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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/25/2020 1172847 Greatest Game I Covered: Bobby Ryan’s and the 1172874 Greatest Game I Covered: Bobby Ryan’s goal and the start of a rivalry start of a rivalry 1172848 Greatest Game I Covered: The Comeback on Katella 1172875 The 5 biggest ‘what-ifs’ about the 2019-20 Predators that could go unanswered Bruins 1172849 The ice sheet at TD Garden has been melted 1172850 TD Garden ushers laid off three days after Bruins 1172876 Devils, Sixers owner Josh Harris realizes he was a fool, announce fund for workers says employees will get full pay during coronavirus s 1172851 TD Garden part-time workers officially laid off 1172877 Why is Kyle Palmieri excited about Devils’ future? Jack 1172852 Who are the best left wings in Bruins history? Ranking the Hughes and much more Top 10 1172878 Should Devils return for meaningless games? Scorer- 1172853 Did the Bruins make the right call by letting Noel Acciari turned-handyman Kyle Palmieri talks coronavirus walk? 1172879 NJ Devils, 76ers owners reverse course on salary 1172854 At home with Torey Krug and Charlie Coyle, adjusting to reduction amid coronavirus shutdown NHL’s new reality 1172880 From Chico to Goose: The best (or only) Devils player to wear each number 1172855 Dylan Cozens plans to use long offseason to 'make the jump' to the Sabres 1172881 Filip Chytil’s Rangers potential skyrockets after ending drama 1172882 What we learned in 2019-20: Artemi Panarin and Mika 1172856 Flames prospects Pelletier, Zavgorodniy look to future Zibanejad give NY Rangers two stars after junior season ends 1172857 Flames staffers Chris Snow, Jordan Sigalet taking precautions during pandemic 1172883 Ottawa Senators player becomes first NHLer to test positive for COVID-19 1172884 'Hang onto your Sens tickets,' says team 1172858 Hurricanes sign brothers David, Jason Cotton to entry- 1172885 Senators game goes on, but novel coronavirus hitting San level contracts Jose tourism industry hard 1172886 Senators continue to battle Melnyk's ex-pilot over $13,000, despite labour board ruling 1172859 NHL Classic: Blackhawks-Blues Game 2 of 2014 Western 1172887 GARRIOCH: The NHL sits down with general managers to Conference Quarterfinal discuss state of pause 1172860 Top 15 Blackhawks playoff games during 9-year postseason streak 1172861 What the Blackhawks are getting in defenseman prospect 1172888 JOBS Slava Demin 1172889 Top 10 goals in Flyers playoff history 1172890 The 10 best (most rewatchable) Flyers games of 2019-20 1172862 Nuggets/Avalanche ticket holders in limbo amid postponed seasons for coronavirus pandemic 1172891 Beaver County Ice Arena wins $100,000 in renovations in Penguins contest 1172892 NHL is considering a September . How will 1172863 Stars’ Best of the Season: Jamie Benn pounds the 2021 be impacted? Coyotes into boards, on the scoreboard 1172893 Penguins will take over the NHL Network on Wednesday 1172864 Diners, moonshine and dives: Stars-adjacent stories for every Western Conf. city 1172894 Sharks' Evander Kane working on EK9 clothing line while NHL is paused 1172865 Top U.S. prospect Jake Sanderson waits in Whitefish for NHL future to unfold St Louis Blues 1172866 NHL offers free game replays online 1172895 Hochman: What I miss today about sports — Blues goalie Jordan Binnington 1172896 From the Stanley Cup to ‘Hamm-ing’ it up, my top 1172867 This and That: Pause proves costly for both Oilers' Mike moments as a Blues writer Smith and Flames 1172868 The 5 games that define Leon Draisaitl’s Hart Trophy- worthy season 1172897 The Lightning will stream game simulations on Twitch 1172869 Final Oilers report cards: Second-half impact defines a successful season Maple Leafs 1172898 There are still Maple Leafs goals, if you listen Kings 1172899 The 4 biggest Maple Leafs ‘What Ifs…’ that will likely go 1172870 Greatest Game I Covered: ’s Game 7 unanswered this year magic in Kings’ win over Toronto 1172910 Canucks at 50: The Luongo era ends, as do the almost- 1172871 Wild signs college free agent Mitchell Chaffee to two-year great Canucks contract 1172911 Ben Kuzma: Canucks physician plays 'stay-at-home' card 1172872 Twin Cities sports bars forced to reimagine their role with as COVID-19 cases mount no live sports 1172873 Wild sign college free agent Mitchell Chaffee to entry-level contract 1172900 NHL extends self-isolation period to April 6 1172901 How Golden Knights prospects fared this season 1172902 Golden Knights sign college free agent defenseman to AHL contract 1172903 How NHL restricted free agency works and affects the Golden Knights 1172904 NHL 20 Capitals simulation: Backstrom's hat trick sparks Caps to win over defending champion Blues 1172905 That time Capitals' Jakub Vrana was laughed at for eating a sundae before one of his 1st NHL games 1172906 In their own words: A timeline of Kempny’s struggles through the 2019-20 season 1172907 With NHL season paused, a ranking of Capitals' best wins of 2019-20: No. 14 1172908 Capitals’ offseason: What to expect with the pending free agents? Websites 1172912 The Athletic / LeBrun: NHL assessing logistics for playing games through August 1172913 The Athletic / NHL stars offer insights on being ‘creative’ during COVID-19 quarantine workouts 1172914 The Athletic / Duhatschek: If you started from scratch, which 32 cities would get NHL teams? 1172915 The Athletic / Canadian minor hockey faces uncertain start, shorter season in face of COVID-19 1172916 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers all-time Dream Team for Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final 1172917 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens well-positioned to deal with salary-cap realities in 2020-21 1172918 Sportsnet.ca / Five intriguing Senators prospects to WATCH: Josh Norris developing fast 1172919 Sportsnet.ca / Flames all-time Dream Team for Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final 1172920 Sportsnet.ca / Top 11 (purely hypothetical) NHL compliance buyout candidates 1172921 Sportsnet.ca / Wayne Gretzky concerned for father during COVID-19 pandemic 1172922 TSN.CA / Pain and perspective: Andre Tourigny talks lost 67's season, Rossi's potential and 2021 WJC 1172923 USA TODAY / Sixers, Devils back down on temporary salary cuts for employees 1172924 USA TODAY / Report: NHL is slashing salaries of league office employees 1172909 Who could the Jets lose to Seattle in the 2021 expansion draft? SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1172847 Anaheim Ducks FYI, I moved out here five years ago to cover hockey, after the Kings’ dynasty ended and as Anaheim tried to make some runs to the Stanley Cup. The Ducks came close, making the Western Conference final twice Greatest Game I Covered: Bobby Ryan’s goal and the start of a rivalry but lost both times. So ultimately a lot of the biggest/best/highest stakes hockey games I’ve covered out here have involved Anaheim losing. Again, sorry Ducks fans.

By Josh Cooper Mar 24, 2020 Others (some of which include non-local teams) are …

• The Comeback on Katella (Game 5 between the Ducks and Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the 2017 playoffs). Our Eric Stephens There was no way the Ducks were going to lose this game. beautifully documented that game here. Some form of those words was said to me in the press box at Honda • Game 2 of the 2015 Western Conference final between the Ducks and Center on April 22, 2011, after Bobby Ryan’s spectacular goal in the third Chicago Blackhawks that went to triple OT and included Andrew Shaw’s period of Game 5 between the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks header no-goal. put the home team up 2-1. • The 2006 Torino Olympics medal round men’s hockey game between Granted, this tally only came 40 seconds into the period, but it was just Canada and Russia, a 1-0 victory for Russia in which then-NHL rookie one of those goals that looked so incredible that it would excite Anaheim Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winner. to an extreme degree, while crushing the Predators. • The 2008 SEC championship game between Alabama and Florida. Tim Instead, it would be a precursor to a back-and-forth third period that led Tebow just completely took over that game in the fourth quarter. to the Ducks going up 3-2 at the 14:16 mark. • Alabama vs. LSU football at LSU in 2008 — if you’ve never been to a The series was tied 2-2 and the Predators — and then-coach Barry Trotz game at LSU, go (when we’re allowed to again, of course). — had never made it out of the first round of the postseason at that in their respective histories. Overall, it was a really big deal for the • The 2004 NCAA men’s tournament second-round franchise and for Trotz. They were always just seen as good, but never gamebetween Vanderbilt and N.C. State. Vanderbilt was down 10 points good enough to hang with the NHL’s big boys. At the time I was The with 2:44 left and came back to win in regulation. You can actually see Tennessean’s Predators beat reporter, tasked with documenting this me squirming on press row, in the linked video, because I was so moment. nervous.

Back then the Ducks were considered one of the league’s better The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 franchises, having won a Stanley Cup just four years earlier and having retained a lot of core components from that group.

[ More Greatest Games from The Athletic L.A. ]

With less than 40 seconds left, the Ducks were called for icing and Trotz subbed out defenseman Ryan Suter — a phenomenal passer and one half of the team’s two-headed blue-line monster pair with — for Cody Franson, who had a much better than Suter. Trotz also didn’t call timeout.

Both decisions were great moves by the Preds’ coach. His team needed shots to get through to the goal, and Franson had always been good at disguising his snap shot and getting it past the defense. Because of this, the Ducks had to respect Franson at the blue line more than Suter. Also, because Trotz didn’t call timeout, the Ducks couldn’t rest their defending group on the ice at the time.

After Mike Fisher won the ensuing faceoff, the puck came to Franson, who attracted the attention of a cadre of Ducks trying to ensure he didn’t get his shot off. He then flicked the puck over to Weber on the other point, and Weber fired it past Anaheim Ray Emery to tie the game 3-3 with 35.3 seconds left.

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle was not happy after that goal. Caption contest the below screen shot in the comments!

Honestly, I hardly remember Jerred Smithson’s winner for Nashville. All I could think of was that coaching decision Trotz made.

The Predators then won Game 6 at home and finally went to the second round of the postseason. It was the first tangible sign that the team was ready to take a step forward. Since then, the Predators have made a Stanley Cup final (in 2017) and Trotz has won a Stanley Cup (in 2018 with Washington).

I’ve really got no silver linings for the Ducks in this game — sorry Ducks fans — but I came away impressed with how Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry played together. I don’t know if we’ll ever see a line like that again.

Also, Teemu Selanne was dynamite in that series, posting six goals in six games … at age 40!

I’ve been lucky to cover sports for a lot of years, but that game is one that stands out, at least locally. That series was also the first of three times these two teams would face each other in the postseason last decade. The rivalry definitely heated up with each succeeding time the played one another. 1172848 Anaheim Ducks well over three minutes left. Think of the very possible way the Oilers could have … hell, should have wrapped up the game and gone back to Edmonton for a possible clinching Game 6. But the Ducks wouldn’t allow Greatest Game I Covered: The Comeback on Katella it to happen. Getzlaf ripping a big slap shot that ricocheted downward off Draisaitl’s back into the low right corner of the net with 3:16 left.

Cam Fowler perfectly weaving a wrister through traffic past Talbot and By Eric Stephens Mar 24, 2020 just under the crossbar 35 seconds later.

There is the dramatic tying goal by Rickard Rakell with 15.0 on the clock, the fans that didn’t start heading for the exits going berserk (most had I have had the great fortune of writing regularly about sports since I got a remained contrary to the narrative that thousands had left) and the part-time job with The Daily Breeze in 1988. Or was it 1990? 1992? controversy of whether interfered with Talbot’s ability to When it comes to my life, I’m admittedly not the greatest when it comes make a save. Never mind that Fowler kept the play alive with a great to all the details. Fortunately, I still know things like my wife’s birthday. recovery of the puck before it reached the blue line or that Rakell And our wedding date. And our kids’ birthdays. (Whew.) instinctively slid the puck underneath Talbot on his backhand. Did Kesler But I can still recall some of the great moments that I’ve written about hold onto Talbot’s pad? Did the fallen center have no choice as Darnell and some of the great games. There was a prep basketball game where I Nurse had a grip on him in the crease? It is arguments like that which witnessed Paul Pierce score 44 points, carry his underdog team into stay with diehard fans forever and carry a comeback like that into playoff double overtime against a state powerhouse, lose on a dramatic buzzer- lore. beater and convince me that he had NBA written all over him. Of course, the comeback wasn’t complete until Perry scored just under There was a wild junior college football game that ended with a 71-67 seven minutes into the second overtime. By then, Anaheim’s only Hart final where there were probably more points on the scoreboard than fans Trophy winner was starting to fade as an elite goal scorer and he found in the stands. Covering current MLB catcher Kurt Suzuki and Cal State the net only four times in 17 playoff games that spring. Three of those Fullerton beating former Titans coaching legend Augie Garrido and won games in overtime. It was fitting that Getzlaf gave him one of his Texas to win the College World Series in Omaha remains a highlight. I’m greatest passes and that Perry still had the silky hands to get Talbot to sure there are others, but I can’t readily recall them. bite on an initial hesitation move and then slide the puck around the outstretched goalie. In retrospect, it was the final time the two stars that [ More Greatest Games from The Athletic L.A. ] connected so often for the Ducks over 14 seasons were at the top of their game. The memories become clearer when it comes to my time covering hockey. The first game I did was handle sidebar duty for a thrilling double Now the series wasn’t won with that goal. Draisaitl would torch the Ducks overtime affair at the Forum, with Mike Krushelnyski scoring while being again in a Game 6 rout that offered a glimpse into the German forward’s tackled and lying flat on the ice as the Kings upset defending Stanley potential to be more than Robin to McDavid’s Batman. But the Ducks Cup champion Calgary. Can’t remember the story I wrote — I do responded by playing their best game of the season, putting the clamps remember interviewing a disconsolate Theo Fleury — and it must not on the two Oilers stars and winning 2-1 to advance to the Western have been that good as I didn’t cover any more hockey for many years. Conference final. (Turns out, I was at the Breeze in 1990). But I’ve been blessed to chronicle many Ducks moments since Bill Dwyre took a chance in Still, there was nothing like that mind-blowing Game 5. I felt wiped out trusting the beat to a neophyte that was doing some college sports at the that next morning. The Comeback on Katella. Improbable. Impossible. . Remarkable. It could be a long time before something else tops that.

Some of them have been especially fabulous along the way. Scott The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 Niedermayer sitting stone-faced as his teammates and coaches were in total bedlam when Anaheim ruined a playoff showdown between Calgary and Edmonton with its Game 7 Ilya Bryzgalov- backstopped shutout of the Flames. The forced turnover by Andy McDonald and the ensuing forehand-to-backhand by Teemu Selanne to win the critical, pivotal Game 5 over Detroit at Joe Louis Arena in the 2007 Stanley Cup run. Corey Perry’s hat trick against San Jose to reach 50 goals in his blazing 2011 homestretch. Selanne pulling his former Cup-winning teammate Jean-Sebastien Giguere onto the ice for a victory lap and a seemingly endless standing ovation in what would be No. 8’s final regular-season game — and Giguere’s last in the NHL. And there was the spectacle that was the 2014 outdoor game at Dodger Stadium.

You might think that the clincher against Ottawa to capture the Cup is the greatest game I’ve covered. It might be the most memorable. But that was a blowout, with Perry’s capper setting off a continuous prolonged celebration that started with five minutes left in the third period. The greatest game that I keep going back to — and have occasionally dialed up the highlights over the last couple of years — is Game 5 of the 2017 second round against Edmonton. Nothing else compares when you think of its stunning nature and finish.

The Ducks had fought their way back in the series, winning twice at Rogers Place. They had the momentum coming back to Anaheim after Ryan Getzlaf’s majestic Game 4 — the center and towering leader having a direct hand in all four goals that included a steal and setup of Jakob Silfverberg’s OT winner — that’s still what I feel is the greatest game he has ever played. And yet it was the Oilers that held a 3-0 lead deep into the third period, with Getzlaf failing to beat Cam Talbot on a shot and his teammates also peppering the Edmonton netminder but not getting anything past him. Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl continued to torment the Ducks in a breakout series while a young(er) Connor McDavid was working his usual magic.

And then came the unimaginable. Ducks coach Randy Carlyle pulling goalie John Gibson for an extra attacker three times, the first coming with 1172849

The ice sheet at TD Garden has been melted

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,Updated March 24, 2020, 12:58 p.m.

Like the rest of the NHL, the Bruins remain iced out, their business at a standstill now for nearly two weeks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, at TD Garden, the ice is literally out.

The building’s Bull Gang crew shut down the ice plant last week, and the ice sheet, measuring 85 feet by 200 feet, went down the drain.

We await to see whether the remainder of the 2019-20 season, and the playoffs, go with it.

The screen-like stencils that underlay the ice, including the large sheets that form the trademark center-ice Spoked B, were stored on the Garden’s third floor— not far from the pallets of iconic pine flooring used by the Celtics.

“Too expensive to keep the ice plant going, obviously,” one experienced Garden hand noted Tuesday morning, just hours before the commonwealth’s stay-at-home advisory took effect. “If the season’s salvaged, those guys can freeze in a new sheet in a day or two — no big deal.”

The Bruins last played at the Garden March 7, a 5-3 loss to the Lightning, and have not been seen on any ice since their 2-0 win in Philadelphia March 10. The 31-team NHL went dark March 12, less than 24 hours after the NBA became the first major North American sports league to halt play.

The NHL Board of Governors and general managers had a conference call scheduled for later in the day Tuesday. They’ll be discussing a number of contingencies in regard to how to proceed, or whether to proceed, with the remainder of the regular season and/or the playoffs.

Manufacturing and maintaining quality ice throughout the summer no doubt will be on the agenda. With rising temperatures throughout North America, many of the NHL’s arenas, including the one on Causeway Street, will find it a challenge to produce and then groom a quality sheet.

The Bruins have played in three Stanley Cup Finals (2011, ’13, and ’19) in their time in TD Garden, and maintaining quality ice through May and into June was an issue each time.

Boston Globe LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172850 Boston Bruins

TD Garden ushers laid off three days after Bruins announce fund for workers

By MARISA INGEMI | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: March 24, 2020 at 8:56 p.m. | UPDATED: March 24, 2020 at 8:58 p.m.

Three days after the Bruins announced a $1.5 million fund for arena workers, contingent on the final six Bruins home games being canceled, TD Garden has started to make staffing cuts.

Ushers were informed on Tuesday afternoon they were being laid off.

A letter sent to ushers and obtained by the Herald was titled “Operational Impact of Coronavirus,” and said workers “will not be scheduled until the conditions at our unit allows us to resume normal operations. As this situation is rapidly evolving, we will continue to update you with the anticipated date that we will resume business. We hope to provide as much notice as possible.”

The note goes on to state employees may be eligible for unemployment and they hoped the changes would be “short-lived.”

The Bruins released a statement over the weekend saying they had established a $1.5 million fun to assist employees affected by the NHL stoppage, contingent upon the remaining six Bruins home games being canceled. The Bruins were the last team in the NHL to announce any sort of help for their employees.

The Bruins and Delaware North — a global hospitality company that owns TD Garden — are both owned by .

A day before the team’s statement, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey spoke with the Herald and urged Jacobs to compensate arena employees. A GoFundMe had previously been developed with the intent of financial supporting Garden employees.

The layoffs mirror what the Buffalo Sabres have done recently, announcing a conditional fund for employees, much like the Bruins, if games are canceled, and then laying off arena staff.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172851 Boston Bruins

TD Garden part-time workers officially laid off

By Patrick Dunne March 24, 2020 7:44 PM

TD Garden workers waiting for some financial relief and the resumption of events at the venue amid the coronavirus crisis were officially laid off on Tuesday.

Part-time Garden workers received the news in an afternoon email, according to the Boston Globe.

In a statement to the Globe, a spokesman for the Garden and Boston Bruins said:

“The unprecedented reality of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact to our business unfortunately resulted in us placing some of our Bruins and TD Garden full-time hourly associates on temporary leave today. This decision was difficult, and we hope this situation is temporary.”

The layoffs come three days after the Jacobs family, owners of Delaware North, the parent company of the Garden and Bruins, announced that a $1.5 million fund had been set up to help compensate part-time gameday employees, but it wouldn't go into effect until Bruins games were officially canceled by the NHL.

The Bruins were the last NHL team to announce a plan to aid their part- time workers. Delaware North chairman Jeremy Jacobs, 80, has an estimated net worth of $3.6 billion.

Haggerty: Cold reality - Garden ice has melted during NHL shutdown

A GoFundMe campaign was set up in the days after the major sports' shutdowns to help the Garden's part-time workers. It included contributions from several Bruins players. Through Tuesday night, it had raised more than $41,000.

The emailed letter to workers, obtained by the Globe read in part:

"...the coronavirus has had significant implications across all of Delaware North’s lines of business, including at your unit. All the major sports leagues suspended their seasons, governments are requiring closures and reduction of capacity at certain venues, tourism has declined, events have been canceled, and more people are simply staying home. Due to this, the Company has no choice but to ensure that we are appropriately staffed.”

The letter also said Delaware North was "committed to returning all our associates to active duty as soon as possible."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172852 Boston Bruins A player who will always be associated with the Bruins no matter where he goes, the power forward played like a prototypical Bruins player during his time in Black and Gold. The bruising, tough Lucic won a Cup in Who are the best left wings in Bruins history? Ranking the Top 10 2011, reached 30 goals and 62 points during that Cup-winning season and was a fearsome player that nobody wanted to drop the gloves with after his first couple of seasons in the league.

By Joe Haggerty March 24, 2020 4:19 PM Lucic finished with 139 goals and 342 points in 566 games along with 772 penalty minutes in eight seasons for the Black and Gold. Lucic was a

beast on the second line with David Krejci and Nathan Horton during It’s only in somewhat recent eras that the Bruins have enjoyed truly Boston’s best years, and they won’t soon be forgotten. dominant left wings, including Hall of Fame legend Johnny Bucyk, elite 5. Don Marcotte NHL agitator Brad Marchand and the indefatigable Wayne Cashman as he played through multiple eras in Boston. Perhaps one of the most underrated Bruins players of all-time, Marcotte finished with 230 goals and 484 points in 868 games over a 15-year But there are some fun names on the list of Top 10 Bruins left wingers in career played all for the Bruins. Marcotte won Cups with the franchise history -- a list that features a couple of old school wingers, and Era teams in the early 1970’s and finished as a Selke Trophy finalist in a a few fan favorites with guys like Randy Burridge and . pair of seasons in the late 1970’s as an impressive two-way player. The only regret is that P.J. Axelsson came up just short of making this Marcotte topped out at 31 goals and 64 points in 1974-75, but it was list. more about being a 200-foot player who helped win games for the B’s Here’s the all-time Top 10 list of left wings in Boston Bruins history: throughout a 1970’s decade that was a pretty good one for Boston.

10. Ed Sandford Haggerty: Why Tuukka's retirement talk isn't too surprising

A legendary Bruins player that still to this day works with the NHL off-ice 4. officiating crew at TD Garden at the ripe old age of 91 years old, The left winger on the “Kraut Line”, Dumart finished with 211 goals and Sandford played eight years with the Bruins while finishing his Boston 430 points in 774 games all played for the Bruins over a 16-year career. career with 94 goals and 230 points in 442 games during the 1950’s. Dumart won two Stanley Cups, was a three-time All-Star and a Hockey Sandford was an All-Star in 1953-54 with 16 goals and 47 points in 70 Hall of Famer while topping out at 24 goals and 52 points in 60 games for games and was a beast in the 1952-53 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a the Bruins during the 1946-47 season. whopping eight goals and 11 points in 11 playoff games. He’s been an His numbers might not have been dominant given the era that he played excellent ambassador for the Bruins during a life well-lived in the Boston in, but there’s no doubt that Dumart was the best left wing to play for the area since his playing days, but Sandford was also a heck of a Bruins Bruins until guys like Johnny Bucyk and Wayne Cashman came around. player back in the day. 3. Wayne Cashman 9. Randy Burridge The Bruins left winger finished his career fifth all-time in games played, It was only a six-year run for Stump in Boston, but Randy Burridge made nine in goals scored and seventh in points while playing exclusively for a big impression during his time with the Black and Gold. The feisty left the Black and Gold during his 17-year career. Cashman’s best season winger finished with 108 goals and 223 points in 359 games in Boston, was 30 goals and 89 points in 1973-74 while winning two Stanley Cups with his best season of 31 goals and 61 points coming in 1988-89. and earning one NHL All-Star honor during a lengthy career that Burridge got All-Star votes and Selke votes in separate seasons for the predated Bobby Orr and lasted all the way until 1983 when he was Bruins, but it was more about him being a valuable cog in some pretty playing for his former teammate Gerry Cheevers. excellent Bruins teams in the late 1980’s which came just short of The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Cashman was never the best player on any winning the Cup. The 5-foot-9, 188-pound Burridge was eventually Bruins team he played for throughout his excellent career, but he was a traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Steve Leach. very good B’s player for a very, very long time. Haggerty: Ranking the Top 10 centers in Bruins history 2. Brad Marchand 8. Ted Donato Marchand should have at least another five good seasons left in him at Donato played for many teams throughout his NHL career, but the the NHL level, and is already among the best left wingers to ever suit up Boston native’s best years came for the Bruins organization that drafted for the B's. The Little Ball of Hate is already seventh all-time on the him out of Catholic Memorial High School in 1987. Donato finished with Bruins list with a career 290 goals scored and ranks in the top-10 with 119 goals and 266 points in 528 games over the course of nine years 646 points in his NHL career. and finished with 25 goals and 51 points during his best NHL season in The fact he’s done all of that in just 751 games makes it clear Marchand 1996-97. is going to be near the top of these lists when it’s all said and done. One of the clearest memories with Donato was him coming out of Marchand has been the left wing on the NHL’s best line for three years Harvard University late in the 1991-92 regular season and becoming a running, won a Stanley Cup in his rookie season and is a two-time All- factor for the Bruins in that year’s playoff run when he posted three goals Star while being good enough to finish in the top-5 in Hart Trophy voting. and seven points in 15 games. Donato came full circle and retired with He’s known for his antics on the ice, but he’s also one of the best ever to the B’s following the 2003-04 regular season when he played with a put on a Bruins uniform. fresh-faced 18-year-old rookie named . 1. Johnny Bucyk 7. The Bruins' all-time leader in goals with 545 career scores and a Hall of It might be easy to forget how good Sergei Samsonov was for the Bruins Famer who played an amazing 21 years in Boston. The Chief was an after he petered out later in his NHL career, but the 1997 first-round pick institution during multiple eras of the Bruins while winning a couple of was a dynamic winger for the Bruins. Samsonov teamed with Jumbo Joe Cups during the Bobby Orr Era, and a couple of Lady Byng Trophies. In Thornton as a pair of excellent young players and it was the Russian left his prime, he posted 51 goals and 116 points in the 1970-71 season. winger who won the Calder Trophy his rookie season while posting 164 Bucyk spanned the eras of playing for the legendary in the goals and 376 points in 514 games over an eight-year stretch in Boston. mid-1950’s all the way to end of the Lunch Pail AC crew in the late Samsonov’s best season was 29 goals and 75 points in 2000-01 for the 1970’s and is one of only six players to ever play more than 1,000 games Bruins before he was eventually traded for , Yan Stastny in a B’s uniform. The only one who played more was . and a second-round pick which eventually turned into Milan Lucic. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 6. Milan Lucic 1172853 Boston Bruins There’s a chance that Acciari is both a late bloomer and a forward taking advantage of greater opportunity. His 13:21 of average even-strength ice time per game in Florida is nearly two minutes more than the 11:23 he Did the Bruins make the right call by letting Noel Acciari walk? logged for Cassidy last season. It’s unlikely his workload would have increased in Boston. Nor would he have shared shifts with Patrice Bergeron or Krejci, regardless of how long the Bruins have fought to identify right-wing reinforcements. By Fluto Shinzawa Mar 24, 2020 Nobody within the Bruins begrudges Acciari for his results this season.

Then again, nobody expected him to produce at this rate. Acciari would Ondrej Kase had scored seven goals by the time the Bruins acquired the be beating the odds if he does so once more. right wing from Anaheim on Feb. 21. Kase, David Krejci’s right wing on The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 the second line, has yet to net his first for his new employer.

Jake DeBrusk is a natural left wing. On March 10, in the Bruins’ final game before the NHL suspended its season, DeBrusk (19 goals) played No. 3 right wing next to Charlie Coyle.

Chris Wagner scored a career-high 12 goals last year. He had six when the season was suspended.

While the Bruins continue to pursue right-side stability behind David Pastrnak, Noel Acciari has 20 goals in 66 games. The first-year Panther has 19 5-on-5 goals. This total would place him third on the Bruins behind Pastrnak (25) and Brad Marchand (21).

Nobody — not ex-coach , not ex-linemate Wagner, maybe not even mom Edna — would have predicted such a goal-scoring torrent from the former fourth-liner.

The Bruins, however, did the right thing by letting Acciari walk, even if he fulfilled every expectation for his hometown club.

Acciari was a warrior. Last year, the native of Johnston, R.I., ate a Brent Burns slap shot that cost him two teeth.

It was a mere blemish compared to the battering he took in the playoffs. By the end, Acciari had played through a broken sternum, a bum foot and an aching hand.

Acciari finished 2018-19 with six goals and eight assists in 72 regular- season games, plus two goals and two assists in 19 postseason appearances. He was the kind of burn-the-boats player every coach adores, including Cassidy, who had him in Providence as well as Boston.

Acciari’s insistence on bashing everything in his sight, however, made re- signing him to term a difficult decision. Even when he was healthy, Acciari did not have the instant acceleration of Wagner, for example, his primary competition at right wing. It’s why at times last year, with four players fighting for three fourth-line spots, Acciari sometimes found himself on the outside looking in at Wagner, Joakim Nordstrom and Sean Kuraly.

The 28-year-old Acciari, in other words, was at risk of wear and tear.

Florida was not as concerned about Acciari’s durability. On July 1, the Panthers signed Acciari to a three-year, $5 million deal with partial no- trade protection. They are reaping the rewards for their investment.

Like many ex-New Englanders, Acciari has taken quite well to South Florida. At times, first-year coach has given Acciari first- line rides alongside Jonathan Huberdeau. It’s looked like Boston South in Sunrise, now also home to Keith Yandle (Milton), Frank Vatrano (East Longmeadow) and Brian Boyle (Hingham).

You could make an argument that Acciari is Florida’s top exceeder of expectations. At 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, Acciari has drained a career-high 19.19 percent of his 99 shots.

Therein is the issue.

Only two players in the entire league have played more than 800 5-on-5 minutes and recorded a higher shooting percentage than Acciari: Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson (19.35 percent) and Chicago’s Dominik Kubalik (19.33). Petterson, owner of a deadly slap shot and a sizzling wrister, is a natural finisher. The NHL data is more limited on Kubalik, the first-year Blackhawk. But the 24-year-old has a history of professional production in the and Switzerland’s National League A.

Acciari’s previous career-best, meanwhile, was 13.11 percent in 2017-18, when he sank eight of his 93 shots. Last year, Acciari had a 6.45 percent shooting percentage. Acciari’s chances of regressing toward that standard in 2020-21 are higher than that of him sustaining this season’s pace. 1172854 Boston Bruins running out of interest in her toys that we’ve been cycling through the past two weeks. That might be on my to-do list.”

Now he’s the one listening At home with Torey Krug and Charlie Coyle, adjusting to NHL’s new reality Coyle and Hooper have experienced a sort of role reversal with their respective careers.

