Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips June 1-5, 2019

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Forward Lukas Sedlak leaving Blue Jackets for two-year deal with KHL team PAGE 04: The Athletic: Lukas Sedlak leaves Blue Jackets to sign two-year deal in KHL PAGE 05: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets add Veini Vehvilainen as goalie option

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites PAGE 06: The Athletic: Dylan Cozens has the potential to be a top player forward in the NHL PAGE 09: Sportsnet.ca: NHL Scouting Combine primer: What will players go through in 2019? PAGE 13: Sportsnet.ca: Does Kaapo Kakko missing draft combine impact battle for first overall? PAGE 16: Sportsnet.ca: Coach’s Corner: Patrice Bergeron is ‘MVP’ of the Stanley Cup Playoffs PAGE 17: The Athletic: How prospects prepare for the NHL Draft Combine and what it’s like to take the dreaded VO2 Max test PAGE 21: The Athletic: Why Matthew Boldy could be a top-line forward in the NHL PAGE 24: The Athletic: Explaining the unexplainable behind Alex Turcotte, the 2019 NHL draft’s ‘somehow under the radar’ top prospect PAGE 29: Sportsnet.ca: Mooseheads’ Raphael Lavoie one of the NHL Draft’s ‘best prospects’ PAGE 31: The Athletic: What to expect by drafting defenseman Philip Broberg PAGE 34: The Athletic: Down Goes Brown: Want the NHL to just call the rulebook exactly as written? Be careful what you wish for PAGE 40: USA Today: Five helpful hints for would-be NHL traders during the Stanley Cup Final

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Forward Lukas Sedlak leaving Blue Jackets for two-year deal with KHL team

By Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch – May 31, 2019

He’s watched enough hockey.

Now, it’s time for Lukas Sedlak to play it more often — which the 26-year-old forward hopes to do after signing a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League on Friday.

“I started thinking about it after the season,” said Sedlak, who played the past three seasons with the Blue Jackets. “I talked to my agent (J.P. Barry of CAA Hockey). We kind of sat down and tried to explore all the options, because obviously the situation wasn’t great with the ice time (in Columbus) and stuff like that.”

After playing 43 of the Blue Jackets’ first 59 games, Sedlak logged just four more the rest of the season. An influx of talent acquired before the Feb. 25 trade deadline, including forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, created a logjam. Sedlak, who missed the end of last season with a concussion, had to watch again as the Blue Jackets finished their season in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

He kept his focus on the season until the Jackets lost to the Boston Bruins in the second round. A meeting with with Barry then set the wheels in motion for his move to a new league.

“I said, ‘Hey, I just want to play and I don’t care that much what league or whatever,’ ” Sedlak said. “I want to play. I want to help a team on the ice. I don’t want to spend another playoffs in the stands, so we sat down and it’s come to this.”

The opportunity to play more was the primary reason, along with a better earning potential in the KHL as a player with NHL experience.

In the NHL, Sedlak is still considered a pending restricted free agent, one of eight RFAs who finished the season on the Jackets’ NHL roster and one of 13 in the organization. Other RFAs include defensemen Zach Werenski, Ryan Murray, Scott Harrington and Adam Clendening, goalie Joonas Korpisalo plus Hannikainen and left wing Eric Robinson.

If the Blue Jackets want to retain any of their signing rights, including Sedlak’s, they must tender qualifying offers to each before July 1, the first day of free agency. Rather than waiting to see if the Jackets would tender a qualifying offer, which would be for $892,500, Sedlak chose a new path.

Sedlak was drafted by Columbus in the sixth round of the 2011 draft and made his NHL debut in 2016-17 with seven goals and 13 points in 61 games. He also played two playoff games with the Blue Jackets that season, which turned out to be his only postseason action — after helping the Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters win the 2016 Calder Cup in the American Hockey League.

“It was hard, especially toward the end (this season),” Sedlak said. “We had lots of forwards, so that was really hard mentally (not playing). That was probably the toughest two months of my career so far.”

It was also difficult making the leap to the KHL from the Blue Jackets, where he was one close with a number of teammates.

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“It was my dream to play in the NHL, so I’ve been really fortunate I could play for three years,” Sedlak said. “It’s going to be remembered, always, as a good time in my mind. Hopefully one day, when I retire, I’m going to look back and when I remember all the memories of the guys, it’s going to be great because we had such a special group of guys.”

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Lukas Sedlak leaves Blue Jackets to sign two-year deal in KHL

By Aaron Portzline, The Athletic – June 1, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio — His isn’t the biggest name on the roster, but add center Lukas Sedlak to the list of Blue Jackets players who won’t be back with the club next season.

Sedlak has signed a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk in Russia’s KHL, ending a six-year run of play in North America — the first three with the Blue Jackets’ minor-league clubs and the last three in the NHL.

News of the deal was first reported by the KHL club on its website. Sedlak’s agent, J.P. Barry, confirmed the signing to The Athletic on Friday.

Sedlak was set to become a restricted free agent July 1, but he would almost certainly have been extended a qualifying offer allowing the Jackets to keep his rights. Based on his $850,000 salary in 2018- 19, his qualifying offer would have been $892,500, a 5 percent raise.

Still, a roster spot with the Blue Jackets was far from a sure thing.

Sedlak, a fourth-line forward, dressed in only 47 games with the Blue Jackets in 2018-19 — the fewest he’s played in three seasons in Columbus — and he was a healthy scratch in all 10 Stanley Cup playoff games.

The Blue Jackets could easily lose forwards Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel via unrestricted free agency beginning July 1, but there is a swell of prospect forwards ready to push for playing time in 2019-20. Sedlak could easily have been the odd man out next season, depending on how the fourth line was structured.

Sedlak, 26, totaled 15-12-27 and 56 penalty minutes in 162 games with the Blue Jackets. He played a significant role in the AHL Cleveland’s Calder Cup win in 2016, totaling 9-7-16 in 17 playoff games.

With Sedlak out of the picture, the Blue Jackets now have 12 restricted free agents, some of whom project to play for AHL Cleveland: forwards Eric Robinson, Markus Hannikainen, Sonny Milano, Sam Vigneault, Ryan MacInnis and Justin Scott, defensemen Zach Werenski, Ryan Murray, Scott Harrington, Adam Clendening and Doyle Somerby, and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.

There are also eight unrestricted free agents: forwards Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Mark Letestu, defenseman Adam McQuaid, and goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky, Keith Kinkaid and Jean- Francois Berube.

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Blue Jackets add Veini Vehvilainen as goalie option

By Brian Hedger, The Columbus Dispatch – June 5, 2019

Add another name to the list of goalie prospects looking to play for the Blue Jackets next season.

After signing a two-year entry-level contract Tuesday, Finnish rookie Veini Vehvilainen, 22, became the latest to join a stable of internal options looking to potentially replace Sergei Bobrovsky, who is expected to find a new team via unrestricted free agency.

Signing a veteran in free agency is an option, but the Jackets’ management seems content to give its own goalies a serious look.

That group includes Vehvilainen, who was drafted by the Jackets last year (sixth round, 173rd overall). He’s undersized by modern goalie standards, listed at 6 feet 1 and 183 pounds, but Vehvilainen has dominated Finland’s top professional league the past two seasons.

After leading Karpat to a championship in 2018, he nearly pulled off a repeat performance this season.

Over the past two seasons, Vehvilainen has posted a combined 40-13-13 record with a 1.72 goals- against average, .929 save percentage and 10 shutouts in 73 regular-season games. He had a 22-10 record in the playoffs with a 1.52 GAA and .936 save percentage.

In September, Vehvilainen will join Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo, Daniil Tarasov, Matiss Kivlenieks plus any veterans the Blue Jackets might add in free agency.

Merzlikins and Korpisalo are 25 and will likely lead the race going into camp. Tarasov, 20, could be ticketed for the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League or head back for another year in Russia, where he dominated for Toros Neftekamsk in Russia’s second-highest level.

Korpisalo has played four seasons with the Blue Jackets, including the past three as Bobrovsky’s backup, and has the most NHL experience of the bunch. He needs a new contract, though, as a pending restricted free agent.

Merzlikins is considered by some to be the best non-NHL goalie in the world, after starring for HC Lugano in Switzerland’s top league.

Kivlenieks is 22 and has a year left on his contract. He split this season between the Monsters and the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings.

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Dylan Cozens has the potential to be a top power forward in the NHL

By Corey Pronman, The Athletic - May 31, 2019

Dylan Cozens is a name prospect fans have known since he came up three seasons ago to the WHL. Since then, he’s continued to impress and is one of the top options available in this class. His combination of speed and power makes him a potential top power forward in the NHL.

Skating

The best part about Cozens’ game is the speed and pace he plays at. There are not many 6-foot-3 centers with his speed who can also provide offensive skill. A theme you will notice through this piece in how many plays Cozens makes when he’s on the move.

He can so easily gain the zone with his speed.

And with his wingspan, Cozens can be so tough to defend off entries because he keeps pucks far away from defenders sticks. On this rush, despite moving by three defenders, he’s never really challenged for possession because of how quickly he moves and how he keeps the defenders’ sticks away from the puck.

Having a center like Cozens who can so easily exit his zone and gain the offensive zone in a second with skill is such a valuable asset.

Skill

Cozens skill level isn’t particularly high, but it’s above-average in the pro game. He makes a lot of skilled plays on the rush, which makes him interesting. A lot of his offense comes from plays like these when he’s moving with speed and can make plays through defenders.

I wouldn’t call him the most graceful puck handler. Even on his highlight reel plays, he’s not making multiple touches on pucks or making any flashy between the legs plays. With that said, because of his ability to make plays on the move, he’s able to break open games with his skill.

Vision

When he’s not opening up gaps with his skating, his standstill vision is pedestrian. Cozens isn’t a prototypical half-wall guy who will thread passes through seams.

Like with his skill, he makes very good passes while he’s on the move. Like this sequence where his movement around the offensive zone opens up space for his teammates, and he finds a lane across the crease to generate a chance.

This play doesn’t connect but is a good example of a more traditional seam pass that Cozens recognizes and hits his target, even though they fumble it.

This is my favorite assist Cozens made all season.

