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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/26/2020 1172925 NHL postpones 2020 draft amid coronavirus pandemic 1172955 Shutdown is latest hurdle for Blue Jackets draft pick 1172926 NHL postpones draft, awards show and combine because Carson Meyer of Ohio State to overcome of coronavirus 1172927 ‘Oh, my God. 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NHL postpones 2020 draft amid coronavirus pandemic

A general view of the draft floor prior to the first round of the 2019 NHL draft at Rogers Arena on June 21 in Vancouver.

By JACK HARRISSTAFF WRITER MARCH 25, 20202:48 PM

The NHL announced the postponement of its draft, scouting combine and annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, the latest major events to be disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

No new date for any of the events was announced, adding another layer of uncertainty to an offseason that could be crucial to both the Kings’ and Ducks’ rebuilds.

When the NHL suspended play earlier this month, both Southland teams were in the bottom five of the league’s standings. If the regular season isn’t completed, they will both be set for high lottery picks in the draft.

When that will take place, and how the teams will evaluate potential prospects, however, remains to be seen. The ombine was scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y. The draft was originally slated for June 26-27 in Montreal.

The NHL isn’t the first U.S. sports league that has had to alter its draft plans. The NFL canceled its in-person event in Las Vegas, originally scheduled for April, and will instead stage the draft in a TV studio. is reportedly considering skipping its 2020 draft, originally scheduled for June 10-12, in order to save money in what will likely be a shortened season.

The NHL has never canceled a draft since it was first held in 1963. The last time it wasn’t held during its normal late June time slot was in 2005, when the NHL’s season-long lockout pushed it back to July.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172926 Anaheim Ducks

NHL postpones draft, awards show and combine because of coronavirus

The league didn't announce a makeup date, a format or a venue for the draft, which was to be held in Montreal in June

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: March 25, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. | UPDATED: March 25, 2020 at 3:30 p.m.

With its 2019-20 season already suspended indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL announced Wednesday that it had postponed its annual entry draft and said it would announce a new date, venue and format “when details are finalized.”

The draft was originally scheduled for June 26-27 at the Bell in Montreal.

“While today’s news is disappointing for fans of hockey in general and those here in Montreal in particular, this is the right decision to make under the circumstances,” France Margaret Belanger, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for the Canadiens, said in a statement. “I’m confident that the league will propose an alternative that will be in the best interest of all hockey fans.”

The league also postponed its draft lottery, which was tentatively set for April 9 before play was suspended March 12 with 3 1/2 weeks to play. The Ducks, with the fifth-worst record in the league, and the Kings, with the fourth, were both lottery bound when play was halted.

The Ducks have seven selections in the seven-round draft, including two in the first round.

The Kings have 11 picks, including three in the second round.

The NHL also said it had postponed its scouting combine, which was to be held June 1-6 in Buffalo, New York, and the NHL Awards, set for June 18 in Las Vegas. A makeup date for the combine, the last chance to evaluate and interview top draft-eligible players, was not announced.

Of the awards ceremony, the league said only that it “looks forward to returning to Las Vegas.” The league has held its show in Las Vegas since 2009. The NHL did not present its awards during a show after the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, but handed them out during the Stanley Cup Final.

The league said Monday it had made no decision about resuming the 2019-20 regular season or what format the playoffs might take, but it is determined to conduct a postseason and award the Stanley Cup without shortening the 2020-21 season.

There had been speculation that the draft and free agency would be conducted on a delayed basis following whatever form the playoffs take, with a short break before the start of the next season to follow. It could mean the Stanley Cup isn’t awarded until August or September.

In that case, the 2020-21 season might not start until Nov. 1, one month later than customary.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172927 Anaheim Ducks “It’s probably going to end at some , but at most levels the coaches are OK with you making those types of plays in the right spots on the ice. Especially if they’re working. If some of those plays don’t work, you might ‘Oh, my God. This kid’: Why the Ducks’ Trevor Zegras could be their next find yourself on the bench. But when they hit, you get to go back out.” star Spencer Knight, a talented Boston College goalie that Florida selected four picks after Zegras, said Trevor has always had a vision for how plays develop, an attribute he didn’t see in anyone else as they grew up Eric Stephens Mar 25, 2020 together. To Domenick Fensore, a teammate throughout their time in midget with the Mid-Fairfield Rangers, the United States National Team

Developmental Program and as a fellow BU freshman, Zegras processes BOSTON — In his first Beanpot Tournament — and what figures to be the game at a different level but is selfless enough to always involve his his only — Trevor Zegras didn’t have his “A” game. From the start teammates. against Boston College, the freshman center for Boston University knew “He sees the game from a vantage point no one sees it sometimes,” he that he didn’t have his usual zeal when he was on the ice. Feeling far said. less than optimal before it, his energy went into building himself back up to play in the famed annual gathering over the first two Mondays in The spin-o-rama is an example. Hear Zegras explain it and you can see February that the area’s four hockey powers — BU, BC, Harvard and why to him, it’s not a show-off move. Even if he proudly wears the Northeastern — all want to win. Badly. suggestion that he is a high-risk player as if it’s stitched onto his favorite hoodie. “I had nothing, dude,” Zegras recalled. “Nothing in the tank. It was so hard. But it was a lot of energy around the game. The Beanpot. Playing “It’s kind of like what I’m good at,” he said. “Making plays like how I see it. BC. So that helped me get through it.” And I think it’s a skill to want to make those plays. I think when you get in those high-pressure situations, late in games, I think it’s a talent to be Now this is not a kid from right in the heart of Beantown. Not from parts able to make that pass or make that play under pressure.” outside the city or somewhere in greater New England. Zegras is a born- and-bred New Yorker from Bedford, where it’s an hour train ride to But there is a method to the madness. He isn’t doing it just because he Manhattan. But the Beanpot was something he knew all about. He’d can. been watching it since he was “probably 10 or 11.” One of his favorite moments was seeing Alex Tuch, a Syracuse native and current Vegas “When people see a spin-o-rama pass, you think it’s more for flash or for Golden Knights right wing, sling in a no-look for BC to decide a show,” Zegras said. “But if you really think about it, what the spin-o-rama scoreless game in overtime and give the Eagles the 2016 title over BU. is doing is it’s giving you time and space from a defender. And it’s also But that’s balanced with the joy of watching Jack Eichel power the giving you’re passing to a couple of extra seconds of delay to Terriers to the trophy the year before, their first in six years. get to the spot that he needs to go. So, I think there’s a lot of things that really tie into that. And if there was any question about his allegiances, Zegras has an unequivocal answer. “It’s not only just the wow of the spin. It’s kind of the timing of it all. What it allows the players around you to do. There’s a lot of extra stuff that “BC’s already my least favorite team,” said the Anaheim Ducks’ top goes into it.” prospect, breaking into a smile. “I hate them. I haven’t hated a group of people more in my life. I don’t even know why. There’s just like an One of those aspects is selling one thing to a defender and doing arrogance about them. It’s just … ahhh.” something else he doesn’t expect.

So, the Beanpot mattered to him. And as that semifinal game moved “That’s really all it is,” Zegras said. “It’s almost like false information toward its critical stages, the zeal that goes with the talent that made him almost. You’re baiting them one side. It’s where you want him to go. So it a first-round NHL draft pick had returned with a flourish. By the end, the opens up that lane where you really want to go.” expressive Zegras was in full bloom and further whetted the appetite of a Pete Blackburn Ducks fanbase eager to have another star to pledge its allegiance. ✔ The New York Rangers were Zegras’ team growing up. But Patrick Kane is his guy. @PeteBlackburn

Given the things he tries on the ice, it makes total sense that the Chicago · Dec 30, 2019 Blackhawks star is the player that Zegras admires. The wide array of shootout moves Kane has in his arsenal left an indelible imprint. Soon, TREVOR ZEGRAS ASSIST GOD Zegras was watching Kane highlight videos all the time on YouTube, but Embedded video he wasn’t watching them for entertainment. He was in study mode. How did one of the NHL’s most imaginative players make that pass? How did Pete Blackburn he see that teammate to consider making that pass? ✔ And then Zegras went outside to practice those Kane moves. And practice. And practice. If the weather didn’t cooperate, he would adapt. @PeteBlackburn

“There weren’t many days that went by that he didn’t have a stick in his Another look at the Zegras spin-o-rama assist hand,” said Zegras’ father, Gary. “Mini-sticks. Floor ball sticks. Regular Embedded video hockey stick. And (the) driveway. Inside the house, driving us crazy. But it was always stuff that he would work on and get it to the point where he 273 felt comfortable enough to try those things in a game. When they hit, it looks crazy. But he’s probably done the spin-o-rama pass 10,000 times 3:19 PM - Dec 30, 2019 already.” Ads info and privacy What Gary has appreciated is the coaches who have not zapped his 34 people are talking about this son’s creativity out of him as the emphasis on team structure increased through the levels. This level of creativity comes from coaches who haven’t pushed it out of him. “And that’s huge,” the elder Zegras said. “He’s been very fortunate. Don’t get me wrong. At Avon (Old Farms), John Gardner is an old-school “I’d say at Avon, that’s really where I first started making passes and . Every now and again, he’d be like, in your own end, through the getting creative,” Zegras said. “But I think at the NTDP is kind of really legs up through the middle of the ice, maybe we don’t try that one again. where I started. … I mean, I would try passes like that 15 or 20 times a But for the most part, everyone who (Trevor has) ever played for, I think, game. And my coach (John Wroblewski) was great at the time. He never appreciated that part of his game and encouraged it. got on me. He never kind of put me down. Gave me a lot of confidence to make those plays. “Even when it didn’t work, he didn’t get on me. I think that was really the pads. The goal capped a stirring three-goal rally and had BU’s student best thing for me. Because I would try some questionable plays all the section rocking. time. When it worked, it was great. But when it didn’t, he never really got on me.” Boston Hockey Blog

At BU, head coach Albie O’Connell worked on getting Zegras to embrace @BOShockeyblog the finer details and further develop his game outside of setting Trevor Zegras came up with the sweet pass across to Mastrosimone, teammates up for goals or scoring them himself — things like shooting who buried it through the five-hole to give BU the late lead. #BUvsBC the puck more, playing around the net and not lapsing into hanging #Beanpot (via @NESN) around the perimeter. If he wants to be a center at the NHL level, Zegras must improve his faceoffs and stay diligent with backchecking and Embedded video defensive-zone play. 84 But in their one season together, O’Connell encountered a player that 12:06 AM - Feb 4, 2020 takes to coaching and is motivated to get better. Twitter Ads info and privacy “Those are the things — the harder things,” O’Connell said. “The stuff we’re asking him to do, anyone can do. The stuff that he can do, it’s kind 20 people are talking about this of out of the ordinary. That’s the difference. We don’t want to put shackles on a guy who’s creative and skilled. Because he’s got a chance It wasn’t in the realm of his spin-o-rama backhand feed to Jack Drury in to make a play that could break the game open. But he’s got to his World Junior Championship showcase. Or his spin-o-rama forehand understand time on the clock. Situational hockey. You didn’t probably find to a trailing Curtis Hall in the tournament. But the pass to need to go between the legs to throw a cross-ice pass when you could Mastrosimone at high speed on his tape is not one everyone can make. have just made a (regular pass). Just that sort of stuff. However, when he was asked to rate that assist on scale of difficulty, Fensore said, “With 10 being the hardest, probably like a three or four. “He’s coachable. But you’re not going to be able to do everything in three That’s an easy play for him. Easy play.” months, four months. It’s going to be a process for him as he continues to develop. When it’s all said and done, he’s going to be a dangerous “When I got the puck, it was kind of off the glass and I just batted it player. If he shoots the puck and moves his feet all the time, he’s going down,” Zegras said. “As it’s coming down, I was just looking. I saw the D to be deadly. He is deadly. Because you don’t know if he’s going to shoot at the net front. His skates were facing up the ice. I knew obviously or he’ll pass. He’s a guy that can do both in full stride and have deception Robert was busting to the net. Really, it was just kind of a simple play. All on top of it.” I had to do was just throw it off his heels. The D, there’s no way he can turn around and make that play. It has been all about finding that creativity within the rigidity of system structure. “It was just kind of a bang-bang play. And I knew it was going to happen quick, so I just had to get it off. He made a hell of play because I rifled it “He’s been very fortunate,” Gary Zegras said. “Everywhere he’s been. At to him.” the (NTDP), it was to the 10th degree. That’s what they wanted. They wanted guys to be creative. Make plays. That two years there really Simple play? pushed the envelope, which is great because it fit him perfectly.” “For him, it’s simple,” Fensore said. “But for all the other guys, I don’t High expectations come with a high first-round pick, especially when think it’s so simple. He sees the ice so well. That’s one of his plays. He some suggested this player has top-five talent even as he fell to the ninth loves his creative passes. In the world junior tournament, obviously he overall pick, where the Ducks happily snapped him up. threw these behind-the-back passes and stuff like that. Just crazy to watch. Zegras has the high-end skills that could make him a top-six fixture in Anaheim’s lineup. If he develops into something better, it’s possible that “I’ve known him my whole life. I’ve been seeing that play from him a lot. he could be the worthy successor to longtime Ryan Getzlaf as But to people watching now, they go, ‘Oh, my God. This kid. What is he the Ducks’ No. 1 center. doing?’ To me, he does it all the time.”

This isn’t to say he will be a player that can carry a franchise. He isn’t It’s plays like that where Button not only sees a future NHL playmaker but viewed as such. But there are those who see a potential core piece. one that can make his teammates better. He calls it “360-degree Scott Wheeler of The Athletic recently wrote how Zegras has risen during awareness” and that those plays aren’t what he hopes to make but his freshman season and that his passing has “a true star quality” expects to make. element to it. Craig Button, a former NHL executive who heads up TSN’s “He sees developing plays two or three steps ahead,” Button said. “One scouting coverage, drew a comparison to a recent Calder Trophy winner. of the big things when you’re projecting players and you ask yourself “From the time I’ve watched Trevor — and I say this in context of where what translates. When he starts playing with better players and he moves they were both at 17, 18 years of age — he reminds me so much at that up levels and the skill level is better with him, that’s only going to be age of ,” Button said. “They were thinner. They weren’t magnified. It’s going to be magnified, that creativity. Because when he as strong. But they had magnificent hands. They have that great vision. gets with players that are like-minded, they are going to be able to take They have that great, great creativity. advantage of it.”

“Now when you think about an Elias Pettersson, I’m not suggesting that Zegras didn’t conjure that flair for the dramatic just for the semifinal. He Trevor will be an Elias Pettersson. But he has those traits. He’s that type had two of his 11 goals for BU this season in the title game against of a player. And the Anaheim Ducks don’t have players like that.” Northeastern. The second came with his team in a complete scramble to tie the game and the final seconds ticking off in regulation. It was Zegras No, the Ducks don’t. Some of their best prospects have matriculated into that found the spot to be, sniffing around the Husky net and then taking lineup regulars or on the way to being that. Sam Steel and Troy Terry Jake Wise’s heads-up pass and putting in a quick backhand shot with 1.2 have offensive skill and are creative. Max Comtois has goal-scoring seconds left. ability. Max Jones is applying polish to his raw talent. Isac Lundestrom continues to hone his two-way game in the minors. None of them are on Before his teammates could mob him on the ice, Zegras broke loose and Zegras’ level in terms of imagination with the puck. tugged on his red Boston University sweater to show what school he was representing before furiously skating back to the bench and leaping into a In that Beanpot semifinal, Zegras showed off the vision and passing that joyous celebration. set him apart. Situated along the wall in front of the BC goal line, Zegras took Patrick Harper’s pass and spotted Robert Mastrosimone making a After a chaotic final sequence, Trevor Zegras buries it with less than half move toward the net. Four Eagles defenders had their eyes on him. One a second to play. BU has forced overtime in the Beanpot final. #BUvsNU headed in his direction, one backtracked toward the net and another #Beanpot (via @NESN) stayed in between the circles in front of Knight. With barely a moment of “He’s one of those kids where he likes the big moments,” said Todd hesitation, Zegras zipped a scorching pass from the corner onto the stick Marchant, the Ducks’ director of player development. “He does have that of Mastrosimone and his teammate one-timed a shot between Knight’s flair for the dramatic. Which is something you can’t teach. You either have it or you don’t have it.” We know about his exploits in carving out his own impressive resume on 746 an ultra-talented, ultra-tight U.S. under-18 squad. We know what looked to be a star turn for the assist machine in the World Junior Championship 12:28 AM - Feb 11, 2020 this past winter before were abruptly bounced from the Twitter Ads info and privacy quarterfinals by . 95 people are talking about this But what do we know about him? “Listen, at some point, you want to probably even out those highs and Hang around with Zegras or just listen to him for a bit and you’ll get lows a little bit,” Gary Zegras said. “Normally he does. But a big moment someone that exudes … the proper word in this case is chill. You may in a big game like that, you really saw it come out. He was wearing it on know him for only a few minutes, or you may know him for almost a his sleeve that night. And I’m OK with that. We talked a little bit about the lifetime, but you can earn dude status in his book. referee situation. At the same time, I think his teammates and his “Ever since we were younger, he was always that kind of guy,” Fensore coaches and certainly we, I felt that. I get it. said. “Telling jokes in the locker room. He was like the face of the team. “I’m OK with the fact that it meant a lot to you to win that game. Everyone looked up to him. He was the guy to bring the personality and Especially, he was bummed out for the seniors who haven’t won a stuff like that. That’s just Trev.” Beanpot and they were moving on. His buddy Patrick Harper was in the Knight smiles broadly when it comes to talking about his friend and that box when the goal got scored. It got the best of him. Part of it personality. The two go back to age-division hockey as squirts. was like, ‘I get it.’ I’m glad that he cared that much, to be honest with you. You probably got to go around it a little different way going forward. But I “He’s a fun guy,” the BC goalie said. “He’s always up-tempo. Always certainly appreciated how much he cared and the passion that he had in looking to have a good time.” that moment.”

“Yeah, he talks a lot,” Fensore said. “Fun guy.” That’s the takeaway Gary wants people to get. Trevor truly cares. Even if he seems as carefree as one can be. “Extrovert,” Knight said. “For sure. I wouldn’t call him a class clown. He’s just got a happy sense of humor. He just likes having fun. That’s the way “He has a love and a passion for the game,” Gary said. “He is a he is.” competitive S.O.B. From as young as I can remember, whether it’s on the rink or we’re playing golf or tennis or playing cards, winning has O’Connell knows. He hears the “kind of a jabber jaw” on the bus. He always been important to him. Sometimes people look at the fact that hears Zegras on the bench. He hears him in the mail room. He hears him he’s got a smile on his face and he’s not afraid to joke around a little bit. talking to the referees and to fans. But make no mistake about it. When the horn sounds or the whistle “Every guy’s different,” said O’Connell, a former Terrier player who blows, when the game begins, he’s always been the most competitive succeeded David Quinn in 2018. “He’s not malicious. He’s not on guys. kid. He just talks a lot. He’s excited about playing and excited about practice “He wants to be the best player on the ice. He wants his team to win. I every day. Sometimes he gets a little bit aggravated during games. He’ll think there’s nothing more that he likes than sliding a pass over to one of get a little loud. That just comes with time and maturity. his teammates and watching him put it in the net. You literally see the joy “We don’t mind it. It hasn’t bothered the other guys on the team. Coaches in that aspect of it.” are OK with his personality. I think there’s times where I think the Said Knight: “A lot of people see that (fun) side of him. He’s serious in the captains probably have to tell him to tone it down a little bit. Most of it is way he thinks the game. He’s really mature in hockey and he wants to pretty positive.” get better.”

Little, it seems, is off limits. When will Trevor Zegras join the Ducks?

“He’s just got a big personality,” O’Connell said. “Pretty vocal guy. Pretty First, he has to sign an entry-level contract. On draft night last summer in funny. Comes up with some one-liners and some interesting comments Vancouver, Zegras told The Athletic that he felt he needed one season of on things. Keeps the mood light.” college and then he would be ready for the NHL. Every indication is that Gary Zegras knows. He knows all about the effect his son has of drawing he is holding to that thought process. people to him. The holdup is a hockey season that has been dramatically altered by an “I don’t want to say this in a negative but not in a leader like you think of unprecedented stoppage of competition at every level, with leagues like a or those types of guys. Where it’s a hardcore, ‘Follow across all sports either postponing or canceling games as a preventative me,'” he said. “It’s more where he’s got an engaging personality. He’s got measure of limiting the potential spread of the coronavirus. The NHL and good friendships with all his teammates. It’s been that way since he was have put their seasons on “pause” while the little. He always seems to be at the center of attention. People are drawn ECHL suspended play for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. to him for whatever reason, and it’s hard to put your finger on exactly The NCAA canceled all postseason tournament play for the winter sports what it is. I’m sure it has a lot to do with his personality. in addition to spring competition as the world deals with the evolving “And then you grow on top of it where you’re playing that sport at a high COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of the initial decision, Boston University level. I think that combination has always drawn people to him.” was to play Massachusetts-Lowell in the Hockey East quarterfinals. It meant that Zegras’ final college game was a 2-1 home loss to The highs and lows of Trevor Zegras’ emotions were on display at the Northeastern in the regular-season finale. Beanpot. It was pure excitement and exuberance when teammate Wilmer Skoog scored the overtime winner to beat BC and send the Privately, BU felt that Zegras was leaning toward leaving as opposed to Terriers to the championship game against Northeastern. It was full-on him returning for his sophomore season. And it is strongly believed that exhilaration when he scored that goal with 1.2 seconds left to keep BU he’ll ink a contract with the Ducks once there is further clarification on alive in sending the title match into overtime. And it was pure anger and whether the NHL or AHL is able to resume their seasons. A likely starting despair when he yelled in the direction of the referees and slammed his spot is San Diego, where the AHL’s Gulls were in playoff position when stick on the ice as Northeastern captured the Beanpot with a power-play their season came to a sudden halt. goal on a questionable BU penalty that still had O’Connell riled up The more pertinent question isn’t whether Zegras wants to sign with the afterward. Ducks but if one year of college was enough to put him in position to Conor Ryan have immediate success as a pro. All those interviewed and others who watched him regularly agree that he needs more strength on his wiry ✔ 170-pound frame.

@ConorRyan_93 Zegras said he worked out with his teammates twice a week and fit in additional gym time on Sundays when the Terriers didn’t have weekend Trevor Zegras and the Terriers are mighty pissed that the Beanpot Final games. But building bigger muscles isn’t the focus. It is about creating was decided on a soft call like that. more explosion from his skating. Embedded video “Power and separation are what I’m looking for,” he said. “It’s just funny,” Zegras said. “Me and Turcotte have been really good buddies over the past couple of years. To one day play against him in a And it’s not that he destroyed NCAA competition. His 36 points in 33 rivalry like that? I don’t know. Who knows? I can’t even imagine. But games were impressive for a freshman, tying him with Wisconsin’s Cole hopefully it’ll be good.” Caufield — a NTDP teammate — for third among first-year players. It earned him Hockey East all-rookie team honors. But BU junior Nearly 15 years ago, Getzlaf and Corey Perry made their NHL debuts. defenseman David Farrance, the team’s leading scorer and a promising They would become the pillars that held up the Ducks through their Nashville Predators prospect, is the one that’s a Hobey Baker Award longest run of success. Now the time is coming to find out if Trevor finalist. Zegras can be the forward to take the mantle from Getzlaf and lead them into another arc of winning. Button is one of those that wonders if Zegras would find greater benefit from a second college season. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020

“We ask ourselves this question all the time,” Button said. “Are they ready? I would say the vast majority of cases, the answer is no. We all get high on young players, and we all think that they’re all going to be ready to do it. The NHL is really, really hard.

“I’m an advocate of, ‘Dominate your level.’ Dominate it. And I’ll give you no better example than Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. They got drafted out of college in their freshman years because they’re late birthdays. But they went back for a year. They dominated college hockey. Absolutely owned it. Cale wins the Hobey Baker. Quinn is right there in the finalists. Now you watch them come in the NHL. Another year under their belts. Another year of confidence. Another year of physical maturity. And look at them.”

To further extrapolate Button’s point, Zegras wasn’t head and shoulders better than his competition like Eichel, a Hobey winner, was as a freshman. But the longtime scout also said Zegras was outstanding at the WJC and felt he got better as the college season went on. Even one year could help the transition from college to the pro game go smoother than his fellow NTDP standout, Jack Hughes, who endured significant growing pains as he made the jump right from the program to New Jersey’s roster as last summer’s No. 1 overall pick.

Where the Ducks are at in their evolution will make the transition interesting for Zegras. They’ve got serviceable players. Some are leading pieces that are leaned on. But they’re not flowing with All-Star level talent. And they’re also not deep enough to insulate him. The example of Steel and Terry struggling with inconsistent offensive production in their first full seasons on a club near the bottom of the Western Conference is an example that immediate NHL success is never a guarantee.

“Obviously, Anaheim is in a rebuild right now,” Zegras said last month. “I think when the time’s right, it’ll just make sense. Obviously, it’ll be a tough decision because I love the place I’m at. I love BU. I love my teammates. The decision will be definitely tough just because I’m having such a great time here.”

The Ducks have monitored him throughout this past season. Marchant and his development staff have checked in often with visits. They’ve let him concentrate on handling his class schedule and the Terriers.

Whether they feel he is ready now or needs more time appears moot. The important thing is they have liked what they’ve seen as the year progressed.

“Obviously, his hockey sense and his skill speak for themselves,” Marchant said. “He has the uncanny ability of finding players that you don’t think are open. He finds a way to put it on their tape. I feel as though he’s gotten stronger this season physically and he’s going to have to continue to get stronger if he’s going to play at this level in the NHL.

“But he’s young. He’s 19 years old. Time will take over that part of his development.”

And there could be an interesting dynamic when Zegras does arrive in Anaheim. Alex Turcotte, his NTDP running mate, left Wisconsin and recently signed with the rival Kings after they took him with the fifth selection last summer. Arthur Kaliyev, a talented goal scorer the Kings chose in the second round, figures to eventually join Turcotte in Los Angeles.

At the WJC, it was Zegras and Kaliyev that cooked up a scoring concoction as linemates. Last summer, Zegras and Turcotte embraced within the corridors of Rogers Arena after they had their big moments in the draft spotlight. Teams captured it on video, and Zegras’ dad reveled in the responding comments he read. “People were like, ‘Get that hug out of the way because we’re enemies’,” he said, laughing.

His son has fantasized about playing against them in a heated setting. 1172928 Arizona Coyotes

Report: NHL team suggested tournament to decide draft lottery

BY MATT LAYMAN MARCH 25, 2020 AT 11:39 AM

The coronavirus outbreak putting sports on hold has caused all sorts of ideas to surface on how leagues can resume their seasons or complete other standard processes.

One such idea was regarding a draft lottery and came from an NHL team.

A source told Craig Custance of The Athletic that a team submitted a plan that involved a tournament to decide who picks first overall in the upcoming NHL Draft. As Custance notes, this plan would have to give some weight to a team like the Detroit Red Wings, who are the worst team in the league by far. That could include giving those teams home games and an easier path to winning the tournament, for which the prize is the top draft pick.

There are a of factors at play here.

To start with, the NHL suspended its season as teams had between 11 and 14 games remaining. It’s not clear whether the league will eventually play those missed games, which could be a factor in deciding whether it’s necessary to stray from the current draft lottery format.

Playing the rest of the season as previously arranged appears unlikely. Fan interest, scheduling complications, cost-benefit analysis and the to- be-determined severity of coronavirus’ impact on society are all at play in that decision.

But a draft lottery tournament could be one solution to give otherwise not- relevant teams games to play if the playoff-bound clubs jump straight into a postseason upon league resumption.

The Coyotes entered the season pause in fifth place in the Western Conference Wild Card and 22nd in the NHL overall with 12 games to go.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172929 Arizona Coyotes “We played like 15 games in 25 days against these teams in the ,” Ulmer said. “You’d pack one suitcase and go all over with no idea where you were.”

Cultural competence: Jeff Ulmer’s international exploits shaped his One of those places was ’s Luzhniki Ice Palace where Arizona role Henderson’s goal with 34 seconds left in the eighth and final game of the 1972 Summit Series gave a 4-3-1 series win.

By Craig Morgan Mar 24, 2020 “A couple things I will never forget,” Ulmer said. “For the first time in my hockey playing career, we walked into an arena with armed guards with machine guns and I thought, ‘We’re pretty far removed from rural Saskatchewan.’ Jeff Ulmer’s 19-year professional hockey odyssey included stops with 24 teams in 13 nations and 13 leagues. In those two decades, he had so “Walking from the dressing room to the bench, we had to walk through many brushes with the game’s celebrities that he could be considered the fans to get to our bench. Everyone was wearing gray or black, all hockey’s Forrest Gump. dressed up in their best clothes, and everyone was smoking. By the time you got to the bench you basically had soot or ash in your nose and He played for the Canadian National team with 16-year-old Jason you’re thinking, ‘Wow, where am I?’ The players were incredibly skilled. Spezza. He played in the Moscow arena where Paul Henderson scored You might lose 10-1. Once in awhile, you’d pull one out but I think I the goal that Sportsnet called Canada’s most iconic hockey moment. His developed a lot there and little did I know, I’d be back to play in the KHL.” first NHL game came as a New York Ranger against the at Madison Square Garden — on a line with Mark Messier Ulmer’s success with Team Canada (14 goals, 39 points in 48 games) and Adam Graves. He scored his first NHL goal against Dominik Hasek. earned him a contract with the IHL’s Houston Aeros for the final five games of the regular season and the playoffs. From there, he had He played for Rauma in Finland while a young Antti Raanta several NHL offers but chose the Rangers because of his relationship watched from the other side of the glass. He was coached by Jack and with Aeros coach Ron Low, who was hired to coach the Rangers that Quinn Hughes’ dad, Jim, while playing for Dynamo Minsk. He played with season. Peter Forsberg and a young Victor Hedman for Modo in . Courtesy Jeff Ulmer He played in Siberia – yes, Siberia – with Dmitry Orlov and legendary Russian goalie Alexandr Vyukhin, who died in the 2011 plane crash that Ulmer was on a bus from Hartford, Conn., to a road game in Norfolk, Va., killed every member of the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv team. And he played with when he got called up from the AHL to the Rangers — one day after a a 16-year-old for Tampere (Teppo raucous Super Bowl party. He played 21 games with the Rangers but Numminen’s hometown) in Finland. was traded to Ottawa in the offseason, where he spent two seasons in more of a defensive role as the Senators groomed center prospects Sasha Barkov looks on as Jeff Ulmer prepares to shoot in a game for Spezza and Antoine Vermette. With less of an opportunity to put up Tappara Tampere (Finland). “I probably should have passed to him,” offensive numbers in the AHL, Ulmer signed with the of the Ulmer said. “They signed me as a shooter.” (Courtesy Jeff Ulmer) Elite League in Great Britain, where he averaged two points Ulmer collected cool jerseys and countless memories along the way, but per game in a short stint before signing with Lukko Rauma in the Finnish he acquired something far more germane to his current gig as the Elite League. Coyotes coordinator of skill development and assistant director of special He returned to the AHL with Hershey in 2004-05, only to have the NHL projects. He acquired cultural competence, the ability to understand, season wiped out by a lockout, before settling into the favorite years of communicate with and effectively interact with people across cultures. his career in the DEL (German elite league). That required being aware of his own world view while being open to different cultural practices and developing positive attitudes toward them. “Playing in Germany was almost like playing in the North American leagues because 12 or 13 of your guys are North Americans with “I find that I have a lot in common with a lot of our players,” Ulmer said. “I English-speaking coaches and management,” Ulmer said. “But I dove have been to Villach, Austria, so when (Michael Grabner) and I spent a right in. I paid for myself to take one-on-one German classes two nights lot of time together during his rehab last season I could relate to him. per week to learn the language. I found it helped with teammates, going Same thing with Antti Raanta. I know their hometowns. I know their out to dinner and being able to order for the table. I found Germany an cultures. I know their customs. easy place to be. I liked the culture.” “I’m so thankful for the chance to see the places I have seen and to be Ulmer won the scoring race (37 goals, 74 points in 56 games) in able to experience different people in different countries. You gain an Frankfurt the year after his brother did for Kassel. appreciation for all of them and you don’t look down on any of them. You get totally immersed in their way of life and I think that has made me a In his three seasons there, Jeff fell in love with the walkable city and a stronger person in dealing with people and communicating with people.” couple of its local eateries that were within a couple blocks of his apartment: Buena Vista where he ate fajitas off a hot stone, and Bistro An odyssey begins Ristorante Rucola for Italian. It wasn’t Ulmer’s initial intent to travel the hockey world. He didn’t know “Then we’d go across the street for the English sneak-peek movie,” he much of that world while growing up in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. Ulmer said. “It was a new release where you paid 4€ and didn’t know the movie tagged along as a water boy and stick boy for the teams his father, until it started. Dennis, coached at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame (a high school), which has produced an array of NHL talent including Barry Trotz. Rod “My apartment was above a sex shop downtown, which made entry with Brind’Amour, Jon Cooper, Wendel Clark, , Vincent my parents awkward, but I loved to walk around and discover new Lecavalier, and Willie Mitchell. restaurants and coffee shops. I walked or took the train everywhere for three years. I left my car parked at the arena for three seasons.” “My dad (who was also the school’s principal and the mayor of Wilcox) coached 14- and 15-year-old kids that went down to North Dakota to play Jeff met his wife, Robyn, while training in Calgary and she traveled with in these tournaments so I always wanted to play at (the University of) him for his final stint in Frankfurt in 2009-10. The next nine seasons North Dakota,” said Ulmer, who did, playing four seasons for the Fighting offered a dizzying array of teams in Siberia, Sweden, Germany, Sioux (later changed to Fighting Hawks) and coach Dean Blais. Ulmer (where he won a B-league title with Lausanne), Finland, won a national championship in his sophomore season at North Dakota, Austria, Slovenia (where he fell in love with Lake Bled, but not the team’s and his brother, Jason, scored the game-winning goal in the 2000 title inability to pay him), Scotland (where his daughter Jaydee was born), game against Boston College, the year after Jeff graduated. Denmark and back to Austria for his final pro season in 2017-18.

Ulmer’s hope was to play in the NHL, but he wasn’t drafted. He attended Jeff Ulmer raises the Swiss B league championship trophy at a bar in Carolina’s rookie camp and showed well, but he wasn’t invited to the Lausanne, Switzerland. (Courtesy Jeff Ulmer) main camp. When he received a call from Team Canada in 1999 to train in Calgary and travel the world, his odyssey began. While he played for Innsbruck in Austria, the team’s owner housed Ulmer and Robyn for four months at an all-inclusive luxury spa and hotel he owned, where even their meals were included. Jeff Ulmer skates for HC Innsbruck. (Courtesy Jeff Ulmer)

Anticipating the next move

As Ulmer accumulated seasons and experience, he took more of a leadership role on teams, staying after practice in the latter years to coach some of his younger teammates. He even took over as the coach in his last season for a short stint. All the while, he was sending out résumés to teams in search of a job that might provide him a steppingstone to the next phase of his career.

“It was not really with the intent to retire,” he said. “It was just if something came up that I couldn’t say no to.”

Ulmer had been spending his offseasons at a rental home in Scottsdale. He eventually met Coyotes assistant GM Steve Sullivan at a golf course through mutual friends.

“Once I started talking to him, I got a better understanding of his knowledge and his history,” Sullivan said. “We were in the expansion era of our staff, and (GM) John’s (Chayka) vision of the development plan was to continue to grow that department. Jeff has a plethora of information, a global view of the game and he has trained for the skill sets that are used in and North American and understands how the game is played differently.”

When the Coyotes offered Ulmer a job, it was tough to end his playing career, but he didn’t want to keep dragging his family around the world “to play 35 games at age 41,” he said. “It wasn’t a body thing where I was broken down. I wasn’t. I felt good. It was just time.”

Last season, Ulmer broke down video for the coaches and the development team. This season, he has worked more with the coaches in planning drills for practice and writing up those plans for the players. He still skates with rehabbing players, but it feels like less of a full-time job than it did last season.

“Jeff was a really important guy for me to have around,” Grabner said last season, shortly after he returned from a significant eye injury. “He helped me get back into shape with some good drills, but it was good just to have someone to talk to about all kinds of stuff, not just hockey.”

Ulmer has taken on other duties in his second season. He does face-off pre-scouting for the centers to spot tendencies in opponents, he does some tracking of deeper data, and he has taken on a special project that is proprietary and therefore private.

“Of course I have aspirations, but I don’t know exactly where this is going to take me,” he said. “I just love being on the ice and being involved with players. I enjoy what I do and I am passionate about it. I try to touch as many areas as I can or they want me to.

“Jim Schoenfeld told me, ‘Whatever they ask you to do, just make sure do a great job because if you do, they’ll ask you to do more and more.’”

Slideshow

Jeff Ulmer shared Images of many of the jerseys he wore in his playing career. Here is a collection of some of them, including a photo of his daughters, Jaydee (3) and Braxyn (6 months), modeling a carpet of jerseys.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172930 Boston Bruins Forget social distancing. How about social responsibility during these trying times? Have you no shame, Mr. Jacobs, turning your back on some of the people of a city you’ve profited off for 4½ decades. Jacobs Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is coming up short during the global purchased the Bruins and the old Boston Garden in 1975 for a tidy sum pandemic, and it’s pathetic of $10 million. The Spoked-Bs are now valued at $1 billion, according to Forbes, and are the fifth-richest club in the NHL.

The Jacobses literally try to squeeze every last dime out of TD Garden, By Christopher L. Gasper Globe Columnist,Updated March 25, 2020, as evidenced by the uncomfortable, budget airline-worthy seats that 4:49 p.m. Delaware North tried to squeeze into the Garden this year, soliciting complaints from long-time customers who enjoyed more legroom at

ancient Fenway Park. Then there is the lucrative Hub on Causeway Identifying the most embarrassing whiff of an otherwise stellar Bruins development on the site of the old Garden. season was previously simple. It was the January night in Philadelphia But there's no money to spare for Bruins or TD Garden workers in this that Brad Marchand did the hockey equivalent of locking the door and time of despair? Pathetic and insulting. leaving the house without his keys, cinching a 6-5 shootout loss by zooming past the puck on a shootout attempt. Marchand love-tapped the It really says something that the Jacobs clan remains unbowed by public puck; it inched forward on the ice just enough to register as a failed or peer pressure or even rebukes from the state attorney general, Maura shootout attempt. That was embarrassing. Healey. Wednesday’s announcement came just one day after the owners of the and New Jersey Devils were pilloried for trying But Bruins owner and TD Garden proprietor Jeremy Jacobs told to institute temporary pay cuts of up to 20 percent for employees making Marchand to hold his watered-down beer. The Charles Montgomery more than $50,000 per year. Social media shamed them into reversing Burns of Boston sports resorted to his miserly ways this week. After course. being the last NHL franchise to release a plan to compensate part-time team and TD Garden game day employees during the COVID-19- The Bruins aren’t even following the lead of the Celtics, their TD Garden necessitated shutdown, Jacobs and his Delaware North company are tenants and frenemies. The Celtics agreed, in an email on March 18, to laying off employees and icing their income. advance funds to their game day operations employees for the remaining nine postponed home games, via regular paychecks. There’s no The Bruins announced Wednesday that, effective April 1, 68 salaried full- cancellation contingency like with the penurious Bruins, who are proving time employees would be placed on leave, receiving one week of pay more stingy than Tuukka Rask. and eight weeks of benefits while 82 full-time salaried employees would receive an unspecified “indefinite salary reduction.” The Bruins brain trust Will Jeremy Jacobs respond to the enmity that will be directed his way? called the freezing of funds “temporary business stabilization measures” for Delaware North, the parent company of the Bruins and the Garden. Jacobs appears impervious to public shaming or bad PR. He should It’s a euphemism for pad-locking Jacobs’s wallet as long as pucks are on have some money to spare after the Bruins melted down the ice surface pause. at the Garden, rather than pay the energy bill associated with maintaining a vacant sheet during the spring. This came one day after it became public that Delaware North had informed hundreds of part-time Garden ushers that they were laid off If Jacobs doesn't think he owes his employees and the city to do better because of the suspension of operations, including Bruins and Celtics simply from a civic and ethical standpoint now would be a good time to games. remind him that his team coughed up the Stanley Cup on home ice last June. The Bruins owe it to this city to step up from an emotional and The 80-year-old Jacobs is clearly one elderly person not willing to morale standpoint. sacrifice for the good of the economy. The Pucks Patriarch appears loath to engage in any social distancing with his considerable cash (Forbes It's not that hard to do the right thing and earn goodwill as a benevolent lists his net worth at $3.3 billion), even if it’s to help out the little people in benefactor. Still, Jacobs is prioritizing staying in the black over providing a time of economic peril and national crisis. As his hockey clubs used to people a ray of hope. The pucks plutocracy rules with an iron heart. so often during an earlier, hyper cost-conscious period of his ownership, It should be noted, in the interest of fairness to Jacobs, that Terry and he’s coming up short and cheaping out when it matters most. , the owners of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, the NFL’s Buffalo Disappointing. Bills, and Pegula Sports and Entertainment, which operates the Sabres’ Jeremy Jacobs has owned the Bruins since the 1970s. KeyBank Center, the Bills’ New Era Field, and Rochester, N.Y.'s Blue Cross Arena, have also stated they’ll wait for the NHL to officially cancel The Bruins have barely done the bare minimum during this crisis. While games before compensating employees. They also laid off most of their other teams in the NBA and NHL offered comprehensive plans and hospitality workers on March 20, according to The Athletic. dutiful pledges to keep paying arena employees during these unprecedented times, the Bruins remained conspicuously silent until they Altruism is apparently unbecoming if you're from Buffalo. released a terse and ambiguous statement last Saturday, promising to It's of little comfort that the Bruins statement read: "As relayed to our create a $1.5 million fund for part-time Bruins and Garden employees associates today, none of these decisions were reached without difficult financially burdened by the coronavirus crisis. There was one and painful deliberations. These measures are intended to be temporary considerable caveat. The money would only be released after the final with associate employment and compensation returning once our six postponed regular-season home games were officially cancelled. business resumes to its normal state from this unprecedented stoppage."

Translation: You still get nothing for now. You're going to pay people when you have to pay them for their work? The NHL is one of the leagues that appears to be the most strident about How magnanimous. completing its season and awarding the Stanley Cup. TSN in Canada Like Marchand, Jacobs whiffed badly. The owner’s blunder is going to reported that it was not unreasonable that the league could finish its cost folks a commodity much more valuable than points in the standings season in September. A final decision on whether the season is — their paychecks. salvageable — and when Jacobs must deliver the money he promised — could take weeks, if not months. Boston Globe LOADED: 03.26.2020

In the meantime, this money will sit collecting interest for the Jacobs family and Delaware North, a privately-held concessions behemoth that is one of America’s largest private companies and that Forbes, as of March 25, estimated boasted annual revenues of $3.2 billion. Jacobs is chairman of Delaware North. His son Charlie is the CEO of Delaware North Boston Holdings and runs the Bruins day-to-day.

The elder Jacobs, according to Forbes, woke up on Wednesday as the 478th richest person on a planet with more than 7.5 billion people. 1172931 Boston Bruins

NHL announces postponement of several events, including combine, draft, and awards ceremony

By Christopher Price Globe Staff,Updated March 25, 2020, 5:44 p.m.

The NHL postponed several major offseason events on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the announced the postponements of several major events scheduled for June, including the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine (June 1-6), the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Awards (June 18), and the 2020 NHL Draft (June 26-27).

The league said the location, timing, and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized.

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Delaware North places full-time staff on temporary leave

TD Garden owner Delaware North is one of the eight private partners contributing $50,000 to support the plan to improve the North Station area traffic.

By MARISA INGEMI | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: March 25, 2020 at 2:37 p.m. | UPDATED: March 25, 2020 at 6:17 p.m.

The day after ushers received word they had been laid off, Delaware North announced Wednesday it is placing 68 full-time employees on temporary leave as a part of “temporary business stabilization measures relating to Boston Bruins and TD Garden full-time salaried associates due to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 crisis on our operations.”

Delaware North, owned by Bruins principal owner Jeremy Jacobs, announced a plan Saturday for its part-time and hourly workers. This is their first statement regarding full-time employees.

Along with the 68 on temporary leave as of April 1 — who will get one week of paid leave and eight weeks of benefits — Delaware North additionally announced 82 full-time salaried associates will receive an indefinite salary reduction.

The statement said those not affected by this decision have employee contracts.

“I’ve loved working here for a few years and I would’ve never expected anything like this,” one TD Garden employee told the Herald. “At our most vulnerable, weakest moment, management has turned their backs on us. I really appreciate the generosity of players who have tried to help, but I hope they use their influence to ask Mr. Jacobs to reconsider his position. People are really hurting. Some of my coworkers at the Garden who have reached out may not be able to pay the bills.”

One employee said there have been some unionization efforts by employees, but it’s in the early stages.

Delaware North’s statement said they do not intend for this decision to be long-term.

“These measures are intended to be temporary with associate employment and compensation returning once our business resumes to its normal state from this unprecedented stoppage,” the company said in its statement.

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NHL postpones draft, awards, scouting combine

By MARISA INGEMI | Boston Herald March 25, 2020 at 6:11 p.m.

In light of the season postponement due to the coronavirus outbreak, the NHL announced on Wednesday it has postponed the league’s scouting combine, awards, and the draft. All were scheduled for June.

The draft was originally slated for June 26-27 at Bell Centre in Montreal, but the league’s statement reads “The location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized.”

The awards were scheduled for June 18 in Las Vegas, and the league said “With respect to the Bridgestone NHL Awards, the League looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future. Las Vegas has been the home of the Bridgestone NHL Awards since 2009.”

The annual scouting combine was scheduled to take place on June 1-6 in Buffalo.

The NHL season was put on pause two weeks ago and the league has stated they don’t plan on shortening next season, but reports have indicated the league has every indication of playing again this season, even if it means delaying next season.

Events postponed will be rescheduled when there is more information on how the season is to proceed.

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NHL announces postponement of 2020 Draft, Scouting Combine, Awards

By Nick Goss March 25, 2020 5:33 PM

The NHL announced Wednesday it is postponing three major events -- the 2020 NHL Draft, the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine and the 2020 NHL Awards.

All three events were scheduled to take place in June, but the outbreak of the coronavirus has forced the league to change its schedule to ensure the health and safety of its employees, players, fans and everyone else involved with these events.

From the league's press release:

The location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized.

With respect to the Bridgestone NHL Awards, the League looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future. Las Vegas has been the home of the Bridgestone NHL Awards since 2009.

Earlier this month the league paused the regular season amid concerns over the coronavirus. An official timetable for when the season might resume has not been announced.

The postponing of the awards means several Boston Bruins players will have to wait to learn if they'll take home some hardware for their 2019-20 season performances.

For example, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask is the leading candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the league's most outstanding netminder. Rask leads the league with a 2.12 goals-against average and his .929 save percentage is the highest of any goalie who's played 25-plus games. Bruins right winger David Pastrnak is a leading Hart Trophy (MVP) candidate and tied with Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin in the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy race (top goal scorer). Bruins center Patrice Bergeron also has a strong case to be a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as one of the top defensive forwards. He's won the award four times.

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Delaware North layoffs, cuts not likely to sit well with Bruins fans

By Joe Haggerty March 25, 2020 4:00 PM

It’s been a bad couple of weeks for the Boston Bruins — and more importantly, it’s been even worse for their employees.

First, the Bruins were lambasted by the Massachusetts Attorney General for being the last team in the NHL to account for any kind of financial assistance for their TD Garden and Bruins employees once the regular season was put on pause by the coronavirus.

Now, Delaware North — the parent company for both TD Garden and the Bruins — is among the first NHL teams to announce sweeping layoffs and cuts to arena and hockey club employees on their payroll.

Delaware North announced that as of April 1, 2020, 68 of their full-time salaried associates will be placed on temporary leave, receiving one week of paid leave and eight weeks of full benefits.

Additionally, as of April 1, 82 of their full-time salaried associates will receive an indefinite salary reduction, while contracted employees obviously were not impacted.

It’s perhaps easier to say this when it’s not your own money, but there is no defending that kind of move with so many Americans headed for financial peril due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Delaware North released a brief statement addressing the cuts: “As relayed to our associates today, none of these decisions were reached without difficult and painful deliberations. These measures are intended to be temporary with associate employment and compensation returning once our business resumes to its normal state from this unprecedented stoppage.”

Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs' net worth has been pinned anywhere from $3-3.75 billion as the head of a Delaware North concessions and service giant that announced company-wide layoffs and reductions on Wednesday as well. Clearly, the business takes a massive hit with no concerts, sporting events or big gatherings happening all this month, next month and perhaps well beyond that due to the social distancing required to combat COVID-19.

TD Garden ice has melted while shutdown continues

Still, the Jacobs family is going to put themselves in the crosshairs for deserved criticism after the New Jersey Devils/Philadelphia 76ers owners were savaged just a couple of days ago for prompting the same kind of cost-cutting measures.

Let’s be honest here.

Jacobs has never been a very popular owner in Boston and was viewed as an NHL Governor unwilling to spend the money needed for his hockey team prior to the NHL instituting a salary after the 2003-04 season. This kind of stone-cold business move in the face of nationwide financial stress is going to further disenchant the Boston fan base from the people running the show on Causeway Street.

Maybe this is the only way it could go for Delaware North amidst an unprecedented work stoppage and economic downturn in this country, but they really haven’t done anything over the last few weeks to deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps things can return to normal once the coronavirus has come and gone and business gets back to normal at TD Garden, but the owners are doing something — and doing it in a way — that isn’t going to sit well with the fans they count on to fill their seats.

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The ice at TD Garden has melted while NHL shutdown continues

By Joe Haggerty March 24, 2020 4:10 PM

It was perhaps inevitable given the lack of activity at TD Garden these days, but the ice that normally stays intact throughout the hockey season has melted away on Causeway Street.

Normally this is something done at the end of a Bruins' Stanley Cup playoff run, or at the end of the regular season if the B’s don’t make the playoffs, but now it serves as an indicator there won’t be hockey in the building anytime soon. The NHL still harbors hope they can hold playoffs later in the spring or perhaps even over the summer, but it doesn’t seem as though high-attendance events will be held for at least the next couple of months.

The good news is that it would only take a matter of days for the TD Garden bull gang to put down a new frozen sheet. The bad news is that the ice wouldn’t be very high quality if the were to be played in June, July or August as some suspect might have to happen if the NHL wants to get a finish to this season.

It wouldn’t be ideal conditions, of course, but at least there might be some hockey for everybody.

At the time that the NHL season was suspended, sources at TD Garden indicated to NBC Sports Boston that the building was being asked to keep dates open for the playoffs at least into July. The latest the Stanley Cup playoffs have ended was the 2013 Cup Final series between the Bruins and Blackhawks with the final Game 6 played in Boston on June 24.

“If the season is salvaged these guys can freeze a new sheet in a day or two, no big deal,” said one TD Garden employee to .

Clearly, there was no good reason for the Bruins to ring up the cooling expenses to keep the TD Garden ice if there weren’t any immediate plans for hockey. There hasn’t been hockey at the Garden since the Bruins last played a home date March 7, and it doesn’t appear there's any reason for optimism that we’ll see hockey back in Boston in April.

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Bruins-Red Wings simulation: B's defense struggles in tough loss

By Erin Walsh March 21, 2020 8:20 PM

The NHL season has been put on hold due to the coronavirus crisis, meaning we may have to wait a while to watch the Boston Bruins again.

As a way to make up for the loss of Bruins action, we'll be using the EA Sports NHL 20 video game to simulate each game on Boston's schedule until they finally return to action.

Previous Simulations:

Bruins vs. Blue Jackets

Bruins vs. Ducks

Bruins vs. Kings

Bruins vs. Sharks

The Boston Bruins were supposed to take on the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night at TD Garden, here's how our simulation of that game went.

The B's defense struggled immensely in a 3-2 loss to the Red Wings on home ice despite Tuukka Rask's 25-save night. The Bruins had their struggles in real life against the last-place Wings, losing two of three this season and it continued in the virtual world, too.

Here are the game stats:

Three Stars of the Game + Game Stats

Christoffer Ehn, Tuukka Rask and were the of the game. Ehn notched two goals, Abdelkader had two assists and Rask had a 2.01 GAA with a .926 save percentage. The B's went 1-for-3 on the power play and couldn't muster up much offense in the loss.

Bs-Wings Stars Sim

Bruins Individual Stats

David Pastrnak inched his way closer to 50 goals on the season by scoring his 49th, and Patrice Bergeron fired one home with the extra attacker on the ice in the final moments of the game. David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy each had assists in the loss. McAvoy, once again, led in ice time with 25:27 minutes of action.

Red Wings Individual Stats

Ehn notched two goals while added one in the Red Wings victory. Abdelkader tallied two assists while Alex Biega, Luke Glendening and Dmytro Timashov added one assist each. Jonathan Bernier was solid in goal, stopping 20 of 22 shots and hanging on for the win.

FINAL SCORE: Red Wings 3, Bruins 2

Bruins Record (Includes simulated games): 46-15-14 (105 points)

*NOTE: We did not include Boston's games against the Buffalo Sabres or Toronto Maple Leafs in the simulation, therefore the simulated record isn't 100 percent accurate*

Next Simulation: vs. Ottawa Senators on Thursday

Be sure to keep an eye out for our Bruins vs. Senators simulation which is set to drop on Thursday

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172938 Boston Bruins off earlier than I usually do. For the first time in my life, I rode on Commonwealth Ave., which was empty of parked cars and well short of its usual traffic. I have always been too scared to ride on this stretch.

The game that wasn’t: Bruins’ game-day routine unrecognizable amid By now, it is clear to me that NHL games matter nothing compared to NHL shutdown health, shelter and security. Whether Pastrnak scores, Tuukka Rask makes a save or the Bruins win has no significance within the context of pandemics. By Fluto Shinzawa Mar 25, 2020 But visits to the Garden and Warrior reminded me of how even a game of such little importance actually matters in real life. I looked at the abandoned skeleton of the Boston Landing Track & Field Complex Had Tuesday been normal, I would have ridden my bike to Warrior Ice across the street from Warrior, usually alight with sparks and saws and Arena to cover the Bruins’ morning skate before their home game against hammers. Detroit. My legs would still have been heavy from a California road trip and a cross-country flight home on Sunday. Where normally there would be an active construction site, there was nothing happening on Tuesday. (Fluto Shinzawa / The Athletic) Instead, on Tuesday morning, I had to feed my family. I walked past the Flatbread Company next to the rink and its sad note I waited in line outside Trader Joe’s in Allston before an employee waved posted on its door announcing they were closed. us in and sprayed our hands with sanitizer. I peeked around each corner before entering an aisle. If somebody approached, I backed off while At the Garden, I thought of my usual game-day commute, which I share turning my face away. Before paying, I stood on a strip of tape that with several Garden security guards. I looked at the man holding open a marked the required distance between shoppers in the checkout row. door to North Station for a trickle of commuters with a cup in his hand for donations. I fretted about all the part-time Garden employees who were The Bruins have had seven games postponed since the NHL shut its worrying about rent instead of changing into their uniforms. doors on March 12. Three were scheduled at the Garden. Of course it’s unfortunate that Pastrnak is parked on 48 goals, Ondrej For some reason, Tuesday’s home game felt like the first one I’ve missed Kase has yet to score his first for his new team or that the 100-point in our new normal. Perhaps it was a short-term initial daze that caused Bruins might not have a Stanley Cup to chase. the first suspended Garden dates against Toronto (March 14) and Columbus (March 16) to feel like afterthoughts within the initial torrent of The real shame, however, is how a tangle of humanity — the food truck disorder. purveyor with no construction workers to feed, the guards with nothing to keep secure, the down-on-their-luck with no hockey fans giving them But here we are, a week-plus out in a wreckage that seems like it’s spare change — connected to one seemingly meaningless hockey game stretched out far longer. Sadly, it looks like normal isn’t returning anytime is suffering because the rinks are dark. These people are the unlucky soon. ones on the fringes of physical, mental and financial security. They are Tuesday would have been Game No. 77 for the Bruins. Perhaps David losing. Pastrnak would have scored his 50th goal. Maybe Anders Bjork would What makes me believe in better days, though, is belief itself. The have fought his way back into the lineup. We could have had a good common thing about NHL players is their absolute certainty, before every laugh had the rotten Red Wings beaten the Bruins for a third time this game, that they will emerge as winners. They do not even consider the season. possibility of losing. They would not pull on their skates otherwise. Usually on game day, I take public transportation to arrive at the Garden They believe. So do we. a little before 5 p.m. I take the No. 35, 36 or 37 bus from my home in Roslindale to Forest Hills, where I catch the Orange Line. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 By the time the subway wheezes into North Station, I have to slither under arms, around backpacks and through sneezes to the train’s double doors — one of which, usually, refuses to open. From there, the rush- hour crowd scurrying to the commuter rail practically carries me through the tunnel under Causeway St. and spits me out into North Station.

I would not want anyone in my family to take public transportation now. So I rode my bike to the Garden to see what the area was like compared to a usual game day.

It was unrecognizable.

Causeway St. was unrecognizable on Tuesday before a canceled Bruins game. (Fluto Shinzawa / The Athletic)

A few people were walking on the sidewalk. Four cabs were parked in front of North Station. The escalators normally rising into the Garden were not moving. The Fours was dark. There were no fans wearing Bruins jerseys looking for a pregame meal.

Around 4:30 p.m., I stood in the middle of Causeway St. to take in the surroundings. Doing so would usually prompt immediate arrest, tires rolled over feet or a referral to the CVS on the corner of Causeway and Canal for the strongest available medication.

I was practically standing amid tumbleweeds.

After taking in the scene, I clipped back into my bike to ride home. It was somewhat anxious.

I delight in riding on the Esplanade, cutting through Kenmore Square, connecting onto the Emerald Necklace paths and breezing through the Arnold Arboretum. During the Stanley Cup final, when the Bruins were required to hold their morning skates at the Garden, I loved riding to and from the rink in the warmth of late spring, safe from the threat of cars.

But with walkers, runners, bikers and dog walkers itching for fresh air on Tuesday, the Esplanade felt a little too crowded for my liking. So I pulled 1172939 Buffalo Sabres

NHL postpones scouting combine in Buffalo, draft, awards show

By Lance Lysowski Published Wed, Mar 25, 2020|Updated Wed, Mar 25, 2020

The National Hockey League on Wednesday made sweeping changes to its league calendar in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and one postponement impacts Western New York.

The NHL scouting combine, scheduled to return to Buffalo's LECOM Harborcenter and KeyBank Center for a sixth consecutive year from June 1-6, was postponed, along with the NHL draft in Montreal and the league's annual awards show in Las Vegas.

The location, timing and format of the draft and draft lottery will be announced when details are finalized, according to a press release from the NHL. The draft was scheduled for June 26-27, and the awards show was to be held June 18. The latter will be "returning to Las Vegas in the future," the league announced.

It's unclear when, or if, the NHL will be able to resume its season after it suspended play March 12, less than 24 hours after Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz became the first professional athlete in North America to test positive for the coronavirus.

This is the beginning of a new three-year contract for the Sabres to host the combine, an event that brings approximately 100 draft-eligible prospects and dozens of employees from the league's 31 teams to Buffalo. It includes player interviews, medical assessments and a series of off-ice physical fitness tests, which are held in LECOM Harborcenter.

The NHL draft was scheduled to return to Montreal for the first time since 2009, and the league has hosted its annual draft in an arena or convention since 1980, when it became a public event at the . The first 18 events were held in hotels and the league's office, which was then located in Montreal. The NHL could opt to close the draft to the public and broadcast the event in a television studio. The 2005 draft was held in an Ottawa hotel and closed to the public because of the lockout.

The NHL awards show was held in Toronto before it moved to Las Vegas in 2009. Some individual trophies are awarded based on final regular- season statistics, while others are voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association or the team general managers.

The league calendar changes come one day after the reported players and team staff were instructed by the NHL to extend their self-quarantine period 10 days to April 7. Commissioner continues to express hope the season will resume, however, it's unlikely that will be possible until at least mid-May.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended against gatherings of 50 or more people for eight weeks. The directive caused the NHL to alter its plan to resume, as players were allowed to return to their permanent residence, including outside North America.

Professional, minor and junior leagues across the globe also allowed players to leave the city in which their respective team is located. Border closures and travel restrictions may make it difficult for European players to travel to the scouting combine or draft, even if large public gatherings are allowed in June.

League officials have expressed hope that teams can hold an abbreviated training camp before resuming the season. The NHL is preparing for a number of scenarios, including holding its playoffs through September, and the league plans to hold an 82-game regular season in 2020-21.

The Sabres' 30-31-8 record had them on track to miss the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season.

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172940 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres adding defenseman Mattias Samuelsson on entry-level contract

By Lance Lysowski Published Wed, Mar 25, 2020|Updated Wed, Mar 25, 2020

After two seasons of college hockey and two IIHF World Junior Championships, the Buffalo Sabres decided Mattias Samuelsson is ready to begin his professional career.

Samuelsson, a 20-year-old defenseman, agreed to terms with the Sabres on a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Wednesday. He spent two seasons at Western Michigan after he was drafted 32nd overall by the Sabres in 2018. The 6-foot-4-inch defenseman compiled seven goals with 19 assists for 26 points in 65 regular-season games with the Broncos.

Samuelsson also served as captain for Western Michigan this season and filled the same role for the United States at this past IIHF World Junior Championship. He participated in each of the last two tournaments, helping the country win a silver medal in January 2019.

"We are very pleased with Mattias' growth both at Western Michigan and on the international stage," Sabres General said in a statement. "He possesses a unique combination of size, speed and skill, and we look forward to working with him on his next steps as a pro."

Samuelsson missed the first two games this season because of an injury and his responsibilities at world juniors caused him to miss two Western Michigan games in January. Samuelsson helped the Broncos go 11-4-1 over their final 16 games to earn the fourth seed in the NCHC postseason tournament. He had two goals with 12 assists and a plus-17 rating in 30 games this season.

However, the coronavirus outbreak led to the cancellation of all NCAA winter championships, abruptly ending Samuelsson's sophomore season.

Samuelsson joins a Sabres organization that has a surplus on the blue line featuring Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe, Brandon Montour, Colin Miller, Will Borgen and Jacob Bryson. Additionally, the team has yet to sign defensemen prospects Oskari Laaksonen and Ryan Johnson.

Samuelsson's father, Kjell, played 813 games over 14 seasons as a defenseman in the NHL and currently works for the as a player development coach.

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172941 Buffalo Sabres “You hear about everyone around the country that’s being affected by this – not just by getting sick but economically taking a hit, also,” Mitch Morse said. “The thing that stuck out to me and Caitlin the most was the Pegulas, Bills and Sabres foundations commit $1.2 million to COVID-19 kids everywhere who were getting these meals at schools but can’t right response now. That also sparked the thought, ‘Well, if these kids are being affected, I’m sure there are other venues and groups of people that are also feeling the wrath of the economic change brought on by this crisis.’

By John Vogl Mar 25, 2020 “It just made sense to us to donate to FeedMore WNY. We wanted to find something that reached the most people in the community as possible.”

There were 123 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Erie County as of BUFFALO, N.Y. – Western New York’s top foundations have pooled their Wednesday afternoon with 83 test results pending. resources to create one coronavirus response fund. It received a big boost Wednesday from Terry and Kim Pegula, the Buffalo Bills “The time is now for the Western New York community to come together Foundation and the Buffalo Sabres Foundation. as we navigate the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michael Weiner, president and CEO United Way of Buffalo and Erie County. The charitable foundations and the owners of their sports teams have partnered to commit at least $1.2 million to area residents in need during The Pegulas joined the cause after two hits during the pandemic. They the COVID-19 pandemic. have bucked the league-wide trend of owners paying arena event employees during the suspension of the NHL schedule, announcing they “We realize we are in uncertain times as a nation and as a community,” will contribute only if there is a cancellation of games. They have also Kim Pegula, president and CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, terminated their hospitality employees while declining to pay accrued said in a statement. “Like many Western New Yorkers, we are faced with time off. making difficult decisions, but we realize that focusing on the health and welfare of our community is what will get us through these difficult times.” “Terry and I have always believed that something positive can come out of something negative,” Kim Pegula said, “and we pray this situation is no The Bills and Sabres foundations will contribute to the Western New York exception.” COVID-19 Community Response Fund, which was created Tuesday through a partnership between the United Way of Buffalo and Erie The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 County and 18 local foundations. The response fund, which includes the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, had already committed more than $4 million to the region’s nonprofit charities.

PSE and the team foundations have announced their financial commitment will also go to two other areas:

FeedMore WNY (formerly the Food Bank of WNY and Meals on Wheels for WNY) and the Rural Outreach Center in East Aurora, who provide groceries in urban and rural areas in need.

The remainder of the aid will support first responders, hospital workers and nurses while providing protective equipment and medical supplies.

“While we don’t yet know the scope of the pandemic, we wanted to ensure that we were able to give some immediate assistance to those in need and those fighting on the front lines,” Pegula said in her statement. “We applaud the community relief fund and are proud that our foundations will join these community leaders in their efforts.”

After being invited to join the response fund earlier in the week, the boards of the Sabres and Bills foundations voted their approval Wednesday. A PSE spokesman declined to say how the $1.2 million donation was being divided between the foundations and the Pegulas.

The mission statement for the Buffalo Bills Foundation says it focuses on improving youth health and wellness in Western New York. According its latest available tax filing from 2017, the foundation awarded $609,026 in grants that year and had year-end assets of $958,621.

The core objectives for the Buffalo Sabres Foundation are to support children and military personnel, care for the sick, assist physically and mentally challenged athletes and support youth hockey initiatives. According to the foundation’s 2017 filings, it awarded $944,945 in grants that year and had assets of $152,848.

Depending on how much of the $1.2 million is directed to the Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund, it could have more than $5 million at its disposal to help the area.

“Throughout our region, community-based organizations are working tirelessly to meet the needs of Western New Yorkers affected by the ongoing impact of COVID-19,” said Nora OBrien-Suric, president of the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York. “The Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund is an opportunity for each of us to ‘help the helpers’ by supporting the front-line teams who are doing this important work and addressing the most critical community needs.”

At least two Buffalo athletes have joined the fight. Bills center Mitch Morse and his wife, Caitlin, have pledged to donate $100,000 to FeedMore WNY. Bills quarterback Josh Allen reportedly will contribute $25,000 to the fund created by the Pegulas and the team foundations. 1172942 Calgary Flames “I think I’m an optimist by nature, and you have to be prepared,” Treliving stressed. “Until somebody tells us differently, we have to prepare that we’re coming back at some point. We don’t know when that is, and Flames try to stay prepared, productive during COVID-19 pause certainly it’s going to be some time. But not only do you want to be prepared for it, as with anything that you go through, as bad and as serious and impactful for so many people as this is, you try to find ways to look at what opportunities it presents. You don’t want to be behind the Wes Gilbertson curve. You want to be ahead of the curve coming out of it.

“Certainly, we have stayed connected to what is going on in our industry, These are fierce competitors. and you see how leagues are shutting down,” he continued. “We’re hopeful at some point that we’ll get back. But we place it in the right So it should hardly come as a surprise that some of the Calgary Flames, context. We know there are much more important things than hockey. despite being separated in self-isolation for the past two weeks, are still We know this has so many far-reaching effects, and that is the No. 1 finding ways to go toe-to-socially-distanced-toe during the NHL’s concern. But you’re also engaged to make sure that you’re fulfilling your pandemic pause. responsibilities.

“For the guys that are still in Calgary, our bikes from the gym were “Leadership is easy when things are going well. It’s when things are distributed and weights and stuff like that,” said Flames tough and hard, that’s when it’s required. Right now, for anybody in a . “And I’ve heard of some challenges that are going on position of leadership, I think it’s a great opportunity and it’s a great between guys, challenges within families. We’re sort of doing that here, responsibility. That’s what we’re trying to do is lead our group through with ours. this difficult time.”

“Obviously, these guys are high-level athletes, elite athletes. And until Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.26.2020 told otherwise, we are preparing for the pause to end at some point. So I think it’s just trying to keep as much normalcy in your life as possible. I think it’s important to physically stay active, and also to keep your mind working. That’s how we’ll get through this.”

Thursday marks two weeks since the NHL halted its season due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The lights at the Saddledome have been switched off since.

There were more impacts Wednesday, with the league announcing the scouting combine in Buffalo, the awards banquet in Las Vegas and the 2020 NHL Draft in Montreal have all been postponed because of “the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus.” All three were on the calendar for June.

The NHL has asked that all players, coaches and hockey-related team staff extend their self-isolation periods until April 4. That’s the same date the Flames were supposed to wrap their regular-season slate with a Battle of against the Edmonton Oilers.

“I think the difficult part for all the managers right now is I would admit we’re all Type-A personalities — my wife would say a strong Type-A — so you always want to be in control,” Treliving said. “And right now, we’re not in control.”

That doesn’t mean they’re not busy.

Treliving signed a pair of college free-agents, left-handed defencemen Connor Mackey and Colton Poolman, last week.

The Flames’ scouts, both on the amateur and professional beats, have been studying video.

They’ve had conference calls to build their wish-list for the 2020 NHL Draft, whatever form it takes.

“A large part of my day is communicating with our staff regularly, giving them daily updates, and communicating regularly with our players,” said Treliving, who is self-isolating at home with his wife and two daughters. “I don’t care how young you are or how long you’ve been in the league, these players are in a routine. For these guys, for their whole lives in winter, you know where you’re going to be for six or seven or eight months of the year. And all of a sudden, that comes to an end. So I think my job is to make sure you’re there for them, to answer any questions, support and try to keep everybody as informed as you can. There’s just a lot of uncertainty right now.”

The uncertainty, perhaps, beats the alternative.

While the NHL has reportedly requested rink availabilities into August, hinting the Stanley Cup quest could stretch two-plus months beyond the usual end-date, several other leagues have already scrapped their spring/summer plans.

There will be no champions crowned in the WHL, OHL or QMHJL. For the first time in more than a century, the won’t be handed out in 2020.

On Wednesday, the Russia-based KHL cancelled the remainder of its playoff push. 1172943 Carolina Hurricanes The Hurricanes said Monday that they were temporarily closing the team offices at PNC Arena on Tuesday. They said hockey and business operations would continue, with employees working remotely.

Hurricanes clarify email to full-time employees about pay News Observer LOADED: 03.26.2020

BY CHIP ALEXANDER MARCH 25, 2020 06:04 PM

RALEIGH-Carolina Hurricanes president and general manager on Wednesday clarified an email he sent to full-time employees about their pay during an NHL season suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The email Wednesday indicated that non-contracted employees were being required to immediately use accrued vacation time or personal time off (PTO) beginning next week. The email said, “Employees that have used all of their vacation and personal time will be off without pay.”

Waddell, in an interview Wednesday, said, “Everyone will get paid and we’ll figure it out after that.” He said the directive applied only to next week and that the team policy would be reviewed on a week-to-week basis, adding that the employees’ benefits would not be affected.

Waddell said six of 176 full-time employees were without vacation time, saying, “They will get paid their full salary.” Contracted employees such as senior management, coaches and scouts are not affected.

Waddell said the full impact of the economic stimulus package being debated in Congress still is an unknown factor.

“The reason why we’re going week by week is because there’s a stimulus plan and no one has seen the final version of it yet,” Waddell said . “We’re trying to figure out what benefits there are, for employees and employers.”

The News & Observer received copies of the email sent to employees. Team owner Tom Dundon contacted Wednesday, referred all questions to Waddell.

“Tom’s goal through this whole process has been not to harm anyone or lay anyone off,” Waddell said in the interview.

The Hurricanes on March 17 announced they would cover the lost wages of their PNC Arena staff and part-time events staff for the seven final home games of the regular-season.

Waddell’s email to employees said the Hurricanes had decided to “close all components of our business next week and require employees to take PTO (vacation first, then personal days off). Sick time cannot be used. Employees that have used all of their vacation and personal time will be off without pay. All employees must enter their vacation or personal time off request into the time off system. If a request is not entered, vacation or personal time will not be paid. If an employee has remaining vacation or personal time it must be used.”

The email noted that those with lost wages might be able to apply for benefits under COVID-19 relief laws.

The email said: “We have been exploring multiple options on how best to take care of our employees while being mindful of the business challenges we face. This extra week gives us the time to understand the new legislation as well as time to make the best decisions on how to proceed as an organization.

The Hurricanes directive came a day after the NHL general managers held a conference call to discuss the effects of the pandemic and the financial impact it could have, both in completing the 2019-20 season — suspended since March 12 — or the start of the 2020-21 season.

The Boston Bruins’ parent company, Delaware North, on Wednesday announced that 68 salaried full-time employees would be placed on temporary leave, receiving one week of paid leave and eight weeks of full benefits. It said 82 of the full-time salaried employees would receive an “indefinite salary reduction.”

Waddell, in his email, said Dundon “has been very supportive of trying to keep everyone paid and working as much as possible.” He also noted the Canes, like all other NHL teams, are in “uncharted waters.”

“We have been exploring multiple options on how best to take care of our employees while being mindful of the business challenges we face,” Waddell said in the email. 1172944 Carolina Hurricanes And not just any five-game goal streak, that’s six goals in five games to you, partner.

The Canes were maddeningly inconsistent after Williams’ storybook The 2019-20 Hurricanes: 10 things we shouldn’t forget about this team return. Two wins, one loss, one win, one loss, two wins, one loss, one win, one loss, one win, one loss, one win. Then four straight losses. Often in Williams’ career, he seems to emerge to fix whatever is ailing By Sara Civian Mar 25, 2020 the team around him during these stretches. His five-game goal streak started during that third loss, and went strong as the Hurricanes ended

the regular season on a three-game win streak. What if I told you the Dave Ayres game happened just over one month There was a running joke in the Hurricanes locker room that the hot ago? water ran out peculiarly close to Williams returning. “Thanks, Justin,” etc. I guess we’d first have to determine what day it is, and that is a challenge they’d joke. difficult enough in itself right now. I’d venture the cold showers paid off. It’s Wednesday, I think, and that means the Ayres game happened just Of course, it wasn’t just about the goal streak, but how it was happening over one month ago, and way less than two months ago. — ugly tip-ins, deflections, vaguely standing in front of the net. While this When we look back on this 2019-20 regular season that’s most likely can seem random, it usually isn’t. The Canes were trying too hard to be dunzo, we will obviously remember that game. We will also remember too cute at this time of year, and I doubt they’d have ended in a playoff that Andrei Svechnikov became the first in NHL history to do the spot without the reminder that ugly makes things happen during the Michigan — then “Oops! (He) did it again.” playoff push.

We all obviously understand why this had to happen, but we will also “I’m not really scoring them, did you see how when I have empty nets, I remember how much we missed hockey when it was abruptly taken don’t really shoot at them?” Williams joked at PPG Paints Arena after away from us. scoring two goals, and yes, missing an empty net. “I just kind of tip them in. That’s how I like to do it. Nah, after I missed that one I really had to There’s so much to remember here that I’m worried about what we might atone … This time of year, that’s what it is. It’s dirty, it’s grind, it’s forget. I already chronicled the lost files. Now it’s time for the might-get- rebounds, it’s all over the place. It’s pretty rare to get the Tic-Tac-Toe lost files. goals — that hasn’t really worked the last 15 games, I feel.”

Here are 10 things we shouldn’t forget about the 2019-20 regular season He ended up performing exactly as necessary for the Hurricanes after Carolina Hurricanes. signing his mid-season contract. Whatever comes next, he did his thing.

Haydn Fleury proved himself Morgan Geekie rode off into the sunset as a franchise legend

This was the year Haydn Fleury could no longer pass through waivers Three goals and one assist (so generous) for four points in two total NHL without getting snagged. This was the year the Hurricanes’ 2014, games played. People don’t forget. seventh overall pick had to put up or shut up, and he knew it. Dougie Hamilton had a Norris-caliber start I wouldn’t have blamed him for showing a level of resentment for things out of his control, like the amount of NHL-caliber defensemen the A week before what was almost Dougie Hamilton’s first All-Star Hurricanes had in their arsenal for the past few seasons, or that time appearance of his eight-season NHL career, just as the 26-year-old was coach Rod Brind’Amour played him for literally one shift then benched on pace for a career season in goals, points and plus/minus, the him. Mind you, that was the game after his first NHL goal. I get that it’s all Hurricanes defenseman suffered a broken left fibula in Carolina’s 3-2 about winning games, but that scenario isn’t exactly a breeding ground of loss at Columbus on Jan 17. confidence — and he didn’t do anything wrong. He had Brind’Amour calling him the “most important player” on his team, Regardless, the self-proclaimed “happy-go-lucky kid” tried to control what which means a lot coming from Brind’Amour considering Hamilton had he could control and add a little more snarl to his game all season. As been branded an offensive defenseman while Brind’Amour was a unfortunate as the losses of Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce were for defensive offenseman. the Canes overall, the depleted blue line forced Brind’Amour to play Those two were really figuring it out — Hamilton was proud to log Fleury more. minutes on the penalty kill because he knew that’s a badge of honor to It was a silver lining. Brind’Amour. He’d also been crushing it on the power play and the entire unit took a hit when he went down. The — our — one and only Dom Luszczyszyn finally weighed in on this topic after months of deafening silence. The good news?

I FOUND IT PIC.TWITTER.COM/IEFSNBBVCW First off, it was a clean break, so the injury won’t physically change him.

— DOM LUSZCZYSZYN (@DOMLUSZCZYSZYN) MARCH 15, 2020 Second, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told me there’s a good chance he’ll be ready to go when all of our quarantines finally end. Luszczyszyn: “So, Fleury has 10 games where his 5-on-5 ice time is greater than 15 minutes. In those games he has: 6 points, a 55% xG First-line Svech rate, and is +7 at 5on5 (12 gf 5 ga). His average game score is 1.14. In Obviously, when we think about 2019-20 Andrei Svechnikov, we will think his 35 other games he has: 8 points, a 48% xG, and is -9 (9 gf, 18 ga). about multiple Michigans. But this was the season he really earned His average game score is 0.11. So obviously it’s a very small sample, Brind’Amour’s trust as a first-line player. but you’re onto something here. He’s looked better, he’s getting better results, better chances and producing more in the games he’s earned Yeah, he still messed up with the stick infractions — his 54 PIMs were more ice time.” second on the team to noted tough guy Joel Edmundson. But as Brind’Amour finally unleashed Svechnikov alongside Sebastian Aho and Justin Williams was worth the money — duh Teuvo Teravainen, he’d always give you a look as to say: “What else did The one and only “Mambo No. 5” was blasting in the LCA dressing room you want me to do?” after what would (probably) be the last Hurricanes game of the regular It seriously reminded me of when you used to pick Pablo Sanchez in the season. I didn’t think it had a meaning at the time — they’ve played this Backyard Baseball video game and the announcer would be like, “The one a few times before. Someone in the Hurricanes locker room loves kid can play!” this song, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it is Jordan Martinook. As Svechnikov chronicled after just missing a hat trick in Arizona a few Anyway, I tweeted about it and one of you suggested the glorious song days after Brind’Amour took the first-line Svech plunge: played because Justin Williams was riding a five-game goal streak. Makes sense, then I was like, “Woah, let’s stop and think about this for a Svechnikov, after two goals and almost a hat trick: “What’s up, guys?” second — Justin Williams is on a five-game goal streak.” The Athletic: “How are ya?” None of this quite captures the electricity that is the Aho-Teravainen penalty kill tandem, though. Svechnikov: “Unbelievable, you?” Aho totaled 122:44 shorthanded time on ice this season and Teravainen The Athletic: “You, Aho and Teravainen really have some chemistry, got 120:37. They were shifted together almost constantly. huh?” Aho’s last goal of the season was a shorty, mind you. Svechnikov: “I feel they are the best in the world of Finnish, it’s very enjoyable to play with those guys, and like you see we score a couple Brind’Amour: “You gotta give (Aho credit), but you gotta give 86 credit. goals. It’s great for us.” They’re a little bit of a tandem. You talk about special teams — they were a huge part of that.” Coyotes reporter: “Just to be clear, you said those two Finnish guys are the best?” Aho: “We play pretty well together, we can read each other. That’s how we do it. We don’t even need to talk that much — I kinda know where Svechnikov: “The best, yeah.” he’s going to put pressure and he knows where I’m going to put the Coyotes reporter: “You said that, right?” pressure.”

