Today’s News Clips May 4, 2018

Chicago Tribune

Former Blackhawks enforcer pledges to donate brain to research after death

Shannon Ryan May 3, 2018

Former Blackhawks forward Daniel Carcillo announced Wednesday night that he will donate his brain to the study of traumatic brain injury when he dies.

“This is one of the scariest & hardest things I’ve ever had to write but here it goes,” he posted on Twitter. “I am pledging my brain to Ted Carrick and the @Carrickinst (Carrick Institute) to be used for study and furthering understanding of the consequences of traumatic brain injury when I pass.”

The enforcer who played 12 seasons in the NHL has become an outspoken advocate for better health care for NHL players and a critic of the way the league deals with injuries.

Carcillo twice led the NHL in minutes. He played on two -winning teams with the the Hawks before retiring in 2015.

He has been critical of the league’s punishments during the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. On Tuesday, he blasted the league for not punishing the Capitals’ Tom Wilson after a hit that took the Penguins’ Brian Dumoulin out of the game. Wilson was suspended Wednesday for three games for a hit on Zach Aston-Reese that broke his jaw and gave him a concussion.

Carcillo, 33, founded the Chapter 5 Foundation in honor of his friend and former NHL player , who died at 35.

Chicago Sun-Times

Daniel Carcillo pledges to donate his brain to research on head trauma

Satchel Price May 3, 2018

Former NHL forward Daniel Carcillo pledged to donate his brain to the Carrick Institute for research into the effects of traumatic brain injuries. The longtime enforcer who played three seasons with the Blackhawks announced his decision Wednesday night as part of his reaction on social media to a series of illegal hits during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

@CarBombBoom13 This is one of the scariest & hardest things I’ve ever had to write but here it goes. I am pledging my brain to Ted Carrick and the @Carrickinst (Carrick Institute) to be used for study and furthering understanding of the consequences of traumatic brain injury when I pass @NHL

Carcillo retired from the NHL in 2015 and has since devoted his time to advocating research into mental health and the effects of concussions. The 33-year-old started the Chapter 5 Foundation in honor of Steve Montador, a best friend and former NHL enforcer who died at age 35. He has been vocal on social media about the need for the league to better handle the risks and long-term effects of playing hockey.

One change Carcillo specifically called for Wednesday was the outright banning of hits to the head at the NHL level. The IIHF, NCAA and OHL have adopted those rules, and back in 2011, some big-name players said they were in favor of following that trend. However, the league has been slow to change, instead adopting half- measures meant to discourage and penalize certain head hits without banning all of them.

In March, Carcillo joined the concussion lawsuit against the NHL that was filed four years ago by a group of former players. A judge in Minnesota is currently reviewing whether the case should go forward as a class action lawsuit, which would automatically make roughly 5,000 former players plaintiffs and turn up the stakes for the league.

“I’m not a bitter guy looking to hurt the NHL,” Carcillo said at the time. “I’m not out for money. I’ll donate anything I get to research. I just want to put pressure on the NHL and educate and advocate for guys.”

Carcillo played 429 NHL games over nine seasons with the Coyotes, Flyers, Blackhawks, Kings and Rangers. He won a Stanley Cup with the Hawks in 2013, but said Wednesday that he “would trade my name on the [Stanley Cup] twice over for another conversation with Steve Montador. That’s how much I care about this advocacy work.”

Chicago Sun-Times

Ex-Blackhawk Marcus Kruger traded to Coyotes in unusual mid- postseason deal

Satchel Price May 3, 2018

The Coyotes acquired forward Marcus Kruger and a 2018 third-round pick from the Hurricanes for forward Jordan Martinook and a 2018 fourth-round pick in an unusual mid-playoff deal, the teams announced Thursday.

The Hurricanes are also retaining 10 percent of Kruger’s $3.08 million cap hit, so the Coyotes will be on the hook for $2.772 million in cap space.

It’s not often that you see two teams, even non-playoff teams, make a deal during the NHL postseason, but Carolina and Arizona began their offseason work early.

Kruger, a former member of the Blackhawks, has one year remaining on the deal he originally signed with Chicago in 2016. He was dealt twice last summer – first to Vegas, then to Carolina – after the Hawks decided they could no longer afford paying such a lucrative cap hit to a fourth-line center.

The Hurricanes opened the 2017-18 season with Kruger filling that same role in their lineup, but he played only 48 games before the team placed him on waivers. He cleared a day later and spent the rest of the season with the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, where he recorded eight points in 19 games.

It’s a major fall from grace for Kruger, who played a key role on Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. He became known for his defensive ability in the bottom six and on the penalty kill.

For the Coyotes, adding Kruger is about budgeting and asset management more than anything. The forward pushes the Coyotes closer to the salary cap minimum with his cap hit, but he’s only due $2.3 million in actual compensation. And because the Hurricanes wanted to get most of the cap hit off their hands, they sweetened the pot by taking a fourth-round pick for a third-round pick.

The Athletic

Blackhawks season review: Patrick Kane continues to do his part

Scott Powers May 3, 2018

The Blackhawks have to be worried to some extent about most of their core.

Jonathan Toews, who just turned 30, hasn’t been the same elite center the past few years. , 33, has been on the decline. Duncan Keith, who will turn 35 in July, is coming off his worst season. Corey Crawford, 33, hasn’t played since December and his future is unknown.

And then there’s Patrick Kane. At 29 — he’ll be 30 in November — he continues to be a steady offensive star.

Kane led or nearly led the Blackhawks in every offensive category again this season and did so after losing the stability of consistent linemates, most notably Artemi Panarin, with whom he shared remarkable chemistry. Kane’s production this season wasn’t at the same level as it was when he played with Panarin, but he still scored plenty of goals and put up a lot of points.

