SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/8/2020 Senators 1176223 Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to adjust to 1176246 Inside the past and uncertain future of a historic, aging 'new normal' heading into postseason hockey cathedral 1176224 NHLPA board approves hockey return plan; players to 1176247 Scott Laughton wins Flyers’ Yanick Dupre Class Guy vote next award 1176225 Is it safe for youth sports to resume? An infectious 1176248 NHL, players smart in return-to-play decisions | On the Fly diseases expert weighs in 1176249 NHL, players reach tentative return-to-play deal. Flyers 1176226 ‘Home Ice’ advantage: The making of a literary hockey would play in . masterpiece 1176250 2019-20 Flyers season grades: Oskar Lindblom 1176251 Scott Laughton earns Flyers' 2019-20 Yanick Dupre Class Guy Award 1176227 Inside the NHL: In tough times, spirit of cooperation looms 1176252 Flyers' veterans face toughest challenge yet coming out of large in CBA deal hiatus 1176253 The cream of the Clarke Trophy-winning crop: 10 best Flyers team MVP seasons 1176228 Tyler Hellard Q&A: Goons and goalies, novel-writing and small-town P.E.I. 1176254 Double Team: proved quite a bit with Wild and Penguins 1176229 Canes’ has coronavirus concerns ... But 1176255 First Call: returns to Canadiens practice, there’s a Stanley Cup to be won Derek Shelton seems set on Pirates’ middle infield 1176230 Bag of Jerks: Hurricanes’ ideal return to play opponents, 1176256 ‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 55: Larry Murphy still holds Pesce’s dog allergy unique place in Penguins history 1176257 Details from NHL’s return-to-play protocol: No talking in elevators, but a dip in the hotel pool is OK 1176231 Chicago Blackhawks to keep name, commit to ‘expand 1176258 Penguins’ Brian Dumoulin learns to cook lobster thermidor awareness’ of Black Hawk’s legacy in NHL cooking show 1176232 NHL’s return-to-play agreement is impressive, but CBA 1176259 Penguins camp primer: Who starts in Game 1, and extension will be even more important will he have a quick hook? 1176233 Blackhawks say team name honors namesake who 1176260 Penguins’ player grades: Brandon Tanev inspired 1176234 Blackhawks release team statement, stand by name and Native American logo 1176261 Sharks' Tomas Hertl explains funny, simple reason why he 1176235 Why Blackhawks won't be at a disadvantage facing Oilers wears No. 48 in Edmonton 1176236 Blackhawks are likely to feel the salary-cap squeeze for St Louis Blues years 1176262 NHL's new CBA creates crunch for Blues 1176263 How will a flat NHL salary cap affect the Blues’ future? Stars 1176237 Signs suggest pro sports, Red River Rivalry will face very rocky return amid COVID-19 1176264 Arena Wars: How the race for a new home brought the Leafs and Raptors together 1176265 Inside the past and uncertain future of a historic, aging 1176238 The Red Wings’ No. 4 draft pick: Making the case for hockey cathedral Marco Rossi 1176271 Ed Willes: August playoffs feel weird, but hockey feels 1176239 Oilers notebook: Bear’s contract quandary, Broberg’s mini normal for energized Canucks camp, bubble goalies 1176272 Patrick Johnston: Revised cap recapture still 1176240 Lowetide: Jesse Puljujarvi’s comparables suggest a causes payroll pain for Canucks possible future with Oilers 1176273 Ben Kuzma: Roussel tells Canucks' post-season newbies to not worry, be happy MontrealCanadiens 1176241 Alexander Romanov can't play for Canadiens during Vegas Golden Knights postseason 1176266 Henderson OKs $1.2M more for Silver Knights practice arena 1176267 Golden Knights’ dilemma: Enough money to re-sign Robin 1176242 Restarting sports amid once-in-a-century pandemic is a Lehner? noble effort 1176268 Report: NHL planning full days of hockey once postseason begins 1176269 ‘I love the grit in his game’: How Vegas’ Jiri Patera earned 1176243 Hurdle Kaapo Kakko must clear to play for Rangers this his pro contract season 1176244 Analyzing NY Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes qualifying round series: Defense 1176245 Restarting sports amid once-in-a-century pandemic is a noble effort Websites 1176274 The Athletic / Bourne: How many positive tests would the NHL deem too many? 1176275 The Athletic / Pronman: Prospects Seattle should target – and avoid – in the expansion draft 1176276 The Athletic / Wheeler: The top 10 drafted NHL goalie prospects ranking, 2020 edition 1176277 The Athletic / Is it safe for youth sports to resume? An infectious diseases expert weighs in 1176278 .ca / Canucks' Chris Tanev 'ready to go' after long post-season layoff 1176279 Sportsnet.ca / Phase 3 Training Camp Preview: Oilers' biggest question lies in net 1176280 Sportsnet.ca / Phase 3 Training Camp Preview: Flames try to keep playoff demons in past 1176281 TSN.CA / NHLPA in court Tuesday to fight case filed by alleged whistleblower Winnipeg Jets 1176270 The ‘Screech Owls’ hockey books are popular as ever and spawning a new series World Leagues News 1176282 Yamaha is testing an app that would let sports fans pipe virtual 'cheers' into empty stadiums 1176283 Seth Beer 4th Diamondbacks player to test positive for COVID-19 1176284 Umpire Joe West skeptical of coronavirus deaths, won't opt out of MLB season 1176285 Adam Silver admits more COVID-19 cases in NBA's 'bubble' could shut down season again 1176286 Fall sports could significantly complicate reopening schools amid pandemic 1176287 NFL coronavirus: Could a player miss Super Bowl after positive test? Philip Rivers' question answered 1176288 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits postponed to 2021 amid coronavirus pandemic, per report 1176289 There are a billion reasons why sports won’t shut down again 1176290 Can college sports upset the coronavirus? Cross your toes and hold your breath. 1176291 Abu Dhabi's 'Fight Island' could become a lot more familiar if COVID-19 shuts down Las Vegas again 1176292 How the Ivy League’s decision on Wednesday could affect the college sports landscape 1176293 Should high schools teams follow professional, college sports and test for covid-19? 1176294 Sports bubbles are good places to study COVID-19 1176295 NASCAR teams, groups approved for millions in federal COVID-19 loans 1176296 The NFL and NFLPA Need to Agree on Additional Coronavirus Protocols Soon 1176297 If baseball's coronavirus plans fail, blame political leaders first 1176298 "MLS is Back Tournament" rolls on despite coronavirus concerns 1176299 Baseball seeking a second lab for MLB COVID-19 tests SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1176223 Arizona Coyotes As the Coyotes get into shape in a different playoff atmosphere compared to prior seasons, Ekman-Larsson has learned from team captains and leaders before him that you need to fight through Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to adjust to 'new normal' uncertainty off the ice heading into postseason "I was fortunate enough to play with players like Shane (Doan) and (Keith) Yandle who are very good leaders and they just told me not to think about stuff I can't do anything about," Ekman-Larsson said. "When Jack Williams the team didn't have an owner and we didn't know what was going to happen, it wasn't worth looking into and wasting your energy on. I Arizona Republic learned from them to be happy and take it one day at a time."

Conditioning for Phase 3 of the NHL Return to Play plan hasn't been a Arizona Republic LOADED: 07.08.2020 challenge for Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. When the NHL announced it would be taking a pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, he headed home to , where the country remained open.

There he was able to train with fewer restrictions compared to the United States, and spent time with family to get his mind off of what was going on in the world. However, while he said that he is in a better physical place than he was when the season was suspended, it has been tougher mentally to get through the past few months.

"With this virus going around, I haven't felt so good mentally," Ekman- Larsson said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. "Going back home and being around my family really helped that situation. I benefited from the physical part of being away. For the mental part, it was nice to get away from it."

Recharged and now back in Arizona for voluntary skates, Ekman- Larsson is still making some adjustments to the "new normal" on and off the ice. In Sweden, face masks were not required to be worn in public. So when he was back in the U.S., Ekman-Larsson found himself leaving his mask in the car or misplacing it from time to time.

"You see people wearing masks all over the place now, so you get reminded about that," Ekman-Larsson said. "I feel like that was a little bit of a wake-up call to really know that it's around and it's important to wear the mask to stop this."

Leading the Coyotes from afar was also a periodic struggle for Ekman- Larsson, but he said he's seen a lot of his teammates step up into a leadership role alongside him. While it might be hard to keep in contact consistently over Zoom, he said the team has a strong relationship and teammates that really care for each other.

That strong bond between teammates is something that the Coyotes are looking to capitalize on going into the postseason, specifically between the younger core and those with playoff experience. While Arizona hasn't seen postseason ice since 2012, a handful of members have raised the Stanley Cup in prior seasons. Phil Kessel, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Antti Raanta, Alex Goligoski and Brad Richardson all have experience playing on championship teams.

"They've been telling all the guys to really put in the work where they have the chance to improve their strength or passing or in these practices," Ekman-Larsson said. "It's all the details that they've been really telling the younger guys to dig in and try to do something special. They've been leading the pack with that kind of stuff."

Ekman-Larsson, is the only remaining member of the last Coyotes team that made the playoffs in 2012, defeating Chicago and Nashville before falling to Los Angeles in the Western Conference finals. In having some experience in facing the Predators, whom Arizona will face in a best-of- five play-in series, Ekman-Larsson knows that it will be very competitive.

"We faced them a long time ago, but I have good memories against Nashville," Ekman-Larsson said. "I feel like we've been winning and losing against them lately, so it's going to be a pretty even series between two good hockey clubs. At the same time, everybody starts over again and I think we have the chance to do something special."

Nashville comes into the play-in series as the fifth seed, favored over Arizona, which is the No. 11 seed. The Predators might have had a stronger season up to the pause, but Ekman-Larsson believes that his team has the edge in net with Raanta and Darcy Kuemper. The duo were in the top 15 in NHL save percentage before the pause.

Ekman-Larsson said that Taylor Hall has also provided a little bit of everything on ice. The forward racked up 27 points in 35 games following his trade from New Jersey to the Coyotes in December. 1176224 Boston Bruins

NHLPA board approves hockey return plan; players to vote next

Staff Report

By Wire Reports

Updated July 7, 2020, 11:41 p.m.

The moved one step closer to a return to the ice on Tuesday night, the executive board of the Players’ Association approving the plans that could have games underway in Toronto and Edmonton by Aug. 1.

The tentative return-to-play plan and four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement, agreed to on Monday, now go to the full membership of the NHLPA for a vote beginning Wednesday. Players will have until Friday to submit their ballots electronically, with the decision of the 900-plus members ultimately determining if training camps can begin on Monday.

The league’s Board of Governors also must give the plan a two-thirds majority, but both that and the NHLPA’s approval — a simple majority — are expected.

Teams would travel to their designated hub cities — Toronto, in Boston’s case — on July 26, to be tested and sheltered until the round-robin and play-in games begin. The Bruins are slated to be part of a four-team round-robin with Philadelphia, Washington, and Tampa Bay to decide the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Boston Globe LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176225 Boston Bruins line. The kids are between the blue line and the red line, waiting to jump on. You’ve got two games that are played simultaneously.

So the initiation program could actually be safer, because they’re never Is it safe for youth sports to resume? An infectious diseases expert on the bench? weighs in Right. Exactly. And they’re easy to separate. They’re just hanging out, sitting on their butts, or skating around between the blue line and the red By Sean Fitz-Gerald line. You’ve got tonnes of space to work with. I think if you use that space wisely, the little kids are OK. It’s the bigger ones that I’d be more Jul 7, 2020 concerned about.

Back to the reader questions: Would you feel comfortable having your son or daughter play hockey with some of the recommended measures? Since the novel coronavirus began its global sweep, Dr. Isaac Bogoch has tried to schedule most of his media requests at the beginning and Obviously, these are very personal questions, and they’re going to be end of his day. The hours in between are filled with demands from his contextualized not just to the kid, but to the family, as well. I think people actual job: In clinics, on the hospital wards and helping governments have to think about a few different things. Number one is their child. Does shape public policy. your child have any underlying condition that would put him or her at risk for having a more severe outcome compared to other children? As an infectious diseases expert, based at Toronto General Hospital, Bogoch has donated spare time to become an educational device in the In general, children do relatively well with this infection. But of course, era of COVID-19. He has been on television, radio, print and any other children can still be infected, children can transmit this infection. And outlet where Canadians are learning about the virus. there is rare — but real — poor outcomes in children with this infection. Again, it’s rare, but it’s real. “There’s 38 million of us,” Bogoch said, “and it’s important to know what’s going on.” The second is, if your child gets infected — perhaps at the rink, or playing sports — and brings it home, how does this impact the rest of the In some of his spare time before the pandemic, he was also a house? Does that child live with elderly parents, or elderly grandparents, recreational hockey player. Bogoch took time out from his schedule — or people under the roof who are at risk of infection? near the end of a recent workday — to field COVID-specific questions from readers of The Athletic. He was asked about return to play protocols Beyond the health aspect, there is a tremendous economic side of in hockey and baseball and soccer; about the safety of public pools, and things, as well. Let’s say the child is infected, or that someone in the whether children should sit out until a vaccine is found. dressing room is infected. It’s not inconceivable that a child — or a parent who took the child to the rink — would be considered a close contact. Here are those questions and answers, which have been edited for length and clarity. That parent or child might not get the infection. But if you’re a close contact, you have to isolate at home for a period of 14 days. That means For hockey, what kinds of things can be done to reduce the risk of your kid is going to be out of school for 14 days. That means a parent transmission on the bench? might not be able to go to work for 14 days. Oh god, I’m dreading this one. Seriously. This is a very challenging So the economic impact and the greater impact of being home for 14 question. The benches, typically, have a bunch of kids jammed in, days has to be considered as well, in addition to the health impact. waiting to go onto the ice for their shift. There’s a lot that goes into this that I’m not sure people are considering, We know that this infection can be transmitted easier in indoor settings, and there’s pretty big ramifications for a positive case, or being a close when people are in close proximity to each other and, perhaps, when contact. people are breathing heavily in that setting. So the benches could be a There is bodychecking at competitive levels of youth hockey: Is there any challenge if someone is infected. reason to adjust this rule and remove bodychecking? We know that duration of exposure is also an important variable. There are going to be a lot of polarized opinions on this one. I’ve given Typically — myself excluded — people aren’t sitting on the bench for this a bit of thought. I totally would be happy to change my mind. But very long. (Bogoch laughs) I ride the pine. So that would be something currently, I don’t think that removing bodychecking would provide a that needs to be thought out carefully. measurable safety to hockey. There are a couple of strategies that can be taken. Number one is taking I think the areas to be concerned about are the bench and the dressing a step way back and saying, “how do you comprise your team? How do room and the other 23 hours of the day, when people aren’t playing you screen people before they come to the rink?” Clearly, if anyone feels hockey. Those are the areas where you can improve. unwell, they shouldn’t be coming in at all. Even with minor symptoms, they shouldn’t be coming in at all. A bodycheck? Of course it’s close contact. And of course the risk is not zero percent. But I think, with such fleeting contact, the risk is probably Of course, you’re relying on the honour system there. And of course — lower than what we think. And there are other higher-yield areas to really let’s be honest with ourselves — parents are going to be driving kids to focus on. the rink, and there is internal and external pressure to show up and to compete. Somehow, we have to enforce this ideology that, “if you feel Now, having said that, if we want to provide the most stringent levels of unwell at all, stay home.” control, what you would do is, you would make adjustments at every step along the way, and add tiny bits of incremental safety to create a much Beyond that, specific to the bench: I honestly haven’t given this a lot of larger, safer game. And that may include removing bodychecking. thought, and I don’t have a good solution. Could there be ways where we could space kids out? Is there a quick re-design of the bench, and make But I think, before bodychecking is removed, we should really be it bigger? Or put some rubber down and knock out the back of the bench focusing on much more important areas. so it extends a little bit toward the stands, depending on the design of the rink? Just to give kids a lot more space to physically distance Would wearing a full face shield provide any protection from COVID-19, themselves? over wearing a cage? And have you seen Bauer’s prototype add-on for the full face shield? On the ice, there’s going to be contact. There’s going to be close proximity. But it’s kind of fleeting, in a way. The bench is where there The answer is: I don’t know. could be a lot of exposures. I would also add the dressing room, as well. I honestly don’t know. The traditional full face shield has gaping holes at One other thought, and let me run this by you. the mouth. I don’t think it would provide any additional benefit above and beyond the cage. OK. In my dream world — which will never exist — it would be amazing to With the younger kids … with some of the half-ice play, I don’t think it’s see a trial of face shields versus cages for the transmission of infection. really a big issue. Sometimes, the boards are really set up at the blue This would be fascinating on an academic level, but it will never happen. Now, the Bauer addition covers up many of the holes around the mouth. If this is outdoor soccer, the answer is “yes.” Outdoor soccer is also And in all fairness, it looks like a pretty impressive add-on to the cage. probably one of the safer team sports. Of course, it’s not a zero percent Obviously, some protection is better than none. It might not be perfect, risk. but you never let perfect get in the way of good enough. It might be a very useful add-on to the helmet to prevent the spread of infection. There’s still a lot of contact in soccer. There’s still a lot of close proximity between kids in soccer. The huge benefit is that it’s outside and that the I have to say “might,” because I just don’t know. The specs look pretty duration of proximity is generally pretty low. It’s not like it’s wrestling or impressive. And it certainly could — I have to use these words carefully – something like that. it could be a very helpful addition in preventing the spread of infection. The risk would be lower in soccer compared to team sports that are What are some tangible steps an adult men’s baseball league can take to played in indoor environments where there’s also a lot of close contact. prevent COVID-19 in a late summer league playing once a week? And things you could do to mitigate risk of transmission in soccer is avoid prolonged settings where players are in close contact with each other: Basic public health measures for staying COVID-free: Hand hygiene, Team huddles. physical distancing, putting on a mask where you’re in close proximity to each other. Is it possible to safely run a boys high school-age lacrosse tournament that has teams flying in from all over the country? In baseball, of most of the sports that I can think of, this is up there with one of the safest. You’re outside, so that’s fantastic, right off the bat. I would be very careful about that, as of July 2020. Nobody has a crystal Because we’re just seeing very little transmission in outdoor ball. But currently, the way things are going in most of the United States, environments. The second point is, people are generally pretty far apart I would be very careful flying people in to a lacrosse tournament. from each other. Except if someone is on base. But even then, you can Obviously, lacrosse can be indoors, so that’s not ideal. You’d have to probably make some easy modifications to allow for someone to be on think about people in close proximity, on the bench and in the dressing base and be somewhat distant from the first baseman. rooms. That’s not ideal.

There is a hand hygiene component. The ball could be in multiple I think it’s a bad idea, at this point in time, to do something like that. peoples’ hands. If we are reminding people, “try not to touch your eyes and rub your face, or rub your nose,” and between innings, have easy Does sports equipment need to be washed more frequently? access to hand sanitizer, or a hand sanitation station. I think that would Yes. be helpful, as well. Is there less of a risk of contracting the virus in an outdoor pool? Kids are For a sport like youth baseball, where would be the greatest risk for always spitting out water and there is often close contact. Does the transmission: Touching baseballs or being in close contact in a dugout? chlorine kill the virus? Oh, I think it’s the dugout. And it’s just simply because there’s a large I don’t think people are going to get this infection from the pool itself. I number of people in pretty close proximity to each other. The benefit is think being in an outdoor pool environment is a pretty low-risk setting. It that you’re outside and that significantly reduces the risk. It probably would be more in change rooms, or locker rooms, where I think the risk doesn’t eliminate it. And if you’ve got enough guys packed in the dugout would be higher. and someone’s infected, you might see transmission. In general, if people can spread apart and go to a pool in an outdoor In general, there’s a lot more room to spread out in baseball, even when setting, I think that’s a pretty low-risk scenario. you’re not actively on the field. And I think these are easy modifications that could be made either to leagues, but also to recreational baseball, as Tell me why my kids just shouldn’t sit the rest of 2020 out. well. Oh, that’s a great question. That’s a great question. If and when a vaccine becomes available, do you foresee proof of vaccination being required for registration/entrance of players, coaches, It’s absolutely true that kids can get this infection, and that kids can and parents to play sports in indoor facilities? transmit this infection. I think that there’s going to be a lot of children who sit out amateur sports this year, and I think that’s completely reasonable. Oh, this is a great question. I think that every family considering putting their child into amateur sports I do. Before COVID-19, if you wanted to go to school, you have to show has a very good look at what it means to the child, to the family, to the proof of vaccination. And I think in the COVID-19 era, when — I’m not school, to the community — and what the impact of a positive case might using the word “if,” I’m going to use the word “when” — a vaccine be. becomes available, we will see most areas demonstrate proof of vaccination for access to play sports, or to go to school, as well. For some families, that means their child’s going to sit this out. And that’s totally OK. Of course, there’s always going to be medical exemptions. There’s always going to be a handful of people who want to abuse those medical For other families, it might mean that they can proceed in putting their kid exemption rules. But by and large, I think when this becomes available, in amateur sports in a cautious and careful manner, and that’s also OK. the vast majority of people will get the vaccine. I think we’re going to see a lot of people sit this year out, and I think that’s What are your thoughts on the COVID-19 transmission risk in gyms? Is totally acceptable. the two-metre physical distancing enough or does it need to be greater given the heavy breathing? The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 We’ve got to be careful about that. Certainly, physical distancing and being two metres apart is helpful. But I think the other factors to consider are: How good is the air circulation in the gym? How effective can you really maintain a two-metre distance from other people?

On paper, that might sound great, and the way things are designed might set people up for success. But we know humans behave like humans, and the best-laid plans are not always adhered to. Factors that would make gyms a little more risky than other settings are that they’re indoors, there might be people who are breathing heavily during the course of their exercise. Obviously, not all indoor facilities are created equally, but those that have poor air circulation — or are more enclosed than others, with low ceilings — may be higher-risk settings.

I’m looking forward to registering my kids for soccer in the fall. I would think that this sport is probably safer than most other indoor sports that occur during the winter. Would you agree? 1176226 Boston Bruins “I remember it all,” Falla said. “I remember the failures with him trying to build the rink as much as I remember everything else. I remember him standing out there with a spray nozzle before he got his plastic and ‘Home Ice’ advantage: The making of a literary hockey masterpiece plywood. I remember when it worked, every day at school running home and seeing if it would support my weight, then calling all my friends.”

For Brian, sister Tracey and mother Barbara, the rink became home for By Fluto Shinzawa family and friendship. They put nets on the ice, which they couldn’t do on the frozen ponds of Massachusetts. They plucked pucks out of Jul 7, 2020 snowbanks. They retired for hot chocolate when cold numbed their toes. They skated well past midnight.

Chatter did not come naturally to Jack Falla. The author, sportswriter and “It was simplistic — a cool little thing,” Brian recalled. “As I grew up, as it Boston University professor used to joke, in a weirdly non-prickly way, evolved, it became something else entirely. It was a communal gathering that he didn’t want to meet anyone he didn’t already know. of our entire family. Between the four of us, we had this shared passion and love. It became a safe haven between a teen and parent. It was “We really struggled to communicate,” said his son, Brian. “He wasn’t almost like co-parenting this child. We had to build it together. We’d great at it. I wasn’t good at it. It was always a constant struggle for us.” spread the plastic together and flood the first night. First, he slept. Then we switched off. When the storms would come in, we’d be sitting around Yet otherwise muted words always seemed to flow when father and son the Weather Channel saying, ‘Geez, what do we do? Should we go out in turned to one of the things they loved: their backyard rink. shifts and shovel it? Or wait and hope for the best?’ It stratified the lines It didn’t matter if it was small talk about an incoming cold front, the between parent and child. It blurred it a little bit so we were raising it optimal time to begin shoveling or whether one of the time-nibbled together. For the first time in my life, I had a say.” boards required replacing. When it came to their Natick, Mass., rink, the As he grew, Brian learned the rink would not make itself. For the Bacon conversational puck zipped as rapidly and accurately as it used to snap Street Omni to come alive every winter, a lot of things had to go right: on and off the stick of Wayne Gretzky, Jack Falla’s most famous NHL accurate forecasts, frosty nights, light precipitation, good timing and muse when he wrote for Sports Illustrated. teamwork. The son was more aggressive than the father. With the rink as their launchpad, the Fallas breezily explored all of the “If there was a snowstorm, I wanted to go out and clear it every hour, greater subjects: love, family, education, life. even if it was 3 in the morning,” Brian said. “He’d sometimes leave it to “It always,” said Brian Falla, “started with the rink.” chance, let it go, shovel once in the morning, then flood. We did tend to butt heads a little bit. I’m not sure there was a right answer or a wrong Conversation was a dogfight for Jack Falla, who died in 2008. Writing answer. It would depend on the storm and how much energy you had.” was not. Whether it was in SI or The Hockey News, Falla wrote clean, powerful, vibrating sentences, never cluttered with the disorder he tried to The hardest call was when to flood. This required diligent monitoring of wring out of his students’ scribbles. 10-day forecasts. Only when they felt secure in long-term cold would the Fallas put down plastic and begin flooding in hopes of a full, hard freeze. Falla’s sharpest work was in “Home Ice: Reflections on Backyard Rinks If it was snowing, prompt shoveling was required. Otherwise, the weight and Frozen Ponds,” published in 2001. It is a jewel of essays that center of the snow would push up slush. on the Bacon Street Omni, the backyard rink that claimed Falla as chief architect and engineer. Sometimes, Jack was away on assignment for SI. It would be up to Brian to recruit some friends for overnight duty. Coffee and Cokes were It is difficult for me to write objectively about “Home Ice.” Jack was my available. One of Brian’s friends, who would go on to work for the Natick teacher and friend. He hosted my wife and me for homemade crabcakes Police Department, sometimes shoveled when the Fallas were asleep. at the Slapshot Grille & Lounge, otherwise known as his backyard patio. He helped me land one of my first jobs. He gave me confidence in my “My dad would wake up, I’d wake up, and the rink would be half-cleared writing, an element that comes and goes for everyone who sits down at a with a note from Smitty: ‘Sorry, I had to go home, but it’s a start,'” Brian keyboard. said. “Nobody would ever do that if the lawn needed mowing. It’s such a communal thing. Everybody benefited from it, so they’d chip in.” If Jack is easing back in a heavenly rocking chair, I suspect he would not reach for the nearest Sher-Wood for a swing at my skull if I declared Ken The result was worth the work. Once the ice was down, games started Dryden’s “The Game” safe from his efforts. I’d like to think, however, that promptly, some in chase of the Molson Cup, a battered keg with a trophy Jack would extend a stick salute if I classified “Home Ice” as the second- mounted to the top. Jack cooked pots of jambalaya. Skaters logged their best hockey book ever written. names in the guest book. After fatigue set in, maintenance began for the following sessions. The author, left, receives congratulations from Falla, standing, at his wedding in 2002. (Courtesy of Fluto Shinzawa) “It’s just me, the moon, Orion and a hose,” Brian recalled. “I’ve skated all day. I’m exhausted. But I’m wide awake. I’m laying down a nice sheet of Consider the following, from his essay on shooting pucks as he recalled ice. It’s awesome. It’s me and the rink.” the death of his mother: Jack didn’t always intend to turn his experience into a book. But after he “After more than forty years, I’ve come to understand something about wrote an essay in SI, Barbara helped to convince him there was more to shooting pucks. It is a good and blameless thing to do when the world explore. Brian recalls being in high school when Falla started on some of fills with confusion and goodbye.” the essays that would eventually comprise “Home Ice.”

“He brought such passion and color,” said P.J. McNealy, one of Falla’s “As I’ve aged and had kids of my own, I read it totally differently,” said former students and a fellow backyard rink enthusiast and Natick Brian, father to 11-year-old Colin and 9-year-old Taryn. “I’m fascinated by neighbor. “He put words around the experience of being on the ice before the lens he took. He viewed it all. I always remember being so confused the sun came up, when there’s still enough light in the sky and it reflects in the early years because he put so much effort into this rink and he off the ice so you don’t need a floodlight. The sound of it, the sound and almost never skated. He didn’t get nearly the use out of it in terms of the feel on your face — he captured it in a way I’ve never seen replicated. effort he put into it. That always confused me. Now it makes sense. It Then again, there’s not many books about it. There’s at least one great wasn’t for him. It was for us. In a broader sense, it helped him bridge one.” gaps, communicate with us and connect with us in ways we struggled with in everyday life. That was the key for him.” There’s one thing about “Home Ice”: It’s not really a book about hockey. Falla’s readers understood. ‘I remember it all’ In 1992, McNealy took Falla’s class as part of his master’s in journalism Brian Falla cannot recall life without his backyard rink. Falla, now 49, at BU. Falla helped McNealy score a gig as a spotter for BU football. always had the Bacon Street Omni as available ice — that is, when conditions were right. In 2004, McNealy and his wife, Rose, then living in California, began house-hunting in Massachusetts. By chance, they settled on Natick, where they’d be neighbors with his former professor. McNealy estimated they were about three Zdeno Chara slap shots away from the Bacon Street Omni, which by then was a neighborhood landmark. The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020

With some care, McNealy figured, their yard could be home to a rink. He found inspiration in “Home Ice.”

“The common shared experience he had with his son about skating, to me, was something that became one of those goals,” McNealy said. “‘If I could ever do this, this would be a blast.’ I grew up in a household with a lot of good tools in the tool bench, so to speak, with no idea how to use to any of them.”

McNealy’s first attempt had some issues. There was a slope in his backyard.

The following summer, he cleared out some trees. He brought in dirt to level the yard. He scavenged boards from a neighbor whose kids had outgrown their rink.

Following improvements in infrastructure, McNealy next tackled physics, meteorology and thermodynamics. He learned to wait for several freezing nights before he put down his tarp to avoid trapping heat above the ground. It wasn’t long before son Jack and daughter Emma had a supplementary 35-by-55 sheet when their youth hockey sessions were not enough.

“Those Friday and Saturday nights when a couple neighborhood friends would come over, the parents could stand on the porch and just see the kids being kids — helmets on, sticks, maybe some gloves, racing around and playing goofy games — hearing the laughs and joy of kids being out on the ice. This is how people fall in love with the game,” McNealy said. “To me, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

McNealy learned every season. One year, he installed a hot-water tap in his backyard. Hot water contains less oxygen than cold water, which promotes a harder freeze.

McNealy’s rink lasted until 2016. By then, fickle winters had reduced the number of skating days. His kids were no longer quick to shovel. They are now in high school.

“I just hope they still love the sport,” McNealy said. “They’re both still playing, which I love. I just hope they’re inspired to seize the time with their kids and do something like this.”

McNealy called his rink the Falla Forum.

Jack Falla was still teaching and writing in the fall of 2008. He had completed “Open Ice: Reflections and Confessions of a Hockey Lifer.” Brian, whose wife, Kim, was pregnant with their first child, received his copy in the mail the day his father died.

“I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved living it,” read the inscription.

At Jack’s wake, mourners asked Brian about the Bacon Street Omni. He answered that the rink had died with his dad.

Later that fall, Brian changed his mind.

“It was one of those fall nights where it feels crisp in the air,” Brian recalled. “I was feeling nostalgic. I felt, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to get that thing up? So my mother could have somewhere to go and skate?’ I started thinking that maybe I couldn’t lose (my dad and the rink) in the same year, that maybe the rink was a little bit bigger than just him.”

That October, Mark “Doc” Kelly, Jack’s closest friend, was in town from Houston for a class reunion. Doc and Brian started to build the rink. Afterward, they relaxed with steaks and beers.

Then, in January, with help from a friend, Brian scattered some of his dad’s ashes on the ground, put down the tarp and flooded the rink. Later, they held a party. Sister Tracey and her kids visited from Maine. Kelly returned from Houston.

“It was one of those old-fashioned skate parties like we always had, with one empty chair,” Brian said. “It was a huge step in our mourning and healing process.”

Jack believed you can’t miss your last shot on net. That night, when everyone was off the ice, Brian stayed on for a final spin.

On his last pass, he fired a puck on net. It went in.

With that, he said goodbye to his dad. 1176227 Buffalo Sabres Two long waits for induction to the ended Wednesday. Alexander Mogilny’s call never came. There might be a lesson in there for the former Buffalo Sabres sharpshooter.

Inside the NHL: In tough times, spirit of cooperation looms large in CBA As for this year's picks, it's clear this committee made a pact to put in deal Doug Wilson and Kevin Lowe after each had waited more than 20 years. Folks in Edmonton swear by Lowe as the public consciousness of the 1980s Oilers champions, but is that Hall worthy? Just 84 goals in 1,254 Jul 4, 2020 Updated 16 hrs ago games and nary a 50-point season. You have to have some stats in this view, but the committee clearly doesn't agree. In back-to-back years, Guy Mike Harrington Carbonneau and Lowe have been inducted. Winning Stanley Cups is Sports Columnist good for the résumé, but it shouldn't be the only thing because those two guys got in mostly on that fact alone.

In addition, former Team Kim St. Pierre was a great In the midst of all this wackiness, while trying to plan training camp and choice, but the selectors can pick two women a year and they're getting a the August restart of a season that has been on pause since March, backlog. Jennifer Botterill, Jason's sister, is overdue to be selected and something bizarre has happened. Julie Chu, a four-time Olympian for Team USA, should also get named. Both were superstars at Harvard. There's plenty of deserving women, The NHL and its Players Association worked hard to hammer out a and the Hall should induct the maximum annually for a while. collective bargaining agreement and, pending a positive vote from the players, hockey would see labor peace that will likely stretch through Wings get a raw deal in lottery 2026. No small feat to accomplish while simultaneously working on details of the return to play protocol. I have to give Detroit GM Steve Yzerman a lot of credit. He could have really gone off in the wake of last week's bizarre NHL Draft Lottery. It The reported deal isn't a great one for the players. The salary cap would could have been Tim Murray II, like the night in Toronto five years ago stay flat at $81.5 million for two years, and the players will initially lose when Murray made it clear he wasn't happy the ping pong balls didn't go 20% of salary to escrow and will immediately defer 10% of their salaries his way and the Sabres would have to settle for Eichel rather than claim for 2020-21. Connor McDavid.

But multiple reports say they received a huge giveback from NHL: The Maybe Yzerman was gritting his teeth. Maybe he was just playing it cool. permission to play in the Olympics in 2022 (Beijing) and 2026 (Italy). He still has the No. 4 pick in the draft come October. But after the Commissioner and many owners have long been dead set franchise's fourth consecutive non-playoff season and its worst campaign against the Olympics because of the disruption to the NHL schedule. overall since 1986, he wasn't complaining even after losing the chance to Players don't care. It's easily one of their top two or three topics of get Alexis Lafreniere. negotiation. They're nearly unanimous on the point that they want to play. The Wings have fallen in each of the last four lotteries and this was their As players across the globe prepare for a possible resumption of play biggest drop yet, but Stevie Y made it clear he was prepared for this this summer, the National Hockey League and NHLPA are reportedly scenario. The Wings, remember, had an 18.5% chance at the top pick. closing in on an agreement that would ensure labor stability through the Ottawa actually had a better shot, a 25% chance when you combined its 2025-26 season. own pick with the one acquired from San Jose in the Erik Karlsson trade.

It was bitter for the players to accept they didn't get to go to South Korea But the placeholder teams all put together clocked in at 24.5%. They had in 2018. Big names such as Patrick Kane and were eight chances and now one of them will get Lafreniere. openly disappointed about the decision and wondered if they had their last chance ripped away from them. Now, provided there's an agreement Remember how this will work: Each team will have an equal 12.5% with the International Olympic Committee on insurance and other chance. The draw will be the eight losers from the play-in round. matters, the players will be going. Good news for veterans and potential However, if we don't get back on the ice and play those games, the newbies such as the Sabres' Jack Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin. lottery will include the eight lowest teams in the standings that were not in the first lottery. Bettman and union chief Donald Fehr have collaborated during this entire process. They will have to continue to do that so games get played So it's either the eight play-in losers or one of these eight: Montreal, during this pandemic. Cementing several more years to keep the sport Chicago, Arizona, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Calgary, the Rangers or lockout-proof is a great look. Vancouver.

Baseball didn't understand optics and couldn't stay away from bickering. Best odds don't translate The national pastime could have used Fehr on those negotiating Zoom It's a pretty amazing string that the six most putrid teams since the 2005 calls. Instead, he was with hockey, and getting things done. lockout have all failed to win the No. 1 pick. The Sabres of 2013-14 and Alexander Mogilny wasn't close to getting into the Hockey Hall of Fame 2014-15 were shut out, choosing second, while fellow tankmasters this year – because he wasn't even nominated, two sources said. This Arizona picked third in 2014-15. The 48-point Colorado Avalanche of isn't like baseball, in which selectors can vote on the entire pool of 2016-17 dropped to fourth, but things worked out more than well as they eligible names. In hockey, you have to be a nominee each year to get took defenseman Cale Makar. Yzerman was fast to bring that point up consideration. last week.

The continued snub of Mogilny points to what this corner has heard for The 2006-07 Philadelphia Flyers dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 and took years: The Hall committee doesn't think the reclusive Mogilny will attend James Van Riemsdyk after missing out on the chance to grab Kane the induction ceremony and thus won't extend the invitation. A shame. following a 56-point season. The Flyers, however, added Sabres captain Daniel Briere in free agency a couple of weeks later and started their A nominee needs 14 votes from the 18-member committee to be elected. eventual climb to the 2010 Stanley Cup final. Of course, they lost to the Vote totals are not revealed, which is an annual atrocity. They should be, Blackhawks on Kane's Game 6 overtime goal. even if you don't include which voters voted for which players. Around the boards I've never understood all the crabbing about voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame (disclosure: I have a ballot). When the votes were announced • With Toronto and Edmonton locked as hubs, the Stanley Cup will be for this year's class in January, for instance, more than 80% of the 397 awarded in Canada for the first time since 2011, when Boston claimed it ballots were fully revealed with writer's name and selections. That's more with a Game 7 win in Vancouver. A Canadian team hasn't won since than 300 of them. 1993, when Montreal beat Los Angeles in five games and closed the series with a win in the Forum. Hockey is sealed behind a closed door, and it's odd that people around the sport don't think this is a bad idea. • The NBA reportedly is looking into a September bubble tournament in Chicago for the eight teams it didn't bring to its Orlando bubble. Can't imagine the NHL doing that and playing actual games for the seven teams left out. Still, you hear chatter there will be some accommodations made for the Sabres as well as Ottawa, Detroit, New Jersey, Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose. Perhaps some sort of NFL OTA-style camp this fall for a week or so. Hard to believe the NHL and NHLPA want all those players sitting from March until December, the likely opening of 2020-21 training camp.

• Stumbled upon this yikes-inducing quote the other day from a recent story by Greg Wyshynski at ESPN.com: "We know culture and identity are a big thing in hockey, and we know the Sabres are struggling to establish any. Botterill is a talented executive who inherited a crummy rebuild and unfortunately mangled it even worse. ... If the question is 'Who are the Buffalo Sabres?' then the answer can be only be one thing: 'The franchise every other NHL team is happy it isn't.'"

Buffalo News LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176228 Calgary Flames Gerard Gallant was there. He ran hockey schools in town every summer and he would bring in other Red Wings to do the schools, to do golf tournaments. So you would grow up meeting a lot of those guys. And I Tyler Hellard Q&A: Goons and goalies, novel-writing and small-town was a huge Stevie Yzerman fan. P.E.I. As you got older, when did the idea of becoming a writer take hold?

It was all an accident. When I went to (St. Francis Xavier University in By Scott Cruickshank Antigonish. N.S.), it wasn’t even to be an English major. Originally, I went into business — that lasted a year and a half and I dropped out and Jul 7, 2020 switched into sociology because I had enough credits to still graduate on time. I did a year of that, kind of hated it. Then I switched to English and

did the extra year … and I’d started working at the campus newspaper, Tyler Hellard cried the moment he got the news. mostly because a girl I liked started working there. (Laughs) Nothing I’ve done in my life is intentional. I sort of back into everything. Not that it had been a promise of anything grand — or a promise of anything, period. This was simply an email from a publishing-house I asked you about hockey heroes. Who are your fiction-writing heroes? representative expressing interest in his novel. I’m a big Paul Quarrington fan. I love his hockey books. “King Leary” gets No guarantee? No matter. all the attention, but I have a real soft spot for “Logan in Overtime.” I don’t even think it’s in print anymore — it’s hard to find. “I remember it all vividly,” said Hellard. “I was making breakfast for my kids. I screamed at my phone. My wife said, ‘What?’ I have a picture of Paul Quarrington, he’s the one guy I can say I’ve read every book. I’ve me — I’m all teared up.” never met him and I was genuinely sad when he died (in 2010). I like the quirkiness of his writing. If there was someone you’d call a writing hero, A deal was eventually struck with Invisible Publishing, and “Searching for that would be mine. Terry Punchout” was released in October 2018. When did you decide to try your hand at fiction? In his debut, Hellard chronicles the journey of a struggling sportswriter in Calgary who returns home to Nova Scotia to write an article for Sports I mean, everyone, if you write, you’re thinking in the back of your head, “I Illustrated about the most-penalized player in NHL history. The subject is should write a novel someday.” I had the idea for the book. I got laid off a recluse who lives in the local rink, who drives the Zamboni — and who years ago and it was, “I should take a stab at this.” It went poorly. is his estranged father. Eventually, I found a local workshop (Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society) The moving tale, somehow heartbreaking and hilarious, got noticed. and made some friends who were trying to figure out how to write novels, too. We kind of spurred each other forward. I finished it, sent it off, and it It was a finalist for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award and the Kobo happened to get picked up. Emerging Writer Prize. For a short book, it took a long time to write. Mostly because I didn’t “Every step of it was amazing,” said Hellard, a Calgary copywriter who’s know what I was doing. (Laughs) I’ve read a thousand books and I have contributed non-fiction pieces to This Magazine and The Walrus. “The a degree in English, and it never occurred to me to figure out how to put first email was amazing. The first conversation I actually got to have with them together. the publisher was amazing. Getting the first proof of the book was amazing. Getting the first box of books was amazing. The first time I saw What was the origin for the novel? The time and place? The characters it in a bookstore was amazing. Getting shortlisted for anything was — the sportswriter, the retired hockey player? amazing. It was always going to be the small-town thing because that’s what I “Every one of those milestones was sappy and treacly … everything was know. A lot of writing that book was me hating the small town I was from, great. It was all reassuring. All good.” then figuring out that the small town is fine. It’s good. The people in it are good, nice people for the most part and what I hated was being 14. I was The 42-year-old laughs. “There’s just not a lot of money.” just bad at being 14 — 14 wasn’t good to me — and I sort of blamed where I was for that. Which wasn’t fair. So the book was kind of me The other day on the phone as he relaxed in his hammock, Hellard working through that. discussed Terry Punchout and his own athletic pursuits growing up in Summerside, P.E.I. Making it a hockey thing was, in some ways, just sort of a hook — a thing you can hang it all around. But part of it was, growing up in a small town, How would you describe your own athletic background? It’s probably a how many of those old hockey players you would run into. It wasn’t just lot like mine. Gerard Gallant running his hockey schools and bringing guys in. Dave (Laughs) A very bad minor-hockey goalie. I stayed till I finished high Cameron was coaching the junior team (Summerside Western Capitals) school and I haven’t played hockey since. when he was between being NHL-player Dave Cameron and NHL-coach Dave Cameron, which is when I first met him. I was the mascot for a Since then, I would say I’m a fan-slash-enthusiast, depending on the couple of years when I was young. (Laughs) Yeah, I put on the bear sport. I’m a hockey fan. I will watch hockey. I don’t have a huge rooting costume for two years. And I would play the music between plays. I did interest. I’m a baseball diehard … I’ll spend hours and hours pouring over that for a couple of years, too. FanGraphs pages and fighting with my friends about it. The big one was … I wouldn’t say Terry was based on him in any real In terms of actually participating, I play tennis two mornings a week and I way, but there was an inspiration. Forbie Kennedy was the coach of the organize Wiffle Ball with my friends. That’s about it. Charlottetown team. He was legendary — he coached that team for decades. They were the bad guys, because I grew up in Summerside. But growing up, as maybe a 10- or 12-year-old, were you thinking you That league, there was a stretch when it was just the teams in P.E.I. — a might play one day in the NHL? Did you harbour those dreams? four-team league. And it was a violent league. It was savage. It was Yeah, yeah — same as any kid. Although, in retrospect, it was obvious it crazy. We would billet players. A lot of guys from Boston and stuff would was never going to happen. I was never a good hockey player. I never come up and live with us for the year and even they would be, “This played on any of the AAA teams. league is bonkers.” A lot of fighting, a lot of helmet spinning, very showy fights. And Forbie Kennedy coached the Abbies. And his reputation from I switched to goalie in peewee and I think it was just because I was a his playing days was that he was a goon (leading the 1968-69 NHL in weirdo. And goalies are weirdos. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it was. penalty minutes) and here he is coaching in a league that’s known as a Maybe I just wanted the attention — there’s only one goalie. goon league and he had the gooniest players. That’s how I remember it Who were your hockey heroes growing up? … but, by all accounts, Forbes Kennedy is a super-nice guy. The players that played for him loved him — like genuine affection. Growing up in Summerside, Gerard Gallant was our guy. So I was a diehard Red Wings fan — everyone was. Unless your dad made you a And when I was playing peewee, I played with Errol Thompson’s son. So Leafs or a Canadiens fan, you were a Red Wings fan just because when we’d go on road trips, Errol Thompson would be the guy driving the car. I think he was a Labatt sales rep at that point. It was always interesting that these guys who played in the NHL … from small-town P.E.I., they were kicking around everywhere. And not what you’d expect. They were coaching junior, selling beer, that sort of thing. It was an odd mix.

So when I decided to write about the small towns, the hockey hook came from growing up and having these guys around all the time. There’s sort of a mythology of hockey in P.E.I.

But why make Terry a tough guy? Why not, say, a goalie?

If I hadn’t used someone known for being tough, I probably would have gone with someone who wasn’t really known at all. No one talks about Errol Thompson now. No one talks about Dave Cameron. No one talks about Gerard Gallant — except as a coach — and he was an all-star player. There’s so many of these guys that are forgotten almost.

We always talk about the Gretzkys and whatever. We don’t talk about the thousands and thousands of other athletes who play a handful of seasons and disappear, then end up selling cars or selling beer — especially back then when there were no huge salaries (in the NHL). Now, you could play a handful of seasons and just be rich. Back then, they didn’t make huge money and they ended up back in their home towns.

So it was never going to be a superstar player. Making Terry a goon … part of it is just hook-y. It gives the plot a way to move forward.

What about the reception of your book? Favourable reviews from critics and readers. Nominated for prizes. That must have been validation that you’d produced something special.

Most people seem to like it. Some people really love it. There haven’t been many people that hated it. There was one bad review I saw — I try to not read them but I probably read them all. (Laughs) Easy to say, hard to do — “I won’t read them.”

By small-press Canadian book standards, it did quite well. But I couldn’t make a living writing novels that sold as well as my novel sold. That’s not a criticism of anything. That’s just the way the book industry works in 2020.

I would love to say I’m sitting at home working on a book because that book paid me enough to work on another book … but the truth is, you still fit it into your spare time.

What are you working on now? Or at least contemplating?

I’m working on a book about professional wrestling. Just before the novel came out, I’d tweeted something about wrestling. My publisher saw it and she called me, “Are you a wrestling fan?” I said, “Well, funnily enough, my friends and I talked about this recently — what’s the thing you know the most about? What’s the thing that occupies the most space in your brain? I wish I could say it’s something cool, but I think it’s wrestling. I think I could hold my own doing wrestling trivia with anyone on the planet Earth.” She said, “Oh great. We were going to do this book of wrestling essays and the guy who was going to write it just dropped out because he wanted to write about golf instead.”

So I’ve been working on that. I back into everything, but I always back into things I actually want to work on.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176229 Carolina Hurricanes 12 road game against New Jersey before the pandemic shut the season down.

“He brings that leadership, that ultra competitiveness on the ice,” Canes Canes’ Justin Williams has coronavirus concerns ... But there’s a Stanley forward Warren Foegele said in March. Cup to be won Then, the NHL pause.

The players, disbelieving at first, soon scattered. The wait began as BY CHIP ALEXANDER many wondered if the season could be restarted and a Stanley Cup JULY 07, 2020 02:36 PM champion determined or if the threat and spread of the coronavirus would be too much, too dangerous.

“Selfishly, I was really upset when we stopped playing,” Williams said. Justin Williams, like many NHL players, has concerns about returning to “I’d just come back, I’d played catch-up but kind of felt like I was where I play during the coronavirus pandemic. wanted to be. But as professionals you just deal with what’s come your way. That’s what you have to do. You roll with it. Then again, there’s the chance to win the Stanley Cup. Williams has done that three times in his career, the first with the Carolina Hurricanes “I didn’t come back to play 20 games. I came back for a chance to win a in 2006. Why not a fourth? Stanley Cup. Thankfully, I think we’re going to get that opportunity.”

