed to find common ground with the frustrated winger.

So why would Sweeney expose Frederic instead of DeBrusk? Well besides the obvious that letting DeBrusk, the 15th overall pick in the Bruins’ dismal 2015 NHL Entry Draft showing, walk for free would add salt to the wound of that forgetful draft, he still has value on the trade market. DeBrusk is entering the second year of a two-year bridge deal that carries a $3.6 million cap hit. Should the Bruins decide that parting ways are best for all involved, at least Sweney can salvage a draft pick.

As for Ritchie, he found his niche as a solid and serviceable bottom-six forward that could chip in offensively and utilize his 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame in front of opposing nets. Ritchie was the only player to play in all 56 games in the regular season, scoring 15 goals and adding 11 assists. His one goal and three assists in eleven games weren’t great but Ritchie has found a role on this team. 1216492 Carolina Hurricanes said during exit interviews. “I’m excited. I’ve loved living in North Carolina. The time I had in Charlotte (in the AHL) was great. It was an awesome city. Being able to spend time in Raleigh this year was great, What a perfect offseason could look like for the Carolina Hurricanes learning more about the city and area. Living here and meeting the people. These are some great fans.”

Likelihood to happen: I’d be shocked if it doesn’t By Sara Civian 4. Andrei Svechnikov signs a bridge deal Jun 26, 2021 You get a bridge deal, and you get a bridge deal, and you get a bridge deal …

The Hurricanes have a busy offseason full of uncertainty ahead, and in If owner Tom Dundon has it his way, Svechnikov will be a Hurricane for the face of that, many of you have been reminding me of the “this is fine, life. And as Svechnikov said, he wants to be a Hurricane “forever.” everything’s fine” meme. That much we know. You haven’t been wrong to be anxious, especially before head coach Rod Brind’Amour re-signed ending all the speculation and worrying over That’s why it’ll be so interesting to see his RFA negotiations this his future with the team. Tension still looms, with Dougie Hamilton hitting offseason unfold. It’s almost like a controlled variable in a study of star the market, the expansion draft coming, Andrei Svechnikov’s restricted players against the flat cap. The sense is that Svechnikov, who turned free agency and much more. down eight years at $7.5 million AAV before the season, wants a bridge deal to prove himself even more. If he signs something bridge-y in the But what if things actually — gasp — go right? three-year ballpark range, it benefits everybody.

We’ve gone over all of the worst-case scenarios. Here’s what the best- Svechnikov will be able to grow into a superstar everyone knows he can case scenario looks like, to me: be, and at the end of three years, he’ll be able to make more money (assuming finances are going to improve the further we get from COVID- 1. Rod Brind’Amour re-signs 19) and the Canes might be able to (within reason) identify and plug in I can’t imagine everything on this best-case scenario list getting done, but some holes without completely breaking the bank. you can exhale because the Hurricanes have already taken care of the Likelihood to happen: 2 out of 3 NHL goals (aka Svechnikov’s biggest priority. Brind’Amour signed a three-year contract June 17 — the career stats). same day he won the Jack Adams. 5. The Kraken draft a big contract Need more reason to feel good about Brind’Amour’s return? His recent appearance on The Athletic’s Two Man Advantage podcast with Pierre OK, I know I said the Canes should protect Nino Niederreiter, but that’s LeBrun and Scott Burnside is worth a listen. because I don’t know exactly what’s up their — or the Kraken’s — sleeve. Likelihood to happen: It already happened. Someone please alert that one Seattle fan who lives in these comment sections. If we’re operating on absolute best-case scenarios, we’re operating under the assumption that the Kraken will take Jake Gardiner’s contract 2. Dougie Hamilton re-signs on a good contract off the Hurricanes’ hands. But I don’t see the Hurricanes sweetening the LeBrun reported this week that Hamilton has talked to around 10 teams pot with anything to make this happen — they aren’t in much of a position so far ahead of free agency July 28. The Hurricanes wanted to give him to do so right now. So a realistic best-case scenario might be that the (and themselves) ample time to test the market and see what his true Hurricanes expose Niederreiter, the Kraken take his $5.25 AAV off their market value is before making any decisions. hands, and then the Canes find a good-enough replacement (more on that later). In the real world, you worry if they will find a potential 20-goal “In the end, I think this will have a rather traditional end: Balance scorer for less. Carolina’s best offer at the 11th hour with what may be available on the open market,” LeBrun wrote. “Hamilton has finally found a home in And, of course, all of this is operating on the grand assumption that the Carolina, but how much less would he be willing to settle for?” Hurricanes will actually go out and either re-sign Hamilton or spend to the cap to improve the team. That’s the question of the hour. The Canes don’t want to handcuff themselves with an eight-year, $8 million-plus deal — especially with the Likelihood to happen: Great question. flat cap for the foreseeable future — but where’s the line that would make 6. RFA Warren Foegele is traded Hamilton a must-sign? I dove into his worth and his place on the team here, and I’m a firm believer that when you see a Cup window, Frank Seravalli has reported that Warren Foegele is seeking more sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and overpay — just look at opportunity and ice time, and with a few bottom-six players to sign (and a almost every perennial contender. few still on ELCs), I could see the Canes moving on from him.

Anything less than 7×7 makes Hamilton a must-sign in my eyes, and This could be mutually beneficial. Foegele has intriguing potential that Burnside also had an interesting mailbag question about the situation. He might be better suited to a building team that can afford to give him more said he believes Hamilton is worth about $6 million, give or take, but on ice time (and money). Assuming UFA Jani Hakanpaa is gone, the Kraken the open market he is worth more. I’d say he’s worth around $7 million, potentially take another defenseman and Hamilton might not be back, the and anything higher than that wouldn’t be a “good” contract. I still think Hurricanes are going from deepest blue line in the league to trouble the Canes should re-sign him for basically anything less (in both dollar without taking action. If you can trade Foegele for something decent on amount and term) than 8×8, but $7 million or lower would contribute to a defense — or for a replacement of whomever you anticipate losing in the “perfect” offseason. expansion draft — you probably do it.

3. Alex Nedeljkovic signs a bridge deal Likelihood to happen: 3.5 out of 5 electric scooters.

After the end of Cam Ward’s career and the Scott Darling contract, the 7. Brock McGinn re-signs Canes clearly shifted their goalie philosophy. They signed Petr Mrazek to a one-year, prove-yourself deal — then when he proved himself, they Emotions aside, it looks like Jordan Martinook’s time with the Hurricanes signed him to a two-year deal with a $3.125 average annual value. They has likely come to an end. The Canes just can’t afford to have multiple will not be making the mistake of overpaying or over-terming a goalie in fourth-line players making ~$2 million, and Martinook has to think about the immediate future, and with RFA Alex Nedeljkovic having taken the his family — especially with a newborn. It’s a tough situation, and reins this season, they don’t have to. Martinook wants to see it through, but I won’t blame either side for parting ways if it happens. He’s proved he can be an NHL goalie, and now he’s eager to prove he can be one of the best NHL goalies. Martinook signing elsewhere would make things easier for the Canes — just sign Brock McGinn. He’s clearly one of Brind’Amour’s favorites, “There’s always that little bit of uncertainty when you don’t have a deal. holds his own in huge moments in the playoffs (especially on the road It’s a little different as an RFA since there’s one team to focus on,” he and/or when no one else is) and you never see the man make a mistake. Likelihood to happen: 4.5 out of 5 pucks to the dome.

8. Foegele and the Kraken draftee are replaced with …

You can’t just gift the Kraken one of your most important depth scorers and give Foegele away then do nothing.

We all know that I am a huge Jake DeBrusk believer — do you kick the tires on Foegele for DeBrusk, especially if the Bruins want to re-sign Taylor Hall? DeBrusk admitted he had a down season with five goals and 14 points in 41 games, and he’s due $3.675 million, but I truly believe he is the perfect player for a coach like Brind’Amour and a quick, young system that’s heavy on the forecheck.

If Niederreiter and Foegele are off the books and Foegele’s return is a cheaper, depth player on defense, the Canes have a few free-agent options at the wing. Kyle Palmieri or Brandon Saad probably command less than Niederreiter’s $5.25 AAV.

Likelihood to happen: I’ll believe it when I see it.

9. An above-average backup goalie is signed

The Canes are one of the best teams in the league at squeezing value out of unexpected places, so I trust they’ll be able to find a 1B or at least an above-average backup goalie somewhere, somehow. It definitely needs to happen to round out the team, though, especially if it’s riding with young Nedeljkovic (not to be confused with Young Tro). James Reimer has probably commanded more money with his play over the past two seasons, but the Canes would be golden if they could re-sign him.

Regardless, this will be one of the more low-key interesting developments of the Hurricanes’ offseason.

Likelihood to happen: I’m not worried about it.

10. Eric Staal wins the Cup …

… and that leads to Jordan Staal coming back well-rested and competitive.

Give J. Staal whatever youth elixir, TB12-esque potion you gave him before last season, then add E. Staal bringing the Stanley Cup back to Thunder Bay this summer for motivation. The hope is Jordan’s best season in years (in terms of production) wasn’t lightning in a bottle, and part of that is giving him solid wingers. With Andrei Svechnikov probably fully graduating to the first line next season, the pursuit of a scoring winger is that much more enticing.

The perfect offseason for Staal is just resting up as much as humanly possible to keep up the 16-22-38 over 53 games pace.

Likelihood to happen: Three out of five horses.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216493 Chicago Blackhawks 8. Kings: Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough (OHL)

McTavish was the other surprise in the CSS’s North American rankings, coming in second — behind only Power — despite playing his entire NHL mock draft: Blackhawks’ 11th pick may become top pick of 2nd-tier season in Switzerland with the OHL cancelled. He plays an aggressive prospects north-south game with his husky 6-1, 207-pound frame. The Kings are building a quietly impressive prospect pool.

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST 9. Canucks: Brandt Clarke, D, Barrie (OHL)

Jun 26, 2021, 6:30am CDT Clarke, a reliable 6-2 defenseman, rounds out the increasingly clear group of top nine prospects. The Canucks need defensive help, so they’ll happily accept him falling to the bottom of the tier.

Chaz Lucius of the U.S. National Team Development Program is one 10. Senators: Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea (Sweden) likely candidate for the Blackhawks’ pick. Rena Laverty/USA Hockey’s NTDP Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa are the clear top two goalies this year. Both are likely top-20 picks, but there might not be another goalie taken The Blackhawks’ 11th pick in the upcoming 2021 NHL Draft may end up until the third round. The Senators are a prime candidate to chose one, being the de facto first pick of the second tier. although the Wings at No. 6 and Sharks at No. 7 may also consider them — potentially complicating the top nine. There’s a growing consensus on the top nine skaters, and that group will likely form the top nine picks unless one of the top two goalies interjects. 11. Blackhawks: Chaz Lucius, C, U.S. N.T.D.P. The bad news about that for the Hawks is they’ll miss out on all of those top-tier players unless both goalies are chosen before their pick arrives. If all goes as expected, the Hawks will choose between any of the second-tier skaters, or Wallstedt or Cossa if one or both are still around. But the good news is the Hawks will have a relatively clear idea — in Lucius, Matthew Coronato and Cole Sillinger seem like the most planning for the draft — who will be available at 11th and will be able to appealing forwards. pick their favorite out of that bunch. Instead of navigating a mid-round domino effect leading up to their selection, as they did at 17th last year, Lucius, a 6-1 Minnesota native, is a shoot-first forward who makes sense they may start the domino effect this year. as a complement to Kirby Dach and Lukas Reichel down the road. He scored 20 points in 13 appearances with the U.S. national program this Here’s a rough guess at how the first round might play out on July 23: season despite struggling with injuries, which dropped his stock enough to make him attainable for the Hawks. Lottery picks 12. Flames: Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton (WHL) 1. Sabres: Owen Power, D, Michigan (NCAA) If Cossa isn’t chosen in the top 11, it’ll be interesting to see where he Power isn’t the slam-dunk No. 1 pick that Alexis Lafreniere was last year, lands. Both Cossa and Wallstedt are huge — 6-6, 210 pounds and 6-3, but he’s still widely expected to be the Sabres’ selection. At 6-6, 213 214 pounds, respectively — but Cossa relies on his athleticism and pounds and well-rounded both offensively and defensively, Power is the reflexes while Wallstedt relies on his puck-tracking and positioning. first of many pieces the Sabres need in their latest rebuild attempt. 13. Flyers: Matthew Coronato, RW, Chicago (USHL) 2. Kraken: Matthew Beniers, C, Michigan (NCAA) Coronato, the local Chicago Steel product, would be a fitting selection for The draft looks murky from No. 2 to No. 9, but with centers hard to the Hawks but won’t last long if they pass on him. His well-roundedness, acquire in the expansion draft, it makes sense the Kraken would choose work ethic and proven production make him a safe top-20 pick. one with their first-ever draft selection. Power and Beniers could make the University of Michigan the first U.S. college program ever to produce 14. Stars: Cole Sillinger, C, Sioux Falls (USHL) the first- and second-overall picks in a single draft. Sillinger, much like Coronato, is a well-rounded forward and therefore a 3. Ducks: Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL) safe pick. He’s bigger than Coronato but doesn’t skate quite as well. Sillinger scored 46 points in 31 USHL games; Coronato scored 85 points Many players in the Canadian junior leagues experienced little to no in 51 USHL games. 2021 season but Guenther made the most of his, scoring 24 points in 12 games. The Ducks are picking in the top 10 for the third consecutive 15. Rangers: Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks (Alberta) year. The projected 10th-to-30th range lacks defensemen, boosting the stock 4. Devils: Luke Hughes, D, U.S. N.T.D.P. of the three defensemen — Ceulemans, Carson Lambos and Daniil Chayka — who do fall in it. Ceulemans is the most naturally talented but The reunion of Luke Hughes with older brother Jack in New Jersey would least NHL-ready of the bunch. be a perfect draft storyline, since Luke is unlikely to slip to oldest brother Quinn Hughes’ Canucks at No. 9. Luke Hughes has the same elite Non-lottery picks skating ability his brothers share. 16. Blues: Carson Lambos, D, Winnipeg (WHL) 5. Blue Jackets: Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda (Sweden) 17. Jets: Brennan Othmann, LW, Flint (OHL) A Seth Jones trade would plunge the Blue Jackets into a rebuild, of which Edvinsson could become a big part. Power, Hughes and 18. Predators: Fabian Lysell, RW, Lulea (Sweden) Edvinsson could make 2021 the first draft with three defensemen in the 19. Oilers: Daniil Chayka, D, Moskva (Russia) top five since 2012. 20. Bruins: Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski (QMJHL) 6. Red Wings: Kent Johnson, C, Michigan (NCAA) 21. Wild: Fedor Svechkov, C, Togliatti (Russia) It’d be a shame if Michigan’s banner year of top-10 prospects didn’t result in one being drafted by the in-state Red Wings. Johnson — a flashy, 22. Red Wings (from Capitals): Aatu Raty, C, Karpat (Finland) dynamic center trying to get his consistency to match his highlight reel — surprisingly finished No. 3 in the Central Scouting Service’s final North 23. Panthers: Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawnigan (QMJHL) American rankings. 24. Blue Jackets (from Maple Leafs): Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA (Russia)

7. Sharks: William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden (Sweden) 25. Wild (from Penguins): Isak Rosens, RW, Leksands (Sweden)

Draft-eligible teenage Swedes rarely score many points against men in 26. Hurricanes: Francesco Pinelli, C, Kitchener (OHL) the SHL, but Eklund — with 23 points in 40 games — broke the trend. The Sharks need a youth movement as soon as possible and Eklund, the 27. Avalanche: Wyatt Johnston, C, Windsor (OHL) CSS’s top-ranked European skater, would help that. 28. Devils (from Islanders): Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax (QMJHL) 29. Golden Knights: Sasha Pastujov, RW, U.S. N.T.D.P.

30. Lightning/Canadiens loser: Oskar Olausson, RW, HV71 (Sweden)

31. Lightning/Canadiens winner: Zach Dean, C, Gatineau (QMJHL)

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216494 Chicago Blackhawks Their goaltending is average at best. The defense isn't strong enough. The forwards aren't dynamic enough.

Sure, the Hawks took a step forward last season, but with Kane's Beginning of the end for Blackhawks? contract expiring in two years it's imperative that Stan Bowman makes the right moves this off-season to keep that trend going. Otherwise, don't be surprised if Kane departs via free agency. John Dietz Add it all up -- the lawsuits, the uncertainty in the TV booth, the Follow @johndietzdh mediocrity of the team -- and the Hawks may be right where they were in the early 2000s when nobody cared and nobody showed up. Updated 6/26/2021 6:01 PM We're not there yet. But it seems we're awfully close.

The Blackhawks' future is at a crossroads. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 06.27.2021 From a sexual harassment lawsuit to the announcement play-by-play man Pat Foley will be leaving after next season to the fact the team is mediocre, one has to wonder how long many fans -- and sponsors -- will support this franchise.

The sexual harassment charges were filed May 7 in Cook County by an unidentified player against then-assistant coach Bradley Aldrich. The suit claims Aldrich "turned on porn and began to (touch himself) in front of" the player. It added Aldrich threatened to "physically, financially and emotionally" hurt the player if he "did not engage in sexual activity" with him.

One former player from the 2010 team, in a story Friday in The Athletic said: "Every guy on the team knew about it. Every single guy on the team knew."

According to a report by TSN earlier this month skills coach Paul Vincent told team president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and mental-skills coach James Gray about the incident. Vincent wanted to go to the police, but was deterred.

The Hawks -- according to a lawsuit filed by a person in Houghton, Mich. -- provided positive references for Aldrich after he left the organization. Aldrich was later charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving the student in Michigan in 2013.

The Hawks, who did not respond to a request for comment Friday, previously provided a brief statement to WBEZ that they are confident they will "be absolved of any wrongdoing."

The Hawks announced Foley will no longer be the team's play-by-play voice after the 2021-22 season. While perhaps not a shocking decision to some, it is one that will dismantle the best broadcasting duo in the business.

The 66-year-old Foley belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Chicago broadcasters. He has made some uncharacteristic mistakes the past few years, and offended some fans during the season finale after his flippant comment: "Had I been traveling with the team this year, I might have put a bullet in my head."

Foley quickly apologized after scathing comments on social media appeared.

There's no doubt the Hawks are taking a risk by breaking up the sizzling chemistry that exists between Foley and . I've listened to plenty of other broadcast teams across the country and nobody comes close to what Foley and Olczyk provide.

The analysis. The voices. The wise cracks, followed by gut-busting, howling laughter. Where else do you get that?

Nowhere.

Olczyk's contract ends after next season as well.

As for the team?

Where is Jonathan Toews? We haven't heard from the team's in six months. How is he?

How is Patrick Kane? Is this mysterious injury he was dealing with serious?

And that's just the tip of the iceberg with the on-ice product.

Fans who have watched these Stanley Cup playoffs understand the Hawks aren't close to competing for a title. 1216495 Colorado Avalanche

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.27.2021

Chambers: Stick tap to goalie Semyon Varlamov. He had a better postseason run than his Avalanche successor, Philipp Grubauer

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

June 26, 2021 at 3:41 p.m.

A Sunday smorgasbord of news and views about the NHL…

Statistically, Semyon Varlamov outplayed former Avalanche teammate Philipp Grubauer in the playoffs.

Varlamov, who made 30 saves in the Islanders’ 1-0 Game 7 loss at Tampa Bay on Friday night, was 7-7 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in getting New York a win away from the Stanley Cup Final. Grubauer was 6-4 with a 2.61 GAA and .914 SP with the Avs, who lost their final four games in the second round for the third consecutive year with him in net.

In 2018-19, Grubauer overtook Varlamov as Colorado’s No. 1 guy, and statistics supported that move. Grubauer led Varlamov in GAA (2.64 to 2.87) and SP (.917 to .909) and backstopped the Avs to an 8-0-2 finish to the regular season. But in this postseason, the stats suggest the Avs might have moved on from the wrong guy.

Granted, Varlamov was an unrestricted free agent in 2019. He tested the market and got a sweet four-year, $20 million contract from the Islanders. I don’t think the Avs tried to match that offer, given that Grubauer was a year into the three-year, $10 million deal he agreed to with Colorado as a restricted free agent, and because the Avs felt he was their guy going forward.

East vs. East. The underdog will face the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final, marking the first time two Eastern teams have played for the Cup in 41 years — since the Islanders began their four-year dynasty by beating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in 1980.

Here’s the asterisk: The NHL realigned for the 1981-82 season, and the Western champion has faced the Eastern champion since then. Until this year, of course, when there was divisional play through the second round, then semifinal seeding regardless of geography.

But this isn’t the first time since 1980 that two teams in the Eastern Time zone have played for the Cup. The Detroit Red Wings, formerly of the Western Conference, played a fellow ET-based team in 1995 (New Jersey), 1997 (Philadelphia), 1998 (Washington), 2002 (Carolina), 2008 (Pittsburgh), and 2009 (Pittsburgh).

NHL major-awards announcement week begins Monday before Game 1 of the Cup Final. The Avs have three players vying for three of the five awards.

Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon is a longshot to win the Hart Trophy (league MVP), partly because he’s splitting votes with linemate Mikko Rantanen, who finished as Colorado’s top regular-season scorer. Edmonton center and NHL scoring champion Connor McDavid should win the Hart in a landslide, with fellow finalists MacKinnon or Toronto center Auston Matthews a distant second.

Grubauer probably won’t win the Vezina Trophy (best goalie). I suspect Andrei Vasilevskiy will win that for the second time in three years, with Grubauer and Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury receiving around the same amount of votes.

The Avs’ Cale Makar got my No. 1 vote for the Norris Trophy (best defenseman), which is among six awards voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (including the Hart). But from what I’m hearing from many of my PHWA peers, the 22-year-old Makar will get more secondary votes than firsts based on his age and the belief he’s still no Victor Hedman in terms of two-way dominance at the position.

Look for Hedman, the 6-foot-6 Lightning standout, to win the Norris for the second time, and first since 2018.

But Makar, a modern-day in the making, is set up to win the Norris or challenge for it over the next 10-plus years. 1216496 Colorado Avalanche deal, they will have a harder time signing other guys, like a Saad, and Grubi still has not proven he can take a team past the second round. But if you just let him walk and go with Pavel Francouz as your main guy next Avalanche thoughts and attempted answers to questions year? Uh, yeah, risky and potentially very foolish.

I’m going to bet he stays, but the negotiations could be tough.

Published 14 hours ago on June 26, 2021

By Adrian Dater Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.27.2021

Good Saturday to you all. This will be a day of yard work for me, trying to fix those dead spots in my yard. Thanks to CHN subscriber and noted greenthumb Aaron Hinton for some tips. But I wanted to do an Avalanche Q&A on some pressing questions before getting out the shovel and grass seed.

What kind of contract will Cale Makar get on his next deal – long-term or bridge? Tough question. If Makar agrees to a contract any longer than four years, he’ll enter some of his “UFA years”, which the Avs would have to pay a premium on. That realistically could make his cap hit…gulp…$10 million or more. If he takes a shorter, bridge deal, he almost certainly wouldn’t get that much per year. There’s risk on both sides. If the Avs are locked in to some, say, eight-year deal at, say, $80 million and he gets hurt or underperforms, then the Avs would have a cap liability on their hands. If Makar is somehow allowed to go into his UFA year unsigned, then he could be lost for nothing. I’m going to predict a long-term deal, but in no way am I overconfident about that. I think it makes the most sense from an Avs perspective, though. You want your best players locked up long-term in most instances.

Will the Avs really expose Gabe Landeskog in the expansion draft? As I wrote the other day, this could happen – and it could be a good thing for the Avs. But this all assumes that the team and the captain have an informal agreement on a new deal, after the July 21 Seattle Kraken expansion draft. I tend to doubt this will actually happen, but I’ve run it past some people who, let’s say, will be involved in the process of the negotiations toward a new deal for Landy and the Avs, and they did not shoot it down as a possibility.

Will Brandon Saad somehow come back with the Avs? Based on my talks with sources, I’d put the odds at about 40 percent. A lot could depend on who the Kraken take from the Avs. If they take, say, a Logan O’Connor at a minimal cap hit, then the Avs have problems keeping a guy like him around. If the Kraken takes, say a Joonas Donskoi or a J.T. Compher, both with cap hits between $3-4 million, then suddenly there’s more money in the kitty for a Saad. It’s still going to be tough to afford Saad, no matter what probably.

Will Erik Johnson be back? I think so. Do the Avs love the thought of paying him $6 million each of the next two years still? Probably not. But EJ has a lot of good will with the team and management. And, I still think he’s an effective player when healthy. Yeah, there’s that word: healthy. The Avs could buy out EJ’s last two years at two-thirds of his remaining money, which if my math is correct (a big if) would be a $2 million cap hit spread out over the next four years. I doubt the Avs would do that to EJ, but this also is a tough business.

Will veteran UFAs such as P.E. Bellemare, Matt Calvert, Patrik Nemeth, Devan Dubynk and Jonas Johansson be back? I’d say no on all of them. Maybe Bellemare returns on a shorter-money deal than he had before and maybe Johansson is given a deal, but I just kind of doubt it.

Should Nazem Kadri be traded? I mean, there’s no question his eight- game suspension wound up hurting the team in the playoffs. He could have made the winning difference against Vegas. In fact, I think he would have. But you can’t just trade him out of spite. He’s still a productive player. He’s your No. 2 center until proven otherwise. He’s only got one year left on his contract. If he is dealt, the Avs darn well better have a proven replacement in his role already in mind.

Are there any rookies who realistically could make the team and have an impact next season? Yeah, I think Justin Barron will have a shot as a D- man. A lot of that could depend on whether Ryan Graves leaves in the expansion draft, or if, say, a Conor Timmins is traded. Or, if EJ comes back in full health, etc. Both Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta will still be considered rookies, and I expect them to play a lot next season, and guys such as Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut could realistically play.

Should Philipp Grubauer get a fat new deal to stay? There’s risk here no matter what. If the Avs give Grubi something like a five-year, $30 million 1216497 Columbus Blue Jackets The caricature of Tortorella's former assistant penned his opening message to his wife, Hannah, stating that he "located a large stash of ink and parchment" left behind by General Tortorella and promising he will Muskets, bayonets and hardtack: The story of Twitter's 'General write her as often as possible. Tortorella' and 'General Larsen' "I remain perplexed as anyone that the President promoted the camp boot polisher to lead the forces of the Union, but here we are," the letter concludes. Adam Jardy It promises the start of a new era, one built on the tweets of the satirical The Columbus Dispatch ending to Tortorella's six seasons with the Blue Jackets. That era came to a close on a high note with a final note to Christine signed simply by

"John." There is a world where the Blue Jackets engage in hand-to-hand combat, “As I began to ride out, the deafening silence was broken by the cheers where games are turned into battles and where the command to fire the of the 5th Brigade with cries of huzzah and the chanting of my name. I cannon results in destruction. replied by raising my cap and shouting “FOR THE UNION!, FOR It’s a virtual universe that, for most of the past three years, has had a COLUMBUS!” and then rode off towards the rising morning sun.” leader in General , the “Honorable general of the Union A fitting send-off. and defender of Fort Nationwide.” He has lived on Twitter to chronicle the hopes, victories and, ultimately, the downfall of his real-life counterpart.

The account is the brainchild of James Wells, a 26-year-old Circleville Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 06.27.2021 resident and longtime Blue Jackets fan. The result has been a Twitter account with more than 3,300 followers treated to messages filled with references to muskets, cannons, bayonets and hardtack.

“I never expected it to get as big as it did,” he said.

Like so many others, the idea was launched in a college dorm room. Wells and his roommates at Ohio Christian University were fans of the “Captain Andrew Luck” Twitter account that purported to be the now former Indianapolis Colts quarterback as he would sound writing letters during Civil War times. That led to a thought: what if they were to start a similar one, an account that tied into their favorite team, the Blue Jackets?

With that, a headshot of Tortorella was placed on the body of Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman, and a Twitter account was born. Wells started to channel his own research on the Civil War and history, and the result was a period-heavy, tongue-in-cheek tribute to the coach who would become the winningest in Blue Jackets history.

“It honestly grew my love for the Blue Jackets even more,” he said. “They’ve always been at the top of my favorite-team list, but I became a really, really big fan running this account. All the fan bases have their own social media following and I think the Blue Jackets might have one of the, if not the, best. That community has been really fun to be a part of.”

The key was always to keep the language tied as closely to the Civil War as possible, especially when it came to describing other teams. The Tampa Bay Lightning were the “Spawn of Zeus,” the Toronto Maple Leafs became the “Army of the Blue Maple Woods” and, lacking any real- world parallel, the Detroit Red Wings were referenced as “flying red wheels.” Woods would watch most games, or at least read up on them, and spend 15-30 minutes digesting the result and the key storylines before posting his tweet.

As the 2020-21 season wound down, and the writing appeared to be on the wall for Tortorella, the account reflected the struggles. On the morning of April 27, with the Jackets mired in a nine-game losing streak, General Tortorella reported that his attempts to “harvest lumber” in order to build a new war desk resulted in the head of the ax flying off, slaying a nearby swine and resulting in a list of grievances being nailed to his door.

With the losses piling up, General Tortorella often resorted to drinking to cope.

“I used ‘whiskey’ a lot in my tweets,” Woods said.

Woods had no interactions with any members of the team, even as similar accounts popped up for players that interacted with General Tortorella during the 2018-19 playoff run. The only time the real Blue Jackets recognized the account, Woods said, was when broadcaster Bob McElligott discussed it on his podcast. It’s unclear – and unlikely – that the real Tortorella was aware of its existence.

That was fine with him. The point wasn’t to gain fame or notoriety, only to celebrate his Blue Jackets fandom. That will continue in the next chapter of the franchise, as the account has been updated to "General Larsen" and now has a black-and-white photo of in Civil War regalia. 1216498 Detroit Red Wings Before the pick: Gauthier was a right wing in , playing for the Rosemount Midgets; his moment of fame came in a tournament in March 1964, a few months before the second-ever NHL draft. The Wings had Detroit has a checkered past with No. 1 picks, but there have been big the first pick despite finish fourth the previous year, thanks to a system hits, too that rotated the six clubs into the top spot regardless of record.

In the pros: Zip. Zero. Zilch. As in no games, no goals, no assists, no nothing with the Wings. In 1964-65, this wasn’t a problem for the Wings, Ryan Ford as they finished first in the regular season. (That came before they were upset by the third-seeded Blackhawks in the first round in a playoff Detroit Free Press format that had the 1-seed play the 3-seed and the 2-seed play the 4- seed.)

Detroit’s “Big Four” professional sports teams — the Lions, Pistons, Red The aftermath: To be fair to both Gauthier and the Wings, the NHL draft Wings and Tigers – have combined to win 22 championships over the really wasn’t a thing in the 1960s. There were just 24 picks in 1964, and past 120 years. And though it’s hard to believe, considering the city’s only nine of them went on to make the NHL. Most of the NHL-ready recent playoff drought — the last postseason victory by any of the four, a talent was still under contract with team-sponsored junior teams. 2-0 win by the Wings over the Tampa Bay Lightning came on April 17, Gauthier played a few more years of junior hockey, finishing with 15 2016 — they’ve rarely ended up on the completely opposite end of the goals and 15 assists in 19 games in 1966-67 with the St. Jerome competitive spectrum: Picking first in their drafts. Alouettes of the Montreal Metropolitan Junior Hockey League.

Perhaps that’s why Tuesday night’s reveal that the Pistons had won the 1967 Pistons: Jimmy Walker NBA draft lottery was so surprising. In more than 260 combined drafts, Before the pick: Walker starred at Providence, averaging 25.2 points — the “Big Four” four combined only have a dozen previous No. 1 overall including 30.4 in his final season — 5.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds a game picks. (And no, they’re not all Lions’ picks, either.) over three seasons. The Pistons had finished last in the Western Division We’re still a month away from learning who’ll be the 13th No. 1 overall with the league’s second-worst record, better than only the Baltimore pick in Detroit sports history, so let’s take a look back at the previous Bullets, who finished last in the Eastern Division. The Pistons, though, dozen and how they fared before, during and after their stints in the won a coin flip with the Bullets for the No. 1 pick and went after Walker, Motor City: who was also being wooed by Indianapolis of the newly formed ABA. They won the bidding war against the Pacers with a four-year, $110,000 1943 Lions: Frankie Sinkwich contract for Walker, and announced the deal the day before the draft. The money was big, but Walker may have been swayed by the advice of Before the pick: The Lions certainly earned the No. 1 pick, going 0-11 then-Pistons star Dave Bing, attempting to form his own proto- and getting outscored by 225 points. (That’s an average losing margin of superteam: “I prefer Detroit anyway,” Walker was quoted the next day by 20.5 points; for comparison, the 0-16 2008 Lions were only outscored by the Freep, which noted Bing had spent a couple of exhibition games an average of 15.6 points) Sinkwich was a star rusher and passer at talking up the Pistons to Walker, who added, “He told me I should sign Georgia, winning the 1942 Heisman Trophy and joining the Marines with Detroit. The NBA is the status league.” during World War II in January before signing with the Lions in September. In the pros: Walker struggled early, averaging just 8.8 points and shooting 39.4% in 19.6 minutes per game as a rookie. He shot better in In the pros: Sinkwich led the 1943 Lions in passing (699 yards on 50 Year 2, at 46.6%, but still only averaged 11.7 points a game. Finally, the completions in 126 attempts) and rushing (266 yards on 93 carries). He 1969-70 season brought a serious jump in playing time — to 36.6 also averaged 20.7 yards on 11 punt returns and 25.6 yards on five kick minutes a game — and a serious jump in scoring, as Walker averaged returns and made the All-Pro team. But the Lions went 3-8. In 1944, 20.8, 17.6 and 21.3 points per game over the next three seasons, making Sinkwich was even more of the Lions’ offense — he attempted 148 the All-Star team in 1970 and ’72. passes (second-most in the NFL) and rushed 150 times (third-most) — as he earned another All-Pro nod and the league’s MVP award. The aftermath: The Pistons missed the playoffs in four of his first five seasons, making it only in his rookie season. They dealt him to the The aftermath: Released from the Marines in 1943, and later the Coast Houston Rockets for Stu Lantz in August 1972; Walker played four more Guard, because of flat feet, Sinkwich was nabbed by the Army in 1945. seasons in the NBA with the Rockets and Kings before retiring. But his His posting: playing football with the Second Army Air Force squad. lasting contribution to Detroit — and Michigan — arrived When the war ended, he opted to jump to the NFL’s competitor, the All- nearly six months after he left town: son Jalen Rose. Despite never Conference, for a better contract with the New York meeting his father, Rose starred in basketball first at Detroit (football) Yankees. “Fireball Frankie” wasn’t quite as fast, however, and Southwestern, then as part of Michigan’s “Fab Five” in the 1990s before he lasted just two seasons before retiring. playing 13 seasons in the NBA. 1950 Lions: Leon Hart 1970 Pistons: Bob Lanier Before the pick: Hart, a two-time All-American end at Notre Dame, won Before the pick: Lanier starred at St. Bonaventure, averaging 27.6 points the 1949 Heisman Trophy for his skills as a receiver and as a blocker. and 15.7 rebounds a game while shooting 57.6% from the field and The Lions, meanwhile, went 4-8 in 1949; not the worst in the NFL, but leading the Bonnies to the Final Four in his senior year. The Pistons, they were given a “bonus pick” giving them the rights to Hart. With the meanwhile, finished with the NBA’s third-worst record, but last in their merger of the NFL and AAFC before the 1950 season, that morphed into division, and won the ensuing coin toss with the Rockets. (With the No. 2 the “No. 1 pick” after much campaigning behind the scenes. pick, the Rockets would end up taking Michigan star — and Hamtramck's In the pros: Hart became an instant threat for the Lions in the passing own— Rudy Tomjanovich.) game, with a 16.3 yards-per-catch average that ranked 10th in the In the pros: Over 9 ½ seasons, Lanier averaged 22.7 points, 10.1 league. The following year, he had 12 touchdown catches and made the rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and made seven All-Star teams. He Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams. With Hart in the lineup, the Lions won titles averaged a double-double in seven of his nine full seasons with the in 1952, ’53 and ’57 (and lost the title game in ’54), though he moved Pistons, missing the mark only as a rookie — still making the first team from end to fullback in 1955. All-Rookie squad — and 1978-79, when injuries limited him to 53 games. The aftermath: Hart retired after the 1957 season, finishing with 3,111 The aftermath: As the Pistons returned to the cellar in the later years of yards from scrimmage in the NFL, on 317 touches. A Pennsylvania his career, Lanier requested a trade to a contender. They sent him to the native, he raised his family in the Detroit suburbs. One of his five sons, Milwaukee Bucks, where he played his final 4½ seasons while averaging Kevin, went on to play on Notre Dame’s 1977 national championship 13.5 points a game. Milwaukee won its division every year with Lanier, team after being named the captain of the Free Press’ 1974 Dream but never advanced past the conference finals. Lanier was inducted into Team. Kevin Hart is still considered one of the state's best offensive the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. linemen of the past 50 years. 1977 Red Wings: Dale McCourt 1964 Red Wings: Claude Gauthier Before the pick: The Red Wings won 16 games in 80 tries and finished The aftermath: Murphy won a Stanley Cup with Edmonton in 1990, with 13 points behind the 18-team NHL’s next-worst team (the Colorado 14 points in the playoffs. But the Oilers dealt him to Chicago in 1992. Rockies, who would move to New Jersey in 1982). Their reward was one From there, he went on to play in St. Louis, San Jose, Boston and of in juniors: , Robert Picard or McCourt, who Washington, wrapping things up in 2001 with 528 points in 779 career averaged 56 goals and 79 assists a year over three seasons in juniors. games. After that, though, he dropped off the grid, becoming homeless in As early as April, it was clear the Wings and GM were Canada. leaning toward McCourt: “McCourt is a fine centerman, he just reminds you of (Stan) Mikita a lot,” Lindsay told the Freep. “He just makes it 1997 Tigers: Matt Anderson happen and he’s got great strength. The other two men are big men that Before the pick: The Tigers’ first season since the 1970s without Sparky are defensemen.” Anderson as manager was a bust. They started 8-8 under new manager In the pros: McCourt was ready to play right away, with 33 goals, 39 Buddy Bell, then finished with a 45-101 stretch to end up with 14 more assists and a plus-10 rating while finishing fourth in the rookie of the year losses than any other team. Matt Anderson, meanwhile, was arguably voting. He delivered a big boost to the Wings’ fortunes as well, as they the most dominant — and MLB-ready — college pitcher available, went from 41 points to 78 points and a playoff spot. McCourt’s second posting a 1.82 ERA with 97 strikeouts over 74⅓ innings of relief for Rice. season was a step back, but understandably so due to off-ice issues: In In the pros: Contract negotiations with Anderson went to Dec. 23, the offseason, the Wings signed goalie away from the L.A. meaning Anderson didn’t pitch again until 1998. But Anderson zoomed Kings, who were then awarded McCourt as compensation. McCourt through spring training, allowing no runs and striking out six in 5⅔ innings fought the compensation rule in court and won early in the 1978 season, at TigerTown. He started in High-A, where he allowed two earned runs making him pretty popular with teammates such as left winger Nick over 26 relief innings, then allowed one earned run over 15 relief innings Libett: “It’s the best thing that ever happened to the players of the in Double-A. The Tigers called him up in late June and he was arguably . I think it’s just great.” (The Wings instead sent the team’s most valuable reliever the rest of the season, with a 3.27 ERA two first-round picks to L.A. — the first of which became future Hall of and 44 strikeouts in 44 innings. But it all fell apart for Anderson the next Famer Larry Murphy.) In Year 3, McCourt was named Wings captain and season, as a mysterious “pitching flaw” led to an ERA over 6 in the had 30 goals and 51 assists. He added another 30 goals and 56 assists majors and a demotion to Triple-A. Anderson eventually returned to the in his fourth season before the Wings traded him to Buffalo (and then- majors — the Tigers had too much sunk into him — but never figured it Sabres GM ) in December 1981. out, In the five seasons after his rookie year, Anderson had a 5.24 ERA The aftermath: McCourt lasted just over than a season and a half with over 202⅔ innings, and suffered a muscle tear in his right shoulder, the Sabres —with 98 points in 119 games — before they bought him out destroying his velocity. and he signed with the Maple Leafs early in the 1983-84 season. His final The aftermath: Anderson made 12 appearances in 2005 with the NHL season, with 20 goals and 27 assists in 77 games with the Sabres Colorado Rockies, then spent six more years attempting a , and Leafs, came at age 27. including stints in the organizations of the San Francisco Giants, Chicago 1980 Lions: Billy Sims White Sox and, finally, the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011, all without returning to the majors. Before the pick: The Lions won just two games in 1979: Week 4 vs. the Falcons by one poit and, somehow, a 20-0 rout on Thanksgiving vs. the 2009 Lions: Matthew Stafford Bears. Sims, you might have guessed, had a slightly happier 1979, Before the pick: A three-year starter at Georgia, the childhood teammate rushing 224 times for 1,506 yards and 22 touchdowns for Oklahoma en of MLB’er Clayton Kershaw did some of his own, throwing for route to a runner-up finish in the Heisman voting, That came a year after 7,731 yards and 51 touchdowns. That included 3,459 yards in 13 games he won the Heisman after rushing 231 times for 1,762 yards and 20 as a senior, when he led the Bulldogs to a bowl win over Michigan State touchdowns in 12 games. on New Year’s Day. That, of course, was one more win than the Lions In the pros: Sims debuted with 153 yards rushing and three touchdowns had in all of 2008, as they became the first NFL team to go 0-16 in a on 22 carries vs. the L.A. Rams, and Detroit was in love. Picking up single season. another 134 yards in Week 2 against the Packers didn’t hurt, either. The In the pros: Injuries limited Stafford to 13 games played over his first two Lions jumped out to 4-0 with Sims averaging 6.4 yards a carry. He seasons combined. But in Year 3, Stafford became the fourth finished the season with just over 1,300 yards, a league-high 13 rushing quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, and the TDs, a Pro Bowl nod and the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award; the Lions made the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Stafford passed for Lions, meanwhile, finished 9-7, for their first winning record since 1972. at least 4,000 yards in seven of the next nine seasons — becoming the Sims' follow-up campaign brought 1,437 yards rushing and 13 NFL’s highest-paid player for a while — as the Lions made the playoffs touchdowns in 14 games. Labor issues in 1982 held Sims to 639 yards twice more without a postseason win. In October 2019, Stafford reached as the Lions only played nine games, but 1983 brought another 1,000- 40,000 passing yards, becoming the 21st QB to do so, and doing it in the yard season. Sims appeared to be hitting a new level in 1984 with five fewest games. 100-yard games in his first eight, but then, tragedy: On Oct. 21, a few plays after setting the franchise’s career mark for rushing yards, Sims The aftermath: A little more than two years later, after multiple injuries, shredded his knee on a run against the Vikings in Minneapolis. Stafford requested a trade to a contender. The Lions obliged, sending him to the Rams for a package that included younger QB Jared Goff and The aftermath: Sims was determined to make a comeback telling the multiple first-round draft picks. Stafford is set to suit up against his former Free Press in a news conference the day after his surgery: “I'll be ready team on Oct. 24, 2021. in 1985, you can count on that. I've been throwed and kicked by horses and cows and I've always come back. I'll come back from this, too." 2018 Tigers: Casey Mize Nearly two years later, Sims announced his retirement. Before the pick: Mize went from undrafted as a high-school senior to the 1986 Red Wings: Joe Murphy consensus top prospect on the strength of his sophomore and junior seasons at Auburn, where he had 255 strikeouts and a 2.77 ERA over Before the pick: After making the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the 198⅓ innings. The Tigers, meanwhile, went 21-49 — a .300 winning first time since the 1960s, the Red Wings lost star center percentage — after trading J.D. Martinez away on July 18, 2017. The for nearly 30 games with a broken collarbone and collapsed, back into deal signaled the beginning of a rebuild; the Tigers later traded Justin the 1970s-era “Dead Wings” phase of the 1970s, with a 17-57-6 record Verlander away and finished with a 64-98 record. that was 14 points worse than the next-worst team in a 21-team NHL. Meanwhile, Murphy starred for Michigan State, putting up 24 goals and In the pros: Mize struggled in four 2018 appearances in High-A after 37 assists in 35 games as the Spartans won the 1986 NCAA title. signing in late June. But in 2019, he dominated High-A with a 0.88 ERA, then threw a no-hitter in his first Double-A start. ’s shortened In the pros: Murphy made it into five games in his first season, all in 2020 season — and the cancellation of the minor leagues — slowed October, then was sent to the AHL, where he had 21 goals and 38 Mize’s MLB debut, but only for a couple months. He joined the Tigers in assists in 71 games. He spent most of the 1987-88 season with the mid-August 2020, and struggled, posting a 6.05 ERA in his first 12 starts Wings, scoring 10 goals with nine assists. He only played 35 more (and 55 innings) of 2020 and 2021 combined. Since May, however, Mize games with the Wings, with four goals and eight assists before a has a 2.91 ERA in 55⅔ innings. November 1989 trade to Edmonton in a package for , the Grosse Pointe Woods product who’d been 1986's No. 2 pick. The aftermath: To be determined. 2020 Tigers: Spencer Torkelson

