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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/19/2020 Coyotes 1186484 For Coyotes Darcy Kuemper, staying in shape 1186510 Wild's says he is ready to play, despite his comes harder to those in net Type 1 diabetes 1186485 Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper resumes skating with 1186511 Matt Dumba launches fundraiser to help rebuild Lake season on the horizon Street 1186512 Living with diabetes, Wild center Luke Kunin weighs risks of returning 1186486 Bruins announce winners of team awards 1186513 Wild notes: Luke Kunin ‘can’t wait’ to play, Matt Dumba’s 1186487 Bruins right wing David Pastrnak doubles down in team fundraiser and more awards 1186488 Injured Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller inching closer to Canadiens a return 1186514 Canadiens’ Drouin looking to recapture early-season form 1186489 Brandon Carlo, David Pastrnak among Bruins award whenever NHL returns winners for 2019-20 season 1186515 has an opportunity to become what the 1186490 Bruins legend Bobby Orr accomplished incredible feat on Canadiens always needed this day in 1975 1186491 Some real uncertainty about 's return to Bruins Devils after this summer 1186516 How does Devils’ Jack Hughes sum up his rookie struggles? ‘I’d go through the same things 100 times again’ 1186492 Fired Amerks coach Taylor had verbal agreement to stay 1186517 How Jack Hughes plans to build on his rookie season with with Sabres the Devils 1186493 Who's left? Meet the 15 who survived Sabres' purge 1186518 A deep dive into which defensemen could be on the 1186494 What the Sabres’ decision-makers said this week and Devils’ radar this offseason what it actually meant Flames 1186519 The 10 worst free-agent signings in Islanders history 1186495 Flames prospect Pelletier gains life experience in QMJHL trade 1186520 Lias Andersson won’t join Rangers camp when NHL returns 1186496 Coaches’ panel: Brind’Amour, Cooper, DeBoer on 1186521 Lias Andersson declines Rangers' invitation to attend July millennials, discipline and more training camp 1186522 ‘We’ll see where it all goes’: The Lias Andersson-Rangers Blackhawks saga continues 1186497 WATCH: Blackhawks star Patrick Kane's hands are already in postseason form 1186498 Blackhawks future series: Dissecting Adam Boqvist’s 1186523 Flyers rookie right winger Nic Aube-Kubel eager to show rookie development he belongs when NHL begin 1186524 2020 NHL playoffs: Sights and sounds from voluntary Avalanche workouts as Flyers' Phase 2 picks up 1186499 What has been up to these days? How 1186525 Flyers scout steps back, gives hotshot son, about a lot Ridly, draft-year room 1186500 Blue Jackets activate , Dean Kukan from 1186526 What have the Penguins been up to in Phase 2? Here's a injured reserve peek behind the curtain 1186527 Joe Starkey: Sports and distancing do not mix — so what’s the solution? 1186501 NHL playoffs preview: Close battles could be on tap in 1186528 The inside story of #JagrWatch, and why it was never Eastern Conference meant to be 1186502 Red Wings prospect report: Albert Johansson plays ‘wise’ hockey in SHL 1186529 Farewell: After 43 years, sportswriter Gary Peterson is calling it a day 1186503 Edmonton Oilers pipeline update: William Lagesson 1186530 Ex-Shark Patrick Marleau’s wife trolls his on-ice attire at making big progress on blue line practice 1186504 Lowetide: Ethan Bear, and the Oilers’ need 1186531 Looking back at uniforms worn in most iconic Bay Area for veteran insurance sports moments 1186505 Why the Oilers should protect these 8 skaters in the Seattle expansion draft 1186532 Coaches’ panel: Brind’Amour, Cooper, DeBoer on Kings millennials, discipline and more 1186506 Anze Kopitar, Matt Roy win Kings’ season-ending team awards 1186507 Q&A: on a 40-year TV run full of innovation, curling and ‘Heroes’ 1186508 The Athletic L.A. turns two: Our favorite stories and hopes for the rest of 2020 1186509 ROY, KOPITAR LEAD THE WAY AS KINGS ANNOUNCE 2019-20 TEAM AWARDS Maple Leafs World Leagues News 1186533 Leafs’ is upbeat, even as he waits for the 1186560 Novak Djokovic's major backflip on US Open criticism return of teammates Mathews, Anderson 1186561 NFL's coronavirus plan promises to get ugly, but hopefully 1186534 Federal government clears path for NHL to have hub city not dangerous in Canada 1186562 Multiple Big 12 Teams Dealing with Positive COVID-19 1186535 Carcillo class-action suit against CHL over hazing shows Cases what goes on in the room no longer stays in the room 1186563 LPGA Tour to resume in July with tournaments 1186536 Carcillo spearheads class-action lawsuit against CHL and 1186564 13 football players test positive or are 'presumed its member teams positive' for COVID-19 1186537 Justin Brazeau set to take next step with Marlies after 1186565 Fan engagement to see more investments in sports solid rookie year in the ECHL post-coronavirus era: UTT Chairperson Vita Dani 1186538 Marner, Leafs monitor new U.S. Covid cases 1186566 Premier League: One positive coronavirus test in latest 1186539 Mitch Marner hopes NHL playoffs won't be derailed phase of mass testing 1186540 What has Nazem Kadri been up to these days? How 1186567 Joe Starkey: Sports and distancing do not mix — so about a lot what’s the solution? SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1186547 Ben Kuzma: Canucks' case to re-sign popular Tanev about dollars, sense 1186548 Finding an NHL comparable for the Canucks’ recently graduated prospects 1186541 Is it safe for the NHL to bring its postseason to Las Vegas? 1186542 Overlooked: The 1989-90 Capitals' brotherly coaching swap and underdog playoff run 1186543 Ilya Kovalchuk starts boxing to prepare for NHL playoff and the Penguins 1186544 John Carlson and his wife Gina announce they are expecting a third boy 1186545 Key questions for the 2020 postseason: Will Alex Ovechkin pick up where he left off? Websites 1186549 The Athletic / LeBrun: NHL’s return still on track for summer amid CBA and hub city questions 1186550 The Athletic / When the best free agent plans fall apart: Kevin Shattenkirk shares his truth 1186551 The Athletic / By the numbers: Why the value of signing free agents is much lower than expected 1186552 The Athletic / ‘The Donut King’: How ’s NHL career funded … Tim Hortons 1186553 .ca / 31 Thoughts: Breaking down major NHL Awards races 1186554 Sportsnet.ca / Leafs' Marner believes NHL is doing 'the right things' in return attempt 1186555 Sportsnet.ca / What comes next for Buffalo Sabres after major course change? 1186556 TSN.CA / Kaiden Guhle on brother's advice, skating genes and channeling his inner Doughty 1186557 TSN.CA / Dan Carcillo files proposed class-action lawsuit against CHL over hazing 1186558 TSN.CA / Mitch Marner confident in NHL’s health and safety protocols 1186559 TSN.CA / A statistical look at the Oilers vs. Blackhawks play-in series 1186546 PIPELINE: Jets feel they ‘stole one’ when they picked up undrafted prospect Reichel 1186484

For Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper, staying in shape comes harder to those in net

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 2:56 p.m. MT June 18, 2020

Throughout a spring of video conference calls with various Coyotes players in quarantine, one common question is asked: How are you staying in shape?

Now that some Coyotes players have returned to the ice at Gila River Arena for Phase 2 of the NHL's return-to-play protocol, the various answers to that question are being put to the test in player-driven workouts.

For , especially Coyotes starter Darcy Kuemper, replicating workflow without access to ice is close to impossible. It made for a rusty reunion when Kuemper got the chance to suit up this week.

"Conditioning isn't really the issue," Kuemper said on Thursday. "It's just that, you know, you get out there for the first time in a couple months and you kind of have to re-teach yourself how to play goalie."

Kuemper, who stayed at his home in the Valley during the NHL's season pause, said that by the end of his first on-ice session he was feeling close to normal again. Still, he had gone an inordinate amount of time without skating, as have many NHL players during the last few months.

A high-ankle sprain suffered as a teenager kept Kuemper off the ice for about two months during his junior career. Kuemper, who finished among NHL leaders in several goaltending statistics this season, said that hiatus ranks as the only comparison for the three months he just went without a playing surface due to the pause induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, most hockey individuals have found ways to replicate their profession. Some, including Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet and league veteran Patrick Marleau, have taken up rollerblading. For forwards and defensemen, a bucket of pucks and a net in the driveway works just fine.

But what is a goaltender to do? How can they practice techniques such as the butterfly and edge work without an ice surface and posts drilled into it? How can they stay sharp without seeing shots?

"There's not a whole lot you can do to work on skills off the ice," Kuemper said. "It makes it more important now that we're back on the ice to take the time to focus on getting a lot of timing back and specific movements. When it comes to training camp, you're not trying to learn those; you more want to be refining your game."

A popular off-the-ice exercise for goaltenders involves bouncing tennis balls off a wall and catching them to mimic the hand-eye coordination used making glove saves on the ice.

Kuemper said that, although he's taken part in such exercises, it's a far cry from the real deal. Still, Kuemper believes there should be enough time to hone his skills before the expanded 24-team postseason format begins.

"We're allowed to have some time now to work on goalie-specific drills," Kuemper said. "I think you've just got to take advantage of the time you do have on the ice to be as ready as you can."

Arizona Republic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186485 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper resumes skating with season on the horizon

BY MATT LAYMAN JUNE 18, 2020 AT 11:58 AM

Darcy Kuemper knows the time off will go by fast. He and his Arizona Coyotes teammates need to prepare for the intensity that lies ahead.

The NHL’s 24-team return-to-play format will put the Coyotes against the in a play-in series, forcing players to go from months of quarantining at home to playing do-or-die hockey. Fortunately for Kuemper and others, small-group training sessions have resumed at Gila River Arena.

“I missed being at the rink and missed being around just the few guys that are there at a time,” Kuemper said.

“I was training the whole time and staying in good shape. You get out there for the first time in a couple months, you kind of have to re-teach yourself how to play goalie but it comes back quick. At the end of the first ice time, I was feeling pretty normal.”

The training sessions are still voluntary and coaches will eventually join the skates, but for now, players are working on individual skills.

“It’s a lot like what we do in a normal summer, whether we’re back home or we’re here,” Kuemper said. “It’s small groups of guys out there and you’re going out there working on skills and working on your game. It’s less systems and more individual training.

“As weird as it is, it’s kind of almost normal to what you’d be doing leading up to training camp. Usually, as you get closer into August, you start skating with bigger groups so we’ll see what the rules are. But if we can get to the where we can up the size of the groups, it will be a pretty normal build-up to training camp.”

Kuemper said he’s remained in Arizona since the season paused in March, and since returning to the arena has been pleased with the level of safety that’s in place for players to protect them from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s obviously some safety concerns as far as health goes,” Kuemper said. “But just being back in Phase 2 and seeing all the precautions they’re taking and all the rules they’ve put in place, it makes me feel really safe about what we have going on and they’re making the environment as user-friendly as possible. They’re reaching those concerns and I’m just excited to be back playing.”

Kuemper coming back to play feeling good would figure to be important for the Coyotes, who boast formidable options in goal with both him and . Kuemper had a gaudy .928 save percentage this season for Arizona before play stopped. Raanta was at an impressive .921. One of those two goalies getting hot could be a game-changer in the expanded playoff format.

“It takes everything to the next level. It’s the most fun time of year to play,” Kuemper said of playoff hockey. “The intensity’s so high. Back then, the crowd’s so into it but obviously we won’t have that situation.

“But just it’s a lot of fun playing in a situation where every play is so big, and even the smallest play, whether it’s a forward chipping the puck out or a goalie covering the puck or making a good play to his defenseman, everything’s so important and it all adds up to the big picture. When you get into a series, the smallest thing can be the difference. So it’s just fun playing in that critical situation.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186486 Boston Bruins Persson, a former goalie the Bruins drafted in the 10th round (259th overall) in 1993.

Boston Globe LOADED: 06.19.2020 Bruins announce winners of team awards

By Matt Porter Globe Staff, Updated June 18, 2020, 6:20 p.m.

The Gallery Gods liked what they saw from Brandon Carlo.

The rangy Bruins defenseman is the 2019-20 winner of the Eddie Shore Award, the Bruins said Thursday, along with announcing several other team awards.

Carlo blossomed into one of the league’s better shutdown defensemen in his fourth season. Among the 99 defensemen who played more than 1,000 minutes at five-on-five, Carlo was on the ice for the fewest goals against (32). He tied partner Torey Krug for third on the team in ice time (20:29 per game) and chipped in a career-high 4-15—19 scoring line.

The Shore Award, for “exceptional hustle and determination,” was created by the Gallery Gods, a fan group established in 1937. Led for decades by the late Roger Naples, they originally sat in the second balcony of the old Boston Garden and once numbered about 1,000 members, according to a 2015 Globe obituary of Naples. They had dwindled to fewer than 100 at that time.

The Bruins also announced David Pastrnak as the winner of the Elizabeth Dufresne Trophy (outstanding performance during home games, as chosen by the Boston Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association). Pastrnak led the team in goals (28) and points (49) in 35 games at TD Garden. Linemate Brad Marchand won the award the three previous seasons.

Pastrnak also was named first star of the season, as selected by 98.5 The Sports Hub. Tuukka Rask was second. Marchand was third.

Patrice Bergeron was selected for the John P. Bucyk Award (greatest off- ice charitable contributions), chosen by Bucyk, the Hall of Fame player and 62-year Bruins employee.

Patrice Bergeron added to his trophy case.

Bergeron, who spearheads the “Pucks and Paddles” event to benefit the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, makes yearly visits to area children’s hospitals for Halloween and Christmas. He recently pledged $25,000 each to the NAACP of Boston and the Centre Multiethnique de Quebec to promote racial justice and equality.

With the award, Bergeron received $1,000 from the Boston Bruins Foundation to donate to charity.

Swedish prospect signs

The Bruins signed Swedish prospect Victor Berglund to a three-year entry-level deal.

Berglund, a 20-year-old, right- defenseman, was taken in the seventh round (195th overall) of the 2017 draft, the same class that produced Providence standouts Jack Studnicka (53rd overall) and Urho Vaakanainen (18th). Netminder Jeremy Swayman (111th) signed in March.

Berglund played for Modo in Sweden’s second division last season, producing 10 goals and 22 assists in 52 games. His club failed to earn promotion to the .

Berglund, however, did. In April, top-level SHL club Lulea signed him to a two-year deal and planned to give him jersey No. 9.

“Victor Berglund is a young and promising back with great potential for the future,” general manager Stefan Nilsson said at the time, according to a translated article on the team’s website. “We became interested in him early on from his ice skating and passing skills and we feel he will be able to grow into our game and develop even more with us.”

Instead of joining that team, Berglund is likely to start his North American pro career with AHL Providence. He played four games there in 2019.

Berglund, listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds, hails from the same Swedish town, Ornskoldsvik, that produced stars such as Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, the Sedin twins, and Victor Hedman. His agent is Joakim 1186487 Boston Bruins

Bruins right wing David Pastrnak doubles down in team awards

By RICH THOMPSON | PUBLISHED: June 18, 2020 at 4:04 p.m. | UPDATED: June 18, 2020 at 5:19 p.m.

The Bruins announced their 2019-20 awards on Thursday, a bridge ceremony connecting the pandemic-shortened regular season with the upcoming playoffs.

The legendary fan consortium known as the “Gallery Gods” chose defenseman Brandon Carlo as the recipient of the Eddie Shore Award, presented annually to the player who displayed exceptional hustle and determination.

In his fourth season with the Bruins, Carlo was tied for third on the team in ice time (20:29) and registered a career-high four goals and 15 assists with a plus-16 rating.

The Professional Hockey Writers Association named right wing David Pastrnak the winner of the Elizabeth Dufresne Trophy for outstanding performances in home games. Pastrnak led the team in goals (28) and points (49) in 35 games at the TD Garden.

Bruins legend Johnny “Chief” Bucyk selected center Patrice Bergeron as the recipient of the prize that bears his name, the John P. Bucyk Award.

The award is presented to the Bruins player who leads the way in off-ice charitable contributions. Bergeron was active in charitable efforts throughout Greater Boston and in his home province of Quebec in Canada.

The Bruins radio outlet, 98.5 The Sports Hub, put out its of the season. Pastrnak, who tied Washington’s Alex Ovechkin for the NHL lead in goals (48), was the first star. Goalie Tuukka Rask, who had a 14- 2-6 home record, was second star and Brad Marchand copped the show spot for his team-high 27 assists on Garden ice.

Boston Herald LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186488 Boston Bruins Miller said he supports the military and first responders, but he was appalled by the horrific death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. Miller supports the stance that the Bruins Injured Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller inching closer to a return organization and some of his teammates have taken in support of the protesters.

Boston Herald LOADED: 06.19.2020 By RICH THOMPSON | June 18, 2020 at 6:00 a.m.

Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller is in the opening phase of a self- prescribed three-step rehabilitation process.

Miller has undergone four procedures since suffering a fractured knee cap in a game against the Minnesota Wild on April 4, 2019. Miller is 14 months removed from his unfortunate encounter with the boards at the Xcel Energy Center but is still a long way from getting back on the ice.

“I’m walking around and I’ve been walking around and walking is OK,” said Miller during a Zoom meeting on Wednesday from his home in Colorado.

“I’ve been able to get out and do some fun activities that I want to do that are very minimal on my knee. Normal walking’s OK and I’m going up and down stairs, that was a big issue for me for a long time.

“I’m tying my shoes normal again and that’s a good thing and I’m putting my jeans on the way I used to. There’s progress for sure but there is a long way to go. The gap is big but it’s getting smaller by the day and I’m hoping to close that gap and get back to normal.”

Tying one’s shoes is vastly different from lacing up a pair of blades and picking up a stick for some rough and tumble on the ice sheet.

Miller is hoping to be at or beyond Phase 2 by the time the NHL reconvenes in late July or early August at remote locations for the start of the .

“I’m hoping to get back to 100% whenever that may be and I can rejoin the team at some point and get back to playing hockey,” said Miller.

“There is no real timeline and I haven’t circled a date. Before I was circling dates and now, I’m not circling dates. I need to get to that next mark and everything is looking good and everything is moving in the right direction.

“I have to start strength training and get back to that and then I can look to where I’m at off the ice. I just want to focus on being healthy off the ice and once I do that, I can start to think about on-ice stuff.”

Miller, 32, is a rugged, stay-at-home defenseman who provided an important service to the Bruins’ back end before the injury. Since his last procedure in December 2019, Miller’s rehab has been a series of stops and starts with no clear direction on where the process is going.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy fielded questions about Miller’s status on a daily basis during the season. One day Cassidy would say that Miller was making progress toward getting back on the ice. Two days later Cassidy would announce that Miller had suffered a setback and his prognosis had tumbled back into the gray arena of uncertainty.

Miller missed out on last season’s postseason run to the Stanley Cup Final, that ended with a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 at the TD Garden. The Bruins could have used Miller’s presence against the Blues’ physically intimidating style.

Miller watched as the Bruins regrouped to build the NHL’s best record before the league shut down on March 12 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The months of downtime eliminated the urgency Miller was feeling as the Bruins moved on without him.

“It was kind of a blessing but I don’t want to say that and not be sensitive about what is going on because it is not good,” said Miller. “But for me personally, I wasn’t calling a doctor every day saying, ‘When can I do this, when can I do that?’

“It was more let’s just spend some time healing and making sure this is actually done correct. Time has slowed down a little bit and the good from it is there was no rush.”

While Miller is in Colorado focusing on his young family and rehabbing his knee, he has not isolated himself from the calls for social justice taking place in the streets of America. 1186489 Boston Bruins

Brandon Carlo, David Pastrnak among Bruins award winners for 2019-20 season

By Justin Leger June 18, 2020 9:03 PM

The Bruins would have preferred to finish off the 2019-20 NHL season under normal circumstances and play the remaining 12 games on their schedule. But of course, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a change of plans.

With the regular season officially over, the B's earned the Presidents' Trophy with the best record in the league (44-14-12) to go along with two other notable awards. On Thursday, the Bruins announced their team awards for the 2019-20 campaign.

Here's who took home the hardware. . .

Get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App

Brandon Carlo - Eddie Shore Award

B's defenseman Brandon Carlo was selected by the "Gallery Gods" as the Eddie Shore Award winner for his "exceptional hustle and determination." The 23-year-old was tied for third on the team in ice time (20:29/game) and set a career-high in scoring with four goals and 15 assists.

David Pastrnak - Elizabeth Dufresne Trophy

Pasta put on a show at TD Garden time and time again during the regular season. For that reason, he is your Elizabeth Dufresne Trophy winner. The Bruins winger led the team with 28 goals and 49 points in 35 games at home. Pastrnak dethrones teammate Brad Marchand, who won the award after each of the last three seasons.

Patrice Bergeron - John P. Bucyk Award

Bergeron is the winner of the John P. Bucyk Award due to his contributions to the Boston community. The B's veteran led several charitable ventures including the Bruins’ Pucks and Paddles event to benefit Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center. He also recently pledged $25,000 each to the NAACP-Boston and the Centre Multiethnique de Quebec to promote their efforts for racial justice and equality.

98.5 The Sports Hub Three Stars

First Star: David Pastrnak

Pastrnak led the Bruins with 28 goals and 21 assists for 49 points at TD Garden this season.

Second Star: Tuukka Rask

The veteran B's goaltender posted a 14-2-6 record with a 2.15 goals- against average and .926 save percentage with three shutouts in 22 home starts.

Third Star: Brad Marchand

Marchand tallied 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in 35 games at TD Garden this season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186490 Boston Bruins

Bruins legend Bobby Orr accomplished incredible feat on this day in 1975

By Nick Goss June 18, 2020 1:10 PM

Bobby Orr is the greatest defenseman in NHL history, and the Boston Bruins legend accomplished a rare feat on this day (June 18) in 1975 that probably will never be matched again.

Orr won his eighth consecutive Norris Trophy -- an award given annually to the league's most outstanding defenseman.

Get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App

The Bruins defenseman led the league in scoring with 135 points, which included a league-leading 89 assists. Unfortunately for Orr, 1974-75 was his last full NHL season as injuries began to really take their toll on his body. He played just 36 games over the next three seasons before retiring.

Orr's eight Norris Trophy wins are the most in league history. Doug Harvey of the and Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings both won the award seven times. Orr winning the Norris Trophy eight times is amazing in itself, but the fact he won all of them in a row is even more impressive. The Bruins claimed two Stanley Cup titles (1969-70 and 1971-72) during Orr's eight-year dominance of the Norris Trophy.

Only two other Bruins defensemen have won the Norris Trophy. took home the award five times in his Hall of Fame career, while Zdeno Chara has won it once.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186491 Boston Bruins given the chance to replace Nordstrom and Miller’s inability to get back on the ice due to injury issues.

COVID Economics: Sox could be in for another offseason of hurt Some real uncertainty about Torey Krug's return to Bruins after this summer The difficulty will come down to signing both Krug and DeBrusk to important contracts with something in the neighborhood of $11-12 million remaining in cap space after the Bruins take care of their other players. By Joe Haggerty June 18, 2020 1:00 PM Krug has been pretty mum about his status with the Bruins other than to say A) he’d like to remain in Boston with all things being equal and B) that there has been very little progress on a new contract over the past year. The reality is that nobody knows what lies ahead from an economical landscape in the world of professional sports. And anybody that It’s a tough spot for both player and the hockey club because of the professes to know exactly what will happen is bald-faced lying to you. financial uncertainty. It’s more likely now that Krug is going to sign for as much money as he can get now given the uncharted waters ahead. Krug That’s the reason there have been only a handful of one-way NHL would have been able to command an annual salary in the $8 million contracts for over $1 million per season since Jaroslav Halak signed a AAV range based on his offensive production over the last handful of one-year extension with the Bruins all the way back on May 1. seasons, something few of his peers can boast. Essentially, Halak and the recent signing of Ryan Reaves to an extension Since the beginning of the 2016-17 season, only Brent Burns ($8 million with the Vegas Golden Knights are the only NHL contracts of per season), John Carlson ($8 million per season), Victor Hedman consequence that have been completed in the entire league over the last ($7.875 million per season), Roman Josi ($9.059 million per season) and two months. Caution is in the air with NHL general managers crunching ($11.5 million per season) have produced more points the numbers on flat salary caps for a couple of seasons moving forward, among defensemen than the 212 posted by Krug. That is heavy-duty if not even worse scenarios than that based on the speculation that NHL company with a capital “H” and demonstrates how in-demand Krug arenas could be empty going into the 2020-21 regular season as well. would be as a PP quarterback, puck-mover, point-producer and top-4 Get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports defenseman capable of playing 20-plus minutes a night in the NHL grind. Boston by downloading the My Teams App Those kinds of players don’t grow on hockey trees. Those kinds of It's this caution and uneasiness that serves as the backdrop for looming players get paid and they get paid big money. Every player on the Bruins free agent defenseman Torey Krug, who is destined for aforementioned list of Krug’s peers is paid a minimum of $7.875 million unrestricted free agency once the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs come to an per season, and others like Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jarred Spurgeon eventual, elongated conclusion. are making upwards of $7 million per season as well.

There was a time when Krug and the Bruins might have been able to The unknown question is how much of an adjustment there will be made make a deal based on the salary cap space that Boston cleared by to all NHL contracts once each of the 31 teams scramble out from under ridding themselves of the David Backes contract, and based on the the rubble of the COVID-19 impact. salary cap going up from the $81.5 million salary cap ceiling this past Ray Bourque hopes 'special player' Krug re-signs with B's season. Interestingly, Bruce Cassidy wondered aloud what he might do next Krug has consistently maintained he’d like to remain in Boston with all season if Krug is not a part of the Bruins picture based on the economics things being equal, though there had been little talk of taking “a during a discussion with The Athletic about the Black and Gold’s power hometown discount” after the 29-year-old defenseman said that early on play. Cassidy has been toying with the idea of five forwards on the top this season. Bruins power play, and that should tell you that the Bruins know there’s a "There hasn't been any discussion," said Krug back in April during a very real possibility they simply cannot afford Krug’s next bank-busting virtual town hall with season-ticket holders. "I'm prepared for it just deal. because of the unknown and that nobody knows what the financial “Is it Grizz or Charlie? Or is it a fifth forward?” asked Cassidy. “That’s one implications are going to be for this league, and for each individual team thing I’ve been brainstorming. It’s been rattling around in my head a little for years to come. That's still being sorted out. I didn't really anticipate bit. Not for this year. We have Torey in place. It may never be [if Krug anything like that. As I've said all along, I want to be part of this group, ends up re-signing]. But it’s one of those things to put in the hopper for part of this locker room and part of this city. down the road.” "[Boston] has become home for us and we love it. You heard our Fenway Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.19.2020 bark earlier. We named our dog ‘Fenway.' How much more Boston can it get? I never thought about it during the season while we were playing, but now that you have a second to think about it, the mind wanders a little bit. We always assumed that we'd have some kind of [contract] answer by July 1, but who knows if we'll have that with regard to the season and how it all plays out. I'm just trying to live in the present and enjoy what we have now, and hopefully finish out the season."

Estimates had the salary cap rising to roughly $84 million with the B’s already committed to $63 million in guaranteed contracts for next season.

But that was before the outbreak of COVID-19 put the regular season on pause in mid-March and put the notion of business as usual far back in the NHL rear-view mirror. Assuming the Bruins face a flat salary cap for next season, that leaves them with roughly $18.5 million in salary cap space for next season with 17 regulars locked up.

The Bruins also have to come up with contracts for unrestricted free agent Zdeno Chara, restricted free agent Matt Grzelcyk, restricted free agent Anders Bjork and restricted free agent Jake DeBrusk along with Krug. Let’s assume that Chara signs for something in the neighborhood of this season’s $2 million incentive-laden deal, arbitration-eligible Grzelcyk signs for roughly $2.5 million AAV and Bjork for roughly $1.5 million AAV based on this past season’s breakthrough as a regular top-9 winger in Boston.

It would also mean walking away from free agents Joakim Nordstrom and Kevan Miller at the end of this season, which seems pretty self-evident 1186492 Buffalo Sabres

Fired Amerks coach Taylor had verbal agreement to stay with Sabres

By Lance Lysowski Published Thu, Jun 18, 2020|Updated Thu, Jun 18, 2020

Jason Botterill was in the process of finalizing contracts for two employees in the organization before he was fired as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.

Multiple sources confirmed a report by Sportsnet's that Botterill had verbal agreements in place to extend the contracts of Rochester coach Chris Taylor and player development coach Krys Barch. However, neither deal was completed before Botterill's firing, and Taylor and Barch were among the 22 employees let go Tuesday. Friedman added that ownership stalled the completion of those contracts.

In three seasons with Taylor as coach, the Amerks went a combined 116-65-33 and were on pace for a third consecutive playoff appearance when the coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Barch joined the Sabres as a skating/skills coach in 2014 after a playing career that included eight seasons in the . He transitioned to a full-time development coach in 2017-18.

New Sabres General Manager told The Buffalo News on Wednesday that he decided to make a change in Rochester because the organization needs to prioritize development at its top minor-league affiliate.

Who's gone? Sabres' purge totals 22

Upon joining the Sabres in May 2017, Botterill laid out a plan to enhance player development by building a winning culture in Rochester. He and his staff rebuilt the Amerks' roster with veterans such as Zach Redmond, Scott Wilson and Jean-Sebastien Dea. The idea was that such players would have a positive influence on prospects and that leadership was important outside of the coaching staff.

Eight players on the Amerks' roster in 2019-20 were paid a combined $5.1 million and none scored more than 15 goals this season. Taylor, though, explained these players impacted the performance and development of prospects.

"I thought it was huge with those guys," Taylor said on Tuesday. "They talked to those guys on the bench during intermissions, during practice. Taught them how to be a pro. Taught them how to lift weights. How to eat properly. Everything. As coaches you can tell them what we like, but you can’t watch them every second when you have players on your team that can help be an extension of the coaches. It’s huge. It helps guys prepare and it helps them develop faster."

However, Rochester lost each of its six playoff games under Taylor and the organization was not able to develop enough high-impact NHL players during Botterill's three years with the Sabres.

Victor Olofsson was a Calder Trophy candidate for the Sabres after he spent most of last season in Rochester, where he learned to play on the smaller ice surface in North America and improved his game defensively. Defenseman Brendan Guhle made significant strides in his development before he was traded by Botterill in February 2019 to Anaheim in exchange for defenseman .

Sexton told WGR Radio earlier this month that defensemen Jacob Bryson and Will Borgen were ready for the NHL after learning under Taylor and his two assistant coaches: Gord Dineen and Toby Petersen.

Buffalo News LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186493 Buffalo Sabres Dame, and he completed a joint doctorate in engineering and mathematics while serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the Fighting Irish in 2011-12.

Who's left? Meet the 15 who survived Sabres' purge Adam Mair, player development coach: Mair played 11 seasons in the NHL, including seven with the Sabres from 2002-10, before joining the organization as a development coach in 2015. He worked as an assistant By Lance Lysowski Published Thu, Jun 18, 2020|Updated Thu, Jun 18, coach with the this season while Chris Taylor filled 2020 in on the Sabres' staff during Don Granato's medical absence in October and November.

Seamus Kotyk, goaltending development coach: Kotyk's coaching career The few people remaining inside the Buffalo Sabres' hockey operations began with the Hockey League's Soo Greyhounds, where he department will work with new General Manager Kevyn Adams to coached future two-time Stanley Cup winning goalie Matt Murray. Kotyk prepare for the NHL Draft and scout playoff games if the league is able to then worked as an amateur scout with the Sabres from 2014-17 before hold its 24-team return-to-play format. he became a development coach. Over the past three seasons, Kotyk During a 30-minute interview with The Buffalo News on Wednesday, played an important role in the development of Linus Ullmark, Jonas Adams gave no indication how many employees he plans to hire in the Johansson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Erik Portillo. coming months. Any additions will come after Adams consults with coach Brett Ruff, Coordinator of Hockey Administration: Ruff has worked on Ralph Krueger and owners Terry and Kim Pegula. projects related to the collective bargaining agreement since joining the The firings of 22 employees, including former General Manager Jason organization in 2012. He is the son of former Sabres coach Botterill and his top lieutenants, left the Sabres with a skeleton staff and worked as an analytics intern with the team in 2011 while pursuing a under Adams. His two departments, hockey operations and player degree at Syracuse University. development, now consist of 15 employees. Cole Burkhalter, Coordinator of Team Services: Joined the Sabres in Here is some background on the employees who remain: January 2017 following a stint as director of hockey development with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League. Mark Jakubowski, Vice President of Hockey Administration: Jakubowski has been the Sabres' capologist and collective bargaining agreement Kyle Kiebzak, Head of Hockey Department IT: Kiebzak has worked in the czar since being elevated to the role of assistant general manager under same role since joining the team in May 2011. Tim Murray in 2014. Jakubowski shifted into vice president of hockey Terri O'Brien, Executive Assistant: O'Brien has been with the administration when Botterill was hired in May 2017. organization since October 2014 and moved into the hockey operations Jerry Forton, Head of Collegiate Scouting: Forton worked as a college department in May 2018. hockey coach from 1995-2013, including 14 years as an assistant at Buffalo News LOADED: 06.19.2020 Niagara University. He shifted into a scouting role after spending one season as an assistant coach with the Sabres under Ron Rolston in 2013. Forton became director of scouting in 2015 and his title changed to director of collegiate scouting in 2017.

Kevin Devine, amateur scout: Devine has been in various roles in hockey operations since joining the Sabres in 1998, including professional scout (1998-06), director of amateur scouting (2007-12), assistant general manager (2012-14), director of player personnel (2014-17) and amateur scout (2017-present).

Austin Dunne, amateur scout: Between two stints as a scout, Dunne worked as amateur scouting coordinator from 2014-18. He shifted back to the role of amateur scout in 2018-19.

Frank Musil, amateur scout: A former NHL defenseman, Musil joined the organization as an amateur scout in 2017 after working in the same role with the Edmonton Oilers for 16 seasons. Musil is an area scout in Russia and Eastern Europe, and his reports led to the selection of 2019 sixth-round pick Lukas Rousek, a forward from . Musil was with the Oilers' organization during Ralph Krueger's time as an assistant and head coach.

Rob Riley, amateur scout: Riley joined the Sabres as an amateur scout in 2017 and his relationship with former assistant general manager Randy Sexton dates back to 1980-81. Riley was an assistant coach at St. Lawrence University when Sexton was on the team with future NHL general manager Ray Shero.

Riley was head coach with the Army hockey program at West Point from 1985-2004 before he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets. He worked as an amateur scout for nine years and was head coach of the Blue Jackets' affiliate, the , from 2010-12.

Graham Beamish, pro scout: Beamish has been with the Sabres' pro scouting department since 2010, including a stint as pro scouting coordinator from 2014-18. He worked as a pro scout over the past two seasons.

Jeremiah Crowe, pro scout: A former assistant coach at Buffalo State and a Kenmore native, Crowe worked with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program from 2015-17, including one season as director of player personnel, before joining the Sabres as a pro scout.

Jason Nightingale, Director of Analytics: Nightingale joined the Sabres as an analyst in 2013-14 and was elevated to director of analytics in 2017. He owns a master's of science in aerospace engineering from Notre 1186494 Buffalo Sabres have an already good foundation to start from, and that’s what we’re looking forward to is what’s coming up in the next years.

It all depends on your definition of a rebuild. What the Sabres’ decision-makers said this week and what it actually meant Is the roster bereft of talent? No, there’s a nucleus with Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin, Jeff Skinner and a few others.

Is the organization sparse on talent? It sure is. The Sabres need to build By John Vogl Jun 18, 2020 a scouting department when most people are under contract to other teams. They need to build a minor-league coaching staff.

The Sabres said a lot this week – a lot. There are too many things to build to say this isn’t a rebuild.

But what do the words really mean? Coach Ralph Krueger on working with Adams when the new GM became senior vice president of business administration in September: We had Let’s sift through Terry and Kim Pegula’s new business beliefs, the arrival lots of conversations. They were much more around business because of of general manager Kevyn Adams and the departure of Jason Botterill my past as chairman in Southampton and Kevyn in his new role. and his hockey operations department. While Adams has no experience running an organization, Krueger does : We believe in a flat organization where we can all talk to (albeit in soccer). There will be times when the new GM can turn to each other and communicate, not only the head coach, the GM and the Krueger for advice. owners, but strength and conditioning, the players, everybody. But will Adams turn to Krueger about roster decisions? Adams: Without getting overly specific, philosophically I really believe in flat organizations. Krueger: My role in this club is very clearly from the first day to be the best possible head coach I can be. I’m still not there. I have to improve You’re hired. myself first, but I look forward to attacking all these different levels of sports challenges together with Kevyn when it comes to the management Terry Pegula: There was no search. This is all an in-house hire, very, side in the future. But I will have enough responsibility when the gates very recent. open for us again. Adams: So the announcement was Tuesday. I (traveled to the Pegulas’ So, Krueger’s main job will be to coach. home in ), and we spent time together Monday and really talked through philosophy and specifics. Obviously, there was the conversation Adams: The plan that Ralph and I have talked about is we’re going to get that Terry and Kim needed to have with Jason, and then it became in a room and come out together, making the right decision. official after that. OK, so maybe the coach will have a role in reshaping the roster. This is the main problem people have with the GM swap. It’s not that Botterill deserved to stay or that Adams is guaranteed to fail. It just all Terry Pegula: Ralph believes that our team with their buying-in is not as seems so impetuous – an unendearing trait the Pegulas have shown far removed from winning as a lot of people may think. He’s very time and again. optimistic about our future.

Not only did the owners dump Botterill right after endorsing the GM’s Krueger is an optimistic guy to his core, but there are still holes to fill. The “inner workings that we see some positives in,” they didn’t even leave the Sabres need a No. 2 center, a couple of scoring wingers, a top-four arena for a search. Worse, they apparently never even thought to have a defenseman and have questions at goaltender. search. Hard-working teams can move forward, but talented teams can move Terry Pegula: There’s a difference between interviewing an individual for forward quicker. the first time and never having met that individual and putting that Adams: We want to make sure we’re aligned in Rochester philosophically individual in a position of trust in your organization. with our developmental plan and how we’re making sure our prospects Kim Pegula: The other GMs that we had hired or were here before, we are being put in a position to succeed and being challenged. interviewed them. You call around. But until you get to the day-to-day, The Amerks might stink. sometimes it takes years to understand where they’re at and what common ground that you guys find together. OK, that’s overly simplistic, but it may still be true. Botterill and former Amerks GM Randy Sexton inherited a minor-league system that was light Another trend during these repeated hirings and firings is it’s always on talent. There’s not a GM or coach in the world who could have gotten someone else’s fault – even if the Pegulas compound the error. Vaclav Karabacek, Brycen Martin, Gustav Possler and Buffalo’s When they inherited GM Darcy Regier in 2011, the hockey world nameless, faceless crew to the NHL. screamed it was past time for him to go. They gave him an extension. To create a winner in Rochester, Botterill and Sexton spent big on “He’s a talented guy,” Pegula said at the new contract signing in 2013. veterans. They brought in Kevin Porter, Zach Redmond, Jean-Sebastien “From what I read, maybe not everyone agrees with that, but he has all Dea, Wayne Simpson and others on expensive AHL deals. The Amerks the resources now. We work very well together and we’re looking forward were on their way to a third straight postseason before the coronavirus to the future.” shutdown.

They fired him 10 months later. It’s clear the roles and minutes that went to those players will now be handed to young guys – whether they’re ready or not. If they’re not, When the Pegulas fired Tim Murray in 2017, Terry Pegula repeatedly Buffalo’s minor-league team, which hasn’t won a playoff series since stressed that he didn’t hire Murray and put the blame on Pat LaFontaine. 2011, could sink back to the bottom. But when I noted to Pegula that it was the owner who had just given Murray a contract extension, he stopped talking. Adams: It’s really important to emphasize that this wasn’t Chris Taylor and his coaching staff. They’re very good. It’s more about how we want “You know, what happened a year ago is not important,” Pegula said. to run the Rochester Americans. “We’re looking forward. We don’t need to discuss, I don’t want to discuss that, OK?” Of the nearly two dozen people fired this week, Taylor deserves the most sympathy. The coach guided the Amerks to a 116-65-33 record during Now the Pegulas and Botterill have developed “too many differences in the past three seasons. Players and fans loved him. opinion” during the past three weeks. And he’s gone. Ignore Adams’ line about “how we want to run the Whenever Adams and the Pegulas split up, you can rest assured it will Rochester Americans.” The firing has nothing to do with philosophical be Adams’ fault. differences. Taylor would have coached the new-look Amerks just as passionately as the veteran-laden squad. But no one ever asked him. Kim Pegula: We don’t think that this is a rebuild. We think there’s just They just called to say he was fired. some pieces of some things we need to do differently and look at. But we “Just don’t know why,” Taylor said. “It’s frustrating and sad.” base and a passionate fan base. It’s felt to me, just observing over the last few years, that there was something missing with that connectivity. There’s only one logical reason for the dismissal of Taylor and the So that’s what we want to make sure happens. Amerks’ coaching staff: money. There’s no telling when the AHL will resume, so the Pegulas didn’t want to pay a talented coach if he wasn’t There’s an astronomical gap between the Sabres and their fans. It’s at coaching. Who cares if his replacement this fall isn’t as good? It’s about the widest point of the franchise’s 50-year history. saving cash now. It will take more than royal blue jerseys to make people in Sabreland feel Terry Pegula: First off, there is no financial situation. I don’t know where good again. Hopefully, the well-spoken Adams follows through with his that rumor started. promise. Maybe he’ll greet fans in the arena atrium. Maybe he’ll hold town halls. Maybe he’ll tell the media relations department to loosen its Where’d the rumor start? The Pegulas learn the answer every time they reins and allow players to be themselves with reporters, who can then look in the mirror. show fans what their favorite athletes are like.

Everything’s been about money since March (and earlier). The Pegulas But the Pegulas’ executive leadership team still features people who were way ahead of the curve in laying off hospitality workers, telling them thought Duane was just looking for 15 minutes of fame. They’d rather they’d have to reapply for their jobs and wouldn’t get the same rate of look at the messenger than the message. With move after move, the pay if they came back. No payment for accrued time off, either. Pegulas and the people who run their empire have shown they don’t The Pegulas were among the few owners in all of sports who declined to understand the Buffalo fan. pay event staff during the pause, though they did send checks once the Of all the challenges that await Adams, re-establishing the connectivity seasons were canceled. might be the most important. The new GM has a lot of work to do. Words They saved money in April by firing 21 people, drawing criticism from alone won’t cut it. previous ownership. The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 Bills and Sabres leaders have had to make cuts because one of Kim Pegula’s primary organizational goals is maintaining her family’s lifestyle.

This week, the Sabres’ new mantra repeatedly came from Terry Pegula’s lips: effective, efficient and economic.

Rumors about the Pegulas’ financial distress are from their words and actions.

Terry Pegula: We need to do better moving forward in the sports business like every team’s going to have to do because if we don’t have any fans in the seats next year, what are your economics in the world of sports?

To steal a joke from subscriber Mark B., the Pegulas don’t need Covid to keep fans out of the stands. The Sabres’ nine-year playoff drought and escalating ticket prices will take care of that.

But there will be a new economic reality for the foreseeable future. Teams will have to get creative to make money. We can probably expect ads on uniforms and sponsorships galore, though the Sabres may already be maxed out since they sell everything from the national anthem to the shovels used during commercial breaks.

Terry Pegula on Eichel and others being fed up with losing: We feel that same frustration as the players.

Kim Pegula: We feel the frustration. We certainly do.

Let’s simply refer to Terry Pegula’s letter to season-ticket holders in April 2018:

“I’m not happy and I am sure you aren’t, either. … You’ve been loyal to us in one of the most difficult times in franchise history and you deserve better.

“Mistakes have been made along the way, but I’m not here to rehash those or make excuses. I’m here to tell you I watch the games, too, and the standard of the Buffalo Sabres must change. I’ve challenged everyone in the organization to be better. Every single person, including me, needs to improve on everything we do.

“This may not mean much. Until we win, it is just words.”

Feel the frustration? Those are just words.

Adams: I’m extremely open-minded and willing to learn how to get better by asking questions. It’s not always about having the answers; it’s about finding the answers sometimes. So if there’s something that comes up and I’m not sure and don’t know the answer, I’m going to make sure I find the answer and put the work in to be as prepared as I can be.

Of all the Sabres’ comments, these might be the best. Adams genuinely wants to learn. He’s humbly walking his new role aware he doesn’t have all the answers.

Where he gets the answers from will determine if he succeeds or fails, and a lot of the answers will come from ownership.

Adams: One thing that’s really important is a connectivity between the fan base and our team. I really believe that we have an unbelievable fan 1186495 all summer was the plan, but right now we just have to see what is going to happen.”

But Pelletier has much to look forward to, considering he was invited to Flames prospect Pelletier gains life experience in QMJHL trade Canada’s world junior selection camp last year but missed the final auditions and tournament due to a concussion.

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia “It’s a great honour for me and my family, to represent your country is pretty big,” he said. “I’m proud of that and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.”

The trade is bound to build character in the long run, especially ****** considering Val D’Or quickly made Jakob Pelletier for the upcoming season with a chance to play on a winning team. Age: 19 (March 7, 2001)

Some hockey players go through their entire career not knowing what Hometown: Quebec City, being traded feels like. Height: 5-foot-9

But at 19 years old and heading into his fourth season in the Quebec Weight: 167 lbs. Major Junior Hockey League, Jakob Pelletier will have some experience in that department. Position: Left winger

The Calgary Flames draft pick was dealt from the to Shoots: Left the Val-d’Or Foreurs during the 2020 QMJHL draft, part of a package that included multiple picks heading back to his former team. Drafted: 2019, first round (26th overall), Calgary

After three seasons with Moncton, 94 goals and 232 points in 182 The skinny: Finished eighth in the QMJHL 2019-20 regular-season regular-season games, four goals and eight points in 17 playoff games, scoring race with 32 goals and 50 assists in 57 games for the Moncton and spending the most recent campaign with a ‘C’ sewn on his sweater, Wildcats … Spent three seasons with the Wildcats before being traded to Pelletier had heard from his agent on the morning of the draft that there the Val-d’Or Foreurs in early June at the 2020 QMJHL draft … Named to was a “70 per cent chance” he was set to be dealt. last year’s world junior selection camp but missed out due to a concussion … Was recently named to Canada’s junior team virtual Initially, he expected a trade would happen closer to Christmastime, but selection camp … Undersized but competitive and shifty, the two-way that 70 per cent turned into 100 earlier this month. player models his game after captain Jonathan Toews. A shocker, for sure, but something that is bound to build character in the long run, especially considering Val D’Or quickly made him the captain Calgary Sun: LOADED: 06.19.2020 for the upcoming season with a chance to play on a winning team.

“It was kind of hard to get traded and to leave Moncton, my billet family, and the whole organization,” Pelletier said. “But, I think for me, the best option was to go to Val D’Or and have a chance to win the Cup next year if I come back.”

The only scenario in which Pelletier wouldn’t return to junior whenever the 2020-21 season is set to begin, is if he makes the Flames next year.

But given the current global climate and the NHL’s ‘Return to Play’ plan, which will likely drag out well into the fall months, there’s a good chance the situation simply won’t permit Pelletier to join the Flames at least until the following campaign.

The most likely scenario will see Pelletier, Calgary’s first-round draft pick last summer (26th overall), return to the QMJHL.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t room to improve — the native of Quebec City finished eighth in the QMJHL’s scoring race last season with 32 goals and 50 assists and a plus-minus rating of 57. His gentlemanly-like 16 minutes all season won him the QMJHL’s Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league’s most sportsmanlike player.

And considering he was recently named to Canada’s junior team virtual summer development camp set for July 27 to 31 to prepare for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, there’s a pile of chances for him to develop before taking his game to the next level.

“(The trade) can teach me, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone,” Pelletier said. “For me, I was kind of comfortable in Moncton. But now, to get out of my comfort zone and go to Val-d’Or, it wasn’t easy, to be honest. But right now, I’m glad to have done that and I’m just looking forward to next year.”

The Wildcats were also loaded up for a deep playoff run, but the ’s 2020 playoffs and were cancelled because of the coronavirus.

The 5-foot-9, 167-lb. left winger had plans to move to Calgary for the summer to work out and train before the Flames’ annual development camp, which usually happens the first week of July.

But the NHL pausing on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced a trickle-down effect of scheduling changes.

“I was kind of excited for that to see where I’m at,” said Pelletier, who has been quarantined at his family home in Quebec City. “To be (in Calgary) 1186496 Carolina Hurricanes just wanted to make sure I showed confidence and whatever the message is, the guys will remember it. You have to make sure it’s not just a fluff piece.

Coaches’ panel: Brind’Amour, Cooper, DeBoer on millennials, discipline Flash forward to now, we’re in a different situation. My message to our and more guys for certain will be, ‘No matter what happens here, when we take the ice again, we’re not going to get everything back in one game.’ This is the season where it’s a little bit different. Regularly it’s a marathon, not a By Joe Smith Jun 18, 2020 sprint, but this one might end up being a sprint. But we have to not try to make up for things that have gone wrong in the past in one game.

On dealing with the millennial players of this generation The three coaches couldn’t be from more varied backgrounds. Cooper: The players are different and the league has gotten younger. There was Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour, the second-year coach who had The old souls you used to see have gone away now, and you look no a Hall of Fame-caliber career that included a Stanley Cup and two Selke further than when you go back on the plane and you see less and less Trophies. guys playing cards and more and more playing video games. You learn There was the Lightning’s Jon Cooper, whose playing career ended in from your own kids in how they think, why are you playing this video Juvenile-AA, but established himself as one of the best — and now game. Tell me your feelings and (enjoy the) camaraderie with your longest-tenured coach. buddies. That’s the kind of approach I’ve taken.

