SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 08/18/19 Boston Bruins 1151023 Checking in on the Bruins’ Kevan Miller Buffalo Sabres 1151024 Sabres insist there's no change in Rasmus Ristolainen's status Calgary Flames 1151025 Brooks: Calgary Flames Alumni Master Golf Tournament celebrates 25 years Carolina Hurricanes 1151026 Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Chase Priskie to an entry-level contract Chicago Blackhawks 1151027 10 things to know about the United Center at 25 years, including when LeBron James settled a bet and the debut 1151028 59 million visitors. Bulls and Blackhawks championships. Circuses. And, Oprah. A look back at 25 years at the 1151029 Blackhawks confident they’re leaders in NHL’s analytics movement, but puck-tracking revolution looms 1151030 Drake Caggiula looks back on how he could've played with Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome in OHL New York Rangers 1151031 Two longtime Rangers fans now have son on their favorite team Philadelphia Flyers 1151032 A 30-goal defenseman? Flyers prospect Ronnie Attard is a 'double whammy' to watch San Jose Sharks 1151033 Former Sharks captain Joe Pavelski officially sells San Jose mansion Toronto Maple Leafs 1151034 SIMMONS SAYS: History and women's tennis roster favour Andreescu Vegas Golden Knights 1151035 Golden Knights’ William Carrier had a better season than you remember Washington Capitals 1151036 Capitals officially lose defensive prospect and draft steal Chase Priskie to the Carolina Hurricanes 1151037 Making the case for each of the Capitals’ four goalies Websites 1151038 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks extending Benning shows ownership's belief in long-term plan 1151039 Sportsnet.ca / Patrik Laine comments a reminder of Jets' vulnerability in RFA market 1151040 USA TODAY / Lindsey Vonn helps NHL boyfriend P.K. Subban train on the ice this summer

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1151023 Boston Bruins organization. I put all my eggs in one basket with this team to win a Stanley Cup, and then to watch the team go to the Final and not be able to be a part of it . . . that’s been occupying my head space for the past Checking in on the Bruins’ Kevan Miller [few] months.”

Miller expects to be back in Boston by the end of this coming week and ideally be cleared to return to skating in fairly short order. As for the Kevin Paul Dupont timeline from there, Miller remains uncertain, though he expects he won’t be participating in drills when varsity training camp opens Sept. 12. He August 17, 2019, 1:12 p.m. also can’t project if he’ll be ready for the Oct. 3 season opener in Dallas.

It is shaping up as a big season for Miller, not only in terms of finally Kevan Miller hasn’t resumed skating yet, but the veteran Bruins resuming his livelihood, but also how his performance will factor into a defenseman is happy to report that his twice-fractured right kneecap has new contract. His current four-year pact, for a total $10 million, was mended and withstood his rigorous regimen of two rehab workouts a day, signed in 2016. He is on course to become an unrestricted free agent six days a week this summer. next July 1.

“A long road,” said Miller, 31, reached by telephone this past week at his “Absolutely, every year’s a big year,” he said. “I’ve had a really good new offseason home just south of Denver. “That’s consumed my career with Boston. I love it there. It’s a place that my family and I have summer. And I don’t want to sound negative about it, because the knee grown truly to love. One of the reasons I signed back in the first place feels great. I feel like a human and an athlete again.” was that we had the opportunity to win — I had conversations with [general manager Don Sweeney] and [team president Cam Neely] and a One of the league’s most fit and solid stay-at-home blue liners, the 6- number of the guys and said, ‘Hey, guys, we have a really good core foot-2-inch, 210-pound Miller was on the verge of returning to work for group here.’ We still do. I think you saw that last year.” the Stanley Cup Final when the kneecap fractured for a second time in some six weeks. With the Bruins holding a 2-0 series lead over the TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals, Miller was performing dry- Milbury, analytics are not a good fit land exercises in Raleigh, N.C., eager to get on the ice later that morning, singularly focused on being penciled into the lineup for Game 1 Be it in the studio alongside Keith Jones in Stamford, Conn., or in a of his first Cup Final. broadcast booth with the likes of Mike Emrick, ex-Bruins defenseman Mike Milbury is about to embark on his 13th season as part of NBC’s “A day I would really like to forget,” he said, recalling how suddenly his NHL coverage. hopes were dashed. “I’ll never forget the sound when it did break [for a second time]. I’ll never forget the feeling of it . . . like a balloon popped.” “Kind of like Pumpsie Green, I guess,” said Milbury, alluding wryly to the late Red Sox infielder, “every team needs a player who can play a few The first fracture, which occurred in a crash into the boards in St. Paul on positions.” April 4 against the Wild, cracked the kneecap vertically. Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital repaired it a couple of days later, noted The ever-blunt Milbury, 67, fills a more versatile broadcast role than the Miller, and he progressed as expected, until he heard the stomach- more narrowly defined life he led on the Boston blue line for a dozen turning popping sound while working out adjacent to the club’s dressing seasons (1975-87), which had him cast in a stay-at-home and slug-it-out room in Raleigh. role (1,552 penalty minutes in 754 games).

“That would have been my first skate,” said Miller. “We had a good target During his tenure with NBC, Milbury has been the guy in the cast most date . . . and this was all subject to change, based on how my knee was likely to say whatever pops into his head, albeit with a tiny bit more self- feeling. I had full range of motion. The strength had come back. Swelling restraint and censoring than his ex-coach, Don Cherry, who made a had gone down. Things were healing and on track. I was kind of warned, fortune the last 30-plus years as Canada’s premier loose cannon during to make sure I was staying up on how things were feeling. Everything NHL broadcasts. was great . . . and then . . . it was just too much too soon.” For the upcoming season, the NHL plans to mine a massive amount of His return hopes crushed, Miller only days later was in Vail, Colo., to player data through its new Puck and Player Tracking system. Just how undergo a second surgery, this time performed by Matt Provencher, the NBC or any of the league’s other broadcast entities plan to integrate the former chief of sports surgery at Mass. General and for years a regular data treasure trove remains to be seen. Milbury sounds like a guy who face along the Patriots sideline as an attending physician. According to still would prefer to wrap his hands around an opposing forward’s neck Miller, the new break ran horizontally across the cap, fracturing near one than to, say, dive into a fresh load of numbers about puck possession or of the surgical screws installed in the prior operation, and presented a speed of the puck as it rockets off a player’s blade. more complex rehab because of the natural force the quad muscle exerts on the kneecap. “I have zero interest in it,” Milbury said this past week, reached by telephone at his home in the Boston suburbs. “I know they’re counting on Miller made the drive from his home in the Denver suburbs to Vail last it, but I’ve made my feelings known. No thanks. I mean, every move Tuesday for his three-month checkup with Provencher, and departed the measured and calculated . . . what the [bleep] is the fun in that?! I guess I Steadman Clinic feeling like he’d been fed a pass for a clean breakaway could be wrong, and there’ll be something in all of it that will catch my from center ice. eye, but . . . ”

“We are three months, one day . . . and four hours from surgery,” said Far more interesting, Milbury believes, are the things that the game’s Miller, the sense of relief and excitement clear in his voice. “It was a big commentators have attempted to bring viewers for decades, before date circled on the calendar . . . now I can start really progressing. The analytics crept into all sports like an aggressive case of crabgrass, bone at three months is pretty healed. Obviously, I still have to be careful dandelions, and grubs. about what I do, but I can start to ramp things up and hopefully get on the ice here soon with the intention of getting back as soon as I can.” “Things like, you know, why is Bruce Cassidy making a line change at a certain point in a game?” said Milbury, who was once the Bruins coach Faced with an aggressive, punishing Blues forecheck, the Bruins making those kinds of decisions. “How is a team adjusting its power play desperately missed Miller’s physical presence in the Final. All conjecture, or forecheck . . . what are a player’s strengths? That, for me, is the fun of of course, but the series outcome might have flipped in Boston’s favor it. Now we’re going to be talking about equations based on that? Come had the ex-University of Vermont standout been in the lineup from the on, really?” start, able to offer more resistance to amped up Blues forwards whose mission from puck drop was to grind Bruins defensemen into pumice. The numbers, Milbury concedes, can be yet another useful tool in player assessment. Just don’t let them bog down the broadcast or fool people Miller only could watch from the sidelines, where he stood propped up on into thinking they offer a better assessment than the trained eye. crutches. “Give me more Bart Bradleys,” said Milbury, summoning the name of the “It still stings,” Miller said. “But I think the biggest thing now is to get back late, great Bruins scout, whose initials are forever stamped on the deal on the ice and contribute to the team again and really give the extra push that brought Cam Neely to Boston via trade in 1986. “Bart would stand up to finish the job this time. I’m going on my ninth year with the in a meeting and say, ‘Forget it, that guy’s just another up-the-fence guy’ — someone not very good with the puck . . . frankly, like me,” said health and welfare of the course superintendent . . . Other than Chelios, Milbury. “Or he’d rate a guy ‘NFG’ — no [bleeping] good. Some of the the five NHL defensemen with more games played than Chara: Scott numbers will be fun to look at, I suppose, but it’s still all the human Stevens (1,635), Larry Murphy (1,615), Bourque (1,612), Nicklas elements that make the game interesting.” Lidstrom (1,564) and Phil Housley (1,495) . . . Kevan Miller has been one of Adam Oates’s acolytes for two years and praises the impact the ex- ETC. Bruin pivot turned skills coach has made on his game. “He has helped Looking into Bruins’ future me so much, to be honest with you,” said Miller. “Probably saved my career a little bit. A lot of people see him as Oates the scoring coach or Fun recent exercise by The Hockey News, projecting the makeup of the shooting coach, but he’s so much more than that. I’m a stay-at-home team rosters for the 2023-24 season. defenseman, and it’s amazing how much his mind can translate into a position like mine. Video stuff. On the ice. He’s helped my game a ton.” . A speculative and risk-filled proposition, considering the relative short . . Bruins fans looking to take in training camp action can wait until time span of player contracts (and often careers). For instance, the Friday, Sept. 13, for what will be the first on-ice drills (provided no Bruins currently have only Brad Marchand under contract beyond the scheduling changes in the meantime). They’ll then continue to practice at 2022-23 season. That could change soon, provided GM Don Sweeney Warrior Ice Arena through the weekend and open up their six-game can satisfy restricted free agent defensemen Charlie McAvoy and exhibition schedule Sept. 16 vs. the Devils in Newark. The first home Brandon Carlo with contract extensions (Dec. 1 is the deadline for both). exhibition game: Sept. 23 vs. the Flyers . . . Was disappointed here with The Hockey News’s forecast for Boston’s 2023-24 roster: the announcement that Islanders Hall of Famer Denis Potvin stepped down from his TV analyst role on Panthers broadcasts. Sharp-eyed and FORWARDS opinionated on top of his credentials, the 65-year-old Potvin was always an intriguing “listen.” Also enthusiastic without being a blatant homer. Marchand-Jack Studnicka-David Pastrnak Rare in today’s industry . . . Hard to find a more tantalizing nine-day Jake DeBrusk-Patrice Bergeron-Charlie Coyle stretch on the Bruins calendar than the Nov. 29-Dec. 7 run that will bring the following five clubs to the Garden: Rangers, Canadiens, Hurricanes, Danton Heinen-Trent Frederic-Zach Senyshyn Blackhawks, and Avalanche . . . Mark Majewski, the longtime media boss for Boston College hockey up until a year ago, recently came aboard as Jakub Lauko-John Beecher-Anders Bjork Bruins creative director — for both the team and TD Garden. Smart hire. DEFENSEMEN Long gone are the days on Causeway Street when Nate Greenberg for nearly a decade was the Bruins’ one-man PR “team” . . . The Bruins Torey Krug-McAvoy made no formal announcement, but a number of sources reported this Urho Vaakanainen-Carlo past week that ex-Panther Alex Petrovic agreed to come to Boston’s camp next month on a tryout basis. The 6-4 defenseman was flipped to Matt Grzelcyk-Connor Clifton the Oilers late in the season but played only sparingly after suffering a concussion. He played under a one-year deal last season at $1.95 GOALIES million. Likely would only catch on here, at less than a $1 million, if both Tuukka Rask McAvoy and Carlo remain without deals at season’s start.