Before the pick: Torkelson homered 54 times in a little more than two seasons at Arizona State, including 25 as a freshman — breaking Barry Bonds’ freshman school record. The 2019 Tigers could’ve used Barry Bonds, even as the 55-year-old he would have been; they lost 114 games and finished last in the AL in nearly every major offensive category.

In the pros: The coronavirus pandemic stalled Torkelson's pro debut until May 2021. He struck out 11 times in his first five games with High-A West Michigan, but in 35 games since — at West Michigan and Double-A Erie — the 21-year-old has a slash line of .232/.432/.629 with 24 walks and 23 strikeouts.

The aftermath: To be determined. 1216499 Detroit Red Wings

Long-time Red Wings Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula face uncertain future

Posted Jun 22, 2021

By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

The only players from the Detroit Red Wings’ most recent Stanley Cup championship team who played in the NHL this season face an uncertain future.

Darren Helm and Valtteri Filppula have played a combined 1,335 games for the Red Wings but might have appeared in their final game for the organization.

Filppula, 37, almost surely won’t be re-signed. It remains to be seen whether Helm, 34, will be offered another contract.

Helm said late in the season that he wants to continue playing. He spent most of the season on an energy line with Luke Glendening and Adam Erne, the club’s most consistent and effective combination.

Glendening, an unrestricted free agent, seems likely to re-sign with the only NHL club he has known. Erne, a restricted free agent who experienced his best season (11 goals, 20 points), likely will be signed to a multi-year deal.

The Red Wings might swap out Helm for a younger player like Givani Smith. He doesn’t possess Helm’s speed or checking ability but brings a different dimension with his physical play and net presence. Smith no longer is waiver-exempt in 2021-22, so he will be on the Red Wings roster.

Helm had three goals and five assists in 47 games and remained a regular in the lineup after it appeared at the start of 2019-20 that his role would be diminished.

“I’ll go back a year ago, Darren sat in my office going into Game 1 and was going to be a healthy scratch,” coach Jeff Blashill said after the season finale. “He took that and listened to it and probably didn’t agree with it and just went to work. There was an injury and he ended up playing. I really never considered healthy scratching him since that time.”

Blashill was effusive in his praise for Helm, a fifth-round pick in 2005 (132nd overall) who made his NHL debut on March 13, 2008.

“Darren’s got incredible work ethic, incredible care level,” Blashill said. “Nobody looks at the information we give our players more than Darren Helm -- pre-scouts, videos, all that stuff. He wants to know everything. He’s an excellent pro. He’s got an unbelievable routine he goes through every game and that’s why he’s had a longevity of success.

“His compete level and work ethic matter. They make him a very effective player and ultimately, he was a big part of that penalty kill at the end of the year that did an excellent job. I think the world of Darren and what his work ethic and compete mean.”

Filppula returned to the Red Wings in 2019, after five seasons with Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and the New York Islanders. He didn’t pan out in his second stint in Detroit, posting a minus-42 rating in 2019-20 and being a healthy scratch in 14 consecutive games from March 2 to April 1. But injuries provided an opportunity over the final five weeks and Filppula took advantage with four goals and 10 points in 17 games.

“Val’s been a real good player in this league and has been a real good Red Wing at different points; the early part of his career he was an excellent Red Wing for a long time,” Blashill said of the club’s third-round pick in 2002 (95th overall). “Val did go a long stretch without playing. That’s not easy, especially when you’re somebody who has played with the longevity that he’s played.

“What he did on a daily basis was come in and work and be a good example to the young players. He didn’t do it for me. He did it for the team and for himself. And he really did play his best hockey at the end of the year.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216500 Hockey players aren’t wired that way, and every word from the player is laser-focused on bringing the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton.

The WHL in the 2021 draft Will the Oilers return to the WHL prospect pool in the 2021 draft? The reason I brought up the idea of urgency is the possibility that Edmonton uses its first-round selection on a goaltender. It could happen By Allan Mitchell and would be an ironic bookend to the last Oilers selection from the WHL: goaltender Stuart Skinner in the third round of the 2017 draft. Jun 26, 2021 Sebastian Cossa has delivered two impact seasons for the of the WHL and may be available when Edmonton makes its selection at No. 19 in the first round of the 2021 draft. From 2008 through 2017, a period of 10 years, the Edmonton Oilers drafted one dozen forwards out of the WHL. I wrote about Cossa in early June, concluding that choosing him in the first round would be justified based on his talent. No NHL team is thrilled The organization was repaid handsomely, with names like Leon Draisaitl, about passing on skilled skaters in the first round, but if Cossa is a real Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and finding their way to NHL No. 1 NHL goaltender, the investment would be a bargain down the line. success. I believe there’s a good chance Edmonton selects Cossa if he falls to In the past three NHL drafts, the Oilers organization has passed on the them. league entirely. In a 40-plus year sample of drafts, that’s unusual, considering the club has drafted 18.8 percent (74 of 394) of its total talent Other possible choices at No. 19 for the Oilers include Logan Stankoven, from the western league. a small (5-foot-8, 170 pounds) scoring forward for the . He scored seven goals in six games during the 2020-21 season and was The ghosting of the WHL began in 2018, before the arrival of general a 29-goal man (in 59 games) in 2019-20. Although he lost playing time manager Ken Holland and director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright. due to the shortened season, it’s a safe bet he would have cleared the Have the Oilers moved on from the WHL or is this a coincidence? Will point-per-game threshold by some distance in his draft year. His 31 shots the team draft from the WHL pool in 2021? on goal this season (5.16 per game) suggest the team drafting Stankoven will get a volume shooter. He was 58 percent in the faceoff The Oilers and the WHL since 2011 dot during 2020-21, but he may play his pro career on the wing.

• Total players drafted by NHL teams, 2011-20: 2,133 Right-handed centre Ryder Korczak of the is a slightly undersized (5-11, 170) skill centre who would be a slight reach at • Total WHL players drafted by NHL teams, 2011-20: 311 (14.6 percent) No. 19. He’s a quality playmaking pivot who posted 3-13-16 in 16 games • Total players drafted by Edmonton, 2011-20: 67 this season after going over a point-per-game in 2019-20.

• Total WHL players drafted by Edmonton, 2011-20: 12 (17.9 percent) Corey Pronman has Cossa in the top 10, Stankoven in the first round and Korczak in the early third round of his 2021 rankings for The Athletic. In the past 10 seasons, the Oilers have chosen two more players from Pronman has been making astute judgments on draft prospects for a the WHL than the league average. The top end of those one dozen decade and never fails to bring exceptional value and thoughtful analysis names were draft home runs, but there were several others who didn’t to his ranking. He has knowledge and a flair for language that makes his cover the bet. Since 2015, the club has enjoyed more success, including rankings a must-read. two impressive selections outside the top five. Scott Wheeler has Cossa and Stankoven inside the top 20, and Korczak Ethan Bear and Kailer Yamamoto are in good position to join Nugent- inside the top 60 for his 2021 draft list at The Athletic. His breakdowns of Hopkins and Draisaitl, with Tyler Benson and Stuart Skinner still players’ individual talents offer real insight into how a player might make matriculating. Edmonton did invest time in analytics after the 2013 draft, the NHL and what he’ll bring. Reading Wheeler gives you an appreciation perhaps in reaction to drafting forwards with higher picks (Travis Ewanyk, for what scouts are looking for and why they’ll fight hard for a player in Mitch Moroz) who were predictably unable to deliver enough offence to those scouting meetings. His uncovering of Evan Bouchard and Raphael make it to the NHL. Lavoie, and what makes them unique, was a real education in each man’s draft year. NHL roles Later rounds Getting value from draft picks means recognizing the success in drafting Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl came via losing seasons and high picks. I’m not a scout but do know that math does a very good job at predicting Getting it right is important, and in the case of Draisaitl, the scouting staff NHL success and exposing inefficiencies in modern scouting. Some deserves full credit, but if a team is spending precious assets in a league teams pay close attention to scoring success in draft-minus-one and draft where local knowledge should be available easily, then depth picks who years, but there is bias that comes with smaller players or prospects who cash should be part of the story. skate well but are not quick off the mark.

Bear has played a top-four role for much of his NHL career, including Often these players fall deep in the draft or go undrafted altogether, and most of 2019-20 when he was top pair with Darnell Nurse. Yamamoto that’s where a team like Edmonton, in need of skill, might be able to take has been locked in on one of the top two skill lines since January 2020. advantage. Andrew Mangiapane was here in 2014 and in 2015. This isn’t Those two players, chosen outside the top 15, are exactly the kind of magic; it’s math. assets Edmonton needs.

Urgency The Athletic LOADED: 06.27.2021 One of the themes many Oilers fans have adopted as gospel is the idea that the Oilers are on an apocalyptic timeline that ends with Connor McDavid requesting a trade. Fans who buy the premise believe trading Edmonton’s first-round pick for immediate help is the play and any player chosen with the pick has to be on a fast track to the NHL. The idea of drafting a goalie runs exactly counter to this process.

I am extremely doubtful McDavid requests a trade during his contract, but even if he did, Holland can’t run his organization in fear of it. Besides, everything McDavid has said or done since arriving in the city has been exemplary and team-focused. It’s a disservice to the player, in my opinion, to suggest he has a planned Armageddon based on how close the organization can come to a Stanley Cup in the next season or two. 1216501 Montreal Canadiens While unable to soak up the moment in person, the Canadiens made sure to patch him through via video link after the Game 6 triumph over the Golden Knights.

Dominique Ducharme expects to rejoin Habs for Game 3 of Stanley Cup “We battled a long time to get there,” Ducharme said. “I was so happy. I final would’ve liked to have been there to celebrate with everyone, but we have more ahead of us in the next round.

Staff Report “We want to have our biggest celebration at the end.”

The Canadiens face another mountain to get there in the defending champs - a team that suffered through a string crushing disappointments Dominique Ducharme is doing his best not to look at the calendar. before finally lifting the Cup last year.

And even still, the days are passing much slower than normal. “When we talk about adversity, they faced adversity,” Ducharme said of Tampa, which lost in the 2015 final, the third round in both 2016 and The Montreal Canadiens interim head coach, who tested positive for 2018, and was swept to open the 2019 playoffs after winning the COVID-19 prior to Game 3 of their semifinal against the Vegas Golden Presidents’ Trophy. “They went through some ups and downs, learned Knights, was hoping to avoid a full 14-day quarantine and be back behind from it, and last year they won. the bench before the series concluded. “There’s a reason why, and they’re back.” That didn’t happen - his team still pulled off another stunning upset that culminated with Thursday’s 3-2 overtime victory in Game 6 - and One of the series keys will be the showdown between a Lightning power Ducharme was forced to watch the edge-of-his-couch affair at home. play clicking at 37.7 per cent in the playoffs and a Canadiens penalty kill backstopped by Carey Price that hasn’t surrendered a goal in 13 games. He’ll be in the same spot when the Canadiens open their first Stanley Cup series since 1993 on Monday versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, but “Everybody’s doing what they’re supposed to do at all times,” Montreal the 48-year-old is targeting a Game 3 return four nights later when the winger and Game 6 overtime hero Artturi Lehkonen said. “Your best series shifts to Montreal. penalty killer is in the net. Pricey has been on unbelievable.”

“It’s like looking at your watch too often (and) it looks like time doesn’t go “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” Lehkonen added by,” Ducharme said Saturday on a video conference call. “I’m trying to be of Tampa. “We’ve got a lot of confidence.” as busy as I can and watch a lot of video and help the guys get ready.” Ducharme said it’s important a man-advantage unit that runs through The surprising June 18 test result came nine days after the Canadiens Nikita Kucherov doesn’t get into a rhythm. received their second vaccine doses — short of the two-week threshold when individuals are deemed fully vaccinated. “If you give them a lot of reps, at some point they’re going to feel better and possibly find a solution,” he said. “Once we have a penalty to kill, we But the bad luck and poor timing don’t have Ducharme down. have to make sure that we do it well, but that we don’t give up another chance quickly.” Watching games on TV is like doing video work in real time, but for a coach who makes a point of having regular one-on-one conversations The Canadiens know what’s ahead of them. with players, the separation has been a challenge. Their opponent is once again the betting favourite - just like the last three “That’s the toughest part,” Ducharme said. “Not being close to the guys rounds - and they couldn’t care less. or being able to just have a little chat.” “It’s going to be a tough challenge,” Ducharme said. “But in the final, it’s The irony of the situation is his systems, which took a long time to supposed to be that way. implement due to a lack of practices during a condensed schedule, have finally taken hold - and he isn’t there to witness it in the flesh. “We’ll be ready to go Game 1.”

“Our guys are not thinking,” he said. “They’re just executing, they’re just He won’t be there, but the calendar will have flipped, inching Ducharme playing. That’s what we wanted to create ... things to become automatic closer to a return. and just become second nature.” “I just can’t wait to come back,” he said. “I’ll appreciate everything after, The Canadiens haven’t missed a beat with steering the when we’re done. ship alongside fellow assistants Alexandre Burrows and Sean Burke. “Especially if we win.”

Ducharme, who speaks with the team virtually and is in contact with his coaches between periods, trumpeted the collaborative effort against Vegas that resulted in Montreal going 3-1 after he was sidelined by the Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.27.2021 coronavirus.

“Great job,” said the coach. “We’ve worked together as a group. We always talk about every situation, and it’s been like that every day.

“I needed to step back, and they just took that and kept moving forward.”

Following a trying 56-game pandemic season that included a strong start, coaching change, COVID-19 outbreak and a rash of injuries, the 18th- ranked Canadiens limped into the playoffs mostly as an afterthought outside their locker room.

But something clicked with the team down 3-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round.

“We just found the right way to play,” Montreal centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi said. “It’s simple, fast and hard.”

The Canadiens roared back to stun their rival in seven games, swept the to capture the one-time-only North Division crown and bested Vegas - a team 23 points clear in the standings to advance to the franchise’s first final in 28 years.

“We’ve been locked down here for a week,” said Ducharme, who’s isolating with his girlfriend. “Having the team going through that round and talking with the coaches, the players ... it’s easier that way.” 1216502 Montreal Canadiens

Cheaper to fly to Tampa than score Bell Centre playoff tickets

Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 26, 2021

It might be cheaper to hop on a plane to Florida and buy two tickets for the Montreal Canadiens’s Stanley Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning than to try to score seats at the Bell Centre.

An online search Saturday evening turned up resale tickets for Game 1 at Tampa’s on Monday starting at US$439.88 and going up to US$10,000 per ticket — which, granted, seems crazy.

That is, until you consider resale tickets for Game 3 at the Bell Centre on Friday begin at $4,473 and skyrocket to $23,896 per ticket — or $47,792 per pair, plus fees – for seats in the reds, row V.

Tickets for Game 6, if necessary, on July 9 in Montreal, start at $7,157 each and reach $35,672 per ticket, i.e. a cool $71.3K per pair. Or, again, you could board a plane to Tampa for Game 7, should it occur, on July 11, and catch the action starting at US$878 per ticket. (With the Canadian government lifting its quarantine restrictions for travellers entering the country beginning July 5, the prospect becomes even more tempting).

A lot of the disparity in pricing surely has to do with supply and demand. Tampa recently welcomed close to 15,000 fans per game for its third- round series against the New York Islanders, while Montreal has been limited to 3,500 fans per game at the Bell Centre due to public health regulations.

Or perhaps it’s simply about Montrealers’ deep yearning to see their team hoist the Cup once again. The Lightning, after all, took home the coveted trophy less than 12 months ago, while the Habs last paraded it down the “usual route” back in 1993. The opportunity to see it returned to its rightful owners has got to be worth something. The question is, how much?

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216503 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens's Finnish cohort steps up for playoff run

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 26, 2021

Artturi Lehkonen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi recall waking up in the middle of the night in Finland to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs. Now, they have their countrymen losing sleep to follow the Canadiens’s post-season run.

Lehkonen’s series-clinching goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime Thursday was the latest contribution from Montreal’s Finnish cohort, which also includes Joel Armia.

Lehkonen, who said he “blacked out” when he scored, downplayed the significance of the goal.

“I received a lot of messages after that, but can’t get too hyped up about it yet,” he said. “It was just a goal that got us into the next round, to a place where we wanted to go, and now we’re gonna be fighting for the Stanley Cup.”

Lehkonen’s goal was a bonus, since he’s part of the shutdown line with Phil Danault and Brendan Gallagher. Their primary responsibility is to keep the opposition from scoring. His goal was the trio’s first point in the Vegas series.

Lehkonen and Armia are also key members of the Canadiens’s penalty kill, which leads the NHL with a 93 per cent success rate. The Canadiens have killed 31 consecutive power plays, spanning a record 13 games. Armia has two of the team’s four shorthanded goals.

“Everybody’s doing what they’re supposed to do at all times,” Lehkonen said. “When your PK’s in sync, it makes it much tighter and, of course, when your best penalty killer is in the net. (Carey Price) has been unbelievable.”

Price has stopped 43 of 46 shots on the PK, for a save percentage of .935.

Lehkonen said he looks up to Price and captain Shea Weber.

“Me and Webs came to the team at the same time, and he helped me a lot along the way,” Lehkonen said. “And looking at Pricey every day since I’ve been in Montreal, you understand what kind of special hockey players both of them are. We’re four wins away from getting the Stanley Cup. It would be obviously a huge thing.”

For a second year in a row, Kotkaniemi has raised his game in the playoffs. He has five goals in 16 games, and that matches his output in the regular season when he scored five times in 56 games. Kotkaniemi has scored a total of nine playoff goals before reaching the age of 21. The only other NHL players to accomplish that feat are and Wayne Gretzky.

Kotkaniemi had a simple answer when asked about boosting his production in the playoffs.

“I like winning. Scoring goals will help that a lot.

“We just found the right way to play our game,” he said. “It’s simple, fast and hard. That’s what we’re doing every night, and we find the confidence in that.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216504 Montreal Canadiens we had, I knew what we were bringing in and we all believed what we’re doing now was definitely a possibility.

“There was some ups and downs this year, but the belief in this group Canadiens Notebook: 'Take on this wild ride and have fun with it' has never wavered, never changed,” Gallagher added. “We always knew that this was possible if we just did what we were capable of doing.”

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette Ducharme back for Game 3

Publishing date: Jun 26, 2021 Interim head coach Dominique Ducharme held a Zoom conference with the media from his home on Saturday morning and said he will return behind the bench for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final following 14 days of quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19. Live the moment and enjoy it. The Canadiens have a 3-1 record since Ducharme tested positive and That’s the advice Canadiens veteran Corey Perry has for his teammates Luke Richardson took over the head-coaching duties behind the bench. as they head into the Stanley Cup final against the Lightning with Game 1 of the best-of-seven series scheduled for Monday in Tampa (8 p.m., “Great job,” Ducharme said about the work of the coaching staff, CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). including Richardson, Alex Burrows and Sean Burke, since he tested positive. “We’ve worked together as a group. We always talk about every “Take on this wild ride and have fun with it because you never know situation and it’s been like that every day. Now I needed to step back and when that next chance is really going to happen ever again,” Perry said they just took that and kept moving forward and I think the same applies during a Zoom conference Saturday morning after the Canadiens worked for our players. I think right now they’re dialled in, they’re really playing out in the gym at the Bell Sports Complex in . the way we want to be playing and they’re helping on that side for sure Perry is one of six veterans Canadiens GM added to the because they’re so sharp that it makes everything easier.” roster this season who have Stanley Cup rings, along with Jake Allen, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final is an 8 p.m. start, which means it will be Joel Edmundson, Tyler Toffoli, Eric Staal and Michael Frolik. 3 a.m. in Finland. “The guys we brought in, sometimes it does work, sometimes it doesn’t With three Finnish players on the Canadiens — Artturi Lehkonen, Jesperi work,” Bergevin said before the start of the Canadiens’ semifinal series Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia — hockey fans in that country will either be against the Vegas Golden Knights, which they won in six games. “But we staying up late or setting their alarms early if they want to watch the knew we were bringing guys with character. Like I mentioned to our team game live. in our first meeting in Toronto before the season started … these guys who won Stanley Cups they were not brought in here by accident, but by Kotkaniemi remembers doing that when he was a kid. design. I think it’s paying off now. We have some young kids, but we have some strong leadership that have been through the battles of “I remember once I think it was Chicago and Boston when they played (in winning a Stanley Cup. Just a year ago, Corey Perry was in the final with the 2013 Stanley Cup final),” the 20-year-old Kotkaniemi recalled on the .” Saturday. “I put my alarm in the middle of the night … I didn’t tell my parents and just woke up in the middle of the night, went to the living Perry won the Stanley Cup with the in 2007 when he room and watched the game. I think at some point in the morning my was 22 years old. Last year marked his first trip back to the Stanley Cup parents found out that I was watching, so my dad joined me to watch the final since then with the Stars losing to the Lightning in six games. game, too.”

“Don’t take it for granted,” Perry said was his message to his Canadiens Lehkonen recalled a similar experience, watching the Blackhawks win teammates. “I was sitting in the dressing room the other night and sitting the Stanley Cup in 2010 over the Philadelphia Flyers with fellow Finn beside Eric Staal and he was just telling me he hasn’t been back (to the Antti Niemi in goal. final) since ’06 when he won (with the Carolina Hurricanes). We both looked at each other and I said: ‘First time I was back was last year and “I didn’t tell my folks that I was going to wake up for that,” the 25-year-old that was since ’07. So I know the feeling. Lehkonen recalled. “It was probably 3 a.m. the wakeup. Watched the whole game. It was kind of hard to stay awake for the overtime, but still “You come into this league at a young age and you have success early,” saw the ending.” Perry added. “I went to the conference final my first year and then we ended up winning my second year. You think it’s going to happen over Patrick Kane scored 4:16 into overtime for a 4-3 Blackhawks victory in and over and over again. You can keep the same team together and just Game 6 to win the Cup. Seven years later, Niemi became Lehkonen’s ride the wave. But that’s not the case. Teams with the cap and everything teammate with the Canadiens. going on, teams change quickly and you never know when that chance is As for facing the defending champions in this year’s Stanley Cup final, going to happen. As a group we’ve talked about that.” Lehkonen said: “If you want to be the best you got to beat the best. It’s The Canadiens will practise at 9 a.m. Sunday in Brossard before heading going to be a good challenge for us and I got a lot of confidence in this to the airport for their flight to Tampa. team.”

“It’s going to be a good challenge for us,” Perry said about facing the Childhood hero Lightning. “We’re excited for this opportunity. We’re here for a reason, Kotkaniemi smiled and Lehkonen rolled his eyes during their Zoom they’re there for a reason and it’s going to be a good series.” conference when Kotkaniemi was reminded that he had a poster of First trip to final for Gallagher Armia on his wall when he was a young boy in Finland.

This will be the first trip to the Stanley Cup final for Brendan Gallagher, Kotkaniemi and Armia are both from Pori and Kotkaniemi was 12 when who is in his ninth season with the Canadiens. Armia helped Ässät win the Finnish Elite League title with Kotkaniemi’s father as an assistant coach. Bergevin signed Gallagher to a six-year, US$39-million contract extension last October that runs through the 2026-27 season with an “He was a hometown hero with that blond curly hair,” Kotkaniemi recalled annual salary-cap hit of $6.5 million. Gallagher signed the deal after with a chuckle. “I think everyone loved that at the time. Bergevin had already acquired Allen, Edmundson, Toffoli and Josh “He’s a great player,” Kotkaniemi added about the 28-year-old Armia now Anderson, as well as signing Jeff Petry to a four-year being his teammate in the Stanley Cup final. “I think he had to change up contract extension. a little bit when he came here. But it’s just unbelievable and he’s still a “The one question I had to ask myself was I obviously want to leave this great role model for me. We have become good friends, so it’s great.” league a winner and you ponder those decisions,” Gallagher said Saturday when asked about his decision to stay with the Canadiens. “For me I always had tremendous belief in this group. We hadn’t had Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.27.2021 necessarily the results — still haven’t — but when you look at what we had, the character in the locker room and to be able to add the pieces that we did this season. As a player it excites you because I knew what 1216505 Montreal Canadiens enormous impact on Molson Coors’s quarterly results or on the Canadian bar and restaurant sector as a whole.

Very few people outside Montreal associate the brewery with the hockey Bars and breweries could benefit from timing of Canadiens's Cup run team, he said.

Unlike the Raptors’s NBA championship win, or even the two World La Presse Canadienne Series won by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Montreal Canadiens are not necessarily considered a national team, according to Wong, a Montreal Publishing date: Jun 26, 2021 native.

“Nothing would make me happier than seeing them win, but I can’t help but think that an eventual victory would be as celebrated as if, say, Montrealers won’t be the only ones feverishly following the exploits of the Winnipeg was the champion, given that the Canadiens have already won Canadiens next week, as the team attempts to bring home its first so often and that they’re the old guard.” Stanley Cup in 28 years. The impact on the bar and restaurant industry will be almost impossible Hockey fans across the country are likely to get swept up in the action — to determine, he believes, given that demand is already high due to and the beer drinking. reopening measures. Unfortunately, COVID-19 could put a damper on the party. “I was on a terrasse last week,” he said. “I have never seen people so “In normal times, a bar or restaurant would be as full as possible, but happy to be on a terrasse in all my life. It has nothing to do with the that’s simply not possible at the moment,” said James Rilett, vice- playoffs. It really has more to do with people’s desire for social contact.” president of Restaurants Canada for Central Canada.

When the Toronto Raptors claimed the NBA championship in 2019, sales Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.27.2021 at these types of establishments went up 20 to 30 per cent across the country.

But while bars are reopening in many provinces after being forced to close during COVID-19 lockdowns, they must continue to limit their capacity.

In Quebec, which will become one big green zone beginning Monday, establishments can not go above 50 per cent of the maximum capacity set by their alcohol permit.

However, Rilett said he believes outdoor terrasses will likely be as packed as possible, given the restrictions in place, and that the Canadiens’s presence in the finals is perfect timing for many bars and restaurants.

“In Quebec, they’re not completely reopen, but they’re more open than in many other parts of the country,” he said. “Being able to draw more people to restaurants and bars comes at a good time.”

Unlike the of not-so-long ago, many fans will have to follow the games at home rather than at a bar or restaurant, a sector that generally accounts for close to 30 per cent of all the beer sold in Canada, according to Beer Canada.

Draft beer sales were down 55 per cent in 2020 due to restrictions linked to COVID-19.

“This year, because restrictions on gatherings and on capacity in restaurants and bars have been maintained across the country, brewers will have less opportunity to increase their sales through this sector during the Stanley Cup final than in previous years,” said Luke Chapman, vice-president of Beer Canada.

“That said, we’re expecting hockey fans to gather safely in small numbers, where permitted, to have a few beers and encourage the Canadiens.”

Official sponsor of the NHL, Molson Coors hopes to benefit from the first Canadian team to compete in the Stanley Cup final since the in 2011.

“Molson and hockey are inextricably linked and have been so for generations,” said Brian Collins, Molson Coors’s senior manager of sport and entertainment partnerships. “There’s a contagious positive feeling in Quebec.”

The brewery, established in Montreal and Denver, announced it will run ads to promote Molson Canadian across Canada, and Molson Export in Quebec. There will also be a light show on the wall of its Montreal brewery.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to invite people to these places and help the hospitality industry toward renewed growth thanks to the public’s love of the Montreal Canadiens during the Stanley Cup final,” Collins said.

Ken Wong, a professor of marketing at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, said he doesn’t think the Canadiens will have an 1216506 Montreal Canadiens a group and as players, it’s pretty easy to buy into a system when you’ve seen it work.”

Canadiens's Brendan Gallagher has playoff experience against Lightning Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.27.2021

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 26, 2021

Brendan Gallagher, Jeff Petry and Carey Price are the only three players who were with the Canadiens the last time they faced the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs.

That was in 2015 when the Lightning beat the Canadiens in six games in the second round. The Canadiens had knocked off the in six games in the first round of the playoffs, while the Lightning eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in the opening round. The Lightning would go on to beat the New York Rangers in seven games in the Eastern Conference final before losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the Stanley Cup final.

“I remember how close every game was,” Gallagher recalled Saturday when asked about the 2015 series against the Lightning.

The Lightning won Game 1 of that series 2-1 in double overtime and then took a 3-0 series lead after winning Game 2 by a 6-2 score, followed by a 2-1 victory in Game 3. The Canadiens won Game 4 by a 6-2 score and won 2-1 in Game 5 before losing 4-1 to the Lightning in Game 6.

“Each game seemed to be decided by one play here, a mistake there,” Gallagher recalled. “The difference was such a slim margin. I think since then their team has obviously been growing, their core has grown. They got to feel what it’s like to win a championship last season, so they’re going to be a whole different animal. But in terms of understanding what they’re like in these situations, I have a little bit of experience there and know what it’s like to play in that building come playoff time. So you try and draw on those experiences the best that you can and you look back.”

This marks the fourth time the Canadiens and the Lightning will meet in the playoffs. The Canadiens swept the Lightning in the first round in 2014, and the Lightning swept the Canadiens in the second round in 2004 en route to winning their first Stanley Cup.

This is Gallagher’s first trip to the Stanley Cup final.

“I think each year you have an appreciation for just how tough it is to get to the point we’re at now,” the 29-year-old right-winger said. “This is my ninth year in the league, first time getting to play in a final. You just want to take advantage of these things. You know how much work went into it. In those nine years, there’s been a lot of tough years and some pain and some misery that goes with it as well. You understand the hard work and everything that went into it to get to this point.

“We have a great group,” Gallagher added. “A team that can hopefully take advantage of this, and we’re hoping that for the next seven games we can just leave it all on the ice and, at the end of this series, trust that when we do the things that we’ve talked about we can be proud of the effort and hopefully get the chance to be holding that Cup at the end of the entire thing.”

Dominique Ducharme is the third coach Gallagher has played for with the Canadiens, following and Claude Julien, after Montreal selected him in the fifth round (147th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. Ducharme took over from Julien on Feb. 24 when the Canadiens had a 9-5-4 record and then tried to implement a new system with hardly any practice time because of the condensed regular-season schedule. The Canadiens did have a week off before the start of the playoffs for practice and video sessions.

“We really didn’t have a lot of that throughout the season,” Gallagher said. “So had to put some good work in. Guys were just feeling more and more comfortable, more and more confident in it. When we’re doing it well, teams don’t have a lot of time and space to make plays. We’re able to frustrate teams that way when we’re trusting in it and believing it and executing it properly. So for us it was definitely nice to have that practice time to sharpen up a few things. The guys, every single game, we’re executing well right now.

“Obviously, we have a lot of belief in what the coaching staff are telling us, and when we go out there and do it well, we’re seeing results. So as 1216507 Montreal Canadiens in their face, try to take away their time and space. Understand that they’re talented players who are going to make plays.”

Canadiens reflect on Lightning's 'grit' ahead of Stanley Cup final Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.27.2021

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 26, 2021

Corey Perry knows what to expect when the Canadiens face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on Monday (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN-690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

“They’re a heck of a hockey team. I mean, pretty much the same team as last year,” said Perry, who was with the Dallas Stars when they lost to the Lightning in the Cup final last summer in the Edmonton bubble. “It’s going to be a good test for us, but we’re up for the challenge.

“Personally, I don’t think there’s revenge or anything,” Perry added. “It’s a different year. It’s a different team. It’s a new test. We’ll see what happens.”

The Lightning have always been known as an explosive team, but they added some grit last year when they picked up Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow and defenceman David Savard at the trade deadline. The result is a team that can match Montreal’s depth.

“You look up and down their lineup, you can start with their goalie (Andrei Vasilevskiy); he’s a world-class goalie,” Perry said. “And then you have probably one of the top defencemen in the league in (Victor) Hedman. And the list goes on. (Nikita) Kucherov, (Steven) Stamkos. You can talk about them all day long. But they added that grit at the deadline last year and have kind of taken off.”

Vasilevskiy is coming off a 1-0 win over the New York Islanders in Game 7 of their semifinal Friday, and he has a 1.99 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage,. That’s a shade better than Carey Price (2.02 goals-against average and .934 save percentage).

Perry and Price have been teammates on several international teams, including Canada’s gold-medal Olympic team in 2014.