To do it, Williams and the Canes must win 19 games, starting with a To do it, the Canes must first beat a team they could not in four tries this best-of-five qualifying round series against the New York Rangers. To season. The Rangers swept the series and were fast surging in the pull it off, they must do it within the “bubble” the NHL is planning to have Eastern Conference before the suspension, pulling within two points of in its two hub cities, with the players nearly in solitary confinement away the Canes. from the rink for about five weeks should their team continue to win. Then again, the were coming off a 2018 Stanley “My biggest concern, maybe the team’s biggest concern, is what if Cup championship and had won the season series with the Canes a year there’s an outbreak on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 and seven of ago. Once in the 2019 playoffs, the Canes won a seven-game series to us can’t play or 10 of us can’t play?” Williams said Tuesday in a media quickly oust the Caps. Zoom call. “What happens to the team? Is it a forfeit? Do you wait a couple of weeks? “Washington had our number last year, also,” Williams said. “Playoff hockey is very different. We’re certainly not going into this (Rangers) “That’s the main concern that we have. It’s not playing the game of series thinking we’re an underdog. We’re a Stanley Cup contender and hockey because we’re all going to go out there and we’re all going to give we know that.” our best to battle for the Stanley Cup. But it would be extremely frustrating having those symptoms and coming down with the virus somehow and not being able to play.” News Observer LOADED: 07.08.2020 It’s a price most will be willing to pay. At 38, Williams might be making one last run at the Cup, which he has triumphantly held with the Canes and then twice with the .

“At the end of the day you’re handing out the Stanley Cup,” he said. “This isn’t just going out and playing some exhibition games. This is legit. This is for it all.

“A different circumstance, obviously. But at the end of the day you’re going to get your name on the Stanley Cup and no one will be able to take that away from you.”

The NHL on Monday announced that the Return to Play protocols and an extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement had been tentatively agreed on by the NHL and NHL Players Association. Training camps for the 24 teams will open July 13 and the games will begin Aug. 1 in the two hub cities, which should be Toronto (Eastern Conference teams) and Edmonton (Western).

The NHL health-and-safety regulations once at the hub city and in the “Secure Zones” will be tightly monitored and testing for the virus constant. The players might not not see their families for more than a month if their team keeps winning, although Williams said it won’t be “banging-your-head-off-the-wall crazy” and that the players will be together enough.

But Williams stressed it’s vital to be vigilant during the two or so weeks of training camp, which the Canes will hold at PNC Arena.

“You need to tighten up the bubble of people you’re hanging out with,” Williams said. “You need make your inner circle is pretty darn small because what you do affects everybody else.

“That’s pretty much the basis of what a team is anyway. You’re only as strong as your weakest link, but at this point your weakest link can take down your whole team.”

It has been an interesting if disjointed season for Williams, who was the Canes’ captain last season when they reached the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2009. While exhilarating, the season and a long playoff run took its toll on him.

Williams sat out the first few months of this season, signed a contract and returned in January, then had to get back up to the speed of the game before he was playing his best hockey. He had scored goals in five straight games, tying the longest streak of career, heading into the March 1176230 Carolina Hurricanes But, the decision to keep this all in Canada, where the coronavirus outbreak is more under control than the U.S. right now, gives me some optimism.

Bag of Jerks: Hurricanes’ ideal return to play opponents, Pesce’s dog In a scenario where the Canes make it to the Cup Final, who is your ideal allergy opponent for each round? From both on-ice and media storyline perspectives? — Aoife B.

By Sara Civian Hmm. I’m going to take this question for exactly what it is, seeding probabilities be darned. I mostly say that because I still don’t fully Jul 7, 2020 understand what is going on with the top seeds. Regardless, I have said before all this that I thought either the Avalanche, the Flyers or the Bruins

will win the Cup this year and that hasn’t changed. Hi. It’s impossible to do this in any type of bracket form obviously, so I’ll just Sorry that June’s Bag of Jerks is bleeding into July, but once again y’all go through all potential opponents the Hurricanes might come across on came with the heat. And for a while, there weren’t many answers to your their quest for the Cup. questions. Ideal opponents, assuming the Canes beat the Rangers in the best-of- But finally, we have some answers. five play-in:

The NHLPA and the NHL reached a tentative agreement Monday on the On-ice: return to play plan. Both hub cities will likely be in Canada. This all seems Lightning: Yes, I am going there. like something we can actually feel good about. Islanders: Every time I think about the Islanders, my brain just kinda goes Let’s dive in. “???” Sara, what is your personal comfort level with the season starting back Predators: See above. up again? What do you anticipate your day-to-day will be like? Do you feel any type of way about being a part of the NHL starting back up You know what? If any Western Conference team other than the top again? Do you feel comfortable walking back into PNC Arena in the seeds (Avalanche, Blues, Golden Knights, Stars) advances, go ahead current climate? Is this enough questions for one submission yet? Stay and insert that here. safe, you are loved and appreciated. — J.C. Storyline: How concerned are you, personally, about returning to work while COVID-19 cases spike across the country before there is a vaccine Maple Leafs: We need an Ayres family appearance in the 2020 NHL available? Have the NHL and/or The Athletic done enough to make you playoffs like we need food and water. Maybe Dave and Sarah can save feel comfortable returning to work? — Max C. us from this mess.

Questions of this nature were the theme of this mailbag, so thank you all Capitals: Pretty sure the only thing entertaining enough to give us a for caring about little, old me. I love and appreciate you right back and I break from *vaguely gestures towards literally everything* is a re-match want to really get into this. between the Capitals and the Hurricanes. When else would I write an entire story about erectile dysfunction? The good old days! First of all, I’m lucky to work at The Athletic. Higher-ups have been transparent and understanding about health risks — mental and physical Who’s going to be the starting goaltender going into camp? — Patrick C. — that have or might arise. It’s very clear that our health is their main Let’s say the season resumes, Canes lose to NYR, Toronto beats priority. They have done more than enough. Columbus, the stars align and we land #1 pick in 2020 Draft — is there As for my day-to-day? I would consider that “week-to-week.” There’s so any reason the team *wouldn’t* want to take Lafreniere? I can see it now, much the NHL still has to figure out. But outside media isn’t allowed at the AAA line: Aho, Alexis, and Andrei. (drool emoji) — Mason B. any of the training camps for the foreseeable future, and I’m perfectly fine As Sean Gordon wrote, Alexis Lafreniere is the Next One. with that. I’m assuming my day-to-day will resume with video calls and phone calls and waking up to five million Tweets asking me if Dougie There is no scenario in which this isn’t a no-brainer. Hamilton will be ready to play. I have considered changing my handle to “Sara ‘Yes, Dougie is ready to go’ Civian” until puck drop. I’m I award you several drool emojis. about to take a few days off here to travel back to Boston, and I might Could you share with us one story about a player having personality who just make that my voicemail message. maybe don’t get as much credit for being interesting/having personality in Do I feel any type of way about being a part of the NHL starting back up the broader sense? If they’re comfortable with sharing that is. — David Z. again? I’m glad you asked, because I’m sure if you listen to Too Many Always love these questions, David. This is tough because I feel like Men or follow me on Twitter you generally know how I feel about most of the Hurricanes do have personalities, but I think someone like returning to play. Nothing would make me happier than all of this working Brett Pesce might get overlooked in this aspect. He doesn’t love being on out and proving me wrong — seriously. I want to take the L on this one. I camera or cliche questions, but he is hilarious. I remember one time the worry to myself (and on the podcast) about all the implications the worst- Hurricanes had puppies at practice and he was on the ground letting at case scenarios could have for the future of the sport, the future of my least three of them lick him, just so happy. I found out later he is allergic career, every single human even peripherally involved in this. I worry to dogs. I also find him really easy to talk to when I have actual hockey about being “part of” something that could hurt somebody, for sure. questions about their systems, etc.

I think hockey journalists — including myself — fall especially susceptible What’s going on with John Forslund? — Dylan T. to promoting the league. It’s this awesome, no-nonsense sport that sort of feels like a secret we’re in on while the rest of the world is watching a For those who missed it, here’s the rundown. 42-year-old Tom Brady’s cryptic Instagram stories with bated breath or As for an update since then, things have been difficult on both sides. It’s whatever. I’m proud of being a hockey reporter, so right now I am more equal parts hard to imagine Forslund with the Hurricanes and elsewhere careful than ever with my word choice and what I’m saying. at this point. We will have to see how it all plays out. That’s why I have been open in saying I think the league — like virtually Which Hurricanes player would you most want to be partnered with in a every professional sports league right now — is operating with a best- zombie apocalypse and why? — Peter W. case scenario in mind. While it just might work out — and again, I hope it does — that’s not the usual protocol. It feels like something up Michael Hello? Justin Williams, A.K.A the most calm, cool and collected human Scott’s sleeve. And to finally answer your question, I do feel a type of being on Earth. way being a part of it. I feel like Jim Halpert. I’m pretty sure the zombies would love him. What prospects do you see the team (taking with them to the playoffs)? — Howard H.

Well, according to photos the Hurricanes are sharing with the media, it looks like Ryan Suzuki, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Steven Lorentz are already there. They might be treating this like training camp, meaning some will get cut, considering general manager Don Waddell said they won’t carry more than a few black aces at a hub city. In a lot of ways, I am just as curious as y’all on this one. I think Joey Keane, Jake Bean, Morgan Geekie and Nedeljkovic will be there. I promise a deeper dive into this before Phase 4.

With Hindsight is always 20/20, but do you agree with Don Waddell’s decision to trade for Brady Skjei with a 1st rounder? I keep going back and forth thinking, “Skjei is an expensive contract, but is a potential backup plan in case we can’t sign Dougie to a reasonable contract,” and “why would you trade an unprotected first round draft pick in a DEEP draft pool when (we) weren’t guaranteed a playoff spot.” Leaning towards the second option as there wasn’t really a plan for after David Ayres Night. (These are assuming COVID-19 never shook the world to its core.) — Ja T.

Good, existential question right here. I am Team Waddell on this one for a few reasons.

Brett Pesce and were both down. The Canes knew Sami Vatanen’s health was questionable when they signed him. They saw how their hallmark asset — an almost overly strong blue line — was deteriorating in front of them.

At the time, the Metropolitan Division was a blood bath. My sense was that the Hurricanes had even considered trading for a goalie up until the playoffs until Petr Mrazek was healed, just to get them to the finish line. This organization has a deep-seated understanding about the impact of simply making the playoffs, and what it means to the fanbase. They had to make the playoffs. You do what it takes, and sometimes that means taking on a big contract for a first-rounder when you already have the big pieces in front of you.

I think the most overlooked aspect of this is the Hurricanes’ expansion draft strategy. Skjei’s — or anyone’s — existence allows for one more asset’s protection than before. The team considers this more than you might think.

You can always make a trade, and there are two NHL-level Hurricanes defensemen coming up on contracts. The blue line is going to be depleted before you know it.

Yes, you always want to win, but if the option is go deep in the playoffs, but not win the Cup (and local buzz is muted since no home games, etc), OR lose in play-in round and get Lafreniere……..are we ok with that? — Bernie P., Jul 1, 7:40 PM

Can I delete this question? I hate that I asked it. Go Canes. Win. — Bernie P., July 1, 11:18 PM

Bernie, welcome to The Middle.

Vancouver radio actually asked me what y’all think about this, as they’re in a similar situation, and I didn’t really know. Please, Hurricanes faithful, sound off in the comments.

With teams not enforcing dress codes for Phase 4, who will wear the most ridiculous ensemble? — Sam S.

This was honestly the best news I’ve heard in months. I cannot wait to see who surprises us in this realm. William Nylander is an obvious front- runner, but David Pastrnak has to be up there. I would love to see Ryan Dzingel and/or Joel Edmundson go all-out with their hats, though.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176231 Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks to keep name, commit to ‘expand awareness’ of Black Hawk’s legacy

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Jul 7, 2020, 5:58pm CDT

The Blackhawks will keep their name and logo but are committed to ‘‘raising the bar even higher’’ in their efforts to increase awareness of Native American culture, they said in a statement Tuesday.

The statement comes after the NFL’s Redskins and MLB’s Indians announced their intentions last week to consider changing their Native American names and logos.

‘‘The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,’’ the Hawks’ statement said.

‘‘We celebrate Black Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine dialogue with local and national Native American groups. As the team’s popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these important organizations.

‘‘We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation.

‘‘Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people.

‘‘We will continue to serve as stewards of our name and identity and will do so with a commitment to evolve. Our endeavors in this area have been sincere and multifaceted, and the path forward will draw on that experience to grow as an organization and expand our efforts.’’

The Hawks frequently honor Native Americans with pregame ovations and intermission performances, but other Native American groups in Illinois have denounced the Hawks’ name and logo for perpetuating racist stereotypes.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176232 Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 07.08.2020

NHL’s return-to-play agreement is impressive, but CBA extension will be even more important

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Jul 7, 2020, 2:25pm CDT

For the first time in its history, the NHL has crafted the framework to play hockey through a global pandemic.

But for the first time since the 1990s, the NHL and the NHL Players Association also have negotiated a long-term extension to their collective-bargaining agreement.

And while ‘‘first time in three decades’’ might not compare to ‘‘first time ever’’ on the surface, the extension was an even more notable, impressive and important development to come out of the NHL’s announcement Monday.

No major North American professional league has been as frequently interrupted and seen its popularity and revenue growth as slowed by labor disputes as the NHL has, regardless of the many reasonable motivations behind each of its strikes and lockouts.

Indeed, the expiration of a CBA essentially has become synonymous with a lockout. Since Bob Goodenow replaced as NHLPA president in 1991-92, helping to elevate the union to roughly equal footing as the NHL’s board of governors, the parties literally never have agreed to a new CBA without a work stoppage.

The expiration of the CBA in 1995 led to a 103-day lockout, shortening the 1996 season to 48 games. The expiration of the CBA in 2004 (after a few short extensions) led to a 309-day lockout and the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season. The expiration of the CBA in 2012 led to a 119- day lockout, shortening the 2013 season to 48 games.

So to see a CBA that could have expired as soon as September extended through 2026, pending an official vote, is encouraging for the future.

The NHL and NHLPA — to their credit — laid the groundwork for this cooperation last fall, when both sides elected not to opt out of the CBA in 2020 and instead let the 2022 end date stand. At the time, both sides said they were happy about the progress of negotiations.

It turns out those rosy statements weren’t just for show. With COVID-19 forcing both sides to spend huge portions of the last few months negotiating a return-to-play plan, the opportunity proved ripe for a smooth and ahead-of-schedule CBA extension, too.

Even more impressive, the extension isn’t merely a continuation of the same rules. It includes numerous welcomed revisions.

The new CBA reportedly will guarantee Olympic participation by NHL players in 2022 and 2026. That’s a huge win for players and fans and a surprise, given commissioner Gary Bettman’s emphatic rejection of the idea during All-Star Weekend last winter.

It also will flatten salary-cap inflation for the next several years (because of plummeting league revenue during the pandemic), increase the percentage of escrow held pre-emptively from players’ paychecks, make no-trade clauses travel with traded players who had agreed to lift them temporarily, limit the types of conditions for conditional draft picks included in trades and institute other small changes.

Both sides gained several key items on their wish lists, effectively navigated the difficult logistical and financial implications of the time and did so in a timely manner.

In the last 30 years of NHL history, it has been rare to see any of those things occur, much less all three simultaneously.

So in August, when the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs begin (if all goes according to plan), it will be a testament to an effective spring and summer of negotiations.

But when hockey continues steadily in 2022-23, 2023-24 and so forth, those same negotiations will pay even greater dividends. 1176233 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks say team name honors namesake who inspired

Staff Report

7/7/2020 8:28 PM

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks say they will continue to use their team name because it honors a Native American leader who has been an inspiration to generations.

'œThe Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,'• the NHL team said in a statement Tuesday.

"We celebrate Black Hawk's legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine dialogue with local and national Native American groups. As the team's popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these important organizations.

'œWe recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation. Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people. "

The Athletic first reported on the team's statement.

Under renewed pressure to change their name, the NFL's Washington Redskins announced a 'œthorough review'• of the issue. In baseball, the Cleveland Indians are also looking into it while the Atlanta Braves declined.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176234 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks release team statement, stand by name and Native American logo

By Charlie Roumeliotis

July 07, 2020 6:30 PM

In light of the news that MLB's Cleveland Indians and the NFL's Washington Redskins are considering name changes, the Blackhawks released a team statement on Tuesday standing by their name and Native American logo.

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

The full statement reads:

The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public.

We celebrate Black Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine dialogue with local and national Native American groups. As the team’s popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these important organizations.

We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation.

Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people.

We will continue to serve as stewards of our name and identity, and will do so with a commitment to evolve. Our endeavors in this area have been sincere and multi-faceted, and the path forward will draw on that experience to grow as an organization and expand our efforts.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176235 Chicago Blackhawks

Why Blackhawks won't be at a disadvantage facing Oilers in Edmonton

By Charlie Roumeliotis

July 07, 2020 9:45 AM

The NHL and NHL Players' Association took a significant step forward on Monday, announcing that the two sides have reached a tentative agreement on the Return to Play plan and Collective Bargaining Agreement extension that also includes transition rules. It's not official until the owners and players ratify the entire package, but there's little reason to believe it won't get approved.

If all goes as planned, the qualifying round will begin on Aug. 1 in the two hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto. Each conference will stay in their respective regions, which means the Blackhawks will be anchored down in Edmonton.

The NHL was originally planning to send the Western Conference teams to the Eastern Conference hub and the Eastern Conference teams to the Western Conference hub to avoid giving a Return to Play club any sort of competitive advantage, but the league and players decided against that due to the geographical complications.

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

So will the Blackhawks be at a disadvantage in their five-game play-in series against the Oilers on the Oilers' home surface? The simple answer is, no.

For one, there will be no fans in attendance and that's half the battle in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blackhawks may be considered the road team as the No. 12 seed taking on the No. 5 seed, but the only thing that's going to be different throughout the series is their jersey color.

Where the home-ice advantage would really come into play is off the ice, but the Oilers won't exactly be in the comfort of their own environment.

All 12 teams are required to stay inside the bubble — which the NHL is calling its "Phase 4 Secure Zone" — and any individual that leaves without permission may be subject to consequences up to and including removal. The team could also be punished in the form of hefty fines and/or loss of draft picks. That should be enough for players to take things seriously, in case there's any temptation.

But the overall point is, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and the rest of the Oilers won't have the luxury of sleeping in their own bed or being in the comfort of their own home during off-days. They have to pack multiple suitcases and stay inside the designated boundaries that includes hotels, dining destinations, the arena, practice facilities and demarcated areas (indoor and outdoor), just like everyone else. That's how life would have been for the Blackhawks had Chicago been chosen as a hub city.

In some ways, this could actually play in the Blackhawks' favor. There aren't any expectations when you're the road team going into a game, let alone a series in this unique situation. The Blackhawks had nothing to lose to begin with, considering their playoff chances were all but over prior to the NHL suspending its season on March 12 due to the COVID- 19 pandemic.

Even though they had a better win percentage at home, the Blackhawks played some of their best hockey this season when they were on the road, so it wouldn't be surprising if they upset the Oilers by sticking to their road mentality.

“On the road, you’re kind of naturally an underdog," Connor Murphy said in February. "Going into those games, you just seem to rally with each other even more and have some more of that desperation, knowing they could gain momentum with a goal and or a big chance. When you have a little bit of that underdog mentality, I think that can be good, and it gives a little more fight and bite in your game.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176236 Chicago Blackhawks themselves some breathing room. A cap ceiling of $81.5 million for next season will be a problem for a lot of teams, but especially for the Blackhawks.

Blackhawks are likely to feel the salary-cap squeeze for years With an estimated $8,583,205 of cap space for the 2020-21 season, the Blackhawks’ offseason tasks include re-signing restricted free agents Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome, re-signing unrestricted free agent By Scott Powers Corey Crawford or finding another No. 1 goalie and filling the remaining depth spots on the roster. That’s obviously unrealistic with that amount of Jul 7, 2020 money.

Contract estimates The Blackhawks know better than most what money crunching really Dominik Kubalik: Scoring 30 goals in the regular season certainly looks and feels like when a team is tight up against the salary cap. increased his value for a second contract. His turning 25 in August will It’s unloading key players after winning Stanley Cups. It’s parting with likely factor into the equation. Somewhere between $5 million and $6 emerging young players because they’re going to be too expensive soon million over four years would probably make sense. or they’re needed in trades to move other unaffordable contracts. It’s Dylan Strome: Strome looked like the Blackhawks’ No. 2 center of the being creative to make the numbers align. future not long ago. With the Blackhawks drafting Dach and his quick The Blackhawks have done that plenty over the past decade. ascension, Strome’s value has likely decreased. A short-term deal, maybe two years, at $3 million to $4 million is ideal. And now it looks like they’ll be doing it again for the foreseeable future. Corey Crawford: If the Blackhawks sign Crawford, you would think it Under the new proposed collective bargaining agreement, the salary-cap would be just for a few years. The question is the cap hit. The ceiling would remain at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 season and stay Blackhawks could really use Crawford to say he just wants a few million there until the hockey-related revenue reaches $4.8 billion. One league dollars. For Crawford, though, that probably doesn’t make much sense. executive said Monday that he was projecting the cap ceiling to remain at He’s shown he can still play at a high level when healthy. There were 20 $81.5 million for the 2021-22 season and probably increase only by a goalies in the league with a cap hit of at least $4.5 million this season. million for the 2022-23 season. His concussion history is a concern, but he could still probably demand around $4 million. “Will we have fans next season even if it starts in January?” the source said. “If so, how many fans? 50 percent? Will there be a vaccine? Will Possible solutions sponsors be able to afford what they usually paid or will they have to cut their spending? Can the league really make up everything we’re losing in Olli Maatta buyout: The Blackhawks need to create some cap space to just a few years? There are so many unknowns. I’m not expecting the afford everyone. Buying out Maatta is one of the possible ways to do this. cap to go up much, if at all.” If they bought out Maatta’s final two seasons, they would carry a cap hit of $680,600 for the next four years. It would save them a total of That’s the possible terrifying financial future for the NHL. What exactly $5,444,533. For the 2020-21 season, it would give them an additional does that mean for the Blackhawks in the coming years? Let’s project for $3,402,733 to work with. the next three seasons how a stagnant league revenue could affect them. Zach Smith buyout: If the Blackhawks bought out his final season, they would carry a $1,083,333 cap hit the following two seasons. The key The 2020-21 season number is it would give them an additional $2,166,667 to work for the 2020-21 season. Cap ceiling: $81.5 million Conclusion Blackhawks’ projected total cap hit (based on definite/likely NHLers): $71,854,295 It’s difficult to imagine the Blackhawks not buying out Maatta and Smith this offseason if they want to re-sign their top free agents. If they bought Projected cap overage (from 2019-20 season): $1,062,500 out Maatta and Smith, they’d have an additional $5,569,400 to spend. Projected cap space: $8,583,205 That would give them approximately $14,152,605 to spend in total. Is that enough to re-sign Kubalik, Strome, Crawford or another No. 1 goalie and Signed forwards (definite/likely NHLers), 11: Patrick Kane ($10.5 million), add another depth forward and defensemen? It’s still going be tough, but ($10.5 million), Alex DeBrincat ($6.4 million), Brandon it might be possible. Saad ($6 million), Andrew Shaw ($3.9 million), Zack Smith ($3.25 million), David Kampf ($1 million), Ryan Carpenter ($1 million), Kirby Shaw’s future is also still unknown. If he’s unable to play and remains on Dach ($925,000), Alex Nylander ($863,333), Matthew Highmore long-term injured reserve, the Blackhawks would likely continue to count ($725,000) him against their cap until the regular season begins and then place him on LTIR. Stan Bowman would have the option to utilize offseason LTIR, Signed defensemen (definitely/likely NHLers), 6: ($6.875 but he’s been against that in the past because it restricts in-season roster million), Duncan Keith ($5,538,462), Calvin de Haan ($4.55 million), Olli mobility. Maatta ($4,083,333), Connor Murphy ($3.85 million), Adam Boqvist ($894,167) The 2021-22 season

Signed goalies (definitely/likely NHLers), 1: Collin Delia ($1 million) Projected cap ceiling: $81.5 million

Top unrestricted free agents: Corey Crawford Blackhawks’ projected total cap hit (based on definite/likely NHLers): $74,665,962 Top restricted free agents: Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome, Drake Caggiula, Slater Koekkoek, Malcolm Subban, Alexandre Fortin Buyout carryover: $1,763,733

Outlook: The irony is if this all had occurred a year ago, the Blackhawks Projected cap space: $5,070,305 would have been in a lot better position to manage their financial future. Signed forwards (definite/likely NHLers), 9: Kane ($10.5 million), Toews Last season, they possessed substantial cap space. But after adding ($10.5 million), DeBrincat ($6.4 million), Kubalik ($5.5 million), Shaw Calvin de Haan, Olli Maatta and Andrew Shaw — three long-term deals ($3.9 million), Strome ($3.5 million), Carpenter ($1 million), Dach with cap hits of $3.9 million or more — the Blackhawks minimized a lot of ($925,000), Highmore ($725,000) their cap freedom for the near future. Having to pay Alex DeBrincat on his second contract obviously cut into that, too. Still, DeBrincat’s deal of Signed defensemen (definitely/likely NHLers), 5: Seabrook ($6.875 $6.4 million for three years is more than fair for the Blackhawks. million), Keith ($5,538,462), De Haan ($4.55 million), Murphy ($3.85 million), Boqvist ($894,167), Ian Mitchell ($925,000) Even before the pandemic arrived, the Blackhawks were likely going to be in a tough financial situation. They would have needed the cap ceiling Signed goalies (definitely/likely NHLers), 2: Crawford ($4 million), Delia to increase somewhere close to $87 million to $88 million to give ($1 million) Top unrestricted free agents: Saad, Nick Seeler the 2023-24 season when the Blackhawks truly feel free of the cap restraints. Top restricted free agents: Nylander, Kampf, Lucas Carlsson, Brandon Hagel, Dylan Sikura, Dennis Gilbert, John Quenneville

Outlook: The Blackhawks have a lot of money tied up through the 2021- The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 22 season. With the cap likely staying flat, it’s going to be difficult for them to make any major roster changes. For the 2021-22 season outlook, we’re going to carry over the predicted buyouts for Smith and Maatta and also project the Blackhawks to re-sign Kubalik, Strome and Crawford for a total of $13 million — Kubalik (four years, $5.5 million cap hit), Strome (two years, $3.5 million), Crawford (two years, $4 million).

The main contract coming off the books for the 2021-22 season will be Brandon Saad’s deal. He has a $6 million cap hit. The Blackhawks would probably walk away from him just because they’re going to be tight against the cap again. The Blackhawks will also lose someone to Seattle in the expansion draft. They might try to expose one of their more expensive defensemen. The Athletic’s recent mock expansion draft had Seattle taking Alex Nylander, but he could be someone the Blackhawks protect. Nylander will be a restricted free agent after the 2020-21 season, so he’ll have to get paid otherwise. He could take a portion of the team’s cap space if he develops as the Blackhawks hope.

Conclusion: This gets a lot harder to project a couple of years out, but the Blackhawks’ lineup probably isn’t going to change a whole lot without some trades. As of now, it would appear the Blackhawks would need a lot of their younger players, such as Philipp Kurashev, Evan Barratt and others, to develop into useful NHLers while still on their entry-level deals.

The 2022-23 season

Projected cap ceiling: $82.5 million

Blackhawks’ projected total cap hit (based on definite/likely NHLers): $45,313,462

Buyout carryover: $680,400

Projected cap space: $36,506,138

Signed forwards (definite/likely NHLers), 4: Kane ($10.5 million), Toews ($10.5 million), DeBrincat ($6.4 million), Kubalik ($5.5 million)

Signed defensemen (definite/likely NHLers), 2: Seabrook ($6.875 million), Keith ($5,538,462)

Top unrestricted free agents: Murphy, De Haan, Shaw, Carpenter, Delia, Kevin Lankinen

Top restricted free agents: Dach, Boqvist, Mitchell, Strome, Highmore, Kurashev, MacKenzie Entwistle, Andrei Altybarmakyan, Matej Chalupa, Chad Krys

Outlook: The Blackhawks will finally shed a significant amount of cap space before the 2022-23 season. Murphy, de Haan and Shaw all will become unrestricted free agents. The Blackhawks would still have more than $45 million tied up with Kane, Toews, DeBrincat, Kubalik, Seabrook and Keith. That’s a lot of money for six players. This would be the final year on the contracts for Kane, Toews and Keith. Seabrook would have one year remaining.

While the Blackhawks could have $36 million-plus in cap space, they will have some immediate needs. They’ll owe Dach, Boqvist and Mitchell second contracts going into the 2022-23 season. If all three pan out the way the Blackhawks hope, that could be an expensive trio. The Blackhawks would also have Strome up again if they gave him a two- year deal. They would also have to address their future at goaltending if they hadn’t already. Crawford and Delia would be unrestricted free agents after the 2021-22 season. One player who could be added to the mix on a cheap, entry-level deal for the 2022-23 season would Artur Kayumov. His KHL contract expires after the 2021-22 season.

Conclusion: So many things can change in three years, but it’s easy to see how the Blackhawks could still be in financial trouble come the 2022- 23 season if the cap ceiling doesn’t start to increase and/or they don’t move on from some of their bigger contracts. Kane, Toews, Keith and Seabrook’s contracts will continue to take up a big piece of the pie. As beneficial as it might have been for Dach and Boqvist to play more than nine NHL games this season, having to pay them together on their second contracts is likely to be costly. It also appears Mitchell will become a restricted free agent at the same time. The Blackhawks will probably need drafted prospects and European free agents to help fill their lineups on cheap deals because it honestly probably won’t be until 1176237 The Rangers have returned to their “summer training” session at Global Pandemic Life Park. Outfielder Joseph Gallo has tested positive for COVID-19, so he’s home.

Signs suggest pro sports, Red River Rivalry will face very rocky return The Rangers’ 60-game schedule is set to begin on July 24, but with the amid COVID-19 MLB’s testing procedures under scrutiny from players all over the league has front office employees less than optimistic about how a season can actually be played. BY MAC ENGEL Then there is the NFL. Most of the leagues’ teams have not gathered as JULY 07, 2020 03:29 PM a unit since the start of 2020, yet somehow they are to meet for the first time, and practice, during a pandemic within a matter of a few weeks.

A spokesperson for the Dallas Cowboys said the team is waiting for the Quarantined because of an outbreak of COVID-19 cases on their own NFL to determine the opening dates for camps. team, the players and coaches for FC Dallas remain stuck in Orlando, unable to either play or return home. Meanwhile, the University of Texas and are proceeding to play the Red River football game at the on Oct. 10. The game FC Dallas vice president Gina Miller said Tuesday morning in a phone was supposed to be played during the Texas State Fair, which had been interview that the traveling party for the team that was scheduled to play scheduled to take place from Sept. 25 to Oct. 18, however, on Tuesday it in the MLS Is Back Tournament in Orlando is still coordinating with health was announced that this year’s fair has been cancelled. The last time this officials from Florida and Texas about how to return to the Metroplex happened was WWII. safely. “We fully anticipate that our annual with Oklahoma FC Dallas had to pull out of the tournament because 11 members of the will be played in the Cotton Bowl and are continuing to prepare for that,” team’s traveling party have tested positive for COVID-19. UT athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement. “We followed every single protocol to the T. We went above and beyond,” Expect this to change. Miller said. “It just exposes what we don’t know.” Expect the NFL to follow the path set by the other leagues. You don’t have to like soccer or Major League Soccer, but any fan of baseball, hockey, basketball or football needs to take a hard look at the As what we just witnessed with the MLS and FC Dallas, expect all of it to beautiful game before celebrating the return of their favorite sport. be a mess of historic proportions.

What happened to FC Dallas is a warning to every NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL franchise. Whether they play in a bubble, or in their home stadium with no fans, if these leagues somehow return to play this is all going to Star-Telegram LOADED: 07.08.2020 be a bleep show like we have never seen. We all want sports to return, but if FC Dallas’ experience is any indication of what the next couple of months are going to be like then this is going to be a mess.

Miller said there were approximately 40 people in the traveling party, and everyone tested negative when they left for Orlando on Saturday, June 27.

“MLS sent out a precise regiment for return to play. Temperature checks. COVID testing. Masks. Gloves,” Miller said. “We did all of it.”

A few days later after arriving in Orlando, the positive cases started. Those cases were quarantined. Then a few more tested positive. Eventually there were more than 10.

Then they were told to go home.

“You have to be incredibly vigilant to what we know can be effective,” Miller said. “This is all so hard to do on this scale, on a large level what all of these leagues are trying to accomplish. There is no playbook on this. We are writing it. The way forward has been thoughtful and we are taking every precaution.”

Miller said the team has no idea when they might return to playing.

The Dallas Stars are scheduled to return to practice on Friday at their home practice facility in Frisco to prepare for the Stanley Cup playoffs, to be played in the bubble cities of Edmonton and Toronto.

The Dallas Mavericks continue their practices, albeit the players are only going through individual workouts. The team is scheduled to leave for the NBA bubble in Orlando Wednesday with a traveling party of approximately 35 people. Their first game, against the Houston Rockets, is still set for July 31.

“There will be a level of fluidity as we move forward,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said Tuesday. “This is an extraordinary endeavor what we are trying to do. This is truly historic.

“We have been through a lot of things in terms of being educated. The most important thing is to do whatever you can to stay safe. To stay socially distanced and try to avoid the difficult situation what happened to FC Dallas.”

Carlisle would not confirm if everybody is making the flight, which these days lends itself to obvious conclusions. 1176238 Detroit Red Wings Rossi’s father, Michael, played professionally in Austria, which might help explain the precociousness.

“I think Marco has always … he’s focused on winning all three zones The Red Wings’ No. 4 draft pick: Making the case for Marco Rossi during the game,” Boyd said. “He wants to win the defensive zone, the neutral zone and the offensive zone, and that’s really his mindset. So, I think that was ingrained with him because his dad’s from a playing background and was by all accounts a responsible player, a hard- By Max Bultman working player. And the fact that he’s a team player. He distributes the Jul 7, 2020 puck extremely well. He utilizes his teammates. A lot of give-and-gos, and a lot of deception.”

And, as Pronman wrote, “he’s a great playmaker who can make things This is the third in a series examining the Red Wings’ options with the happen off the edge, but more often than not he’s playing around the net fourth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Today, we lay out the case for or in the slot area to create high-quality chances.” OHL forward Marco Rossi. For a smaller player, that’s an especially important tendency to Before the Ottawa 67s picked him in the 2018 CHL Import Draft, Marco demonstrate. Rossi was an undersized Austrian playing in Switzerland. At age 16, he had progressed to the NLB, a Swiss professional league. But even then, Rossi also has the potential to be one of the quicker prospects in this the 67s could not have known what he would turn into once he arrived in year’s draft to reach the NHL, partly because he’s on the older and more their organization. physically mature side of this year’s class, and partly because he has so little to prove in the OHL after such a dominant 2019-20 season. The Red “I think it’s fair to say that he developed and he’s a much better player Wings need to make this pick with the next 10 to 15 years in mind, not than maybe even we anticipated,” Ottawa general manager James Boyd just who can help them the quickest, but it’s important to note said recently. “We liked the idea of bringing him into the organization, but nonetheless. he’s continued to improve at such a rapid pace that exceeded all expectations of ours.” Along those lines, I asked Boyd what an NHL coach will be getting when he adds Rossi to his team. Rossi, in his two years with the 67s, became one of the top junior players in all of Canada. He led all CHL players with 120 points this season, and “I think someone who understands the game extremely well,” Boyd said. did so in just 56 games. So two years after coming over to North “He’s got very high hockey IQ. He knows where everybody is on the ice. I America, Rossi is now squarely in the top-10 picture for the NHL Draft, think that Marco knows the game within the game, and what I mean by with the chance to go in the top five. that (is) he knows the score on the clock and he knows what opponents are on the ice. So I think that he’s a player that’s going to quickly endear The basics himself to the coaching staff. He’s a player that can be trusted.”

Rossi is a 5-foot-9, 183-pound center for Ottawa in the OHL. He led the The remaining questions league in scoring this season, producing at an absurd 2.14 points-per- game clip. Rossi is one of the older players in the 2020 draft class as a With Rossi, the primary questions obviously surround his size. There are, result of his late September birthday, but it was still only his second of course, several notable smaller players in the league — four of its top- season in the OHL after previously playing in Switzerland. 10 scorers this season are under 6-feet tall. But the fact remains that the league’s average height is 6-1, meaning Rossi, at 5-9, will unavoidably The Athletic’s Corey Pronman did a full video breakdown of Rossi’s be at some level of physical disadvantage. game last month, in which he gave Rossi’s puck skills a high-level grade of 65 (on the 20-80 scouting scale), his hockey sense and It could also factor into his eventual position. Among the league’s top-40 competitiveness strong grades of 60, and his skating a 55, which centers by points last season, only three — Brayden Point, Sidney translates to above average. Scott Wheeler spent three days with Rossi Crosby and — were listed at under 6 feet. That’s an elite for a story in 2018, giving more insight to him off the ice. Pronman has trio without question, but even of that group, only Point is listed at 5-10 or Rossi ranked ninth on his 2020 draft board. Wheeler ranks him third. shorter. Not far outside that cutoff is Montreal center Max Domi, also at 5-10. Domi’s 72-point season in 2018-19 certainly fits the level of The case to pick him production you’re looking for at No. 4 overall, but he has only one other season in which he’s scored more than 45 points. For Rossi, it all starts with how well-rounded his game is. And that’s saying something when it’s about a player who just led the entire CHL in Rossi’s game is not all about points, of course, and his responsibility scoring. should mean he can help his future NHL team win even on nights he isn’t scoring. That matters significantly, and is not meant to be understated. “We’ve got a team that really excels in our own league here in major As does the fact he’s still sturdy for his diminutive height, weighing 183 junior hockey,” Boyd said, “and there (were) many nights where Marco pounds. That’s already over 10 pounds more than Point was listed at this was the best defensive player, the best offensive player, the best player season. in the face-off circle. And that’s extremely rare in our league.” But even defensively, he will still need to be able to win battles down low He called Rossi a “Swiss Army Knife” type of player, who can give a as a center, and many of those larger top centers are the ones he’ll need team whatever it needs in that moment. to battle against. So while size alone should be not the reason to pick (or “When you need a big goal, he’s able to manufacture a goal by finding a pass on) a player, it’s a fair question to ask with a pick of this teammate with a difficult pass,” Boyd said. “When you’re up by a goal, significance. he’s able to be responsible and still keep the opponent on their heels, but With all that said, it certainly hasn’t stopped Rossi from dominating he’s able to shut down the other team’s top guys as well. He’s a great statistically, or being regarded as a consistent, competitive player. Boyd penalty killer. He’s excellent on the power play. He does a lot of things.” said he “wins most of his puck battles and (is) excellent in the face-off And, Rossi does it from the center position, which adds value at a crucial circle.” spot on the ice. Looking at recent championship teams, a strong group of Boyd also said that while he thinks Rossi could play any forward position, centers (especially at the top of the lineup) is essential. St. Louis last he’s confident in Rossi’s ability to be a center because of his vision and year had Ryan O’Reilly and . Washington had Nicklas responsibility in his own zone. Pronman wrote he thinks Rossi “could Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Pittsburgh won with two megastars stick at center in the NHL because of his compete level and brain.” down the middle in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. So as much as teams need to project down the line for how Rossi’s size For the Red Wings, Rossi could eventually slot in with Dylan Larkin will translate, it’s important to not forget to factor in what he’s already (ahead of Joe Veleno and Michael Rasmussen) to form a strong group of shown he can do at his size. two-way centers in the future. “I see a little bit of Patrice Bergeron to him, where he’s able to shut down Boyd made sure to note Rossi’s intelligence as a player and said that he the opposing team’s players and put up a couple points that allows you to “almost played a pro-style game at a young age.” He pointed out that win the game,” Boyd said. “Some of our other staff really see similarities to Marty St. Louis. Small but powerful guy who’s able to protect the puck and win battles using his leverage.”

It also feels worth mentioning that in an interview with TSN’s Mark Masters, Rossi said he uses Pavel Datsyuk as a role model for his game and has been watching Datsyuk’s highlights since he was a kid.

Obviously, Datsyuk sits in rarified air (as do the two players Boyd mentioned). But for a smaller, highly skilled, two-way center, he’s a pretty good choice to try and emulate.

And Boyd, for what it’s worth, seemed to have no doubt as to Rossi’s awareness of the work that still awaits him either way.

“He knows he’s gotta get bigger and stronger, or continue to get stronger,” Boyd said. “He’s well aware that the next step for him is going to be a huge step. So he’s not someone who’s going to become complacent, that’s for sure. And he’s constantly working on his skill. But his skill’s good enough right now. I think his skill and his hockey sense is right where it needs to be.

“It’s just a matter of getting to that elite level of strength and fitness, which he’s well on the way.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176239 Edmonton Oilers the Flames gave to Rasmus Andersson in January or the seven-year, $29.169-million pact with Oscar Klefbom in September 2015, a year before his entry-level deal expired.) The Oilers don’t appear to be able to offer a similar contract to Bear right now. Oilers notebook: Bear’s contract quandary, Broberg’s mini camp, bubble goalies “I have no idea,” said Holland regarding how many years he can or will offer Bear on his next deal.

The Athletic was told there were no contract talks between Bear and the By Daniel Nugent-Bowman Oilers ahead of the February trade deadline. That remains true, a source said. For his part, Holland has a policy of not negotiating contracts with Jul 7, 2020 players and their representatives during the playoffs – so discussions won’t begin until the Oilers’ season is over.

It was only a week before the NHL postponed its regular season that A one- or two-year agreement theoretically benefits Bear more than it visions of a salary cap as high as $88.2 million danced in general does the Oilers. There’s no reason to think he won’t continue progressing managers’ heads. and be in line for a bigger payday when that contract expires, just like what happened with Darnell Nurse. However, there’s a risk of injury or In the worst-case scenario, an $84 million cap was expected to be the regression. new norm – a $2.5-million uptick from the 2019-20 limit. Aside from possibly what happens with Jesse Puljujarvi, Bear’s next A global health pandemic, a cancelled regular season, and the potential contract will be the most important and intriguing development of the for a Stanley Cup playoff tournament without fans attending games will offseason. It’ll likely be weeks before his signature is put to paper. flatten what was thought to be a rising cap – reportedly keeping it level at $81.5 million for the next two seasons. Two young defencemen

It has the potential to wreak havoc on team builders. Philip Broberg attending Oilers training camp (Phase 3) has been well known for quite some time. “An $86-million cap versus an $81.5-million cap is a big difference,” said Oilers GM Ken Holland, basically splitting the difference between the The 2019 first-rounder is eligible to play in the postseason, but Holland upper and lower estimates for his comparable. said his attendance is merely an opportunity to skate with NHLers before heading back to Skelleftea in time for SHL camp later this month. He had Holland and his front office team have been patiently waiting for the a goal and eight points in 45 SHL games in 2019-20. collective bargaining agreement and return-to-play guidelines to be ratified. He needs more concrete information before he can start acting The Oilers have expected to have eight NHL defencemen available for on any plans or making any grand pronouncements. training camp. William Lagesson has been skating as part of Phase 2 and top prospect Evan Bouchard is also expected in the mix. There’s no question, however, this static cap limits Holland et al.’s abilities to enhance – or even maintain – a seemingly ascending team “There are no plans for him to play,” Holland said. with the league’s top two scorers. Unlike Broberg, Dmitri Samorukov is not expected to be at Oilers training The first player that comes to mind is defenceman Ethan Bear. (More on camp. That’s because, according to Holland, the plan is for Samorukov to him in a bit.) attend a KHL training camp later this month. There were reports the Russian rearguard had signed with CSKA last month, but Holland isn’t The Athletic Edmonton colleague Allan Mitchell did an excellent and aware of a formalized agreement yet. thorough job of assessing the tough offseason decisions Holland has ahead of him this summer, er, fall. Samorukov played his junior hockey for Guelph in the OHL and completed his first pro campaign in the AHL with Bakersfield in March. The Oilers have roughly $9.5 million in cap space, a figure that could With the 2020-21 AHL season in limbo due to COVID-19 restrictions, decrease depending on goaltender Mike Smith’s contributions as part of Holland is more than fine with Samorukov getting into game action back an extended playoff run. (There’s been no clarity about if the Oilers have home. qualified for the playoffs yet for the purposes of Smith being owed that portion of his bonus.) The Oilers are already facing cap penalties of “My only goal for Dmitri, as his general manager, is to wake up a year approximately half a million dollars because of performance bonuses from now and (see) he’s a better player,” Holland said. overages owed to Smith, Bear, and centre, Gaetan Haas. Holland said on a conference call late last month that junior graduate Smith, centre Riley Sheahan, winger Tyler Ennis and defenceman Mike Olivier Rodrigue will attend Oilers training camp. Green are all unrestricted free agents. Blueliner Matt Benning and winger He’ll be one of four goalies at camp – along with Smith, Mikko Koskinen Andreas Athanasiou are restricted free agents, whereas Bear is coming and Stuart Skinner – but go no further unless there are injuries. off his entry-level contract and won’t have arbitration rights like the former two players. “The three guys we’re taking into the bubble are gonna be Skinner, Smitty and Kosky,” Holland said. Regardless of which players are retained, the Oilers will need to replace the ones that aren’t – at some cost. Holland wanted Rodrigue around to offer a first taste of the pros – especially since summer prospects camp was cancelled and the Again, I’d encourage people to read Mitchell’s piece from Saturday. In it, September rookie tournament in Penticton, B.C., also won’t happen. he highlights some potential cost-savings measures, including the possibility of dealing Kris Russell. The veteran defenceman only has a Rodrigue’s invitation comes at the expense of the older Shane Starrett. $1.5 million salary compared to a $4-million cap hit and his no-trade list He turns 26 on Sunday and had a miserable, injury-plagued 2019-20 expands to 15 teams, up from the 10 he couldn’t block a trade to this season with Bakersfield after making the AHL’s second all-star team the season. previous year.

If Holland can’t open more cap room – and if Smith’s performance He becomes a Group 6 free agent – essentially unrestricted – when his bonuses increase – it will become increasingly difficult to sign Bear to a contract’s up in the fall. Holland couldn’t say if Starrett would be offered a contract with notable term. And that’s far from ideal. contract. Reading the tea leaves, it would be very surprising if Starrett was retained. Bear went from not playing in the NHL last season to seeing the second- most 5-on-5 ice time of any Oiler in 2019-20. His 49.4 Corsi for Smith is a free agent, but Starrett wouldn’t be considered for an NHL role percentage at 5-on-5 ranked third on the team for players with at least anyway. In addition to Skinner and Rodrigue, Dylan Wells is also under 500 minutes. He had five goals and 21 points while appearing in all 71 contract for next season. Skinner, Rodrigue and Wells could take up games. three minor-league jobs.

Bear just turned 23 and is exactly the type of person – a player just “There’s a possibility that we’re going to sign one more goalie next year,” scratching the surface of his potential – that teams should find desirable Holland said. “We might just go with Skinner and Rodrigue.” to lock up on a long-term deal. (Think of six-year, $27.3-million contract Holland said he might not sign a veteran, third-string goalie, if he thinks Skinner can do the job. Skinner had an .892 save percentage in 41 AHL appearances in 2019-20.

The question Holland’s still trying to answer: Can Skinner, if called up to the NHL as an injury replacement for a month, win games? He’ll consult with Bakersfield coach Jay Woodcroft and Oilers assistant GM Keith Gretzky before deciding.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176240 Edmonton Oilers The season in Finland Puljujarvi had a strong offensive season in Finland, showing the flair that

got him inside the top five overall at the 2016 draft. It’s important to put Lowetide: Jesse Puljujarvi’s comparables suggest a possible future with the numbers (24-29-53 in 56 games) in context. He was impressive on Oilers the power play but is unlikely to play that role with Edmonton:

Even-strength time and results: 861:33, 16-22-38 (2.65 points per 60)

By Allan Mitchell Power-play time and results: 173:34, 8-7-15 (5.19 points per 60)

Jul 7, 2020 Penalty-kill time and results: 1:49, 0-0-0

Puljujarvi scored well at evens and on the power play, but how do we find a way to value these totals accurately? One way is to drill down on recent One of the most argued points among Oilers fans during the extended players who have arrived in the NHL in subsequent seasons. It’s an break between the suspension of the regular season and the playoff interesting exercise: centers on Jesse Puljujarvi. The argument goes like this: If he signs in Edmonton, the big, dynamic winger should slot in on a skill line playing Puljujarvi (age 21): 2.65 even-strength points per 60 with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Joonas Donskoi (age 22): 2.37 even-strength points per 60 Fans point to his impressive scoring in Finland’s Liiga during 2019-20 as Roope Hintz (age 19): 2.21 even-strength points per 60 a clear sign of his emerging offensive ability. Jesperi Kotkaniemi (age 17): 1.91 even-strength points per 60 Is that a reasonable argument? Should the Oilers place Puljujarvi on a skill line for 2020-21 if he signs? Is this a wise move? Is there a better Kasperi Kapanen (age 18): 1.36 even-strength points per 60 roster fit than scoring winger for him? This is a list compiled via the Liiga site, which has time-on-ice totals Playing with McDavid beginning in 2014-15. It gave us five players who played in the Liiga and came to North America and at least some NHL success. Puljujarvi played parts of three seasons with the Oilers and in each one saw playing time with McDavid. Expectations are high for wingers who Donskoi is the closest comparable. He didn’t post the same number and play with the captain, as he generates a massive number of chances at was a year older (time on ice was unavailable for his season at age 21), five-on-five. Here are Puljujarvi’s scoring totals at five-on-five compared but that’s in the range. with other right wingers who have played with the captain since 2015-16 (all numbers are from Natural Stat Trick): The other player I wanted to draw your attention to is Kotkaniemi. He posted 1.91 points per 60 at even strength in his draft year, then came to Leon Draisaitl: 47-73-120 in 2538:06 (2.84 per 60) North America and spent time in the NHL before being sent to the AHL. There are some similarities in his story and that of Puljujarvi. At age 17, Nail Yakupov: 2-7-9 in 205:40 (2.62 per 60) in his draft year, Puljujarvi posted 1.60 points per 60 at even strength in Jordan Eberle: 15-17-32 in 779:00 (2.47 per 60) the same league.