Age may eventually catch up to Kane, but it hasn’t yet.

Season highlight

Kane now ranks fifth in franchise history in both goals (312) and points (828). Denis Savard is fourth in goals with 377, and Steve Larmer is fourth in points with 923. It obviously depends on how long Kane plays, but he has a realistic shot at finishing second in points (Bobby Hull is currently second with 1,153) and probably third in goals (Larmer is third with 406 and Stan Mikita is second at 541).

Season lowlight

Kane went through a five-game pointless streak in February. He also had a four-game pointless streak earlier in the season. He hadn’t gone more than three games without a in the previous seven seasons. Kane’s last four-game drought came during the 2009-10 season. He had six- and seven-game pointless streaks during the 2008-09 season.

Inside the numbers

This was the first season Kane had a negative differential in 5-on-5 play. He was on the ice for 56 goals for and 69 goals against for a 44.8 goal percentage. His previous worst percentage was 51.28, which came in his second season.

Kane worked well with Nick Schmaltz. They had a plus-2 goal differential (33-31) in 747:30 of ice time together. But in his remaining 477:55 of ice time, Kane had a minus-15 goal differential (23-38). Kane had a minus-8 goal differential with Brandon Saad, minus-5 with , minus-4 with Alex DeBrincat and minus-2 with Artem Anisimov and Jonathan Toews.

Team rank

Overall points: 76 (1st) 5v5 points: 46 (1st) Power play points: 22 (1st) Overall goals: 27 (2nd) 5v5 goals: 17 (t-2nd) Overall assists: 49 (1st) 5v5 assists: 29 (1st) Primary 5v5 assists: 20 (1st) 5v5 Corsi percentage (min. 41 games): 51.59 (11th)

Quotable

Toews on what impresses him about Kane: “There’s a lot of things. The biggest thing is his skill level, but what he’s able to bring every single night. He’s been doing it on such a consistent basis and it doesn’t matter how hot he gets offensively he stays with it, he stays hungry and he just wants to create more and more and a lot of guys can sit back and rest on their laurels or get satisfied, and he’s always trying to get better.”

Kane on taking on more of a leadership role this season: “It’s probably evolved over my career here. I think a little bit more every year. Even now with some more young guys, our team’s a lot younger than it has been in the past. I remember my first three or four years I can remember being the youngest guy on the team every year, so we had a lot of veterans and a lot of experience. It’s kind of the changing of the guard now. A lot of these young guys have taken some good steps this year, so try to help them along with that. I think even more importantly we’re going to need those guys to take even bigger steps next year and help us get over this hump here.

Kane on the players who influenced him: I think you can mention Seabs, Duncs, Sharpie were pretty big. Those are the guys we got pretty close with right away, kind of developed a good friendship. I can remember my first training camp rooming with Kevyn Adams, a Buffalo guy himself and he was a Stanley Cup champion. It was pretty cool to room with him and kind of learn the ropes as well. I remember back to that first year, we had some fun times. We were talking about the other day. We used to hook up on the plane with like these PlayStation portables and play like a SOCOM game and it was like me, Sharp, [Adam] Burish and Seabs, Tazer, Marty Lapointe, Yanic Perrault and Cam Barker would play sometimes. Other guys would fill in. It was just pretty fun. Even Patty Lalime would play sometimes. You’d have the older guys in the back and they’re playing and they’d chirp each other if they lost or something. It was a great group. They brought us along pretty well. I kind of look at those guys right away. Once Hossa came in, you learned a lot from him too.”

Scout’s take

“Kane looks to still be going strong without any sign of slowing down. While some of his core teammates seem to be on the decline or at the very least had very down seasons in 2017-18, Kane is still producing and doing what Kane does. I understand some of the reasons for not wanting to do it long term, but I’m fascinated at the thought of a Kane-Schmaltz-DeBrincat line for an extended trial. At the very least, one of Schmaltz or Kane should be with DeBrincat at all times, if not all three together on one line.“

Offseason plans

Kane chose to play for the U.S. in the World Championship in Denmark after opting out last year. He’s also expected to stick around Chicago again this offseason. He worked out with local skills coach Brian Keane last offseason. He’s also expected to continue working with longtime skills coach Darryl Belfry, who usually holds a summer camp for NHL players in Florida.

Contract status

Kane has five years remaining on his contract. He had a $10.5 million cap hit, which, beginning next season, will no longer be the highest in the NHL. That will belong to Connor McDavid, who will have a $12.5 million cap hit.

Next season

The best thing the Blackhawks could do for Kane next season is identify a left winger for him. He and Schmaltz had success as linemates this season, and it appears the Blackhawks would like to keep Schmaltz at center. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was reluctant to put DeBrincat on Kane’s line, and Saad will probably remain with Toews. The Blackhawks could really use a left winger who could complement Kane and produce on the power play.

The Athletic

How do you ask for someone’s brain? One concussion researcher provides an inside look

Katie Strang May 3, 2018

It is not your typical ice-breaker, nor is it your standard dinner-party topic of conversation.

Hell, it may completely dismantle any sense of decorum in social situations. And yet, Chris Nowinski, co- founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, asks the question anyway:

“Can I have your brain?”

OK, so in all likelihood, the request probably comes out with a bit more finesse and fine-tuning from the Harvard-educated former college football player who went on to become a professional wrestler with WWE.

A professional wrestler must always have a gimmick, and Nowinski feels pretty comfortable with his — he wants to advance research into and understanding of concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), and he has no issues getting straight to the point. CTE is a degenerative brain disease associated with those who have experienced repetitive brain trauma. The CLF’s aim is to not only diagnose CTE, but also to identify certain risk factors and to provide targets for treatment.

