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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 4/29/2020 1174060 Arizona Coyotes, Christian Fischer eager to return to ice 1174090 Cale Makar discusses likeness with Quinn Hughes, his for shot at closest NHL rookie-of-the-year challenger 1174061 Coyotes sign Finnish standout, forward Matias Maccelli 1174062 Neutral zone: Maccelli’s AHL readiness, Fischer’s future, 1174091 Columbus may be among hubs in NHL restart escrow and the cap 1174092 When (if?) the NHL does return, which injured Blue Jackets will be ready? Bruins 1174063 Torey Krug says he’d like to remain with Bruins Stars 1174064 Bruins’ Torey Krug believes hurdles must be cleared 1174093 While Texas may be reopening, Stars GM before returning to play discusses what it will take to get hockey up and running 1174065 Krug still hopes to stay with Bruins: 'We named our dog again Fenway. How much more Boston can it get?' 1174094 Stars GM Jim Nill on potential NHL return and how it 1174066 Bruins' Torey Krug says it would be tough to separate impacts coaching decisions NHL players from families 1174095 Q&A: on his career, and 1174067 This Date in Bruins History: B's turn tide vs. Hurricanes playoff hockey in Dallas with crucial win 1174068 Distant Replay: Three fights in four seconds defined 2011 Red Wings Bruins-Stars rivalry 1174096 sign Swedish forward Mathias Brome 1174097 From stealing apples to winning 4 Stanley Cups: Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom is 50 today 1174069 Sabres' Dylan Cozens unable to play in Rochester 1174098 Niyo: If NHL drafts NFL's plan, it could give Red Wings because of NHL, CHL agreement fans a lift 1174070 Diving into the 2020-21 implications of the Sabres’ current 1174099 Red Wings sign Swedish free agent forward Mathias situation Brome 1174100 Germany's Tim Stutzle could join countryman Moritz Flames Seider in Red Wings' rebuild 1174071 Flames become latest team to bank on a return 1174101 Red Wings sign Swedish free agent Mathias Brome investment from Emilio Pettersen Oilers 1174102 Gaetan Haas returns for second kick at the Edmonton 1174072 Carolina Hurricanes Foundation makes $478,000 in grants Oilers' can for 2019-20 season 1174103 JONES: Hlinka-Gretzky Cup cancellation could open door 1174073 Who stays and who goes? Analyzing the Hurricanes’ for NHL reboot pending free agents 1174104 The 5 reasons why the Oilers re-signed Gaetan Haas 1174105 Can (and should) the Oilers ? Blackhawks 1174074 John McDonough calls his time with the Chicago Panthers Blackhawks ‘the ride of a lifetime’ 1174106 NHL offering face masks as part of new 1174075 McDonough’s firing another case of “What have you done initiative benefiting food banks for me lately?” 1174076 John McDonough calls time with Blackhawks ‘ride of a lifetime’ 1174107 Which Kings prospects would most benefit from a summer 1174077 The firing of John McDonough and the slow drip of the training camp? Blackhawks’ decline 1174108 “EERIE” DRIVE TO OWEN SOUND ALLAYED BY MIKE 1174078 Former DH Cubs columnist has a few words with STOTHERS’ FAMILY DEVOTION McDonough 1174079 Dietz: Is Wirtz done with Blackhawks' housecleaning? 1174080 Rozner: Pressure now on Blackhawks' to get 1174109 For Canadiens’ Ryan Poehling, it’s been rehab and golf it right back home 1174081 McDonough calls time with Blackhawks 'ride of a lifetime' 1174082 John McDonough's run with Blackhawks: 'Party's over, Canadiens let's move on' 1174110 Canadiens' Phillip Danault is already looking ahead to 1174083 How Blackhawks interim president Daniel Wirtz could next season factor into team's future 1174084 Former Blackhawks President and CEO John McDonough Devils releases statement to fans 1174111 Coronavirus update: NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA plotting 1174085 Where Blackhawks stands steps to return from pandemic with John McDonough out 1174112 Reliving Game 7 of the 2003 Final, the 1174086 Blackhawks’ firing of John McDonough has several Devils’ defining moment organizational ripple effects 1174087 What Blackhawks' firing of John McDonough means for Islanders 1174113 Islanders' Ryan Pulock doesn't want to rush back to play 1174088 What I’m hearing about the Blackhawks as a team president search begins 1174089 Who will run the Blackhawks? Here are some potential 1174114 Lias Andersson could shockingly return to Rangers this replacements for John McDonough season 1174115 Ranking the top prospects in the Rangers’ system, part one NHL 1174116 Demolition and digging done, KeyArena readies for walls 1174144 Golden Knights to re-air wins from first month of inaugural to be built as crews take coronavirus precautions season 1174145 Golden Knights roster review: Deryk Engelland Senators 1174146 Official Golden Knights face coverings for sale on NHL 1174117 If the NHL does return this summer, don't expect Ottawa website to be a neutral site 1174147 Sale of Golden Knights cloth face masks benefits charity 1174118 Flyers’ Oskar Lindblom to undergo final cancer treatments, 1174148 Extra life: Flatlining sports leagues find a pulse with video making progress; Nolan Patrick ‘feeling better ever game versions 1174119 Flyers coach and others helping isolated 1174149 The blooper that almost turned Tom Wilson's second senior citizens stay connected during the coronavirus career NHL game into a disaster 1174120 Flyers frontrunners for Linus Sandin, who could join 1174150 Remember when Devon Toews taunted the Caps with the crowded group of bottom-6 right wingers | On the Fly bird celly? The Caps remember 1174121 : Flyers' 1974 Stanley Cup celebration 'stays 1174151 Capitals fans can now get their own Caps-themed face with you forever' masks 1174122 The 10 best (and 5 worst) uniforms in Flyers history 1174152 After a hockey career that defied the odds, Joel Ward hopes to remain involved in the game Penguins 1174153 What is the Caps' best all-time American lineup? 1174123 Penguins troll on Twitter 1174124 Penguins Tristan Jarry faces uncertain future Websites with his next contract 1174156 The Athletic / LeBrun: NHL hints at December start for 1174125 Penguins A to Z: Jordy Bellerive adapts to a bottom-six 2020-21 season role 1174157 .ca / Brady Leavold's fall from junior hockey into 1174126 Latest on NHL prospects: Border issues, schedule, draft addiction – Sportsnet talk, locations, style of play 1174158 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks in holding pattern with enigmatic 1174127 Tristan Jarry embracing the simple life until he can help Nikita Tryamkin Penguins chase Cup 1174159 Sportsnet.ca / Jake Muzzin feels fortunate to sign contract 1174128 Yohe: Is Mike Sullivan or Bob Johnson the best coach in extension before pandemic Penguins’ history? 1174160 Sportsnet.ca / Torey Krug, Bruins to face tricky contract 1174129 Ranking the Penguins’ post-1985 uniforms, 16 to 1 talks: 'Your mind wanders' 1174130 Q&A: Ben Lovejoy on his career, Sidney Crosby and 1174161 Sportsnet.ca / Controversial Game 3 loss sparked Flames playoff hockey in Dallas to greater glory in 1989 Cup final 1174162 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' Phillip Danault against leaving family to finish season 1174131 Coronavirus: Health experts rip pro sports’ slow response 1174163 Sportsnet.ca / Andreychuk was at peak of his powers with to warnings Maple Leafs in 1993 1174132 Longtime San Jose Sharks employee dies of bacterial 1174164 TSN.CA / Flattered by Olympic projection, patient infection Jonathan Huberdeau stays focused on playoff race 1174133 Coronavirus: Bay Area sports teams unite to provide 1174165 TSN.CA / Maple Leafs D Jake Muzzin says hand material for face masks injury completely healed 1174134 Joel Ward hopes to become Sharks coach after 1174166 TSN.CA / NHL players begin to voice concern over restart announcing NHL retirement World Leagues News St Louis Blues 1174167 Coronavirus: Sport should start again 'from bottom up not 1174135 , an original Blue, has become a hockey lifer top down' 1174136 What’s it like covering the Cardinals and Blues? Our 1174168 Skateboard legend Tony Hawk on the impact of writers offer you a glimpse coronavirus: 'I have lost a lot of business' 1174169 NRL's return threatened by players' breach of coronavirus social distancing, Sport Minister says 1174137 Could Tampa host NHL games if the season resumes? 1174170 After 'damaging' delay to stop sports, UK tries to restart 1174171 New research says players at risk of coronavirus spread to lungs 1174138 Maple Leafs Jake Muzzin enjoying the home 1174172 NBA Players Are Going Back to School During the life in Toronto Coronavirus Crisis 1174139 NHL helps fans stay safe with face masks in their favourite 1174173 Baseball can help coronavirus-hit nation recover: Cal team’s colours Ripken Jr. 1174140 Team-themed NHL masks to benefit food banks 1174174 Sports Events Around the World Hit by the COVID-19 1174141 Maple Leafs' Muzzin buzzin' for return Pandemic 1174142 NHL selling team-themed facemasks to raise funds for 1174175 Report: MLB allows teams to refund tickets for games charity missed due to coronavirus 1174143 The 8 most intriguing Leafs to watch should the NHL 1174176 Most Americans to avoid sports, other live events before season resume coronavirus vaccine: 1174177 Argentina ends soccer season because of coronavirus Canucks 1174178 MLB granting teams autonomy to refund games 1174154 Ben Kuzma: Would a voluntary player-exception proposal postponed by COVID-19 pandemic assist the Canucks? SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1174155 on his Vancouver years, the speed of the game and Dortmund 1174060 Arizona Coyotes "It gives you a sense of how dominant he was," Fischer said. "Those two guys, as far as not hockey, are two that I have looked up to in terms of mindset and mentality, hard work, things that the best players have and Arizona Coyotes, Christian Fischer eager to return to ice for shot at the best players emulate every single day." playoffs Coyotes sign prospect

Finnish forward Matias Maccelli, one of the top prospects in the Coyotes Michelle Gardner, Arizona Republic organization, signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the club on Tuesday, effectively signaling the 19-year-old's transition to North Published 3:41 p.m. MT April 28, 2020 American for the 2020-21 season.

Maccelli, who was a fourth-round pick (No. 98 overall) in 2019, registered 13 goals and 30 points in 43 games for his club in , which is While the stove is hot with discussion about how the NBA might resume Finland's top professional league. Maccelli also totaled 5 points (2 goals, or how MLB might start its season, it has, for whatever reason, been 3 assists) at the World Junior Championship this winter. relatively quiet on the hockey front. Maccelli is expected to figure prominently with the Coyotes' AHL affiliate For Coyotes forward Christian Fischer, the signs that other sports could in Tucson next season. return soon means the NHL could do so as well.

"It's all promising," Fischer said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. "They're talking about opening up some facilities for other Arizona Republic LOADED: 04.29.2020 sports so hopefully we would follow suit. At this we'll take anything, even is its just working out in small groups."

The Coyotes (33-29-8, 76 points) last played on March 9. They are not in playoff position but remain in striking distance along with a handful of other teams when play stopped abruptly with about 15% of the regular season remaining.

After narrowly missing out on a playoff berth a year ago, the Coyotes were looking forward to advancing to the postseason. With eight of their last 12 games scheduled at home, Fisher thinks his team was very capable of making a run.

Now, amid deafening silence about whether the NHL will return this season, Fischer is itching to get back on the ice with his teammates.

"We knew the position we were in," Fischer said. "We were going to have to win more games than we were going to lose. It sucks because that's the most exciting time of the year. You look at the whole year. You want to play meaningful games. It's do or die. You can't lose two or three games in a row or you're done. That's fun for us, for players. It's unfortunate that has been taken away from us and we don't know what's going to happen next."

Fischer, who will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, says he is willing to work within various scenarios. If the season has to continue with games taking place in empty arenas, it would be less than ideal — particularly with the Coyotes having so many home games left. But it would be better than nothing.

Getting the balance of the season in would also mean a shorter offseason since the season would end later but that's what most prefer.

"If you ask anyone," Fischer said, "I think that's what they would say. We'd like to see the season play out and go on to the playoffs, and have the Stanley Cup awarded the same way it has been for 100 seasons. I'm not opposed to anything, though. As long as we can play hockey and have a chance to finish the season."

Fischer, 23, has been waiting out the coronavirus shutdown in his home in Scottsdale. He recently bought a mountain bike and enjoys taking venturing out, often stopping by to visit with several teammates who lives in the area, most notably fellow forward Derek Stepan.

He has also been hiking, with some trips up the Tom's Thumb Trail in Scottsdale, the weather in Arizona making it easy to find something to do. He has also watched his diet and been in constant touch with team trainers.

"I really haven't been that bored," Fischer said. "There are so many things to do, outside and living in Arizona. I don't think you can run out of options, and we're sitting and waiting, too. Obviously we want to play."

Fischer, a Chicago native, has enjoyed ESPN's documentary on the entitled "The Last Dance." He was just an infant when the Michael Jordan-led Bulls won their last title but was well aware of the history of the franchise and appreciative of their place in NBA history.

He singles out Jordan and golfer Tiger Woods as athlete whose competitive drive he respects. 1174061 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes sign Finnish standout, forward prospect Matias Maccelli

BY MATT LAYMAN

APRIL 28, 2020 AT 3:33 PM

The Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday announced the signing of forward Matias Maccelli to a three-year entry-level contract, securing a key player within their prospect pool.

Maccelli, 19, was named the Rookie of the Year in the Finnish Liiga this season, playing 43 games and recording 13 goals with 17 assists. He also played for Team Finland at the World Junior Championship and had two goals and five points in seven games.

He was drafted by the Coyotes in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, 98th overall, after Arizona had selected Swedish defenseman Victor Soderstrom and Harvard center John Farinacci.

Maccelli also played in the USHL with the Dubuqe Fighting Saints, scoring 93 points in 98 games there over two seasons.

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked Maccelli the No. 2 prospect in the Coyotes’ system after Soderstrom, although forwards Barrett Hayton (who has since ascended to the NHL) and Jan Jenik (who was a rising before getting hurt at the World Juniors) are certainly in the mix as promising pieces of the Coyotes’ future.

Maccelli joins forwards Ryan McGregor and Nate Sucese along with defenseman Cam Crotty and goaltender David Tendeck as players who have signed entry-level contracts with the Coyotes since the season was put on pause in March.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174062 Arizona Coyotes Here is a look at Maccelli’s three-year, two-way contract, per a league source.

2020-21: $792,500 (NHL)/$70,000 (AHL). Signing bonus: $92,500. Neutral zone: Maccelli’s AHL readiness, Fischer’s future, escrow and the Performance bonuses: $132,500 cap 2021-22: $842,500 (NHL)/$70,000 (AHL). Signing bonus: $92,500. Performance bonuses: $82,500

By Craig Morgan 2022-23: $925,000 (NHL)/ $70,000 (AHL). Signing bonus: $92,500.

Fischer’s future

It is no secret that Finnish forward and 2019 fourth-round draft pick (No. The Coyotes made forward Christian Fischer available to local media via 98) Matias Maccelli has quickly climbed the rungs of the Coyotes Zoom teleconference on Tuesday. Fischer is still in Scottsdale and says prospect ladder. Maccelli had a good first season with Ilves (Tampere) in he’s not getting bored at all with all of the outdoor options available in the Liiga, scoring 13 goals and totaling 30 points in 42 games. He also Arizona, from hiking to mountain biking and of course, golf. had two goals and five points for Finland at the World Junior Like every other Coyote, Fischer had a conference call with Chayka and Championship. coach Rick Tocchet recently in which they checked in on his well being, “At times, he was a dominant player in the pro league over there,” reviewed his season and set some goals. Coyotes president of hockey operations John Chayka said. “He’s a guy “I thought it was good just to have an open dialogue and I think pretty that has gotten better every single year (we have tracked him over the much everyone is on the same page when it comes to myself and my last several years), he’s got the right mindset, he’s got a lot of confidence playing and the future,” Fischer said. “I look forward to those meetings and we think another summer here will be good for him.” every year. That’s the two guys you’ve got to listen to.” The Coyotes signed Maccelli to a three-year, entry-level deal on Fischer’s end-of-season situation is different from most Coyotes. He is Thursday (you can find the contract details below), but is he ready for scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer, and he North American pro hockey? It depends on whom you ask. admitted that situation creates a level of tension. There were dissenting opinions on Maccelli on Tuesday; questioning his “I’ve obviously had some discussions with my agent (Craig Oster) and skating and play away from the puck. Mind you, neither of these sources how this affects me, but I haven’t put too much thought into it,” Fischer has as much data on Maccelli as the Coyotes do, but the opinions are said. “The contract is going to take care of itself, whatever it is, but I think still instructive. it’s pretty evident that regardless of what we do it’s going to be a pretty “Given his size, average speed and he’s not super physical, I get the short negotiating period and obviously the UFAs are before myself so by concerns but I think he’ll be fine. I don’t know if he’s going to tear up the the looks of it, I don’t imagine us having too many weeks or months — AHL but I think he’ll handle the level. He played really well versus men at whatever you want to categorize it as — in terms of negotiating. Liiga level and when he went to play for the national team in February at “I’m glad I’m not my agent and I’m glad I’m not anyone’s agent because a much higher pace, he succeeded there, too. He played in North I’m sure it’s going to be much different than having the whole summer to America in the USHL and was a great two-way player on the smaller go about it.” rinks, even if that’s not his likely role in the pros.” Fischer’s role was reduced this season. He averaged 11:01 of ice time, Maccelli played two seasons for the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints the lowest in his three seasons, and he was a frequent healthy scratch from 2017-19, totaling 93 points (39 goals) in 98 games. Chayka told me (56 games played). Despite those numbers, Chayka said he still sees a earlier this spring that he thought Maccelli was ready for North American future for Fischer in Arizona. hockey, but that doesn’t mean it’s a fait accompli. “Like a lot of young players he has had his ups and downs, but I still see “Nothing is set in stone at this stage, but we certainly believe he has the times in his game where he has been an impact, core player,” Chayka capability,” Chayka said. “His play without the puck came a long way. said. “Having someone up front that can hold pucks, get to the net and Any time you’re playing at that age against pros, guys in their 30s, you’ve be a net-front presence, those are all things we can use and Christian got a lot to learn still. Mattias does still but I think some of the things he definitely brings those things when he is at his best. does, you can’t teach. When you can do those things you can find ways to impact the game. It’s going to be a learning process just like any “It’s just that he’s still trying to grow his game while trying to find an young player to become a complete player and learn how to impact the identity and a role for himself to become irreplaceable in our lineup. game in different ways, but he’s on the path and I think he is showing a lot of maturity in his game.” Fischer had 15 goals and 33 points in his rookie seasons of 2017-18. Chayka said the drop in numbers and opportunity is partly attributable to In a perfect world, Maccelli would have come over for the Coyotes the evolution of a team that has added more players, partly due to prospect development camp, but that has been canceled. There is still Fischer’s play. time for the team to plot a North American course for Maccelli this summer, but the logistics have changed on that front for all foreign “He’s a guy who I thought would have caught on quicker, but just players in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The longer that travel because it’s taking him some time, it doesn’t shake my confidence that bans and restrictions persist, the more difficult it may become to he can be an important part of this team,” Chayka said. “He’s a character acclimate to the North American pro game. guy. He brings a lot to our group on and off the ice and he’s still a young player. Chayka said the team is controlling what it can control for its European players. “I don’t view it as, there needs to be a definitive evaluation this summer of what he brings to the table. He’s got to continue to work on his game “Obviously, there’s challenges in terms of resources, but there’s also … but I still believe him in as a guy who can be valuable to our team.” opportunities that didn’t exist before,” he said. “A lot of people in different fields are at home, whether it’s a mental skills coach, a Pilates instructor Lack of exposure or what have you. So take this summer to grow your game. Among the litany of issues the league, its teams, its players and their “We have discussions with players about the specifics of what they’re agents are facing is the loss of exposure for draft-eligible prospects trying to work on and how they can tackle those issues; those ahead of an eventual NHL Draft. The league has postponed the scouting deficiencies in their game. Go ahead in the short term and be obsessive combine and the IIHF U18 World Championship was canceled. about improving those areas of your game. We’ve got a lot of time. “They’re all in the same boat, but that U18 championship has served as a There’s no going out with your buddy or going to restaurants. Now is a coming-out party for so many players in their career and it has been a good time to be obsessive about your game. A lot of players can get a lot springboard not only for the draft, but for their momentum to pro hockey done. … If Matias can stay focused and maximize his resources around so it’s really unfortunate that those young men don’t have the opportunity him I think he can still take massive strides.” to compete for that,” agent Kurt Overhardt said. “We always have people from our group at that event, either our partners overseas or if it’s here, it will be us. This year, the U18 championship would have been in continue to sort through and understand. The only way to deal with it is Plymouth (Mich.) with a good group of players. It would have been really with contingencies and creating plans that can be flexible and malleable.” good for those kids. They would have had a lot bigger team presence because it was in North America. I think each NHL staff would have had more scouts and GMs and assistant GMs in attendance just because of The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 the convenience and the reduced expense.”

To combat that lack of exposure, Overhardt said his firm is willing to share data with teams.

“There’s certain teams that may have a couple top picks so that may be more pressing because we have a couple clients in their ranges,” he said. “If clubs need video or need us to provide it we will. We’re trying to enable them to have the Zoom calls or the Skype calls with the draftees. That’s not just in and the U.S. We work with a couple quality Swedes as well.

“I don’t want to name clients but one of the people that will be a top pick is (Saginaw center) Cole Perfetti. It’s important that people have a chance to talk to Cole. Another one is forward Ty Tulio (a likely top-100 pick, ranked 52 in Central Scouting’s final North American skater rankings). He’s not a top-five pick, but he’s obviously a really important guy to our group. And there are other guys like in Sweden, (defenseman) Helge Grans (ranked No. 6 in Central Scouting’s rankings of European skaters and another likely top-100 pick).”

While that supplemental data may prove important, agents believe that clubs already possess most of the information they need to make informed picks at the draft, and there will be opportunities to gather more.

“The league will incorporate some kind of methods for teams to have additional times for interviews,” agent Don Meehan said. “The combine is postponed. Will we have it? I don’t know. But even if not, I think teams are so detailed in this respect now in terms of the draft process and expenditures … they’ve probably got a pretty good handle on this.”

An escrow solution?

Overhardt reached out to The Athletic to propose a creative solution to the escrow battle that is looming between the NHL Players’ Association and the league. His more detailed thoughts can be found on his firm’s website.

As The Athletic’s Craig Custance noted, it’s likely a nonstarter with owners, but Overhardt believes something needs to change.

“I’m just sharing my opinion but from a system standpoint, we are seeing that the escrow situation and whatever shortfall there is could fall on the players next year, dramatically,” he said. “At the end of the day, you don’t believe that the league and the ownership wants to exercise that because it would be really dramatic. But to me, that shows a fault in the system, not having a cap on escrow. The league always sets the budget every year and says, ‘Oh yeah, our hockey-related revenue is projected at X.’ They give us that at the end of June, teams set their budgets because they need to, teams spend money and then the first quarter of the season arrives and the league says, ‘Gee, revenue is not hitting what we thought so we’re going to escrow you 14 percent,’ which was the case this year.

“Well, how do we continue to have escrow in double digits but the league keeps pushing hockey-related revenue up? It’s counterintuitive. The league needs to be much more intellectually honest with the numbers because at the end of the day, if we have a cap of 84 and we stick to that number for a couple years and the league ends up having a lot more revenue, then any of the surplus ends up being allocated to the players and they get a surplus rather than a deduction. This situation is certainly setting the stage, if the parties want to engage (meaning the PA and the league) to be a very big opportunity. It’s going to be a very important opportunity for the players to kind of reset this. It’s not going to be one-sided. It’s going to have to be something mutually agreed upon but part of it has to do with being fiscally responsible in budgeting. I think one of the reasons escrow is so high is because the league keeps saying hockey-related revenues are going to increase and as you know, they don’t.”

I asked Chayka how he is planning for an unknown cap next season, especially as a team close to the cap ceiling.

“Multiple contingencies; I think that’s the only way you can do it,” he said. “Everyone wants to talk about next year’s cap but in reality as a manager, it’s not just one year. There’s still a lot of unknown this year, of course, but there’s also a lot of unknowns past this year that we have to 1174063

Torey Krug says he’d like to remain with Bruins

By Matt Porter Globe Staff

Updated April 28, 2020, 3:41 p.m.

Torey Krug reiterated his desire to remain a Bruin on Tuesday, while noting that he has not had recent discussions on a contract extension.

Krug, who spoke to season ticket-holders on a private Zoom call, made similar comments in a chat with local media three weeks ago. In normal circumstances, he and agent Lewis Gross would likely be deep in discussions with about a new deal.

“Someone upstairs is testing our patience a little bit,” said Krug, set to become an unrestricted free agent shortly after the season ends. “We always assumed we would at least have some sort of answer by July 1. Who knows if we will by then, with regards to the season and how it plays out. Who knows? We’re just trying to live in the present and enjoy what we have right now.”

Krug, one of the top power-play quarterbacks in the league and a solid defender, is making $5 million in salary this season ($5.25 million cap hit) on a deal he signed in 2016. He has earned a significant raise, given his play and the market. Consider the Year 1 salaries of other power-play producing defensemen who signed contract extensions last July through October. Krug is in a similar class as the likes of Roman Josi ($11.75 million), Jared Spurgeon ($9 million), Justin Faulk ($9 million), Josh Morrissey ($8 million), and Thomas Chabot ($7 million).

Had the pandemic not hit, and the NHL was operating as usual, the salary cap upper limit was expected to rise from $81.5 million to between $84 million and $88.2 million. Now, it’s unclear what teams will be able to spend on free agents. St. Louis is in similar straits with Alex Pietrangelo ($7.5 million), Arizona with forward Taylor Hall ($6 million), and Washington with netminder Braden Holtby ($5 million).

“No one knows what the financial implications are going to be for this league and for each individual team for years to come,” said Krug, the Bruins’ alternate NHLPA player rep.

“Obviously very hopeful. As I’ve said all along, I want to be part of this group, part of this locker room, part of this city. It’s become home for us. We love it. You heard Fenway bark earlier. We named our dog Fenway. How much more Boston can it get?”

Other tidbits from Krug:

▪ In response to a question about his helmetless hammering of Blues forward Robert Thomas in Game 1 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final:

“That’s another reason why I wish we would have won the Cup, because that could be another great memory that could live forever. It still was, obviously, a pretty cool moment in the game. It was the biggest rush of adrenaline I’ve ever felt in my hockey career, skating back to the bench after that and hearing the Garden going bananas.”

▪ On this year’s Bruins: “We feel like we’re the best team in the league.”

Boston Globe LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174064 Boston Bruins Krug was expected to strike it rich this summer, with the Bruins or some other team, after his play in last year’s playoff run against several opponents who were determined to physically test the 5-foot-9 D-man. That run helped him realize what his potential could be. Bruins’ Torey Krug believes hurdles must be cleared before returning to play “For so long, right when I signed my name on that line to play for the Boston Bruins, I’ve been stereotyped to being just an offensive defenseman and for a long, long time, I’ve been fighting that stereotype and that stigma,” said Krug. “As (coach ) has always By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald mentioned, I want my legacy to be as a 200-foot player and I want to be PUBLISHED: April 28, 2020 at 5:21 p.m. | UPDATED: April 28, 2020 at remembered in the likes of Patrice (Bergeron) and Zdeno (Chara) and 5:21 p.m. the legacies they’re leaving and the ones that (Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak) are working on continually daily. I want to be in that group of guys. I just learned that the potential’s there to be a 200-foot player that every single night has the ability to change the momentum of a game and Like most of our lives over the past month and a half, the contract just have a huge impact on a game. It was a very fun ride to be a part of. situation between the Bruins and Torey Krug has not changed. I wish it ended differently. Obviously, that goes without saying. But I There has been no more substantive conversation between the two learned a lot about myself in that run.” parties and, with the Bruins’ defenseman being a realist, Krug didn’t Krug discussed one of his signature moments from last year’s playoff expect there to be much. run, his helmet-less hit on the Blues’ Robert Thomas. Krug was on course to be one of just two or three players to score a big “There’s another reason why I wish we won the Cup because that could payday this summer. Even in the best of times, teams would want some be another great memory that could live forever,” said Krug. “But it still cost certainty before they’d shell out a high-end contract. Right now, was a pretty cool moment in the game and it was the biggest rush of there is nothing but financial guesswork for the league and its 31 teams. adrenaline I’ve ever felt in my hockey career, skating back to the bench Krug gets that. But on a wide-ranging season-ticket-holder virtual town after that and hearing the Garden going bananas. I didn’t like the way I hall held via Zoom on Tuesday, Krug reiterated how much this city has was being taken advantage of in front of the net as a smaller guy. I was become part of his life’s DNA. actually skating up the ice and probably wanted to hit a different player (David Perron), but that guy left and all of a sudden I had a chance to “We named our dog Fenway. How much more Boston can it get?” said make an impact hit and give our team a little bit of momentum and that Krug. happened. I didn’t even think twice about my helmet being off in the “I never thought about (the contract) during the season and while we moment. I know my mom and my wife were not very happy with that, but were playing. Now that we have a second to sit back, you wonder a little things happen and now there’s a rule in place for that to be a little bit bit more and your mind wanders. I think it’s just someone upstairs testing safer.” our patience a little bit. We always assumed we would at least have Unsurprisingly, Krug gives his B’s a good chance in any restart scenario. some sort of answer by July 1 and who knows if we will by then, with But he has his reasons. regards to the season and how it plays out. We’re just trying to live in the present and enjoy what we have right now. Hopefully we have a chance “One thing we can hang our hat on this year is how we came out of the to finish the season.” bye week … I think we won (10 out of 11). And I think that just speaks to how this group always stays prepared and we take a lot of pride in the Whether that can happen or not remains a huge, ever-evolving question. work that we put forward every single day in order to give ourselves an Along with fellow player rep Brandon Carlo, Krug has stayed abreast of opportunity to win hockey games,” said Krug. return-to-play discussions, which are currently focused on fan-free games being played at neutral sites in a controlled environment. But The B’s had won 44 games and took points out of 56, but it was one of even if the league can obtain the requisite approval from health and the 14 regulation losses that Krug points to as a bonding moment — the governmental officials, there will be issues to be worked out between the fight-filled 5-3 loss to Tampa on March 7 that he described as “old-school players and the league. Krug believes it would take close to a month of hockey.” training — two weeks to get in good enough shape just to handle the “We are a result-driven business in sports, that’s just how you measure minutes, another two to make players battle-ready — before any pucks yourself. But sometimes there are moments during a season that are dropped for real. galvanize a group and I think that was a game where, even though we “I just hope we’re able to do it in a very safe, logical way so that we don’t didn’t win on the scoreboard, we felt that, if it was even possible, it put anyone at risk,” said Krug. “Guys want to be with their families at this brought us closer together. That’s something we can use as a great time, so it would be tough to tear guys away from their families and experience moving forward,” he said. things like that. There are just so many hurdles in order to be jumped Krug said he and his teammates planned to have a virtual chat with the over for this thing to get up and running again. Who knows if that will entire team Tuesday afternoon. happen. It would be awesome if it does. We all want a chance to get back and play. If it doesn’t (happen), that means we’re all taking the right steps to make sure everyone is safe and healthy and we can attack this thing at a different time.” Boston Herald LOADED: 04.29.2020

Krug touched on a number of subjects during the half-hour chat:

Asked about playing without fans, Krug sounded like he wanted to minimize that aspect. But he couldn’t quite pull it off.

“I don’t think it will be … Well, I’ll take that back. It’s going to be a lot different if you play in an empty arena,” said Krug. “The ultimate prize is lifting the Stanley Cup and competing. There’s a lot of pride that’s on the line and any time you put the Boston Bruins’ sweater on, you, you take a lot of pride. I think once we’re on the ice, you’ll be in the moment and in the game and you’re trying to accomplish the ultimate with a group of guys that you started out with in training camp in September. That being said, there’s an additional emotional level. It’s pretty special standing in the hallway at TD Garden, waiting to go on the ice for warmups for the national anthem. You can just hear the fans screaming and the music playing. I’m getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it.” 1174065 Boston Bruins

Krug still hopes to stay with Bruins: 'We named our dog Fenway. How much more Boston can it get?'

By Joe Haggerty

April 28, 2020 8:22 PM

It’s status quo for Torey Krug.

That means the puck-moving Bruins defenseman hasn’t made any progress in contract talks with the team in the final year of his contract and the 27-year-old said he would still like to remain in Boston beyond this season.

Krug knows a ton of it is out of his control at this point with the regular season on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic and the NHL's salary- cap picture very much in question based on the status of the global economy.

Prior to the shutdown of the season, Krug was in line to sign a long-term contract with somebody this summer for something in the range of $6 million to $8 million per season based on his extensive offensive production the past few years.

Since the beginning of the 2016-17 season, only Brent Burns, John Carlson, Victor Hedman, Roman Josi and Erik Karlsson have produced more points among defensemen than the 212 posted by Krug. That is some heavy-duty NHL company and demonstrates how in-demand he could be this summer if the Bruins allow him to get to free agency on July 1.

Krug breaks down the pitfalls of resuming the NHL season

“There hasn’t been any discussion," Krug said Tuesday in a virtual town hall with season-ticket holders. "I’m prepared for it just because of the unknown and that nobody knows what the financial implications are going to be for this league, and for each individual team for years to come. That’s still being sorted out. I didn’t really anticipate anything like that. As I’ve said all along, I want to be part of this group, part of this locker room and part of this city.

“It’s become home for us and we love it. You heard our Fenway 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.”

Certainly, a regular season and playoffs spilling over into the summer could push Krug’s contract situation until the fall. Still, there will eventually be an answer to his long-term future in Boston. It remains to be seen if a flat salary cap might cost the Bruins any chance of retaining Krug. Perhaps they will simply have to hope that guys such as Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk can fill the offensive void left by a Krug departure.

As of now, though, with a season still stalled and no immediate resumption on the horizon, there are much bigger questions than Krug’s contract.

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Bruins' Torey Krug says it would be tough to separate NHL players from families

By Joe Haggerty

April 28, 2020 4:54 PM

The plans are beginning to take on a little more shape for NHL players eventually getting back to work.

If everything progresses at the current pace in a positive direction, there could be NHL players practicing at team facilities during the month of May. That means there could be NHL games at some point in June or July and potentially in the summertime played in front of empty arenas at designated spots across North America.

One component of the NHL season resuming may be that players, coaches, managers and game officials need to remain in quarantine for the duration of their team’s involvement in the regular season and postseason. One variation on that quarantine could involve the players being separated from their families while they play out the season in order to prevent anyone from unknowingly transmitting the coronavirus.

Many players would be separated from their families simply by virtue of all NHL games being played at four designated locations across the league, even if the quarantine factor never came into play.

Torey Krug talked a little about that one particular aspect of resuming the NHL season, and it sounds like that’s going to be a tough sell for the NHLPA when any return date is discussed. Interestingly enough, Krug gets a bit more of the in-depth discussion between the players and the league given his standing as one of the Bruins player NHLPA reps.

“We’re in constant communication receiving updates when we can get them,” said Krug, who serves in tandem with Brandon Carlo as Bruins team reps for the NHLPA. “A lot of is some of the stuff that everybody sees on social media. We’re obviously very hopeful that we can return to play. Some of the potential resume-to-play options are on the table and if we’re able to do it then I just hope we’re able to do it in a very safe and logical way so that we don’t put anybody at risk.

“I think guys want to be with their families at this time, so it would be tough to tear guys away from their families. And things like that. There are so many hurdles to be jumped over in order for us to get running again. Who knows if it will happen? If it does, that would be awesome. We all want a chance to get back and play. If it doesn’t, then it means we’re all taking the steps to get back when we can all be safe and healthy, and then attacking it at a different time.”

Ultimately, the NHL players have signed contracts to finish out the regular season and the playoffs, and they would be compelled to do so if the entire NHLPA membership signed off on a return to action in the coming months.

But Krug was far from the only NHL player who's voiced hesitation about being separated from their family if the season were to resume. A couple of players had Zoom calls with the Habs media in the last week and expressed a preference to punting on the rest of this season since they weren’t going to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“Some players could be away from their families for 3-4 months and I think that's way too much,” said Montreal forward Philip Danault. “I'm not the only one thinking like that, I'm sure."

What does all this mean?

For all the optimism out there that the Stanley Cup will be awarded over the summer, there are still lot of important details to work out while hoping that the coronavirus outbreak continues to flatten in the places hit worst by the global pandemic.

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This Date in Bruins History: B's turn tide vs. Hurricanes with crucial win

By Nick Goss

April 28, 2020 12:32 PM

The Boston Bruins have enjoyed plenty of success on April 28, earning a 5-2 all-time Stanley Cup playoff record on this day.

The team's most recent matchup was an Eastern Conference second- round series opener versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. The B's beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 at Amalie Arena, led by and Rick Nash both scoring twice. Boston also outscored Tampa Bay 3-0 in the third period.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, Game 1 was their finest moment of that series. The Lightning won the next four games to eliminate Boston.

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

April 28 also is the date of the Bruins' Game 4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in their 1999 Eastern Conference quarterfinals series. Boston entered this matchup trailing the series 2-1, but it earned a pivotal 4-1 win at the Garden and eventually won the series in six games. The Bruins did not win another playoff round until 2009.

Here's a recap of other Bruins playoff games on April 28:

1983, Conference Final: 4-1 win vs. Islanders

1979, Semifinal: 5-2 loss at Canadiens

1977, Semifinal: 2-1 win vs. Flyers

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174068 Boston Bruins McQuaid and Brian Sutherby found each other four seconds into the game. McQuaid ended the fight with a devastating right that put Sutherby on the ice.

Distant Replay: Three fights in four seconds defined 2011 Bruins-Stars So long, Rayzor rivalry looked like a long-time Black-and-Gold ace. He’d won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2003-04. Raycroft was only 23 years old. By Fluto Shinzawa But by 2010-11, Raycroft’s role was as a backup. He was on his fifth Apr 28, 2020 team following the June 24, 2006, deal that moved him to Toronto for Tuukka Rask.

That night in net for the Stars, Raycroft got no assistance from his The , of all teams, should not have been one of the Bruins’ teammates, and no quarter from his former comrades in Boston. Once most hated rivals. the fighting died down, Milan Lucic scored 35 seconds into the game. At The frequency of punches exchanged says otherwise. 1:20, Patrice Bergeron gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead. Two shots in and two goals later, Raycroft’s night was over. Kari Lehtonen replaced Raycroft. In 2008, tempers raged between the two clubs. Two seasons later, the hate had not waned. The perception of the Cup-winning Bruins was that they were a heavy team that punished opponents down low in the offensive zone. This is not On Feb. 3, 2011, three fights in the opening four seconds proved the entirely accurate. rivalry was for real. Four months after that night’s 6-3 win, the Bruins lifted the Stanley Cup in Vancouver. That was probably no coincidence. The Bruins generated much of their offense on the rush. They excelled at setting traps on defense, gaining possession and going on the attack. They did not beat the Canucks simply because of the thunder in their fists. But the Bruins’ willingness to throw down signaled perhaps the most Against the Stars, they scored their first four goals on the rush. important trait of the 2010-11 team: togetherness. Prior to Lucic’s goal, Nathan Horton won a puck battle along the wall in They fought because they cared for each other. It was contagious. the defensive zone. Before the second goal, Zdeno Chara started the Against Dallas, the chain reaction of ornery behavior made the Bruins breakout behind his goal line with an underneath pass to Bergeron in the feel 10 feet tall. slot. McQuaid gained control after a defensive-zone faceoff win and initiated the rush that led to Bergeron’s second goal. After Rask stopped As the visiting coach, was first to submit his starting a shot and Chara found the rebound, the fourth line scooted away to set lineup. He could have rolled out skilled players such as or up Thornton’s slapper over Lehtonen’s glove. Brad Richards. On the first three goals, the Bruins executed one of Julien’s signature Instead, Crawford started Steve Ott, Adam Burish and Raymond tactics: filling three lanes. Sawada. Crawford wanted an immediate physical presence. Instead of overloading one side of the ice on the rush, Julien instructed Claude Julien flexed right back. By starting his fourth line of Daniel Paille, his forwards to spread out. This gave opponents trouble. If the puck Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton, the Bruins coach stated that if carrier was racing down one wing, for example, defensemen had to the Stars wanted to play rough, they had willing partners. account for the net-driving forward as well as the wide guy.

Ott was at the center of the Bruins-Stars 2008 fireworks. His low hit on This maneuver was probably the biggest reason the Bruins were such a Stephane Yelle was one of the flashpoints of the earlier fisticuffs. handful on the rush.

That Ott had enemies was not extraordinary. But Ott had a specific Andrew Ference always stood up for his teammates. In the 2008 dustup history with Gregory Campbell. In 2009, when Campbell was in Florida, with the Stars, after Ott wiped out Yelle earlier in the game, Ference Ott laid waste to the unsuspecting center with a clock-cleaning hit. avenged the hit with an open-ice sideswipe of the Dallas agitator. In 2010, Ference jumped David Backes after the then-Blues captain decked So before the puck dropped on Feb. 3, Campbell had a score to settle. Mark Recchi. He ceded the drop to Thornton and lined up at right wing next to Ott. One second into the night, the fight began. It didn’t end well for Campbell, This time, Ference didn’t care for Adam Burish’s post-whistle slap shot bloodied in the process. But it caught Thornton’s attention. on Rask following an offside call. Ference went after Burish and busted his orbital bone. By 2004-05, Barch, 24 years old at the time, was searching for a professional identity. The left-shot forward, taken by Washington in the At 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds, Ference wasn’t a traditional fighter. But he fourth round of the 1998 draft, was in his fourth professional season. That was always willing. And very tough. year, he spent nine games with Norfolk, Chicago’s AHL affiliate at the time. Thornton was one of his teammates. There wasn’t much daylight above Lehtonen’s glove. But at 16:01 of the first period, Thornton hit the perfect spot with a pea of a slapper. Thornton understood his on-ice calling. In 2004-05, Thornton recorded 253 minutes. Naturally, Barch asked Thornton for gloves-off tips. Thornton recorded 1,103 career penalty minutes, just a tad higher than Thornton obliged. As things usually go with tough guys, they ended up his 42 goals. But Thornton was no one-dimensional heavyweight. The squaring off for years to come when they played for opposing clubs. right wing had touch, from the slap shot on Lehtonen to the backhander he lifted over Ondrej Pavelec on a 2012 penalty shot. So after Campbell and Ott tangled, Barch inquired if his ex-teammate wanted to continue hostilities. Thornton agreed. One second later, the Thornton also excelled at putting pucks on net. Consider that in 2010-11, heavyweights engaged. Thornton taught his former student a painful according to Natural Stat Trick, Thornton put 151 of his 238 attempts on lesson. One of Thornton’s punches broke Barch’s orbital bone. goal (63.4 percent). This was a better on-net percentage than Lucic (50.9 percent), Horton (56.3 percent) and Bergeron (57.8 percent), the Bruins’ Thornton treated fighting like a job. Campbell didn’t scrap as often as top three goal-scorers that season. Thornton, but he wasn’t one to say no to confrontation. At 11:21 of the second period, Paille approached Sawada from the right Adam McQuaid? He enjoyed it. and dropped the forward with a blindside hit. Paille was given a two- minute minor for an illegal check to the head and a 10-minute The rugged defenseman liked fighting because he was good at it. At 6- misconduct. A day later, the NHL suspended Paille for four games. foot-4, McQuaid usually had the advantage of height and reach against most of his opponents. If he got a good hold of his partner’s right After the game, Ference acknowledged his teammate had made the shoulder and locked out his left arm, McQuaid was in excellent position wrong play. to throw dangerous punches. “It’s a bad hit, right? That’s what they’re trying to get rid of,” Ference said. “You can’t be hypocritical about it when it happens to you, then say it’s fine when your teammate does it. It’s a hit they’re trying to get rid of. You hear it from every player after they do it. They feel bad. Same thing. I talked to Danny and he feels bad. It’s tough. That backchecking forward, to make those kinds of hits, it’s so hard to do it in a clean fashion with the new rules.”

Ference, always one to speak his mind, had criticized a teammate. , for one, didn’t care for Ference’s comments.

“The guy that got me on this whole thing was Ference,” Cherry said on his Coach’s Corner TV segment. “I don’t care if your teammate is an ax murderer. What you’ve got to say to the guy, you tell him in the dressing room. You tell him that was a dirty hit. You never go to the press like Ference and say that was a bad hit. The kid’s going to lose $23,000 over that. They don’t need a guy like Ference.”

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Sabres' Dylan Cozens unable to play in Rochester because of NHL, CHL agreement

By Lance Lysowski

Published Tue, Apr 28, 2020|Updated Tue, Apr 28, 2020

Spending next season with the is officially off the table for Buffalo Sabres top prospect Dylan Cozens after the announced Tuesday a one-year extension of its agreement with the .

Under the player development contract, a prospect cannot play in the NHL's top until he turns 20 years old or plays four years of major juniors. Cozens won't turn 20 until February 2021 and has played only three full seasons in the CHL's , which ensures he will return to the Lethbridge Hurricanes if he's unable to make the Sabres' roster next season.

The coronavirus outbreak reportedly spoiled the NHL's attempt to amend the player development agreement to allow all CHL drafted prospects, no matter their age, to compete in the after signing an entry-level contract. The AHL's short-term future is uncertain because its two main revenue streams are ticket and sponsorship sales. It's possible the 31-team league cannot operate without fans in arenas.

Cozens, who the Sabres drafted seventh overall in 2019, already had set his sights on making the Sabres' roster at training camp ahead of the 2020-21 season.

"It’s obviously a longer offseason than usual," Cozens told The Buffalo News last month. "A lot of stuff kind of up in the air right now. But I have to focus on being ready to go in and make a good impression on Buffalo. That’s where I want to play. I want to make the jump to the NHL. I have a long offseason here to get myself ready for that, so I’m going to do what I can. That’s the goal. I want to be in Buffalo next season."

Cozens scored 38 goals with 47 assists for 85 points in 51 games this season for the Hurricanes. He was named the WHL's Eastern Conference Player of the Year and won a gold medal with Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship in January, totaling two goals with seven assists in nine tournament games.

Cozens has scored 95 goals with 128 assists for 223 points in 179 regular-season games during his career in Lethbridge. Though he can play on the wing, Cozens is a natural center and is expected to compete with Casey Mittelstadt and Marcus Johansson, among others, to fill the void behind captain .

The NHL also announced a one-year extension of the Player Transfer Agreement with each of the IIHF member leagues/federations in Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Additionally, the NHL completed a one-year Player Transfer Agreement with the Swiss Association and the Swiss National League.

Buffalo News LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174070 Buffalo Sabres into December with a concussion from an elbow to the head by Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak.

If there’s a season restart, Sabres brass and fans won’t have the Diving into the 2020-21 implications of the Sabres’ current salary cap standings to really worry about, but they will have Dahlin’s assists to situation keep an eye on.

Figuring out the roster

By Joe Yerdon Trying to predict what contracts will be like before the cap figure is set and what the escrow level will be for the players is difficult. With a new Apr 28, 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement on the horizon as well, it’s not the best time to try and get a contract done. There are a lot of unknowns that will

get figured out down the road and how teams, players, and agents deal There are so many things up in the air still for this NHL season which will with it will be fascinating. It’s truly unknown territory. also carry over into the 2020-21 season. Perhaps the biggest is the With that said, our friends at Evolving-Hockey projected what they salary cap, which puts the Sabres in a tough position when trying to believe free agents both restricted and not can get. The Sabres have four navigate how they plan to use their cap space. RFAs worth noting: Sam Reinhart, Victor Olofsson, Brandon Montour, Before the novel coronavirus shutdown, the NHL’s upper salary limit was and . expected to be in the neighborhood of $84 million or so. With the league Here’s how their projections work for those players if the salary cap paused and questions remaining on the resolution of the regular season remains at $81.5 million: and Stanley Cup Playoffs, the possibilities of the cap remaining at $81.5 million or even being reduced are possible. Projected Sabres key RFA contracts

It makes projecting how teams can and will use cap space challenging, Sam Reinhart but I’m going to take a stab at it with some help from our friends at CapFriendly.com. It’s possible there will be a lot of turnover next season. 8 The Sabres have 12 players in the organization that are due to become 8.744 unrestricted free agents and another 15 who will be restricted free agents. Previously, I took a look at who should stay and who should go Victor Olofsson among forwards because that’s one area that could see the most turnover. This examination of the cap is going to go deeper to see if 4 these ideas can be done or not. 4.977

Having 27 out of 45 current contracts from the 50-contract limit up for Brandon Montour negotiation is wild. The Sabres also have just over $47 million committed against the 2020-2021 cap. Here’s what that roster looks like. I’ve 3 omitted prospects and current Rochester Americans players. That total also includes $791,667 on Cody Hodgson’s buyout, which counts against 4.802 the Sabres through 2022-2023. Dominik Kahun

The Sabres will have to deal with a couple of key issues during the 2 offseason: One is a new deal for Sam Reinhart, who is due for a raise and a long-term deal. The other is a salary cap overage penalty. That’s 2.912 going to make that seemingly large amount of cap space more difficult to manage. Reinhart is the big one and we’ve done loads of analysis into what he might sign for, most recently in January. Olofsson and Kahun are coming About the coming cap penalty off their entry-level deals and will get raises, but the question is how much. If those numbers are close to the ballpark which they sign for, it Sabres GM Jason Botterill said following the trade deadline that he means nearly $21.5 million to keeping them and puts the Sabres at a knows they’ll have a cap overage penalty next season. John Vogl went virtual salary of $68,451,667 – and with the $1.725 million cap penalty — into detail about what that means and where that comes from. Currently they’ll have $11,773,333 to spend. Here’s how that roster looks: the Sabres have three players on long-term injured reserve (Vladimir Sobotka, Matt Hunwick, and Tage Thompson) and their projected cap hit That leaves Buffalo with five starting forward spots to fill as well as two is $82.8 million — $1.3 million over the upper limit. extra skaters and re-signing Linus Ullmark.

Depending on how the season concludes and whether or not the Sabres Ullmark is due for a raise on his $1.325 million salary. His 2019-2020 have more games to play will affect how much that overage could be. deal resembled Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo’s contract closely. CapFriendly kindly indulged a request to ballpark what the penalty for Korpisalo just re-signed with Columbus for two years, $5.6 million (a $2.8 next season could be based on how things stand right now. That’s very million cap hit). For argument sake, let’s say Ullmark gets a similar deal. important to note because the NHL is working on plans to restart the That leaves the Sabres with $8,973,333 left against their cap. season. We haven’t even looked at the 12 UFAs-to-be or the 11 other RFAs yet. Right now, the Sabres would have a salary overage of $1.275 million because they’re projected to be over the cap and have bonuses due to Tough choices Rasmus Dahlin worth $850,000 and Henri Jokiharju worth $425,000. Trying to fill out the rest of the roster with less than $9 million to spend is Victor Olofsson did not hit any of his bonuses for games played this not going to be easy. It also means the team may not be much better. season. If the cap stays at $81.5 million, it means the Sabres would have up to $80,225,000 to spend on salaries. That’s not ideal. Let’s start off with the assumption Dylan Cozens will be playing in Buffalo and not Lethbridge again next season. We’re aware of the risks of putting It could get worse if the season restarts. a young player into a situation with a lot of early expectations as we’ve Dahlin has another bonus in his contract that earns him an extra $2 seen with Casey Mittelstadt. Cozens is coming off a tremendous WHL million if he finishes in the top-10 of defensemen in assists. That bonus season in which he’s a finalist for league player of the year. His entry- would become a penalty against the cap next season and balloon level deal would have a cap hit of $925,000 and would be ripe with bonus overage to $3.275 million, leaving the Sabres with $78,225,000 to spend. opportunities.

As it is now, Dahlin’s 36 assists put him two behind Cale Makar and Tony We’ll also figure Arttu Ruotsalainen will be in North America full-time next DeAngelo, who are tied for ninth, three behind Neal Pionk in eighth, and season. If the Sabres could’ve kept him here this season, they would four back of Torey Krug, Keith Yandle, and Ryan Suter who are each tied have, but his entry-level deal had a clause in it which stated he had to go for fifth. Recall that Dahlin missed eight games at the end of November back to his team in Finland if he did not make the NHL. The second and third years of his contract do not have that stipulation. He had his best pro season, with 43 points in 44 games with Ilves in Liiga this year. Whether he’s a fixture in Buffalo or Rochester is to be determined, but land a four-year contract with a cap hit of $3.074 million. With $7,123,333 we’ll put him in Buffalo for now with a $925,000 cap hit. left to the cap, does it make sense to retain him at that cost? Doing so would leave Buffalo with $4,049,333 to spend on four more players. If That leaves three forwards and two extra skaters left to add with Lazar stays and gets a raise, (Evolving-Hockey says $813,200), that $7,123,333 to spend. That gives us a budget of 1,424,667 per player, so could work, but it makes it tight. Here’s what that would look like: let’s deal with the qualifying offers for the rest of the restricted free agents. This is an area which the Sabres have a lot of leverage with their This roster comes in with a cap hit of $79,611,242 with $1,888,758 of cap more NHL-ready players. space. Keep in mind, if the season is re-started and Dahlin hits the bonus, that adds another $2 million to their cap overage penalty and Sabres 2020 RFA qualifying offers means either only carrying one extra skater or not being able to re-sign Tage Thompson Larsson. It’s a delicate balance.

832,500 If the plan is to fill out the ranks with players accepting their qualifying offers and free agents who are looking to catch on and play for anyone 874,125 (two-way) for as close to league minimum ($700,000) as they’re willing to swallow, then that’s doable. If it means elevating players through Rochester like Casey Mittelstadt Jean-Sebastien Dea, Rasmus Asplund, C.J. Smith, William Borgen, 832,500 Jacob Bryson, and Casey Fitzgerald, that means putting a ton of pressure on your top players to perform and stay healthy. 874,125 (two-way) It also means walking away from most, if not all, of the other UFAs-to-be. Curtis Lazar Letting Zemgus Girgensons, Wayne Simmonds, Scott Wilson, Michael Frolik, and Jimmy Vesey go to fill out the roster with cheaper free agents 700,000 and mostly unproven prospects doesn’t sound like a great plan unless 735,000 (two-way) those prospects all blossom. That’s too risky, especially for a team that’s looking to get back to the playoffs. It’s the kind of move made by teams Jonas Johansson that have found themselves hard against the cap after years of sustained success. 700,000 Conclusion 735,000 This is a tricky exercise to examine with so many variables left to sort out Taylor Leier regarding the remainder of 2019-2020, revenue, and how to adjust the 700,000 cap and escrow for 2020-2021. Taking all of this with a grain of salt is wise because it can all change in a moment, affecting contract 735,000 (two-way) negotiations that will have to see some expectations altered.

Lawrence Pilut However, the oodles of cap space the Sabres appear to have on the 832,500 surface is a bit of a mirage. Even if the NHL economy needs a season to get figured out after this paused one is finally concluded, issues wait 874,125 (two-way) down the road. Rasmus Dahlin is eligible to sign an extension once the offseason kicks off. The team’s prospect coffers are always in need of Remi Elie restocking, but most of the top-end talent is in Buffalo or soon will be.

700,000 The ways to take pressure off this potential situation are to either make 735000 (two-way) low-ball offers to the players or to make a trade (or two) to loosen up the salary cap pressure. Whether that means moving someone like Rasmus Andrew Oglevie Ristolainen or moving one of the RFAs who are asking for more than management is comfortable with seems obvious. If there’s a rollback of 832,500 the salary cap, it’s possible a compliance buyout could be included, but 874,125 (two-way) banking on that happening would be foolhardy right now. Regardless, there’s a lot of work ahead for Jason Botterill and these decisions are Brandon Hickey only made more difficult by the situation.

832,500

874,125 (two-way) The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 Matthew Spencer

700,000

735,000 (two-way)

Not every RFA gets a qualifying offer (those who don’t become unrestricted free agents) but every RFA that does get one doesn’t have to accept it. For guys like Reinhart, Olofsson, Kahun, and Montour, there’s no way they’d accept them for less money. The same likely applies to Ullmark as well. For the rest of this group, they don’t have much leverage.

Pilut spent most of the season in Rochester and struggled in Buffalo when he did play. Thompson is coming off shoulder surgery that ended his season and will have him rehabbing all summer. Mittelstadt is in Rochester after struggling in Buffalo. He’s also a 10.2(c) RFA (check the NHL CBA to read about that) because he hasn’t had three pro seasons to be a standard Group 2 RFA and he cannot receive an offer sheet. Some teams still use offer sheets, right?

Lazar has had a solid season with Buffalo and likely would want to parlay that into a raise. This is where some may say keeping Lazar and letting Johan Larsson walk would be a good, frugal move. It would be financially wise, yes, but Larsson has proved to be very valuable in his role, and like I argued before, he’s worth keeping. Evolving-Hockey projects him to 1174071 “I needed some maturity, just physically, and another year was perfect for me,” Pettersen said. “I wanted to win a national championship. Obviously, that’s not what panned out. But we had a good run and a great team.” Flames become latest team to bank on a return investment from Emilio Pettersen No one likes to see drafted college prospects wriggle their way into free agency. Therefore, getting Pettersen to sign the three-year deal on Monday stands as a sweet checkmark.

By Scott Cruickshank Because for the Flames, like many in the hockey racket, the business continues, global crisis or not. Apr 28, 2020 “What I noticed was that the first week or two, there was just the shock

that we all felt — I’m sure you felt the same way,” Schall said, who based Without ever seeing the boy play live, the University of Denver recruiters in Philadelphia. “Then a week to 10 days later, people started to call … made a pitch. so, gradually, it creeps back. It’s such a fine line because there are doctors putting their lives on the line — and we aren’t — so you want to Without ever visiting the campus, Emilio Pettersen, then a 14-year-old be respectful. phenom in his native Norway, accepted. “But at some point, Emilio’s earned this and now he deserves a fair Interesting circumstances. contract.”

“Yeah, I would say they are pretty rare,” David Carle said, a DU assistant The Flames have not been sitting idly by during the pause in the season, in those days and the Pioneers’ head coach nowadays. snaring a pair of left-handed defenders — North Dakota’s Colton Poolman and Connor Mackey of Minnesota State University, to stock the But, with a real plum in play, they’d found themselves at the queue’s prospect cupboard. front. No other schools were in the conversation. Plus they had access to inside intelligence. Also incoming, according to reports, is another blueliner, Johannes Kinnvall, a 22-year-old right-hander who led his Swedish league team, One of the DU staffers was Joe Clark, who had coached for years in HV71 Jonkoping, in scoring this past season. Norway, including the 1996-97 season when his leading scorer for Manglerud was a smallish forward by the name of Flemming Pettersen. Unlike those young rearguards, Pettersen is a drafted commodity, taken 167th overall in 2018. “Joe had a really strong connection with Emilio’s father,” Carle said. “We got video on Emilio, spoke to his family, developed a relationship.” Which, given his undeniable progress, makes for a whale of a tale and a rip-snorter of a pull in the sixth round. Scholarship dangled, scholarship snatched. “Obviously, we felt he was a really good value pick,” Carle said. “If you A year later, DU representatives finally got a load of Pettersen in action. would’ve asked us, he would’ve gone higher.” At the time he was starring for Selects Hockey Academy’s U16 squad out of Kent, Conn. Fair to say, his performance at that Boston tourney left the Added Schall: “There are certainly some players that went ahead of him Pioneers with no regrets about the fast-tracked proposal. that I had no doubt he would eventually prove to be better than.”

“The one thing I remember about him? Any time Emilio got on the ice, Schall explains that Pettersen skated his junior days — with the Omaha you could just tell and sense that the game went to a different level — it Lancers and the Muskegon Lumberjacks — in the USHL, which he was the level that he wanted to play at,” Carle said. “The pace and describes as a circuit generally dominated by older players. “So it’s really aggressiveness in wanting to make an impact … you knew when he was hard for a 16-, 17-year-old to have an impact, especially offensively, getting on the ice, he wanted to do something special. especially a smaller guy. So the numbers he put up there (73 points in 117 outings) were very impressive, considering.” “That really stood out, the first time watching him play.” Everywhere he goes, it seems, he manages to find his footing. Three years later, he arrived in Denver and did not disappoint. Pettersen — these days bunkered at his girlfriend’s house on Long Solid as a freshman in 2018-19. Sensational as a sophomore, collecting Beach Island, N.J. — likes the idea that he’s surprising a chunk of the 35 points in 36 games and earning recognition as the team’s offensive hockey world. player of the year. “Yeah, I feel I’ve definitely developed quickly,” said the 5-foot-10, 182- “We were always really confident in what we had in him,” Carle said. “We pounder. “I always felt that I had a little more to give. These last two were always comfortable in how dynamic of a player he could be for us.” years I feel like I’ve not maxed out on my potential, but I’ve gotten to The latest team banking on a return for its investment? The Calgary express more of it.” Flames. not unlike DU, were willing to bet on Pettersen making a A natural centreman, he had been shifted to left wing in Denver where he difference — one day. took a regular shift on the top line from Day 1 and spent time on the After drafting him in 2018, the organization keenly monitored his progress power play. Had Pettersen stayed longer, Carle planned to use him on for two seasons. the penalty kill, too.

Convinced by scouting reports and live viewings, the Flames shoved an “He catches your eye with the pace,” Carle said. “He’s just kind of entry-level deal across the table a month ago. different. When the puck’s on his stick, you know something’s going to happen. His edges and his skills … and the mentality of wanting to make This, though, was no pressure-ploy by an NHL club trying to pry a kid out an impact just further accentuates it.” of school. Flames boss , in fact, told the Pettersen camp in advance that “there is no wrong answer here,” according to agent Alec A pair of D-words are frequently used to sum up his approach — driven Schall. “So Emilio decided what was best for him.” and dynamic. Pettersen embraces the former, a nod to self-propelled dedication. As for the latter? He’ll let others make that determination. Not that it had been a snap decision. Pettersen mulled, talked to those close to him, mulled some more. He liked Denver, really liked his “I like to think that I make my teammates better,” he said. “If you put me teammates, his coaches. with any player, I’m going to work as hard as I can to give him the puck. I’m a hard-working player that gets what he earns. “It definitely took a lot of thinking,” Pettersen said, who turned 20 earlier this month. “But my judgment and the decision I made, I’m really happy “If I’m not working hard, then I’m not going to get the puck — and the with.” opposite.”

He acknowledges that there had been an opportunity for him to turn pro a Off-ice maturity earns him rave reviews, too. As part of the young man’s year earlier. That scenario, though, he’d barely considered. “polite” personality, Carle notes his manners — pleases and thank yous to everyone. Schall describes him as “nice” and “thoughtful.” He talks about how Pettersen travelled solo to North America to attend prep school. “There’s not a lot of 14-year-olds who’ll go to the airport (in Oslo), fly over to the U.S., get from JFK airport in New York up to Connecticut to get to school. He’s an incredibly independent kid.”

A kid no more, Pettersen now officially plays hockey for a living. He’s keen to get stronger, to add weight to his frame, to figure out where he fits in.

From afar, he’s always admired the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau and Sidney Crosby.

“I wouldn’t say I’m anything like those players,” Pettersen said, “but you look up to those guys. You want to be like them, right?

“Come October, I want to be in my best shape and I want to just do me and do what I’ve always done — work hard. You’ll earn what you get.”

The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174072 Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina Hurricanes Foundation makes $478,000 in grants for 2019-20 season

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

APRIL 28, 2020 12:52 PM

The Carolina Hurricanes announced Tuesday that the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation donated $478,000 during the 2019-20 season, including cash grants, to 26 local nonprofits and youth hockey organizations in North Carolina.

The grant cycle brings the Foundation and team’s donation totals to more than $16 million in cash grants and in-kind services since 1997.

“The Foundation always strives to be an agent of change, and impact the community and state we call home,” Jon Chase, executive director of the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation, said in a statement. “The grants always have value, but are even more important as these are awarded at a time where our community partners need us more than ever due to the impact of COVID-19. We are proud to support these nonprofits and amplify their message and impact throughout the year. Thank you to the team, our players, our corporate sponsors and all of our individual supporters for making these grants possible.”

GOAL (Growing Opportunities and Leaders) Grants are distributed in $50,000 increments for a total of $150,000 over three years to three organizations. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is in its first year of funding, The Green Chair Project is in its second year of funding and Families Moving Forward is in its third and final year of funding.

The Foundation issued 15 Game Changer Grants during their grant cycle, totaling $150,000. The Game Changer Grant recipients are: CAM Raleigh, City of Oaks Foundation, Exchange Family Center, PLM Families Together and SOAR Outreach at the $5,000 level; A Lotta Love, Assistance League of the Triangle, Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, The Daniel Center for Math and Science and Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science at the $10,000 level; and El Futuro, Gigi’s Playhouse Raleigh, HopeLine, InterAct and TABLE at the $15,000 level.

Future Canes Grants were awarded to seven youth hockey organizations, totaling $118,000. Provided to grow the sport of hockey throughout North Carolina, the funds go toward scholarships and program costs to ensure that children who are otherwise unable to play ice hockey for various reasons are given the opportunity to play.

The Future Canes Grant recipients are: Defending the Blue Line, Cape Fear Youth Hockey Association, Greensboro Youth Hockey Association, Raleigh Youth Hockey Association, Triangle Special Hockey Association, Triangle Youth Hockey of North Carolina and Winston-Salem Youth Hockey Association.

The Hurricanes’ corporate partners included the Carolina Ale House for the Points for Kids and Hearts for the Hurricanes campaigns, and LS Tractor for its support of youth hockey by contributing for every goal scored by the team.

News Observer LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174073 Carolina Hurricanes In all seriousness, what a shame for both sides of this situation. No one could have predicted a pandemic at the trade deadline, and it looked like Vatanen was on the road to a quick recovery from the injury the Hurricanes knew he had when they traded for him — a lower-body injury Who stays and who goes? Analyzing the Hurricanes’ pending free agents (don’t you miss that term?) from blocking a shot. Due to a setback in that recovery, and then a paused NHL season, Vatanen may never play even

one game in a Hurricanes jersey. By Sara Civian Sure, the Hurricanes could and might try to re-sign him — his current, Apr 28, 2020 $2,437,500 cap hit is an excellent value for what he provides, but it would make just as much sense for both parties to move on from what will likely end up being an unfortunately failed experiment.