Zack Kassian: 23-25-48 in 1214:36 (2.30 per 60) Kotkaniemi outperformed Puljujarvi’s even-strength per-60 total in their draft years, was drafted No. 3 overall in 2018 and spent time in the AHL Puljujarvi: 6-8-14 in 407:44 (2.06 per 60) in his second North American season.

Many Oilers fans bemoan the presence of Kassian on McDavid’s wing, That’s a good comparable. It doesn’t help us in projection, but Puljujarvi’s but the big man delivers solid offence when playing with McDavid. In fact, experience could help Montreal management in deciding about the since 2015-16, Edmonton coaches have been able to plug and play usage of their prized prospect for 2020-21 (AHL or Finland would be multiple right wingers and see them achieve scoring success. best).

We can safely say Puljujarvi was not a unique offensive player who Where to place Puljujarvi on the Oilers roster delivered superior numbers when playing with McDavid in Edmonton. And you know, the Oilers had it. Todd McLellan found what was working, Two-way role but the Oilers could not get out of their own way.

A good young winger with two-way ability could be very useful, and Puljujarvi played on a line with Ryan Strome for 238 minutes in 2017-18 Puljujarvi’s game contains some elements of that role. Here are his and won the five-on-five Corsi and goal share, with the trio at around 49 numbers (scoring and shot differential) with the three impact centres on percent in shot share. Puljujarvi scored 3-2-5 in those minutes (1.26 per the Oilers roster: 60), but for 92 minutes the big Finn was part of a line that was trending in a good direction: With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins five-on-five offence and shot differential: 1.05 points per 60; 43.09 shot differential -Ryan Strome-Jesse Puljujarvi: 92:12, 56-54 shots (50.91 percent shots share), 2-2 goals Puljujarvi’s five-on-five offence away from McDavid over his time in Edmonton was 0.84 in over 1,200 minutes, and the offensive output In 2018-19, the three men played together less because of trades and begins to sputter the moment he slides down the depth chart. demotions, but you can see another (smaller) sample of success:

Based on these numbers, even understanding Puljujarvi is a year older, it Milan Lucic-Ryan Strome-Jesse Puljujarvi: 31:51, 17-10 shots (62.96 would be unfair to put him in a prominent spot — with Nuge or Draisaitl percent shots share), no goals — in 2020-21. Ken Holland and Dave Tippett could be looking at this very problem in So we’ve established that Puljujarvi scored well at five-on-five with training camp before the 2020-21 season. The Strome line, even in McDavid but was not a unique player while employed in that roster spot. limited minutes, seemed to have found a solution. Puck IQ tells us that All of the men who played right wing for a specific amount of time were Puljujarvi played most of his minutes against mid- and lower-level more productive. And we know his offence was shy when he was on the competition in 2017-18, which makes sense based on his level of ice with Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins and even more dire with lesser experience. centres. That’s the template. One area we need to acknowledge: this player’s age and lack of experience. His offensive numbers aren’t strong, but he made the NHL at What does it all mean? 18 and had a lot to learn. It was overwhelming. All the more reason that Puljujarvi’s Finnish season is a big help because it gives us a range of putting him there in the first place was a genuinely poor idea. possibilities. The Donskoi comparable suggests to me that a top-nine role Let’s look at his Liiga numbers. with some offence (Donskoi posted 1.88 points per 60 at five-on-five in 2018-19) and a major role against elite opposition (again Donskoi) is possible.

It’s also possible Puljujarvi (and Kotkaniemi) emerges as a contributor on skill lines in a complementary role. That’s a useful player, especially if Puljujarvi can help against the toughest opposition.

The key for Edmonton and Puljujarvi is where they begin the second chapter of the relationship, should it come.

A role on the Oilers’ third line, whatever it might look like next season, is defensible as a way forward for the young winger.

Edmonton’s previous management didn’t handle this well, and that’s an understatement. Even in the ashes of failure, the path forward to success is clear. Put the young man in a position to succeed by reading the tea leaves of his career properly.

Find a Ryan Strome. Third line with a veteran skill centre, a steady diet of mid-level competition. A strong man like Puljujarvi is likely to take on more chores as he matures as a confident giant on the wing.

The time to talk about this player on a skill line in 2020-21 is gone, at least for now and for the foreseeable future. Start as you mean to go. It’s a new day. Edmonton or elsewhere.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176241 MontrealCanadiens

Alexander Romanov can't play for Canadiens during postseason

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:Jul 07, 2020

Alexander Romanov can’t wait to put on a Canadiens jersey. While there’s a chance he will join the team for training camp and Phase 3 of the NHL’s Return to Play Plan next week, Romanov won’t be playing in the 24-team postseason tournament next month.

The Canadiens had hoped Romanov would be cleared to play, but when a memorandum of understanding between the NHL and the players’ association was reached on Monday it was decided no players signed after play was halted on March 12 because of COVID-19 would be allowed to play when the league resumes action.

There’s still the possibility Romanov, who has been keeping in shape by playing in a 3-on-3 tournament in his native Moscow, will be invited to the Canadiens’ training camp so he can meet his new teammates and get a jump-start on learning the team’s system. But camps are limited to 30 skaters and the Canadiens may be reluctant to use one of those spots on someone who can’t play.

That’s one of two decisions the Canadiens have to make regarding Romanov, who they selected in the second round (38th overall) at the 2018 NHL Draft. When they signed the 20-year-old defenceman to a three-year, NHL entry-level contract in May after his contract in the KHL expired, the Canadiens said the starting date of the contract hadn’t been determined. They had hoped to sign Romanov for the 2019-20 season and use him right away. But here’s where the memorandum of understanding gets really goofy. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted this week, the Canadiens can start Romanov’s contract in 2019-20, they just can’t use him.

That’s a decision the Canadiens have to make later this week in a 53- hour window that will open when the new agreement between the NHL and the players’ association is ratified.

When the agreement is ratified, the clock also starts ticking for players who are thinking about not playing in the post-season because of worries about COVID-19. Players are allowed to opt out without penalty, and while several Canadiens have said they want assurances the league is doing everything to keep them safe there has also has been a consensus that they want to take advantage of an unexpected trip to the post- season.

The one player whose name keeps coming as a possible problem is Max Domi, who is a Type 1 diabetic and also deals with celiac disease. Domi takes great care in managing his health and has said several times over the past two months that he expects to play. But TSN’s Bob McKenzie noted the NHL has the right to pull a player deemed unfit to play and that means Domi will get extra attention when the Canadiens players undergo physical exams next week.

The players are currently in Phase 2 of the Return to Play Plan, which allows for voluntary small group sessions at team training facilities. While some teams have as many as 20 players on site already, there are only 10 players skating in Brossard and four of them — Laurent Dauphin, Charles Hudon, Noah Juulsen and Michael McNiven — have spent more time in the minors than the NHL. Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron were joined this week by Carey Price, captain , Brendan Gallagher and Jordan Weal.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176242 New York Islanders These leagues’ primary business is extracting your money for tickets, merchandise, concessions and cable TV dollars and eventually depositing them into the bank accounts of owners and players. Their business is not inventing a massive health and safety infrastructure on Restarting sports amid once-in-a-century pandemic is a noble effort the fly.

Six months from now, we will be saying one of two things: Either it was a foolhardy notion that so many moving parts could be kept on track while By Neil Best keeping everyone in good physical and psychological health, or that it [email protected] @sportswatch was an impressive, successful feat of creativity and stubbornness.

July 7, 2020 12:52 PM Or maybe a little bit of both. Regardless, it is worth the try.

Sports’ grand plans to return to action this summer were fine and dandy Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.08.2020 when they mostly were theoretical. But the monumental challenge – or possibly folly – of it all is starting to hit home.

For many, the blinking red warning light was ’s botched testing delay over the weekend, an unforced error that illustrated what everyone is dealing with here.

For others, perhaps it was FC Dallas withdrawing from the MLS is Back Tournament after 10 players and a coach tested positive for COVID-19.

But for me, it was a segment on “SportsCenter” on Monday night in which Malika Andrews, ESPN’s reporter on the scene inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble, explained her daily routine there.

It involved endless testing and some sort of magic watch that opens her hotel room and a credential that beeps quietly when she is less than six feet from other humans and then more loudly if she does not distance herself.

She was not wrapped in an actual plastic bubble as she spoke, but she was standing outside her hotel at the time, so who knows what came next inside?

And Andrews is not even a player, although the Nets might start recruiting volunteers to pitch in at some point.

When the rest of the NBA shows up in Disney World, flying elephants might be the least of the challenges there.

None of which is to say that these fan-less, COVID-19 experiments are not worth the effort.

While it is true that the primary motivation for all sports entities is protecting media contracts, the rest of us benefit, too, by having something to watch other than “Ozark” and people yelling on cable news networks.

So there is a certain nobleness in this quest, no matter how quixotic it might turn out to be.

Everyone is trying to do the right thing, even if, as MLB demonstrated this week, that quickly can go wrong.

Did some of the people in charge of sports, and many of us who follow sports, underestimate the undertaking amid a once-in-a-century pandemic in a country not fully committed to the steps necessary to deal with it? Yup.

But now that we have come this far, it says here it is worth attempting to make this happen.

Golf, motor sports, mixed martial arts, boxing, horse racing, European soccer, American women’s soccer and Korean baseball have shown it is possible to create a reasonable facsimile of normal-ish sports television.

Now comes the turns of MLS/MLB/NBA/NHL/NFL, using the lessons learned elsewhere to put on a show.

Do not judge baseball too harshly by the depressing sight of an empty Yankee Stadium for Monday’s intrasquad scrimmage on YES Network. Surely things will be dressed up a bit later this month for real games.

The NHL has the advantage of playing games in Canada, where the virus is under control and is not likely to be exacerbated by crowded, mask-less beach parties in Edmonton.

But the other team sports can do this, with hard work and good luck. Just respect the degree of difficulty. 1176243 New York Rangers

Hurdle Kaapo Kakko must clear to play for Rangers this season

By Greg Joyce

July 8, 2020 | 12:38am

The NHL’s protocols for Phase 3 (training camp) and Phase 4 (the play- in series and Stanley Cup playoffs) are pending ratification by the players and board of governors, but they spell out one key hurdle for Kaapo Kakko to clear to be able to play with the Rangers this summer.

Before any player can participate in formal training camps, which are scheduled to begin Monday as long as the union and league vote in favor of the return to play protocols and collective bargaining agreement extension, he must undergo a pre-participation medical examination (PPME). Part of the exam will evaluate whether a player has any underlying conditions that could present increased risk with a COVID-19 infection.

That is of note for the 19-year-old Kakko, who is a type-1 diabetic with celiac disease. The CDC classifies type-1 diabetes as a condition with which people might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

“Players who, after consultation with the Club doctor who conducted the PPME, and the Club’s infectious disease expert, are determined to be at substantial risk of developing a serious illness as a result of exposure to the novel coronavirus shall be deemed to be unfit to play and shall not be permitted to participate either in Phase 3 or Phase 4,” the NHL’s protocol reads.

Rangers president John Davidson said last month that the team would let its doctors and science dictate Kakko’s availability, which at the time deemed him good to go. Kakko’s agent, Andy Scott, told The Post on Tuesday nothing has changed since then and that it is still the plan for the rookie to play.

“If the doctors and the world of science told us not to play him, he’s not playing. It’s that simple,” Davidson said in an interview with MSG in June. “As of right now, we look to have him in the lineup. We think it’s safe, as long as he follows the protocol and we all do too. We understand the whole thing from A to Z. It’s been studied by our doctors in many different forms. If there’s a change that comes along and they say we don’t think he should play, he’s not playing.

“But if they give us the green light and he, himself — it’s his decision, remember — wants to play and he talks to his family, he’s playing.”

Kakko is among the Rangers’ contingent of European players who had all returned to New York as of Thursday, though it is not clear whether he has participated in the ongoing Phase 2 — the small-group voluntary workouts at the team facility.

New York Post LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176244 New York Rangers We know these defensemen can put up points, but one of the keys to beating the 'Canes will be continuing the progress in their own zone.

Carolina Hurricanes Analyzing NY Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes qualifying round series: One of the unintended benefits of the season being paused was Defense providing ample time for injuries to heal.

That especially applies to Carolina's blue line. Vincent Z. Mercogliano The unit the Hurricanes paused the season with was pretty good in its NHL Writer own right, but they should have an embarrassment of riches when play resumes.

With 40 points, a 57.7% Corsi and a 13.2 Goals Above Replacement After examining the matchup of forwards for the anticipated qualifying rating through 47 games, Dougie Hamilton was a leading contender for round series between the New York Rangers and the Carolina the Norris Trophy. Then a broken left leg appeared to end his season. Hurricanes, let's shift our attention to defense... Now Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour has declared him ready to go — New York Rangers and he's not the only one.

When talking about the Blueshirts' defensemen, it's hard not to start with The 'Canes acquired veteran Sami Vatanen from the offense. at the trade deadline, but he never played a game due to a lower-body injury. He, too, is expected to be in the lineup. The Rangers' blue liners put up more combined points (183) this season than the defensemen for any other team. Tony DeAngelo led the charge Hamilton should partner with Jaccob Slavin to form one of the league's with 53 (15 goals and 38 assists), which ranked fourth in the league best 'D' pairs. Slavin finished second among Carolina defensemen with among defensemen, while wasn't far behind with 42 (eight 36 points, while leading the team with a 16.5 GAR and a 2.9 WAR. goals and 34 assists). The other pairs are to be determined, but Brind'Amour has lots of Those two bring unique skill sets for their position, combining mobility options. with excellent passing vision and playmaking instincts. One of them is Skjei, who was acquired from the Rangers in exchange Goalie Petr Mrazek #34 and Dougie Hamilton #19 of the Carolina for a first-round pick. It'll be very interesting to see how he performs Hurricanes looks to block a shot by Adam Fox #23 of the New York against the team that once considered him part of their long-term plans. Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 27, 2019 in New York City. The talent remains for the 26-year-old, but inconsistency led to the Rangers looking for a way to shed his average annual value of $5.25 As a rookie, Fox has been a revelation. It's hard to argue he wasn't the million. Rangers' best defenseman. Figure that Skjei and veteran Jake Gardiner will be in the lineup, with the Jacob Trouba was supposed to be that guy, but his first season in New final two spots coming down to Vatanen, Joel Edmundson and Brett York after signing to a seven-year, $56 million deal was uneven. He still Pesce. brought size, physicality and a powerful slap shot, though, and is only one year removed from his own 50-point season. Pesce's status is uncertain due to right shoulder surgery, but Trevor van Riemsdyk and provide even more depth after each playing DeAngelo, Fox and Trouba form a talented trio of right-handed shooters, at least 45 games this season. but their left-handed partners are limited offensively and play stay-at- home roles. "They’ve got a really good, mobile 'D' corps — Slavin and Hamilton and the rest of that group; Brady Skjei now," Quinn said last week on MSG Ryan Lindgren turned out to be the most pleasant surprise of that left- Network. "We’re going to have to be really, really efficient at managing handed group, bringing much-needed toughness. He was recalled from the puck through the neutral zone. And if we do have to get it behind their AHL Hartford in late October and ended up forming the Rangers' best 'D' corps, it has to be with a purpose and it has to be with speed. Our pairing with fellow rookie Fox. transition is going to be very, very important against them."

Feb 21, 2020; Raleigh, , USA; New York Rangers Who has the edge? defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) clears the puck away from Carolina Hurricanes right wing Justin Williams (14) during the first period at PNC While it was close with the forwards, the advantage here goes squarely Arena. to Carolina.

The other two left-handed defensemen are among the Rangers' biggest Getting Hamilton back will provide a huge boost. He and Slavin will be question marks. the best defensemen in this series, with the Hurricanes possessing enviable depth to back them up. In an ideal scenario, the Rangers would use Marc Staal or Brendan Smith in a limited third-pair role. But due to the Brady Skjei trade and the lack of readiness from other defensemen prospects, the Rangers will Bergen Record LOADED: 07.08.2020 have to rely on both to play significant minutes.

Staal is their most experienced skater and a team leader, but the 33- year-old's mobility and effectiveness have diminished over the years. Meanwhile, Smith spent half the season playing forward before being thrust back to his original blue-line position, where he did an admirable job of partnering with Trouba on the fly.

The lefty veterans have had their struggles, but the Rangers' concerns run deeper than that.

For the first half of the season, they were among the worst defensive teams in the league by most statistical measures. Much of that was chalked up to youth and inexperience, with coach David Quinn harping on reducing turnovers and becoming more aggressive on the forecheck.

The Rangers' efficiency improved in the second half of the season, which led to their two-month push into playoff contention, but they still finished with the second-most shots allowed of any team in the league — an average of 30.7 per game. 1176245 New York Rangers These leagues’ primary business is extracting your money for tickets, merchandise, concessions and cable TV dollars and eventually depositing them into the bank accounts of owners and players. Their business is not inventing a massive health and safety infrastructure on Restarting sports amid once-in-a-century pandemic is a noble effort the fly.

Six months from now, we will be saying one of two things: Either it was a foolhardy notion that so many moving parts could be kept on track while By Neil Best keeping everyone in good physical and psychological health, or that it [email protected] @sportswatch was an impressive, successful feat of creativity and stubbornness.

July 7, 2020 12:52 PM Or maybe a little bit of both. Regardless, it is worth the try.

Sports’ grand plans to return to action this summer were fine and dandy Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.08.2020 when they mostly were theoretical. But the monumental challenge – or possibly folly – of it all is starting to hit home.

For many, the blinking red warning light was Major League Baseball’s botched testing delay over the weekend, an unforced error that illustrated what everyone is dealing with here.

For others, perhaps it was FC Dallas withdrawing from the MLS is Back Tournament after 10 players and a coach tested positive for COVID-19.

But for me, it was a segment on “SportsCenter” on Monday night in which Malika Andrews, ESPN’s reporter on the scene inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble, explained her daily routine there.

It involved endless testing and some sort of magic watch that opens her hotel room and a credential that beeps quietly when she is less than six feet from other humans and then more loudly if she does not distance herself.

She was not wrapped in an actual plastic bubble as she spoke, but she was standing outside her hotel at the time, so who knows what came next inside?

And Andrews is not even a player, although the Nets might start recruiting volunteers to pitch in at some point.

When the rest of the NBA shows up in Disney World, flying elephants might be the least of the challenges there.

None of which is to say that these fan-less, COVID-19 experiments are not worth the effort.

While it is true that the primary motivation for all sports entities is protecting media contracts, the rest of us benefit, too, by having something to watch other than “Ozark” and people yelling on cable news networks.

So there is a certain nobleness in this quest, no matter how quixotic it might turn out to be.

Everyone is trying to do the right thing, even if, as MLB demonstrated this week, that quickly can go wrong.

Did some of the people in charge of sports, and many of us who follow sports, underestimate the undertaking amid a once-in-a-century pandemic in a country not fully committed to the steps necessary to deal with it? Yup.

But now that we have come this far, it says here it is worth attempting to make this happen.

Golf, motor sports, mixed martial arts, boxing, horse racing, European soccer, American women’s soccer and Korean baseball have shown it is possible to create a reasonable facsimile of normal-ish sports television.

Now comes the turns of MLS/MLB/NBA/NHL/NFL, using the lessons learned elsewhere to put on a show.

Do not judge baseball too harshly by the depressing sight of an empty Yankee Stadium for Monday’s intrasquad scrimmage on YES Network. Surely things will be dressed up a bit later this month for real games.

The NHL has the advantage of playing games in Canada, where the virus is under control and is not likely to be exacerbated by crowded, mask-less beach parties in Edmonton.

But the other team sports can do this, with hard work and good luck. Just respect the degree of difficulty. 1176246 inside their 64-year-old home. For a while, the front office had to house employees in the photocopy room, because there was no more room in the main office.

Inside the past and uncertain future of a historic, aging hockey cathedral Until recently, the business operations department shared office space with the coaches and the general manager. Staff had a grim understanding that if one colleague came into their cramped quarters with a cough, they would all be hacking within a week. (That was a story By Sean Fitz-Gerald Jul 7, 2020 front office staff would tell with a rueful smile long before COVID-19 entered the common lexicon.)

On junior hockey game nights inside the Peterborough Memorial Centre, It did not get better for the coaches, either. The space set aside for post- the home team’s players have to walk upstairs to stretch. There is no game news conferences is set up across the hall, inside a converted space in the hallway outside their dressing room, because that is both dressing room. It is not uncommon for a coach to be speaking with too narrow and too busy, and the 50/50 vendor usually needs room to set reporters against the soundtrack of someone using the dressing room’s up their booth. bathroom, 20 feet away.

It is better upstairs, on a stretch of the concourse between the snack bar “It is most definitely a love/hate relationship,” said Petes president Dave and the men’s bathroom. They can spread out up there, jogging and Pogue. lunging, but also keeping a keen eye on the clock. He was born and raised in Peterborough, and his family roots run deep in “I forget what time it is, but the ushers are almost telling us to get out of the area. Pogue spent plenty of nights in the arena as a child, and as a there at a certain point because they’re starting to let people into the high school student watching friends play for the Petes. As a building,” said Logan DeNoble, a former team captain. “I think the away businessman, he bought a 10-year lease on a suite. teams have it even worse than us. I think they go outside, most of the Over the last 25 years, he figures he might have missed fewer than a time.” dozen home games. , now a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, played inside “I love the building: I know every nook and cranny of it, and it feels like the Memorial Centre, and he bequeathed a gift when he graduated. He home,” he said. “However, the logical business side is that we’re told the remaining players to go out and buy a modern stereo system for bleeding, staying in that building. We can’t compete with the rest of the their dressing room, and to send him the bill. teams in the league.” Their existing system — even back in 1993 — was antiquated. A new floor was poured into the building last year as part of a $3.5-million The Peterborough Petes have been playing inside the Memorial Centre project. Pogue said the air conditioning has also been upgraded, the roof since 1956, and the city-owned rink has seemed out of date for at least has been fixed and a new ice surface was installed. (The ice surface half its life. It has also become a cathedral to the game, and is a junior itself is still only 190 feet long, which is 10 feet shorter than the standard.) hockey version of an building: A or a “It’s like an old used car,” he said. “We’ve fixed the engine, we’ve fixed Chicago Stadium in the middle of Central Ontario. the transmission and put new tires on it. But there’s something else that’s Scotty Bowman coached there, as did Roger Neilson. Steve Yzerman going to go wrong, and does the city want to keep pouring all this money played there, as did Bob Gainey, Larry Murphy and Pronger. The Petes into the building?” have delivered so many players and coaches and executives into the The team’s great rival, the Oshawa Generals, moved into a new arena in NHL that, for a long time, the size of the group earned a nickname: “The 2006, and they have created a space that rivals some NHL facilities. Peterborough Mafia.” Their dressing room is large and modern, and they constructed a lounge That history literally lives in the walls of the building. Team photographs for players that boasts not only a full kitchen, but also an assortment of line the corridor outside the home team’s room, forming a collective baubles to entertain and occupy a roster full of teenagers. historical document both for Peterborough’s star power and its clear SETTING THE STANDARD PIC.TWITTER.COM/AL5JQP2PVQ embrace of varying hairstyles through the decades. — OSHAWA GENERALS (@OSHAWA_GENERALS) AUGUST 16, 2019 It took Peterborough more than a decade to finally fund and build the arena after World War II. The original design included a stage behind the In Peterborough, the Petes keep trying to keep up. goal at one end — “95 feet deep, with a built-in orchestra pit,” the Toronto Daily Star reported — and room for concerts and agricultural Dave Lorentz, a former Petes captain who is now a team vice-president, fairs. Discussion to replace the arena has been going on for twice as long oversaw another renovation last season. The team moved its business as it took to build it the first time. operations upstairs, to a room usually reserved for alumni and families on game nights. The Petes signed a 20-year lease with the city, and their contract is due to expire in 2023. A consultant has been hired to develop plans for a new That cleared space for the hockey operations department. Coaches can building, but those have stalled, due in no small part to the impact of discuss roster decisions without having to worry they will be overheard by COVID-19. the person lining up to buy season tickets 12 feet away. They have space to spread out, and to work through video sessions with players. It might be another decade before the Petes get a new home. The team has also carved out more space for the players. A small weight (Courtesy Kenneth Andersen Photography) room behind the home team’s dressing room has been converted into a lounge and kitchen area, where players relax and play video games. “If you asked me straight up, would I take this building, or would I take a (The team’s workout facilities have been outsourced to a gym down the new building that was designed properly? I would take the new building street.) in a heartbeat, and I don’t think anyone would disagree,” said Burton Lee, executive director of business operations with the Petes. “But you do “It is a nice rink, it’s historic,” said Lorentz. “But when you go to these have to be careful with at least acknowledging the things you’re going to other rinks … it’s just a lack of space in the Memorial Centre.” lose.” “Is it cozy? Yeah it is,” said former Petes coach Gary Green. “But is it He can see it in those hallways. Grandparents will point grandchildren to outdated? Yeah. No question.” photos on the wall, or point to the room where they sat with the Petes. The fans have been going to games, and sitting in their same seats, for Green only spent two years as head coach in Peterborough, but they years. were two of the most successful seasons in franchise history. The Petes won back-to-back Ontario Hockey Association championships and, in “How much can you quantify that nostalgia? Not very much, and not very 1979, they won their only Memorial Cup. well,” said Lee. “It is there, though, and it’s something I think is a force.” He is now a senior director with BBB Architects, and he has told It is not as forceful as the march of time. The Petes have expanded their Peterborough how badly it needs a new arena. The cost of building a business operations under Lee, and they have struggled to find space new facility does not exactly go down over time, he said, pointing out that Budweiser Gardens — home of the London Knights — cost $46-million when it opened in 2002, but would probably be about $120-million today.

“That just startles people,” Green said.

It also costs money to demolish buildings, he said, which is why Peterborough would also have to think about the future of the Memorial Centre. In Toronto, Maple Leaf Gardens was (eventually) transformed into a multi-use facility complete with a grocery store, a hockey rink, and a multi-purpose court for use by Ryerson University’s athletic program.

What could become of the Memorial Centre?

“Can you turn them into a trade centre space? Can you turn them into sports centres, with a host of other sports — basketball and volleyball — and turn it into field houses?” Green said. “Yes, you can.”

As much as they might have been struggling for space inside the building, the Petes were succeeding on the rink when the shuttered its season in March because of the pandemic. They held second place in the Eastern Conference standings, and forward Nick Robertson — the Maple Leafs prospect — was leading the league with 55 goals (in only 46 games).

DeNoble was team captain during Robertson’s rookie season. The business operations staff was still on the ground floor that season, and they could still hear when coaches yelled at players. They still had the weight room on-site, too.

“The weights were old and kind of rusty, almost, but it felt like a bit of grit,” DeNoble said. “You just loved that kind of rugged feeling. At least, I did, anyway.”

As with Pogue, DeNoble’s roots run deep through the arena walls. His grandfather played for the Petes, as did a great-uncle and uncle. One day, he hopes to bring his own children to watch the team, and to point to where his picture hangs on the wall.

“It doesn’t necessarily have all the bells and whistles that some of the newer arenas have,” he said. “It makes getting to play in Peterborough, and being at that rink, so unique. And I love that about it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176247 Philadelphia Flyers

Scott Laughton wins Flyers’ Yanick Dupre Class Guy award

by Ed Barkowitz,

Ottawa left winger Brady Tkachuk lost his proverbial mind at the end of a December loss in Philadelphia. He cross-checked Scott Laughton and then jumped on his back. Despite the provocation, Laughton declined to engage in a fight. It was a pretty nasty game, too.

Laughton is this year’s Yanick Dupre Memorial Class Guy Award winner, but the citation has nothing to do with his pacifism that day on the ice. He gladly would have fought Tkachuk, but he was still recovering from a broken finger and dropping the gloves would have been foolish.

“I wanted to, though,” he said with a laugh afterward.

» wins Gene Hart award

The Dupre award goes to the Flyer best exhibiting character, dignity and respect on and off the ice. It is given by the chapter of the Philadelphia Hockey Writers Association. Laughton had two injuries during the season, but was reliable wherever he was used in the lineup and had his best season with 13 goals and a rating of plus-13.

The Flyers have a clubhouse full of decent guys, so there was no shortage of candidates. My vote went to backup goalie Brian Elliott, especially for the way he supported and mentored starter Carter Hart when Hart struggled early in starts on the road.

» From the archives: Les Bowen remembers Yanick Dupre

The award is presented in memory of former Flyer Yanick Dupre, who died in 1997 of leukemia at age 24. It has been handed out since 1977 and previous winners include , Mark Recchi, Eric Desjardins, and Jaromir Jagr.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176248 Philadelphia Flyers Francois Berube being a potential roster candidate has been deleted. He was traded in February.)

This wouldn’t be an ideal place to bring back Nolan Patrick, who missed NHL, players smart in return-to-play decisions | On the Fly all of 2019-20 with a migraine disorder. Personally, I’d rather see the kid have a full training camp. Time would not be on his side if he had a setback. by Ed Barkowitz, Forwards (18): Andy Andreoff, Nic Aube-Kubel, Connor Bunnaman, Sean Couturier, Joel Farabee, , Claude Giroux, Derek Grant,

Kevin Hayes, Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Tyler Pitlick. Michael It’s full speed ahead for the NHL’s return-to-play plan, despite the Raffl, Nate Thompson, Carsen Twarynski, James van Riemsdyk, Jake proverbial icebergs littered about the voyage. Voracek.

Let’s take a look at what we know and what we don’t know at the Defensemen (8): Justin Braun, Mark Friedman, Shayne Gostisbehere, moment. Robert Hagg, Phil Myers, Matt Niskanen, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim.

You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox on Tuesday’s while Goaltenders (3): Brian Elliott, Carter Hart, Alex Lyon. the NHL is shut down. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s Travis Konecny (center) celebrates one of his team-leading 24 goals this free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, season along with Kevin Hayes (left) and Justin Braun. and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter (@EdBarkowitz). Thank you for reading. Travis Konecny (center) celebrates one of his team-leading 24 goals this season along with Kevin Hayes (left) and Justin Braun. — Ed Barkowitz ([email protected]) Things to know Many happy returns, hopefully Fans say Kevin Hayes has the most “Hart” on the roster The return-to-play agreement still must be ratified by the full membership on both sides. but if nothing else, these last couple of months have Flyers flashback: The No. 1 postseason moment in team history shown an encouraging side that the league and the players’ union can get along. Baseball has been a disaster, but hockey has held it together. Oskar Lindblom finishes chemo: ‘I’m just happy to be alive’

Even waiting to announce the hub cities was wise. When the original From the archives: Frank Fitzpatrick’s look at the Flyers’ beginning RTP plan was announced, it was thought that American locations were Important (tentative) dates: favored. But as much as the logistics in, say, Las Vegas might have been optimal, the recent surge in coronavirus cases was problematic. July 13: Start of NHL training camps.

Let’s not kid ourselves. Finishing the 2019-20 season is still tenuous, but Late July: At least one exhibition game per club restarting in a metropolitan hotspot would have been disconcerting. Good luck to the NBA down in Orlando. Aug. 1: Play resumes, Flyers in the East round-robin

Here are some points to know as the league enters the final two phases Early October: Stanley Cup Finals in what it hopes will end with Gary Bettman presenting a Stanley Cup in Mid-October: NHL Draft an empty arena sometime in October. At least he won’t get booed. Early November: Free agent market opens The Flyers' restart roster will be announced this week, and goalie Carter Hart, left, defenseman Matt Niskanen and right wing Jake Voracek will be Birthday book key components. July 8: Karl Dykhuis (turns 48). The Flyers' restart roster will be announced this week, and goalie Carter Hart, left, defenseman Matt Niskanen and right wing Jake Voracek will be July 10: Mark LaForest (58), Chico Resch (72), Ilkka Sinisalo (deceased key components. in 2017; would have been 62).

Phase 3/Training camp July 11: Bill Barber (68), Todd Bergen (57).

Begins Monday. The Flyers will train at their practice facility in Voorhees, July 12: Sam Morin (25). N.J. Sessions are closed to fans. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.08.2020 Up to 30 skaters and an unlimited number of goalies may participate. There are two sheets of ice at the facility, so keeping everyone busy won’t be a problem for the coaching staff.

Rosters for Phase 3 are due Thursday.

Players, coaches and staff must check their temperatures at home 2 hours before arriving to practice. They’ll be checked again once they arrive. Anything over 99.5 degrees will require immediate isolation and further evaluation.

Phase 4/Games

Teams may carry 31 players and a total of 52 people in the traveling party. Roster is due by Monday.

Team will travel to their respective hubs on Sunday, July 26 with games beginning on Aug. 1. The Flyers and the Eastern Conference are reportedly playing in Toronto. While the West is being sent to Edmonton.

The conference finals and Cup finals will be held at a single location, site TBA.

Projecting the Flyers’ roster

Here are the top candidates for 29 of the 31 spots for Phase 4. There could be injuries or illnesses during Phase 3, so some Phantoms players could be summoned. (Correction: a reference to goaltender Jean- 1176249 Philadelphia Flyers

NHL, players reach tentative return-to-play deal. Flyers would play in Toronto.

by Ed Barkowitz,

NHL, players reach tentative return-to-play deal. Flyers would play in Toronto.

The NHL and the NHL Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on the protocols for the resumption of play, the sides announced Monday evening.

TSN.ca also reported the league has determined the specifics involved for the 24 teams participating in a playoff tournament within two bubble cities. The Flyers and the rest of the Eastern Conference would play in Toronto. The Western Conference would anchor in Edmonton.

The ratification of a four-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement is tied to the deal, which would call for training camps to open July 13. The league is calling this Phase 3 of its return to play plan.

Teams travel to hub cities on July 26 for the resumption of competition, Phase 4. Games begin Aug. 1. Each team would be permitted a traveling party of 52 into the secure zones of the bubble cities, including a maximum of 31 players.

The NHL shut down March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The remaining 189 regular-season games were canceled in May when the league announced a unique postseason format.

The Flyers, one of the top four teams in the East, will participate in a round-robin with Boston, Tampa Bay, and Washington to determine seeds.

Players and staff will undergo frequent testing and heavy quarantine measures while in the bubble cities. Players’ families will not be permitted into the secure areas until conference finals, which tentatively would take place in mid-September.

Like everything else the last four months, the schedule should be considered fluid.

The tentative agreement must be ratified by a majority of players and two-thirds of the league’s board of governors, according to the Associated Press. Players may opt out of returning to play within three days of the full voting to avoid penalty.

Should an outbreak occur, both the NHL and the NHLPA will have the ability to postpone or cancel games.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176250 Philadelphia Flyers Whenever Lindblom was able to visit the Flyers, his teammates were genuinely blown away by his strength, smile and selflessness through the circumstances. It was no coincidence that after seeing Lindblom at the Wells Fargo Center in December, the Flyers answered their lowest point 2019-20 Flyers season grades: Oskar Lindblom of the season with four straight wins.

"He’s still like the same person, you can’t really tell what he’s going through," Robert Hagg said in March. "Nothing bothers him." By Brooke Destra, Joe Fordyce, Jordan Hall July 07, 2020 5:20 PM "He brings everyone into a happier place," Kevin Hayes said in March. "If

you’re having a bad day, you don’t have a bad day anymore when you The 2019-20 NHL regular season has concluded and the next time the see Oskar." puck drops will officially kick off the race to the Stanley Cup. The Flyers "Oh, it’s awesome. His smile, you know, he’s just a great guy to have are hungry and ready to battle it out, but that is thanks to the hard work around," Justin Braun said in February. "He brightens your day." from back in October. Those words say it all. A+ for Lindblom and how he has impacted so In an End to End series, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Brooke Destra, Joe many. Fordyce and Jordan Hall will be grading players based on individual performances. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.08.2020 Today we will be looking at Oskar Lindblom.

Destra

If I had the opportunity to list all of the qualities that make Lindblom the wonderful player and person he is, I’d probably be here until the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In a season that started off looking so bright for the 23-year-old, his world, along with Flyers fans', were turned upside down when the team released a statement in December — that Lindblom had been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma.

My heart broke with the news, but I knew he was going to be strong through it all. I thought seeing him back on the ice at Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey, a few weeks ago would’ve been the best news of 2020 — but the video of Lindblom ringing the bell, indicating that he finished his treatments, topped it tenfold.

Lindblom embodies strength, resilience and a sense of hope. He’s loved by his teammates and fans in Philadelphia — the support they have given through it all never went unnoticed. While there isn’t a definite timeline on his return, what a moment it will be when he dresses for a game once more. When that time does come, it’ll be one for the books.

"From family, to friends, to fans...I can't even explain how much they meant to me." - @oskarlindblom@PennCancer | #OskarStrong pic.twitter.com/S6RLeSnEVa

— x-Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 2, 2020

A+ for the strongest player on the Flyers this season.

Fordyce

Let’s start with the beginning of the season. On the ice, Lindblom was one of the best Flyers in the early going with 11 goals in 30 games and projected to surpass his career high with flying colors, but this is not Lindblom's story this season.

In mid-December, the Flyers announced that Lindblom had been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that forms in the bones or tissue surrounding the bones. Lindblom began battling the disease, while still being around the team from time to time.

Lindblom’s diagnosis also touched off the “Oskar Strong” campaign around the NHL with players from teams throughout the league wearing Oskar Strong T-shirts. This included the Flyers' heated rivals like the Penguins and Devils proving that hockey is, indeed, a family regardless of the sweater you wear.

Lindblom has since finished his treatments, receiving a standing ovation when leaving the hospital on the last day, and he’s recently been seen skating with Flyers players at the practice facility.

A+ on and especially off the ice for Lindblom.

Hall

It's truly astounding to see the impact Lindblom had on the Flyers' 2019- 20 regular season.

Not only was Lindblom one of the team's best forwards and projected to finish with 30 goals before being diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in mid- December, but his courageous fight and bright smile also constantly uplifted the Flyers. He made this team better from Day 1 and still found a way to make it better while battling cancer at 23 years old. 1176251 Philadelphia Flyers

Scott Laughton earns Flyers' 2019-20 Yanick Dupre Class Guy Award

By Jordan Hall July 07, 2020 2:00 PM

The Flyers seem to always know what they're going to get from Scott Laughton.

Finding his niche in the NHL as a tireless, team-oriented role forward, Laughton on Tuesday was named the recipient of the Flyers' 2019-20 Yanick Dupre Class Guy Award, an honor that is given to the Flyer deemed to show character, dignity and respect on and off the ice as voted by the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Laughton scored a personal-best 13 goals this season despite playing 33 fewer games than he did in a career year during 2018-19. Staples of his game: constantly skating hard, forechecking, killing penalties, playing different positions and standing up for teammates. Remember the Senators game?

A 2012 first-round pick of the organization who has played parts of seven seasons for the Flyers, Laughton is always classy, professional and accessible in his dealings with media members and fans.

"It's very special for me to be awarded this by our media," Laughton said in a statement released by the Flyers. "Throughout the year I try and bring positive energy to the rink and do all the little things to be a good teammate and representative of the organization. Getting more involved in the community has been important to me and I hope to continue to build on that each year."

The Flyers are handing out their annual team awards throughout this week. Kevin Hayes was the recipient of the Gene Hart Memorial Award. Below is the schedule for the remaining honors:

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176252 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers' veterans face toughest challenge yet coming out of hiatus

By Joe Fordyce July 07, 2020 9:00 AM

Veterans in any sport are there to lead, through the best of times as well as the toughest. When the NHL returns from hiatus due to Covid-19, it will present a situation that there is no veteran handbook. Nobody has ever seen the situation that awaits the players when they report to their bubble city in preparation for the resumption of the season, but it will certainly test the leadership of the Flyers veterans.

As a whole, the Flyers have a nice mixture of both youth and veteran leadership and I think it has shown in the way this season has played out. Before the pause, the Flyers had a disastrous road trip around the holidays but this served as the turning point for the team, as opposed to their downfall. That’s how you know they have solid pieces in place and it begins with the coach on down. Alain Vigneault is a coach who has been through it all (aside from a pandemic). Vigneault took both the Canucks and Rangers to Stanley Cup Final appearances, but eventually fell out of favor with both of those franchises. He’s been around and that will help.

Take Carter Hart. This is a player who was labeled the future of the franchise before even stepping on the ice. In his first season, he came up to the Flyers but then missed games due to injury. Now in his second season, a pandemic, the likes of which nobody could have ever expected, has made what will be his first playoffs as a starting goaltender a sort of survival of the fittest (or healthiest). Enter Brian Elliott, a player who has been on multiple teams, has been a starter, a backup, a playoff starter, and has dealt with multiple injuries. He has also never dealt with a pandemic, but Elliott is no stranger to adversity and it’s one of the main reasons you sign players like him.

This is the time for the leaders to step up. Claude Giroux, one of the best captains statistically in team history, must be the leader his team needs. Defenseman Matt Niskanen was brought in for his veteran leadership, and that will surely be tested. Sean Couturier, while still a young guy, has experience way beyond his years. These are the players that need to take the team on their back, pave the way for the immediate future and for years to come.

The other aspect of these unchartered waters is the future. Think about this, if the Flyers enter this restart, and do well, the experience gained by this situation could galvanize this group going forward. Next season, if normal Stanley Cup Playoffs were to take place, it would seem like a breeze compared to what is awaiting NHL teams this summer. While everyone focuses on the now, and rightfully so, as teams embark on this unprecedented journey, the groups of players who experience this restart will deal with adversity that has never been experienced in sports. It will be exciting to watch and will be a challenge for even the most seasoned captains, but I, for one, am confident that the Flyers leadership will be there to meet the challenge.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176253 Philadelphia Flyers in games without Forsberg. It proved once and for all the winger wasn’t merely a product of his center. And despite the fact that the Flyers were outscored by a whopping 84 goals, Gagné still finished +2 on the season. Even as a noted plus-minus hater, I have to admit that’s pretty The cream of the Clarke Trophy-winning crop: 10 best Flyers team MVP impressive. seasons Chris Pronger — 2009-10

Stats: 82 games, 10 goals, 45 assists, 55 points Charlie O'Connor Jul 7, 2020 Pronger stays off the list because all would agree he did his best work during this campaign in the playoffs, not the regular season. But he was great in the latter as well, finishing fifth in Norris Trophy voting and With last Thursday’s announcement Travis Konecny had won the Toyota completely living up to the hype as a 26-minute-per-game workhorse Cup — given to the player who performs best in “Three Stars of the defenseman. Without his nightly heroics, the 2009-10 Flyers don’t make Game” selections during the season — the Philadelphia Flyers officially the postseason and go on their magical run. began to reveal their annual team awards. 10. Mike Richards — 2008-09 Each day this week, the Flyers will unveil the 2019-20 winner for a different award. Monday, they announced Kevin Hayes had won the Stats: 79 games, 30 goals, 50 assists, 80 points Gene Hart Memorial Award, given to the player whom the Flyers Fan Club, which votes on the award, believes showed the most “heart” in the 2008-09 Mike Richards was peak Mike Richards. He scored, he hit, he season. On Tuesday, the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional played fantastic defense, he was the engine of the team’s power play, Hockey Writers Association will reveal its selection for the Yanick Dupre and he was a constant threat to attack on the penalty kill, leading the Class Guy Award, which celebrates a player who best illustrated NHL with an incredible seven short-handed goals. Richards was such a character, dignity and respect for the sport on and off the ice. On dominant two-way force at 24 that he nearly snatched the Selke Trophy Wednesday, it’s the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy, which goes to the away from peak Pavel Datsyuk, trailing in the PHWA vote by only three most improved Flyers player as voted by his teammates. Finally, points and actually earning six more first-place votes than Datsyuk. Thursday and Friday are the big ones: the Barry Ashbee Trophy, given to Despite how his time as a Flyer — and NHL career — ended, Richards is best Flyers defenseman, and the Bobby Clarke Trophy for team MVP. still beloved by many Philadelphia fans, and seasons like 2008-09 As a member of the PHWA, I voted on the Ashbee and Clarke trophies, earned him that love. At his peak, Richards was the prototypical ranking Ivan Provorov, Matt Niskanen and Travis Sanheim as my top Philadelphia Flyer. three for best defenseman, and Sean Couturier, Provorov and Konecny 9. Roman Cechmanek — 2000-01 as my choices (in that order) for team MVP. By the end of the week, we’ll find out if my selections line up with the consensus. Stats: 59 games, 35-15-6 record, 0.921 save percentage, 2.01 goals against average, 26.62 goals saved above average In honor of this week of Flyers team awards, it’s the perfect time to dive into perhaps the most prestigious of the bunch: the Clarke Trophy, which, It’s often said that the Flyers have been in desperate need of a true of course, is named after the team’s legendary captain and longtime solution in goal since Lindbergh’s tragic death and Ron Hextall’s early- general manager. The Flyers unveiled the trophy back in 1984, shortly career heroics. after Clarke retired. Since then it has been awarded 34 times. While the gist of that belief is true, it ignores that Cechmanek gave the All 34 seasons were worthy of the honor. But which MVP campaigns Flyers three consecutive fantastic regular seasons in the early 2000s. were the most impressive? Which ones would never be mistaken for a And of the three, his rookie year was the best. “well, we had to give it to someone” situation? As we stroll down memory lane, let’s set a few ground rules. First, since these awards are voted on Yes, there were issues with Cechmanek — his playoff results and and distributed at the end of the regular season, playoff performance relationship with his teammates, specifically. But during that first regular (good and bad) was not considered. However, a player’s performance in season in Philadelphia, he looked like the answer, racking up 10 shutouts league-wide award voting was considered — if the team MVP was also in while ranking fourth in the league in save percentage and second in the running for league MVP, that speaks to the overall quality of his goals against average. In fact, Cechmanek essentially matched the season. 2000-01 performance of his countryman Dominik Hasek, who had dropped off a bit from his late ’90s peak but was still an elite netminder. First, we’ll start out with three seasons that just missed the cut. Cechmanek finished only 20 voting points behind Hasek for the Vezina Trophy that year, and actually topped Hasek in support for the Hart Honorable mentions Trophy, finishing fourth. Mark Recchi — 1992-93 That’s right, a Flyers goalie in the 2000s finished fourth in league-wide Stats: 84 games, 53 goals, 70 assists, 123 points MVP voting. There’s a trivia question for you.

At first glance, it seems strange not to include the highest-scoring season 8. John LeClair — 1996-97 in team history in the top 10, but a few factors work against Recchi. For Stats: 82 games, 50 goals, 47 assists, 97 points starters, the 1992-93 season was one of only two in NHL history with 84 games, the most ever, which gave Recchi a bit of a statistical advantage LeClair’s ascension from useful role player on the to over Flyers from other years. Second, and most importantly, Recchi’s yearly 50-goal scorer on the Flyers was one of the feel-good stories of 123 points barely put him in the league-wide top 10 in scoring that 1990s hockey. But after a season and a half of stellar numbers, skeptics season. You’re left with a shiny point total (posted for a bad team) that still wondered if LeClair’s breakout was merely a product of Eric Lindros. was inflated by the era and a couple of extra games. Great year for In 1996-97, LeClair proved them wrong, producing his second straight Recchi, but not great enough to crack our top 10. 50-goal season despite Lindros missing 30 games with multiple ailments.

Simon Gagné — 2006-07 Did Lindros make LeClair better? Sure. But in 1996-97, it was the difference between the left winger scoring at a 52-goal pace (when Stats: 76 games, 41 goals, 27 assists, 68 points Lindros dressed) and a 46-goal pace (when Lindros sat). LeClair wasn’t a Gagné’s 2005-06 post-lockout campaign was the flashy one, when he passenger; he was a true driving force, helping the Flyers to survive flirted with the 50-goal mark on a line with future Hall of Famer Peter Lindros’ extended absences and still finish with the second-best record in Forsberg. But for my money, his follow-up campaign was even more the Eastern Conference. His performance not only earned him Hart impressive due to the increased degree of difficulty. The Flyers were in Trophy consideration — he finished sixth — but also scattered support the midst of the worst season in franchise history. Forsberg spent the for the Selke as well. Anyone who still doubted LeClair after 1996-97 was whole year out of the lineup (because of the foot issue that would simply a victim of their own bias. ultimately end his NHL career), severely hampered or gone entirely after 7. Claude Giroux — 2011-12 he was shipped to Nashville at the trade deadline. Yet Gagné still cracked the 40-goal mark, and was on a 39.8 goal pace (over 82 games) Stats: 77 games, 28 goals, 65 assists, 93 points Yep, this was the season when head coach Peter Laviolette proclaimed 1980s; the second-best rate that year was Bob Sauvé’s 0.894. As a Giroux “the best player in the world.” result, Hextall ran away with the Vezina Trophy and narrowly lost the Calder to Luc Robitaille. Granted, that happened in the playoffs, in the wake of the team’s victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, and we’ve already established postseason If we were counting playoff performance in this exercise, Hextall would success doesn’t count for the purposes of this exercise. But with Sidney likely rank even higher, since he carried the Flyers all the way to seven Crosby still battling concussion issues for the bulk of 2011-12, Giroux’s games against the Edmonton Oilers dynasty in the Stanley Cup Final, stellar season had him in the mix for “temporary best player” status with earning the Conn Smythe Trophy for his efforts despite ending up on the Evgeni Malkin and Steven Stamkos even before Giroux lit the world on losing side. Even without the playoffs, however, Hextall’s extraordinary fire over six games versus Pittsburgh. freshman campaign is easily enough to rank him fourth on this list.