Jeremy Swayman Boston Globe LOADED: 08.18.2019

A few random observations about your 2023-24 Bruins:

■ What, no Zdeno Chara? Sorry, not buying it. Big Z will be 46 as that season begins, and let’s not forget Chris Chelios was 47 when he suited for his final twirls in 2009-10. Chelios retired No. 1 in games played (1,651) for NHL blue liners. Big Z enters 2019-20 with 1,485 games — seventh all time for defensemen. The bet here: Chara won’t boogie back to Bratislava until he owns the mark, and it’s conceivable he bumps his career total upward of 1,750 in the intervening four seasons. The all-time mark: Gordie Howe (1,767). Want to bet against Big Z chasing down Mr. Hockey?

■ Bergeron, 38 by the start of 2023-24, would be entering his 19th season with the Bruins. He has three years left on his current deal. Would be great to see him out there, but right now I would be surprised to see him play beyond this deal.

■ Rask still on the watch, for a 17th season? Can someone please call in a well-ness check on the #TuukkasFault crew?

■ Hard to figure Jeremy Lauzon not being one of the six blue liners. The former No. 52 pick has played two seasons now in AHL Providence and was impressive in his 16 games last season with the varsity.

■ If Bjork hasn’t found a spot in the top six in the next couple of seasons, no way he is still here as a fourth-liner.

■ Hold it, no room at the inn for Sean Kuraly? Ridiculous. Unless he’s already been promoted to GM.

■ Still not a Russian in the entire field. Hold my vodka, OK? The Black and Gold never seem to find a good fit with Red Square.

Loose pucks

The Sports Museum, dogged in its efforts to tamp down bullying in schools and playing fields, on Monday will stage its annual golf tournament at Andover CC. No lack of hockey names, most with Spoked B’s prominent on their résumés, will be part of the field, including Bruce Cassidy, Ray Bourque, Brad Park, Andy Brickley, Don Marcotte, Rick Middleton, Mike Mottau, Mark Mowers, and Glen Featherstone. Old pal Dave Goucher (“Bergeron! Bergeron! Bergeron!”) and yours truly will be out there, too, one of us best known to depart the course early for the 1151024 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres insist there's no change in Rasmus Ristolainen's status

Mike Harrington

Sat, Aug 17, 2019

No matter what Rasmus Ristolainen may have said last week in Finland, the party line from the Buffalo Sabres is they're currently planning to have the veteran defenseman on their team for the start of training camp next month.

Speaking last week to Finnish outlet MTV Sports, Ristolainen implied it might be better for him to get traded by the Sabres rather than to stay in Buffalo for a seventh season.

"I was not surprised, not disappointed," General Manager Jason Botterill said Saturday in KeyBank Center following the team's Fan Fest that kicked off its 50th anniversary season. "Look, there’s always stories coming out when players go back, and Finland’s had an amazing year with (gold medals in the) World Juniors and World Championships.

"But you just look in the past week or two, there’s stories from other organizations and stuff too, coming out of Finland. So those are something we can’t control. What we can control is our interaction with our player, with our group here."

Like he did after development camp, Botterill said he was keeping any conversation he's had with Ristolainen private. But the GM said he's continued to interact with the team's longest-tenured blueliner.

"We’re continuing to try to set this team up where we’re putting 'Risto' in positions to have success," Botterill said. "Yeah, he wants to win. We also want to put him in a situation where he plays very well, and that’s what we’ve tried to do with some of the acquisitions, add depth to our defense, add competition to our defense."

While the Sabres are currently more than $1 million over the salary cap, they have options to use long-term injured reserve for players who don't figure to be ready to start the season like Zach Bogosian and Lawrence Pilut. They also could use it on a player like Matt Hunwick dealing with injury issues that may prevent him from playing entirely.

Ristolainen has three years left on his deal at $5.4 million per season but the team's use of LTIR means it doesn't automatically have to deal him for cap reasons. A far bigger issue is the club's overload at right defense, which now includes the acquisitions of Colin Miller and Henri Jokiharju, and its need for more help at forward.

"I said it at the end of the regular season, I talked a lot about forwards, having four lines that could score," Botterill said. "But it’s the same thing from the defense standpoint. That’s why we’ve tried to add to our group, to ease some of the responsibility from certain players."

Ristolainen is coming off a 43-point season that saw him post an NHL- worst rating of minus-41 while leading the team in ice time at more than 24 1/2 minutes per game.

New coach Ralph Krueger has made it clear he'll lead whatever roster Botterill gives him, but said Ristolainen remains in his current plans.

"I always value most the contacts I have direct with the players," said Krueger. "I've spoken to all the players and I had a very long call with 'Risto' early on in the middle of May. All the indications there was to be behind what we're doing here as a coaching staff and that's my mandate: Take the players under contract here right now and get the best of them. I'm excited to work with him."

Still, Krueger admitted he has not spoken to Ristolainen since his initial conversation.

"I'm not going to jump up on every single situation," Krueger said. "I think the players are in their private spaces right now and they should stay there. I saw Jeff [Skinner] and Casey [Mittelstadt] today and that was an excellent opportunity to speak with them. Otherwise, it's only a few weeks now and we'll all be in the same room. We as coaches are excited to be coaching Rasmus right now."

Buffalo News LOADED: 08.18.2019 1151025 Calgary Flames

Brooks: Calgary Flames Alumni Master Golf Tournament celebrates 25 years

BILL BROOKS

August 17, 2019

Since its inception 25 years ago, the annual Calgary Flames Alumni Masters Golf Tournament has raised more than $2.7 million for Calgary and southern Alberta charities. And this year’s tournament, the silver anniversary, raised $100,000 for Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families.

Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families provide family-focused support, resources, programs and opportunities to Calgary area individuals and families affected by Cerebral Palsy and similar disabilities. In response to the largest community needs, it has developed successful flagship programs including the Family Support Program, Adapted Bike Program, and Medical Equipment/Technology Support. Last year, with the help of the Calgary Flames Alumni Masters Golf Tournament, over 200 kids living with Cerebral Palsy and other physical disabilities were afforded the opportunity of the simple joy of riding a bike. The Adapted Bike program is the only one of its kind in North America and has gifted 966 bikes to kids with physical challenges over the last six years.

More than 300 guests attended the tournament registration reception held recently in Gasoline Alley at Heritage Park. The evening featured a silent auction, food stations and samplings from various wineries, distilleries and breweries. The next day saw 230 golfers take to the links at Heritage Pointe Golf Club.

Flames Alumni, sponsors and guests who had a wonderful time at the 25th annual event included: presenting sponsor Willow Park Wines and Spirits’ Wayne Henuset; tournament chair Dana Murzyn with Bryana Good, Tyler Murzyn and Kim Murzyn; Sheralee Stelter, executive director, Cerebral Palsy, Kids and Families; Lanny McDonald, Calgary Flames alumni and chairman, Hockey Hall of Fame with his wife Ardell McDonald; Jeff McCaig, Calgary Flames owner; Ken King, vice-chairman and CEO, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation; Bryce Stephens; Elle Wray; Sheila Crisp, Jane Coates, Kristin Ference, Nancy Skaggs and Terry Crisp, former Calgary Flames head coach; Calgary Flames’ Ziad Mehio, Rollie Cyr, Trent Anderson, Marty Gelinas, Steve Kamajin and Brian McGrattan with his wife Michelle; Dario Facca, board of directors, Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families with his wife Maggie; Joel Otto, Calgary Flames Alumni with his wife Kari; and others pictured.

“As an alumni group, there are a lot of us that call Calgary home. We enjoy being able to give back to the community while bringing our group back together. The alumni golf tournament gives us the opportunity to rekindle our relationships while raising funds for worthwhile causes,” said tournament chair Dana Murzyn. “The Flames Alumni are proud members of the community and we are pleased to host this tournament and honoured to be able to give back to a community that we are so passionate about.”

With files from The Calgary Flames Alumni Association

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 08.18.2019 1151026 Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Chase Priskie to an entry-level contract

CHIP ALEXANDER

AUGUST 17, 2019 12:11 PM

The Carolina Hurricanes, adding to their defensive depth, signed former Quinnipiac defenseman Chase Priskie to a two-year, entry-level contract on Saturday.

Priskie, 23, will earn $832,500 per season at the NHL level and $70,000 per season at the AHL level. He will get a signing bonus of $185,000.

“Chase was one of the best defensemen in college hockey last season,” general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “We believe he has a bright future in the NHL, and we’re thrilled that he has chosen to come to Carolina.”

At Quinnipiac, Priskie led Division I defensemen in goals (17), power-play goals (10) and game-winning goals (five) last season. He was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2018-19.

Pirskie, listed at 5-11 and 192 pounds, finished with 116 career points (39 goals, 77 assists) in 154 collegiate games in four seasons and served as Quinnipiac’s captain in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.

Priskie was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

News Observer LOADED: 08.18.2019 1151027 Chicago Blackhawks “Residing in the building less than a week himself, Hawks public relations director Jim DeMaria couldn’t even find his way from the basement press room to his second-floor office Thursday without a few 10 things to know about the United Center at 25 years, including when directions,” the Tribune wrote on Aug. 19, 1994. “Let’s hope behind two LeBron James settled a bet and the debut concert that tanked of those myriad doors are another NBA title and a long-awaited Stanley Cup. New buildings quickly sour and smell like yesterday’s beer when they have stinking teams.”

TIM BANNON 4. Many millions served.

AUG 17, 2019 | 8:00 AM Following the Jennifer Lopez concert on June 30, the close of the building’s fiscal year, attendance stood at 59.3 million, according to

United Center officials. The arena plays host to approximately 200 events What do Michael Jordan, Oprah, Bill Clinton, Bono, Beyonce, Chance the each year. Rapper, Jay-Z, Michelle Obama, Marian Hossa, Barbra Streisand, Bret The largest crowd ever, according to United Center officials, was for the “Hit Man” Hart, Tom Izzo and Roger Federer all have in common? 1996 Democratic National Convention, which averaged roughly 30,000 The United Center. people each day.