The Hurricanes made one of their biggest trade-deadline splashes in Minor-league unrestricted free agents franchise history in 2019-20, as they were in the playoff hunt but down several pieces. The moves left them with $977,250 in final cap space, Forwards Steven Lorentz and Max McCormick and goalie Anton and an $82,410,912 cap hit — eighth highest in the league, according to Forsberg are the Hurricanes’ current non-roster pending free agents. It’s Cap Friendly. always good to have presumably inexpensive veterans like Gibbons and McCormick around, and McCormick has (some more presumably None of us knows exactly what the NHL will look like when play inexpensive) potential — I could see the Hurricanes re-signing both for continues, but considering the loss of revenue, it’s a fair bet the current cheap. As for Forsberg, he was good in Charlotte, and at times fine in the $81.5 million salary cap won’t get any higher. If you take away the NHL while Petr Mrazek and James Reimer were both hurt, but I’m not pending unrestricted free agents, the Hurricanes already have sure whether he was the exact reliable replacement the Hurricanes $73,873,412 committed to 2020-21 contracts, meaning about $7,626,588 would have hoped for. I could see this going either way. to play with — about $633,000 more considering Justin Faulk’s retained salary will expire. When you consider the Hurricanes will need to pay Restricted free agents restricted free agents Haydn Fleury and Warren Foegele — and gear up Warren Foegele to eventually re-sign Dougie Hamilton, at least one goalie and RFA Andrei Svechnikov in what will be monster contracts all before the 2021- The Hurricanes obviously love Foegele and the jolt he brings to the 22 season, things get tricky. lineup. You can plug him in anywhere and he’ll give 120 percent. He’s also Svechnikov’s sidekick. It’s a no-brainer to me that the Canes will With our handy dandy deductive reasoning skills, we can now make an figure this deal out somewhat painlessly; the question is how much is he educated guess that this will be a relatively quiet free-agency period for worth? the Hurricanes. Maybe there will be a shocker, but that would almost definitely mean one, if not several, of their own free agents won’t re-sign. We’ll dive deeper into that in the coming weeks. That’s a very real possibility regardless. Haydn Fleury Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming free-agency situation. This was finally Fleury’s breakout year, as I’ve seemed to mention in Unrestricted free agents every sentence for the past eight articles. The fact the Canes can sign him for relatively cheap, he’s still pretty young at 23 and he could replace Trevor van Riemsdyk one of the more expensive pending UFAs makes this a pretty sure bet. Van Riemsdyk is probably the toughest call for the Hurricanes on their list of upcoming free agents. The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 He’s turned into a favorite in the locker room and among fans since signing with the Canes in 2018. I suppose you could consider him as much of a veteran presence as a 28-year-old can be, considering his experience winning the Cup in Chicago — that experience was obvious during the Hurricanes’ playoff run last season before he got injured.

He’s a reliable second- or third-pairing defenseman at a modest $2.3 million cap hit. Problem is, the Hurricanes have a lot of those.

Pending RFA Haydn Fleury has proved capable in that position with an intriguing ceiling, for a contract that could look pretty similar. Of all the defensemen we’re about to cover on this list, I think van Riemsdyk is the most likely to stay so long as he hovers around his $2.3 million cap hit. It’s likely he could find a better contract somewhere else with a more urgent need for a defenseman, and I’d expect him to play the field a bit, but if he’s happy with his situation and wants a shot at another Cup, it might work out.

Joel Edmundson

One return in the infamous Faulk trade: Edmundson’s $3.1 million cap hit for one season. Edmundson’s short time with the Hurricanes has had some interesting ups and downs so far.

He fit right in in the locker room and appeared to be doing the same on the ice at the beginning of the season — incidentally, Faulk started off struggling in St Louis. I think the Hamilton and Brett Pesce injuries were difficult for Edmundson, as the Hurricanes had him playing in so many different situations day in and day out. I think he’s an excellent third- pairing defenseman, but with Brady Skjei now in the mix and Hamilton and Pesce returning next season, a $3.1 million third-pairing defenseman might be a bit of a luxury for the Canes if they’re trying to save up.

Sami Vatanen

Vatanen will always be a Hurricanes legend. For sure getting his number hanging up at PNC Arena. 1174074

John McDonough calls his time with the Chicago Blackhawks ‘the ride of a lifetime’

By PHIL THOMPSON

CHICAGO TRIBUNE|

APR 28, 2020 | 2:13 PM

Former Blackhawks president and CEO John McDonough thanked the team’s owners and fans for their past support in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Chairman Rocky Wirtz fired McDonough on Monday, which Wirtz characterized as a “difficult decision to embrace change.”

McDonough said through a team statement, “Rocky Wirtz gave me an amazing opportunity to preside over the Chicago Blackhawks 12½ years ago. It was the ride of a lifetime.”

McDonough, a marketing innovator who helped pioneer the first Cubs Convention in 1986, thanked fans, Hawks players and other employees and the Wirtz family, which hired him in 2007.

“I will be forever grateful to them and proud of what we accomplished together,” said McDonough, who along with general manager Stan Bowman presided over three Stanley Cup titles.

The Hawks were on pace to miss the postseason for the third straight season. They haven’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs since winning the Cup in 2015.

“Blackhawks fans are so incredibly passionate and loyal and are deserving of a consistent winner,” McDonough said.

Column: Chicago Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz is a popular team owner. Will that change after he fired John McDonough, the man who made him? »

Danny Wirtz, who helped run Rocky Wirtz’s alcohol distributor Breakthru Beverage Group while also serving as Hawks vice president, will act as interim president while the search for a permanent replacement for McDonough gets underway.

McDonough said in Tuesday’s statement, “I wish Danny Wirtz well in his new role, and I am confident the organization will have success in the search for a new President.

“My late father used a phrase sparingly but impactfully to describe those he found to be the most dignified, respectful and worthy of admiration. He would say they had ‘class a la mode.’ That perfectly describes the Wirtz family and the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Good luck. I’ll always be pulling for you.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174075 Chicago Blackhawks Coach Jeremy Colliton? He was just hired in November 2018. General manager Stan Bowman? Possibly, but his dad is Scotty

Bowman, the Hawks’ senior adviser of hockey operations. McDonough’s firing another case of “What have you done for me lately?” Executive vice president Jay Blunk? He was tight with McDonough, always his right-hand man, even with the Cubs. But he wasn’t the main guy. He likely is going to have to pledge his fealty to the Wirtzes. By Rick Telander Indeed, the inside word is that McDonough wanted to treat the Hawks as Apr 28, 2020, 7:26pm CDT his team, as in his. That never sits well when a family-run venture wants to circle its own wagons, run off the infidels, hoist its flags.

Rocky Wirtz is putting his rich arms around this hockey thing, saying, in Blackhawks with Obama in 2013 essence: ‘‘This was my grandfather’s, my dad’s, mine, my son’s, and it The thing that never ceases to amaze me about life is that the people will stay with us through the ages.’’ who grind the sausage eventually get ground up themselves. That’s his right — just as he dumped McDonough’s favorite ad agency, Chicago politicians — male and female — head off to jail. Big shots at Ogilvy, for his son’s own venture, a start-up called Varyer that is run by Enron do time. The raccoon that ate the frog that ate the spider that ate former Pitchfork music guys. It stays in the family. The Wirtz empire the fly is splattered on the shoulder of the highway. grows and grows.

In sports, this evolutionary reduction is a constant happening. And the sausage grinder grinds on.

For example, John McDonough, who presided over the most thrilling, dynamic period in Blackhawks history — three Stanley Cup Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 championships in six seasons — was spun through the grinder Monday by owner Rocky Wirtz.

McDonough, the president of the Hawks for 12½ years, shockingly got his walking papers from Wirtz the same way so many employees got theirs from McDonough himself through the years.

I always wonder how people feel when they see the person who axed them get the ax themselves. Me, I’ve never actually been fired from anything, though there have been times when the blade was swinging close enough to my neck for a nice shave.

But I was a freelance writer for a number of years at the start of my career, and each rejection of an idea I had or a story, treatment or earnest outline I wrote was like a knife through my heart. The pain is so well-remembered. It was like a chunk of my worth was removed and never returned.

McDonough wrote an online farewell statement on official Blackhawks Media Advisory stationery, and it was courteous and upbeat. The Hawks are, as McDonough’s father once told him of dignified objects, ‘‘class a la mode.’’

He wished Wirtz’s son Danny, now the Hawks’ interim president, all the best and added: ‘‘I am confident the organization will have success in the search for a new president.’’

After you cut through McDonough’s happy tone — he previously was a sales and marketing whiz with the Cubs and was credited with starting the wildly popular Cubs Convention, remember — you might think this: Maybe the new president is sitting in the chair right now.

Danny Wirtz is, after all, a Wirtz. He’s a sharp guy and has his fingers in a lot of ventures, including the massive Wirtz Beverage Group. It’s also possible he might not want to be the Hawks’ president.

But one thing’s for sure with the McDonough firing: Rocky Wirtz, the man who hired him away from the Cubs in 2007, is a billionaire who is going to keep the Hawks in the family — and keep them close.

The three Stanley Cup titles that came while McDonough was overseeing things are a legacy that always will shine brightly. But it might never happen again.

Putting together ice geniuses such as , and with a coach such as Joel ‘‘The Mustache’’ Quenneville — that in itself is a type of genius.

But it goes fast, that glory. What have you done for us lately, sir? It’s the mantra of pro sports. And the Hawks have given us blah lately.

Their combined record the last three seasons is 101-103-30, and they were seventh, sixth and seventh (when the season was halted last month) in their seven-team division. The axman will cometh after that.

And McDonough’s head-rolling might have been a shock to many fans — the Hawks haven’t even played a game in more than six weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic — but when a scapegoat is needed, well, you look around to see who’s available. 1174076 Chicago Blackhawks

John McDonough calls time with Blackhawks ‘ride of a lifetime’

Staff Report

By Associated Press

Apr 28, 2020, 3:24pm CDT

“I wish Danny Wirtz well in his new role, and I am confident the organization will have success in the search for a new president,” John McDonough said in a statement.

Former Blackhawks president John McDonough, in his first public comments since he was fired, called his time with the team “the ride of a lifetime.”

McDonough also praised owner Rocky Wirtz and his family in a statement released by the team on Tuesday, one day after he was dismissed.

“My late father used a phrase sparingly but impactfully to describe those he found to be the most dignified, respectful and worthy of admiration,” McDonough said. “He would say they had ‘class à la mode.’ That perfectly describes the Wirtz family and the Chicago Blackhawks.”

The 66-year-old McDonough provided no clues on the circumstances surrounding his surprise departure. In the team statement announcing the change on Monday, Rocky Wirtz pointed to the coronavirus crisis and the suspension of the NHL season as an opportunity to assess the team’s direction.

McDonough was president of the Cubs before he was hired by Wirtz in 2007. McDonough’s arrival was a key moment in the Blackhawks’ climb from one of the worst franchises in sports to the top of the NHL.

McDonough helped revamp the team’s business operations while star forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane powered Chicago to the Stanley Cup title in 2010, 2013 and 2015. While the business side of the franchise remains in good shape, the Blackhawks haven’t made the playoffs since 2017.

McDonough’s departure could lead to massive changes across the organization. Danny Wirtz, Rocky’s 43-year-old son and a vice president with the team, is replacing McDonough on an interim basis.

“I wish Danny Wirtz well in his new role, and I am confident the organization will have success in the search for a new president,” McDonough said in his statement.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174077 Chicago Blackhawks would be understandable. Hawks fans, a discerning group, have been vocal about their displeasure with the post-dynasty slide. They happen to be the people who buy the tickets.

The firing of John McDonough and the slow drip of the Blackhawks’ Is more change on the way? Ask the new president, whomever he is and decline whenever he shows up.

By Rick Morrissey@MorrisseyCST Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.29.2020

Apr 27, 2020, 6:29pm CDT

The Blackhawks fired president John McDonough, who was part of the franchise’s three Stanley Cup titles in the 2010s.

Anyone can be fired. If you somehow had been under the impression that wasn’t true, you got a good first taste of it in 2018, when the Blackhawks dumped hugely popular and successful coach . But in case that didn’t quite register, the Hawks’ firing of team president John McDonough on Monday surely brings home the point for good.

Nobody is safe. I used to think general manager Stan Bowman could survive a nuclear attack, but he and coach Jeremy Colliton look especially vulnerable now.

McDonough’s shocking ouster is another reminder that the 2010s are over and that the skating in place the Hawks have done for the better part of five years isn’t enough. As though you needed another reminder.

Chairman Rocky Wirtz hired away McDonough from the Cubs in 2007 to modernize the Hawks’ off-ice operations — and modernize, he did. Mostly what he did was sweep away the backwardness of the organization while welcoming back some of the icons of the past, including and .

That gust of fresh air coincided perfectly with the arrivals of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. What followed was an incredible burst of success and civic energy. The Hawks won Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Chicago celebrated.

McDonough was known as a taskmaster in the office and a man who knew how to shake a hand and slap a shoulder outside of it. He received a lot of the credit for the Hawks’ re-emergence, some of it at the expense of former GM . But what couldn’t be argued was the success. It was massive.

Was, past tense.

‘‘It will take a new mindset to successfully transition the organization to win both on and off the ice,’’ Wirtz said in a statement.

In the days and weeks to come, perhaps we’ll find out what the off-the- ice failings were that sent McDonough into the street. For now, we’re left to look at five years of not much of anything as a major clue.

One thing is sure: The drip, drip, drip of slow decline isn’t much of a spectator sport.

Maybe it was better that Michael Jordan’s Bulls ended the way they did. It was a sudden death, as opposed to what has gone on with the Hawks. Bulls general manager Jerry Krause pushed out coach Phil Jackson, causing Jordan to retire and many of the champion Bulls to scatter to the four corners of the NBA. Finality. Winter set in, and we bundled up.

This way, this slow demise, has been cold in its own dull way. Death by salary cap? There’s no drama in that, just the sight of good players getting more money to play elsewhere. We’ve had to watch Toews go from superstar to something less. When Jordan retired after the 1997-98 season, we thought it was for good. We had seen him win his sixth title and sixth Finals Most Valuable Player award, and we knew we had seen him still at the top at the end.

That he chose to play again with the Wizards a few years later was disturbing, but it was also out of sight, out of mind for Bulls fans. If it didn’t happen at the , it didn’t happen.

The Hawks’ dynasty hasn’t gone away gracefully. Maybe Wirtz had gotten sick of the losing and the lack of progress. Who knows? He recently had told The Athletic that McDonough, Bowman and Colliton would be back next season. Something changed.

Sometimes it takes new people to see things for what they really are. If Wirtz came to the conclusion that major change was needed, it certainly 1174078 Chicago Blackhawks

Former DH Cubs columnist has a few words with McDonough

Updated

4/28/2020 6:37 PM

In a social media post, former Daily Herald Cubs columnist Bruce Miles recalls a visit with John McDonough at the United Center.

I arrived at the United Center in good time to cover a Blackhawks game on Jan. 7, 2019. I was filling in that night for Daily Herald beat writer John Dietz.

I was in the group doing the pregame interview with coach Jeremy Colliton when Adam Rogowin of the Hawks pulled me aside and said, "John wants to see you in his office."

That would be team president John McDonough, my old friend from the Cubs.

I thought, "What did I do?"

John welcomed me at his office, and as it turned out, he just wanted to visit. We did so for a good 20 minutes before the game. I said, "See, John, I wore a tie just for you." He said that whenever he leaves the Hawks, the staff would have a tie-burning party.

Yes, John is a tough taskmaster with his employees, some of whom did not like him. As far as I was concerned, John was great. With the Cubs, he was readily available and always quotable. I was shocked when he left the Cubs for the Hawks, and I covered his news conference at the United Center.

After all these years, I'm not easily shocked, but his firing by the Hawks is pretty stunning.

With a doff of my chapeau, I wish him well.

Bruce Miles

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174079 Chicago Blackhawks The Hawks are in a much different situation. A new regime might come in and decide to completely blow up everything. Dump high-salary guys like Andrew Shaw, Calvin de Haan, Olli Maatta and Smith for literally nothing in an effort to start over. Trade Brandon Saad for picks and/or a can't- Dietz: Is Wirtz done with Blackhawks' housecleaning? miss prospect. Buyouts are possible as well.

Toews and Keith may be asked if they're willing to be moved.

John McDonough is introduced at last year's Blackhawks Convention. Everything should be on the table because staying the course likely means more mediocre seasons.

That's the equivalent of the sports abyss -- a place the Hawks were in not John Dietz that long ago. Follow @johndietzdh Bold moves -- like the one to hire McDonough 13 years ago -- are what Updated turn things around.

4/28/2020 6:21 PM Get ready for a bumpy ride in the meantime.

As this year's NHL trade deadline drew closer, Blackhawks general Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 manager Stan Bowman had a difficult decision to make.

Should he leave the roster mostly intact so that Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Co. could make a run at the playoffs?

Or should he unload what he could to build for the future?

Bowman worked the phones on potential deals for Erik Gustafsson, Robin Lehner and others, but day after day no deals were announced. It wasn't until the eleventh hour that Bowman unloaded Gustafsson and Lehner -- and the return was rather weak in both cases.

At that point, it was fair to wonder if chairman Rocky Wirtz and others in the organization began thinking: "Enough is enough. Perhaps it's time for a change."

Change came in a big way Monday when Wirtz released John McDonough from his duties as president and CEO. Was it McDonough who held up Bowman in the days leading up to the deadline with the hopes the Hawks could go on a winning streak to stay in the playoff picture?

Considering how inconsistent the Hawks were playing, the playoffs seemed like a pipe dream -- and that's exactly what it was as coach Jeremy Colliton's squad dropped three of four after beating Calgary Feb. 15.

The third loss came Feb. 23 at Dallas, two days before the deadline.

Does all of this mean Bowman will be following McDonough out the door?

It's possible, and that could spell the end for Colliton, since rare is the GM who comes in and retains the head coach.

That could change, especially if the new GM:

• Believes Colliton has what it takes to develop the emerging talent on the Hawks and in their pipeline.

• Talks to some of the veterans and finds how much they enjoy playing for Colliton.

Longtime veteran Zack Smith told me: "Jeremy's definitely got his style and he's a guy you want to play for. He's a very positive guy, which is a nice change for a lot of guys. He obviously wants the best for you."

The Hawks are a complicated mess behind the scenes. Big egos are involved and those people don't always work that well together. Losing amplifies all of that, which in the end may have led to McDonough's ousting.

Will his departure help?

I believe it might.

The Hawks need someone to come in with fresh eyes, someone who can give an honest evaluation for every single player on the roster, in the minors and in the system.

Look what the did last season. They canned general manager Peter Chiarelli in January 2019, and hired , who overhauled the roster. He brought in lesser-known vets who knew how to win and could work well with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

And boom -- the Oilers became extremely dangerous. 1174080 Chicago Blackhawks The result was McDonough made unpopular calls involving very popular personalities. He built an organization out of nothing on the business and hockey sides, and what exists now -- three Stanley Cups later -- is one of the best franchises in all of sports. Rozner: Pressure now on Blackhawks' Rocky Wirtz to get it right Obviously, the last few years on the ice have been difficult, and it is no easy task trying to make the playoffs and rebuild at the same time.

Barry Rozner It hasn't worked and that's probably why McDonough was fired Monday. As of Tuesday, he told friends he still did not know why he was let go, but Follow @BarryRozner to understand Rocky is to believe that he did not want to meddle, that he Updated believed in being "hands off" and following the chain of command.

4/28/2020 10:16 PM So rather than tell McDonough to fire Stan Bowman or perhaps argue about the future of the front office and the direction of the team even if Bowman stays, he chose a clean break from the team president.

There was a time 15 or 20 years ago when I would mention in passing to There is nothing else logical, especially since McDonough had a long- my Daily Herald bosses Doug Ray and John Lampinen that if I should term deal and doesn't currently have a clue why he was bounced. happen to vanish from the planet, they will want to point the cops to West Madison Street. There will be speculation that McDonough rubbed too many people the wrong way and that he was a nightmare to work for, something he readily That's where they ought to start, in the Blackhawks' front office. and frequently admitted, but you can't argue with the success the Hawks had under him. On the long list of those who have ever hated me, no one had more interest in seeing me disappear than Bill and Peter Wirtz. He rid the Hawks of the frauds, of the lazy and of the underachieving, and he refused to hold someone's hand and pat them on the head when And I wasn't kidding. a kick in the ass was needed. So it was with some shock that I heard from the PR man who looks out He was unafraid to tell someone the truth in a world where no one wants for Rocky Wirtz. It was about two weeks after died and Rocky to hear it anymore. wanted to get together for drinks. And he turned the Hawks into a model franchise, one the NHL points to If I had any friends, I would have brought one along for backup. whenever it wants to hold a big event or do something right, and in that But while everyone thought Peter Wirtz would be the new boss after regard Gary Bettman would be wise to bring McDonough into the NHL years of working for his father, I knew the real story and had written when offices. Bill died that Rocky would get the team. He transformed the Hawks in only a few years and it remains one of the Rocky had displayed great courage in staying away from a franchise that most extraordinary turnarounds in sports history. he loved so that when the time came to take over, he could do so without "My plan was to get really good people, and hiring John McDonough, I the Wirtz stink on him. pat myself on the back for that one because it was the best sell job I ever "I wasn't even in the press guide," Rocky told me in October 2018. "I had did on anybody or anything," Rocky said in 2018. "Think about it. He was been an alternate governor for 20 years, and they didn't even have me president of the Cubs, president of a team, had listed as an alternate governor. done a spectacular job selling out the park and made Wrigleyville a destination. "It was hard to stay away, but we had so many other businesses and thank God we did because I could concentrate on those. My job was to "Why would he want to come to the Hawks? I knew what he wanted more raise enough money in the other businesses to cover the losses from the than anything was winning. Hawks. "I told him, 'Before I hang up my logos, we're going to win it all.' And he "Behind the scenes, I would give my thoughts, and my dad and Peter believed me. And that was it. If you go fishing, you set the hook. I was would take their anger out on me because they didn't agree with me. going to reel it in because I knew he wanted to win something."

"They'd get up and walk out. They'd be in their offices or another room That is something the Hawks did plenty of during the greatest decade in and they'd wall me off, shut the door and keep me out. Or they'd walk the history of the franchise. away and go somewhere else. It was obvious they didn't want me around In the process, McDonough took the bullets when things did not go well, and that's fine. I just had to grin and bear it." but now the focus will be on Wirtz and what he does next, the next round When his father died, Rocky knew massive changes had to be made, of changes and the men replacing those who have been and will be fired. and when we had beverages in mid-October 2007, he wanted to know Rocky Wirtz is beloved, and rightly so. What he was willing to do before everything I knew and everything I thought. he got the team and after he arrived is the stuff of legend, especially And I did not hold back. following in his father's footsteps.

It was so ugly after an hour or so that his PR guy said, "Lighten up a little, But you're beloved only until you're not. And now the pressure is on would you?" Rocky to get it right.

I asked Rocky if he had heard enough. He said he had not. So on we went for at least another hour. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 It was brutal, but one of the suggestions I made that day was that he needed John McDonough, someone who could build an organization from scratch and someone who could market a sleeping giant.

The Hawks' had no business operation. Hockey ops consisted mostly of pals who wore leisure suits and used pencils.

I seriously doubt he needed me to tell him about McDonough, but I wasn't stunned when it happened a month later, the Hawks needing a big presence and someone to be the face of the tough decisions that would soon arrive.

Unlike his father and brother, Rocky Wirtz said he would be "hands off" once he put someone in charge and he stayed true to that for 13 years. 1174081 Chicago Blackhawks

McDonough calls time with Blackhawks 'ride of a lifetime'

Staff Report

Updated

4/28/2020 1:35 PM

CHICAGO -- Former Chicago Blackhawks president John McDonough, in his first public comments since he was fired, called his time with the team 'œthe ride of a lifetime.'•

McDonough also praised owner Rocky Wirtz and his family in a statement released by the team on Tuesday, one day after he was dismissed.

The 66-year-old McDonough provided no clues on the circumstances surrounding his surprise departure. In the team statement announcing the change on Monday, Rocky Wirtz pointed to the coronavirus crisis and the suspension of the NHL season as an opportunity to assess the team's direction.

McDonough was president of baseball's before he was hired by Wirtz in 2007. McDonough's arrival was a key moment in the Blackhawks' climb from one of the worst franchises in sports to the top of the NHL.

McDonough helped revamp the team's business operations while star forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane powered Chicago to the Stanley Cup title in 2010, 2013 and 2015. While the business side of the franchise remains in good shape, the Blackhawks haven't made the playoffs since 2017.

McDonough's departure could lead to massive changes across the organization. Danny Wirtz, Rocky's 43-year-old son and a vice president with the team, is replacing McDonough on an interim basis.

"I wish Danny Wirtz well in his new role, and I am confident the organization will have success in the search for a new president," McDonough said in his statement.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174082 Chicago Blackhawks McDonough said. "I needed to savor that moment. I never wanted that parade ride to end, I wanted it to go on forever."

The memo McDonough sent three days later was similar to the one John McDonough's run with Blackhawks: 'Party's over, let's move on' Rocky Wirtz released this week: “Party’s over.. let’s move on.”

By Pat Boyle Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020

April 28, 2020 5:50 PM

"Party’s over.. let's move on.”

That was the email John McDonough sent to his Blackhawks employees, just three days after the 2010 Stanley Cup parade.

In a way, it’s a phrase that speaks to McDonough’s old school, no nonsense approach, while also suggesting he wasn’t satisfied with reaching the top of the mountain on just one occasion.

McDonough has stood at the summit of the hockey world three times and his chances for a fourth came to an abrupt end this week.

The Blackhawks are pivoting like McDonough did back in 2007 when he made the stunning decision to leave his post as President of the Chicago Cubs to take over the sports world’s version of the Titanic.

“I didn’t tell him it was going to be easy," chairman Rocky Wirtz told me on an episode of "Inside Look" in 2012. "The bleaker the picture I painted, the more he wanted to come over."

McDonough was flattered by Rocky’s pursuit and accepted the challenge. There were big items on his to do list like “getting out of the grudge business."

He hit the recruiting trail and made several in-person visits to mend fences with and Bobby Hull.

McDonough also had to handle mundane tasks like signing invoices for hockey equipment. The Blackhawks did not have a receptionist to answer the phone. A trip to Human Resources should fix that, but they didn’t have an HR department either.

“The first couple weeks," McDonough told me in 2012, "I would be driving home on the Eisenhower and be saying to myself, 'I think I made a mistake.'"

Putting the Blackhawks home games on TV was a no brainer. Getting the seats filled at the United Center and making the team relevant again was a greater challenge.

"This was a much more daunting ordeal than I had ever anticipated, but not insurmountable," McDonough said. "I told the staff the expectations are going to be higher, the pace is going to be swifter and you are going to need to be on board. And as I looked out at this group, I could see in their eyes that a good number of them weren’t on board.”

McDonough barely kept any employees from the previous regime. He applied his mentor, Jim Finks, sage advice to hire great people and stay out of their way.

McDonough didn’t stay out of the way of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman when it came to the 2009 Winter Classic. The rumor was the outdoor game would be played at Yankee Stadium, but McDonough’s relentless phone calls to Bettman paid off and McDonough’s marketing dream came true. The Blackhawks played their hated rival from Detroit at on New Year’s Day, an event that converted thousands of fans to season-ticket holders.

Organizational change doesn’t occur without stepping on toes and cutting ties with popular team figures, like McDonough did with , Dale Tallon and Joel Quenneville.

Sports perfect storm occurred in 2010 when a young, talented hockey team became the toast of Chicago. McDonough’s marketing plan collided with a great product on the ice.

Mix in ’s anthem, and a few Wirtz beverages and all that was missing was the Stanley Cup.

"I remember driving down to the parade and I remember having this moment saying, 'I really thought this would be with the Cubs,'" 1174083 Chicago Blackhawks

How Blackhawks interim president Daniel Wirtz could factor into team's future

By Scott King

April 28, 2020 2:53 PM

Blackhawks Owner Rocky Wirtz made his son, Daniel Wirtz, 43, the interim president of the team after relieving John McDonough of his duties on Monday.

Through McDonough, the Hawks were able reach and maintain a new level of marketability from the time he was named president in 2007 up until now. He was later given the additional title of CEO in 2011.

Don't let the title "interim president" fool you when it comes to Danny Wirtz.

The team did say in Monday's release that they "will immediately begin a search to fill the role of president," but in looking at Danny's experience with his family's business and other ventures, one could wonder if the word "interim" will slowly fade from his title.

He's also the current vice president of the team and alternate governor to the NHL. Wirtz has been an active advisor with the Blackhawks for the past decade, serves as the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation vice chairman and is a representative for the team with the United Center Joint Venture.

Danny went to Loyola Academy and Boston College. He is a co-founder of Banner (a video production company) and a partner in Varyer (an advertising agency). Danny is also the vice-chairman of Breakthru Beverage Group and chairman of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America.

“I cannot adequately express my family’s appreciation to John (McDonough) for his contributions to the turnaround of the Chicago Blackhawks organization. I take this interim role with the utmost responsibility to the team and will focus on resetting the framework for the next generation of the Chicago Blackhawks,” Danny said in Monday's release. “I look forward to working with Rocky to identify our next leader.”

It may be safe to assume there's more in store for Danny Wirtz, perhaps in a more permanent leadership role with the Hawks. He's certainly qualified to help search for the team's new president. But given his business experience and familiarity with the Blackhawks, could he end up being the replacement they're looking for?

Searching for a new team president is a collaborative effort among an organization's brass. So, really, anybody could be named the interim president.

There could be a purpose in bringing Danny further into the fold. He's become more involved with the Hawks the last couple of years.

At 43, maybe a set of fresher, younger eyes on the business end could pay dividends for the team.

In the book “The Breakaway: The Inside Story of the Wirtz Family Business and the Chicago Blackhawks” by Bryan Smith, a passage about Danny may provide insight into his future with the franchise:

“The other promising development for Rocky in those years was the maturation of his son, Danny. The youth had grown from a buttoned-up mirror of a teenage Rocky into a hipster who favored piercings and dyed hair into a successful player in music promotion and advertising. He’d gained a keen understanding of the lightning expansion of digital video, audio, and social media.”

Perhaps, with more of an awareness of the avenues in which promotions and marketing operate today, Danny is the guy to pick up where McDonough's work left off.

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Former Blackhawks President and CEO John McDonough releases statement to fans

By Scott King

April 28, 2020 12:49 PM

On Monday, the Blackhawks relieved John McDonough of his duties as president and CEO of the franchise. McDonough had served as president of the Hawks since 2007 and added the title of CEO in 2011. Owner Rocky Wirtz named his son Daniel as the team's interim president as they search for a new leader.

On Tuesday, McDonough released the following statement to Hawks fans through the organization:

Dear Blackhawks Family and Fans,

Rocky Wirtz gave me an amazing opportunity to preside over the Chicago Blackhawks 12 ½ years ago. It was the ride of a lifetime. I would like to thank Rocky, the Wirtz family, our staff, the players, the ambassadors and the fans for all they have done for the organization. I will be forever grateful to them and proud of what we accomplished together. Blackhawks fans are so incredibly passionate and loyal and are deserving of a consistent winner.

I wish Danny Wirtz well in his new role, and I am confident the organization will have success in the search for a new President.

My late father used a phrase sparingly but impactfully to describe those he found to be the most dignified, respectful and worthy of admiration. He would say they had “class à la mode.” That perfectly describes the Wirtz family and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Good luck. I’ll always be pulling for you.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174085 Chicago Blackhawks Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020

Where Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton stands with John McDonough out

By Scott King

April 28, 2020 8:36 AM

On Monday, Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz made the shocking announcement that John McDonough had been relieved of his duties as president and CEO of the team.

McDonough had served as president of the franchise since 2007 and additionally received the title of CEO in 2011.

Wirtz named his son, Daniel, 43, the team’s interim president as they search for a new leader.

But is that the only move Rocky and company thought was needed to change the culture of the team again? Will more dominoes begin to fall?

Relieving the longtime president of the Hawks, who helped the organization recapture the hearts of its fans and put the team on the top shelf of the hockey world for a decade-plus, was a huge move, but it was more of a business one.

We could also see a shift amongst who controls what happens on the ice with the team. Senior vice president and general manager Stan Bowman is a possibility. He's held the GM title since July of 2009.

But what about head coach Jeremy Colliton?

Colliton hadn't even completed his first full season behind a big league bench when the NHL paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

His hiring on Nov. 6, 2018, seemed to be a monumental change for the organization at the time. Joel Quenneville, who led the Hawks to three Stanley Cup titles, was fired. Colliton, 33 at the time, became the youngest active head coach in the NHL.

The former Rockford IceHogs coach was seemingly able to get both highly decorated veterans and NHL newcomers to buy in last year after coming in under tough circumstances. Colliton coached the 2018-19 Hawks to within six points of a playoff spot after they were at a 100-point pace from last January to the end of the regular season.

However, this season — after a full training camp — Colliton's Hawks were six points out of a playoff spot through 70 games at the time of the pause, with four teams to jump. They finished behind two last season.

Despite having sensational goaltending from and Robin Lehner — before he was traded ——the team was even more up and down. Yes, injuries like defenseman Calvin de Haan's proved costly, but Colliton started the 2019-20 season as the team's undisputed head coach. Establishing consistency in the lineup that would spread to the score sheet and standings was up to him.

Maybe to Rocky and company (regardless of what happens with the rest of the 2019-20 season), this year was simply just one full season for Colliton, and he'll have another opportunity to prove himself.

There's even a chance the league implements a 24-team playoff, in which the Hawks would make the postseason cut, if play resumes.

If the firing of McDonough signified a need to change and adjust their future on the business side, wouldn't the Blackhawks have already done so on the hockey side in recently hiring a young coach? Colliton's use of and hefty dose of team video sessions could align with the way the game is evolving, especially on its biggest stage.

Perhaps change isn't needed yet at the head coach position. Maybe it's fair to allow more time to see change from the current occupant of the role.

Or maybe we'll see a complete overhaul with the team, and few will be spared. The level at which the organization desires change and in what areas remains to be seen. Colliton, like others, probably got the message that anything is possible now as he awaits his fate. Stay tuned. 1174086 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks’ firing of John McDonough has several organizational ripple effects

By Charlie Roumeliotis

April 28, 2020 11:30 AM

When the Blackhawks were swept as the No. 1 seed in the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the organization promised change. It came in the form of two controversial trades that involved three-time Stanley Cup-winning defensive stalwart Niklas Hjalmarsson and rising superstar Artemi Panarin, as well as the firing of assistant coach Mike Kitchen, which was ordered from upper management.

Despite missing the postseason altogether the following season, the Blackhawks kept everyone in place and pointed to Corey Crawford’s injury as the reason things went sideways. At the time, it was justifiable.

But it only took one month into the 2018-19 campaign for the Blackhawks to make a major shake-up when they pulled the plug on the second- winningest coach of all time in Joel Quenneville in favor of 33-year-old Jeremy Colliton, who was quickly gaining respect in the coaching industry but had no NHL experience.

First it was the roster. Then it was the coach. The next domino to fall if things didn’t improve would likely occur in the front office, and that’s exactly what happened on Monday when the Blackhawks unexpectedly relieved President & CEO John McDonough of his duties.

The move clearly signals the desire for a change in mindset starting at the top. But what remains unclear is what’s next.

McDonough repeatedly endorsed Bowman, who has continually expressed confidence in Colliton. Now that McDonough is no longer part of the equation, are both of their jobs in jeopardy? That's the first question.

The second question is, what could the new front office structure look like? McDonough's primary role was to run the business side, but what the Blackhawks really need is a fresh set of eyes in the hockey operations department. Will the next president specialize in both of those categories, or could there be a separation of titles inside the organization that models the Cubs' blueprint — Jed Hoyer as the GM, Theo Epstein as the president of baseball ops and Crane Kenney making the business decisions?

The third question is, what's the potential timeline on ... well, everything? It's unclear when the NHL will resume play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the next leader deserves an opportunity to evaluate the organization as a whole and should be given the proper amount of time to do so before making important decisions.

And finally, what is the future of the franchise? McDonough was committed to "One Goal" and never once uttered the words "rebuild." While the logistics of a full tear-down seems impractical, anything is on the table at this point.

The firing of McDonough immediately raised questions about the direction of the Blackhawks in every aspect. The question isn't whether there will be ripple effects; it's how big they will be.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174087 Chicago Blackhawks

What Blackhawks' firing of John McDonough means for Stan Bowman

By Scott King

April 27, 2020 8:13 PM

On Monday, Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz shocked Hawks nation when he announced that John McDonough had been relieved of his duties as president and CEO of the franchise.

McDonough had served as president of the team since 2007 and added the title of CEO in 2011.

Wirtz named his son, Daniel, 43, the team’s interim president as they search for a new leader.

So what does the move mean for senior vice president and general manager Stan Bowman?

First and foremost, it means that what Rocky told The Athletic five weeks ago about not making any changes to the front office no longer applies. Whether discussions behind closed doors are what changed his mind, or the lengthening of the NHL pause and an uncertain future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all bets are off now.

With McDonough gone, more change is on the table. It's yet to be seen if an overhaul is taking shape, or if it was just one swift move during a break in the action.

Just because McDonough was let go doesn't mean that Bowman will be, but it could happen.

The GM (since July of 2009) played a major role in landing the supporting talent who helped core players like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane grab Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015, but it came at the price of awarding a couple lengthy, costly contracts and shipping away some promising players. The Hawks have also been left with a gap between the talent and experience of newcomers compared to veterans.

Prior to the pause, the Blackhawks were on the brink of elimination from playoff contention for the third straight year. If the team's ownership group is looking for more of an on-ice product change to go with the business-side one made Monday, that could impact Bowman's future, as well.

The pause, which has been a time of reflection and contemplation for many, may be just that for the Blackhawks. Time will tell how much action will result from it.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174088 Chicago Blackhawks Beverage Group. As of this month, he’s added titles of chairman of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America and now, Blackhawks interim president.

5. Count Marian Hossa among those who were surprised by What I’m hearing about the Blackhawks as a team president search McDonough’s firing. begins “Last night I read the news, I was shocked because there’s no games right now, the league is stalled,” Hossa said by phone from Slovakia. “I don’t think anyone was expecting this. I’m sure like other players I played By Scott Powers with and people I know, I believe everybody was surprised with this news. But it’s something the business we are in. I know these things Apr 28, 2020 happen, but definitely there was quite a shock.”

McDonough often spoke about the significance of the Blackhawks The news of Blackhawks president John McDonough’s firing quickly signing Hossa and how much he respected Hossa. Hossa has felt the resulted in more questions than answers. same about McDonough.

A day later, that still remained mostly the case. “I just have the best things to say about John,” Hossa said. “As soon as I joined the organization, he was kind to me. If I needed something, he Blackhawks employees up and down the organizational ladder Tuesday was always there for me. We had a great relationship during my career. were still unsure what McDonough’s firing meant for the organization or He made my transition to the Blackhawks organization so easy. Every even their own jobs. “Will this have a trickle-down effect?” one team time the door was open for me. I really appreciated it. I believe we’ve employee asked on Tuesday. become friends after my career. I’m sure when I come to Chicago we’re going to grab lunch or dinner together. Definitely a great relationship, Aside from Monday’s press release, there hadn’t been much information great man. It was a mutual respect between the two of us.” circulated within the organization as of Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what we know about that situation, plus more notes on the Blackhawks: Hossa and McDonough had discussed the possibility of Hossa joining the organization after his contract was officially up. Hossa is still hopeful the 1. McDonough released a statement Tuesday afternoon. As expected, he Blackhawks would have a place for him, but he wasn’t sure where that remained professional about his dismissal. stood. He wrote, “Dear Blackhawks Family and Fans, “It’s early to say, but I also talked to Stan Bowman about this when he “Rocky Wirtz gave me an amazing opportunity to preside over the was here in Trencin, Slovakia,” Hossa said. “I talked to John and I talked Chicago Blackhawks 12 ½ years ago. It was the ride of a lifetime. I would to Rocky Wirtz before I was leaving Chicago. Obviously I had a great and like to thank Rocky, the Wirtz family, our staff, the players, the I still have a great relationship with John. Matter of fact, I called him this ambassadors and the fans for all they have done for the organization. I morning. We’ll see what happens. There’s no expectations from my side, will be forever grateful to them and proud of what we accomplished but I love the organization. I would still love to be a part of the together. Blackhawks fans are so incredibly passionate and loyal and are organization in a different way. I had a great talk with Stan Bowman deserving of a consistent winner. when he was here, and we’ll see what happens.”

“I wish Danny Wirtz well in his new role, and I am confident the 6. A source said the Blackhawks are unlikely to finalize any contract organization will have success in the search for a new President. extensions for Dominik Kubalik or anyone else until there’s a better idea of what the cap ceiling could be for next season. “My late father used a phrase sparingly but impactfully to describe those he found to be the most dignified, respectful and worthy of admiration. He 7. The Blackhawks have informed prospect Mathias From they won’t be would say they had “class à la mode.” That perfectly describes the Wirtz offering him a contract, From’s agent said on Tuesday. From was drafted family and the Chicago Blackhawks. by the Blackhawks in the fifth round in 2016. They officially hold his NHL rights until June 1. From recently agreed to a contract to play with “Good luck. I’ll always be pulling for you.” Dusseldorfer in Germany next season, but he was still hopeful of a 2. One team source said Tuesday a lot of people knew there was tension contract with the Blackhawks. brewing between McDonough and Danny Wirtz, but it wasn’t expected to 8. Goalie prospect Alexis Gravel said Tuesday he has not yet heard from come to McDonough’s firing, at least now. “The timing is interesting,” the the Blackhawks about whether they plan to offer him a contract. Gravel source said. was drafted by the Blackhawks in the sixth round in 2016. They also hold 3. There is internal speculation that the decision to fire McDonough had his NHL rights until June 1. more to do with business decisions than hockey ones, and there may be 9. The Blackhawks also have upcoming deadlines to sign prospects Jake no upcoming changes in hockey operations because of that. It’s one Ryczek, Wouter Peeters and Ryan Shea, but none are expected to be thing for Wirtz to change his mind on supporting McDonough after stating offered contracts. Shea was previously informed he wouldn’t be offered a he had full confidence in him last month, but it’d be another if he also contract and will become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15, turned on everyone else he said would be returning next season. The according to a source. A source said Peeters hasn’t been officially next team president may have the final call on Stan Bowman and Jeremy informed of the team’s decision. Colliton’s fates, but both appear to be secure in their jobs right now. 10. Max Shalunov is also waiting to hear from the Blackhawks, but he’s 4. In attempting to learn more about interim president Danny Wirtz, the not in a rush to get anything done, a source said. With his NHL rights not book, “The Breakaway: The Inside Story of the Wirtz Family Business expiring and him eager to play in the NHL next season, Shalunov is and the Chicago Blackhawks,” has been a helpful resource. willing to be patient and wait a few months on a final decision from the The book, written by Bryan Smith, reads, “The other promising Blackhawks if needed. If the Blackhawks don’t plan on signing him, development for Rocky in those years was the maturation of his son, Shalunov could ask for his NHL rights to be traded or he could sign in Danny. The youth had grown from a buttoned-up mirror of a teenage another European league in order to become an NHL free agent. Rocky into a hipster who favored piercings and dyed hair into a 11. Jacob Nilsson’s recent decision to sign with Fäjestad in the SHL for successful player in music promotion and advertising. He’d gained a next season wasn’t surprising to the organization. The Blackhawks would keen understanding of the lightning expansion of digital video, audio, and have welcomed Nilsson back as a veteran to play with the Rockford social media.” IceHogs next season, but they understood if he’d rather return to Europe Danny attended Loyola Academy and Boston College. He first chose to as there wasn’t a clear path for him to the NHL. Nilsson will join Victor work outside Wirtz Corp. after college and ended up spending time in Ejdsell on Fäjestad. The Blackhawks continue to hold Ejdsell’s NHL New York and London. He later returned to Chicago and has been rights, but there have yet to be any discussions about him returning to involved in the family business. He has a lengthy resume. He is a co- North America, according to a source. founder of Banner Collective, a production company, and a partner in Varyer, an advertising agency. He is also the vice-chairman of Breakthru The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174089 Chicago Blackhawks they’re going to retain everyone else in hockey operations. He’s been with the organization for 19 seasons.

Bill Zito Who will run the Blackhawks? Here are some potential replacements for Zito has been one of the hot names for general manager openings in John McDonough recent years. This would be a step up from that, but he might have the diverse background to fit the role. He’s been with the Columbus Blue Jackets since 2019 and his current title is senior vice president of hockey By Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus operations, associate general manager and alternate governor. He was previously a player agent and was co-founder of Acme World Sports. He Apr 28, 2020 also previously lived in Chicago.

Chris Chelios The Blackhawks reinvented themselves when John McDonough was Chelios left the Red Wings, where he had been a hockey-ops advisor, to hired as team president more than a decade ago. rejoin the Blackhawks organization in 2018. He came in as just another Now with the Blackhawks moving on from McDonough, the organization “ambassador,” but many within the organization saw him as a potential has another chance to begin anew. As one league source said Monday, rising star in the front office. Could he assume a similar role that Brendan “What do the Blackhawks 2.0 look like?” Shanahan did in Toronto, making the big decisions on hiring and firing and overseeing the general manager, who handles the cap work and the That’s something Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz and his son Danny nitty-gritty details of construction a roster? Would he even be interested Wirtz, the interim team president, have to figure out right now. Will they in such a demanding, high-pressure gig? The belief among those in again place a single individual in the role of overseeing the business and Detroit is that he didn’t have the ambition to pursue such a job. hockey sides of the organization? Or might they split up the responsibilities? It was something McDonough dismissed before, but it might make sense now. Like Olczyk, Weekes is a well-respected and well-connected television If the Blackhawks decide to divide the duties and hire a hockey president, analyst. And like Olczyk, Weekes has had conversations with a few here are some potential candidates. teams about similar jobs in recent years, according to another league source. The 45-year-old former goalie had an 11-year NHL career and Danny Wirtz would be a bold outside-the-box hire.

Wirtz will serve as interim president, but might he still be promoted into Meghan Chayka the full-time position? Maybe the search begins and ends with him? Crazier things have happened. The 43-year-old Wirtz is currently the vice Chayka is considered one of the most influential people in hockey president of the Blackhawks. analytics. She’s the co-founder of Stathletes, a hockey data and analytics company that has become a valuable resource for teams in many Mike Gillis leagues, including the NHL. She might be considered an out-of-the-box hire, but she has the skill set and innovation to lead an NHL organization. Gillis, the former general manager, has said he’d like to get back into the NHL just not as a general manager again. This could be the type of opportunity he’s looking for. After helping to build the Kings into a two-time Stanley Cup champion as The Athletic Vancouver’s Harman Dayal said of Gillis, “(Canucks fans an assistant GM, Hextall went back to Philadelphia, where he starred as think of him) pretty divisively. Some love the analytical, new approach he a goaltender, eventually rose to general manager and did yeoman’s work brought to running an organization. He did a great job of adding cleaning up an inherited mess. He only lasted four years, but is still highly supporting pieces, managing the cap and ultimately helping the Canucks respected and likely will be running another team sometime soon. transform an up-and-coming team into a perennial Cup contender. But there are others that say the core was mostly already in place and that Shane Doan his very poor drafting record is why the team’s had to rebuild for so long Working for the league has been a springboard for a number of players now. I’d say the first camp of people who love him is greater, but he’s into front-office positions with teams. Since retiring as a player, Doan has definitely got his detractors as well.” been working with the NHL as a senior advisor of hockey operations. Stan Bowman One name that’s been surfacing a lot lately is Olczyk, the Blackhawks’ Don’t laugh. If the Blackhawks are set on keeping Bowman in the fold, and NBC’s lead TV analyst. One league source said “three or four” teams perhaps he gets bumped up to president of hockey operations, clearing have had at least preliminary discussions with Olczyk about high-end the way for a new general manager to be brought in, a la Kenny Williams, hockey-ops positions, and it’s hard to imagine Olczyk wouldn’t want a Rick Hahn and the White Sox in 2012. It’d be a way to have both crack at running his hometown team. continuity and loyalty to a three-time Cup-winning GM, but also bring in a He’s as well connected around the league as anyone, knows every team desperately needed fresh perspective to the front office. inside and out, and is a beloved local hero and Blackhawks alumnus. His foray into coaching, in Pittsburgh in the early 2000s, didn’t work out for a number of reasons, but it’s believed that he’s had his eye on a GM-type The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 gig for a while now.

Doug Wilson

The former Blackhawks great has had a long and successful career as a general manager in San Jose. Would he be willing to leave that for the unknown back in Chicago, where he had a brilliant 14-year playing career? And is he really the right guy, given the similar cap mess he has created in San Jose the past few years? He could come on the market involuntarily soon enough if the Sharks don’t turn things around in a hurry.

Al MacIsaac

If the Blackhawks are looking to promote from within, MacIsaac would probably have to be a candidate. His job has been somewhere in between McDonough’s and Bowman’s on the hockey and business sides. He could make sense if the Blackhawks have already decided 1174090 Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar discusses likeness with Quinn Hughes, his closest NHL rookie-of-the-year challenger

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

PUBLISHED: April 28, 2020 at 12:41 p.m. | UPDATED: April 28, 2020 at 1:04 p.m.

Avalanche rookie sensation Cale Makar and Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes were neck and neck in the Calder Trophy race when the NHL season was put on pause in March.

In an appearance on Altitude TV on Tuesday, Makar discussed the similarities between the two young defensemen jostling to be named the league’s rookie of the year.

Hughes (53 points) and Makar (50) sit atop the rookie scoring race, with the latter leading all first-year players in points-per-game (.88). Both offensive-minded players played two years of college hockey — Hughes at and Makar for the Minutemen.

“We both use our skating and we’re just versatile in that aspect of the game,” Makar said. “We’re able to break pucks out and help our team’s D zone to a certain extent. He’s very effective on the power play. The way the game is moving, all D-men need to think the game, and move the game, very fast nowadays.”

Makar leads all rookie defensemen with 12 goals and Hughes sits atop all those players with 45 assists. Colorado selected Makar with the No. 4 pick of the 2017 draft and the Canucks chose Hughes at No. 7 overall in 2018.

Makar, 21, is isolating with his family at their home in Calgary during the coronavirus pandemic. He said he typically works out at 9:30 a.m. and then runs or takes a long walk in the afternoon as a way of staying in shape if the NHL resumes its season at some point.

“Just trying to stay active, trying to stay on top of things,” Makar said. “It’s hard but I guess it’s a job now, so it’s definitely a different (time) … It’s starting to get nicer up here in Calgary now, so maybe some biking.”

Despite being a rookie, Makar is among those who believed the Avalanche could have made a long playoff run — and still might. Makar made his NHL debut in the playoffs with Colorado a year ago, playing 10 games after UMass lost to Minnesota-Duluth in the NCAA championship game.

“Honestly, this year, it felt like we were starting to roll, and we were going to start getting guys back soon — (back) into the lineup,” Makar said. “Obviously, it’s an unfortunate end but hopefully we can get back to it. I think we all were in the same mindset that we felt we could have a run at it this year.”

He added: “Everybody wants to come back and play. I think the main thing for everybody is, we all want it to be safe — not only safe for us but for the fans as well … It’s a learning curve for us, but I think everybody is finding unique ways to stay in shape.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174091 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus has the requisite hotel capacity in walking and/or busing distance to its athletic facilities. It also has a reputation for getting things done.

Columbus may be among hubs in NHL restart When the NHL decides to move forward, the four-city plan may be its safest and most sensible option. In a best-case scenario, players would report to four (nominally divisional) sites in June and stay put through the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs. Michael Arace The Columbus Dispatch Somewhere in there, probably in June, the draft will be conducted. Apr 28, 2020 at 6:01 AM A span of four months is thumb-nailed as the time needed to take the league from training camp to the end of the playoffs. Again, at this point, much of this is speculation. If things go well, the hope is that the Stanley NHL commissioner Gary Bettman submitted last week to a wide-ranging Cup can be awarded sometime in late September, and the league will interview with Sportsnet, the Canadian sports media outlet. In the midst adjust the start of the 2020-21 season. of it, he gave a hint of what a restarted season might look like: As far as when fans can enter the building, that’s a play that can’t be It would begin with four cities, each hosting one of the league’s divisions. read right now. These cities would be home to seven or eight teams from training camp through the end of the regular season and, likely, through the first round of the playoffs. The games would be played in arenas with no fans (for a Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.29.2020 while, anyway).

Since that interview, other reports have flowed from assorted outlets, many of them reputable. We offer today a compendium of those reports along with an injection of multiple local sources.

Bettman said "up to 10" cities may be suitable. Columbus is in the mix. In fact, it is a strong candidate to be among the four hubs.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told The Dispatch on Monday, "We’re doing everything we can to present to the league that Columbus is a great option. I think we have great facilities to do this."

The NHL suspended its season March 12 as the coronavirus pandemic took its grip on the United States. About 15% of the regular season remained. Since, the league has been wrestling with competing realities.

It is compelled to complete the season, if only to mitigate losses — which could, in a worst-case scenario, soar north of $1 billion. Meanwhile, its No. 1 priority is the safety of everyone involved, be they players, caterers or Zamboni drivers.

At this point, the league is in an early stage — pre-pre planning, if you will — and the discussion is more about ideas than anything concrete.

As Bettman told Sportsnet: "The decision ultimately will be made by medical people and those who run governments at local levels. We’re not going to try anything that flies in the face of what we’re being told is appropriate."

The league is looking for four cities that are not hot spots for COVID-19, have arenas with four "NHL-caliber" locker rooms, have high-end hotels in close proximity to the arena, and have sufficient on- and off-ice facilities to conduct training camps for multiple teams.

Larry Brooks, veteran hockey writer for the New York Post, reported that a 12-person "Return to Play Committee," consisting of league executives, NHL Players’ Association officials and player representatives, has been conducting regular conference calls. Brooks also wrote that Columbus and Toronto are among the cities being considered for the four hubs.

Other NHL teams whose sites have also been mentioned include Arizona, Dallas, Edmonton, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Carolina. (Raleigh might be out because construction of its new practice facility is behind schedule, the News & Observer reported.)

Columbus is frequently mentioned for reasons beyond its central location. To wit:

State and local officials acted early to "flatten the curve," and the city is not a hot spot for the virus. This consideration is foremost. Gov. Mike DeWine and his state health director, Dr. Amy Acton, have distinguished themselves on the national stage during these troubled times.

Nationwide Arena and its attached Ice Haus are first-class hockey facilities. The locker-room space is adequate and could be expanded. There is a high-quality workout facility in the arena and another full- service gym across the street.

It might be possible that Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center — it’s under the same management umbrella as Nationwide and boasts its own array of on- and off-ice facilities — could also be used as part of a Columbus hub. The Jackets also have various Chiller facilities at their disposal, including the Dublin location, which has two NHL-sized sheets. 1174092 Columbus Blue Jackets under the knife — rather than rely purely on rehab — in the hopes that he could play again this season.

Return date: After surgery, the Blue Jackets announced that Jones would When (if?) the NHL season does return, which injured Blue Jackets will be out eight to 10 weeks. Ten weeks from surgery was April 21, but be ready? here’s something to consider: With no games on the horizon, Jones was able to take a more patient approach to rehab. Still, he should be ready to go if and when the season resumes.

By Aaron Portzline Impact: The Blue Jackets overcame injuries to prominent players all season, but Jones’ absence was different. They won just three times in Apr 28, 2020 14 games (3-5-6) after his injury. His return would be nothing short of monumental.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — There are visible signs around the Blue Jackets RW Oliver Bjorkstrand that the NHL might be gearing up for a return. Injury: Bjorkstrand slammed into the end boards during a 4-3 Exhibit No. 1: Columbus is among the franchises that have been asked loss to Philadelphia on Feb. 20, suffering a high ankle sprain and to make a pitch for the right to be one of four host cities if the league can fracture, similar to the injury suffered less than two weeks earlier by figure out a way to safely resume the season and play some semblance Jones. He had surgery March 3. of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Return date: The Blue Jackets expected Bjorkstrand to miss eight to 10 Exhibit No. 2: Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has weeks, targeting his return somewhere between April 28 and May 12. become increasingly mum on his club’s injuries. Like Jones, he’s been able to slow the pace of his rehab. But it seems reasonable to expect a return by late May or early June. When last we saw the Blue Jackets — March 12, when the NHL season was put on pause — they were preparing to play the Impact: Bjorkstrand is the club leader in goals (21) and has been one of in Nationwide Arena after ending a road trip three days earlier with a win the NHL’s top snipers since the last half of the 2018-19 season. On a in Vancouver. goal-starved club, his return would be welcomed.

The Jackets had suffered 419 man-games lost because of injury, tops in LW Nathan Gerbe the league, and they played their previous game with eight players Injury: At some point during a mid-February back-to-back versus injured: forwards Josh Anderson, Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorktrand, Philadelphia, Gerbe felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. When the season Brandon Dubinsky, Nathan Gerbe and Alexandre Texier, and stopped, he was hoping to rehab and return without surgery. But he told defensemen Seth Jones and Dean Kukan. The Athletic’s “Front & Nationwide” podcast that he had surgery in March Across the NHL, it is assumed that players are staying in shape through to fix two torn obliques and a double hernia. private workouts, and it is accepted that players will need two to three Return date: Gerbe planned to start skating before the end of April. He weeks minimum to get back into hockey shape, especially with regard to overcame this exact procedure last offseason, so he knows what’s skating. involved. He should be ready to play by the end of May or early June. But the Blue Jackets could return from this “pause” a much healthier Impact: Few players have made an impact for the Blue Jackets this team than they’ve been all season. season quite like Gerbe. On one hand, it’s hard to see where he fits if the Here’s a closer look at each injured player, what their injury was, and the Jackets ever return to 100 percent health. On the other hand, it’s hard to best information we could glean about their availability in the coming imagine this team not having a spot for their No. 1 firestarter. months. They’re listed from most likely to return to least likely: LW/C Alexandre Texier RW Cam Atkinson Injury: Texier suffered a stress fracture in his lower back Dec. 31 versus Injury: Atkinson suffered a high ankle sprain Dec. 19 versus Los Angeles. Florida and landed on injured reserve the next day, missing the next 30 He missed a month after the initial injury and played nine games between days. The club listed him as out indefinitely. “It wasn’t healing as quickly Jan. 16 and Feb. 8 before aggravating it. The club said he’d miss two to as we hoped,” Kekalainen told The Athletic earlier this month. “But it’s three weeks, but these are tricky injuries to diagnose. one of those things you have to take your time with because the only way to make it better is rest. It’s frustrating as hell, especially for a young guy Return date: After missing 26 of the first 70 games, Atkinson was set to like that.” return March 12 versus the Penguins when the plug was pulled on the season. High ankle sprains are nagging injuries, so Atkinson would have Return date: Texier continues to improve, but he hasn’t been cleared yet. been playing through some pain likely for the rest of the season. The There’s no word, obviously, on when the NHL will try to resume play, but additional weeks off the ice are the best medicine, so he should be good the later the better for Texier. to go when/if the puck drops. Impact: There have been glimpses all season at the skill level Texier Impact: It’s been a difficult season for Atkinson (12-14-26), but he’s a possesses, especially as a playmaker. The Blue Jackets can certainly first-line winger for the Blue Jackets, a welcomed addition for the stretch use that element, but they’ll show every precaution with one of their run. crown jewel young players.

D Dean Kukan RW Josh Anderson

Injury: On Jan. 2 versus Boston, Kukan suffered a medial meniscus tear Injury: Anderson’s shoulders have given him fits well into late last and a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. His knee season. He hurt his left shoulder during a fight in Ottawa on Dec. 14 and was scoped in mid-January and he was listed as out indefinitely. seemed to be on the cusp of returning for many weeks. On March 2, he underwent surgery to repair a posterior labral tear. Return date: Kukan has been officially clear to play. Return date: Recovery from shoulder surgery is typically lengthy. Impact: Slowly but surely, Kukan has become a valuable depth player for Anderson was given a four- to six-month recovery timeline, which means the Blue Jackets. Would he replace rookie Andrew Peeke in the lineup? a return window of July 2 to Sept. 2. “If we’re playing in August, he could Or veteran Markus Nutivaara? Maybe. At the least, he would give the be back playing for us,” Kekalainen said. Blue Jackets more flexibility on their third pair. Impact: Nobody on this list can make an impact on a game quite like D Seth Jones Anderson, a rare power forward in today’s game. As a pending restricted free agent, Anderson and his agent might be ultra-careful about exposing Injury: On Feb. 8, Jones made a power move to carry the puck on goal him to risk. He’s a player possibly on the trading block; if a contract and slid feet-first into the side of the net, suffering a hairline fracture and doesn’t come easily, the Blue Jackets may concur. a sprain in his lower leg/ankle. He had surgery Feb. 11, opting to go C Brandon Dubinsky Injury: Dubinsky has been a ghost since late in training camp when his chronic wrist injury landed him on injured reserve. He’s continued with rehab several days a week, but — at last report — hasn’t seen even minimal improvement. Dubinsky has no plans to retire, but it’s looking doubtful that he’ll ever play again.

Return date: Indefinite.

Impact: The Blue Jackets are not waiting on Dubinsky to return, which is a sad turn of events for a player who was so instrumental in this franchise’s growth in the past six or seven seasons.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174093 Dallas Stars “But there are no perfect scenarios,” Nill said. “We’re in a new world. If the league thinks it’s better to do it in June, we’ll have to do it in June, and we’ll live with that decision.”

While Texas may be reopening, Stars GM Jim Nill discusses what it will take to get hockey up and running again Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.29.2020

By Matthew DeFranks

8:51 PM on Apr 28, 2020

Texas may be starting to open up, Texas may be starting to open up, but don’t expect that to impact the Stars getting back on the ice. They’ll have to wait for NHL approval.

“The league’s made it very clear that they’re not going to let three or four teams be able to open up their rinks and the other teams can’t,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “That wouldn’t be fair, or a level playing field, I guess is the way to put it. Right now, it doesn’t change anything.”

On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state’s stay-at- home order would expire Thursday, allowing stores, restaurants, malls and movie theaters to open with 25% capacity. Gyms (Nill wasn’t sure if the team’s practice facility in Frisco was deemed a gym) would not be allowed to open until mid-May at the earliest, Abbott said.

Still, the announcement makes the Stars one of the first teams in a state beginning to reopen. Colorado was the other state with an NHL team that had a stay-at-home order expire before Texas. Tennessee, Arizona, Florida and Nevada all have orders set to expire Thursday as well.

The NHL still has mandated a quarantine for team personnel through Thursday.

“With opening up, it doesn’t change it drastically unless we get a larger number of states doing it,” Nill said. “Then that might change things, but for now, we’re still under a quarantine.”

In theory, when state, county or city officials around the league decide to open facilities, it could happen before players return to the city they play in. For example, many Stars players, including John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen, Denis Gurianov, Roope Hintz and Anton Khudobin are home in Europe.

“If we get a call in two weeks and the league says ‘Five guys are allowed to come in,’ I know we’ve got eight to 10 guys still here in Dallas, we’d let five guys go in,” Nill said. “But until we get that clearance by the league, we’re not allowed to open up our training facilities.”

When facilities open, there will likely be protocol from the league that follows it. Testing before entering the facility or wearing masks while inside it are possibilities.

“Whatever it is, that protocol will be set up for us,” Nill said. “That’ll be under the guidance of the medical community.”

The NHL has floated a couple of unorthodox plans: one to host games in centralized cities with about eight teams in a city, and another to host the draft in June before the potential conclusion of the season.

Dallas has been reported to be a potential host city — with the state’s reopening timeline, ease of travel to and from, and infrastructure with eight practice rinks that the Stars operate — but those decisions have been handled at the league level instead of the team level.

As far as an early draft, Nill said he was flexible but would prefer a draft after the season given all the unknown moving parts typically involved with a draft day.

“The No. 1 part of the draft is drafting the next group of best players in the world, but there’s a lot of other business that goes with it,” Nill said. “I think it’s hard to do those parts of the business until you’ve had an end to the regular season and the playoffs. That’s my only concern, it’s a concern of the whole league is how do we get through that? There’s trades that are made at the draft. The draft is really the start of when you build your team for next season. How can you do that when you haven’t finished the season, haven’t had the playoffs? There are draft picks involved contingent on how teams do in the playoffs and how teams finish, whether they make the playoffs.” 1174094 Dallas Stars target and so things might change, so are going through all those different scenarios so we are prepared.”

From a GM’s perspective, the unexpected nature of the 2020-21 salary Stars GM Jim Nill on potential NHL return and how it impacts coaching cap is one of the biggest hockey-related fallouts of this global pandemic. decisions “The cap is a big part of our business, and where that’s going to, we don’t know,” Nill said. “But we are prepared for those options. I think we are in a good position no matter what happens. Either way, we are set up with By Sean Shapiro our core group of players signed and we’ve got flexibility in the other spots. But it’s something we have to wait and see.” Apr 28, 2020 The Stars have some key restricted free agents coming up this summer

with Radek Faksa, Denis Gurianov and Roope Hintz. With Gurianov and Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill is optimistic about a potential Hintz, in particular, the unknown cap comes at a time when the two sides resumption of the 2019-20 NHL season. will likely be haggling over long-term or bridge contracts.

Nill isn’t pretending to know everything. He said he doesn’t have a “magic As far as unrestricted free agency goes, the Stars are going to need to formula or hidden secret,” but he’s progressing with the idea that at some sign a backup goalie this summer if they stick to the plan of letting Jake point this summer, the 2020 Stanley Cup will be awarded “in a Oettinger marinate at least one more season in the AHL. That could be respectable fashion.” Anton Khudobin or another veteran 1B behind Ben Bishop.

The meaning of “a respectable fashion” seems to change every day, but Khudobin led the NHL in save percentage at the time of the stoppage Nill envisions it happening with a fairly lengthy training camp to best and he’s at the point of his career where he’ll be looking to capitalize with serve the players. a raise. Bringing him back is a priority for Dallas, but the market will determine whether it’s possible. “Once we get the clearance to play games, we need to make sure players are up 100-percent speed,” Nill said. “We’re not gonna rush and The other key question about the stoppage is how it impacts interim head the league isn’t going to say, ‘We’ve got 10 days, get in shape and let’s coach . go at it.’ They’re going to make it so everybody is on the same plain and Nill has remained steadfast into his commitment that Bowness is the everybody is on the same rules and standards. What is that time period? coach for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, even though he hasn’t I think you are probably looking at three to four weeks of a training removed the interim tag. , one of the top coaching camp.” candidates available, has already interviewed with the New Jersey “I envision that, hopefully, we get to a point here where training facilities Devils, who also have an interim coach at the helm during the stoppage. can be opened up and you can have five or 10 people training under “We are hopeful we are going to end the season and that’s where our certain standards. You get to that level and from there you grow that into coaching staff has done a great job. We’ve been a top-10 team most of where you can get 10 to 20 guys into the training facility and they can the season, we’ve been on pace for 97 to 100 points, it’s been a pretty start skating on their own and get kind of their sea legs under them good year,” Nill said. “When I turned over the reins to Rick Bowness and again. Then a final phase is a training camp which I think is three to four the staff that’s what we talked about. It’s their job to finish this season. weeks of real training camp, no different than September.” That’s what we want to get to; we want to get a closure to this season In simpler terms, from the time NHL teams can first allow some players to and then we’ll sit down.” train to the time a real game happens would likely be at least five weeks. “I’ve talked to Rick numerous times and right from Day 1 that’s what we “Yeah, I think you are looking at at least that.” talked about,” Nill added. “Let’s see how this season ends. Different scenarios now because of what’s happened, but we are hopeful we are Nill also said without that type of training camp, the NHL wouldn’t be able going to get an end to the season and a Stanley Cup champion crowned. to deliver quality games and present the best conditions for players. Nill Let’s see how we’re finished and where we are at. Let’s see how Rick also said he’s believer in playing some, if not all, of the remaining feels about things. Does he think if we have success, we keep going? Or regular-season games to get teams on an even playing field. The “hub” does he prefer his other role? For now, the game plan is let’s get through concept without fans is likely the most viable solution. this season and go from there.”