“Normally, his job always takes priority and my life tends to revolve By Joe McDonald Mar 24, 2020 around that, too,” Hooper said. “I don’t mind at all, but it’s kind of interesting now with my job taking priority and he just sits at home. I’m so focused all day that sometimes he’ll say something to me and I’m like, While his 9-month-old daughter, Saylor, enjoyed her afternoon nap, ‘What? Did you say something?’ It’s kind of funny and we’re both Torey Krug took the time to participate in a bible study with a few of his adjusting to that.” Bruins teammates via FaceTime on Monday. During the season, it’s normal for Coyle to discuss that day’s game, or It’s been one of many activities keeping the Bruins defenseman busy practice, or play with Hooper, but now he’s the one listening after a long while the NHL enters its second week in hiatus due to the COVID-19 day or work. pandemic. Welcome to the new reality of hockey players and coaches. Instead of early skates and workouts, Krug, Charlie Coyle and “At the end of the day, I need to vent a little bit,” Hooper said. “I’m on so transitioning into dad duty and connecting with Bruins teammates via many conference calls and he’s listening, or looking at what I’m doing on texts or FaceTime. my computer and he’s like, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about, or doing.’ I’ll say, ‘Well, I have no idea how you go out and play on the ice “They’re trying to keep their spirits up,” said Krug’s wife, Melanie. “It’s a every night.’ I have learned a lot (about hockey). I’ve had quite the crash bummer because they were on such a good roll, but you can’t control course over the past couple of years.” what’s going on right now. So you just make the most of it.” Hooper describes Coyle as “a super neat, organized and clean person.” Melanie admits it’s been a huge adjustment for her husband. “He realizes now how much I do when he’s away,” Hooper said with a “I’ve been enjoying the extra family time,” Melanie said. “It’s been nice laugh. “But, he’s been good about it.” and he gets to spend time with Saylor. She’s at that age now where there’s something new every day. She just started to walk and has been HGTV is the middle ground babbling ‘Momma and dadda.’ So it’s nice that he’s home and gets to be Once Saylor is asleep at night, the Krugs can’t always agree on what to part of that with her. For me, it’s nice because it gives me a little bit of a watch, so Melanie says HGTV has been neutral ground for the couple. break throughout the day. He can hang out with her and help make her The HBO documentary “McMillions” was on the watch list, along with the lunch, dinner, or do the dishes so I can get in a quick workout. It’s been series “Grace and Frankie” and the movie “This is 40.” really nice, actually.” In the kitchen, Krug has been making the family plenty of eggs and ‘Not a whole lot to do’ avocado toast, along with different types of smoothies.

Across town, teammate Charlie Coyle is staying active, too. “It’s been healthy, so we’re trying to keep it clean over here,” Melanie Knowing he wouldn’t be able to skate or use any of the Bruins training said. “He’ll make a healthy dessert when his sweet tooth kicks in.” facilities, his first order of business after the NHL announced its Each Bruins player was given a daily workout routine, which lasts for 45 suspension of the season was to order a Peloton bike and have it minutes to an hour. Krug has been also mixing in a run outside. The best expedited to his home. time of day for Torey and Melanie is when they take Saylor, and the He needs something to help keep up his conditioning, while his girlfriend, family’s English bulldog, Fenway, for a walk around the North End. Danielle Hooper, remains busy with her career. “Despite everything that’s going on, a positive takeaway is that this kind “He’s good,” Hooper said when asked how Coyle’s coping without of forced everyone to slow down and really enjoy the time they have with hockey in his life. “He’s not a very overly emotional guy. To do what he their families and loved ones,” Melanie said. does you kind of have to be (that way). He doesn’t get too upset. He ‘He obviously misses it, and I miss it, too’ doesn’t get too excited. He’s kind of a go-with-the-flow guy, which is really good. He seems OK. Mentally, he’s trying to stay physically Until only a few months ago, Coyle had never watched “The Office.” So prepared. It’s been weird.” they’ve caught up on that series. During the normal course of a day, Coyle will eat most meals provided by the Bruins, either at Warrior Arena While Coyle has been working out and riding the stationary bike in the or on the road. Now, he’s been working his skills in the kitchen. living room, Hooper’s been the busiest she’s ever been as a buyer for a pharmaceutical wholesaler. “We’ve been eating at home, which is weird. Normally, I’m just making food for myself and it’s not that much,” Hooper said. “We’ve been in the “It hasn’t been too different for me being home every day, but it’s kitchen together, which has been fun.” definitely different having him here and not leaving, or going to practice, and both of us just kind of integrating our day-to-day lives – every single Every night after dinner, and when Hooper is done with work for the day, day,” she said. “It’s been interesting, too, with me working non-stop all the couple will take their 9-month-old golden retriever, Bodie, for a walk day, and Charlie being home with not a whole lot to do.” along the water in the Seaport.

Experiencing the baby’s milestones During the Bruins’ bye week in January, the couple spent time in Turks and Caicos. It was a much-needed break at the time. While they were Kids, no matter the age, are always resilient and the Krugs have learned relaxing, the two talked about the possibility of another deep playoff run there’s a hidden benefit to being homebound amid the pandemic. They for the Bruins. have Saylor to thank for it. “I had said to him that I didn’t know if I was emotionally prepared for “If he would have been on the road,” Melanie said, “even if it’s for two another playoff run like last year,” admitted Hooper. “Now, everything’s days, something’s always happening and he would have missed out on so different, I don’t know if I’m emotionally prepared for not having a that. So the silver lining is he’s been here and has witnessed all those playoff run. He obviously misses it, and I miss it, too.” new, fun, exciting things that we’ve experienced with her. And, I get extra time with him as well.” The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020

Melanie reports that since Saylor started walking about a month ago, she’s been cruising around the house. The only thing she’s missing is a hockey stick.

“That’s actually one thing we don’t have for her, a little baby hockey stick,” Melanie said. “I probably should order one because we’re kind of 1172855 Buffalo Sabres When CHL players were permitted to return to their family's permanent residence, Cozens embarked on the 26-hour drive to Whitehorse. He wasn't sure when or if he'd return to Lethbridge.

Dylan Cozens plans to use long offseason to 'make the jump' to the "I think coming back, I definitely improved my leadership side of the Sabres game," Cozens said of his season in Lethbridge. "With a younger team, being a guy who had been there a couple years coming back, and showing those guys the ropes. I think I just improved my whole game By Lance Lysowski Published Tue, Mar 24, 2020|Updated Tue, Mar 24, overall." 2020 It's unclear what's next for Cozens. The Sabres intended to have Cozens join the for the playoffs, but the 's season is in jeopardy after it suspended play. An announcement Monday by the Canadian Hockey League confirmed Regardless, CHL rules prevent Cozens from competing in the AHL until what Dylan Cozens suspected days before he returned to his family's he turns 20 next February. The Sabres also may have to reschedule their home in Whitehorse, Yukon. prospect development camp, which is typically held in June at LECOM In association with its three regional leagues, the CHL canceled its 2020 Harborcenter. playoffs because of the coronavirus epidemic. Cozens' fourth, and A path to the NHL is clear for Cozens, though. The Sabres are in need of potentially final, season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes was over. So was more talent up front and currently do not have a legitimate scoring threat the Buffalo Sabres prospect's hope of winning the Western Hockey at center behind Jack Eichel. There is work to be done, most notably in League championship and . the weight room, but Cozens has plenty of time to prepare for the next "It was tough," Cozens said over the phone from his family's home. "We step following a difficult end to his season. obviously suspected it was going to come to an end, but there was "We worked the whole season, we wanted to play in the playoffs," always that little bit of hope they’d find a way to do it." Cozens said. "We were getting really excited for playoffs. It was definitely Cozens spent the past week skating on his family's backyard rink and disappointing, but there’s a bigger picture here. We all have to do our working out off the ice to keep himself ready in the event the Hurricanes part and get through this." were able to finish their season. The cancellation won't change his Buffalo News LOADED: 03.25.2020 routine, but there is a different reason behind the regimen.

Cozens, who the Sabres selected seventh overall at the NHL draft in June, will now use his long offseason to prepare himself to play in Buffalo next season.

"It’s obviously a longer offseason than usual," said Cozens. "A lot of stuff kind of up in the air right now. But I have to focus on being ready to go in and make a good impression on Buffalo. That’s where I want to play. I want to make the jump to the NHL. I have a long offseason here to get myself ready for that, so I’m going to do what I can. That’s the goal. I want to be in Buffalo next season."

Following an impressive showing at his first NHL training camp, Cozens established himself as one of the top junior players in Canada this season. The 19-year-old center scored 38 goals with 47 assists for 85 points in only 51 regular-season games. His two goals and seven assists in seven games helped Canada win gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

Lethbridge gave Cozens a weeklong break to return home following the win, which afforded him time to rest following a rigorous month of hockey and travel. Upon returning to the Hurricanes, Cozens again showed he was physically capable of handling the chaotic schedule that included long bus rides across Western Canada.

Cozens had 19 goals with 25 assists for 44 points with Lethbridge in 21 games following his five-week absence for world juniors.

It was an important step for Cozens, who needs to show Sabres brass he can handle an 82-game season that includes back-to-back games. He appears to have mastered junior hockey, as illustrated by his WHL career stat line: 95 goals with 128 assists for 223 points in 179 regular-season games.

Though Cozens was assigned to Lethbridge following three preseason games with Buffalo, his speed and playmaking ability made a strong impression on Jason Botterill and coach Ralph Krueger. The latter explained that Cozens needs to show he is ready for the "pace" and "intensity" of the NHL.

"It was huge," Cozens said of his first NHL training camp. "Being around the guys and learning from them, watching what they’re doing, I tried to take in as much as I could and bring it back to Lethbridge with me. My main focus going back to Lethbridge was to keep that NHL speed, keep that pace and make everyone else play up to my level. I think I did a good job with that."

Cozens had eight multigoal games, including three hat tricks, and 23 multipoint games with Lethbridge this season. He and his Hurricanes teammates had secured a playoff spot with five regular-season games remaining when the CHL announced it was suspending play in response to coronavirus. Cozens remained in Lethbridge and worked out away from the rink while awaiting word on next steps. 1172856 Calgary Flames These extra weight-training sessions might be beneficial, but Monday’s news still came as a gut-punch since both guys were banking on extended spring flings.

Flames prospects Pelletier, Zavgorodniy look to future after junior season The Wildcats (50-13-1) were ranked fourth in the final CHL Top-10 poll, ends while the Oceanic (38-18-4) were hoping to cap Lafreniere’s junior career — he’s considered a lock to go first overall in the 2020 NHL Draft — with a banner-raising. Wes Gilbertson “I was super disappointed because we’ve been working for that the whole year long and we were building a pretty good team,” Zavgorodniy said. “I thought we could go for a long run in the playoffs this year, so of course, I Plus-minus can be a misleading stat. was sad.” But when you’re this far on the bright side, it can’t be anything but a very “I think it was a sad day for all the players, especially the players who good sign. had a pretty good team, a pretty good chance to make a good run in Calgary Flames first-round pick Jakob Pelletier posted a plus-57 rating in playoffs,” Pelletier echoed. “It was hard for everyone to hear the news, the now-truncated season, the second-best mark in the Major but it’s a part of life. Right now, it’s something bigger than hockey. We Junior Hockey League and good for fifth among the 1,200-plus skaters in just have to stay safe.” the major-junior ranks. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.25.2020 Whoa.

“It’s something that I’m proud of, for sure,” Pelletier said. “Our line, we had the mindset if we play good in the defensive zone, we have the talent and the work habits to play good in the offensive zone, too. That’s what we did, and it paid off.”

Pelletier, who also piled up 32 goals and 82 points in 57 outings this winter as of the Moncton Wildcats, won’t have an opportunity to add to that superb stat-line.

Nonetheless, the 19-year-old left-winger is continuing to look for pluses after the Canadian Hockey League — the umbrella for the WHL, OHL and QMJHL — announced the cancellation of playoffs and the 2020 Memorial Cup tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pelletier wishes he still had a shot to hoist a championship trophy, but he’s now focused on lifting … well … whatever weights he has in his basement in Quebec City.

“Now, it’s a great time for me to take a step,” Pelletier said. “Now, my focus is on next year, the training camp in Calgary. The last few days, I have hoped to come back in Moncton for playoffs and win the President’s Cup and then win the Memorial Cup, but right now I would say my focus is on next August and September in Calgary.”

Fellow Flames prospect Dmitry Zavgorodniy has a similar outlook.

A top-line talent for the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic, the 19-year-old right-winger headed home to Russia last week and is midway through his 14 days of self-isolation.

“I have my dumbbells here, and I have a bike here, too,” Zavgorodniy reported Tuesday, less than 24 hours after it was confirmed that he won’t be returning to Rimouski for a post-season push. “So I’m doing my best as I can, just working out at home and using everything I have here.”

Because while his dreams of a QMJHL title run have been dashed, his goal remains unchanged.

A seventh-round swing in the 2018 NHL Draft, Zavgorodniy is shaping up as a legitimate big-league prospect. Despite missing two-plus months due to a broken collarbone, he amassed 67 points — 29 snipes and 38 setups — in 40 twirls this winter as one of Alexis Lafreniere’s sidekicks in Rimouski. (Zavgorodniy averaged 1.68 points per game, fifth-best clip among all QMJHLers, and his plus-40 rating is nothing to scoff at, either.)

“Now, this is the time when I can spend some time with my family and work on myself,” Zavgorodniy said. “In the season, I don’t have a lot of time to work on gaining weight or to gain some muscle or to work on my aerobic system a lot. There are games all the time. You know, the schedule is pretty tight.

“I can do real good workouts, where I’ll be really tired, and I will have time to recover after. That’s a thing that you can’t do in the season, and right now I can work on it. Because I have to be better for pro hockey, for next year. Every day, I’m just working hard. We all have the dream and we’re trying to get there. That’s the point.”

Pelletier and Zavgorodniy are certainly pointing in the right direction, each determined to prove to the staff at the Saddledome that they’re ready to play pro hockey in the fall. 1172857 Calgary Flames viruses, getting sick. Any virus that’s out there, you’re just way more susceptible to getting.”

Going off the meds — with the idea of allowing your immune system to Flames staffers Chris Snow, Jordan Sigalet taking precautions during rev — is no answer, either. “Because you might have a flare-up of the pandemic disease. It’s kind of a lose-lose situation.”

Had games not been suspended, Sigalet may have skipped the New By Scott Cruickshank Mar 24, 2020 York trip, with Thomas Speer, the Flames’ man in AHL Stockton, taking over as tutor for David Rittich and Cam Talbot.

“We were already talking about that, which is kind of scary,” said the 39- He admits it. He called up Google Maps, punched in the trip details, year-old. “That was when our team started having some concern, with all braced himself. the cases that were in New York.”

And groaned. Even though it never came to pass, he still finds the dilemma unsettling.

“It’s measured in days not hours,” said Chris Snow, laughing. “I don’t “That would have been a tough decision not to go, with how tight the really want to do it.” standings were and with the goalies being used to having me around,” said Sigalet. “I’d feel almost guilty not going, messing with their routines. The drive from Calgary to Toronto is 3,414 kilometres — in other words, 33 hours of seat time. Hardly appealing. “Now that it’s cancelled that stress is kind of gone.”

“Someone said, ‘Well, you can stop in Winnipeg, you can stop in …’ Oh, Both men, it should be noted, are feeling fine. boy,” said Snow. “I hope that doesn’t happen. But we don’t have really any precedence for this kind of thing. “No, no change at all,” said Snow. “At least nothing observable.”

“You have a sense of the world when you wake up. But the next day you Sigalet is managing to carry on, too. Team doctors are regularly checking have a different sense of the world.” in, asking for updates, on the lookout for symptoms.

Updates may vary, but the coronavirus pandemic is deadly, disruptive at He doesn’t downplay the toll-taking of his role. But there’s something best, and the spin it could put on Snow’s life is potentially devastating. about the in-season grind that is worth embracing.

For the Calgary Flames assistant general manager, monthly trips to “You get into a rhythm … so when this thing stopped a couple weeks Toronto are not a luxury. Those visits are a necessity, plain and simple. ago, that’s when you start to feel worse,” said Sigalet. “Because you’re in It’s at the Sunnybrook Hospital that he receives the trial drug for his a routine, you just keep going and going. When, all of a sudden, you amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. stop, that’s when you get sick and feel run down.

The new medicine appears to be combatting the progress of ALS, a “I find that it’s been like that every year. When the season ends or if you motor neuron disease for which there is no known cure. Snow wants to get a couple days off for an All-Star break or a bye week, it kind of hits be the first. you then. Your body’s so used to going every day, it’s kind of a shock to the system when it does stop. “It’s really amazing to me,” the 38-year-old said of his stable condition nine months after diagnosis. “I am just praying that there’s no interruption “You feel it in your mind a lot — you feel like you should be doing in any of this because I firmly believe this is working for me.” something and you’re not. You feel mentally exhausted and kind of lethargic.” But, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, suppose airlines stop operating. Then what? Gas up the car, buckle in, point east? But he is keeping busy.

Or suppose … Like many people, Sigalet and Snow, from their respective homes in northwest Calgary, are able to conduct business. “Hospitals become so overwhelmed that anything that might be a trial or anything that might be experimental becomes not a priority,” said Snow. In fact, Snow, working out of his son’s bedroom and unflaggingly upbeat, “No one is saying that to us at this point in time — that’s, obviously, our sees the NHL’s pause as something to take advantage of. “There’s a real ultimate fear.” opportunity here.”

As of right now, he has an appointment at Sunnybrook on April 2 — and For starters, scouts’ input — and accompanying data — is in the hands a plane ticket for April 1. of the Flames’ brass a month and a half earlier than normal.

The four-hour flight may be the most convenient mode of transportation, “So the amount of time that you’d have to give thought and analysis to it but being crammed into a plane these days isn’t ideal, either. — and to work with your people — is a lot more,” Snow said, “even if it is done remotely.” “I would prefer not to fly,” said Snow. “But I would prefer to be dosed more than I would prefer not to fly. I’ll just have to be really cautious.” And those ongoing projects, years in the works, that always wind up being shoved to the back-burner? Asked what measures he’s willing to take in transit, he says he’s not sure. He’s seen people in airports wearing masks. “I’ve always thought I “The back-burner can be the front-burner,” said Snow. would never do that,” said Snow. “My wife (Kelsie) will probably tell me Sigalet, meanwhile, has video to scrutinize, featuring college goalies the what to do. But I don’t know. When those days come into focus we’ll team might be interested in pursuing, free agent goalies the team might probably start to really think about the specifics of it.” be interested in signing, amateur goalies the team might be interested in While Snow’s health depends on travel, Jordan Sigalet tells a different drafting. story. “Usually when the season ends, that’s when I do it all,” he said. “It’s kind Right now? The safest place for the Flames goalie coach — diagnosed of a head start on it now. It’s just hard — because you don’t get to watch with multiple sclerosis in March 2004 — is at home. anyone live. But you want to be prepared for those (team) meetings when they come.” Meaning he had been anxious in the days leading up to the New York trip. The team was scheduled to leave March 15 and play three games in Sigalet pecks away at his homework during the day, and “when the kids four nights in an area that had already documented a significant number are in bed, I’m doing a bunch of video.” of coronavirus cases. He and wife Lindsay have four children — Jaxon, 8; Maddox, 6; Sloane, That, to Sigalet, was troubling. 5; Knox, 2. The two school-age boys and his daughter, who’s in preschool, are now at home with Knox. He explains that people with MS take medication to suppress their immune system, which, because of the disease, is over-active. “And “It’s funny,” said Sigalet. “They haven’t really asked why they aren’t going when it is suppressed, you’ve got to worry about picking up these anywhere or doing anything. They’re enjoying it quite a bit, I think.” Not only do they have a backyard rink, the other day Dad yanked on his goalie pads to give them something to shoot at.

His homemade sheet of ice, however, is fighting a losing battle against spring.

“We need it to last as long as it can,” Sigalet said with a laugh. “It’s kind of like a free babysitter — open the back door and send them out.”

Snow also made sure to get his outdoor shinny fix while he could. He’d walk over to his deserted neighbourhood rink — before the City shut it down Sunday — and twirl around with Cohen, 8, and Willa, 5.

I KNOW @CHRISSNOWCGY AGREES. HE JUST SAID TO ME, “IF YOU HAD TOLD ME I’D BE PLAYING SHINNY STILL AT THIS POINT, I’D HAVE BEEN THRILLED.” HERE HE WAS YESTERDAY — 9 MONTHS AFTER BEING GIVEN 12 MONTHS TO LIVE — FIRING SHOTS SO OUR SON COULD PRACTICE TIPPING. 3/3 #SNOWYSTRONG PIC.TWITTER.COM/3FH0ULB5PS

— KELSIE SNOW (@KELSIESWRITES) MARCH 23, 2020

The goal is for everybody to stay active.

“We’ve structured the day for the kids where Kelsie has a little bit of a school day for them,” said Snow. “Then there’s outdoor time, move-your- body time, and if not, you go crazy. You feel stale, like the day hasn’t even started.”

It’s not all fun and games for Snow and Sigalet, though.

Health remains the priority amid swirling developments.

The morning of March 12 Sigalet had been at the Saddledome preparing for the evening’s visit from the . Then, somewhat predictably given the headlines, general manager issued the verdict — go home till further notice.

Sigalet abided, adding that “it’s been hard” because, for his clan, this is a black and white edict. No guests. No leaving. No exceptions.

“My wife doesn’t want to go out,” he said, “because she’s afraid she’s going to bring it back.”

So, for now, for good reason, the house and the backyard is their world.

Groceries and food are ordered online. And when packages do arrive, Lindsay goes over them with bleach wipes before putting them away. Laundry — clothes and jackets — is done frequently, even after frolics on their backyard rink.

“And I’m washing my hands a million times a day till they’re , like everyone else,” said Sigalet. “I’m just staying put and doing the right thing and not going anywhere. I think that’s going to help with the big picture, period.”

Snow doesn’t stray far from the ranch, either.

When absolutely necessary, it’s Kelsie who ventures out for groceries.

“My immune system isn’t, in any way, weakened due to ALS,” said Snow, “but I think the consideration would be that I need to be healthy to be dosed. So I don’t want to do anything that might jeopardize a dosing in the trial. So just giving yourself every chance to be completely healthy … it’s simple common sense for everybody. My situation, my condition, only reinforces that.”

In-person interactions have been minimized for the Snows. No one’s coming over to the house. They’re not visiting anyone. Chats with the neighbours can take place over the fence.

And that’s it.

Which, of course, is in line with standard recommendations.

“We all go with different reasons for doing the right thing,” said Snow, “but the right thing, I think, has become plainly obvious in the last week.

“Hopefully everyone’s taking this as serious as we need to.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172858 Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes sign brothers David, Jason Cotton to entry-level contracts

BY CHIP ALEXANDER MARCH 24, 2020 10:20 AM

David Cotton answers media questions at the Carolina Hurricanes prospects development camp on June 26, 2019. The forward has signed his entry-level contract with the team.”

The Carolina Hurricanes, continuing their hockey business during the NHL’s suspension of play, on Tuesday signed brothers David and Jason Cotton to entry-level contracts.

David Cotton, a forward who played college hockey at Boston College, signed a two-year contract that will pay him $700,000 in 2020-21 and $832,500 in 2021-22 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the American Hockey League level in both seasons. He received a $185,000 signing bonus.

Jason Cotton, a Award finalist at Sacred Heart this season, signed a one-year contract for the 2020-21 season that will pay $700,000 at the NHL level and $50,000 at the AHL level. The forward received a $25,000 signing bonus.

“David and Jason both had very productive senior seasons this year,” Canes president and general manager said in a statement. “We’ve been pleased with David’s progress over his four years at Boston College, and his brother Jason was recently named a Hobey Baker Award finalist. We’re excited to see what they can accomplish at the professional level.”

David Cotton, 22, was named a third-team all-star this season at BC, where he served as team captain. He had 15 goals and 24 assists in 32 games as a senior.

A native of Parker, Texas, David Cotton was a sixth-round draft choice by Carolina in the 2015 NHL Draft. The 6-4, 197-pound forward was named a Hockey East first-team all-star and second-team All-American as a junior.

Jason Cotton, 25, finished with 20 goals and 17 assists in 34 games at Sacred Heart this season and was the Pioneers’ captain. The 6-3, 190- pound forward was named Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year and an Atlantic Hockey First Team All-Star.

Among Division I skaters, Jason Cotton was tied for first in shorthanded goals (3) and tied for sixth in goals (20) this season.

David Cotton considered signing with the Canes after the 2018-19 college season. Calling it a “difficult decision,” he decided to return to BC, where the Eagles were 24-8-2 this season.

“Having this opportunity, especially being a captain, to achieve something as a team was a big part of my decision,” he said at the Canes’ prospects development camp in June.

News Observer LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172859 Chicago Blackhawks

NHL Classic: Blackhawks-Blues Game 2 of 2014 Western Conference Quarterfinal

By Scott King March 24, 2020 12:43 PM

Tonight on NBC Sports at 8 p.m. CT/ 9 p.m. ET, you can re-watch and re-live Game 2 of 2014's Western Conference Quarterfinals between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues.

After the Blues won Game 1 in triple overtime, they trailed the Blackhawks 3-2 in the third period of Game 2 in St. Louis.

Brent Seabrook delivered a punishing hit on David Backes that took Backes out of the game.

The play sent the Blues on a 6-on-4 power play after goalie was pulled during which Vladimir Tarasenko scored with 6.4 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game 3-3.

Barret Jackman scored in overtime to give St. Louis a 2-0 series lead over the Hawks.

Chris Porter scored for the Blues at 7:08 of the first period and Kevin Shattenkirk scored with under two seconds remaining in the opening frame to have St. Louis exit the first up 2-0.

Duncan Keith, Seabrook and Michael Rozsival scored on five shots to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead early in the third.

The Blackhawks would go on to win four consecutive games to take the series 4-2

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172860 Chicago Blackhawks

Top 15 Blackhawks playoff games during 9-year postseason streak

By Scott King March 24, 2020 11:24 AM

Blackhawks fans have had their ups and downs lately, but the Hawks' nine-year postseason streak didn't end too long ago. During that time, there was a lot of to witness.

From Seabrook overtime winners, to winning the Cup on home ice, to 17 seconds, we take a look at the 15 best playoff games from the Hawks' postseason streak:

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172861 Chicago Blackhawks No. 12 on my Golden Knights prospects ranking due to concerns I had about his stagnation.

“He’s got some nice qualities though: he’s long, he’s physical, he gaps What the Blackhawks are getting in defenseman prospect Slava Demin well, he’s always got his head on a swivel, and he can move well enough at his size to cut down chances and play in transition. I would like to see him attack a little more and be more aggressive and decisive in the By Scott Powers Mar 24, 2020 offensive zone, but he’s got time to figure that out. If he can develop his offensive tools a little, he could emerge from a four-year degree as a

decent depth option who can help out in several different situations/roles. The Blackhawks sent an assortment of hockey operations staff to watch He’s also through two years of college and he doesn’t turn 20 until April, Adam Boqvist play for the and Ian Mitchell at the so he’s ahead of the curve in some ways. He’s not going to play super University of Denver over the last few seasons. high up an NHL lineup though, would be my guess.”

While the Blackhawks’ personnel were focused on their top defenseman Blackhawks director of player development Mark Eaton: “He’s a good prospects, they kept an eye out for other talent, whether they be potential puck mover. He makes good decisions with the puck. Not a lot of risk to free-agent targets or prospects in other NHL organizations. his play, but he’s able to read the play well, more often than not make a play when the puck is on his stick. That’s probably what stood out the So it’s no surprise the Blackhawks acquired some familiar prospects in most to me when I’ve watched him play.” two trades this season. They picked up London defenseman Alec Regula from the Detroit Red Wings for Brendan Perlini in October. More recently, Denver coach : “I think the biggest thing is getting him to they acquired Denver sophomore defenseman Slava Demin as part of a consistently be assertive with the puck, and I think that’s come a long package from the Vegas Golden Knights for Robin Lehner at the trade ways from Day 1. It’s not where it’s going to be by the time he leaves I deadline. should say. I would expect it to continue to improve. It’s not a finished product, but it’s improving. I think it’s getting there. “We’ve got a young defenseman coming our way who we’ve had a chance to watch quite a bit from Denver, Slava Demin,” Blackhawks “I think without the puck, it’s box outs, it’s net-front play, taking away time general manager said at the deadline. “He’s a player that, and space. He’s a beautiful skater. He’s thick and lean. He’s everything when people get to know him, they’re going to realize why we’re excited you want in a defenseman. It’s just getting him to own his net-front on a to add him to our group. Talented young defenseman, a lot of upside, we regular basis. When he does it, it’s wow because he really is a freak of like his all-around game. We’ve had the ability to watch him quite a bit at nature at his size. With the puck, he can be dynamic lugging it up the ice Denver. We’ve been in there to work with Ian Mitchell the past couple of and in transition and in breakouts. His shot’s got a lot better and we want years and Slava’s caught our eye, just in his play but also going back to him to be more of an offensive … just contribute in all facets of the game his draft year.” and drive the play with the puck a little bit. Like I said, he does it some nights and it’s happening more regularly on both fronts, but for him it’s Demin, 19, had no idea he was going to be moved at the trade deadline. trying to do it every day. He was practicing with Denver when the deal went down and found out when he got off the ice. “I think he maybe gets talked about that way (as a defensive defenseman) because of his size, but his skating ability, he’s probably Demin had to take a few minutes to process what happened. He had the best skater on our team today. And when it’s all said and done, his been drafted by the Golden Knights in the fourth round in 2018 and physical tools I think are there to be a really good player at both ends of envisioned a future with them. the rink.”

“Obviously it’s just kind of the first time I’ve been traded, so it’s a new Magness Mayhem publisher Chris Bayee: “Slava has matured a lot in the experience,” Demin said recently. “Obviously it was kind of a shock, but past year, and he is much more comfortable on and off the ice. The also pretty exciting to be traded, to be a part of a new organization, kind defensive side of his game has improved quite a bit. He’s decent sized of a fresh start I guess to meet everybody, meet the staff, go to and such a smooth skater. I think Denver hopes for more offense from development camp and then meet all the other players. It’s an exciting him. He reads plays well but can sit back too much at times. When he is opportunity. I’m pretty happy about it.” aggressive with the puck he can create offense. He has had weekends this season when he’s been amazing and others when he’s hardly So, what are the Blackhawks getting in Demin? Let’s take a look in our noticeable. If the consistently good appears more often he could be an Blackhawks prospect breakdown: intriguing prospect because he’s got size and moves well.” The facts Q&A with Slava Demin Age: 19 (turns 20 on April 4) What did Ian Mitchell have to say about you joining the Blackhawks as Hometown: Cypress, Calif. well?

Height: 6-foot-2 I didn’t talk to him too much. Obviously he’s excited for me to join the organization. I didn’t ask him too many questions, I didn’t want to bother Weight: 195 pounds him. Obviously he’s excited to have another player from Denver part of the system. It’s pretty cool to have a teammate that I played with two Shot: Left-handed years now to be able to talk to and ask about the Hawks organization, so The Athletic NHL senior prospects writer Corey Pronman’s take: “Demin it’s nice. has been a fine player for Denver this season, but I wouldn’t call him a What was your conversation with Stan Bowman like? go-to player on that team. Demin is intriguing because he’s a 6-foot-2 defenseman who skates well and has some skill, but there isn’t much of He’s excited to have me as far as the deal, excited to work with me in the a wow factor in his game. He makes a good first pass and occasionally future. Just excited to have me in the organization, which is just really can jump up into the attack, but his speed and offensive zone play won’t nice to hear. dazzle. He’s a fine defender due to his mobility and length. He’s still on the NHL radar, but he’s a bit of a long shot right now.” How would you assess your development at Denver?