That’s why when he approached former NHL All-Star Eric Daze at a fundraiser in Chicago last week, he wasted little time making the ask.

“He went straight for it,” Daze said of Nowinski asking the former forward if he’d pledge his brain to the Foundation. “I never thought about it. I said, ‘Yeah, for sure. No problem.’”

Daze was already aware of Nowinski’s work through the HBO Real Sports 2007 special that highlighted the foundation’s initiatives. The 42-year-old, who still resides in Chicago, is already an organ donor, so the thought of parting ways with his brain posthumously wasn’t something that made him too squeamish.

As a youth hockey coach who now leads his 10-year-old son’s squirts team, Daze has become aware of the evolving research into concussions and has become passionate about advancing education and exercising the utmost caution when it comes to the children he coaches.

Plus, he thought of the donation as a unique opportunity for him to contribute a different type of case study. Daze’s career was cut short by back injuries, but he wasn’t the prototypical tough guy or pugilist from whom more evidence and research has frequently been sought. He had two concussions — one during the All-Star Game in 2002 following a hit from Sergei Gonchar; the other while he was playing junior hockey. Both times, he remembers being dizzy and not quite right, but he is not struggling with lingering effects like others in his era. “It took 30 seconds before I said ‘sure.’ I had no problem giving my brain to research,” Daze said. “I’m probably one of the atypical [players to donate]. I never really fought, and I had a couple of concussions, one serious, one in junior. I thought it was kind of a new perspective.”

Nowinski understands that this part of the job — asking for people’s brains — probably seems odd, or quirky or harrowing. In reality, it often encompasses all three. When Nowinski first began his work, motivated in large part by his own career-ending battle with post-concussion symptoms, he cajoled those with whom he was closest, assuaging them with his passion for the cause. Now, as Nowinski’s mission has gained more momentum and recognition, his job is slightly easier. Often times people now contact him about making the pledge, rather than the other way around. Even non-athletes are offering their brains, as “control” studies. Nowinski has had donors stop him at airports to show him their donation cards.

“It’s a lot of fun because people give me faith in humanity,” Nowinski told The Athletic in a phone conversation this week.

He’s constantly heartened by a complete stranger’s willingness to help others and to advance the research in what is becoming a hot-button issue facing so many professional sporting leagues.

That’s not to say it has always been easy. In the early iterations of the Foundation, which began in partnership with neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Cantu in 2007 and was previously named the Sports Legacy Institute, Nowinski was often the one tasked with calling grieving families of deceased former players. Those were the most difficult calls, but often the ones that gave him the sort of affirmation that this work was so important.Those conversations imprinted on him the lasting effects of concussions, not just on one’s physical health, but on their overall well-being, and that of their families and loved ones as well.

These were the sort of calls Nowinski, who also has a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience, made to the families of former pro football players Justin Strzelczyk, Andre Watters and former pro wrestler Chris Benoit.

“I tried to put myself in the family’s shoes,” Nowinski said. “It’s terrible, but a lot of people want something good to come out of tragedy and feels it’s good to give back to science. And families want to know if there is an explanation as to why their loved one changed.”

Len Boogaard was faced with this decision following the death of his son Derek in May 2011. Len had read Bob Probert’s biography the year prior and had noticed similarities between Probert and his son, both considered among the most fearsome enforcers in their respective primes. When Len read that Derek had told the media upon learning of Probert’s death in March 2011 — “live by the sword, die by the sword” — he began to worry Derek was in fact suffering from CTE. When Derek died two months later, from an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription painkillers, Len reached out to Derek’s agents, Ron Salcer and Tobin Wright and broached the idea of donating his brain. Seven months later, it was revealed that Boogaard, who racked up 589 penalty minutes in six NHL seasons, had the advanced stages of CTE at the time of his death.

“I immediately without hesitation agreed to it and the family concurred,” Len told The Athletic in an email Thursday evening.

On average, the Foundation has received approximately 50 brain donations per year, though 108 were donated in 2017 and the Foundation is already on track to hit the 200-mark in 2018, Nowinski said. In total, the organization has received more than 3,350. Most notably in recent news, race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Olympic gold medal-winning Canadian hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser and Hockey Hall of Fame player Angela Ruggiero of the U.S. have all pledged their brains to research to the CLF.

Because of the abundance of support the Foundation has received, Nowinski can now focus the majority of his efforts on procuring pledges from people who are still alive and healthy. Nowinski said he tries to avoid asking for pledges from those who are struggling; he said he never wants anyone to feel he or she is more valuable to him as a scientific specimen than as a living, breathing human being.

That’s not to say all athletes are tripping over themselves to donate. Nowinski said it’s an unpalatable choice to some, and he understands.

“Some people are uncomfortable with people poking around in there after they pass away,” Nowinski said.

Others choose to donate elsewhere. For instance, former NHLer Daniel Carcillo, who is among the most vocal in advocating for awareness about traumatic brain injuries and treatment, told The Athletic he was asked by the Foundation and declined. On Wednesday, Carcillo announced via his official Twitter account he was donating his brain to The Carrick Institute, where he has received treatment on multiple occasions in the past.

And there are those who find the links between concussions and CTE dubious. Perhaps most notable is NHL commissioner , who went on New York radio station WFAN last month and characterized a 2012 conversation he had with Nowinski and Dr. Ann McKee, Director of Boston University’s CTE Center. Bettman claimed that he was informed by them that there were no scientific findings to link CTE and hockey.