“I think it’s the best way because you want to minimize travel,” Nill said. Nill said the question open-ended once the Stars get through this “Say you’ve got four hub cities and seven or eight teams in the hub cities season. That could mean Bowness is part of the staff next season even if and you can minimize travel … there will also have to be some type of he’s not the head coach. quarantine set up between the hotels and the rinks. I think it’s a great plan, there is a lot of work that has to go into it. But it minimizes travel “I know I’m very comfortable with where we are at with everything; and you can monitor people easier, no one is coming and going from they’ve done a great job and the players have done a great job. There different areas. I think it’s probably the best chance we have of making has been a lot of adversity this year and there have been a lot of great this work under the circumstances. things that happened,” Nill said. “We are coming out of a season where we got off to a rough start and ended up being a top-10 team in the “You’re gonna have to have a taxi squad group of players that will be league. Had an outdoor game that is still being talked about and it was a read, there are going to be injuries,” Nill said. “It’s intense hockey and shining star for our organization and we were looking forward to the just going through the training camp, you are going to get players hurt.” playoffs. I know everybody wants to talk about the six-game losing streak, and those things happen through a season. But I know once we The AHL has yet to call quits on the 2019-20 season, but a taxi squad got into the playoffs we were going to be a tough out. So we hope to get seems like a real indication the AHL season is over, even if Nill wouldn’t to that where we get to finish that piece and then we’ll move on from confirm that at this time. there and make decisions. But first, we need to have some finality to the “If we start up and we are pulling five to eight players to a taxi squad season.” (from the AHL teams), it’s going to be hard for the AHL,” Nill said. “Until we get the green light we don’t have to make those decisions at this time.” The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 In the meantime, this all puts Nill and other general managers in a fascinating space where they balance the hope of winning the 2020 Stanley Cup and how to proceed on typical business for future seasons — work that would normally be done in April and May.

“We are kind of going through all the phases of the regular type of business we would be doing right now, evaluating and getting ready for the draft, who you would sign and who you aren’t,” Nill said. “Working on the cap and what that might mean. Critical dates have become a moving 1174095 Dallas Stars something that, when I started playing NHL playoff hockey, I knew what I was getting into. Every shift is a battle. Every shift you are going to the jungle in front of the net, and I had to know that I had to be the toughest guy in front of that net. Q&A: Ben Lovejoy on his career, Sidney Crosby and playoff hockey in Dallas So as a player, can you ever enjoy a playoff series while it’s happening?

No, you do not enjoy it when it’s happening. Nothing about it is fun. Maybe if I was a goal scorer, if that was my role, but my role was to play By Sean Shapiro perfect defense – to not get beat. The first time it was enjoyable was when Patric Hornqvist scored with one minute left to make it 3-1, and I Apr 28, 2020 knew we were gonna win the Stanley Cup. That was it. Other than that, it is just stressful, and it’s such an emotional time. You are incredibly high sometimes; you are incredibly low sometimes. But, no, it’s not enjoyable. NHL beat writers lost one of their go-to locker room voices when Ben Lovejoy retired last summer. So what was that like winning the Cup 2016?

Throughout his career, Lovejoy was smart and willing to share. He was It was the best day of my life. I have three children. I have an awesome insightful and wasn’t very guarded about speaking honestly with media wife; marrying her was a good day. But winning the Stanley Cup was 32 members. His answers weren’t riddled with cliches. years of hard work, and it was a dream that I’d had probably for 29 of them since I knew what the Stanley Cup was. The NHL needs more Ben Lovejoys. I worked so hard to get to the NHL. I worked so hard to stay in the NHL. About a year removed from his final NHL action, the playoff series To have that happen, to win that and have my name on that for the rest between the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues, Lovejoy spoke with The of my life – it’s the proudest thing I’ve ever done or has happened to me. Athletic on Monday for a wide-spanning interview. Parts of this It has absolutely changed my life, and I’m so lucky. conversation have been edited for length and clarity. Bringing it back to 2009 quickly, did it feel like you were actually part of a It’s been roughly a year since your last NHL playoff series. Looking back Cup-winning team as a black ace? on last summer, was it the right decision to retire? Black acing has changed a lot since I black aced back then. Now a team It was time. I was so lucky, and I lived a childhood dream for 11 years. brings in anywhere from 10 to 15 guys, and in Pittsburgh, the black aces But I was not a superstar, and the game was hard for me. I had to do stay up in Cranberry at the practice rink. Last year, when I was in Dallas everything I could 365 days a year to live perfectly and spend all of my the black aces stayed up in Frisco and practiced alone without the team; focus on myself to play in the NHL. And it was awesome; it was the best they try to keep them away from being a distraction. They treat it almost experience of my life. I was so lucky to do it for so long. But it was really as development. My cousin () was black acing in hard, and it was hard physically and mentally, and I was spent. I was Frisco, and I saw him once. So they aren’t around. ready for a change. I was ready to be done, and if somebody had offered me a ridiculous contract that I couldn’t say no (to), I’m smart enough I When I was black acing with Pittsburgh in 2009, there were six of us, and would have done it. When that didn’t come, it was a very easy decision we were a part of everything. We traveled with the team; I sat next to and something I haven’t regretted one bit. on the plane. This was before Netflix was a thing, so we chatted the whole time. I got to know Mike Lange very well from black Were there any non-ridiculous contract offers? acing and sitting next to him on the team charter.

Two days after my daughter started school in New Hampshire, I had two We had practice at 7:30 every morning in The Igloo. We got dressed in a non-ridiculous offers. I stopped working out to play ice hockey on July 9, woman’s bathroom on the other side of the arena and it was hard. They and this was late August. They were contracts, they weren’t PTOs – but crushed us. They skated us so hard so we would be ready, and we were at that point, I was all in and very emotionally done. part of the team … there was a chance we were playing. I took warmups for a game, one guy had to play, so we were a part of things. By doing Looking back on your career, when did you realize what it would take to that, you hang out with all the team. We ate pre-game meals with the stick in pro hockey? team, we were around all the time, and I got to see everything. It was a I had a pretty good college career and thought that at that point that really special time to see the buzz in Pittsburgh. I could watch that part maybe I’m good enough to get some games and say I did it. That was but also feel like part of it a bit. sort of my mindset in college. I went to my first rookie development You were traded away by Pittsburgh in 2013 and then traded back from tournament (with Pittsburgh in 2007), and I was healthy scratched for the Anaheim in 2015. What was that like? first game and thought to myself, ‘Well, this pro hockey thing is probably not gonna work out.’ Then I played the next three and played pretty well, It was weird. It was hard. And it was awesome. In my first stint in and I think that’s when I started to put myself on the radar for the Pittsburgh, I was the fifth, sixth or seventh defenseman. Behind closed Pittsburgh Penguins. doors, , my agent and I had spoken about trading me. I hoped I could do more, I thought I could do more, but I didn’t know, and I I had a relatively successful rookie year in Wilkes-Barre and turned thought with a new fresh set of eyes judging me that maybe I could take myself into a prospect and then continued to figure out exactly my role my game to the next level. When the time was right, Ray Shero traded and what I was gonna have to do to get to the next level. I figured out my me to Anaheim, I got to play for the top team in the West and live in game, and for the next 10 and a half years, I had some really good teams Newport Beach, and Bruce Boudreau was one of my favorite people in and really smart people that wanted me to play on their blue line. It was hockey. (Boudreau) gave me a real shot. I played big minutes right away, incredibly special. I found a home in Anaheim and a defense partner that I could You were a black ace for that Stanley Cup-winning team in 2009. Are compliment in Cam Fowler. We didn’t win the Stanley Cup, but life was there lessons from that time that you took to stick in the NHL eventually? awesome. We were in the mix, but we just couldn’t beat the Kings.

Yes. And it was hard; cracking the Pittsburgh lineup was so stressful. My When I got traded back, Ray Shero had been fired while I was in first year was 07-08, and they lost to the Red Wings in the finals, and my Anaheim – probably not for the trade sending away Ben Lovejoy – but I AHL team went to the finals and lost too, so there were no was traded back to Pittsburgh for Simon Depres, who was 10 years black aces. The next year I black aced and watched the Pens win the younger than I was, a more talented defenseman and a higher-profile Cup, and you learn a ton. You see what exactly these guys have to go guy. My Pittsburgh team struggled that year; we barely made the playoffs through. You see that this is playoff hockey, and hockey that time of year and got knocked out by the Rangers 4-1 — gentleman’s sweep. And then is fun for everyone but the players on the ice. Anaheim lost in double-overtime of Game 7 to the Blackhawks that year, and Simon played really well, and it was a hard summer for me. It was It’s stressful. You take every shift, every second home with you, and it’s probably the most difficult summer of my life; I had to hear a lot of bad hard. But I was able to watch what these guys went through and was words and endure a lot. I lost my Twitter account password on purpose there watching for a really long time, and you learn, and you get to know that summer. guys, and you see the time and the effort that guys put into their games and what it takes. It was an incredibly valuable lesson for me – The start to the next season didn’t go much better. We struggled as a skater you can create, and he’s got great hands. He can play 33 minutes team out of the gate, and eventually, Mike Sullivan helped turn us a night, including three of the overtime, and just be dominant. He looks around, and we won the Stanley Cup. I loved my time in Pittsburgh, I feel like he’s working hard. Miro can do all of those things casually and look like I grew up there, but there were some hard times, too. like he’s not even trying and not breaking a sweat. Just the way he can calmly see the game and the skating and the hands and the poise and You followed Shero to New Jersey after winning the Cup. the confidence – it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

I had a lot of offers and a lot of interest from some very cool places. But I I often forget his age watching him play. think having a boss that you can trust and you can believe in is so important. When Ray reached out, it was all I wanted. I know things didn’t I think my third game (after the trade to Dallas) was in LA, and we were work out ultimately for Ray in Jersey, but I still believe that he set that going to overtime. I think it was a 1-1 game, maybe 2-2. And we were organization (up for success), and they are going to have an incredibly going to overtime, and my job is very much over when the 60-minute successful future, and he’s someone that I would jump at the opportunity clock ends unless we take a penalty. And I came back to the bench and to be involved with again. just told him, very loudly, ‘I can’t wait to watch you play 3-on-3.’ And he sort of smiled and went out and looked like he didn’t take a single heavy I believe in coach (John) Hynes, I believe in Tom Fitzgerald, I believe in breath. Alain Nasreddine. Those are three guys that had a huge impact on my Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh experience and helped me become the You started to take the next step into a second hockey career off the ice. player that I ultimately became. And I wanted to go help them build New You worked with NBC on some of the broadcasts and worked as a Jersey the right way. We ultimately didn’t have the success that we need, volunteer assistant at Dartmouth. What was that like? but I do think New Jersey is going to reap the benefits of Ray Shero and Johns Hynes for the next 10, 15 years. I really enjoyed working with NBC. There were some peaks and lots of valleys, but I felt like I started to get more and more comfortable before You closed out your career last season in Dallas after getting traded from the league shut down. And then I went to my coach at Dartmouth right New Jersey. What was that like? after I retired and (said) that I would love to be a volunteer assistant coach, I felt I had lots I could add to the program. It was great. Ray reached out early and said, ‘Ben, are you interested in going anywhere? And I’m not going to send you anywhere you don’t want The program (at Dartmouth) is something that’s been very important to to go. And if you don’t want to be traded, I understand.’ I told him, ‘I want me, and I lived right here. So I loved doing that. I got right involved right you to do what was best for the Devils.’ Last time, he traded me he put in away: I was at every practice and every game. After Christmas, I started Newport Beach and put me in a great situation, and then he reached out going on the bench with the team, and I really feel like I made a to Jim Nill and said, ‘This is a guy who can help out your organization.’ difference. I was very lucky that the coaching staff gave me a bigger and bigger role. It’s a very special place and a very special school, it’s a very I loved my time in Dallas. It is a unique place to play in the playoffs, and I special hockey program and I hope to be involved with it for a long time. knew that from playing against them. I felt like we had such a great shot to win the Stanley Cup. It was different showing up at the deadline, but I Editor’s note: Dartmouth coach recently announced his felt like I was able to make an impact. I think that Rick Bowness is one of retirement. Lovejoy declined to comment on that vacancy, but it is the most special men in hockey. I’d never crossed paths with him, and believed he will be one of the top candidates for the job. then in the three months I was able to get to know him, I see why people rave about him. What a human being, what a hockey coach and what a What have you learned about coaching? guy that you want to play as hard as you can for. It was very different. A lot of it is the same. Same camaraderie and same I wish we beat the Blues. That part was a bummer. being around the locker room – that doesn’t change. But you see almost the vulnerability of players. Playing hockey is hard; you make a ton of What do you mean by Dallas being unique? mistakes and if you have a coach that punishes you for every mistake, then you are going to hold your stick tightly, and you are going to play not Before I had experienced it, if you had told me Dallas would be a hard make that mistake. building to play in the playoffs, I don’t think I would have believed you. I was warned before we went and played there in Anaheim. It is extremely I’ve found throughout my career and continuing into coaching that you loud; it’s an intimidating place to play. I was warned in Anaheim, and I need a coach that can both communicate with players and empower didn’t believe it, but I knew that was gonna be the case when I got the them. Players want information, but the game happens at such a high chance to go be a Star. rate of speed that mistakes are going to happen. And as a coach, you want a player that can play the right way and play the right game most of It lived up to the hype. That building is hard to play in the playoffs as an the time, but you also want a guy that isn’t thinking the whole game and opposing player. isn’t thinking about screwing up. It’s been fun to watch and learn from Fair to say that it’s an easy question that the best players you’ve ever both my experiences as a player and now my experiences as watching played with are Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin? my mentor, Bob Gaudet, that empowering these players is so important and you do that by communicating and teaching – not by yelling at and It’s not even close. It’s those two guys and nobody else. It was incredible; scaring. And it worked best for me, and I think with younger and younger I’m older than both of them, but I didn’t make it to the NHL as an 18-year- players, it’s the only way to get through to these players. old, and they were experienced when I arrived as a rookie. And there is a reason that that organization has had such consistent excellence. And it’s not just because those two guys are two of the most talented hockey The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 players ever, but they bring it every day and the third-pairing defenseman has to show up for practice and be ready to go, or he’s gonna get embarrassed by one of those two guys.

They are competitive and driven, and they raise the whole organization to a higher level. It’s nuts. And every single guy on the team has to show up and ready to fly every day because Sid and Geno are gonna do that, and it was so hard to do for everybody, but everybody did it and everybody raised their level. And because of them, you’ve seen the consistent excellence of the organization because those two guys expect it.

What about the best defensemen you played with?

You are in Dallas, so you know about Miro Heiskanen. But Kris Letang, Cam Fowler, Brian Dumoulin and Will Butcher.

Heiskanen really left a positive impression on you in a short timeframe.

He is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Kris Letang is so gifted; he has the perfect body to play in the NHL. He is the most powerful, beautiful 1174096 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings sign Swedish forward Mathias Brome

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 7:35 p.m. ET April 28, 2020

The Detroit Red Wings have landed a late bloomer out of Sweden, signing Mathias Brome to a one-year contract.

Brome finished sixth in scoring in the last season with 43 points in 52 games.

The 6-foot, 183-pound forward drew interest from multiple NHL teams, including the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals, for his speed and work ethic. Brome is considered sound defensively, and could be someone who helps kill penalties.

Brome, who turns 26 in July, was passed over in NHL drafts, but he garnered attention after finishing the 2018-19 season with 15 goals and 20 assists in 52 games for Mora IK in the SHL. He was looking for an opportunity to see if he can translate his game to the NHL, and could find a fit with the Wings, who are in rebuilding mode. The contract is a two- way deal.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174097 Detroit Red Wings In 2006, he scored the winning goal in the gold-medal game at the Torino Olympics, joining the (Olympic and World Championship gold, and a Stanley Cup).

From stealing apples to winning 4 Stanley Cups: Red Wings' Nicklas He was named captain in 2006, the natural successor after Yzerman Lidstrom is 50 today retired. In 2008, Lidstrom became the first European born-and-raised captain to win the Stanley Cup. A week later, he was awarded the Norris Trophy for the third straight year and sixth time of his career.

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press The later years (2010-present)

Published 6:03 a.m. ET April 28, 2020 | Updated 7:14 a.m. ET April 28, Lidstrom won the last of seven Norris trophies in 2011, at age 41. He 2020 retired in 2012, saying he no longer felt he could go through the offseason workouts necessary to play at the level he demanded of

himself. He planned to be an electrical engineer and hesitated to move to Detroit He played 20 seasons for the Wings, during which they never missed the at first because he wanted to play for his native country in the 1992 playoffs. He missed only 44 games during his career. His 1,564 games is Olympics. the most games played by a player for one franchise. His 263 playoff In today’s edition of Detroit Red Wings revisited, a series designed to games are a franchise record and second overall in NHL history behind distract while the hockey world is shut down because of the COVID-19 former teammate ’ 266 games. pandemic, we look back at Nicklas Lidstrom on his 50th birthday. Lidstrom officially announced his retirement May 31, 2012, and the next He became a member of the franchise at the 1989 draft, and ended up weekend, he and Annika took out a full-page ad in local papers to say being a key member of four Stanley Cup championships and succeeding thank you to metro Detroit after calling the area home for two decades. as the team’s captain. Even before he retired in 2012, With the 2012-13 season shortened to 48 games because of a labor Lidstrom was regarded as one of the best defenseman to ever play the dispute, the Wings opted to retire Lidstrom’s No. 5 in March 2014. He game. was a first-ballot inductee in 2015. Here is a look at his life and career. The Lidstroms returned to Sweden in 2012, and live in their lakefront The early years (1970-79) home in Avesta. Lidstrom has kept busy coaching his sons and occasionally scouting for the Wings. Born April 28, 1970, Lidstrom grew up in Hogbo, a small town on the outskirts of Avesta, roughly two hours northwest of Stockholm. It sounds improbable given the supremely calm-tempered adult he grew up to be, Detroit Free Press LOADED: 04.29.2020 but Lidstrom was a rambunctious child, chasing his two older sisters around with a bandy stick. In his biography, The Pursuit of Perfection, Lidstrom’s father, Jan-Erik, said Lidstrom would steal apples from the neighbor's trees.

At age 7, Lidstrom started playing street hockey with his friends. The first time he put on skates was at an outdoor rink.

Hockey takes hold (1980-89)

At age 14, Lidstrom began playing midget hockey with Avesta BK. If he couldn’t make a practice, he’d skate on soccer fields converted to rinks in winter. Lidstrom tried playing both forward and defense, but liked defense better because it meant he could see the play develop in front of him. He dreamed of making it to the NHL, and idolized countryman Borje Salming, who at the time played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

At 17, he started playing for Vasteras IK in Sweden’s second division, and a year later, debuted in the top league (now known as the Swedish Hockey League). Lidstrom caught the attention of Christer Rockstrom, the Wings’ top European scout. He pushed the Wings to draft Lidstrom, then 19, in the third round, 53rd overall, at the 1989 draft in Bloomington, Minnesota.

“He wasn’t very big or strong, but he was very talented,” senior vice president Jimmy Devellano later recalled. “Christer really pushed him.”

Lidstrom studied electrical engineering, and drove a truck during a year’s service in the military (he got time off daily to continue his hockey career). He hesitated to join the Wings in 1991 because it meant forgoing the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, but second thoughts evaporated as Lidstrom tallied 60 points his rookie year in the NHL. He finished second to for the 1992 Calder Trophy, awarded to the league’s top rookie.

In 1994, Lidstrom and Annika, who married in 1998, welcomed Kevin, the first of four sons. On June 7, 1997, he hoisted the Stanley Cup, playing a key role in ending the Wings' 42-year drought.

He was named an alternate captain in 1997-98, and added a second Cup in 1998, finished those playoffs with 19 points in 22 games.

The golden years (2000-09)

Lidstrom won his first Norris Trophy in 2001, at age 31. The next spring, he tied with 18 points in 23 playoff games, fourth-most on one of the best teams ever assembled. Lidstrom won his third Stanley Cup and was awarded the Trophy as the playoff MVP. 1174098 Detroit Red Wings “While we know what we’re doing now, which is not anything, we should get (the draft) out of the way and take care of it in June.”

Team that were on the playoff bubble before the season was paused with Niyo: If NHL drafts NFL's plan, it could give Red Wings fans a lift a dozen or so games remaining would have a legitimate gripe. There’s also the question of how the league might handle draft-related trades and conditional picks. The traditional late-June draft — right before the start of free agency — typically generates a ton of trade activity. But that won’t John Niyo, The Detroit News be the case if there’s still part of a season to be played, right? Published 11:00 p.m. ET April 28, 2020 Canada's Alexis Lafrenière tops the class of NHL Draft prospects.

“A lot of trades happened at the deadline (in February) that were Nothing is perfect. But something is better than nothing. contingent on what happens with that team in the playoffs or that player in the playoffs,” Boston Bruins president Cam Neely said during a virtual It’s also possible, which is something the NFL proved last week, filling the town hall with the team’s season ticket-holders last week. “It could affect vacuum created by the COVID-19 pandemic in the sports world and your draft choice. A lot of things have to be worked out to have the draft ultimately reaping the rewards. The NFL Draft drew record-smashing prior to finding out who the Stanley Cup champion is.” television ratings, raised tens of millions of dollars for charity and generated an untold sum of goodwill — no small feat for a league that Yet there are just as many problems with waiting to hold the draft in often does the opposite. August or September, as Bettman noted, from delaying teams’ ability to start working with their prospects to the potential conflicts it might create So who’s got next? If Gary Bettman is paying attention — and surely he with European players and their league schedules overseas. was — it should be the National Hockey League, capitalizing on an opportunity. “There are issues on both sides of the equation,” Bettman said. “So it’s not like, ‘Well, if we wait, the draft will be perfect.’ There will be another NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is still figuring out what the league can set of issues if we wait.” and can't do. Besides, there are no guarantees this waiting game will end with one Not by dropping the puck. No, that still seems like a long shot for now. team hoisting the Stanley Cup. But there’s no good reason not to throw those ping-pong balls in the hopper, hold a lottery that’ll presumably have the Red Wings’ best Big stakes interests at heart, and then proceed with the NHL Draft in June as Just looking at some of the precautions that will be required for NBA scheduled. teams to reopen their facilities to players for voluntary workouts in the Or maybe even moved up a few weeks, a possibility that was raised on a coming weeks, it’s easy to see what a monumental challenge it will be to conference call with league general managers last week. The NHL Draft try to stage actual practices and games, let alone finish a season or hold originally was scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, but that event was the Stanley Cup playoffs. postponed in late March, along with the April 9 lottery and the early June The NBA already has pushed back its original plan and now has set May scouting combine. 8 as a possible target date for teams to begin opening their doors, the But now, even as the league grapples with various contingency plans for Associated Press reported. But even then, according to a memo finishing its 2019-20 season this summer, there’s a push to move forward distributed league-wide, it would allow for only individual workouts and with the draft, regardless. only four players in the building at a time, while also requiring quarantine restrictions, elaborate disinfection protocols — everything from “It was a trial balloon — no decision has been made,” Bettman said in an equipment to cell phones and keys — and expanded social-distancing interview with Sportsnet’s Ron MacLean last week. “And I said as we guidelines. were getting some feedback, ‘We don’t live in a world of perfect anymore. We’re going to have to make adjustments.’” The NHL is probably at least a week or two behind the NBA, in that regard, and Bettman was quick to add, “This isn’t a race. The stakes are But this is one that makes too much sense not to make for the NHL, too important.” which stands to lose more than $1 billion in revenue if it can’t resume play and hold the Stanley Cup playoffs, something that has happened He also prefaced all of his comments last week with the obvious caveat. just once in the last century — during the 2004-05 lockout. Everything remains up in the air for now — “Time seems to float,” as he put it — and most of these decisions will be dictated not by the NHL Knowns and unknowns commissioner or the league’s owners, but rather government officials across the U.S. and Canada as they weigh public-health concerns and The NFL comparison isn’t an entirely fair one, obviously. That league gradually lift some of the workplace restrictions that are in place. finished its season in February, and the most important part of teams’ draft preparations was completed before the COVID-19 shutdown. “Any decisions we’re making and anything we’re considering doing starts with health and well-being,” Bettman said. “In the final analysis, we are But the precedent Roger Goodell & Co. set by holding their draft remotely hopeful that, by doing the right things in the short term, we’ll be able to offers an easy blueprint for the other major U.S. pro sports leagues to come back and hopefully complete this season on some basis that is fair follow. An incentive, too, as the three-day event drew an average and has integrity.” audience of 8.4 million viewers, a 35% increase over its previous high. For broadcast partners starved for live content, that’s a serious lifeline. That’s why the league and the players’ union have formed a “Return To For the NHL, it’s also a way to stay relevant — generating interest Play” committee. And while there are several scenarios being discussed, before, during and after the draft — for a league that doesn’t have nearly the one that has gotten the most attention and seems to have the most the same clout as the NFL. traction is a plan that would have NHL teams gathering for a few weeks of training camp in June and finishing out the regular season in as many There are details that will need to be hashed out, and obstacles to clear as four NHL cities at once with multiple games a day in arenas without before a draft can proceed in the NHL. It starts with figuring out the fans. Then, it would be on to the playoffs, through the end of September, lottery, and the good news there for Detroit is the league is expected to pushing the start of 2020-21 season closer to Thanksgiving. use teams’ points percentage to determine the odds. (The Red Wings would have the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick at 18.5%, and a “Clearly, we can play into the summer, and clearly we can play next nearly 50% shot at a top-three pick.) season — which we intend to do in its entirety — starting later,” Bettman said. “And so with a lot of timing options, we have a great deal of Sure, that leaves open the possibility a team could win the lottery, draft flexibility. And we’re not gonna rush anything. We’re not gonna do 18-year-old star Alexis Lafrenière, then also win the Cup, assuming anything that’s crazy. We’re gonna try and do something under the there’s a resumption of regular-season play. But that’s an even longer circumstances at the time that is sensible.” shot, frankly. And several teams are pushing back against the idea, our old friend — now the Toronto Maple Leafs president The most sensible place to start, though, is by following the NFL’s lead — probably said it best, telling a local radio station there last week, and giving fans some hope. And in a city like Detroit, maybe even something to cheer about.

Detroit News LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174099 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings sign Swedish free agent forward Mathias Brome

The Detroit News

Published 9:33 p.m. ET April 28, 2020

The Detroit Red Wings signed Swedish free agent forward Mathias Brome to a one-year contract on Tuesday.

Brome, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound left winger with Orebro HK in the Swedish Hockey League, led his team in scoring this year and finished sixth overall in the league with 17 goals and 43 points in 52 games.

In 2018-19, Brome scored 15 goals with 35 points in 52 games with Mora IK.

The Vancouver Canucks were also interested in signing the 25-year-old Brome, who went undrafted in the NHL after scoring a combined 40 goals in 155 games during three seasons with Mora IK.

Detroit News LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174100 Detroit Red Wings Germany won a silver medal at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, eight players have been selected in the first round of the NHL Draft (Draisaitl, Romashyna, Seider, , , Dominik Bokk and Olaf Kolzig) and Stutzle's linemates at the world U20 championships, Germany's Tim Stutzle could join countryman in Red John-Jason Peterka and , are ranked among the top 10 Wings' rebuild European players for the upcoming draft.

"Back in the day, it was about playing hard and tough hockey and there weren't as many young guys in the league," Seider said. "Now, there's Mark Falkner, The Detroit News more emphasis on skill development, more coaching on and off the ice Published 1:37 p.m. ET April 28, 2020 | Updated 8:53 p.m. ET April 28, and young guys are getting the trust of their coaches and being put in 2020 important situations in a game."

Stutzle said Seider paved the way and "made it right" to play another year in Germany with older and more experienced players rather than Another German hockey star could be part of Steve Yzerman's rebuild in head to the United States or Canada to play against players their own Detroit. age in junior or college hockey.

A year after the Red Wings' general manager selected Stutzle's linemates in Mannheim were 31-year-old Ben Smith, who won a defenseman Moritz Seider with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft, Stanley Cup in Chicago with Kane in 2013, a Calder Cup in Toronto in Seider's former teammate Tim Stutzle is the No. 1-ranked European 2018 and a DEL title with Seider in 2019, and 32-year-old Tommi player for the 2020 draft and could form a potential one-two punch from Huhtala, a Finnish winger with 41 goals in three years with the Eagles, Germany, one of the emerging hockey nations in the world. including the championship season.

Yzerman knows all about Stutzle, a 6-foot, 190-pound winger who was "They're great linemates and they played a big role in my development," named rookie of the year with 34 points in 41 games with the Mannheim said Stutzle, who also credited Mannheim head coach Pavel Gross and Eagles in the , Germany's top-tier men's former skills development coach Pertti Hasanen for league. helping with the transition to the DEL. "It's not normal a guy at my age gets 14 to 19 minutes of ice time in a professional league. They really A year ago while scouting Seider in Mannheim, Yzerman met Stutzle for wanted to make me better in all situations." an informal conversation about the forward's future. Stutzle, who made the move to wing from center for the first time in his "It was great to talk to such a legend," Stutzle said. "I wasn't that high on career this year, said Gross wanted him to use his speed and drive to the the draft list but he wanted to know what I was going to do the following net more often and put more pucks on goal, especially in the playoffs. season. The discussion was about staying in Mannheim or going the college hockey route. It was my first conversation with an NHL manager "He's an awesome playmaker," said Seider, who was the captain and led and it was really interesting." the German team in ice time and assists at the world championships this year. "He's not an elite sniper yet. He's doing a lot more assists than Now, Stutzle is being interviewed by NHL teams on a regular basis, goals. He will add goals to his game but right now, he's always driving, especially with the season shut down since March 18 because of the always forechecking. He doesn't take any seconds off." coronavirus pandemic. For now, Stutzle will train in Germany during the COVID-19 outbreak and The Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues called last week just in case wait for the NHL Draft. He said he's not concerned about breaking they move up into a lottery position. A day before, the Red Wings talked Draisaitl's record and becoming the highest-drafted German player in by conference call with Stutzle, who is at home in Mannheim and NHL history. practicing safe social distance guidelines while training with Seider in groups of two and three teammates. "Leon Draisaitl is a role model for many of us over here in Germany," Stutzle said. "My goal at the beginning of the season was to get drafted "I would be happy to have him on our team and put that winged wheel as high as possible. Right now, being ranked in the top three or top five is on," Seider said. "He's an unbelievable kid. He showed the whole world already a big honor. It's a first step in the right direction but it's not my what he has in his toolbox this season. I'm just there by his side, goal in the end." supporting him. He has a bright future, for sure." Stutzle also said he's aware of possibly being reunited with Seider if Germany's Moritz Seider, left, was Detroit's first-round pick in 2019. Yzerman calls out his name in a draft which will likely be conducted The 18-year-old Stutzle, who has been compared to three-time Stanley online similar to this past weekend's NFL Draft. Cup champion Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks and former NHL (The Red Wings have had two other German players on the roster during MVP Taylor Hall of the Arizona Coyotes, was rated among the top four the club's 94-year history: defensemen Willie Huber and , players in the Central Scouting final rankings along with Rimouski winger whose son Bjorn was a teammate of Stutzle's this year). Alexis Lafreniere, Sudbury center Quinton Byfield and Erie defenseman Jamie Drysdale. "Moe is always making fun about it," Stutzle said. "Like, if you come to Detroit, it's going to be a lot of fun. I wouldn't say no, that's for sure. It The dates for the draft lottery and the draft haven't been announced yet would be a great thing." but, at worst, the Red Wings would have the fourth overall pick and are expected to add either Lafreniere, Byfield, Stutzle or Drysdale to their Tim Stutzle profile rebuilding team which sits in last place in the abbreviated season with only 17 wins in 71 games. Who: Tim Stutzle

"Steve Yzerman is not reluctant to select a player he feels is the best for What: No. 1-ranked European in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings his team," said TSN analyst and ex-NHL general manager Craig Button, Team: Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga a former Ann Arbor resident who has been featured on The Detroit News' NHL Draft TV show the past two seasons. "Wouldn't surprise me if he Age: 18 took Stutzle first overall." Height: 6-foot The highest a German hockey player has ever been drafted is third overall in 2014 by Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, who leads the Weight: 190 pounds NHL in scoring with 110 points in 71 games, and in 1963 by Boston Stats: Seven goals, 27 assists, 34 points in 41 games this year Bruins draft pick Orest Romashyna, who never played in the NHL and became a school teacher in Waterloo, . Red Wings connection: Two German defensemen, Willie Huber and Uwe Krupp, have played for the Red Wings. Huber was Detroit's first-round Stutzle's development into one of the NHL's top prospects reflects the draft pick (No. 9 overall) in 1978 and had 208 points in five seasons in improvements in German hockey, which ranks ninth in the world with Detroit. Krupp was part of the 2002 championship team but his name only 21,340 registered players in 2019 compared to Canada (621,026) wasn't engraved on the Cup because of an injury which limited him to and the United States (567,908). only eight regular-season games and two playoff games.

Detroit News LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174101 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings sign Swedish free agent Mathias Brome

Updated Apr 28, 2020; Posted Apr 28, 2020

By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

The Detroit Red Wings have signed Swedish forward Mathias Brome to a one-year entry-level contract.

Brome, 25, is an undrafted left wing who played for Orebro HK in the Swedish League this past season, collecting 17 goals and 26 assists in 52 games, leading the club in scoring, finishing sixth in the league.

Various scouting reports indicate he is a two-way forward with tremendous speed and a good skill level.

The 6-foot, 183-pound left shooter played the previous two seasons with Mora IK in Sweden’s top league, picking up 24 goals and 56 points in 104 games combined.

Brome chose the Red Wings over the Vancouver Canucks. The Washington Capitals were also in the mix.

The NHL announced earlier in the day it had extended its affiliation with a number of European hockey federations, enabling teams to sign players.

Michigan Live LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174102 Edmonton Oilers “It’s hard to compare Persson to Lennstrom; Persson has put up points and played well internationally, Lennstrom has done none of that. He’s more of a mobile two-way D-man,” said Uffe Bodin, who covers the Swedish Hockey League. “He was having a really strong season before Gaetan Haas returns for second kick at the Edmonton Oilers' can injuries caught up to him. His underlying stats were really impressive and it felt like he was on the verge of a big breakthrough in the domestic

league. Whether or not he can make the NHL remains to be seen.” Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal He’s buddies with Joakim Nygard and they share the same agent so April 28, 2020 5:32 PM MDT there’s a hook there.

Persson will likely be re-signing in Vaxjo in the SHL.

In the National Hockey League, the top nine or 10 players on a roster are CHANGE OF PLANS the Ferraris, Porsches and Lexus SUVs in their garage — the high-end Carter Savoie, the Sherwood Park Crusaders scoring machine with 53 wheels — but they also need Toyotas and Hyundais, hatchbacks and goals in 54 games, has decided against going to the USHL in Dubuque beaters to get from Point A to Point B. this upcoming season and he’ll go to Denver University this fall rather If 10 guys on a roster are making $4 million a season or more, they’re than starting in 2021. With the Calgary Flames signing one of Denver’s eating up 75 percent of the salary cap, that means lots of cheap labour best forwards, Emilio Pettersson, they have a college spot immediately for the other 13 players. for Savoie, who is expected to go in the second round of the NHL draft.

Which brings us to Gaetan Haas, who will be back for a second kick at Savoie’s best buddy, Crusaders defenceman Mike Benning, also the can with the Edmonton Oilers at $915,000. It’s $10,000 less than last committed to Denver for 2021, and is mulling over whether to forego year’s $925,000 for the Swiss , but it’s a one-way deal for 2020-21. Dubuque for college if Denver thinks he’ll be on their power play right off Last season, Haas, 28, had an out-clause to return to Europe rather than the hop. play in Bakersfield, Calif., for $70,000 but played close to 60 NHL games “I’ve never seen anybody in our league play the way Mike Benning plays averaging 9:41 a game. and I’ve been involved in the league for 15 years,” said Crusaders GM “We’re trying to build the bottom part of the roster,” said general manager Kyle Chase, who laughs off suggestions that Benning is all offence. “You Ken Holland, who knows he needs one of two top-six guys, but other go in high on Mike Benning and he’ll cross-check you in the mouth.” than Kailer Yamamoto, nobody has pushed through in the system. As for Savoie, who might be very high on Chicago’s draft radar, he just So he signed Haas, Joakim Nygard, Riley Sheahan, Josh Archibald, scores. Markus Granlund and Tomas Jurco last season to one-year deals and “Mark Letestu got 50 goals in the Junior Hockey League (with the first four panned out, with Jurco’s season short-circuited by hip Bonnyville) but he was 20,” Chase said. “Savoie did it at 17.” surgery.

Last season, Haas was the fourth centre with Sheahan in the third-line spot, but most people see the unsigned Sheahan as a fourth-line pivot Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.29.2020 and first unit penalty-killer with Archibald. They also used Jujhar Khaira in the No. 4 hole late in the season, so it’s anybody’s guess where Haas fits, but they felt he did enough in his first shot at the NHL. He still has to get stronger in battle situations but Holland feels he could got stronger on his feet the last 30 games.

In the short-term, Haas is fourth-line insurance in case they can’t re-sign Sheahan. Big picture, his wheels are NHL calibre, and he drew 14 penalties last season and only took three. He has to shoot way more than his 54 shots last year, but you can never have too many centres.

“Haas can skate and he played 55 games and he was only a minus-1. It’s not like he’s on for a bushel full of goals,” said Holland who wants more than five goals and 10 points, though. “Can he use last year’s experience to be a touch better? Can he learn to kill penalties?”

Can he score eight to 10 goals? Can he play 12 minutes a game? That’s the hope.

If he doesn’t progress, somebody goes by him and he’ll be in the minors like Granlund was this past season.

The Oilers pursuit of Swedish defenceman Theodor Lennstrom isn’t as hot and heavy as it was for Joel Persson, who got a one-way $1 million deal but only played 13 NHL games and watched as farmhand Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones zoomed past him on the depth chart.

When they do announce the signing, probably for one year, it’ll likely be a two-way deal for the two-way defenceman who skates better than Persson. If two-way, that’ll mean around $70,000 to play in Bakersfield if he doesn’t make the Oilers. He could return to Sweden for bigger money if that’s the case.

Last year when Holland took over, he had eight defencemen on one-way contracts, including Persson and Brandon Manning, who only played nine Oilers games and wound up in the American Hockey League. He doesn’t want that to happen again, plus he has to give Bear and Jones one-way deals for next season as restricted free-agents, which is why Lennstrom probably will be getting a two-way.

On the left side, the Oilers have Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, Jones, Kris Russell and William Lagesson ahead of him right now, but Lennstrom, who turns 26 in August, is low-risk for them. 1174103 Edmonton Oilers “The biggest thing to me was the travel for 16-year-old and 17-year-old kids with the coronavirus still out there. It wasn’t the right thing to do,” he said.

JONES: Hlinka-Gretzky Cup cancellation could open door for NHL reboot The ‘consolation prize’ of hosting NHL games and possible Stanley Cup playoff games, plus the fact that the IIHF World Junior championships are scheduled here during the Christmas and New Year holiday season, makes it pretty easy to swallow. Terry Jones

April 28, 2020 Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.29.2020

Tuesday’s news of the cancellation of the Aug. 3-8 eight-nation U-18 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup event most certainly clears the way for a proposed hosting of as many as three games a day involving the Pacific Division Oilers, Flames, Canucks, Sharks, Kings, Ducks and Golden Knights in .

“We think we’d be the favourite, but we need the NHL and NHLPA to think we’re the favourite,” Oilers president Bob Nicholson said now that the coast is clear.

“That’s what we’re trying to do,” said Nicholson when reached by cell phone while driving his dogs to the family summer home in , B.C. “We’ve certainly been doing our homework and if they’d like to have four locations, we’d certainly like to be one of them. We’re working with the NHL but it’s still a ways away whether that would actually happen and what would be the actual scenario.

“They’ve been talking about finishing the regular season or only playing 76 games instead of the full 82. Those things still haven’t been decided.

“We have a great facility for this with Rogers Place, the practice rink, the dressing rooms and all the back of the house components combined with the J.W. Marriott across the pedway. But Gary Bettman and the NHLPA have a lot of scenarios under consideration,” he said of the NHL Commissioner. “And before they can make the decisions, the provincial medical authority here and elsewhere will have to make their own determinations.”

It was certainly no surprise Tuesday when Hockey Canada finally got around to informing the world that the 2020 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup had been cancelled.

The surprise was that the odd-year/even-year rotation had not been altered to allow for the second Edmonton-Red Deer event hosting to be rescheduled for 2021.

That, I submit is a shortsighted shame that is not good business when it comes to building a bigger, better future for the newly branded event.

The rotation will remain as originally agreed and the debutante ball for the predominantly draft-year U-18 players will next be held here in August of 2022.

Nicholson, the long-time head of Hockey Canada and current vice- president of the International Ice Hockey Federation offered a different perspective than the one held by your correspondent.

“In our discussion with the Czechs and Slovaks, they communicated to us that they’d really like to have it back in 2021. Because this event was originally inspired and created by the Czechs and Slovaks in 1991 as the Memorial, we didn’t feel like it was our place to make that ask this early in the relationship.

“Because of them really building the event all these years, we thought it was appropriate to give it back to them.

“We’ll go back to the Czech Republic and Slovakia next year and then come back here a year after. We didn’t think there was any sense in disrupting the rotation. We’ll just pass this year, go back there next year and come back here the year after.”

The reasons for cancellation are obvious enough. They’re the same ones you’ve been reading with every event cancellation story out there. And the past 10 days has featured an inordinate number of event committees finally coming to the conclusion that most of the members of the general public had come to long before they did. And that most certainly includes Hockey Canada.

But to Nicholson, when it came to the Hlika-Gretzky, there was one reason that he considered paramount. 1174104 Edmonton Oilers this season with players who didn’t produce goals with anyone and it’s far from clear that’s really on Haas.

Defensively, he’s an easy player to like, both by eye and by number. His The 5 reasons why the Oilers re-signed Gaetan Haas goals and expected goals against numbers are among the best on the team, and while much of that is a result of playing against lesser opposition it’s still commendable.

By Jonathan Willis Penalty differential

Apr 28, 2020 I don’t want to spoil an upcoming piece on this subject, but there’s simply no way to talk about Haas’s value without mentioning how good he is at

getting the opposition to take penalties. In all situations this season Haas On Tuesday, the Oilers announced that they had re-signed pending free was penalized just three times while drawing 14 infractions against. agent Gaetan Haas to a one-year contract. Digging into the data, the things that make Haas a power play magnet It was an expected move. For the past week, speculation has been tend to be the same things that make him an effective two-way player. rampant that he and the team were closing in on a cheap short-term He has a sneaky good turn of speed and doesn’t stop moving his feet deal. along the boards. Eleven of the 14 calls Haas drew were of the tripping, If it wasn’t surprising, it was at least wise. There are at least five good hooking or holding variety. His positioning is excellent; four times this reasons for Edmonton to want to retain Haas after an uneven rookie year he managed to get an opponent to take a penalty in Edmonton’s season in North America. end of the rink, with most of them directly attributable to him being exactly where he needed to be. NHL teams looking for right-shooting centres in free agency this summer are pretty much out of luck. PuckPedia lists just five players at that Bottom line position with 10 or more points, and two of them (Tyler Pitlick and Melker There’s just no downside to this contract. It’s entirely possible that Haas Karlsson) have been full-time wingers at the major-league level. fizzles as a bottom-six forward and that a year from now the Oilers let Edmonton is such a team. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan him return to Europe, his NHL dream over. That’s the worst-case Nugent-Hopkins and Riley Sheahan all shoot left. This matters for strong scenario, and if it happens it’ll occur after a season spent as cheap side faceoffs and also in terms of working with some wingers. Haas is organizational depth. neither a dynamo nor a faceoff ace, but he gives the coach an option he The upside is real, if not extreme. Haas is fast, disciplined and intelligent. otherwise wouldn’t have. He’s a rare right-shooting forward on a market with virtually no options, Last summer, the Oilers decided that Haas was worth an entry-level he’s signed to a six-figure contract and after a year learning the ropes contract, spending $925,000 in cap space on a Swiss national team he’s both a better and cheaper bet to succeed than he was a year ago. staple who had never before played in a North American league. His new Signing Haas is a sensible decision at the bottom of the Oilers’ roster, the contract is a better deal for the player because it’s a one-way pact, but kind of quiet move that makes it just a little bit easier to win games. it’s also $10,000 less against the cap and Edmonton will presumably be getting a player better equipped to compete in the NHL from Day 1 of next season. The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 One of the Oilers’ problems the last few seasons has been finding competent depth players on the cheap and every NHL forward on a six- figure contract frees up money to be used elsewhere. Contracts like this will help Edmonton navigate a lower-than-expected salary cap this summer.

Upside

Haas turned 28 in January, meaning that he’s moving from the heart of his career to the age at which fringe NHL players fall out of the league. Ordinarily, we wouldn’t expect to see improvements from a player closing in on 30, but this is one of the exceptions.

Espen Knutsen, who couldn’t hang in the NHL at 26 but scored 53 points in his second try at age 29 is a classic example of the type. No matter how mature a player is, there are differences in off-ice culture, on-ice play, team dynamics and even travel in the NHL versus playing in Europe.

Haas visibly struggled with NHL speed in training camp, spent time in the minors and only found his legs as the year progressed. Next season, he’ll enter the year familiar with his teammates, his coaches, Edmonton and the style of play that dominates North American hockey.

Two-way ability

Haas was one of several depth forwards this year who did a nice job of treading water in terms of his two-way play. While he was on the ice, the Oilers hovered around 50 percent by the most popular shot metrics (Corsi, Fenwick) and also by expected goal share. This happened mostly against lesser competition, but in a role where the coach was more likely to send him out for a defensive zone than offensive zone draw.

It remains to be seen whether Haas is capable of generating sufficient offence to stay in the NHL long term.

His on-ice shooting percentage was spectacularly low this season, so it’s not a big shock that he didn’t record many assists. His goal rate was pretty good: he shot the puck relatively often and averaged 0.46 goals per hour at 5-on-5, a better number than more highly regarded shooters like James Neal and (both 0.43). He spent a lot of time 1174105 Edmonton Oilers Jets: Winnipeg spent most of the year in need of defencemen and has a near-perfect fit to go the other way: Mathieu Perreault, who makes basically the same money but could be pushed into the third-line centre role in Edmonton. That it hasn’t happened in 2019-20 despite that Can (and should) the Oilers trade Kris Russell? superficial logic suggests it probably won’t happen this summer.

Los Angeles Kings: The Kings are rebuilding and have both cap space and room on their blue line. Todd McLellan and Trent Yawney know By Jonathan Willis Russell well and used him a lot in Edmonton. The big problem is that Los Apr 28, 2020 Angeles doesn’t have a big contract to send back; the Oilers would certainly have to sweeten the pot.

Buffalo Sabres: Buffalo’s ownership has been facing well-documented From an Oilers perspective, the most important number with regard to financial challenges, so landing a relatively cheap player in trade might Kris Russell is $3.15 million. That’s the difference in cap hit between him be appealing, especially if the team could shed a pricey contract. Goalie and Caleb Jones, the young defenceman competing for a job on the left Carter Hutton would be a good fit in Edmonton, Colin Miller’s role has side of Edmonton’s third pairing. been far less than hoped for and centre/winger Marcus Johansson is making good money, too. There might be room for a lefty on the Sabres’ It’s a big enough number that it overrules the factors that favour Russell. blue line. Russell could be a strong fit for the mentor role on the Oilers’ third pair. New Jersey Devils: The Devils are rebuilding, have room on their blue He plays a defensive style, he can shift to either side of the ice, he kills line and could take the same rent-and-flip approach to Russell that any penalties and in a pinch he’s able to limit the bleeding against tough other team in that situation would. They don’t have a single contract that competition. Over four years with an up-and-down Edmonton team, he’s really makes sense to go the other way, though it’s possible they’ve got a 48 percent on-ice shot share and has been on the ice for just four soured on after a tough campaign. more goals against than for at 5-on-5. That’s very respectable. : The Ducks have some open slots on defence and have He is, however, a left-shot defenceman on a team loaded with lefties and already shown a willingness to do this kind of favour for other NHL teams playing for a coach who believes in putting players on their strong side. if adequately compensated. It’s why David Backes now plays in He also takes up too much cap space. Anaheim. Outside of Backes, they don’t have a contract that makes a lot The problem is clear, and so is the solution, though only by default: trade. of sense to go the other way – and it would be a reach for Edmonton to pencil Backes in as a third-line centre after the year he just had – so this Russell’s contract makes a buyout difficult. It was front-loaded and 40 is another case where the Oilers would have to sweeten the pot. percent of his final year’s pay comes in the form of a signing bonus. The Oilers would clear more cap space by assigning him to the AHL than they Dallas Stars: Jim Nill already acquired Kris Russell once and maybe that would by buying him out. was enough. That being said, the price would be a lot lower this time around, Dallas does have the space on the blue line for a Russell-type The obstacles to a trade are significant. Russell’s cap hit is high and a player and the Stars have several questionable contracts that might be clause in his contract allows him to block a trade to 15 of the league’s 30 better fits in Alberta than Texas. Andrew Cogliano’s $3.25-million cap hit other teams. Yet he’s still a useful player, and for some clubs the is the most notable entry in that category. combination of high cap hit/low real dollars will be attractive, especially if Edmonton were to take money back. Arizona Coyotes: There’s a lot to like about Arizona as a fit. The Coyotes are a budget team and very into microstats on the analytics front, a field The ideal trade candidate would: which tends to credit Russell for the things he does well. They even have Be more worried about real dollars than cap space; some contracts that could work; perhaps something centred around Derek Stepan or Michael Grabner. The biggest problem is that the Have a comparable contract to send back; Coyotes are loaded to the gills with veteran defencemen and need to squeeze Kyle Capobianco in or else risk him on . Given that Have an opening for a Russell-type player on defence. Capobianco is 22 and coming off a near point-per-game AHL season, Are there teams that meet those parameters? If there are, what might a waiving him seems an unpalatable option. deal look like? Tier 3: Due diligence calls

Tier 1: The first team you thought of when you read “high cap hit/low real These teams probably aren’t fits but a trade is just plausible enough to be dollars” worth asking about.

These exercises always begin with Ottawa. Minnesota Wild: The argument for Minnesota is that they have a couple : The Sens are famously low-budget, lost one veteran of players who might make sense coming the other way. Greg Pateryn defenceman (Dylan DeMelo) at the deadline and have a second (Ron has not delivered as expected and earns $2.75-million in real dollars next Hainsey) bound for free agency. They do a lack a good contract fit to year, but the star of this exercise is centre Victor Rask, a buyout take back. Artem Anisimov would be a reasonable third-line centre fit but candidate. The 27-year-old Rask remains a plausible third-line option in a his deal has the same kind of low dollars/high cap hit split in its last year new market and it’s just possible that the Wild would be interested that Russell’s does. Marian Gaborik is set to finish out his insured enough in shedding the final two years (at a $4.0-million cap hit) of his contract on long-term injured reserve, but perhaps the Sens would be contract to take back Russell. That might be a non-starter for the Oilers, interested in shedding the 20 percent ($615,000) they’ll have to shell out of course: as much as I don’t mind Rask in a third-line role, they very well to a player who isn’t playing, especially if the Oilers were to pay Russell’s might. bonus before trading him. Nashville Predators: Nashville isn’t exactly burdened with excess cap Tier 2: A whole mess of maybes space next season, but the team does have some openings coming up on the blue line. It’s a stretch, but if the Oilers were to retain some salary For one reason or another, these are the teams likely to be most and take on Steven Santini’s buried contract, Russell might plausibly amenable to taking on Russell’s cap hit. provide the Preds with a veteran anchor for their third pairing.

Detroit Red Wings: Ken Holland has not hesitated to make deals with his Vancouver Canucks: Vancouver has bad contracts. From Edmonton’s old team, and Russell isn’t a bad fit for Detroit. The Red Wings have a perspective, something built around AHL-buried Sven Baertschi could bunch of veteran defencemen on expiring deals and could borrow theoretically work. The argument for the Canucks is that the difference in Russell for a half-season before flipping him as a rental at next year’s price between Russell and a bought-out or buried Baertschi is about what deadline. They also have a bunch of guys making decent money with they’d pay for a veteran third-pairing type anyway. One significant one year left on their deals. Goalie Jonathan Bernier would be the best fit obstacle is that Vancouver looks pretty set on the left side defensively. but there are arguments for Darren Helm, Val Filppula or even Luke Glendening. Florida Panthers: The Panthers need to clear payroll, but there’s an obstacle: their top seven defencemen over the last 25 games are all either under contract for next season or restricted free agents. There are some forwards on multi-year commitments (like Brett Connolly) who The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 might work for the Oilers, but they aren’t on bad deals and someone will have to play up front for Florida next year. Positional considerations here probably outweigh the superficial financial appeal.

Chicago Blackhawks: Anything seems possible in Chicago after the firing of president John McDonough. The Hawks are a weird combination of holdovers from their contender days and up-and-comers, without being either good enough to win consistently or bad enough to accrue high-end draft picks. There’s room on the blue line for Russell, who might fit depending on organizational direction, particularly if the Oilers were to take back someone like Zack Smith. That being said, it was only last summer that Chicago took Smith on for Artem Anisimov in its own attempt to escape cap hell.

Montreal Canadiens: Montreal has the cap space and probably room for a veteran on the third pairing. On the other hand, they also could put that cap space to more productive use and they can find veterans a lot cheaper than Russell, so the trick would be to give them enough of an incentive to make a deal. It’s easier said than done.

Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets have some nice fits contract wise (Riley Nash, perhaps Brandon Dubinsky) and probably wouldn’t be averse to saving some real dollars if given the opportunity. That’s the case for. The case against is significant: Columbus is already crawling with defencemen, has been pretty comfortable spending the last few years and has to sign Pierre-Luc Dubois this summer. It’s just conceivable that enough could fall into place to make some kind of deal work but it’s a strain on the imagination.

Calgary Flames: They make the list, just barely, because there’s so much uncertainty on their blue line. There isn’t a contract fit here that makes sense for either side and Calgary-Edmonton deals are always tricky to pull off, despite the fact that both teams have reasons to be happy with the Lucic-Neal swap one year in. Maybe some combination of retained salary and/or sweetener makes a deal go, but in all likelihood it’s a non- starter.

San Jose Sharks: The Sharks have room on the blue line for a veteran body and some money to spend, so it makes sense to give them a call. It’s a tough fit, though, and there isn’t a contract that makes sense for Edmonton to take back the other way. If anything, San Jose probably would like to move money off its blue line for forward help.

How likely is a trade? Ultimately, it comes down to Russell. If he’s determined to stay in Edmonton, he can blanket all of Tiers 1 and 2 along with two-thirds of Tier 3. That would leave three long-shot options, along with the 12 teams that didn’t rate a mention owing to some combination of having lots of defencemen, very little cap space and/or analytics- inclined front offices.

It’s highly unlikely a trade could occur under those conditions.

If Russell stays, the question is what the Oilers do with him.

As much as he is still an NHL player, Russell is not playing ahead of Oscar Klefbom or Darnell Nurse. It’s also difficult to justify prioritizing minutes for a pending UFA over Jones, an improving 22-year-old who is under team control for years in the future. Nor is it clear that a lefty-lefty third pair is better than one featuring Jones and one of Edmonton’s many right-shooting options.

Theoretically, he could slot into a third-pair rotation with Jones and one of Edmonton’s many right-side options. There’s an argument for that, but it comes with a cost: waiving or trading cheap youngster William Lagesson as well as settling on just one of those right-shot options for that third pair.

An Edmonton team desperate for cap space could assign Russell to the AHL. Burying him and keeping a league-minimum player instead would open up $375,000 in cap space. If the league-minimum player were someone like Lagesson, such a move would also safeguard the rights of a player who could be a cheap and useful piece after Russell’s contract expires.

There are worse options than simply designating Russell the team’s No. 7 defencemen out of training camp and enduring his cap hit for one final year. Defencemen get hurt and the Oilers had seven this year play 500- plus minutes at 5-on-5, with four others also being used at points. He’d be an expensive insurance option but potentially a valuable one.

1174106 Florida Panthers

NHL offering Florida Panthers face masks as part of new initiative benefiting food banks

By David Wilson

April 28, 2020 10:54 AM, Updated April 28, 2020 10:59 AM

Miami-Dade’s first walk-up testing site will be located in North Miami, the County mayor said on April 27, 2020. Appointments can be made by calling 305-499-8767. By Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez via Facebook

Add the NHL to list of sports leagues selling team-branded face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks featuring the logos and branding of all 31 teams, including the Florida Panthers, are now available for purchase, with proceeds going to food banks in the United States and Canada.

The NHL has partnered with FOCO to sell face coverings for each of the league’s 31 teams starting Tuesday. Masks are available in packs of three at NHLShop.com and FOCO.com for $24.99. The Panthers three- pack includes a red mask with “Florida Panthers” written on it, a blue mask with a series of miniature team logos scattered across it, and a red- and-blue mask with the logo blown up front and center. The face coverings, which are not intended for medical use, are available in small and large sizes.

Proceeds for the masks will go to Feeding America in the United States and Food Banks Canada in Canada.

“The health, well-being and safety of our fans and all communities across Canada, the United States and around the world, is our number one priority,” said Kim Davis, the NHL executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs. “We’re committed to assisting in the effort to support the face covering guidelines from the CDC and Health Canada with the important benefit and outcome of helping food banks across the U.S. and Canada in their efforts to feed people in need during this unprecedented time.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Health Canada both now the use of simple, cloth face coverings to cover faces while in public. On April 17, the NBA announced a similar line of face masks with the proceeds also going to Feeding America and other food banks in Canada.

NHL play has been suspended for more than a month because of the coronavirus outbreak and no return plan is in place. Florida entered the extended hiatus sitting three points out of the third and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

Miami Herald LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174107 Los Angeles Kings “He was the youngest player on D at the World Juniors for Sweden. In my opinion, all seven are going to play in the NHL. He was a big part of that team and I think he probably brought a little confidence back with him.” Which Kings prospects would most benefit from a summer training camp? Kale Clague

2019-20 (Ontario): 8 goals, 17 assists, minus-14 in 49 games

By Lisa Dillman 2019-20 (Kings): 0 points, minus-3 in four games

Apr 28, 2020 Murray: “He’s had a great year there. When he got called up for four games, it was a great taste for him. His skating is his best attribute, obviously. In Ontario, he carried the load on the power play. He sees the ice really well. These days, nearly every story about the NHL feels like it should start with one word: “The one thing he knows — and he’s working with Sean O’Donnell and OC (Mike O’Connell) — just about retrievals and playing better in your If. own zone, being a little bit harder to play against. No one wants to (or can) get locked into any single position, since things “His feet and his hockey sense are really high-end and that’s going to get seem to change on an hourly basis as the NHL sorts through a myriad of him in the league. He’s determined and he’s worked on his deficiencies. issues and attempts to get its product back on the ice. First and foremost, He knows what they are and wants to work with the coaches. You can it would have to get the go-ahead from relevant governmental and health see it in his progression.” department officials. Carl Grundstrom Craig Morgan, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic recently explored the potential hub cities should the NHL season resume this 2019-20 (Ontario): 12 goals, 16 assists, plus-1 in 40 games summer. 2019-20 (Kings): 4 assists, plus-2 in 13 games Plenty more ifs. Murray: “He’s really worked at his game. He understands there’s certain Among the questions — if the regular season resumes — is, how many things he needs to work on — carrying the puck and making sure he players would the Kings have at a summer training camp from their AHL stays hard on the forecheck. We’re trying to make these players feel team in Ontario? Bring on the big taxi squad. good about their game and give them positive feedback. Phil Jackson once said for every one negative thing, there should be five positive Several Reign players appeared in at least one game with the Kings this things. season before the NHL’s pause on March 12 due to COVID-19: forwards Matt Luff (18 games), Carl Grundstrom (13), Jaret Anderson-Dolan (four) “He was playing just as well as JAD. He is very hard on himself. We and Tim Schaller (two), and defensemen Kale Clague (four), Tobias talked to him about it and he understands it. It’s a natural reaction. This Bjornfot (three) and Paul LaDue (two). game is made of mistakes. You can’t live in the past, in a sense, like two shifts before. You move on to the next shift. He is teaching himself that. “You might need a couple of these players to play, because we’ve been He has to do it. We’ll help him any way we can. But he has been playing off for so long,” Glen Murray, the Kings’ director of player development, well. When he got sent down, like JAD, he kept going forward, kept told The Athletic. getting better and he’s another guy, he’s determined to get up and there “Hopefully we’ll be able to have some of these American League players and stay up there. His game is well-suited for us.” join the team in training camp. It would be good for them.” Murray: “It’s tough when you’re getting called up and then going down This was the musing/speculative part of our conversation on Monday. and you’re not exactly sure where you fit in. Even though that’s hard, Given the murky situation, it is impossible to do anything more right now. you’ve got to really find a way to make sure they don’t take you out of the Throughout the season, I’ve been checking in with Murray on the lineup. That’s the next step. Be confident in your game and be a progress of several players in the minors, most notably Gabe Vilardi, who contributor any way you can be and show the coaches and the staff, ‘It’s was called up Feb. 20 and played 10 games with the Kings, scoring three not going to be easy to take me out of the lineup.’ goals and adding four assists. “I think highly of Matt. I think he’s going to be a good NHLer and have a Ordinarily, this would be a chat to wrap up the AHL season. But for some career. Sometimes it’s tough to break through that to be an every-day of these players, the summer could become a valuable building block for guy. Once he gets that, he’ll be able do more on the ice and play the way the 2020-21 season. he does in Ontario.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan “Last year, he played really well (with the Kings). A small sample size, 25 to 30 games (in 2018-19), and I think he’s got to get back to that mindset. 2019-20 (Ontario): 8 goals, 20 assists, minus-3 in 53 games It’s hard. Sometimes you take a little bit longer, which is fine. If you want to be in the NHL, you’ve got to push through that wall and make sure you 2019-20 (Kings): 0 points, minus-1, in four games stay.” Murray: “It’s unfortunate the season got stopped for JAD because he was getting better and better. He was really playing well. I thought he was one of our best players since Christmas. He’s a worker and he understands The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 what he needs to do. He’s learning the game more and more every day. You see the natural leadership and he really wants it too. He’s determined to be an NHL player. He’s going to be there.

“When he went back down (to Ontario), he didn’t go backwards. He went forward. He’s going to keep working on his game and working with development staff and working on his faceoffs, working on his shot. He kept pushing forward.”

Tobias Bjornfot

2019-20 (Ontario): 6 goals, 13 assists, plus-13 in 44 games

2019-20 (Kings): 0 points, minus-4 in three games

Murray: “He loves being a pro. He wants to be playing hockey, improving every day. I knew he was a good player but every night he’s been solid. He’s really impressed me. 1174108 Los Angeles Kings to see family and make the best out of a situation without any sort of tried-and-true instruction manual.

LA Kings Insider: Do you have a favorite stretch of road? I assume this is “EERIE” DRIVE TO OWEN SOUND ALLAYED BY MIKE STOTHERS’ a drive you’ve done many times by now. Any particularly beautiful or FAMILY DEVOTION scenic stretches?