Slava Demin was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the fourth I think obviously it’s been kind of a learning process for me over the last round in 2018. (Shannon Valerio / University of Denver) two years. I think I’ve been getting better and learning as I’ve been going along. I think my defensive game has come a long way. I think it’s just The Athletic prospect reporter Scott Wheeler’s take: “I really liked Slava about learning every day and I think I’ve been doing that and I feel like in his draft year. He was 54th on my final top 100 ranking that year, so I I’m getting better. It’s always nice to have that progress. thought he was a decent value pick at No. 99 for the Golden Knights. He then had a pretty darn good freshman year, stepping out of the BCHL David Carle mentioned how he thought your skating ability could allow and into a regular, versatile role at Denver. I had big expectations for him you to tap into even more as a player as you move up levels. Do you see as a sophomore on the back of that and then I felt like he was just fine that too? this season. I’ve softened on him a little. Before the trade, he landed at I think my skating is probably the best part of my game. I think any time Analysis: He’s not very mobile on the PP. This could be a coach’s you can skate in all areas of the ice. For me, I think defensively my instruction or him not experienced with this PP group. But if you’re going skating is very helpful. I think in terms of offense I think I can definitely to make it as a QB on a PP unit in the NHL, you have to be more use my skating more. That’s just part of the process getting more deceptive and more mobile. confident and using my skating, getting up in the rush and lugging the puck up the ice. I think that comes with getting more experience, playing Analysis: Demin’s stick on puck is really good here, and his pivot is once more games and just being more confident in my ability. I think as I play again pretty efficient. Gap control is in an excellent position to make a more games and get more confident that’s definitely going to add a layer change of possession. However, it’s also a pretty passive pivot. I to my game that hopefully makes me a better player at the next level. would’ve love to seen him pivot with more authority and not just block the passing lane, but pivot take away his passing lane and steal the puck. Was hockey big in your family growing up in ? He’s capable of this in this situation.

Neither of my parents played. My dad was just a fan. Just showed up to Analysis: He uses his stick very well to take away the middle of the ice. the rink and fell in love with. Kind of happy that happened. When the other team has possession. Would’ve loved to see him skate the puck out rather than chip it out. Can’t see the other team’s pressure, Are your parents originally from the U.S.? so I don’t know if chipping it out was the best option. Skate it out, then My parents are both from Russia. They came here in ’99. make a pass, then join the rush. Just because you’re a defenseman doesn’t mean you always have to be playing defense. Do you speak Russian? Demin will stay another season at Denver and likely sign with the I speak Russian with my parents Blackhawks after the year. You can expect him to join the roster pool for the 2021-22 season. From there, you would think he’d need a season or Do you have any Russian influence to your game? two with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL. I mean, not really. Maybe my number. That’s about it. No, not really too The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 much. Obviously I grew up in the U.S. I’ve only been on NHL-sized rinks. I think my game is mostly North American style. Not too much European influence.

What is it about your number (17)?

My favorite player growing up, the first player I watched was (Ilya) Kovalchuk. So 17 was my number growing up, actually went back to it here in college.

Do people mistake you for being Russian?

I guess the name can maybe throw it off, but once people hear me talk, I don’t really have an accent. I think the name, I guess, is the biggest thing. Once I talk, nobody really bats an eye.

Why did you decide on Denver?

I think it just checked a lot of boxes for me. It’s pretty close to home. I like the location. I like the coaching staff. I like the culture of the hockey program, obviously they’re built on winning. Just felt like I could go here and learn a lot, become a better player. That’s kind of what my thought process going into.

Have you been spending more time learning about the Blackhawks?

I’m familiar with the organization obviously, a lot of history, a lot of success. I haven’t really looked too much into it because I’m focused on the season. I’m sure when the season ends I’ll get a chance to maybe talk to Mitchy more and then the summer get to go to development camp and get a better sense of the organization, meet the staff in person, see the facilities, stuff like that. I know about the organization, but I guess there’s more I can learn about when I get there in the summer.

Do you expect to spend another year at Denver?

I’m definitely expecting to come back. Just keep learning, keep doing better, do all I can do in the summer. Take feedback from the Blackhawks, see what I need to work on, take those goals and take them into the year and work on them next season.

Slava Demin had two goals and seven assists in 34 games this season. (Shannon Valerio / University of Denver)

Video analysis

Here are some recent game clips with analysis from a skills coach:

Analysis: Pretty good transition once they ice the puck. His transition skating looks really good, very efficient. However, I believe Demin doesn’t get a good sense of his situational awareness because he only shoulder-checks once with about two secs remaining in the clip.

Analysis: I like how quickly he pulls his hand down to stop a bouncing puck. He must be a pretty good athlete, not just in hockey.

Analysis: I love that he makes a slip pass, showing the opportunity to pass it, gets the opponent to bite so he poke checks and then changes the angle of his stick blade to “slip” the pass by his opponent and to his teammate. I’ll illustrate it in the video attached. 1172862 Colorado Avalanche

Nuggets/Avalanche ticket holders in limbo amid postponed seasons for coronavirus pandemic

Ticketmaster, StubHub and Vivid Seats offer refunds only if games are cancelled

By KYLE FREDRICKSON PUBLISHED: March 24, 2020 at 6:00 a.m. | UPDATED: March 24, 2020 at 11:09 a.m.

Martin Letain is a lifelong Colorado Avalanche fan.

The Canadian planned to attend his first game at Pepsi Center in mid- March when he purchased two tickets months in advance of puck drop against the Vancouver Canucks.

Maybe the game date was a sign — Friday the 13th.

“It was just really bad timing,” Letain said. “I had been dreaming of going to a game since 1996.”

The indefinite postponement of the NHL and NBA because of spread of coronavirus has left many ticket holders, like Letain, stuck in limbo and wondering what to do next.

Three verified online sports ticket marketplaces — Ticketmaster, StubHub and Vivid Seats — provided ticket policy information to The Denver Post with two overriding factors. Ticket refunds will be offered only if games are officially canceled, and should they be rescheduled following the pandemic, tickets already purchased will be honored.

However, Letain lives in Manitoba, with a rigid work schedule that won’t allow for a last-minute vacation request if the NHL season resumes.

“The league could come back in two or three months, reschedule the game, and switch my ticket date the new game — if there ever is one,” Letain said. “It would probably be better just to get a refund. If they reschedule that game, it will be the first one back (for the Avs). So, I might be stuck eating it.”

Avalanche and Nuggets season-ticket holders received emails shortly after their respective league suspensions that essentially told fans to wait out a fluid situation for more details.

Denver resident Allen Davis attended all 33 Nuggets home games this year before the NBA suspended operations. On the league website, a letter from commissioner Adam Silver reads: If games are not played or played in an empty arena, teams will work with fans on a credit for a future game or refund.

“Hopefully, we all get to go use our tickets,” Davis said. “That obviously seems less and less likely every day. But we’ll wait on the NBA to make a decision.”

The sudden cancellation of games was especially tough to digest for folks like Glenn Fitzgibbons and his family in Palisade. Their annual spring break trip from the Western Slope to Pepsi Center for a Nuggets game, this time March 18 against the , was foiled.

If NBA games finally return, though, the family is determined to watch their favorite team in person.

“We had discussed that if they play the games again that we’ll make it happen,” Fitzgibbons said. “But at the same time, if they don’t, we’ll know why.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172863 Dallas Stars seven-plus hits. Oddly enough, four of the nine total games this season included the Stars.)

Benn’s physicality is great, but it’s his offense that makes him such a Stars’ Best of the Season: Jamie Benn pounds the Coyotes into boards, valuable player. A lot of players can hit. But not a lot can pound you both on the scoreboard into the boards and on the scoreboard.

Benn was noticeable all game, and his physicality helped the Stars erase His goal in Arizona was a classic Benn goal: after a won faceoff, a two-goal deficit for a 4-2 win. gathering a loose puck at the net-front, and sweeping it into the net. It broke the seal for the Stars’ offense that night, and helped spur the furious four-goal third period. By Matthew DeFranks 3:11 PM on Mar 24, 2020 Benn’s assist came on a nondescript exit pass from his own zone to Andrej Sekera, who later set up Alexander Radulov’s cannon of a slap shot. That doesn’t mean that Benn didn’t generate more offense for the Note: This is the second installment counting down the five best Stars in the desert. He was a playmaker on the rush, and a shooter in the individual performances of the Stars season. offensive zone. Things get nostalgic pretty quickly without sports. In the context of the season, Benn’s performance came at a good time. Games from weeks ago feel years ago, performances from months ago The Arizona game was the Stars’ second after Christmas break, when feel decades ago. For the Stars, as the NHL’s pause due to the COVID- Dallas sputtered into the break with a trio of putrid performances against 19 pandemic reaches its second week, standout performances feel even the Lightning, Panthers and Flames. It was also the last game before the longer, having endured a season-long, six-game losing streak prior to the Winter Classic, and a ho-hum loss to the Coyotes would have cast a season’s suspension. shadow over the spectacle.

And so the nostalgia has intensified. Instead, Benn’s performance made it so the Stars could return to Dallas with a win. In an attempt to quell the bubbling desire for Stars hockey, The News will look back on the top five individual performances of the regular season, Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.25.2020 one that is potentially over due to the coronavirus pandemic. In doing so, circumstances were taken into account in addition to the performance: Is the game’s outcome different without that player’s performance? What happened leading into the game? How does this game fit into the entire season’s worth of data?

The list is subjective, obviously, and there will surely be games not listed here that perhaps should be. Or maybe there are performances here that have been forgotten otherwise.

Before “Good Riddance” or “Graduation (Friends Forever)” play me out, here is No. 4 on the list.

4. Jamie Benn at Arizona (Dec. 29)

Stat line: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots on goal, 6 shot attempts, 7 hits, 2 blocked shots, 18:30 total time on ice.

Game result: Stars 4, Coyotes 2. Stars record moves to 22-14-4.

There were plenty of Jamie Benn games this year to choose from. There was the late-game takeover against the Jets, the overtime winners against Edmonton and Tampa Bay, the hat trick against Carolina and this late December game in Arizona. When Benn brings it, everyone notices.

While all those games were outstanding performances, a lot of them are that way simply because of a single moment where Benn made a fantastic play -- a brief glimpse into the “Beast Mode” tag that Benn has earned among the fanbase.

But this game in Arizona? Benn was noticeable in all three zone in all three periods, and his physicality helped the Stars erase a two-goal deficit at the second intermission for a 4-2 win.

Benn was credited with seven hits in the game, and he deserved them. Many of them (like the ones below on Lawson Crouse, Christian Fischer, Jakob Chychrun and Phil Kessel) resulted in a Coyote either flattened on the ice or stunned on their knees.

Of course, Benn was also on the receiving end of Oliver Ekman- Larsson’s big open-ice hit in the first period — a hit that resulted in a third-period scrum and a match penalty for Benn the next time the two teams played in February.

But Benn’s physicality was essential to driving some emotion into the game, and Benn has repeatedly proved that he’s at his best when he’s engaged physically.

This season, nine players registered a goal and an assist while also dishing out at least seven hits. The group is mostly who you would expect in it: Benn, both Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, Alex Ovechkin, Milan Lucic, Marcus Foligno, plus some unexpected inclusions from Brendan Lemieux, Patrik Laine and Stephen Johns.

(Yes, Stephen Johns’ game at the Rangers on Feb. 3 is the only game this season in which a defenseman cracked one goal, one assist and 1172864 Dallas Stars “No, Klinger has no idea what we are saying,” Lindell said.

Winnipeg: I once spent St. Patrick’s day in Winnipeg with Scott Burnside, a former DallasStars.com employee and now a writer at The Athletic. Diners, moonshine and dives: Stars-adjacent stories for every Western Conf. city Someday, Scott should publish an NHL travel guide titled, “Burnside’s Bars.” There isn’t a place in the NHL where I’ve had a drink with Scott in which he didn’t have a story or an acquaintance with a bartender. That By Sean Shapiro Mar 24, 2020 was the case on St. Patrick’s Day, and somehow while lines were overflowing all around us, we had a seat at the bar and never had to wait for our next round. It didn’t hurt that Scott was generous in buying rounds for others. I’ve learned that my memory is based on geography. On the hockey side, Winnipeg is where I was able to find out what Certain places remind me of certain things, whereas some memories are happened to Joe Morrow’s guitars. Morrow was a Stars prospect for a easier to recall when I’m in (or even thinking about) a particular place. little less than three months. He was traded to Dallas on March 13, 2013 This tends to happen quite a bit when I travel while covering the Dallas from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Brenden Morrow trade (yes, Morrow Stars. Even if I only visit a city and arena once a year, my mind makes for Morrow) and then was dealt to the Boston Bruins in the Tyler Seguin those connections. blockbuster on July 4, 2013.

Since starting to work for The Athletic, I’ve covered a game in 30 of the In between, Morrow played for the Texas Stars. At the end of the 2012- 31 NHL arenas, with Ottawa being the lone holdout. Since we are stuck 13 season, he left his guitars with then-Texas assistant equipment in our homes — or at least we all should be — why not share some manager Jorge Lopez, who for a short time was my neighbor in Cedar stories from the road? Park. Jorge was always kind of quiet about what happened to the guitars, so on a trip to Winnipeg in 2018 I asked Morrow for some clarification. Today I’m tackling the Western Conference. Tomorrow, we’ll travel East. “Oh, yeah, I just let him keep those guitars,” Morrow said. “Originally I Central Division planned to get them back, but I ended up forgetting about it for a bit and by that time I just told him he could keep them.” St. Louis: I once compared St. Louis’ love of Imo’s Pizza to people from Cincinnati and their enthusiasm for Skyline Chili. Both substances are Nashville: We had two days between Game 1 and 2 in Nashville last technically food, and if I were still in college, I would probably eat them at season, and with an extra day in Nashville, we actually got Mike Heika to 2 in the morning and enjoy the experience. But should such a meal really leave his hotel room and meet us for dinner. This was monumental; be a point of city pride? between the Stars charter leaving right after road games and Mike’s propensity to stay in his hotel, corralling him into a restaurant on the road In doing so, I quickly found a way to offend both Stars television is a rare feat. broadcaster Brien Rea (a native St. Louisian) and his fiancee, who is from southern Ohio. So, yeah, before I alienate anyone else, here’s a Nashville is also the only press box in which I’ve ever had moonshine. better story. The Predators PR staff provided “survival packs” for media members during the playoffs, and they included a small jar of moonshine, which I On the evening before Game 7 between the Blues and Stars — the drank while finishing the 20/20 after Game 1 of the 2019 playoffs. game which ended Dallas’ 2018-19 season — my flight landed in Missouri right around 6:50 p.m. Without a checked bag, I was able to get Minnesota: Stephen Johns returned to the NHL and played his first game a quick Uber and drop off my bag at the Marriott Courtyard before in Minnesota this season. meeting Ken Wiebe, then working for Winnipeg Sun, at Busch Stadium in time for the top of the second inning between the Cardinals and Johns spoke with media members in a formal capacity for the first time in Washington Nationals. a long time and fought back tears talking about his support system and how much they meant to his recovery. The game itself was forgettable — I’ve discovered that two of Kent’s great passions are golf and . 7-0 Wild — but the fact that Johns was playing in the NHL again is While covering this second-round series and flying from Dallas to St. something I’ll always associate with this trip to Minnesota. Louis and back, I believe he witnessed at least four MLB games and played a dozen rounds of golf. Ken lives in Winnipeg, so an escape to Minnesota is also the place where I once had the Uber driver drop me off Texas in May wasn’t a bad setup. During the game, Ken and I also at the Stars team hotel for media availability and then had the Uber driver discussed The Athletic and what it was like working for the company, Ken take just my bag to my hotel back near the airport. The bag made it to the is now my colleague in Winnipeg, so my unofficial recruiting pitch may hotel and was waiting for me at the front desk later that afternoon, so have worked. while risky, it paid off.

Colorado: When you are on the Stars beat, you grow accustomed to Chicago: Trips to Chicago often turn into a combo family/work trip for me. hearing Finnish in the locker room. There are three Finns, plus a fourth in My sister Allie and her wife Allison live there, and Allison is in a group Joel Kiviranta who yo-yoed back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL called “Matt Damon Improv” that performs at Chicago’s Annoyance this season. Theater. It’s a troop consisting only of women of color with one guest Despite those conversations, I don’t understand a single word of Finnish player: a straight white man/woman who can only speak when repeating — even with minor context clues. I’m not alone; John Klingberg played in something a member of the cast has already said, forcing them to truly Finland for a year and doesn’t understand the language. There was listen to women of color. actually a moment during my trip to Finland last summer when Klingberg It’s a good show and one I suggest checking out if you make the trip to and I were the only two people in the room who didn’t understand Finnish Chicago. while the mayor (I think it was the mayor) of Lahti was giving a toast to NHL players. On a work side, Chicago is home to the most bizarre shift I’ve witnessed in person on this beat. Klingberg turned to me during that time and said I should go be the first to eat from the buffet. That would have been unwise, as the first person Just watch as Radek Faksa scores a goal while Jason Dickinson is in the to grab a plate happened to give a short speech. That person was middle of a fight. It’s bonkers. Teemu Selanne. This was also the game when Mats Zuccarello made his stunning debut, Back to Colorado: This season before a game in Denver I was then broke his arm before the end of the second period. conducting an interview with Esa Lindell when Miro Heiskanen interrupted from across the room and said something in Finnish. They Pacific Division continued their conversation while Lindell also continued to do the Vegas: On the morning of a practice at T-Mobile Arena in last interview in English. It was wildly confusing and finally, I had to ask season, a few players were tossing around a football with Stars head of Lindell what they were talking about. public relations Tom Holy. “It’s about you Sean, has to be,” Klingberg chimed in. I was thrown the ball at one point and somehow overthrew 6-foot-7 Ben Los Angeles: If there is anything you take away from this story it’s this: Bishop, hitting the ceiling. Nobody who works or plays for the Stars has Find a table at The Original Pantry Cafe when you visit Los Angeles. thrown me a football since. The restaurant is open for 24 hours and is cash-only on Figueroa St. Edmonton: It snowed on us inside of Rogers Place during morning skate. There are often long lines, but the lines are worth it and if you forgot to I’m not kidding. bring cash they do have an ATM inside.

THERE IS SNOW FALLING ON ME INSIDE ROGERS PLACE I’m a big fan of diners. I grew up in New Jersey, so I guess it’s part of my PIC.TWITTER.COM/TYBE9GUFOB DNA. That, and a love for Bruce Springsteen.

— SEAN SHAPIRO (@SEANSHAPIRO) NOVEMBER 27, 2018 I have a personal diner-ranking system with six categories: Aesthetic/decor, staff/friendliness, food, coffee, convenience to Calgary: The catwalk in Calgary is infamous, and it’s an NHL beat writer transportation/hotel, and finally, other customers’ general demeanor. rite of passage to walk across it and take a video to prove you were willing to defy death for attention on social media. The Original Pantry Cafe scored a 30 out of 30 back in January. It’s still the only diner to earn a perfect score. It’s also one of my favorite press boxes in the league because of the vantage point. While some may call it a “dangling deathbox,” Calgary San Jose: This story also pertains to Anaheim and Los Angeles. provides one of the best views in the NHL. On the trip through California last season, I lost my voice. Calgary is also home to one of my favorite road restaurants: Ten Foot Henry. In general, I’ve never had a bad meal in Calgary. On the team’s By that, I mean I couldn’t talk at all. I was writing down questions on note most recent trip to Calgary, Matt DeFranks from the Dallas Morning pads to show to players and was texting other media members questions News joined me at restaurants recommended by Calgary native Justin to ask for me in the coaching scrum. Dowling. His taste in restaurants fits his style — western hipster — but In the press box in San Jose, which is one of the worst in the league, a the meals delivered. few members of Stars management told me I had never sounded better.

Dowling also scored his first-ever NHL goal on that trip to Calgary, so The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 good storylines all around.

Vancouver: Vancouver is one of my favorite NHL road cities. Last season included a bonus trip to British Columbia because the NHL Draft was held at .

There are seaplane tours over Vancouver that last about 30 minutes and cost about $100 Canadian. If you have the time to do that, you should.

On the trip to Vancouver this season, I spent most of the time after the morning skate discussing parenting tips with Antoine Roussel, who still hadn’t returned from injury but was practicing with the Canucks at the time.

Each night before bed my wife or I sang, “O Canada” to my daughter. I’m not kidding. It’s one of the few songs that we both knew all the words to, was appropriate to sing to a toddler and — to be frank — the Canadians just have a better anthem.

I told Roussel about this, who told me he actually did something similar with his kids. There’s no bed-time song in the Roussel house, but he said his kids learned the Canadian anthem before most other songs. The Roussel family, however, is also able to sing the French version, so they’ve got me beat.

Arizona: This was supposed to be the next trip before the NHL shut down the season for COVID-19 on March 13.

I had plans to attend the Stars’ morning skate on March 16 and then watch the Texas Rangers play a spring training game before catching up with Rangers catcher Jose Trevino at the Stars game that night. None of that happened. Maybe it’ll work out next season.

Last season the Stars took the first-ever moms’ trip to Arizona, where the Stars’ moms watched from the tower suite. I was able to watch the second period with the mothers, which really meant I was able to watch with Jackie Seguin, who kept introducing me to all the other moms and telling stories about how wonderful everyone was.

Jackie would want me to point out that she’s a much better cook than Tyler leads on. If she struggled in the kitchen like he claimed, she wouldn’t be asked to cook that often.

Anaheim: I have two vivid memories of events that happened while we were in Anaheim. One is exciting, the other very somber.

In February of 2018, I was in Anaheim on the night the United States beat Canada in the shootout to win Olympic Gold in Women’s hockey on the shootout finish by Jocelyn Lamoureux.

A couple months later, I was in Anaheim on the night of the fateful bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos. It was news that shook the hockey community, and it had already impacted the Stars locker room when we made it down to the event level for post-game interviews. It was a combination of shock and bewilderment for the players, many of whom have their own bus stories from junior hockey. 1172865 Detroit Red Wings "I was probably a boring coach because the first 20 minutes of every practice was always going up and down the ice, doing edge work, pivots, tight turns," the 48-year-old Sanderson said. "I talked about their blades Top U.S. prospect Jake Sanderson waits in Whitefish for NHL future to and steel on the ice, rockers and custom radius, all the custom stuff that unfold a lot of kids don't know about.

"It's not a secret, but one thing I learned being obsessed with skating is the better you are at skating backwards the better you are going to be Mark Falkner, The Detroit News Published 12:48 p.m. ET March 24, skating forwards. All the power skating stuff that we did was a lot of 2020 | Updated 12:51 p.m. ET March 24, 2020 backward skating, a lot of giant 'C' cuts going backwards. If you want to be a good hockey player, you have to be an elite skater."

Jake Sanderson, who had seven goals and 22 assists in 47 games in his It was less than a week ago that the 2019-20 hockey season officially second season with USA Hockey's development program this year, says ended for captain Jake Sanderson and his teammates with the Plymouth- there aren't "any minuses" being the son of a former NHL player. based Under-18 National Team Development Program. "First he was a dad and he wasn't a coach," Sanderson said. "He didn't Sanderson, the top-ranked American prospect for the 2020 NHL Draft, freak out if we had a bad game or something because he knows how we already had returned to his home in Whitefish, Montana, right after the would feel in that situation. In the summer, he always gives us training U18 world championships in Plymouth and Ann Arbor were canceled on ideas and passes on the stuff he learned." March 13. says he's always "taken a calm approach" to teaching On March 18, the United States Hockey League voted unanimously to the game and never pushed Jake into higher levels of play if he wasn't cancel the rest of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic. ready. "Our team was heartbroken," Sanderson said. "We have gone through so "I've seen enough of these minor hockey league coaches who embarrass much together as a team and we have worked so hard all two years, and themselves behind the bench and I swore I would never be that guy," to have that taken away from us was very unfair, but it is something we Sanderson said. "I never put a huge emphasis on winning. Everyone cannot control. plays. Let's have fun. If I've done my job in practice, I shouldn't have to "All of that hard work wasn’t for nothing, though. Our hockey careers still say a word during the game." go on. And I know I’ll leave the NTDP with 22 best friends and brothers." For now, Jake Sanderson will remain in Montana. He plans on returning Before COVID-19 turned the world upside down, the year was shaping to Plymouth for spring training at USA Hockey Arena, which is closed up as a breakout season for the 17-year-old defenseman, who until April 13 after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a shelter-in-place order skyrocketed up the Central Scouting midterm rankings to No. 11 among on Monday to halt the spread of the virus. North American players one year after the NTDP's Jack Hughes was The dates for the NHL draft combine and NHL draft in are up in taken first overall by the New Jersey Devils. the air depending on the future of the season and playoffs. Sanderson's stock went up substantially after being named the MVP at "The focus now is to keep working hard and training," Sanderson said. the BioSteel All-American Game at USA Hockey Arena in January and "Once we get back to Michigan, I will spend as much time with my he tied for the tournament scoring lead at the Under-18 Five Nations in teammates because we know our time is short." the Czech Republic in February. NHL Midterm Central Scouting rankings "You've got to take those events step by step and just focus on achieving them one at a time," said Sanderson, the son of former NHL forward (The top 11 North American players for the 2020 NHL Draft) Geoff Sanderson, who had 700 career points during a 17-year career. "I just put my head down and keep working." 1. Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski

At the All-American Game in front of more than 200 scouts and front- 2. Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury office personnel from all 31 NHL teams, Sanderson had two assists and 3. Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie was plus-2 in Team Knuble's 6-1 win over Team Gomez. He also finished first in the fastest skating competition among the 40 top prospects from 4. Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw the USHL and his U18 team. 5. Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa Jake Sanderson with an absolutely gorgeous play from coast to coast pic.twitter.com/aB6Aj0hFqk 6. Dawson Mercer, C, Chicoutimi

— Future Scope Hockey (@FSHockeycenter) January 21, 2020 7. Kaiden Guhle, D, Prince Albert

UND commit Jake Sanderson didn't get the memo about no hitting in All- 8. Braden Schneider, D, Brandon Star type games. 9. Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa

He lays the body on Brendan Brisson as he makes the entry. 10. Dylan Holloway, C, Wisconsin #BAAG#WhosNext#NTDP#UNDproudpic.twitter.com/dCmCQutLY9 11. Jake Sanderson, D, NTDP — Stars n’ Stripes Hockey (@StarsStripesHKY) January 21, 2020 Detroit News LOADED: 03.25.2020 Against Europe's top NHL prospects including Finland's Aatu Raty, the No. 1 prospect for the 2021 draft, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Sanderson had three goals, four assists and was plus-4 in four games and led Team USA to a second-place finish at Five Nations.

(Under-17 NTDP's Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and Jack Hughes, and teammate Chaz Lucius are expected to battle for top American honors next year).

Sanderson's skating is one of the strengths of his game just like his father, who finished second to Washington speedster at the 1997 NHL All-Star Game's fastest skating competition in San Jose.

Geoff Sanderson, who left a scouting position after two seasons with the New York Islanders in 2012 to spend more time with his three boys and wife Ellen in Calgary, says there appears to be some "pedigree" with Jake's skating, but teaching his sons how to skate just like his father taught him was a conscious decision. 1172866 Detroit Red Wings

NHL offers free game replays online

By George Pohly

Admit it. Two weeks ago, you were trying to forget the Red Wings' season, and now you'd give a gold-plated puck to see a game.

The NHL has offered a hockey fix.

All 2019-20 regular-season games played to date are being offered free at NHL.com or via the NHL app through April 30.

That means you can relive any of the Wings' four victories in their season sweep of Montreal; their victory over Chicago on March 6, or what proved to be their final win -- a 5-4 shootout triumph over Tampa Bay on March 8 -- before the NHL shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, there are 30 teams in addition to the Wings, so maybe a look at Washington star Alex Ovechkin's 700th goal on Feb. 22 or Bruin David Pastrnak's four-goal game on Oct. 14 are more to your liking.

Whatever your pleasure, go to the Scores page at either the web site or the app.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172867 Edmonton Oilers Canada has never been known as a Summer Olympics superpower — we were 20th with four gold medals in 2016 — but it’s good to see that our common sense can still win the day.

This and That: Pause proves costly for both Oilers' Mike Smith and Telling the International Olympic Committee we weren’t sending any Flames athletes if the Games went ahead this summer is a strong move in the face of international weakness and politicking that ultimately shamed them into doing the right thing. Robert Tychkowski It does give you a sense of just how greedy and heartless the IOC is when their message to would-be Olympians around the world was going to be: “Maintain your July 24 trajectory, training in gyms you can’t go to, Sports and athletes are pretty low on the totem pole of things we need to eating food you can’t get and paying for it with money you don’t have, worry about right now, way below the economy, masks and ventilators while we mull things over for another month. We’re not greedy, we just and trying to dummy down the social-distance messaging enough so the think that if the planet does somehow manage to get this highly- dimmest and most selfish elements of society stop endangering contagious virus under control, the very first thing we should do is have everyone else. people from every country in the world converging on an island for two But you have to feel bad for the Edmonton Oilers. That usually goes weeks.” without saying — feeling bad for the Oilers in late March is an annual THERE’S NOTHING ON tradition here — but this time, it’s especially painful. Everyone understands that the sports channels are struggling for content Just when they are finally starting to figure things out, poised to make the without any sports being played. It’s like COPS trying to fill a week’s playoffs for just the second time in 14 years, fate is threatening to pull the worth of programming without any shirtless rednecks trying to slur their rug out from under everything. way out of a DUI. It’s the most Oilerest thing ever. But instead of curling and random hockey games from a year ago, If they do cancel it, nobody will be cursing the timing more than goalie maybe we can venture into something that still moves the needle? Mike Smith, who stands to leave a big pile of bonus money on the table. Did Ali not fight Frazier? Can we not revisit the 1972 Summit Series? Gambling on his ability to be an impact player the Oilers could lean on Maybe Secreteriat’s Triple Crown races? this year, Smith agreed to a bonus-heavy deal worth $2 million in base Come on, man, throw us a bone. salary and another $1.75 million in performance money. He’s already hit $500,000 of that ($125,000 each for playing 20, 25, 30 and 35 games), Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.25.2020 but now stands to lose over $1 million if the NHL can’t reload its season.

Smith is sitting at 39 games played, one shy of the next bonus: $250,000 for 40 games. There’s another $250,000 for 45 and another $750,000 in playoff bonus money that starts with just getting in.

Tough break.

NO PICK FOR YOU

Speaking of bad timing, the Calgary Flames aren’t thrilled with how one of the conditions in the James Neal-for-Milan Lucic trade has ground to a halt. They get Edmonton’s third-round pick if Neal gets to 21 goals and stays at least 10 ahead of Lucic. Both conditions seemed likely with two weeks to go in the season (Neal is at 19 and Lucic is at eight), but not anymore.

If the curtain closes, that’s it.

Pro-rating the numbers and giving Calgary the pick anyway, as is being suggested in Calgary? No chance. The NHL isn’t going to transfer draft picks based on could haves and maybes.

Tough break for the Flames, but life isn’t fair. Ask Mike Smith.

HART ATTACK

If the season is over for good, should Leon Draisaitl win the Hart Trophy?

Yes. Without question. He is running away with the scoring race and, aside from one slow month in December when the whole team hit a wall, has dominated the entire season.

Will he win it? Probably not. We’ve already heard arguments that he can’t be ‘most valuable’ to a team that has Connor McDavid on it, just like we heard arguments last year that McDavid, whose 116 points counted for 50 per cent of Edmonton’s total offence, couldn’t win it because the Oilers missed the playoffs.

So, you shouldn’t win it if you have a great season on a weak team and you shouldn’t win it if you have a great season with strong teammates? The Hart Trophy now goes to the player deemed ‘Most valuable to a middle of the pack team that has good, but not great, players on it’?

Cool.