And Pete DeBoer, who took the Vegas job midseason after several You could be a lot more stern with players years ago, where today I think campaigns with the rival Sharks, and is now behind the bench on his you need to put your arm around some guys a little bit more. Players fourth NHL team. before never used to ask, ‘Why?’ They just did it. And today’s younger players coming in, they want to know why? ‘Why are we doing this?’ It But the three head coaches provided some interesting insight in a Zoom can be challenging. You go back to the lawyer days. ‘Never ask a panel last week for the NHL Coaches’ Association Global Coaches’ question you don’t know the answer to.’ When you talk to players, you Clinic. It was an hour-long chat, moderated by Sportsnet’s Elliotte better know the answer, because there’s a really good chance they’re Friedman, where they tackled some important issues for young coaches going to challenge you. such as working with millennials, enforcing discipline, creating ownership in the dressing room and dealing with criticism. Brind’Amour: Having kids of your own helps, and I have college-aged kids. They want to know why. Back in the day, when I played, you never Below are some highlights from their panel discussion. questioned the coach. You did what he told you to do. They want to know why and you better be able to show them. You have to know each player, On your first meeting with a team they’re all a little different. Even though you may have the same Brind’Amour: That first meeting, I think it’s a time to really get your philosophies and the same rules, each guy takes that a little differently. message across and, coming out of this, it will add more meaning. I think Getting to know them doesn’t hurt. whenever we get back to playing hockey, that first message you bring DeBoer: There’s an old quote that, ‘They don’t care what you know until does hold a whole lot of meaning, a lot more than maybe any other camp they know how much you care.’ That’s never more important in today’s because of the circumstances that brought us back together. We have a coaching and teaching. The era we grew up in, it was a dictatorship. lot of time to think about it. Every time you get in front of a group, it When I coached in junior hockey, a lot of times it was a dictatorship and I matters. This one puts more meaning to it. wasn’t looking for conversations or in-depth analysis of what was going DeBoer: I’ve got more experience in first messages than the other guys on, it was just, ‘This is how we’re doing it.’ But as a coach, you have to because I’ve been fired four times, so I’ve gone to four different teams change. I agree with both guys, my kids helped me with that. You talk to and had to address them. I’ve got a couple of quick stories on the first them at the dinner table, you ask them who their favorite teacher is, it’s messages. One was this year going to Vegas in January as a first-time always people you connect with. coach with a group that really we had gone to war with the last three On whether you can show players more than 10 minutes of video at one years, there was a lot of hatred. Not a lot of love lost. Now I’m walking time into that dressing room with those guys and addressing them for the first time. DeBoer: No. That’s probably the limit. But if this was a call-in show, I might have 100 players call in and say, ‘He’s full of crap, he kept us in I put some thought into that message. I had a 48-hour window when I got there for 20 minutes.’ I think there’s definitely a line there you’ve really the job and had to be behind the bench in Ottawa. I talked with Paul got to get your message across quickly. We try to keep it to less than 10. Maurice who had taken over a few teams. It was a combination of a bit of humor to try to take the edge off the situation and a strong message. The Cooper: When I first came into the league, I did primarily all the main gist of it was — some good people lost their jobs, Gerard Gallant, meetings. I still do a lot of them, but not as many — I hand a lot over to Mike Kelly and that staff. We all had to look in the mirror and get it fixed the assistants. When I find I’m drifting before the 10-minute mark, I know going forward. they are. It’s remarkable to me how in other sports, I talk to guys in football and the amount of video they watch, I don’t know how much they The other (story) was my first year coaching in the NHL, I came out of watch. It must be repetitive. I don’t know if it’s in our culture and how junior to the replacing Jacques Martin. He told me we we’re wired but you can get a lot across in a short time. The tough part needed a tough message in training camp. I ran the hardest training for coaches is that there’s so much you want to get in, but sometimes it’s camp I ever ran in my life. And I’m lucky the guys didn’t walk out and better that less is more. Let them get the message, you make it short and strike two days into it. I’m surprised I actually survived it. We got through to the point and get them out instead of clouding their mind and everyone the year and Bryan McCabe was our captain, we got to our exit meetings walking out, ‘Gosh that was way too much.’ and he said, ‘Listen, I’m excited about next year but you’ve got to take your foot off the gas in training camp next year.’ He was pretty clear as a DeBoer: I’m going to jump in on that. If that’s one thing I could tell veteran guy, ‘We let you get away with it once, but you better not try to coaches, if they can work on that skill, that’s the skill to get. To be able to do that again, because you’ll be playing with fire.’ You have to find that look at your game and get the fix down to one thing, one message, one happy medium. thing that they need to get done for the next game and concentrate on that. So many young coaches – and I was guilty of that – it’s like a Cooper: For me, it’s a little different because I’ve been with this group for splatter gun — you try to fix everything. The really good coaches get it a while. When I first got the job, it was my first time in the NHL, I didn’t down to the one most important thing and get it back on the rails for the play in the NHL. I remember I had flown in from Syracuse, and Guy next game. Boucher had lost his job, and that’s something I think we pointed out, the success, they built the program to a certain point and he had taken the On if they go into the dressing room after the game and talk to the team team to the conference final just a few years earlier. Brind’Amour: I don’t like going in after games but I started it my first year, I made sure when I got in there I acknowledged that. One thing for me, I went in after a win, because that’s what the previous guy did and I walking in that room, it’s like that old deodorant commercial, ‘Don’t let followed what they did. Our strength coach asked me, ‘Why only come in them see you sweat.’ That’s my belief, you go in there with confidence. I after we win? That’s not right.’ I’m like, ‘You’re exactly right.’ I started this and now I’ve got to keep it going. I do think your emotions can get to you. certain expectations for you and how we’re doing things, and you’re not I rely on my staff and have a good feel, they make a couple of points to meeting them.’ hammer home. But in retrospect, if I look back, it’d take a lot of stress off me if I didn’t go in every game. But I started it and now that’s what guys In the dictatorship, that wouldn’t even come to the forefront. But in expect. So I try to be short and sweet. I hate that the cameras are in today’s game, you’ve got to lay out expectations for the player and in the there, and that’s a whole other issue about selling our game, we’ve got to end, it’s the ice time. These guys all want to play, and by no means, do that a little bit more down here. I don’t like it because I know the nobody is in this game trying to embarrass anybody. But at times when camera is in there and I have to watch what I say. But I understand that. you’re missing shifts, it’s going to happen. You need a reason why. And having expectations laid out is a big part of it. But if I had to do that again, I probably wouldn’t go in every game because it adds a lot of stress. I think every time you talk to your team, On creating ownership among players to where, basically, they run you don’t want it to be fluff. It has to mean something. That’s a lot of extra themselves by the end of the season meetings I’m throwing on my plate. Cooper: I’ve gone through that experience, and it’s harder and harder Cooper: I bet you in my career I’ve gone in 96 percent of the time. I didn’t every year with the new players coming up and the accountability aspect know any better, I just came into the ranks from junior B to midget to to players running the room. These players that are coming up are so junior and we always did it. When I got to the American (Hockey) talented, have so much individual skill, they’ve got coaches here on League, for me it was a learning tool to address the team after. I know a every level. The one aspect I think is lacking is the leadership aspect of lot of coaches don’t do it. I think I’m leaning towards Rod. At times, I wish players. They’ve been told what to do for so long coming up, it almost I didn’t do it. But to be perfectly frank, one big thing is you could curb becomes a little bit robotic. And then when they get to you, they’re still what guys say to the media. I can’t tell you how many times what the looking to you for what to do. message I said after the game, I would read in the paper the next day on In teams I’ve had success with and won championships, I go back to what the players said. Instead of, it’s a tough loss, bad things happened, Norfolk (AHL Calder Cup title) in 2012, if I didn’t show up for three weeks you could curb it in a couple of minutes before you go out. I’ve used that at the end of the year, they wouldn’t have noticed. That’s when you know as a tool. It doesn’t happen that often, fortunately, we’ve had a few more you have a special group. I’ve had teams like that in Tampa and we wins than losses, so it hasn’t been as bad. haven’t ended up winning the Stanley Cup that, by the end, they end up DeBoer: If Jon is 96 percent, I’m the four percent that don’t go in. I used coaching themselves. But it takes a lot of buy-in from players and an to, but I don’t anymore. I go in maybe 3-4-5 times a year, if I felt I really extremely strong leadership group. There is part of training where you needed to send a message about something. I’ll tell you why I don’t go in can help train your leaders, but in the end, some of the players have to anymore. I’ve found my postgame evaluation the next day after I rewatch have it in them, that’ll take ownership in the room. the game is so much different than my perspective when I walk off the DeBoer: It’s a great point for young coaches. Your work is done during bench, about the individual players, about what I felt on the bench, was the year, and the two times I’ve been to the Cup Finals, you’ve got to wrong compared to what I saw the next day. fight the urge at that point. You’ve done your coaching and the players My messaging was all over the map. If we won 70 games a year like have taken it over. They know your expectations. They know what’s what Coop, I might be walking into the room every night slapping everyone on and now the coach almost steps back. When you go on those types of the back and telling them how great everything is. I used to speak too runs, the room takes over. much out of emotion and too much from an unrealistic perspective on My leadership story on Joe Thornton. Game 7 against Vegas last year, what I saw that night. By going the next day and rewatching the game, I we’re down 3-0 and we get a five-minute power play. We go out and realize how off I was both on individual and our team game a lot of score four goals on the power play and win in (overtime). I remember the nights. That’s why I don’t go in. first unit – and Joe Thornton wasn’t on our first unit – the Hall of Famer, Cooper: The big thing for me and I don’t know if I’m right in this, as much maybe the best setup man of all time other than as far as as your emotions, the players are way more. They were just out on the distributing the puck and making other guys better, making a living on the battlefield. We were on the bench. You could tell by the way the tape is power play. However, our first unit kept scoring, and we got to the four- being ripped off the shinpads and skates how things have gone in a minute mark, we tied it up 3-3 and I decided the first unit was tired, they game. And that’s where I don’t know if I do mine by habit and curb some scored three, let’s give the second unit some ice time. I remember Joe things. looked at me and said, ‘No, leave them out there. They’re hot. Leave them.’ Brind’Amour: I love what Coop said about putting a bow on it and moving on. You don’t want to be in long, they want to get the hell out of there. I look back at that now, you’ve got a Hall of Fame player that made his Say, ‘This is what I saw,’ win or lose, you could be no good that night and entire career on playing in those moments, of being the difference, win the game, but let them know it wasn’t good enough. Same thing if hopping over the boards and getting the winning goal on the power play, you lose the game and you could have played a great game. Hearing and he deferred. He had enough presence and leadership and security in from you it wasn’t so bad, and that’s the way we do things, puts them in a himself. And sure enough, the first unit scored again even though they better frame of mind going home. were dead-ass tired. That’s something I’ll never forget.

On how you discipline players: Hall of Famer said in his As a former player, how do you convince players to take that leadership book that ‘the one thing I have is ice time’ and that control that naturally came to you

DeBoer: I have a quick story on that. Last year, Game 7 against Vegas, Brind’Amour: I didn’t. That’s why I’m lucky. Our sport is the greatest team we were in San Jose and Barclay Goodrow, who plays for Coop now, he sport in the world for a reason. You better have good leaders. I was lucky turned a puck over, missed an assignment in the middle of the second walking into a room where I knew all the players. I knew what everyone period and it cost us a goal. I sat him for probably a period. I put him was capable of. I had that great relationship with the guys that were the back out late in the third and overtime, he scored the (overtime) winner in leaders — Justin Williams. I don’t really have to say too much, you’re in Game 7 for us to advance. The message there is, yes, you have to sync. He knew what I was all about, he buys in and it just filters downhill. discipline your players at different points for different things. But they It was zero worry or issue about the buy-in and you have to have a huge have to know they’re going to get another chance to fix it. They also have buy-in as a team. In most sports, that weak link will come up and get you. to know if you’re doing it, if you’re sitting them for the entire game, an We were fortunate enough to have leadership in place and Coop is right assistant has to sit down with them and go through video and show them when he says kids nowadays, there’s a lack of leadership. I’ll be honest how to fix the reason they’re out of the game. They have to know there’s with you. That’s why it’s important to have Justin Williams or Jordan Staal an answer there, and then give them the opportunity to fix it. in the locker room where they can watch and see what it’s all about and Cooper: I’ve heard that term a lot with Steve Yzerman, so it has been learn from them. passed down from Bowman to Yzerman and to me that ice time is the I played a lot of years in the NHL and I never remember blaming the hammer. I’m a big believer that you treat everyone fairly, but you don’t coach for a loss or patting the coach on the back, ‘You got us that win treat everyone equally. It’s just the way it is. Everything comes down to tonight.’ It never entered my mind. You prepare them, get them ready to expectations. If you set expectations for the player and you’re on the go and at the end, ‘Boys, it’s your show.’ same page in how that’s going to go, then the taking of ice time, it becomes warranted at some point. Showing them, ‘This isn’t a DeBoer: Last year, I remember in Game 1 of the Cup final, we win in St. punishment of hey, I don’t like you, or I don’t like your game. We have Louis with a hand pass. I’m sure you guys remember that. And how (Blues coach) Craig Berube handled that. It’s clear the hand pass should have never been a goal, everyone knew it shouldn’t be a goal, and they lost Game 1 of the conference finals because of that.

I remember reading quotes from players the day after, the composure and messaging he did after that game with his team and they came back and maybe played their best game of the series in Game 2 and went on to win the Cup. That for me was one of those coaching moments where it could have gone one of two ways. If he goes into the room and goes off the deep end on how they got screwed, maybe this team loses composure. Instead, he was the voice of reason and they collect themselves and go win a Stanley Cup. I give him a lot of credit for that.

Cooper: Craig nailed it. But you still need people that when Craig leaves the room, saying, ‘He’s right.’ And let that trickle down. Because that could have spiraled the other way. It’s a testament to the coach and the team and their leadership with how that played out.

On how they handle criticism, whether it’s on social media or not, and advice to young coaches on making sure you’re confident in yourself

Brind’Amour: It’s making sure you have trust in some people, whether it’s your parents, your friends that you can throw something off of that’s bothering you. The easy answer is ‘Don’t read that stuff.’ But they all do. Or you hear about it. How do you handle that?

For me, it doesn’t do any good when you keep it inside. That’s why you need a circle of people, maybe it’s one or two, someone you can trust to talk things through. I have one of my best friends in the world, he’s not a hockey player, but he’s my right-hand man. And I don’t know where I’d be without him, being able to talk things through.

It’s important that you have that.

DeBoer: There isn’t a right answer. It’s the age we live in, people can hide behind comments, they can be ruthless, they can be mean. There’s no accountability for it. This generation has to have a thick skin. We get paid to accept that type of criticism. The toughest part is on the families, your kids read it, your wife reads it, your mother and father read it. They take it a lot more personally than we do. We have the maturity and we know what we’re dealing with. I think it’s just the support and always having those lines of communication open.

Cooper: You have to sift through the embarrassment. That’s the hardest part. You’ve got to get kids to open up. I try to do that with my kids. You do need a circle of trust and people that you can lean on for whatever happens. Criticism is a part of life and unfortunately, social media has brought it to the forefront.

When I was coming up through the ranks and got to the NHL, I was reading the press clippings. You see your name in the paper, ‘Wow this is really cool.’ But now I don’t read any of it. To me, it’s just counterproductive. I talk to my kids about it and if they’re still a little bit young, with the players, it’s turning criticism into a positive outcome.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186497 Chicago Blackhawks

WATCH: Blackhawks star Patrick Kane's hands are already in postseason form

By Slavko Bekovic June 18, 2020 7:15 PM

Patrick Kane's hands are already in playoff form.

With the NHL officially in Phase 2 of the Return To Play plan, a number of Blackhawks players have gotten on the ice at the team's official practice facility, Fifth Third Arena, taking part in voluntary individualized workouts.

It should come as no surprise to Blackhawks fans that Kane's hands are already primed for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

View this post on Instagram

Raise your hand if your flow is ready to return to hockey ♂

A post shared by Chicago Blackhawks (@nhlblackhawks) on Jun 18, 2020 at 3:41pm PDT

It's been 99 days since the NHL paused play and Kane is apparently shaking off the rust quickly, even impressing stickhandling specialist Pavel Barber. https://twitter.com/HeyBarber/status/1273755341776228352?s=20

Kane is one of a handful of Blackhawks players that have practiced together in Chicago during Phase 2, including Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Alex Nyander and goalie Malcolm Subban.

NHL training camps are expected to start on July 10th as part of Phase 3 in the Return To Play plan.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186498 Chicago Blackhawks There’s nothing fancy about this next clip, but it’s an example of how he can contribute to the overall team game. He avoids the forechecker with some creativity, gets the play going up ice and moves the puck within the Blackhawks future series: Dissecting Adam Boqvist’s rookie development offensive zone leading up to a goal.

The following is an example of some good and bad. The Blackhawks would want Boqvist to be more aggressive in the neutral zone so as not By Scott Powers Jun 18, 2020 to allow the clean entry, but he engages the puck carrier after entering the zone. He later pushes up the defensive zone to defend another

carrier. At 16:40, he turns his back away from the puck, and that’s Adam Boqvist was among those who were shocked when he was called another thing the Blackhawks don’t want their defenders to do. It’s not up to the NHL in October. just about following a check around the defensive zone. It’s about being in position and having an awareness of where the puck is and being able Boqvist wasn’t exactly lighting up the AHL. He was still adjusting to pro to either jump on a loose puck or close out on an opponent. hockey in his first season. If he hadn’t been a top-10 pick, he probably wouldn’t have been thrust into the NHL so quickly. The Blackhawks would like Boqvist to be more aggressive breaking up plays before they get into the offensive zone, but he has gotten better in But with the Blackhawks dealing with some injuries and the team that area. There were many examples like the following in the five struggling at the time, Boqvist’s NHL timeline was accelerated. The youth games: movement was on. The thought was he and the organization would be better off in the long run if he was in the NHL. The following shift is one where Boqvist struggles. This is the later stages of a shift that lasted 2:09. You can tell he’s tired and getting outworked. Boqvist took his lumps because of that. He wasn’t ready. Blackhawks He needs his quickness and skating to compete in the defensive zone. coach Jeremy Colliton did all he could to protect Boqvist by often pairing Otherwise, this is what happens: him with veteran Duncan Keith and limiting his exposure. Boqvist’s ice time varied, and he was healthy scratched a few times while the This is a clip against the Tampa Bay Lightning in which he’s less aware Blackhawks paid close attention to development. in the defensive zone, and it nearly costs the Blackhawks:

Boqvist also did his part to bring himself along. He played conservatively What numbers say compared to how he played in the past, and he made sure to focus on After watching all the clips, I turned to a few other resources. For one, I his defensive responsibilities. He and the Blackhawks were hopeful there asked Sportlogiq to dig into Boqvist’s numbers for those last five games. I would be a day for him to be aggressive and play to his offensive wanted to know whether Boqvist was actually having an impact on the strengths, but he needed to get his feet wet first. The focus was on ice. Boqvist being a better player by the end of the season than he was at the start of it. Here was Sportlogiq’s summary:

So, did that happen? “In Boqvist’s final five games of the season, he posted five assists, all at even strength. He ranked tied for 11th among defensemen in points My goal was to find out. For the second part of our Blackhawks future since February 27, despite ranking 143rd in games played and 182nd in series, I focused on Boqvist’s development late in the season. I watched average time on ice per game. Boqvist had the puck on his stick in the every one of his shifts over his final five games. offensive zone at a high rate compared to Blackhawks defensemen, There were 56 shifts in total. I cut clips of everything I thought was ranking second, and completed over eight passes in the offensive zone noteworthy, whether it was good or bad, and ended up with 45 clips. per game, which ranked top-50 leaguewide. Somewhat to my surprise, the positive clips exceeded the negative ones. “Boqvist moved the puck out of his end with control over three times per I have nothing against Boqvist, but my assumption was if I put a game, which ranked in the top 60 in the NHL. He did not defend the blue microscope on what he was doing on the ice in all zones, I’d find more line in terms of preventing entries against at a high rate compared to glaring mistakes. That was the case when I went to watch him play with other defensemen across the league; however, the Blackhawks as a the London Knights in the OHL the season prior. I came away from that team did not do this at a high rate over this time period, as Boqvist still trip wondering whether his defensive play would ever improve enough for ranked second on the team, denying 39.1 percent of entries that came him not to be a liability in the NHL. I know I wasn’t the only one who his way. shared that thought. “Defensively, Boqvist used his stick to knock pucks away from attacking But this was different. Focusing on Boqvist this time made me realize just players, ranking first on the Hawks and 22nd in the league, averaging how far he had come in a year. His play wasn’t perfect by any means, but two stick checks (forcing a loss of possession with your stick) per game. he was notably making fewer mistakes than other defensemen, was Boqvist also rarely turned the puck over, doing so on just over 11 percent more aggressive in attempting to deny entries, seemed to understand the of his puck touches, which ranked second on the team and 25th among defensive system and his position, often got his stick on the puck, was defensemen leaguewide. patient with the puck, made smart decisions and started to contribute “As for while-on-ice numbers at five-on-five, Boqvist ranked second on more and more offensively. the team and top-60 in expected goals against and second and top-25 in Video analysis high-danger shot differential during his last five games.

Let’s go through some of the video examples. In this first one against the “All in all, very positive numbers for Boqvist in terms of creating offense, , Boqvist puts the puck in a crowded area and is hopeful limiting it and being safe with the puck while moving it effectively out of for a positive bounce. He then has to defend and get his stick on the his own end.” puck in four instances. You can see where he has a strong gap and What scouts say closes out the puck carrier. The Blackhawks tell him time after time they want him defending with his stick to break up plays and create transition I also talked to a couple of scouts and league sources about Boqvist. I for the team. heard a few times that people felt Boqvist needed to prove he could be durable and withstand a heavier game, especially as a top-four In the second clip, he helps the Blackhawks get out of the defensive zone defenseman. If the 2019-20 season returns, that will be an opportunity for and move the puck up the ice. He skates into the offensive zone, puts him to prove himself. himself in a position to receive a pass, shoots and scores. His shooting precision is at an elite level. When he gets involved in the offensive zone, Here is one full review from a scout: good things often happen. “No question he has special offensive skill, the ability to transport and Boqvist and Kirby Dach show why the Blackhawks are optimistic about make plays, excellent skills to retrieve pucks and move them up the ice. their future in the next clip. He extends plays at the blue line and can produce offense off the blue line. He’s very good on the power play, sees the ice well and makes This is an example of Boqvist contributing in the breakout and then plays. He will need to get stronger. Defensively struggles to handle the putting his offensive skills to use: rush. Can be beat on the outside both by speed and stronger forwards that drive to the net. Getting stronger will also help him handle stronger players down low in the defensive zone. He has excellent upside for a young D-man. You have to remember he’s just turning 20 years old.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186499 “A lot of it has to do with your scheduling,” Kadri said. “You just try to alter your hours a little bit — when you can work out and when you can’t work out. It’s obviously a little tough trying to put healthy food in your What has Nazem Kadri been up to these days? How about a lot body, and you start craving greasy, greasy things. That is a little challenging. There are people who do it perfectly, as it is supposed to be done. It’s about your intentions as long as you are trying.”

By Ryan S. Clark Jun 18, 2020 The last three months also gave Kadri a chance to spend more time with his wife, Ashley, and their 11-month-old daughter.

Navigating an 82-game schedule while constantly being at a team Making the right turn onto 11th Street and driving about 1,000 feet before practice facility, a home arena or on the road means family time can be pulling his car into the Pepsi Center’s players’ parking lot is potentially limited. That only intensifies in March and early April when teams are one of the few items about Nazem Kadri’s routine that has not changed playing every other night or have back-to-back games. And naturally, all in the last three months. this occurs when many teams are jostling for a playoff seeding or simply Before? It was just simply finding an open spot in the parking lot, going fighting just to reach the postseason. through security, then making the left turn in the bowels of Pepsi Center Come playoffs? It’s anyone’s guess. Maybe you get more family time before walking 1,000 or so feet and reaching the Colorado Avalanche’s after a first-round exit or those opportunities do not come until after a dressing room. playoff run, with the notion that the offseason is finite and training camps Now? Kadri must park his car in a designated spot to maintain social are around the corner along with the start of the new season. distancing from other vehicles. He must wear a mask, and those security “I’ve just been able to watch her grow up, and it’s seeing things I would protocols have expanded to checking his temperature before he walks have missed and not knowing how important they are,” Kadri said of his into the arena. Once inside, he has to sterilize his hands. The dressing daughter. “It’s similar to a lot of other parents or anyone who is a first- room he is accustomed to seeing filled with 22 teammates, equipment time parent. It’s cool for me to see something like her first tooth, hear her managers, coaches and additional team personnel is now a ghost town first words, see her eat food for the first time. It might sound crazy to compared to what it was like in March. some, but it’s just a miracle to watch.” “It’s been a little bizarre, for sure,” Kadri said of the current landscape. “A Kadri has worked to stay in playing shape while also taking in those little bit odd. A lot of us have become accustomed to this, and it sucks cherished moments with his wife and daughter. how this has become the new normal, but in the near future, you’re optimistic that things are getting better.” But he has also had a little fun on the side. He said one of the advantages of staying in was also getting a chance to work on Life for Kadri can be viewed through one of two prisms: What he does on his golf game. The City of Denver reopened its courses in late April, but the ice and what he has done away from it all. others were open for business earlier. Kadri stressed that he followed the Kadri, of course, spent a decade with the before required protocols, and in that time, he saw some improvements in his coming to the Avalanche last summer in a trade that saw Alexander game. Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie head the other way. Getting Kadri meant the Golf is one of the ways Kadri was able to get to know his teammates on a Avs had a bona fide second-line center who provided stability to what more personal level. He has played rounds alongside Andre Burakovsky, was a difficult position to fill. Continuity is one of the facets of what made , , Landeskog and MacKinnon. Kadri shared trading for the veteran appealing. He fulfilled that by averaging 0.71 how Burakovsky, Johnson and Landeskog are good golfers, while points per game. That falls within the same production range at which MacKinnon is also “really good” — to the point where he employed a Kadri performed when he pulled off consecutive 30-goal campaigns with swing coach to help him get better. the Leafs. As for Zadorov? Kadri said the defenseman’s golf game is still a work in Maintaining that average over an 82-game schedule would have put him progress. on pace for a 58-point campaign. But many of his individual efforts, like so many of his teammates’ contributions in 2019-20, were somewhat This might appear as teammates playing golf to some, but it is another interrupted by injuries. Kadri missed 19 games, with the bulk of those item that has helped Kadri gain comfort in a new setting. So often the contests coming in February and March. He was starting to make discussion centers around how Kadri was traded from the only team he progress on the recovery front when the Avalanche were two points shy has never known. However, moving on from the Leafs also marked the with a game in hand on the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis first time he has ever lived outside of Ontario after growing up in London, Blues for the Central Division and Western Conference titles. playing Major Junior for the Kitchener Rangers and London Knights before going to Toronto to start his NHL career. Then, the NHL suspended play March 12 due to the coronavirus, with the league and NHLPA announcing a return-to-play plan months later. Kadri One thing that has helped is that Kadri has an aunt who lives in Denver. is now healthy and one of six Avalanche players who are in Denver He described having her around as “nothing but terrific” because she participating in those Phase 2 voluntary workouts held at Pepsi Center. helped Kadri and his family get situated and has offered to babysit quite He is joined by Ian Cole, Joonas Donskoi, Philipp Grubauer, Gabriel a few times. Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon in those sessions. “It’s been a smooth transition for me,” Kadri said of living outside of Phase 3 will start on July 10, and that is when teams will be allowed to Ontario. “Denver is a great city. The fans and the organization welcomed hold formal training camps. Although Phase 4 has yet to be announced, me with open arms. That has made me feel comfortable right off the bat. the expectation is that the NHL could resume play in early August. I have been able to find a way to contribute on and off the ice. I am so thankful that the community and this organization has accepted me the “We feel like we deserve to be among the league’s best,” Kadri said. “We way they have.” proved it over a long body of work. Everything is in a bit of an unusual circumstance right now, but everyone is going to get an opportunity to Going from Denver to Toronto is also a change in dynamic when it play, and it is a fair one. It’ll be nice to pick up where we left off.” comes to how hockey is consumed. Colorado can stake its claim for being arguably the most underrated hockey hotbed in the . Kadri was one of a handful of Avalanche players who remained in The Avalanche, which were eighth in average attendance this season, Denver with their families during the quarantine. He spent time working have a strong following in Denver, where fans will camp outside the out, as every player did, to the best of his ability given gyms were closed. team’s practice facility or Pepsi Center, hoping to get a photograph or an One item Kadri accounted for while staying in shape was observing autograph from their favorite players. But they still play in a city where the Ramadan. This year, Ramadan lasted from April 23 through May 23. are king. It is a contrast from Toronto, where the Maple Kadri, who is Muslim, fasted from sunrise to sundown in addition to Leafs — how they performed, what they ate and the hyperbole behind training. He said there are times when trying to balance the two can be what they ate and how it influenced their performances — are often challenging, but it is all about realizing the intention of why fasting during dissected in a market considered, along with Montreal, the most Ramadan matters. demanding in the sport. Kadri said he loves Denver and Toronto “equally,” adding that there is a sense of privacy he has found living in Colorado. MacKinnon spoke last season about how he can walk around a grocery store or a shopping mall without anyone knowing who he is, something that would not happen if he were back home in Canada, where an entire nation has followed his exploits since he was 13.

Actually? Kadri joked earlier in the season that some fans confused him for Avalanche center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.

“No. I think they’ve got it figured out now,” Kadri joked. “I’ve been spotted on a few occasions. Not to the extent as back home, but we do have such knowledgable fans, and they love their players and their teams. I think it is a privilege to play for a city that feels that way about its teams.”

The 29-year-old center, like so many players in the NHL, has offered his thoughts on what it is like to see the league and its players openly discuss race and racism. Kadri, the son of Lebanese parents, has been one of the most vocal players in the sport when it comes to speaking about those subjects and why those matters must continually be addressed.

Kadri said these discussions are a step forward, but his only objection to those conversations is that it took “an unfortunate set of circumstances” like the death of George Floyd, among others, to have an open dialogue.

Does he believe these conversations will continue to be had in NHL dressing rooms?

“It will be now. It has to be talked about,” he said. “There is no way to tiptoe around it at this moment in time. Having uncomfortable conversations makes people feel uncomfortable and like it’s hard to do. People try to avoid that tough conversation when it comes to something they don’t want to talk about.”

That is another reason Kadri said he has never felt hesitant to discuss race and racism.

“No. Never. Never,” he said. “I’ve been talking about this issue for a while and sharing my genuine options about it. It’s nice to see some people trying to make things work and make change because it’s just a matter of right and wrong. That’s the issue. We’re doing everything we can to fix it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186500 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets activate Seth Jones, Dean Kukan from injured reserve

The Columbus Dispatch Jun 18, 2020 at 1:26 PM

As NHL players begin to work their way back into playing shape, the defensive corps of the Blue Jackets received a two-pronged boost Thursday.

Defensemen Seth Jones and Dean Kukan have been activated from injured reserve, the team announced. Jones missed the final 14 games of the regular season and was set to be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks after suffering a hairline fracture and sprain to his right ankle during a Feb. 8 loss at Colorado. Kukan, meanwhile, missed the last 29 games after he tore the medial meniscus and suffered articular cartilage damage in his left knee and was out indefinitely.

Jones is a three-time All-Star who, in 56 games this season, had six goals and 24 assists with 20 penalty minutes and a plus-10 rating. He led the club and was seventh in the NHL in time on ice per game (25:17).

In 33 games this season, Kukan had one goal and four assists with 12 penalty minutes and averaged 15:58 of ice time.

The NHL is in Phase 2 of its plan to return to play, which allows players to participate in group workouts featuring no more than six players at the team’s facilities. The next phase of the resumption of the season which will ultimately see the Blue Jackets face Toronto in a best-of-five playoff series, will be the start of training camps on July 10.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186501 Detroit Red Wings Records: N.Y. Islanders 35-23-10 (.588); Florida 35-26-8 (.565)

Storyline: It was three months ago, but Florida was beginning to look like a dangerous team to face. Does that momentum still exist? NHL playoffs preview: Close battles could be on tap in Eastern Conference Key: The Islanders gained valuable playoff experience last season and their workmanlike approach seems suited for the playoffs.

Key player: Florida paid goalie a lot of money in free Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 1:58 p.m. ET June 18, 2020 | agency for a situation like this. Updated 3:14 p.m. ET June 18, 2020 Prediction: Florida in five

(8) Toronto vs. (9) Columbus They’re taking baby steps, beginning the process back, but actual hockey talk is out there. Records: Toronto 36-25-9 (.579); Columbus 33-22-15 (.579)

Now, in Detroit, it’s somewhat muted because the Red Wings were one Storyline: Few expected Columbus to have as good a season as it had, of the seven teams who didn’t make the cut for the NHL’s return-to-play considering its free-agent defections last summer and avalanche of format, after the season was paused on March 12 because of the injuries during the regular season. It’s a dangerous team heading into coronavirus pandemic. this tournament.

But there are 24 other teams out there that are ready to conclude this Key: While Columbus is the plucky underdog, on some fronts, Toronto peculiar season with a best-of-five play-in series, followed by the usual has the star-studded roster that should defeat the Blue Jackets on pure four rounds of best-of-seven. talent.

Players have begun to have informal skates. Training camp is slated to Key player: Center Auston Matthews. The Toronto star has yet to make begin July 10. The playoffs are likely to begin in late July or early August. an impact in the playoffs during his young career.

Keep your fingers crossed. Prediction: Toronto in four

There will be two hub cities — one for the Eastern Conference and one ROUND ROBIN for the Western Conference — though the cities have yet to be named. (1) Boston (44-14-12, .714 points percentage); (2) Tampa Bay (43-21-6, In this playoff format the top four seeds in each conference — .657); (3) Washington (41-20-8, .652); (4) Philadelphia (41-21-7, .645) determined by points percentage — will play in a round-robin tournament to determine the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in each conference. Storyline: How will these top four seeds treat this format? Is the higher seed that important? Boston was running away with the NHL’s best The remaining teams will face each other in a playoff “qualifier,” in a best- record, but does it matter at this point, three months later? of-five series, with the No. 5 seed facing the No. 12 seed, the No. 6 seed taking on the No. 11 seed, and so on. Key: Health will be crucial, and some of these teams might protect players and ease them back into the lineup. In each succeeding round, the highest remaining seed will face the lowest remaining seed, unlike the bracketed format of years past. Key player: Steven Stamkos. The Tampa Bay star was hurt and probably wouldn’t have been available for the start of the playoffs in a normal Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos will likely be back to full schedule. He’ll be healthy now. health by the time the NHL playoffs start. Prediction: For what it’s worth, Tampa Bay will win this contrived round Today, we’ll examine the Eastern Conference series. Yes, some actual robin. games. Detroit News LOADED: 06.19.2020 Here’s a preview of what to expect:

(5) Pittsburgh vs. (12) Montreal

Records: Pittsburgh 40-23-6 (.623 points percentage); Montreal 31-31-9 (.500)

Storyline: Montreal was 10 points out of a playoff spot when the season was paused, but now finds itself alive and competing for a playoff berth. And the Canadiens are dangerous, because of goalie .

Key: Pittsburgh has all the talent, with star forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust (Troy) and defenseman Kris Letang. But Price, when he’s on, can steal a series with his high-level play.

Key player: Price. He could be the difference, especially being rested and healthy.

Prediction: Pittsburgh in four

(6) Carolina vs. (11) New York Rangers

Records: Carolina 38-25-5 (.596); N.Y. Rangers 37-28-5 (.564)

Storyline: The Rangers might be the lower seed, but they swept the four- game season series against Carolina.

Key: The Rangers are in a rebuilding phase, but they accelerated the process by getting veteran left wing Artemi Panarin and defenseman Jacob Trouba (Rochester) along with rookie contributions. But Carolina has so much depth.

Key player: Panarin. There’s no better offensive player in this series. He could give the Rangers the slightest of edges in a close series.

Prediction: Carolina in five

(7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida 1186502 Detroit Red Wings Soon, though, Johansson was back logging a regular shift with the senior team, and by the end of the year he was earning some time on the power play, solidifying himself as one of the more underrated prospects in the Red Wings prospect report: Albert Johansson plays ‘wise’ hockey in SHL Red Wings farm system.

He’s an “all-around defender,” Pennerborn said. “His gap control, his sense of reading the play, is outstanding. And he’s so smart. SHL is a By Max Bultman Jun 18, 2020 fast league, going north-south all the time, but he reads and he reacts like he (has been) playing for 10 years in the league.”

“He goes toe-to-toe with top players in the league and gets right in their Färjestad BK had a plan to ease Albert Johansson along this season. He face,” Blum said. “And he doesn’t back down.” just wouldn’t let them use it. Of course, when he arrives in North America (whenever that may be), It took all of six games before Johansson, then just an 18-year-old Johansson will want to have bolstered his physicality. Färjestad’s team defenseman, was thrust into the SHL lineup to compete against some of page lists him at 6 feet and just under 170 pounds, which leaves plenty of the best competition Sweden has to offer. room to fill out in order to hold up against more physical play some day. “He was so good in his performance, we couldn’t hold him outside,” Pennerborn, for what it’s worth, said he has seen progress in that Färjestad coach Johan Pennerborn said this week. “Just had to let him department from Johansson since the early offseason began, noting, “I play.” look at his legs and his body and he’s coming (along) really good. So that will not be an issue for the future.” Johansson — one of the Red Wings’ 2019 second-round picks — turned out to be full of surprises this season. He finished with 13 points in 42 The other point of emphasis will be on Johansson’s shot. For as much as games, which was third most among U20 defensemen in the league. his skating and poise are good bedrock traits for Johansson’s game, Five of those points came in his final four games. adding that element would bring an important new threat.

But even with the strong finish, Johansson’s impressive first pro season “He has to put the puck on net more,” Pennerborn said. “His shot has to started before it technically began. In Färjestad’s first preseason game, develop more. His passing and his skills and his way to (move) the puck against EV Zug of the Swiss NLA, Pennerborn played Johansson and carry the puck, no problem. But his shot has to develop more.” alongside , the team’s highest-scoring defenseman and a Even beyond just shooting it, Blum said he plans to talk with Johansson former first-round pick of the Nashville Predators. when he returns to Sweden about taking a few more chances this “I just saw (them) together, and I saw Albert, and I told myself, Wow,” season, “because I think he’s able to do that and he could get away with Pennerborn said. it.”

Playing Johansson with Blum made sense on multiple levels, on and off That accompanies what sounded like some intent from Pennerborn to the ice. Johansson was a true homegrown product, coming up through play Johansson more on special teams next season, especially the the Färjestad system as the son of former NHL and Färjestad power play, which would certainly enable more opportunities to both defenseman Roger Johansson. Blum was in his first year with the shoot and take chances. organization, but had grown up as a top prospect who played in parts of And with the SHL scheduled to begin the 2020-21 season in September, five NHL seasons between the Predators and Wild, as well as had strong during a long offseason for the Red Wings, Johansson could draw even career numbers in the AHL. more attention from hockey-starved fans in Detroit as he continues his He had most recently been in the KHL prior to arriving in Sweden last development. For a player who has flown somewhat under the radar season, but playing them together would give Johansson a mentor, and a since being drafted, they may be surprised at what they see. more experienced defender to rely on. At first, Blum had no idea who “That was my 11th year (as a) pro, and I’ve seen a lot of good Johansson was. But it didn’t take long for the rookie to get his attention. defensemen,” Blum said. “And I can say, he’s going to, if he keeps it up “I would sometimes look at him and he’d have two guys on him, and I — his dad played in the NHL, and he’s got a good upbringing, and he’s would be panicking for him,” Blum said. “And you would just look at his got a good, level head — so I think if he keeps it on, and continues to get face, and he was just so composed and just so much poise, and he stronger and working hard like he does, he’s going to be a Red Wing would eventually just beat those two guys.” very soon, in my opinion.”

Like just about everyone who talks about Johansson, one of the first The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 things Blum praised was his skating, calling it both “top notch” and “unbelievable.” But the comments that stood out most were those about Johansson’s poise as such a young player in the SHL. Those traits are harder to spot in an environment such as a prospect development camp — the last time most Red Wings fans or local media saw him — but often important indicators for prospects.

“I think he’s going to be something very special,” Blum said. “Hard to believe he was only 18 playing in the Swedish Hockey League, because it’s a very tough league to play in.”

“He’s a wise hockey player,” Pennerborn added.

But that doesn’t mean he didn’t still need a mentor. There were a couple times this season, when Red Wings brass were in town to watch Johansson, that Blum would draw on his experience from his days as a top prospect, to when Predators personnel would come to watch his games in junior hockey.

He remembered how he had wanted to try to do a little too much those nights, trying to pull off the hard play and make an impression. So he would remind Johansson: They were just there to see him. He needed to keep playing his game.

And most of the time this season, his game was enough to make an impression on its own. Once Johansson earned his spot in the lineup, he played mostly solid minutes, outside of one stint in January, when Pennerborn said he “saw in his body language and in his eyes that he was a little bit tired,” and had him play a few games in the junior league. 1186503 Edmonton Oilers “I think my first year in Bakersfield, I got more comfortable in joining the rush and making some good offensive plays as well.”

In the past few years, the Oilers have done well in drafting and Edmonton Oilers pipeline update: William Lagesson making big progress developing defenceman and hope Lagesson is next in the line of on blue line blueliners to make the jump to the NHL, following the path of Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones.

Derek Van Diest Once things get back to normal, Lagesson hopes to challenge for a roster spot next season. His confidence grew by the game during his short stint with the Oilers.

William Lagesson is taking large strides toward his goal of becoming an “I think now that I know what it’s like to be in the NHL, getting those few NHL defenceman. games in, I know what to expect,” Lagesson said. “I think that helps a lot. I think the next time I get a chance to play with the Oilers, I’ll be able to The Edmonton Oilers prospect got a taste of the league this past season, play my game and will be way more comfortable right off the bat.” called up and getting into eight games for the NHL club. Lagesson returned to Sweden shortly after sports went on pause. He’s When the Oilers reconvene for the return-to-play tournament following been able to skate as restrictions in his home country have not been as the COVID-19 pause, Lagesson, 24, is expected to be part of the strict as some other parts of the world, including Canada and the United extended roster. States. “Obviously, you want to be in the NHL and I thought it was great to get Lagesson will be joining the Oilers when they open training camp on July my first games in,” Lagesson said. “It was a little bit crazy, because the 10 to prepare for the return of the league. first time I got called up I didn’t play, then I got sent back down and then called up again, which motivated me even more. “I think it’s been great to come back to Sweden because we’ve been skating and working out the whole time,” he said. “It was great for me to “It was good to get into that first game and then get some experience and come back and have the opportunity to do that instead of being in some confidence. It was a lot of fun.” quarantine the whole time. I think that was a good advantage for me to Selected by the Oilers in the fourth round (91st overall) of the 2014 NHL come back and be able to do that, so I’ll be ready to come back and I’ll Entry Draft, Lagesson spent the majority of the past two seasons with the be in good shape when I do.” in the American Hockey League. He had three goals Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 06.19.2020 and 10 points in 25 games with Bakersfield before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018-19, Lagesson had eight goals and 27 points in 67 games for Bakersfield and added two goals and four points in 10 playoff games. He did not register a point in his eight games with the Oilers this season.

“I felt more comfortable in the NHL with the more games I played,” Lagesson said. “I think with every game I played, I got more and more comfortable and got more confidence.”

Lagesson was a big part of the Bakersfield blue line this past season and proved he could be a reliable call-up with Edmonton when they ran thin on the back end due to injuries.

The product of Goteborg, Sweden, is well versed in the North American game having played a season in the United States Hockey League with Dubuque before spending two seasons with the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was selected by the Oilers following his sophomore year.

After signing with Edmonton, Lagesson returned to Sweden to play with Djurgardens IF for a year before joining Bakersfield.

“Last season was obviously a better for us, team-wise, in Bakersfield,” Lagesson said. “I don’t really know why we didn’t win as many games this year. When you are winning, the feeling around the team is better and more positive. I think this year everyone was a little bit down, but we fought in every game to try and win and to make playoffs, but it didn’t work out.

“Some years, it doesn’t work out and we had one of those years down there this year.”

The Condors had a 21-27-5 record this season when the AHL closed up shop due to the pandemic. Last season, Bakersfield finished with a 42- 21-3 record, which included a 17-game winning streak, the second longest in AHL history.

Bakersfield qualified for the playoffs for the first time in its short five-year history last season, losing out in the second round to the San Diego Gulls.

Lagesson feels he has made big improvements to his game in his two seasons with Bakersfield and is ready to take the next step in his hockey career.

“I think my decision-making and ability to make quicker decisions all over the ice has improved, just because it’s a smaller ice over here so you don’t get as much time with the puck,” Lagesson said. “It’s important to make good, quick decisions with the puck and read the game quickly. 1186504 Edmonton Oilers It goes against tradition to play the rookie over veteran, but the Puck IQ numbers endorse Jones. Overall, against all levels of competition and playing with Benning, math suggests it’s close. Using Natural Stat Trick, Lowetide: Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones and the Oilers’ need for veteran here are the possible third pairings entering the playoffs and the results insurance at 5-on-5 (sorted by shot differential):

Jones-Benning: 98 minutes, 51.46 percent shot differential (53-50) and 5- 2 goal differential By Allan Mitchell Jun 18, 2020 Russell-Benning: 226 minutes, 50.29 percent shot differential (86-85) and 10-3 goal differential

Dave Tippett and his coaching staff relied heavily on rookies in 2019-20. The sample size for any of Green’s partners is so small it can’t be In all, freshmen Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Joel Persson and William counted on at all, but it’s interesting to note Jones and Green had a 10-2 Lagesson played in 135 NHL games, or about 31 percent of the total shot differential in just over four minutes at 5-on-5. One of the most man games (426 overall) by Oilers defencemen. interesting decisions for Game 1 against the Blackhawks will be personnel on Edmonton’s three pairings. An NHL coach who runs inexperienced defenders into the breach with that kind of regularity is going to need a lot of patience and forgiveness. Next season Bear and Jones, the main rookies, were outstanding in their debut seasons, but no matter how good your rookie blue, there are growing We’ll know more after the playoffs, but at this point it seems reasonable pains. to assume general manager Ken Holland will proceed with Bear and Jones as substantial contributors for 2020-21. If that’s true, then it’s The 2019-20 numbers getting mighty crowded for the Oilers defensive depth chart next season.

Puck IQ is a brilliant site that gives us insight into how a coach deploys If Tippett runs the Swedish pair of Klefbom-Larsson and Nurse-Bear as his players. The binning of quality of competition separates 5-on-5 his top two pairings, that leaves five men competing for three jobs: minutes and gives us a clear view of the roster players most trusted in Russell, Benning and Green (should he re-sign in Edmonton), along with the important game situations. Jones and Lagesson. Phenom Evan Bouchard waits in the wings.

In 2019-20, Bear led the Oilers in percentage of 5-on-5 minutes against I looked at Green in May; he’s a savvy veteran who can skate, move the elite competition, a mind-blowing fact considering it was his rookie puck and defend. Tippett used him at even strength and on the penalty season and he wasn’t a lock to make the opening night lineup entering kill, and on the second pairing although usage in two games can’t be training camp. Here are the numbers for each regular defenceman, regarded as anything close to a complete view. ranked by Dangerous Fenwick Corsi relative (DFF CR%): Edmonton has some quality options for that third pairing and extra man. DFFCR% gives us a view of each player relative to the team’s other defenceman. In this way, we can conclude that Bear played on the top A matter of trust pairing by minutes and percentage of minutes and performed at an A lot of Holland’s evaluation will concentrate on cover for his young average level compared to his fellow defenders. That’s an impressive defencemen. Bear played a feature role in 2019-20, but a right side feat for a rookie, he and partner Darnell Nurse played the heavy minutes defence of Larsson, Bear and Green might allow for a sophomore slump early in the year before the Klefbom-Larsson pairing settled in to ease that doesn’t devastate should it arrive. Bear’s youth is also a nice guard the load in the second half of the year. against an older defenceman getting injured during the season. Both Jones played third pairing minutes (top two pairs are usually 35-40 Bear and Green give the roster some options should Larsson get hurt percent, third pair 25 percent or less) and outperformed Russell once he again. found his way into the lineup regularly. On the left side, where Jones will be looking for work, it’s a matter of trust Defencemen and their development and dollars. Klefbom and Nurse will occupy the top two slots, and then it becomes a matter of the expensive veteran (Russell, $4 million cap) Defencemen do not develop in a straight line. Growing pains involve versus the signed and ready Jones ($850,000 cap hit). Lagesson making mistakes on live television and in front of 20,000 witnesses, as represents the extra man on a value deal. well as injuries and the process it takes to read and react by rote. Based on cap issues and roster needs, the return of Russell and Benning Although far from identical, Bear’s path as a rookie was somewhat seems less likely based on the advantages of employing Jones and reminiscent of Nurse’s freshman season. In 2015-16, Nurse was thrust Green. Edmonton’s defensive depth chart on opening night 2020-21 into a top pairing role due to injuries, playing much of the year with might look like this: Andrej Sekera and Justin Schultz. His possession numbers were poor (relative to his fellow Edmonton defencemen) and the youngster Klefbom-Larsson struggled in the role. In the following season (as per Puck IQ) Nurse’s Nurse-Bear minutes against elites were reduced and his results improved slightly against elites: Jones-Green

In Year 3, Nurse posted a strong season against elites, paired mostly Lagesson with Adam Larsson. In 2018-19, paired with , Nurse had his poorest year but recovered nicely while working with Bear this past That group of seven should come in around $21 million or less, meaning season. it would be in the range of Edmonton’s opening night defence in 2019-20 while accommodating new deals for Nurse and Bear, plus the free agent Nurse’s career against elites over five seasons reflects the difficulty in signing of Green. projecting defencemen season over season. Injuries to key players and lack of depth impact every NHL team, especially a building team like What does it all mean? Edmonton. Bear and Jones impressed as rookies, but history tells us that injuries It also shows us just how much impact Bear had in 2019-20. He and and learning curves can be issues in Year 2 (and beyond). Holland’s Nurse battled all year long, and despite struggles, delivered the kind of acquisition of Green at the deadline may have been made because the season that invites a return assignment the following season. team felt Benning was best suited to a third pairing role. If Bear struggled in Year 2, who best to step into the second pairing role? Green may be Playoffs to come the answer, while also providing a mentor for Jones.

Bear is a lock for top-four minutes during the postseason. Barring injury, Bear and Jones had solid to excellent NHL debuts and should project Oilers fans can expect him to play alongside Nurse on one of the feature into second pair and third pair duty, respectively, in 2020-21. The security pairings. Jones’ immediate future may be on the third pairing with either of Green for the second pair may well win the day for Holland during the Mike Green or Matt Benning. His competition for that role on the left side offseason, with Lagesson’s contract getting him the final spot on the will be Kris Russell, whose possession numbers via Puck IQ are the roster. lowest ranked among regulars. The playoffs will help decide how the club proceeds during what may be a frantic six-week offseason. Holland values veterans and the bet here is that Green will win the battle over Russell and Benning.

If Bear and Jones continue to flourish, the Oilers might have their deepest defensive group since Andrej Sekera was healthy and effective in 2016-17.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186505 Edmonton Oilers Andreas Athanasiou – GM Ken Holland gave up two second-round picks to acquire Athanasiou from Detroit at the trade deadline, so watching him leave after a little more than one season wouldn’t be ideal.

Why the Oilers should protect these 8 skaters in the Seattle expansion Athanasiou is under team control until 2022 but is arbitration eligible this draft offseason. He’s bound to get a bump in salary from the $3 million he made this season. At that price tag, the Oilers could do a lot worse than reinvesting that money elsewhere considering Athanasiou had 11 goals By Daniel Nugent-Bowman Jun 18, 2020 in 55 games as a supposed scoring winger.

Granted most of that time was spent on a putrid Detroit team. If Athanasiou returns to his 30-goal form from 2018-19, however, it’s an The last time the NHL held an expansion draft only seven teams decided entirely different conversation. For now, the guarantee of keeping Jones to protect eight skaters and a goalie rather than seven forwards, three is a better option. defencemen and a netminder. Tyler Benson – He’s their top forward prospect in AHL Bakersfield and If the Oilers were putting together their list today for the Seattle franchise performed adequately in his first NHL stint this season, picking up an – instead of one year from now – they should be making the same, less assist in seven games. Benson is just 22, but next season is critical as he popular call. aims to establish himself as a full-time, big-league player. Really, what this comes down to is the Oilers don’t have a fifth forward There are parallels to Puljujarvi with Benson. If he keeps improving and they should be as concerned about losing over Caleb Jones – the fourth performs well in Edmonton next season, the Oilers will want to protect defenceman worth protecting. him. If spends more of his time in the minors, there’s no reason to fret As colleague Jonathan Willis pointed out last month, there are five locks about leaving him exposed. to be safeguarded right now – three up front and two on the blue line: Benson is more in the latter category than the former right now – with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Kailer Yamamoto, and less upside or intrigue about what he could be than there is with Ethan Bear (who needs a new deal this summer after hitting RFA status). Puljujarvi, a fellow 2016 draft pick. I’d include Darnell Nurse in that group, too. He’s the team’s No. 2 James Neal – Replacing 19 goals in 55 games wouldn’t be easy. Let’s defenceman and has another year on his contract after the draft. That get that out of the way. Neal was also a part of an elite power play. makes three blueliners and six total skaters. But ridding themselves of a $5.75-million cap hit until 2023 should be The only thing preventing fan favourite Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from desirable for the Oilers. Neal turns 33 in September. He failed to score in joining the ranks is the fact his contract is set to expire at the end of next the 2020 portion of the season, while being limited to 13 games due to a season. Providing that situation is rectified in the form of an extension, foot/ankle injury. He also ended the season on the fourth line. he’ll also be protected. We’ll assume that happens for the sake of this exercise. With due respect to Neal – and his acquisition at the very least disposed of Milan Lucic’s albatross deal – Seattle would be doing the Oilers a With seven locks or near-locks, the Oilers can block off either three massive favour by selecting him. forwards or one defenceman. Jones is certainly ahead of William Lagesson here. (Remember, top prospects Evan Bouchard and Philip Zack Kassian – His 15 goals tied his personal best from last season and Broberg are exempt from the draft.) his 34 points were a career high, accomplished in just 59 games. There’s a lot to like about Kassian – as long as he’s in the lineup and isn’t There are plenty of points in favour of protecting Jones. suspended. He just turned 23 and is only just starting to come into his own as an NHL The issue is he’s 29 and might have topped out. He’s also only proven he defenceman. Dating back to a brief stint last season, he’s already been can produce offensively next to McDavid, a spot in the lineup that won’t asked to play top-four minutes in a fill-in capacity. be his forever. The lefty can play his off-side, has offensive upside and is an effective His four-year, $3.2 million AAV deal kicks in next season. It has the skater. His 49 Corsi for percentage at 5-on-5 was fourth-best on the potential to hamstring the Oilers in the latter stages; he’ll be 34 when it Oilers for players skating at least 500 minutes. And he’s under contract ends. until 2022 at a team-friendly $850,000 cap hit. He can’t hit the open market until 2024. As with Neal, the Oilers shouldn’t fear exposing Kassian in an expansion draft now – or in a year when it occurs. Seattle selecting him would open Leave Jones there for the taking and he should be the player Seattle some cap space, too. snatches up. Even with Bouchard and Broberg in the pipeline, losing Jones would result in a sizeable dent. Josh Archibald – He was a key member of the Oilers’ second-ranked penalty kill and moved up to play a top-six role when asked, chipping in Yes, lots can and will happen in a year’s time. However, right now, there 12 goals. The $1.5 million cap hit through 2022 is affordable, too. is no forward in the organization they should fear relinquishing to Seattle more than Jones. In some cases, Seattle might even be taking an Having Seattle nab his PK and checking skills wouldn’t be optimal. onerous contract off their hands. However, there’s really no debate if it had to come down to protecting the 1992-born Archibald or the 1997-born Jones. Let’s go through the list of players under team control past next June. Jujhar Khaira – See above. Khaira is two years under than Archibald and Jesse Puljujarvi – It would be a shame to lose Puljujarvi for nothing after is also an effective penalty killer on a cheap contract. That he scored a season-long holdout. Even though Puljujarvi doesn’t have the same nine goals in his last 124 games and seldom plays above the bottom six cachet as four years ago when he was the fourth overall pick, the doesn’t exactly make him a hot commodity. potential for growth is certainly there. Surely, the conversation will shift over the coming year – just as it has He’s still young – he just turned 22 – and is only coming off his entry- shifted over the previous months. level deal. The Oilers need players on low-cost deals – whether that’s Puljujarvi or the asset(s) they obtain in a potential trade involving him. The Oilers are a team on the rise, so bringing in more talent to surround McDavid and Draisaitl is imperative for Holland to do before the start of Ultimately, the Oilers won’t be in the same place a year from now with next season. That could change an expansion draft list. Puljujarvi. He’ll either be dealt before then; he’ll return next season and show signs of promise (and then be protected in the expansion draft); or Based on how things look today, an eight-skater group, along with he’ll play for the Oilers and not improve (and then there’s little to worry goaltender Mikko Koskinen, has never looked more likely. about exposing him). Point to Jones and the lack of a forward who meets ideal protection The Puljujarvi situation is a conundrum now but shouldn’t be so criteria behind McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins and Yamamoto for cumbersome in 12 months. that.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186506

Anze Kopitar, Matt Roy win Kings’ season-ending team awards

Veteran center named the team's most valuable player for 2019-20, Roy voted top newcomer and defensive player

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: June 18, 2020 at 2:36 p.m. | UPDATED: June 18, 2020 at 2:37 p.m.

Anze Kopitar won the Bill Libby Memorial Award as the Kings’ most valuable player in 2019-20 and Matt Roy was named the winner of the Mark Bavis Memorial Award for the best newcomer, the team announced Thursday.