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He makes three excellent reads here. First is recognizing the bad reverse pass and pouncing on it. Second is the look over his shoulder to the net for his teammate. Third is recognizing he needs to zip that pass in before the defenders respond.

As said before, he’s not exactly Evgeni Malkin with his touches, like on this play where he receives the puck and looks a little awkward handling it. But he still makes a very good read on the pass behind him to the open teammate.

In the NHL, Cozens is likely a player who will be relied on to make plays down low, around the net and off the rush, and he can do that very well.

Physicality

Cozens isn’t known as an ultra-physical guy who throws his body around and lays people out, but he plays hard and has a strong, 6-foot-3 frame.

When Cozens is skating up with the puck, he typically wants to take it to the net. This play here is an example of “I’m getting to the net. You can get out of my way or come with me!”

Not every one of his rushes work, but what I like is how strong he is and how balanced he is on his skates. At the Canada-Russia series, he took the puck up the ice, absorbed a check and it’s the checker who seemed worse for it.

And like I said, while I wouldn’t call him someone who throws out some big hits, he can put guys on their backs when the time calls for it.

Production

Cozens started getting top-5 hype after his fantastic 16-year-old season where he was impactful for Lethbridge in the regular season and playoffs, and won rookie of the year in the Dub. Truth be told, he was great before that, coming up during his 15-year-old season in the 2017 playoffs. The only player in the modern era to produce more than Cozens’ eight points as a U16 in the playoffs was Brayden Point with 10.

This season Cozens was very good but not amazing. He was a top player for a very good but not elite CHL team. His production did not scream top-5 pick, likely more someone in the next tier, raising arguments if maybe he just developed early. With that said, he was impressive in international play, such as the Hlinka Gretzky and playing up age groups at the Canada-Russia series in November.

Hockey World’s Impressions

An NHL scout said: “Cozens is at his best when he’s taking the puck through the neutral zone. He’s a driver. He can be a physical force.”

An NHL scout said: “I love his speed, size and compete. I think he has offense, but I’m not sure if the puck game or vision will be anything special in the NHL.”

Lethbridge Hurricanes coach Brent Kisio said: “He’s a difference maker. He’s very fast and utilizes his speed very well. His playmaking abilities are exceptional. He’s a reliable two-way player.”

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Canada’s U18 GM Alan Millar said: “Dylan’s one of the top players in this age group. He’s big, he’s very competitive, a very good skater, has a very good stick. I think he’s going to be a top-5 pick. I think he’ll be in the NHL before his junior eligibility is done. He’s a solid all-around player.”

Dylan Cozens said: “I’m a very good skater. It gives me time and space to make plays and find my linemates. I also have a good shot. I can find the back of the net.”

Projection

Cozens does not project to become a regular on the highlight reel in the NHL. He does project to become a very good NHL forward.

There are debates in the scouting industry whether he ends up on the wing due to the fact his playmaking isn’t elite. I’ve seen him play the wing fine, but he seems much more comfortable down the middle.

With his skating ability, his size and his talent level, Cozens has all the components to become a quality first line forward in the NHL, whether on the wing or at center. Evaluators feel he could be in the NHL by the 2020-21 season as well.

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NHL Scouting Combine primer: What will players go through in 2019?

By Mike Johnston, Sportsnet.ca - May 31, 2019

Although it’s being overshadowed by the Stanley Cup Final and NBA Finals, this week marks one of the most important weeks on the calendar for NHL teams.

The NHL Scouting Combine is underway in Buffalo with more than 100 of the top draft-eligible hockey players there meeting with teams and undergoing physical examinations and fitness tests in advance of the 2019 NHL Draft that takes place June 21-22 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

The combine, which began Monday and runs through Saturday, has been held annually in Buffalo since 2015 and just like the past several years the KeyBank Center and HarborCenter serve as the host venues.

There are 108 draft-eligible prospects attending this year’s combine. The breakdown goes as follows: 10 goalies, 40 defencemen and 58 forwards, including consensus No. 1 pick Jack Hughes.

Although the fitness testing aspect of the combine is usually what garners most of the headlines, teams sitting down and meeting with prospective draftees face-to-face is considered the most vital part of the week.

“A lot of people, including the prospects themselves, think of it as kind of a job interview, but we try to create a friendly, relaxed environment that the players can feel comfortable in,” Calgary Flames head amateur scout Tod Button told Ryan Dittrick of CalgaryFlames.com. “I personally don’t see much value in trying to trip them up with strange questions and things like that. We’ve talked a lot of hockey already. It’s best that we use this time to get to know them better as people – their hobbies, interests, family, and of course, what drives them.”

The New Jersey Devils hold the top pick this year and they are among the teams with whom Hughes has already met.

“The meeting went well,” Hughes told NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale. “There were some laughs in there. It was good to get to know them and I’m sure we’ll get to know them a little bit more coming up to the draft.

“The Devils have a really good young core, and the MVP of the league last year in Taylor Hall. I know they have good fans and they won three Stanley Cups back in the day so they’re a winning franchise and they’re hungry to win more, so if it did end up being New Jersey I’d be really excited.”

The New York Rangers, holders of the No. 2 pick, are also on Hughes’s list of teams to meet.

The consensus second-best prospect – and the only one who some think could leapfrog Hughes and go first overall – is Kaapo Kakko but it was announced Tuesday the Finnish star, fresh off a world championship gold medal with Team Finland, would not be participating in the combine after all.

Regardless which player the Devils take at No. 1, the Rangers should have an easy time making their selection at No. 2.

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There’s a new crop of prospects in 2019 but the fitness component at the combine is more or less identical to what we’ve seen the past few years. Below you’ll find an overview of the 12 fitness tests the participating athletes will be put through.

The following four tests are scheduled to take place Friday: ybalancefinal

Y-Balance– The Y-Balance is a dynamic test performed in single-leg stance that requires strength, flexibility, core control and proprioception. It has been used to assess physical performance, demonstrate functional symmetry and identify athletes at greater risk for lower extremity injury. The goal of this test is to maintain single-leg stance on one leg while reaching as far as possible with the contralateral leg. Each test is repeated three times with the maximum reach in each direction recorded.

Here is an instructional video to get an understanding of the drill. funcationalmovementfinal

Functional Movement Screen – This is a series tests which assesses mobility and stability in the athlete during following seven movement exercises: deep squat, hurdle step, in­line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push­up and rotary stability. It is meant to identify the quality, limitations and weaknesses (or right and left side imbalances) of basic movements by an athlete. gripstrengthfinal

Grip Strength – The athlete adjusts a hand grip dynamometer to his hand size, fully extends his arm and squeezes the dynamometer as forcefully as possible. The test is conducted on both hands. vo2maxfinal

Aerobic Fitness VO2max – Aerobic fitness is assessed by measuring the amount of oxygen utilized (VO2 max) during maximal exercise employing volume determination and analysis of expired air. In addition, heart rate is monitored continuously, providing data for heartrate-based training. This test will be performed on a professional grade spin bike (Watt Bike) cycle ergometer using a Cortex Metalyzer VO2 cart.

The end point is determined by either: a) the athlete physically stops pedalling b) the athlete experiences difficulty breathing or chest pain or c) the appraiser stops the subject because the athlete can no longer maintain the required rpm despite intense effort.

The remaining eight tests, as seen below, will be conducted on Saturday. These ones are open to both NHL teams and media.

Standing Height – Athlete stands against a wall (barefoot, heels together with the backs of the feet touching the wall) and their height is measured to the nearest quarter inch.

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Wingspan – Athlete extends his arms straight out to the sides. Wingspan is measured to the nearest quarter inch from the middle finger tip to middle finger tip. longjumpfinal

Standing Long Jump – Athlete stands with feet slightly apart with toes behind the jumping line. Using an arm swing to assist, the athlete jumps as far as possible. forceplatefinal

Jump Station (AccuPower Dual Force Plate System) – An AccuPower Dual Force Plate system will be used to objectively measure the direction, strength and timing of the three-dimensional (3D) forces that the athlete produces during hockey related movement. The AccuPower system also captures synchronized video data from two high speed cameras and overlays the 3D force vector produced from each leg. The test will provide immediate feedback allowing teams to assess movement efficiency, physical performance and injury potential.…

Three jump types will be performed: Vertical Jump (with arm swing), No Arm Jump (no arm swing / hands on hips) and Squat Jump (squat start / hands on hips). Each jump test will include three separate maximum effort vertical jumps separated by 10 seconds of rest. The athlete’s best vertical jump height from the three attempts of each jump will be recorded. benchpressfinal

Bench Press – Conducted using a standard padded bench with the athlete lifting 50% of his body weight (pre-determined) utilizing free weights (including the barbell). The athlete lies on his back on the bench and grips the barbell with thumbs approximately shoulder width apart. The buttocks must remain on the bench with the feet on the floor. The starting position is with the arms fully extended. The bar is lowered to the chest, after a slight pause, athlete pushes the bar as quickly as possible until their arms are fully extended. Each athlete will perform three reps at maximum velocity, with a slight pause between each rep at the chest position. A “Gym Aware” device will be used to measure the velocity of the bar and the athlete’s ability to produce power. The reported score will be measured in watts/kg. shuttlerunfinal

Pro Agility Test – The 5-10-5 yard shuttle (or 15-30-15 feet) evaluates multi-directional speed, agility and whole body reaction plus control. Each player will perform one sequence starting to the right and one sequence starting to the left. agility-test-chart pullupsfinal

Pull Ups – Athlete does as many consecutive pull ups they can while maintaining the correct technique. wingatetest

Wingate Cycle Ergometer Test – The athlete warms up by pedalling at a low resistance for two minutes. To start the test, the athlete pedals at a progressively quicker cadence so that by the time the designated workload has been reached, he is peddling at his maximal capacity. The athlete pedals at his maximal capacity, while seated, against the designated workload for 30 seconds.

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Revolutions are recorded for each five second period, then power output is calculated for both the peak five second period and the 30 second duration. A player’s peak power output and mean power output at each max effort interval is recorded.

The top 25 results from each test (excluding the Y-Balance and Functional Movement Screen) will be posted online at the conclusion of the event.

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Does Kaapo Kakko missing draft combine impact battle for first overall?