Bettman was emphatically rebuked by the CLF, which issued a statement on behalf of Nowinski and McKee three days later, characterizing Bettman’s statements as “misleading” and instead stating that “the evidence clearly supports that CTE is associated with play,” citing multiple examples of CTE in both former NHLers and amateur players that provided evidence “that normal ice hockey head impact exposure can be associated with CTE.

“I really struggle with the denial from the NHL,” Nowinski said. “I was very surprised we had to go on record two weeks ago to correct Gary Bettman for publicly misstating a conversation we had to make it more favorable to the NHL. I’m used to certain tricks, but that, that was just unacceptable.

“I’m used to people sort of trying to have a PR battle. But that one — it was just too far.”

The NHL is currently involved in a massive concussion lawsuit filed against the league by approximately 150 former NHL players who claim that the NHL failed to protect and warn players of the long-term risks of head injuries. Bettman has repeatedly refused to acknowledge a link between concussions and CTE, even though a high-ranking executive with the NFL, which settled its own lawsuit with former players back in 2013, acknowledged as much before a Congressional roundtable discussion in 2016.

Currently, the plaintiffs in the concussion lawsuit are seeking certification to move forward as a class action suit. The judge hearing the case has yet to make a ruling. Cantu, Nowinski’s partner at the CLF, has been hired by the plaintiffs’ lawyers as an expert witness in the case; the NHL has filed a motion for Cantu’s testimony to be excluded.

Nowinski said he has not monitored the lawsuit beyond what he reads in the news, but he knows on an anecdotal level that he is receiving more and more interest from former NHL players about donating their brains as these questions are brought into the forefront of a very public battle.

On Thursday afternoon, it was revealed that former NHL player Jeff Parker, who played college hockey at Michigan State University and went on to play for the and Hartford Whalers, was diagnosed after his death with CTE. Parker is the seventh former NHL player to be diagnosed with CTE, joining Reggie Fleming, Rick Martin, Bob Probert, Derek Boogaard, Larry Zeidel and Steve Montador.

“There is certainly a problem in the NHL,” Nowinski said. “And it’s hard to know how deep the problem goes.”

The Athletic

Blackhawks season review: Is Duncan Keith on the decline or was this an off year?

Corey Sznajder May 3, 2018

The Blackhawks lean on Duncan Keith a lot.

This is a true statement every year and it was especially the case this year with the team’s defense corps going through a transitional period. Keith and Brent Seabrook were the only top-four defensemen on the team from the 2016-17 season that were on this year’s roster and with Seabrook having his minutes cut, Keith was the only one still depended on to play big minutes.

It was a frustrating year for Keith. Between the rotating cast of defense partners, losing his spot on the top power play unit and not scoring his first goal until after Valentine’s Day, there were a lot of things that could have gone better for him. Some things were out of his control, as we probably shouldn’t expect him to go all of next year without an even-strength goal, but there are some things that leave you concerned about his play too.

At 34, Keith is older than most of the Blackhawks’ core from their Cup years, and as a defenseman, he plays more minutes than anyone else. The type of game Keith plays has less wear on the body than other players, but there are still a lot of miles on those tires and it’s fair to speculate how much the Blackhawks can rely on him going forward.

Keith can probably remain a top-four defenseman for most of his career given the type of game he plays. He’s still an excellent player when it comes to leading breakouts and turning defense into offense by shutting plays down in the neutral zone, so those factors will still help the Blackhawks for a long time. That said, there were some red flags about Keith’s play this year and it raises some questions about how they should utilize him going forward.

As far as boxcar stats go, this was Keith’s worst statistical season since 2008. He scored only two goals, both of them coming on the power play, and his 32 points in 82 games was his lowest point-per-game pace in 11 seasons. Keith usually racks up a lot of points in assist and the Blackhawks’ top line had some trouble scoring this year, so some of that is probably just poor luck from not getting secondary assists. The points aren’t the prime concern when it comes to Keith, though.

The more troubling stats are related to what’s happening to the Blackhawks when he’s on the ice at even strength. For years, Keith has been a dominant player and the Blackhawks are typically on the better end of shots, goals and scoring chances when he is on the ice. We’ve seen this steadily decline over the past few years and it reached some concerning levels this past season. The Blackhawks owning only 39.5 percent of the goals obviously being the most concerning part of this.

Part of this is out of his control, as the Blackhawks only scored on 5.72 percent of the shots Keith was on the ice for this year. They also had goaltending issues and there’s only so much you can do as a defenseman to control these two factors and we should expect that to regress next year. His ability to suppress shots and scoring chances, however, is another story.

While still above the 50-percent mark, Keith’s ability to drive play has dropped off dramatically, and when you consider that Keith ranks sixth out of the nine regular Blackhawks defenders in Corsi for percentage last year, some red flags start to go off. The alarm gets louder when you drift over to the high-danger chance column, as the Blackhawks are getting destroyed in that department and it’s been a trend for a few years now. All of this makes you wonder if Keith can still tilt the ice as well as he used to.

There’s obviously context to this. Keith was the only defenseman on the team that was relied on to play tougher matchups throughout the year. He might have started most of his shifts in the offensive or neutral zone, but he was still getting matched up against the team’s best forwards. The lack of stability in the rest of the defense corps also played a role too, but the Blackhawks have expected Keith to play at a high level for years. Regardless of whose fault it is, the fact that the Blackhawks aren’t driving play and getting torched in scoring chances while their best defenseman is on the ice is a huge problem.

Most of the Blackhawks’ top players had down years and while some of it can be written off to bad luck, there are some legit causes for concern with Keith. Aside from taking on a heavy workload, the other tough thing for him was not having a stable defense partner for most of the year. Seabrook can’t play that high in the lineup anymore and Niklas Hjalmarsson is gone, so the Blackhawks were left scrambling to find someone who could play the right side. The only one who got an extended look there was Jordan Oesterle, another left-handed shot, who had only 25 games’ worth of NHL experience before this season. Keith might not be able to cut off passing lanes and shut down forwards like he used to, but his support wasn’t quite good this year either.