Roy also was named the Kings’ best defenseman and best defensive player.

Kopitar, a veteran center, received the Ace Bailey Memorial Award as the Kings’ most inspirational player and Roy was named their unsung hero in his first full season in the NHL. Kopitar had 21 goals and 41 assists and Roy had four goals and 14 assists. Kopitar and Roy each played in all 70 games.

The Kings’ season ended March 12, when the NHL suspended play because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The league plans to resume the season with only the top 24 teams in the standings at a date and place still to be determined. The Kings were not among the NHL’s top 24 teams.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186507 Los Angeles Kings Is that more important now than ever, given the amount of competition you face in the industry? It’s not just you against the other local affiliates now.

Q&A: Fred Roggin on a 40-year TV run full of innovation, curling and No question about it. It was always important. Here’s an example. If you ‘Heroes’ watch — all are good, all do a fantastic job — locally produced shows that follow a major sporting event, I would ask you to look at the production of the shows. They’re all done well. They’re all exactly the By Rich Hammond Jun 18, 2020 same. We come on. We show some highlights. We talk to an analyst. We show more highlights. We get some live interviews. We talk to the

analyst. We show highlights. In essence, what they are is a version of a It’s impossible not to whistle along. The familiar theme hits, the highlights network postgame show, with local access. begin and it’s time for a rollicking journey with Roggin’s Heroes and a trip The issue is, when you come off the network postgame show, they’re into the Hall of Shame. exceptional. They have the access. They have technology. They look Fred Roggin came to town 40 years ago with the knowledge that he big-time. You come to the local market, and they look decidedly different. needed to be different. Local sportscasts were full of clips and interviews, You don’t have the access. You don’t have the same technology. They and following the crowd would not allow Roggin to stand out. So he and all look the same, except one: The Challenge. That was created so it colleagues at NBC 4 created “franchises,” segments that brought a fresh would look nothing like one of the network postgame shows or one of the feel to the competitive market. Four decades later, Roggin is still going local postgame shows. strong as Channel 4’s lead sports anchor. You tell me if you would have bought this. We have NFL football and I Roggin also has had a high profile as a national reporter and host for have an idea. I’m going to three-day-old high school football videos after NBC’s coverage of the Olympics every two years since 2000. “Roggin’s an NFL game, submitted by parents. Number two, I’m going to go out Heroes,” based on highlights and bloopers, went national in the 1990s. and get this guy (Petros Papadakis) to be with me. He’s the smartest Locally, Roggin also hosts “The Challenge” on Sunday nights after person I’ve ever met in my life. Some people consider him abrasive. national NFL games and co-hosts a daily sports-talk show on 570 AM Many people consider him funny. One thing I can tell you is, he’s with Rodney Peete. polarizing. Number three, we’re going to create a concept where you can win prizes simply by watching. An old radio bit: listen and win. And Roggin, 63, has covered it all in L.A., with intelligence and wit. He occasionally, we’re going to bring in a live animal, probably a pig. Are you recently spoke with The Athletic about his career. in? People are, like, “What? You’re not going to show NFL highlights?” No, this is what we’re going to do. (This interview has been edited for length.) Was there any lightbulb moment, in 1980-whatever, when you thought, You arrived in Los Angeles in 1980 at age 23. What was your goal for OK, I think this will work here? your career at that point? I was brought in specifically to be the weekend guy, and to do a 15- I only went six months to a junior college, so I really have no college minute sports show on Sunday nights. CBS had started one with Jim Hill, experience. I’m basically a functional illiterate. I learned on the job and it was very successful. So what did that mean? There’s money to be everywhere. I started as a radio guy in Globe, Arizona, where I was made. They wanted to create a show that would, in some way, attempt to “Uncle Fred.” Every time I would take a job, it included sports play-by- compete with something that was just a juggernaut. It was kind of play. So in Globe, I was “Uncle Fred,” working 8 until midnight playing prehistoric for us, because we didn’t know what we were doing. top-40 music, and then I would do the play-by-play for the local high school team. But what we did do was watch his show religiously on Sunday nights. We would record it on the VCR, go back home and watch it over and over. I From there, I moved to Yuma, and I was “Rock and Roll Roggin,” every have a great deal of respect for Jim. Longevity is the barometer of day from 10 to 3, and I did the play-by-play of the local high school team. success, and what he has accomplished in this marketplace. We I also did a sports-talk show, which I started there in Yuma. And they had watched it not from, “It’s Jim Hill,” but from a production standpoint. And a TV station in Yuma, at the same place where radio was. I asked if I we finally came to a conclusion — it took us six months, watching it over could try out, and they said, “There are no tryouts here. You’re on.” and over. Jim did a “week in review.” But we were looking at it more That’s how I got on TV. For radio, I got paid $750 a month, and for TV, I technically. How did they do it? We realized there was no way we were got paid $5 a day. going to win that battle, because that was established and it was a I realized, quickly, in TV — I’ve always been more of a strategist than a juggernaut. broadcaster — I realized that you’re serving different masters in different We needed to create concepts outside of what he did, to get people genres. So the way you did local television sports would be very different tuned in. He did 30 minutes, an outstanding week in review. We created than the way you did network television sports. In local television sports a segment on our show called “week in review.” It took two minutes. Our — and it holds true today — the largest part of our audience could care theory was, if you liked that week in review, from a production standpoint, less about what you’re doing. The smallest percentage of a local TV he will do it in 30 minutes; we’ll do it in two. That gave us time to create news audience watches for sports. So I wanted to create a concept that other concepts. Thus, plays of the week, which became Roggin’s would attract all the people that didn’t like sports. And if I did that, I would Heroes, was born. The Hall of Shame was born. We did something for a succeed, because there were far more of those people. while called Mr. Roggin’s Neighborhood, a parody of Mr. Rogers’ So I started to develop, as we call them, franchises, which in this market Neighborhood. included the Hall of Shame and Roggin’s Heroes. We did Mr. Roggin’s We would create all of these concepts that didn’t exist anywhere else, Neighborhood in this market. And my goal was to attract all the people and when that show started to work, I thought, OK, we’re on the right who were on the periphery. So I approached things differently when I got track. People at first thought I — meaning our team, but I take here. I wasn’t as much about, “I’m going to get the big interview.” I wasn’t responsibility — that I was a clown. “What are you doing? That’s now as much about, “I’m going to get in there and ask those questions after how it’s done. That’s not our version of sports. You’re in Los Angeles.” the game.” I approached it from the perspective of, what production But we always remembered that the largest percentage of the audience techniques can we do to enlarge our audience? So I was a production could care less. We wanted to create a product that would attract those guy into sports, not a sports guy who was into production. And there people. really is a difference, and if you think about what we’ve accomplished over the years, it rings true today. Our concepts are production concepts. Did you have a favorite segment or concept, either to produce or just to watch? We needed to create concepts — and still do today — that stood out from a world where everything is the same. It’s not about me. It’s about Mr. Roggin’s Neighborhood, I thought, was hilarious. Underappreciated. our team and the concepts we create. I tell the guys all the time, “We are (laughs) It was lessons that we taught kids. I always thought that was better together. We are stronger together.” If one of the TV guys has a really funny. radio idea, they’ll let us know. And if one of the radio people has a TV idea, then they talk to the TV guys. The Hall of Shame was what everything was based upon. Some people thought, “Well, these are just bloopers.” In essence, what they were was mini-movies. There was music, sound effects, and the narration was exceptionally well-written, and a lot of people contributed to that.

When we went national, the name of the show was going to be the “Hall of Shame Show.” But they did some research, and for people outside of Los Angeles who didn’t understand what that meant, it had a negative connotation. So, we then went with Roggin’s Heroes. But the majority of it was the Hall of Shame. That was our bread and butter.

Your Olympics coverage, was that something you actively worked toward being a part of, or how did that happen?

It was career-making. Working at the NBC affiliate in Los Angeles, people on the network level had an opportunity to see what I was doing. I had done some feature work for them, for NFL Live. I was also one of the play-by-play guys they used in the regional package. I would get the D game. I’d get Buffalo and Cincinnati. Both teams have lost 300 games each season. (laughs)

As time went on, they’d use me on Sportsworld. We were fortunate in L.A., because we were doing well. Then finally the opportunity presented itself to work on the Olympics, and they used me as a reporter and put me on boxing. That was a seminal moment for me, to get the opportunity to work on that stage. It’s indescribable. Then they moved me into the host role for boxing.

When NBC got the Winter Games, I got a call and they said, “We want to use you on the Winter Games, and we know you really love hockey, so there’s good news and bad news. The good news is, you’re on the ice. The bad news is, we want you to do curling.” And at that moment, let me tell me what your response is. It’s, “That’s always been my dream.” Then I thought, OK, that will give me a chance to do stuff that will be considered fun at that level. It was David Neal who called me. He said, “I want you to have fun, but don’t make fun.” And I kept that in mind as I started, and curling turned out to be — it might not be America’s No. 1 sport, but for me, it was the best thing I’ve ever done on a network level.

You mentioned you started as a radio guy. Why did you decide to jump back into radio a few years ago?

Believe me, I’m the luckiest guy on the planet and I love doing television. I’ve been very fortunate. But there’s something about radio. When you start in radio, it stays in your blood. It’s the purest form of communication. There’s immediacy to radio. There’s interaction with radio, so you get immediate feedback on what you’re doing, because people are engaged and involved.

Radio creates a sense of family with your audience, because it’s a very personal medium. You speak to people one-on-one. They’re in their car. They might be at home. You’re talking directly with them. Where in TV, you’re talking to the larger audience. In radio, you’re talking to one person. Radio also doesn’t give you the advantage you have in TV from the perspective of tools. In TV, you can lean. You can change your facial expression. You have video. You have all these tools to communicate. In radio, all you have is you. Once you’ve done that, it’s really hard to get that out of your blood, because you like the connection, on a daily basis, with people who are passionate about what you do.

Is there anything left on your professional bucket list?

I’ve traveled the world. I’ve been to every major sporting event on the planet. I’ve had the opportunity to meet incredible people and develop friendships. Is there anything else I’d like to do? I just want to be challenged every day. That might be more esoteric, but given that you never know what’s going to happen in our world, that’s challenging. Things develop. That’s exciting. We’ve lived through some horrible things recently, including certainly the loss of Kobe. People are still overwhelmed by that.

I just look forward to every day being unique and challenging, and every day trying to create. What’s my goal? My goal is to not fall down at my age. Life is luck and timing. I truly am the luckiest guy you’ll ever meet. Should I have been on television? No. People see me and probably should run away from me. I’m aware of that. I have been so blessed to have worked at NBC. They’ve taken care of me. They’ve allowed me to create. They’ve encouraged me to be different. They’ve cared for me. I’ve lived in a lot of places in Southern , but I’ve had one home, and that’s Channel 4.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186508 Los Angeles Kings 2018 asleep at the wheel, and he ended up developing an overlooked quarterback into a star and bringing life back to the Trojans’ offense. Harrell is a quirky guy. He’s pretty straightforward, is firm in his opinions The Athletic L.A. turns two: Our favorite stories and hopes for the rest of and doesn’t care about what other people think of him — and his love for 2020 professional wrestling encapsulates that.

How Landry Shamet’s old soul, and his off-the-charts hoops sense, put him in the driver’s seat in L.A. (Oct. 30, 2019) By The Athletic Los Angeles Staff Jun 18, 2020 Jovan Buha: One of the things I enjoy most about working at The Athletic is the freedom that beat writers have to take a step back from the daily grind to work on feature stories. I began the Shamet feature during the On June 18, 2018, The Athletic Los Angeles was launched, and on the summer in 2019, conducting multiple interviews with him, his mother, his day of our first anniversary, we presented our favorite stories. We’ve friends and his former mentors, coaches and teachers. I was proud of the revived that idea for our two-year anniversary by having the L.A. editorial breadth of my reporting, including over 15 total interviews and nearly 10 staff again choose their favorite pieces from the past year. hours of recorded audio. At its core, the story was about Landry growing To also celebrate this special day, we have scheduled one-hour live up in a single-parent household with his mother, Melanie, and their Q&As with L.A. writers throughout the day. journey — including some struggles — from Kansas City to the NBA. It’s a story that’s been told before, but I tried to add layers that were unique 10 a.m. PT — Rams writer Jourdan Rodrigue to Landry’s personality and his upbringing. It’s the piece I worked on the hardest and am most proud of. 11 a.m. PT — Chargers writer Daniel Popper ‘New kid in town’ — How a former King met the daughter he didn’t know Noon PT — Clippers writer Jovan Buha existed (Dec. 5, 2019) 1 p.m. PT — Angels writer Fabian Ardaya Lisa Dillman: It started at the end of a Kings road trip, with a drive to a 2 p.m. PT — Ducks and Kings writer Josh Cooper suburb in Madison, Wis., to have dinner with a dedicated nurse who works in the pulmonary unit at the University of Wisconsin. The next 3 p.m. PT — Lakers columnists Andy and Brian Kamenetzky chapter was in November, driving to the restaurant Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks with fellow NHL writer Eric Duhatschek to interview Gene 4 p.m. PT — Dodgers writer Pedro Moura Carr, who played for the Kings. The nurse was Carr’s daughter, the child If you are a first-time visitor to our part of The Athletic’s vast network, he never knew he had until that past summer. One of the best parts welcome. We hope you take advantage of our 30-day free trial to get a about The Athletic is the collaboration with colleagues in other markets, complete picture of what The Athletic L.A. — and The Athletic — is all and we felt honored they were so open in sharing a very personal story about. with us.

Our favorite stories from Year 2 Grading the grader: How the Lakers wrecked some preseason predictions (Dec. 9, 2019) ‘He’s just an incredible human being’ — Why Kyle Clifford means so much to his family and the Kings (Aug. 5, 2019) Brian Kamenetzky: This one was fun first because it’s a reminder that, as writers, we should always be willing to test the assumptions and Josh Cooper: You don’t often get invited to the house of an NHL player to predictions we make and try to figure out why things did or didn’t play out do a story on him — especially if the story involves his family. But former as anticipated. Probably more important is the reminder that it’s OK to be Kings forward Kyle Clifford was nice enough to offer a window into his life “wrong,” and it doesn’t make current analysis or reporting, assuming it’s in the South Bay. I got to meet his wife, Paige, and sons Brody, Ryker well-thought, any less valid. As a sports culture, fans and media alike, we and Cooper, and see the beautiful life they’ve built. It made me think a lot can all use some perspective. Second, the story reminds me of how about myself as a dad and what I want for my family. Plus, all the people remarkable this season has been for the Lakers — how quickly I talked with, who helped me trace Clifford’s steps to the NHL, offered everything came together and how, in so many ways, this team defied anecdotes of a humble human who cared deeply about those around expectations. Not in how good they’d eventually be, but the path they him. When the league returns to action, I’ll definitely be pulling for Clifford took getting there. to succeed. Philip Rivers’ last pass (maybe) and show of respect for a longtime foe ‘He is one of a kind’: Mark Kertenian teaches baseball and life lessons as (Dec. 29, 2019) Dodgers’ players guru (Aug. 16, 2019) Daniel Popper: This is my favorite story I have written since joining The Pedro Moura: I wrote plenty about the men on the field and in the Athletic L.A. for several reasons. It provided a unique window into the Dodgers’ dugout last season, but this story about an unheralded, minor- way Rivers operated during his Chargers career, and why he feels so league manager stands as my most memorable. It spotlighted Mark connected to football. In the end, Rivers’ passion has always been rooted Kertenian, a guru of sorts for many of the organization’s prospects, top in his childlike love for the game, and he genuinely relates to anyone who and bottom. He had been a longtime college coach before working his has that same love — even if it’s a fan who actively roots against him. I way up the minors, and the varied lessons he learned are enumerated in was also proud of turning the story around in a few hours. I feel that gave the feature. it some additional meaning. The emotions were still raw for Chargers Only Dwight Howard knows whether he’s capable of genuine, lasting fans when the piece was published. But it gave them an opportunity to change (Aug. 26, 2019) reminisce positively about Rivers’ Chargers career, after a season that made it difficult to do so. Lastly, the story has really gained more Andy Kamenetzky: I think this piece about Dwight Howard joining the importance as this offseason has gone on. Rivers obviously left the Lakers reflects my aesthetics as a writer. It’s framed through a scene Chargers as a free agent, so this ended up being his final act in a from “Sons of Anarchy,” and I often use pop culture to help explain real Chargers uniform. That’s really special. As journalists, our primary role is life. It’s quite honest about the myriad of reasons Howard’s second stint to document history. I feel like I achieved that with this story, and it’s cool with the Lakers could have gone sideways, but it’s also empathetic and that the gravity of that moment only grew in the weeks and months after it openly hopeful that his Hall of Fame career would get resuscitated in L.A. ran. Ultimately, Howard cashed in (and then some) on this shot at redemption, and considering the last several months, which have ‘He’s our jerk’: In his return to Anaheim, Ducks fans explain why they included the death of Kobe Bryant, a global pandemic and weeks of love Corey Perry (Jan. 10, 2020) social unrest, any recent reminder of optimism winning out is quite Eric Stephens: To be completely transparent, I’ve never been crazy welcome. about picking a favorite story. It’s kind of like picking your favorite song. USC’s Graham Harrell doesn’t care what you think about the Air Raid — By no means am I saying that I’ve got so much in my canon that it’s or his love of pro wrestling (Aug. 29, 2019) impossible to choose one. It’s just that there are a handful that stand out, and I find it very hard to separate one from the rest. But I narrowed them Antonio Morales: Graham Harrell is the brightest star on USC’s coaching down to three, starting with this feature about Corey Perry. For sheer staff. Last year, he was tasked with reviving an offense that spent most of chronicling of his complicated Ducks legacy, I really enjoyed writing about Perry’s return to Anaheim for the first time and the impact on the We hope Vin Scully says, “It’s time for Dodger baseball,” even if it’s from former MVP and longtime star, and his fans. Delving into the back story his living room. of a subject, it was fascinating getting the details behind the John Gibson’s tribute mask to honor Kobe Bryant and the equally interesting We hope MLB realigns into 10-team divisions by region so we’re treated story of its designer. For its importance and value, writing about how the to Astros vs. Dodgers. Ducks’ medical personnel went about saving the life of Jay Bouwmeester We hope Mookie Betts steps to the plate in a Dodgers uniform. during his cardiac event was a privilege. We hope greed doesn’t cost us a year of watching Mike Trout, the best Oram: The strength and grace of Vanessa Bryant will help us find closure player in baseball. (Feb. 24, 2020) We hope Trout, Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani go back-to-back- Bill Oram: As a former cops reporter, I’ve covered a lot of tragedy in my back … more than once. career. But I have never been tasked with a story like the helicopter crash involving Kobe Bryant and eight others, including the three girls We hope to see baseball’s owners reap the scorn if this MLB season is who were only at the beginning of their stories. Constantly writing about lost, because it would be deserved. Kobe’s legacy through the lens of tragedy took a personal toll on me — a We hope the Hallway Series between the Lakers and Clippers gets reporter who knew him a little bit. I can’t imagine what those first weeks played, even if that “hallway” has to be in Orlando. were like for Vanessa Bryant, the woman who had spent her entire adult life with Kobe and who was not only grieving the loss of a husband and We hope the NBA season gets completed, as scheduled, with no cases child but who also had to be a pillar of strength for her three living of COVID-19 inside “the bubble.” daughters. She did not have to be strong for the rest of us. That was not her burden to carry. I have never been as impressed by the actions of We hope to see Kawhi Leonard vs. LeBron James dueling in the final any individual inside Staples Center as I was by Vanessa on Feb. 24. minute with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake. Her speech that day was an unexpected, inspiring testament to the We hope L.A. gets to celebrate a NBA championship and does so with human spirit, to love and to family. It was a privilege to be in the building proper social distancing enforced. and bear witness to her resolve. We hope the L.A. Galaxy and LAFC play with true El Tráfico intensity in Vanessa Bryant gave a memorable speech less than one month after her the MLS Is Back Tournament. husband’s death. (Robert Hanashiro / USA Today) We hope there’s a full college football season so we get definitive ‘More than a number’: Mike Trout’s hometown tradition continues to answers to the everlasting questions about USC and UCLA: Will Clay inspire (March 9, 2020) Helton and Chip Kelly stay or go? Fabian Ardaya: One of the most uplifting parts of a difficult year of Angels We hope the Ducks or Kings win the NHL Draft Lottery because Alexis coverage was finding different ways to explore Mike Trout, the game’s Lafreniere sounds like the real deal. best player. Much has been written about him, but ultimately not much is known, beyond the few things he’s been willing to share. That led me in a We hope there will be another Kings-Ducks game by the end of the year. few different directions last year, from looking deeper into his relationship with fellow baseball legend Albert Pujols to looking back at his switch- We hope the youngsters on the Ducks and Kings improve soon, so the hitting past to evaluating how he has come into his own as an teams can rejoin the playoff picture. ambassador to the sport. But something that consistently caught my eye We hope the NHL puts real meaning behind its “Hockey Is For Everyone” was a small tradition he’s kept every year, of going back to Millville campaign and encourages its teams to make a stronger connection with Senior High and giving his No. 1 jersey to that year’s captain, as opposed its fans of color and bring hockey to communities with limited exposure to to outright retiring it. It gave a new meaning to a new generation of kids the sport. wanting to “Be Like Mike” — only the baseball version. We hope the NFL brings back Colin Kaepernick to lead its social justice Aaron Donald still trains six days a week while working to improve kids’ initiatives, not just for a perfunctory roster spot as a backup. lives (April 22, 2020) We hope sports can be a way to further an important, respectful dialogue Rich Hammond: Not long after the quarantine started, I thought, “I about racial equality. wonder what Aaron Donald is doing?” Because I knew the Rams’ star defensive lineman wasn’t just sitting on his couch. Bench-pressing it, We hope we all learn to love a little more and we all learn to hate a little maybe, but not sitting on it. I got in touch with him and learned that less. Donald, a workout beast, was continuing to work out in the basement of his parents’ home, the homemade gym where he first started to build his We hope everyone goes out and votes on November 3. body in high school. Beyond that, I got a glimpse of a different side of We hope a coronavirus vaccine is developed, so fans can return to Donald as he spoke passionately about helping kids in the Pittsburgh stadiums and feel safe. area through his recently established charitable foundation. Donald doesn’t talk about himself much. I enjoyed learning what motivates him, We hope for a healthy, happy future and share some powerful stories beyond sacking quarterbacks. along the way.

Inside NFL players’ Black Lives Matter video, and how it forced Goodell’s We hope you subscribe, or continue to subscribe, to The Athletic. hand (June 5, 2020) We thank you for your support. Jourdan Rodrigue: I’ve only been a part of the stellar Los Angeles staff for a short while. But I relished the opportunity to dive into the behind-the- The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 scenes of the NFL players’ Black Lives Matter video, and how it — and pressure from independently-acting league employees — pushed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell into action for the first time.

Our hopes for the rest of 2020

It’s already been a turbulent year, one that all of us will remember. But we’re hopeful things can turn around in the final six-plus months. And that’s where The Athletic L.A. is focused — the opportunity and promise for something better with the teams and leagues that we cover and the world we live in.

We hope to see sports played again, as long as they are safe for the involved athletes and workers.

We hope to see baseball as a place free of labor strife. 1186509 Los Angeles Kings

ROY, KOPITAR LEAD THE WAY AS KINGS ANNOUNCE 2019-20 TEAM AWARDS

BY ZACH DOOLEY

A new post? A new post!

The LA Kings announced today, via the All The Kings Men Live show, their 2019-20 team awards, as voted on by….a large collection of groups. Defenseman Matt Roy was the biggest winner, as he was honored four times, with Anze Kopitar recognized three times and Austin Wagner, Trevor Lewis, Blake Lizotte and Alex Iafallo honored once apiece.

Starting with the media category –

Talk about Roy-alty! Three of my four votes were reflected in the final tallies here, with Kopitar as the team’s Most Valuable Player, and Roy as both the Outstanding Defenseman and Top Defensive player. Though he was eligible, I didn’t consider Matt Roy as a newcomer, since he played 25 games with the Kings the season prior, so I voted for Blake Lizotte in that category.

Kopitar as the team’s most valuable player was, in my opinion, a slam dunk. From the basic statistical perspective, he led the team in goals (21), assists (41) and points (62), topping the charts in the latter two categories by 15+. He was also one of four plus players amongst Kings regulars, and led the team with seven power-play goals and 21 power- play points. Kopitar displayed positive possession metrics, even if not quite at the level of the previous height’s he’s produced, and was the team’s best center in the faceoff dot, as he posted the best ratio of his NHL career (55.2%).

Roy’s selected as the Kings Most Outstanding Defenseman ends Drew Doughty’s run, which dated back to Larry Murphy in 1981 Willie Mitchell in 2012, a span of seven straight seasons. Roy was a revelation during his first full NHL season, as he swept the remainder of the media voted awards. Roy posted a team-best +16 rating on a team that was -24 at even strength this season, and was a possession metrics darling.

Among defensemen with at least 60 games played, Roy’s 56.0% SAT% was fourth best in the NHL, while his USAT% at 56.9% ranked second best with the same parameters. The Tech product was one of three defensemen with a +200 differential in shot attempts and a +250 differential in unblocked shot attempts. When you factor in the Roy love from the media, as well as through his numbers, you wonder why he was voted (spoiler alert, see below) by the players as the team’s unsung hero….seems like he’s sung about pretty vocally!

For the player and internal staff voting –

As mentioned above, Kopitar and Roy each received one award from their teammates, with Kopitar given the Ace Bailey Memorial Award for Most Inspirational player, and Roy named as the team’s unsung hero.

For the second consecutive season, Austin Wagner was honored by the Kings Care Foundation for his service to the community, while Trevor Lewis was selected for the Daryl Evans Youth Hockey Service, by the Kings Hockey Development Staff.

Finally, the fan voted awards –

Not a vote per say, but Kopitar was honored as the team’s leading scorer, while the Kings Booster Club voted Blake Lizotte as the team’s “Most Popular Player”.

Lastly, Alex Iafallo was named as the team’s McDonalds Player of the Year for the second straight season, and for good reason. It’s nice to see Iafallo get some love. Iafallo was a player the Kings were eager to move down in the lineup at the start of the 2018-19 season, but the now 26- year-old winger has responded by increasing his totals in goals, assists and points during each of his three seasons, with a career high 43 points as a third-year player. Iafallo has found a home on Kopitar’s left, and has proven to be a heck of a find as an undrafted free agent.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186510 Minnesota Wild

Wild's Luke Kunin says he is ready to play, despite his Type 1 diabetes

Wild forward appreciates health precautions taken as NHL prepares to return.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune JUNE 18, 2020 — 10:52PM

The NHL still has major hurdles to clear to resurrect the season that was put on hold in March by the coronavirus pandemic, but Wild forward Luke Kunin is bracing for a return — even as a Type 1 diabetic at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

“It’s moving in the right direction,” Kunin said Thursday during a video conference call. “We’re getting a lot of positive feedback, a lot of good information as the weeks go on, which is very exciting. I can’t wait to get back. I think this is the longest you’ve gone without playing, a lot of us have, so I think a lot of us are itching to get back.”

Before the season can resume, the league has to finalize logistical details and get the players to agree. But the NHL has made strides that suggest a restart is realistic, opening team facilities for workouts and greenlighting a 24-team format.

If it’s safe to start playing again, Kunin said he can’t wait to get back and players would be excited.

“Hopefully things keep going in the right direction and we’re playing shortly,” he said.

Still, issues have been raised — from players being isolated from their families to the implications for those with health conditions such as Kunin. Montreal’s Max Domi and the New York Rangers’ Kaapo Kakko also have Type 1 diabetes.

Kunin, 22, said that after talking to his endocrinologist and team doctors and staff, he feels there aren’t many concerns for him and he will take the same precautions as everyone else such as not sharing towels and drinks and washing his hands as often as possible.

“It’s definitely something I think about, having to live with Type 1 diabetes,” said Kunin, who had 15 goals and 16 assists during 63 regular-season games. “Whether this pandemic was going on or not, I’m going to face some harder things and some more difficult times taking care of myself than others.

“Obviously, I’m going to do everything in my power and I know the doctors and the team will as well to make sure that we don’t get there, that we do all the right things to make sure I’m staying healthy along with all the other players so we don’t have to get to that point.

“I don’t think it’s going to stop me from suiting up.”

In fact, Kunin has already been on the ice skating locally with a few teammates in advance of training camp potentially opening July 10. For that to happen, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association will have to sign off on the parameters and Kunin expects to vote as a team or individually — a resolution he feels is trending toward hockey’s return.

“We’ll figure out what’s best for everyone and kind of go from there,” Kunin said. “But I think there’s a good amount of guys — you’re all competitors. You want to play. We don’t want to sit around and just kind of wait and wait. So hopefully it all works out for all parties and we’re playing.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186511 Minnesota Wild

Matt Dumba launches fundraiser to help rebuild Lake Street

By Sarah McLellan JUNE 18, 2020 — 5:12PM

Wild defenseman Matt Dumba has been away from the Twin Cities, training in Calgary while waiting to see if the NHL season will resume, but he’s still making an impact on the community.

Dumba launched a fundraiser Thursday to support the Lake Street Council and their initiative to rebuild Lake Street and will match donations up to $100,000.

“Change isn't supposed to be comfortable," Dumba said in a video posted on his Twitter account Thursday afternoon. "I wish I could be back with you guys helping support the cause and cleaning up the aftermath. But I can't. And like some of you, I feel helpless. Being a professional athlete has given me a platform. And I have chosen to use it to amplify your voices and help the community. I will be silent no more.”

Over the last couple weeks I’ve talked to family and friends about what we can do to make a difference. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped out! It took all of us to make this happen and this is just the start! Full video in Link! https://t.co/jyR0ouR6na pic.twitter.com/15TFgSF4mN

— Matt Dumba (@matt_dumba) June 18, 2020

The 25-year-old has partnered with the Lake Street Council to clean up Minneapolis in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in police custody last month to make sure small businesses and non-profits in the community get the help they need.

Not only will the first 1,000 donors receive a custom George Floyd tribute T-shirt, but everyone will be entered for a chance to win a pair of custom Air Jordan’s and Dumba will choose one donor at random from the United States and one from Canada to spend an afternoon with him on the ice and have dinner. Dumba said he’s also fighting for Canadians facing discrimination. More information is available at rebuildminnesota.com.

Since the season paused in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dumba has been particularly active in the community.

An ambassador for Athletes Committed to Educating Students (ACES), he donated to ACES families affected by COVID-19.

More recently, Dumba helped create the Hockey Diversity Alliance to eliminate racism and intolerance in hockey.

“I want to be a leader,” Dumba said last week. “So, I want to show those people that I’m willing to commit to that and commit to making a difference.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186512 Minnesota Wild

Living with diabetes, Wild center Luke Kunin weighs risks of returning

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: June 18, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. | UPDATED: June 18, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.

Wild center Luke Kunin has started working out with some of his teammates again at various rinks around the Twin Cities. It has given them a chance get their legs back underneath them in preparation for what they hope is the NHL’s resumption of the 2019-20 season.

While everyone has been careful, Kunin said, well aware that the coronavirus pandemic remains a real concern, he has been extra cautious, taking all the necessary steps to stay safe.

That’s because Kunin has Type 1 diabetes, and thus would have a higher chance of experiencing serious complications if he contracted COVID-19. That’s always at the forefront of his mind when he arrives at the rink.

“It’s definitely something I think about having to live with Type 1 diabetes,” said Kunin, who has been open about his disease throughout his career. “You know, whether this pandemic was going on or not, I’m going to face some harder things and some more difficult times taking care of myself than others. Obviously, I’m going to do everything in my power, and I know the doctors and the team will as well, to make sure that we don’t get there. We do all the right things to make sure I’m staying healthy along with all the other players, so we don’t have to get to that point.”

Saying that, Kunin made his intentions about returning to play clear: “I don’t think it’s going to stop me from suiting up.”

That’s his main focus now that the Wild have qualified for the 24-team postseason. If the league does indeed return at some point, the Wild will play the Vancouver Canucks in the qualifying round. Whichever team wins that best-of-five series would advance to the playoffs.

“It’s out of my control for the most part, obviously, so I’m preparing and doing all the things as if we’re coming back and playing in the playoffs,” Kunin said. “That’s kind of where I’m at. If we come back, great, I’m really excited to. I want to play some more hockey. I really liked what our team was doing. I guess we’ll see what happens.”

As of right now the NHL has moved on to Phase 2 of its plan, which allows players to gather in small groups at team facilities. Asked whether he will participate in that at some point, or simply continue to work out in smaller groups independently, Kunin was noncommittal.

That said, he expressed his excitement about the potential for Phase 3, which would be the start of training camp, and Phase 4, which would be the resumption of actual games.

As for the the risk of contracting COVID-19 at some point, Kunin hopes it doesn’t become an issue.

“It’s kind of one of those things that if it happens we’ll have to get around it,” he said. “I’ve always taken good care of my blood sugars and am trying to do all the right things in that aspect to make sure that’s not a concern.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186513 Minnesota Wild The Wild won eight of their final 11 games. If the players approve a return to play, training camp could commence as early as July 10.

Sources say most Wild players don’t plan to return to the Twin Cities until Wild notes: Luke Kunin ‘can’t wait’ to play, Matt Dumba’s fundraiser and Phase 3 is approved, but Mikko Koivu, Carson Soucy and Kaapo more Kahkonen have flights set so they can get their work visas. Technically, if training camp does start July 10, European-based Wild players would need to be back in Minnesota by June 27 to satisfy a two-week By Michael Russo Jun 18, 2020 quarantine.

“I can’t wait to get back,” Kunin said of playing again. “I think this is the longest we’ve gone without playing, a lot of us have, so I think a lot of us With the NHL hoping to resume the 2019-20 season later this summer are itching to get back. I’m not as smart as some of these doctors and despite COVID-19 still crawling across North America, the Wild’s Luke the health officials and all the people that really know all the answers. But Kunin, who has the underlying condition of Type 1 diabetes, said obviously, if it’s safe for everyone and it’s going to be OK for everyone Thursday, “I don’t think it’s going to stop me from suiting up.” involved — the health is obviously the No. 1 thing, but if all that’s good, I “I’ve always took it upon myself to really be on top of it and take care of can’t wait. myself and really put myself in the best position to play at my best and “I know all the guys will be really excited to get back and have a chance feel my best,” Kunin said during a Zoom call with Wild reporters as his to make a run here.” “meathead” of a puppy, a French bulldog named Rocco, sat on his lap. “Talking to my endocrinologist and the team doctors, team staff, they’ve Dumba launches fundraiser to help rebuild Minneapolis always done a great job of helping me out in any way necessary with having Type 1 diabetes and making sure I’m feeling comfortable in the One week after joining the newly launched Hockey Diversity Alliance, right way. defenseman Matt Dumba, one of the Wild’s biggest philanthropists, launched his latest project called rebuildminnesota.com to help support “So after talking with all them, I’m feeling really good, and there’s not the Lake Street Council and their initiative to Rebuild Lake Street after many concerns at all for me.” the riots and looting following the recent death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Since the NHL’s pause to its season March 12, Kunin said he has taken the same precautions as everyone else and has continued to do so as The Wild’s J.T. Brown, who was born and bred in Minnesota and has Wild players have started to skate and work out together throughout the long tried to bring attention to racial injustice and police brutality, has also Twin Cities. teamed up with Dumba during the initiative.

There aren’t many Wild players still left in the Twin Cities, but Kunin has As part of Thursday’s announcement, Dumba vowed to match all been skating with Zach Parise, Eric Staal and Jordan Greenway, as well donations up to $100,000. as other Minnesota-based NHLers. He says he has avoided sharing towels and water bottles and is washing his hands as much as possible. “Change isn’t supposed to be comfortable,” Dumba, who is back home in Calgary, said in a news release. “I wish I could be back with you guys The Montreal Canadiens’ Max Domi also has Type 1 diabetes. helping support the cause, and cleaning up the aftermath. But I can’t. Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin recently told reporters, “If the And like some of you, I feel helpless. Being a professional athlete has doctors determine it is not safe for (Domi) to play, then he will not play.” given me a platform. And I have chosen to use it to amplify your voices and help the community. I will be silent no more. Real changes takes real According to the American Diabetes Association, “there is not enough commitment and long term involvement. To mark my commitment, I’ve data to show whether people with diabetes are more likely to get COVID- partnered with the Lake Street Council and their initiative to clean up 19 than the general population. The problem people with diabetes face is Minneapolis, and Lake Street, making sure all the small businesses and primarily a problem of worse outcomes, not greater chance of contracting non-profits in the community get the help they need, so they can come the virus. back stronger than ever.” “In , where most cases have occurred so far, people with diabetes The first 1,000 donors will receive a custom George Floyd tribute T-shirt, had much higher rates of serious complications and death than people and all will be entered for a chance to receive a pair of custom Air without diabetes — and generally we believe that the more health Jordans — designed by Dumba’s brother, Kyle, to support the cause. conditions someone has, the higher their chance of getting serious complications from COVID-19.” Dumba “will also choose one lucky donor at random from the United States and one from Canada to spend an afternoon with him — get out But Kunin isn’t worried. on the ice — and have dinner at his favorite restaurant in Minneapolis or “Whether this pandemic was going on or not, you’ve got to face some Calgary.” harder things and some more difficult times to take care of yourself than Boldy, Warren, Beckman get camp invites others,” Kunin said of living with diabetes. “Obviously I’m going to do everything in my power — and I know the doctors and the team will as Despite the ongoing pandemic, the United States and Canada plan to well — to make sure that we don’t get there, that we do all the right hold evaluation camps next month to assist in selecting their World things to make sure I’m staying healthy along with all the other players so Junior Championship teams later this winter in Edmonton and Red Deer, we don’t have to get to that point. Alberta.

“It’s kind of one of those things that if (I get sick), we’ll just have to get Three Wild prospects got invites. around it. I’ve always taken good care of my blood sugars and am trying to do all the right things in that aspect to make sure that’s not a concern.” teammates Matt Boldy (first-round pick in 2019) and Marshall Warren (sixth-round pick in 2019) have been invited to USA Luke Kunin Hockey’s Summer Showcase, while Spokane’s Adam Beckman was invited to Team Canada’s summer development camp. Beckman, a 2019 The 22-year-old Luke Kunin was having a career year with the Wild third-rounder, led the with 48 goals and 107 before the pause, racking up 15 goals and 31 points, including three points and was named the WHL Player of the Year. goals in his last six games. (Nick Wosika / USA Today) Wild furlough some employees, reduce hours of others Kunin, 22, in his third season with the Wild, scored a career-high 15 goals and 31 points in 63 games at the time play stopped, including three More than a month after furloughing employees like security guards and goals and five points in his final six games. custodial staff who couldn’t do their jobs because Xcel Energy Center was dark during the COVID-19 shutdown, the Wild have made another He’s heading home to St. Louis on Friday and will continue to skate with round of cost-cutting measures. a number of the NHLers who are based there, including his childhood friends, Matt and Brady Tkachuk. The NHL and NHLPA continue to The team announced this week that a number of employees were either negotiate return-to-play protocols, and Kunin’s hope is the details are furloughed or had their hours reduced. good enough for the players to approve in a vote so the Wild can finish the season. In a statement, the Wild said it was “making the difficult decision to reduce hours for some employees and temporarily furlough other employees starting on June 20 due to the revenue impacts COVID-19 has had on our business. We regret the impact this situation has caused our team and community, and we look forward to bringing our full team and the NHL’s best fans back together again as soon as it is safe to do so.”

The Wild plan to call back the furloughed employees who have been placed on temporary leaves of absence when work returns. The types of employees furloughed are those whose responsibilities and workload were significantly diminished for the near future. Furloughed employees are eligible for unemployment but continue to receive their benefits from the Wild.

Employees who are seeing reduced hours can also apply for unemployment and potentially be partially reimbursed for some of the reduced hours through Minnesota’s Shared Work Program.

In late March, The Athletic reported that Wild employees making more than $150,000 saw pay reductions of 20 percent for the portion above $150,000. In other words, an employee making $200,000, for example, would be subject to a 20 percent reduction of $50,000.

The Timberwolves also announced cost-cutting measures Thursday.

WOLVES HAVE JOINED THE RANKS OF TEAMS WITH LAYOFFS AND SALARY REDUCTIONS DURING COVID-19. IN ALL, 18 STAFFERS LAID OFF ACROSS WOLVES, LYNX, IOWA AND GAMING. THOUGHTS ARE WITH SOME GREAT PEOPLE. PIC.TWITTER.COM/B4ELOVYMKZ

— JON KRAWCZYNSKI (@JONKRAWCZYNSKI) JUNE 18, 2020

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186514 Montreal Canadiens “I want to grab what I did in that first [part of the] season and bring it for whenever hockey starts,” he said. “The reasons I was playing well, the reasons I was skating … you look at those things.”

Canadiens’ Drouin looking to recapture early-season form whenever NHL Yet, to surpass 53 points in an NHL campaign, Drouin said he also returns watches clips of players with similar styles – he referenced Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner as one – to try and incorporate different elements to his tool belt. Joshua Clipperton “You go through some stretches where you’re good at some areas, and some areas you’re good at for a month and you’re not good for a month,” he said. “You try to nitpick.” Montreal Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin (92) comes off the bench during hockey game action against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Montreal, on And Drouin, who said he hasn’t had any lingering issues with either injury Feb. 8, 2020. after hitting the ice for the first time in three months this week, is confident he can recapture his early-season form. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press “I can get back to that energy I had, that pace,” he said. “I saw I could be Jonathan Drouin says he’s always raised his game when the stakes are an impact player every night if I show up and play the game I’m highest. supposed to play.” It started in minor hockey, continued when he graduated to junior – just That would be a big boost for the Canadiens as they aim to write the first look at his stat lines from three postseasons as a member of the chapter of what could eventually turn out to be an improbable story. QMJHL’s – and kept going early in his NHL career. “I’m not nervous to go in for this qualifying round,” Drouin said. “I play With the Montreal Canadiens handed a lifeline should the league resume well in those moments.” its pandemic-hit 2019-20 campaign this summer, Drouin is looking to continue that trend of big performances in big moments. Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.19.2020 “My game just goes up in playoff hockey,” the 25-year-old said on a conference call Wednesday. “As a kid, it was hockey tournaments … and junior days it was the same thing.”

Drouin put up 102 points in 50 career playoff games with Halifax, including an eye-popping 41 in 16 contests back in 2014. He registered nine points in four outings as part of the Mooseheads’ Memorial Cup victory the previous spring, and added 13 points in 13 appearances during two stints with Canada at the world junior hockey championship.

The native of Sainte-Agathe, Que., then contributed 14 points in 17 games at 21 years old in 2016 as the Tampa Bay Lightning made the NHL’s Eastern Conference final.

“When playoff hockey comes around there’s a different feeling,” Drouin said.

Despite sitting 24th out of 31 teams when the league was forced to pause its season in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadiens snuck under the wire and into the 24-club format unveiled last month.

Montreal, which had just 71 points from 71 games and was all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, would face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the best-of-five qualifying round for a postseason berth under the plan.

“If it was regular playoffs we wouldn’t be in,” Drouin said. “We’re very fortunate. … I don’t think we want to waste that opportunity.”

The third pick in the 2013 NHL draft is also hoping for the opportunity to recapture his success from the fall.

Drouin blasted out of the gate in October with seven goals and 15 points in 17 games before suffering an wrist injury in mid-November the needed surgery.

Acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay for defenceman Mikhail Sergachev in June, 2017, he returned to the lineup Feb. 8, but was held off the scoresheet in eight games when an ankle problem once again forced him to the sidelines.

“I felt way more comfortable in those first couple months of the season than I have ever been in Montreal,” said Drouin, who signed a six-year, US$33-million contract with the Canadiens the same day he was acquired from the Lightning. “We were winning, we were happy with our game. It was the same for me. Everyone was going up in the right direction. That [wrist] injury was a blow, but the way I was feeling was the most important thing.

“The rest comes when I’m skating and I’m around the puck.”

Taking part in a series of informal on- and off-ice workouts with a handful of teammates at Montreal’s practice facility as part of Phase 2 of the NHL’s return-to-play protocol, Drouin said he examined video of his performances when he was injured and again after the NHL went on hiatus. 1186515 Montreal Canadiens When you look at the Canadiens’ situation objectively, there is not much good that can be drawn from their unexpected inclusion in this postseason tournament, at least not on a macro level. But on a micro Jonathan Drouin has an opportunity to become what the Canadiens level, Drouin represents much of that good. It is an opportunity to seize always needed the role he was well on his way to claiming back in November, that of the Canadiens’ designated game-breaker, one that was seemingly robbed from him by a fluke wrist injury, one that has unexpectedly presented itself to him once again. By Arpon Basu Jun 18, 2020 “It’s bad luck to not be playing hockey,” Drouin said, “but for me those

three months were huge for my ankle and my wrist.” When I think of Jonathan Drouin, the first thing that comes to mind is the Watching video is nothing new for Drouin. He has always done it, it’s just smile on his face the day he was traded to the Canadiens. The smile on that his video sessions with assistant coach Dominique Ducharme last his face when he set up Max Pacioretty for the first goal of the 2017-18 summer became more significant because of how they manifested season in Buffalo. The smile on his face when he scored the lone goal in themselves on the ice. But those video sessions were entirely different the shootout in that same game. because the emphasis was on what Drouin was doing wrong. He and But also, it was the smile on his face the day he announced a 10-year Ducharme focused on the wretched finish to last season when Drouin commitment to donate money and raise funds for the Centre Hospitalier was unable to produce at the time his team most needed him, in the heat de l’Université de Montréal before playing a single game in a Canadiens of a playoff race, one that fell just short. Drouin was in the midst of a uniform. crisis of confidence and needed to examine why, probably for the first time in his hockey life, he was not living up to his own lofty standards. I think of what that smile represented back then. It was the smile of a young man realizing a dream, one ready to face the good and the bad The past three months have been different. Instead of watching what he that came with being a native son on the Canadiens, one not only facing was doing wrong, Drouin was focused on watching his games over the it, but embracing it. first six weeks of this season. He was watching what he was doing right. The mindset is completely different. It was also the smile of a young man unaware of how quickly the bad can overtake the good when you assume there is only good on the horizon. “I felt way more comfortable in the first couple of months of the season than I had ever been in Montreal,” he said. “Just playing hockey, it didn’t Three years have passed since Drouin flashed that smile at a news matter. The team was playing well, I was playing well and I just felt good conference announcing his acquisition from the Tampa Bay Lightning on about my game at the time. And I felt confident going against any team June 15, 2017, and we haven’t seen it all that often since. Some of the and in any building. That’s something I tried to get back at the end of the reasons for that were outside his control; he didn’t ask to be shifted to season but obviously it was hard to do after three months and another centre to fill a longstanding, glaring hole in the Canadiens lineup. But injury. But again, I’m not nervous that I can get back to that energy that I some were within his control. His ability to recognize the faults in his had, that pace. At least I saw I can be an impact player every night if I game – to admit that he needed to make changes if he wanted the good show up and play the game I’m supposed to play, and that was a good to outweigh the bad over his time in Montreal – was entirely within his time for me.” own control. Drouin says he didn’t spend much time watching video with Ducharme That’s been a positive change in Drouin, one he reinforced on during the quarantine. It was largely on his own, working on his shot and Wednesday when speaking to reporters about how he has spent the reinforcing in his own mind the principles that made him successful over three months in quarantine shooting pucks in his backyard, watching the first six weeks of the season. video of how Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine shoot to make adjustments, to improve, to build on how he began this season — a level “The way I was skating was the most important thing,” he said. “The way we had never seen during his Montreal tenure. that I’m skating and when I’m around the puck.”

“I looked at my start to the season because I liked the way I was playing Drouin is 25, an age by which he probably assumed, back when he was … I looked at what I was doing well, what I was still doing wrong,” Drouin the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, that he’d be a star in the NHL. That said. “If over these three months you didn’t take the time to improve your hasn’t happened. But at least he has realized why. game, or look at aspects of your game, you’ve wasted your time a bit.” And now he has an opportunity to put everything he has learned to By not wasting his time, by continuing the process that he started during practice, fully healthy, with a chance to play meaningful hockey in the last offseason, Drouin showed something else. He showed he uniform he grew up dreaming to wear. understands his importance to the Canadiens, and it goes far beyond “My game just goes up in playoff hockey,” Drouin said. “As a kid, it was at growing up in Mont-Tremblant and being able to speak French. It is that hockey tournaments and in junior, it was the same thing. When playoff Drouin has something the Canadiens sorely lack and desperately need to hockey comes around, there’s a different feeling. I’m not the only one succeed. He has game-breaking talent, something no one has ever who gets that. We’re not nervous to go into the qualifying round, we’re denied, but something that hasn’t manifested itself consistently over his very excited if we do. I usually play well in those moments.” entire career, not just over his time in Montreal. For Drouin, whose time in Montreal has been strewn with negatives, with The fact the Canadiens season fell to pieces as soon as Drouin was criticism, with a sense of failing to live up to expectations, this is no small injured on Nov. 15 in Washington cannot be lost on him. He knows how thing. Having a chance to prove he is a big-game player, a game- well he was playing and how that was intimately tied to how well the changer, is massive to not only Drouin, but to the Canadiens. Canadiens were playing. He knows because he watched his team lose their next eight games without him. He watched their season crumble Because Drouin growing fully into the role he was seemingly always before his eyes. destined to fill would impact the Canadiens in ways that go far beyond whatever happens this postseason. The timing was horrible for Drouin, coming during an awakening that had taken years to manifest itself. But in another way, because of this awful Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.19.2020 pandemic, the timing is oddly perfect for Drouin. He is fully healed from that wrist surgery and the subsequent ankle injury that plagued him. And he has an opportunity in front of him that he probably thought would be a foregone conclusion three years ago, but one that has yet to come to fruition during his time in a Canadiens uniform.

“I had always thought my first time would be in a full Bell Centre, and it won’t be that, but for me it would be really cool just to be in the playoffs with the Canadiens,” Drouin said. “I’ve been here for three years and we haven’t made the playoffs. So now we have a chance to do it and we’ll take it. We’re very happy to be in this position.” 1186516

How does Devils’ Jack Hughes sum up his rookie struggles? ‘I’d go through the same things 100 times again’

By Randy Miller

There was a blue sky, deck umbrella and backyard swimming pool in the background Thursday afternoon as Devils center Jack Hughes took his turn doing an end-of-season Zoom media call. The bushy-haired and baby-faced 19-year-old wishes the Devils were part of the NHL’s upcoming return-to-play, 24-team postseason tournament, but he seems to be having a lot of fun turning the page on a struggles-filled rookie season back home in suburban Detroit.

“I’m playing a lot of golf, seeing friends, sitting out in the sun by our pool,” Hughes said. “It’s been fun just hanging out.”

His five-to-six rounds of golf every week have been relaxing – “I like putting my phone away,” he said – but Hughes also has been racking up a lot of work hours trying to do things his game. While a lot of his Devils teammates just recently resumed skating, Hughes has been on the ice regularly for the last six-to-seven weeks working on his shot, faceoffs and staying in shape.

Off the ice, Hughes has been lifting weights and wolfing down a lot of big meals trying to add weight and muscle to a fragile 5-foot-10, 168-pound frame. Size and strength, after all, probably were the biggest reasons that Hughes’ world-class offensive skills and skating ability resulted in just seven goals, 21 points and a team-worst minus-26 plus-minus rating in 61 games.

Most everyone expected a lot more from Hughes even though he played his entire season as an 18-year-old.

Expectations were enormous because Hughes was the first overall pick of the 2019 draft ... because of his skillset and hockey sense … and because superstar centers Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid showed in past years that first overall picks can put up huge numbers as a rookie.

Although Hughes didn’t live up to his hype, he says that he never felt any pressure to be a savor right away for a franchise that has been the playoffs just once in the last eight seasons.

“I came in there with a team that had a Norris Trophy winning defenseman (P.K. Subban), two previous first overall picks (Nico Hischier and Taylor Hall) and an MVP coming off an injury (Hall), so for me there was no pressure,” Hughes said. “It was just a frustrating year and the team didn’t do as good as we would have liked, but the good news is next year hopefully there’ll be more hunger.”

The Devils failing to live up to their own high expectations added to Hughes’ disappointment.

Although finishing the coronavirus-shortened season strong, the Devils had a terrible first half, hich led to a lot of changes. Head coach John Hynes was fired in December, GM Ray Shero was axed in December and a few of the Devils’ best veterans were sold off in the months and days leading up to the Feb. 17 trade deadline, captain Andy Green and Hall included.

“I know it was a very unusual year,” Hughes said. “You understand that it’s a business very fast and that stuff kind of happens, but hopefully I’ll never go through something like that again.”

For sure, Hughes endured a lot during his rookie season, but while he hoped for a lot more goals, points and wins, he believes the personal and team struggles were good to go through for his development.

“The way I see it,” Hughes said, ‘it obviously was a frustrating year for myself. But if you asked me to do it all over again, I would have gone through the same things 100 times again.

“Playing in the NHL as an 18-year-old is very special, and 10 years from now I’ll look back and I will recognize how important this year has been for me.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186517 New Jersey Devils patient with him and give him a little bit of time, he'll be quite the weapon out there."

Welcome to Jersey How Jack Hughes plans to build on his rookie season with the Devils Oct 19, 2019; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) celebrates after scoring his first NHL goal during the first period of Sean Farrell, NorthJersey.com Published 6:36 p.m. ET June 18, 2020 | their game against the Vancouver Canucks at Prudential Center. Updated 9:24 p.m. ET June 18, 2020 His favorite moment this season? While the first matchup with Quinn Hughes and the Canucks was special, nothing beat the Devils' Home Opener. Jack Hughes is ready to turn the page on a tumultuous rookie season. "I think eventually I want the Devils to be a contender and a really good The Devils' center is at home in Michigan, skating with his brothers Quinn team and hopefully the crowds are like that every single night," Hughes and Luke. The No. 1 overall pick sputtered out the gate with seven goals said. "That was a really exciting night in terms of what can happen in the and 14 assists in 61 games, but the focus now is on getting bigger. future."