Mike Stothers: I don’t really gauge it on that. I usually go with who has the highest speed limit. That’s how I pick my favorites. To be honest with JON ROSEN you, both ways are good. It’s a little bit long, but this particular time was interesting because there were very few cars on the road. There was APRIL 28, 2020 very little traffic. We left March 26 at 8:00 in the morning in California. Usually that’s gridlock. You’re not going anywhere. We had no issues getting up to Ontario and the 15. It never really dissipated the whole way. Inherently North American, the cross-country road trip provides the To be honest with you, Jon, I hardly had to touch the brakes because opportunity to see and sample local customs and cuisines while meshing there was no traffic. I mean, there was truck traffic. Obviously, that wasn’t the brilliant topographical tapestry with a soundtrack as customizable as going to change. But as far as any of the states we went through, we the itinerary itself. really didn’t hit parts where we were heading through a bigger city during rush hour traffic or even construction down to one lane. It wasn’t an Unless, of course, you’re making haste during a worldwide pandemic and issue. We made really good time. We didn’t stop a whole lot, other to get not entirely sure the border to Canada will remain open long enough to gas and have pee breaks with ourselves and our dog. But that was kind cross it. of by design, too. Once I get driving, I don’t really like to stop anyway. “You probably would’ve hearing from me or reading about me,” Mike But this one was different because we didn’t really want to linger around Stothers said, envisioning his Plan B. “I would’ve been the guy making a a restaurant or anything else because of what was going on. When we mad dash or driving through the border gates.” did stop, at the gas pump, for example, I just slipped one of the dog’s The border was open but empty, and the coach, his wife, unused poop bags over my hand and used that for handling the pump Judi, and his dog, Peyton made it home safely to Owen Sound, Ont. He and putting in my credit card. The restaurants, most of it was the fast recently emerged from two weeks of self-isolation in which his tic-tac-toe food places, and they had drive through. A couple of the places were matches across a closed window against his grandson were both a open so you could at least use the restroom facilities, but you could only highlight and an indication he’d made the difficult but correct choice to order to take out. There was no in-dining service. So that kind of cut into head home. Relieved to be safe and gravitating towards the positive, the time. I guess the only time we had any time consumed was the two what began as a conversation about road tripping during such nights we got hotels. We checked into the hotel, and before we even took unprecedented times evolved into a talk about family, isolation and the one thing out of the car, my wife and I went into the room with the Lysol complexities of being surrounded by loved ones but not actually able to wipes and a big bottle of 409 and some rags I’d brought along for the trip, hug them. and we basically cleaned the room from top to bottom, including the head boards, the curtain rods and whatever else. The number one culprit is And that’s awfully difficult for Stothers, who can get his point across usually the remote, but we spent probably an hour cleaning, sanitizing acutely and with color while speaking directly to a player, a method of the room before we even went in there. And then we spent the night, we delivery that doesn’t mutually exclude him from being the consummate got up the next morning, and we were on the road before it even got and empathetic father and grandfather. Rather than discuss his daylight, really. But it was different, Jon. It was kind of eerie to be driving communication with staff and preparations for next season, he clearly and there’s nobody else around. It was weird, it was really, really weird. imparted his concern that kids are missing out on interaction with friends and teachers, and that there are no more sports and extracurricular LAKI: What was crossing the border like in Sarnia? activities during the temporary purgatory. MS: That became even more bizarre because as you’re going through But even with the continent seemingly grounded to a halt and the Michigan and you’re getting to Port Huron when you’re going to go constant reminders of an “eerie” drive east, he was much more apt to across the border, we purposely stopped at what we thought was one of speak of the potential good – any good – that could come from the the last rest stops so that we could go to the washroom and make sure coronavirus pandemic. that we had a full tank of gas because we knew once we hit the border that they were encouraging people not to stop for any reason on the “You’ve got to go with the positives, bud. We knew were going to get to other side, whether it was to get groceries or to get gas or whatever. We come home and see our kids. That was the driving force and it made the knew we could do that because it was about three hours from Sarnia to trip go by. You know what? As we got closer to being home, the happier where we live. But the crazy part is usually when you make that run, we became, so it was a positive move, for sure.” there are a ton of vehicles – both Canadian and American – heading to * * * * * the border to go into the Canadian side. And it was so bizarre – I said to my wife, ‘did they close the border?’ Because we were the only car Stothers, Judi and Peyton usually cross the country in the most direct heading in this direction. Everybody else was coming the other way, and route, using Interstate 15, 70 and 76 to get to Interstate 80, from which that was really, really strange. We got to the border, and there was zero virtually any corner of the continent is possible. Because this trip began wait. We crossed the bridge, there were two-to-three booths open with on March 26 while there was still inclement weather in the west, they customs officials and there was no wait. They asked what we were doing were steered towards a more southerly route. “We went up 15,” Stothers and where we were headed and they proceeded to read us a rather said. “At Barstow we made a hard right, went through Arizona, New extensive list of things we could and could not do, one of them being Mexico, ended up through Oklahoma and Indiana and then up into once we got to a residence, we were to stay there for the mandatory 14 Michigan that way. We crossed the border where we normally do, in Port days. We were not even allowed to go get our mail, not allowed to leave Huron. It’s like a three-hour drive from the border to where we actually the property to walk the dog. Basically, we were going to be locked into live.” our house, which was fine because we knew that coming in. We were prepared for that. But then they said for a violation of it, you could spend Stothers joked that he’d previously spent the past two weeks in 60 days in jail plus pay a million-dollar fine. So, that million dollars, that quarantine with Judi, so there wasn’t much left to talk about. There’s kind of got my attention. I was actually going to be a smart ass and ask often a good, comfortable silence on a long road trip; this one was them if that was American or Canadian – what the exchange rate was. punctuated by the occasional remarks about how few cars there were on But I figured, no, let’s not push it. the road. And though the regular season doesn’t often afford enough time to catch Spittin’ Chiclets, “I’m a big fan of Paul Bissonnette, as you So, then we got to our house and we basically stayed here for the 14 well know,” he said. “I got a kick out of a few of ‘em. It gives you some days, which wasn’t too terrible because there was plenty to do. At least I time to think when you’re driving and plan out your next move.” could go out and rake the leaves off my lawn or whatever – there’s always stuff you can do putzing around your own house, right? And it There was some disaster mitigation, like what they’d have to do in the meant we were closer to our kids. That was the main reason we were event they became sick en route or were denied entry into Canada and wanting to get home so urgently. My wife came home in January, but I found themselves marooned in Port Huron. (See: Plan B.) Otherwise, this hadn’t seen my kids or my grandkids or my parents since I left in August, was a quick, direct jet across the United States sustained by their desire and it was really difficult in California with them calling all the time and seeing what was going on, and we were doing the same from this end. Not having a visual on them was really unnerving, and we found it very, very difficult to manage that way. Once we got here and we were still part of that 14 days of quarantine, my oldest daughter that has three kids, she came over to the house and she would bang on the windows and we would have a conversation through the dining room window or the living room window, and I was able to play tic-tac-toe on the windows with my grandson – and I actually got to meet my granddaughter for the first time. She was born December 29 and was three months old. We actually haven’t been able to interact, which is still strange and different and awkward. All you want to do is hug them, obviously. But just seeing them made us feel so much better and more comforted in the fact that they were OK and they knew we were OK. So, we’re just pretty much doing what everybody else is doing. We’re fully supportive of the social distancing, but at least we’ve been able to be close to family. We went and saw my youngest daughter and did a drive-by for my mom and dad. So, again, there’s no contact, there’s no hugs, there’s no sitting around dining together in the same residence or in a restaurant or anything, but it just feels better to know that everybody’s OK. If there’s one thing that’s taught us anything, Jon, there’s nothing bigger than family and the importance of your friends and family and loved ones. Hockey is a great sport, but it’s just a game when you get right down to it, and right now we’re all experiencing something we’ve never had before, and it’s going to change things dramatically, I’m sure. But there’s nothing better than being close to your family.

LAKI: Driving back, was it just you, your wife and the dog, or was there anyone else in the backseat?

MS: Nope, just me, my wife and the dog. Yeah, the dog was great. She’s well-versed in the travels. She’s barely finished having a squirt and she’s already ready to jump back in the car. She’s a golden retriever. Basically, before we’d left, we kind of had quarantined in California for two weeks. We really like our place, but it was a one-bedroom and kind of small. At the first part, the first couple days, at least we were able to use the facilities, like the gym and stuff like that. And then when they shut that down, I was like, ‘oh my God, I can’t even go and work out. The dog and I went out for long walks and I’d wear a mask, and I actually thought it was pretty neat at the start. There were a lot of people out walking – whether they were moms pushing the stroller or people walking their dogs – and everybody was so friendly. Like, it was unbelievable. Not that they were infringing on anybody’s space. Everybody was good at giving everybody their distance, but when you’d walk by somebody, and everybody said good morning, or how are you doing today, you know what I mean? Everybody had a smile on their face. Now, I don’t know as this kind of went further along that people were getting more and more frustrated – maybe they’re not quite as friendly as they used to be. I don’t k now. But those two weeks we spent in California, I was pretty impressed with the way everybody kind of had a good attitude about it. And it kind of made you feel good and gave you some hope that maybe this wasn’t going to go very long. As it turns out, it’s gone a lot longer than any of us could have ever imagined. And then, like I said, we ended up leaving after two weeks, hopped in the car. It might’ve been Dools (Ontario Reign Insider Zach Dooley) that asked me, ‘what did you and your wife talk about on your way home?’ We didn’t talk. We spent two weeks together in California, we were all talked out, so we just drove. Like, we got along famously, it was great. But, it was, OK, there’s not really much more to talk about other than ‘jeez, there’s not many cars on the road,’ or ‘jeez, the traffic’s great,’ or ‘you getting hungry yet?’

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174109 Minnesota Wild made a memorable NHL debut, picking up a hat trick on April 6, 2019, in a home game with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The hat trick included the tying goal in regulation and winning goal in the For Canadiens’ Ryan Poehling, it’s been rehab and golf back home shootout.

“I’m still grateful for that, such a great thing that happened,” he said. “It shows what hard work and going after you want to achieve a goal … how By MICK HATTEN / THE RINK LIVE rewarding it is. I don’t know why or how it happened.”

PUBLISHED: April 28, 2020 at 12:53 p.m. | UPDATED: April 28, 2020 at Besides the physical challenges that Poehling faced this season, there 12:54 p.m. were other adjustments that he had to make. Poehling played college hockey after graduating early from high school and playing just nine

games of junior hockey. The most games he played in a season in People are finding different ways to pass the time with social distancing college was 36. during the coronavirus pandemic. Even with the injuries, Poehling has played 27 games in the NHL and 36 Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz allowed golf courses to open in the state on games in the AHL this season. April 18. That allowed Ryan Poehling and some of his friends and “It was definitely different than what I expected, but I think it’ll be good for relatives to head to Legends Club golf course in Prior Lake. me in the long run,” said Poehling, who has a combined six goals and 15 And Poehling nearly picked up a hole-in-one last week. The near ace left points in his two stops this season. “You go through so much adversity him with a bone to pick with the governor. as a player that, hopefully, I can take this as a learning experience and kind of build from that.” “With this quarantine stuff, you can’t touch the flagsticks, you have to have your own cart, so we had four carts for four people,” he said. “They He also has had to learn a new position. have pool noodles in the holes, so the (golf) balls can’t go all the way in “We were so deep at center that I ended up playing wing for probably 20 the hole, so it’s easier to grab the flag. of the (NHL) games,” he said Poehling, a teammate of former Huskies “So hole 17 is a par-3 and I hit a ball and it landed 3 feet in front of the goalie Charlie Lindgren in both pro stops. “It was hard at first because pin and it rolled, it went into the cup, but it hit the pool noodle and most of the guys who play center end up playing some wing throughout bounced out. It was like 3 inches behind the hole. So that pool noodle youth ages and even in college. That wasn’t the case for me. took away a hole-in-one from me.” “You’ve got to focus more on those little board battles (at wing). If you’re Poehling said he got his only hole-in-one when he was 8 years old, so he a center, you’re like a third defenseman. When you’re a wing in the wasn’t pleased to have his rare shot denied. defensive zone, you have to worry about the defenseman in your area. Then there’s breaking the puck out and finding the soft spots, where you “I went into the clubhouse and I was yelling at the guys I know real well, need to be and sheltering yourself to make plays. I improved a lot and it since I was 10 years old,” he said, laughing. “I was joking around with was good to prove that I can play both.” them and saying that I may have to send Gov. Walz an email about this.” While there was a lot of learning during Poehling’s first pro season, he Poehling, a former St. Cloud State All-American and Lakeville North star said he was also able to follow his twin brothers, Jack and Nick, and the hockey forward is back living at home while he waits for the next move in Huskies a fair amount during the season. his pro career. A first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens (25th overall, 2017 NHL Entry Draft), Poehlings has split his rookie season between “When I played in the AHL, we had some home games at 3 on Saturday the NHL and the of the American Hockey League. and, after that, I could always watch St. Cloud games at 5,” he said. “As the season went on, they kept getting better and better. It was kind of fun Both leagues suspended play on March 12, but Poehling had missed watching that process and seeing them grow as a team.” time before that because of an injury he is still rehabilitating. Jack and Nick, who were senior alternate captains for the Huskies, are “I got sent down to the AHL about three weeks before and then I got hurt free agents. But like most college free agents, the pair have not signed probably two weeks later,” he said. “There was a game where I got hit pro deals yet. Ryan said that his brothers are finishing classes online and awkwardly and my shoulder kind of moved around. I didn’t think much of golfing with him. it.”

Later, a CT scan revealed a torn labrum. “But it wasn’t big enough to have surgery,” he said, “so I’ve just been rehabbing it ever since and it Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.29.2020 feels good now.”

Poehling, 21, suffered a concussion right before the beginning of the NHL season in an exhibition game.

“That kind of sucked because I was playing real well,” he said. “It took me 10 days to come back. I’ve never had one of those before, so it’s a scary injury to have. Just glad that I’m OK now from it.”

At the beginning of the 2019-20 season, Poehling was listed at 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds. But one of the adjustments to pro hockey was the size of the pro players.

“There’s a lot of strong, big, old men out there and you definitely have to prepare for that,” he said. “Lucky for me, I’ve got a flexible body. I can take a few more hits than most.”

In his second-to-last game at St. Cloud State, Poehling’s head hit the boards after he lost an edge during a game against Colorado College in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and missed the championship game of that tournament. Poehling rebounded and played in the NCAA Division I playoffs one week later.

“That was minor to the point where they didn’t have to count (it as a concussion),” he said, “so that was more of a neck injury.”

After St. Cloud State was upset by American International College, Poehling signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Montreal. He then 1174110 Montreal Canadiens really happy I was there for his first steps. Those are memorable moments, even with everything going on right now.”

Canadiens' Phillip Danault is already looking ahead to next season Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.29.2020

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:10 hours ago

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is exploring every option to complete the 2019-20 season — which is now suspended by the COVID-19 crisis — but Canadiens centre Phillip Danault said his focus is already on next season.

The most popular ideas being floated by the NHL to restart the season would have all 31 teams playing at four centralized locations.

“It really makes no sense, in my head, to distance myself for two months from my kid,” Danault said during a conference call Tuesday from his offseason home near City. “And I imagine it makes even less sense for those who would go far in the playoffs, who are on playoff teams right now. If a team goes to the Stanley Cup final, it could be three to four months. It’s inhumane to do that, as far as I’m concerned. But the league has to make a decision and I imagine the players will have to vote on it — and I’m not sure they’ll be in favour of being away from family for two-to-three months.”

The Canadiens’ hopes of making the playoffs had already died with 11 games left in the season and a 31-31-9 record. When asked about the best possible scenario for a return to play this season, Danault said the NHL should focus of the playoffs.

“There are still (11) games left in the regular season and I don’t think it would be much motivation for the teams who are not in the playoffs,” Danault said. “We’ll have a break of two to three months. It would be tough. Otherwise, I’d say we just focus on next season. But I understand the scenario for the playoff teams. There are general managers who made moves, who traded first-round picks. I understand the desire to finish the season, but there are more important things in the world right now.”

With 13-34-47 totals, Danault was on his way to a career season when the NHL suspended play in mid-March. The 27-year-old said he has resumed training and noted he is one of the lucky players who still has access to some ice, although warming temperatures will soon remove that advantage.

“There’s ice where we are, the lake is still frozen,” said Danault, who recently posted a video on Twitter and Instagram of him stick-handling on the ice while wearing boots. “Yes, it’s possible for me to train, but we’re still waiting. In my mind, my priority is to get ready for next season. I’m not thinking about coming back this season. I needed mental and physical rest. It was my priority when the NHL went on pause. I’m still very active, though. I ride the stationary bike, but I’m not lifting any big weights. I’m taking care of myself, both mentally and physically.”

Danault has improved each season since being acquired by the Canadiens from the Chicago Blackhawks at the NHL trade deadline in 2016.

“I wouldn’t say that Montreal influenced me to have a good work ethic because I always had a really good work ethic,” he said. “That’s how I made my life in hockey with my work ethic, defensively and offensively. That definitely helps with the fans, playing in Montreal. It gave me the extra desire to perform and to win when you play at the in front of them — especially because I’m from here.”

Danault has one season remaining on his contract, which carries a salary-cap hit of $3.083 million. He and linemates Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar will all be heading into the final season of their contracts, but Danault said this isn’t the time to be thinking about an extension.

The suspended season has given Danault time to spend with his wife and their 14-month-old son, Phillip-Édouard.

“It’s time that I didn’t have during the season,” he said. “Shortly after he was born, I left for 16 straight days (on a road trip). We spent the summer together, but he wasn’t doing much. This year, he started to walk. I’m 1174111 New Jersey Devils

Coronavirus update: NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA plotting steps to return from pandemic

Updated Apr 28, 2020; Posted Apr 28, 2020

By Mike Rosenstein

Wednesday will mark seven weeks since the NBA suspended play because of the coronavirus pandemic. The NHL and MLB quickly followed suit the next day.

All three leagues are plotting their return to action. Here’s the latest:

NBA

Per Yahoo Sports: “The NBA informed teams on Monday that it is targeting May 8 at the earliest to allow teams to open their practice facilities with the purpose to ‘allow for safe and controlled environments for players to train in states that allow them to do so.’”

MLB

Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan: “Over the past two weeks, as states have begun to plan their reopenings, nearly everyone along the decision- making continuum -- league officials, players, union leaders, owners, doctors, politicians, TV power brokers, team executives -- has grown increasingly optimistic that there will be baseball this year.”

Per The Athletic’s Jim Bowden: “Major League Baseball has been holding biweekly meetings with all 30 front offices and ideas have been flowing back and forth on how baseball could potentially return to playing games. So far, the most discussed ideas have been putting all 30 teams in Arizona; splitting up the teams between Arizona, Texas and Florida; or having teams play in Arizona and Florida based out of their spring training facilities.”

Per YardBarker: “Stadium’s Brett McMurphy reported the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee is recommending a six-week period for preseason training activities ahead of the start of a regular season. Per McMurphy, it’s not known if six weeks would be mandatory for all

Per Sportsnet: “The league is still determining if it will wait until it’s safe and permissible for all 31 teams to start holding small-group workouts before triggering the next phase of its return-to-play protocol, or if it will allow clubs to reopen practice facilities in waves, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Monday. ... Multiple NHL teams currently have May 15 circled as the potential start of small-group skates at their facilities, according to sources, although government restrictions may not permit it to happen that soon in every jurisdiction."

In recent days, multiple return-to-play timelines have started circulating among team executives and player agents that feature many general consistencies about how the next few months could play out:

Star Ledger LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174112 New Jersey Devils Rupp had spent two full seasons with Albany, the Devils’ AHL affiliate, by the time the 2002-03 season rolled around. It was the final year of his entry-level contract, and his future was uncertain.

Reliving Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, the Devils’ defining “I kind of felt like the chance was kind of slipping away. I think as a moment player, if you’re not cracking the NHL by the time you’re 23-24, chances are you’re not going to, at least on a regular basis,” Rupp said. “I was kind of looking at life after hockey and looking to do something else. So I figured I would just have one more season of giving everything I got and By Corey Masisak see what happens.” Apr 28, 2020 The Devils had a significant hole to fill after center Bobby Holik signed with the Rangers during the offseason. When Rupp arrived at training camp, he was excited about the opportunity to compete for that spot. He There is an alternate NHL universe where Paul Kariya’s goal in Game 6 ended up being part of the first group of cuts, returning to Albany before of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final is on the short list of most famous camp was over. moments in league history. “I was really discouraged. At the time, you’re immature and I thought I After Devils defenseman knocked Kariya out with a wasn’t given a fair shake,” Rupp said. “But I was told that in this devastating hit earlier in the game, not only did he return to the game, he organization, things don’t always make sense but they’re done for a scored late in the second period to extend the Ducks’ lead to three goals reason. I think Lou wanted to see how I would respond.” and force a do-or-die Game 7. Had the Anaheim Mighty Ducks completed the comeback and won Game 7, Kariya’s goal would have Eventually, Rupp did make his NHL debut. It was Jan. 13, 2003 — his attained mythical status. 23rd birthday. Rupp scored a pair of goals, and could have had a hat trick if not for one that was disallowed because he touched the puck with “Everything changes,” former Devils defenseman and MSG analyst Ken a high stick. Daneyko said. “I’ll say I’m glad it didn’t happen, but it’s one of the greatest stories if the Ducks go on and win after Paul Kariya got up from “You’re just trying to buy yourself the next game — whatever you can that and scored a goal in Anaheim. I mean, that’s what legends are made do,” Rupp said. “I was pretty confident I’d get a second game. Then it of.” was just about clawing and scratching to get another game, then another week.” The Ducks did not win Game 7, of course. It was the Devils who put the final touches on a legacy-sealing championship, beating the Ducks to Rupp had four points in his first four games and became a regular until claim the Stanley Cup for the third time in nine years. early March. The Devils added Grant Marshall and Pascal Rheaume before the trade deadline, and Rupp was one of the odd men out. He Mike Rupp scored the first goal in the Devils’ 3-0 victory in Game 7 at played in only five of the Devils’ final 17 regular-season contests. Continental Airlines Arena. Rupp also assisted on the other two goals and became one of the most unlikely Game 7 heroes in NHL history. He began the Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the “black aces” and did not make his playoff debut until Game 4 of the Cup Final. Joe Think about what hung in the balance for the Devils after Game 6: The Nieuwendyk got hurt early during the conference finals against Ottawa. Ducks were a seventh-seeded that had struck down recent The Devils experimented with other replacements, but eventually turned champions Detroit and Dallas en route to the Cup Final. Goaltender to Rupp. Jean-Sebastian Giguere was having a playoffs for the ages, having allowed just one goal over four games in the conference final. “The Ducks had Adam Oates and Steve Rucchin and Rob Niedermayer, and these guys were really owning the faceoff circle against us,” Rupp New Jersey dominated the first two games, winning both 3-0. Anaheim said. “That was kind of my way of getting a crack is I was a big returned serve by winning a pair of games at home that needed overtime. centerman that could take some draws. John Madden was our guy, but The Devils won Game 5 handily, but the Ducks rolled in Game 6. just to try and win some other draws around the ice and give us more Kariya’s goal was a symbol of the Ducks’ defiance in the face of a possession. I was going to play fourth-line minutes. We needed me to signature Stevens hit. Maybe it was a sign that the Ducks could be win some draw and start having the puck a little bit more.” mighty and pull off the upset, after all. Rupp played 9:04 in Game 4, an overtime loss. The experience showed “Yeah, we thought we were better than them, but it’s Game 7 and those him he could make an impact for the Devils. are always a coin toss,” Daneyko said. “They had a magical goaltender. Of course, we had a pretty magical one going ourselves too with Marty “When I grew up, I was a huge (Wayne) Gretzky fan, and he had this (Brodeur). But maybe it was Giguere, maybe it was fate, maybe it was VHS tape called ‘Above and Beyond’ and I used to watch that thing … the Ducks are this Cinderella team.” man, if I said 100 times, I think I might be under-shooting it,” Rupp said. “I watched that thing non-stop. I would put it on my TV before I’d go to bed. If the Devils lost Game 7, that would have meant two Cup Final exits in I had memorized it word for word.” three years and two championships. One of the stories Gretzky tells in “Above and Beyond” took place after NHL history is defined by its dynastic runs. The Blackhawks and the Oilers lost to the Islanders in the 1983 Stanley Cup Final. He and Penguins have each won three times with their current cores. The Red were walking out of the arena when they went past the Wings and Devils did the same in the generation before them. Islanders’ locker room. They expected to see them partying, but instead the players were sitting in their stalls with ice bags while their friends and Rupp’s goal early in the second period of that Game 7 in 2003 was families and team employees celebrated. critical toward securing New Jersey’s third championship and confirming the period as “the Stanley Cup era” in franchise history. When they got to the Oilers’ bus, Lowe turned to Gretzky and said, “That’s the difference.” The Islanders looked like they had been in a war, “I actually didn’t watch it for a really long time,” said Rupp, now an and the Oilers realized there was another level of commitment and analyst for NHL Network. “When I go back and watch it, it’s funny sacrifice they needed to reach. because in certain situations and scenarios on the ice, it comes back in a really weird way. I can almost feel myself in that position. Not just the “That always kind of inspired me,” Rupp said. “After Game 4, I took a goals but certain plays on the ice. Our line was able to score three goals, high stick right above my eyebrow and my eye was kind of swollen. John but we should have had five or six. Madden had taken a shot that hit him in the cheekbone. His face was just mangled, like Rocky Balboa after a fight. I remember sitting there after “It was just one of those games.” that game. I had ice bags on my elbow, on my knee, my forearms were Rupp went in the first round to the Islanders in 1998 NHL Draft, but he just big bruises. And I’m like, ‘Holy shit, this is just one game.’ didn’t sign with the club. He re-entered the draft in 2000 and the Devils “I remember looking around the room at these guys who have played like selected him in the third round. 20 games up to this point and thinking in that moment, I’ve got an advantage here. I’m fresh. Even though I feel like this right now, it’s way better than how they feel. That’s what really made me feel like I could Friesen poked the puck back to Rupp in the corner and Rupp sent it out make a difference.” to the left point before heading for the net.

Rupp moved up to play with Friesen and during “I had great body position, kind of doing a drive-by in front, for a tip,” Game 5, and his ice time increased to more than 12 minutes. He Rupp said. “Colin White’s shot got blocked and I was like, ‘Ugh.’ But then collected his first career playoffs point. The Devils were one win from the it went right to Scott Niedermayer and he’s the best I’ve ever seen at Cup. giving you tippable pucks. He sauced one right in there and I was able to get a piece of it. That’s the biggest thing, when I go back and watch, is to Another team might have buckled when the underdog Ducks kept getting see how little daylight there is between Giguere’s legs. It doesn’t look off the mat. much bigger than a puck, but it ended up going right through there.”

“I think it gave me a lot more composure than I actually had at that age Rupp became the first player in league history to have his first because you look around the room and you see these guys. These are postseason goal be a Stanley Cup winner. He also had the primary assist guys that I’ve seen hoist the cup and they’ve been through it,” Rupp said. on both of Friesen’s goals to extend the Devils’ lead later in the second “Those other guys just acted like it was just another game. period and put the game out of reach in the third.

“One thing coming back home, it’s printed on the side of our rings … in The second goal was similar to the first — a shot from the top of the zone ‘95 their home record was 10-1, and in 2000 it was 10-2 and in 2003 we with Rupp in the slot. He got a piece of it and Friesen swept the loose were 12-1. I didn’t know the stats at the time, but we were dominant at puck past Giguere before he could reset. The third one was Rupp making home. That style the Devils played, for whatever reason, seemed to be at a smart play and getting rewarded for it. The puck came to him in the its best at The Meadowlands. So it was like, here it is. What side of neutral zone and he chipped it off the boards toward the Anaheim end. history are you going to be on? That’s a pretty powerful position to be in.” Friesen tracked it down, cut toward the middle of the ice and snapped Ken Daneyko had accepted his role as a part-time player. He had played home a goal with 3:45 left. in three of the seven battles with Ottawa in the conference final, and “I think I was most nervous after the third goal,” Rupp said. “That Devils didn’t play in the first four games of the Cup Final against Anaheim. team, the way we played and the way our goaltender played, a 3-0 lead He saw an opening to return to the lineup after the Devils’ back-to-back at any other point during the season, we would have dusted our hands losses in Games 3 and 4. off and just ran out the clock. I was so nervous though. I kept looking up at the clock, even when we’re up by three goals with a minute left and I’m “I thought I was going to get Game 5,” Daneyko said. “It didn’t happen still panicking. I didn’t feel secure whatsoever. It was the longest four or and I was disappointed. and I butted heads at times, God rest five minutes of my life.” his soul.” Rupp played more than 600 NHL games. Friesen had 10 goals that After the Devils dropped Game 6, they flew home to New Jersey and postseason, including the series-winner in Game 7 against Ottawa and sequestered at a hotel at Glenpointe Center in Teaneck. five more against his former team in the Final. In 60 other postseason contests during his career, Friesen scored eight goals. “Some of the guys called it Gunpointe because Lou basically locked us in there,” Daneyko said. “Pat pulled me aside when we get to the hotel. He “You need the stars to be the stars and those guys really came through, takes me outside because he doesn’t want to make a big deal, but he but our team was made up of the role guys that played really pivotal says, ‘You’re in tomorrow, Kenny, but don’t tell anyone,’ and walks back parts,” Daneyko said. “ wasn’t with us for very long, but he into the hotel. I am totally flabbergasted. Now I think he’s nuts and he’s was a hell of a hockey player and we probably don’t mention him enough making the wrong decision. I want the guys who haven’t won the Cup to in Devils history. There is no Cup in ‘03 without him.” have a chance and I don’t want to be the guy who blows it for them. I was acting like a rookie … for a moment. It was the third shutout of the series for Brodeur, but Giguere won the , largely for his performance in the first three “I called up a dear friend of mine and said, ‘You’re not going to f-in rounds. believe this,’ and he says, ‘You’re in tomorrow night, aren’t you? I knew it.’ I said, ‘How the hell do you know? I think he’s nuts.’ He says, ‘Kenny, I “We’re talking about a series going seven games and your goaltender think you’ve played close to 1,400 games between the regular season isn’t going to let the other team score three times?” Rupp said. “Giguere and playoffs. I think you’ll be fine.’ He really calmed me down, along with was unbelievable the whole playoffs and getting the Ducks there, and my family.” maybe you can call me partial, but that should have been Marty’s Conn Smythe, right? You can’t ask anymore of a goaltender than what Marty When it was time for Game 7, the message in the Devils’ locker room gave us.” was simple. That was the last game of Daneyko’s career. He retired after that season “We settled the room down and just said, ‘Look, we played all year for with 1,284 regular-season games played, plus another 175 in the home ice advantage,” Daneyko said. “It’s been a homer series. Let’s go playoffs. get this game.’ We felt like there was no way we were losing at home.” The day after the Devils won the Cup, he handed Burns “a big stogie” “I can honestly say that it was the weirdest feeling. I’ve never felt more and thanked him for the chance to play in his final game and go out on relaxed in an NHL game than I did in Game 7,” Rupp said. “It was top. because of the other guys. I just felt like, in the back of my head, I’m gonna be in this game. I know how I have to play. I’m just going to be That game confirmed the Devils group of that era as one of the greats in lurking in the weeds.” league history. Brodeur and Niedermayer played like the stars they were, while Rupp and Friesen became the unexpected heroes of the Neither team scored in the first period. The Devils dumped the puck into championship run. the Ducks’ end as the second minute of the second period concluded. Friesen won the race for it, skated along the wall on the left side of the “And I didn’t screw it up, which was my biggest worry for about an hour ice and then cycled the puck back into the corner. Ducks defenseman the night before,” Daneyko said with a hearty laugh. Ruslan Salei had Langenbrunner tied up, so Rupp made a play on it as the third man in. The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 Rupp chipped it to the half wall and collected it there. He played it to Friesen and then got tangled up with Ducks forward Sammy Pahlsson.

“Sammy was kind of draped all over me and he had my stick,” Rupp said. “That’s the one thing that we did really well together. We weren’t a line that was going to score off the rush. We weren’t a line that was going to dazzle you. But it was our cycle game and our grinding game in the corners. So we just wanted to kind of read off each other, hit the holes with speed and jump on loose pucks. We had a good shift going there.” 1174113 Pulock said he’ll skate on his own for two months during a normal offseason before the start of training camp — and that he’s still sore the first few days of practice.

Islanders' Ryan Pulock doesn't want to rush back to play “I think everyone’s different. It’s really tough to predict,” he said. “You just hope it can be done properly so guys aren’t put into dangerous situations where they’re not maybe ready to jump right back into playoff-style hockey.” By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.29.2020 Updated April 28, 2020 11:22 PM

Ryan Pulock understands there are myriad challenges to restarting the NHL season, which has been on pause since March 12 because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Certainly, the Islanders defenseman wants to play again. But not by putting hockey ahead of other concerns.

“I would think if we do get back to playing, there’s going to be some restrictions there,” Pulock told Newsday on Tuesday. “I can’t see the buildings being full, or fans at all. So I would think it would be more important to kind of salvage next year rather than really dragging out this year.

"I haven’t really looked into the numbers on that, so I wouldn’t know what's best. The league is going to do what is right. They’re going to really look into this a lot deeper than I have.

“The unknown, the uncertainty is part of some of the decisions, too,” Pulock added. “If you think, ‘Well, let’s just hold on this season and be prepared to start next season and be back to normal,’ we don’t know if that’s really the case. We don’t know if the start of next season will be back to normal yet. It’s really hard to say what’s right and what’s wrong.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged last week that one model being considered is having groups of teams sequestered at four league sites to resume games.

The NHL Players Association has formed a Return to Play Committee that includes former Islanders captain , the Oilers’ Connor McDavid, the Flyers’ James van Riemsdyk, the Jets’ Mark Scheifele and the Senators’ Ron Hainsey to discuss the issues associated with the resumption of play.

Pulock said he has not gotten any direct feedback from the committee yet.

Some players have balked at the idea of being sequestered away from their families for the long term.

“Honestly, I don’t think it makes any sense to leave my family for around two months,” the Canadiens’ Phillip Danault said on Tuesday in a question-and-answer session with the media published on the team’s website. “I think teams that could go far into the playoffs won’t like it, either. A team that reaches the Stanley Cup Final could be away from their loved ones for three to four months. That’s not human.”

“Yeah, that would suck,” the Canucks’ Tyler Myers said last week, per the Canadian Press. “There’s so many high-stress situations throughout a season that one of the best parts is going home to your family.”

Pulock said he believes the NHLPA would have to vote on that kind of arrangement.

“I think it’s a little different for me than some guys with young kids,” said Pulock, who is home in Brandon, , with his girlfriend, Paige Friesen. “I think that would be very challenging. For sure, it’s going to be different. You’re basically going to be going from the hotel to the rink back to the hotel for months, which can kind of wear on you mentally. But if that’s what it’s going to take, that’s what it’s going to take, I guess.

“First and foremost, everyone’s health is a lot more important than us playing hockey,” Pulock added. “We all want to play. I think it’s important it’s not rushed.”

Pulock said he’s not sure how long it would take for players to build their training back to where they’d feel safe to play in an NHL game. Most have not skated since the season was paused. 1174114 New York Rangers It will be on David Quinn (in conjunction with management hierarchy John Davidson, Jeff Gorton, ) to come out of the gate with the lineup best prepared to win immediately. Andersson, off his positive experience with HV-71 and who is believed to be skating in Sweden, Lias Andersson could shockingly return to Rangers this season might fit into that equation in a wide-open camp.

A week ago, the 21-year-old gave an interview to Gothenburg Post reporter Johan Rylander in which, among other topics, he acknowledged By Larry Brooks a thawing between himself and the organization, specifically crediting April 28, 2020 | 4:34PM club president Davidson. While the prospect of rejoining the Rangers this season was not discussed, he did not rule out the possibility of attending a traditional camp — if invited — preceding 2020-21.

It appears as if the Rangers will have a decision to reach on Lias But the need for a decision has almost certainly been accelerated, both Andersson sooner rather than later. on his side and on the team side. There is likely much repair work still to be done and with relatively little time in which to do it. Because as the NHL lays out plans for a summer revival of the 2019-20 season, 30-man rosters would be one of the features of the nascent At one point, the prospect of Andersson skating for the Rangers again in blueprint. That means, of course, multiple promotions from the minor 2019-20 seemed impossible. But so did everything we are experiencing. league system and those on loan to European clubs. But if he is of healthy mind and body, the Blueshirts might need him.

The latter category of course includes Andersson, who recorded 12 Never say never. points (7 goals, 5 assists) in 15 games for HV-71 in Sweden following his reconciliation with the Rangers organization a month after his messy departure from the AHL Wolf Pack. New York Post LOADED: 04.29.2020 It is not clear whether all promoted players would immediately be added to NHL rosters or onto “taxi squads”— remember, under normal conditions there is no roster limit following the trade deadline — and it is unknown how these players would be paid and whether this would have an impact on escrow, but additional athletes will be needed to protect against injuries and positive tests for COVID-19.

But let’s put the variables and unknowns aside for this exercise under which we consider what the Rangers might do to fill out their 30-man roster. Entering the hiatus, the team had a 22-man roster that included Chris Kreider, who was rehabbing from the broken foot he’d sustained at the end of February but is now good to go.

The Blueshirts currently have six defensemen, 13 forwards and three on the NHL roster. That leaves room for eight promotions from the minor league system. As of now, at least, NHL regulations prohibit teams from signing players to contracts for 2019-20. In other words, Nils Lundqvist and Morgan Barron would not be eligible to be added to the roster.

Figure lefty defensemen Libor Hajek and Yegor Rykov as automatic recalls with righty Darren Raddysh a strong candidate. Up front, figure on Steven Fogarty (who filled in for the injured Filip Chytil in Colorado on March 11 in the final game before the break), Vinni Lettieri (who led the Wolf Pack in scoring with a 25-22-47 stat line) and Vitali Kravtsov the most likely suspects.

The Blueshirts would have to decide whether to add a fourth goaltender in either Adam Huska or Jean-Francois Berube. If the team does add a goalie and recalls the aforementioned three defensemen and three forwards, there would be room for one more promotion under the 30-man limit.

Winger Ryan Gropp would be a candidate. So would center Boo Nieves and winger Tim Gettinger. Maybe even Matt Beleskey.

And so would Andersson, the seventh-overall selection in the 2017 entry draft whose difficulties on and off the ice — and with the organization — have been painstakingly chronicled.

If the league picks up where it left off on March 11, and that seems to be the idea, the Rangers would be in 10th place, one point behind the ninth- place Islanders and two points behind both the second wild-card Blue Jackets and first wild-card Hurricanes while one point ahead of the 11th- place Panthers.

But while the Blueshirts and Columbus would each have 12 games remaining, the Islanders and Carolina would each have 14 to go while Florida would have 13 to play. In other words, the Rangers would have little margin for error.

Under this scenario, incumbency would have less meaning in a projected training camp than it does in the normal September camp. Players are likely to report in wildly divergent shape, both from a physical and mental standpoint. Some will be all-in while others are likely to be there grudgingly. 1174115 New York Rangers Without further ado, the first five of the Rangers top-10 prospects (counting down from 10):

10. Justin Richards, center, age 22, 5-11, 190, undrafted free agent Ranking the top prospects in the Rangers’ system, part one signed April 2, 2020.

It barely made a ripple when the Rangers signed him, but they had to outbid a few teams. This was not a minor-league signing. By Rick Carpiniello The Rangers saw Richards a ton and recruited him hard as a free agent Apr 28, 2020 out of Minnesota-Duluth. His dad Todd Richards is an assistant coach in Tampa and a former NHL head coach.

“I think he was on one of the top couple of (NCAA) teams this year as a The funny thing about prospects – especially good prospects – is that junior,” Drury said. “He played extremely high minutes against the they don’t remain prospects for very long. country’s best players. The Rangers’ prospects pool was ranked by many publications, including “Having grown up in an NHL household, you could just tell watching him The Athletic, as the best collection in the NHL last summer. But a bunch play and talking to him during the recruiting process, he’s raised by an of them arrived on Broadway during the season as the Rangers fielded NHL head coach, for sure.” the youngest team in the league. Richards had 14-11-25 in 34 games, but his game is built on more than So even though they had the best group of prospects and added even scoring. more of them, the Rangers may (or may not) drop on those lists. “He’s extremely competitive, terrific on faceoffs, really understands how None of that really matters, of course. What matters is that this still to play the 200-foot game,” Drury said. “A top-tier penalty killer in college rebuilding team took steps toward legit contention and continued to pile hockey. He had a lot of choices coming out of UMD and I think our up young assets within the organization. Rangers GM Jeff Gorton, the college free-agent scouts and recruiters did a great job of identifying him pilot of the rebuild, his assistant Chris Drury, and for the last 11 months, and getting him in the fold. team president John Davidson, still have work to do, but they have done a lot of foundation-laying already. “I think he’s a little bit of a late bloomer and in my experience, a lot of these college free agents that are late bloomers are some of the most fun “I really like the moves the Rangers have made,” said a rival NHL players to work with and to watch because they play the game with a executive. “I like the players they have. Now we’ll see. We’ll see who chip on their shoulder and are out to prove they got overlooked at the gets into the system and how they evolve. draft.” “I think they’re one of the most exciting teams in the league right now Richards may have gone largely unnoticed by NHL teams his first couple with the mix that they have and the way they were playing.” of collegiate seasons, but not so this past season. As I often say, when you’re completely re-stocking the cupboard, as the “Here’s the thing with Richards,” a scout said. “He played at Minnesota- Rangers have done, some will be hits, some will be swings and misses, Duluth, he’s got a couple of national championships under his belt and some might be home runs. The Rangers are going to need for some to probably would have had a third one this year. He centered a line with be home runs. probably the two fastest kids in the conference – Tanner Laderoute on “That’s the way it is,” a scout said. “Some players get all the hype.” one side and Cole Koepke on the other. Those guys are roadrunners. And Richards is a good skater with good skill and good vision and is a One of those prospects gurus who ranked the Rangers’ No. 1 last year, really good 200-foot player. Corey Pronman of The Athletic, has set parameters for who is and who isn’t a prospect. So any player who played 25 games last season (or “But to be able to play with those two guys and play with pace, keep up goalie who played 10) is no longer a prospect. Thus Kaapo Kakko – who with them and make them better – Richards might be a little bit under the was never on my prospects list (my 2019 story ran in May last spring radar too. I’m not telling you he’s a bona fide top-two center in the NHL. I before the draft) and was clearly their top prospect after last June’s draft don’t think he is. But you put him in your bottom six somewhere, in the – doesn’t count. Nor do this season’s rookies Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, middle, let him kill penalties, let him use his speed – he’s good on the dot Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek. Even though he qualifies as a prospect, and he’s just smart and safe – he’s one of those kids who somewhere we’re tossing Julien Gauthier into the group that has arrived. And we’re down the road can challenge for a spot. Is he an 82-game-a-year guy? way past considering Filip Chytil, even though he’s just 20, or Brett I’m not sure. But if you came to me and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got a chance to Howden, who just turned 22. sign Justin Richards’ I would have said, ‘Yes.’”

The Rangers’ prospect group goes even deeper than the top 10, 9. Karl Henriksson, center, age 19, 5-9, 174, second round (58th overall) obviously, with defenders like Yegor Rykov and Tarmo Reunanen, 2019 draft. among many others just outside the list, and the recent signings of Justin As with goal-scorers, the Rangers can use playmakers – especially at the Richards, who made the list, and Patrick Khodorenko and Austin center position – in the future. Rueschhoff, who did not. Henriksson played in three leagues in Sweden – briefly for Frolunda in List or no list, the Rangers are getting ready to pop. the elite league – and had six goals, 37 assists in 50 games. The “I think they’re close,” said an NHL scout. “You look at how they ended Rangers got a first-hand look at him last summer. (before the pause). You look at having a superstar in (Artemi) Panarin, a “We were fortunate to get him to come to Traverse City,” Drury said. “It star in (Mika) Zibanejad, re-signing Chris Kreider, and then the steps that was a great experience for him and for us. As the tournament went on, (Tony) DeAngelo and Fox took last year. Maybe most importantly, he made more and more of an impact.” ironically, where their goaltending is. I think they’re poised to be a playoff team immediately. They’ve done some good things – you know, the Ryan His time may not be now, at his age, and he will likely go through a Strome trade and they brought Gauthier in as a guy to add size and transition period when he does arrive in North America for good. skating and some skill on the younger group. “I don’t think you can say enough about the differences in the style of “I think they’re close and it’s a destination team. So whether it’s a play from European big-ice sheet to landing in Traverse City, Mich., and European free agent, a college free agent, a guy with a no-trade – they’ll being on a small sheet in small rinks,” Drury said. “A totally different style have more people willing to say ‘Yes’ to them than a majority of the of North-South game. And by the end of the tournament I think he was teams. So that’s an advantage as well.” one of our better centers and had some good production there.

Unlike last year, we’re going to break up this year’s top-10 prospect list “He was also very good on a good Swedish team at the World Juniors, into two parts (counting down the first five today and the top five on and he should be back there next year as well. Another talented, 200-foot Wednesday), with a third list on Thursday evaluating the progress of a Swedish center. He’s responsible, smart, but he can still make plays. handful of young players who’ve already arrived. He’s played well with some really, really high-end elite players at the World Juniors. He’s kind of been the go-to guy for the Swedish Federation, to play with certain guys and he’s been able to handle it Unlike pitchers, though, you don’t want more than two on a team at once. really well.” The Rangers have three at the moment and that’s too many. Still, goalies are assets – assuming they progress at the pro level. Indeed, Henriksson’s wingers have been and Alexander Holtz, two of the top four European skaters in the 2020 draft per Central Drury compared Wall’s journey, to date, to that of Barron – a later pick Scouting’s rankings. So did he make them better, did they make him who wasn’t on the radar of a lot of teams, and who went on to play better, or was it a little of both? To be determined. collegiate hockey and improve his stock.

Henriksson is unsigned and expected to remain in Sweden next season. “Give our scouts a lot of credit for seeing the potential in him,” Drury said. “Going to Lowell and having an outstanding career there, a lot of 8. Lauri Pajuniemi, right wing, age 20, 5-11, 182, fifth round (132nd personal accolades, played on some really good teams. Just another guy overall) 2018 draft: that I think our developmental staff, after our scouts drafted him, have In terms of their prospects, the Rangers are sure in need of scorers. You done a really good job of helping him and bringing him along and putting could say the same for their NHL roster after Mika Zibanejad, Artemi him in a position to do as well as he did in college. “ Panarin and Chris Kreider. We do have a ton of good goalies in our pipeline as well and he’s been Pajuniemi is a scorer who had 26 goals in 49 games for TPS in Finnish extremely receptive and eager to learn and get better.” Liiga. As a point of reference, Kaako scored 22 goals in 45 games for the Wall – a great name for a goalie, no? – had outstanding numbers with a same team the year before. 2.10 goals-against afterae and .931 save percentage while going 18-8-6 “Another mid-to-late round pick,” Drury said. “I think, again, our scouts in Hockey-East his senior year. He is not yet signed to a pro contract. and developmental staff have done a really good job with him. He really took off this year, scoring. If you look, and charted his goals, he camps out a lot in that league in the Panarin/(Alex)Ovechkin spot. The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020

“No matter what league you’re in, it’s hard to score goals and he certainly has the knack for doing that. We’re excited that he has that. Now the next step for him is learning how to play the whole sheet. He’s become a leader on his team in Finland.”

Pajuniemi has not signed a pro contract and is likely to stay in Finland another year.

7. Matthew Robertson, left defense, age 19, 6-3, 203, second round (49th overall) 2019 draft:

Some of the Rangers’ defense prospects are being compared to Adam Fox. Robertson is not one of those. Robertson had 13 goals and 47 points in 60 WHL games for Edmonton. But he’s more like Ryan Lindgren – Fox’s partner – than he is Fox.

“Maybe more like Marc Staal,” Drury said, in that Robertson is long and uses his size, though also mobile.

“I don’t think he’s the meanest guy on the ice, (like) Lindgren, but he does have (some of) what Fox can do. He makes a really good first pass, is a good defender, has a good stick. Just innately has a lot of defensive instincts built into his DNA that really pop when you get him in a game situation.

“You can never have enough guys who defend. He’s sure on the path to being one of those guys.”

Robertson is signed, but at 19 will surely remain in the WHL next season – he’d be ineligible for Hartford. Anyway, throw his name into the glut of lefty defensemen who will be in a battle royale for a spot in the coming seasons.

“A really good kid,” Drury said. “Sitting at the table at that draft before we got him, as teams started plucking names off the board, the buzz at our table was, ‘We can’t believe he’s potentially going to fall and be there for us.’ I know Gordie (Clark) and Nick Bobrov were thrilled to get him. They really thought he was a first-round talent. He has a ton of size, extremely smart, and a really good defender. He showed a lot of that in development camp (he played with Fox, for what it’s worth) and then in Traverse City and in Rangers camp. He was limited to one preseason game due to a groin injury.

6. Tyler Wall, goalie, age 22, 6-3, 215, sixth-round (174th overall) 2016 draft:

The Rangers are stocked on defense, and they’re overstocked in goal. The three-goalie drama that broke out in the second half of this season – a pair of 24-year-olds in Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev displacing the 15-year incumbent and future Hall of Famer – will surely be solved one way or another by September.

Then you have Hartford goalie Adam Huska, UMass-Lowell goalie Wall, and Swedish prospect Olof Lindbom. All of those have had, and will have, the benefit of tutelage from goalie whisperer Benoit Allaire.

“Like pitchers, you never have enough,” Drury said. 1174116 NHL beyond “summer of 2021″ for a completion date, other than to say KeyArena definitely will be open for an October 2021 puck drop.

Walking the site Tuesday, NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said the venue Demolition and digging done, KeyArena readies for walls to be built as can be “one of the world’s great sports arenas” when it reopens under a crews take coronavirus precautions new name and praised workers for the job done under trying circumstances.

Some workers occasionally bumped up within six feet of one another. April 28, 2020 at 6:13 pm Updated April 28, 2020 at 8:20 PM Johnsen said the realities of construction make social distancing impossible 100% of the time, especially when crews must work in pairs on specific tasks. But they’ve done a good job, he added, of self-policing Wandering the cavernous expanse of KeyArena’s new dirt floor, the first and not standing around in groups unnecessarily. Instead, they take thing that strikes an observer is what isn’t happening. lunches apart, go directly to and from where needed and are taking days Construction workers wander back and forth — roughly 225 to 300 at any off when feeling exhausted or unwell. given moment — but the joking around, gatherings and overall No COVID-19 cases have been reported, he said. camaraderie typically found on job sites seem missing. Instead, workers give each other ample space as they exit dirt haulers, climb up makeshift And with NHL Seattle due to resume construction on its Northgate stairwells and scaffolding and tend to completing a $930 million rebuild of practice facility Tuesday, as construction sites statewide begin the city’s major sports arena during the coronavirus pandemic. reopening, they’re keeping fingers crossed any additional KeyArena hurdles won’t be pandemic-related. “They’re encouraged not to stand around talking to one another,” said Ken Johnsen, construction executive for the Los Angeles-based Oak View Group, which is spearheading the rebuild for an NHL team launch in October 2021. “Even when they do their morning stretch, that’s usually Geoff Baker a group thing they do together. But they aren’t really doing that anymore.” Seattle Times staff reporter Instead, social distancing has become the norm 53 feet or so below Seattle Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 ground — where the new floor is located — just as on the streets above. By adhering to strict safety protocols agreed to in advance by unions and tradespeople entering the site, the project was allowed to keep going as an essential service while others citywide ground to a halt.

The project actually stopped voluntarily for four days late last month to go over those enhanced safety measures.

Johnsen, walking the floor Tuesday with The Seattle Times, said the extra month gained by continuing work has been a plus, and the arena is scheduled to start being built back up again next week.

Since demolition work began early last year, it’s been about tearing things down and digging a floor 15 feet deeper — doing so since last fall with the venue’s 44 million-pound roof partially suspended on temporary posts.

Those posts have held the roof up entirely since January. Getting the roof off those temporary supports is one of two reasons — the other being the project’s status as a government facility because the city owns the venue — why work at KeyArena didn’t halt like it did at NHL Seattle’s future practice-facility site at Northgate Mall.

Johnsen said the roof theoretically could have stayed on the temporary posts for the rest of this year, though that’s not what they are designed for.

“You won’t find too many people in the industry thinking that’s a great idea,” he said.

And it won’t be a reality much longer: Eight of 22 permanent original “Y” columns have been reattached to the roof while four additional support buttresses are being prepared as well. Starting next week, workers will begin erecting steel for the first new wall in the arena’s northeast quadrant — where the columns will have all been reattached.

Crews initially had to cut down all 22 columns — leaving the Y-shaped top portions dangling rebar from the roof — so they wouldn’t be in the way as a wider footprint was dug sideways to double the venue’s square footage to more than 800,000. They began pouring concrete footers for the new posts in January, then inserting steel rebar foot-by-foot back up toward the arena’s roof — encasing it in concrete — before reattaching it to the dangling Y-shaped portions.

Now, with wall work beginning next week, the arena will begin to take its permanent shape. By next year, interior work will have started and — everyone involved hopes — finish in time to reopen the venue by summer 2021. NHL Seattle had hoped to reopen for hosting the 2021 NHL draft in late June, but with this summer’s event in Montreal already postponed by the pandemic, there’s no telling what that future holds.

The WNBA Seattle Storm also wants the venue reopened by June 1, 2021, so as not to disrupt part of a third season with the team already playing two years in temporary home locales. Johnsen wouldn’t commit 1174117 Ottawa Senators schedule. If you think money should be a motivating factor, though, you’re right, and, with NHL players sharing “hockey-related revenues,” they’ll be hit hard in the pocketbook if they don’t resume playing.

If the NHL does return this summer, don't expect Ottawa to be a neutral That’s not the case with every player, of course. site “A vast majority of our players, because they understand the financial impact if they don’t come back, are prepared to return because they know it’s the right thing to do,” said Andy Scott, an Ottawa-based agent Bruce Garrioch with Octagon Hockey. “And, players historically have always done what’s best for the game, and this is what’s best for the game.”

Scott said NHL players were staying prepared as best they could. One of the concerns the NHL has about Ottawa is hotel space and proximity to the rink for housing the teams that would be involved. “Most guys are into strict fitness regimes,” said Scott, who added the Arizona Coyotes dropped off stationary bikes to players still in that area. No matter what happens with the rest of the National Hockey League’s “There’s no excuses for anybody not to be ready. Most guys are taking it regular season and the playoffs, we’ve likely seen the last of the Ottawa very seriously and keeping up their fitness level in full anticipation that Senators at Canadian Tire Centre for the 2019-20 campaign. there’s going to be a season here.” Yes, they may be back in the rink or at the Bell Sensplex to hold a Nobody is sure if that’s going to be the case, though. scaled-down training camp under head coach D.J. Smith and his staff sometime in June if the NHL is able to resume action in the summer Ottawa Sun LOADED: 04.29.2020 months, but chances that the Senators will play any of the final four home games on their schedule in Ottawa appear to be slim.

As the NHL toys with the idea of bringing back each division to four neutral sites coming out of the pause that began March 12 because of COVID-19, it’s unlikely Canadian Tire Centre and the nearby Sensplex would be considered. Yes, anything could change, but one of the concerns the NHL has about Ottawa is hotel space and proximity to the rink for housing the teams that would be involved.

If the NHL really is going to bring back players to play in empty rinks, they want to house them as close to the arena as possible. Cities such as Toronto, Columbus, Buffalo, Vegas, Edmonton and Arizona have all been mentioned as possibilities because they have hotels within walking distance of the rinks.

The league is trying to determine what format it will take if it’s able to return to action and there are ongoing discussions between commissioner Gary Bettman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly, the 31 team owners and the NHL Players’ Association. Ideally, they’d like to find a safe path to a return to action in early July, after teams hold some sort of training camp in their home cities.

The league is also considering exhibition games in neutral sites, but you can expect when the governors hold their bi-weekly conference call next Monday that they’ll spend a lot of time talking the most realistic possibilities for re-opening. The expectation is that the self-isolation period set to expire Thursday will be extended by another couple of weeks.

Whatever scenario the NHL comes up with will be tentative and will ultimately be determined by local health authorities. Judging by Premier Doug Ford’s plan to get back to business, released Monday, it certainly doesn’t feel as if there will be any large gatherings in Ontario before September, and it was noted that major sports may have to be played without fans.

Trying to bring players back to the NHL has so many variables. Right now, the border between Canada and the United States is closed to non- essential travel, while flights from Europe are only accepting citizens. Those would have to reopen for the likes of Senators players Anders Nilsson, Nikita Zaitsev, Marcus Hogberg and Mikkel Boedker to make their way back from Europe and for the likes of Brady Tkachuk, Colin White and Ron Hainsey to return from the United States.

And those are just a few of the players involved. Bobby Ryan is in Idaho, Craig Anderson is in Florida, and other players are spread out in other various locales. Of course, the Senators would likely have to bring back some players from their American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, too, and that will create another issue of trying to get people back in place in Ottawa.

Right now the Canadian government has rules in place that anybody who has travelled — in some cases even province-to-province — must self- isolate for 14 days when they return. It doesn’t appear those rules will be relaxed soon, which adds another layer of complexity if the Senators are to get back together to complete their season.

Some members of the Montreal Canadiens — Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault being the latest — have expressed the opinion that they don’t have a lot of interest in being cooped up in hotel to finish the 1174118 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers’ Oskar Lindblom to undergo final cancer treatments, making progress; Nolan Patrick ‘feeling better every day’

by Sam Carchidi,

Flyers left winger Oskar Lindblom continues to make progress in his battle against a rare bone cancer.

Lindblom, 23, was tied for the Flyers’ team lead with 11 goals when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in December, and he has missed the rest of the suspended season. The Sweden native has been undergoing treatments at Penn, and he dropped by the Flyers’ locker room a few times between hospital visits.

“Oskar’s going through his last treatments coming up here, but everything I’ve been told from Jimmy [McCrossin, the team’s trainer] has been very positive,” Flyers assistant general manager Brett Flahr said Monday night. “He feels great, considering the condition he’s in. He’s such a great kid and he’s determined. His focus is to play as soon as possible.”

It is not known if Lindblom will be able to play next season.

“For all the stuff this guy has been through, he looks terrific,” Flahr said. “The last time I saw him, he looked good. He had that smile on his face. He’s doing things like cardio [workouts] to keep up his strength as much as he can. I think as soon as he gets his last treatments, the worst is over for him.”

Flahr said Lindblom’s doctors have told the young forward “it couldn’t have gone any better for him.”

In another medical matter, center Nolan Patrick, 21, who has missed the season because of a migraine disorder, is “feeling better every day,” Flahr said.

The NHL season was suspended March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic; the league is hopeful the season can be resumed.

“It would have been a long shot for him to play down the stretch, but this [pause in the season] means more time, and who knows?” said Flahr when asked if Patrick could play this season. “Obviously, it’s going to be catch-up for everybody. If this season goes into the summer, he’s a possibility, for sure. Again, he’s got to earn his way. With some of the trades and things we’ve done, we have some depth.”

Flahr said if the season resumes and there’s a lengthy training camp, a healthy Patrick would be a “welcome addition.”

Patrick has returned to his home in Winnipeg during the break in the season.

Meanwhile, the Flyers appear close to signing free agent Linus Sandin, a high-scoring right winger in the Swedish Hockey League. If he signs, he would compete for a job in next season’s training camp.

Flahr praised the work of scout Joakim Grundberg, who was instrumental in drafting Lindblom in 2014, for his work in pursuing Sandin and “pushing for him from the beginning.”

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174119 Philadelphia Flyers The calls from those connected to Flyers Charities have been well- received.

“It’s something for them to look forward to," she said. “Certainly they get Flyers coach Alain Vigneault and others helping isolated senior citizens their family calls and we’ve been setting up Skype and FaceTime for the stay connected during the coronavirus families, but what a thrill for them to get a call from someone they don’t know who’s calling to check in on them. Everyone knows the feeling of having a neighbor knock on your door unexpectedly to say, ‘How you doing?' That’s really what it is." by Sam Carchidi ***

“So if you’re walking down the street sometime “Old people just grow lonesome And spot some hollow ancient eyes Waiting for someone to say, ‘Hello in there, hello.' " Please don’t just pass 'em by and stare – singer/ John Prine As if you didn’t care. *** Say ‘Hello in there, hello.' " Those living in senior-citizen homes are much lonelier than usual these days because the coronavirus outbreak has prevented visits from -- John Prine relatives and friends and, for the most part, confined them to their rooms or apartments. ***

The Flyers are trying to help. Camillo said after the Wells Fargo Center closed its offices because of the coronavirus on March 12, employees “almost immediately were Many who work for the Flyers -- including head coach Alain Vigneault -- asking what they could do to help in the community. There was a strong and their parent company, , are making weekly desire to be of service.” phone calls to those who live in a senior center, attempting to keep them connected to the world during these challenging times. Initially, she said, “it was tough to figure out what that could be, given the government guidelines to stay home, so it was really challenging to figure The program, called Flyers Phone-Linemates, started recently with those out something that a large part of our workforce could do.” living at the Mildred Shor Inn at the Abramson Senior Care Center in North Wales, Montgomery County. The Mildred Shor section is for those Through Flyers Charities, $250,000 was donated to Philabundance, one who are a little higher functioning and get around fairly well, according to of the area’s largest hunger-relief organizations, enabling 160,000 people a staff member. to be fed. In addition, food deliveries were made to frontline workers in health care, waste management, and grocery stores. Forty people connected to the Flyers made calls to the seniors, who range from their 70s to more than 100 years old. “We’ve been delivering Chick-fil-A and Coca-Cola, two of our corporate partners, who have helped us do that," said Camillo, whose company will Uplifting stories hold a blood drive at the Wells Fargo Center on May 4.

“To be honest, it was the best part of my week,” said Valerie Camillo, Flyers Charities, Camillo added, came up with another idea. president of business operations for the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center, referring to her phone conversation with Harvey Ballen, 91. “He “We started to brainstorm on which groups were most impacted by the was so uplifting with the stories he was telling me; we were talking COVID-19 situation," Camillo said. “We thought about those living in obviously about the crisis and it just reminded me that every generation senior centers. They’re at added risk and we had been hearing stories has these difficult challenges. He talked about a lot of things he went about how the residents were quarantined to their rooms, and our hearts through, like being in the Korean War, and he just gave me a lot of hope are really focused on our older neighbors." and inspiration, personally.” Earlier this month, they began their phone chats with seniors at Harvey Ballen, 91, is one of the many residents from Abramson Senior Abramson. Care benefitting from weekly phone conversations that Flyers Charities “It’s one of the prominent senior care centers in the Philadelphia area,” helped to organize. Camillo said. “We have a long history with them, supporting fundraising PROVIDED BY ABRAMSON SENIOR CARE initiatives, and being involved with their gala in the past.”

Harvey Ballen, 91, is one of the many residents from Abramson Senior Hoping to expand Care benefitting from weekly phone conversations that Flyers Charities Down the road, Camillo said, she and her group hope to expand and helped to organize. have the Flyers Phone-Linemates also call other senior centers in the Vigneault also was inspired by his call to a woman in her 90s who didn’t area. want to reveal her name for this story. “Hopefully we can keep it going beyond the COVID [pandemic],” Camillo “It’s very rewarding to be able to use this time to help others and said. “It just started, but we’re establishing relationships. I think it’s going hopefully brighten their day," Vigneault said from Gatineau, Quebec, to be a program our employees really enjoy, the residents enjoy, and it where he has settled after spending part of the suspended NHL season establishes a longer-term, deeper partnership than we ever had at at his home in South Florida. “With everyone at risk and much of the Abramson.” public in self-quarantine, this has also affected senior citizens particularly The idea, she said, is to “combat loneliness” which is at its peak during hard – especially the ones in assisted-care homes." the pandemic. Added Vigneault, who turns 59 in May: “Having such a strong “We brought it up to Abramson, and it’s like a virtual pen-pal program relationship with my parents, I wanted to make this a priority once the where we’re partnered with a resident who is quarantined to their room opportunity came up." and we schedule calls," Camillo said. “We got paired with every single Val Palmieri, chief operating officer at Abramson, said her facility “quickly resident who wanted to participate in the [Mildred Shor] annex and from embraced” the Flyers’ “linemates" idea. what I understand, the participation rate was close to 100 percent. That tells you how much we’re filling a need and how much people are looking “You can imagine at this time, we are doing everything we can to keep for new conversation and interaction with people in the world." our residents as engaged as possible," she said. “They’re so separated from their families and it’s just a very difficult time, so we thought this was The Flyers Phone-Linemates make their calls from their homes. a great idea." » HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, Palmieri said the average age of their 372 seniors on campus is 88 years government worker, patient, frontline worker or other expert? We want to old, and that not having visitors has been “very trying" on them. hear from you. “My linemate was great. It was real easy conversation," Camillo said of her chat with Ballen, who used to co-own a group of area sandwich shops called Longfellows. “He was incredibly engaging, incredibly interesting. He knew sports well, and he told me all about his life, his family, and his career and his interests, and he was really easy to talk to. I was worried about how the conversation was going to flow, but it was a piece of cake, and he was really happy to have someone to talk to and have someone to break up his day."

Her first call was by phone, while her second was made Thursday on Zoom, enabling her and her same “linemate" to see each other for the first time.

‘I was so inspired’

“He told me that since this all happened, he’s learned how to use Zoom, and he’s been using more streaming services, too," said Camillo, adding she learned Ballen took his daughter to the Flyers’ first Stanley Cup parade, in 1974. “ … I was so inspired. Here’s someone in his 90s who is learning new things, so our second call was on Zoom. We’re building a relationship."

The coronavirus has changed the regulations, keeping residents in their rooms for their own protection. For the time being, there are no group games or activities. The residents even have meals brought to their rooms. There have been some coronavirus-related deaths on the Abramson campus, but none in the Mildred Shor Inn annex, an official said last week.

“Before, there were many programs presented to us," said Ballen, a widower who was born and raised in Philadelphia. “They would bring in volunteers and professional people for discussions and entertainment, and live music. All of that has been stopped completely and we are entertaining ourselves in our own rooms by way of television or reading or, in my case, I’ve been on my computer and I like to stream television. I’ve watched Tiger King -- it was very unusual -- and Fauda and some other shows."

Ballen’s wife of 62 years, Rhoda, died in December, after which he moved into Abramson. He gets calls from his three children but said he appreciated hearing from Camillo.

“We really enjoyed each others’ company," he said.

He talked about working on an Amish farm when he was a youngster, talked about his days as a student at Franklin & Marshall College and in the Army, talked about the Phillies, Flyers, and Eagles.

“We found out about each others’ experiences," Ballen said. “She told me about her job with the Flyers and that she used to work for the Washington baseball team."

After speaking with Ballen, Camillo was on a call with her employees and told them they had a chance to participate in the program and “brighten somebody’s day. Sometimes small things are just as important as the big things."

RAISHAD HARDNETT

Sabrina Ciliberto-Willoughby's 82-year-old mother lives in an independent living facility at Phoebe Wyncote, where visitors are restricted due to COVID-19.

Vigneault said he was mostly a listener in his conversation.

“I did find out she was around 12 when World War II began," he said. “It was fascinating to hear all the events in her life and all the stories she had. She was over 90 and she was a very sharp lady. We had a good chat. She did most of the talking and I had a great time listening."

Camillo said she was “delighted" Vigneault signed up to participate.

“I think over time, especially with AV’s leadership and example, we’re going to see greater participation" from others in the organization, she said. “We had 40 people participate in the first week and we’re hopeful that number will only grow."

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174120 Philadelphia Flyers Tyler Pitlick fires a shot against the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 6. He was the team's third-line right winger when the season was suspended March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Flyers frontrunners for Linus Sandin, who could join crowded group of Things to know bottom-6 right wingers | On the Fly Flyers icon and Snider Hockey delivered food Monday to families in Northeast Philly. “If people need help, you have to be there to help them,” said Parent, 75, who also delivered bandannas with his mask by Sam Carchidi on it, along with children’s books. He and his wife, Gini, designed the bandannas, which are used as masks against the coronavirus.

NHL learns from NFL draft and will hold something similar. The Flyers are the frontrunners to sign free-agent right winger Linus Sandin, one of the leading scorers in the Swedish Hockey League this Hall of Famers Bob Clarke and Bill Barber sing the praises of Flyers’ season. coaching staff.

“There’s lot of things that still have to happen before we can sign him,” If the NHL resumes its season, games could be played at four sites. Brent Flahr, the Flyers’ assistant general manager, said on Monday night. Wilt Chamberlain wins fans’ poll as best-ever Philly athlete. Clarke finishes No. 1 among Flyers and No. 3 among all city athletes. That was before the NHL extended its transfer agreement Tuesday with the Swedish Hockey Federation, clearing the way for the Flyers to sign Lindros aiding Flyers Sandin. was named a Flyers ambassador last week and he will make “I think he wants to come to us,” Flahr said. some appearances at different events for fans and corporate partners. Lindros and the Flyers are teaming together in a program called the All-In Sandin, who turns 24 on May 19, is viewed as a bottom-six forward. He Challenge, a digital fundraiser focused on raising money for COVID-19 tied for third in the SHL with 19 goals in 51 games this season. The 6- hunger relief. foot-1, 210-pound Sandin has played mostly center and right wing, and he can also play left wing. The Flyers see him as a right winger. The Flyers said they will auction a game-day experience with Lindros for one winner and up to 11 guests. You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox twice a week during the Flyers season. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s The winner and guests will have a game-day skate with Lindros and a free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, shooting lesson from the Hockey Hall of Famer. The winner will also and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email participate in a ceremonial puck drop, watch a game with guests and ([email protected]) or on Twitter (@broadstbull). Thank you for Lindros from a suite, and receive an autographed jersey and stick signed reading. by the former Flyers star.

Scores ‘greasy’ goals The starting bid is $5,000, and go to fanatics.com for more details.