To be honest, the Hart Trophy’s vague and senseless wording has diluted its significance. The biggest honour in the league is now the Ted Lindsay award, voted on by the players for the most outstanding season.

GOLD STANDARD 1172868 Edmonton Oilers Sure, his excellent outing was against the Blackhawks, hardly one of the NHL’s best teams. Given the circumstances, however, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The 5 games that define Leon Draisaitl’s Hart Trophy-worthy season Feb. 16 at Carolina

The Oilers’ first road trip without McDavid was expected to be a tough By Daniel Nugent-Bowman Mar 24, 2020 one – and it didn’t get off to a good start.

The Lightning overwhelmed the Oilers in the first period en route to a 3-1 victory. To make matters worse, Kassian was then suspended seven Regardless of where you fall in the Hart Trophy debate, there’s no games for kicking Tampa Bay defenceman Erik Cernak. denying Leon Draisaitl was one of the most dominant players in the NHL this season. Things were looking bleak heading into a pair of matinee matchups against Florida and Carolina on consecutive afternoons. Then Draisaitl From leading the league in scoring to leading the Oilers – especially stepped up. during the seven games Edmonton was without Connor McDavid – Draisaitl proved to be one of the league’s best since the beginning of He was arguably the best player on the ice against the Panthers, scoring October. once and adding an assist in a 4-1 win. He was even better against the Hurricanes. While he’s had his share of off nights there’s no question, when he was on, he was a force to be reckoned with. Draisaitl posted a goal and two helpers – including setting up Archibald for the winner – in a 4-3 overtime victory in Raleigh. Draisaitl played A day after narrowly being named The Athletic’s choice as the league’s 24:24, including 3:02 of the 3:57 that took place in overtime. MVP, it seemed appropriate to examine some of the defining games of his career campaign. “According to a lot of people out there, I can’t play on my own; I can only play with Connor,” he said dryly afterward. Here are his best five games of the season. Those thoughts were essentially put to rest right then and there. Oct. 5 vs. Los Angeles March 2 at Nashville Draisaitl started the season off on the right foot three nights earlier against the Canucks. And although McDavid got much of the attention for Draisaitl’s best offensive performances had been overshadowed to this a beautiful third-period goal that stood as the winner as he returned from point. a knee injury, it was Draisaitl who was the best player on the ice. He was He had a four-assist game against Anaheim in November, but McDavid in on all three Edmonton goals, recording a goal and an assist. had a hat trick – including a rather memorable goal on John Gibson.

But it was the next game that provided a glimpse of how valuable he’d be He had a five-helper night against Colorado later in the month, but to the Oilers. McDavid had three goals and six points.

Draisaitl had just two assists in a 6-5 win, a rather pedestrian night for There was no one to steal the spotlight from him against Nashville – even him, but proved his worth in other ways. The Oilers were missing ace if McDavid managed five points (one goal and four assists). penalty killers Riley Sheahan and Josh Archibald, so Draisaitl was tasked with playing 3:23 shorthanded, which included impressive work during a Draisaitl netted a third-period hat trick to cap off a four-goal, five-point 5-on-3 disadvantage in the third period. effort as the Oilers blasted the Predators 8-3.

Draisaitl played 26:05 that night, following up on a 26:45 outing against He came the sixth player to score four times in a game this season, the Canucks. His importance to the Oilers and their reliance on him was joining teammate James Neal in the club. (Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad now firmly established. netted five goals against Washington three nights later.)

Nov. 24 at Arizona The win put the Oilers six points ahead of the Predators as the teams battled for playoff positioning. It was a huge game and Draisaitl shone It was the first game without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who, after a 4-2 win brightly. in Las Vegas, was sidelined with a wrist injury. The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 Oilers coach Dave Tippett opted to have Sam Gagner fill in for Nugent- Hopkins as the second-line , leaving Draisaitl as the top-line winger with McDavid and Zack Kassian. Even with the Oilers playing on back-to- back nights, it was clear the team’s stars were going to be relied upon heavily.

Much like that second game of the season, Draisaitl didn’t exactly set the world on fire offensively. But, much like that second game of the season, Draisaitl’s importance to his team was obvious.

He recorded only one assist in the 4-3 shootout win but played a game- high 29 minutes. Included in that total was 4:10 in overtime as Tippett pushed Draisaitl and McDavid to the extreme without Nugent-Hopkins. (He even called a timeout, just so he could give his stars more ice time.)

There would be more productive games for Draisaitl, but the Oilers wouldn’t have won this one without him.

Feb. 11 vs. Chicago

It seemed like the sky was falling in Edmonton.

It was announced that morning that McDavid’s quad injury, which had been thought to be minor as recently as the previous afternoon, would keep him out of the lineup for at least two weeks.

Would the Oilers’ playoff hopes go up in smoke in McDavid’s absence? Not if Draisaitl had anything to say about it.

Draisaitl earned a point on four of the five Edmonton goals in a 5-3 win over Chicago, sealing the victory with an empty-net tally to go along with three assists. 1172869 Edmonton Oilers been a special season. He overcame a lot to deliver elite numbers, and frankly I’m surprised we haven’t seen more talk about a Masterton Trophy.

Final Oilers report cards: Second-half impact defines a successful Kailer Yamamoto, A. It seems outrageous to give such a high mark for 27 season games, but in a review of the season, any other mark would fail to properly reflect the enormous impact this young winger had. He scored 11 goals and 26 points, and at five-on-five he posted 3.16 points per 60 By Allan Mitchell Mar 24, 2020 with a goal differential of 30-14. Yamamoto’s forechecking drove NHL defencemen to distraction, and his intelligent play allowed him to make

astute passes and find quiet ice for a return pass. If you didn’t see it, you At the end of December, the Edmonton Oilers were in some trouble. The wouldn’t believe it. There are perfect fits in hockey, and Yamamoto with team started the season 7-1-0 but stumbled (13-16-4) in the 10 weeks Draisaitl is one. that followed, arriving at Dec. 30 with a record of 20-17-4. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, B+. He spent the first half of the season (35 In that moment, fans would have been forgiven if they flashed back to games, 7-13-20) playing well but struggling to contribute offensively at Dec. 29, 2018, and the day general manager Peter Chiarelli traded for the level of a $6 million player. The second half saw him move to left defencemen Alexander Petrovic and Brandon Manning in the span of just wing on the Draisaitl line, and the results (30 games, 15-26-41) were a few hours. Edmonton’s record was 18-17-3 when both trades went exceptional. His goal-scoring spike in the second half saw him return to down, and it represented the final deal by Chiarelli in a dizzying display of the creativity we saw him bring to the NHL in his early years. The panic buying. He was fired in late January. The team would finish the responsibility of playing centre on a tough-minutes line washed away, campaign 17-21-6 and well out of the playoffs. and RNH was free to push offensively. The results were impressive.

One year later, new general manager and his coach, Dave Josh Archibald, B. Archibald’s second-half offence (10-7-17 in 30 games) Tippett, went another direction. Instead of entering the NHL trade market, shouldn’t be expected every season, but it was a welcome sight for a where sharks circle just for fun, Holland passed on the opportunity to team in need of goal-scoring wingers. His five-on-five per 60 over the bleed talent, instead addressing issues internally. After veterans Markus season (1.20) aligns with his previous work. As a penalty killer, he was Granlund and Brandon Manning were waived on Dec. 27, both men were part of an effective crew and averaged 2:21 a night. Holland signed him sent to the AHL . to an extension in early March. It ranks as one of the general manager’s best signings from last summer. Holland recalled two youngsters, Kailer Yamamoto and William Lagesson, in search of a spark. Tippett split Connor McDavid and Leon Zack Kassian, B-. Through the season’s first half, Kassian played his role Draisaitl during five-on-five situations, and Yamamoto — under 5-foot-9 very well. On Dec. 30, he had played 38 games and scored 13 goals with and less than 155 pounds — teamed with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to turn a matching number of assists. He looked central to Edmonton’s success, Draisaitl’s line into something otherworldly. offering Tippett a big winger who could play with skill and keep the opposition honest. In January, Kassian took a costly penalty in a game The trio played just over 327 minutes together five-on-five, outscoring against the Calgary Flames, earning him a two-game suspension. Later opponents 28-8 while owning a 53 percent shot share. Sustainable? No. in the month, Holland rewarded him with a handsome contract. In However, as a Hail Mary, it worked extremely well and helped drive February, he earned a seven-game suspension for a kick against the Edmonton close to the top of the Pacific Division. Tampa Bay Lightning that he termed “reactionary” after the game. In the second half of the season, he played 21 games, scoring twice and Holland kept his powder dry until the deadline, Tippett suddenly had the adding six assists. He matched his career high in goals and set a career luxury of running McDavid’s line before or after the new trio, and mark in points, but the Oilers need the disciplined and effective player Edmonton delivered a 17-8-5 record after Dec. 30. In the Pacific Division, from the first half of the 2019-20 season. only the Vegas Golden Knights could run with Edmonton in the second half. Riley Sheahan, C. It’s difficult to separate the job he performed from the fact he was less than ideal for the role (that isn’t Sheahan’s fault). His The Oilers went from a one-trick-pony line of elite talent with outstanding second half was solid offensively (30, 5-6-11), and he was effective after special teams to a club that could run two lines five-on-five and dominate a slow start to the season (he got a late start because of injury). He major portions of the game. The special teams remained true. played a lot on Edmonton’s quality penalty kill, and that affected his The numbers mark.

Record: 37-25-9, 83 points (9th in the NHL) Joakim Nygard, C. He scored 1.27 points per 60 at five-on-five. That’s a low total, but this was his first year in the league. That number could Even-strength goal share: 48.05 percent (25th) spike next season. He has blinding speed and showed a two-way acumen. The Oilers signed him for next season on a value deal Even-strength expected-goal share: 48.75 percent (22nd) ($875,000), and he could be a solid contributor a year from now. Injuries Power play: 10.64 goals per hour (1st) kept him from having a greater impact this season.

Penalty kill: 5.15 goals against per hour (2nd) Alex Chiasson, C-. His offence overall (65 games, 11-13-24) aligns with what might have been expected from the rugged winger. At five-on-five, The forwards the Oilers were a little better than 50 percent in goal share and shot Leon Draisaitl, A+. It’s been a roller-coaster season for Draisaitl. At the differential. Chiasson’s offence at five-on-five (0.87 points per 60) has quarter pole, Daniel Nugent-Bowman gave him an A+, with Jonathan never been higher than 1.50 in a single season, but this year’s total was Willis handing out a B- at midseason, and both marks fit the record. well shy of his past three seasons (between 1.25 and 1.30). His surge in Draisaitl’s move to centre, and the addition of Nugent-Hopkins and March (3-1-4 in six games) made his season totals look better. Yamamoto to his line, sent a spark and lit a fire. Draisaitl’s second-half James Neal, C-. His second half amounted to just 14 games, and he numbers (21 goals and 49 points in 30 games) won him the scoring scored three goals and had eight points in that time. For the season, championship (assuming the season is done) and this mark. The big man Neal’s overall numbers (19-12-31 in 55 games) are on par with led the league in power-play points and finished second in five-on-five expectations at the start of the season. I estimated he would score 18 points. Even considering his long December (14 games, five-on-five: 1-1- goals in 70 games, so he overachieved in that way. Why the low mark? 2 and 3-23 goal differential), he is the Hart Trophy winner on merit, Two reasons: At five-on-five, Neal scored at 0.94 points per 60. The according to The Athletic voters. second item is his five-on-five scoring totals when playing with McDavid: Connor McDavid, A+. It’s impossible to view his season without also one goal in 225 minutes. He suffered a foot injury that had a bearing on taking into account what came before training camp. The fact that his his season, but the mark reflects his overall production accurately. numbers (34-63-97 in 64 games) were close to a career-best trajectory Jujhar Khaira, D. I understand why several incarnations of Oilers even after his summer of work and worry is truly phenomenal. McDavid is management and coaching have held out hope for Khaira. His penalty a special talent, and it’s human nature to expect 110-plus points and a killing alone has impressive value: Among forwards who played 75 or mountain of eye-popping goals and assists, overlooking the career more minutes on the penalty kill, Khaira finished No. 12 in shots against crossroads faced in summer. With everything taken into account, this has per 60 and No. 2 in goals against per 60. At five-on-five, he delivered just 0.80 points per 60 and his goal differential (15-34) was poor. He takes 49 percent and his goal differential was 25-23 in the last 30 games of the too many penalties, and he looked lost at times with the puck on his stick. season. What’s more, he thrived against elite competition, finishing with It was a difficult season for a player who has a skill set that NHL teams the strongest possession number relative to his teammates. In his final value. 10 games, Edmonton outscored opponents 11-5 at five-on-five.

Gaetan Haas, D. The struggle will be finding a place for him in the NHL. Matt Benning, B. If consistency were the most valuable skill in hockey, He’s fast, can draw penalties, is on the right side of the puck often and Benning would win awards annually. In each of his four NHL seasons, he even if he can’t make a play it’s obvious he has the right intent. The has scored between 0.71 and 0.91 points per 60 at five-on-five. He has problem is results. His five-on-five points-per-60 total (0.81) is shy, finished between 51 and 58 percent each season in goal differential five- although his on-ice shot differential is 51 percent. He played 58 games on-five. He has never played a complete season, and this year he played and scored five goals. I don’t know if there’s enough offence there for an in just 43 games because of injuries. He hits like a hammer, plays third NHL career. pair with great ability and has been a fine player during his Oilers career.

Patrick Russell, D. He is the kind of player a coach loves because Caleb Jones, B. Another impressive rookie, Jones had to move his way Russell does exactly what is asked of him. His totals (45, 0-5-5) and five- up the depth chart when the team was playing well, no easy task. His on-five points per 60 (0.65) mean his job is vulnerable. That said, Zack skating is exceptional, and Jones learned quickly once deployed on a Stortini’s job was vulnerable every year he played in the NHL, but Craig regular basis. He played in 25 of the final 30 games, sawing off shot MacTavish kept him every fall. Never underestimate the value of a loyal differential at 50 percent as his team outscored opponents 21-13 (all at soldier to his commanding officer. five-on-five). He is an excellent outlet passer and looked to be winning the third-pair (left side) job over Kris Russell in the final days of the Markus Granlund, D. He is 26 and has played in 335 NHL games. That is season. Based on his new contract, Jones is poised to win that job next a substantial accomplishment. Nothing Granlund did in Edmonton season, while the club shaves dollars off the cap. suggests he should expect an NHL contract over the summer. It’s likely he’ll have to take a two-way deal or show well in Europe to get another Kris Russell, C-. The big story for Russell this season surrounds the chance. drastic reduction in playing time. At five-on-five a year ago, he played 17:45 and this year managed just past 14 minutes a night. His gap Tyler Ennis, incomplete. An impressive skill winger landed in a good spot between his possession numbers (shot differential in 2019-20: 46 and delivered well enough (9 games, 2-2-4) to be considered for a percent) and his goal differential at five-on-five (20-21) is consistent with contract extension. his history. He played third pair against elites and late in the season Andreas Athanasiou, incomplete. Holland made a bet on a player he appeared to be losing his job to Jones. Coaches love veteran knew, and through injury and being line shuffled, his results were defencemen, and for good reason. However, with Jones outplaying mediocre (9 games, 1-1-2). A contract is likely (he is a restricted free Russell in the second half, the veteran could be in a new NHL city next agent), and he remains an intriguing size-and-speed option on Connor season. McDavid’s wing. Brandon Manning, incomplete. He was the de facto No. 7 defenceman Tyler Benson, incomplete. The young winger showed flashes of offensive early in the season and was part of the famous series of transactions that ability, but the sample was so small it’s impossible to draw any resulted in Yamamoto’s recall in late December. conclusions. He’ll get another look. William Lagesson, incomplete. One of three defencemen who badly The defencemen needed to show what he could do this season, Lagesson was unable to force his way into the lineup consistently. The other two (Bear, Jones) Ethan Bear, A+. How often does an NHL team receive a perfect fit for an established themselves and appear ready to enjoy successful NHL extreme need in training camp on the eve of a season? It was an careers. For Lagesson, waivers are possible next season; otherwise, he’ll incredible story all year long. Some numbers: Bear played 36.1 percent be faced with the same challenge getting into the lineup. of his five-on-five minutes against elite players, with an on-ice goal differential of 25-19 via Puck IQ. He averaged 18:25 at five-on-five as a Mike Green, incomplete. He played a feature role, inside the top two rookie, won PK time (1:58 a night) on a strong unit and played through pairings, until his injury during the second game he played for Edmonton. slumps and pain. He won’t get a lot of consideration for the Calder Holland likes aged defencemen, so don’t rule out a return. Trophy because his boxcar numbers (5-16-21 in 71 games) don’t The compare with the top-end offensive defencemen. An exceptional season from a rookie drafted in the fifth round, developed in the Oilers system Mikko Koskinen, B+. He had a .917 overall save percentage, placing him and brought along at his own pace. No. 15 among goalies playing 1,000 or more minutes in 2019-20. At five- on-five, he ranks No. 19 with a .924 total. Koskinen was the better Darnell Nurse, B+. Nurse had a good season and earned an impressive goaltender but played slightly fewer minutes than Smith. contract extension that gives him free agency early. His five-on-five points per 60 (1.14) rank No. 33 among regular NHL defencemen. His Mike Smith, D. Grading Smith purely on his numbers would earn him an 3.94 points per 60 on the power play put him No. 47 among defenders F. His overall save percentage (.902) ranks No. 47 among 58 goalies with 50 or more minutes. Nurse played more minutes against elite who played 1,000 or more minutes in 2019-20. At five-on-five, his save competition than any other Oilers defender, winning the goal share 25-18 percentage (.900) ranks him No. 52 of 54 qualifying goaltenders. In when he was on the ice. From Dec. 30 to the end of the season, Nurse’s January and February, he posted a .918 save percentage and went on a on-ice goals against per 60 at five-on-five was 2.55. He is a physical major heater (11-1-4). He did not have a good season overall, but that force and can transport the puck out of danger very well. Passing and winning streak was a part of Edmonton’s success in those months. For offensive creativity are not strong points, but this is a substantial player in that, his grade is improved by one letter. Smith is not a good bet for next his prime. season.

Oscar Klefbom, B+. He saved his season with a strong second half, Coaching and management although the boxcars (5-29-34 in 62 games) were impressive throughout. Two key stats show how much Klefbom improved: In the first half of the Dave Tippett, A. The new coach helped his team get off to a strong start season, he finished with 3.03 goals against per 60 and 32.62 shots and then fritter it away by the new year. Then he found a way to separate against per 60. In the second half, he delivered 2.67 goals against per 60 McDavid and Draisaitl successfully, considered borderline impossible in and 30.91 shots against per 60. He missed games due to a shoulder the past. What’s more, Tippett and his staff found a penalty-killing system injury, and Nurse passed him as the top option against elites (among and player set that worked very well. The power play was historic in its lefty blue) this season. His contract remains one of the best on the team, goodness. The only real criticism is the usage of Smith, but it worked and when healthy Klefbom is the best defenceman on the team. during a key time in the season, so I docked him just a little. Tippett is a helluva coach. Adam Larsson, B. Adam Larsson had a tough start to the season, getting hurt in the first regular-season game and missing the next 22 contests. Ken Holland, B-. Getting out from under the Milan Lucic deal is no He didn’t look like himself upon return and took some time to adjust. At smaller now than it was on the day the trade was made. That contract midseason, Larsson had played in 18 games, owned a possession was impossible and had long-term implications that could have affected (Corsi) number of 45 percent and had been outscored 4-14 (all at five-on- the heart of the McDavid-Draisaitl years. Not all of his summer bets five). Larsson was a mess. After that, his possession number improved to worked, but the acquisitions of Archibald and Sheahan helped, plus he was aggressive at the deadline while also keeping an eye on the future (Athanasiou). Much of the roster improvement came from the Holland inherited, so there’s no credit there. The Lucic trade plus adding useful elements to the PK and at the deadline earn him this mark.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172870 ended the long drought with a performance for the ages as he almost single-handedly propelled the Kings into the Stanley Cup finals, scoring three times and adding an assist during the Kings’ 5-4 victory over the Greatest Game I Covered: Wayne Gretzky’s Game 7 magic in Kings’ win in Game 7 of the Campbell Conference finals. over Toronto It was everything a Game 7 should be.

In our conversation, I mentioned to Melrose that the newspaper’s travel By Lisa Dillman Mar 24, 2020 coordinator said my travel budget that year was more than most of the foreign correspondents at The Times.

“Well, we were in Canada, so I guess you were a foreign correspondent,” Without question, the greatest game I’ve covered remains Game 7 of the he said, chuckling. 1993 Clarence Campbell Conference final, in which the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-4. The Kings were accustomed to a demanding travel schedule, which probably helped give them an edge against the Maple Leafs. Kings fans of a certain age will remember Wayne Gretzky was Mr. Game 7 in 1993 in what he calls one of the best games of his legendary career “The one thing I’ll always remember when we got off the plane after with a hat trick and assist on the biggest hockey stage, Maple Leaf Game 6, going back to Toronto, we basically landed at the same time, us Gardens. It was the same arena, in fact, where he attended his first and Toronto,” Melrose said. “They looked terrible, looked beat, looked hockey game, at age 6, with his grandmother. like they had just been through a grinder.

I’ve interviewed Gretzky about it and spoken with other Kings players “We were tired but we had done it so many times. People that play in the about the epic nature of the game and the series. One person missing West and people that play in the East, it’s not even like you’re in the from my list was then-Kings coach Barry Melrose, who is most same league, the amount you have to travel as a Western club. That was recognizable to a current generation of fans with his ESPN and NHL one of the most confident times of that whole series, for us, when I saw Network platforms. them come off the plane. They were much more tired-looking.”

Melrose has been in Florida with his family during the “pause” in the NHL There was no shortage of fascinating subplots to the Maple Leaf series. schedule, talking with me on the phone while his grandchildren were Melrose was born and raised in and, on top of everything playing in the swimming pool. His distinctive laugh brought so many else, there was a family component to the conference final — Melrose’s Game 7 memories flooding back. cousin, Wendel Clark, was the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It comes up all the time, especially when I’m working for the NHL Clark’s grandfather was the brother of Melrose’s grandmother. Network,” Melrose said. “There are Canadians there so they’re always “Wendel and I have never talked about it,” Melrose said. “I talked to his talking about that series, of course. They still hate us. It was a passionate older brother, Don, a little bit. But we’ve never spoken once about it. We series. Game 7 was the piece de resistance, so to speak.” shook hands at center ice and that was it.”

Canada’s most famous export, Gretzky, became the enemy in Toronto. The drama built with each game in the series and finished with a game [ More Greatest Games from The Athletic L.A. ] for the ages, with the Great One delivering in Game 7.

“Gretzky just transcends time and space, to use a hockey term,” Melrose “That series was fantastic,” Melrose said. “It was unique, intense. said. “Anything he’s involved in is bigger and better than anything else. American TV versus Canadian TV. An team which hadn’t That’s one of the great moments in his life. He even says that. All the won for so long versus a Kings team that people said could never win in things he’s won and done and he says that this is one of the greatest L.A.” games he’s ever played. When Gretzky starts talking like that it grabs Any story from that era would not be complete without an anecdote about people’s attention.” then-Kings owner Bruce McNall. The Kings had become the hottest ticket I asked Melrose if he was able to fully appreciate what Gretzky was in Los Angeles and Hollywood wanted a front-row seat. doing, in the moment, in Game 6 and Game 7. “I remember one morning I came into the dressing room and Bruce was “One of the things we all talk about in coaching — great players, if you’re there and I could tell something was wrong with Bruce,” Melrose said. “I going to win, they have to be great at the greatest moment,” Melrose said ‘Bruce, come into my office. You don’t have to worry. We’ve got this, said. “I don’t think there’s a better example of that. This guy completely man, we’re playing great. We’ve never been better.’ took the series on his back and completely dominated and made big play “He said, ‘Barry, I’m not worried about hockey at all. My biggest problem after big play after big play.” is that I’ve got 500 requests for tickets from Hollywood stars and I’ve only Melrose later would watch games from that series with Cap Raeder, who got 300 I can dole out. I’ve got to find 200 tickets for tonight’s game was his assistant with the Kings. They often killed time by watching other someplace.’” vintage games, including the best of Bobby Orr. Melrose laughed, adding, “That’s Bruce. Bruce wasn’t coming in to give “Every few minutes, we’d give each other the eye and say, ‘Wow, did you the coaches a talk about how great we were. Bruce was worried about see that? Did you see what he (Gretzky) did on that play?’” Melrose said. finding 200 tickets for his Hollywood stars.” “It might not have been a big thing or an important thing but it might have The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 been a game-changing thing, down the road a bit. That’s how he was.

“Whenever the puck was near him, whenever we needed a big play, the greatest player gave it to us.”

The Kings would lose to the in five games in the Stanley Cup final, and their playoff run was distinctive in that all four opponents were Canadian teams — the Calgary Flames, the Vancouver Canucks, the Maple Leafs and the Canadiens.

I covered Game 7 in Toronto for the Los Angeles Times and had the luxury of a three-hour time difference, so the deadline pressure wasn’t nearly as daunting as it would have been at the Forum in Los Angeles:

This is the night King fans have fantasized about for 26 years — an era spanning 17 coaches, five general managers, three owners and the single biggest trade in hockey history.

King owner No. 3, Bruce McNall, made it all possible when he imported Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton almost five years ago. Saturday, Gretzky 1172871 Minnesota Wild

Wild signs college free agent Mitchell Chaffee to two-year contract

By Sarah McLellan

MARCH 24, 2020 — 10:54AM

The Wild continued to load up its pipeline Tuesday, signing college free agent Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year, entry-level contract that starts next season.

On Monday, the Wild locked up a pair of draft picks in Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux.

Chaffee had 16 goals and 13 assists in 30 games during his recently completed junior season at the University of Massachusetts. The 6-foot, 205-pound winger served as co-captain and tied for first on the team in power play points (9) and ranked second in goals, power play goals (3), game-winning goals (3) and shots on goal (101).

A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Chaffee was tied for seventh in the Hockey East Conference in goals and game-winning goals. The 22-year- old recorded 13 points in a career-high eight-game point streak Oct.19- Nov.22. He scored his first career hat trick Jan.17 at Vermont.

Overall, in three seasons with the Minutemen, Chaffee registered 95 points in 108 career games. After tallying 42 points in 39 games as a sophomore, he received a slew of accolades including Hockey East First Team All-Star, the Herb Gallagher Award (New England’s Best Forward) and CCM/AHCA First Team All-American.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172872 Minnesota Wild everything very real. Everyone is trying to find a new rhythm for what the world is now."

Germinaro said the return of sports will mean more than just the return of Twin Cities sports bars forced to reimagine their role with no live sports normalcy to his restaurant.

"I think getting sports back is important to the nation," he said. "Sports does a lot of different things for a lot of different people. For some By Jeff Day people, it's entertainment, for some an excuse to get together with neighbors and family. Sports does a different thing for every person." MARCH 24, 2020 — 11:05PM Rick Montpetit owns Gabe's by the Park with his two brothers Kevin and

Dan. Two weeks ago, he was getting his NCAA tournament bracket If you ever have attended Opening Day at Target Field, you know the challenge ready for the restaurant. only area jammed with more Twins fans than Target Field Plaza before "March Madness was right around the corner, and for us as well as any the first pitch is a stretch of restaurants along First Avenue. bar in the country, especially the first weekend — that Thursday, Friday, The downtown patios and bars at Kieran's Irish Pub, Cowboy Jack's, the those afternoons you have multiple games on all the time throughout the 508 Bar and Restaurant, O'Donovan's Irish Pub, the Depot Tavern, the entire day. Those two days especially are always big," Montpetit said. Loon Cafe and Gluek's Restaurant & Bar fill with dark-blue Twins jackets, "[Customers] leave work early or come out on their lunch break. You baby-blue Twins jerseys, red Twins hats and the rolling, chattering hum have all the brackets; every year we run our own bracket with a cool of expectation. prize, and we had that all set up."

Next Thursday was supposed to be the Twins' 11th Opening Day at The Wild was on a playoff push, too, and a lot of sports fans were getting Target Field and the first of 81 home games in one of the franchise's excited for the Twins season — more reasons the coronavirus changed most anticipated seasons. the landscape of his business.

Instead the spread of the COVID-19 virus has led "We have the TVs on now for something to watch, and all the sports are to suspended all activities indefinitely, and all of those bars and reruns," he said. "Even if we were open right now or we did get back to restaurants are closed for the time being. the point where we're open and the sports aren't on, it's going to be interesting. ... ESPN is quite different from [what] it was a month ago." The combination of those two outcomes — not just the state of Minnesota order to close all dine-in restaurants, but also the total Gabe's still is offering curbside takeout and Montpetit said that his wife, shutdown of sports — has put sports bars and restaurants in the Twin who works in health care, is making sure he's up to date on all of the Cities in a difficult situation. CDC information on sanitation.

"For Gluek's, we survive on events," said operator Dave Holcomb, whose "As soon as anyone walks in, they wash their hands for 20 seconds — family has owned the restaurant since 1934. "We're obviously kitty-corner sanitizing between every order. Any time you take off gloves: wash. from , a block from Target Field, even First Avenue people Before you put on gloves: wash," he said. "We have a table set up going to shows, we get a big push for those concerts, even the Hennepin outside so no face-to-face [orders]. Payments over the phone. Car pulls Theater District. up, we run the food out, set it down, we get back inside and then they can grab the food. Keep health and safety first." "At least 75 percent of our income is based on events. We completely rely on it. Even if they allow the restaurants to open back up, but the Montpetit did mention one positive outcome of all this: Several regulars Twins are a month out or the Wolves season is over, it's going to be have stepped up to help the restaurant. tough going anyway without the events." "We have a very loyal customer base, a lot of regulars here," he said. Holcomb said that when the city started postponing sporting events, the "They have done a good job of showing their support, whether it's getting writing was on the wall. curbside takeout or buying large gift card purchases.

"They canceled the boys' basketball tournament and then the NCAA "We have been pretty active on social media. Facebook, Instagram … wrestling tournament at U.S. Bank Stadium was going to be here; even people commenting and staying in touch. We're trying to staying in touch the Twins first two weeks got canceled and this was early March," he with our community." said, recalling that he thought then "something must be going on more Germinaro believes the return of restaurants and sports will mean so than I know, and more serious than I know." much because the world will get to focus on something besides a And while he's optimistic that events will return and restaurants will pandemic. reopen, he is worried for his staff. "It'll be exciting to get back to that," he said. "I'm curious to see how the The National Restaurant Association estimated that in 2019, restaurant sports world navigates the return of sports, whether it's completing a and food-service jobs accounted for 9% of employment in Minnesota, season or not completing a season. But I'm most excited for a world and in 2018 the estimated sales in restaurants around the state was where that's something we can focus on." $10.7 billion.

Some sports bars are trying to rally amid this sports shutdown. Gluek's Star Tribune LOADED: 03.25.2020 tried doing curbside delivery for a day but quickly realized their food wasn't thought of as takeout. Other sports bars are trying takeout, as well.

For Holcomb's staff, a lifeline came from a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $3,000.

"One of our best customers did that for us, did it all on his own," Holcomb said. "That's good for the staff to keep them in a little bit of money."

Rob Germinaro, the general manager of Alary's in St. Paul six blocks away from the Xcel Energy Center, said it continues to serve customers with curbside pickup.

He's focused on helping customers, not on the restaurant being hurt by forces outside its control.

"We're seeing a steady-but-definitely-there uptick in sales everyday once people find out that their most beloved or favorite restaurants are open," Germinaro said. "… For my own family, it's a kind of a shock, and it made 1172873 Minnesota Wild

Wild sign college free agent Mitchell Chaffee to entry-level contract

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

PUBLISHED: March 24, 2020 at 11:44 a.m. | UPDATED: March 24, 2020 at 11:45 a.m.