“They’re only two-week tournaments. You play five, six, seven games, whatever it is, but you could see in that time frame what type of person he was, what type of character he has,” Perry said. “And then, over this season, you really get to know him. He’s a quiet guy but goes about his business. He’s down to earth. He’s a great person. If you have the time to talk to him, he’ll take the time to talk to you, and he’ll talk to you about whatever you want to talk about. You can’t say enough about him right now.”

The Canadiens lead the playoffs with a 93.5 per cent success rate on the penalty kill, but Perry said the goal will be to stay out of the penalty box.

“Everybody knows what their power play is like and how they can move the puck, the different options they have,” Perry said. “That’s one way of limiting their chances. But on the other end, you have to play well defensively. You have to check. You have to be in good spots. You have to know who’s on the ice.

“You know their D are going to be jumping into the play, they’re going to be pushing the puck up the ice,” Perry added. “It’s no different than 95 per cent of the other teams in the league. Each night, you have to be on your toes and be ready to play. You take a shift off and that could be the difference in that game.”

Brendan Gallagher also has playoff experience against the Lightning.

“I’ve beaten them in the playoff series, lost to them in a playoff series and both times the margin between victory and losing was so slim, and you know the difference,” Gallagher said. “Right from Game 1, we’ve got to make sure we’re sharp.”

The shutdown line of Gallagher, Phil Danault and Artturi Lehkonen is tasked with stopping Nikita Kucherov, who is the leading scorer in the playoffs after missing the entire regular season following hip surgery.

“It’s a fun challenge to have,” Gallagher said. “You look at playing probably the hottest player in the league right now. He’s a guy who shows up in big games. His linemates aren’t too bad, either. It’s going to be a tough job. But the way you do it doesn’t change: Frustrate them, be 1216508 Montreal Canadiens we faced adversity again. But we got together and raised our game and from there you could see the confidence of our team raising.

“I think right now I feel that our guys, they’re not thinking. They’re just Stu Cowan: Canadiens proving that Dominique Ducharme's system executing, they’re just playing,” Ducharme added. “That’s what we works wanted to create is the things to become just automatic and just become second nature. I really enjoy watching it and seeing the group playing that way together.” Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final will be Wednesday in Tampa and Publishing date: Jun 26, 2021 Ducharme will be back behind the bench for Game 3 Friday night at the Bell Centre after completing 14 days of quarantine following his positive

COVID-19 test, which came nine days after he had his second vaccine Dominique Ducharme has remained a calm, cool character since taking shot. over as interim head coach of the Canadiens. “I’m not trying to look at the calendar too often,” Ducharme said. “It’s like It has been a rocky road to the Stanley Cup final for Ducharme and his looking at your watch too often, it looks like time doesn’t go by. So trying team, but nothing has fazed the 48-year-old Joliette native who suddenly to be as busy as I can and watch a lot of video and help the guys get found himself in his dream job under less than ideal circumstances after ready. Claude Julien was fired on Feb. 24 when the Canadiens had a 9-5-4 “I just can’t wait to come back,” he added. “I’ll appreciate everything after record. when we’re done. Especially if we win.” The Canadiens never won more than three games in a row during the regular season and limped into the playoffs with a 24-21-11 record after going winless in their last five regular-season games and playing their Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.27.2021 final 25 games over 44 days.

Through it all, Ducharme stayed calm, cool and also confident that the new system he was putting into place with hardly any practice time would work once his players figured it out. He was still calm and cool after the Canadiens fell behind 3-1 to Toronto in their first-round playoff series before going on a remarkable streak in which they won seven straight games to eliminate the Leafs and then sweep the Winnipeg Jets in the second round.

So you have to believe Ducharme when he says he was calm and cool while watching the Canadiens play the last four games of their semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights on TV after testing positive for COVID-19. The Canadiens went 3-1 in those games to eliminate Vegas with Luke Richardson taking over the head-coaching duties.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final between the Canadiens and Lightning will be Monday in Tampa (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) and once again Ducharme will be watching on TV at home with his girlfriend.

“I’m pretty calm, sitting down and watching the way we play and what’s going on and thinking about little things that maybe we can do better or what we were doing good to keep going,” Ducharme, who will be eligible to return behind the bench for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final, said during a Zoom conference Saturday morning from his home. “After a period the coaches give me a call and we just talk for a minute or two, just like we do every time we go back to the office.

“To watch the game on TV, obviously it’s a different point of view,” Ducharme added. “It’s like I’m doing video live. I get to see the replays, I get to see different angles. Doing the best I can right now with what I can do and trying to help the guys.”

Ducharme said he is doing well physically and watching the team play his system to near perfection while going 11-2 in the last 13 games has certainly boosted his spirits while living in isolation with his girlfriend.

The first time Ducharme spoke with the media after replacing Julien he explained how he wanted his new system to work, adding it was actually more about rules than systems.

“There are things that we want to be respecting, but they have that freedom to express themselves within those rules,” Ducharme said at the time. “Puck support is one big thing. So I want us to be active and I want the puck carrier to have options and I want the guys without the puck to be active in getting in position or in situations to receive the puck. That’s the way I see it and that’s the way we’re going to be working. I believe a lot in that.”

That belief has finally paid off.

“We didn’t have much practice time,” Ducharme said Saturday. “We saw some really good things at some point in time — our team played some really good hockey. At one point we hit that storm after COVID break (when Joel Armia tested positive) with the injuries and everything. So having those practices before we started the playoffs and then from there 1216509 Montreal Canadiens series, and it was costing them. They essentially cut that rate in half from that point onward, allowing 30 power plays in the next 13 games.

“You’ve got to stay out of the penalty box,” Corey Perry said. “Everybody Canadiens Stanley Cup notebook: Special-teams showdown, knows what their power play is like, and how they can move the puck, the Ducharme’s journey, Gallagher and Petry get a first chance different options they have. That’s one way of limiting their chances. But on the other end, you have to play well defensively. You have to check. You have to be in good spots. You have to know who’s on the ice. You By Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin know their D are going to be jumping into the play, they’re going to be pushing the puck up the ice. It’s no different than 95 percent of the other Jun 27, 2021 teams in the league. Each night, you have to be on your toes and be ready to play.

Now is the time to put former Canadiens coach Claude Julien’s theory to “You take a shift off and that could be the difference in that game.” the test, the one that states it is more important to have a good Perry is correct in saying it is not limited to special teams, and from a penalty kill than a good power play in the playoffs. defensive standpoint, the Canadiens can certainly look at what the From every point of view, the Canadiens are the underdogs in the Islanders did to push the Lightning to the limit as a blueprint for the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, at least as big of an coming Final. underdog as they were against the Vegas Golden Knights. But if there is When Perry talks about taking every shift seriously, he’s talking about one aspect of the series where the Canadiens need to hold a decided denying a tying goal in the dying seconds of Game 4, or edge to give themselves a chance, it is special teams. Anthony Beauvillier jumping on a turnover to score the overtime winner Over the first three rounds of the playoffs, the Lightning power play has against Andrei Vasilevskiy in Game 6. It’s also avoiding what the converted at a ridiculous rate of 37.7 percent. You have to go back to the Islanders did in that 8-0 blowout, which was giving the Lightning a bunch 1981 New York Islanders, who scored at a 37.8 percent clip, to find a of odd-man situations and high-danger chances off the rush. Stanley Cup finalist with a power play as devastating as that. But as long as the games are played largely at five-on-five, the What’s more important, over the past 15 years there has not been a Canadiens have a chance. single champion that has scored a higher percentage of its total goals on The Lightning have scored only six more goals than the Canadiens at the power play than the Lightning have done over the first three rounds. five-on-five and have played one more game. The Lightning’s ability to The Canadiens arrive in the Final with a 93.5 percent efficiency on the limit goals at five-on-five on a per-60 basis is slightly better than that of penalty kill. No Cup finalist has ever had a higher rate in the years the the Canadiens, 1.80 goals against per 60 compared with 2.01 for the NHL has tracked this statistic. The Canadiens penalty kill has been Canadiens, and the save percentages of the two goalies are pretty perfect in 13 consecutive games and has killed 30 consecutive penalties. similar, with Vasilevskiy at .939 and Price at .934.

The penalty-kill unit has performed much like the team; it had its ups and It won’t be easy for the Canadiens, but not feeding the beast its favourite downs during the season before somehow finding its groove in Game 5 meal would be a good place to start. of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Think back to when Ducharme was hired to take over for Julien as head “It feels like everybody knows what they’re doing,” said Artturi Lehkonen, coach of the Canadiens, and how awkward it felt for him. a key component of the unit. “Everybody’s doing what they’re supposed Ducharme was hired by Julien, had worked with him behind the to do at all times. When your PK’s in sync, it makes it much tighter. Canadiens bench since 2018, had learned from him and supported him, “And of course, your best penalty killer is in the net. Pricey has been and now was replacing him. He lost the same day, someone unbelievable.” he worked with on the power play.

Yes, Carey Price has been better on the penalty kill than he’s ever been “First of all, if you would have told me you were writing a movie script and before. at the end I would wind up as head coach of the Canadiens, I definitely wouldn’t have chosen to have the script unfold quite this way,” Ducharme His .952 save percentage on the penalty kill is the best of any goalie who said on Feb. 24, his first day as coach. “I was with the team, and there has played more than one game in these playoffs. But Price is not are mixed feelings today because I just lost two colleagues I appreciate a working alone, obviously, because in front of him the Canadiens have lot.” limited their opponents to 13.24 high-danger shots per 60 minutes of ice time. The Canadiens were allowing 22.42 per 60 minutes in the regular Now, think of what has happened since. Joel Armia got COVID-19 about season. a month later, forcing the team to go into lockdown and further condensing an already condensed schedule. That led to injuries piling The challenge will be very different against the Lightning, who peppered up. And losses. Ducharme’s star goaltender, his captain and the heart- the Islanders with high-danger shots on every power-play opportunity and-soul leader at forward were all lost to injury. they had. The losses started piling up in lockstep with the injuries. What did the Islanders do? He barely had any time to lead practices, with his team playing four times They simply avoided the penalty box, knowing how costly those penalties a week, and the Canadiens backed their way into the playoffs with the would be. worst record of any team that made it.

The Islanders managed to limit the Lightning to two or fewer power-play But then Ducharme got a full week before the playoffs to work with his opportunities in five of the seven games they played. In the other two team, to finally be able to fine-tune the things he wanted from them. After games, the Islanders allowed one goal on five opportunities in Game 2, a rocky start against the Toronto Maple Leafs, his team reeled off six which Tampa won 4-2, and gave up three goals on five chances in the 8- straight wins and had won seven of eight when disaster struck once more 0 beating the Lightning administered in Game 5. and Ducharme tested positive for COVID-19 with the Canadiens preparing for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup semifinals. “We have to keep the number of penalties down as much as we can, there’s no doubt,” Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said If he thought the script was bad in February, imagine what he thinks now. Saturday. “A team like that, if you give them lots of reps, at a certain point they’re going to feel good about themselves and might find some But there is still time for the script to flip once again, as Ducharme will be solutions. back behind the Canadiens bench for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. “So we need to keep that to a minimum, and when we have penalties to kill, to make sure we do it well, but also make sure we don’t give them “Having those practices before we hit the playoffs, and then from there another opportunity quickly after that.” we faced adversity again, but we got together and raised our game, and from there you can see the confidence of our team rising,” Ducharme The Canadiens have done an excellent job of that so far. They gave the said Saturday. “I think right now I feel that our guys are not thinking; Maple Leafs 16 chances on the power play in the first four games of that they’re just executing, they’re just playing. That’s what we wanted to the Koivu brothers to to Sami Salo. The town is on the create, just things to become automatic and just become second nature, hockey map. and I really enjoy watching it and seeing the group playing that way together.” So when Jesperi Kotkaniemi was asked about having a poster on his wall as a kid of current teammate Joel Armia, Lehkonen’s eyes immediately Something else Ducharme said that first day on the job jumped out when went skyward. he talked Saturday about watching the games on television, about connecting with his team via Zoom. Ducharme loves to be able to talk to “I think he was just a young guy from my hometown, he was a hometown every one of his players every day, just to get a sense of what each guy hero with that blond, curly hair,” Kotkaniemi said about his Armia poster. is thinking. It could be a brief conversation or a longer one — before “I think everyone loves that at the time.” practice, we will often see Ducharme conduct five or six of those See, Kotkaniemi and Armia come from Pori, about a two-hour drive north conversations while doing a few warmup laps — but he will make a point of Turku. And it is not a hockey hotbed, at least not in the same way. of touching base with everyone, every day. Yes, the people in Pori love hockey, they eat, sleep and breathe hockey. “Coaching hockey is not just X’s and O’s,” Ducharme said the day he But the small town has not produced NHL talent at anywhere near the was hired, “it’s working with people, with humans and getting them to same rate as Lehkonen’s hometown. perform at their maximum.” According to Hockey-Reference, Armia and Kotkaniemi are two of only He said Saturday that this is the most difficult part of his quarantine, 11 players to ever play an NHL game and call Pori their hometown. Only being unable to do what he described on Day 1 of the job. But everything seven ever played more than 50 NHL games (though Veli-Pekka Ketola, else Ducharme has done has allowed the Canadiens to not miss a beat considered locally to be the best player Pori has ever produced, played in his absence, to continue sticking to and executing the principles and 218 games in the WHA in the 1970s). philosophies he put in place. Only six of them have ever played in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Only one, Though Ducharme was not with them, he is a big reason the Canadiens Erik Haula with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018, has ever played in a have made it so he will be back behind their bench Friday. And that’s Stanley Cup Final. when Ducharme can fully participate in the Canadiens taking a script that No one from Pori has won the Stanley Cup. has had so many twists and turns and making sure it has a happy ending. So, having Armia and Kotkaniemi in the Final is a big deal in their hometown, even if Lehkonen considers it worthy of an eye roll. The Canadiens are led by Price and Shea Weber. No one can dispute that. Each reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in his long and “People are very interested and keep sending their best wishes to the distinguished career is therefore an important storyline. boys through us,” Kotkaniemi’s father, Mikael, said by text message Saturday. “I think this is actually the first time that two guys from Pori are But there are two other veterans who showed a commitment to the playing in the Cup Final. That’s amazing!” Canadiens last offseason, a belief in the team’s ability to do exactly what it is now doing, and they are not getting nearly the same level of When Armia won the championship with Ässät in 2013, with Mikael attention. For Jeff Petry and Brendan Gallagher, this is also their first Kotkaniemi as an assistant coach, the town square in Pori was packed, appearance in a Cup Final, and each of them had the option of waiting and about half the town of roughly 80,000 people came to celebrate. this out and seeing if Canadiens could realistically offer them an The party lasted for days. opportunity like this. Each could have hit unrestricted free agency on July 28, but neither will because Petry signed a four-year contract extension Could you imagine what it would be like if Kotkaniemi and Armia were to on Sept. 25 and Gallagher signed a six-year extension on Oct. 14. bring the Stanley Cup there?

The difference between those dates is massive, because in between Petry signing his extension and Gallagher signing his, the Canadiens had traded for and signed Josh Anderson and signed Tyler Toffoli as a free The Athletic LOADED: 06.27.2021 agent, changing the look of their team significantly and increasing the possibility of something like this happening.

Now, they are four wins away from doing something they have never done.

“I think if I recall the contract negotiations last summer, the one question I had to ask myself was you obviously want to leave this league a winner,” Gallagher said Saturday. “And you ponder those decisions. And for me, I always had tremendous belief in this group. We haven’t had necessarily the results. Still haven’t.

“But when you look at what we had, character in the locker room, and to be able to add the pieces that we did this season, as a player, it excites you. Because I knew what we had, I knew what we were bringing in. We all believed what we’re doing now is definitely a possibility.”

Petry will be 34 in December. Gallagher turns 30 in May. Each has been in the NHL a long time and has established himself as a genuine star player. They serve as a reminder that as long as Weber and Price have had to wait for this, they are far from alone.

“This is my ninth year in the league, first time getting to play in a Final,” Gallagher said. “You just want to take advantage of these things. You know how much work went into it. In those nine years, there’s been a lot of good. There’s been a lot of tough years and some pain and some misery that goes with it as well. You understand the hard work and everything that went into getting to this point.

“I feel we have a great group, a team that can hopefully take advantage of this.”

Lehkonen rolled his eyes as soon as the question was asked.

Lehkonen, you see, is from the outskirts of Turku, Finland, a hockey hotbed that has produced far more than its fair share of NHL stars, from 1216510 New Jersey Devils

WFAN’s ‘Carton and Roberts’ continue to roll ESPN’s Michael Kay in ratings battle

Updated Jun 15, 2021; Posted Jun 15, 2021

By James Kratch

The new kings stayed kings.

WFAN’s Craig Carton and Evan Roberts maintained their sizable lead on ESPN Radio New York’s “The Michael Kay Show” during the May ratings period, according to venerable sports media columnist Neil Best.

Carton and Roberts notched a 5.9 rating in the critical men ages 25-54 demographic during the 2-6:30 p.m. overlap between the two programs in afternoon drive time. Kay’s show had a 4.2 rating. WFAN finished third in the market overall while ESPN was seventh.

Carton and Roberts had a 6.4 rating to Kay’s 4.2 in April. So WFAN is well on its way to winning the spring quarter ratings book going away and further cementing the reality Kay’s show is back to a clear second-place after a brief run at the top.

Kay’s show completed an almost two-decade long odyssey when it finally won a book outright over a soon-to-be-retired Mike Francesa in late 2019. The show then maintained its standing over WFAN during the Chris Carlin-Maggie Gray-Bart Scott, Maggie Gray-Bart Scott and Joe Benigno-Roberts eras before WFAN brought Carton back to the station in the fall of 2020, three years after he resigned from WFAN’s morning show following an arrest on federal fraud charges and roughly five months after he was released from prison following his conviction.

Carton and Roberts quickly surpassed Kay once they were paired together and it appears they will stay ahead, having officially returned WFAN to glory and complete local sports talk dominance.

Star Ledger LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216511 New York Islanders

Islanders’ special team problems cost them in the end

By Mollie Walker

June 27, 2021 | 2:19am

TAMPA — There’s a sort of irony in the fact a shorthanded goal ended the Islanders’ season.

When the joke of the season was that the NHL should implement a new rule that allows teams to decline power plays because the Islanders would surely take advantage of it, a power-play breakdown costing them a win in a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup semifinals was almost too perfect.

After the Islanders started off strong in their second-period power play Friday night, Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh gained possession of the puck and killed some time before finding Blake Coleman at center ice. Anthony Cirelli then carried the puck into the corner of the Islanders’ zone, drawing Nick Leddy, Kyle Palmieri and with him.

While the three Islanders were preoccupied with Cirelli, Yanni Gourde came off Tampa Bay’s bench. He skated in unnoticed before one-timing a feed from Cirelli past goalie Semyon Varlamov at 1:49 of the middle frame.

“I don’t know if it’s more frustrating,” head coach Barry Trotz said after the season-ending loss. “It’s disappointing because it was an opportunity for us to hopefully do something against them. Just a little bit of awareness. Gourde came off the bench real quick, they made a play, we sort of weren’t paying enough attention and it ended up in the back of the net.”

Yanni Gourde celebrates after scoring the only goal in the Islanders’ 1-0 season-ending Game 7 loss the Lightning.

Through 19 games this postseason, the Islanders went 10-for-49 on the power play, a 20.4 percentage. Gourde’s goal was the second shorthanded tally the Islanders allowed in the playoffs, although the first was not nearly as deadly.

After the Islanders were the only team in the league to not allow a shorthanded goal during the regular season, they gave one up in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Penguins. Zach Aston-Reese ended goalie Ilya Sorokin’s bid for a shutout at 17:25 of the third period while killing a Jake Guentzel cross-checking penalty.

The Islanders ranked in the bottom 10 of the league in power-play goals during the regular season, going 27-for-144 (18.8 percent). There were plenty of times when the Islanders had the man advantage, but didn’t look as if they did. Friday night was certainly one of those times.

The Lightning owned one of the deadliest power plays in the regular season and playoffs, combining to go 60-for-233 (25.7 percent). On the other hand, the Islanders particularly struggled with the man-advantage in the semifinal series against Tampa Bay, going 1-for-17. The Islanders’ lone power play came from Brock Nelson in their 4-2 loss in Game 2.

So the Islanders’ special playoff run was ultimately cut short by one of their few weaknesses. That likely doesn’t make it any easier to accept.

“It hurts no matter what,” Josh Bailey said of the Gourde goal, his voice quivering. “That’s a situation we certainly would like to have back.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216512 New York Islanders echelon talent to fit with Barzal, despite cap restraints. Perhaps this is the summer the Islanders will move Nick Leddy, whose skating is no longer of the type of world-class ability that allows the 30-year-old to negate Weaknesses Islanders must fix to become Stanley Cup champs mistakes. Losing Leddy would open $5.5 million of cap space.

Or maybe Wahlstrom, a right-handed shot, will move onto the top unit, though that would create third-line vacancies on either side of Jean- By Larry Brooks Gabriel Pageau, who must have been physically compromised against Tampa Bay. June 26, 2021 | 9:15PM Still, the Islanders must diversify, not only for the playoffs, but also for the

regular season. Their relentless grinding style wore them down through was missed terribly on Mathew Barzal’s left side. But do you the stretch of each of the last two seasons. And those were both know who the Islanders missed just about as much? Jordan Eberle, truncated years of 68 and 56 games, respectively. The full 82 awaits this that’s who. And unlike Lee, who went down with a season-ending knee team, which will have fewer than three months to recover before training injury in March, Eberele was actually in the lineup on Barzal’s right. You camp. could be excused for not noticing that against the Lightning other than for The Islanders need more weapons up front. But regardless of whether a shift or two in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup semifinals. Lamoriello succeeds in reeling them in, the mandate for Trotz is not to try The Islanders deserve a heap of credit not only for making it to the final and win every game 1-0. four again, but also for pushing the Lightning to the limit in a riveting Because sometimes those 1-0 games can go against you. semifinal series. The franchise has put the Shipwreck label in dry dock. The overachiever tag is past its expiration date, as well.

Now, it is ’s responsibility to engineer the next step with New York Post LOADED: 06.27.2021 little room in which to maneuver under the cap before the Islanders become just another of those teams that comes close but can never quite make it to the mountaintop.

And though the general manager confronts the expected loss of to free agency and the task of somehow finding someone who can replicate his attributes well enough that Identity Line II is a game- changing force, Lamoriello is going to need to get Barzal much more help on his unit.

Lee’s return to his office on the left porch will be of aid, but the GM is going to need to find someone who is more dynamic and reliable than Eberle, who has two more years remaining on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5 million. The Islanders could leave Eberle exposed in the expansion draft, but it’s unclear whether the Kraken would select the 31- year-old winger.

The intent is not to make Eberle the scapegoat for this painful defeat, but to suggest that the team needs to bulk up at the top in order to maximize Barzal’s talent to the fullest degree. The Islanders’ heart, structure, stout young defense and goaltending make up the organization’s core essence, but that’s not enough when it comes to beating the league’s best, which, until further notice, is Tampa Bay.

I was talking to a while ago about Barzal. I asked No. 5 whether he thought Barzal would have fit on the Dynasty teams.

“In my mind there is no question,” Potvin said of the 24-year-old center. “There’s got to be an element that surpasses talent, and he has it. I’m talking about courage, which I think is the most important word in hockey. He has that.

“Earlier this year I was watching a game, I think it was this year, and Barzal had a cut over his right eye, he was bleeding from the nose, a series of things happened within the game and he never missed a shift, you know what I’m saying? He went to the bench, he got patched up and went back out and played.

“I think he is that kind of player. I think that Mat Barzal is going to be that star,” said the Dynasty captain. “He is incredibly talented, it floors me how he can handle that puck and have that skating stride. He just seems to have it all. And he has that courage.”

Barry Trotz is a great coach. His Cup victory with Washington elevated him to elite status. But he is not infallible. His decision to stay with a willing, but overmatched, Leo Komarov in Lee’s place on the first line paid diminishing returns.

Barry Trotz

Similarly, the coach’s decision not to reinsert rookie sniper Oliver Wahlstrom into the lineup when he recovered from the knee injury he sustained in Game 5 of the first round was questionable at best, especially since the power play on which he was a regular-season trigger went 1-for-17 against the Lightning. There was less and less from Travis Zajac, who had replaced Wahlstrom.

The Islanders are set up on the back end and in goal. They’re young in those key spots. But the mandate for Lamoriello is to find an upper- 1216513 New York Islanders The soft launch came on Feb. 11, 1972, with nearly 8,000 people — of roughly 15,000 capacity — watching the Nets defeat the Pittsburgh Condors.

Nassau Coliseum was home to all during memorable run: ‘It was our “Even with half the seats done, it was a major improvement over the dump’ ,” former Nets guard Bill Melchionni said. “It was a legitimate first-class arena.”

By Howie Kussoy And it had legitimate first-class superstars. Future Hall of Famer Rick Barry led the Nets to the 1972 ABA Finals. Then came The Doctor. June 26, 2021 | 4:21pm | Updated Julius Erving stands outside the Nassau Coliseum in 1976.

With Roosevelt native Julius Erving playing for the Nets, the Coliseum It was goodbye on the greatest terms. It was a farewell filled with was the only place to consistently see the greatest icon of the rarely meaning and mystery, an exit infused with excitement. Every last drop televised league. Erving, whose high-flying moves redefined basketball, was milked from the Old Barn, every emotion slapped around the rink captured three league MVPs and led the Nets to championships in 1974 and smashed into glass one last time. Nostalgia was credited with an and 1976. Five months after fans stormed the Coliseum floor to celebrate assist. a second title, Boe sold Dr. J to the 76ers — the Nets, following the NBA- ABA merger, owed $8 million total to the Knicks and the league — and The Islanders’ final exodus from Nassau Coliseum could have come took the team to New Jersey in 1977. during all those years when they ranked last in the NHL in attendance. It could have come with the dreaded move to . It could have come “I always regret the fact that Long Island never got to see that team play when the building was closed indefinitely last June or when the arena in the NBA with Doc,” Melchionni said. “When the leagues merged, the was limited to 10 percent COVID-related capacity this spring. Knicks were on the decline, and if we had continued to have the success we had in the NBA, I think the situation would have dramatically But more than four hours before 13,000 or so fans filed in Wednesday for changed. You would’ve had all these kids on Long Island drawn to the Game 6 of the Stanley Cup semifinals — the Islanders’ most important Nets. You see the Islanders now, the building’s packed, the Long Island home game in 37 years — an enthusiastic car horn screamed, “Let’s go people support them and I think the same thing would’ve happened if the Islanders!” sparking a chain reaction in the parking lot. Various genres of Nets stayed there. We could’ve built a similar foundation. music mingled. Flags proudly flew. Beer disappeared. Burgers flipped. Shirtless men stood beside freshly dry-cleaned jerseys. A roller hockey “If Julius had stayed on Long Island, if Roy Boe had the financial game took place beside a busted fence and overgrown weeds. Car resources, you’d probably still have the Nets there.” trunks provided the best seats before the game began. NHL commissioner Clarence Campbell — along with 12,221 others — The sprawling concrete- was Long Island’s most beautiful backyard. watched the Islanders’ home debut on Oct. 7, 1972, and declared the Coliseum “a magnificent place to watch hockey.” That depended on “It’s a community,” said longtime tailgater Ed Strype. “It’s something which team you were watching. we’ve grown up with, something that connects you with the people.” In their inaugural season, the Islanders tied the league-record for fewest held a monopoly. It was the Metropolitan area’s wins (12). The next year, they finished last in the East Division again. only venue for A-list acts and sports’ biggest stars. The most Home games against the Rangers felt no different than being in suburban county in the United States wanted more. . When the Air Force closed its Mitchel Field base in 1961, Nassau County “The first couple years we really got booed in our own building,” said acquired much of the land. Funds for a sparkling new arena were Islanders legend Bob Nystrom, who signed his first contract in the approved in 1964. The Coliseum was to be part of a massive complex, Coliseum parking lot. “It was ’75 when things turned around, when we featuring a concert hall, library, theater, fine arts gallery and museum. beat the Rangers [in the playoffs]. That was when it really came into “He was very proud when they got the project,” said architect Bruce existence as the home of the Islanders.” David Becket, whose father, Welton, and his firm designed the Coliseum Fort Neverlose was born. Its run as the world capital of hockey began after previously designing the Capitol Records building and UCLA’s with the Game 6 matinee of the 1980 Stanley Cup Final, which ended on Pauley Pavilion. “He was very excited.” Nystrom’s overtime goal. The Islanders clinched three of their four The grand plans were scrapped when Ralph G. Caso replaced Eugene straight championships at home — en route to 19 straight playoff series Nickerson as Nassau County Executive, leaving the vast lot with nothing wins — and made Hempstead Turnpike an annual parade route. The but the $32 million, publicly funded Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Coliseum ceiling became defined by its numerous blue, orange and white banners, still seizing fans’ attention before they reached their seats. “You might say it belongs to the people,” Caso said then. “It’s theirs.” Denis Potvin celebrates winning the Stanley Cup with the Islanders in The people had plenty of parking, but no mass transit to Uniondale. It 1983. had a single concourse, mirroring traffic on the neighboring Meadowbrook Parkway. It had unmatched sightlines, unobstructed views “The fans really took us in,” Nystrom said. “[Coach] said to us, and affordable tickets. ‘These guys pay your salary, so get out and get involved,’ and we really took that to heart. We were such a part of the community. It was What eventually was mocked as a “mausoleum” was considered state of absolutely incredible.” the art, boasting the first-ever arena scoreboard with instant replay technology. The Islanders haven’t been back to the Stanley Cup Final since 1984. From 1993 to 2015, they didn’t win a playoff series. When they finally “I don’t want television viewers to have something we don’t,” Caso said. advanced, they were playing in Brooklyn. When they won a first-round series two years ago, the second round was shifted to The Coliseum became big league before construction was completed. In because the NHL didn’t consider the reduced-capacity Coliseum to be an November 1971, New York was awarded a second NHL franchise, “NHL major league facility.” When they reached their first Eastern upsetting the upstart ’s , who Conference finals since 1993 last year, they were playing in an empty had hoped to move into the Coliseum. The ABA’s New York Nets moved arena in a Canadian bubble. 4 miles from the Island Garden in West Hempstead, putting both of owner Roy Boe’s teams under the same low roof. It made every moment of this year’s last, unlikely run much more meaningful. The fans remembered how great it had once been. They “I remember hearing we were gonna have teams,” said Baldwin native remembered how terrible it had been. and longtime Islanders organist Paul Cartier. “How cool would that be?” “It’s the same sound,” said Strype, who attended two Cup-winning The scoreboard wasn’t installed. Sections of seats hadn’t been nailed games. “It’s been a rebirth.” down. Water leaked near the home locker room. The Coliseum was open for business. Billy Joel had to wait his turn. The Long Island demigod with his name in spontaneous mosh pit. This, after countless beers smashed and stained the rafters didn’t headline his first hometown show until 1977. Every star the ice, after some of the loudest noises in Coliseum existence soared wanted to play suburbia. through the air.

Paul McCartney and Frank Sinatra took the stage. So did Johnny Cash, “It was quiet for so long,” Cartier said. “People hadn’t heard something David Bowie and Led Zeppelin, whose 1972 shows offered tickets like this in years. It gives you goose bumps.” ranging from $4.50 to $6.50. There was no rush to exit. Tomorrow couldn’t be better. “This is a great place and this is where the kids live,” Zeppelin manager Peter Grant said then. “Shame there aren’t places like this in England.” “Listen, it’s a remarkable place and it’s quite a history,” Nystrom said. “I hate to see it go, but time moves on.” The Nassau Coliseum during Game 6 of the Islanders series against the Lightning. What better way to say goodbye?

Elvis Presley played to sellout crowds, but he missed his scheduled show on Aug. 22, 1977, having died six days earlier. Nearly 5,000 Elvis fans New York Post LOADED: 06.27.2021 gathered in the parking lot on the date printed on the ticket (which became a collector’s item), holding a four-hour memorial service. The Grateful Dead received a tie-dyed banner in the rafters for playing the most shows in the Coliseum — 41 before Jerry Garcia’s death — despite a years-long hiatus stemming from the band’s issue with police harassment of fans in the parking lot. In 1988, a rap ban was enacted at the arena after stabbings and gang-related activity at multiple shows resulted in numerous injuries and one death. In 1987, camped-out fans smashed doors and windows in the middle of the night, seeking Bon Jovi tickets.

It was a favorite of live albums and TV specials, one of only two American venues to host Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” tour. It was home to Hicksville’s “Piano Man.”

“When Billy Joel played there when I was 8, my dad ended up getting scalped tickets,” said Debbie Gibson, a Merrick native, who remains the youngest artist to write, produce and perform a No. 1 single. “It’s so funny, me being an artist now, ‘Oh my god, that’s sacrilegious,’ but when dad comes home with 11th row for Billy Joel at the Coliseum he’s a hero. I saw the Beach Boys there, Billy, many times, skating shows. It was not wasted on me how amazing it was to have it right in my backyard.”

It hosted a Richard Nixon reelection rally in 1972. It hosted the 1983 NHL All-Star Game and WrestleMania 2 in 1986. It welcomed Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus every year until hosting the final show of the 146-year run in 2017.

The Coliseum was home to all.

“There’s a romance for a lot of artists playing the Garden, but I learned through touring that the suburbs are where you find so many of the die- hard fans,” said Gibson, who just released her first album of original music (“The Body Remembers”) in 20 years. “There’s not a snobbery that goes along with the suburbs. It’s down home. I always felt that down home vibe in playing the Coliseum. I felt like I was amongst my people.”

The Coliseum was too small. Rivals were building better homes. It was time to leave. It was 1991.

“We can’t be left behind,” Islanders owner John Pickett said then.

The crumbling, dirty, cramped eyesore was a hurdle to every free-agent signing. It lacked modern amenities. It was cited as “uninhabitable” in 1998 by the Islanders, who threatened to play home games across the northeast before being ordered back by a judge. It was the second-oldest NHL arena in use. It made Kansas City a legitimate threat to steal the team. It made a basketball-centric arena in Brooklyn with melting ice look like the best option after owner ’s $3.4 billion Lighthouse Project was rejected and funds for a new Coliseum were defeated in a 2011 referendum. It was a “depressing place to play,” Sharks forward Owen Nolan once said.

“They called it a dump,” Cartier said. “But it was our dump.”

A sign outside the Coliseum in 1998

Only after the Islanders left did the building receive a $180 million renovation, a modest touch-up, which enabled the team to return in between marriages to Brooklyn and (UBS Arena). In the Islanders’ absence, the Coliseum will house the and New York Riptide (lacrosse), following the failed footsteps of the New York Arrows and Express (soccer), and Titans (lacrosse) and New York Sets/Apples (tennis).

The building’s memories are framed in the concourse, jammed after the Game 6 season-saving overtime win and playing a once-familiar tune: “We want the Cup.” Hundreds surrounded co-owner in a 1216514 New York Islanders the best that it’ll be a short offseason. Less time for the Islanders to dwell on the heartbreak.

Oh, and let the UBS Arena era begin. Islanders will quickly face offseason decisions after painful exit

New York Post LOADED: 06.27.2021 By Mollie Walker

June 26, 2021 | 3:32pm | Updated

TAMPA — Mathew Barzal tried to find the words through soft sniffles as tears welled up in his eyes. Brock Nelson held his head in his hand, unable to get through more than a sentence at a time. Josh Bailey’s voice trembled, while Scott Mayfield stared blankly.

The Islanders had just come one win, and one goal, away from qualifying for the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night at Amalie Arena, as they fell 1-0 to the Lightning in Game 7 of the semifinal series. If the team thought they came close last season after losing in six games to Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals, this time around must’ve felt like they were inches — no, centimeters — away from earning a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup for the franchise’s first time in 37 years.

What made the dreary postgame scene all the more difficult to endure, was that the Islanders players weren’t feeling sorry for themselves as individuals, but for each other. It’s the reason why this playoff run was so special: The Islanders are a team that has undoubtedly competed for one another all season long.

Matt Martin reacts to the Islanders’ season-ending loss in Game 7.

So as Nelson and Mayfield commended goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who kept the Islanders in the game with 30 saves, and head coach Barry Trotz proclaimed he wished he could take away his player’s pain, it was clear the Islanders — from top to bottom — were only thinking about each other until the very end.

“I think it’s tough for everyone,” Barzal said. “It sucks getting back to this point and coming up short again. Got guys like Bails and [Andy Greene], veteran guys. I have a few more years but you want to win for those guys. It hurts seeing those guys in the locker room afterward knowing how close we were.”

Once the sting of a Game 7 loss wears off, the Isles should be able to positively reflect on a memorable playoff run. Not only did they prove that last season’s conference finals appearance wasn’t a fluke, but they pushed the defending champions to the brink and fell short by a single goal on the road.

The Islanders were tenacious, relentless and unapologetically played to their strengths all postseason. There was Bailey’s double-overtime winner in Game 6 of the second round against the Penguins, the New York Saints rebrand (courtesy of Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy) in the second-round series against Boston and Ryan Pulock’s save heard round the Island in Game 4 of the semifinals this past week.

The smell of cigarettes and beer permeated the air, and Bud Light tall boys blanketed the ice, at the last Islanders game at Nassau Coliseum Wednesday night when Anthony Beauvillier’s overtime winner forced Game 7.

“I don’t think back to back being the last four teams is a fluke,” Mayfield said. “I don’t know if too many people believed in us the first couple rounds, but we believed in ourselves.”

Alas, the offseason is now upon the Islanders. The organization is already up against the 2021-22 cap, the expansion draft list is due in three weeks, and there are important restricted free agents to take care of in Beauvillier, Adam Pelech and Ilya Sorokin. A decision will need to be made regarding unrestricted free agents Casey Cizikas, Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac, as well.

Is Oliver Wahlstrom, the rookie sharpshooter who lost his lineup spot to Zajac after getting injured in Round 1, ready to take on a more significant role next season? Is this the end of the road for the Identity Line? What do the Islanders have to do to finally break through to the Stanley Cup Final?

These are all questions that will need to be answered before the start of the 2021-22 season, which is to begin in early October. It’s probably for 1216515 New York Islanders

Semyon Varlamov’s heroic night not enough for Islanders

By Mollie Walker

June 26, 2021 | 4:14am

TAMPA — There wasn’t much else that Semyon Varlamov could do.

The Islanders goaltender was a brick wall for nearly 60 minutes in the 1-0 loss to the Lightning in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup semifinal Friday night at Amalie Arena. The defeat ended the Islanders’ season just one game closer to reaching the Stanley Cup Final than they got last year.

With 30 saves on 31 shots, Varlamov gave up one goal on a wide-open shorthanded shot from Yanni Gourde while a group of Islanders skaters crowded Anthony Cirelli in the corner of their zone. Gourde jumped off Tampa Bay’s bench and darted in before any Islander realized and blasted a feed from Cirelli less than two minutes into the second period for the game’s only score.