By Rory Boylen, Sportsnet.ca - May 31, 2019

Jack Hughes has had the distinction of being the top prospect in the 2019 NHL Draft for so long, there aren’t many new positive things you can say about him. What ends up happening a lot of the time in these situations is people start to nit-pick the top prospect’s weaknesses and search for another player who could, perhaps, challenge for first overall.

We’ve seen this play out many times before. John Tavares was granted exceptional status and early entry into the OHL and was the top-ranked prospect for the 2009 draft at least two years beforehand. But as we got closer to that draft, following his 58-goal season, issues with his skating ability started to become a talking point. Those doubts sparked the idea that Victor Hedman or even Matt Duchene may be the better prospect. The same thing happened with Taylor Hall, who was challenged late by Tyler Seguin in 2010.

In both cases, the longtime No. 1 prospect held on to his title and went first overall. However, Nolan Patrick was the top prospect in 2017 and had been for a couple years. Injury concerns crept in, though, as Patrick was limited to just 33 games in his draft season. Nico Hischier then made his case for the draft’s top selection from the world juniors on, and the Swiss forward wound up dethroning the Brandon Wheat King.

Hughes doesn’t have those kind of concerns. He set a new career points record for the U.S. National Team Development program, surpassing Clayton Keller by 39 points, and blew past Jeremy Bracco by 32 to set a new assists record. At the world under-18s, Hughes broke Alex Ovechkin’s tournament scoring record by registering 20 points in seven games. There’s nothing wrong with Hughes and his own play hasn’t done anything to suggest he isn’t worthy of top spot in 2019.

But here comes Kaapo Kakko.

“I think so,” Kakko said when asked by NHL.com’s Mike Morreale if he has closed the gap enough on Hughes for first overall consideration. “The teams have their needs and preferences. Jack is a very talented player and an excellent skater. That’s all I can say. Me? I’m good in the offensive zone, I can score and create chances and am good with the puck. I guess those are my strengths. Hopefully I’m ready for the (NHL). I still have a lot of work to do and need to get stronger and faster in the corners. I know I’m good with the puck, but that’s one area in my game I can still improve.”

As impressive as Hughes’ resume is, Kakko managed to assemble a record-breaking one himself. He finished with 22 goals in 45 games in Finland’s top professional league, which passed Aleksander Barkov for the most ever by an under-18 player. It’s worth noting Barkov played eight more games than Kakko.

Kakko was on the radar as one of the best prospects in 2019 last summer, but his charge at Hughes really started at the world juniors. That’s a tournament for 19-year-olds, but Kakko (who was 17 at the time) was the fourth-highest scorer on his gold medal-winning team and outplayed Hughes (who missed a couple games to injury).

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Kakko was also the talk of the town in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia, at the men’s World Championship this month, where he scored six goals in 10 games to again lead the gold medal Finns. That roster didn’t have any NHL forwards on it, but Kakko was up against a bunch of them throughout.

#IIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/m5dqabJi1j

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) May 10, 2019

“If NJ wants a winner, they should pick Kaapo,” Finland’s head coach Jukko Jalonen told Julie Robenhymer. “Hughes is a great player, but in those tight games, Kakko has always come out on top. He’s playing like a man and looks like he could play in the NHL right now. He’s better than he was a few months ago at the world juniors and, in a few months more, he will be even better. After a few years, he will be one of the best players in the world.”

But unlike Hughes, Kakko isn’t at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo this week. The physical testing takes place on Saturday and we won’t see the six-foot-two, 190-pound right winger put his body through the gruelling V02 max bike test. Instead, he’s celebrating Finland’s latest hockey triumph. There’s really nothing left for Kakko to prove after a 13-month span in which he won three gold medals and emerged as a big-bodied sniper who looks ready to play against the world’s top professionals.

“You always want to see the guys here, but I think everyone’s pretty certain what’s going to happen with him,” Sam Cosentino told Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver. “The way I look at it is, pretty unique experience winning the worlds and with what’s gone on there. I’m okay with it. I’ve seen guys who’ve come out of the Memorial Cup and same thing, the Memorial Cup ends on Sunday, the combine starts Monday and guys don’t show up because they were involved in the long process of what the Cup had to offer plus the long season.”

The New Jersey Devils won the draft lottery and will be the team that decides whether or not Kakko nabs No. 1 from Hughes. Funny enough, they were also the team that picked Hischier to jump the line past Patrick two years ago.

So when GM Ray Shero and his scouts got together for their meetings before the combine, it was interesting to hear him describe the type of player they were after.

“You gotta be a self starter, competitive. You have to have grit. You have to be a team-first player,” Shero noted.

And, look, Hughes fits the mould of everything you’d want in a first overall pick. He may not be as big as Kakko (five-foot-10, 170 pounds), but Hughes’ strength is his speed, acceleration and how shifty he is. One Devils scout noted that those attributes and Hughes’ IQ is what will keep him from getting bogged down in the corners or behind the net with bigger players in the NHL. He’s definitely competitive and a team-first player.

You wouldn’t pick any player over Hughes just for his grit level, but Kakko may have the advantage there. He’s heavier on the puck, stronger in the corners already and clearly has the goal scoring upside you’d want in a first overall pick as well.

This is no slam dunk decision either way. Because of Kakko’s size advantage and how recently he’s excelled against top competition, it may be easier to argue why he should go first overall right now.

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But we’ll leave you with this, a quote from Devils Senior Director of Player Personnel Dan MacKinnon on how special Hughes is:

“He’s electric. Just electric. Again, you have to go back a long time and, for me, it’s been 20 years, to find many comparables for Jack Hughes in terms of how he transports the puck with speed and individual skill but at the same time has an incredible awareness of everyone else on the ice around him. When you combine those two things, the give-and-go game and knowing where everyone is but also the individual skill to sort of slip through small spaces, it’s a pretty lethal package.”

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Coach's Corner: Patrice Bergeron is 'MVP' of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

By Julia Kreuz, Sportsnet.ca – June 1, 2019

It took Boston Bruins top-line centre Patrice Bergeron two games and 10 minutes to score his first goal in the Stanley Cup Final but, for Don Cherry, he’s the real MVP.

Bergeron finally scored against the St. Louis Blues in a three-goal opening period for the Bruins, tipping- in a shot by Torey Krug in what was Boston’s 20th power-play goal of the post-season.

“He’s MVP of the playoffs as far as I’m concerned,” Cherry said during Saturday’s ‘Coach’s Corner’ segment on Hockey Night in Canada. “He doesn’t have to get points. He gets the draws towards the goal … he’s their leader.”

The goal was also Bergeron’s first point of the Final, sparking a Perfection Line that had been somewhat dormant so far in the Final.

The 33-year-old has a 59.1 faceoff win percentage in the playoffs, an effort that made an immediate difference in Game 3 as one of the Bruins’ three first-period goals was scored off a draw won by the veteran centreman in the offensive end.

Cherry also highlighted the performance of Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask, who got bombarded in the opening minutes of the game as the Blues started 5-0 in the shot count, but didn’t give up a goal until 11:05 of the second period.

“Rask is the guy that held them in there with 5-0 on the shot [count],” he said. “Of course, he’s the goalie, he’s gotta do it. He is hot as a firecracker, he’s been this way through the whole playoffs.”

Rask entered Game 3 with four-straight road wins and a .939 save percentage in the playoffs.

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How prospects prepare for the NHL Draft Combine and what it’s like to take the dreaded VO2 Max test

By Sunaya Sapurji, The Athletic - June 3, 2019

Over the years I’ve covered a number of NHL Draft Combines to the point where I no longer remember my first one. I’m sure it was epic.

Before moving to Buffalo, the combine was held at the International Centre in Toronto, including the final one in 2014. The thing I remember most was the wall-to-wall carpeting in the ballroom — packed with scouts and media — where the fitness testing was taking place.

There were no windows so it was stagnant and hot as hell — especially with all the camera lights. The air was thick with the stench of sweat and vomit. And there were ample amounts of both. In contrast, since moving to Buffalo, the combines have taken place at the Harborcenter and it’s a much better setup, to be sure. All the fitness testing happens on the floor of the arena. Scouts and team representatives sit in the lower bowl and the media take the upper concourse area.

The one constant between combines over the years has been the big, white puke buckets. Sometimes they put them behind a curtain, and sometimes they sit quietly next to the bikes used for the Wingate test and the dreaded VO2 Max test. This year there were buckets in the “recovery tent” next to chairs where players sat at the end of testing (usually ending with the VO2). After they have recovered enough the prospects eventually make their way to the upper concourse to meet with the media.

This is the private recovery area where players sit after fitness testing. (Sunaya Sapurji/The Athletic)

For me at least, that bucket has always signified the amount of work — or not — players put into preparing for the combine, regardless of whether they’re used — or not. As hockey players become bigger, faster and stronger the way they train for the combine has changed, too.

And while the combine has never been used as an indicator of great hockey talent, no one wants to be mocked like Sam Bennett was after failing to complete a single pull-up in 2014.

POOR @NIKOLAJEHLERS24 WAS SO DEAD AFTER TESTING HE HAD TO SIT FOR OUR INTERVIEW. IT WAS ALL GOOD UNTIL HE JOKED ABOUT PUKING IN MY PURSE.

— SUNAYA SAPURJI (@SUNAYAS) MAY 31, 2014

Back in 2010, I interviewed Danny Biega — aka The Harvard Hulk — for a story about his combine prep. That year Biega finished in the top 10 of at least 17 of the NHL’s 31 tests. He crushed the competition in most of the upper body events, which included grip strength in both hands, bench press, push/pull strength and a power test using a four-kilogram ball.

He was in the gym three hours a day, five days a week, using some unconventional methods (at the time at least) to get ready — like wrapping chains on his back when doing sets of push-ups.

I asked if he meant the kind of chain you’d use to lock up a bike.

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“No, like big yacht anchoring chains,” he said.

In the spirit of Danny Biega, The Athletic sent the most unfit reporter they could to talk to a few relatively jacked NHL prospects to find out their workout routines, the process and how they approached the VO2.

THE WHITE PUKE BUCKET IS IN FULL EFFECT BEHIND THE BIKE AT THE WINGATE TEST. PIC.TWITTER.COM/C323ST9AC4

— SUNAYA SAPURJI (@SUNAYAS) JUNE 6, 2015

Before we start though, here’s Kitchener Rangers defenceman Michael Vukojevic — ranked No. 55 among North American skaters — explaining how the VO2 test works.