Wild general manager has been mining the college free agent prospect pool for the past couple of weeks, and on Tuesday, he dove in, signing forward Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year, entry-level contract.

It will go into effect next season, meaning Chaffee most likely will report to the of the American Hockey League whenever the coronavirus pandemic scare is over.

Chaffee, 22, had 16 goals and 13 assists during his junior season at UMass while serving as a co-captain. He finished with 95 points (47 goals, 48 assists) in 108 career games with UMass.

His sophomore season was probably his most impressive during his collegiate career as he produced 18 goals and 24 assists to win the scoring title in the Hockey East.

Before college, Chaffee played two seasons in the United States Hockey League, spending time with the Bloomington Thunder and the Fargo Force.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172874 Nashville Predators FYI, I moved out here five years ago to cover hockey, after the Kings’ dynasty ended and as Anaheim tried to make some runs to the Stanley Cup. The Ducks came close, making the Western Conference final twice but lost both times. So ultimately a lot of the biggest/best/highest stakes Greatest Game I Covered: Bobby Ryan’s goal and the start of a rivalry hockey games I’ve covered out here have involved Anaheim losing. Again, sorry Ducks fans.

Others (some of which include non-local teams) are … By Josh Cooper • The Comeback on Katella (Game 5 between the Ducks and Edmonton Mar 24, 2020 Oilers in the second round of the 2017 playoffs). Our Eric Stephens beautifully documented that game here.

There was no way the Ducks were going to lose this game. • Game 2 of the 2015 Western Conference final between the Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks that went to triple OT and included Andrew Shaw’s Some form of those words was said to me in the press box at Honda header no-goal. Center on April 22, 2011, after Bobby Ryan’s spectacular goal in the third period of Game 5 between the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks • The 2006 Torino Olympics medal round men’s hockey game between put the home team up 2-1. Canada and Russia, a 1-0 victory for Russia in which then-NHL rookie Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winner. Granted, this tally only came 40 seconds into the period, but it was just one of those goals that looked so incredible that it would excite Anaheim • The 2008 SEC championship game between Alabama and Florida. Tim to an extreme degree, while crushing the Predators. Tebow just completely took over that game in the fourth quarter.

Instead, it would be a precursor to a back-and-forth third period that led • Alabama vs. LSU football at LSU in 2008 — if you’ve never been to a to the Ducks going up 3-2 at the 14:16 mark. game at LSU, go (when we’re allowed to again, of course).

The series was tied 2-2 and the Predators — and then-coach Barry Trotz • The 2004 NCAA men’s basketball tournament second-round — had never made it out of the first round of the postseason at that point gamebetween Vanderbilt and N.C. State. Vanderbilt was down 10 points in their respective histories. Overall, it was a really big deal for the with 2:44 left and came back to win in regulation. You can actually see franchise and for Trotz. They were always just seen as good, but never me squirming on press row, in the linked video, because I was so good enough to hang with the NHL’s big boys. At the time I was The nervous. Tennessean’s Predators beat reporter, tasked with documenting this moment. The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 Back then the Ducks were considered one of the league’s better franchises, having won a Stanley Cup just four years earlier and having retained a lot of core components from that group.

With less than 40 seconds left, the Ducks were called for icing and Trotz subbed out defenseman Ryan Suter — a phenomenal passer and one half of the team’s two-headed blue-line monster pair with Shea Weber — for Cody Franson, who had a much better shot than Suter. Trotz also didn’t call timeout.

Both decisions were great moves by the Preds’ coach. His team needed shots to get through to the goal, and Franson had always been good at disguising his snap shot and getting it past the defense. Because of this, the Ducks had to respect Franson at the blue line more than Suter. Also, because Trotz didn’t call timeout, the Ducks couldn’t rest their defending group on the ice at the time.

After Mike Fisher won the ensuing faceoff, the puck came to Franson, who attracted the attention of a cadre of Ducks trying to ensure he didn’t get his shot off. He then flicked the puck over to Weber on the other point, and Weber fired it past Anaheim goaltender Ray Emery to tie the game 3-3 with 35.3 seconds left.

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle was not happy after that goal. Caption contest the below screen shot in the comments!

Honestly, I hardly remember Jerred Smithson’s overtime winner for Nashville. All I could think of was that coaching decision Trotz made.

The Predators then won Game 6 at home and finally went to the second round of the postseason. It was the first tangible sign that the team was ready to take a step forward. Since then, the Predators have made a Stanley Cup final (in 2017) and Trotz has won a Stanley Cup (in 2018 with Washington).

I’ve really got no silver linings for the Ducks in this game — sorry Ducks fans — but I came away impressed with how Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry played together. I don’t know if we’ll ever see a line like that again.

Also, Teemu Selanne was dynamite in that series, posting six goals in six games … at age 40!

I’ve been lucky to cover sports for a lot of years, but that game is one that stands out, at least locally. That series was also the first of three times these two teams would face each other in the postseason last decade. The rivalry definitely heated up with each succeeding time the played one another. 1172875 Nashville Predators was the last goaltender other than Rinne to start a playoff game for the Predators, doing so in Game 6 of their first-round loss to the Detroit Red Wings in April 2008. Unless Saros unraveled down the stretch, it would have been difficult for Hynes to go back to Rinne, who The 5 biggest ‘what-ifs’ about the 2019-20 Predators that could go was not himself for much of the season. unanswered Saros starting the first game of the playoffs would have been the surest sign that the Rinne era was ending.

By Adam Vingan 4. If they hadn’t made the playoffs, would there have been a roster overhaul this summer? Mar 24, 2020 Predators general manager did not hold back on his players

as he discussed the decision to fire Laviolette in January. It has been two weeks since the NHL went on hiatus as a result of the “My message to the players was that I’m responsible for this,” he said. coronavirus threat, though it feels much longer than that. “I’m responsible for this change, and I take that responsibility. But you as The league remains hopeful that the schedule will eventually resume in players have to share in the responsibility of what’s taking place today.” some form, but what if that does not happen? In that scenario, every Poile’s choice to “keep the band together” at the trade deadline was met team would leave significant questions unanswered. with skepticism. He would not have been able to sell the same idea this These are those questions for the 2019-20 Predators: summer if the Predators would have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. 1. Would John Hynes have found a way to get more out of the Predators offense? The Predators had too many players who did not live up to their expensive contracts, and the sting of a failed season might have forced In the 28 games the Predators played under Hynes, they were 25th in Poile to renovate the core of the team. For example, would Poile have scoring at 2.54 goals per game. Twelve of their 16 wins since hiring tried to trade someone such as Ryan Johansen, who had 36 points and Hynes on Jan. 7 were by one goal, which led the league over that span. makes $8 million per year through 2025?

There is certainly value in playing and winning tight, low-scoring games, There are sure to be teams that use the postponed and potentially but there is also little margin for error. canceled season as cover to avoid making difficult decisions. Even if the season does not continue, Poile should still take a hard look at the “We would like to have more-than-one-goal wins. Trust me. It would be viability of the Predators roster. It is possible, though, that the unknown nice,” Hynes said before the Predators’ final game against the Montreal could have some sort of influence on his thinking. Canadiens on March 10. “But I think some of the benefit of that is when you’re in a lot of tight games, you do learn how to win them. You 5. Did Roman Josi do enough to persuade voters to give him the Norris understand that every play is important. The attention to detail is Trophy? important. You have to stay focused throughout the game. In their history, the Predators have had a defenseman finish as a finalist “The later the season gets, it does get more competitive. Things tighten for the Norris Trophy on four occasions — Shea Weber in 2011, 2012 up a little bit on every side, and when you find ways to win those games, and 2014, and P.K. Subban in 2018. Josi will almost certainly be the fifth a lot of it is because you’ve gotten some very good performances from this season, and he has a real chance to become the first member of the guys or you’ve gotten plays or you’ve found ways to be able to Predators to win the award. stay focused throughout a one-goal game. Those are all beneficial things as you move forward later in the season.” For most of the season, Josi trailed Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson in the Norris Trophy race, but the gap between them began The Predators’ offense struggled after Hynes replaced to shrink before play was stopped. In a recent poll conducted by The and was particularly ineffective at getting to the slot area, where a Athletic, Josi actually won the vote by a decisive margin. significant percentage of goals are scored. It is unclear whether that was more of a reflection of Hynes’ strategies or the personnel he had, but The Athletic, though, represents only a portion of the Professional they would have had no choice but to figure it out together for what Hockey Writers Association, which chooses the winner of the Norris remained of the season. Trophy, among other awards. The stretch run could have gone a long way toward cementing Josi in the eyes of voters, especially if he helped 2. Would the Predators have made the playoffs? carry the Predators into the playoffs. Carlson’s scoring pace slowed after the All-Star break and coincided with the Capitals’ struggles as a team, When the league suspended play March 12, the Predators held the so the season being paused, and perhaps over, might work to his second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 13 games advantage. remaining in their regular season. That day, Dom Luszczyszyn pegged their odds of reaching the playoffs at 68 percent. (His simulation of the rest of the season does not like their chances, though.) The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 The Predators’ remaining schedule was tough; they had four more back- to-backs, and 10 of their games were against teams that were either in a playoff spot or no more than four points out of the race.

If the pandemic subsides in time for there to be a postseason, then the Predators are in position to qualify for the sixth consecutive year. (Based on points percentage, they would be in the first wild-card spot.)

Under normal circumstances, though, it would have been no sure thing.

Juuse Saros was 11-4-0 in his final 15 starts before the NHL paused its season. (Jean-Yves Ahern / USA Today)

3. If they had made the playoffs, would Juuse Saros have started Game 1 of the first round?

In the six weeks before the pause, Saros had effectively replaced Pekka Rinne as the Predators’ No. 1 goaltender, starting 15 of their final 21 games. Saros had been one of the best goaltenders in the league since Hynes took over as coach; his 17.6 goals saved above expectation in all situations were second behind favorite Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, according to Sportlogiq. 1172876 New Jersey Devils

Devils, Sixers owner Josh Harris realizes he was a fool, says employees will get full pay during coronavirus stoppage

Updated Mar 24, 2020; Posted Mar 24, 2020

By Randy Miller

Josh Harris, the billionaire owner of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, was getting trashed by fans, media and at least one minority owner for deciding to reduce non-contracted employees’ paychecks curing the coronavirus pandemic.

Perhaps realizing that he was acting like a heartless rich fool, Harris will right his wrong and pay everyone 100 percent of their salaries.

“Our commitment has been to do our best to keep all of our employees working through this very difficult situation,” Harris said Tuesday afternoon in a statement. “As part of an effort to do that we asked salaried employees to take a temporary 20 percent pay cut while preserving everyone’s full benefits -- and keeping our 1,500 hourly workers paid throughout the regular season. After listening to our staff and players, it’s clear that was the wrong decision.

"We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries. This is an extraordinary time in our world - unlike any most of us have ever lived through before - and ordinary business decisions are not enough to meet the moment.

“To our staff and fans, I apologize for getting this wrong.”

Kudos for Harris for doing the right thing. But you have to wonder if he’s doing so only because he was being publicly and privately criticized.

Before reversing his decision, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported, “76ers part-owner Michael Rubin is upset and outraged over the team deciding to reduce certain employees’ payment by up to 20 percent, temporarily.”

Harris reportedly first decided to cut pay for every non-contracted employee making at least $50,000 before changing it to $70,000.

But now everyone will be paid full, as well they should considering the man writing the paychecks is a billionaire almost four times over.

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172877 New Jersey Devils Star Ledger LOADED: 03.25.2020

Why is Kyle Palmieri excited about Devils’ future? Jack Hughes and much more

Updated Mar 24, 2020; Posted Mar 24, 2020

By Randy Miller

Goal-scoring whiz Kyle Palmieri envisioned a bunch of long Stanley Cup playoff runs when he opted in July 2016 to stay home and re-sign with the Devils for $23.25 million over five seasons.

The Smithtown, N.Y.-born, Montvale, N.J.-raised winger is still waiting for a first, because that 4-games-to-1, first-round ousting to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the spring of 2018 doesn’t qualify.

Palmieri was optimistic this season would be different after the Devils won the draft lottery for the second time in three years last April and then selected can’t-miss center Jack Hughes while also trading for star defenseman P.K. Subban.

Wrong again.

One-time star goalie Cory Schneider stunk his way to the AHL by November, 2018 Hart winner was traded and coach John Hynes got canned in December, GM was fired in January, and veterans Andy Greene, and Wayne Simmons were traded in February. Also, Hughes has been a rookie bust pretty much from his season debut until the NHL shut down on March 12 due to the coronavirus.

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All of that led to the Devils going 28-29-13 for 68 points, which left them 13 out of a playoff spot with 13 remaining when the games stopped.

All the while, Palmieri did what he’s paid to do and scored a bunch of goals. He’s popped in at least 24 in all five of his Devils campaigns, including a team-best 25 in 65 games this season.

His thoughts now?

The two-time All-Star’s certainly not talking like he can’t wait for next year, when he could be moved at the trade deadline or become a free agent after the season.

On the contrary …

“I think there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic,” Palmieri told NJ Advance Media on Monday in a phone interview. “We have guys that haven’t even arrived in Jersey professionally yet that show a lot of promise."

Palmieri was talking about three defensemen in the Devils’ system who played in the World Junior championship game. There’s 2018 No. 1 draft pick Ty Smith (Canada), 2018 No. 2 pick Kevin Bahl (Canada) and 2019 No. 3 pick Daniil Misyul (Russia).

Palmieri was talking about WHL left winger Nolan Foote, who was drafted in the first round by the Lightning last June and then traded to the Devils eight months later for Coleman.

Palmieri also was talking about the Devils’ biggest building block, their most recent draft-lottery prize. He feels this way even though Hughes has managed a measly seven goals and 21 points in 61 games this season along with a team-worst minus-26 plus-minus rating.

“You look at the little flashes and the skill and the way he thinks and sees the game, and you can definitely see as he matures and gets used to the NHL level that he’s going to just keep getting better and better by the day,” Palmieri said.

He’s expected more, too, from 2018 first-overall pick , who has put up a disappointing 14 goals and 36 points in 58 games this season, his third in the NHL.

“We’re building and we’re young, and guys are going to keep getting better year by year,” Palmieri said. 1172878 New Jersey Devils “But there are a lot of things that go into that. As we’ve seen over the last week and a half, things change so much hour to hour and day to day that it’s really hard to forecast anything other than what you’re doing today.”

Should Devils return for meaningless games? Scorer-turned-handyman Kyle Palmieri talks coronavirus Star Ledger LOADED: 03.25.2020

Updated Mar 24, 2020; Posted Mar 24, 2020

By Randy Miller

There are no nets to crash, no goalies to beat, no games to play and no available ice even to skate, so Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri and his bride of eight months have moved out of their Jersey home and into their Long Island summer house to help slow down the spread of the coronavirus.

“It’s a little more remote with a little more space here,” Palmieri told NJ Advance Media by phone on Monday. “We’re just hanging out.”

Actually, Kyle and Ashlee have been plenty busy since the NHL season stopped on March 12. She’s working remotely, he’s been working out and they’re “both doing a lot of cooking.”

And when Kyle’s father has been around, together they’ve been completing house projects that they expected to tackle in the offseason.

“It’s all little stuff … putting up some shelves, putting in a small gym,” Palmieri said. “I’m decently handy, but it’s nice to have my dad around to walk me through. He’s the builder.”

Palmieri is reminded of what’s going on in the world when he leaves his home.

“I’m not seeing anybody,” the bearded Montvale, N.J., native said.

Palmieri, 29, wants to do his part to help the country – the entire world, for that matter – move past this deadly pandemic.

“I think the CDC, the local government and everyone are trying to do the best they can to inform the public and make sure people have the information to make decisions on the people that they see and what they’re exposed to,” said Palmieri, who has been an All-Star the last two seasons. “I think as long as people are doing their best to follow the guidelines that are set up to protect everybody – your family members and people you’ve never met - everyone will come out of this.”

There’s no telling at this point if and when the NHL season will resume.

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Even though the 28-29-12 Devils are close to being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention – they’re 13 points out of the final Eastern Conference spot with 13 to play – Palmieri hopes his club gets to finish the season. But he knows the longer players go without skating, the longer training camps will last before the season can restart.

“It’s obviously a weird situation,” said Palmieri, who leads the Devils with 25 goals and 45 points. “You can’t really even compare it to what training is like in the summer because then you already have a timeline in place. So it’s really hard to put a number on how long we’d need to train.”

What if the work stoppage lasts until May or June? Would it then be worthwhile for Devils players to risk injuries that could linger into the 2020-21 season to finish this season with meaningless regular-season games?

“That’s a little above my pay grade as far as making those decisions, but I hold some optimism,” said Palmieri, who is the Devils’ union rep. “Hopefully, the season resumes, and I think everyone has each other’s best interests as far players’ safety.

Buy Kyle Palmieri Devils gear: Fanatics.com, Dick's Sporting Goods, MLBShop.com, Lids

"Going beyond player safety, we want to make sure when we’re going out there the fans are able to see professional hockey players playing at their best. I think that’s the product that everyone is looking to put out there. 1172879 New Jersey Devils The NBA suspended operations March 11 and the NHL followed one day later. It’s unclear what these next few months will bring for sports but for now, HBSE employees can breathe a little easier.

NJ Devils, 76ers owners reverse course on salary reduction amid “This is an extraordinary time in our world - unlike any most of us have coronavirus shutdown ever lived through before - and ordinary business decisions are not enough to meet the moment,” Harris said. “To our staff and fans, I apologize for getting this wrong.”

Abbey Mastracco, NHL Writer

Published 2:26 p.m. ET March 24, 2020 | Updated 4:55 p.m. ET March Bergen Record LOADED: 03.25.2020 24, 2020

New Devils owners Joshua Harris and David Blitzer during a press conference at the .

Just 24 hours after a controversial 20 percent pay cut for New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers employees was reported, the company that owns the two teams, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, has reversed course.

Salaried employees above $50,000, those previously subjected to a pay reduction, will make their full salaries, while the NHL and NBA are on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, owner and founder of HBSE Josh Harris announced Tuesday afternoon.

“Our commitment has been to do our best to keep all of our employees working through this very difficult situation. As part of an effort to do that we asked salaried employees to take a temporary 20 percent pay cut while preserving everyone’s full benefits -- and keeping our 1500 hourly workers paid throughout the regular season,” Harris said in a statement. “After listening to our staff and players, it’s clear that was the wrong decision. We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries."

Marc Stein of the New York Times first reported the salary reduction Monday night. Devils’ team president Jake Reynolds was taking a hit to his pay, as were Philadelphia general manager Elton Brand and team president Chris Heck and HBSE CEO Scott O’Neil.

“As we navigate this evolving COVID-19 environment, we are mindful of the long-term impact the suspension of live events and games will have on our organization and industry," O’Neil said in a statement issued Monday night. "To ensure we can continue to support and operate our businesses during these uncertain times without reducing our workforce, we are asking our full-time, salaried employees to temporarily reduce their pay by up to 20 percent and move to a four-day week.”

O’Neil and HBSE also pledged community assistance in the three cities where the teams have operations.

"In addition to supporting our people, we are committed to playing an ongoing role in funding efforts to help the most impacted residents in our home cities,” O’Neil said. "In the coming days, we will enter into additional partnerships in Philadelphia, Camden and Newark to assist our neighbors with food and resource distribution during this public health crisis.”

However, O’Neil’s statement did little to quiet the public outcry. Harris and his partner David Blitzer took an enormous publicity hit Monday night and it continued into Tuesday morning, with Harris’ name and his net worth trending on Twitter.

Harris is worth an estimated $3.8 billion while Blitzer is worth $1.3 billion. Michael Rubin, a minority partner, is worth $2.9 billion.

The move was an attempt to avoid layoffs. HBSE owns the Devils, 76ers and the Prudential Center, where all events have been postponed through March. Several teams and arenas are losing revenue without games, concerts and corporate events and HBSE was not the only group weighing some drastic measures.

The NHL is temporarily reducing the pay of league office employees by 25 percent, beginning April 1. The intent with the league was the same as it was with HBSE — to avoid layoffs.

The Montreal Canadiens chose the layoff route. Groupe CH announced a temporary 60 percent staff reduction Tuesday afternoon with a $6 million assistance fund to aid those who were affected. Employees will receive 80 percent of their base salary and benefits for eight weeks, starting March 30. 1172880 New Jersey Devils No. 7 Paul Martin

Martin spent six seasons with the Devils. He led all Devils skaters in total From Chico to Goose: The best (or only) Devils player to wear each ice time from 2005-10, logging 700 minutes more than Colin White and number , the next-closest players on the list.

Honorable mention: Alexei Kasatonov By Corey Masisak No. 8 Mar 24, 2020

Zubrus played 554 games for the Devils, which is 20th in franchise Take one quick stroll around the concourse at Prudential Center before a history. His best season with the club was 2011-12, when he had 17 Devils game and you’ll see red-and-black sweaters with No. 30, 4 and 27 goals and 44 points, then added 10 points in 24 playoff games. all around you. Sure, thousands of people will be wearing the jerseys of Honorable mention: Will Butcher, (for 49 games in 2004) current or recent team stars, but vintage Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer sweaters are practically synonymous with the No. 9 Devils franchise. Zach Parise Those three are easy choices as the best New Jersey players to wear their respective numbers. No. 3 and No. 26 are no-brainers, as well. But This is a tough one. Taylor Hall was better on a per-game basis and won what about the rest, including the players whose time with the Devils was the franchise’s only Hart Trophy, but Parise was more consistent and forgettable but had no number competition? played in 61 playoff games to Hall’s five. He also tied for the NHL lead with eight playoff goals in 2012. has a strong case here, as Here is a rundown of the best player to wear every number for the Devils well, but he played in a more offensive era. Parise, Hall and Muller own since the franchise arrived in northern New Jersey in 1982: three of the franchise’s four 90-point seasons, with Patrik Elias rounding it out. No. 1 Honorable mention: Hall, Muller Glenn “Chico” Resch No. 10 Resch finished in the top 10 in the Vezina Trophy voting twice in four years with the Devils and played in the 1984 All-Star Game. This one Aaron Broten was a toss-up between Resch and Sean Burke. Both had brief runs with the Devils and greater success elsewhere. Broten wore No. 10 when the franchise was in Colorado, switched to 24 and then switched back to 10 after Dave Cameron left in 1984. He had Honorable mention: Burke the most points by a Devils player in the 1980s.

No. 2 Honorable mention: Denis Pederson

Slava Fetisov No. 11

Fetisov spent five years with the Devils before they traded him to Detroit during the 1994-95 season, and finished eighth in the Calder Trophy voting his rookie year. He was 31 years old by the time he arrived in the Brendan Shanahan became a Hall of Fame player, but he didn’t reach NHL, after defecting from the , and he finished eighth in the his full potential in New Jersey. Madden won one Selke Trophy and Calder Trophy voting (before the NHL put an age limit on the award). finished second three other times. He was an essential part of two Fetisov ended up on the wrong side of the 1995 Stanley Cup Final, but championship teams. eventually won back-to-back championships with the Red Wings. Honorable mention: Shanahan, Stephen Gionta

Honorable mention: Marek Zidlicky No. 12

No. 3 Bill Guerin

Ken Daneyko Guerin had three 20-goal seasons in five years with the club before When the player’s nickname is “Mr. Devil,” this selection is an easy one. getting traded to Edmonton in a deal that brought to New Jersey. Honorable mention: Dave Hutchison (only other Devil to wear No. 3) Honorable mention: Pat Verbeek No. 4 No. 13 Scott Stevens Nico Hischier The defenseman made 10 All-Star Games in 13 years with the club and took home a in 2000. Only the second player to wear No. 13 in New Jersey, Hischier has quickly become one of the league’s top two-way centers. The Devils Honorable mention: Eric Weinrich (wore No. 4 for 87 games with the would love to see him approach the heights his idol and fellow No. 13, Devils before switching to No. 5 when Stevens arrived) Pavel Datsyuk, reached.

No. 5 Honorable mention: Mike Cammalleri

Colin White No. 14

White is 10th in franchise history in postseason games (111), and Brian Gionta averaged more than 19 minutes per game for eight straight seasons. Jonathan Cheechoo’s 56 goals topped the “where did that come from?” Honorable mention: Eric Weinrich, Adam Larsson list when the NHL returned from a year-long lockout in 2005-06. He then followed that up with 37 the next year. Gionta poured in 48 goals that No. 6 year and never had more than 29 again, though he had a much longer Andy Greene and more productive career after 2005-06 than Cheechoo did.

Greene spent the prime of his career as one of the most underrated Honorable mention: , defensemen in the NHL and the past four seasons as the club’s captain. No. 15 Honorable mention: Tommy Albelin, Phil Housley (for 22 games in 1996) John MacLean Gomez became the second player in club history to win the Calder Trophy in 2000. He averaged 64 points in his seven seasons before MacLean caught Pat Verbeek for the most goals since the franchise signing as a free agent with the team across the river. moved to New Jersey late in the 1989-90 season. His 347 goals stood as the benchmark until Elias passed him in 2011. Honorable mention: Dave Andreychuk, David Clarkson

Honorable mention: Jamie Langenbrunner No. 24

No. 16 Bryce Salvador

Bobby Holik He’s one of six to be captain of the Devils for at least three seasons. He also has the ability to have a successful second career as a television A thing I learned Monday, from this episode of The Athletic’s Pen analyst. Ultimate podcast with guest Mike Rupp: Holik’s offseason training regimen was to shovel gravel at his offseason home in Montana. Holik Honorable mention: Greg Adams, Lyle Odelein was, and still is, a unique one. No. 25 Honorable mention: Pat Verbeek Jason Arnott No. 17 Arnott centered the most famous line in team history and tied for the lead Petr Sykora in playoff scoring for a Stanley Cup champion.

This was the toughest call, featuring three of the best forwards in Honorable mention: Valeri Zelepukin, franchise history, all from different eras. Sykora has the rings, and he was the only one of the three to make our all-time Devils team, though No. 26 individual panelists also supported Patrik Sundstrom and Ilya Kovalchuk. Patrik Elias

Honorable mention: Patrik Sundstrom, Ilya Kovalchuk Had Hall signed a long-term contract with the Devils, he might have No. 18 spent the second half of it chasing Elias for the title of best forward in franchise history. That title is safe for a while, though Hischier and Jack Hughes are next up in the queue of challengers.

An observation from the 2000 Cup reunion this season that stuck with me Honorable mention: Peter Statsny was how all the teammates still called each other by their nicknames 20 years later. I heard “Sykie,” for Petr Sykora, nearly 10 times that day and No. 27 “Sarge” for Brylin. Every team should have a player like “Sarge,” as the Scott Niedermayer Devils did during that run. He won the only Norris Trophy in franchise history, in 2003-04, and then Honorable mention: Mel Bridgman finished second to Nicklas Lidstrom in his first two seasons with No. 19 Anaheim. He might have won five or six of them if he had been born a decade later. Honorable mention: Kirk Muller (his rookie season) Zajac was essentially cast from the same mold as several of the Cup- winning Devils players the fan base reveres. Zajac’s problem is he was No. 28 born 15 years too late. Brian Rafalski

Honorable mention: Bob Carpenter Rafalski became a fringe Norris contender after he left for Detroit. With No. 20 the Devils, though he was a stellar No. 3 defenseman until the Scotts moved on and he had to take over as the leader of the group. Jay Pandolfo Honorable mention: Damon Severson Had the Devils not traded Blake Coleman and instead signed him to a new contract this summer, he would have made a run at this spot. It’s an No. 29 apples-to-oranges comparison, but Pandolfo scored six more goals than Martin Brodeur Stevens did for the Devils in the same number of seasons but in 150 fewer games. The best player in franchise history gets two numbers, even if this one was only for four games in 1991-92. Honorable mention: Alexander Semak, Blake Coleman Honorable mention: Grant Marshall No. 21 No. 30 Kyle Palmieri Martin Brodeur Randy McKay is a two-time Cup winner and a two-time 20-goal scorer in his 11 seasons with the Devils, but Palmieri’s consistent goal scoring No competition for the goaltender with a statue outside of the Prudential gives him the nod. Plus, he’s now a two-time All-Star. Center.

Honorable mention: Randy McKay Honorable mention: Alain Chevrier

No. 22 No. 31

Claude Lemieux Chris Terreri

Twenty-nine players have worn No. 22 since the team arrived in New Terreri had two top-10 finishes in the Vezina Trophy voting in his mid- Jersey, but only two did so for more than two years. Lemieux 20s. Then, Brodeur was ready to take his place. If a goalie is going to accomplished plenty to earn a place here. lose his job, it might as well be to someone who sets the NHL wins record. Honorable mention: Doug Sulliman Honorable mention: Craig Billington No. 23 No. 32 Steve Thomas Thomas had 55 goals in three years with the Devils. His tenure came Binghamton. He never got a chance with New Jersey this year, but he after the first Cup championship and before the second one. did have 38 points in 62 AHL games. He also recorded 22 assists this year, a big improvement from the 14 he had in his first two years Honorable mention: Pat Conacher combined.

No. 33 No. 43

Reid Simpson Brett Seney

Simpson packed nine NHL teams into his 3o1 career games, including Seney got 51 games with New Jersey last year but only two this year. He 65 with the Devils. was Binghamton’s top scorer, but next year could be a make-or-break Honorable mention: Zdeno Ciger one for his NHL future.

No. 34 No. 44

Mark Fayne Stephane Richer

Fayne wore three numbers in four years with the Devils. No. 34 was his Richer scored 50 goals twice for the Canadiens, but never quite found during his rookie season in 2010-11. that level with the Devils. He had five straight 20-goals seasons for New Jersey, and one with 38, but some of his teammates believed he had Honorable mention: Steven Santini more in him.

No. 35 No. 45

Cory Schneider Sami Vatanen

It’s been a roller coaster for Schneider the past two seasons, but he Vatanen became the No. 1 defenseman during the 2017-18 season, but began his Devils career with three seasons of .920-plus save dealt with injuries in each of the past two years before being traded to percentages. Not even Brodeur did that with New Jersey. Carolina.