“Varly was big for us,” defenseman Scott Mayfield said after the loss. “I think he’s one of the main reasons we’re here. He had another great game and it stinks to lose.”

Semyon Varlamov

Varlamov, who has two seasons left on the four-year deal he signed with the Islanders in July 2019, made his 12th straight start of the postseason on Friday. The 33-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in the regular- season finale, which prompted head coach Barry Trotz to start rookie Ilya Sorokin in the series-opener of the first round against the Penguins.

Despite Sorokin’s victory in Game 1, Trotz turned to Varlamov, who posted back-to-back losses after letting in a couple soft goals. Trotz then opted to ride Sorokin for the remainder of Round 1 as the Islanders advanced to play the Bruins in the second round.

After Sorokin was lit up for five goals in the series-opening loss to Boston, the net was Varlamov’s again and he never gave it up.

Varlamov finished this postseason with a 7-7 record and a .922 save percentage in 34 starts.

“I think we’ve always known what he can do and we’re confident with him behind us,” Mayfield said. “He played a hell of a game, just like I think we all knew he would and it sucks we couldn’t get it done in front of him.”

Friday night marked just the second time in franchise history that the Islanders played a Game 7 in the semifinal round. The first one came in 1975 against the Flyers. It was also the 10th Game 7 for the Islanders and the ninth played on the road.

After the season-ending loss, the Islanders are 4-6 all-time in Game 7s, including 4-5 on the road.

New York Post LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216516 New York Islanders

Islanders emotional after crushing loss: ‘It sucks’

By David Lazar

June 26, 2021 | 3:22am

Late in the third period Friday night, Mathew Barzal had a chance to tie Game 7 of the Stanley Cup semifinals, but he whiffed on a bouncing puck. He could have been the equalizer, the hero, the savior.

Instead, he was distraught — eyes red, tears swelling, tongue twitching — after the Islanders’ 1-0 loss to the Lightning.

Wearing a Stanley Cup Playoffs hat and shirt that personified a run that was no more, Barzal cried. He cried because he could not deliver for the veterans he respects and idolizes. He cried because he and his teammates had gotten so close to reaching the Stanley Cup Final, yet finished so far away, losing in the semifinals to Tampa Bay for a second straight season.

“It sucks,” Barzal said. “It sucks getting back to this point and coming up short again.”

Brock Nelson rubbed his chin, his neck and his forehead, staring off into the distance any chance he could get. His normally messy hair was messier than usual, jumbled by the pushes and pulls of his fluttering right hand.

Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal (background) react dejectedly after the Islanders’ 1-0 Game 7 loss to the Lightning.

“Yeah, it sucks,” Nelson said. “We gave away a goal. We had some pressure in the third period, but weren’t able to find one.”

Josh Bailey didn’t hold back, either. The white brim of his hat shaded his eyes, which were full of moisture. His posture was tilted forward, full of pain.

“It hurts right now,” Bailey said. “It hurts.”

Scott Mayfield, a usually eccentric character, was mourning, too. His darting gaze showed a distracted mind, one desperately trying to stay positive, one desperately trying to focus on all the good.

“Back to back, being in the last four teams, that’s not a fluke,” Mayfield said. “We believe in ourselves. We’re a confident group. This stings right now.”

It sucks. It hurts. It stings. Each player had his own description, but no matter how you phrase it, the Islanders were devastated. They were one goal away from a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup, from getting a step closer to eternal glory.

Instead, the Islanders headed home. After embarking on a long, sleepless flight full of dreams about what could have been, they face a long, arduous offseason with a quest for redemption in mind.

“This group has been committed. I wish I could take their pain away,” head coach Barry Trotz said. “I’ve had the opportunity to have won a Cup and know how that feels and I really wanted this group to feel that as well.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216517 New York Islanders

Islanders-Lightning Game 7 recap: Turning point, key stats, more

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated June 26, 2021 4:30 PM

Final score: Lightning 1, Islanders 0 (Tampa Bay wins series, 4 games to 3)

Winning goal: Yanni Gourde came off the bench to score a shorthanded effort for the only goal, at 1:49 of the second period.

Turning point: Tampa Bay D Ryan McDonagh picked off a dump-in in the left corner, waited, and sent an outlet up the middle to Alex Killorn to start the rush that led to Gourde’s game-winner.

Key statistics: Friday marked the 36th Game 7 in an NHL semifinal series in league history. The Game 7 winner has gone on to lift the Stanley Cup 21 times (60%)…The Islanders went 1-for-17 on the power play against the Lightning, with a shorthanded goal allowed. The Islanders went 2-for- 19 against them in a six-game loss in the Eastern Conference finals…The Islanders did not hold the lead after the first period in any of their 19 playoff games.

Did you notice? The Amalie Arena crowd took to booing Islanders D Scott Mayfield, who got away with an unpenalized cross-check on Nikita Kucherov early in the first period of Game 6. Kucherov’s status for Game 7 was in doubt right until pre-game warmups.

Injury news: Lightning D Erik Cernak returned to the lineup after sustaining an upper-body injury in Game 4.

Other news: Islanders’ ownership chartered a flight to Tampa, Florida on Friday for team employees wanting to attend Game 7. The employees were chartered back to Long Island immediately after the game.

Three stars

1. Yanni Gourde (Tampa Bay). He scored the only goal, and had a game-high five shots on goal.

2. Ryan McDonagh (Tampa Bay). Started the play on the winning goal, and had five of the Lightning’s 21 blocked shots.

3. Semyon Varlamov (Islanders). He was the best player for the Islanders. His 30 shots kept them in it all the way.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216518 New York Islanders In the three years since Trotz left the Capitals in a salary dispute, they, too, have not gotten past the first round.

And the Islanders have done it all while dealing with COVID-19 Mathew Barzal feels pain of loss for the Islanders' veterans challenges — like everyone has — and preparing to move into their third home arena in three seasons — which not everyone has done.

Updated June 26, 2021 4:24 PM For nearly a half-century, the league’s bigger, badder, better-funded bullies kicked ice shavings in the Islanders’ faces. Now the Islanders are the bullies.

The tears in Mathew Barzal’s eyes told part of the story, and the words Sure, in theory it is the job of professional athletes to win championships, that came out of his mouth told another. but that involves a rare alchemy of talent, timing and good fortune. The New York area has gone almost a decade without one of those. Such was the double-whammy of the Islanders’ 1-0 loss to the Lightning on Friday night in Game 7 of a Stanley Cup semifinal in Tampa. On a day-to-day basis, all we can expect of these people is that they win more than they lose, and that they entertain us while doing so. The There was the obvious pain of coming so close to a Cup Final, doubly so Islanders of this era aced that metric in a huge way. because the Islanders lost to the same team in the same round the year before.

But then Barzal added to the somber mood when he stated another truth: By Neil Best That he felt worse for his veteran teammates than for himself about falling short, mentioning Andy Greene and Josh Bailey in particular. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.27.2021

Island Ice Ep. 104: Isles-Lightning Game 7 analysis

Andrew Gross, Colin Stephenson and Neil Best discuss the deciding Game 7 of the Islanders vs. Lightning in the Stanley Cup semifinals.

Greene is 38. Bailey is only 31, but the Islanders drafted him in 2008, a few weeks after Barzal turned 11.

"It hurts seeing those guys in the locker room afterward, knowing how close we were," Barzal said.

Understandable, given that while this group’s window is far from closed, it is not as open as it used to be.

The Islanders are building something in the sense that ownership, Lou Lamoriello, Barry Trotz and UBS Arena itself have helped earn the franchise respect and attention.

But they are not necessarily building something past the short term, roster-wise. Of the 19 players who appeared in Game 7, 12 will be 30 or older by the opening week of next season.

Some of those players no longer will be Islanders by then, but returning captain Anders Lee will be, and he turns 31 next weekend.

So while the current Rangers, for example, are on a trajectory that should have them peaking around 2022-23, the Islanders already are there.

That hardly means they will not get another crack at this next spring of beyond. The core of the team will be back, and UBS Arena figures to host some good hockey in its inaugural season.

But what about ’22-23? Let’s put it this way: If you had to bet the college fund on the Islanders or Rangers having a higher point total that season, which would you choose? Be honest. Junior’s tuition won’t come cheap, and you will not believe the text book prices.

Hence the pressure to win now, no matter how smart two-time GM of the Year Lamoriello — who is 78, by the way — and Trotz will be in keeping the team competitive.

One more thing about Barzal’s emotional response to Friday’s loss: Trotz repeatedly has praised Barzal for his improved maturity and leadership, but also has made it clear he has more room to grow.

Islanders fans ought to take it as a good sign that their biggest star feels defeat as acutely as they do, likely more so. That is what you want as a fan.

Let us now close with the more cheerful part of our little season-ending essay: True as all of the above may be, those of us who do not work for the team ought to take a step back and appreciate these past three seasons.

In 2018, Lamoriello and Trotz took over a team that had not consistently achieved across 35 years, and then lost John Tavares, one of the best players of the post-dynasty era.

In the three years since Tavares signed with the Maple Leafs, who had pushed out Lamoriello from their front office, the Islanders have advanced in the playoffs three times and the Leafs have not done so once. 1216519 New York Islanders But managing to re-sign Palmieri would mean trimming salaries elsewhere.

Lamoriello will have to decide which Islanders to expose to the Seattle Barry Trotz: Hard truth is that some of these Islanders won't be here next Kraken in the expansion draft, set for July 21. season The Kraken will select one player from the Islanders, who can protect either seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie, or eight skaters By Andrew Gross and one goalie. [email protected] @AGrossNewsday Re-signing Palmieri would seemingly become much more realistic if, say, Jordan Eberle, who has three seasons left on a five-year, $27.5 million Updated June 26, 2021 3:09 PM deal, went to Seattle.

One player who is not going anywhere but whose next contract will determine who else the Islanders can and cannot afford is goalie Ilya TAMPA, Fla. — Barry Trotz spoke an NHL truth when he noted the Sorokin. The highly-anticipated debut of the five-time KHL all-star yielded devastated group of players in the dressing room following the Islanders’ a 13-6-3 record with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .918 save 1-0 loss to the Lightning in Friday night’s Game 7 of their semifinal series percentage, plus four wins in the first round against the Penguins. at Amalie Arena will not be the group that opens training camp in September. He’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights coming off a one- year, $2 million deal and it wouldn’t be surprising if his ask is much closer Annual change is a part of life in the NHL, particularly under a hard salary to Semyon Varlamov’s $5 million cap hit. cap. And very particularly true under a flat, $81.5 million that is a lingering effect of the COVID-19-induced financial ruin the league suffered without fans in the arenas for a good portion of this season. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.27.2021 So, the offseason question becomes, how many players depart and how radical is the roster reshaping? Remember, this is a franchise that has had the same core group of players pre-dating the Lou Lamoriello/Trotz era, even with John Tavares departing for the Maple Leafs via free agency in 2018.

"It’s just a lot of pain because they gave it their all," Trotz said after the Islanders were eliminated by the Lightning one round short of their first Stanley Cup Final berth since 1984 for the second straight season. "There’s some guys that are playing that are beat up, worn out, hurt and they just keep going. There’s a bond between all the players that is really strong.

"The disappointing thing is we didn’t get this game and this group in that room won’t be together again," Trotz added. "That’s just the lay of the land in the National Hockey League. That’s all the pain. They’re not going to be defined by this game, win or lose. They’re going to be defined by all the games."

There’s no reason to think the Islanders will not be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender again next season, when they move into $1.2 billion UBS Arena at Belmont Park and finally have the modern home they’ve needed since — conservatively — the 1990s.

But free agency and the expansion draft – plus whatever trades Lamoriello may or may not pull of – will reshape the roster.

Among the core players, Casey Cizikas is of immediate concern.

The sparkplug, identity-setting fourth line center is an impending unrestricted free agent. He turned 30 in February and is coming off a five-year, $16.75 million deal. He will undoubtedly be sought-after if he reaches free agency (he seems like the perfect type of hard-edged, energy player new Rangers president and general manage Chris Drury is looking to infuse into his skill-heavy lineup).

Island Ice Ep. 104: Isles-Lightning Game 7 analysis

Andrew Gross, Colin Stephenson and Neil Best discuss the deciding Game 7 of the Islanders vs. Lightning in the Stanley Cup semifinals.

Lamoriello must weigh another multi-year commitment to Cizikas and how that fits into the Islanders’ salary structure against the always- present desire for NHL teams to get younger and faster.

A quartet of ex-Devils — Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, defenseman Andy Greene and third-string goalie Cory Schneider — will all be UFAs. The latter three will all probably play somewhere next season on one-year deals, unless Greene, who turns 39 in October, calls it a career. But the 30-year-old Palmieri, originally from Smithtown, will be one of the top forward targets on the free agent market coming off a five-year, $23.25 million deal.

Acquired because of captain Anders Lee’s season-ending right anterior cruciate ligament injury on March 11, Palmieri seemed a strong fit for Lamoriello and Trotz’s defensively-responsible, physical brand of hockey. And there was no doubt Palmieri felt comfortable on Long Island, where he still has family. 1216520 New York Islanders

Did Lightning have too many men on ice for winning shorthanded goal vs. Islanders?

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated June 26, 2021 2:34 PM

TAMPA, Fla. – Not one Islander mentioned it or was questioned about it in the immediate wake of their season-ending, 1-0 loss to the Lightning in Friday night’s Game 7 of their NHL semifinal series.

But a photo circulated on social media seemed to indicate the Lightning may have had five skaters on the ice on Yanni Gourde’s shorthanded goal at 1:49 of the second period.

Gourde jumped off the bench and into the offensive zone as Anthony Cirelli curled along the right wall and fed him in the slot for the only shorthanded goal the Islanders allowed all season. Alex Killorn was just returning to the Lightning bench but three Lightning players are also in the neutral zone for a total of five in the action.

Not that the three players in the neutral zone impacted the play as Cirelli and Gourde operated solo in the Islanders’ zone.

Still, a potential missed too-many-men penalty on the Lightning’s winning shorthanded goal would be a cruel irony to the Islanders.

The Lightning won Game 2 of the series at Amalie Arena, 4-2, but coach Barry Trotz was livid when the on-ice officiating crew seemingly missed seven Lightning on the ice on Ondrej Palat’s goal to make it 2-1 at 13:15 of the second period. The Lightning eventually took a 4-1 lead in that game.

"You guys know there were too many men on the ice there," Trotz said after Game 2. "They had seven guys. Disappointed in that."

There was plenty of disappointment and pain expressed by Trotz and the Islanders players who spoke after Game 7, particularly a choked-up Mathew Barzal, but none brought up the possibility of the Lightning having too many men on Gourde’s goal.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216521 New York Islanders

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.27.2021

5 questions for the Islanders entering NHL offseason

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated June 26, 2021 2:30 PM

It promises to be a busy offseason for Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello, who must make some key personnel decisions through the expansion draft and free agency.

Here are the biggest questions the team faces before the next NHL season opens on Oct. 12:

1. Which free agents can be re-signed? The Islanders have approximately $66 million committed to 17 players for next season — plus $4.375 million with Andrew Ladd’s contract again being presumably buried — under the flat, $81.5 million salary cap. Casey Cizikas ($3.35 million cap hit), Kyle Palmieri ($4.65 million), Travis Zajac ($5.75 million) and defenseman Andy Greene ($700,000) are key unrestricted free agents. Goalie Ilya Sorokin ($2 million), defenseman Adam Pelech ($1.6 million), Anthony Beauvillier ($2.1 million) and Michael Dal Colle ($700,000) are among the restricted free agents and all are arbitration eligible. Pelech, in particular, is looking at a sizable raise as a top-pair defenseman.

2. Who will be exposed in the expansion draft? The expansion Seattle Kraken will select one player from each NHL team, excluding Vegas, on July 21 and this could be an opportunity for Lamoriello to shed salary. NHL teams are allowed to protect either seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie, or eight skaters and one goalie. Players with no-movement clauses must be protected while first- and second- year pros and unsigned draft choices are exempt. Right wing Jordan Eberle ($5.5 million cap hit through 2024) and defenseman Nick Leddy ($5.5 million cap hit through 2022) are likely to be among those left exposed.

3. What to do with the power play? The Islanders’ finished 20th in the NHL on the man advantage in the regular season at 18.8% (27-for-144) and that was the unit’s best statistical showing in coach Barry Trotz’s first three seasons. Scott Gomez was the assistant coach in charge of the power play in Trotz’s first season before Jim Hiller was imported from the Maple Leafs to take over these last two seasons. Another coaching change could be a possibility, but the Islanders need better power play personnel as well. A healthy Anders Lee will help for his net-front presence and having sharpshooter Oliver Wahlstrom on the power play full-time should also be an improvement. But Lamoriello may need to acquire another booming, power-play shot — defenseman Ryan Pulock should be effective in that role but it hasn’t worked out yet — especially if Palmieri, as expected, departs via free agency.

4. What happens to the fourth line if Casey Cizikas leaves? arrived from the Wild in 2013 and pretty much from that point, the Matt Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck identity line has been a crucial staple for the Islanders — minus Martin’s two seasons with the Maple Leafs from 2016-18. Any one of the trio has always seemed less effective without one or two of his on-ice partners available. Martin, 32, has three seasons remaining on a four-year, $6 million deal. Clutterbuck, 33, will be entering the last season of a five-year, $17.5 million deal. Cizikas is 30. Does Lamoriello commit to keeping this trio together or does he make room for center prospect Otto Koivula? Could he trade Clutterbuck if he doesn’t re-sign Cizikas?

5. When will they begin play at UBS Arena? The Islanders new, state-of- the-art, $1.2 billion arena at Belmont Park is targeted to open in November. But when in November? With an Oct. 12 target date for next season, that’s three weeks minimum into the new campaign before the new arena opens. The Islanders, understandably, are eager to maximize the home dates at their new home but does that mean they’ll open the season with a three-week or longer road trip? Or, will the Islanders start the season with a handful of games — and possibly some preseason games — at Nassau Coliseum? Will that be possible? The new Coliseum leaseholder will likely retro-fit the venerable barn into something with a smaller seating capacity with the Islanders no longer a tenant. 1216522 New York Islanders

Islanders Fans Welcome Team Back From Tampa after Heartbreaking Game 7 Loss

Published 7 hours ago on June 26, 2021

By Christian Arnold

In a scene reminiscent of last year’s return from the Edmonton bubble, the New York Islanders were given a hero’s welcome back from Tampa Bay after they were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 7 of the semifinals.

Islanders fans lined up just outside the fence of Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York, and greeted the team with cheers and let’s go Islanders chants as they disembarked from the team plane. The Islanders had received a similarly jovial welcome last year upon returning from their Game 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Players waved as they disembarked the team charter and as they drove off in their vehicles to head home.

The scene reinforced the connection that the New York Islanders and their fanbase had built over the course of their run to the semifinals and the fact they had captivated the imaginations of sports fans across the area. The Islanders had graced the back pages of all three New York daily newspapers in the days leading up to Friday’s 1-0 Game 7 loss in Tampa.

The coaches and players had also noted the number of people that had come up to them to thank them for the memories that the team had created and revived in their final run at Nassau Coliseum.

The impromptu gathering of fans generated from a post on social media.

Their return to the Stanley Cup Semifinals was their second consecutive trip and Game 7 marked the first time the Islanders had been one win away from the Cup Final since 1984. The Islanders’ loss also meant the end of the team’s run at the Nassau Coliseum.

The New York Islanders will move into the new UBS Arena when it is completed this fall for the 2021-22 NHL season. The team has already announced they’ve sold out of season tickets for their inaugural season there.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216523 New York Rangers Q: You were 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, but you weren’t afraid of anybody.

A: I wasn’t scared of anybody. It’s just the way you were brought up, when you’re from a big family. I enjoyed the fighting part of that game in New Rangers coach Gerard Gallant is craving the Stanley Cup that era. Sometimes you bit off a little more than you can handle, that was OK, ’cause you never got hurt back then.

By Steve Serby Q: How do you motivate?

June 26, 2021 | 9:58am | Updated A: You know what? It’s part of the game now, you get guys ready to play. But honestly, I think what’s really important for me is you have your good veteran players, your leadership guys. I don’t think a coach should have to come in there and motivate players. For me it’s about having great New Rangers coach Gerard Gallant takes a timeout for some Q&A with leadership in your locker room, and they take control of your locker room, Post columnist Steve Serby. and I think that’s a big part of motivation. We prepare every day, we Q: What would you say drives you? prepare for practice and get the team ready, and I think the players and the leadership take over from there. A: Well, I want to win a Stanley Cup. I never [have] won a Stanley Cup. I enjoy the game, I still have a lot of fun coming to the rink, and I got two Q: What is playing the game the right way? grandboys, 4 and 5 years old, and they’re pretty happy to see grandpa A: You can’t have 13 guys who play real good defensive hockey … and coaching an NHL hockey team. They’re at that age where they’re starting seven guys who are gonna be your offensive players. Good teams take to watch the highlights and all that. They remember Vegas [2017-20] a 20 players to win any given night. You gotta be working defensively, you little bit, but now they’re at a perfect age, and they’ll watch those gotta be working hard offensively, and I think the good teams all do that. I highlights every night, so I’m looking forward to that. don’t think you can say, “Well we got an offensive team here.” Q: Tell me about your Stanley Cup dream as a kid. Q: What won’t you tolerate? A: It goes back to those days, every day you’re playing in the driveway A: I don’t like undisciplined hockey. I like to play a hard game and a and hope you’re playing for the Stanley Cup. I was fortunate enough to physical game, but I don’t like to see guys taking undisciplined, get a chance to be close to ’em as a player, and even closer to it with unsportsmanlike penalties. And to be honest with ya, I won’t be satisfied Vegas in the finals. I obviously had a couple of parties with it with the if I’m watching guys not working hard on the ice, that’ll be the biggest Red Wings when they won after I was done playing with them. It was thing for me. You can work hard for 45 seconds and you can rest on the enjoyable, but it’s still not the same until you win one yourself. bench. The big thing for me is when you’re on the ice, if you don’t got the Q: Did they let you drink out of the Cup? puck, let’s go get the puck. Let’s work hard the 45 seconds, then you can change and you can rest for a minute-and-a-half so. … I don’t like lazy A: They wanted me to, but I didn’t. You’re not supposed to touch it unless hockey players. you win it, so I just had the party and it’s fun, but I never drank out of it. Q: What’s your No. 1 rule? Gerard Gallant with the Knights at the 2018 Stanley Cup final. A: Respect’s a big word for me. We’re gonna respect our players, we’re Q: How good of a coach do you believe you are? gonna respect our organization, all the people that work in the organization. That’s really important to me. That starts from the top with A: Well, there’s 32 coaches in the NHL, and I’m just trying to be one of our group. It’s not gonna be allowed that you’re gonna be late for those coaches, get our team ready to play. I take a lot of pride in my practice, you’re gonna be late for this — we’re not gonna stand for that. team being the hardest-working team on the ice. I don’t care if I’m the So, respect everybody’s time and let’s have some fun. I don’t like to put a worst coach or the best coach in the NHL, it’s just about us winning and whole lot of rules in place, but I like people to respect each other, and being ready as a team to play. You get judged by your wins and losses, respect your teammates, and respect the people you work around every but I don’t really care what people think if I’m the best coach or the worst day. coach in the league, it’s just you come do your job, you have fun at it, try and get as many wins as you can, and the ultimate goal is to win a Q: Who are leaders you admire? Stanley Cup. A: The one I’ve been around a lot as a player was Steve Yzerman. … Q: Describe your ideal hockey player. Obviously there’s a Mark Messier with the Rangers. … And then a leader don’t gotta be guys that are talking all the time. Leaders lead by example A: A guy that comes to work every night, shows up to play 60 minutes as on the ice, that’s what’s important. many nights as he can 82 games a year, and I love seeing a guy that can play a 200-foot game. He plays hard, he’s good offensively, he’s good Gerard Gallant behind Team Canada’s bench at the World defensively, he can stand up for himself. You don’t gotta do everything Championship semifinal. great, but do everything good. That’s a great hockey player for me. Q: What do you remember about Messier and that ’94 championship Q: If a team takes on the personality of its coach, what would you want Rangers team? this team’s personality to be? A: I remember Messier from playing against him before that, in the ’88 A: Very competitive. Again what I just described as a hockey player, and ’89 playoffs when we were in the semifinals when I’m with Detroit. that’s the way I tried to play every game. So being ready to play every Just the way he came and played every night and showed his leadership night. But, come to work and be ready to work. My goal, ever since I’ve and character. Good person, competes every night. He made that been a coach and a player is I’m in the NHL, the best league in the world Ranger team go, obviously. He took control of that series — New Jersey — let’s have fun every day, but let’s work hard every day and keep it fun. [in the conference finals], obviously. He was a great leader, and he came to play and he backed up his words. He showed it on the ice every night. Q: Will the word abrasive fit this team? Q: What is your definition of toughness? A: That’s a good word. You watch the playoffs now, and I think every coach knows you have to have some guys that are ready to be abrasive. A: In today’s game in the NHL, you can compete, you can battle hard, You can’t have every player doing that, obviously, that’s not the NHL you go win the puck battles in the corner, you’re first on pucks, you’re not today, but you gotta have every player standing up and competing for waiting for the other team to get the pucks. Toughness isn’t all about themselves and playing hard. … But abrasive’s a great word. fighting, it’s about winning those puck battles and getting to pucks first.

Q: As a player, you would get into scraps early in games. Q: When you watched the May 3 Artemi Panarin incident, when Tom Wilson injured him, what was your gut reaction? A: The NHL back then there was a lot more fighting, and I found I played a lot better hockey when I got involved early in physical play. Back then A: I just didn’t like it at all. I didn’t think it should have happened. You’re there wasn’t a whole lot of numbers and analytics, but I found when I not gonna go over the whole incident, but I liked the way the Rangers fought in the first period, I always scored that game, a good portion of the responded to it. Tom Wilson’s a tough hockey player, every team would time I scored. love to have that type of hockey player, but you can’t allow that to good deal with Tampa Bay, but … it was the toughest day of my life that happen. time.

Q: Who are coaches outside hockey you admire? Q: Describe coaching the QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs.

A: The San Antonio coach, [Gregg] Popovich. I like the way he handles A: That was three outstanding years [2009-11], we had the top team in himself, he carries himself. He’s been a winner. He’s been in San Canada for three years in a row, and it was fun to coach. There were Antonio for a long time, and it looks like he enjoys what he does. nights we knew we were gonna win by seven or eight goals. It was too easy at times. I was happy when we lost once in a while because our Q: After you were surprisingly fired by the Panthers, there was an kids were so talented, so you could get them a little hard work at practice infamous photo of you tracking down a cab. What was that like for you the next day. seeing that photo? Q: Why was one of your boyhood idols? A: It was actually funny two weeks later when I saw the photo. The whole thing about that is, too, that got blown way out of proportion. The taxi was Gerard Gallant with Jaromir Jagr in Florida in 2016. driving by, I was sick of waiting for the town car to come, so me and my assistant coach , I said, “Flag that taxi over, let’s jump in that.” A: He was one of the best scorers of all time, and back then when I was It just happened to be there was a bunch of people out there taking a kid growing up in PEI [Prince Edward Island], they [the Islanders] had a pictures and everything. real good team at that time obviously with Bossy, [Bryan] Trottier, [Clark] Gillies and all those guys, and we had a guy from PEI, [Billy] MacMillan, Gerard Gallant gets into a cab after being fired by the Panthers in 2016. that played on the team also, so I cheered for them, and I wanted them to beat the Montreal Canadiens because Montreal was so good back then, AP when a team finally beat Montreal I was happy. I always cheered for the Q: Who are athletes outside hockey you admire? team that could beat Montreal.

A: I’ve always liked baseball. I was a big Yankee fan when I was a kid Q: What stood out to you about Bossy? growing up. I was always a Ron Guidry fan, a Don Mattingly fan, the A: Just his goal scoring. He could score from anywhere he’d shoot the Yankees back in that time, Reggie Jackson fan. Obviously I did admire puck. When you’re playing roller hockey, I was either Trottier, Bossy or Michael Jordan and those guys for what they’ve done. Gillies — that was my favorite line back at that time in that era, and he Q: What drew you to the Yankees? was just a guy that scored all the goals.

A: Back then, there was no Canadian teams, I think the Expos were Q: Why did you wear No. 9 in Juniors? starting. … They were like the Montreal Canadiens, they were winning, A: Bobby Hull and were my favorite players as a kid so I wanted to pick the winner at that time. But it was fun watching growing up, and I always liked the No. 9. Obviously when I got to play at Reggie Jackson because he was hitting all those home runs at that time. Detroit, I wasn’t getting No. 9. I just liked the makeup of the team. Thurman Munson was a guy that I really liked, good catcher, played hard. Q: What was it like growing up as one of 11 children?

Q: What made Steve Yzerman so special? A: That was a lot of fun, there was always people around, brothers and sisters playing roller hockey. We grew up in a small town, and you knew A: He wanted to be a special player. He worked really hard in the everybody in the town. We always got what we needed, money and offseason. He competed every day. Early in our career, when we were a everything wasn’t important, but you enjoyed what you were doing. It was real bad team in Detroit, we didn’t have much of a chance to win, and fun running around the dinner table trying to get something to eat. that really bothered him and he just wanted to get better every day. Early on he was a star offensive player, but when he became one of the best Q: Which number were you of the 11? players in the league — he was blocking shots, he was killing penalties, he was doing all the little things — and that’s when they started winning A: I was nine. their Stanley Cups. So his game changed a little bit, but that’s just the Q: Who started calling you “Turk”? way Stevie was, whatever it took to win that’s what he did. A: One of my older brothers, I don’t even really remember when it Q: Whatever comes to mind: ? started. I was 2 or 3 years old, my uncle had a clay basement, I used to A: Toughest guy ever. Great friend. go down to his basement. He raised turkeys, so I used to chase ’em in the basement. Q: Mike Keenan? Q: Three dinner guests? A: Good coach. Tough-ass coach. A: I enjoy my buddies. I come home every summer and I got eight Q: ? buddies that I grew up with and eight buddies that I play poker with every weekend. They’re as good as anybody. A: Unbelievable skills, great all-around player. Q: Eight dinner guests then? Q: Billy Smith? A: Exactly. A: Scored my first goal against him … competitor … battler. Q: Favorite movie? Q: ? A: “Shawshank Redemption.” A: Great coach for me, I had my best four seasons under Jacques Demers … emotional guy … fiery guy … great man. Q: Favorite actor?

Q: Chris Drury as a player? A: Clint Eastwood.

A: Good, solid two-way hockey player. Q: Favorite actress?

Q: Jaromir Jagr? A: Sharon Stone.

A: Unbelievable player. Great person. I enjoyed my three years with Jagr Q: Favorite singer or entertainer? in Florida. A: Shania Twain. Favorite band’s AC/DC. Q: Describe your emotions leaving the Red Wings as a player in 1993. Q: Favorite meal? A: Real tough. I mean, I was there nine years, drafted by them, and when it was time for me to go — I was a free agent and I knew they didn’t want A: I’m a steak and potatoes guy. me back — so it was a real, real tough day. At that time, I would have Q: Message to Rangers fans? taken any contract they would have offered me even though I got a pretty A: We’re gonna be a very competitive team, and you know what? We’ll do the best we can. And cheer loud! They’re a big part of what we’re gonna do.

New York Post LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216524 New York Rangers It’s going to be a busy summer for Drury.

Rangers GM Chris Drury has a very busy summer ahead of him Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.27.2021

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated June 26, 2021 7:00 PM

Chris Drury crossed off the No. 1 item on his summer to-do list when he hired Gerard Gallant to be the 36th coach in Rangers history earlier this month. But the Rangers president and general manager is a long way from done with all he has to do as he prepares for the 2021-22 season.

Gallant is going to need a coaching staff, and in the press conference at which the new coach was introduced, Drury identified finding and hiring assistant coaches to work with Gallant is "probably’’ his top priority for now.

"I'm going to need to find some help in the front office as well,’’ Drury said. "Maybe [add] some scouting positions, assistant GM, things like that. I'm working away at it and when the time is right, we'll let everybody know."

Drury has more or less cleaned house since becoming the Rangers’ boss in the wake of the surprise firings of team president John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton days before the season ended last month. He let go of coach David Quinn and his staff — except for goalie coach Benoit Allaire — after the season ended, because "it was time for a new voice, a new coach, some new leadership in the room.’’

But then he also got rid of Nickolai Bobrov, who had been the organization’s Director of European Scouting, among others.

In an offseason shortened by COVID-19, Drury has two drafts to get ready for this summer: an expansion draft on July 21 to stock the incoming Seattle Kraken, and the NHL draft, in which the Rangers have the 15th pick in the first round. Most of the work on both of those drafts has been done by now, but there are always last-minute contingencies to consider, plus potential trades that might present themselves around either draft.

For the expansion draft, teams will be allowed to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender, with players who have played two or fewer professional seasons being exempt (so Adam Fox, goaltender Igor Shesterkin, Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller don’t need to be protected). The Rangers don’t appear to have too many difficult decisions, deciding between Brett Howden, , Kevin Rooney and Colin Blackwell for the last protected forward spot should be about it.

After that, there are the usual summer items, such as re-signing the team’s own restricted free agents. Forward Pavel Buchnevich, coming off the best season of his career, is an RFA with arbitration rights who is in line for a significant raise over the $3.5 million he earned in 2020-21. And forwards Filip Chytil, Brett Howden and Julien Gauthier, as well as defenseman Libor Hajek, are all coming off entry level contracts and will need new deals. Shesterkin needs a new deal, as well. He is an RFA with arbitration rights.

Mika Zibanejad, who struggled the first half of the 2021 season after contracting COVID-19 at the start of training camp, is entering the final year of his contract and Drury is going to have to start talking contract extension with his No. 1 center. Ryan Strome, presently the No. 2 center, is entering the last season of his deal as well.

After all that, there is the actual task of improving the team as it tries to end a four-year playoff drought. Drury said at the Gallant press conference that he didn’t believe making the playoffs was "a mandate’’ for the Rangers, but he made it clear the expectation is the Rangers should be a playoff team in 2022. Late season games against the Islanders and Washington Capitals showed that the Rangers need to get tougher and grittier, so Drury is going to have to acquire those type of players.

And then there is Jack Eichel. Will the Rangers attempt to make a trade to get the disgruntled center? Will they try to trade for some other big name? 1216525 Philadelphia Flyers Sanheim, a 2014 first-round pick, made great strides over the previous two seasons heading into 2020-21. He started gaining all-situation responsibility last season. This season, he had rough moments confidence-wise and was relied upon heavily at even strength and Analyst discusses the struggles (and futures) of Sanheim and Myers shorthanded. He finished with 15 points, a minus-22 rating and 21:53 minutes per game.

"I think confidence became a bit of an issue for him," Jones said. "That's BY JORDAN HALL something that can creep into your game, it hits you at some of the most surprising times where you think you've got it figured it out and then this game has a way of humbling you at times that you don't expect it. I think Much had been made of the Matt Niskanen void as the Flyers' 2020-21 that probably caught him off guard a little bit, like those of us watching season deteriorated. him. And he realized that he was being relied upon heavily to continue to make strides and probably that compounded the issue and made it a little In one season with the Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, the Flyers more difficult for him to get his game back on track." were tied for the NHL's seventh-fewest goals allowed per game at 2.77, owned the fourth-best goal differential at plus-36 and fell one win shy of The season turned into a monster for building confidence. During the the Eastern Conference Final. Flyers' nightmare March, Sanheim and Myers each had minus-6 performances in the Flyers' 9-0 drubbing to the Rangers at Madison After the 2019-20 season, Niskanen quietly retired. His absence, Square Garden. The very next night, Sanheim and Myers were back on however, was noticeable this season. The Flyers allowed more goals the ice against the Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. than any other team at 3.52 per game, had a minus-38 goal differential Head coach Alain Vigneault "loved the way they redeemed themselves" and missed the playoffs. in a 4-3 win. Was the precipitous drop-off entirely because of Niskanen's absence? "We went through that spell with COVID, went to Lake Tahoe, which was No, but an overshadowed element of life with Niskanen was his another stressful trip where you've got a long flight both ways and you're importance to Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers. The Flyers' young only there for a day and a half to play a game and come right back, and defensemen experienced challenges in life after Niskanen. More you've got to jump right back into a full schedule again," Sanheim said in responsibilities were put on their plates in a nonstop physical and mental May. "There are a lot of areas that were stressful on our group. Me going grind of a season. In an unprecedented year, the Flyers watched many of minus-6 against New York, to be able to mentally come back the next their younger pieces struggle, including the 25-year-old Sanheim and 24- night and play against the Islanders, that's challenging. That was a good year-old Myers. General manager said the majority of the experience for me. Honestly, it's going to make me a better player, it's club's young players "either plateaued or took a step back this year." going to make me understand those situations better because it's going For younger players in the NHL, particularly during an unusual year like to happen again. At the end of the day, some of the best players in the this, slumps can tend to be prolonged. The numerous growing pains world still have off nights, have nights where the puck's just not going were a part of the reason why the Flyers went a disappointing 25-23-8. their way. Learn from those areas and be better next season."