The arena, which has hosted a remarkable mix of events and stars, turns Seating capacity varies depending on the event: approximately 23,000 25 on Sunday. Here are some things to know about the stadium on West for concerts, 20,500 for hockey and 21,000 for basketball. Madison. 5. From ice to hardwood — and back again. 1. First event was a black-tie gala. Second was pro wrestling. For the Bulls and Blackhawks to share the United Center floor, it takes a The United Center marks Aug. 18, 1994, as its opening day. That event choreographed effort to convert from ice to hardwood and back again. was a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a $1,000-a-plate black-tie Once a Blackhawks game ends, the crew of 45 springs to action, gala. Inside, the guests danced to the Dick Judson Orchestra. Outside, changing the playing surface in about two hours. nearly 1,000 demonstrators demanded more jobs and contracts for the Here is a time-lapse look at the transformation. Democratic National Convention to be held there two years later. Changing it back to ice takes a little less time because hockey has fewer Protesters picket outside the United Center on Aug. 18, 1994. technical and television requirements. Throughout the season, the ice But the first event open to the public came 11 days later, and it wasn’t a remains in place as insulation and the basketball surface is layered on Bulls or a Blackhawks game. It was the World Wrestling Federation’s top. stars Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Lex Luger and the Undertaker mixing it up. 6. Chicago’s “largest gathering of celebrities.” “Breaking the seal on this dolled-up barn was not the Rolling Stones, as Chicago’s two biggest stars ever — yes, even bigger than Chance the originally rumored, but rather the sophisticated artistry of the World Rapper or Frank Robb the Alligator guy — crossed paths on May 17, Wrestling Federation’s SummerSlam ’94,” the Tribune reported. “If the 2001, for the taping of “Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular” at the faux action in the center ring became tedious, seated patrons could bide United Center. their time counting United Airlines logos and listening for the opening strains of Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody in Blue' every time a cash register Michael Jordan surprised Oprah Winfrey during the taping of the show. drawer opened.” “You’ve inspired me,” Jordan told Winfrey. 2. The debut concert did not go well. He then offered to help her in retirement. On Oct. 19, 1994, Billy Joel christened the United Center as a concert venue. It was not an auspicious start. “If you ever need me, call me,” Jordan said. “You need a job, call me.”

“Whether he was singing softly or loudly, performing solo or with his Michael Jordan surprises Oprah Winfrey during the taping of "Oprah! A band, dispatching up-tempo anthems or dreamy ballads, Joel’s lyrics Farewell Spectacular" at the United Center in 2011. were reduced to so much garble,” Tribune critic Howard Reich wrote. Who else was there? Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Halle “The singer expressed his displeasure at one point during the evening, Berry, Tyler Perry, Jamie Foxx, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Madonna, rhetorically asking the audience, ‘So how’s the sound now? Is it getting a Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, Patti LaBelle, Usher, Jerry little better?’ The badly blurred, echoing response from the crowd Seinfeld, Diane Sawyer, Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, to suggested it was not.” name a few.

Reich called the United Center’s acoustics “grotesquely over- “This is the largest gathering of celebrities (in Chicago) in anyone’s reverberant.” memory,” CBS-2 news anchor Bill Kurtis, who was in the audience, said “There’s no doubt that the hall’s sound technicians will be working to that day. “This happens every season in L.A. and New York with the improve matters for coming performances (guitarist Eric Clapton plays Oscars and other awards shows, but here they stand out because our Friday, singer Frank Sinatra performs Saturday),” Reich continued. celebrities are politicians. So they invaded last night. I’ve never seen a "Certainly any new venue requires a measure of acoustical fine-tuning. bigger gathering.”

"Yet considering the severity of the United Center’s acoustical problems, 7. "They were going to hang me from the rafters.” one has to wonder whether the hall ever will be fit for concert use. There are 58 banners hanging in the United Center.

“To put it in other terms, compared to the United Center, the Rosemont The United Center has a remarkable 58 banners hanging from the Horizon is Carnegie Hall and Arie Crown Theatre is Boston’s Symphony arena’s ceiling, honoring the following: Hall.” Six Blackhawks Stanley Cup championships. 3. That’s a lot of exits — and entrances. Six Bulls NBA championships. At 950,000 square feet (not including the new atrium), the United Center is the largest arena in North America. Fifteen Bulls division and conference titles.

Construction began in April of 1992 and cost $175 million. Eighteen Blackhawks division and conference titles.

Designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (now known simply as Seven Blackhawks players: Glen Hall, Keith Magnuson, Pierre Pilote, HOK), the same firm more recently responsible for Little Caesars Arena Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito. in Detroit, the United Center features many impressive statistics — 3,500 tons of steel, 140 feet tall — but perhaps none more than its 1,850 doors. Four Bulls players: Michael Jordan, Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Scottie Pippen. One Bulls coach and one Bulls GM: Phil Jackson and Jerry Krause. me that’s the most important thing in life. I love to talk. I love people. ... And I love to dance.” In 2003, on the night the Bulls honored Krause, the former GM said: “Back in 1985, when Jerry Reinsdorf hired me, a close friend told me that “We’re trying to tell the story outside of just sports alone," said Derrick if we didn’t win, they were going to hang me from the rafters. Tonight, I’m Christian, the United Center’s senior marketing manager. “We’re really getting hung, but I’m getting hung with six championship banners.” trying to show the building in ways that people may not be familiar with, giving fans an inside look.” 8. So what does the Jordan statue pose represent? Chicago Tribune LOADED: 08.18.2019 The United Center’s biggest attraction isn’t in the arena.

For years, the 12-foot-tall Michael Jordan statue, officially called “the Spirit,” was outside, on the east side. Then in 2017 it was moved into the new atrium, which was part of the 190,000-square-foot addition.

Workers move the Michael Jordan statue in 2015 as work was being done on the east side of the United Center. Two years later, the statue was relocated into the new atrium.

“As the United Center is a contemporary but retro version of the Chicago Stadium, so is ‘The Spirit’ a contemporary but retro version of the sculptures in our parks that represent statesmen or military heroes,” Tribune art critic Alan Artner wrote in 1994.

The sculpture, created by Chicago-area sculptors Julie and Omri Rotblatt-Amrany, depicts an airborne Jordan with right arm about to dunk and is perched atop a 5-foot-tall granite base engraved with his accomplishments and honors.

But what feat does it represent? Jordan’s 63-point performance against the Celtics in the 1986 playoffs? When he won the NBA slam-dunk contest in 1988 at Chicago Stadium?

“There is no clear, neat answer,” Julie Rotblatt-Amrany told the Tribune’s Terry Armour. “Art is more complex than that. Whatever it is to different people is what it is to different people.

“It’s really a combination of all the things over his whole career,” Rotblatt- Amrany said. “It is him in that pinnacle point of that height he can get to. We wanted to catch his spirit, his strength as an individual and his enthusiasm.”

9. LeBron James settles a bet.

There are many memorable quirky moments from the United Center’s 25 years, but perhaps none more than the time LeBron James wore a full Cubs uniform to his game against the Bulls.

For the 2016 World Series, Dwyane Wade bet James that his hometown Cubs would beat James’ hometown Indians, and the loser had to show up to the winner’s home stadium wearing the winning baseball team’s uniform.

“I’m not wearing cleats,” James said the day before. “I’ve got a basketball game to play. No glove. Just the uniform. I will be in uniform.”

And sure enough, on Dec, 2, 2016, James arrived at the United Center.

He wore the Cubs’ home white pants, a No. 23 jersey with “James” on the back and a Cubs cap.

“Before I walk into the United Center and get bombarded with cameras and everything, I lost this bet,” James said. "And this is unfortunate what I have to go into the arena in: pinstripes all the way down to the shoe. Yeah, I mean all the way to the World Series patch on the arm. My Indians gave everything they had. And the Cubs came back and showed what true champions (are) all about. Meanwhile, I’m pinstriped up walking into a national televised game in Chicago because of a bet I lost. So, you’re all welcome.”

10. For a building, it has a darn good social media personality.

Of the major stadiums in Chicago, none matches the United Center’s Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts.

They offer backstage photos and videos, news updates, profiles of staffers and mashups of pop culture and Chicago sports.

On its LinkedIn account, for instance, there’s a lively interview with Esther Cox-Murphy, who recently retired after 28 years at Chicago Stadium and then the United Center, most recently as senior manager of switchboard operations.

“We answer the phone with compassion,” she said. “You have to listen to what they’re saying to you. And you have to love what you’re doing. To 1151028 Chicago Blackhawks charge you a buck to get in there. It has to be value received. Hopefully, the fans feel the money is well spent with the food and the creature comforts and clubs and amenities.

59 million visitors. Bulls and Blackhawks championships. Circuses. And, “Generally, buildings are never as good as they were the day they Oprah. A look back at 25 years at the United Center. opened. This one is better. It was state of the art 25 years ago. It’s state of the art today. Besides having a whole campus with the Fifth Third Arena and the Advocate Center and the atrium and team store, it’s a K.C. JOHNSON classic example of urban development.”

AUG 17, 2019 | 8:00 AM In a 2009 interview with the Tribune, Earnest Gates, then the executive director of the Near West Side Community Development Corporation, a

nonprofit organization he helped create in 1988, addressed the area’s Michael Jordan — whose statue has been a major tourist draw first transformation that continues today. outside and now inside the United Center tor years — not only wasn’t the “They got the United Center," Gates, who worked closely with Reinsdorf building’s opening act, he didn’t even play in the first Bulls game there. and Wirtz during the building’s planning stages, said then. “We got the Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Lex Luger and their motley crew christened the first new single-family housing in about 45 years. We got an economic arena, plying their shenanigans for a crowd of 18,468 on Aug. 29, 1994, development fund. We got a library. We got the (James R.) Jordan (Boys in an event dubbed SummerSlam by the World Wrestling Federation. & Girls Club). We got a computer center. We got a health center, a drug store. Six weeks later, on Oct. 17, 1994, the Bulls lost an exhibition game to the Jazz. And then on Nov. 4, 1994, Scottie Pippen scored 22 points to help “We got a host of community amenities that we probably otherwise lead the Bulls to an 89-83 victory over the Hornets before a franchise- wouldn’t have. And we have a great relationship with the Wirtz family and record crowd of 22,313 in the building’s first regular-season NBA game. (White Sox executive and United Center CEO) Howard Pizer and Jerry Reinsdorf. It’s a real relationship. And I don’t use that term loosely.” The United Center, which turns 25 on Sunday, has played host to three NBA Finals, three Stanley Cup Finals and the 1996 Democratic National Said Reinsdorf: “We know we’ve been a good neighbor. We’ve exceeded Convention. It has blasted beats ranging from Kanye West to Madonna every commitment we made to the community. We provide employment and amplified voices as famous as Frank Sinatra’s and Luciano for so many people from the neighborhood. It’s been a catalyst for Pavarotti’s. redevelopment. And it’s going to keep going. It’s going to jump the United Center and start moving west of Damen. It’s not going to stop.” It has housed tigers and elephants at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, a book event for Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey’s The first changeover from a Bulls to a Blackhawks game never seemed final shows. It has featured skaters ranging from Disney On Ice to the to stop either, Savarise said jokingly. A process that took roughly 2½ NCAA’s “Frozen Four” NCAA Tournament to the 2017 NHL draft. hours at the old Stadium grew to eight hours when the United Center first Hoopsters chasing Big Ten tournament and NCAA regional titles and opened because of the additional floor seating inside the hockey boards McDonald’s All-American high school dreams have graced the and new retractable seating in the end zones. Then-Blackhawks coach hardwood. Tennis, with the Laver Cup, has stopped by. Darryl Sutter even lamented the altering of some of his practice plans in the building’s infancy. There really isn’t an event it can’t handle, which is why it’s approaching 60 million visitors over its quarter-century of existence. Following the Now, Savarise said it takes the crew of 45 workers about two hours to Jennifer Lopez concert on June 30, the close of the building’s fiscal year, convert from hockey to basketball and about 1½ hours to convert back to attendance stood at 59.3 million, according to United Center officials. a hockey rink. Converting to basketball takes longer because of all the Annually, it typically plays host to approximately 200 events. tech and TV demands placed in the flooring.