Defenseman musical chairs

Players in the NHL should be able to adapt to things quickly, but they still like consistency and having familiarity with whom their linemates or defense partners are. This was a frustrating part for the Blackhawks defense, as it seemed like the group changed every few days and there weren’t many set pairs for more than 8-10 games or so. The Blackhawks obviously need to fix this, but are there any solutions on the roster? Keith’s performance with certain partners this year doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.

Oesterle eventually ended up being Keith’s partner and they were the definition of a boom-or-bust pair. Both guys can move the puck and were given the freedom to do so, which is obvious when you look at the breakouts the Blackhawks ran with them compared to the other defense pairs. With the puck, they can make a lot of things happen and got play moving in the right direction more times than not. The problem was the two frequently had communication issues that led to botched exchanges and mistakes that led to chances the other way.

Their upside is that they could create sustained offense from time to time, but the chances they did give up were often pretty bad. Some of that is just a by-product of how the Blackhawks play. They want their defense to be aggressive at both lines, and when that happens, you’re going to have the occasional play where the D misses a puck and it leads to an odd-man rush. With Keith and Oesterle, it seemed like that chance ended up in the back of their net every single time. The goaltending problems obviously played a role in all of this too, but you’d rather limit those chances than not.

Despite their problems, Oesterle was Keith’s most stable defense partner this year (which says a lot about the other four), and Oesterle being such a good skater that could move the puck and gap up on forwards had a lot to do with it. The problems were always in the defensive zone and some of it could be chalked up to inexperience or bad decision making. Both of them were given the freedom to skate with the puck and carry it out of the zone if the opportunity presented itself. Sometimes that led to Oesterle or Keith thinking they had more time than they actually did and leaving their partner in a vulnerable spot.

It’s the risk you take when you give both defensemen the green light and possibly why every other defenseman had to play a much more conservative game. There were some trust issues with the defense given how the ice time was distributed, and Oesterle seemed to be one of the few who earned it from the coaching staff. This pair did some good things for the Blackhawks, but there were risks with playing these two so high in the lineup and the Blackhawks got burned on a lot of them.

As for the rest of the group, it’s not a pretty picture. The Blackhawks tried to make Keith-Seabrook work early in the year, but Seabrook just can’t keep up with these minutes anymore and saw his role reduced. The proof is in the on-ice results there. Connor Murphy was supposed to be someone that played in the top-four, but he was restricted to third-pair duty and his brief results with Keith weren’t very good. Granted, they didn’t get much of a chance to form any chemistry, so maybe that’s worth another look somewhere down the road. Cody Franson also got a brief look here and while these two tilted the ice in the Blackhawks’ favor, almost every shot they gave up ended in the back of their net and the coaches were quick to pull the plug on this. Same goes for Jan Rutta.

Basically, there aren’t any ideal matches for Keith still on the roster. It also begs the question of what type of player the Blackhawks should look for to pair with Keith. Someone with Oesterle’s puck-moving qualities might fit the mold, but teams aren’t just giving those away. You can also go back to his previous success with shutdown types like Hjalmarsson and Seabrook and look for those, but they’re also hard to find.

The Blackhawks also need to figure out what role they want Keith to settle into as he gets older. He had to be their top puck-mover and their shutdown guy this year because the Blackhawks didn’t have a second pair they could rely on. Decreasing his workload is going to be a priority at some point even if it isn’t next year.

The positives

As Keith gets older, the one thing that will always make him valuable is his puck-moving and ability to read plays in the neutral zone. He was known as the one-man breakout for the Blackhawks for years and is still a vital part of their transitional play. There are always going to be concern that his legs might not be able to keep up in a few years, but Keith has made a career out of taking up a lot of space and being in the right spot without expanding much energy. A closer look into Keith’s stats from this past year highlights this part of his game.

Going off the games I’ve tracked from the Blackhawks over the last two years, there are a few areas that Keith excels at. He’s still producing shots at a remarkable rate, ranking above the 90th percentile in shot contributions both seasons and he is excellent at generating clean zone exits, the latter being an area the Blackhawks struggled with last season. Defensive zone coverage was an issue, but once the Blackhawks got possession, Keith usually knows what to do and gets it to the right players.

You can also see that he ranked in the 75th percentile in breaking up zone entries. Keith’s play away from the puck in the neutral zone was still very robust. What changed was that he was targeted more often giving up more zone entries overall despite forcing teams to dump the puck in when they attacked his side of the ice. It’s a little surprising with the revolving door on the right side, but teams are challenging him more than they used to.

The stats are nice but how do the Blackhawks apply this to the team next year? Well, they can start by asking some questions. If Keith is this good at moving the puck, producing shots and still decent at defending entries, why is the team struggling so much when he was on the ice? Giving up a lot of goals can be partially explained by luck, but the Blackhawks still weren’t dominating when he was on the ice. When you look at how roles were distributed on breakouts, things start to become a little clear.

There’s a lot of info to unpack in this chart, but the main thing we are looking at here is how often each defenseman attempted to exit the zone relative to their ice time. Look at how low Keith ranks compared to the rest of the defense. Also notice how all of his partners from this year rank higher than him in terms of how often they were leading breakouts. Combine that with what we’ve looked at with the Blackhawks’ breakouts and how guys like Murphy were more prone to just flipping the puck to neutral instead of making a play and something isn’t adding up here. Why is the team’s best puck-mover not, you know, handling the puck the most? It’s something interesting to think about and could explain why his lines spent more time in their own ends than they’re used to. It also shows why the pair with Oesterle had better results in terms of shot differential than the others.