It was a huge season for Giroux, especially because the Flyers had 3. Claude Giroux — 2017-18 essentially turned the keys of the franchise over to him (and Pronger, prior to his injury) as a result of the Richards and Jeff Carter trades the Stats: 82 games, 34 goals, 68 assists, 102 points previous summer. Giroux proved more than up to the task of taking over Giroux should have won the Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP in as Philadelphia’s star, exploding for 93 points and coming up just short of 2018-19. He scored 102 points, second to only Connor McDavid (whose the podium in the Hart voting. Unfortunately for Giroux, that wouldn’t be team did not make the playoffs). He led all skaters in Evolving-Hockey’s the last time PHWA voters snubbed him, but the writers covering the Goals Above Replacement metric with 26.9, essentially adding five extra Flyers on a daily basis knew greatness when they saw it. wins to the Flyers’ total. And in Game 82, with a trip to the playoffs on the 6. Eric Lindros — 1995-96 line, Giroux went out and scored a hat trick to lock in his team’s spot.

Stats: 73 games, 47 goals, 68 assists, 115 points The fact that Giroux not only didn’t win the Hart that season, but also wasn’t even nominated for it by the PHWA, will never stop being utterly Back in 1995-96, it was impossible to know that this was the closest ridiculous. Lindros would ever get to a full 82-game campaign with the Flyers. But he certainly made it count, even if he was just 22 when the season The snub shouldn’t detract from Giroux’s season, which almost certainly began. will stand as the best regular season of his career when he finally hangs up the skates. A full year removed from the core surgeries that hampered A career-high 47 goals. A career-high 68 assists. And the best points- him throughout 2016-17, Giroux moved to wing and formed a dynamic per-game rate of Lindros’ all-too-short career (1.58). No. 88 didn’t receive partnership with Couturier that helped him to return to form. The 2017-18 legitimate consideration for his second consecutive Hart Trophy because Flyers lacked depth, which meant its stars — Giroux, Couturier, Jakub Mario Lemieux had returned from a year away from the game and blew Voracek, Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere — had to shoulder the bulk of the doors off the league, but that didn’t take away from Lindros’ individual the load when it came to pushing Philadelphia back into relevancy. And greatness in 1995-96. He still finished third in the balloting, and even Giroux led the way, cracking the 30-goal and 100-point marks for the first picked up a couple of scattered votes for the Selke, hinting at how his time in his career. reputation was still growing in league circles. His season was underappreciated by the national media. But here in When longtime Flyers fans wistfully think of Lindros and what might have Philadelphia, Giroux’s greatness was unquestioned once again. been had concussions not destroyed his career, it’s seasons like 1995-96 that they remember. Lindros’ on-ice dominance during his early 20s is 2. Pelle Lindbergh — 1984-85 difficult to exaggerate. Stats: 40-17-7 record, 0.899 save percentage, 3.02 goals against 5. Mark Howe — 1985-86 average, 47.41 goals saved above average

Stats: 77 games, 24 goals, 58 assists, 82 points Unlike Hextall, it took Lindbergh a few seasons to produce his masterpiece. A promising 1982-83 campaign hinted at his immense I’m openly skeptical of the reliability of the plus-minus metric when it potential, but an uneven 1983-84 proved that development for goalies comes to evaluating players. The stat inherently penalizes players who isn’t necessarily linear. No cause for concern, however. Lindbergh was are used in offensive situations such as power plays and extra-attacker just waiting until Year 3 to emerge as a superstar. scenarios, and leaves open the possibility that a player could be unfairly dinged for poor goaltending (or given too much credit when a goalie No NHL goalie to that point in the 1980s had produced a season like the stands on his head when the skater is on the ice) or rough shooting luck one Lindbergh had in 1984-85. Lindbergh’s 0.899 save percentage — for his teammates. pedestrian by today’s standards — was a whopping 26 points above the league average of 0.873. And he played over 400 more minutes than any That said, if a defenseman who plays in all situations finishes a season other goalie, establishing himself as a true workhorse. with a +87 plus-minus, it’s fair to assume he’s doing something right. The impact of his combination of efficiency and volume was staggering: Howe had the misfortune of his best seasons overlapping with those of Had Lindbergh merely been a league-average goalie while facing his Paul Coffey, who’s undoubtedly the most accomplished offensive workload, the Flyers would have allowed nearly 51 more goals in 1984- defenseman in NHL history. That’s why Howe wasn’t rewarded for his 85. That’s the difference between being a 113-point, league-best club, as monster 1985-86 campaign with a Norris Trophy; instead, he earned the the Flyers were, and a run-of-the-mill “good team” like the Calgary second of three second-place finishes. But he trailed only Wayne Gretzky Flames or Montreal Canadiens were that season. and Lemieux in Hart voting, and helped make his pair with Brad McCrimmon the best in hockey. Unsurprisingly, Lindbergh ran away with the Vezina and the top spot on the NHL end-of-season All-Star team, in addition to finishing third in the Thankfully, Howe’s stellar career was recognized with induction into the Hart balloting. And while he didn’t earn the Conn Smythe, as Hextall Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, but it was long overdue. Howe was the would two years later, Lindbergh also helped the Flyers to a Cup Final second-best defenseman of the 1980s, and 1985-86 was his crowning appearance against Edmonton, and somehow, at the height of the ’80s achievement. against the best teams in the league, posted a 0.914 playoff save percentage that would even be respectable in today’s low-scoring 4. Ron Hextall — 1986-87 environment. Yes, the playoffs don’t count for this exercise. But it just Stats: 66 games, 37-21-6 record, 0.902 save percentage, 3.02 goals shows how locked-in Lindbergh was during his final full pro season against average, 41.83 goals saved above average before his tragic death in November 1985.

How’s that for a rookie season? 1. Eric Lindros — 1994-95

Hextall exploded onto the NHL scene in a way that few goalies ever Stats: 46 games, 29 goals, 41 assists, 70 points have. As a 22-year-old rookie, Hextall led the league in basically every In 1994-95, Eric Lindros wasn’t merely the MVP of the Flyers. He was the meaningful goaltending statistical category, both basic and advanced: MVP of the National Hockey League. save percentage, wins, games played, shots faced, shots stopped, goals saved above average. A 0.902 save percentage might not seem That’s a pretty airtight case for No. 1 on this list. impressive now, but don’t forget this was the height of the high-scoring Lindros didn’t complete a full season in any of his 13 years in the league, but he came extremely close to doing so in the lockout-shortened 1994- 95 campaign, missing just two of the 48 games as he charged to the top of the league scoring charts. His 70-point campaign finished tied with Jaromir Jagr for the NHL lead, and Jagr had the benefit of two extra games. Hockey writers and the players agreed that Lindros’ season was just a bit better than Jagr’s; the media handed him the Hart, and his NHLPA peers gave him the Lester B. Pearson Award, proving just how feared he was around the league.

Only 21 at the start of 1994-95, Lindros appeared poised to develop into the NHL’s biggest star of the 1990s, a belief further confirmed by another stellar season in 1995-96 (sixth on our list). But Lindros’ early-20s seasons would be his peak. Lindros remained great whenever he hit the ice for the Flyers for the remainder of the ’90s, but those appearances were less and less frequent as concussions and other injuries piled up. The relationship between player and organization would sour so much that a divorce became necessary.

But fans will always have Lindros’ 115-point campaign in 1995-96, and they’ll always be able to reminisce about the Hart Trophy season of 1994-95, when Lindros could make his best case as the best player in the world.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176254 Pittsburgh Penguins retired. His last moments in uniform came in June 2016 as he held the Stanley Cup with his teammates.

2.) Matt Cullen, center Double Team: Pascal Dupuis proved quite a bit with Wild and Penguins When he joined the Wild as a free agent in the 2011 offseason, the Minnesota-born Cullen, then 33, was living out a dream, playing for his hometown team (even though he grew up a fan of the North Stars SETH RORABAUGH | Tuesday, July 7, 2020 5:25 p.m. franchise).

During his first run with the Wild over three seasons, Cullen offered plenty of speed, sound two-way play, aptitude in the faceoff circle and While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, even a little offense. the Tribune-Review will offer the Double Team project, an examination of the five best players who have contributed substantially to the Penguins After helping the Wild reach the postseason in 2012 and ‘13, he was on and another franchise. For consideration, a player must have played at the move again, joining the Nashville Predators as an unrestricted free least the equivalent of a full season for each franchise. (Sorry, Jarome agent. Iginla fans.) Following a two-year stint in Nashville, Cullen considered retirement Today, a look at the . Entering the NHL as part of the before his former general manager with the Carolina Hurricanes, Jim 2000 expansion, the Wild is based St. Paul, Minn. In 27 all-time games Rutherford, asked him about playing for his new team, the Penguins, in against the Wild, the Penguins have a 13-12-2 record. August 2015.

1.) Pascal Dupuis, right winger Cullen joined the Penguins and in the process, became one of the most respected players in franchise history. Buttoning down the fourth line and Dupuis probably should have been drafted in the middle rounds of the the penalty kill, Cullen also served as a veteran mentor and helped the 1997 draft. But a broken leg during his first season in the Major Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2016 as well as ‘17. Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) ended those hopes. Staving off retirement, he opted to sign with the Wild once again, in But not his dream. With the benefit of a 50-goal campaign in his final hopes of riding off into the sunset at home in 2017-18. But an season with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes, Dupuis earned an unsatisfactory relationship with coach Bruce Boudreau prompted him to entry-level contract as an undrafted free agent with the expansion Wild in come back for one last season with the Penguins in 2018-19. Putting up September 2000. 20 points in 71 games, Cullen retired for good at the age of 41 after the After debuting in 2000-01, Dupuis proved he was a full-time NHLer in Penguins were swept in the first round. 2001-02 by playing in 76 games and recording 15 goals and 27 points. 3.) Richard Park, right winger The following season, Dupuis was part of a crew of misfits and castoffs As one of the relatively few successful second-round draft picks in who came together as the best team in the Wild’s 19-year history. With Penguins history, Park, who was drafted in 1994, had a remarkably long the benefit of Dupuis reaching the 20-goal mark in 80 games, the Wild, career for an undersized (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) player who largely under the guidance of defensive-minded coach Jacques Lemaire, existed in an era when general managers coveted size above most skills. frustrated the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks in the first two rounds of the playoffs to reach the 2003 Western Conference final for One of only two South Korean-born players in NHL history (ex-Penguins the first and only time in franchise history. defenseman Jim Paek is the other), Park debuted with the Penguins in 1994-95 but showed he could stick in the NHL during the 1995-96 Dupuis and the Wild never enjoyed the same success, failing to reach campaign as a quick bottom-six defensive forward, appearing in 56 the postseason over the next two seasons but he remained a speedy games and posting 10 points. forechecker reliable for reaching double-digit figures in goals. On Feb. 9, 2007, he was traded to the New York Rangers. After a brief stay in The Penguins traded him to Anaheim in March 1997 and for the next Manhattan, he was dealt to the on Feb. 27 three seasons, he barely hung onto his NHL career, playing only 33 regular season games with the Mighty Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers Less than a year later – 364 days to be exact – Dupuis was part of a over that span. blockbuster trade when he was sent to the Penguins with All-Star forward Marian Hossa for forwards , , forward After signing with the expansion Wild in 2000, Park resurrected his prospect and a 2008 first-round pick. career by 2001-02, playing in 63 games and posting 25 points.

Dupuis was more of a throw-in with the trade, but he had the longest During the Wild’s surprising run in the 2002-03 postseason, Park impact of any of the assets involved. appeared in 18 games and contributed six points, including an overtime goal in a 3-2 win against the Avalanche in Game 6 of a Western Along with Hossa, Dupuis flanked franchise center Sidney Crosby and Conference quarterfinal series. helped the Penguins reach the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Detroit Red Wings. A year later, Dupuis was relegated to a lesser role in Park lasted another season in Minnesota before joining the Canucks as a the bottom six and was even scratched occasionally, but held the Stanley free agent in August 2005. Cup above his head in June 2009. Six years later, Park returned to the Penguins as a free agent. Inhabiting Following the retirement of forward Bill Guerin in 2010, Dupuis found a bottom-six role serving as a penalty killer, Park played in 54 games and himself back on Crosby’s line full-time, along with Chris Kunitz, and in put up 14 points in 2011-12. 2010-11, helped Crosby race out to a seemingly insurmountable lead in the scoring race. But a concussion suffered on New Year’s Eve during an Following the season, he joined Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland. outdoor game at Heinz Field virtually ended Crosby’s season. 4.) Matt Cooke, left winger In 2011-12, despite Crosby’s lingering health woes, Dupuis established a After the departure of the rambunctious Jarkko Ruutu during the 2008 career-high in goals (25) and points (58) in 82 games. By the lockout- offseason, Penguins general manager needed a left winger shortened season of 2012-13, Crosby was fully healthy and reunited with for his third line and signed the detested Cooke. And in five seasons with Kunitz as well as Dupuis, who managed to put up 20 goals and 38 points the Penguins, Cooke did quite a bit to reward Shero’s faith. in 48 games. Lining up with Tyler Kennedy and , Cooke gave the Dupuis was once again running by Crosby’s right side through the early Penguins a reliable presence on the third line that mixed in an element of stages of 2013-14 until a serious knee injury in December sent his career physicality with a touch of offense. That trio helped batter the exhausted into a tailspin. After missing the remainder of that campaign, he returned Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final and was vital to the franchise’s third to the lineup for 2014-15 but a blood clot related to his knee ailment championship. ended his season once again. A steady threat to reach double-digit figures during his five seasons in He tried to power through the 2015-16 season despite his condition but Pittsburgh, Cooke was also a steady threat to the opposition. After by December of 2015, he decided the risk wasn’t worth it and unofficially missing 21 games throughout the 2010-11 season due to suspension for various infractions, Cooke underwent counseling and extensive one-on- one coaching to clean up his game.

In 2011-12, Cooke appeared in all 82 games and incurred only 44 penalty minutes, the lowest total in his career since debuting in the late 1990s. He even earned the team’s nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes sportsmanship and dedication.

After walking a straight line throughout the shortened 2012-13 season only 36 penalty minutes in 48 games, Cooke was allowed to walk as a free agent and joined the Wild in July 2013.

Cooke played in all 82 games of the 2013-14 campaign and helped the Wild reach the second round of the playoffs. But during that postseason, he showed his stripes with an ugly hit that injured Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie during the first round.

Injuries limited Cooke to 29 games in 2014-15, and he retired following the season.

5.) Eric Fehr, right winger

Fehr’s best days were behind him when he joined the Penguins as a free agent in July 2015. But the Penguins didn’t need him to be the 20-goal threat he was earlier in his career with the Washington Capitals. They just needed him to be versatile bottom-six forward who was a good citizen in the dressing room.

Injuries limited him to 55 games and 14 points throughout the 2015-16 season. But he earned enduring respect from his teammates in December 2015 when, at the age of 30, he got into his first career fight with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky, a longtime nemesis of Crosby.

In the postseason, Fehr formed a sturdy fourth line with Cullen and Tom Kuhnhackl which helped the Penguins claim the Stanley Cup. Fehr’s two game-winning goals that spring were second only to Crosby.

The following season, Fehr’s skating wouldn’t allow him to keep up with how coach Mike Sullivan wanted the team to play and by March of 2017, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After bouncing around with the Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks, Fehr signed with the Wild in July 2018 to be reunited with Boudreau, his coach in Washington. Primarily used on the fourth line, Fehr appeared in 72 games and contributed 15 points before joining Geneve-Servette Switzerland as a free agent during the 2019 offseason.

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176255 Pittsburgh Penguins The Beaver County native was asked about that prospect on a conference call Sunday.

“I know in the past, when I’ve been asked about it, whether it’s our name First Call: Carey Price returns to Canadiens practice, Derek Shelton or the Chief Wahoo (logo), I think I would usually answer and say I know seems set on Pirates’ middle infield that we’re never trying to be disrespectful,” Francona said. “And I still feel that way. But I don’t think that’s a good enough answer today.

“I think it’s time to move forward and not just say — it’s a very difficult TIM BENZ | Tuesday, July 7, 2020 6:49 a.m. subject.”

The topic of changing the Indians name came up recently in conjunction with the NFL’s Washington Redskins likely changing their name as well. In Tuesday’s “First Call,” Carey Price is back at practice with the Montreal Canadiens in advance of their series against the Penguins. The Pompano plans Pirates have a plan for their crowded middle infield. And Terry Francona is speaking out about the Cleveland Indians nickname. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is planning to move forward with his “Funday with LJ” event that he is holding in Pompano Bonjour! Beach, Fla.

Carey Price joined the Montreal Canadiens for workouts Monday. It’s a 7-on-7 football game, mixed in with a bunch of other kids’ activities, scheduled for July 11-12. As you can imagine, the team is quite happy about that. This despite a rise in recent covid-19 numbers. QUI EST-CE? But Pro Football Talk thinks that’s a bad idea. “It’s questionable, to say GUESS WHO.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/p7X50zY2JI the least, for any NFL player to proceed with something like this during a — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 6, 2020 pandemic. Especially in Florida,” Mike Florio writes.

The Penguins and Canadiens will square off in a best-of-five series to Jackson is requiring a waiver and that adults wear masks. Also, there will begin the NHL’s rebooted season. Montreal’s star goalie is believed to be be no autographs. But it’s unclear if the Ravens are onboard with this the biggest hurdle between the Penguins and advancing out of the play- idea given the social distancing measures many are endorsing in an in round. attempt to reverse the spike.

But Price had remained in Kennewick, Wash. during the start of the Tribune Review LOADED: 07.08.2020 league’s workouts at designated team facilities.

NHL.com reports that Price returned to Montreal on June 29. And according to the site, he sounds confident in his club’s chances of pulling off an upset.

“I think that our preparation over the next month will be paramount,” Price said back on June 25. “It’s the old adage, ‘Anything can happen.’ I know we’re a pretty underrated team. We’re a very streaky team. We have proven that we can get really hot, and that’s what it’s all about in the playoffs.”

For as good as Price is, his numbers against the Penguins aren’t overwhelming. During his career, Price is 13-14-5 against the Pens. His save percentage is .907. And his goals-against average is 2.95. The Washington Capitals are the only other opponent (9-15-5/.894/3.27) in the East that have put up better numbers against him.

This year, Price is 1-1-1 against the Pens, allowing seven goals on 98 shots (.929/2.32).

‘Stuck in the middle with … who?’

One of the few areas where it appears the Pirates have some depth entering the 2020 season is at the middle infield positions.

Kevin Newman, Adam Frazier, Cole Tucker, Erik Gonzalez, Phillip Evans and JT Riddle are all candidates for playing time at shortstop or second base.

But on Monday, new Pirates manager Derek Shelton made his plans clear.

“There’s a good group that we have there with different skill sets,” Shelton said. “But I would say the majority of the time you will see Frazier and Newman in the middle of the field.”

That’s likely with Newman playing shortstop and Frazier playing second base. Shelton said one angle that may get the other players more playing time is if Newman or Frazier get some at bats as the designated hitter.

“That’s something I’m not really worried about,” Frazier said. “I’ll just be ready to play every day. Shelton will take care of all that. If they want to play some matchups, they’ll be able to. Especially with the DH. If they want to get somebody’s bat in the lineup, that matchup will be there.”

The Pirates open the season on July 24 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Francona ready for change

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona isn’t opposed to the idea of the club changing its nickname. 1176256 Pittsburgh Penguins

‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 55: Larry Murphy still holds unique place in Penguins history

SETH RORABAUGH | Tuesday, July 7, 2020 6:01 a.m.

The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.

No. 55: Larry Murphy

Paul Coffey was the Penguins’ best defenseman of all time until Kris Letang surpassed him by most measures.

And Randy Carlyle remains the only member of the franchise to win the Norris Trophy, which recognizes the NHL’s top defenseman.

But the person who holds one of the more unique records in franchise history — most points in a single postseason by a defenseman — is the under-appreciated Larry Murphy.

Acquired via trade in December 1990, Murphy was a skilled defenseman who put up potent offensive figures throughout his first 11 years in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals and . But with the deep Penguins, he reached new heights.

While Coffey was sidelined for much of the 1991 postseason because of eye and jaw injuries, Murphy took over as the team’s No. 1 defenseman and scored 23 points in 23 games, still the franchise mark for players at his position, as the team claimed its first Stanley Cup title.

When Coffey requested a trade in 1992, it was easy to deal him thanks to the presence of Murphy, who became the team’s No. 1 defenseman and lifted the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive spring.

Murphy spent another three seasons with the Penguins, becoming one of the league’s top offensive defensemen over that span. By 2004, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

There’s stiff competition for the best No. 55 in Pittsburgh sports history.

• Defenseman Sergei Gonchar remains one of the biggest free-agent signings in Penguins history. Joining the team after the 2004-05 lockout, Gonchar served as a veteran presence for a younger team, most notably fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin. Filling the dual role of landlord and mentor to Malkin, Gonchar oversaw his development into one of the greatest players in NHL history. Gonchar wasn’t too shabby on the ice, either, helping the franchise claim its third Stanley Cup title in 2009.

• Pirates first baseman Josh Bell is probably the best current No. 55 in Pittsburgh. A second-round pick in 2011, Bell made his MLB debut in 2016, hitting a grand slam in his second career at-bat. In 2017, Bell finished third in voting for Rookie of the Year by hitting 27 home runs with 90 RBIs. After regressing throughout 2018, he rebounded last season with 37 home runs, 116 RBIs and an All-Star Game selection.

• Former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter was the most flamboyant No. 55 in Pittsburgh. A third-round pick in 1999, Porter spent eight seasons chasing quarterbacks for the Steelers and was named to three Pro Bowls. He was a vital component of the franchise’s Super Bowl XL championship.

• Former Steelers offensive tackle Jon Kolb might have been the strongest No. 55 in Pittsburgh. A third-round pick in 1969, Kolb was the starting left tackle for most of his 13 seasons with the Steelers, including their first four Super Bowl victories. Toward the end of his playing career, Kolb participated in the 1978 and ’79 World Strongest Man contests, finishing fourth in each competition.

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176257 Pittsburgh Penguins representative and one representative to serve as the club’s compliance officer.

• The NHL will provide all transportation in the Phase 4 Secure Zone. Details from NHL’s return-to-play protocol: No talking in elevators, but a Individuals in the zone are not permitted to take any other transportation, dip in the hotel pool is OK unless expressly approved by the NHL Event Medical Director.

• All participants staying at a Phase 4 Secure Zone are expected to remain within its boundaries with the exceptions of medical care or SETH RORABAUGH | Tuesday, July 7, 2020 6:00 a.m. extenuating circumstances such as a family emergency.

• Individuals who work within but live outside the Phase 4 Secure Zone, including hotel or arena employees, must undergo daily testing and wear The NHL and NHLPA announced a tentative agreement on how to protective equipment. resume playing this season as well as a four-year extension to the current collective bargaining agreement. The NHL’s board of governors • All individuals must wear a face cover at all times while outside their and the NHLPA’s membership must formally approve of these measures. room with the following exceptions: Players when exercising or on the ice, coaches when on the bench, broadcasters when on the air and on- The plans for resumption of play are split into two groups: Phase 3, which ice officials during games. outlines training camps, and Phase 4, which details games. • Players and staff may remove face coverings during interviews The regulations are remarkably detailed, with instructions provided for performed with appropriate distancing. every activity up to and including how to ride hotel elevators during Phase 4. • Individuals are not required to wear a mask while exercising, including a physically distanced run or walk. Individuals are instructed to bring a The use of knuckles or elbows instead of fingers to select a floor is mask in case they encounter situations where physical distancing is not suggested. Additionally, talking within the elevator is discouraged. possible. Some details of Phase 3: • All personnel staying at a hotel within the Secure Zone will be required • Participation in Phase 3 will be limited to no more than 30 skaters to stay in a single-occupancy room with no guests allowed. (forwards or defensemen) per club and an unlimited number of • In the event an individual’s team reaches a conference final or the goaltenders. Teams must submit a list of of participating players by no Stanley Cup Final, family members may be permitted to reside with that later than Thursday. individual. • Any player may opt out of Phases 3 and 4 without discipline or penalty. • Each club will be assigned a designated floor of a hotel, as necessary. • Players who do not have a residence in their team’s city must be • The hotel lobby and bars will be available provided proper physical provided hotel accommodations, including for their families. Teams must distancing is followed. make the best effort to provide grocery delivery and errand delivery services. • Use of the hotel pool, if open, is permitted so long as individuals can socially distance. • Testing for the coronavirus must be performed on an every-other-day basis on all players, club personnel who have access to players, ice • The NHL shall establish a schedule for usage of the hotel’s fitness maintenance personnel and building maintenance and security personnel center. Participants must wash hands and face immediately before using who will be in the vicinity of players. Temperature checks will be the facility and after any time they touch their face. All equipment must be performed on a daily basis. disinfected by individuals before and after each use.

• Teams may not disclose the identity of any players who test positive • Buffet-style meals will be permitted, subject to plexiglas (or similar) without permission from the NHL, with consolation from the NHLPA. barriers set up between servers and individuals to maintain social distancing and contactless service. • Independent media may be permitted within team facilities, but no direct interactions with players will be permitted. • A limited amount of media will be permitted access to watch games in person but will have no greater access to players than media which • Players are discouraged from socializing with one another outside of remain in a home city. All interviews will be conducted in a remote sense. team facilities. Tribune Review LOADED: 07.08.2020 • Players and team personnel will be required to wear face coverings while within the facility with the notable exception of on-ice activities.

• The use of hot or cold tubs as well as saunas is prohibited.

• Dietary supplements and creams, gels or balms may not be used in a common setting. All water bottles must be individually identified for each player. Meals must not be provided in a shared setting. Team caterers may provide pre-packaged meals to be consumed off site. Only single- use beverages or items such as granola or power bars may be consumed on site.

• Players are encouraged to shower on site provided distancing can be maintained. Players should not be permitted to share towels, toiletries, or any personal items. Players must wear their own footwear at all times, including in the shower stalls.

• Players are not permitted to work out or skate at any non-team facilities.

Details of Phase 4:

• Each club will be permitted to bring a maximum of 52 people to the Phase 4 Secure Zone within the hub city it will be playing in.

• Each club will be required to submit a list of all individuals in its traveling parties by Monday. Each traveling party will include a roster of no more than 31 players, three coaches, two athletic trainers, one physician, one equipment manager, one massage therapist, one ART therapist or chiropractor, one content/social media creator, one security 1176258 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins’ Brian Dumoulin learns to cook lobster thermidor in NHL cooking show

Joshua Axelrod

Brian Dumoulin celebrates his goal to tie the game late in the third period against the Oilers Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena.

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

One of the most prevalent quarantine cliches has been folks showing off their newfound culinary skills while stuck at home. Brian Dumoulin got in on that trend Tuesday with the added benefit of a professional chef teaching him how to cook.

The Penguins defenseman appeared in the latest episode of “Plates & Skates,” a recently launched show where NHL players learn how to prepare dishes fit for a restaurant with the help of real chefs. Dumoulin had the privilege of learning how to make lobster thermidor from French chef and restaurateur Ludo Lefebvre.

The episode premiered earlier Tuesday on Canada’s SportsNet, but if you’d like to see Dumoulin’s kitchen prowess on a bigger screen, it will also air at 7 p.m. tonight on NHL Network.

Or, if you just want your daily dose of cuteness, check out this clip shared by the Penguins’ Twitter account of Dumoulin’s young song Brayden crashing the episode and not seeming particularly thrilled about his father’s lobster thermidor.

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 7, 2020

This is the third episode of “Plates & Skates,” which the NHL launched about a month ago. The first episode happened to feature old friend Nick Bonino — the Predators center who won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017 — making steak Diane and pomme frites with Lefebvre.

The second episode featured Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba preparing "Chicken Under a Brick" with chef Marc Forgione. Whether Dumoulin was able to match his and Bonino’s cooking acumen is in the eye of the beholder.

Post Gazette LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176259 Pittsburgh Penguins Sullivan has shown an acute feel for goaltending decisions during his five years in Pittsburgh, along with the courage to make unpopular calls in the best interest of his team. Marc-Andre Fleury saved the day in 2017 but Sullivan turned back to Murray, who delivered with stingy series against Penguins camp primer: Who starts in goal Game 1, and will he have a Ottawa and Nashville. quick hook? If his goalie laid an egg in Game 1 of the Canadiens series, would the coach feel pressure to make a switch? Will it take a pair of atrocious performances? What if the goalie can’t stop a beach ball but the Matt Vensel Penguins go up in the series anyway?

No one, including Sullivan, can answer that now. It will come down to With the NHL targeting July 13 for the start of full-squad training camps in feel. Phase 3 of its return-to-play plan, Penguins beat reporters Matt Vensel Hirsch said Murray, despite his playoff pedigree, should be “on a short and Mike DeFabo are counting down the days until Penguins Camp Part leash.” But he believes you “start with your veteran guy” and see if he Deux by examining some of the key questions that will be waiting when steps up again. the team hits the ice: “There’s a feeling in the locker room, guys have confidence in Murray The Penguins face in the near future a fascinating conundrum in the and know he can do it,” the Sportsnet analyst said. “So you don’t want to crease. take that doubt away from them. There’s a confidence thing there. … He Both of their goalies, Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry, are scheduled to was fantastic. Teams are begging for that kind of guy. And you’re going become restricted free agents this offseason, whenever the heck that to sit him on the bench?” may be. Murray has two Stanley Cup rings and a spotty track record in Post Gazette LOADED: 07.08.2020 regular seasons. Jarry was just a first-time All-Star whose price tag should induce far less sticker shock.

Drop them into the uncertain financial landscape that the NHL and all free agents will have to navigate, and there are a few directions this all could go.

The decision Mike Sullivan and Co. will have to make in the next couple of weeks is a critical one, too. But it looks pretty straightforward at this point.

Do you really think the Penguins aren’t going with Murray for Game 1?

With so much at stake for a capable yet aging Penguins core, and so little certainty in a short series after a lengthy layoff since their last game, it would be stunning if Sullivan went with the guy who had never started an NHL playoff game over the one who got mobbed after the final buzzer of back-to-back Cup runs.

The three NHL analysts — Brian Boucher, Corey Hirsch and Brian Lawton — who fairly recently chatted with the Post-Gazette about the goaltending situation all agreed the Penguins would and should start off with Murray.

“Goaltending, it’s still between the ears. And this is a guy that’s won two Stanley Cups,” said Hirsch, the former NHL goalie turned Sportsnet talking head.

The goaltending situation has made for fine sports media fodder over the last six months. Murray had another uninspiring regular season. And Jarry, showing that he belonged in the NHL, was arguably the league’s top puck-stopper prior to the All-Star break. His savvy stick-handling was an added perk for Pittsburgh.

But, like the team in front of him, Jarry faded. From Jan. 1 on, his numbers were a tad below those of Murray, who was 9-5-1 with a .905 save percentage.

In February, Sullivan gave both goalies equal opportunity to seize the gig. When neither did, the coach appeared to make up his mind. Murray, a proven playoff performer who helped Sullivan earn his reputation as an elite NHL coach, started four of the team’s five games before the regular season halted March 12.

In media interviews in recent weeks, neither Sullivan nor general manager Jim Rutherford stated that Murray would be in goal for Game 1 of their five-game, play-in series against the Montreal Canadiens. However, they also did not declare that there would be an open competition during training camp.

Murray, as he should be, is preparing as if he’ll be the man for the playoffs.

“I’m going to do everything I can do to be sharp and to be at my best to help this team win another Stanley Cup,” he said in a recent chat with local media.

The more intriguing question, at least from this couch, centers on what Sullivan and the Penguins will do if Murray struggles at the start of the postseason. 1176260 Pittsburgh Penguins Aston-Reese and center Teddy Blueger. Sullivan trusted those three forwards in many important situations: after the Penguins surrendered a goal; following a power play; against top lines; and, increasingly, when protecting a lead in the third period. Penguins’ player grades: Brandon Tanev Tanev and Co. became the type of line with which coaches often become infatuated, a potential successor to The Nightmare (Matt Cooke-Jordan Staal-Tyler Kennedy) and HBK (Carl Hagelin-Nick Bonino-Phil Kessel) By Rob Rossi Jul 7, 2020 lines that fueled Penguins’ Cup wins in 2009 and 2016.

On paper, Aston-Reese, Blueger and Tanev don’t really measure against NHL players are set to vote on a new collective bargaining agreement those lines. Staal was the NHL’s best third-line center. Kessel was one of that would clear the way for the league to return for a pause because of hockey’s great point-producing wingers. the COVID-19 pandemic. Until then (and through the early stages of a The best thing anybody could say about Tanev about a year ago this training camp), The Athletic will evaluate Penguins who played in at least time was that he owned the longest free-agent contract in Penguins’ 10 games for the club during the 2019-20 season. The series continues history. with Brandon Tanev. There would be a lot more said about Tanev these days. Picture it: Toronto, early August, and the Penguins clinging to a 3-2 lead in Game 1 of their qualifying-round series. But the Montreal Canadiens Like, for example: have pulled Carey Price for an extra forward with a face-off about to take place to the left of Matt Murray. Brandon Tanev was one of the more dependable players for the Penguins. Owning the last change, coach Mike Sullivan waits to see which players the Canadiens send onto the ice. Once he does, Sullivan sends out a Brandon Tanev played at a Selke Trophy-caliber level for the Penguins. group of Stanley Cup-tested veterans: Sidney Crosby to take the draw, Brandon Tanev is a big reason the Penguins can hang with any club top defense pairing Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin, and back-from-an- returning from the pandemic to play games, including the ones that injury winger Jake Guentzel. received byes into the playoff field. As each Penguin skates toward his designated position on the ice, he is Speed translates well to postseason hockey. Tenacity translates even greeted by the other forward Sullivan has chosen for this pivotal moment. better. If a player is fast, tenacious and capable of irritating opponents — That player has never won the Cup. uh, that’s jackpot territory for a club with Cup aspirations.

That player has never won a playoff game with the Penguins. Tanev checked each of those boxes for the Penguins during the regular season. He also made a habit of putting one of hockey’s most talented That player has not even finished his first season in Pittsburgh. power plays into a position where it could change the course of a game. Tanev was an elite drawer of penalties at 5-on-5 play, especially That player is Brandon Tanev, and he already has made everybody considering the average number of minutes he actually played in that regret thinking the Penguins had overextended themselves to sign him situation. just about a year ago. Play a little, draw a lot They did not. Miles Wood They are in win-now mode, as they will be until Crosby and Evgeni Malkin skate into retirement. Seeing as neither has that activity on his 1.76 upcoming schedule, the Penguins must exhaust any/all options to surround their future Hall-of-Fame centers with players who become 12:02 human puzzle pieces. Frank Vatrano When the piece purchased is a bottom-six forward who had scored all of 1.25 24 goals in the NHL — or four for every season on the contract to which the Penguins had signed him — well, such a move is going to raise 11:49 eyebrows. And questions. Andrew Mangiapane Specifically, when general manager Jim Rutherford landed Tanev with an offer of $21 million over six seasons last summer, the questions were 1.11 mostly about whether the signing was the offensive equivalent of adding 12:39 defenseman Jack Johnson during the previous offseason. Barclay Goodrow Rutherford dismissed the notion, and not just because he has never viewed adding Johnson (for $16.25 million over five seasons) as a 1.02 mistake, either. Rather, Rutherford was not all too concerned about the later years of either player’s contract. 12:23

Again, the Penguins were in a win-now mode. They had just been swept Brandon Tanev from the first round of the playoffs by a New York Islanders squad that 1.02 appeared faster, feistier and better built for postseason hockey. 12:04 Rutherford never believed Tanev would, say, alleviate all the problems that had popped up for the Penguins during a disappointing 2018-19 Of the players listed, only Tanev and Goodrow averaged at least 10 hits season. But he did believe Tanev might cause some problems for per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. However, Tanev was far and away tops when it opponents in 2019-20 — and if he could, Tanev would have been worth came to taking hits, averaging 11.77 per 60 minutes. the cost of an extra season or two on a long-term contract. Unsurpassed among all NHL forwards when it came to giving and Tanev proved himself to be the best kind of problem child: an receiving in even-strength situations, Tanev was the embodiment of a unapologetic pot-stirrer who could actually play pretty well and be classic definition for “hard to play against.” counted on to play through almost anything. And that particular element is precisely what Rutherford sought when he He missed only one game. He chipped in with 11 goals, four of which pushed to pluck Tanev from the free-agent market last summer. Had were winners. His 244 hits were more than the combined total of the next Tanev only upped the Penguins’ push-against and push-back levels, he two Penguins’ forwards. would have been a great addition to the class.

Tanev also became the pillar of the only line consistently kept together, Instead, he did that, scored, defended and acquitted himself as an forming a modern-day shutdown unit alongside fellow winger Zach exemplary student. His grade is an A. The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176261 San Jose Sharks

Sharks' Tomas Hertl explains funny, simple reason why he wears No. 48

By Jessica Kleinschmidt July 07, 2020 5:01 PM

Tomas Hertl has a huge year ahead of him. As he returns from ACL and MCL surgery, he and his wife Aneta are expecting the birth of their first child in November.

Sharks fans everywhere can't wait for No. 48 to get back on the ice. But how did he pick that number? It’s quite simple.

“They give it to me,” he wrote in a recent NHLPA questionnaire.

Enough said.

But before Hertl was the Sharks’ All-Star center, he had other aspirations.

Believe it or not, he wrote in the questionnaire that he wanted to be an architect if he wasn’t going to be a hockey player. But he was born to play hockey.

His dad, Jaroslav, during the winter in his native in Prague, would create nets (measuring the perfect size) on the frozen ponds near where he lived. Hertl’s dad would even kick off skaters if they were recreationally using the area where he wanted to play hockey.

As much as Hertl could have thrived as an architect, his career as a hockey star was destined.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176262 St Louis Blues Bozak can make good teams better. He wins faceoffs, plays smart, fits into team chemistry and adds skill to the supporting cast. But at $5 million, he is a luxury few contenders could afford.

NHL's new CBA creates salary cap crunch for Blues Defenseman is an emerging talent. He is due a hefty raise as a restricted free agent, but even a short-term “bridge contract” would add to this team’s cap stress.

Jeff Gordon So you can see what Armstrong is up against. Fans are already wondering about the team’s ability to keep key forward Jaden Schwartz

past his 2021 contract expiration. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong spent to the salary cap year Even with other contracts (Steen, Bozak, Allen, Carl Gunnarsson) after year to assemble the defending Stanley Cup champions. shrinking or disappearing by next summer, others must get paid. He locked in one respected player after another to create continuity. Goaltender Jordan Binnington will need a big new contract, potential While the Blues lacked superstars earning eight-digit salaries, they cornerstone Robert Thomas will exit his entry-level deal and Zach featured experienced talent up and down their lineup. Sanford and Ivan Barbashev will be due raises.

This collective strength allowed them to sustain pressure shift after shift, The salary cap might not be any higher in 2022, when Colton Parayko game after game and earn the craziest parade St. Louis will ever see. will be ready to sign a monstrous new deal. It may not move much in 2023, when Vladimir Tarasenko and O’Reilly get to cash in again. Moving forward, though, the Blues’ formula will be difficult to maintain. The coronavirus pandemic inflicted major economic damage and the The Blues will enjoy less roster certainty from year to year. To NHL will need several years to recover. compensate, they will need to rebuild their prospect base and develop more good young (and affordable) players. While hockey will move forward in an orderly fashion — unlike baseball, which is doomed to a messy labor war — the players and owners will Scott Perunovich and Niko Mikkola seem ready to graduate on defense. share plenty of pain. Puck-mover Tyler Tucker offers promise too and Jake Walman finally turned the corner in his third AHL season. The NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement reflects the harsh post- pandemic realities. This deal, which will run until at least 2026, will keep Forwards Klim Kostin and Nikita Alexandrov could soon fit into the the salary cap at $81.5 million for at least one more season. supporting cast. Ville Husso and Joel Hofer are definitely maybes in goal.

The cap will remain flat until the NHL reaches $4.8 billion in revenues, so And beyond that . . . well, let’s just say there’s work to do. The Blues the top teams will struggle just to protect their status quo. spent plenty of draft picks and prospects while building their Cup team and now they must restock. The Blues will suffer more roster turnover than Armstrong could have imagined just a few months ago. Rather than buy or trade for key contributors, the Blues will have to draft and develop them. This is the new normal they must navigate and it They will have to lean harder on young players working on entry-level won’t easy. deals (hello, Jordan Kyrou!) and rotate more bargain-priced veterans (come on down, Troy Brouwer!) through the dressing room to stay cap St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.08.2020 compliant.

Armstrong would rather invest in reliable veterans. He kept team leader Alexander Steen for the long haul. Through free agency, he added savvy Tyler Bozak to his supporting cast and found value with David Perron’s return.

He was able to move less-productive veterans (Jori Lehtera, Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka) in blockbuster trades for Brayden Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly.

Armstrong will have less flexibility with his future payrolls. The prices for upper-tier talent will rise faster than the cap, which will squeeze the NHL’s middle and upper-middle classes. Increased rookie salary minimums and performance bonus maximums will add additional pressure.

Justin Faulk is glad he signed his seven-year, $45.5 million contract extension with the Blues when he did. The same goes for Schenn (eight years, $52 million) and Marco Scandella (four years, $13.1 million).

Even an elite player, like Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo, may have fewer options for 2020-21 and beyond.

Pietrangelo was building leverage for his unrestricted free agency. He expected robust bidding from multiple contenders this summer.

Maybe another team would have come up with $10 million per year for him. Maybe the Blues could have cleared enough salary to pay him $9 million a year to stay.

Then the pandemic hit, It cost the NHL $1 billion this season and potentially many billions for years to come,

Could the Blues re-sign Pietrangelo now? Sure, but Armstrong would have to clear even more payroll room to keep him — and moving contracts will be tougher than ever now.

Goaltender Jake Allen could start for a number of NHL teams. He would likely welcome the opportunity to reestablish his standing as a No. 1 netminder. But how do those teams view his $4.35 million cap hit? 1176263 St Louis Blues That’s 14 forwards, five defensemen and two goalies, meaning the roster is just about set, but as we mentioned, it leaves only about $2 million in cap space with Pietrangelo, Dunn and de La Rose unsigned.

How will a flat NHL salary cap affect the Blues’ future? The Blues won’t save any money by losing any scheduled free agents at forward. De la Rose, 25, will be an RFA, and he’ll likely be back at a price close to his current $900,000 salary. Brouwer will be a UFA, and though the club doesn’t have plans to bring him back, a prospect will cost as By Jeremy Rutherford Jul 7, 2020 much as Brouwer’s $700,000 salary.

The options for creating cap room at forward would include buying out On March 4, the NHL announced the salary cap would be on the rise in Alexander Steen, but as pointed out in a mailbag in May, the Blues would 2020-21, climbing from its current ceiling of $81.5 million to somewhere not save the $5.75 million cap hit on the final year of Steen’s contract. between $84 and $88.2 million. That projection was good news for the Here’s how that is calculated: Take the $5.75 million cap hit, subtract his $3.5 million salary, add the $1.2 million buyout cost and that comes out Blues, who needed the cushion to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent to a $3.4 million cap hit. So the savings on his cap hit would actually be Alex Pietrangelo if they so desired. about $2.4 million, and he would also count $1.2 million toward the cap in 2021-22. Just a week later, however, the league paused its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the Blues were considering any trades up front, Tyler Bozak, and to a lesser extent, Jaden Schwartz, could be candidates. For the past four months, team executives and player agents have surmised that the cap would not go up, and they were right. On Monday, Bozak, 34, has one more season left on his deal with a cap hit of $5 the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association reached a tentative deal on million, but even with a Stanley Cup on his resume, it’s hard to fathom Phases 3 and 4 of the “Return to Play” plan, along with extending the another team taking on Bozak’s final year when the cap won’t be going current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) through the 2025-26 up. Schwartz, 28, also has one more season remaining on his contract, season. It still needs ratification by the Board of the Governors and the and dealing him seems far-fetched with the Blues’ championship window union before final approval, which could come by the end of the week. still open. But if the Blues bring Pietrangelo back and there are no takers on Bozak, the odds of Schwartz moving on could go up. NHLPA, NHL REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT ON RETURN TO PLAY PLAN, CBA EXTENSION; SET DATES FOR RESUMPTION OF On defense, assuming the plan is for Pietrangelo to return, the Blues PLAY HTTPS://T.CO/QKNU4L2JWV could consider trading Dunn, but analytically, he has been one of their PIC.TWITTER.COM/6CLJWYHQWH best defensemen. Dunn, 23, will be an RFA with no arbitration rights and could get a $3 million AAV on a short-term deal. The club does have — NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS (@PR_NHL) JULY 6, 2020 prospect Niko Mikkola signed to a one-way contract for 2020-21, and So we now must wait to see if it passes, but in the meantime, we have prospect Scott Perunovich on the way next season. It could keep one or confirmation of what the cap could be for the next few seasons. As both on the roster and move Carl Gunnarsson, but interest in the veteran reported by The Athletic’s Scott Burnside last week, it will stay at $81.5 might be limited and the savings minimal. million for the 2020-21 season and remain there until league revenues That leaves any cost-cutting in net, where Jordan Binnington and Jake reach $4.8 billion. After that, Burnside wrote, a formula for establishing Allen both have one more season left on their contracts, and prospect the cap will be employed that uses hockey-related revenues (HRR) from Ville Husso will be entering the first year of his one-way contract. It has two seasons prior; so for instance, the 2022-23 cap would be calculated long been speculated that the Blues could clear room by moving Allen, using HRR numbers from 2020-21. but this year he finished the regular season with the NHL’s second-best That will put the squeeze on the Blues, who have about $79 million goals-against average (2.15) and fourth-highest save percentage (.927) committed to 21 contracts next season, according to Capfriendly.com. among goalies with 24-plus games played. His stock is perhaps as high That leaves about $2 million in cap space with Pietrangelo and restricted as it’s going to get and the club has Husso in place, but moving Allen free agent Vince Dunn due for extensions this offseason. They could would take some strength away from the position. fetch a combined $12 million, so general manager Doug Armstrong When push comes to shove, however, the Blues must make some would be forced to make some major moves in order to bring back both difficult decisions. But even if they make the moves that fans think are defensemen. obvious, does it even get them under the cap? Let’s do the math. Despite now having a cap ceiling, there have been no recent In buying out Steen, trading Bozak and Allen and re-signing Pietrangelo, conversations between the Blues and Pietrangelo’s representatives at Dunn and de la Rose to contract extensions, here’s what the roster could Newport Sports Management, according to sources. Armstrong had said look like. (Please ignore the salaries under the names, as those are the prior to the pause that the club would wait until after the playoffs to contract figures for the current season. We’ll guesstimate new AAVs negotiate with Pietrangelo, and it’s not known whether he’s sticking to below). that plan under the reworked calendar. Under the league’s new provisions, Pietrangelo’s contract will be extended to Oct. 31 from its Now that we have a look at the lineup, let’s add up the cap. In this mock original expiration date of June 30, so it could be months before this is scenario, Pietrangelo has been handed an $8.5 million cap hit, Dunn $3 resolved. million AAV and de la Rose $900,000.

The frozen cap and the Pietrangelo stalemate both loom large in building The combined cap for that roster is $79,997,499, which would leave the the Blues’ 2020-21 roster, but also beyond. The ceiling might not go up Blues with $1,502,501 in cap space. But keep in mind that doesn’t factor for a few years, and if the captain returns, he’ll be on the books for a in any players acquired in the trades for Bozak or Allen. Perhaps while unless he surprises a lot of people and takes a short-term Armstrong gets picks and/or prospects in those deals, but if that’s the extension. case, is this version of the Blues a more competitive club compared to one that doesn’t include Pietrangelo? How challenging will this be? Let’s take a closer look. Also, Armstrong must answer this question: Can they be as competitive Below is a list of the Blues’ unrestricted and restricted free agents, along beyond 2020-21 when the contracts of other players come up? with their cap-committed 2020-21 roster, using CapFriendly’s wonderful Armchair GM tool. Initially, I’ll leave off any prospects from the Blues’ 2021-22 new affiliate — the Springfield Thunderbirds — but we’ll address them later. Unrestricted free agents: F Jaden Schwartz, F Alexander Steen, F Tyler Bozak, D Carl Gunnarsson, G Jordan Binnington, G Jake Allen 2020-21 Restricted free agents: F Zach Sanford, F Ivan Barbashev, F Robert Unrestricted free agents: D Alex Pietrangelo, F Troy Brouwer Thomas, F Jordan Kyrou

Restricted free agents: D Vince Dunn, F Jacob de la Rose As mentioned, Schwartz has one more year left on his contract, so he would be a UFA going into the 2021-22 season. Steen, if not bought out by then, and Bozak, if not traded, would also be UFAs. On defense, Gunnarsson would be a UFA and his spot would be taken over by Mikkola or Perunovich. And in goal, Binnington and Allen would both be UFAs, with Binnington needing a new contract, and Allen, if not gone by then, probably on the move.

Meanwhile, the Blues would have four players set to become RFAs that offseason, with Thomas leading the pack. The other three — Kyrou, Sanford and Barbashev — would be in line for modest salary bumps unless something unforeseen happens.