“Absolutely,” Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said, when asked if the “Those first few conversions, we were looking at each other like, ‘Do we building has exceeded his expectations. “I don’t think that I contemplated know what we’re doing?’” Savarise said, laughing. “We knew once we the usage we get out of it, the steady stream of concerts and world-class practiced and got to know the building, we’d be able to get those events we host.” conversions down.”

Mindful that the venerable Chicago Stadium, which the United Center Indeed, the early memories of the building are a heady mix of nostalgia, replaced, didn’t possess suites and opportunities for revenue streams in excitement and white-knuckle nights for many principals, tenants as modern arenas, Reinsdorf and Bill Wirtz, the late Blackhawks owner, famous as Chris Chelios and Scottie Pippen to instrumental behind-the- formed a joint venture in 1988 that culminated in the Aug. 18, 1994, scenes people such as James Koehler. The building’s vice president and ribbon-cutting ceremony and black-tie gala. general manager, whose master key opens every door in the building, might know the structure better than anyone. He navigates terrain as Wirtz’s grandson, Danny, won the 1995 state hockey championship in precarious as the metallic catwalk connected to the ceiling and as the building with Loyola Academy. “He’s 42 now,” said Rocky Wirtz, prestigious as the private owner rooms with equal aplomb. Danny’s father, who succeeded his father, Bill, as Blackhawks chairman. “That seems just like yesterday.” Koehler once granted the request of a starstruck Bono, U2’s lead singer, to see the inside of the Blackhawks locker room between the band’s Part of the reason for the seemingly quick passage of time is how well- soundcheck and performance. maintained the building is and the consistent modernization. According to Terry Savarise, the building’s executive vice president and chief The building’s walls have some stories. Who can forget Dennis operating officer, Reinsdorf and Wirtz “put a pretty significant annual Rodman’s “walk of shame,” dubbed by the courageous media members capital expenditure in our budget” for upgrades and improvements, who dutifully covered Rodman’s MTV-like “press conferences,” in which typically for the building’s infrastructure. Rocky Wirtz pegged it at “$3 to he only talked to reporters while walking down the building’s hallways to $5 million regardless.” the loading dock instead of the customary stationary approach inside the locker room, the pack tripping on TV camera cords all the way? Or And that’s separate from the major expenditures, which included a full LeBron James walking down those same hallways in a full Cubs uniform renovation — without the building closing — over the last five years to to pay off a World Series bet to his buddy Dwyane Wade? Or Chelios redo the Bulls and Blackhawks locker rooms, suites and seating and to taking a stationary bike into a sauna to punish himself with a postgame add clubs and restaurants on the concourse levels; the addition of the workout after a tough loss? atrium that now houses the Jordan statue, the box office, restaurants and a team gift store; and a new scoreboard that’s almost four times larger “I grew up here so I loved the old Stadium,” Chelios said. “It’s pretty than the previous one with higher resolution and a new sound system. tough to match the level of the noise in the old Stadium. The Stadium was known for that — opposing teams hated going in there. The United Reinsdorf said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently told him he Center was more of a friendly atmosphere, brand new. We still had a couldn’t believe the building is nearing its 25th birthday. really competitive team back at the time, so we had great crowds. The tradition of the national anthem really was the big thing that I remember “We generally spend more time in that building than we do at home. Why at the United Center. Not quite as loud as the old Stadium but pretty shouldn’t it be as clean and up to date as your home?” Wirtz said. “We impressive for a big building. “And the locker room, the warm showers. The ice in the old Stadium, the newspaper in 1994, Kamin bemoaned the loss of the Stadium’s “robust atmosphere with the crowd right on top of you, you couldn’t beat that with classicism.” But Kamin liked the interior, particularly the two grand the United Center. But as far as the amenities, the weight room and all lobbies that are 46 feet tall and the plush seating that featured cast-iron that stuff, that was way ahead of what the old Stadium was.” Bulls and Blackhawks logos set into the plastic portion at each row’s end. He also noted no obstructed views. Pippen holds similar warm memories. The 950,000-square-foot building, which has 1,850 doors, was designed “Everybody felt comfortable," Pippen said. "Even the opponent didn’t by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum of Kansas City, Mo., a sports complain about the cold showers anymore. We just had to be better on architecture firm. Privately financed, it originally cost $175 million. But the court, which we had been for a number of years. We had to keep up with its original 216 suites, twice as many concession stands as the the tradition. It was a smooth transition. We were excited about moving Stadium upon opening, increased wall space for advertising and selling into a new crib. The Stadium was definitely very special and we felt like the naming rights to United Airlines, Kamin reported upon the building’s we had a huge advantage there. But the United Center’s amenities were opening that the owners’ construction loan would be paid off in 6½ years. great. The locker room was great. I think the only sad part about it was Michael didn’t play that entire first season. We had a great season that Money is a big part of the building. So are memories. You may say it’s first season. But we weren’t going to go that far without our main man.” just a stone structure, but those indelible moments give it a heart.

Jordan ended his baseball experiment and first retirement to make his Savarise remembers an emotional U2 concert just after the Sept. 11 United Center debut on March 24, 1995, in a 106-99 loss to the Magic in attacks, one in which crowd and band joined in a cathartic moment of which Horace Grant dropped a double-double on his former team and healing. He remembers guitarist Eric Clapton celebrating a birthday on His Airness shot a pedestrian 7-for-23. That began Jordan’s occasional stage, Clinton giving a rousing acceptance speech and, yes, the Bulls gripes about adjusting to the harder rims and sightlines of the United and Blackhawks championship nights. Center. “You always try to walk out into the arena and say, ‘OK, this is what all But it didn’t stop Jordan, Pippen and the Bulls from clinching the first two that work resulted in,’" Savarise said. "Take a look at the crowd or the championships of the second three-peat at the United Center. people coming in or the smiles on people’s faces. Building the building was the easy part. Building the organization is the challenging part. And “You embrace winning on another team’s home court and shutting their combining a building and an organization that can stand the test of time building down. But there’s nothing better than winning in front of your and do what that building has done in 25 years — and we’re confident it home crowd and celebrating with them, knowing you’re going to enjoy can do in the next 25 years — that’s the challenge. that night with your friends and family,” Pippen said. “It just makes the party that much better.” “Being able to host special events that can showcase the city is something that takes not only a brick-and-mortar building, but it takes a Similarly, both Reinsdorf and Wirtz cite clinching championships — the dedicated and talented organization to do it. Watching how those two Blackhawks defeated the Lightning at home in 2015 — as their favorite have melded together has been a source of pride for all of us.” United Center memories. Here's to the next quarter-century. “That night was a horrible storm. All the underpasses leading to the arena were flooded,” Wirtz said. “They couldn’t even get the Stanley Cup Chicago Tribune LOADED: 08.18.2019 to the building on time. But it was still special.”

Reinsdorf recalls Steve Kerr’s foul-line jumper on a pass from Jordan finding bottom to defeat the Jazz in six games in 1997.

“What a night,” Reinsdorf said.

When the Bulls defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996, Savarise had another reaction.

“There was still confetti coming down out of the ceiling and our staff was getting forklifts fired up because we had to take the entire building apart to start building for the (Democratic National) convention,” Savarise said. “Watching how that building transformed, there was so much excitement because you had a sitting president and there was so much security protocol.”

That intense 66-day build, which Savarise called “as big as anything we’ve done,” turned the United Center into almost its own city, complete with several TV studios for the major networks and an office that Koehler built a year in advance for Secret Service agents.

When the Democratic Party concluded by renominating Bill Clinton for president, Savarise, Pizer, Koehler and crew had 10 days to convert the United Center back to shape for a Neil Diamond concert.

“We worked almost 24 hours a day,” Savarise said. “We’re constantly running an event, then turning that event over to the next event.”

This year, Savarise said the building will be used for an event every day from early September until Christmas Eve.

“We’re getting the job done today, but we’re planning for what’s coming next week and next month and next year," Savarise said. "The major events are almost a year out of planning. We’re in a constant stage of what’s coming next and making sure we’re allocating all the resources the right way. I don’t think there’s an event we can’t host. Over 25 years, that’s a pretty good legacy for a building.”

So are the tourists who stream in daily to take pictures by the Jordan statue. And the Terrazzo tiles — with their mixture of marble, quartz and granite — that Bill Wirtz insisted be placed in the concourses over concrete, the ones that are washed and waxed constantly to look new.

Still, Blair Kamin, the Tribune’s Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic, didn’t love the United Center’s exterior upon its opening. Writing for the 1151029 Chicago Blackhawks That’s frustrating for Thomas, who saw firsthand how drastically basketball analytics changed when the NBA instituted tracking in 2013.

“It’s going to open a lot of people’s eyes to what data can do,” he said. “It Blackhawks confident they’re leaders in NHL’s analytics movement, but will tell us more about defense, because a lot of that is context — what puck-tracking revolution looms situation did a defender have to defend against? The current stuff we Ten years since first hearing the term, analytics are a huge part of the have right now does not tell us a lot of context, other than who they were day-to-day duties for Al MacIsaac and others in the Blackhawks’ front playing with.” office. When the NHL finally implements its long-awaited tracking It will also accelerate the rate of analytics’ integration into hockey, technology, those duties are going to change drastically once again. especially in-game coaching, which remains a fairly untouched frontier.