Flahr has seen Sandin play in person numerous times, and he said the Important Dates: winger has improved each season. Flahr credited scout Joakim Tuesday: Replay of Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Final between Grundberg, who was instrumental in drafting Oskar Lindblom in 2014, for Boston and the Flyers, 7 p.m. (NBCSN). Spoiler alert: Clarke and Parent his work in pursuing Sandin and “pushing for him from the beginning." carry the Cup around the ice. “He’s put in his time, worked on his skating and gotten stronger,” Flahr Wednesday: Six years ago, Wayne Simmonds scored a hat trick on this said. “As he’s worked his way up the Swedish development system, he’s date as the Flyers defeated the visiting Rangers, 5-2, and forced a Game gotten better and better. He works hard, plays a North American-type 7 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. game and goes to the net and gets greasy goals and does a lot of the little things you need. He always seems to be around the puck and has Friday: Forty years ago, defenseman Bob Daily collected five points, some tenacity.” steering the Flyers past Minnesota, 7-0, in Game 2 of their semifinal series at the Spectrum. The Flyers won the series and advanced to the Sandin isn’t a dynamic skater, but his speed has gotten better over the Finals. years. Answer: Thanks for the question, Neil. There are too many moving “We’re not going to compare him to Simon Gagne, but I think his skating pieces right now to answer that question, such as the health of Nolan has come far enough along to allow him to compete over here,” Flahr Patrick and Oskar Lindblom and how Grant performs if the season said, adding he projects Sandin playing on the penalty kill. resumes. (Lindblom is making very good progress in his battle with bone Assuming Sandin signs, he would compete for a job with the Flyers next cancer.) I do know the Flyers’ brass liked what they saw from Grant in his season, but could end up with the AHL’s for a short time here before the season was paused. Grant, who can play wing bit. He would be waiver-exempt. or center, had five points in seven games and won about 54% of his faceoffs with the Flyers. “Realistically, I think he might need time (with the Phantoms), but he’s not a 19-year-old kid coming out of junior, either," Flahr said. "He’s older, Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.29.2020 so he’s a little more mature, on and off the ice, so I think it would be a big camp for him. There would be competition.”

If the Flyers re-sign Tyler Pitlick, they would have several candidates for bottom-six right-wing spots next season. That list would include Pitlick, Sandin (assuming he signs), Nic Aube-Kubel, Wade Allison and Tanner Laczynski. Derek Grant, a center and right winger who is a UFA this summer, could also be in the mix.

“We’re going to have competition for the bottom part of our lineup and that’s healthy,” Flahr said.

Sandin’s brother, Rasmus, 20, plays defense for the Maple Leafs and was a first-round draft pick in 2018. As a rookie this season, he played in 28 games and had eight points for Toronto, dividing the year between the NHL and AHL.

Tyler Pitlick fires a shot against the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 6. He was the team's third-line right winger when the season was suspended March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak. 1174121 Philadelphia Flyers

Bill Barber: Flyers' 1974 Stanley Cup celebration 'stays with you forever'

By Joe Fordyce April 28, 2020 11:30 AM

“Ladies and gentlemen ... the Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup.”

Even though it has been 46 years, these immortal words spoken by Gene Hart still bring chills for those who remember it and even those who weren’t born yet.

The 1974 Game 6 win at the Spectrum over the mighty Boston Bruins remains one of the biggest wins in this city’s rich sports history. Hockey Hall of Famer and member of the famed L-C-B line Bill Barber remembers the sense of urgency entering that game, with a potential Game 7 at the staring them in the face.

“The last thing we [wanted] to do was get ourselves into a position and not win that game,” Barber told his former player and current NBC Sports Philadelphia analyst in a video interview Monday.

“We had one more shot back in Philly in front of our fans. It ended up being a fabulous game. I remember being on the ice with Ricky MacLeish there when the goal was scored. It was something that was a great feeling.”

What ensued after the final seconds ticked off the clock of the 1-0 victory was a celebration for the ages, with the fans storming the ice at the Spectrum. Barber’s teammate and NBC Sports Philadelphia analyst reminisced about that night on a recent Flyers Talk podcast, recalling incidents in which people tried to steal things off the players and from the locker room as pieces of memorabilia.

Barber looks back on that night fondly.

“The excitement of the fans jumping onto the ice, I mean, it stays with you forever," he said. "It goes from there to the parade. It’s embedded in your heart, it never leaves.”

Before Game 6, Hall of Fame coach famously wrote, “Win today, and we walk together forever,” on a blackboard in the Flyers' locker room.

In the 46 years since, that sentiment has been proven true over and over again as the team remains one of the most beloved in Philadelphia sports history. No Flyers fan will ever forget those players who helped bring this city not just one, but two Stanley Cups in back-to-back years.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174122 Philadelphia Flyers instead went with the brilliant idea of … making the logo look three- dimensional?

Really, there’s little right with this jersey. The nameplate looks off. The The 10 best (and 5 worst) uniforms in Flyers history arms are a mess. And why, oh why, was gray introduced to the Flyers’ color scheme? At least gold was an interesting color, a worthwhile attempt to spice things up, even if the execution proved flawed. But who could have possibly wanted the Orange & Black to become the Orange, Charlie O'Connor Apr 28, 2020 Black & Gray? Yikes.

1. The Cooperalls Throughout their 52-season franchise history, the Philadelphia Flyers Could it have been anything else? While the Flyers’ jerseys looked fine have rarely been a chore to watch. The organization’s commitment to a during this era — 1981-82 and 1982-83 — the Cooperalls were near-constant state of contention ensured that the Flyers usually put a understandably all that people noticed. Bucking the traditional shorts- worthwhile product on the ice. and-socks look, the Flyers became the first NHL team to switch over to They also made sure to dress up that product in some very sleek the long pants that would be remembered as the biggest fashion mistake uniforms. in franchise history.

It’s State of the Uniforms week at The Athletic, so let’s take a trip down There were functional issues, as well — players would slide faster and memory lane with that theme in mind. Our goal, in totally subjective longer on the ice in the pants. But the sheer oddity of them skating fashion, is to determine which Flyers jerseys (and overall kits) were the around in what looked like tracksuits was the biggest reason it didn’t best in team history and which were the worst. stick. In retrospect, it’s surprising the Cooperalls lasted two full seasons, although the Flyers weren’t the only team to try them out, as the Hartford After trying and failing to come up with some sort of “jersey analytics” to Whalers joined the long-pants party in 1982-83. The NHL, thankfully, guide this exercise, I fell back on an old, faithful tactic in compiling lists of outlawed the pants in 1983, and Cooperalls died a welcome death at the the five worst and 10 best Flyers uniforms: my personal, biased opinion. top level of hockey. These rankings, therefore, might differ from yours. Feel free to express your disapproval, or agreement, in the comment section! The 10 best

The five worst 10. 1967-1970: The originals

5. 2007-2010 home and road The first Flyers jersey design wasn’t flashy. There were no nameplates, no trim around the numbers and certainly no gold or gray. And while The frustrating part is that Reebok’s first stab at a Flyers jersey mostly enhancements to their look would come in time, there’s something looks great, as the company essentially replicated the fantastic designs classic and old-school about Philadelphia’s original home and road from the turn of the millennium. Sadly, the arms ruin everything. jerseys. It feels right at home in the “” era.

The half-circle color change at the elbow never made any sense, and it Right off the bat, the jersey had some inherent strengths: the uniqueness makes the jersey look needlessly busy. Sometimes, just one poor design of orange as its primary color, for starters, and the instantly iconic logo. choice can spoil the whole package. The original laid the foundation for everything that followed. It was a darn good start. Great moment. The jersey? Not so much. (Eric Hartline / USA Today) 9. 2012 Winter Classic 4. 2019 Stadium Series A perfect example of when risk-taking in Flyers jersey design goes right. It’s become tradition for Flyers fans — or at least many on social media Adding a cream color to the palette was a bold move, but it works. — to immediately react poorly when the new jerseys are revealed for the Despite being a brand-new jersey, the color gives the kit a pseudo- outdoor games. But given time, the fan base usually comes around. Even throwback feel, and it doesn’t take attention away from the trademark the polarizing 2017 Stadium Series jerseys — worn at Heinz Field orange. It’s a perfect complementary color. against the Penguins — come off as oddly intimidating on the ice. But the true brilliance of these jerseys, which the Flyers wore for the The team’s most recent outdoor jerseys, however, seemed like a misfire 2012 Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park, is in the little details. The from the start. lace-up collar fits the throwback theme, and putting the captain’s “C” and The “color rush” idea was intriguing, but the hard truth is these kits were alternate captain’s “A” in the middle of a keystone shape (a nod to just boring; the only interesting part was the “football-style” helmet. Plus, Pennsylvania’s state nickname) was a stroke of genius. removing the orange/black contrast in the Flyers logo makes it look more After the Winter Classic, the Flyers used these as their for like a stamp, not the iconic image that it is. Somehow, this jersey even two seasons in the middle of the 2010s. Good choice. Good jersey. makes the team’s signature vibrant orange look drab. 8. 1972-1977 road jerseys: No nameplate It might have been a great game at Lincoln Financial Field, and though it came amid a mess of a season, Claude Giroux’s game-winning overtime During the Stanley Cup years, the Flyers had player nameplates on only goal in the rain will go down as one of the best moments of his long their home jerseys — on the road, they continued to go the traditional career. Too bad it happened in such an underwhelming jersey. nameless route. Yet there were still some significant improvements over the original orange road kits. Shayne Gostisbehere’s expression captures how we feel about these jerseys. (Eric Hartline / USA Today) For starters, the back numbers on their mid-’70s jerseys benefited significantly from the addition of a black outline, which made them look 3. 2016-17 50th anniversary jersey less generic. The arm numbers were given an added kick as well. It was A running theme of Flyers jersey missteps: messing with the logo. a far more in-your-face, brash look than the inaugural jerseys, a change Understandably, the club wanted to do something special for its 50th that fit the personality of the Broad Street Bullies perfectly. anniversary, but slapping gold on the numbers, letters and trim around 7. 1997-2007: The black jerseys the logo just didn’t work. Orange is already a showy color — adding gold just makes the whole presentation ostentatious. The Flyers’ black jerseys — first used as an alternate and then deployed as the team’s primary road jersey for the bulk of the ’00s decade — are 2. 2002-2007 third jerseys beloved by many fans. Whenever the team is about to unveil a new The first time the Flyers messed with their logo was also the worst time design, there are invariably some who (loudly) express their opinion that they messed with their logo. With the primary orange jersey temporarily the team should bring back the black jersey template that was retired due to the shift to black becoming the main road color, it made discontinued in 2010. sense to bring it back as an alternate. But rather than make the easy I never loved the black jerseys. I felt it pushed orange — the Flyers’ move and occasionally wear the road jerseys from the , they signature color — to the background, relegating it to mere trim rather than having it front and center, where it belonged. However, even as an admitted hater, I can’t deny how crisp these jerseys looked, and the No jersey design in team history was used for a longer continuous period orange trim looked fantastic when watching games in person. — nearly half of the team’s 52 seasons — without any noticeable adjustments. In my completely biased opinion, that’s because it was the I still contend that these jerseys teetered on the edge of generic, best jersey the Flyers ever had. especially during an era in which lots of teams tested black-centric kits. But the less-is-more approach of the design keeps it from being a failure. The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 There’s a reason it remains a favorite of an entire generation of fans.

Travis Konecny celebrates with Morgan Frost after scoring a goal in December. (Eric Hartline / USA Today)

6. 2008-present: The current oranges

Sometimes, you just have to go back to what works.

After 10 years of jersey experiments that culminated with the arm-driven failure of the post-lockout Reeboks, the Flyers returned to their roots. The current home oranges are clearly an attempt to recapture the look that the team made famous in the ’70s, and it’s largely a successful one. The orange might be a bit less bright than it was back in the day, and the white-on-orange nameplates make it a bit showier. But it’s a crisp reimagining of the Bullies’ jerseys with little to nitpick.

5. 1982-2001: The classic orange

Simple, straightforward and with a ton of orange, there’s a reason this one lasted nearly two decades. The black line separating the white on the shoulders and sleeves from the orange of the rest of the jersey was the key addition, and the extra orange line before the black cuffs is a nice touch.

Walling off the colors from each other makes the jersey feel structured, but the heavy orange gives it the necessary flash. It’s the definition of crisp.

4. 1972-1982: The Stanley Cup home whites

It took the Flyers a few tries to nail their home white jerseys. But starting in 1972, they zeroed in on the right formula. Adding nameplates for the first time was a game changer, and the heavy black outline on the numbers added character. And this was the jersey the Flyers wore when they won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. That deserves a few bonus points.

Maybe the somewhat blocky numbers didn’t age particularly well. But aside from that minor quibble, these jerseys more than deserve their place in the Flyers’ pantheon.

3. 1977-1981: Orange with the nameplate

In 1977, the Flyers finally caved and added nameplates to their orange road jerseys, to match their home kits. While some might argue that the no-name look had a certain old-school charm, to my eyes, the jerseys significantly benefited from the change.

This is the jersey the current home oranges most emulate, and for good reason. It’s a classic.

Sean Couturier and company celebrate after scoring a goal on the road against the Capitals. (Geoff Burke / USA Today)

2. 2010-present: The current roads

First introduced for the 2010 Winter Classic, the Flyers quickly ditched the jersey ranked No. 5 on our worst list and replaced it with this gem. Just as the current orange is a reimagining of the Bullies-era road kits, this one takes its design cues from the home jerseys of the ’70s.

This time, however, they improved upon the original. The numbers are cleaner, the lighter orange works extremely well as a secondary color, and the black nameplates are an inspired new spin on the tried-and- tested formula.

It’s an instant classic, the ideal combination of old-school and new- school. Yet, as far as the franchise’s white jerseys go, it still trails one other.

1. 1982-2007: The home whites

For my generation, it’s the definitive Flyers jersey. Watching players like Eric Lindros, John LeClair and Eric Desjardins fly around home ice in these beauties was an absolute treat, and not just because of those players’ immense talent. The numbers are perfect. The orange is bright enough to be eye-catching but not overused to the point of overwhelming. And like its road counterpart of that era, it screams “crisp.” 1174123 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins troll Nashville Predators on Twitter

SAMSON X HORNE | Wednesday, April 29, 2020 12:01 a.m.

Be careful what you ask for.

In an obvious attempt to keep fans’ spirits alive during the down time from the covid-19 pandemic, professional teams are using social media platforms to stay engaged with fans more than ever.

On Tuesday, the official Twitter account for the Nashville Predators asked its followers to share photos from the 2016-17 season when the team had a playoff run that earned its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.

“Do you have a photo from the run? Please share. Thank u!” the tweet said.

About an hour later someone at the helm of the account for the Pittsburgh Penguins posted several photos of the Pens win over Nashville during said Final.

“Here you go!” the reply from the Pens account.

Here you go! pic.twitter.com/cmVGfHgQ53

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 29, 2020

Pittsburgh won four games to two, clinching its second Stanley Cup in as many years.

Tribune Review LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174124 Pittsburgh Penguins • Tristan Jarry, goaltender ($675,000) — Drafted under the regime of former general manager Ray Shero in 2013 to be the Penguins’ goaltender of the future, Jarry took the long way to potentially achieving that vision. In replacing Murray as starter for portions of this season, Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry faces uncertain future with his next Jarry should get a considerable pay raise. The term of such a deal is contract probably a bigger question mark than the cap figure affixed to it.

• Jared McCann, center ($1.25 million) — Having been utilized as a left wing and center throughout his time with the Penguins, McCann SETH RORABAUGH | Tuesday, April 28, 2020 5:47 p.m. appeared to be well on his way to his first 20-goal season by the middle of the campaign, but a 22-game drought without a goal, to say nothing of the NHL’s hiatus, has derailed those hopes. McCann has been one of the Tristan Jarry owns a plot of land just east of Edmonton that requires a fair team’s most versatile and dependable players when injures ravaged the amount of upkeep. roster. Even with a relative lack of offensive production, McCann’s diverse skillset would figure to earn him a tidy pay raise under normal And like a lot of people in April, Jarry has to take care of some spring circumstances. cleaning. • Matt Murray, goaltender ($3.75 million) — There are few goaltenders in “A lot of weeding,” the Penguins’ goaltender said in a video chat with the NHL with Murray’s resume. Namely, two Stanley Cup rings. But for all reporters Tuesday. “Cutting the grass. We did a driveway. A lot of pulling the success he’s enjoyed earlier in his carer, Murray has followed that up the weeds for the driveway and just making sure that it’s flat and making with some underwhelming performances — in part because of injuries. sure there’s no big water buildups.” Considering goaltenders of similar ages with less postseason success Of course, Jarry would prefer to be toiling at his vocation this time of such as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andre Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million) and year, but the NHL’s hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic has the ’ Connor Hellebuyk ($6,166,666) recently have signed brought that to a halt for the time being. hefty contract extensions, it’s not unreasonable for Murray to pursue a similar deal. It’s also not unreasonable for the Penguins to consider other In between pulling Canada Thistle and Creeping Charlie, Jarry has been options such as Jarry. working at fine-tuning his game as best he can remotely on his expansive spread as opposed to the limited confines of his apartment in the • Juuso Riikola, defenseman ($850,000) — An intriguing player when the Pittsburgh area. Penguins signed him out of Finland in 2018, Riikola never fully has gained the trust of the coaches, who have made him a healthy scratch “Our strength and conditioning coaches have put together some more often than not. A proverbial change of scenery, even potentially a programs for (fellow goaltenders) Matt (Murray) and Casey (DeSmith) return to Europe, may be best for all concerned parties. and I,” Jarry said. “That’s been something that we’ve been doing. Just working on our hand-eye (coordination) and making sure our hips and • Evan Rodrigues, center ($2 million) — Capable of playing all three cores are staying engaged and being prepared for when we do resume.” forward positions, Rodrigues has been used in a variety of roles, including the penalty kill, since the Penguins acquired him in a trade with One thing Jarry doesn’t appear to be focusing on is his future. At least in the Sabres on Feb. 24. A player like that is always useful. But is he worth a long-term sense. $2 million (or more)?

As a pending restricted free agent, Jarry figured to be a candidate for a • Dominik Simon, center ($750,000) — As aggravating his mere pay raise. The 24-year-old is in the final season of a two-year contract presence can be for some fans, few players on the roster have earned with a salary cap hit of $675,000, a bargain for a player who was the trust of the coaching staff more than Simon. That level of comfort selected as an All-Star this season. may earn Simon a slight pay raise as well as some term on his next The timing of breaking out as an NHL-er in a contract year could not contract with the Penguins. have been more convenient for Jarry … until, of course, the league shut Unrestricted down because of a worldwide pandemic, potentially losing $1.1 billion as a result. • Patrick Marleau, center ($700,000) — It might be more apt to ask if Marleau will be in the NHL next season, whenever that next season Jarry professes he’s not worried about it. actually occurs, than to wonder if he’ll return to the Penguins. An “No, the biggest thing for me is staying prepared and making sure that absolute rental when the Penguins acquired him via trade Feb. 24, I’m able to do what I can when the season resumes,” Jarry said. “We’re Marleau is one of the oldest players in the NHL at 40. He initially came still fighting for a Stanley Cup (championship). That’s our biggest back for a “final” season with the San Jose Sharks by signing a two-way mindset. Moving forward, that’s going to be the mindset from me and contract last offseason. As a full-time resident of San Jose, it’s doubtful everyone on our team, that we want to win the Stanley Cup.” he will return to the Penguins under any circumstances.

Presumably Jarry, and his agent, would like to be paid handsomely for • Justin Schultz, defenseman ($5.5 million) — If having a career year his services as well. during a contract year during a pandemic represents poor timing, what does having an awful injury-filled year under that same scenario Given that the NHL’s salary cap is directly tied to hockey-related revenue represent? However you label it, Schultz’s forgettable 2019-20 campaign from the previous league year, as dictated by the collective bargaining likely will bring his otherwise successful tenure with the Penguins to an agreement between the league and the player’s association, Jarry and end. Add in the emergence of rookie John Marino, and the writing was on other free agents face something of an uncertain future with regards to the wall for Schultz well before the NHL halted play. As a right-handed their future contracts. defenseman, he won’t lack suitors, even after a down season.

While a few teams have signed pending restricted free agents to contract • Conor Sheary, left winger ($3 million) — Sheary’s second act with the extensions in recent weeks, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford Penguins was beginning to pick up steam when the season was halted. has said discussions are on hold. With four points in his last five games, Sheary was starting to reestablish the chemistry he enjoyed with Sidney Crosby during his first stint in “I haven’t been doing any negotiations with our NHL players because we Pittsburgh. Considering how much trouble the Penguins have had, under don’t know what the cap is going to be,” Rutherford said last week. “It can various general managers, finding wingers suitable to Crosby’s just take one or two contracts that put a team in a tough spot. Until we preferences, retaining Sheary might be a prudent strategy, assuming the know what the cap is going to be for next year, I don’t think there will be a price is right. lot of negotiations going on.” Tribune Review LOADED: 04.29.2020 Where that leaves Jarry and his peers is anyone’s guess.

Here’s a look at the Penguins’ pending free agents (excluding rookie forwards Anthony Angello and Sam Lafferty):

Restricted 1174125 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins A to Z: Jordy Bellerive adapts to a bottom-six role

SETH RORABAUGH | Tuesday, April 28, 2020 11:29 a.m.

While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 54 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid- level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Jordy Bellerive

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Age: 20

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 195 pounds

2019-20 AHL statistics: 53 games, 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists)

Contract: First year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $733,333. Pending restricted free agent in 2022.

Acquired: Undrafted free agent signing on Sept. 16, 2017.

This season: A prolific point producer as a junior player with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League, Bellerive nearly had his life, to say nothing of his career, derailed in June 2018 when a campfire flashed on him and he suffered severe burns, including to his hands.

Despite that potential catastrophe, Bellerive made a seemingly immediate recovery and produced an 83-point (33 goals, 50 assists) season in 68 games during 2018-19, his final junior season.

This season, his first as a professional, Bellerive has not produced nearly at the same clip, but that’s somewhat by design.

Primarily used as a top-six forward in juniors, Bellerive, who was an occasional healthy scratch early in the season, has been trying to adapt to a bottom-six role. Despite his modest size, the speedy Bellerive is not afraid to mix things up physically.

His skill still is evident, as he produced a solid 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in his previous 26 games while earning some power-play ice time before the AHL halted play.

(Video courtesy Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)

The future: Bellerive likely won’t be a top-six center in the professional ranks as he was in juniors. If he is to make it in the NHL, he needs to adapt to the more arduous tasks of a third- or fourth-line role. Thus far, he has taken some baby steps in that direction.

Tribune Review LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174126 Pittsburgh Penguins

Latest on NHL prospects: Border issues, schedule, draft talk, locations, style of play

TIM BENZ | Tuesday, April 28, 2020 6:38 a.m.

Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network joins me for our weekly “Essey Tire” hockey podcast. Are we finally seeing some movement when it comes to restarting the National Hockey League?

According to Metzer, a lot of talk is percolating about important topics, such as unified destinations and dates for when players can start working out again. The NBA may be a few steps ahead in that regard. Is that a path the NHL can follow?

The NHL may also want to follow in the footsteps of the NFL when it comes to its televised draft. It was a big hit for football. It could be for hockey as well. The big question is, when will that draft occur?

There has been some discussion that the draft may take place in June, before the attempted relaunch of the season. In my opinion, that’s dumb. In fact, I think some factors make it impossible. We’ll see what Metzer says.

If there is a rebooted , are the Penguins the kind of team that will be susceptible to getting tripped up early, given the circumstances at hand?

I think so. And I’ll tell you why. And I’ll tell you why Boston Bruins player Brad Marchand disagrees with me.

There’s also the small matter of opening up the border between the U.S. and Canada. I’m being sarcastic, of course. That’s a big deal. But it’s also one that I think can be more easily rectified than, say, maybe some of the Florida teams trying to get to North Carolina.

We’ll explain.

Then we examine the unending parade of Penguins flashback games and some issues with the “podding” sites for a renewed season. Maybe Pittsburgh shouldn’t be considered out of the mix after all.

Tribune Review LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174127 Pittsburgh Penguins still fighting for a Stanley Cup. ... That’s got to be the mindset from me and everyone on our team.”

Jarry thanked front-line workers and first-responders for their efforts. Tristan Jarry embracing the simple life until he can help Penguins chase “It’s been incredible what you guys have done for us,” he said. “We all Cup hope that we are able to get hockey back at some point. We’re excited for the breakthrough that we could be having and that we might be able to play soon.” Matt Vensel Post Gazette LOADED: 04.29.2020

Even with the NHL shut down, Tristan Jarry is still exceeding expectations.

After suspending its season March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league encouraged its players to practice self-isolation until further notice. So for the past few weeks, the goalie has been sequestered at the 60-acre barley farm he owns in Sherwood Park, Alberta, which is a half hour outside Edmonton.

“In Pittsburgh, we were in an apartment, so it was kind of tough with the workout equipment and everything. So we came back here where I have a full gym and a lot of land,” Jarry said Tuesday on a conference call. “So we’re able to go for walks and practice social distancing and just stay hunkered down at home.”

Truthfully, Jarry and his girlfriend, Hannah, aren’t exactly hunkered down. Jarry has kicked up dirt with heavy-duty farm equipment. They roam the property with their two English mastiffs. And when the temperature recently dipped below freezing, they laced up the skates and took a twirl around their pond.

There has been plenty to keep Jarry, who turns 25 on Wednesday, busy.

“I’m just doing a lot of odds and ends. I built a hockey stall the other day. I built some cabinets. And I’ve just been doing a lot of gardening around here,” Jarry said. “And obviously working out, making sure I’m staying sharp, has been a big [emphasis], just doing everything I can for when the season resumes.”

Last fall, Jarry emerged victorious from a training camp battle with Casey DeSmith and earned a permanent role in Pittsburgh with strong play early in the season. He was the NHL’s hottest goalie in December, set a team record for the longest shutout streak and played in his first NHL All- Star game in January.

Jarry cooled off in this calendar year and was splitting starts with Matt Murray when the hockey world shut down, scattering Penguins all over the place.

Several weeks later, Penguins players still await word on when they can resume on-ice workouts in Pittsburgh in anticipation for the NHL to start back up.

A number of Penguins have publicly pointed out the difficulty — with no access to the team’s practice facility or public rinks — of trying to simulate skating.

What about the goalies, who have no one to crank slap shots at them?

They are trying to stay mentally sharp with regular WebEx meetings with goalie coach Mike Buckley. Those self-scouting sessions have shown Jarry aspects of his game that need improvement. He feels they have been “a big help.”

Jarry declined to go into specifics about the workouts designed for him, other than saying that Penguins strength and conditioning coaches Alex Trinca and Alexi Pianosi are making sure Jarry, Murray and DeSmith are “working on our hand-eye [coordination] and making sure our hips and core stay engaged.”

Another way for Jarry to engage his hips and core has been gardening.

Jarry said he helped Bob, his neighbor down the road, with a project.

“We did his driveway,” he said. “So a lot of pulling weeds from the driveway and making sure it’s flat and making sure there’s no big water buildups.”

OK, so that isn’t exactly like stopping a slap shot. But it’s something.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been off the ice for this long,” he said, adding, “The biggest thing for me is just staying prepared and making sure that I’m able to do what I can [to help] when the season resumes. Because we’re 1174128 Pittsburgh Penguins • The Penguins were out of playoff position when he replaced Kevin Constantine. Brooks got the Penguins into the postseason.

• Jaromir Jagr produced 1.5 points per game in his limited time under Yohe: Is Mike Sullivan or Bob Johnson the best coach in Penguins’ Brooks, playing some of the great hockey of his career. Jagr was great history? under Constantine but felt restricted. Brooks brought him to life for a bit during a particularly moody chapter in his career.

• Alex Kovalev finally started to realize his potential and became a By Josh Yohe Apr 28, 2020 dominant player under Brooks. Remember, even though Brooks is immortal because of a certain hockey team’s victory against a certain

Russian team once upon a time, he studied the Russian style at length When you think of the Penguins historically, the last thing you think about and knew it will. If ever a player fit into the “classic Russian style,” it was is coaches. You think about goals, superstars, Stanley Cups, Kovalev. Brooks knew this and helped turn him into more of a star and bankruptcies, remarkable valleys and even more remarkable peaks. less of an enigma.

Coaches? They get fired a lot in Penguins’ history but otherwise are • The Penguins destroyed the Capitals in five games in the first round of rarely the story. the playoffs and went up 2-0 in Philadelphia before a setback in five overtimes turned the series. Of course, upon further examination, the Penguins have had a lot of great ones. Eventually, we’ll run out of things to rank during the current It was a short run for Brooks, but many good things were accomplished. sports shutdown, but here’s another top-10 ranking just for fun. 7. Kevin Constantine (1997-99) The top two on this list are easy to decipher, but which one deserves the Regular-season record: 86-64-35 top spot? There is no right or wrong answer here, but merely a fun debate. And keep in mind, we are gauging these rankings specifically on Postseason record: 8-11 what these coaches did while in Pittsburgh. I’m aware that may have enjoyed reasonable amounts of success in other Stanley Cups: 0 cities, for instance. Bottom line: The guy was a good coach. A really good one. Problem was, Presenting the top 10 coaches in franchise history: he wanted to preach defense and structured hockey. This probably helped the undermanned Penguins to a couple of competitive seasons, 10. Marc Boileau (1974-76) as the financial issues plaguing the organization made it difficult to surround Jagr with talent. However, scoring goals and playing flashy Regular-season record: 66-61-24 hockey is in the Penguins’ DNA. And the Penguins’ DNA always wins Postseason record: 5-4 out.

Stanley Cups: 0 That said, he led them to a division title during the 1997-98 campaign, which was the year after ’s first retirement. It was an Bottom line: If he was guilty of anything, Boileau didn’t stop his team from impressive accomplishment. The next season, he led the No. 8 seed drinking excessively after taking a 3-0 series lead against the Islanders in Penguins to a stunning upset over the No. 1 seed New Jersey Devils. 1975. The Islanders, as you know, roared back to win four straight and Constantine deserves much credit for this. this pretty much derailed Boileau’s time in Pittsburgh. But let’s give him some credit. When he took over late in the 1973-74 season, he guided But he and Jagr were never going to work together long term, and when the Penguins to a 14-10-4 record. Then he led the team to the playoffs the Penguins quit on him, they did so with conviction. the following season thanks to a 26-12-11 surge to finish the season. 6. (1980-83; 1993-97) His Penguins then topped the hated (at the time, this was their biggest Regular-season record: 232-224-60 rival) St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs before the Islanders debacle. The Penguins were starting to become relevant at this time, and Postseason record: 22-24 we’ll give the head coach some credit for this. Stanley Cups: 0 9. Red Kelly (1969-73) Bottom line: EJ had multiple stints as Penguins coach, all of them Regular-season record: 90-132-52 relatively successful. He is, by all accounts, a power-play genius. Some of the more successful power plays in franchise history came pre- Postseason record: 6-8 Lemieux, believe it or not, and this was directly a result of Johnston’s Stanley Cups: 0 uncanny understanding of playing with a man advantage. The ultimate players’ coach, he’d tell reporters — he admits this today — that a certain Bottom line: You look at the record, and you probably aren’t so player had “food poisoning” when, in reality, he missed a game because impressed. But let’s keep in mind that the Penguins were only a couple of of a drinking binge. years into their existence when Kelly took over as head coach. His good nature and preference for high-octane hockey played a large He led the Penguins to their first two playoff appearances, in 1970 and role in the 1995-96 Penguins’ success. Lemieux and Jagr adored playing 1972. Kelly was also behind the bench when they won a playoff series for for him, and they weren’t alone. The NHL was built by people like EJ and the first time, a sweep over the Oakland Seals, capped by Michel Brière’s he’s very much the godfather of this franchise to this day. He’s a beloved overtime goal in Game 4. figure who was probably a better coach than most realize. He did a lot with a little for many years, and later oversaw some of the greatest Brière’s subsequent death set the Penguins back substantially. But Kelly hockey ever played by two of the greatest players of all time. did some good things behind the bench during this time. EJ also gets points for not leaving the bench in Game 6 against the 8. (1999-2000) Capitals in 1996 when a Sergei Zubov clearing attempt left him bloodied. Regular-season record: 29-21-7 5. Mike Therrien (2005-09) Postseason record:6-5 Regular-season record: 135-105-32 Stanley Cups: 0 Postseason record: 15-10 Bottom line: OK, maybe I’m showing some bias by putting Brooks this Stanley Cups: 0 high on the list, given his relatively short time in Pittsburgh. Maybe. Bottom line: I am convinced there would be no 2009 Stanley Cup But let’s consider what he accomplished in that brief season behind the championship if not for his contributions. Therrien was miserable to play bench: for and eventually wore out his welcome. Along the way, he taught the young Penguins how to play defense, how Is he perfect? Nah, he’s not. Did the Penguins appear to tune him out for to play structured hockey and how to win. He was fantastic leading the the first time during the 2019 playoffs? Yes, they did. That can’t be Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup final. ignored in his legacy, I suppose. But I’m of the mind that he’s currently the NHL’s best coach. He’s the total package and he should remain Many who played on those teams don’t particularly enjoy giving him behind the Penguins’ bench for a long, long time. credit because he was, by many accounts, extraordinarily abrasive. Maybe he was a little too tough for those Penguins, but he made them One could make the argument he’s the best coach in franchise history. tougher along the way and his contributions shouldn’t be forgotten. He He’s got the championships to prove it. was a hell of a coach in Pittsburgh and was the perfect figure to preside over those young Penguins. 1. Bob Johnson (1990-91)

4. Dan Bylsma (2009-14) Regular-season record: 41-33-6

Regular-season record: 252-117-32 Postseason record: 16-8

Postseason record: 43-35 Stanley Cups: 1

Stanley Cups: 1 Bottom line: But I can’t make anyone other than Bob Johnson No. 1. I just can’t. And it’s not just a nostalgic team. Bottom line: Look at that regular-season record. Goodness. In history, has one man ever impacted a franchise Bylsma is the most polarizing person on this list, and by a good bit. He more than Johnson? In one year, the Penguins went from losers to showed up a virtual no-name in February of 2008 and, four months later, champions. Along the way, the players on that team learned more was a Stanley Cup champion. His up-tempo game was refreshing and a lessons about life than they did hockey. When you walk into the perfect mix with those teams. Disco Dan was the real deal, the coach the Penguins’ locker room today, you still see Johnson’s quotes and Penguins had always wanted. inspirational sayings in every direction.

He was at his best in the 2010-11 season, guiding the Penguins to an “It’s a great day for hockey” remains an expression that all Pittsburghers incredible 108 points despite having to play half of the season without know and that the Penguins live by. It all goes back to Johnson. I’ve had injured stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. However, the Penguins conversations with Sidney Crosby about Johnson and his legacy. endured three consecutive postseason meltdowns from 2012-14. They Johnson died when Crosby was 4. probably had the best roster in hockey in two of those seasons. They were stunned in the first round of the playoffs against the Flyers in 2012, In some ways, it’s as though Johnson is still the coach of the Penguins, having four players suspended and giving up 30 goals in those six almost 30 years after his death. He was truly an icon and changed games. Then, the seemingly indomitable 2013 Penguins were swept by everything about the Penguins in one magical season. the Bruins in the Eastern Conference final, scoring two goals in the entire In team history, he stands alone. series. In 2014, they blew a 3-1 series lead to the Rangers in the second round of the playoffs, which served as the last dance for Disco Dan. The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020

Make no mistake, he was a good coach and enjoyed a lot of success in Pittsburgh. But that initial surge created expectations that simply weren’t sustainable for most coaches, himself included.

3. Scotty Bowman (1991-93)

Regular-season record: 95-53-16

Postseason record: 23-10

Stanley Cups: 1

Bottom line: Where do you rank the greatest coach of all time, who was only here for two years, and who won a Cup, but who also presided over one of the most embarrassing postseason losses in NHL history? Third seems right.

Replacing Bob Johnson must have been so difficult. He was beloved, and the notoriously straight-laced Bowman was not. Yet Bowman led the ’92 Penguins to a championship, closing out the season with 11 straight wins. He then led the 1992-93 Penguins to the greatest record in franchise history and to a 17-game winning streak that remains the best mark in NHL history. Did he have an array of talent from which to work? Well, yeah. He sure did. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t doing brilliant work behind the bench. He always did. When the Penguins were at their very best — we’re talking all-time here — he was the man behind the bench. That can’t be ignored.

Neither can what happened against the Islanders in the ’93 postseason.

2. Mike Sullivan

Regular-season record: 214-115-40

Postseason record: 38-27

Stanley Cups: 2

Bottom line: Make no mistake, he’s the most accomplished coach in franchise history. And it isn’t close.

The Penguins were a mess when he arrived in Pittsburgh in December of 2015. It took about three weeks for Sullivan to turn them into the NHL’s best team. That’s it. That’s all it took. He’s that good. Sure, he had talent to work with, but coaching talent isn’t so easy. You’ll find no more different personalities in sports than Crosby, Malkin, Phil Kessel and Kris Letang all in the same locker room. Sullivan brilliantly made it all work. 1174129 Pittsburgh Penguins his jaw. It makes sense that the plug was pulled a little early. Curses might not be real, but people believing that they’re real is more than enough. This is nothing great — it’s a fauxback/Frankenjersey combo based on a few different looks from the franchise’s first decade that made Ranking the Penguins’ post-1985 uniforms, 16 to 1 for more aesthetic identity confusion, and that is a lot of striping — but it’s not terrible, either. One of the many circle-crest/navy schemes that its

predecessor inspired. By Sean Gentille Apr 28, 2020 11. Home white, 1992-2002

It’s clean and era-defining, in its own way. Your mileage depends on how I woke up this morning and was like, “You know what I wanna do today? you feel about the logo. Period. There’s not much going on beyond that. Get yelled at by Penguins fans. A lot! More than usual!” The pointed shoulder inserts are nice.

So, here we are. It’s uniform week here at The Athletic, and because I 10. Powder blue third, 2008-11 couldn’t leave well enough alone, I decided to rank the Penguins’ various Someday — and it might be now — we’re going to look back on the five- post-1985 jerseys, 16 through 1. “This is a good idea,” said the stupid year foray into blue schemes as a weird blip on the radar, but these were man stupidly. good, no matter what. It set a trend for Winter Classic jerseys, Some ground rules and clarifications: standardizing stuff like the lace-up collar. It looked great on TV. People bought the hell out of them. The 1985 cutoff might seem arbitrary, but it’s not. Quality photographs of hockey, even from the late 20th century, is a little tough to nail down. 9. “Vegas gold” third, 1999-2002/home black, 2002-07 Plus, including all of the various permutations of blue jerseys, especially There’s a reason Vegas gold made its first appearance on the black given that the look came back in the 2010s, would’ve bloated the jerseys; the contrast worked. Some bad teams wore these, but it was still rankings. It’s cleaner and more organized this way. For the same reason, a great look. I didn’t account for the assortment of patches they’ve worn over the years — the league’s 75th anniversary, “NHL 2000,” the Pittsburgh 8. Home black, 2017-present sesquicentennial, the franchise’s 50th year, et al, did not enter the thought process. Now we’ve graduated a tier and entered nit-picking territory. First, the positive: the Adidas AdiZero template is better than the Reebox Edge. I’d like to say that personal bias didn’t factor into this, either, but that The dotted shoulder yoke, in particular, is cool. Adding texture is good. would be dishonest. It’s design. There are principles, for sure, and there’s Adidas, though, screwed up the collar. That wasn’t true for every team also no accounting for preference. Or, as some people put it, “taste.” Still, coming out of the 2017 redesign; it was true for the Penguins. The deep how much they won (or did not win) really didn’t matter to me. You will V getting dropped for a half-collard, “I’m wearing a jersey over a golf see that very early in the exercise. shirt” look is a major downgrade. Major.

The Penguins’ track record is really good. On some level, I like all of 7. Road white, 2017-present these. These ones get the edge because the contrast is a little less obvious for This is all just an excuse to have a little fun and, I suppose, start some the collars, and the “Pittsburgh gold”/yellow against white works well. So arguments in the comments. We’re missing out on that, and this is more close. fun to me than, like, trying to care about whether Minkah Fitzpatrick counts in the Steelers’ 2020 draft class. So, let’s roll. I’ll be in the 6. Road black, 1980-92 comments defending myself. Pretty iconic. All the stuff we like today traces back to this jersey set. 16. Home black, 2007-16 5. Road black, 1992-97 Starting off with a bang. The switch from Vegas gold to khaki is the This is where people are gonna start to get pissed. We’re in “divisive biggest mistake the franchise ever made. Yes, that includes the 1992 opinion” territory, now. Is it a Rangers rip-off? Yeah. Former owner logo change. In a way, this look is the inverse of “the pigeon;” people got Howard Baldwin and designer Gary Adams were open about that. attached to it because they won, and not because they suffered the most Doesn’t matter, though; it’s also a throwback to the franchise’s inaugural crushing playoff defeat in franchise history within months of adopting it. jersey set in 1967, and the only one since that featured the name of the Cliff’s notes? Reebok is to blame. When they introduced the Edge jersey city outside a circle crest. This is a sticky pop-culture look for a reason. prototype and changed the fabric, sparkly tones like Vegas gold got left in You’re more likely to see something like this in the future than any of the the dust. The end result was a “golden triangle” that looked like it other past looks. should’ve had pleats. Awful. Then, because of the success the team had 4. “RoboPenguin” third, 1996-97/away black 1997-2002 while wearing it and the overall focus on reintroducing blue, it stuck around for way too long. Kip Miller in 1998 (Robert Laberge / Allsport)

15. Road white, 2007-16 Pajama jerseys. Gradient jerseys. “RoboPenguin.” Call it whatever — but it’s good. Might be of it’s time. Might’ve been tailor-made for 9-year-olds I flipped a coin to decide between these. Doesn’t matter. back then. But it managed to be different and forward-thinking in a way 14. Yellow third, 2018-present we rarely see now, especially in hockey. It a risky look that paid off, just like my decision to make it No. 4. These ones get points for audacity. Part of me wishes they’d have gone with white helmets, and part of me appreciates the commitment to the bit. 3. Road white, 2016-17 These are the definition of an alternate jersey; they’re OK to bring out a Look at that collar. Look at those shoulder cut-outs. Why would anyone handful of times, but nobody is ever going to clamor for them to replace mess with that. Why? Why? the standards. They just suffer by comparison. The fact that they’re wearing these means that they’re opting against looks I enjoy more. 2. Home white, 1980-92

13. Road white, 2002-07 This gets the edge over its spiritual successor because the striping on the bottom is simpler, and that appeals to me. A step above khaki, but the white still manages to wash out the Vegas gold. There’s also no real nostalgic reattachment at play here; we’d 1. Black third, 2014-16/home black 2016-17 already seen the return of the skating penguin. It’s tough to imagine what else anyone could expect out of a jersey. The 12. Navy third, 2011-13 crest and color scheme are iconic. It’s tied to civic identity without being corny. There’s a certain amount of mythos attached to it, since they These get a bad rap because of the, uh, events of the 2011 Winter bumped it up to primary home-jersey status for the 2016 Stanley Cup Classic, and that’s understandable enough. Sidney Crosby’s issues run. And it doesn’t look anyone is wearing a Polo shirt underneath. Best continued into 2013, too. Dude got hit in the face with a puck and broke jersey in franchise history. Not close. All disagreement? Misguided and wrong. Glad that’s settled.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174130 Pittsburgh Penguins jungle in front of the net, and I had to know that I had to be the toughest guy in front of that net.

So as a player, can you ever enjoy a playoff series while it’s happening? Q&A: Ben Lovejoy on his career, Sidney Crosby and playoff hockey in No, you do not enjoy it when it’s happening. Nothing about it is fun. Dallas Maybe if I was a goal scorer, if that was my role, but my role was to play perfect defense – to not get beat. The first time it was enjoyable was when Patric Hornqvist scored with one minute left to make it 3-1, and I By Sean Shapiro Apr 28, 2020 knew we were gonna win the Stanley Cup. That was it. Other than that, it is just stressful, and it’s such an emotional time. You are incredibly high

sometimes; you are incredibly low sometimes. But, no, it’s not enjoyable. NHL beat writers lost one of their go-to locker room voices when Ben So what was that like winning the Cup 2016? Lovejoy retired last summer. It was the best day of my life. I have three children. I have an awesome Throughout his career, Lovejoy was smart and willing to share. He was wife; marrying her was a good day. But winning the Stanley Cup was 32 insightful and wasn’t very guarded about speaking honestly with media years of hard work, and it was a dream that I’d had probably for 29 of members. His answers weren’t riddled with cliches. them since I knew what the Stanley Cup was. The NHL needs more Ben Lovejoys. I worked so hard to get to the NHL. I worked so hard to stay in the NHL. About a year removed from his final NHL action, the playoff series To have that happen, to win that and have my name on that for the rest between the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues, Lovejoy spoke with The of my life – it’s the proudest thing I’ve ever done or has happened to me. Athletic on Monday for a wide-spanning interview. Parts of this It has absolutely changed my life, and I’m so lucky. conversation have been edited for length and clarity. Bringing it back to 2009 quickly, did it feel like you were actually part of a It’s been roughly a year since your last NHL playoff series. Looking back Cup-winning team as a black ace? on last summer, was it the right decision to retire? Black acing has changed a lot since I black aced back then. Now a team It was time. I was so lucky, and I lived a childhood dream for 11 years. brings in anywhere from 10 to 15 guys, and in Pittsburgh, the black aces But I was not a superstar, and the game was hard for me. I had to do stay up in Cranberry at the practice rink. Last year, when I was in Dallas everything I could 365 days a year to live perfectly and spend all of my the black aces stayed up in Frisco and practiced alone without the team; focus on myself to play in the NHL. And it was awesome; it was the best they try to keep them away from being a distraction. They treat it almost experience of my life. I was so lucky to do it for so long. But it was really as development. My cousin (Gavin Bayreuther) was black acing in hard, and it was hard physically and mentally, and I was spent. I was Frisco, and I saw him once. So they aren’t around. ready for a change. I was ready to be done, and if somebody had offered When I was black acing with Pittsburgh in 2009, there were six of us, and me a ridiculous contract that I couldn’t say no (to), I’m smart enough I we were a part of everything. We traveled with the team; I sat next to would have done it. When that didn’t come, it was a very easy decision Mike Lange on the plane. This was before Netflix was a thing, so we and something I haven’t regretted one bit. chatted the whole time. I got to know Mike Lange very well from black Were there any non-ridiculous contract offers? acing and sitting next to him on the team charter.

Two days after my daughter started school in New Hampshire, I had two We had practice at 7:30 every morning in The Igloo. We got dressed in a non-ridiculous offers. I stopped working out to play ice hockey on July 9, woman’s bathroom on the other side of the arena and it was hard. They and this was late August. They were contracts, they weren’t PTOs – but crushed us. They skated us so hard so we would be ready, and we were at that point, I was all in and very emotionally done. part of the team … there was a chance we were playing. I took warmups for a game, one guy had to play, so we were a part of things. By doing Looking back on your career, when did you realize what it would take to that, you hang out with all the team. We ate pre-game meals with the stick in pro hockey? team, we were around all the time, and I got to see everything. It was a really special time to see the buzz in Pittsburgh. I could watch that part I had a pretty good college career and thought that at that point that but also feel like part of it a bit. maybe I’m good enough to get some games and say I did it. That was sort of my mindset in college. I went to my first rookie development You were traded away by Pittsburgh in 2013 and then traded back from tournament (with Pittsburgh in 2007), and I was healthy scratched for the Anaheim in 2015. What was that like? first game and thought to myself, ‘Well, this pro hockey thing is probably not gonna work out.’ Then I played the next three and played pretty well, It was weird. It was hard. And it was awesome. In my first stint in and I think that’s when I started to put myself on the radar for the Pittsburgh, I was the fifth, sixth or seventh defenseman. Behind closed Pittsburgh Penguins. doors, Ray Shero, my agent and I had spoken about trading me. I hoped I could do more, I thought I could do more, but I didn’t know, and I I had a relatively successful rookie year in Wilkes-Barre and turned thought with a new fresh set of eyes judging me that maybe I could take myself into a prospect and then continued to figure out exactly my role my game to the next level. When the time was right, Ray Shero traded and what I was gonna have to do to get to the next level. I figured out my me to Anaheim, I got to play for the top team in the West and live in game, and for the next 10 and a half years, I had some really good teams Newport Beach, and Bruce Boudreau was one of my favorite people in and really smart people that wanted me to play on their blue line. It was hockey. (Boudreau) gave me a real shot. I played big minutes right away, incredibly special. I found a home in Anaheim and a defense partner that I could compliment in Cam Fowler. We didn’t win the Stanley Cup, but life was You were a black ace for that Stanley Cup-winning team in 2009. Are awesome. We were in the mix, but we just couldn’t beat the Kings. there lessons from that time that you took to stick in the NHL eventually? When I got traded back, Ray Shero had been fired while I was in Yes. And it was hard; cracking the Pittsburgh lineup was so stressful. My Anaheim – probably not for the trade sending away Ben Lovejoy – but I first year was 07-08, and they lost to the Red Wings in the finals, and my was traded back to Pittsburgh for Simon Depres, who was 10 years AHL team went to the Calder Cup finals and lost too, so there were no younger than I was, a more talented defenseman and a higher-profile black aces. The next year I black aced and watched the Pens win the guy. My Pittsburgh team struggled that year; we barely made the playoffs Cup, and you learn a ton. You see what exactly these guys have to go and got knocked out by the Rangers 4-1 — gentleman’s sweep. And then through. You see that this is playoff hockey, and hockey that time of year Anaheim lost in double-overtime of Game 7 to the Blackhawks that year, is fun for everyone but the players on the ice. and Simon played really well, and it was a hard summer for me. It was It’s stressful. You take every shift, every second home with you, and it’s probably the most difficult summer of my life; I had to hear a lot of bad hard. But I was able to watch what these guys went through and was words and endure a lot. I lost my Twitter account password on purpose there watching for a really long time, and you learn, and you get to know that summer. guys, and you see the time and the effort that guys put into their games The start to the next season didn’t go much better. We struggled as a and what it takes. It was an incredibly valuable lesson for me – team out of the gate, and eventually, Mike Sullivan helped turn us something that, when I started playing NHL playoff hockey, I knew what I was getting into. Every shift is a battle. Every shift you are going to the around, and we won the Stanley Cup. I loved my time in Pittsburgh, I feel like he’s working hard. Miro can do all of those things casually and look like I grew up there, but there were some hard times, too. like he’s not even trying and not breaking a sweat. Just the way he can calmly see the game and the skating and the hands and the poise and You followed Shero to New Jersey after winning the Cup. the confidence – it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

I had a lot of offers and a lot of interest from some very cool places. But I I often forget his age watching him play. think having a boss that you can trust and you can believe in is so important. When Ray reached out, it was all I wanted. I know things didn’t I think my third game (after the trade to Dallas) was in LA, and we were work out ultimately for Ray in Jersey, but I still believe that he set that going to overtime. I think it was a 1-1 game, maybe 2-2. And we were organization (up for success), and they are going to have an incredibly going to overtime, and my job is very much over when the 60-minute successful future, and he’s someone that I would jump at the opportunity clock ends unless we take a penalty. And I came back to the bench and to be involved with again. just told him, very loudly, ‘I can’t wait to watch you play 3-on-3.’ And he sort of smiled and went out and looked like he didn’t take a single heavy I believe in coach (John) Hynes, I believe in Tom Fitzgerald, I believe in breath. Alain Nasreddine. Those are three guys that had a huge impact on my Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh experience and helped me become the You started to take the next step into a second hockey career off the ice. player that I ultimately became. And I wanted to go help them build New You worked with NBC on some of the broadcasts and worked as a Jersey the right way. We ultimately didn’t have the success that we need, volunteer assistant at Dartmouth. What was that like? but I do think New Jersey is going to reap the benefits of Ray Shero and Johns Hynes for the next 10, 15 years. I really enjoyed working with NBC. There were some peaks and lots of valleys, but I felt like I started to get more and more comfortable before You closed out your career last season in Dallas after getting traded from the league shut down. And then I went to my coach at Dartmouth right New Jersey. What was that like? after I retired and (said) that I would love to be a volunteer assistant coach, I felt I had lots I could add to the program. It was great. Ray reached out early and said, ‘Ben, are you interested in going anywhere? And I’m not going to send you anywhere you don’t want The program (at Dartmouth) is something that’s been very important to to go. And if you don’t want to be traded, I understand.’ I told him, ‘I want me, and I lived right here. So I loved doing that. I got right involved right you to do what was best for the Devils.’ Last time, he traded me he put in away: I was at every practice and every game. After Christmas, I started Newport Beach and put me in a great situation, and then he reached out going on the bench with the team, and I really feel like I made a to Jim Nill and said, ‘This is a guy who can help out your organization.’ difference. I was very lucky that the coaching staff gave me a bigger and bigger role. It’s a very special place and a very special school, it’s a very I loved my time in Dallas. It is a unique place to play in the playoffs, and I special hockey program and I hope to be involved with it for a long time. knew that from playing against them. I felt like we had such a great shot to win the Stanley Cup. It was different showing up at the deadline, but I Editor’s note: Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet recently announced his felt like I was able to make an impact. I think that Rick Bowness is one of retirement. Lovejoy declined to comment on that vacancy, but it is the most special men in hockey. I’d never crossed paths with him, and believed he will be one of the top candidates for the job. then in the three months I was able to get to know him, I see why people rave about him. What a human being, what a hockey coach and what a What have you learned about coaching? guy that you want to play as hard as you can for. It was very different. A lot of it is the same. Same camaraderie and same I wish we beat the Blues. That part was a bummer. being around the locker room – that doesn’t change. But you see almost the vulnerability of players. Playing hockey is hard; you make a ton of What do you mean by Dallas being unique? mistakes and if you have a coach that punishes you for every mistake, then you are going to hold your stick tightly, and you are going to play not Before I had experienced it, if you had told me Dallas would be a hard make that mistake. building to play in the playoffs, I don’t think I would have believed you. I was warned before we went and played there in Anaheim. It is extremely I’ve found throughout my career and continuing into coaching that you loud; it’s an intimidating place to play. I was warned in Anaheim, and I need a coach that can both communicate with players and empower didn’t believe it, but I knew that was gonna be the case when I got the them. Players want information, but the game happens at such a high chance to go be a Star. rate of speed that mistakes are going to happen. And as a coach, you want a player that can play the right way and play the right game most of It lived up to the hype. That building is hard to play in the playoffs as an the time, but you also want a guy that isn’t thinking the whole game and opposing player. isn’t thinking about screwing up. It’s been fun to watch and learn from Fair to say that it’s an easy question that the best players you’ve ever both my experiences as a player and now my experiences as watching played with are Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin? my mentor, Bob Gaudet, that empowering these players is so important and you do that by communicating and teaching – not by yelling at and It’s not even close. It’s those two guys and nobody else. It was incredible; scaring. And it worked best for me, and I think with younger and younger I’m older than both of them, but I didn’t make it to the NHL as an 18-year- players, it’s the only way to get through to these players. old, and they were experienced when I arrived as a rookie. And there is a reason that that organization has had such consistent excellence. And The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 it’s not just because those two guys are two of the most talented hockey players ever, but they bring it every day and the third-pairing defenseman has to show up for practice and be ready to go, or he’s gonna get embarrassed by one of those two guys.

They are competitive and driven, and they raise the whole organization to a higher level. It’s nuts. And every single guy on the team has to show up and ready to fly every day because Sid and Geno are gonna do that, and it was so hard to do for everybody, but everybody did it and everybody raised their level. And because of them, you’ve seen the consistent excellence of the organization because those two guys expect it.

What about the best defensemen you played with?

You are in Dallas, so you know about Miro Heiskanen. But Kris Letang, Cam Fowler, Brian Dumoulin and Will Butcher.

Heiskanen really left a positive impression on you in a short timeframe.

He is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Kris Letang is so gifted; he has the perfect body to play in the NHL. He is the most powerful, beautiful skater you can create, and he’s got great hands. He can play 33 minutes a night, including three of the overtime, and just be dominant. He looks 1174131 San Jose Sharks for coronavirus. In addition, before NHL play was halted, the Sharks announced they would play their final three March home games with no fans in attendance.

Coronavirus: Health experts rip pro sports’ slow response to warnings The Warriors kept their doors unlocked for fans who showed up to Chase Center for games on March 7th against the 76ers and March 10th Warriors, Sharks, Quakes played home games they shouldn’t have been against the Clippers. But on those doors were warnings for fans who allowed to play, experts tell HBO experienced symptoms of the virus or had recently traveled to other countries to either not attend the game or to enter at their own risk.

“I think that when you post letters saying ‘It’s dangerous to come here, By JON BECKER | Bay Area News Group April 28, 2020 at 7:29 p.m. but you’ll do it at your own risk,’ it’s time to stop. It’s that simple,” Dr. Arthur Kaplan, a health official at New York University said.

Upon further review, many of the country’s professional sports leagues It’s impossible to really know how many people could have been infected dropped the ball in their response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, while attending sporting events in the Bay Area and beyond after the health experts told HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” show that public exhortations. But, thanks to some help from infectious disease aired Tuesday night. modeling experts at the University of Toronto, HBO presented us with an educated guess. While government officials in the Bay Area, as well as some around the nation, recommended mass pro sports postponements in early March to Taking just the 34 major sporting events held in the U.S. on March 11, avoid the spread of the virus, the games went on for days. the last day a full slate of games was played, the team came up with some frightening numbers. Based on infection rates and transmission, If the effects of COVID-19 have thrown us in the middle of a Greek the study showed games held that day had the potential to result in tragedy, health experts know what role in mythology they’re playing, Cal nearly 73,000 people being infected and 875 winding up dead. professor emeritus Dr. John Swartzberg told HBO. “Everybody understood that you shouldn’t have mass gatherings, so how “My colleagues and I often feel like Cassandra, who sees the future, did these really intelligent people who essentially have control over keeps warning people about it, and no one pays attention to you,” said professional sports, how is it that they didn’t act on that?” Swartzberg Swartzberg, who has studied infectious diseases for 40 years. said. “It’s like these refused to see what is right in front of them. Not only did they refuse to see, but they refused to act.” While Cassandra’s best efforts couldn’t prevent the fall of Troy, Swartzberg and other officials around the Bay Area fear what the San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.29.2020 ignoring of their early warnings may have caused.

As early as March 5, authorities in the Bay Area strongly recommended large public gatherings be called off, but the Warriors, Sharks and Earthquakes all hosted games here afterward. None of the teams had received definitive directions from their respective leagues to postpone the games.

By the time the NBA suspended its season on March 11, the Warriors had played two games at Chase Center, the Sharks played three times at SAP Center and the Quakes played once at their stadium.

Meanwhile, the health experts collectively cringed.

“Live spectator sports are the most risky thing to do in the face of a pandemic,” Swartzberg said. “There was a complete consensus among (health specialists) the consequence of continuing those games was we’d have more cases, and we all knew that.

“We’re facing a pandemic and to continue to do these things that we know will exacerbate that problem is beyond my comprehension.”

But, the local teams were hardly alone as the games continued throughout the country. There were 36 NBA games, 32 NHL games and 16 MLS games played during the five-day span when calls for postponements were being made and when the games actually stopped after March 11.

Although none of the leagues violated any government mandates by holding the games, Dr. Jeff Smith, a physician and the chief executive of Santa Clara County, was exasperated after he saw sports arenas and stadiums continue to pack their venues following the warnings.

“The greatest offender was the sports world,” Smith told HBO. “They weren’t going to stop the games until we actually forced them by legally compelling them.”

As Sharks fans packed SAP Center to witness some NHL action on March 5, 7 and 9, Smith saw things much differently.

“I see a petri dish growing viruses,” Smith said. “It’s totally a nightmare scenario. To say we’re incredulous is probably an understatement. We were just shocked, surprised disappointed, angry, frustrated.”

While their respective leagues — which hold ultimate decision-making power — didn’t instruct the Warriors and Sharks to postpone games after the early public gathering warning was issued, both teams were at the forefront of some precautions.

The Warriors were the first NBA team to announce it would hold a game in its arena without fans — March 12 against the Nets, one day after the league suspended play due to Utah center Rudy Gobert testing positive 1174132 San Jose Sharks Before Joe Thornton played his first home game for the Sharks in 2005, Thornton’s parents, Mary and Wayne, arrived at the arena several hours early and were hoping to get a look inside the building. After they were initially turned away, Perez stepped in and gave the couple a tour. Longtime San Jose Sharks employee dies of bacterial infection “Richie showed them around,” Thornton told the Dispatch. “Ever since Richard Perez was a well-known and beloved member of San Jose then, they love Richie.” Sharks organization for over two decades As of Tuesday afternoon, the GoFundMe account set up to help Perez’ family pay out-of-pocket medical expenses had raised over $77,000, well past the initial goal of $20,000. Several current and past Sharks players By CURTIS PASHELKA |PUBLISHED: April 28, 2020 at 5:12 p.m. | were among the over 400 people who donated to the fund, which was UPDATED: April 28, 2020 at 8:01 p.m. created April 17.

“Pretty much almost every former coach, a lot of former players and SAN JOSE — Richard Perez, a well-known and beloved member of the current players donated,” A.J. Perez said. “I was shocked. He was my Sharks organization for over two decades, died Tuesday after he fell ill godfather and I didn’t know what he meant to everybody.” earlier this month with a bacterial infection. Late Tuesday afternoon, fund organizer posted that after He was 64. medical related costs are paid, “the balance of the funds will be contributed to the (soon to be formed) Rich Perez Memorial Fund.” Perez, a Gilroy native, became ill on April 2 and had been in intensive care for the last three weeks. An April 21 post on a GoFundMe page that I lost a dear friend today. He was beloved by many of us in Sharks had been set up by friends of Perez stated that the infection had attacked Territory and beyond and we will all miss him dearly. RIP "Mr. Mayor!" his brain. At that time, Perez, who did not have any previous underlying We love you. @SanJoseSharks @NBCSSharks https://t.co/IVvLb8IpIy conditions, had been on a ventilator. — (@sharkvoice) April 28, 2020 According to his nephew, A.J. Perez, Rich twice tested negative for the An avid golfer and a diehard fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Perez grew coronavirus and needed two spinal tap procedures to determine the up as the 14th of 15 children in Gilroy, where he was proud to call home. cause of the illness. He was later diagnosed with encephalitis. The Perez’s were one of the first families that worked on a farm to also Using social distancing guidelines, members of Rich’s family and several own a home in town. of his friends came to see him over the weekend at the hospital he was After three people were killed and several others injured in a mass at in Fremont. shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in July 2019, the Sharks, led by “My dad and (Rich) were very close, and they talked a couple days captain Logan Couture, helped raise more than $42,000 for the Gilroy before he fell ill,” A.J. Perez said. “He said he had a headache, but that Foundation. was it. He wouldn’t go to the doctor, didn’t think anything of it.” Perez was involved, helping to raise awareness and gather items that According to a 2011 article in the Gilroy Dispatch, Perez, nicknamed “Mr. could be auctioned off at the fundraiser. Mayor,” attended Gilroy High School and Gavilan College before he went “Not only was Rich a Gilroy resident that was proud to work for the to Heald College, where he studied to become a field engineer Sharks, Rich was a Sharks employee that was proud to be from Gilroy,” technician. He worked in that field for over a decade before the company said Scott Emmert, Sharks’ vice-president of communications. “He wore he worked for relocated to Texas. that like a badge of honor.” Perez instead remained in California, and soon applied for a job at San Richard Perez is survived by siblings Carmen Herman, Ralph Perez, Jose’s new downtown arena. Perez would first work as an usher in the Frankie Perez, Annie Arellano, Margaret Luna, Linda Miramontes, Nestor building for roughly three years before in 1996 he became a mail room Perez, Gabriel Perez, Peter Perez, Andrew Perez and Steven Perez. coordinator for the Sharks, two positions that allowed him to get to know almost everyone in the organization. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.29.2020 “He literally was engaged with everybody who came into that building,” said Jim Sparaco, the Sharks’ director of public relations, who knew Perez for 25 years. “Every employee who came in over the last 25 years, there was no way that you could get around knowing Rich Perez.”

For complete Sharks coverage

As an usher, Perez was assigned to watch the Sharks’ locker room, which gave him a chance to meet coaches, players and their families.

Sharks broadcaster , who played 186 regular season games for the team in the 1990s, said Perez would keep his family company while they waited for him to come out of the locker room after games.

“I used to come out and he’d be holding my daughter Reilly,” Baker said.

Baker said Perez would also take care of his friends and the friends of other players when they came to a game. Ever now and then, Baker would try to show his appreciation with a small tip.

“And he would always say no,” Baker said. “I feel a little nick in my soul today. Rich never cared about stature. He greeted everybody the same. He was always happy to see you.”

Former Sharks coach Kevin Constantine thought Perez was a good luck charm, and brought him with the team on the road for the 1995 postseason. The Sharks beat the Flames in the first round, winning the decisive Game 7 in Calgary in double overtime on a goal by .

“It was kind of like he had two families. The Sharks and his own personal family down in Gilroy,” Baker said. “He carved out a life that he loved, that he was proud of. He didn’t have a desire for more, because he had everything he needed. I loved him.” 1174133 San Jose Sharks for Disease Control (CDC) continues to encourage the general public to wear cloth masks to slow the spread of the virus.

A single T-shirt can be transformed into four to six facial coverings. The Coronavirus: Bay Area sports teams unite to provide material for face initial goal for Timbuk2 is to manufacture approximately 50,000 face masks masks and bandanas and provide them to Bay Area Community Services and other local groups in need.

“We’re going to do this, literally, until we don’t need to,” Nadeau said. By CHUCK BARNEY | PUBLISHED: April 28, 2020 at 2:47 p.m. | “And I think we’re going to be doing it for a while. UPDATED: April 28, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.29.2020

You don’t typically see the A’s and Giants — or the Warriors and Kings — working from the same playbook. But these, of course, are not typical times.

Those teams, along with the 49ers, Sharks and Earthquakes, have joined with NBC Sports and San Francisco-based bag manufacturer Timbuk2, in a united effort to produce 50,000 face masks and bandanas during the coronavirus crisis.

The fabric Timbuk2 is using comes directly from humongous heaps of T- shirts that were to be handed out to fans during themed promotional giveaways. Obviously, ballparks and arenas have gone quiet during the pandemic, so that souvenir swag you would have received during baseball’s opening day in Oakland or San Francisco just might end up as a facial covering.

Regional cable networks NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California routinely provide T-shirts to folks while heralding their “Authentic Fan” nights. And those would have made plenty of masks.

However, Emily Raimondi, the senior director of marketing and creative services for the networks, figured she needed more. So she reached out to the sports teams she deals with on a regular basis.

“We wanted to make the impact as large as possible,” she said. ” … And so we have a full array of shirts, including ones from a ‘Star Wars’ night with the Sharks. Buster Posey and Will Clark giveaways with the Giants. Marcus Semien T-shirts from the A’s … It’s a really fun mix.”