Svechnikov: “I mean, yeah.” Rod Brind’Amour seemed to be evolving as a coach

(I’ll never get tired of this.) I saw this in aforementioned things, like first-line Svech. But it was also in his honesty when things went wrong. Scott Burnside really captured this Sebastian Aho probably would’ve become the third player in franchise for me. history to hit the 40-goal mark Hockey will be back Two goals away. And maybe we will appreciate it more than we ever have. Unbelievable but true — Eric Staal and Jeff O’Neil are the two Hurricanes to have done it. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020

Aho will do it eventually.

Teuvo Teravainen was consistently a beast

I want every single person reading this to remember the time Teravainen messed up for the first time in maybe decades by not shooting the puck. He doesn’t shoot the puck often, and you usually wince then get over it. We cut him a lot of slack around here for that, because he sauces it with the best of them in the league. But man, that empty net against the Avalanche on Feb. 28 was an all-timer.

Though the Canes would lose 3-2, Teravainen promptly made up for his own mistake with two, third-period goals — then it was right back to business as usual.

The Athletic: “Did you kind of think in the third, ‘OK, I’m just gonna shoot it now’?”

Teravainen: “I don’t know. If I see someone open, I’ll still try to pass. But I’ll probably shoot a couple, too.”

OK, fine.

Teravainen finished right behind Aho in points, with 15 goals and 48 assists for 63 points (three behind Aho). What’s more is he pulled weight when Aho went on negative streaks, and it’s clear these two work with each other.

Aho and Teravainen were best together, and maybe that’s best of all. This was the season of the power kill.

I walked out of the Scotiabank Saddledome after Warren Foegele scored two shorthanded goals, feeling like I had scored them myself.

The day prior I’d written about how effective the Hurricanes penalty kill is. It was a crazy game regardless, so as I was walking out of the arena the security guard said “Guess you won’t struggle for a storyline tonight, eh (for real, eh)?”

I winked (when else will I be this correct), and said “Pal, I already did.”

The Hurricanes penalty kill has been my favorite storyline of the season for a few reasons. No. 1, being right is awesome. But also — I appreciate the retro, Pavel Bure vibes. I respect playing your best players as much as you can and challenging them to do some full-court press and maybe snag a puck — because they do. I appreciate Brind’Amour’s guts in all of this, and I appreciate Aho’s and Teravainen’s willingness to comply. I also appreciate the conditioning it takes to be them.

The tandem of Aho and Teravainen on the penalty kill had been brewing since 2017-18, but it flourished this season. It made the act of the Hurricanes committing a minor penalty actually fun. That would prove important, as the Canes took the second-most minor penalties in the league.

The Hurricanes ended up No. 4 in the league with an 84 percent penalty kill percentage, and No. 2 in shorthanded goals with 10. 1172945

NHL postpones the draft and scouting combine — but doesn’t set new dates. Both were originally scheduled for June.

By PHIL THOMPSON |MAR 25, 2020 | 4:42 PM

The NHL on Wednesday postponed three June events, including the draft, making them the latest of hockey’s dominoes to fall as the coronavirus pandemic puts a hold on sporting events.

The league cited “ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus” as reason for calling off the draft, which had been set for June 26 and 27 in Montreal. The timing and location of the draft and its lottery, as well as other details, will be announced once those events are finalized, the NHL statement said.

The Blackhawks have a 49% chance of getting the ninth pick and a 5% chance of getting the first pick, according to tankathon.com.

The scouting combine, originally set for June 1-6 in Buffalo, New York, and the annual awards gala, scheduled for June 10 in Las Vegas, were also postponed. New dates haven’t been set, but the statement added “the league looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future.”

The NHL paused the regular season on March 12, a day after the NBA suspended its season. The Blackhawks have 12 games — including seven home games — remaining in the regular season.

The @NHL has announced the postponements of the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine, the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Awards and the 2020 NHL Draft. https://t.co/m0mXPAyIhN #NHLCombine #NHLDraft #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/iWZjW1Yw1f

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 25, 2020

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172946 Chicago Blackhawks

NHL is extending its recommendation to April 6 for players and staff to self-isolate and stay away from team facilities

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MAR 25, 2020 | 10:20 AM

The NHL is extending its recommendation for players and staff to self- isolate and stay away from team facilities during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Tuesday confirmed the NHL has asked that players and staff extend their self-quarantine 10 days beyond the original March 27 timeline to April 6 — further pushing back the earliest team facilities can reopen.

The league over the past two days has held conference calls with its Board of Governors and general managers to inform them about and take questions regarding the current situation. Daly told The Associated Press by email the calls provided updates on various issues.

There is still no clarity on when the NHL might resume its season, though the CDC's recommendation of no gatherings of 50 or more people until mid-May is expected to factor into timing. The league and Players' Association told players they could go home and self-isolate until the end of March.

Commissioner Gary Bettman said recently the decision to resume play would be made in accordance with health officials. The league is working on various scenarios about what a potential return to play could look like.

Bettman remains optimistic about resuming this season and awarding the Stanley Cup. That could mean playing games deep into the summer or early fall.

The NHL plans to stage a full 2020-21 season, even if it means starting as late as November.

Two Ottawa Senators players tested positive for COVID-19, and six others were tested with results pending. The league has said its medical experts do not recommend mass testing for players or staff unless they exhibit symptoms.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172947 Chicago Blackhawks

United Center to become ‘logistics hub’ for food distribution, medical supply collection

The home arena of the Blackhawks and Bulls will help Chicago in another way over the coming weeks.

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST Mar 25, 2020, 4:45pm CDT

The United Center was hosting Blackhawks games just two weeks ago, but now it’ll become an important part of Chicago’s coronavirus treatment system. Getty

Only two weeks after hosting a Blackhawks game for the last time before the shutdown of the NHL season and the nationwide intensification of the coronavirus outbreak, the United Center is radically shifting gears.

The Madison Street arena — typically used to host large crowds for Hawks and Bulls games — will soon host large supplies of medical equipment, food and other necessities in response to the pandemic, according to an announcement Wednesday.

“As Illinois goes through this together, the United Center . . . is proud to be playing a critical role with our city, state and federal response to the pandemic,” the statement said. “Our arena and outside campus will be transformed into a logistics hub where we will be assisting front-line food distribution, first-responder staging and the collection of critically needed medical supplies.”

A spokesman said the transition should be in full effect by next week, with more information and details available in the next few days.

The arena has sat vacant for 14 days since the Hawks beat the Sharks 6-2 on March 11, although Hawks and Bulls chairmen and Jerry Reinsdorf, respectively, have committed to pay day-of-game arena employees through the rest of the initially scheduled season.

Other cities have turned in recent months toward similarly spacious venues to help during the epidemic. Wuhan, , converted an 8,000- seat arena into a makeshift hospital in February; Anchorage, Alaska, turned its 6,290-seat hockey arena into a homeless shelter last week; New York announced plans Tuesday to convert its main convention center into a hospital.

But the United Center could be a trendsetter among NHL and NBA arenas in large cities as it repurposes during the epidemic.

“On behalf of the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks, our athletes, our front offices and our dedicated United Center personnel, our thoughts and support are with the people of this great city and state,” the statement read. “Together, we will get through this.”

NOTE: The NHL announced Wednesday that its annual scouting combine (initially scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo), awards show (scheduled for June 18 in Las Vegas) and draft (scheduled for June 26- 27 in Montreal) have been officially postponed.

The league has dealt with a postponed draft before: After the 2004-05 lockout season, the Ottawa-hosted 2005 NHL Draft was pushed back from late June to late July and held without spectators.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172948 Chicago Blackhawks "At one point there were 15 of them sitting there," George said. " and Patrick Kane were rookies. Kane would come in at age 18 and order a cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. That's before I George Lemperis keeps things lively at Palace Grill became friends with his father. They'd come in and nobody knew who they were."

During the 2009-10 season, the Hawks produced a five-minute video of John Dietz Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd going to practice at Johnny's IceHouse East and then making the 151-foot drive to the Palace to have lunch.

They sat down at the counter -- in full uniform -- ordered their food and Covering a hockey game means a 14-hour day for some reporters. started chatting up the customers. Versteeg looks past Ladd to a young It normally begins with a 10:30 a.m. skate and it isn't over until driving fan wearing a Toews jersey and says: "Did you hear Tazer hates dogs, home after midnight. children and old people?"

Those who cover Blackhawks games are lucky, though, because the "Not a very good role model," Ladd says before taking a large bite out of middle of the day is often filled with good food, amazing coffee, plenty of his "heartstopper" burger. laughter and a chance to see our good friends at the Palace Grill. It's a perfect snapshot of the Palace -- a place to joke around and laugh, It's a tradition that goes back to when Tim Sassone was covering the and never take yourself too seriously. Hawks for The Daily Herald until his untimely death in March 2014. When Moments later, Versteeg and Ladd jumped over the counter, grabbed two I got on the beat in 2015 and asked where the best place to go for lunch plates each and delivered them to customers. They then announced that was, there was no question: The Palace. the Hawks were picking up the tab for everyone's meal. The restaurant, located just a few blocks east of the United Center, is "That's when things really, really took off," George said. owned by perhaps the biggest Hawks fan on the planet in George Lemperis. The 61-year-old Lane Tech graduate has been in charge since Morning, George! 1979. After the Blackhawks were beaten 2-1 in overtime in Game 5 of the 1995 You've never met anybody like George. He's loud, boisterous, engaging, conference finals by the Detroit Red Wings, most of the team went thoughtful, extremely generous and one of the best damn joke tellers in straight from the airport to Chelios' bar. Hours later, someone had a the world. In fact, George is so good that he's hosted a couple stand-up thought: Hey, let's go to the Palace and have some breakfast. comedy nights at the Palace. George tells the jokes while his patrons howl -- and sometimes cringe -- at the adult-only humor. So that's exactly what they did. George arrived at about 4:30 a.m. to begin his day and noticed cars and trucks parked everywhere, even on There isn't a whole lot of laughter at the Palace of late, however, with the the sidewalk. coronavirus crushing small business owners all over the country. George is doing his best to keep the Palace afloat by offering takeout service and "I said, 'What the (heck) is this?" George recalled. "Then I go into the delivering within a 3-mile radius. restaurant and just about the whole Chicago Blackhawk hockey team was there. was behind the counter and he was cooking "My biggest concern are my employees," George said recently. "You've breakfast for everybody ... , Eddie Belfour, Steve Smith. got all these people that work in these offices who are able to work from Unbelievable. Unbelievable morning." home. ... Now, you might be wondering: How the heck did they get in? "If I don't flip eggs and I don't sell cheeseburgers, my employees don't make any money. I don't care about me. I will be OK. The whole thing is As it happened, one of George's employees couldn't sleep that night and my employees. The reality is I need my employees to be safe. I want was there when the players arrived. They knocked, he opened and the them to be safe." rest is history.

The Palace is like a shrine to the Hawks, with beautiful framed jerseys of "I walked into an absolute (freaking) mess," George says. "That was a Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Stan Mikita, Denis Savard and Jeremy really great moment and a really great time." Roenick. There are also dozens of photos, some of which include $25 for a knife? George with the Stanley Cup from when the Hawks brought it by during their championship seasons. If you've been tied up at the Palace, consider yourself part of the family. Because George needs to know you can take a joke. With laughter in short supply these days, it's time to tell some of the classic stories from a restaurant that's been open since 1938. So, sit Let's explain: For the better part of two decades, Ricardo Contreras -- back and enjoy as we let George talk about how the Palace became a one of George's longtime employees -- wraps twine through an Hawks haven, how Chris Chelios once basically wrecked the place and unsuspecting customer's chair. Then around their belt. Back through the how it's an honor and a privilege to find a knife in front of you with a sign chair. And he ties it into multiple knots. that reads: "Knife rental, $25." All while you're eating and talking, most likely to George! Hawks hangout Hall of Fame announcer Mike "Doc" Emrick's has been victimized. As George has always been a huge Blackhawks fan. But it wasn't until he has Kane's father. And Toews' father. befriended John "Spider" Webb in 1980 that players began regularly showing up at the Palace. As for yours truly? Yep, it's happened to me too.

Webb was in charge of the crew that transitioned the Stadium from The victim then finds a knife near them with a sign that reads: "Knife hockey to basketball, and vice versa. One day Webb brought Keith rental, $25." Magnuson in for a meal. Then Denis Savard showed up. Then another "And on the weekend it's 50 bucks," George points out. player. And another and another. There are dozens of good stories, including one where six writers were Before long, George was golfing and going out to bars with Chelios and tied up at once. Emrick was spared that day, though, because he had Roenick, and he found himself attending more and more games. sweatpants on.

"From that point on it became like a love affair," George says. With great gusto, George then tells about the time Ricky got Toews' dad.

Despite that fact, however, the Palace's inside walls remained heavily "Bryan Toews had never been tied before," George said. "One day Mr. decorated with Bulls memorabilia from the 1990s title teams. Kane said, 'You've got to tie Bryan up.' So we tied Bryan up and I go, 'We "Nobody was a Blackhawk fan," George said of the early 2000s. got him!'

Things began to change in 2008 as the Hawks started to improve and a new era of stars arrived. "But Pat didn't realize that he was tied up at the same time. ... Bryan Toews was laughing like you've never laughed in your life before. He was pounding the table.

"But he had no idea that he was tied up too. So a little while later, when he went to get up, he was tied to the table. It was epic. It was just so funny."

What now?

On March 11, Emrick, who beat prostate cancer in 1991, treated six writers to his annual Cancer Survivors Lunch. It's a particularly special day for George as well as he beat cancer in 2006.

Business was already down 25 percent at that point and the next day the NHL announced the suspension of its season. Then Gov. J.B. Pritzker limited restaurants to carryout service only.

Now, it's eerily quiet inside the Palace.

"At this point I would give anything if it was just the shutdown of the NHL," George said.

The Palace has been in operation for 82 years and George hopes a federal relief package will help it continue into the decades to come.

"I will try to get everything that I can get," said George, who is posting weekly specials on his Facebook page. "Business started falling off the first of March and it got significantly less as time went on.

"I don't know. I'm hoping to survive. I'm expecting to survive. But I will tell you it's a huge hit."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172949 Chicago Blackhawks

Could the NHL be playing in July and August? It's being considered.

The NHL is considering resuming the season and playing games into July and August. Nothing has been announced officially.

John Dietz

Hockey in July? And August?

It's apparently something the NHL is considering after holding a conference call with general managers Tuesday.

There is talk about completing the regular season, having a postseason and then beginning the 2020-21 campaign in November.

Let's go over some of the main issues facing the league as it mulls over these decisions in the wake of coronavirus:

• Ice quality. Hot and humid conditions make for awful ice conditions. Imagine what the surfaces will be like in Tampa Bay, Florida, Las Vegas, Dallas and Nashville. Heck, we all know how brutal summers can be in Chicago, St. Louis and Minnesota too.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun believes arenas can pull it off, however, pointing out that the Stanley Cup Final is played every June.

• Off-season issues. The official start to every season begins July 1, meaning a legal hurdle must be cleared so that contracts of unrestricted free agents do not expire.

Free agency could open a week after the Stanley Cup Final, and the league figures to hold the draft shortly thereafter.

• It really makes no sense to restart the regular season. Perhaps extend the playoff field a bit by creating some play-in games. Then shorten the first two rounds to best-of-5s. If you do this and you schedule series so that teams play every other day, the postseason should end no later than Aug. 22.

• Let's assume for a second that all of this happens. Beginning the 2020- 21 season in November isn't exactly ideal.

Most teams play 10 to 12 games in October, which means -- assuming everyone is slated to play 82 games -- you're going to have to squeeze things into a much tighter window. The NHL can solve this by doing three things: Remove each team's off week; cancel the All-Star Game; and extend the season 7 to10 days.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172950 Chicago Blackhawks

NHL officially postpones scouting combine, awards show and 2020 draft

By Charlie Roumeliotis March 25, 2020 4:20 PM

One day after instructing its players to self-isolate for an additional 10 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL officially announced Wednesday that it has postponed the Scouting Combine, NHL Awards show and 2020 NHL Draft.

The three events were originally scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y., June 18 in Las Vegas and June 26-27 in Montreal, respectively.

The location, timing and format of the NHL Draft and lottery will be announced when details are finalized, but it's looking more likely that the draft itself will be conducted online. Montreal was set to be the host for the first time since 2009.

The news doesn't come as a surprise, but it does acknowledge that the league hopes to finish the 2019-20 season in some capacity before it turns the page to 2020-21.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172951 Chicago Blackhawks Right now, Toews ranks No. 1 in Blackhawks history in faceoff wins. No. 2 is Alexei Zhamnov, who's at 4,424. That's more than double, and Toews' career is far from over. Imagine how significant the gap will be by 8 records in Blackhawks history that may never be broken the time Toews hangs up his skates. So even though the concrete number isn't set yet, we're comfortable in saying Toews' record won't be broken.

By Charlie Roumeliotis March 25, 2020 9:45 AM 7. Patrick Kane's 26-game point streak

Kane made history in 2015 when he became the seventh NHL player ever to record a point streak of at least 26 games. He also broke Bobby There are plenty of records in NHL history that will never be broken. Hull's Blackhawks record of 21, which held up for 43 years, and nearly Wayne Gretzky's 2,857 career points is one of them, and his 894 goals passed it again when he registered a point in 20 straight in 2019. record was believed to be another, but Alex Ovechkin could sure give him a run for his money. The only way we can see Kane's 26-game point streak being broken is if he does it himself. Would it surprise anyone if he did? The Blackhawks have a handful of their own, too. We identified eight records in franchise history — although there could be more — and 8. Duncan Keith's career postseason minutes: 3,551:53 and counting included three at the end from this current generation that remains ongoing. For the final one, we decided to go with a prediction before the actual prediction. And we're going to preface it by mentioning the NHL hadn't Let's dive in: started tracking time on ice until the 1997-98 season.

1. Steve Larmer's consecutive games played streak: 884 Keith currently ranks No. 1 in franchise history with 3,551:53 total postseason minutes across 126 games. For reference, Brent Seabrook Larmer is one of the greatest Blackhawks of all-time, and what made him ranks No. 2 with 3,057:59 minutes in 123 games. especially great is his ability to stay on the ice. His Ironman Streak of 884 games ranks third in NHL history, behind Doug Jarvis (964) and Garry The only players that have a realistic chance of catching Keith are Kane Unger (914). Larmer was as durable as they come. and Toews, who are at 2,587:04 and 2,658:40, respectively. And that's because they may get a few more cracks after Keith is finished playing 2. Glenn Hall's consecutive starts streak: 363 hockey. From 1955 to 1962, Hall started in 502 straight games — 363 of which But, like Kane and Toews, Keith has three years left on his contract after came with the Blackhawks and the other 140 with Detroit. That's unheard this season. If the Blackhawks return to postseason contention in that of as a and is arguably the safest sports record of all-time span, Keith will likely be a part of it, so at best the minutes will cancel out. given how the league has evolved since then. The question is how much Kane and Toews can gain ground after Keith's 3. Bill Mosienko's fastest hat trick: 21 seconds career ends? And for that reason, we're comfortable in saying it would be Mosienko is a Hall of Famer, but he will forever be remembered as the too tall of an order for anyone to surpass Keith, who's a physical one to record the fastest hat trick in NHL history after scoring three goals specimen. in a 21-second span on March 23, 1952. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 The only player to come close to that is Montreal's Jean Beliveau, who scored three goals in 44 seconds on Nov. 5, 1955. Most recently, Brayden Point scored three goals in 91 seconds on Nov. 15, 2018. It was the second-fastest natural hat trick since the NHL's expansion in 1967- 68.

It's difficult to see Mosienko's hat trick record ever being touched.

4. Mike Peluso's penalty minutes in a single season: 408

Peluso appeared in only 118 games across three seasons with the Blackhawks, but he sure made his presence felt during his brief stint in Chicago.

Peluso accumulated 408 penalty minutes during the 1991-92 campaign, which is the third-most in a single NHL season ever, behind Dave Schultz (472) and Paul Baxter (409). The only player in Blackhawks history to come close to Peluso's 408 is Dave Manson, who racked up 352 penalty minutes during the 1988-1989 season.

5. Tony Esposito's shutouts as a rookie: 15

Esposito ranks No. 1 in franchise history with 418 wins, which is a mark that's going to be tough to beat. But we're going to turn our attention to a different Tony O accomplishment.

No goaltender in NHL history has recorded more shutouts in his rookie campaign than Esposito, who registered 15 in 63 starts during the 1969- 70 season. Only one other goaltender has more than a dozen and that's George Hainsworth, who had 14 in 1926-27.

Mike Karakas previously held the Blackhawks record with nine shutouts in 48 starts during the 1935-36 season. Corey Crawford and Hugh Leghman are tied for third with five, respectively.

6. Jonathan Toews' faceoff wins: 10,604 and counting

The NHL didn't start tracking wins and losses at the faceoff circle until 1997-98 so this is a tough one to pick out, but we're fairly certain Toews will be the runaway favorite when it's all said and done. He already is.

Toews currently has 10,604 faceoff wins, which ranks No. 5 among all skaters. Only Joe Thornton (13,292), Patrice Bergeron (12,434), Sidney Crosby (11,144) and Rod Brind'Amour (11,027) are ahead of him. 1172952 Chicago Blackhawks interested organizations are heading to. Please understand that I cannot unveil which clubs are interested.”

Johannes Kinnvall, defenseman, SHL (Sweden) Can the Blackhawks sign another European gem? Here are some candidates The Blackhawks might be a difficult sell for a defenseman right now considering how many players they have already signed, but you never know. Kinnvall, who is 5-foot-11 and 181 pounds, was one of the best By Scott Powers Mar 25, 2020 offensive defensemen in the SHL this season. He produced 40 points in 51 games as a 22-year-old.

“He exploded this year,” one league source said. “He was dominant Artemi Panarin, Erik Gustafsson, Michal Kempny, Jan Rutta, David offensively. He has great hands and vision. His skating has been the one Kampf, Dominik Kahun and Dominik Kubalik. knock on him, but it’s getting better.”

Over the last five years, the Blackhawks have a pretty good track record Mikhail Grigorenko previously played for the Colorado Avalanche. (Isaiah of signing quality players from Europe. They’ve identified players and J. Downing / USA Today) often beat out other teams to sign them. There’s credit to go around from general manager to the Blackhawks’ hockey operations. Mikhail Grigorenko, forward, KHL (Russia)

Which bring us to 2020. Can the Blackhawks do it again? With this Grigorenko is the top European free agent on a number of people’s lists, offseason likely bringing on another cap crunch, the Blackhawks would including The Athletic senior NHL prospects writer Corey Pronman’s. probably benefit from adding another NHL-caliber European player or Grigorenko, 25, has been playing in the KHL for the past three seasons two on entry-level contracts. since leaving the Colorado Avalanche. He’s been one of the top producers in the KHL during that time and had 19 goals and 22 assists in It’s something Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz recently thought was a 47 games for CSKA this season. possibility. Grigorenko is a free agent after this KHL season. It doesn’t appear as if “Absolutely, you look at some of the free agents that the Hawks brought the Blackhawks are interested in Grigorenko as of now, but that could in too,” Wirtz said. “No one knew who Panarin was when he came in, and always change. It doesn’t sound like the Blackhawks have reached out Kubalik, they didn’t know him. So there’s a lot of different things you can about many of the KHL free agents yet. do, and that’s the system you have as far as the scouts around the world and who they see and what they see and then having players who want Mathias Brome, forward, SHL to come to Chicago. It wasn’t that long ago that the players couldn’t wait Brome, a 25-year-old winger, has a connection to the Blackhawks if to get out of here. It’s nice when it’s a compliment that you have players they’re interested. He played for Jeremy Colliton in Sweden. A previous who want to sign as free agents, especially when they’re in Europe and relationship with Colliton helped the Blackhawks sign Jacob Nilsson a want to come over and play with us.” few years ago. Brome was sixth in the SHL with 43 points in 52 games So, whom might the Blackhawks look to sign in the coming months? this season. Here are some internal and external candidates from Europe. Gustav Rydahl, forward, SHL

External candidates Rydahl, 25, is another forward a lot of people feel is ready for the jump Julius Nättinen, forward, (Finland) from the SHL to the NHL. He’s a 6-foot-3, 205-pound centerman. He tied for third in the SHL with 19 goals this season and has really progressed Nättinen, 23, is already drawing a lot of interest around the league, over the last few seasons. You can find some highlights of Rydahl here. according to sources. Nättinen, who is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, broke out this year with a league-best 33 goals in Finland after scoring just 10 “He has always been a big, strong, net-driven forward with a really good last season. He scored a lot of them with his quick shot around the slot. shot,” Wheeler said. “Doesn’t see the ice particularly well but he can get You can watch highlights of his season here. to the front of the net, he’s got some finishing touch, and he’s really physical. His production and age probably suggest he’s not more than a “I like Nättinen, but I don’t love him,” The Athletic prospect writer Scott tweener/depth option, if I had to guess.” Wheeler said. “He’s probably an AHL/NHL tweener and I’m not entirely sold on his new-found scoring touch (he never scored at other levels). Will it be Max Shalunov time in Chicago? (Isaiah J. Downing / USA Might be worth a shot for a team looking for some added depth on a Today) short-term contract. Wonder if he’d be willing to take a two-way deal.” Internal candidates

Nättinen was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2015 and played one Max Shalunov, forward uneventful season in the AHL. He’s been back in Finland the past two seasons. One league source mentioned Nattinen’s positive attributes You’ve heard plenty about Shalunov in recent years. Many of you have being his “versatility, goal-scoring and playmaking ability, maturity.” likely become skeptical over whether he’ll ever sign with the Blackhawks. But if Shalunov doesn’t sign this offseason, he likely won’t ever, for a Pius Suter, forward, NLA (Switzerland) number of reasons. His three-year KHL contract expires after this The Blackhawks were able to sign Switzerland’s top player in Kubalik last season. If he returns to Russia, he’ll probably sign another long-term season. Twenty-three-year-old Suter would be that this season. Kubalik extension and remain there for the rest of his career. Also, he’s 27. The had 25 goals and 32 assists in 50 games in the NLA during the 2018-19 time is now to come over if he wants to give the NHL a shot. season. Suter, who is 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds, had 30 goals and 23 Shalunov isn’t a guarantee at the NHL level, but he has some assets that assists in 50 games in the NLA this season. Suter scored just nine goals could help the Blackhawks as a top-9 forward. He has size at 6-foot-3 last season. Just from watching his highlights this season, he’s skilled, and 224 pounds. He has a big shot and some creativity to his game. He’s finds holes in defenses and is opportunistic. He has averaged more than defensively responsible. He’s played center and wing. a point a game in two of his last three seasons in Switzerland. Victor Ejdsell, forward “He’s legit,” Wheeler said. “Plays with a lot of skill and may be able to help drive a third line at the NHL level. The NLA had some decent talent Ejdsell, 24, was acquired as part of the Ryan Hartman deal with the this year and he was the clear-cut best player. He’s a strong defensive Nashville Predators in 2018 and spent some time in North America late in player too, so it’s not hard to imagine him in a variety of roles.” the 2017-18 season and for the entire 2018-19 season. The Blackhawks were attracted to him because of his size (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) and his Suter has a contract in the NLA for next season, but he is able to opt out shooting ability. He showed flashes of his goal-scoring ability here, but he if he signs in the NHL. It sounds like that’s a strong possibility. struggled to find consistency in his game. He remained in the AHL all of “The only thing I can share is that Pius has several options on the table, last season and didn’t enjoy himself much on or off the ice. The but he will wait after July 1st to sign,” his agent Georges Muller wrote in Blackhawks offered him a contract extension, but he decided to return to an email recently. “He is not in a hurry and wants to see first where the Sweden. The Blackhawks placed a qualifying offer on him and retained his NHL rights. Ejdsell signed a two-year contract in the SHL prior to this season, but he is able to opt out for the NHL. It’s something he and his agent will likely discuss in the coming months. Ejdsell was among the top goal scorers in Sweden again this season. He was tied for seventh with 17 goals. He had 31 points in 45 games and played some of his better hockey during the second half of the year.

Andrei Altybarmakyan, forward

The Blackhawks would have probably loved to bring over Artur Kayumov from Russia after this season, but he decided to re-sign in the KHL. Altybarmakyan, 21, is probably a little bit behind Kayumov in his development, but he has been making strides in Russia, too. Altybarmakyan, who is 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds, is a skilled winger and has produced at lower levels. He finally earned consistent ice time in the KHL this season and had six goals and 11 assists in 49 games. He was fifth among the league’s under-22 players in points. Kayumov, who scored 16 goals this season, was first.

Altybarmakyan’s KHL contract expires after this season, too. It sounds like he’s interested in talking with the Blackhawks about signing. He’ll probably need some time in the AHL before he’s potentially ready for the NHL.

Ivan Nalimov, goalie

Nalimov signed a PTO with the Rockford IceHogs and came over from Russia recently, but he didn’t get to spend much time here before the season was suspended. That wasn’t ideal for the Blackhawks as they were hoping to evaluate his game and discuss whether to sign him to a deal for next season.

Jakub Galvas, defenseman

Galvas hasn’t been discussed as much as some of the Blackhawks’ other defenseman prospects, but he’s worth keeping an eye on. He’s steadily improved since the Blackhawks drafted him in 2017 and still is only 20 years old. He played in the Czech Republic’s top division as a teenager and made a smooth translation to Finland’s top division this season. He missed some time due to a broken finger, but he was effective when he was healthy.

Blackhawks director of player development recently talked about Galvas’ development. Eaton traveled a few times to Finland this season.

“He made the jump from the Czech league to the Finnish league, which I think was a great stepping stone,” Eaton said. “A lot of it with the European players is getting them out of their hometowns, getting them out of their comfort zones. And instead of a huge jump from his small town in Czech Republic to North America, it was kind of a baby step going to Czech Republic to Finland. And whatever his next step is going to be, that step is going to be a little easier because of what he did this year.

“From an on-ice standpoint, when I saw him in October and when I talked to , when he’s seen him play, he’s played really well. For a lot of the season, he was like a point-a-game guy. … Another one who is such a smart player. Like Ian (Mitchell), undersized in terms of NHL size defensemen, he needs to use his smart and his quickness to win defensive battles and be effective. He’s gotten better every year since we drafted him three years ago. Again, I expect that trend to continue with him just because he’s such a smart player, loves hockey.”

The Blackhawks probably aren’t in a rush to bring him over considering their stable of young defensemen. Eaton thought another year in Europe wouldn’t hurt Galvas and playing in Sweden might even be a possibility.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172953 Colorado Avalanche ++ G Philipp Grubauer — Ranks 17th in goals-against average (2.63) and 18th in save percentage (.916) but is a valuable playoff-proven goalie.

Star assessments: Evaluating the Avalanche’s top players in 2019-20 + C Tyson Jost — The 10th pick of the 2016 draft has not met Landeskog: Team captain is its hottest current scorer, with 10 points expectations, with just 72 points in 208 career games. But he’s still only (three goals) in his last five games. 22.

+ D Nikita Zadorov — Scratched three times for subpar play, the Russian is an important player who is madly inconsistent. By MIKE CHAMBERS |The Denver Post March 25, 2020 at 5:12 p.m. + W Vladislav Kamenev — Just one goal in 38 games and only still in the NHL because he is waiver-wire eligible if he was reassigned to the minors. Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon is beyond a three-star player. If there were a fourth star, he would have it. And teammates Cale Makar Note: Winger Vladislav Namestnikov, who has played just nine games and Ryan Graves, among others, are perhaps equally as important to a since being acquired Feb. 24, and Colorado Eagles regular forwards club that flirted with the Western Conference regular-season Logan O’Connor and T.J. Tynan, who have both played 16 games with championship before the coronavirus pandemic halted the season. the Avs, were among those not “star-worthy” based on their small sample size. To help fill the void of no games, here’s a look back at the Avs who have played at least 20 games, with star ratings given to each: Denver Post: LOADED: 03.26.2020 +++-plus C Nathan MacKinnon — Leads team and ranks fifth in NHL scoring with 93 points. A clear-cut Hart Trophy finalist as league MVP, and he should be ready to go after missing the team’s last game before the pause with a lower-body injury.

+++-plus D Cale Makar — Show-stopping rookie averaged 0.88 points- per-game, highest among rookies and fourth among all NHL defensemen.

+++ D Ryan Graves — Has flourished as a top-pair defenseman with Makar and leads the league with a plus-40 rating.

+++ G Pavel Francouz — Tied for fifth in NHL save percentage (.923) and is seventh in goals-against average (2.41).

+++ W Andre Burakovsky — Wanted out of Washington for a new opportunity and has a career-high 20 goals and 45 points in just 58 games.

+++ W Gabe Landeskog — Team captain is its hottest current scorer, with 10 points (three goals) in his last five games. He’s also the ideal leader.

++-plus W Mikko Rantanen — World-class talent has missed 28 games because of two long injury stints but has 41 points in 42 games.

++-plus C Nazem Kadri — The offseason addition is the ideal second- line center for this team and his leadership is a plus.

++-plus W Joonas Donskoi — Another excellent offseason pickup who has a career-high 16 goals and can play throughout the lineup.

++-plus D Sam Girard — Logs a team-high 21:19 and usually has the puck on his stick or is making the right pass at the key moments.

++-plus W Valeri Nichushkin — Bought out by the Dallas Stars last summer, the big Russian has resurrected his NHL career with the Avalanche.

++-plus W Matt Calvert — A key bottom-six forward and team leader who has been sorely missed in the 20 games he’s been unable to play because of injuries.

++-plus D Ian Cole — The big-bearded, two-time Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh is more than a shutdown defenseman; he is closing in on career highs in goals and points.

++-plus D Erik Johnson — With Makar and Girard in the lineup, Johnson no longer plays on the power play but eats a lot of minutes at even- strength and on the penalty kill.

++ C J.T. Compher — Has fallen off slightly from his offensive production during the last two years but seems to be a suitable third-line center.

++ C Pierre-Edouard Bellemare — The defensive specialist and oldest member of the team (34) has a career-high nine goals and 25 points.

++ W Matt Nieto — A primary penalty killer who has played on all four lines; Nieto and Girard are the only Avs to have played in all 70 games.

++ D Mark Barberio — Has only played 21 games but has been a solid extra defenseman who never complains. 1172954 Colorado Avalanche and Joonas Donskoi while getting a new one-year deal completed that allowed Colin Wilson to return. It appeared the day was over until Sakic struck a with the Toronto Maple Leafs to get proven veteran center And the NHL’s GM of the Year could be … Joe Sakic? It very well looks Nazem Kadri and defenseman Calle Rosen in exchange for defenseman that way Tyson Barrie and forward Alexander Kerfoot.

Suddenly, the Avalanche were beginning to look a lot different from the team that lost to the Sharks. Barrie was expendable because of Makar By Ryan S. Clark Mar 25, 2020 and it provided Sakic with a green light to acquire Kadri to give them the bonafide second-line center they had long sought.

What Sakic did within a handful of days took the Avalanche from The man owns two Stanley Cups, a Hart Memorial Trophy, a Conn promising overachievers to a potential Stanley Cup favorite. The Smythe Trophy, a Lester B. Pearson Award, an Olympic gold medal and immediate belief was Kadri would anchor a second-line unit featuring he has a street named after him back home. some combination of Burakovsky, Donskoi or Jost on the wing. Whoever Joe Sakic is a member who carries a status as an was the odd man out would presumably be slotted onto the third line all-time great regardless of the era. His playing career allowed him to alongside Compher and Wilson. That meant a veteran center in collect numerous accolades but he has yet to add to such a stellar haul in Bellemare would be paired with wingers Matt Calvert and Matt Nieto to his second act as the general manager of the Colorado Avalanche. create a two-way, fourth line that would provide potential consistency in an area that was a troublesome spot the year before. But is that about to change? Former high school geometry classmates Ian Cole and Erik Johnson had Everything the Avalanche have done so far has led to a discussion about nearly 1,200 games of NHL experience between them. That was more them claiming the third Stanley Cup in franchise history. That, of course, than the combined totals of Mark Barberio, Connauton, Samuel Girard, is the primary goal but there is a chance it could lead to Sakic claiming Graves, Makar and Nikita Zadorov. Barrie’s departure meant the another personal honor in winning the Jim Gregory General Manager of Avalanche’s defense got younger but it appeared the unit had the the Year Award. Sakic appears to be a front-runner given The Athletic’s opportunity to be most versatile throughout Sakic’s tenure at the helm. beat writers voted that the former superstar center is currently the league’s best executive. He captured 39 percent of the vote with Boston Grubauer showed he could win important games and provide Bruins GM , who is the reigning winner, finishing second consistency in the most critical time of year. Francouz achieved all that in with 12.2 percent. the AHL. But seeing how they would each fare under new roles, however, remained one of the larger questions facing the Avalanche Fully understanding why Sakic is receiving this level of acclaim means heading into the preseason. examining what he has accomplished. Every decision he and his front office staff make is viewed through a particular set of prisms. Is this a Then came the shocking decision to sign winger Valeri Nichushkin. The move that can help the team both now and in the future? Will this be a one-time No. 10 pick was released by the Dallas Stars after going choice that provides the Avalanche with a dimension they previously did goalless in 59 games. He was signed to a one-year contract in a move not have? And will all these resolutions lead to a Stanley Cup all while that was initially viewed as the Avalanche adding more forward depth ensuring the salary cap blueprint remains intact knowing winning comes and size on the edge. with a price tag? Keep in mind, Sakic and the front office were also working toward getting Already having Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko a new contract completed for Rantanen in an offseason that witnessed Rantanen on the roster helped when it came to unexpectedly pushing the the market for high-end restricted free agents become rather expensive. San Jose Sharks in a seven-game Western Conference semifinal series But there were the deals that also needed to get done for other RFAs last year. But that postseason encounter also reinforced what areas Burakovsky, Compher and Zadorov, among others. They even made it a Sakic and his front office staff needed to address while also reaffirming priority to get Girard under a new long-term pact a full year before his what assets could be parlayed to make that happen. entry-level contract ended.

The Avalanche needed more forward depth. Creating a second unit All of these decisions are the foundation for how the Avalanche were capable of supplementing the top line featuring Landeskog, MacKinnon having one of the best seasons in the NHL before the league suspended and Rantanen was a priority. So was bolstering their bottom-six options. play because of Coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, for Then-defensive prospects Ryan Graves and Hobey Baker Award winner the foreseeable future. Cale Makar showed the organization they were ready. Graves’ audition But here is why it has worked out. came late in the regular season while Makar showcased what he could provide throughout 10 playoff games that saw him finish with six points. Each one of the players Sakic and his staff brought in via trade or free agency was given greater roles compared to their previous situations. Plus, the emergence of Philipp Grubauer meant Sakic and his staff had Nearly all of them are having the best seasons of their careers. to assess both the financial and on-ice implications of whether to return Bellemare is still a fourth-line center but the system employed by fourth- or move on from goaltender Semyon Varlamov. year coach Jared Bednar allowed him to set personal-bests in goals, Varlamov, in retrospect, became the first domino to fall. Pavel Francouz assists and points, all while being one of the oldest players in the NHL. did enough with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL to earn a one-year, one- What Burakovsky, Donskoi and Kadri have done — when healthy — way contract with the Avs as Grubauer’s backup. Sakic could have opted gave them the runway to be one of the league’s more formidable second to keep all three but at what cost? Grubauer outright earned lines. It is a combination that can generate and capitalize on scoring the starting job and he came at a cheaper cost by comparison. A little chances while Donskoi and Kadri were able to impart some of their two- more than $9 million of the cap was dedicated toward goaltending in way knowledge onto Burakovsky. That has seen Burakovsky go from a 2018-19 but going with a Grubauer-Francouz tandem — while unproven logjam of forwards in D.C. to being a top-six option who had his first 20- at the time — cost $4.25 million combined. Varlamov would sign a four- goal season and stands to receive a substantial payday for what he has year deal with the worth $5 million annually. done. Donskoi was on pace for his first 20-goal season but still set a Carl Soderberg and his $4.75 million cap hit were next. He was traded to career-high in goals while remaining four points shy of an apex in that the Arizona Coyotes for a depth defenseman in Kevin Connauton while department. Kadri has gone through injuries but he is averaging 0.71 also getting money off the books. It was another cost-saving decision that points per game over 51 games and that is one of the strongest marks of gave the team more financial flexibility in free agency while signaling his career. Soderberg’s ice time could be used to give younger players J.T. Yet Nichushkin remains the most notable surprise of all the players the Compher or Tyson Jost potentially more ice time. Avalanche signed over the summer. He has played in 65 of the team’s 70 Three days later, it became clear having such a cushion opened the door games and is having the sort of renaissance few saw coming. The 6-foot- to trade with the Washington Capitals to get forward Andre Burakovsky. 4 hulking forward has used his speed and size to become a two-way forward who can be trusted in late-game situations or when the team is in July 1 arrived and it proved to be a landscape-changing day for Sakic a short-handed sequence. His 13 goals are the second-most of his and the franchise. The Avs signed forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare career while his 27 assists are the third-most he has accrued. Cole and Johnson have continued serving as mentors for what is one of by trading for Vladislav Namestnikov and Michael Hutchinson. Getting the youngest defenses in the NHL. Girard, 21, established a career-high Hutchinson provided the team with more goaltending depth. Namestnikov in points plus he has improved defensively when it comes to how many has scored four goals and has six points in just nine games to give the high-danger chances and high-danger goals he has allowed. The 24- club another two-way forward who adds that dimension of scoring at the year-old Graves came over in a trade with the New York Rangers two net front all while being able to move throughout the top nine. years ago and has developed into a first-pairing partner for Makar. How Graves has developed further highlighted the methods used by Eagles An element of Sakic’s management approach is to not micromanage. He coach Greg Cronin in developing the 6-foot-5 defenseman and prospects had made a point of allowing his staff — ranging from his assistant awaiting their turn. This was still Graves’ first full NHL campaign yet he general managers to those who work in the analytics and scouting became an all-around option in that his nine goals remain the most he departments — to do their jobs with his trust and not require constant has scored at any professional level. Plus, Bednar trusts him in key supervision. Those gains have shown in how assistant general managers defensive situations. Graves also leads the NHL in plus/minus with a Craig Billington and Chris MacFarland have played key roles in helping plus-40 rating. the organization in different ways. Billington, MacFarland and Sakic have frequent meetings where they will discuss what is going on with the club Makar has emerged into a budding superstar given his trajectory after and offer their advice in a variety of areas. being the most dominant player in college hockey last season. He has attracted the attention of a number of the league’s premier defensemen. Using those methods is how the Avalanche have become one of the The 21-year-old former University of Massachusetts star has taken over NHL’s best clubs and why the Eagles are able to constantly promote for Barrie in being the team’s primary puck-moving defenseman and is players to the NHL while they also chase a consecutive AHL playoff charged with running a first-team power-play unit featuring Kadri, berth. Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen. All of this has led to him being in Will all those things be enough for Sakic to be considered the best a battle for the Calder Memorial Trophy with Vancouver Canucks star general manager in the NHL? rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 Francouz has answered those questions about if he could translate his European success to the NHL. His 21 wins, 2.41 goals-against average and .923 save percentage have immensely helped the Avalanche when inconsistent play or injuries hindered Grubauer. Both Grubauer and the Avs were starting to hit their stride in early February before he sustained an injury in the Stadium Series loss to the Los Angeles Kings at the Air Force Academy. Francouz has since been installed as the starting goaltender by winning six straight starts and going 8-2-2 in that time. The injuries to Grubauer and others in the lineup led to the team calling up rookies in goaltender Hunter Miska and right winger Martin Kaut. Francouz tutored Miska while continuing to serve as a father figure to Kaut, a role he had when they were both with the Eagles. So it should come as no surprise Sakic recently locked up the 29-year-old goaltender to a two-year contract.

Sakic’s decisions have led to the Avalanche going from 10th in goals scored in 2018-19 to fourth as of the time of the stoppage. Last year’s team finished with 10 players who scored more than 10 goals while 13 skaters ended the season with more than 20 points. This year’s edition has 10 players who hit double digits but four players are within two goals of the 10-goal plateau. In total, there are 16 players with more than 20 points and it could grow to 17 with Johnson being four points shy.

Being an offensive juggernaut is how the Avalanche attracted attention. Being one of the NHL’s best defensive units, however, has led to the Avalanche further cementing their status as a Stanley Cup contender. Adding forwards Bellemare, Donskoi, Kadri and Nichushkin helped institute the five-man approach Bednar demands. But the rise of Francouz, Graves and Makar also played a role in the team’s defensive success.

These are the immediate, on-ice examples of what Sakic has done but there are other choices he has made that have proven to be vital in their own right.

He has made trips to Boston College to watch and check in with prospects Drew Helleson and Alex Newhook. Sakic made a point to reach out to Kaut earlier in the season when the 20-year-old winger was struggling. Kaut was worried about his future when Sakic drove up to Loveland and told the team’s 2018 first-round pick that he believes in him. That, in turn, was soon followed by Kaut getting healthy and finding the consistency that led to him being called up to the NHL. Having that inclusive feel with prospects is how the organization has further strengthened relationships with Justus Annunen, Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins.

Prospects including Annunen, Shane Bowers, Byram, Kaut, Newhook and Timmins have added to the narrative of why the Avalanche possess one of the best farm systems in the NHL. The corresponding decisions made by Sakic and his staff over recent years have taken the organization from being one that needed its young crop to play right away into one that can let them develop without feeling rushed.

Such a touted collection of prospects along with watchfully managing the salary cap is what made many believe Sakic had everything needed in the event a significant deal present itself at the NHL trade deadline. He held firm with the edict of not mortgaging the future or blowing up the cap 1172955 Columbus Blue Jackets Meyer finished with a team-high 17 goals for Ohio State. But stats probably aren’t his strongest selling point.

"He’s such a great kid," Rohlik said. "That goes a long way. He always Shutdown is latest hurdle for Blue Jackets draft pick Carson Meyer of came to the rink with a good attitude. He always had a little twinkle in his Ohio State to overcome eye. He always worked hard. He does well in school.

"He’s a positive kid and fun to talk to. He’s always talking to the guys and Bill Rabinowitz The Columbus Dispatch Mar 25, 2020 at 6:31 AM Mar 25, the other coaches, and it’s just fun having him around. That’s really 2020 at 10:47 AM important."

Clark also raved about Meyer.

It was not the end to his Ohio State hockey career that he wanted, but at "He's awesome," he said. "I’ve worked with a couple hundred guys or least Carson Meyer went out with a bang. more in the past 9-10 years. Just taking hockey away from it, just as a person, he's been one of the best people to talk to. He asks questions, Two weeks ago, Meyer scored four goals in a 9-1 victory over Wisconsin very intuitive, very smart. Those are some of the things you want in a in the first game of a best-of-3 Big Ten quarterfinal series. The next night, player, as well. he had the Buckeyes’ only regulation goal in a 2-1 overtime win that sent Ohio State into the conference semifinals. "You want the on-ice stuff obviously. But I’ve been in a position to get to know him as a person, and he’s probably been one of the best that I’ve That semifinal, scheduled against Michigan at Nationwide Arena, would worked with." be canceled. Meyer and the Buckeyes hoped they’d be playing for the conference title this past weekend on their way to an already assured Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.26.2020 spot in the NCAA tournament.

"It's just been weird," Meyer said. "It's been a bit of a whirlwind, and everything's kind of at a standstill right now."

That’s life in March 2020 on planet Earth. Meyer is training in his parents’ gym in Powell. Finding ice time is another matter. All local rinks are closed.

"I'm just going to try and stay in shape as best I can considering there's no ice to skate on," he said.

Meyer is used to dealing with unforeseen adversity. A sixth-round pick by the Blue Jackets in the 2017 draft, Meyer began college at Miami University. His career in Oxford was short-circuited by a 25-inch tapeworm that caused undiagnosed weight loss and weakness until he finally passed it.

Meyer transferred to Ohio State, and it took him awhile to round back into form. It wasn’t until his senior season, particularly the second half of it, that Meyer’s game took off.

Heading into his four-goal game, though, Meyer felt sluggish.

"I remember even before the game feeling like I’d napped too long," he said. "I didn't feel as energized as normal, like I was a little bit in my own head. Then as soon as the game started, I kept getting the puck and it kept going in."

To Buckeyes coach Steve Rohlik, Meyer’s season-ending scoring flurry was a fitting reward for a lot of work. He said Meyer has become a 200- foot player, more responsible on defense and away from the puck.

"As the year continued to go on, you could just see the improvement," Rohlik said. "He was killing penalties at the end of the year, which he hadn’t done. He was scoring power-play goals at the end of the year. You need your best players to be your best players, and certainly that was happening down the stretch."

Then the stretch abruptly ended. The Buckeyes, like everyone else, had heard murmurs that their season might be halted. Meyer said they heard it would be, then wouldn’t be. Then it was.

"It was pretty heartbreaking," Meyer said. "Each of the coaches spoke their piece and thanked us for everything and talked about how heartbreaking it was for them.

"Obviously, as a senior, that's not how many of us imagined it coming to an end. I think we were as a team, we were starting to play some of our best hockey."

The Blue Jackets must decide by Aug. 15 whether to sign him. His logical next destination would be Cleveland in the American Hockey League, which like every other league has suspended play.

Chris Clark, the Blue Jackets’ director of player personnel and Cleveland Monsters general manager, said the decision whether to sign Meyer is up to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.

"But he did everything he needed to do personally to finish (strong)," Clark said. "He got to show exactly what he can do and how he can do it." 1172956 Dallas Stars At this point — less than two weeks into the league’s suspension and with NHL players advised to self-quarantine until April 6 — it is unknown if, when and in what form the league would resume play.

Stars CEO Jim Lites, GM Jim Nill take 50% pay cuts in attempt to help Would the league finish the regular season, a measure that would help alleviate financial stress on organization bottom lines but could be constrained by time? Would the league expand The cuts are retroactive to the NHL’s suspension on March 12 caused by the playoffs, which could help earn back revenue with added teams, the COVID-19 pandemic. games or rounds? Or is the season canceled entirely?

The Stars sit in third place in the Central Division, set to make the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time since 2008. Their By Matthew DeFranks attendance at the (excluding the 85,630 who witnessed the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl) ranks 12th in the

league at 18,347. Stars management is making a sacrifice. Lites is in his third stint with the Stars and has served as the team’s CEO Stars CEO Jim Lites and general manager Jim Nill have taken temporary since November 2011. Nill has been the team’s general manager since 50% pay cuts retroactive to the NHL’s suspension on March 12 in an April 2013, and is in his seventh season directing hockey operations. attempt to help alleviate financial stress on the organization caused by Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.26.2020 the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Jim and I feel a responsibility to be leaders of our team and our group,” Lites told The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday. “[Owner and his family] have been really good to us, they’ve always said yes to us on things we’ve needed to do to build the franchise. I feel a personal thanks to them, they’ve been really good to both of us.”

Nill said: “This situation we’re in is affecting everybody. There’s nobody going unscathed. I just think I’m fortunate enough at my age and where I’m at in my career to be able to help some other people out. First of all, Tom Gaglardi has been very supportive of me, given me all the tools I need to work with. I know that his parent company is going through a tough time. He’s in the hotel/restaurant business, and it’s been hit hard.

“So I know they’ve had to make sacrifices up there, and so can I help him out a little bit that way? And then for our organization. I know we’re making decisions on people, and by myself and Jimmy Lites making some sacrifices, does that help some other people down the food chain?”

With the NHL’s decision to suspend play during the global pandemic nearly two weeks ago, the Stars and teams across the league lost out on revenue that comes with games. A sharp decline in revenue could lead to salary reductions and layoffs by organizations, and Lites’ and Nill’s efforts can help offset that slightly.

“I’m fighting like hell to make sure we do as much as we can for all of our employees, because they have worked really hard,” Lites said. “We’ve had an unbelievable year, a good year on the ice and really good year building [off it].”

Lites and Nill follow Penguins CEO and president and general manager Jim Rutherford as executives taking pay cuts during the NHL’s pause. Lites and Nill said the decision was reached last week.

“When we realized where this was starting to go, we realized that this was probably going to be a little longer than we thought and people have to make choices,” Nill said. “Everybody’s getting affected by this”

Much like the rest of the country, the hockey world has been disrupted economically by the coronavirus pandemic.

On Tuesday, ESPN reported that NHL employees will receive a temporary 25% salary reduction. The Canadiens announced temporary layoffs for 60% of their employees. On Wednesday, the Bruins announced temporary layoffs for 62 employees and indefinite salary reductions for 82 additional employees.

The NHL’s Devils and the NBA’s Sixers — both franchises are owned by Josh Harris — initially announced a 20% salary reduction for employees, but reversed course a day later after public backlash on the subject.

Most of the teams around the league have pledged to support part-time arena workers who would have lost income without NHL and NBA games at arenas across the country. The Stars and the American Airlines Center combined to pay workers as they normally would for the seven remaining Stars home games.

Stars president Brad Alberts said a decision on the rest of the season would affect the organization’s decision on staffing.

“I think it’s important for us to understand if we’re going to finish out the 2019-20 season or if we’re not,” Alberts said. “I think those have direct implications on staffing.” 1172957 Dallas Stars doorstep. During an extended shift in the second period, Seguin was crucial for the Stars in winning races to the puck, retrieving them after shots and cycling a long offensive zone possession for Dallas.

Stars’ Best of the Season: Tyler Seguin’s OT goal in Montreal caps all- Seguin’s improved play in his own zone was one of the things that interim around night head coach often harped on during Seguin’s drought. He The Stars, at the time, needed Seguin to find this version of himself and may not have been scoring, but he was responsible in his own zone and he delivered. helping the Stars exit their own zone.

On this night, Seguin was one of only three Stars forwards that was not on the ice for any of Montreal’s three goals (the other two were Andrew By Matthew DeFranks Cogliano and Blake Comeau). He was primarily matched up against Max Domi, and the Stars had an 11-5 edge in shot attempts with both centers

on the ice. Overall, at 5 on 5, the Stars had more shot attempts, shots on Note: This is the third installment counting down the five best individual goal and expected goals than the Canadiens when Seguin was on the performances of the Stars season. ice.

Things get nostalgic pretty quickly without sports. In this first play, Seguin fishes a puck out from behind the net, shepherds it up the boards, wins a battle to exit his own zone, springs a rush for Games from weeks ago feel years ago, performances from months ago Dallas and ultimately Radek Faksa draws a penalty to put the Stars on feel decades ago. For the Stars, as the NHL’s pause due to the COVID- the power play. The second play is a blocked shot that breaks his stick. 19 pandemic reaches its second week, standout performances feel even longer, having endured a season-long, six-game losing streak prior to the Early on against Montreal, Seguin showed some physicality that has season’s suspension. slowly become a bigger part of his game, getting a shot off before hitting Ben Chiarot in the corner. And so the nostalgia has intensified. Stars’ Best of the Season In an attempt to quell the bubbling desire for Stars hockey, The News will look back on the top five individual performances of the regular season, 5. Gurianov flies by Montreal in precursor to rest of year one that is potentially over due to the coronavirus pandemic. In doing so, 4. Benn pounds Coyotes into boards, on the scoreboard circumstances were taken into account in addition to the performance: Is the game’s outcome different without that player’s performance? What 3. Seguin’s OT goal in Montreal caps all-around night happened leading into the game? How does this game fit into the entire season’s worth of data? 2. Coming soon...

The list is subjective, obviously, and there will surely be games not listed 1. Coming soon... here that perhaps should be. Or maybe there are performances here that Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.26.2020 have been forgotten otherwise.

Before “Good Riddance” or “Graduation (Friends Forever)” play me out, here is No. 3 on the list.

3. Tyler Seguin at Montreal (Feb. 15)

Stat line: 2 goals, 4 shots on goal, 5 shot attempts, 1 hit, 1 blocked shot, 8/16 faceoffs, 20:00 total time on ice.

Game result: Stars 4, Canadiens 3 (OT). Stars record moves to 34-19-5.

That goal. Oh, that goal. You know which one.

Tyler Seguin’s vicious stripping of the Canadiens’ defense in overtime is the standout moment from a 4-3 OT win in which the Stars erased a 3-0 deficit in Montreal. It was quick, sudden and lethal. It has an argument for the Stars’ goal of the year, and punctuated a scintillating comeback for Dallas, which brought the team one point from the Western Conference lead. (How long ago does that feel like?)

It was the perfect cherry on top of a game that showed everything Seguin has to offer. His one-timer on the power play? Check. His improved play in the defensive zone? Check. Generating offense for himself and others? Check. Physical play? Check (literally).

This game was why the Stars rewarded Seguin with an eight-year contract with a $9.85 million cap hit two falls ago. And it came at a time when the Stars needed Seguin to find this version of himself. The previous game in Toronto, Seguin ended his career-long 17-game goal drought with a goal. Two nights later, he would explode with a power-play laser and a highlight-reel winner.

Seguin only has three power-play goals this season, which would be the fewest since he arrived in Dallas in 2013-14. But he’s still a weapon in the left circle, and assistant coach Derek Laxdal has allowed Seguin to be in his one-timer spot for most of the time that he’s directed the power play.

During his goal drought, Seguin had his chances from that spot, but couldn’t find the back of the net. One game after breaking through on the power play against the Maple Leafs, he fired two slap shots on net during power plays, beating Carey Price on one of them.

Seguin’s shot is what he’s made a living on, but he was also a playmaker. He set up Jason Dickinson on the doorstep on the rush after batting a pass out of midair. He found a cutting Jamie Oleksiak in the left circle, who fed Corey Perry for a chance on the 1172958 Dallas Stars It’s not the boom itself; it’s the way it breaks your concentration right after a goal and shocks your system. After a goal is scored, one of the first reactions is always watching the replay to better understood what just Hot dogs, pubs and coffee: Stars-adjacent stories for every Eastern Conf. happened and why. You are used to crowd noise from a goal, but the city sonic boom comes like a sucker punch.

Columbus is also an arena where I’ve learned how to navigate the media elevator better than most places. My parents now live in Columbus, so By Sean Shapiro Mar 25, 2020 they end up buying tickets to each Stars game there and meeting me on the 200-level concourse during the intermission. My mother likes to say

that they are visiting my office. It’s a very sweet sentiment but I’m well Earlier this week we explored stories and anecdotes from my travels to aware no one – other than them – is at the arena to see me. the NHL’s Western Conference. New York (Islanders): The most recent trip to New York featured a game Today we are attacking the Eastern Conference, a place I don’t know in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. nearly as well since, well, the Stars play in the Western Conference. Games in Brooklyn are better for visiting media than having to take a trip It wasn’t intentional, but I wrote a lot about food. all the way out to Long Island – it’s an easy subway ride – but it’s not a hockey rink, and everything just feels forced into a false setting. Metropolitan The video board isn’t over center ice and there isn’t a hockey press box. Washington: It’s a shame the Newseum is now closed. It was a bit pricey, Like we do in Nashville, the media members are mingling with fans on especially with so many free museums in DC, but I felt my visit was worth the upper-concourse level when moving to and from the elevator or the price of admission, and I’m happy I was able to visit before it closed restroom. permanently. There is a reason it makes sense that the Islanders are getting a new The Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub is one of the go-to places on the facility soon out on Long Island. circuit for the NHL writers, and it certainly helps that many of those covering the Capitals often partake in a beverage with visiting writers On the Stars’ most recent trip to Brooklyn, I ended up getting roped into a after a home game. We aren’t as kind in Dallas; we do have beers in the conversation on the Subway about whether the Islanders could trade for press box, but after a home game I have to get home to a family. After Ben Bishop. It was before the game and it involved two Islanders fans, Carcasting, of course. one of whom was slightly inebriated. The sober fan kept apologizing for his friend, who kept suggesting that if the Islanders traded for Bishop, The Channel also happens to be a Tottenham bar, so on occasions when they would be even better defensively and ultimately win the Stanley I’ve been in Washington on a weekend, I’ve been able to watch Spurs Cup. with like-minded people. New York (Rangers): It’s amazing how popular culture can help shape From a hockey perspective, Washington will always remind me of Curtis our perception of geography. McKenzie’s snow-delayed call-up, where he made it to the game in time for warm-ups but only after getting out of an Uber a few blocks away from When the Stars played the Rangers this season, I was catching up with a Capital One arena and running the rest of the way with his hockey bag scout who was planning to watch an AHL game the next day featuring and sticks. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in . He was originally planning to look at flights from New York for the game before and – this Philadelphia: Byrne’s Tavern isn’t close to the arena or the hotel I is true – remembering how often Michael Scott would make drives from typically stay in Philadelphia, but it’s well worth the ride for the wings. It’s Scranton, PA to New York in The Office. also an Irish-style pub – I guess we really are falling into a theme here – and they have Guinness on tap. New Jersey: I grew up in New Jersey, so the Garden State is home for me. This year, we had an off day in New Jersey, so I went to South Pittsburgh: Since a guy named Sidney Crosby was drafted, Pittsburgh Jersey to watch the Super Bowl with my aunt and uncle. has felt like the Eastern capital of American hockey. When you are in New Jersey, you get a Taylor Ham, egg and cheese It’s also home to greatest sign you’ll ever find in a Zamboni tunnel. sandwich on an everything bagel, and it’s just better than any other bagel anywhere else in the world. Sorry, there will be no debating this. Carolina: In most NHL buildings, the changing room and the locker room are two separate places. New Jersey is also home to some of the best hot dogs you’ll ever find if you make it up to Rutt’s Hut. It’s a dive, and it’s cash-only, but the hot Unlike the NFL, where media members are in quarters with naked dogs, also known as “the ripper,” are worth the slightly sketchy athletes, the room NHL media members have access to is only a room to environment. put on hockey equipment. Not to sound weird, but very rarely is there a chance a player would be naked in any proximity to media members. There isn’t much to write home about regarding the Prudential Center, but I did catch up with Plano native Blake Coleman there this season That’s not the case in Carolina, though, where the visiting change room before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This was also the and locker room are only separated by a hanging curtain, which often location where Stars equipment manager Steve Sumner told a Prudential leads to a reminder from PR officials to avoid moving to far past the area Center security guard that he had never seen me before in his life – this where Stars goalies are changing when in Raleigh. was before I had been given a credential by Stars PR – and Sumner In Carolina this year, I ended up in a conversation with Radek Faksa, waited an uncomfortable amount of time before telling the security guard Jason Dickinson and Roope Hintz about common names in their he was joking. respective home countries. Atlantic This led to a Hintz and Dickinson finding as many ways as possible to Boston: Anton Khudobin dropped this gem in Boston during the 2018-19 tease Faksa about the name Jaromir Jagr and how most of the Czech season about regrouping after a tough loss. Republic must be named after the most iconic player in that nation’s history. That is where I interjected that Dickinson was actually technically “Say a couple swear words, maybe break a stick against the wall. Go on traded for Jagr, since the draft pick Dallas received from the Boston in the plane, watch some TV, come back, say a couple other swear words, 2013 became a first-rounder when the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup whatever. Maybe yell at somebody and go to sleep.” Final. This year, Boston was where we finally gave assistant video coach Matt “Oh really?” Faksa said before turning to Dickinson. “And you were Rodell his due for his immaculate handwriting when putting the opposing making fun of me.” lineup on the whiteboard.

“That’s not an insult,” Dickinson told Faksa. It’s also the city where you can go to Mike’s Pastry, another cash-only place (I didn’t realize how many cash-only places I enjoyed) and load up Columbus: The fear of the cannon in Columbus is real. on cannolis. Go to Mike’s during the day, and there isn’t a line. You might also witness a small child go to the cooler and put her finger into a cake that her family hadn’t purchased, take a bite and double-dip again for another bit of cake. Yeah, that happened.

The family then didn’t pay for the ruined cake, which I felt was rather rude.

Tampa Bay: When most players are healthy scratches, they play games on their phone. Taylor Fedun, on the other hand, is often reading a book on his kindle.

In Tampa this year I asked Fedun what he was reading, and he sheepishly said, “I don’t like to let anyone know, but it’s fiction.”

Toronto: While getting lost in Scotiabank Arena before this season’s Stars-Maple Leafs game, I ran into Toronto native Andrew Cogliano, who was getting ready for his 1,000th NHL game that evening.

Cogliano had gone out to the Stars bench and was mentally preparing and visualizing, like he’s done before every game in his NHL career.

“I guess it’s kind of cool that it’s happening here,” Cogliano said at the time. “But you know me, I really won’t let any of that stuff come to thought really during the game. They’ll just be a lot more people to hang out with after the game.”

Later that evening I met Hugh and Mercedes Robertson on the concourse during the second intermission since their son, Jason, was playing his first NHL game. I’d gotten to know the Robertson family well during the 2019 NHL, draft when I sat with them in Vancouver before their youngest son, Nick, was drafted by the Maple Leafs.

Florida: Road games in Florida always feel like preseason affairs, either because of the lack of a crowd or the Stars’ choice not to show up to play that night.

I have no good stories from Sunrise, but you can see a picture of my colleague in Minnesota, Mike Russo, as soon as you step off the press box elevator.

Montreal: Everyone talks about the hot dogs in the Montreal media room. They are good, but they aren’t even the best hot dog in this story.

In Montreal there is a basketball hoop mounted on the wall near the visiting locker room. At least there used to be one that Stars players took pride taking long-distance shots at. The hoop was broken on the most recent trip, so the basketball went unused, at least by the Stars players.

“BE LIKE @MIKEHEIKA.” PIC.TWITTER.COM/DISHNOTZJY

— SEAN SHAPIRO (@SEANSHAPIRO) FEBRUARY 15, 2020

Buffalo: In Buffalo, they have a promotion where they throw empty Tim Horton’s coffee cups from the catwalk attached to parachutes to the crowd below.

Two years ago, one of these flying coffee cups hit me in the face. Julius Honka, sitting to my left by about six feet as a healthy scratch, thought it was hilarious.

Ottawa: This is the one NHL city I’ve never been to. Between the travel to get there (no direct flights from Dallas) and the scheduling the past couple seasons (part of back-to-backs), I’ve skipped Ottawa so far.

Marc Methot tells me it’s a wonderful city, though.

Detroit: When I was a freshman in high school, my family moved from New Jersey to the greater Detroit area, and we lived in a one-bedroom apartment for three months before closing on our new home.

During that time, I developed a love-hate relationship with Little Caesar’s Pizza. When you have three kids, a dog and three cats all sharing a confined space, $5 pizza is one of the easiest dinner solutions – so we ate way too much cheap pizza.

Somehow, the Little Caesar’s Pizza at Little Caesar’s arena doesn’t taste like the $5 pizza-like substance. It tastes like real pizza. That alone tells you how impressive the Red Wings’ new home is after playing in .

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172959 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings will have to wait on draft placement, with NHL postponing lottery

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 8:36 p.m. ET March 25, 2020 | Updated 8:39 p.m. ET March 25, 2020

As expected, the Detroit Red Wings will not find out where they will hold their first pick in the 2020 draft on April 9.

The coronavirus pandemic that led the NHL to pause the 2019-20 season on March 12 has forced the postponement of the draft lottery, as well as the scouting combine, NHL awards show, and the draft. The announcement was made by the NHL on Wednesday.

The league and its players association holds out hope of finishing the season, even if the COVID-19 crisis means postponing the season until August and awarding the Stanley Cup in September.

It's moot for the Wings, who are guaranteed to finish in last place, and therefore pick no higher than fourth overall.

This will be their fourth straight appearance in the lottery, and they've been bumped back every year: In 2017, from seventh to ninth (where they picked Michael Rasmussen); from fifth to sixth (yielding ) in 2018; and from fourth to sixth (yielding ) last year.

The location, timing and format of the draft and the lottery will be announced when details are finalized.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172960 Detroit Red Wings

Most Fox Sports Detroit freelancers to be offered $2,500 loan from parent company in April

Evan Petzold, Special to Detroit Free Press

Published 7:21 p.m. ET March 25, 2020 | Updated 10:02 p.m. ET March 25, 2020

Fox Sports Detroit freelancers, including stage managers, camera operations, audio technicians, editors and on-air talents, are set to receive financial relief from parent company Sinclair Broadcast Group amid the coronavirus outbreak.

After FSD freelancers went 12 days without financial help or answers from Sinclair, the television company that owns 21 Fox Regional Sports Networks has established a way to offer support to nearly 1,000 eligible freelancers across the country.

Those eligible will receive a $2,500 interest-free advance beginning April 3 to serve as financial help in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sinclair announced Tuesday night.

To qualify for the advance payment, a regional freelancer must have worked at least 60% of the events in a home market during the past year.

Approximately 75 freelancers from FSD qualify for the $2,500 loan. More than 100 freelancers work for FSD each year and 35-40 are needed to produce each game, but some work less than others and are not eligible.

Sinclair is asking those who receive the loan to pay it back in small deductions once sporting events return.

"This is an unprecedented time for the world and the media, but few in our industry are feeling the impacts of the coronavirus more than those who work in sports," Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley said in a statement. "Across the nation, these nearly 1,000 freelancers work tirelessly season after season to bring fans the best in live sports. As we face this extraordinary event, we are hoping that this fund will provide integral assistance to our key team members."

Sinclair, which purchased the regional sports networks in August from The Walt Disney Co. for $9.6 billion, released all of its freelancers on March 12. FSD freelancers did not receive unemployment information from Sinclair until March 19.

Two days prior, Fox Sports offered them temporary employment at Meijer as overnight grocery clerks to stock shelves.

Fox Sports Detroit general manager Greg Hammaren and executive producer Jeff Byle were not made available to discuss the deal, as FSD referred to Sinclair for comment.

With the absence of sports, many networks, including FSD, are showcasing re-runs of marquee moments as Michigan residents follow Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order. Those games were produced by freelancers.

Jeff Krolik, Sinclair’s president of local sports, expects the scheduled games to be played.

"Clearly we are in uncharted waters, but hopefully the ability to immediately draw from this fund will make a real difference for our dedicated production community," Krolik said in a statement. "We expect that the postponement of games is indeed just that — a postponement — and that ultimately the games will be played."

It is not clear if freelancers will be required to pay back the loans if games are canceled. Sinclair representative Michael Padovano said the company is “closely monitoring the situation and will update our plans as necessary.”

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172961 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings prospect Joe Veleno making progress in first year in pro hockey

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 8:12 a.m. ET March 25, 2020 | Updated 4:12 p.m. ET March 25, 2020

With the hockey world on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic, this is an opportunity to check in on Detroit Red Wings prospects.

This edition takes a look at forward Joe Veleno. The Wings drafted him at 30th overall in 2018, painting him as a top-notch playmaker and gifted skater.

He spent the 2018-19 season with Drummondville in the Major Junior Hockey League, cramming 104 points into 59 games. This season was his first year of pro hockey; when the American Hockey League shut down, he had 11 goals and 12 assists in 54 games for the .

Joe Veleno was selected 30th overall by the Detroit Red Wings at the 2018 NHL draft at American Airlines Center on June 22 in Dallas.

Like many young players, the jump from junior to pros has been a learning curve for Veleno, who turned 20 on Jan. 13. He had just started to look more like the player the Wings hoped they drafted when the season was postponed. Now he, along with his strength and conditioning program, are on hold. As part of the fight to stop the spread of COVID- 19, players have been told to stay home as much as possible. The Wings are trying to come up with alternate strength and conditioning routines.

Though Veleno looked better in the second half of the season, he projects to spend more time in the AHL learning how to be the two-way center the Wings want him to be.

The Free Press spoke to , the Wings’ director of player development, about Veleno’s progress.

“He’s had a really good second half of the year,” Horcoff said. “There’s been so much emphasis for him from the coaching side and the development side on his defensive game. He put a lot of hard work into that and he’s come a long way. He’s much more comfortable at that now. He’s playing big PK minutes, he’s on the ice at the end of the game — important minutes. So defensively we are really happy with his game.

“The problem is sometimes when you do that, it can affect the offensive side. It can take time to figure out how to play at both ends of the rink properly. For Joe, he really started to figure it out in the second half. The biggest thing I noticed is his skating. He is starting to separate himself down there, he’s starting to have confidence to move the puck through the neutral zone, drive wide on D. That’s going to be an asset for him as he gains more strength and maturity.”

Our awards: The best and worst of the Red Wings from this season

Veleno was quiet offensively with just three points his first 14 games. Then came a spurt with five points in four games in mid-November, after which he showed better consistency, recording nine points his last 16 games.

“For the offensive chances he is getting, his production should probably be even higher,” Horcoff said. “That’s a good sign. We know that part of the game is going to come for him.”

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172962 Detroit Red Wings

FSD parent company offers freelance production workers $2,500 interest-free advances

Tony Paul, The Detroit News

Published 10:41 p.m. ET March 25, 2020

Dozens of freelance employees for Fox Sports Detroit, now out of work with the Pistons' and Red Wings' seasons shut down and the Tigers' delayed indefinitely, can receive a $2,500 interest-free advance, the network's parent company announced Wednesday night.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns 21 regional-sports networks from coast to coast, said it has set up an emergency fund worth multiple millions of dollars.

Nearly 1,000 freelance production workers are eligible for the advances, starting April 3.

FSD carries the Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons, and it takes 25 or more freelance workers to put on a broadcast, including truck personnel, camera operators and stage managers.

“This is an unprecedented time for the world and the media, but few in our industry are feeling the impacts of the coronavirus more than those who work in sports,” Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley said in the company's statement Wednesday night. “Across the nation, these nearly 1,000 freelancers work tirelessly season after season to bring fans the best in live sports. As we face this extraordinary event, we are hoping that this fund will provide integral assistance to our key team members.”

Sinclair announced that the loans are available for any freelancers who have worked "regularly" on a regional sports network in a home market this year.

Visiting-team freelancers for sports networks, who often are actually local contractors, aren't eligible. Many are being paid by the home teams, including apparently the Ilitches with the Red Wings.

Sinclair said the loans can be paid back in small increments once the seasons start up again, or in Major League Baseball's case, start at all.

“Clearly we are in uncharted waters, but hopefully the ability to immediately draw from this fund will make a real difference for our dedicated production community,” said Jeff Krolik, Sinclair’s president of local sports, also in a statement. “We expect that the postponement of games is indeed just that — a postponement —and that ultimately the games will be played.”

All professional sports leagues are essentially shut down through at least mid-May, with reassessments coming on a regular basis.

Sinclair bought FSD and the other regional-sports networks for more than $10 billion from The Walt Disney Company, which was forced to sell by the U.S. Justice Department over monopoly concerns. Disney also owns the ESPN franchise. Disney acquired The Sports Networks in its acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

FSD's deal with the Tigers and Wings, which pumps at least $50 million a year into the Tigers' coffers and a substantially lesser amount into the Wings', is set to expire early this decade.

Detroit News LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172963 Detroit Red Wings

NHL postpones draft lottery, awards, entry draft

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News

Published 6:04 p.m. ET March 25, 2020

Detroit — Red Wings fans are going to have to wait a little longer to learn who the organization is drafting.

And when, where, and debating the prospects at the NHL combine.

That’s because the NHL announced Wednesday the postponements of the Scouting Combine — originally scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo — as well as the NHL Entry Draft, scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal.

Also, the NHL announced the postponement of the NHL Awards Show scheduled for June 18 in Las Vegas.

All of the postponements were due to the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.

The Red Wings, with the worst record in the NHL at the time the league announced it is pausing the season, would normally have the best chance (18.5%) of landing the top draft pick in the lottery.

But speculation is growing that the NHL is thinking of tweaking the lottery, with a variety of plans being considered.

The NHL is also actively attempting to resume its regular season, which was paused March 12 because of coronavirus.

The location, time and format of the lottery and entry draft will be announced when plans are finalized.

Detroit News LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172964 Detroit Red Wings Some people only began taking the disease seriously when leagues announced they’d hold games without fans. Then the NBA paused its season after Utah’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. Then March Madness was cancelled and every organized sporting Wojo: When sports return, will the obsession return too? activity on every level was halted.

Now we are hunkered down, watching Netflix, ordering off Amazon, dialing for food. Ah, to turn on the TV again on a random Tuesday night Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News and watch LeBron’s Lakers take on The Greek Freak’s Bucks. Or to see Published 4:46 p.m. ET March 25, 2020 the Tigers, Pistons and Red Wings, despite their struggles, showcase young players. Christian Wood is one of those rising Pistons, and he was making his mark before he tested positive, one of at least 10 NBA players that have. Detroit — It’s quiet, almost peaceful. No yelling, no cheering, no complaining about under-performing athletes or over-priced parking. We You hope that struck a deeper chord among those who thought they still scrutinize the Lions out of habit and necessity and still wonder which were immune. The majority of coronavirus cases involve the elderly or young Tiger, or Red Wing, or Piston, might become the next needed star. infirm, and younger people in good health generally recover. But if the But it’s not nearly as rabid and doesn’t mean nearly as much, not finest-tuned bodies in the world can contract it, anyone can. If that knowing when the games and crowds will return. message was being missed, I suspect that’s changed.