For the sake of debate, let’s award these AAVs: Schwartz ($6.5 million), Binnington ($6.5 million), Thomas ($4 million), Sanford ($2.5 million), Barbashev ($2 million) and Kyrou ($1.2 million).

The combined cap for that team would be $83,150,00, which is slightly more than the $81.5 million limit, and with Gunnarsson gone, it includes only six defensemen. That roster is manageable and, in fact, a few of those projected AAVs could be a little inflated, not to mention it doesn’t take into account that the club could replace a few of the forwards with incoming prospects such as Klim Kostin.

2022-23

Unrestricted free agents: D Colton Parayko, F David Perron, F MacKenzie MacEachern, D Robert Bortuzzo

Restricted free agents: F Sammy Blais

Here’s where it could start to get messy. Under normal circumstances, had the pandemic never happened, the cap might have eclipsed $90 million by this point in time. In reality, it may be not much higher than $81.5 million in 2022-23.

The Blues are helped by the fact that Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly will be going into the final year of their contracts, which have identical $7.5 million AAVs, and Perron’s $4 million could come off the books.

That said, Parayko will become a UFA, and as one of the best young defenseman in the league, he could cost in excess of $9 million per season. Also, by that time, Dunn could need a new contract, and depending on whether Thomas agreed to a one- or two-year term on his second contract, he might also need a new contract and would be arbitration-eligible.

It’s next to impossible to predict what the Blues’ roster could look like nearly three years from now — especially considering the Seattle expansion draft will take place in 2021 — but some cap issues are foreseeable under these circumstances. With just 11 forwards and five defensemen, the combined cap would be $83,625,000, and that’s with a $2 million raise for Dunn ($5 million AAV) and no boost yet for Thomas.

The Blues’ five defensemen could cost in the neighborhood of $32 million, and two of them could combine for more than half that total: Parayko ($9 million AAV) and Pietrangelo ($8.5 million).

OUR LATEST LOOK AT HOW THE SEATTLE NHL TEAM COULD SHAPE UP WHEN IT HITS THE ICE IN 2021 | @EDUHATSCHEK HTTPS://T.CO/ZNR21QO3CO

— THE ATHLETIC NHL (@THEATHLETICNHL) JULY 2, 2020

If you’ve got a headache, make that two of us.

We all know that NHL rosters evolve and half of the players listed on our 2022-23 roster may not even be with the Blues then. But hopefully this helps put some context into the conjecture about what Armstrong may or may not do. And we all must remember that making moves is easier said than done — teams have to want the players the GM may being try to move, and ownership must be on board with spending to the cap and paying players to go elsewhere in the case of a buyout.

But it’s an interesting exercise nonetheless, and at least now we have a cap to make the exercise a little easier.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176264 Toronto Maple Leafs It was a period dominated by public posturing, media mud-slinging, secret arena tours, and scrapped blueprints.

And for a while, it looked like Toronto might very well become home to Arena Wars: How the race for a new home brought the Leafs and two new 20,000-seat arenas. Raptors together It starts at the top

The conflict between the Raptors and Maple Leafs in the late ’90s was By Eric Koreen Jul 7, 2020 rooted in ownership.

In March 1996, the Montreal Canadiens played their final game at the historic Montreal Forum before moving into the brand new Molson When Richard Peddie was named the new president of the Toronto Centre. At the same time, the Canadiens Original Six rival in Toronto was Raptors in November 1996, he was told his No. 1 priority was to oversee now ready to upgrade from their own outdated home, Maple Leaf the construction of what would become Air Canada Centre. Gardens.

The Raptors were already behind schedule on the facility, and the Meanwhile, Bitove and Slaight weren’t seeing eye-to-eye on the direction province of Ontario had already fined the team twice for failing to meet of the Raptors. Bitove favoured proceeding with a Raptors-only deadlines to break ground. Continuing to play their home games out of basketball arena while Slaight wanted to explore a partnership with the SkyDome, a facility built for baseball and football, was not a viable long- Leafs, at least as far as the arena was concerned. term plan. To force a resolution, Slaight enacted a “shotgun” clause in the Raptors The NBA wasn’t happy with the situation, either. ownership agreement. Bitove now faced a Nov. 14 deadline to come up with an estimated $65 million to buy out Slaight’s 39.5 percent. Instead, The Raptors were also playing the odd home game at Maple Leaf Bitove sold his own 39.5 percent stake to Slaight, and the Raptors were Gardens, but they were awarded the franchise, in part, with the in need of a new president. understanding that they would build a new home for themselves. Two years earlier, the Raptors had signed a letter of intent to purchase the Enter Peddie, who from day one felt growing pressure from the NBA to Postal Delivery Building at Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard, just get the Air Canada Centre project underway. The Leafs were in no such south of Union Station in downtown Toronto. However, financing was rush. taking longer than expected to secure. Air Canada, the company poised to have its name splashed across the new arena, was getting nervous, “Allan had already bought the property. He was on the clock with the too, with a $10-million signing bonus in peril due to the slow progress. NBA. We had to build the arena,” said Peddie. “There was no bluffing on our part. I left NetStar, where I owned a couple percent of the company, Peddie felt he needed someone with experience building an arena. Tom to go with the Raptors because I loved basketball. I thought Allan was up Anselmi, who had just finished helping Arthur Griffiths build GM Place for the job. In January (’97), he’s already looking and saying, ‘I’m not sure (now Rogers Arena) for the Canucks and Grizzlies in Vancouver, had I really want to do this.’ I knew Allan wanted to do a deal with the Leafs. worked for Peddie when the two were at SkyDome (Peddie was the The best way for us to do a deal with the Leafs was to keep going and president and CEO of the Blue Jays’ home from 1989-94). Anselmi keep pushing off.” seemed like the perfect man for the job. The Leafs weren’t exactly banging down the Raptors’ door, either. One problem: Months before Peddie joined the Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs majority owner Steve Stavro and minority partner, Larry “We moved at a slower pace for a bunch of reasons: One, a new Tanenbaum, had approached him seeking advice about who they should ownership group. Two, you’re replacing this iconic shrine, so you don’t hire to help build a new hockey arena. just sort of do that willy-nilly. What are the customers going to think? You have to think of the fans,” Anselmi said. “I think there was a perception in At the beginning of 1996, the Raptors ownership group consisted of two the market that we quote-unquote didn’t like the (Raptors’) Bay Street main principals: team president John Bitove and Standard Broadcasting site. It was more the case of, ‘Is that the right site?’ We were taking the owner, Allan Slaight, each of whom owned 39.5 percent. Minority owners time to investigate other options. I think there was a little bit of big-brother included Bank of Nova Scotia (10 percent), general manager Isiah jealousy going on. It took some time for both ownerships to come around Thomas (nine percent), and former Ontario premier and the estate of Phil because you had the young upstart that was kind of ahead and leading Granovsky (one percent). the game a little bit, and the old established veteran that was taking its time and being really methodical and prudent.” Tanenbaum, who with Peddie at his side in 1993 had lost out to the group led by Bitove and Slaight to bring an NBA expansion franchise to Whether they wanted to or not, the Leafs were going to be playing from Toronto, had purchased a stake in the Leafs earlier in ’96. The Ontario behind just because of the timeline. The Raptors had land, while the Teachers’ Pension Plan and TD Bank were other shareholders in the Maple Leafs didn’t. Even if they were the poorer franchise still fighting for Leafs at the time. Stavro had been the majority owner since the death of respectability within Toronto and the NBA, the Raptors had earlier in the decade. in the arena race because they had a site.

Naturally, Peddie had recommended Anselmi to the Leafs, and Anselmi As Peddie mentioned, he sensed Slaight didn’t want to run the Raptors accepted the Leafs offer. A few months later, Peddie was now trying to long-term, and that factored into some decisions Peddie made before poach Anselmi away from a job he had all but placed him in. any work began on the building itself. Whether a partnership with the Maple Leafs was going to come to fruition or not, the Air Canada Centre “I don’t have the skills and the training of a ,” Peddie was still an arena in Canada, so Peddie converted the building’s original recalled during a recent phone interview with The Athletic. “I was looking plans to allow for hockey as well as basketball. Peddie said he did for someone to build the arena and I’d just given the Leafs Tom Anselmi. everything he could within the constraints of his $314-million budget for Allan Slaight and I tried to hire Anselmi, but he was a very smart guy. He the arena to maintain it as a viable option for the Leafs down the road. said, ‘Richard, the Leafs are going to buy you. If I go with you now, they’ll be very upset. We can build the arena together when they buy you.’ He First to open wins was right.” He had to weigh the time those changes would take against the need to Anselmi, recalled sensing where things were heading with the two stay one step ahead of the Leafs. franchises. “My philosophy was the first person to put a shovel in the ground wins,” “I loved the hockey business. I think that was part of it,” said Anselmi, Peddie said. “It was really critical that Toronto does not have two arenas. now the president and COO of Oilers Entertainment Group. “I think the The Leafs would still be OK, but the Raptors would be screwed. They other part of it was I came to the conclusion that it was all going to come were a brand new franchise. Selling suites was tough. If all of a sudden together. Why change teams? It didn’t make a lot of sense.” they’re competing for suite revenue and sponsor revenue and season ticket revenue with the Leafs having their own building, it was not going Anselmi was of course, correct. But at many points during the 15 months to be good for the Raptors. I had to defend that position.” between November 1996 and February 1998, when the two sides finally did come together, a union appeared anything but certain. He would have to do so multiple times, even after the Raptors broke Others remained suspicious. ground on the Air Canada Centre on March 12, 1997, 17 months after the province first fined them for missing construction deadlines. (The “What is the economic impact going to be of having two arenas in this Raptors paid the fine to their own charity.) Discussions between the city?” Toronto councillor Dennis Fotinos told The Globe and Mail after the teams to build at the same site broke down in February. The most vote. “I think the impact is going to be the Raptors five or six years from frequently cited reason why the Maple Leafs didn’t immediately join the now are going to be knocking on our doors and saying if you don’t bail us Raptors at Air Canada Centre was that Leafs ownership didn’t believe out, we’re going to be going to another city. the footprint of the building was large enough for the storied franchise. “What’s the impact going to be of a major franchise going to another (Even when speaking recently to The Athletic, Anselmi pointed out that city?” Rogers Arena in Edmonton has nearly twice the footprint that the now has.) The Raptors knew the stakes were high. So one of Peddie’s vice- presidents with the Raptors, Brian Cooper, got on the phone with Claude In April 1997, the Maple Leafs announced they were conducting a Lamoureux, then president and CEO of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension feasibility report to explore the construction of an arena on top of Union Plan. Station, mere steps from the Air Canada Centre site. The land was owned by the City of Toronto and railways, so this was not a statement of “He arranged for Claude to come down (to the Air Canada Centre) on a intent. But it was a clear sign that the Leafs were not going to simply fall secret tour,” Peddie said. “By now we’re out of the ground. We’ve in line with Slaight and Peddie. The Leafs’ plan didn’t even acknowledge actually poured cement in the base and proceeding. It’s moving along. I the Raptors, instead proposing the post building where the Air Canada did not know Claude. … The first thing I did was walk him from the Centre would sit be turned into a glorified bus depot. subway to the front of the building and show him that for someone coming off the subway, it would only take a matter of seconds to get to “The Union Station one was an incredible option,” Anselmi said. “It was their seats for a hockey game or basketball game. Claude saw the merits an extraordinary idea. It was going to be extraordinarily expensive.” of that location and just how far along we were. He became a believer. Peddie fought the Leafs’ plan loudly in the press, arguing placing two Larry’s the developer. He got it as well. And TD (Bank), they’re pragmatic new arenas next door to one another would create congestion and business people. They’re starting to see the logic. They eventually were logistical nightmares. able to bring Steve around as well.”

“That’s when I had to go on the attack, because this was nuts,” Peddie And so Anselmi’s initial prediction came to fruition. On Feb. 12, 1998, 16 said. “You’re gonna build an arena, I think my quote in the newspaper days before the end of the 80-day due-diligence period at Exhibition was, a 9-iron away from Air Canada Centre? You see Union Station, Place, the Maple Leafs bought 100 percent of the Raptors and Air even to this day (almost) 25 years later, it’s not finished. And they were Canada Centre from Slaight and the Bank of Nova Scotia. The reported gonna build it on top of Union Station. It was a completely ludicrous idea. price tags were $179 million for the Raptors and $288 million for the I spoke out. It didn’t help my relationship with Larry and Steve at all.” arena. (In February of 2020, Forbes estimated the Raptors to be worth $2.1-billion.) The city rejected the proposal, so the Maple Leafs turned their attention elsewhere. Anselmi remembered a political cartoon in one of the daily On the day the sale became official, Slaight said while the city’s desire to newspapers mocking the Leafs’ ambitions, with the cartoon featuring a have one arena for both teams was a factor in his willingness to sell, floating arena on Lake Ontario and one perched atop the CN Tower. there were much more practical issues at play.

Other potential sites reported at the time to be under consideration by the “There was the dropping Canadian dollar, the escalating salaries — Leafs included Varsity Stadium, Moss Park Armory, Downsview airport, Damon (Stoudamire) was requesting $25 million Canadian per year — and Roundhouse Park next to the SkyDome. and the possibility of a lockout (for the 1998-99 season),” Slaight told The Globe’s Tom Maloney after the press conference announcing the sale at, Reports at the time also stated that there was personal animus between you guessed it, Union Station. “It just seemed to me the right time to go Stavro and Slaight. and retire in Florida.”

“I think whatever emerged was really a function of business,” Peddie said While Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman praised the deal for finding one home of the friction. “It was a function of the Leafs wanting to be the leader. for the two teams, not everybody was happy. Steve was a very intuitive guy. He used a lot of gut thinking. He wasn’t a sophisticated business guy. He created Knob Hill Farms, which was the “I hate to say I told you so, but it was clear to me the Leafs proposal (at first super box store. He was brilliant in that way. He was not the most Exhibition Place) was one of two things,” Fotinos told The Globe. “One, a trusting guy.” mockery of the process because it was pushed through so quickly with no information and no site plan. And two, it was just a ploy to buy the In November 1997, the Leafs announced plans to build their new arena, Leafs time to negotiate a better deal with the Raptors.” tied to future development on nearby land, at Exhibition Place. That plan was not without its problems, as a group called Sportcom 2000 For Anselmi, the sale was great news. The Maple Leafs pumped an extra Development was suing The Exhibition, the City and the Leafs, alleging $50-million into the arena, allowing him to work some redesigns into the their own proposal to build an arena on the same site to house an building. Adding a separate dressing room for the Maple Leafs was International Hockey League team, had been unfairly rejected. complicated because it involved making some changes underground, but it proved doable. Visiting hockey and basketball teams use the same One month later, Toronto city council voted 30-3 to approve the Maple dressing room. The Maple Leafs also tacked on an additional 55 luxury Leafs’ Exhibition Place plan. The agreement with the city included an 80- suites to give the arena 160 in total, as some of the seats that they day “due diligence” window in which the city and the Leafs could explore replaced would have had poor sightlines for hockey. other elements of the potential move, which included the demolition of Exhibition Stadium. Even at that time, there were doubts that The Ex was Anselmi said the greater challenge was keeping the arena on schedule. truly the Maple Leafs’ preferred option. The Maple Leafs opened the building in February 1999 with a 3-2 win over the Canadiens. The Raptors defeated the Vancouver Grizzlies a day Tanenbaum was quoted saying having both teams in one arena should later behind ’s then career-high 27 points. be the preference for the city. A Globe and Mail story said the consensus in the business community was that the Maple Leafs, in one form or Two nights after that, the Tragically Hip played the first concert, with the another, would end up partnering with the Raptors on the Air Canada Summit Series-referencing “Fireworks” opening the set. Centre, either buying out the Raptors entirely or creating a new company For Peddie, the deal brought no relief. Given the job he did behind the bringing together the two franchises. scenes and in front of the cameras for Slaight, he worried that the Maple It was believed that Stavro was never going to accept being a co-owner Leafs wouldn’t want him around. At the press conference announcing the with Slaight, with Stavro rightly realizing that Slaight no longer wanted to sale, he was not invited on the stage. At a lunch with Tanenbaum be on the hook for the escalating costs associated with owning an NBA following the sale, he offered his resignation, saying he didn’t want the franchise. job if Stavro wasn’t going to support him. According to Peddie, Stavro wanted one of his associates to assume CEO duties. A few weeks later, “As long as I’m there, there’ll be no deal made with the Raptors,” Stavro Tanenbaum and Lamoureux called Peddie in for a meeting. said after the city approved the plans at The Ex. “We want to work ahead right now. There’s still a lot of work to do.” “I thought I was getting fired. I had already cleaned out my office,” Peddie said. “They sat me down and said, ‘We’re gonna offer you the interim job, conditional, for the next couple days. There are two conditions: You’ve got to lose your earring and cut your hair.’ I wanted to be president of the Raptors, so the earring and the hair went immediately.”

Peddie served as president and CEO of the newly named Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment from October 1998 through the end of 2011. Anselmi worked alongside Peddie as his executive vice-president and chief operating officer for that entire time, briefly becoming president of the organization before Tim Leiweke’s arrival.

For 16 uncomfortable months, Anselmi had been one of the men responsible for selling the idea of Toronto as a two-arena city, even if he didn’t love the idea.

“It can work. I just don’t think it’s ideal,” Anselmi said. “I don’t know what it looks like. It’s hard to imagine what it looks like. (The two franchises) are competing for other shows more. Other than that, each team has got its own home. Does it make a big difference to the fans of each team? I’m not sure.

“But I always look at these arenas as big, huge community centres in big, huge communities, not unlike a small community centre in a small town. It’s a big focal point of the community, it and city hall. This clarity in Toronto (is nice). has become an important epicentre of social engagement in the city, just like Nathan Phillips Square. If you have two of them, it dilutes it a little bit.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176265 Toronto Maple Leafs inside their 64-year-old home. For a while, the front office had to house employees in the photocopy room, because there was no more room in the main office.

Inside the past and uncertain future of a historic, aging hockey cathedral Until recently, the business operations department shared office space with the coaches and the general manager. Staff had a grim understanding that if one colleague came into their cramped quarters with a cough, they would all be hacking within a week. (That was a story By Sean Fitz-Gerald Jul 7, 2020 front office staff would tell with a rueful smile long before COVID-19 entered the common lexicon.)

On junior hockey game nights inside the Peterborough Memorial Centre, It did not get better for the coaches, either. The space set aside for post- the home team’s players have to walk upstairs to stretch. There is no game news conferences is set up across the hall, inside a converted space in the hallway outside their dressing room, because that is both dressing room. It is not uncommon for a coach to be speaking with too narrow and too busy, and the 50/50 vendor usually needs room to set reporters against the soundtrack of someone using the dressing room’s up their booth. bathroom, 20 feet away.

It is better upstairs, on a stretch of the concourse between the snack bar “It is most definitely a love/hate relationship,” said Petes president Dave and the men’s bathroom. They can spread out up there, jogging and Pogue. lunging, but also keeping a keen eye on the clock. He was born and raised in Peterborough, and his family roots run deep in “I forget what time it is, but the ushers are almost telling us to get out of the area. Pogue spent plenty of nights in the arena as a child, and as a there at a certain point because they’re starting to let people into the high school student watching friends play for the Petes. As a building,” said Logan DeNoble, a former team captain. “I think the away businessman, he bought a 10-year lease on a suite. teams have it even worse than us. I think they go outside, most of the Over the last 25 years, he figures he might have missed fewer than a time.” dozen home games. Chris Pronger, now a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, played inside “I love the building: I know every nook and cranny of it, and it feels like the Memorial Centre, and he bequeathed a gift when he graduated. He home,” he said. “However, the logical business side is that we’re told the remaining players to go out and buy a modern stereo system for bleeding, staying in that building. We can’t compete with the rest of the their dressing room, and to send him the bill. teams in the league.” Their existing system — even back in 1993 — was antiquated. A new floor was poured into the building last year as part of a $3.5-million The Peterborough Petes have been playing inside the Memorial Centre project. Pogue said the air conditioning has also been upgraded, the roof since 1956, and the city-owned rink has seemed out of date for at least has been fixed and a new ice surface was installed. (The ice surface half its life. It has also become a cathedral to the game, and is a junior itself is still only 190 feet long, which is 10 feet shorter than the standard.) hockey version of an Original Six building: A Maple Leaf Gardens or a “It’s like an old used car,” he said. “We’ve fixed the engine, we’ve fixed Chicago Stadium in the middle of Central Ontario. the transmission and put new tires on it. But there’s something else that’s Scotty Bowman coached there, as did Roger Neilson. Steve Yzerman going to go wrong, and does the city want to keep pouring all this money played there, as did Bob Gainey, Larry Murphy and Pronger. The Petes into the building?” have delivered so many players and coaches and executives into the The team’s great rival, the Oshawa Generals, moved into a new arena in NHL that, for a long time, the size of the group earned a nickname: “The 2006, and they have created a space that rivals some NHL facilities. Peterborough Mafia.” Their dressing room is large and modern, and they constructed a lounge That history literally lives in the walls of the building. Team photographs for players that boasts not only a full kitchen, but also an assortment of line the corridor outside the home team’s room, forming a collective baubles to entertain and occupy a roster full of teenagers. historical document both for Peterborough’s star power and its clear SETTING THE STANDARD PIC.TWITTER.COM/AL5JQP2PVQ embrace of varying hairstyles through the decades. — OSHAWA GENERALS (@OSHAWA_GENERALS) AUGUST 16, 2019 It took Peterborough more than a decade to finally fund and build the arena after World War II. The original design included a stage behind the In Peterborough, the Petes keep trying to keep up. goal at one end — “95 feet deep, with a built-in orchestra pit,” the Toronto Daily Star reported — and room for concerts and agricultural Dave Lorentz, a former Petes captain who is now a team vice-president, fairs. Discussion to replace the arena has been going on for twice as long oversaw another renovation last season. The team moved its business as it took to build it the first time. operations upstairs, to a room usually reserved for alumni and families on game nights. The Petes signed a 20-year lease with the city, and their contract is due to expire in 2023. A consultant has been hired to develop plans for a new That cleared space for the hockey operations department. Coaches can building, but those have stalled, due in no small part to the impact of discuss roster decisions without having to worry they will be overheard by COVID-19. the person lining up to buy season tickets 12 feet away. They have space to spread out, and to work through video sessions with players. It might be another decade before the Petes get a new home. The team has also carved out more space for the players. A small weight (Courtesy Kenneth Andersen Photography) room behind the home team’s dressing room has been converted into a lounge and kitchen area, where players relax and play video games. “If you asked me straight up, would I take this building, or would I take a (The team’s workout facilities have been outsourced to a gym down the new building that was designed properly? I would take the new building street.) in a heartbeat, and I don’t think anyone would disagree,” said Burton Lee, executive director of business operations with the Petes. “But you do “It is a nice rink, it’s historic,” said Lorentz. “But when you go to these have to be careful with at least acknowledging the things you’re going to other rinks … it’s just a lack of space in the Memorial Centre.” lose.” “Is it cozy? Yeah it is,” said former Petes coach Gary Green. “But is it He can see it in those hallways. Grandparents will point grandchildren to outdated? Yeah. No question.” photos on the wall, or point to the room where they sat with the Petes. The fans have been going to games, and sitting in their same seats, for Green only spent two years as head coach in Peterborough, but they years. were two of the most successful seasons in franchise history. The Petes won back-to-back Ontario Hockey Association championships and, in “How much can you quantify that nostalgia? Not very much, and not very 1979, they won their only Memorial Cup. well,” said Lee. “It is there, though, and it’s something I think is a force.” He is now a senior director with BBB Architects, and he has told It is not as forceful as the march of time. The Petes have expanded their Peterborough how badly it needs a new arena. The cost of building a business operations under Lee, and they have struggled to find space new facility does not exactly go down over time, he said, pointing out that Budweiser Gardens — home of the London Knights — cost $46-million when it opened in 2002, but would probably be about $120-million today.

“That just startles people,” Green said.

It also costs money to demolish buildings, he said, which is why Peterborough would also have to think about the future of the Memorial Centre. In Toronto, Maple Leaf Gardens was (eventually) transformed into a multi-use facility complete with a grocery store, a hockey rink, and a multi-purpose court for use by Ryerson University’s athletic program.

What could become of the Memorial Centre?

“Can you turn them into a trade centre space? Can you turn them into sports centres, with a host of other sports — basketball and volleyball — and turn it into field houses?” Green said. “Yes, you can.”

As much as they might have been struggling for space inside the building, the Petes were succeeding on the rink when the Ontario Hockey League shuttered its season in March because of the pandemic. They held second place in the Eastern Conference standings, and forward Nick Robertson — the Maple Leafs prospect — was leading the league with 55 goals (in only 46 games).

DeNoble was team captain during Robertson’s rookie season. The business operations staff was still on the ground floor that season, and they could still hear when coaches yelled at players. They still had the weight room on-site, too.

“The weights were old and kind of rusty, almost, but it felt like a bit of grit,” DeNoble said. “You just loved that kind of rugged feeling. At least, I did, anyway.”

As with Pogue, DeNoble’s roots run deep through the arena walls. His grandfather played for the Petes, as did a great-uncle and uncle. One day, he hopes to bring his own children to watch the team, and to point to where his picture hangs on the wall.

“It doesn’t necessarily have all the bells and whistles that some of the newer arenas have,” he said. “It makes getting to play in Peterborough, and being at that rink, so unique. And I love that about it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176266 Vegas Golden Knights

Henderson OKs $1.2M more for Silver Knights practice arena

By Blake Apgar Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Henderson City Council voted Tuesday to spend an additional $1 million on a downtown hockey facility. Council members who were present unanimously approved spending an additional $1.2 million on Lifeguard Arena, the future headquarters and practice arena of the Henderson Silver Knights. The money will be used on fixtures, furnishings, equipment and modifications, according to city records. Councilwoman Michelle Romero was absent. Approval of the spending brings the city’s total investment in the project to $15.15 million. When the arena was approved last year, the city agreed to pay $10.75 million. In April, the council voted to spend an extra $3.2 million to cover additions that would benefit the hockey team. Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights, which owns the minor league team, agreed to pay $10.75 million on Lifeguard Arena. The public will have access to events such as tournaments, youth camps and “play hockey for free” events. City officials see the arena being a catalyst for activity downtown. Henderson has faced criticism for its contribution of public money to Golden Knights-related projects. Multiple people submitted public comment to oppose the additional spending. “Just about the time the taxpayers of Henderson think its officials are finished throwing money around for what can realistically be considered ‘non-essential,’ we get a fresh surprise,” resident Carolyn Jones wrote to the city. “It is as if you are completely disregarding the current unemployment crisis, COVID-19 escalation in this state and budgetary shortfalls at all levels of government.” City spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said officials see the project as “a winning investment” because it leverages private money for a city-owned building. An arena approved by the City Council in May has received the vast majority of pushback. The arena will replace the Henderson Pavilion, which the city said is plagued with issues. The new arena will host Silver Knights home games and be a hub for community events. Under the agreement with the Golden Knights, the team and city will split the total project budget of $84 million evenly. An effort to block the publicly backed arena from replacing the Henderson Pavilion came to a halt last week due to a procedural error on a ballot initiative petition. A group of residents opposing the project filed paperwork on Thursday to appeal the city’s finding. Officials expect Lifeguard Arena to open its doors to the public in early October. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176267 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ dilemma: Enough money to re-sign Robin Lehner?

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

As details of the new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association begin to seep into the public, one particular area of interest for the Golden Knights is the salary cap. All indications are that once the extension is ratified by the NHLPA and Board of Governors, the salary cap will be frozen at $81.5 million for at least the 2020-21 season. While that ultimately makes it tougher to re-sign goaltender Robin Lehner, the Knights appear to be in better shape than many of their rivals. “We’re going to have an offseason that’s probably going to be between six and seven weeks when the season concludes, and that’s where you start to have those final decisions that are going to be made that are going to impact your cap,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said June 15. Since the pause, defenseman Zach Whitecloud ($725,000 average annual value) and forwards Nicolas Roy ($750,000 AAV) and Ryan Reaves ($1.75 million AAV) each signed two-year extensions to provide the Knights with more cost certainty. Using the roster from when the season was paused March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic — but swapping Alex Tuch for Brandon Pirri — the Knights have $74.625 million committed to 10 forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender. In addition to $500,000 in Tomas Tatar’s retained salary, that leaves a projected $6.375 million remaining in cap space to fill out the rest of the roster. Lehner will be an unrestricted free agent and is no doubt looking for security after playing the past three seasons on one-year contracts. He signed a deal last summer with Chicago worth $5 million and could command an AAV in the neighborhood of $6 million on the free agent market after posting a save percentage of .920 or better for the fourth time since 2015-16. Lehner, who turns 29 on July 24, was acquired by the Knights at the trade deadline in February for goalie Malcolm Subban, a prospect and a 2020 second-round pick. He unveiled a new goalie setup with Knight- themed pads on social media Monday, teasing the possibility that Lehner might not be a rental after all. But with Marc-Andre Fleury already on the books through 2021-22 at $7 million per season and the salary cap staying flat, is it fiscally responsible to spend more than 15 percent of the payroll on goaltending? If Lehner leaves, the Knights will need to find a backup goalie, whether it’s recently signed Oscar Dansk or another free agent. They also could try to trade for a potential heir apparent in net such as Alexandar Georgiev of the New York Rangers. But unlike Vancouver, which will see young standouts Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes become restricted free agents after next season, the Knights don’t have any major contracts looming. At forward, restricted free agents Nick Cousins and Chandler Stephenson are in line for raises and arbitration eligible. Tomas Nosek is an unrestricted free agent and could depart, as the Knights have other options among the bottom six. Defenseman Deryk Engelland turned 38 in April and was a healthy scratch in 17 of the final 18 regular-season games before the season was paused. It’s fair to ponder whether this will be the final season for the unrestricted free agent. Also, defenseman Jon Merrill could be allowed to walk as an unrestricted free agent after he was unable to secure a regular spot in the Knights’ lineup for three seasons and Nick Holden signed a two-year extension in February. “We’re comfortable with where we’re at with the signings that we have made through the pause,” McCrimmon said last month. “We’ll make those decisions as we go along.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176268 Vegas Golden Knights

Report: NHL planning full days of hockey once postseason begins

By Justin Emerson Tuesday, July 7, 2020 | 2:21 p.m.

Grab some snacks and a drink because once postseason hockey begins, there’s going to be a lot of it. The NHL is planning three games a day in each Canadian hub city — Toronto and Edmonton — starting at noon local time, according to a report from TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The Golden Knights will be assigned to the hub in Edmonton, meaning their games will start at either 11 a.m., 3 p.m. or 7 p.m. Pacific Time, depending on the day’s schedule. The plan is for games to start at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. in both Toronto and Edmonton. Since Toronto is in the Eastern Time Zone and Edmonton in the Mountain Time Zone, that means six games a day starting in the morning in Las Vegas. For Pacific Time viewers, an Eastern Conference game would start at 9 a.m. and a new one would start every two hours: at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The plan is to space games out every four hours in each hub to factor in overtime, which is continuous in the playoffs and does not result in a shootout. Most regular season games clock in at just under three hours, but throw in the potential of multiple overtimes, and games could easily exceed their allotted times. If that happens, it would just push back the next start time, McKenzie said, comparing it to tennis tournaments where matches can start at midnight local time. To prevent long overtime games from disrupting the schedule in the qualifying round, where 12 teams are competing, the round-robin games, which include the Golden Knights, would all be the middle game of the day — 3 p.m. in Las Vegas. The round-robin games are played under regular season overtime rules with a five-minute overtime and a shootout, which would guarantee a shorter game in the middle of the day to keep the later one on schedule. The Golden Knights will play the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars in a three-game round-robin for seeding, while eight other teams will compete in a best-of-five play-in series to advance to the Round of 16. Once the Round of 16 starts, the Golden Knights will play under playoff overtime rules. Games are scheduled to begin Aug. 1 after an agreement made Monday between the NHL and the Players’ Association. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176269 Vegas Golden Knights With a couple of seasons of hockey in North America under his belt, Patera began showing dramatic improvement in his numbers and overall game this season in Brandon. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Patera has good size, but he is very athletic and uses his aggressiveness to his ‘I love the grit in his game’: How Vegas’ Jiri Patera earned his pro advantage. He’s a good skater and is very active in the crease, regularly contract challenging shooters to cut off angles, a style much like that of Marc- Andre Fleury.

“He’s aggressive and likes to play on his feet,” Plante said. “He’s By Jesse Granger Jul 7, 2020 aggressive with the puck and likes to play the puck. He’s a battler. I think that’s the best way of putting it. He’ll do anything it takes to keep the puck out of the net. Sometimes it’s not always pretty, but I love the grit in his Golden Knights prospect Jiri Patera has spent the past few months at game.” home with his parents in the Czech Republic. FORMER @BDNWHEATKINGS GOALTENDER @JIRI_PATERA HAS When the sports world shut down in mid-March because of the SIGNED AN ENTRY-LEVEL CONTRACT WITH THE coronavirus outbreak, Patera and his Wheat Kings teammates were on @GOLDENKNIGHTS! fire. Brandon was 8-3-1 in its final 12 games, vaulting itself into playoff position in the WHL standings, and Patera was playing some of the best DETAILS | HTTPS://T.CO/LZSWKZPKD8 hockey of his young career. PIC.TWITTER.COM/CWV8OZLEXY He won’t have a chance to play out the remainder of his final season of — THE WHL (@THEWHL) JUNE 30, 2020 junior hockey, which is disappointing. But last week — on June 30 — This season, Patera toned the aggressiveness down just a touch and Patera was actually thankful to be home. It allowed him to celebrate a finished with the third-highest save percentage in all of the WHL, .921. milestone moment with his parents. The coaching staff in Brandon was careful not to coach the Patera signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden aggressiveness out of him — it’s what makes him a high-level goalie to Knights and will begin his professional hockey career next season. begin with — but harnessing it correctly led to a much more consistent effort. “It felt unbelievable,” Patera told The Athletic on a phone call from the Czech Republic. “It was like a dream come true, so I was pretty pumped “I think he got more patient this year,” Plante said. “He wasn’t attacking about it. And my family was, too, so it was a pretty exciting moment for the puck all the time and let the pucks come to him. He played a more me.” patient game. It was a great day for Patera, but bittersweet for his teammates and “I think we had one of the best goalies in the , coaches in Brandon, who say goodbye to the WHL’s Eastern Conference along with a well-coached team of a bunch of hungry, young players that goalie of the year. were willing to do the right thing on a daily basis, and I think that’s a special concoction that forms a winning team.” “They definitely drafted a good person, for sure,” Wheat Kings goalie coach Tyler Plante said. “He’s a special player and a special person. Now Patera is signed with the Golden Knights and eager to begin his pro He’s so coachable and respected by his teammates that it’s tough to see career. Whether that starts in the ECHL or with the newly relocated a guy like that go. Love that he’s progressing, and that he’s going to Henderson Silver Knights will be up to his performance at next season’s continue on.” training camp — whenever that will be. Patera’s best attribute as a goalie is not only his coachability but also his “My goal is to impress the coaching staff and just try to put myself in the versatility. best position possible, and try to start in the AHL,” Patera said. “If that doesn’t work out, I’ll just work hard the whole season and get there.” “He’s so willing to learn and so willing to adapt that he’s not stuck in one set way of goaltending,” Plante said. “He’s willing to take advice and He’ll likely be competing with Dylan Ferguson, who was drafted in 2017 criticism, and he immediately applies it to his game, and that’s one of his and made his pro debut this past season with the . biggest strengths.” “I’m just trying to work on the small details and do whatever (goalie Those characteristics have allowed Patera to develop from a late-round coach) Mike (Rosati) tells me to do,” Patera said. “It’s going to be a little draft pick with minimal upside into a legitimate goalie prospect who could bit different hockey from juniors. It will be faster players, better players, contend for ice time with the organization down the road. and the shots will be harder.” Vegas selected Patera in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft — the As with most goalie prospects, it’s tough to project what the future holds organization’s first class. At the time, Patera’s only experience was in for Patera. But his monster season with the Wheat Kings certainly throws Europe, readying for his first season in North America with the Cedar his hat into the ring when it comes to potential future goalies for the Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL. Golden Knights. Now he enters the next phase of his career with plenty of confidence on and off the ice. He struggled in his lone season in Cedar Rapids, with a save percentage of only .901 in 34 games played. “Every goalie plays better with confidence,” Patera said. “I think confidence is really big, and I can’t wait to get started with the “The biggest transition was probably coming from Europe where we have organization next year.” wider ice,” Patera said. “Getting used to the smaller rink and faster hockey. The first year I was kind of struggling with it, and my first year in The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 Brandon was much better.” Most international ice rinks are 15 feet wider than rinks used in North America (in the NHL, AHL, NCAA and Canadian major junior hockey). You often hear about the transition forwards and defensemen must make when coming to this continent with less space to operate in North America, but the transition for goalies is just as difficult. “I can attest to exactly what he’s saying as a goaltender who played in North America then made the jump the other way,” said Plante, who started in Brandon and played five years in the AHL before heading to Europe to play in Sweden, Italy, Norway and Germany. “It’s a completely different ice surface. It’s a completely different game. The angles of the puck are different than what you’ve been used to your whole life. When you think about that, it completely changes the trajectory of the puck.” On top of that, Patera was also battling the language barrier. “I was struggling with my English, and when you’re trying to say something in the locker room and no one understands it’s kind of frustrating,” he said. “But I think I got better at it, so those two years in Canada were pretty awesome.” 1176270 Winnipeg Jets were aiming at, he or she will have seen more than 10,000 murders on television. So, I asked them: ‘Will you let me go to a Grade 5 class and ask the kids to vote on it – to see if it’s OK to have a murder in the story?’ Well, you can imagine how unanimous the verdict was. The ‘Screech Owls’ hockey books are popular as ever and spawning a new series “After that, we just started killing people all over the place – and the books just took off. I know they sold more than a million copies in Canada. They were reprinted in Finland, in Sweden and the Czech Republic. They were translated into French. They were published in By Eric Duhatschek Jul 7, 2020 China – in Mandarin. In ‘The Night They Stole the Stanley Cup,’ I had them go to a strip club – how risky was that? Roy MacGregor is the author of the “Screech Owls” books and if you “That’s my retirement. I remember Doug Gibson said to me, ‘if you do haven’t heard of the Screech Owls, it probably means you didn’t grow up this, it’ll be your retirement plan.’ And that’s exactly how it’s turned out.” in Canada as part of a hockey family over the past 25 years. Because if Trying to write fiction for young adults proved to be challenging for you were a kid who was a reader, or a parent who was trying to convince MacGregor in the beginning – trying to get the voices just right. But he their children to try reading, you couldn’t help but stumble over the was coaching his own son in minor hockey at the time and would pay Screech Owls. close attention to the byplay in the dressing room – and the kinds of silly There were Travis and Nish, Sarah and Jesse. things that would make kids laugh. Fart jokes ranked high on the list. Hockey, in MacGregor’s experience, was always meant to be inclusive “I did rely quite a bit on my own childhood at that age,” said MacGregor. and so even in 1995, he made the best player on the Screech Owls a girl “But I also very strongly used my kids’ friends. So, the model for Nish, the and the biggest personality an Asian boy, modelled after a neighbour kid most beloved character in the Screech Owls books, who just gets into all on MacGregor’s street who played on the same team as his own son, kinds of trouble, is Justin Ikura. He grew up next door to us. I’m looking at Gord. his house right now. Justin knows he was the model for Nish – and he likes it. So, I used all kinds of kids that way.” How big were the Screech Owls? Eventually, writing in the children’s/young adult category became a family MacGregor has produced many classic mainstream hockey titles. “Home affair for the MacGregors. Team” was shortlisted for the General’s Award for Literature. “Home Game,” written with , was a Canadian bestseller. Roy brought in his daughter, Kerry, to help him complete the final title in the “Screech Owls” series – “Reality Check in Detroit.” He has written hockey fiction (“The Last Season”) and hockey fact (“Wayne Gretzky’s Ghost: And other Tales from a Lifetime in Hockey”). Their partnership worked so well that the two eventually developed a new children’s series called “The Ice Chips,” targeted at a younger audience. If you happened to be a parent coaching minor hockey, “The 7 A.M. Practice” rang singularly (and awfully) true. They were all successful by Time travel is the working premise – the Ice Chips go back in time and the standards of Canadian hardcover sales. meet future hockey stars when they were just boys and girls themselves, playing minor hockey and unaware of where their life’s journey would And yet, according to MacGregor, just a single title in the Screech Owls take them. series (which consisted of 29 books in all) – “The Night They Stole The Stanley Cup” – outsold all of his mainstream hockey titles combined, with Currently, there are four titles in the series, with eight planned altogether. an estimated worldwide sale of 400,000 copies. Since the series debuted in 2018, the Ice Chips have visited Gordie That was their impact. Howe, Sidney Crosby, Hayley Wickenheiser and Isobel Stanley, the daughter of Frederik Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston, who donated the In 2012, MacGregor received the Elmer Ferguson Award, which is Stanley Cup in 1893. Carey Price will be featured and Paul Kariya has presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame, to honour excellence in hockey agreed to be next in line. writing. MacGregor, now retired, wandered down many different paths in his life as a working journalist. He covered sports and politics, he wrote According to Kerry MacGregor, the idea for the Ice Chips came one slice of life columns and long features for newspapers and magazines for summer at their family cottage near Huntsville, Ont., when she and her close to half a century in Canada. father were brainstorming ideas for a new series they could write together. But whenever he ventured into a hockey dressing room, invariably a player would tell him how much they enjoyed reading the Screech Owls “My first thought was to involve actual players because that’s how I as children. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and John Tavares were among learned most of what I know about the game,” said Kerry MacGregor. “I the devotees. grew up playing road hockey and skating on a local rink, but I never played in any organized way. My dad started covering hockey when I This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Screech Owls’ debut – was a teenager and then I went on to cover some as a journalist myself. “Mystery at Lake Placid” – and according to MacGregor, the whole crazy In Ottawa, I talked to Nick Foligno before he played his first NHL game ride began with an approach from Douglas Gibson, then head of the and then again right after – and I found the leap across that line really publishing house McClelland Stewart, which was handling his regular exciting. titles. “The fact that we’re using real people in these books is really what sent “Doug came to me and said they hear from librarians and teachers our characters travelling through time. I immediately imagined a world primarily, that they just couldn’t get these so-called reluctant readers with few adults around because I thought that made a kids’ book more going,” said MacGregor. “When they said reluctant readers — that was a fun. euphemism for boys. Doug said, ‘I think what this country needs is a new hockey series along the lines of the Scott Young (‘Scrubs on Skates’) “But because these were real people with real birthdates, we’d either trilogy.’ I said, ‘well, OK’ – and we signed a contract for three books. have to bring those kids to us or go to them. Seeing where these the players grew up, how they trained and what started them on their paths “Honestly, I didn’t think they’d go anywhere, so when I started in on to the NHL seemed like something that could really hook our readers’ writing the first one, I didn’t know how to write it, so I decided I’d kind of imaginations. entertain myself and make it a United Nations team – and make it really divergent, the way Canada is, multicultural … That first book did OK. “At that point, they’re at the same stage: dreaming about their futures Then I did another two. I figured I’d get a couple out of the way and that without any idea how they’ll turn out. Not all paths are the same. Not all would be it. Twenty-nine volumes later and they’re still calling for more.” hockey eras are the same. By travelling through time, we could explore the roots of the game, its development … and throw in a little Canadian After the first three stories were published, the Screech Owls were history along the way.” exceeding expectations, including MacGregor’s own. At that point, he was offered another contract to do more. He had an idea for a story – Suzanne Sutherland, children’s editor for Harper Collins, who edits “The and a direction for the series – that initially received some push back Ice Chips” series for the MacGregors, says that no matter what age from the publishers. group a book may be targeted at, one thing never changes: Good writing is good writing. “I said, ‘it’ll be set at a summer hockey camp and I want to call it, ‘Murder at Hockey Camp,’” MacGregor said. “They really, really got their backs “But it can mean different things to different age groups,” said up about that. They said, ‘you can’t do that.’ But I had read a stat – that Sutherland. “Writing for young people is very optimistic writing. In ‘The by the time the average U.S. child was 12, which was the age group we Ice Chips’ series, one of the things Roy and Kerry do so well is bringing the kids to life – which is so difficult to do. One of the toughest things is creating dialogue for young readers because you are trying to put words in the mouths of someone who is, on average, much younger than you – and try to make it authentic. According to Roy MacGregor, he’s enjoyed writing “The Ice Chips” for a variety of reasons, including the fact that he gets to collaborate with his daughter. “They are a younger version of the Screech Owls, targeted to a younger readership, and it grew out of the fact that the two of us did the last in the ‘Screech Owls’ series together,” said MacGregor. “Kerry was living in France and we came up with the idea of having a Zamboni that had magic qualities in the old rink the kids played in. When this Zamboni resurfaced the ice, if the kids skated really fast, as soon as they crossed centre ice, they went into a time travel portal. In the very first one, they go back to the 1930s in and they meet a tall gangly guy named Gordie. “That worked nicely because Kerry, when she was a little girl, had met Gordie Howe at a charity hockey game in . She treasures the idea that he once elbowed her into the boards.” According to Sutherland, managing the twists and plot turns in children’s fiction can be tricky because the concept needs to be presented concisely so that it’s easily understood. “When you’re talking about time travel, it’s sort of the ‘Back to The Future’ effect,” said Sutherland. “The question was, if you’re changing something in the past, what would be the effect of that on the present? And then, you have to ask, are readers of this series who are, on average 6-8 years old, going to understand that effect? “So, in the first book, when they go back and meet Gordie Howe, they don’t change anything; they don’t touch anything and they’re able to return to the present much simpler. By the time we get to the fourth book, involving Isobel Stanley, they introduced a unique idea – that something was going to be left behind – and the original Stanley Cup was going to pierce that veil as well.” Sutherland says she didn’t know much about hockey when she was first presented with the idea of editing “The Ice Chips,” so it became a learning experience for her. “But what they told us was that the ‘Screech Owls,’ as a series, were just behind ‘Anne of Green Gables’ as the largest selling Canadian series around the world,” said Sutherland. “So obviously, those books had huge revenues and made a huge impact on so many people’s lives in their childhoods – and was the thing that brought them to reading in the first place. “I’m sure there are a generation of ‘Screech Owl’ readers now who are reading ‘The Ice Chips’ to their own kids.” The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176271 Vancouver Canucks trying to survive the seven-month forced march that is the NHL’s schedule. But it becomes even more important when there are no fans in the stands and the team is stuck in Edmonton for an undetermined period. Ed Willes: August playoffs feel weird, but hockey feels normal for energized Canucks “We’ve talked about being a team that loves hockey and loves to win and these guys love to play hockey,” he said. “I have full confidence our guys are going to be excited to play and excited to win.” Ed Willes Chris Tanev, as it happens, held a Zoom session earlier Tuesday and echoed Green’s thoughts. The veteran defenceman is set to become an unrestricted free agent following this season. There are no guarantees on “I can only speak for myself, but I'm super excited. Just skating with the what the market will deliver or where he’ll be playing next season. guys this week you get that feeling back like it’s September, except now So what, says Tanev. Drop the puck. it’s July. I’m ready to play hockey.” — Chris Tanev, Canucks defenceman “I can only speak for myself, but I’m super excited,” he said. “Just skating After four months away from the game, Travis Green and the Vancouver with the guys this week you get that feeling back like it’s September, Canucks are about to step though the looking glass and enter a world except now it’s July. I’m ready to play hockey.” unlike anything they’ve experience in their professional lives. Finally he can say that. It’s small things: The hotel pool inside the bubble will be open but the spa will not. And big things: Some players will be away from their families for “First of all we’re excited,” Green said. “You can feel the energy levels up to five weeks. getting higher. That for me is the real positive. You’re doing something you’ve been doing your whole life.” It’s the annoying things: having a swab stuck up your nose on a daily basis. And the worrisome things: can the testing procedures on which so Even if you’ve never done it this way before. much depends be trusted to deliver timely, accurate results? Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.08.2020 Throw in NHL playoff games without fans, an early-August start date and a Stanley Cup Final about the time teams should be reporting for training camps and you can understand why the foreseeable future represents a journey into the unknown. That journey also begins in six days for Green and his team and if all this is a little jarring, the Canucks head coach can say one thing: It beats the hell out of the alternative. “I mean there are so many uncertainties in every aspect of everyone’s life,” Green said over the phone late Tuesday afternoon after a day consumed with organizational meetings and planning which still didn’t include the players. “There are lots of nights when you’re lying there, thinking about everything and wondering when it’s going to come back. You take the things people really love away from them and it gives you a good perspective. “There are a lot of people whose lives have been turned upside down (by the COVID-19 pandemic). It’s been trying times for a lot of people. We’re lucky. We get to do something we love.” Like he said, the last four months have provided some perspective. The NHL’s much-anticipated return to play plan has been unveiled and while it is only slightly less complicated than NAFTA — Does the bus driver belong in Group 4? Group 3? What about the hotel bartender? — it signals hockey will be played this summer in some form. What that form looks like, of course, is a matter of some interpretation but for Green and the rest of the Canucks, that’s a secondary consideration. The primary focus, the coach maintains, is what it’s always been and on that basis, there is something familiar about what lies ahead. There will be a practice in six days. In just over two weeks, there will be a best-of- five play-in series against the Minnesota Wild in the closest thing the Canucks have been to the playoffs in five years. That much he knows. As for the rest of it, we don’t have the time or space to capture the bizarro existence that awaits the Canucks and that’s something else Green is aware of as he prepares for this singular moment. As much as anything, his job is to normalize the abnormal, to take these unprecedented circumstances and find the familiar in them. On Tuesday, Green met with the coaches, broke down video, planned practices, then met with GM Jim Benning, all while trying to familiarize himself with the many and varied protocols in the master plan. You wouldn’t exactly call it a routine day but neither was it completely out of the ordinary. “I think there’s going to a be a lot of analyzing,” Green said. “How’s it going to feel? What’s it going to look like? It’s unchartered waters but I want our group to be excited about it. I want them to talk about it. I want them to be open. I think that goes a long way.” Green, in fact, has spoken extensively over his three years with the Canucks about building a team that loves the game and everything that goes with it. You have to have it embedded in your DNA when you’re 1176272 Vancouver Canucks

Patrick Johnston: Revised cap recapture penalty still causes payroll pain for Canucks

Patrick Johnston

Fans of the Vancouver Canucks became familiar with the term "salary cap recapture penalty" when 's retirement from the impacted their salary cap and roster. With cap recapture possibly hammering the Canadiens and the Wild in the near future, the absurd penalty could have just been abolished. Instead it lives on Seven years after it was created, the NHL salary cap recapture penalty still lives on as a thorn in the side of the Vancouver Canucks’ payroll structure. The tentative collective bargaining agreement that the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association ironed out this week features a new wrinkle to the cap recapture penalty system, which was imposed after the 2012-13 lockout as a disincentive against player contracts including low-wage years tacked on to the end of big-dollar contracts to reduce the contract per-season cap hit. The penalty was also designed to apply retroactively to contracts that were already in place, like against Roberto Luongo’s deal. It meant that if players retired before their deal expired, a formula was used to reapply “savings” made over the life of the contract to the team’s salary cap as a penalty over what would have been the remaining years of the initial contract. In some cases, this would actually end up being a bigger cap hit than the original contract called for. This penalty has been applied twice. The first was on a smaller scale to the Los Angeles Kings for Mike Richards’ contract. The second time, as Canucks fans know, it was applied to Roberto Luongo’s contract. Under the funky math of cap recapture it was deemed to have “saved” $9 million against the cap. The former Canucks goalie retired last year after playing five seasons with the Florida Panthers, but the bulk of the penalty was still applied to the Canucks’ cap, just over $3 million for each of the three remaining seasons on Luongo’s contract. If, however, Luongo had retired with just one season left on his deal, the cap penalty under the old rules would have been $9 million over the one season. Under the new rules, this hit would have been reduced to the annual cap hit of $5.3 million. The difference, $3.7 million, would be applied as a penalty on the following season’s cap hit. The purpose of this penalty rejigging is clear: there are a few contracts still in force that could see the players retire with many low-wage years left on their deals, making for massive penalties on future cap years for the teams they play for. The best-known examples are the Minnesota Wilds’ and Ryan Suter, and the Montreal Canadiens’ Shea Weber. The total of Weber’s cap recapture penalty, should he retire before it expires in 2026, is $24.57 million. Parise and Suter have identical deals and each carry a total penalty of $19.37 million should they retire early. Under the old rules, those figures would be divided between how ever many years were left in their deals. If Weber were to retire with three years left on his deal — he’d be 38 at that point — the new rules would bring down the maximum penalty to his annual cap hit of $7.857 million, with the excess applied to future years. It’s still a big ticket, but still not quite the poison pill it might have been, since if he’d retired with one or two seasons left on his deal, the huge number of the penalty being divided over so few seasons would have left the Canadiens’ cap in ruins. Recapture didn’t crush the Canucks, but we knew it could cause damage to the Habs and Minnesota Wild. It would just have been easier to repeal this folly of a rule. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176273 Vancouver Canucks “I’ll be pretty happy when I can go home. You don’t buy a place in Vancouver to stay at a hotel.”