The T-shirt-to-face-mask initiative actually had a very modest start with a woman on the front lines in the battle against the coronavirus. Novato resident Jennifer dela Cruz has worked as a nurse in the intensive care unit at UCSF for more than 20 years and has been treating COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. Her husband, Jay, is senior director of communications for NBC’s regional sports networks.

A Timbuk2 employee gets busy making masks.

One night, after returning home from a 12-hour shift and continuing to seclude herself from her husband and her teen son, Jennifer noticed a batch “Authentic Giants Fan” T-shirts. She decided to cut and sew the shirts into a masks.

When Jay sent a photo of him wearing one of the masks to Raimondi, a thought immediately crossed her mind: “We should do this large-scale.”

Raimondi began gathering boxes of promotional T-shirts from her network’s offices in San Francisco. Then she contacted her peers with Northern California’s pro sports organizations.

“Within hours, we had all of them on board. And in less than a week we pulled together 10,000 T-shirts,” she said. “Everyone, from the marketing departments to the people on the loading docks, was so enthusiastic to help and give back to the community. … This was a no-brainer.”

But who would actually turn the sports gear into masks and bandannas? Timbuk2, which, was founded in 1989 — the year the Bay Area dealt with another tragedy in the Loma Prieta Earthquake — came through in the clutch. The company, known for its durable backpacks and messenger bags, had just reopened its facility in the Mission District was already working on mask prototypes when the call came.

“We jumped at the idea,” said Michelle Nadeau, marketing chief for Timbuk2. “Our employees were immediately excited, talking to one another about how ‘We’re going to crush this.’ … It’s an opportunity to give back and help. We don’t want to just sit and watch. We want to participate in the fight.”

Nadeau emphasized that the facial coverings are not emblazoned with logos of the sports teams. Nor are they medical-grade. But the Centers 1174134 San Jose Sharks

Joel Ward hopes to become Sharks coach after announcing NHL retirement

By Brian Witt April 28, 2020 6:22 PM

Outside of Barclay Goodrow and Joonas Donskoi, Joel Ward arguably is responsible for the biggest goals in Sharks franchise history. Whereas Donskoi's earned San Jose its first-ever win in a Stanley Cup final game, Ward got the team there to begin with.

His two goals in Game 6 of the 2015-16 Western Conference final extended what was an early Sharks lead into a three-goal cushion, the second of which proved to be the game-winner and series-clincher in a 5- 2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. A team that had time and again suffered disheartening postseason exits finally, at last, sat atop the Western Conference.

Sadly, the Sharks couldn't check off the last box on their playoff list -- one that still remains unchecked today. Donskoi provided the overtime heroics in Game 3 of the Final, but San Jose ultimately was vanquished by the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

That was the first of three seasons Ward spent with the Sharks, as he became a fan favorite due to his gritty style and penchant for the clutch. He last appeared in 52 games with San Jose during the 2017-18 season, and the 11-year veteran officially announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday.

"I loved it," Ward said of his career on a conference call with reporters Monday. "The game treated me so well, and I'm at peace with everything. I got to play a few hockey games, which was great, more than I could even imagine I'd be playing. It feels great to have it out there and everybody knows."

Ward totaled 133 goals and 171 assists across 726 career regular- season games, and he added another 22 goals and 30 helpers in 83 playoff contests. After going undrafted, he broke into the NHL with the Minnesota Wild before playing for the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and, finally, the Sharks.

San Jose -- where he still resides -- holds a special place in his heart and although his playing days are over, he still might have a role within the franchise ... as a coach.

"I've had some talks with the Sharks kind of briefly, going back and forth a few times," Ward said. "We've chatted about some different areas. I've kind of shared that I'd like to hopefully get on the ice at some point with them, if it can work out. It's been on and off chats with the Sharks. If things did work out, yeah, it would be great to stay here. We've got to wait and see what's going to happen after [the season pause]."

Ward admitted that he knew he was "pretty much done" playing for quite some time, but the official retirement announcement was meant to let others know that he is looking for work in the league, and is serious about it. He played with and for a number of all-time greats and brings a vast array of experience to the table, and now he wants to pass that on to the next generation of NHL players.

"I've had such great teachers, coaches, I think I've learned so much over the years that it would be a shame to keep it to myself," Ward explained. "I've gone through a lot of teams with different philosophies and everything. I played in all different aspects of the game. I've been fortunate to play on some top lines a couple of times and on the bottom. I've been fortunate to be around a lot of great hockey people."

Bob Boughner remains the Sharks' interim coach for the time being, though general manager recently said he has the "upper hand" to have that interim tag removed and remain behind San Jose's bench. Boughner promoted multiple former Sharks' fan favorites -- Mike Ricci and Evgeni Nabokov -- to coaching positions upon taking over for Peter DeBoer.

Perhaps he adds another in Ward.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174135 St Louis Blues “The old fella gets to stay at home,” Crisp said. “It’s been great. After a while you’ve been at it that long, I miss not the travel, but the camaraderie. But you see the changes coming, younger folk coming in, they know high-tech stuff. It’s an evolution. You know it’s coming. I’ve got Terry Crisp, an original Blue, has become a hockey lifer to say, when they (changed my duties) here, they were good to me when they did it. I have no beef.”

Crisp knows about being a young guy trying to break into an established Tom Timmermann world. When he was in the minors in the Boston organization, he saw the difficulty players had in breaking through the old-boys’ network and into the NHL. (Third in a series of "Where are they now?" stories on former St. Louis Blues players.) “When there were only six teams, unless you were an elite player, you were mired in the minors,” Crisp said. “They shut you out, froze you out.” Terry Crisp was there at the birth of the Blues, chosen by the team with the eighth pick in the NHL expansion draft in 1967. He was there at the Special experience birth of the New York Islanders, chosen by that team in its expansion When the NHL expanded in 1967-68, it doubled the number of jobs draft in 1972. He was there at the birth of the Tampa Bay Lightning, hired available in the league and he found a special experience in St. Louis. in 1992 to be that team’s first coach. And he was there at the birth of the Nashville Predators, for whom in 1998 he was the team’s first television “Scotty said when they drafted our team, they picked players for specific color analyst. duties,” Crisp said, “and to fill a role. My role was a defensive player and penalty killer so I became a defensive specialist and penalty killer. And “I’m an original guy,” he said. “I was called worse when I was a coach.” they picked for character.” The man everyone, including himself, calls “Crispy,” wanted a life in The NHL placed the six expansion teams in the West Division, with the hockey and boy did he get that. Since he left home at 16 to play junior established clubs in the East. The winners of each divisional playoffs met hockey to now, fast approaching 77 and doing studio work for Predators in the Stanley Cup Final. television broadcasts, Terry Crisp is a hockey lifer. “We went to the Stanley Cup Final three straight years. Never won a “I’ve been blessed,” he said. “Maybe not my wife (Sheila), who I’ve game, but we were happy being there,” Crisp said. “One year . . . the dragged pillar to post, but it’s all I’ve ever known. I tell people I’ve never Canadiens, they swept us, but every game was a one-goal and two went been in the real world. I left home in Parry Sound (Ontario) to play Junior to overtime. We didn’t disgrace ourselves. We thought we’d done a pretty B hockey down south and never went home.” good job of representing the West.” Crisp played five seasons with the Blues, serving as a defensive forward And what times those were, to be a young hockey player in St. Louis and penalty killer under coaches and Scotty Bowman during back then. the franchise’s infancy. He had 38 goals and 64 assists in 285 games and played on the three teams that went to the Stanley Cup Final, the “They were swashbuckling times,” he said. “When I first went to St. Louis, pinnacle of the team’s accomplishments until last season. He had a The Arena was beautiful. It was so clean you could eat off the floor. The career-high 13 goals in 1971-72, his final season with the Blues. Salomons kept it that way. They had a five-star restaurant, fans came to the games in tuxedos and jewelry. You thought they were going to the From there, he went to the Islanders then the Flyers, with whom he won ballet. And they loved hockey. The Salomons respected the fact that if Stanley Cups in 1974 and ’75. He retired to become a coach, spending you want to be successful, they had to keep the players happy. They two years as an NHL assistant and then eight seasons in juniors and the bought the Golden Strand Motel in Miami and renovated it. They invited AHL before getting his first NHL head coaching job. That came with all the players and their families there, at their expense, first for one Calgary, where he won the Stanley Cup in 1988-89. (He’s one of 14 week, then two weeks. Nobody did that back then, then the NHL people to have won the Cup as a player and a coach.) Eventually fired abolished it.” from there, he was hired by Tampa Bay and coached five-plus seasons with the Lightning, at the time the longest run for the coach of an And when the Blues won the Stanley Cup a year ago, Crisp, 47 years . removed from wearing the jersey and now one of the longest-term employees of one of their fiercest rivals, celebrated the team’s first title. The longest ‘game’ “Once we were knocked out,” Crisp said, “I said, ‘could this be the year?’ His termination there led to what has been a long run in the broadcast People call it a miracle but I call it damn hard work and damn good booth, one that he envisioned as being a very short run. Namely, one coaching. That team came together. It was not a miracle. I tipped a glass game. of wine when they won. This is well deserved, well earned, and I hope a “Coaching was gone,” Crisp said. “When I got let go in Tampa, I worked lot of the ghosts who started the team and kept the team going a lot with TSN (in Canada), then Fox in Los Angeles on weekends. I celebrated along with them.” enjoyed that, but I’d fly out Thursday, fly back on Monday. I was in a St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.29.2020 bubble by myself. Then Gerry Helper, who was with me in Tampa, was putting together the Predators’ broadcasts. He had a radio crew in place and needed someone to do color on TV. He asked me to do one game. ‘You owe me.’

“I did my first game and went home and I guess my wife was tired of me hanging around the house. They said, ‘We’ll fly you and your wife in, just to do TV games only.’ It was fun. I did that their first year of operation and afterwards I said, ‘We’re done, thank you.’ And they said, ‘We’d like to you to sign a three-year contract,’ and I moved to Nashville. I came to do one game and stayed 21 years. It’s been a long trip and it’s been a good one.”

Much of what people in Nashville know about hockey they learned from Crisp.

Crisp — currently hunkered down in Nashville where he’s learned to use Zoom so he can talk to his 10 grandkids up in Canada — and longtime partner Pete Weber started doing radio and television simulcasts then moved exclusively to television. Five years ago, Crisp was moved behind a desk for pre and postgame shows, meaning, among other things, he doesn’t have to travel with the team. 1174136 St Louis Blues Saxon: I’ll never forget a particular game I covered at Fenway Park many years ago. There were multiple rain delays and the game went into extra innings. By the time we headed downstairs — and the Fenway press elevator is a whole other story; I know many media members who have What’s it like covering the Cardinals and Blues? Our writers offer you a been stuck in it for 45 minutes or more — it was about 3:45 a.m. Angels glimpse shortstop Erick Aybar saw reporters approaching the clubhouse and said, in a stunned voice, “You guys are still here?” Yep, we were.

I guess one of the advantages to hockey is the game actually has a clock By Mark Saxon and Jeremy Rutherford Apr 28, 2020 on it.

Hey, while we’re talking about the differences, I’ve noticed that if an injury Think about this for a moment: One aspect of being a beat writer who’s at happens during a baseball game, the team typically has to answer the ballpark or rink every day is that you see your competitors more than questions about it right away. Sometimes they buy time by minimizing the colleagues from your own company. injury and then give further details the next day, after an MRI or some other diagnostic test is run. It seems to me the NHL is a little more cloak- That’s certainly not the case in most professions, but it’s true in this one. and-dagger when it comes to injured players. How does it work? Covering the Blues and Cardinals for The Athletic, respectively, Jeremy Rutherford and Mark Saxon have had more conversations with reporters Rutherford: If cloak-and-dagger means the player puts on a fake from other media outlets about their jobs than they have with each other. mustache and gets escorted out a hidden door at the arena, then yes, it’s a little more cloak-and-dagger. I’ve always been amused watching a So we thought it would be a good time, with pro sports on pause, to have Cardinals postgame interview where the injured player is actually at his that chat and rope in our readers in the process. What is a game day locker after the game informing the media about the X-ray results and the like? What do they like about covering their respective sports? What are MRI scheduled for the next day. In hockey, the terms to get familiar with their relationships with coaches and players actually like? What are the are upper and lower body, and the team will tell us “we should know challenges? more tomorrow,” and then tomorrow turns into a month. It makes it tough as a reporter because it’s our job to inform readers, but I can sort of We’ll get into those topics and more (including when each reporter thinks understand it from the players’ perspective. Some have said over the his sport could return). After reading, feel free to ask questions for years that if the opponent knows what the injury is, they’ll go out of their Jeremy and Mark in the Comments section, and they’ll be sure to way to attack that injured area, whether it’s a whack with the stick or respond to as many as possible. Here we go … whatever. But I think the secrecy has gone way overboard; opposing Saxon: Hey Jeremy, I thought we could start by laying out a typical players usually know what’s wrong with a guy and don’t need the game-day work schedule on the beat during the season since the notion newspaper to get their info. of a regular sports season probably sounds awfully nice to most people So let’s get into the Cardinals and Blues specifically. As we’ve said by now. Many people would be surprised to learn that baseball writers above, we’re at the ballpark and the rink a lot, and there’s always a lot of typically have to arrive at the stadium by about 3 p.m. for most night sensitive information around the teams. I’ve always said the key is being games. Why? Because teams typically open the clubhouse to media a professional 24-7 and hopefully you can build trust with management members at around 3:30 for home games, and the room stays open for and players. What is that like with Cardinals president of baseball only about 50 minutes nowadays. If you want access to players, you operations John Mozeliak and the players, trying to be on top of stories have to be waiting at the clubhouse door when it opens. On the road, the and gather information but knowing that in today’s day and age, they’re visiting team typically takes batting practice an hour later, so there is a pretty guarded? longer period of time in which players and coaches are available for interviews. Saxon: In the 22 years I’ve been doing this, teams have gotten more guarded and more cognizant of controlling the message, for sure. Here’s the rub, though: Players are not required to be in the clubhouse Players are much more in line with the team narratives and stick to them during the media-access period, so if you really need to speak to a better than they used to compared to years ago, when personal agendas specific player, you have to be ever vigilant for that person to walk in the tended to get aired a lot more frequently. I believe it’s our job to try to get room. Sometimes, for home games, the only players in the Cardinals’ to deeper truths than the team sometimes wants to share. You’re right, home clubhouse during the media availability are young players and that can create some challenges. The key, in my opinion, is for sources relievers. Paul Goldschmidt typically makes sure to be at his locker for a to know you’re not going anywhere and you’re always open to talking portion of the media-access time, which is well-appreciated by many of about the coverage, so they can express their viewpoint at any time. us. With modern clubhouses and all the amenities, players often choose to spend their time watching video, lounging in the meal room or getting I’ve had a lot of sitdowns over the years with sources after a story was medical treatment or massages. Imagine that — they’d rather do those printed, including spending time with Mike Matheny after a couple of things than speak with reporters. Outrageous! What does a game day stories I wrote in 2018. It should be noted that he was very respectful and look like for you during the NHL season? professional, by the way. I’ve always appreciated that.

Rutherford: Hockey is pretty different. On game days, they have a ICYMI FROM @MARKASAXON: "MATHENY SEES NORRIS’ ACTIONS morning skate, which starts at 10:30 a.m. for the home team and 11:30 AS AN EFFORT TO CARRY ON THE DYING TRADITION OF a.m. for the visiting team. For those unfamiliar with the morning skate, it’s TEACHING YOUNGER PLAYERS IN THE HARSHEST POSSIBLE a practice that lasts about 20 minutes and players are basically just WAYS." HTTPS://T.CO/MMRK0PDQK5 getting the blood flowing. They usually line up for drills with the lineup they’re going to use that night, so that helps the media know who’s — THE ATHLETIC ST. LOUIS (@THEATHLETICSTL) JULY 12, 2018 playing, etc. They head to the locker room after practice, and that’s your Can you speak to maintaining your professional relationships in covering best time to talk to whomever you want, usually in a group setting but the Blues? sometimes one on one. After that, Blues coach does an interview and the morning skate wraps up about 11:30 a.m. on home Rutherford: I’ve had a few tough situations. Before I get into a couple of game days. them, I think something that may be a little enlightening for our readers is pointing out to them that we are involved in a lot of conversations with The afternoons are free — I’m usually working on a story (or doing a live team personnel, players, agents, etc. In those conversations, you hear a Q&A) or picking up my two kids from school — and then it’s back to the lot of things. You may not quote these people, but you have an rink for the 7 p.m. puck drop. The games are usually over by 9:45 p.m. understanding of situations, and you’re able to write with authority. and the locker room opens back up for interviews. This time, though, there are generally 3-4 players available to talk about the game. Then it’s This applies to when the Blues weren’t playing well under coach Mike back to the press box, put together your story and leave the rink about Yeo at the start of last season, and I had to ask the question, “Could this 11:30 p.m. or midnight. be the end (for Yeo)?” I had a working knowledge that it could be, and while no one is saying that point-blank obviously, I felt that I could write it. I’m not a big fan of the shootout deciding NHL games, but when I see Well, understandably, Yeo wasn’t happy with the article, and we had a baseball writers waiting through a two-hour rain delay and sitting in the couple of days where we didn’t talk a lot. Eventually, I asked if we could press box at 2 a.m., I don’t mind the shootout so much. I bet you love speak behind closed doors and we hashed it out. I had to do my job and that! then face the repercussions. I believe when you face them head-on, you has created. Just like the locker-room atmosphere in general, they’re maintain a certain level of respect. Then when you come across that always ribbing each other in a fun sort of way. But as a media member, person down the road, they’re receptive to dealing with you, as Yeo was you can expand your horizons because there’s always something you when I wrote about his return to St. Louis this season. can learn just by having a conversation with them.

MIKE YEO MAKES HIS RETURN TO ST. LOUIS TONIGHT AS AN Speaking of that, it’s been really interesting to see Cardinals like Yadier ASSISTANT WITH THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS. Molina, from Puerto Rico, at cheering on the Blues. I remember going into a suite one time and seeing others from the ICYMI OUR STORY YESTERDAY, @THEATHLETICSTL SAT DOWN Dominican Republic and elsewhere. Obviously Adam Wainwright is at WITH YEO AND DISCUSSED HIS REGRETS, WATCHING THE BLUES the rink a lot. It’s really impressive the bond the teams have, isn’t it? HOIST THE CUP AND WHETHER HE GOT A RING. HTTPS://T.CO/5NE6MVWMB2 #STLBLUES YADIER MOLINA AND ADAM WAINWRIGHT ARE BOTH AT ENTERPRISE CENTER FOR TONIGHT'S #STLBLUES GAME. WAINO: — JEREMY RUTHERFORD (@JPRUTHERFORD) JANUARY 15, 2020 "WE WISH WE WERE STILL PLAYING BASEBALL, OBVIOUSLY. IT I’ve had others, too. Blues fans may remember articles prior to the team’s WAS A TOUGH WAY TO END THE SEASON. BUT IT'S GOOD TO BE turnaround last year that were critical of Alex Pietrangelo’s leadership HERE — GOOD TO SEE THESE BLUES BACK IN ACTION." and issues in the locker room. One day I went and sat down next to him, #TEAMSTL PIC.TWITTER.COM/MPM0XTTD5R and just said, “Hey, I’ve had to write some (negative) things this year, — FOX SPORTS MIDWEST (@FSMIDWEST) OCTOBER 18, 2019 and I hope you understand. I’m here if you want to say anything to me.” He couldn’t have been more understanding, saying, “You’ve got to do Saxon: That’s right. It was fun to watch the Cardinals get into the Blues’ your job and write what you see, and as long as it’s not personal, I’ve got run. I witnessed an interaction between Marcell Ozuna, wearing his Blues no problem with it.” Well, Pietrangelo turned out to be a great leader, and T-shirt, with some clubhouse attendants in Miami. “We’ve got a hockey the Blues’ locker room cleaned up its issues, but at the time it was a team,” Ozuna bragged, to which the attendant pointed out that Miami, major concern. Those are some of the more difficult days on the job, for too, has a hockey team. Apparently Ozuna, who played five years there, sure, but it’s all about how you handle them, don’t you think? had no idea the Panthers played right up the road. When I was a kid, the Cardinals owned this town and the Blues were kind of a niche interest, Saxon: Yes, I do. It’s about being accountable, being fair and getting as like something to keep people interested until baseball started again. much of the truth out there as we can, because our readers deserve that. With the Blues now being the reigning champs and the Cardinals mired Rutherford: So we cover different sports obviously, but we probably have in a nine-year World Series drought (gasp of horror!), do you think the a lot of the same challenges. We talked about the access earlier, and balance of power has shifted locally? that’s one thing that’s really changed over the years. It has become more Rutherford: Well, first of all, I can tell you that Ozuna isn’t the only one in limited, but it’s not just that. The athletes have changed, too. They’re Miami unaware of the team there. good people, but honestly, there seems to be a less of a need to have a relationship with the media. They have their own social media accounts I’m not going to say that the power has shifted, but I don’t recall a point in and can tell their own story. So even though you might get some one-on- time in which there was so much buzz about the Blues and concern one time with a player, they’re maybe not as open or forthcoming as they about the Cardinals. The Blues completely deserve the praise they’re were, say, 10 or so years ago. Thank goodness we’re around everyday receiving, but it’s funny, we’re in a period of time where anything I write and have been doing this a while, so we know how to get the most out of about them is read with rose-colored glasses. the conversations we do have with them. So that is sometimes a challenge, but it’s one that I enjoy staying on top of and developing those This is my third year at The Athletic, and it’s No. 2 for you. What do you relationships and showing the importance of what we do. Is that one of enjoy writing about, and what do you find that fans want to read the the biggest challenges you face, too, or what would be something like most? that in your mind? Saxon: That’s a really great question. One of the advantages we have at Saxon: Well, the biggest challenge for any baseball writer is the same The Athletic is that we can get detailed metrics on each of our stories challenge for any baseball player: the marathon season. It tends to wear showing how many people clicked on it, how many subscribed to read it, you down, which can lead to bad habits in both cases. That’s both the etc. I’m finding that people seem to really respond to anything projecting bad news and the good news. The nice thing about baseball is that, if how the Cardinals might look in the future, which might speak to some of you go 0-for-4 or write a story you’re not thrilled with, you’ve got the next the angst about the present you referred to. Also, anything speculating day sitting there as an opportunity to do better. about trades and/or free agent signings seems to do well. Even prospect profiles sometimes hit big. Again, forward-looking seems to be the key. Rutherford: Yeah, I remember former Blue Eric Brewer telling me one day, “You guys basically have the same schedule as us, but for a fraction OUR OWN @MARKASAXON PREVIEWS THE CARDS' OPENING DAY of the paycheck.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but yeah, there’s LINEUP AND ROTATION … IN 2023. WHILE LOOKING AHEAD, HE always the opportunity to wake up the next day and write a good story TAKES THE LIBERTY OF FILLING IN THE BLANKS WITH REGARD that people will enjoy. TO HIS 2020, '21 AND '22 EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUNGSTERS SUCH AS NOLAN GORMAN AND DYLAN Saxon: I’m really curious about the culture of hockey. In my sports writing CARLSON.HTTPS://T.CO/PSI8MU4YFL career, I’ve been in an NHL locker one time (in San Jose). One of the aspects I’ve always loved about a baseball clubhouse is the diversity of — THE ATHLETIC ST. LOUIS (@THEATHLETICSTL) APRIL 22, 2020 cultures, with Spanish and English intermingling and, nowadays, many I’ve really enjoyed some of your off-the-ice stories in recent seasons. Do teams employing players from Korea, Japan or Taiwan. In the NHL, it you find that those perform well? seems to be even more diverse culturally. It must be interesting to deal with players from Russia, Sweden, Quebec, Germany … basically any Rutherford: To me, the off-ice stuff is my favorite stuff to do, and I’m glad cold place where hockey reigns. Every MLB team now is required to we have the platform for that. Most people watch the games, and there provide a Spanish-language interpreter, and most use them for their are recaps everywhere, so I strive to use our access and relationships to Asian players as well. How many players over the years have required write stories that will tell our readers something about the Blues and the an interpreter on the Blues, and how much do you think the game has players they didn’t know. Don’t get me wrong, we still have to be experts changed by including more and more Europeans? on the game and break down what’s happening in a way that informs, and I do love that aspect as well. But old-fashioned storytelling is what Rutherford: For someone who has lived in St. Louis my whole life, it’s gets me the most excited, and the metrics you referenced have shown definitely been an eye-opening part of the job, not only interviewing the me that readers do respond to those types of stories. players but going to some of these places. The language barrier is obviously an issue when they first get to North America. For the most How has this stoppage affected your approach and finding good stories part, they just don’t do a lot of interviews. I remember Vladimir Tarasenko without having any real contact with people, or being able to observe didn’t do many interviews at all, and if he did, it was probably with a things? Russian teammate who would translate. As far as more Europeans, I Saxon: In some ways, I think it has been good for all of us to crank up the don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I believe the percentage has old creativity machine and find stories — like this one — that show been on the rise over the years. If you look at the Blues’ rosters, they’ve different sides to our beats that we can share with readers. On the other had a ton of Swedes. I like witnessing the multi-cultural atmosphere it hand, I think we all realize that having working leagues again is crucial so we can start following developing storylines and forging relationships that lead to in-depth stories.

Rutherford: Yeah we can all agree that, when it’s safe, it will be a great day when sports are back and we have fresh topics to discuss. It’s interesting that baseball was just getting started when things stopped, whereas hockey was headed into the playoffs. What are you hearing about baseball? What’s the latest?

Saxon: So it sounds like they’re exploring the “pod” option, which would be teams in a handful of cities, as well as the “bubble” option, which would be all the players and support staffs in one city. Clearly, the earliest games will be played without fans in attendance. We still must make sure there are no outbreaks between now and then, but it certainly looks like there will be some kind of baseball season in 2020, thankfully. Sounds like you’re not quite done with arenas yet either. What’s your gut feeling about when you’re covering games again?

Rutherford: It sounds like NHL players might be reporting to their teams by June 1, and we could have hockey in July. Like baseball, the league is looking at pod or “hub” cities, where several teams would play a few games per day to play out the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. I guess we’ll find out soon.

Thanks, Mark! We haven’t had the chance to do this. I had a lot of fun, I hope you did, too, and the readers as well.

Saxon: Nice talking to you, Jeremy. See you on the other side!

The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174137 Tampa Bay Lightning

Could Tampa host NHL games if the season resumes?

The NHL is considering regional sites, and the Lightning’s Amalie Arena is among the possibilities.

DIANA C. NEARHOS

TAMPA — The NHL could take a page from the NCAA basketball tournament if the hockey season is able to resume. The league is considering the idea of playing games at regional sites, with Tampa among the possibilities.

There have been a lot of ideas floating around, including using neutral sites. The regional idea has enough credence that commissioner Gary Bettman discussed it during an interview on Sportsnet last Wednesday, though without specifics.

“We’re modeling," Bettman said. "We’re trying to see what our options will be under whatever scenario unfolds. The decision ultimately will be made by medical people and people who run governments at all different levels, so we’re not going to try to do anything that flies in the face of what we’re being told is appropriate.”

One version of this idea would include four arenas — possibly following division alignments — hosting multiple games a day to finish at least part of the regular season and start the playoffs.

The league would have to work with local and national governments as well as medical professionals to find perhaps four NHL cities where the risk of coronavirus is lower and which have adequate facilities.

Let’s start with the simpler of those requirements: Tampa has the facilities in place. The NHL knows Amalie Arena well from the 2018 All- Star Game and 2015 Stanley Cup final.

The arena’s NCAA championship events (including Frozen Fours and the Women’s Final Four) demonstrate its capacity for multi-team events with five total dressing rooms. There also are another six sheets of ice available for practices, between the TGH Ice Plex in Brandon and AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel.

Tampa certainly has downtown hotel availability, or it wouldn’t be hosting the Super Bowl next year. Marriott Water Street is across the street from the arena, and the Westin Tampa Waterside is across the river from that.

Tampa is not a coronavirus hotspot, especially compared to other NHL cities of similar sizes. Cities like New York, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, San Jose and Los Angeles are non-starters.

Tampa, however, could be an option.

The state of Florida had seen 32,846 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning. Hillsborough County had 1,080 at that point, and the larger Tampa Bay area had seen 3,234. The county has just started offering testing on a larger scale, so those numbers could change quickly.

There is one major issue with Amalie Arena hosting multiple hockey games a day: weather. Tampa is hot and humid in the summer, and it could be challenging to maintain ice conditions. If the building was empty (without fans’ body heat raising the indoor temperature), that might help, but to what extent is unknown.

Of course, this is all presuming the season even resumes. The NHL would have to follow medical advice and government restrictions. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said just a few days ago he is “not in a rush” to open arenas or theaters.

There is still time for circumstances to change one way or another and for more ideas to come out.

UP NEXT:Lightning’s Steven Stamkos is skating ... and yes, it is allowed

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174138 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin enjoying the home life in Toronto

By Mark Zwolinski

Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin feels fortunate when he looks back on the contract he signed in February.

Fortunate that he landed a four-year deal. Fortunate that it has brought stability to his family, which just celebrated the first birthday of daughter Luna. And especially fortunate that he signed the deal before the coronavirus pandemic shut down hockey.

“Yeah, it’s kind of the uncertainty with it, the unknowns,” Muzzin said of a game on hold. “I don’t know if (players without a contract) think of it, but that’d be on the back of my mind for sure. Will (the salary cap) be fine or will it change? Maybe the structure (of new deals) will be different.”

The Leafs acquired Muzzin from Los Angeles in January, 2019, and he said it took him a couple of months to get comfortable with his new team. “I’d never been traded before,” he said.

It didn’t seem as if he had trouble adjusting. Muzzin had 16 points in 30 games with the Leafs last season but he brought more than that. The six- foot-three, 217-pound defenceman gave Toronto some size and stability on the blue line. And, at 31, he quickly became a veteran voice and a key member of the core leadership group on a mostly youthful Leafs roster.

Injuries have interrupted his 2019-20 season. The Woodstock, Ont., native broke a bone in a foot blocking a shot in late December, and broke a bone in his hand blocking another shot in late February, two days after signing his extension. The deal, which has an average annual value of $5.625 million (U.S.), didn’t come as a surprise.

“We value what he brings on and off the ice,” general manager said at the time.

Muzzin has been valuing his time at home during the pandemic. The trade last winter separated him briefly from his wife, Courtney. They’ve made up for it since the NHL halted play in mid-March.

“I'm fortunate enough to have everyone healthy and happy,” he said on a conference call Tuesday. “It's given me a chance to really bond with my daughter, which has been awesome. We spend most of the day together playing and doing whatever she wants to do, really.”

Muzzin, who has been working out at home, was among the few able to use the team’s facilities immediately after the shutdown because he was rehabbing his hand.

“I was able to come in and do physio, strength and mobility work to where the hand was normal … it feels good now and ready to go,” Muzzin said. “I feel if we were playing two weeks ago, I would have been ready.”

Muzzin has kept in touch with his teammates and coaching staff via social media, and a key theme has been how the Leafs can be a better team coming out of the pause. There’s some thought the NHL could start a short training camp in June.

Muzzin, like every other player, is anticipating that return, and the seasons to come.

“The way the players accepted me and my wife, the organization, everyone … Coming into this season, we kinda felt like we were at home, we’ve laid roots down,” Muzzin said. “We’re excited about spending the next four seasons here.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174139 Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL helps fans stay safe with face masks in their favourite team’s colours

By Mark Zwolinski

The NHL is offering Maple Leafs fans — and fans of all 31 teams — a chance to play safe during the coronavirus pandemic while showing off their favourite team’s colours.

The league announced Tuesday it was selling NHL-licensed cloth face coverings, with proceeds going to food banks in Canada and the U.S.

“The health, well-being and safety of our fans and all communities across Canada, the United States and around the world is our No. 1 priority,” Kim Davis, an NHL executive vice-president, said in a release.

“We’re committed to assisting in the effort to support the face-covering guidelines from the CDC and Health Canada with the important benefit and outcome of helping food banks across the U.S. and Canada in their efforts to feed people in need during this unprecedented time.”

As part of several virus-related initiatives, the NHL licensed FOCO, a manufacturer of sports and novelty products, to make the face coverings with brandings for the Leafs and all other NHL teams. Packs of three are available for $34.99, or $24.99 in the U.S., with money raised helping the Food Banks Canada COVID-19 Response Fund and Feeding America.

The NHL stressed the coverings are intended for personal use and are not medically graded, nor are they a suitable replacement for medical- grade PPE.

Both the NBA and NFL launched similar face coverings earlier this month.

The NHL season has been on hold since March 12 because of the coronavirus crisis and the league is studying several scenarios for resuming play.

According to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University, more than three million people globally have been diagnosed with the virus.

Toronto Star LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174140 Toronto Maple Leafs

Team-themed NHL masks to benefit food banks

Lance Hornby

While playing a part to stop COVID-19 you can now cheer — and if need be cough and sneeze – for your favourite National Hockey League team.

The league announced Tuesday that licensed cloth face coverings for all 31 clubs will be available for purchase on NHLShop.com. They could be a healthy way to make a fashion statement if and when fans are permitted back to arena and most of the proceeds will go to a good cause, the Feeding America and Food Banks Canada COVID-19 Response Fund. The NHL has licensed U.S.-based FOCO to manufacture the face coverings in packs of three for $24.99 (US) on NHLShop.com and FOCO.com.

“The health, well-being and safety of our fans and all communities across Canada, the United States and around the world, is our number one priority,” said Kim Davis, NHL executive vice-president for Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs. “We’re committed to assisting in the effort to support the face covering guidelines from the Centres for Disease Control and Health Canada with the important benefit and outcome of helping food banks across the U.S. and Canada in their efforts during this unprecedented time.”

FOCO will also be making contributions to support the food banks in both countries.

Tuesday’s league statement encouraged fans to keep practising social distancing and take precautions such as frequent hand washing, adding the masks are for personal use in keeping with health authorities recommendations. They’re not intended for medical use or as replacements for medical-grade personal protective equipment.

Food Banks Canada is the nation’s leading hunger relief organization, working in collaboration with a network of more than 3,500 organizations coast-to-coast.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174141 Toronto Maple Leafs Speaking of fortunate, Muzzin’s new four-year contract was signed a few weeks before the break in play cast a pall of uncertainty around other potential free agents. Muzzin surveyed the Toronto landscape and was quite comfortable in agreeing to a long-term engagement in his new city, Maple Leafs' Muzzin buzzin' for return despite being a career King in a decidedly less intense hockey market.

“There was the direction the team was going, the personnel, the people, the organization, the buzz in the city … way more positives than Lance Hornby negatives,” he said. “We wanted to be here, we felt the team wanted me to be here.

His broken hand is healed, his infant daughter now knows his face and it “I’d never been traded before or thrown into this situation. But the way has been two months since Jake Muzzin has fired a puck or popped an the guys accepted me and accepted my wife, it was unreal. It made the opponent. transition as smooth as could be. This year, we felt like we were at home (he’s from Woodstock, ON). We got over the initial shock and have really So if the NHL moves to a few hub cities to finish the regular season, an grown some roots here. We’re excited for the next four years.” idea that might see players on the road and isolated for weeks or months, the Maple Leafs defenceman reckons he’ll have to go where the But he realizes some who were in his position with expiring contracts work is. now face a lot of question marks as summer approaches, with one season still to be played and another likely coming right after. Cap space “I understand you might be away from your family for a little bit,” Muzzin will be smaller. said Tuesday on a conference call with the Toronto media. “For me, personally, we’ve been home enough now (since COVID-19 paused the “It’s the uncertainty that would be in the back of your mind. I don’t know if season on March 12) that maybe a few weeks away wouldn’t hurt or guys are going to get what they think they should, if they think it will be wouldn’t be too big a deal. fine or if someone’s going to be asked to be traded. Maybe you have to structure a deal differently. I think that would weigh on some guys.” “But different people and different families are in different situations. Some might be away, some might have to be in a different country from The 31-year-old Stanley Cup champion was immediately promoted to a their loved ones. That can be challenging, especially with young kids. place of respect in the Leafs leadership group and has attempted to You can see both sides of it, where some young (single) guys are ready foster some unity despite the players spread around the globe. to play and itching to get back. I’m sure we’re going to try and do the best “We’ve had group chats, Zoom meetings and phone calls. Whether it has for the players and figure this thing out the best way we can.” been updates on the NHL, the Players Association or talking about how Blue Knight Bunny we can come out of this and be a better team. Or just making fun of each other. We’ve just kept in touch, trying to make it feel like we’re still Get your votes in for today's mask matchup in our Head-To-Head together a bit through social media or a (video) game. bracket! #LeafsForever “We had ups and downs (through 70 games) throw a coaching change in — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 28, 2020 there and a different mind () comes in. As a whole, we handled it well, but there’s room for improvement. We’re trying to get Earlier Tuesday, on a conference call in Montreal, Canadiens centre better, looking at (past) games. We’re excited to get back at it and make Phillip Danault questioned the effects such a long separation would have a run.” on NHLers. Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.29.2020 “Honestly, I don’t think it makes any sense to leave my family for around two months,” Danault said. “I think teams that could go far into the playoffs won’t like it, either. A team that reaches the Stanley Cup final could be away from their loved ones for three to four months. That’s not human.

“The League should make a decision, and I think the players will have something to say about it. I’m not sure that there’ll be a favourable vote when it comes to leaving for two to three months.”

Muzzin has been working out at home.

“Trying to stay ready like everyone else. A couple of weeks on the ice before wouldn’t hurt to get back and get some touches and feels and be ready to go whenever called upon.”

When play stopped, Muzzin was a few days away from returning to the lineup from a busted right hand, suffered Feb. 25 against Tampa Bay. He’s grateful that special permission was given by the locked-down league to allow injured players at club facilities, while observing social distancing rules.

“There were only two people, three maybe,” Muzzin said of the rehab environment. “You have the whole arena to yourself, kind of an eerie feeling. But I was fortunate enough to get the treatment and the work that needed to be done to make sure it was healed properly. If we had to play a few weeks ago, I’d have been ready to go. The strength and mobility is all back.”

For now, that means he’s been able to do some heavy lifting at home, helping wife Courtney with daughter Luna, who was born during last year’s Boston playoff series, two months after Muzzin was traded from the Los Angeles Kings.

“I’m fortunate enough, everyone here is healthy and happy as can be in these tough times. It’s been a chance to really bond with my daughter, which has been awesome. We spend most of the day playing and doing whatever she wants to do. It’s just given me time to enjoy each other’s company.” 1174142 Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL selling team-themed facemasks to raise funds for charity

Lance Hornby

While playing your part to stop COVID-19, you can now cheer — and if need be cough and sneeze — for your favourite National Hockey League team.

The league announced Tuesday morning that licensed cloth face coverings for all 31 teams are available for purchase on NHLShop.com.

Proceeds are going to support the Feeding America and Food Banks Canada COVID-19 Response Fund.

The NHL has licensed U.S.-based FOCO to manufacture the facemasks, which are available with branding for all 31 teams in packs of three for US$24.99 on NHLShop.com and FOCO.com.

“The health, well-being and safety of our fans and all communities across Canada, the United States and around the world, is our number one priority,” said Kim Davis, NHL executive vice-president for Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs.

“We’re committed to assisting in the effort to support the face-covering guidelines from the Centres for Disease Control and Health Canada with the important benefit and outcome of helping food banks across the U.S. and Canada in their efforts to feed people in need during this unprecedented time.”

FOCO will also be making contributions to support the food banks in both countries.

The league statement encouraged fans to continue practising social distancing and take precautions, adding the masks are for personal use in keeping with health authorities recommendations. They’re not intended for medical use and are not a replacement for medical-grade personal protective equipment.

Food Banks Canada is the nation’s leading hunger relief organization, working in collaboration with a network of more than 3,500 organizations coast-to-coast.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174143 Toronto Maple Leafs Patrick Marleau and Connor Brown — who weren’t bringing much spice to the offensive table. Nylander, too, was coming off a sluggish regular season following a months-long contract standoff. He averaged less than 16 minutes a game against Boston, and in Games 2 and 3, played less The 8 most intriguing Leafs to watch should the NHL season resume than 14 minutes.

He scored only once in the seven-game series and was held without a shot in Game 7. By Jonas Siegel Apr 28, 2020 That’s not the Nylander we’ve come to know now. What kind of pressure

does model 2.0 put on opponents in a playoff series? Is it premature to start planning for the NHL, and the wider world of Sheldon Keefe will have an interesting choice when it comes to sports, to return here in the not so distant future? Nylander’s placement in the lineup upon the season returning: Does he Maybe. reconnect Nylander with Tavares, with whom he spent much of the second half, or return him to Auston Matthews’ side? But I say we’ve all earned the right to some optimism. Zach Hyman — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner If the NHL season does come back in some fashion, we’ll get another look at what a Leafs team — inconsistent over 70 games — has to offer. William Nylander — John Tavares — Ilya Mikheyev Just as curious will be the contributions of these eight individuals, Or: including one player who’s yet to even play a game for the Leafs. William Nylander — Auston Matthews — Zach Hyman William Nylander Ilya Mikheyev — John Tavares — Mitch Marner One overlooked element of Nylander’s breakout season was how much more he was playing — a career high of more than 18 minutes a game, Either way, a beefed-up version of Nylander is looking at more minutes including 14 nights of 20 minutes or more. and better linemates than he did in 2019.

Nylander average ice-time Expect fireworks.

2016-17 Justin Holl

12:58 Only three of Toronto’s regulars will head into the postseason with no NHL playoff experience: Holl, Mikheyev, and Pierre Engvall. (Rasmus 2:24 Sandin could conceivably play at some point too, though likely not right 16:00 away.)

2017-18 Sure, Holl and Engvall were key players on the Marlies 2018 Calder Cup team, and Mikheyev went deep with Omsk Avangard in the 2019 KHL 13:50 playoffs. But the NHL in the playoffs is a whole different animal. And the step up feels especially large for Holl, given how crucial a role he plays 2:02 as one half of the Leafs shutdown pair. 16:41 Though he’s been in the NHL now for two seasons, only now has Holl put 2018-19 together the equivalent of one full NHL season. He’s up to 81 games played. About half of those games — since early December onward — 13:07 have come with the 28-year-old contesting top lines, primarily alongside 1:56 Jake Muzzin.

15:30 The numbers for the pairing overall this season were excellent.

2019-20 Minutes

14:25 492:37

3:01 XGF%

18:12 57.9

Notice, in particular, real spikes in both 5-on-5 and (especially) power- SCF% play opportunity this season. 55.9

Nylander produced about the same number of points per 60 minutes 5- CF% on-5 this year (2.3) as he did during the 2017-18 season (2.4). He was just playing more this season — and shooting and scoring a lot more with 54.7 that extra opportunity. From Dec. 20 onward, Nylander landed among the GF% top 10 in the league with 20 goals over a 33-game stretch. He shot a blistering 19 percent. 54.7

He did most of that damage alongside John Tavares, at left wing for the OZS% very first time in his NHL career, and with a newfound habit of attacking the net. He was also a force in similar quarters around the net with first- 37.4 time opportunity in the bumper spot on the Leafs’ top power-play unit. He Not only were Holl and Muzzin eating up the most rigorous of minutes, matched a career high with nine power-play goals with 12 games they were doing it with the most success of any of Toronto’s pairings. theoretically still left to play. But while Muzzin has done that kind of heavy lifting in the NHL playoffs That Nylander will demand viewing when the season returns. previously, including last spring beside Nikita Zaitsev, and more notably How might a stronger, more experienced Nylander (turning 24 later this in 2014 during the L.A. Kings’ Stanley Cup run, Holl will be doing it for the week) look in a postseason series (assuming the Leafs make whatever first time. playoff format the NHL decides on), particularly with all those extra How will he respond to that challenge under the most tense, pressure- minutes? packed terrain of his hockey career? Remember, Nylander, mostly lined up as the Leafs’ third centre in last year’s playoffs, and was joined primarily by a pair of worker bees — “Every night, you go down the list,” Holl said at one point of the difficulties Which means when the season returns the Leafs will likely be getting the the role posed during regular season play. “You’re like, OK, we’re playing best version of Rielly — and one that’s fully optimized. Crosby tonight. OK, we’re playing Crosby again. Then, we’re playing Aho and Teravainen, and you go down the list. There’s really no rest.” We saw a brief preview of what that optimization might look like in Rielly’s return. He was back alongside Cody Ceci that night, his partner It’s even harder in a playoff series. to begin the regular season. But unlike those early days of the season, Keefe didn’t use Rielly and Ceci against the toughest opponents. He Ilya Mikheyev went with Holl and Travis Dermott (it’ll be Muzzin when he’s healthy) Keefe was anxiously awaiting his return before the season stopped. instead. That left Rielly with more opportunity to do what he does best: drive offence. And it was pretty obvious why: Mikheyev was the missing piece up front, the ideal winger to join Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, and Zach Though he led the team in logging 18 minutes 5-on-5, Rielly didn’t start a Hyman in rounding out the top six. For the nearly three months Mikheyev single shift in the defensive zone off a faceoff. He did hop out for three was out, Keefe was forced mostly to use Alexander Kerfoot as forward offensive zone faceoffs with Tyson Barrie, the kind of look the Leafs will No. 6, which had a not-so-great (if unavoidable) trickle down effect on the surely add when the season returns. Rielly and Barrie didn’t totally work rest of the lineup. as a regular combo, but they have the potential to scare foes when they join forces hunting goals on occasion. In the final game before the pause, Denis Malgin was lining up beside Nylander and Tavares. The Leafs outscored teams 20-14 when they were out together. They pose an extra weapon for the Leafs, and an extra headache for opposing Mikheyev returning solves that problem. coaches.

The Russian stopped playing like a rookie in the weeks before his wrist Playoff Rielly has largely been a force. was sliced by the skate of Jesper Bratt in late December. He’d become heavy, and yet, quick-moving in a way that was reminiscent of Hyman. Combine all three playoff series for the Leafs during the current era and He’d shown a knack for chasing down pucks and making life easier on he might just be the team’s top performer. Rielly has scored 15 points in his linemates as a result that was similar, too. Mikheyev had become those 20 games while averaging more than 24 minutes a game. (The tough — at 6-foot-3, nearly 200 pounds — for opponents to handle and other plausible candidates: Matthews and Hyman?) looked like a lock to play with either Tavares or Matthews in the second Last spring against Boston, Rielly scored five points in seven games half. while playing a team-leading 25 minutes a night — almost five minutes It’s his potential reconnection with Tavares that’s most intriguing. more than the next closest defender Ron Hainsey. He was No. 1 on the team (not including , who played only two games thanks to Over the 139 minutes those two shared the ice 5-on-5, the Leafs boasted a suspension) in expected goals per 60 minutes. That was with Rielly a 61 percent expected goals mark. They were pumping 35 scoring getting the same kind of usage — secondary competition, plenty of chances and 3.7 expected goals per 60. offensive zone starts — he’s likely to garner in a future playoff series this spring or summer. (Tavares without Mikheyev was around 31 scoring chances and 2.5 expected goals per 60.) It all amounts to a Rielly that will draw a whole lot of attention.

The heavier game Mikheyev is capable of seemed to mesh well with the Nick Robertson Leafs captain. Add one of Nylander or Marner to the line and the Leafs have not one but two units — a Matthews-led contingent being the other We’re going off the board a bit here, but I do wonder if the Leafs will be — ready to go head-to-head against any trio. tempted to give Nick Robertson a look when the season comes back.

(With the way he gets up and down the ice, Mikheyev would fit just as What might hold them back? well with Matthews. Those two have seen only 32 minutes together 5-on- Well, for one, Robertson is only 18 and hasn’t even played in an NHL 5.) preseason game, let alone NHL action in weird circumstances after a Mikheyev’s return, mind you, also pushes Kerfoot down the lineup, to the global pandemic. Thrusting him onto that stage — for the Leafs, in third centre spot where he’s needed. That deepens a lineup that will Toronto — would be a lot to ask. That, and burning one year of his entry- remain without Andreas Johnsson (knee surgery) until next season. level contract (if he plays 10 games) for whatever this season amounts to might not be so appealing to a front office that needs to value every Mikheyev is coming off a serious injury himself, and it’s possible he’s not future cap dollar. quite right when things finally do return. He will have also gone a long time without playing games — about four months at the time of this All that said, Robertson plays with an edge that makes you think that he writing. The rust factor, however, might be minimized by the fact that might not be overwhelmed by the moment. He’s coming off a wonderful every other player in the league has now been sitting and waiting a good OHL season — 55 goals in 46 games — and he’s sure to be in the mix chunk, too. for a forward spot with the Leafs next season. Why not give him a look now, let him see what the league is all about, and see if he can even help Looming in the backdrop of everything is the next contract Mikheyev is you? Worst case, he plays one game, or two or three or four (regular eyeing. season or playoffs) and the Leafs replace him with someone else. Best case, his jolt contributes to a deep playoff run, and maybe even a Cup. Add a sturdy postseason to a very limited regular season resume (39 games) and Mikheyev will only feel more crucial to the Leafs long-term Keefe could experiment with Robertson on the left wing of Kerfoot and puzzle. And that will make the prospects for his second contract a lot Kapanen, and then let the 53rd overall pick from 2019 go to work on the more interesting in light of the likely cap squeeze the Leafs will be facing. second power-play unit. And that’s the other thing: It’s not as if Robertson will be pushing someone wildly more qualified than him out of the lineup Morgan Rielly (perhaps Frederik Gauthier?). It’s possible that Rielly has been truly healthy for only one game this For now and later, it might not hurt to give it a try. season. Frederik Andersen It was March 10, when the 26-year-old returned from a broken left foot in the Leafs’ final game before the pause. He played a solid 22 minutes in a There’s arguably no one on the Leafs with more to gain from the NHL 2-1 win over Tampa. returning than Andersen. No one has, or needs, the opportunity more to alter the narrative of the regular season. In conversations with The Athletic at the end of 2019 and early 2020, Rielly declined to reveal how long he had been playing through a lower- Though the 30-year-old was turning things around before the pause, an body ailment. But based on the limited range of his movements even in underwhelming regular season to that point (.909 save percentage), October — the lack of his usual burst and lateral movement — it seems along with the pending expiration of his contract in 2021, has put entirely possible that it was bugging him from the start. Maybe even as Andersen’s long-term future with the organization into question — at far back as training camp in Newfoundland or some point in the least from outside the organization. preseason. A good-to-great performance when the season resumes would dull With Matthews — still only 22 by the way — it’s a growing two-way game concerns and reinforce his status as Toronto’s cornerstone in goal. It and introduction this season of a devastating one-timer. What kind of might even make a contract extension after the season more palatable. destruction does that reap in a playoff matchup, particularly if the Leafs can make Barrie more of a shooting threat on the opposite side of the What’s interesting, the more you dig, is that Andersen’s playoff resume is power play? We might see what Matthews as very possibly the best a little rosier than it’s appeared on first or even second glance. Zero-in on player in a series looks like. We got glimpses of that last spring when he the 5-on-5 play and Andersen has actually been the better goalie in all burned the Bruins with five goals in seven games. three playoff series for the Leafs. Since then, Matthews — on a 55-goal pace — has climbed another rung 2017 on the ladder, though.

.934 It’s also a certainty that with Keefe running the bench, Matthews will play .930 a lot more than he did in 2019 — just under 20 minutes per game. Matthews was sixth among NHL centres in ice time after Keefe became 2018 Leafs coach, at 21 and a half minutes a night.

.915 You can bet he plays at least that much night after night after the long layoff. .910 The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 2019

.944

.937

Andersen and the Leafs were largely done in by an awful penalty kill — though wobbly moments in Game 7 against the Bruins in both 2018 and 2019 were arguably as costly as anything but the Kadri suspensions.

So, whether it’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, Sergei Bobrovsky, or even Tuukka Rask at some point yet again, Andersen needs at least one playoff series in which he’s got the definitive edge in goal. And the Leafs need to win, even a little.

Further to that, a deep run would cement his legacy with the Leafs in a way that hasn’t materialized just yet. It’s what made , despite largely so-so regular season numbers, into such a hero in Toronto. Same goes for Felix Potvin.

Leafs fans can rally behind a playoff force in between the pipes. Andersen has a chance to become that guy — and rewrite the script of his season.

Tyson Barrie

Second to Andersen in the change-the-narrative rankings, Barrie logged his second-fewest minutes (under 16) of the season in the last game before the pause. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that his role continues to contract when the season resumes.

Still, perhaps Barrie can be for the Leafs what Fred VanVleet was for the Raptors during their title run — a more than occasional spark off the bench. Pop Barrie out for as many 5-on-5 offensive zone draws as possible, let him go to work on the power play, and maybe the 28-year- old can bring some instant offence. Those smaller doses of Barrie might not be what the Leafs had in mind when they sprung for the pending UFA in a trade for Kadri last summer, but it can still be useful.

And Barrie remains a potent offensive driver.

He produced 1.2 points per 60 5-on-5 this season, which is about what he averaged in the three seasons previous combined, and still a top-30 mark leaguewide among NHL defencemen.

Barrie had an impactful playoffs with the Avalanche last season, with eight points in 12 games (none in the final five games, however) while soaking up a team-leading 24 minutes a night. It’s unlikely he plays so prominent a role with the Leafs when things resume, though if Holl or Ceci prove overwhelmed, Barrie could end up emerging higher in the lineup.

Make a splash after the season returns and Barrie will boost free agent value that figures to be hurt by the stalled season and a year, personally, that fell below expectations. Maybe there’s even a world (unlikely as it seems) where he comes back to the Leafs.

Auston Matthews

Like Nylander, what’s so appealing about getting another look at Matthews after the NHL returns is what the latest model of him looks like in a playoff series. It’s the same thing with Marner, too.

Young players still on the uptick, still adding tools to the arsenal. 1174144 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights to re-air wins from first month of inaugural season

By Rochelle Richards Las Vegas Review-Journal April 28, 2020 - 6:16 PM

The Golden Knights are going to continue showing hockey reruns while the NHL remains paused due to the coronavirus. AT&T SportsNet will continue showing games as part of their VGK Classic Re-Airs until May 6. The updated schedule will begin on Wednesday. Wednesday’s game will be the team’s first regular-season game in franchise history, where the Knights defeated the Dallas Stars, 2-1. The eight games will include all of the Golden Knights victories from their first month during the inaugural season, including the team’s first game at T- Mobile Arena. Games can be viewed on AT&T SportsNet in Las Vegas and will be available on DIRECTV channel 684, DISH channel 414, Cox channels 313 (SD) and 1313 (HD) and CenturyLink channels 760 (SD) and 1760 (HD). VGK Classic Re-Airs Schedule on AT&T SportsNet (All Times 7 p.m. PT; Original Air Date in Parentheses) — Wednesday – Knights at Dallas Stars (Oct. 6, 2017) — Thursday – Knights at Arizona Coyotes (Oct. 7, 2017) — Friday- Knights vs. Arizona Coyotes (Oct. 10, 2017) — Saturday – Knights vs. Boston Bruins (Oct. 15, 2017) — Sunday – Vegas Golden Knights vs. Buffalo Sabres (Oct. 17, 2017) — May 4 – Knights vs. St. Louis Blues (Oct. 21, 2017) — May 5 – Knights vs. Chicago Blackhawks (Oct. 24, 2017) — May 6 – Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche (Oct. 27, 2017) LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174145 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights roster review: Deryk Engelland

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal April 28, 2020 - 1:38 PM

The Review-Journal presents its “Roster Review” series, which will examine each Golden Knights player’s current production and future outlook in alphabetical order. Next up: Defenseman Deryk Engelland. Background Engelland has had a remarkable career. One hundred ninety-three players were selected before him in the 2000 NHL draft. Only two are still playing. The 38-year-old is one of the ultimate examples of perseverance in hockey. Name a league, he probably played in it. The former Las Vegas Wrangler didn’t even reach the NHL until 2009. Since then, Engelland has played 671 NHL games, hoisted the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and delivered a heart-stirring speech before the expansion Knights’ home opener. It’s been an incredible and unexpected ride. But no one knows how much longer it will last. Performance Engelland entered this season coming off a year he admitted was “a little down,” by his standards. He aimed to show it was just a blip and not the effects of Father Time. He signed a one-year, incentive-laden contract in July to prove it and accepted a reduced role as a third-pair, penalty-killing specialist. Largely, it worked. Engelland was given the most PK time on the team and was helped by a schematic change in November. The Knights played more zone coverage in their defensive zone, which highlighted the veteran’s better attributes (shrewdness, toughness) and hid his weaker ones (skating). From Nov. 27 to Jan. 15 — a span of 23 games — Engelland ranked fourth on the team in scoring chance percentage and third in high-danger scoring chance percentage. The Knights outscored opponents 20-11 at five-on-five when he was on the ice. Coach Gerard Gallant’s Jan. 15 firing changed things. Coach Pete DeBoer brought in his own philosophies to help the team out of a losing stretch. DeBoer wanted his defensemen to be more active joining the rush. He wanted breakouts to be made with speed. He wanted a deeper cast of penalty killers. The adjustments helped the Knights, but didn’t help Engelland much. The first game after the All-Star break, Engelland was on the ice for two five-on-five goals against Carolina. Rookie Zach Whitecloud replaced him the next game. Engelland played only once more before the NHL season paused because of the coronavirus. Future The Knights and Engelland are at a crossroads. Engelland, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, has lost his job to a rookie. A rookie that signed a two-year extension in March. Is there still a role for him? Or will he look to continue his career elsewhere whenever this season ends? If he does, there’s no telling what the free agent market will look like this offseason. Regardless of what happens, Engelland’s status as a beloved player and community member should remain intact. Few did more to establish the Knights’ franchise on and off the ice. His Leadership Award in 2018 and King Clancy Memorial Trophy (NHL humanitarian award) nomination in 2019 were richly deserved. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174146 Vegas Golden Knights

Official Golden Knights face coverings for sale on NHL website

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

Golden Knights fans can represent their team in a new way while keeping safe during the coronavirus pandemic. The NHL announced Tuesday it is selling cloth face coverings with branding for all 31 teams that are available for purchase on NHLShop.com. According to the website, the masks are pre-sell items that will ship no later than June 11. The cost is $24.99 for a pack of three, with the league’s proceeds being donated to the Feeding America and Food Banks Canada COVID-19 Response Fund. NHL-licensed cloth face coverings will be available for purchase on https://t.co/dtzpOwrwzW, with the League's proceeds going to support the Feeding America and Food Banks Canada COVID-19 Response Fund. https://t.co/HgvQj6cZOt — NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) April 28, 2020 “The health, well-being and safety of our fans and all communities across Canada, the United States and around the world, is our number one priority,” NHL executive vice president Kim Davis said in a statement. “We’re committed to assisting in the effort to support the face covering guidelines from the CDC and Health Canada with the important benefit and outcome of helping food banks across the U.S. and Canada in their efforts to feed people in need during this unprecedented time.” The NHL licensed FOCO to manufacture the face coverings, which are intended for personal use and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with Health Canada’s recommendations to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174147 Vegas Golden Knights

Sale of Golden Knights cloth face masks benefits charity

By Justin Emerson Tuesday, April 28, 2020 | 9:44 a.m.

Looking to support the Golden Knights while being safe during a pandemic? The NHL has you covered, literally. The league, in conjunction with Forever Collectibles, announced this morning that it is releasing officially licensed cloth face coverings for each team. The masks come in a three-pack and are being sold on the websites of both the NHL and Forever Collectibles for $24.99. Proceeds from the sales are going to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, hunger-relief organizations in their respective countries. “The health, well-being and safety of our fans and all communities across Canada, the United States and around the world is our No. 1 priority,” NHL executive Vice President Kim Davis said in a statement. “We’re committed to assisting in the effort to support the face covering guidelines from the CDC and Health Canada with the important benefit and outcome of helping food banks across the U.S. and Canada in their efforts to feed people in need during this unprecedented time.” Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended everyone wear a cloth mask when out in public. The NHL stressed that the face coverings it is selling are not intended as replacements for medical-grade masks. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174148 Washington Capitals Andy Murray, Maryland native Frances Tiafoe, Caroline Wozniacki and Madison Keys.

The winners of the men’s and women’s draws will earn 150,000 Euros, Extra life: Flatlining sports leagues find a pulse with video game versions though tournament president and CEO Gerard Tsobanian is asking the winners to donate at least half of the paychecks to their peers who are struggling to make ends meet without income from tournaments. By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Tsobanian said it was his idea to put on an online tournament for interested players because he’d already had success with a parallel “Tennis World Tour” event for gamers in Spain. The image is as much a constant of pandemic-era American life as lines He said it wasn’t difficult to get pros to buy in: “Most of them nowadays outside grocery stores and TV commercials promising they understand are not very busy, unfortunately. They are sitting at home like we are.” these are “challenging times”: Famous athletes playing video games. Despite a few technical glitches Monday, the first day of competition’s Across practically every major sport that’s currently on hold because of nearly eight-hour stream remarkably racked up more than 2.7 million the coronavirus, video games are at the center of much of sports’ views on Facebook Live. While “nothing will replace live events and live replacement programming. It’s often tied to fundraising for COVID-19 matches,” Tsobanian felt it’s bridging a gap between the gamer crowd relief, as when and Alex Ovechkin battled it out on “NHL and the broader crowd of sports fans. 20” last week. It’s even become more of a mainstay on traditional television with the spike in popularity of the “eNASCAR iRacing Pro But getting big-name players like Nadal involved was key, he said, a Invitational Series” races being shown on FS1. sentiment Rietkerk also shared. Could this burgeoning marriage of sports and esports last once live “While I expect engagement on the current esports activities specifically sports return? Some within the industry are optimistic that the answer is is likely to decline once traditional sports broadcasting resumes, these yes. organizations will come away with a lot of learnings that they can leverage for new activities suitable for their holistic strategy,” Rietkerk “It’s sort of (a) cross-collaboration, that we hadn’t really seen as much in said. the past, that is happening a lot more now,” Andrew McNeill, director of esports for Monumental Sports and Entertainment, said. “I think that’s Which could mean your favorite star athletes are asked to spend a little something that will likely kind of continue into the future even when less time in the weight room and a little more time trying to engage fans traditional sports does get back up and running again, which I think we’re with a video game livestream once the sports world returns to action. excited to see.” Washington Times LOADED: 04.29.2020 Some teams and organizations have found particular success with esports in the last month-plus because they already had a foundation and weren’t testing the waters for the first time. “Sports organizations have been exploring and examining esports opportunities for some time, which is one of the reasons they were able to transition to this new format so quickly,” Remer Rietkerk, head of esports for the esports analytics firm Newzoo, wrote in an email. Monumental is one example: Ted and Zach Leonsis have wrapped their arms around esports for years, with an investment in the esports organization Team Liquid and the founding of the Wizards District Gaming team and Caps Gaming brand. Not only did the Caps Gaming Twitch channel get to livestream Ovechkin and Gretzky bro-ing out with a video game competition last week, but the Capitals and Wizards also aired “simulated” video-game versions of postponed games in March and early April. Now hockey fans can prepare for the “NHL Player Gaming Challenge,” a five-week tournament starring players from every team, including the Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov. A partial list of other endeavors also includes: The first-ever official “NBA 2K” Players Tournament, featuring Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura and won by Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns; The ongoing “MLB The Show” Players League, a round-robin tournament similar to the NHL’s in which Juan Soto will represent the Nationals; The eMLS Tournament Special, in which official team gamers compete in “FIFA 20” with matches show on FS1; and ESPN’s celebrity “Madden” tournament that saw Ravens wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown defeat none other than Snoop Dogg in the final game. Arguably the most successful has been NASCAR’s virtual races using the iRacing simulation platform, whose Sunday broadcasts have broken and re-broken ratings records for televised esports. The March 29 race on a facsimile of Texas Motor Speedway drew about 1.34 million viewers, the most of any so far. IndyCar is hosting a similar iRacing challenge through May 2. “If we got five new fans that were just sitting at home watching TV that thought it was exciting and are willing to tune in next week or willing to tune in to a NASCAR race or go to a NASCAR race because they got introduced to racing by iRacing, it’s a success,” driver Denny Hamlin told the Associated Press. If starving sports fans are looking for something active this week, how does Rafael Nadal playing some tennis sound? Using the video game “Tennis World Tour,” the Mutua Madrid Open is putting on a virtual version of their tournament April 27-30 that features the likes of Nadal, 1174149 Washington Capitals

The blooper that almost turned Tom Wilson's second career NHL game into a disaster

By J.J. Regan April 28, 2020 7:02 PM

Imagine playing in an NHL game and losing your skate blade during play. Now imagine you're an NHL rookie playing in just your second career game and you lose your skate blade. Now imagine you're an NHL rookie playing in just your second career game and it's Game 6 of a playoff series and you lose your skate blade. That exact scenario happened to Tom Wilson and yeah, he felt as helpless as he looked when it happened. Wilson joined the University of Maryland head football coach Mike Locksley on Tuesday in Locksley's Instagram show "Late Night with Locks." Locksley had heard the story and asked Wilson about it. The game was Game 6 of the Capitals' first-round series against the New York Rangers in 2013. An 18-year-old Wilson was playing in just his second career NHL game. Not just his second career playoff game, his second NHL game ever. "I go out on the ice and go in on the forecheck and try and hammer somebody and miss," Wilson said. "I hit the boards and my blade popped out." Wilson did not know the blade had popped out at first and turned to skate away. As soon as he went to push off his left foot, however, he crumbled to the ice and that's when he realized what had happened. For a rookie trying to make a good impression, this was pretty much a nightmare scenario. "I'm sitting there, I'm like oh gosh, what am I going to do?" he said. "I'm in the far corner. I've got to get back to the bench. I'm just thinking please don't score, please don't score. I'm crawling," he said. "If you've been on ice and you lose a blade, anyone that knows that feeling, it's pretty weird. " When a player loses their skate blade, it does not become more difficult to skate, it becomes impossible to skate. But it's the NHL and the play is not stopping for you so Wilson had no choice but to try to get back to the bench as soon as possible. Luckily, once he got close enough, it was Jason Chimera to the rescue. The former Caps' forward was on the ice and gave Wilson a shove to propel him back to the bench before any real damage was done. Luckily, the Rangers did not take advantage of their unexpected 5-on-4 advantage. Said Wilson, "It's a whirlwind, but that was a pretty funny blooper to have in your first taste of NHL hockey." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174150 Washington Capitals

Remember when Devon Toews taunted the Caps with the bird celly? The Caps remember

By J.J. Regan April 28, 2020 1:11 PM

On Jan. 18, New York Islanders defenseman Devon Toews scored a second-period goal to put his team up 4-1 on a hapless Capitals team. With the game seemingly getting out of hand, an excited Toews decided to break out the bird celly, made famous by Evgeny Kuznetsov, in an obvious taunt of the Caps. The game was practically over, right? It's not like that was going to come back to bite him or anything. What could go wrong? Well, what did go wrong for New York was a five-goal third period for Washington as the Caps rallied back for the 6-4 victory. Foot, meet mouth. Or I guess in this case it would be more like, bird meet window. Either way, taunting a team in the middle of the game is pretty out of character for an NHL player, especially for a team coached by . It was a very noticeable jab at the Caps and one that fans took great delight in when Washington rallied. And, oh yeah, the Caps have not forgotten about it. Since all the best memes on the internet come from Michael Jordan, especially with the documentary "The Last Dance" currently dominating the sports world, the Caps decided to use a Jordan meme to throw some shade Toews' way on Monday. pic.twitter.com/FIXDT9sCaD — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 27, 2020 You know, just in case Toews had forgotten about the time he taunted a team and then had to watch them score five straight goals in the final period to win the game. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174151 Washington Capitals

Capitals fans can now get their own Caps-themed face masks

By NBC Sports Washington April 28, 2020 11:45 AM

Capitals fans no longer have much of an excuse to not wear a protective mask in public. They can now find customized face masks with a multitude of Capitals logos on Fanatics.com. If your entire family loves the Caps, then even better. These masks appear to come in packs of three. So while fans wait for the 2019-20 season to return, they can still support their favorite hockey team while keeping the people around them safe. NHL teams are following in the footsteps of the NBA, who started selling team-specific face coverings last week and plan to donate the proceeds to charity. Wearing a mask may be an inconvenience to some, but there are definitely worse ways to abide by public safety guidelines. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174152 Washington Capitals

After a hockey career that defied the odds, Joel Ward hopes to remain involved in the game

By J.J. Regan April 28, 2020 10:00 AM

Joel Ward had a very simple goal for his hockey career. He was selected in the 15th round of the OHL draft, went undrafted by the NHL, played four years of junior hockey followed by another four years at the University of Prince Edward Island. He knew his prospects for an NHL career weren't great. All he wanted was just one game. When he announced his retirement on Monday, he had played in 726. Ward defied the odds at every step of the way during his NHL career, a career that saw him score 133 goals and 171 assists, become teammates with all-time greats like Alex Ovechkin and Joe Thornton and even score a Game 7 overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "For me it's unbelievable," Ward said on a conference call Monday. "I just wanted to play one hockey game and then the fact that I got a chance to play with a lot of great hockey players, Ovi, Jumbo, I got a chance to be around some world class guys, I was around in my time there and Pekka Rinne, a lot of great guys in Nashville. It's kind of so surreal to me. I was just hoping to get a chance to be out there at some point and realize that when you're on the ice at the same time as all these guys and to be teammates and friends with them, I never thought about that growing up." Ultimately 276 of Ward's 726 games were played with the Capitals. In describing his favorite moments with the team, Ward of course mentioned his Game 7 overtime goal against the Boston Bruins that advanced Washington in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He also cited his interaction with Fort Dupont. "I love the coach, Neil Henderson, and also just coming to the rink and interacting with the people that worked at the rink," Ward said. "That was one that I really enjoyed of just chatting with the people that were down at the games at the rink that were kind of excited to see me be out there. I think that was what I really took away from it was my bonding time with them." Considering how Ward was able to bond with people over hockey, it should then come as no surprise that he hopes to stay involved in the game now that his playing career is over. "Over the years I've had such great teachers, coaches," he said. "I think I've learned so much over the years, it would be a shame if I just kind of kept all that information to my self and not share." Though he has no official plans for what capacity he may continue his involvement in the game, Ward did say he has had talks with the San Jose Sharks and that he would like to stay in California. Whatever it is that Ward may aspire to do now that his playing career is over, chances are he will get there at some point. He proved through his career that he is the type of guy you should never bet against. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174153 Washington Capitals

What is the Caps' best all-time American lineup?