It’s far from the most pressing issue today, but it stirs the question: Will Sports seem inconsequential and distant at the moment, but you don’t sports ever matter as much again? have to feign concern about millionaire athletes or billionaire owners to lament their absence. The games provide benefits, from escapism to I think they will eventually, almost assuredly. And I’ll even add, America economics, and it’s OK to miss them. When so much is lost, in all facets won’t be back to normal until they do. of society, there’s so much to be gained, and regained. Oh, there will be healthy (and perhaps temporary) perspective correction, We’re seeing a lot of good in people, and it helps when athletes spread and obsessions might not be as irrational. People could discover they awareness, not fear. Sports figures, locally from Blake Griffin to Chris appreciate the respite from the noise. Rivals might realize they don’t Ilitch, have set up funds to help laid-off arena workers and employees. personally despise each other, and it’s actually inspiring to root for the Money, which dominates too much of the conversation in sports, is same team. Parents might rethink the craziness of youth sports and fans ultimately what will bring it all back. might not have the time or energy or money, at least for a while, to devote to the games. CBS and Turner pay about $1 billion per year to televise the NCAA Tournament, an enormous appetite for competition and entertainment But in a world of crisis, where essentials and non-essentials are placed in that doesn’t instantly vanish. As the NFL trudges on with its offseason of separate boxes, sports are the rarity that belong in both. By definition, free-agent signings, it remains the loudest canary. Whether its training games are non-essential. By the long-term impact, they essentially touch camps and season start on time – with approximately $9 billion annually every aspect of life, generate billions of dollars, produce jobs, fuel at stake from broadcast entities – will be a significant barometer. Is it passion, forge connections between people who otherwise might never unthinkable to suggest the pro and college football seasons are in connect. jeopardy? Nothing seems unthinkable anymore. The sports world – like many industries – has been obliterated by the If a longer pause is needed before the applause resumes, so be it. The coronavirus pandemic and no one has any idea when it will be back. By games don’t get to rush to the front of the line. Nobody knows where this June? July? Just guessing. The Tokyo Olympics caved to reality and is headed, but people have forecast the decline of sports before, whether were postponed to 2021. from the rise of video games, the reduction of youth participation or the The major-league baseball season was supposed to start this week – the unavoidable risk of injury, especially concussions. Tigers were to open at Cleveland Thursday – but has been pushed back Sports will be back, and although that’s not the prevailing concern right several weeks, maybe longer. The NBA and NHL still hope to resume now, they will be needed in essential and non-essential ways. Some day their seasons, perhaps with short camps and then straight to the playoffs, it will be safe to gather again, and when it is, people will want to cheer as but there’s no timetable. The NFL is still planning to conduct its draft April loudly as ever. 23-25 but not in a public setting and not with spectators.

You must preface everything by saying nobody is sacrificing and suffering more than those who toil selflessly in health care, the front- Detroit News LOADED: 03.26.2020 liners, all the people personally affected by the disease. Sports may never mean the same to them.

But for those who play the games, watch the games and work the games, for the businesses and cities that rely on them, the connections are both emotional and practical. There’s anxiety because there’s no way to fight back, except by staying away. And the longer you go without something, the easier it is to re-prioritize where it fits in life.

Restaurants and bars eventually will welcome customers inside, schools will be back, stores will reopen. The health-care industry will recover and so will the financial markets.

So will sports, haltingly at first, perhaps played in empty stadiums and arenas for a while. The response after previous stoppages – strikes, lockouts, 9/11 – suggests the demand becomes pent-up, not permanently diminished.

“That (passion) is something I don’t think will ever go away,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said Wednesday. “I miss basketball, I miss hockey too. I’m a fan just like everybody else. I think everybody misses the heck out of baseball right now. I think it’s gonna be like a party when we get back.”

In America, sports are the canary in the coal mine, chirping during prosperity, gasping at signs of danger. Two weeks ago, we were just hoping the NCAA Tournament somehow would be played. Then came the stoppages, the first alarm for many that normalcy was about to be destroyed. 1172965 Detroit Red Wings with commissioner Gary Bettman, and put on his new team’s sweater and cap. “But it’s still an honor to get drafted by an NHL team. It’s really special. Maybe it’ll be different, we don’t know yet, but I’m living day by day and we’ll see what happens.” Likely No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere calls Red Wings 'great organization,' Veleno reunion 'fun' Lafreniere feels he’s done all he can to be the No. 1 overall pick. This season at Rimouski Oceanic (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League), Lafreniere had 112 points (35 goals, 77 assists) in 52 games with a plus- 41 rating. Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Lafreniere added 10 points (four goals, six assists) in five games for Published 4:31 p.m. ET March 25, 2020 | Updated 4:31 p.m. ET March Canada, helping lead it to the gold medal. 25, 2020 “I tried my best to play as good as I could every game I was in,”

Lafreniere said. “There are some real good players around the world, so Detroit — Alexis Lafreniere is the likely No. 1 overall pick in the NHL you never know who will go (where), but I tried my best to play as good Entry Draft. as I could.”

But when exactly the draft lottery will be held (originally April 9), whether So what does the prospective No. 1 overall NHL draft pick do these days the draft will be held in Montreal as planned (June 26-27) and simply of quarantine and staying indoors? being able to train properly for it, Lafreniere is as stumped as anyone. Pretty similar like the rest of us, it sounds like. Canada's Alexis Lafreniere, left, Dylan Cozens, center, and Joe Veleno, Lafreniere is working out at home, and spending time with his family, right, celebrate after defeating Slovakia 6-1 at the World Junior Hockey which is something he couldn’t do as much as he’d liked the past two Championships in January in Ostrava, Czech Republic. seasons with the regular season, playoffs and junior tournaments. There are a lot of questions and not many answers these days. “You don’t have as much to do (staying home) but I’m training, working “I really live it day by day and try to control what I can control,” Lafreniere out at my house a couple hours a day,” Lafreniere said. “I have some said Wednesday during a teleconference with North American hockey equipment to train (with) and I try to stay in shape and just try to work as writers. “For sure, the most important thing for everyone is stay healthy hard as I can, gain some strength for when we're going to come back and and we try to come back as soon as possible. Live day by day and stay I'll be ready. home. "After that, I spend time with my family. It’s a good time for us to spend “There are some things you can’t really control. You have to stay focused time together. It’s always fun to be at home and spend time with them. on yourself and try to do your stuff.” It’s not fun right now with the virus, but it’s easier for sure when I’m with them and I can stay here. Red Wings fans — and likely the organization — are hoping the lottery balls fall just the right way for the Wings, who had the NHL’s worst record “(We) just talk, watch television and movies together, and share dinner. when the season paused due to the coronavirus outbreak. Little things like that.”

Lafreniere was brief when asked about the possibility of joining the The province of Quebec has been one of the hardest hit in terms of the Wings, though it would be exciting. coronavirus, but Lafreniere's immediate family and circle of friends have been fortunate, not testing positive. “I know it’s a great organization,” said Lafreniere, when asked about his familiarity of the Wings’ organization. “A lot of good players have played "We've been pretty lucky," Lafreniere said. "We're going to try to keep it there.” like this."

But there is a link to the Wings’ organization that excites Lafreniere.

For the past two world junior tournaments, representing Canada, Detroit News LOADED: 03.26.2020 Lafreniere and Joe Veleno, a 2018 first-round draft pick currently playing in Grand Rapids, were linemates and developed a friendship off the ice.

The two young players talked about the possibility of playing together again in the future with the Wings.

“I know Joe from playing with him two times in juniors,” said Lafreniere, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound winger (Veleno’s a center). “He’s my good friend now. For sure it would be fun to play with him (in the NHL).”

Though the Wings, given the current standings, have an 18.5% of having the No. 1 overall pick, they actually don’t have the best odds.

Ottawa has the second worst record and second-best odds (13.5%), and also own San Jose’s first-round pick. The Sharks, incidentally, have the third-worst record and 11.5% chance of landing the first overall pick.

So, the Senators has a 25 percent chance of landing the top pick.

And, incidentally, Lafreniere’s hometown of Saint-Eustache is less than a two-hour drive from Ottawa.

“It would be fun, it would be special for sure,” said Lafreniere of being drafted by Ottawa. “It’s a great place to play, a lot of good players, it would be an honor for sure.

“We’ll see what happens.”

The entry draft itself has yet to be postponed or scaled back to a teleconference version. Still, it appears highly unlikely it’ll be held on a larger scale in Montreal, again, a relatively short drive from Lafreniere hometown.

“For sure it would be a little different,” said Lafreniere of not having the joy of hearing his name drafted, walking across the stage to shake hands 1172966 Detroit Red Wings "Delaware North is taking these temporary steps to ensure the company’s long-term success," the company said in its statement released Wednesday. "The Jacobs family and Delaware North hope the crisis will be short-lived and greatly appreciate the talented and Delaware North says it can't help part-time food, beverage workers like passionate employees who have made the company successful and those at LCA, Comerica Park hope they remain healthy and safe."

Tony Paul, The Detroit News Detroit News LOADED: 03.26.2020 Published 3:51 p.m. ET March 25, 2020 | Updated 3:51 p.m. ET March 25, 2020

Detroit — Delaware North, the Buffalo, New York-based company that staffs food and beverage services at arenas all over the globe, including locally, has temporarily laid off thousands of full-time workers and told thousands more part-time workers that it will not be able to offer financial assistance during the coronavirus shutdown.

Compensation for food- and beverage-service employees, including those who staff and Comerica Park, has been in question since the sports industry ceased earlier this month as COVID- 19 became a global pandemic.

Officials for Delaware North huddled last week to discuss the options, and announced its decision Wednesday. It said it is temporarily laying off 3,100 full-time employees, with those employees receiving their benefits for eight weeks, as well as one full week of pay. Full-time employees staying on are doing so at a reduced pay rate. And there's nothing available for the part-time employees.

Delaware North also has employees locally at Cafe and Detroit Metro Airport.

"The spread of COVID-19 has forced the closure of nearly every one of Delaware North’s more than 200 operating locations — including sports and entertainment venues, restaurants, casinos, and parks," the company said in a statement, while adding its airport locations continue to operate, but at a reduced scale.

"The company, along with many others in the hospitality industry, is absorbing ongoing financial losses as a result of government directives appropriately aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19.

"Because of the sheer size of the company’s workforce and the uncertainty over when the crisis will subside, Delaware North (has) made the agonizing but unavoidable decision" with the temporary layoffs.

Nia Winston, president of Unite HERE Local 24 which represents the Metro Detroit workers affected, didn't immediately return a message from The News seeking comment.

Delaware North has more than 55,000 full- and part-time employees across the globe, with its Sportservice wing serving 50 ballparks, stadiums and arenas.

Food and beverage workers locally have been in limbo since the cancellations of concerts and sporting events began. announced a $1 million fund to pay part-time event staff at LCA and Fox Theatre, and later pledged another $1 million for the same crew that works Comerica Park. The Pistons also pledged to continue paying its game-day employees, also at LCA. But none of those funds covers the food and beverage workers employed by Delaware North.

Pistons star Blake Griffin pledged $100,000, and that could be used to help those workers, but there's been no description how that fund would be used.

Delaware North is owned by Jeremy Jacobs, who also owns the NHL's Boston Bruins and TD Garden, home of the Bruins and the NBA's Boston Celtics. Last week, Jacobs announced a fund to continue paying part- time employees at TD Garden — the last owner in the NHL to announce such steps. Then, days later, it was revealed that part-time Bruins workers at TD Garden were told they were being laid off.

Jacobs is worth more than $3 billion, according to the latest estimates. Delaware North claims more than $3 billion in revenue, annually.

Jacobs' three sons, Jerry, Lou and Charlie, are CEOs of Delaware North, and in 2019 were handed the responsibilities of running the Bruins. 1172967 Detroit Red Wings

NHL postpones events; draft and lottery format to change?

Posted Mar 25, 2020

By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

The NHL announced Wednesday that the scouting combine, awards show and draft have been postponed due to the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

The scouting combine, originally scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, is where dozens of draft prospects gather for physical fitness testing and interviews with team management personnel. The NHL Awards Show was scheduled for June 18 in Las Vegas. The draft was slated for June 26-27 in Montreal.

The league said the location, timing and format of the draft and the draft lottery (which was to have taken place on April 9) will be announced when details are finalized.

The Detroit Red Wings had clinched the worst overall record before the league suspended play on March 12. That assured them of having the best draft lottery odds (18.5 percent chance to land the top pick, 49.4 percent chance of selecting in the top three, can draft now lower than fourth). But the league’s release suggests a potential change in the format, which could affect the Red Wings.

It appears the NHL Awards Show will not take place this year. The league said it “looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172968 Detroit Red Wings Dominic Turgeon ($750,000): Unless he gets a better offer in Europe, he’ll probably he re-signed as a serviceable checking-line center for Grand Rapids.

Red Wings restricted free agents: Whose value increased, whose didn’t? Kyle Wood ($700,000): This was a curious trade by Yzerman. He moved a 24-year-old defenseman with offensive upside in Oliwer Kaski (11 goals, 20 points in 35 games with AHL Charlotte) for a journeyman AHL defenseman who hasn’t appeared in an NHL game and isn’t likely to get Posted Mar 25, 2020 a look from the Red Wings. By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.26.2020 The Detroit Red Wings have a dozen players throughout their organization scheduled to become restricted free agents after the season. Some are a big part of the team’s future; others probably won’t be re-signed.

These contract talks are among many tasks on general manager ’s list of things to do when the NHL calendar resumes following the coronavirus pause.

Here is a look at the Red Wings’ impending restricted free agents, some of whom increased their bargaining power and some who did not (2019- 20 cap hit in parentheses). All except Dmytro Timashov, Taro Hirose and Evgeny Svechnikov have arbitration rights:

Anthony Mantha ($3.3 million): He was trending toward a lucrative long- term extension before a knee injury and punctured lung sidelined him for 28 games – and still might get it. But the time missed could complicate negotiations, Mantha admitted. Options include a one-year deal and re- visiting it after next season, when his market value might come more into focus. Or they could sign him to a four- or five-year pact based on what he’s accomplished and his potential as a big, goal-scoring winger. He won’t get a two-year deal because that would make him an unrestricted free agent at the end of the term.

Tyler Bertuzzi ($1.4 million): After solid back-to-back 21-goal seasons, Bertuzzi has proven to be a consistent and valuable part of the team’s core and has earned a long-term extension.

Robby Fabbri ($900,000): Yzerman’s best move was acquiring this young (24) former first-round pick whose career was sidetracked by two serious knee injuries for expendable checking-line forward Jacob de la Rose. Fabbri can provide offense as a top-six forward who can play wing or center.

Adam Erne ($1.05 million): The Red Wings expected a little more than two goals (in the same game) and five points in 56 games after acquiring him from Tampa Bay for a fourth-round pick. He can provide some abrasiveness and physicality on the fourth line at a low cost.

Christoffer Ehn ($759,167): He provides little offense (five goals, 13 points in 114 games) but can play center or wing on the fourth line or be a spare forward on the roster. Coming off his entry-level deal, it won’t cost much to re-sign him.

Madison Bowey ($1 million): He played better the latter part of the season after being waived and sent to Grand Rapids for one game. He still made too many mistakes defensively, an area that needs significant improvement.

Brendan Perlini ($874,125): The 12th overall pick in 2014 scored 14, 17 and 14 goals in his first three seasons and the Red Wings hoped he had some untapped potential. But it’s been a colossal struggle (one goal, three assists in 39 games), and it’s hard to imagine he’ll be re-signed. Meanwhile, Alec Regula, the 2018 third-round pick traded to Chicago in the deal, led OHL defensemen in goals (27) and tallied 60 points in 56 games with London.

Dmytro Timashov ($694,444): He hasn’t shown much in a small sample size (no points in five games) after being claimed off waivers from Toronto. It won’t cost much to re-sign him, however, and he can continue to compete for a bottom-six spot in the lineup or be waived.

Evgeny Svechnikov ($863,333): His up and down season (11 goals, 25 points in 51 games with Grand Rapids) wasn’t a surprise after missing 2018-19 following ACL surgery. He’ll have an extended opportunity to show he can be productive in the NHL next season, when he’s no longer exempt from waivers and must remain on the Red Wings roster.

Taro Hirose ($925,000): He has proven to be a decent AHL player (five goals, 27 points in 35 games with the Griffins) and should get an opportunity in training camp to work his way back into the NHL. 1172969 Detroit Red Wings today than many expected as he continued to build out the offensive side of his game, and the comparison is borderline uncanny.

Button: I see him as a Mikael Backlund-, Nick Bonino-type. More in the Polling the experts to find an NHL comparable for 10 Red Wings Mikael Backlund category, because, you know, Mikael was an offensive prospects player coming up, but he’s turned into a really good, solid, two-way centerman. And I think that’s what Joey’s going to be. He’s diligent, he’s purposeful, he’s smart. I think, like Mikael, he can chip in points, he can have some wingers that can produce. And so I don’t think Joey’s going to By Max Bultman and Scott Wheeler be an elite point producer, but I think he can be a really good, solid player Mar 25, 2020 that can be counted upon to play different areas of the game, and to help other players, too. He’s smart, he’s dogged in his approach to playing, and you need those elements if you’re going to be a good, two-way center. The future is everything for the Red Wings. That would be true even if there were hockey being played right now. Will Scouch: Adrian Kempe. Let me get this out of the way: I really, really like Adrian Kempe and this comparison is not a bad thing. He can be one One of the problems, though, is that can be hard to really dream on of the more enjoyable players in the league to watch for his ability to use prospects seen only sparsely at tournaments and development camps. skill and agility to cut around the ice, his well-rounded offensive game That’s true even for those prospects already in the AHL, as it can be hard with the puck, and his analytical metrics that have been rock-solid for for many fans to see them enough times to know what to expect down much of his time with the L.A. Kings. I think Veleno has more upside than the line. Kempe, but having Veleno become a versatile forward useful in multiple Here, then, is our answer to that dilemma: a roundtable of hockey scenarios and positions that can drive metrics is a profile you can’t have prospect analysts coming together to share which NHL players top Red enough of. Veleno can show more flash and offensive talent, especially Wings prospects remind them of. right around the net in recent years, but they track relatively similarly at the same age in the AHL, and landing a dependable middle-six forward With a bit of convincing (as a condition of this article, I agreed to explicitly with the 30th pick ain’t bad. note Scott’s reluctance to make prospect comparisons), The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler agreed to lead our panel alongside former NHL GM and Michael Rasmussen, C, Grand Rapids (AHL) TSN director of scouting Craig Button. Then, to round things out, we Wheeler: Michael Handzus. I struggled more with Rasmussen’s asked Jokke Nevalainen, the head of European scouting at Dobber comparable than any of the nine others because my goal in this exercise Prospects, and Will Scouch of Scouching to share their opinions on was to give you an active player as reference for each of the prospects. Detroit’s Europeans and North Americans, respectively. But I just couldn’t come up with one for Rasmussen. I felt like there really It bears mentioning that, by definition, most of these names are wasn’t a player his size whose game had enough resemblance to merit aspirational. These comparables shouldn’t be read as predictions for use in this kind of context. When I cracked open the memory to look back what each player will become so much as the kind of traits they possess. a little further, there were some easier comparables.

Nonetheless, in a time when everyone could use a little fuel for their The first player that came to mind was Handzus. Handzus had unique hockey daydreams, there’s something to be said for thinking about what size, decent though unspectacular skill, remarkable reflexes on tips (one could be. of Rasmussen’s greatest skills) and a two-way game that was good without being great. All told, he put together a nice career for himself Here’s what our panel of analysts think: scoring in the 40- to 45-point range while playing a variety of different Moritz Seider, RHD, Grand Rapids (AHL) usages (he spent part of his career in a top-six role and part of it in a bottom-six role). That’s what the Red Wings are hoping to get out of Scott Wheeler: Alex Pietrangelo without the goals. I want to preface this Rasmussen at this point. by saying that I don’t think Seider is going to be Pietrangelo – and that it’s unfair to label just about any non-generational teenager as a Button: All the way back to his draft year and through his draft year, comparable to a defenseman who has produced 45-55 points for a having watched him for so long, I thought he had a lot of Tomas decade, ate minutes for a living and won an Olympic gold and a Stanley Holmstrom qualities. And by that what I mean is: that area in front of the Cup. I do think he can be a lesser version of Pietrangelo, though, and net, it’s really hard to score in, but his ability to not only occupy that that they play a similar style apart from one thing: their approach to space but to operate in that space. It’s one thing to occupy the space in shooting. Both are big, mobile, all-situation, right-shot defenders who front of the net, it’s a whole different thing to operate. And Tomas was play a low-risk yet somehow high-reward game. But Pietrangelo has brilliant at this. developed his shot over the years to emerge as one of the bigger goal- And I saw a lot of this in Michael. Number 1, he’s got a great wingspan. scoring threats in the NHL, and one of my big concerns with Seider is his So now, operating in front of the net, his ability to maneuver the puck and deference at the top of the offensive zone and the way he constantly to grab onto loose pucks, he’s got that great reach in front of the net. looks off shots. His offensive ceiling is limited as a result. Number 2, you have to be really smart in front of the net. You have to be Craig Button: He reminds me of Brandon Carlo of the Boston Bruins. able to understand, “How’s that puck coming off of the goalie’s pads? When you draft a player sixth overall, there tends to be a lot of, “Oh, Where do I have to get? Where do I think the rebound’s going? Where do wow, jeez, he’s going to be this, or he’s going to be that.” And you always I get my stick to deflect the puck?” You do those types of things, and I should be looking at a player, what you think that potential is. … You’re think that Michael always had that. Being that type of a player, I think it’s looking at Seider, and you can see a confidence with him, and if he ends an incredibly important aspect of the process of what you have to do to up being a point producer, I think that’s a bonus. But I think players like be successful around the net. Brandon Carlo are incredibly, incredibly important to a team. Scouch: Brock Nelson. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Rasmussen, Jokke Nevalainen: Seider draws comparisons to and Jeff and I certainly believe he was drafted too high, however going off of his Petry because of his size, right-handed shot and ability to play big limited NHL sample, he has some curious parallels to Nelson at the same minutes in all situations. Bringing great skating ability alongside age. They’re both quite large, play hard, can be lethal around the net, physicality and a rock-solid defensive game while helping the team and both may take some time to reach their full potential. Rasmussen offensively as well, Seider has potential to become an all-around beast of likely won’t be a tremendous offensive player, but his defensive results a player. are good at even strength. And with his size, shot and no-nonsense approach to getting shots from tight to the net, Rasmussen has plenty of Joe Veleno, C, Grand Rapids (AHL) time for his game to evolve.

Wheeler: Philip Danault. Stylistically, they’re a lot alike. Danault is a Jonatan Berggren, F, Skellefteå (SHL) dominant, middle-six, two-way center who uses speed, smart defensive acumen and a well-rounded offensive game to impact the play in all three Wheeler: Nikita Gusev. He’s a 5-foot-11 winger who can play both zones. Then you consider that they’re both 6-foot-1 and 190-something flanks? He likes to hang onto the puck to create as a passer through a pounds, that Danault was a late first-round pick, that they both dominated series of dekes, fakes and delays that draw attention? He’s a dynamic, the QMJHL, and that it took Danault a little longer to get to where he is puck-dominant carrier who relies on driving a line and lots of touches to create his offense? He relies on the power play to do most of his version of him – and they share the same handedness. Don’t get it damage? There’s an element of risk to his game that can be off-putting at twisted, though: Where Parayko is a low-30s producer, I see Tuomisto as first, but is eventually outweighed by the reward? Check, check, check, a high-20s producer at his ceiling, as just an example of that gap. check and check. At his best, Berggren probably becomes a 50-point second-line winger who makes a lot of plays from the outside-in. Button: He’s come along tremendously. … Earlier this season, I was watching him and I’m going, “Oooh. I think I didn’t give him enough Button: I’ve always liked Jonatan. I’ve liked his mind, I’ve liked his ability credit.” … He’s big, he’s rangy, he can shoot the puck. I think the easy to be an opportunist. Players like Jonatan, I think, have to be able to play one for me is Tyler Myers because of the range that he has. … That big, off of other players, and I think that he has that ability. So one of the rangy defenseman that can get into the offensive attack, can use that players that I think he’s like — he’s bigger than him, he’s a little bit wingspan, and use that length to break up plays and be advantageous. stockier than him — is Andrew Mangiapane (of Calgary). … As you go up But he really took a jump. He always had that willingness to be offensive. the levels and the challenges become a little bit greater, it becomes a Now, it just seems like that body, that coordination, all came together. I little bit more challenging for you to always be able to have the puck. So give you a Tyler Myers comparison, (but he) very well may be better. you’ve gotta learn: “OK, where do I give up the puck? How do I give the puck? How do I maneuver to make sure that I’m not getting into spots Nevalainen: Because Tuomisto is still so raw, it’s hard to accurately where I’m stymied.” project where his game will be in a few years. With his big frame, right- handed shot, offensive mindset and passion to frequently use his And I think Andrew learned that, and I think Jonatan can learn similar excellent shot, Tuomisto has potential to become a poor man’s Brent things. But there’s a transition period of moving from one area of your Burns. But because his skating isn’t at that level, perhaps a bigger game that you’ve had success in, and understanding, “OK, this is where version of Ryan Pulock would be more accurate. I’ve gotta make those adjustments.” I think Jonatan is more than smart enough to be able to make those adjustments. Robert Mastrosimone, F, Boston University (NCAA)

Nevalainen: At best, Berggren projects to become a Jaden Schwartz type Wheeler: Jason Zucker. I think the easy thing to say here would’ve been of player; a very skilled yet undersized playmaking winger who works Brendan Gallagher, just because of his versatility and his competitive, very hard to get the puck if he doesn’t have it. But I do wonder if his fearless, never-stop-working approach. But he’s not the annoyance/pest projection is shifting more towards Robby Fabbri; a player who never that Gallagher is and I don’t think he has the 50-60 point upside that reaches his full potential because of injuries. Gallagher has shown he has. I think 40-50 points is more realistic as a middle-six ceiling for Mastro, which made me think of Zucker. Jared McIsaac, LHD, Moncton (QMJHL) Though Zucker once posted 64 points and was tracking that way again Wheeler: Alec Martinez. The first thing that comes to mind for me with this year, he has traditionally been less than that in years when he wasn’t McIsaac has always been that he’s a strong complementary player. He playing on the first line (or with Sidney Crosby). I think that’s where has been asked to be more than that throughout his career as a relatively Mastro fits in eventually, too. He’ll be able to play up and down a lineup, high-end prospect, particularly in Halifax where he’s a power play-guy have a season with 30-something points as a driver in a depth role or and relied on to produce points, but I’ve never seen a ton of skill in his thrive here or there with bigger numbers alongside more talented players. game and I don’t think that’s the kind of player he’s going to be at the Coaches adore him, too, just like they adore Zucker. next level. Instead, I see a useful left-shot defender who can contribute mid-20s points, act as a safety valve for his partner and make the odd Button: There’s certain guys that just, to me, become really easy to use a play at even-strength while not being shy physically. comparable, and my comparable for him — and it has been for a while, too — is Anthony Beauvillier of the New York Islanders. Robert’s quick Button: Jared to me is never going to be a big offensive player, but he’s and slick … he’s in and out and he has this ability to be in a lot of going to be a really good defenseman. And by defenseman, you’re not different areas on the ice, and sometimes you might ask yourself, going to hear me use “defensive defenseman.” He’s going to be a “What’s he doing there?” And then he knows how to strike. He’s another defenseman that’s going to be able to play in the defensive zone, he’s player that knows how to play off of others. … Anthony came into the going to be able to start the play moving, break the play down league and then he kind of had a little bit of a drop back in terms of what defensively and get the puck in the offensive zone and in the neutral he was, and now I think he’s found himself. Robert’s very good zone in transition. He reminds me a lot, in terms of competitiveness and offensively, he’s got a really good mind. He’s more quick than fast. I’ve style of game, of Ryan Lindgren (of the Rangers). Jared has got a quiet, watched Robert for a lot of years. Robert is another player that arrives at quiet competitiveness to him. And the one thing I’ll tell you about Jared: the right places at the right times. The harder the game, the more important the game, you don’t ever have to worry about Jared shrinking, ever. He rises to that occasion. I think Scouch: Tomas Tatar. Mastrosimone grew on me more and more as the he’s a really quietly fierce competitor. 2018-19 season went on. He’s quick on his feet and can make quick cuts with his feet and hands to make a play. He’s a remarkably fun player to Scouch: McIsaac is a player who I found a bit overvalued as a potential watch and I thought he was great value at 54th overall last June. It may first-round pick in 2018, but where he was selected by the Red Wings take him some time at Boston University and with the Red Wings before (36th overall), I thought it was a good value considering who was on the he captures his potential, similar to Tatar, but he shows what he’s board. He’s a great all-around defender who made great improvements capable of often. to his skating and ability to drive offense with his shot over his time with Halifax. He has gotten much more responsible at both ends of the ice Albert Johansson, LHD, Farjestad (SHL) over time, and I certainly see some parallels to Ryan Pulock. Wheeler: Andy Greene/Matt Grzelcyk. When I think about efficient, Pulock started his career relatively quietly before making the Islanders patient, calculated left-shot defenders who aren’t overtly big and strong full-time at 23 and has been a solid defender, especially as a defensive but have carved out a niche for themselves as effective contributors at suppressor. McIsaac has more upside at the moment, especially both ends, I think of the 5-foot-11 Greene and the 5-foot-9 Grzelcyk. And offensively, but his strong two-way game might help him fit into a second though Johansson is a little taller than both, his slight build and reserved pair as a reliable defender for the Red Wings. style of play will mean that size isn’t an element of his game. Instead, if he’s going to carve out a role in the NHL, it will be by being good at Antti Tuomisto, RHD, Ässät (Jr. A SM-Liiga) everything, making smart decisions with and without the puck, and gapping well. Greene has made a career out of that and Grzelcyk has Wheeler: A lesser Colton Parayko (emphasis on lesser). Parayko’s one become one of the NHL’s more useful two-way, mid-pairing options. of those players who is singular, which makes his skill set hard to isolate They’ve also both found ways to contribute on a regular basis, driving as a comparable (in fact, he’s a good example as to why I tend to avoid results offensively with 20-30ish points a year. comparables) but there are a lot of similarities between his game and Tuomisto’s. Neither has dynamic offensive skill, but contribute like many Button: Last year, watching him and watching him progress, he reminded who are more talented through an A-level shot and decent puck control me of Jonas Siegenthaler of the Washington Capitals. Fiercely at the offensive blue line. competitive. Whatever it takes. Whatever you need. Sweden won the U18 championship last year on the backs of massively competitive Defensively, they’re also both big, they skate well, they play a physical defensemen and a team that just said, “We might not be the most skilled game without stepping over the line and they can log tough minutes at team, but we’re a competitive team.” even strength. While I think Parayko is a first-pairing defenseman and I don’t see that kind of upside in Tuomisto, he could be a second-pairing Nevalainen: Johansson projects to become a Nate Schmidt type of player; an average-sized two-way defenseman who is effective mostly because of his skating ability. But you shouldn’t underrate his hockey smarts, and his puck skills are not bad either.

Givani Smith, F, Grand Rapids (AHL)

Wheeler: Chris Wagner. Wagner has made a career out of playing a fast, physical, net-driven, plug-and-play game. After years of bouncing between the AHL and the NHL, he became a regular on the best team in the league this year in Boston. Though Smith has a couple more inches and a little less skill, Wagner’s role/trajectory should be his goal.

Button: For me it’s a Brendan Lemieux-type. Here’s what I would say to you: He plays on that edge like Brendan. Brendan can skate and Givani can skate. They have your attention because of the way they play. To me, that attention has to be focused and it has to be directed. When I say directed, it’s gotta be directed toward, “What do I gotta do to help the team,” not so much “What do I have to do in a reactive way” that might hurt the team. And that’s maturity. And I think that’s where Givani has to get to. I think Brendan has moved the needle a little bit more in that direction. … Lawson (Crouse) doesn’t play with an edge, but he plays with a really good, “Here I am, try to take me out of my space. Because I’m going to take you out of your space.” If Smith can find a little bit more of that Lawson Crouse in his game, and a little bit less of the Brendan Lemieux, I think there’s a chance to be a really good, solid player.

Scouch: Jordan Nolan. I’ve never been particularly enthralled with Smith’s profile as a real major part of an NHL team, but he could slot in on an NHL team and play an energy role. He’s a big, physical player who has never really driven a ton of offense at any level, but he could certainly carve out a job as a role player similar to Jordan Nolan. While he may not be a player that ends up on a team I’m building, playing a physical and intimidating brand of hockey in your depth can certainly provide a different style of play that can keep an opponent on their toes.

Elmer Söderblöm, F, Frölunda (SuperElit)

Wheeler: Soderblom’s a tough one because there were just 18 forwards in the NHL last season who were 6-foot-5 or taller. Then, when you consider that he doesn’t have the skill of a Blake Wheeler, nor the shooting talent of a Patrik Laine or an Anthony Mantha, and suddenly you’re dealing with a pretty small group of players. That list gets even smaller when you consider that he’s 6-foot-7, because not one forward that tall played a single game in the NHL last season. Of the players who remain, most are defensive depth centers (think Frederik Gauthier and Brian Boyle) who play very different games than Soderblom.

So a best-case scenario became the last remaining players with some skill, in Nick Bjugstad and Kevin Hayes. I think Hayes has an on-ice awareness and peripheral vision that Soderblom will likely lack even as he continues to progress, though. In the end, Bjugstad makes more sense because he’s more of a puck-protector and scoring threat, which are both strengths of Soderblom’s game (he’s got excellent hands for his size and prefers to shoot and go to the front of the net than to drift to the perimeter as a pass-first option). I think Bjugstad’s career production in the 35-45 point range is probably about where Soderblom projects at his absolute ceiling. Given his size, though, the odds he reaches that ceiling are very low.

Button: It’s the easiest one for me. I saw him play when he was 16, and when you get a little bit older like me, you can go back in time. He reminds me of Brian Boyle. I watched Brian Boyle play in high school, and Brian was big, and tall, and look at how long it took Brian to find his way. … Brian Boyle is what I call an 8 to 11 forward: He can play on your third line, but probably he falls into that 8 to 10, because a fourth-line center is really valuable. Elmer’s always been smart. He’s got some ability with his hands to make plays. The biggest thing for Elmer … he’s gotta improve his skating. He’s got to improve his pace of play. But there have been signs of that exact thing happening.

Nevalainen: Finding an NHL comparable for a 6-foot-7 winger who plays a skill game is no easy task. The only one who comes even remotely close is Jordan Greenway. I wouldn’t necessarily say Söderblom is more skilled than Greenway but he relies on his offensive skill more than Greenway does because he is not a very well-rounded player at this point. But he is very raw, so things could change in a few years.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172970 Detroit Red Wings the Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks for the rights to draft Alexis Lafreniere. Or a final between the Senators and Montreal Canadiens for the same thing. The television ratings in those markets would be off the charts. NHL and team executives sharing ideas for adjusting the draft lottery It would also give the NHL and NHLPA another property to sell to a network outside its current television deal. In the U.S., a tournament like this on ESPN in a summer in which there is less competition for the By Craig Custance interest of sports fans would likely be very successful. If it works, the NHL Mar 25, 2020 might have something to build on moving forward. If it doesn’t? Never do it again.

“Radical times call for radical measures,” said one NHL source. While so much of the conversation on what an eventual NHL season might look like focuses on potential playoff formats for the teams at the It’s fun to imagine. Even if it’s hard to imagine it actually happening. But top of the standings, those at the bottom might have a different focus. For right now, these are the kind of ideas being thrown around. People have those outside the playoff bubble, it’s all about the NHL Draft. And the the time and motivation for creativity. At this point, nothing should be off eventual draft lottery. As it stands right now, it’s very possible the lottery the table. From playoff format to lottery ideas. looks different than what fans (and executivess) are currently refreshing “The whole thing is the wild, wild West, man,” concluded an executive. on Tankathon.

According to an NHL source, the draft lottery format will likely be linked to whatever decisions are made regarding the schedule and playoff system. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 It’s still too early to get a full idea of what those solutions might look like, but a source said the league would consult with general managers and the board of governors before making a final call on any adjusted draft lottery process. Right now, the league is currently kicking around various concepts.

“They’ve requested ideas on a number of things,” said an Eastern Conference executive of the league. “They’re looking for ideas about anything and everything.”

Teams and executives have been brainstorming playoff format ideas, some of which have been debated publicly as reported by The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. But there are also conversations about how a tweaked lottery format might look. To some, there’s no reason to do anything massively different than the current format where there are three different drawings – one for each of the top three picks. After those drawings, the remaining teams are sorted based on inverse order of standings, which means the league’s worst team has a better chance of picking fourth than first.

“I don’t think you can materially change too much because teams have relied on this and made plans under this format,” said another NHL team executive.

If the season is completely wiped out, it would be fairly easy to determine the lottery teams by points percentage and proceed with the current system. If there is a, say, 24-team playoff tournament, there’s also an easy way to restructure the draft lottery without changing things too much.

“You just have to allocate the lottery balls differently,” said another executive. “The fairest way to do in that situation – if there’s a 30 percent change with those other teams in the playoffs, give that 30 percent and share it equally in the lottery.”

That’s fine. It’s logical. It’s probably the most likely path for the NHL. But there are some who feel like the lottery could be an opportunity to re- engage fanbases and recoup some of the financial losses teams have incurred this season.

According to an NHL source, at least one team has submitted a lottery proposal that would include a tournament in which lottery teams play for the first-overall pick. At its face, the idea sounds radical but structured the right way this has the potential to be a real asset for the league.

Without knowing the exact details of the proposal, there would have to be some assurances for the teams at the bottom of the standings that their odds of winning a lottery tournament resemble their odds of winning the lottery drawing now. That would mean home games for Ottawa and Detroit, with a fairly easy path to the championship. And likewise, a bubble team would have to go on an all-time run of games to win the lottery.

This proposal would accomplish a couple of things. It would get all players back playing, rather than just playoff teams, which would help level the playing field for next season in terms of rest and time off between games.

It would also engage fans of both playoff teams and lottery teams alike if games return. Imagine for a moment a lottery tournament final between 1172971 Edmonton Oilers As a scout, he’s clearly good at it, with the same work ethic and savvy he showed as a never-drafted player who managed to play close to 1,000 pro games for 14 teams.

Former Edmonton Oilers enforcer Dennis Bonvie is excellent pro scout In the NHL, stops in Edmonton, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado, Ottawa. In the AHL, Cape Breton, Hamilton, Wilkes-Barre, Portland (Maine), Philadelphia Phantoms, Providence, Binghamton and Hershey. A lot of one-year deals. Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal As a fighter, over 200 times as a pro, Bonvie admits he, “couldn’t say no.” March 25, 2020 1:32 PM MDT “That said, there were lots of nights I wish I was scoring goals,” he said.

“But I knew what my job was, took it seriously, maybe a little too seriously Dennis Bonvie played 92 NHL games and has three Stanley Cup rings. some nights. I didn’t want our team pushed around and wanted to make Chew on that for a minute. sure everyone felt comfortable. I can’t say I loved fighting but I loved being part of a team and loved pro hockey.” The all-time pro ruffian with 4,804 PIMS in 871 American Hockey League games and those 92 in six different NHL places including 14 games with As a kid from Antigonish, N.S., Bonvie got a tryout in Cape Breton, the Edmonton Oilers has those three Cup baubles as a six-year pro scout Oilers AHL farm club and never looked back, getting into one playoff with the Chicago Blackhawks. game with Boston against Montreal in 2002.

If his current employer, the Boston Bruins, hadn’t lost to St. “I remember my first NHL game. I had been in the pre-game warmups Louis, he would have four. four or five games hadn’t played and I was skating around before game against LA, figuring it was the same thing and they said Jason Arnott was Bonvie, who was in the Oilers organization for five years in the 1990s as sick,” he said. a right-winger/defenceman, would be scouting teams the No. 1-ranked Bruins might be playing in the first playoff round if COVID-19 wasn’t “First shift I figured I’d get in a fight with Matt Johnson and Matty said ‘no, sweeping North America. I can’t.’ They drop the puck, I look over and there’s Wayne Gretzky. They had short-shifted Matty’s line and the big guys came out. Wayne’s right Instead, he’s at his home in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he spent the most beside me and I’m pinching myself. time (285 pro games), in his fifth year as Bruins pro scout. “I wasn’t sure if I could play junior or I could play pro, and you scratch “Cleaning closets, cleaning house,” joked Bonvie, 46, at home with his and claw and reach your dream and there I am out against the best 15-year-old son Rhy, 13-year-old daughter Davyn and wife Kelly. “I’m player in the world. I’ll remember that moment forever.” usually on the move and it’s not easy being cooped up.

“Last year (Game 7) was a nightmare, uh, I don’t know if that’s the right word, but it hurt.” Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.26.2020

He started pro scouting in Toronto after quitting as a player. Then he got the job with the Hawks, in part because he knew , then head of Chicago pro scouting, and Bonvie is a friendly worker-bee, smart, good at selling himself.

“Very fortunate, exciting time in Chicago,” he said.

Same story in Boston, where GM Don Sweeney and director of player personnel John Ferguson oversees Bonvie, the legendary Tommy McVie, Adam Creighton and others. Bonvie watches between 130 to 150 pro games a season and files his reports, fortunate he’s in the right geographical spot to drive to games and get back to see his family in the morning.

He admits the first time he walked into a press box as a pro scout, the other NHL bird-dogs guffawed.

“Man, are we glad to see you? The game’s are going to be 20 minutes shorter now because there won’t be your antics,” they sang in unison.

Bonvie has always been a pro scout, never watching teenagers on the amateur side.

“All I know is when you bring a guy over (trade) on the pro side he better be able to contribute the way you said he could and with amateurs it’s all projection,” he said.

So does Bonvie favour feisty guys as a pro scout?

“You learn how to adapt, the game’s changed so much. You need all types of players but you want competitive guys, hard on pucks, play with some sort of stiffness to their game,” said Bonvie.

Not a great skater, not that big, but with a heart always pumping hard. He would have loved a longer NHL career, but that’s life.

“Would I have liked to score 30 goals a year and play 800 NHL games, yeah, but it wasn’t the case and I’m fortunate to have played as many pro games as I did,” he said. “No complaints on what I did or how I did it.”

His first NHL game was as an Oiler. His first shift was against Wayne Gretzky when he was playing for Los Angeles. His only NHL goal came as a Bruin, a shot that beat , who has 401 NHL wins. 1172972 Florida Panthers

NHL postpones 2020 Draft due to coronavirus, leaving open possibility of altered format

BY DAVID WILSON

MARCH 25, 2020 08:27 PM

The NHL calendar is moving some key events back because of the coronavirus outbreak in North America. The 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the draft lottery and the NHL Scouting Combine have all been postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the league announced in a press release Wednesday.

These are the first major dates on the league calendar to formally be pushed back. The NHL suspended play indefinitely March 12, although the league hasn’t made a decision as to whether the postseason will be effected. The NHL Draft was originally scheduled for June in Montreal and the league said “the location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized,” leaving open the possibility the NHL could hold its Draft as a conference call or in some similar format.

On March 16, the NFL announced it would still hold the 2020 NFL Draft in April, as originally scheduled in Las Vegas, Nevada, only without fans in attendance. In all sports, teams often do not attend drafts in person or send just a small complement of representatives. The NHL, however, has not held a draft remotely in a non-lockout season since the 1970s.

The Florida Panthers went into the break sitting outside the 16-team playoff, meaning they would be one of 14 teams in the lottery to determine draft order. It’s not clear how the NHL would handle the draft order if it was not able to complete the regular season. The lottery was scheduled to take place about a week ahead of the Draft and the Scouting Combine was slated for early June.

The NHL is also postponing its annual end-of-season award ceremony in Vegas and said it “looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future” for the awards show. Like the draft events, the NHL Awards were also scheduled for June.

Miami Herald LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172973 Florida Panthers It didn’t take long after he was drafted fifth overall in 2003 for Dade County to become “Wade County.” During Wade’s 15 seasons with the Heat, he led Miami to three NBA titles and five appearances in the NBA Finals. Superstar talent like Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James and Chris The Athletic’s inaugural South Florida Hall of Fame Bosh came and went, but Wade, a 13-time All-Star, remained the constant as the face of the Heat franchise during each of their

championship runs. Andre Fernandez Dwyane Wade speaks during his jersey retirement celebration at Mar 25, 2020 AmericanAirlines Arena. (Kim Klement / USA Today)

The Perfect Season: 1972 Miami Dolphins

MIAMI — It seemed daunting at first. Other cities can claim some of football’s greatest dynasties. But only one team won every game it played. Larry Csonka ferociously defends that The challenge of picking an initial 25-person Hall of Fame class from a fact to this day as he and other surviving members of the team that went sports hotbed with a lot of history and tradition. 17-0 and won the Dolphins’ first Super Bowl championship continue to celebrate a feat unmatched in the 47 NFL seasons since. Csonka, Bob But we’re choosing the greatest of the greats from South Florida. So we Griese, Nick Buoniconti (the heart of this squad’s “No-Name Defense”), decided to have some fun with it (while trying to be as legit as possible). Larry Little, Paul Warfield, Jim Langer, coach Don Shula and then- And so you’ll find some individuals among this group who were born and director of player personnel Bobby Beathard have all been inducted into raised in the area. And others who are from elsewhere but left their the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team was recently ranked No. 1 on marks on South Florida throughout their careers and beyond. Annnnnnnd the NFL Network’s All-Time 100 Greatest Teams. we also cheated a little bit. The others We’re not exactly sure how many people are in our Hall of Fame (but The Arison family (Micky Arison, Heat owner, 1995-present) there’s only one rat!). You could argue at least seven members of the 1972 Dolphins should make the Hall individually (though we gave Don Beginning with his father, Ted, Micky Arison’s family is the reason Miami Shula, and Howard Schnellenberger their special places). has an NBA franchise. Ted, the co-founder of Carnival Cruise Lines, The Williamses and the Arisons and even Jason Taylor and Zach helped found the Heat in 1987. His son, Micky, has owned the team Thomas are combined entries. since 1995, when he made the critical move to hire Pat Riley as coach and team president. Arison is the longest-tenured and most successful Our final criterion was basically “Who belongs?” because of their impact owner of any of the area’s pro franchises, winning three NBA titles while on the South Florida sports scene. We ended up with 25 entries to make the Heat have grown into a $1.95 billion franchise according to Forbes’ it work. 2020 estimates, which ranks 12th in the league. Micky’s son, Nick, has We separated the five entries we all agreed were first-ballot selections at served as the team’s CEO since 2011. the top. The Other Two Heatles: Forwards Chris Bosh (2010-17) and LeBron Of course, this Hall of Fame belongs to you, the readers. So let us know James (2010-14) your thoughts on our inductees in the comment section below. Not five. Not six. Not seven… OK, it ended up being only two NBA titles Welcome to The Athletic’s South Florida Hall of Fame. for the Big 3. But James’ televised “Decision,” which followed Bosh’s commitment to join Wade in Miami, set off the most exciting chapter in The elite Heat history. The Heat made four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals Dan Marino (Dolphins quarterback, 1983-99) before James decided to go back home to Cleveland. Bosh was later forced to retire due to health issues, but the three future Basketball Hall Five quarterbacks were chosen in the 1983 NFL Draft before the of Famers’ time as “The Heatles” is probably only rivaled in Miami sports Dolphins made a franchise-changing decision to pick Marino 27th overall. history by the Dolphins of the early 1970s and the Hurricanes’ run in the After winning seven of his nine starts his rookie year, Marino set multiple 1980s/early ’90s. single-season records in 1984 as he led the Dolphins to Super Bowl XIX — his only appearance in the big game. Although he was never able to Jeff Conine (Marlins infielder/outfielder, 1993-97, 2003-05) hoist a Lombardi Trophy, Marino rewrote the NFL passing record book, “Mr. Marlin” remains arguably the most identifiable player in the holding the high marks for career completions, attempts, yards and franchise’s 27-year history. A part of both of the Marlins’ World Series touchdown passes when he retired. The Dolphins have spent the past championship teams in addition to being a member of their inaugural two decades struggling to find a talent even remotely close to what they squad, Conine, now 53, played eight seasons overall for the Marlins, had when Marino, a 2005 Pro Football Hall of Famer, wore the aqua and hitting .290 with 120 home runs and 553 RBIs over that span. A two-time orange. All-Star, one of Conine’s most memorable moments came in his only Pat Riley (Heat coach, 1995-2003, 05-08; team president, 1995-present) career All-Star Game at-bat when he hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit home run to earn MVP honors in 1995. The Miami Heat wouldn’t be what they are today if Micky Arison hadn’t persuaded Riley to leave the Knicks in 1995 and become the head Chris Evert (Tennis legend) coach/team president in charge of the future of a young franchise then in Born in Fort Lauderdale, Evert’s accomplishments stand out among all its eighth season. Without “The Godfather,” there’s no “Heat Culture” that the great individual athletes to ever come from South Florida. Evert, a entices All-Stars like Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas, finished as the world’s No. 1-ranked LeBron James and Chris Bosh to come to Miami. There’s no drafting women’s player seven out of eight years from 1974-81. She won 18 Dwyane Wade in 2003. There aren’t three NBA championships and a grand slam singles titles as well as three doubles titles, finishing with 157 transformation of the Heat into a globally recognized franchise. singles titles and 32 doubles titles overall. She and her brother, John, co- Don Shula (Dolphins coach, 1970-1995) own a tennis academy in Boca Raton and Evert, 65, continues to work as a national broadcaster for major tennis tournaments. Shula transformed the Dolphins from a struggling four-year expansion franchise into a Super Bowl champion within three years of his arrival in José Fernández (Marlins , 2013-16) 1970, securing Miami’s first world championship after completing the only The Marlins never had a pitcher before or since with the kind of electric undefeated season in NFL history. The Dolphins made it back-to-back stuff that Fernández showed during his all-too-brief major-league career. titles in 1973 and reached the Super Bowl two more times under Shula, The 2013 Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star, who had only two losing seasons in 33 years as coach. Shula is still the Fernández became a main-event attraction at Marlins Park where he winningest coach in NFL history (347) and was inducted into the Pro compiled an absurd 29-2 record and 1.49 ERA in 42 career starts. Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Fernández’s backstory, fleeing from Cuba on a treacherous journey with Dwyane Wade (Heat guard, 2003-16, 2018-19) his family that involved him saving his mother’s life at sea, resonated with Miami’s Cuban exile community. His death shocked the baseball world and caused a ripple effect still being felt to this day. The Marlins have not retiring last summer as the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, been the same since, plunging into another prolonged rebuilding period wins and shutouts. A two-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold following another ownership change. The circumstances surrounding the medalist for his native Canada, Luongo finished second all time in games boating accident that claimed his life and the lives of two others made played for a goaltender (1,044) behind Martin Brodeur (1,230) and third him a polarizing figure but one who is still beloved by many around in career wins (489). He also led the NHL in saves during the final two baseball and in South Florida. seasons of his first stint with the Panthers.

Ron Fraser (Hurricanes baseball coach, 1963-92) Alonzo Mourning (Heat center/power forward, 1995-2002, 2005-08)

The Wizard of College Baseball used his marketing prowess to help build Zo was the focal point of the Heat’s first push to becoming one of the the sport into what it is today. Not only did he jump-start the program in NBA’s elite teams in the mid-’90s. The former Georgetown center and Coral Gables, but he also got ESPN to begin televising college baseball Basketball Hall of Famer would become a seven-time All-Star and the games. On the field, Fraser won 1,271 games, made 12 trips to the heart and soul of those Heat teams that never got further than the College World Series and won national titles in 1982 and 1985. Fraser Eastern Conference finals (in 1997) but laid the foundation for future passed away in 2013 at age 79. success. Mourning’s remarkable return 15 months after a kidney transplant allowed him to taste championship success for the first time in Udonis Haslem (Heat forward, 2003-present) 2006 during his second stint with the Heat.

While he doesn’t have the athletic résumé of Wade, James or other Throughout his career, Mourning became an integral part of the local superstars to don a Heat uniform, Haslem is among the most beloved community with initiatives like his “Zo’s Summer Groove” basketball Heat players of all time. Haslem, who could be playing his final NBA tournaments as well as a youth center for underprivileged kids in the season (assuming it restarts), has spent all of his 17 years in the league inner city. He and his wife, Tracy, also founded a high school named in Miami, where he went to school. He remains a respected member of after them in North Miami Beach in 2009. Mourning remains a part of the the local community and has opened a number of restaurants in the area. Heat’s front office as their vice president of player programs and Haslem, an alum of Miami Senior High, rarely plays in games anymore development. Mourning’s son, Trey, plays for the Heat’s G League team but remains a respected locker room leader for the Heat and is the in Sioux Falls, S.D. franchise’s career leader in rebounds. Shaquille O’Neal (Heat center, 2004-08) Ted Hendricks (Hurricanes defensive end, 1966-68) Although Shaq was born in Newark, N.J., went to college at LSU and The Mad Stork won four Super Bowls, made six All-Pro teams and was made many stops during his career, there’s no denying the importance of named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL’s 100th Anniversary his nearly four years in a Heat uniform. O’Neal’s status as an NBA All-Time Team after a stellar 15-year pro playing career with the Colts, legend and champion was secure even before he arrived in Miami. But Packers and Raiders. But his career began at Hialeah High and took off the acquisition of “The Diesel” helped the Heat win their first at the University of Miami, where he made three All-America teams and championship and represented Riley’s ongoing ability to acquire elite became the first of seven Hurricanes players inducted into the College talent, which would show again later that decade when forming the Big 3. Football Hall of Fame. The Ted Hendricks Award has been given annually to college football’s top defensive end since 2002. The Rat (Panthers prop, 1996-present)

Wayne Huizenga (Marlins owner, 1993-98; Panthers owner, 1993-2001; This could be the first time a prop makes it into a Hall of Fame, but, hey, Dolphins principal owner, 1994-2009) we’re trendsetters at The Athletic.

For a five-year period in the mid-1990s, Huizenga practically owned the The Panthers have been to the playoffs only four times since 1996, “The South Florida sports world. After helping establish the expansion Marlins Year of the Rat.” And to this day, if you ask any longtime South Florida and Panthers, Huizenga became the principal owner of the Dolphins. sports fans what their lasting memory of the Panthers is, they’ll probably Huizenga, who passed away in 2018 at age 80, was highly criticized for tell you about the season fans started throwing rubber rats onto the ice selling the Marlins after tearing down the club’s roster immediately after after goals during their run to the Stanley Cup final. they won the 1997 World Series championship. But the longtime South Florida business tycoon, who also founded several companies including The legend began after a real-life rat appeared in the Panthers locker Blockbuster Video, AutoNation and Waste Management, Inc., presided room before a game on Oct. 8, 1995, at the old . Then- over the early years of the Panthers (1996 Stanley Cup finalists) and Panthers captain shot the rat across the room with his brought Jimmy Johnson in as coach of the Dolphins after Shula’s stick, killing it, and later went out and scored two goals. Goalie John retirement. Vanbiesbrouck joked that he scored a “rat trick.” Before you knew it, more and more fans were flinging rubber rats on to the ice after goals (Hurricanes receiver, 1984-87) and wins. The home ice was often covered from end to end (with then- owner Wayne Huizenga and his wife even tossing them over the glass). The Playmaker won three Super Bowl titles and made five Pro Bowls and Fans watching at home even claimed they tossed the fake vermin at their three All-Pro teams in his 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, but he TVs as they watched the Panthers knock off the Bruins, Flyers and began his career at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas before Penguins in the postseason before losing to the Avalanche in the finals. becoming a star at the University of Miami. One of 17 children, Irvin set school records for catches, yards, and touchdown receptions at Miami These days, the tradition continues as fans throw dozens of rats on the and helped lead the Hurricanes to the 1987 national championship. ice after home wins. There probably isn’t a bigger ambassador for The U today than Irvin. Ed Reed (Hurricanes safety, 1997-01) Jimmy Johnson (Hurricanes football coach, 1984-88; Dolphins coach, 1996-99) Like Irvin, few former Hurricanes have been better ambassadors for the program over the years than Reed, now 41, who was hired by Manny The Port Arthur, Texas, native inherited a program fresh off its first Diaz earlier this year to be the program’s first chief of staff. Before he national championship in 1983 and elevated the Canes into a national picked off 64 passes in his career, won a Super Bowl in Baltimore, made powerhouse, winning the 1987 national title and going 52-9 in his five eight All-Pro teams, earned the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year seasons as coach. During his tenure, the Hurricanes set school records award in 2004 and earned a spot on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All- for consecutive wins with 36 and finished ranked in the top two of the Time Team, Reed was a consensus two-time All-American at Miami and Associated Press poll in his final three seasons. He went on to coach the played a huge role on the 2001 national title team. It’s amazing to think Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories and coach the Miami the Destrehan, La., native is one of only seven former Hurricanes players Dolphins for four years before becoming a TV analyst on Fox. Johnson, in the College Football Hall of Fame. 76, lives in Islamorada and remains closely tethered to The U, making occasional appearances in Coral Gables to support coach Manny Diaz. Joe Robbie (Dolphins founder/owner, 1966-1990)

Jimmy Johnson (Kirby Lee / USA Today) Robbie founded the first major sports franchise in Miami when he and comedian Danny Thomas established the Dolphins as an American Roberto Luongo (Panthers goalie, 2000-06, 2014-19) Football League team in 1966. After four tough seasons for his young team, Robbie would hire Don Shula in 1970 following the AFL-NFL Although he wasn’t able to lead the Panthers to a Stanley Cup, Luongo merger, and the franchise would take off, becoming a two-time Super spent a combined 11 seasons over two stints with the team before Bowl champion within the ensuing five years. Robbie later moved the Dolphins from the Orange Bowl to his self-named Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987. Robbie remained the principal owner of the team until his death in 1990 and also owned the and Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League.

Howard Schnellenberger (Hurricanes football coach, 1979-83; Dolphins assistant, 1970-72, 1975-78; FAU coach, 2001-11)

The pipe-toting, deeply baritone-voiced coach who recruited Joe Namath to Alabama for Bear Bryant laid the foundation for the University of Miami’s first national championship in 1983 and then built FAU’s football program in Boca Raton from the ground up two decades later. Raised in Louisville and an All-American end at Kentucky, he took what he learned from Bryant and as an assistant under Don Shula and compiled a 158- 151-3 record as a college coach, also spending time at Louisville and Oklahoma. Schnellenberger, now 86, is a member of both the University of Miami and FAU Sports Halls of Fame.

Jason Taylor (Dolphins defensive end, 1997-2007, 2009, 2011) and Zach Thomas (Dolphins linebacker, 1996-2007)

Forever linked as the centerpieces of Jimmy Johnson’s rebuilt Dolphins of the late 1990s, Taylor and Thomas both became memorable figures in South Florida sports history. Taylor was even married to Thomas’ sister, Katina, for five years and they had three children together before splitting up in 2015.

Taylor fell to the third round of the 1997 draft where the Dolphins chose him out of Akron University. Despite not having the prototypical build of a defensive end at a lean 6-6 and 240 pounds, he showed an uncanny ability to rush the passer. Taylor went on to record 139.5 sacks, seventh- best all time, and finished his career as a six-time Pro Bowler. He was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2007 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Thomas has yet to make it to Canton, though he is a college Hall of Famer. The Dolphins drafted Thomas in the fifth round in 1996 out of Texas Tech upon Johnson’s arrival. Born in Pampa, Texas, Thomas went on to become a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and record 1,720 tackles, 20.5 sacks and 17 interceptions during a 13-year career.

There probably hasn’t been a better sibling rivalry in sports than Venus and Serena Williams on the tennis court. Although neither was born in South Florida, they each established roots in the area early in their careers.

They have combined to win 30 grand slam singles titles and 28 in doubles. Serena’s 23 grand slam singles titles are the most by any man or woman in the Open era.

The sisters also have combined to win 11 singles titles at Miami’s premier tennis event, the Miami Open, which is often considered the unofficial fifth grand slam. Serena has won eight of those but lost her only championship meeting against Venus in 1999.

In 2009, Venus and Serena became minority owners of the Dolphins, becoming the first black women to own any stake in an NFL franchise. They have also lived near each other for several years in Boca Raton.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172974 Los Angeles Kings

NHL postpones 2020 draft amid coronavirus pandemic

By JACK HARRISSTAFF WRITER

MARCH 25, 20202:48 PM

The NHL announced the postponement of its draft, scouting combine and annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, the latest major events to be disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

No new date for any of the events was announced, adding another layer of uncertainty to an offseason that could be crucial to both the Kings’ and Ducks’ rebuilds.

When the NHL suspended play earlier this month, both Southland teams were in the bottom five of the league’s standings. If the regular season isn’t completed, they will both be set for high lottery picks in the draft.

When that will take place, and how the teams will evaluate potential prospects, however, remains to be seen. The ombine was scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y. The draft was originally slated for June 26-27 in Montreal.

The NHL isn’t the first U.S. sports league that has had to alter its draft plans. The NFL canceled its in-person event in Las Vegas, originally scheduled for April, and will instead stage the draft in a TV studio. Major League Baseball is reportedly considering skipping its 2020 draft, originally scheduled for June 10-12, in order to save money in what will likely be a shortened season.

The NHL has never canceled a draft since it was first held in 1963. The last time it wasn’t held during its normal late June time slot was in 2005, when the NHL’s season-long lockout pushed it back to July.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172975 Los Angeles Kings

NHL postpones draft, awards show and combine because of coronavirus

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: March 25, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. | UPDATED: March 25, 2020 at 3:30 p.m.

With its 2019-20 season already suspended indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL announced Wednesday that it had postponed its annual entry draft and said it would announce a new date, venue and format “when details are finalized.”

The draft was originally scheduled for June 26-27 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

“While today’s news is disappointing for fans of hockey in general and those here in Montreal in particular, this is the right decision to make under the circumstances,” France Margaret Belanger, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for the Canadiens, said in a statement. “I’m confident that the league will propose an alternative that will be in the best interest of all hockey fans.”

The league also postponed its draft lottery, which was tentatively set for April 9 before play was suspended March 12 with 3 1/2 weeks to play. The Ducks, with the fifth-worst record in the league, and the Kings, with the fourth, were both lottery bound when play was halted.

The Ducks have seven selections in the seven-round draft, including two in the first round.

The Kings have 11 picks, including three in the second round.

The NHL also said it had postponed its scouting combine, which was to be held June 1-6 in Buffalo, New York, and the NHL Awards, set for June 18 in Las Vegas. A makeup date for the combine, the last chance to evaluate and interview top draft-eligible players, was not announced.

Of the awards ceremony, the league said only that it “looks forward to returning to Las Vegas.” The league has held its show in Las Vegas since 2009. The NHL did not present its awards during a show after the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, but handed them out during the Stanley Cup Final.

The league said Monday it had made no decision about resuming the 2019-20 regular season or what format the playoffs might take, but it is determined to conduct a postseason and award the Stanley Cup without shortening the 2020-21 season.

There had been speculation that the draft and free agency would be conducted on a delayed basis following whatever form the playoffs take, with a short break before the start of the next season to follow. It could mean the Stanley Cup isn’t awarded until August or September.

In that case, the 2020-21 season might not start until Nov. 1, one month later than customary.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172976 Minnesota Wild

NHL postpones draft, combine and awards

By Sarah McLellan

MARCH 25, 2020 — 4:30PM

Games aren't the only events on the NHL calendar up in the air.

The NHL announced Thursday it has postponed the 2020 draft, scouting combine and its annual awards due to the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

Originally, the combine was scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, the awards show June 18 in Las Vegas and the draft June 26-27 in Montreal. The location, timing and format of the draft – and draft lottery – will be revealed when details are finalized.

Since 2009, Las Vegas has hosted the NHL Awards and the league said it looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future.

On March 12, the NHL paused its season amid the global outbreak of COVID-19 and it remains unclear how or when the league might resume play despite that being the NHL’s hope.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172977 Minnesota Wild

NHL postpones draft amid coronavirus pandemic

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

March 25, 2020 at 4:58 p.m.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread through the world, the NHL on Wednesday afternoon announced the postponements of the NHL Scouting Combine, the NHL Awards and, most notably, the NHL Draft.

All events were scheduled for June with the NHL Draft scheduled to take place on June 26-27 in Montreal.

The decision comes 11 days after the NHL suspended its season indefinitely in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our goal is to resume play as soon as it is appropriate and prudent, so that we will be able to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup,” commissioner Gary Bettman said in a release at the time.

While there is still no timetable on when the league might play again, the fact that things keep getting pushed back doesn’t bode well for the future of the 2019-20 campaign.

Meanwhile, the location, timing and format of the NHL Draft will be announced when details are finalized.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172978 MontrealCanadiens but never managed a four-peat. Two seasons later, he was out of the league. Anyway, Bulis’ career game evidently sparked the Canadiens, who won eight of their next 12.

Three games that defined a season: The 15-year Canadiens Viewing The limited edition director’s cut: Canadiens 6, Maple Leafs 2, March 25 Guide, Part 1 Everybody loves a good pummelling of the Leafs, right? This was the eighth meeting of the year (speaking of which, the NHL should go back to that) and the second of two games in three nights between the teams at By Sean Gordon the Bell Centre; Toronto lost both, badly, to fatally wound their playoff hopes. But this one was about more than the score. By this point in his Mar 25, 2020 Canadiens tenure, Alex Kovalev was firmly established as l’Artiste, and fans had bestowed their ultimate honour: the slowly building, Guy Lafleur-style roar whenever he picked up the puck. Kovalev was already At this point, the odds are strong you have significant time on your a legend, but it grew a couple of sizes in the third period. The March 23rd hands. game between the teams had a surly ending (Garth Murray and Ben Ondrus dropped the gloves in the final minute) and the ill will carried So allow The Athletic to fill it! The NHL is opening up the archives, a over. Montreal had a commanding 5-2 lead after two periods, so it turned whole bunch of classic games are accessible for free and so is all of the into a fight-filled penalty fest. With the game out of reach, former current season, which means there is suddenly an opportunity to dig Canadien Darcy Tucker threw a sneaky elbow/punch/high stick at through the crates and play some of the old hits. Kovalev as he cut across the middle of the Leafs’ zone. Yeah, bad idea. To enthusiastically and egregiously rip off borrow an idea from colleague The roar from the crowd when Kovalev zestfully leaned into maybe the Eric Koreen, who put together the essential viewing guide to 25 years of single dirtiest play perpetrated by a Canadien in the 21st century was the Raptors, we’ve decided to cobble together a Canadiens version. The priceless. Oh, and the back-to-back wins over Toronto kicked off a 10-2 time frame stretches back to the 2004-05 lockout, which seems like a streak that catapulted Montreal to the postseason. Kovalev scored 13 good delineation point for the current era. points in the final 14 games. The idea here is to pick a trio of games that tell the story of the season. 2006-07 They’re not necessarily the best games the Canadiens played, although there are a few of those. In the spirit of spending lots of time sitting in It took a little bit of time for the Canadiens to find their feet under their front of a screen, we’ve divvied them into three categories. The first is the new coach, Carbonneau. But they’d be competitive, and in the thick of wide release for a general audience, i.e., the game just about everyone the playoff race right until the last week of the season. remembers, for good or ill. Next you have the boutique-y, enthusiast pick, the one that’s likely to end up becoming a regular feature on second-run For wide release, all audiences: Canadiens 5, Maple Leafs 6, April 7 screens. Finally, you have a selection for the box-set crowd, the Montreal goes into Toronto with the playoffs on the line for both teams. discerning fan. The visitors get off to an iffy start going down 3-1, but then Michael Your mileage may very when it comes to finding full-length games from Ryder, the pride of Bonavista, N.L., and future denter of Stanley Cups, before 2013, but where possible we’ve included a link. Without any scores a natural hat trick in just under six minutes in the second period. further ado, let’s get to the games in part one from 2005-06 to 2010-11. The Canadiens end up building a 5-3 lead via Christopher Higgins … which they would promptly give up. When it was all over, Toronto 2005-06 celebrated knocking out their old rival with gusto and securing their own ticket to the playoffs. It was short-lived; the Islanders beat the Devils – You may remember this as the post-lockout season where general who prepped for the playoffs by sitting Martin Brodeur in favour of Scott manager Bob Gainey traded away his Hart-winning goalie, Jose Clemmensen in goal – in a shootout the next day to finish one point Théodore, and fired Claude Julien. Gainey appointed himself as the ahead of the Leafs for the final playoff spot in the East. interim coach, alongside his former linemate . The understanding was Carbonneau would take over as head man the The art-house repertory staple: Canadiens 8, Avalanche 5, Oct. 21 following season, and the team responded to the changes in a big way. The season would nevertheless end amid a lot of what-ifs. Before there was Shea Weber, there was Sheldon Souray, whose shot from the point used to terrify opponents and teammates alike. Two weeks For wide release, all audiences: Canadiens 1, Carolina 2, Apr. 26 into the season Souray scored on two power-play rockets in a wild 8-5 win in which he also added a pair of assists. When the dust on the Saku Koivu started the season with 25 points in his first 20 games, then season had settled, he finished with 19 power-play goals, setting a new picked up an injury at the end of November that cost him all but two league record for defencemen. Anyway, footage from that game isn’t games in December and stalled both his and the team’s momentum. But easy to find, here’s a fan-made video of Souray’s assist on Ryder’s tying the Canadiens put on a spirited late-season charge to reach the playoffs 5-on-4 goal. As an aside, look at how terrible cell phone cameras were and smoked the heavily-favoured Hurricanes in the first two games of back then! their first-round series. They ended up chasing Martin Gerber from the Carolina net, and were mostly carrying the play in Game 3. Then, early in The limited edition director’s cut: Canadiens 3, Oilers 2 (OT), Nov. 7 the second period, Koivu cut to the net and Justin Williams moved in to lift his stick. Instead, his blade went under Koivu’s visor and clipped his Anyone remember the Canadiens’ first post-lockout training camp, and eye; it was immediately apparent to everyone in the Bell Centre (and the chants of ‘Gui, Gui, Gui’ aimed at a certain 18-year-old goal scorer watching on television) that it was bad. Montreal did manage to take a 1- who was the best player on the ice? We don’t either. Guillaume 0 second period lead through Richard Zednik’s power-play goal, but Latendresse was sent back to junior for more seasoning and made his losing Koivu was a blow from which they wouldn’t recover. Eric Staal won full NHL debut in October of 2006. He didn’t exactly set the world on fire, the game with a power-play goal in overtime (Tomas Plekanec had been but by early November injuries forced Carbonneau to try him out on the whistled for hooking), Cam Ward emerged as a Conn Smythe-worthy the top line for the first time, alongside Koivu and Kovalev. So of course starter, and Carolina went all the way. If you really want to relive this he promptly banged in his first goal by sniffing out a rebound. It was memory, go to the 3:55 mark of this video. It doesn’t get any easier to initially announced as Koivu’s, because of course it was. watch with the passage of time. 2007-08 The art-house repertory staple: Canadiens 5, Flyers 3, Jan. 25 After missing the playoffs, the Canadiens rebounded in a big way, When the Canadiens arrived in Philadelphia in the last week of January, finishing first in the conference standings for the first time since 1993. they’d lost three straight (and 11 of 15 overall), they hadn’t won on the The renaissance coincided with the emergence of Carey Price as the road in seven tries. The team was reeling, and Gainey had told forward team’s starting goalie. He filled in for an injured Cristobal Huet in the first Jan Bulis after the morning skate he would be a healthy scratch that month of the season, and was thrust into the starting role at age 20 when night. A few hours later he reversed course and decided to include him Gainey traded Huet to the Washington Capitals on Feb. 28. after all. Bulis responded by scoring four times. “It was four goals on four For wide release, all audiences: Canadiens 6, Rangers 5 (SO), Feb. 19 shots,” Bulis said. “A game like this sometimes is once in a career.” Fact check: true! Bulis did score a hat trick against Boston later in the year, Sometimes a hockey game is more than just a single sporting event. The limited edition director’s cut: Canadiens 6, Thrashers 3, March 24 Under the right circumstances it can ascend to the lofty status of self- sustaining myth. The biggest comeback in Canadiens history fits that bill. Gainey’s big summer acquisition came in the form of Alex Tanguay, and This is the U2-at-Olympic-Stadium of hockey games; the number of the casual fan may forget just how good he was in his short stint in people who claim they were there is vastly larger than the actual number Montreal. He had 19 points in 24 games before injuring a shoulder of attendees. Montreal went down 5-0 in this one, against Tampa in December. He missed two months and then picked up had two of the Rangers’ tallies. But then Ryder scored with just over 11 where he left off. The high point was a five-point night against the Atlanta minutes to play in the second. He would add a second four minutes later. Thrashers. He scored twice, including the game-winner, and added three Then Kovalev scored and Mark Streit got another nine seconds later. assists in just 12:41 of ice time alongside Koivu and Kovalev. Check out There was a sense of inevitability when Marek Malik went off for hooking the moves on the opening goal: late in the third. Kovalev scored on the power play, Koivu scored in the Tanguay ended up moving on in the offseason, along with Koivu, shootout, and a city started to believe. A week later the Canadiens beat Kovalev and seven other players as Gainey decided to overhaul the team Atlanta to go into first place in the Eastern Conference, a spot they would in free agency. hold at season’s end. 2009-10 The art-house repertory staple: Canadiens 5, Bruins 0, April 21 Having hired Jacques Martin, shipped prospect Ryan McDonagh to the Facing Boston in the playoffs, Price won the first two games and then New York Rangers for Scott Gomez (college defence prospects don’t posted a shutout to stake the Canadiens to a 3-1 series lead in Game 4, always pan out, right?), and signed Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri, becoming the first Montreal rookie to blank the opposition in the Jaroslav Spacek, and Travis Moen in free agency, Gainey postseason since in 1986. Thus began the ‘Jesus Price shoves his chips into the middle of the table for the second half of the Saves’ talk. Boston promptly won the next two games to tie the series. In Canadiens’ eternal centennial celebration. It results in a Cinderella the decider, Koivu and Kovalev set up Mike Komisarek three minutes into playoff run, despite an injury to keystone defenceman Andrei Markov the game for the only playoff goal of his career, and Andrei Kostitsyn did early in the second round, which helps mark the arrival of a brash rookie the rest with two goals and an assist. Price barred the door for his on the Montreal blue line. second shutout in six days. Things were looking up! Then the Canadiens became so transfixed by the Flyers crest on Martin Biron’s jersey that For wide release, all audiences: Canadiens 4, Capitals 1, April 26 they could do nothing more than shoot directly at it in the second round. Price won his first two games of the season, but dropped his next four The limited edition director’s cut: Canadiens 3, Penguins 2, Oct. 10 starts. Jaroslav Halak stepped in, and won four straight. Uh-oh. Price was in the net for most of November, but by December, he’d effectively History will remember this game as Price’s first regular-season NHL start. lost the starting job. Halak led the Canadiens into the playoffs, after a In it, he showed several of the qualities that have come to define his fashion; Montreal qualified on the final day of the season by taking a game. Gotta like the generic, white Itech facemask. Arrange your own loser point against Toronto. They faced the all-conquering Capitals, who paint job, rookie. finished with 121 points in the regular season, in the first round. And 2008-09 damn if they didn’t win. Halak won Game 6 at the Bell Centre almost single-handedly, making 53 saves. It was a towering performance. Coming off a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens Washington didn’t stand a chance in Game 7. entered their centennial season (well, part one of it anyway) with a sense of optimism. Then Andrei Markov got tied up with Price and sliced a foot The art-house repertory staple: Canadiens 5, Bruins 1, Dec. 4 tendon in the regular season opener. That was the first bad omen. It Nobody in sports does high pageantry quite like the Montreal Canadiens, would end in chaos. Price hurt his ankle and rushed back to play in the and on the actual centenary of their founding they put on a presentation All-Star Game at the Bell Centre, which also featured, er, Mike for the ages. Basically everyone who is anyone was there, from Patrick Komisarek. Rumours started flying that George Gillett was looking to sell Roy to Jean Béliveau. It was really cool, and is totally worth watching the team, Gainey told Kovalev to stay home as the team went on a two- again. game road trip because he was playing so badly, Andrei Kostitsyn and Roman Hamrlik were revealed to be hanging around with a gangland When the game itself rolled around, the Canadiens were clearly inspired. figure (a grubby episode to be sure, but it didn’t live up to the media hype Defenceman Jaroslav Spacek got things going in the first, Cammalleri when the Canadiens traveled back from a game in Pittsburgh – talk radio scored a hat trick, with his final goal chasing Tim Thomas, and the home was buzzing with word of a “bombshell” that would “shake the columns of team hammered the Bruins 5-1. Price started and was actually the busier the temple”). Also, Carbonneau got fired. of the goalies in that game, saving 37 of 38 Boston shots.

For wide release, all audiences: Canadiens 1, Bruins 4, April 22 The limited edition director’s cut: Canadiens 2, Flyers 3, Feb. 12

Gainey once again took over behind the bench for the stretch run after This game marked the NHL debut of one Pernell Karl Subban, who firing Carbonneau on March 9, and the Canadiens managed to limp into recorded an assist in 18:04 of ice time and generally looked like a force the playoffs despite losing their last four games of the regular season, of nature in waiting. It was the first date in a two-game cameo in the claiming the East’s eighth and final spot over Florida because of the regular season; he would join the team permanently in the playoffs, first head-to-head tiebreaker. They earned the right to face Boston, the because Spacek came down with the flu ahead of Game 6 against the newly-anointed conference champions. It was quick, but not merciful. Capitals in the first round and then because of Markov’s injury in Game 1 The Bruins swept their familiar rival, which was bad enough, but they against the Penguins in the second round. You might say he became a also succeeded in turning the Bell Centre against Price. With 4:21 to play central player in the Canadiens drama. in the second period of the fourth and deciding game, Mark Recchi 2010-11 cleared a puck in on the Montreal net. It was maybe the lowest moment of Price’s career, so let’s let Bruins play-by-play man Jack Edwards This would be the first full year together for the Canadiens’ new core of narrate it, shall we? Price, Pacioretty, and Subban, who became the first rookie defenceman in franchise history to score a hat trick, against Minnesota. The art-house repertory staple: Canadiens 2, Canucks 4, Feb. 15 For wide release, all audiences mature audiences only: Canadiens 4, The Canadiens got into the business of giving away games early in this Bruins 1, Mar. 8 season, sometimes in frankly bizarre circumstances. Well, like this: This one went down back in the days when Tuukka Rask couldn’t win in On Feb. 15, the Canadiens traveled to Vancouver, Price’s home turf. Montreal. The Canadiens had jumped out to a 4-0 lead when Zdeno Carbonneau ended up stapling the hometown kid to the bench, Jaroslav Chara decided that instead of letting Pacioretty scoot around him, he’d Halak having won the previous game against Colorado to snap a four- drive him into the stanchion between the players’ benches instead. game losing streak. The Canucks scored two goals in 48 seconds Hands down the most terrifying moment in the Bell Centre since Trent midway through the first and were off to the races. At least Price got to McCleary took a puck in the throat. come in and mop up, stopping the only shot he faced. After that game Carbonneau, who had tried everything from yelling to taking the team The art-house repertory staple: Canadiens 6, Bruins 8, Feb. 9 bowling (before a 7-2 pasting in Edmonton on Feb. 11), admitted to an interviewer that he was out of answers. Nine games later, he was gone. The Chara/Pacioretty incident happened in the return match-up to the Brawl in Boston a few weeks prior, a giant unmade bed of a game that featured this.

There was a lot of hand-wringing about the Canadiens’ lack of size and toughness after this one and whether they’d be able to compete in the postseason, if they got there. They did, and looked just fine. In fact, they pushed the first-place Bruins to the limit.

The limited edition director’s cut: Canadiens 3, Bruins 4, April 27

Montreal won the first two games of this series on the road, to everyone’s general surprise. Boston coach Claude Julien took his team to Lake Placid, N.Y., for a closed retreat between Game 3 and 4. This one was settled in Game 7 thanks mostly to Price. Subban’s tying goal with less than two minutes to play in the final game was a memorable moment; the Bruins survived thanks to a Nathan Horton shot that glanced off a sliding Jeff Halpern and into the net in overtime. It was a terrific, hard-fought game, and here it is in its entirety.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172979 MontrealCanadiens available to employees who could find themselves in a difficult financial situation as a direct result of the current pandemic. Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.”