In his eye, the adversity he faced as a rookie will only make him better. Bergen Record LOADED: 06.19.2020 "If you ask me to do it all over, I would have gone through the same things a 100 times again," Hughes said in a conference call on Thursday. "Playing in the NHL as an 18-year-old is very special. In 10 years from now, I'll look back and I will have recognized how important this year has been for me."

Hughes will have plenty of time to work on his game during an extended offseason.

The Devils were one of seven clubs that did not qualify for the 24-team playoff, and a mental break may be just what Hughes needs.

PLANS: NJ Devils' Tom Fitzgerald talks NHL Draft prep, coaching decisions and more

BREAK: Pelotons, Rollerblades and yoga: How NHL players are staying in shape without the ice

The layoff from hockey has given him a chance to polish up his golf game and relax by the pool. But the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has also gotten in some ice time at USA Hockey Arena just outside of Detroit.

"I've worked out hard my whole life," Hughes said. "But I'll never get a period like this where the offseason is six, seven months. So that's what we're big on right now. Obviously I'm trying to eat a lot and gain weight that way."

Here are three takeaways from the rookie's media call.

Slow start

Feb 11, 2020; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) celebrates his goal during the first period of their game against the Florida Panthers at Prudential Center.

It's safe to say that Hughes' welcome to the NHL did not go quite as planned. While he broke the points record in the U.S. National Team Development Program – passing brand names like Clayton Keller and Phil Kessel – it didn't immediately translate to the professional level.

Hughes was a team-worst -26 this past season and finished with poor possession numbers.

"For me, there's no pressure," Hughes said. "It was just a frustrating year. The team didn't do as good as we would have liked. The good news is hopefully we'll be more hungry and ready to go."

Facing a learning curve

As Hughes was finding his way in the league, the Devils were changing the lineup and the leadership group around him. Hughes went pointless in his first six games and the excitement for the Devils faded during an 0- 4-2 start. Before long, the team traded their captain and Hart Trophy winner, and fired their coach and general manager.

"I think you understand that it's a business very fast," Hughes said. "Hopefully I'll never go through something like that again. It's a lot of change in the locker room throughout the year."

Hughes still has a lot of time to develop as the youngest member of the Devils. When asked about his offseason focus, Hughes said he wants to work on his entire game, including his shot and faceoff technique.

"I think if you watch over the next couple of years, you're going to see a totally different Jack," goalie Mackenzie Blackwood said last week. "He'll be more confident in himself. He's going to learn the league and learn the players and learn how to use his tools to his advantage. I think if you be 1186518 New Jersey Devils Miller is not a big guy and might not have the reputation of an elite defensive defenseman, but the metrics say he is, or has been for most of his career. A deep dive into which defensemen could be on the Devils’ radar this Availability: offseason He played about three minutes per game less for a much worse team

after joining the Sabres. Given all of the upheaval in Buffalo, there could By Corey Masisak Jun 18, 2020 be a lot of players available. Especially the ones that didn’t seem to fit well with Ralph Krueger’s plan in his first season as coach.

Jake McCabe, Sabres (6-1, 210) When interim general manager Tom Fitzgerald fielded a question about the top of his offseason wish list late last week, the response garnered Age: Turns 27 on Oct. 12 plenty of attention from Devils supporters. Contract: $2.85 million for next year “I definitely think we need to look at the back end,” Fitzgerald said. “Size, McCabe hasn’t been a plus offensively for the Sabres in his five seasons, and some hardness, with the ability to move pucks. I don’t think we need but 2019-20 was his best work in the defensive zone. If this year was a anything flashy. I just think we need more of a presence back there. I taste of what’s to come, he could be a great guy to pair with a more don’t know who’s going to be out there. You can look at the potential list offensive-minded partner in the top-four for years to come. and get all excited about one player or another player, but at the end of the day things change and we’ve got so much time. Until then, I don’t Fit: want to get caught up in maybe potential candidates. But, yeah, I do believe we need to look at that and become a bigger and harder defense He isn’t that big, but would likely help Severson or Subban a lot. corps to play against.” Availability: While “size” and “hardness” have a negative connotation in the modern NHL, it’s clear that the Devils had significant struggles in the defensive Anything (outside of trading Rasmus Dahlin) is possible in Buffalo right zone last season, often when the puck was on their own sticks. now, but McCabe is probably the second least-likely defenseman to be moved. And while Fitzgerald mentioned puck-moving ability in the same sentence, it didn’t get nearly as much attention. The Devils have been on T.J. Brodie, Flames (6-1, 185) the small side as a defense corps over the past couple of seasons. So Age: Turns 31 on June 7, 2021 we combed through the other 30 rosters to compile a list of big defensemen the Devils could pursue in the offseason. Contract: UFA

For the Devils, adding one or two guys over 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds Brodie has been worth at least nine goals above replacement in five of would represent an upgrade in that department. Generally speaking, top- the past seven seasons, and 2019-20 was the second-best isolated pairing defensemen were ineligible for this list unless they are free impact on defense of his career. A strong second-pairing guy who has agents, their team has looming salary cap issues, or they are on a bad performed like a first-pairing player a couple of times. team that could be looking to rebuild or retool the roster. Fit: Two of the best ways that individual defensive contributions can be measured — HockeyViz’s isolated impact and Evolving-Hockey’s goals Brodie is likely to command a contract that runs into his mid-30s, and above replacement (GAR) — are referenced here throughout. Let’s dig should have several other suitors if he doesn’t just re-up with Calgary. If in. the UFA market gets weird this offseason because of the economic situation and Brodie has to take a shorter deal, New Jersey could make a Good options lot more sense.

Josh Manson, Ducks (6-3, 216) Availability:

Age: Turns 29 on Oct. 7 The Flames have some younger options on defense and likely won’t Contract: $4.1 million per for the next two seasons bring back most of their UFAs (Brodie, Travis Hamonic, Erik Gustafsson, Michael Stone and Derek Forbort), but Brodie is the one who makes the Manson has not been quite as effective the past two seasons as he was most sense to retain. the previous three, but his isolated impact at the defensive end has been positive in four of the past five years and the even-strength defense David Savard, Blue Jackets (6-2, 229) component of his GAR has been consistently strong. Age: Turns 30 on Oct. 22

Fit: Contract: $4.25 million for next year

Would likely see second-pairing minutes with a reasonable cap hit and Savard’s past five years: Two great ones, two solid ones and one that could be the club’s second-, third- or fourth-best defenseman in 2021. was below his standard but still OK. This year was a solid one in which the defensive zone work was still strong but the offense was lacking. Availability: Fit: The Ducks have traded away several young defensemen in recent years but kept Manson. He’s not likely to be cheap. If he was left-handed, he’d be exactly what the Devils are looking for. He’s good enough for them to worry about figuring out how to play three Colin Miller, Sabres (6-1, 196) righties in the top four again later. Age: Turns 28 on Oct. 29 Availability: Contract: $3.875 million per for the next two years If the Blue Jackets struggle next season and the two sides don’t hammer Miller was great in a limited role with Boston, and continued to excel out a deal, then maybe Savard becomes a valuable trade asset before when Vegas gave him more ice time. He wasn’t as good in his first the deadline. It’s tough to see him going anywhere otherwise. season with Buffalo, but there are probably a lot of teams that would be willing to find out if that was more of a Sabres problem than a Miller Adam Pelech, Islanders (6-3, 218) problem. Age: Turns 26 on Aug. 16

Fit: Contract: $1.6 million for next season

Three seasons of being neutral or negative at the offensive end, but three years of excellent work in his own zone. He was worth nearly nine goals above replacement last season, and was on pace for nine to 10 Contract: RFA this season before an Achilles injury wiped out nearly half of it. Fit: Fit: Availability: Pelech looks like he’s going to be the defense-first half of an above- average second pairing for a long time. That could be Kevin Bahl’s Let’s just group the two young Lightning defenders together. Tampa ceiling in a few years as well, but keeping one of them on the third pair is Bay’s salary cap constraints are clear, and it has only three defensemen the type of problem that great teams have. under contract for next season. It also has potential Selke Trophy winner Anthony Cirelli as an RFA. To sign all three of these players, even to Availability: bridge deals, Tampa Bay likely needs to trade a veteran forward, and to keep all three of them on long-term deals it could mean a sizable Teams don’t make it a habit of trading 25-year-old defensemen who have shakeup. performed like Pelech, but he does have a contract negotiation coming up, so it’s not completely crazy, especially considering the Islanders need Sergachev had 10 goals, 34 points and played 20 minutes a night for a to give Ryan Pulock and maybe Devon Toews a big raise this offseason Stanley Cup contender at 21 years old. His potential is immense, but his before it’s Pelech’s turn next summer. defensive impact has actually been greater than his offense at five-on- five the past two seasons. Vince Dunn, Blues (6-0, 203) Cernak doesn’t have the same offensive upside, but he’s actually been Age: Turns 24 on Oct. 29 worth more goals above replacement in fewer games played through two Contract: RFA seasons with Sergachev. He’s also righthanded, which isn’t as ideal, at least for the next two seasons. But if the Devils are looking for a long- Dunn is a classic example of a young player who has excelled in limited term option with size, there aren’t many better options than Cernak if the minutes on a great team … and plenty of other clubs would love to give Lightning do get squeezed into moving him. him a chance to see if he can still be an impact guy with more ice time. Maybe good options? Fit: Ilya Lyubushkin, Coyotes (6-2, 201) He is not tall, and his offensive game is more valuable than his defense Age: Turns 27 on April 6, 2021 at this point in his career. But his defensive impact has been neutral or better the past two seasons. Of the 14 defensemen who were worth at Contract: RFA least 12 goals above replacement this season, Dunn had the lowest time on ice per game. Lyubushkin played only 14 minutes per game, but both isolated impact and GAR say he was very effective in that role, particularly at the Dunn might not fit the “size and tough to play against” in the strictest defensive end. If you could draw up the ideal No. 6 defenseman, the right sense, but he does fit the “young player who could make the Devils a lot side of this chart is it … better for a long time” category. Fit: Availability: Can Lyubushkin repeat that over the next few seasons? Probably not to The Blues have more than $15 million tied up in Colton Parayko, Justin that degree. Would it be worth seeing if he can, or if he could handle a Faulk and next season, plus two other regulars under little more responsibility and a few minutes more per game? If it doesn’t contract. They are not far from the cap ceiling, with Dunn and captain cost a lot to acquire him, the answer might be yes. He might not be a Alex Pietrangelo out of contract. They are going to need to move multiple huge upgrade for the third pairing, but any improvement could help. players if they want to try and keep Dunn and Pietrangelo, or they could just cash in on Dunn and let some other team see if he can play 20-plus Availability: minutes per night. The Coyotes are a smart organization, so it’s not like Lyubushkin’s Alex Pietrangelo, Blues (6-3, 210) performance this season is lost on them. If another team calls to ask about him in a trade, they are going to know why. Arizona is also pretty Age: Turns 31 on Jan. 18, 2021 tight against the cap ceiling, and might not be as interested in keeping Contract: UFA him if he wants a decent raise.

He’s got a strong chance of being a Norris Trophy finalist for the first time Trevor van Riemsdyk, Hurricanes (6-2, 192) this season (this voter placed him third), and he’s the captain of the most Age: Turns 29 on July 24 recent Stanley Cup champion. That type of player almost never reaches July 1, or whatever date will be the de facto July 1 this offseason. Contract: UFA

Fit: TVR has spent most of his career being a productive third-pairing guy. He’s been consistently strong at the defensive end, but his offensive He’s one of the best defensemen in the league. Sure, it’d be better to impact has tumbled in the wrong direction the past two seasons. sign him to a seven-year deal if he were 28, but he’s the type of player who teams will pay for his elite play now and not feel that bad about the Fit: decline in the second half of the deal. He’s got a better track record than Connor Carrick and Mirco Mueller, Availability: and could be a nice fit next to Will Butcher or Smith (if he makes the team). The Blues aren’t going to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history and then let their captain and best player walk away … Availability: right? Olli Maatta, Blackhawks (6-2, 206) Mikhail Sergachev, Lightning (6-3, 215) Age: Turns 26 on Aug. 22 Age: Turns 22 on June 25 Contract: $4.083 million per for the next two years Contract: RFA Sometimes being a solid, steady defenseman makes it tough to evaluate Fit: the impact, and that seemed like an issue at times when he was with Pittsburgh. He’s been good at both ends of the ice in his two seasons Availability: with the Blackhawks, though HockeyViz’s isolated impact has labeled him a negative on offense for much of his career. Erik Cernak, Lightning (6-3, 233) Fit: Age: Turns 24 on May 28, 2021 He’s a young-ish lefty who helps suppress the opposing team in his own He’s played fewer than 100 games in the NHL and averaged less than 14 end. He’s not perfect, but the Devils could do worse. minutes per game in both of his seasons with the Panthers. Brown made this list because he’s 6-5 and has done a nice job of suppressing offense Availability: from the opposition in both seasons. The other end has been an issue and might always be. Maatta is in between the ages of Chicago’s championship core and its collection of kids. The Blackhawks are trying to retool and make one Fit: more run with the older guys. He could an interesting trade chip if they want to clear space for another high-end player. Brown might be a late bloomer who carves out an a nice few years as a solid third-pairing guy, or he might just be a fringy lineup guy that teams Connor Murphy, Blackhawks (6-4, 212) should be able to find on their AHL team. If the Panthers didn’t qualify Age: Turns 28 on March 26, 2021 him, he’d be interesting as a low-risk addition. If it cost anything more than a late-round pick or a fringe prospect to acquire him, it might just be Contract: $3.85 million per for the next two years worth waiting to see what is left on the free-agent market before camp starts. Murphy is a bigger, right-handed version of Maatta, with a worse offensive impact for much of his career. OK, they’re not that similar as Availability: players. But they were both the more defensive half of a top-four in Chicago last season. The Panthers have four defensemen locked in, but Brown shouldn’t cost that much if they want to retain him. Fit: Ben Hutton, Kings (6-2, 206) He’d certainly offer size and defensive responsibility, and could be a partner for Butcher or Smith over the next couple of seasons. Age: Turns 28 on April 20, 2021

Availability: Contract: UFA He’s basically Nemeth, though with a little less playing time. Hutton got He became Chicago’s No. 2 defenseman last season. Teams on a tight 22 minutes per night last year for Vancouver and was bad, but 18 per budget (or ones with a lot of money tied up in a few players) don’t like to game with the Kings suited him well. He was worth a little more than give up key players on team-friendly contracts. three goals above replacement at both ends of the ice, and has been a Jamie Oleksiak, Stars (6-7, 255) plus penalty killer for a few years.

Age: Turns 28 on Dec. 21 Fit:

Contract: $2.138 million for next season Teams shouldn’t expect him to handle 22 minutes a game again, but he could upgrade the back-half of the Devils’ defense with a repeat He’s huge and just had the best defensive season of his career. The performance from this season. other side of the puck has been a problem at times. Any team interested in him would need to dig into how he was worth 12.7 goals above Availability: replacement over 83 games with the Penguins, but hasn’t been nearly as valuable with the Stars, whether its overall or on a per-game basis. He’s coming off a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Kings. It might be worth noting that they didn’t trade him at the deadline. If he likes living in Fit: L.A., the Kings don’t have a lot in front of him beyond Drew Doughty.

Having Oleksiak and Bahl on the same roster would certainly quell any Brandon Davidson, Sharks (6-2, 208) concerns about size on defense. They might be redundant, unless Bahl can play higher in the lineup. Age: Turns 29 on Aug. 21

Availability: Contract: UFA Davidson hasn’t played more than 28 games for a team in a single The Stars could be set with their defense corps through next season, but season since 2015-16. He’s switched teams five times since and played then Miro Heiskanen is going to get very expensive. They have Oleksiak a total of 22 NHL games the past two seasons. What’s he doing here? and Stephen Johns one year from being UFAs, and moving one of them He’s had two seasons in which he suppressed offense for foes at 12 before it gets to the point where they can’t afford them could keep them percent better than average, and one of those happened to be with the ahead of the cap squeeze curve. Oilers when New Jersey vice president of analytics Tyler Dellow was Patrik Nemeth, Red Wings (6-3, 228) working for Edmonton.

Age: Turns 29 on Feb. 8, 2021 Fit:

Contract: $3 million for next season This is a deep cut. If the Devils signed Davidson, it could be a two-way contract, and he’d be one of a handful guys just trying to make an Nemeth has not topped 15 points in a season, but he played nearly 20 impression at camp and maybe end up as the seventh or eighth minutes per game three years ago for Colorado and 22 per night for defenseman. But he’s been worth more than four goals above Detroit last season. He was really good offensively and defensively in replacement twice, and both times it was because of his defensive zone 2017-18, but it was only at his end the past two years. impact. Fit: Availability: He is younger than 30, left-handed, strong in the defensive zone, has He played five games for the Sharks. He should reach the UFA market. size, and isn’t flashy. Nemeth isn’t likely to be a long-term solution, but he’d help the Devils next year. Robert Bortuzzo, Blues (6-4, 216)

Availability: Age: Turns 32 on March 18, 2021

On one hand, the Red Wings can’t just keep trading any veterans who Contract: $1.375 million per for the next two years play well for them, right? On the other, he’s a pending UFA and Detroit He’s been a third-pairing defenseman his entire career, but Bortuzzo was needs to improve a lot just to be run-of-the-mill bad, not at historic levels. also a significant positive in his own zone for three years (2014-17) and Josh Brown, Panthers (6-5, 225) was still pretty good the past two years before this one.

Age: Turns 27 on Jan. 24, 2021 Fit:

Contract: RFA Bortuzzo’s been worth about 18 goals above replacement over the past four seasons — Butcher is the only New Jersey defenseman who can top that. Availability: He’s a 6-4 lefty who can play 20 minutes a night. He suppressed offenses by at least 8.8 percent each of the past two seasons. If he was He’s one of the two low-end defensemen the Blues have under contract 27 or had two more years left on his contract, he’d be a strong candidate past this season. Moving Bortuzzo doesn’t clear that much space, but it to fill this need. The problem here is going to be the contract, because could help. there will likely be several suitors.

Jon Merrill, Golden Knights (6-3, 205) Availability:

Age: Turns 29 on Feb. 3, 2021 The Capitals did keep Michael Kempny after trading for him mid-season Contract: UFA and winning the Stanley Cup two years ago. That could happen, though Dillon seems likely to reach the market. Little at the offensive end, but four straight years with solid or better defensive metrics, and this season was his best (but also his worst at the Radko Gudas, Capitals (6-0, 204) other end). Age: Turns 31 on June 5, 2021

Fit: Contract: UFA

The Devils know him well. Merrill is similar to Mueller, but the former He’s not tall, but he’s strong and he’s mean. Gudas has also been worth Devils player has outperformed the current one the past two seasons. five goals above replacement or better for each of the past four seasons. His impact was minimal on offense, but profound on defense in his final Availability: three years in Philadelphia. Most of his value in his one season with Vegas has a lot of defensemen signed for next year, so he should reach Washington has actually come offensively. the UFA market. Fit: , Golden Knights (6-4, 214) If Fitzgerald said he wanted his defense corps to be harder to play Age: Turns 34 on May 15, 2021 against and then he signed Gudas, some fans would snicker. But like Dillon, he has outperformed his previous reputation over the past few Contract: $1.7 million per for the next two years seasons. A short-term deal to pair him with Butcher or Smith could work.

Holden is just outside the top 50 among defensemen in GAR over the Availability: past four seasons. He was 49th in 2016-17, his one full season with the Rangers, and has been steady but not as impactful since. This has been Jonas Siegenthaler, Capitals (6-3, 206) the best defensive season of his career, and Vegas gave him a new two- year contract in February. Age: Turns 24 on May 6, 2021

Fit: Contract: RFA Siegenthaler’s first full NHL season was a success. In 90 NHL games so He’s consistent and inexpensive, which are definitely positive traits for a far, he’s been worth about nine goals above replacement on defense and No. 4/5 defenseman. a touch worse than replacement level on offense. That could improve, Availability: but if not he could still be a solid defense-first guy on the third pairing.

Teams don’t typically sign players to extensions in February and then Fit: trade them before the contract actually starts, but these are unique times. The Devils have a 6-3 lefty from Switzerland. Siegenthaler has been a Something could come up before next season, and the Golden Knights little better on defense than Muller and not sacrificed as much offense, could need the cap space or the roster spot. but the sample size is still really small. Dylan DeMelo, Jets (6-1, 195) Availability: Age: Turns 28 on May 1, 2021 The Capitals have about $10 million in cap space and a lot of players Contract: UFA signed, so retaining Siegenthaler won’t be a problem, unless Washington goes big game hunting and needs to use minimum-salary type players to DeMelo had 22 points last season, but was worth more than 11 goals fill out the group. above replacement on offense — a non-flashy puck mover. This season the offensive impact hasn’t been the same, but his d-zone work has The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 improved. He’s been one of the league’s best bargains, but that should change this offseason

Fit:

After two very different years, we still don’t really know what DeMelo is going to be as he settles in with the next contract. If he plays defense like this season, it won’t matter that he isn’t three inches taller.

Availability:

The Jets needed help on defense this season, and still do for next year so sticking around with a nice raise would make sense. If not, he should be a popular target on the market.

Brenden Dillon, Capitals (6-4, 225)

Age: Turns 30 on Nov. 13

Contract: UFA

Dillon was an impact offensive player in his first couple of seasons, then settled in as a big guy who wasn’t that helpful for several years. The last two have been the best of his career, and his value is now fueled more by his defensive work. He’s run the full gamut from promising young player to disappointing player in his prime to now maybe being a touch underrated just before he hits the decline phase.

Fit: 1186519 New York Islanders Two years at $4.5 million per was very fitting for a one-time Stanley Cup champion with 1,000 games under his belt. But the return on investment for 2007-08 and part of 2008-09 was underwhelming, especially on the The 10 worst free-agent signings in Islanders history leadership front for Guerin, who was named Isles captain soon after he signed. The two Islander teams he played for weren’t exactly super- talented and Guerin was and is one of the game’s good and astute people, now the GM of the Wild. But it was a bad fit at a bad time in the By Arthur Staple Jun 18, 2020 team’s rebuild — the Isles’ fans dissatisfaction with Guerin only increased when he waived his no-move clause to go to the Penguins at the 2009 deadline and promptly helped them win a Cup. Earlier this week we brought you the 10 best Islanders free-agent signings, which wasn’t exactly a list dotted with big names. 5. Mikhail Grabovski, 2014

Wait until you see the list below. If he’d been healthy, Grabovski’s four-year, $20 million deal would have been worth it. But that “if” is doing a lot of heavy lifting — concussions One might assume that the Islanders, who have had far more bad than limited Grabovski to 109 games over two seasons, ending an impressive good results in the free-agency era, would be easy pickings for a 10 pro career after the 2015-16 season. No one to blame here, and Nikolay worst free-agent signings list. And there are any number of players who Kulemin, Grabovski’s BFF who signed the same day for four years at arrived on the Island and pouted, underperformed or were simply $900,000 less per season, had a decent three-plus year run on the Island ineffective. before a shoulder injury ended his time.

But many of those came to the Islanders via trade before signing terrible Those two signings were, in terms of expenditure, among the biggest contracts (Alexei Yashin) or were homegrown prospects before signing free-agent adds of Garth Snow’s tenure — of any Islander GM’s tenure, even worse contracts (Rick DiPietro). Some arrived via trade only to really. The twin signings of Grabovski and Kulemin signaled a new era basically refuse to participate (Kirk Muller, Jason Wiemer), some of a for the Isles in the summer of 2014, followed a couple months later by the more recent vintage did the same () and others were traded same-day acquisitions and Nick Leddy and , who both for and then rejected huge deals (, Ryan Smyth). got huge deals soon after that. Grabovski, now coaching in Belarus, could have been a big piece of the Isles core, but no one got to see his This list, really devoid of major blunders save for a handful, is a reminder true self. that the Isles have not been a destination for free agents both good and bad. A list of near-misses might have bigger names — Artemi Panarin 4. Chris Simon, 2006 most recently, , probably a dozen others you could list in the comments. So this is what we came up with, and you might have to It’s easy to forget with time so far gone that Simon was a skilled NHL check the internet to make sure a few of these guys actually played here. player in his day, a guy who once scored 29 goals in a season while also being among the most intimidating players in the game. He signed for 10. Marty Reasoner, 2011 one year and $1 million for 2006-07 and was having a decent season (10-17-27 in 67 games) when he crossed paths with the Rangers’ Ryan It was only a two-year deal worth $1.35 million per, hardly a bank-breaker Hollweg on March 8 — Simon’s baseball-style stick swing in response to for any team. But Reasoner, who was then only 34, is long remembered what he felt was a hit from behind could have done serious damage, not for the 92 games over two seasons he played as an Islander, but that luckily Hollweg escaped with only a cut on his chin. he was the fourth-line center flanked by fellow veteran Jay Pandolfo and 19-year-old first-rounder Nino Niederreiter, who managed perhaps the Simon’s 25-game suspension carried over into 2007-08 — Snow decided worst NHL stat line of the 2010s: 1-0-1 and minus-29 in 55 games. In to bring Simon back on another one-year deal — and then Simon 239:34 of even-strength time together that season, Niederreiter and basically cemented the end of his NHL career when he purposely Reasoner were on the ice for one goal for and 16 against. stepped on Jarkko Ruutu’s leg, drawing a 30-game suspension. Not pleasant memories for anyone. That’s not all Reasoner’s fault, of course, and Garth Snow immediately hired him into player development when Reasoner retired after the 2012- 3. Sergei Nemchinov, 1997 13 season ( still has him in the organization). But Niederreiter soured on the Islanders that season, and that stands out as Perhaps what stings the most about Nemchinov’s time with the Islanders the main result of Reasoner’s signing. after signing a three-year, $4.5 million deal in the summer of 1997, is what happened before and after his time on the Island. Nemchinov was a 9. , 2000 solid depth player on the Rangers’ 1994 Stanley Cup team; when the Isles dealt him away at the 1998-99 trade deadline to the Devils for a The 2000-01 Islanders were a mess pretty much from start to finish and fourth-round pick, he would again become a solid depth player on a Cup Galley, who at 37 was wrapping up a solid NHL career, was one of a few champion, this time for New Jersey in 2000. veterans who expressed his unhappiness early and often. and Galley went back to their days with the Bruins in the 1980s and His Islander stopover was slightly less memorable: 141 games and no 1990s but this Islander crew, in Charles Wang’s first year as owner, was playoffs. not much of a departure from the lowly teams of the 1990s. 2. , 2005 8. Pierre-Marc Bouchard, 2013 To get to the top of this list, term has to be a consideration. The Islanders This was the last really DOA Islanders season in recent memory, and never really committed long deals to any free agent, so the ones that Bouchard, despite signing a one-year, $2 million deal after a decade with didn’t stand out for failure tend to be multiyear deals. Coming out of the the Wild, was emblematic of things going wrong early. Bouchard was a 2004-05 lockout and into the new salary-cap world, Milbury made one healthy scratch barely more than a month into the season and was savvy move for a veteran NHLer in Miro Satan and one less-savvy move, waived and sent to Bridgeport in December. The Thomas Vanek trade adding Zhitnik for four years and $14 million total. The 2005-06 Islanders was the signature move (and mistake) of that season, but Bouchard’s were transitioning away from the modest pre-lockout success and not inability to consistently play for a forward group that was still pretty thin quite ready to compete in the cap era; Zhitnik, 33 when the season outside the top line gets him on the list. began, was one of the first veterans in the cap era to discover that long- term deals were only good for player security, not for team success. He 7. Mark Eaton, 2010 lasted 89 games before Snow, who took over the following offseason, Another veteran who didn’t so much rock the boat as let the boat run dealt Zhitnik to the Flyers in December. over him during his time on the Island. It was a two-year deal worth $2.5 1. Andrew Ladd, 2016 million per, so not exactly a low-cost flier, and the 10-year NHL defenseman couldn’t stay healthy in a dismal 2010-11, then was pretty It’s the contract that keeps on going. July 1, 2016, was a painful day for awful in the equally dismal 2011-12. He was a solid citizen and a decent the Islanders. They lost long-serving core players in Kyle Okposo and influence on a couple of the younger defensemen, so that counts for Frans Nielsen to bigger deals with the Sabres and Red Wings, something. respectively — one wonders if both of them would have preferred to take different deals now, given the zero playoff appearances between them — 6. Bill Guerin, 2007 and Matt Martin to the Leafs. Current owners Scott Malkin and formally took over that day and wanted Snow to make a splash — the Islanders had tried to get in line to speak with Steven Stamkos, who re-signed in Tampa the day before.

So the Isles turned to Ladd, a big name but not necessarily a perfect fit. The seven years at $5.5 million per, mostly in bonus money so a buyout would be damaging to the cap in future seasons, marked the biggest free-agent addition in team history. Because this is the Islanders, it’s also one of the worst contracts in the league and it still has three years to go.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186520 New York Rangers

Lias Andersson won’t join Rangers camp when NHL returns

By Larry BrooksJune 18, 2020 | 7:12PM

This has to be the end, doesn’t it?

Or does it?

Lias Andersson told club president John Davidson that he wants to be a Ranger, but the seventh-overall selection from the 2017 draft nevertheless declined an invitation to attend next month’s anticipated training camp leading into the 2020 Stanley Cup tournament, The Post has learned.

“We had discussions with Lias about coming over for camp, but he felt it was better for him to stay in his home country at this time,” Davidson told The Post. “We respect that decision.

“We had a number of good conversations. He told me he wants to be a New York Ranger. We’ll continue to hold his rights and down the road we’ll have discussions about where it’s best for Lias to play next season.”

Andersson, of course, has been a lightning rod since his surprise selection with the pick the Blueshirts had obtained preceding the draft with Tony DeAngelo in exchange for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta. He had played only 68 games over three seasons, mostly on the fourth line, recording a sum of three goals and nine points in 66 games.

More to the point, though, he demanded a trade upon leaving the AHL Wolf Pack, and returning home without notice on Dec. 20 following 13 games with Hartford, where he’d been assigned on Nov. 17. The Rangers suspended him. There were then a number of discussions between Davidson and Andersson, who was granted permission to play with HV71 of the SHL.

“Every report we got was positive,” Davidson said of Andersson’s stay in Sweden, where he recorded 12 points in 15 games. “He played very well.”

Well enough for the Rangers to want to add him to their list for this intended camp that would serve as a lead-into the club’s qualifying best- of-five series against Carolina. Andersson and club personnel acknowledged a thaw between the parties. Andersson had talked of melancholia and undisclosed injuries to his feet, but the relationship certainly seemed to have regained its footing.

Rangers coach David Quinn reached out to Andersson a couple of weeks ago and it was a constructive conservation. Andersson, who has been skating regularly — as have most NHL player ensconced in Sweden — throughout the shutdown of pro hockey, would have had an excellent chance to crack the game lineup for the tournament. He would have been aided by Brendan Lemieux’s suspension for a still unannounced number of games.

But no. Not now.

And honestly, despite what we will presume every one’s best intentions, it is hard not to believe, not ever again.

But we shall see.

New York Post LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186521 New York Rangers

Lias Andersson declines Rangers' invitation to attend July training camp

By Colin Stephenson

Lias Andersson, the Rangers' former first-round pick who returned to Sweden in November after he was sent to the minor leagues, has declined an invitation by the Rangers to come to their training camp in July for the NHL start, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed. The New York Post was first to report the news.

The decision by Andersson, 21, to decline the invitation would seem to cement the end of his time with the organization. The seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft has struggled to grab hold of a place on the roster.

After not making the Rangers out of training camp in 2018, he played well at AHL Hartford and got called up after about a month. He played 42 games in 2018-19 and had two goals and four assists. He made the Rangers out of camp in 2019, but never was able to get off the fourth line. He was on the penalty-killing unit early on, but other than that, struggled to get ice time, and managed just one assist in 17 games before being sent to Hartford on Nov. 17.

He had four goals and five points in 13 games for Hartford before leaving the team after Christmas and returning to Sweden. He requested a trade and spoke about how his mental health had been an issue both while he was with the Rangers and when he was at Hartford. The Rangers suspended him for a time, but after team president John Davidson spoke to him, eventually the Rangers lifted the suspension and loaned him to a team in the Swedish Hockey League.

With the NHL taking steps toward re-starting its season with 24 teams playing at one of two hub sites and the Rangers being paired against the Carolina Hurricanes in a best-of-five play-in series to qualify for the 16- team playoffs, players have been skating at team practice sites since last week in Phase 2 of the league’s return-to-play plan.

Phase 3 of the plan, training camp, is supposed to start July 10. The league has not announced how many players will be on the rosters for the hub sites, or how many will be invited to training camp, but speculation had been that teams would be allowed to bring 28 skaters and an unlimited number of goaltenders with them to the hub sites.

Andersson has three goals and six assists and is minus-20 in 66 career games with the Rangers.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186522 New York Rangers Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta), actually made the team in training camp last September only to be demoted to Hartford. That’s when the saga began.

‘We’ll see where it all goes’: The Lias Andersson-Rangers saga Andersson, Davidson said, was under consideration for the resumption of continues this season. The Rangers will be adding extra bodies to their roster for a play-in series, likely in Las Vegas, against Carolina (the roster number is believed to be 31 players). But Andersson will not be one of them. By Rick Carpiniello Jun 18, 2020 The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020

The ongoing saga about Lias Andersson and the Rangers continues to be just that. A saga.

Indeed, a Rangers source told The Athletic on Thursday night that it’s not over.

Does that mean Andersson will one day play again for the Rangers? Not necessarily. But it also doesn’t mean the door is closed.

The New York Post’s Larry Brooks tweeted Thursday that “Lias Andersson has decided to remain in Sweden. (The) Rangers had talked to him about joining (the) team for 2020 training camp, but (the) seventh- overall (pick) from 2017 opted against accepting (the) invite … So it ends until there’s a trade …”

The Post also said Andersson has decided to stick with his Swedish team, HV71, for next season.

However, a Rangers source insisted that while Andersson is not coming to the team’s return-to-play training camp scheduled for July 10 and won’t be with the Rangers for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, he is still under consideration for 2020-21.

And either way, the source said, and this is the most important part, it is not up to Andersson where he plays next season. The Rangers make that call — they own his rights and have loaned him to the Swedish club. They have not yet determined whether he will be allowed to play there next season or whether he will come back for the 2020-21 training camp, whenever that turns out to be.

“Last season when he got to Sweden and he played there, (Rangers GM) Jeff Gorton was in constant discussions and in touch with the general manager there, and they were very happy with the way that Lias played,” Rangers president John Davidson told The Athletic on Thursday. “And in my discussions with Lias, he was very happy with the way he played. We just hope he continues to play and play well, and we’ll see where it all goes. Sometimes, these things are just unknown.

“As far as next season goes for us here, we don’t even know when that is. Just the idea that, if they fire up over there and we’re not playing here, it’s a good thing that he’s playing over there. These things have twists and turns with them.”

Davidson said the decision for Andersson not to join the team in camp next month was mutual.

“I’d say it was both,” Davidson said. “He’s a part of the Rangers organization. We’re going to try to get him playing as best as he can, and we’ll just see where it all goes.”

It is possible that Andersson — who left the team and asked to be traded shortly after being assigned to Hartford and who has been quoted in interviews in Sweden about suffering from unspecified emotional strains — will never play another game for the Rangers. It’s also possible that the Rangers will trade him. In fact, that’s the most likely scenario.

But those calls will be made by Rangers management, not the player. Andersson’s entry-level contract expires after the 2020-21 season, but he will be a restricted free agent and the Rangers will continue to own his rights by tendering a qualifying offer. They are under no obligation to let him play elsewhere and as of now have zero intentions of simply walking away from him.

There is also an expansion draft in 2021, and Seattle might be interested in Andersson if he has a decent season in Sweden, or North America, in 2020-21.

Davidson has spoken with Andersson often and has indicated that the Rangers will continue to treat him as one of their players until he is no longer.

The 21-year-old center, who was a controversial selection as the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft (obtained with Tony DeAngelo for 1186523 Philadelphia Flyers Aube-Kubel said he likes that the Flyers are among Eastern Conference teams playing in a round-robin tournament, along with Boston, Tampa Bay, and Washington. Eight other East teams will compete in play-in games. Flyers rookie right winger Nic Aube-Kubel eager to show he belongs when NHL playoffs begin “It would have been bad if all the other teams played in the first round and we got there cold,” he said. “I really think it’s going to be emotional and it’s going to be a good rivalry.” by Sam Carchidi

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.19.2020 As a fourth-line winger, it’s not easy for a rookie to make much of an impression.

Nic Aube-Kubel, however, bucked the odds.

Flyers’ Joel Farabee and teammates ‘trying to get that chemistry back, get the flow going again’

Playing primarily as the Flyers’ No. 4 right winger, Aube-Kubel played a key role in the team’s improved play over the last three months of the season. He played so well that coach Alain Vigneault was not reluctant to use him in key situations, and he gave him a healthy amount of playing time — an average of 11 minutes, 17 seconds per game, which is more than most teams give their fourth-liners.

“I got some good ice time and I think I took advantage,” he said after being on the ice Thursday at the Flyers’ practice facility in Voorhees.

Aube-Kubel finished with 15 points, including seven goals, and a plus-1 rating in 36 games. He was eighth on the team in points per minute (.037), sandwiched between Scott Laughton (.038) and (.034).

The Flyers went 24-10-2 after Aube-Kubel was promoted from the Phantoms in mid-December.

This is Aube-Kubel’s first full week of skating with some teammates since returning to Voorhees for small-group workouts. No more than six players are allowed on the ice at one time as they prepare for the opening of training camp July 10.

“It was unreal. I missed the boys,” Aube-Kubel said. “I missed skating with them. It was a good practice, a hard practice [as we] get ready for camp.”

When the season was paused, Aube-Kubel was on the fourth line, alongside center Nate Thompson and left winger Michael Raffl.

Aube-Kubel, 24, a second-round selection in the 2014 draft, was asked if he felt he was here to stay in the NHL.

“It’s hard to say that because I only played half a season,” he said. “For sure, I’ll see after the playoffs. Hopefully we make a statement in those playoffs and I get my spot for next year.”

Aube-Kubel’s physical play and strong defensive work have helped the fourth line’s productivity.

“I feel like in the NHL, it’s easier if I focus on one task and focus on one job and do simple stuff,” he said.

The Flyers were the NHL’s hottest team when the season was stopped March 12 because of the coronavirus. Will it be difficult to continue the momentum when the games return, probably in early August?

“That’s a good question,” Aube-Kubel said. “I think a lot of our players are naturally gifted, and that’s going to be a plus for us through the playoffs. "

The solidly built, 5-foot-11, 187-pounder said he didn’t think it would take the players long to get back in stride.

“I’m counting on that and I know the coaches will be on us … and they’ll be ready and make the team ready.”

Being quarantined at a hotel when the season returns and in a “bubble” with his teammates doesn’t faze him, Aube-Kubel said.

“I’ve always been in a bubble,” he said with a laugh. “I played seven hours from my hometown, in a small town with not much to do” while in juniors. “So for sure I’m going to bring my Xbox and a deck of cards to play with the boys. I mean, I’m kind of excited just to get back in that hockey environment.” 1186524 Philadelphia Flyers

2020 NHL playoffs: Sights and sounds from voluntary workouts as Flyers' Phase 2 picks up

By Jordan Hall

June 18, 2020 4:35 PM

Thursday marked 100 days since the Flyers last played a game.

The last time the team was together for a full practice was March 11, when the Flyers celebrated Travis Konecny's birthday at Skate Zone.

While the Flyers are not yet back to formal practices or game action, some players have started taking the ice again at the team's practice facility in Voorhees, New Jersey.

Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia on Thursday that there are about eight to nine players back at the facility and the team expects those numbers to grow next week and beyond. In Phase 2 of the NHL's return-to-play plan, these workouts are voluntary, can have no more than six players per session and started last week for the Flyers.

As players make their way back to Skate Zone, some Flyers are coming from other countries and greater distances. Many are able to work out and skate where they've resided during the suspension of the season, which started March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak.

All players will have to return at some point before July 10, which is when mandatory training camp (Phase 3) is set to begin. It's uncertain when exactly the NHL plans to resume play (Phase 4) by kicking off its 24-team tournament as there are still a number of decisions to be made. The Flyers, however, are in good position within the field, currently as the Eastern Conference's fourth seed and with an opportunity to climb.

Sean Couturier, Ivan Provorov, Joel Farabee and Nicolas Aube-Kubel are the players that we know of who have been skating at the practice facility.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186525 Philadelphia Flyers “Removing myself and allowing Ridly to have his own journey and allowing the Flyers to do their job was the best approach,” said Mark. “When I worked through it, I thought that’s the way I wanted to do it.

Flyers scout Mark Greig steps back, gives hotshot son, Ridly, draft-year “I never did see where he is on our (draft) list, which I thought was room another good approach. He’s in there somewhere and I don’t really need to know where. I’m fine with that. I actually like it.”

Over the years, though, Mark’s line of work has provided a window of By Scott Cruickshank insight for a sports-crazed kid.

Jun 18, 2020 Before Ridly landed that gig as a runner, he’d already accompanied his dad on scouting trips. They’d get to a rink, check lineups, jot down lines,

highlight players. “Then we’d watch together. He’d show me guys on the All of hockey’s powerbrokers gathered in one place, excitement building ice to watch, what guys did well,” said Ridly. “An unreal thing. It gives me as the draft is set to begin, the lights bright, this is a spectacle the an edge on other guys.” youngster won’t forget. The pair would motor to places such as Spokane and Tri-City, Red Deer Not that he’ll ever need any, but there are physical reminders of the and Calgary. “I’d be able to share a little bit of what I do, what scouts do,” weekend. Standard-issue keepsakes — baggy jersey and ballcap, in said Mark. “And I think he was attentive at the time. It was stuff that he Philadelphia Flyers colours in this case. took with him.”

That orange sweater still hangs in his bedroom. And when the Flyers would make their annual visit to the Saddledome, Ridly was there for that, too. To see his favourite team, Philly. To see his Don’t blame the lad for its everlasting place of prominence. The 2014 favourite player, Claude Giroux. Practice, morning skate, post-game NHL Draft may end up being ’s lone taste of the event. dressing room. He witnessed the works.

In person, anyway. “He’s been in it, around it,” said Mark. “He’s got to see it and kind of smell it. I think those experiences for any young kid are impactful.” When the NHL does finally conduct its annual talent grab, Ridly will not be overlooked. Frisky forward of the , he is a Ridly listens to a reporter start to run through the Greigs’ achievements. certified catch — Central Scouting slots him 14th among North American skaters — but there will be no stage-climbing component to the affair. “Yeah, a pretty athletic family, I’d say.” Not this year. Grandpa Bill Greig introduced weightlifting to his kids — which included A virtual draft — like the NFL’s — seems most likely. Meaning Ridly will Ridly’s uncle Bruce (whose hockey career featured stops with the be at home in Lethbridge when the momentous occasion takes place. and the Calgary Cowboys, before he turned his But at least the teenager knows how it’s supposed to look, thanks to his attention to power-lifting, setting world records at the masters level); aunt work six years ago as a draft-floor runner for the hosts at Wells Fargo Leslie (who, in her 50s, is still a competitive bodybuilder); and Mark (who, Center. after a stellar junior career with the , was drafted 15th overall by the at the 1990 draft and would go on to His father Mark, scout of the Flyers, opened the door — and the kid’s play 17 years of pro hockey). eyes — for that adventure. “Weightlifting, it’s been a staple in our family tree for years, through my “He saw everything front and centre live,” said Mark. “I know for him, with father,” said Mark, who grew up on a farm a couple of minutes north of the passion he had for hockey, he really took it in and watched the whole Nanton, Alta. “The basement at our house, for years, was the spot.” procedure. Even to this day, it resonates with him, for sure.” The spot, now, is the home of Mark and wife Cindy — with sweat Ridly, then 11 years old, happily did as he was told, fetching snacks and sessions daily, 11 a.m. till 1 p.m. delivering documents for Flyers brass. Ridley and pal Dawson Leroux, a member of the AJHL Olds Grizzlys, will “Anything to help them out,” he said. “It was cool to see how the draft be there. Sister Dara, 19, a winger who just finished her freshman year works, with all the scouts there.” with the Wisconsin Badgers, also participates. Sister Kyra, 21, who led the University of Lethbridge in scoring this past season, is transferring to Mark, in his 13th season as a full-time talent appraiser for the Flyers, is the University of Calgary after Pronghorns’ program was cut. based in Lethbridge, home of the WHL Hurricanes. But, as a cross-over scout, he travels. To see prospects in the OHL and the QMJHL, in the With Mark’s background, it’s no surprise to hear that the kids entered United States and in Europe. organized hockey at a tender age. Ridly and Dara, 20 months apart in age, played on the same teams, often together. While on the trail, catching his boy in action is common enough. “It was cool playing on a line with her,” Ridly said. “We kind of had some But whenever Ridly hit the ice this past season, Dad made sure to cap chemistry. We definitely look back and remember it.” his Bic. Along the way, Ridly also threw himself into baseball — excelling as a Before the start of 2019-20, he informed Flyers assistant general shortstop for the Lethbridge Bulls, who qualified for the 2016 manager Brent Flahr that he would not be filing reports on his son — for Intermediate World Series in Livermore, Calif., and the 2017 Junior World obvious reasons. While Mark did see lots of the Wheaties, rattling off Series in Taylor, Mich. — before deciding to focus on hockey. assessments on top-flight defender Braden Schneider, he made not a peep about that pesky forward with the familiar last name. Even if there had been big skates to fill.

Surely, he must’ve been tempted to put in a good word on behalf of “I wouldn’t say there was pressure to be as good,” Ridly said of his Ridly? father’s shadow. “People would look at my dad and look at me and kind of say it was a hockey family. I just enjoy playing the game and love “I really wasn’t,” replied Mark. “I really enjoyed just watching him play. everything about it. I would just go out and play.” We work on his game together, things I see and things he shares, so I’ve enjoyed my conversations with him and allowed the Flyers to do their Added Mark: “He’s been his own guy, his own player. I do think people thing. Really, it was easy for me, just to step back and watch the process connected the dots quickly when he started to have success … that he unfold … then have the opportunity to just be a dad and watch Ridly. It was my son. But he’s never felt pressure and I’ve never felt it for him.” was a good fit.” After a dominating winter with the Lethbridge (Bantam AAA) Golden It’s not like Philly bird-dogs avoided Ridly, a speedy two-way centreman Hawks — 71 points in 35 games — Ridly was drafted eighth overall by who suited up for the CHL Top Prospects game. So there is in-house the Wheaties in 2017. Although Mark would have been happy to see his intel regarding his boy — not that Mark has taken a glimpse. boy skate for the Peter Anholt–run Hurricanes, he felt it was important for Ridly to blossom on his own. “I do like the part that he left home at a young age and had to work through the off-ice dynamic of having to be on your own and living at a billet,” Mark said. “I thought that was a nice piece to his whole experience. I think it accelerates the maturation process and it allowed him to go do his own thing.”

Independence, though, stretches only so far.

Ridly wears No. 17, just like his dad. Slender and about 6-feet tall, he is built just like the old man and even possesses some of his offensive flair.

But there’s a fire, which, they say, came from Mom.

“That’s what everyone jokes about — that that’s where I got it from,” said Ridly, chuckling. “She’s a pretty competitive person herself. She gets pretty invested in the game when she’s watching.”

Said Mark: “There’s just a bit of an edge there … which is more a byproduct of him and his nature and some of his mother.” A laugh. “It’s served him well.”

There is a line that gets crossed occasionally, which results in something Mark refers to as “suspension hiccups.” Twice this season the kid was forced to sit out games for questionable collisions.

“He has more of an edge, a bit of a nastiness,” said Mark. “My experience from being a pro for a long time, you have to have a lot of different variables to your game. I wanted him to understand how to play away from the puck. And he’s done that. He has a pretty responsible two- way game. He can generate offence, but he’s reliable in his own zone. He understands how to check. I like that piece to his game.”

No draft date is set, plenty remains up in the air, but father and son have accepted the unique circumstances.

On Mark’s side, in many ways, it has been business as usual following the NHL’s pause — loads of responsibilities, typical pre-draft diligence.

“I was fairly engaged,” said the 50-year-old. “The bulk of the work is done, the list is in place. For the most part, it’s in order. We’re ready to go.”

For Ridly, without a combine, he has been unable to flaunt his fitness.

But, via conference calls, he’s been participating in team interviews. He figures he’s done 25 or so, including the Calgary Flames, but not yet the Flyers. (“I know if they did interview me, my dad wouldn’t be a part of it.”) And just the other day, Ridly got invited to Team Canada’s five-day virtual camp, July 27-31, in preparation for the 2021 world junior tourney.

These days the Greigs are filling the days with Spikeball, presumably up- tempo, in addition to playing cards and board games. Mom and Dad have relished the new normal.

“It’s been great,” Mark said. “The five of us haven’t spent a significant amount of time together as the kids have gotten older, so we’ve enjoyed it.”

For Ridly, family time serves as a handy distraction from rankings, from projections, from mock drafts.

He’s tried his best to ignore the speculation, but well-meaning buddies like to forward online mentions to him.

“It’s tough,” said Ridly. “You always get those messages and you get tagged in photos. But it is interesting to see what people are saying about you. I guess it’s a little bit hard to resist it.

“I kind of want to get the draft over and done with. I’m just taking life day by day. Laying low, really, right now and waiting to see what happens.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186526 Pittsburgh Penguins “The rink is as clean as it’s ever been,” he said. “I think all the players do feel safe with the protocols that are set up, with the testing. You are quarantined in your own little bubble, your group, but it’s still a working environment.” What have the Penguins been up to in Phase 2? Here's a peek behind the curtain So what are these guys actually doing when they step onto the ice?

With a handful of exceptions, most NHL players had not been on skates since the season halted. Penguins strength coaches created dry-land During a normal summer, the average NHL player doesn’t leave his workouts for individuals based on what equipment they had around their hockey skates tucked inside a musty equipment bag for more than two or homes. Hennes provided skill drills for any player who asked. Some guys three weeks. laced up rollerblades.

When the season ends, he may head to the beach or, in the case of “The work that they’ve done starting March 13 has put them in a great Sidney Crosby last summer, drive across Europe. But he soon eases position,” Hennes said. “But hockey is an unfortunate sport in the sense back onto the ice by skating with a small group of peers or working with a that no matter how much exercise you do off the ice, there’s still nothing specialized skills coach. that can replicate the stress in the lungs and the burn in your legs from actually ice skating.” During July, summer leagues and high-level pickup games are played in hockey hotbeds. Most Penguins return to Pittsburgh in August for player- Right now, the emphasis is on edge work, puck skills and shooting, just led skates at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Training camp is in getting used to the feel of the ice and the puck again. There is no September. When the regular season begins in early October, players physical contact. are near peak condition. Hennes said “a leader” from each group will communicate with the Add it all up, and that’s at least three months on ice before the puck supervisor about what they would like to focus on during the next day’s drops. skate. The Penguins have a “playlist” of every drill coach Mike Sullivan ran the players through this season. Hennes will take that feedback and As we are reminded daily, this is not a normal summer. NHL players, suggest specific drills to try. after what for many has been the longest non-injury layoff in over a decade, may only get seven weeks to knock off rust and get their “For a lot of guys, it’s getting back on the ice and feeling comfortable out engines revving back up again. Oh, and their first game back? It’s Game there again. It’s getting your legs under you, getting your hands back,” 1 of a best-of-five playoff series. Guentzel said. “There’s a lot of different things you’re working on. ... Each day is different.” This race to the Stanley Cup will be a unique physical challenge, and the team that best utilizes limited ice time now may be the one that goes the An NHL sheet of ice is 200 feet long and 85 wide. But that is not a ton of distance. space for elite players, who can go goal line to goal line in about as much time it takes you to get a sip of hot coffee. Steps are taken to practice “After this extended [layoff], it just makes it that much more important to social distancing. get back to being an athlete on skates and not trying to gain it all back during Week 1 or 2,” skills development coach Ty Hennes said. “It’s Many of the drills Hennes recommends separate the players into going to take a little bit of time. But if it’s done properly, our guys should stations. be ready to perform.” “At one station, one player works on puck-handling. In the neutral zone, The process began last week, when the NHL gave players the green light one player is working on a skating pattern. At the far end, another guy is to step back inside team facilities for the first time since the season was working on shooting. And then there’s three different stations on the suspended March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Phase 2 of its opposite side,” he said. “They may go for two or three minutes a station return-to-play plan allows groups of six players and one supervisor inside and then they rotate.” a facility at a time. By stacking up all those individual drills over a few weeks, the Penguins The workouts are not open to the public or media. Non-essential team hope to have their players ready for competitive line rushes, physical employees aren’t yet allowed in the building. So the only glimpses into contact and draining puck battles along the boards during Phase 3, the the voluntary skates at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex come via photos training camp phase. and snippets of video the Penguins provide to media outlets and share on social media. “The players are just building that engine in Phase 2,” Hennes explained.

In a phone interview this week, Hennes, who in 2013 turned down a The NHL is targeting July 10 for Phase 3. The league has not announced career as a sports chiropractor to get into coaching, pulled back the how long camps will be. Many have speculated they could last three curtain to give a peek at what the Penguins are up to and discussed the weeks. challenge at hand. Hennes said the biggest challenge over Phases 2 and 3 will be managing At least three groups of players have been cycling through the facility. player workloads to avoid injury and fatigue while preparing them for Hennes leads the one consisting of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, what they hope will be a long playoff grind. That will take a collective Conor Sheary, Brian Dumoulin, John Marino and Casey DeSmith. effort among players, the medical staff, coaches and strength and sports Penguins management blocks out time, typically about three hours, for a performance staffers. group to be inside. “We are in a condensed period of time to get players to go into the most Each day players must undergo temperature checks and record intense period of time in playoff hockey. We need to be smart with our symptoms when they arrive. Masks must be worn when players are not daily workouts,” Hennes said. “I think just managing the workload and the working out. Sheary said Tuesday that he has also winced through physical stress we put on the players through the training camp will be multiple nasal swab tests. imperative.”