Honorable mention: Corey Schwab No. 46

No. 36 Mike Sislo

Nick Lappin From 2013-16, Sislo scored 70 goals in three seasons for Albany, then the Devils’ AHL affiliate. He had three in 42 games with the Devils during Lappin was an intriguing college free-agent signing and he became a that span. consistent scorer for Albany/Binghamton, but he couldn’t translate that to New Jersey (five goals in 60 games with the Devils). No. 47

No. 37 John Quenneville

Pavel Zacha Quenneville was another very productive player in the AHL who couldn’t get it going in New Jersey. He had two goals in 33 games before the Zacha’s career has been marked by spurts of great work and Devils traded him to Chicago this past offseason. inconsistency. He’ll be 23 next month, so he still has time to find another level. No. 48

No. 38 Tyler Kennedy

Vernon Fiddler The Devils signed Kennedy in November 2015 after he started the season without a contract. He played in 50 games for New Jersey and The Devils signed Fiddler to a one-year deal in 2016. He played 39 retired in January of the following season. games and they flipped him for a fourth-round pick that became the second asset in a deal for Mirco Muller. No. 49

No. 39 Joey Anderson

Brian Gibbons Anderson wore No. 49 as a rookie last year before switching to 14 for this season. His second go-round went better than the first, and he’ll try to Of all the things that went right for the Devils in 2017-18, Gibbons making lock down a regular spot with the Devils next season. the team and exploding for 12 goals and 20 points in the first 32 games has to be near the top of the list. He has 13 goals in the other 172 games No. 51 of his NHL career. Sergey Kalinin No. 40 The Devils signed Kalinin, an undrafted free agent, in 2015. He was Scott Clemmensen traded to Toronto before the deadline in his second year, and then went back to the KHL the following season. Clemmensen had That One Year. Between 1996 and 2010, Brodeur started at least 67 games 13 times. The one year that he didn’t, No. 53 Clemmensen got his chance. He played 40 games, most of them while Brodeur was injured. Clemmensen spent parts of six seasons with the Vojtech Mozik club. He played in 28 games in those other five years combined. Mozik was another undrafted free agent signing in 2015. He played No. 41 seven games for the Devils that year. He spent the next season with Albany before returning to European hockey. Michael McLeod No. 54 McLeod is up to 33 NHL games without a goal. He’s had some good chances, but he’ll need to start producing at at the NHL level next season Tim Sestito or others will quickly pass him on the depth chart. Sestito is one of two forwards in NHL history with 100-plus games and No. 42 zero goals. He played 101 (100 with New Jersey) without scoring. Gordie Dwyer had no goals (and 394 penalty minutes) in 108 games. Nathan Bastian No. 55 Bastian had three goals in seven NHL games last season and might have played as well as any of the prospects who came up from Ken Appleby Appleby got three games as the Devils’ goaltender. He was a perfect 28 He’s the first to wear the number for the organization and could be the for 28 in two relief appearances and stopped 24-of-27 shots in his lone last. At this stage, the Devils will be happy to see the 2019 No. 1 pick find NHL start. He played in the ECHL this year. If he never plays in the NHL his way in the NHL and begin to fulfill his massive potential. again, he’ll retire with the fourth-highest save percentage (.945) among goalies who faced at least 50 shots in NHL history. No. 88

No. 56 Gary Howatt

Blake Pietilla Two players have worn 88, and the other one was a New Jersey first- round pick who played in only 38 NHL games. Howatt had one goal and Pietilla played 38 games for the Devils, including 19 last year with just 128 penalty minutes in 44 games at the end of his career with the Devils. one point, before signing with the Ducks as a minor-league free agent. No. 89 No. 58 Kevin Rooney Mogilny’s time was brief, but certainly impactful: He arrived before the Rooney had 10 points in 46 NHL games while wearing No. 58 before 2000 trade deadline, helped the Devils win a title and reach the Cup switching to 16 this season. He has nine points in 49 games with his new Finals the following year. His one full season with the club (2000-01) number. produced the fifth-best goal scoring season (43) in franchise history.

No. 59 No. 90

Janne Kuokkanen Marcus Johansson

Part of the Devils’ return for Vatanen at the trade deadline, Kuokkanen Johansson cost the Devils a second- and third-round pick in a trade with played one game for the Devils and four with Binghamton. He had six Washington. He missed about half the games for New Jersey from 2017- points for the B-Devils and is safely among the top forward prospects in 19 because of injury, but he was productive when healthy and fetched a the organization. second- and fourth-round pick in a trade to Boston at the deadline last year. No. 63 No. 93 Jesper Bratt Doug Gilmour Bratt is sitting on 100 career points in 185 games. He had 21 of them in 29 contests after the holiday break this year, perhaps an indicator he’s The Devils added Gilmour at the 1997 trade deadline. He appeared in ready to be a consistent player next season. two playoffs with them with him before leaving as a free agent. The Devils won just one playoff series in those two years and two of the No. 64 young players they traded away for Gilmour, Steve Sullivan and Jason Smith, went on to have 1,000-game NHL careers.

Blandisi had eight goals in 68 games for the Devils before being included No. 97 in the Henrique-for-Vatanen swap. He didn’t score any goals for Nikita Gusev Anaheim, but has collected two more in a part-time role with Pittsburgh this year. “Goose” was a fan favorite at The Rock by the end of the preseason. After a rocky start, his production picked up and began to match the elite No. 68 skills that make him so fun to watch.

Jaromir Jagr

Jagr played well for the Flyers in his return from Russia at 39, then The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 leveled out the next year in a split between Dallas and Boston. His late- career renaissance really began with the Devils in 2013-14. He had 67 points in his age-41 season, and even collected one fifth-place vote for the Hart Trophy. The next year, the Devils traded him for two draft picks and flipped those same picks to Anaheim for Kyle Palmieri.

No. 70

Louis Domingue

The Devils signed Domingue as insurance when Schneider started struggling again this season, but he also faltered for New Jersey and ended up in Vancouver at the deadline. The Devils have traded two goalies at the deadline in the past two years, and they’ve combined to play one game for their new team.

No. 74

Egor Yakovlev

The offensive skill was definitely there, but Yakovlev didn’t find a regular role in the lineup until late last season, his only one with the club before returning to the KHL.

No. 76

P.K. Subban

Subban’s jersey quickly became one of the most popular among the fan base when he signed with the team last year, but Subban’s first season hasn’t gone as planned. He has two more years left on his contract and could be one of several Devils players who benefits from extra time off (if there are no more regular-season games this season).

No. 86

Jack Hughes 1172881 New York Rangers Chytil would have handled the responsibility of centering Panarin on a regular basis. Maybe it would have been too much for him, maybe Chytil would have felt under pressure to force the puck to the Bread Winner. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked. But maybe the combo would have Filip Chytil’s Rangers potential skyrockets after ending drama flourished.

Now, let’s change tenses. Maybe it will work next year. Maybe it will flourish. Maybe, after a season in which David Quinn allowed the 20- By Larry Brooks year-old sophomore to develop in understated fashion, maybe the coach March 24, 2020 | 6:50PM will add more to the center’s plate.

But of the myriad maybes, here’s one that isn’t: This was a good year for Chytil, a good one whose work could one day completely change the Perhaps the most notable aspect of Filip Chytil’s season is how drama- narrative of the ’17 first round. free it went for the 20-year-old third-line center following his Oct. 28 recall from the Wolf Pack.

Remember, as a teenaged rookie the previous season, he’d been a New York Post LOADED: 03.25.2020 healthy scratch a handful of times because of declining work habits.

Remember, after coming into training camp as a quasi-incumbent certain to make the roster, he was dispatched to the AHL following lackluster work, at best.

But when Chytil returned for the Rangers’ 10th game of the season immediately after Mika Zibanejad suffered that neck injury on Patrice Bergeron’s reverse hit, he brought a positive attitude, strong work habits and a more comprehensive game with him to New York.

He had become a pro.

And so he played, essentially all season on the third line after an initial stretch on the second unit filling in for No. 93 between Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. He played every game, got an average ice time of 14:50 and recorded 14 goals and nine assists for 23 points.

That, by the way, represented the third-highest number of goals scored in the NHL this year by a player under the age of 21, with Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Tkachuk notching 24. Not too bad for a third-liner with limited power-play opportunity. Not too bad at all.

But after 144 games in the league that included a cameo as an 18-year- old following his first-round, 21st-overall selection in 2017, Chytil has yet to define his game. Listed at 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, he is becoming a big body out there whose ability to skate should turn him into at least a quasi-power center who can back in opposing defenseman, open the ice for himself and his linemates, and take it to net.

Of course he has to improve his play away from the puck, but he was notably more diligent in the battles, in getting to the dirty areas, in being a presence in front and in getting back on transition. What he isn’t, at least, at this point, is a developed playmaker.

Only two players from the 2017 draft have scored more goals than the 26 Chytil has recorded in 144 NHL games. Elias Pettersson, who has scored 55 for Vancouver, was selected fifth overall. Nico Hischier, who has recorded 51 goals for the Devils, was drafted first overall. Nolan Patrick, who also has scored 26 career goals for the Flyers, was drafted second overall.

What’s interesting, though, is no matter how well Chytil may have played — and, look, there were a lot of offensive dry spells, No. 72 in fact scoring just twice over the final 17 games — the lines he centered most of the time rarely came out on the positive side of the ledger. And the one on which he skated between Brett Howden and Kaapo Kakko put up disastrous numbers, accounting for two goals scored and 10 against in 133:31 of five-on-five play, per Naturalstattrick.com.

Chytil himself was on for 31 for and 36 against throughout the season, but … but, when divorced from both Howden and Kakko, the 20-year-old was on for 24 for and 16 against. Of course that includes the 12/4 breakdown while on with Artemi Panarin in 136:30. I might have a 12/4 breakdown playing with Panarin; well, OK, I wouldn’t, but 8-year-old mite Scott Brooks might.

The Rangers appear to be set up for Ryan Strome to continue as Panarin’s center, though a word of caution here to remind you that no one knows what the salary cap will be next season and how much space with which management will have to work in order to sign the arbitration- eligible Strome, whose number almost certainly will begin with a “5.”

Actually, though the club’s surge into playoff contention represented a most welcome, if unanticipated, development, it also denied David Quinn with a post-deadline opportunity to experiment. I’d have liked to see how 1172882 New York Rangers There may come a time, either next season or further down the road, when the decision is made to put them together and create one of the most dynamic lines in the league.

What we learned in 2019-20: Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad give NY It's a situation that feels like it has no wrong answer. Rangers two stars Perhaps the best news for the Rangers? Both players are in their primes.

Panarin is 28 and Zibanejad will be 27 next month. With a roster that Vincent Z. Mercogliano, NHL Writer relies on so many in their early-20s, the two best players are experienced enough to understand the demands of the NHL and young enough to Published 6:00 a.m. ET March 24, 2020 | Updated 6:03 a.m. ET March have plenty of good years ahead. 24, 2020 Indeed, there were many interesting storylines and revelations for the Rangers in 2019-20. But none directly led to team success — and will in the future — quite like the rise of their tandem of superstar forwards. In the next two weeks, we'll be producing a series of stories about the 2019-20 New York Rangers — five things we learned and five questions "Those two guys delivered," Quinn said in an oft-repeated line following that remain unanswered. This week will focus on key takeaways from the the Feb. 25 win over the Islanders, adding, "As they usually do." season that has been put on pause due to the coronarvirus:

If this seems like a ridiculously obvious statement, forgive me. But as far as the immediate future of the New York Rangers is concerned — let's Bergen Record LOADED: 03.25.2020 say the next two seasons — there is no more important fact than this.

Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are bonafide stars.

Put them in the same category with the best one-two punches in the NHL.

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Boston's David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.

Panarin and Zibanejad have elevated themselves to that level, which provides the Rangers with the necessary building blocks to produce a perennial contender.

By the time the NHL season halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, they were among the top scorers in the league.

Panarin ranks third with 95 points (32 goals and 63 assists), along with a league-high 71 points at even strength. He was everything the Rangers hoped for when they signed him to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract in the offseason — maybe even more — and became a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate.

Zibanejad is tied for 12th with 75 points, including the fifth-highest goals total at 41. And he did this despite missing 13 games with an upper-body injury. No player can match his goals-per-game average of 0.72.

"They read the game differently than other people," teammate Phil Di Giuseppe said. "Guys like Mika and Panarin, you watch them and they'll make plays when you don't even see a play there."

But their value to the team goes beyond producing points.

Zibanejad is arguably the Rangers' best defensive forward and a fixture on the penalty kill. And while Panarin will likely never appear on the PK, his ability to defend with his elite stick skills and quickness resulted in 56 takeaways, which is one behind Adam Fox for the team lead.

And then there's the trickle-down effect.

Panarin and Zibanejad each proved capable of carrying their own lines, which added much-needed diversity to the Rangers' lineup.

The preseason expectation was that they would play on the same line, but that plan was scrapped less than a month into the season. Zibanejad was reunited with longtime linemates Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich, which was a smashing success in the second half of the season, while Panarin lifted the play of linemates Ryan Strome and Jesper Fast.

Strome, in particular, benefited with a breakout season. He posted 59 points in 70 games, which ranks third on the team, easily eclipsing his previous career-high of 50 in 2014-15.

Meanwhile, Panarin and Zibanejad remained together on a much- improved first power-play unit and produced some memorable goals when paired late in tight games and overtime.

"It makes you a lot better coach, I’ll tell you that," Rangers coach David Quinn said of splitting up Panarin and Zibanejad. "It certainly gives the other team a little bit of thought on how they’re going to manage and match up with our top two lines." 1172883 Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators player becomes first NHLer to test positive for COVID- 19

Bruce Garrioch

Publishing date:6 days ago

An Ottawa Senators player is the first player to test positive for COVID-19.

The Senators confirmed in a statement late Tuesday night that a player who tested positive is in isolation. Other players and staff members are being told to monitor for any symptoms. The player was unnamed and it was noted he’s recovering with mild symptoms. There are no plans to test other players at this point.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told Postmedia in an email on Wednesday morning they won’t send other players for testing because there currently aren’t any others with symptoms. That doesn’t mean it won’t change if symptoms develop but that’s the case at this juncture.

“Not determined yet, but probably not,” Daly wrote in the email.

“Health authorities only recommend testing for people who are symptomatic.”

The team said the player was sent for testing when he started showing mild symptoms.

“An Ottawa Senators player has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The player has had mild symptoms and is in isolation,” a statement released just before midnight Tuesday said.

“The Ottawa Senators are in the process of notifying anyone who has had known close contact with the athlete and are working with our team doctors and public health officials. As a result of this positive case, all members of the Ottawa Senators are requested to remain isolated, to monitor their health and seek advice from our team medical staff.

“The health of our players, fans, and community remains our highest priority. We will continue to do everything we can to help ensure our players, staff, fans and the greater community remain safe and healthy during this time of uncertainty due to the spread of the coronavirus.”

The team arrived in San Jose 10 days ago when Santa Clara health officials were starting to warn that the Sharks shouldn’t be holding home games. The Senators game against the Sharks went ahead as scheduled and the club then spent three days in Anaheim before facing the Kings in Los Angeles.

The club was scheduled to fly to Chicago to face the Blackhawks last Friday but came home instead.

Previously, there had been more than a half-dozen in the National Basketball Association — two with the Utah Jazz, one with the Detroit Pistons and four with the New Jersey Nets — as of Tuesday evening.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172884 Ottawa Senators

'Hang onto your Sens tickets,' says team

Bruce Deachman

Publishing date:March 13, 2020

The Ottawa Senators are urging fans with tickets to NHL games that have been postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak to hang onto their tickets. “Your ticket(s) remain valid,” the club said in a Friday announcement. “Please hold on to your ticket(s) as they will be applied to rescheduled games once the season has resumed.”

The NHL announced the postponement of the 2019-20 season on Thursday, in reaction to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172885 Ottawa Senators

Senators game goes on, but novel coronavirus hitting San Jose tourism industry hard

Ken Warren

Publishing date:March 8, 2020

SAN JOSE — For now, the games are still going on in California, including the Ottawa Senators’ contest here Saturday against the San Jose Sharks, but the novel coronavirus is having a severe impact on hotels, restaurants and all facets of the Silicon Valley city’s tourism industry.

“There have been a lot of group cancellations for city-wide events,” said Tony Andrade, assistant general manager of the AC Marriott Hotel, a 10- minute walk away from the SAP Center, which is home to the Sharks, concerts and other major entertainment acts.

Public health officials have advised the general population to avoid large gatherings as concerns about the coronavirus continue. Major corporations are opting not to send their employees on business trips.

The AC Marriott, for example, was originally booked at 98 per cent capacity for the weekend. As of late Saturday morning, the hotel was 60 per cent full. Andrade estimates the hotel will lose $120,000 in bookings for Saturday and Sunday. So far during March, typically one of the busiest months for the California hotel industry, the hotel has lost $500,000 in revenue.

“San Jose has been one of the most affected cities,” Andrade said.

“We’re getting cancellations left and right. The whole city is quiet. We’re in Silicon Valley here, but people are being told not to travel. There was a Facebook city-wide event, a Blackberry (conference) that have been cancelled. People are being told to protect themselves and people are scared of what’s going on because there’s no vaccine to treat it.

“You see it on the streets. People are staying home, they’re not driving or going out now. There are fewer people in the malls and shopping centres.”

Motivational speaker Tony Robbins is booked at the SAP Center for five days next week, but he hasn’t been able to convince large groups to cancel their trips to the city.

Earlier in the week, Santa Clara County emergency operations centre director James Williams advised hockey fans against going to the SAP Center.

“It’s not just a question of Sharks games,” Williams told the San Jose Mercury News. “There are many organizations that host large gatherings. We have an obligation to make this apply to everyone. The bottom line here is people aren’t in spaces where they’re among many, many other people without being able to keep a distance from others.”

Despite the warnings, the Sharks went ahead with Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, which drew a season-low crowd of 14,500. The Sharks are also playing host to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.

The Sharks have advised fans to listen closely to the health department’s suggestion that “persons at higher risk avoid mass gatherings such as parades, sporting events and concerts where large numbers of people are within arm’s length of one another.”

The Sharks also announced that elaborate cleaning procedures are in effect.

“Particular attention is paid to high-traffic, high-public content areas and many areas are receiving additional enhanced cleaning measures during events,” according to a Sharks statement.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172886 Ottawa Senators the board ruled she is also entitled to $2,500 in severance pay, or one week’s salary.

Morgan will not, however, be able to claim the cost of an air ticket from Senators continue to battle Melnyk's ex-pilot over $13,000, despite labour Ottawa to her home in Winnipeg, an expense she incurred the day she board ruling was terminated and CS&E left her stranded. Cavé noted that a reimbursement such as this is an expense, not compensation, and therefore not covered by the Labour Relations Act.

James Bagnall

Publishing date:February 27, 2020 Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.25.2020

When Llewella Morgan submitted her resignation as chief pilot for Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk last May, she gave three weeks’ notice. Pretty standard stuff.

Four days later, she picked up Melnyk at his home in Barbados and flew him to Ottawa. The following day — May 15 — she noticed that her pay since April 30 had not been deposited in her bank account. That was unusual.

After multiple inquiries, the pilot was told her services were no longer required and that she needn’t show up at Ottawa’s private aircraft hanger for her next scheduled flight — a trip to ferry Melnyk to Toronto.

The circumstances surrounding Morgan’s termination were the trigger for a legal skirmish that eventually wound up before Johanne Cavé, a vice- chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

In a 20-page ruling published this month, Cavé ordered Capital Sports & Entertainment — the Senators’ operating firm — to pay Morgan $12,273.75 for unpaid wages, vacation pay and severance, in addition to a week’s worth of unpaid benefits. At most, the cost to the team would be $13,000.

CS&E hired Gowling WLG Canada lawyer Craig Stehr to guide the defence and the company’s chief financial officer Brian Crombie provided testimony. The obvious question: Why would the company expend so much effort on what seems a relatively minor claim?

Melnyk, the Senators and Morgan did not respond to queries, but Melnyk’s lawyer did.

“We acknowledge the Board’s recent ruling,” Stehr said. “However, as is their right under the rules of procedure and practice, the Ottawa Senators intend to appeal.”

CS&E had advanced a number of arguments as to why Morgan wasn’t owed money; Cavé dismissed the key ones.

According to the Board ruling, Crombie argued that Morgan was not entitled to her claim because she was not an employee of Capital Sports & Entertainment. It did not set her hours or supervise her work, Crombie said, nor did CS&E own a private plane.

But in her decision, Cavé said Capital Sports was unequivocally Morgan’s employer, adding that Melnyk was the one who directed her schedule and compensation arrangements. His use of the private jet for personal reasons unrelated to Senators’ hockey, for which he later reimbursed the company, had no bearing on the matter, Cavé said. And the fact the aircraft was leased through Flightpath “does not determine the employment status of the pilot who operates the plane,” the Board vice-chair concluded.

According to the ruing, CS&E agreed that Morgan hadn’t been paid for work performed between May 1 and May 15. But the company argued it could withhold that amount to cover what it claimed was an outstanding balance related to Morgan’s training.

In her ruling, Cavé said there was no balance owing — Morgan had satisfied her training obligations by staying with CS&E for a minimum of six months. The pilot met that obligation 15 days before giving notice.

Morgan testified that she tendered her resignation because the job required her to work nearly 19 days per month on average, compared with the 12 days per month she had expected to put in. Melnyk paid her a salary of $130,000 per year.

The labour board has ordered Melnyk, through CS&E, to pay Morgan $5,591.08 for time worked in May, and $4,182.67 for vacation pay. Because she was terminated prior to the end of her three-week notice, 1172887 Ottawa Senators schedule had just over three weeks left when the pause button was hit, so the first priority remains finishing what’s left.

The pause has already started to effect the league financially. The GARRIOCH: The NHL sits down with general managers to discuss state Montreal Canadiens announced Tuesday they were temporarily laying off of pause 60 per cent of their staff the NHL and American Hockey League levels. The club said it had established a $6-million assistance fund for the employees to top up their employment insurance benefits, meaning they could receive about 80 per cent of their regular salaries. Bruce Garrioch Reports indicate general manager Marc Bergevin and head coach March 24, 2020 7:43 PM EDT Claude Julien have taken 20 per cent pay cuts.

“Now, more than ever, it is important to support our community and There are all sorts of issues to iron out with the league calendar on demonstrate our solidarity to one another. We are working extremely pause because of the threat of the novel coronavirus. hard to limit the impact this situation will have on our employees,” Canadiens owner said in a statement. The National Hockey League’s 31 general managers had a chance to see where head office stood on Tuesday afternoon. Like everybody else, the NHL has to wait and see what happens.

A day after sitting down with the NHL’s owners and board of governors, commissioner and deputy commissioner Bill Daly held a Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.25.2020 conference call with the 31 general managers. There are all sorts of issues to iron out with the league calendar on pause because of the threat of the novel coronavirus.

The NHL is looking at every possible scenario to resume play, but even league officials aren’t sure if that will happen. Yes, the NHL has discussed the possibility of holding the playoffs into September or early October, then starting next season in November. They just don’t know what’s going to happen with the COVID-19 pandemic and when life will return to normal.

The league hasn’t officially asked teams to set aside arena dates in July, August and September, but that request may be made down the road.

Bettman and Daly would like the league to complete its season and award the Stanley Cup if at all possible, but who knows. Naturally part of the reason is economic because, if the league loses playoff revenues, that would represent a big hit financially. The format of those playoffs has yet to be decided and won’t be until the league has a better idea when — or if — play can resume.

The league remains hopeful it will be able to reopen rinks to small groups of players once the period of self-quarantine ends on April 3 That date has been pushed back from the original target of March 27 because NHL teams want employees and staff to stay home.

Of course, if public health authorities and politicians tell people not to leave their homes after the early April date, then the NHL won’t be opening rinks anytime soon, but would have to revisit the issue at the end of month, when it might be safe to commence a short training camp to prepare to resume playing.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control indicated 10 days ago that no gatherings of more than 50 people should be held for at least 60 days. The NHL remains hopeful team will be able to open camps at the 45-day mark, but it could be a lot longer before that happens.

There has been no decision made on the NHL draft combine set for June 1-6 at the KeyBank Center and LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, where the league is scheduled to invite 100 of the top prospects for the draft on June 26-27 at the in Montreal.

Teams will still want opportunities to test prospects before the draft, but there’s no way that could happen in the current circumstances, so that’s another issue yet to be settled.

The draft could always be done by video conference call or a scaled down version of the event, similar to the 2005 Sidney Crosby draft in a ballroom at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, but really the league is playing a waiting game for now because its a big event that garners a lot of attention.

Of course, many teams are also wondering what will happen with the draft lottery. It was scheduled for April in Secaucus, N.J. but it will have to be rescheduled. If the regular season isn’t completed and the league goes directly to a playoff tournament with more than the usual 16 teams, will the teams at the bottom of the overall standings like the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings maintain their odds of picking first overall?

That’s a good question, but one the league likely can’t answer until it figures out what format to use once play resumes. The regular-season 1172888 Philadelphia Flyers stopped. (By the way, Hartman had been acquired by Fletcher for Wayne Simmonds.)

* Acquired Derek Grant and Nate Thompson in separate deals at the JOBS Feb. 24 trade deadline.

Is Flyers GM top NHL executive this season? He Grant became the third-line center and Thompson was the fourth-line deserves consideration. | On the Fly center. Both helped the Flyers extend their winning streak to nine games and gave the Flyers size, experience, and professionalism. Grant (6-3, 206) was acquired from Anaheim for a fourth-round pick and minor- league forward Kyle Criscuolo, a South Jersey product. They got the by Sam Carchidi hard-nosed Thompson (6-1, 207) from Montreal for a fifth-rounder.

The last two trades were the kind of deals that would help the Flyers The Flyers’ Alain Vigneault, who is in his first season with the team, has make a late-season run for the Metro title and give them experience in gotten considerable praise and should get lots of coach-of-the-year the playoffs. votes. Now we wait, hoping the regular season — or at least the playoffs — Rightfully so. return at some point in the upcoming months.

Vigneault had the Flyers on a 106-point pace — 24 more points than last Things to know year, when they finished with 82 — before the season was suspended The women who help run the Flyers. Erin McCarthy has the story. March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak. Here are some ways for Flyers fans to alleviate the boredom. The players, of course, are the ones who have made it happen, but Vigneault has made all the right moves. Ditto GM Chuck Fletcher, whose on his first year with the Flyers, resuming the season work hasn’t gotten the national attention it has merited. (hopefully), and his popular new beer.

From here, Fletcher deserves executive-of-the-year consideration, as I The NHL’s Q & A on the season’s pause. mentioned on SiriusXM’s NHL show on Monday afternoon. Fletcher has made numerous great decisions since last season ended, including the The top 31 prospects in the 2020 draft, as reported by Mike Morreale. hiring of Vigneault. Tanner Laczynski signs with Flyers, becoming sixth player from their 216 Golden moves draft class to join organization.

Fletcher’s moves have turned to gold this season, helping the Flyers Blast from the past become Stanley Cup contenders if the playoffs are held. Props to NBC Sports Philadelphia for giving Flyers fans a much-needed When the season was stopped, they were 41-21-7 and just one point diversion by showing, among other things, classic games from the past. behind first-place Washington in the Metropolitan Division. With In 2010, I covered the famous Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Fletcher’s guidance, the Flyers have a great balance of young, semifinals between the Flyers and host Boston, and it was one of the blossoming players and proven veterans. most amazing live events I have witnessed in the 40-plus years I’ve been Here’s a look back at the general manager’s moves since June: writing about sports.

* Traded a fifth-round pick in 2019 for the rights to center Kevin Hayes. We all remember how the Flyers overcame a 3-0 deficit in Game 7 to win the series, which they had trailed, three games to none. We remember * Signed Hayes to a seven-year contract with an annual salary-cap hit of gimpy Simon Gagne, sidelined earlier in the series with a broken bone in $7.14 million. At the time, Fletcher knew Nolan Patrick was dealing with his right foot, scoring the late game-winner after a too-many-men-on-the- migraines, but he had no idea he would be sidelined and for how long. As ice penalty against Boston. We remember fiery coach Peter Laviolette’s it turned out, Patrick has missed the whole season, making the Hayes famous timeout, called after his team fell into a 3-0 hole, that helped get signing even more important. the Flyers back on track.

Hayes (23 goals in 69 games) was on pace to break his career high in But if you’re like me, you may have forgotten how Chris Pronger played goals scored and had become a key member of the revived penalty kill. 31-plus minutes in Game 7, how defensive specialist Blair Betts was on He had also become a leader in the locker room and on the ice. the ice for most of the last several minutes, how 22-year-old Claude Giroux asserted himself and started to show he would become a star, * Traded to Washington for Matt Niskanen, who became how rookie James van Riemsdyk had such a monster game, and how one of the Flyers’ best and most physical defensemen. Niskanen (plus- goalie Michael Leighton was superb after the Flyers fell into a 3-0 hole. 15) stabilized his defensive partner, Ivan Provorov, on the Flyers’ top pairing. The 33-year-old veteran chipped in with 33 points (eight goals, Those developments were eye-opening when watching the replay of that 25 assists) and was a great addition on special teams. 2010 thriller Sunday night.

* Traded a second-rounder in 2019 and a third-rounder in 2020 to San Thanks, NBC Sports Philadelphia. As I said, we all needed the diversion. Jose for veteran defenseman Justin Braun. Full-disclosure: I didn’t like this trade when it was made because (A) I thought the Flyers gave up In the end, I thought the other four had done a little more, but I certainly way too much, (B) it would prevent Samuel Morin from getting playing understand your point. Hayes has made a huge impact, no question. time, and (C) Braun could become a one-year rental because his That’s been the great part about this season. This is a very unselfish contract expires after 2019-20. team and you could probably argue that five or six players deserve MVP consideration. But as it turned out, Braun, after struggling earlier in the season, has been a key player — he is tied with Niskanen with 84 blocked shots, By the way, Couturier won the poll with 44% of the vote, followed by trailing only Provorov on the Flyers — and Morin suffered a season- Konecny (29%), Hart (18%), and Provorov (9%). ending knee injury, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament for the second time in 18 months. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: * Re-signed goalie Brian Elliott, who bounced back from two injury- plagued seasons, and got long-term deals done with Travis Konecny and Provorov, two of the team’s cornerstones.

* Traded Ryan Hartman to Dallas for Tyler Pitlick. Pitlick became a grinder who supplied energy and feistiness — his 132 hits are second on the Flyers, behind only Robert Hagg’s 136 — and scored some important goals. He had been promoted to the third line when the season was 1172889 Philadelphia Flyers Simon Gagne’s return from injury during the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals infused some much-needed offense into a Flyers team that had dug a 3-0 series hole for itself.

Top 10 goals in Flyers playoff history The team was looking to be just the third in history to fight its way back to win the series after that deficit. Gagne scored the game-winning goal in the third period, in a game that the Flyers trailed 3-0, and it was clear that Gagne’s goal finished the Bruins and their sold-out crowd at TD Garden. By Joe Fordyce The Flyers went on to beat Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final and March 24, 2020 1:00 PM moved onto the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Chicago.

3. Kelly clinches 2nd straight Stanley Cup title Under normal circumstances, we would be prepping for a Flyers playoff Bob Kelly scored the first and game-winning goal 11 seconds into the run. However, as the last two weeks have shown us, our way of life at the third period of Game 6 of the 1975 Stanley Cup Final. Bill Clement added present time is anything but normal. a second goal and the Flyers won their second straight Stanley Cup. With the playoffs in mind, let’s look at the Flyers' top 10 playoff goals. 2. MacLeish clinches Flyers' first-ever Stanley Cup 10. Lindros 1997 hat trick Rick MacLeish tipped Moose Dupont’s point shot into the back of the net Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden and for the only goal in Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Final, giving the No. 88 put on a show. Flyers' franchise their first-ever Stanley Cup title.

Capping off a hat trick with a backhanded seed from the left circle that 1. Clarke scores the biggest goal in Flyers history beat Mike Richter, this goal gave the Flyers the upper hand Game 2 1974 Stanley Cup Final. in the series. The Flyers went on to win the series before losing to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. Goal No. 2 on this countdown likely doesn’t happen without arguably the most important goal in Flyers history off the stick of captain Bobby Clarke 9. Roenick sends the Leafs home in overtime of Game 2 in Boston. The Flyers trailed the series 1-0 and Game 7 of the 2004 Eastern Conference semifinals was a drama-filled could not afford to fall down two games to the vaunted Bruins. affair at the Air Canada Center. Jeremy Roenick provided a storybook Clarke in OT makes the whole play happen, starting with a tenacious ending silencing an electric Maple Leafs crowd as he flew down the right forecheck, then a backhanded shot is stopped but No. 16 gets his own wing and beat goalie Ed Belfour in OT to send the Flyers to the Eastern rebound and scores to even the series. Conference Final. It was J.R.'s signature moment in orange and black. If not for goal No. 4 in this countdown, this is arguably Gagne’s biggest 8. Haller OT magic vs. Rangers goal of his career, forcing a Game 7 against the eventual Stanley Cup The 1995 playoff run was the last at the and it was the first champions in front of a raucous home crowd. Flyers playoff run in five years. This was the peak of the Lindros era, Here’s hoping to add to these memories in the near future. however, the signature moment of the playoffs came from a Kevin Haller wrist shot in overtime of Game 2 that nearly took the roof off the Spectrum ... again. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 This gave the Flyers control of the series and they went on to sweep the Rangers just a year after the Blueshirts won the Stanley Cup.