"You don't have necessarily all of the tools that you need to kind of figure Sanheim is a restricted free agent this offseason, so he'll have a new things out in hurry," former Flyer and current analyst said contract heading into 2021-22. He remains a significant part of the Flyers' Thursday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. "It was future, but Jones believes Sanheim's productivity and development can beneficial to me to have other players, veteran players to lean on, to also be augmented by more help on the back end. That has to be one of the have them lean on me at times because if you start feeling sorry for Flyers' biggest objectives this summer. yourself, it's always important that you have other guys that push you to "I don't think that the confidence is going to be a big issue going forward," get yourself back up on your feet. Instead of worrying about your own Jones said about Sanheim. "There are certain players that are Flyer struggles, finding a way to do what's right for the team. types or styles of players that the Flyers could add on the back end that "I do think those things were a little more difficult to have players interject would allow him to continue to grow at a rapid pace. I don't think he's a their experiences because there was such a lack of togetherness on mentally weak player by any means, I just think that there were a lot of some of the teams based upon the circumstances of this year being so issues that contributed to the Flyers' defense playing as a group not as unique. I do think for a team that was looking for younger players to have well as they did the previous year. bigger roles — some of it by necessity, especially on the blue line after "I think he, without question, has the ability to bounce back whether it's Niskanen left — it was not ideal for those players to grow at a rapid from a bad game or a difficult season. He's going to be relied upon pace." heavily in the future, but right now, he's one of the core guys, but he's not Not only did Niskanen play in all situations, but his influence permeated one of the guys that needs to carry the team to the next level; he's going the club's defensive core. Experience was critical in a season like 2020- to need some help in doing that." 21. The Flyers lost their most experienced and accomplished Myers, an undrafted product that developed into one of the club's more defenseman, a guy with 140 career playoff games on his résumé. Myers touted prospects ahead of 2018-19, had a promising 2019-20 campaign entered this season with 71 career regular-season games. and first taste of the postseason. This season, some proposed he'd be a "The Niskanen story is more than just his abilities on the ice; it's also top-pair option alongside Ivan Provorov, which was Niskanen's spot. being a veteran player that had a wealth of experience that can help Myers fought his confidence and decision-making, while also battling a some of these younger guys navigate through difficult times," Jones said. rib injury and AC joint sprain. "I think that's why at times it almost seems like it's been overblown, the "Just too high up in the lineup," Jones said. "That's all that happened absence of Niskanen, but it really has not been. there. He just got ahead of his skis and that's never a great thing for a "If you look at the other teams in the playoffs right now, the teams that young defenseman that was making some very big strides the previous are remaining, you look at their blue lines, the big reason why those year and showed glimpses of not just being a steady NHL player, being a teams are remaining is because of how deep they are on the back end. star player. There were some games two years ago that I could have It's a lot of veteran guys — the Shea Webers, the Victor Hedmans, the found multiple examples of really intelligent and skillful plays from Phil Ryan McDonaghs — that are the real important pieces. Myers within any game. It was a real treat to watch how quickly he had developed into a very reliable and really an outstanding young "I think the Flyers last year got a good taste of how difficult it can be to defenseman. beat teams that have good defensive cores. They barely got past Montreal last year and they did not get past the Islanders, and it's not "So that part was a little bit shocking, but when you look at it, right- surprising that Montreal and the Islanders are two of the final four teams handed shooting defenseman that's being elevated on the back end, he's and could possibly meet in the Stanley Cup Final. They continue to not insulated because of not having a veteran like Niskanen back there progress and the Flyers regressed. I think that's why expectations were playing the big minutes in all of the big situations. Now he's forced to try so high, last year they weren't that far off and all of a sudden it dropped to be that guy and it was too much too soon." and in a hurry."

Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers. The Flyers have long been bullish on Myers' upside and that feeling won't change after one tough season. The Flyers are almost certainly going to protect Myers in the July 21 NHL expansion draft for the Kraken.

"I sure hope so," Jones said with a laugh. "I would tell you that because he'll be gone in the blink of an eye.

"That is a player that I would not give up on. If I was an opposing team, I would be trying to steal him, I would be trying to buy low, but you're not going to fool the Flyers on that one. That's not going to happen, but there will be teams that are peeking underneath the cupboards to see if they could steal him; that will not happen."

In May, as they headed into the offseason, Sanheim and Myers were staying positive and turning the page.

"I'm just looking forward to seeing my family and friends this summer, forget about it for a while and just hit the reset button," Myers said. "Reset mentally and obviously get back in shape there and gain some of my jump back for next year. I'm looking forward to the summer, I'm obviously really disappointed we didn't make the playoffs. I've got a lot of motivation this summer and I'm going to put the time in and I'm going to be champing at the bit for training camp next year."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216526 Pittsburgh Penguins Chara is 44, but he’s also 6-9. He can stand in one place and use his wingspan. You don’t have to be mobile to cross-check.

Winger Corey Perry (36) and center Eric Staal (36) are also UFAs. Perry Mark Madden's Hot Take: Bringing back Marc-Andre Fleury would is 6-3, Staal 6-4. Both have contributed to Montreal’s improbable playoff transform the Penguins run. Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf (36, 6-3) and Toronto winger (33, 6-0) are available but probably too expensive.

The Penguins are choosing a direction where right now is all that MARK MADDEN matters. Worry about later, later.

Saturday, June 26, 2021 10:02 a.m.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.27.2021 Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) plays against the Montreal Canadiens during Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup semifinal playoff series Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Las Vegas.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will not rebuild. That will be evident when they extend the contracts of defenseman Kris Letang and center this offseason barring squabbles over price.

The Penguins will not get appreciably bigger and tougher. The components aren’t available. Winger Jake Guentzel couldn’t be traded even-up for, say, a Tkachuk brother. No chance.

So, here’s what the Penguins should do.

Get goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury back from Vegas.

Sign a few older, bigger players to short-term contracts.

You have 2-3 more years before the Penguins implode. Make the most of them.

The Fleury conversation is cliched and beyond tired.

But the Penguins were legitimately close to getting Fleury from Vegas before this season. The Golden Knights reportedly reneged on a deal because ownership got dewy-eyed about Fleury’s importance to the franchise since its inception in 2017.

Fleury’s reward for that importance: being jerked around in the playoffs by coach Peter DeBoer after a regular season that saw Fleury named a Vezina Trophy (best goalie) finalist.

That’s happened for the last time.

Fleury’s performance never will convince DeBoer that he’s Vegas’ best goaltender. Fleury is certain to want out. The same loyalty that got Vegas ownership to squash that previous deal likely will get Fleury deposited where he wants.

Vegas would have to keep some of Fleury’s $7 million cap hit. The Penguins shouldn’t give more than a third-round pick for a 36-year-old goalie.

But the Penguins have to find a way. Fleury’s return could transform the team. Fleury has found a second wind late in his career.

This isn’t about sentiment, though Fleury would be a big boost to the locker room. He’d sell tickets and merchandise, too. (Get him to switch numbers.)

Look at the goalies in the Stanley Cup semifinals: Fleury and Robin Lehner, Carey Price, Semyon Varlamov, Andrei Vasilevskiy. All are standouts.

Now consider how Tristan Jarry played in the Penguins’ first-round loss to the New York Islanders and convince me he can take the Penguins to those heights. (Don’t bother. I won’t buy it.)

Jarry might feel hard done by if Fleury returns. Tough luck. Play better. More than ever, the Penguins are a “right now” team.

In light of that, getting older isn’t necessarily bad.

The easiest way for the Penguins to get bigger is by adding older players on short-term deals.

Winger Wayne Simmonds, 32, is 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and plays nasty. He had an injury-riddled season with Toronto, scoring seven goals in 38 games.

That makes Simmonds affordable.

He is an unrestricted free agent. So is defenseman Zdeno Chara. 1216527 Pittsburgh Penguins The future: Jankowski was a worthwhile experiment, especially since he didn’t have much of an impact on the Penguins’ salary cap.

It’s accurate to say things didn’t work out as hoped and all parties Penguins A to Z: Mark Jankowski's second chance didn't pan out concerned will probably part ways. The Penguins will likely not tender a qualifying offer to Jankowski to retain his signing rights and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.

SETH RORABAUGH Additionally, he is highly unlikely to be protected (or selected) in next month’s expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken franchise. Saturday, June 26, 2021 8:01 a.m. On the surface, Jankowski seems to have a lot of qualities the Penguins

value, particularly given his size, but it would be a stretch to say In 45 games this past season, Penguins forward Mark Jankowski scored Jankowski plays anything remotely close to a “big” game. 11 points (four goals, seven assists). The Penguins provided Jankowski a second chance but it just never With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is panned out. looking at all 48 players currently under NHL contracts to the organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker. Tribune Review LOADED: 06.27.2021

Mark Jankowski Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Age: 26

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 212 pounds

2020-21 NHL statistics: 45 games, 11 points (four goals, seven assists)

Contract: One-year contract with a salary cap hit of $700,000. Pending restricted free agent this offseason

Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, Oct. 9, 2020

2020-21 season: The reasoning behind signing Mark Jankowski in hopes he would fit in as the Penguins’ third-line center was sound.

He was a former first-round pick (No 21 overall by the in 2012) who had pedigree. Plus, he had some history of success having reached double-digit figures in goals during two previous seasons as the Flames No. 3 center.

Most importantly, he came onboard cheap. Joining a team bumping its head against the top of the salary cap, Jankowski signed a one-year deal for the league minimum salary in hopes of providing his career a much- needed course correction.

It was a low-risk, high-reward signing that ultimately provided almost no reward.

Things sure started out well for Jankowski with the Penguins. He scored the first goal of the entire NHL season and added an assist while centering a line with Jared McCann and former college teammate Brandon Tanev in the Penguins’ opener, a 6-3 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 13.

Two nights later he added an assist in a 5-2 road loss to the Flyers and seemed to be off to a fast start with his new team.

All of that came to a screeching halt as Jankowski failed to record a single point over his next 21 games and was demoted to the fourth line.

Jankowski suffered a head injury during a 5-2 road loss to the Washington Capitals on Feb. 25 when he was clobbered on a late hit by Capitals forward Tom Wilson and missed three games.

He missed an additional game on March 27 when he was placed on the NHL’s list of absences due to covid-19 related protocol.

Jankowski’s steadiest work came on the penalty kill where he averaged 1:48 of short-handed ice time, fourth-most among the team’s forwards. His best stretch of the season was a modest four-game scoring streak (two goals, four assists) April 3-9.

Injuries to other forwards largely kept Jankowski in the lineup until the late stages of the regular season. But following the addition of forward Jeff Carter on April 12 and the rise of forward Frederick Gaudreau (as well as most of the team’s other forwards avoiding further injuries), Jankowski was a healthy scratch by April 29, sitting for the team’s final six games of the regular season and all six of their postseason games. 1216528 Tampa Bay Lightning But when the Lightning have lost in the postseason, it has been because of 5-on-5 play. In their six losses, the Lightning have been outscored 18- 6 when playing 5-on-5. They held a 5-4 advantage on special teams in losses. Beware, Lightning: Canadiens have success locking up top forwards Before their 8-0 Game 5 romp over the Islanders, Tampa Bay’s second line of Killorn, Anthony Cirelli and Stamkos did not have a point on 5-on-5 in the series. As a whole, the Lightning’s defensemen haven’t been as By Eduardo A. Encina active 5-on-5 throughout the postseason. And one reason the Lightning Published Yesterday struggled to score early against the Islanders was because of their 5-on- 5 play. Updated Yesterday In Game 7 against the Islanders, the Lightning’s top forward line had the worst expected goal percentage, a statistic that looks at how much a group creates high-quality scoring chances compared with how many it TAMPA — Nikita Kucherov surprised everyone, including his coach, by allows, among Tampa Bay’s four lines. That could be attributed to playing in the Lightning’s Game 7 against the Islanders on Friday night. Kucherov being limited. “It was dicey,” coach Jon Cooper said after a 1-0 win that sent the Still, while this might look like a David versus Goliath matchup on paper, Lightning to their second straight Stanley Cup final. the Canadiens have proven they’re a dangerous team. The star right wing clearly was ailing from the cross-check he took early “It’s going to be a tough series, obviously,” Kucherov said. “They are a in Game 6 that kept him out for the rest of the game, but his return to the hell of a team. They made it to the final for a reason, and we respect lineup boosted his teammates, who had largely assumed they would them. But at the same time, you know we want to worry about ourselves have to win a do-or-die game without their best player. and play the right way for 60 minutes and see what happens.” “I thought that was a big push for our (locker) room because I’m not so sure the players thought he was going to end up playing,” Cooper said. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.27.2021 Said Kucherov: “There was no question if I’m going to play or not. I felt good. It’s a Game 7. You’ve got to sacrifice yourself and play in those moments.”

Kucherov has two days to rest before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final, when he will face a tough challenge against a Canadiens team that unexpectedly made it this far in part by shutting down opponents’ top scoring forwards.

Vegas right wing Mark Stone, the Golden Knights’ leading scorer in the regular season, had eight points in the first 13 games of the playoffs but did not record a point in a six-game league semifinal series loss to Montreal. Left wing Max Pacioretty, the Golden Knights’ second-best scorer, had one goal in the series.

Two of Winnipeg’s top three scorers in the regular season — Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers — were held to one goal combined against Montreal in a four-game second-round loss. (The other, Mark Scheifele, didn’t score in Game 1, then didn’t play after that while serving a suspension for an illegal hit). And Montreal held Toronto’s scoring duo of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to one goal between them in the first round.

Kucherov leads the league with 27 postseason points (five goals), but the Lightning have a deeper lineup of scorers than most. The playoffs’ top five scorers are from Tampa Bay: Kucherov, Brayden Point (league-high 14 goals, 20 points), Steven Stamkos (17 points), Alex Killorn (17 points) and Victor Hedman (16 points).

The Islanders cooled off the Lightning power play in the semifinals. Tampa Bay scored at a 27.8-percent clip after a 41.7-percent success rate in the first two series.

The Canadiens have quietly been one of the league’s best teams in 5-on- 5 play over the past two regular seasons. This year they ranked fourth in the league in scoring chances created and second in scoring change differential in 5-on-5 play. The Lightning ranked eighth and 10th in those categories.

Will Montreal have success shutting down Lightning center Brayden Point, who at one point had scored in nine straight games? [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

That strength for the Canadiens has come to the forefront in the postseason, and in the final, they like their chances if they can keep it a 5-on-5 game.

“You’ve got to stay out of the penalty box,” Canadiens forward Corey Perry. “Everybody knows what (the Lightning) power play’s like and how they can move the puck and the different options they have, so that’s one way of limiting their chances.”

Game 7 against the Islanders was a good example of how the Lightning can win without the power play. They didn’t have one in the game and scored the game’s only goal while shorthanded, relying on hard-nosed defense to preserve the lead in a game that had just one penalty called. 1216529 Tampa Bay Lightning

No pressure Lightning, but the boss needs you to win in five games

By John Romano

Published Yesterday

TAMPA — A year ago, Jeff Vinik’s dream of the Lightning winning a Stanley Cup came true while they were thousands of miles away in Edmonton and he was at home with his family during the pandemic.

He’ll be a little closer this time — just hundreds of miles away — but still might miss a Cup-clinching celebration.

Vinik’s oldest son, Danny, is getting married in Newport, R.I., on July 10, which is the day after Game 6 is scheduled to be played in Montreal. Because the pandemic delayed last season’s playoffs, the 2021 season was condensed and the playoffs began a month later than normal.

“Two years ago when they picked the date, we all assumed hockey would be over in the middle of June if we were fortunate to get that far,” Vinik said. “I’m thankful there’s no game on July 10 but Game 6, if it goes that far, is on that Friday night, the ninth, in Montreal.

“So I will not be going to that game, none of my family will either, we will be at the rehearsal and welcome dinner in Newport. I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if, two years in a row, I wouldn’t be there when we lifted the Cup.”

No chance of sneaking away between the appetizer and main course to catch a flight to Montreal?

“You know what? Family comes first,” Vinik said. “Hockey is a very close second, but family comes first.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216530 Tampa Bay Lightning Could this be Price’s year to finally hoist the Stanley Cup after a 14-year career in Montreal?

Price, one of the best goaltenders in the league, has played in all 17 Montreal marvels: 5 Canadiens to watch in Stanley Cup final games this postseason, going 12-5 with one shutout. His .934 save percentage leads the league. And his 2.02 goals-against average is second to the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy’s (1.99).

By Mari Faiello Notable postseason moment: In Game 7 against the Maple Leafs in the first round, he made 31 saves in a 3-1 win. Against Vegas, his last save Published Yesterday in overtime helped the Canadiens get on the rush and score for the Updated Yesterday series win.

TAMPA — The matchup is set. The Lightning will face the Canadiens in Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.27.2021 the Stanley Cup final.

Montreal has surprised the hockey world, coming into the playoffs as the 16th seed — it finished fourth in the North Division — and defeating the Maple Leafs in the first round after trailing 3-1, then sweeping the Jets in the second round.

In the league semifinals, Montreal defeated Vegas four games to two.

The Lightning and Canadiens haven’t faced each other since the end of the 2019-20 regular season, March 5, four games before the season was shut down due to the coronavirus.

But the teams, which are division opponents in a normal year, shouldn’t take too long to get reacquainted.

With the Cup final opening Monday night at Amalie Arena, here are five Canadiens who may make a difference in the series.

Toffoli was a great free agent addition for the Canadiens in the offseason after spending eight-plus years with the Kings and winning a Cup before being traded to the Canucks in February 2020.

In the regular season, Toffoli led the Canadiens with 44 points (28 goals). And the postseason is no different. Toffoli leads the team with five goals and nine assists. In 17 playoff matchups, he has had three two-point games.

Notable postseason moment: In Game 4 against the Jets, Toffoli scored the winning goal 99 seconds into overtime to eliminate Winnipeg.

Which addition had the biggest impact this season?

At the top of the Power Rankings: Montreal Canadiens' Tyler Toffoli.

Perry is facing the Lightning in the Cup final for the second straight year after spending last season with the Stars. He won the Cup with the Ducks in 2007.

The 2010-11 league MVP and scoring leader isn’t a big point producer now at 36, but he still is a hunter on the ice and not afraid of physical battles.

In the regular season, he had 21 points (nine goals) and 39 penalty minutes, the second-highest total on the team behind defenseman Ben Chiarot. During the playoffs, Perry has nine points (three goals).

Notable postseason moment: It’s hard to forget the image of Perry, with a bloody face, emerging from the locker room to celebrate Montreal’s 3-2 overtime win over Vegas in Game 3. He needed stitches that night to repair the damage from a high stick.

Caufield spent most of this season playing in college at Wisconsin. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in Division I after leading the nation in goals (30), points (52), power-play goals (11) and power- play points (24), and was named Big Ten Player of the Year. Montreal’s first-round draft pick in 2019, he agreed to an entry-level contract March 27 and had five points (four goals) in 10 regular-season games. He has four goals and five assists in 15 playoff games.

Notable postseason moment: Caufield gave the Canadiens a 2-1 lead in the second period of Game 6 against the Golden Knights after working his way through the neutral zone, getting around Vegas’ Brayden McNabb and sending the puck past goaltender Robin Lehner.

During the regular season Weber had 19 points (six goals). In the postseason, he has one goal and three assists.

Notable postseason moment: Weber scored his first playoff goal on the power-play against Vegas in the first period of Game 6 to open scoring. 1216531 Tampa Bay Lightning shots in the first minute of the penalty kill from defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak.

After Cernak’s block, McDonagh held the puck deep in the Lightning Lightning shut out Islanders, head back to Stanley Cup final zone, then hit Alex Killorn with it in the neutral zone. Killorn sent a touch pass to a trailing Anthony Cirelli, who calmly took the puck into Islanders zone and curled back along the far wall, drawing three Islanders his way.

By Eduardo A. Encina Gourde came off the bench on a line change, charged to the net, took a feed from Cirelli in the right corner and buried a wrist shot over Islanders Published Yesterday goaltender Semyon Varlamov’s left shoulder. Updated Yesterday “That goal doesn’t (happen) if those guys don’t go down and block those shots,” Gourde said. “(McDonagh) got the puck, he was real patient made and a great pass.” TAMPA — With the Lightning facing playoff elimination Friday night, their mission of becoming just the second team in the salary cap era to win The Lightning came out strong out of the gate and through two periods back-to-back Stanley Cups was in danger of falling short. dominated the Islanders in offensive zone time and outshot them 27-11.

They hadn’t been in an elimination position before in these playoffs. But The Islanders mounted a push in the third period. The Lightning fought with their season on the line, the reigning Cup champions continued their off one final flurry from the Islanders after New York pulled Varlamov in run of perfection in rebounding from a postseason loss, beating the the final minutes, but Tampa Bay had five of their 21 blocked shots in the Islanders 1-0 in Game 7 of their league semifinal series at Amalie Arena. final 2:26.

The Lightning play the Canadiens in the Cup final, which begins Monday “I think we attempted 50 shots (overall), somewhere in that range, and night at Amalie Arena. they had 21 blocks,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “They’re a good defensive team. I think they’re a better team now than they were last Last year’s Eastern Conference final win over the Islanders came with no year, and we took them to the brink because I think we’re a better team fans present in the Edmonton bubble. On Friday night, the Lightning were as well.” able to celebrate this trip to the Cup final with 14,805 fans at Amalie Arena as they ended their night carrying off the Prince of Wales Trophy.

In winning their previous six playoff series going back to last season, the Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.27.2021 Lightning had closed out their opponent in six games or fewer. They ended up in this Game 7 after losing Game 6 in overtime 3-2 after blowing a 2-0 lead.

On Friday night, the Lightning played their most stingy game of the postseason. Now, dating to the beginning of last year’s playoff run, the Lightning are 13-0 when coming off a loss.

“It’s so damn hard to win in this league,” coach Jon Cooper said. “But last year, we found that we can win in different ways. In the end, just the warrior mentality this group had, it was prevalent (Friday). After a really tough loss the other night (in Game 6), you just can’t count them out.

“Again another masterful performance in the defensive zone to win a huge Game 7 for us.”

Tampa Bay came through in Game 7 and advance to the Stanley Cup.

This group has talked a lot about how it became a championship team when deciding to buy in on defense, and that was on display in Game 7. All the Lightning needed was a second-period shorthanded goal from forward Yanni Gourde.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 18 shots and set an NHL record by recording a shutout in his fourth straight playoff-series-clinching game.

“He’s the best in the world for a reason,” captain Steven Stamkos said. “He’s the steady rock that allows us to go out there and play with pace, play with confidence, play with the lead, and I thought we did an unbelievable job of that.”

Clearly still feeling the effects of a cross-check on his first shift of Game 6 that forced him from the game, star forward Nikita Kucherov returned, and despite having to manage an injury, just his presence was valuable.

Kucherov clearly was fighting off discomfort throughout the game. On the bench, he fidgeted while trying to sit on a wooden bar stool. During commercial breaks, he went onto the ice to get extra skating time to try to loosen up. He logged 16:29 of ice time and had six shot attempts.

“There was no question if I’m going to play or not,” Kucherov said. “I felt good. It’s a Game 7. You’ve got to sacrifice yourself and play in those moments.”

After seeing talented Lightning teams of the past come up short in the postseason, the Lightning last year bought into the idea that championships are won by playing disciplined defense that leads to offense. On Friday night, the game’s only goal was a result of strong play in the defensive end.

After Lightning forward Barclay Goodrow was called for cross-checking 50 seconds into the second period, the Lightning got two big blocked 1216532 Toronto Maple Leafs There’s something about a player who looks like he could be someone’s younger brother that makes you want to cheer for him. At 5-foot-7, Cole Caufield is the epitome of the underdog. He doesn’t look like he belongs in the NHL — he is actually still eligible to win the Calder Trophy as the Seven reasons why all of Canada should be cheering for the Habs top rookie next season — much less would be able to handle the physical rigours of the playoffs. But with four goals and nine points in 15

games, neither size nor experience is holding him back. Michael Traikos It’s like that with all of Montreal’s youth. Publishing date:Jun 26, 2021 There’s a lot that Toronto’s Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews can learn from how Caufield, Nick Suzuki (five goals and 13 points) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (five goals and seven points) have risen to the occasion in Grab a poutine and your favourite Celine Dion CD. the playoffs — especially since none are over the age of 21.

For the first time since 1993, Montreal is heading to the Stanley Cup They play the right way final. And it’s time for the entire country to get behind them. The Habs came out of the high-scoring North Division. But unlike the After all, if the CN Tower was willing change its colours to bleu, blanc et Maple Leafs, Oilers or Jets, they didn’t have a Matthews or a Marner or rouge, then you can find it in your heart to cheer for the Habs — or, at the even a Mark Scheifele. Their top scorer in the regular season was Tyler very least, to respect what they have done to get this far. Toffoli, who ranked outside the top 45, with 61 fewer points than Connor McDavid. From Carey Price to Cole Caufield to everyone’s favourite underdog story, here are seven reasons why Montreal deserves your love (even if This is a team that casual fans might consider boring. But if you’re a you grew up hating them): knowledgeable hockey fan, then you have to appreciate the defensively responsible way in which the Habs have found success in the playoffs. The Canadiens are mostly from Canada Do they rely a bit too heavily on Price? Yes. But when you have a goalie Don’t let the name fool you. While Canadiens refer to those who’s native as good as Price, why wouldn’t you. language is French, the Habs are actually more representative of the English-speaking Canada than you think. Call it dull. But it’s something that the rest of the Canadian teams could learn from. Based on how close Tampa Bay came to losing in Game 7 to In fact, of the 15 players who were born in the country, Phillip Danault is a New York Islanders team that plays a very similar style to Montreal’s, the only one who was born in La Belle Province. it’s also something that could make it very difficult on the Lightning. Josh Anderson, Paul Byron, Ben Chiarot, Jake Evans, Corey Perry, Eric They didn’t tank to get here Staal, Nick Suzuki, Tyler Toffoli are from ; Carey Price and Shea Weber are from B.C.; Brendan Gallagher and Ben Kulak are from The Lightning earned criticism and caused eyes to roll with how it gamed Alberta; Joel Edmundson is from Manitoba; and Jake Allen Is from New the system through tanking, tax breaks and cap relief caused by placing Brunswick. star players on injury reserve.

Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has just eight on its roster. The Canadiens, meanwhile, have come by their team honestly.

It would end the drought Most laughed when GM Marc Bergevin said in 2018 that the Habs were going to “reset” rather than blow things up and rebuild. At the time, it Hockey is Canada’s game. But with the past 16 Stanley Cup winners seemed like a decision that would cause Montreal to spin its wheels. But coming from teams based in the United States, it hasn’t really felt that with Price and Weber still in their prime, it was just a matter of finding the way. right complementary pieces. The last time a Canadian team won was in 1993. There were only 24 The first part was drafting Kotkaniemi with the No. 3 overall pick — teams in the NHL back then, including franchises in Quebec and Montreal’s only top-5 pick in the past eight years — and trading Max Hartford, as well as Winnipeg and Minnesota, long before they relocated Pacioretty to Vegas for Nick Suzuki. The second part occurred last to other cities and then back again. summer, when Bergevin went big in free agency and filled out the rest of In other words, a lot of time has gone by since we enjoyed a Stanley Cup the roster with playoff-type performers such as Perry, Anderson, parade north of the border. If Canadians are being told not to be picky Edmundson and Toffoli. about which brand of vaccine to take, then we shouldn’t be picky about The result is a team that has it all: youth and veterans, size and speed, which Canadian team should end the drought. and two centrepieces in Price and Weber that made it all possible. Cheer for the Habs not because you want Montreal to win, but because The Canadiens are the lowest-ranked team to have qualified for the you don’t want another America team to win. playoffs. In fact, they finished with fewer wins than the fifth-place Flames If you were to come up with a Mount Rushmore of the best hockey and had fewer points than three other non-playoff teams. players in the modern era, Price’s stoic mug would be up there with the When the playoffs began, they were a 50-to-1 long shot to win the Cup. likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Victor Hedman. But unlike those other three players, Price has yet to solidify his reputation with a No one picked them to beat the Maple Leafs in the first round or to Stanley Cup. sweep the Jets in the second round. Even fewer people believed they had a shot against the Golden Knights. Heading into the final against He’s never even come close. Tampa Bay, guess who is the favourite? It’s the one thing missing in a Hall of Fame-worthy career that includes It isn’t the team that is still missing its head coach, who is probably out every bit of hardware that a goalie can win. In other words, the 33-year- until Game 3 because of a positive COVID-19 test. old is long overdue. And with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage in these playoffs, he more than deserves it. If that’s not worth cheering for, I don’t know what is.

No one can beat Price these days. He limited Rocket Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews to one goal in seven games, and has shut out Mitch Marner, Blake Wheeler, Nik Ehlers and Mark Stone, all while Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.27.2021 making it look like he’s barely keeping his eyes open.

How can you not cheer for Price? He is more than just Montreal’s goalie. He is the country’s goalie, whether it’s at the world juniors, the world cup or the Olympics. He might just be one of the best of all time, a debate that becomes more interesting if he manages to finally win a Cup.

Their youngsters are really exciting 1216533 Vegas Golden Knights “I do think we’re close,” captain Mark Stone said. “We didn’t win, so we’re going to have to look back and see what we can improve on. I think our system is there. We’re great in our (defensive) zone all year. We scored goals all year. Couldn’t get the job done again in the same spot. We’ll be Golden Knights loss shows how difficult it is to win Stanley Cup back. We really like where this team is and we’ll find ways to improve it.”

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.27.2021 June 26, 2021 - 6:02 PM

Pete DeBoer mentioned the Tampa Bay Lightning on two occasions during his final media availability of the season Saturday.

The Lightning will play for their second consecutive Stanley Cup starting Monday and are appearing in the final for the third time since 2015. But as the Golden Knights coach pointed out, between that first appearance and winning it all last season, Tampa Bay experienced its share of disappointment.

Two Game 7 losses in the Eastern Conference Final. An ignominious first-round sweep after tying the NHL record for wins. And one season (2016-17) when the Lightning missed the playoffs entirely.

“There’s pain,” DeBoer said. “I can tell you, I really felt we were closer this year than we were in the bubble. But obviously not there yet.”

The scab from the Knights’ loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup semifinals was still raw Saturday, two days after their season ended in overtime of Game 6.

Despite reaching the third round in back-to-back postseasons, the Knights are still learning what it takes to reach the top of the mountain.

“I think this was our best team,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “It’s hard to win. You have to continue to get better whatever ways that you can. Obviously like everyone in the organization, extremely disappointed not to be moving on to the Stanley Cup Final.”

The Knights overcame early-season COVID concerns and salary cap misery to become the league’s only 40-win team. They battled Colorado down to the wire for the Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the team with the best regular-season record, and closed two playoff series at home.

But they bowed out at the same stage of the playoffs for the second straight season and haven’t solved how to get past defensive-minded teams such as the Canadiens or Dallas in 2020.

“We had the group to definitely win, but that’s just not how the Stanley Cup works,” goalie Robin Lehner said. “Obviously we have a couple of small things left to do to kind of get over that hump. But it’s disappointing for sure because we have a hell of a group and some fantastic players, great organization. We have all the tools.”

The Knights aren’t alone in feeling postseason disappointment. The New York Islanders lost in the third round the past two seasons and are asking similar tough questions of how to get past Tampa Bay. Washington knocked on the door for several years before breaking through in 2018.

Defenseman Alec Martinez noted the were bounced in the conference final in 2013 between their two Stanley Cups.

“It’s a tough league to win, and the parity is so high and so close that a couple bounces here or there, you’re pushed out of the way,” Reilly Smith said. “Sometimes the stars don’t align.”

The Knights head into the offseason expected to make changes to the roster, though McCrimmon said it’s too early to determine whether a major overhaul to the team’s core is required.

Marc-Andre Fleury and Lehner combined to win the Jennings Trophy (the award for fewest goals allowed) but it might not be feasible to allocate $12 million in salary cap space to the goaltending position again.

Martinez is one of four unrestricted free agents on the NHL roster, along with forwards Patrick Brown, Mattias Janmark and Tomas Nosek. The Knights are projected to have a little more than $5.2 million in salary cap space according to CapFriendly.com and PuckPedia.com.

The power play also needs an upgrade. DeBoer said that unit “isn’t a this-year problem,” hinting that a change in personnel rather than coaching is required for it to improve. 1216534 Vegas Golden Knights In that respect, not much has changed since DeBoer landed in Ottawa that January day.

“I don’t think the transition was easy for the first week or two, but as we DeBoer ‘absolutely’ believes Knights can hoist Stanley Cup started to have more and more success, I think guys bought into what he preached,” said Knights captain Mark Stone when remembering the coaching change. “We have a group of guys where the egos get thrown out the door when you walk in. By Ed Graney Las Vegas Review-Journal “Obviously we have to look at what we can do better. We didn’t win. We June 26, 2021 - 4:01 PM have to look back and see what we can improve on. We’ll be back. We like where this team is.”

It might have been after a quick dip while enjoying the mild temperatures So does the head coach. Has since his phone rang poolside. of Florida in January. Or en route to the capital city of Canada. Hey, there are worse fates. It didn’t take Pete DeBoer long. He knew well the short-lived but incredibly successful resume of the Golden Knights. Knew the possibilities. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.27.2021 DeBoer was poolside with his wife and daughter when the call came from Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon midway through the 2019-20 season, Gerard Gallant having been fired as head coach and DeBoer the team’s choice as his replacement.

Believes more than ever

Know this: Before his ride touched down in Ottawa —where the Knights were to engage the Senators — DeBoer believed he was to inherit a team beyond capable of winning a Stanley Cup.

Still does. Perhaps now more than ever.

“Absolutely, absolutely,” DeBoer said Saturday. “When Kelly called me and asked me if I was interested, there was zero hesitation. I knew this franchise close-up from being in the (same) division.

“I saw the commitment of ownership and management to win every single year and to make tough decisions to win. Not an easy path. From a coaching perspective, that’s all you’re looking for. You want that opportunity. This group and this organization has that.”

The feelings of coaches and players from being eliminated by Montreal in a Stanley Cup semifinal Thursday are still raw. The pain still palpable. Nobody hurts to the level of them when a season ends sooner than forecast and, well, what the talent level suggests it should.

The ache doesn’t instantly vanish with a few full pours of Foley Johnson Cabernet.

Fans don’t want to hear it — tune into this space Monday for an account on such lunacy — but hoisting the Stanley Cup is a bit tougher than cashing a $1 scratch off.

Franchises in Buffalo and Vancouver have been around five decades and never won a season’s final game. Arizona is at 42 years, including 17 seasons in Winnipeg. San Jose, which DeBoer coached before landing with the Knights, is working on 30.

“We had the group to win this season,” said Knights goalie Robin Lehner. “But that’s not how the Stanley Cup works.”

DeBoer took both the Sharks and New Jersey to Cup finals. He certainly can the Knights. There is obvious room for improvement.

The power play wasn’t just awful in the playoffs. It was bad all season. But the overall system and style of play is plenty good enough. It led the league in goals at 5-on-5 and ranked third overall. Has one of the NHL’s best penalty kills. You just can’t essentially forfeit the power play and expect to win it all. It’s not reasonable.

The Knights advanced to a Stanley Cup final in an expansion season and now own two additional semifinal appearances over the last three years. Patience, it has been said, doesn’t always mean to wait. But it does mean to strive for growth while doing so.

‘We’ll be back’

Bad news: This was the best team over four years and couldn’t get it done.

Good news: Its core remains in place and there is no challenge big enough to impede owner Bill Foley from ensuring his team has what it takes to hoist that Cup. 1216535 Vegas Golden Knights The 33-year-old now has a chance to heal up and think about his future. He’s heading into unrestricted free agency and he’s likely earned a raise from his previous $4 million cap hit.

Knights goalies hope to stay together for 2021-22 season “To be quite honest, I haven’t thought about it that much,” Martinez said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Contract notes By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal ■ Right wing Reilly Smith is about to enter the last season of his contract June 26, 2021 - 3:43 PM and said he hasn’t talked about an extension with the Knights. His current deal carries a $5 million cap hit.

“If I was able to set up a deal myself, it would just be to finish out the rest

of my career here in Vegas, but I know there’s a lot of pieces and it’s not Golden Knights goaltenders Marc-Andre Fleury (29) and Robin Lehner that simple all the time,” Smith said. “I’m sure I’ll try to get a little more (90) celebrate after their overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks in an clarity about that situation this summer.” NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 16, ■ Left wing Mattias Janmark, who was acquired at the trade deadline, is 2021. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto heading into unrestricted free agency. He said he wasn’t expecting Robin Lehner received a gift before starting the Golden Knights’ must-win anything to happen contract-wise after being dealt but he’s open to Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens: Pictures from Marc-Andre staying. Fleury’s two daughters. “I loved every minute of it here,” Janmark said. “I can see myself playing The two love arts and crafts and writing letters — Fleury’s wife posted here longer, but it’s a little more complex than that.” one on Instagram from 5-year-old Scarlett during the playoffs — and ■ Center Patrick Brown, who was the Silver Knights’ first captain and wanted to send their father’s goalie partner some support before the played 12 playoff games for the Golden Knights, is another unrestricted most important game of the season. free agent. He said he’d “love to be back” and contribute to the The gesture exemplified the bond that formed between Fleury and organization’s success. He also said his goal was to be an NHL player. Lehner this year. There was no controversy, only cooperation between two goaltenders that shared the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed in the regular season. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.27.2021 There are questions as to whether the partnership can last. The pair cost $12 million against the salary cap, making them the second-most expensive tandem in the NHL behind Montreal’s. The Knights, who are projected to be $5.26 million under the cap to start the offseason, could move one to bring in additional skaters.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon said Saturday the team will discuss the position’s future later in the offseason. Fleury said he wants he and Lehner to return.

“I hope so,” Fleury said. “Our relationship grew over the season. We get along very good, and obviously, as goalies that’s something you strive for.”

Both goaltenders had success alternating starts when both were healthy.

Fleury is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, the award for the season’s best goalie, and will find out if he wins Tuesday. Lehner, a 2019 Vezina finalist, also had a strong campaign. He is 16-4-2 with the Knights since being acquired at the 2020 trade deadline.

Fleury has one year left on his contract, which is worth $7 million against the cap, and said he hopes to finish his career in Las Vegas. Lehner has four years remaining on his deal with a $5 million annual cap hit.

“(Fleury) is as much of a legend for me as he is for you guys,” Lehner said. “Between intermissions, before games, after games, we’ve been our biggest supporters, both of us.”

It was a luxury for the Knights to have two No. 1 goaltenders during a condensed regular season when they were playing almost every-other night. It allowed them to keep both fresh.

The team will have to decide if it can afford to do that again with a normal schedule. But there’s no doubt the two goalies made it work.

“It was obviously a blessing this year,” said coach Pete DeBoer, who called the decision “above his pay grade.” “Next year is a different story. We’re not in those unique circumstances anymore.”

Martinez played on broken foot

Defenseman Alec Martinez revealed Saturday he broke his foot with two games remaining in the regular season and played through it.

Despite his injury, Martinez never missed a playoff game and still leads the NHL in blocked shots this postseason by 20. He credited the team’s doctors and trainers for taking care of him each day.

“I was getting wheeled around a lot,” Martinez said. 1216536 Vegas Golden Knights Lightning are considered the league’s premier organization now, but it wasn’t that long ago that they struggled to win in the playoffs too.

They lost in the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 then dealt with annual Knights’ competitive window remains open despite another upset playoff disappointment including an embarrassing first-round sweep to the exit Columbus Blue Jackets as the league’s top team in 2019. They came back from the devastating loss to break through in 2020 and win a championship.

By Justin Emerson (contact) Winning a Stanley Cup is incredibly difficult. It took the Lightning’s current core years for everything to click, and the history is similar with so many Saturday, June 26, 2021 | 2 a.m. teams before them.

The Golden Knights might never win the Stanley Cup with their current After the Game 6 loss Thursday to the Montreal, Alec Martinez said this group — just ask a Canucks fan from a decade ago how things can go so year’s Golden Knights were one of the best teams he’s ever played on. wrong after being so close — but if they do, they’ll have this season to That’s particularly meaningful coming from the defenseman considering look back on. he was a part of two Stanley Cup-winning Kings’ teams.