“Every minute they increase the resistance on the bike and you have to stay constant with your pedal speed as the resistance goes up,” Vukojevic said. “It gets harder every minute. I did about 14 and a half minutes — it was a long bike and extremely hard. You can’t take a second off. At some points your legs don’t even want to move, they just want to give up.

“I think it’s all mental and psychological at that point. That’s what got me through the final minutes was just pushing myself mentally and realizing that ‘Hey, my legs aren’t that tired and I’m not as tired as I think I am.’ There’s a lot of mental toughness involved in that test because it’s all about when you’re going to give up.”

John Beecher, C, USNTDP U18 – 6’3, 210 pounds

I had never really done (VO2 test) so I was a little curious about it. I really pushed myself and I got 15 (minutes) and I jumped off and I almost couldn’t walk. I got escorted to the (recovery area) and I was happy with my score. I came in a little early to see what it all about and I saw a couple guys getting carried away, so my heart sank a little.

And I did not need the bucket!

Thomas Harley, D, Mississauga Steelheads – 6’3, 188 pounds

The only thing crazy I did was probably flipping tires around — like big tractor tires. We did tractor tires, they’re probably 300 or 400-pounds, but everyone does that. They’re pretty heavy. That’s a full-body, explosiveness thing because you can’t spend too much time flipping it. You’ve kinda just got to get and rip it up.

Michael Vukojevic, D, Kitchener Rangers – 6’3, 207 pounds

I spent about two hours a day, four days a week for three weeks to help me prepare. It wasn’t anything crazy like chopping trees. I would wear a weighted vest (with 25 pounds) for pull-ups, do max reps with that and then take it off and do max reps again.

I feel I did well on the VO2 talking to the other guys. I’m not much of a puker so it was good. I was obviously tired, you get extremely light-headed and dizzy and your legs get really loose and weak. You don’t have a lot of feeling in them. It’s pretty grueling.

Peyton Krebs, C, Winnipeg Ice – 5’11, 180 pounds

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I only took the weekends off, other than that I was in the gym every day. It was maybe an hour a day, tops. I did a few of the combine tests just to make sure I wasn’t coming in blind. I didn’t do anything special — I ran up some hills the odd day. I did weighted pull-ups —I didn’t use a vest it was more like a belt — by the end, I was using a plate extra which is 45-pounds more.

Ethan Phillips, C, Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) – 5’9, 148 pounds

My season just finished two weeks ago (when Sioux Falls won the Clark Cup) and then I had to spend a few days in Sioux Falls because we had some stuff to do with fans and parades. So I wasn’t doing much there. I got home for 12 hours and got a workout in and then I had to go back to Connecticut, for graduation. I was there for three days. Then I got here and got a couple of workouts in here. It’s been non-stop for me, so I didn’t get much time to prepare.

I think I did well, especially considering the amount of rest I was able to get or the amount of preparation I was able to put in.

I was a little nervous — especially for the V02 — just considering I didn’t have much time to prepare. I was really nervous going in, I think my heart rate was at 90 or something and it started to level out, but I got through it.

Philip Broberg, D, AIK-Sweden2 – 6’3, 200 pounds

It’s usually every day, sometimes six days a week, two hours a day, but I haven’t specifically trained for the events here it’s more for next season. I want to make sure I’m ready for next season and able to make the next step to the NHL. I’m training different areas depending on what day it is and how I’m feeling. I’m training a lot of lower body right now.

I’ve done some crazy training in my life. I remember when I was in (my hometown of) Örebro we would run four minutes all out, then rest for one minute and we probably did 12 or 15 of those — but we did it in dirt so your feet would sink down. It was mud. So shoes would fall off and you’d be running barefoot. The coach would be screaming at you, ‘Don’t stop! Don’t Stop!’ I think it’s helped my mentality to always work hard and make me better.

Samuel Bolduc, D, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada – 6’4, 210 pounds

We were eliminated from the playoffs for about two months now, but I took two weeks off to rest myself after the season. After that, I was in the gym four days a week with my trainer and we were doing stuff that was very specific to the combine. I’d use a weighted vest with 35 pounds for things like pull-ups. I like to be in the gym, even during the season. It’s not that I have to be there, it’s that I want to be there.

Cameron Rowe, G, USNTDP U18 – 6’2, 203 pounds

For us at NTDP it’s a little different because we got back from worlds at the end of April and we took exactly one week off and then we were back in the weight room three to four days a week. There was no testing involved — like none of the testing we did out here — it was just regular offseason workouts. We just had a new change in our strength and development coach so it was more him trying to figure out what we had to do. It was plyometric stuff, different weight days, full body and a bunch of scientific terms I don’t know.

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I thought we would simulate the testing, but (our strength coach) was like, ‘No man, just keep doing your thing and as long as you’re in shape, you’re going to kill it.’ I feel like that really relaxed us also because we didn’t have to stress about it. For us at least it was all about getting stronger and getting better as a hockey player and that will translate into the testing out here.

The Wingate and the VO2 Max, that’s one people circle on the calendar a little bit but I think if you just go out there — I mean honestly doing it once wasn’t that terrible. You get light-headed and kind of dizzy some times and everyone reacts to it differently. I think hearing the stories makes it a bit tougher than it is. I mean the Wingate was 30 seconds and I had to sit down after that and relax again. I’m not nearly as scared now if someone asked me to do it again, than I was before — not really scared, but there was a lot of that nervous energy.

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Why Matthew Boldy could be a top-line forward in the NHL

By Corey Pronman, The Athletic - June 3, 2019

Most of the top rated players on my draft list were highly touted for years and years. One exception to that was Matthew Boldy who only started to show promise as a true top prospect during his 16-year-old season.

Here is a deep dive into a player on a steep development trajectory.

Puck Skills

Boldy is one of the purest skilled players in this draft class, distinguishing himself with the types of plays he makes with the puck.

He has the ability to make defenders miss with regularity. This play is an example of that, even though he gets too cute at the end with the pass attempt.

This play is one of the most impressive that Boldy made all season. He recovers a bouncing puck and then, when it’s in mid-air, swats it into the net.

Mitch Brown provided slo-mo video of the play so you can see it happen.

Boldy made quite a few nifty, in-tight plays in his NTDP days. His ability to score around the net with skill will lead to goals at the pro level.

He’s so creative with the puck and, for a 6-foot-2 forward, his coordination is ridiculous. Look here at how he changes direction with his body and the puck to confuse the defender.

And he has a knack to try the spectacular with the puck as he attempts a lacrosse play while catching the puck off his own rebound on the move:

In drafting Boldy, a team will be selecting an incredibly skilled and creative large forward who will be able to dazzle.

Hockey Sense

There was a time in this draft cycle where Boldy looked like the smartest player in the draft. I ultimately ended up tabbing his teammate Trevor Zegras with that title, but Boldy is not far behind.

He is one of the best passers in the draft, with the ability to make no-look passes with one touch on a teammate’s tape.

He has the ability to see lanes develop and hit pucks through seams with the best of them. Here are two examples from the IIHF U18s of incredible passes that stretched the offensive zone. The first one, in particular, takes such great timing given the number of bodies the puck is going by.

He has the ability to make highly creative plays, such as this pass from behind the net.

Or this goal where Boldy shows his hockey sense and skill to bank the puck off the goalie and score from a terrible angle.

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This play doesn’t connect, but the way Boldy improvises to spin the puck onto his backhand to avoid the defender’s stick is the imagination of a player with elite smarts.

Skating and Size

In talking to scouts about where Boldy was two years ago, they thought he was on the bubble to even make the USNTDP because he was a small winger who wasn’t a great skater. Now he is large and his skating improved.

“When we first recruited him, we weren’t sure if the feet were going to catch up to the brain and the hands, and we didn’t know if the frame was going to grow,” USNTDP U18 coach John Wroblewski said. “His father is 6-2/6-3, but when we first started watching Boldy, he was 5-10, 145 (pounds), so we weren’t sure if it was going to come together.”

“Boldy grew from 5-11 to 6-2 and a quarter. He added over 30 pounds and over 20 pounds of lean muscle since he came to the program,” added the NTDP’s senior director of operations Scott Monaghan.

Typically with growth spurts like that, it tends to shine a spotlight on mediocre skating rather than help as the player adds weight to their frame. In Boldy’s case, though, it’s gone the other way.

“His skating has only improved since getting to the program,” said Wroblewski.

Boldy agreed: “The growth spurt hasn’t affected my skating in terms of being awkward or anything like that. I think I’ve improved my skating a good amount. It’s something I’ve focused on a lot the last few summers.”

Here are some examples of his skating in use. It’s not blazing quickness and there are times that his stride still breaks down, but he’s got more than enough speed and agility to get by pro defenders.

Compete Level

When Boldy is competing, he’s a force because of his size and skill level. That compete level wasn’t always consistent, but there were some times it looked very good.

This play here was one of the very best from Boldy’s NTDP days. It exemplifies so much of what he can do. First, there is the fantastic effort on the backcheck. After missing the puck on the first attempt, he never gives up. The second thing is the ridiculous fly-swat style pokecheck that knocks the puck loose. Boldy’s ability to knock that puck loose and then make a touch to get it going with him toward the opponent’s net is another example of his elite skill. Third would be the snipe to lead to the goal.

You’ve seen all the skill so far and this is another example of it, but this goal doesn’t happen without Boldy refusing to give up on the play.

This isn’t the only goal he’s scored on a hard backcheck. This one versus North Dakota also stands out in terms of how dangerous he can be on back pursuit.

There were stretches around the middle of the winter where Boldy’s play was inconsistent, but when Boldy is playing like this, he’s a true impact player.

Production

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Boldy’s production doesn’t blow you away. He scored a lot and put up points. He was second on his stacked team in goals. In terms of points per game, he was fifth on the NTDP. One important piece of context is the usage.

When the NTDP was fully healthy with Alex Turcotte and Jack Hughes in the lineup, Boldy’s opportunity took a dip. The first power play unit was Hughes, Turcotte, Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras and Cam York for a healthy portion of the season.