“It’s not the most fun test to take,” the winger said, adding, “They pretty much stick a Q-tip way up your nostril. It feels like it’s in the back of your Matt Vensel brain.” Post Gazette LOADED: 06.19.2020 Some days players hit the weight room first, with Hennes overseeing the Crosby group as it goes through workouts designed by team strength coaches. Other days they skate first, with a maximum of 60 minutes for on-ice workouts.

When time is up for a group, the players leave the facility, long gone when the next group of six arrives. Hennes said the staff at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex must first thoroughly sanitize wherever the last group had been. 1186527 Pittsburgh Penguins Control what you can control, as the coaches like to say. But if you’re going to participate in sports, in any facet, you best acknowledge the obvious:

Joe Starkey: Sports and distancing do not mix — so what’s the solution? There will be plenty that is out of your control.

I’m with Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who says it will be Joe Star•key “humanly impossible” for NFL teams to maintain strict adherence to Post Gazette LOADED: 06.19.2020 safety guidelines the league put forth in memos to teams.

This is football, after all, which means one must share space with dozens of teammates, lift weights, work out, receive medical treatment, participate in practice and play the game — and thereby violate every reasonable COVID-19 safety standard.

The game calls for standing shoulder to shoulder in a huddle, diving into piles of humanity, talking strategy on the sidelines and going face-to-face in the acts of blocking, tackling, covering people, etc.

You know, football!

It presents quite the dilemma, even with frequent testing: How can you play or coach this sport, or most sports, without subjecting yourself and others to increased risk?

Answer: You can’t.

The only immediate solution, in the face of a pandemic that continues to rage in different parts of the country, would be to cancel the season and wait ’til next year. A reasonable case can be made for that, as it could for postponing all sports until 2021 — especially if we see more health systems teetering under the weight of COVID-19 cases.

But who’s to say there will be a vaccine or an effective treatment by then?

Can sports move forward in the meantime?

Should it?

I struggle with those questions. But I know this: As the sports world slowly reopens — even Major League Baseball suddenly looks promising — participants from the youth leagues on up are going to have to accept the fact that social distancing and sports do not mix.

If you’re signing that waiver to play, or to have your child play, you’re signing up for the full experience, knowing certain safety guidelines absolutely will not be followed.

We’re going through this with my 11-year-old daughter’s return to softball, now that we’re in the green phase. Should we let her play? What does it mean to sign a waiver, other than to accept the inherent risk?

For me, it means we accept that she’s probably not going to be six feet away from her teammates at all times, wearing a mask. It means they’re probably going to get excited and act like kids and give high fives, just as you see in the Korea Baseball Organization, which has been up and running since early May.

And it means they’re going to play softball, which involves standing near a catcher while hitting, touching the same ball as all the other players and everything else that goes into playing the sport.

I could wish for players to sit far apart in extended makeshift dugouts and for fans to be ordered to wear masks (and that might happen at some tournaments) and for coaches to stay six feet away from players — but I’m deluding myself if I believe all of that will happen.

So it’s up to my wife and I: Do we accept the conditions of participation?

We have so far, largely because Allegheny County is not a COVID-19 trouble spot. The tricky part with this disease is that others potentially are involved in every risk you take. The virus is passed easily, and you don’t have to be symptomatic to pass it.

Is it selfish, then, to play or coach?

That’s another tough question. Here’s my best answer: In the arena itself, the sports bubble, our family has chosen to enter a collective world of increased peril, whereas in other arenas — grocery stores, pet stores, restaurants, etc. — we choose to wear masks and social distance. Nobody signed a waiver before entering a supermarket. There should be no unnecessary shared risk there. 1186528 Pittsburgh Penguins Jagr had played the previous three seasons in the KHL following a successful stint with the Rangers. He was 39 at the time and considering a return to the NHL.

The inside story of #JagrWatch, and why it was never meant to be The text message was fired off by , Jagr’s agent. Svoboda became an intriguing figure during the two-week saga, spontaneously answering phone calls from reporters, bloggers and fans, telling them all different versions of what might happen, and then saying, “I’ve got to go By Josh Yohe now.” Jun 18, 2020 On this day, however, Svoboda was perfectly clear and direct with the Penguins.

Jaromir Jagr sat at his locker, his media requirements for the morning Would you be interested in Jagr playing for you? long complete. It was Oct. 25, 2016, and his Panthers were in Pittsburgh So, were they? to take on the Stanley Cup champion Penguins. “I think there were differences of opinion in the room, to be honest,” He was in a good mood, as he typically was when he returned to Bylsma said. “But within the parameters of what we believed he would Pittsburgh. He joked with old friends and members of the media, that require to play for us, yes, we were interested. We didn’t feel like he was legendary, boyish grin still charming even as he had aged well into his a need. When healthy, we were already really good. But, yeah, we were 40s. interested. Of course, we were.” Then Jagr, whose mood swings can be as violent as his ankle-breaking Bylsma was certainly intrigued by the idea. While speaking with a couple dekes, turned serious. And somber. So somber. of reporters at the NHL Draft in Minnesota that same month, he pulled “They still boo me,” he said. out a piece of paper to display how Jagr would fit on the power play with Crosby and Malkin. Bylsma was at the height of his power at that time It didn’t have to be that way, of course. Jagr felt Pittsburgh’s wrath after and stars loved playing for him. One more, even an aging one, surely he was traded to Washington in 2001, but a degree in economics wasn’t wouldn’t have hurt. necessary to comprehend that the Penguins traded away the superstar because they couldn’t afford the contract they had previously given him. Shero never seemed as intrigued by the reunion, saying the night before There was nothing to forgive Jagr for and, besides, fences would be the July 1 free-agency period that the Penguins would offer a contract but forever mended when he signed with the Penguins in the summer of were “in the hockey business, not the nostalgia business.” 2011. When Svoboda initially contacted the Penguins, he suggested that Jagr It was supposed to happen that way, the antihero coming full circle and could be had for an exceptionally cheap price, in the neighborhood of skating a victory lap in a city that still loved him, even if it was a $800,000 to $1 million for a season. The Penguins didn’t have much complicated love. We called it #JagrWatch, and the hashtag is important. salary-cap space and were putting the final touches on a two-year, $4 When Jagr arrived in Pittsburgh in 1990, the Internet was barely a thing. million contract for Tyler Kennedy. By 2011, social media was king, and Jagr, once the prince of Pittsburgh, They weren’t about to get into a bidding war for a 39-year-old Jagr but for found himself directly in the middle of a generational gap. His fans, those an inexpensive price, viewed him as a low-risk, high-reward signing. from the early 90s golden era of Penguins hockey, wanted him to return. Also, the Penguins aren’t above being marketable. In fact, they rather The Sidney Crosby generation of young Penguins fans only knew of Jagr enjoy it and are good at it. A Jagr return would have been a gigantic local through YouTube highlights and Stanley Cup banners, but they were on story. And a positive one. board in a big way. He was still so cool, so famous. “It’s Jaromir Jagr,” Bylsma said. “Was he the same player in 2011 that he Had Jagr signed with the Penguins, he would have played with Mario was when he was winning scoring titles and when he was the best player Lemieux in his prime and Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in their respective in the world? No, he wasn’t. His game had changed. But we knew he primes. He could have bridged the gap from one generation to the next was still a force down low. We knew he could still play. So yes, the coach and provided a storybook conclusion to an iconic career. in me was very intrigued by the idea of adding him to our lineup.” But antiheroes often have other ideas. ‘It might not have been realistic’ ‘Let’s just say, we got a text message’ In the days leading up to July 1, Svoboda’s demands started to change. Speaking of complicated, the 2010-11 Penguins were that and more. The He wanted far more than the $1 million that was initially requested. Other first half of the regular season saw them soar to Stanley Cup favorite teams were involved, including the Flyers, Canadiens and Red Wings. status. In their first season at what was then called Consol Energy Suddenly, Svoboda wanted more than $2 million for his client. His story Center, the Penguins raced to the NHL’s best record by the holidays. kept changing, too, depending on the day and the reporter. The optimism Crosby was on pace for 64 goals and 132 points at the season’s halfway among Penguins fans, however, did nothing but swell in late June 2011. mark, both of which would have shattered his personal bests. Malkin had Multiple reports in European publications indicated Jagr to the Penguins been banged up but was rounding into form. They did all this with Jordan was a done deal. Then, Svoboda announced that Jagr would decide on Staal missing the first half of the season, but he returned at the Winter Wednesday, June 29. Svoboda said Jagr was on a plane from Prague to Classic. The Penguins were on top of the world. JFK Airport in New York. Later that day, the airport would endure numerous flight delays because of turtles on the runway, leading to the Then Crosby missed the remainder of the season with a concussion, zany nature of the story. Malkin missed the remainder of the season with a torn ACL and the Penguins bowed in seven games to the Lightning — after blowing a 3-1 Penguins fans were not deterred, however. Late that night, a few series lead — in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. hundred of them descended upon Pittsburgh International Airport and stayed in the baggage claim area until 2 a.m., hoping for a glimpse of Dan Bylsma conducted his finest coaching performance that season and Jagr. Adding another surreal layer to the story, Pirates owner Bob Nutting would receive the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL’s Coach of the Year. Just was there that night, picking up his daughter from a late-night flight. before the NHL Awards and NHL Draft took place, however, Bylsma sat in his office and was surrounded by members of the Penguins’ staff. “Look at all of these people,” he said, shaking his head.

“I remember it well,” Bylsma said earlier this week from his home in Jagr, of course, was never on a flight for Pittsburgh. It was merely Michigan. “We were in my office going over offseason plans. Ray Shero assumed that a midnight flight from JFK to Pittsburgh was carrying Jagr. was there. Jason Botterill was there. A couple of scouts. Dan MacKinnon He instead stayed in New York that night. was there. And then it happened. Let’s just say, we got a text message. “The number that we believed would work started to change,” Bylsma And the text message indicated that Jaromir Jagr was very interested in said. “It kept going up and up. I don’t really think it was going to happen if playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. We had heard some stuff that he it got into a bidding war. We had very little cap room. We couldn’t just said to newspapers during the World Championships earlier that throw $6 million at Jagr. We weren’t in a position where we could do that. offseason, but we didn’t take it real seriously at the time. When we got It might not have been realistic. Our cap situation wasn’t real good at the that text, everything changed.” time and his number started to go up a good bit more than we believed Bylsma doesn’t think Crosby would have wanted to play with Jagr, given would be the case.” his affinity for fast wingers. Jagr could fly in his day but at 39, no longer possessed elite wheels. During this time, reporters inundated Svoboda’s phone. Sometimes he answered, sometimes he didn’t, a techno music voicemail message often “I don’t know if Jagr would have worked with Staal either,” Bylsma said. providing entertainment but not much in the way of answers. “So you probably would have had Jagr playing with Geno. Would they have worked? Yeah, probably. But then, if we do that, we never find out “It was an interesting time,” Bylsma said. how good Neal and Malkin would have been together. Maybe Neal would Whether Jagr ever truly wanted to play in Pittsburgh remains a mystery have played with Sid? I don’t know. It’s a lot to think about. But trust me, because he’s never offered a clear answer. He signed with the Flyers, of my mind was working overtime trying to figure out how we could use him. all teams, on July 1 for $3.3 million. Those Flyers would infamously stun It’s not like we didn’t want him. It would have been a very exciting thing.” the Penguins in the first round of the 2012 postseason. One year later, Later in the 2016-17 season, Jagr played in Pittsburgh for the final time. after landing in Boston, Jagr’s Bruins took out Bylsma’s Penguins in the He hadn’t declared at the time that it would be his last NHL season and 2013 Eastern Conference final. he played briefly in Calgary the next season. But he never played in The Flyers had the financial flexibility to add Jagr, knew he could impact Pittsburgh again. Maybe he couldn’t leave the NHL until he made his their power play and didn’t want the powerful Penguins to add another peace with the place that was his home for a decade. dimension to the league’s best offense. The Penguins congratulated him during a stoppage in play for being Thus, Jagr signed with the enemy. named to the NHL’s All-Time Top 100 team, the same roster that somehow excluded Malkin. For many years, especially since “I think his heart always was in Pittsburgh,” Svoboda said. “I believe that. #JagrWatch, Penguins fans lustfully booed Jagr whenever he touched I think it still is. But it just didn’t work out with the Penguins.” the puck.

A couple of seasons later while playing in Florida, Vince Trocheck, who This time, it was different. A lengthy standing ovation greeted Jagr once visited Jagr’s house in Upper St. Clair for Halloween, was his following the announcement. He played it cool at the time but would later teammate. admit how touching it was.

“I think Jags loves Pittsburgh,” Trocheck said. “I know he does. But it’s As if to remind Jagr that he came from a different time, his Panthers lost, just Jags, you know? I love him, but he’s a different kind of guy.” 4-0. Crosby produced a hat trick.

Many reports at the time suggested that Jagr and Lemieux had a Following the game, Jagr acknowledged how special the moment was. handshake agreement in place. That has never been confirmed and Then, he marched from the arena with his Florida teammates to the team Lemieux speaks only glowingly of Jagr. Following the 2012 series bus late that Sunday afternoon. Before walking onto the bus, he looked between the Penguins and Flyers, which concluded on a Sunday back at the arena for just a moment. Before the game, he bypassed a afternoon in Philadelphia, Lemieux and Jagr spoke outside of the Flyers’ team bus trip to PPG Paints Arena, opting instead to walk through locker room for 10 minutes. The conversation ended with the two shaking downtown Pittsburgh on his way to that day’s game. hands and embracing. It was his way of saying goodbye, even if he never really said hello again. ‘We’ll never know’ “The guy was great and he could still play,” Bylsma said. “If the price was To this day, Bylsma likes to ponder what would have happened if Jagr right, I believe it would have happened. But there’s a salary cap. It just signed in Pittsburgh. He never was convinced that the signing was wasn’t meant to be.” imminent but believed there was a strong possibility it would happen.

“I was already thinking about which center he would play with, what would happen to the power play,” Bylsma said. “I mean, would you have The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 played him with Crosby or Malkin? And where would you have put him on the power play?”

That, according to Jagr, was part of the problem.

Does Jagr like money? Sure, he’s human. Has he lost a large amount of money gambling over the years? Maybe. That was the rumor at the time, which led many to believe that he would accept the highest offer because he needed the money.

Jagr scoffed at that notion after that morning skate in Pittsburgh in 2016.

“Let me ask you something,” Jagr said. “Where do Crosby and Malkin like to play on the power play? On the right side, right? I watch a lot of Pittsburgh games. I know where they play. And guess what? That’s where I play. Only they’re better than me now. So it wouldn’t have worked. It wouldn’t have made sense for me to be there.”

Bylsma doesn’t disagree with Jagr’s observation.

“The way our power play was set up, Sid and Geno shared time on the right-wing wall,” Bylsma said. “And they were the two best players in the world. We rotated them in that spot because they both wanted to be there.”

Years later, Mike Sullivan has convinced Crosby that he’s better playing along the goal line. But at the time, both Crosby and Malkin were fairly stubborn about wanting to play on the right-wing wall. Jagr played there brilliantly during his NHL career.

“It would have made things very challenging,” Bylsma said. “We maybe would have ended up with Geno on the left side of the ice. I don’t know how we would have made that work. Plus, we had James Neal then. And Chris Kunitz in front of the net. I’m not sure how we would have made it work. We’ll never know.” 1186529 San Jose Sharks beat writer moved to a different department in the newsroom. I got the 49ers job. And shortly after that, the 49ers hired Bill Walsh.

Which is how it happened that on Jan. 10, 1982, I happened to be Farewell: After 43 years, sportswriter Gary Peterson is calling it a day standing on the Dallas Cowboys sideline as Joe Montana threw The Catch to Dwight Clark. A week after that I was on the 49ers charter to Michigan and the . And a week after that the 49ers were champions. By GARY PETERSON | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group I was 25 and wishing not to be awakened from this unimaginable dream.

PUBLISHED: June 18, 2020 at 12:27 p.m. | UPDATED: June 18, 2020 at Right around this time I gave myself a column. 3:05 p.m. 1985 Gary, 1985 technology

Yes, you read correctly. Forty-three years ago this month I drove my 1966 Mustang into the parking lot of the late, great Contra Costa Times. It was my first day as a Technically, I was employed the Valley Times, an affiliate of the Contra summer intern. I was excited, nervous, apprehensive. Mostly nervous. Costa Times. Our sports editor at the Valley Times wrote semi-regular columns. I liked his style and I liked having a column in the sports I was between my junior and senior years at San Jose State. It dawned section. I thought it made us look big time. on me that the following summer I would be looking for work as a journalist, and that my relevant body of work consisted of a half-dozen Then he left. One day as I was sitting around the house lamenting the letters published in the Chronicle Sporting Green. absence of a sports column, I dreamed up three column topics of my own. I wrote one for Wednesday’s paper, one for Friday’s paper and one “I hope I like this,” I thought. for Sunday’s paper. I did the same thing the following week, and the week after that. One of my first assignments as an intern was to interview a group of suburban women who shared an interesting avocation and called How could I do that? The managing editor and I reported to different themselves the Moped Mamas. newsrooms and worked different schedules.

I wrote about Ila and Ben Searcy, who operated the Round House Finally the managing editor caught up with me. “I see you’ve been writing restaurant just off the south approach to the Golden Gate Bridge. They some columns,” he said. estimated they dissuaded “scads” of would-be bridge jumpers. They gave me a menu. I still have it. I thought I was cooked.

I wrote about an 80-year-old man whose house was burglarized for the “I like them,” he said, “are we giving you enough time to write them?” fourth time in four years. Seething, he went for the revolver he kept in his Needless to say I was given a column long before I deserved one. I like dresser in case the bad guys came back. to think I grew into the position. Alas, the gun had been stolen. “I’m getting pretty fed up,” the guy said. That said, column writing in the Bay Area made for easy money. I wound I was part of the paper’s coverage of a severe drought, and a wildfire on up attending all five of the 49ers Super Bowl victories. I also covered a Mt. Diablo. Raiders Super Bowl. I covered multiple World Series for both the Giants and the A’s (one of which was enlivened by the Loma Prieta earthquake). I liked it, all right. No two days were alike. Community journalism felt Because of the Sharks I can say I’ve seen playoff hockey in Canada. comfortable to me. You could make meaningful connections. Likewise, I loved the newsroom culture. Gary, farthest left with long hair and mustache,

Some of you may be asking, “Why the retrospective?” Some of you may Though I covered the “We Believe” Warriors, I missed the team’s five have an inkling. After 43 years I am retiring from the only job I ever consecutive NBA Finals appearances and three championships. Blame wanted. wanderlust. In mid-2011, I left sports for our metro staff. I wasn’t sure if I was stepping off a curb or a cliff. My internship was the springboard to a professional lifetime of fulfillment. The nice folks at the Times must have seen something in me, for the It was a new world, but infinitely interesting. summer after my internship they hired me as a sportswriter. It was a In the course of reporting veterans’ issues and personal stories I met dream come true for an unadulterated sports nut like myself. Pearl Harbor survivors. One recounted that he was knocked out that I started out covering high school sports. Within a month of my hiring I infamous morning. When he regained consciousness, it dawned on him was handed a prime assignment. The football teams from Amador Valley that he had been dropped atop a pile of corpses. He clambered down to and Dublin were undefeated going into the final regular season game. the ground and got into the action.

The game was a classic. It came down to a fourth-down play near the A D-Day survivor – 17 years old during the invasion – said he had two Dublin goal line. Amador quarterback Tim Monday ran left, pointing out transports blown out from under him that Longest Day. Dublin defenders – I wrote that he looked like Burt Reynolds during the These men and women told their stories matter-of-factly and invariably climactic scene in “The Longest Yard” – then he dove for the first down waved off any suggestion of heroism on their part. I felt drawn to them on marker. all the requisite holidays and anniversaries – Memorial Day, Veterans It was a close call. The official ruled he fell short. Dublin won. Chaos Day, V-J Day — knowing they would bring their compelling and unique reigned. perspective to my presentation.

Months later, Tim Monday died on a job site. The following summer, as I spent two years covering the Superior Court in Martinez, an endlessly was our practice, we previewed the eight football teams in the EBAL. I fascinating assignment in which the human condition is on trial five days was assigned Amador Valley. Instead of packing the story with stats and per week. I wrote a metro column for two years, and then it was back to schedules, I devoted the preview to Monday, his teammates and sports, this time far from the madding crowds, games, and incessant coaches. travel, instead seeking page views, the news-gathering coin of the realm as we speak. His family sent me a thank you card. I still have it. It has been a quick 43 years, a grand adventure, happily shared with As much enjoyment as I got covering high school sports, I had my sights talented, generous and like-minded colleagues. on bigger stages. It’s a journey that pensive young man in the Mustang could not possibly As so often happened in my career, a door flew open at just the right have imagined. And yet it happened. He and I thank you from the bottom time. A few weeks after the Amador-Dublin epic, I covered a 49ers game, of our hearts for taking the trip with us. subbing for the regular beat writer. The 49ers were a horror show in the late 1970s. I didn’t care. It was the NFL. Shortly thereafter, the regular San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186530 San Jose Sharks

Ex-Shark Patrick Marleau’s wife trolls his on-ice attire at practice

By Jessica Kleinschmidt

June 18, 2020 2:21 PM

No longer sporting a Sharks uniform after spending two decades with the team, it appears Patrick Marleau might have forgotten how to dress -- or perhaps he’s just lazy.

His wife, Christina, recently poked fun at him after she took a video of him practicing with his elbow pads over his sweatshirt.

In his defense, it has been a while since games have been played, but it’s a bit of a fashion faux pas.

Marleau, now with the Pittsburgh Penguins, joined other teams in Phase 2 of opening facilities for players to practice and participate in on-ice workouts gearing toward the resumption of the season and playoffs.

The Sharks are not included in the return-to-play plan and modified playoff format, as they sat in last place in the Western Conference (14- 20-3) at the time of the season’s indefinite pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There are COVID-19 restrictions in place, of course, with a maximum of six players training at once and wearing face coverings at all times except while exercising or while on the ice.

Phase 3 will open formal NHL training camps, but that won’t happen until early July.

Perhaps by then, Marleau will get his bearings back and remember how to dress.

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Looking back at uniforms worn in most iconic Bay Area sports moments

By Brian Witt

June 17, 2020 11:37 PM

The Bay Area has a vibrant sports history, and the uniforms to match.

With teams in each of the four major sports, all of which have been tremendously successful for extended periods, there has been no shortage of memorable moments. Some of them stand out more than others, however, to the point that they're frozen in time.

While the details might be hazy depending on how much time has transpired since, sometimes a visual can take you right back to that moment. Often times, that visual can come in the form of a jersey.

With that, here are the uniforms worn during the most iconic moments in Bay Area professional sports history:

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186532 Tampa Bay Lightning I made sure when I got in there I acknowledged that. One thing for me, walking in that room, it’s like that old deodorant commercial, ‘Don’t let them see you sweat.’ That’s my belief, you go in there with confidence. I just wanted to make sure I showed confidence and whatever the Coaches’ panel: Brind’Amour, Cooper, DeBoer on millennials, discipline message is, the guys will remember it. You have to make sure it’s not and more just a fluff piece.

Flash forward to now, we’re in a different situation. My message to our guys for certain will be, ‘No matter what happens here, when we take the By Joe Smith ice again, we’re not going to get everything back in one game.’ This is Jun 18, 2020 the season where it’s a little bit different. Regularly it’s a marathon, not a sprint, but this one might end up being a sprint. But we have to not try to make up for things that have gone wrong in the past in one game.

The three coaches couldn’t be from more varied backgrounds. On dealing with the millennial players of this generation

There was Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour, the second-year coach who had Cooper: The players are different and the league has gotten younger. a Hall of Fame-caliber career that included a Stanley Cup and two Selke The old souls you used to see have gone away now, and you look no Trophies. further than when you go back on the plane and you see less and less guys playing cards and more and more playing video games. You learn There was the Lightning’s Jon Cooper, whose playing career ended in from your own kids in how they think, why are you playing this video Juvenile-AA, but established himself as one of the best — and now game. Tell me your feelings and (enjoy the) camaraderie with your longest-tenured coach. buddies. That’s the kind of approach I’ve taken. And Pete DeBoer, who took the Vegas job midseason after several You could be a lot more stern with players years ago, where today I think campaigns with the rival Sharks, and is now behind the bench on his you need to put your arm around some guys a little bit more. Players fourth NHL team. before never used to ask, ‘Why?’ They just did it. And today’s younger But the three head coaches provided some interesting insight in a Zoom players coming in, they want to know why? ‘Why are we doing this?’ It panel last week for the NHL Coaches’ Association Global Coaches’ can be challenging. You go back to the lawyer days. ‘Never ask a Clinic. It was an hour-long chat, moderated by Sportsnet’s Elliotte question you don’t know the answer to.’ When you talk to players, you Friedman, where they tackled some important issues for young coaches better know the answer, because there’s a really good chance they’re such as working with millennials, enforcing discipline, creating ownership going to challenge you. in the dressing room and dealing with criticism. Brind’Amour: Having kids of your own helps, and I have college-aged Below are some highlights from their panel discussion. kids. They want to know why. Back in the day, when I played, you never questioned the coach. You did what he told you to do. They want to know On your first meeting with a team why and you better be able to show them. You have to know each player, Brind’Amour: That first meeting, I think it’s a time to really get your they’re all a little different. Even though you may have the same message across and, coming out of this, it will add more meaning. I think philosophies and the same rules, each guy takes that a little differently. whenever we get back to playing hockey, that first message you bring Getting to know them doesn’t hurt. does hold a whole lot of meaning, a lot more than maybe any other camp DeBoer: There’s an old quote that, ‘They don’t care what you know until because of the circumstances that brought us back together. We have a they know how much you care.’ That’s never more important in today’s lot of time to think about it. Every time you get in front of a group, it coaching and teaching. The era we grew up in, it was a dictatorship. matters. This one puts more meaning to it. When I coached in junior hockey, a lot of times it was a dictatorship and I DeBoer: I’ve got more experience in first messages than the other guys wasn’t looking for conversations or in-depth analysis of what was going because I’ve been fired four times, so I’ve gone to four different teams on, it was just, ‘This is how we’re doing it.’ But as a coach, you have to and had to address them. I’ve got a couple of quick stories on the first change. I agree with both guys, my kids helped me with that. You talk to messages. One was this year going to Vegas in January as a first-time them at the dinner table, you ask them who their favorite teacher is, it’s coach with a group that really we had gone to war with the last three always people you connect with. years, there was a lot of hatred. Not a lot of love lost. Now I’m walking On whether you can show players more than 10 minutes of video at one into that dressing room with those guys and addressing them for the first time time. DeBoer: No. That’s probably the limit. But if this was a call-in show, I I put some thought into that message. I had a 48-hour window when I got might have 100 players call in and say, ‘He’s full of crap, he kept us in the job and had to be behind the bench in Ottawa. I talked with Paul there for 20 minutes.’ I think there’s definitely a line there you’ve really Maurice who had taken over a few teams. It was a combination of a bit of got to get your message across quickly. We try to keep it to less than 10. humor to try to take the edge off the situation and a strong message. The main gist of it was — some good people lost their jobs, Gerard Gallant, Cooper: When I first came into the league, I did primarily all the Mike Kelly and that staff. We all had to look in the mirror and get it fixed meetings. I still do a lot of them, but not as many — I hand a lot over to going forward. the assistants. When I find I’m drifting before the 10-minute mark, I know they are. It’s remarkable to me how in other sports, I talk to guys in The other (story) was my first year coaching in the NHL, I came out of football and the amount of video they watch, I don’t know how much they junior to the Florida Panthers replacing Jacques Martin. He told me we watch. It must be repetitive. I don’t know if it’s in our culture and how needed a tough message in training camp. I ran the hardest training we’re wired but you can get a lot across in a short time. The tough part camp I ever ran in my life. And I’m lucky the guys didn’t walk out and for coaches is that there’s so much you want to get in, but sometimes it’s strike two days into it. I’m surprised I actually survived it. We got through better that less is more. Let them get the message, you make it short and the year and Bryan McCabe was our captain, we got to our exit meetings to the point and get them out instead of clouding their mind and everyone and he said, ‘Listen, I’m excited about next year but you’ve got to take walking out, ‘Gosh that was way too much.’ your foot off the gas in training camp next year.’ He was pretty clear as a veteran guy, ‘We let you get away with it once, but you better not try to DeBoer: I’m going to jump in on that. If that’s one thing I could tell do that again, because you’ll be playing with fire.’ You have to find that coaches, if they can work on that skill, that’s the skill to get. To be able to happy medium. look at your game and get the fix down to one thing, one message, one thing that they need to get done for the next game and concentrate on Cooper: For me, it’s a little different because I’ve been with this group for that. So many young coaches – and I was guilty of that – it’s like a a while. When I first got the job, it was my first time in the NHL, I didn’t splatter gun — you try to fix everything. The really good coaches get it play in the NHL. I remember I had flown in from Syracuse, and Guy down to the one most important thing and get it back on the rails for the Boucher had lost his job, and that’s something I think we pointed out, the next game. success, they built the program to a certain point and he had taken the team to the conference final just a few years earlier. On if they go into the dressing room after the game and talk to the team Brind’Amour: I don’t like going in after games but I started it my first year, expectations. If you set expectations for the player and you’re on the I went in after a win, because that’s what the previous guy did and I same page in how that’s going to go, then the taking of ice time, it followed what they did. Our strength coach asked me, ‘Why only come in becomes warranted at some point. Showing them, ‘This isn’t a after we win? That’s not right.’ I’m like, ‘You’re exactly right.’ I started this punishment of hey, I don’t like you, or I don’t like your game. We have and now I’ve got to keep it going. I do think your emotions can get to you. certain expectations for you and how we’re doing things, and you’re not I rely on my staff and have a good feel, they make a couple of points to meeting them.’ hammer home. But in retrospect, if I look back, it’d take a lot of stress off me if I didn’t go in every game. But I started it and now that’s what guys In the dictatorship, that wouldn’t even come to the forefront. But in expect. So I try to be short and sweet. I hate that the cameras are in today’s game, you’ve got to lay out expectations for the player and in the there, and that’s a whole other issue about selling our game, we’ve got to end, it’s the ice time. These guys all want to play, and by no means, do that a little bit more down here. I don’t like it because I know the nobody is in this game trying to embarrass anybody. But at times when camera is in there and I have to watch what I say. But I understand that. you’re missing shifts, it’s going to happen. You need a reason why. And having expectations laid out is a big part of it. But if I had to do that again, I probably wouldn’t go in every game because it adds a lot of stress. I think every time you talk to your team, On creating ownership among players to where, basically, they run you don’t want it to be fluff. It has to mean something. That’s a lot of extra themselves by the end of the season meetings I’m throwing on my plate. Cooper: I’ve gone through that experience, and it’s harder and harder Cooper: I bet you in my career I’ve gone in 96 percent of the time. I didn’t every year with the new players coming up and the accountability aspect know any better, I just came into the ranks from junior B to midget to to players running the room. These players that are coming up are so junior and we always did it. When I got to the American (Hockey) talented, have so much individual skill, they’ve got coaches here on League, for me it was a learning tool to address the team after. I know a every level. The one aspect I think is lacking is the leadership aspect of lot of coaches don’t do it. I think I’m leaning towards Rod. At times, I wish players. They’ve been told what to do for so long coming up, it almost I didn’t do it. But to be perfectly frank, one big thing is you could curb becomes a little bit robotic. And then when they get to you, they’re still what guys say to the media. I can’t tell you how many times what the looking to you for what to do. message I said after the game, I would read in the paper the next day on In teams I’ve had success with and won championships, I go back to what the players said. Instead of, it’s a tough loss, bad things happened, Norfolk (AHL Calder Cup title) in 2012, if I didn’t show up for three weeks you could curb it in a couple of minutes before you go out. I’ve used that at the end of the year, they wouldn’t have noticed. That’s when you know as a tool. It doesn’t happen that often, fortunately, we’ve had a few more you have a special group. I’ve had teams like that in Tampa and we wins than losses, so it hasn’t been as bad. haven’t ended up winning the Stanley Cup that, by the end, they end up DeBoer: If Jon is 96 percent, I’m the four percent that don’t go in. I used coaching themselves. But it takes a lot of buy-in from players and an to, but I don’t anymore. I go in maybe 3-4-5 times a year, if I felt I really extremely strong leadership group. There is part of training where you needed to send a message about something. I’ll tell you why I don’t go in can help train your leaders, but in the end, some of the players have to anymore. I’ve found my postgame evaluation the next day after I rewatch have it in them, that’ll take ownership in the room. the game is so much different than my perspective when I walk off the DeBoer: It’s a great point for young coaches. Your work is done during bench, about the individual players, about what I felt on the bench, was the year, and the two times I’ve been to the Cup Finals, you’ve got to wrong compared to what I saw the next day. fight the urge at that point. You’ve done your coaching and the players My messaging was all over the map. If we won 70 games a year like have taken it over. They know your expectations. They know what’s what Coop, I might be walking into the room every night slapping everyone on and now the coach almost steps back. When you go on those types of the back and telling them how great everything is. I used to speak too runs, the room takes over. much out of emotion and too much from an unrealistic perspective on My leadership story on Joe Thornton. Game 7 against Vegas last year, what I saw that night. By going the next day and rewatching the game, I we’re down 3-0 and we get a five-minute power play. We go out and realize how off I was both on individual and our team game a lot of score four goals on the power play and win in (overtime). I remember the nights. That’s why I don’t go in. first unit – and Joe Thornton wasn’t on our first unit – the Hall of Famer, Cooper: The big thing for me and I don’t know if I’m right in this, as much maybe the best setup man of all time other than Wayne Gretzky as far as as your emotions, the players are way more. They were just out on the distributing the puck and making other guys better, making a living on the battlefield. We were on the bench. You could tell by the way the tape is power play. However, our first unit kept scoring, and we got to the four- being ripped off the shinpads and skates how things have gone in a minute mark, we tied it up 3-3 and I decided the first unit was tired, they game. And that’s where I don’t know if I do mine by habit and curb some scored three, let’s give the second unit some ice time. I remember Joe things. looked at me and said, ‘No, leave them out there. They’re hot. Leave them.’ Brind’Amour: I love what Coop said about putting a bow on it and moving on. You don’t want to be in long, they want to get the hell out of there. I look back at that now, you’ve got a Hall of Fame player that made his Say, ‘This is what I saw,’ win or lose, you could be no good that night and entire career on playing in those moments, of being the difference, win the game, but let them know it wasn’t good enough. Same thing if hopping over the boards and getting the winning goal on the power play, you lose the game and you could have played a great game. Hearing and he deferred. He had enough presence and leadership and security in from you it wasn’t so bad, and that’s the way we do things, puts them in a himself. And sure enough, the first unit scored again even though they better frame of mind going home. were dead-ass tired. That’s something I’ll never forget.

On how you discipline players: Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman said in his As a former player, how do you convince players to take that leadership book that ‘the one thing I have is ice time’ and that control that naturally came to you

DeBoer: I have a quick story on that. Last year, Game 7 against Vegas, Brind’Amour: I didn’t. That’s why I’m lucky. Our sport is the greatest team we were in San Jose and Barclay Goodrow, who plays for Coop now, he sport in the world for a reason. You better have good leaders. I was lucky turned a puck over, missed an assignment in the middle of the second walking into a room where I knew all the players. I knew what everyone period and it cost us a goal. I sat him for probably a period. I put him was capable of. I had that great relationship with the guys that were the back out late in the third and overtime, he scored the (overtime) winner in leaders — Justin Williams. I don’t really have to say too much, you’re in Game 7 for us to advance. The message there is, yes, you have to sync. He knew what I was all about, he buys in and it just filters downhill. discipline your players at different points for different things. But they It was zero worry or issue about the buy-in and you have to have a huge have to know they’re going to get another chance to fix it. They also have buy-in as a team. In most sports, that weak link will come up and get you. to know if you’re doing it, if you’re sitting them for the entire game, an We were fortunate enough to have leadership in place and Coop is right assistant has to sit down with them and go through video and show them when he says kids nowadays, there’s a lack of leadership. I’ll be honest how to fix the reason they’re out of the game. They have to know there’s with you. That’s why it’s important to have Justin Williams or Jordan Staal an answer there, and then give them the opportunity to fix it. in the locker room where they can watch and see what it’s all about and Cooper: I’ve heard that term a lot with Steve Yzerman, so it has been learn from them. passed down from Bowman to Yzerman and to me that ice time is the I played a lot of years in the NHL and I never remember blaming the hammer. I’m a big believer that you treat everyone fairly, but you don’t coach for a loss or patting the coach on the back, ‘You got us that win treat everyone equally. It’s just the way it is. Everything comes down to tonight.’ It never entered my mind. You prepare them, get them ready to go and at the end, ‘Boys, it’s your show.’

DeBoer: Last year, I remember in Game 1 of the Cup final, we win in St. Louis with a hand pass. I’m sure you guys remember that. And how (Blues coach) Craig Berube handled that. It’s clear the hand pass should have never been a goal, everyone knew it shouldn’t be a goal, and they lost Game 1 of the conference finals because of that.

I remember reading quotes from players the day after, the composure and messaging he did after that game with his team and they came back and maybe played their best game of the series in Game 2 and went on to win the Cup. That for me was one of those coaching moments where it could have gone one of two ways. If he goes into the room and goes off the deep end on how they got screwed, maybe this team loses composure. Instead, he was the voice of reason and they collect themselves and go win a Stanley Cup. I give him a lot of credit for that.

Cooper: Craig nailed it. But you still need people that when Craig leaves the room, saying, ‘He’s right.’ And let that trickle down. Because that could have spiraled the other way. It’s a testament to the coach and the team and their leadership with how that played out.

On how they handle criticism, whether it’s on social media or not, and advice to young coaches on making sure you’re confident in yourself

Brind’Amour: It’s making sure you have trust in some people, whether it’s your parents, your friends that you can throw something off of that’s bothering you. The easy answer is ‘Don’t read that stuff.’ But they all do. Or you hear about it. How do you handle that?

For me, it doesn’t do any good when you keep it inside. That’s why you need a circle of people, maybe it’s one or two, someone you can trust to talk things through. I have one of my best friends in the world, he’s not a hockey player, but he’s my right-hand man. And I don’t know where I’d be without him, being able to talk things through.

It’s important that you have that.

DeBoer: There isn’t a right answer. It’s the age we live in, people can hide behind comments, they can be ruthless, they can be mean. There’s no accountability for it. This generation has to have a thick skin. We get paid to accept that type of criticism. The toughest part is on the families, your kids read it, your wife reads it, your mother and father read it. They take it a lot more personally than we do. We have the maturity and we know what we’re dealing with. I think it’s just the support and always having those lines of communication open.

Cooper: You have to sift through the embarrassment. That’s the hardest part. You’ve got to get kids to open up. I try to do that with my kids. You do need a circle of trust and people that you can lean on for whatever happens. Criticism is a part of life and unfortunately, social media has brought it to the forefront.

When I was coming up through the ranks and got to the NHL, I was reading the press clippings. You see your name in the paper, ‘Wow this is really cool.’ But now I don’t read any of it. To me, it’s just counterproductive. I talk to my kids about it and if they’re still a little bit young, with the players, it’s turning criticism into a positive outcome.

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Leafs’ Mitch Marner is upbeat, even as he waits for the return of teammates Mathews, Anderson

By Mark Zwolinski Sports Reporter

Thu., June 18, 2020

Mitch Marner’s positive attitude has not dimmed during the three months the NHL has been on pause.

The Leafs winger is confident his team and the NHL are doing the right things to get players back on the ice for an expected resumption of play in early August.

The NHL is currently in the second phase of a four-phase return. The league approved small group workouts last week, and Marner feels he has even more to be positive about now that he is on the ice with a group of Leafs that includes defencemen Jake Muzzin and Cody Ceci, goalie Jack Campbell and forwards and Ilya Mikheyev.

“I think the NHL has everything under control through what I’ve seen through the last week or so,” Marner said Thursday. “They’re doing all the right things to make sure no one is going to be in a bad place if something goes wrong.”

Marner and his teammates undergo daily temperature checks, have nasal tests for the virus twice a week, and wear masks while in the dressing room with other players.

The Leafs have about 20 players at the , with a full roster expected when the league enters Phase 3 on July 10.

Marner said there was about an 11-week period where he did not skate, with rinks and training facilities shut down. He has been able to ramp up his skating, get his feel for the puck, and be around teammates again.

“It’s great getting back out there with a couple of the guys and getting to enjoy the locker room again with them,” said Marner, who may stay on a line with current training partners Tavares and Mikheyev once the games resume.

Marner isn’t dimmed by the fact his foundation, the Marner Assist Fund, has had to suspend some of its fundraising activities. The fund launched a campaign during the pandemic to aid front-line workers and first responders, and there are plans for new initiatives.

“We’ve been talking about doing something virtually,” Marner said of a postponed fundraiser. “Hopefully we can get back into (larger) gatherings in October or so.”

The Leafs still have key players missing. Centre Auston Matthews and goaltender Frederik Andersen are getting their work in at Matthews’ residence in Arizona.

“All this stuff is voluntary,” Marner said of the Phase 2 workouts. “If (players) think it’s better to stay at home, I’m all for that.

“I don’t think we need to change anything. Everyone knows the challenge at hand, so just work hard and get our conditioning under us, and when we face that test (in a play-in series against Columbus), we’ll be ready.”

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Federal government clears path for NHL to have hub city in Canada

Staff Report

By The Canadian Press

Thu., June 18, 2020

OTTAWA—The federal government has made a move to try to help one of three Canadian markets become a hub city for the National Hockey League’s resumption of play.

A federal official told The Canadian Press on Thursday that the government issued an order in council that would allow Vancouver, Edmonton or Toronto to serve as one of the NHL’s two hub cities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The official was granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the order publicly.

The order is awaiting the Governor General’s signature.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marco Mendicino has issued a letter saying it’s in the national interest to have a Canadian hub after the Public Health Agency of Canada and the public health authorities in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver all gave their approval of the NHL’s plan to keep players separate from the general public.

It would be called a cohort quarantine.

The move would allow the NHL to bypass the traditional 14-day quarantine for anyone entering Canada.

The NHL had to present a plan that met public health requirements for Canada before the government proceeded with the order.

Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis/St. Paul are in the running to be hub cities.

The NHL plans to start training camps for the 24 remaining teams on July 10 and hopes to resume play later in the summer.

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186535 Toronto Maple Leafs “I believe this case will give those who were abused a chance to be heard,” Carcillo wrote on his Twitter account. “In my experience, sharing stories of abuse is part of the healing process. It allows a person to take the power back.” Carcillo class-action suit against CHL over hazing shows what goes on in the room no longer stays in the room Taylor has similar stories of his experiences in the WHL and alleges he was forced to fight older players on the team in practice, and suffered a serious concussion in one instance. He said 16-year-old and 17-year-old players were forced to dress up in women’s clothing at team parties and By Damien Cox Contributing Columnist consume alcohol to the point of vomiting and blacking out. Thu., June 18, 2020 Taylor said at one point he was sent down to a lower-level team and given the “garbage bag treatment.” The treatment involved being told in front of his teammates at the last moment before a road trip that he had Hockey’s traditional “code” governing on-ice conduct fractured into been demoted, told to get his bags and left behind by the team. He pieces some time ago. alleges he wasn’t given any travel money and his parents were not notified. The code of silence may be next. “This is a historic case,” Sayce said. “These types of events have a One by one, like steady drips from a leaky faucet, we’re hearing from lasting impact on people. These are life-altering events.” hockey players at all levels about abuse they say they experienced in the game. Once, these stories would have stayed safely tucked away, The focus in this case is on the responsibility of leagues and teams to hidden by authorities, with survivors learning to simply live with the protect the health and welfare of teenage hockey players. The Greater legacy of trauma suffered in a sport they loved. Toronto Hockey League has been forced by public pressure in recent days to release information on racist, misogynistic and homophobic That seems to be changing. misconduct in Canada’s largest minor hockey league, demonstrating stepped forward last year with his allegations of racial abuse abuse suffered by hockey players at the youngest ages. suffered in the American Hockey League at the hands of coach Bill More than just targeting hockey authorities, former players seem more Peters, and Peters ultimately lost his job as head coach of the Calgary comfortable than ever coming forward with abuse they suffered at the Flames because of those allegations. Aliu has also spoken publicly about hands of fellow players. The traditional philosophy that “what happens in the abuse he suffered from teammates, specifically former NHLer and the dressing room stays in the dressing room” seems to be slowly Canadian national junior team member Steve Downie, while he was a disappearing, replaced by young athletes willing to accuse other athletes member of the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. of mistreatment. Former Kitchener Rangers forward Eric Guest alleged this week that an Hockey likes to fashion itself as one large family, but it’s fairly clear that unnamed older teammate forced him to use cocaine at an unsanctioned in many cases family members aren’t treating each other very well. The team party when he was an OHL rookie in 2016. Carcillo/Taylor class action suit is just starting, and will attempt to be On Thursday, meanwhile, former NHL player Dan Carcillo launched a certified by the courts in order to go ahead. national class action suit, along with former Lethbridge Hurricanes player As always, the hockey establishment will fight back. These are sturdy Garrett Taylor, against the Canadian Hockey League, the three junior institutions that have relied on the willingness of players, coaches and leagues (Western Hockey League, OHL and Quebec Major Junior team officials to unofficially sanction conduct that would be frowned upon Hockey League) and their member teams, alleging that the “culture and in regular life. environment of the Leagues and each of the Teams is highly racist, sexual, sexualized, homophobic and otherwise discriminatory.” If that changes, everything changes.

“Canadian major junior hockey has been plagued by rampant hazing, bullying and abuse of underage players, by coaches, team staff and senior players,” says the statement of claim. “Survivors of such abuse Toronto Star LOADED: 06.19.2020 have come forward and continue to come forward to this day. However the defendants have stubbornly ignored or failed to reasonably address this institutionalized and systemic abuse.”

The suit asks for unspecified general and aggregate damages. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

“What’s being alleged is a systemic failure to oversee and protect teenage boys who were handed out to these leagues and these teams,” said Toronto lawyer James Sayce, who represents Carcillo and Taylor. “Folks who see this story and want to share their story should get in touch with us. People like Dan and Garrett and Akim Aliu and many others are telling their stories. As people get older, they realize what they went through was not normal.

“Hopefully this suit can impact the way current players and future players are treated. There’s no reason for this in hockey.”

CHL president Dan McKenzie did not return a phone call for comment.

Carcillo has been a vocal critic of the NHL’s brain injury policies, and has spoken publicly about the alleged abuse he suffered as a member of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. In the suit, Carcillo alleges he and other rookies were forced to sit in the shower while other players spat saliva and tobacco juice on them, and urinated on them. He says he and others were repeatedly hit on the buttocks with a sawed-off goalie stick, forced eight at a time into bus toilets while naked, forced to participate in orgies, and forced to bob for apples in a pool of urine, saliva and other body fluids.

Carcillo alleges coaches and team officials were aware of the abuse, and participated. 1186536 Toronto Maple Leafs

Carcillo spearheads class-action lawsuit against CHL and its member teams

Staff Report

By The Canadian Press

Thu., June 18, 2020

Former NHL player Daniel Carcillo is spearheading a class-action lawsuit against the Canadian Hockey League and its member teams on behalf of players who allegedly suffered abuse while playing major junior hockey.

Carcillo and Garrett Taylor, who played in the Western Hockey League from 2008-10, filed a statement of claim Thursday with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The CHL and its three member organizations — the WHL, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League — are listed as defendants, as are all 60 teams that play under the CHL umbrella.

A statement from Koskie Minsky LLP, the law firm representing Carcillo and Taylor, said the action “is on behalf of children aged 15-17 who were sexually and physically assaulted, hazed and otherwise abused while away from home and playing for CHL teams.”

None of the allegations have been proven in court. The CHL has not responded to a request for comment.

Carcillo, who played for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting from 2002-05, and Taylor both allege they suffered abuse while playing major junior hockey.

Daniel Carcillo and Garrett Taylor, who played in the Western Hockey League from 2008-10, filed a statement of claim Thursday with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract, and a declaration that the teams and the leagues are vicariously liable for abuse perpetrated by their employees and players.

“This case is on behalf of underage minors who suffered violent hazing, physical and sexual assault and psychological trauma while playing major junior hockey,” Carcillo said in a statement. “I was one of those kids when I played in the OHL. I know there are many more just like me.”

Carcillo played parts of nine seasons in the NHL and earned Stanley Cup rings with Chicago in 2013 and 2015. He’s been an advocate for players’ rights since retiring in 2015.

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186537 Toronto Maple Leafs While there is likely some time to go before that could legitimately happen, expect Brazeau to demonstrate the kind of diligence that has got him to this point. A 13th-round pick by the Battalion in 2014, Brazeau was the club’s captain by the time his junior career concluded, never mind Justin Brazeau set to take next step with Marlies after solid rookie year in that he went undrafted in the NHL. the ECHL “He is a ‘prove-you-wrong’ kind of guy and I think those guys are dangerous, especially with his size and ability,” Snowden said. “He has the want and the will to work. Terry Koshan “There are going to be challenging days, and it’s how you handle it. June 18, 2020 9:42 PM EDT There is no question that he wants to be a hockey player and he is going to do everything he can to do that.”

John Snowden rather enjoyed coaching Justin Brazeau last season. Brazeau liked playing in St. John’s, enjoying the friendliness and knowledge of fans and the people in general in the province’s capital. Yet Snowden, who runs the bench of the of the ECHL, hopes to have seen the last of Brazeau. Next, though, it’s about continuing his career at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, just down the road from the home of the Leafs. “I have no plans of coaching him next year,” Snowden said. “His sights should not be anywhere close to the ECHL. It’s just my opinion. “I’ve always had the belief in myself that I can play,” said Brazeau, who appeared in one game with the Marlies last season. “I think (the Maple Leafs and ) would say his vision needs to be the Marlies. “Basically, since midget, a lot of people have had doubts in me and my skating. I always had the confidence in knowing that I could play at that “It’s what he has to do. He has played pro now, the American Hockey next level and I’ll keep pushing forward.” League is a big step with speed and ability of players, but he has all the tools. He just has to put it all together. I think he can do that. His goal should not be here.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.19.2020 It’s not, Brazeau assured us this week.

Signed to a two-year AHL contract by the Marlies in April 2019 after scoring 61 goals in his overage year with the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League, Brazeau quickly found a niche in what likely will be his lone ECHL season, leading rookies with 27 goals and finishing second among freshmen with 55 points in 57 games.

“That’s definitely the plan, is to start with the Marlies,” Brazeau said from his parents’ home in New Liskeard, Ont. “I’m comfortable with the pro game and I think I can really have an impact next year. There will be that adjustment period at the start, but I’m pretty confident that once I get over that hump I will be able to have a pretty good year.”

At 6-foot-6 and 226 pounds, Brazeau found it relatively easy to hold off OHL defenders, especially when he piled up 113 points in 68 games in 2018-19. Once he got to the ECHL, Brazeau had to modify his approach in order to remain effective on every shift.

“That’s where he really found his game,” Snowden said. “It was, ‘OK, I’m not just going to bowl guys over, I’m going to have to use my skill set and get myself out of situations.’

“As the season went on, you could see that he figured out his problem- solving abilities and got himself out of spots, got good space.”

Said Brazeau: “Some of the things you get away with in junior you can’t get away with it at the pro level. Protecting the puck, being able to spin off guys, feeling where the pressure is on your back and going the other way and trying to get out of traffic, I thought I got a lot better at that.”

Brazeau must continue to put in the work to becoming a better skater, but for now, he has little choice but to bide his time with off-ice workouts.

Once he gets the go-ahead from the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazeau plans to head to Toronto to begin training in earnest, on the ice and off.

Snowden noted that Brazeau made improvements in his skating during the season, and the 22-year-old’s ability to get out of trouble was proof.

“He has got much better, and it’s going to be a focal point for him going forward,” Snowden said. “Once he gets into third gear, he’s going, he has top-end speed, and now it’s the ability to start quicker and get pucks on the half-wall flat-footed and be able to jump and go.

“He still has a lot of maturing to do (physically), but once he gets it all together, he is going to be a scary player.”

The Leafs, and by extension the Marlies, don’t sign players simply to fill spots on minor-league rosters. When Brazeau was brought aboard some 14 months ago, the organization took the long view, confident that with proper progression, Brazeau could one day develop into an option for the Leafs. 1186538 Toronto Maple Leafs Marner and five to six Leafs at a time continue to work out in preparation for camp and the best of five opening round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets, as all others, tentatively scheduled for sometime in August.

Marner, Leafs monitor new U.S. Covid cases “Like everyone has kind of said — it’s just going to be a weird feeling,” Marner said of getting back to work in a playoff environment. “You obviously get that training camp, but it’s hard to really feel like you’re in game shape until you get into that first game. For us, it’s just making sure Lance Hornby every day we’re going to try and dial in everything in our game — June 18, 2020 10:26 PM EDT defensively, offensively, supporting the puck all over the ice. That’s something if we do very well we can be a very successful team.”