What the Canadiens’ layoffs mean for their employees The plan bears similarities to the one announced on March 15 to help out the 1,200 game-day employees who are required to stage Canadiens games. Those arena workers who aren’t eligible for EI will be paid 75 percent of their regular salary for the equivalent of four home games By Sean Gordon (eight in the case of the Rocket); those who qualify for federal support will Mar 25, 2020 see their benefits topped up 40 percent. The next day, the Canadiens’ players said they will make up the difference between what the team is offering and what the workers would have otherwise received.

The Canadiens and the Molson family possess legendarily deep pockets, Perhaps a quick primer on what’s available to the workers in terms of but even considerable means are finite. public financial support is in order.

The holding company that owns the team has announced the temporary The Canadian government has introduced a series of emergency layoff of 60 percent of its workforce on March 30, COVID-19 oblige. It is measures, and on Wednesday it announced it is streamlining its also setting up a $6 million assistance fund to help supplement previously announced aid package into a single benefit that will pay unemployment benefits and provide urgent loans over the next eight $2,000 per month for up to four months for employees who are laid off, weeks. quarantined, self-employed or are out of work to care of a child or sick relative. Ottawa says online applicants should begin receiving benefits It would appear the decision was less about the suspension of the NHL within 10 days. season than the drying up of revenue on the concert and festival production side of the operation; “the entertainment side is a key factor in They can also apply for Employment Insurance. Anyone who has this decision,” said a source who declined to speak for the record. accumulated at least 700 hours of insurable work qualifies, which encompasses most part-time employees. The more insurable hours an Groupe CH, which owns the Canadiens, is heavily invested in the live employee has worked, the longer he or she can draw a benefit; the entertainment business via its (normally) vastly-profitable subsidiary, calculations can get complicated, but broadly speaking the maximum for evenko. It’s also majority shareholder in the Just For Laughs comedy someone who has worked exactly 700 hours is 14 weeks. Full-time festival (which is a separate entity and thus not affected by Tuesday’s employees can claim up to 45 weeks, but in most regions of Quebec a announcement, a company official said). In all, Groupe CH and its cap is set at 36 weeks (benefits are a function of the local unemployment creations stage 1,500 shows and other events per year. They own rate). multiple venues, which currently sit empty, and stage flagship events like the Montreal International Jazz Festival and Les Francos de Montréal. The program covers up to 55 percent of salary, up to $54,000. So the Will those festivals take place in June? It’s looking increasingly doubtful. maximum weekly benefit is in the order of $573 per week unless an employer offers a top-up, which Groupe CH is doing. Federal EI benefits In other words, the company that provides the best hedge against a are taxable, so the net amount is somewhat lower, depending on one’s downturn in hockey fortunes – and has done so admirably for the decade salary bracket. Molson and his partners have owned the Canadiens – has seen its revenues cut essentially to zero for the foreseeable future. There have There’s generally a one-week waiting period before cheques begin been repeated calls from within Quebec’s culture industry for emergency flowing, but the federal government has said it will be waived for people publicly-funded assistance, but whatever help might be coming isn’t yet who are under quarantine. available. It’s also a good bet there will be processing delays. More than a million If there was ever a perfect storm that could plausibly threaten to capsize Canadians have applied for EI in the past week as various sectors of the the good ship Canadiens, this is it. economy shut down; on the same day Groupe CH announced its temporary cuts, WestJet said 6,900 employees will either be laid off, take Thus, a short-term business decision to address flatlining revenues. The voluntary leave, or retire. Even governments are doing it. The City of team’s official statement on the matter sought to emphasize the word Quebec confirmed it has laid off 2,000 temporary and part-time workers ‘temporary’, and quoted Canadiens majority owner as this week. saying “we are working extremely hard to limit the impact this situation will have on our employees.” Employers all over Canada are shifting the burden of paying idle workers to government income support programs; Groupe CH is merely better A spokesperson for Groupe CH declined to specify how many employees known than most. are affected by the layoff notices, saying merely they are “company-wide and affect all areas.” But the company and its various tentacles employ As for the Canadiens’ players, well they’re paid through the first week of north of 500 people, so the layoffs will necessarily number in the April, as per the terms of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement. But hundreds; the Canadiens and their minor league affiliate the final three paycheques they’ll receive aren’t supported by any have roughly 80 staff on the hockey operations side. revenues; there is already talk in player and agent circles that escrow could hit 30 percent next season, maybe more. The remaining employees will take a temporary 20 percent pay cut; it applies to the people at the top of the organizational chart, including Marc Their involuntary pay cut is coming. Bergevin and Claude Julien.

So what’s going to happen to all the rest of these folks once the initial waves of shock (and in some cases anger) pass? The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020

There is that $6 million fund to top up federal unemployment benefits to 80 percent of the employees’ current salary for the next eight weeks; the announcement didn’t specify a maximum benefit amount. Because the company is privately held its payroll is not publicly disclosed; it could surely have limped along for a few more weeks but management evidently concluded the cost of setting up an assistance fund is less than what it would cost to keep paying employees their regular salary.

And what happens after eight weeks? Good question.

“Unfortunately, all we can do is watch the news, like everyone else,” said Groupe CH spokesperson Alex-Sandra Thibault.

The financial measures include a fund from which employees can ask for emergency loans; asked if everyone who works for Groupe CH will be eligible for such assistance, Thibault said via email that “it will be 1172980 Nashville Predators

NHL postpones draft, combine, awards in light of coronavirus pandemic

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean

Published 4:42 p.m. CT March 25, 2020 | Updated 6:30 p.m. CT March 25, 2020

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a pandemic. Reported illnesses range from very mild to severe, including death. Agencies anticipate widespread transmission will occur in the U.S. in coming months and recommend social distancing among other measures to slow the spread. Call your doctor and stay home if you are sick. Get more information at CDC.gov/coronavirus or contact the Tennessee Department of Health coronavirus information line at 877-857-2945 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT daily.

Its season already on "pause" since March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL announced Wednesday it has postponed the draft, the combine and the awards ceremony.

The draft was scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, while the combine was set for June 1-6 in Buffalo. The league's annual awards ceremony was supposed to take place June 18 in Las Vegas.

The league said timing and format for the draft and draft lottery will be "announced when details are finalized."

The league recommended that players self-isolate during the pandemic and said last week players were free to leave their teams' home cities.

The NHL, along with the NBA and Major League Baseball, have postponed their seasons because of the virus.

The NHL is holding out hope that this season – whether in condensed form or not – will still play out without affecting next season.

Predators President and CEO Sean Henry said when the suspension of the season was announced that he didn't want to speculate about if and/or when it might resume.

"I've never been big on hypotheticals," Henry said. "I can answer that in 15 different ways and be wrong 15 times. The real key is first you have to figure out when we should start playing before we can answer what we should do next. ... You have to look at what the bigger picture is and make sure the game fits within that."

A condensed version of the postseason remains an option.

Only twice has the Stanley Cup not been awarded.

The first time was 1919, when the Spanish Flu pandemic forced the Canadiens and Seattle Metropolitans to cancel their series, which was tied 2-2-1. The second time was 2005, when a lockout forced the cancellation.

This week's postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo could open the door for the NHL to extend its postseason further into the summer and still broadcast games on NBC.

Tennessean LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172981 Nashville Predators

Predators sign Tommy Novak to entry-level contract

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean

Published 1:00 p.m. CT March 25, 2020 | Updated 1:12 p.m. CT March 25, 2020

With the NHL season on pause, Predators general manager has kept busy collecting autographs on contracts

Poile signed his fourth player in six days Wednesday, this time 22-year- old forward Tommy Novak, who inked a two-year, entry-level deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Tommy is a person who has earned everything that he's been given," Predators director of player personnel and Milwaukee Admirals general manager Scott Nichol said in a statement. "We've wanted him in our system for a long time. ... We love his skillset, his hockey sense, how he makes plays and how he sees the ice so well."

Novak is third on the Admirals with 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) in his first professional season. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound 22-year-old was chosen in the third round -- 85th overall -- by the Predators in the 2015 draft.

Novak had 88 points (18 goals, 70 assists) in 129 games spanning four collegiate seasons at Minnesota, which he helped to two consecutive Big Ten titles in 2016 and 2017.

The Predators signed goalie Connor Ingram on Tuesday, forward Patrick Harper on Friday and forward Cole Smith on March 19.

Tennessean LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172982 Nashville Predators the national effort to keep the coronavirus pandemic from spreading and spiking beyond the capacity of the U.S. healthcare system.

Growing concerns over the economy have changed consumers' needs in With NHL, NBA seasons in limbo and teams refusing to refund tickets, the meantime. fan tension is rising “People are out here unable to get basic necessities and @StubHub refuses to issue refunds until @MLB 'cancels’ games that tickets have been purchased for,” a Twitter user identified as Adam Erickson wrote Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY last week. “I’m not getting what I paid for and in times like these, your companies need to do better. Do the right thing!” Published 7:59 a.m. CT March 25, 2020 | Updated 12:38 p.m. CT March 25, 2020 StubHub’s Twitter account responded to this complaint by saying it was sorry for his frustration but noted that tickets remain valid for a later date

when the games are rescheduled. This reply didn’t go over well with the Tensions are starting to simmer between professional sports teams and customer. some of their best customers. “People can’t get water, toilet paper, daycare and your (sic) keeping After postponing games indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of consumers dollars over a technicality,” Erickson responded some teams from the NBA, NHL and major league baseball are back to StubHub. effectively keeping the money of customers who bought tickets to those The teams and ticket marketplaces have their own financial obligations games. Instead of giving cash refunds, these businesses have operated and staffing issues and aren't always eager to give back cash until it’s under their normal ticket policies for postponed or rained-out games – necessary. StubHub, for example, makes money from transaction fees holding the money as credit to be used whenever their games resume. and could lose that revenue if games are officially canceled and they Nashville Predators fans who want refunds for postponed events should have to give it back to customers. request those refunds from the original point of purchase. If events are StubHub and other re-sellers are “rooting for postponement” and canceled, such as the SEC men's basketball tournament and the Zac rescheduled games because of this, Knopp said. Brown concert, they'll get an automatic refund immediately. That also applies to the six remaining scheduled home games for the Predators. Still 'business as usual'?

Team president and CEO Sean Henry said Wednesday approximately The tension stems from teams and ticket marketplaces engaging in a 4,000 refunds have been issued for postponed events at Bridgestone business-as-usual postponement policy at a time that is decidedly not Arena, most of which have been for the six remaining home games. business as usual for consumers.

The team also has extended indefinitely the deadline for season-ticket Refund policies can vary by team, but many team websites and holders to purchase 2020 playoff tickets and suspended indefinitely all messages essentially tell fans to "hold onto your tickets" for possible deadlines and payments. future use.

"We took a pause on all collections because we thought it was right for a When the NHL 'paused' its season on March 12, Henry assured fans lot of reasons," Henry said. they would receive refunds for single-game and season-ticket purchases in the event Bridgestone Arena games were officially canceled. But these aren’t normal times, and these are not normal postponements. And with the nation’s economy continuing to crater, ticket holders want The team had six home games scheduled before the league suspended their money back in cash, even if those games haven’t yet been officially play. canceled. "If we aren't going to play a game, we want to make sure they get their “It’s a disaster," said Tony Knopp, CEO of TicketManager, which helps money back as fast as possible, or reuse it for something else they'd like companies manage tickets for entertaining clients. to do," Henry said, suggesting some people might want to donate their refunds to other funds or bank it for future use. More than $1 billion in consumer capital is tied up in tickets to games that are stuck in limbo because of the pandemic, according to conservative In the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers have a slightly different message, estimates. It affects ticket holders of all stripes and trickles downstream stating that tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase "if you have to the secondary markets, such as StubHub, which faces its own travel or health concerns related to any of the upcoming games." financial reckoning if games are canceled. Other season-ticket holders bristled when their accounts were charged Many fans have shared their complaints on social media. as normal by teams that collect money from them on payment plans, including this month by the Cleveland Indians. “Absolutely ridiculous tickets can’t be refunded because there might be 'make up’ games,’” a Twitter user identified as Mitchell Coleman wrote to “Our season-ticket holders who are on a payment plan had their March the NHL. “Come off it. Not everyone can just jump on a plane and travel payment processed because Major League Baseball is currently still to the location to see a make up game. Wake up and refund me for my planning to play a full season of games,” team spokesman Bart Swain tickets purchased for Vegas.” wrote in an e-mail. “We will not be charging any additional payments unless MLB provides guidance at that time that we plan to play a full Knopp, whose company works with several large businesses, said that season of games. As soon as we learn a game is cancelled and not even large companies who bought tickets to entertain clients are losing rescheduled by MLB, we will offer fan-friendly value options to season- patience. “People are losing their jobs and they’ve got money tied up in ticket holders to either exchange cancelled games or receive a refund.” these tickets, for games we don’t know when they’re going to happen,” Knopp said. Likewise, NFL teams have deferred payment schedules on season tickets, including the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. Ticket holders also are banging on the virtual doors of Ticketmaster and StubHub, which has a policy of not refunding games that haven’t been “Games and concerts have always been a break from daily life,” said officially canceled. Patrick Ryan, co-founder of Eventellect, a ticket sales strategy company. “ I think people miss them badly. And therefore with the uncertainty “If the event is postponed, ticket buyers can choose to either attend the around live events they are wanting new dates to get set or the ability to event on the new date or resell the ticket,” StubHub said in a statement. get their money back.” “If the event is postponed to a future, undetermined date, StubHub will email the ticket holder as soon as the details are announced.” The indefinite wait is the big issue until then. And even if games are canceled, many of these teams and ticket sellers are still going to try to If an event has been canceled, StubHub will provide a full refund, the hang onto the money through enticements, such as offering credit for company said. Other ticket sellers also are expected to offer refunds if next season with perks thrown in, Knopp said. StubHub said that “given events are officially canceled. The problem for ticket holders is these the current environment, if an event is canceled, customers can opt to events have not been canceled. They’re postponed indefinitely as part of receive a StubHub coupon valued at 120% of the original purchase. This coupon can be applied toward a future event of their choosing.” In previous years, teams addressed mass cancellations of games by offering refunds plus interest, including for the NHL lockout of 2004-05. The NBA, NHL and MLB didn’t respond to requests for comment or referred questions on refund policies to individual teams.

The Chicago White Sox, as one example, sent a message to fans recently. Baseball’s opening day had been scheduled for March 26 but is on hold until at least May.

“To date, no games have been canceled,” the letter said. “Please hold onto your tickets until an official policy is announced.”

Tennessean LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172983 New Jersey Devils Star Ledger LOADED: 03.26.2020

Scouting Devils’ 2019 draft class: Jack Hughes ‘wasn’t ready for NHL, plain and simple’

Updated Mar 25, 2020; Posted Mar 25, 2020

By Randy Miller

When it comes to evaluating NHL prospects, nobody does it better than Craig Button, who doubles as director of scouting and television analyst for TSN, Canada’s version of ESPN.

The Calgary Flames general manager from 2000-03, Button knows the strengths and weaknesses of every NHL player and just about all of the drafted and undrafted prospects around the globe.

NJ Advance Media recently phoned Button to provide fresh scouting reports on the New Jersey Devils’ 2019 draft class, and he didn’t disappoint sharing his insight for 25 minutes from his home in Calgary.

We’ll be sharing Button’s take in a series:

Here’s Part 1:

JACK HUGHES, C

Drafted: 2019, 1st round, 1st overall.

Hometown: Mississauga, , Canada.

Age: 18 (19 on May 14, 2020).

Size: 5-10, 170.

Shoots: Left.

Contract status: Signed 3-year, $11.25 million entry-level deal with Devils on July 12, 2019.

2019-20 club: Devils (NHL).

2019-20 stats: 61 games, 7 goals, 14 assists, 21 points, 21 PIM, minus- 26.

Fun fact: Hughes’ 32 points in 14 career World Junior games in 2017-18 and 2018-19 set as new record that previously was held by Alex Ovechkin’s 31 in 14 games playing for Russia in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

Craig Button scouting report: “Jack Hughes wasn’t ready for the National Hockey League from a physical standpoint. It’s plain and simple. That’s No. 1. No. 2, he was on a team that was asking him to do more than he was potentially capable of doing and he doesn’t have the right support around him. So does it surprise me that Jack goes into that scenario and he’s not as productive as he was playing for the US Development Program the two previous years? No.

“But I’ve been watching Jack a long, long time at all different levels, and I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be a very high-end offensive player. But you can’t speed up the maturation process. You just can’t. Where would it have been a good place for Jack to be this season out of the NHL? I don’t know. But being there, you get a taste of the NHL, you start to get your feet wet and you start to understand a little bit better. I think these are significant growing pains.

“But Jack’s potential is high, high, high! He’s an 18-year-old kid turning 19 in May. What he accomplished this season is to be expected where he was at from a physical maturity point. Look at what Joe Thornton did right after he dominated the OHL and was the first overall pick. Vinny Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos were the same way. In juniors, they were all just like Jack, who obliterated records. Those are fair comparables, and I think it drives home an important point that players are going to mature at different rates.

“Jack was better than anybody in his age group when he was drafted, but just because you were the first-overall pick doesn’t mean you’re going to come in and automatically be Sidney Crosby. And you need support around you. When Vinny Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos came in with Tampa Bay, the team wasn’t very good. New Jersey wasn’t very good this season. With Jack, again, I’ve watched him for too, too long to think anything less than he’s going to be a star in the NHL.” 1172984 New Jersey Devils

NHL postpones 2020 draft, scouting combine and more due to coronavirus shutdown

Abbey Mastracco, NHL Writer

Published 5:46 p.m. ET March 25, 2020 | Updated 6:04 p.m. ET March 25, 2020

With the NHL attempting to stage a summer playoff series, it only made sense to postpone hockey's premier summer events.

The league decided to do exactly that Wednesday afternoon, announcing the postponement of the 2020 NHL Draft Combine, the NHL Draft and the NHL Awards due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 NHL Draft Lottery will also be postponed. The event is typically held in Toronto at the conclusion of the regular season, shortly before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin. The location, date and format will be announced at a later date.

The league suspended operations March 12 and two players, both from the Ottawa Senators, have since tested positive for coronavirus. However, the NHL remains steadfast in its desire to continue the remainder of the 2019-20 season at some point in the near future.

Teams were asked for their building availability through August with the intention of the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning at some point in the summer. The league did not want to hold the draft combine, which was slated for June 1-6 in Buffalo, or the draft, which was scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, before or during the postseason.

The NHL Awards, which are held annually in Las Vegas, may not take place this season. In a statement the league said, “With respect to the Bridgestone NHL Awards, the League looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future.”

The increasing uncertainty has led to several different scenarios for the rest of the season and the postseason. The situation remains fluid so it’s impossible to determine when the NHL or any other professional sports league will be able to resume operations.

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172985 New Jersey Devils “Then I went to Pittsburgh. And now I go in there and I meet Marc-Andre Fleury.

“And Marc-Andre Fleury — his stuff that I would joke around with and act Mike Rupp shares his favorite stories on Brodeur, Fleury and Lundqvist out before the games was, like, he’s grabbing the four-wheeled carts that you stack things on, he’s on all fours on this thing and using it like a dog pushing on a skateboard, basically. Spinning. Running in circles down the hallway. This is minutes before we go out for warmups. He’s jumping By Rob Rossi off the walls, doing hardcore-type stuff. I’m, like, ‘What is this guy doing?’ Mar 25, 2020 And he’s playing in the game! He’s just bouncing off the wall and making these noises and doing all this crazy stuff.”

Rupp on Lundqvist As former NHL player Mike Rupp mentioned a couple of times on a recent episode of the Pen Ultimate , hockey players are taught at “And then I go to the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist is there. Literally, a young age the phrases to say to reporters. Get pucks deep. Go to the there was a joke from one of the medical trainers, who went, ‘Dude, don’t hard areas. Goalies are different. even talk to Hank.’ I’m, like, ‘OK, well I wasn’t going to talk to him on a game day anyway.’ Those are just some of the short statements almost every NHL player has offered at least once. Or several hundred times. “But on a game day, Henrik Lundqvist — its like he doesn’t even exist. Say (The Athletic’s Josh Yohe) and I are in the room and Hank’s in the There are others, and it’s not as though players need to always agree room. We walk in and I’m like, ‘Hey Josh!’ With Hank, I don’t even say with these cliches. They just say them. ‘hey.’ That’s a disturbance to him.

Evgeni Malkin had been much more interested in getting pucks deep this “If I acknowledge that Hank’s there, it might throw him off in his mind. past season for the Penguins than when Phil Kessel was his winger. He’s got his headphones in the entire day. (Former New York Rangers Except in the playoffs. Then, Kessel was among the skilled players going coach John Tortorella) is trying to have a meeting before the game — to the hard areas. Those are where “goals are scored this time of year.” he’s juggling in the corner. Tortz is trying to have a serious conversation But also, you know, any hockey player should shoot from wherever in the and Hank’s doing his juggling, all focused. It’s like he’s not there. He’s playoffs. Can’t score if you don’t shoot. And, well, as stay-at-home invisible. defenseman said after scoring an unlikely goal to win an opening round for the Penguins in 2013, “There’s no such thing as a bad “But then, even after the game, he’s slamming stuff, breaking things in shot.” the bathroom.”

Who would know better than Rupp about that last line? He broke onto the Three goalies. All will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Each very different. scene proving that adage: “The one thing they all share: they’re competitive nature, their compete- Wow, was the world wild before hi-def hockey. level is out of this world,” Rupp said of Brodeur, Fleury and Lundqvist. “But they’re completely different demeanors in the way they go about Anyway, whatever a hockey player’s preference for easy-to-memorize things.” soundbites that won’t land them in too much trouble, there is one that really, truly seems to be believed everybody. And now for the story of Rupp and former Devils teammate Bobby Holik hitting the streets of Newark, N.J., in search of Turkish coffee. Talk about Goalies. Are. Different. different.

Rupp could qualify as an expert on that subject. He was a teammate of three goalies who rank first, fifth and sixth in wins. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 “I’ve been fortunate enough to play with what I would say are three of the, probably, the top 10 goalies of all-time: Marty Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist,” Rupp said on Pen Ultimate. “And all three of them are completely different.”

Rupp on Brodeur

“If you asked Marty to speak (to the media) at 5:30 p.m., he would agree to it. I mean, (former New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamiorello) wouldn’t agree to it. You just wouldn’t have the access because of Lou. But Marty? He’d be, ‘Yeah, sure. We’ll talk.’

“Marty would always walk around — puts his shoulders way back, chest way out, kind of walk and had this swivel. He’s very confident. His chin’s up in the air. And he always walked around with a coffee. That was his pregame (routine). He’d just sit in his stall and he’d talk. He’d talk to anybody and be laid back.

“I remember as a rookie, coming in there was things when I played center early on in my career. Marty played the puck so much that I needed to know what he’s thinking because when Marty came out to play the puck, which he did often, and I’m the low guy, I need to know, ‘What am I doing here? Am I coming to play the puck? Am I making myself available to the passer?’ I needed to know these things.

“It’s in between periods of games and usually you don’t talk to the goalies. So, I’m, like, ‘Hey, I need to know this.’ So, I go up to Marty. And he’d be, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ You could just talk to him. I’d talk to him between the whistles. He’s the most approachable guy going. He was always focused at the right times but very laid back, just stoic in the way he goes about things.

“He was fantastic.”

Rupp on Fleury 1172986 New York Islanders

NHL postpones calendar events in response to the coronavirus

By Andrew Gross andrew.gross@.com @AGrossNewsday

Updated March 25, 2020 5:54 PM

The NHL continued to alter its ever-changing schedule of events in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by postponing three annual league events set for June.

The league announced on Wednesday its scouting combine, awards show and draft would not be conducted as scheduled.

The scouting combine was set for June 1-6 in Buffalo, New York, the awards show in Las Vegas on June 18 and the NHL Draft was to be June 26-27 in Montreal.

The NHL added “the location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized.

The league was clear in announcing the awards show would return to Las Vegas, where it has been held since 2009.

Buffalo has hosted the annual scouting combine since 2015.

The NHL draft is conducted in a different city each year. Vancouver hosted the draft in 2019.

The draft lottery is typically held in April among the teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.

But the NHL season has been on pause since March 12 and the league said on Monday no decisions have been made regarding the rest of the regular season’s status or a playoff format if play is able to resume.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172987 New York Islanders seven points in 34 games with the Islanders; Wahlstrom had 10-12-22 in 45 games with Bridgeport, along with nine pointless NHL games and a stint at the World Junior tournament; and Bode Wilde had two points in 20 games with Bridgeport before going back to the OHL, where he only Simon Holmstrom makes key strides during his first season in North got in 11 games (4-7-11) before the season was postponed, then America canceled on Monday.

Holmstrom opened some eyes at training camp and acclimated to North America. Whatever comes next in the hockey world, whether it’s a By Arthur Staple resumption of this season (unlikely for the last-place Sound Tigers) or Mar 25, 2020 Islanders training camp in the fall, Holmstrom feels he’ll be ready.

“I’ve been working harder and it’s good to see the results,” he said. “I think I still have more to go, but it feels good to be playing better.” Back home in Sweden, Simon Holmstrom always liked the outdoors. “We have a big lake (Sommen) near my town (Tranas),” he said. Luckily for him, southern Connecticut has some decent shoreline. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 “I really like to go down to the water in Milford,” he said of the town 10 minutes northeast of Bridgeport where many Sound Tigers players live during the season. “It’s very calming, relaxing. Reminding me a little bit of home.”

With all sports shut down for the foreseeable future, Holmstrom’s first season in North America came to a jarring halt two weeks ago. The youngest pro player in North America — No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes turns 19 on May 14, 10 days before Holmstrom’s 19th birthday — had a mixed 2019-20, beginning with his surprising decision not to return to Sweden after training camp and play for HV71, where his father Jonas is an assistant coach.

Holmstrom had five points in his first 20 games in the AHL, then suffered an upper-body injury right before Thanksgiving that cost him 13 games. Holmstrom’s stock was low heading into the June draft because of injuries during his age 16 and 17 seasons — hip surgery, then a thumb injury combined to limit him to 62 total games at various levels of Swedish hockey.

This season’s injury could have been a problem. Instead, it gave a young kid all alone in a new country time to breathe a little.

“This is a tough league to play in,” Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson said last month. “The travel’s typically harder than most leagues. Three games in three nights at times, it’s a tough grind, especially coming from Europe. He’s already beyond the most games he’s had. So having the break, if you will, just to rehab and watch, it was a great time for him. Now he looks rejuvenated.”

When we visited Bridgeport in mid-February, Holmstrom was in the middle of his best stretch of the season: Five goals in seven games, giving him eight for the year. His likely final totals (like the NHL, the AHL hasn’t officially canceled its season yet) will be 8-7-15 in 46 games. Not exactly elite, but something to build on.

“We were definitely more patient with him,” Thompson said. “His leash was a lot longer as far as being in the games, giving him a little more leeway there. His hockey IQ was noticeable instantly and I think that’s the biggest thing that jumps out at you. He knew where to be, positioning was good, sticks were good. And that’s exciting when you see a guy who already knows where to be at 18 years old, move, support, little things like that.

“Then it’s a building process through the course of the year. We had a little bit of a setback with his injury, but coming back from that, feeling it out and now he understands it — hey, I can be a player here. I can be a dominant player here, if I put in the second effort, if I engage harder, if I put in the work. Because the skill set is there. It’s that believability that I can win a battle in the corner.”

Holmstrom spent much of his in-season time with the big contingent of young Sound Tigers. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Grant (Hutton), (Oliver) Wahlstrom, Bobo (Carpenter),” the soft-spoken teen said. “My family came over two times, but they have to work in Sweden so it’s mostly been me here with the guys. And everyone is great.”

Holmstrom noticed a change in his game after the AHL All-Star weekend at the end of January. “Just going back to being myself, just started to work hard again, do all the small things,” he said. “It was a lot of new things — new language, new country. I feel a lot more comfortable in the group with the guys. That’s really it.”

None of the numbers for the Islanders’ group of four teens who began the season in the pros will look terribly impressive. Noah Dobson had 1172988 New York Rangers That probably won’t work for anyone. But what if the Rangers move DeAngelo to his off-side on the left, where he has played capably at different stages of his career? The Blueshirts finished this year with Ryan Lindgren, and Brendan Smith as their three lefties. Rangers locking up Tony DeAngelo is far from no-brainer Uhh …

I know. Libor Hajek is a lefty and so is Yegor Rykov. K’Andre Miller plays By Larry Brooks the left side and so do Tarmo Reunanen, Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson. But they are prospects. DeAngelo is an established NHL March 25, 2020 | 11:06PM player. Yes, he is. He established that this year. Moving him to that side would fill a need.

When you have a 24-year-old defenseman, and a righty, no less, who Imagine how poetic it would be to find DeAngelo on the left of anything. records the fourth-most goals and points in the NHL at his position and who is coming up on restricted free agency, it’s a no-brainer to lock him up for at least five years, isn’t it? New York Post LOADED: 03.26.2020 Or, in the case of one Tony DeAngelo, is it?

This is likely the most daunting question Rangers management will confront this offseason in evaluating whether it can afford to sign No. 77 for what likely would be at least $6 million per year on a long-term deal.

There are options, of course. The parties could negotiate a short-term bridge deal for two years for a number that probably would come in around $5 million per. Failing that, management could allow DeAngelo to become the first Ranger since Nikolay Zherdev in 2009 to go to arbitration, but that’s not an alternative favored by anyone.

Or, of course, the Blueshirts could trade DeAngelo from a position of strength on the right side of the blue line in order to get a legit top-nine forward with top-six upside who would fill a position of weakness.

DeAngelo is a special offensive talent, the way he skates, the way he sees the ice, the way he’s a breakdown player carrying the puck on the rush, the way he distributes it in the offensive zone and the way he joins the rush and goes to the net, the way he mans the point on what had become a devastating power play when the season was put on hold.

The defensive side of it, well, not quite so much. DeAngelo has his moments, he plays with bite, he doesn’t back down, he supports his teammates and, of course, he can wheel the puck out of danger in an instant, but there are more than a few too many times when he seems to pick his spots and choose his battles. Clearly, the Rangers need more than a bit more diligence from him in front of the net and in the D-zone corners.

Clearly, if the Rangers are going to sign DeAngelo for the long term, they have to be convinced this controversy-free season will be the norm and not the exception. There were no benchings or healthy scratches resulting from immature behavior, as there had been on multiple occasions in 2018-19. In fact, it was just as DeAngelo promised the day he reported to camp after settling on his one-year contract.

DeAngelo is popular within the room, a big-personality guy. His opinions, which he enjoys sharing on social media, aren’t for everyone, probably aren’t for most New Yorkers, but that’s off the ice and hasn’t had an impact on his relationship with his teammates or on his play. The Rangers aren’t going to be divesting themselves of a rare talent because of Twitter.

Here are the defensemen who scored at least as many goals (15) and points (53) as DeAngelo: John Carlson and Roman Josi.

Washington’s Carlson and Nashville’s Josi are almost certainly going to finish 1-2 in whichever order in the balloting for the Norris Trophy. (By the way, Tony, if this is noted in your arb brief, I will expect my portion of the proceeds.)

Management’s decision will be about DeAngelo, but not only about DeAngelo. Because there is going to be a cap crunch. Because the Rangers have Jacob Trouba, who will be entering the second season of a seven-year deal worth $8 million per, on the right side. Because the Rangers have 21-year-old Adam Fox, perhaps not as dynamic, but more effective as a two-way defenseman, on the right side. Because the Rangers have 19-year-old Nils Lundkvist on his way from Sweden.

Trouba, whose no-movement clause kicks in on July 1 (or on whatever equivalent date is set if the offseason calendar requires a readjustment) and Fox are going to play. And when Fox comes off his entry-level deal he is going to get paid big money. Can the Rangers afford $5 million to $6 million per over the long haul to have DeAngelo on the third pair? 1172989 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist donates $100,000 to help in coronavirus response

By Brendan Bianowicz

March 25, 2020 | 8:28PM

Henrik Lundqvist donates $100,000 to help in coronavirus response

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.

Add the King to the growing list of sports stars doing their part during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rangers veteran goalie Henrik Lundqvist announced in a tweet that he and his wife Therese will donate $100,000 through a grant from the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation to the Food Bank for . The donation will serve “approximately 68,000 meals to 8,000 children and their families in NYC,” the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation said in a statement Wednesday.

According to the statement, the grant will be used to bolster the Campus Pantries as well as 27 community-based pop-up mobile markets, hoping to cover for the loss of meals provided in schools which have closed as part of the response to the coronavirus crisis.

HLF is accepting additional donations through its website, pledging to add 100 percent of contributions to the $100,000 grant.

The 2012 Vezina winner, whose 459 wins are most in Rangers history and sixth most in NHL history, made $7 million this season and $54 million in salary in his career, according to Spotrac.

Lundqvist isn’t the first athlete to give back during the nation’s partial shutdown.

Nets guard Kyrie Irving donated $323,000 to Feeding America in order to help distribute 250,000 meals throughout the New York area, while Jets ownership gave $1 million to the United Way, and Rudy Gobert, who was the first athlete in the U.S. to test positive for COVID-19, gave $500,000 to support families in Utah, Oklahoma and France affected by the virus.

New York Post LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172990 New York Rangers

NHL postpones 2020 draft, scouting combine and more due to coronavirus shutdown

Abbey Mastracco, NHL Writer

Published 5:46 p.m. ET March 25, 2020 | Updated 6:04 p.m. ET March 25, 2020

With the NHL attempting to stage a summer playoff series, it only made sense to postpone hockey's premier summer events.

The league decided to do exactly that Wednesday afternoon, announcing the postponement of the 2020 NHL Draft Combine, the NHL Draft and the NHL Awards due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 NHL Draft Lottery will also be postponed. The event is typically held in Toronto at the conclusion of the regular season, shortly before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin. The location, date and format will be announced at a later date.

The league suspended operations March 12 and two players, both from the Ottawa Senators, have since tested positive for coronavirus. However, the NHL remains steadfast in its desire to continue the remainder of the 2019-20 season at some point in the near future.

Teams were asked for their building availability through August with the intention of the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning at some point in the summer. The league did not want to hold the draft combine, which was slated for June 1-6 in Buffalo, or the draft, which was scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, before or during the postseason.

The NHL Awards, which are held annually in Las Vegas, may not take place this season. In a statement the league said, “With respect to the Bridgestone NHL Awards, the League looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future.”

The increasing uncertainty has led to several different scenarios for the rest of the season and the postseason. The situation remains fluid so it’s impossible to determine when the NHL or any other professional sports league will be able to resume operations.

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172991 New York Rangers On a team without a captain, Kreider and Zibanejad are about as close as it gets. And so, for better or for worse, the Rangers have definitively answered what had been one of the biggest questions in the league.

What we learned in 2019-20: Chris Kreider is here to stay for NY "I’ve always wanted to be here,” Kreider said. “This is the team that Rangers believed in me and took a chance on me when I was a 17, 18-year-old kid. I really wasn’t a very good hockey player. I’m not saying I am now. I’ve got plenty of room to grow, but I believe in management, I believe in the coaches and I believe in the group that we have here.” Vincent Z. Mercogliano, NHL Writer

Published 6:00 a.m. ET March 25, 2020 | Updated 11:48 a.m. ET March 25, 2020 Bergen Record LOADED: 03.26.2020

In the next two weeks, we'll be producing a series of stories about the 2019-20 New York Rangers — five things we learned and five questions that remain unanswered. This week will focus on key takeaways from the season that has been put on pause due to the coronarvirus:

The biggest question in NHL circles during the weeks and months leading up to the Feb. 24 trade deadline was what would happen with Chris Kreider.

A month later, that uncertainty feels like a distant memory.

Kreider is here to stay, with the New York Rangers deciding that keeping the uniquely talented forward was a top priority. They made that clear by turning down some tempting offers and locking him up to a seven-year, $45.5 million extension.

It came down to the wire, with the Rangers weighing whether it made sense to keep Kreider around into his mid-30s or cash in on the trade market's most valuable asset. They could have netted a first-round pick and a prospect, if not more, but Kreider's value to the team ultimately won out over any potential return.

"When you do the pluses and minuses, the pluses certainly outweigh the minuses," team president John Davidson said.

The decision came in the midst of a hot streak.

Kreider scored 24 goals in 63 games this season, which put him on pace to eclipse his previous career high of 28 before he fractured his foot against the Philadelphia Flyers four days after the deadline. But of those 24 goals, 17 were scored in a 26-game span from mid-December to mid- February.

That's an extended stretch, and it was long enough to nudge management to push negotiations to the finish line.

"When you look what he's doing — his emergence — we feel like he's still getting better," general manager Jeff Gorton said at the time of the signing. "The fact that (he has) size, the skating, his scoring ability, this combination he has with Mika (Zibanejad), his power-play ability. When you add it all up, it's a player we've had in the organization for a long time and we've watched the strides he’s been making."

Kreider showed his desire to stay by accepting a lesser average annual value than he likely would have commanded as a free agent.

The common speculation was that he would have earned at least $7 million per season if he tested the market this offseason. He took $6.5 million to remain in New York, which represents a marginal raise of $1.875 million over his current $4.625 million salary.

That sealed the deal and provided the Rangers with a little extra wiggle room going into a potentially tight salary cap situation in 2020-21.

"Both sides worked hard at this," Davidson said. "Everything had to fit."

Time will tell if Kreider, who will turn 29 next month, can produce a yearly output of 25-to-30 goals as he works his way into the middle portion of the new contract.

The knock on him during his eight-year career has been inconsistency, but the Rangers are banking that his two-month scoring outburst was not an outlier.

They also understood the importance of continuity and keeping a respected locker room presence around. A third straight trade deadline selloff would have essentially waved the white flag on the season and negatively impacted team chemistry moving forward. 1172992 New York Rangers

NHL postpones calendar events in response to the coronavirus

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated March 25, 2020 5:54 PM

The NHL continued to alter its ever-changing schedule of events in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by postponing three annual league events set for June.

The league announced on Wednesday its scouting combine, awards show and draft would not be conducted as scheduled.

The scouting combine was set for June 1-6 in Buffalo, New York, the awards show in Las Vegas on June 18 and the NHL Draft was to be June 26-27 in Montreal.

The NHL added “the location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized.

The league was clear in announcing the awards show would return to Las Vegas, where it has been held since 2009.

Buffalo has hosted the annual scouting combine since 2015.

The NHL draft is conducted in a different city each year. Vancouver hosted the draft in 2019.

The draft lottery is typically held in April among the teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.

But the NHL season has been on pause since March 12 and the league said on Monday no decisions have been made regarding the rest of the regular season’s status or a playoff format if play is able to resume.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172993 New York Rangers “Then I went to Pittsburgh. And now I go in there and I meet Marc-Andre Fleury.

“And Marc-Andre Fleury — his stuff that I would joke around with and act Mike Rupp shares his favorite stories on Brodeur, Fleury and Lundqvist out before the games was, like, he’s grabbing the four-wheeled carts that you stack things on, he’s on all fours on this thing and using it like a dog pushing on a skateboard, basically. Spinning. Running in circles down the hallway. This is minutes before we go out for warmups. He’s jumping By Rob Rossi off the walls, doing hardcore-type stuff. I’m, like, ‘What is this guy doing?’ Mar 25, 2020 And he’s playing in the game! He’s just bouncing off the wall and making these noises and doing all this crazy stuff.”

Rupp on Lundqvist As former NHL player Mike Rupp mentioned a couple of times on a recent episode of the Pen Ultimate podcast, hockey players are taught at “And then I go to the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist is there. Literally, a young age the phrases to say to reporters. Get pucks deep. Go to the there was a joke from one of the medical trainers, who went, ‘Dude, don’t hard areas. Goalies are different. even talk to Hank.’ I’m, like, ‘OK, well I wasn’t going to talk to him on a game day anyway.’ Those are just some of the short statements almost every NHL player has offered at least once. Or several hundred times. “But on a game day, Henrik Lundqvist — its like he doesn’t even exist. Say (The Athletic’s Josh Yohe) and I are in the room and Hank’s in the There are others, and it’s not as though players need to always agree room. We walk in and I’m like, ‘Hey Josh!’ With Hank, I don’t even say with these cliches. They just say them. ‘hey.’ That’s a disturbance to him.

Evgeni Malkin had been much more interested in getting pucks deep this “If I acknowledge that Hank’s there, it might throw him off in his mind. past season for the Penguins than when Phil Kessel was his winger. He’s got his headphones in the entire day. (Former New York Rangers Except in the playoffs. Then, Kessel was among the skilled players going coach John Tortorella) is trying to have a meeting before the game — to the hard areas. Those are where “goals are scored this time of year.” he’s juggling in the corner. Tortz is trying to have a serious conversation But also, you know, any hockey player should shoot from wherever in the and Hank’s doing his juggling, all focused. It’s like he’s not there. He’s playoffs. Can’t score if you don’t shoot. And, well, as stay-at-home invisible. defenseman Brooks Orpik said after scoring an unlikely goal to win an opening round for the Penguins in 2013, “There’s no such thing as a bad “But then, even after the game, he’s slamming stuff, breaking things in shot.” the bathroom.”

Who would know better than Rupp about that last line? He broke onto the Three goalies. All will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Each very different. scene proving that adage: “The one thing they all share: they’re competitive nature, their compete- Wow, was the world wild before hi-def hockey. level is out of this world,” Rupp said of Brodeur, Fleury and Lundqvist. “But they’re completely different demeanors in the way they go about Anyway, whatever a hockey player’s preference for easy-to-memorize things.” soundbites that won’t land them in too much trouble, there is one that really, truly seems to be believed everybody. And now for the story of Rupp and former Devils teammate Bobby Holik hitting the streets of Newark, N.J., in search of Turkish coffee. Talk about Goalies. Are. Different. different.

Rupp could qualify as an expert on that subject. He was a teammate of three goalies who rank first, fifth and sixth in wins. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 “I’ve been fortunate enough to play with what I would say are three of the, probably, the top 10 goalies of all-time: Marty Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist,” Rupp said on Pen Ultimate. “And all three of them are completely different.”

Rupp on Brodeur

“If you asked Marty to speak (to the media) at 5:30 p.m., he would agree to it. I mean, (former New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamiorello) wouldn’t agree to it. You just wouldn’t have the access because of Lou. But Marty? He’d be, ‘Yeah, sure. We’ll talk.’

“Marty would always walk around — puts his shoulders way back, chest way out, kind of walk and had this swivel. He’s very confident. His chin’s up in the air. And he always walked around with a coffee. That was his pregame (routine). He’d just sit in his stall and he’d talk. He’d talk to anybody and be laid back.

“I remember as a rookie, coming in there was things when I played center early on in my career. Marty played the puck so much that I needed to know what he’s thinking because when Marty came out to play the puck, which he did often, and I’m the low guy, I need to know, ‘What am I doing here? Am I coming to play the puck? Am I making myself available to the passer?’ I needed to know these things.

“It’s in between periods of games and usually you don’t talk to the goalies. So, I’m, like, ‘Hey, I need to know this.’ So, I go up to Marty. And he’d be, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ You could just talk to him. I’d talk to him between the whistles. He’s the most approachable guy going. He was always focused at the right times but very laid back, just stoic in the way he goes about things.

“He was fantastic.”

Rupp on Fleury 1172994 Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators will have to wait to find out where and when they'll draft

Bruce Garrioch

Hockey fans will have to play the waiting game for the NHL draft.

The league confirmed Wednesday afternoon it has decided to postpone the 2020 NHL draft scheduled for June 26-27 at the Bell Centre in Montreal along with the annual scouting combine, which was set for June 1-6 in Buffalo, and the NHL awards in Las Vegas that were supposed to be held June 18.

With the league schedule on pause because of worldwide concern surrounding the spread of the novel coronavirus, the league had no choice but to put off three of its signature events because nobody has any idea when — or if — the NHL will return to finish its regular season, hold the playoffs and crown a Stanley Cup champion. There has been speculation that hockey could be played through the summer.

While the Detroit Red Wings currently have the best odds of winning the lottery at 18.5 per cent, the Ottawa Senators have a combined 25 per cent chance because they hold their own first-round selection at 13.5 per cent and the top pick of the San Jose Sharks at 11.5 per cent as a result of the Erik Karlsson deal. Nobody is sure what format the lottery will take, but it wouldn’t make sense to change it if the rest of the regular season is cancelled.

Rimouski Océanic forward Alexis Lafreniere is the top-ranked prospect in the draft and is expected to go No. 1 overall to whoever wins the lottery. The 6-1 winger finished with 35-77-112 points in 52 games this season and was also excellent for Team Canada at the world junior championships at Christmas. His season is over because the CHL cancelled its season Monday night.

The draft lottery was scheduled to be held April 9 at the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, N.J., but that won’t take place until a determination is made on what happens with the season.

“While today’s news is disappointing for fans of hockey in general and those here in Montreal in particular, this is the right decision to make under the circumstances. I’m confident that the League will propose an alternative that will be in the best interest of all hockey fans,” France Margaret Belanger, executive VP and chief commercial officer of the Habs, said in a statement.

The possibility exists that the league could hold a scaled-down version of the draft like it did in a ballroom at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa in 2005 after the lockout and then hold a full draft in Montreal next year.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.26.2020 1172995 Ottawa Senators countryman also represented by agent Daniel Milstein, on the blueline. The 28-year-old Zaitsev followed a similar path by playing seven years in the KHL before signing as a UFA with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016.

GARRIOCH: Ottawa Senators could add free agent defenceman Artyom It’s not known what kind of deal Zub would sign with the Senators, but Zub into the mix judging by history it would be similar to the one-year contract Zaitsev received from the Leafs when he decided to move to North America. That was an entry-level deal capped at $925,000 that included a $92,500 signing bonus and performance bonuses of up to $850,000. Bruce Garrioch “If you saw Zaitsev in the KHL versus Zaitsev now, they’re two different

players. He was an offensive, attacking guy in the KHL,” the executive The NHL is on a pause, but the work continues behind the scenes for the added. “Zub had some offensive numbers this year, but I’m not sure Ottawa Senators. you’re going to see that here.”

Nobody knows how — or when — the NHL is going to return because of HONOURS FOR PINTO the worldwide COVID-19 crisis, but there’s still business taking place and Forward Shane Pinto, a freshman at the University of North Dakota, was the Senators are considered a frontrunner to sign Kontinental Hockey named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s rookie of the year League unrestricted free agent defenceman Artyom Zub. Wednesday. Pinto, a second-round pick of the Senators who had an TSN’s Darrem Dreger reported Wednesday morning the Senators are excellent effort for Team USA at the world junior championships, finished one of two finalists for the 24-year-old Zub, who finished with 13 goals with 16 goals and 28 points in 33 games with North Dakota this season. and 22 points in 57 games with SKA St. Petersburg this season. The He’s only the second at UND to get the honour. Brock Boeser of the KHL confirmed Wednesday it has called off the balance of its season, Vancouver Canucks captured it in 2015-16. and that means Zub will have time to ponder the two offers he has from Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.26.2020 NHL teams to ink a deal for next season.

“The Senators remain a top choice,” Dreger said.

Senators general manager , who has been working from his home since the club arrived back from its trip to California on March 12, got a chance to see Zub first-hand when he went overseas during the club’s eight-day break in January. That trip was focused mainly on scouting top prospects for the NHL draft scheduled for June 26-27 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, but Dorion made time to watch Zub play.

Naturally, Dorion liked what he saw. Zub has been on the club’s radar screen for a while and league executives believe he might be a good fit because he’s a defensive defenceman who could play the role left vacant by the decision to move Dylan DeMelo to the before the NHL trade deadline in February.

Zub is a competitor and is considered hard to play against, which is right up the Senators’ alley because one of coach D.J. Smith’s goals is to get this club playing better in its own end.

“I feel like he’s going to slide in as a good partner for somebody to fill that hole left by DeMelo. If he signs with Ottawa, he’s going to get the opportunity to play a lot,” a league executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Wednesday. “He’s an NHL-ready player. He can come in and play NHL games. You’re not signing a college kid that needs to come in and get stronger or get experience.

“This guy has played at world championships, he’s played for the national team (in Russia). He’s never going to wow anybody, but he’s a right-shot defenceman and he’s an upgrade for a team like Ottawa. He’d bump ahead of some guys on the depth chart. I would think (Ottawa) would stand a good chance because I know that they’ve been on him for a while.”

Defence is an area where the Senators have depth at the NHL level and with prospects in the system. The club already has Thomas Chabot, Nikita Zaitsev, Mike Reilly and Christian Wolanin under contract for next season, while the club will have to hold talks with veteran unrestricted free agents Ron Hainsey and Mark Borowieicki. Dorion has stated publicly he wants to keep Borowiecki in the fold.

The club has Erik Brannstrom, Andreas Englund and Christian Jaros in the minors, and there are also top prospects Jacob Bernard-Docker (University of North Dakota), Lassi Thomson (Finland) and Olie Alsing (Sweden).

Nobody is sure what the second team in the mix is, but the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings are believed to be among those that have been watching Zub closely. Teams like him because he can play key minutes and isn’t going to do anything he can’t, which means he’s not going to be a risk-taker and will simply try to make sure his game is steady for whichever team he decides to sign with.

Zub won gold a medal with the Russian Olympic team in Pyeongchang in 2018.

Yes, there’s going to be an adjustment to the North American game if he does move overseas, but the Senators already have Zaitsev, a fellow 1172996 Ottawa Senators eventually spending time back in Belleville of the AHL. Ultimately, he was traded to Colorado in the Matt Duchene deal in 2017 and got a taste of the 2018 NHL playoffs with the Avalanche.

The Hamburglar looks back at the wild 2015 run with the Senators He has also played with Iowa in the AHL and has spent the past year with Rochester — Buffalo’s AHL affiliate — posting a record of 16-12-3 with a 2.53 goals against average and .908 save percentage. While with the Amerks, he had a few conversations with former Senators first round Ken Warren pick Curtis Lazar, who has since been recalled by Buffalo. After a fan tossed a hamburger on the ice to celebrate a Hammond win over Boston, Lazar grabbed it and took a bite out of it, one of the signature moments Andrew Hammond considers himself a lucky man today. of the ride.

In this instance, we’re not talking about that unparalleled stand-on-his- “We would talk about it from time to time,” said Hammond. “Both of us head goaltending performance five years ago, a stretch that unleashed are in the same situation somewhat (trying to return to the NHL on a full- Hamburglar mania and carried the Ottawa Senators from Nowhere Land time basis) and we both think back on it fondly, but I’m not consumed by into a playoff berth. it or anything.”

Rather, it’s about being healthy with his family at home in Ohio. On the topic of hamburgers, whatever happened to that gift card allowing Hammond to eat free at McDonald’s for the rest of his life? Only two weeks ago, his wife, Marlee, gave birth to the couple’s second son, Carson, in Rochester, N.Y., where Hammond was playing for the “I only got a few gift cards at the start and I gave them to friends because Rochester Amerks of the American Hockey League. The Hammonds they were only valid in Canada and I misplaced a couple of them,” he also have a four-year-old son, Cal. said. “But I’ve got one of them in a frame.”

“(Carson) was born two days before the league was suspended,” the Date Result Goals Against Saves even-keeled Hammond said Wednesday morning in a telephone interview with Postmedia. “There was talk about (the novel coronavirus), *Feb. 2 L 6-3 (Carolina) 2 3 but there really hadn’t been a lot of cases. The first (confirmed) one in Feb. 18 W 4-2 (Montreal) 2 42 Rochester was that day. Then they told everyone to go home. It wasn’t really that complicated for us, but it definitely wasn’t the usual process. Feb. 21 W 4-1 (Florida) 1 21 We got lucky. So, right now this whole thing is kind of like my paternity thing.” Feb. 25 W 3-0 (Anaheim) 0 25

Hammond, 32, is primarily occupied with his young family while in self- Feb. 26 W 1-0 (Los Angeles) 0 35 isolation. As he was speaking on the phone, cries of “Daddy, Daddy” Feb. 28 W 4-2 (San Jose) 2 28 could be heard in the background. Mar. 3 SOL 3-2 (Minnesota) 2 36 Yet when Ottawa sports radio station TSN-1200 put out an informal Twitter poll last week asking Senators fans for their best memories of the Mar. 4 W 3-1 (Winnipeg) 1 35 Hamburglar run, Hammond joined in on the fun, offering up his two cents. Mar. 6 W 3-2 (Buffalo) 2 24 “I don’t normally (tweet), but I was bored,” he said Wednesday. Mar. 12 W 5-2 (Montreal) 2 27 Just in case you’ve forgotten the details of the too-bizarre-to-be-believed story, Hammond was recalled from Binghamton of the AHL (where he Mar. 13 W 2-1 (NYIslanders) 1 34 had a record of 7-13-2, a 3.51 goals against average and an .898 save Mar. 15 SOW 2-1 (Philadelphia) 1 27 percentage) and thrust into the Senators net because of injuries to Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner. Mar. 17 OTW 2-1 (Carolina) 1 35

All he did from there was post a record of 20-1-2, with a goals against Mar. 19 W 6-4 (Boston) 4 31 average of 1.79 and a save percentage of .941, as the Senators climbed from the NHL basement into a first-round playoff berth against the Mar. 21 W 5-3 (Toronto) 3 22 Montreal Canadiens. Mar. 23 W 5-2 (San Jose) 2 29

Which wins stood out the most for Hammond? That’s kind of like asking **Mar. 26 L 5-1 (NYRangers) 5 17 which Springsteen song is the best. Mar. 31 SOW (Detroit) 1 16 In his three tweets about the experience, Hammond talked about the memories of victories over Montreal, Boston, Winnipeg and the playoff- Apr. 2 OTW 2-1 (Tampa) 1 28 clinching triumph over Philadelphia. And then there was the 4-3 overtime win over Sidney Crosby and , a game in which the Apr. 4 OTW 4-3 (Washington) 3 29 Senators rallied all the way from a 3-0 first period deficit. Apr. 5 SOL 3-2 (Toronto) 2 36

“That was my first (game) against Crosby and he scores 10 seconds in,” Apr. 7 OTW 4-3 (Pittsburgh) 3 25 Hammond tweeted. “I was able to confirm he’s pretty good.” Apr. 9 W 3-0 (NY Rangers) 0 26 On Wednesday, he also brought up the 3-0 shutout victory over the New York Rangers, a vital victory in the last week of the regular season before Apr. 11 W 3-1 (Philadelphia) 1 34 facing Philadelphia. *Entered game in relief of injured Robin Lehner “Every game has its own story and it’s hard to pick one,” he said. “How **Replaced during game by back-up Chris Driedger we came back and won some games, different things. One that was special to me was the win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.26.2020 That was the one team that beat me (in Ottawa) and I got pulled in that game and then we beat them and I got a shutout. I went in there and kind of redeemed myself.”

While Hammond will always be proud of what he and the Senators accomplished in 2015, he has moved on and says, “I’m not searching up old boxscores or anything.”

After losing twice to Montreal in the playoffs, Hammond was replaced by the then healthy Anderson. In 2015-16, he struggled through hip problems and never fully regained his hold on the Senators net, 1172997 Philadelphia Flyers Throughout this season, we’ve literally watched Vigneault move players who are struggling to Couturier’s line because “anyone who plays with Coots seems to get going,” as A.V. has told us in multiple interviews.

Predictions for who wins Flyers' 2019-20 Bobby Clarke Trophy On top of his ability to act as a catalyst for guys to turn it around, he’s also the team’s go-to guy when it comes to containing the opposition's top line. In the broadcasters’ pregame meetings with the coaching staff, whenever there’s a question of “how do you try to slow this guy down?” By Brooke Destra, Katie Emmer, Taryn Hatcher, Jordan Hall March 25, the answer is nearly always, “We’ll try to get Coots matched up with him 2020 2:40 PM out there as much as possible.”

The man is a (French Canadian) Swiss army knife, with zero ego to boot. What might the next decade hold for the Flyers? Hall Going End to End today are NBC Sports Philadelphia's Brooke Destra, Couturier is the clear front-runner, but how about Travis Konecny? He's Katie Emmer, Taryn Hatcher and Jordan Hall. not just a dark-horse candidate — he should be right there in The topic: Predicting who wins the Flyers' 2019-20 Bobby Clarke Trophy consideration. as team MVP. Where would the Flyers be without his signifcant jump in production? At Destra only 22 years old (he recently turned 23), Konecny faced all forms of pressure to make that jump. This one seems like a given but I’m always more than willing to state my case for why I think Sean Couturier deserves this kind of recognition. He signed a new six-year, $33 million deal before the season. The Flyers were coming off a letdown 2018-19 campaign and desperately needed If he wins, this will be the second straight season he will receive the their young foundation pieces to make big strides in 2019-20. With fellow Bobby Clarke Trophy. Like last season, he is second on the team in youngster and first-round pick Nolan Patrick (migraine disorder) out points but absolutely the most valuable asset for the Flyers. before training camp had started followed by the absence of Oskar Lindblom (Ewing's sarcoma diagnosis) in mid-December, even greater No one else on the team is able to drive play as effectively as Couturier focus was on Konecny to answer the bell. — and that comes down to his abilities on both ends of the ice, his aggressive front when it comes to forechecking, how he sees the game Suffice it to say he has delivered. five steps ahead of everyone else and his overall elite skill as one of the top centers in the league. Konecny leads the Flyers with 24 goals and 61 points through 66 games, while his 37 assists are a career high and he's one marker away from a That doesn’t even cover his level of leadership within the locker room. A new personal best. well-respected player no matter how you look at things. If there are any negatives to Couturier, it’s that we aren’t able to clone him and his A glimpse of his growth: Konecny has six three-point performances this contract. season after having a combined two over his first three NHL seasons.

Emmer A glimpse of his importance: the Flyers are 31-9-2 when he records at least a point and 10-9-5 when he has gone scoreless. The Flyers’ most valuable player at the end of this season is Couturier. Konecny has been the Flyers' energizer bunny and most consistent Since he was a Selke finalist in 2017-18, Couturier has been one of the scorer in a season with all eyes on him. most consistent players for the orange and black ... this season especially. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020

Let’s look at his stats shall we?

Among team leaders through 69 games:

• Goals — 22 (third)

• Assists — 37 (tied for second)

• Points — 59 (second)

• Faceoff percentage — 59.7 (first)

• Plus/minus — plus-21 (first)

Couturier is well-known for his strong 200-foot abilities, among many other things, but above it all, I have to argue one of the reasons he’s so valuable is how he can make everyone around him look good.

I think a lot of that is proven by his plus-21 rating. Whenever Couturier is on the ice, usually something good happens.

Earlier in the season, Alain Vigneault moved players that were struggling to get their offense going to a line with Couturier for that reason. Players like Jakub Voracek who needed to improve, did, I believe because of Couturier.

His value goes beyond the score sheet. He’s been a key to the Flyers’ success this season.

Hatcher

This is a no-brainer for me. As it stands now, Couturier should win the Bobby Clarke Trophy.

Sure, he’s second on the team in points and third in goals with the best plus-minus at plus-21. And, if I had a dollar for every time we talked about the strength of his 200-foot game when it comes to Coots, I’d be sitting on a small fortune right now. But his value goes so far beyond that. 1172998 Philadelphia Flyers stands shake around us. The Rangers' Eric Christensen skates in on Boucher: save! More cheering and shaking.

Next for the Flyers: the captain, Mike Richards. Henrik Lundqvist makes Flyers' playoff-clinching win over Rangers in 2010 was The Best Game I the save. The disappointed sighs of the crowd echoed down our little Ever Saw Live hallway.

Now here comes P.A. Parenteau: goal. The groans grow louder of the Flyers faithful. By Amy Fadool March 25, 2020 11:45 AM Each team has a shootout goal. It seemed like it was slipping away. But all was not lost. Enter Claude Giroux to the ice. He makes one of his signature shootout moves: goal, right between Lundqvist's legs! Euphoria Almost exactly 10 years ago, before the Flyers set out on their magical doesn't fully express the crowd's response; I'd say pandemonium was run to the Stanley Cup Final, they had to get to the playoffs first. more like it. And that was nothing short of a miracle. It was the best game I ever saw But as loud as the cheers were after Giroux's goal, the boos were louder and I ended up watching the most exciting part on a television screen not when Olli Jokinen came into view. This was it. He comes in, tries to go much bigger than a tablet in a musty hallway surrounded by people in five-hole on Boucher but not on this night, not on this goalie and not suits. against this team. Boucher stops the shot easily and the building's roof Let's backtrack to set the scene. The Flyers had to win their final game of seemed like it was coming off. the 2009-10 season to get into the playoffs. They had floundered a bit Back in our little hallway, I've honestly never seen anything like it. You've down the stretch and that enabled the Rangers to make up 10 points in probably heard the expression no cheering in the press box. the final three weeks of the season. And to top it off, the Flyers were hosting those rival Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center in that last game Well, that didn't really apply here. It was one of the greatest moments in on April 11, 2010. Flyers history to win a game like that, one that the team had to win. And everyone was clapping and smiling and laughing. We all knew we As many of you know, the offices of NBC Sports Philadelphia, then watched something amazing and downright magical. It was one of the Comcast SportsNet, are inside the Wells Fargo Center. It's access that best games I've ever seen, even if I watched it on a tiny TV screen in a grants us the ability to go out and watch games, go between our offices smelly hallway — or maybe because of that. and the press areas and be able to return to work within minutes of a game ending. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 On this evening, I was anchoring our nightly show so I watched the first period from my desk. The Rangers finished the opening period with a 1-0 lead. So let's have a change of scenery. I went up to the press box for the second period and for the start of the third. The Flyers had yet to score at that point so I went back to my desk. I wasn't getting a good feeling and thought it was going to be a tough postgame interview. Our producer and assistant news director decided that win or lose, I would go down to the dressing room and help get the story. But I wasn't alone. We had several reporters who would be there because this was too big for just one piece. I mean, there was so much riding on the outcome of this one game. Rangers win, they are in. Flyers win, they are in. It was the ultimate winner-take-all battle for the postseason and it was happening between two heated rivals.

Finally the Flyers lit the lamp with just under seven minutes left in the third to tie the game. But then, a stalemate. So with about two minutes remaining in regulation, I made my way downstairs to wait and watch in the hallway outside of the dressing room. Here we are: me, about a dozen other reporters and several members of building staff, all congregating in this small area. To picture it, it's a cement-wall hallway, with double doors on one side leading to the dressing room and the other side leads to where the Flyers come on and off the ice.

Time is winding down and it looks like the game will go to overtime.

An already high-tension situation ratcheted up another notch. I look over to my left and who's standing there but Mr. Ed Snider. He's joined to the small mass of reporters and staff to wait and watch.

This was it. We were all watching not from a luxury box, or the press box, or even in front of a large flat screen television. No, we were all huddled around a monitor that was about 15 inches across.

Overtime. Waiting. Watching. Who would win? Who would go home?

Sure enough, the drama was still building. Overtime ended with the score still knotted at one goal each. Shootout. It was almost unbelievable. This was a win-or-go-home game and not three periods of regulation nor overtime could decide it. Of course it had to go to a shootout. You may recall that it was backup goaltender in net for this entire game and he truly stood on his head. The Rangers had been on fire and he stopped nearly everything that came his way the entire game and extra period. Now, he had to last through a shootout.

We are all crunched in together watching on the tiny monitor as each skater went their turn. But one of the hallway party had left us. Snider had walked back up to his seat earlier. I can only guess he figured, win or lose, he was watching that in person. I can't say I blame him. So it was Danny Briere up first: goal! The crowd went nuts and you could feel the 1172999 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford sets priorities while running team in age of coronavirus

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, March 25, 2020 4:14 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has some of the same thoughts many Western Pennsylvanians do as the coronavirus pandemic has kept people holed up in their homes for extended periods of time.

Not macaroni and cheese again.

Rutherford spoke with reporters on a conference call Wednesday afternoon shortly after spending the morning watching a replay of the Penguins’ 1991 Stanley Cup-clinching Game 6 win in Minnesota on the NHL Network.

He said he flew back to Pittsburgh with the Penguins on March 12, the day the NHL announced its season would be paused, filled his car up with gas, parked it in his driveway and has been in self-isolation at home with his wife and son since.

It’s brought back memories of a simpler time in his life, growing up in Beeton, Ontario, when variety on the dinner menu wasn’t great for a different reason.

“A person at my age, when I think back and how I was brought up, there weren’t a lot of things to do, and we just spent a lot of time at home,” the 71-year-old general manager said. “You were just around the house, really, a lot. My family lived from check to check. We didn’t have very much. So we didn’t do extra things. We ate the same dinner, the same food, for three nights in a row and things like that, and those are the things we’re doing now.

“Family’s so important to me, but to appreciate what my family did for me under tough times — not going through a virus but having to live the way we’re living right now — it brings back a lot of memories and the appreciation and respect I have for my mom and dad.”

Rutherford said his priority at this time is the big picture: Making sure his family — and his extended Penguins family, including the team’s employees and fans — is safe and healthy.

Beyond that, he is trying to make sure the organization is ready to go whenever hockey resumes.

No Penguins player has been tested for covid-19, Rutherford said, and none has reported symptoms to the best of his knowledge. Many players, he said, have returned to their home countries. All have received individualized workout plans, which they can follow at home, from the team’s strength and conditioning staff.

Rutherford said he speaks daily with coach Mike Sullivan and nearly every day with team president David Morehouse to be aware of any issues that might arise.

He takes part in a weekly general managers’ conference call with the league during which a wide variety of topics are discussed, from possible contractual problems caused by a long layoff to potential playoff formats the league could use to determine the 2020 Stanley Cup champion.

Rutherford acknowledged there are a multitude of scenarios that remain in play pertaining to an eventual return to NHL ice.

Whether that will be to finish this season or begin the next, Rutherford’s overarching goal remains the same.

“If we’re playing in the playoffs for the Cup, we’re going for it this year, and we’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Rutherford said. “As for going forward, we have some flexibility. I don’t know how much flexibility and what the cap will be and what the future holds, but I feel comfortable that we’ll be able to figure that out.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173000 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins’ Jake Guentzel’s ‘rehab going well’; could return after play resumes

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Wednesday, March 25, 2020 2:07 p.m.

When the time frame associated with Jake Guentzel’s recovery first was announced after he underwent shoulder surgery Dec. 31, it didn’t leave much margin for him to return this season.

With the season pushed back indefinitely, Guentzel’s potential for an impact on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ chase of the 2020 Stanley Cup title suddenly is well within play.

General manager Jim Rutherford expressed optimism Guentzel will be cleared to play well within the initial 4-6 month period that was expected after Guentzel crashed hard into the boards during a Dec. 30 win against the Ottawa Senators.

Now that we know the playoffs won’t begin as scheduled in mid-April and the postseason won’t end in mid-June, if Guentzel’s rehab stays on track, he could be a much more significant factor for the Penguins than initially hoped.

“If you take the shortest (projected time) period (for full rehab), that would be the end of April, and if it’s six months, (it’s late June),” Rutherford said during a conference call Wednesday afternoon. “But I would expect that knowing Jake Guentzel that he’s going to be ready, and his rehab is going well. And he’s at the point now where he’s one of the guys who’s returned home and will continue to rehab on his own.

“But all reports I’ve had is that there has not been any setbacks at this point.”

Thanks @Penguins fans for all the support- it means a lot. Keep it going boys pic.twitter.com/4FRAQEQH4X

— Jake Guentzel (@jakenbake20) January 3, 2020

The NHL has been on pause since March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic. That has left the final three-plus weeks of regular-season games suspended and perhaps not to be played.

It’s too early to speculate if the NHL season could restart, but several reports indicate the league is willing to extend its postseason deep into the summer or even September if necessary.

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173001 Pittsburgh Penguins • Sykora allegedly called his shot, telling NBC rinkside analyst Pierre McGuire he was going to get the overtime game winner.

The winger also ended the fourth-longest game of all time when he was First Call: A forgotten great game from Penguins covid-19 replay series an Anaheim Duck during a 5-OT affair against the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals.

• Ryan Malone turned in one of the most gutty moments in Pittsburgh TIM BENZ | Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6:31 a.m. sports history. Entering the game with a broken nose to begin with, in the second period, Malone was drilled in the face with a puck.

Yet, bloodied and bruised, Malone came back and blocked a shot at the The NHL Network and AT&T SportsNet are replaying a slew of old end of regulation to help preserve the tie. He was also in front of the net Pittsburgh Penguins games to occupy the hearts and minds of idle on Sykora’s game winner. Penguins fans frustrated by a lack of hockey due to the coronavirus shutdown. By the next day, his face looked like hamburger. But he played Game 6 anyway. On Wednesday, the NHL Network will air the Penguins’ Stanley Cup clinching games from 1991, 1992 and 2016. • Fleury’s best save came against former Penguin Mikael Samuelsson. It was a sprawling toe save that resulted in crashing into Between March 30 and April 8, AT&T SportsNet will air all four victories the boards. from the 2009 victories over the Detroit Red Wings. You can get the entire list of when the games can be seen here. Gonchar was pretty badly banged up. Despite missing time, though, Gonchar — like Malone — gutted up and eventually came back on the Those are all great contests to rewatch. If you have some extra time ice and got an assist on the game winner. beyond that, throw on the 2017 Cup clincher in Nashville, Conor Sheary’s 2016 overtime winner in Game 2 against the San Jose Sharks, and Nick In the end, the Penguins couldn’t carry the momentum over to Game 6. Bonino’s overtime game winner to eliminate the Washington Capitals at Detroit won the Cup on Mellon Arena ice two days later by a final score PPG Paints Arena in Game 6 of the 2016 Eastern Conference of 3-2, in a fourth consecutive one-goal game. Semifinals. What a culmination it would have been had the Penguins been able to There’s one game that is nowhere to be found on that list, but I wish it pay off the Game 5 heroics. But for at least one night, the Pens spoiled was. Detroit’s party and forced the champagne to stay on ice.

That’s the 4-3 triple-overtime Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 victory in 2008 And it was one of the best games I’ve ever covered. over the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.26.2020 That game sometimes gets lost in history because the Penguins didn’t win a ring that year. Nonetheless, it was an amazing victory.

Down 3-1 on the road, the Penguins were facing elimination. The Cup was in the building, ready to be awarded to the Red Wings. Having lost Game 4 at home, it felt like the Penguins’ 16-year championship drought was about to continue.

But the Pens got off to a strong start, scoring twice in the first period, courtesy of Marian Hossa (yes, we liked him once) and Adam Hall.

Detroit answered back, though, scoring three times over the second and third periods. gave the Red Wings the lead with 11:37 remaining.

That’s when the legend of Max Talbot began.

A year before he scored twice in Game 7 to win the Cup in that same building, Talbot (jumping on as the extra skater with the goaltender pulled) forced overtime that night with :35 seconds left.

What followed was an additional 49 minutes of white-knuckle tension over the course of two-and-a-half overtimes. Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had to make 24 overtime saves and 55 in total to keep the Pens afloat.

That was until Petr Sykora eventually got the game winner on a power play shot at the 9:57 mark of the third overtime.

At the time of its conclusion, the 109:57 of game action made the contest the fifth-longest Finals game ever. The event lasted 4½ hours and ended at 12:46 a.m.

The legends from that game are endless.

• That goal was basically made possible because flubbed a play. He fanned on an attempt to move the puck up the boards, which resulted in an awkward movement to regather and get the puck out.

Detroit’s Jiri Hudler was trying to deflect the initial play on the puck and clipped Scuderi on the chin.

Scuderi started to bleed. So a four-minute power play was assessed against Detroit.

• The Penguins ordered pizzas for the players to eat in between overtime sessions. When asked if the pizza came from Little Caesars, since that company was founded by Wings owner Mike Ilitch, Sykora flatly stated “Domino’s.” 1173002 Pittsburgh Penguins no large gatherings for 60 days, some scattered to their hometowns and other locales.

The team’s strength and conditioning staff and trainers have since Penguins GM Jim Rutherford focusing on 'big picture' as he awaits coordinated with players to create custom workouts using whatever hockey's return equipment the players have in their respective homes. The NHL has advised players to avoid exercising in public gyms or skating at local rinks. The team facility is off limits.

MATT VENSEL Pittsburgh Post-Gazette MAR 25, 2020 3:42 PM “We want them staying at home. We want them to follow the guidelines and stay quarantined,” Rutherford said. “Here’s what you can do to work

out at home and be prepared that if, by chance, we play again, you’re not Jim Rutherford, like many other Pittsburghers, found himself in front of going to be behind.” the TV on Wednesday morning watching a replay of Game 6 of the 1991 The front office and coaching staff is trying to stay busy, too, especially Stanley Cup final, when Mario Lemieux and the Penguins lifted the first of with this offseason likely presenting new challenges due to an altered their five Cups. schedule. “It’s not something I was planning on doing at this time of the year,” the The NHL on Wednesday announced the postponements of the NHL Penguins general manager said a couple hours later on a conference scouting combine, the league’s awards show and the 2020 draft, which call. “But … to go back and watch it again this morning, it was a lot of fun all had been originally scheduled for June. The league’s statement said watching those guys.” that the location, timing and format of the draft will be announced when Before the COVID-19 pandemic reached North America and the sports details are finalized. world shut down, the Penguins were gearing up for a playoff run. They hit “We have a lot of time on our hands, so we continue to work. We signed a rough patch in February. But they still looked to be good enough for the two college free agents that we’re excited about in [Drew] O’Connor aging cornerstones Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and to get and [Cam] Lee,” Rutherford said. “And each different department head a good shot at another Cup. still plays the same role in their communications. So I’m aware of what But that would-be playoff run was stalled, perhaps permanently, two everybody is doing.” weeks ago while the Penguins were in Columbus. The NHL followed the Rutherford said he talks to coach Mike Sullivan about the situation every lead of the NBA and suspended its season in the hopes of finishing it in day. He chats with Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse most the coming months. days, too. Since the Penguins flew back to Pittsburgh that day, March 12, “We’re just trying to be prepared for when we start and be able to deal Rutherford has been “locked down” at home with his wife, young son and with whatever the scenario is. I could probably go through 10 different two dogs. scenarios that are possibilities,” he said. “I’m certainly ready to work on In his first public comments since the NHL season was suspended, any playoff format the [league] decides we’re going to have and when Rutherford said he is focused on “the big picture,” not the disappointment that’s going to be.” of seeing one of the last opportunities for Crosby and Co. potentially While it sure doesn’t sound like Rutherford is confident the Cup will be going down the drain. awarded this year, he said the Penguins are “going for it” if the season “I view the big picture as the priority now,” he said. “The most important does resume. In that event, he thinks the time off could prove beneficial thing to me is that everybody follows the guidelines, they stay safe and for his veteran team. they stay healthy. Obviously, my priority is my family. But also the “Prior to us stopping play, we had run into a period where we were Penguins family is very important to me — all the workers, all our fans overusing guys in certain areas because of injuries and it started to catch and our whole community. ... It’s something that nobody thought was up with us,” he said. “We didn’t have that same energy and juice that we coming. And we have to adjust to it. But we live in a great country. And had in the first half of the season. So I would suggest that it would be to we live in a great, great city [where] people have gone through tough our benefit.” times. And we’ll pull through this together. In the meantime, as the Penguins wait for the league to give them the “Hopefully, people follow the guidelines. Because if we follow the green light to get back to work, he said the greater good is the priority. guidelines from the government and the doctors and the CDC and the Rutherford, who took a pay cut to ensure financial stability for other people that understand this better than us, then we can get back to a members of the organization, is proud of the way both the Penguins and normal life sooner than later.” their city are rallying together. Being at home with his loved ones the past 13 days has led to reflection “It’s been a time of uncertainty, but the one thing I’m not surprised about for the 71-year-old, who had a humble upbringing in Beeton, Ontario. He is how the Pittsburgh community has come together and how the spoke about the “admiration and the respect” he has for his parents, who Penguins have also been in the community and very generous in are deceased. different ways,” he said. “We just spent a lot of time at home. We were just around the house, Hopefully sooner than later, we can all worry about hockey games again. really, a lot. My family lived from check to check. We didn’t have very much. And so we didn’t do extra things. We ate the same dinner, the “To our fans, I look forward to seeing you soon safe and healthy and to same food, for three nights in a row and things like that,” he said. “Those be excited to get hockey back at some point in time in our lives,” are the things we’re doing now.” Rutherford said.

Like Rutherford, the rest of the Penguins organization is also self- NHL postponements quarantining. That includes the players. The NHL on Tuesday told Rutherford and his fellow GM that everyone within NHL clubs should The league announced Wednesday afternoon that the 2020 NHL continue to sit tight until April 6. scouting combine, NHL Awards and the NHL draft have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rutherford said that, to the best of his knowledge, no one from the Penguins has experienced COVID-19 symptoms or have been tested for The combine was originally set for June 1-6. The NHL Awards were the coronavirus. scheduled for June 18, while the draft was planned for June 26-27. The location, format and timing of the draft will be announced at a later date. The Hall of Fame GM said most players initially wanted to wait things out here in Pittsburgh, thinking they would have access to UPMC Lemieux Post Gazette LOADED: 03.26.2020 Sports Complex and face-to-face interaction with team doctors, coaches and staff.

But once the NHL said on March 16 that it would follow a directive from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that said there should be 1173003 Pittsburgh Penguins

Jim Rutherford optimistic Jake Guentzel could return if Penguins' season resumes

MIKE DEFABO Pittsburgh Post-Gazette MAR 25, 2020 2:11 PM

No one knows for sure how long the NHL season will remain on pause. But if — or when — the 2019-20 season does restart, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is optimistic that Jake Guentzel’s season might resume along with it.

The Penguins general manager, speaking publicly for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NHL to suspend play, pointed out that when Guenzel was initially injured on Dec. 30, the Penguins projected he could return somewhere within four-to-six months. Rutherford said that, according to the reports he’s received, rehab is going well and there have not been any setbacks to this point.

“If you take the shortest period, that would be the end of April,” Rutherford said. “I would expect, knowing Jake Guentzel, that he’s going to be ready.”

Currently, the NHL has yet to lay out any type of timeframe for a possible return to the ice. The latest news said that the league would follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines issued on March 15 that recommend against gatherings of more than 50 people until at least May 10.

Rutherford did not provide any additional insight into when the league might resume or what type of playoff format might be considered. He said that his priority right now is the health and safety of fans and people in the community. He hopes everyone is following the guidelines put in place by medical professionals.

“To our fans, I look forward to seeing you soon safe and healthy,” Rutherford said. “We’ll be excited to get hockey back in our lives at some point in time.”

Guentzel was initially injured during the Penguins' Dec. 30 win over the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena when he violently collided with the boards after scoring his 20th goal of the season. The same day Guentzel learned he had been named an All-Star for the first-time in his career, questions emerged if he’d be able to finish the season.

The 25-year-old winger underwent significant shoulder surgery in the hours after the collision. At the time of his injury, Guentzel led the Penguins in points (43) and goals (20).