Reilly Smith echoed Martinez’s sentiment moment later. The Golden LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.27.2021 Knights knew how good they were this season, an awareness that made winning the Cup more expectation than fantasy.

It’s also the same awareness that makes their loss so disappointing. It’s hard to make it as far as the Golden Knights did — ask the President’s Trophy-winning Avalanche or North Division-winning Maple Leafs or the loaded Hurricanes, none of whom made it out of the second round — but that’s little solace at the moment.

There will be changes in the offseason. There always are. The Golden Knights’ championship window remains open with the core of the team still in place, but when a team gets as close as Vegas has now done two years in a row, it’s hard to look too much into the future.

“We had a hell of a season, we had a good run in the playoffs, we’ve just got to find that little bit more sticking with it, all of us have to be a little bit better,” goalie Robin Lehner said. “We’re right there, yes, still to be in these situations for years to come. But every team in the league is trying to do the same thing. It sucks right now.”

The Golden Knights should be pretty good next year, too. Almost everyone from this year’s team is under contract for 2021-22, with only Martinez, Mattias Janmark and Tomas Nosek eligible for free agency. There may be a trade or two and they must figure out how and if they’ll re-sign Martinez, specifically, but Vegas will bring back a similar team.

A promise at another chance doesn’t make the loss sting any less. Mark Stone, the captain who went scoreless in the series, bore much of the responsibility and was emotional after the loss, but Martinez at times struggled to find the words in his postgame press conference, too. William Karlsson wore his Golden Knights ballcap low over his face and seemed to snap back to reality only when asked a question.

There were so many “what-ifs” left lingering. What if Marc-Andre Fleury doesn’t kick a puck in Game 3 and allow Montreal to tie it and win in overtime? Or what if the offense arrived before the third period of Game 2? Or Stone merely slumped instead of disappeared? Or if the power play had even one goal? Or if Max Pacioretty’s Grade-A chance in overtime of Game 6 went in and we were talking about Game 7 tonight?

There are a lot of things that could have swung the series with Montreal that didn’t. It’s up to management and the coaching staff to figure out how to fix those things, then up to the players to execute on them once the puck drops on the Golden Knights’ fifth campaign.

“It comes down to moments,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It’s moments that you’ve got to seize.”

Some changes, from a schematic and/or personnel perspective, need to be made. Vegas was an atrocious 0-for-15 on the power play against Montreal and didn’t impress anyone with a 14.3% rate in the first two rounds either.

For the second straight year, a defensive-minded, lower-seeded team eliminated a Vegas squad that had no trouble scoring in the regular season.

“We’ve got to look at everything,” DeBoer said. “We’ve got to look at what we can do differently from a coaching perspective, we’ve got to look at our personnel. I think everything’s on the table.”

Since the Golden Knights’ inception in 2017-18, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the only other franchise to reach the semifinal round three times. The 1216537 Vegas Golden Knights easy. Martinez carried a $4 million cap hit this season, but after his impressive season, he could be looking at a raise.

“To be quite honest, I haven’t really thought of it that much,” Martinez What I’m hearing about the Golden Knights’ offseason — pending UFAs, said of free agency. “I’m obviously aware that I am a UFA, but the loss is goalies and more pretty fresh. I don’t really know yet. We’ll see what happens.”

Martinez’s agent, Alexander Schall, said he hasn’t yet had any discussions with the Golden Knights about Martinez’s future, but those By Jesse Granger conversations could begin soon. The veteran has said on several occasions how much he enjoys Las Vegas and his teammates. He also Jun 27, 2021 believes they are close to winning a Stanley Cup, which would be another important motivator for him in free agency.

We are less than 48 hours removed from the Golden Knights’ gut- Whether Martinez remains with the Golden Knights could come down to wrenching exit from the playoffs, but the offseason waits for no one. As contract length. Speaking with league sources, there’s no expectation as has been the case with this organization in every season since its to how long of a deal Martinez is seeking, but they believe the market will inception, deep playoff runs lead to short offseasons. likely dictate it. After his impressive playoff run, teams could be willing to offer three or more years. That would be tough for Vegas to match, The Seattle expansion draft, scheduled for July 21, is less than a month considering its tight salary-cap situation and that Martinez will be 34 in away. The NHL Entry Draft follows closely behind, beginning July 23, and July. the July 28 opening of free agency is quickly approaching as well. We should know more over the next several weeks, but for now, the only There will be plenty of key decisions for general manager Kelly clear thing is there’s certainly interest from both sides on Martinez McCrimmon and president of hockey operations George McPhee to staying in Vegas. make over the coming weeks, and many of those discussions are beginning now. As successful as Vegas was in 2021 — tying Colorado Will the Jennings Trophy-winning goalie tandem remain? for the best record in the league and making its third trip to the Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner were very good this season, conference final round in four years — the Golden Knights fell short of helping Vegas allow the fewest goals of any team in the league. The two their ultimate goal. That, plus the unrelenting business of the NHL in became close friends as the season progressed, and they are each terms of the salary cap, means there will be changes to the roster this other’s biggest cheerleaders when not playing. offseason. “We’ve grown a lot closer to each other,” Lehner said. “I think we’ve “I love this group,” coach Pete DeBoer said Saturday morning. “I love the handled it well. I think a lot of playoff teams throughout the history of the city. I love the environment at the rink. I love the fans and their passion. NHL wished they had two (goalies). It’s been a pleasure playing with him, And I love the group of men. Unfortunately, when you don’t win, that and we’ll see what happens. We support each other a lot. All these small never stays the same. You’ve got to tweak, you’ve got to add and you’ve things that people don’t see. It’s been good.” got to move pieces around. And from a coaching perspective, we’ve got to overturn some stones and get things better.” The goalie tandem was great but it was also pricey, with a combined cap hit of $12 million. If the Golden Knights are looking for ways to improve The Golden Knights have roughly $76.2 million in salary allocated to next the roster, one of the first potential places to look to shed salary is in net. year’s roster, spread over 19 contracts. That’s obviously not a full roster, DeBoer alluded to that in his end-of-season media session. and it leaves Vegas with only a little more than $5 million to fill it out. The good news for the Golden Knights is they don’t have a ton of pending “The salary cap and that maneuvering is above my pay grade,” he said. unrestricted free agents. “That’s for Kelly and George to figure out. I can tell you (the goalie tandem) was obviously an integral part of our success this year, in the Alec Martinez is the most notable expiring contract in Vegas, followed by unique year we were in with a condensed schedule and the number of deadline acquisition Mattias Janmark, fourth-line staple Tomas Nosek games. It was obviously a blessing this year. Next year is a different and players such as Patrick Brown, Dylan Sikura and who story. We’re not in those unique circumstances anymore.” bounced back and forth from the NHL and AHL this past season. Reading between the lines, that sure sounds like a coach who thinks a I’ll dig into what I’m hearing about many of those situations, as well as portion of the $12 million could help his lineup in other ways. However, what the future holds for Vegas’ elite goalie tandem and Cody Glass. owner Bill Foley has stated publicly that he doesn’t want to see Fleury Pending UFA Alec Martinez traded, and Fleury has said several times he hopes to retire in Vegas. With his deal expiring after next season and Lehner with four years left Martinez was a vital piece for the Golden Knights this season. He played on his contract, it could put McCrimmon in a tough situation. heavy minutes all season, helped Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo play their best hockey when they were paired alongside him and was one “That might be exactly what we want,” McCrimmon said, regarding Fleury of the best players in the postseason. remaining in Vegas. “Those are all things that go into decisions that the organization makes. It’s just another thing to work through, work around The 33-year-old defenseman led the NHL in blocks during the regular and be in open communication with, and that’s just what we’ll do.” season and the postseason. In the playoffs, his 72 blocks were 20 clear of the next closest player, and he did it all while playing on a broken foot. There’s no clear indication one way or another in terms of which direction the Golden Knights will go. Whatever they decide, it could take a while. “I was getting wheeled around a lot,” Martinez said, speaking of his McCrimmon said he expects the expansion process to slow the market routine off the ice during the playoffs. He skated only one time outside of league-wide, so things might take a while to get going. Regardless, game action. “Our medical staff is awesome here, from the doctors to the Fleury and Lehner said they would love to remain a tandem. trainers and all of that. So a tip of the cap to those guys.” Mattias Janmark, Patrick Brown and other pending UFAs Despite playing through that injury, Martinez finished third on the team in ice time (behind Pietrangelo and Theodore) and added four goals and Aside from Martinez, Janmark is the Golden Knights’ most prominent two assists from the blue line. player entering unrestricted free agency this summer. Vegas acquired him from Chicago at the trade deadline, and he went on to register four “I can’t (over)state the importance of him to our group in the time he’s goals and four assists in the playoffs. He’ll be most remembered for his been here with me,” DeBoer said. “There’s a reason he’s a multiple Game 7 hat trick that helped Vegas advance past Minnesota. Stanley Cup winner. There’s a reason you can count on him at the most important time of the year. It’s not an accident that he scored that goal What does the future hold for Janmark? the other night. He rises to the occasion at the tough moments, and you “I knew when I got traded here that I had an expiring deal, and I wasn’t can never have enough guys like that.” expecting anything to happen after I got traded,” Janmark said. “I just It’s obvious the Golden Knights want Martinez back. He’s been a perfect tried to play my best hockey and contribute. I know this team is very tight fit from the day they traded two second-round picks to Los Angeles for against the cap. They have a lot of good players in place already; they him at last year’s trade deadline. But finding cap space for him won’t be have some young players coming up. So it’s a place that I want to be in for sure, but I know how the situation is, so I try to play my hockey and thoroughly enjoyed his time in Vegas. But at 27 years old, Dansk needs see where it goes from there.” to play his way into a backup role in the NHL, and Vegas just isn’t the place. Janmark definitely helped Vegas’ forward depth. The Golden Knights’ third line of Janmark, Alex Tuch and Nic Roy was probably the most consistent line in the series against Montreal. And though Janmark says he’d love to remain with the Golden Knights, he is very aware of how The Athletic LOADED: 06.27.2021 tough that will be.

“I loved every minute of it here, and for sure I could see myself playing here for longer, but it’s more complex than that,” he said. “So I guess now is the time to start looking at those things. I don’t think there was a long-term plan in place at that time. I think it was more of them trying to add something to go on a run this year. I think both sides are always open for something beyond that. I think you don’t trade for a guy otherwise. I think it was a short-term add.”

Brown is another player entering free agency. The 29-year-old captained the Henderson Silver Knights this season and was a major contributor to the fourth line late. He said he also hopes to re-sign with the Golden Knights.

“This organization is awesome,” he said. “Top notch, from top to bottom. I’ve had a great experience the last two years as part of this organization. I love it here. It’s a great place to play, and I’d love to be back. So we’ll see where those conversations go, but I have nothing but good things to say so far. I think this is a team that can win very soon, and I definitely want to be a part of it.”

Cody Glass’ status after a disappointing season

The Golden Knights clearly didn’t feel Glass was ready to be a full-time contributor at the NHL level this season, especially during the playoffs. He found his way into only one playoff game and never came close to playing, even when Chandler Stephenson went down with an injury.

“The one thing about this organization is a young guy can’t say he never got an opportunity,” DeBoer said Saturday. “I think we stuck young guys in all year and tried to put them in situations where they had an opportunity to succeed. You know, come in and play on the first line, play with good players, play on the power play, play good minutes. So I think between injuries and COVID and the roster, I think the young players in this organization have all been given a good opportunity to show what they have. Some have seized the moment, some haven’t. Some just aren’t ready yet and hopefully in September will be.”

DeBoer wasn’t speaking specifically about Glass when answering that question, but based on those comments, it’s pretty easy to deduce that many of them apply to him. Glass had 10 points in 27 games this season but didn’t score a goal at even strength and was sent to the AHL to build his confidence.

It certainly wasn’t the season he hoped for, and he’ll need to improve this summer to claim a spot in the Golden Knights’ 2021-22 lineup.

“I think that it was likely a tougher year for Cody than he expected,” McCrimmon said. “I think it’s important that he knows we believe in him. Sometimes these things take more time. Development isn’t always a straight line. There’s a long list of players that have been a little longer finding their way, and we still expect that Cody’s going to do that.”

At 22, the clock on Glass’ development is ticking. DeBoer’s harsh but honest assessment could signal the organization is ready to move on from its 2017 first-round pick, but McCrimmon remains confident in Glass. It’s fair to say Glass’ future with Vegas is in question. He’s by no means done, but his status is certainly not as concrete as it has been in previous offseasons.

Goodbye to Oscar Dansk

Dansk has served as the Golden Knights’ No. 3 goalie for nearly all four years. He’s been a solid starter in the AHL and has stepped up and played well in key spots for the Golden Knights as well.

You might have noticed he wasn’t on the ice for any of Vegas’ postseason skates, despite depth goalies such as Logan Thompson and Jiri Patera stepping in. That’s because Dansk and the organization have parted ways and he returned home to Sweden shortly after the regular season ended.

Dansk is a pending unrestricted free agent this offseason and will be looking for another opportunity. The duo of Fleury and Lehner in addition to Thompson’s impressive debut season in the AHL left little room for Dansk. It’s unfortunate because he has been an incredible teammate and 1216538 Vegas Golden Knights DeBoer on the VGK fans: “Our fanbase is one of our biggest advantages here. There’s big expectations and there should be. Our owner has big expectations as he should. He spends to the cap every year. He’s willing to do what it takes to win.” VGK Season 4: Golden Knights Players Offer Final Thoughts On Coming Up Short Of Playing For Stanley Cup Title VGK General Manager Kelly McCrimmon: “We had a really consistent, successful year. We had 40 wins, we tied for first overall with Colorado with 82 points. We beat a really good Minnesota team in the first round who was ninth overall in the NHL…We beat the President’s Trophy June 26, 2021 winner in the second round. We had some great moments as an By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com organization winning both of those series on home ice. That was incredible for our fans.”

The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up Season 4 Saturday with media Zoom interviews with coach Pete DeBoer and players. LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 06.27.2021

It was a season of 56 regular season games, plus another 19 playoff games that ended with a disappointing Game 6 loss to the Montreal Canadiens two days ago.

Owner Bill Foley, along with other sports team owners, saw annual revenues drop because of the pandemic.

But the National Hockey League hopes to return to “normal” when the Knights’ Year 5 begins in a few months.

Some players’ quote highlights from today’s sessions:

Forward Reilly Smith: “I think we’re really close. It’s just upsetting because I think everyone in this organization feels like we had the group this year to win.”

Goaltender Robin Lehner: “I’ve played with some really good goaltenders in my career and playing with Marc-Andre (Fleury) is a privilege. We’ve grown a lot closer to each other and it’s been a pretty special couple of seasons here.”

He said the relationship was “blown out of proportion.”

Defenseman Alec Martinez said he played with a broken foot in the playoffs. He said he needs another month to fully understand what it will take for the VGK to take the next step from going to the NHL semifinals to winning the Stanley Cup. the Montreal vs Tampa Final starts Monday.

Fleury: “I haven’t given much thought to the future but I hope I can stick around and finish my career here.”

Fleury on his daughters making artwork for Lehner before VGK-Montreal game. “My two girls love arts & crafts and they love writing letters. They give me lots of those. It was a big game in Montreal for Game 6 and in their hearts they wanted to send Robin some love. It was very sweet of them.”

Alex Tuch: “It was very different this year. I do miss going out east, going to Canada, going all over the country. It will be nice to get back to it and not have it as condensed as well. I think the entire team misses that and it will be nice to get back to a normal schedule.”

Mark Stone: “I think our group is learning to win different games. Obviously there’s going to be some reflection on the year as you go throughout the summer and offseason, but I do think we’re close. Now it’s about building that little extra chemistry to get us over the hump.”

VGK coach Pete DeBoer: “I think the whole world is looking to get back to normal. We want full buildings. We want to see other teams. From a coaching perspective, I want to be able to practice. I feel like we played every other night since we dropped the puck in January.”

There’s been some fantastic moments here. We obviously want more and we want the ultimate moment. Unfortunately there’s 31 other teams and there’s a process to get there. We’re going to keep moving it toward that direction. — VGK coach Pete DeBoer

Max Pacioretty: “We played a good series against Colorado and then not as well against Montreal. That stings and it will take a little while for it to settle in and get over it. At some point, you have to use it as motivation to get ready for next year.”

Alex Pacioretty: “It was certainly a fun year for us even though we fell short. It’s fun coming somewhere and getting to know your teammates. We adjusted well, obviously it was different at first for me and my family but as things progressed we felt more and more comfortable.” 1216539 Vegas Golden Knights Verdict: Pull The Trigger If this can be done between the Vegas Golden Knights and Buffalo

Sabres, I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Let Eichel get his disc Here’s How the Vegas Golden Knights Can Add Jack Eichel replacement surgery and heal up the way he wants to. While the hesitancy is because of a lack of test cases in North America, it’s been something European athletes have had success with. And now, we’re starting to see some over here too. I think this was the last straw Published 18 hours ago on June 26, 2021 between the Sabres and Eichel, and Vegas should allow the player to By Tom Callahan pursue this recovery. If Kelly McCrimmon, George McPhee and even Bill Foley have the guts to pull this off, Vegas would instantly be elevated to Stanley Cup favorites alongside Tampa Bay for next season. What derailed the playoffs the last two years? A lack of goal scoring. Jack The Vegas Golden Knights are in clear need of a number one center, Eichel is an incredible solution to that problem. Pull the trigger. and Buffalo Sabres pivot Jack Eichel is one of the best in the game. More importantly, he’s available. It might seem unlikely, but as the Chicago Blackhawks taught us during their run of three Stanley Cups last decade, you can manage to dig yourself out of cap jail by making tough decisions. Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 06.27.2021 Roll up your sleeves, here we go.

Thanks to our friends at PuckPedia, we’re able to really get into the numbers. They are our source for all numbers you’re about to see.

Starting at the top, Jack Eichel comes in at a nice, round $10M cap hit for the next five years. Reports have said that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is asking for a lot, upwards of six or more pieces in combination for Eichel. While that’s the ask, I struggle to come up with a team that can offer that much in return for a guy who wants/needs disc surgery on his neck and full recovery time. But at 24 years old, Eichel is entering his prime and once healthy could dominate on a team with the cast to support him.

Can you picture a line of Max Pacioretty – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone? I can, and almost no one can touch them. Let’s get to work.

First Round Pick: Check

If you believe that Adams wants a first-round draft choice for this season, Vegas still has theirs. They also have New Jersey’s second-round pick acquired for Nikita Gusev, which is actually the 36th overall pick. So trading this year’s first-round pick isn’t that painful because you’re essentially moving down a few spots from the VGK point of view.

Pieces That Help Buffalo Now: Check

So if Buffalo wants to acquire pieces that matter now I’m prepared to do that. Remember what I said: this is about making tough decisions to improve your team. It’s not a popularity contest. So I’m packaging Reilly Smith (1 year left at $5M) and Chandler Stephenson (3 years left at $2.75M) together as pieces that will help the Sabres now, plus for Vegas, it opens that top center position nicely and allows Alex Tuch to get his shot on the second line that he truly deserves. This personnel move helps both teams.

Pieces That Help Buffalo Later: Check

We can get off in the weeds about whether or not you think the Vegas Golden Knights have traded prospects too eagerly or even if they should have sent Cody Glass and not Nick Suzuki to Montreal for Pacioretty. This is not that discussion. This is time to look at the cupboards and see which player could fill this need for the Sabres. If it were up to me, it would not be Cody Glass. I like Glass, I think just the fact that he has the guts to stand in front on the power play and pay the price means he’ll have a place in the NHL for a long time. He has hands. He can score (on the power play anyway). But it’s pretty clear to me that the Golden Knights brass do not have much stock in where he is development-wise right now. When Stephenson went down in the series against Montreal I thought he’d get a shot. He did not. Alex Tuch was the first-line center… and that tells me all I need to know about what the VGK think about Glass. Knowing that they’ll part with him for this trade.

Vegas Golden Knights Cap Room Check: Check – ish

This is where it gets difficult. Vegas has four UFAs to deal with right now: D – Alec Martinez, F – Tomas Nosek, F – Mattias Janmark, F – Patrick Brown. The team currently has an estimated $5.2M in cap space. On the face of it, After moving the combined $7.75M of Stephenson and Smith you do have the room for Eichel’s salary. But it only leaves you $2,954,166 in cap room for those four guys. You’d like to bring them all back, especially Martinez. Also, Dylan Coghlan is RFA and it’s possible he takes a big step next season and can compete for space full time. There would have to be further whittling of the roster down to be cap compliant on a regular basis – I want no part of dressing five defensemen for a game because of cap problems. But it can be done. 1216540 Washington Capitals

Kempny helps rebuild his hometown in Czech Republic after tornado

BY JULIUS LONG

Michal Kempny was back in his hometown of Hodonín, Czech Republic on Saturday, but not under ideal circumstances.

The southern border town was significantly damaged after a tornado and hailstones ripped through the region of South Moravia on Thursday, claiming five lives and leaving an estimated 75,000 people without power.

On Friday, the Capitals defenseman posted a picture of the aftermath on Instagram. On Saturday, he was on the ground helping clear the debris and rebuild razed buildings.

Kempny, 30, began his professional career in Czech Republic, playing 8 seasons with HC Kometa Brno of the Czech Extraliga. He represented his country at the 2016 IHF World Championship, before joining the Blackhawks for 2 seasons before joining the Capitals and lifting the Stanley Cup in 2018.

Kampny spent the majority of the 2020-21 season out injured after undergoing surgery to repair an Achilles injury in October 2020. He is training in the Czech Republic during the NHL offseason.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216541 Washington Capitals

How the Capitals’ bonus overage penalty impacts their offseason

By Tarik El-Bashir

Jun 26, 2021

Zdeno Chara’s performance and Ilya Samsonov’s second shutout resulted in bonuses that have pushed the Capitals over the salary cap and, thus, will result in a bonus overage penalty on next season’s cap.

It’s not a big number. But it’s not insignificant, either.

Because Chara is over 35 and signed a one-year contract, per the CBA, his deal was eligible for bonuses. It included a games-played bonus of $230,000 for 10 games, a playoff qualification bonus of $250,000 and a Stanley Cup bonus of $250,000, per CapFriendly.

Chara, 44, played in 55 games, and the Caps made the playoffs but obviously came up short of winning the championship. After the bonuses for games played and qualifying for the playoffs were prorated for a season that was shortened to 56 games by the COVID-19 pandemic, the total payout in bonuses for the big defenseman came to $327,805.

Chara, whose cap hit was $795,000 this season, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent. He said last month that he planned to take some time before deciding whether to return for a 24th NHL season.

Samsonov, in the meantime, got within striking distance of a number of bonuses in his contract but ended up earning just the shutout bonus, which he clinched with a 1-0 blanking of the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum on April 22. His second shutout of the season triggered an “A” level bonus in his entry-level contract. After proration, the total for the bonus was $145,122.

Samsonov, whose cap hit was $925,000 this season, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent. According to CapFriendly, the 24-year- old has arbitration rights.

Add up Chara’s and Samsonov’s bonuses and you get the initial figure of $472,927 — or roughly half of an inexpensive veteran player’s salary. The minimum salary in the NHL next season is $750,000.

Last season, the Caps’ bonus overage was $419,749, or $53,178 lower than this year’s. A year ago, 13 teams carried bonus overages into this season. Because of the economic conditions caused by the pandemic, teams were given the option of spreading out last year’s overage over two seasons. Five teams took that option. The Caps, however, did not and, instead, chose to absorb the entire hit on this season’s cap. Had Washington decided to spread out last season’s overage over two years, next season’s penalty would have been $682,801.50 (this year’s overage penalty of $472,927 plus half of last year’s, which equaled $209,874.50).

Teams typically attempt to build in enough space to account for bonuses on the current season’s cap. But because the Caps were a long-term injury team this season ( and Michal Kempny were both on LTIR all season), they did not have any additional space, hence the overage.

Again, Washington’s overage is not a big one in comparison to some teams. A few clubs, in fact, could accrue overages into the millions of dollars. But it does matter for the Caps; for the last several seasons, they have spent to the ceiling and the league is again facing a flat cap.

As things stand now, Washington has 18 players under contract and has $9,491,667 in cap space, according to CapFriendly, and they still need to re-sign Alex Ovechkin and Samsonov as well as add a depth piece or two.

Subtract $472,927 from that figure and you’re left with $9,018,740.

So, yeah, things just got a little tighter.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216542 Websites Of our panel, the scout was the only one to pick Montreal in any series (he picked the Habs over the Winnipeg Jets in the second round).

And our panel is once again unanimous in believing that, as great a story The Athletic / NHL playoff predictions unplugged: Anonymous scout, as Montreal is, Tampa is still going to be too much for them. coach and exec pick Cup Final winner The scout noted that in Game 7 of the semifinals it was Tampa that squashed an Islanders team that looked tired and worn down, winning the deciding game 1-0. By Scott Burnside That’s what Tampa can do to you, play it any way that it needs to be Jun 26, 2021 played, our coach said.

Even though Montreal disposed of favored Vegas in six games and will be well-rested, the scout believes the heavy reliance on the top four The 2021 Stanley Cup Final, where romance meets reality. defenders in Montreal will at some point become a factor against Tampa, Or does it? which can play a punishing game, as witnessed through most of their semifinal series against the Islanders. The magical Montreal Canadiens, riding an 11-2 run since falling behind against heavily favored Toronto 3-1 in the first round will roar into Tampa The fact the Lightning don’t have to travel and have a couple of days to for Game 1 of this unexpected Stanley Cup Final series Monday night prepare for Game 1 on Monday will be huge, the scout said. brimming with confidence. So, maybe it’s past time to talk of Cinderella “They’re banged up,” he said. and pixie dust for a Canadiens team that is so much more than just the play of star goaltender Carey Price. Nikita Kucherov, who missed almost all of Game 6 against the Islanders after a cross-check from Scott Mayfield, looked tentative in Game 7 for But defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa provides, both on paper the Lightning. and via the eye test, by far the sternest test of the playoff calendar for Montreal as it seeks to become the first Canadian Cup champ since the “He played like he was trying not to get hurt,” the scout said. 1993 Habs pulled off a similar miracle run behind Hall of Fame netminder . Our panel was also unanimous in acknowledging that, if Kucherov can’t go – no suggestion that will be the case – the Lightning are a very The Lightning went hit for hit with the New York Islanders in a grueling different team, especially on the power play. seven-game semifinal that sees them poised to become just the second team since the 2004-05 lockout to go back-to-back (Pittsburgh That might be one of the most fascinating sub-stories of this final series, accomplished the rare feat in 2016 and 2017). The matchup between the clash of Tampa’s dynamic power play – clicking along at 37.7 percent Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has pitched a shutout in four straight efficiency having scored 20 of their 58 playoff goals with the man series clinchers dating back to the 2020 bubble Stanley Cup final, is as advantage – and Montreal’s penalty kill, which has seen the Habs score enticing as it gets. four shorthanded goals — one more than the number of power play goals they’ve allowed in the playoffs. So we turn once again to our esteemed panel — a long-time NHL scout, a former player and executive, an NHL coach and an NHL executive — “Their PK is fantastic,” the executive said of the Habs. for their final thoughts on what should be a compelling final matchup. In all three previous series, Montreal held the advantage in goal. But in All three picked Tampa to defeat the Islanders, while all three had Vegas this series against Tampa, the goaltending might well be a dead heat. moving on. “This is the best goaltender that Montreal’s faced for sure,” the executive “I’m almost afraid,” our scout told us Saturday. “I’m going to go with said of Vasilevskiy. Tampa but I’m not sold. The problem really is when you get a team that’s “The only goalie that, in my opinion, could go head to head against Carey on a mission like Montreal, oh that’s dangerous. There’s a certain belief Price is Vasilevskiy,” our coach added. system within a group that’s on a roll, they feel like they’re invincible and they’ve got the parts. They could take this thing. It wouldn’t surprise if And there’s the rub. they won the series.” As much as the Canadiens have come together with their big four on the The punishing defense, the kids up front, the experienced veterans, back end (Shea Weber, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot and Joel Edmundson) Carey Price, the scout started through the Montreal Canadiens checklist. and the flashy kids contributing to a surprisingly deep forward corps combined with the all-world goaltending of Price, Tampa checks all those “Holy Christ these guys are playing well,” he said. “They are playing. boxes and more. They’re not dragging any passengers on that bus.” As much as you regard the job done by Weber, Tampa counters with For our executive, the revelation in Montreal has been their forward defending playoff MVP and former Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman. group and especially the unimagined depth down the middle with Nick And it’s like that up and down the checklist, the coach said. Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi allowing two-way specialist Phillip Danault to become an absolute force on the defensive side of the puck Our scout was especially impressed by Ryan McDonagh, who has been taking virtually every defensive zone faceoff he’s eligible to take. Veteran a beast on the back end for Tampa, especially with big Erik Cernak Eric Staal rounds out the group, centering a surprisingly productive fourth missing a couple of games against the Islanders. line with Joel Armia and the ageless Cory Perry. “I just think McDonagh’s been outstanding,” the scout said. “It’s a coming of age for Kotkaniemi and Suzuki,” the executive said. “That’s a hard matchup center ice wise (for Tampa).” “I just think Tampa has too much,” he added.

Add in the contributions from collegiate star Cole Caufield, who had four goals and an assist against Vegas, and the Habs’ kids have truly The Athletic LOADED: 06.27.2021 embraced the moment this playoff year.

“He’s an impact player and a difference-maker,” the executive said of Caufield. “He’s a threat all the time.”

So, he’s taking Montreal in the series? Uh no.

“I just can’t see it again,” he said admitting that if Montreal upsets Tampa, “I’d be wrong four fucking rounds in a row.”

Join the club. 1216543 Websites There were no cameras for replays. No cameras to follow individual players.

The game camera belonged to ABC, and the operator happened to be The Athletic / A busted camera and a reminder of life in the ‘duct-tape Canadian. The CBC crew passed word that his feed was the only one business’ of NHL broadcasting available in Canada. So at each whistle, he would zoom softly on a player on the ice, to help the Hockey Night broadcast mask its emergency.

By Sean Fitz-Gerald “This is the adrenaline rush,” Shannon said. “This is, ‘Hey, we’ve got to make this work now — we don’t have any choice.’” Jun 26, 2021 He said he could not remember how many times a player took a swing at

a camera inside the penalty box during a game. Shannon said the Alex Pietrangelo looked up, looked down and looked disgusted. technology was still relatively new — perhaps only two decades old — and that the cameras used to be bigger, which might have made them an The Vegas Golden Knights defenceman noticed he was on camera easier target. inside the penalty box at Bell Centre on Thursday night. He was serving a two-minute roughing minor in the first period of Game 6, and that was “There would be a red light when they were on, so the player would know when he took his anger out on a broadcast camera he spotted near the he’s on, and that would drive him nuts, too,” he said. “He’d whack it and floor. break it.”

He drove the butt end of his stick toward the lens, appearing to break it. In their earlier days, Shannon suggested the cameras might have cost between $4,000 and $5,000 each. “It was a moment of frustration,” said Sherali Najak, senior producer at “.” “So you want to show that.” And if a player broke one?

For a game this deep in the playoffs, the networks might have access to “The bill would go to the team or the player,” he said. more than 40 cameras inside an arena, including one in each penalty Najak said the current models were resilient, and were essentially like box. One of those cameras would be out of commission for at least the GoPro cameras. rest of the period in Montreal, highlighting the nature of broadcasting a live sports event. “Whatever goes wrong, as production people, you just have to stay calm about it,” he said. “The viewer at home won’t care about your problems. Cameras break, cords get disconnected and chaos can ensue … as long They just want to see the game and they want to be connected, and they as it never looks that way for the viewers at home. don’t care about what pain you’re going through.” “You can’t panic about anything,” Najak said. “Something will go wrong. He chuckled. It’s guaranteed during a broadcast.” “It’s such a duct-tape business,” he said. “It’s just a bunch of gorgeous Rob Corte, vice-president of Sportsnet and NHL production, said college kids putting together a great event with duct tape. It’s fun to be Pietrangelo did not actually break the camera in the penalty box. It was part of that.” merely dislodged, and a technician was able to reset it at intermission, ensuring it was available for use the rest of the game.

He described the loss as a “minor inconvenience” to the broadcast. The Athletic LOADED: 06.27.2021 “It’s not a regular occurrence,” he said. “But it does happen a few times throughout the season.”

With so many moving parts in a broadcast, some are bound to break.

“Something will go down, and someone will say, ‘We’ve lost Camera 4,’” Corte said. “And everybody is like, ‘We’ve lost Camera 4,’ and then you just kind of work around it.”

He remembers a game he was producing, years ago, in Nashville. A local crew member was assigned to a machine responsible for replays. The challenge: Not only had they never worked in the truck for a hockey broadcast, they had never watched a hockey game.

Corte said the crew member had just come off a week of broadcasting a truck and tractor pull.

So he adjusted. When asking for a replay during the game, Corte explained his request with more detail than usual. Instead of calling for a replay of a turnover, he would say: “Give me the turnover by No. 7, in the dark jersey, from the blue line.”

“We got through the show with no problems,” Corte said. “I just knew I had to be more communicative and be more descriptive with what I wanted.”

John Shannon, the longtime Canadian broadcast executive, remembered a Sunday afternoon game at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. His crew was on site for “Hockey Night,” working alongside the U.S. crew carrying the game for ABC and ESPN.

The power went off. But only in the Canadian broadcast truck.

Shannon was working out of a control room at the CBC headquarters in Toronto and saw that play-by-play announcer Bob Cole and colour analyst Harry Neale would not have access to any replay screen in their booth. In fact, the Canadian broadcast only had access to one camera — the main camera shooting the game, moving back and forth with the action. 1216544 Websites central figure in this series and will undoubtedly make the job harder for any line Tampa throws at him.

But now the challenge may run even deeper than it has in the previous Sportsnet.ca / 2021 Stanley Cup Final Preview: Canadiens vs. Lightning three rounds. Every step of the way Montreal has faced an opponent that’s lost a key centre, first John Tavares, then Mark Scheifele and finally Chandler Stephenson. Tampa will start with centres Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson all relatively Rory Boylen @RoryBoylen healthy. June 26, 2021, 10:04 AM Point scored a goal in nine straight games until being kept off the board in Game 7 by the Islanders, one shy of tying Reggie Leach’s all-time record. Their wingers are pretty OK, too, with Nikita Kucherov the top- Normally around this time of year we’d be consumed with draft talk and scoring player in the playoffs and Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn tied trade speculation with free agency on the horizon. This year it’s even for third. There is some question how healthy or able Kucherov and better: we have a Stanley Cup Final still to look forward to. Stamkos are — the latter of whom scored in just two of seven games against New York. Beginning with Game 1 in Tampa Bay, the Lightning are back for the second year in a row and eyeing a defence of their title won in an And the Montreal PK that hasn’t allowed a goal since Game 4 against Edmonton bubble last September. Now they have a chance to win in Toronto? Now it meets one of the league’s deadliest power plays that is front of their home fans, with 14,800 allowed in Amalie Arena last round. converting on 37.7 per cent of its opportunities in the post-season.

The series will shift in Game 3 to la belle province, the first time in 28 Tampa: Will they try and disturb Price in the crease? years the all-time winningest NHL franchise will host a Stanley Cup Final game. It’s the longest the Montreal Canadiens have been between finals The Golden Knights got far too complacent with taking outside shots appearances in their history and their fans are starting to get 1993 vibes against Montreal and lost the high danger shot battle, while only getting through this underdog run. two goals all series from its top-six forwards. Three of their top five shooters in the series were defencemen, and an awful lot of those went Everything is on the line now with the Lightning and Canadiens just four unscreened. Perhaps that’s a credit to the Habs’ presence of sizeable wins away from glory. Here’s how the teams match up. defencemen, but Vegas could have ventured to do more.

Big storyline Now that job falls to the likes of Pat Maroon, Barclay Goodrow, Blake Coleman and the like to just make it harder on Price to see and work with Canada has its first Stanley Cup finalist in a decade as the Montreal anything coming from the outside. That may be easier said than done, Canadiens claimed the Clarence Campbell Bowl for the first time in team but it’s a necessity because a comfortable Price is one who could single- history. What a strange year. handedly steal a series. But unlike the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks that last The other way to make life harder on Montreal’s goalie is to just not settle represented the north in the final, this year’s Montreal Canadiens are the for as many point shots as Vegas did, which has been a tall order against plucky underdogs, the 16th-ranked playoff team that turned around a a Habs team that’s proven adept at clogging central ice. The Lightning five-game losing streak at the end of the regular season and a 3-1 first- are the best, most creative and electric offence the league knows today round series deficit to be here. and remember, they’ve triumphed over teams who find success very The Canadiens have drawn comparisons to other teams that went on similarly to the way Montreal does, beating the Islanders two years in a unexpected runs, like the 2012 Los Angeles Kings, a Corsi-monster row and downing the D-heavy Stars in last year’s Cup final. before it was cool and a low-scoring team that got by on relentless X-Factor defence and excellent goaltending. These Habs, by the way, were second in Corsi this regular season, 17th in goals per game and, yes, Brendan Gallagher, Montreal: It’s gotta start coming, doesn’t it? Carey Price has a .934 save percentage and 2.02 GAA in the playoffs. Gallagher is the sort of player built to rise to these moments. In Round 3 It’s not quite the Kings, but you get the idea. against Vegas he was buzzing, recording a team-high 17 shots and not scoring once. He actually hasn’t scored a goal since Game 1 of the They’re also drawing some comparisons to the 1993 Canadiens, the last Winnipeg series, but leads Montreal forwards in shots, high danger shots Cup champion from Canada. The soft end to the regular season. The and expected goal for percentage, per Natural Stat Trick. balanced scoring. The first-round rally and second-round sweep. The elite, winking goalies. It might be destiny. Playing next to Danault, Gallagher has executed a key shutdown role and been on the ice for only three 5-on-5 goals against all playoffs. It will The Canadiens are going to experience a different foe in the final than be crucial for this line to keep finding success on that side of the puck, any of their historical comparisons, though. The Lightning are the but if the opportunities Gallagher is getting on offence start turning to defending champs, a near-perfect mix of everything you could want from goals it could make all the difference. quickness and puck skills to patience and brawn. The Lightning have a chance to be the first repeat winners since the 2016 and 2017 Penguins. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay: Can he break away from what’s happened to other top scorers the Canadiens have faced? Even against the tight- Where Montreal has morphed into something much different than they checking Islanders, Point scored six goals. Last year against New York in were when trailing 3-1 in their opening-round series, the Lightning are as the Eastern Conference final he scored three times in four games, and in tough as ever. Top five in goals, goals against, power play and penalty the final against Dallas, he added five in six games. kill percentage this regular season, they can beat you with any game. Montreal has so far found success in neutralizing the opposition’s key But every team the Canadiens have left in their wake has been pointing forward scorers and the Lightning will be the ultimate test of that. Andrei fingers at their top, reliable scorers who vanished. Point rides with Vasilevskiy is more than capable of going save for save with Price, while Kucherov on his wing, who’s averaging 1.5 points per game and picked Tampa’s back end is just as sizeable and tough around the net as up nine assists against the Islanders. Will that duo be the one to break Montreal’s. Montreal’s run?