Right now, most raw data is tabulated manually by scorers, who can’t Ben Pope match the exactness of a computer. Certain statistics like hits vary significantly from arena to arena, based on how each scorer defines what Aug 17, 2019, 8:35am CDT a hit is. Naturally, that undermines reliability and credibility, giving ammunition to the conservative hockey minds who decry the analytics

revolution. Al MacIsaac first heard of analytics approximately 4,500 miles away from “It’s going to make people feel more comfortable with the data, because his spacious United Center office. you can go and see where that data came from,” Thomas said. “It’s going Shortly before the Blackhawks’ 2009-10 season opener in Finland, to help people in the front office appreciate what’s happening with data MacIsaac sat down alongside Stan and Scotty Bowman to meet a more, without being able to pooh-pooh it.” stranger in Helsinki’s grand Hotel Kamp for a brief presentation. The aforementioned expensiveness of puck tracking continues to be a The ensuing 30 minutes have since proven monumental to the course of holdup, but the NHL has turned toward another concurrent sports the Blackhawks’ franchise. Today, analytics dominate MacIsaac’s day-to- revolution — gambling legalization — to foot the bill. day work as the Hawks’ hockey operations president. The league has already signed licensing deals with MGM Grand and “It started as a project that we were going to build on,” MacIsaac told the other sportsbooks to help fund the software development. That growing Sun-Times this week. “Now we have analytics for everything. ... It’s financial backing is a promising indicator that tracking will, finally, arrive evolved from that first chance meeting in 2009 to something that we feel soon. proud of and that our staff have come to embrace.” ‘Create our own path’ Big commitment to shadowed world Just a year after that 2009 Helsinki meeting — the stranger who gave the The term ‘analytics’ itself is mentioned nowhere in MacIsaac’s job presentation, by the way, still works with the Hawks — the same group of description, and it takes quite a bit of scrolling down the Hawks’ front Hawks executives met with an analytics company in Toronto. office directory to find Andrew Contis, the lone listed member with it in his “They gave their presentation, and we said, ‘Boy, that’s great. But you title. guys are so far behind where we already are,’” MacIsaac said. “In about But MacIsaac will disclose there’s a whole team of employees — “young 12 months, once we bought into that direction, we had made pretty good people,” he calls them — who compose the Hawks’ analytics department, leaps and bounds. And it was because of the right people.” collecting and analyzing data and looking for new areas to explore. The nine years since have followed the same overall upward trajectory, “Our ideas can’t be cascading down from the senior guys like me and but with some bumps. Stan,” MacIsaac said. “We want ideas cascading upwards, and that In 2015, ESPN The Magazine ranked the Hawks as the most analytics- comes from guys like Andrew Contis and a number of others.” friendly NHL franchise. But then in 2016, the Hawks gave the eight-year, So-called “advanced” statistics like Corsi (a fancy word for shot attempts) $55 million contract to Brent Seabrook — who was already trending and zone start ratios have been in the public realm for years now, negatively, according to advanced statistics — that’s now considered popularized by sites like Extra Skater, War on Ice and Corsica. unanimously the worst in the NHL. That decision brought some consternation upon Chicago from the analytics community. The analytics created and used behind most teams’ closed doors have advanced significantly beyond basic Corsi. Where each team stands in “Any new technology is going to hurt the people that are in a system relation to each other, however, is a topic of much mystery and debate. already, just by nature, because it’s the current one that got them where they are,” Thomas said. “But I will say...the Seabrook deal in particular “Everybody is at a certain place right now,” MacIsaac said, “but they don’t made me wonder how much the Hawks are listening to [their analytics know if they’re in front or they’re way behind.” staff].”

Impending revolution Perhaps the reasoning can be traced to one particular maxim that MacIsaac tells his analysts, which comes across equally inspiring and Hockey analytics nonetheless remain in relative infancy compared to concerning: “Don’t tell me what they’re bad at. Tell me what they’re good other North American sports, particularly baseball and basketball. (The at, and we’ll build on the good.” Hawks are fully aware of that, and have actually met with MLB teams to plot a model for their path forward.) Or perhaps it was a mere misstep, one that retroactively emphasizes the importance of valuing data over emotion. MacIsaac and the Hawks No one is more familiar with that reality than Andrew Thomas, the sagely know that their analytics — as confident as they are in them — founder of War on Ice and a former data analyst for both the Wild and aren’t perfect, and that the crux of the industry is constant innovation. various MLB teams. He’s convinced that the cause of the NHL’s late and still sluggish integration with analytics is logistical rather than cultural. “We don’t want to duplicate what others are doing,” he said. “We’re looking to create our own path. To do that, we still have to see what “What it comes down to is the puck is tiny and fast. No other sport has they’re doing, and say, ‘You know what, we can improve on that’ or ‘We the constraints that hockey does,” Thomas said. “[Data is] just way more can do better in these areas.’” expensive to gather in hockey than it is in other sports.” “If you’re currently in a situation where your analytics are where they are For years, the NHL has been exploring puck- and player-tracking and you’re comfortable with that, you’re falling behind.” software that would transform its analytics universe. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 08.18.2019 Such software’s implementation has been continuously delayed, though. An NHL spokesman confirmed Wednesday that tracking would not be in place at the start of the upcoming season, contrary to an announcement at the 2019 All-Star Game. Tellingly, MacIsaac admitted tracking is “not something that is on our minds right now.” 1151030 Chicago Blackhawks

Drake Caggiula looks back on how he could've played with Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome in OHL

Charlie Roumeliotis

August 17, 2019 9:00 AM

Drake Caggiula had a successful college hockey career. He compiled 127 points (62 goals, 65 assists) in 162 career games across four seasons at North Dakota, and served as an alternate captain during his senior year.

But before committing to college, Caggiula was being recruited by the Erie Otters of the OHL and there could've been a moment where he played with Connor McDavid and current teammates Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome all at the same time.

“I remember telling Sherry Bassin, the GM of Erie, how I was going to go to college," Caggiula said in an interview with NBC Sports Chicago. "He kept reiterating that, 'at 16 years old, we’re not going to be that great. But at 17, we’re going to be a little bit better, but not great. But at 18 and 19, those are going to be your big years and we’re going to have a really good team and we’re going to surround you with good players.’ I mean, that’s two years in the future so it’s hard to really see that.

"Looking back at it now, the players that I could have played with, they had some pretty talented players go through Erie. Even Dylan Larkin was an Erie draft pick and ended up going to Michigan. It could have been a pretty talented team there so it’s kind of funny to see how it all works out. We’re all here today coming from different paths so it’s pretty cool.”

Any chirps from the guys about his decision now?

“Yeah, Connor [McDavid] used to make fun of me all the time, you know? ‘Oh, we would have won the Memorial Cup if you would have joined the team!’ and all that sort of stuff," Caggiula joked. "We talk about it a little bit just here and there saying, ‘what a team we could have had and imagine who we would have been playing with and now we’re all here together. What if we all would have started in Erie together and now we’re here together?’ It just would have been a pretty cool story. It’s obviously something that we can’t control but it’s definitely something that you can look back at and laugh at.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.18.2019 1151031 New York Rangers want to do about tickets. Surely they will go to a lot of games, but things are little more complicated than just being Rangers fans.

“The problem is, in this situation for me, you lose the fandom. You know Two longtime Rangers fans now have son on their favorite team what I’m saying? It’s not the same with him there,” Bruce said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan, but I’m a father of a kid on the team. It’s different.

Brett Cyrgalis “I hope he makes it. I hope he does well. Will it be cool to see? Of course it’s going to be awesome if he does make it. But there are going to be August 17, 2019 | 11:24PM trials and tribulations along the way.”

For both player and parents.

There is the Bruce and Tammy Fox from Jericho, L.I., via Queens, who New York Post LOADED: 08.18.2019 had those Rangers’ season tickets from 1972-2009, first row right above the old Budweiser sign in Section 55 (or Section 1, depending on the year).

Then there is the Bruce and Tammy Fox, father and mother to Adam Fox, the kid who unpredictably made it off Long Island and to the U.S. Developmental Program in Michigan before getting into Harvard, getting drafted by the Flames in the third round, getting his rights traded to the Hurricanes, and eventually getting traded to his hometown Rangers.

Now that Adam has signed with the Rangers and has his name penciled in to the opening-day lineup, the parents find themselves in a strange juxtaposition. To be a fan and to be a parent of a player in professional sports are two very different things, and not the easiest to reconcile.

“You want to know the truth?” Bruce said over the phone this week, his passion coming through as clearly as his emails did to writers covering the team over the past decade. “I just want him to go where there is an opportunity for him to play. I think any father in my spot would want that. That’s the most important thing.”

Adam Fox, 21, is a slick-skating, cerebral defenseman, a righty-shot who plays a two-way game. Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton traded a second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick for his rights in April, when it was clear he wasn’t a good fit in Carolina because the Hurricanes are loaded with young defensemen. And now the opportunity abounds for Fox, with the right side of the Blueshirts’ blueline even more open after the club bought out the final two years of Kevin Shattenkirk’s deal.

“There has to be a fit. It takes two to tango,” Bruce said. “I don’t think he put a gun to anybody’s head. I think sometimes it’s just not the right fit. And a team wants you, and it just all works out.”

Bruce has many first-person stories about watching the Rangers — from the 1970 playoffs against the Bruins, to traveling to Philadelphia to see them lose to the Flyers in Game 7 in 1974, to sitting in his seats at the Garden when Valeri Zelepukin scored for the Devils with 7.7 seconds left in 1994, then later that spring in those seats when the Rangers finally won the Cup.

Adam was born four years later, and Bruce knew the path he wanted his son to take.

“I always knew if I had boys, they were going to be hockey players. If I had girls, they were going to be golfers,” Bruce said. “Don’t ask me why, but those are my two passions — golf and hockey.”

Adam started skating as a 2-year-old and almost immediately began to catch people’s attention.

“He was like 3 years old in the IceWorks rink up in Syosset, and he was in a learn-to-skate class,” said Mike Bracco, who ended up being Adam’s coach over the next decade. “I was watching him skate in a long Rangers jersey past his knees — which is really ironic — and right away. I was like, ‘Who is this kid? Where is this kid coming from? What’s he about?’ Just from the way he skated.”

Bracco always kept Adam playing a year up throughout youth hockey, and he always showed he belonged.

“Other kids would get in trouble, and he just made it look easy,” said Bracco, who also coached teams with current pros Charlie McAvoy and his own son, Jeremy Bracco. “Even with teams I had with great players, Adam never made a mistake. I coached him probably for 10 years, 12 years, I’ve never seen him turn the puck over. It’s amazing. He has that gift, that brain.”

Now that gift has come to Broadway, a stage Bracco thinks Adam will embrace. And parents Bruce and Tammy have to figure out what they 1151032 Philadelphia Flyers "I just want to keep getting better, develop my footwork, my consistency level, even my shot has a little work to be put into it. Once I think I can come to this level and succeed and be an impact and help these guys A 30-goal defenseman? Flyers prospect Ronnie Attard is a 'double out, that's when I'm going to make the jump." whammy' to watch Attard turned heads with the jump he made last season.

How fast could he tackle college?

Jordan Hall "He's going to a Western Michigan program with quality coaching," Flahr August 17, 2019 9:00 AM said. "He should be an interesting watch here over the next couple of years."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.18.2019 Ronnie Attard is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds.

He loves the physical nature of the game — playing with a mean streak, delivering hits and standing up for teammates.

"That's something that has been a staple of my game since I was a little kid, something that my dad instilled in me," Attard said in June. "If you're the hardest player to play against out on the ice, people are going to notice you."

What also gets you noticed? Thirty goals by a defenseman. That's what Attard pulled off with the USHL's Tri-City Storm in 2018-19. It turned him into a third-round selection of the Flyers this summer after Attard had been draft eligible twice and never heard his name called. He's a 20- year-old with booming potential.