Normally, news of a player getting activated off injured reserve just Three months after the league shut down, could it be the dreaded second before the first day of summer doesn’t matter much in the NHL. wave of the disease derails the methodical plan to finish the 2019-20 season? For Marner, the creative point-a-game winger on the Maple But when it’s Seth Jones and he could star in an August playoff series Leafs, it has been a long wait, but one he realizes might be longer if the between his Columbus Blue Jackets and the Maple Leafs, people take spike in Covid increases, it could impact the start of camp July 10. notice. Jones was cleared Thursday from a hairline fracture and right ankle sprain suffered in Febrary that would’ve cost him up to 10 weeks “For us, it’s just making sure we’re being ready in case anything happens and perhaps impacted his club’s playoff chances. Now he’s back with a for the season,” he said on a Zoom call Thursday with Toronto media. “At best-of-five series to look forward to, along with fellow defenceman Dean the same time, obviously there’s bigger things in life than sports and Kukan (knee), also activated Thursday. that’s making sure everyone is healthy and able to live their full life. Jones, the three-time NHL all-star and son of former Raptor Popeye “I think the NHL has everything under control through what I’ve seen this Jones, had 30 points in 56 games last season and was seventh in the last week or so (with carefully monitored limited practices in Toronto and NHL in time on ice at 25:17 a night. Jackets’ forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand elsewhere). They’re doing all the right things to make sure no one is and Cam Atkinson had recovered from earlier injuries. going to be in a bad place if anything happens. They’re going to do what’s best for their athletes and make sure that they’re going to look The Leafs will be healthy too, other than forward Andreas Johnsson. after us.” Coach has been urging his players since the pause in play brought on by COVID-19 to make good use of the prep time. Winger The league is nearing its decision on the two hub cities, at least one of Mitch Marner predicts a few bumps along the way as the Leafs re-adapt. them expected to be south of the border. But since late May when commissioner Gary Bettman listed seven potential American cities and “I think for us, it’s just knowing that every game is not going to be perfect, three in Canada, COVID-19 cases have begun to spike in the U.S. every game is not going to be what we want it to be,” Marner said. “(Columbus) come out flying every game, they play hard. I think we all A federal official told The Canadian Press on Thursday that the recognize that’s the challenge. It’s just making sure (at camp) we’re just government issued an order in council that would allow one of trying to get our legs back under us and get our conditioning up, so Vancouver, Edmonton or Toronto to serve as a hub. when we do get in that moment we’re ready to take it head on.”

In Las Vegas, the favourite to host and throughout Nevada overall, there has been an increase in the two weeks since many casinos re-opened. Dallas was also on the NHL’s short list, but the outbreak is back in Texas Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.19.2020 as well.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey just reversed gears and authorized local governments to require face coverings in public as his state was flagged as a COVID-19 hot spot. That’s where the Coyotes are based, where one of their staffers tested positive last week and where two key Leafs are based, leading scorer Auston Matthews and his Scottsdale house guest/goalie Frederik Andersen. They’ve yet to come back for the workouts at Toronto’s Ford Performance Centre staying at Matthews’ home almost since the start of the lockdown.

The duo’s reasoning is they’d rather stay in their regimen of daily workouts than return to Toronto and be unable to leave their residence for a full 14 days under Canadian quarantine rules. As July 10 nears, they and others hope the Canadian government gives a break to Toronto, Vancouver or Edmonton, namely that practice facilities would be designated as part of the players’ restricted zone for those two weeks of isolation.

Marner says he hasn’t lobbied good pal Matthews and Andersen to come back and get their quarantine time done with.

“Not at all … all this stuff is voluntary. If they think that it’s better for them to stay and do all their workouts and skating there, I’m all for it. Something that’s very important when you get back is quarantine, but at the same time, for those guys, it’s kind of hard. To sit in a (Toronto) condo and try to just get a bike or something to work out for 14 days is a little harder than when you can be at (Scottsdale) and do all the on-ice and lifting and stuff they’re used to.

“Whenever they’re ready to come back, everyone is going to be ready for it.”

Toronto has been in and out of the running to be a Canadian hub, with the three provincial governments of each hopeful city doing behind-the- scenes arm twisting. Though the Leafs, Oilers or Canucks would still be subject to the same hotel/rink bubble for perhaps a month or two as 11 visiting teams, there’s a sense of familiarity at home and some badly needed civic economic benefits for businesses such as hotels for up to 50 players and staff per team. 1186539 Toronto Maple Leafs

Mitch Marner hopes NHL playoffs won't be derailed

Lance Hornby

June 18, 2020 2:44 PM EDT

Mitch Marner has one eye on July 10, the scheduled opening of training camps for 24 NHL playoff teams, and the other on a worsening COVID- 19 situation in the United States.

Three months after the league shut down, could it be the dreaded second wave of the disease derails the methodical plan to finish the 2019-20 season? Marner, the creative winger on the Maple Leafs, has faith the league will take every precaution as it nears a decision on the two hub cities who will host the tournament, at least one of them expected to be south of the border.

“I think they’re going to do what’s best for their athletes and make sure that they’re willing to look after us and take care of us,” Marner said Thursday on a conference call with Toronto reporters.

As he spoke, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey reversed a previous decision and authorized local governments to require face coverings in public as his state was flagged as one of the current COVID-19 hot spots.

Marner was asked about two key Leafs who are there in Scottsdale who’ve yet to come back for the workouts at Ford Performance Centre. Leading scorer Auston Matthews and house guest/goalie Frederik Andersen have been in Arizona almost since the start of the lockdown.

The duo’s reasoning is they’d rather stay in their regimen of daily workouts than come home and be unable to leave their residence for a full 14 days under the Canadian quarantine. As July 10 nears, they and others hope the Canadian NHL cities get a bit of a break from the government and that practice facilities would be designated as part of the players’ restricted zone for the 14 days.

“All that stuff’s voluntary,” Marner said of his friends preference to wait it out.

Toronto has been in and out of the running among 10 NHL cities initially identified by commissioner Gary Bettman as potential hubs. Together with Vancouver and Edmonton, there is a push to have the Canadian government alter the two-week quarantine rule so at least one of the cities can reap some economic benefits from empty hotels being occupied by up to 50 players and staff of the 12 teams. Las Vegas is believed to be a favoured American site.

Marner and five to six Leafs at a time continue to work out in preparation for the best of five opening round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets, like the others, tentatively scheduled for sometime in August.

As expected, the Jackets announced Thursday that star defenceman Seth Jones will be ready for the series, activated off injured reserve with fellow blueliner Dean Kukan.`

Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186540 Toronto Maple Leafs challenging, but it is all about realizing the intention of why fasting during Ramadan matters.

“A lot of it has to do with your scheduling,” Kadri said. “You just try to What has Nazem Kadri been up to these days? How about a lot alter your hours a little bit — when you can work out and when you can’t work out. It’s obviously a little tough trying to put healthy food in your body, and you start craving greasy, greasy things. That is a little challenging. There are people who do it perfectly, as it is supposed to be By Ryan S. Clark done. It’s about your intentions as long as you are trying.” Jun 18, 2020 The last three months also gave Kadri a chance to spend more time with his wife, Ashley, and their 11-month-old daughter.

Making the right turn onto 11th Street and driving about 1,000 feet before Navigating an 82-game schedule while constantly being at a team pulling his car into the Pepsi Center’s players’ parking lot is potentially practice facility, a home arena or on the road means family time can be one of the few items about Nazem Kadri’s routine that has not changed limited. That only intensifies in March and early April when teams are in the last three months. playing every other night or have back-to-back games. And naturally, all this occurs when many teams are jostling for a playoff seeding or simply Before? It was just simply finding an open spot in the parking lot, going fighting just to reach the postseason. through security, then making the left turn in the bowels of Pepsi Center before walking 1,000 or so feet and reaching the Colorado Avalanche’s Come playoffs? It’s anyone’s guess. Maybe you get more family time dressing room. after a first-round exit or those opportunities do not come until after a playoff run, with the notion that the offseason is finite and training camps Now? Kadri must park his car in a designated spot to maintain social are around the corner along with the start of the new season. distancing from other vehicles. He must wear a mask, and those security protocols have expanded to checking his temperature before he walks “I’ve just been able to watch her grow up, and it’s seeing things I would into the arena. Once inside, he has to sterilize his hands. The dressing have missed and not knowing how important they are,” Kadri said of his room he is accustomed to seeing filled with 22 teammates, equipment daughter. “It’s similar to a lot of other parents or anyone who is a first- managers, coaches and additional team personnel is now a ghost town time parent. It’s cool for me to see something like her first tooth, hear her compared to what it was like in March. first words, see her eat food for the first time. It might sound crazy to some, but it’s just a miracle to watch.” “It’s been a little bizarre, for sure,” Kadri said of the current landscape. “A little bit odd. A lot of us have become accustomed to this, and it sucks Kadri has worked to stay in playing shape while also taking in those how this has become the new normal, but in the near future, you’re cherished moments with his wife and daughter. optimistic that things are getting better.” But he has also had a little fun on the side. He said one of the Life for Kadri can be viewed through one of two prisms: What he does on advantages of staying in Denver was also getting a chance to work on the ice and what he has done away from it all. his golf game. The City of Denver reopened its courses in late April, but others were open for business earlier. Kadri stressed that he followed the Kadri, of course, spent a decade with the Toronto Maple Leafs before required protocols, and in that time, he saw some improvements in his coming to the Avalanche last summer in a trade that saw Alexander game. Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie head the other way. Getting Kadri meant the Avs had a bona fide second-line center who provided stability to what Golf is one of the ways Kadri was able to get to know his teammates on a was a difficult position to fill. Continuity is one of the facets of what made more personal level. He has played rounds alongside Andre Burakovsky, trading for the veteran appealing. He fulfilled that by averaging 0.71 Erik Johnson, Nikita Zadorov, Landeskog and MacKinnon. Kadri shared points per game. That falls within the same production range at which how Burakovsky, Johnson and Landeskog are good golfers, while Kadri performed when he pulled off consecutive 30-goal campaigns with MacKinnon is also “really good” — to the point where he employed a the Leafs. swing coach to help him get better.

Maintaining that average over an 82-game schedule would have put him As for Zadorov? Kadri said the defenseman’s golf game is still a work in on pace for a 58-point campaign. But many of his individual efforts, like progress. so many of his teammates’ contributions in 2019-20, were somewhat This might appear as teammates playing golf to some, but it is another interrupted by injuries. Kadri missed 19 games, with the bulk of those item that has helped Kadri gain comfort in a new setting. So often the contests coming in February and March. He was starting to make discussion centers around how Kadri was traded from the only team he progress on the recovery front when the Avalanche were two points shy has never known. However, moving on from the Leafs also marked the with a game in hand on the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis first time he has ever lived outside of Ontario after growing up in London, Blues for the Central Division and Western Conference titles. playing Major Junior for the Kitchener Rangers and London Knights Then, the NHL suspended play March 12 due to the coronavirus, with the before going to Toronto to start his NHL career. league and NHLPA announcing a return-to-play plan months later. Kadri One thing that has helped is that Kadri has an aunt who lives in Denver. is now healthy and one of six Avalanche players who are in Denver He described having her around as “nothing but terrific” because she participating in those Phase 2 voluntary workouts held at Pepsi Center. helped Kadri and his family get situated and has offered to babysit quite He is joined by Ian Cole, Joonas Donskoi, Philipp Grubauer, Gabriel a few times. Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon in those sessions. “It’s been a smooth transition for me,” Kadri said of living outside of Phase 3 will start on July 10, and that is when teams will be allowed to Ontario. “Denver is a great city. The fans and the organization welcomed hold formal training camps. Although Phase 4 has yet to be announced, me with open arms. That has made me feel comfortable right off the bat. the expectation is that the NHL could resume play in early August. I have been able to find a way to contribute on and off the ice. I am so “We feel like we deserve to be among the league’s best,” Kadri said. “We thankful that the community and this organization has accepted me the proved it over a long body of work. Everything is in a bit of an unusual way they have.” circumstance right now, but everyone is going to get an opportunity to Going from Denver to Toronto is also a change in dynamic when it play, and it is a fair one. It’ll be nice to pick up where we left off.” comes to how hockey is consumed. Colorado can stake its claim for Kadri was one of a handful of Avalanche players who remained in being arguably the most underrated hockey hotbed in the United States. Denver with their families during the quarantine. He spent time working The Avalanche, which were eighth in average attendance this season, out, as every player did, to the best of his ability given gyms were closed. have a strong following in Denver, where fans will camp outside the team’s practice facility or Pepsi Center, hoping to get a photograph or an One item Kadri accounted for while staying in shape was observing autograph from their favorite players. But they still play in a city where the Ramadan. This year, Ramadan lasted from April 23 through May 23. Denver Broncos are king. It is a contrast from Toronto, where the Maple Kadri, who is Muslim, fasted from sunrise to sundown in addition to Leafs — how they performed, what they ate and the hyperbole behind training. He said there are times when trying to balance the two can be what they ate and how it influenced their performances — are often dissected in a market considered, along with Montreal, the most demanding in the sport.

Kadri said he loves Denver and Toronto “equally,” adding that there is a sense of privacy he has found living in Colorado. MacKinnon spoke last season about how he can walk around a grocery store or a shopping mall without anyone knowing who he is, something that would not happen if he were back home in Canada, where an entire nation has followed his exploits since he was 13.

Actually? Kadri joked earlier in the season that some fans confused him for Avalanche center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.

“No. I think they’ve got it figured out now,” Kadri joked. “I’ve been spotted on a few occasions. Not to the extent as back home, but we do have such knowledgable fans, and they love their players and their teams. I think it is a privilege to play for a city that feels that way about its teams.”

The 29-year-old center, like so many players in the NHL, has offered his thoughts on what it is like to see the league and its players openly discuss race and racism. Kadri, the son of Lebanese parents, has been one of the most vocal players in the sport when it comes to speaking about those subjects and why those matters must continually be addressed.

Kadri said these discussions are a step forward, but his only objection to those conversations is that it took “an unfortunate set of circumstances” like the death of George Floyd, among others, to have an open dialogue.

Does he believe these conversations will continue to be had in NHL dressing rooms?

“It will be now. It has to be talked about,” he said. “There is no way to tiptoe around it at this moment in time. Having uncomfortable conversations makes people feel uncomfortable and like it’s hard to do. People try to avoid that tough conversation when it comes to something they don’t want to talk about.”

That is another reason Kadri said he has never felt hesitant to discuss race and racism.

“No. Never. Never,” he said. “I’ve been talking about this issue for a while and sharing my genuine options about it. It’s nice to see some people trying to make things work and make change because it’s just a matter of right and wrong. That’s the issue. We’re doing everything we can to fix it.”

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1186541 Vegas Golden Knights Forward Ryan Reaves, who has taken part in the workouts, said he understood the protocols but senses “a little tension with the situation” that’s unavoidable in the current climate.

Is it safe for the NHL to bring its postseason to Las Vegas? “To be honest, I feel a little too safe,” Reaves said. “But that’s just the rules that the NHL put in place.”

Players are scheduled to move into phase 3 on July 10, which would By Justin Emerson (contact) entail mandatory tests as training camps get ready for the return of games at a to-be-determined date. Franchises are responsible for their Thursday, June 18, 2020 | 2 a.m. own testing and safety right now, but the league will take over once Phase 4 kicks in — when teams report to their assigned hubs.

The NHL is likely to announce the hub cities for its reformatted “I believe that one of the reasons (the NHL has) held off naming the two postseason any day now with Las Vegas continuing to be regarded as hubs is just to have the most current and up-to-date information available one of the leading candidates. when they make that final decision,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “We trust that they’ll make real good decisions Under normal circumstances, hosting the postseason would be a cause that are based on safety of the players and the people in the for excitement with the best hockey players in the world descending on a organizations involved.” 3-year-old hockey city to fight for the most revered trophy in the sport. McCrimmon doesn’t have much, if any, say in what the NHL decides, just It’s more complex than that right now, though. The coronavirus forced a like if the league chooses Las Vegas and sends the Golden Knights pause in the season, and the league is planning to resume, despite the elsewhere. In a statement to the Sun, the NHL did not directly address pandemic showing little sign of slowing down, with recent increases the rising national cases of COVID-19. statewide and nationally. “The ability to provide a safe and secure environment for our players, In a strange way, however, the fact that the coronavirus is already team and league personnel will be one of many factors that will be prevalent in Southern Nevada makes it less dangerous to drop 12 teams considered in selecting our two hub cities as well as in the ultimate and hundreds of players into T-Mobile Arena. decision as to when we return to play,” according to a league spokesperson. “The presence of those players doesn’t increase the level of transmission in this community because the transmission is already established,” said Part of the consideration for which cities are chosen includes the local Fermin Leguen, acting director of the Southern Nevada Health District. governments, which seem unlikely to be a hurdle here. Sports have “Bringing players and people here from other areas of the United States already returned to Las Vegas with the UFC hosting events at its Apex to play hockey here really is not increasing the level of risk that’s already facility and Top Rank Boxing putting on cards at the MGM Grand. in this community.” Gov. Steve Sisolak’s Phase 2 reopening plan released May 29 explicitly The NHL’s reset includes a 24-team postseason with two sets of 12 stated that some sporting events would be permitted for broadcast teams split into two locations where all games will take place. The league purposes without live audiences. has narrowed the list of possible cities to 10 choices — seven American, three Canadian — including Las Vegas, a longtime frontrunner, Sisolak’s office did not respond to a message seeking comment about presumably for the Western Conference. specifics of working with the NHL.

Games would be played without fans in attendance, and teams would be There’s an inevitable risk of infection as businesses and economies limited on the number of staff permitted. begin to reopen. Nevada is no different, and positive test counts are likely beginning to rise because of Memorial Day gatherings, protests and Social distancing will be crucial in these hubs, Leguen said. But he casino openings. conceded that, as a contact sport, there’s no way to prevent players coming into close contact with each other as part of the game. That’s The NHL Playoffs might soon be among those big events. Even without why rigorous testing and screening processes need to be established 18,000-plus fans packing T-Mobile Arena, that’s still plenty of players and throughout the facility. staff coming from all reaches of the continent to Las Vegas. But officials say there’s no danger of their presence spreading the virus further into The NHL knows as much. The league’s plan is for daily testing of an area that’s already infected. players, swabbing them when they leave the arena at night with the anticipation of having a result before they leave their hotel in the morning. “If we were having this conversation at the point when there is almost no Commissioner Gary Bettman estimated the NHL could be doing 25,000 coronavirus cases in Clark County, then the consideration would be to 30,000 tests over the course of the postseason. different, because then the potential risk of reintroduction of transmission is increased by bringing people who have been exposed to the virus in If Las Vegas is indeed selected over the next week, the timing may still other areas," Leguen said. seem odd. “But talking about today, there is an established local transmission of This week was one of the worst in Nevada for new virus cases. On coronavirus in Clark County, so they really are not adding to that risk," he Monday, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported said. 379 positive tests, shattering the previous high of 295 set May 22. There have been 12 days with 200 or more positive cases during the pandemic through Tuesday’s reporting. Half of them have come since June 8. The LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.19.2020 good news is deaths related to the virus are reaching their lowest points.

Testing has increased, and with more tests come higher raw numbers. But the positivity rate (the percentage of positive tests) and hospitalizations have been creeping in the wrong direction for the past week, bucking a downward trend that began after a peak in April.

“There is obviously a higher level of coronavirus in our community today than two weeks ago,” Leguen said. “And that’s a reason for concern.”

On a team level, there’s only so many precautions the Golden Knights can take. The NHL is in phase 2 of its return-to-play protocol, which includes small group workouts at team facilities.

Players are tested twice weekly and limited to working out with five other player at a time. They must wear masks when they’re not actively exercising or on the ice. 1186542 Washington Capitals Before the playoffs began, May said, Murray made up placards for every player on the roster emphasizing their roles and what they meant to the team. It helped guys to buy in and coalesce as a group.

Overlooked: The 1989-90 Capitals' brotherly coaching swap and “There’s no question we were tired of not advancing and not going farther underdog playoff run in the playoffs,” Stevens said.

But some players outperformed their roles and expectations — namely, John Druce. By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times Known as a fourth-line defensive specialist, Druce wasn’t a regular Thursday, June 18, 2020 starter when the season began. He managed eight goals and three assists in 45 regular-season appearances. But he exploded in the

playoffs, leading Washington with 17 points (14 goals and three assists) “Overlooked” revisits some of the underappreciated highlights of in 15 games. Washington sports history. Today’s entry: The 1989-1990 Capitals, the For context, when Alex Ovechkin led the Capitals to the 2018 Stanley franchise’s first team to make the conference finals. Cup, he scored 15 goals — in 24 games. The Washington Capitals had an agonizing introduction to the NHL. They “John Druce got hot, and everything that touched his stick went in the didn’t qualify for their first postseason until their ninth year in the NHL. net, it seemed like,” Langway said. Even after they became a regular playoff team — and stop us if this sounds familiar — they spent years unable to get past the second round. Druce became a folk hero for Washington, and a recurring nightmare for New York Rangers fans. After the Capitals got by the Devils in six games That changed in 1990. All it took was swapping one brother for another at in the first round, Druce poured in nine goals in a five-game series head coach and a fourth-liner’s improbable outburst of playoff goals, against the -led Rangers — including the overtime winner in among other things. Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, no less, to clinch the series for the NYPD officers mull mass 'blue flu' on July 4: 'Let the city have their Capitals. independence without cops' The series began with a 7-3 beatdown by heavily-favored New York. “We Even though they finished under .500, at 36-38-6, the Capitals squeaked should’ve lost about 20-3,” May said. into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After years of taking first or second place But Druce caught fire and the Capitals took control. Recalling the in the Patrick Division but falling short in April, it was time to flip the celebration in the locker room afterward, Langway said it was one of the script. better feelings in his Capitals career. “We were like underdogs, really,” Rod Langway said. “We weren’t “Originally I was very proud of what happened there, but I played 14 favorites like years past. So maybe it made some players feel a lot easier years of professional hockey, so I thought, ‘Jeez, I did more than that,’” with a ‘we have nothing to lose’ type attitude.” Druce told the Washington Post in 2009, regarding his legacy. “I’ve come Alan May had played a handful of NHL games for Boston and Edmonton to realize that’s kind of my calling card. I’m very proud of it, and this time before the Capitals acquired him in a trade. But 1989-1990 was his of year (the postseason) comes around and it’s nice.” official rookie year, and he was in the mix from the get-go as an enforcer In hindsight, this Capitals team was stacked with talent. Defensemen for the third and fourth lines. He still can remember the excitement of Stevens and Langway and winger Dino Ciccarelli, who scored 41 goals starting on opening night, a win over the Philadelphia Flyers. that season, are now in the Hall of Fame. There were fan favorites like But a string of injuries threatened to derail the season early on. It got so May, center Dale Hunter and defenseman Calle Johansson. Kevin bad that coach Bryan Murray needed to use May, a winger, out of Hatcher was coming into his own as an all-around defenseman, position because most of the team’s regular blueliners were hurt. someone Langway and May praised up and down 30 years later.

“I remember playing against Vancouver one night and they had me back But during the Rangers series, both Ciccarelli and Hatcher suffered knee on defense,” May, now a Capitals analyst for NBC Sports Washington, injuries — “Both were cheap shots,” May said — that took them out for said with a laugh. “We just had so many guys that normally wouldn’t kill a the playoffs. penalty were killing penalties, and they were just trying to rotate (us).” Stevens, now an NHL Network analyst, was playing through a shoulder The Capitals were mired in an eight-game losing streak in January 1990 injury. Knowing hockey culture, he was hardly alone. So the Boston when general manager David Poile decided to pull the trigger and fire Bruins had little trouble sweeping the Capitals in the Prince of Wales Murray. Langway, May and Scott Stevens all feel to this day that Murray Conference Finals. shouldn’t have been fired, pointing to the pile of injuries out of the The core of that roster would not get another shot together. Geoff coach’s control. Stevens said the players were caught a bit off-guard by Courtnall, the Capitals’ second-leading point-getter in 1989-90, requested the move. a trade. But the biggest loss was Stevens. But the most notable part of the decision was who was tapped to replace As a restricted free agent, Stevens signed a four-year, $5.145 million Murray: his own brother, Terry. contract with the St. Louis Blues — a massive deal for the NHL at that At the time, Terry Murray was the coach of Washington’s AHL affiliate, time. The Capitals had the option to match it but declined, preferring the the Baltimore Skipjacks. According to news reports from 1990, Poile said haul of first-round draft picks they’d receive as compensation. there was a long pause on the other end of the telephone line when he Stevens had hoped the Capitals would match the offer. offered the younger Murray the gig. “Washington gave me the opportunity to play in the National Hockey “I think Terry just came in and he knew he was in a tough position,” League. So I guess I was hoping to stay in Washington, a place where Langway said. “It’s unusual that a brother comes in and takes your job.” we’ve had success,” Stevens said. “We turned the corner and made the In Terry Murray’s first game behind the bench, Washington snapped its playoffs every year, we were going in the right direction, so it would have losing streak in spectacular fashion, beating the New Jersey Devils 9-6. been fun to stay. But things happen, and I signed with St. Louis and that was the end for the Washington Capitals and me.” As May tells it, Terry Murray challenged some of the beliefs in the locker room and did more to explain the jargon, the “why” behind what players “That was a huge loss and there was a bitterness that we lost (Stevens),” were told to do on the ice. With his even-keeled emotional style and crisp May said. “He was such an important guy. This franchise took years to communication, players quickly bought in. win a Stanley Cup. It probably would have been a lot sooner had he never left.” In team meetings, May was often struck by how much Murray looked and sounded like his fired brother.

“Almost everything was identical except what came out of the coach’s Washington Times LOADED: 06.19.2020 mouth,” May said. 1186543 Washington Capitals

Ilya Kovalchuk starts boxing to prepare for NHL playoff and the Penguins

By Jordan Giorgio

June 18, 2020 2:01 PM

We’re just a few weeks away from the start of NHL training camp, set to begin on July 10th but it looks like Capitals third-line winger Ilya Kovalchuk is getting a head start. He posted this video of him on Instagram violently throwing hands, looking like the league's fiercest enforcer.

The video drew plenty of attention from around the league and even Kovy’s teammates. Alex Ovechkin commented on the post in Russian saying “bro what are you preparing for????”

Kovalchuk responded saying “Playoffs bro))” followed with a penguin emoji.

Kovalchuk isn’t known for being a big fighter, but he has dropped the gloves a handful of times in his career (and has certainly never liked the Penguins).

So let this be a warning for teams in the upcoming NHL playoff, you don’t want to catch these hands.

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John Carlson and his wife Gina announce they are expecting a third boy

By J.J. Regan

June 18, 2020 7:00 AM

It is nice to have some good news for a change. Gina Carlson, the wife of John, announced on Instagram Wednesday that the Carlson's are expecting their third child.

John and Gina already have two sons, Lucca and Rudy. Now they will be adding a third boy to the mix.

Baby Carlson is due in November which typically would be early into the regular season but, depending on how things play out with the league's return to play, the couple could luck out and have the baby during an abbreviated offseason.

Congratulations to the Carlsons! Three more and they can have a whole lineup!

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186545 Washington Capitals

Key questions for the 2020 postseason: Will Alex Ovechkin pick up where he left off?

By J.J. Regan

June 18, 2020 9:00 AM

The 2020 postseason will be unlike any other and, as a result, there are a lot of unknowns. As the July 10 start to training camp approaches, let's look at the biggest unknowns facing the Capitals.

Today's question: Will Alex Ovechkin pick up where he left off?

The Capitals may have been struggling when the season was paused, but Ovechkin was not. In the 10 games prior to the pause, he had eight goals and 10 points. Extend that out to 20 games, and he had 17 goals and 20 points.

The season was paused on March 12 meaning it has been over three months since the team last played a hockey game and training camp hasn't even started yet. Whatever momentum there was at the end of the season is now gone. There will be no carryover to the postseason.

So what can we expect from Ovechkin?

What he was doing in 2019-20 was remarkable given that he is 34 years old. He may be getting plenty of rest during this pause, but he is not getting any younger. In a normal year, the questions over what we can expect from Ovechkin in the next season would begin anew over the summer. How many goals can you reasonably expect from a player of his age? Well, there will essentially be a full offseason between the regular season and the postseason so it is fair to wonder if age will catch up to Ovechkin when the team finally returns to play. After all, he turns 35 in September.

But if there is one player the Caps should not be worried about heading into an unprecedented offseason, its Ovechkin.

Age is going to eventually catch up to Ovechkin, it is inevitable, but we are not talking about an 82-game season, we are just talking about playoffs. This is not a marathon, its a sprint. The team is not going to hit a January wall where it becomes hard to stay motivated for a Monday-night regular-season game. These are Stanley Cup Playoff games and Ovechkin has always been at his best under the spotlight. In 128 playoff games, he has 126 points.

If the NHL insists on keeping the 2020-21 season at 82 games, I don't know what that will look like. I don't know if an abbreviated offseason will force age to finally catch up with Ovechkin during the season, but that's not what we are talking about. We are talking about the sprint of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Because of that, you should expect Ovechkin to be just fine.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186546 Winnipeg Jets “That pushed me a little bit,” he said. “I said ‘Well, they didn’t grab me, I want to prove everyone wrong, show that they made a mistake and I want to one day become an NHL player.’

PIPELINE: Jets feel they ‘stole one’ when they picked up undrafted “Because I wasn’t drafted, that maybe helped me to get to this point.” prospect Reichel So why wasn’t he drafted? As mentioned before, his skating style wasn’t great and he admits he’s a bit of a late bloomer in other areas as well.

Ted Wyman His improvement started with a season in the Western Hockey League, where he scored 34 goals and 57 points in 63 games with the Red Deer June 18, 2020 2:23 PM CDT Rebels. That earned him his two minor-pro contracts and now he has a two-year, two-way deal with the Jets, with an average annual value of

$752,500. As far back as he can remember, Kristian Reichel was around huge “I think my progress started a little bit later on,” Reichel said. “A lot of hockey arenas, professional dressing rooms and NHL players. players take that big step forward at 17 or 18 years old, whereas mine His father, Robert, was an excellent NHL player and Kristian spent some was a little later. of his early years in Toronto, where his dad played for the Maple Leafs. “I’m a better skater now. I can play two-way hockey. I put all the key little “Sometimes, when they had a practice, he took me to Air Canada Centre pieces together. to skate and be around the dressing room,” Kristian said from Litvinov, “I need to get stronger. I need to get stronger around the net in order to Czech Republic this week. score more goals. I need to have more sensitivity for the vision on the “I was so impressed about it and I remember saying ‘One day I want to ice. I need to get better at everything I’ve already improved on. I need to do the same thing. I hope that I’ll get to that point one day too.’” be more sharp at shooting the puck. I need to be better in all the key pieces and maybe one day I’ll get a chance to prove I’ve become a really Kristian was just five years old when his dad played his last NHL game in good hockey player.” 2004, but Robert played another six seasons with Litvinov of the Czech league before finally retiring in 2010. THE FILE ON REICHEL

All told, Robert played 830 NHL games, with Calgary, the New York AGE: 22 (June 11, 1998) Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and the Leafs, scoring 252 goals and 630 HOMETOWN: Litvinov, Czech Republic. points. He scored 40 goals in a season twice and had a career-high 93 points in 1993-94 with the Flames. HEIGHT: 6-foot-2, WEIGHT: 188 pounds

Kristian, 22, is very quick to point out he should not be compared to his POSITION: Centre, SHOOTS: Right father, at least not yet. DRAFTED: Not drafted, signed minor league deals with Manitoba Moose “He was a huge influence … he helped me from the youngest ages, in 2018 and 2019, then a two-year entry level deal with Jets in June of through my whole career, to become a good hockey player,” Kristian 2020. said. “From all points: Off ice, on ice, how to become a good pro, how to be a good teammate. He had a huge impact on me and he gave me lots THE SKINNY: Is the son of former NHL forward Robert Reichel … Has of advice in my hockey career. It’s a big thank you that he deserves. scored 14 goals and 27 points in 94 games with the Moose … Was considered to have an unusual skating style but has improved his skating “Yes he was a great hockey player, great career, but at the point where over his two years in the AHL … On being compared to his dad: “My dad I’m at right now, you can’t compare us. Maybe you can compare us after was a different hockey player. He grew up in a different world, different my hockey career.” hockey. I’m in a different world, different hockey.”

That career is just starting out for Kristian, who recently signed a two- year, entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.19.2020 It was a momentous occasion for the young forward, as he was never drafted in the NHL and earned his contract after signing consecutive one- year minor-league deals with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

“I feel that we stole one,” Moose coach Pascal Vincent said this week.

“He just kept getting better with us and by the end of the year he was on the top line with David Gustafsson and Kristian Vesalainen. He created that opportunity for himself because we certainly didn’t just give it to him.

“It’s been a really good story for him. Now, for him to have a two-way contract, I wouldn’t bet against him (making the NHL).”

Reichel scored 12 goals in 39 games for the Moose last year, showed great improvement in his skating — which was a knock against him at the draft — and made a major impression on the organization’s coaches.

“He’s a cerebral kind of guy, very mature,” Vincent said. “His experience, as the son of a hockey player, you can almost feel it. He knows how it works. Just in the way he moves around the rink, little things, the way he handles different situations.

“When you speak hockey with him, it feels like you’re speaking with an old veteran. He just knows the game within the game, in a very good way.

“He’s the type of guy that might make for an even better story a few years down the road. Maybe sooner. The way he works and the way he thinks, he’s not waiting for opportunities, he’s creating them for himself.”

Reichel admits he was motivated by getting passed over in the draft. 1186547 Vancouver Canucks control at 45.2 per cent. But there’s no analytical measurement for the intangibles.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning knows Tanev is a leader and Ben Kuzma: Canucks' case to re-sign popular defenceman Tanev about mentor. He also knows he has payroll problems. dollars, sense “I’ve had some general conversations with his agent to see if there’s common ground,” said Benning. “He’s a guy you can win with and I’m going to try and do what I can to keep him around.” BEN KUZMA With Brogan Rafferty, Guillaume Brisebois and injury-plagued Olli Juolevi June 18, 2020 1:57 PM PDT possibly pushing for a roster spot — and interest in signing Nikita Tryamkin — something has to give on the back end. Jordie Benn has a

year left on his deal and maybe the Montreal Canadiens trade to bring "Of course, I’d like to sign a long-term deal because I’ve played quite him back for depth purposes. Letting UFA Oscar Fantenberg go is easier awhile (10 years) and you’ve earned that right, but who knows? I haven’t if you’re going to promote from within, and what about RFA Troy talked too much about it with my agent, but I would like to sign here for a Stecher? few years.' — Canucks' UFA defenceman Chris Tanev Benning might have to get bolder, but how do you part with RFA forwards You don’t have to sell Chris Tanev on Vancouver. Jake Virtanen, Adam Gaudette, Tyler Motte and Zack MacEwen? You could consider letting injured UFA winger Josh Leivo go. RFA Nikolay And you don’t have to sell the Canucks on the Toronto native. Goldobin is leaving for the KHL and Benning confirming that RFA Reid Boucher has received permission to pursue a KHL contract. Tanev not only remained on the West Coast when the NHL season was paused March 12 by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the unrestricted Boucher had 67 points (34-33) in 53 games with the AHL affiliate Utica free agent could also moonlight for Tourism B.C. Comets to finish second in league scoring, but the left-winger wasn’t recalled this NHL season and deemed expendable. He loves the city and province and believes Vancouver has the infrastructure to be named one of two hubs for conference playdowns In the interim, Tanev’s stock continues to rise with his teammates. should the season eventually resume. A common question during COVID-19 self-isolation was which player a However, most of all, the long-serving, 30-year-old defenceman has Canuck would prefer to quarantine with. Tanev’s name kept topping the passion and persistence and the easy decision would be to play his list. entire career here. The harder part for the salary-cap challenged Canucks is the dollars-and-sense equation. For Tanev to stay, somebody “It’s probably because I’m easy to get along with,” reasoned Tanev. “I’m has to go. pretty quiet and pretty clean and I can cook. We’re getting into Asian dishes and experimenting with different spices and herbs.” Goaltender Jacob Markstrom and right-winger Tyler Toffoli are UFA priorities and there are five restricted free agents on the current roster and two more of note in the AHL. Tanev has earned the right to swing for Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.19.2020 the free-agency fences, but he sounds like a real estate salesman.

It’s all about location for the undrafted blueliner who’s on an expiring five- year, US$22.25 million extension that carries a palatable $4.45 million annual cap hit.

Being more prudent than pushy is never popular with the NHL Players’ Association, especially taking less money rather than testing the market. And because of Tanev’s lead-by-example mantra, popularity and chemistry in a pairing with Calder Trophy candidate Quinn Hughes, a healthy raise makes sense.

“It’s a very tough situation because nobody knows where the cap is going to be,” said Tanev. “But I want to stay in Vancouver. I love it here and it’s sort of my new home. I love the guys on the team and we’re trending in the right direction.

“Of course, I’d like to sign a long-term deal because I’ve played quite awhile (10 years) and you’ve earned that right, but who knows? I haven’t talked too much about it with my agent (Wade Arnott), but I would like to sign here for a few years.”

Tanev was fourth in the league in blocked shots this season and the biggest worry is when he might succumb to another injury by selling out on every shift. He suffered an MCL (medial collateral ligament sprain) in a March 10 collision with New York Islanders winger .

“It was a harmless play and he kind of clipped me behind the net a little bit and it was a 10- to 14-day injury,” said Tanev. “I’m fine. I’ve been working a lot on flexibility and mobility.”

The best health insurance plan for Tanev is give the puck to Hughes and allow the fleet-footed, precision-passing defender to do his thing.

“I had a great time all year and a lot of it had to do with being more healthy — not playing 20 games and getting hurt and then playing another 20 and getting hurt — and playing with Quinn was awesome,” stressed Tanev. “He’s a tremendous player and we had great chemistry on and off the ice and it was a pleasure. I think we both enjoyed it.”

What’s all this worth?

Tanev was fourth among club defencemen with 20 points (2-18) and fifth among defencemen in Corsi-For measurement of even-strength, puck- 1186548 Vancouver Canucks Quinn Hughes, LD, Vancouver Canucks • High-end comparable: Shorter, left-handed Drew Doughty

When we went through the process of identifying players in the history of Finding an NHL comparable for the Canucks’ recently graduated the NHL who played as defencemen, managed to score at a comparable prospects rate to the .78 points per game Quinn Hughes managed as a 20-year-old and have a similar build, we returned literally zero results.

By Harman Dayal and Thomas Drance No one with a Hughes-like profile has ever done what he did in the NHL this past season. That’s not an error here, and we’re not just hyping you Jun 18, 2020 up: Hughes’ Calder-worthy rookie season was truly — and quite literally — unprecedented in the annals of NHL history.

Now, before Canucks fans begin to thump their chests, out of curiosity The future of the Vancouver Canucks rests on the shoulders of their we went through the same exercise with , and guess what: young talent. His season was also unprecedented for a 21-year-old defender! The In light of that, our team at The Athletic Vancouver has extensively 2019-20 rookie class was truly a once-in-a-lifetime group. covered the club’s prospect pool over the past month. We did mini- If we adjust Hughes’ height in our search, we still don’t have a lot of profiles covering prospects Nos. 6-10 and Nos. 1-5, in addition to a story historical comparables, which speaks to how rare and accomplished that identified high- and low-end NHL comparables for the top 10. Hughes was in his rookie season. In fact, we could produce only one These articles were aimed at analyzing the potential range of outcomes comparable name: Drew Doughty. for the club’s most promising up-and-comers. Though Hughes was a rookie skater as a 20-year-old, in his 20-year-old A worthwhile addendum to these pieces is providing a similar analysis for season Doughty had already played a full NHL season. He managed a Canucks prospects who graduated over the past two years. This will help remarkable 16 goals (with an 11 percent shooting clip) and 59 points for us get a grasp on the potential of Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, a 0.7 points-per-game rate that still doesn’t quite stack up to Hughes’ what roles Adam Gaudette and Zack MacEwen could grow into and rookie-year production. whether Thatcher Demko has the upside to be a No. 1 goalie. Though there are a few similarities in terms of their skating ability, Just like last time, we’ll be using adjusted NHL scoring rates, age and Doughty is a very different player than Hughes. In their respective 20- stature — the key components of companion models — to establish high- year-old campaigns, Doughty took a higher rate of penalties, had a way and low-end statistical comparables. higher hit rate and was credited with fewer giveaways by off-ice officials, while Hughes had a higher shot rate and recorded more takeaways. Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks Still, if you’re looking for a player who had a comparable impact on his • High-end comparable: Left-handed Steven Stamkos team at a similar age, Doughty is the best you can do. In fact, he’s the only real option. With every highlight-reel goal, scoring record and new award he captured, Pettersson’s banner SHL campaign set expectations The rarity of what Hughes accomplished in his rookie season is further staggeringly high for his NHL arrival. testament to the blueliner’s remarkable talent. He arguably outperformed his high-end comparable at the same age — and that high-end Similarly, when Steven Stamkos was drafted No. 1 overall ahead of Drew comparable is a player who has won the Norris Trophy and multiple Doughty in 2008, the hype was equally uncontrollable. Stanley Cup titles. In both cases, Pettersson and Stamkos delivered, almost immediately • Low-end comparable: ascending as franchise centres. We’ve already explained that Hughes’ profile is so unique that Doughty is When you compare their profiles, it bears mentioning that Stamkos was the only comparable we could find. So forgive us, but in this one the more prolific scorer. Pettersson has notched a very impressive 132 instance, we’re going to have to fudge our method and use the eye test. points in 139 games in his career, but Stamkos already had three 90- point campaigns and two Rocket Richard trophies under his belt by the Brian Campbell matches Hughes’ physical profile much more closely same age. With a whopping 48 even-strength goals as a 21-year-old in than Doughty: Campbell was listed at 5-foot-10 and about 170 pounds for 2011-12 — no player has hit 40 even-strength goals in a single season most of his career. He was a cerebral left-handed, puck-moving defender since — Stamkos had a stretch as the game’s most dominant goal who controlled the flow of games remarkably well and relied on his scorer. hockey intelligence, which made up for his physical stature.

This is obviously a lofty comparison, but Pettersson’s 0.95 points-per- For a 10-year period from 2006 to 2016, Campbell was a top-pair-quality game scoring clip is closer to Stamkos’ early career production than NHL defender and among the top 10 players at his position in many of someone such as Tyler Seguin, who scored 0.77 points per game those seasons. between the ages of 20 and 21. Again, though, it’s hard to overstate how Hughes’ potential towers above Stamkos has morphed from a ruthless, unstoppable sniper who rivalled that of even Campbell, clearly one of the best puck-moving defenders of arguably the greatest goal scorer of all time in Alex Ovechkin into a more the past 15 years. balanced, all-round offensive dynamo. He’s scored at a 90-point pace in six seasons and has more recently blossomed into a dual-threat At 20 years old, Hughes was one of the most impactful two-way forces in playmaker, recording over 50 assists in two of his past three years. the NHL while regularly playing a matchup role. As a 20-year-old, Campbell recorded 26 points in 67 games in the American League before A goal-scoring title might be difficult to attain for Pettersson given how appearing in 12 games with the Sabres (and performing well, with a goal selective he is as a shooter, but you could see him reach point totals and five total points). comparable to Stamkos, with a more refined two-way impact to boot. Campbell wasn’t even an NHL regular until he turned 23. He didn’t break • Low-end comparable: Paul Stastny the 50-point barrier until he was 28. And over the course of a 17-year NHL career in which he amassed over 1,000 games played and north of While Paul Stastny has carved out a splendid career as a top-six centre, 500 points, Campbell never recorded the points-per-game rate Hughes his trajectory is a reminder that not all players who score at an elite rate did as a 20-year-old over a full season. can solidify themselves as front-line players. The NHL game has changed, and the selection bias favouring size on Stastny’s situation is a bit of an outlier, but with 78 points at age 21 and the blue line has relaxed. In a contemporary NHL environment, it’s hard 71 points in 66 games at age 22, his early offensive numbers come close to imagine Campbell would have been a fifth-round pick, much less that to those of many young phenoms, such as Pettersson. The former he’d have had to wait until his age-23 season to play in The Show. second-round pick grew into a brilliant two-way force, but his career point totals amount to just a 63-point pace, which is impressive but would The difference between Campbell’s and Hughes’ career trajectories is ultimately be disappointing for a player of Pettersson’s calibre. still worth noting, though. Campbell is more of a stylistic comparable for Hughes than a historic one, but even still, if your low-end comparable is Still, scoring at a 46-point clip without sniffing top-six minutes is an defensibly a player who had a Campbell-like career, that speaks volumes impressive feat, and it’s not completely unprecedented to see players at about your talent level. his age take another offensive step.

Zack MacEwen, RW, Vancouver Canucks Most forwards who fit Gaudette’s profile grew into middle-six roles (and that’s the most realistic projection), but Brayden Schenn is an example of • High-end comparable: Troy Brouwer a late bloomer who became a legitimate second-line centre. At 23, Zack MacEwen’s rise from obscurity has been unlikely and it’s been Schenn registered 47 points with the Flyers before breaking out with 59 impressive. points the following season. The caveat with this comparison would be that Schenn also had 41 points at 22 when Gaudette was scoring at a Over a five-year period, MacEwen has gone from being an undrafted fourth-line rate and that the former was more productive in each player’s prospect — a player who didn’t even begin his first draft-eligible season small sample in the AHL too. in major junior — to someone who Canucks general manager Jim Benning opined had solidified himself as a credible NHL player as a 23- It’s unlikely Gaudette will become a consistent 55-point threat, but you year-old. No wonder he’s the star pupil of the Canucks’ player also shouldn’t completely rule out the possibility that he follows a path development system. mirroring Schenn.

The hard-scrabble Maritimer has taken a circuitous route to the NHL, but • Low-end comparable: Erik Christensen at this juncture in his career, the hard work appears to have paid off. The most significant drawback with Gaudette is that his two-way game Based on historical comparables, MacEwen has reached the point where still leaves quite a bit to be desired. In fact, if he can’t improve on this — probabilistically speaking — he’s more likely than not to stick around aspect, there’s a chance he’s more of a sheltered, specialist scorer with a at the NHL level for at least a couple of hundred games. high work rate than the type of third-line centre with whom you win a Among the comparables we were able to find — based on MacEwen’s championship. scoring rate, size and age — is a long list of credible, NHL-level bottom- Erik Christensen, who scored at a nearly identical 44-point pace in six and middle-six forwards, including Steve Bernier, Shawn Matthias sheltered minutes at 23, comes up as one of Gaudette’s statistical and Matt Martin. The highest-end comparable for him, though, is matches and fits this bill. Christensen was a journeyman bottom-six Vancouver native Troy Brouwer. scorer unable to move up the lineup because he wasn’t strong away from Brouwer was a relatively unheralded player, too, drafted by the Chicago the puck. Blackhawks in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Draft. Like MacEwen, Gaudette’s future outlook ultimately depends on how he rounds out the Brouwer is 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds and managed to produce at a nuances of his defensive game more than his offensive progression. rate of about .33 points per game at the NHL level in his age-22 and -23 seasons. Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks

Brouwer had been drafted and outscored MacEwen rather significantly at • High-end comparable: Darcy Kuemper the AHL level in his age-20 to -22 seasons. (Brouwer was a 40- and 35- goal scorer in the AHL; MacEwen didn’t hit 30 in his two seasons with the Goaltender comps are especially tricky, but in Demko’s case, the main Utica Comets.) Also, at 23, Brouwer played an entire NHL season, while takeaway is the following: Goaltenders with Demko’s pedigree, who are MacEwen was really a Canucks taxi-squad player this past season. effectively full-time NHL players (as backups) by their age-23 season, tend to go on to lengthy NHL careers. Nonetheless, this comparison makes sense. And it indicates that the most optimistic projection for MacEwen at this point in his career is that How good those goaltenders become and how much value they provide he develops into more than a fourth-line depth player at the NHL level. to their teams during their NHL careers vacillates widely and can be enormously unpredictable. Look no further than Jacob Markstrom’s Brouwer carved out a lengthy career that has seen him appear in over career path for a glance into why goaltending is so often described as 850 NHL games and win a Stanley Cup with Chicago. He spent much of “Voodoo” by statistical analysts. his career as a middle-six forward and a sneaky-effective net-front player for the second power-play unit. Demko has been an excellent netminder at every level of hockey and was solid, if unspectacular, in his first full-time NHL season as MacEwen will have to beat the odds to get to that point at the NHL level. Vancouver’s backup goaltender this past year. For his comparable, we’ve Of course, to put himself in the position he’s in now, he’s already had to picked Arizona Coyotes starter Darcy Kuemper, who has become an do that many times. excellent starting goaltender.

• Low-end comparable: Drew Miller Kuemper, like Demko, is 6-foot-3 and broke into the NHL as a full-time backup at 23. In Kuemper’s first season as a backup, he posted better There’s a long list of players with a MacEwen-like profile at the age of 23 numbers than Demko (.915 save percentage versus a .905), although he who have amounted to a lot less than Drew Miller, or even Sean Pronger. did it behind a much sturdier defensive club.

For every T.J. Galiardi or Troy Brouwer, you have a Matt Halischuk, an Kuemper has better AHL numbers — albeit while facing about 1,000 Andre Faust, a Ramzi Abid or an Aaron Palushaj. fewer shots than Demko has in his American League career — but the The point of this exercise, though, is to illustrate realistic ranges of overall profile is relatively similar. Like many goaltenders, Kuemper had possibility, using players who are relatively well known, and Miller — his ups and downs after his initial NHL season. He didn’t establish brother of Ryan — fits the bill. Drew Miller carved out a lengthy 500- himself as a full-time starter until his third team, at the age of 28. game NHL career as a template fourth-liner, excellent penalty killer and We are confident, based on Demko’s track record and the history of solid defensive player who took a remarkably low rate of penalties. In his young NHL goaltenders, that Demko will be an NHL-level goaltender for prime years with the Detroit Red Wings, he pitched in 10 goals pretty a long time. Perhaps he’ll develop into a starter. The value he’s likely to reliably in limited ice time. provide is indeterminate.

MacEwen is a slightly larger player than Miller was and has more His work ethic and intelligence are significant reasons to believe in him. physical edge to his game, but if he’s able to settle into a Miller-like And even if he makes it, the Kuemper comparable is a useful reminder career at a reasonable dollar value over the next five years, MacEwen that success in goal at the NHL level isn’t easy and the path is often could be an extremely helpful piece on the next competitive Canucks nonlinear. team. • Low-end comparable: Peter Budaj Adam Gaudette, C, Vancouver Canucks The variability of goaltenders is captured nicely by Peter Budaj’s long • High-end comparable: Brayden Schenn career.

Drafted as a fifth-round pick in 2015, Adam Gaudette has beaten the Budaj has appeared in nearly 400 NHL games but has held down a odds and emerged as a productive NHL regular. Many forget, however, starter’s level workload on only three occasions: as a 26- and 28-year-old that in October he’ll be only one year younger than Bo Horvat and that with Colorado, and as a 34-year-old with Los Angeles and Tampa Bay. In Gaudette might not have a lot of room for growth. only one of those three seasons has Budaj managed a save percentage better than .900, and that was as a 34-year-old.

Budaj has inferior AHL numbers to Demko and is a couple of inches shorter, but, like Kuemper and Demko, debuted as a full-time NHL backup at 24. He managed a modestly below-average .904 save percentage throughout a lengthy NHL career that included five stops with four different teams (including Los Angeles on two occasions).

We’ve seen enough from Demko at the NCAA, AHL and NHL levels to be confident he has a high probability of carving out a lengthy NHL career. For goaltenders at this level, though, the line between developing into a bona fide starter or a Budaj-type backup is incredibly fine.

The path Demko charts will be up to him.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186549 Websites financial repercussion, like not getting a share of their team’s playoff pool, for example. But I think it’s clear that the NHLPA wants to ensure if players aren’t comfortable playing, then the option of sitting out is there for them. But once players commit to life in the bubble, they’re committed The Athletic / LeBrun: NHL’s return still on track for summer amid CBA to the rules and protocols that are expected to be pretty tight. and hub city questions CBA looms large

Players, and frankly owners and GMs, too, want to know what the CBA By Pierre LeBrun extension will look like and how it’s going to impact the next few years.

Jun 18, 2020 My understanding is that one idea being broached as part of the CBA discussions is capping players’ escrow at 20 percent this season and

next — so two years in total — and simply carrying the overage, the The person at the other end of the phone took a second to catch his money still owed, past those two years until the debt is eventually paid breath. up. The hope is with a new U.S. TV deal and the pandemic situation eventually easing over the next few years, revenues will grow again and “Man, it’s nuts right now,” he said. players can pay off their tab under better economic conditions. Of course, there’s no guarantee of any of that. The source is involved in the negotiations and all the phone calls right now happening between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association, and the But the idea a few sources have explained to me is for the NHL to freeze many calls going on internally within each respective side. the salary cap, cap the escrow at 20 percent, and perhaps defer in and around 10 percent of the players’ salaries, too, to make the whole Why is it nuts? financial puzzle work over the next two years. Oh, I don’t know, maybe because the NHL and NHLPA are attempting to Whatever the case, a CBA extension will require a full NHLPA hammer out the complicated layers to the Phase 3 and Phase 4 Return membership vote, all 800-plus players. It’s not clear yet whether the to Play agreement while at the same time negotiating a CBA extension in Phase 3/4 Return to Play agreement would be a full membership vote or their free time. simply an Executive Board (31 player reps) vote. Holy mama. Critical dates And here’s the catch, that CBA extension, or at least the Memo of Through all this, the NHL and NHLPA continue to negotiate the critical Understanding, has become so intertwined with Return to Play that one date calendar. In fact, one source said both sides had another call on it source suggested Thursday it’s probably all going to be presented as one Wednesday. This much we think we know: If there’s no delay in return to package to the players at some point before the end of the month. play and the 24-team tournament is played without a hiccup, the Stanley There’s certainly urgency with the announced July 10 start of training Cup Final could bleed into early October and the NHL draft and the camps to get things done as soon as possible within the next 10 days or opening of free agency would also be held before the end of October. So so. Especially with some players’ contracts technically expiring June 30 Free Agent Frenzy on TSN around Halloween? (It beats having it on July (but more on that below). 1, Canada Day, I can tell you that.)