7. Poulin shorthanded goal vs. Quebec

With the Flyers on the brink of the 1985 Stanley Cup Final, they found themselves shorthanded by two players, clinging to a one-goal lead at the Spectrum.

Dave Poulin set sail on a breakaway and scored, essentially closing out the Nordiques and sending the Flyers to the Cup Final for the first time in five years.

6. Primeau 5-overtime winner in Pittsburgh

They were eating pizza between overtimes to keep energy up in a game that seemed like it would never end at the igloo in Pittsburgh during 2000. That is until Keith Primeau cut to the middle of the ice and found the back of the net with a wrist shot, ending a marathon that stretched into the next morning.

This is the definition of a “where were you when?” moment and at the expense of the rival Penguins — an all-timer.

5. Daigneault forces Game 7

Many say this was the loudest moment in the history of the Spectrum. Game 6 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Final against one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports the Edmonton Oilers.

The team was littered with Hall of Famers, but on this night, the Flyers forced a Game 7 by virtue of a J.J. Daigneault slap shot from the point that beat Grant Fuhr and pushed the series back to Edmonton.

When you say the name J.J. Daigneault and everyone already knows what play you’re talking about, you know it’s one of the biggest goals in franchise history.

4. Gagne caps historic comeback vs. Bruins 1172890 Philadelphia Flyers This wasn’t the Flyers’ best-played game, not by a long shot. But coming after consecutive losses to the Islanders and Penguins by a combined 12-4, they needed an all-hands-on-deck effort to prevent their season from spiraling out of control. The 10 best (most rewatchable) Flyers games of 2019-20 First and foremost, it should be remembered as “the Sean Couturier game.” Despite Couturier entering with an incredible 67.1 percent win rate on faceoffs, it quickly became apparent he wasn’t taking draws By Charlie O'Connor against the Devils, due to a yet-to-be-revealed shoulder strain. Not only Mar 24, 2020 did Couturier push through the discomfort, but he also scored a goal, set up another and clinched the win in the shootout with his rendition of “The Forsberg,” the breakaway maneuver Peter Forsberg made famous at the 1994 Olympics. It’s been two weeks since the Philadelphia Flyers stepped onto the ice for a game. Yes, it’s felt at least twice as long as that. While Couturier’s heroics are the primary storyline, they weren’t the only notable part of this game. Joel Farabee scored his first NHL goal in As the hockey community tries to adjust to this new, hockey-less world, dramatic fashion in the third period, after banging on the door for the the NHL has provided some help by “unlocking” every game from the better part of two weeks. Matt Niskanen absolutely blew up rookie Jack season for free viewing on its streaming website, NHL.TV. In other Hughes in the first with a clean hit and then dropped the gloves to words, it’s time to rewatch some Flyers games. answer for it. Wayne Simmonds scored. Taylor Hall had a highlight-reel But of the 69 games Philadelphia played before the season was paused, goal. Lindblom even potted one, a sight that should make every Flyers which are most binge-worthy for fans? Which games hold up best, due to fan smile considering what he would face just a month later. This is a a combination of positive outcomes, signature moments and plain old very underrated game on the rewatchability scale. entertainment value? 9. Feb. 28: Flyers 5, Rangers 2 That’s where we come in. This week’s Charlie’s Countdown ranks the top Entering this game, there was a legitimate argument as to which club — 10 most rewatchable Flyers games of 2019-20, along with five more Philadelphia or New York — qualified as the “hottest team in hockey.” honorable mentions for the truly bored and hockey-starved among you. The Flyers had won four straight (including a home-and-home sweep of (For each game, we’ve included links to the broadcast and our Columbus) and were flying up the Metropolitan Division standings, but coverage.) It’s time to park yourself on the couch, grab a drink and enjoy the Rangers were on a run of their own with five straight wins (including Flyers hockey once more. nine of their last 10) to storm back into the Eastern Conference playoff Honorable mentions race.

Dec. 17: Flyers 4, Ducks 1 After 60 minutes, the Rangers didn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the Flyers, win streaks notwithstanding. This was the Oskar Lindblom game, the first one back in Philadelphia after his Ewing’s sarcoma diagnosis. The atmosphere in the arena was If No. 10 was a showcase for Couturier’s ability to dominate while playing incredible, as the fans and players desperately wanted to show their through an injury, No. 9’s best feature is Claude Giroux at peak powers. support for Lindblom. The problem from a rewatch perspective is the Keep an eye on Giroux, even before he breaks through late in the game was pretty sloppy: The Flyers’ effort level was undeniable, but their second period with a goal. He’s flying from the start, and could have quality of play was all over the place, and the Ducks just aren’t very scored four or five times (rather than twice) considering his dominance. good. This was an important game but not an especially enthralling one And that dominance makes it especially satisfying when he’s finally on the ice. rewarded.

Oct. 21: Flyers 6, Golden Knights 2 Watching Giroux at his best is always worth the price of admission, but he wasn’t the only Flyers star to show up in this one. Jakub Voracek had A huge game that showed the Flyers could convincingly outplay high-end four assists. Couturier got the scoring started for Philadelphia. Hayes opponents, even early in the season. But Golden Knights backup was all over the ice. Carter Hart, after allowing a questionable early goal, netminder Oscar Dansk played poorly, there weren’t any signature was stellar. Even James van Riemsdyk scored a key goal that gave the moments, and the game was out of reach midway through the second Flyers a lead they would never relinquish. This was sheer entertaining period. Plenty of fun moments regardless. dominance against a big rival.

Jan. 21: Flyers 3, Penguins 0 8. March 4: Flyers 5, Capitals 2

If you’re into watching suffocating defense, this is the game for you. It This wasn’t the first time in 2019-20 that the Flyers took down the was the Flyers’ best lockdown effort of the season and it came against Capitals. But this game had a different feel to it, largely because, for the their fiercest rival. For most of us, however, it didn’t exactly make for first time, Metro supremacy was at stake. The Caps had every reason to aesthetically pleasing hockey, effective as it was. take this one seriously, knowing that a regulation win would put Dec. 3: Flyers 6, Maple Leafs 1 Philadelphia just one point out of the division lead.

A very watchable game that just missed the cut. The Flyers outplayed Nevertheless, the Flyers still went down to Washington, D.C., and Toronto, and were finally rewarded with a five-goal deluge in the second torched their rival. half of the third period that turned a close game into a blowout. Not much Unlike the Feb. 8 matchup, it’s not like the Capitals played terrible in the way of signature moments, however, and since the Maple Leafs hockey. The Flyers were simply better, overwhelming Washington with were a low-key mess for most of the season, it takes some of the sheen four lines of depth and three useful defensive pairings, not to mention a off this win. strong performance by Brian Elliott in goal. This game’s rewatchability Jan. 8: Flyers 3, Capitals 2 largely boils down to the realization that Philadelphia, at this point, had turned itself into the class of the Metro. Dominance makes for an easy A strong case could be made this was the Flyers’ most important win of watch. the season — the first game back home from their disastrous post- Christmas road trip, against the top team in the division, after playing the The game had its fair share of great moments, too. Travis Konecny previous night in Carolina. There’s even a signature moment: a Kevin scored a goal-that-wasn’t due to the limitations of video review Hayes short-handed, game-winning goal. This one just barely missed the technology, and then shook off the disappointment and scored one that top 10. couldn’t be denied a minute later. Derek Grant provided his “Did he just do that?” kick-pass to set up Hayes’ goal. And Ivan Provorov let loose Kevin Hayes scores a short-handed goal in the win over the Capitals on with his arrow-firing celebration in the third period after extending Jan. 8. (Eric Hartline / USA Today) Philadelphia’s lead to two goals with a snipe of a wrist shot.

10. Nov. 1: Flyers 4, Devils 3 (SO) This was the game that provided indisputable proof the Flyers had become an elite club. No wonder it’s such a satisfying rewatch. 7. Feb. 20: Flyers 4, Blue Jackets 3 (OT) Just a week into the season, Hart put forth a viable candidate for Save of the Year. So much for those concerns about a potential sophomore Want your rewatch to conclude with a signature moment of the Flyers’ slump. season? This one will do nicely. The save wasn’t just eye-popping from a degree of difficulty standpoint It’s not just Hayes’ overtime game-winner that secured a home-and- — the Flyers likely don’t win this game without it. While the 4-0 final home sweep of the playoff-contending Blue Jackets. It’s the post-goal score screams “blowout,” Philadelphia was up just 1-0 when two straight sequence, in which Hayes shows off his imaginary championship belt, penalties by Hayes and Couturier handed the Devils a full, two-minute 5- Provorov rushes to celebrate with his teammate and Konecny swoops in on-3. Had Hall scored, suddenly New Jersey is looking at a tie score and to join them while screaming at a Columbus player. Goofiness, another 90 seconds of 5-on-4 power-play time. Instead, the Devils exuberance and just a touch of peskiness. Ladies and gentlemen, your trudged back to the locker room not only still down on the scoreboard, 2019-20 Philadelphia Flyers. but also knowing they were facing a brick wall in net.

And this isn’t merely a game with a dramatic conclusion. After falling to That was the closest the Devils would come, as the Flyers scored twice the Flyers two nights earlier in Philadelphia, the Blue Jackets threw in 24 seconds to start the third period, putting the game out of reach. The everything they had at the Orange & Black, jumping out to a 2-0 lead and final rundown of firsts: Hayes’ first goal as a Flyer, Niskanen’s first point delivering an early third-period surge that felt like the last gasp of a fast- as a Flyer and, most importantly, Hart’s first NHL shutout. It’s hard to fading club. Yet the Flyers proved able to counterpunch. Nicolas Aubé- think of one more deserved. Kubel’s mid-second-period jaunt through the neutral zone showed that Columbus’ stifling defense wasn’t bulletproof. Konecny responded to the 3. Jan. 13: Flyers 6, Bruins 5 (SO) Blue Jackets’ two early ridiculous goals with a strange one of his own. And Hayes delivered the final blow, one that, in the moment, seemed like Yep, the “Brad Marchand missed the puck at center ice on his shootout a knockout punch to Columbus’ dimming playoff hopes. attempt” game.

6. Nov. 30: Flyers 4, Canadiens 3 (OT) This one was an absolute blast even before the bizarre, supremely satisfying ending. It was the kind of contest that’s a coach’s nightmare — Through 60 minutes of regulation, this one sets up as an entertaining but defense-optional with tons of rushes and counter-rushes — but a fan’s relatively unspectacular tight matchup between Eastern Conference foes. dream. The pace was relentless, the chances plentiful and the leads It’s a back-and-forth battle with neither team really gaining an obvious were never safe. In fact, the Flyers fell behind 2-0, 3-1 and 5-2, only to edge, and those are always fun to watch. But there’s nothing that force overtime and then a shootout. qualifies as a signature, memorable moment. There were numerous heroes for the Flyers: Connor Bunnaman, who That is, until Provorov decides to take matters into his own hands and earned his first NHL goal on a fortunate bounce; Konecny, who scored deliver one of the best plays of his young career. the only goal in a five-round shootout; Travis Sanheim, who came through with the game-tying, highlight-reel tally. But there was only one One of the true treats of this season for fans was watching Provorov — goat: Marchand, the player the NHL loves to hate. who severely underwhelmed in 2018-19 — not merely return to his past heights, but take a further step. And while he’d already taken that leap by 2. Dec. 7: Flyers 4, Senators 3 late November, this game-winning goal served notice to the entire league that Provorov was back on the path to becoming a true No. 1 Ottawa is far from an imposing opponent, so it’s fair to point out that the defenseman — at age 22. Flyers should have won this game, and arguably, in more convincing fashion. 5. Oct. 26: Flyers 7, Blue Jackets 4 But it doesn’t change the fact that this Saturday matinee was simply a lot Throughout the first three weeks of the season, even as the Flyers of fun to watch. outshot and outchanced the opposition almost every night, there were still enough games that felt like “the old Flyers” to give fans pause. Could Mark Borowiecki’s hit on Konecny late in the first period really ramped up this team be more than just an also-ran? the intensity. Suddenly, a team without a Simmonds-level heavyweight had to show it wouldn’t be intimidated, and the Flyers did so via a Oct. 26 was the first night when daring to think this Flyers club might be committee approach. Voracek and Farabee dropped the gloves. Scott different became acceptable. Laughton hit everything that moved. What began as a run-of-the-mill matchup quickly turned into a war. The Flyers of the mid-to-late 2010s would have lost this game in blowout fashion. Their goalie (Elliott) didn’t have his best stuff, and though they Meanwhile, the actual game continued, almost in the background. Twice, largely carried play throughout, they weren’t getting any breaks. Once the Flyers broke out to a one-goal lead; twice, Anthony Duclair quickly Josh Anderson gobbled up a carom off the boards to make it 4-2 with erased it. With five minutes remaining, it appeared the clubs were 17:45 left in the third period, fans would have been forgiven if they headed to overtime — until Laughton, who had been yapping and hitting assumed it wasn’t their team’s night. nonstop in the wake of the hit on Konecny, gave the Flyers a lead they wouldn’t surrender and then let the Ottawa bench hear all about it in his But it was. Oh, it definitely was. post-goal fly-by.

The floodgates began to open with 9:08 remaining, when Shayne Understandably, Ottawa was livid with the show of disrespect, to the Gostisbehere delivered one of his patented Ghost Bombs to cut the point that Brady Tkachuk jumped Laughton in the final minute of a one- deficit to one. Two minutes later, van Riemsdyk redirected a Provorov goal game, ensuring Philadelphia’s victory. It was a perfect way to end pass for a goal. And when faced with the prospect of killing off a late the meanest game of the Flyers’ season, a battle even old school Broad Couturier penalty with the score tied 4-4, Hayes didn’t approach the Street Bullies fans would appreciate. ensuing PK as a challenge. He took it as an opportunity, and in doing so, locked down a Flyers victory with the kind of short-handed heroics that It was also the last Flyers game without the dark clouds of Lindblom’s would become commonplace for him in 2019-20. cancer diagnosis hanging over the club. Lindblom skated for 17:38 in this one, and it warrants a rewatch simply to see him play, unaware of the In the end, the Flyers would score five times over the final 10 minutes of news he would receive days later. The Flyers played more complete regulation, a likely loss inexplicably turned into one of the most satisfying games, and certainly functioned as a more cohesive whole later in the victories of the season. season. But they never were this fun again.

4. Oct. 9: Flyers 4, Devils 0 1. Jan. 15: Flyers 4, Blues 3 (OT)

The Flyers’ season opened on Oct. 4 in the Czech Republic, but Some games are memorable and rewatchable because of a specific considering the unusual timing and location of the game, the team’s moment: a goal or save or hit that becomes a significant part of a home opener five days later felt far more like a traditional Game 1. And season’s story. But others can be watched over and over again due to Philadelphia put its best skate forward, led by Hart, their 21-year-old their inherent quality — two teams operating at near-peak powers and netminder. just gifting fans a fantastic, well-played contest.

That was this nationally televised matchup between the Flyers and the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues. Unlike the Flyers’ win over the Bruins two nights earlier, this wasn’t a sloppy game marred by uncharacteristic mistakes. This was more a game of runs — one club would fire on all cylinders for a few minutes, and then the other would respond with a stretch of dominant play. For Flyers fans, watching their team not only hang tough with the champs but also regularly impose its will was a thrilling sight, one that in retrospect hinted at the level of play Philadelphia would reach on a nightly basis in February and March.

The game wasn’t lacking for signature moments, either. Konecny’s “revenge” on David Perron for his vicious end-of-period crosscheck to the face came via a goal on the ensuing power play, the sweetest kind of payback possible. There was also the overtime game-winner by Voracek. That wasn’t too bad.

For the Blues, it was their first home loss in over a month. For the Flyers, it was proof they had put the miserable post-Christmas road trip to bed. For hockey fans of any kind, it was an absolute treat to watch, and it’s an essential game to rewatch.

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Beaver County Ice Arena wins $100,000 in renovations in Penguins contest

CHRIS ADAMSKI

Tuesday, March 24, 2020 3:01 p.m.

After more than 400 entries from nine counties were narrowed down to three finalists, Beaver County Ice Arena was named the winner of the “Renovate the Rink” by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

The Beaver Falls-based facility beat out fellow finalists Belmont Complex in Armstrong and S&T Arena in Indiana in online voting to win $100,000 earmarked for renovations.

“On behalf of the County Commissioners and the Department of Recreation & Tourism, we are extremely excited to have won the Pittsburgh Penguins/PittComm Renovate the Rink contest,” Beaver County director of recreation and tourism Timothy Ishman said in a statement released by the Penguins.

“Our county, organizations, clubs, family, friends and alumni far and wide got behind us in making this happen. The effort put forth to win the contest not only illustrates how much this rink means to the county and community, but accentuates that when asked Beaver County comes together and steps up to make the place we call home a better place to live, have fun and make memories.”

Congratulations to this year's Renovate the Rink winner…

*drum roll, please*

According to the release, possibilities for renovation include upgrading locker rooms and the entrance area, as well as ADA improvements as a start. He said items would be prioritized and given to the Board of Commissioners for final approval.

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NHL is considering a September Stanley Cup. How will 2021 be impacted?

TIM BENZ

Tuesday, March 24, 2020 6:18 a.m.

Picture it. The Stanley Cup.

Awarded…

…in September???

Yes. That could happen based on a conference call among NHL owners Tuesday. In our weekly hockey podcast, Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer and I talk about the logistics of that attempt. And whether or not that is even worthwhile to try.

Metzer raises a point about the mental asterisk that may be associated with any such trophy to a team winning it during such an odd season.

I’m not worried about that.

What I am worried about is the condition of the ice in the buildings trying to house hockey games in July and August, the issues present when it comes to extending the calendar that close to 2020-21, and the perceived importance of finishing out a measly 10 games or so on the regular-season schedule.

Brian and I are also concerned about a few things we heard in the TSN.ca report about the conference call. Darren Dreger, who relayed the information, said, “If healthy enough to do so, if the National Hockey League is able to return with other major sports, the National Hockey League and the players’ association are going to want to conclude this season.”

Hmmm. “If healthy enough?”

Geez. That sounds ominous. Metzer and I took notice of that, and we question what that may mean for some specific teams.

Here’s another item I have. The NHL apparently had an “infectious disease consultant” on the call with them, according to Dreger. This person was allegedly based in New York. And indications are that he gave the board of governors a “reality check and “some pretty hard numbers.”

Well, if this is one of the same guys who has been advising New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, consider me unimpressed.

Because Cuomo has been using anything but hard numbers in his messaging to New York residents; randomly spitting out ranges of anywhere from “40 to 80 percent” infection rate and hyperbolizing “four to six to nine month” stay-at-home projections.

That’s not what the NHL needs. The NHL needs balanced information. Not screeching agenda-driven, worst-case scenarios.

Right now, it’s Cuomo’s job to keep people inside and keep them safe for the immediate future. It’s the NHL’s job to get long-term advice. Hopefully that “messaging” is getting through to them better than it is to the citizens of New York State.

Beyond that, Brian and I get into how revenue sharing may help, the AT&T SportsNet series of Penguins replayed games, the glory of Bud Ice, and sadness surrounding our wave of concert cancellations.

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Penguins will take over the NHL Network on Wednesday

MIKE DEFABO

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

MAR 24, 2020 1:22 PM

The NHL season may be on pause. But on Wednesday, Penguins fans who can't get to a TV will want to push record on their DVRs.

The NHL Network will run 13 consecutive hours of Penguins content. The special day of programming will highlight some of the franchise's biggest games and most significant historical moments.

The marathon begins at 10 a.m. with Game 6 of the 1991 Stanley Cup final. During that game, the Penguins beat Minnesota, 8-0, as hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time.

At noon, the day continues with Game 4 of the 1992 Stanley Cup final in Chicago, another series-clinching game.

Dartmouth's Drew O'Connor was the Ivy League Men’s Hockey Co- Player of the Year for 2019-20.

From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., NHL Network will air “Pens Pulse.” That’s followed by “In The Room” from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Another Cup-clinching game follows at 6 p.m. This time, NHL Network will take fans back to Game 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup final at San Jose. The day concludes with “Pittsburgh is Home: The Story of the Penguins.”

In addition to the content on NHL Network, AT&T SportsNet will continue to show classic Penguins games and archived shows on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172894 San Jose Sharks

Sharks' Evander Kane working on EK9 clothing line while NHL is paused

By Brodie Brazil March 24, 2020 1:46 PM

Evander Kane hasn’t had a great grasp on time ever since the NHL suspended its season on March 12 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “You know it has only been two weeks,” Kane recently said in a video chat from his home. “And for me personally it feels like it has been two months.” The Sharks' power forward has been sheltering in place like all of his neighbors, spending unprecedented time with his wife and their dog. “It’s good, it’s definitely a change,” Kane described. “Obviously through the course of an NHL season, you’re on the road quite a bit. This is the most time I’ve spent at home in a number of years.” A common sentiment across athletes of all leagues right now is that they miss the ability to entertain. Sure, every player’s first objective is to win. But their true motivation is what they give the fans. Kane is doing what’s possible by staying ever-present on social platforms like Instagram. “As an athlete you try to entertain, try to ‘give the people what they want’,” Kane said. “You try to get creative, I’m trying to figure out different ways to take advantage of the time at home.” For someone who actually looks forward to grocery shopping because it’s “an excuse to leave the house,” it has been a big adjustment for Kane. He also realizes this is the perfect opportunity to work on his upcoming “EK9” line of apparel. “It’s actually a great time for me to put some effort into it now, which I’m doing,” Kane explained. “If all goes well, I hope to have it out late summer, sometime in August.” The clothing line has been on Kane’s radar for years, but the stars finally aligned with a San Jose-based designer. “It’s part of building my brand, reaching other audiences and doing something outside of hockey,” Kane shared. “We’re going to figure out some cool ways to give back to the community, hopefully change some lives. Just try to attack it as many positive ways as possible.” As for his usual day job, Kane is taking the present time to allow his body to rest and recover. Because he, like so many others in the business, has absolutely zero idea what lies ahead. “The entire world is going through this in so many different ways," Kane said. "For us as hockey players, we’re just trying to figure out what our lives are going to look like through these next couple months.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172895 St Louis Blues

Hochman: What I miss today about sports — Blues goalie Jordan Binnington

Benjamin Hochman

He does this thing. He’s in the goal crease, his face hidden inside his mask, and after a close call or a big save or even just a stoppage in play, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington will quickly stick his neck forward and pull it back. Perhaps it could be classified it as a neck “turtle?” It happens really fast, maybe it’s a calming mechanism after some on-ice chaos? Or just an old habit. But for Blues fans, it’s also a signal — it’s Binnington motioning: “I got this.” Perhaps I’ll ask him about it next time I see him, but of course not sure when that’ll be and, furthermore, Binnington isn’t the most sharing of pro athletes. In a way, that’s how his legend grew. He was sort of mysterious. This Roy Hobbs who showed up. His postgame interviews — and pregame interviews, and after-practice interviews — sort of became a shtick. The goalie purposely saying and revealing as little information as possible, while still complying and answering the reporter’s question. What we did learn, famously, is that he’s not nervous. And then he proceeded to go from fourth-string goalie to carrying a team to the playoffs (with absurd statistics), then winning all 16 games to claim the Stanley Cup. In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, he played stupendously on the stage. In retrospect, it stinks that he allowed that lone late goal. Imagine the lore of a shutout in that game? He did, though, make that great save that should be a statue some day (with about 11 minutes left and St. Louis up only 2-0, Binnington outstretched his right leg on the ice to stop a Joakim Nordstrom shot, while Binnington’s torso lunged forward. Just amazing). With the National Hockey League on pause during the coronavirus pandemic, I miss watching Binnington play. And especially after his little rough patch earlier this year. Since the crazy, 6-5 loss at Vegas on Feb. 13, Binnington went 6-3 with a .929 save percentage (for perspective, the season leader in save percentage in the NHL was Anton Khudobin at .930). And for the season, Binnington is third in the NHL with 30 wins. Oh, and Jake Allen is playing like, well, he was paid to play. The big- contract former No. 1 goalie is having a stellar season as a No. 2. He’s fourth in the league this season with a .925 save percentage. Much is made about the Blues' lockdown defense this season, and the rise of David Perron and Robert Thomas offensively. But goodness gracious, these goalies! Binnington has famously showed more personality during fun moments off-ice, be it the victory parade or on Instagram. Perhaps the best peek into Binnington, though, came on the ice after Game 7. During the celebration, I briefly interviewed his girlfriend, the Canadian actress Cristine Prosperi. Had it truly sunk in to him what this all meant to the people of St. Louis? “Yeah, we talk about it all the time, just how important this is for the city, and how he doesn’t want to let the city down,” Prosperi shared. “That he just wants to make them proud. The community has been so amazing — they’ve been behind him and supporting him, and we’re just so happy to bring the Cup back for them. ... “I mean, it’s crazy. Just to put it in the magnitude that we were in San Antonio (in the minors) at the beginning of the year. And now we’re in the Stanley Cup Final and we won the Stanley Cup. I’m just so proud of him, he has worked at this his entire life, he has dreamed of this.” And now, St. Louis must wait for another dream to come true — and the dozens of Binnington breakneck saves and neck turtles along the way. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172896 St Louis Blues I chose this for two reasons: The preparation that went into these projects made me much more familiar with the history of the organization, and it brought me closer to the people who shaped that history. From the Stanley Cup to ‘Hamm-ing’ it up, my top moments as a Blues In writing “100 Things Blues fans …”, I’ll never forget interviewing Hockey writer Hall of Famer on the phone. The first captain of the Blues was alert, but the memories had faded, so his wife, Claire, was on the phone for the entire conversation, helping him answer some of the questions. Of the Blues taking Arbour in the NHL expansion draft at age 35, he said: “I By Jeremy Rutherford Mar 24, 2020 35 really wanted to quit, but (former Blues president Lynn Patrick) kept telling me just to come to St. Louis and look things over. So two weeks after the season started, I came. It was the best thing that ever happened The pause in the NHL season has also given some of us reason to to me.” pause and even reflect. For “My Blues Note,” Federko couldn’t have been more accommodating. Yes, covering the St. Louis Blues is a dream job for someone like me The Hall of Famer made himself available at all times of the day, often who has lived in St. Louis his entire life. Yet, despite its glamorous offering to go out to lunch and picking up the tab. I remember one day at appearance at times, the job can also be life-consuming. lunch, I asked why he didn’t have a protective case on his cellphone. He replied: “JR, I spent 14 years as a center in the NHL. I have good hands, From the start of training camp in September until free agency the and I don’t drop things.” The next time I saw Federko, he had a cracked following July, there’s not much downtime. There are stories, mailbags, screen. We had some laughs. live chats, podcasts, constant interviews, radio hits, Twitter, emails and texts. Sometimes the notifications come in so fast they make their own Bernie Federko signs copies of “My Blues Note.” (Jeremy Rutherford / ringtone song. The Athletic) You’d do anything for a day off … and then, suddenly, you get 14 of them The difficult part for me was when Federko had a book signing at a local because the league shuts down to help protect everyone from the spread store, I almost felt embarrassed to sit next to him. And what made it of the new coronavirus. crazy is that after he would sign a book, he would scoot it over to me and tell me to sign it, too. It was his autobiography and the people in line I’m not going to lie, I’ve enjoyed being at home with my family at the time didn’t even know me, but Federko would insist. It was truly a case of of the year when I’m usually on the road. My wife, Sarah, and I have a meeting your hero, and he’s even nicer than you expected. daughter, Georgia (10), and a son, Eli (7), and this week we’re playing the “Quarantine Cup,” a seven-game series, boys vs. girls, in our On the ice in Boston unfinished basement. The girls took Game 1 by the score of 10-9, with Georgia scoring the winning goal. After the Blues lost Game 6 in St. Louis, I went home and my daughter, Georgia, was sad. She’s a huge Blues fan, so I thought it was because I posted the video on Facebook. One of my hockey friends noted that I the Blues lost. It was, but also because Game 7 in Boston would be on failed to back-check on the play, and another said it looked like goalie her 10th birthday. It made me sad because I would be in Boston and I’d interference. I’m definitely guilty of a lack of a back-check, and while I miss her birthday. When I left for the airport, she said: “Daddy, it’s OK … don’t see the goalie interference, that has been the case in a lot of Blues just bring home the Stanley Cup!” games I’ve covered, so maybe it was. Yeah, OK, no problem. We’re definitely creating some family memories during these trying times for everyone, but it also has made me realize that I do love my job. I’ve As a reporter, even one from St. Louis, you learn to cut the cord and be missed being at the rink and the familiar faces I’m used to seeing every objective. But I’d be lying if I wasn’t thinking about my daughter and the day. OK, I also miss my phone buzzing — there, I said it. rest of the city as I stepped onto the ice after the Blues’ 4-1 victory over the Bruins to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. I remember To illustrate what I’m saying, I thought it would be fun to make a list of my FaceTiming my family as I walked the length of the ice, and I could hear top moments as a Blues writer. I’m not going to say five or 10 or 12 my daughter on the phone “oohing” and “ahhing” every time she saw a because I don’t know how many I’m going to write. I’m just going to jot player. them down as I think of them. But beyond “coming through” for my daughter, being able to see the raw One other disclaimer: Most of these are going to be personal. There have emotion of Alexander Steen tearing up, Pat Maroon hugging his son, been hundreds of little stories that have happened over the 15-plus years Anthony, and others embracing their parents, wives, siblings, it was covering the team that I think people would find funny. something that you could never forget. All of those early-morning practices over the years, and many other sacrifices … it was all worth it Like the time my cellphone rang one year on Christmas morning and the now, and I was mere feet away documenting it. caller ID said: “JD,” as in former Blues president John Davidson. I wrote a blurb about this in The Hockey News, so some may know the story, but Alexander Steen celebrates the Stanley Cup on the ice in Boston with his for those who don’t: He wasn’t calling to wish me a Merry Christmas. A wife, Sophie, and father, Thomas. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) fan had written on a message board that Davidson had flipped him off in traffic, and while the Blues’ boss was admitting that his emotions got the June 12, 2019, will be a day that lives forever in Blues lore, but it has best of him, he wanted me to reply on the message board that he wanted extra meaning for this dad and daughter, who will always remember what to apologize to the guy. she was doing on her 10th birthday. Or the time I was interviewing Ken Hitchcock in a visiting locker room. Riding in the parade We were both sitting down. He got up. I started following him so that my Before the Stanley Cup parade began, I walked the sidewalk to see what recorder would pick up his voice. A few seconds later, he was walking I’d be able to get a glimpse of. Those of you who were downtown that toward the urinal. I stopped and turned around. day will vouch for me that if you were eight or 10 people deep, it would Or the night I posted a story online immediately after a game in Chicago. be difficult to see. Of course I had to write a story, so a bit concerned, I The Blues had flown home right away, and as soon as they landed, asked the Blues’ public-relations department if I could jump on one of the former Blues defenseman Erik Johnson texted to make me aware that I floats. had a mistake — it was Paul Kariya, not he, who had his pocket picked “Ask one of the players,” I was told. on a goal against. Well, several of the Blues had their families with them, and I’m not one to Gosh, I could go on and on, but truth be told, that kind of stuff happens a impose. But as Jake Allen walked up to an old firetruck, I built up enough lot, and I’ve forgotten half of them. So for our purposes, I’m going to stick courage to ask him, and he was more than welcoming. I tried to blend in to the stories that have mattered the most to me over the years. And as a with him, which isn’t easy when you’re 275 pounds, but I was able to spoiler alert, many of them are recent and have something to do with the stand up and take some pictures. Stanley Cup. The sea of Blues fans was simply amazing. It was a Stanley Cup parade Writing the Blues books on Market Street, something generations of fans had fantasized about for I’m not leading off with the fact that I’ve written two books — “100 Things decades. That scene will probably be my No. 1 memory when I’m done Blues Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die” and “Bernie Federko: covering the team, even higher than witnessing the final few seconds on My Blues Note” — in the hope that you’ll buy them. If I were doing that, the ice in Boston. then I would tell you they’re available on Amazon or local bookstores. But Blues goalie Jake Allen begins the Stanley Cup parade route in front of of course I wouldn’t do that. Enterprise Center. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) One other part of that day will always be in my memory, too. At one point, Hollywood actor and Blues fan Jon Hamm showing off his The Athletic I jumped off Allen’s firetruck to take some pictures. Well, the truck took app. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) off without me, so I had to start jogging to catch up. When I got there, I stepped up and blew a hole in my jeans. Yeah, a hole “there.” So for During the quarantine, many people have spent their free time bingeing those friends I saw on the parade route, I wanted to come over and say on Netflix, and I am one of those people. I’ve watched the entire first “hello,” but I honestly couldn’t move. season of “Mad Men.” And before I wrap up here, I just want to say this: If you’re reading, Jon, I like your work. Sharing the fun with family I hope this wasn’t too personal for most of you. I probably have treasure When I was younger, I used to think that I couldn’t let anyone get the troves of Blues stories that I could share, if I could remember them. If I impression that I grew up a Blues fan. And later on in life, when I got do, perhaps I could put them in a book, which would probably be married and had children, I was even careful about my family showing available on Amazon. In the meantime, during this time that we’re all their allegiance. Then someone I respect immensely told me two things: spending with family, I hope you can understand that these are the You’ve proved that you’re an objective reporter, and your family is from stories that mean a lot to me. St. Louis, so they’re expected to root for the Blues. The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 It’s still not easy for me, but now, at 44 years old, I understand that life is about making memories, so if I can share it with Sarah and the kids, then I do it. Last summer, I received an email from Blues owner Tom Stillman and his wife, Mary, inviting Sarah and me to their house for a Stanley Cup party. We were able to get our picture with Stillman and the Stanley Cup, and it’s one of my favorites. When the Blues hosted the All-Star game in January, I recorded a TV segment at a local affiliate and the kids were thrilled to able to sit on the set afterward. But my favorite story happened last season, when I broke my right ankle, which is on the leg you need to drive. I had been wearing a boot for several weeks and my ankle was feeling a lot better. Still, I decided not to go to practice one day — until the Blues announced that Vladimir Tarasenko would be talking for the first time since his surgery. My kids were home from school, so I told them to get in the car and we were headed to practice. After the interview, Tarasenko took a picture with them, and as we drove home, Georgia said, “I’m never going to wash this shoulder again.” ‘We Went Blues’ podcast The reason I got into media is I love sports and I love to write, and that hasn’t changed. But as many of you know, media has changed over the years to include radio and podcasts, etc. This season, The Athletic introduced a new podcast called “We Went Blues,,” which I co-host with former Blues defenseman Barret Jackman. First of all, I don’t know if there’s a player I covered whom I respected more than Jackman, who epitomized what it meant to be a blue-collar Blue. We’ve had the pleasure to interview many good guests, but the day we spent with the legendary Bobby Plager was incredible. I’m standing with two No. 5s, the original, Plager, and the one whom Plager later handpicked to wear it, Jackman. As they shared stories, all I wanted to do was shut up and listen and soak it up. And then, right on cue, Plager unzipped his jacket and showed off his “We Went Blues” T-shirt, which was appropriate because of the podcast. Jeremy Rutherford, Bobby Plager and Barret Jackman after recording an episode of the “We Went Blues” podcast. (Courtesy of Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) I’ve written a lot about Plager over the years, including one story about how he can hardly bear to watch the games live and another one about him taking the Stanley Cup to the grave of his brother, Barclay. They are two of my favorites — the stories and the brothers. I wish I could have met Barclay, who died in 1988 at age 46. But fortunately, I’ve been able to develop a friendship with Bobby, and I cherish every moment with him. Hamming it up I had never watched an episode of “Mad Men” until this week. I’ve known that Jon Hamm is a huge Blues fan, but every time I’ve seen him around the rink, there have been a lot of people around him, and I didn’t want to be that guy. Before the Blues went out on Market Street for their Stanley Cup parade, the players were inside Enterprise Center getting their pictures taken at center ice with family. I was standing about 30 feet back, watching everything unfold. At one point, I turned and there was Hamm. I finally took the opportunity to say hello and shake his hand. “I like reading your work,” he said. Uh, excuse me, come again? I was blown away. I had no idea Hamm had ever read a word, and here he was saying that he had seen a story or two. I thanked him, of course, and figured that might be the last encounter we ever had. But at the All-Star Game, we crossed paths and said “hello” again. At that point, Hamm pulled out his phone and pointed to The Athletic app. 1172897 Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning will stream game simulations on Twitch