Should Guentzel — and the season — return, it would give the Penguins a key piece and plenty of lineup options. One scenario would be to have Guentzel step back into his regular role on Sidney Crosby’s left wing. That could slide recent acquisition Jason Zucker down to play on Evgeni Malkin’s line. In that case, Patrick Marleau, who had been playing next to Malkin, could play a bottom-six role instead of the one he was currently thrust into.

Or, if the Penguins coaching staff wants to get creative, it could choose to reunite Guentzel with Malkin. During Crosby’s injury absence, Guentzel found great chemistry playing on a line with Malkin and Bryan Rust. And really, that line carried the Penguins through a difficult injury- plagued stretch.

Those are just two of the many scenarios. But there are also plenty of other questions that will need to be answered before lineup combinations become a priority.

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173004 Pittsburgh Penguins What about the Philadelphia Flyers? They had won nine of their previous 10 games before the shut down and were three points ahead of the Penguins in the standings. The Flyers’ sweet, wonderful fans — you recognize a little sarcasm, right? — actually were Ron Cook: NHL's stretch run was shaping up to be special dreaming about their team winning the Cup for the first time in 45 years. Sure, they are delusional but can you blame them?

Aren’t we all out of our minds without sports? RON COOK Pittsburgh Post-Gazette MAR 25, 2020 5:45 AM Post Gazette LOADED: 03.26.2020

The Penguins have played 1,183 regular-season games during the Sidney Crosby era. He has missed 199, mostly because of injury or illness. That is 16.8%.

The team has played 1,101 regular-season games since Evgeni Malkin arrived for the 2006-07 season. He has missed 194. That is 17.6%.

Did Crosby and Malkin really need to miss the final 13 games of this season?

What if the unthinkable happens — from a sports standpoint, of course — and Crosby and Malkin have to miss another playoff season for the second time in their splendid careers?

That wouldn’t be right.

It’s easy for those of us who love watching sports to feel sorry for ourselves with no games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Penguins were supposed to play the Carolina Hurricanes at home Tuesday night and the Blackhawks in Chicago on Wednesday night. The Pirates were scheduled for opening day in Tampa on Thursday afternoon. There will be no NCAA tournament games again this weekend.

But what about the athletes and teams that are impacted by the shutdown?

They are suffering, too.

Go to section

I thought first about Crosby and Malkin. How many times have we heard about the Penguins’ window to win another Stanley Cup — a fourth Cup — during their run together? Well, that window is slowly closing — day by day — even if we hate to admit it. Crosby and Malkin won’t be able to make up these lost games, let alone those they will miss in the postseason if the NHL remains dark all summer. It’s already bad enough that the two missed the 2011 playoffs because of injuries when the Penguins lost in seven games in the first round to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sticking with the NHL because we’re an NHL town, what about Alex Ovechkin? He’s the greatest goal-scorer of his generation and had 48 when the league went on hiatus. He needs just two for 50 for the ninth time in his spectacular career. Of greater note, with 706 career goals that rank him No. 8 on the all-time list, No. 8 needs 189 to break Wayne Gretzky’s thought-to-be-unreachable record of 894. This lost time will make it that much harder for him to get there.

What about the Boston Bruins? They were the best team all season and were cruising to the Presidents’ Trophy. I know, that trophy winner doesn’t often win the Cup. It’s happened just eight times since the 1985- 86 season. But you have to think the Bruins would be the team to beat if the season resumes. David Pastrnak might just be the NHL MVP.

What about the Lightning? They won the Presidents’ Trophy easily last season with 128 points but were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Lightning made it a mission this season to atone for that collapse. They might not get the chance.

What about the St. Louis Blues? They had the best record in the Western Conference when the NHL shut down and were trying to become just the second team to win consecutive Cups since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. You might remember the Penguins won two in a row in 2016 and 2017.

What about the Edmonton Oilers? They were headed to just their second playoff appearance since 2005-06. They might be the NHL’s most entertaining team with the league’s other two leading MVP candidates, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. I’m picking Draisaitl to finish ahead of McDavid and Pastrnak when the voting finally happens. 1173005 Pittsburgh Penguins • Rutherford said that he is concerned about Penguins fans during this time and urges everyone to follow safety procedures as they are given.

• Rutherford spoke at length about his personal situation and remaining Jim Rutherford speaks optimistically about Jake Guentzel’s potential indoors at age 71: “At my age, when I think back to how I was brought up return … we spent a lot of time at home. You’re around the house a lot. My family lived check to check. We didn’t have much. We didn’t do extra things. We ate the same dinner three nights in a row. We’re doing that now.” By Josh Yohe Mar 25, 2020 • Rutherford said he hasn’t left his house since the Penguins returned

home from Columbus on March 12. “I landed from Columbus 13 days Jim Rutherford, very possibly the most media accessible general ago now. Filled my car with gas and came home. We’ve been locked manager in all of professional sports, broke more than two weeks of down in our house, my wife (Leslie), son (James) and two dogs. We’ll silence during the NHL’s COVID-19 shutdown to speak with local continue to do that.” reporters Wednesday afternoon. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 Rutherford spoke candidly about the virus that has largely shut down American life and, along the way, shared some tidbits about his hockey team.

Like everyone else, Rutherford simply has no idea if the NHL season will resume at any point this spring or summer. If it does, however, he sounded optimistic that Jake Guentzel could return to his team’s lineup.

Guentzel was injured Dec. 30 against the Ottawa Senators, sustaining a shoulder injury that projected to keep him from the lineup from anywhere between four and six months.

If the NHL does return this season, games could be played into July or even August. Guentzel’s projection had him returning at some time between the end of April and the end of June, though it should be noted that many sources inside the organization believe late June is a more reasonable point for Guentzel’s return.

Of course, if there is hockey played again this season, late June might be the starting point.

“If you look when he was injured and what the projection was on the timeline for him to return, it was four to six months,” Rutherford said. “So if you take the shortest period, that would be the end of April. Obviously, you can do the rest, if it’s six months. I would expect that, knowing Jake Guentzel, that he’s going to be ready. His rehab is going well.”

His return date is anything but clear, though there’s no questioning that Guentzel would help the Penguins. Guentzel registered 43 points in 39 games and, despite being only in his fourth NHL season, has already become something of a postseason icon.

Rutherford was hesitant to talk about many items during his 20-minute session with reporters because of the relative uncertainty surrounding the league’s return and, for that matter, the country’s eventual return to normalcy.

His optimism was impossible to ignore.

“But all the reports I’ve had,” he said, “there have not been any setbacks at this point.”

Rutherford touched on some other items:

• Rutherford said if the NHL season does resume, he won’t concern himself with how the 2020-21 season could be impacted if play goes late into the summer.

“I’ve always had the same goal since I’ve gotten to Pittsburgh,” he said. “That’s to win the Cup this year. That’s what I will continue to focus on if the season does resume.”

• To the best of his knowledge, none of the Penguins have dealt with Coronavirus symptoms nor have any of them been tested. Only two NHL players are known to have tested positive for the virus, both Ottawa Senators. The Penguins did play the Senators in Pittsburgh on March 3.

• Some of the Penguins have opted to remain in Pittsburgh while others have returned to their offseason homes. Other than Guentzel returning to Minnesota, Rutherford did not specify which players have departed the area.

• Rutherford said even though it’s impossible to focus exclusively on hockey during what is becoming a different world for everyone, he remains in daily contact with Mike Sullivan and David Morehouse regarding the organization. 1173006 Pittsburgh Penguins There’s obviously a real chance there won’t be a 2020 postseason. That represents one postseason at the beginning of Crosby’s prime and another at the conclusion of his prime that could be taken away from him.

For Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the lost years are adding up Crosby played in the 2014 postseason with an injured wrist, which perhaps explains why he scored once in 13 postseason games that spring. When Crosby and Malkin are both healthy in the postseason, they’ve won the Cup three times. Their ratio is exceptional and one By Josh Yohe Mar 25, 2020 wonders if this will cut into their career total. We’ll never know.

Evgeni Malkin Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have accomplished more than just Age: 33 about any duo in hockey history. They’re immortals, their busts destined to someday rest in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Games missed due to health (including playoffs): 203

There have been three championships, outrageous numbers and a Games missed due to labor stoppages: 34 lifetime of memories manufactured by Crosby and Malkin. Perhaps they’ll make more magic again, whenever life returns to normal. Games missed to Coronavirus stoppage: 13 (presumably)

Their missed opportunities, however, are a part of their legacy. The Games missed due to suspensions: 1 owner of their team, in fact, is the godfather of this category. Postseasons missed: 1, possibly 2 Crosby, Malkin and Mario Lemieux are three of the four most important Total games missed: 251 players in Penguins franchise history. Unlike Jaromir Jagr, all three might someday be able to say that they played their entire careers in Malkin’s total number of games lost mirrors Crosby’s with stunning Pittsburgh. Like Lemieux, Crosby and Malkin have been robbed of many precision. He’s been nickel and dimed by injuries in his career more than games in their prime years because of health and work stoppages. Now, Crosby, but the result has been similar. there is another roadblock for Crosby and Malkin, this one a public health crisis that is threatening to shut down the Stanley Cup playoffs. Malkin has an interesting habit of missing his most games in subpar seasons. Take the 2010-11 season, when he missed a career-high 39 These are celebrated athletes, and for good reason. Let’s take a look at games when he tore his ACL. This was the only season in Malkin’s everything they’ve missed. career that saw him average less than one point per game.

I’ve broken down the number of regular season and postseason games Still, the numbers show that Malkin’s has missed out on around 246 they’ve missed and adjusted the point per game figures to represent career points because of injuries and work stoppages. Like Crosby, he approximate totals that these players would have managed. missed the 2011 postseason and might well miss this one.

Sidney Crosby Had Malkin been healthy during his entire career, the statistics show he’d be sitting around 1,322 points, which would be good for 33rd all-time and Age: 32 would place him ahead of his countryman, Alex Ovechkin. Games missed due to health (including playoffs): 207 Would there be more MVPs or scoring titles? Certainly seems possible. Games missed due to labor stoppages: 34 And you can bet that Malkin wouldn’t be known as Mr. 101 if he hadn’t missed those games, because his numbers would be even more Games missed to Coronavirus stoppage: 13 (presumably) overwhelming than they already are.

Games missed to coach’s decision to rest: 1 Mario Lemieux

Postseasons missed: 1, possibly 2 Regular season games missed to health: 385

Total games missed: 255 Postseason games missed due to health: 6

Crosby’s battles with health misfortune are well known. Concussions Games missed to temporary retirements: 278 alone have robbed him of 109 games in his career, many of those games coming right in his prime years. Postseason games missed due to temporary retirements: 30

In fact, Crosby’s two highest point-per-game average seasons — the Total games missed: 699 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons — saw him miss 101 games because of Lemieux, of course, is the gold standard for this exercise. He missed 385 concussions. Crosby has never dominated the league as he did during games during his career. A significant number of those games missed — those two seasons, which makes sense because he was 23 and 24, 148, precisely — came during his second stint when Lemieux was in his respectively. late 30s and not quite the force that he was in his younger days. Still, by The statistics say that Crosby would have managed approximately 348 doing the math based on points per game in the seasons in which he points in those 255 games. What does this mean? If Crosby had enjoyed missed time, Lemieux missed out on 599 points produced during those full health during his entire career, and if numerous NHL stoppages had 385 missed games. not intervened, Crosby would be sitting at 1,601 career points by the He also missed 278 games during retirements or breaks. He didn’t conclusion of this season, which would be good for 10th all time. At 32, participate in the strike-shortened 1994-95 season because of back he’d be around 320 points from passing Jagr for second in NHL history. problems and lingering fatigue from his battle with cancer 18 months He never would have caught Wayne Gretzky for the top spot but would earlier. To humor the readers of this article — we all have lots of free have been in position to be the clear cut second-leading scorer in NHL time right now, you know? — I’ve taken the average point per game total history during an era that was much more difficult to score than Gretzky’s of the seasons before and after the 1994-95 season to determine how heyday. many points he would have been projected to produce in the strike- Crosby has won two scoring titles in his career and would have been the shortened, 48-game season. The math calculates to 96 points. overwhelming favorite to win the Art Ross Trophy in 2011, 2012 and Then, there are the games he missed during his first official retirement, 2013 had he been healthy. He led the league in points per game by a from the 1997-98 season through the 2000-01 season. He theoretically wide margin in each of those seasons. One would think his MVP total of could have participated in 282 games during that stretch, which doesn’t two would be considerably higher as well. include postseasons games he would have played in. Let’s combine his Crosby also missed out on the 2011 postseason because of point per game average in the 1996-97 season (1.61) and his point per concussions. The Penguins were almost indisputably the best team in game average in the 2000-01 comeback season (1.77). So we’ll go with the league when Crosby and then Malkin went down with season-ending 1.69 points per game during that stretch, which probably would have injuries. been a fair total for Lemieux, who was only in his early 30s then. He would have been surrounded in those years by the likes of Jaromir Jagr and Alex Kovalev. So, in those 282 games, his point project would be 477 points.

Let’s do the math: It breaks down to 599 + 477 + 96 = 1,172

That’s 1,172 regular-season points. Lemieux finished his career with 1,723 points. Combine them both, and the math says that, if Lemieux would have been completely healthy and played until his retirement at age 40, he could have finished with approximately 2,895 points.

Wayne Gretzky is the NHL’s all-time leader with 2,857 points. Gretzky missed 95 games in his career due to injury and an additional 34 because of work stoppages.

It’s unreasonable for any player to go an entire career without being injured, but Lemieux’s injuries were extraordinarily frequent and even forced him to play countless games in pain. Had he enjoyed good health, perhaps the history books would be a little different.

As is the case with so many stars in this organization, we’ll never know.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173007 Pittsburgh Penguins “And Marc-Andre Fleury — his stuff that I would joke around with and act out before the games was, like, he’s grabbing the four-wheeled carts that you stack things on, he’s on all fours on this thing and using it like a dog pushing on a skateboard, basically. Spinning. Running in circles down Mike Rupp shares his favorite stories on Brodeur, Fleury and Lundqvist the hallway. This is minutes before we go out for warmups. He’s jumping off the walls, doing hardcore-type stuff. I’m, like, ‘What is this guy doing?’

And he’s playing in the game! He’s just bouncing off the wall and making By Rob Rossi Mar 25, 2020 these noises and doing all this crazy stuff.”

Rupp on Lundqvist

As former NHL player Mike Rupp mentioned a couple of times on a “And then I go to the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist is there. Literally, recent episode of the Pen Ultimate podcast, hockey players are taught at there was a joke from one of the medical trainers, who went, ‘Dude, don’t a young age the phrases to say to reporters. Get pucks deep. Go to the even talk to Hank.’ I’m, like, ‘OK, well I wasn’t going to talk to him on a hard areas. Goalies are different. game day anyway.’

Those are just some of the short statements almost every NHL player “But on a game day, Henrik Lundqvist — its like he doesn’t even exist. has offered at least once. Or several hundred times. Say (The Athletic’s Josh Yohe) and I are in the room and Hank’s in the room. We walk in and I’m like, ‘Hey Josh!’ With Hank, I don’t even say There are others, and it’s not as though players need to always agree ‘hey.’ That’s a disturbance to him. with these cliches. They just say them. “If I acknowledge that Hank’s there, it might throw him off in his mind. Evgeni Malkin had been much more interested in getting pucks deep this He’s got his headphones in the entire day. (Former New York Rangers past season for the Penguins than when Phil Kessel was his winger. coach John Tortorella) is trying to have a meeting before the game — Except in the playoffs. Then, Kessel was among the skilled players going he’s juggling in the corner. Tortz is trying to have a serious conversation to the hard areas. Those are where “goals are scored this time of year.” and Hank’s doing his juggling, all focused. It’s like he’s not there. He’s But also, you know, any hockey player should shoot from wherever in the invisible. playoffs. Can’t score if you don’t shoot. And, well, as stay-at-home defenseman Brooks Orpik said after scoring an unlikely goal to win an “But then, even after the game, he’s slamming stuff, breaking things in opening round for the Penguins in 2013, “There’s no such thing as a bad the bathroom.” shot.” Three goalies. All will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Each very different. Who would know better than Rupp about that last line? He broke onto the “The one thing they all share: they’re competitive nature, their compete- scene proving that adage: level is out of this world,” Rupp said of Brodeur, Fleury and Lundqvist. Wow, was the world wild before hi-def hockey. “But they’re completely different demeanors in the way they go about things.” Anyway, whatever a hockey player’s preference for easy-to-memorize soundbites that won’t land them in too much trouble, there is one that And now for the story of Rupp and former Devils teammate Bobby Holik really, truly seems to be believed everybody. hitting the streets of Newark, N.J., in search of Turkish coffee. Talk about different. Goalies. Are. Different. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 Rupp could qualify as an expert on that subject. He was a teammate of three goalies who rank first, fifth and sixth in wins.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play with what I would say are three of the, probably, the top 10 goalies of all-time: Marty Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist,” Rupp said on Pen Ultimate. “And all three of them are completely different.”

Rupp on Brodeur

“If you asked Marty to speak (to the media) at 5:30 p.m., he would agree to it. I mean, (former New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamiorello) wouldn’t agree to it. You just wouldn’t have the access because of Lou. But Marty? He’d be, ‘Yeah, sure. We’ll talk.’

“Marty would always walk around — puts his shoulders way back, chest way out, kind of walk and had this swivel. He’s very confident. His chin’s up in the air. And he always walked around with a coffee. That was his pregame (routine). He’d just sit in his stall and he’d talk. He’d talk to anybody and be laid back.

“I remember as a rookie, coming in there was things when I played center early on in my career. Marty played the puck so much that I needed to know what he’s thinking because when Marty came out to play the puck, which he did often, and I’m the low guy, I need to know, ‘What am I doing here? Am I coming to play the puck? Am I making myself available to the passer?’ I needed to know these things.

“It’s in between periods of games and usually you don’t talk to the goalies. So, I’m, like, ‘Hey, I need to know this.’ So, I go up to Marty. And he’d be, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ You could just talk to him. I’d talk to him between the whistles. He’s the most approachable guy going. He was always focused at the right times but very laid back, just stoic in the way he goes about things.

“He was fantastic.”

Rupp on Fleury

“Then I went to Pittsburgh. And now I go in there and I meet Marc-Andre Fleury. 1173008 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks: No plans to slash staff, ask for pay cuts

Sharks Sports & Entertainment has no plans to reduce staff or ask employees to take a pay cut while the NHL remains on hiatus

By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: March 25, 2020 at 4:53 p.m. | UPDATED: March 25, 2020 at 8:52 p.m.

Sharks Sports & Entertainment has no plans as of now to reduce staff or ask employees to take a pay cut while the NHL remains on hiatus, a team source confirmed.

Earlier this month, the Sharks announced that part-time employees who were scheduled to work Sharks and Barracuda games at SAP Center in March would still be compensated.

The Sharks were previously scheduled to play at home against the Montreal Canadiens on March 19, the Boston Bruins on March 21 and the Arizona Coyotes on March 29. Sharks home games April 2 against the Dallas Stars and April 4 against the Anaheim Ducks will also not be played as scheduled with the entire state of California under a shelter in place mandate.

All NHL teams are coming to grips with severe financial losses after the league’s March 12 announcement that it was pausing its season for an indefinite amount of time due to growing concern about the spread of the coronavirus. There is no indication yet as to when the league might resume operations.

The Canadiens announced Tuesday they will be temporarily laying off 60 percent of employees later this month. The Bruins announced Wednesday that effective April 1, 68 full-time salaried employees will be placed on temporary leave and that 82 full-time salaried associates will receive an indefinite salary reduction.

Wednesday, the Raleigh News & Observer reported that full-time Carolina Hurricanes employees will no longer be paid after this week.

Also Wednesday, general manager Jim Nill told ESPN that he and team president Jim Lites have voluntarily taken 50 percent cuts in pay.

Sharks Sports & Entertainment is the parent company of the San Jose Sharks and San Jose Barracuda, and operates SAP Center, Solar4America Ice locations in San Jose and Fremont and the Sharks Foundation.

Also Wednesday, the league announced the postponement of the scouting combine, the NHL Awards, and the NHL Draft. Those events were scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y., June 18 in Las Vegas, and June 26-27 in Montreal, respectively.

The NHL said the location, timing and format of the draft and draft lottery would be announced “when details are finalized.”

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173009 San Jose Sharks

Why Tomas Hertl won't forget playing with Joe Thornton, Brent Burns

By Marcus White March 25, 2020 3:57 PM

Tomas Hertl’s memorable start to his NHL career came alongside a former Hart Trophy winner and a future Norris Trophy winner.

The Czech forward’s first Sharks linemates were Joe Thornton and Brent Burns, who then-San Jose coach Todd McLellan moved up from defense during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. Hertl scored seven goals in his first five games, including a historic four-goal performance in his third.

Playing with Thornton and Burns allowed Hertl to debut in unforgettable fashion.

"Actually, it was the best line you could imagine: It was [Burnzie] and [Jumbo],” Hertl told ESPN’s Greg Wyshnski in a piece about past and present NHL players’ first linemates. “So it was actually a really big line, really fun line, because we were all over 6-[foot-]2 and 220, so it was a big and fun line. [Burnzie] was still playing forward.

“For me, or like anybody who started with Jumbo in his prime, it was really fun. Both these guys helped me a lot during my NHL career.”

The trio found instant chemistry during the 2013-14 season. Burns, Hertl and Thornton simply dominated opponents at even strength in just under 218 minutes together. They controlled, according to Natural Stat Trick:

62.82 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts

67.78 percent of the 5-on-5 expected goals

70.33 percent of the 5-on-5 scoring chances

73.75 percent of the 5-on-5 high-danger chances

Their time together was largely short-lived. Hertl underwent right knee surgery just 37 games into his NHL career, while Burns missed about a month early that season. McLellan didn’t immediately reunite the group when Hertl was healthy, instead keeping Joe Pavelski with Thornton and Burns.

Hertl, Burns and Thornton briefly reunited during the Sharks’ first-round Stanley Cup playoffs loss to the rival Los Angeles Kings, but the line didn’t score a 5-on-5 goal in that series as San Jose blew a three-games- to-none lead. They still generated a high share of quality chances, yet goals did not follow and the three never really got another look together upfront.

Burns moved back to the blue line the following season, and it paid off with a Norris win in 2017 and two other top-three finishes in 2016 (third) and 2019 (second). Hertl and Thornton have played with a number of different linemates, including each other, since then.

It’s hard to envision a true reunion on a line whenever the NHL resumes play following the coronavirus pandemic, considering Burns’ position change and Thornton’s now playing in a bottom-six role. The chemistry they found with Hertl in his rookie season was special, though, and something that clearly has stuck with him ever since.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173010 San Jose Sharks

Sharks' Logan Couture begins book club during NHL season suspension

By Dalton Johnson March 25, 2020 8:00 AM

Sharks captain Logan Couture has a lot more time on his hands right now than he expected. While he can't be on the ice, the 30-year-old is looking to expand his mind.

Couture announced Tuesday that with the extra time on his hands during the NHL's coronavirus hiatus, he has started his own book club. The first one he's diving into is The Rule of the Law by John Lescroart.

Hey Sharks fans. With some free time, I enjoy getting into a good book and so I created my own book club to share with you.

First, I'm reading The Rule of the Law by @johnlescroart. Once I'm done, I'll share my review.

Join me: https://t.co/cKfDPuMyAC pic.twitter.com/0rVUwFnaHb

— Logan Couture (@Logancouture) March 24, 2020

Couture says he enjoys psychological and legal thrillers, as well as murder-mysteries. He will give an official review of the book once he has finished it and is going to release lists of some of his favorite books.

After finishing Charles Bukowski's Pulp, I read The Subterraneans by Jack Kerouac as my first book since the shelter in place rule began, and I'm a little over halfway through Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut. The No. 1 rule of reading book is: Always read Vonnegut.

Sure, we know you're going to re-watch "The Office" for the billionth time on Netflix or binge "Tiger King," but do yourself a favor and open a book. Follow the captain and take Couture's lead to ease your mind and get sucked into a good story during these trying times.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173011 San Jose Sharks

How Patrick Marleau's four-goal period connected him to Mario Lemieux

By Brian Witt March 25, 2020 7:00 AM

Programming note: Watch the re-air of Patrick Marleau's four-goal third period in the Sharks' 2017 win over the Colorado Avalanche tonight at 8 p.m. PT on NBC Sports California.

When Tomas Hertl scored four goals in his third career game, he became the third-youngest player in NHL history to accomplish the feat. When Patrick Marleau matched him three seasons later, the Sharks' all- time leader in goals, points and games played became the second-oldest in league history to do it, and the eldest ever to notch four goals in a win.

As of now, there have been 280 separate instances throughout NHL history in which a player has scored four goals in a single game. Of those 280, only 12 times has a player scored all four goals in a single period. Marleau was the 12th to add his name to that impressive list on Jan. 23, 2017 and the first to do it in almost precisely two decades.

Before Marleau scored four times against the Colorado Avalanche in the third period of San Jose's 5-2 victory that night -- including the first three in a span of 7:42 -- Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Famer and co- owner/chairman Mario Lemieux was the most recent to do it, having scored four -- also in the third period of an eventual 5-2 win -- against the Montreal Canadiens back on Jan. 26, 1997. Lemieux, of course, recently acquired Marleau at the NHL trade deadline.

After Brent Burns got the Sharks on the board in the first period, Marleau provided all of the offense from that point on, and did so in a variety of ways.

His first goal came by way of a deflection. The second, on a wrap- around. For his natural hat trick, Marleau finished off a perfectly executed 2-on-1, and to etch his name in the record books, he capitalized on a breakaway.

Don't remember? Don't worry.

Tonight at 8 p.m., Marleau's standout performance -- in which he ended up with his fifth career regular-season hat trick, and moved within three goals of 500 -- will be re-aired on NBC Sports California. He has failed to score three goals -- much less four -- in any game since, but now sits at 562 career goals, which ranks 25th all time in NHL history.

Much as Marleau's return to the Sharks at the beginning of the current season provided San Jose and its fans with a much-needed feel-good development, so too can the re-airing of his memorable game be seen in the same light. With the NHL season currently paused due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we can all use a reminder of happier times right now.

Watching arguably the most beloved player in Sharks franchise history do something that might never be topped?

Yeah, that'll do.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173012 San Jose Sharks “We play the sport because we love it, so not being able to play right now sucks, really,” Ferraro said. “But I’m very thankful for the year that I’ve had so far, the opportunity that I had to stay with the Sharks through the year and learn from all these guys and become friends with all these Sharks’ Mario Ferraro offers up routine that ‘gets you moving’ during great players and teammates. quarantine “As far as how my season has gone, I’m very thankful for it. Wish that we could have been doing better as a team but there are more seasons to come and to improve on and stuff. If this season continues then it’s an By Kevin Kurz Mar 25, 2020 opportunity for us to get better leading into next year.”

As the team’s official practice facility is still off-limits, the organization’s One of the oft-repeated suggestions when using social media as a public training staff has given the players tips to stay in shape for whenever figure is “never read the comments.” hockey resumes.

But Mario Ferraro, who has emerged in the past few months as a There’s no doubt Ferraro was going to do whatever he could do in that budding NHL defenseman as well as YouTube personality, got a kick out regard, anyway. of some of the feedback he’s gotten on his latest video posted on March “Things like just staying in shape at home, doing what you can, home 21. In it, Ferraro offers a stay-at-home workout routine for everyone routines. That’s one of the reasons why I posted the video, to show what currently under quarantine due to the coronavirus outbreak. I do,” he said. “Some funny chirps or shots in there,” Ferraro, now back home in the “Everyone’s kind of got to at this point take responsibility. We’re athletes Toronto area, said on Wednesday in a phone interview. “But I got some and we’ve been doing this our whole life. We know how to stay in shape good publicity from that video, more than I expected anyway (laughs).” and we know what we’ve got to do to stay healthy. Obviously, we’re In a six-minute video, Ferraro takes the viewer through what he following the routines that every other person has been given to stay in considers a full-body workout that also includes some cardio exercises, self-quarantine and stay at home, so we just have to combine our “because obviously we’re at home and not doing much. I know not many knowledge of working out and staying in shape and improving while people have a treadmill or stuff like that,” he said. being kept isolated at home. We’ve been able to do that so far.”

Ferraro begins the workout with sets of 15 push-ups, sit-ups and squats. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 From there, he suggests decline push-ups, in which you elevate your feet on a chair before lowering your chin to the ground. After that come exercises designed for your core, a triceps dip, squats, high knees, lunge jumps and burpees, all of which can be done without the use of any fancy gym equipment.

He figures the entire routine takes about 30 minutes.

It’s a routine that he’s been more or less following himself for some time, quarantine or no quarantine.

“It’s just a home workout that I do a lot during the summer. I’ve been doing that for years,” the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Ferraro said. “What I put together isn’t exactly what I’ve been doing, but those specific kinds of exercises like the push-ups and the sit-ups and the squats are stuff that I always do at home when I’m not at the gym. Just maintenance stuff throughout the year, even before bed sometimes. It’s just kind of a workout that I really enjoy doing and keeps my body in shape.”

And what does his workout accomplish for the average man or woman who may not be a high-level athlete?

“It’s just all bodyweight stuff, nothing where you’ll get sore to the point where you can’t do the same workout the next day. It’s just something that keeps you active and just gets you in shape,” he said.

In a Sharks season that was often dark, Ferraro’s play as a rookie along with his constantly positive attitude was a bright spot. Even now, with the NHL shut down, Ferraro found a way to inject some of his youthful vigor into what is a difficult time for just about everyone with his YouTube channel that now has more than 2,000 subscribers.

Ferraro, of course, is staying indoors, too, other than an occasional jog outside, “as long as I’m isolated from other people,” he said.

When he’s not jogging or doing indoor exercises, he’ll spend time on his YouTube videos — which are primarily about tech devices or computing — or fire up his Nintendo Switch, which he’s been “playing quite a bit lately.”

Of course, Ferraro would rather be on the ice than in front of a game console, but his rookie season was cut short on March 12 when the NHL suspended operations. In 61 games, Ferraro posted two goals and nine assists for 11 points and a minus-15 rating.

While there were a handful of those so-called rookie moments for Ferraro, particularly in the final few weeks, there’s no question that the 21-year-old is now considered one of the Sharks’ key young players for the future. Staying on the NHL roster from opening night in October through what was likely the Sharks’ final game two weeks ago in Chicago was an accomplishment for Ferraro, who most assumed before the season would play primarily for the AHL Barracuda. 1173013 St Louis Blues 2018-19 season, and lost a 2020 seventh-rounder in moving up for Russian goalie prospect Vadim Zherenko in last year’s draft.

You could make the case that expert information is even more important Blues push ahead with draft prep despite postponement of several draft- when it comes to hitting on those mid- to late-round picks that the Blues related events have been successful at in recent years. (See: Colton Parayko, Sammy Blais.)

“It is what it is and we’ll have to go off the information that we have,” said Jim Thomas Blues assistant GM Bill (no relation) Armstrong. “What we’ve done is a little bit of everything to try and get ahead of the curve. Just trying as a

staff to make sure we keep progressing with what tools of the trade you The coronavirus pandemic continues to take a bite out of the NHL have at your fingertips.” calendar. The league announced Wednesday afternoon that it is St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.26.2020 postponing the NHL draft, the scouting combine, the draft lottery and the NHL awards show.

The 2020 draft had been scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal; the scouting combine was scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo; and the awards show for June 18 in Las Vegas. The draft lottery, which determines the selection order for the 15 teams that don’t make the playoffs, was scheduled for April 9.

“The location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and draft lottery) will be announced when details are finalized,” the NHL said in a statement.

But it looks like there will be no “makeup date” for the awards show, a fun night but one that obviously ranks low on the league’s priority list.

“With respect to the Bridgestone NHL Awards, the league looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future,” was all the NHL said about that event.

Las Vegas has been home for the awards show since 2009.

Meanwhile, the status of the scouting combine is murkier, with no mention from the NHL of possibly rescheduling the event.

“I assume it will be subject to when/if we play again in the 2019-20 season and what the general rules are for travel and gatherings of people,” Blues general manager told the Post-Dispatch. “The league isn’t making any long-term plans at this time.”

Things are less complicated with the draft and the draft lottery, because those events can easily be done via phone. The draft lottery won’t affect the Blues since they had the best record in the Western Conference entering the suspension of play two weeks ago.

With or without any more games, there will be a draft this season. And the Blues have a first-rounder after waiting until the very end of Round 2 a year ago to make their first selection (Nikita Alexandrov).

The Blues had been expecting the draft to become a phone affair, and have adjusted to recent coronavirus-related travel restrictions in terms of their scouting and draft preparation.

“We have enough information,” Armstrong said. “Where it hurts is we want to see these guys playing (in high-pressure situations). It’s one thing to see a kid playing Tuesday night in Owen Sound. You’d like to see ‘em in a seven-game (playoff) series. No one’s getting that opportunity.”

Armstrong has used top draft picks as currency in recent years as he’s tried to build the Blues into Stanley Cup contenders, and after last year’s success, keep them there.

As a result, they only have two first-rounders left in their organization over the past four drafts in Robert Thomas and Klim Kostin — both taken in 2017.

Buffalo got the Blues’ first-rounder in 2019 as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade; 2016 first-rounder Tage Thompson also went to Buffalo as part of that deal.

Philadelphia received a first-rounder from the Blues in both the 2017 and 2018 drafts as part of the Brayden Schenn trade.

And a Blues’ first-rounder in 2018, Dominik Bokk, went to Carolina as part of the Justin Faulk trade.

The Blues did add a fifth-rounder in this year’s draft as part of the Faulk trade, but lost their 2020 second-rounder in the Marco Scandella trade; lost a 2020 sixth-rounder in the Jakub Jerabek trade made prior to the 1173014 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning players create fund for part-time employees, donate 500,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay

Captain Steven Stamkos announced the news via a Lightning Twitter post Wednesday afternoon.

STAFF

TAMPA — Almost two weeks after Lightning owner Jeff Vinik announced a compensation plan for Amalie Arena’s employees, Steven Stamkos came out with news of his own on behalf of the team.

The captain announced Wednesday via Twitter that the Lightning would create a fund to help support all of the part-time employees with the team and in Amalie Arena.

“Those people do so much for us as athletes,” he said. “We’re so fortunate to be able to work with them every day and it was important to us that we could do something for them during this time.”

The captain noted that the team is simply following Vinik’s lead and everything he has done for the organization so far.

On behalf of your Tampa Bay Lightning, a message from your Captain @realstamkos91. pic.twitter.com/kZeVGeiLVT

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 25, 2020

Stamkos also said the team would donate 500,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay, a food rescue and distribution center in the Feeding America network.

“It’s definitely an unprecedented time in the world right now,” he said, “certainly in our community, as well, here in Tampa Bay.”

The organization will help children who are not being fed at school and the elderly who cannot go out into the community, Stamkos noted. It also will aid families who are economically challenged.

Stamkos encouraged Lightning fans to help out the organization by visiting http://feedingtampabay.org/.

“It can be a very stressful time, a little scary, but we’re going to get through this together,” Stamkos said. “We’re going to get through this as a community.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173015 Tampa Bay Lightning “It means the world to us,” Mantz said. “Having Steven Stamkos stand up and say, ‘We care about this issue, it allows us the platform that we can’t normally get that helps us get the message to those in the community. The players being willing to do that is incredible. The money is one thing, Behind Lightning players’ plan to pledge 500,000 meals to Feeding the awareness is something else.” Tampa Bay For those in need or those who want to help, go to feedingtampabay.org.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 By Joe Smith Mar 25, 2020

TAMPA, Fla. — You haven’t heard much from Lightning players since the NHL shut down in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But that doesn’t mean they weren’t thinking about you.

Captain Steven Stamkos delivered a video message on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, saying he and his teammates are starting a fund to help aid part-time Lightning and Amalie Arena employees during this period. Stamkos also said the team plans to donate 500,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay, which is part of a Feeding America network that provides food to hundreds of thousands of families in the 10-county area of West Central Florida.

“This is definitely an unprecedented time in the world right now, certainly in our community,” Stamkos said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, it can be a very stressful time, a little scary. But we’re going to get through this together. We’re going to get through this as a community.”

ON BEHALF OF YOUR TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING, A MESSAGE FROM YOUR CAPTAIN @REALSTAMKOS91. PIC.TWITTER.COM/KZEVGEILVT

— TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (@TBLIGHTNING) MARCH 25, 2020

Lightning owner Jeff Vinik had already pledged to compensate part-time employees who were scheduled to work games or events through the end of March. Vinik also started a program called VSG Cares, which would provide grants to full and part-time employees for those with immediate needs in housing, food, utilities, etc.

The Lightning players apparently are offering to take another step as the league isn’t expected to resume anytime soon. It’s unclear at this point if the players’ assistance will be similar to Vinik’s grant program, or something different.

#TBLIGHTNING STATEMENT ON OWNER JEFF VINIK COMPENSATING PART-TIME EMPLOYEES THROUGH END OF MARCH, INCLUDING NCAA TOURNAMENT GAMES AND OTHER EVENTS AT AMALIE ARENA. ALSO LAUNCHING PROGRAM FOR ASSISTANCE WITH GRANTS FOR HARDSHIPS. PIC.TWITTER.COM/X54O1HLP19

— JOE SMITH (@JOESMITHTB) MARCH 13, 2020

“Those (employees) do so much for us as athletes, we’re so fortunate to be able to work with them every day,” Stamkos said. “It was important to us that we did something that could help them during this time. We have an amazing owner in Mr. Vinik and his family and we’re just following in his footsteps during this time.”

With restaurants and bars among the many businesses shut down during this pandemic, not to mention the potential for stay-at-home curfews being established, many families will be hit hard. Thomas Mantz, 57, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, said there are 600,000 individuals who are food insecure in the 10-county region every day (one in every four children, one in every seven adults).

“When there’s a crisis, that number goes up around 50 percent,” Mantz said. “Think about how many folks you heard were laid off, how many folks do you know who are struggling? All those folks who are hourly workers who are now looking for support and this is the most basic and important need.

“In the next month, we’ll see a challenging month.”

Mantz said he got a call around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon from Elizabeth Frazier, the Lightning VP of philanthropy and community giving. She told him the players came together and wanted to help donate meals to the area. Some of the Lightning leaders had reached out to Frazier late last week, but it took some time for it all to come together. The news was a welcomed boon to the Feeding Tampa Bay organization, both in the pledge and the resulting visibility. 1173016 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs captain Tavares posts message of support in wake of coronavirus

Terry Koshan

A message of support and encouragement in the wake of the coronavirus came from via social media on Wednesday night.

“To all hockey fans in Toronto & beyond,” the note on Twitter from the Maple Leafs captain started, “let’s all play inside & play for each other.

“With this challenge comes great opportunity to enjoy quality time with family and loved ones. Let’s take care of each other by washing our hands frequently and practicing social distancing.

“To all the healthcare & frontline workers, thank you! Thank you for your courage, determination and hard work to fight this crisis. We are all extremely grateful.

“To Leafs nation, my teammates and I can’t wait until we get the opportunity again to put on our skates, and wear the Maple Leaf on our chest.

“Until then, let’s do everything we can to help each other by staying safe and healthy!”

Tavares’ message was accompanied by a photo of him holding son Jace, who was born last September.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173017 Toronto Maple Leafs “That’s a great question, if I could make the jump,” Robertson said. “Some people would say I need another year or whatever, and I’m not going to sit here and say I’m going to go back to the OHL next season. That’s a possibility, but another possibility is making the jump to the NHL. Leafs prospect Robertson: 'Life is more than just hockey in wake of coronavirus outbreak “Every year is an opportunity, every year I have a higher percentage to make that opportunity come true. All I’m doing right now is focusing on getting bigger and stronger and focusing on making that jump. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, but I’m pretty sure I will have put in the Terry Koshan work and put in the time.

“When I look at this year compared to last year, I think I have a good Nick Robertson lifts weights every day. chance of doing that.”

He does laps in the backyard pool. Jumps rope. Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.26.2020

Runs sprints up and down next to home.

Stickhandles.

All of that and more to keep in shape for his next hockey game: Team and time to be determined.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Maple Leafs prospect finds himself in a situation that has impacted hockey players and athletes around the world.

“It’s pretty frustrating, but it’s a big eye-opener for myself, too, in that life is more than just hockey,” Robertson said during an interview with the Toronto Sun on Wednesday from his parents’ home in Sierra Madre, Calif. “I’m home in the proper quarantine that everyone is doing, and as much as it sucks, you have to be safe too. You’re saving lives at the end of the day.”

Robertson is joined in daily, stay-at-home workouts by his brother, Jason, who was in the midst of a fine rookie season with the of the American Hockey League when hockey went on hold two weeks ago.

For Nick Robertson, there is comfort in looking ahead in his hockey career, whenever and wherever it may resume.

After the Leafs selected him 53rd overall last June at the NHL draft in Vancouver, Robertson led Toronto in scoring at the Detroit Red Wings’ rookie tournament in Traverse City, Mich., turned 18 on Sept. 11 and signed a three-year entry-level contract a week later.

Robertson then went about having his way with the Peterborough Petes of the , finishing with 86 points in 46 games, a total that included a -best 55 goals.

“Signing was good, but I wanted to stay a little longer in camp and getting cut early got me motivated,” Robertson said. “I wanted to go back and make a name for myself.

“I was just happy with the way I handled myself from the beginning of the season to my injury (a broken finger suffered early in November kept him out for a month) to going to the world junior (with the United States) and coming back … the second half of the season is usually the hardest and maintaining, even increasing, my production through that process, I was proud of that.”

Robertson’s 10 game-winning goals tied for the OHL lead, and his eight shorthanded goals led the CHL.

Importantly, for Petes coach Rob Wilson, the complete view of the winger wasn’t limited to an above-average ability for putting the puck in the net.

There’s a tenacity that the Leafs not only love but see as part of the template for their best players, a willingness to do just about anything to get the puck.

At 5-foot-9, 164 pounds, Robertson is going to get bigger, but a smaller stature in pro hockey no longer is the barrier it once was.

“He wants the puck, he hunts it down, he gets it,” Wilson said. “He doesn’t wait for people to give him the puck.

“Nick isn’t worried about who he is going in the corners with anyway. He’s not worried about who he is going to face in front of the net or in puck battles.”

Robertson’s goal was to make the Leafs — last fall. It will be the same when, we assume, training camp starts in September, and you can imagine Robertson, who is not eligible to play for the Toronto Marlies next season, will do all he can to ensure it becomes a reality. 1173018 Toronto Maple Leafs Sure, Smythe wasn’t the most democratic of leaders, but the Leafs as people know them would not exist today had it not been for him.

D: Tie Domi Toronto Maple Leafs ABC: An alphabetical who’s who of the storied Consider how much time Tie Domi spent in the penalty box: In 1997-98, franchise the forward averaged 4.56 penalty minutes per game over 80 games. Last season, the Leafs finished dead last in the NHL in penalty minutes per game with 6.1. By Joshua Kloke Mar 25, 2020 Domi had 26 fights that season, which is exactly as many as the Leafs had as a team over the last three seasons.

Here’s a fun activity to fill your time: Check out this alphabetical list of In his prime, Domi was a fan favourite because, despite his size, he every player to have played for the Toronto Maple Leafs since 1927, stood up to anyone and produced some of the most memorable fights of when they officially changed their name from the Toronto St. Pats. all-time, including bouts with Bob Probert and Rob Ray. Domi is the NHL’s all-time leader in fighting majors (333) and the Leafs all-time You’ll be reminded of some surprises (remember when Tom Barrasso leader in penalty minutes (2265). played four games to close out the 2001-02 season?). And come upon some colourful names (how did Harold “Baldy” Cotton get his E: Ron Ellis nickname?). Only five players have played 1,000 games for the Leafs. Ellis is the least But mostly, you’ll be reminded of how deep and fascinating Maple Leafs recognizable name on that list, but he was a consistent goal scorer. He history is. played parts of 16 seasons solely for the Leafs and scored at least 20 goals in 11 of his 14 full seasons with the team. He probably would have So to help look back on some of the names that have defined the history added to those totals had he not retired for two seasons in his prime of the team, we present to you the ABCs of the Toronto Maple Leafs: The during the mid-70s. players, coaches, executives, and fans who run the gamut of the Maple Leafs. F: Cliff Fletcher

A: George Armstrong The Leafs wouldn’t have gone on the runs they did in the 1990s without Fletcher being named president and general manager in 1991. He This was an easy one to start. Armstrong captained the Leafs for 13 of orchestrated the blockbuster trade for Doug Gilmour, hired as his 21 seasons, won four Stanley Cups including the team’s last in 1967 head coach and also traded for one of the best Leafs of all-time in Mats and is the franchise leader in games played (1188). Sundin. The physical, dogged winger was known for his persistent approach on Fletcher returned to the Leafs as interim general manager in 2008 and the ice. He’s also a lifer with the Leafs. He’s continued to be synonymous remains to this day as a senior advisor. He can still be seen sitting on his with the organization, coaching the Leafs for a short stint as well as the own a few rows up from the ice during Leafs morning skates. Marlies. He’s still employed as a community representative to this day. G: Doug Gilmour “He sure came out to play every night and he had no patience for those players who didn’t,” former teammate Paul Henderson told NHL.com. Gilmour is one of the most popular players in Leafs franchise history and for good reason. B: Johnny Bower He remains the leader in points in a single season (127 in 1992-93). The outpouring of emotion for Bower after his death on Dec. 26, 2017 Despite his smallish stature, he was the heart of the club for his six was apropos considering the long time goaltender was one of the most seasons with the Leafs, — and captain for three of those years. He beloved players ever to wear the blue and white. finished second and fourth in Hart Trophy voting in the 1992-93 and “There’s a whole new generation of young fans that don’t really know him 1993-94 seasons. Gilmour received a standing ovation after the final for the goalie, but just know him for his charity, his generosity and his game at when he played for the Chicago good-naturedness and warmth,” Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said Blackhawks against the Leafs. after Bower’s passing. “I’ve never in my time here — and I hear this from In 2019, Gilmour left his post as president of the OHL’s Kingston a lot of a people — nobody ever really came upon Johnny Bower at any Frontenacs to become a community representative for the Maple Leafs. moment, at any time, at any hour, and saw that he was uncomfortable, frustrated, impatient. He was never any of those things. Anytime anybody H: Tim Horton saw Johnny Bower, they came away with a great experience. He’s a great lesson for all of us.” Horton was just four games off Armstrong’s record for most games played for the Leafs. The defenceman played parts of 20 seasons for the In Bower’s 11-year career with the Leafs, he won four Stanley Cups and team and maintained his strong, hard-working style throughout. He two Vezina trophies. But it was perhaps his work after retirement that played 486 consecutive regular-season games for the Leafs between puts him on this list. He continued making public appearances on behalf 1961 and 1968 — which remains the club record. of the Leafs including weeks before his passing. Bower loved sharing his passion for the club and his message on playing for the team is still Horton played in seven NHL All-Star Games, won four Stanley Cups with written in the Leafs dressing room: “It’s a privilege, not a right.” the Leafs and the team retired his No. 7 in 2016.

“Regardless of where the Leafs were in the standings, Johnny’s love for I: the Leafs never wavered,” said Shanahan. “We don’t really know of a No Leafs coach has more regular-season wins and has coached more former player that was as loved by Leafs fans but (who) loved them back games than the Toronto-born Imlach. He served as coach and general equally as much.” manager of the Leafs from 1958 to 1969 and won four Stanley Cups in C: Conn Smythe that time.

Conn Smythe’s name is generally associated with the trophy annually It could also be argued that no Leafs coach was as tough a taskmaster awarded to the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but in Toronto Smythe during his tenure. Imlach’s practices were physically relentless and his is also known as the owner of the Maple Leafs from 1927 to 1961. attitude could be unforgiving. His brief return to the team in 1979 featured run-ins with prominent players. During that time, Smythe’s influence was immeasurable. He helped raised the necessary funds to keep the St. Pats in Toronto as the sale of Some, like George Armstrong, seemed to understand his approach. the team to a prominent businessman in Philadelphia was imminent. He Others, like Hall of Famer Andy Bathgate, thought Imlach worked his then changed the name of the club to the Maple Leafs. He spearheaded players too hard. the construction of Maple Leaf Gardens. He even formed the holding “I never knock a man and then leave him down,” Imlach told to Sports company that would go on to become Maple Leaf Sports and Illustrated in 1966. “I may tell a guy he’s a bum during salary talks or Entertainment. when he plays badly. But then I’ve got to come back and convince him anecdotal claims that ownership did not want to spend money on the that he’s the best bum in all of hockey.” team and were instead happy to watch profits soar.

J: Curtis Joseph Even with the lack of playoff results, the value of the team soared during OTPP’s time as majority stakeholders of MLSE. They sold off their In his four-season stint with the Leafs, Joseph finished in the top 10 in 79.53% share in MLSE for $1.32-billion in 2012. Vezina Trophy voting each season, including runner-up in 1999. His success in a short amount of time makes him arguably the best Leafs P: Dion Phaneuf goalie of the last 50 years. Despite his insistence that his relationship with was fine after Quinn benched him during the 2002 Winter No player defines the era better than the former captain. Olympics and did not offer him the contract he wanted at the conclusion He played parts of seven seasons for the Leafs but was part of just one of the 2001-02 season, it’s still fair to wonder whether the Leafs would playoff run. The worn-down tropes of the Burke era: truculence and have continued their strong run had Joseph re-signed with the Leafs. pugnacity, were embodied by the hard-hitting defenceman.

K: Dave Keon Less than six months after Phaneuf was acquired in a blockbuster trade Ahead of the Leafs centennial season in 2016-17, the team put Keon on by Burke, he was named captain. Phaneuf was probably miscast in his top of their list of the 100 best players in franchise history. role as a No. 1 defenceman expected to lead that team, but that’s probably not how he’ll be remembered. That should come as no surprise — the forward won four Stanley Cups with the club, was an eight-time All-Star and is third in all-time points for Q: Pat Quinn the Leafs. Probably the easiest assignment here is “The Big Irishman.” Quinn’s two Keon was estranged from the club for decades after a bitter contract seasons playing for the Leafs were unspectacular, but it was his seven dispute with former Leafs owner Harold Ballard. But his return to Toronto seasons as head coach that put him on this list. He is the only coach to to see his number retired ahead of the 2016-17 season — thanks to have guided the team to three 100-point seasons. The 2001-02 team Brendan Shanahan— gave him the recognition he’d always deserved. was the Leafs’ best chance at a Stanley Cup since 1993.

L: Quinn’s teams were both entertaining and disciplined. A lot of that approach was born from Quinn himself. The Athletic’s Dan Robson, who Sure, Lamoriello might have been around for less time than Gary authored “Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend, shared this on Quinn:” Leeman or Joffrey Lupul. But when take the good with the bad, you have still have a general manager who made an impact. He served as Leafs “While coaching, in Philly and LA he studied to get a Law Degree. It was GM for less than three years, but the work he did to transform the Leafs an incredible commitment from a guy who grew up in a blue-collar family roster was stunning. next to Hamilton’s steel mills. He was constantly trying to improve himself (also took figure skating lessons as a Leaf because he was a brutal He traded for Frederik Andersen, the player the Leafs will need the most skater).” to contend for a Stanley Cup anytime soon. He got out of Dion Phaneuf’s seven-year, $49-million contract and converted middling players into R: Morgan Rielly better-than-expected draft picks. Sure, he also signed some deals that With more athlete movement between franchises than ever before, it would end up costing the club (ie. the bloated Nikita Zaitsev and Patrick becomes more difficult for players to become synonymous with one Marleau contracts). But looking at his time as a whole, he improved the team. But Rielly deserves praise: he’s become one of the faces of the club’s roster. team’s rebuild, and his lighthearted attitude makes him one of the more M: Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews popular Leafs.

No sense in choosing just one, because they both could go on to be He’s the longest-tenured current Leaf, having spent seven seasons with considered among the greatest Leafs of all-time. the team including their miserable 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. He’s seventh among Leafs defencemen in points, (270) and is under contract That’s not meant to be hyperbole: if they continue at the scoring pace for the next two seasons. If he re-signs with the Leafs, it’s conceivable he they’re currently on after beginning their rookie seasons in 2016-17, both could finish his career in Toronto. could easily jump into the team’s top-10 in all-time scoring by the time their current contracts are finished. S: The Swedes — Borje Salming and Mats Sundin

And with Marner, one of the NHL’s most gifted , and Though Mats Sundin and Borje Salming never played together, they are Matthews, arguably the league’s most dangerous scorer, playing intrinsically linked in Toronto’s history. They rank second and sixth in all- together, these two alone give the Leafs their best opportunity at a time games played by Swedish players in the NHL. When you consider Stanley Cup in a generation. where the best Swedes have played in the NHL, the Leafs are right up there with the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings when it comes N: William Nylander to hotbeds for Swedish players.

Perhaps surprisingly, no player with an “N” last name has played more Sundin is arguably the greatest Leafs forward of all-time, leading the games for the Leafs than Nylander. team in goals and points, and Salming is arguably the team’s greatest defenceman, leading the team in assists. Both were defining members of Nylander has played parts of five seasons with the Leafs but is one of the their respective teams for well over a decade. They were well-respected club’s most skilled players. He’s a dangerous scorer and an elite puck both on and off the ice. Salming became the first Swede ever inducted mover, yet that hasn’t spared Nylander from being at one of most into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 and Sundin the second, in 2012. criticized Leafs in recent memory. Some take issue with his perceived lack of effort, others with his contract hold out that essentially cost him T: John Tavares the 2018-19 season. Is there a more quintessential Maple Leaf in recent memory than John Even on some of the better Toronto teams, there’s often one player who Tavares? Born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area, Tavares outed draws the ire from a sometimes irrational fan base. That’s bound to himself as a dyed-in-the-wool Leafs fan when he signed as a free agent happen in a city that has high expectations. But just like Jake Gardiner on Jul. 1, 2018 and tweeted out a now-infamous picture. before him, Nylander doesn’t deserve the criticism. NOT EVERYDAY YOU CAN LIVE A CHILDHOOD DREAM O: Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan PIC.TWITTER.COM/YUTKDFMALL

The Leafs failed to qualify for the playoffs for seven straight seasons from — JOHN TAVARES (@91TAVARES) JULY 1, 2018 2006 to 2012. That’s the longest stretch in franchise history and it came with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan being the primary stakeholder of Tavares posted career highs in goals and points in his first season and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for most of this stretch. was named the 25th captain in franchise history ahead of this season. The super serious, and super-competitive centre helped bring a sense of A generation of Leafs fans were subjected to jokes and ridicule around professionalism, consistency and nine seasons of NHL experience to a the league. And the OTPP often bore the brunt of that abuse with young dressing room. He’ll always answer questions from the media in a dutiful and respectful manner. It’s hard to envision a scenario in which A few years ago, my wife and I were walking through a market in a small Tavares doesn’t finish out his current seven-year contract in Toronto. town in China and we found a Maple Leafs beach towel for sale. The next year, in Melbourne, we found a weekly “Hockey Night in Melbourne” And maybe, if you’re the optimistic type, you could even envision at a bar that showed the Leafs game from the previous night, and it was Tavares being the first Maple Leaf captain to raise the Stanley Cup since packed. 1967. The point is, Leafs fandom is far-reaching and insatiable. U: Z-Peter Zezel Little known fact: there have been just two players whose last name begins with “U” to ever play for the Leafs, and they were both swapped in Just south of the Ellesmere TTC station you’ll find Zezel Way. It’s a short, the same deal. pleasant street named after Scarborough native Peter Zezel. He was a fan favourite for parts of four seasons for the Leafs. As a defensively- On Mar. 3, 1968, Doug Barrie, Paul Henderson, Floyd Smith, and Norm minded centre, Zezel was a vital member of the Leafs’ playoff runs in Ullman were sent to the Leafs and Carl Brewer, , Pete 1993 and 1994. Zezel continued to stay active in his community after his Stemkowski, and Garry Unger went to the Detroit Red Wings. retirement in 1999, running sports camps in . He passed away “Punch Imlach thought a lot of me and insisted that I be in on the trade in 2009 at the age of 44 as a result of a rare blood disease called with Mahovlich and said he wouldn’t make the deal without me. About a hemolytic anemia. year later, he announced that I was the best centre he ever coached so The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 that was quite a feather in my cap,” Ullman told the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Unger, a centre, was in the middle of an unspectacular first season with the Leafs but would go on to become a St. Louis Blues great. And Ullman had already established himself as a star with the Wings. His skating and forechecking helped his offensive numbers. Despite only playing parts of eight seasons for the Leafs, he is 12th on the franchise scoring list and made two All-Star Game appearances as a member of the Leafs. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

V: Rick Vaive

The right-winger is the only Leaf to have scored 50 goals in a season three times. His scoring run from 1981 to 1984 was a rare bright spot for the organization during an otherwise troubling decade.

W: Wendel Clark

The tough, offensively-minded winger was the gold standard for fan favourites in Toronto during his 13 seasons. He was a heart-and-soul player who laid a path for Darcy Tucker and Nazem Kadri follow. And you could argue Clark’s rugged approach set the standard for fan favourites in other sports such as Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and Toronto FC Michael Bradley as well.

The Kelvington, Saskatchewan native was raised on a grain farm, and it was easy to see that work ethic on the ice. Drafted first overall by the Leafs in 1985, Clark endeared himself to a generation of Leafs fans, most notably in the run to the Campbell Conference Final in 1993.

Clark’s fight against Marty McSorley in Game One of the series after McSorley’s open-ice hit on Doug Gilmour is the stuff of legend.

X-Felix Potvin

There isn’t exactly a plethora of players with X in their names.

But there is Felix Potvin, who is as quintessential a member of those 1993 and 1994 teams. Potvin was quickly thrust into the spotlight as a rookie in the 1992-93 season. His strong play made starter Grant Fuhr expendable and the Leafs got Dave Andreychuk back as part of a trade.

There might have been questions about a rookie goalie going into the playoffs, and those questions only got louder after Potvin allowed 29 goals in seven games in the Leafs first-round series against the Detroit Red Wings.

But Potvin rebounded, and his sparkling .948 save percentage in the team’s epic 1993 seven-game second-round series against the St. Louis Blues was one of his crowning achievements. Potvin would continue with the Leafs and ranks third all-time in games played for a Leafs goalie.

Y-You

Dmitri Yushkevich is one of the most underrated Leafs defencemen, but there is no doubt who one of the more influential figures in Leafs history is: it’s you, the Leafs fan, who has made this franchise one of the most valuable and followed, teams in the sport. The Leafs are valued at $1.5 billion (second in the NHL according to Forbes) because there is an incredible demand for their product. They’ve finished in the top-5 in NHL home attendance in eight of the past 10 seasons.

Whether the fandom has been passed down through generations, or whether younger fans have joined after the club’s recent rebuild, you don’t have to look far to find a Leafs fan. 1173019 Vegas Golden Knights

NHL Awards Show won’t be in Las Vegas this year; draft postponed

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal March 25, 2020 - 2:34 PM Updated March 25, 2020 - 4:48 PM

The NHL Awards Show will not be in Las Vegas this summer. The event, scheduled for June 18 at a yet-to-be-announced site, was postponed by the league Wednesday because of ongoing uncertainty stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, the NHL said it “looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future.” The show has been held locally since 2009 with the exception of 2013 when it took place at United Center in Chicago. “We have enjoyed a longstanding partnership with the NHL and respect and understand their decision to postpone its NHL Awards show in Las Vegas,” said Lori Nelson-Kraft, spokesperson for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We look forward to collaborating with the NHL on future events.” The league also announced the postponements of the scouting combine (June 1 to 6 in Buffalo, New York) and the draft (June 26 and 27 in Montreal). The location, timing and format of the draft and lottery will be announced once plans are finalized, the NHL said.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173020 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights face difficult decisions on their free agents

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal March 25, 2020 - 1:23 PM

The Golden Knights’ season isn’t officially over, but the break caused by the coronavirus pandemic should give the front office plenty of time to think about the future. The Knights took care of one piece of business by signing defenseman Zach Whitecloud to a two-year extension Sunday. But they still have three pending restricted free agents and five pending unrestricted free agents. They also have an uncertain amount of salary cap space to re-sign those players. The Knights are projected to spend $72,625,000 on eight forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender next season. That total increases to $73,488,333 if one includes forward Cody Glass, who spent most of the season in the NHL. NHL teams could spend $81.5 million this season, but it’s unknown how the potential loss of revenue from the suspension of play could affect that number for the 2020-21 season. It’s unlikely to go down, but it’s also unlikely to go up much, if at all. The last time the league faced a remotely similar situation — the loss of games and revenue from a lockout shortened season in 2012-13 — it kept the cap flat from its last full season. So if history repeats itself, the salary cap limit could be $81.5 million or slightly above for next season. That gives the Knights about $8.011 million-plus to spend to retain some, all or none of those players: (2019-20 cap hit) Restricted free agents — Center/left wing Chandler Stephenson ($1.05 million) — Center/right wing/left wing Nick Cousins ($1 million) — Center/right wing Nicolas Roy ($720,000) Unrestricted free agents — Right wing Ryan Reaves ($2.75 million) — Center/left wing Tomas Nosek ($1 million) — Defenseman Jon Merrill ($1.375 million) — Defenseman Deryk Engelland ($700,000) — Goaltender Robin Lehner ($5 million) Who should the Knights re-sign? Keep in mind RFAs and UFAs rarely get a pay cut. Left wing William Carrier, for instance, doubled his cap hit from $700,000 to $1.4 million when he avoided restricted free agency with an extension in February. The decisions are difficult but ones the Knights face.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173021 Vegas Golden Knights has yet to start in 2020, but the @DaytonaTortugas original content continues. Through their initiative and cooperation with other teams in the league, the Tortugas staged a Tic-Tac-Toe Tournament in bracket form (and who doesn’t love brackets in March?) and played it out over several Sports-Business During COVID-19: How Sports Social Media Teams days. What I liked most about it is even when they didn’t make the finals Stay Relevant Without Sports themselves, they still gave it the all-star treatment. As we wait for sports to start again hopefully at some point in 2020, at least the teams both in Las Vega and around the country have March 25, 2020 discovered ways to continue to engage their captive audiences. My hope By Toby Srebnik for LVSportsBiz.com is more teams will do this in the future even when the actual games return.

People often make lemonade from lemons in the toughest of situations. LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 Now imagine working in social media for a sports franchise when suddenly the two things you generate the most content from, league games and team practices, are suspended indefinitely. What do you do? Do you go dark, or do you find ways to continue shining light to your followers in this ever-evolving situation we are all dealing with at some level? I (@fsutoby) recently posed this question to my co-host Jarret Streiner (@jarret23) on our Sports and Social Media Podcast, and we both agreed teams would have to get creative and find ways to take people’s minds off of the stoppages, whether it was through replays of classic games or other ways not yet previously done. Fortunately, I am encouraged by what I have seen over the last 10 days, as Social Media teams have hit the challenge head on and are going places I’m not sure even I expected them to go. For starters, from a local perspective, the Vegas @GoldenKnights have highlighted old games through #VGKReplay airing on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain West and are tweeting during them as if the games are going on in real-time. Despite the game being from 2018, fans were definitely happy to see the content because 327 people liked the first tweet. Teams creating opportunities helps foster a sense of community, and the Golden Knights have done that here. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas @Raiders have also showcased classic playoff games on YouTube during this present time when no sports are taking place. In addition, they showed fans they care about their well- being by simply tweeting out a message for Raider Nation to Stay Safe with a full graphic of how to properly wash your hands with soap and water. Many teams never deviate from typical content, so it is great to see the Raiders making COVID-19 related content available on Twitter without a second thought. The Aviators tweeted out a coloring page fans could print out and then asked fans to tag them when they were done. Parents love when their kids can be part of a shared sports experience. Outside of Las Vegas, I have found several examples showcasing the creativity and cleverness that is starting to become more of the norm than the exception. The New Jersey Devils’ mascot NJ Devil took conference calling to a new level with a recent tweet on his @NJDevil00 account where he explains he is working from home. He then included a photo showing he is in fact on a conference call with Louie from the St. Louis Blues, Stanley C. Panther from the Florida Panthers, and two other NHL mascots. When you factor in mascots don’t speak but gesture, you can imagine what, if anything, was discussed (or not discussed)! Either way, very clever. The Phoenix Suns hardly wasted a single second, because two days after the NBA shut down for the foreseeable future, the @Suns account announced they would be playing the rest of their season on Twitch. What I found fascinating was Phoenix lost to Dallas in their first simulation and yet, fans were just happy to have something to cheer (and boo) about. The 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals are among the best overall social media teams in sports right now. One reason is because, despite baseball’s stoppage, the @Nationals have so much content from last season to repackage in multiple ways. On one recent occasion, they filmed a short video of multiple players including Juan Soto and Stephen Strasburg reading “mean tweets” that were sent to the Nationals account during the 2019 Wild Card Game. In that game, Washington trailed 3-0 after 2 innings and 3-1 after 7 but scored 3 in the 8th and won 4-3. The video is epic! One more team whose creativity always shines brightly is the Florida State League’s Daytona Tortugas. Much like the Aviators, their season 1173022 Washington Capitals

NHL becomes first major league to postpone draft due to pandemic

By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times Wednesday, March 25, 2020

The NHL announced Wednesday it has postponed its 2020 scouting combine, awards night and draft indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is the first major North American pro sports league to move its draft as a result of the virus taking hold in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere around the world. The NHL draft was scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, one of three major drafts to take place in June. The NBA draft is supposed to be held June 20 and Major League Baseball’s is set for June 10-12; neither of those leagues has announced any changes to those schedules yet. The NFL, meanwhile, is reportedly going forward with its draft from April 23-25 as originally scheduled, despite some teams’ front offices objecting. That league canceled its public events in Las Vegas and plans to move to a television-only format. The NHL said details for the delayed draft — its new date, location and potential format changes, including as it concerns the draft lottery — will be announced once they’re finalized. The draft lottery was tentatively slated for April 9, five days after the regular season would have ended. The scouting combine was scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, New York. “NHL Awards,” which like the NFL and NBA has taken an entertainment awards show format in recent years, was to be held on June 19 in Las Vegas, but it’s becoming clear the hockey season itself won’t be finished by then. NHL announces it has postponed the scouting combine, awards and draft due to the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus. The location, timing and format of the 2020 draft (and draft lottery) will be announced when details are finalized.

Washington Times LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173023 Washington Capitals

NHL draft, scouting combine and awards banquet postponed due to coronavirus

By J.J. Regan March 25, 2020 5:08 PM

With the NHL season still on hold, the league announced Wednesday that it will postpone the scouting combine, the NHL awards and the draft. All three were scheduled to take place in June. The NHL elected to pause its season on March 12 in response to the spread of the coronavirus. While the regular season remains on hold, regardless of what happens with the remainder of the season and the postseason, clearly the calendar for the league's major offseason events was going to change. The scouting combine was scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo with the draft on June 26-27 in Montreal. The leagued noted in its statement that the timing and format of both the draft and the draft lottery would be announced once details were finalized. The NHL Awards, which have taken place in Las Vegas since 2009, were scheduled for June 18. No update was given in regards to the regular season or the playoffs.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173024 Washington Capitals Plays street hockey over the holidays; ends scoring slump. Coincidence? We think not.

With NHL season paused, a ranking of Capitals' best wins of 2019-20: Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 No. 13

By Mark Zaner March 25, 2020 12:59 PM

While we wait for the NHL to hopefully resume its season, NBC Sports Washington is looking back at the 20 best wins of the Capitals' season so far. Mark Zaner, producer for Caps Faceoff Live and Caps Overtime Live, has watched every game. His rankings continue with No. 13, a 2-1 overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 27 that featured a crucial goal for Washington's third line, history for Ilya Samsonov and a fight that went poorly for Jonas Siegenthaler. WHAT HAPPENED It was the third meeting between the Capitals and Jackets in the month of December. And it started off a lot like the other two...with Columbus scoring the first goal. Riley Nash juked Jonas Siegenthaler and found Jakob Lilja for a simple tap-in 9:17 into the second period. And that was really the only excitement for the first two periods. Both defenses controlled this game and there were few scoring opportunities for either team. It was easily one of the best defensive performances the Caps had all season long. Their offense finally contributed when Carl Hagelin scored in the third to tie the game. In overtime, Washington earned its fifth power play of the game. Nicklas Backstrom took an extreme-angle shot that bounced off Joonas Korpisalo's pads. It skipped right to T.J. Oshie on the other side of the cage. He slammed home the rebound to give the Caps a 2-1 win. MEMORABLE MOMENTS Let's start with the Hagelin goal. It began with Evgeny Kuznetsov feeding Richard Panik near the crease. Panik had a problem corralling the pass. As he was tripped by a Columbus defender and falling backwards, he managed to skip the puck to Hagelin by passing the puck through his legs. Hagelin beat Korpisalo up high. It was a big goal for both Panik and Hagelin. Both had dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness entering the game. Hagelin came in with no goals and seven assists. Panik only had four points on the season. Since that goal, both Hagelin and Panik have 18 points apiece. Oshie's overtime goal got a lot of the attention, but how about his heads- up defensive play late in the first when the game was still scoreless. Ilya Samonsov was out of position after scrambling for a loose puck, but Oshie was there to block the shot and save the day. WHY IT WAS SIGNIFICANT The Capitals have had a problem with the Blue Jackets since beating them in the 2018 playoffs. Columbus owned a four-game winning streak, and had won five of six against Washington entering the night. It was important for the Capitals to get a win in what could end up being a first- round playoff matchup when the season resumes. The win also came smack dab in the middle of a tough five-game stretch. The Caps had just played back-to-back games against the Lightning and Bruins. Their next two games were against the Hurricanes and Islanders. It would have been easy for the Caps to overlook Columbus since the Blue Jackets were struggling at the time. Samsonov didn't have to make a lot of tough saves in this game. It was his tenth win in just his 12th start. That's a franchise record for least amount of starts to reach ten wins. It was also the first time that Samsonov's mother got to watch him play live. WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT As mentioned above, Hagelin came into the Columbus game in a scoring slump. How'd he change that? During the Christmas break, Hagelin saw some kids in his neighborhood playing street hockey. Hagelin decided to join in for an impromptu training session. Did it help him to see the puck go in against a bunch of teenagers? “I was scoring some goals, so maybe that will give me some confidence going forward,” Hagelin said. “It was great, I remember myself just being out on Christmas, Christmas Eve back in the days, just playing some street hockey, so I said I’ll stop by for 5 to 10 [minutes]. But it turned out to be 40.” 1173025 Washington Capitals

Lauren Oshie, wife of Capitals winger T.J., shares family's baked mac n cheese recipe

By Caroline Brandt March 25, 2020 12:49 PM

What's better than mac n cheese? Baked mac n cheese, obviously. Lauren Oshie, wife to Capitals winger T.J. Oshie, shared on her Instagram story what the family of five will be eating for dinner Wednesday while in quarantine: a homemade baked mac n cheese, "the one and only dinner we can all agree on," she said. The recipe calls for three different cheeses, including Parmesan, sharp cheddar and Gruyere, so you know it's going to be good. Wednesday is a rainy day in D.C. What better way to spend it than by whipping up a baked mac n cheese endorsed by the Oshie family?

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How to watch Caps vs. Rangers NHL 20 simulation and Alex Ovechkin's 700th career goal

Staff Report

By NBC Sports Washington March 25, 2020 12:40 PM

As the NHL season continues to be on hiatus due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, there's still Capitals hockey to be watched. Yes, you read that right. The Capitals will host the New York Rangers on Thursday at 7 p.m. in an NHL 20 simulation. In a partnership with Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Washington will be airing all Wizards and Capitals games in simulated NBA 2K20 and NHL 20 games, taking place on the dates and times according to each team's regular season schedule with commentary from NBCSW's experts surrounding the coverage. This is the team's third simulated game, as they defeated the Blues on Tuesday after falling to the Penguins earlier in the week. Make sure you stick around afterward to watch a replay of the Capitals Feb. 22 clash with the New Jersey Devils, where Alex Ovechkin notched his 700th career goal.

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Capitals' John Carlson reveals what he's binge watching and more during Instagram 'ask me anything'

By Caroline Brandt March 25, 2020 11:53 AM

If you've perused Instagram while stuck in quarantine, you've probably seen a wealth of Instagram challenges and "ask me anything" stories. Capitals' John Carlson was the latest to participate in the social media trend and his answers did not disappoint. One thing we learned about the Caps' assistant captain was his love for playing FIFA. "Only FIFA," Carlson replied to a question about playing another video game. "Ask @jakubvrana and @siegenthaler34." His favorite teams to play with are FC Bayern Munchen and Manchester City, with an "honorable mention" to SSC Napoli. Man City's Leroy Sane is his favorite player. While stuck at home, many are catching up or binging their favorite shows. For Carlson, his favorite shows are "The Sopranos," and "The Wire," but his latest binge-watch was Netflix's "The Stranger." As for Disney movies, his favorites are "The Lion King," and "The Jungle Book." When it comes to food, Carly does not approve of pineapples on pizza, a favorite his teammate Alex Ovechkin. His favorite D.C. restaurant is Roses Luxury, which boasts a Michelin one-star. With all this free time with no hockey, Carlson says he's "trying to be patient," and activities with his kids include "getting abused by hockey sticks is pretty normal." Carlson laments "missing the best time of the year," when asked about what it's like to not be playing hockey right now and says the hardest challenge coming back to the ice after the NHL resumes play will be, "not being on the ice for (X) amount of time." In response to a question about if the Caps do team pranks, Carlson said, "ask the ultimate pot stirrer #19," referring to Nicklas Backstrom. Carlson has been Alex Ovechkin's teammate for the past 11-years. So he has seen Mr. 700+ goals in action many times. One fan asked, “How is it like playing with the goal machine that is Ovi?” To which he replied, “Don’t think anyone realizes how lucky we are to see it first hand!”

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Nicklas Backstrom on his NHL 20 sim hat trick: 'You see what happens when you can't hear Ovi scream all the time for the puck'

By Caroline Brandt March 25, 2020 8:46 AM

Tuesday night, the Capitals were supposed to take on the St. Louis Blues at Capital One Arena. With no hockey, we had to improvise with a simulation of the game on EA Sports' NHL 20 with commentary from and Craig Laughlin, and it certainly filled the void. Thanks to Nicklas Backstrom's hat trick heroics, the Caps came out on top, beating the Blues 5-3. "Every time you beat the champs it's always a big thing, so we're happy with the two points," Backstrom said in a Facetime postgame interview. The franchise assist leader took on a different role in Tuesday night's sim win with a hat trick, and he has a theory as to why. "I don't do hat tricks that often, so it was nice to seal it off with a hat trick," Backstrom said. "You see what happens when you can't hear Ovi scream all the time for the puck." When hockey returns, Backy hopes to keep the hat tricks coming.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173029 Washington Capitals the middle of four Panthers. That would have been the end of the play for almost anyone, but not for Ovechkin. He fought off the back pressure from the two trailing Florida players, deked past Mark Pysyk into the slot and fired a shot through the 5-hole of Sergei Bobrovsky. Washington Capitals top 5 goals of the 2019-20 NHL season OK, so we cheated. This one isn’t technically a goal as it came in a shootout, but it was just so darn pretty it belongs in the top spot. By J.J. Regan & Jason Murphy Vrana skated the puck slowly in on Halak, but as he neared the net poised for the wrist shot, he suddenly pulled off the toe drag move that March 25, 2020 10:00 AM made famous. Instead of shooting it, Vrana suddenly dragged it to his right keeping it on his forehand. Halak was down in anticipation of the shot as Vrana deftly tucked the puck into what was With the NHL hitting pause on the 2019-20 season, NBC Sports suddenly an empty net. Washington is looking back at the highlights from the first 69 games of the regular season. We’ve been counting down the top 20 games of the Datsyuk couldn’t have done it any better himself. season and will recap multiple other categories over the coming weeks. Today we look back on the best goals of the season. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.26.2020 Our countdown starts with a tie for the 5th spot between T.J. Oshie’s marvelous dance through the Bruins in December and Tom Wilson’s wicked backhand sauce across the crease to cap off Alex Ovechkin’s hat trick against the Devils in January. Let’s start with Oshie’s goal, which highlights his ability to make defenders look silly. It started with a great breakout by the Caps leading to a risky pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov through three defenders right to the tape of Oshie. Most players don’t think to make that pass, but not only does Kuzy think it, he executes it to perfection. Take an extra moment to appreciate how Oshie uses the pass and his body to lead the puck away from Charlie McAvoy and essentially render him useless. Oshie then guides the puck to his right, turning Connor Clifton inside out. Despite just a foot or so of space, Oshie sees the pocket between the two defenders and pushes the puck past the out-of-position Clifton to set up a 1-on-1 with Jaroslav Halak. Feeling the pressure from McAvoy’s backcheck (and the hook across his arms), Oshie does the only thing he can do, take the puck to his backhand. Halak must have been happy to see Oshie take away many of his options only to watch as the Caps right winger roofed the puck over his shoulder. The individual brilliance from Oshie probably should have pushed this up our list, but it’s a tough competition. After Ovechkin’s two tallies in the first period buoyed the Caps to an early lead, we fast forward to the third period for our 2nd #5 of the countdown. It starts at center ice as Ovechkin tips a John Carlson pass into the zone past Will Butcher. As Butcher misses the bouncing puck, it allows Wilson to race into the zone and win the footrace to the loose puck in the corner. As Wilson circles behind the net, he spots an on-rushing Ovechkin at the back post and whips a backhand pass right through the legs of Damon Severson on the near post and right onto the blade of Ovi for the tap-in hat trick. The pass highlights the maturation of Wilson from 4th-line grinder to Top Line Tom and earned Ovechkin his 31st goal of the season. This goal is less about the finish and more about the set up by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Shea Weber, one of the best defensemen in the league, goes back to retrieve the puck in the corner of the Caps’ offensive zone. He is pressured by Kuznetsov on the forecheck – yes, you read that right – and turns over the puck. Both players over skate it and Kuznetsov falls after a push as he tries to readjust for the puck. Even on his backside, however, he gets the puck and passes it to Oshie who drops it off for Vrana in the slot. Exactly the opposite of the Vrana goal above, this one is all about one man: Alex Ovechkin. A vintage rush up the left wing. A curl-and-drag through a defenseman. A diving shot that ricochets off a defenseman in front to cap it. A fitting goal for Ovechkin to move him past Mario Lemieux on the all-time goals list and catapult himself into the Top 10 scorers in NHL history. The only slight knock on this one is that it goes off a defenseman in front, but as The Great One said, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. This was a perfect example of Ovechkin willing a goal into existence and set the stage for one of, if not the best comebacks of the season. #2 – Ovechkin Splits Four Panthers for Finish – November 27, 2019 what a gr8 move pic.twitter.com/dg4BM9S68T — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) November 28, 2019 Can Ovechkin still be an elite goal-scorer at 34 years old? If you found yourself asking that question, this goal gives you the answer: Yes. Yes, he can. Kuznetsov picked up a neutral zone turnover and took it into the offensive zone where a wall of three Florida defenders awaited him. Trying to beat three defenders would be silly, so he dropped it off to Ovechkin who, thanks to the backcheck, found himself with the puck in 1173030 Winnipeg Jets

Jets, Bombers open to changes on season-ticket renewals

By: Jason Bell Posted: 03/25/2020 8:06 PM

The city’s two main professional sports teams have either made significant changes to ticket sales or appear open to altering their plans due to the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic. Winnipeg Jets season-ticket holders already have skin in the game for the suspended 2019-20 campaign, and some have already paid for a playoff run that might never materialize, but the NHL club said Wednesday it won’t ask customers to start shelling out for the 2020-21 regular season. Some season-ticket holders would have started paying monthly as of mid-April, however, the Jets are changing their payment schedule. The revised timeline hasn’t been finalized. The information was provided in a ‘frequently asked questions’ segment of an email sent to season-ticket holders Wednesday. "Invoices for the following season are typically issued in mid-March, with payments commencing on April 15. Due to the suspension of the 2019-20 NHL season, we will NOT be sending invoices for the 2020-21 NHL season at this time," the club said. Season-ticket holders can, if they prefer, begin monthly payments on April 15 but need to contact the Jets for that to happen. Meanwhile, the defending Grey Cup champion Blue Bombers are currently charging for season-ticket renewals but are sensitive to the fact some fans' circumstances might have changed since the coronavirus threat intensified in Manitoba. "Our fan service team is available to speak to our season-ticket members to address any concerns they have related to COVID-19," team president and CEO Wade Miller said in a statement. "Many fans have reached out to pledge their ongoing support for the Bombers and we want them to know that we deeply appreciate that, we are thinking of them and their families, and we also know they, too, are dealing with enormous uncertainty that we are all facing right now." The CFL is looking at contingency plans in case of a postponement of the 2020 season. Rookie camps are scheduled to open May 13, training camps start four days later, the pre-season schedule begins May 24 and the regular season kicks off June 11. One fan who contacted the Free Press said he was surprised to see a significant charge on his credit card, considering he agreed to renew his tickets eight weeks ago. The Winnipegger, who didn't want to named, said he's fortunate to be working during the crisis and can afford his tickets, but noted others might be challenged to pay. He's hopeful the Bombers will, indeed, work with season-ticket holders who have pledged support to the team but might be struggling right now. "Our agreements were made in January and now payments are coming out with no notification, no email, nothing on (the Bombers) website. "Given the unique circumstances of what people are facing, no one can assume it's the status quo," he said. The Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team indicated Wednesday it is also willing to work with season-ticket holders who have yet to officially renew. "Some have paid in full already, and we are being very flexible with those that have not," a Goldeyes spokesperson said Wednesday.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.26.2020 1173031 Vancouver Canucks “All of a sudden, this happens to us and it’s a depressing feeling and takes a little bit of time to come out of it,” he said. “I feel like we’re getting to that point and I’m getting antsy again. en Kuzma: Green tries to scratch Canucks' coaching itch during COVID- “You have to understand with such a major issue going on in the world 19 crisis now, people are worried about other things in their lives. As a coach, you have to be careful that you’re not pushing people too hard.”