By J.J. Regan April 28, 2020 6:00 AM

Hockey fans from the capital of the United States tune in every game to cheer on a Capitals team led by a Russian superstar, an elite Swedish center and a Canadian goalie. Hockey truly is an international game with many players coming from all around the world to don those red sweaters. We know who some of the best Capitals were, but what if you separated the players by their native countries? Where have the best Capitals players really come from? Let's look at some of the best players in franchise history to determine what the best lineup is (two wings, one center, two defensemen and one goalie). For the next installment, we are looking at the best Americans to play for Washington. Forwards Dave Christian - Bobby Carpenter - T.J. Oshie Carpenter is a player who never really seems to get his due. Rarely is he thought of as one of the top players to lace 'em up for the franchise and yet he tallied 395 points in his Capitals career which is more than players like Adam Oates, Mike Green, Evgeny Kuzntesov, Brooks Laich and Dmitri Khristich. The Massachusetts native ultimately played in over 1,100 NHL games. On either side of Carpenter is a pair of Warroad, Minn. boys. Before you call recency bias on Oshie, this is a player who has 567 career NHL points, is a very consistent offensive producer and is the best shootout player in the league. Don't ask me, ask the entire Russian team from the Sochi Olympics. I'll be honest, there is no way Christian was not making this lineup. Not only was he a dominant offensive player, totaling 417 points in seven seasons with the Caps, but he was also a strong playoff performer. And, of course, let's not forget he was part of the 1980 Olympic U.S. Olympic hockey team. That's a tough resume to beat. Defensemen Rod Langway - John Carlson Langway was a given. Not only was he a Hall of Fame defenseman, but just how important he was to the franchise means he has to make this list. That leaves only one spot for Carlson, , and Al Iafrate. I originally picked Housley because, while he did only play two seasons in Washington, the Hall of Fame defenseman played a role in the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1998. Then I realized you can't really cite 1998 as a reason for Housley to make it over Carlson who played a bigger role in the team winning the Cup in 2018. Not saying Carlson is a Hall of Famer, but I will give him the nod here. Goalie Jim Carey With all due respect to Bob Mason, I only seriously considered Carey and Brent Johnson. Carey may have flamed out very quickly, but boy was he burning bright when he was at the top of his game. Johnson had a very solid career in Washington, but spent the majority of that time as a backup. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174154 Vancouver Canucks we’ve have in place since 2004-05 — a cost-control system — has to evolve to allow teams to make their own judgments.

“It would allow top players to be compensated and the rest to not be Ben Kuzma: Would a voluntary player-exception proposal assist the penalized. This is a long view and not a fix to the pandemic that’s going Canucks? on right now. People have to see the forest through the trees. Things are going to recover, but we need to address the economic issues.

“I believe a rising tide raises all ships. This is not a new idea. The NBA Ben Kuzma has made CBA adjustments and the NFL is similar because there’s a game within the game. The NHL has done a good job of cost control and that’s what this league is all about now. From a labour standpoint, it’s Elias Pettersson already has a Calder Trophy in building his elite NHL brilliant. resume. “There is not another employment content that I know of in the world that '...the system we’ve have in place since 2004-05 — a cost-control system exists with an escrow system in which normally employers would be — has to evolve to allow teams to make their own judgments." — Player responsible. It needs to evolve.” agent Kurt Overhardt In hindsight, if the player-exception was in place in 2014, the Chicago We’re living in a hypothetical world these days, so why not a hypothetical Blackhawks could have eased a considerable cap load with Jonathan NHL concept? Toews and Patrick Kane. Imagine the collective bargaining agreement expiring at the end of the They signed identical eight-year, $84 million extensions that produced an next regular season and not the following fall after the conclusion of the annual cap hit of $10.5 million and payouts that started at $13.8 million 2021-22 campaign? and drop to $6.9 million annually over the final three seasons. The Vancouver Canucks would have two potential generational players Canucks general manager has yet to review the Overhardt in Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes looking for market value next concept, but did offer one thought. summer as prize restricted free agents — if their deals weren’t done “The reason we have a cap is to try and create a level-playing field for all sooner. the teams,” Benning said Tuesday. “This seems like it’s going to benefit Let’s assume they wait until the end of 2020-21 but, either way, fitting the the teams that have extra money to pay the luxury tax.” dynamic duo under the current cap constraints would create one big Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.29.2020 problem. Pettersson won the Calder Trophy last season as the league’s top rookie and Hughes could do the same this paused season, once the league decides when and how to dole out its annual hardware amid considerable novel coronavirus pandemic concerns. What if there were a new mechanism in a new CBA to help the Canucks’ upcoming cap crunch? Denver-based player agent Kurt Overhardt of K.O. Sports Inc., along with associate Brian Schoelzel, is proposing a voluntary player-exception program for one player on each club with a minimum payment threshold to qualify. It would allow retention of a top player and not have the salary count toward the cap. A luxury-tax system would benefit teams that choose not to use the exemption. From a Canucks’ perspective, it could hypothetically play out and not mess with optics. With their top seven players having current cap hits ranging from US$4.6 to $6 million, the club has done a better job of keeping noses from getting out of joint financially while maintaining competitiveness. It comes from taking one for the team and taking term over bigger bucks. And it comes from trading for a productive player such as leading scorer J.T. Miller, 27, who has three more seasons at a palatable annual cap hit of $5.25 million and salary payouts of $4.5M, $6M and $4.5M. You could argue amid great debates that will surround extensions for Pettersson and Hughes that paying them the same amount — and designating one as the player exception — could ease the cap crunch by opening up a roster spot. “You’ve got a very competitive owner in Vancouver and let him make his own value judgment,” Overhardt said Tuesday. “Some owners will use the exception player to sign a star player or just sign another and take that money out of the cap to keep the team together. “They (Canucks) have done an amazing job rebuilding that team. It’s one of the youngest and it’s so exciting the type of hockey that has them playing. You want guys to play there and as a league, we need them to be great, too.” It’s a concept that could work for cap considerations, but it would also force owners to spend more money to keep an elite player. And agents would gain a greater percentage of their clients’ rich new contracts. “People are allowed to be cynical,” added Overhardt, whose original proposal was drafted in January. “We tried to be really objective with the information provided in the article. It’s all factual and publicly sourced information. “It’s always good to have critical thoughts and creative solutions. We should never accept things as they are in business. We need to evolve. This is a mechanism for owners if they want to keep their teams together. “We have super-elite players and the league certainly markets them, but from a compensation standpoint, I think it’s important that the system 1174155 Vancouver Canucks When you look back at your Canucks career in particular, what stands out about those seasons when you reflect on your career as a whole?

That was the most successful time of my career, probably the best Christian Ehrhoff on his Vancouver years, the speed of the game and hockey I played. Dortmund I meshed perfectly into the system and with the players we had there. I got along really well with the Sedins on and off the ice and we had a great group of guys. By Thomas Drance Apr 28, 2020 Obviously, I’m still heartbroken about the Game 7 home loss to Boston in the finals … When the Canucks acquired Christian Ehrhoff late in the summer of There are a lot of fans who think the Canucks’ attack wasn’t quite the 2009, he fundamentally altered the way the team was able to play. same without your puck moving from the back end. Hockey-wise, why do you think you fit in so well with that core group? Because of Ehrhoff’s speed and offensive awareness, he fit in seamlessly. In fact, he changed the entire calibration of the Vancouver I think the transition game and the skill we had up front, but especially my blue line. He was an injection of nitrous in the Canucks’ offensive engine. skating ability. It meshed perfectly with the system. I was able to go up and down the ice and join the play quickly. A decade on, it seems that Ehrhoff was a harbinger for the 2010-11 Canucks’ transition to a more fleet-of-foot defence corps. With players In my second season there our power play was pretty lethal too. like Ehrhoff, Keith Ballard, Dan Hamhuis and Chris Tanev brought in to supplement Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler and Sami Salo, the 2010-11 team The 2010-11 team is about to hit its 10th anniversary and Canucks fans took on a more contemporary feel. By the time the club was winning seem to be ready to celebrate that team’s accomplishments. What made back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies, they were doing it with a relatively that group so special? deep blue line built around mobile defenders capable of keying the I think the combination of players we had. We had different roles, starting transition game. with two great goalies, a very deep blue line and obviously the forwards Ehrhoff left the Canucks in the summer of 2011. The Canucks traded his — led by two of the best Swedish players to ever play in Henrik and rights when they were unwilling to bust up their strictly managed internal Daniel. Kes (Ryan Kesler) in there too. cap to accommodate their 50-point defender. The 2011-12 Canucks still It was a great mix of guys. We got along off the ice, and we just came won the Presidents’ Trophy again the next season, but without Ehrhoff, short a tiny bit. It’s still pretty sad. some real puck-moving dynamism was lost. You’re a soccer fan. I don’t know if you remember this, but you scored Last week, The Athletic Vancouver reached out to Ehrhoff, now retired, the game-winning goal against Los Angeles late in a period — assist to from his home in Germany to relive his two electric years on the Canucks Jeff Tambellini — and that goal stands up as the game-winner in the back end, discuss the rise of German hockey, whether he regrets game that clinched the Presidents’ Trophy. I often think if it had been departing from Vancouver in the summer of 2011 and his deep love for European soccer, that would be an iconic goal, but for Canucks fans, his favourite German soccer team, Dortmund. that’s a bit of trivia. Do you remember it? Christian, you recently retired — what’s life been like for you since you Yeah, for sure. I think I remember the goal, but I don’t know that I formally hung up your skates? remembered it as a Presidents’ Trophy–clinching goal. A nice bonus, I Retirement has been good so far. I keep pretty busy. Life is probably guess. more stressful than what I had before as a professional hockey player. Do you have any thoughts as a European soccer fan and a former NHL I kind of knew going into the 2018 Olympics that it would be time for me player — should we celebrate the team that’s first in the league after 82 to hang up my skates. Playing again in the Olympics was another big games more? goal of me, and when I was there in South Korea, I realized that it was I don’t know. It’s hockey. The only thing that counts is the Stanley Cup. time. It’s a great achievement, no doubt. Eighty two games is a long season, Obviously, it worked out, it was really great that we had such success there are a lot more games than there is in soccer — and they don’t even there — won a really surprising silver medal. It was a great way for me to play playoffs. end my career. The Stanley Cup is the one trophy every hockey player wants to win. For For German hockey, the days where the national team was Olaf Kolzig, a me, it’s simple. good defence and there wasn’t a lot of firepower seem to be in the past. Now you look at guys like Leon Draisaitl, you look at Tim Stützle in this Do you have a favourite memory from your time with the Canucks? next draft. What have you seen in terms of the evolution of German hockey and why do you think it’s come so far? I have lots of great memories, but I remember the city. The city of Vancouver was just awesome. I think our generation — like myself, , Marco Sturm, and Marcel Goc — we were the first ones to break through In my second year, we lived at a place in Coal Harbour, with a view of the as a bunch in the NHL and to stay there for a while. North Shore Mountains. We were looking at pictures the other day and I was just thinking, “Wow, how lucky were we to live in such a great I hope that gave the upcoming generation some — I don’t know if hope is place?” the right word, but at least they had some heroes to look up to. Like when I was coming up, I just had Uwe Krupp. My second daughter, her birthday was a few days ago, April 21, and she was born in Vancouver the day of Game 5 of the series against the The guys I mentioned and myself, the kids coming up now, they had a Blackhawks in 2011. We lost the game that night, but it’s still a special group to look up too. They were able to grow up thinking, “Oh, you know, memory for me — one of my daughters being born there. there’s a chance we can make it.” So I think that’s probably one part of it. Last year we went on a big trip, started in Vancouver and drove the West It’s a nice development. Moritz Seider got drafted really high last year, Coast all the way down to Vegas. We showed my daughter the hospital and Stützle can be a top-three or a top-five guy this year. It’s great to where she was born, and it was really special to come back and see the see. Obviously, Draisaitl has developed into a star in the league. I really city. We cherish the time we spent in Vancouver and have it in our hearts like seeing it. as a really special place. We were really lucky. What’s next for you, for your life and what you plan to do to stay busy That’s just the city, though. On the team, I enjoyed my time there, just a here? great group of guys. I’m working on some businesses. I own a physiotherapy and gym The Sedins are two of the greatest gentlemen you could ever meet, and combination. It’s a wellness place, you could call it, so I’m spending a lot two of the greatest hockey players too. Just so much fun playing in front of time on that. of that crowd and the playoff run was so special. The only thing missing was the little bit more, the result of Game 7. I’ve done some real estate stuff, and obviously, I spend a lot more time with my three daughters too. I’m really enjoying family life, and I’m Still, Vancouver, I loved every minute of it. playing some golf and tennis. When you think back to the final, you had the shoulder injury from the That’s already a lot. It keeps me busy. Jamie McGinn hit in the Western Conference Final. Yeah, it was Game 3 I got hurt in. Some hockey players might think they’re pretty good, but I don’t think there’s many — maybe 1 in 100 — that could play with the pros. Thinking back to the final, how banged up were you by the end of the series? I’m curious to ask you about this because of how you played the game from the back end and that you follow football closely, but we’ve seen in I had an injection before every game to play, but everybody in the football the evolution of the full back into something more like a playoffs is banged up by then. midfielder. Do you think what we’re seeing in the NHL with players like In the end, we were a little bit more banged up than they were, and I Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar, teams attacking with four players during think that’s probably the small difference that mattered in the end. That’s the rush, do you see any similarities in that evolution? hockey, though — you have to play through it. I don’t like to compare soccer to hockey. I think in soccer, even though After the 2010-11 season, the Canucks end up making you an offer, and they’re at a really high level, that hockey is so much more athletic. It’s when you decide — because they have that tight internal cap on D-men tougher to play. — that you’d like to hit free agency instead, you’re dealt for a draft pick What you’re saying in terms of the evolution of the games though, I do to the New York Islanders. You end up in Buffalo, but do you ever think think everybody that comes into the NHL now can skate. The game is at back and wonder what might’ve been if you’d stayed in Vancouver? such a high pace and a high level, it’s really fun to see. You watch it and Yeah, for sure. You definitely think of those scenarios. you keep thinking, “How much faster can it get?” In the end, you make decisions for a reason. For me, to the last minute, Would the contemporary NHL, with the emphasis on skating and until my rights got traded I still thought we were going to figure something attacking defenders, have suited your game even better than it did 15 out. They were really hard on their internal cap and I just thought, for me, years ago? it wasn’t a fair deal. So we didn’t come to terms. I don’t know if it would suit my game better. I mean it would suit my I would’ve liked to stay with the team, but as a player and as a team, it game, but it was also my game back then. Now everyone is like me. comes down to a business decision. It didn’t work but there are no bad Back then, I was one of the lesser guys, but I had that skating ability and feelings. it was my advantage when I came into the NHL. My skating was my You basically played a couple of seasons at a near Norris level on some premier attribute. pretty bad Sabres teams, and then had some head injuries in the latter The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 stages of your career and didn’t really seem to get back to the level you’d been at before. When you consider how the latter stages of your career played out, what do you remember about it and how frustrating were the last several stops for you? Probably, the most frustrating season was the third year in Buffalo, when we just threw in the towel and traded away everybody. We were playing for last place. That wasn’t the reason I signed there, why I wanted to be there. It was really tough. Then I came to Pittsburgh and I had big hopes. I had a tough start, I wasn’t playing that well. Then I thought I was starting to play better in the second half of the season and that’s when I got back-to-back concussions. Obviously, that was really bad timing … I didn’t have as many options that next summer and L.A. just wasn’t the right fit for me and I never really got my game back. Then I thought in Chicago that I didn’t really get the chance to play. I played in the with Team Europe and I thought I was finding my way back. I played really well, I thought, got better throughout the tournament and played really well in the final against Canada. But yeah, I went for a tryout in Boston and I could’ve signed a deal. They told me, though, that I’d start as a seventh defencemen. It wasn’t much fun for me the year before to be in and out of the press box and for my family, we’d been on four teams in three years. I just didn’t want to do it again and have the doubt of being with a different team throughout the season yet again. It got to the point where I thought it was better to go back home, play a little bit more and play in Germany. If I was younger, I would’ve tried to bounce back, but the situation I was in family-wise, returning to Germany was the better choice. You’re a big Dortmund fan, and I’m curious to ask you a bit about that relationship. After the silver medal win, you went to Signal Iduna. Being cheered by the Yellow Wall, where does that rank among your all-time life experiences? That was really special. After that silver medal, everywhere I went in Germany, everyone would tell me the story of where they were at 5 a.m. that Sunday morning. People who’d never watched hockey before, they wanted to tell me where they watched the final. Obviously, the Yellow Wall, in soccer that’s really special. To be honoured by the team, it was awesome. You’ve had an opportunity to play some two-touch with like the likes of Marco Reus. How do Bundesliga pros compare to really good NHL two- touch players like Henrik and Daniel and Samuelsson? They are at a different level. When you watch a soccer game from the front line, you really get to see how good technically the players are. They handle the ball so well. 1174156 Websites Again, this is something I asked John Tavares in my Monday piece about his role on the Return to Play Committee and it’s clear the players have raised this issue with the league. This is a situation that warrants monitoring going forward. While going home in between games would The Athletic / LeBrun: NHL hints at December start for 2020-21 season defeat the purpose of creating a bubble to keep the virus out, I do sympathize with the idea that three months is far too long for a player to be away from his loved ones. So the question is how can the time in the By Pierre LeBrun Apr 28, 2020 bubble be shortened? There’s a debate, for example, about whether training camps (which could be two to three weeks in length) should be held in the centralized site bubble or not. One NHL team executive pointed out to me this week, why not have the training camps in each We were conditioned early in the pause to be ready for next season to NHL city’s practice facility if health authorities deem it safe? The only potentially be delayed until some time in November. sure thing in all of this is more discussions will take place. Tack on another month now. The bottom line As I hinted near the bottom of my column last Friday, the idea of delaying I wrote a few weeks ago about why the NHL and NHLPA will try every next season’s start until December has indeed been discussed by the effort to finish this season. Aside from desperately wanting to award the NHL with its teams as a possibility, multiple sources around the league Stanley Cup after having played 85 percent of the regular season, there’s confirmed. anywhere from $350 million to $500 million in TV/media/sponsorship The kicker is that the league still hopes to cram in a full 82-game season, revenue to be projected in Hockey Related Revenue if the playoffs can even with a December start. be completed. Now, here’s the question I have: at a certain point, do the costs in staging the games at centralized sites eat too much out of those Which would mean – as with the November start scenario – wiping out remaining revenues? There are a lot of extra expenses to pay for, All-Star weekend, the bye weeks, shortening the Christmas holiday break including hotels, medical testing, etc. That’s a question that hangs over and basically tightening the entire schedule matrix wherever possible. all this. The result would push the regular season into May and playoffs into July. Expanded rosters Again, as I say all the time during this season pause, none of this is written in stone. It’s just being discussed as a possibility. The AHL at some point will cancel its remaining season and focus its efforts on figuring out next season. But in the meantime, that’s a lot of But there are two reasons why a December start to the 2020-21 season NHL prospects without hockey to come back to for this season. Could the is on the table: NHL allow for expanded rosters if the 2019-20 season is indeed resumed? A source confirmed on Tuesday that the NHL has indeed The length of time it will take to complete the 2019-20 season (if resumed discussed potential roster expansion for a resumed season but at this at all). Several team executives that I have spoken with over the past point, no decision has been taken either way. week have said the league has hinted at being willing to go as late as September, maybe even October, to finish off the playoffs for this Getting closer to Phase 2 season. After that, some form of an offseason would be needed, even in a truncated form, before you could start a new season. As my colleague Darren Dreger mentioned on “Insider Trading” on Tuesday, the expectation is that the NHL will prolong the self-quarantine A lot of teams feel they need fans back in their arenas next season period from April 30 to mid-May. After which the hope/expectation is that before opening the doors. That’s what they’re telling me. It’s fine to try Phase 2 could start in and around May 15 – the relaxation of the NHL and finish off the 2019-20 season without fans because 85 percent of the quarantine and allowing players to skate again in small groups at their regular season has been played and that gate money has been earned. NHL team facilities. I can’t tell you how badly players are looking forward But by the time the NHL opens up shop for 2020-21 season, most teams to this. Being off the ice this long is so foreign to them. They never go this can’t even think of starting without fans in the building. Some long in the offseason without skating. What will be interesting when organizations have told me they would lose less money by simply staying Phase 2 begins is whether only some NHL team facilities will be able to dark. Hence, they’re hoping a December start will be enough time for the open but not all, depending on their regional health situations with the world to be in a better place with the pandemic. Will we have a vaccine pandemic. by then (maybe not)? Will there be medical treatments that help mitigate the threat and allow for crowds to gather again by December? Will The Athletic LOADED: 04.29.2020 massive numbers of tests be available everywhere? Who knows. But delaying next season as long as possible to wait out the worst fo the pandemic is probably a wise idea at this point. The NHL is a gate-driven league. Now, could the league open without fans for a month or so before fans can return? I’m sure that also will be discussed to see if it’s feasible. I’ve had a couple of team executives suggest a January start to next season isn’t out of the cards but a league source told me this week that would be pushing it. I mean, the 2012-13 season started in January after the lockout but that was just a 48-game season per team and the priority for the 2020-21 season – given the economic pounding the NHL business is going to take over the next year – is to play an 82-game schedule if at all possible. And the players, staring at crazy escrow rates, would be just as much in favour of protecting 82 games next season. Bubble trouble The NHL-NHLPA’s Return to Play Committee was scheduled to chat again on Wednesday, which will be the committee’s third (virtual) meeting. I suspect there will be more centralized sites/bubble chatter. Interesting to hear Habs forward Phillip Danault on a media call question the idea of players being away from their families for an extended period while living in the centralized sites bubble. CANADIENS CENTRE PHILLIP DANAULT ON FINISHING THE 2019- 20 SEASON WITH TEAMS QUARANTINED IN HOTELS: "SOME PLAYERS COULD BE AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES THREE TO FOUR MONTHS, WHICH I THINK IS WAY TOO MUCH, AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THINKING LIKE THAT, I'M SURE." — JOSHUA CLIPPERTON (@JCLIPPERTON_CP) APRIL 28, 2020 1174157 Websites Neither did Dr. Max Offenberger, a sports psychologist who has worked decades in the NHL and major-junior ranks. Says Offenberger: “I didn’t keep my notes about Brady but I remember him, not that well. If there had been any [red flags] I would have kept the notes and spent more Sportsnet.ca / Brady Leavold's fall from junior hockey into addiction – time with him. That team had a few kids with some big issues: Sportsnet depression, anxiety and stuff even worse. I always remember [when] I had to drill down and really engage a kid and keep tabs on him.”

Fourteen years later, Leavold has a ready explanation for how he skirted by Sam Cosentino the psychologist’s radar. “I didn’t feel like I could really open up to Max. I thought if I talked, it would get back to the team. There might have been signs if I had told him everything.” Brady Leavold was a gritty forward skating alongside future NHL stars until addiction unravelled his life. Now, after a journey that landed him in The proof that he was okay, Leavold thought, was that he could fool prison and on the streets, he's working to pick up the pieces. everyone. If the ref doesn’t see it, then it didn’t happen. T he knuckleheads in the Crushed Can derisively chanting Brady Leavold grew up in a good home, or a pair of good homes, as his name … the teenage girl on the other side of the glass carrying his befits a kid whose earliest memory of his parents is their divorce. He child … a hat trick … skating on Stamkos’s wing while didn’t want for care or attention. To this day, he calls his father, Brian, a strung out from last night’s blow … homesickness .. detox … the warm fireman who raised him and his older sister, “my biggest hero.” His blanket feeling when untying the belt around his arm… mother, Susan, who worked at a golf club, lived a few minutes away, but it seemed natural that the siblings would live with their father, who was Brady Leavold’s mind pinballs bumper to bumper across years. the daughter’s softball coach and behind the bench for Brady’s teams. Memories cascade, unsorted, random. He has lived his 32 years going from one impulse to the next. Though he’s trying to get past that, his Those who knew him better, who knew his backstory, might have picked mind can’t, not yet at least. He too rarely exercised self-control and his up on some red flags. A lot of kids act out when they don’t get their way, thoughts resist reining in. but rarely with the anger that Leavold showed. “I asked my father for a Christian-brand stick, my favorite stick, and he told me that money was Game 7 … rehab … the team bus across the Prairies … a machete in too tight to get a new one,” Leavold says. “Then right before the game he the back seat … dopesickness … sleeping in a teenage ’s gave me the stick as a surprise. But when I was playing with it, the curve bedroom wallpapered with posters of NHL stars … sleeping in an alley was too big and I was real mad, so I threw it at him right on the bench — off East Hastings Street until a baseball bat cracked his skull … another he was coaching and kids had to duck.” teenage girl on the other side of the glass carrying his child … Leavold was 10. “There was that time … did I tell you that story … that’s a story for another time,” he says, each time cueing an ecstatic moment on the ice “I probably didn’t seem much different than other kids most of the time.” or a squandered one, a hopeful time away from the arena too often At age 12, Leavold came home every day with blood on his face. He was followed by a crash. Sometimes he will travel back to talk about “a funny being beaten up by his best friend. “We were bad kids,” he says. “We’d thing” that’s unimaginably tragic. “Funny thing, I was sitting in the ward break windows, that sort of stuff. The one time we got into real trouble, snorting heroin with an old lady who had Stage 4 cancer,” he’ll say. there was a kid a couple of years younger but already bigger than us, … slamming the penalty box door … the cell door slammed behind him and we held him down and beat him up real bad. The kid’s parents … a frozen lake … signing his first pro contract at 20 … muling weed and wanted us charged and the police went through the whole thing, telling coke from Van to Victoria at 21 … bulls—-ing a team doctor for oxys… a us they were taking us down to get fingerprinted, before they dropped it.” frozen lake … a 10-year-old boy with a mop of tousled dark hair kneeling Leavold was, he says, never diagnosed with any psychological condition, in a team photo … not anxiety nor depression. “I was angry about my parents’ divorce,” he Are they even memories, though, when he struggles to organize them or says. “Was I a happy little kid? I probably didn’t seem much different than just stories to the best of his recollection? He can’t undo the damage, other kids most of the time.” can’t even take stock, not yet at least. He wasn’t pushed into the game. He was a rink rat who needed no SEEING IT ALL encouragement. He couldn’t get to the arena fast enough. “I was hyper,” he says, “but when I look back at it, I was anxious too. I’d get wound up In addition to WHL stops with the Kelowna Rockets and Swift Current before games, all day, worse than when the games started.“ Broncos, Leavold would play for five other teams in five different leagues Yet when it came to a few under-15 showcases, those earliest auditions I met Brady Leovold, age 19, in Swift Current, Sask., in December ’06. I for the Western Hockey League, Leavold took a pass. Once, at the sight had gone there to write a feature on the 20th anniversary of the bus of much bigger players, he feigned illness to get out of games. He didn’t crash that killed four members of the Broncos, a tragic story made all the know how he’d compete against more experienced AAA kids. At that more complicated by the role of Graham James, who would be later stage he didn’t know if he even wanted to play major-junior. He had no convicted of sexually abusing players, including a member of that plan at all. Broncos team, . HIS HAPPY PLACE I had gone there to talk to those who had been around in ’87, but I also wanted to get an idea of the life of a major-junior player 20 years later. I Through the many ups and downs of his life, Leavold has always felt at looked for an outgoing kid who was representative of the rank-and-file, home and found solace on the ice rather than star who might only see Swift Current as a stop on the way to Because he passed up the requisite showcases, no WHL team selected the NHL. Leavold, a 19-year-old from Port Coquitlam, B.C., fit the bill, the him in the bantam draft. At 16, the Broncos invited him to their training very portrait of the tough guy as a young man, with his thick face, shock- camp and even threw him into the lineup early in the season. But with an absorbent chin and reconstructed dental work. older, established roster, the Broncos really had no room at the inn and Leavold seemed self-assured as we spoke over breakfast, not for a he returned to Port Coquitlam to play midget and fill out. Though he had second self-conscious about a serious case of bedhead. I’d expected him been uncertain about playing major-junior, his brief time in Swift Current to tell me about being a home-team hero if not a hometown one. Instead, sold him on the WHL. “I loved it,” he says. “Everything. The arena. The Leavold talked about cold shoulders and cold stares at the local high atmosphere in the rink. They had the best ice I had ever skated on.” school. “Walking through the halls, we’ll hear them cracking about us,” he The next fall, Leovold, more physically ready, more confident, won a spot told me. “They’ll say, ‘Nice jacket, Bronco.’ The guys will try to pick fights with the Broncos and established himself as a fearless, sometimes with us, because they have nothing to lose and they know that we’re reckless and reliably hot-tempered right winger. He didn’t rank as an elite finished here if we try to stick up for ourselves. I feel comfortable with the NHL prospect or land on Central Scouting’s list of players to watch, but in guys on the team, but I don’t know if I’ll ever feel comfortable with Swift his rookie year he won over fans with virtues beyond skills. He was a Current. We’re here to play for the people, but truth is they want nothing feral energy-line player almost too eager to face-wash or drop the gloves; to do with us.” a pest hated in the other teams’ barns. There’s always more than one side to a story. I wrote that players A first sign of trouble came early in his second season. “I had a girlfriend probably provoked some of the hard feelings: “Every team has its share back home, so I asked for a trade to Vancouver or Everett,” Leavold of troubled kids and troublemakers.” Not for a second did I imagine that says. “I got a call from [Everett coach] Kevin Constantine telling me he Brady Leavold was either. Not for a second did I imagine how far and had traded for me. I handed the phone to a friend and told him, ‘Pretend how fast he would fall. you’re me and tell him I’m not going.’” To this day, he can’t offer an explanation as to why he chose to hand off the phone at a career- Barrie’s recommendation. In the fall, he was brought in to play with shaping moment — impulses can work that way — but his friend stepped Tampa Bay’s team in the Traverse City Prospect Tournament — in fact, in and played the part. The trade to Everett was voided and the Broncos the first time Steven Stamkos wore a Lightning sweater in a game, at that let him go home to Port Coquitlam, where he wound up playing for the pre-season tournament, Leavold was skating on his wing. Maybe Burnaby Express in the BCHL on Kyle Turris’s wing. Even there, though, Stamkos and the coaches could tell that Leavold hadn’t even visited a Leavold didn’t last the season. The Express tossed him in the spring for gym all summer. They didn’t know that he had binged on coke the night partying too hard, showing up for games after bingeing cocaine. before the opening game with another prospect. “I loved Swift Current. The arena. The atmosphere in the rink. They had Leavold had worked years to get a look as a pro but sabotaged his the best ice I had ever skated on.” opportunity. Still, from what he saw on the ice with the Lightning, he felt like he could play at the next level someday. He just had to put in the He returned to the Broncos the next fall and when I spoke to him in work he had never done before, exercise some self-control and clean up. December of 2006, he was neither the Broncos’ leading scorer nor the Unfortunately, he was heading in the wrong direction. captain but doubtless a team leader, who’d rack up 35 points and 142 PIM in 55 games that season. Leavold was all-in on the hockey dream. “I He had shown enough in the camp to land a spot on the Lightning’s didn’t do drugs or anything the whole time I was there,” he says. “When I affiliate in Norfolk, Va. There his drug use was compounded by a went home, yeah, I partied a bit but I was all about hockey when I was [in concussion from a fight against … was it Adirondack? Hershey? … and Swift Current].” distractions away from the arena. At his request, Tampa Bay’s minor- league office assigned him to the East Coast Hockey League team As much as he liked being “one of the boys,” Leavold was uncomfortable closest to home: the Victoria Salmon Kings a now-defunct affiliate of the in Swift Current, what he told me over breakfast that morning. What was Vancouver Canucks. going on behind the scenes, what he didn’t mention to me or to Offenberger was the fact he’d gotten a local 17-year-old pregnant. “That The Salmon Kings didn’t give Leavold much of an opportunity to sort of thing the people in Swift don’t like and [team management] really showcase himself, but he made the least of it again. Back in B.C., his doesn’t,” he says today. “I didn’t handle it well. I denied the child was drug use intensified. He commuted to practices and games on the ferry mine [for years after]. I just walked away from her and the baby boy … from Vancouver, hauling weed and coke in his Jeep Cherokee for didn’t talk to her again for years and years. I’m ashamed by that, but I dealers he supplied. His girlfriend in Vancouver was by then pregnant was just scared. I didn’t man up.” with their second child and, despite his struggles with drugs, they made wedding plans. Soon, the fan favourite became a pariah — even the team’s play-by-play announcer called him “a problem child” on a team blog. Leavold ended up on the sidelines with a broken wrist and his weight shot up from 190 to 208 pounds. When he started skating with the team, Leavold came back to Swift Current the next summer as an over-ager he was given an ultimatum: He had two weeks to get back down to 190 with the Broncos but the situation was toxic and unsustainable. In the or be fined or released. Leavold started two-a-day workouts with a second week of the season, coach and GM Dean Chynoweth took trainer, started taking steroids, started purging his meals. He made the Leavold aside and told him he had been traded. “I thought it might be weight but was suffering withdrawal symptoms so intense he was Seattle,” he says. “Turned out to be Kelowna.” vomiting constantly and didn’t sleep for days at a time. He was hardly It seemed to him an unpromising situation — the Kelowna Rockets primed to perform and seemed only a threat to himself. already had a full complement of over-age players. Leavold didn’t take Going just on fumes, he scored nine goals through the last three weeks the news well. “I checked in [at a hotel at the Calgary airport] and of the season. emptied the mini-bar,” he says. “I was so hungover the next morning. I missed my flight to Kelowna and had to get on the next one.” It had been cocaine that he had turned to initially but by the time he landed with the Salmon Kings, Leavold had made the jump to snorting It got worse on arrival. When Leavold reported to the team, he was fitted OxyContin, almost unimaginable doses of the painkiller. One Percocet with new equipment and then told to go through a practice with the contains five milligrams of oxycodone, enough to make your body numb team’s 16- and 17-year-olds. He sobered up fast. “I remember going out or put you into a deep, empty sleep. Leavold took 80-mg. oxys — each there and three guys just blew me away,” he says, “Tyler Myers, who teal-blue pill the equivalent of 16 Percocets. “Being an athlete was was too coordinated for a guy his size to be possible; Jamie Benn, who probably the only thing that saved me,” he says. “The Vancouver police you knew would be a big-time NHL player; and Tyson Barrie, who was has a whole unit that just goes around, picking up the ODs.” just ridiculously skilled, not the way any 16-year-old kid is supposed to be.” At the start of his second season with the Salmon Kings, he was too sick to play and failed his medical. He told the team doctors that his GP had Leavold had a sense that the young team was a year away from big diagnosed him with H1N1. By that point, when his chances to play at any things but he had only a year of eligibility to give. No matter, it gave him higher level of the game were washing out, he was taking up to 15 80- his best look at what it would take to get to the next level and what it mg. pills of OxyContin a day. He hoodwinked a team doctor to fill a would be like if he got there. “I remember we were in Regina at the prescription for these highest-dosage oxys and then went back later Christmas break and Len [Barrie, who was a half-owner of the Tampa telling him he’d lost the vial. He went to a GP at a clinic and did the same Bay Lightning] flew Tyson, Jamie and me in his private jet to Victoria,” thing. Leavold says. “When we got back, I didn’t catch [the ferry to the mainland] so I stayed at Jamie’s place — I slept in his bedroom with all “Being an athlete was probably the only thing that saved me. The these posters of NHL players on the wall. And I thought, ‘This is a guy Vancouver police has a whole unit that just goes around, picking up the who’s going to be in the league.’ It all felt that close and I knew playing ODs.” with these guys I was going to get seen [by scouts].” Unaware of his drug use, a team in the Dutch league made him an offer “I thought, ‘This is a guy who’s going to be in the league.’ It all felt that and he snapped it up. “I thought that I could ween myself off [in Holland] close.” but I was so dopesick, I couldn’t get off the floor,” he says. His younger teammates saw him as perhaps the most influential player Leavold lasted only two games with the . “When I got on the roster. Says Jesse Paradis, who was a 16-year-old that season: there, I told them I couldn’t play at all but they made me dress,” he says. “Brady just had so much experience and wisdom to pass along … a “I just stayed at the apartment a couple of players had — no bed, I just perfect guy for someone like me to look up to as a player.” lied on the floor, unable to sleep. I played in the second one and the hockey was pretty good, but I didn’t want to be there and told them I had Leavold had a good season by the usual measures. He finished second H1N1 and flew home.” in team scoring and ended his junior career memorably, scoring six goals in a seven-game loss to Seattle in the first round. Behind the scenes, A cycle was well underway by the time Leavold came back from Holland: though, his life was skidding sideways. By this time, there was another heavy drug use followed by detox followed by rehab and, inevitably, by girl in the stands carrying his baby. Leavold didn’t deny fatherhood this retox. After one drug-fuelled psychotic episode when he shattered more time, didn’t walk away from the teenager who would give birth to a girl. than a dozen bones in his hand, he was checked into Royal Columbian Hospital’s psych ward in New Westminster, B.C. He spent months there Today he maintains he stayed clean in Kelowna, but he admits he was and, at one point, was snorting heroin in the ward with a Stage 4 cancer far from a straight-edge type. He continued to do cocaine and ecstasy patient. when back home, partying in the off-season. Worse, when he got back to Port Coquitlam, he started using OxyContin prescribed for pain from a Within hours of his release from a hospital or treatment centre, the first torn ACL. It gave him a rush that he would chase, harder and harder, for time he would see an old dealer, he’d be snorting oxys or heroin again, years. like he had never stopped. “I convinced myself every time that once wouldn’t hurt,” he says. “I could stop anytime I wanted to because I An undrafted free agent, Leavold landed an invitation to Tampa Bay’s stopped for a while.” summer rookie camp after the ’08 draft, in small part based on Len He started going to AA and NA, always the youngest one in the room. He walked out of the hospital before he could be treated. “I wanted to find set a goal of going to 90 meetings in 90 days and wound up attending the guy and take care of it myself,” he says. 110, taking the lead a lot of the time, bringing along a guy he had played against in the WHL. Then he relapsed again and apologized to his Police in Vancouver eventually put together that this junkie and small- fiancée, now caring for their two kids — his daughter and son a year time grifter was wanted for the armed theft of the taxi two years before. “It apart. He vowed to change and maybe she even believed him. The was hard watching the news and seeing your son on Crime Stoppers,” breaking point came when he arrived at a rehab centre in Kelowna drunk Brian says. Leavold was hauled in and held without bail. When his case and strung out. When he called home, she told him the wedding was off. finally reached a provincial court, he pleaded guilty to robbery and 10 He was running out of last chances. “It was so humiliating,” he says. “I other counts, including resisting arrest. had to call my friends from the game, guys like Jamie Benn, and tell them Familiar apologies and vows were made: “I’m just looking forward to that it was off.” That attempt at sobriety lasted four days. starting my life over again,” he told the court. The judge described his Though he was out of hockey for more than a year, it still had a pull for offences as “unsophisticated heists” and suggested they might have him. In one trip to rehab, in November 2011, he befriended another been a cry for help: “You were bound to be caught, of course. Maybe you athlete, Adam Braidwood, a former defensive end with the Edmonton knew it, maybe it was a form of reaching out.” He was sentenced to 21 Eskimos, and across eight weeks worked out with him every day. “He months. As B.C. Inmate No. 100518462, Leavold would divide his time in just had so much discipline like I never had,” Leavold says. “He kept on maximum security between prisons in Maple Ridge and Port Coquitlam, checking up on me [after the program], calling me on my cell.” his hometown. “When I was a kid I looked at [the prison] and thought, ‘I don’t want to end up there.’ But that was exactly where I ended up, like I “I convinced myself every time that once wouldn’t hurt.” knew something,” he says. After his release, Leavold stayed clean and worked nights in a demolition BLOWN CHANCES job at the Vancouver airport. He worked out and, when no team in the AHL, ECHL or Europe would return his call, he contacted former NHL Suiting up alongside a young Steven Stamkos — and battling with the veteran Terry Ruskowski, who at the time was coaching the Rio Grande likes of — at a prospect tournament in 2008, Leavold Valley Killer Bees in the . “I didn’t want to go to turned up for the opening game having binged on cocaine the night the Central but Terry was going to give me a chance,” Leavold says. “He before was straight with me — it was one strike and I was out. I was straight When he was released in February 2017, Leavold wanted to get away with him when I told him I was clean. I went to down there in January — I from the wrong people he gravitated towards in Vancouver; get away hadn’t been on skates in two years but I loved it. I loved the game again. from too much history. His ex-fiancée had cut him off from his daughter And I stayed clean. No drugs. No liquor. Nothing. I’d go with the guys to and son — the last time he talked to them was in February 2015, when bars and just drink ginger ale and then drive them home. I really thought I he showed up at their school one lunchtime to delivery tardy Christmas had turned everything around, that I could make a living at the game in gifts without telling their mother. She has blocked him on the phone and Europe, maybe.” social media and did likewise for his kids. Ever since he has combed Years later, Ruskowski would say that Leavold “could have been real Facebook, just looking for glimpses of them. effective pro, [but he] let what people said affect [him] too much.” By that Leovold had exhausted the patience of just about everyone who tried to time, his problems with drugs and the law were known around the support him in his attempts to clean up. His father was desperate to help Central league and mouths run in the minors a little more openly than and paid his airfare to Ontario, where he might be able to beat the odds they would in NHL. and get a fresh start. Leavold went east and wound up in Orillia, about 90 Brian Levold had hoped that his son would go to a fire academy in Texas minutes north of Toronto, working in construction, staying clean. and come back in a year’s time on track to join him in the department. The optics held promise: He seemed to be as far away from Hastings “We had talked about it and it seemed like he had turned the corner,” he Street as he could get. But in reality, the move to Ontario wasn’t a lasting says. At season’s end, Leavold went home and, predictably at this point, fix. Nothing changed but the scenery. It didn’t take long to find the wrong he was in a casino within six hours of landing, getting drunk and doing people. He hit bottom again in November 2017. lines. Eighteen months of sobriety done and gone. Leavold was at a party when a fast new friend offered to sell him a 2006 Leavold reached rock bottom thereafter. In the summer of 2012, he went Silverado for $500, all cash, payable immediately. “I was missing my from snorting heroin to the needle. His arms are marked with a junkie’s kids,” Leavold says. “I thought if I buy this truck I can just start driving to tracks. He wants to cover them up with tattoos but for now they serve as Vancouver that night. That was the plan.” a reminder of his worst days. Like a lot of his plans and best intentions, it didn’t work out. One day that summer, he suspected his by-then former fiancée, who he still considered his girlfriend, was seeing someone else. Leavold grabbed “I just wanted to spare my family another embarrassment.” a machete, called a taxi, stole the vehicle at blade-point and sped to the scene to confront the couple. “I just wanted to kill the guy,” he says. “No With all his worldly possessions in a suitcase beside him, Leavold started one was around when I got there.” for Vancouver. He didn’t even get out of Orillia. He realized the deal on the Silverado wasn’t worth the risk when he saw the flashing lights of a He abandoned the vehicle and the police couldn’t get a solid ID of the police cruiser in the rearview. He got a sweet price because the truck perp from the cab driver. Leavold managed to evade the dragnet and was freshly stolen. was never hauled in for questioning, though the case remained open. Another impulse that passes for a decision: He took the cops on a high- Soon Leavold was homeless, living on East Hastings Street and speed chase. Getaways in $500 Sliverados tend not to work out. When supporting a $1,000-a-day habit through petty crimes and others more he put the pedal to the metal, he looked at gas gauge: The needle was serious. He says liquor stores were a usual target and the biggest job he on “E.” He kept his foot down and drove straight into the median at Front was part of netted $25,000. He said the worst was a risky holdup that Street and Old Barrie Road. “I crashed it on purpose,” he says. “I just went sideways and netted him $10 and a pack of smokes. Looking for an wanted to kill myself.” even more intense high, he switched from heroin to fentanyl, injecting every 30 minutes or so. “Heroin and fentanyl are like this warm blanket,” Leavold’s head snapped and everything went dark, but a few seconds he says, “all the pain, anything you feel physically, emotionally, just goes later he realized that his suicide attempt had fallen short. What he away.” thought was the end of his life was just the airbags going off. “Heroin and fentanyl are like this warm blanket, all the pain, anything you Down to his last bad idea, he tried to get away from the police on foot. It feel physically, emotionally, just goes away.” might work in the movies but it’s not the best option when there’s three feet of snow on the ground. Face down on the ground being cuffed, he Looking for his son, Brian Leavold spent a year going down to East begged the police not to let the charges get into the newspapers. “I didn’t Hastings Street at night. “I had filed a bunch of missing-persons reports care what happened with me,” he says. “I just wanted to spare my family but I had to take it into my own hands,” he says. “I was lifting cardboard another embarrassment.” Not a word appeared. blankets off sleeping junkies trying to find Brady.” He had hoped to get to Vancouver but got only as far as Central North Quality control on the street was nonexistent. Fentanyl is 100 times Correctional Centre, a maximum-security prison in Penetanguishene. On stronger than morphine but if it wasn’t cut right it could be as much as his release in November of last year, the police in Orillia told prison 1,000 times more potent. Leavold long ago lost count of his ODs, but officials they had something for Ontario Inmate No. 1001418648. Digging maybe the closest he came to death was when he was sleeping on the through his suitcase looking for drugs they’d found his game-worn street and he woke up with a baseball bat crashing on his skull. When Tampa Bay sweater from Traverse City. No. 70, his name stitched across Leavold was taken to emergency, he was questioned by police officers the shoulders. “They told me they thought it might mean something to about the incident but refused to finger the perp and, covered in blood, me,” he says. IT MIGHT MEAN SOMETHING He’ll take time in the podcasts to make the point that he wants to help others avoid all the awful choices he made, to reach out like he did in AA Police in Orillia found Leavold's No. 70 jersey when digging through his and NA. “If I can help just one person …” he’ll begin. If his ability to suitcase looking for drugs deliver on that sentiment isn’t real, he wants it to be, and that might make Leavold owns all of this now. it not real yet. Really, he has to help himself before he can help anyone else. “Just my history would show that I’m a bad risk to relapse,” he says. “If I had been honest about things … to Max [Offenberger] or the teams I “If I can help just one person…” played for or the people who tried to help me, maybe things could have And then there’s the hope that he can reconnect with those who are been different. Now, I’ll be honest because I know that people will denied him by distance and by a litany of bad decisions. Not that they’ll support me.” ever appear on his show. Innocents, they are the reasons that he does He says he’s been in a better place away from his well-established bad his podcast. Just the thought of them sustained him in the most awful influences, away from the places that trigger bad memories. times in a life not short of them. Leavold has been living at a cottage owned by the parents of his current … the boy he fathered in Swift Current, an 11-year-old who has never girlfriend — they met through a friend when Leavold was a guest of the met him … the daughter he sends letters and birthday cards to that come province in Penetanguishene. They’re about a 15-minute drive from back marked “Return to Sender” … her little brother, who with his helmet Bracebridge in the Muskoka region and a couple of months back, after an off could pass for Brady Leavold at 10, a happy-looking kid Leavold last argument, he set out for the town on foot in the snow. Once there, history saw in a team photo he found on a minor-hockey organization’s could have repeated itself. His Hasting Street impulses could have kicked Facebook page while combing the Internet to recover his past … in. They didn’t. He didn’t get to town. An impulse going back to childhood If he can’t set eyes on them and wrap them up in a hug, he can at least came over him instead. hope they’ll hear him. “I can’t explain why but I had an urge to put on my skates again. I went Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.29.2020 out there for an hour and I can’t remember when I felt that good.” On the way, he passed a lake, frozen solid, and stopped. From where he stood on the soft-shoulder, he could see the wind had blown snow clean off a big patch of the ice. It looked like a Zamboni had just rolled over it. “I can’t explain why but I had an urge to put on my skates again. I hadn’t laced them up in five years,” he says. “I went back and got my skates … I didn’t even have a stick, and I always hated skating without a stick. I hadn’t skated on natural ice since I was, maybe, 14 and here I was skating out on this lake with the light reflecting off the ice. I went out there for an hour and I can’t remember when I felt that good.” Nor could he remember when he had last turned an anxious moment into something that wasn’t self-destructive. The next day he went back and skated longer. A few weeks later another anxious moment led to what gives him purpose every day now. At the cottage, Leavold and his girlfriend had solitude in abundance at the best of times, so COVID-19 affected their day-to-day routine less than most. There’s no need to make an appointment to give him a call. “I’m out here doing nothing,” he says. Living in lockdown in cottage country could lead to cabin fever, to a need to hear familiar voices. Then again, relationships he wished he could have kept going went cold when he was living on the streets or in jail. One Saturday night, he told his girlfriend that he wanted to do a podcast; not appear on a podcast he liked, he wanted it to be his own. The next morning, he posted it online. You can find Hockey2Heroin/Road2Recovery in all the usual places. That first episode sounded like a spontaneous, unpolished cri de coeur. The next week he set about doing it daily. His father, retired from the fire department and now working as a scout for the , bought a broadcast- quality microphone for him on Amazon. “He said he wanted to have me come on the show,” Brian says. “I don’t think he’d like some of the things I might say. But I’m glad that Brady has something, and it’s taken off faster than I would have thought.” First he started with friends from the Dub. Jesse Paradis, who as a 16- year-old had looked up to his 20-year-old teammate, came on and agreed to sponsor the show, promoting a brand of sportswear he was launching. Leavold reached out to coaches, including Ruskowski, who took a chance on him when no one else would give him a look. He reached out to people throughout the hockey business, those he only knew by name — Sheldon Kennedy and others have agreed to appear on the show. And he reached out to a team psychologist that he talked to in Swift Current 13 years ago, and to a writer once he sat with for an hour over breakfast. “There are things I want to say, thank yous like to Terry [Ruskowski] and apologies that I want to make,” Leavold says. “There’s stuff I’m finding that I had forgotten about. If I’m going to make myself whole, I have to fill in the blanks and there are a lot.” Some of the guests he’ll have on will transport him back to a better time, others to lost opportunities. Some things are beyond reach. Some names aren’t going to come back. … the Stage-4 cancer patient snorting dope with him in the hospital ward … his “family” down on Hastings Street … the girl who screamed when he was being beaten by another homeless junkie … dozens he went through rehab with … the cops who chased him down and cuffed him and set aside No. 70 … 1174158 Websites Canucks are 20th in goals allowed at 3.10, and that figure flatters them because goaltender Jacob Markstrom has had a -calibre season. The team has allowed 33.3 shots per game, fourth-most in the NHL, and its shots-for percentage since Christmas is just 46.7 per cent. Sportsnet.ca / Canucks in holding pattern with enigmatic Nikita Tryamkin “I don’t think there’s any way to hide that; I’d like to see our team be better defensively,” coach Travis Green told Sportsnet earlier this month. “We said at the beginning of the year with our group: ‘We want to score Iain MacIntyre | April 28, 2020, 6:39 PM more and we want to cut goals-against down.’ Elite teams, they have that quality — they can shut teams down, and yet they still score.” VANCOUVER – The clock may be ticking down towards free agency on The Canucks aren’t an elite team yet, but they’ve moved in that direction April 30 for Nikita Tryamkin, but for the Vancouver Canucks the clock this season, driven by a few young stars and some key veterans. stopped when the National Hockey League did on March 12. “This year from last year, we took a big step in upgrading our back end, The team won’t be signing the huge and hugely enigmatic Russian until and we’re going to continue looking at ways we can take another step there is financial clarity about next season – and that could take months. this summer,” Benning said. “Until we put this season in the books. . . we still have guys that we have to make decisions on going forward. The When the Canucks gambled on the six-foot-seven defenceman in the season isn’t finished yet.” third round of the 2014 draft, general manager Jim Benning equated the pick as a swing for the fences. The Canucks could strike out or hit a Canucks professional scouts Brett Henning and closely home run. But six years later, we’re still waiting to find out if Tryamkin watched Tryamkin this season, and Benning doesn’t believe there are even likes baseball. any “character” issues with the 25-year-old. “We still really like him as a prospect and stuff and think he can be in our “We’ve talked to teammates who have said he’s been an excellent top six,” Benning told Sportsnet on Tuesday. “But until we get some teammate,” Benning said. “(Former NHLer) plays on his conclusion on what’s going to happen this year and get more information team and said Nikita has been an excellent teammate. People mature. for next year, we’re in a holding pattern to wait to see what that looks like The last time he was over, he was 21 or 22 years old, just got married before we start talking term and numbers with him.” and didn’t know the English language. We tried to help him get set up, but for some people it’s a big step culturally. Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, “Now he’s three years older, more mature, and wants to come back.” they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.29.2020 Canada’s most beloved game. Tryamkin appeared to build a solid start to his career with the Canucks during a rookie season in 2016-17 when he became a lineup regular and averaged 16:44 of ice time. But as Benning tried to sign him to a second contract, Tryamkin bolted home to Yekaterinburg of the KHL. His three-year contract there expires April 30. The Canucks retain his exclusive NHL rights. Tryamkin’s reasons for leaving were both personal (he and his bride had trouble adjusting to Vancouver) and professional (he was unhappy how he was used after sitting out the start of the regular season for what former coach said were conditioning issues). But Tryamkin also became unhappy with his role in Yekaterinburg, where he was given and then stripped of the captaincy, and now wants to return to Vancouver. Tryamkin comes with red flags, but remains an intriguing prospect because not many six-foot-seven, 255-pound humans are capable of propelling themselves on skates well enough to play professional hockey. Richard Deitsch and Donnovan Bennett host a podcast about how COVID-19 is impacting sports around the world. They talk to experts, athletes and personalities, offering a window into the lives of people we normally root for in entirely different ways. Tryamkin’s agent, Todd Diamond, recently told The Province newspaper that his client has no interest in playing in the American Hockey League, which the player adamantly – and within his contractual rights at the time – refused to consider in 2016. Since Diamond and Benning have had several discussions, a one-way contract for Tryamkin probably is not a deal-killer for the Canucks. But with the team facing a potentially severe salary cap crunch next season, the contract situation for veteran shutdown defenceman Chris Tanev and several other Canucks are a higher priority. For now, Tryamkin has to wait. He seems to be a Plan B. “I’ve had conversations with their group, but we’re in a holding pattern for right now,” Benning said. “When we get more information, we’ll continue the conversations and see if there’s room to get something done. “We’d just be guessing (at next year’s salary cap). We don’t know, we have no idea. Until we get more clarification about what the landscape will look like next year, we’re going to just take it slowly. That’s kind of where we’re at.” and talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it. Slowly or otherwise, the Canucks need to improve their six-man defensive unit as well as team defending. Currently in a playoff position on , Vancouver significantly upgraded its attack this season and sits eighth in the NHL at 3.25 goals per game. But the 1174159 Websites Muzzin’s next game — whenever that may be — will be just his second in the Toronto lineup since he inked that new deal.

No wonder there was so much optimism in his voice while looking ahead Sportsnet.ca / Jake Muzzin feels fortunate to sign contract extension to a summer where he may have to join other NHLers in a self-contained before pandemic environment just to finish the season. As much as he initially struggled to get comfortable with everything that comes with being a member of the Leafs, he’s thrilled now to have his future tied to them. Chris Johnston April 28, 2020, 4:19 PM “The direction the team is going, the personnel, the people, the organization and the buzz in the city — I mean there’s way more positives than negatives,” said Muzzin. “We wanted to be here and we TORONTO — Jake Muzzin hasn’t had to search too hard for something felt the team wanted for me to be here and I’m glad and really fortunate to be grateful for during the COVID-19 pandemic. that we got a deal done before all of this happened.” First and foremost is the good health of his family and the chance to Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.29.2020 spend these last six weeks bonding more closely with his one-year-old daughter Luna. Then there’s the fact that the NHL allowed injured players like him to continue rehabbing inside team facilities during the paused season, putting him in position to jump directly back into the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup upon resumption. And, as the cherry on top of it all, Muzzin finds comfort from the $22.5- million, four-year contract extension he signed back on Feb. 24 — sparing him any of the additional worry pending NHL unrestricted free agents are now facing in a difficult economy that will almost certainly feature a flat salary cap for the foreseeable future. “It’s bad. It’s the uncertainty of these things,” Muzzin said Tuesday on a conference call. “There’s an unknown that, I think, would be in the back of your mind. Like I don’t know if these guys are going to get what they think they should get or if it’s going to be fine or if something’s going to drastically change and maybe you have to structure a deal differently. I don’t know. … “I think that would weigh on me and I think it’s weighing on some guys, yeah.” 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 they think about it. It’s something that has probably crossed the mind of teammate Tyson Barrie, for example, with the pending UFA defenceman already having acknowledged feeling the strain of a contract season before the pandemic threw an extra helping of unpredictability into the process. These are challenging times for everyone, to varying degrees, and Muzzin counts himself among the fortunate. While most of his teammates dispersed after the NHL season was paused on March 12, he continued seeing the Leafs medical staff on a regular basis to get treatment on a broken knuckle in his right hand. That included physio, strength and mobility work that would have had Muzzin ready to play weeks ago, if need be — and could see him ultimately get back regular-season games he otherwise would have missed if the NHL ends up completing its schedule as hoped this summer. “The NHL’s looked after players that were hurt before. … I was lucky to benefit from that,” said Muzzin, who suffered his injury blocking a Victor Hedman shot in Tampa on Feb. 25. The biggest adjustment during the pause has been life apart from the team. The Leafs players keep an ongoing group text and have set up Zoom calls, according to Muzzin, in an effort to try and maintain a sense of togetherness. But his visits to the practice facility are quite a bit different than what he’d usually see in March and April. “Coming in and there’s only two people, three people, really,” said Muzzin. “When you have the whole arena to yourself it’s kind of an eerie feeling.” The 31-year-old defenceman has seemingly morphed into the conscience of the Leafs dressing room since arriving in a January 2019 trade with Los Angeles. There was hope when he earned the contract extension that it would give him an even greater ability to positively influence less experienced teammates and make his voice heard. Richard Deitsch and Donnovan Bennett host a podcast about how COVID-19 is impacting sports around the world. They talk to experts, athletes and personalities, offering a window into the lives of people we normally root for in entirely different ways. “This signing is significant in terms of just giving him the ability to know that he’s really in this with us,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said at the time. “Not that he wasn’t before, but just having it secured like that we can really get to work.” 1174160 Websites "Someone upstairs is just testing our patience a little bit. We always assumed we would at least have some sort of answer by July 1, and who knows if we will by then." Sportsnet.ca / Torey Krug, Bruins to face tricky contract talks: 'Your mind There’s the rub: no one knows. That’s why Boston may have the most to wanders' lose if 2019-20 goes incomplete. The cruel irony here — and we touched on this topic earlier in the pause — is that stars like Krug, Alex Pietrangelo and Taylor Hall, who had Luke Fox | April 28, 2020, 4:35 PM previously been positioning themselves for bidding wars, could end up worse off than the UFAs who re-upped mid-season.

Take, for example, arguably the second-most coveted left-shot Torey Krug’s four-year-old bulldog interrupts Tuesday’s Boston Bruins defenceman heading toward UFA. townhall interview session with a sharp bark. Jake Muzzin re-signed with Toronto for four years and $22.5 million just "We named our dog Fenway," the defenceman smiles from quarantine. 18 days before the NHL shut shop. Muzzin counts himself lucky for "How much more Boston can it get?" putting pen to paper when he did, "before all this happened," instead of As an impending unrestricted free agent approaching the most volatile of pushing his fate till July 1. open markets, and with the business of the NHL still trying to operate "The unknown and the uncertainty of what’s going to come in the future, I behind closed doors, Fenway’s bark serves as a nice reprieve from the think that would weigh on me. And I think it’s weighing on some guys," crickets between Bruins management and the most valuable left-shot Muzzin said Tuesday. defenceman targeting UFA status. "Like, I don’t know if guys are going to get what they think they should "There hasn’t been any discussion" on a potential contract extension, get, or if it’s going to be fine. Or if something’s going to drastically Krug says, between club general manager Don Sweeney and his agent, change. Maybe you have to structure a deal differently, I don’t know. I Lewis Gross, during the pause. "I’m very hopeful, and as I’ve said all think for me, I don’t have that, because I was fortunate enough to get a along, I want to be part of this group and part of this locker room and part deal done before." of the city. It’s become home for us, and we love it." Despite the mystery of his future, the league-leading Bruins, and the Until Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 and the sports world was entire sport, Krug is waking up early to work out and doing his best to silenced on March 12, the 29-year-old Krug had played his hand savour this bonus time with Melanie and Saylor and Fenway. perfectly. Even if what should’ve been a towering grand-slam contract ends up Despite growing up in Livonia, Mich., where he’d take turns at every getting knocked down by an invisible Green Monster. road-hockey position — fantasizing himself, alternately, as Steve Yzerman, Nick Lidstrom, Darren McCarty and Chris Osgood — the "You just hope and pray that we can have a chance to finish this thing undrafted Krug embraced Boston wholly. He counts himself lucky to lean off," Krug says, "and reach that ultimate goal." on greats like and Zdeno Chara for advice and professes his loyalty to the organization whenever a hot microphone is in sight. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.29.2020 Krug participates regularly in the team’s (now online) chapel group. Tuesday he got excited about the good-natured chirps that awaited in the afternoon’s first all-roster Zoom call. He reminisced about his epic flying, helmet-free body check of Robert Thomas in 2019 Stanley Cup Final ("Biggest rush of adrenaline I felt in my hockey career"). And he declared, proudly: "We feel like we’re the best team in the league." Five-foot-nine only with good posture, a chip forever implanted on his shoulder, Krug has never had much security. Earning his role on hockey’s most frightening power play the hard way, Krug’s first two post- entry-level contracts were for one year only. He always had something to prove. Finally getting four seasons of security in 2016, Krug is now a bargain with a $5.25-million cap hit. He was set to negotiate with the leverage of four consecutive 50-point seasons and a reputation for raising his contributions when stakes are highest. Suddenly, he’ll be tiptoeing into a thorny NHL financial landscape devastated by a virus. And Sweeney — on record as wanting "dearly" to keep Krug in the fold — will have to shoehorn a star into an expected flat salary cap of $81.5 million. Boston has already committed roughly $60 million toward 2020-21’s roster on 17 players. That’s before making determinations on RFAs Jake DeBrusk, Matt Grzelcyk and Anders Bjork (all worthy of raises), plus UFAs Krug, Chara, Joakim Nordstrom, Kevan Miller and Jaroslav Halak. Chara, 43, wants to keep trucking. Sweeney says he’ll work toward bringing Miller back. And if the Bruins can’t afford Halak, they’ll need to pay someone to spot off Tuukka Rask. Krug preaches living in the moment, but the pause has left him with time to think about where he, wife Melanie and their 10-month-old baby daughter, Saylor, will be living next winter. Does he further delay a home-run contract and go short term, knowing the Bruins’ books could clear in 2022, when Rask and David Krejci’s $7- million deals expire and the cap might start climbing again? Does he consider taking calls from any numbers of competitors, like talent-starved Detroit, his boyhood team? "I never thought about it during the season and while we were playing," Krug says. "Now that you have a second to sit back, you wonder a little bit more. Your mind wanders. 1174161 Websites Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game. Sportsnet.ca / Controversial Game 3 loss sparked Flames to greater glory in 1989 Cup final Doug Gimour vividly recalls the NHL hosting a banquet involving both teams the next night, further steeling his resolve to even the series.

“I just kept watching them, and the cockiness that I saw over there Eric Francis | April 28, 2020, 10:09 AM angered me,” said Gilmour, who arrived in Calgary that fall as part of a seven-player trade with St. Louis that also brought .