What this does do is give us some possible insight into how the Blackhawks can help Keith find a stable partner next year. If they’re going to continue to flood the right side on breakouts, get someone who can make plays out of the zone to fill this void. That or change their scheme so that Keith has the puck on his stick more and can do what he does better than the rest of the defense. This is easier said than done because hockey’s such a reactionary game, but when the results are this stacked towards one side, it’s hard to say that this wasn’t planned.

The next step

It’s pretty obvious the Blackhawks are going to need to make Keith’s job easier next season. Whether that’s getting someone in free agency or expecting someone in the system to make the jump, they only have so many years left of Keith being a top-pair defenseman. They got a glimpse of what he might look like at his worst this past season and didn’t have anyone as a fall-back option, so the only thing they could do was keep throwing him out there and hope that something would stick.

Keith and Oesterle had a good run for a couple weeks, but they eventually hit a wall and they don’t inspire much confidence as a long-term top pair. With so many defensemen under contract, the merry-go-round on the top pair might be in for another trip, but the offseason could give us some surprises. chicagoblackhawks.com

FEATURE: 2018 Worlds Primer

Chris Wescott May 3, 2018

The 2018 IIHF World Championships have a distinct Chicago Blackhawks flavor to them. Six players and one staffer with current ties to the franchise will participate in Denmark May 4-20. Here's a rundown of who to root for, their history in international play, and when they'll be in action.

WHO TO WATCH:

Patrick Kane:

Kane was named for Team USA on April 9. The dynamic Blackhawks forward has represented the red, white and blue on multiple levels, including World Juniors, the Olympics, the World Cup and World Championships.

His last trip to Worlds in 2008 resulted in a loss in the quarterfinal to Finland.

Alex DeBrincat:

Coming off an impressive 28-goal rookie season for the Blackhawks, the forward will be skating in his first World Championships for Team USA.

The 20-year-old has previously represented the Americans at 2016 World Juniors, helping his team to a bronze medal finish.

Connor Murphy:

Murphy is no stranger to international play, having previously played in four World Championships between 2014 and 2017. His best finish was bronze in 2015 in the Czech Republic.

The defenceman has also played at World Juniors and the Under-18 World Championship, winning gold in both.

Jordan Oesterle:

Oesterle will be donning the red, white and blue for the first time in international play. The defenseman is coming off his first season with Chicago, in which he potted five goals and added 10 assists in 55 games.

Tomas Jurco:

Jurco will represent his home country of Slovakia at Worlds. It's not the first time he's played in this tournament, having done so in 2015 and 2016. He has also played for Slovakia at U-18s, World Juniors and the Olympics.

Artem Anisimov:

Artem Anisimov will suit up for Russia at the 2018 Worlds. Anisimov has represented his home country internationally at multiple levels, including World Juniors, the Olympics, World Cup and multiple World Championships.

Don Granato:

Blackhawks Assistant Coach Don Granato joined Team USA's staff in April. Last season was his first with the Blackhawks. Prior to this year, Granato has coached for Team USA at the junior level in numerous U-17, U-18 and World Juniors tournaments.

SCHEDULE (View Full Schedule):

May 4: USA vs CAN (Jyske Bank Boxen) - 9:15 a.m. CT RUS vs FRA (Royal Arena) - 9:15 a.m. CT

May 5: DEN vs USA (Jyske Bank Boxen) - 1:15 p.m. CT CZE vs SVK (Royal Arena) - 1:15 p.m. CT

May 6: SVK vs SUI (Royal Arena) - 1:15 p.m. CT AUS vs RUS (Royal Arena) - 5:15 a.m. CT

May 7: USA vs GER (Jyske Bank Boxen) - 9:15 a.m. CT BLR vs RUS (Royal Arena) - 9:15 a.m. CT

May 8: AUT vs SVK (Royal Arena) - 9:15 a.m. CT

May 10: SVK vs FRA (Royal Arena) - 9:15 a.m. CT USA vs LAT (Jyske Bank Boxen) - 9:15 a.m. CT CZE vs RUS (Royal) - 1:15 p.m. CT

May 11: USA vs KOR (Jyske Bank Boxen) - 1:15 p.m. CT

May 12: SVK vs SWE (Royal Arena) - 5:15 a.m. CT RUS vs SUI (Royal Arena) - 1:15 p.m. CT

May 13: NOR vs USA (Jyske Bank Boxen) - 9:15 a.m. CT

May 14: RUS vs SVK (Royal Arena) - 9:15 a.m. CT

May 15: RUS vs SWE (Royal Arena) - 1:15 p.m. CT BLR vs SVK (Royal Arena) - 9:15 a.m. CT

May 17-20 Schedules TBD chicagoblackhawks.com

PROSPECTS: Rockford division finals preview

Nick Merlina May 2, 2018

OVERVIEW

The fourth-seeded Rockford IceHogs are set to face off with the three-seeded in the Central division final of the Playoffs. The two squads faced each other four times in the 2017-18 regular season, with Rockford going 2-1-1 against the Moose.

Manitoba holds the edge in goals in those four matchups with the IceHogs, scoring 17 to Rockford's 12. The IceHogs enter the division finals following a sweep of the one-seeded Chicago Wolves in the first round, which was only the second sweep the team has completed successfully in franchise history.

Manitoba enters after a full five-game series against the two-seeded Grand Rapids Griffins, winning a deciding Game 5 away from home ice 5-1.