Roussel also has to adjust to a season suddenly out of rhythm. Instead of Ben Kuzma: Roussel tells Canucks' post-season newbies to not worry, the natural progression from regular season to the post-season, the long be happy pause had him scrambling to maintain fitness levels with dumbbells and other equipment. He found a rink in mid-June where he could skate three times a week. Ben Kuzma For someone so dialed in to prolonging his career, testing and safety edicts during camp and Phase 4 play in the Edmonton hub aren’t as concerning as making his camp mark right from the start. Loud and proud Antoine Roussel needs to ramp up his game at camp. “We just want to get going and that’s the part that sucks,” he said. “We "Sometimes, I think having no experience is the best because you don’t have to prep again with another training camp and it’s taxing a little bit. worry about what you’re going to get — you just play. To be honest, You get ready for weeks and you could be done in one week. A lot is on that’s awesome. You don’t want to get caught in-between." — Canucks the line for the play-in series and there’s a lot of pressure on everybody. winger Antoine Roussel Nothing is guaranteed in this business.” No NHL post-season experience? No problem. Yet, in a COVID-19 environment, Roussel is grateful for what he has and hopes to still achieve. That was Antoine Roussel’s response when the Vancouver Canucks’ winger was asked Tuesday to dole out sage advice to a roster dotted “It was like a tornado went through and changed the whole world,” he with young faces and little second-season experience. said of the virus. “I hope we can get back to where we were.” Always one to accentuate the positive, the undrafted Roubaix, France Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.08.2020 native is a hockey lifer and always willing to drag the Canucks into the fight — even when the mind is willing and the body isn’t. Roussel was a naive 22-year-old with Dallas in the 2013-14 season. The Stars went on a 12-5-2 run, limped into the final wild-card spot and dropped a first-round series to the Anaheim Ducks in six games. Two seasons later, the Stars finished second overall with 109 points and suffered a seven-game, second-round setback to the St. Louis Blues. So, when Roussel sees bagels across the post-season board — zero games for Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, Adam Gaudette, Jake Virtanen, Troy Stecher, Tyler Motte, Zack MacEwen and just six games for Bo Horvat — he’s not worried what that means against the veteran-laden Minnesota Wild in the best-of-five qualifying series that could start Aug. 1. “Sometimes, I think having no experience is the best because you don’t worry about what you’re going to get — you just play,” said the 30-year- old Roussel. “To be honest, that’s awesome. You don’t want to get caught in-between. Maybe the second time around, I was a little caught and I felt like I had a better playoff my first time. “The second time, I got hurt and this could be my last chance in the playoffs, so have fun. You get into the league and you think you’re going to be in the playoffs every year. It’s a privilege and you better have fun. Don’t have any regrets.” Roussel needs to follow his advice because the season pause didn’t help his cause. When the novel coronavirus became a pandemic on March 11, and the NHL went into shutdown mode the following day, he was just regaining lost traction. Roussel was effective on a third line with Gaudette and MacEwen, but that now seems like ancient history. Roussel must get up to stride in a hurry, be strong on the forecheck and a pain to play against. It was hard. He had ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery last April and didn’t return to the lineup until Dec. 3. After a spurt of three goals in his first two games, he often ran on fumes and endured 12- and 10-game goal droughts to finish with just 13 points (7-6) in 41 games. Fast forward and Roussel has more anticipation than angst with two seasons remaining on his four-year, US$12-million contract. He knows a healthier and Jay Beagle will make the bottom-six mix far from set when camp opens Monday at Rogers Arena. But he’s in a good place. New-born son Leonard arrived a week ago to join brother Theodore, 3, and sister Raphaelle, 2½. His wife, Alexandra, and the kids will remain at the family off-season farm in Quebec while the winger wraps his head around the new normal in the NHL. Roussel arrived in Vancouver on Thursday and his eight-day COVID-19 quarantine for jetting here from another province ends Friday. For now, it’s a hotel-to-rink bubble existence in Phase 2 of voluntary skating and training. “It’s OK, but it’s different,” he said of rooming alone at a downtown hotel. “Usually, I’m really busy and I like it that way. But it’s also good because I’ve been go, go the last couple of weeks with the baby and some time to rest is a good thing for me. 1176274 Websites First, you need to be seeing fewer cases among your players and staff than you would have if you hadn’t restarted. Second, shut the team or league down if you see an outbreak (3-4 cases on one or multiple teams in a few day span). Third, ensure you’re not hoarding tests or medical The Athletic / Bourne: How many positive tests would the NHL deem too resources that your communities need. Finally, write down and publicize many? an objective red line or, if you feel the situation is too complex, empower an independent board of experts to make shutdown decisions; leaving commissioners to “know it when they see it” may tempt you to push By Justin Bourne Jul 7, 2020 things too far. So in terms of actual numbers, an epidemiologist feels 3-4 cases on a team would be cause for potentially shutting that group down. (And if that It didn’t take long for the recent rash of sports teams and positive COVID- happens to a team, what comes next?) But the biggest note for me in 19 tests to reveal an inevitable reality: NHLers will test positive in the there is this: It would be wise to determine an “objective red line” before coming days and weeks and months, and with that, we’re going to we get into this and it turns into everyone getting numb to big numbers of wonder “How many is too many confirmed cases?” cases and plowing ahead anyway. We know for sure the answer isn’t under 35. That’s how many positives I also think it’s important to get our collective head around the idea that, the NHL has verified from its initial testing as players worked through for this to be considered a worthwhile endeavour — this whole “finishing Phases 1 and 2, joining their teammates for small group sessions at their the hockey season” thing — the league doesn’t have to somehow come home rinks. through this positive-test free. In fact, a number of tests would actually be fine, considering these guys weren’t going to run up a total sum of NHL STATEMENT ON COVID-19 TESTING RESULTS: COVID-19 cases of flat-zero by not coming back and playing. The PIC.TWITTER.COM/NDWMOWNVNF baseline number of success is more like “better than the percentage of — NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS (@PR_NHL) JULY 6, 2020 initial positive tests during Phase 2,” where players were living without league-mandated restrictions. It’s important to note this phase is likely to produce the most positive test results, just given the variety of locations the players are in, they aren’t in Here’s more on that from Binney, and on the idea of thinking in any sort of a protected bubble, and everyone is living their life as they counterfactuals, and what that means for the NHL, which is trying to see fit by their own safety standards. create a lower-risk environment. With that out of the way, it’s impossible not to wonder how many positive Epidemiologists love to think in counterfactuals – in simple terms, what is tests the league would power on through to keep the season going. I was the risk to players and staff if a.) the league returns or b.) it doesn’t. If a.) thinking about it and dreading the inevitable press conferences (via is higher than b.) you have a higher-risk environment. Good news: a.) is Zoom!) where we’ll hear “Well, we all knew we wouldn’t get through this fairly easy to measure if you’re doing regular testing. But b.) is harder – without positive tests, so …” it’s the counterfactual of what would happen if you didn’t return. So I was hoping we could actually address what we expect, in terms of The best proxy we have for b.) is results from initial tests of players and how many cases of COVID-19 would in fact be seen as too many. staff immediately after they return to team facilities because these cases represent infections they overwhelmingly picked up in the community just And so, I tweeted. What else can a person do these days? living their lives. AS SPORTS FANS NOW WE HEAR, AND WILL HEAR MORE OF He then noted that: VARIATIONS OF: “WE KNEW THERE’D BE POSITIVE TESTS,” ETC, SHAPING ALL THESE POSITIVES AS NORMAL. IT’D BE NICE TO For players, in the first round of testing in both the NHL and NBA about HAVE SOME IDEA WHAT THE LEAGUES EXPECT *BEFOREHAND*, 5% of players tested positive; those positives probably represent WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL IN TERMS OF POSITIVE infections picked up in about the prior 2 weeks. This is slightly TESTS. complicated by the fact that some of these players were probably only doing risky things, like playing pickup games, because they knew the — JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) JULY 7, 2020 league was coming back, so drop that number a little bit. If the NBA or NHL saw <4% of players testing positive in a 2-week period while they NOT LIKE THERE’S SOMETHING SINISTER THERE FROM THE were operating, you could argue they should continue as they’re not LEAGUES, JUST DON’T WANNA HEAR “WELL WE ALL SAW THIS adding risk above and beyond what the players would’ve been COMING” IF THERE’S AN OUTBREAK OF A DOZEN TESTS OR experiencing absent a return. WHATEVER IN THE BUBBLE. IS ONE A DISASTER? I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE PARAMETERS OF NORMAL HERE. (Again, I encourage you to read the piece, and follow Binney here.) — JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) JULY 7, 2020 This makes sense. If the league is, in fact, able to quell the large outbreaks, and is willing to live with quickly isolating and doing contract- I DO RECOGNIZE THE LEAGUES WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO GAIN tracing with those who test positive, then you have to believe the show BY COMMENTING ON THAT, SO I DUNNO, MAYBE I NEED AN will go on, no matter who tests positive. EPIDEMIOLOGIST HERE MORE THAN A COMMISSIONER. It doesn’t seem like the league would have an exact line on “How much is — JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) JULY 7, 2020 too much,” but I think it’s reasonable to expect that it’s not about any total, so much as it’ll be about keeping an outbreak from becoming And with those thoughts, an epidemiologist I was given. Thanks for the unmanageable. help, my friend. That will take a lot of trust from the players and staff that the NHL is EPIDEMIOLOGIST CHIMING IN HERE. I’VE BEEN STRUGGLING managing it all ably. WITH THESE SAME ISSUES. I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU THINK THROUGH WHAT LEAGUES SHOULD “EXPECT” & WHAT MIGHT BE People worldwide are being asked to trust experts, those in the bubble CONSIDERED “NORMAL” OR “REASONABLE” VS. A SIGN THINGS are being asked to trust leagues, and players are being asked to trust ARE GOING WRONG AND NEED TO BE that everyone is operating in a safe manner away from the rink. SHUTTERED.HTTPS://T.CO/EMWCJMQFKO You can probably draw a pretty direct line between how willing and able — ZACHARY BINNEY, PHD (@ZBINNEY_NFLINJ) JULY 7, 2020 you are to trust, with just how successful you see the NHL’s bubble plans playing out. What Binney focuses on are not some raw number of cases that trigger an “OK we’ve gone too far” eject button on the season, but rather The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 potential outbreaks, which run the risk of moving beyond immediate control. His piece compiles broader thoughts than that, but I thought that concept was particularly instructive for hockey fans. It seems players returning to play are accepting the risk of contracting COVID-19 and the leagues are fine with everyone getting it individually. But the second it spreads in clusters quickly enough that a team has to be shut down, then the big red CANCEL button comes into play. Here’s a key paragraph of conclusions Binney reached in his article: 1176275 Websites well and play at both ends, but lacks high-end hands and goal-scoring ability. Volkov’s toolkit is arguably the best of any of this group, showing NHL size, speed and skill, but scouts knock his consistency. The Athletic / Pronman: Prospects Seattle should target – and avoid – in By the time the expansion draft rolls around, I think you could realistically the expansion draft expect a lot of this group to be able to step in right away and play minutes for Seattle.

Pass (Players who don’t project as useful NHL players) By Corey Pronman Jul 7, 2020 Lias Andersson, C, New York Rangers

Rasmus Asplund, C, Buffalo The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek played the role of Seattle’s GM and drafted the expansion team’s roster. Our team of beat writers provided Tyler Benson, LW, Edmonton him a protected list for each team based on their knowledge of the Gabriel Carlsson, D, Columbus organization they cover. Carl Grundstrom, LW, Los Angeles Now I will act as Duhatschek’s mock counsel on the prospects that were left unprotected and discuss which players I’m very interested in Libor Hajek, D, New York Rangers acquiring, which I have some interest in and which I think we shouldn’t bother on. The actual expansion draft will have a bit more nuance, with Julius Honka, D, Dallas trades and contract details being bigger factors, but we will ignore those Connor Ingram, G, Nashville complexities for now since we’re a year out and focus purely on talent evaluations. I discussed these players with pro scouts around the NHL, Matiss Kivlenieks, G, Columbus but the opinions are ultimately mine. Otto Koivula, C, New York Islanders I am using a new definition of prospect for this summer and going forward. All players who are age 22 or under as of Sept. 15, 2020, no Maxime Lajoie, D, Ottawa matter how many NHL games they have played are considered a prospect. All other players are considered a prospect unless they 1) turn Jeremy Lauzon, D, Boston 26 by Sept. 15, 2020 2) are a skater who has played 25 NHL games in Gustav Lindstrom, D, Detroit any season and playoffs, or 50 career games or 3) are a goaltender who has played 10 NHL games in any season and playoffs or 25 career Samuel Montembault, G, Florida games. Evgeny Svechnikov, LW, Detroit The Targets (Players who project as average or better NHL players) Jakub Zboril, D, Boston Jake Bean, D, Carolina I have these players classified as passes, but I do think a lot of them are Tyson Jost, C, Colorado fine or better NHL prospects, and several have played in the NHL already. I just don’t think any are guys I would stamp as for sure going to Alexander Nylander, RW, Chicago play in the big league for a significant period of time and help a team. In Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, Edmonton an expansion draft, I think you need to be getting NHL players, not longshots or guys to fill out your AHL team. I know Duhatschek in his These are three forwards you can realistically project to be middle-six mock draft had cap considerations in his picks, which I haven’t looked at players, forwards who will be able to score at a quality NHL level and for this exercise. play on your power play. Jake Bean is a potential quality top-four defenseman who is coming off two excellent seasons in the AHL. I don’t Andersson was a top 10 pick in 2017, is very intelligent and works his tail think any of these four are going to be stars, but they all provide a lot of off. But he’s undersized and doesn’t have true NHL level speed or skill. I ability. appreciate how good he was as a teenager, but I haven’t seen it translate to the higher levels the past few years. Jost is a very skilled and intelligent forward who can play the middle with good, not great speed. Nylander has a ton of skill and can both make and I rated Benson very highly a year ago this time, but I’ve backtracked on finish plays at high levels, but lacks speed and physicality. Puljujarvi is that one. His skill and vision are great, but his skating continues to be an the 2016 fourth-overall pick who has a tremendous toolkit as a 6-foot-4 issue and his lack of goal-scoring ability in his two seasons in the pros is winger with very good speed for his size, great hands and a plus shot. a concern, too. He’s not a great playmaker and is a little soft, but I think he has top-six Ingram was a top goalie in the AHL the past two years and is a very upside even though he played outside the NHL last season. Bean is a intelligent goaltender who plays an efficient style. But he isn’t that big or very smart defenseman who can skate and has improved his defensive quick so I wonder how it will translate to the NHL. play a lot, earning recognition as the top defenseman in the AHL as a 21- year-old. Svechnikov was a first-rounder in 2015, who is a big, strong forward with very good hockey sense. But he lacks great foot speed, and he’s been Bean, Jost, Nylander and Puljujarvi could be important building blocks for either hurt or unproductive in recent years. Zboril is the 2015 13th-overall the Seattle franchise, but they will still need critical pieces who have pick and is a fantastic skater. But scouts question his hockey sense, and upper-echelon ability, whether potential or realized that these four don’t. he hasn’t taken a big step in the AHL in recent years, posting 19 points in Considerations (Players who can project as useful or better NHL players) three straight years. Kieffer Bellows, LW, New York Islanders Honka, Lajoie and Lindstrom were selected by Duhatschek in his mock draft, and although all three have played in the NHL, I have a hard time Trent Frederic, C, Boston seeing them being useful regulars. Honka has all the offensive tools between his skating, skill and vision, but didn’t have a great year in Janne Kuokkanen, C, New Jersey Finland and his defensive game in the NHL was a big question. Lajoie’s skating and defense are suspect even though he’s a very intelligent Isac Lundestrom, C, Anaheim player with some skill. Lindstrom has great two-way hockey sense, but Alexander Volkov, LW, Tampa Bay his skating and lack of offense are concerns for me. This group of players could realistically project to play games in the NHL, I would want almost all of these players in my organization if the price all likely as bottom-six forwards, and be competent but they likely won’t was a later draft pick and not an expansion slot, but I think realistically become important parts of a team. they project as replacement players and players you’re going to need to do work with to get to them to being useful regular NHL players. Bellows is a very competitive and intelligent goal-scorer but lacks NHL speed. Frederic is a big, strong, hard forward with good sense but also The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 isn’t that quick. NHL scouts think he realistically projects as a fourth-line center. Kuokkanen is a skilled playmaker but lacks NHL speed and was traded recently from Carolina to New Jersey. He may be a tweener due to his size and skating, but I think the talent is good enough to play. Lundestrom is the 2018 23rd-overall pick who can skate, see the ice very 1176276 Websites prospects in the sport and it has so far paid off. Ingram was outstanding this year and I believe he should have won the AHL’s goaltender of the year award over Kaapo Kähkönen. This isn’t new, either. Ingram has been a dominant goalie at every level he has played at for basically five The Athletic / Wheeler: The top 10 drafted NHL goalie prospects ranking, consecutive seasons. He’s a strong, powerful goalie who explodes to his 2020 edition spots and can go post-to-post to make the big stretch save. He’s an aggressive goalie in his net, in part because he doesn’t have the 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 frame that some of the other names on this list do, but he By Scott Wheeler Jul 7, 2020 does a good job controlling his movements so that he doesn’t get caught out of position when the play is moving left-to-right (or vice versa).

4. Dustin Wolf, G, 19 (Calgary Flames — 214th overall, 2019) This year, as part of the release of my annual top 50 drafted prospects rankings, I decided to build out a goalie list that would exist He’s going to keep proving everyone wrong and become an NHL goalie. I independently of the player list. really did believe that last year before he fell to the bottom of the draft, and his stellar play in 2019-2020 only helped his case. Wolf is small. He’s There are a few reasons for this departure from how I typically evaluate listed at 6-feet and even that feels generous. But he never looks small. prospects (which has always included goalies side-by-side players). The He’s almost always in position. When he gets off of his line he has a first is that there are only ever a couple of goalies who deserve to be great glove hand. He’s got quick feet but he doesn’t swim. And the ranked inside the top 50 and I want to give more time and space to a numbers speak for themselves. We know that hockey players are unique longer list. The second is that goalies are extremely hard for me to from one another in more ways than professional athletes in many other evaluate relative to players. The third comes down the progression of sports are but we still tend to box them in as “you can’t be a 6-foot NHL goalie prospects, which doesn’t fit into the age or games played starting goalie in today’s NHL” and so on. That isn’t always the case, cutoff that I’ve established for the players. though, and while they may inform the likelihood we place on an outcome, there are always exceptions. I think Wolf has what it takes in So here’s my adjusted criteria for goalie prospects, which I hope better skillset and mindset to be one of those exceptions. reflects those realities. For consideration, a goalie must be: 5. Cayden Primeau, G, 20 (Montreal Canadiens — 199th overall, 2017) Under 25 years old. This expanded age criteria (I used to lump goalies in with my under-23 cutoff for skaters) allowed for the continued Primeau had a bit of an up and down rookie season at the pro level but consideration of goalies like Ilya Sorokin, Kaapo Kähkönen and Connor that’s to be expected for most prospects, even the best among them. It Ingram, who are very much still prospects. can be easy to forget that he’s only 20 and he has an August birthday because it feels like he has been around forever. I liked the way he Not currently established as one of their NHL club’s two go-to options, started and finished the year, which included a nice run of play at the end ruling out rookie goaltenders like Mackenzie Blackwood, Ilya Samsonov, of February and into March before the shutdown. I don’t think he has to Elvis Merzlikins, Thatcher Demko and Igor Shesterkin. be as aggressive in the net as he is, because it can pull him out of And here are my top 10 drafted NHL goalie prospects (which I will also position or force him into tough saves, but Primeau has the size and the update, as with my top 50 players, after the 2020 NHL Draft takes place). technical skill on his feet or in his butterfly to stay involved in the play and recover from mistakes. 1. Ilya Sorokin, G, 24 (New York Islanders — 78th overall, 2014) 6. Jake Oettinger, G, 21 (Dallas Stars — 26th overall, 2017) Given how good Ilya Samsonov, Igor Shesterkin, and Alexandar Georgiev have already shown they can be in the NHL, and how much Oettinger’s another big, heavy goalie who followed an excellent collegiate buzz Yaroslav Askarov has created, it has almost felt like Sorokin’s career with an up and down rookie season in the AHL (though I would dominance has been lost in the fray somewhere among his Russian say there were more ups for Oettinger than Primeau, regardless of their cohorts just by virtue of waiting a year longer in the KHL. That has ranking here). Oettinger is a big goalie who kind of reminds me of Robin always felt weird to me because I honestly believe Sorokin has a chance Lehner and Frederik Andersen at the same age in terms of the weight he to be the best NHL goalie of the bunch. He has a stronger track record carries and the way he plays (he’s the heaviest goalie to appear on this professionally in Europe than Samsonov, Shesterkin and Georgiev, and list so far). Oettinger can scramble too much at times, which isn’t there are stylistic concerns with Asakrov that don’t exist in Sorokin’s uncommon for young goalies but is particularly noticeable when you’re as game. I don’t think people properly understand how good Sorokin has big as he is and it’s important to be compact. There’s a ton to like in his been in the KHL. He entered the second-best pro league in the world as game though, from a strong glove hand to his mobility for his size or the a 17-year-old and has a career .930 save percentage in 244 regular- job he does shutting down the lower half of the net. season games (!) since. That’s the equivalent to four 60-game seasons 7. Justus Annunen, G, 20 (Colorado Avalanche — 64th overall, 2018) as a virtually unflappable goalie. During that time, he also has a career .940 save percentage across 69 playoff games. We’re talking about a After struggling to find his footing at the pro level a year ago, Annunen massive sample size. was one of the best young goalies in Europe this season as a big part of a top team, sharing the Kärpät workload with veteran (if you can call a While some of that success is surely linked to playing the vast majority of 26-year-old that) Patrik Rybar and excelling at the world juniors where he that career with CSKA, Sorokin also checks a lot of boxes stylistically. At was arguably Finland’s top player. He’s big and relies on his power to get 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds, he’s not the biggest goalie in the world, but to his spots but also has surprising quickness for his size when he looks Sorokin does an expert job getting set in his stance, squaring up down and out or has to adjust his feet on a give-and-go play to recover shooters, tracking the play, and seeing through traffic. He’s not the most against his momentum. Patience is going to be key as his play can waver athletic, nor the tallest, but he rarely looks surprised by shots and and he needs to continue the success of this season beyond. The tools swallows rebounds so that he doesn’t have to make a ton of difficult are all there though. second-opportunity saves. I think he’s going to be a starter — and a good one — though there’s always volatility with projecting goalies. 8. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, 21 (Buffalo Sabres — 54th overall, 2017) 2. Spencer Knight, G, 19 (Florida Panthers — 13th overall, 2019) Luukkonen’s 2018-2019 season went about as well as you could have hoped for. He was the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player (the third goalie in In hindsight, I was a little too low on Knight a year ago when he ranked in more than 60 years to do so). He backstopped Finland to gold at the the 30s and 40s on my board for most of the year and I didn’t think he world juniors, where he was named to the tournament all-star team. And was worth the risk at 13th overall. He was better this year as a college then in his first professional start in North America, he made 32 saves on starter than I expected he would be and was, as a freshman, arguably 34 shots in a 4-2 win for the Rochester Americans over the Belleville the Eagles’ most valuable player. That says a lot about the polish his Senators. So expectations were understandably sky high as he turned game has. Knight’s got the size NHL teams look for in a starting goalie, pro full-time. Most everyone expected more out of him than what he gave but he’s also got a poise to his game that never really seems to waver. A at the AHL level, where he struggled across 10 more games. He was, goalie prospect like Askarov probably has a higher gear in terms of just however, pretty strong in his time in the ECHL. And a sporadic rookie how good he is when he’s dialed in but Knight just has a consistency to season in the AHL shouldn’t outright change opinions on his merits as a his game that reduces the frequency with which he lets in bad goals. His legitimate goalie prospect. These things take time. Most goalie prospects ability to handle the puck and help out on the breakout is also a major spend three or four years in the AHL before making the jump. I saw him asset. get cleanly beat a few times this year, where he froze on good shots (the 3. Connor Ingram, G, 23 (Nashville Predators — 88th overall, 2016) kinds of shots he’s going to see in the NHL) and that’s never a good sign but he’s a big, athletic goalie who fills a lot of the net, makes tough saves After Ingram’s relationship with the Lightning grew fractured, the when he’s on, and should only improve. Predators took a swing on one of the most purely talented goalie 9. Jeremy Swayman, G, 21 (Boston Bruins — 111th overall, 2017) It took me some time to come around on Swayman, the best goalie in college hockey this season. This season, though, whenever Maine needed him, he was there. And not just there to keep them in games but to regularly steal some too. His game has a refinement to it on the technical side that is above and beyond most of the others his age on this list. Though he lacks some of the tools of sheer athleticism and explosiveness that a couple of the others here have, which may limit his upside as a starter at the next level, there’s a consistency to his game and his details that help him control the first save so that the second one aren’t tough. He just doesn’t have those hiccups that result in bad goals from weird angles slipping through. 10. Joel Hofer, G, 19 (St. Louis Blues — 107th overall, 2018) If I’d put together this list at the start of the year, Hofer wouldn’t have been on it. He may not have even been on it at the midway point after taking Canada’s starting job on the way to a gold medal in Ostrava. But I made a point of watching him and 2020-eligible teammate Seth Jarvis in the second half and he was the clear backbone of one of the best teams in junior hockey on a night-to-night basis, even when the numbers weren’t there (he actually struggled into the abrupt end of the season in terms of his save percentage in February and March). Hofer is massive, he’s smart (on and off the ice), and though I’ve had concerns in the past about his movement, he did a good job this season of staying compact so that he didn’t have to rely on his feet as much on corrections. The Ranking Though only 10 goalies could make this list, the number of goalies considered was double that, as is usually the case with this ranking and others (including Monday’s drafted prospects ranking). Among the goalie prospects I debated for the back half of the ranking were: Minnesota’s Kaapo Kähkönen, Winnipeg’s Mikhail Berdin, Buffalo’s Erik Portillo, Columbus’ Veini Vehvilainen and Daniil Tarasov, Arizona’s Ivan Prosvetov, Tampa Bay’s Hugo Alnefelt, Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal, and St. Louis’ Vadim Zherenko. The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176277 Websites Right. Exactly. And they’re easy to separate. They’re just hanging out, sitting on their butts, or skating around between the blue line and the red line. You’ve got tonnes of space to work with. I think if you use that space wisely, the little kids are OK. It’s the bigger ones that I’d be more The Athletic / Is it safe for youth sports to resume? An infectious concerned about. diseases expert weighs in Back to the reader questions: Would you feel comfortable having your son or daughter play hockey with some of the recommended measures? By Sean Fitz-Gerald Jul 7, 2020 Obviously, these are very personal questions, and they’re going to be contextualized not just to the kid, but to the family, as well. I think people have to think about a few different things. Number one is their child. Does Since the novel coronavirus began its global sweep, Dr. Isaac Bogoch your child have any underlying condition that would put him or her at risk has tried to schedule most of his media requests at the beginning and for having a more severe outcome compared to other children? end of his day. The hours in between are filled with demands from his In general, children do relatively well with this infection. But of course, actual job: In clinics, on the hospital wards and helping governments children can still be infected, children can transmit this infection. And shape public policy. there is rare — but real — poor outcomes in children with this infection. As an infectious diseases expert, based at Toronto General Hospital, Again, it’s rare, but it’s real. Bogoch has donated spare time to become an educational device in the The second point is, if your child gets infected — perhaps at the rink, or era of COVID-19. He has been on television, radio, print and any other playing sports — and brings it home, how does this impact the rest of the outlet where Canadians are learning about the virus. house? Does that child live with elderly parents, or elderly grandparents, “There’s 38 million of us,” Bogoch said, “and it’s important to know what’s or people under the roof who are at risk of infection? going on.” Beyond the health aspect, there is a tremendous economic side of In some of his spare time before the pandemic, he was also a things, as well. Let’s say the child is infected, or that someone in the recreational hockey player. Bogoch took time out from his schedule — dressing room is infected. It’s not inconceivable that a child — or a parent near the end of a recent workday — to field COVID-specific questions who took the child to the rink — would be considered a close contact. from readers of The Athletic. He was asked about return to play protocols That parent or child might not get the infection. But if you’re a close in hockey and baseball and soccer; about the safety of public pools, and contact, you have to isolate at home for a period of 14 days. That means whether children should sit out until a vaccine is found. your kid is going to be out of school for 14 days. That means a parent Here are those questions and answers, which have been edited for might not be able to go to work for 14 days. length and clarity. So the economic impact and the greater impact of being home for 14 For hockey, what kinds of things can be done to reduce the risk of days has to be considered as well, in addition to the health impact. transmission on the bench? There’s a lot that goes into this that I’m not sure people are considering, and there’s pretty big ramifications for a positive case, or being a close Oh god, I’m dreading this one. Seriously. This is a very challenging contact. question. The benches, typically, have a bunch of kids jammed in, waiting to go onto the ice for their shift. There is bodychecking at competitive levels of youth hockey: Is there any reason to adjust this rule and remove bodychecking? We know that this infection can be transmitted easier in indoor settings, when people are in close proximity to each other and, perhaps, when There are going to be a lot of polarized opinions on this one. I’ve given people are breathing heavily in that setting. So the benches could be a this a bit of thought. I totally would be happy to change my mind. But challenge if someone is infected. currently, I don’t think that removing bodychecking would provide a measurable safety to hockey. We know that duration of exposure is also an important variable. Typically — myself excluded — people aren’t sitting on the bench for I think the areas to be concerned about are the bench and the dressing very long. (Bogoch laughs) I ride the pine. So that would be something room and the other 23 hours of the day, when people aren’t playing that needs to be thought out carefully. hockey. Those are the areas where you can improve. There are a couple of strategies that can be taken. Number one is taking A bodycheck? Of course it’s close contact. And of course the risk is not a step way back and saying, “how do you comprise your team? How do zero percent. But I think, with such fleeting contact, the risk is probably you screen people before they come to the rink?” Clearly, if anyone feels lower than what we think. And there are other higher-yield areas to really unwell, they shouldn’t be coming in at all. Even with minor symptoms, focus on. they shouldn’t be coming in at all. Now, having said that, if we want to provide the most stringent levels of Of course, you’re relying on the honour system there. And of course — control, what you would do is, you would make adjustments at every step let’s be honest with ourselves — parents are going to be driving kids to along the way, and add tiny bits of incremental safety to create a much the rink, and there is internal and external pressure to show up and to larger, safer game. And that may include removing bodychecking. compete. Somehow, we have to enforce this ideology that, “if you feel But I think, before bodychecking is removed, we should really be unwell at all, stay home.” focusing on much more important areas. Beyond that, specific to the bench: I honestly haven’t given this a lot of Would wearing a full face shield provide any protection from COVID-19, thought, and I don’t have a good solution. Could there be ways where we over wearing a cage? And have you seen Bauer’s prototype add-on for could space kids out? Is there a quick re-design of the bench, and make the full face shield? it bigger? Or put some rubber down and knock out the back of the bench so it extends a little bit toward the stands, depending on the design of the The answer is: I don’t know. rink? Just to give kids a lot more space to physically distance themselves? I honestly don’t know. The traditional full face shield has gaping holes at the mouth. I don’t think it would provide any additional benefit above and On the ice, there’s going to be contact. There’s going to be close beyond the cage. proximity. But it’s kind of fleeting, in a way. The bench is where there could be a lot of exposures. I would also add the dressing room, as well. In my dream world — which will never exist — it would be amazing to see a trial of face shields versus cages for the transmission of infection. One other thought, and let me run this by you. This would be fascinating on an academic level, but it will never happen. OK. Now, the Bauer addition covers up many of the holes around the mouth. And in all fairness, it looks like a pretty impressive add-on to the cage. With the younger kids … with some of the half-ice play, I don’t think it’s Obviously, some protection is better than none. It might not be perfect, really a big issue. Sometimes, the boards are really set up at the blue but you never let perfect get in the way of good enough. It might be a line. The kids are between the blue line and the red line, waiting to jump very useful add-on to the helmet to prevent the spread of infection. on. You’ve got two games that are played simultaneously. I have to say “might,” because I just don’t know. The specs look pretty So the initiation program could actually be safer, because they’re never impressive. And it certainly could — I have to use these words carefully – on the bench? it could be a very helpful addition in preventing the spread of infection. What are some tangible steps an adult men’s baseball league can take to Is it possible to safely run a boys high school-age lacrosse tournament prevent COVID-19 in a late summer Ontario league playing once a that has teams flying in from all over the country? week? I would be very careful about that, as of July 2020. Nobody has a crystal Basic public health measures for staying COVID-free: Hand hygiene, ball. But currently, the way things are going in most of the United States, physical distancing, putting on a mask where you’re in close proximity to I would be very careful flying people in to a lacrosse tournament. each other. Obviously, lacrosse can be indoors, so that’s not ideal. You’d have to In baseball, of most of the sports that I can think of, this is up there with think about people in close proximity, on the bench and in the dressing one of the safest. You’re outside, so that’s fantastic, right off the bat. rooms. That’s not ideal. Because we’re just seeing very little transmission in outdoor environments. The second point is, people are generally pretty far apart I think it’s a bad idea, at this point in time, to do something like that. from each other. Except if someone is on base. But even then, you can Does sports equipment need to be washed more frequently? probably make some easy modifications to allow for someone to be on base and be somewhat distant from the first baseman. Yes. There is a hand hygiene component. The ball could be in multiple Is there less of a risk of contracting the virus in an outdoor pool? Kids are peoples’ hands. If we are reminding people, “try not to touch your eyes always spitting out water and there is often close contact. Does the and rub your face, or rub your nose,” and between innings, have easy chlorine kill the virus? access to hand sanitizer, or a hand sanitation station. I think that would be helpful, as well. I don’t think people are going to get this infection from the pool itself. I think being in an outdoor pool environment is a pretty low-risk setting. It For a sport like youth baseball, where would be the greatest risk for would be more in change rooms, or locker rooms, where I think the risk transmission: Touching baseballs or being in close contact in a dugout? would be higher. Oh, I think it’s the dugout. And it’s just simply because there’s a large In general, if people can spread apart and go to a pool in an outdoor number of people in pretty close proximity to each other. The benefit is setting, I think that’s a pretty low-risk scenario. that you’re outside and that significantly reduces the risk. It probably doesn’t eliminate it. And if you’ve got enough guys packed in the dugout Tell me why my kids just shouldn’t sit the rest of 2020 out. and someone’s infected, you might see transmission. Oh, that’s a great question. That’s a great question. In general, there’s a lot more room to spread out in baseball, even when It’s absolutely true that kids can get this infection, and that kids can you’re not actively on the field. And I think these are easy modifications transmit this infection. I think that there’s going to be a lot of children who that could be made either to leagues, but also to recreational baseball, as sit out amateur sports this year, and I think that’s completely reasonable. well. I think that every family considering putting their child into amateur sports If and when a vaccine becomes available, do you foresee proof of has a very good look at what it means to the child, to the family, to the vaccination being required for registration/entrance of players, coaches, school, to the community — and what the impact of a positive case might and parents to play sports in indoor facilities? be. Oh, this is a great question. For some families, that means their child’s going to sit this out. And that’s I do. Before COVID-19, if you wanted to go to school, you have to show totally OK. proof of vaccination. And I think in the COVID-19 era, when — I’m not For other families, it might mean that they can proceed in putting their kid using the word “if,” I’m going to use the word “when” — a vaccine in amateur sports in a cautious and careful manner, and that’s also OK. becomes available, we will see most areas demonstrate proof of vaccination for access to play sports, or to go to school, as well. I think we’re going to see a lot of people sit this year out, and I think that’s totally acceptable. Of course, there’s always going to be medical exemptions. There’s always going to be a handful of people who want to abuse those medical The Athletic LOADED: 07.08.2020 exemption rules. But by and large, I think when this becomes available, the vast majority of people will get the vaccine. What are your thoughts on the COVID-19 transmission risk in gyms? Is the two-metre physical distancing enough or does it need to be greater given the heavy breathing? We’ve got to be careful about that. Certainly, physical distancing and being two metres apart is helpful. But I think the other factors to consider are: How good is the air circulation in the gym? How effective can you really maintain a two-metre distance from other people? On paper, that might sound great, and the way things are designed might set people up for success. But we know humans behave like humans, and the best-laid plans are not always adhered to. Factors that would make gyms a little more risky than other settings are that they’re indoors, there might be people who are breathing heavily during the course of their exercise. Obviously, not all indoor facilities are created equally, but those that have poor air circulation — or are more enclosed than others, with low ceilings — may be higher-risk settings. I’m looking forward to registering my kids for soccer in the fall. I would think that this sport is probably safer than most other indoor sports that occur during the winter. Would you agree? If this is outdoor soccer, the answer is “yes.” Outdoor soccer is also probably one of the safer team sports. Of course, it’s not a zero percent risk. There’s still a lot of contact in soccer. There’s still a lot of close proximity between kids in soccer. The huge benefit is that it’s outside and that the duration of proximity is generally pretty low. It’s not like it’s wrestling or something like that. The risk would be lower in soccer compared to team sports that are played in indoor environments where there’s also a lot of close contact. And things you could do to mitigate risk of transmission in soccer is avoid prolonged settings where players are in close contact with each other: Team huddles. 1176278 Websites Besides Tanev, Edler and Stecher, the Freedom Group includes Jake Virtanen and Tyler Myers, who spent most of the shutdown in the Okanagan, as well as Albertans Brandon Sutter and Jay Beagle and Manitoban Micheal Ferland. Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Chris Tanev 'ready to go' after long post-season layoff Virtanen marked his return to the city last week by visiting a nightclub. Video and photos of the winger mixing with friends caused Canucks Twitter to melt. The Virtanen party was subject to the club’s social- distancing guidelines, but it was an unnecessary risk for the 23-year-old, Iain MacIntyre | July 7, 2020, 6:53 PM even if he will have no contact with the majority of his teammates until training camp opens Monday at Rogers Arena. VANCOUVER – The first time he played an NHL playoff game, Chris The Canucks are preparing for camp in small groups isolating from one Tanev was a little-known 21-year-old minor league call-up who was two other. years removed from the of the Ontario Junior Hockey “I think he knows he made a little bit of a mistake,” Tanev said. “But he’s League. tested now, I believe, twice and he’s tested negative. It’s obviously a Tanev was ninth on the Vancouver Canucks’ defence depth chart, still a tough situation when you’re not technically in quarantine and you’re rookie in the American Hockey League, when the 2011 Stanley Cup allowed to go out and do whatever you want. But you’ve got to keep tournament began. But the defenceman from Toronto logged nearly 21 everyone in mind that we’re trying to create a safe environment for NHL minutes the night Kevin Bieksa’s overtime slap shot (on an assist everyone. I think he knows that that was obviously the wrong decision, from a stanchion) won the Western Conference title and sent the but I mean, I think him and guys seeing that now going forward will be Canucks to their first Stanley Cup Final in 17 years. smarter.” Tanev then played the final three games of the Canucks’ seven-game Coaches call that a teachable moment. series loss against the Boston Bruins. We’ve had a lot of those in the world since February. No one at the start of that spring foresaw this undrafted, skinny-but-smart Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.08.2020 late bloomer playing for the chance to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. Still, Tanev was ready. And five years since he last played a playoff game, Tanev will be ready again this summer no matter how little time teams have to prepare for an extraordinary Stanley Cup summer tournament in the year of the coronavirus pandemic. “Mentally, it’s the same; you’re getting ready to go,” Tanev told reporters in a conference call Tuesday when asked about preparing for an NHL training camp in July and playoffs in August. “Whenever the day is that it starts, I think everyone will be ready and mentally prepared. Depending on where everyone was in the world (during the NHL’s four-month shutdown), they were allowed to do different things. I feel strong. I’ve worked out. I’ve been skating for quite a while now. I feel ready to go whenever that date is.” Earlier, the 30-year-old said: “I was fortunate enough my first few years in the league to be able to play in the playoffs, and we haven’t been able to do it in recent years. Our young guys are our best players, and they’ll be ready to go. “I think we have just as good a shot as anyone to win this thing, so I think we’re going to be ready to go once the puck drops.” There isn’t much time. Ordinarily, players skate hard for at least a month before training camp, which is followed by a five- to eight-game pre-season ahead of October season-openers – the first step in an 82-game race to the playoffs that increases steadily in pace and intensity. In the summer of COVID-19, the 24 teams still playing will have as little as three weeks – and perhaps only one or two exhibition games – to get ready for “playoff” hockey. No one knows for sure what the hockey will look like, except there will be no spectators in the arenas of the hub cities, which are expected to be Edmonton and Toronto. “I honestly have no idea,” Tanev said. “I don’t know if there’s an exhibition game or two games or what’s going on, but that play-in series is going to be, I think, a lot different for guys. You’re sort of jumping in to play playoffs (after) maybe only playing one game. It’s going to be very different. But I think as that series gets passed, and you start to get into the second and third rounds, the hockey will get quite good as guys get playing more.” The Canucks have a five-game preliminary-round series against the Minnesota Wild. Tanev was one of only three Canucks – Troy Stecher and Alex Edler were the others – who remained in Vancouver during the shutdown. The benefit, besides the obvious health advantage of remaining in one of the safest major cities in the world, is that Canucks who didn’t require a flight to return to the West Coast now have relative freedom compared to group-quarantining teammates. “I think a few guys aren’t as happy as us who have the freedom to walk around and do things outside of the hotel room, that’s for sure,” Tanev said. 1176279 Websites Forwards: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Connor McDavid – Zack Kassian

Tyler Ennis – Leon Draisaitl – Kailer Yamamoto Sportsnet.ca / Phase 3 Training Camp Preview: Oilers' biggest question lies in net James Neal – Jujhar Khaira – Alex Chiasson Andreas Athanasiou – Riley Sheahan – Josh Archibald Mark Spector | July 7, 2020, 11:08 AM Defence: Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers only fell into the qualifying round Darnell Nurse – Ethan Bear due to points percentage. They were the fourth place team in the West, and would not have fallen behind Dallas had they not lost that fateful Kris Russell – Matt Benning game to Winnipeg on March 11 that left them as the fifth seed when play Goaltending: begins on Aug. 1. Mike Smith One of the NHL’s best offensive clubs, Edmonton gets a Chicago Blackhawks team in their play-in series that gives up among the most Mikko Koskinen chances in the league. Defence is not the Blackhawks’ strength, while offence is Edmonton’s forte. The biggest question facing the Oilers is… We know how things can change in the playoffs — especially this Goaltending. season. But from 30,000 feet, as Edmonton opens its training camp at Rogers Place July 13, they have to be thinking that their best effort will Sure, the NHL is trending toward co-starters. Two goalies who share the be better than what 12th place Chicago can bring. season schedule, give or take a handful of starts, has become a modern solution to travel, game density, and a preference for having a fresh Regular season record: 37-25-9 (5th in West by points percentage) athlete manning the most important position in hockey. Goals for: 225 (T-11th in NHL) To that end, Mike Smith led Mikko Koskinen in games played (39 to 38), in starts (37 to 34) and in wins (19 to 18), while Koskinen’s edge in goals Goals against: 217 (T-17th in NHL) against (2.75 to 2.95) and save percentage (.917 to .902) belie the fact that Koskinen can be a productive NHL netminder if not over-used. Leading goal scorer: Leon Draisaitl (43) We know that head coach Dave Tippett leans toward Smith, due to their Leading point scorer: Leon Draisaitl (110) history together and the fact that Smith’s puck-handling ability makes a Sign up for NHL newsletters tangible difference in how Edmonton exits its zone and how the opponent forechecks. But Smith is 38. He is simply not going to be the horse you Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to ride through multiple rounds of playoff hockey. your inbox! And why would you? Injury updates The Oilers resided at or near the top of the Pacific for most of a season Mike Green, D: Had an MCL injury at the pause, but is expected to be because Tippett had an uncanny ability to know when it was time to ride 100 per cent. one of his ‘tenders, and when it was time to make a change. Only eight goalies in the NHL played in 35 games and had a GAA of 2.75 or better Joakim Nygard, LW: Has fully recovered from hand surgery. and a save percentage higher than .916. Koskinen was one of those. Player To Watch The good news for Edmonton is that they have two goalies who have For much of the season, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins helped Leon Draisaitl to shown they can carry the ball. The bad news? History tells us they both an NHL scoring title, as the longest serving Edmonton Oiler stepped have to be on top of their game, because Edmonton requires two goalies away from his role as a centreman to play left wing on Draisaitl’s line. to win long-term. The alignment allowed head coach Dave Tippett to play Draisaitl and Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.08.2020 McDavid as his No. 1 and 2 centremen, a key advancement in transforming the Oilers from a lottery club to a playoff threat out West. But as the season wore down, and the Oilers struggled to find enough top-six wingers to keep both its superstars happy and productive, Tippett moved Nugent-Hopkins up to McDavid’s flank. The Nugent-Hopkins- McDavid-Zack Kassian line had eight points apiece over the final six games, as the trio had great balance, while Draisaitl played with Kailer Yamamoto and Tyler Ennis. Clearly, the third most skilled player is Nugent-Hopkins. Which centre gets to play with him for the bulk of the game? That will be a key decision for Tippett to make. One interesting stat 113.9 per cent: That number — the combined efficiency of the Oilers’ power play and penalty killing units posted this season — is the second highest combined special teams number ever posted by an NHL team. Edmonton had the league’s best power play, at 29.5 per cent, and the second best penalty kill, at 84.4 per cent. Playoff games are won by a solid power play, and if you consistently win both ends of the special teams spectrum, you’ll win four out of seven almost every time. Edmonton’s regular season formula goes something like this: A goal by McDavid’s line, a goal by Draisaitl’s line, a goal from the bottom-six or defence and a goal from the power play. And in over 60 per cent of their games, they did not allow a power play goal against when playing four against five. If you can score three and eliminate the opposition’s power play, you’ll usually win. Score four every night, and it’s on to the next round. Possible line combinations 1176280 Websites Milan Lucic – Derek Ryan– Dillon Dube Sam Bennett – Mark Jankowski – Tobias Rieder

Defence Sportsnet.ca / Phase 3 Training Camp Preview: Flames try to keep playoff demons in past Mark Giordano – T.J. Brodie – Travis Hamonic Eric Francis | July 7, 2020, 10:44 AM Erik Gustafsson – Rasmus Andersson Goaltending CALGARY — Smoked in five games by the Colorado Avalanche after Cam Talbot – David Rittich finishing first in the West last year, this Calgary Flames season was all about proving they could elevate their game when it mattered most. The biggest question facing the team is… The team struggled early but showed plenty of resilience in a season in Can the Flames atone for last year’s playoff flop and prove the core is which they overcame losing their coach to mount a second-half surge playoff ready and worthy of being kept together? that still only barely had them in the playoff picture. Whether or not this team can rise to the occasion will help dictate how And now, a team notorious for slow starts will have to ensure they get hot general manager Brad Treliving proceeds in the off-season. quickly to beat a formidable Winnipeg Jets squad that has also struggled Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.08.2020 to live up to playoff expectations. There’s pressure everywhere in a series some dub as the most intriguing and competitive of the play-in matchups. Regular season record: 36-27-7 (8th in the West by points percentage) Goals for: 210 (20th in NHL) Goals against: 215 (T-15th in NHL) Leading goal scorer: Elias Lindholm (29) Leading point producer: Matthew Tkachuk (61) Injury updates Noah Hanifin: Left the Flames’ last game with an upper-body injury. No update was ever provided, but he is skating with the team informally and is expected to be fine. Juuso Valimaki: Had ACL surgery 10 months ago and although he started skating before the NHL’s pause his official status is unclear. That said, the Flames have 10 competent NHL options on the blue line and there’s little belief they’d rush him back unless the team went on a deep run and was decimated at the back end. If he doesn’t play, the Flames can ensure their prized first-rounder isn’t eligible for the Seattle expansion draft – a significant factor. The Scott Rintoul Show Eric Francis talks Calgary Flames potential restructuring July 06 2020 Your browser does not support the audio element. Player To Watch : All eyes will be on the diminutive playmaker who struggled to just one assist in last year’s playoff faceplant. Two years earlier he had just two assists in four playoff outings. The most popular topic amongst Flames fans the last year-and-a-half has revolved around whether he’s the type of player you can win playoff hockey with as your leader. He certainly has the skill, but as the game gets heavier and tightens up fans want to know if he can adjust his game accordingly. One interesting stat Since Jan. 1, Cam Talbot is 9-3-1 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. It’s significant as it should do well to solidify him as the Flames’ starter over playoff greenhorn David Rittich for the play-in. While many see the goaltending edge in the series going to Vezina trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck, it’s interesting to note Talbot has similar numbers to Hellebuyck’s this season (aside from wins/losses) including that last two months when the Jetminder posted a 2.54 GAA and .922 save percentage. Yes, that said Jetminder. Possible line combinations Forward Johnny Gaudreau – – Elias Lindholm Andrew Mangiapane – Mikael Backlund – Matthew Tkachuk 1176281 Websites powered product that helped protect player information such as personal contacts and contract details.