"I still use that staple of being good defensively," Attard said. "Then I started incorporating my offense, which is a double whammy."

With the Storm, Attard blew up in one year. He went from 15 points and a minus-9 rating through 50 games in 2017-18 to 30 goals, 65 points and a plus-47 mark over 48 games to win 2018-19 USHL Player of the Year.

How in the world did he go from undrafted to double whammy, just like that?

You see where he was a year or two ago to where he is now, his mobility, he's gotten a lot stronger, he's gained a ton of confidence, especially on the offensive side of things. He's always been a competitive kid and a hard-nosed kid, but to see where his overall game has come, it hit you in the face when you went to watch him play.

Obviously, we're not expecting him to score 30 goals a year in the NHL, but that stat you can't hide from, either. You score 30 goals in any league in 48 games, you are doing something right.

- Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr

Strength and confidence can do wonders for a young player. Attard brewed the combination by working out at Western Michigan with former NHL head coach Andy Murray and the Broncos.

"Coach Murray called me up last summer and wanted me to be a part of their strength program and get on the ice there," Attard said. "That's been the biggest thing — being on the ice with his players, seeing what they do and they taught me a lot.

"I went back to my junior team and had a bunch of confidence."

Western Michigan will be a team to keep an eye on for Flyers fans in 2019-20. Attard is entering his freshman year for the Broncos, while fellow Flyers prospect Wade Allison will be a senior winger with something to prove.

"I know him pretty well, I've been kind of following in his footsteps," Attard said of Allison. "He played at Tri-City and then went to Western, and I did the same thing. We know a lot of mutual people and we get along really well.

"He gave me the rundown and how things are handled there. It's another top-notch organization, Andy Murray's been around the game a long time, so hoping to learn a lot from him."

Despite his big shot and 30-goal breakout season, Attard knows he's far from a finished product.

"My skating and just my consistency," Attard said of the areas in which he wants to improve. "There are some nights where I'm the best player out on the ice and there are other nights where I'm just kind of irrelevant. I want to be able to bring that every night, just knowing what it takes to get my game at that 100 percent level. 1151033 San Jose Sharks

Former Sharks captain Joe Pavelski officially sells San Jose mansion

Jessica Kleinschmidt

August 17, 2019 11:58 AM

It's official, Joe Pavelski no longer is a San Jose resident.

The former Sharks captain has sold his mansion in the affluent Willow Glen neighborhood for $3.6 million, according to The Mercury News.

The original purchase of the five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom house was in 2013 for $2.7 million.

This 4,400-square-foot mansion is surrounded by redwood trees, with a front yard full of flowers and a manicured lawn. And when it comes to the background, it's the perfect lounge area ... with plenty of splashes of teal.

Pavelski bids farewell to the Bay Area after he signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Dallas Stars.

Now he can check off one more thing from his moving to-do list.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.18.2019 1151034 Toronto Maple Leafs you pick up Fisher if you have Billy McKinney? “Aren’t they just about the same player?” … Marcus Stroman has been more Stroman-lite than Stroman-like for the Mets to date …. All that money spent on Manny SIMMONS SAYS: History and women's tennis roster favour Andreescu Machado and the Padres are still nowhere to be found in the National League West … Boo hoo to all the Red Sox fans whining about this season going nowhere. You’ve won four World Series in the past 15 years, 12 championships in the city over that time. The time to shut up Steve Simmons about this was yesterday. August 17, 2019 4:48 PM EDT SCENE AND HEARD

We interrupt this column to bring a brief entertainment note: 71-year-old History and the current state of women’s tennis may well play in Bianca Burton Cummings hasn’t lost much off his fastball. He put on a Andreescu’s favour at the U.S. Open. memorable concert at the CNE Friday night …. The great catch Duke Williams made Friday night will either earn him a job with the Buffalo Bills In each of the last four years, a woman not necessarily expected to win or with another NFL team, which is fortunate for Williams and unfortunate the Open wound up as champion. In three of those tournaments, the for the CFL. The replay will be seen by everybody … How is it possible winners were players who were ranked lower than Andreescu, who will for Mike Reilly, the CFL’s most dynamic quarterback. to be 1-and-8 with be seeded when the draw is announced this Thursday. the B.C. Lions? … By my unofficial count, Dak Prescott is about the 16th best quarterback in the NFL. So how does he turn down $30 million a Last year, Naomi Osaka won her first Grand Slam at the Open. She’s year? And better yet, how does he get offered that much by the Dallas currently fighting a bad knee. The year before that, Jozy Altidore’s Cowboys … It didn’t seem to make much sense when the Blue Jays soulmate, Sloane Stephens, was the unexpected victor. And two years moved their worst fielding outfielder, Teoscar Hernandez, to centre field before that, Flavia Pennetta, seeded 26th, won the tournament. but all he’s done since he’s moved is mash the baseball. And he’s better Andreescu won’t necessarily be a favourite of any kind as the 14th in centre than he was in left. Go figure … For no reason in particular, ranked player in the world after winning last Sunday’s Rogers Cup, but Mitch Marner. Because what’s a Sunday column without Mitch Marner … according to one off-shore betting house she is the sixth favourite, listed First impression of Kyler Murray: He’s really small, like Doug Flutie small. behind Serena Williams, and her back spasms, Simona Halep, Osaka, And like early NFL Flutie, he’s got a ton of learning to do …. Joe Biagini Ashleigh Barty and Angelique Kerber. She’s 3-0 career against Williams pitched seven innings for the Houston Astros, gave up two earned runs, and Kerber, tainted slightly by last Sunday’s walkover and has yet to and then got sent to the minors. match up against Halep, Osaka, or Barty. AND ANOTHER THING But the fast courts of Flushing Meadows should work in the favour of the Some athletes just have that you-can’t-take-your-eyes-off-them way powerful Canadian teenager. What also could work for her is the about them. After 18 games and 16 extra base hits, that’s Bo Bichette emotional nature of the Open. There is no tournament comparable. …The Maple Leafs didn’t lose Game 7 because of their weak defence or There is no atmosphere like it anywhere else. lack of toughness or being pushed around. They lost because Frederik Andreescu appears to be the kind of player who thrives under noise and Andersen let in a bad goal and Jake Gardiner made a blind giveaway pressure. This could well be the young Canadian’s coming out party as a and they never recovered from getting down 2-0. If you look back at the professional. game, and I have, they did an excellent job on the Bruins big line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak in the clinching THIS AND THAT game. If you shut out the big line, you should have won the game … It doesn’t make sense for the Raptors to extend Kyle Lowry’s contract until Whatever is happening with the undeclared free agent Jake Gardiner, they actually know what the 2020 Raptors are going to be all about and he’s not saying. He’s not commenting. He won’t even take a question. He whether he fits in for 2020-2021 … After watching rugby star Christian did, however, ask how my summer was going when we spoke. So there Wade in two pre-season games with the Bills, I’d make sure scouting is that … How have NHL stars been penalized by the league’s salary rugby games overseas was part of my front office responsibilities as a cap? Before the cap, 15 years ago, Peter Forsberg was the NHL’s football executive … Gotta love Nate Diaz, who got kicked out of school highest paid player at $11 million a season. Now, it’s Connor McDavid at for fighting and smoking dope as a kid. Now he tells TSN he makes a $12.5 million. That’s less than a 1% increase per year increase for the living, fighting for UFC and selling marijuana … The payroll of Toronto sport’s greatest player. Over the same period of time, the value of the FC is almost three times the size of New York Red Bulls. So explain to Maple Leafs as a franchise has gone from $265 million to $1.4 billion. Up me how the Bulls have a better MLS record than the Reds? … Born this more than 500%. In other words, ownership wins once again … The NHL date: the ballplayer of your dreams, Roberto Clemente … Happy birthday must be just a little concerned that Pittsburgh Penguins majority owner, to Jim Dorey (72), Forbes Kennedy (84), Dave Lemanczyk (69), Willard Ron Burkle, is being mentioned as a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, Reaves (60), Jamie Macoun (58), Boog Powell (78) and Dustin Pedroia the scandal ridden American who apparently killed himself behind bars (36) … And hey, whatever became of Rex Grossman? … With 2020 approaching in five months, the all-decade NHL team is rather elementary: Forwards: Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Patrick Kane; Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty on defence; Henrik Lundqvist in goal. And you can make a case for Carey Price, Marc-Andre Anyone could have had Aristiles Aquino. All they had to do was ask. Fleury and Pekka Rinne in net … John Tavares is third in goals scored, He was a free agent after six rather ordinary minor seasons in the fifth in overall points, for the decade. A surprise: Third in points for the Cincinnati Reds organization, almost four of them in rookie ball. He was decade, Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux … Zach Hyman played Game 7 dropped in 2016 from the 40-man roster. All it would have taken was a against Boston with a torn ACL. He led the Leafs that night with six shots phone call, an airplane ticket and a few bucks to sign him. on goal that game. Can you say giant heart? But nobody cared much for this run of the mill prospect. HEAR AND THERE Now here we are, in this strange slugging baseball season, where home Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has not just entered the rookie of the year runs are being hit at a record pace in somewhat unexplainable terms and conversation in the American League. Looks like it may come down to a here is this apparent nobody with 10 home runs in his first 15 games of race between Guerrero and Houston’s slugger Yordan Alvarez for the the season after being called up from AAA. prize. Tampa’s Brandon Lowe was leading the race before he got hurt and hasn’t played since July 2. Other contenders: Eloy Jiminez of the Not just 10 home runs. Smashing home runs. Tape measure home runs. White Sox and Michael Chevis of the Red Sox … Mets’ Pete Alonso, with Hit off some great pitchers, too. 39 home runs, is running away with NL rookie of the year … Of the eight leading rookie home run hitters in the AL, the Blue Jays have four of We saw something like this in Toronto with Jose Bautista, who them: Guerrero, Cavan Biggio, Rowdy Tellez and Danny Jansen … Why discovered his real power at the age of 29 and he then went on to I’d want Justin Smoak at first base now and maybe into next year with average 37 home runs over a six-year-period. That seemed rather the Jays. Guerrero struggles at third. Bo Bichette can be erratic throwing impossible then. This, short term, seems rather impossible now. the ball. Having a terrific fielder at first base can buy the young Jays But every night in baseball appears as an assault on home run records. I some time … A scout on the Jays acquisition of Derek Fisher: Why do don’t know how much is the juiced baseball, how much is launch angle, and how much is not caring about who strikes out and when. But I do know a 25-year-old rookie is doing the Babe Ruth thing and you have to wonder how nobody saw this coming.

WILDER’S WILD RIDE

It was just before James Wilder’s breakout game with the Argonauts, during the pre-game warmup, that I turned to my friend Dave Naylor and declared that Wilder was a CFL bust.

That August night in 2017 he happened to run for 190 yards, caught passes for another 67 yards and went on to dominate the rest of the season as the Argos went on to win the Grey Cup. Wilder wasn’t the bust: My prediction was.

Naylor never stopped reminding me of my declaration, in a friendly kind of way, of how wrong I happened to be on Wilder.