In the interim, it means endless calls on both sides, which is expected to So yeah, the fall could be nutty. continue throughout the weekend and into next week. No off days for As part of that critical dates negotiation, both sides have to sign off on anyone involved until this all gets done one way or another. what it means for July 1 in a few weeks, when some players become free But does it get done? Do we actually have a hockey tournament in agents, obviously they won’t actually become free agents until October if August? everything is agreed upon.

“Yeah I think so,” one player with knowledge of the talks said Thursday. “I Hub cities don’t see too many things getting in the way at this point. Both sides want There’s still work being done on hub cities with some markets to make it happen. But you know how this works: always goes down until resubmitting more details on their bids to the league. I’m told Toronto and the last minute before a deal can get done.” Edmonton did that this week, for example. Let’s take a look at some key items: While the COVID-19 cases are spiking in Nevada, a source suggested Players call Thursday that Vegas remained a strong frontrunner to be a hub city.

The NHLPA’s Executive Board (31 player reps) had another call on Then it gets interesting. Despite all the speculation that Toronto is a Tuesday night, one which also included other players (any player in the frontrunner in Canada, I’ve had NHL and NHLPA sources tell me this membership can join these calls if they wish). There were some week that in fact Toronto is not considered a frontrunner. It doesn’t mean questions from players that the NHLPA leadership simply can’t answer Toronto won’t end up as a hub city, but the clear message was to put yet. Not until the hub cities are selected and/or the Phase 3/4 agreement Edmonton and Vancouver right there with Toronto. All with an equal finalized. But some players, according to sources, piped up on the call chance. The low number of cases in Edmonton alone should put that Tuesday because they want to know some things. They have health market in a decent position. concerns and they want to know when to go back to their NHL markets in To which I asked one source involved in the process, could the NHL end time for camp if they don’t know yet if there’s actually going to be up with both hub cities in the West? Vegas and Edmonton or Vegas and hockey? There were more questions on protocols and life inside the Vancouver? The answer was yes. If that’s what everyone feels is safest bubble. But there were also players who want to know where the CBA from a COVID-19 perspective and makes the most sense, it’s possible. extension is headed. More and more, there are players who feel they won’t commit to playing until they know what the economic landscape The league would rather have one in the East or Central and one in the (escrow) will look like over the next couple of years. West, but the point is, it will do whatever it feels is safest and makes the most sense. As one source said Thursday, what matters most is not All of which is to say this: While I think the majority of players still intend having the whole tournament shut down one week in because a hub city to play this summer, there is a group of players, though seemingly has become a hot spot with COVID-19. smaller in size yet not insignificant, who are vocal about their reluctance to come back and play and until they get more firm answers to their The hope is that the NHL and NHLPA will have their two hub cities questions they may not change their mind. selected sometime next week.

To that end … Hub hosts?

With that in mind, it’s my understanding that the NHLPA intends to One other little item of interest: There are some who believe the hub city negotiate in the Phase 3/4 agreement language that protects those hosts shouldn’t be able to actually play in their own town. So under this players who feel uncomfortable with playing this summer, the idea being scenario some feel is possible, the Golden Knights would have to leave they could ‘opt out’ if they so choose. There would likely be some town and play their games in the other hub along with the rest of the Western Conference.

So let’s say just it’s Toronto and Vegas as hub cities; you’d have the West play in Toronto and the East play in Vegas.

But what if both hub cities end up based in the Western Conference? It would mean one hub city team will get to stay home while the other will need to travel because the Eastern Conference needs to have its tournament in either hub.

Or, in the end, both hub city hosts could stay put if one East market and one West market are chosen.

Either way, sources told me Thursday that all of that remains undecided.

The next 7-10 days will be critical in figuring out everything with Return to Play and the CBA.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186550 Websites During the period of time leading up to free agency when teams could court players, Shattenkirk talked to a number of different organizations.

He is not, he admitted, a fan of this process. In his view it gives the The Athletic / When the best free agent plans fall apart: Kevin Shattenkirk teams too much time to sift through what different players are looking for shares his truth and perhaps gives teams an advantage once the negotiations get down to brass tacks.

“Having all that time, I felt like it hurts the player a little more,” Shattenkirk By Scott Burnside said.

Jun 18, 2020 “I think in my mind, too, it was just, it was something I got myself hyped up for and obviously I had this grand idea of how everything going to go,

and it was all going to go my way, and I think that’s part of it too.” You planned it all out perfectly. As July 1 approached Shattenkirk was focused on three different teams. You’re an unrestricted free agent who ends up signing a lucrative free Certainly the Rangers were in the mix. agent deal with the NHL team you grew up watching and dreaming about He also made the short trip from his family’s longtime summer home on playing for. Sag Harbor, N.Y., to see New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero, whom he’d What could go wrong? Well, when everything goes wrong, what then? gotten to know through the U.S. Olympic team, and head coach John Hynes, whom he’d known through the NTDP. If you are Kevin Shattenkirk, you call that life. Shattenkirk and Neumann decided they’d give Colorado GM a Somewhere in agent Jordan Neumann’s “Kevin Shattenkirk” file are ring, as well. Sakic seemed surprised to hear from the former Avalanche some of the yellow pieces of paper on which the veteran defenseman player but there was genuine interest on both sides. wrote down the pros and cons of various situations he’s been presented with as a hockey player over the years. “He’d loved his time in Colorado,” Neumann said. “When they got involved (Shattenkirk) took it very, very seriously.” Most are written in pencil. He spent a lot of time on the morning of July 1 pacing at his summer “Who writes in pencil anymore,” Neumann wondered aloud. home, wondering and pouring over his pro and con sheets, and talking with Neumann. Shattenkirk, a native of New Rochelle, New York, has always been an analytical sort. He gets it from his parents, Pat and Barbara. Even when When the market opened at noon ET, the Rangers made an offer. Four deciding to pick the U.S. National Team Development Program over years, $26.6 million total. Firm. continuing with prep school hockey, there was a pro/con list involved. The question then was, what next? “It’s something that’s in front of you and then you have to be honest with yourself,” he said. “What means more to you?” Shattenkirk and Neumann could have gone back to the Devils and/or the Avs and pushed for more money or longer term. But Shattenkirk had to From Brunswick School to the USNTDP to Boston University to the NHL, ask himself what was the point. Was there value in that kind of Shattenkirk has always been ahead of the curve in terms of his maturity negotiation? and how he confronts situations. “At that point, that’s when you have to make your decision based on the “He’s never been the kind of client that feels a ton of stress or pressure city, the fit,” he said. “Certainly the money was great no matter where I about it,” Neumann said, who’s know Shattenkirk since the smooth- went. And for me it was, when am I going to have an opportunity to play skating defenseman was 15 years old. “He knows himself and knows his for my hometown team ever again? Maybe never. And how much does place in the league. It’s a very businesslike approach.” that factor in? And what does that price mean to you because you can’t really put a number on that?” Shattenkirk, now 31, was the 14th-overall pick by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007. Traded to St. Louis in 2011, Shattenkirk blossomed So he took a little shorter term and a little less money and he was a into one of the NHL’s most dynamic defensemen, earning a place on the Ranger. 2014 U.S. Olympic team. The contract was sent electronically. Shattenkirk signed it and then he He signed a four-year bridge deal with an average annual cap hit of joined his extended family on the beach. They went out to dinner to $4.25 million following the expiration of his entry-level deal to extend his celebrate that night. But as much as he was celebrating the new deal and time in St. Louis but still keeping the option of becoming an unrestricted the fact he was a Ranger, it was a sense of relief of having been through free agent while still very much in the prime of Shattenkirk’s career. the process.

Although an extension with the Blues was always part of the “It was nice to be at that point, finally,” Shattenkirk said. “I think it was a consideration, the Blues were in transition in the final year of that contract relief for them (my family) too. They saw how crazy it was and how and moved Shattenkirk to Washington at the 2017 trade deadline for a stressed it made me.” package that included a first-round pick. The Rangers were a perennial playoff team at that point. They’d been to Shattenkirk was the most sought-after player at the deadline and it the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. They’d been to the conference finals in seemed possible that the Caps might be looking to keep Shattenkirk 2015. But instead of Shattenkirk helping push the team over the top, it long-term pending the team’s success in the playoffs. But the talented turned out his arrival would coincide with a period of decline and Capitals were bested in the second-round by eventual Stanley Cup ultimately a period of reconstruction. champion Pittsburgh in seven games. Shattenkirk had six points in 13 games, including an overtime game-winner in Game 3 against the On a personal level, Shattenkirk’s time as a Ranger was marked by Penguins, but the fit with Washington wasn’t a good one. So, for the first misfortune and bad timing. time in his career, Shattenkirk was headed for unrestricted free agency. He suffered a torn lateral meniscus in training camp in 2017, and while Outwardly the narrative was an easy one. he tried to play through it, his play suffered. And the team struggled.

The young man who had grown up idolizing Brian Leetch and who fell in In the weeks leading up to the 2018 trade deadline, management love with the game after the New York Rangers’ epic run to the 1994 announced to fans they were going to make some difficult personnel Stanley Cup would be coming home as soon as the free agency market decisions in the hopes of retooling and reemerging as a Stanley Cup opened on July 1, 2017. contender. Captain Ryan McDonagh, one of Shattenkirk’s closest friends on the Rangers, was traded to Tampa. J.T. Miller, Rick Nash, Nick But that wasn’t really the truth. It’s not really who Shattenkirk is. There Holden and Michael Grabner were also dealt. were more slips of yellow paper with pros and cons of different teams, cities and opportunities. Shattenkirk, in the first year of his shiny new four-year deal, had season- ending surgery to repair his knee after just 46 games. The Rangers “He was very open-minded as the process unfolded,” Neumann said. missed the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Shattenkirk returned for his second season in New York with a surgically So four days after being banished by the Rangers Shattenkirk signed a repaired knee, but it took time for his confidence to return. By then the one-year deal with the Lightning worth $1.75 million – less than one-third Rangers were well down the path to redefining themselves as a younger, of what he’d been making just months earlier as a Ranger. faster team. Mats Zuccarello was dealt to Dallas at the 2019 deadline. Kevin Hayes went to Winnipeg. The Rangers, who missed the playoffs The fact the entire team had a chip on its collective shoulder jibed well for a second straight season, were also in the midst of redoing the blue with the chip that Shattenkirk felt on his own shoulders. line, having acquired the rights to star collegiate defenseman At the time of the signing, Tampa GM Julien BriseBois admitted he in April 2019 and then acquiring Jacob Trouba from Winnipeg at the draft wasn’t really looking to add another defenseman, having signed Luke a couple of months later. Schenn and re-upped Braydon Coburn. But given the relatively modest Where did Shattenkirk fit into this puzzle? As it turns out not at all. It took exposure for the team in terms of value and length, BriseBois felt that until August 2019, but the Rangers bought out the final two years of signing Shattenkirk was a better use of the team’s assets than trying to Shattenkirk’s deal. With the click of a cursor on a computer, Shattenkirk’s acquire another defenseman in the middle of the season. career as a Ranger was over and he was, almost unthinkably, once Owner Jeff Vinik called shortly after the contract had been signed, again an unrestricted free agent. The buyout came a month or so after another indication to Shattenkirk that he’d made the right call. the birth of his first child, son Connor. The relationship has paid off for both sides thus far. “Obviously it didn’t turn out the way any of us anticipated or expected it would work out,” Neumann said. Shattenkirk has played up and down the lineup, often pairing with Victor Hedman or Mikhail Sergachev chipping in 34 points in 70 games and There is a temptation to look at how this all unfolded as some sort of recording an impressive plus-22. cautionary tale. A warning perhaps for young players of things to avoid. Yet that’s hardly the case. Apart from the actual hockey part of things this Though the Shattenkirk-Lightning partnership worked well, there is now unfolded exactly as Shattenkirk, his family and his representatives had uncertainty. In a season torn apart by the COVID-19 pandemic many planned. questions remain without answers.

Failure? How is getting exactly what you want as a free agent a failure? If The Lightning will join Philadelphia, Boston and Washington in a three- anything, Shattenkirk said, the lesson is that no matter how well you plan game round robin if the league is able to get its return to play protocols in and think things out nothing is guaranteed. It doesn’t matter whether order. That would be followed by a standard four-round playoff and the you’re a professional hockey player or someone else entirely. awarding of the Stanley Cup.

“I tell everyone that I wouldn’t have changed anything,” Shattenkirk Will there be redemption for Shattenkirk and the Tampa Bay Lightning in said. “I think the biggest lesson is that you never really know how things terms of a long postseason run? Maybe its first Stanley Cup since 2004? are going to go no matter where you land.” Unknown. Maybe the lesson isn’t in how you prepare for such setbacks but how you What is likely, though, is that for the third time since the summer of 2017, move on. For Shattenkirk healing from the sting of being bought out Shattenkirk will be headed to unrestricted free agency. started quickly when, the day after the buyout was finalized, 10 teams inquired about his services. Sure, he thinks about it occasionally. But at this stage, Shattenkirk has a kind of “been there, done that” mentality about what lies ahead. He does Remember this was in August when rosters and salary caps are for the admit his wife Deanna may view things through a slightly different prism. most part set. “My wife’s a planner,” he said. “She hates the fact that everything is so “When 10 teams called and wanted to see what we were thinking, it just last-minute. I feel bad for her in that regard.” gives you a little bit of confidence just knowing that there are teams out there that still appreciate what you do,” Shattenkirk said. In a perfect world, Shattenkirk and the Lightning enjoy a long playoff run this summer/fall and that run is followed by an extension that sees him Lots of players coming off a buyout would have jumped at whatever offer remain with the team for years to come. came with the most security in terms of contract length. Some players are like that regardless of the situation, craving the comfort of knowing But if there’s one thing that Shattenkirk understands it’s that the best-laid what is ahead as opposed to the uncertainty of playing under a shorter plans are just that. Plans. contract.

But for a guy like Shattenkirk, the buyout presented a new set of options and he was determined to make the most of it. The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020

“No doubt there are a handful of guys that are very, very risk averse,” Neumann said. “Those players are looking at the impending UFA situation very differently than players that are super relaxed about it.”

And in fact several teams offered longer terms after Shattenkirk’s buyout. But his focus was on getting back to a team where his style of play would mesh and his chances of winning were high.

The term could come after he’d re-established himself as an elite NHL defenseman.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, whom Shattenkirk knew peripherally from Cooper’s connection to St. Louis when Cooper worked for the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL, spoke to Shattenkirk about the role he might fill on the Lightning blue line. There were no guarantees about ice time, playing partners and the like.

The Lightning were coming off a historic collapse in the first round of the 2019 playoffs against eighth-seeded Columbus after a 62-win regular season.

The dynamic appealed to Shattenkirk who likened it to his time in St. Louis, where the Blues were perpetually deep along the blue line and coach Ken Hitchcock wasn’t afraid to make good use of that depth by rewarding or punishing players vis a vis ice time pending their level of play. 1186551 Websites Imagine going to a store and instead of a 25 percent off sale, the clerk tells you “Welcome to Free Agent Frenzy! Today you’ll be paying four- times market value for our goods and services. Enjoy!” That’s basically the NHL every summer. Out of the 468 deals signed, just 96 (21 percent) The Athletic / By the numbers: Why the value of signing free agents is have seen a positive surplus value to date, a truly horrible success rate much lower than expected that likely only goes down further as current deals age.

Sometimes the deal going off the rails is out of a team’s control though, where a model would’ve agreed with the contract being handed out. Best By Dom Luszczyszyn laid plans often go awry and as you can see from the projected value Jun 18, 2020 being much higher than the actual value, there should be a big emphasis on “often.” It’s not just market price that’s inflated, the projections have been way off base too, but I think there’s a reason to explain some of that and it starts on Day 1 — how much was the player overpaid. After years of overhyped excitement, perception surrounding the NHL’s free-agent frenzy has started to change course over the past few years As you’ll recall, 285 of the 468 deals were deemed overpayments as as many observers have begun to see it for what it is: a day of inevitable soon as the ink on the deal was dry, which leaves 183 deals that were regret. either fair value, “steals” or anywhere in between. Of those 183, only 65 actually became good deals, a poor 36 percent success rate, but that No day on the hockey calendar comes with more future headaches also accounts for 68 percent of all good free-agent pacts. That leaves 31 thanks to costly errors on contracts that are far too pricey and far too long good deals out of 285 overpays, or 11 percent. Those contracts that for a player’s value during the deal. It’s a day where many mistakes are looked any degree of bad on Day 1 are much more destined to fail than made, some of which are obvious from the onset. It’s a topic I’ve written the others who looked passable, doing so 90 percent of the time extensively on in the past, but even that may have vastly undersold just how bad things are. Part of the reason for that is the initial projection expects a signed player to play out 100 percent of the deal and it is extremely rare for that to Over the past couple of days, we’ve gone over the best and worst free- actually happen. Injuries play a much larger role for the older players that agent contracts of the decade, two vastly different lists that underscore make up the free agent base, but more importantly is that teams have a the difficulties of navigating the open market. From those lists, it low tolerance for underachievement, and that bar is reflective of what a becomes clear just how difficult it is to get great value out of a free agent player is being paid. A replacement-level player making $6 million is and just how easy it is for it all to blow up in a team’s face. In collecting obviously a much larger liability than one making $1 million and when it’s research for the best and worst rankings, it became clear that the state of time for salary cuts, those players are the first ones on the chopping free agency is significantly worse than imagined. block. In crafting both lists, I went through every free-agent deal from 2010 In rare cases, players begin flaming out of their contract as early as the onwards and measured an expected win valuation based on their cap hit second year and the trend only gets worse with each passing season. percentage. In 2010, a five-year deal at $5 million for a forward carries an Just over a quarter of players with deals that are longer than four years expected win value of 8.5 wins, or 1.7 per season. That’s close to top-line are out by year four, and by year five, it trends dangerously close to half. player money. In 2019, that same deal carries an expected value of 5.8 It’s a small sample size afterward, but those with six-or-seven year deals wins, or roughly 1.2 wins per season. That’s borderline top-six money. (excluding players who haven’t had a chance to finish their deals yet) Essentially, that number is what the team paid for. don’t make it to the end over two-thirds of the time. And it’s worth noting What the team paid for can be compared to two things: What the team players signing those contracts are usually the best players available too. should’ve paid based on the player’s projected value at the time and A player’s salary always plays a role in his perception and when his what the team actually received. services don’t meet his price tag – as is often the case for players signed In the first case, it’s checking to see whether a team is overpaying for a via free agency – teams will do whatever they can to get out of the player’s services by comparing their expected value from what they paid contract. to their projected value based on an age curve. It’s something teams do But it’s not just players failing to live up to their contracts over time due to a majority of the time. Of the 468 skater contracts signed over the last aging – it starts on the day the deal is signed. This isn’t just about Year 6 decade, 285 of them (61 percent) could be seen as an overpay to varying and Year 7. In the very first year of contracts, teams expect 315 wins and degrees on the very first day of the deal. are projected to get 271. They receive 87, about 28 percent of their More staggering though is the total. Teams have spent closer to $4 billion expected value which is right in line with the contract average. Year 1 is on free agents over the last decade with an expectation of 1,122 wins in where the most total wins are lost. total. The projected value of those contracts however, was closer to 707 That’s mostly because of the sheer volume of deals which decreases the wins, a collective overpayment of about 59 percent across the board. In longer a contract is (every deal has a first year, but not every deal has a other terms, teams can expect to get about 63 cents for every dollar they second, third or seventh year). That adds up to a large win deficit and spend. That’s not a number that’s become better or worse over time as showcases that the problem with free agency begins right away with teams start embracing analytics either. In fact, the last three seasons players collectively underperforming from the get-go. have been below that 63-cents on the dollar average. Looking at the above chart as an average rather than a total adds a bit It’s truly staggering, but that’s not the worst part. Not even close. That’s more context and shows what most of us already know: deals get worse just comparing team expectation based on the money doled out to what a as they age. In Year 1, the average player underperforms their contract model thinks is the likeliest scenario – what’s several magnitudes worse by half a win. By Year 4 and up, that jumps to one win and over on is what actually happened. average. What’s interesting though is that most of that difference is In order to put everything on the same terms though, seasons that simply from teams paying more in deals that are longer. Expected wins haven’t happened yet need to be excluded. That means the expected (and projected as well) rise as the years go up, but average wins value drops to 844 wins while the projected value drops to 593 wins. That stagnate until Year 7 (where there are only two players, Zach Parise and distinction should greatly benefit teams as it excludes what should be the ). worst parts of bad contracts that haven’t finished yet – like Milan Lucic’s, This is where it’s necessary to go a bit beyond the numbers because Loui Eriksson’s and Jack Johnson’s. And yet it doesn’t matter because some of these effects might come down to the human condition. Every what actually happens is so bad that nothing can make it look good. player is different, but there are two natural yet opposing feelings that I’m talking unfathomably worse. Please brace yourself because even my can create a self-destructive environment: security and insecurity. Not pessimistic forecasts apparently weren’t pessimistic enough. ever free agent fits into either bucket, there are exceptions to the rule, but both feelings can help explain why free agents fail to live up to Since 2010, teams have paid for 844 wins at free agency. What they expectations a large majority of the time. actually received was 217 wins. Two hundred and seventeen. That’s a little more than one-quarter of what was expected of them. A chart feels Security means a player got their money, they’ve got it for a long time necessary to visualize just how bad that is. and now they’re comfortable. The drive to succeed may be diminished as a result and that can lead to complacency, especially with all of the money being guaranteed (not that teams should take that away from the players). Insecurity means recognizing the magnitude of money being offered and the anxiety that comes with trying to live up to it year after year. It’s players trying to do too much, and when that happens they become detriments more often than not especially as their play inevitably declines. It’s difficult just doing what you’ve always done as if nothing has changed when the perception of a player’s worth has completely changed due to the new monetary value attached to it. There’s a lot of pressure attached to that and getting a proper valuation can help alleviate that. On top of that, there are likely other mental factors too that can contribute to a player’s unexpected decline.

The last thing to consider is the act of projecting into the future is a very inexact science, especially in hockey where data isn’t as strong as it could be. When it comes to crafting terms for a contract, teams are faced with guessing what a player will look like in three, five, seven years and that’s a very difficult thing to do with the aging process being different for every player. It’s especially trying as those player’s circumstances change. The most important question to answer for incoming players is how they’ll fit on their new team and one of the biggest hurdles in hockey still is separating a player’s true individual impact outside the players he plays with and faces. Analytics have made significant strides in that regard over the past few years, but it’s still far from perfect, and mistakes will be made along the way as a result of it.

As evidenced above, analytics can certainly provide an improvement over team’s current frivolous spending habits in identifying a player’s current worth and whether a contract is an overpayment, but there will still be plenty of times where the numbers will be wrong. Less wrong, sure, but still wrong.

Less wrong is still better than the current way of doing things where teams are getting a quarter on the dollar, an abhorrent return on investment. It’s not as simple as saying no to all free agents – rosters have holes and players need jobs – but teams need to be significantly more vigilant in what they spend, who they spend it on and how long they’re spending it. The worst deals aren’t worth it almost 90 percent of the time and even the best deals don’t live up to expectations even half the time.

There’s a risk/reward to every hockey decision and right now, when it comes to free agency, there’s far too much risk for not nearly enough reward. Part of that also comes from market pressure because, on top of estimating what a player will be, teams also have to worry about bidding wars from other teams coveting that same player’s services. The open market drives the price up to dangerous levels creating contracts that are very difficult for a player to live up to. In those situations – which is a majority – teams need to learn to walk away and let it be another team’s problem.

It’s troubling just how often free agency deals fail, often to a spectacular degree, and the last decade should be a lesson for the next one: what you’re paying for on July 1 probably won’t be even close to what you’re going to get.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186552 Websites “Let’s just leave it at that,” he once told a reporter. “They flopped.” Turns out, Horton should have paid more attention to his sweet tooth. He

had been enamored with a doughnut shop in Pittsburgh since his minor The Athletic / ‘The Donut King’: How Tim Horton’s NHL career funded … league days, visiting every time he and Lori drove to Pittsburgh to see Tim Hortons her family.

“There was this big, beautiful doughnut shop on the outskirts of town,” Horton told The Canadian Magazine in 1973. “I had never really thought By Stephen J. Nesbitt of being anything else but a hockey player before, but the first day I walked into that shop, I thought that I would really like to own my own

doughnut shop some day.” Red Kelly slid a contract offer across the table in his office and waited for The first Tim Horton Donuts went up in a converted gas station at the a reply. It was the first week of September in 1971, and Kelly, the corner of Ottawa Street North and Dunsmure Road in Hamilton, Ontario Pittsburgh Penguins head coach and general manager, was trying to talk — where the flagship Tim Hortons still stands, now complete with a an old friend out of retiring. This friend’s name, in the formal language of second-floor museum. The doors opened May 17, 1964, two weeks after an NHL contract, was Miles Gilbert Horton, but he had always gone by Horton won his third Stanley Cup in Toronto. A cup of coffee was 25 Tim — Tim Horton. cents, and a dozen doughnuts sold for 69 cents. The clientele on Day 1 Across the table, Horton picked up the sheet of paper and started to was a mix of Maple Leafs players, starting with Dave Keon and Frank read. Mahovlich, and workers stopping by as they headed down to the steels mills on the shore of Lake Ontario. Horton was 41 and a surefire Hall of Fame defenseman even if he never played another game. He had won four Stanley Cups with the Toronto “Nobody knew what Tim Horton Donuts was,” says Miles Mattatall, Maple Leafs, all of them with Kelly skating beside him. Their friendship whose father bought that store four years later. “But they knew who Tim was the only reason Horton had driven to Pittsburgh to talk about playing Horton was.” one more season. The shop’s logo was Horton’s signature. (It still is a close approximation.) “I’m a tired old man,” Horton had said. “I’ve had enough hockey.” Below was a stack of four doughnuts, one for each of Horton’s daughters. Horton seemed sincere saying that. But then the contract offer looked too good to refuse. It was for one year and $100,000, the largest salary given The first Tim Hortons, in a converted gas station in Hamilton. (Courtesy by the Penguins at the time, and more money than Horton — nicknamed of Tim Hortons) “Thrifty” by his Toronto teammates — had ever made in a season. And When Lawrence Martin was a student at McMaster University in the late Horton could end his career where it began. He had broken into pro 1960s, a Tim Horton Donuts shop opened in the west end of Hamilton. hockey in the 1940s with the Pittsburgh Hornets, the Maple Leafs’ minor league affiliate. He’d met his wife, Lori, at their home arena, Duquesne “We used to go to one of the bars near McMaster at night and get Gardens, a trolley barn turned ice rink. hammered, then we’d go over to Tim’s to get sobered up,” Martin remembers. “His place stayed open all nights. You got coffee and So, Horton was inclined to sign the contract. He had one condition, doughnuts and felt a little better.” however, and he didn’t want his wife hearing about it. Horton was looking to lock down a loan with a bank back home in Ontario, and he wanted his Martin worked at McMaster’s student newspaper and would go on to Penguins salary sent straight to the bank as backing. You see, Tim have a long career covering hockey and politics. Today he writes for The Horton was trying to finance a fleet of delivery trucks for his fledgling Globe and Mail. But back then Martin was just a college kid looking for a coffee-and-doughnut enterprise. late-night bite. And he saw that Horton’s doughnut franchises seemed to be picking up steam. This was back in the 1960s, an era of pro hockey — just before the NHL players union was founded and the World Hockey Association pressured “Of course,” Martin says now, “nobody thought it would become so big NHL owners to raise salaries and permit free agency — when players that it became a cultural institution in Canada, for crying out loud.” had summer jobs and second careers. They pumped gas and tended bar and ran businesses. At the time, however, the first few shops were hemorrhaging money. Horton’s first business partners backed out, selling their shares to “That was the way the game was,” says Craig Ramsay, who later played Horton. That’s when Horton connected with Ron Joyce. A former police with Horton in Buffalo. “You didn’t make all that much money. Timmy officer who had struggled to keep a Dairy Queen afloat, Joyce took over certainly didn’t at first.” two Tim Horton Donuts franchises in Hamilton, then bought Lori’s 50 percent of shares in 1967. Horton had taken on a handful of odd jobs early in his NHL career. He delivered beer, picked weeds on a tobacco farm, worked in a gravel pit Together, Horton and Joyce began expanding the company. While and sold ads for a Toronto newspaper. Horton knew his hockey career Horton played hockey, Joyce was aggressive on the business front. wouldn’t last forever. Teammates used to say Horton was “as strong as a Mattatall, whose family wound up owning nearly 20 Tim Horton Donuts buffalo and as blind as a bat.” He had 40/400 vision in his left eye, forcing stores, recalls a frazzled Joyce confiding that he was $13 million in debt. him to wear hard contacts on the ice and thick, black-rimmed glasses “Today, that’s nothing,” Mattatall adds. “The man (Joyce) died a everywhere else. He passed eye exams in training camp by memorizing billionaire, two times over.” the eye chart beforehand. Horton’s full NHL salary went to Tim Horton Donuts, then he and Joyce After Horton broke his leg in an on-ice collision in 1956, he so feared for were paid equal salaries from the company. (This wasn’t just the case for his hockey future that he got a real estate license and sold homes for a Horton’s year with the Penguins, but throughout the back half of his year. career.) The details of this arrangement were not disclosed to Horton’s wife until much later. Later, Horton endured a series of failed business ventures. After running a Studebaker car dealership and gas station in Toronto, Horton adopted “When I did find out,” Lori wrote in a book years later, “I was furious.” a mantra: “It’s always wise to be in a business where you can eat.” Horton and his brother, Gerry, opened a burger joint in North Bay, As his NHL career surpassed 20 seasons, Horton continually planned to Ontario. It was called The Big Seven and had an image of Horton (who retire, then returned for a raise. The story goes that after the 1969-70 wore No. 7) on the front façade. Horton opened four more drive-in burger season, Horton sent a box of moldy doughnuts to the Maple Leafs front restaurants in Toronto in 1962, and they were bankrupt within a year. office as a sarcastic message: “Do you think a man who can make a When local kids set off some sort of homemade explosive in the superior product like this needs to play hockey for a living?” Horton got a washroom of one of the restaurants, Horton figured it was time to focus raise to $80,000, double his previous salary. on a different food group. The burger business folded. So, Horton stuck around for friends and for the love of the game, sure, Even after his eventual success, Horton disliked discussing those early but also for the paychecks that were keeping his upstart business alive. failures. Tim Griggs, Horton’s godson, says hockey “certainly paid the way” in the early days. The two careers were intertwined. That’s why it all worked. While the Tim Horton Donuts product evolved, the name alone offered In one of his NHL first games, Carrière fought a Philadelphia Flyers runway. player and lost badly. Horton skated up and yanked the Flyer off of Carrière. “Probably the most important thing we had all the way along was Tim’s name,” Joyce told The Canadian Magazine. “You can’t really estimate “Am I going to have to do this all year?” Horton snapped. the impact of his name in terms of numbers, but all I know is that it helped a hell of a lot.” “No, Tim,” Carrière replied. “You watch. You won’t have to help.”

Horton was known for his booming slapshot. (Courtesy of Tim Hortons) The next shift, Carrière fought the same Flyer again and won.

When Horton was traded to the New York Rangers in 1970, he arrived at Ask Horton’s former teammates about his off-ice demeanor, and they say the team’s practice rink for the first day of work and was surprised to he was all business. He was quiet, for the most part, but he commanded discover a Dunkin’ Donuts across the street. He went in after practice to attention when he spoke. He carried business cards in his pocket: Tim scout the shop. Horton, President. Tim Donut Ltd. During trips to Toronto, Horton would take teammates on tours of his shops. When players went out to dinner “They aren’t bad,” he said after sampling, “but my doughnuts are better.” after games, Rutherford recalls, Horton loved to talk about different industries, investments and business opportunities. “It was fun to listen to A few years ago, Wayne Gretzky told the story of how he got his first him,” Rutherford says. autograph. He was 4 or 5, living in Brantford, Ontario, a half hour from Hamilton, and he heard that Horton would be signing at the grand But not everyone believed Horton’s business would stand the test of opening of a Tim Horton Donuts. Gretzky begged his mother to drive him time. Once, Carrière remembers, a teammate piped up after practice, there. “I told my mom, ‘You’ve got to take me. I’ve got to meet Tim asking Horton, “Do you really think you’re going to sell a lot of doughnuts Horton,’” he recalled. and coffee?”

At the doughnut shop, Horton signed a scrap of paper: Wayne—Best “What do you mean?” Horton replied. “I’ve already got a bunch of stores.” Wishes, Tim Horton. The boy’s father stowed it in a scrapbook that Gretzky still has. “Just seems like a tough business,” the teammate said. “Lot of competition.” Hearing Gretzky’s memory of meeting Horton brought tears to the eyes of Griggs, Horton’s godson. He quibbled, however, with one detail in the Horton didn’t say another word. story. One day, during the 1972-73 season, Horton sipped rum and sat in a “There’s no way Wayne got dropped off and got to walk right in and see black leather chair at Tim Horton Ltd. headquarters in Oakville, Ontario, a Tim,” Griggs says, with a laugh. “There would’ve been a line of kids in stone’s throw from Queen Elizabeth Way, halfway between Hamilton and front of him.” Toronto. Martin, the former McMaster student who had sobered up on doughnuts, was there, too. The Canadian Magazine had asked Martin to One time, when the Hortons came for lunch, the three Griggs boys were write a feature on Horton’s coffee-and-doughnut shops. Outside Horton’s instructed not to tell any of their friends about it. Then Horton decided to office, 15-ton trucks — the ones financed with Horton’s Penguins salary go to the corner store for a bag of ice, and the boys piled into his sports — rumbled past. car with him. “Quickest drive up the street that I’ve ever had,” Griggs says. Their cover was blown. By the time lunch ended, there was a line Martin, who was 25 at the time, had grown up in Hamilton, knowing of children down the block. Horton hoisted his godson onto his shoulders Horton as a popular Maple Leaf with a crew cut and a body chiseled from and started to sign. granite.

“I swear, you couldn’t see the end of the line,” Griggs says. “We didn’t Now Martin was seeing Horton’s corporate side up close. Horton said he think of him as a hockey legend. For us, he was just Uncle Tim.” spent more time on doughnuts than hockey. He much preferred talking doughnuts. The company had 33 stores in Ontario, with another 15 under Off the ice, Horton was a gentle giant. He wasn’t tall, at 5-feet-10, but he construction. The shops baked 57 kinds of doughnuts. The most popular was built like a stone house. Teammates called him Clark Kent because was the honey dip, though Horton’s favorites were the orange twist and of his strength, his black-rimmed glasses and his habit of wearing trench the apple fritter. His offseason training consisted of eating doughnuts and coats. running between stores.

He and Lori had four daughters — Jeri-Lyn, Kim, Kelly and Tracy — and Horton also had negotiated with the Sabres to have Mondays off during a collie named Punchy. The oldest, Jeri-Lyn, experienced separation the season. He spent those off days in Oakville. Though newspapers anxiety and ran a fever each time Horton left the house to go to a game. referred to Horton as “The Donut King,” he focused on financing and left So, Horton looked for little ways to say hi. Before games, he would slap baking to others. his stick on the ice, loudly, and his girls listening at home would know their father was thinking of them. “Ron took me aside for a week and tried to teach me, but I got burned all to hell,” Horton told Martin. “Baking doughnuts is worse than fighting in a On the ice, Horton was considerably less gentle. war.”

“He was the strongest player that I’ve ever seen in the game — when I Horton expected he’d retire from hockey at the end of that year, but he played, or now as a general manager,” says current Penguins GM Jim admitted, “I’ve done that the last three years and it hasn’t happened yet, Rutherford, who was their starting goaltender during Horton’s season in so nobody will believe me if I do it again.” (Spoiler: He played another Pittsburgh. season.)

“He was just like a bull.” Rereading his Horton feature in The Canadian Magazine now, more than 47 years after it was published, one line in particular sticks with Martin. But it was Horton’s smarts, more than his strength, that explains his It’s this quote from Horton: “I want to do more skiing and take up drinking longevity. As he aged, Horton took fewer risks and settled deeper into the a little more seriously.” Martin had included it at the time as a throwaway defensive zone. “If I slow down any more,” he once joked, “I’ll be going remark, a parenthetical in a paragraph about Horton hemming and backwards.” He helped his team to the playoffs in 14 of his final 15 hawing about retirement. But now it reads differently. It’s the clearest line seasons in the NHL, and so teams didn’t mind his focus on doughnuts. in the story. Horton could unplug. He used to say that he played games for free; the salary was for practices. “It was ominous, right?” Martin says.

After Pittsburgh, Horton retired again. But Buffalo Sabres GM Punch Sabres GM Punch Imlach, who knew Horton from Toronto, talked him Imlach, the former Maple Leafs GM, selected Horton in an intra-league into returning for one last season in 1973-74. (Courtesy of Tim Hortons) draft and persuaded him to play in 1972-73. And that’s how Larry Carrière, a 21-year-old Sabres rookie at the time, found himself paired on Drinking already had been a problem for Horton. In the book “In Loving defense with a man more than twice his age. Memory: A Tribute to Tim Horton,” which Horton’s wife co-wrote with their godson, Griggs, Lori claimed Horton drank a bottle of scotch per day “Tim was 43,” Carrière says. “And my dad was 43.” while recovering from a separated shoulder during his season with the Penguins. Lori struggled with substance abuse, too, and those issues strained their marriage. Eventually, teammates told Lori stories about Horton’s legendary Martin says. “That’s the general attitude of Canadians. Because regular drunken antics throughout his career. They called him a “door crasher.” Canadians go there all the time.” He would bust down hotel doors during the night if his buddies didn’t open them. Longtime Maple Leafs executive King Clancy once told Lori, So, a slice of Horton’s legacy was creating a space for the average “We can afford his salary, Lori. We just couldn’t afford any more hotel Canadian, people like the steelworkers who supported Horton’s donut doors.” Lori wrote that Horton had cut down on drinking in Buffalo, but he shop from the start. was never able to stay sober. But he has also impacted the hockey world. Penguins captain Sidney Prior to the 1973-74 season, Horton announced (again) that he was Crosby is among the many thousands of Canadian kids to come through retiring. But he came back. Imlach coaxed Horton with a $150,000 salary, “Timbits,” a learn-to-play program since the 1980s that has provided and Horton got Imlach to toss in a De Tomaso Pantera, Ford’s $17,000 children with hockey instruction and equipment. Crosby helped bring a sports car. similar program to Pittsburgh in 2008, and it has since spread across the NHL. “Maybe it’s just a bad habit I’ve acquired. I like to play hockey,” Horton told the Buffalo Evening News. “I have a long time ahead of me to sit “You think of youth hockey in Canada,” Crosby told the Pittsburgh Post- behind a desk.” Gazette, “you automatically think of Tim Hortons.”

But he did not. In the 46 years since Horton’s death, there’s no question that his success selling doughnuts has overshadowed his hockey career. While many On Feb. 20, 1974, the Sabres lost in Toronto. Horton played but was older hockey fans may remember Horton as a Maple Leaf and a Hall of hurting. He had cracked his jaw in the previous game. While the team Famer, a younger generation of fans knows his name primarily because bused back to Buffalo, Horton drove separately. He stopped at the it’s on their coffee cup. Oakville office, where he and Joyce talked and drank into the early hours. Joyce offered him a place to sleep, but Horton slid back behind the wheel “There isn’t a corner anymore where we don’t have a store,” Mattatall of the Pantera. Around 4 a.m., a woman phoned the police to report a car says. “But after a certain period of time, I think, people forgot who Tim speeding along Queen Elizabeth Way. Horton was.”

A police officer clocked Horton at well over 100 mph, then lost sight of Ramsay, Horton’s former teammate in Buffalo, grew up in Toronto the Pantera. In St. Catharines, Ontario, Horton’s car left the roadway and watching Horton win Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs. In fact, Horton flipped multiple times in the median. Horton was ejected from the vehicle was playing in the NHL before Ramsay was born. Over the years, and, a short time later, pronounced dead at a local hospital. He was 44. Ramsay has seen Tim Hortons pop up all over the map. He recalls An autopsy confirmed his blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit. stopping by a Tim Hortons in the middle of West and another as far south as Pompano Beach, Fla. At 5:30 a.m., Sabres head coach Joe Crozier got a phone call from the police. His number was in Horton’s wallet. The hospital needed Crozier to “I’ve explained that many times. I know kids wouldn’t know. I’ll just say, identify the body. Crozier, his wife, Bonnie, and Sabres team doctor John ‘That picture on the wall, he was a real player. They didn’t make that up,'” Butch drove the 40 minutes to St. Catharines. They prayed it was a Ramsay says. “I tell them I played with him back in Buffalo. He was a mistake, hoping Horton had loaned his car to someone else. But when great person and a great player. And he’d be so proud. We often talk they were led into the hospital, the first thing they noticed was a pair of about that as players. Timmy would be so amazed by the growth of his black-rimmed glasses sitting on a desk. shop.”

“It was a sad night,” Carrière says. “I always remember the date: Feb. 21, One day, a couple of years ago, Carrière was ordering a coffee at a Tim 1974. We were devastated. He was our mentor. He was our father. He Hortons in Manhattan. There was a friendly young man behind the was our man.” counter and no one else in line. So, Carrière got to chatting with the employee. Lori wrote, “I don’t remember too much from that day, beyond laying the flowers on the casket and the girls saying goodbye.” At the family’s home “Did you know Tim Horton was a hockey player?” Carrière asked. in Toronto, Lori packed Horton’s things in boxes. She didn’t open the The young man shook his head. boxes until Griggs offered in the 1990s to make scrapbooks for Horton’s grandchildren. (It turned into a book.) “I just couldn’t stand to look at “I played hockey with him,” Carrière said. them,” she wrote. The young man thought that was pretty cool. In the year after Horton died, Lori sold Horton’s share in the company to “Your coffee and doughnuts are great,” Carrière said, with a smile, “but Joyce for $1 million. She would regret it. Today, Tim Hortons, with almost Tim was the guy who started it all.” 5,000 stores worldwide, is a multi-national corporation. It was sold to Burger King in 2014 for $11.5 billion, using $3 billion in funding from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is now a subsidiary of a restaurant conglomerate whose majority owner is the Brazilian The Athletic LOADED: 06.19.2020 investment firm 3G Capital.

With success came growing pains and controversy. Lori unsuccessfully sued Joyce, claiming he had cheated her out of Horton’s half of the company. (Lori died in 2000.) In his 2006 memoir, “Always Fresh,” Joyce painted unflattering portraits of both Horton and his wife. (Joyce died in 2019.) Their families, however, are inextricably linked. Horton’s daughter Jeri-Lyn married Joyce’s son, Ron Joyce Jr. They own multiple Tim Hortons franchises.

Horton has been gone longer than he lived, yet more people know his name now than ever. Tim Hortons is no longer a hockey player’s second career nor a family-owned company. It has expanded and evolved, achieving heights Horton never could have imagined and headlines he never would have believed.

But something else has happened that Horton never could have expected when he opened the first store on Ottawa Street. His coffee- and-doughnuts shop, and with it the Horton name, has become a hallmark of Canadian life. Tim Hortons is the largest fast-food chain in Canada, so ubiquitous that a franchise was opened at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan to serve Canadian troops.

“When politicians talk about wanting to communicate with the Average Joe, they talk in terms of, ‘What are people at Tim Hortons thinking?'” 1186553 Websites cusp. I’m a big believer in recency bias, even in this gong show of a season. No candidate benefits more than he does.

In a couple of broadcast appearances, I said that if the Rangers made Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Breaking down major NHL Awards races the playoffs, Panarin might run away with the Hart. As we conducted the voting, a couple of people I talked to mentioned our history with non- playoff performers. Since we’re basing it on the regular season, the Rangers finished 11th in the East. Should he be penalized like McDavid Elliotte Friedman | @FriedgeHNIC was? June 18, 2020, 5:29 PM Meanwhile, the Avalanche were two points back of West-leading St. Louis with a game in hand, despite being ravaged by injuries. MacKinnon was their constant, a ridiculous 43 points ahead of Cale Makar, second • Four-player Hart race too close to call on the team in scoring. He had points in 48 of his team’s first 59 games, with back-to-back scoreless games just once in that span. • What happened in Buffalo? Also dominant at five-on-five (Colorado outscored opponents 69–45 with • Will other NHL teams slim operations? him on the ice in those situations), MacKinnon had a huge effect on two Prior obligations mean I won’t be doing a full 31 Thoughts this week. other excellent players. Away from the star centre, Gabriel Landeskog Instead of the usual format, we’ll talk awards debates, and then get to a and Mikko Rantanen’s five-on-five production dropped. few longer thoughts, including a breakdown of the situation in Buffalo. Four deserving candidates. Too close to call. Without further delay: NORRIS TROPHY Wednesday night was supposed to be NHL Awards night. Instead, Under consideration: , Mark Giordano, Victor Hedman, Seth ballots were due this week. Jones, Jaccob Slavin, Jared Spurgeon. Prediction: Slavin wins one in the The NHL asks that we don’t reveal all of our selections, thereby ruining next few years. the suspense. So I will reveal just one pick and give a general outline of On the ballot: Dougie Hamilton, Charlie McAvoy, Alex Pietrangelo. the rest. (The professional hockey writers select the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Byng. Also, the Masterton, but on a separate ballot. GMs It came down to: John Carlson and Roman Josi. choose the Vezina, broadcasters the Adams.) This was a two-horse race, although Pietrangelo was excellent. Carlson Remember: If I don’t pick your favourite player — yes, it’s because I hate came out of the gate like in the 1973 . His them, your team and, most importantly, you. 1.09 points per game was the best of any defenceman in the past 25 years. Yes, he gets a ton of power-play time, but he’s also a regular HART TROPHY second-pair defender on the NHL’s sixth-best penalty kill. Under consideration: Patrice Bergeron, Jack Eichel, Roman Josi, Brad Josi charged into the race by putting Nashville on his back after the Marchand, David Pastrnak. Yeah, I’m not crazy about Pastrnak being off Predators slept through the start of the season. At the Winter Classic on the ballot. New Year’s Day, he played 33:02 in Dallas. From that point until Feb. 10, On the ballot: Connor Hellebuyck. Monster season that saved the Jets. a 16-game stretch, he played fewer than 25 minutes only twice, with a low of 24:22. John Hynes eased up on the reins afterwards, but there It came down to: Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, were times during that stretch it seemed like he singlehandedly saved Artemi Panarin. What an absolutely brutal choice. For me, never a more their playoff chances. difficult awards decision. CALDER TROPHY Can we talk about McDavid? I’d like to talk about McDavid. Under consideration: MacKenzie Blackwood, Denis Gurianov, John Every year, it gnaws at me more and more — I don’t think he gets Marino, Elvis Merzlikins, Ilya Samsonov, Nick Suzuki. enough consideration for this award. Edmonton made the playoffs in one of McDavid’s first four seasons, 2017–18. He won the Hart Trophy. Since On the ballot: Adam Fox, Dominik Kubalik, Victor Olofsson. then, he’s finished fifth and third. Both times, he was named on slightly It came down to: Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. less than 50 per cent of the ballots. It’s close, but I voted for Hughes. One of the recent criticisms of my I accept my share of the blame as I try to be consistent, and, historically, voting — which I agree with and try to address — is that I have a non-playoff performers do not sniff the Pine-Sol that cleans this award. confirmation bias for those who play on Canadian teams. It’s not that I But my feelings changed last year, because we are looking at a favour these players, but I watch them much more so it can skew my historically great player. When his career is over, are we going to look perspective for better or worse. back at how he was treated in the voting and ask, “Were we collectively drunk?” On my ballot, Makar is not being punished for playing on a better team. As mentioned with MacKinnon, the Avalanche were walking wounded all McDavid’s determined recovery from a gruesome knee injury suffered in season. He’s their second-leading scorer, he’s a terrific player, and he Game 82 of 2018–19 set a tone for the Oilers. That, to me, is a played a big role there. consideration. A big one. But Hughes elevated the Canucks. Jacob Markstrom was their MVP, but I heard some rationale that you can’t have two MVP candidates on the Hughes drove the bus on the ice. Every Canucks game I watched next to same team. Sorry, not buying that. It’s not unprecedented (most recent: saw the ex-goalie hypnotized by two things: the arrival of Pittsburgh’s Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux, finalists in 2001). Draisaitl late-night pizza and Hughes’ passing ability. The eight Canucks who and McDavid, should it happen, deserve their spots for being played more than 200 five-on-five minutes with him saw their shot cornerstones of a team on pace for a 17-point improvement and the attempts drop when he wasn’t on the ice, while six of them had a higher league’s best power play since the NHL-WHA merger. goals-for percentage with Hughes than without him. That said, I do think Draisaitl is going to sap votes from McDavid. He led He had a huge impact on that team. all forwards in minutes per game, had a penalty-kill role and took 232 more defensive-zone draws. He had 12 points in six games when SELKE TROPHY McDavid was hurt in February, and he was the first star in all three wins. Voters noticed. Under consideration: Blake Coleman, , Tomas Hertl.

Panarin was brilliant. The Rangers were a completely different team with On the ballot: Gabriel Landeskog. Does not kill penalties, but, geez, is he him on the ice. On the whole, New York outscored opponents 150–143 a good defender. five-on-five (51 per cent), but that tally was 75–38 when he was out there It came down to: Patrice Bergeron, Anthony Cirelli, Sean Couturier and (66 per cent). As they surged, his candidacy grew. The Rangers weren’t Ryan O’Reilly. supposed to be anywhere near the playoffs, and Panarin led them to the Big move by Cirelli to crack this top group. Of all the NHLers who played Year. Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see why you need to 900 five-on-five minutes, none were on ice for fewer goals against (23) blow up that group. than him. He wades into a class of long-time Selke stalwarts. Going back to their first GM, Darcy Regier, there’s been disagreement O’Reilly had a ridiculous even-strength year. Bergeron remains a major about influence over decision-making. Botterill, for example, is not crazy force on the NHL’s best team. Couturier was the NHL’s best faceoff man. about term. Even before he took over there, he’d indicated that he One exec sent me some numbers (on the condition I not publish them) thought term was more dangerous than salary. He wasn’t crazy about the indicating how several Flyers who were struggling revived alongside Jack Eichel extension (which will turn out fine) or the Jeff Skinner one, Couturier. He thought it was interesting, because it made Philly a better but was overruled by ownership. In fact, I’ve heard from several sources team. that he pursued other free-agent forwards, offering high annual salaries but shorter terms. He lost those races, but felt they wouldn’t regret LADY BYNG TROPHY onerous ends to those contracts.

Under consideration: Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, Teuvo Teravainen, The other thing that happened in Buffalo was the Pegulas did a top-to- , Mika Zibanejad. bottom review of their organization. It was, from what I understand, very On the ballot: Nathan MacKinnon, Ryan O’Reilly, Miro Heiskanen. in-depth. They went over everyone’s schedule. How many games did you see? Where did you go? There is word they considered some of those It came down to: Alex Pietrangelo and Jaccob Slavin. schedules “light.”

It’s time. One defenceman’s won this award in 64 years (Brian Campbell, When the Pegulas/Adams talk about “efficiency,” this is one of the things 2012). In a league that’s made it harder to check, it’s time to recognize they thought could be done a lot better. During their budget meetings, guys that play more minutes and are under siege. Pietrangelo’s 20 department heads were told to prepare multiple scenarios with different penalty minutes are a little high, as only 14 winners would have more. bottom lines. Botterill knew he was going to be asked to make painful But, as Lou Reed once sang, let’s walk on the wild side. decisions, and fought them.

Slavin had just 10 minutes, and is developing into a true number one. Initially, I wondered if there was some roster/personnel issue that came up over the last three weeks, but now I don’t think so. I think it was this. I Greatest excitement: Brian Burke voted on this award. Can only imagine thought he’d get one more year, but stood in the way of these moves — how much it annoyed him to pick the most gentlemanly player. and that was it. and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey Another exec said an agent told him he was having a conversation with world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what Botterill about a Buffalo free agent minutes before the Sabres announced they think about it. the firing. 1. There’s a lot to unpack with the Buffalo situation. From a hockey perspective, word is that Krueger’s been very positive Let’s start with what I didn’t like about this. During the post-firing media about his group — backing the young core. The Sabres need a second- availability, Terry and Kim Pegula indicated that Jason Botterill’s three- line centre and will continue their search to fill that hole. That can be week old vote of confidence expired when the draft was moved. easier said than done, but have cap flexibility pending free-agent decisions they need to make ( would be the biggest). Other “Too many differences of opinion,” Kim Pegula said. than that, word is they are looking for “experience with a positive mindset” to continue to push their young players in the proper direction. “We felt we weren’t being heard,” Terry added. That brings us to Eichel. Ignore your bosses at your own peril. But, this mass beheading (22 people, for now) affected people without security. People who breathed When the Pegulas say this is not a rebuild, I believe them, primarily easier with the vote of confidence, taking it as a sign that they would be because you can’t sell that to your captain at this time. Last summer, safe during an incredibly difficult time to find employment. Botterill had people were asking, “How long until Connor McDavid wants out of two years remaining on his contract. I believe the same goes for Edmonton?” Now that they’re winning, it’s not a concern, so it shows how assistant GMs Randy Sexton and Steve Greeley. But, according to things can change. multiple sources, verbally agreed-to extensions for at least player development coach Krys Barch and AHL Rochester coach Chris Taylor He and Krueger have an excellent relationship. But the Sabres have to (two years) were approved by Botterill, delayed by ownership, and will be worried about that question: How long will Eichel’s patience last? not be honoured. All of sudden, they are not employed, and if you are let Over the next few weeks, I’d expect Adams to begin the process of go from a team, you can lose your health coverage (a bigger problem in rebuilding his department. It won’t be one for one, obviously, but they will the United States than Canada). I think that’s cruel and wrong. need help. Two names that were immediately mentioned to me were One bit of good news: Buffalo’s head of hockey department IT, Kyle Rick Dudley (Carolina) and Scott Luce (Vegas), both with lengthy Buffalo Kiebzak, was re-hired after initially being fired. His termination apparently ties. No idea if they’d be interested, but the connections might appeal to was a mistake. everyone.