One could look at that and argue, “Wow, Boldy did really well for not getting the prime power play minutes.” The alternative argument being, “Well, why didn’t he get the prime minutes.” Ultimately I think it’s more the former than the latter, but both arguments are reasonable.

Hockey World’s Impressions

An NHL scout said: “Goal scorer, great offensive stick. He’s dangerous down low. I don’t see a ton off the rush in the NHL, but I think he’ll be around the net a lot and he’ll score a lot.”

An NHL scout said: “Boldy has stupid skill, stupid vision. If you can get over his mediocre skating, he’s got the components to be a stud.”

Boston College coach Jerry York said: “He has terrific hockey sense. With the puck he can see the whole field. He can curl, turn and hit an open guy. He has great stick skills. He has an uncanny ability to hold onto the puck. He could be a dynamic player.”

USNTDP U18 coach John Wroblewski said: “He grew from 5-10 to 6-2. His development trajectory has been steep. He can be a power forward. He has excellent hands and vision. He can finish, he can run a power play, he can be a net-front guy. The puck is attached to him.”

Boldy said: “I tried to play the right way. I try to play fast, strong, hard. Even a skilled play has to be a hard play.”

Projection

Boldy was one of the most fascinating prospects to watch all season. There were significant highs in his season, through the month of October I thought he outplayed Hughes in nearly every game. There were times, like at the 5 Nations Tournament, where he didn’t play so well, but he ended the season on a high note at the IIHF U18s.

Ultimately, through his ups and downs, the growth spurt and his time at the NTDP, you have a 6-foot-2 forward with incredible hands and vision, who can score goals and whose skating has improved to an average pro level. In terms of pure talent, he’s top five in the class. I’ve talked to scouts who think Turcotte, Caufield or Zegras is the second best prospect on the NTDP, and I’ve also heard from scouts who think Boldy fits that title.

Boldy does have warts in his profile, but I still feel confident projecting him as a potential top-line forward in the NHL.

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Explaining the unexplainable behind Alex Turcotte, the 2019 NHL draft’s ‘somehow under the radar’ top prospect

By Scott Wheeler, The Athletic - June 3, 2019

BUFFALO — Like everyone who knows Alex Turcotte, national development program associate coach Dan Hinote tries to put a finger on exactly what makes the top 2019 NHL Draft prospect so special and can’t come up with the formula.

“Where to begin? He’s just such an awesome kid. He’s very respectful but not guarded behind it. Like some kids are respectful to all adults and aren’t willing to kind of cultivate that relationship because of that. He’s not that way. He’s respectful but also is part of the family,” Hinote said on a recent phone call.

“I don’t know if that makes any sense but he’s very unique in that regard where just because he and I have a close relationship or he and the other coaches, he doesn’t overstep because of that relationship. It’s like he has figured out what you usually don’t figure out until you’re an adult as far as what line to cross.”

Hinote, who just wrapped up his first season behind the USA Hockey bench after four as a Columbus Blue Jackets assistant and a Stanley Cup as a player with the 2001 Colorado Avalanche, has never met anyone quite like Turcotte.

“If you were to ask each of his teammates who their top three friends on the team are, he probably gets 80 percent of those votes. Now, on the flip side of that if you asked them to name three guys they don’t want to go against in practice he would definitely be on that list as well,” he tried to explain.

“It’s a switch that he’s able to turn on and off. You can’t teach something like that. You can’t teach someone to hate losing enough to where they’ll run their teammates over in practice. You wish everybody would have that but not everybody does. He doesn’t alienate himself from his teammates that way because he’s such a good guy off the ice it allows him to play like that.”

Everyone has an anecdote or a story about Turcotte that isn’t dissimilar.

Owen Lindmark, who played minor hockey with Turcotte as part of the Chicago Steel, followed him to the national program and will follow him again next fall to the University of Wisconsin. After playing on a team with projected first overall pick Jack Hughes, he says Turcotte is still the player he’d choose to take with him to any team.

“Every time he comes to the rink you know exactly what you’re going to get out of him. If you take the puck away from him in practice, I wouldn’t be surprised if you feel a little slash on the wrist and it might piss you off but if you look back at it you have to admire him,” Lindmark said.

A year and a half ago, when a different under-18 coaching staff was considering which under-17 standout (from a team of standouts) to call up a level, head coach Seth Appert says they settled on Turcotte as the second option to Hughes — and over mega-talents like Cole Caufield or Trevor Zegras — because his skills were the game-applicable kind for a team that wanted to win a world championship.

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Turcotte was the “winner” of the bunch whose skills they felt translated to the hardest parts in big games.

“He’s got skills mixed with tenacity. And those guys never go away and they’re always there when you need them. That’s the beauty of Alex. He’s awesome, awesome, awesome,” Appert said.

“I say this to our guys all the time: ‘You all work hard, you’re on the national team, you’re in the top percent of all hockey players in our country because of your work ethic.’ But within that, there are ranges of work ethic and Alex is in the top of that group again. This is already a group of high-achieving young men and then he’s in the top five percent of that group.”

Appert’s associate coach, Nick Fohr, who only coached Turcotte for a handful of months a season ago, made a habit this season to stop and chat with Turcotte every time he ran into him around the program. He doesn’t know why, but he always felt compelled to. That’s just Turcotte, he’ll say, like everyone else does.

When Turcotte graduated from the program after May’s under-18 world championships, Fohr immediately thought of him as the one player he’d miss seeing around. Turcotte’s the kid who has time for everyone.

You wouldn’t know that he’s the son of former NHLer Alfie Turcotte, teammates and coaches alike insist.

“It’s how unassuming he is, how hard he works. Alex is just a different level than a lot of guys. Sometimes the high-end guys get looked at as floating through shifts sometimes and resting a little bit. Alex doesn’t play that way,” Fohr said.

“He’s got a smile on his face every day and he just walks around as a down-to-earth kid. It’s ‘Yes coach, thanks coach, I appreciate it.’ He’s just the nicest kid. He’s a lot of fun to be around because he’s just so humble and there’s no ego at all. He’s the complete opposite of what you would potentially think with that name.”

Conditioning coach and team mentor Kirk Culik, who just retired after two decades working alongside USA Hockey on everything from kickboxing training to meditation and visualization skills, pegs Turcotte as a kid who “just bought in” to all of his teachings. That’s something that doesn’t always happen with national program players during what is a “huge maturity leap” as all-star players attempt (sometimes unsuccessfully) to integrate into the whole, Culik said. He and Turcotte got along immediately.

“His mental strengths have grown exponentially. He really grabbed everything he could. We know he has physical skills but the inner strength and the positive attributes he exhibits like work ethic, it’s just tremendous. Even among really good players, you’ll still notice it,” he said.

“There’s guys who play hockey and some are really good but there’s guys who it’s in their bones that they’re hockey players. You know that term where guys will say ‘Oh, he’s a hockey player.’ That’s Alex.”

All of those things, the ones people can’t quite put a finger on, prepared Turcotte for the worst.

And the worst came last fall when, after briefly beginning his draft year, a hip injury sidelined the then- 17-year-old center until after the Christmas break. And it came again heading into the under-18 world

25 championships he’d worked his entire young career for when he was diagnosed with mononucleosis shortly before the tournament.

To the surprise of no one, he handled both situations better than could be reasonably expected of a kid in his position.

“He was very disappointed, as we all were, and then he put it somewhere deep down and didn’t think about it and basically picked the date and said ‘That’s the date I’m going to beat and I’m going to come back flying and then I’m going to kill it,’” Hinote said.

“If you’re going to pick a guy that you know is going to come back from an injury flying, you’d rather it be him.”

Under-18 team head coach John Wroblewski said the injury hit Turcotte harder than most because “he burns so bad” and had set himself up for a “stellar draft year.” Ultimately, though Turcotte “mastered the challenge,” Wroblewski said.

“It was setback after setback and he just stayed with it, he stayed positive and it goes along with the maturity he has as a young man,” Wroblewski said. “Off the ice he gets it and it bodes so well for the different hurdles he’s going to face as a professional down the road.”

Through it all, Turcotte emerged to post 62 points in 37 games for a 1.68 points per game rate (second only to Hughes), making him a projected top-five pick. And he did it while playing on what Fohr, who also coached the historic 1997 age group that included Auston Matthews, Noah Hanifin, Zach Werenski and Charlie McAvoy, among many others, calls potentially the strongest age group in the history of the program.

“I was incredibly impressed with how he handled the time he missed. I don’t think there’s many guys on that team that could have had the adversity that he had in an NHL draft year and handled it the way he did and be able to come back into the lineup and be as great as he was,” Appert said.

“It says a lot about him.”

Due to a combination of his injury, his style of play, the record-setting seasons of teammates like Hughes and Cole Caufield, and the sheer depth of talent within the team (it’s the first national team to have every one of its players ranked by central scouting), many within USA Hockey felt Turcotte didn’t get the attention he deserved this season.

“His motor is running the entire shift and he plays extremely hard, plus he’s extremely talented. So that’s a pretty high-end player, that works that hard,” Fohr said.

“Because of that work perspective when you watch him play and you see how hard he works, people lose that perspective of just how talented he is. Does that make sense? He’s somehow under the radar because he’s a hard worker. When people start talking about that team, you always hear about Cole and Jack. Alex is a huge cog to that group of kids and is a heck of a player in his own right.”

Somewhere along the way, the conversation around Turcotte’s effort, or the two-way nature of his game, superseded discussion of just how talented he was. The latter has always been recognized, but it’s never the first thing outsiders talk about when they discuss Turcotte.

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“As much as a guy that’s projected as a top-five pick can get forgotten or lost, he did,” Hinote said.

“If circumstances were different, you’d hear his name a lot more than you did this year just based on how talented we were and everything that has gone on. You look at the numbers after he came back, they were off the charts. He played first fiddle in any other circumstance other than the one that he was in, which is crazy.”

Wroblewski, who calls Turcotte a tremendous young man who is ahead of his years, says the snarl Turcotte plays with is so noticeable that people fall into the trap of describing him as a “200-foot guy, whereas I would describe him as an explosive, elite offensive player.

“It eats at this guy if it doesn’t go his way – and that’s a compliment, he doesn’t get down on himself, he just wants to win at whatever he does,” Wroblewski said.