The team of destiny seeking to break Canada’s Cup curse, or the proven best in the game today that’s trying to make its own mark on history — who are you taking? Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.27.2021

The big question for each team

Montreal: Can they again erase the opposition’s stars?

Price is Montreal’s top Conn Smythe contender coming into the final, but Phillip Danault has earned a lot of shine for his role in frustrating the likes of Auston Matthews, Blake Wheeler and Mark Stone. He’ll again be a 1216545 Websites Detroit in 1990. Then, late in the summer, GM Serge Savard boosted his lacklustre offence by acquiring from Edmonton for a package built around , and then from the for speedster . The new additions 24 TOGETHER joined a club anchored by the goaltending of Patrick Roy, the two-way play of top centre Kirk Muller and the grit provided by players like Guy

Carbonneau and . By Ryan Dixon Demers, who’d won back-to-back Jack Adams Awards as coach of the Red Wings in the late , immediately declared his high expectations for the team. Almost three decades after Canada's last Stanley Cup, the men who lived through a record 10 overtime wins remember Montreal's amazing Jacques Demers, coach, speaking in 2013 I never said we were going to 1993 playoff run and Canada's last Cup. win the Cup, but I said, “We’re going to shock the hockey world.”

Twenty-eight years ago, I spent an entire spring rooting for a hockey , centre and team captain I think the first couple days or team. As an adult, it was interesting to learn that, for one night in 1993, I weeks we were just looking at each other saying, “What is this guy was also cheering with them. To borrow from a popular sports media saying? We’re not that good.” But he just kept imprinting that on our personality, the Montreal Canadiens were the team of my youth. And as mind. He knew how to be strict, but he always made us feel a lot better any adult who has recently dug out a once-cherished Motley Crüe album than we were, and all we had to do was go out and prove it. can tell you, revisiting opinions formed at a time when you viewed the , defenceman He was a great motivator. He left a lot world in unconditional terms can be illuminating. of the X’s and O’s to assistant coaches, but he could give a speech Take a team winning 10 consecutive overtime games in one post- before a game that made you want to skate through the boards. He knew season, for instance. While skeptics’ hands were likely growing callused what his strong suits were and he managed the team very well. from raising red flags over the Canadiens’ credibility, mine were clapping Michael Farber, Montreal Gazette columnist I don’t know where he ranks louder and louder with every extra-time win, each victory confirming the in the pantheon of hockey coaches, but he knew where his bread was unassailable logic that Forum ghosts could always be counted on to buttered. Patrick [Roy] could be… particular. And he knew this was his deliver the goods. Storming back to win four straight against the money guy and he made sure Patrick was on his side. His ability in terms Nordiques after falling behind 2–0 in the series? Sure thing. Three of four of managing people, and especially Patrick, was extraordinary. wins in a sweep of Buffalo coming in OT? Sounds about right. “I never said we were going to win the Cup. I said, ‘We’re going to shock Still, you didn’t have to be an impartial observer to detect the Pittsburgh the hockey world.’” problem. Even with reinforcements in the rafters, it was going to be hard to keep and friends from winning their third straight Cup. Demers The Cup was won when Serge made the trades for When a seriously overmatched New York Islanders team did just that in Damphousse and Bellows. I really believe as great as Patrick Roy was, the playoffs’ second round, I celebrated as a 13-year-old just old enough we needed help offensively. I wanted to come in with a more offensive to be left home alone on Friday night, jumping around with a black Lab in look. Pat had done a good job at what he did, but every coach has his a Guy Carbonneau sweater I’d outgrown. way of doing things.

What I didn’t know at the time was that the Habs were doing the exact Serge Savard, general manager Jacques always liked the veterans — same thing — minus the jersey-wearing dog — in the Montreal hotel they you’ve seen them, you’ve seen what they’ve done in the past. I told called home during the playoffs. Three decades on, most of the ’93 Jacques, “I’m not sure Bellows can improve our team.” “Oh yeah,” he Canadiens say they believed they could give the Pens a serious go, but says. “He still has great hands.” So we decided we were going to give it’s hard not to view each high-five smacked that night as a recognition of him a try. I don’t think Bellows was very interested in moving [from their own limitations. In exceptional circumstances, fans like me were Minnesota]; I don’t think he really wanted to come to Montreal. I told allowed to worry, but the boys were supposed to think they were Jacques, “Let’s go meet him.” We flew to New York and met him [for a bulletproof. couple hours] at the airport and explained what we wanted to do with this team and [how we felt] we [had] a Stanley Cup team. At the end of the Stanley Cup Rewind day, he was pretty happy to come to Montreal. Ahead of the Montreal Canadiens' return to the Stanley Cup Final, relive Schneider Coming to Montreal was a dream come true for [Damphousse] every Habs win from 1993 in a marathon Stanley Cup Rewind June 26 and from Day 1, he was one of our best producers. We used to joke with on SN1. Game 2 airs at 6 pm/ET; Game 3 at 8 pm/ET; Game 4 at 10 [Bellows] that we traded a speedboat for a tugboat. But Brian, he was a pm/ET; and Game 5 at 12:30 am/ET. warrior, he was old-school, battled for every single goal he got. It turned Was Montreal — still the last Canadian team to win the Cup — a out to be a good fit. fortuitous champion in 1993? I spent a fair share of time investigating that For five months it was smooth sailing for the Canadiens, who sat first question, aided greatly in my research by Todd Denault’s book A Season overall in early March. Then it all came unglued. The Habs bottomed out in Time. There’s certainly enough overtime footage to build a decent down the stretch, posting just three regulation wins in their final 18 case file. The mere accusation the Habs were simply on the happy side contests. With the media in a frenzy, the team fled for the ski town of of happenstance would have bothered me as a kid, when there was a Bromont, Que., on the eve of the playoffs. clear order to everything. Now I think, whatever the context, if you find a little wind at your back, don’t ask many questions and see how far it will Demers I wanted to take the players away. We put a video together, push you. In the Canadiens’ case that year, it led them to the franchise’s about two to three minutes on each player, of all the good things they did 24th Stanley Cup and rings engraved with the motto “24 Together” they through the year. We had dinner that first night, we had some practices can still wear with pride today. Don’t expect them to make any apologies. there. It got the players together, it was a lot of laughs and it loosened up the team. Just like the underdog 2021 squad won’t — and shouldn’t — if it can finish the job. Kirk Muller, centre It was great because it was just the guys, we practised hard and we got away from all the media. The Montreal Canadiens entered the 1992–93 campaign having gone six seasons without a Stanley Cup, equaling their longest title drought since Schneider Everyone thought we were going to be one-and-done heading a win in 1944 ended a run of 12 champagne-less years. The Habs had into the playoffs, but Jacques was an eternal optimist and he kept telling been swept out of the 1992 playoffs in the second round by their us we were a team of destiny. archrivals, the Boston Bruins, which meant change in the off-season was inevitable. The coach wasn’t the only one with lofty expectations in the face of adversity. Defence-minded — who coached Montreal to 115 points and an appearance in the Cup final just three years earlier — grew tired of , winger Patrick Roy handed everybody a card I carry in my taking sharp criticism in two languages and opted to leave the team in wallet to this day. It says, “We are on a mission. We are making a team favour of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Burns was replaced by Montreal commitment in 1993,” and it had your number on it. You had to carry it native Jacques Demers, who hadn’t coached since parting ways with with you everywhere you went. If you came to practice or went to a meal experienced during what was, by his standards, a lacklustre regular or the hotel and didn’t have it, it was a fine. season.

Not Belle, But Bon Patrick Roy, goalie I wasn’t playing very well. I was very inconsistent that year. It would have been very easy for Jacques to say, “Patrick, you lost The provincial rivalry between the Canadiens and Nordiques was one of your first two games in Quebec; I’m going to go with Andre Racicot.” He the most visceral in sports and their 1993 clash lived up to expectations. played really well during the season. [Demers] did the opposite. He said, Their late-season swoon left the Habs with 102 points. They finished third “Listen, I’m going to live and die with you. Let’s go out there and win the in the , five points back of first-place Boston and two game.” Even if you have the status of a superstar, there’s a time when points behind their first-round opponent, the rapidly improving Quebec you need someone in your corner. I didn’t want to let him down after what Nordiques. Few sporting rivalries match the visceral hate Quebec City he said to me. and Montreal had for each other, and the battles weren’t limited to the Vincent Damphousse, centre [Demers] pulled me aside and said he ice. needed more from his key guys and I needed to give more on offence, Farber I believe that was the year the Nordiques had the press meal like I did all year. I felt responsibility to him and the team because I didn’t catered by Café de la Paix, which was a nice restaurant in the Old City. really function that well the first couple of games. So the Canadiens had to up their game and improve the press room food Demers The morning of Game 3, we never talked about losing the first in the Forum. It was essentially one side saying to the other, “Fork you.” two games. I asked the players to win the first period. That’s all I wanted. Demers When I became coach of the Montreal Canadiens, I knew there Everyone else was saying we had an insurmountable obstacle and I were only two teams you can’t lose to: the Nordiques and Boston. asked them to win that first period.

Patrice Brisebois, defenceman The rivalry with Quebec was sick. For the With the game knotted 1–1 at the end of regulation, Damphousse took fans, it’s almost their Stanley Cup. If you beat Quebec, you’re pretty sure centre stage 10:30 into overtime when he spun in the corner and sent a you’re going to have a good summer. puck toward the crease that glanced off Nordiques defenceman Alexei Gusarov’s skate and into the net. The Forum exploded, but the The Canadiens’ first of 11 playoff overtime games in 1993 occurred on celebration quickly gave way to concerned chatter as the goal’s validity the first night of the post-season, when Scott Young beat Roy on a was debated. wraparound to give the Nords a 3–2 win. Quebec had tied the game on a late power-play goal by Martin Rucinsky after 22-year-old Damphousse It hit Hextall, then it hit Gusarov’s skate and went into the took a bad elbowing penalty. net. They weren’t sure if it was Kirk Muller, who was going by the net, who pushed it with his skate, so they had to go to video review. But there Gilbert Dionne, winger I felt so low. We were having dinner in Quebec was no doubt it was a rebound, a skate from Gusarov, bad luck for and big Serge Savard comes in with a cigar and grabs me by the Quebec and good luck for us. shoulder and I thought, “This is it for me, my career is over,” and he says, “Hey kid, it’s just a game. Just get ready for tomorrow.” I felt so good. “Rob Ramage gets a puck in the face, gets sewn up, and 15 minutes later he’s sitting on the bench. Rob said he didn’t want to let his team The positive vibes didn’t last. Two nights later, with Roy fighting the puck, down. Those things work for you.” Quebec downed Montreal 4–1 to seize a 2–0 series lead. Schneider It’s amazing how momentum swings in the playoffs. One Muller To be honest, Patrick really struggled the first couple games. You overtime game, and all of a sudden you felt — win the next game and it’s can imagine we didn’t have too many people believing in our team a series. The emotion just goes so high and so low in the playoffs from coming back to Montreal. game to game. To win in that fashion, it gives you a lift, maybe even more so than winning 5–2. Schneider Half the guys were planning their summer vacations and half the guys were severely depressed. Muller After that, we only lost two games the rest of the playoffs.

“The rivalry with Quebec was sick. For the fans, it’s almost their Stanley After evening the series with a 3–2 win in Game 4, the Habs headed Cup.” back to Quebec for Game 5. With the Canadiens leading 1–0 early in the second period, Mike Hough rattled a shot off Patrick Roy’s collarbone. Muller The biggest part of our turnaround, we were at the hotel in After being attended to by trainer Gaetan Lefebvre, Roy tried to continue, Quebec having a meal, and I remember Serge Savard standing up and but was quickly beaten by Andrei Kovalenko. Roy was forced to leave the saying, “Guys, hold up for a second.” And Serge wasn’t a guy of many game, replaced by André “Red Light” Racicot, who gave up two goals on words, but he stood up and said, “Listen, if you guys keep playing the nine shots in the only 18:14 of NHL playoff hockey he ever saw. way you are, I have no doubt you’ll win this series.” He was really calm about it, and that calmness and confidence just took the pressure off Farber In Quebec they had this nice fellow, small man, I didn’t know his everybody. name, but instead of the impersonal announcements you get in press boxes, he would walk down the row and tell every journalist personally Savard I just wanted to make sure that they didn’t get discouraged about whatever news there was. If you were French, he’d tell you in French. If being down 0–2. It’s nothing: You need to win four games to win. you were English, he’d tell you in English. He came down person-by- Demers I’m convinced at 2–0 the Nordiques thought they won the series. person and said Patrick Roy is injured and won’t be returning. That year, for whatever reason, the Nordiques beat us in Montreal and Roy I was trying to stay in [the game], but I couldn’t move my arm. I we beat them in Quebec. [The Nordiques were 3-0-0 at the Forum in the wanted to go back so bad; I knew how important that game was. We tried regular season, outscoring Montreal 16–5; the Canadiens were 3-1-0 in a couple things that didn’t work and then by the end, we tried a different Quebec City.] thing and it worked really well. After the [intermission], I said to [Demers], Before Game 3 began, a player who wasn’t even in the lineup and only “If you want, I’m ready to go back.” played three games that spring helped Montreal swing the momentum. The treatment that worked for Roy was two injections of lidocaine to Brisebois Mario Roberge was our tough guy — great guy, team guy. He numb the pain. The second period ended 3–3 and when the puck watched the warmup [in Quebec] and [Nordiques goalie] was dropped for the third, the Habs had their star netminder back. stretching in the neutral zone, and right after he stretched, he went to the Farber My theory is he watched Racicot give up two goals and suddenly middle of the ice and did a circle around the dot. That was his ritual. So felt better. Mario asked Jacques, “Can I do the warmup? I just want to do something.” He stood for the whole warmup right in the middle of the ice Brisebois Patrick was a warrior, simple as that. To see him coming back, and Ron Hextall was getting f—ing nuts. Nuts! He lost his concentration that meant a lot to the whole team. right there. I’m telling you, after that, Ron Hextall was never the same. Damphousse I found out later on they shot a needle up in his shoulder. In addition to his conversation with Roberge, Demers also had a couple He was super sore and he played unbelievable. important chats with key players between Games 2 and 3. Damphousse, the team’s leading scorer in the regular season, had failed to register a Demers Rob Ramage gets a puck in the face, goes and gets stitches, point the first two games of the series and was minus-3. As for Roy, his gets sewn up, 15 minutes later he’s sitting on the bench. Rob said he showing in Quebec City was a continuation of the struggles he’d didn’t want to let his team down. And Patrick, “I didn’t want to let my team score a goal then tap his chest. All the Sabres were laughing at each down.” Those things work for you. other.

The teams traded goals in the third, leaving the game deadlocked 4–4 Damphousse I think it was who was kind of taunting Gilbert the after 60 minutes. The Nordiques swarmed in overtime, Roy held firm, and next game by pointing at himself. But we knew Gilbert, he was a guy who Muller won the game by converting a two-on-one pass from Damphousse was really appreciated in the dressing room. 8:17 into the extra period on the Canadiens’ first shot. With star forwards Mogilny and Pat LaFontaine sidelined with injuries, Muller It’s the only time in my whole career where we set a play and it Buffalo fell behind 3–1 in Game 4 before rallying late to square the affair actually completely worked. It was a faceoff in our end and we said, “If I when Yuri Khmylev scored with 10 ticks left on the clock. But true to the win the draw, Vinny, you just take off.” template, the Habs won in overtime by the same 4–3 score they had been on the good side of during each of the series’ other three contests. Damphousse [Mats] Sundin was coming behind me and he gave me a Kirk Muller got the winner, slapping the puck past . two-handed slash, but I was able to pass it to Kirk, who one-timed it between the legs of Hextall. Damphousse It was closer than what the [sweep] indicated.

Muller We executed the whole thing. I was like, “That never happens.” Mathieu Schneider, defenceman I missed that whole series [with a separated shoulder]. I played junior with [Sabres ] Rob Ray and I Farber That was just a vicious game they probably had no business was talking to him in the stands, I think after Game 3. He said to me, “It winning. looks like you guys are going to win this series; you guys get past this Riding a huge wave of momentum, the Canadiens returned home and and you’ve got a chance to win the Cup.” I remember thinking, “You’re hammered Quebec 6–2 to close out the series in six games. The young out of your mind,” because Pittsburgh was still looming and there were Nords may have buckled late, but they provided their provincial rivals still a lot of great teams. But you start to look at it, you get past the with a serious first-round scare. second round, you’re right there, no matter who you’re matched up against. Leeman They were our toughest series, by far. I don’t think they got the strongest goaltending, but that was one heck of a team we beat. That When Montreal dusted off Buffalo, its opponent in the Wales Conference Quebec team was good enough to win the Cup had they got stellar final seemed sure to be the Penguins, the two-time defending Cup goaltending, like we did. champs who’d set an NHL record with 17 straight wins at the end of the regular season. Pittsburgh’s opponent in the Patrick Division final, the Schneider They say getting out of the first round is the most difficult thing New York Islanders, finished with 32 fewer points and were without the and I really think it is. Quebec may have been a better team than we services of leading scorer , who’d been slammed into the were, but it was just swings and emotions up and down, a break here boards by Washington’s Dale Hunter while celebrating a goal in Round 1. and there, and you start to really believe. Once you accomplish winning But the plucky Islanders gave Pittsburgh all it could handle, pushing one round, you start to believe anything is possible. Mario Lemieux and Co. to a seventh game. The Canadiens, like the rest of the hockey world, tuned in for the decisive game with a bigger rooting After disposing of Quebec, the Canadiens drew an unlikely second-round interest than anybody not flying a Penguins or Islanders flag. At that opponent. The Buffalo Sabres finished 23 points behind the Adams point, the Habs were staying in a Montreal hotel, so they were watching Division–champion Boston Bruins, but knocked off and together when David Volek scored his second goal of Game 7 just over company in a shocking four-game sweep. The clinching game was won five minutes into overtime to end Pittsburgh’s bid for a three-peat. in overtime, when Brad May beat Andy Moog to prompt play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret’s famous “May Day” call. Schneider That was shocking.

The series opened in Montreal, where the Canadiens squeezed out a 4– Gary Leeman, winger When Pittsburgh got beat out by the Islanders, we 3 win thanks largely to the play of Patrick Roy, who stoned sniper celebrated in our hotel almost as much as when we won it. We knew the Alexander Mogilny from the lip of the crease in the dying seconds. The only team in our way was Pittsburgh. That’s the big star that lined up for second game ended 2:50 into overtime, when Guy Carbonneau one- us. timed a pass from in close to give Montreal another 4–3 victory. Buffalo, Jumped The setting shifted, but the results didn’t. Playing Game 3 in Buffalo, Montreal earned its third consecutive 4–3 win when Gilbert Dionne tipped Despite sweeping the first-place Bruins in Round 1, a banged up Sabres in a pass from . The triumph, however, came with some team proved no match for Roy and the Habs. controversy, thanks to Dionne’s post-goal celebration. Damphousse We were in the hotel, just kind of waiting for our Michael Farber, Montreal Gazette columnist Dionne scores and taps his destination. Either we go to Pittsburgh or we host the Islanders. When sweater on the chest, near the logo, saying, “That was my goal.” I was Volek scored in overtime, everyone was running around the hallway of very critical of that because, first of all, it doesn’t matter who scored, and our floor. We had a great opportunity to win the Cup. We felt confident it was just not the Canadiens’ way at a time when you could use the we could beat Pittsburgh as well, but obviously we thought it would be an phrase “the Canadiens’ way” and not seem ironic. I jumped all over easier path with the Islanders, with Turgeon being hurt. We had a lot of Gilbert Dionne and I had half the French press jump all over me because respect for the Islanders, but the powerhouse was Pittsburgh. I was picking on this Francophone player. Jacques Demers, coach, speaking in 2013 You have to be careful Vincent Damphousse, centre He was very excited to score. It happened picking teams and saying, “I want to play against these guys.” Well, that in a quick second, in a moment, and we didn’t think anything of it. guy is going to beat you. So we were always careful, but we certainly Obviously the media ran with it a little bit. knew, how do you stop Mario and [Jaromir] Jagr?

Gilbert Dionne, winger Things happen in the heat of the moment. You While the Habs hollered, the bleary-eyed Islanders had to board a plane look at soccer, these guys are doing a bunch of flips and throwing their for Montreal and deal with an extremely quick turnaround to start the shirts around, the emotion just kicks in. [The attention] rattled me a little conference final. bit and I think the media was trying to shake things up in the dressing Farber The next series was going to start in Pittsburgh on Sunday. It was room, but that didn’t break us at all. We just moved on to other things and obvious the Penguins were going to close out the Islanders, even though it made me stronger because I had the “don’t give a crap” attitude. it had been far too difficult. Now, the Islanders win this incredibly draining “The media was trying to shake things up in the dressing room, but I had series in dramatic fashion against all odds. This is in Pittsburgh on Friday the ‘don’t give a crap’ attitude.” night and now, because of television, they’ve got to open the [Conference Final] on Sunday afternoon in Montreal, fewer than 48 hours Patrice Brisebois, defenceman People were like, “That was your goal!” later. I don’t think Montreal would have gotten by Pittsburgh — maybe and I said, “I don’t know. I don’t mind.” We won, that was the most they would have, the Islanders did. I don’t think they should have gotten important thing. by Quebec. Now they’re playing the lesser opponent that is absolutely drained after eliminating the champions. Farber What was noticeable the next day at the Sabres’ practice — they’re down 3–0 and they know it doesn’t look real good since they’re barely fielding an NHL team, they’re so banged up — someone would , Islanders goalie Your warmup and prep to get ready for the Farber It was a series against a team that was gritty, certainly, but had Montreal Canadiens was your pre-game skate. So that was a bit of an won its Stanley Cup by knocking out the Penguins. ambush. Demers A lot of people would remind us we were down 2–0 to the After the Habs triumphed 4–1 in the series opener, the Islanders got a Nordiques, they should be there [in the Final]. I don’t care who should be limited Turgeon back and Montreal required its only double-overtime there; we’re there. affair of the spring to win Game 2. The victory came courtesy of centre Stéphan Lebeau, who scored two goals in the 4–3 triumph despite The 1993 Stanley Cup final opened on June 1, in Montreal. The playing with an ankle injury that nearly forced him out of the lineup. Canadiens were chasing their 24th championship, while the Wayne Gretzky–led Kings were in the final for the first time in team history after Demers Lebeau had 80 points for us that year. We had a meeting in the being part of the original NHL expansion in 1967–68. morning, there was a question as to how healthy he was, but Stéphan told me he felt good. We had a meeting with [GM] Serge Savard and [his Gretzky had missed much of the season with a back injury that, at times, adviser] Jacques Lemaire, and Lemaire said, “You’re the coach, make had him hinting at retirement, but he was now healthy and producing at a the decision.” I decided to play him. clip reminiscent of his Oilers days. He scored a hat trick in the decisive seventh game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Campbell Lebeau’s game-winner was a laser from just inside the blue line over the Conference final and has often referenced that contest as the best he glove of Healy. ever played. Five years after his trade to L.A. rocked the hockey world, Gretzky was on the verge of bringing a championship to . The Demers It was a perfect shot, right underneath the bar. Kings had knocked off two other Canadian teams — Calgary and Flight of the Penguins Vancouver — to advance to the final, and now they were facing a Montreal club armed with the best goalie in the world and operating on a Mario Lemieux and Co. looked like the biggest obstacle between the week’s worth of rest. Habs and the Cup. When New York topped Pittsburgh in seven, the Canadiens celebrated in the halls of their hotel. Kirk Muller, centre I always said, if you’re going to have a layoff like that, you’re going to pay the price in the first game. But if the series goes long, Healy I heard it hit the bar and then I just waited for the crowd and I knew your rested bodies are going to be an advantage. we were done. You didn’t get much with them. And then when you did get something, Patrick Roy was in the net. He just was so good. I Barry Melrose, Kings coach We were an attacking team and were going couldn’t make a mistake. to play against Montreal the same way we played against the other three teams we beat. They were all supposed to beat us, too, so we weren’t Roy was once again excellent when the series moved to Long Island for going to change what we did. Game 3, stopping 31 shots to keep the score 1–1 after regulation. The Canadiens tied an NHL playoff record with their 11th consecutive win — Kelly Hrudey, Kings goalie It wasn’t very hard to get ready when you and set a new one with their seventh straight overtime victory — when were playing in the Stanley Cup Final in the . I Carbonneau blasted home a pass from Benoît Brunet, shortly after the remember, prior to warmup and especially before the start of the game, officials missed the fact that Montreal clearly had too many men on the hesitating for a second as my skates hit the ice and looking up and ice during a botched line change. thinking, “I’ve reached the pinnacle.”

Demers Those are the breaks of the game, I’m not going to deny it. Melrose From a coach’s perspective, the speech you use is, “Let’s get There was one referee at the time, two linesmen and they didn’t call it. one and get out of here.” [The Islanders] had a right to be upset, I would have been upset, but The Kings got off and running when Montreal boy Luc Robitaille opened every year there’s something happening in the playoffs that coaches and the scoring with a power-play marker. Hrudey was strong in the crease players aren’t happy with. It was definitely a break and we benefited from but got duped by a busted two-on-one that tied the score. On the play, that. Habs fourth-liner Ed Ronan tried to slide a pass to Paul DiPietro in front Regardless, the team had now gone a full month without dropping a of the goal that never made its intended target. Hustling on the game, thanks largely to their luck in overtime contests. backcheck, Gretzky reached out to stop the pass, but instead wound up directing it into his own net. Montreal may have squared the game, but it Schneider We just kind of got used to playing them. It seemed like we now had to deal with an even more motivated Great One. were in them constantly. It was the odd one we won that wasn’t in overtime. Jacques Demers, coach, speaking in 2013 You never wanted anything bad to happen to Gretzky because he would make you pay. He was Damphousse With Patrick and with the way we played, we were super dominating that game. comfortable in tight games and even overtime games. We felt very confident we’d come out on top. After the own-goal, Gretzky went to work. He set up Robitaille for his second goal of the game, then got his third assist of the night by teeing Schneider I don’t know that it was really confidence, because trust me, up . With the Canadiens’ net empty late in the third, Gretzky there were a lot of posts and crossbars involved, too. But it was an corralled a loose puck in the corner and nailed a quick shot from a sharp amazing run. angle to salt the win with his fourth point of the night. Demers’s plan of having Muller’s line check the game’s best player clearly failed and the Dionne Are you thinking, “We’re eventually going to lose one”? No, but Kings took full marks for their 4–1 victory. we definitely weren’t thinking, “Let’s go to overtime.” But we weren’t nervous. Patrice Brisebois, defenceman They were ready for that game.

Brisebois We never had that thought [that we eventually had to lose one], Melrose Montreal didn’t have many scoring chances, we were very good like in the casino at roulette — it’s red, red, red, red, watch, it’s going to defensively, we had the puck a lot. It was just a really solid road game. turn black. We were always like, “It’s our game, we’re going to win.” We did exactly what we wanted to do. We got to Patrick a little bit.

Punching their ticket Under fire

Despite dropping Game 4 — their first loss in a month — Montreal got by A four-point night by Gretzky in Game 1 fuelled a 4-1 Kings win. "We got the Islanders in five, returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time to Patrick a little bit," Melrose recalls. since 1989. Luc Robitaille, Kings winger We were playing really well. We were getting The Canadiens’ winning streak came to an end in Game 4, when New a lot of chances and Wayne was buying a lot of space and time. York extended the series with a fairly easy 4–1 win. But that simply delayed the inevitable. Montreal returned home to vanquish the gasping Vincent Damphousse, centre We were undisciplined and I think we had Islanders 5–2 and clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Final. too much respect for Gretzky and maybe for their team.

Schneider They were a gritty team. They had a lot of guys who were very Guy Carbonneau, centre The way we lost was a big shock. They played hard to play against. extremely well and when you have a guy like Wayne Gretzky on the team, you give him time and he can hurt you. Healy A healthy Pierre Turgeon would have been phenomenal for us. Pierre did his best, playing with one arm. Hrudey We were really level-headed after that first win. We were Carbonneau I liked to check all those things, it was just kind of habit; you business as usual. I don’t recall anybody acting crazy or getting way look for this, you look for that. If their stick is on the ice, sometimes the ahead of themselves. I know we had talked about not saying anything curve is on the right side and, oh, look at that. And you keep it in mind. that would infuriate the Canadiens. Kerry Fraser, referee There was a little bit of a delay. There was some Two significant events happened between the end of Game 1 and the consultation going on at the Montreal bench. At that stage, late in the start of Game 2. The first occurred at Lakeshore Hospital, where Patrick game with a one-goal difference, there’s always the thought from the Roy’s wife, Michelle, gave birth to a baby girl named Jana just before 8 referee’s perspective, are they going to call a timeout, are they just a.m. on June 2. The second development involved Carbonneau going to stalling a bit? As I approached the bench, Guy Carbonneau and Kirk his coach with a request. Muller, I believe, came to me and said Jacques wants Marty McSorley’s stick measured. And I said, “What aspect of the stick do you want Demers Guy Carbonneau comes to me and — in a respectful way — measured?” and Carbo said, “The curve.” says, “I want Gretzky.” I said let me think about it, but as soon as he asked me, I knew he was going to get Gretzky. “You never wanted anything bad to happen to Gretzky. He would make you pay.” It may have seemed like a no-brainer to stick a player widely regarded as the best defensive forward of his generation on Gretzky, but Carbonneau Miller I remember saying on the air, “They’re going to measure Marty was slowed by an injury all season and was not seeing nearly as much McSorley’s stick,” and my partner, , who played for the Kings for ice that spring as he usually did. 10 years, shook his head. I knew right away, Jimmy knows the stick is not legal. Carbonneau It was my left knee. I had a Porsche at the time and I couldn’t even drive it because of the clutch. Jacques was trying to go The Kings broadcast team may have been pessimistic, but that wasn’t offence against offence, their best line against our best line. But my point the immediate feeling at ice level, where one player thought the club to him was, this is something I’ve done all my career — to play against might even be headed to a power play of its own. the best — and I’ve done a good job. I just felt like if I can do a job against him, that would free up guys and they would have more space to Hrudey When I saw there was going to be an illegal stick check, I was score goals. hopeful they’d pick me because I tried to beat teams for years — it never happened — but I always left an illegal around the visitors’ bench after Demers Muller played very well in the playoffs, but maybe I put him in a the morning skate. I used an illegal stick for half the game or two periods, situation that wasn’t right for him. Kirk could play against the best, but he depending on the feel I had for what was going on. Then I’d always was still producing offensively, so release him from that, go play your switch to a legal stick in the third. So initially I was like, “OK, great. game offensively. They’re going to call me and we’re going to get a man advantage.”

Michael Farber, Montreal Gazette columnist That was a key moment. Melrose The only two guys on my team I worried about were Robitaille Back then we spoke much more of line against line, now it’s defence pair and [defenceman Alexei] Zhitnik. They had different curves and if you against line. didn’t measure them properly, you could easily be over. We always made sure Robitaille and Zhitnik had sticks for the third period, but those were Demers Gretzky, the first game, toyed with us. And Carbo had played the only two guys I worried about. When they decided to call a stick, I against [Mario] Lemieux, against [Eric] Lindros. He said his knee was looked on the ice and I didn’t see Robitaille or Zhitnik, so I thought we’d OK, he’s ready to go. He got Gretzky and we never looked back. I had an be OK. open-door policy for a reason. Your captain comes to see you and feels comfortable saying he wants Gretzky, you’re absolutely going to oblige Curve Appeal him. Demers's decision to have McSorley checked for an illegal blade remains With Game 1 already in their back pocket, the Kings were in position to hotly debated though the result was clear cut — even to the Kings. do the unthinkable and leave Montreal with a 2–0 stranglehold on the series. Sensing they were in danger, the Habs came out charging and Robitaille We had talked between periods to make sure all our sticks took a 1–0 lead on a goal by defenceman Éric Desjardins. The were good. Canadiens were in position to increase their advantage during a second- The Canadiens were making sure, too, keeping an eye on a number of period power play, but Brisebois bobbled a pass at the blue line, allowing players they believed were bending the rules. veteran to streak in alone and blast a shot through Roy’s legs. The game was tied 1–1 after 40 minutes. Demers I had my trainer check to see if [McSorley] was going to come and change the stick. He did not switch sticks. Bob Miller, longtime Kings play-by-play man At the end of the second period, I talked with Dick Irvin, the Montreal broadcaster, and he said, Muller Those were the days of everyone having different sticks. I used an “Bob, if you win tonight, you’ll sweep the series. They’ll never come illegal stick, too, then by the third period I would always switch. back.” Damphousse Guys would play with illegal sticks because there was more 'I Want Gretzky' control, we were more comfortable with it. But I also had three legal sticks and if we had a lead in the third period I would switch to my legal Banged up to the point he couldn't drive his Porsche, Carbonneau stick. I would never take that chance. McSorley, I don’t know what nevertheless asked to be put on No. 99 after Game 1. "This is something happened, but with a one-goal lead with two minutes to go, he should I’ve done all my career — to play against the best," he told Demers, "and have known better. He should have changed that stick, but he didn’t. We I’ve done a good job." saw it and made the call. You could see it from the bench.

The Kings crept closer to that scenario when, just before the halfway Muller Jacques asked us, “What do you think?” and we were like, “Well, point of the third, grinder Pat Conacher stuffed a rebound past Roy from it’s illegal for sure.” But you still need that confirmation. the lip of the crease. The Forum fell silent. The Canadiens, whom it seemed could do no wrong that spring, were suddenly scrambling. “I said, ‘Marty, what are you thinking? I don’t even need to measure this thing.’ He just kind of sagged.” Melrose We were playing great. They were getting no offence, they were getting no shots. We were doing exactly what we wanted to, just playing Fraser I looked at Marty — he was hanging around the centre ice area — a super period. and I said, “Marty, I need your stick, they’ve requested a stick measurement.” He had kind of a glazed look on his face. Robitaille We were out-chancing them. We really felt we were going to win that game. Marty McSorley, Kings defenceman I remember when they grabbed it, it was almost confusing because I’d used the same stick all year. And for Knowing his team was on the verge of falling in a hole it would not be them to call it, in your mind you go, “OK what’s going on here? What’s able to escape from, Demers weighed his options and, with 1:45 really happening here?” remaining, used information culled from his captain to take bold action. Fraser I took the stick from him and I remember visually, just visually, it Demers In Game 1, we knew there were illegal sticks and it wasn’t just was so far beyond the acceptable curve — which was a quarter-inch at Marty McSorley. But we were out of the game. the time — and I said, “Marty, what are you thinking? I don’t even have to measure this thing.” He just kind of sagged. With McSorley’s right-handed stick in hand, Fraser went to the Earned confidence timekeeper’s box and enlisted the help of linesman Ray Scapinello for the measurement. Tied 2-2 after 40 minutes in Game 4, Roy offered his teammates a guarantee: "Score me one goal, and we’re going to be OK." Fraser Gretzky, who always wanted a first-hand look at things, was just hovering at the side of the referees’ crease. I tucked into the door a little Things didn’t slow down in overtime. The Canadiens came charging out bit so it wasn’t visible for everybody and I got Scapinello to hold the stick of the gate, with Desjardins ending the game 51 seconds into the extra for me, because I wanted this to be extremely accurate. I slid the slide frame. By scoring all three goals in a 3–2 win, Desjardins became — and device and it didn’t even touch. I re-measured it to make sure, and I remains — the only defenceman to net a hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final. believe I measured it a third time. Éric Desjardins, defenceman I just remember going on the attack. I got a Demers I think it’s taken 10 minutes, but it’s only taken 10 to 15 seconds. pass from [Benoit] Brunet; Benoit just dropped it to me at the top circle But if for whatever reason Kerry doesn’t measure it right, we get two and I missed the net by maybe a foot or two feet and it hit the partition minutes and the whole hockey world makes fun of me. I have to live with [between the glass]. So everybody kind of moved to the left [anticipating the decision. I’m not going to go after the game and say, “My players told a true bounce and] I ended up making a circle and coming back in the me to measure the stick.” slot. [Brunet] gave me a perfect pass and I just let it go and it found its way through the five-hole of Kelly Hrudey. Fraser I didn’t typically show a captain or player, but it was so bizarre and such a crucial measure that I turned to Gretz and I said, “I want you to Hrudey I really felt it was a missed opportunity because, late in the third have a look at this.” And I showed him where the big gap was on the period, you could look right in their eyes — and every athlete knows the stick as it slid and he just rolled his eyes. It was like someone stuck a pin feeling when the opposition knows you’ve got them — the fight is out of in him and let the air out. their eyes. And until they got the power play, that was really evident. We had our foot on their throat and we just couldn’t finish them off. Miller Luc Robitaille came over to the bench and Barry Melrose said, “Is it illegal?” and Luc said, “It’s not even close.” Robitaille We still could have killed the penalty, and we didn’t, and we still could have come out in overtime and played well. It just seemed to McSorley I remember saying [to] Kerry Fraser at the penalty box, “Kerry, happen so fast, it was like a blur. Boom, they score, and then in the this is garbage and you know it. Make sure they dot the I’s and cross the overtime, they scored right away. T’s on anything.” Then I step in the penalty box. No sooner had the Canadiens won the game than questions about their With one call already having gone his way, Demers made another big tactics began. Melrose took issue with the call, claiming he would never move, opting to pull Roy in favour of an extra attacker to give his try to settle a game with a stick check. McSorley accepted blame for his sputtering power play a six-on-four advantage. oversight, but to this day he believes the Canadiens engaged in very dirty pool. Conversations he’s had over the years with former players Demers I asked Patrick to come to the bench and I saw a little bit of [including old Habs] at various NHL alumni events have only further hesitation, but he didn’t say anything. And I lived with that because that’s cemented his position. Demers immediately denied rumours he had Patrick and I love character players. picked up a broken Kings stick during the morning skate.