ROCKFORD KEYS TO THE MATCHUP

Special teams:

The IceHogs performed incredibly on special teams in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Following their sweep of the Chicago Wolves, they rank first among all playoff teams in power-play goals (7) and power- play percentage (38.9 percent). They are also third in power-play opportunities (18) and fourth in penalty-kill percentage (85.7 percent).

Rockford scored multiple power-play goals in each of their three playoff games and have scored 20 goals on the man advantage in their past 16 outings, dating back to the regular season.

Rockford's man advantage could get opportunities often, as Manitoba gave up 19 power-play opportunities in their first-round series and have five players in the top 10 for penalty minutes still active in the playoffs. Manitoba's first-round opponent, the Griffins, capitalized on those chances with four power-play goals over five games.

Streaking scorers:

Chis DiDomenico, Adam Clendening and Cody Franson have all recorded at least one point in all of their playoff games through the first round. DiDomenico has five points (2G, 3A) in three games and led all skaters in points in Rockford's triple , series-clinching victory over the Wolves with a goal and two helpers. Clendening had five points (1G, 4A) in the opening series against Chicago, giving him the most by a defenseman in the AHL postseason. Franson is tied for the second-most points by a defenseman still in the playoffs with four (1G, 3A).

Dominant Delia:

Blackhawks goalie prospect Collin Delia has posted an impressive stat line through his first three games of playoff action. Delia's 1.52 goals against average is the best among netminders that have played in three or more Calder Cup games. The rookie also has a streak of his own, earning points in 15 of his last 16 tilts dating back to February, 18, with a 13-1-2 record over that stretch. Delia has stopped 111 of the 117 shots he has faced during his 236:20 between the pipes so far. Delia also leads a defense that shares the playoff lead for 2.00 goals against per game.

Ejdsell's arrival:

Rookie Victor Ejdsell found opportune moments to tally his first two goals in the AHL during the IceHog's triple overtime victory to clinch the sweep of the Wolves. In the second period, Ejdsell would break a 2-2 tie between the Central Division teams with his first score since beginning his time in the league. He went on to break another tie, as the game looked like it was approaching a fourth overtime, to advance the IceHogs to the division finals. Ejdsell now has four points (2G, 2A) in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Rookie firepower:

Rockford boasts an impressive roster of young talent, including a trio of forwards that all have spots on the league's rookie scoring sheet. Matthew Highmore, who led the IceHogs in goals in the regular season (24), was also fourth among league rookies in the same category. Anthony Louis, who was Rockford's leading point scorer this year (44), shared the 10th spot in the AHL for points scored as a rookie. Highmore (43) is tied for 12th among rookie point scorers and Tyler Sikura (39) shares 17th.

THREE OPPONENTS TO WATCH

Chase De Leo, LW - The Moose winger is a major reason why his team is still competing in the playoffs, picking up seven points through the first round. His five assists in the Calder Cup Playoffs tie him for the second most of all skaters. De Leo, who only registered 12 goals in 69 regular-season games, is +5 through five playoff games this season.

Cameron Schilling, D - Manitoba's leading defensive scorer has posted four points (2G, 2A) in the playoffs and sits tied with Franson for second most among defenseman in the postseason. Schilling, who recorded 32 points (6G, 26A) and a +25 in 71 regular-season games, will look to add to the one game-winning goal he has already recoded in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Eric Comire, G - The netminder enters the second-round matchup with Rockford after accounting for a 2.82 goals against average against Grand Rapids. Comire has a .922 save percentage through five starts in the postseason and stopped 153 of the 166 shots he faced in round one. ESPN.com

AJ Mleczko making her mark in NHL broadcast booth

Emily Kaplan May 3, 2018

For the Nashville Predators and ' second-round series, the NBCSN broadcasting crew consists of play-by-play broadcaster as well as analysts Brian Boucher and AJ Mleczko. Like many crews this time of year, the team had limited experience together but was thrust together for important games and needed to forge chemistry on the fly.

Unlike any other broadcasting crew in Stanley Cup playoff history, one of the members is a woman. Mleczko, 42, is the first woman to work as an in-booth analyst in an NHL postseason game. The significance wasn't lost on ice level, but it wasn't overdramatized either.

"That's awesome. A lot of women play hockey and are really good at hockey," said Predators center Nick Bonino, whose wife, Lauren, was a standout player at Boston University. "It's unfortunate it took this long to happen, but we're all really happy about it."

Responded Mleczko: "I think Nick's answer is perfect. I like that he doesn't seem too surprised by it. ... I wish that this wasn't a big deal. I'm thrilled to be given these opportunities by NBC. I also think, soon enough, it'll come that it isn't a big deal."

Mleczko, of course, is a former standout player herself. A Patty Kazmaier winner at Harvard, the forward competed in the inaugural women's Olympic hockey tournament at the 1998 Games in Nagano -- when Team USA won gold -- and picked up a silver in Salt Lake City in 2002. Professional hockey for women didn't exist then, so when the 2003 Hockey Championships were canceled last minute because of the SARS epidemic, Mleczko's playing career unceremoniously ended. She and her husband, Jason, had their first child in December 2003.

"It's different now, and because of the awesome things that Team USA did last spring fighting for equal pay -- it was really hard to make a living back when I played," she said. "It is still hard."

Like many athletes, Mleczko hadn't quite considered what she wanted to do after playing, but she wanted to keep a foot in hockey. In spring 2005, then-NBC Olympics producer Molly Solomon cold-called Mleczko. "Do you have any interest in broadcasting? Solomon asked.

"I said, 'Sure,'" Mleczko recalls. "I had no idea, but that sounds great."