“People overlook him. A lot of times they talk about his speed, or his drive, or his willingness to play a 200-foot game, which he has but I think an extremely understated part of his game is his playmaking ability. There’s not a guy on the team who doesn’t want to play with Alex.”

His ceiling, they all agree, is higher than most think it is.

“Even though he’s going to be a top pick, I don’t think people realize, even now, in my opinion, how much potential he has,” Culik added.

In his first game back from injury against Michigan State, Wroblewski remembers Turcotte as the best player on the ice.

“I couldn’t believe it. He didn’t miss a beat,” he said. “It was truly amazing to watch, how he could take that amount of time off and then come back and absolutely dominate. I can’t say enough about his performance in the second half.”

Because a player like Zegras was so effective running the power play from the half wall, Wroblewski also felt bad when he placed Turcotte in the slot on the man-advantage, knowing he’ll likely play Zegras’ spot at the NHL level.

But every step of the way, Turcotte excelled, becoming the team’s best net-front option.

“His computer is brilliant. His ability to field saucer passes and make plays in tight is truly astounding,” Wroblewski said.

Lindmark isn’t his only teammate to recognize all of these things either.

“His engine, his motor, the way he plays, how skilled he is and how hard he plays at the same time. I like to compare him to (Nathan) MacKinnon a little bit. The way that Turcs plays with his skill and hardness at the same time, that’s unbelievable. Anybody you ask will say how competitive a kid he is,” Hughes said.

As Hinote presumed, they all share a special admiration for Turcotte.

“He’s a warrior. The way he battled this year and what he had to overcome, he’s fearless. Guys took after him. He’s a real leader. He’s a good guy to compete with because he’s not going to let off the gas. If we keep looking up to him I think we’re all going to be pretty good,” defenceman Dom Fensore said.

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By the time the NHL’s 2019 scouting combine arrived in Buffalo at the end of May, Turcotte was determined to show every team, including his hometown Blackhawks who happened to hold the third overall pick, that his talent matched the work ethic they’d already heard about.

He wanted them to know he was competitive, and that practices or just-for-fun basketball games at the program got heated when he’s involved.

“Honestly, I don’t really know (where that intensity comes from). It’s just how I’m made. I’m just really competitive and internally driven. I just want to be the best. That’s what motivates me. And I know that my teammates kind of get annoyed with me sometimes in practice but I think they appreciate it because it pushes them,” Turcotte said.

He wanted them to know the lessons his dad has passed on to him after a 15-year career. He wanted them to know that he’d still posted nine points in seven games at worlds after recovering from mononucleosis. He wanted to show them he was strong at all of the fitness testing (which he did). He wanted them to know what he’d learned from his injury and that he was now 100 percent.

“I’ve never been through an injury like that ever in my life and missed that much time so it definitely taught me how to be mentally tough and stay positive during tough times. It made me appreciate the game of hockey after being away from it and I think that helped me have a great year,” he said.

But he also wanted them to know there was more to him than that.

“I didn’t really have anyone to hold my hand,” Turcotte said. “I think offensively I can make my teammates better and I view myself as a really high-end playmaker. And then I think I’m also really responsible in my own end on the defensive side of the puck.”

Turcotte’s fine if people pigeonhole him as a two-way player too. In the NHL, he wants to be somewhere between Jonathan Toews and Brad Marchand, and says he does a good job keeping his intensity in check to avoid crossing the line.

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” he said of people paying too much attention to his competitiveness.

“It’s good to have all those tools and keep people guessing and maybe if they kind of forget about that (playmaking ability that I have) it’s OK…”

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Mooseheads' Raphael Lavoie one of NHL Draft's 'best prospects'

By Ryan McKenna, Sportsnet.ca - June 3, 2019

HALIFAX – Eric Veilleux has seen some good hockey players over his coaching career, but maybe none as good as Raphael Lavoie.

“He’s probably one of the best players I had a chance to coach,” the Halifax Mooseheads bench boss says. “Best prospect anyways for sure.”

Lavoie is an 18-year-old right winger eligible for this year’s NHL Draft, which begins on June 21 in Vancouver.

Gifted with great size – six-foot-four and 198 pounds – Lavoie also has intriguing hands and skill. It has made him an interesting target for teams at the draft.

He was ranked 13th by NHL Central Scouting at the midterm rankings for North American skaters, but slipped to 20th in the final edition. Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino had Lavoie slated at 20th overall in his May rankings.

The rankings are hard to escape, Lavoie says.

“Well, quite frankly, when they get posted, I look at them for sure,” he says from the Memorial Cup. “People talk to me about it. But I try not to focus on it. Playing my game is a lot more important for me.”

Lavoie helped the host Mooseheads reach the Canadian major junior championship game where Halifax lost to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He had two highlight-reel goals in the tournament – including one in the final – and an assist along with 17 shots on goal over four games.

His physical play was prevalent throughout the tournament as he used his big frame to create a good cycle in the corner and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.

He says he’s at his best when he has the puck and is creating offensive chances.

“I think I’m pretty good when I’m doing that.”

Lavoie was streaky during his draft year and finished the regular season with 32 goals and 41 assists in 62 games.

But when it came to the playoffs, the right-handed shot picked up his game.

He finished atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 20 playoff goals and was second in league scoring with 32 points. Lavoie recorded three-straight two-goal games against Moncton in the second round and added a hat trick in one game against Drummondville in Round 3.

Veilleux says Lavoie has become a more well-rounded player over the past year — his second full season in the QMJHL.

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“He’s added, I think, some pretty good prime to his game throughout the season to make him, obviously, a more complete player, which is probably what teams were wondering if he could play that way and he’s developed as a very solid, complete player,” Veilleux says.

Lavoie is yet another product of Chambly, Que., which has developed some solid talent over the past few years.

He’s friends with goaltender Zachary Bouthillier, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs while brothers Pierre-Olivier (Arizona) and Mathieu Joseph (Tampa Bay) also hail from the city 25 kilometres southeast of Montreal.

Lavoie is also the latest top prospect to come out of the Mooseheads organization. Halifax has produced top NHL talent such as Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, Nikolaj Ehlers and Timo Meier to name a few.

Antoine Morand, who captained this year’s Mooseheads team and is an Anaheim Ducks prospect, was one of the players Lavoie relied on this season for advice.

“They have experienced it before me so it’s good,” Lavoie says. “They let me know what they know.”

Linemate Samuel Asselin says his job during the season was to help relieve some of the pressure Lavoie faced with jokes and light-hearted conversation.

On the ice, Asselin says Lavoie’s long reach and lethal stick lifts make him tough to play against.

“I think he really, really improved his game during the playoff run and since then he’s just so good for us,” Asselin says.

Lavoie played for Canada at the 2018 world under-18 championships and scored five goals in five games.

Veilleux says the forward has the ability to play on the top two lines of an NHL team one day, but adds there’s room to improve and add size.

Lavoie’s goal is to continue to grow and get better.

“Whenever I get stronger and bigger I’ll be better in every aspect of my game,” he says. “I’ll skate faster, I can shoot harder, I can hit harder, I can be more strong and be a better player overall.”

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What to expect by drafting defenseman Philip Broberg

By Corey Pronman, The Athletic – June 4, 2019

Philip Broberg excited scouts early and late in the season. He blew folks away in the summer with his elite combination of skating and size. He remains a top prospect and the second best defenseman in the draft. But his play was not consistent throughout the season and we’ll delve into why.

Skating

There are a lot of things that make Broberg a top prospect, but far and away why he will be drafted high is his skating. He’s right up there with Jack Hughes as the best pure skater in this draft class. He’s a one- man breakout and zone entry artist due to how quickly he gains speed and how dangerous his top gear is. He has powerful legs, a deep knee-bend and the ability to turn defense into offense in a split second.

There were so many times throughout the season where Broberg would make a stop, and within a second he was up the ice attacking the net. This play here is one of my favorites from the season, as he maintains momentum after stripping a puck and continues with that speed into a potential chance.

He has a very good first few steps. Note in this next play how well he changes speeds to get past a defender. I like the little skill play at the end to try and maintain possession, too.

And Broberg has the ability to break open a game with his skating, as he showed multiple times early on in the season at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament.

For 6-foot-3, Broberg is a truly special skater and it’s why he has a lot of NHL teams excited about his potential.

Defensive Play

Broberg’s skating allows him to break up so many plays defensively. Often throughout the season I saw him easily step into a passing lane to disrupt a team’s attack. Here are two examples of how he did that at the Allsvenskan level and turned an opponent’s breakout into an attack for his team.

He’s so tough to beat wide. He’s got such a great reach and with his skating you have to catch him off guard if you hope to get around him.

He relieves pressure so well. If teams try to chip pucks in behind him, he’s able to win a footrace and generate a clean exit easily.

Broberg is able to kill penalties, and at even strength, he’s fine in his own zone. He understands the positional play of a defenseman. His defensive reads are not at a very high level and some NHL scouts criticize that aspect of his game, but he’s able to make stops, like in this sequence.

Vision and Decision-Making

The biggest criticism I have of Broberg’s defensive zone play is sometimes he doesn’t sense pressure very well. There were times throughout the season where he made some Grade-A turnovers in his half of the ice.

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He’s not a high-end puck-mover and won’t be a true first power play guy in the NHL by any means. However, I gave his hockey sense an above-average grade because I think he has sneaky good instincts.

This play at the world juniors shows his ability to identify seams in the offensive zone.

He did not make this type of play that often this season, but this is a high-end play, so it is in him somewhere, even if he doesn’t show it that often.

Despite his occasional D-zone mistake on breakouts, there was also the occasional high-level breakout that didn’t require his feet. This play is an example.

The ability to identify his option, know he has to perfectly feather the pass off the boards and execute it onto the tape of his teammate is a very difficult play and a testament to his vision.

On this next play, while the chance isn’t completed, I like how Broberg took a look over his shoulder, saw there was a play at the net and found his teammate even if he doesn’t get his stick.

You are not getting a premier passer in Broberg and you will have to live with some risk in his game, but he can make offensive plays and at times very good one.