Carbonneau It was a big call for Jacques to make on the stick, but I think But one thing’s for sure: The Forum’s layout lent itself to the home side it was a bigger call to pull the goalie and just go for it. getting a very close look at the opposition’s lumber. In order to make Fraser [L.A.] had some speedsters. If they iced the puck and pressured room for fans to walk through the small hallway behind the visitors’ bench down on a quick forecheck, they might pop it in the open net. during intermissions, Forum staff wheeled the visiting team’s stick rack into a restricted corridor that was, essentially, the exclusive domain of the The first step in avoiding that scenario for Montreal was winning a critical Canadiens. faceoff to the left of Hrudey. Russ Courtnall, who spent parts of four seasons with Montreal from Demers I brought Muller over and I said, “Kirk, the only thing I want you 1988–92 In between periods, I would go back there to fix my sticks and if to concentrate on is win the draw.” I was struggling or if I noticed a player on the other team who had a right- handed shot and I liked the curve, I would go and look at their stick Carbonneau I know Jacques told him, “Just win the faceoff.” I’ve been a because there was nobody there. It was available between every period centre my whole life; that’s a lot of pressure. of every game. The visitors’ sticks, in the old Forum, were in our locker But Muller succeeded. The Canadiens seized control off the draw and room, basically. You could do whatever you wanted. the puck made its way back to the blue line. After playing catch with Pete Demers, Kings trainer They were pretty confident when they called Mathieu Schneider at the point, Desjardins slid the puck to Damphousse it. We can’t positively say when they moved the stick rack they measured near the half-wall, then drifted to the middle of the ice and cocked his every stick — only they can say that. But logical thinking would have you stick. With John LeClair providing the screen, Desjardins one-timed a believe they’re not going to take a chance on a stick check if they’re not return pass from Damphousse, tying the game 2–2 with 73 seconds pretty sure. It’s obvious they had a pretty good idea. remaining in regulation. McSorley I will take responsibility for using an illegal stick, but the risk of Hrudey I was really disappointed in myself, because all goalies like to be calling it was removed. The fear of them not being right is removed. in that position where you make the game-saving stop. That’s what There are a few [Montreal] players who would love to step up and say you’re paid to do and I didn’t do it. But I got over it quickly, because you [the Canadiens cheated], but they don’t want to feel like they’re throwing have to. anybody under the bus, their teammates and what have you. But they’re Demers You sense the look on their team. Some players were stunned. not that comfortable with it either. Would I like the truth to be out there? They were 90 seconds away from leaving for L.A. up 2–0. Yeah, absolutely. That doesn’t change the fact that I had an illegal stick, but [it] just puts [it in] a different context. While the Canadiens had new life, emotions in the Kings room were running hot — and the greatest player on Earth was right in the middle of Hrudey If you’re in [an away] rink, you should expect they’re going to be the fray. spying on you in some way or doing something to get inside information.

Hrudey It was a chaotic scene in our dressing room. We were losing Robitaille We heard the rumours someone had come and picked up a focus quickly. I recall Wayne getting very mad, Marty defending himself: few sticks — mine, [Tomas] Sandstrom’s, Zhitnik’s and Marty’s — and A lot of people had things to say. had measured them before the game. Years later, someone who was working at the Forum told me he was told to look the other way. That was McSorley Gretz was sour and especially [because he] looked at me as a the only thing that kind of confirmed it for me. leader. Melrose It’s not like it is today. You had guys from Montreal in your Melrose It was a crazy place because everything happened so fast. dressing room helping you, because teams didn’t carry four trainers like they do now. You had a medical man and you had a stick guy, so you Hrudey With about five minutes to go in the intermission, I said used guys from the other team to help you. Today, there’s never anybody something to the guys like, “Forget about what’s happened, let’s just from the other team in your dressing room. Security is much different focus on now.” I kind of thought we were in trouble going into OT. Our now than it was then. There was no reason to think Marty’s stick was minds were just too crazy. over unless you had done something the night before. I’m one of those glass. The gritty Habs forward bounced back up, but the hit swung the who thinks the sticks had been measured. game’s momentum.

Robitaille At the end of the day, we shouldn’t have an illegal stick and as Damphousse The crowd went crazy and [the Kings] fed off that, they a player, you should know about your stick, and sometimes you forget. were able to battle back. You almost think we should have left one of our guys there [to watch the stick rack]. Schneider The mentality you get into [when leading] and your human instinct is just really to sit back, especially in hockey where coaches and For their part, some Canadiens are vague about how things went down, players are so conservative. It’s almost like, once they tie it, it’s a relief while others are steadfast in their denial of any skulduggery. and you can play again.

Mathieu Schneider, defenceman If there was, I never heard of it. I really Carbonneau You have to give them credit, they didn’t quit. think it was Carbo. He was always aware of anything like that. It was his nature. The Kings clawed to within a goal, then pulled even late in the second when a slapshot from Gretzky eluded Roy’s glove. No. 99 was also on Serge Savard, general manager [The stick rack] was leaning against the the ice in the game’s dying seconds, when L.A. was pressing for the wall of the Canadiens dressing room. I can guarantee you that nobody game-winner. Kings winger Tomas Sandstrom attempted a wraparound measured it. But everybody saw it. Like they could look at ours as well. and the puck slid under Carbonneau, who’d been cross-checked to the ice. The Kings argued the Canadiens captain illegally covered it with his Gary Leeman, winger We should let it remain a mystery, just like the hand. Referee Terry Gregson disagreed and L.A. was never awarded the Franco Harris catch or non-catch [the Immaculate Reception]. It’s got to penalty shot it was after. remain a mystery because I can’t talk about something I’m not 100 per cent sure about, but if you’re leaving your sticks in the view of the Gretzky, after the game I learned a new rule tonight. If you shoot the opposition, it’s just natural guys are going to look at them. puck into a guy and he’s in the crease, it’s not a penalty shot.

Demers When the Kings went to the [2012] final I got calls from reporters Carbonneau I understood the rule and I made sure my hand was not in L.A. and Sports Illustrated, I told them we never cheated and I’ll die over the puck. with that. For the second straight game, Montreal earned an overtime victory Carbonneau They have to find a reason, and that’s OK, but I know for a before the extra period was a minute old. This time, it took 34 seconds to fact we didn’t measure their sticks. notch the winner, as LeClair made good on his third attempt around the Kings net after linemate Brian Bellows cleared space by tying up three Damphousse You talk to Melrose and [McSorley], they’re still sour about defenders. The Canadiens’ ninth consecutive overtime win established a that call. They kind of said that’s the way we won, but that’s not the whole new NHL mark. story, we were able to beat them three other games as well. Hrudey I felt great going into overtime because they had that long streak Melrose It was a desperate move by a desperate club. They weren’t and I thought the odds had to be in our favour because they had to lose going to win that game and they had to try something, and that’s what one. I thought it was perfect, they just can’t win every single overtime they tried. I coached two years of junior, three years in the American game. League and four years in the NHL and I never called it once, so I would never call that. Muller Bellows did such a great job of driving the net and taking guys with him. That’s what Brian was good at. Schneider It was desperate times and desperate measures, no pun intended. Demers When John scored in overtime on the first night [in L.A.], you start to believe it’s your year. You don’t get overconfident, you don’t get Demers I know some people said it was cheap, but a lot of people in the overly cocky, but you start saying, “A lot of things are going our way.” hockey world — especially GMs — said if my coach knew and didn’t call it, he may not be coaching for me next year. Things continued to go Montreal’s way at the start of Game 4, when the Habs once again jumped out in front, this time building a 2–0 advantage. Farber The stick measurement is a big part of the story, but a But following the template established in Game 3, the Kings fought back, defenceman has a hat trick and they’ve won another overtime game? It squaring the game 2–2 when McSorley connected from the slot with 4.6 was all part of it. We don’t know for sure. Nobody has come out and said, seconds left in the second period. In the intermission before the third, “I measured those sticks.” It’s a fascinating story, it’s part of hockey lore. Roy — ultra-confident, but often quiet — stood up and declared he Having dodged a massive bullet in Game 2, the Habs headed west for wouldn’t be allowing another goal. If the Habs could squeeze out one, Los Angeles to resume what was now a best-of-five series. The Kings they were going to win. were in familiar territory, while Montreal was riding high from its Patrick Roy, goalie We came back in the room and we were — not upset, comeback win. but we were not happy about the fact we let them back in the game. We Schneider That whole thing [in Game 2] and the emotion involved, you were [louder than usual]. I said, “OK guys. Let’s relax. They’re not going just can’t describe what it does for the team. I can’t imagine what it would to get one by me. Just get one, take the time you need.” have been like if we were down two games going there. Brisebois “Score me one goal, and we’re going to be OK.” I never, never Melrose We felt we should have easily been going back 2–0, so 1–1 is heard that in my entire career. Can you imagine his confidence? It’s sick. fine. We’ll go back and take care of business at home. Every series we’d Demers When Patrick talked, people listened, including the coach, played was 1–1 after two games, so it was certainly nothing new to us. because there was a lot of respect. The one thing about Patrick, he could Carbonneau They had a lot of character sticking in there. I’m sure they back it up. were mad, they were pissed, but they didn’t give up. Melrose It wasn’t like he was beating us 1–0; we were getting three goals Demers My mentality was always, don’t fool around with Gretzky, and two goals. He was just making unbelievable saves at unbelievable because I’d seen him too much. All those years in the times, especially in overtime. [coaching in St. Louis and Detroit], we used to play out west. He wanted Carbonneau We used to live in the same neighbourhood, so we would to win so bad for Los Angeles. travel to every game together. I’ve never met anybody who wanted to win Damphousse They put us in a great hotel. Usually you’re by the airport. more than him. We were by the beach and it was really a calm setting, away from the In a moment that symbolizes the confidence he showed throughout his media. career, Roy — after stuffing Sandstrom a few times in the overtime With L.A.’s “Fabulous Forum” buzzing from hosting its first Cup Final period — gave a wink to the Kings winger that was captured perfectly by game and the likes of Ronald Reagan, Mick Jagger and Magic Johnson one of the TV cameras. looking on, the Canadiens quickly stole the show, building a 3–0 lead by Roy I have no idea [why I winked]. I was playing well, they were starting the early minutes of the second period. The Kings only woke from their to hit me more and more, and getting in the crease. That’s the sign, you lethargy when defenceman Mark Hardy, pinching in at the blue line, laid know you’re in their head. I never thought someone could catch that [on a spectacular bodycheck on Mike Keane that shook loose a pane of camera]. All of sudden Sandstrom was pushing and he [skated past the crease] and I was like, “No, you’re not scoring here tonight.” It was just a Farber There was an utter buy-in. I’ve never seen such short shifts. I was reflex. Nobody thought it would become a big deal. A lot of people were amazed. Of all the Perils of Pauline — tip-toeing through that series, saying I was cocky. It was not totally the opposite, but it was different you’ve won three overtime games — there was absolute focus and they [than cockiness]. There’s nothing worse, in my opinion, than if you’re the played as crisp a game as you could imagine. It was a surgical victory. goaltender [and] you have your head between your legs. Everybody sees it and it makes everybody nervous. It was important to me to have my Schneider That was really the only game I thought we were convincingly teammates saying, “OK, we’re fine: he’s there.” A big part of the position better than they were. is to show your teammates you’re under control, show your teammates Melrose We did hang around, but Patrick stoned us, they got a couple you’re very confident and they don’t have to worry about you. goals and the game got out of hand.

True to his word, Roy held the Kings off the scoresheet in the third Robitaille It was one of those games where they had the crowd, they period. Little-used Jimmy Carson nearly made a liar out of him in were going. I think we made a little push, but it just seemed like they overtime, however, ringing one off the crossbar. In a playoff run that had suddenly had the momentum. You kind of felt it was theirs. already produced more than its share of unlikely moments, LeClair added another when he scored an overtime winner off a goalmouth scramble for The Montreal bench felt it, too. the second consecutive game. LeClair, then 23, was just beginning to Demers I’m a hyper guy by nature, but I always tried to keep my cool. It scratch the surface of the potential his coach and some teammates — wasn’t easy, but I always tried to keep the players calm. But I’ll tell you, but very few people in the broader hockey world — saw in his six-foot- inside, man — whew. three frame. Roy I still think about that last minute. The crowd goes nuts. It’s a great Schneider I did a big interview with [longtime Montreal beat writer] Red feeling. Fisher and I said to Red, “Johnny should be a player like . The way he skates, the way he shoots, he could be a player on a level When the final siren sounded, Montreal had recorded a 4–1 win to with Eric Lindros.” Red kind of laughed at me at the time, but he did a big secure the Cup in five games. Every team mobs its goalie after winning a piece on Johnny and how his potential was so great. championship, but surrounding Roy wasn’t just ceremonial for the Canadiens, it was symbolic. The team’s one superstar and the player “Denis Savard was so nervous he was smoking — and he wasn’t even who’d been at the centre of their success all spring was now, literally, in playing because he was hurt.” the middle of the celebration. Roy picked up the Conn Smythe Trophy, Farber [Demers] saw John LeClair’s potential before anyone else [and the second of his career, as the Superman theme blared through the often compared him to Penguins power forward ]. This is Forum’s speakers. Then, presenting the Stanley Cup for the first time, when LeClair would sometimes look like Bambi on the ice. He’d be commissioner called Carbonneau over. Instead of lifting stumbling around, he looked like this terribly awkward skater and the Cup, the captain posed for a few pictures, then turned it over to Denis [Demers] would say, “He’s my Stevens.” And I’m thinking, “Who, Connie Savard, who raised it for the first time in his career. Stevens?” He was a guy who just didn’t look comfortable out there and, Carbonneau If I hadn’t had a chance to win the Cup in ’86, I probably sure enough, Game 3 and Game 4, overtime goals. wouldn’t have done that. But I knew why Denis came to Montreal and I Melrose John LeClair decided this was his coming-out party and Patrick know he was hurting inside because he couldn’t play. He could have Roy decided he was going to turn into the best goaltender the world had been a distraction, but you really felt like he wanted to support us. He ever seen. was a really good friend, he did good things for us all year and I just felt like he deserved it even if he wasn’t dressed. It was kind of a Having snuck out two wins in L.A., the Canadiens returned to Montreal spontaneous thing. I’m still happy I did it. with a chance to clinch the Cup on home ice. They seemed like a team of destiny, but somebody forgot to tell that to Denis Savard. The centre Canada's Last Cup dressed for 14 post-season contests that year, but a hairline fracture in "Everything about the playoffs in ’93 was coated with pixie dust," Farber his ankle combined with the emergence of players like Paul DiPietro kept says. "If you believe in Forum ghosts, there’s your best argument they Savard out of the Final after Game 1. But because he was so well did exist." respected by his teammates, Demers opted to keep Savard on the bench, effectively making him another assistant coach. Wearing a suit Damphousse Guy knew he was a big part of our team and it was very did nothing to quell Savard’s nerves. special for Denis.

Brisebois I don’t know why, but we switched roommates [before Game 5] While the celebration raged inside the Forum, things turned a little ugly and Denis Savard was my roommate. I tried to sleep in the afternoon, but outside when some people used the Canadiens’ triumphant night as an I just kept smelling something and I saw a red dot. It was Savard excuse to riot. smoking in the room. He was so nervous — and he wasn’t even playing because he was hurt — but he was so nervous he was smoking. Melrose The city was crazy. It was dangerous. We got out in a hurry and they tried to upset our bus. There wasn’t much security. Delayed gratification Miller The bus driver said, “Everybody get to the centre aisle in case they Before lifting the Cup himself, Carbonneau passed it to Denis Savard, throw something through the window.” who raised Lord Stanley's mug for the first time after 13 years in the NHL. Farber That was Bruce Springsteen’s “My City of Ruins.” Schneider We didn’t want to get back on that plane and go all the way to L.A. It was a really long flight for us. I remember one of the papers Carbonneau I remember, at one point, [Canadiens president Ronald compared the travel the Kings had done with the travel we had done Corey] came to me and was like, “We need to stop this outside, let’s go throughout the entire playoffs. It was ridiculous. I mean we went to out and talk to the people.” I was like, “You must be crazy, you want me Quebec in the first series, which was a bus, we went to Buffalo; we had to go outside?” I don’t think we went outside, but said let’s go and try it. travelled a tenth of what they had travelled. It would have been just We went to a door or window and we didn’t have time to even say another trip for L.A., but for us, we didn’t want to head all the way back anything, it became 10 times worse. So we decided not to do it. It was 3, out there. 3:30 [in the morning], I had my oldest daughter with us and I think she had school the next day. I was like, “I need to get out of here.” We had Damphousse We were at home, everything was perfect. We wanted to one security guy call a taxi, I left my car at the rink, and we told the taxi, finish it off. “Come across the street and when you see us, open the door, we’ll jump in and you don’t stop.” It was like a James Bond movie. The result was a near flawless effort from the Canadiens. DiPietro staked Montreal to a 1–0 first-period lead and the only time the game appeared “The city was crazy. It was dangerous. We got out in a hurry and they in doubt was early in the second, when McSorley fired a puck off the tried to upset our bus.” inside of both posts and behind Roy to even the score 1–1. But just 71 seconds later, Muller banged home the Cup-winner from the lip of the Melrose It was nuts. It was just like a movie where you’re driving slow out crease. Lebeau scored a power-play marker later that period and when of the crowd because you can’t stop. Once we got out of downtown, we DiPietro added his second of the game in the third to make it a three-goal were very happy. spread, the party was officially on. Though the city was rattled, fans could still revel in the fact their team had done just what Demers promised — shocked the hockey world. Twenty different players scored 100 points in 1992–93 and 14 registered 50 goals. None of them played for the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge. Almost thirty years later, it’s still hard to fathom a team winning 10 consecutive overtime games in a single playoffs. Those extra-time victories accounted for roughly 63 per cent of Montreal’s wins, as the team went 16-2 after dropping its first two playoff games to Quebec.

Farber Everything about the playoffs in ’93 was coated with pixie dust; I’ve never seen the stars align in quite the same way. If you believe in Forum ghosts, there’s your best argument they did exist.

Gilbert Dionne, winger We played well, but I didn’t think we were going to go all the way. To this day, I say luck was on our side.

Savard Yeah, Montreal was lucky; a lot of good teams got knocked down, but we beat the teams that knocked them down. My feeling was my team was getting better every game, all the way to the last game. The last game we played against L.A., I won’t say [the Kings] didn’t touch the puck, but we were so much better than them the last game. We’ve seen that in the past, teams that just barely made the playoffs and end up winning. If you get hot and if you make a few changes, sometimes it makes [all] the difference. A lot of people still say we were lucky, but I don’t care. We were the best team on the ice.

Demers I had a much better team than a lot of people thought. A lot of people said this is the worst Montreal Canadiens team to win the Stanley Cup. I don’t believe that. We had some good talent.

Leeman, who asked for a trade from Calgary during that season I had an option of four teams — Chicago, Montreal, Philadelphia and Minnesota. I told my agent [] that I was interested in going to Chicago and he said, “I want you to seriously consider Montreal.” I asked him why and he said he was very tight with Serge Savard, he represented Jacques Demers and he said they had the best chance of winning the Cup that year of those four teams. I said, “Really?” I called him back an hour later and said, “I want to go to Montreal.” Had Patrick Roy not won the Conn Smythe, I’m pretty sure Kirk Muller played well enough to win it. Guy Carbonneau was probably the supreme checker during the time I played in the National Hockey League.

Even if the current iteration of the team punches through, the ’93 Habs will maintain a special place in hockey history. For one thing, their championship marked the last for Montreal in the Forum, which closed its doors in 1996. Also, Demers’ crew has been a reference point for so long, it has given their title legs nobody could have imagined — least of all the fans of hockey’s most successful organization, who still expected excellence at that point.

Farber Stéphan Lebeau, after all the dressing room stuff, was on his way up to the private party for the players and he was stopped by a security guard who said, “Well, are you going to win again next year?” That was the attitude.

Schneider Being a part of that organization has always been something special. I didn’t realize it until I went to play on other teams, but it was always being a part of history, being a part of the tradition; you felt like you were a part of something greater. It wasn’t just being an NHL player, it wasn’t just being a Montreal Canadien in 1993, you were part of a family, you were part of something much bigger. It was such a special place. You walked into that building and you just felt there was something great there.

Leeman Playing in Montreal was fantastic. It was so energetic, the people are so into hockey. It was a bit of a fairy tale.

With files from George Skoutakis, Kirt Berry, Scott Morrison, John Woo and Marc MacDonald.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216546 Websites in the popular NHL 94, which was released in October of 1993.

Prior to that game hitting the shelves there was NHLPA Hockey ’93, a Sportsnet.ca / What the world was like in 1993 when Canadiens last won game notorious for not receiving licensing permission from the NHL so the Cup no team names or logos were allowed.

So, what else was happening in 1993? Let’s take brief trip down memory lane. Mike Johnston @MikeyJ_MMA MLB June 26, 2021, 9:01 AM Barry Bonds won his third NL MVP award in four years, his first with the Giants, after leading the league in home runs and RBI for the first time, while Frank Thomas won his first of two straight AL MVPs with the White The Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Sox. franchise’s first Clarence S. Campbell Bowl – typically reserved for teams in the West – and more importantly booked their ticket to the 2021 Mike Piazza (NL) and Tim Salmon (AL) each won Rookie of the Year, Stanley Cup Final. Greg Maddux (NL) and Jack McDowell (AL) won the Cy Young Awards and Alex Rodriguez was selected first overall by the Mariners. Led by predictably stellar play from Carey Price, balanced scoring and solid team defence, the Canadiens have gone 11-2 since facing Blue Jays fans will never forget Tom Cheek’s classic call when Joe elimination down 3-1 in their opening-round series against the Toronto Carter hit a walk-off home run at a sold-out SkyDome to clinch Toronto’s Maple Leafs. second World Series championship in as many years.

It’s the first time since 1993 that Montreal will compete for hockey’s top “Touch ’em all, Joe, you’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life.” honour, which evokes Images of Patrick Roy hoisting the Cup in front of a raucous crowd at the Montreal Forum. It was the last time a Canadian NBA NHL franchise won it all. The Chicago Bulls won a third consecutive NBA title before Michael Even though it was nearly three decades ago there are some clear Jordan, coming off his seventh consecutive scoring title, announced his similarities between the ’92-93 Habs and this year’s edition. first retirement.

The Canadiens finished fourth in the Prince of Wales Conference in Phoenix Suns superstar Charles Barkley was named league MVP and 1993, while this year’s Canadiens were fourth in the North Division Shaquille O’Neal was Rookie of the Year with the Orlando Magic. Chris before going on this impressive run. Webber was selected first overall by the Magic that summer and traded to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway plus three first-round Both teams were led by tremendous goaltending, with Roy named playoff picks. MVP and Price currently the odds-on favourite to win the Conn Smythe. Three weeks prior to the 1993 NBA Draft, Dražen Petrović, who had Both teams had to battle back from first-round deficits and were clutch in developed into one of the NBA’s most talented guards, died in a car overtime. The 1993 Canadiens won a record 10 overtime games that accident at age 28. Petrović played 280 games split between the spring – you can hear Bob Cole yelling, “Desjardins! And the Canadiens Portland Trailblazers and New Jersey Nets but his legacy supersedes his win in overtime!” can’t you? The 2021 Canadiens have gone 5-1 in playing career. To learn more about Petrović, his life growing up in war- games where 60 minutes wasn’t enough to settle things. torn Yugoslavia and his fractured relationship with Hall of Fame centre Vlade Divac you should seek out ESPN’s 30 for 30 episode titled “Once Montreal defeated a star-studded Los Angeles Kings team that advanced Brothers” that explores a fascinating chapter in basketball history. to the Cup after a memorable series against the Maple Leafs that featured one of the most notable non-calls of the 1990s. Toronto was formally awarded a franchise following NBA Board of Governors approval and a $125-million expansion fee. The team name Wayne Gretzky recorded a whopping 40 points in 24 post-season games wouldn’t be decided upon until the following year but more on that below. but his team fell three wins short of bringing the Cup to Hollywood. NFL/CFL The NHL looked quite different back then. There were only 24 teams, including the , , Minnesota North The Dallas Cowboys were at the height of their powers as Super Bowl Stars and the first installment of the Winnipeg Jets. champions led by MVP running back Emmitt Smith. Drew Bledsoe was the top pick of the New England Patriots in the draft and that season also The and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim had their expansion marked beginning of modern free agency. drafts in the off-season and the Ottawa Senators, after finishing with an 10-70-4 record in the 84-game season, selected with North of the border the Edmonton Eskimos (now the Edmonton Elks) the first-overall pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft ahead of future Hall of won the Grey Cup. Doug Flutie won yet another Most Outstanding Player Famers (second-overall to the Whalers) and Award and Michael “Pinball” Clemons was making a difference off the (fourth-overall to the Ducks). field winning the CFLPA’s Outstanding Community Service Award.

Teemu Selanne of the Jets and Alexander Mogilny of the Sabres led the That year also marked the beginning of the CFL’s United States league with 76 goals that year. Mogilny did it in fewer games, but expansion experiment with the introduction of the Sacramento Gold Selanne did it as a rookie and won the Calder Trophy. Boston’s Adam Miners. The 1994 and 1995 seasons also featured a handful of American Oates led all players with 97 assists, Marty McSorley led the way with teams before reverting back to an all-Canadian league in 1996. 399 penalty minutes as Gretzky’s de facto bodyguard in L.A., and Pavel Bure had 407 shots on goal with the Canucks. NON-TEAM SPORTS

Ed Belfour won his second Vezina Trophy with the Blackhawks, his The world’s No. 1 women’s tennis player, Monica Seles, was stabbed in teammate won the Norris Trophy as top defenceman, the a horrifying on-court incident, which kept her away from the sport for two Islanders’ Pierre Turgeon won the Lady Byng and Toronto’s Doug years. The No. 1 men’s player that year was Pete Sampras after he won Gilmour won the Selke. Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were the defending Cup champs and Mario Bernhard Langer, Lee Janzen, Greg Norman and Paul Azinger won golf’s Lemieux, whose season was interrupted due to his Hodgkins Lymphoma four major tournaments on the men’s side and Helen Alfredsson, Patty diagnosis, won the Hart Trophy. Lemieux picked up his second Sheehan, Lauri Merten and Brandie Burton did the same on the women’s consecutive Art Ross Trohy as leading scorer despite only playing 60 side. games. The all-time great put up an astonishing 69 goals and 160 points, With Mike Tyson serving a prison sentence, the heavyweight boxing which is the third-highest points-per-game total in NHL history. ranks featured the likes of Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Michael Those are some video game numbers right there – cue the segue – and Moorer and Lennox Lewis jockeying for position. The top two pound-for- speaking of video games! Hockey fans began running up the score with pound fighters at the time were Julio César Chávez and the late Pernell Whitaker, who fought to a disputed draw (Whitaker was robbed) in an anticipated welterweight bout.

Also, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was founded and its first event featured an unknown, undersized grappler named Royce Gracie who introduced the combat sports world at large to the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Gracie won the UFC 1 tournament and influenced an entire generation of fighters.

POLITICS

Canada had three different people serve as Prime Minister during the year – Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell and Jean Chrétien – while Bill Clinton succeeded George H. W. Bush as President of the United States.

The Parliament of Canada passed both The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and Nunavut Act, which led to 1999 creation of Nunavut in the largest Aboriginal land claim settlement in the country’s history.

Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their roles in ending apartheid in South Africa.

POP CULTURE

You thought Mario Lemieux and Michael Jordan had dominant years? Well, Steven Spielberg had perhaps the most impressive single year from a director in film history in 1993. Not only did Spielberg direct Jurassic Park, which finished No. 1 at the box office (and inspired the Toronto Raptors team name), but he also directed Schindler’s List, a Best Picture winner that is widely considered one the most revered and moving films of the decade.

On the small screen, the debut of Monday Night RAW had a huge impact on professional wrestling. Royal Canadian Air Farce, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Theodore Tugboat debuted on Canadian television. The most-watched network TV shows in North America were 60 Minutes, Seinfeld, Roseanne and Home Improvement (shout-out Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor and flannel king Al Borland).

The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album was the top-selling album of the year and Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” topped the Billboard charts.

Barbie Dolls were among the top-selling toys and Beanie Babies hit the market with a bang.

Oh and the Internet, ever heard of it? Yeah, it wasn’t really much of a thing in 1993.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.27.2021 1216547 Websites “After Paul came forward, he told me he felt so much better that this would be addressed, but then it wasn’t,” Torchetti said. “The guys on that Blackhawks team trusted him. He was like a ‘coach dad’ to them. Paul would be the one who told the other guys on the coaching staff what was Former coach confirms Blackhawks management met to discuss alleged going on with players and how we should approach them. I know that abuse must have been very hard for him.”

While several survivors groups have called for the NHL to commission an independent investigation into how the Blackhawks handled the abuse By Rick Westhead complaint, the league has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

Editor’s note: After publication of this story earlier today, John Torchetti NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly was quoted in a story published contacted TSN to say his recollection is that Paul Vincent told him that he Friday by The Athletic that the NHL had been in contact with the advised the Blackhawks management during a May 2010 meeting they Blackhawks but that no investigation was underway. Daly did not should go to police over allegations of sexual abuse. Torchetti said he respond to a question about what it would take to trigger an investigation, does not remember Vincent telling him that the team refused to do so, as the website reported. was reported in the original story. The story below has been amended to Meantime, more details about Aldrich’s history continue to trickle out. reflect this. An unnamed Blackhawks player from the 2009-10 team told The Athletic A former Chicago Blackhawks associate coach has confirmed that a that all of the players were aware of Aldrich’s alleged assault. meeting took place during the 2010 NHL playoffs in which the team’s management discussed the alleged sexual assault of two Blackhawks “Every guy on the team knew about it,” the player said. “Every single guy players. on the team knew.”

John Torchetti, who was an associate coach with the Blackhawks from After Aldrich left the Blackhawks in 2010, he worked for Miami University 2007 to 2010, said that he remembers then-Blackhawks skills coach Paul in Ohio as director of hockey operations. He left after allegations of Vincent telling him about what the players had confided in him, and what unwanted sexual touching, according to police records obtained by TSN. had happened after Vincent brought those allegations to management. Miami has commissioned an internal investigation into Aldrich’s time at the school. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when Paul told me what the players had said to him,” Torchetti said in an interview with TSN on Friday. After attending Northern Michigan University, Aldrich coached a Bantam Triple-A hockey team in Marquette, Mich., before working as a video “We talked about it and he said, with the players’ permission, he had to coach for the University of Notre Dame. go and take this to management to be dealt with.” A Notre Dame spokesman wrote in an emailed statement that there had Torchetti said Vincent told him after that “all the brass” were in the been no complaints at the school against Aldrich. The spokesman did not meeting. respond to questions about whether Notre Dame would hire an Last month, a former Blackhawks player who is not identified in court independent investigator. records filed a lawsuit against the team alleging that he and a teammate TSN has also spoken with a parent whose son played on the Marquette had been sexually assaulted by Bradley Aldrich, a former team video Electricians, the travel team made up of 14- and 15-year-olds where coach who no longer is with the organization. The player alleged that Aldrich coached after graduation. after he shared news of the assaults with a team sports psychologist, he was told the incident was his fault. One parent on the team recalls Aldrich coached for three seasons.

A second lawsuit filed against the Blackhawks by a former high school “I definitely had concerns right away that this guy was having players hockey player in Michigan alleges that after learning of the allegations over to his apartment and getting too close to them,” said the parent, who against Aldrich, the NHL team allowed him to remain on staff through the requested anonymity because he now works with an NCAA hockey summer of 2010 and then gave him a positive job reference, which program and was ordered not to speak to the media about Aldrich. “A allowed him to coach with a high school team in Houghton, Mich., where hockey coach buying a kid a $300 golf driver is grooming. That’s what it Aldrich sexually assaulted the then-17-year-old player. is.

Aldrich was sentenced to nine months in prison and probation for 60 “I remember one time in the summer after his first season in Marquette, months. Court records show he was tested for HIV and completed the team had a swim and barbecue party at a cabin on a lake and when probation Feb. 13, 2019. the boys started wrestling, Brad jumped into it, but he wasn’t really wrestling. It looked so wrong. And yes, I did say something. But the Vincent told TSN in an interview that the two Blackhawks players told him people who ran the team told me to mind my business, and that I was of their abuse on or about May 16, 2010, before Game 1 of the Western crazy for saying that, and my kid wound up being bullied because of it. Conference finals in San Jose. Vincent said he asked team sports Aldrich stayed at least another season after that.” psychologist James Gary to follow up.

Vincent said a day later he was called into a meeting at the team hotel in San Jose with team president John McDonough, general manager Stan TSN.CA LOADED: 06.27.2021 Bowman, vice-president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, and Gary. Vincent said he asked the team executives to go to the sex crimes unit of the Chicago police department. Vincent said they refused.

The Blackhawks have not commented on that specific allegation and have asked a court to dismiss the lawsuits because they were not filed within the appropriate limitation period.

“It’s so upsetting, it’s so glaring, because of what this guy was able to do after he left the Blackhawks,” Torchetti said. “You have to know what kind of guy Paul Vincent is. This guy is loyal to a fault, the most loyal guy you are going to meet in the game. His background helps explain why he gets so upset about issues like abuse.”

Vincent, 74, was a police officer in Beverly, Mass., from 1972 to 1982. He told TSN that after he and his late wife, Sylvia, had trouble having children, they decided to adopt five children through Catholic charities in the Boston area. Some of those kids came from troubled homes, he said. 1216548 Websites "I just sprained my ankle ... I feel really good right now. It stinks that happened and I wasn't able to finish the tournament with the team, but I was grateful that the guys were able to get bronze and we were able to come home with a medal. That was really exciting and, yeah, just Beniers rides boundless energy to top of NHL draft class working to get back soon."

What do you remember most about that World Juniors experience?

By Mark Masters "That was amazing. Winning gold was awesome. Being in the US- Canada game, obviously, they had an amazing team and it could've gone

either way and we ended up coming out on top that night. It was really Has Matthew Beniers ever been tired during a game? special for us. It was one of the coolest hockey moments that I've ever had in my life, especially after we won and celebrating with your "Yeah," the Michigan Wolverines centre says with a chuckle. teammates, standing there on the blue line and hugging your teammates and singing the national anthem like that, it was goosebumps in the But then he pauses for a second. moment. So, it's really cool to think back on it and be like, 'Wow, that "I mean, I can't really remember when, but I've definitely been tired," actually happened.'" Beniers says now laughing. "I've definitely been tired in games before." One of your World Junior teammates, Cole Caufield, is putting on a show It rarely seems that way. The 18-year-old from Hingham, Mass. is known in the Stanley Cup playoffs. What do you think of what he's been doing for his non-stop motor. with the Canadiens?

"It's a little bit from when I was a little kid," Beniers explains. "I was "Oh, he's been great. He's adding the element he does on every team: extremely energetic. My mom said I was always the one running around he's a goal scorer. He makes plays out there and that's just what he's and making noise and doing something. And then she was like, 'Alright, doing. He's locked in and he's playing his game. He's playing with let's just put him into hockey.' My dad wanted to do that for a while so confidence and that's great to see, especially as a young guy." she was like, 'Alright, fine.' So, they put me into that and then I was Where do you feel your game has grown the most this year? always running around the ice going full speed at all times and that's just carried on and that's kind of how I am now. I never really run out of "I'd say probably my scoring touch or my scoring ability. That was energy. I'm always going." something I started to focus on early this year. I worked a lot with the Michigan coaches and guys in practice ... and I ended up putting some in That boundless energy has carried Beniers to the top of the National the back of the net this year, a good amount. So, that's one thing that I Hockey League draft class. TSN director of scouting Craig Button has was working on this year and I saw some results so that was really nice." Beniers going second overall to the Seattle Kraken in his latest mock draft. It also earned Beniers an invitation from USA Hockey to the recent Yeah, you tied for the team lead with 10 goals in 24 games. What did you men's World Championship. Beniers spoke to TSN about his experience do better to score more? in Latvia and where he feels his game has developed the most this season. "Just shooting every day and when you're shooting in practice really focusing on shooting to score. I know everyone says that, but when The following is an edited transcript of the interview. you're really dialled in in practice it becomes second nature in a game. And just working on your deception and trying to shoot different ways on What will you remember most about your experience at the World goalies when you're coming down. That was the biggest thing. With Cole, Championship? he does a great job of that. He shoots from everywhere and so quick and "Just being around a bunch of pros. It was awesome. I got to make a lot those are the things you got to work on to be able to score." of new friends and play at a high level of hockey. It was a really exciting The chemistry with linemate and follow top prospect Kent Johnson time for me." certainly helped. What stands out about him? Did you have a welcome-to-the-Worlds moment? "The first week I got on campus, I didn't know Kent ... I remember texting "I'd probably say scoring that goal. You know, my first goal was pretty my dad and I was like, 'Dad, he's super skilled!' That's how I described cool. Brian Boyle almost jumped on me and it was pretty special. He him and I stand by that. He's one of the most skilled kids I've played with. said, 'I think I went crazier about your goal than I did for my goal.' He was He's skilled. He's smart. He moves the puck well. He's a good playmaker. He can score. He has all that offensive stuff and then this year he was What's one thing you learned from a teammate or coach that stood out? really good defensively too. I don't think people give him enough credit. "The NHL is a tough place. You got to work hard to get there. You just He was back on defence, back checking, blocking shots and winning got to keep playing your game and stay confident with yourself and keep battles. He does a lot of stuff that goes under the radar. If you really moving along and I think that is one message that was passed along watch him closely, he does the little things right." from a lot of guys." You also experienced success off the ice posting a 3.86 grade-point What does playing at the World Championship do for your confidence? average, why is school important to you?

"It was a good experience in that sense. I was able to play with a lot of "It's just kind of always been a value of my family. My sister went to really good guys and play against a lot of great guys and just knowing Cornell. My parents and my brother went to Williams [College], a great that I was able to hold my own and play with those guys was a school in Mass, so it's always been a focus. My parents always stressed confidence boost. I got a long way to go still. I got to get bigger and that you can do well in hockey, but you always have to do well in school stronger and work on a lot of things, because those guys are all really so that's how I've been growing up and I've carried that on into college. I good. They're all pros on and off the ice and I got a little ways to get like to do well. I like to learn. It's something I take pride in along with there, but it was nice to see where I'm at and see how those guys are like hockey." on and off the ice and try and emulate them moving forward." Why are you interested in the pre-med program?

What's something you saw off the ice that you'd like to emulate? "When I was little I wanted to be a vet, because I loved animals. And I "They work hard after games, after practising, just getting on the bike and really liked the idea of doing surgeries and things like that. Once I started stretching and treating their body right. They do good nutrition. Also, how taking science and chemistry classes, I really enjoyed learning in those they handle themselves outside of the rink is very professional. The way classes and it kind of came easy so I figured that'd be a good path for me they handle themselves when they see fans is pretty cool ... they're even if that never happens. I don't know what will happen with that, but I always happy to greet a fan or give an autograph or anything they can do might as well take the classes I enjoy and like learning about while I'm for someone else. That's kind of what I saw off the ice and I just really there." hope I can be like that some day."

There was some concern when you hurt your right ankle in the TSN.CA LOADED: 06.27.2021 quarterfinals, what happened?