Mleczko took the train from Boston to NBC's studios in Connecticut. She was led to a small, soundproof booth, which Mleczko describes as "a tiny little box." Waiting for her would be her tryout partner: legendary play-by- play man Doc Emrick. "I dressed nicely. I was told to wear an on-camera outfit," Mleczko said. "And I'm sweating. I'm absolutely sweating but trying to smile through it." And then another twist: The game they would be mock-calling? The 2002 Salt Lake City gold medal game in which Mleczko and Team USA cruised through the early tournament, outscoring opponents 31-1, but fell in a tightly contested gold-medal game to rival Canada. "I had no interest in watching it again, because we lost and it was heartbreaking," she said. "Canada played a lot better than we did, so I didn't want to watch it."

But Mleczko trudged on. "What do I do if I need to refer to myself?" she asked before producers began recording. "They said, 'Just refer to yourself in third person.' It was very surreal," Mleczko said. "I avoided any mention of myself."

After the first period, Solomon provided feedback, which made the rest of the mock broadcast even more tense for Mleczko. "The second period was another level of intimidation," she said. "I was trying to improve on the fly." Luckily, NBC spared Mleczko the third period -- and medal celebration. She said goodbye and got back on a train and received an email thanking her for making the trip. "I thought that was the end of my broadcasting career," she said. "The two hours, it was fun while it lasted."

And then Mleczko got the call: NBC wanted her to work the 2006 Games in Torino. She was "pleasantly surprised to try a new adventure." All the while, her family continued to grow; she arrived in Torino seven months pregnant with her second child, who was due in April that year. "I kept thinking, 'They're going to train me, they're going to help me,'" Mleczko said. "Nope. That's the one thing NBC has done -- it's sink or swim."

Anyone in broadcasting will say the key is getting in reps, and the Olympics provided ample. "We'd call two or three games a day, and if you screw up one game, well, you have another game in an hour. You have time to fix it," she said. Mleczko credits a great producer who helped her, as well as her broadcast mates -- Emrick and , whom she calls "two of the best in the business."

"As a team sport athlete, I really like that broadcasting brings that team atmosphere," she said. It also turned out Mleczko was a natural.

"I've been around hockey long enough that I have confidence in the way I see the game," she said. "I feel good about my knowledge, I feel confident in my opinions about things. That's all they are, opinions on hockey."

Mleczko, who has four children -- ages 14, 12, 10 and 6, two boys and two girls -- loved getting opportunities with NBC at the Olympic games. She's worked the past four winter Olympics and broadcast field hockey at the 2016 Games in Rio. "But I'm not getting the reps in between," she said. "So even though I'm a veteran Olympic broadcaster, every time I go, I feel like I need to shake the rust off."

At Pyeongchang this year, NBC made another ask: What was she doing on March 6, and would she like to broadcast a game? It was a natural fit for Mleczko, who lives in Boston, is familiar with the Bruins and wouldn't need to travel. She did a ton of prep work, especially on the Bruins' opponents, the Detroit Red Wings.

The game was on a Tuesday. On Saturday, Mleczko was coaching her daughter's hockey practice when one of the players lost control and slid right into Mleczko's legs, knocking her to the ground. Mleczko was wearing a helmet and says she followed concussion protocol. On Saturday and Sunday, she battled headaches and sat in a dark room. Mleczko, who has pledged her brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, is an advocate of concussion awareness and wants to use the example as a reminder to always wear a helmet when coaching. She says she was fine in time for Tuesday's game, but there were other distractions. Since it was a hometown game, The Boston Globe wanted to spotlight her. She had also just come back from her time in South Korea.

Mleczko did well enough in the game that NBC gave her a game a week for March and then the playoff assignment -- which has been thrilling, but also unpredictable. Like all broadcasters, she doesn't get her schedule until sometimes a day or two before a game, which makes coordinating child care another challenge (she credits a great husband and friends).

Mleczko is her own harshest critic -- "If you're speaking for a long period of time, you're not going to love everything that comes out of your mouth" -- but has received good reviews both internally and externally. For example, NBC keeps extending her playoff assignment. When she was at the airport flying from Nashville back home to Boston after Game 2, she found out NBC wanted her to stay on for the rest of the series. She made a quick pit stop home, grabbed her passport and a new set of clothes, and pivoted to Winnipeg.

"All the players have been fantastic and easy to talk to," Mleczko said. "I'd be remiss in not mentioning there are other women who do do this. Cassie Campbell, a former competitor of mine and big rival [with Team Canada], but we've become very friendly -- mostly through doing the Olympics -- and she does great work. Meghan Duggan is doing postgame for the Bruins. Monique Lamoureux is doing work with NHL Network. Haley Skarupa has done stuff with the Capitals. It's really cool to see these doors are being opened, and there are more and more opportunities coming."

As Mleczko continually prepares for her current assignment -- she says it's common to use only about 3 percent of her notes in a broadcast -- she thinks about one of her biggest mentors, Emrick, whom she has called three gold-medal games with (not including their mock broadcast of the 2002 game).

"He doesn't get caught up in details even though he somehow spits them out -- that's not what he's focused on," Mleczko said. She also loves how he can look at the bigger picture and ask unexpected questions. For example, at the 2014 Olympics, Emrick asked USA coach Katey Stone: "When you leave Sochi, what do you want people to remember about Team USA?"

"It was a cool question," Mleczko said. "It wasn't about the power play, it wasn't about this player as a superstar or the lineup, it was about the big picture and what do you want to take home about your team."

So the same question is posed to Mleczko: After these playoffs, what do you want people to remember about you?

Mleczko pauses. "I hope for my preparation and my knowledge and not for being a woman," she said. "I hope I'm not just remembered for being a woman in the booth in a Round 2 NHL playoff game. I hope that people listen to the game and they're not constantly reminded that a woman is calling this game. It's hockey people in the booth talking hockey."