The 2019 Argonauts are a pretty terrible football team, the lowest scoring team in the CFL. Wilder has been almost uninvolved, if not invisible, with just 161 yards rushing on the season, 260 yards receiving, two touchdowns scored. And now there is talk of trading him, or maybe more realistically, releasing him.

How does this happen? One year, he looks unstoppable. Two years later, a team without much offence appears to have no place for him. The truth on Wilder: He’s probably not the all-world running back he showed for half a season in 2017 and not the going nowhere guy he appears to be right now.

And you know what? Naylor doesn’t say much to me about Wilder anymore.

ROYAL TANENBAUM

Larry Tanenbaum is on a roll.

After years of trying to explain why his teams weren’t good enough, the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is on something of a championship run.

The victories started in a rather quiet way when Raptors905 won the G- League title in 2017. That came after Tanenbaum bought the Argos and hired Jim Popp and Marc Trestman to operate the football team. The Argos won the Grey Cup in 2017 and a just a few weeks after that, Toronto FC, which has played for a championship the year before, won the MLS title

In 2018, the Marlies won the American Hockey League title and he was there to celebrate with his minor league team. And of course, the big one obviously was the Raptors stunning the NBA and winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy just two months ago.

That’s five championships in the past three years for Tanenbaum and the NBA title happened to occur just after he was elected chairman of the board of the league, the most prestigious position for any club owner.

So what does that mean for 2020?

The football team has won. The soccer team has won. The minor league hockey team has won. The basketball team and its farm team have won. That leaves what?

There’s one severely belated title to go. And as always, the clock is ticking.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 08.18.2019 1151035 Vegas Golden Knights Carrier scored in a multitude of ways. He picked up the greasy ones, but he also flashed some tremendous puck-handling and skating skills that aren’t normal for a player who had 277 hits.

Golden Knights’ William Carrier had a better season than you remember The ability to score wasn’t an anomaly, either. He was a point-per-game player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and had 13 goals in 56 games his final year in the American Hockey League, a 19-goal pace Justin Emerson over 82 games. He needs to stay healthy, as he has not played more than 60 games in a season since 2015 in the AHL. Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 | 2 a.m. He’s a 24-year-old who had the most ice time of his career last year and

cashed in with the most goals in his still-young career. It still wasn’t William Carrier is a bruising power forward who stumbled his way into much, but if he keeps scoring, he could work his way up the lineup and some goals last season, but his league-leading hits-per-game and earn more time, which would lead to more scoring. physical presence is the extent of his value to the Golden Knights. Carrier is never going to be the team’s top goal-scorer. But if he breaks Right? his career-best in scoring that he set last year, don’t say you weren’t warned. Carrier has had his moments in his two seasons in Vegas, but he’s oftentimes an afterthought on the fourth line and pigeon-holed into the LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 08.18.2019 role of bruiser. Dig a little deeper, though, rewatch the game film, and you’ll find stats and evidence that indicate Carrier’s career-best eight goals last season could be just a starting point.

Let’s start with the numbers.

Among players who had 500 minutes on the ice at 5-on-5 last year, Carrier ranked eighth in the NHL in expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick. The players ahead of him were Brendan Gallagher, Timo Meier, John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Brady Tkachuk, Filip Forsberg and Evander Kane. Those are legit NHL scorers.

There were 349 players last season who scored at least eight goals. Only three did so in the less than the 535:34 time on ice Carrier had, and only one, Calgary’s Andrew Mangiapane, scored all those goals at 5-on-5 like Carrier.

Carrier didn’t have virtually any power-play time last year (3:25) but performed on a per-60-minute basis at even strength like a scoring savant.

More ice time could lead to a boost in production, but considering Carrier has 14 goals in 132 games, it could be that he excelled in a small sample and more ice time would expose him. He didn’t score in his final 13 games of the year or seven playoff games, after all.

Still, the stats say he made the best of the ice time he received.

What they don’t say is who he scored those goals against. If he was scoring against scrubs and AHL call-ups, the numbers get a little less impressive.

Of his eight goals, three came against a team’s top-six forward group, while he pounced on the bottom line more often than the top.

What’s interesting is the defensemen who were on the ice when he scored.

Carrier lit the lamp against Carolina when Dougie Hamilton and Jacob Slavin were defending, against St. Louis’ pair of Alex Pietrangelo and Carl Gunnarsson, against San Jose’s Erik Karlsson and Brenden Dillon and against Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty and Derek Forbort. That’s half his goals against the opposition’s top defensive pair.

And some of those were genuine skill goals, not the rebounds or tip-ins you’d expect from a fourth-line grinder. Watch this one against Ottawa on Nov. 8.

He dangles around poor Mark Borowiecki, then puts a nifty back-hander past Craig Anderson. That requires hands that fourth-liners don’t typically have. He showed off his mitts again on Dec. 29 against Los Angeles on a deflection during a game in which he was elevated to the third line.

Carrier puts himself between the puck and goalie Jonathan Quick, eyes Cody Eakin’s point shot and redirects it over Quick’s shoulder. He was also faster and more defensively sound last year than he got credit for. Watch him catch Lias Andersson sleeping and create an odd-man rush with Tomas Nosek.

He scored two rebound goals: against Carolina and against Vancouver. Twice, against San Jose and St. Louis, he beat the goalie on a breakaway. He got lucky once, against New Jersey, but showed off some slick skating and puck-handling to get a shot off. 1151036 Washington Capitals

Capitals officially lose defensive prospect and draft steal Chase Priskie to the Carolina Hurricanes

J.J. Regan

August 17, 2019 12:13 PM

Former Capitals defensive prospect Chase Priskie has agreed to terms with Metropolitan Division rival Carolina Hurricanes, the team announced.

Priskie was a sixth-round draft pick of the Capitals in 2016. Despite being a late-round pick, Priskie developed into one of the top college defensemen in the country at Quinnipiac and was named one of the top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the top college player in 2018- 19.

"Chase was one of the best defensemen in college hockey last season," Carolina general manager Don Waddell said via a statement. "We believe he has a bright future in the NHL, and we're thrilled that he has chosen to come to Carolina."

The move is a blow for Washington. While the team has an abundance of left-shot defensemen, Priskie is a right-shot. Finding such a valuable player with a sixth-round draft pick was a coup for the Caps and its scouting staff...or at least would have been had the team been able to keep him.

“My dream is to play in the NHL and I feel like I've given myself every advantage to achieve that goal,” Priskie told NBC Sports Washington in March. “I think with the right motivation this summer, having a good summer, good training, I'm going to go into training camp and try to earn a roster spot.”

Priskie informed the Caps that he intended to become a free agent on Aug. 15.

Priskie joins a crowded blue line in Carolina as defense was certainly one of the team’s strengths last season. There is room in just about any NHL roster, however, for a right-shot puck-moving defenseman. If Priskie pans out the way he is expected to, he will be playing in the NHL, and against the Caps, sooner rather than later.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.18.2019 1151037 Washington Capitals into last season, but a 16-7-3 record on a team that struggled defensively last season shows that Copley is absolutely a serviceable backup.

While there is certainly a case to be made for each of the team’s younger Making the case for each of the Capitals’ four goalies goalies (more on that later), both goalies remain unknowns at the NHL level and there may be some growing pains when they reach the big leagues. Washington’s backups are going to play in 25 games this J.J. Regan season at a minimum and probably closer to 30-35. The team is going to need points in those games against an ultra-competitive Metropolitan August 17, 2019 10:46 AM Division.

Copley’s skill set is far from elite. His ceiling is as a backup, and there Goalie may not be the most important position in hockey, but it is are plenty of times when he seems to struggle even making reasonably certainly the most impactful. No player has a bigger effect on a single easy saves. Many of his best saves last season came from him having to game than a goalie, so teams better make sure they have a good plan for make up for his own mistakes. Having said that, you know Copley can who can lead them in the crease heading into each season. get you points, and those will be at a premium.

The Capitals have been set at goalie for several years now, but heading Also, unlike Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek, Copley is not waiver exempt, into the 2019-20 season there is some question about what the team’s meaning if the Caps want to send him to Hershey, they risk losing him. goalie tandem will and should look like. Luckily for general manager The Maple Leafs lost both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on Brian MacLellan and head coach Todd Reirden, they have plenty of waivers last season and...yeah, they regretted it. options. Ilya Samsonov Here are the four goalies who could see playing time this year, along with Why there is an argument: Samsonov is widely considered the future the case for each of them. starter for the franchise, but he has yet to play a single NHL game and Braden Holtby struggled immensely in Hershey at the start of last season, his first in North America. You do not want to bring him up too soon, only to sit him Why there is an argument: In terms of being a starting NHL goalie, Holtby on the bench behind Holtby and mess with his development. has proven himself time and again. If he remains with the team, he is the No. 1 next season without question. That is not the issue. But Holtby is The case for Samsonov: Unless you have been living under a rock, you heading into the final year of his contract, and the team’s top prospect, have probably heard by now that Holtby is on the last year of his deal, Ilya Samsonov, is a goalie. Wouldn’t it be smart to trade Holtby now to and it seems unlikely he will be back next season. If that's how it plays avoid losing him for nothing next summer? out, presumably the plan going forward will be for Samsonov to take over. If he does, you have to have at least some idea of what you have in The case for Holtby: Trading away a player on the final year of his him. contract can be smart business, but not always. Circumstances ultimately dictate whether a move like this makes sense, and the fact is it would not Is Samsonov ready to be a No. 1 next season? Is he even ready to be a make sense for the Caps. full-time NHL goalie? Is he as good as we all think he is? We ultimately won’t know unless we see him in the NHL. The team’s mentality heading into the season is the championship window is still open. That’s why a team with serious cap constraints still It is unlikely Samsonov plays enough next season to give us answers to went out and added pieces like Richard Panik and Garnet Hathaway in any of those questions -- it does not make sense for him to play 20 order to make the roster better. If the goal this season is a Stanley Cup, games as an NHL backup and sit on the bench behind Holtby instead of then you have to keep the goalie who brought you there two years ago, getting 40-50 games in the AHL -- but MacLellan is going to have a much instead of entering the season relying on a starter with zero NHL better idea of what the team’s situation in net will be next season if he at experience. least gets a few looks at Samsonov in the NHL. He has to get some NHL time, even if it is limited. There are plenty of examples of teams that have held onto prominent free agents and were burned by them the following year. John Tavares Vitek Vanecek left the New York Islanders for Toronto and the Columbus Blue Jackets Why there is an argument: The ceiling is not nearly as high for the 23- just saw both of its top players, including goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, leave year-old prospect as it is for Samsonov. While Samsonov is seen as a this offseason. But this does not mean teams should trade away players future starter, Vanecek is either a high-end AHL goalie or possibly an every time they reach the final year of their contracts. The mistake the NHL backup. After a strong season in the AHL, however, has he earned Islanders and Blue Jackets made was keeping those players despite a shot? having no reasonable chance of winning a Cup. The case for Vanecek: Of the four options, Vanecek is certainly fourth on The Islanders did not even make the playoffs in Tavares’ last season, the team’s depth chart. He is not an NHL starter like Holtby, there is no and a Blue Jackets team that had never won a playoff series decided it real buzz around him as a budding starter like there is with Samsonov was a good idea to go all-in for “one more run.” and he has not established himself as an NHL backup the way Copley The Caps, on the other hand, are just one year removed from winning has. Having said that, Vanecek is also a more polished, finished product the Cup with the same core. They will not be the favorites heading into than the still-developing Samsonov and had a better season in Hershey this season, but it is not unreasonable to think they still have a chance. last year. That chance would fall between “slim” and “none” if they traded away But the real case for Vanecek comes down to money. Holtby before the season started. Currently the Caps remain over the salary cap and will have to find a way Plus, while Samsonov may be considered the future of the franchise, that to get under before the start of next season. They have options for how can change. What if he stinks this season? What if Holtby is great? It they can do that, but Vanecek provides an intriguing possibility. With a seems pretty clear right now this will most likely be Holtby’s last season cap hit of only $716,667, if the Caps used Vanecek as Holtby’s backup in Washington, but will it still look that way midway into the season? and waived Copley, then the only other move the team would have to Keeping Holtby for now at least gives the Caps a chance to talk with him make to get under the cap would be to waive Chandler Stephenson. about next season and keep that door open just in case. Washington has two extra forwards on the roster, Stephenson was Pheonix Copley underwhelming last year and his new contract is just low enough that the Why there is an argument: The Caps are still over the salary cap and entire salary can be buried in the AHL. need to find ways to save money. A backup goalie with a cap hit of $1.1 This is the simplest solution to solving the team’s cap issues. Keeping million may be just too expensive considering there are two cheaper any other goalie combination will force the team to get creative in order to alternatives. make the money work. If the team has faith in Vanecek as a backup, The case for Copley: Backup goaltending is an underrated factor in a then this would make MacLellan's job before next season a heck of a lot team’s success, but it is extremely important. There was a question of easier. whether Copley was even good enough to be an NHL backup heading Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.18.2019 1151038 Websites When the Canucks eventually agree on a new contract with Boeser, part of the NHL’s great unsigned restricted free-agent class of 2019, Benning and his spartan staff will have to prove it can dance the salary-cap limbo.