The email Etherington said he discovered indicated Frank had allegedly TSN.CA / NHLPA in court Tuesday to fight case filed by alleged negotiated a $50,000 purchase on behalf of the NHLPA with a whistleblower surreptitious 35 per cent commission for Frank’s associate, Kristina Falcomer.

Frank directed a Darktrace employee to remove any references to Rick Westhead Falcomer from NHLPA documents, the claim says. Emails from June 2018 filed in court purport to show how that deal was struck.

In a June 25, 2018, email to Patton, Frank allegedly asked for a quote for Lawyers for the NHL Players’ Association are scheduled to appear by Darktrace’s Antigena software system, which the company says can video conference before an Ontario judge Tuesday in an effort to dismiss distinguish malicious emails from legitimate ones. a lawsuit filed by a former union employee who alleges the NHLPA covered up a theft of more than $100,000 in union funds by one of its “Can you let me know what Antigena would cost the NHLPA?” Frank’s executives. email says. “I am hoping that it will represent a deep discount under the circumstances? Please let me know what percentage Kristina would The allegation of a cover-up was included in an $8.7 million wrongful receive…” dismissal case filed Nov. 3 by Allan Etherington, a 50-year-old former technical support analyst who worked for the NHLPA from Sept. 10, 2008 Patton responded the same day. until Feb. 13, 2019. Etherington has also accused the union of income tax and insurance fraud. “… I’ve thought of something creative. If you wanted to sign up for Antigena, we could do it through Kristina and can give her a larger % Etherington is seeking $4 million for general damages, $2.5 million in than she would normally receive as a partner. I’d need to get my CCMO punitive damages, and additional damages for future income loss and and COO to approve but I think I can get their approval. Thoughts?” earning capacity. In another email sent June 25, 2018, Patton wrote Darktrace’s software Union officials named as defendants in the case include Stephen Frank, would cost the NHLPA $1,000 per month. the NHLPA’s former director of technology and security information technology; former NHL player Mathieu Schneider, who is now a special “… With this being a deal specifically between the NHLPA and Darktrace assistant to NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr; union lawyer Roman there is obviously no language about Kristina’s percentage, therefore you Stoykewych; chief financial officer Richard Smit; director of finance can use this email, as I can confirm that Kristina Falcomer will receive Stephen Sax; and chief of global business strategies Sandra Monteiro. 35% of the agreement. NHLPA will pay Darktrace and Darktrace will pay Kristina 35%. Please let me know if you have any questions!” The NHLPA has denied Etherington’s claims and asked a judge to dismiss the case. The union’s lawyers wrote in a motion filed Feb. 10 in In November, Darktrace spokesperson Kaia Haney wrote in an email to Ontario Superior Court in Toronto that Etherington’s claim “contains bare, TSN that the company would investigate the allegations. Haney did not unfounded and irrelevant allegations, including of criminal and/or illegal respond to an email request for comment on the latest developments in conduct, and is scandalous and inflammatory.” the case. In a statement emailed to TSN in December, NHLPA spokesman Falcomer has denied Etherington's allegations. Jonathan Weatherdon wrote Etherington's claim contained numerous After Etherington and an NHLPA colleague provided Sax with a copy of false statements and groundless and irrelevant allegations. In a July 5 Frank’s email to Darktrace and other documents related to GeekFork, the email to TSN, Weatherdon said the NHLPA stands by its December NHLPA began an internal investigation and hired both Ernst & Young statement. and the forensic auditing company CGI to scrutinize Frank’s activities, Since Etherington filed his lawsuit, his attorney has filed additional Etherington alleges. material with the court, including tax records and internal NHLPA He claims that during an internal investigation of Frank’s activities, Frank documents and emails. continued to work at the NHLPA’s offices and had full administrative Etherington has alleged in the claim that Frank, who left his position with access using office computers. the union in December 2018, was allowed to resign from the NHLPA with Amid the investigation and while Frank still worked in the NHLPA office, Fehr’s good wishes even after the union learned through an investigation union staff discovered he was accessing NHLPA emails and documents conducted by two outside firms that Frank had used his own outside about the probe from the union’s legal department through an unused company, GeekFork Inc., to misappropriate money through the purchase computer in the office, the claim says. of expensive computer equipment. When Stoykewych was advised by one of Etherington’s colleagues that TSN has not been able to independently confirm the results of the Frank was inappropriately accessing NHLPA emails and documents NHLPA’s internal investigations. In a Nov. 12, 2018, email filed in court, about the investigation from the legal department, the employee who Stoykewych wrote to Etherington’s lawyer that the union was “engaged in discovered his activity was admonished and told to stop all further an inquiry” related to the allegations raised by the former NHLPA monitoring of Frank’s activities, the statement of claim says. employee. Etherington also alleged the NHLPA in 2007 discovered that Frank and Etherington wrote in his claim that he had worries about Frank’s another union employee were discovered to have set up an unauthorized behaviour in early 2018 and discussed those concerns with Sax. game server on the NHLPA server that was costing the NHLPA Etherington allegedly told Sax at that time that Frank was allegedly thousands of dollars per month in data bandwidth. making purchases on the NHLPA’s behalf that Etherington typically would have made. NHL players were not told about either alleged incident involving Frank, the statement of claim says. In an Oct. 18, 2018, letter to Monteiro, a copy of which was filed in court, Etherington wrote that he was upset about a recent negative After Etherington shared details of Frank’s alleged off-the-books deal to performance assessment he’d been given by Frank and detailed his NHLPA officials, Stoykewych, a union lawyer, asked Etherington to keep concerns about Frank, alleging Frank had directed him to use NHLPA that information confidential. funds to pay for items that included Frank’s monthly Rogers cable TV bill. “We are reviewing the information and the documents included in your “I spoke to Stephen Sax about my growing concerns,” Etherington’s 2018 correspondence with counsel,” Stoykewych wrote. “We can assure you letter to Monteiro says, “and I was subsequently advised that there were that we will be responding to your correspondence as soon as possible. irregularities in Stephen’s credit card purchases for which he could not In the interim, and in light of the highly confidential nature of the matters provide receipts for over $150,000 in purchases.” recently brought to our attention, we request that you refrain from discussing the subject matter of your correspondence with anyone other Etherington’s statement of claim alleges that he was resolving a print than confidential advisors and/or your legal representatives. As I am sure server issue with a colleague on Oct. 9, 2018, when they discovered an you can appreciate, the disclosure of certain of the confidential email chain between Frank and Chris Patton, an executive with a information either to other staff members or to third parties could be cybersecurity company called Darktrace. highly prejudicial to the NHLPA.” The NHLPA signed an agreement with Darktrace in March 2018 for the In a Nov. 15, 2018, email to Etherington’s attorney, Stoykewych wrote U.K.-based company to provide the union with an artificial intelligence- that Etherington’s negative performance review would be removed from his employment record and that Etherington would be allowed to work a four-day work week, a request the union had previously rejected. Etherington left the union in February 2019 after his attorney advised the NHLPA that he would be filing a constructive dismissal claim. TSN.CA LOADED: 07.08.2020 World Leagues News

Nuggets' Nikola Jokic cleared after testing negative for COVID-19, but wasn't on team's flight to Orlando

By Jack Maloney

Watch Now: Potential Of More Players Opting Out Of Playing In Orlando (3:28) Since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 back on March 11, prompting the suspension of the NBA season, dozens of players have unfortunately also come down with the virus. Thankfully none of them have become seriously ill, but a few, including Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince, have been forced to sit out of the league's plan to resume the season at Disney World later this month. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was another who tested positive for the coronavirus, but he will be able to play after returning multiple negative tests, both in his native Serbia, where he was infected, and back in Denver. While it's terrific news that Jokic has been cleared, the timing of the tests meant he was unable to join the Nuggets on their flight to Orlando, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN: The Nuggets departed Denver for Orlando on Tuesday, but the team would not confirm who was on the team flight. A source said Jokic is healthy. However, the center had to produce two negative coronavirus tests in Serbia before traveling to the United States. And then he was required to produce two more negative tests before flying to Orlando with the team. A source said the timing of everything made it difficult and too tight of a fit for Jokic before the team departed on Tuesday. Jokic tested positive for COVID-19 back in June, just a few days after he was spotted hanging out with tennis star Novak Djokovic, who also ended up testing positive. The fact that Jokic is already healthy is fantastic news, first and foremost, just for him and his family's sake. This virus is extremely unpredictable, and even with healthy people like Jokic, there are no guarantees. So that, of course, is the main priority, but also from a basketball perspective, this is huge for the Nuggets. They're in third place in the loaded Western Conference at 43-22 and will need Jokic operating at a high level if they want to improve on last season's second-round playoff exit. How Jokic will fare once play begins obviously remains to be seen, not just because of his ordeal with the virus and the strange circumstances of this bubble, but because he lost a tremendous amount of weight during the quarantine -- so much so that he apparently has abs now, according to Nuggets president Tim Connelly. While having abs is never a bad thing, it will be interesting to see how Jokic fares with a smaller frame. He's always been a guy that's used his bulk to throw opponents around and carve out space, and he might not be able to do that to quite the same extent anymore. CBS Sports LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176282 World Leagues News Yamaha said that until coronavirus is under control, they will continue their trials. Once the situation is better controlled, they will work with the sports industry to find a profitable business model. Yamaha is testing an app that would let sports fans pipe virtual 'cheers' cnbc.com LOADED: 07.08.2020 into empty stadiums

Jessica Golden

Yamaha is testing a remote cheering technology with Japanese baseball and soccer clubs. With the app, those who can't attend a sporting event could send their support from afar. The app allows users to tap support buttons to cheer, applaud and chant. Cheering for your favorite sports team may soon be as easy as tapping an app. Yamaha Corporation is testing out a new technology that would allow fans to vocalize support during live games through an app. As fans watch a broadcast of a game, they can push a button to cheer, applaud or start a chant. The audio would be piped into a stadium's existing speaker systems. Yamaha said each button will have a different variation of a real person's recorded voice. "This actually has two benefits," Yuki Seto, the project lead, told CNBC through a translator. "For the fans, of course, being able to cheer. ... And the players know that people are still watching and the support is genuine and not just generated noise." The software, still in the patent process, was first developed to allow hospital patients, the elderly and those with other commitments to give feedback on events from afar. The company has since seen the coronavirus pandemic as a new opportunity, as sports resume with few or no fans in the stands. Yamaha is currently testing its remote fan capabilities with 26 professional soccer clubs and a few baseball clubs in Japan and hoping that in the new reality of social distancing, it brings some sense of normalcy. Yuki Seto is the leader of the project and is working with 26 football teams in Japan to test Yamaha's remote cheering system. In June, the project got its first test during a public match on television. The results were overwhelming, as 65,000 users tapped 1.9 million times, Seto said. "We had Twitter blow up a bit with this," he said. "We were trending." Over 29 matches, Seto said 300,000 users have participated in remote cheering with 18 million taps of support. The company says players told them they liked feeling the presence of fans and it kept them motivated throughout the game. "At one point during the system field test, I closed my eyes and it felt like the cheering fans were right there in the stadium with me. That's when I knew that this system had the potential to cheer players on even in a stadium of this size," Keisuke Matsubayashi, a member of Ogasayama Sports Park, said in a statement. Yamaha even claims that teams' winning percentages are going up as a result of the noise. According to OptaJoe, the win rate for home teams in the Bundesliga was at 43.3% before the coronavirus pandemic, dropping to 16.6% when stadiums became empty. A spokesperson for Yamaha said similar numbers were observed in Japan and that when the remote cheering technology was used at 29 football and baseball matches, as of July 7, the win rate rose to 51.7%. If you're wondering if you can "boo" or make other unique noises, Yamaha said it is up to each team to decide on its capabilities. While the technology is currently being tested only in Japan, the NBA may one day be a client. The company said it has met with U.S. basketball clubs who were interested in learning about how it could be beneficial to them. According to KPMG sports industry leader Shawn Quill, remote cheering systems are the latest example of companies leveraging sports fans' desire to participate in the live sports experience, even when they can't attend games in person. "COVID-19 has created conditions that are further accelerating innovation and technology adoption in the sports industry," he said. 1176283 World Leagues News

Seth Beer 4th Diamondbacks player to test positive for COVID-19

BY ARIZONA SPORTS | JULY 7, 2020 AT 6:56 PM

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Seth Beer has tested positive for COVID-19, manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday. Beer is the fourth player the D-backs have announced to contract the virus. Relievers Silvino Bracho and Junior Guerra along with right fielder Kole Calhoun have tested positive. Lovullo said Tuesday all three are asymptomatic and improving but did not have an update as to how Beer was feeling on Tuesday. “I did see him a couple of days in Salt River (Fields) and he looked great,” Lovullo said of Beer. Beer tested positive after the team’s initial testing period that cleared everyone before summer camp began on July 3. MLB announces schedule; D-backs to open at Padres July 24 Left fielder David Peralta was sick at the time of that testing so he underwent four different negative COVID-19 tests before joining the team on Monday. Beer is one of the most highly-touted D-backs prospects, ranked No. 12 by MLB Pipeline. Beer made the D-backs’ 60-man group for the 2020 season but is not on the active 40-man roster. The first baseman, who was acquired at the trade deadline in the Zack Greinke deal, finished his Arizona Fall League 2019 season with a .315/.375/.452 slash. He recorded 23 hits including five doubles, a home run and 12 RBIs. In his regular season for the minors last year across High-A in Fayetteville (Astros); Double-A Corpus Christi (Astros) and Jackson (D- backs), Beer hit .289/.388/.516 with 130 hits, 26 home runs and 103 RBIs/ ARIZONA SPORTS LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176284 World Leagues News

Umpire Joe West skeptical of coronavirus deaths, won't opt out of MLB season

Liz RoscherYahoo SportsJuly 7, 2020

Joe West, MLB’s most famous and longest-serving umpire, won’t be opting out of MLB’s shortened season. West is 67 and considered high- risk for COVID-19, but he told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that he’s not scared of the coronavirus. “If this game hasn’t gotten me by now, no virus is going to get me,” West told Rosenthal on Monday night. “I’ve weathered a bunch of storms in my life. I’ll weather another one.” The 2020 season will be West’s 42nd as an umpire, which makes him the longest-serving umpire in MLB history by six years. There’s still one important record that West hasn’t beaten yet: total MLB games umpired. The record of 5,375 games is held by Bill Klem, and West is 65 games short of matching that. Beating that record is West’s ultimate goal, and he plans to stay around until he accomplishes it. West can apparently grab attention both on and off the field. When West told Rosenthal about a conversation he had with deputy commissioner Dan Halem, he gave this eye-popping COVID-19 take. “I don’t believe in my heart that all these deaths have been from the coronavirus. I believe it may have contributed to some of the deaths. I said, ‘I’m not going to opt out. I’m going to work. And I’m going to work until you take me off the field or I get hurt, whatever. I’m working.’” West didn’t offer any explanation or reasoning behind that opinion, which is completely incorrect, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite not totally believing in the established facts about COVID-19, West told Rosenthal that he will be careful, but isn’t afraid of getting sick. “If I get sick, I get sick, God forbid,” West said. “I’m going to be careful. I’m careful when I go to the golf course.” Yahoo Sports: LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176285 World Leagues News

Adam Silver admits more COVID-19 cases in NBA's 'bubble' could shut down season again

Jack Baer

NBA teams have begun flying to Orlando to restart the season at Disney World, where they will isolate for two days and undergo more coronavirus tests before playing again. At that point, the NBA will hope it has set up a “bubble,” a concept endorsed by Dr. Anthony Fauci in which a league plays games in isolation to prevent players from being exposed to the virus. Per ESPN, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said at a virtual conference that the league expects to see more coronavirus cases as teams arrive. If the league encounters more cases after that, though, the situation could apparently grow dire: “We won’t be surprised when they first come down to Orlando if we have some additional players test positive,” Silver told Fortune Brainstorm Health. “What would be most concerning is once players enter this campus and then go through our quarantine period, then if they were to test positive or if we were to have any positive tests, we would know we would have an issue. “... We would know that there’s, in essence, a hole in our bubble or that our quarantine or our campus is not working in some way,” Silver added later. “So that would be very concerning.” Silver said any significant amount of positive cases inside the protected campus could result in a second shutdown of the NBA season. That last sentence is obviously the NBA’s nightmare. Just one coronavirus case could turn into dozens if a player enters a game not knowing he could transmit the coronavirus to other players, and dozens of cases would be more than enough to endanger the entire league. Ideally, a bubble league would prevent any players from contracting the virus, but, unfortunately, we already know the NBA’s Disney World setup won’t be a true bubble. While NBA players, coaches and other staff will be staying on the Disney World campus until the end of their seasons, the Disney World employees cooking their meals, cleaning their rooms and doing everything else to support them will not. And many of those employees live in some of the worst COVID-19 hot spots right now, according to the Orlando Sentinel: Of the 20 Central Florida ZIP codes with the most Disney workers represented by union Unite Here, half rank in the region’s top 30 ZIPs for confirmed COVID-19 cases, an Orlando Sentinel analysis shows. More than 8,600 Disney workers live in those ZIP code areas. Measures will reportedly be taken to minimize exposure between Disney employees and the NBA, like masks, other protective equipment, social distancing, frequent cleaning and frequent testing. But all it takes is one leak to create a problem. A number of NBA players have indicated they are preparing for the worst. Several NBA stars concerned bubble won’t work Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid are all among the players skeptical of the NBA’s plan. Embiid said he “hated” the idea, Ingram said he’s “not very confident” the NBA’s experiment will work and Lillard doubted players would adhere to the NBA’s rules. Several more players have already opted out of the bubble, for varying reasons. Yahoo Sports: LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176286 World Leagues News EastIdahoNews.com LOADED: 07.08.2020

Fall sports could significantly complicate reopening schools amid pandemic

Sami Edge, IdahoEdNews.org

BOISE — The Coeur d’Alene School District recommended that more than 200 athletes and coaches follow a 14-day quarantine after three student-athletes tested positive for the coronavirus. Those two-weeks are almost up, and it’s looking like the district avoided widespread contagion. “So far, all indication is that this is not spreading among the student- athletes,” district spokesman Scott Maben said. The potential perils of COVID-19 transmission through sports were front and center on Monday during a discussion of Gov. Brad Little’s school reopening committee, which is planning how to resume school in the fall against the grim backdrop of climbing coronavirus case numbers. Gina Pannell, program manager for Central District Health, warned that sports could significantly complicate reopening, particularly if kids travel to compete against different school districts. “I don’t know how we’re going to keep schools in person if we intermingle school districts with sports,” Pannell told the group of government and school personnel. “We don’t want people shouting, let alone playing sports next to each other because of the risk of exposure.” The Idaho High School Activities Association has not decided to cancel fall sports, such as football and soccer. If sports do return next month — after being canceled this spring — sports could see reductions and limitations to travel, opponents, crowds and tournaments. Ty Jones, executive director of the IHSAA, said no options are off the table. His organization is working on guidance for how schools can mitigate the risk if students return to sports — but it’s also coming up with contingency plans for situations like season delays. The IHSAA is hoping to send out some of that guidance next week, Jones said. “It changes so much, so fast,” Jones said. “The last couple of weeks in Idaho haven’t exactly had a lot of good news as far as the COVID spread. We’re approaching it with cautious optimism, but we’re also realists.” Fall sports are slated to start on Aug. 10. But already cheerleaders, football and volleyball players are gearing up to compete in the kinds of high-stakes environments where just a handful of cases could potentially put hundreds at risk. Coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets, and the risk of contracting the virus increases “the longer you are are around an individual and the closer you are in proximity,” said Katherine Hoyer, spokeswoman for the Panhandle Health District: “Certain close contact sports would make this sort of exposure opportunity likely if there were an unknown positive case among the team.” The three student-athletes confirmed to have COVID in the Coeur d’Alene district played for separate sports teams at two different high schools, Maben said. The district believes the students contracted the virus outside of the school setting. And after the district learned of the infections, it suspended all summer sports for two weeks, not just the teams that the athletes played for. Right now, Maben said, the district is feeling a bit of relief that the virus doesn’t appear to have spread from student-to-student. Hoyer, from Panhandle Health, confirmed to Idaho Education News on Monday that the health agency is only aware of the three cases of COVID connected to a school. Coeur d’Alene’s student-athletes are due to return from their two-week hiatus starting this week, Maben said. They will practice in small groups called cohorts, instead of their full teams, and the gyms and equipment will be sanitized between use. The district is still evaluating whether fall sports will begin as scheduled. “We can’t let our guard down,” Maben said. “This really is a great reminder of how important it is to maintain all the safety precautions as we move forward. It only takes one positive case to basically shut down an entire team, or potentially an entire school, for up to several weeks.” This article was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on July 7, 2020 1176287 World Leagues News

NFL coronavirus: Could a player miss Super Bowl after positive test? Philip Rivers' question answered

By Patrik Walker

NFL fans can potentially expect bedlam this football season, assuming it eventually kicks off as expected. As it stands, the league is still pushing forward with an expectation the regular season will begin on time in September, but has been forced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to shave the preseason down to only two games -- while the NFLPA is unanimously pushing to do away with games in August altogether and to allow for players to have the right to opt-out in 2020. These are just a few issues that must be ironed out going forward, but there are many others, as CBS Sports noted in mid-June and quarterback Philip Rivers mentioned in a conference call with the NFLPA. Rivers, 38, is readying to suit up in his first year as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, but already has eyes on Super Bowl LV -- along with what impact the novel coronavirus might have on it. The eight-time Pro Bowler posed the question of what would happen if a player tests positive for COVID-19 just ahead of the Big Game, but is asymptomatic, would he be forced to miss it? The league indirectly addressed the question on the same day Rivers posed it, by way of a round of new coronavirus protocols released to all 32 teams on July 3, and depending on the timing of the positive result for the asymptomatic player (or coach, for that matter); players won't like the answer. The NFL last night sent to clubs COVID-19 protocols for 2020 training camp and preseason, including this detailed breakdown for handling individuals exposed to someone who tested positive: pic.twitter.com/bX7aQzMZTZ — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 4, 2020 Based on the above flowchart released by the NFL, a player who tests positive for COVID-19 but shows no symptoms has but two avenues of travel. They will either be sidelined/quarantined for 10 days following the test, or for only five days, but the latter requires two consecutive negative tests within a 24 hour period and clearance from the respective team's physician after the physician consults with both Infection Control for Sports (ICS) and the NFL Chief Medical Officer. This obviously leans much more toward the answer to Rivers' question being a "yes" than a "maybe", and those who test positive and show symptoms are virtually guaranteed to miss the Super Bowl, hence the aforementioned potential bedlam -- the level of competitive disadvantage being directly tied to who the infected might be. For context, All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott recently tested positive for COVID-19 and had it occurred in the playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys losing the two-time rushing champ during the postseason is not the equivalent of their opponent potentially losing a fourth-string safety, and neither match the possible loss of a team's franchise quarterback with a Lombardi trophy on the line. The number of possible scenarios such as this -- in which the coronavirus can shift the tectonic plates beneath the NFL -- is absolutely dizzying, but very much a risk the league will be faced with if there is to be a season in 2020. Establishing a level playing field during the pandemic is already a tall ask, but maintaining it will be virtually impossible. CBS LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176288 World Leagues News

Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits postponed to 2021 amid coronavirus pandemic, per report

By Kyle Porter

After months of consternation and posturing -- and even a change in qualification on the United States side -- the right call will reportedly be made Wednesday regarding the 2020 Ryder Cup set to be hosted at Whistling Straits. One of golf's premier events will be pushed to 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic largely due largely to the likelihood that fans would have been unable to attend the battle between the United States and Europe. The PGA of America and European Tour were expected to make the announcement official on Wednesday, but a source told ESPN that the Ryder Cup will indeed be pushed to 2021 with the Presidents Cup subsequently moving back a year to 2022. The 2021 Ryder Cup will still be held in late September at Whistling Straits. The next Ryder Cup, set for Rome, will likely move to 2023 in order to ensure the event rotation remains at two years. There was speculation that the event could be played in back-to-back years so that the European Tour, which realizes a lot of its revenue from this event, could stay on a more consistent cycle. That will apparently not be the case. Golfers across the globe have been asked whether the Ryder Cup should be played if fans are not permitted to attend, and they roundly rejected the notion considering spectators play such a large role in the atmosphere of the event. Many were insistent that it would be ridiculous to hold a Ryder Cup under such conditions. "[It's] not a Ryder Cup [without fans]. That's from a European, going to America, knowing that I'm going to get abuse," Rory McIlroy said in April. "Obviously, it would be better for Europeans to play without fans because we wouldn't deal with some of the stuff that you have to put up with, but at the same time, it wouldn't be a great spectacle. There would be no atmosphere. So if it came to whether they had to choose between not playing the Ryder Cup of playing it without fans, I would say just delay it a year." The last time the Ryder Cup was bumped a year was in 2001 after the bombing on the World Trade Center in New York. That Ryder Cup was slated to be played later in September of 2001 at The Belfry but was instead pushed 12 months. In that instance, the players and captains that had already been selected for 2001 were kept for 2002. At this point, it remains unknown how qualification will move forward for 2021. CBS LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176289 World Leagues News Major League Baseball doesn’t care about the regular season all that much — they proved that over the past few months. But the postseason TV money? They care about that very much. There are a billion reasons why sports won’t shut down again And the NFL? Well, when has science ever stopped the NFL from putting games on our televisions? By DIETER KURTENBACH | [email protected] | These leagues have fought for decades to become the financial Bay Area News Group juggernauts they are today. And as we learned in MLB’s fight with its players, they’ll scrap over relative pennies. So while these leagues might prove to be impervious to the economic downturn — maybe they’ll continue to land larger and larger television deals in the future, even if The Giants couldn’t practice at their scheduled time Tuesday because their current deals are torn up — not one is interested in finding out the their COVID-19 tests from Saturday had not been processed. hard way. A few days ago, it was the A’s who had a similar problem. They’d rather risk the health and safety of their players. In Major League Soccer, two teams have had to pull out of their “MLS Is Did you ever think things were going to go smoothly as these leagues try Back” tournament in Orlando because they had too many positive to play sports amid a 100-year pandemic? Who’s naive now? Of course COVID-19 tests and threatened the safety of the league’s “bubble”. there were problems. This past weekend, it seems, that the lab in Utah that handles Major League Baseball’s saliva COVID-19 tests didn’t tell The NBA has seen practice facilities across the league shut down anyone that they were going home for the weekend — that or someone because of positive tests ahead of that league’s move to their own at the MLB office in Manhattan didn’t pay for weekend shipping. Not Orlando bubble. good. Subsequently, Summer Camps (presented by Camping World — The NHL decided that they cannot have their bubbles in the United these guys will do anything for a few bucks) were forced to stop from States. They opted for two Canadian cities. coast to coast. The NFL Players Association president said in an open letter Tuesday This hiccup (if we’re being nice) has brought about Jon Taffer-like calls that “the NFL is unwilling to prioritize player safety and believes that the from fans and media — shut it down. virus will bend to football.” But do you know who didn’t suggest anything like that? MLB Sports are trying to start, but every bit of news seems to make us Commissioner Rob Manfred, who let’s not forget unilaterally imposed a question if they can. baseball season this year. I’m here to say that they will. The MLB testing snafu isn’t a good look, but the league can chalk it up as growing pains amid this “new normal”. Call me naive, cynical or self-interested, but I firmly believe that the NBA’s bubble in Orlando will not be deterred, the Major League Baseball The early testing failures in baseball — and perhaps the environments in season — all 60 games of it — will start and finish on time, and the NFL the NBA bubble and at NFL training camps — will likely lead more will continue to pretend that the virus doesn’t exist. players to opt-out of playing in the days and weeks to come. But unless that’s a stance taken up en masse by players unions, a handful of guys Is any of this the safe and prudent thing to do? skipping work won’t deter these leagues from pushing ahead. Of course not. The safe and prudent thing to do is to wait for near-instant Hell, the MLB owners might welcome opt-outs. They complained about tests, a viable prophylactic, easy treatment, or, best yet, a vaccine to hit salaries so much during the hiatus, I can’t imagine that they’re angry the market. about players — especially highly paid players like David Price — forgoing their salaries this year. But doing the “safe and prudent thing” has never been the driving motivator for those leagues. Truth be told, given the epidemic of arm injuries to pitchers and the general anonymity of power hitters in this day and age (Mike Trout is as No, this is show business, baby, and the real motivating factor for recognizable to the average American as an NBA bench player), I’m not returning to play is — you already guessed it — money. sure many casual fans would notice if Major League Baseball’s best Each league can give you a billion reasons and a couple of fancy French players took their gloves and went home. words for why they’ll push forward with play this summer and fall. To be clear, none of this should sit well with anyone. They probably For sale: Rare seats to watch Giants play in person in Oracle Park. should shut it all down. Penthouse included. But so long as these leagues have billions of dollars on the line and The San Francisco Giants have their new 2020 schedule. Will they end commissioners hellbent on keeping those negotiated contracts in place, up playing? the show will go on. New Giants coaching staff asking pitchers to adjust (except for Johnny mercurynews.com/LOADED: 07.08.2020 Cueto) While It’s not great for any league to not have fans in the stands, every major professional sport in North America feels more beholden to their television rights partners than the folks that pay for tickets and cable. And while we’ve all been reading about Vitamin D, ICU capacities, and ACE-2 receptors, they’ve been reading each and every subclause of those TV contracts. And, after looking at them, these leagues — and in the NBA’s case, the players, too — decided that skipping this season posed a larger risk than playing. The year 2020 will be remembered for the term “physical distancing”, amid many other (mostly terrible) things, but in the sports world, the defining term will be “force majeure” — a clause in the vast majority, if not all, high-level broadcast contracts that allow the broadcaster to recoup money or even tear up the deal should an “act of God” happen. You know, like a pandemic. It should be noted that NBA players, who are 50-50 partners with the league, found out about that clause in the league’s TV deals, looked at how much those TV deals were worth and spearheaded the league’s return to play. 1176290 World Leagues News

Can college sports upset the coronavirus? Cross your toes and hold your breath.

BY JOHN CLAY

Really, the message should be: Hey folks, bear with us, we’re trying to thread a needle here. In a dark room. With our eyes closed. It’s really difficult. As coronavirus cases rise, as we experience either a flare-up of the first wave or the intense start of a second wave, the idea of having athletes participate in fall sports is becoming trickier with each passing day. Tuesday morning, the University of Louisville announced it was shutting down voluntary workouts by its men’s basketball program after two unnamed members tested positive for COVID-19. U of L did not say if the two members were players, coaches or staff members. As of Tuesday afternoon, one was feeling better, the other still showed symptoms. The Cardinals had worked out for a month before throwing up the stop sign. Vince Tyra, U of L’s athletic director, focused on the inevitability. “We don’t think we were naive about that,” he said on a Tuesday teleconference. Yet not all schools are on the same protocol page. Louisville is testing for COVID. UK is testing for antibodies. Only when its student-athletes show symptoms are virus tests administered. Some schools are releasing numbers. Other are playing it closer to the vest. Louisville’s shutdown is to last two weeks. But what if two positive tests occur in season? Or during the NCAA Tournament? Or, even worse, right before tip-off of this season’s UK-U of L clash? Yikes? “There might be a forfeit,” Tyra said. “Hard to believe that would occur, but we’re dealing with it for the first time.” Look at Major League Baseball. Scheduled to start July 23, the sport saw three of its franchises cancel Monday workouts because they (a) had not received test results from the week before or (b) no one had shown up to administer the tests. Score that an error. Then there are the ones that have already tested positive, such as Freddie Freeman, the best player on the Atlanta Braves. Freeman’s wife, Chelsea, relayed on social media that coronavirus had hit her 30-year-old husband, “like a ton of bricks.” And after teammate Nick Markakis had a chat with Freeman about the virus, Markakis decided that, you know what, I think I’ll sit this 2020 thing out. Mike Leake. Ryan Zimmerman. Ian Desmond. David Price. They’ve all said thanks, but no thanks. See you in 2021. Same thing with the NBA. Several pro hoopsters have decided they’ll skip the Orlando bubble when the league presses the restart button on July 30. Trevor Ariza. Avery Bradley. Spencer Dinwiddie. DeAndre Jordan. Ex-Cat Willie Cauley-Stein. They’re all passing on Disney World. As for , SEC Network centerpiece Paul Finebaum told Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer it’s hard to imagine a full season played in the scheduled order. Finebaum said he’s leaning toward a late September start and thinks non-conference games are in jeopardy. Perhaps all SEC teams will play just eight SEC games. Makes sense. Bottom line: The virus rules. And like it or not, we’ve done a terrible job of controlling this virus — from the federal government to the guy at the grocery store who refuses to wear a mask. As a state, Kentucky has done better than most, but not all our sporting events are to take place in the commonwealth — though that is a thought. Maybe Kentucky could play Louisville, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky and Murray State with trips to Cincinnati and Marshall. Would we settle for that? “We’re only going to see the headlines where there’s bad news,” Tyra said Tuesday. “We don’t see where there’s good news.” So maybe we shouldn’t overreact either way. Cross your fingers that baseball starts without a hitch. Cross your toes pro basketball follows suit. If they can make it work, maybe college football can, too. And college basketball? “We just thought let’s take a timeout,” said Tyra of the U of L shutdown. “And catch our breath.” Before we get back to holding it. LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176291 World Leagues News

Abu Dhabi's 'Fight Island' could become a lot more familiar if COVID-19 shuts down Las Vegas again

Kevin IoleCombat columnist

LAS VEGAS — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak took dramatic and early action in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and on March 17 took the unprecedented step of closing the state’s casinos. Nevada is a state built on tourism, and with the casinos closed, the economy struggled. But Nevada’s number of cases while the casinos were closed remained among the lowest in the country. On June 4, the casinos reopened and several days afterward, confirmed positive tests for COVID-19 began to rise dramatically. There were 153 new cases reported on June 3, the day before the casinos reopened. According to statistics from the Southern Nevada Health District, that spiked to 692 new cases on June 30 and was at 562 on July 3. That is beginning to stoke fear among some that Sisolak may be forced to close the casinos again. The under-construction Flash Forum on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. But if that happens, the UFC will continue to roll forward and put on events. The UFC is spending July in Abu Dhabi at the so-called “Fight Island,” where it will put on UFC 251 on Saturday followed by Fight Night shows on July 15, July 18 and July 25. It has nine shows planned for its Apex facility on its campus in Las Vegas in August, but if the governor issues another stay-at-home order, the UFC will return to Fight Island indefinitely. White told Yahoo Sports he’d always planned to keep Fight Island open and would run shows there, but if the situation in Nevada gets to the point where the state athletic commission quits permitting shows, Fight Island would become the new home of the UFC until it was safe to return to the U.S. The current plan is to alternate between Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, but it could become Abu Dhabi only if the situation with the coronavirus becomes untenable in Las Vegas. According to the Nevada Independent, daily positivity rate in Nevada is up 17.76 percent and hospitalizations are significantly up. The Independent also reported that the use of ICU beds has increased dramatically. There were 100 patients with COVID- 19 in ICU beds on June 22. That more than doubled to 236 on July 6. Bob Bennett, the executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday there has been no discussion of not moving forward with the closed-system events. White, though, wants to be ready for whatever may happen. “We’re set up there and this is where I plan on doing fights for the rest of the year and possibly longer,” White said. “I’m hoping Nevada doesn’t shut down again. I’m really hoping it stays open, but you have to at least be aware of the possibility that it might [close]. For us, the good news is that we’ll just stay at Fight Island and do the shows there, so we’re not going anywhere.” According to the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Marketing Department, 1.5 meter passageways at the entrance to Flash Forum where the fights are being held have been retrofitted with sanitizing “mist tunnels” that are said to kill 99 percent of surface bacteria. The sanitizing “mist tunnel” on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. There will be no crowd and masks will be compulsory inside the venue. “Over the past two weeks, we’ve been very busy building a safe and secure zone to bring UFC back to Abu Dhabi and, in turn, kick-start international sport and entertainment events again,” said Ali Al Shaiba, the executive director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi. “The area of the ‘safe zone’ aims to ensure we can provide a secure environment to host elite sport, but also protect our wider Abu Dhabi community. Yahoo Sports LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176292 World Leagues News Locally, Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern plan on reopening classrooms and residence halls to students in the fall. (Of the three, only BC has a football program, but both NU and BU have other How the Ivy League’s decision on Wednesday could affect the college Division 1 fall sports.) sports landscape Harvard announced this week that only 40 percent of undergrads will be on campus, which would seem to indicate that fall sports would not be an option in Cambridge. Yale has stated that three classes of students will By Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated July 7, 2020, 5:53 p.m. be in residence each semester. Brown announced Tuesday that it will have trimesters this school year to reduce the number of students on campus, with freshmen waiting until Two years ago, Larry Allen and the rest of his Harvard teammates spring to start classes. Dartmouth’s plan is to bring back more than half celebrated a win over Yale at sold out Fenway Park. This year's edition of of its undergraduates for the fall term. At Princeton, first-year students The Game is scheduled for Nov. 21 at Harvard Stadium, likely with a and juniors will be allowed to return to campus for the fall. limited number of fans, and could possibly be postponed until the spring of 2021. To be determined is the fate of the winter sports, such as basketball and hockey, which begin practice in the early fall. Some leagues are Two years ago, Larry Allen and the rest of his Harvard teammates considering playing abbreviated league schedules beginning in January, celebrated a win over Yale at sold out Fenway Park. This year's edition of forgoing postseason conference tournaments and letting the regular The Game is scheduled for Nov. 21 at Harvard Stadium, likely with a season determine who would reach the respective NCAA tournaments. limited number of fans, and could possibly be postponed until the spring of 2021.BARRY CHIN/ But Wednesday’s announcement is expected to deal only with the fall sports season, which, for the Ivy League, includes football, field hockey, GLOBE STAFF In ordinary times, last week’s announcement from the Ivy soccer, cross-country, and volleyball. League would not even register as a blip on the radar. The message seemed simple enough. Just two sentences. A statement about a future Whether the larger conferences would be willing to postpone the football statement. season to the spring of 2021 remains to be seen, but they learned earlier this year it would not be wise to simply dismiss a decision from the Ivy “With return to campus protocols still being developed and introduced by League. Ivy League institutions, the Council of Ivy League Presidents intends to announce a final decision regarding the status of intercollegiate athletic Boston Globe LOADED: 07.08.2020 activity for the Fall Term 2020 on July 8. “That decision will be communicated first to Ivy League directors of athletics, coaches and student-athletes, followed by the wider Ivy League campus community, media, alumni and the public.” But these are not ordinary times. One scenario reportedly being considered by schools nationwide is no sports for the rest of the calendar year. If that were to be the case, football would be a spring sport, with the Ivies eschewing nonconference games and playing just a seven-game league schedule. According to The Athletic, multiple coaches in the Ivy League believe that’s what will be revealed Wednesday. Of course, to do so brings its own issues. Fans would still likely not be allowed in the spring, at least not at full capacity. Compounding that revenue loss would be the additional cost of traveling while social distancing. No more players and coaches sitting next to each other on buses, with athletes potentially housed one to a room when staying at a hotel on overnight trips. As the clock ticks down to Wednesday’s announcement, the rest of the NCAA will be very interested observers. One only needs to go back to earlier this year to understand why. On March 10, the Ivy League canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments that were scheduled for the following weekend due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The decision was pilloried by some as being excessive, but the next day, it was clear that it was a harbinger of what was in store across the country. The Harvard men’s hockey team was the next to pull the plug on its season, withdrawing from its ECAC quarterfinal series on March 11. The Ivy League also canceled the spring sports season. Within 24 hours, all conference tournaments, as well as NCAA championships, were canceled. Four months later, the situation is eerily similar as schools are running out of time on when to make decisions regarding fall sports. For many across the country, the football season will begin Sept. 5, with most schools are already holding voluntary workouts. Last week, the Washington Post reported that with cases of coronavirus rising in the South and West, some governors hoped that the threat of a canceled college football season would encourage residents to follow public health guidelines, such as wearing masks in public. While it won’t be confused with the SEC and the Pac-12, the Ivy League does have three of its schools located in and around major cities: Harvard (Cambridge), Columbia (New York), and Penn (Philadelphia). Yale (New Haven) and Brown (Providence), are also in densely populated cities, while Cornell (Ithaca, N.Y.), Dartmouth (Hanover, N.H.), and Princeton (N.J.) are in less-populated settings. 1176293 World Leagues News quarantine for two weeks. Football practice was postponed indefinitely. Cornerstone Care is offering free covid-19 testing July 17 and 31 in the school parking lot. Should high schools teams follow professional, college sports and test for “First and foremost, our concerns are with the kids,” Ulmer said. “We covid-19? want to make sure everybody is safe. We don’t want to put anybody in harm’s way. Moving forward, there’s a lot of uncertainty. We’re not really sure what’s going to happen.” By: Chris Harlan Fortunately, high school football players fall into an age group that hasn’t been hit hard by covid-19. According to Allegheny County statistics, only five percent of total cases involve individuals aged 10 to 19. Of those 187 Clairton football coach Wayne Wade says high schools should implement cases, there were three hospitalizations and no deaths. covid-19 testing similar to what professional and college sports teams have done. Statewide, no covid-19 deaths were reported in that age range. Coronavirus testing is being used by professional and college teams to However, Wade’s concern extends to the adults who interact with the restart their seasons, so why not high school sports? teens, either at school or at home. He said he already tested negative. Clairton football coach Wayne Wade is asking that question. Clairton, one of state’s most-successful football programs, is the defending WPIAL Class A champion. The Bears have had only one team The Bears have shut down their summer workouts after an asymptomatic workout, so this downtime will hinder their preparation for the fall. player tested positive last week for coronavirus, Wade said. If that player hadn’t visited a community testing center, nobody would’ve known. For now, PIAA teams are allowed to conduct voluntary, non-contact workouts, but football season is only a month away. The PIAA-mandated The individual slipped undetected through the team’s safety protocols heat acclimatization week starts Aug. 10, and the first day of practice is that included daily temperature checks and questions about possible Aug. 17. covid-19 exposure. Wade is eager to resume practice but will remain patient. That worries Wade. “I’m in no rush to get back,” Wade said. “Why would I put my whole team, “Why isn’t someone stepping up and saying we’ve got to make this my coaching staff and their families in jeopardy, not knowing if anybody mandatory?” Wade said. “I feel like for us to start back, everybody has to is positive or not?” be tested, all of the coaches and all of the players. But I can’t say, ‘If you don’t test, you can’t play.’ I can’t do that. I know I can’t.” Tribune-Review LOADED: 07.08.2020 Clairton athletic director Ted Ulmer also favors testing. It would help the school make better decisions, he said, but acknowledged there are logistical issues. For one, Ulmer wonders whether a school can legally force students to take a covid-19 test. A testing mandate could need parental approval and might require action by a school board or the state. “It’s certainly something that you would like to be able to do,” Ulmer said. “The more we’re able to test and the clearer picture we have of the challenge we’re facing, the better decisions we’ll be able to make. “I’m certainly on board with Coach Wade.” In an ideal scenario, Wade wants to see athletes retested once a week. Without the tests, he’s concerned the virus could spread undetected across a roster with real consequence. “That’s where my fear is,” Wade said. “We’ll have a kid out there working out and not knowing. And then someone who was in our camp dies from this.” Dr. Debra Bogen, director of the Allegheny County Health Department, said team-wide testing isn’t a practical approach for high school sports. “The difference with professional teams is you can sort of limit their (outside) exposures,” Bogen said. “Children who are part of high school teams, you can test them at one point in time, but they’re going to have lots of other exposures. They’re not going to live in a bubble.” As a result, high school athletes would require frequent tests. “I don’t think we have the capacity at this time to do that in our country,” said Bogen, noting that professional leagues hire private testing facilities. Two community health agencies were offering free coronavirus tests in Clairton, so Wade encouraged his players to get tested before workouts started last week. That was the closest Wade could get to team-wide testing. It’s how the asymptomatic infection was detected. “I couldn’t tell the kids it was mandatory, but I put it out there that, ‘Here are their schedules, if you’d like to get tested,’” Wade said. “I still don’t know how many kids went and got tested. … Being in our group, they had to notify me after the kid’s test came back positive.” The infected athlete, who Wade didn’t identify, took part in the July 1 workout with more than two dozen teammates. Wade had the team separated into six workouts stations and limited group sizes to around five players, efforts to minimize potential exposure. The positive test result arrived after the workout. The school district acknowledged the infection in a July 3 announcement on its website, and said the football team and coaching staff would 1176294 World Leagues News we would have been able to do otherwise.” If saliva proves to work just as well as a swab, and gets authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, the NBA might adopt it as their standard testing method. Sports bubbles are good places to study COVID-19 The research team expects they’ll have results by the end of July. A saliva-based test would be valuable for similar environments where testing has to happen regularly, Sampathkumar, who is not involved in By Nicole Wetsman Jul 7, 2020, 9:02am EDT that study, says. “It can potentially be scaled up and done for schools and colleges, because it’s relatively non-invasive.”