Green has connected with his assistants and players have received a BEN KUZMA mass email in advance of the coach reaching out to them on an individual basis. And when he does, conditioning may be the first Updated: question. March 25, 2020 6:10 PM PDT The Canucks can’t use their gym at Rogers Arena during self-isolation and need to be creative with fitness regimens. Green was playing for the New York Islanders in the 1994-95 season when a lockout reduced that 'The coaching side is always there. I’ve started to reach out to our season to 48 games. coaches and thinking a little bit out of the box in how we can use this time productively' And whether Green was still naive at 23, thinking he could just hit stride when play resumed, he didn’t handle the down time properly. He only Travis Green has installed Netflix on his iPad. had 12 points (5-7) in his 42 games. In a sports news vacuum amid the novel coronavirus pandemic — and “I learned the hard way,” he admitted. “I didn’t work hard enough and I further pause on the NHL season with a self-isolation edict for players didn’t play well. Probably a little bit lazy and not being around long targeted to end Friday now extended to April 6 — the entertainment enough to do what I had to do.” outlet for the driven Vancouver Canucks coach is breaking news. As for his current players, Green is hopeful they carve out at least a “I watched Ice Guardians and I’ve got it on my list to reach out to some of couple of hours each day to maintain fitness levels. the guys I played with and thank them,” Green said Wednesday from his off-season home in Irvine, Calif. “When you’re going through it and “We want guys who are all in,” stressed Green. “It’s the mental part of playing with those guys, you forget or don’t realize what they went getting into that routine. Some guys find it hard to be confined to an area through.” and go stir crazy. For Green, who’s all in on directing his club to its first post-season “And a lot of people are accustomed to running on the schedule we have appearance in five years, being forced to the sidelines on March 12 was where it seems like there’s never enough hours in the day when you’re in a gut-punch because magnitude of the worldwide health crisis was only the season.” starting to resonate in North America. On Feb. 29, a patient infected with COVID-19 in Washington state died, Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.26.2020 marking the first death in the United States. As of Wednesday, there were 64,775 confirmed cases and 910 deaths in the U.S. In B.C., there were 42 new positive test cases Wednesday bringing the total to 659 while 14 have died. “It’s been almost two weeks and it feels like it’s been two months, to be honest,” said Green. “The first week to 10 days, it was hard to even focus.” California has 2,853 novel coronavirus cases, 64 deaths and is in stay-at- home lockdown mode. On Wednesday, the NHL also announced the Draft Combine, league awards and draft have been postponed. Now it’s easier to imagine a season put on pause will transition to full stop. “At the time, just seeing what was going on around the world, I don’t think anybody was trying to guess what might happen,” Green recalled of the schedule suspension. “In the media room, I make comments about what we can’t control and worry about what we can. “That (stoppage) was probably one of those times where everybody wanted to play so bad, but didn’t know the (virus) extreme. We had a feeling of what was going on in the rest of the world and there was a fear it could go longer than you hope.” For Green, there’s more time for talks and walks with wife Sheree, daughter Jordyn and sons Blake and Brody. And there’s more time to reconnect with those in his hockey and social circles. But it doesn’t take long for the mind to wander back to the rink. The Canucks were tied with Nashville for the final Western Conference wild-card spot when the season was placed on hold — the Predators hold the tiebreaker with more regulation wins — and the prospect of finishing the season and making the playoffs gets the competitive juices flowing. “The coaching side is always there,” said Green. “I’ve started to reach out to our coaches and thinking a little bit out of the box in how we can use this time productively — whether it’s business as usual or going into a new season. “This is obviously different. You have more time to take a deeper dive into your team. I’ve got a couple of projects on the go with our coaches and analytical team to make a few tweaks — if we come back and play this season.” Green likened the stoppage to the terrible feeling when a season ends and expectations aren’t met. 1173032 Vancouver Canucks though Pannes said that’s something they are going to be examining moving forward.

“How can we put something in place that has optionality and flexibility, J.J. Adams: Sports braces for COVID-19 wave by trying not to throw staff and how can we do it in a way that we can communicate it back internally overboard … that can be accurate and kind of take the boil off some of the anxiety that people may have?” said Pannes.

“So we’re working through all that in real time. There’s no playbook to J.J. ADAMS this, there’s just no right answers ready. We’re trying to do the best we can to get a good result. We’re going back and trying to fix stuff that we March 25, 2020 5:44 PM PDT may not have got right or (things) that we did and we’d like to try again. “… We’re trying to think through as many different possibilities as The rising economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic could count teams possible, and how we would address them, and at the same time, you and leagues in its total. know, you can go down rabbit holes where you just get too lost. So it’s really running a balance between planning for what we have in front of us Mark Cuban was the first to see it. right now, and also trying to look around the corner a little bit to see what might be coming.” The billionaire owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks was one of the first to react to the impact the suspension of the sports world would have on The CFL doesn’t have the luxury of a one-entity ownership system, but it his employees who didn’t earn millions playing professional basketball. does have some wiggle room when it comes to schedule flexibility. On Tuesday the league postponed its mid-April global draft, but the CFL He pledged to continue to pay the salary of event staff at American draft (April 30) and training camps — the Lions are scheduled to start Airlines Arena — from security and parking, to housekeeping and theirs May 13 in Kamloops — are still on, for now. entertainment — for as many games as the Mavs missed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. With the vast majority of team income tied to the broadcasting deal with TSN, there is the ability to make up revenue, even if games end up being Cuban, in turn, encouraged them to go out and volunteer in this time of played behind closed doors, although the players’ union is preparing its uncharted crisis. And any of his employees who bought breakfast or members for a worst-case scenario. lunch from local, independently owned restaurants, he would reimburse them — the idea being to help keep local businesses afloat. The Canucks, with the deep-pocketed Aquilinis and a sizable — and loyal — fan base should weather the storm without difficulty. Cuban recognized the base of the economic pyramid was at risk of collapsing, and has been busy working on solutions both macro and The province’s five WHL teams won’t see any playoff hockey this year, micro since the battle to contain the COVID-19 virus has caused the but should be fiscally sound enough to survive to 2021. sharpest economic downturn in history. The Fraser Valley Bandits are part of the Canadian Elite Basketball This was bookended by the 76ers’ disastrous announcement earlier this League, which follows a similar centrally-owned structure to MLS, with all week that the Philadelphia NBA team was implementing salary cuts for the teams owned by Richard Petko. employees, a move that rankled the team’s charitable stars and enraged a public sector, forcing a hasty backtrack. The small club topped the league in attendance last year, and was set to start play in May. But the CEBL isn’t immune to the COVID-19 impact — Other NBA owners are watching Sixers and weighing the PR fallout vs. on Wednesday it temporarily laid off all its ticket-sales staff. desire to do the same with salary reductions — including some considering furloughs, staff cutbacks, etc. No owner wants to log into Twitter and see his net worth trending after announcing this kind of Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.26.2020 news.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 24, 2020 The top-down responses have been varied across the sports world. In Germany, three teams have said their players would take reduced salaries to help keep their organizations whole. That hasn’t quite been the case in Barcelona, where a proposed 70 per cent slash of players’ salaries was rejected. The UFC had crowed last week that, despite having to postpone three fight cards, it didn’t have to terminate employees — only to see its parent company do just that on Wednesday. The economic impact caused by the global pandemic has been swift. In 2019, around 27,000 Canadians applied for Employment Insurance in one week in March. In the same period, a year later, that number reached 929,000. Locally, the Vancouver Whitecaps, B.C. Lions and Vancouver Canucks have managed to avoid cuts to their staff or reduction in player wages. The Canucks and Whitecaps have also donated perishable food items to local food banks, with the Aquilini Investment Group also announcing a plan to support part-time arena staff affected by the playing freeze. “Obviously, when you’re not playing games, you’re not broadcasting games, you’re not selling tickets. And when you’re not selling (food and beverage), it’s very, very difficult financially,” said Whitecaps CEO Mark Pannes. “On one hand, we have a big structural set of costs, and on the other hand we don’t have the normal set of revenue. And it’s not just like that for us, right? I’m sure it’s like that for many, many businesses in Vancouver, in B.C., in Canada, within sports and within a whole host of industries.” The MLS ownership structure — all teams and player contracts are centrally owned, with each team having an operator-investor — has made it easier for the league to handle the unexpected interruption of the season. Each team’s revenue and expenses differ drastically, with some owning facilities and running academies, and others not. The league is still planning to resume a full 34-game schedule, and as such, the Whitecaps are still taking automatic season ticket payments, 1173033 Vancouver Canucks only wanting to go back to Florida, Gillis insisted it was a move that he remains proud of.

“If you look at the Cory (Schneider) trade and that trade, it was part of the Canucks at 50: End of the Luongo era didn’t ‘Lack’ in controversy bigger picture that we were trying to accomplish in the midst of all this chaos. Rollie Melanson really believed in Markstrom, thought he had all the tools, thought he had been mishandled in certain ways and was a firm believer he was going to do exactly what he’s doing now.” PATRICK JOHNSTON There were other rebuilding-focused trades on the table at the time, March 24, 2020 4:48 PM PDT including one that would have sent Ryan Kesler out, but Gillis was blocked from doing so. Even though he wasn’t able to execute his whole plan, he still said he would have made the Luongo trade one way or Eddie Lack, it would seem, still can’t quite believe it. another. Six years after Canucks head coach John Tortorella chose him to start in “Yeah, because it put us in a very different cap situation as well. And it the Heritage Classic over Roberto Luongo, a decision that led to the best gave us a lot more flexibility. It was a place we wanted to go to, we goalie in Canucks history being traded to the Florida Panthers, the thought we were getting really great return. And in hindsight, it turned always-upbeat Lack admitted he was surprised about being tapped on out.” the shoulder for such a big game. Lack hasn’t played pro hockey in more than a year but he still hasn’t “Leading up to it, I was 100 per cent sure that I wasn’t going to play,” he given up hope of a return. He announced last August that he wasn’t said over the phone from his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. “The equipment going to play this season as he works his way back from hip surgery. guys were joking with me ‘too bad the new pads and everything, you won’t get to wear those.’ ” “I’m still waiting to see how my body feels,” he said, putting down any suggestion he might be thinking about retirement. NHL hockey had returned less than a week before from the two-week break for the Sochi Olympics and while it made sense to Lack that he Playing with Luongo remains a highlight of his career. might get to play in the first game or two, he never expected to play the “I just remember the type of person he is and just being around him,” he first three games coming out of the break, especially with all three at said. “I had a very, very, very, very, tiny part of his hall of fame career. He home and the third being on the big stage. was such a good goalie, just to like be around him day to day, see how “When (Luongo) came back, he was jet-lagged, so it made sense for me he prepared himself, how he practised, how much he cared.” to play the first game,” Lack recalled. “And then I had a shutout (against And he’s delighted for his old friend Jacob Markstrom. St. Louis). We were on a seven-game losing streak, so after the shutout I expected I’d probably play the next game. And Torts came and told me “I’m loving it. He’s been so consistent for a long time and so deserving of that Lou needed a little more time to get back to the right time frame so I everything that comes his way. Vancouver should re-sign him; I’m not played in that game, too (against Minnesota). I think we lost 2-1 in a sure what they are waiting for,” he said. shootout.”

And then they were back in Vancouver ahead of the big game at B.C. Place Stadium. The Canucks had a practice on Saturday. Afterwards, Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.26.2020 Tortorella told his goalies of his decision. “We skated, I felt normal. And I stayed out a little after practice,” he recalled. He was the backup goalie, after all. That’s what you’re supposed to do. “And then Torts came up to me. He told me I was playing. I was like, ‘What? Are you sure?’ To me, it was shocking but I was just very excited that I was going to play. I thought it was so much fun that it was going be. Then the next day came and I looked over at Lou and I saw him out there with his kids. I just felt bad. I wanted to play but I wanted him to play, too, because of everything he’d done for the organization. It was the first outdoor game for Vancouver.” Mike Gillis was the Canucks’ general manager at the time. “Eddie is a really nice guy, an outgoing, gregarious guy. And he got thrust in the middle of a political situation that he didn’t deserve,” Gillis recalled. “Those were tumultuous days and things were moving away from the program we had established and how we felt everyone in the organization should be treated and then I guess that’s kind of the fallout from those sorts of situations.” Two days later, Luongo was gone. The Canucks took the morning skate in Glendale, Ariz., ahead of a game against the Phoenix Coyotes. Luongo was going to play, his former understudy said. Lack stayed out late, working with then-goalie coach Rollie Melanson. Then he went over to the hotel, across the street from the rink to eat lunch and then take a nap. But before he could hit the hay, his phone exploded with messages. Luongo had been traded to the Florida Panthers for Jacob Markstrom and Shawn Matthias. “I was shocked about getting the start at the Heritage Classic, but I was even more shocked about the trade,” Lack said. The final moves happened quickly, but Gillis and his staff had been exploring possible moves for quite some time, Gillis said. “It was a very complicated situation,” he said of how things played out. And while his hand was somewhat forced in dealing Luongo, between the retroactive imposition of the cap-recapture clause and Luongo really 1173034 Vancouver Canucks At least two future NHL players and a bunch of future pros on a junior team in Germany. You must have killed teams.

You got to look at these guys’ stats, it’s ridiculous (laughs). Draisaitl was Q&A: Marc Michaelis on his friend Leon Draisaitl, choosing the Canucks putting up Gretzky-like numbers, I actually played with him. Ninety-five and more percent of the points I got was just giving him the puck and he did something crazy with it.

But it wasn’t just Draisaitl and Kahun, we had at least four or five By Harman Dayal additional guys that play pro in Germany right now. Mar 25, 2020 I just looked up Draisaitl’s junior numbers. Ninety-seven goals and 192 points in 29 games on your team, that’s nuts!

Yeah, I’m pretty sure Kahun was first and Draisaitl was second in league A decade ago, halfway across the world in Germany, a future NHL star scoring. I think I was third in the league in scoring with about 72 points in was being created. 30 games! Leon Draisaitl was torching the German junior circuit with an astounding What separates Draisaitl from the rest is he’s never satisfied and that’s 97 goals and 192 points in 29 games for a Mannheimer ERC U16 club what I learned. that also boasted Dominik Kahun. When we had games and it was like 16 or 17-0 and he already had 10 or Draisaitl’s linemate feeding him the puck on this super team? Marc 11 points in the game, it’d be like the last shift of the game and he’d still Michaelis, whom the Canucks signed out of the NCAA (Minnesota State) dominate because he wanted one more goal or point. last week to a one-year contract. So you played at the worlds the last couple of years against NHL “Draisaitl was putting up Gretzky-like numbers and I actually played with competition there (3 goals and 5 points in 13 games). Playing on the him,” said Michaelis. “Ninety-five percent of the points I got was just international stage against the best hockey players in the world, how giving him the puck and he did something crazy with it.” valuable is it to have that experience to prove you can hang with Michaelis recalled that his junior team wouldn’t let their foot off the gas NHLers? even when up by more than 10 goals. Yeah, playing on the international stage, it’s the first time that I got to play “Poor kids on the other team wouldn’t even get mercy at 17-0!” laughed against some real men. Michaelis. There’s so much uncertainty, you ask yourself like “How’s the NHL?” and On Monday, Michaelis joined The Athletic over the phone from his home “How do I fit in?” That really helped me because now I know how big and in Germany to talk about playing with Draisaitl in Germany, the freshman strong and physical is it. experience that shaped him as a person, why he chose to sign with the Playing against NHL players in those tournaments you get to see how Canucks and much more. manly they are and how you stack up and that was important because What follows is a slightly condensed version of our conversation, edited that’s your competition every night from now on. If I didn’t perform well at for clarity. the international stage, these guys probably wouldn’t have even known my name or anything. Congratulations on signing with the Canucks. How are you feeling and could you have imagined signing with an NHL team when you first came It definitely gave me confidence that I can make the NHL one day. over to North America? You’ve got to show up with some confidence and putting the puck in the net in those tournaments doesn’t hurt either. No, definitely not. It was pretty surreal. I actually came over to the U.S., my goal was to play a little bit of college and then be a pro in the first It was really helpful for my mindset knowing that I can not only compete German league. against them but I can also outbattle and outsmart pro guys as well. It was mid to end of my freshman year, (I realized) there’s something So moving on to college. What degree did you end up working on and more that I can go for. what was it like balancing school and hockey? It was a dream signing my first contract and an amazing feeling. I’m a finance major doing my bachelors but now that every class moved online with the virus, I’m hoping to have my degree done in May. How would you describe yourself as a player? The high school system in Germany was quite hard, it was just school I’m pretty versatile. I can play wing and centre but I’ve been playing and hockey every day but then in the USHL it was just hockey and centre for the past three years. I’m a two-way centre. I think I’ve got nothing else. some really good instincts. I’ve got playmaking ability but I can also put the puck in the net. And so honestly, it was so hard to go back to college, go to classes and actually pay attention (laughs). I take a lot of pride in my D-zone (play). All my offence comes from my D- zone. The less time I spend in my zone, the more the puck is on my stick That was probably the hardest part about college was going to classes, it and the more I can produce. was a mess. The leap from college to pro can be challenging. Have you spoken to How did you get by school then? Did you have to go to class and study a anyone about what that jump might be like? lot or were you able to wing it and get by? I don’t know a lot of people that made the jump in the U.S. But I was I was actually blessed with a skill or something where I can just study the pretty fortunate playing for Team Germany the past two World night before for exams and get by. I never really had to do a lot of Championships. studying, I still had to sit down and read some stuff, but I’ve never in my life had to really study hard to pass or get a good grade. I’ve been friends with Leon Draisaitl and Dominik Kahun because we played together back in Germany a while ago. I pulled off some all-nighters when I had to write papers, not when I was studying … I needed the sleep more! I asked these guys “How is it playing 82 games?” I asked about bodyweight because I have trouble gaining weight. Was it any different being a German kid going to a U.S. college? It’s those guys, German players who play in the NHL right now, that I’m It’s funny, it seems like for people who were born in the United States, close with ever since we started playing back when we were 12,13, 14 the only country that exists is the U.S. Like yeah, they know Canada is years old and that I’m asking for advice. somewhere up north but that’s about it. That must have been pretty cool to play on the same junior team in And so, I’d be sitting in the car with teammates and I’d be on my phone Germany as guys like Draisaitl and Kahun. and they’d be like “Hey, do they sell iPhones in Germany?” Yeah. We also had Frederik Tiffels who was a fifth-rounder of Pittsburgh. And I’m like “Man, are you serious? Come on.” Or they’d ask like “Do We had some really good players on that team and pretty much they have Christmas in Germany?” and I’m like man, this isn’t a third- everyone made it pro or on the German national team. We see each world country, I don’t know what you think about Germany but it’s not as other every time for the World Championships. bad as you guys think it is (laughs). With the hockey itself, you were under a point-per-game in the USHL and The day before I signed we had a conference call with Jim, Travis and the next year, you’re lighting it up with 36 points in 39 games in your others. freshman year. What clicked right away that you were able to grow so much in one year? I understand hockey is a business but you want to surround yourself with good people and just talking to them it, they seem like genuinely great It was just the opportunity I got. I felt that the coaching staff believed in people that I want to work with on a daily basis. me, I saw the opportunity they gave me and so I just started taking advantage of it. I also got to play with some good, mature men that And so now, your contract is signed. Hockey season is over. Are you helped me grow from a boy to a man. bored out of your mind, what are you doing to pass time other than finishing your degree? Me before my freshman year and after are just two completely different guys. I was a decent player going into college but I became a man after Man, it’s quite boring (laughs). I’m sitting here in Germany, there’s no my freshman year and that helped develop my game in all areas. gym, there’s nothing here. No ice for me. When’s the first time you heard from an NHL team in college? I’ve got a shooting area in the basement, that’s about it, so I spend an hour, two hours a day just shooting pucks and trying to stay active. It was pretty early in my freshman year. Like I said before, my goal was to play in the U.S. and then go play pro in Germany and it must have Other than that I’m also playing video games. When I was in college in been 4-5 weeks into the season when NHL scouts tried to talk to me and my freshman year, we already played video games a lot and then in my get me to their camps for next summer. sophomore year Fortnite came out and so the entire team was just ripping that. We’d play Fortnite, go back to NHL, play FIFA, play Call of I was just overwhelmed. Everything moves so fast, you go to a college, Duty, go back to Fortnite. We’d always play video games as a team but you know what a college lifestyle is like and then you have legit NHL it’s funny nobody would play video games by themselves. teams talking to you on a weekly basis. We’d only ever play together and so I still have some buddies — one in I didn’t have anybody like an advisor that could help me out so it was a California, two in Minnesota that I play with. complete mess. Other than that I’m a big Netflix guy. I was trying to balance trying to talk to teams and then trying to find an advisor who I could trust and would help me in the process at the same What are your top Netflix recommendations? time. Unfortunately, they took Blue Mountain State (a show following the life of If you see me at the end of my freshman year I struggled to put up points three student-athletes playing college football) out. in the second half of the year, that’s when all the noise kind of got to me. I really loved that. It’s so sad. I can’t believe they took it off. We’d all But I learned a lot from that, like I said it was the year I grew from a boy watch it together with guys on the team, every day for months. to man, and ever since then, me and my advisor handled it well. But now, I watch Narcos, Prison Break and Breaking Bad. Going into your junior year, you were named captain. What kind of leader Thank you for being so generous with your time, Marc. Stay safe and are you? Are you a vocal guy? best of luck moving forward. No, never (laughs). I try to lead by example and with my decisions so if For sure, thanks, man. others look up to me they see and judge me based off that.

I won’t shy away from saying something but I knew I was going to be captain for a while and as a captain, when you say the same things over The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 and over again the meaning kind of wears off. I try and save my words for the right times. I’ll never be a vocal leader. Luckily, I had an alternate captain that was really vocal and I was the lead by example kind of guy, so we were kind of opposites as leaders for the team for two years. When you finished your NCAA career, how many NHL teams expressed interest and why did you ultimately choose Vancouver? There were some teams interested, I’m not going to lie. But after my freshman year and what I learned, I didn’t talk to any teams; my advisor dealt with everything. He talked to the teams, told them where I’m at and then the first day after the trade deadline this year, we came up with a plan for what’s going to happen after the season and put up some data on the teams that tried to talk to me. It was a good number of teams that reached out and I chose Vancouver because I just see the biggest opportunity here for me to, in the long run, have a chance to be an everyday NHL player. Hockey in Canada too, so many guys tell me I have to experience that, that it’s a whole other level than in the U.S. I’ve been to Vancouver, it’s an unbelievable, gorgeous city, but that didn’t really play any part in my decision. It was more about the opportunity, the organization and the talks with GMs and coaches went really well. It sounds like you did a lot of research with your advisor going into the process. What goes into doing that homework? (Sighs) Oh, there’s so much. Starting with how many draft picks they have this year, starting with the prospects they have in their system. You see their minor league roster, who do they got there and how are they being called up and sent down. Are they a cap team, how close are they to the ceiling? Looking at any entry-level guys that get new contracts and how big they are. Man, it’s so much. I’m pretty happy I didn’t have to do that by myself and my advisor did a phenomenal job of putting all that data out there for me and making the right decision. What do you remember about your interactions with the Canucks? 1173035 Websites “I don’t know if surprised is a better word or thankful is a better word,” he said. “I think we were fortunate in making the decision on March 12 when we did to not only pause play but actually have players go into self- quarantine, including staff and coaches so that we have a pretty good The Athletic / LeBrun: Timeline for NHL return impossible to predict until idea now – because we’re almost at the two-week mark – that the pandemic plays out likelihood of them being affected prior to that period is pretty low. It doesn’t mean that somebody can’t be exposed now, and I would expect that as this disease progresses and becomes more endemic, that we’re By Pierre LeBrun going to see more tests in players into the future, but probably not related to them having played hockey prior to the 12th.” Mar 25, 2020 Another popular question since we started reporting the possibly of summer playoffs concerns the health risk it poses for the players who would be going from approximately four months of not playing to high- If there is a recurring question that I’ve had from friends, family and octane hockey. Is the injury risk higher? readers alike, it’s this one: what is the world supposed to look like if and when the NHL feels it can resume play? One way to help minimize the chances of that happening, the doctor said, is for players to stay in the best shape possible. Which is admittedly We can talk about summer hockey and all the different scheduling/playoff difficult, under the current self-isolation constraints. format scenarios that we know the NHL and NHL Players’ Association continue to examine all we want, but what will North American society “It is important that they try and maintain their conditioning so that we have to look like for the NHL to even think about dropping the puck come could resume play if the conditions changed substantially, but obviously July or August? it’s very difficult to do,” Dr. Meuwisse said. “One thing we know in sports medicine is that conditioning and training are highly sport-specific, both I asked that very question to the NHL’s chief medical officer on from an injury prevention perspective but also from a conditioning Wednesday during a media call. perspective. And it’s next to impossible for somebody to be skating at “I think we need to have a number of criteria,’’ Dr. Willem Meeuwisse intensity under the circumstances that we’re in right now, so it’s more of a responded. “The specific circumstances are obviously going to depend ‘do what you can do approach,’ where if players can work out at home in on the pattern of the disease and specific risks at that time. That’s one of an isolated environment that would be ideal. We do allow them – and the difficulties, this thing is changing daily. And guidance from health maybe even them encourage them – to get outside and get some fresh authorities is changing daily based on the changing circumstances. I air because I think that’s one thing that’s probably going to be an mean if we think of bringing people back together, we’d want to have emerging public health message for everyone. That it’s really good that some confidence that the players and the staff themselves are healthy, people are practicing social isolation and staying at home because that’s some confidence the players are not infectious at that time and that really important society-wise to flatten the curve, but also that it’s bringing them back together even in small groups would not increase the probably in people’s self-interest and get a little bit of fresh air as long as risk of contracting or transmitting the coronavirus. they can do it six feet away from other people. So we do allow players to exercise outdoors, so they could be running or doing other things as long “And then we’d have to place that in the context of the larger society and as they’re not in proximity to other people. the fact that we have people in 31 different market cities. And they’re likely to differ one city to the next.’’ “If they can maintain some base conditioning that way, then when they do come back together, we do anticipate they’ll go through some phases The shorter answer is even he doesn’t know at this point whether the like conditioning first and practicing second, or some type of a training NHL can salvage its season or when. Nobody does. camp that will allow them to get into game shape again before the resumption of play. But when that’s going to happen, what the timeframe While the NHL plans many different scenarios for a season resumption, of that will be, is really difficult to predict.” as it should be, the league also knows from talking to its medical experts that there may not be hockey again until next season. Another good question, the challenge that arises in the fact some cities and areas are more affected than others and do you keep players away But before even taking questions during the media call, Dr. Meeuwisse from those higher-risk areas? provided his current view of the crisis. “Regional differences are likely going to persist,” Dr. Meuwisse said. “But “I’ll be brief and just maybe start by saying that if we look where we are probably the larger risk is really similar everywhere, at least will be. And with this pandemic, it’s really just entering the rapid acceleration phase, that’s why it’s a pandemic. The spread is going to be wide enough that certainly in North America, and if we look at our league, really we place people should be practicing social distancing, they probably should be our league in the context of the larger society, and we want to be doing doing it everywhere because either it’s going to control an outbreak in an our part to not only protect our players but also our staff and our fans as area that’s a hotspot and certainly protect a healthy individual, but even the disease unfolds,’’ he said. “It’s difficult to predict where the pandemic in areas where the infection rates are lower, you want to keep them is going and what the timeline will be, but we do expect this is going to lower. And the risk can change very rapidly as we’ve seen it switch from get worse before it gets better.’’ the West Coast to New York within the U.S. And that kind of shifting around is likely to continue to happen, at least in the early phases of this This is why the recommendation was made, as I reported Tuesday, to pandemic. And therefore, probably we’re not looking, at least right now, extend the current period of self-quarantine for teams and players. at very much market-specific guidance, it’s really guidance for the Eventually, the hope is to reach Phase 2 where players start to train at league.’’ team facilities in small groups. How does the NHL handle the fact some of its markets will be more “The first step that we anticipate maybe taking place is bringing people affected than others when it comes time to figure out the return to work together in small groups,” Dr. Meeuwisse said. “But the timeline for that for players? at this point is very difficult to articulate. While it’s rapidly accelerating, the risk in the general population is probably increasing rather than “Obviously, it’ll be a consideration,” Daly said. “We have to try to do what decreasing, so until we see where the peak is going to be, and how high is competitively fair to all the clubs and the players, quite frankly, as we that peak is going to be, it’s very difficult to give a definitive timeline.’’ continue to hold out hope that at some point we’ll be able to resume play. I don’t have any hard and fast answers for you. As with everything else, The original self-quarantine guidelines sent out March 13 were in effect we’re going to have to kind of see how it all develops, and if there are through this Friday, March 27, and now that’s been extended to April 4, anomalies such as that, we’re going to have to try to work our way NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed on the same media call around that in ways that are sensible.” on Wednesday. This again leads to the question no one has a real answer for yet. What “A memo has already gone out to the clubs on that,” Daly said. “The new do things have to look like for the NHL to feel comfortable in getting date is April 4, but again as Dr. Meuwisse said already, that’s a players back reporting to teams? meaningless date really at this point in time. As we get closer to the date, we’re going to have to make decisions as to what to do then. We’re biting “I think we’re going to need to know where we are with the pandemic,” this off in chunks.” Dr. Meuwisse said. “We’d need to have some knowledge and confidence around the trajectory of the disease because if it’s on a trajectory of In the meantime, it is somewhat surprising that only two NHL players getting worse and worse, it makes a lot less sense getting people have tested positive, although very likely there will be more at some together. Once we get to the tail end of this pandemic where hopefully point. the curve has been flattened and the healthcare resources are not I asked the doctor if that number surprised him? overloaded and the disease rates start to fall, at that point obviously the risk of getting people back together – not just our players but our staff and everybody – is going to be a lot lower. And depending on what the time frame is, depending on the shape of that curve and depending on the remaining risk and transmission rates, that I think is going to help guide us in terms of the timing.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173036 Websites you can see when something like this starts and spreads – and it can spread worldwide – all you can do is take the appropriate measures as directed and explained by the public health authorities and try to contain and limit and then get back to normal as soon as that can be done. What The Athletic / Q&A: NHLPA’s Donald Fehr on possibility of resuming the perhaps is the most different about it is that throughout my career when NHL season this summer something has happened somebody would always say there is something we can do about it. You can do. Or the people on the other side can do. Or you can do together. Or the government can get involved By Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside and help with the negotiations or something like that. This isn’t that. This is different. Mar 25, 2020 Burnside: Don, you mentioned communication, I’m curious what it’s been like for you to keep players involve and engaged in the discussions you’re having with the league and medical officials, to keep them up to The NHL Players’ Association and the NHL are working in lockstep with date and maybe what you’re hearing from players in terms of their ideas each other to navigate the uncharted waters presented by the COVID-19 on how things could unfold or should unfold? Can you walk us through pandemic that forced the stoppage of league play. how you’re staying in contact with a group, what, about 720 strong? NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said Wednesday in an Fehr: When you count people that are hurt it’s a little larger than that and appearance on the podcast Two-Man Advantage that, like the league, we’re also in contact with some former players and NHL players who the players believe that whatever steps are taken to try and salvage what were temporarily in the minor leagues and all of their agents and so forth. remains of the 2019-20 season and/or having a 2020 Stanley Cup playoff It’s pretty easy to describe. It’s what I think all of your listeners would tournament, having a full 82-game schedule in place for the 2020-21 expect. Everybody’s got cell phones. Everybody’s got email. Everybody’s season is critical. got text messages. So we start with that. We, along with every other Fehr described the unprecedented working relationship as “practical and institution in North America, are burning up the wires with conference businesslike.” calls. I, the former players on staff and a number of the other people are literally in constant contact with players. I’m on the phone anywhere from “There is no posturing, there is no attempt, so far, to take advantage of eight to 10 to 12 hours a day between conference calls, calls with staff, this or that or the other,” Fehr said. “It’s just, alright, what can we do talking to Gary (Bettman, NHL commissioner) or people at the league when? And the backdrop, of course, being that you want to maintain to office and obviously with players. And you want to make sure people are the greatest extent you can, or to put it another way, you don’t want to up to date. You want to make sure that you get questions answered, to put in jeopardy the health and safety of the players, the NHL employees, the extent that you can identify a problem or a question before it the arena staff, fans and all the rest of that. But practical and businesslike becomes acute. You try to take care of it that way. In terms of the kinds is the way that I would put it and, at this point, I would expect that to of things players are asking they’re really at two places, I think. The first continue. We talk at one level or another to NHL people several times a one I think is somebody has a question that relates to his individual day every day.” situation. One of the ones we most frequently had was “can I travel?” and “what happens if the borders close?” particularly with players who don’t And while Fehr confirmed that talks aimed at hammering out a new live in North America permanently. So you have a lot of those kinds of collective bargaining agreement have been put aside as “there are more questions. The second one is the impossible one to answer which is, is immediate things on the agenda,” he did suggest that this journey into there a timetable pursuant to which decisions will be made regarding if the unknown with the league may help pave the way to not just a new we’re going to resume the season, if so, when? And in what format and labor agreement but could help forge a new relationship with the league. what would that mean for next season if we play late into the summer? And the problem is there are no answers for that. We can play again “I hope it all impacts it positively. We’ll have to see,” Fehr said when the public health authorities tell us we can do that. And then at that Wednesday. “The old joke about labor relations is that you’re in a point what I suspect will happen, what I’m pretty sure will happen, is we marriage but you can’t get a divorce and sometimes what that means is will look at all of the possibilities of a schedule, come hopefully to a quick that you can feel free a little bit to fight harder because you know the agreement with the NHL as to what we can do and what we should do other party’s still going to be there when you’re done. On the other hand, and go from there. But that’s not likely to happen in the next one or two when you go through trying and difficult times maybe it can create bonds or three weeks. It’ll be sometime after that. that weren’t there before.” LeBrun: Just to follow up on that vein, Don, I know that yesterday the Here is part of that conversation (Listen to the full podcast here): league asked the 31 clubs for their building availabilities through the Scott Burnside: Let’s dive right in. The last report we had there were two month of August. What’s your view of potential August hockey as we’ve NHL players who tested positive for the coronavirus, both members of been speculating here for a bit? the Ottawa Senators. Is there an update on that number and can you Fehr: The question is not July or August hockey in the abstract. Is that a describe where you’re at in terms of players getting tested or wanting to good time of the year to play it? The question is, if that’s when the time get tested? becomes available, does it make sense to play it? I was not aware before Don Fehr: Basically it’s pretty simple. I don’t know of more than two. But the press reports that all of the teams were being asked for their you should understand that my knowledge will, in many cases, will lag availability, but I certainly would have expected that in the ordinary (behind) something that happens. Because if somebody tests positive, course. That’s one of the things that the league would always do so that they go through the medical protocols. They notify family, they do all that, you have the most current information available. What changed in the and then eventually the reports come back to the league and then us. It last couple of days, of course, was the decision to postpone the Tokyo doesn’t take very long but it’s not instantaneous. In terms of players Olympics, and when that happened that created, from a fan perspective being tested, I think we’re in pretty much the same boat everybody else and a broadcast perspective, some opportunities that might not have is which is if you become symptomatic or there are other reasons been there before. Whether we’ll be able to exercise those opportunities discovered during a medical evaluation that you should be tested, you remains to be seen. get tested. Otherwise that is not the case. And we can just hope that the Burnside: You talk about some of the questions players have had for you, self-quarantine and other measures that have been taken will be many of which don’t have answers, but my sense is that players have sufficient so that we’ll have a relatively low and hopefully very low also offered their own thoughts and suggestions perhaps on how things incidence of positives as this thing progresses. But no one in our society, might look if the game is able to resume, whether to play regular season no group, is going to be immune from it that is clear. games, what a playoff grid might look like. Is there any way to tell right Pierre LeBrun: Don, you’ve seen a lot in your day between your long now whether there’s any type of consensus on what the players favor in tenure at the head of the baseball union and, of course, your time now in terms of how a playoff grid might look like? hockey, in the same role. There’ve been strikes, there’ve been lockouts, Fehr: The answer is yes but it’s not very specific. There’s a lot of a lot of tense moments in your career. How could you even compare speculation players are engaging in. What would it look like if we were what you’re living right now to all that? able to resume on this date or 10 days later or 21 days after that? What Fehr: Well, you can’t. To do it is an exercise in comparing not apples to would it look like if we had to eliminate the rest of the regular season so oranges but sort of apples to tractors. It’s that much different. We’re living that you didn’t have the normal number of games played to determine through something that nobody in the western world has seen for at least who the playoff teams are? How do you treat the teams that were not, as 100 years with the Spanish Flu. The societies we live in are vastly of the date we stopped playing, in the top 16, they wouldn’t have qualified different now. They’re much more affluent. There’s much more ease of for the playoffs but yet they still had a chance to do it and, as we all communication, much more interpersonal contact, vastly less of an know, things change a lot in the last few games of the year in many agricultural sector, plus we have instantaneous communication and so as seasons. And so you would try and figure out a way to adapt to that. I guess the best answer I can give you is that most players would want to complete it, would want to have a Stanley Cup awarded provided that it can be a tournament which is fair under all the circumstances and that everybody can be proud of participating in. LeBrun: Don, to follow up, I assume and I know it’s dangerous to assume, but just like Bill Daly said, having a full season next year is very important to the league, I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be to your side as well given that, just to be blunt, the players get paid during the regular season and not the playoffs. Fehr: Well, yes and no. Yes, in that sense that obviously you want a complete return to normalcy if you can get it next year. It doesn’t mean that you couldn’t alter the dates of next year’s season a little bit in order to accommodate playing late this year going forward. But remember, while players get paychecks over the course of the regular season, their salaries include revenue that’s earned during the postseason, so the two are not divorced. LeBrun: Just to clarify on the cap – but I think we’re already at the point where whatever the cap number’s going to be next year it’s going to have to be something that the PA and the league basically pull out of, just agree on, as opposed to using the authenticated formula at this point. Is that fair? Fehr: Yeah, I thought you were about to say pull out of thin air. LeBrun: No, no. Fehr: I hope we don’t do that. Put it differently, yeah, I think it’s likely to be a negotiated number and if there are any special rules that we had to apply because of the unfortunate circumstances of this year we would try and tackle those, sure. Burnside: One of the things I know Pierre mentioned in a piece today, even things like the standard player contract ends June 30, free agency begins July 1, those are benchmarks on the NHL calendar, but if we’re talking about playing hockey in July and August, obviously those kinds of issues are going to have to be dealt with. Are you in a position where you can start to talk about those now or does that all have to wait until you get a better sense of the framework? Fehr: When we get to that point I think it’s fair to say that if you’re going to play the season or the postseason and that extends past June 30, there are a whole series of accommodations you have to look at. Starting with when do you do the draft? When would you do the normal June buyouts? When would free agency and salary arbitration happen and all the rest of that? My assumption has been and continues to be that those things will sort of tend to define themselves and people will have to adjust to them. That’s a problem quite frankly I’d like to have because that would mean that we are able to resume before next year.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173037 Websites It would also give the NHL and NHLPA another property to sell to a network outside its current television deal. In the U.S., a tournament like this on ESPN in a summer in which there is less competition for the interest of sports fans would likely be very successful. If it works, the NHL The Athletic / NHL and team executives sharing ideas for adjusting the might have something to build on moving forward. If it doesn’t? Never do draft lottery it again. “Radical times call for radical measures,” said one NHL source. By Craig Custance It’s fun to imagine. Even if it’s hard to imagine it actually happening. But right now, these are the kind of ideas being thrown around. People have Mar 25, 2020 the time and motivation for creativity. At this point, nothing should be off the table. From playoff format to lottery ideas. While so much of the conversation on what an eventual NHL season “The whole thing is the wild, wild West, man,” concluded an executive. might look like focuses on potential playoff formats for the teams at the top of the standings, those at the bottom might have a different focus. For those outside the playoff bubble, it’s all about the NHL Draft. And the The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 eventual draft lottery. As it stands right now, it’s very possible the lottery looks different than what fans (and executivess) are currently refreshing on Tankathon. According to an NHL source, the draft lottery format will likely be linked to whatever decisions are made regarding the schedule and playoff system. It’s still too early to get a full idea of what those solutions might look like, but a source said the league would consult with general managers and the board of governors before making a final call on any adjusted draft lottery process. Right now, the league is currently kicking around various concepts. “They’ve requested ideas on a number of things,” said an Eastern Conference executive of the league. “They’re looking for ideas about anything and everything.” Teams and executives have been brainstorming playoff format ideas, some of which have been debated publicly as reported by The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. But there are also conversations about how a tweaked lottery format might look. To some, there’s no reason to do anything massively different than the current format where there are three different drawings – one for each of the top three picks. After those drawings, the remaining teams are sorted based on inverse order of standings, which means the league’s worst team has a better chance of picking fourth than first. “I don’t think you can materially change too much because teams have relied on this and made plans under this format,” said another NHL team executive. If the season is completely wiped out, it would be fairly easy to determine the lottery teams by points percentage and proceed with the current system. If there is a, say, 24-team playoff tournament, there’s also an easy way to restructure the draft lottery without changing things too much. “You just have to allocate the lottery balls differently,” said another executive. “The fairest way to do in that situation – if there’s a 30 percent change with those other teams in the playoffs, give that 30 percent and share it equally in the lottery.” That’s fine. It’s logical. It’s probably the most likely path for the NHL. But there are some who feel like the lottery could be an opportunity to re- engage fanbases and recoup some of the financial losses teams have incurred this season. According to an NHL source, at least one team has submitted a lottery proposal that would include a tournament in which lottery teams play for the first-overall pick. At its face, the idea sounds radical but structured the right way this has the potential to be a real asset for the league. Without knowing the exact details of the proposal, there would have to be some assurances for the teams at the bottom of the standings that their odds of winning a lottery tournament resemble their odds of winning the lottery drawing now. That would mean home games for Ottawa and Detroit, with a fairly easy path to the championship. And likewise, a bubble team would have to go on an all-time run of games to win the lottery. This proposal would accomplish a couple of things. It would get all players back playing, rather than just playoff teams, which would help level the playing field for next season in terms of rest and time off between games. It would also engage fans of both playoff teams and lottery teams alike if games return. Imagine for a moment a lottery tournament final between the Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks for the rights to draft Alexis Lafreniere. Or a final between the Senators and Montreal Canadiens for the same thing. The television ratings in those markets would be off the charts. 1173038 Websites Nazem Kadri and defenseman Calle Rosen in exchange for defenseman Tyson Barrie and forward Alexander Kerfoot.

Suddenly, the Avalanche were beginning to look a lot different from the The Athletic / And the NHL’s GM of the Year could be … Joe Sakic? It team that lost to the Sharks. Barrie was expendable because of Makar very well looks that way and it provided Sakic with a green light to acquire Kadri to give them the bonafide second-line center they had long sought.

What Sakic did within a handful of days took the Avalanche from By Ryan S. Clark promising overachievers to a potential Stanley Cup favorite. The immediate belief was Kadri would anchor a second-line unit featuring Mar 25, 2020 some combination of Burakovsky, Donskoi or Jost on the wing. Whoever was the odd man out would presumably be slotted onto the third line alongside Compher and Wilson. That meant a veteran center in The man owns two Stanley Cups, a Hart Memorial Trophy, a Conn Bellemare would be paired with wingers Matt Calvert and Matt Nieto to Smythe Trophy, a Lester B. Pearson Award, an Olympic gold medal and create a two-way, fourth line that would provide potential consistency in he has a street named after him back home. an area that was a troublesome spot the year before. Joe Sakic is a Hockey Hall of Fame member who carries a status as an Former high school geometry classmates Ian Cole and Erik Johnson had all-time great regardless of the era. His playing career allowed him to nearly 1,200 games of NHL experience between them. That was more collect numerous accolades but he has yet to add to such a stellar haul in than the combined totals of Mark Barberio, Connauton, Samuel Girard, his second act as the general manager of the Colorado Avalanche. Graves, Makar and Nikita Zadorov. Barrie’s departure meant the Avalanche’s defense got younger but it appeared the unit had the But is that about to change? opportunity to be most versatile throughout Sakic’s tenure at the helm. Everything the Avalanche have done so far has led to a discussion about Grubauer showed he could win important games and provide them claiming the third Stanley Cup in franchise history. That, of course, consistency in the most critical time of year. Francouz achieved all that in is the primary goal but there is a chance it could lead to Sakic claiming the AHL. But seeing how they would each fare under new roles, another personal honor in winning the Jim Gregory General Manager of however, remained one of the larger questions facing the Avalanche the Year Award. Sakic appears to be a front-runner given The Athletic’s heading into the preseason. beat writers voted that the former superstar center is currently the league’s best executive. He captured 39 percent of the vote with Boston Then came the shocking decision to sign winger Valeri Nichushkin. The Bruins GM Don Sweeney, who is the reigning winner, finishing second one-time No. 10 pick was released by the Dallas Stars after going with 12.2 percent. goalless in 59 games. He was signed to a one-year contract in a move that was initially viewed as the Avalanche adding more forward depth Fully understanding why Sakic is receiving this level of acclaim means and size on the edge. examining what he has accomplished. Every decision he and his front office staff make is viewed through a particular set of prisms. Is this a Keep in mind, Sakic and the front office were also working toward getting move that can help the team both now and in the future? Will this be a a new contract completed for Rantanen in an offseason that witnessed choice that provides the Avalanche with a dimension they previously did the market for high-end restricted free agents become rather expensive. not have? And will all these resolutions lead to a Stanley Cup all while But there were the deals that also needed to get done for other RFAs ensuring the salary cap blueprint remains intact knowing winning comes Burakovsky, Compher and Zadorov, among others. They even made it a with a price tag? priority to get Girard under a new long-term pact a full year before his entry-level contract ended. Already having Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on the roster helped when it came to unexpectedly pushing the All of these decisions are the foundation for how the Avalanche were San Jose Sharks in a seven-game Western Conference semifinal series having one of the best seasons in the NHL before the league suspended last year. But that postseason encounter also reinforced what areas play because of Coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, for Sakic and his front office staff needed to address while also reaffirming the foreseeable future. what assets could be parlayed to make that happen. But here is why it has worked out. The Avalanche needed more forward depth. Creating a second unit capable of supplementing the top line featuring Landeskog, MacKinnon Each one of the players Sakic and his staff brought in via trade or free and Rantanen was a priority. So was bolstering their bottom-six options. agency was given greater roles compared to their previous situations. Then-defensive prospects Ryan Graves and Hobey Baker Award winner Nearly all of them are having the best seasons of their careers. Cale Makar showed the organization they were ready. Graves’ audition Bellemare is still a fourth-line center but the system employed by fourth- came late in the regular season while Makar showcased what he could year coach Jared Bednar allowed him to set personal-bests in goals, provide throughout 10 playoff games that saw him finish with six points. assists and points, all while being one of the oldest players in the NHL. Plus, the emergence of Philipp Grubauer meant Sakic and his staff had What Burakovsky, Donskoi and Kadri have done — when healthy — to assess both the financial and on-ice implications of whether to return gave them the runway to be one of the league’s more formidable second or move on from goaltender Semyon Varlamov. lines. It is a combination that can generate and capitalize on scoring chances while Donskoi and Kadri were able to impart some of their two- Varlamov, in retrospect, became the first domino to fall. Pavel Francouz way knowledge onto Burakovsky. That has seen Burakovsky go from a did enough with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL to earn a one-year, one- logjam of forwards in D.C. to being a top-six option who had his first 20- way contract with the Avs as Grubauer’s backup. Sakic could have opted goal season and stands to receive a substantial payday for what he has to keep all three goaltenders but at what cost? Grubauer outright earned done. Donskoi was on pace for his first 20-goal season but still set a the starting job and he came at a cheaper cost by comparison. A little career-high in goals while remaining four points shy of an apex in that more than $9 million of the cap was dedicated toward goaltending in department. Kadri has gone through injuries but he is averaging 0.71 2018-19 but going with a Grubauer-Francouz tandem — while unproven points per game over 51 games and that is one of the strongest marks of at the time — cost $4.25 million combined. Varlamov would sign a four- his career. year deal with the New York Islanders worth $5 million annually. Yet Nichushkin remains the most notable surprise of all the players the Carl Soderberg and his $4.75 million cap hit were next. He was traded to Avalanche signed over the summer. He has played in 65 of the team’s 70 the Arizona Coyotes for a depth defenseman in Kevin Connauton while games and is having the sort of renaissance few saw coming. The 6-foot- also getting money off the books. It was another cost-saving decision that 4 hulking forward has used his speed and size to become a two-way gave the team more financial flexibility in free agency while signaling forward who can be trusted in late-game situations or when the team is in Soderberg’s ice time could be used to give younger players J.T. a short-handed sequence. His 13 goals are the second-most of his Compher or Tyson Jost potentially more ice time. career while his 27 assists are the third-most he has accrued. Three days later, it became clear having such a cushion opened the door Cole and Johnson have continued serving as mentors for what is one of to trade with the Washington Capitals to get forward Andre Burakovsky. the youngest defenses in the NHL. Girard, 21, established a career-high in points plus he has improved defensively when it comes to how many July 1 arrived and it proved to be a landscape-changing day for Sakic high-danger chances and high-danger goals he has allowed. The 24- and the franchise. The Avs signed forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare year-old Graves came over in a trade with the New York Rangers two and Joonas Donskoi while getting a new one-year deal completed that years ago and has developed into a first-pairing partner for Makar. How allowed Colin Wilson to return. It appeared the day was over until Sakic Graves has developed further highlighted the methods used by Eagles struck a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs to get proven veteran center coach Greg Cronin in developing the 6-foot-5 defenseman and prospects awaiting their turn. This was still Graves’ first full NHL campaign yet he frequent meetings where they will discuss what is going on with the club became an all-around option in that his nine goals remain the most he and offer their advice in a variety of areas. has scored at any professional level. Plus, Bednar trusts him in key defensive situations. Graves also leads the NHL in plus/minus with a Using those methods is how the Avalanche have become one of the plus-40 rating. NHL’s best clubs and why the Eagles are able to constantly promote players to the NHL while they also chase a consecutive AHL playoff Makar has emerged into a budding superstar given his trajectory after berth. being the most dominant player in college hockey last season. He has attracted the attention of a number of the league’s premier defensemen. Will all those things be enough for Sakic to be considered the best The 21-year-old former University of Massachusetts star has taken over general manager in the NHL? for Barrie in being the team’s primary puck-moving defenseman and is charged with running a first-team power-play unit featuring Kadri, Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen. All of this has led to him being in The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 a battle for the Calder Memorial Trophy with Vancouver Canucks star rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes. Francouz has answered those questions about if he could translate his European success to the NHL. His 21 wins, 2.41 goals-against average and .923 save percentage have immensely helped the Avalanche when inconsistent play or injuries hindered Grubauer. Both Grubauer and the Avs were starting to hit their stride in early February before he sustained an injury in the Stadium Series loss to the Los Angeles Kings at the Air Force Academy. Francouz has since been installed as the starting goaltender by winning six straight starts and going 8-2-2 in that time. The injuries to Grubauer and others in the lineup led to the team calling up rookies in goaltender Hunter Miska and right winger Martin Kaut. Francouz tutored Miska while continuing to serve as a father figure to Kaut, a role he had when they were both with the Eagles. So it should come as no surprise Sakic recently locked up the 29-year-old goaltender to a two-year contract. Sakic’s decisions have led to the Avalanche going from 10th in goals scored in 2018-19 to fourth as of the time of the stoppage. Last year’s team finished with 10 players who scored more than 10 goals while 13 skaters ended the season with more than 20 points. This year’s edition has 10 players who hit double digits but four players are within two goals of the 10-goal plateau. In total, there are 16 players with more than 20 points and it could grow to 17 with Johnson being four points shy. Being an offensive juggernaut is how the Avalanche attracted attention. Being one of the NHL’s best defensive units, however, has led to the Avalanche further cementing their status as a Stanley Cup contender. Adding forwards Bellemare, Donskoi, Kadri and Nichushkin helped institute the five-man approach Bednar demands. But the rise of Francouz, Graves and Makar also played a role in the team’s defensive success. These are the immediate, on-ice examples of what Sakic has done but there are other choices he has made that have proven to be vital in their own right. He has made trips to Boston College to watch and check in with prospects Drew Helleson and Alex Newhook. Sakic made a point to reach out to Kaut earlier in the season when the 20-year-old winger was struggling. Kaut was worried about his future when Sakic drove up to Loveland and told the team’s 2018 first-round pick that he believes in him. That, in turn, was soon followed by Kaut getting healthy and finding the consistency that led to him being called up to the NHL. Having that inclusive feel with prospects is how the organization has further strengthened relationships with Justus Annunen, Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins. Prospects including Annunen, Shane Bowers, Byram, Kaut, Newhook and Timmins have added to the narrative of why the Avalanche possess one of the best farm systems in the NHL. The corresponding decisions made by Sakic and his staff over recent years have taken the organization from being one that needed its young crop to play right away into one that can let them develop without feeling rushed. Such a touted collection of prospects along with watchfully managing the salary cap is what made many believe Sakic had everything needed in the event a significant deal present itself at the NHL trade deadline. He held firm with the edict of not mortgaging the future or blowing up the cap by trading for Vladislav Namestnikov and Michael Hutchinson. Getting Hutchinson provided the team with more goaltending depth. Namestnikov has scored four goals and has six points in just nine games to give the club another two-way forward who adds that dimension of scoring at the net front all while being able to move throughout the top nine. An element of Sakic’s management approach is to not micromanage. He had made a point of allowing his staff — ranging from his assistant general managers to those who work in the analytics and scouting departments — to do their jobs with his trust and not require constant supervision. Those gains have shown in how assistant general managers Craig Billington and Chris MacFarland have played key roles in helping the organization in different ways. Billington, MacFarland and Sakic have 1173039 Websites “We’re all hopeful that play will resume for playoffs and then we end up with a Memorial Cup,” Hunt said.

Monday, March 16, 1:14 p.m. The Athletic / Inside the week junior hockey went dark to combat COVID- Two days later, Kingston Frontenacs general manager Darren Keily is 19 still trying to get his import players home. They have arranged Wednesday flights for Slovak Martin Chromiak and Belorussian Vitali Pinchuk but things are changing so fast that Keily is fearful they may not By Scott Wheeler be able to board. Mar 25, 2020 He’s got his fingers crossed because that’s all he can do. “I’ll be taking them to the airport. Who knows. That’s 48 hours from now. If we can’t get them on the flights, they’ll be here in Kingston and be well The junior hockey season is over. The CHL, USHL, NAHL and CJHL looked after,” Keily said. have all announced that their playoffs and year-end tournaments will not take place. Leagues across Europe have begun to do the same. “Everything changed. We have no idea where we’re going and at the end of the day, we just have to get everybody home safe and we can worry On March 12, leagues began announcing suspensions due to COVID-19. about what will happen later. Everyone’s glued to their TVs and watching By March 23, pauses turned into outright cancellation. Eleven days since the world. I just want to get the import players back to their parents and the first significant action was taken to combat the virus, the 2019-2020 make sure everyone’s safe.” season was over. In a perfect world, Keily admitted he would be at the now-canceled OHL Over those 11 days, The Athletic spoke to people from across junior Cup, scouting for the upcoming draft as he continued to construct his hockey, from the day after the pause as coaches and managers hurried rebuilding team. The OHL Cup would be followed by year-end scouting to get their players home, to the day it all went dark and the Kelowna meetings and a constant dialogue with agents to learn as much as Rockets learned they weren’t going to host the Memorial Cup. possible about the best young 15-year-olds available. Friday, March 13, 2:57 p.m. That’s not exactly top of mind these days, though. The first two thoughts that came into Oshawa Generals general manager “It’s so fresh, I don’t even know what to make of it all. What was initially Roger Hunt’s head when he heard that the OHL season had been put on going to be maybe a short pause to ‘we don’t know where we’re going’ to hold were “Brett Neumann’s on 45 goals” and “thank goodness Philip all of the players have gone home now,” Keily said. Tomasino got his 100th point.” “It’s an anxious time for them and hockey is on the back burner.” To others, those things feel superficial. To Hunt, he knew that milestones matter and players like Neumann probably wouldn’t get a chance to Tuesday, March 17, 11:35 a.m. achieve their goals for the season. Chicago Steel general manager Ryan Hardy knows that the human side Then he thought of his draft-eligible kids, of which the Generals have of the pandemic takes precedence. He knows his players aren’t those many. He hoped, for their sake, that the scouting fraternity had seen that are most at risk but that they have to do their part to keep their enough and built enough of a book on them, knowing they may not get to communities safe. showcase themselves in the months that followed like they might have hoped. Still, five days after the postponement of the USHL season, it stings knowing that a cancellation may be around the corner. Then he thought of the fans, who felt the team, fourth in the Eastern Conference, was poised for a run. When the season paused, his Steel were 15 points up on the nearest team in the standings, with an astonishing 41-7-1 record and a 13-game When his mind was done racing, he knew he needed to drop everything win streak. and do three things. “It’s a tough pill to swallow,” Hardy said. “It’s heartbreaking to some The first thing he did was arrange to talk to his players. They needed to degree to be where we were at, so far ahead, and so many of the league know, from the top of the organization, that the situation is worse than records were right there for the taking.” they thought, that their health comes first and that they’re not giving up hope. His players would routinely tell him about their belief that they could be the greatest team in the history of the USHL – and he thought they were “Our message to the players was that as this has become a world probably right. situation, we’re going to hold onto our league right now and we’re very hopeful that it settles and then it becomes clear as to what next steps As he monitors the updates, he thinks of top 2021 NHL Draft prospect are,” Hunt said. Owen Power, who is bound for the University of Michigan in the fall, of veteran assistant captains Jimmy Dowd and Mathieu De St. Phalle, both “At the end of the day, everything was done for society’s safety. It was a off to college as well and of 2020 draft-eligible prospects like Brendan weird feeling yesterday with everything coming down. It was kind of like Brisson and Sean Farrell. ‘Are we at war with this?’ I think our league has done the right thing.” “As the season has gone along, the noise around our team in a much The second thing he did was gather all of his office staff. He wanted them larger hockey space was really growing and the light was really shining to know, at the time, that it was “business as usual” for the front office. on our draft-eligible players. They were gaining a lot of momentum, and I And though he told his coaches that there was no need to come in on think if we were able to have a deep playoff run, that would be a positive Saturday, he didn’t think his coaching staff would be home for long. reflection on those kids and it would help to boost their brand,” he said. The final thing he did was inform parents and billet parents of the latest It hit Hardy, when NBA player Rudy Gobert contracted the virus, that his news in an effort to keep them updated. Steel — and the USHL — were in trouble. He said that night, where everyone had to play the waiting game, was the hardest of the bunch. He By Friday morning, as Hunt returned to Oshawa’s Tribute Communities religiously refreshed Twitter, hoping for the best and expecting the worst Centre, his players had begun to return home. Only the import players as he communicated with players and staff over group chats. and Floridian Kyle MacLean remained. But when he said goodbye to his players, they all thought they would be “I think (home’s) the best place for them to be. As much as we’re looking back in two or three weeks and that they’d be able to accomplish at it as a team thing, these kids’ parents want them home. We’ll make everything they set out to. Now, Hardy recognizes that’s probably not in more educated decisions once we know and certainly, everyone’s the cards. holding their breath that we’ll be playing hockey again this year,” Hunt said. “The hardest part right now is assuming it does get cancelled, we didn’t get closure,” Hardy said. “We didn’t say goodbye to those kids and thank “It’s a strange type of feeling right now, to be honest with you. It’s the them for their contributions, for the kids who grew up here and came in unknown. I hope by Monday that there’s more info floating around out boys and left men, to get to hug those guys and tell them you love them.” there. The coaches got a well-deserved break today and hopefully, it’s not too long of a break.” After a morning call with the league’s general managers, he feels the inevitable is coming. Most of all, he wasn’t ready to give up. He didn’t want to throw in the towel. “Everything seems to be moving towards it being very grim that we will “This would have been a great stage for all three of them to show the go on,” Hardy said. world what they can do,” Mallette said. “They were choked up. I’ve been reaching out to contacts in the NHL, AHL and ECHL for those guys.” “The executive committee will make the decisions when the time comes. And obviously, the government at some point could make the Before those calls, though Rockets staff felt that cancellation was likely, determination for all of us. We just sit and wait and try not to live and die they agreed not to let that show to the players. on all of it. I’m just trying to keep some normalcy.” “You want to think that the timelines would have all added up for us to For Steel staff, that normalcy means working remotely to follow through still be able to host the Memorial Cup but as you watch the news every on social distancing recommendations while recruiting over the phone for morning, numbers just keep rising and those timelines just keep shrinking 2020-2021. Hardy spends his days on calls with potential players (and and it becomes more unrealistic. There are a lot bigger things at stake,” their parents) for next year and he’s anxiously awaiting USA Hockey’s Mallette said. “We saw the writing on the wall but we kept that close to decisions on the national development program cuts, hopeful that he can the chest and when we were in contact with our players, we wanted to recruit those who don’t make it. Like the rest of the hockey world, he’s keep them believing that there is hope.” trying to get his European players home and worried about borders closing. Leading up to the announcement on cancellation, the Rockets were also informed that they wouldn’t be awarded hosting duties for 2021 and that But he’ll never forget the 2019-2020 Steel, even if their season didn’t end the schedule put in place by the CHL, which rotates between the three like they all expected it would. leagues, would continue. Next year, it was the OHL’s turn. “It is what it is,” Hardy said. “The memories, nobody can take that away Mallette said he understood the decision, even if it was hard. from them.” “You put so much into making those trades and planning accordingly for Monday, March 23, 6:00 p.m. those years and we just don’t have the team (to host again next year),” he said. “We’ve got a great young team, so maybe in a few years, but Moments before the OHL releases its statement on cancellation, players who even knows then. and their parents receive a message from OHL commissioner David Branch. Still, Mallette, who was brought back to Kelowna as an alumnus during its 2004 Memorial Cup, knows firsthand what the city would have been The letter, obtained by The Athletic, reads as follows: like, and the anticipation that had been building all year for an event that Dear Players, Parents and Billet Families, would never take place. Earlier today the Canadian Hockey League and the three regional “I remember very fondly what it was like and the excitement in the town. leagues the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey Kelowna is a beautiful place to begin with but Kelowna in May and early League (QMJHL) and (WHL) announced that June is fantastic,” he said. we have made the decision to cancel the playoffs and for the first time in “The time that people put into this and seeing the committee around the its 102-year history, the Memorial Cup will be cancelled. office, you feel absolutely gutted for those people that have put in This was not an easy decision and one that was not made lightly. We countless hours to make sure that they were going to throw one of the looked at a number of options for both the playoffs and the Memorial Cup best Memorial Cups. Each committee wants to throw one better than the including changing the dates, neutral locations and games with no fans. last and there’s no doubt in my mind that we were going to put on a hell In the end, based on the advice of public health agencies and medical of a show.” experts, and we have concluded that while disappointing, this is the right According to Mallette, the organizing committee also estimated that the thing to do. Memorial Cup would bring more than $15 million in revenue to the area. In terms of schooling and education, although schools remain closed in That’s not including the losses the town and the team will incur from Ontario and many States, the League encourages all players to reach out everything they’d already invested in preparation for the event. When the to your team and academic advisor in terms of transitioning to your news broke, Mallette didn’t just think of the players and the committee, “home school” and completing your current academic year. he also thought of his owner and general manager, Bruce Hamilton. These are unprecedented times, both in sport and throughout the world. “The bid, the process, the amount of money the team puts in, there’s a lot We want to remind you of our Talk Today program in conjunction with the that goes into it. The Hamilton family did everything they could to get it,” Canadian Mental Health Association. As always, players are encouraged Mallette said. to reach out to their CMHA should they need to talk. You can reach the “I feel absolutely terrible for everybody involved. It would’ve been crazy.” CMHA through the team’s Talk Today liaison, the CMHA website cmha.ca or 1-833-456-4566. On behalf of the OHL, I want to thank you for your patience and The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 perseverance during these difficult times. I wish you and your family good health and safety. Regards, head coach Kris Mallette is heartbroken. Just yesterday, he learned that his town, his team and its organizing committee won’t get to put on the Memorial Cup. The phone calls with his three 20-year-old players were some of the toughest he has ever had to make. He has coached veteran Kyle Topping for four years. After losing half of his season to ankle surgery, Topping had returned to action at the end of January to close out his final year in junior hockey. The other two overagers were trade deadline acquisitions the middling Rockets made to go all-in and remain competitive for the Memorial Cup. The Rockets let go of a first-round pick, a second-round pick and a fifth- round pick to pry Matthew Wedman, a 2019 seventh-round pick of the Florida Panthers, away from the Seattle Thunderbirds, where he was the team’s captain. Defenceman Conner McDonald left the Edmonton Oil Kings in November because he wanted to be closer to home, somewhere in , while he finished out his WHL career. After demanding a trade, he approached the Rockets personally, knowing they would give him a guaranteed shot at the CHL title. The Rockets took the plunge, moving another first-round pick and a third-round pick to acquire him. 1173040 Websites positive environment. If there’s anything that’s changed over the past 20 years, it’s when I’m in my locker room, I’m saying positive things 10 times more than I once did. There was a time when you just coached mistakes. Now you’re reinforcing the positive. That would be the biggest change The Athletic / Five coaches discuss how times have changed behind the with players. Even positive psychology is kind of a new concept. When I NHL bench was first in the NHL, you didn’t think like that. Sullivan: The biggest challenge for coaching at the NHL level is just managing personalities. It’s interpersonal skills. It’s building relationships By Eric Duhatschek and Craig Custance and finding ways to get the most out of guys and trying to get guys to jell Mar 25, 2020 together as a group. It’s managing the personalities on a day-to-day basis, so you can create the optimum frame of mind so that players can be at their best. But if I really reflected on it and thought about it, if you asked coaches from 20 years ago, they might give you a similar answer. When Peter DeBoer was fired as San Jose’s coach back in December, I don’t think that’s changed. I think maybe how coaches go about it has the Sharks felt compelled to explain the decision was made for changed in today’s game versus a prior generation’s athletes. That’s just performance issues alone; that they believed the team could play better part of understanding the athletes of today. This generation of players and that a new voice behind the bench might turn around their season. grew up in a different environment than my generation grew up in. What a revolutionary concept. But that messaging also neatly Recognizing and understanding that and acknowledging that helps you summarized how dramatically the NHL coaching landscape shifted as a coach to utilize better strategies in order to manage them the right during the tempestuous 2019-20 season, which is now on pause due to way. the coronavirus outbreak. King: There was a time when coaches might bully their players or use Suddenly, teams believed they needed to clarify exactly why a coach had profanities or threats or anything under the sun to get them to compete been relieved of his duties – and if the decision was related to personal harder. That’s being taken out of the game. Coaches have to be smarter conduct issues off the ice, or simply unsatisfactory results on the ice. with their motivation and not just go to all caveman, where they’re just yelling and screaming at a guy. Because it’s not right and it’s not The sea change stemmed, first, from developments in Calgary, where Bill respectful and it’s not the way you have to act. It doesn’t mean you can’t Peters officially resigned from his post after acknowledging that he made get angry with your team. You can. The key always is not what you say, inappropriate racial slurs against Akim Aliu when the two were in the but how you say it. The delivery of your message has to be so good. minor leagues together in the Chicago organization a decade ago. In You’ve got to choose your words correctly. You’ve got to stay away from Dallas, Jim Montgomery was fired, officially for “unprofessional conduct.” profanity. You can have a very strong message with pro players – but if Montgomery later issued a statement saying that he was going into rehab you do it the right way, it can still resonate with guys – and it’s respectful. to deal with an alcohol issue that impaired his judgment in years past. In But I do also believe if you can’t raise your voice and raise your Toronto, the Leafs dismissed because the team was in a displeasure with the players, then there’s something fundamentally slump and showing no signs of getting out of it. But Babcock got caught wrong – and we’re going to have a hard time coaching. Because there up in a separate firestorm when it was revealed that he had asked Mitch are lulls in every season, and times when your team needs a kickstart. Marner, then an NHL rookie, to assess the commitment levels of his Those things, done the right way, can be effective. teammates. Babcock later apologized for trying a motivational tactic that backfired and may have been inappropriate. Where is the line when trying to motivate NHL players? In a year when eight NHL coaches were replaced for one reason or McLellan: When you ask that question, we immediately think of it in terms another, we thought it was time to discuss the state of the profession and of a negative. The whole hockey world, the whole sporting world, the how it was evolving, as awareness of workplace conduct became an whole world thinks: “You’re motivating because things aren’t going well.” increasingly important societal concern. The reality is, we motivate a lot of times when things are going well. We acknowledge that we’ve asked you to do something six times and you’ve Accordingly, we asked four current NHL coaches – and one former – for done it correctly five out of six times. That’s great. So, I might tap a their thoughts. Our panel included Mike Sullivan (Pittsburgh Penguins), player on the bench to say “good job.” Motivation isn’t always negative. Todd McLellan (Los Angeles Kings), Paul Maurice (Winnipeg Jets), John Pulling somebody out of the doldrums and getting them going and Hynes (Nashville Predators) and Dave King (formerly with the Columbus waking them up, yeah, there’s a little verbal poking and prodding that Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames). All have experience at multiple levels goes on there. But then there’s the other part of motivation, the positive of coaching aside from the NHL: in Russia, Europe and at the college, side. I believe in catching people doing it right. It’s a way more powerful major junior, minor pro and international-team levels. message when you tell a player: “Hey, you did a good job. That was excellent.” Because now the rest of them go: “Hey, I want to hear that Hynes was one of two coaches (DeBoer was the other) to be fired by one too. I hope he catches me doing it the right way.” team and subsequently hired by another. We asked five questions to each coach and all interviews were conducted before NHL suspended Sullivan: I got this advice from my college coach Jack Parker a long time play for the season. Here’s a lightly edited account of what they had to ago. When I first got into coaching, Jack said to me, “Mike, before say. players want to know what you know, they want to know that you care.” And so, my experience in coaching players is you build relationships with What’s been the biggest change from your perspective over the past few these guys. They know you have their sincere interest at heart. You can months? push players hard. They know you’re doing it for the right reasons and it’s in their best interests and in the team’s best interest. Every coach has McLellan: If a coach lost his position in the past – for whatever reason – their own motivational and coaching style. For me, I’ve made a immediately, everyone wanted to know why. It used to be a given that the commitment to my players that I will be honest with them as a group and explanation would be something like: “The coach has lost the room.” Or as individuals. Sometimes those messages aren’t always positive, right? there’d been a conflict with star players. Now, there’s a new avenue: Did Hopefully, more often than not, they are. We believe as a coaching staff somebody cross a line? So that’s certainly changed. But there’s also a in seeing things for what they are. That’s the only way we believe we can whole bunch of coaches who haven’t been fired, and their worlds are a make progress. We’ve got to understand where our weaknesses are and little different now too. You are way more sensitive to emotion. Yours. how we can get better, as a group and as individuals. I just don’t think it The people around you. Coaches know the difference between right and should ever be personal. I try to ensure this with our staff as well. It’s wrong – and if we cross the right/wrong line, we should be punished. It’s never personal. We have the utmost respect for all of our players and the grey areas we’re trying to figure out. It’s the speech between periods, what they bring to the table. where you’re trying to wake your team up and get them going. How far can you take that? It’s the work in practice. Growing up playing, we had Hynes: It’s never about the person. It’s always about the performance. punishment practices. Coaches had us run in our equipment. We don’t When you’re dealing with the players, there’s the player and there’s the do any of that stuff. But if you take a practice up a notch – following a bad person. When you’re talking with them or motivating them as the player, performance – how far can you take it up before you’re crossing a line? If it shouldn’t be demeaning to them as people. It’s about “this is what’s you bark at a player on the bench, the emotion and firmness we use in going on, this is what needs to be better, this is what we need more of.” the moment is maybe different than you’d encounter in the workplace. All Even if you have a stern meeting with a player, it’s about the of that has created a conversation. It’s forced everybody to reflect on the performance. How do we get the performance better? It’s by laying out past and to plan for the future – where maybe we didn’t do enough of that the standards, the rules and the expectations – and ‘if these things don’t before. get better, this is what possibly could happen.’ I think after you can have that stern meeting with the player or with the team, you can see them in Maurice: I would say 95, no 99 – a very high percentage of all our tactics the hallway or the breakfast room or go on the ice to practice and it’s are fine. These couple of incidents are not a great indicator of the way coaches go about their business on a daily basis. It’s usually a very done. It’s on to the next thing. That’s important. That was that. This is Hynes: It’s challenging as coaches, to find ways to keep their attention – now. whether it’s with speakers or certain types of videos, or short, quick meetings. It’s keeping them on edge or interested in different ways, but Maurice: We’ve got a simple rule in the coach’s office here: You’re not not through fear. You thought the meeting was going to be long? It’s five allowed to bitch about anything that you’re not actually trying to fix. So, minutes. We thought we were going to get hammered today? He came you can’t go back into the dressing room and say, “this guy’s not been with this or that. It’s a challenge to keep it short, keep it concise. It’s good” – you’re only allowed to do that if you’re cutting video and sitting different messaging – one-on-one meetings, small group meetings, a down with the guy to help him fix the problem. What we talk about here is team meeting. I think you have to vary how you meet. Some days they how things are changing. These players have changed. Our job is to come in and it can be one assistant coach meets with every line, D coach adjust in some ways to a player. Twenty years ago, a player had to meets with the D and there’s no team meeting. And then the team meets adjust to a coach and a team. Now, we have to be aware this is all the next day. It’s varying how you get the message across. It’s varying changing. In some ways, you now have 23 independent contractors and the voices and also varying the content. they’re all getting information – because they can – outside of your dressing room. McLellan: When I first came in the league, being a players’ coach wasn’t always thought of as a good thing. Now? You better be a players’ coach What does the next evolution look like? – with balance. And if you can figure out the balance, then you’ll be OK. King: I think, Pete Carroll, the football coach for the Seattle Seahawks is What’s been the impact on you personally? going to be the new model. If you watch him on the sidelines, Pete Carroll doesn’t coach. Oh, I know he knows the systems and they go McLellan: Not anything significant, to tell you the truth. That doesn’t over all that at the start of the year. I know when the defence makes mean I’m a saint or an angel, or that I didn’t yell and scream at points. adjustments for a game, the changes go through him. But primarily, Pete When I take inventory of my career, I don’t believe there are moments at Carroll is a cheerleader. He’s a hell of a nice guy – and it’s so smart. All all – where, understanding what’s right and what’s wrong – I crossed that he wants to do as the head coach is to create environment, atmosphere, line. So, nothing’s changed for me, other than deeper reflection and positivity. He wants the assistant coaches to handle tactics and understanding that I’m responsible for a lot of people, not just my own instruction. It’s brilliant. That may be the next way we’re going to coach act, but also how the assistant coaches and the trainers behave. So, I’m hockey – that model. He knows the game and he can give the players more aware of that. One of the things the Kings do an outstanding job feedback. But he’s got guys to handle the technical side of things, and so with is diversity training – and workplace environment training throughout he has time for the players. Time to talk. Time to listen. He’s like their the year, just modules that we do that’s part of our job description now. grandfather figure. They want to talk to him. They don’t avoid him. That’s We’re on computers, finding time to do these all the time. Those modules the way it may go. There may be a restructuring of the job description, are set up from the general work world. Now we’re trying to figure out where the head coach is just free to be the communicator. I mean, he’s how it affects the sports world – which shouldn’t be that different, but still got to win – so he has to deal with the pressure of winning. But sometimes it is. there’s far less pressure because he’s not ground down by constantly being the singular voice all the time. Because nowadays, most of the Maurice: In this year’s environment, the effect it may have is that you head coaches have delivered all the messages – and that’s a problem. have to take stock and you have to think: Is this the right way? Where in the past, you never thought about it much. Everybody just coached with Maurice: My father used to always say: You have to accept change. If their own style. Now, you do a bit of internal accounting about your you can’t change, you die – so be prepared to change. So, what’s motivational tactics – and that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s just broadened changed the most? When a player came on the team, he needed his awareness – where you do a little inventory as a coach and say: “All teammates and he needed his coach, right? Free agency wasn’t what it right, over the career, have things changed and do you need to change?” is today. You could throw guys on irrevocable waivers. If they lost their But I also say to you: All the coaches I know don’t need to change their place on the team, they’d have to go and get jobs in the summer. So now approach or tactics. I think it’s been pretty good – and it’s been pretty we’ve got players who, from a very young age, don’t need the team good for a while. anymore. They’ve got a place to go if they have an issue. They can call their agent. They can call their handlers. They can call their skills coach. Sullivan: I just think we’re in a very hypersensitive world. From my They can call 15 different people who will tell them: “You’re right and the standpoint, I guess we’re a little bit more vigilant in how we interact with coach is wrong.” So, finding a way to make that connection with the team the media, how we interact with the players. I can only speak for myself, is part of the evolution. We’ve had a lot of changeover here in Winnipeg. but for me, that’s probably with all of what’s transpired over the last few We had something like 13 different guys up for contracts last year. They months, we’re all a little bit more sensitive to that. are more mobile and they communicate more with people outside your Hynes: It’s raised awareness. As a coach, you have to be able to circle. Anybody who is playing on any team is still connected to the 10 communicate with your general manager 100 percent of the time – about friends they made on their last team. The days when you didn’t talk to the information he’s getting from the outside and if there are things he’s somebody on the other team are so far gone. So, finding a way to get seeing and things you’re seeing. I think you need to communicate those your player connected to this team – that’s challenge No. 1. things together. To me, that’s one of the biggest things, you have to have Sullivan: It’s a really good question because there are so many different that communication and be on top of it together. aspects to coaching. There’s the technical side, which is the game itself, King: There’s an old expression: Coaching is a great career but a hard which has changed dramatically over the last five, six, seven years. life – and that’s an accurate description, because now more than ever, There are so many smart coaches who work hard to stay on top of best when you’re a coach, you’ve got a lot on your plate. At one time, in the practices, and the strategies and the evolution of the game. So that’s one NHL, we used to coach a player. Now, we coach a company. We’ve got aspect of it. But I think there’s a competitive advantage for the elite the agent calling us. Or they don’t call us, they call the general manager coaches, who have the interpersonal skills to manage the players in a or the owner. The lines of communication have changed so much. Now, way to get the most out of them. It involves so many different things you’ve got so many third parties involved, and it’s just so much more because human nature is hard to predict sometimes. There are things complicated. Because not many agents want to tell their players to you can see and predict as a coaching staff and there are things that are smarten up or that they’re not doing the job. They are reluctant to say spontaneous that you can’t possibly predict. As a coaching staff, it’s that, so that becomes your job. It’s hard. important that you react the right way to maximize the group that you have. I think it boils down to relationships, interpersonal skills and your What are the lessons you’ve learned about handling players over your ability to communicate with your athletes. career? King: A lot of teams now are starting to get these players committees McLellan: Coaching is a little like parenting. Players need to know you within the team – so the coach gets five or six influential guys in the room care about them – that you really care about them. If they know that and together and then the coaching staff will meet with those guys on a they get a sense of that, then you can talk to them. It’s like speaking to regular basis to talk about where we are, and what we’ve done in the your son or daughter. If they don’t believe you care for them, then they’re past seven or eight games, and what did they think? So now, the players not listening. They’re tuning you out. But if my boys believe my wife and I have a voice with the coaching staff. And I think that’s the way to go. really care about them, then we can talk about anything. It won’t always Coaching is not a dictatorship anymore. It’s a partnership. We have to be comfortable. It won’t always be fun. Sometimes, somebody’s feelings find ways to partner with the players – and these player committees are are going to get hurt – mine or theirs. But at the end of the day, we’re all good things. They represent the team in meetings with the coaching staff. in this together and we’re all trying to do the right things for the right They air things out. Sometimes, it prevents a small problem from reasons. becoming a bigger problem. It gives players the feeling they are being listened to. We need to do more of those sorts of things to indicate that Maurice: Epiphany is too strong a word, but I had – let’s call it a seminal it’s more of a democracy than it was before. But I also think coaches moment – coaching a player when I was in Russia. He was very young – have to be able to bottom-line it with a player sometimes – and there is 19 – and he had a very challenging personal life. Both his parents had an art to doing that the right way. passed away and he was taking care of a special-needs brother, and there’s not a lot of services available at the time there for his situation. So, I’m really pulling for this kid. I’m really hoping he can become a full- they won’t want to make mistakes. And when they don’t make mistakes, time KHL player – and I wanted to tell him that. I wanted to tell him that they don’t think – and when they don’t think, they don’t become the his last three games were really good and I couldn’t – because I didn’t player they possibly could become. The other thing I would say is: Far speak the language. It really dawned on me in that moment that I didn’t too often, with kids, we assign them a position too early. So, for example, talk to my players nearly enough. That’s the thing that I have most my grandson is 13 and he’s never played a position other than left wing. I needed to work on because early on, I really thought there had to be a think he might be a good defenceman – but he’s never had the chance to divide between a head coach and his players. That’s also a function of play defence. So, in coaching, we do things where our intentions are how young I was when I started (28) – I wanted to make sure I drew a good. It’s just sometimes, our methods are wrong. line. But then as you get older, you realize: That’s not the most effective way to talk to players. Every coach is different. But my challenge is to McLellan: I would just say this: Tomorrow will not be the same as today. make sure I don’t spend too much time on the computer, editing hockey Every day changes. Individuals change. Situations change – and it’s games and thinking big picture all the time – and instead, try to get out never the same game twice. It’s never the same emotional level twice. In and have more one-on-one connections with the players. But that’s not a our family, growing up, one of the lessons we were always taught was, function of this year’s events. It’s more a function of every coach has to when God created us, he gave us five senses. Of the five senses, you know himself and what he’s good at and where he needs to improve and have multiple tools with four – touch, smell, sight and sound – but you where he needs to have his staff help him out. only had one tongue with which to taste and talk. My dad always said: Use the multiple tools before you use the single one. In other words, Hynes: I would say, give the player the benefit of the doubt first. Try to listen and see and smell and touch before you speak. And that was some understand his side first – what his thought process is, what his of the best advice I’ve ever been given. reasoning is, what he sees – rather than coming in and saying “this is what needs to happen.” In my experience, a lot of times you can sit with all your coaches, and your general manager and talk about this guy or The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 this guy and this guy and then you walk out of that meeting and meet with three players on your team and get totally different (perspective) than what you got in the coaches room or from the GM. You realize something (new) about the player – “He is a great teammate but he doesn’t train that hard or he doesn’t practice that hard or his life away from the rink isn’t that great and that’s what concerns us as players.” So it’s really trying to get a feel and give the player the benefit of the doubt first and work from there. That’s been something I’ve really learned. Sullivan: I talk a lot with some of my friends in coaching, some guys I admire, guys like Torts (John Tortorella) who have been in the game and coaching a long time. I get asked a lot, “am I a different coach today than I was when I was a head coach 15 years ago when I was the coach of the Boston Bruins?” My answer to that is I’m a drastically different coach today. I think what I’ve learned is that it’s really about building a partnership with your group of players. They need to know you’re in it with them. That’s what I think. There’s always that give and take, and a coach’s responsibility is to establish a level of accountability. That’s important because you won’t win if you don’t have it. But there’s also that fine line – of allowing some latitude and allowing players to grow and develop and express themselves with their talents. I use the phrase all the time with my guys, “Just meet me halfway.” What’s halfway mean? Halfway is very different for me today than it was 15 years ago. King: The pressure on coaches has never been greater than this year – and it erodes a little bit our ability to do our jobs. You still need some authority or respect, because coaches can be changed so quickly now for so many various reasons – and some of them, not very good reasons. Is this the way it’s going to be? Because if that’s what’s going to happen, that’s not good for our profession and that’s not good for the sport. The players play the game but every army has a general and every country has a leader. Somewhere, leadership has to play a role here. You have to be an enlightened leader. You have to be the right type of leader. But you have to have the ability to lead – and our ability to lead is being eroded with players. If things aren’t going well, they now think: “When’s this clown going to go? When’s this guy going to be fired?” Pretty soon, are we going to all be like robots? Because if you look behind the bench these days, there is so little activity or interaction now. They’re almost like statues. Four coaches are standing there. Nobody’s talking to the players. It’s like they’re almost afraid to do anything. McLellan: One of the best things that was instilled in our home – myself, my brother and my sister – was we didn’t ever want to let our mum and dad down. We didn’t have a curfew. We could go out as late as we wanted as long as we came home at a reasonable hour. But if we pushed it too far, the lawnmower would get going early the next day or the garage needed cleaning first thing in the morning. There were just ways my dad had of showing us we pushed it too far. It wasn’t like we lost our allowances. We didn’t have any money, so there was no allowance to lose. Report cards were always great because if you didn’t do your homework, you couldn’t play hockey. We knew the line there. But everything else was about us not letting them down. Now, I like to ask a player, did you meet your own standards? Or your own expectations? Sometimes, it’s just important to choose the right words and ask them the right questions. King: This may be a little off-topic, but what I’ve learned with coaching, and especially when coaching kids, you’ve got to be really careful because you want young players to develop instincts. I always love it when a kid plays impulsively. Those are the players that right away interest me. Because that’s a doer. That’s a player who reads things quickly and, boom, he’s gone. That impulsiveness is good. Then there is the other side – the kids who are afraid to make a mistake. Sometimes, coaches are too hard on kids that make mistakes – and when you are, 1173041 Websites Flames this fall after an investigation confirmed allegations that he used racial epithets toward former player Akim Aliu and was physically abusive of players while coaching the Hurricanes – Slavin has for the most part enjoyed positive relationships with coaches going back to his earliest The Athletic / How do players view coaches at the NHL level? It’s hockey memories. complicated “I still talk to one of my coaches that coached me when I was 8 years old,” Slavin said. “I think (those) relationships have always been huge. Just whether it’s coaches, off-ice, whatever it is, relationships … have By Scott Burnside always been a huge part of my life.” Mar 25, 2020 Jaccob Slavin has had two vastly different coach experiences in his career so far. (James Guillory / USA Today) On one hand, the player-coach dynamic in the NHL is built on a Of course at the NHL level, developing those relationships can be more complicated, nuanced relationship dependent on an understanding of challenging because the stakes are so different. roles and the art of effective communication. “You get some coaches that are just not as personable as other coaches On the other hand, it’s pretty simple. are,” Slavin said. “And then some coaches are the complete opposite where they’re like, all right, if I have great relationships with my players “Figure it out,” said 35-year-old Wild center Eric Staal, a veteran of more and I know their personal lives, I can talk to them about stuff other than than 1,200 regular-season games and a member of teams that have won hockey and that’s going to help me get the most out of them.” a Stanley Cup, a world championship and an Olympic gold medal. A player has to figure it out, Slavin said. The coach holds the keys and that means as a player you have to learn what they’re about, how they communicate and how you fit into their “I can go with a coach that yells and screams and doesn’t have a world. personal relationship with you; I get up for every game regardless,” Slavin said. “But for me, personally, I like the coach that does take Figuring it out early makes the adjustments you’ll have to make later interest in your life outside of hockey. That does have that mutual much easier, he said. respect.” And players had to adjust to a lot this year. Before the season was Slavin learned early on that the player/coach relationship was going to be suspended, eight coaches were fired. Some decisions were based on different than his other relationships with adults, even the adults in his team performance while others were based on things that happened off family. the ice – some incidents were recent, others went back years. All of that added a layer of complexity to the challenging dynamic that binds players “When I was younger, my dad coached me for a little bit and I told him to and coaches together. shut up one time on the bench and he’s like, all right, I’m done coaching you,” Slavin said. “I think I was like 10 or 11.” But players we spoke to talked about those gray areas that do exist when a group of athletes is expected to perform at the absolute highest level The memory of what precipitated the altercation has faded over time and how the coaches charged with getting them to that level must find although it does occasionally come up in conversation with his father. ways to coax that out of them. “Oh, we talk about it every once in a while,” Slavin said, adding his dad Just as each coach is different in their approach to the game and how isn’t “mad at me for it.” they motivate players, each player is different, too. Still, it’s a lesson learned. Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar had a distinct view of the line between “I don’t think I could ever look at Roddy and tell him to shut up,” Slavin hockey life and “normal” life because his father, Matjaz, coached him for said about Carolina’s current head coach Rod Brind’Amour. many years, including as an adult when Slovenia earned its first Olympic berth for the 2014 Sochi Games. The only two NHL coaches the 25-year-old Slavin has played for are Brind’Amour and Peters. “I think it just kind of set me up on what the coaching in general is all about really,” Kopitar said. “And there’s obviously very different types of “They operate in two different ways and that’s nothing against Bill,” Slavin coaches. So my old man was more of a fiery guy. He’s yelling, screaming said. “He was a very good hockey coach. But you know, Roddy’s just … and kicking trash cans sometimes. I’m not saying you should do it all the a different type of person.” time, but there’s certainly times when it needs to be done.” The interesting thing is that when Peters left to coach Calgary before the In fact, Kopitar and his father, who continues to coach the Slovenian start of the 2018-19 season and Brind’Amour took over, there wasn’t too national team, have discussed what is seemingly an intensified focus on much adjustment in terms of the systems employed. That made the coaching behavior. transition easier, especially for younger players, Slavin said. “Yeah, we’ve talked about it. You just realize that it’s not … 1985 “In our situation, there wasn’t too big of a change … Roddy just anymore,” Kopitar said. “Whether you have to adapt to a different game approached it from a different mindset,” Slavin said. “We all know the on the ice, you’ve got to adapt your coaching style.” type of person that Roddy is so it was refreshing.” Kopitar, as many players do, believes each coach helps the player form Sometimes the coach/player relationship hinges on the stage of a an identity. Whether it was the “fiery” Marc Crawford, the “even-keeled” player’s career. Terry Murray or Darryl Sutter, “we all know what Darryl was all about, always,” they all help shape players in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. “When you’re younger, you talk more about you all the time,” Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin said. “And the meetings are all about you. And as And now, Kopitar says, with Todd McLellan, “It’s a completely different you get older, your meetings are more about, they’re still you and the situation again because Todd is way more of a teacher.” coach wants you to do things differently, and then it’s so, what about the team? And where does this go? There’s a change that happens at a One of the keys to developing a strong coach/player relationship, Kopitar certain point.” suggested, is in understanding that the coach and the player share the burden in shaping that relationship. Seguin, of course, arrived in Boston with much fanfare as the second- overall pick in the 2010 draft. He won a Stanley Cup in his rookie season “First of all, you’ve got to get the feel for the coach,” Kopitar said, in Boston in 2011, and went to a final in his third and final season with acknowledging that at the same time, “he is trying to figure out what the Bruins before he was dealt to Dallas. you’re all about. Seguin evolved under head coach into a bona fide elite “It’s a two-way street. And I’m not saying by any means you’ve got to be center who could play in any situation anywhere on the ice during the friends or best buddy with the coach, but there is a certain relationship 2017-18 season. That doesn’t happen without an understanding on both that’s there and you just got to make the most of it.” sides of how this is going to work and the sacrifices or changes that need Jaccob Slavin, an emerging star defender with the Carolina Hurricanes, to be made to effect that change. played youth hockey in Colorado and two seasons at Colorado College “I’m not sure what year it was for me but there was something that before joining the Hurricanes organization. changed in one of the years and it was now more about the team,” Although he was with the Hurricanes during Bill Peters’ controversial Seguin said. “There’s expectations of me but there’s more trust when you tenure as head coach – Peters was forced to resign from the Calgary get to a certain level and age and then the communications are more about; do we travel this day? Do we stay in this hotel? How’s the room? “It was a little strange,” he said. “It was a completely different role I was What do we need to change? How is pregame skate? So things vary the playing as well. I was a third-line (pair), second power play but I was still older you get and that’s kind of where the coach/player relationship has playing 18 minutes a night in Nashville. But there were a lot of other great evolved. Which I love.” D who had more of the brunt of the loss or the win on their shoulders. When I got to Columbus, the first meeting I had with Torts he was ‘I’m Sometimes it’s not all cherries and whipped cream. throwing you in the fire. You’re going to be playing a shit-ton here.’” “It takes a long time. You’ve got to earn your way,” Seguin said. “It was And that’s how it went, as Jones was immediately thrust into a top-four my goal to become a leader and be in on that leadership. It’s a lot more role and saw his ice time jump about five minutes a night. than just the letter (on your jersey).” “So when I would play bad, he would be on me,” Jones said. “And he Seguin lists his coaches: Claude Julien, Lindy Ruff, Hitchcock, Jim wouldn’t do it behind the closed door, he’d do it in front of everybody. But Montgomery and now interim coach Rick Bowness. it’s not personal. It’s probably made me better.” This season marked the first time Seguin had to adjust to an in-season Do players talk about coaching now in terms of what is acceptable and coaching change when Montgomery was fired for non-hockey-related what isn’t? Sure, Staal said. In the summer, when he and his brothers, behavior early in the season and he later checked himself into a facility to NHL veterans Marc and Jordan, are working out or relaxing together in aid in his battle with alcohol. , those topics come up. “It’s different for us,” Seguin said. “When you have a coaching change in Jones’ younger brother, Caleb, is in the Edmonton Oilers system so he the middle of a season, it’s usually because your team’s not doing well. sometimes asks his older brother about coaches. We were doing well. “Even when you see guys on other teams, you’ll ask, how’s your coach “So it’s not traditional. It’s trickier to discuss. It sucks. I loved Monty.” and they’ll say he’s a players’ coach, he never gets mad, or he does this As for the lines in the sand being redrawn when it comes to how coaches and this and yells all the time,” Jones said. “We’re always comparing and players interact, Seguin isn’t so sure where those lines are even if each other’s coaches.” there is much more discussion about what is acceptable now in the So, does Jones ever wonder what kind of coach he would be, given his coach/player dynamic. experiences? “Everyone’s different and has their own philosophies and has their own “Yeah. I do. I do,” he said. “Because as a player, it’s easy to say ‘oh, why ways of making guys tick,” Seguin said. “I’ve kind of seen it all. I mean, I is he always yelling at us? Why is he doing this at practice? Why is he haven’t seen Mike Babcock, tough to say. Yeah. I don’t know where the doing this at intermission?’ But you don’t realize probably what they’re line is.” going through, what’s being said back in the coaches’ room, what they’re Seth Jones is in his seventh NHL season. He has played for Barry Trotz seeing, how they’re seeing us play. So it’s hard for me to say what kind and then and alongside guys like Shea Weber and of coach I’d be because sometimes I’m sure I would just be fuming. And Pekka Rinne. When Jones was traded to Columbus in 2016, he learned sometimes you have to go off, which I think coaches do.” what it was like to play for John Tortorella as a top-four defender who was being asked to become a leader on and off the ice. The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 One thing all three coaches had in common, Jones said, was an open- door policy. “Junior coaches and NHL coaches, the relationships are a little different I think,” he said. “Junior coach it’s more development, that sort of thing. You’re still a kid. There’s a lot of 16-year-olds in junior and everyone’s still kind of scared of the coach. And then when you get to the NHL, it’s more of a relationship based on systems and you need to trust each other. “It evolves. It evolves. When you’re younger, you’re scared of the coach’s office. You don’t want to go in the coach’s office.” But as an NHLer, going to the coach’s office may mean many things and not necessarily negative things. Jones said all of his NHL coaches have allowed him to speak his mind. “Whether it was hockey or whatever,” he said. “Torts even now preaches that. He pushes you, but at the same time you respect each other.” That doesn’t mean that all coaches react the same way to an outspoken player. “So my first year, Trotz … had no problem calling out the team for not playing well,” Jones said. “We had great leadership in that room, of course, with Weber and we (had) a lot of veterans on that team. And then Laviolette came and he’s just a very intense guy. Wouldn’t mind calling a guy out, but for the most part it may have been in his office, taking him aside one on one depending on who it was.” Tortorella? Well that’s a whole other story. “Torts, everything’s in the open,” Jones said. “There’s not going to be an elephant in the room that he’s not going to discuss and get it out there. Whether it’s about a player or about anything else that has anything to do with our team. He’s called me out multiple times in front of the guys. He’s called everybody else out multiple times, but at the end of the day he is trying to push you and you can’t take it personally because he wants to win just as bad as we do.” Jones said he doesn’t take it personally and that “some guys have to get over” any hurt feelings they might have. “Some guys will say ‘he’s out to get me’ or ‘he’s always on my back’ or ‘can’t let me get away with anything,’” Jones said. “When he comes in and tells me you played like shit that period, I know. You know what I mean?” Jones has never experienced an in-season coaching change on a team he played for, but he did change coaches and teams when he was dealt to Columbus for Ryan Johansen in January of 2016. 1173042 Websites No. 56: Mika Zibanejad (Rangers vs. Senators, Oct. 5) This was the season’s first hat trick, as well as the first of two Zibanejad