Sportsnet.ca / Canucks extending Benning shows ownership's belief in But considering what was inherited five years ago, Benning (and Linden) long-term plan rebuilt the Canucks almost from scratch.

Horvat was the top pick of former GM Mike Gillis’ final draft but started Iain MacIntyre with the Canucks under Benning and ex-coach Willie Desjardins as a 19- year-old. Benning drafted Boeser 23rd in 2015, the same year he took August 17, 2019, 4:50 PM Adam Gaudette 149th. Pettersson was a fifth-overall pick, Quinn Hughes seventh, goalie Thatcher Demko 36th.

The Canucks are convinced that Russian power forward Vasili Podkolzin, It is not hard to find critics of the Vancouver Canucks’ owners. You can the 10th pick in June, will join their core group in two years after his start with any of the general managers and presidents who have worked Kontinental League contract expires. for Francesco Aquilini’s family, although getting former senior employees to talk on the record may be difficult, complicated by ongoing career Trades for Tanner Pearson, Josh Leivo, Sven Baertschi and J.T. Miller aspirations in the National Hockey League. have improved the Canucks’ forward depth, and the July 1 signings of defencemen Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn will make Vancouver better if – The Aquilinis are highly-involved local owners who, at times, pay too big if – veterans Alex Edler and Chris Tanev stay healthy. The Canucks much attention to what people outside their hockey operations struck on college free-agent Troy Stecher, and Benning appears to have department think of them and their team – in a market going into its 50th hired the right coach in Travis Green. year in the NHL and still aching for its first Stanley Cup. The Canucks still have to improve at least another 12 points to get back The Canucks haven’t won a playoff series since losing the 2011 Cup to the post-season, but they have a lot of the right pieces to do so. final. The current team has missed the playoffs four straight seasons. When Benning snared free-agent winger Micheal Ferland on July 10, he This makes the Aquilinis’ – Francesco, Luigi’s eldest son, is the appeared to be all-in on next season. It looked like 2019-20 would be a managing partner – three-year contract extension for general manager referendum on the general manager’s reign, a make-it-or-break-it year. Jim Benning both surprising and impressive. It may be still for Benning and Green. But the Aquilinis have given their The greatest threat to any major rebuild in professional sports is general manager more time than anyone expected to complete the job ownership. Do the guys paying the bills have the patience and fortitude to he started. suffer the pain required to demolish and start over? Will their bankroll and ego allow it? Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.18.2019 Trevor Linden, the co-architect of the Canucks’ rebuild, endured four seasons before leaving last summer as president of hockey operations, shoved out after an ideological clash with the Aquilinis. It was clear then that the owners preferred Benning, Linden’s hire as GM, over Linden.

But it was unclear until now just how much Francesco Aquilini believed in Benning.

A contract extension, first reported Friday by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, was anticipated. The Canucks finally tilted their trajectory upwards last season, propelled by a new core built around young stars Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser. And Aquilini had said in a letter to season-ticket holders last spring: “I’m confident we’re on the right path.”

So Benning, who said in June that he wanted a new contract but hasn’t spoken much about it since, wasn’t going into the 2019-20 season on an expiring deal. He was getting an extension. But nobody foresaw what is believed to be a three-year extension, which would give the 56-year-old general manager a total of four more years under contract for the Aquilinis.

The Canucks will officially announce Benning’s extension next week.

For context, consider that if Benning is still in charge at the end of his deal, his nine-season run as GM would put him one year away from matching Pat Quinn for the longest tenure in Canucks’ history, one of the few genuine franchise icons, who ran the hockey team for previous owners from 1987 until 1997.

Quinn’s teams made the playoffs seven times, and went to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. Benning’s teams have made the playoffs once. And that 101-point campaign in 2014-15 during Benning’s first season was largely fool’s gold, the last gallant gasp of the dying team he inherited. It muddied the Canucks’ priorities and delayed their rebuild.

The four seasons since then don’t mean Benning has done a poor job, although he has made mistakes. He has failed to maximize some assets before losing them, and several of his free-agent signings and a couple of his trades have been colossal flops.

Only now are the Canucks facing the salary-cap consequences of the $36-million signing of Loui Eriksson in 2016, and the acquisition a year later of Sam Gagner, who was turned into this summer’s buyout of Ryan Spooner. 1151039 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Patrik Laine comments a reminder of Jets' vulnerability in RFA market

Sean Reynolds

August 17, 2019, 8:16 AM

It has been a long summer for Winnipeg Jets fans waiting for updates on the status of contract negotiations between Patrik Laine and the team.

For those fans, Friday’s news, via an interview in Finland between Laine and Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, was probably not what they were hoping to hear.

To summarize, Laine, a restricted free agent, classified contract talks with the Jets this summer as nonexistent. He added, "you never know where you’re going to play next year so I’m just prepared for anything."

Now, contract negotiations will feature some awkward patches and comments such as the one from Laine above could easily be interpreted as nothing more than an attempt to push the process forward. The Jets remain in the driver’s seat as they have ultimate control over where Laine plays hockey next season, even if the 21-year-old Finnish superstar says he is unsure where that will be. And yet, there is no good news to be found here from the Jets perspective as they remain more exposed than other clubs in this uniquely tense and unsettled RFA market.

Time, money and circumstance are all working against the Jets. And because they are in possession of not one, but two — Kyle Connor being the other — high-scoring, unsigned RFAs wingers, teams still in need of scoring should be circling the Jets contemplating an offer sheet.

Earlier this week, Connor seemed to assuage nervous Jets fans by sounding like a player intending to stay in Winnipeg.

"We have great guys in the system and we have great players and trust in the management and the coaching staff. We’ll make up for them." Connor told assembled Winnipeg media earlier this week when asked about the exodus of Jets veterans this off-season. "We’re going to be a good team for sure."

Note Connor’s use of the term "we" when describing the Jets heading into next season. And this coming from a player we know has received interest from other clubs considering an offer sheet for him.

As for Laine? He struck a slightly different tone on Friday.

“Well I’ve got nothing bad to say about Winnipeg, you know?," Laine told Johnston. "It’s been good so far. But you never know."

Unlike Connor, we haven’t been able to confirm whether Laine has been contacted by other teams.

But what we do know now is that any team interested in Laine at the very least understands that he is prepared, if not open, to a hockey future outside of Winnipeg.

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USA TODAY / Lindsey Vonn helps NHL boyfriend P.K. Subban train on the ice this summer

Lila Bromberg

3:15 p.m. ET Aug. 17, 2019

For a short period of time, before Lindsey Vonn dedicated her life to skiing, she wanted to be a figure skater.

“I was awful,” Vonn told USA TODAY Sports in an interview Thursday for her foundation’s Strong Girls Camp. “So my parents pulled me out of it.”

Now retired after winning three Olympic medals, including downhill gold, and becoming the only American woman to win four overall World Cup titles, Vonn is back on the ice. But this time, it’s in hockey skates.

The 34-year-old has been helping her boyfriend, NHL star P.K. Subban, train this summer. She said she serves as an “extra set of hands on the ice,” often recording his workouts or holding a bungee cord to provide resistance while he skates.

When asked about her skills with a stick and a puck, Vonn jokes that she isn’t great but knows it’s unreasonable to compare herself to her three- time NHL All-Star boyfriend. She didn’t come in completely blind though — the U.S. ski team used to play hockey and do skating drills for conditioning when she was a teenager.

“I know what it's like to be an athlete, obviously. I want to support him in any way that I can,” Vonn said. “I really love watching him be so dedicated, it makes me feel good.”

Subban was traded to the New Jersey Devils in July after three years with the Nashville Predators and is adjusting to a new city, coaching staff and teammates.

Vonn is embarking on her own transition as she tries to get used to retirement.

When she first hung up her skis, she said it was a weird adjustment to wake up each morning without a singular goal to work towards. Since she was 9 years old, her life revolved around her dream to become the best skier in the world. Now she finds herself in an unfamiliar chapter.

“I need to continue to have goals and, you know, overcome obstacles and challenge myself,” said Vonn, who has 82 World Cup victories, the second-most all time. “I need to find what I'm passionate about now in this next chapter and continue to set goals like I do in ski racing. And I think, in time, I'll get used to it.”

As she ventures to find those new passions, Vonn has kept herself quite busy. She’s currently finishing her memoir set to come out in February, continuing to grow her foundation with camps to mentor young girls and is in the works of launching a beauty line. Back in her skiing days, Vonn was often made fun of by teammates for wearing makeup in competition, so now she is turning that into her own business.

“The beauty (line) is kind of a no-brainer for me. I've always been passionate about beauty, but I think the other part, like business and behind the camera, in front of the camera, you know there are a lot of other opportunities out there,” Vonn said. “I don't know yet what I'll be good at. But I wanted to do some exploring and see where everything takes me.”

And when she’s missing the competitive edge of sports, she knows just where to turn to. It isn’t the slopes, but the ice rink.

“I enjoy being in that athletic environment. Even though I'm not competing anymore, I still like being around people who are so focused and determined, and PK has been working so hard.”

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