The NBA is also giving players the option of wearing a smart ring, made NBA Restart 2020 - Setup Shots by Oura Health, that tracks things like heart rate and body temperature. Researchers working with Oura think that it can flag subtle changes that Sports are coming back in the United States, and as they do, could indicate someone is sick before they feel symptoms. Scientists at professional leagues are creating conditions that researchers say are the University of Michigan will evaluate the data from athletes wearing tailor-made to study COVID-19. They offer sizable groups of people who the ring and flag anyone they think the data shows might have early are regularly monitored by doctors. When leagues enter a pandemic signs of an illness. isolation zone, like the National Basketball Association plans to at Disney World, the controlled environment offers even more opportunities to Magic get OK to test players for COVID-19; NBA eyes staging games in understand the virus. Orlando Whether sports should come back is still debatable — the pandemic is The caveat: there’s still no published evidence showing that the ring can surging, and many experts are concerned that it’s not possible to create catch early signs of COVID-19. Like the saliva test, the system is an a safe environment for the athletes and staff — but leagues are forging experiment. Many researchers are skeptical that it would actually provide ahead with plans for reopening. And as they do, they’re pushing medical useful information, and scientists are still testing the idea at the University and technical research along with it. The sports “bubbles” are also home of California, San Francisco and West Virginia University. Athletes will be to experimental new tech and trials of new ways of testing for COVID-19. tested almost daily for COVID-19, so the league is not in any way relying They might also tell us more about how the virus spreads. on the ring to guide baseline testing — but the data might be used to flag players for additional tests, Oura Health CEO Harpreet Rai told The “There’s a lot of interest in sports coming back, and they could also be a Verge. plan for how we bring back universities, colleges and school safely. It’s the same concept, with a lot of people in close proximity to each other,” Benjamin Smarr, a University of California, San Diego data scientist says Priya Sampathkumar, an epidemiologist at the Mayo Clinic who’s working with Oura on the studies, says that the information is still working on an NBA antibody study. “It’s trying it out — if we can’t keep valuable, even if it’s not a proven way to detect illness. Because they’re them safe, maybe it’s not safe to open up.” being tested anyway, he says, players can get a sense of how the data they see from the ring matches the way they feel and how that relates to League partnerships their test results. Major League Baseball participated in the first nationwide coronavirus NBA athletes are also able to opt in to the University of California, San antibody study in April. At the time, there hadn’t been any effort to check Francisco study on the Oura ring. They’re being encouraged to do so, what percentage of the US population had been infected with the Rai says. It’s unclear, though, how many players might decide to coronavirus. The league has teams spread around the country, so testing participate in the study or how many will choose to use the ring at all. players, support staff, and their families would give a snapshot of how Their data will be protected: the league’s policies make it clear that the widely the virus had spread. teams won’t have access to player’s physiological data, and it won’t be “The authors of the study realized they had a ready-made national able to be used in contract negotiations. But some NBA athletes said on network of medical providers — sports medicine physicians and social media that they had some concerns about the device. orthopedists — who were scattered in a really broad number of markets The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association did not and would be able to help conduct these tests. It was really, really respond to interview requests. clever,” says Zach Binney, an epidemiologist at Emory University. And the data the study collected was incredibly valuable: it found that less Easier detective work than 1 percent of MLB employees had antibodies to the coronavirus. “That was the moment for me to shut down pretty much any argument The goal, of course, is to keep the coronavirus shut out entirely of the that there are just a ridiculous number of undiagnosed cases,” Binney sports “bubbles” in Orlando (where the Women’s National Basketball says. Association, NBA and Major League Soccer will play) and Utah (where the National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup is underway). It’s a “THAT WAS THE MOMENT FOR ME TO SHUT DOWN PRETTY MUCH challenge, particularly when athletes are traveling in from areas where ANY ARGUMENT THAT THERE ARE JUST A RIDICULOUS NUMBER the virus is widespread: players have already tested positive after arriving OF UNDIAGNOSED CASES.” in the MLS isolation zone. Sampathkumar is doing a similar antibody study with the NBA. The IF THE VIRUS STARTS TO SPREAD WITHIN THE ISOLATION league had a few high-profile positive cases back in March and April, so ZONES, IT SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EASY TO TRACE THE PATH IT researchers knew the virus was introduced into the league. Because the TRAVELED players are in close contact, the virus probably had some amount of spread within the group, and some may not have shown symptoms. “It If the virus starts to spread within the isolation zones, though, it should be would be a way to assess the true spread of the infection within a sort of relatively easy to trace the path it traveled. In the outside world, it’s hard closed population,” she says. for people to remember where they go and who they interact with, says Angela Rasmussen, a research scientist at the Center for Infection and Proving ground Immunity at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. If you’re on a tight schedule and living in a central location, like athletes in The closed-off NBA bubble is dedicated to basketball, but it’s also a these environments are, that information is easy to access. “You can makeshift COVID-19 research laboratory. The league is helping trial a work out, not only the number of contacts you’ve had, but the types of saliva-based COVID-19 test, and any players who opt in will help the interactions you have with those people.” Yale School of Public Health validate their testing method. That will make it easier than usual for doctors to track down anyone who Players in Orlando will be tested almost every day using the typical may have been exposed to the virus, which is important for the safety of method: having a swab shoved deep inside their nose. Players who the people inside the bubbles. But hypothetically, it could also help enroll in the Yale study, though, will also give a saliva sample along with scientists learn more about the coronavirus. It might make it easier to each test. The team will compare the two types of tests and check if the learn how long it takes for people exposed to the virus to show up as saliva test is as accurate as the nose and throat swab. positive on a test, for example. NBA players are being tested close to THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THE NBA OFFERED WERE every single day, so it’d be easier to pinpoint the moment they started to LOGISTICAL test positive. The most important things the NBA offered were logistical, says Anne Tracking people over a long period of time is one of the best ways to Wyllie, a Yale research scientist leading the project. Gathering a group of understand how the coronavirus spreads, but those types of studies are people to study is usually a huge challenge. “What just made this really resource-intensive. “We’ve seen a study of 30 people here, a few people possible was that they already had staff out there collecting samples,” there, that have helped us understand a little bit more about, for example, she says. “This really enabled us to do something that it’s hard to say if asymptomatic transmission,” Binney says. “The most interesting thing will be having data points regularly, from the same person.” At least one league, the NBA, is reportedly thinking about those issues. The league is putting together a group of experts to think through research approaches to the bubble, Sampathkumar says. “They’re willing to share the data that they come up with, and are asking for input on the type of data they should collect,” she says. The information is important for the league itself because it helps it manage the health and safety of its employees. But learning more about the virus and how it spreads is useful for everyone, not just professional athletes holed up at Disney World. “That could be really valuable information,” Rasmussen says. “And that could be extrapolated to the larger population.” theverge.com/LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176295 World Leagues News

NASCAR teams, groups approved for millions in federal COVID-19 loans

By Jerry BonkowskiJul 7, 2020, 9:00 AM EDT

Several NASCAR teams and related organizations were approved for between $150,000 and $10 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPE), according to data provided Monday. The U.S. Small Business Administration posted a list of PPP loan data on the U.S. Department of the Treasury website. The Paycheck Protection Program was included in the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was established to help businesses weather the financial stress of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Among the many NASCAR teams, racetracks and related organizations (with data including the range of the loan and the number of jobs retained): * Racing ($5-$10 million, 334 jobs) * with Felix Sabates ($2-5 million, 179 jobs) * ($2-5 million, 179 jobs) * Roush & Yates Racing Engines ($2-5 million, 192 jobs) * JTG Daugherty Racing ($1-2 million, 88 jobs) * GMS Racing ($1-$2 million, 89 jobs) * Kyle Busch Motorsports ($1-$2 million, 71 jobs) * JR Motorsports ($1-$2 million, 88 jobs) * Germain Racing ($350,000-$1 million, 41 jobs) * Richard Petty Motorsports ($350,000-$1 million, 43 jobs) * Inc. ($350,000-$1 million, 55 jobs) * DGR-Crosley ($350,000-$1 million, 67 jobs) * ($350,000-$1 million, 46 jobs) * Pocono International Raceway ($350,000-$1 million, 142 jobs) * Hattori Racing ($150,000-$350,000, 16 jobs) * Jimmie Johnson Racing ($150,00-$350,000, 8 jobs) * Motor Racing Outreach ($150,000-$350,000, 9 jobs) * Rev Racing ($150,000-$350,000, 12 jobs) * Starcom Racing ($150,000-$350,000, 20 jobs) * ($350,000-$1 million, 36 jobs) * Mesa Marin Raceway ($150,000-$350,000, 16 jobs) * Bill McAnally Racing ($150,000-$350,000, 19 jobs) * Young’s Motorsports ($150,000-$350,000, 0 jobs) * JD Motorsports ($150,000-$350,000, 0 jobs) In a statement accompanying the data, the SBA said the data was for businesses that were approved for PPP loans but “does not reflect a determination by SBA that the borrower is eligible for a PPP loan or entitled to loan forgiveness. All PPP loans are subject to SBA review, and all loans over $2 million will automatically be reviewed.” .nbcsports.com/LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176296 World Leagues News He was then asked point blank if he’d play, given the circumstances. “That’s a great question,” Davis answered. “We have 1,900 members, and not all of your 1,900 members are going to be comfortable with The NFL and NFLPA Need to Agree on Additional Coronavirus Protocols playing.… You all will have to make that decision, as a grown man.” Soon Then he was asked more directly if he, personally, would play.

“I’m gonna play,” he said, in response to the hypothetical. “I’m gonna do Albert Breer what I need to do so I can get my money.” We’ve already seen cases of that decision going the other way in other For three months now, the NFL and its players have had a luxury that sports. Dodgers pitcher David Price and Nationals first baseman Ryan other sports leagues and athletes have not. COVID-19 has yet to claim a Zimmerman are opting out of the baseball season. Lakers guard Avery single game, or even training camp practice of theirs and, officially at Bradley and Pacers star Victor Oladipo are opting out of the remainder of least, only one preseason game has been cancelled to this point. the basketball season. And how such a situation will be handled is one of They’ve gotten to watch everyone else do some things right, other things a bunch of loose ends that need to be tied up before the green light wrong, and plan ahead accordingly, while handling all of their business comes on for football players to come back to work. remotely. In an effort to make things as safe as possible for the guys who do make You could hear the air coming out of that balloon on Friday afternoon, as the decision to play in 2020, task forces from the league and union have the union convened a call of its membership. been on calls with one another on pretty much a daily basis to set protocols that they’re confident will mitigate—not eliminate—risk. Here’s No longer were the questions far-off hypotheticals. We’re less than three a quick rundown, with just 19 days left until the Chiefs and Texans start weeks away from the league’s first camp practices—scheduled to be practicing, of what’s left for the league and union to agree on. held by the Chiefs and Texans (because they’re supposed to kick off the regular season on Opening Night) on July 25—and it wasn’t hard to hear The opt-out. The league and union still have to discuss how they’ll go change in the tenor of the conversation. At one point, in fact, no less of a about handling players who decide not to play. The NFLPA is pushing for star than three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt pressed the all players to have the chance to sit out the year if they’re uncomfortable NFLPA brass on when the league’s plans for 2020 would be firmed up. participating, with their contracts tolling for 2020. Whether or not the league will try to limit that to at-risk players remains to be seen. “We’re reporting exactly three weeks from tomorrow,” Watt said, with all of his peers listening. “We’re working our training programs around July My guess is all players are given the option to sit out the year. We’ll see. 25. If this gets pushed back a month, that’ll change your entire mentality.” The preseason. This is fairly simple. The NFL wants two games—with Watt wasn’t the only guy on the line looking for answers. Many on the call each team playing one at home and one away—so every team can test were. both its home-stadium and travel protocols before doing it for real. And it wants those games played in what would’ve been the second and third Here’s one: The NFL and NFLPA are operating as they are right now, full weekends of the preseason to allow for an acclimation period and a and have been challenged to hammer out details, in large part because two-week period prior to the opener during which teams aren’t mixing. things are changing in our country on what feels like a day-to-day basis. Three weeks ago, it looked like America was working toward containing There’s also, of course, revenue that’ll be lost if those games aren’t the spread of COVID-19. Now, not so much. So it’s really hard to say played, which, obviously, is no small issue to the owners. And I’m told where we’re all going to be on July 25. Or July 28, when the other 30 plenty of coaches and GMs have told the league that having some teams report. preseason game action with which to determine a roster, and then ready it for Week, 1 would be huge for them—particularly with OTAs, There is another thing I know after talking to people involved the last few minicamps and joint practices wiped out. days, and it may not be the most encouraging thing to say, based on how June went. I believe, because those guys inside believe, that the NFL The players want to follow the guidance of the NFL/NFLPA joint and the 1,900 or so players who play in it are largely at the mercy of what committee for health-and-safety, which called for a three-week happens around them. It’s why when those players do report, we’re acclimation period before anyone even puts a helmet on. That timeline certain to get dozens of positive tests. And trust me when I say everyone would make playing any preseason games pretty difficult (three weeks expects that. after July 28 is Aug. 18), especially if you want teams to be by themselves for the two weeks leading into the opener. It’s also why if America’s struggling with COVID-19 in a month, the league will be too, in its effort to get football back on the field. Additionally, and rendering the math there less relevant, the joint committee advised that the whole preseason be canceled, based pretty Thus, the message that NFLPA assistant executive director for external much on this question: Why are we creating 32 safe training-camp affairs George Atallah wanted me to pass along on Saturday: “If you want zones, and then mixing everyone for games that don’t count? It’s a fair football to start on time, wear a mask.” point, and a reason why the players voted for their leadership to pursue the cancellation of all preseason games. I asked Atallah if that was addressing the players. He said no. It was for everyone. The worst-case scenarios. Really, I can’t imagine there’s much disagreement that a COVID-19 reserve list is going to be necessary. daniel-snyder-redskins-trey-smith-laremy-tunsil Simple math, again, can lead you here. If there’s a small outbreak and say 12 players test positive in mid-October, by which point teams are *** using most of their seven gameday inactive spots to stash guys with So this was supposed to be my ease-into-vacation MMQB, but a lot relatively minor injuries, everyone’s going to have a problem. happened the last few days, which is why I’m here, writing it from the Could it be abused? Sure. Teams could use it to manage some of those living room of our vacation house. (Trust me, I’m not complaining … I minor injuries, passing players off as having symptoms to save a roster know that’s the job.) Anyway, in here, you’ll find … spot. But the downside on the other end is much worse—the NFL can’t • More on the Washington nickname change. have players not reporting symptoms for fear of being cut. Which is why, to both the league and union, allowing players to report without any • A first look at the NFS grades for the 2021 draft seniors. unintended consequences is paramount. • Ten Takeaways from a really weird offseason. There are two other questions on the periphery here. One would be how these injuries are classified. The union wants all positive COVID tests But we’re starting with the call on Friday, and what it means for where classified as football injuries, which would mean guys would get paid. football is going in the fall. The NFL might want leeway on that, particularly if a player was being *** irresponsible away from the facility. The second is figuring out what constitutes a big enough outbreak to force the forfeiture of a game. About 45 minutes into the call, the subject of player safety came up. At that point the group discussed why a bubble would be impossible, given On that one, it could be raw numbers (i.e. too big a percentage of the the amount of players involved, and the additional infrastructure needed team can’t play). But I was given another that might be more likely— to run a football team. In explaining it, ex-NFL linebacker Don Davis, now where a large number from a single position group gets wiped out (like, a senior director at the union, acknowledged the risk that every guy say, a bunch of offensive linemen), creating a player-safety issue. would be undertaking by deciding to strap up for the 2020 season. Conduct detrimental. This term has become a buzzword in pro football. It CHANGE IN WASHINGTON allows teams to fine players and put them on notice for possible suspensions, and it could come into play here if players or coaches break Let me start here: Based on what I know, I’d be stunned if the the protocols. Washington football franchise plays another game with the nickname they’ve had since 1933. I do think there’s a level of agreement on this one—as one source said, “The protocols are only as good as the people are willing to stick to It’s over. Maybe they’ll have a new name by Sept. 13. If they don’t, my them.” Most of this is common sense. Wear a mask at the grocery store. strong guess would be the team will go without a nickname for 2020 (call Don’t have gatherings of more than 10 people. Don’t go to the bar. And them Washington FC, as our own Conor Orr suggested, for the time so on. being), rather than keeping the status quo. It’s fairly obvious we’ve passed the point of no return. Thing is, the vast majority of NFL players are in their 20s, and a lot of them, for good reason, enjoy taking advantage of the status being a pro And you may have noticed over the last few months that the team name athletes gives them. Which makes this one easier said than done. disappeared from The MMQB, including in places like power rankings or draft grades where we list all 32 teams. We didn’t make a huge deal of it, The money. Things have been pretty smooth between the NFL and but two people deserve credit for it. The first is Peter King, the founder of union, and that’s mostly because until just recently the financial issues the site, who stopped using the nickname on principle all the way back in that need to be worked out hadn’t been discussed. And while discussion 2013 (scroll down in this column and he followed it up here). That was his on the looming revenue shortfall has now begun, they haven’t waded into choice, by the way. He didn’t force it on anyone else, and I used the the heavy stuff quite yet. name routinely after joining the site in 2016, in large part because I didn’t see this as my stand to take. That heavy stuff? With the revenue numbers expected to be way down this year, the formula on the 2021 cap is likely to spit out a relatively ugly Maybe I was wrong on that. Either way, it wouldn’t be too long before I number, and having the cap drop helps no one. It hurts owners, because didn’t have a choice. That’s because earlier this year SI’s new copy chief, it makes it tougher to plan. It hurts team-builders and coaches, because Julie Kliegman, barred the use of the name across all SI publications as it’s almost certain to cause a bloodletting on a lot of rosters. It hurts part of our new stylebook. players for very obvious reasons. My feeling? It’s a football team, and people are offended by the name, so So I’d expect discussion soon to center on how the union and league will change it. It’s that simple. This wasn’t a small group of outrage mongers make sure that number is level. They could, potentially, borrow from this either. It was an entire race of people who’ve suffered many hardships in year. I think what’s more likely is that they borrow from 2022 and beyond, this country, and don’t need people like me telling them what to think. Nor which will make negotiating long-term deals much more complicated for do they need someone polling whether or not something is a racial slur teams in the coming months (hence the boatload of premium young when the dictionary defines it as a racial slur. veterans who haven’t gotten their blockbuster second contracts yet). At the end of the day, we’re talking about a business that exists to put 11 *** overgrown adults at a time on a field to play a game of ball. And I love football. It puts food on the table for my family. But the world was never And there are two points I’ll wrap up with here. going to spin off its axis when the inevitable became the reality, and the The first is that the communication is going to have to get better over the time to change the name came. next few weeks. I can tell you that commissioner Roger Goodell has been working hard The head athletic trainer will captain this whole effort for most teams, and with Washington owner Dan Snyder on this over the last couple weeks, I was told a story from one club a couple weeks ago—and this one’s from and that work is expected to intensify in the coming days. a really stable, well-run franchise—where the trainer asked the head As for what I’d like to see happen, I think the right thing to do here is to coach if he had any details at all on how to proceed, the coach told him engage the Native American community, and make sure the name no, and the two wondered how it was possible that neither guy had a clue reflects the franchise’s history (Braves was actually the original name), if on where things were going with a little over a month left before camp. that community wants it to. If they don’t, and want a clean break, that’s That’s a problem, and it was further reflected in a post on Pro Football fine too. But I think the least the NFL and the team can do after all this is Talk from over the weekend that mirrored what I’ve heard from a lot of work with them to find solution. guys. And it’s a problem largely as a result of negotiations being ongoing. After all, it was just seven years ago that Snyder said, “We'll never The second is that I believe, given everything that’s going on, the league change the name. It's that simple. NEVER—you can use caps.” and union have actually worked fairly well together on this—and that’s Never came faster than a lot of people anticipated. And even if this was despite what I just said about the level of communication. They’re on the about Nike (which has its own issues on the human rights front, by the same page with their goals, to get a football season going and to way) and FedEx (whose founder is a Washington minority owner) than minimize risk, and that’s obvious in how some elements of the plan have doing the right thing, the right thing will now be done. come together. So now those guys playing a kid’s game in representation of D.C. and its One example is deciding not to hole players up in dorms or hotels during surrounding area will be called something else. And it’s about time. training camp. I asked for the reasoning on that one, because I thought it might be an advantage to keep everyone in one place. But the counter I TOP SENIORS IN THE 2021 DRAFT was given was pretty compelling, and is actually one thing the NFL’s taken from college football’s fits and starts thus far (the number of young, In years past, The MMQB has had draft week around this time of year. asymptomatic players being the other)—one guy gets sick and the That’s in flux, because of all the uncertainty surrounding the college hotel/dorm is suddenly a petri dish. So it totally makes sense to separate season. But I still wanted to give you something draft-related before I go, guys as much as you can. so I figure what better way than to introduce you to some of the 2021 class’s best. Or it does so long as those guys are responsible, which brings us back to original point. The NFL and NFLPA can’t control everything. They can’t Every year, one of the earliest signs that it’s time to get to work on the control their players when they go home. They also can’t control federal, following year’s draft comes when teams receive the NFS (National state and local restrictions. Football Scouting) grades on the senior class. And we were able to dig around and get those for you. In fact, as of right now, based on New York law, a Buffalo Bills player who lives in Texas would have to self-quarantine for 14 days before A couple quick notes, before we get started. First, again, this is a list of returning to work. Is it fair that, in this case, a player would have to show seniors (sorry, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields). Second, the list isn’t up on July 14, and may have trouble working out in the interim, for a July any kind of consensus—in fact, it’s put together by a crew of younger 28 camp start date? It’s not. And pro sports may well get an exemption scouts breaking into the business. Third, teams do use it, but really only on this one. But if that doesn’t happen, then that’s the reality for this as an early reference point. hypothetical guy. How accurate is it? Last year, three of the eight players who got first- Which underscores the simple fact, again, that there’s still a ton of round grades (Justin Herbert, Javon Kinlaw, Derrick Brown) went in the uncertainty in how this is all going to work. And that’s really because the first round (they happened to all be in the top 14), two more went in the same sort of uncertainty is hovering over the United States of America as second (Kristian Fulton, Raekwon Davis) and a sixth guy went in the third we sit here on July 6. round Julian Okwara). Two others (Trey Adams, Jared Pinkney) went undrafted after really rough senior years. So … we’ll see. And now that we have that out of the way, here is the scouting scale *** used by NFS … 9.0-plus=First overall pick/Hall of Fame spoke a few weeks ago, and it’s not hard to see the logic here. You’re going to have less time to get ready for your opener, and fewer reps for 8.0-8.9=top 10 everyone (and that especially goes for reps in pads). With that in mind, 7.0-7.9=first round coaches have to give everyone the best chance to win on that first Sunday, and having a starting quarterback in place and building around 6.5-6.9=late first/second him is a part of that. Having the guy in place early, of course, is preferable. In the case of the Bengals, I’ve had it explained to me that the 6.0-6.4=second/third round coaches’ efforts to position Burrow as the starter to his teammates and within the offense have been pretty transparent. Burrow knows it. Ryan And here are the guys with first-round grades … Finley knows it. I think the announcement will be a formality. In the cases Trey Smith, G, Tennessee (6.91): Smith is a great story—he came back of Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert, my sense is things have been less from a significant issue with blood clots in 2018—and a really, really good that way. Which makes it a little more likely the Dolphins and Chargers prospect. If he’s what he was in 2019, and he was first-team All-SEC last go with their veteran options at the position (Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tyrod year, he’s a good bet to go in the first round. Taylor, respectively). Carlos “Boogie” Basham Jr., DE, Wake Forest (6.81): Basham is a 6' 5", The new coaches will be at a disadvantage too. And I know we’ve 275-pounder with 15.5 sacks on his resume who surprised a lot of people continually referenced 2011, but it can be instructive here too—in by returning for a fifth year in Winston-Salem. As is the case with Smith, explaining that this is a difficult, not impossible, situation. The eight new a steady senior year should be enough to get him in the top 32. coaches in 2011: Jim Harbaugh (13-3, NFC title game appearance), John Fox (8-8, AFC West champs), Mike Munchak (9-7), Jason Garrett Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern (6.61): The Wildcats’ right tackle goes (8-8), Hue Jackson (8-8), Ron Rivera (6-10), Pat Shurmur (4-12) and into his senior year with 38 starts under his belt, and is projected in the Leslie Frazier (3-13). Four of the eight were internal promotions, for what NFS grades to swing inside as a pro. Slater’s all-conference on the field that’s worth, and that group accounts for three of the five records of .500 and academic all-conference off it. or better here. Fox had been a head coach the nine previous years. And that leaves the most interesting guy on the list—Harbaugh. I remember Nico Collins, WR, Michigan (6.52): I’ll be honest, I was surprised to see vividly the creativity Harbaugh showed that summer, with ideas he’d Collins as the first receiver on this list. You’ll see why in a second. That taken from his experience as a college head coach. At that level, the time said, he’s got an NFL body (6' 4", 222), and 75 catches for 1,361 yards constraints are far more draconian than in the NFL, so he knew how to and 13 TDs the last two years. Speed will be the question. work around the fact that he wouldn’t have as much going into his first Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State (6.51): A former five-star recruit, year in San Francisco. (One example: basically running two separate Browning has flashed plenty as Swiss Army knife for the Buckeyes but practice at once during camp.) Which is why, as far as how camp works, hasn’t even been a full-time starter yet in a crowded linebacker room. I’m most interested to see how new Panthers coach Matt Rhule does it. He’ll have a shot to prove he can be more consistent as a senior. The NFL and NFLPA have to feel pretty good the CBA got done. The Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama (6.51): Scouts I talk to love Smith—some interesting thing—I was told the impact of COVID-19 actually came up as think he was the best receiver on the team last year (Note: Henry Ruggs the league and union were trying to push the new collective bargaining and Jerry Jeudy were on the team). He had 1,256 yards and 14 TDs. The agreement, and that’s notable because that was well before most of biggest knock on him? Size. He’s listed at 175 pounds. America knew just what we were dealing with. The owners were fearful of what the virus might mean for the world’s economy (they also warned On top of those six, 16 others broke a 6.0 grade. They are as follows: players what Bernie Sanders’s momentum in the Presidential campaign might do to the stock market—yup, feels like a long time ago), and 6.41: Ohio State LB Pete Werner, Clemson RB Travis Etienne. explained that less prosperous times would make a labor deal much 6.31: LSU LB Jabril Cox, Michigan RB Chris Evans. more difficult to negotiate ahead of upcoming talks on new broadcast deals. That thought has wound up becoming prescient. Doing business in 6.21: Michigan DE Kwity Paye, Georgia LB Monty Rice. the current environment won’t be easy for anyone. But with the decade- long CBA in place, at the very least, the NFL is playing from way ahead 6.06-6.11: Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace (6.11), Iowa WR Ihmir of where it would’ve been. Smith-Marsette (6.09), Houston WR Marquez Stevenson (6.08), Northern Iowa OT Spencer Brown (6.07), Oklahoma State OT Teven Jenkins The pandemic’s effect on players has been profound, and will likely (6.06). continue to be. Since March 23, the 32 NFL teams have a done a total— again, a total—of three extensions with their own players. Texans OT 6.01: Georgia CB D.J. Daniel, Pitt DE Patrick Jones, Alabama RB Najee Laremy Tunsil. Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey. Patriots S Patrick Harris, Ole Miss LB Lakia Henry, Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond. Chung. That’s it. And really, Chung’s deal was a pay cut. On top of that, none of the 15 players tagged in March have landed a long-term deal. *** The reason here is pretty simple: The revenue shortfall coming because TEN TAKEAWAYS of the prospect of empty stadiums in the fall, etc. means teams don’t want to hand out cash, and they don’t know where the salary cap is going And, as promised, my 10 takeaways to recap an NFL offseason to be from 2021 going forward to ’23 or ’24. Before all this—and based consumed coronavirus. on the new CBA, looming broadcast deals and an influx of gambling money—the thought was the cap could break $300 million within five I think the offseason workouts matter. And there are two in particular that years or so. Now? The 2021 cap figure is almost certainly going to come I believe are worth your attention—both in the NFC South. Where a lot of in lower than this year’s cap, and just to get it on the level of the 2020 quarterbacks held camps over a week or a weekend, Tom Brady and cap, the league and union will probably have to agree to borrow from Matt Ryan staged months of workouts that more or less mimicked the future years. So where we should have had prosperity and a fair amount field work that the Bucs and Falcons would normally get in OTAs and of fiscal certainty, we have chaos. And until all these owners have a minicamp. Remember, these two were veterans for the 2011 lockout, so better idea of what the future will look like, my guess is it’s going to be they’ve been through an offseason without an official team program slow-going on the contract front. before. This indicates they believe what I believe, that the blank canvass of this offseason gave everyone a chance to get way ahead of the The NFL had its reckoning on diversity in its coaching and front-office competition. And when I talked to Ryan about that, he seemed pretty ranks. And my feeling is the league office itself has put forth a really pleased with how it’s gone. “I feel really good about it,” he said. “And I strong effort to keep the pipeline healthy and give its teams every think part of that comes from having so much continuity on our offensive resource possible to pick good minority candidates to be head coaches side of the ball. We’ve got two new additions at the skill positions, in and general managers. Now, it’s up to the teams. We’ll see in January terms of Hayden Hurst and Todd Gurley. But other than that, it’s mostly what kind of impact all of this has had. What is obvious is this: With rule the same guys back. So there’s not a new offense that we’re learning, it’s changes preventing teams from blocking promising young guys, more the same guys together, you can be really detailed on what you’re talking awareness of good candidates coming, more network opportunities about. I feel really good about it from that sense, and we’ve got guys that available and the Rooney Rule expanded, there are definitely more are into it and willing to work and willing to put in the time and that makes avenues now than there ever have been for teams to fix all the lopsided it fun.” We’ll see how it translates to the fall. But as for how it’ll affect the numbers we’ve seen of late. summer, I don’t think there’s not much question that the Tampa and Atlanta offenses are in a better spot to hit the ground running for a weird While we’re there, I think we’re going to remember the players’ video of and different camp for having done all this. May for some time to come. Credit goes here to Saints WR Mike Thomas who, with the help of NFL Media’s Bryndon Minter, pulled off a concept If rookie quarterbacks are going to start, they’ll have to win jobs fast. that was brilliantly conceived and brilliantly done. The league office has Bengals coach Zac Taylor conceded as much to me—I wouldn’t be heard a lot of complaints from players over the years. This wasn’t that. surprised if he names Joe Burrow starter on Day 1 of camp—when we This was, in the aftermath of the NFL faceplanting on its post-George Floyd statement, giving commissioner Roger Goodell a solution. And in lead to any championship won in this calendar year being seen differently the process, it was also forcing Goodell to pick a side, after what the from other years. I’m sure we’ll all be super rational about it. league put out initially came off as another attempt to straddle the fence. "So on behalf of the , this is what we the players 3) Very interesting decision by five-star hoops recruit Makur Maker to would like to hear you state," 19 star players said in unison, on the video. commit to Howard for the 2021-22 season. That’s a groundbreaking "We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systemic development for HBCUs. Something like that happening in football, I’d oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit say, is less likely. Mostly because the structure of the sport is so different wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting. We, the (if Maker’s dynamite as a freshman, he can just go to the NBA from National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter." Less than 24 there), and because the fortunes of football players seem to ride more on hours later, Goodell read the statement. And if you go back and look at how they develop in college, and at what level that’s happening. the recent history of the league, that marked a pretty significant pivot for 4) S/o to the Bundesliga—they made it through the finish of their season those at 345 Park. without a single known case of COVID-19. That’s pretty incredible, and a The most compelling trade of this offseason, to me, has to be DeAndre testament to a very tightly-wound set of protocols (a few guys were Hopkins going from Houston to Arizona. There are a bunch of reasons punished for breaking them). That said, this was in Germany, a country why the Texans did it, and we don’t need to rehash every single one of that, by all accounts, has handled all this much better than we have. them (money, practice habits and fit were among them). What’s 5) Meanwhile, the MLS bubble seems to be crumbling, and baseball’s interesting to me is where it leaves both teams. The Texans now find path back has been through an absolute minefield. And it all makes me their foundation more through the lines of scrimmage than at any point in think back to the talk I had with the two ex-team docs last week, and how Bill O’Brien’s six years there, and I think in that way the roster’s makeup much of this is more reflective of our country’s place in the pandemic, is more in line with his belief system than it ever has been. That doesn’t than that of the individual sports. “I think there’s gonna be a problem,” mean it’s the best roster he’s had. But I do believe it’s a pretty balanced said Dr. Thomas Gill, the ex-head physician of the Patriots. “Let me put it team that should position Deshaun Watson well going into Year Four. this way—the NFL will mirror what’s going on in society at that time, Meanwhile, on the other end, you have the Cardinals doing what the that’s the best way to put it. If we get a second wave and things continue Rams, Eagles and Chiefs did the last few years, in trying to capitalize on as they are in the South, it’d be hard for me to see how they could protect a highly-drafted quarterback playing on a rookie deal, and loading up each other in a sport with such close contact. I think that would be ’s arsenal (Hopkins joins Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and surprising.” three receivers from the 2019 draft). How does this play out? I can’t wait to see. 6) I hope everyone had a good, if different, Fourth of July. Generally I’d do a military-themed column this week, but the timing of the holiday sort This offseason may have changed the way the NFL does business in a of upended that. So I would like to say thank you to all of those who’ve big way. And I think more is on the way—I’ve already heard from scouts made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. And this year, you can unsure of what their fall is going to look like, given that major college include our brave healthcare workers alongside our soldiers. football programs may not be swinging the doors open to NFL teams like they have in the past. Some of these guys are concerned that owners *** may not want to go back to investing as much as they did previously on the scouting trail, with all the money they’ll save in 2020 between the BEST OF THE NFL INTERNET scores of cancelled pro days and looming canceled school calls in the Teddy Bridgewater’s always been a pretty easy guy to root for. fall. On the upside, it does seem like a lot of coaches got new perspective this spring, in learning that is possible to work from home a Reason No. 43,553 never to mess with Coach O. little more and, in doing so, balance life a little better. And it also made most of the guys I talked to appreciate what they have when they are at I was in my fourth or fifth year covering the NFL and one league exec work a little more. “I just think the change in everything that’s taken place gave me three words to guide my coverage: “Follow the money.” He was for all of us as citizens of this country, this is something … it’s a right. Whether it’s looking into something like this, or a simple player pandemic,” said Saints coach Sean Payton, who had COVID-19 in transaction, the trail of cash will always take you where you need to be. March. “From a perspective standpoint, you appreciate some of the smaller things. I’m kind of a people person, and I like being around I still remember the cookout I was at when news of Steve McNair’s death people, so the Zoom works, and the Webex meetings work, and yet it still broke in 2009, and how out of left field that one seemed to be. And 11 doesn’t replace being there in a room with a staff, talking to people. So years later, I’m not sure McNair’s properly appreciated for the grittiness, you get used to that, I think we’ve become a little bit better listeners the toughness or the competitiveness he brought to the table every week. because of it, because in order to communicate, via the internet like that, As the King of the Dropped Word, I’d like an edit button. So wear a mask. it requires you to listen a little bit better, because there certainly are pauses in communication.” But, he’d continue, it’ll be pretty nice when Promising Cal Berkeley-bound senior, but always still Oakland’s own. everyone is back together. The game at field level always looks like a blur, and Kyler Murray is a We can keep this one simple—the Brady/Belichick breakup will be the blur. biggest storyline when we reconvene. In a normal year, that would mean hordes of media descending on Tampa and Foxboro for Day 1 of camp. Still looks crazy. This year? Who knows what it’ll mean. What we do know is that seeing One thing I really respect about Newton—he’s secure enough in himself Tom Brady and Bill Belichick apart after they achieved historic success where he doesn’t care to work overtime to correct misperceptions. What over two decades together will be something to behold. And all the he does care about is what his coaches and teammates think of him. And stories on the periphery have only made the whole thing juicier. Brady Olsen’s just one of example of the many who’ll be rooting for him post- bringing Rob Gronkowski to Florida with him. Belichick signing Cam Carolina. Newton after months of speculation about how ready Jarrett Stidham is. Brady revving up those offseason workouts in Tampa after a few years of *** skipping out on Patriot OTAs. This one’s gonna be a blast to follow. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW SIX FROM THE SIDELINE It’s vacation time! So, like I said, I’m writing this one on location, as a 1) The Cleveland Indians’ decision to start discussion on the future of result of what was a pretty busy July 3, NFL-wise. their nickname raises a lot of questions about the future of other teams’ names—the NFL’s Chiefs and MLB’s Braves would be two—and where First, I want to thank everyone for sticking with us through a really we’re going with all this. And I think that’s good reason to dig into Florida different offseason. I won’t ever forget this one. And honestly, I had no State’s Seminole nickname and relationship with the tribe of the same idea what to expect when the pandemic took hold, but I enjoyed being name. People on both sides have worked to make the moniker a point of able to tell the types of stories we told the last few months—even if you’d pride for everyone involved, rather than any sort of insult, to the point always rather have the face-to-face interaction with the guys you cover. A where many of the gameday rituals are based on Native American big shout out to all the coaches and execs who managed all this, and had traditions that honor the tribe. Again, I think working with the Native so much off-the-wall insight to share this spring. community is the first step in all of this, and FSU has a huge head start Second, I’m not leaving you hanging. We’ll have a couple guest on everyone in that regard. columnists while I’m gone, and I’m really pumped to give you a series of 2) I think the difference in opinion from NBA players and coaches on how podcasts over the next few weeks that’ll give you insight from some of to proceed are probably reflective of what we’ll see in all team sports the more powerful football decision-makers in the NFL. over the next few months. And that plus a high level of roster churning to Third, so I’m clear, I really, really hope we get football in the fall, both be expected in every league as a result of the pandemic, I believe, will college and pro. You guys can trust I’m with you on that. And I’ll see everyone in a few weeks. si.com LOADED: 07.08.2020 1176297 World Leagues News ordering delivery from local restaurants in an effort to keep them afloat even if it forces gig workers to come to your house. The safest path forward is to wait until the virus is quelled to resume discretionary If baseball's coronavirus plans fail, blame political leaders first activities — that was the standard in nations like South Korea and Japan where baseball has already resumed — except that the people in charge here seem incapable of putting the country on the right track. Individual actors and even powerful institutions are not prepared to navigate a Hannah Keyser pandemic indefinitely and without clear, consistent guidance and economic cushioning from the government.

In a country without sufficient social safety nets or a humane plan to keep Baseball played in a pandemic is inherently precarious. The moral people and corporations solvent during this time of unprecedented specter of whether sports are worth it, whether even trying is a sort of sin, upheaval, businesses will attempt to reopen. It’s a debatable but hung over the whole operation from the start. Major League Baseball’s ultimately inescapable outcome. You can say it’s craven, and maybe it is, best hope, then, was always to be thorough. The first and last line of for baseball to press on as if millions of dollars and thousands of jobs defense against both the coronavirus and ethical concerns is a 101-page depend on it, but they do and it will. document detailing exhaustive protocols designed to keep everyone involved safe. Or at least mitigate the risk to the most prominent people. As a result, people will get sick and it will be tempting to point fingers and interrogate the chain of events that led to the infections. If you look for But less than a week into the so-called “summer camp” stage of the them — and this is not to say you shouldn’t — there will be many cracks experiment, it’s becoming increasingly clear that a plan on paper isn’t in the system: the player who went out for dinner without a mask, the nearly as important as the version implemented by fallible actors. At the plan to travel even regionally instead of isolating the season in one city, human level as we all struggle to hermetically self-isolate; at an the inherent lag time between testing and results in conjunction with the institutional level if MLB can’t even account for the logistical ramifications everyday nature of the sport, the statistical inevitability of some level of of a holiday weekend that tells you when it’s going to happen in the mishandling with that many samples. name. All of these personal and corporate failings merit disapproval and An imperfect plan in the context of a highly communicative deadly virus is perhaps, in their predictability, amount to a compelling case to abstain a dangerous one. Which is a long-winded way of saying: This might not from sports altogether or decry their progression at every turn. Outside of work. We might not get a lot or even any meaningful baseball this this particular column, it merits parsing between the institutional and season. Or, we might get the kind of disaster that makes an abrupt individual levels of culpability within baseball — conflating player error cancellation of the sport look like a best-case scenario. You can put this and league incompetence only makes sense in comparison to the all- sobering reality in its proper place relative to all the other losses this year consuming failure of our federal government. and still be really upset. So upset that you’re angry and demand to know what the hell went wrong — whose fault is this anyway? Ultimately, though, ferreting out relatively small-scale faults is soothing only insofar as it distracts from the more depressingly dire Both of those questions deserve a thorough investigation and, besides, mismanagement-bordering-on-malevolence among policymakers. humans are vengeful lot. We like to think that identifying the right scapegoat will soothe our pain and restore a sense of justice. And in this Or, as Tess Wilkinson-Ryan, a professor of law and psychology, wrote in case, the culpability is egregious enough and the gravity, well, grave The Atlantic about interpersonal shaming: “In the pandemic, this urge is a enough that even if it takes a sports-less summer to inspire your red herring; it is too easy to focus on people making bad choices rather indignation I encourage you to lean into it — and blame the government. than on people having bad choices.” On July 3, the United States set a record high for new COVID-19 cases MLB is trying to build a boat in the middle of the ocean, and it makes a at 56,567. There were 10,433 new cases on March 24, the day that MLB certain amount of sense to blame the shoddy craftsmanship for leaks. suspended spring training. Those numbers are numbing after months of But the rising tide of coronavirus cases is the real problem. The water this (and the availability of testing affects the tally), but you have to itself in this analogy is not an immutable force, rather the result of political understand: Despite months of sacrifice and scientific research, things malpractice. Always remember: It didn’t have to be this way. are getting worse and not better. The coronavirus is a once-in-a- generation pandemic that knocked the wind out of the entire world, yes. Yahoo Sports:LOADED: 07.08.2020 Still, it didn’t have to be this way. Last week, CNN published a damning look at the country’s coronavirus statistics. The headline pointed out that the U.S. accounts for only 4 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent of COVID-19 cases worldwide. That was before this most recent stretch of record daily surges; over 4,000 American deaths ago. The structural failures are vast and, in some ways, endemic to American society. But responsibility for the perpetual crescendo of the daily case- count charts lies squarely with the specific public officials — not least of all those in the White House — whose willful mismanagement has consequences far beyond baseball games. (But also, baseball games.) “America’s position as the world’s leader in coronavirus cases and deaths is in large part the result of human error, and the still-rising caseload stands as a stark reminder of the blunders that have characterized the national response,” the Washington Post wrote in an accounting of federal failures based on 47 interviews. “Trump’s actions, and his position in the Oval Office, make him a central figure in any assessment of the country’s handling of the outbreak.” There’s plenty of blame to be levied at the state and local level, as well, with the overarching issue being the politicization of public health and the partisanization of reality. That sounds buzzy and smug — like the subtitle on a podcast docu- series about this moment in American history, or a tweet that goes a little bit viral among people with #resistance in their bios. It’s a concept that feels at once quaint in its capacity for continued outrage that Donald Trump is not a very good president and insufficient for the actual stakes of the situation. Even quasi-apocalyptic movies imagine that a country under duress or alien invasion will act valiantly to save itself and protect its citizens rather than obfuscate critical data and undermine even the most easily actionable advice. What this has to do with baseball is the same thing it has to do with schools reopening in the fall to allow parents to get back to work, or 1176298 World Leagues News Players will be quarantined in their hotel the entire time, and for some players that means being away from their families for much longer than they're used to. "MLS is Back Tournament" rolls on despite coronavirus concerns "Being away from your family in a pandemic is always a big concern of the players. I think Major League Soccer has done a good job of making sure their protocols are tight," Toronto FC defender Justin Morrow, who is By Jeff York, CNN the father of two young girls, told CNN Sport. "That being said, this virus is very unpredictable, so all of us will be asked to be strict following the protocols and doing our best to make sure that (CNN)It's been dubbed the "MLS is Back Tournament," but amid a global this tournament kicks off in a good fashion." pandemic the resumption of club soccer in the US will take place without one team and one of Major League Soccer's star players. The MLS players' union has acknowledged the complex nature of hosting a tournament during the coronavirus pandemic. With 10 players and one staff member testing positive for Covid-19, MLS has pulled FC Dallas out of the competition, which is scheduled to kick "The removal of FC Dallas from competition in Orlando is a reminder of off on July 8. how difficult the circumstances involving returning to work remain across all sports amidst this pandemic," said the players' union in a statement Carlos Vela, the Mexican superstar who signed with Los Angeles FC in posted to Twitter. 2018, has decided against playing in the tournament as his wife is pregnant. Vela is the biggest name thus far to opt out. On Tuesday the league announced an additional five positive cases for players from Nashville SC. Another four tests were deemed inconclusive "I would like nothing more than to be with my teammates in Orlando," and will require further testing. The league put out a statement that said said Vela in a statement released by his club. "I always want to give "MLS will continue to evaluate the club's participation in the MLS is Back everything I have to my Club, our fans and supporters and the city of L.A. Tournament following the results of additional testing." "However, it is in the best interest of the health of my family to stay home MLS also announced that Nashville's opening match against Chicago and be with my wife during what is a risky pregnancy. I will miss being Fire FC has been postponed. with my teammates and coaches, but I will be cheering and supporting LAFC from a distance." Teams like Toronto FC and the Colorado Rapids have delayed their arrivals to Orlando, citing the recent test results. The Rapids had two In a normal world, FC Dallas would have been almost halfway through players test positive before their planned arrival. their season at this point, with players looking forward to the All-Star break in late July. But of course, we've come a long way since February For players and teams that are already in Orlando, most are trying to stay when MLS kicked off its 25th season. upbeat and hope that everything can be contained, and the tournament can go on as planned. Before we can get into the now; we should remember how the season got underway. "We understand it isn't the most ideal situation, but everyone is excited to get out there and play again," said Houston Dynamo player Zarek Arsenal legend Thierry Henry took the reins of the Montreal Impact and Valentin. got a win in his first game as manager. Mexican national team star Javier "Chicharito" Hernández made his debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy but Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese added: "It's definitely settled for a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dynamo. felt a little strange at first ... it's a situation in which MLS has tried everything they can to organize in the best possible way, and I have to Meanwhile debutants Nashville SC kicked off to much fanfare but could be very proud of our guys because I think we feel very safe around only look on as local rival Atlanta United spoiled the party with a 2-1 win. ourselves." And out in Los Angeles on the first day of March, David Beckham watched his team Inter Miami make its MLS debut with a somewhat However, Matt Lampson, a goalkeeper for the Columbus Crew and a underwhelming 1-0 loss to Los Angeles FC. cancer survivor, feels more uncertain about MLS' return, tweeting "this is serious." One week later, LAFC and the Philadelphia Union squared off in an instant classic with both teams earning a point in a 3-3 draw. And then ... For everyone in the "These are pro athletes. There is no risk. Nothing silence. The pandemic shut down sports leagues across the US and happens to them if they get the virus" camp - I am high risk. And I know MLS' 25th season was halted as quickly as it had begun. for a fact there are multiple others at #MLSisBack that are as well - including other players on their way here. This is serious. MLS is only the second major sports league in the US and Canada to resume play, after the NWSL and its ongoing Challenge Cup in Utah. — Matt Lampson (@LampStrong) July 3, 2020 With the exception of FC Dallas, the other 25 teams will meet in a cup With cases of coronavirus spreading around the US and Florida style competition, with a group stage and then knockout games. especially, some are wondering if sports' quick return is the most prudent thing to be focused on right now. Group stage results will count in the standings for the regular season which MLS hopes to resume after the tournament has concluded. "A big part of me wants sports to come back," CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said in a recent podcast. "It is how I The final will take place on August 11 pitting the top Eastern and Western unwind. I would love to be able to sit back and enjoy a game with my teams against each other. family right now. The winner of the tournament will have an automatic berth into the 2021 "But at the same time, it's hard to reconcile that with what is going on in CONCACAF Champions League, the regional club tournament across the country and in the world ... and with what I'm doing on a daily basis -- the Americas and Caribbean. going into the hospital, telling people on television and on this podcast to stay home, to physically distance, to wear a mask, to do everything they Added wrinkles to the tournament include full video review available for can to limit the spread of the virus." the referees and five substitutions as opposed to the normal three. Dr. Gupta added: "As much as I want sports to come back - and I do - it's In keeping with nearly all the football leagues around the world which also essential that the health of players and staff comes first, especially have resumed, due to health concerns, no fans will be allowed inside the when cases of the infection are spiking all over the country." venues for the matches. cnn.com LOADED: 07.08.2020 All 25 teams will be staying at Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort and playing their matches at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. MLS created a series of safety protocols to try and avoid a coronavirus outbreak among the teams. Those measures include regular testing, social distancing and the use of face masks. "I think the guys understand why the protocols are there and it's really important that we abide by them," said Inter Miami CF goalkeeper Luis Robles. "This isn't just about one person; it's about the entire community, so we have to be safe." 1176299 World Leagues News

Baseball seeking a second lab for MLB COVID-19 tests

By Craig CalcaterraJul 7, 2020, 8:18 AM EDT

Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last night that Major League Baseball is “actively pursuing an additional medical lab site to increase the speed and efficiency” of MLB COVID-19 tests. The current setup — as planned by MLB and approved by the MLBPA as a part of the plan to play the 2020 season — is for all MLB COVID-19 tests to be sent to and processed by MLB’s PED testing lab in Salt Lake City, Utah. As you likely heard, there have been delays in the administration of COVID-19 tests and in the shipping of tests to Utah, but to date no one has reported that the lab itself has not been able to handle the tests once they’ve arrived there. If MLB is looking for a second lab site a week into this process, it suggests that their plans for the Utah lab might not be working the way they had anticipated. The issues with testing have created unease around the game in recent days, with some players and team executives speaking out against Major League Baseball’s handling of the plan in the early going. Commissioner Rob Manfred, meanwhile, has responded defensively to the criticism. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported this morning that, months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States still lacks testing capacity. From the report: Lines for coronavirus tests have stretched around city blocks and tests ran out altogether in at least one site on Monday, new evidence that the country is still struggling to create a sufficient testing system months into its battle with Covid-19 . . .“It’s terrifying, and clearly an evidence of a failure of the system,” said Dr. Morgan Katz, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins Hospital . . . in recent weeks, as cases have surged in many states, the demand for testing has soared, surpassing capacity and creating a new testing crisis. It’s less than obvious, to say the least, how Major League Baseball plans to expand capacity for MLB COVID-19 tests while America as a whole is experiencing “a new testing crisis” and a “failure of the system.” At the very least it’s less than obvious how, even if Major League Baseball can do so, it can do so ethically. nbcsports.com LOADED: 07.08.2020