would have on the year. Spoiler: The second one was better. The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Ranking all 67 hat tricks from the 2019- No. 55: Mikko Rantanen (Avalanche vs. Devils, Jan. 4) 20 season Start strong, finish strong. It’s one of the rules of comedy. Apparently, Rantanen is also a believer, at least on this night – he capped the hat By Sean McIndoe trick with a pair of third-period goals, one eight seconds in and the other with 16 seconds left. Mar 25, 2020 No. 54: William Karlsson (Golden Knights vs. Ducks, Feb. 23)

Karlsson’s goal-scoring has dropped a ton since he had 43 two years It’s been a while since I’ve done a way-too-in-depth ranking of some ago, but he rediscovered his touch for one night in Anaheim. No hats random subject. And since we all miss hockey, I thought it would be fun please, his hair’s too nice. to remember some of the good times. What about hat tricks? Everybody loves a good hat trick. Let’s rank every hat trick from the 2019-20 No. 53: Mike Hoffman (Panthers vs. Lightning, Oct. 5) season, I thought. That would be fun. It wasn’t the first hat trick of the new season – Zibanejad beat him by Then I found out there were 67 of them. That’s, um, more than I thought. about an hour – but it did produce the first wins as a Panther for both Damn you, dead puck era, where are you when I need you? and Sergei Bobrovsky. Ah well, it’s not like any of us have anything better to do right now. So No. 52: Kyle Palmieri (Devils vs. Lightning, Oct. 30) here we go. Each of the 67 hat tricks from the 2019-20 season, ranked Along with Coleman, this was the Devils’ only other hat trick of the from worst to best, based on a rigorous scientific methodology of me just season, and amazingly they lost this one too. It’s subtle, but I think when deciding I liked some better than others. You’re free to disagree. You’ll you’re winless in hat trick games you’re probably not having a fantastic be wrong, but you’re free to do so. season. But Palmieri’s at least delivered a point, with the third goal tying No. 67: Blake Coleman (Devils vs. Maple Leafs, Jan. 14) the score with eight seconds left in regulation. Every hat trick is at least kind of cool, and it feels a little weird to pick one No. 51: James Neal (Oilers vs. Rangers, Dec. 31) as the season’s very worst. But Coleman is as good a choice as any No. 50: James Neal (Oilers vs. Islanders, Oct. 8) because his hat trick was unique in two ways. First, the Devils lost the game in regulation, making Coleman the only player on this entire list The list of players who had multiple hat tricks on the season includes whose team didn’t even get so much as a point out of his hat trick game. several names you’d expect. It also includes James Neal. His four-goal And it’s also the only entry where another player in the same game also game against the Islanders came in the season’s first week and may had a hat trick – in this case, Auston Matthews. Factor in that all three of have marked the earliest in a season that everyone unanimously Coleman’s goals came with his team trailing by four goals or more, and declared a winner in an offseason trade. yeah, this one really didn’t matter. It apparently impressed the Lightning scouts, though. No. 49: Gustav Nyquist (Blue Jackets vs. Penguins, Nov. 29) No. 66: Evander Kane (Sharks vs. Capitals, Jan. 5) No. 48: Jean-Gabriel Pageau (Senators vs. Devils, Nov. 13) Like Coleman, Kane got his trick in a loss. Unlike Coleman, he at least No. 47: David Perron (Blues vs. Avalanche, Dec. 16) saw his team earn a point. But this was the infamous game in which the No. 46: Bryan Rust (Penguins vs. Senators, March 3) Sharks collapsed with a minute left, allowing two goals to tie the game before losing two minutes into overtime. When your hat trick comes in No. 45: Bo Horvat (Canucks vs. Red Wings, Oct. 22) your team’s most gut-wrenching loss of a gut-wrenching season, that’s not great. No. 44: Nick Bonino (Predators vs. Blackhawks, Oct. 29) No. 65: Nicolas Deslauriers (Ducks vs. Senators, March 10) No. 43. Jakub Vrana (Capitals vs. Flames, Nov. 3) Deslauriers’ first-period blitz was the last hat trick of the season, coming No. 42: Jonathan Marchessault (Golden Knights vs. Devils, Dec. 3) on the penultimate night. It happened two weeks ago. It feels like two years. We’re officially into the “Yeah, I could see that guy getting a hat trick” territory. It’s a decent group, but Marchessault takes the top spot by No. 64: Tyson Jost (Avalanche vs. Lightning, Oct. 19) getting all three of his goals in a nine-minute stretch of the third period. This early-season hat trick accounted for 37.5 percent of Jost’s offensive No. 41: Dominik Kubalík (Blackhawks vs. Lightning, Feb. 27) output for the entire season; he scored just five other goals in 66 games. But he’ll go down as the youngest player to have a hat trick in 2019-20, There were only two hat tricks by rookies this season, and both involved and the one to do it with the least ice time (just 10:58). the Lightning. Verhaeghe was the first. This was the second, as Kubalik potted three third period goals as part of a frantic comeback that No. 63: Dustin Brown (Kings vs. Wild, March 7) temporarily kept the Hawks’ flatlining playoff hopes alive. And here’s the oldest player on our list, as 35-year-old Brown became No. 40: Evander Kane (Sharks vs. Hurricanes, Oct. 16) the third Kings player to manage the feat in a five-week stretch. Kane’s first-period hat trick powered the Sharks to their third straight win, No. 62: Craig Smith (Predators vs. Islanders, Feb. 13) and we all breathed a sigh of relief that they’d shaken off their tough start and were ready to contend as we all expected. They lost seven of their No. 61: Carter Verhaeghe (Lightning vs. Canucks, Jan. 7) next eight. No. 60: Andrew Mangiapane (Flames vs. Ducks, Feb. 17) No. 39: Patrick Kane (Blackhawks vs. Wild, Dec. 15) No. 59: Joonas Donskoi (Avalanche vs. Predators, Nov. 7) No. 38: Jamie Benn (Stars vs. Hurricanes, Feb. 11) No. 58: Derek Grant (Ducks vs. Blues, Nov. 16) Two former Art Ross winners in their 30s who play for Central Division teams. They both open the scoring seven minutes in. They both get their Hat tricks by guys you don’t expect are always at least a little bit sneaky- second goal on the powerplay. And they both cap off the hat trick with an fun. These five guys are all pretty similar stories – they’re not considered empty netter with just over a minute to go. The NHL’s scriptwriters are big scorers, they finished with fewer than 20 goals on the year, and these getting lazy. were their first and so far only career hat tricks. Grant takes the top spot in the group because of this. No. 37: Patrice Bergeron (Bruins vs. Rangers, Oct. 27) No. 57: Frank Vatrano (Panthers vs. Blackhawks, January 21) It’s not often you can get a hat trick and be arguably the third-best player on your own line that night. But Bergeron may have managed it, as I kind of assumed Vatrano would fit into that same “plugger scoring his linemates Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak both had five-point nights. first career hat trick” category as that last group, but no – he also had one as a rookie with the Bruins way back in 2015. You learn something new No. 36: Artemi Panarin (Rangers vs. Sharks, Dec. 12) every day. Not something remotely useful, but something. You certainly can’t say Panarin didn’t live up to his big UFA contract, at came against his former team and the coach who once said he didn’t least in year one. New York fans who stayed up for this one probably know how to play. enjoyed seeing Panarin score a hat trick for the Rangers instead of against them for a change. No. 15: Tyler Toffoli (Kings vs. Avalanche, Feb. 15) No. 35: (Capitals vs. Red Wings, Nov. 30) Two of the three goals came in the final minute of what turned out to be Toffoli’s last game as a King; he was traded to the Canucks two days As he closes in on Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, every Ovechkin hat trick later. That’s called knowing how to make an exit. is awesome. But this one came against the Red Wings and featured two empty netters, so we can’t get it any higher than this. No. 14: Connor McDavid (Oilers vs. Ducks, Nov. 10) No. 34: Noel Acciari (Panthers vs. Senators, Dec. 16) No. 13: Connor McDavid (Oilers vs. Avalanche, Nov. 14) No. 33: Noel Acciari (Panthers vs. Stars, Dec. 20) Ho-hum. The best player in the league was even more unstoppable than usual for a week in November. That was especially true against the Remember when Acciari briefly turned into Mike Bossy? That was a fun Avalanche, as he added three assists to his hat trick for a season-high week. six-point night. No. 32: Jordan Eberle (Islanders vs. Red Wings, Febr. 21) No. 12: David Pastrnak (Bruins vs. Canadiens, Nov. 26) Sometimes the “when” is almost as important as the “how many.” The No. 11: David Pastrnak (Bruins vs. Jets, Jan. 9) Islanders had gone pointless during a four-game road trip on which they’d managed just two goals. Eberle beat that total all by himself in No. 10: David Pastrnak (Bruins vs. Canadiens, Feb. 12) their return home, at least temporarily getting the team back in the win No. 9: David Pastrnak (Bruins vs. Ducks, Oct. 14) column. This was the season that Pastrnak went from respected but maybe No. 31: Mark Scheifele (Jets vs. Senators, Feb. 20) underrated sniper to an unstoppable monster, and hat tricks in four of the No. 30: Patrik Laine (Jets vs. Senators, Feb. 8) season’s five full months made it seem like he was periodically leveling up right before our eyes. Doing it twice against the Habs was a nice Hat tricks are relatively rare; hat tricks where all three goals come on the touch, but his four-goal game against the Ducks was the real jaw- powerplay are rarer. But the Jets pulled it off twice in the same month, dropper. against the same team. No. 8: Jack Eichel (Sabres vs. Senators, Nov. 16) No. 29: Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets vs. Panthers, Dec. 31) Hockey fans love the idea of a star player putting his team on his back No. 28: Tony DeAngelo (Rangers vs. Devils, Jan. 9) and dragging them to a win. That’s pretty much what Eichel did, scoring all four goals in a 4-2 win that snapped a six-game losing streak that was No. 27: Jared Spurgeon (Wild vs. Oilers, Feb. 21) threatening to derail the Sabres season. In hindsight, it didn’t really Hat tricks by defensemen are just cool, and these were the only three of matter – the Sabres lost six of their next eight – but in the moment, it felt the season. (Well, sort of … we’ll get to one more a bit further down.) like a heroic season-saver. Spurgeon’s was a natural hat trick, making him just the 12th defenseman No. 7: Alex Radulov (Stars vs. Wild, Oct. 29) to ever do that in NHL history. This was one of the most entertaining games of the year, as two 18- No. 26: Zach Sanford (Blues vs. Golden Knights, Feb. 13) wheelers collided in mid-air on their way down the cliff. The Wild led 3-0, Sanford’s four-goal performance was one of seven we saw this year. but Radulov sparked the comeback as the Stars pumped home six This one was the most unlikely, as well as the only one that came in a straight to win 6-3. It may have saved the Stars’ season, as they won 10 loss. It also accounted for 25 percent of his season total and 14 percent of their next 11. of his career output. No. 6: Leon Draisaitl (Oilers vs. Predators, March 2) No. 25: Anthony Cirelli (Lightning vs. Jets, Jan. 17) It was fascinating to watch the narrative around Draisaitl shift as the No. 24: Kyle Connor (Jets vs. Avalanche, Dec. 31) season went on, as he went from Connor McDavid’s understudy to co- star to dark-horse MVP candidate to outright favorite. If we’re right and No. 23: Timo Meier (Sharks vs. Flyers, Dec. 28) Draisaitl ends up taking the Hart, this four-goal outburst will be remembered as the exclamation mark. No. 22: Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs vs. Devils, Jan. 14) No. 5: Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals vs. Devils, Jan. 16) No. 21: Sebastian Aho (Hurricanes vs. Wild, Dec. 7) No. 4: Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals vs. Islanders, Jan. 18) No. 20: Brock Boeser (Canucks vs. Kings, Oct. 30) No. 3: Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals vs. Kings, Feb. 4) It’s almost embarrassing how much young offensive talent the NHL can boast these days, as all six of these guys were 23 or younger when they One of the very best memories of the season was the three-week stretch had their hat tricks. where Ovechkin entered a cheat code and just ran over the entire league, racking up 14 goals in seven games that included three hat No. 19: Alex Iafallo (Kings vs. Coyotes, Jan. 30) tricks. Each one was better than the last, as you were left shaking your head that he had actually done it again. The game itself didn’t matter all that much, but Iafallo’s hat trick gets some bonus points for coming in a 3-2 win. Even better, he scored the No. 2: Bobby Ryan (Senators vs. Canucks, Feb. 27) opener, tied it with three minutes left in regulation, then won it in overtime. In terms of what it meant to his team’s playoff chances, there weren’t many hat tricks this season that were less important; the Senators had No. 18: Anthony Mantha (Red Wings vs. Stars, Oct. 6) been out of the race for months. But in terms of what it meant to a player, and to the teammates, fans and organization that had supported him The good news: Mantha had all four goals in a 4-3 victory, including the through a difficult time, it was hard to imagine a better scene than Ryan winner with a minute left in regulation. The bad news: This was the last scoring three times in his first game in Ottawa since entering the player good thing that happened to the Red Wings in the 2019-20 season, and it assistance program in November due to his issues with alcohol. happened in their second game. Sometimes even a lost season can provide a reminder of what matters, No. 17: Mark Pysyk (Panthers vs. Maple Leafs, Feb. 2) as Ryan’s reaction to the fans chanting his name told us. Pysyk is a defensive defenseman who’d scored 17 goals in eight No. 1: Mike Zibanejad (Rangers vs. Capitals, March 5) seasons before being asked to play forward and getting a hat trick Hat tricks are fun. Four-goal games are great. But five-goal games are against the Leafs in a crucial showdown with playoff implications. Ah their own special category because you reach a point where you stop well, said Leaf fans, at least this will be the most unlikely player to beat being amazed and just start expecting the player to get the next goal. On us this month. this night, Zibanejad’s fourth goal gave the Rangers a 5-4 lead with two No. 16: Anthony Duclair (Senators vs. Blue Jackets, Dec. 14) minutes left, but Ovechkin tied it up a minute later. That sent the game to overtime, and when Zibanejad broke in on a partial breakaway just Duclair’s early-season comeback was a great story, one that included seconds in, everyone knew what was coming. this hat trick that he capped with an overtime winner. Even better: It It was the 62nd five-goal game in NHL history and just the fourth in the last 23 years. Doing it on home ice in a showcase game against the division’s top team only cemented its status as perhaps the season’s most memorable individual performance. Next year, let’s see somebody hit six.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173043 Websites Just a theory, but I wonder if that’s where we are going. 31 THOUGHTS

1. One of the things I wish there’d be more of in the weekly blog is player Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Checking in with McDavid, Matthews, Eichel perspective. They’re busy; I don’t travel as much as I used to; it is clearly and more a worldwide conspiracy against me. So I tried to hit up one player per team with three questions about their season. In these unusual times, not every club could be represented, unfortunately. Hope you enjoy what we | @FriedgeHNIC could curate — forwards first, then defence and goalies. March 25, 2020, 1:28 PM We start with future Hall of Famer Patrice Bergeron. Months after going to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Boston is the NHL’s No. 1 team at the pause. • When did McDavid, Draisaitl know Oilers were for real? “For me, the best thing about being a Bruin is the friendship that we’ve • Does anyone work out harder than Eichel? been able to establish,” he wrote in an email. “In a cap world, rarely do you see teams keeping lots of guys long term. We have been so lucky in • How much did Matthews enjoy chasing Vaive’s record? Boston. Growing up together (almost), it’s a special bond. I think it helps with our culture — keeping guys accountable, understanding how we do First and foremost, hope everyone who reads this is hanging in (friends things. We know what is expected of each other. Everybody is included and families, too). Don’t be inert — meditate 10 minutes a day, reconnect and has a voice. We are all only a small piece to the puzzle.” with someone, enjoy the gift of time with people we care about. Look out for anyone who seems “off.” We’re only going to get through this I’m an optimist. I believe the best will occur — even now — but admit, together. There are so many great hockey fans and people in the New that, turning 50 this year, I don’t know how many more Cups I’ll get to York area, and we’re with them as their city gets hit hardest. cover. Tuukka Rask confirmed one rumour to the Boston Globe’s Matt Porter that he may retire after his contract expires next season. Also, I really hope no one is as bad a Grade 3 math teacher as I am. As a group, is there any added frustration because some of Bergeron’s Just a quick summary of where we are: key teammates are older by NHL standards and simply don’t know how This week, the NHL asked teams to submit home arena dates for August. many more opportunities there will be? The postponement of the Olympics erases the concern of going head-to- “I think as you get older you realize that you need to make the most of head with them. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told WFAA’s Mark every opportunity since they might not come by often. That being said, Leslie on Tuesday that, for him, the over-under on the NBA returning was this is out of our control. What should be on our minds right now is June 1, and he’s “taking the under.” everyone’s safety. Still, it is hard knowing that we have a great team, not I love Cuban’s optimism, and I love to gamble — but I don’t see that. The certain if there will be a playoff and a Stanley Cup to compete for.” NHL had an infectious-diseases specialist on its Board of Governors call Finally, what is your favourite Zdeno Chara story? on Monday, and from what I understand, they painted a picture that was interpreted as closer to July. So that’s where we are, although I stick to “Man, that’s a tough one. I’ve known Zee for so long now. He’s the my original prediction that we won’t have a true idea until at least May. ultimate competitor. What will always impress me is his competitive drive and work ethic in every practice. In every drill of every practice, he wants From a business point of view, it’s tough in hockey, just like everywhere to be the guy to start it. He has been doing that since I’ve known him. His else. The Canadiens announced layoffs and salary cuts, albeit with a way of leading the way.” plan to ease the financial pain. The ownership group of the Devils and the NBA’s 76ers — widely praised for leading the way in protecting part- 2. Two teams have two representatives. One is Edmonton. When we time workers — stepped in it when asking employees to take pay cuts. finally get around to figuring out trophy voting, will both Leon Draisaitl and They backed off, and it will be interesting to see what that means for Connor McDavid be Hart finalists? Draisaitl leads the league in scoring, everyone else. More has been discussed, although I’m not sure teams and all forwards in time-on-ice per game (22:37). He’s had some huge- will announce. (That doesn’t mean the news won’t get out.) At the NHL minute games this year. offices, anyone making north of $75,000 took a hit. What was the most exhausted he was after any game this season? Amongst all of this came an interesting development. According to several sources, the players considered not taking their final paycheque. “I think the hardest one was probably the 29-minute one in Arizona,” he That one would be paid on April 15, but cover only the final four days of wrote. the regular-season, April 1-4. I understood the idea from several That was Nov. 24. Exactly 29:00, on a night when he played 4:10 of perspectives. It might ease the players’ overall escrow, and some of the overtime — 10 seconds more than McDavid. The Oilers won 4–3 in a lower-revenue teams would definitely be happy with fewer costs. shootout. I was told Tuesday not to go with that any more — that a decision had “I remember sitting in the dressing room after and not being able to move been made to proceed as normal. On Wednesday, I was told not to make because it took me so long to catch my breath.” any firm statements either way. I guess we’ll see. At what point in the season did he realize that the team was going in the No business will escape the pandemic unscathed. We know the players right direction? What did he see that made him believe? are expecting huge escrow holdbacks, especially if no playoffs occur. We know the league is worried about approximately $1 billion in revenue. We “It was after that bad month of December. In January, we really started to know the 2020-21 cap is going to have to be negotiated by the league turn it around, went on a solid run. That’s when I knew that we had a and players. There’s a lot to do. good group and a good team.” We’ve heard the NHL and NHLPA are bending over backwards to work Edmonton was 5-8-1 in December, 6-1-2 in January. More importantly, together in difficult times. So allow me a theory: what is it like as an Oiler to have meaningful, nasty games against Calgary? The fans love it, the media loves it — do you love it? Everything is uncertain now, I get it. But there are at least two positive things on the NHL’s radar. One is Seattle. The other is the potential U.S. “Yes, it’s a lot of fun. Games are important — two good teams going at it, television deal — which is why you’re going to see a lot of work put in both in the playoff race. It’s heated. It’s so much fun to be a part of.” towards creating the best possible playoff system whenever we return. 3. When you’re sending out the questions, there are always one or two But to really make everything work, the league needs certainty. A long that you look at and say, “Uh, am I sure about this one?” Exhibit A was to CBA. No labour trouble on the horizon. Connor McDavid. He was coming off a major injury. As great a player as he is, I thought pushing his way back set a different kind of tone for Ten days ago, the NFL/NFLPA signed a 10-year deal. The final vote was Edmonton’s season, a very important reminder of how even the best far from unanimous, and it wasn’t easy. But it got done. have to grind to succeed. Commissioner Gary Bettman is pretty good with his TV contracts. If he How much had he exceeded expectations for himself and for the team? can get that done, are the players willing to vote for a 10-year deal? In return, they should get Olympics and some kind of escrow relief — not in “The expectations coming in this year, not only for the team but myself, terms of avoiding paying it, which isn’t realistic. But maybe spreading it were not high from a media standpoint,” he texted. “There were more out over two or three years to escape a one-season 35 per cent figure. questions than answers with the team and with my injury — would I even (Maybe the league goes after big signing bonuses, too. Who knows?) be playing, and, if I was, how would my game be? Team-wise, everyone has done a great job exceeding those expectations. From management great dressing room of guys that are willing to battle for each other. In to the coaching staff down to the players, everyone has done a great job training camp our group developed a bit of a chip on our shoulder getting to this point. But there is lots of work left to be done this season. because everyone that was in love with our team a few years ago was Personally, I always try to believe in myself. But it was hard for sure. now picking us to finish last in our division. We used that and battled Coming into training camp, I hadn’t battled against another player on the every day in camp and it carried over to the regular season. So even ice all summer long, so it was hard to be sure where my game would be. when our lineup was depleted with injuries, we gave ourselves a chance. But with lots of help from my teammates, trainers and everyone around That’s why I was so bummed we were put on hold because we were me, my game has been able to stay where it’s been at in years previous.” really starting to fire on all cylinders. Our defence was playing great and our goalie was out of his mind. Add that to some of the offensive Sure has. weapons we have and the battle in our room and you never know what Same question that I posed to Draisaitl: At what point in the season did could happen.” he realize the team was going in the right direction? What did he see that Wheeler was very honest and blunt about how he felt he had to change made him believe? the way he led. How has he changed? “I think I started to feel good about our team after the first month. I liked “I would say that I know myself a lot better today than I did a year or two where everyone’s heads were. We were saying all the right stuff, but not years ago. I know that there are days when I come to the rink and I’m a only saying it — doing it on and off the ice. Our game had a big slip in little on edge. The combination of pressure from my job and having three late November and December. That raised a lot of questions again, but I small children makes me a little ornery sometimes. I wish it didn’t, but it liked how we responded. We were very solid in the second half.” does. So I know on those days how to carry myself a lot better. I can hide and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey my scowl better than I used to because I really don’t like being the world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what grumpy old guy — at least not yet! Another focus I had this year is trying they think about it. to empower as many of my teammates as I can. It’s impossible to make over 20 guys happy on the same team, so instead, you try to empower 4. Right with the two Oilers in the Hart race is the 2018 runner-up, as many guys as possible. You do that by making the guys feel important Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. He has enormous standards for himself. to the team. That’s all anyone wants, is to feel like their job is important. Does he feel he’s played to the level he demands? Putting guys in those situations is obviously (coach Paul Maurice’s) job, but as teammates we can make sure the guy blocking a one-timer on the “For sure the standards I have for myself are high,” he said via text. “I penalty kill FEELS equally as important as the guy quarterbacking the always feel there’s room for growth. The challenge is to maintain a high first power play.” level of play for any top-end player in the NHL. The season is a grind and there’s lots that goes into it behind the scenes to be consistent every Very, very impressive answer. I wondered what Wheeler considered the night.” most impressive Winnipeg win of this season? “A couple stand out. Our second game of the season was against New Jersey. We were down 4— The Avalanche’s 92 points are tied with Tampa Bay, two points back of 0 before coming back to win 5-4 in a shootout. Another was at home second-overall St. Louis. Has the turnaround from 2016-17 happened against Edmonton on Oct. 20. We had some injuries to an already quicker than he thought? depleted lineup. Connor and Leon were averaging about four points a night through the first month of the season. I remember being really “For me, I wasn’t so much worried about how long the turnaround (would worried about that game, but our team fought hard and snuck out a 1—0 take) — just that I had to do my part in becoming the player I was shootout win.” capable of becoming. Looking back, it’s amazing how fast we turned things around as a franchise.” 8. There was a great profile of Jack Eichel in Sports Illustrated during his rookie season where he talked about not liking people “kissing his ass,” Then MacKinnon paid one of his young teammates a huge compliment: and his great respect for his father Bob’s willingness to tell him the truth. “2016–17 did get us Cale Makar, so it was worth it.” It is hard to talk about personal success during a hard team year. So I 5. At what point does MacKinnon say, “Sorry, Sid — I’m now the best tried this approach: What did your dad say about your season? player from Nova Scotia in the NHL”? “My dad’s always been my toughest critic,” Buffalo’s captain wrote. “He “I’ll be better than Sid when I have 4 cups and 3 Olympic gold medals measures success with winning, so in that sense it was a tough season ” to swallow. I think when you look at our competitiveness from a night-in and night-out basis, and playing to our identity, our team did make a lot 6. Auston Matthews rejected one of my questions like Dikembe Mutombo of strides this season, which was something to be positive about. In sending some weak layup into the 20th row. Was there ever any real fear terms of my personal year, my dad gave me a huge compliment around in the Toronto room about the team missing the playoffs? the New Year when he told me how proud he was of the player that I had become. He thought I made a lot of strides as a complete centre, “No. No one in our group plays with fear, and that will continue to be the meaning I was much more responsible in our defensive zone. The hard case.” minutes took a toll in his mind, but overall he was very complimentary of I liked that one. You can imagine that this year’s been a total whirlwind the year.” for Matthews and the rest of the Maple Leafs. What stands out to him Eichel added that one of his targets was to score more, and he’d already when thinking of the season so far? hit a career-high 36. “It’s hard to think of anything right now except for the people who have “We worked very hard at that in the summer, so that was also rewarding.” been affected by the pandemic. I wish the best to all of them and their families. I miss my teammates, Leaf Nation and the chance to compete At the NHL/NHLPA pre-season media tour, he talked at great length every day.” about his newly formed relationship with Ralph Krueger. There was a lot of optimism and a strong bond. How did that evolve? Matthews was chasing Rick Vaive’s franchise-record 54 goals, and was on pace to beat it by one. How much did he enjoy the chase? “Getting to play and learn from Ralph this season was a real pleasure. He’s someone that comes into the rink every day with the best possible “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Rick Vaive. He was a attitude no matter what happened the day before. He’s able to reset the tremendous Leaf and a great player. I like scoring goals, of course, but group back into the right frame of mind so well. Obviously as the year we I’m here to help my teammates win.” went we became more comfortable with each other. Not saying we 7. One of the great stories of this year is Winnipeg. Every player hopes weren’t at the start — it just was easier to go to him with things as we got for the best. But when they were starting camp, how concerned was to know each other better. With his background in leadership, it was captain Blake Wheeler that being in a playoff position wouldn’t be great to be able to learn from him every day. He taught me a lot about possible? myself, which I’m very thankful for.” “Going into training camp, I knew it was going to be a challenge to repeat Eichel is a workout fiend. Did any of his teammates “beat” his some of the success we had the last couple years,” he wrote. “In 2018– determination? 19 we had a young team and we were still expected to compete for a “Working out and off-ice training is something I’ve always enjoyed. With Stanley Cup. We lost a lot of key guys from that team and with our salary the long season and tough schedule we are always trying to find time to cap situation, we were going to get even younger coming into this year. fit in workouts. We have a lot of great athletes in our room that push each This was all WITH Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien in the mix. I would other in the gym every day which is great. We do a bike test at the say there was definitely some concern knowing that we had a very young beginning of the year. They use your weight and bike results to find an team. It left a lot more questions than sure things. What I did know is we endurance score. I posted a really good score that I was happy with until have some firepower up front, the best goaltender in the league, and a I saw Sam Reinhart’s score. He blew everyone out of the water.” 9. I wanted to hear from someone who’d been traded during the year, “Joel is a great coach with a lot of energy, loves to win and knows what it and Taylor Hall was a perfect fit. I don’t know if anyone can predict takes to win. Practices are hard and intense! He wants you to work hard what’s going to happen in one season, but did this year unfold in any way and earn your ice time.” as you thought it might? Big accomplishment this season for Huberdeau, who became the all-time “When I drove to New Jersey in September, I envisioned a scenario leading scorer in Panthers’ history. Every season, his totals increase, as where we were going to fight for a playoff spot all year, and a contract he was on pace for 93 points, which would have edged his career high of would or wouldn’t get figured out around the trade deadline,” he wrote. “I 92 from last year. How close is he to the player he expected to be? was really excited for what we had going on there. But I also knew there was a chance that I could be on a different team by the end of the year. “For me, I got better every year since the beginning of my career. Hockey’s a business and you are reminded of that always. And, Consistency is a big thing in this league and I feel I’ve come a long way obviously, [the pandemic] is something that no one would ever predict.” since I was 19. I still think I have more to give to my team to have a chance to win a Stanley Cup.” Hall came up with a great answer about what we are all going through. His future is going to be determined during a unique time. How much 13. What a huge jump for Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli, who will battle does he think about how things may or not not happen as he chooses his with Philadelphia’s Sean Couturier for Selke Trophy supremacy. Only long-term NHL home? Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point play more at even-strength than he does among the Lightning. Was he expecting that? Has he surprised “It is definitely a weird time to possibly be a free agent, but there’s so himself at all? much uncertainty throughout the league… throughout the world, really. So I’m not as worried about free agency as I am about getting back to “No, not at all,” he wrote via email. (I like the understated confidence.) “I hockey and hoping that we can somehow get into the playoffs. I think just tried to have a good off-season, work on my skills, get stronger and everyone just wants some normalcy back in their lives.” be ready for training camp. I think you’re always looking to grow as a player — not just every season, but every day. Heading into this year I What ideas did he have about playing in Arizona that turned out to be just wanted to concentrate on playing my role. Focus on playing well true or not true? defensively and contributing when I could on the offensive side. I certainly wasn’t expecting to be playing that many minutes. We have “The one thing I’ve been pleasantly surprised about was our attendance such a deep and talented team that it really doesn’t matter who you’re and support from fans. We’ve had numerous sellouts. I didn’t think it was playing with — they’re going to be great players. So I’m fortunate.” going to be like that. There’s been nights where the atmosphere has been awesome in the arena.” After last year’s playoff defeat, 2019-20 seemed like nothing more than an 82-game trial run for the post-season. Was it hard to concentrate on 10. Anze Kopitar bent the rules for his first question. When asked if there the regular season, knowing, as a group, you just wanted to get to the was one young King who took big steps this year, he said he was going playoffs? to name one forward and one defenceman. It’s not like I was going to argue with him. “Quite the opposite, actually. It wasn’t hard at all. It was an extremely disappointing ending, obviously. Guys came back motivated and knew it “At forward, Alex Iafallo took the next step this year. A couple of years was going to be a fight just to get back into the playoffs. It gave us an ago, you’re a rookie, and you don’t really understand what’s going on. opportunity to come together as a team and find our identity. The season Now, he’s consistent, he’s scoring goals, he’s putting up points, he’s didn’t start the way we wanted, but as it moved along, I think we really doing the things you are expected to do when you’re on the top line. started to find it.” “On defence, I will take Matt Roy. He’s done a tremendous job. Being on On March 7, the Lightning faced Boston in one of this year’s best games a team where we are losing more often than not — which sucks — he’s a — an intense, chippy 5–3 win for Tampa. What was it like to play in that plus player. That’s impressive.” one? The Lightning don’t have that kind of nasty reputation — at least not Los Angeles reminds me a lot of Ottawa. The results aren’t there yet, but until recently. they play really hard. How do Kopitar and the other veterans prevent the “It was an emotion-filled game. We see them a lot, with playoffs and a young players from getting discouraged? couple times during the regular season, so there is some familiarity. I “That’s the hard part. You can start cheating when you don’t get the think it was just two good teams going at it and neither being willing to results. But our effort has been very good this year. There’s been very back down. Both teams wanted the two points. It was a playoff few games where we’ve been blown up. It’s been encouraging to see atmosphere that is great to play in as you prepare for more intense many of our guys doing the right stuff. The thing we try to tell them is that games down the stretch and in the post-season. It was a good test for us. there might only be five (or) 10 minutes where you didn’t do it in a game, Those types of games are a ton of fun to play in.” and that’s when you get scored on. But we’ve done a really good job of And watch. staying positive. I tell them that even for me, the toughest thing is that you’re not going to be at your best for 82 games. It’s not possible. So you 14. Also with the big leap is Andrew Mangiapane. After eight goals in his have to work on limiting the low points. How good can you be when first 54 NHL games, he was poised to break 20 — playing a big role as you’re not at your best, so you don’t get blown up?” Calgary found its legs. I wonder when a talented young player feels comfortable that, “Yes, I am an NHLer.” That’s a great attitude. We talked about my respect for Henrik Lundqvist, and how he refused to be a negative force as the Rangers rebuilt and “I would say that I started gaining confidence around last year when then carried three goalies. Kopitar said it was easier for him to do that [Derek Ryan, Garnet Hathaway] and I were a line. I felt that they let me this year, as opposed to 2018-19. play my game. I wasn’t nervous to play, and we ended up connecting really well. When I first came into the league, everyone tells you to play “Last year, we didn’t see it coming. This year, we knew it was coming. your game and not to think about it, but this was kind of hard for me to do We signed up for it, and the good thing is we are starting to see our trend — I was almost starstruck, for lack of words. Once I was able to get over go upwards. Sure, at times it gets frustrating. But the hard work and the this, I think my confidence started coming out. You definitely need some effort, that’s the encouraging part.” confidence to play in this league.” 11. How much quieter is life without Drew Doughty around you on a daily Selected 166th in the 2015 draft, what advice would he give to a young basis? player so he can know being taken a little later is not the end of the “It’s a little quieter, but it’s uneventful,” Kopitar laughed. “Ninety per cent world? of what comes out of his mouth is funny. You’re not laughing as much “Whether you’re drafted or not, you always still need to put in the work without him around.” afterwards. That’s the beginning of the whole process. So if you’re a late 12. Another great answer came from Jonathan Huberdeau. Everything is draft or not drafted at all, never give up. Just keep working hard, and uncertain now, but Florida traded Vincent Trocheck and there was a keep fighting to get to where you want to be.” sense more could come if the Panthers don’t find their way. How much Finally, for Mangiapane, the same kind of question I sent to Draisaitl: Do does the group of Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad and Huberdeau the current Flames hate the Oilers as much as their fans and 1980s discuss what could happen? alumni do? “We all know we can’t control what the GM wants to do, but we sure “I think there is always going to be a rivalry there. I don’t know if we hate know one thing we can control is to win. We tell ourselves that if we win, Edmonton as much as the ’80s alumni did — hard to tell. But this year we will all stay together. It’s not complicated, and that’s what we need to alone, it has been two good teams fighting for a playoff spot and we’ve do in the near future.” been battling all year. In recent years there’s been a strong team and a What is Joel Quenneville like to play for? weak team. Now you have these two good teams fighting for a spot and it games. What was the turning point in the season? Were players affected really makes the rivalry that much more intense.” by the rumours early in the year? 15. One of the things I’ve wondered this year is how much Steve “It was a crazy start,” he emailed. “We were not doing well at all, and we Yzerman discusses his early years in Detroit with . Yzerman knew it couldn’t continue like that. We knew that there was still a lot of went through tough times in Detroit and eventually was rewarded. What time left and that we could do it. Inside of our room there was never a advice does he give Larkin on how to handle things? doubt. We got better and better every day. I don’t think anybody cared in our group what other people were saying. We always believed and knew “I have had very positive talks with Steve throughout the season,” Larkin that we could do this.” wrote via email. “He has been very helpful and a mentor to me as someone who has been in this situation a few times as a player and Fiala always had great self-confidence, going back to his arrival in manager. His advice has been to make sure my level of professionalism Nashville. Jeff Marek was the first to tell me about it, and when I asked — in mindset, work ethic and leadership — is setting the tone and some of the Predators if that was true, they smiled knowingly. Did that example for the rest of the team all the time.” ever change as Fiala fought to regain his role? I thought that was really interesting. No matter how tough a season, there “I mean, there were good days and bad days, but at the end of the day I are always fun moments. What are the moments of this season that did knew how good I am. Honestly, last year, the confidence wasn’t always make you smile? very high. But this year it’s been very high, especially the last few months.” “There have been a lot of bright spots. This season has had a lot of downs, but we have a great group of young players that have made it You can see it. Whenever someone is traded to a new team, I wonder if very enjoyable coming to the rink every day. I look back at our opening- there’s a player they absolutely could not stand on the ice who they get night win against Nashville on the road and our home opener the next to know and say, “Not such a bad guy after all.” night against Dallas when Anthony Mantha scored four goals. We have played very well against top opponents in our division and that makes me Fiala wasn’t biting on that one. excited for the future. We’ve also played better in buildings where we “Haha, I don’t know. It has never happened in my experience.” have struggled in the past.” 20. John Carlson’s had a monster season. The Norris Trophy 16. Larkin made me laugh with this next one. Him, Connor McDavid and frontrunner, he was on pace for 89 points — which would have been the Mathew Barzal. Goal line to goal line. Standing start. Who wins, and by most for a blueliner since Ray Bourque’s 91 in 1993–94. Only eight other how much? defencemen have hit that total — , Paul Coffey, Al MacInnis, “First, I would say thank you for not putting a puck and defenders in this Denis Potvin, Brian Leetch, Phil Housley, Gary Suter and Bourque. Not contest because that would quickly eliminate me. Both are in the too shabby. category of the most elite skaters this league has ever seen. I would Any disappointment at not seeing how high he could have reached? have to go with Connor in a straight-line goal-line-to-goal-line race.” “I think there is just a general disappointment in not playing,” he wrote in 17. Philadelphia’s Scott Laughton loves to get under opponents’ skin. an email. “A lot of my success on the ice is attributed to the guys who I Who is the opponent he most loves to annoy? play with. That’s what I miss the most. Time will tell. Hopefully, we’ll “Brady Tkachuk. Me and him have had some good battles the past two resume at some point here and I’ll be able to finish what I started.” years.” The Capitals went through some rough waters before play was halted. There’s probably no team more disappointed in the the current recess Was there any concern amongst the players about the way it was going? than Philly. The Flyers were scorching hot, one point behind Washington “I don’t believe we ever hit a panic button. But, at the same time, we for first in the Metropolitan. When did Laughton and teammates believe weren’t happy with the way we were playing. There definitely was a they could be at this level? sense of urgency for us to get back to a level that we expect of “Around November everything started coming together and we started ourselves. We knew full well that it’s not a switch you can just turn on and creating an identity,” he wrote. “I think the past month we’ve been playing off come playoff time. It’s a process. That’s where our focus was, and I’m our best hockey overall and we’ve been better on the road. Our goalies confident in our team, our guys, to right the ship if we get an opportunity have been huge as well.” here.” Which Flyer has taken the biggest jump, and why? Like Kopitar, he found From a purely entertainment point of view, one of the rough things about it too hard to narrow it down. the current stoppage is it throws a wrench into Alexander Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. Does Carlson think The Great “I can’t really pinpoint it on one guy. I would say Travis Konecny has had Eight plays long enough to beat it? a really strong year and has led the way offensively. [Carter Hart] in his first full year in the NHL has been really solid and gives us confidence.” “That’s a tough one. I think he will keep playing as long as he is healthy. Being around him, I think you see first-hand the joy he has for the game. You’ll be stunned to hear Hart’s nickname is “Hartsy.” Will he break Wayne’s record? That’s tough to say, but he definitely has an opportunity to do so if he remains healthy.” 18. Andrei Svechnikov was responsible for one of the most fun storylines this season, scoring two lacrosse goals. Has he noticed a change in how Does number 895 come on a power-play one-timer Carlson puts on he is defended around the net? Not surprisingly, the answer is yes. Ovechkin’s tape? The production machine wasn’t biting on that one. “NHL teams thoroughly prepare for each opponent. After my second, “He has the right players around him in Backstrom and Kuznetsov to both defenders and goalies were ready for me. I’m not sure whether I’ll create chances for him.” be able to score another one, but I have other things up my sleeve.” 21. Carlson’s biggest Norris challenger is Nashville’s Roman Josi. One I’m very interested in seeing what that could be, especially if Evander thing I love about Drew Doughty is he was unafraid to admit he wanted to Holyfield is involved. Svechnikov was an even-strength titan last season. win the Norris. He didn’t care who knew. Is it something that is important He scored 20 goals, and was up to 24 (and counting, we hope) this year. to Josi? Bigger role, some power-play time. Does he see himself as a 40-goal scorer someday? 50? “Yes. Winning the Norris is definitely a dream of mine. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t. Personally, I think it is good for every player to set “I don’t have a specific number of goals in mind. I’d like to score as many individual goals. The closer everyone gets to those goals, the better the as I can, but my main goal is to win games and raise the Stanley Cup.” team success will be. That’s the most important thing.” And he says not to discount his playmaking ability: “I also enjoy setting It can be a tough question to answer, but does Josi believe this is the up my teammates. The more they score, the more games we’ll win.” best he’s ever played? What is Svechnikov’s favourite Rod Brind’Amour post-game speech? “I think, as a player, every year, you are trying to get better and work on things you think you can improve. The longer you play in the league, the “The most memorable post-game experience was when we beat Toronto more you know what you have to work on. It’s hard to say if this is my with David Ayres in relief. Everyone was cheering, and Rod was so best season. But I do think it is my most consistent. Hopefully, once happy as a kid can only be.” everyone is safe, there will be more coming for me and the Predators.” 19. Another impressive comeback? Minnesota. Kevin Fiala mirrors that After an incredibly inconsistent season, the Predators appeared to have turnaround. One point in his first eight games, with healthy scratches righted themselves, taking advantage of games in hand to move into along the way. Now he leads the Wild in scoring, with 54 points in 64 Western Conference playoff position. When Josi looks back on it, why does he think it took longer than expected for the Predators to Weber: “Oh man, I think he’s going to do really well. Bruce Arians is the consistently be at their best? quarterback whisperer. Two elite receivers, hopefully get OJ Howard going again — and warm weather. I like it for him and fantasy.” “It’s hard to say. I think we got off to a very good start and then inconsistency set in. A lot of the time, we were inconsistent within games, Wheeler: “Definitely going to be weird seeing TB12 in anything but a too. Before the pause, we had made progress playing more consistently Patriots uniform. I think after last year he was going to find the best QB and the ‘right way’ as a team — something you have to do to be more vacancy in the league in terms of weapons around him. Mike Evans and successful.” Chris Godwin might be the best WR duo in the league, and the Tampa heat will probably be good for that old body of his. I think he could have 22. In the past, players who have won the Stanley Cup for the first time in huge year.” the middle of their careers looked back and said they realized later how much it changed them for the better. They are still driven to win, but they 25. When I asked Quinn Hughes about the most memorable exchange relax, are more confident. With some time to think about it, how has he’s had with Canuck fans, I could tell he likes the passion there. winning the Cup changed Alex Pietrangelo? “There were a few early in the year,” he said. “They would come up to me “I would say the biggest difference for me as a player would be to and say, ‘We love you, Huggy Bear.’ At the beginning, I didn’t like that understand that it’s a long season and to trust the process of what it nickname, and it would piss me off.” takes to win. The season has plenty of ups and downs, and it’s important to not get too high or low. It’s easy to say, and I’ve always thought that, He’s laughing. but now that I have been through it I understand it. As a group, no doubt “Now I think it’s funny. At one of our last games, a fan showed up in a full we feel more confident in tight games — win or lose, we know we have a bear costume. It was all over the internet. That was great.” chance in every game. Winning certainly can relax you as a player. I definitely feel more relaxed knowing we have checked a championship Hughes is my Calder pick, and he realized early some of his off-ice off our list. It’s the one thing we all dream of as a kid — to finally fulfill it is habits had to change. hard to put into words. At the same time though, after winning, you want to win again. You want to keep the trophy for yourself.” “There were a couple of off-days early in the year where I just sat on the couch for a couple of hours, alone. I was lazy. You can’t do that. You’ve Can’t tell you how many players in all sports have said something similar got to get the right meals, but take care of yourself in other ways. Go out, after that first taste. The Blues went through a very difficult situation with walk. Don’t get stiff. Take care of yourself.” Jay Bouwmeester. Thankfully, he’s doing well. How are the players doing and how much do you keep in contact with Jay? He saw a big change in the way other teams played him. It started with Vancouver’s 22nd game, a 6–1 loss in Dallas. “Almost all of us have kept in touch. He was coming to the rink almost every day before we got shut down. Guys are stopping by his house, “That game was 3-1 going into the third, and then they crushed us. I was doing as much as we can to help. It was certainly a scare for us all to get hit a lot that game. In our first game against Toronto (a 4-1 Leafs win through it… a blur for most of us. Without realizing it at the time I think it three weeks later), they were cheating on some moves I use at the brought us closer together, especially with us being on our dads trip. It offensive blueline. But that’s okay. We looked at what Matthews, Willie was really an opportunity to bond together and with our dads.” Nylander and Mitch Marner do, too.” Like Taylor Hall, Pietrangelo will have to decide his hockey future at Last year, Elias Pettersson set the Canucks rookie record with 66 points. some point over the next few months. How much does he think about it? Hughes’s pace was right at that number. Will he tell Pettersson that he would’ve beaten it and just claim the title anyways? “Unfortunately, we all have a lot of time to think right now. If you imply moving to Hawaii and living on an island? Then, yeah, we do all time!” “No, I’m not going to. I had Petey, but Petey didn’t have Petey, if you understand what I’m saying. Besides, it’s all about winning — not about That’s pretty good, and I’m jealous. The Blues’ captain continues: that.” “Business-wise, we try not to discuss it too much, although it’s hard to ignore. We don’t stress about it, our three little ones keep us busy 26. Hughes is home with brother Jack. What are they doing to pass the enough.” time? Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it “We both love hockey. We’ll text each other during the season, ‘This 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, guy’s unbelievable… Watch what this guy did.’ Right now, we’re relaxing, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover getting away from that a bit. I’m thinking about having a great next 13 Canada’s most beloved game. games and an even better playoff. Then, for both of us, having a good summer, putting on a couple of pounds and killing it next year.” 23. If things had gone according to plan, Shea Weber’s 1,000th game would have been April 1 — in Nashville, of all places. He really isn’t The future is bright for the Hughes brothers. interested in personal goals, but considering how hard he has worked to 27. Number one among all defencemen in goals — and tied for 79th get through some tough injuries, how much would that mean? overall — is Zachary Werenski. We travelled back to the spring of 2016. “It would definitely be a pretty special moment. There has been a lot of He’s turning pro from Michigan. Someone says, “In four years, you will be hard work and dedication to this point (with a lot more to go). A player a 20-goal scorer in the NHL.” What would Werenski have said? doesn’t really know what the future holds, but hopefully there will be a lot “Wow… I don’t know. I’d say ‘I hope so.’ You never really know how more good memories along the road.” things are gong to go. So much was unknown. That’s pretty awesome. That “a lot more to go” won’t escape anyone’s notice. Marc Bergevin has But there’s more work to do.” made it quite clear that he believes in this group of Canadiens, and the At the 2018 All-Star Game in Tampa Bay, he explained that John prospects coming. What does Weber see for the future? Tortorella allows him freedom, that he can go where he needs “I definitely believe in the future of our team. As hard as this season and offensively, and others have to cover. As time has gone by, has the last few have been, there have been some positive things, and some Tortorella added/changed any on-ice rules for him? exciting signs in our young players as well. Going through tough times “Not really. ‘Go, be aggressive.’ But he wanted me to be harder should be a good learning experience for everyone and make us all defensively, and I needed that. For the last year and a half, we’ve spent a better from it.” lot of time learning the defensive side. When he says ‘harder to play Obviously, we don’t know what is going to happen. But I’ve heard against,’ he’s not talking about fighting guys or hitting guys, but to rumours that if there is an expanded playoffs, Montreal could be improve my effort. Not getting beaten to the net or one-on-one. He included. Do you think about that possibility at all? doesn’t care about mistakes, which I really like about him. He knows they’re going to happen. But when you go at a guy one-on-one, be “I don’t think anyone really knows what is going to happen with the aggressive. Make the effort.” uncertainty right now. Needless to say, players live for the playoffs, and until you have been in it you don’t really realize how exciting and intense Columbus proved a lot this year. A lot of fans and media wrote them off. it is.” The Blue Jackets are right there, even with injury upon injury. How much was proving everyone wrong motivation for you? 24. BONUS: I had to put Tom Brady somewhere in this blog. Weber is the NHL’s fantasy-football king. Blake Wheeler is a Brady disciple. How “One hundred per cent it was. We lost four key players. We had do they think he’ll be as a Buccaneer? something to prove to ourselves, our city and the NHL. On day one of camp, we had that dreaded John Tortorella two-mile run. On the second day, we had a 6:00 a.m. meeting. He told us people thought we were going to be a lottery team, no playoffs.” How many words of that speech began with an “F”? saw what was coming, he realized the difference between batting- practice fastballs and the real thing. “Too many to count, to be honest,” he laughed. “But it works — he knows how to get the guys going.” 31. Very quietly, MacKenzie Blackwood’s had a big year: 47 appearances, his second-most behind the 51 he made as a 19-year-old 28. Let’s move to the goalies, starting with the perpetually happy Marc- with the OHL’s Barrie Colts. He’s got a .915 save percentage, nicely Andre Fleury. If you follow him on social media, you know he’s trying his above the NHL’s .910 average. luck as a handyman to pass the time. Is he any good at it? At the beginning of the season, what hopes did he have? “It’s a work in progress. My skillset is pretty low. So fixing a few little things at home during lifts my spirit during these tough times,” he laughs. “I wanted to prove to myself and my team that I can play at this level and play well,” he wrote by email. “I wanted to have a solid year and improve The Golden Knights are where many of us thought they’d be, atop the every day. I didn’t have specific statistical goals, but more of an approach Pacific Division. What was critical for getting the team going in the right that I wanted to keep getting better and play well whenever I got the direction? chance.” “Our consistency to play the way we wanted, especially defensively. That’s happened. If there was any doubt he’d be New Jersey’s goalie of Giving up less quality scoring chances.” the future, it is erased. Every young player has that “holy smokes” What’s the biggest thing you’ve noticed about Peter DeBoer? moment, where they truly discover what it takes to be successful. What was Blackwood’s biggest “holy smokes” moment this year? “Very detailed in his game preparation.” “When I started to play a heavy workload and get many starts in a row. I Perhaps the greatest tribute to Fleury’s career is the fact that more and was enjoying playing and all the hockey, but it was more than I had ever more goalies are adopting his method of play. Your technique has to be done consecutively in such a short period of time. I realized how hard the good, but if technique can’t make the save, find a desperate way to do it. grind of the season was, and that it’s a hard league to be successful in day in and day out. If you had a good game last night, today is a new “I love it. Those saves are the ones that make me smile, even watching day, and that if you want to have success tomorrow, you have to keep other goalies make them. That makes me have fun playing the games.” pushing every day to try and keep improving.” It’s always sunny in Fleury’s world, an important trait in these times. It’s the old saying: You’re only as good as your last game. But he’s found a higher level. People have noticed. Does Blackwood say to himself, “I 29. When I was looking up Ben Bishop’s statistical information, I did a know now I will be a starter in this league?” double-take at the fact this is his 12th pro season. I wouldn’t have guessed he’d been around that long. He still laughs about his big-league “I feel happy about how my game is progressing, but I have levels I can debut. get to that I’m not quite at just yet. You always need to keep pushing to keep your game up and try to improve each day. I think this year I proved “I was 21 when I played my first NHL game,” he said. “At that age, you to myself and others that I can play in this league and play well, but I think you are ready. As I look back, I know I was not anywhere close. know I’m just starting, and it’s going to be a fun experience trying to get Two weeks into my first season, I played my first game. It’s pretty funny, better and push our team forward. I definitely have belief in myself that I it was the one where Sarah Palin dropped the puck in St. Louis.” can be a starting goalie, but the most important thing to me is that “Manny Legace hurt his groin in the pre-game,” Bishop continued, “and whenever I’m getting a chance to start I want to give my team the best they told me, ‘You better be ready here.’ I was like, ‘What?’” chance to win, and play my game with all the little details to the best of my abilities.” Bishop entered after the first period. The Blues were down 2-0 to Los Angeles. He stopped 15 of 17 in a 4-0 loss. 32. If Darcy Kuemper hadn’t been hurt, he’d have the inside track on the Vezina. The injury was rough timing for him and the Coyotes. What did “I’m thinking, ‘I can do this, yes!’ I was naive at that age; reality sets in the first half of the year mean to him? pretty quick. Now I feel like I’m getting better every year. I’m more confident every season, with the knowledge I gain about the little things “Before I got hurt, it was a lot of fun to be playing lots and contributing. As you need to play this position and be successful.” a team we were battling for first place in the division. It was a lot of fun to be a part of that.” Dallas is tied with Colorado for the second-best five-on-five save percentage in the NHL, at .932. That’s .001 behind Boston’s .933. The What did you notice about the Coyotes while watching? Stars’ 2.52 goals against average is second behind the Bruins’ 2.39. “It was not fun watching being out. What I really noticed about our team, I Dallas allows 1.6 more shots per game, though, so I asked Bishop to kind of already knew…. The strength of our team is our depth. When we make the case for he and Anton Khudobin as the best goalie tandem in get all of the lines going, it’s really hard for teams to match up with us. the NHL. We’re not really counting on one line to score. That’s hard to defend “Well, it’s a bunch of different things. Khudobin’s been unbelievable this against.” year. (Goalie coach) Jeff Reese has done an excellent job with us, I wanted to specifically ask about Phil Kessel and Hall. What do you see making sure we are both ready to play. As a team, we take care of the from them up close and in practice? defensive end; protect our net-front and work our way out from there.” “They were really well-received in the locker room. They fit in right away Bishop’s played 44 games, 14 more than Khudobin — but he circled and the guys loved being around them.” back to praise his partner once again. Not surprisingly, Kuemper liked the challenge of practising against them. “It’s a lot of fun playing with him.” “They’re both elite shooters… unbelievable shots. I get to face them all Dallas was my pre-season pick to win the Stanley Cup. And, while I think the time and they keep me sharp.” they are definitely built for the post-season, they haven’t been scoring much lately, just nine goals in their last six games. How tough is it to play One final lesson there from a goalie having a big year: practise the way when the margins are so thin? you want to play and things will be just fine. ”I wouldn’t say it is tougher. I’ve been around long enough to know that 33. Disappointed this week for all the CHL and NCAA players whose you can’t play every game perfectly. You just have to play your way junior/college careers ended without a final attempt at a championship. through it. If we don’t score, I don’t even worry about it. It’s a long season (And, really, that goes for players of all ages around the world.) Some of — there are droughts. We have a lot of talent and we know our guys are those players will go on to the next level. For many others, it is game going to score. I don’t feel any pressure; (Khudobin) doesn’t, either. You over and that absolutely sucks. For next week, I’d like to highlight some can’t go into a game thinking, ‘I’ve got to be perfect,’ because you can’t of them. My DMs are open, and I’m willing to listen to suggestions. be that way every game. We’ve got a good team.”

30. When Bishop played in Tampa, he took batting practice with the MLB Rays and hit four home runs. If he played for the Astros, and knew what Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.26.2020 pitches were coming, how many homers could he hit? “I’d be lucky to hit the ball,” he laughed. “I’m not going to be greedy enough to say I’d hit a home run. I’d just be happy enough to hit it.” Bishop added he once got the opportunity to stand next to the bullpen plate when a Houston pitcher threw some pre-game warmup. When he 1173044 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / NHL instructs players, team staff to extend self-quarantine another 10 days

Chris Johnston | @reporterchris March 24, 2020, 6:54 PM

The NHL has instructed players and team staff to extend their period of self-quarantine by another 10 days amid the spread of the COVID-19 virus. That message was shared with general managers during Tuesday’s call with senior league officials. Clubs had originally been asked to observe self-quarantine through Friday, but will now remain in isolation at home until April 6. With the season on pause, the goal is to allow enough time for symptoms to present themselves — so far only two NHL players, both Ottawa Senators, have tested positive for coronavirus — and to keep the community as free from the fast-spreading virus as possible before next steps can be taken. The league has said that it would like to eventually reopen team facilities to small groups for voluntary workouts if conditions allow. That would precede a training camp period before any resumption of play. In a March 16 memo, the league said its objective was to “provide high- level guidance on the potential of opening a training camp period roughly 45 days” into a 60-day window provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where it advised against holding gatherings larger than 50 people. That 45-day marker arrives on April 30 and will still be used as a check-in time to see if there is enough information to determine a timeline for training camp, according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Players have spread across North America and Europe since the NHL was forced to halt its season on March 12. There were still 189 games remaining in a regular season that was 85 per cent completed at that point. The league has since established two competitive priorities — doing whatever it can to award a Stanley Cup this season, while not compromising its ability to hold a full campaign next year — and could potentially play into August now that the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed until 2021.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173045 Websites “If you take that environment, you can see why disease transmission can occur very quickly within a team,” said Meuwisse.