Puck Skills

Broberg is not going to be on highlight reels for his 1-on-1 play like Quinn Hughes or Adam Boqvist, but Broberg has good hands and, with how fast he skates, can sneak by defenders.

Here is an example where he dekes out two players, the first behind his own net to start the rush and the second once he’s gained the offensive zone.

His rush is ultimately broken up by the third defender, but the skill he showed there was impressive.

He’s got enough skill that, combined with his skating, allows him to create a chance or goal out of nothing. This goal versus Slovakia in the summer was one of his best moments of the season.

Those handles are not elite but his ability to move around that defender and beat the goalie will be just what he needs to make the most of his speed.

This next play is more of an example of his hands creating a chance, as he executes an inside-out play off this rush that creates a chance on goal.

Production and Illness

Trying to analyze Broberg’s production is tricky because there are a few variables at play. First, very few U18 defensemen played a full season of Allsvenskan. We’ve seen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Rasmus Andersson in recent years, as well as Hampus Lindholm and Oliver Kylington, who played partial seasons.

It’s fair to say Broberg’s numbers won’t blow anyone away. His offense was behind three-quarters of those players, looking closer to Hampus Lindholm’s production.

However, Broberg was a young 2001 birth date (June). AIK was also a top team in the Allsvenskan by a decent margin in the regular season, making it a tough team to get ice time on particularly after they added in the second half. Broberg played a fair amount early on, including on the power play, but saw

32 his play and ice dip midseason. He was sent down to the Swedish junior league where he scored a point per game and logged heavy minutes. He was then called up and played better in the last few weeks.

AIK manager Anders Gozzi attributes this midseason dip to illness saying, “Some of the matches in the autumn, (Broberg) was the best defender on the ice. When he came home after the world juniors, he was sick and in poor shape. Therefore, it was difficult to get him to the same level he showed up in the autumn and he had to play with AIK’s juniors to find his game again. Slowly but surely he has come back to his game, so it was fun to see him finish the season as he started it.”

Some NHL scouts did express concern around February that his play was declining. There was a bug, though, that went around the world juniors, several prominent prospects like Vitali Kravtsov and K’Andre Miller caught it, as well as several Swedish players.

Sweden’s U20 coach Tomas Monten said Broberg was hit hard by that stomach bug. “He could only drink for 36 hours and then stepped on the ice to play in the quarterfinal for us.”

Hockey World’s Impression

An NHL scout said: “I love the skating and size. I like the shot. I think he has offense, he can rush the puck 5-on-5 because of his skating and can create as a second-layer guy. He can defend size and speed. There’s potential he’s a total home run.”

An NHL executive said: “He doesn’t skate. He gallops.”

AIK manager Anders Gozzi said: “Broberg has enormous potential and will play in the NHL in the near future. He is one of the best defenders we have gotten in AIK throughout the years due to his skating and skill level.”

Sweden’s U20 coach Tomas Monten said: “Broberg is a mature young man that wants to get better. He is not shy from telling other players when they don’t work. He’s a big D who is a great skater. He can carry the puck well and, as long as he doesn’t try to force plays, he’s a great D. He will be able to defend well because of his size, reach and skating.”

Projection

Broberg is a dynamic defenseman because of his frame and elite skating. He has offense in his game and will be a solid defender.

There are ways to pick apart his game and season. He’s not a high-end skill type. He didn’t produce a ton, and there is some risk in his game. However, he impressed consistently versus his peer group at the Hlinka Gretzky, the November U18 5 Nations and at the IIHF U18s. He was also quite ill around the time his league performance dipped.

I project Broberg to be a top pairing defenseman in the NHL. He won’t be a top power play guy by any means, but he will be a second unit type who can play tough minutes and drive play while playing against opponents best players.

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Down Goes Brown: Want the NHL to just call the rulebook exactly as written? Be careful what you wish for

By Sean McIndoe, The Athletic – June 4, 2019

I kind of love the NHL rulebook.

I don’t love everything in it, and I certainly don’t always love the way it’s called, especially when my team is playing. But I’ve always been fascinated by this document that’s existed for a century while being subject to constant tinkering, with brand-new rules living alongside ones that have sat untouched for decades.

Unless you’re an NHL official, you’ve probably never bothered to read through the thing. But you should, because it’s packed with oddities and loopholes and sub-loopholes. I get into some of them in my book, like the rule that can force the players to officiate their own game, and I’ve written over the years about some of the weird exceptions most fans don’t know, like how a goalie can still play the puck outside of the trapezoid if he keeps one foot in the crease.

But these days, everyone seems to be mad at the rulebook. It’s too complicated or not complicated enough, and we’re either using way too much replay review or nowhere near enough, depending on how your favorite team’s most recent game just turned out.

There are really two ways you can approach a sports rulebook. You can view it as a guideline, a sort of starting point that lays out the basics of how the game should work and then leaves it to the officials to figure out what they’re actually going to call. Or you can view the rulebook as the law of the land, to be followed to the letter.

I’ve always been a fan of the first option. But I’m increasingly getting the sense that I’m in a small minority and that most fans are solidly in the second camp. And I have to admit that approach holds a certain appeal, especially given how this postseason has gone. Why not get rid of the interpretations and gray areas and selective enforcement and just call the rules as they’re written? I hear it all the time from other fans, media and even the occasional coach and player: Stop “managing the game” — whatever that means on a given night — and just call the damn rules.

It’s a convincing argument. So convincing, in fact, that I think they’re winning me over. I’m ready to switch sides. I’m going to become a rulebook absolutist.

After all, as I’m often told, rules are rules, and we have to get it right. So just call the rulebook exactly as written. The whole thing. Every word of it.

Man, it feels good to say that out loud. So now that we’re all on the same side here, let’s reacquaint ourselves with seven rules from the actual NHL rulebook that we’ll now be calling each and every time, exactly as written.

Rule 67.3: Goalies freezing the puck after a glove save

How it’s typically called: If a goalie snags a shot with his glove, the whistle blows pretty much immediately. Every once in a great while, you’ll see a goaltender glove a long shoot-in, and the referee

34 will wait to see if he wants to play it. But unless he makes a move to put the puck back in play, the whistle blows and we get a faceoff in the zone.

But the rulebook actually says: “A goalkeeper who holds the puck with his hands for longer than three seconds shall be given a minor penalty unless he is actually being checked by an opponent.”

In other words, unless an opponent is right there and actively trying to get the puck, the goaltender isn’t allowed to just freeze it to end the play. If a goalie snags a shot and has a reasonable opportunity to play it, he has to do so. The rulebook is actually pretty explicit on that, going on to explain that “the object of this entire rule is to keep the puck in play continuously, and any action taken by the goalkeeper which causes an unnecessary stoppage must be penalized without warning.”

The weirdest part of the rule is the three-second limit. When was the last time you saw a referee wait three seconds before blowing his whistle when the goalie gloves a puck? I’m not sure it’s ever happened.

What that would look like: Remember in “NHL ’94” when you’d always try to keep the play going even though that meant accidentally passing it to your opponent for an empty-net goal at least once a period? Apparently that’s what the rulebook wants.

How we’ll enforce it: Any time a goalie gloves a shot and holds on for a whistle, we’ll have to let coaches challenge to see if any player was checking him at the time. If not, it’s an automatic minor penalty, because rules are rules, and we have to get it right.

Rule 14.1: Adjustments to goaltender equipment

How it’s typically called: If a goaltender has a problem with his equipment — let’s say his helmet, glove or a skate blade — he lets the ref know and heads over to the bench, and we all wait patiently for a few minutes until it gets sorted out.

But the rulebook actually says: “No delay shall be permitted for the repair or adjustment of goalkeeper’s equipment. If adjustments are required, the goalkeeper shall leave the ice and his place shall be taken by the substitute goalkeeper immediately.”

Huh. Apparently, every one of those goalie/trainer powwows we’ve seen over the years was technically illegal. The rule is pretty clear: Any equipment problem has to be taken care of off the ice, with the backup goalie taking over in the meantime. By the way, this one is so important, it actually appears in the rulebook three separate times, also showing up in 63.2 and then again in 65.2.

And what if the goalie tries to sneak in a quick adjustment? It’s a penalty. No, really: “For an infraction of this rule by a goalkeeper, a minor penalty shall be imposed.” And note that the rule doesn’t even mention the trainer — it applies to any adjustment at all, even one the goalie does on his own.

What that would look like: Lots of backup goalies coming in cold because a mask got dented or a strap on a glove or pad came loose.

How we’ll enforce it: Any coach who sees a goaltender even looking at his equipment can demand that he immediately be removed from the game, because rules are rules, and we have to get it right.

Rule 70.3: Players coming onto the ice during a break to warm up or test out an injury

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How it’s typically called: Occasionally, a player who’s been banged up will hop over the boards during a break to go for a quick spin. It’s fine — he’s clearly not hurting anybody — and can even provide a fun bit of drama. Did he look OK? Did he wince? Did he head back to the bench or straight for the room?

But the rulebook actually says: “Except at the end of each period or for entering the game legally, no player may, at any time, leave the players’ bench.”

OK, but surely we can allow a quick warmup, right? Nope: “Players shall not be permitted to come on the ice during a stoppage of play or at the end of the first and second periods for the purpose of warming up.” That’s pretty specific and covers the exact situation we often see.

And here’s my favorite part: Guess what the consequences are for violating this rule? It’s not a minor penalty or even a misconduct. No, it’s that the ref “will report any violation of this rule to the Commissioner for disciplinary action.”

What that would look like: I kind of want to know. Like, if somebody decides to test out a bad ankle during a commercial break, does the referee have to call Gary Bettman immediately? Can he wait until after the game? Can he text? Since this rule was clearly written in 1923, does he have to write a letter with pen and quill?

How we’ll enforce it: I really think you’d have to have Bettman available at all times via Skype so the referee can rush over and tattle on someone for testing a bad hammy, because rules are rules, and we have to get it right.

Rule 75.4(iii): Trying to get the other team to commit a penalty

How it’s typically called: Brad Marchand exists. So do the Tkachuk brothers. And Nazem Kadri, Brendan Gallagher, Leo Komarov and any number of pests and instigators who are experts at getting under an opponent’s skin and suckering them into a penalty. And good for them — that’s just how hockey’s played, right?