Why did this happen? When The Athletic’s Tim Graham did an in-depth I wonder if Adam Mair, one of their development staff, will be asked piece on the Pegulas in April, someone sent me one of Kim’s quotes: about the Rochester job. He went behind the bench when Taylor went to “We fully admit we put trust in some of the wrong people and made Buffalo for a few weeks. I could also see Adams discussing development decisions based on information that was given to us by them,” she told jobs with two ex-Sabres who’ve invested time locally — Matt Ellis and Graham. “It’s our fault. We put too much faith in certain people.” Brian Gionta.

The person who sent me that quote said that was a bad omen for her Another source brought up 21-year-old forward Brett Murray. Drafted in hockey staff — that word around the league was the Pegulas were 2016, Murray just played his first professional season at Rochester, disillusioned by the advice the NHL had given them on hiring, thought notching 24 points in 55 games. The people who worked with him most they were poor choices, and would go insular. The fact they did no are now gone. He’s a free agent, and you have to make a call. It sounds search before giving the job to Kevyn Adams should not be a surprise like a small thing, but these are the kinds of decisions where there’s got with that context. When he went on a road trip late in the season, people to be a proper process. started to wonder where this was going. He’s worked with them for years Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it — they know him and trust him. Head coach Ralph Krueger has a huge 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, hockey pedigree, but mainly outside of the NHL. they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover As an owner, you’re entitled to do as you wish. But they have to accept a Canada’s most beloved game. good chunk of blame for the reason the Sabres have gone sideways. 2. The Pegulas are getting hammered because of their finances. Let’s be You can’t constantly be changing direction. Much of the amateur staff honest — no one’s getting out of this unscathed, but there’s something that was fired was hired in July 2017. I don’t see how two drafts — deeper at play here. I’ve heard from multiple people that other teams are especially the most recent ones — truly give you a fair picture. A third- considering “slimming down” their operations. There are legit worries rounder from 2019, Erik Portillo, was just named USHL Goalie of the about what could happen by June 30, because that’s the day of the year that NHL contracts “end.”

We’ll see if these worries are unfounded, but I’ve also heard that there could be change to contract language. (Not for players, but for team employees.) There is talk about shorter terms and greater “force majeure” language, which allows for the breaking of a contract due to an “Act of God,” or, say, a pandemic. There’s also been discussion in the U.S. of making more employees “at will” — meaning they can be terminated at any time without explanation, as long as it is not an illegal firing. (This also allows employees to quit more easily, too.)

“They’re the first, but won’t be the last,” one agent said this week.

3. Broadcast compatriot Kevin Bieksa caused a stir when he went on Sportsnet 650 Vancouver and said, “A lot of friends that I have and a lot of people that I’ve talked to that are going to be playing, they still don’t have their equipment, they still haven’t skated, they’re still very skeptical.

“They haven’t been told anything by their team, so I’m skeptical. I obviously want hockey back. I’d love to cover some games and watch it on TV and get everything back to normal, but I wouldn’t jump the gun if I were the fans. I wouldn’t get your hopes up too much yet…. There’s so much to figure out.”

I think we’re going to learn a lot over the next two weeks. The NHL and NHLPA continue grinding away towards an agreement on safety protocol for Phase III (training camp) and Phase IV (games), in addition to the CBA. With camps scheduled for July 10, the players’ vote on this is targeted for the end of June. I don’t know if there will be two separate decisions (one for protocols and one for CBA) or one big, all- encompassing ballot, but it’s expected each player will get an individual vote. So we’re going to get the answers to Kevin’s questions.

According to sources, the NHLPA has named its 12 negotiation committee members: Justin Abdelkader (Detroit); Ian Cole (Colorado); JT Compher (Colorado); Andrew Copp (Winnipeg); Lars Eller (Washington); Justin Faulk (St. Louis); Nick Foligno (Columbus); Ron Hainsey (Ottawa); Zach Hyman (Toronto); Anders Lee (Islanders); Darnell Nurse (Edmonton) and Yannick Weber (Nashville). Any other player who wishes to participate in these conversations can do so.

This comes at a time when the University of Texas announced 13 football players tested positive for COVID-19, the University of Houston halted workouts after six of their did, and we are seeing spikes in places like Arizona and Florida — where many NHLers live.

The NHL and NHLPA are working on opt-out language for anyone who may feel uncomfortable about playing. But part of their pitch might be that the bubble will be safer than parts of North America. In some places, it looks like social distancing no longer exists.

The NBA released its return-to-play protocol this week, and it is pretty strict. NHLers shouldn’t expect much different. National Basketball Players’ Association Executive Director Michele Roberts told the Boston Globe it isn’t a matter of if a player will test positive in the bubble, but when.

“That’s the only realistic mindset you can have going into this,” she said. “It’s not any more of this ‘if’ — it’s ‘when’ and what can I do to mitigate against the ‘when.’ When it happens, if I’m not successful, what treatment is available to me, what are my chances of being really, really sick, and how are you detecting the presence of an infection? Honestly, I don’t think this is any different than what any American has to come to grips with.”

Nowhere in the NBA’s document was there an answer to the question: “How many tests shuts everything down?”

If you’re looking for more info about what to expect, listen to Zachary Binney on 31 Thoughts: The Podcast this week. Binney is an epidemiologist who I came across on Twitter because of his interest in sports injuries. He’s really good on the issue.

In addition, the NHL will now handle announcements of any positive COVID-19 tests. Previously, the teams handled that.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186554 Websites playoff experience after losing tightly contested first-round series against top competition each of the past three years.

“I think for us it’s just knowing that every game’s not going to be perfect, Sportsnet.ca / Leafs' Marner believes NHL is doing 'the right things' in every game’s not going to be what we want it to be,” Marner said. “But return attempt it’s going to be a hard game every single game we play against that team. They come out flying every game, they come out playing hard.

“I think we all recognize that and we all know that that’s the challenge at Chris Johnston | @reporterchris hand.”

June 18, 2020, 2:03 PM They certainly seem to be steeling themselves for a return to play.

There are still important logistical details to be hammered out before the NHL can officially proceed, but the Leafs are already growing more TORONTO — In returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs practice facility in comfortable with the idea that they’ll be given a chance to finish what recent days, Mitch Marner has started ramping up for a conclusion to the they started. season. “I think for us it’s just making sure we’re getting ready, we’re being ready, And after seeing all of the league-mandated protocols and testing just in case anything happens for the season to start,” Marner said. “I procedures now in place for small-group workouts, the star winger mean everything pans that it is, but at the same time obviously there’s sounds encouraged about the prospect of competing for the Stanley Cup bigger things in life than sports and that’s making sure everyone stays amid the COVID-19 outbreak. healthy and everyone stays able to live their full life.” “I think the NHL has everything under control through what I’ve seen through the last week or so,” Marner said Thursday. “They’re doing all the right things to make sure no one’s in the wrong or going to be in a Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.19.2020 bad place if anything happens.

“I think they’re going to do what’s best for their athletes and make sure that they’re willing to look after us and take care of us.”

Creating the safest possible environment is essential to seeing the planned 24-team restart through.

That’s been at the heart of discussions between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association, who are still finalizing the overall return-to-play agreement that will need to be approved by owners and players before training camps open and games can be played.

It was just last month that Marner raised the kind of concerns everyone facing a return to work has grappled with — saying on a Twitch stream that he was all for trying to finish the season “but what if someone gets sick and dies? What happens? Like it’s awful to think about, but still.”

The Phase 2 workouts he’s now participating in are operating under a strict set of rules detailed in a 21-page memo from the NHL. They include daily temperature checks when entering the facility, twice-weekly nasal swab tests and a requirement that every player wears a mask when not working out.

There are limitations on how many people can be in change rooms and the shower area at the same time, and Marner is only currently allowed to take the ice with a group of teammates that includes John Tavares, Ilya Mikheyev, Jake Muzzin, Cody Ceci and Jack Campbell.

The protocol is designed to limit contact between individuals and quickly identify anyone who contracts the virus. And based on the experience of the players in Toronto, it doesn’t seem to have diminished their ability to make gains at the rink.

“It’s been good,” Marner said. “It’s great getting back out there with a couple of the guys and getting to enjoy all that stuff and hanging out in the locker room again with them. It’s something that I think a lot of guys really do enjoy just being in the locker room and kind of just joke around and chirp each other.

“So it’s nice to be back in that kind of format.”

Marner went 10 or 11 weeks without skating after the season was paused March 12 and is still working on getting his conditioning back. He rollerbladed and shot pucks in the driveway during that stretch and jumped on the exercise bike regularly, but doesn’t feel like he’ll rediscover peak form until the games start.

In that sense, he’s still in the early stages of his own return-to-play process.

Even if training camps open as scheduled on July 10, the Leafs likely wouldn’t play their two exhibition games until the final week of the month. The best-of-five play-in series against the Columbus Blue Jackets would then start in early August.

While Marner acknowledged that it will be a “weird feeling” to jump immediately into huge games, he believes the team can draw on its 1186555 Websites removed from the post-season (an absence more than twice as long as the next longest playoff drought around the NHL).

Team ownership just fired north of 30 people, including the staff of the Sportsnet.ca / What comes next for Buffalo Sabres after major course Rochester Americans, their AHL team that was poised to make the change? playoffs for the third consecutive year. (That “development” has been cited as the priority there makes this like digging up your daisies because they’ve yet to yield any roses.) They fired their development staff, they fired scouts left and right … and you’ve got the picture. Justin Bourne | @jtbourne So now the team is left with a skeleton crew of the Pegulas, new GM June 18, 2020, 2:36 PM Kevyn Adams, head coach Ralph Kruger, and their head of analytics Jason Nightingale (who’s been there since 2013).

Each week, Justin Bourne’s column will cover three different topics in There’s a lot to parse through all this, so rather than give some varying depths. Think of it as a three-course meal with an appetizer, main overarching thesis on what’s going on in Buffalo I thought it’d be best to course, and dessert… break down my thoughts in bites. As you’d expect, a lot of my thoughts are just questions about what comes next. So, those thoughts: Appetizer: Making sense of Toronto as a Hub City • I imagine you would like your GM to have experience navigating a When discussing which two cities would be best for the NHL’s hub cities, normal NHL calendar, with all its critical dates and deadlines to prepare I’ve had a blind spot. Because of that, the conversation never made for, before asking them to navigate a pandemic-mangled schedule where sense to me. My thinking on what should be prioritized in making these things have the legitimate chance to fall through the cracks. choices was: • Any time a person is installed in a role beyond their experience, their • Keep it in one country, likely the U.S. There’s no sense risking the best chance to succeed comes when they’re surrounded by good, complications that could come with involving two governments and a experienced people. People to lean on. Kevyn Adams seems to be left currently closed border. Rules and regulations will be different, you’re at mostly flapping in the wind here, devoid of any transition team. I can’t the mercy of either country changing course on something, and the last imagine sitting in that office today, closing the door, and being like, “OK! thing you want is to get started and hit a snag because of some First order of business: find out what the first order of business is. Then bureaucratic hiccup. find out how many orders of business there really are to work through.” (Then presumably realize you need to hire a bunch of people to • Put it in the places with the fewest cases of COVID-19. That’s what accomplish all those orders of business.) we’re doing here with all this, right? Goal 1A: keep the players and the public safe? Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what • If it’s an interest that can be accommodated, have one hub city in the they think about it. west and one in the east for television’s sake. But obviously, safety first? • Is Adams going to make the Sabres selections in the draft based on the So when I heard that Toronto was a front-runner to be paired with Vegas, work done by a scouting department the organization deemed unworthy I was left scratching my head. Now we’re talking about holding these of their employment? Does anybody fire their architect then build using games in two countries, and in a more populous place with higher per that person’s blueprint? capita rates than other places in Canada? • Did Jack Eichel just become hockey’s LeBron James? Could you My blind spot had been that the league would be looking for the safest imagine making a decision without Eichel’s approval at this point? They place, not the best place where they’re allowed to operate. have to be one misstep away from him saying, “Y’know what? I gave you Ultimately, if the health authorities and government say the league gets a a half-decade. Long contract or not, I can’t accept donating my whole green light to have their isolated hub in Toronto, and that’s where they’d career to futility.” (When people say players “Shouldn’t sign that big deal prefer to be (even if it’s not one of the “safest” options), well then, the if they don’t want to be there,” it’s willingly missing a lot of important league can kinda have their cake and eat it, too. details. People leave marriages if things don’t work out; they leave other positions if the job quality drops. It’s not unreasonable to commit to an Toronto would be viewed favourably for a variety of reasons: it has ample employer for length, with the assumption the employer will hold up their NHL-calibre ice sheets; major media companies (hi!) are located there end of the bargain.) (along with all their equipment, camera and tech people to make this all look good on TV); there’d be less travel for the biggest number of players • The Pegulas made some comments about “hockey people” failing them and officials; there are quality hotels and entertainment options; hockey (hence the embracing of a less-typical “hockey person” in Ralph Kruger), ops and the NHLPA are located there (and they’ll surely be meeting but my word. There are hundreds of thousands of “hockey people” out regularly through all this). And let’s face it: If half the league gets to go to there — you have to take responsibility for the ones you chose. “Hockey Vegas for this re-start, a venue like Toronto is a relatively easy sell to the people” aren’t just interchangeable entities. other half of players. • I understand that you need to give a GM some runway to see results, Toronto would represent a diversion from the safest path possible for the but I’m seeing an awful lot of “We won’t know what Jason Botterill built league, but there are experts who believe it could still be done safely. for a few years yet,” and that’s true. But you can make some educated And at the end of the day, the safest path possible isn’t all that’s being guesses based on trajectory, and firing him was justifiable based on evaluated here. That’s going to leave the NHL open to criticism, but my some big transactions that are almost certainly going to look bad (namely hunch is that with so many dollars hanging in the balance, that’s criticism O’Reilly and Skinner). The Pegulas should’ve just made the call at the they’ll be willing to take. time they decided to give him their vote of confidence. (And if big deals like Skinner and Eichel weren’t deals that Botterill even wanted to do, as Main course: We just witnessed Buffalo’s version of the Red Wedding was hinted at on 31 Thoughts: The Podcast, Botterill should be pleased I want the Buffalo Sabres to be good. I truly do. That sounds like I’m as punch to get the hell out of there.) setting up to tear them to shreds, but that sentiment should be seen as a • Think what you may about specific individuals. Look at the GMs who’ve standalone truth, divorced from the below. The Sabres have great fans, won Cups over the past couple of decades in the NHL. Doug Armstrong, Buffalo is an awesome hockey city, it would be great for rivalries, and I Brian MacLellan, Jim Rutherford, Stan Bowman, Dean Lombardi, Peter have a soft spot for fans of teams who’ve never been paid back what Chiarelli, Ray Shero, Ken Holland, Brian Burke…. I don’t see a lot of they’ve put in. Oh, and I really like their sweaters. people who were shy to make the big decisions. If I’m a Sabres fan, I But! (You knew that was coming.) don’t love wishy-washy quotes where the new GM needs okays all around to make them. But it’s tough to look at Tuesday’s organizational Red Wedding and believe that the forecast for the Sabres’ future has somehow gotten • The Sabres need good players to help Jack Eichel. But if I’m a UFA, I’m sunnier. That’s sure some kinda thing to say about a team nine years steering all the way clear of the tire fire in upstate New York right now. I don’t think the Buffalo Sabres have a terrible roster, and I do think that a few quality plug-ins, some improvement from their young players, and a good season of goaltending could make them a playoff team. All that’s beside the point right now though. They’re an organization in disarray, and that trickle-down almost always finds its way onto the playing surface in one way or another.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186556 Websites the summer and branched out a little bit and they helped out with my offensive game and offensive mind."

Who did you work with and how did they help? TSN.CA / Kaiden Guhle on brother's advice, skating genes and "I worked with Kyle Tapp and that was my first summer working with him. channeling his inner Doughty He's out in Lloydminster and he came to Edmonton twice a week and we went to Lloyd a couple times and he was really good. He works with Ty Smith and Kale Clague and those guys and some highly-touted players." Mark Masters What did you do better specifically on offence this season?

"Puck skills is the biggest thing. When you have more confidence with defenceman Kaiden Guhle has received some the puck you tend to hold onto it a little bit longer and that helps. You inside information from his big brother as he navigates his National have to hold onto it for the right amount of time and then more things Hockey League draft year. Brendan Guhle, who split this season open up. So, it was about puck skills and being more confident with the between the Anaheim Ducks and the AHL's San Diego Gulls, went puck and allowing more things to open up." through this process five years ago. You had a big night at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in January "He has an idea of which teams will give me tough questions so he gets scoring a goal and competing all over the ice. What did you do well that me prepared for that," Kaiden noted. "Now that I'm doing all these night? interviews and Zoom calls with teams he just tells me to be myself. That's the best advice he's given me, because teams are going to want to pick "My competitiveness is what I liked most about that game. I could've me because of the type of person I am." scored or not scored, but I still would've been happy with how I played in that game." The Guhle brothers, reunited at home in Sherwood Park, Alta., during the COVID-19 pandemic, are both defencemen and Brendan also played in Dealing with pressure is a big part of success, how did you deal with the Prince Albert. Due to the age gap, however, there wasn't much of a expectations of being the No. 1 pick in the 2017 WHL draft? sibling rivalry. "It was obviously a big honour and Prince Albert has such a good hockey "I'm not sure it was much of a rivalry for him, because he'd just beat me history. My brother went through there before me so it's where I wanted up all the time," Kaiden recalled with a grin. "I was so much smaller than to be and where I wanted to play my junior career. The pressure didn't him when he was living at home so I'd have to find some pretty nasty really get to me. I think pressure is fun and it's what you're going to have ways to try and beat him, try and be a little bit dirty. He would never really to deal with your whole hockey career so you just get used it. The take it easy on me, which is good. He'd always try to prepare me for pressure wasn't too big of a deal." things in life. It was always good competition. We're both competitive What did you learn during that run to the WHL title in 2019? guys, but it was all for fun." "It was unreal. All those guys on that team, they wanted to win so bad. Those brotherly battles helped shape the player Kaiden is now. He Something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life is that Game 7 models his game after Los Angeles King Drew Doughty, who has been overtime winner, that was an awesome experience and I was so known to agitate folks in Alberta of late. fortunate to go through that at such a young age. The Memorial Cup was "Being an Oilers fan, I watch him quite a bit," Kaiden said. "They play awesome also, honestly. Unfortunately we didn't get the result we Edmonton quite a bit so I watch him as much as I can. We kind of play a wanted, but it was a great experience getting to see great players from all similar style of game. He's a very gritty player, very competitive, very over the country and all over the world." chippy so that's my style of game. I try and get under the skin of the best How would you describe what it's like to play in overtime of a Game 7 players and shut them down and that's one of the biggest parts of his with a league title on the line? game. I try and do that as much as I can." "It was very nerve-wracking. I mean, you just don't want to make a big And while Kaiden may have lost out in many of their childhood games, mistake to lose the game and it's do or die at that point. So, you play a he's poised to earn draft bragging rights over Brendan, a second round little more safe and not too much jumping up in the rush, just staying selection, 51st overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in 2015. Kaiden is No. 8 on back. It was nerve-wracking but fun, too. I never got to experience that NHL Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters. He is the also kind of thing before." the top-ranked player from the Western Hockey League. What do you remember about the moment the winning goal went in? The 18-year-old spoke with TSN via Zoom this week and reflected on the pressure of being a top pick in the WHL draft and described what he Another big moment will be when you get drafted, what's it like waiting? learned from winning a league championship with the Raiders last season. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. "You kind of want to get it over with. It's pretty stressful going through it the whole year and now you just want to see what team you go to or How are you and Brendan similar on the ice and how are you different? whatever. But right now is bigger than hockey and so it's just about trying to keep everybody safe and waiting for the NHL season to end. "The biggest similarity is our skating. I don't know what it is, maybe Sometimes it sucks a little bit, but you just have to wait it out and genes, but we're blessed to be good skaters. Obviously, you got to everyone's in the same boat so you can’t complain too much." practice skating, but I think some of it could be genes. The biggest difference is how we play. He's a lot more offensive than I am and he's always been that way throughout junior and minor hockey. I had to change my game a little bit. I was a lot more offensive in minor hockey TSN.CA LOADED: 06.19.2020 and once we got to junior I switched my role a little bit. I'm still offensive, but I really took on the defensive game and added more physicality. So, he's offensive-minded and I'm more of a stay-at-home player."

How did you develop that skating skill?

"Me and Brendan did power skating lots when we were younger. We were in skating lessons for two years even before we started playing hockey so that was big for us. I watched Brendan skate a lot before I did so I got a feel for it and got to learn from him."

You posted 40 points in 64 games this season, which is an increase of 23 points over last season. Did you improve offensively?

"I think I did, but also we lost a lot of players from last year, which created a little more opportunity and that helps, you know, playing more minutes and on special teams. But, yeah, I worked with some different people in 1186557 Websites to play a certain kind of way, so that’s what I turned myself into, for the sport.”

Taylor played for the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes starting in the TSN.CA / Dan Carcillo files proposed class-action lawsuit against CHL summer of 2008 when he was 17. The lawsuit alleges he and a number over hazing of other rookies on the Hurricanes suffered abuse throughout the 2008- 09 season. The abuse was perpetrated by older Lethbridge Hurricanes players and team staff, the lawsuit says.

Rick Westhead “During team practices, the head coach took Taylor aside and demanded that he fight other 16- or 17-year-old players in order to increase the

‘intensity’ level of the team,” the lawsuit says. “This took place numerous The Canadian Hockey League and its three major junior leagues have times. Taylor was seriously concussed during one fight in practice and he been complicit for decades in rampant hazing, bullying, and abuse of and other team members suffered other injuries during such fights.” underage players by coaches, team staff and senior players, alleges a The Hurricanes’ head coach allegedly provided a team credit card to one proposed class-action lawsuit. of the older players to buy alcohol for the team rookie party. The 16- and The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Ontario Superior Court in Toronto by 17-year-old rookies were required to dress up in women’s clothing and former CHL players Dan Carcillo and Garrett Taylor. The filing doesn’t were forced to consume large amounts of alcohol, to the point of blacking specify what sort of damages the plaintiffs are seeking. out and vomiting, the lawsuit claims.

“Survivors of such abuse have come forward and continue to come Taylor’s family came forward in 2018 with claims that he was abused as forward to this day,” the lawsuit alleges. “However, the defendants have a WHL player. stubbornly ignored or failed to reasonably address this institutionalized At the time, the WHL said it would hire a former RCMP official to and systemic abuse. Rather than respond to or make meaningful investigate. The league refused to publish the results of that attempts to prevent such abuse, the defendants have instead investigation. perpetuated a toxic environment that condones violent, discriminatory, racist, sexualized, and homophobic conduct, including physical and sexual assault, on the underage players they are obligated to protect.” TSN.CA LOADED: 06.19.2020 CHL president Dan MacKenzie did not respond to an email requesting comment. The allegations against the CHL have not been proven and the league has not filed its defence to the claims.

The CHL recently agreed to a $30-million settlement in a minimum-wage class-action lawsuit. The league also faces another proposed class- action case related to concussions.

Most CHL players enter the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League at the age of 16 or 17, and many play until the age of 20.

“The majority of these children leave their homes and families to play hockey for a team in a different town or city, far from their parents,” the lawsuit says. “The power imbalance between these children and the older players, coaches, team and league officials is extreme. The opportunities for abuse of power are omnipresent, and the Defendants have failed in their duties to protect the children under their care. The result is decades of rampant child abuse which has left the class with emotional and physical injuries that are entirely unrelated to hockey and which have no place in the sport.”

Carcillo played for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting starting in the summer of 2002 when he was 17. He and approximately 12 other Sting rookies suffered “almost constant abuse for the entire 2002-03 season,” the lawsuit alleges.

“During showers, rookies were required to sit in the middle of the shower room naked while the older players urinated, spat saliva and tobacco chew on them,” the 46-page statement of claim says. “At least once, the head coach walked into the shower room while this was occurring, laughed and walked out.”

“Rookies were repetitively hit on their bare buttocks with a sawed-off goalie stick, developing large welts and open sores, the lawsuit says.

“The injuries were so bad that they couldn’t sit down, even while attending local high school classes. They advised team staff of this abuse, which did not stop.”

After Carcillo and another player from the Sting reported the alleged abuse while playing for Canada's national team at the 2003 IIHF U18 World Championship, the OHL conducted an informal investigation into the claims. The lawsuit alleges no findings were released, the abusers were not punished, and no steps were taken to address the abuse.

Carcillo, who was a member of two Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks teams in the NHL, has admitted his role in bullying younger players.

“I was a bad person and a bad teammate,” Carcillo told USA Today in 2019. “But I also know I wasn’t born that way. I take ownership of my actions, but the league wanted a certain kind of player. They wanted me 1186558 Websites In a host of ways, these have been a surreal few months for everyone, and if the NHL succeeds in restarting what’s ahead won’t be normal either. Players will come in comparatively cold, with only a shortened training camp as warm-up to the most high-stakes portion of their year. TSN.CA / Mitch Marner confident in NHL’s health and safety protocols “It's just going to be a weird feeling,” Marner admitted of possibly going right into playoff hockey. “You’ll get that camp, but it's hard to really feel like you're in game shape until you get into that first game. So every day Kristen Shilton we're going to try and dial in everything in our game –defensively, offensively, supporting the puck all over the ice. That's something that we do very well that [allows us to be] a very successful team, so we just got Mitch Marner’s return to Ford Performance Centre last week for Phase 2 to make sure we're ready." of the NHL’s Return to Play protocol gave the Maple Leafs winger a first- hand look at the league’s effort to protect player health and safety amid That includes taking advantage of the training staff available in Phase 2, the COVID-19 pandemic. a luxury that players didn’t have access to for months but one that Marner said will be critical to the Leafs success going forward. With those initiatives in place – from regular testing to stringent physical distancing strategies – Marner is confident the NHL can find a safe path “You’re taking care of yourself on and off the ice,” Marner said. "And if towards salvaging the 2019-20 campaign with a postseason tournament you are with us, you have that one staff [member] in there to do this summer. physiotherapy with or whatever [treatments], so hopefully you get to use them as much as you can if you aren't feeling 100 per cent. But I think “I think [the NHL] is going to do what's best for their athletes and make you are going to have to ease your way into it and get control. You're sure that they're going to look after us and take care of us,” Marner told going to jump right into a playoff series against a competitive team that's reporters on a conference call Thursday. “I think the NHL has everything going to play heavy, so make sure you're ready to play and for anything under control through what I've seen this last week or so at the rink. that happens.” They’re doing all the right things to make sure no one is in the wrong or going to be in a bad place [health-wise]. For us, it's just making sure we're getting ready for the season to start [because] everything is TSN.CA LOADED: 06.19.2020 [planned] like it is.”

There are no guarantees that the NHL will be able to restart, given the unpredictable nature of a public health crisis. But that hasn’t stopped the league from forging ahead though, albeit by baby steps.

After hitting pause on its operations in mid-March, the NHL opened Phase 2 on June 8, and announced July 10 as the start of training camps in Phase 3. Following that there will be a qualifying play-in round to establish a 16-team postseason in August.

This current stage of the NHL’s reboot isn’t mandatory for players, but a large swath of the Maple Leafs regulars have migrated back to Toronto so they can participate. Those who haven’t returned include Auston Matthews and Frederik Andersen, who have been quarantining together at Matthews’ home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Given that Arizona reported a single-day high of more than 2,500 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, Marner might have considered urging his teammates to come back to Canada and begin the government- mandated 14-day quarantine period sooner rather than later. But the 23- year-old said it’s not his place to interrupt anyone else’s preparation.

“All this stuff [Phase 2] is voluntary,” Marner said. "If they think that it's better for them to stay [down there] and do all their workouts and skating there, then I'm all for it. It's something very important that you need to do when you get back is quarantine, but at the same time, it's kind of hard to sit in a condo and try to get a bike or something to work out there for 14 days. I'd rather them still just be wherever they are right now and doing the workouts then being back here sitting around for 14 days.”

It was thought that Canada’s quarantine period would prevent Toronto from potentially being one of the NHL’s two hub cities in Phase 4, playing host to all 12 participating teams from one conference. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier this week the Canadian government is “comfortable” having a hub city in Canada, and would work with the NHL and local health authorities on ways to make that happen. The league is poised to reveal its pick of hub cities in June 22.

Regardless of where that prospective Phase 4 is held, the Leafs will face Columbus in a best-of-five series to officially punch their ticket to the playoffs. It’s an opportunity Toronto’s head coach Sheldon Keefe has been preparing his players for since the league halted.

“Sheldon has been sending us videos of a lot of clips that he liked and clips that we can get better at and stuff like that, so I've been watching that,” the winger said. “It’s hard to really say what you can do [to improve] during this quarantine, since you couldn't really go into parks or anything like that. But, I've been rollerblading around our front yard, just shooting pucks outside, trying to keep myself feeling like I can still shoot a puck. I'm riding the [stationary] bike to keep the conditioning going. The real thing was just making sure we didn't stop working out; you had to get your body ready for whatever was going to happen and now we're back in a season kind of format feeling with a chance to play again.” 1186559 Websites The Blackhawks finished last in expected goals against at even strength, 29th in all situations. Without Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford bailing this team out on a regular basis over the regular season, they would have been comfortably in the lottery draws. TSN.CA / A statistical look at the Oilers vs. Blackhawks play-in series Just look at where the shots came from when Chicago was defending the run of play:

Travis Yost While this team remains a defensive disaster, they still are quite efficient attacking – Patrick Kane (84 points in 70 games) picked up right where

he left off last season, and players like Dominik Kubalik and Alex The National Hockey League’s redesigned playoff format is official, and DeBrincat have developed into very capable secondary scorers. assuming all goes to plan, we are closing in on watching hockey once In summary: don’t expect either defence to look good in this series. The again. offensive weaponry is too impressive for both sides, and the defensive The new playoff format will feature 24 teams in total and will open up with zone play is, well, the opposite. a 16-team qualifying round. The opening best-of-five series offers new Skater Overview (Goals Above Replacement) life to eight teams that were below the original playoff cutline and should create waves of excitement for eager sports fans. Two names that I want to bring attention to: Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Over the next few weeks, we will be previewing each qualifying round series in detail. An archive of previews can be found here: Toews has been long regarded as one of the league’s premier two-way forwards, but in recent times he has lost some of the competency in his Eastern Conference supporting cast and the numbers have cratered in the process. If you (5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (12) Montreal Canadiens look at goal differentials with Toews on the ice for Chicago over the years, you can see quite the downward trend: (6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers Putting this all on Toews’ shoulders would be completely unfair – he’s (7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida Panthers aged 10 years in the process and used to have wingers like Marian Hossa on his hip and defenders like Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook in (8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (9) Columbus Blue Jackets their playing primes. Regardless, it is quite hard to win games on a Western Conference regular basis when you are bleeding goals, and the expected goal numbers only emphasize that this is a skater problem, not a goaltending (6) Nashville Predators vs. (11) Arizona Coyotes one.

(8) Calgary Flames vs. (9) Winnipeg Jets But at the end of the day, it’s all about net goals. If you are going to Today we look at a third Western Conference matchup, one featuring the struggle defensively, you better fill it in offensively. The Blackhawks did fifth-seeded Edmonton Oilers against the No. 12 Chicago Blackhawks. precisely that with Toews on the ice, scoring a whopping 3.8 goals per 60 minutes at even strength this year. Head coach Jeremy Colliton put his Regular Season Performance better offensive weapons – the aforementioned Kubalik and Kane, as well as winger Brandon Saad – on Toews’ hip, and it paid dividends. It When we talk about teams in the upper echelon of the NHL standings – was quite an atypical season from Toews in that sense, but one that the teams that were surefire bets to make the postseason at the time the helped Chicago stay afloat in the standings. regular season stopped – we generally see a common theme of strong even-strength play and high-end goaltending. But for every rule there is Speaking of strong performances, it would be remiss to not mention an exception, and that certainly applies to the 2019-20 Edmonton Oilers. Nugent-Hopkins. Perhaps the most important development for the Oilers this season was a decision by new head coach Dave Tippett to blend him The Oilers were arguably the league’s most fascinating team this year. into a bigger offensive role, armed with Draisaitl and a very intriguing Between Connor McDavid (97 points in 64 games) and Leon Draisaitl second-year pro in Kailer Yamamoto. (110 points in 71 games), the Oilers house two of the league’s most electric offensive weapons. Draisaitl is a certain Hart finalist and perhaps In the 25 games we saw this grouping, the trio outscored their opponents the favourite to win it, depending on how you feel about New York 28-8 (+20). And while Draisaitl understandably gets most of the praise for Rangers forward Artemi Panarin and his contributions on a team that was his finishing work, it should not be lost that Nugent-Hopkins was an more likely than not to miss the playoffs. extremely capable eraser in the neutral and defensive zones – the type of defensive eraser that Draisaitl still probably needs at this point in his On the power play, the McDavid-Draisaitl combination was historic – career. perhaps a predictable development considering the sheer scoring prowess of both players. The first unit alone averaged 12.9 goals per 60 Goalie Overview (Goals Saved Above Average) minutes, and the Edmonton power play averaged 10.7 goals per 60 minutes over the course of the season. In the modern era (2007-20), only Lehner (91.8 per cent stop rate) was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning (11.5 goals per 60 minutes) were a deadline deal, netting the team a valuable second-round pick. At the more productive. time, the move was a no-brainer: Chicago’s playoff chances were infinitesimal, Crawford was playing well enough to hold the Chicago net Their penalty kill was just as fantastic – the goaltending tandem of Mikko for the remainder of the regular season, and Lehner (one of the better Koskinen and Mike Smith tandem held opponents to just 9.3 per cent goalies in the entire NHL over the past few seasons) was a very valuable shooting, the lowest rate in the league. trade commodity.

So, what held Edmonton back this season? Defence, defence, defence – With zero competition and a solid season from Crawford, Colliton’s goalie particularly at even strength. Teams scored on Edmonton’s first line just decision is quite easy. But it would have been interesting to see if Colliton as efficiently; Draisaitl ended the season seven goals in the positive at would have went with the Swede if he was still on the roster. even strength, McDavid just five. More than half of the roster was underwater, with depth players like Josh Archibald (-16), Jujhar Khaira (- Edmonton has a similarly easy decision, but for different reasons. 19), and Riley Sheahan (-20) getting crushed most of the year. Some of Koskinen outplayed Smith over the course of the season; one could this is the nature of playing such a tempo style of hockey, but the reality argue that the Smith gambit may have cost the Oilers the top spot in the is their defensive lapses probably cost them the divisional race against divisional race, with a 90.2 save percentage (comfortably below league Vegas. averages) in 39 games.

But if Edmonton’s defence was lacklustre, there isn’t an appropriate word Even adjustments for shot quality do not help Smith’s cause. The math to apply to Chicago. The Blackhawks have been nightmarishly bad on there suggests that teams scored about seven more goals on Smith than the defensive side of the ice for a few years now, with their veteran core they should have based on shot locations, angles, and distances. showing real signs of aging and degradation. Compare that to Koskinen, who saved more than five goals above expectations against a similar shot profile. Smith may be the veteran presence, but that presence belongs on the bench for this series. Barring injury or a radical coaching decision, we should expect Crawford versus Koskinen here.

Prediction

You can look at some of the other play-in teams and see ways that the Blackhawks can pull off an upset. Not here. Edmonton is too fast, too skilled and too dangerous offensively for such a porous Chicago team.

Assuming the Oilers make the right decision in starting Koskinen over Smith, I don’t give the Blackhawks much of a chance, unless Crawford – who is certainly capable – goes on a five-game heater.

The second round will get very dicey for the Oilers, depending on their opponent. But they should cruise here. The pick is Edmonton in four.

TSN.CA LOADED: 06.19.2020

World Leagues News

Tampa Bay Club Sport will host games again this weekend

The coronavirus pandemic put a temporary stop to all sports leagues. A soccer tournament will take place in St. Petersburg on Saturday.

Tampa Bay Club Sport, a popular club sports league that hosts recreational tournaments in St. Petersburg and Tampa, announced more games will resume this weekend.

Some leagues returned on May 18, but the first organized soccer tournament will be this Saturday at Rec Dec in St. Pete, said the email sent out on Wednesday. More events are scheduled for each weekend after, including a “Giant Pong Tournament” and golf scramble on June 27.

Chris Giebner, the organization’s CEO, said Thursday that all participants in scheduled events will receive a follow-up email with guidelines on how to protect against COVID-19. An alert on the Tampa Bay Club Sport website lists a number of safety precautions being taken, Giebner said. Event officials will also be wearing masks and other protective gear.

Jay Wolfson, a public health expert at the University of South Florida, said that those who choose play a team sport should wear a mask, gloves and social distance as much as possible.

“They’re there to have a good time, they’re there to play, to drink and they’re going to be speaking loudly,” Wolfson said, even of spectators. “But when you do that, you create more droplet nuclei and those things don’t just disappear. They hang out for a while and float around. Then people will catch the thing and not know they’ve got it.”

Tampa Bay Club Sport had canceled events in March due to COVID-19.

“Too many weeks have passed without tournament fun and post-game beers together!” the email to members read. “We can’t wait to get back out there with you all!”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that contact sports continue to be put on hold as there’s a higher chance of transmission among groups of people.

Dr. Carlos Crespo, a public health professor at Portland State University, ranked different sports based on transmission risk on June 10, according to The Oregonian. Crespo rated basketball as being the highest risk sport to play — especially when played indoors — while rating soccer and ultimate frisbee as medium risk. He rated softball, baseball, tennis and golf as being low risk.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186560 World Leagues News

Novak Djokovic's major backflip on US Open criticism

Yahoo Sport

World No.1 Novak Djokovic appeared to row back on scepticism over plans to stage the US Open, saying on Thursday he was "extremely happy" the Grand Slam had escaped the coronavirus cull which claimed Wimbledon and much of the season.

Djokovic had initially voiced unease over the United States Tennis Association's intention to keep the event starting on August 31 at Flushing Meadows despite New York being the hardest-hit city by the US coronavirus crisis.

He described health protocols as "extreme" and "impossible".

However, organisers will have been encouraged by the positive noises coming from the three-time US Open champion on Thursday.

"I'm extremely happy and excited to see that all the tournaments, especially Grand Slams, are organising their events," the Serb said in reference also to the French Open, rescheduled now to start in late September.

"I think that a lot of people were sceptical, especially for the US events considering what the US went through as a country during this pandemic," the 17-time Grand Slam winner told Eurosport's Tennis Legends podcast.

"So a lot of people, including myself, were quite sceptical on whether it would happen or not.

"We are very glad that it is happening, of course, and it is very important that we provide opportunities, we provide jobs, we provide opportunities for players to compete.

"Because at the end of the day, this is what we do! As tennis professionals we love the sport; we are passionate about it. We miss competing and travelling and, at the end of the day, we miss being on tour. So I think this is very positive news."

The 33-year-old said he hoped the stringent restrictions including the existing ban on South American players travelling to compete would be eased before the Grand Slam gets underway.

"Let's hope that in the next two months some of those restrictions will loosen up a bit and that we will have a great, great tournament."

Djokovic casts doubt on US Open

This month Djokovic had said that most players he had spoken to had "a rather negative view" about playing in New York, and predicted some would instead switch to the delayed clay court season.

A number of other players have also expressed doubts over the US Open including defending champion Rafael Nadal who said that he would not take part if the event was taking place now.

Women's World No.1 one Ashleigh Barty as well as Wimbledon champion Simona Halep have also expressed reservations.

LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186561 World Leagues News their best to make sure we're in the best possible situation in order to be able to play this game and do it, right? But it's scary. That's how I feel."

Hopefully the NFL can pull this thing off. Their return-to-facilities plan NFL's coronavirus plan promises to get ugly, but hopefully not dangerous read like guidelines for a hospital more than a place for football players to practice and congregate. Hopefully mask wearing, hand washing, frequent testing and swift isolation can prevent outbreaks during the JJ Stankevitz season.

NBC Sports ChicagoJune 18, 2020 But this also feels completely ridiculous, thinking about playing a football season in the middle of a pandemic. But then again...playing a football

season in the middle of a pandemic is actually completely ridiculous, isn't It's fun to think about who might win the Bears' quarterback competition, it? or how good Khalil Mack can be in 2020, or if this is the year Anthony NBC Sports Chicago LOADED: 06.19.2020 Miller and Roquan Smith break out.

It's less fun to think none of it may matter.

Dr. Anthony Fauci floated Wednesday the idea that the NFL may need to "bubble" its teams to pull off the 2020 season amid the ongoing and dangerous COVID-19 pandemic. He also cast some doubt the NFL could play its season at all if a second wave of the virus hits this fall.

I hope he's wrong, but I'm also nowhere near as smart as one of the nation's pre-eminent experts on infectious diseases.

Time is running out on a league that thought it had nothing but time, while hockey and basketball shut down and baseball's Broke Billionaires whined about "biblical" financial losses. Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano mentioned July 20 as an expected date for players and full coaching staffs to report to their facilities. That's in just over a month.

The NFL will do whatever it can to play a 2020 season, though - that much is clear. But COVID-19 doesn't care about what the NFL wants. This easily transmissible, deadly virus with no reliable cure, treatment or vaccine will dictate what the 2020 NFL season looks like, if there's a season at all.

But let's say there is a season. Because I really, really, really hope there's a season.

It's hard to imagine there being true, COVID-19 free bubbles as Dr. Fauci mentioned. The amount of essential personnel it takes to play a pro football game is at or above 100. It's unreasonable to ask for 32 of those large bubbles to be in place for half the year.

But either way, an NFL season is going to look and be weird at best - and not just because it's hard to imagine fans being in the stands for any game. Hopefully, "weird" or "ugly" never becomes "dangerous."

What will Wednesday's injury report - the first of the week - look like? How many players will be out with an "illness?" A positive COVID-19 test would likely rule a player out for two weeks, minimum, even if they're asymptomatic.

And if a player is symptomatic, it's not as simple as him returning to play after a couple of negative COVID-19 tests. Denver Broncos edge rusher Von Miller took 17 days off after contracting the novel coronavirus and told the Washington Post "I still feel my lungs trying to get back in shape."

There's a chance COVID-19 could decimate a personnel grouping, if not a team, for a month or more during the 2020 season. It's a threat every team will have to be prepared for in a way that's deeper than football- speak's reflexive "next man up" mentality.

"Who knows if you're going to have to sit three wide receivers one week because they're all sick?" Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor mused. "I couldn't predict how this is going to go."

Nobody can - although, again, one week might be generous. And that's not even accounting for potential hospitalizations or, God forbid, deaths. COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the Black community, and obesity is a risk factor in the disease becoming serious. The majority of NFL players are Black; most linemen are clinically obese (defined as having a BMI of 30 or higher), even if they're in outstanding physical shape otherwise.

It's a potentially serious problem for a sport in which social distancing is completely impossible.

"It's scary to think that most of my job is physical contact with other players," Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said. "And so boy, I don't know. I don't know. I want to be safe and I'm sure they're going to do 1186562 World Leagues News

Multiple Big 12 Teams Dealing with Positive COVID-19 Cases

Cody NesporPublished 8 hours ago on June 18, 2020By Cody Nespor

On Monday the West Virginia Athletics department announced that one WVU football player had tested positive for COVID-19. Monday was the first day of voluntary workouts for the Mountaineers and players had been tested 72 hours beforehand, adhering to the policies WVU had put in place.

For a lot of people, only having one positive case seemed like it might be good news. With the spread of COVID-19 across the United States it seemed like the question was not going to be if a football player tested positive, but rather how many would test positive. In that respect, you might be able to see WVU’s lone case as a win for having football in the fall. Across the rest of the Big 12, however, news has not been as good.

Just today the University of Texas announced that a total of 13 football players have tested positive for coronavirus. UT’s statement continued to note that an additional 10 players have been identified as being at risk due to contact and are also self-isolating. An additional four players tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, meaning that had the virus previously. This burst was up from just two positive cases Texas announced when players initially returned to campus last week.

On Monday Kansas State had announced that two football players had tested positive, but Tuesday that number moved up to eight. The Wildcats tested a total of 130 student-athletes that returned to Manhattan. The athletes all reportedly contracted the virus out-of-state prior to returning to campus.

Also on Monday, Texas Tech announced that student-athletes in its football, men’s track and field and women’s basketball programs had tested positive, but did not announce how many.

Iowa State was one of the first Big 12 schools to announced positive coronavirus tests, announcing 10 positive cases last Friday. Of those 10 cases, two are reportedly football players and none had participated in any team activities. ESPN reported that ISU announced on June 3 that a part-time student worker in the athletic department had tested positive just as student-athletes and staff were beginning to return.

Both Baylor and Oklahoma State have three confirmed positive cases. Baylor announced three positive cases out of 59 total test conducted with two of the three positive cases being asymptomatic. All three Oklahoma State student-athletes confirmed their positive tests via Twitter.

The only Big 12 schools that have yet to announce any positive cases are Oklahoma, Kansas and TCU.

This was all part of the Big 12’s plans to phase student-athletes back onto campus this summer. June 15, Monday, was the first day for voluntary football work outs, July 1 volleyball, soccer and cross-country athletes will be permitted to return and on July 15 all athletes will be permitted to return to campuses for “voluntary sport-related activities”. wvsportsnow.com/LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186563 World Leagues News

LPGA Tour to resume in July with Ohio tournaments

The new LPGA Drive On Championship would take place without fans.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The LPGA Tour will return from its coronavirus- enforced hiatus next month with back-to-back tournaments in Ohio, officials confirmed on Tuesday (June 16).

A statement said the 2020 season would resume with a three-day tournament, the LPGA Drive On Championship, beginning on July 31 at Inverness Club in Toledo.

That event would then be followed by the rescheduled Marathon LPGA Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania from August 6-9.

The Marathon LPGA Classic will allow spectators on site following a recent approval from local authorities.

The new LPGA Drive On Championship however would take place without fans.

"Thanks in part to the generosity of our partners who could not reschedule their events in 2020, we are adding a valuable additional playing opportunity for our LPGA Tour members," LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said.

"This new event will allow us to test our Covid-19 protocols before we get to welcome back our fans at the Marathon LPGA Classic."

The 2020 LPGA Tour schedule has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with the last tournament in the calendar taking place in mid- February at the Women's Australian Open.

Since then more than a dozen events have been scrapped or rescheduled, including the Evian Championship, which was cancelled last week.

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13 Texas football players test positive or are 'presumed positive' for COVID-19

Sam Cooper

Yahoo SportsJune 18, 2020

Thirteen University of Texas football players have tested positive or are “presumed positive” for COVID-19, the university announced Thursday.

All 13 of the players are self-isolating with 10 others in self-quarantine, the school said in a statement attributed to Allen Hardin, UT’s Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine & Performance. Additionally, four other football players tested positive for the COVID-19 antibody.

“All 13 are self-isolating. Through contact tracing, 10 more football student-athletes are in self-quarantine, all of whom are asymptomatic at this time,” the university statement said.

The reported figure of 13 includes the two positive tests the university announced last week after 58 Texas football players returned to campus for workouts.

Texas is the second Big 12 member to announce a significant amount of positive coronavirus cases this week. On Wednesday evening, Kansas State announced that eight student-athletes had tested positive. The school did not specify which sport the athletes play, but did say it tested 130 athletes in all. According to the Wichita Eagle, KSU has not allowed any of its athletes to use team facilities without first testing negative for COVID-19.

Monday was the first day the Big 12 allowed football players to participate in “voluntary” workouts.

Elsewhere in the Lone Star State, the University of Houston shut down its workouts on Friday after six athletes tested positive. The school announced the suspension as coronavirus cases were spiking rapidly in the city of Houston. UH said the six players were symptomatic and, per the Houston Chronicle, the school initially was only testing athletes who were displaying coronavirus symptoms when they arrived back on campus.

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Fan engagement to see more investments in sports post-coronavirus era: UTT Chairperson Vita Dani

By Avinash Sharma Published: Thursday, June 18, 2020, 18:40 [IST]

New Delhi, June 18: As the sporting world has been gradually getting back on track, authentic content, realtime connect and extensive use of technology are the key factors that are expected to dominate the world of sports in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

A special webinar 'Sports Post Lockdown' by Sportzpower on Wednesday (June 17) witnessed panellists, including Ultimate Table Tennis League (UTT) chairperson & co-owner of Indian Super League club Chennaiyin FC Vita Dani, Global Marketing Head of Bundesliga International Peer Niclas Naubert, Joyee Biswas, Director Sports Partnership (Asia-Pacific) Facebook and Joint Managing Director of Procam International Vivek Singh, giving an outlook of the new playbook for fan engagement in the digital arena and how the major leagues and stakeholders are gearing up to return in a phased manner.

The digital medium will be pertinent to attract many eyeballs and investment into broadcast technology to expedite the thrill of sports.

"We will have to start using technology to create an experience for the fans. With Chennaiyin FC, we have already done major innovation on digital platforms with the launch of CFC TV in season 5. We are the first and only team to do so, so we are ahead of the curve. UTT has also seen around 200 per cent growth in its digital audience and engagements," Dani said.

While discussing facets of the new normal in sport, panellists agreed to the opinion of how innovations could lead to opportunities and new avenues of revenue which opens the door to new concepts and ideas.

Chennaiyin FC co-owner Dani feels eSports and physical sports need to coexist. "Not just in Asia but around the world, online gaming and eSport is becoming big. I don't think they will be a threat to physical sports, they have to coexist."

Pre-empting the future, panellists felt that artificial intelligence, 5G, OTT, and benefiting from high data usage will be key trends that are highly relevant for sports going forward. mykhel.com/LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186566 World Leagues News

Premier League: One positive coronavirus test in latest phase of mass testing

Last Updated: 18/06/20 4:20PM

The Premier League has confirmed it has received one positive test for coronavirus in the latest phase of mass testing.

A total of 1,541 tests were carried out in the ninth round of testing in the Premier League, which was conducted on Monday and Tuesday.

The player or club staff member who tested positive will now be required to self-isolate for a period of seven days.

Since players returned to contact training last month, tests have been carried out twice a week and the league has seen a total of 17 positives in nine rounds of testing so far.

Coronavirus test timeline - Premier League

R1 - Six positive after 748 tests. Published on May 19

R2 - Two positive after 996 tests. Published on May 23

R3 - Four positive after 1008 test. Published May 27

R4 - Zero positive after 1130 tests. Published May 30

R5 - One positive after 1197 tests. Published June 3

R6 - Zero positive after 1195. Published June 6

R7 - One positive after 1213 tests. Published June 10

R8 - Two positive after 1200 tests. Published June 13

R9 - One positive after 1541 tests. Published June 18

Norwich City's Marco Stiepermann was one of two positive cases from 1,200 tests conducted across the Premier League during round eight of testing, which was published on Saturday, June 13.

The 29-year-old midfielder, who remained asymptomatic throughout, had played in the behind-closed-doors 2-1 friendly win against Tottenham the previous day.

Stiepermann has since been cleared by the Premier League to return to training.

Sky UK LOADED: 06.19.2020 1186567 World Leagues News Control what you can control, as the coaches like to say. But if you’re going to participate in sports, in any facet, you best acknowledge the obvious:

Joe Starkey: Sports and distancing do not mix — so what’s the solution? There will be plenty that is out of your control.

Joe Star•key:

I’m with Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who says it will be Pittsburgh Post-Gazette LOADED: 06.19.2020 “humanly impossible” for NFL teams to maintain strict adherence to safety guidelines the league put forth in memos to teams.

This is football, after all, which means one must share space with dozens of teammates, lift weights, work out, receive medical treatment, participate in practice and play the game — and thereby violate every reasonable COVID-19 safety standard.

The game calls for standing shoulder to shoulder in a huddle, diving into piles of humanity, talking strategy on the sidelines and going face-to-face in the acts of blocking, tackling, covering people, etc.

You know, football!

It presents quite the dilemma, even with frequent testing: How can you play or coach this sport, or most sports, without subjecting yourself and others to increased risk?

Answer: You can’t.

The only immediate solution, in the face of a pandemic that continues to rage in different parts of the country, would be to cancel the season and wait ’til next year. A reasonable case can be made for that, as it could for postponing all sports until 2021 — especially if we see more health systems teetering under the weight of COVID-19 cases.

But who’s to say there will be a vaccine or an effective treatment by then?

Can sports move forward in the meantime?

Should it?

I struggle with those questions. But I know this: As the sports world slowly reopens — even Major League Baseball suddenly looks promising — participants from the youth leagues on up are going to have to accept the fact that social distancing and sports do not mix.

If you’re signing that waiver to play, or to have your child play, you’re signing up for the full experience, knowing certain safety guidelines absolutely will not be followed.

We’re going through this with my 11-year-old daughter’s return to softball, now that we’re in the green phase. Should we let her play? What does it mean to sign a waiver, other than to accept the inherent risk?

For me, it means we accept that she’s probably not going to be six feet away from her teammates at all times, wearing a mask. It means they’re probably going to get excited and act like kids and give high fives, just as you see in the Korea Baseball Organization, which has been up and running since early May.

And it means they’re going to play softball, which involves standing near a catcher while hitting, touching the same ball as all the other players and everything else that goes into playing the sport.

I could wish for players to sit far apart in extended makeshift dugouts and for fans to be ordered to wear masks (and that might happen at some tournaments) and for coaches to stay six feet away from players — but I’m deluding myself if I believe all of that will happen.

So it’s up to my wife and I: Do we accept the conditions of participation?

We have so far, largely because Allegheny County is not a COVID-19 trouble spot. The tricky part with this disease is that others potentially are involved in every risk you take. The virus is passed easily, and you don’t have to be symptomatic to pass it.

Is it selfish, then, to play or coach?

That’s another tough question. Here’s my best answer: In the arena itself, the sports bubble, our family has chosen to enter a collective world of increased peril, whereas in other arenas — grocery stores, pet stores, restaurants, etc. — we choose to wear masks and social distance. Nobody signed a waiver before entering a supermarket. There should be no unnecessary shared risk there.