The window for the NHL to stage the Stanley Cup playoffs now stretches Sportsnet.ca / NHL's path to return still unclear as COVID-19 shows no into August, but it will need to see the spread of coronavirus curtailed signs of slowing well beforehand. The league hopes to eventually have players progress from self-quarantine to working out in small groups to a training camp-like setting before it can resume games. Chris Johnston | @reporterchris In the meantime, all it can do is wait. March 25, 2020, 4:06 PM “Once we get to the tail end of this pandemic, where hopefully the curve has been flattened and the health care resources are not overloaded and the disease rates start to fall, at that point obviously the risk of getting As the NHL tries to hold out hope for a resumption of play on the other people back together — not just our players, but our staff and everybody side of the COVID-19 pandemic, its chief medical officer provided a — is going to be a lot lower,” said Meuwisse. sobering reminder of where we are right now. “Depending on what the timeframe is, depending on the shape of that “It’s difficult to predict where the pandemic is going and what the timeline curve and depending on the remaining risk and transmission rates, that’s will be, but we do expect this is going to get worse before it gets better,” I think going to help guide us in terms of the timing.” Dr. Winne Meuwisse said Wednesday. That’s significant because it means there’s no end in sight to the first Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.26.2020 phase of the three-phase process the league needs to complete before this paused season can be resumed. All that’s been accomplished with players in self-quarantine since March 12 is to establish that very few of them contracted the virus during their work-related travels around North America. As much as it’s good news that there have only been two positive tests among NHLers so far — “I don’t know if surprised is a better word or thankful is a better word,” said Meuwisse — it doesn’t necessarily mean that the path to playing games has gotten any clearer. With the pandemic still only “just entering the rapid acceleration phase,” in the words of Meuwisse, the league decided Tuesday to push back the period of self-quarantine for players and team staff to April 4. And they’re very likely to push it back even further before facilities can be reopened for players to start skating and working out in small groups. “That’s a meaningless date really at this point in time,” deputy commissioner Bill Daly said on Wednesday’s conference call with a handful of reporters. “As we get closer to this date, we’re going to have to make decisions as to what to do then. But we’re biting this off in chunks.” They are at the mercy of higher authorities and the spread of the virus itself. The guidance being given to Meuwisse is changing daily. He’s in constant communication with Dr. Bruce Farber — an infectious disease consultant who was retained by the NHL a couple weeks ago — and his medical counterparts in the NBA, NFL and MLB. He’s also closely tracking the spread of COVID-19 and indicated that there would need to be evidence of a significant slowing before players would be granted permission to resume training together. “While it’s rapidly accelerating, the risk in the general population’s probably increasing rather than decreasing, so until we see where the peak is going to be and how high that peak is going to be, it’s really difficult to give a definitive timeline,” he said. “I mean, if we think about bringing people back, we’d want to have some confidence that the players and the staff themselves are healthy, some confidence the players were not infectious at that time and that bringing them back together — even in small groups — would not increase the risk of contracting or transmitting the coronavirus,” Meuwisse added. It’s not something under any degree of consideration now. The league included Dr. Farber, its infectious disease consultant, on Monday’s teleconference with the board of governors. He was able to provide a clear-eyed view of the challenges the NHL will face to complete this season with several jurisdictions around the continent having declared a state of emergency or enacted a lockdown for its citizens. The coronavirus lives on surfaces and can be spread easily in the close confines of the team environment. It’s not a coincidence that both positive tests came from the Ottawa Senators following a trip through California, one of the early hotspots for the outbreak in the United States. While the NHL already has stringent policies in place when it comes to disinfecting and cleaning shared dressing room areas — having experienced previous outbreaks of the mumps and H1N1 — Meuwisse said those standards will be reviewed because of COVID-19. But there’s only so much that can be done. 1173046 Websites His personalized goal calls – and the fans’ reaction to them — have inspired NHL announcers in Detroit, New Jersey and Toronto to do something similar. Sportsnet.ca / Canucks announcer helps fans get through shutdown with Murdoch has been posting one goal call per day on Twitter personal goal calls (@ALMURDOCH) but does three on “hat-trick Thursdays.” Murdoch said: “Some of the comments I’m getting… I’ll read you one: ‘My kids are going stir crazy and are emotional about what’s going on in Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet the world. We’re loving these videos and appreciating what you’re doing because it’s bringing a little bit of hope and happiness to Canucks fans March 25, 2020, 9:35 PM everywhere.’ “You just want to make people think about something a little bit different VANCOUVER – With the Vancouver Canucks shut down and everyone than all of the other stuff we’re thinking about right now.” worrying about far bigger things than hockey, Al Murdoch wanted to help and offered the most valuable things he could: his voice and a little happiness. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.26.2020 The National Hockey League team’s in-arena announcer started taking goal-call requests from fans and posting videos of those calls online. He had no idea what he was getting into. “We’re getting into hundreds and hundreds of requests,” Murdoch said Wednesday in a telephone interview from his home studio in Port Moody, east of Vancouver. “And not only from people in B.C., but all over Canada, the States, Mexico, Australia, Croatia. This has literally gone worldwide. “I’m getting requests from other parts of the country asking me to do Oilers calls and Leafs calls. As much as I’d like to, that’s not going to happen.” He isn’t even doing Canucks calls, really. After starting with a few fictitious Vancouver goal calls to mark the first home game fans would miss, March 15 against the Winnipeg Jets, Murdoch decided the calls should be personalized. A kid who is missing out on his own hockey season, for instance, can score with assists from his dad and grandpa. “People wanted to hear Jake Virtanen’s 19th and 20th goals,” Murdoch, 54, explained. “They wanted to hear more points for Quinn Hughes, so he would break more rookie records. But I didn’t want to take away goal announcements that are eventually going to happen. Every goal and every point is a milestone to these guys, and I didn’t want to take those away from current Canuck players. “I asked people to personalize them. If you’d like to have your name, or your kid’s name, your family name, a neighbour or co-worker’s name on a goal call, you’ll never get to hear that ever in your life. So I just put it out there and the response has been just massive. “I got one (request) from a guy in Saskatchewan who has multiple sclerosis and so the game of hockey was taken away from him. But I could announce a goal with his name and the name of his older brother, who is still playing hockey. Those are the ones that make me think: Maybe I’m doing a good thing here.” Murdoch began his career as a radio broadcaster, and had a morning show on CKLG in Vancouver when basketball’s Vancouver Grizzlies arrived in 1995. He auditioned to be the NBA team’s announcer and got the job on the spot. “Their one and only announcer; never missed a game,” he said. By the time the Grizzlies abandoned Vancouver in 2001, Murdoch had left radio to focus fulltime on his voice business. In recent years, he has voiced film trailers for Star Wars’ The Last Jedi and The Avenger movies, did commercials for Budweiser that ran during the Super Bowl, and been the announcer voice for numerous video games, some of them produced by EA Sports here. He did his first Canucks game in 2011, and became the full-time announcer at Rogers Arena in 2018 when his friend and mentor, the iconic John Ashbridge, passed away. This season, the NHL hired Murdoch to work its Stadium Series and announce the Winter Classic. His said his favourite goal call was Daniel Sedin’s overtime winner, on an assist by Henrik, in the brothers’ final game in Vancouver on April 5, 2018. “I don’t know if the crowd even heard it because they were cheering so loud,” Murdoch said. “I knew that was the last goal we were ever going to see from the Sedins at Rogers Arena, and we also announced the three stars and made Daniel and Henrik the first star. That was pretty cool for sure.” 1173047 Websites Doing this, we can see how certain players can beat their expected goals based on either volume or shot location selection. Alex Ovechkin for example, does not produce the shot volume on the power play that he does at even strength. He doesn’t pinch into the net front like he does at Sportsnet.ca / A look at the NHL's most efficient power-play forwards 5-vs-5 either, preferring to stick to his ‘Ovi spot’ or even drift up to the point in swapping spots with John Carlson.

Ovi gets a fair amount of shots from the high slot, but the biggest factor in Andrew Berkshire | @AndrewBerkshire his scoring is that a whopping 62.4 per cent of his shots are one-timers, March 25, 2020, 2:00 PM three times the league average. Steven Stamkos is the league leader in that area, with 64.3 per cent of his shots being one-timers, and he also leads all players in shot attempts Whether it’s shooters, playmakers, or the defensive-zone breakout kings, from the high slot per 20 minutes of power-play time. As scary as Tampa we’ve taken some good looks at even-strength offence in the NHL this Bay has looked in the second half of this season, Stamkos has been season, re-visiting three examinations we started in pre-season using startlingly unlucky in his power-play shooting. data from 2018-19. From the inner slot, you can see there are fewer one-timers as a natural With our venture into previously examined territory and updates for this function of it being more difficult to complete passes to that area and season complete, it’s time to do something new, but in the same style of more difficult to wind up with the limited space available to shoot from. analysis. Let’s look at the power play. Evander Kane and Hornqvist lead the pack in inner slot shots, and Simmonds is that tiny dot with the third-most inner slot shot attempts, but My first instinct when looking at power plays was to see if there was a only two per cent of his shots on goal are one-timers. way to give a full view of which forwards create the most offence with the man advantage, but the trouble with power plays is that they’re very tied There aren’t many players who can take a truly balanced approach at to strategy more than simply just a talented player breaking through an shooting from the slot on the power play because of how defined roles opponent’s defence. Often this means players have extremely specific are, but the best among them is Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron is able to roles in which they can excel, but not necessarily rack up the numbers in cover the whole slot area, attacking from the high slot with a strong 43 the underlying offensive metrics. per cent of his shots being one-timers, and pinching into the net front to bang home chances often, as I’m sure Leafs fans can attest to. For example, a net-front presence will get lots of shots from the inner slot, but they won’t look great from the high slot, they won’t get many Mark Scheifele and Anthony Beauvillier play similar styles to Bergeron on one-timers, and they won’t make many great passes either. That doesn’t the power play, though neither are able to equal his shot volume. mean they aren’t vitally important and highly impactful, but with the man advantage we may need to start out in the general sense and then Next up, let’s look at the playmakers. compartmentalize to show specific strengths, rather than say one player With the same idea in mind that we used for shooters, with the axes set is ‘the best.’ at league averages, we can contrast slot passes with east-west passes Starting out in the general sense, let’s take a look at which forwards have for forwards, with the size of the bubbles for each player representing the the strongest on-ice impact on their teams’ power plays in creating the number of completed one-timer passes they make every 20 minutes. highest quality plays relative to when they’re not on the ice. There’s much McDavid is the league’s best forward at completing slot passes, which less power-play time than 5-vs-5 time obviously, so we’ll limit the sample isn’t a huge surprise, but just like when we looked at his own one-timers to forwards who have played at least 80 minutes while up a man. at even strength, his team is letting him down at releasing those shots Looking at things this way, there are some advantages and quickly. disadvantages. On the good side, you get to control for how strong a Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson is the reverse McDavid, with just a slightly team’s power play is overall and avoid just having all the players from the above league average number of slot passes, but leading all forwards in league’s top power play-unit at the top. On the bad side, you do see full, cross-ice East-West passes. Like McDavid though, his team is letting some issues like one very good power-play unit on a team standing head him down and not releasing those pucks quickly enough to create tons of and shoulders above another not very good unit. one-timers. You can see in San Jose, for example, that the Sharks’ entire top unit is Between those two players you have the most versatile group that’s able rated crazy well on a relative scale, which is helped by the injuries the to complete both slot passes and East-West passes in about equal team has suffered, with a second unit before the season was suspended measure, with the best of all of them being Nikita Kucherov. What makes consisting of Stefan Noesen, Marcus Sorensen, and Noah Gregor. Kucherov such a weapon on the power play is that he can hit those Easier to stand out in that situation. dangerous passes to any space, and he’s dangerous shooter on top of it Overall, the highest impact player for on-ice offence is Sidney Crosby, all. which is a name that makes sense, and a top-end net-front presence in Behind Kucherov you have a group of elite playmakers all bunched Patric Hornqvist is right there with him. together in Evgeni Malkin, Nathan MacKinnon, Max Domi, Patrick Kane, Taylor Hall also comes across extremely well both in New Jersey and in Mitch Marner, Draisaitl, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Blake Wheeler. Arizona, with the biggest impact on slot passes relative to teammates of The one that stands out the most to me, though, is Wheeler. He is a any forward in the league. Hall is both an incredible playmaker and versatile playmaker anyway, and has been a top-two presence in someone who draws defenders towards him to create space for others, scoring-chance creation on the power play with Claude Giroux over the so that makes a lot of sense. last four seasons, but it’s how well Wheeler has his passes converted On the other hand, there’s some weird stuff that pops up, like Alex into one-timers that’s truly impressive. Chiasson having among the best on-ice impacts on the power play this Wheeler’s passes turn into one-timers on net 7.4 times every 20 minutes, season, but despite what you may think he’s been pretty good there. Still, which is nearly five times the league average. Whether it’s the right cast there’s likely a lot of noise in there from Connor McDavid and Leon of supporting players to convert them or a special quality to Wheeler’s Draisaitl that throws everything off. vision or pass placement, that’s incredible. Wayne Simmonds remains an incredible driver of net-front shots, though Who is ‘the best’ is going to be highly subjective here, but seeing how the his teams tend to struggle on passing plays with him on the ice as well, data can visualize different playing styles and isolate those who are which isn’t necessarily his fault but could be an indication that his effective within them is always interesting. teammates are looking for tips or rebounds instead of puck movement while he’s on the ice. As expected, in a general look we haven’t solved anything, so let’s Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.26.2020 compartmentalize and look at shooters. I did something a little different this time in order to show more data, with the usual setup of two metrics on the two axes set at the league average for each, but this time each player’s data point is in bubble form, with the size of the bubble representing the percentage of their shots on goal that are one-timers. 1173048 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Stanley Cup odds: Where do Canadian teams sit?

OddsShark Staff March 25, 2020, 10:43 PM

As the NHL shutdown enters its third week, with the resumption date of the season and playoffs still in question, the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to lead all Canadian teams as a +1800 wager on the Stanley Cup odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Winners of just one of their last four games before the NHL suspended play on March 12 due to the widening COVID-19 pandemic, the Maple Leafs were holding a tenuous grip on third place in the Atlantic Division standings, and remained far from assured of a playoff spot. However, with a lineup that has been plagued by injury all season long the Maple Leafs could benefit from the unexpected break, and they have enjoyed a slight boost of late in their Stanley Cup odds, which sat a step back at +2000 going into the league shutdown. Facing injury troubles of their own, the Edmonton Oilers sit second to Toronto among Canadian teams at +2200 on the latest Stanley Cup odds at online sports betting sites, ahead of the Vancouver Canucks at +2800, and the Calgary Flames at +3300. Sitting just three points back of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division, Edmonton had looked poised to return to the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2017. However, like Toronto, the Oilers have endured a recent rash of injuries that sidelined several regulars including Connor McDavid, James Neal, Mike Green, and Kris Russell. For the Flames and Canucks, the shutdown has clouded where, and if, they would start postseason play. The Flames sit in third place in the Pacific Division, four points back of Edmonton. But if the NHL elects to jump right into the playoffs upon a return to action, and bases seeding on points percentage rather than total points, Calgary could find itself facing a tougher playoff road as the second wild card in the Western Conference. As for the Canucks, they entered the shutdown deadlocked with Nashville in the hunt for the second wild card in the West, with tiebreakers giving the final playoff spot to the Predators. However, Vancouver’s points percentage would move it past Calgary into third place in the Pacific Division, and hand the Canucks their first playoff berth in five years. Winners of four straight games before play was suspended, the Winnipeg Jets currently own the top wild card in the Western Conference but lag at +5500 on the Stanley Cup betting futures, while the Montreal Canadiens trail at a distant +100000 on those NHL odds. The league-leading Boston Bruins continue to maintain their perch as +600 Stanley Cup favourites, just ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights at +700, and the Colorado Avalanche at +800, with the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues both at +900.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173049 Websites goals by a defenceman, which he set in 1977 by firing five (on five shots!) past the Red Wings.

Third pairing: Morgan Rielly•, Allan Stanley Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs all-time Dream Team for Game 7 of Stanley Slick-skating Rielly, so often the fourth man in the rush, should thrive in a Cup Final sheltered third-pairing role. To his side, knowing where to stand, is stay- at-home Stanley. A four-time Cup champ and Hall of Famer, Stanley earned the nicknames “Snowshoes” and “Silent Sam” for his slow feet, Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox but that’s OK. Rielly can fly; Stanley can guard the fort, kill penalties and clear out the crease. March 25, 2020, 12:08 PM Goalies

Starting goalie: Johnny Bower Until we hear “hockey’s back!” the two most glorious words in sport remain “Game 7.” No. 1 in your program, No. 1 in your heart, No. 1 on our depth chart. When everything’s on the line, sources say you go with the four-time Cup For a fun exercise — because, really, what else is left? — we spun champ and two-time Vezina winner. Beware the poke check. through history and selected the ultimate, all-time Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup we’d dress in a Stanley Cup final Game 7. Backup goalie: Turk Broda Heart and grit, hands and experience, leadership and skill… these 20 If Bower is having an off night, we can always turn to the Leafs’ other serial winners have the right balance to take the prize. two-time Vezina winner. A five-time Cup hoister coming off the bench? Yes, please. Naturally, you will disagree with almost all of our choices (sorry, Charlie Conacher; deepest apologies, Phil Kessel), so we will socially distance Emergency backup goalie: David Ayres ourselves from the comments. Undefeated. Forwards Coaching staff First line: Darryl Sittler, Dave Keon, George Armstrong Head coach: Pat Quinn Yep, we’re kicking it old school for puck drop. Imagine the thunderous tone set by Keon as he glides to the dot for the opening draw, a potential Assistants: Pat Burns, Punch Imlach 10-point night to the greatest Maple Leafs left, the final goal-scorer of the If this group can’t motivate the players, no one can. Sure, these vibrant era to his right. Three Hall of Famers, three long-serving A-type personalities would inevitably clash over time, but three elite Toronto captains, three sure-fire talents. hockey minds can come together for 60 minutes of magic. Second line: Auston Matthews•, Mats Sundin, Mitch Marner Healthy scratches: King Clancy, Hap Day, Red Kelly. Lefty Matthews slides to wing so he and Sundin take draws on their strong sides, and Marner gets to work his magic and set up the big boys for tap-ins and one-timers. Because the Keon line draws the harder Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.26.2020 matchups, this deadly second unit feasts on the opposition and is primarily given offensive-zone starts. Third line: Frank Mahovlich, Syl Apps, Lanny McDonald Yes, Mahovlich is the highest-scoring left winger in franchise history, a six-time Cup champ, a Summit Series winner, and one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history. But he’s also a big body with soft hands. Apps — another former captain renowned for his character as well as his strength and athleticism — acts as the unit’s chief puck-distributor and shutdown guy. (Legends Milt Schmidt and both dubbed Apps the greatest centre they ever went head-to-head with.) McDonald injects heart, leadership and the high possibility of a clutch goal. Fourth line: Doug Gilmour, Ted Kennedy, Wendel Clark Featuring another trio of captains, the ultimate all-time Leafs fourth line brings snarl and heart and the threat of depth scoring. Any coach would feel comfortable rolling all four lines with this group. The feisty Gilmour is happy to inject energy farther down the bench, just as he did with the golden 1987 Canada Cup squad, and the onetime Selke champ would have no issue defend the best in the biz. Kennedy — the Leafs’ most recent Hart winner and cornerstone of the NHL’s first — made a fierce forecheck his calling card. And Clark? Well, when the whistles get tucked in Game 7, a little toughness can go a long way. (Bonus: If one of the six defencemen gets injured, Clark can slide back to the position he grew up playing.) Defence First pairing: Borje Salming•, Tim Horton With a thinner crop to choose from on the blue line, the top defensive pairing is nearly a no-brainer. And considering they’ll have all summer to rest, we might just throw Salming and Horton over the boards for 40 minutes. Salming — one of the 100 greatest players and the best Leafs defender or fight me — can drive offence, control pace and inject fear. The sturdy Horton is calm under pressure, and his elite vision and hands allow him to carry the puck out of the zone. Second pairing: Tomas Kaberle, Ian Turnbull As the second-highest-scoring Leafs defenceman, Kaberle can run one of the power-play units all day and spark the rush 5-on-5. The six-foot, 200-pound Turnbull slides in as the duo’s anchor, while still capable of blasting the puck past goaltenders. He still holds the league record for 1173050 Websites twice in the QMJHL for illegal checks and also suffered a knee injury while playing for Team Canada that kept him out of two games at the World Junior Championship. TSN.CA / Projected No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere content to play waiting He also showed scouts an impressive physical edge in the Czech game Republic that helped cement his status, notching 10 points in five tournament games, along with a gritty return from what appeared to be a gruesome knee injury. Frank Seravalli Lafreniere was looking forward to translating that win on the world stage to a win on the Memorial Cup stage.

“It was a really big moment for me,” Lafreniere said of the World Juniors. For Alexis Lafreniere, June 26 was more than just a date circled on the “Growing up, you dream about it and last year [2019] we didn’t get the calendar. result we wanted. To be able to win that, that was for sure one of the big It was slated to be his moment – the projected No. 1 overall prodigy with moments in my career so far.” franchise-changing ability stepping onto the stage, slipping on his new So now, Lafreniere waits – like the rest of the hockey world. He believes sweater for the first time. he can be ready to step into the NHL next season with the help of the Not just any stage, either. exercise equipment at home in Saint-Eustache. The planned arrival of the next Great Quebec Hope inside a roaring Bell “I think I can get stronger even if I train at my house,” Lafreniere said. “I Centre was either a stroke of luck or a stroke of choreographed genius stay in shape, you know, just work as hard as I can to try and gain some by the NHL to host the 2020 Draft in Montreal – a stone’s throw from the strength so when [hockey] is going to come back, I’m going to be ready.” suburb where he grew up in Saint-Eustache, Quebec. He is getting reacquainted with his family, familiar faces that he hasn’t Draft week was quickly coming into focus. A dinner reservation was set had much time with since he’s been living with a billet family in Rimouski for his family and the proud agency representing him in the Old Port. Key for the last three seasons. And he is cracking the books. Lafreniere is sponsor events were lined up. Family and friends were ready to snap up hunkered down and studying to complete his high school courses on tickets. time. And now ...? Most importantly, Lafreniere is handling everything with the proper dose of perspective. The NHL officially postponed the 2020 Draft and Draft Lottery on Wednesday. With the season's end undetermined, it is unclear when Whether he ends up with the Ottawa Senators or Detroit Red Wings, or either will take place, or if a scaled-down version will be required – like the Draft is held at a packed Bell Centre or via teleconference, it’s all out the one held in late July of 2005 in a downtown Ottawa hotel where the of his hands. Pittsburgh Penguins picked Sidney Crosby coming out of the 2004-05 “I really live it day-by-day and try to control what I can control. If the Draft lockout-cancelled season. It is also unclear whether Montreal would still is online, it will be different for us, but we’ll still enjoy our time and be host the Draft, whether it would be open to fans, or whether it might be happy.” Lafreniere said. “The most important thing is that everyone stays conducted via video conference online. healthy.” There is no doubt that would bring disappointment, but it’s a brave new world since the COVID-19 outbreak and Lafreniere says he isn’t sweating the details. TSN.CA LOADED: 03.26.2020 “You know, for sure, it would be a little bit different,” Lafreniere said on Wednesday on a conference call with reporters when asked about a Draft different than he might’ve envisioned. “I think it’s still an honour to get drafted by an NHL team. It’s really special. “Maybe it’s going to be different, we don’t know yet. But day-by-day, we’ll see what happens.” Just about the only certainty is that Lafreniere will be the first player chosen in the NHL Draft, whenever and wherever that occurs. He emerged from the World Junior Championship in January with a gold medal and as the undisputed No. 1 overall prospect. Since the Canadian Hockey League announced last week the cancellation of the remainder of the major junior seasons, league playoffs and Memorial Cup tournament, coupled with the IIHF’s previous cancellation of the World Under-18 tournament, no one else will be able to mount a challenge. Lafreniere, 18, finished his final season of junior hockey with a staggering 35 goals and 112 points in just 52 games. His number 11 will one day be hanging in the rafters among the other Oceanic greats, including Crosby and – in a veritable No. 1 pick factory in Rimouski. When asked whether he thought he’d done enough to carry on that tradition, Lafreniere responded: “I tried my best to play as good as I could in every game I was in. There’s some really good players around the world. You never know who is going to go No. 1, but I tried my best to play as good as I could.” The tougher pill to swallow, Lafreniere said, was not being able to mount a challenge for the Memorial Cup. The Oceanic had been building towards this season for three years. “For sure, it was tough news for me. We all understand and it’s serious,” Lafreniere said. “It’s a little bit sad that the season came to an end quickly like this. We had a great team this year and we believed we could do something special. “It went by really quick. It’s sad that I won’t get to play with these guys again, but it’s hockey and you’ve got to move on at some point.” Really, the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting cancellations were a cap for Lafreniere’s rather strange draft-eligible campaign. He was suspended 1173051 Websites

USA TODAY / Dallas Stars executives Jim Lites and Jim Nill take 50% pay cut to help team employees

Mike Brehm USA TODAY

As NHL teams begin laying off workers or cutting pay because of the uncertainty of the length of the coronavirus shutdown, one team's management corps is taking another strategy. Dallas Stars president Jim Lites and general manager Jim Nill took a voluntary 50% pay cut, according to ESPN. "We're just looking to help somebody else," Nill told the network. "Jim and I are very fortunate. The game's been great to us. But within our organization, we have a lot of younger people working who live paycheck to paycheck. We hope this is something that can help them down the road." Pittsburgh Penguins executives David Morehouse and Jim Rutherford earlier took undisclosed pay cuts, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Stars owner Tom Gaglardi and billionaire father Bob run Northland Properties, but Nill noted that the business is involved in hotels and restaurants, which have been hit hard by the pandemic. “The Gaglardis have been really good to us, they’ve always said yes to us on things we’ve needed to do to build the franchise," Lites told The Dallas Morning News. "I feel a personal thanks to them, they’ve been really good to both of us.” Uncertainty remains about when sports can resume as coronavirus cases increase. The NHL paused the season on March 12 and recently told players and staff to remain in self-isolation until April 6. Wednesday, the NHL postponed the scouting combine, draft and NHL Awards show, which were scheduled for June. The Boston Bruins are among teams with cutbacks, with Delaware North announcing that starting April 1, 68 full-time salaried employees at the team and TD Garden will go on temporary leave and another 82 will have their pay cut. The Montreal Canadiens are doing temporary layoffs, too, and have set up an assistance fund for affected workers. Nill told ESPN that the Stars are still discussing finances and staffing. "But we felt that if we got ahead of this ourselves, maybe that helps out that part of it," he said.

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173052 Websites

USA TODAY / TD Garden, home of Bruins and Celtics, cutting staff, pay during coronavirus shutdown

Chris Bumbaca USA TODAY

Ushers at TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins, have been laid off while events have been shut down during the coronavirus pandemic. Employees received a letter Tuesday from Delaware North, owner of TD Garden, stating that the workers, who are employed part-time, "will not be scheduled until the conditions at our unit allows us to resume normal operations." The letter said workers "may be eligible" for unemployment benefits, per the Boston Globe. Delaware North also said Wednesday that 150 full-time employees would be affected by cuts. "Effective April 1, 2020, 68 of our full-time salaried associates will be placed on temporary leave, receiving one week of paid leave and eight weeks of full benefits," Delaware North said in a statement. "Additionally, as of April 1, 2020, 82 of our full-time salaried associates will receive an indefinite salary reduction. Those associates not impacted by the temporary leave or salary reduction have employment contracts." No timetable has been set for the return of the NBA or NHL season. One affected employee, who spoke to the Globe on the condition of anonymity, said the letter was the first form of communication he had with the company in the last two weeks despite the mounting uncertainty of the situation. "The coronavirus has had significant implications across all of Delaware North’s lines of business, including at your unit," the letter read. "All the major sports leagues suspended their seasons, governments are requiring closures and reduction of capacity at certain venues, tourism has declined, events have been canceled, and more people are simply staying home. Due to this, the company has no choice but to ensure that we are appropriately staffed." Over the weekend, Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who is worth $3.1 billion, said it was putting $1.5 million aside to compensate employees for missed home games, but not until the games were officially canceled. "As relayed to our associates today, none of these decisions were reached without difficult and painful deliberations," Delaware North's statement said. "These measures are intended to be temporary with associate employment and compensation returning once our business resumes to its normal state from this unprecedented stoppage."

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173053 Websites and could lose that revenue if games are officially canceled and they have to give it back to customers.

StubHub and other re-sellers are “rooting for postponement” and USA TODAY / Need a refund on those tickets to NBA, NHL or baseball rescheduled games because of this, Knopp said. games? Hold that thought The tension stems from teams and ticket marketplaces engaging in a business-as-usual postponement policy at a time that is decidedly not business as usual for consumers. Brent Schrotenboer Refund policies can vary by team, but many team websites and USA TODAY messages essentially tell fans to "hold onto your tickets" for possible future use.

"NBA (you're) losing a lot of fans who need their ticket refund money," a Tensions are starting to simmer between professional sports teams and Twitter user identified as Jimmie Huddleston wrote last week. some of their best customers. The Los Angeles Lakers have a slightly different message, stating that After postponing games indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase "if you have travel or teams from the NBA, NHL and major league baseball are effectively health concerns related to any of the upcoming games." keeping the money of customers who bought tickets to those games. Instead of giving cash refunds, these businesses have operated under Other season-ticket holders bristled when their accounts were charged their normal ticket policies for postponed or rained-out games – holding as normal by teams that collect money from them on payment plans, the money as credit to be used whenever their games resume. including this month by the Cleveland Indians. But these aren’t normal times, and these are not normal postponements. “Our season-ticket holders who are on a payment plan had their March And with the nation’s economy continuing to crater, ticket holders want payment processed because Major League Baseball is currently still their money back in cash, even if those games haven’t yet been officially planning to play a full season of games,” team spokesman Bart Swain canceled. wrote in an e-mail. “We will not be charging any additional payments unless MLB provides guidance at that time that we plan to play a full “It’s a disaster," said Tony Knopp, CEO of TicketManager, which helps season of games. As soon as we learn a game is cancelled and not companies manage tickets for entertaining clients. rescheduled by MLB, we will offer fan-friendly value options to season- More than $1 billion in consumer capital is tied up in tickets to games that ticket holders to either exchange cancelled games or receive a refund.” are stuck in limbo because of the pandemic, according to conservative Likewise, NFL teams have deferred payment schedules on season estimates. It affects ticket holders of all stripes and trickles downstream tickets, including the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. to the secondary markets, such as StubHub, which faces its own financial reckoning if games are canceled. “Games and concerts have always been a break from daily life,” said Patrick Ryan, co-founder of Eventellect, a ticket sales strategy company. Many fans have shared their complaints on social media. “ I think people miss them badly. And therefore with the uncertainty “Absolutely ridiculous tickets can’t be refunded because there might be around live events they are wanting new dates to get set or the ability to 'make up’ games,’” a Twitter user identified as Mitchell Coleman wrote to get their money back.” the NHL. “Come off it. Not everyone can just jump on a plane and travel The indefinite wait is the big issue until then. And even if games are to the location to see a make up game. Wake up and refund me for my canceled, many of these teams and ticket sellers are still going to try to tickets purchased for Vegas.” hang onto the money through enticements, such as offering credit for Knopp, whose company works with several large businesses, said that next season with perks thrown in, Knopp said. StubHub said that “given even large companies who bought tickets to entertain clients are losing the current environment, if an event is canceled, customers can opt to patience. “People are losing their jobs and they’ve got money tied up in receive a StubHub coupon valued at 120% of the original purchase. This these tickets, for games we don’t know when they’re going to happen,” coupon can be applied toward a future event of their choosing.” Knopp said. In previous years, teams addressed mass cancellations of games by Ticket holders also are banging on the virtual doors of Ticketmaster and offering refunds plus interest, including for the NHL lockout of 2004-05. StubHub, which has a policy of not refunding games that haven’t been The NBA, NHL and MLB didn’t respond to requests for comment or officially canceled. referred questions on refund policies to individual teams. “If the event is postponed, ticket buyers can choose to either attend the The Chicago White Sox, as one example, sent a message to fans event on the new date or resell the ticket,” StubHub said in a statement. recently. Baseball’s opening day had been scheduled for March 26 but is “If the event is postponed to a future, undetermined date, StubHub will on hold until at least May. email the ticket holder as soon as the details are announced.” “To date, no games have been canceled,” the letter said. “Please hold If an event has been canceled, StubHub will provide a full refund, the onto your tickets until an official policy is announced.” company said. Other ticket sellers also are expected to offer refunds if events are officially canceled. The problem for ticket holders is these events have not been canceled. They’re postponed indefinitely as part of USA TODAY LOADED: 03.26.2020 the national effort to keep the coronavirus pandemic from spreading and spiking beyond the capacity of the U.S. healthcare system. Growing concerns over the economy have changed consumers' needs in the meantime. “People are out here unable to get basic necessities and @StubHub refuses to issue refunds until @MLB 'cancels’ games that tickets have been purchased for,” a Twitter user identified as Adam Erickson wrote last week. “I’m not getting what I paid for and in times like these, your companies need to do better. Do the right thing!” StubHub’s Twitter account responded to this complaint by saying it was sorry for his frustration but noted that tickets remain valid for a later date when the games are rescheduled. This reply didn’t go over well with the customer. “People can’t get water, toilet paper, daycare and your (sic) keeping millions of consumers dollars over a technicality,” Erickson responded back to StubHub. The teams and ticket marketplaces have their own financial obligations and staffing issues and aren't always eager to give back cash until it’s necessary. StubHub, for example, makes money from transaction fees 1173054 Websites

USA TODAY / Sixers, Devils back down on temporary salary cuts for employees

Steve Gardner USA TODAY

Bowing to public pressure Tuesday afternoon, the parent company of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils reversed a planned 20% pay cut for the teams' salaried employees announced earlier in the day. "Our commitment has been to do our best to keep all of our employees working through this very difficult situation," Josh Harris, founder of Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, said in a statement. "After listening to our staff and players, it’s clear that was the wrong decision. We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries. This is an extraordinary time in our world - unlike any most of us have ever lived through before - and ordinary business decisions are not enough to meet the moment. To our staff and fans, I apologize for getting this wrong." Upon learning of the planned salary cuts, Sixers star Joel Embiid -- who had already pledged $500,000 to coronavirus medical relief -- committed to helping team employees who would have suffered financial hardships. After the announcement, Embiid was one of the first to praise the team for "doing a 180." The NHL and NBA have suspended operations indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and all events at Prudential Center, which is owned and operated by HBSE, have been canceled or postponed through March. As part of an effort to do that we asked salaried employees to take a temporary 20% pay cut while preserving everyone’s full benefits -- and keeping our 1500 hourly workers paid throughout the regular season.

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173055 Websites

USA TODAY / Report: NHL is slashing salaries of league office employees

Chris Bumbaca USA TODAY

The NHL is temporarily slashing the salaries of league office employees by 25 percent, according to ESPN. With regular-season games suspended since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league is taking the measure to hopefully prevent layoffs, per ESPN, beginning April 1. While the NHL has not yet punted on finishing the 2019-20 season in some capacity, it has placed a priority on maintaining a full 82-game schedule in 2020-21. The ramifications of the suspended season will not only be felt in the league office. On Monday, it was revealed the New Jersey Devils (and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, which operate under the same ownership group) were temporarily reducing pay by 20 percent for its “at-will” employees – those making $50,000 or more – from April 15 through June. However a few hours later, 76ers managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement: "After listening to our staff and players, it’s clear that was the wrong decision. We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries." So far, two NHL players – both unnamed members of the Ottawa Senators – have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173056 World Leagues News

Cameraman who worked Jazz-Pistons game diagnosed with coronavirus, in coma

Yahoo Sports Vincent Goodwill and Dan WetzelYahoo SportsMarch 26, 2020

DETROIT — A camera operator who shot footage inside the Utah Jazz locker room after a March 7 game in Detroit is in a medically induced coma after being diagnosed with COVID-19, his friends said. The game was played just four days before the NBA suspended operations because of the coronavirus pandemic. The man, who is in his 50s, has worked for years as part of broadcast crews for NBA games at Little Caesars Arena, according to friends. That included the Jazz-Pistons contest where part of his assignment, according to coworkers, was filming postgame locker-room interviews for the broadcast feed that went back to Utah. Yahoo Sports is not naming the man due to privacy concerns. It is unknown where, when or how the man contracted the coronavirus. According to a friend, he began feeling ill about a week after the game. When home remedies didn’t work, he reported to a suburban area hospital on March 18. “He sent me a text saying, ‘Oh [expletive], they put me in an exam room with masks,’” friend Grov Tigue told Yahoo Sports. “At 11:11, he sent another one saying, ‘They say my oxygen level is low. They want to get it to a higher level.’ But he didn’t have a diagnosis yet. “Thursday I texted him about the [Darius] Slay trade [involving the Detroit Lions] and he replied at 1:18 on Thursday, ‘Still in the hospital,’” Tigue said. “Saturday I hit him at 6:47 a.m. Then he replied at 3:48 p.m. He said, ‘I’ll be out of touch for a day or so.’ Then I found out they were putting him into a coma. “[Doctors] couldn’t get his oxygen levels right. They pulled him out of the coma yesterday but put him back in,” Tigue said. Two members of the Utah Jazz, Rudy Gobert and Donavan Mitchell, have both announced they tested positive for the coronavirus. Additionally, Pistons forward Christian Wood confirmed he also had tested positive. Wood’s agent, Adam Pensack, said Wednesday his client is “fully recovered” from the virus. After Gobert tested positive on March 11, NBA commissioner Adam Silver decided to suspend the season, including pulling the Jazz and Thunder off the floor just before the start of their game in Oklahoma City. “I didn’t know he did the [Utah] game until I called him,” Tigue said. “When I called him that Wednesday, the 11th, he didn’t know anything about the games being canceled yet. While we were on the line, one of his bosses called him. Letting him know what to do next.” The man regularly works as a camera operator on NBA broadcasts, according to coworkers who requested anonymity due to employment concerns. Generally, non-nationally televised NBA games are filmed by crews associated with the home team. The footage is also sent back to the local or regional sports networks that carry the game for the road team. There are often additional camera responsibilities, such as filming the team play-by-play person and color analyst on the court pregame, focusing on a single player during action or getting coach and player reactions for a postgame show. Tigue’s friend often performed those tasks. Yahoo Sports: LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173057 World Leagues News younger again. The love of a team and passion of a sport for millions of kids across the country was torn away. Some will never get the opportunity to write their final chapter. Coronavirus may abruptly end athletic careers of high school seniors As a community, we owe the future the appreciation and acknowledgment of their work, even though we may not see the results of it for senior athletes in what would be their final season. By AARON JAMES Lock Haven Express LOADED: 03.26.2020

Those who were able, or fortunate enough, to play high school athletics know looking back on the prime of their lives how much we didn’t appreciate what we had when we had it. We hold those memories closer every day that has passed, and still continue to revel in our laughs with our team at such a young age. We remember the work we put in and the goals we accomplished. We laugh at the bus rides, we gloat about the achievements and we hold tight the memories of when it came to an end. We remember working every day to improve, and for many, over the course of multiple years, to go out in a glorifying way as a senior. As we all cope with the unexpected and unpredictable economic and lifestyle changes due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, it has put life into a different perspective for many. As adults, daughters, sons, employees, co-workers, friends and parents, we have viewed these past two weeks as extremely impactful. For some the bounce back will be easy, for some it will be extremely hard and dire. While most of us probably won’t miss out on any life altering opportunities or lose golden memories, high school athletes across the country are losing an important piece of their lives. I’m not saying high school athletics supersede the financial crisis many families are experiencing, but some futures will be altered from this global pandemic. As a community, it’s been more than incredible to watch the way businesses, neighbors, friends, teachers, families and so forth have helped and comfort those in need over the course of the past few weeks. Heads of households are being checked on constantly, parents in homes are lifted up by words of encouragement. But flying under the radar of potentially life altering impacts are high school seniors and athletes. The PIAA did what was necessary when they delayed the PIAA winter championships and Class AA swimming and diving championships. And while no official statement has been made on the state of spring sports, logic may lead you to the future decision. By this time, baseball and softball would be in full swing, track and field meets would be filled with commotion and athletes would be performing to reach that common goal the coaching staff has been trying to drive into their mindsets. Athletic programs aren’t built in a day, and certainly don’t magically turnover to the next wave of athletes as students graduate. Coaching staffs and these athletes work tirelessly to not only enjoy their time playing something they love, but to make a mark on their school and community, and for some, use it as a ticket to college. There are baseball programs around the country who had the nucleus needed this year to have the best season in school history and compete for a district or state title. Softball programs have seniors who would’ve had the opportunity to sketch their name into school history recording hits or this season. Track and field athletes have worked on the smallest parts of their form for their chance to wear that medal from the PIAA championship meet this season and may not be able to. Kids were ready to compete to finish convincing a coach they were worth the time and scholarship. And sadly that could be no more. As we continue to lift each other up in the community daily, let’s remember to lift up the kids that may not be thought of when we think about the impact from this pandemic. Let’s not forget our golden days, and every ounce of enjoyment we still remember when we reminisce on our high school sports experiences. Let’s help these young athletes still remain motivated without their athletic schedule. If we can, let’s help the athletes that were hoping to earn their scholarship this season, continue to look for alternatives in the interim. Let’s make sure they know we appreciate the time they dedicated to something even if they may not get to see it come to fruition. While our passions are still inside of us, although priorities have changed, we all wish we had the burning fire we had when we were 1173058 World Leagues News

Saints' Sean Payton says he's been cleared of coronavirus, 'feeling a lot better' after home quarantine

Cody Benjamin

Less than a week after publicly revealing he'd tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), the respiratory illness behind the world's ongoing pandemic, Saints coach Sean Payton has been cleared of the disease following a home quarantine. (Get the latest on the coronavirus pandemic at CBS News.) Payton joined 105.3 WWL in Louisiana on Wednesday to update his health, saying he's "doing well" now that symptoms of the illness have subsided. "I was cleared yesterday," he said. "It was quite a process. You spend a lot of time trying to learn as much as you can about it. You see it on the news 24/7 ... (Sunday night) is when I first began to feel some flu-like symptoms. You know when you start to feel the chills? Then Monday morning, they were certainly a little more significant. I had a low-grade fever, and the chills were back. That's when I had my test, on Monday. Basically quarantined at the house. I didn't get the test results back for quite a bit. "When you're basically at home with the symptoms that I had, 85 to 90 percent of people will have mild symptoms and recover fully. The CDC basically puts out, prior to getting cleared, (that) you have to be three days fever-free ... (and) a week from when you first felt symptoms. I'm closer to 10 days now. I've been fortunate ... I'm feeling a lot better." The 56-year-old Payton became the first known member of the NFL community to test positive for coronavirus upon revealing his diagnosis to ESPN shortly after the start of free agency. He was optimistic about a full recovery at that time but still used the opportunity to encourage others to adhere to government warnings and practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus. CBS Sports LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173059 World Leagues News

Coronavirus in sports: NFL hopes to start season ‘relatively on time,’ but offseason activities in question (report)

By Matt Vautour | [email protected]

With almost all sporting events around the world shutdown as leagues and nations attempt to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus, the NFL has been only cursorily affected so far during its offseason. Next month’s draft has been downgraded from a huge fan spectacle in Las Vegas to a sparser studio show and some other offseason events have been canceled or postponed. But according to a Washington Post story, upcoming OTAs and minicamps (which run sporadically in April through June) could be affected. “I would be shocked if we had any kind of offseason program at team facilities,” one owner told the Post on condition of anonymity. Another unnamed source thought the regular season would get off on, or close to on, time. “I’m optimistic we’ll be able to have a season that starts relatively on time,” a person with knowledge of the league’s inner workings said. Training camps are scheduled to begin in mid-July. The first preseason game and Hall of Fame induction weekend begins on Aug. 6. The regular season is set to begin on Sept. 10. ADVANCE LOCAL LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173060 World Leagues News watching popular documentaries including more than 100 of the critically acclaimed ESPN 30for30 series,” she said.

Foxtel’s Fox League channel has added a new show with 38 hours of live Subscribers flee Foxtel and Kayo as sport seasons cancelled due to content across the week in which league stars and broadcasters will talk coronavirus about the greatest tests and State of Origin matches of all time. Foxtel customers will also all have access to the new dedicated Sky News Covid-19 news channel along with international news from CNN, Amanda Meade FOX News, BBC World News, Sky News UK, CNBC and Bloomberg Television.

Guardian News LOADED: 03.26.2020 afl player readies to punt the ball Foxtel is opening up more content to subscribers in an attempt to stem the exodus of customers after the AFL, NRL and A-League seasons were suspended because of Covid-19. The pay TV company relies on its local and international sport rights to drive subscriptions to Foxtel and streaming service Foxtel Now, but its sport streaming service Kayo is the product in real danger now that live sport is on hold indefinitely. Netflix is reducing streaming quality amid coronavirus. How will it affect viewing in Australia? Foxtel’s majority owner, News Corp Australia, is already bracing for executive pay cuts and job losses as the advertising market collapses in the wake of the coronavirus. In February Foxtel chief Patrick Delany was talking up Kayo as “the most successful media business to have been launched in Australia in the last 25 years”. But without any live sport Kayo will rely on fans paying $25 a month to watch replays of big matches and sports documentaries. mwough22 (@mwough22) @kayosports_help since theres no sport on, are there options to freeze accounts until it comes back? March 25, 2020 Kayo was already in a slump, losing 32,000 customers in the quarter to 5 February, a loss attributed to a slow Australian cricket season. Foxtel is also struggling to compete with Netflix and Stan, and its broadcast and commercial subscriber base fell from 2.326m in the September quarter to 2.268m at the end of the year. Delany said on Thursday he was confident people would keep their subscriptions because they wanted to keep the whole family entertained in these “challenging” times. “These initiatives provide customers with an even better entertainment experience in their homes with more content, access on more screens and more data, all at no extra charge,” he said. Until the end of May Foxtel customers will have access to all drama, entertainment, lifestyle, documentaries, kids and on-demand content, and Foxtel Now subscribers will have additional content added to their packages. “For kids who are spending more time at home, the additional range of documentary content including BBC Earth and National Geographic will help them continue to learn more about the world around us,” Delaney said. Subscribers will also be able to watch on more screens, and monthly data allowances for streaming and home internet for Telstra and NBN Foxtel customers have been lifted. A spokeswoman said Kayo offered more than 15,000 hours of on- demand sports content including match and race replays.

Sammy  (@Borgus17) Hey @kayosports. Genuine question. Will you guys be making your content free during this pandemic or will you expect your subscribers to fork out 25 bucks a month for no live sport? I’ll be unsubscribing ASAP if you aren’t March 25, 2020 “Our on-demand content is extremely popular with customers, and we expect many to pass the time reliving their favourite team glory moments, 1173061 World Leagues News More than 435,000 people worldwide have been infected and the number of dead closed in on 20,000, according to the running count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Overall, more than 100,000 have recovered. Game Zero: Spread of virus linked to Champions League match For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and By TALES AZZONI and ANDREW DAMPF death. The official attendance for the Feb. 19 game was 45,792 — a “home” ROME (AP) — It was the biggest soccer game in Atalanta’s history and a record for Atalanta, a small club making its debut in Europe’s top club third of Bergamo’s population made the short trip to Milan’s famed San competition. Siro Stadium. Atalanta captain Alejandro “Papu” Gómez told Argentine daily Olé it was Nearly 2,500 fans of visiting Spanish club Valencia also traveled to that “terrible” to have played that game. Champions League match. “It’s a city of 120,000 people and that day (40,000) went to the San Siro,” More than a month later, experts are pointing to the Feb. 19 game as one the Argentine said. “It was a historic match for Atalanta, something of the biggest reasons why Bergamo has become one of the epicenters unique. To give you an idea, my wife took three hours to get to Milan, of the coronavirus pandemic — a “biological bomb” was the way one when that trip normally takes 40 minutes.” respiratory specialist put it — and why 35% of Valencia’s team became The game was played in Milan because Atalanta’s stadium in Bergamo infected. didn’t meet the requirements set by European soccer governing body The match, which local media have dubbed “Game Zero,” was held two UEFA. days before the first case of locally transmitted COVID-19 was confirmed Before the match, Valencia fans freely roamed around Milan and in Italy. gathered at some of the city’s plazas, including the Piazza del Duomo, “We were mid-February so we didn’t have the circumstances of what was drinking and chanting team songs. happening,” Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori said this week during a live Looking back, the conditions for virus contagion were high, with Facebook chat with the Foreign Press Association in Rome. “If it’s true thousands of people gathering without much concern — at a time when what they’re saying that the virus was already circulating in Europe in the outbreak in Europe wasn’t yet known — and then traveling back January, then it’s very probable that 40,000 Bergamaschi in the stands of home. Nearly 30 busloads of fans made the 60-kilometer (37-mile) trip San Siro, all together, exchanged the virus between them. As is possible from Bergamo to Milan. that so many Bergamaschi that night got together in houses, bars to watch the match and did the same. The evening before the match, there was no social distancing as officials from both clubs mingled and exchanged gifts and handshakes at a gala “Unfortunately, we couldn’t have known. No one knew the virus was dinner offered by Atalanta. already here,” the mayor added. “It was inevitable.” “I have heard a lot (of theories), I’ll say mine: Feb. 19, 40,000 Less than a week after the game, the first cases were reported in the Bergamaschi went to San Siro for Atalanta-Valencia,” Fabiano di Marco, province of Bergamo. the chief pneumologist at the hospital in Bergamo, told Italian newspaper At about the same time in Valencia, a journalist who traveled to the Corriere della Sera. “In buses, cars, trains. A biological bomb, match became the second person infected in the region, and it didn’t take unfortunately.” long before people who were in contact with him also had the virus, as Valencia defender Ezequiel Garay was the first Spanish league player to did Valencia fans who were at the game. test positive for COVID-19. The team played a Spanish league game While Atalanta announced its first positive case Tuesday for goalkeeper against Alavés about two weeks after the game in Milan, and later Alavés Marco Sportiello, Valencia said more than a third of its squad got reported that 15 people in the club were infected, though it did not say infected, “despite the strict measures adopted by the club” after the the cases were directly related to the match against Valencia. match in Milan. Italian soccer players’ association president Damiano Tommasi believes As of Tuesday, nearly 7,000 people in the province of Bergamo had sports authorities should look long and hard at the Atalanta match before tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 1,000 people had died from restarting leagues. the virus — making Bergamo the most deadly province in all of Italy for “Look at what’s happening in China, where players are testing positive for the pandemic. The Valencia region had more than 2,600 people infected. the coronavirus now — despite all the safety rules and precautions being Luca Lorini, the head of the intensive care unit at the Pope John XXIII taken,” Tommasi told the AP, referring to a recent positive test for former hospital in Bergamo, currently has 88 patients under his care with the Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini with Chinese club coronavirus; not including many more in other parts of the hospital. Shandong Lunen. “I’m sure that 40,000 people hugging and kissing each other while Fellaini’s positive test was alarming because, while the outbreak began standing a centimeter apart — four times, because Atalanta scored four spreading in China, the virus has reportedly been receding there. goals (the final result was 4-1) — was definitely a huge accelerator for “It’s not going to be enough to just test the athletes,” Tommasi added. contagion,” Lorini told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “The entire setting needs to be safe. Because if one team is stuck, it “Right now we’re at war. When peace time comes, I can assure you we blocks the entire system.” will go and see how many of the 40,000 people who went to the game After winning the first leg, Atalanta advanced to the Champions League became infected,” Lorini added. “Right now we have other priorities.” quarterfinals following another victory in the second leg on March 10, Silvio Brusaferro, the head of Italy’s Superior Institute of Health, said over which was played in an empty Mestalla Stadium in Valencia after the weekend at the nightly nationally televised briefing by the civil Spanish authorities prohibited games involving teams from northern Italy protection agency that the game was “one of the hypotheses” being to be played with fans. A few thousand Valencia supporters gathered at evaluated as a source of the crisis in Bergamo. the Mestalla to welcome the team, though, and to watch the match together in nearby bars and restaurants. “It’s certainly an analysis that can be made,” Brusaferro said. Over the past month, Atalanta has mourned the deaths of five former By last week, Bergamo’s cemetery became so overwhelmed by the staff members. While announcements on the club website made no number of dead that military trucks began transporting bodies to a mention of the virus, local media have reported that at least four of them neighboring region for cremation. died with COVID-19. Italy remained the European country with the most cases, nearly 70,000, Still, only one positive test from Atalanta has been announced. and with almost 7,000 deaths — the most worldwide and more than twice as many as China. “Some squads have chosen not to test their players unless they show symptoms,” Tommasi said. “Other squads tested everyone. These are Spain is the next country in Europe with the most cases, nearly 48,000, individual choices. and it has surpassed China in the number of deaths with more than 3,400. “The head of the civil protection agency has talked about the likelihood that for every proven positive case there are probably 10 actual positives. … The high number of positives at Valencia makes you wonder.” With the Champions League suspended because of the pandemic, Atalanta has no idea when it might play in the quarterfinals — which again would be the club’s biggest game in its history. In the meantime, both the Bergamo team and Valencia are left wondering about the unforeseen effects of their match in February. ___ Azzoni reported from Madrid. LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173062 World Leagues News The numbers As of Tuesday, Italy claimed 70,000 of the world’s 435,000 confirmed

coronavirus cases, the most of any country in Europe, according to AP. Experts link Champions League game to Italy's coronavirus outbreak: 'A The country’s 7,000 deaths are more than any other in the world — biological bomb' China and its population of nearly 1.4 billion people included. Valencia, which saw 2,500 fans travel to Italy for the game, now has 2,600 confirmed cases. Jason Owens Luca Lorini, the head of the intensive care unit at Pope John XXIII hospital in Bergamo, anticipates a postmortem of the game and the spread of the virus after the region is removed from its current crisis As the American sports community struggled with how to handle COVID- mode. 19 and ultimately decided to shut things down, Italy was in the early stages of an outbreak linked to a soccer game. “I’m sure that 40,000 people hugging and kissing each other while standing a centimeter apart — four times, because Atalanta scored four The lessons learned there demonstrate the consequences of not shutting goals — was definitely a huge accelerator for contagion,” Lorini told AP sports down. on Wednesday. Northern Italy is the epicenter of one of the world’s worst coronavirus “Right now we’re at war. When peace time comes, I can assure you clusters. Officials are looking back to a Feb. 19 Champions League game we will go and see how many of the 40,000 people who went to the game between Atalanta and Spain’s Valencia in Milan as a catalyst. became infected.” What happened on Feb. 19 What does this mean for the United States? Atalanta plays in Bergamo, a small city in Northern Italy. Its home Meanwhile the United States grapples with what social measures need to stadium seats around 21,000 people and didn’t meet UEFA’s standards be taken to thwart the expansion of its own coronavirus outbreak. for the high-profile game. So the team hosted the game at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, which seats more than 40,000 people. The unheard of stoppage of sporting events in the U.S. started on March 12 with the suspension of the NBA season. The NCAA tournament and According to the Associated Press, more than 40,000 Bergamo residents MLB followed suit along with most other U.S. sporting events. Bergamo’s made the 37-mile road trip to Milan that day as the coronavirus was on experience appears to be a prime example of why those were the correct the fringes of Italy’s radar, having not made its presence felt yet in decisions. Western Europe. Since then, social gatherings have been ordered shut down by states [ Coronavirus: How the sports world is responding to the pandemic ] and municipalities across the country. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Fans mingled, celebrated and hugged as Atalanta secured a 4-1 victory cited strict social distancing measures on Wednesday for slowing the in the first leg of a series that saw the team advance to the Champions growth of the virus in his state, which now has more than 30,000 known League quarterfinal. They eventually traveled home, many in tightly cases. packed public transportation vehicles. The pandemic will escalate before things get better in the United States. Now the city of around 120,000 people has 7,000 coronavirus cases with But the Bergamo experience indicates that the extraordinary actions of 1,000 confirmed deaths. According to AP, that makes Bergamo the U.S. sports leaders helped prevent the outbreak from being much worse. epicenter of the most deadly outbreak of coronavirus in Italy. Yahoo Sports LOADED: 03.26.2020 ‘A biological bomb’ Many are pointing the Feb. 19 Champions League game as the reason why, Fabiano di Marco included. Di Marco is the chief pneumologist at Bergamo’s hospital. “I have heard a lot (of theories), I’ll say mine: Feb. 19, 40,000 Bergamaschi went to San Siro for Atalanta-Valencia,” di Marco told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “In buses, cars, trains. A biological bomb, unfortunately.” Social distancing wasn’t a thing in Italy at that point. COVID-19 was a problem on foreign soil. Restrictive but effective measures taken in countries like and China were a foreign concept for Western cultures, especially in a city that didn’t even realize coronavirus had arrived. But it had. Bergamo mayor Giorgio Gori spoke recently with reporters on a Facebook chat about his city’s ignorance of the virus’ presence. “We were mid-February so we didn’t have the circumstances of what was happening,” Gori said, per AP. “If it’s true what they’re saying that the virus was already circulating in Europe in January, then it’s very probable that 40,000 Bergamaschi in the stands of San Siro, all together, exchanged the virus between them. As is possible that so many Bergamaschi that night got together in houses, bars to watch the match and did the same. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t have known. No one knew the virus was already here. It was inevitable.” ‘Game Zero’ Two days after the game dubbed by local media as “Game Zero” took place, the first case of coronavirus in Italy was confirmed. By March 9, the entire country had suspended all sporting events as part of a larger social shutdown ordered by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. “We also have more stringent measures in mind for sporting events,” Conte said. “ and all sporting tournaments in general are suspended. All the fans must accept that.” Restrictive social measures foreign to most Western sensibilities were all of a sudden reality. The alternative was continued growth of the deadly contagion. 1173063 World Leagues News "Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone @TheMasters, @anwagolf and @DriveChipPutt National Finals." Coronavirus cancellation timeline: NHL Draft postponed Full details at https://t.co/FX2AN1MLsY pic.twitter.com/Z2DjS5TYdG — The Masters (@TheMasters) March 13, 2020 BY ARIZONA SPORTS | MARCH 25, 2020 AT 2:22 PM Ridley did not say when it would be held. The PGA Tour has canceled all events through the Masters, and golf has a full schedule of events through the year. More and more sports leagues around the country are being canceled, The next major would be the PGA Championship in San Francisco in suspended or adjusted in some way due to the coronavirus spread. May. With more information on cancellations of events and suspensions of NASCAR (8:30 a.m.) seasons coming in, here’s a look at everything that’s transpired and all things impacted by the virus: NASCAR has postponed the coming weekend’s races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This article will be continually updated as new restrictions become known. The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 was set for Sunday at 2 p.m. It was only the fifth weekend of the 2020 NASCAR schedule, which came March 25 through Phoenix Raceway for the FanShield 500 just last weekend. NHL postpones draft, scouting combine and NHL Awards (2:02 p.m.) NFL (11:40 a.m.) The National Hockey League announced Wednesday that the 2020 NHL Shortly after the Cardinals announce they are shutting down the team Draft, scouting combine and Awards show would all be postponed. facility to all but with “very limited exceptions for operationally critical personnel,” NFL tells teams they can no longer meet draft prospects in The draft was scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal. The combine was to person, either at team facilities or at the players’ colleges. be held June 1-6 in Buffalo and the NHL Awards were slated for June 18 in Las Vegas. March 12 March 24 Tennis (7:32 a.m.) 2020 Tokyo Olympics postponed (8:50 a.m.) ATP has suspended play for six weeks. The IOC announced a first-of-its-kind postponement of the Summer MLS (8:42 a.m.) Olympics on Tuesday, bowing to the realities of a coronavirus pandemic that is shutting down daily life around the globe and making planning for MLS has suspended all play for 30 days. a massive worldwide gathering in July a virtual impossibility. AAC (8:45 a.m.) The International Olympic Committee said the Tokyo Games “must be The AAC has canceled its conference tournament. The tournament was rescheduled to a date beyond 2020, but not later than summer 2021, to scheduled from March 12-15. safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.” Big 10 (8:49 a.m.) March 16 The Big 10 has canceled its conference tournament. NFL cancels public attendance at NFL Draft PGA Tour (8:58 a.m.) Public events for the NFL Draft are canceled and the league is “exploring All PGA Tour events will proceed as scheduled, but without spectators innovative options” for conducting the event in Las Vegas as scheduled, through the Valero Texas Open. In addition, the Corales Puntacana the league said in a statement on Monday. Resort & Club Championship will be postponed. The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass allowed fans for the First Round of play, The draft, which was set for April 23-25, will continue as originally but will be restricting spectators for the final three rounds. scheduled. But the NFL said it is modifying its plans as the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has prompted many businesses to close up CUSA (9 a.m.) shop and authorities to advise against or outright ban public gatherings. The CUSA has canceled its conference tournament. March 14 WAC (9 a.m.) Pat’s Run (8 a.m.) The WAC has canceled its conference tournament. Instead of running the usual route with about 30,000 participants ending in Sun Devil Stadium, Pat’s Run racers are encouraged to run a “virtual” SEC (9:06 a.m.) 4.2-mile course. The SEC has canceled its conference tournament The race itself has been canceled, but to keep the event operational, ACC (9:15 a.m.) people are encouraged to run their own routes individually and use social media to connect to the community. The ACC has canceled its conference tournament. Donations are still accepted. Funds will benefit the Tillman Scholars, a Pac-12 (9:17 a.m.) group made of military members, veterans and spouses. The Pac-12 has canceled its conference tournament. Three games were Pac-12 (Noon) played at the Pac-12 Tournament Wednesday before the quarterfinals began Thursday. The Arizona Wildcats, California and Washington State The Pac-12 expanded its suspension of sporting events and announced all advanced to the next round. they will be cancelled for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. USL (9:27 a.m.) March 13 The USL has suspended play for a minimum of 30 days. Masters (7 a.m.) Big 12 (9:40 a.m.) Augusta National decided Monday to postpone the Masters because of the spread of the coronavirus. It was scheduled for April 9-12. The Big 12 has canceled its conference tournament. It’s the fifth PGA Tour event impacted the precautionary measures. A-10 (9:50 a.m.) Club chairman Fred Ridley says he hopes postponing the event puts The A-10 has canceled its conference tournament. Augusta National in the best position to host the Masters and its other two events at some later date. Big East (9:58 a.m.) Statement from Chairman Ridley: The Big East has canceled its conference tournament. Play between St. March 10 John’s and Creighton was stopped midgame Thursday. Ivy League (8:21 a.m.) NASCAR (10:33 a.m.) Tuesday morning, the Ivy League decided to cancel its basketball NASCAR announced that it will hold its races at Atlanta Motor Speedway tournaments. The Ivy League took things a step further Wednesday, and Homestead-Miami Speedway without fans in attendance. announcing the decision to cancel all athletic events through the remainder of the spring. NHL (10:35 a.m.) ARIZONA SPORTS LOADED: 03.26.2020 The NHL has officially paused the season. Clubs were originally advised by the league to avoid conducting morning skates, practices and team meetings Thursday morning before the suspension. MLB (12:10 p.m.) Major League Baseball is suspending spring training in Arizona and Florida and will delay the start of the regular season by at least two weeks as fears of coronavirus are heightened, the league announced Thursday. “MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season. Guidance related to daily operations and workouts will be relayed to clubs in the coming days,” The MLB press release read. “As of 4:00 p.m. (ET) today, forthcoming spring training games have been canceled, and 2020 World Baseball Classic Qualifier games in Tucson, Arizona have been postponed indefinitely.” MiLB (12:51 p.m.) The MiLB announced Thursday the decision to delay the start of the 2020 Championship Season. No date has been set. NCAA (1:16 p.m.) After originally planing to continue with March Madness at a limited capacity, the NCAA announced Thursday the decision to cancel both men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, among other spring and winter championship events. IFL (2:13 p.m.) The IFL is suspending play following Saturday night’s games in Oakland and San Diego, the league announced Thursday. LPGA (2:23 p.m.) The LPGA event scheduled for next week at Desert Ridge in Phoenix, along with two others, have been postponed due to the spread of coronavirus, the LPGA announced Thursday. XFL (4:16 p.m.) The XFL canceled its 2020 season and plan to resume play in 2021. PGA (6:59 p.m.) The PGA announced they are canceling The Players Championship and all events through the Valero Texas Open. Boston Marathon (7:11 a.m.) WCVB.com reported that the Boston Marathon was postponing the 2020 race scheduled for April 20. They are hoping to reschedule the event. March 11 XFL (11:36 a.m.) The XFL announced Wednesday its scheduled game between the Seattle Dragons and L.A. Wildcats on Sunday will be played without fans in the venue. NCAA (1:31 p.m.) The NCAA announced on Wednesday that the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would continue but without fans as authorities work to prevent the spread of coronavirus. NBA (6:46 p.m.) The National Basketball Association and NBA G League decided to suspend gameplay after the conclusion of Wednesday night’s games until further notice, the leagues announced in a press release. The NBA will use the “hiatus” in order to determine the following actions for advancing the remainder of the NBA season in regard to the COVID- 19 (coronavirus) outbreak. The announcement comes after the league also announced that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19 prior to tip-off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma. Since then, teammate Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive. 1173064 World Leagues News little delayed”), and it’s all very relatable. Stephen A. asks him some pretty good questions, namely why it took so long for the Olympic committee to reach such an obvious decision. According to Pound, the committee had expected countries to be better prepared for the What Does the Worldwide Leader in Sports Broadcast in a World Without pandemic than they were. It’s refreshing to hear an honest discussion of Sports? the federal government’s slow response to the coronavirus outbreak on the “Stick to Sports” network, even if it’s just Dick Pound briefly mentioning it while marooned in his study. By NICK GREENE • SportsCenter is up, and we go live to Tom Brady’s introductory teleconference as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. “I’m taking it day by day,” Brady says. It’s the most revealing thing he says during the entire half- On March 11, Hawaii beat Cal State Fullerton 72–59 in the Big West hour teleconference. SportsCenter airs it all, and it’s like listening to a Women’s Basketball Tournament. As far as I can tell, that was the last company earnings call for unflavored almond milk. major live sporting event in America. The coronavirus pandemic has ground every league and tournament to a halt, and any realistic timeline Brady wants to be a “team player.” He has a “ton of trust and respect for shows that the sports world will be barren for the foreseeable future. Coach Arians.” He’s “thankful to the Glazer family.” So, what’s ESPN going to do for 24 hours every day? There is no video, so clips of him throwing passes loop on the screen. A reporter asks about how the move to Tampa will affect Brady’s personal A sports mirage appeared last week in the form of NFL free agency and and family life. “My drive to work will be different,” he says. collective bargaining news. Tom Brady’s move to the was a megawatt story, but its afterglow is fading, and there • The teleconference ends, and I go to the bathroom. When I return, isn’t anything on the horizon to replace it. they’re replaying highlights of the teleconference. This would have been a big week for the network. There’d be coverage • Reporter Jeremy Schaap videos in from what appears to be his office to of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments (ESPN has give a tick-tock of the Tokyo Olympics postponement. Upon closer broadcast rights for the latter), Astros-related controversies throughout inspection I see that he’s sitting in front of a trompe-l’œil image of an spring training, and the NBA playoff race would be heating up. Perhaps office. Some on-air personalities get backdrops with ESPN graphics, Zion Williamson is leading the New Orleans Pelicans to an eight seed in while others sit in front of their real bookshelves. I don’t know why they some alternate dimension unaffected by COVID-19. Gosh, remember make Schaap look like he’s in a frumpy den when he doesn’t have to. Zion? He was great. • The anchors tease the night’s “Happy Birthday Peyton Manning The Worldwide Leader in Sports is facing an existential crisis. Marathon” on ESPN2. They’re celebrating the quarterback’s landmark Nevertheless, its on-air personalities and production crews gamely 44th birthday with an entire evening of Manning-related programming. trudge on and try their best to fill the void. I spent my entire Tuesday • SportsCenter shows brief highlights for a “this day in tournament watching ESPN to see how it is coping in these peculiar and frightening history” segment. There’s Dunk City beating San Diego State in 2013! times. Hey, it’s Loyola Chicago and Sister Jean celebrating their win against Would this all-day binge help me realize that the power of sports Kansas State two years ago. OK, now I’m sad. transcends a crisis? Of course not. It wasn’t even a good way to stave off • SportsCenter’s second hour begins with what appears to be a repeat of boredom during self-isolation. But boredom is a sign of privilege in these an earlier Olympics report. Things are bleeding together now, so I can’t dire times, and I found myself grateful for the opportunity to watch tell for sure. football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. explain his NFL draft board over and over and over and over again. • NBA scoop machine Adrian Wojnarowski videos in from an office decorated with absurdly dark wood. It looks like a despondent count’s Still, I don’t want to let a day’s worth of ESPN watching to go to waste. hearth room. There are no scoops, so he talks about the draft, which is Allow me to humbly dump my notes and provide a snapshot of how a supposed to take place on June 25. sports media empire is faring without sports. • Here comes a SportsCenter feature where viewers vote to determine • Because I’m on the West Coast, I rarely get the opportunity to watch the the best college basketball player ever. It’s a bracket format, and two- Get Up, ESPN’s daily morning show. I tune in at around 6:50 a.m. PDT seed Michael Jordan defeats Nancy Lieberman. The next round will be and the first thing I hear is host Mike Greenberg promoting “eight hours Jordan vs. Tim Duncan, and ESPN college basketball analyst Seth of home run derbies” on ESPN2 on Thursday evening. Clearly, things are Greenberg videos in to remind viewers that UNC Jordan was “not the bleak. Michael Jordan of the NBA!” ESPN has nine cable networks by my count, meaning there are 216 I get flashbacks of ESPN’s summerlong “Who’s Now” tournament from hours of programming to fill each day. That dinger marathon will barely 2007 that featured matchups like “Reggie Bush vs. Danica Patrick” and make a dent. “Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Chuck Liddell.” At least we’re in a global • Greenberg shows a clip from Tua Tagovailoa’s Instagram page. The pandemic now; what was their excuse back then? Alabama quarterback is recovering from a hip injury as he prepares for • There’s more “this day in history” highlights and … holy shit, it’s Randy the NFL draft, and Greenberg reads the video’s cheeky caption: Johnson killing that bird with a fastball back in 2001! Why isn’t there wall- “Practicing social distancing with the long ball today.” Not a bad line, to-wall coverage across every ESPN network dedicated to this? That’s though I’ll hear it approximately 3,785 times Tuesday. how you fill 216 hours of dead air. • Get Up makes way for First Take, ESPN’s marquee debate show. • Top 10 time: It’s Peyton Manning’s top 10 moments. Remember, it’s his Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman, and host Molly Qerim are all working 44th birthday. remotely and form a triptych of floating faces on the screen. Kellerman’s audio is a little echo-y, leading me to suspect that he has hardwood or • NFL Live kicks off with more Tom Brady coverage, and Bucs head tile floors at home. coach Bruce Arians videos in from his office. He must be using his laptop, because the camera angle is tilted up. Qerem gets the ball rolling with a quote from Terry Bradshaw about Tom Brady’s ego informing his decision to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. • News comes in that Cam Newton will be a free agent. Brothers Matt “We know how great Terry Bradshaw was,” Stephen A. says, uncoiling and argue about where he will go. The former his classic, cadence. “MY PROBLEM is, what’s the attitude for?” He’s on quarterbacks really get into it. It’s like that Chris and Andrew Cuomo tiff a roll. I go to brush my teeth, and when I return, Kellerman and Smith are but without any of the self-awareness. screaming at each other about the relative popularity of the great Steelers and Cowboys dynasties. • Hey, more excerpts from the Tom Brady teleconference. I had worried that, without sports, First Take wouldn’t have anything to • Time for a new show: MEL KIPER JR.’S NFL MOCK DRAFT 3.0. argue about. This was a stupid assumption. Stephen A. could be caught There’s theme music and everything, but it’s all the same people from under a boulder inside a canyon for 127 hours and still come up with NFL Live. scorching takes. He is incredible. • How will Tua Tagovailoa’s Instagram video affect his draft stock? I • International Olympic Committee vice president and frequent Twitter zoned out, so I don’t know. trending topic Dick Pound joins the gang to discuss the biggest news of • NFL Live is back. I think it’s a repeat from earlier, but MEL KIPER JR.’S the day, the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. Pound has some NFL MOCK DRAFT 3.0 wiped my memory clean. trouble with the video conferencing software (“I can hear you, but it’s a • Flash-forward an hour, and we have a new SportsCenter with new hosts and a new intro. The topics? Tom Brady, the Tokyo Olympics, and Tua Tagovailoa’s Instagram video. • Host Kevin Negandhi says that Tua’s Instagram workout video is only 10 seconds long. Given the coverage, I had assumed it was a two-hour feature. Who cares? I’ll take it. • Beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings FaceTimes from her car to talk about the Olympics cancellation. She makes a great point about how good the games will feel after we get through these traumatic times. God, what I wouldn’t give for some decathlon right about now. • Midway through this iteration of SportsCenter is an extended segment with Tony Kornheiser and videoing in from D.C. and Arizona, respectively. The coronavirus outbreak doesn’t seem to have altered this program whatsoever. • SportsCenter is back, and Mel Kiper Jr. is talking about Tua Tagovailoa. • Cam Newton posted something on Instagram, so let’s get that on screen. • The Hasselbecks are back. • Zion Williamson defeats Danny Manning in the best college basketball player ever bracket. I’m starting to suspect that these results shouldn’t be taken seriously. • It’s 7 p.m. EDT, and ESPN runs Parts 1 and 2 of their Oscar-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America. What a great movie. The network has tons of terrific 30 for 30 documentaries. Why don’t they just run those on a loop? • I forgot about all the amazing O.J. Simpson highlights from this movie. I know that’s not the point, but things are getting desperate without sports. • I turn the TV off before SportsCenter With Scott Van Pelt comes on. They’re playing it all night. I’ll catch it later if I want. LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173065 World Leagues News

Belarusian Premier League continues play despite coronavirus threat

Chris CwikYahoo SportsMarch 25, 2020

Every other sport around the world is seemingly postponed due to the coronavirus, but one league in Europe defiantly refuses to take the virus seriously. Despite the threat of spreading the coronavirus, the Belarusian Premier League continues playing games, according to . The league held matches all weekend with zero restrictions for fans. Players were warned to wash their hands and avoid close contact — and the stadium had to be disinfected twice a day — but the league otherwise operated as usual. The move flies in the face of everything health officials have recommended regarding the virus. All over the world, people are quarantining and self isolating in an attempt to slow down the spread of coronavirus. Sports league have shut down as well, recognizing putting a bunch of athletes together in a confined space and then letting those athletes travel to different parts of the country is an extremely bad idea. The governing body of soccer in Belarus, however, has justified the country’s decision by claiming there’s no state of emergency in the area, according to the Times. “Is there a state of emergency declared in our country?” Vladimir Bazanov, the head of the A.B.F.F., said in an interview with the sports website Tribuna. “There is no critical condition, so they decided that we are starting the championship in a timely manner.” It doesn’t help matters that the country’s president — Aleksandr Lukashenko — has called coronavirus a “psychosis.” Lukashenko believes the virus can be cured by tractors and field work. Latest data shows that Belarus has 86 total cases of COVID-19, with zero deaths. At least one of Belarus’ most prominent players has voiced his displeasure about the games still taking place. Aleksandr Hleb initially called the situation “unbelievable.” He later backtracked, saying he trusted the matches would stop if the coronavirus was considered a threat. That hasn’t happened yet. For now, the next matches in the Belarusian Premier League are still slated to proceed as normal. Yahoo Sports LOADED: 03.26.2020 1173066 World Leagues News -- In motorcycling, the first four rounds of the world championships were postponed and the season opener is planned for Spain, starting May 3.

GOLF How the coronavirus has hit global sport -- The Masters (April 9-12) and the PGA Championship (May 14-17) have been put back to unspecified dates while the USPGA Tour is effectively suspended until May 17. The US LPGA Tour is on hold until Paris (AFP) - The Tokyo Olympics became the latest sporting casualty of May 3. the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday following the decision to postpone the sporting extravaganza until next year. -- The European Tour has put events on hold until May 24. Football, basketball, golf, motorsport, cricket and tennis have all fallen CRICKET victim to the virus that has killed nearly 17,000 people and infected more -- All major international cricket series, including England's tour of South than 386,000 across the world. Africa and the final ODIs and T20Is of New Zealand's visit to Australia, Here, AFP Sport looks at the global impact of the virus on sport: have been cancelled. TOKYO OLYMPICS -- The last two one-day internationals between India and South Africa were also scrapped. -- The International Olympic Committee issued a joint statement with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzu Abe on Tuesday postponing the Tokyo -- The start of India's IPL, originally scheduled for March 29, was delayed Games until next year. Only two days earlier, IOC president Thomas until at least April 15. Bach insisted time was on his side as he gave himself up to four weeks CYCLING to reach a decision. -- The International Cycling Union has suspended all top cycling activity He speedily bowed to growing pressure from critics within and beyond until at least the end of April. the sporting world as the coronavirus death toll mounted. Top races to be hit includes the Paris-Roubaix classic on April 12 which "In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by was postponed indefinitely, the Giro d'Italia which has also been the WHO (World Health Organisation) today, the IOC President and the postponed, the prestigious Milan-San Remo race on March 21 and the Prime Minister of have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Tour of Flanders on April 5. Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, TENNIS everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community," said the statement. -- The French Open has been postponed from its May 24-June 7 slot to September 20-October 4 while the men's ATP and women's WTA Tours FOOTBALL have been suspended until June 7, with rankings frozen. Internationals -- The finals of the Fed Cup, scheduled for Budapest from April 14-19, have been postponed indefinitely. -- Euro 2020, scheduled to take place in 12 European cities from June 12 to July 12 has been put off until 2021. In a knock-on effect, the women's BASKETBALL Euro scheduled for July 7 to August 1, 2021, will be postponed along with the Nations League final stages. -- The NBA has been on hold indefinitely since March 11 for an initial period of one month. -- The Copa America has been moved from June 12-July 12 2020 in Argentina and Colombia to summer 2021. ATHLETICS Clubs -- The World Athletics Championships, scheduled for August 6-15 in Eugene, Oregon, could be postponed in an effort to accommodate the -- UEFA has postponed the Champions League, Europa League and postponed Tokyo Olympics. women's Champions League finals, originally scheduled for May, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but has given no new dates. -- The World Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13-15, were postponed for a year. -- In Italy, the hardest-hit European country with over 60,000 cases, all matches -- as well as all major sports events -- have been suspended -- Boston Marathon moved from April 20 to September 14. officially until at least April 3 although administrators say they are not -- London Marathon switched from April 26 to October 4. expecting a resumption before May 2. ICE HOCKEY -- The English Premier League has been suspended until April 30. -- The National Hockey League (NHL) halted the season on March 12 -- In Germany, the Bundesliga is on hold until April 2. three weeks before the end of the regular season. -- In Spain, all professional football has been suspended indefinitely. -- International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships -- In France, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 and women's football have been scheduled for Switzerland in May were cancelled. suspended indefinitely. ALPINE SKIING -- Outside Europe, most top leagues have been affected, with the start of -- The final races of the men's Alpine skiing World Cup season at the J-League in Japan delayed, in the United Kranjska Gora were scrapped in March while the final three races of the States and China's top-flight Super League put on hold. women’s season in Are, Sweden, were also cancelled, after the original season-closing World Cup Finals in Cortina d'Ampezzo had already been scrapped. -- The Six Nations tournament was disrupted with four matches, including all of the final-round games scheduled to be played in March, put back SWIMMING until October. -- World swimming championships, planned for July-16-August 1, 2021, -- France's Top 14, the English Premiership and the Southern in Fukuoka, Japan, could be switched to make way for a rescheduled Hemisphere's Super Rugby are all suspended while the European Tokyo Olympics. Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals and finals have been AFL postponed. The finals of the two competitions were due to have been played on the weekend of May 22/23 in the French city of Marseille. The -- Aussie Rules, Australia's biggest spectator sport, suspended its quarter-finals had already been postponed. season on Sunday until at least May 31 after the first matches of the season were played in empty stadiums. MOTOR RACING LOADED: 03.26.2020 -- The first eight races of the Formula One season have been either scrapped or postponed with the season opener now put back until at least June 14 with the Canada Grand Prix in Montreal.