But the rulebook actually says: “Misconduct penalties shall be assessed under this rule for the following infractions … (iii) Any player who persists in any course of conduct (including threatening or abusive language or gestures or similar actions) designed to incite an opponent into incurring a penalty.”

Yeah, apparently you can’t do anything that’s meant to try to draw a penalty, including directing abusive language at an opponent. Trash talk, face washes or even a garden-variety smirk? The rule does say “persists,” so maybe the first one is free, but after that, it’s supposed to be 10 minutes.

What that would look like: Sean Avery would have shattered Tiger Williams’ all-time penalty record roughly three weeks into his career.

How we’ll enforce it: Oh, this would be fun. Did your team just receive a penalty? Coaches should be able to challenge under what would basically be the “he had it coming” rule; they wouldn’t necessarily take the minor off the board, but refs would have to assess a 10-minute penalty to anyone who had persisted in any effort to egg on their opponent.

And by the way, note that there isn’t even anything in the rule about the attempt having been successful. Honestly, we could probably have challenges from both sides after every post-whistle scrum, at which point we could go to the video to see if anyone did anything at all to try to incite an opponent.

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It would take forever, but it would be the right thing to do, because rules are rules, and we have to get it right.

Rule 75.2(i): Swearing

How it’s typically called: Players swear. Kind of a lot. As long as they don’t obviously direct it at the referee or use any slurs, it’s just part of the game. Don’t read lips, kids.

But the rulebook actually says: A minor penalty shall be assessed to “any identifiable player who uses obscene, profane or abusive language or gestures directed at any person.”

That’s it. You swear, it’s two minutes. And not just at the referee. The rule is clear that it applies to naughty words directed at “any person.” I guess you’re still allowed to swear at inanimate objects, but opponents? Nope. That’s an automatic minor.

And it is a minor, by the way, not a misconduct. Rule 75.4 makes the order of operations clear, outlining that a misconduct is only called on a player who continues to swear “after being assessed a minor.” According to the rulebook, the minor has to come first.

What that would look like: Pretty f###ing dumb.

How we’ll enforce it: Coaches can’t typically hear what’s happening on the ice, so they’d need to be alerted by the players. Imagine every scrum being interrupted by a player suddenly turning away, eyes wide with horror, and pointing at an opponent while yelling, “He just said a swear word!” like a frightened kindergarten kid. Maybe it would be like puck-over-glass and the whole team would start furiously pointing at the same time.

Of course, video review doesn’t really work here. So we’d need something new: audio review. Officials would have to throw on some headphones and go back over the footage to see if they could hear any bad words. It’s possible we might need to make each player wear a mic so we can get a clear feed and identify who said what. We don’t have that technology right now, but it should go without saying that we need to develop and implement it immediately, because rules are rules, and we have to get it right.

Rule 39.2 and 39.3: Arguing with the referee

How it’s typically called: Players (and coaches) argue with the referee all the time. Just about every player who gets a penalty will have a few words for the official on the way to the box, and often more than a few. If they think a call is missed, they’ll make that known, sometimes even as the play is still going on.

Every once in a while, a player will go too far, drop a very obvious F-bomb and get a misconduct for their trouble. Even more rarely, a referee will occasionally hand out a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. But in the overwhelming majority of the cases, they let the player have their say and we all move on with our lives.

But the rulebook actually says: Questioning the referee in any way is an automatic minor penalty.

No, really … it is. Rule 39.2(i) calls for a minor penalty to “any player who challenges or disputes the ruling of an official.” No qualifiers or exceptions — you dispute an official’s call, it’s an automatic two minutes.

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And in case you’re wondering, coaches get their own rule. That’s 39.3, which covers automatic bench minors. Coaches are apparently allowed to at least question officials, but they can’t bang the boards or swear. And my favorite part comes in 39.3(ii), which prescribes a minor penalty for any coach who “uses the name of any official coupled with any vociferous remarks.” No being vociferous!

What that would look like: Ever seen a penalty box crowded with 20 players and an entire coaching staff? You will, roughly three minutes into every game.

How we’ll enforce it: Simple. Any time the opposing team seems to be challenging or disputing a ruling by the official, we’d expect to see an immediate penalty. If for some reason the referee doesn’t make the call, the other coach could demand a replay review of the footage.

Of course, demanding a review is also technically challenging or disputing a ruling by the official. So it would have to carry an automatic penalty of its own. And if the referee forgot to apply that, then the other team would have to ask for a review, which would also be challenging a call and therefore would also have to result in a penalty. We’d end up in coaches’ challenge inception, where the only way to enforce the rules would be to break the rules, and the whole thing would be completely ridiculous, and anyone with any common sense at all would hate it forever. But we need to do it anyway, because rules are rules, and we have to get it right.

Rule 76.6: Pretty much anything that happens before a faceoff

How it’s typically called: Most NHL faceoffs play out the same way. The centers lean in and probably make a little contact, just to stake out their territory. Opposing wingers jostle each other, often standing elbow-to-elbow or at least swatting each other’s sticks out of the way. Some sort of weird hockey gravity kicks in, pulling everyone into the faceoff circle in the moments before the puck is dropped.

As a viewer at home, you probably don’t notice any of it. In fact, you might not even see it, because broadcasts often don’t even cut to the faceoff until the puck has just been dropped. Because who even cares, right?

But the rulebook actually says: All of those things are faceoff violations that should stop play.

Rule 76.6 is one of the longest in the rulebook, and it spells out all the different ways a faceoff can be done wrong. That includes “any physical contact with an opponent prior to the puck being dropped,” like those wingers jostling for position before every draw. And of course, everyone’s skates have to be in the exact right place or else they’ve committed a violation.

A faceoff violation isn’t necessarily a penalty, although two on the same draw is an automatic minor. But the rulebook is clear that if any of the long list of infractions in 76.6 take place, the whistle has to be blown and the faceoff has to be done again. And again. And again and again, until everything is perfect.

What that would look like: Remember when the league briefly cracked down on certain faceoff violations a few years ago and it felt like every draw took forever? It would be like that, only way worse.

How we’ll enforce it: This one’s actually pretty straightforward. After any goal, the coach should be able to challenge for a faceoff violation on the draw that preceded it. Go back, look at the footage and if anyone’s toe was in the wrong place, it’s no goal.

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Go back to the Bruins’ first goal on Saturday. See how there are anywhere from four to eight(!) players who are technically in violation of where they’re supposed to be, including Jake DeBrusk being pretty much entirely inside the circle when the puck is dropped? Sorry, Boston, that’s no goal now. Sure, none of it has anything to do with the actual goal. But neither do many offside reviews, and we’ve all agreed we still need to pick them apart with freeze-frame analysis, all in the name of accuracy.

Offside and faceoff violations are basically the same category of infraction: common plays involving black-and-white rules around player positioning that don’t call for penalties but are supposed to result in plays being blown dead. There’s really no logical reason to treat them differently. If you’re going to allow for challenges on one, you have to be in favor of challenges for the other. After all, rules are rules, and we have to get it right.

Or … and just hear me out here … maybe we don’t.

Maybe we can remember that the rulebook is there to serve the game, not the other way around. Maybe we can accept that just because something is technically against the strict letter of the law, it doesn’t have to be called that way every time, and certainly not subject to frame-by-frame review after the fact. And maybe we can acknowledge that just getting it right every time actually shouldn’t be the goal, at least as long as “it” is some nitpicky moment that ultimately had nothing to do with the result of the play.

That’s the other option. But until we can agree on that, then sure, let’s call the rulebook as written. And that means exactly as written. With penalties for swearing, equipment adjustment and routine saves.

If we work really hard, we can probably use the rulebook to get to a point where no goal ever counts and no player makes it through a game without serving time for something.

The games will be unwatchable, but at least we’ll know we’re getting it right. And isn’t that what really matters?

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Five helpful hints for would-be NHL traders during the Stanley Cup Final

By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY- June 4, 2019

Even during the Stanley Cup Final, other NHL teams are busy trying to improve for next season.

We hear there’s plenty of trade talk in the marketplace. Here are some suggestions we have:

► Send Phil Kessel from Pittsburgh to Arizona: The Coyotes were 28th in scoring last season and Kessel still has a scoring touch. Coach Rick Tocchet and Kessel had a good relationship when Tocchet was an assistant in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford doesn't want to dump Kessel for prospects/draft picks, but that's what he might have to accept with the Coyotes. Kessel has a limited no-trade clause and the Coyotes seem to be his preferred destination.

Moving Kessel’s salary would free up some cash to go after a free agent to replace him.

► Panthers should trade for Artemi Panarin’s rights: Why not send a late-round draft pick to Columbus to get negotiations started early to secure this potential unrestricted free agent?

The Panthers want Panarin, and he the dynamic winger has interest in going there. The lack of a state tax is an attractive perk for a free agent. The New York Rangers are also interested Panarin.

► Sabres should call the Calgary Flames about Travis Hamonic: GM Jason Botterill is busy trying to tie up Jeff Skinner to an eight-year contract extension. According to a person familiar with the negotiations, it will be near $8.5 million per season. The person requested anonymity because the contract has not been finalized.

But the offseason priority has to be to improve the team’s defensive group. A veteran like Hamonic, 28, would fit the Sabres. The Flames are expected to move Hamonic and/or T.J. Brodie this offseason.

►Teams shouldn’t count on the Hurricanes trading a defenseman: They are trying to extend Justin Faulk, and their plan, at least for now, is to hang onto all four of their top defensemen.

The Hurricanes hope to build off this year’s run to the conference final and not disrupt the team’s chemistry.

►Predators may have to eat salary to make a deal: That’s not a strategy the Predators have employed in the past, but they might have to do that if they want to move defenseman P.K. Subban and/or center Kyle Turris.

Subban has three seasons at $9 million per season left on his contract, which makes him difficult to move. But they might be able to move him if they ate $2 million of his salary.

The Predators want to improve their second line and power play. They may have to make multiple deals to make that work. Defenseman Ryan Ellis ($6.25 million cap hit) is another player who could be moved to add scoring. He has eight years left on his deal.

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The Predators could use a player like Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri and Toronto needs defense. Maybe an Ellis for Kadri swap makes sense, provided teams can get their salary cap issues squared away.

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