“So many players got under your skin like (Claude) Lemieux and (Brian) Colin Patterson called it “the worst call ever.” Skrudland. We just sat there with no smiles and very serious, and I kept Lanny McDonald wasn’t as diplomatic. thinking, ‘this series is not over yet.’” “It was total BS,” said the mustachioed Hall of Famer. The next night, Gilmour opened the scoring midway through the second period as part of a 4-2 win that evened the series heading back to The stage was the , where Game 3 of the 1989 Stanley Calgary, where the Flames were 32-4-4. Cup final between the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens had progressed deep into the second overtime period. Four years later, Gilmour’s Leafs would be victimized by Kerry Fraser in the decisive game of the conference final when the controversial ref At a rough-and-tumble time in hockey history when Flames coach Terry missed a Wayne Gretzky high stick to Gilmour’s face. Crisp joked, “you had to have a scalp for a souvenir to get a penalty,” Calgary’s Mark Hunter was whistled for a boarding penalty in the Richard Deitsch and Donnovan Bennett host a podcast about how offensive zone. COVID-19 is impacting sports around the world. They talk to experts, athletes and personalities, offering a window into the lives of people we As you’ll see if you tune into the game on Sportsnet tonight, he wasn’t normally root for in entirely different ways. holding a scalp. But on this occasion, his Flames were able to overcome, winning the Cup “I just finished my check on (Shayne) Corson and was shocked it was in six. called because there wasn’t a penalty for two-and-a-half periods,” said Hunter, a former Canadiens winger. It really didn’t make any sense. I was “After we won in double overtime it felt like our foot came off the pedal a livid.” little bit and Calgary’s really went down,” said Walter, who wonders if the Flames’ desire to finally win a Cup superseded the Habs’ desire to win So was everyone on the Flames bench, understandably. another one. From the midway point of the second period, neither squad had been “We were upset the next game because you could feel the momentum afforded power-play time, as all 16 penalty calls were coincidental shift. They were PO’d. I don’t think we got cocky, but we didn’t have that minors. edge in Game 4. I thought that was the pivotal game, as 2-2 is a lot different than 3-1. At 3-1, we probably would’ve won the Cup.” Yet Kerry Fraser saw fit to single Hunter out this time. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.29.2020 “Of course it was Kerry Fraser,” shrugged Theo Fleury. “He always seems to be part of the questionable calls,” added Hunter. But it is what it is.” 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 they think about it. In a tight series between the NHL’s only 100-point teams, it surprised no one when scored just as the penalty expired to give the Habs a 2-1 series edge. “(Fraser) messed up, and the best thing about him is he’d tell you when he messed up – he’s a good guy,” chuckled Walter, whose crease- crashing goal would very likely have been called off in today’s NHL. “If you look really hard at that goal it’s pretty hard to see if I’m in the crease first or the puck is in there first, as you get pushed in and cross- checked. It was just a plumber goal.” A potential back-breaker that had outsiders wondering if the ghosts of the Forum were at it again. Montreal’s record in Cup finals was 23-9-1, which included a five-game triumph over Calgary in 1986 as part of nine straight. (The tie came after the 1919 final was scrubbed due to the Spanish Influenza). None of it fazed the Flames. “I remember that call and I distinctly remember after the game we weren’t going to let that beat us,” said Al MacInnis, who extended his point streak to 13 games that night. “I can’t imagine what was let go before that, and guys were mad. But we still felt good about winning the series.” As the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Flames had every reason to do. “All year we never really got rattled when bad things happened,” said Hunter, whose club learned plenty from its loss in the 1986 final. I don’t know if we lost two games in a row all year (it only happened once before the final). We were very resilient and always bounced back.” As Fleury points out, “the leadership from top to bottom was as good as you get. Lanny, Pep () and Hunts () were all captains and (Brad) McCrimmon and Nieuwy () became captains (as did Fleury). (Ric) Nattress and (Jamie) Macoun led in their own, jovial way, and guys like Patterson and (Rick) Wamsley were quiet, good quality people. Vernie ()… that team was sick.” 1174162 Websites When asked about whether or not he believes the NHLPA will agree to a plan that sees the season resume in various hub cities and with players quarantined away from their families for months at a time, Danault said he doesn’t. Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' Phillip Danault against leaving family to finish season “It’s a difficult decision for the league and the players,” he said. “Some players could be away from their families 3-4 months, which I think is way too much. And I’m not the only one thinking like that, I’m sure. So it’s going to be a big decision for the rest of the season.” Eric Engels April 28, 2020, 1:35 PM Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.29.2020

MONTREAL — It was in the sixth minute of a conference call held with reporters Tuesday that you could hear Phillip Danault’s 14-month son yelling in the background right as he was in the midst of being asked a question about the possibility of resuming this NHL season in remote locations and locked away from family for an extended period of time. Danault, as straight a shooter as you’ll find in the NHL, didn’t mince his words about that idea. “It really makes no sense, in my head, to distance myself for two months from my kid,” Danault said in French. “And I imagine it makes even less sense for those who would go far in the playoffs, who are on playoff teams right now. If a team goes to the Stanley Cup Final, it could be three to four months. It’s inhumane to do that, as far as I’m concerned. But the league has to make a decision and I imagine the players will have to vote on it, and I’m not sure they’ll be in favour of being away from family for two-to-three months.” When asked for his recommendation on how the NHL should proceed on breaking the COVID-19 pause to resume its season, Danault suggested it be done without the Canadiens, who are currently 10 points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot with 11 games remaining. “If the league wants to play, I’d suggest just playing the playoffs,” he said. “Once we get back, games leftover for teams not in the playoffs is not too motivating. Having two-to-three months of whatever… that would be pretty difficult. “I’d rather just concentrate on next season. I understand there’s teams in the playoffs, teams that made big moves and traded first-round picks; I understand their desire to finish the season. But I find there are things that are maybe more important in the world at this instant than hockey games.” It was just last Thursday that Danault’s linemate, Brendan Gallagher, said Canadiens players have remained in close contact with each other and are all on the same page about a possible season resumption. “For us right now, it always comes back to the same thing — it’s about winning. And if it’s going to interfere with our ability to prepare for next year where we have a chance, I’d rather continue my training and continue to do all that,” Gallagher said during a conference call with Canadiens reporters. “If it’s a situation where maybe you see these scenarios where you have a chance to play and they expand the playoff bracket, obviously you’re going to be all for it.” But barring that possibility, it appears Canadiens players have no interest in playing out the string of a lost season. Montreal forward Dale Weise appeared on Sportsnet 650’s Reach Deep show last Friday and also poured cold water on a season resumption for non-playoff teams. “For the guys on the outside, you’re gonna cut your training in half in the summer, you’re gonna come back, you’re not in real good shape, you’re gonna risk injury in training camp to come play 11 games when we know we’re not getting in the playoffs?” Weise said. Richard Deitsch and Donnovan Bennett host a podcast about how COVID-19 is impacting sports around the world. They talk to experts, athletes and personalities, offering a window into the lives of people we normally root for in entirely different ways. It’s a concern that Danault shares. The 27-year-old centre added that the uncertainty of the situation has already thrown a wrench into his training plans. What Danault would like to see is the NHL come up with a drop-dead date for a decision on whether or not to resume the season. “It’s the biggest reason my summer training hasn’t started at 100 per cent,” he said. “It’s because there’s no date from the league. It’s not as motivating, and we don’t really know where we’re heading with all this. So I’m just waiting for the green light to get on with my summer training, or for the season to end.” 1174163 Websites the rebound, take it from one side to the other and then go upstairs. He paid the price in front of the net. He earned his goals.”

Andreychuk, whose 640 career goals currently ranks 15th all-time and Sportsnet.ca / Andreychuk was at peak of his powers with Maple Leafs in who captained the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup in 2004, was 1993 inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017 in his ninth year of eligibility.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.29.2020 Mike Johnston April 28, 2020, 11:06 AM

Sportsnet is turning back the clock to relive Canada’s most unforgettable best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series with NHL Classics: Best of Seven Series. Game 4 of 1993’s showdown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings airs tonight. The full broadcast schedule can be found here. It looked as though the Detroit Red Wings were poised to run away with this matchup after outscoring the Toronto Maple Leafs 12- 5 and taking a 2-0 lead series at . However, Toronto bounced back with a vital Game 3 victory thanks in large part to a two-goal effort from Dave Andreychuk at . He scored twice in the opening period and the team held on to its lead to take Game 3, which aired on Sportsnet over the weekend. The big winger was able to carry that momentum into Game 4 and hockey fans can relive that contest Tuesday night with and on the call. Andreychuk was acquired by the Maple Leafs along with Daren Puppa and a first-round draft pick in exchange for and a future fifth- rounder midway through the 1992-93 campaign. Andreychuk had an immediate impact and developed strong chemistry with his new teammates, scoring 25 goals in 31 regular-season games with Toronto. He was frequently the beneficiary of ’s setups. “You trade a Grant Fuhr to Buffalo and get a 50-goal guy in Dave Andreychuk, and all of a sudden you can form your Andreychuk-Gilmour pairing that, for two years, was probably the best pairing in the league,” Wendel Clark recently told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. Andreychuk started Game 4 on a line with Peter Zezel and Gilmour, who won the Selke Trophy that year, finished runner-up to Mario Lemieux in Hart votes and finished seventh in league scoring with 127 points. Andreychuk never had a 100-point season in his 23-year NHL career but finished with back-to-back 99-point efforts when he joined the Maple Leafs. “I played against him in minor hockey, a tournament or two, and then in junior, but you don’t know how good he is until he’s on your team,” Gilmour said of his former linemate in an NHL.com interview. “You get him on your team, there’s respect. The one guy that always stayed on my line was Dave.” After a scoreless first period, Sheldon Kennedy opened the scoring for the Red Wings midway through the second stanza when he scooped up a loose puck in the Leafs end after it took a funny bounce off the glass and fired a shot past Felix Potvin. Andreychuk tied the game 76 seconds later thanks to a perfect shoot-in by . Andreychuk shielded the puck from beautifully and beat Detroit netminder Tim Cheveldae. Mark Osborne put the Leafs ahead a few shifts later and evened things at 2-2 before the action-packed second period ended. Andreychuk earned the game-winner on a nifty wraparound after picking up his own rebound 4:47 into the third period. This was Andreychuk at the peak of his powers and his immense skill and finesse near the net was on display in this series – in particular in Game 4. He scored in Game 5 and again in Game 6 and led the series, which the Leafs won in seven, with six total goals. He stayed hot in the next series against the St. Louis Blues. In fact, Andreychuk had scored 12 goals in 41 career playoff games as a member of the Buffalo Sabres and matched that total in a 12-game stretch with the Maple Leafs in the spring of 1993. Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game. “A lot of times he shot the puck hard on the ice at the goalie’s stick,” said Gilmour, who assisted on the winning goal in Game 4. “Whether it would go underneath it or it would come back to him, he was big enough to get 1174164 Websites It's for fun, but at some point guys get competitive. It was great to meet some guys that you don't usually get a chance to talk to much."

Who's someone you met that you didn’t know before? TSN.CA / Flattered by Olympic projection, patient Jonathan Huberdeau "Pastrnak was our captain and I was sitting beside him so you talk. I look stays focused on playoff race up to Shea Weber. He's been in the league for a lot of years and plays in Montreal so I talked to him and said, 'Maybe next time don't cross-check me in front of the net (chuckle).'" Mark Masters What's a Weber cross-check feel like?

"Well, it's not great. I've had a couple, but that's his game. And, I was just Jonathan Huberdeau's eyes lit up when he saw the projected Team kidding. He plays solid. You just try and become a little more friendly." Canada roster for the 2022 Olympics produced by TSN director of scouting Craig Button last week. The Florida Panthers left winger was Pastrnak seems like a fun guy. What was he like? slotted in on the top line with Edmonton's Connor McDavid and "He was funny. He had a good attitude and why not? He's one of the best Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon. players in the league and he's having a great season. He's so good "A little surprised," Huberdeau admitted with a chuckle. "I don't know if I skills-wise, he's unbelievable, and he was a good guy." can follow these guys. They might be too fast for me. Obviously, two of Had a blast at my first #NHLAllStar game ! Thank you to the the best players in the league so it's really flattering. That would be great @StLouisBlues & city of St. Louis for the hospitality this weekend. See to play for Team Canada. That would be my dream and why not? The everyone in South Florida next year pic.twitter.com/GAq6lHmAVG year 2022, if we can go, that would be my year that I would have a chance." — Jonathan Huberdeau (@JonnyHuby11) January 26, 2020 “We missed out on Crosby and McDavid  in 2018...we cannot miss Florida won six games heading into the all-star break and then struggled out on them in 2022...”@CraigJButton & @GinoRedaTSN look ahead to afterwards going 5-10-3 from the start of February into early March. What #Beijing2022 and what a few of the teams could look like if #NHL players happened? are there: https://t.co/Sy9PMKiT9a#TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/JW80N3hkUo "I don't know what happened. I wish I could tell you, but we weren't playing the same hockey we were before the all-star game. And right — TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) April 24, 2020 before the virus [pause] we had won two in a row and were feeling good and now another break. I feel like every time we get a break it's when Huberdeau wore Canada's colours twice at the World Juniors, winning we're rolling. When we come back we have a lot of games and we just bronze in 2012 and finishing fourth in 2013. The native of Saint-Jerome, got to win them all." Que. feels like he has some unfinished business. One of the games you had left was against the Leafs. You guys won two "You start at the World Juniors and after that the Olympics are the of three meetings with Toronto this season. How did you view the biggest thing," Huberdeau said. "If you go there it's not just hockey it’s matchup? every sport and the parade [of nations], everything about it is great. I always watched. I didn't get the result in World Juniors I wanted so I think "I feel like all our matchups were offensive. We have to tighten up a bit on going to the Olympics would be the greatest thing." defence, because we know they're a really good team offensively, it's crazy. We try to manage their first two lines. The matchup has been Huberdeau has certainly earned his spot among hockey's elite. During good. Every game is exciting, because we're close in the standings and it the last two seasons he has 170 points, which is ninth overall in the went back and forth. That last game would've been fun." National Hockey League just ahead of Steven Stamkos and just behind David Pastrnak. How do you feel about the potential of the season resuming: optimistic, pessimistic or unsure? "It's confidence and consistency," he explained, "that's the big thing. I've been better and more consistent than the other years. But I'm happy with "We got to stay positive and optimistic. My mindset is we're going to play. my career right now and where it's been. I've always gone up in points You got to tell yourself that and make sure you're mentally ready and and I think I elevated my game every year and that's what I want to do. physically you try and stay in shape. We don't know what's going to I'm not satisfied. I want to be better and I work every summer to come happen. There's a lot of plans on the table and it's just about knowing if back and be a better player year over year." we can do it or not." Before he wears the Maple Leaf in international competition, Huberdeau One of the plans is to have teams quarantined in a few select cities, is focused on chasing down the Maple Leafs in the playoff race. The 26- which would mean potentially being away from home for months. Is that year-old is holding out hope the regular season will resume and believes a reasonable scenario? Florida can close a three-point gap with Toronto in the Atlantic Division. "Obviously, it's not the way we would imagine it to be, but if it's the only Huberdeau, the third overall pick in the 2011 draft, spoke with TSN via way we can finish the season then we just got to do it. It's a chance to Zoom on Tuesday and reflected on his first all-star game appearance award the Stanley Cup and that's what we work for the whole year from and revealed the message he's received from coach Joel training camp so if that's what we have to do then we're probably going to Quennevilleduring the season pause. do it." The following is an edited transcript of the interview. — TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) April 28, 2020 Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad says no one in the NHL passes like What have you heard from coach Joel Quenneville since the season was you. Who are some of the playmakers you admire? paused? What's his message? "There's a lot of guys. [Brad] Marchand has pretty good vision, a guy who "To keep your mindset positive that we can come back. I talked to him makes some crazy passes. That line is really good. There's a lot. Kevin twice. He wants us to think we're in a good position, we're only three Hayes is a great passer. It's tough to say now." points out with a lot of games left so whatever happens we got to come back [strong]. The stoppage will be different for every team but, for us, Do you think your patience has grown along with your confidence? we're in it so we got to be ready." "This has been my strength my whole life so I tried to bring that in the This week TSN released its all-time Canadiens team. You grew up a NHL ... Sometimes I'm too patient, but it's not because I'm patient in life Montreal fan, who's your favourite all-time Habs player? (laugh). But on the ice, patience, strength and confidence go together for sure." " is the player I like to watch the most. He was just coming in and taking a slapshot and the goalie, at that time, couldn't stop it. His — Jérôme Bérubé (@Jerome_Berube) January 10, 2020 shot was really powerful and his speed ... they've been playing all the You were having another excellent season and earned an invite to your [old] Montreal games and you can see hockey has changed so much." first all-star game. What is your top memory from that weekend? — TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) April 27, 2020 "Just being with the guys and your family. You can enjoy everybody and You would already be on the all-time Panthers team. This season you everybody is more relaxed. You're playing three-on-three and I really like became the franchise scoring leader. What do you enjoy about playing in the format and that was fun. At the end, in the final the guys tried to win. Florida? "I enjoy a lot of stuff. I mean, the weather is a big thing. All my cars I got them convertible and I like to go top down to the game or practice. On a day off there's a lot of things you can do like go to the beach or sit at home by the pool so the weather is a big factor. When it’s sunny and nice out and you go to the rink you have a different mindset. It’s about bringing a winning team there and this year hopefully we can wind up in the playoffs and do some damage." Video tribute for Jonathan Huberdeau after he passed Olli Jokinen for first place on the Panthers all-time scoring list. #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/37hwk0QIu3 — David Dwork (@DavidDwork) January 13, 2020 TSN.CA LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174165 Websites

TSN.CA / Toronto Maple Leafs D Jake Muzzin says hand injury completely healed

Kristen Shilton

More than two months after Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin broke his hand blocking a shot against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the blueliner is completely healed and anxious to play again if the NHL can resume amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “The hand is doing great; the body is feeling good. I'd say I'm pretty much 100 per cent ready to go,” Muzzin told reporters on a conference call Tuesday. “I’ve been getting treatment, and just working out, trying to stay ready like everyone else. My strength and mobility is all back and we're ready to go.” Since he was injured when the NHL hit pause, Muzzin is one of the few players still allowed to visit team facilities for rehabbing purposes. But it’s been nothing like business as usual in those familiar surroundings. “I was able to come in and get treatment because the finger in the hand wasn't fully healed [when the NHL shutdown],” he said. "There's only two people, three other people here. You have the whole arena to yourself, and it’s kind of an eerie feeling coming in. But I’ve been lucky and fortunate to get the work that was needed done to make sure I healed properly.” A broken foot had already stolen a month of Muzzin’s season before the hand injury sidelined him again. He was also just one day removed from the Leafs announcing he’d signed a four-year, $22.5 million extension with the club, seeing the 31-year-old through to the 2023-24 season. Another broken bone wasn’t exactly how Muzzin wanted to celebrate the news of staying the team he grew up cheering for in Woodstock, Ont. But Muzzin is grateful to not be a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of this league year, whenever or however that may come to be. “We're really fortunate that we got a deal done before all this,” he said. “It's the uncertainty of the unknown that would be in the back of your mind. I don't know if guys are going to get what they think they should get, or if it's going to be fine, or if something is going to drastically change. Maybe you have to structure a deal differently. I think that would all weigh on me, and I think it's going to weigh on some guys.” What’s on Muzzin’s mind now is how the NHL can get going again. He’s been monitoring the various scenarios put forth by the league office about resuming play, including the potential to have hosts cities where each division’s teams would isolate for six weeks or more while the regular season and playoffs finish. That situation has raised concerns about players being forced apart from their families for too long, but Muzzin, a father to one-year-old daughter Luna, maintains there may not be a perfect solution. “I do understand that you may be away from your family for a little bit,” he said. “But for me personally, I've been home for enough weeks now where maybe a few weeks away wouldn't hurt or wouldn't be too big of a deal. But different people and different families are in different situations. So you can see both sides of it. There's the other side, where young guys are ready to play and itching to get back at it, too. So we'll try and figure this thing out the best way we can.” That take-what-comes attitude served Muzzin well in adjusting to Toronto in the first place. After he was acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Kings in January of 2019, Muzzin had to balance a responsibility to his new club with making sure wife Courtney - then pregnant with Luna - could settle easily back into their native Southern Ontario. It took a few months to get comfortable, but Muzzin was confident going into this season that Toronto was the right place for him to be long-term. That sense of home has only been highlighted more over the past seven weeks that Muzzin has spent isolating, getting in plenty of family time while waiting on a return to normalcy. “Coming into the year, we had gotten over the initial shock of being traded and being in a new city and we were growing some roots here. I feel like we've done that and we're excited for the next four years,” Muzzin said. “The direction the team is going, the personnel, the people, the organization, and the buzz in the city itself, we wanted to be here, and we felt the team wanted for me to be here and I'm glad.” TSN.CA LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174166 Websites A significant bloc of players might prefer to conclude the season now without a champion and focus on picking up next season in November.

Then there is still another bloc that is likely hungry to hoist Lord Stanley’s TSN.CA / NHL players begin to voice concern over restart chalice, knowing that opportunities are far and few between, and some others that see the financial ramifications clearly if play does not resume.

“We have to play,” one NHL player said Tuesday. “This is too much Frank Seravalli money to miss out on. This is messy. I know other players aren’t going to want to leave their families, but we have to come to an agreement to play. If we don’t play, the billion dollars lost is going to come back to Montreal Canadiens centre Phillip Danault said on Tuesday what he says haunt us for a long time.” other NHL players have been thinking as the league continues to plan for TSN.CA LOADED: 04.29.2020 a season restart. “Some players could be away from their families for three to four months and I think that’s way too much,” Danault said on a call with reporters. “I’m not the only one thinking like that, I’m sure. “I can’t make sense of it in my mind.” Danault, who voiced his opinion with his toddler son playing in the background, is far from alone. It’s been one of the worst-kept secrets in hockey – that through all of this, one hurdle to a return might be the players themselves – and the whispers have only grown louder since word broke last week that the NHL is considering forging forward with players reporting to centralized sites to resume the season and beyond into the Stanley Cup playoffs in a relative bubble. Any plan to return to play that the NHL concocts will have to be agreed upon by the NHL Players’ Association. “If the players have a say on it via a vote, I’m not sure that it will be a positive one,” Danault said. So far, most of the players who have publicly poured cold water on a return to the ice for the 2019-20 campaign have one thing in common: their team is outside of the playoff picture, like Danault’s Habs. “It wouldn’t even be like winning a real Stanley Cup,” Los Angeles defenceman Drew Doughty said on April 13, while fully admitting that he would have a different opinion if his Kings were in the mix instead of 28th overall in the standings. “Every player is going to think selfishly,” Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher said last week. “If [playing this summer] is going to interfere with our ability to prepare for [2020-21] where we have a chance, I’d rather continue my training. If it’s a situation where you have a chance to play and they extend the playoff bracket, obviously, then I’d be all for it.” But even players on likely playoff-bound NHL teams have privately expressed the same concerns as Danault. Would the drive or incentive be the same for, say, a three-time Cup champion on the Pittsburgh Penguins to come back and compete this summer? What about players from teams like the Kings, Ottawa Senators or Detroit Red Wings, who are so far out of the mix that they’ve already been mathematically eliminated from contention? That remains to be seen. One possible solution might be to build in schedule breaks that would allow teams to return to their city to be with family for a period of time, but that could also further open players to contact with COVID-19 and increase the risk of an outbreak among the player population when they return. There are so many hurdles and potential setbacks. Those viewpoints will be well represented on the joint NHL-NHLPA Return to Play committee. It includes five players – Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk, Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele, Toronto’s John Tavares and Ottawa’s Ron Hainsey – representing teams that run the standings gamut. The only constituency missing is a European perspective, with many players having only recently decided to return home to Europe. The Oilers, Flyers and Maple Leafs are likely playoff-bound; the Jets are squarely on the bubble; and the Senators have their sights set on the Draft Lottery format more than the regular season schedule. If the NHL can indeed find a way to resume the 2019-20 season, it’s likely to test the resolve of players in a way we haven’t seen in some time. They have already received 93 per cent of their gross pay for the regular season, there is no more money that will directly hit their pockets for the playoffs and the plan to resume play is likely to be very limiting in both family time and arena atmosphere. 1174167 World Leagues News "There is a slight risk, I suppose, from the Premier League's point of view that it sort of implies that getting the money in is more important than the fans, so we have to manage that aspect of public perception as well." Coronavirus: Sport should start again 'from bottom up not top down' Tokyo 2020 could still happen without a vaccine Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said on Tuesday that the Games By Laura Scott would be "scrapped" if they could not go ahead in their new dates starting on 23 July 2021.

Some health experts have cast doubt on whether the Games could be Sports should return from the "bottom-up not the top-down" when the held next summer without a vaccine or effective drugs to treat Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown lifts, according to a public health adviser to the being found. World Health Organisation. McCloskey, who advises the International Olympic Committee on public Dr Brian McCloskey, former public health director for London 2012, said health matters, said that was "vastly premature". community sport could be the first type of sport to return - but "bigger events will be a challenge this summer". "We've got 15 months to go. A vaccine would be critical and there is a very good chance we will have one before we get to Tokyo in 2021," he Professional and semi-professional leagues and competitions, grassroots said. and amateur sports have been suspended since the middle of March. "It's a matter, again, of looking at the risks and deciding can you make Major sports including football, rugby, cricket and horse racing are them low enough to be acceptable? Vaccine changes it completely, meeting government medical experts this week to discuss plans to makes it much safer, much easier but even without a vaccine it is still resume action. possible to do it." However, in men's football, for example, levels five to eight have already BBC Sport LOADED: 04.29.2020 ended their seasons early - while talks continue about restarting the Premier League and football league in June. McCloskey considers it "much easier" to see how a local sports club or ground could reopen safely, perhaps in late spring or early summer, but cast doubt on sport higher up the pyramid. "The bigger the match, the bigger the competition the more complicated those mitigating actions will have to be and therefore the less likely it is that they can be done safely," he told BBC Sport. "So an event that involves lots of travel across the country or between countries, much more complicated to see how that happens. A local event, community football, community running, much easier to see how that happens. Bigger events will be a challenge this summer." 'Scrap Tokyo Games rather than delay again' Other sports, including Olympic and Paralympic sports, have also been involved in separate discussions with Government about financial assistance and restart plans. Meanwhile, Sport England has launched a £20m Community Emergency Fund to assist grassroots sports groups, £8m of which has already been allocated. 'Starting locally - like Park Runs' McCloskey said he thinks that sports such as marathon-running or tennis should start off at local level, before increasing in numbers and scale. The London Marathon was one of a number of spring marathons to be postponed until the autumn. "If you look at something like road running, if we go back to Park Runs, you could start those because they don't involve a lot of travel around the country, involve local communities, you can manage how it's done and in doing that you can learn how marshalling can help with social distancing in a run," he said. "That then helps you work out 'how can I do a city marathon?', and ultimately 'how can I get the London Marathon and Boston Marathon back up again?'." Football's restart plans? The Premier League is hoping to resume the season on 8 June, as part of a plan dubbed "Project Restart". McCloskey said "it is possible" that will be achieved but that contact sports such as football and rugby are "more difficult" in terms of trying to reduce risks. Fifa's medical chief Michel D'Hooghe said he was sceptical about whether football could resume, and warned it could bring "life and death consequences". McCloskey warned that, although behind-closed-doors football would remove the risk of crowds transmitting the virus, there remained a risk regarding public perception. "Not having big crowds going into and out of a stadium will make it easier to manage the risk but you still have to work out how they get all of the officials in there, how you get the players in there, the trainers, the TV cameras, but obviously with smaller numbers it is easier to keep people separated and get them in and out easier. So that may be a way. 1174168 World Leagues News contribution of $4 million. He nominated San Diego store Carlsbad Pipelines, his first skate shop sponsor, as a recipient.

Life under lockdown has been like "Groundhog Day" for Hawk, who lives Skateboard legend Tony Hawk on the impact of coronavirus: 'I have lost with his wife Catherine Goodman and four of their children. "It's kind of a a lot of business' nice change for us. So, I feel very lucky in that, you know, where we have an excuse however strange, that we get to see them more often," he said. Lucy Handley Skateboarder Tony Hawk performs a trick as his role as an ambassador for shoe company Vans.

Vans Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk might be famous for his mid-air flips and gravity-defying tricks, but like many people, he's now having to pull He also has an eye on creating a best trick event at the skating facility he off business pivots on the ground as lockdowns have put the lid on travel. has at home — abiding by social-distancing guidelines. "It would mean that each person would skate individually and try to do their best trick in a Hawk, who shot to fame in 1999 when he landed a 900, a highly certain amount of time. And then we would do a voting process. That's … technical two-and-a-half revolution aerial spin that was broadcast on basically my next move right now," he told CNBC. ESPN, generates income from his skate brand Birdhouse as well as speaking appearances, sponsorships and Activision video game Known as a business legend as well as a sporting one, he has this franchise "Pro Skater." advice for entrepreneurs trying to do business during the coronavirus crisis: "My best advice is to stay the course. You know, there is definitely "I honestly have lost a lot of business recently. I do a lot of skate events light at the end of the tunnel. It seems further away than ever. But also, and a lot of speaking engagements. And really a lot of that's my bread maybe get creative with your business or with your skill set." and butter. So, they've all been obviously canceled," stated Hawk, who spoke to CNBC on the phone from his San Diego, California home. Is attempting another 900 part of Hawk's desire to get creative? His last was in 2016, aged 48, a stunt that he filmed for his Ride YouTube "We were supposed to be on tour in Australia right now, actually. And I channel. "That is really hard for me to plan. It usually happens was going from one speaking gig to another, straight to Australia and spontaneously, so never say never. I mean, if I were in the right situation then back (to the U.S.) for other speaking gigs. So that's all gone, and and I was feeling loose and I had the right kind of ramp set up, maybe I'd (I've) just been trying to figure out how to stay productive and how to do it. But it's just it's harder than ever," he said. keep my office employed because I have about 12 people employed," he said. CNBC LOADED: 04.29.2020 Hawk, whose net worth is reported to be $140 million, was due to appear in Sydney and Melbourne this month and then head to do a keynote at the Association for Financial Professionals conference in Las Vegas, an event that has been rescheduled for October. Instead, he's been busy autographing prints to raise money for his foundation, participating in celebrity auction the "All In Challenge" for those affected by Covid-19 and playing old versions of his video game, as well as staying business- focused. "(I've been) just trying to figure out new ways to stay in business. I mean, just in terms of revenue streams or opportunities, different collaborations with brands maybe that I had never worked with before and still trying to plan for the future," Hawk said. Birdhouse, the skateboard company he set up in 1992 that sells a range of boards and fashion items, has taken a hit. "We do get stuff manufactured here (in the U.S.), we get it manufactured in China and Mexico and we're having to scramble to find sourcing. So, it's not been that the sales are down, it's that they're delayed. We just can't deliver on time," Hawk told CNBC. One initiative that is going ahead is his role as the global ambassador for skate shoe Vans, a collaboration announced earlier this month with a brand he first started wearing in 1978, when he begged his father for a pair. "If you were going to be identified as a skater, you wanted to wear Vans, and skating came to define my life. And so through my early years, there was only Vans. And through the years, obviously I went to different shoe sponsors and (had) different connections. But I always respected Vans for staying true to the core and skating no matter what," he told CNBC by phone. Hawk has been a commentator for Vans Park Series, a skateboarding competition that has been running for five seasons, since 2019. Now that events planned for Paris and Montreal have been canceled, fans can still expect Hawk to appear in Vans' social media posts and videos. "Obviously, I'd much rather be doing more public appearances on behalf of Vans right now. And I wish things were better for everyone financially so that we could really take advantage of this partnership in terms of the types of events … that we were going for, because that was a big part of my deal was to produce some skate events," Hawk stated. Vans, owned by VF Corp, isn't disclosing the value of its sponsorship. "We've never taken the route to have celebrity endorsements for commercial opportunities. We've always done right for the culture (of skateboarding)," according to Bobby Gascon, director of global marketing for action sports at Vans, who spoke to CNBC by phone. Hawk is also involved in Foot the Bill, an initiative set up by Vans that sees small skate stores create custom-designed shoes, with the footwear company letting those businesses keep the net proceeds up to a total 1174169 World Leagues News "I've clearly stated my views that it's a salutary lesson to everybody involved that … complying with the law appropriately, but also in the circumstances of COVID-19, is going to be really important. NRL's return threatened by players' breach of coronavirus social "Because if people don't, it will jeopardise the opportunity for us to distancing, Sport Minister says participate in sport and for the codes to recommence." NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined in the criticism, condemning the players' lack of social distancing. A view across an empty rugby league venue on a sunny day on the Gold Coast. "We always base any decision on health advice and on the ability of an organisation to stick to that health advice," Ms Berejiklian said on The NRL wants to get rugby league restarted by the end of May — but Wednesday. that could depend on player behaviour.(AAP: Dave Hunt) "We are in a pandemic. It's life and death. You might forego your own NRL players guilty of breaking social-distancing laws have put the safety, but to compromise someone else's safety, that's inexcusable. league's planned return to action at risk, according to the Federal Sport Minister. "All of us are making huge sacrifices to protect other people. Key points: "And if that doesn't occur — if we don't know that's the intent — that will of course come into our decision-making, to the extent that it [the season The NRL wants to restart its 2020 season — suspended due to the restart] is our decision. coronavirus pandemic — on May 28 " We cannot afford to take chances or endorse any risky behaviour in a The league's bold bid to resume its competition copped a major blow this situation where lives could be lost because of a flagrant breach of a rule." week when three of its stars were fined for flouting social-distancing rules. Acting NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said the league was "working day and night" to get the competition restarted. Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr ($50,000 each) and Nathan Cleary ($10,000) were also slapped with suspended fines by the NRL for "Any setback is a setback for all of us as a game, but I'm not concerned bringing the game into disrepute. about this particular issue derailing any of those discussions," Abdo said. The incidents gave critics ammunition to question the league's ability to "The players know that if they step out of line between now and the follow strict protocol measures required to relaunch its season. competition starting, or once the competition has started, they'll be letting their teammates and the competition down. And that's a significant Coronavirus update: Follow the latest news in our daily wrap. penalty." Federal Youth and Sport Minister Richard Colbeck told the ABC the The league took a major step towards its resumption on Tuesday after penalties handed down were "very significant". agreeing with broadcasters to a 20-round restructured season. "I think the NRL needed to take very decisive action because clearly they The next step will be for the NRL innovations committee to meet on have some submission in front of government with respect to the Wednesday and configure the details around the make-up of a new draw. management of the league restarting again, and players complying with the protocols they put in place will be critical to the success of that," he What the experts are saying about coronavirus: said. There is precedent for Chinese officials engaging in so-called 'boycott "I think it's important they send a strong message that they're serious diplomacy', which links political disputes to specific consumer responses about compliance with protocols and I think the penalties clearly do that." on the mainland Mr Colbeck was asked whether the players' failure to follow the rules In Canberra, thoughts have turned to what would happen if either Papua indicated the NRL had a problem with operating under physical- New Guinea or Indonesia plunged into chaos distancing rules. The final hurdle will be on Friday, when the National Cabinet meets to "It's a matter that depends on the performance and the activities of the outline the return of elite and community sport in the country. [NRL] players," he said. The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) is in You can also get up-to-date information on the Federal Government's charge of providing recommendations to the Federal Government Coronavirus Australia app, available on the App Store, Google Play and regarding health protocols. the Government's WhatsApp channel. Mr Colbeck said the NRL's issues this week would be a factor. "My view would be that the players have put all that at risk by their "All the issues in the public arena will be considered a part of that," he actions. said. "That's why it is important that the NRL has taken the action it has to "The important thing is that people are prepared to comply with the send a strong message. It's not acceptable." protocols in place and we need a demonstration that will be complied NSW police issued both Mitchell and Addo-Carr $1,000 infringement with. notices for breaching COVID-19 measures last weekend. "Let's hope we can get through this [the pandemic], get some protocols A third player, Tyronne-Roberts Davis, was fined for the same incident. agreed and get sport moving again. Mitchell and Addo-Carr have also been charged with firearm offences "I think that's really important and once we get through the process of the after the latter uploaded videos of him shooting a gun on social media. AHPPC and National Cabinet, that will set the framework to do just that." A group of 12 men in front of a camp fire LOADED: 04.29.2020 A camping trip to mid-north NSW resulted in big fines for NRL players including Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr.(Instagram: Josh Addo- Carr) Coronavirus questions answered An illustration of a cell on an orange background with the word 'coronacast' overlayed. Breaking down the latest news and research to understand how the world is living through an epidemic, this is the ABC's Coronacast podcast. "It's obviously a serious charge. They will be appropriately dealt with by the courts as they should be," Mr Colbeck said. 1174170 World Leagues News

After 'damaging' delay to stop sports, UK tries to restart

By: The Associated PressPosted at 3:37 PM, Apr 28, 2020 and last updated 2020-04-28 15:37:11-04

Arsenal has reopened part of its training ground for players to run alone as the English Premier League accelerates planning for "Project Restart" with the British government. It comes amid increased scrutiny of Downing Street downplaying the potential for sports to exacerbate the coronavirus outbreak seven weeks ago. It took Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea player Callum Hudson-Odoi testing positive for COVID-19 on March 12 for the league to be suspended. But that week 60,000 people attended each day of the Cheltenham horse racing festival and Liverpool hosted around 3,000 Spanish fans when Atletico Madrid played at Anfield. Now the decision to allow sports to restart will be informed by experts who said there was "no rationale" to closing them down in the first place. LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174171 World Leagues News A separate new study from Aarhus University, in Denmark, looking at how much exposure players would have to a single infected player on the field, showed that, on average, a player is positioned within an 'exposure zone' for one minute and 28 seconds during a match. New research says players at risk of coronavirus spread to lungs On Tuesday, the World Players Association, which represents some 85,000 athletes from different sports in over 60 countries, said competitors should not be rushed back to action. By Simon Evans “At the moment there is a lot of pressure from the leagues on all continents to resume,” WPA Executive Director Brendan Schwab told MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Research from Germany and Italy Reuters in an interview. suggests that footballers and other athletes face a particular risk of the “The players can only agree to that (return) if they know that their coronavirus infecting their lungs, raising major questions over attempts to interests will be protected. " restart professional soccer. Soccer's global players' union FIFPro has also urged caution. The research, produced by Italian immunologists and lung specialists based at institutes in , Rome and Verona, suggests that due to “We need guidance and protocols on how to return in a healthy and safe strenuous exercise, elite athletes are more likely to inhale virus particles manner. Football is a contact sport and we feel very high protection and direct them to the lower areas of the lung. standards are required,” said FIFPro secretary general Jonas Baer- Hoffmann. COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, can cause lung damage and complications such as pneumonia and, in severe cases, WHTC LOADED: 04.29.2020 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The preprint paper https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202004.0436/v1, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, also suggests that athletes who are asymptomatic could make their condition worse by infecting their lungs during strenuous exertion. Soccer has ground to a halt in all major leagues in Europe and none have yet to resume. European soccer's governing body UEFA has set a May 25 deadline for leagues to outline their plans to re-start. Leagues, governing bodies and clubs, however, have said they will only return when play is safe and that they will take medical advice. In their paper: "The First, Comprehensive Immunological Model of COVID-19", Paolo Matricardi, Roberto Dal Negro and Roberto Nisini raise questions over the safety of playing while the virus remains at large. "The pattern of breathing during strenuous exercise changes dramatically by a tremendous increase of ventilation (i.e.: inspiratory and expiratory volumes of air), and of alveolar ventilation in particular," the authors state. "Professional athletes (are) particularly exposed (much more than individuals of common population) due to their frequent practice of extreme and long-lasting exercise." The researchers state that the "ideal lungs" of athletes, while helpful in normal conditions, significantly favour the deep inhalation of infectious agents. "Even the SARS-CoV-2 can then spread more easily to the deepest areas of the lungs during strenuous exercise, and there start its aggressive action," they said. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the name given to the 2019 novel coronavirus. COVID-19 is the name given to the disease associated with the virus. "Not by chance, a great proportion of professional football players claimed the occurrence of fever, dry cough and malaise (and dyspnea in some cases) immediately after, or a few hours following their last official match," note the authors. ASYMPTOMATIC ATHLETES Adding to the dangers, the research says that players who have the virus but do not show symptoms, could make their condition worse by allowing the virus to move from their upper to lower airways. Asymptomatic but infected athletes could exhale or eliminate aerosolised particles that may contain viruses which are then re-inhaled. "These droplets or aerosol might be re-inhaled and facilitate the spread of the virus from the upper to the lower airways," the paper states. The authors also look at the risk of the virus being transmitted during a game. "In sports where many athletes are in close contact, such as team sports or marathons, the same particles have high chances to be inhaled by other athletes, facilitating viral transmission. "To emphasize that strenuous exercise induces a much more frequent spitting of secretions and this can further contribute to the environmental SARS-CoV-2 spreading, particularly if the distancing recommendations are not strictly followed." 1174172 World Leagues News known during the current wave of uncertainty. Among other initiatives, they’ve sent players resource guides loaded with a variety of information including podcast and book recommendations, to notes on how to effectively spend one’s time. Mental wellness and health is another are of NBA Players Are Going Back to School During the Coronavirus Crisis focus. Galloway says that NBA’s “new age of players” is unique because of the wide range of off-court interests and curiosities that players have. Taylor Ben Pickman notes that he sees the breadth of activities that players are currently taking part in as a further reflection of the era. Golden State Warriors guard Chasson Randle says he’s comfortable “We know that there are untold stories of our guys that really recognize working anywhere. In the context of basketball, that’s meant playing that basketball is what they do, it’s not who they are,” he says. “That they professionally in the Czech Republic, Spain and China. He’s also are actually committed to developing all kinds of skills and life bounced between the NBA and G League, spending time with the 76ers, experiences and really being the same life-long learners that everybody Knicks, Wizards and now, Warriors. But in the midst of the coronavirus else is in the world.” pandemic, he’s also finding a way to be productive in every nook-and- “We’re only guaranteed the day that we get, so every day I’m trying to cranny of his girlfriend’s one-bedroom Bay Area apartment. pick up information,” Randle says of his mindset. In addition to his physical workouts, Randle, a Stanford graduate, is The Warriors’ guard is in a unique circumstance compared to many of his stretching himself academically as he studies everywhere from his peers. Randle spent most of the 2019-20 NBA season in China, playing girlfriend Terilyn’s desk to sitting on the floor to utilizing their kitchen with the Tianjin Pioneers. He left after the CBA suspended its season counter. Randle recently completed an online course called “Fashion during its Lunar New Year break, leaving swiftly in an effort to ensure he Essentials,” offered by Yellowbrick, a digital platform that works with wasn’t stuck in the country if global borders tightened. universities and industry experts and offers short-term classes that happen to be strongly linked to NBA player interests. In early March, Golden State signed Randle to a 10-day contract. And while Randle says he “tried to run from” the coronavirus, the NBA Randle is not alone in enrolling in the program. More than 35 NBA suspended its season and established a league a memorandum in mid- players—including names such as Andre Drummond, Lou Williams and March not long after he returned. Zach Collins—have joined him and are taking classes with Yellowbrick, doing so in a range of topics such as “Fundamentals of Global Sports Randle has just a single day left on his first contract with the club. He Management,” “Music Industry Essentials,” “Sneaker Essentials” and adds that while he’s in regular contact with members of the Warriors, “Streetwear Essentials.” Along with their Yellowbrick partnership, the there are currently no guarantees about any future deals. “I’ve become NBA also recently offered a MasterClass subscription to its players, used to living day-by-day,” he says. “As things go, I’m just going with it.” giving them access to hundreds of video lessons from top experts across a wide range of industries. (As an example of the quality of MasterClass Randle finished his undergraduate degree at Stanford in his just three instructors, Stephen Curry teaches a class on shooting where he also years, majoring in African and African-American Studies. He started his offers in-game execution tips). Master’s Degree in Psychology during his fourth year in Palo Alto, but only finished around three-fourths of it before he started preparing for the Other players have taken advantage of the academic and business world 2015 NBA draft. in more individual ways. Nets forward Garrett Temple, for instance, is currently studying for his LSAT; Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum has His thesis was on improving juvenile offenders’ re-entry into school spent time working on his real estate portfolio; and Raptors guard systems. However, he’s also looking into getting into the real estate. Norman Powell is both brushing up on his sign language and learning Fashion is another of Randle’s passions, which made Yellowbrick’s Spanish through online courses, to name just a few. “Fashion Essentials” class something that peaked his interest. The courses are self-directed and many are designed to be completed in a “We’re excited about the number of guys that are really utilizing this time six-to-12-week period. But Randle recently finished it in just under three in a serious way and thinking about their life outside of basketball,” says weeks, working on a range of assignments that included designing Greg Taylor, the NBA’s senior vice president of player development. products to sourcing fabrics. “I was locked in,” he says. “Just nothing to do, nowhere to go. So I’m like, ‘Hey, I might as well do this and hash it Galloway was the NBA’s first known player to enroll in the Yellowbrick out.’’” program that so many of his peers are now taking. He and a cousin discovered it last year when they were looking to get involved in short- This August, he plans on launching his clothing brand named “Volhard,” term programs that could provide a long-term educational impact. The which loosely translates to the Dutch word for perseverance. It will reflect Saint Joseph’s graduate enrolled in its “Sneaker Essentials” class and not only his own story, but also the stories of others. “I think it’s says he benefited from its self-directed, relaxed pacing. He finished the something that’s definitely universal,” he says of its theme, adding that its course last year, obtaining his certificate of completion from New York’s initial collection will be modeled after the African Ndebele tribe’s Fashion Institute of Technology, and started telling others, including “perseverance through colonialism.” those within the league office, of it shortly after. His basketball journey has been a global whirlwind, with the NBA’s Taylor describes the Pistons guard as a “bonafide sneakerhead,” stoppage being another variable. He’s grateful, though, for the meaning that Galloway’s recommendation of the program came as a experiences he’s been apart of and the knowledge of he’s accumulated “real level of endorsement.” The 28-year-old guard says it’s beneficial for along the way. people of all ages, especially those who might not be able to obtain four- year degrees. Just last month, Galloway partnered with the company to “With this time I wanted to make sure that I was learning something,” launch a scholarship to help others take part in the program free of Randle says. “Giving myself an opportunity to keep expanding, to keep charge and expose students to information about fashion, sports and growing.” sneakers. LOADED: 04.29.2020 Throughout the NBA’s hiatus, the Pistons guard is continuing to get his “LG Kicks” brand off the ground. Galloway’s wife, Sabrina, has pushed him to continue working on his business plan for the brand. He’ll be a sneaker free agent this summer and is looking forward to continuing to make headway with the industry. In recent weeks, Galloway also taken part in a number of calls with venture capitalists and he enrolled in an National Academy of Sports Medicine course to become a certified trainer. “Just using your platform to the best of your abilities and not taking it for granted,” he says of all his activity. Keeping his soon-to-be two-year-old son, Langston Jr., busy is another task he’s been juggling throughout workouts and all the aforementioned learning. Amid the countless challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor says his team at the NBA offices sees the league’s sudden break as an opportunity to “deepen what has been our ongoing work in player development.” Throughout the calendar year, they routinely provide players with guides and resources, but they wanted to make more things 1174173 World Leagues News

Baseball can help coronavirus-hit nation recover: Cal Ripken Jr.

By Blair ShiffFOXBusiness

Hall of Fame MLB player Cal Ripken Jr. talks about launching the Strike Out Hunger campaign with Feeding America to help families affected by coronavirus, how others can donate to help and what it will take for sports to return.video Hall of Fame MLB player Cal Ripken Jr. talks about launching the Strike Out Hunger campaign with Feeding America to help families affected by coronavirus, how others can donate to help and what it will take for sports to return. Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here. Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. believes one of the many ways America can heal its post-coronavirus world is by bringing back baseball. When coronavirus hit America, nearly every sports fan worried about what would happen to their beloved sport. The 2020 season was originally scheduled to begin on March 26. Major League Baseball joined other U.S. sports leagues in suspending league activities in mid-March in order to comply with shelter-in-place orders and bans on mass gatherings. While Americans might lament the loss of baseball games, the NCAA tournament, The Masters and countless other sporting events put on hold or canceled during the pandemic, Ripken had a bit of perspective to share with them. On Tuesday, he recalled to FOX Business' Connell McShane what it was like going into his final year playing in the majors. The year was 2001. "I was able to witness the recovery after 9/11," Ripken remembered on FOX Business' "After the Bell." "I was stumbling to the end, emotionally kind of spent, because I was saying goodbye for my last time. 9/11 hit and then perspective said, 'OK, you know, how is baseball really that important?'" He said the perspective he gained after that tragic event showed him what's really important in life. "Baseball, at that time, played a huge role in the normalcy or the comfort of something that we could hold on to and to know that everything was going to be all right," Ripken reminisced. "So I know that sports plays that role. And I know in particular baseball does." Ripken reminded everyone how baseball fans wake up every day, wondering what happened the night before, which makes it almost a part of their daily routines. "It's part of how we go about our normal lives, and I think that's the important part about getting baseball back, is to give us some semblance of what normal used to be," Ripken said. Atlanta Braves fan Philip Wolfe discusses the possibility of the MLB suspending its season over coronavirus fears.Video He is hopeful baseball will return soon "in some form or some shape" since it's such a pastime for America. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM MLB has yet to officially cancel any games and still plans to reschedule postponed dates once the public health situation allows. The league is exploring multiple scenarios to play out the full 162-game schedule this year, including the possibility of sending all teams to play games in Arizona or Florida and extending the season deeper into the fall. President Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci have each suggested that U.S. sports will likely resume without fans in attendance at games. FOX News LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174174 World Leagues News * New seasons in the Chinese, Japanese and South Korean leagues were postponed.

* Asian Champions League: Matches involving Chinese clubs Sports Events Around the World Hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG were postponed. The start of the knockout rounds was moved back to September. By Reuters * The Asian Football Confederation on April 14 postponed all matches and competitions scheduled for May-June until further notice.

* The Brazilian football Confederation suspended all national (Reuters) - Major sports events around the world that have been hit by competitions until further notice. the COVID-19 pandemic: * Semi-finals of the CAF Champions league (May 1-3) and CAF OLYMPICS Confederation Cup (May 8-10) were postponed. * The postponed Tokyo Olympic Games will now begin on July 23, 2021 * This year's International Champions Cup, a pre-season tournament and run until Aug. 8. featuring Europe's top clubs, was cancelled. * World Athletics has suspended Olympic qualification until December. OTHER SPORTS PARALYMPICS ATHLETICS The postponed Paralympic Games will run from Aug. 24-Sep. 5, 2021. * The World Athletics Championships scheduled for 2021 in Eugene, OLYMPIC TRIALS Oregon have been postponed to the summer of 2022 because of the Olympic Games rescheduling. * U.S. trials for wrestling (April 4-5) were postponed. * The Diamond League, the elite track and field competition, was forced * U.S. Rowing postponed its team trials. to postpone events in seven cities scheduled between April and June. * U.S. diving trials (April 3-5) were postponed. All USA Diving events * The World Athletics Indoor Championships (Nanjing, March 13-15) postponed for next 30 days. were postponed. They will be held in the same city from March 19-21, 2021. WORLD GAMES * The London, Paris and Barcelona marathons were postponed. * The 2021 World Games have been pushed back by a year to avoid clashing with the Olympics. AUSTRALIAN RULES COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT * The Australian Football League's attempt to forge on with the season despite the virus outbreak lasted one round before it was shut down on * The Court of Arbitration for Sport said all cases were being put on hold March 22. until May. No in-person hearings will be held before May 1. BADMINTON NORTH AMERICA * The Badminton World Federation (BWF) cancelled the last five * The NBA suspended its season. tournaments in the qualification period for the Olympics. * The NHL suspended its season. * The Indonesia Open (June 16-21) was among a host of events that * The MLB further delayed its 2020 season's opening day of March 26. have been cancelled while tournaments over the next three months were also suspended in Australia, Thailand and Russia. * Boston Marathon organisers postpone the race from April 20 to Sept. 14. * The U.S. Open, set to be held from June 23-28 in California, was suspended. * The Women's National Basketball Association postponed the start of its 2020 regular season, originally scheduled to run from May 15-Sept. 20. BASEBALL SOCCER * The final qualification tournament in Taiwan for the Olympics was put back from April to June 17-21, while the March 22-26 qualification event * Euro 2020 and Copa America were both postponed. The two in Arizona was postponed. tournaments will now be staged from June 11 to July 11, 2021. BASKETBALL * FIFA has agreed to delay the first edition of its revamped Club World Cup due to be held in 2021. * The International Basketball Federation postponed the men's Olympic qualifiers, European Championship and the Americas Championship by a * UEFA put all club and national team competitions for men and women year. on hold until further notice. BOXING * The men's and women's Champions League finals and Europa League final originally scheduled for May have been postponed. * Anthony Joshua's world heavyweight title defence against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur's stadium on June 20 was * Europe's top leagues remain suspended but German Bundesliga clubs postponed. have returned to training with tight restrictions in anticipation of the season restarting on May 9. CRICKET * French professional soccer will not be allowed to return before * The Indian Premier League, originally suspended until April 15, has September. The French football league is expected to decide in May on been postponed indefinitely. exactly how to end Ligue 1's season. * The last two games of Australia's three-match one-day international * The Scottish Premiership remains suspended but the second, third and series against New Zealand in Sydney and Hobart were cancelled while fourth tiers have ended their seasons. the limited-overs tours were postponed. * South America's two biggest club competitions, the Copa Libertadores * The boards of India and South Africa agreed to reschedule a three- and Copa Sudamericana, were suspended until at least May 5. match ODI series to a later date. * CONCACAF suspended all competitions, including the Champions * England's test series against Sri Lanka and West Indies were League and men's Olympic qualifiers. postponed. The England and Wales Cricket Board extended the suspension of the professional game in the country until July 1. * U.S. suspended its season. * South Africa's limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka that was scheduled to take * Asian and South American qualifying matches for 2022 World Cup were place in June has been postponed. postponed. * Australia's proposed test tour of Bangladesh in June has been postponed. CYCLING SWIMMING * The Tour de France that was due to be held from June 27-July 19 has * The 2020 European Aquatics Championships scheduled to take place been postponed to Aug. 29-Sept 20. from May 11-24 in Budapest, Hungary, has been postponed to August. * The final two stages of the UAE Tour were cancelled after two Italian TENNIS participants tested positive. * The Wimbledon championships were cancelled for the first time since * The Paris-Nice cycling race ended a day early after the eighth stage World War Two while professional tennis has been suspended until July into Nice was cancelled. 13. * The Giro d'Italia, the Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Tour * The French Open was postponed until Sept. 20-Oct. 4. de Yorkshire Race were postponed. * The Fed Cup finals (Budapest; April 14-19) were postponed. GOLF WINTER SPORTS * The Masters, PGA Championships and U.S. Open were postponed while the Open Championships was cancelled. * The International Ski Federation cancelled the final races of the men's Alpine skiing World Cup. * The European Tour cancelled the BMW International Open (June 25- 28) and the Open de France (July 2-5). The Scottish Open (July 9-12) * The World Cup finals in Cortina were cancelled along with the last three was postponed. The Tour had postponed or cancelled events scheduled women's races in Are. between March and May. * The women's world ice hockey championships in Canada were HORSE RACING cancelled. * The Grand National festival (April 2-4) was cancelled while the * The Ice Hockey World Championship scheduled for Switzerland in May Kentucky Derby, the first jewel in North American horse racing's Triple was cancelled. Crown (May 2) was postponed to Sept. 5. * The speed skating world championships in Seoul were postponed until * The Dubai World Cup, one of the world's richest horse races and a at least October. premier annual sporting event in the United Arab Emirates, will not go * The March 16-22 world figure skating championships in Montreal were ahead this year. cancelled. * The Guineas Festival at Newmarket in May and June's Epsom Derby * The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) has cancelled the remainder of have been postponed while June's Royal Ascot may be held without its season after temporarily suspending its playoffs. spectators. (Compiled by Shrivathsa Sridhar, Rohith Nair, Hardik Vyas and Simon * British horse racing will remain suspended beyond April with no new Jennings in Bengaluru, Amy Tennery in New York, Andrew Both in Cary, date set for ending the suspension. Robert Muller in Prague, Gene Cherry in Raleigh and Frank Pingue in MOTORSPORT Toronto; Editing by London editing team) * Seven Formula One races were postponed while Grands Prix in LOADED: 04.29.2020 Australia, Monaco and France were cancelled. F1 hopes to start the delayed season in Austria in July without spectators before ending in Abu Dhabi in December. * A factory shutdown for Formula One teams and engine makers was extended for a second time to a period of 63 consecutive days, with the extension running potentially into June. * The first round of the MotoGP season in Qatar was cancelled while races scheduled until July have been postponed. * NASCAR postponed all race events through May 3 but intends to run all 36 races this season. * The Le Mans 24 hours race was postponed from June 13-14 to Sept. 19-20. * The Indianapolis 500 has been postponed until Aug. 23. RUGBY * Four Six Nations matches were postponed. * France's rugby federation suspended all its competitions and will not be allowed to return until September. * The European rugby season was suspended after European Professional Club Rugby postponed Champions Cup and Challenge Cup quarter-final matches (April 3-5). * The semi-final and final of this season's Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments, which were due to take place in Marseille in May, have been postponed. * England's Rugby Football Union and Wales' governing body confirmed the end of the 2019-20 season for all league, cup and county rugby, but the English Premiership has been excluded. * Super Rugby suspended its season. SNOOKER * The World Snooker Championship, originally scheduled to begin on April 18, will start on July 31 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. SURFING * The World Surfing League extended the postponement of events through June while also announcing a major overhaul for future tours, with details on a post-season surf-off to be announced in July. 1174175 World Leagues News

Report: MLB allows teams to refund tickets for games missed due to coronavirus

By Matt Weyrich April 28, 2020 3:30 PM

Major League Baseball has allowed all 30 teams to grant refunds for tickets to games that have been postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, USA TODAY reported Tuesday. With the 2020 season over a month behind, MLB told its teams to classify unplayed games as postponed rather than cancelled. Although league officials hope baseball will be able to return this year, the likelihood of MLB playing a full 162-game season has dwindled with each passing day. The anticipated loss of games coupled with the expectation that fans won’t be allowed in stadiums even when the season picks back up put pressure on MLB to allow teams to issue refunds, especially after two New York fans filed a class action lawsuit over refunds for Mets and Yankees tickets April 20. By granting teams autonomy to decide whether or not to refund tickets, there’s no guarantee that all 30 clubs will agree to pay back fans. Each team has already decided to pay full-time employees through May 31, but only two have made any kind of assurances beyond that date— suggesting that many teams may not be in a financial position where they’re comfortable issuing ticket refunds. MLB has not set a target date for a resumed season. nbcsports.com LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174176 World Leagues News Thirty-two percent said they would wait for a vaccine before going back to the movies, theater or concerts.

In all, 55% of Americans said those events should not resume before a Most Americans to avoid sports, other live events before coronavirus vaccine is available. vaccine: Movie buff and music fan Ana Morales of Bristow, Virginia, said she did not plan to visit a theater where she has a membership or attend a summer country music series until there is a vaccine. By Rory Carroll "It would be a bit reckless for us to go," she said, adding that she would be afraid of spreading the disease to her in-laws, who are over 60 years old. Fewer than half of Americans plan to go to sports events, concerts, movies and amusement parks when they reopen to the public until there She said that even if theaters implemented social-distancing rules, she is a proven coronavirus vaccine, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion would worry that shared surfaces like seats had not been cleaned poll released on Tuesday. thoroughly. That includes those who have attended such events in the past, an Hollywood has been tentatively hoping movie theaters could reopen ominous sign for the sports and entertainment industries hoping to return partially by late July and recoup some losses from the normally lucrative to the spotlight after being shut down by the pandemic. summer season. Only about four in 10 who follow sports avidly and go to arts and While dozens of summer movie releases have already been moved to entertainment venues and amusement parks said they would do so again the autumn or into 2021, Walt Disney Co's "Mulan" and Warner Bros. if they reopened before a vaccine was available, the poll found. "Wonder Woman 1984" are scheduled for release in July and August respectively. Another four in 10 said they were willing to wait, even if it takes more than a year to develop a vaccine. Most musicians, including Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and the Rolling Stones have canceled or postponed their 2020 tour dates. The rest said they either "don't know" what to do or may never attend those events again. The annual Coachella music festival in Southern California, which usually draws about 90,000 people, shifted its April dates to October in the hope "Just because people say we can go back, until people feel fully safe ... the worst of the coronavirus pandemic would be over by then. they aren't going to go back," said Victor Matheson, a specialist in sports economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. Enthusiasm for amusement and theme parks was even bleaker. Fifty- nine percent of respondents said they should not reopen until a vaccine "We go to games for entertainment and you're not going to be very is available. Only 20% said they would visit a theme park when they entertained if you're not worrying about who the next player to bat is and reopen. instead worrying about that person who just coughed two rows down." Universal Studios has extended its closures in California and Florida until The United States leads the world with almost 1 million coronavirus at least May 31, while Disneyland and Walt Disney World are closed infections and more than 56,000 deaths as of late Monday. indefinitely. While as many as 100 potential vaccines are in development around the Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger said earlier in April that temperature world, scientists are projecting that bringing one to market could take 18 checks for visitors were one of the measures under consideration for any months. eventual reopening. SPORTS SIDELINED Broadway theaters were forced to shut down in mid-March and extended Only 17% of American adults said they would attend professional the closure to June 7, with several producers saying their plays would not sporting events when they reopen to the public, while 26% said they return at all. would rather wait until there is a vaccine. The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 4,429 American adults from April 15 to Among those who have attended a professional sporting event in the 21, asking about their previous attendance at sports events and live past year, 42% said they would return whenever it reopens to the public concerts and their interest in attending if they reopened before a and 39% said they would rather wait for a vaccine, even if that means coronavirus vaccine is available. The poll questions noted a vaccine waiting more than a year. might not be available for more than a year. resident Angie Hopkins, who has gone to pro games in the LOADED: 04.29.2020 past, said she would not attend them again before there is a vaccine, out of concern for her health and that of her son. "The risk of being with all those people, crammed in together, I think that would be unsettling," she said. "I have fibromyalgia, which could make me at risk for more serious complications. And my son has asthma, so I wouldn't want to expose him either." About 59% of sports fans agreed that before a vaccine is available, professional sports leagues that have seen their seasons upended - like Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League - should hold games with no in-person fans, while 33% disagreed. That could spell trouble for tennis' U.S. Open, which is scheduled to kick off in hard-hit on Aug. 24. Organizers have said it was highly unlikely that they would hold the largest and loudest Grand Slam tournament without fans. It is also unclear whether the NFL will delay the scheduled Sept. 10 start of its 101st season. Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week he believed the season could begin on time, but did not specify whether the league would consider doing so without fans. TROUBLE FOR TINSELTOWN? The poll showed that only 27% of those questioned would go to a movie theater, concert or live theater performance when venues reopen, underscoring the hurdles faced by the entertainment industry as it tries to get back on its feet. 1174177 World Leagues News

Argentina ends soccer season because of coronavirus

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's soccer federation called an end to the league season on Tuesday, and said no teams will be relegated until at least 2022 because of the disruption created by the coronavirus pandemic. The AFA said in a statement that the decision affects all competitions it organizes, including the country's first division. AFA head Claudio Tapia also said the next season might not begin until January. “This is a global crisis that needs us all to do something. Maybe the measures will be unpopular, but we have to take them," Tapia told TNT Sports on Monday, after first announcing that the cancellation was coming. In Argentina's first divsion, the teams with the worst point average over the previous three seasons are relegated. One of the clubs that will benefit from the ruling is Gimnasia La Plata, coached by Diego Maradona. Spots in the next Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana will be awarded based on the standings from March 15, when all soccer activity was suspended in the South American nation. Boca Juniors, River Plate, Racing Club and Argentinos Juniors have already secured their places in next year's Copa Libertadores, but there were still two spots up for grabs. The AFA also said in its statement that it is “indispensable” that fans are able to attend games when competitions return. “We don't know the science for sure for soccer to return, that decision is not for us,” Tapia said in his TV interview. “Everyone's will is to play when we can, and if we have to play in January because we could not do that during this year, we will do that.” LOADED: 04.29.2020 1174178 World Leagues News

MLB granting teams autonomy to refund games postponed by COVID-19 pandemic

Gabe Lacques

With any hopes of contesting games – with or without fans – still weeks away, Major League Baseball is granting its 30 franchises autonomy to determine ticket policies for games already postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a move that could potentially enable ticketholders to receive refunds for unplayed games. An industry official with direct knowledge of MLB's plans said Tuesday the league has determined enough time has passed that teams should be given the option to provide relief for fans who may themselves be financially stretched by the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus. The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the plan had not yet been announced. At the moment, the official said, MLB does not plan on outright cancelling games, given that so much remains unknown about the arc of the pandemic, and the league has multiple contingency plans to make games up should conditions allow. Yet as of Tuesday, a typical team has already had about 15 games postponed, or nearly 20% of an 81-game schedule. By the end of May – a timeframe now unrealistic for games to begin – about 30 games, or more than a third of a team's home schedule, will be lost. Until now, the league told teams to treat the lost games as postponements, such as a rainout, for which tickets could be retained for a makeup date or another game. It is opting against a leaguewide refund policy because of the significant variance in ticket policies among individual franchises. Should teams grant fans the chance to refund their tickets, MLB will become the first major North American sports league to give back ticket revenue due to coronavirus-related postponements. The NBA and NHL each had 10 or fewer home dates per team when their seasons were suspended in March. As weeks went on and economic uncertainty heightened, consumers grew increasingly impatient with teams – some NBA and NHL franchises continued invoicing for 2020-21 season tickets, even – and a group of baseball fans filed a class-action lawsuit against MLB. The significant likelihood that MLB will not stage a 162-game season will mark the first time in 25 years a full season will not be contested. In that span, MLB has navigated around 2001's 9/11 terrorist attacks, devastating hurricanes that forced games to neutral sites and dozens of other unforeseen events to make up almost every postponed game and stage a 162-game championship season. Yet COVID-19, which has now killed more than 55,000 in the U.S. and 200,000 worldwide, proved impossible to outmaneuver. MLB's maneuver comes nearly seven weeks after its March 12 decision to cancel remaining spring training games and postpone the start of the season by at least two weeks. Since then, the league has been in a crisis-management and contingency mode, conceiving alternate plans to stage its season in singular or limited markets, such as its many spring- training facilities in Arizona or Florida, while keeping players and staff sequestered. Both MLB and the MLB Players' Association expressed willingness to extend the regular season well into October and stage the playoffs deep into November, likely at neutral sites. But with more than 40 states still under stay-at-home orders as May approaches, and with players requiring at least three weeks to gear back into game shape, the likelihood of a full season dissipated. This would be baseball's first truncated season since 1995, when it played a 144-game schedule after the 1994-95 labor-related work stoppage. LOADED: 04.29.2020

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