Fans can watch what might have been: digital simulations of the games the Lightning aren’t playing right now. If you can’t play ... then simulate. The rest of the Lightning’s regular- season games are currently on hold, but the team is still trying to share them with fans. They will stream simulations generated by the video game NHL20 from EA Sports on Twitch. Twitch streams video game content, typically of users playing live online. But these will be purely simulations, a glimpse of what might have been. The Lightning are playing catchup to the original schedule with three games apiece on Monday and Tuesday nights. It will be Lightning vs. Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. Wednesday. It’s not as a good as a live game, but it’s what we have. NHL.tv and Fox Sports Sun are airing replays of past games, and this is the only other avenue for action while the league is on pause to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In typical game play, NHL20 and other sports-based video games use simulations to skip ahead within a season or fast-forward time when the gamer’s character is not on the ice. In the current sports-less landscape, fans and teams are getting creative. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172898 Toronto Maple Leafs might recall lanky defenceman Staffan Kronwall, the younger brother of Detroit star Niklas, who played 52 games for the Leafs, mostly in 2005- 06. He is retiring at age 37 after nine KHL seasons, the past few as Yaroslavl’s team captain … As of Tuesday night, more than 100 NHL There are still Maple Leafs goals, if you listen games have been postponed. Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.25.2020 Lance Hornby

The Maple Leafs are laid off, but their goals, assists and three stars live on thanks to game-night public address man Mike Ross. With COVID-19 postponing the season, restricting most fans to their homes and causing much anxiety among the public, Ross thought of using his vocal talents “to spread some sunshine in tough times for the most passionate fans you’ll find”. He hit on a personalized video clip announcing goals by fans or including their favourite Leaf as if trying to be heard over the cheering at SBA, complete with his signature roll out for names such as “Mmm-itch Mmm- arner.” Ross takes requests through @RossyOnTheMic, records at his home studio in Ajax and sends them back via Twitter or Instagram. “I saw Al Murdoch was doing goals by Canucks players, and my twist was to put names with fans or their kids,” said Ross. “It’s a great way to connect. A lot of people love having their name announced with a Leafs player, current or retired, and a time of the goal that might have significance for them.” As an alternative, Ross will duplicate his nightly three stars routine, in fact Johnny Bower’s grandson asked him for one with the late Leafs legend as first selection. “That was so great, because announcing Johnny’s sweater retirement a few years ago was one of my career highlights,” Ross said. The top five requested players for goal calls are Auston Matthews, Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. As Ross’s idea gained steam, it caused Matthews and Marner to trend on Twitter. He’s also asked to belt out a goal by a parent assisted by two kids, or maybe three siblings on the same scoring play. “I’ve received a lot of great feedback,” Ross said. “One Dad told me he surprised his kids in bed by playing their goal as they were waking up.” Ross had more than 500 fan requests as of Tuesday. He transcribes his information and edits about 30 to 40 a night after day duties hosting The Gazette on AMI.ca (Accessible Media Inc.) a variety news broadcast for blind Canadians. The 46-year-old Ross, who has worked for the OHL’s Ottawa 67s and SiriusXM’s hockey show, replaced Andy Frost at the SBA microphone in 2016. Ross will use the name of another team’s player in his act — if it’s a penalty or it’s a humorous suggestion. “This is all about Leafs Nation, but if it’s Boston or Montreal that’s fantastic, I’ll play along. A great line was by a Bruins fan who wanted me to say ‘Boston two minutes for too many men on the ice – and not enough social distancing’…”A A SOUP’S ON Ilya Mikheyev can get all dressed up again, but has no place to go. The Russian winger, who suffered that career-threatening skate blade laceration to his wrist on Dec. 27 in New Jersey, is “100 per cent healthy” according to agent Daniel Milstein in an e-mail to Postmedia. Delicate surgery and a long rehab process followed. Milstein said the projected return date of ‘The Souperman’ was last week, a March 19 home game against the New York Islanders, but that was one of six Leafs games cancelled so far. Mikheyev and girlfriend Christina are in Toronto in self-isolation, joining many teammates with the NHL this week advising players remain at home 10 more days beyond the original end date of March 27. LOOSE LEAFS The OHL/CHL season going dark this week meant promising Leafs pick Nick Robertson of the can’t improve on his already impressive 55 goals as playoffs loomed. Some think Robertson’s next game of consequence will be in a Toronto sweater in October. “Crazy how a season could end like this,” the Petes’ alternate captain said on social media, thanking teammates “for making it a fun ride to this point. Everyone stay safe and healthy under this unfortunate time” … Some 1172899 Toronto Maple Leafs percent this year, second highest of his career), he lives in the 40-goal neighbourhood in future years, falling short of 50 — and well shy of Vaive’s record. The 4 biggest Maple Leafs ‘What Ifs…’ that will likely go unanswered this Chasing both, and potentially, a Rocket Richard title, means staying year healthy. Injuries robbed Matthews of 32 games over the previous two seasons.

So while a betting man may be wise to put money on Matthews hitting By Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle Mar 24, 2020 36 50, erasing Vaive’s name from the record book and even leading the league in goals, it’s obviously no sure thing. This season, it’s an opportunity missed. It has been, incredibly, only 12 days since hockey went away. 2. A Frederik Andersen turnaround In that time, six of the Maple Leafs remaining 12 games would have been The Leafs were Jekyll and Hyde all season. And a big piece of that was played, including a big one against the Panthers on Monday night. On an their No. 1 goaltender. alternate, non-coronavirus shutdown timeline, the Leafs would have been about to begin the final handful games of their stretch drive, trying to lock Aside from one two-month span between mid-October and mid- in a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season. December, Andersen was not himself this year. He was on pace to have his worst statistical season, with a .909 save percentage, well below his That’s one compelling storyline we’re missing out on right now. But there norm in Toronto established over the last three seasons. are a few more. There are a couple of interesting things at play with Andersen, too. Jonas and I combined heads on this and came up with the four key things we’d been looking forward to covering to close out the year. Here’s One, he needs a new contract after next season and it’s anything but a hoping there’ll be some semblance of a postseason at some point — certainty that can get done given his performance and the Leafs’ cap because the regular season is almost certainly over for 2019-20. situation. 1. Auston Matthews 50-goal chase, a Rocket Richard Trophy and a Two, Andersen hasn’t had a whole lot of playoff success in his career franchise record and can be pointed to as part of the issue Toronto’s had in series against Washington and Boston (x2) the past three years. This would have been fun. This spring was going to be his chance at redemption — and to Had the NHL not suspended play, Matthews could have been running potentially solidify himself as the team’s starter for the long term. It’s not down a) the first 50-goal season by a Leaf in 26 years, b) Rick Vaive’s hard to envision a scenario where the underdog Leafs, led by Andersen, franchise record of 54 goals and perhaps, c) the first Rocket Richard won a playoff series or two, which could dramatically change how this Trophy by a Leaf right now. entire season — for every player — would be viewed. He had a real chance at all three, in what would have been a truly historic But if Andersen’s tough year ends like this, what does it mean? season. 3. The Leafs and the playoffs Imagine the excitement in Scotiabank Arena when Matthews scored goal No. 49 and put himself on the precipice of the 50-goal club — which So much about the Leafs in the postseason (assuming they ultimately got includes only three members of the Leafs in their 102-season history. in) would have been fascinating: Imagine Matthews’ own emphatic celebration when he finally buried the big 5-0. Imagine the cameras panning to Vaive in the crowd as Matthews Erasing the stench of an up-and-down regular season: Though Jekyll and crept and closer to his record. Imagine Vaive, the one-time Leafs captain, Hyde seemed to be trading places night after night, it wouldn’t have been congratulating Matthews in the dressing room after the 22-year-old hit 55 all that shocking to see a team with this much talent put it together and and established a new franchise benchmark. win a round or two — and maybe more — in the playoffs. Andersen could get hot. Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares could all go off on Imagine what a bright light that would have been for the Leafs in a scoring binges. Mitch Marner could put teams on their heels. The Leafs’ season featuring a lot of drudge and dreariness. No. 1 power play unit could heat up. The defence could have wobbled but not broken. It was (or perhaps still is) all on the table. And had the We saw this season in the NHL how intriguing a chase can be as Alex Leafs beaten, say, Tampa in the first round, even if they were eliminated Ovechkin hunted down 700 goals, or on the NBA side of things, as soon after, the trials of the regular season would have been, at least LeBron James passed Kobe Bryant for third in all-time scoring. partly, forgotten. Overall, the season would have been marked by The Matthews pursuit was on a much smaller scale, obviously, but tangible progress. tracking it night after night during a playoff race would have been Sheldon Keefe in the playoffs: Mike Babcock took plenty of heat for his something. playoff performance as Leafs coach — some of it justified, some of it not. Fifty goals itself may have been an inevitability for Matthews but the How would Keefe have fared in his first opportunity, not only with the franchise record was no sure thing. Leafs but as an NHL head coach period? How would the Leafs coach have reacted if two games went by and the offence stalled? Would he Matthews needed only eight goals in the final 12 games to nab the mark have gone to the blender, or stayed patient? How would his offensive from Vaive — 0.67 per game. Matthews scored 47 goals in the first 70 and defensive tactics have worked in postseason hockey? Would he games of the season — 0.67 per game. have stuck with Andersen if the 30-year-old stumbled out of the gate? How many minutes would he have given to the third and fourth lines if This would have been close. they continued to lack punch? We may have to wait another year to find Add in the nightly jostling with Ovechkin and David Pastrnak for the NHL out how Keefe runs his bench in the playoffs. goals crown and, man, you’ve got something special. All-in on skill: Beyond — and even including — Keefe, this year’s Leafs Matthews figures to be front and centre in many Rocket Richard races team was really the first entirely owned by GM . He had his the rest of his career and yes, it’s easy to envision him making perennial own coach and a roster of his choosing. The -signed likes runs at 50. Heck, 60 doesn’t feel out of the question. of Ron Hainsey, , Nazem Kadri and Roman Polak were all gone. Tyson Barrie, Jake Muzzin and Alexander Kerfoot, among His quick release isn’t going anywhere and Matthews has even others, were added in their place. This was going to be the first real test expanded his arsenal with a one-timer on the power play this year. He’s of whether that kind of roster, built almost entirely around skill — with also bound to keep chewing up huge minutes with Sheldon Keefe as little of the heft or grit (save for Muzzin and Kyle Clifford) — could inflict head coach. damage in the postseason. Win a round and the noise subsides a bit. Get knocked out again in the first round and, fairly or not, the referendum But so much has to go right to get 50. on Dubas and the kind of teams he’s trying to build heats up. Questions would even emerge on whether the core needs breaking up. (It doesn’t.) There’s a reason we’ve seen only 22 seasons of 50 goals or more since the 2005-06 lockout — a span of 15 seasons — and eight of them were Fourth time’s a charm? A core of Leafs — Matthews, Marner, Nylander, by Ovechkin. Andersen, Zach Hyman, Morgan Rielly, Kasperi Kapanen — endured first-round losses in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Would those experiences Matthews had 40 goals in 82 games as a rookie and then sniped at a 45- harden their approach in 2020? Would getting another crack at closing goal pace in each of the two seasons that followed. So, elite — but not out a series at home, for instance, go better after one failed opportunity quite 50. It’s possible, with a little less shooting luck (he was firing at 16 last spring? Would these Leafs have found the fight needed shift after shift to win the franchise’s first playoff series since 2004? How would individuals like Nylander handle those moments? What about Matthews, who scored five times in seven games last year against the Bruins? Would Andersen have finally emerged as the best goalie in a series for the Leafs? What kind of damage could Matthews and Marner do together? What kind of impact would new additions like Barrie have made? So much will remain unknown about this team if no postseason is ultimately held. 4. The return of the Soupman One of the best feelgood stories of the Leafs season — and potentially this NHL season — was abbreviated at the end of the December when Ilya Mikheyev suffered that nasty skate cut in New Jersey. The Russian rookie instantly became a fan favourite after his first game as a Leaf, when he espoused in great detail — in halting English — about how much he missed eating soup like he did back home in Omsk. But there was a lot more to Mikheyev than simply a few funny quotes and a Campbell’s sponsorship. For one, this relatively unknown 25-year-old free agent signing could really play. Mikheyev had 23 — none of which came on the power play. Amazingly, he continues to lead all Leafs in 5-on-5 points per minute. More than just points, however, Mikheyev was such a strong all-around player almost immediately, emerging as an excellent PKer and somewhat of a chameleon who could blend in on any line he was placed on. Mikheyev was getting very close to returning after three months away when the season shut down. It’s highly likely he would have been able to play in the playoffs, in any event. And it would have been fascinating to see him perform on a big stage, given his reputation for being so great in those situations over in Russia. Mikheyev’s future with the Leafs is a bit up in the air given he needs a new contract. The Leafs are going to be tight against the cap again, and with players like this, who have been stars in the KHL, there will always be the potential to make more back home. His agent, Dan Milstein, has addressed the situation rather honestly on social media: HTTPS://T.CO/XLAGY2JHQ5 PIC.TWITTER.COM/QVTQKESNKA — DAN MILSTEIN-HOCKEY (@HOCKEYAGENT1) FEBRUARY 12, 2020 Here’s hoping that the 39 games we got weren’t all there is for Mikheyev in Toronto, however. He really seems to have the makings of something special. The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172900 Vegas Golden Knights

NHL extends self-isolation period to April 6

By Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal

An NHL recommendation for players and staff to self-isolate and stay away from team facilities has been extended an additional 10 days. The original guidelines had been set to expire March 27, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to The Associated Press that date has been pushed to April 6. League officials have held conference calls with the Board of Governors and team general managers over the past two days to discuss the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has forced massive cancellations in the sports world. Team facilities now will be closed until at least April 6, though no formal decisions have been made as to a timeline for that to occur and the league has indicated players may be brought back in smaller groups when facilities reopen. No determination has been made about when the NHL may resume its season or how the rest of the schedule and playoffs might proceed. Commissioner Gary Bettman has said any decision about a return to action will be made in consultation with health officials, but he has expressed optimism that the league will be able to crown a champion at some point. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation against gatherings of 50 or more people is in place until mid-May. Gov. Steve Sisolak issued an emergency directive Tuesday banning gatherings of 10 or more people in the state. The league has said it plans to hold a full 2020-21 season, even if the start date needs to be pushed back. An FAQ released Monday by the league said the NHL is not recommending players get tested unless they exhibit symptoms. “Our medical experts do not recommend mass testing for all NHL players,” it said. “Besides the fact that there would be insufficient testing resources to accommodate such a direction, the medical community does not believe that such testing is medically indicated, or in accordance with the parameters issued by applicable health authorities.” Two Ottawa Senators players have tested positive for the virus, according to the team. The Golden Knights are waiting for further direction from the league on when they can assemble as a team and return to the facility. The players are self-isolating. The league has not made any decisions about the draft or scouting combine. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172901 Vegas Golden Knights defend at a high level. He has the potential to be an all-situations player in the NHL.

Golden Knights forward Lucas Elvenes skates with the puck during How Golden Knights prospects fared this season Knights rookie camp practice a ... Golden Knights forward Lucas Elvenes skates with the puck during Knights rookie camp practice at City National Arena in Las Vegas on By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye

4. LW/RW Lucas Elvenes The Golden Knights’ farm system has started to trickle into the NHL. Acquired: 2017 draft, fifth round, 127th overall The team’s first-ever draft pick, Cody Glass, has debuted. products Nic Hague, Jake Bischoff, Keegan Kolesar, Zach Age: 20 Whitecloud and Gage Quinney also have. None was immediate game- changers upon their arrival — they had a combined 25 points in 101 Highest level: AHL games — but they provided important and cheap depth for a team near Stats: 12 goals, 36 assists in 59 games the salary-cap ceiling. The wing joined the Wolves this season after beginning his professional The Knights’ reliance on that young, inexpensive labor should only career in Sweden. All he did was lead Chicago in points, rank fourth increase once they have a hometown American Hockey League affiliate. among AHL rookies in scoring and make the All-Star team. So, with hockey shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, now feels like a good time to check on the farm. .@Elvenes25 has had one heckuva season. Check out our young rook's top moments #Elvis#WeAreTheWolves pic.twitter.com/7JCEBva7uG Here’s how the Review-Journal’s preseason top 10 Knights’ prospects performed this season: — Chicago Wolves (@Chicago_Wolves) March 24, 2020 El centro de los Golden Knights de Las Vegas, Cody Glass (9), espera Elvenes is a playmaker with a lot of skill. His debut could come soon if he un enfrentamiento durante ... works on his play away from the puck. 1. C/RW Cody Glass (Exceeded rookie status) Vegas Golden Knights' Zach Whitecloud plays against the Los Angeles Acquired: 2017 draft, first round, sixth overall Kings during an NHL hockey ... Age: 20 5. D Zach Whitecloud Highest level: NHL Acquired: 2017 college free agent signing Stats: Five goals, seven assists in 39 games Age: 23 Glass had a dream debut. He scored his first goal against the Knights’ Highest level: NHL biggest rival — the San Jose Sharks — with his father and brother in Stats: One assist in 16 games attendance. Hague’s loss was Whitecloud’s gain. The blue liner received an The rest of his season was inconsistent. He was a power-play asset but opportunity instead of his former Wolves defense partner after the wasn’t as noticeable at 5-on-5, especially because he spent time out of Knights returned from the All-Star break. He took full advantage, earning position at right wing. his spot with consistent, heady play that was impressive for a rookie. Glass’ season ended with a knee injury in February. He’s expected to be Whitecloud’s game isn’t flashy, but he’s dependable in his own zone and ready for training camp. on the penalty kill. He’s received an extension through the 2021-22 2. D Nic Hague (Exceeded rookie status) season. Acquired: 2017 draft, second round, 34th overall Vegas Golden Knights prospect Dylan Coghlan takes a slap shot during the third day of Golden Kn ... Age: 21 Vegas Golden Knights prospect Dylan Coghlan takes a slap shot during Highest level: NHL the third day of Golden Knights development camp at City Center Arena on Thursday, June 28, 2018, in Las Vegas. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Stats: One goal, 10 assists in 38 games Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye Hague scored his first goal Jan. 21 in his 39th game. His time in the NHL 6. D Dylan Coghlan then ended. Acquired: 2017 rookie camp signing The defenseman stayed in the AHL after the All-Star break after new coach Pete DeBoer decided to give fellow rookie Zach Whitecloud a Age: 22 shot. Highest level: AHL Hague showed progress as he adjusted to the NHL’s speed and physicality. He didn’t look ready for heavy minutes, but defensemen often Stats: 11 goals, 13 assists in 60 games take time to blossom. Coghlan’s sophomore AHL campaign wasn’t quite as impressive as his Golden Knights 2019 first-round pick warms up for the first, when he ranked third among rookie defensemen with 40 points. Winnipeg Ice before a game a ... There’s still plenty to like. Golden Knights 2019 first-round pick Peyton Krebs warms up for the The offensive defenseman turned heads in rookie and training camp with Winnipeg Ice before a game against the in his sharp shot and toughness. His play in his own zone could still Portland, Oregon on Sunday. (Keith Dwiggins/Portland Winterhawks) improve, but he’s close to contributing. 3. C Peyton Krebs Vegas Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev, left, looks for an open shot against goaltender Jordan K ... Acquired: 2019 draft, first round, 17th overall Vegas Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev, left, looks for an open shot Age: 19 against goaltender Jordan Kooy during a development camp scrimmage at City National Arena in Las Vegas, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (Erik Highest level: (major juniors) Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco Stats: 12 goals, 48 assists in 38 games 7. LW/RW Pavel Dorofeyev The center started his season rehabbing in Las Vegas after partially Acquired: 2019 draft, third round, 79th overall tearing his Achilles tendon training in June. He didn’t play until Nov. 17, but shook off the rust in no time. Krebs can skate, set up teammates and Age: 19 Highest level: Kontinental Hockey League Stats: Four goals, three assists in 48 games Dorofeyev adjusted to the KHL slowly after torching the Russian junior league last season. The wing impressed the Knights with his athleticism at the combine. Now he needs to learn how to use it against grown men. Dorofeyev is under contact in the KHL through the 2021-22 season. Providence's (12) during an NCAA hockey game against Colgate on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 ... 8. RW Jack Dugan Acquired: 2017 draft, fifth round, 142nd overall Age: 22 Highest level: NCAA Stats: 10 goals, 42 assists in 34 games Dugan’s stock shot through the roof this season. The leading scorer in Division I men’s college hockey had an outstanding sophomore campaign for Providence and was named one of 10 Hobey Baker Award finalists. Dugan even gave local fans a taste of what’s to come when he scored the winning goal in a shootout to lead the Friars to the Fortress Invitational title in January at T-Mobile Arena. The wing hasn’t decided whether he will turn professional this year. If he does, he could contribute quickly because he has enough skill and grit to play up and down the lineup. Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jimmy Schuldt (4) plays against the San Jose Sharks during an N ... 9. D Jimmy Schuldt Acquired: 2019 college free agent signing Age: 24 Highest level: NHL Stats (in AHL): Six goals, 15 assists in 52 games Schuldt spent his first full professional season in the AHL after making his NHL debut April 6 against the Los Angeles Kings. The defenseman showed flashes of why he was a coveted player coming out of St. Cloud State. He skates fairly well and can contribute on the power play. His 42 penalty minutes were second-most among Wolves defensemen. Schuldt, Hague, Coghlan and Jake Bischoff probably will fight for NHL time again in training camp. Vegas Golden Knights select Kaedan Korczak looks on during the second round of the NHL hockey d ... 10. D Kaedan Korczak Acquired: 2019 draft, second round, 41st overall Age: 19 Highest level reached: WHL Stats: 11 goals, 38 assists in 60 games Korczak was regarded as a steady defender when the Knights drafted him, but he might be more than that. His offense is up (0.49 points per game to 0.82) and his penalty minutes down (64 to 27) compared with last season. He’s showing why general manager Kelly McCrimmon dubbed him “a first-round talent.” Note: Rookie status means a player “must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age by Sept. 15 of that season is not considered a rookie.” Players who have exceeded rookie status are no longer considered prospects. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172902 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights sign college free agent defenseman to AHL contract

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Golden Knights signed college free agent defenseman Jake McLaughlin to an AHL contract for the 2020-21 season Tuesday. The 23-year-old recently finished his senior season at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He had three goals and 11 assists in 34 games to help the Minutemen finish 21-11-2. His 14 points were a career-high. McLaughlin is the first AHL signing by the Knights’ new Henderson affiliate. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172903 Vegas Golden Knights An RFA who has reached certain professional experience qualifier is eligible for an offer sheet. That means he is eligible to sign on a contract with another team, though his original team has an opportunity to match it. How NHL restricted free agency works and affects the Golden Knights For example, both Stephenson and Cousins are eligible for offer sheets this summer. They can negotiate and sign a contract with another team, but the Golden Knights have the right of first refusal. If Stephenson or By Justin Emerson (contact) Cousins signs an offer sheet with another team, Vegas can choose to retain them under the same terms of the offer sheet. Zach Whitecloud signed a two-year extension with the Golden Knights on Offer sheets are an opportunity for teams to sign other teams’ players Sunday, securing the 23-year-old defenseman’s future with the team before they reach UFA status, as well as for the player to negotiate his through the summer of 2022. own salary and term. But offer sheets are incredibly rare in the NHL — there has only been one signed since 2013. Even when his contract expires, however, Whitecloud likely isn’t going anywhere. That’s because in two years Whitecloud will be a restricted Neither Stephenson nor Cousins is likely to break the trend this summer. free agent — just like he would have been this summer without an A player qualifies for an offer sheet based on how long he has been a extension. professional after signing an entry-level contract. The minimum Restricted free agency is different in the NHL and can be hard to get a requirement is players with at least three years of NHL service, meaning grasp on, so here’s an explainer on how it works and affects the Whitecloud wouldn’t have qualified this summer. He will when he negotiating power of a player. becomes an RFA again in 2022. What is a restricted free agent? What are arbitration rights? A restricted free agent (RFA) is a player whose contract has expired but In some cases, an RFA and his team can go to a third-party arbitrator to is not yet eligible to be an unrestricted free agent (UFA). As the names determine the player’s salary. Both sides present their case and what imply, an UFA is able to sign a contract with any team without limitations. they think is a fair salary, and the arbiter decides on a number. Certain conditions apply to an RFA’s signing power. Arbitration is worthwhile for RFAs because it gives them a partial say in their salary as opposed to the team determining it essentially on their The short version is that if a team wants to have an RFA back for another own. In most cases, players don’t go to arbitration and instead settle at a season, it can. Some players are eligible for arbitration, which can raise deal somewhere at the midpoint. In the summer of 2018, William their salary, or offer sheets, which allows an avenue for a team change. Karlsson filed for $6.5 million while the Golden Knights countered at $3.5 More on both of those routes later. million. He signed a one-year deal worth $5.25 million instead. Do teams need to do anything to retain RFA players’ rights? Players can go to arbitration if they are an RFA who has not signed an offer sheet and meet a professional experience qualifier based on when They need to tender a “qualifying offer” by either June 25 or the Monday they signed their entry-level contract. Whitecloud wouldn’t have qualified after the NHL Entry Draft, whichever is later. If a team chooses not to this summer for arbitration either. Like his offer sheet status, he will be tender the offer, the pending RFA would become a UFA. That rarely eligible in 2022. happens because not tendering the offer is essentially the same thing as releasing a player. How long until a player reaches UFA status? A qualifying offer must be for one year and at least equal to the player’s A player becomes a UFA once his contract expires, and he is either 27 previous salary, unless the salary is less than $1 million. In that case, it years old or has accumulated seven professional seasons. There are must be greater than his previous salary based on other criteria. other situations where a player can become a UFA but that is the most common. Whitecloud, for example, made $925,000 last season, meaning his qualifying offer needed to be for at least one year and for at least Both Cousins and Stephenson will be 27 by the time the 2021 offseason $971,250. rolls around, meaning they will both be eligible for UFA status. Whitecloud will be eligible in the summer of 2023. Whitecloud’s new deal is for $725,000 per season. Why did he sign for less than what a qualifying offer would have been? LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 03.25.2020 When Whitecloud signed with the Golden Knights as an undrafted college free agent, he was unrestricted and could sign with any team. He picked the Golden Knights on a two-year, entry-level contract worth $925,000 per season. He signed for two years because that’s the requirement of an entry-level contract for a 21-year-old, and for $925,000 because that was the maximum allowed. He had leverage two seasons ago in that he could negotiate the salary of his contract, if not the term. This time, he faced more of a take-it-or- leave-it situation. Because hockey contracts are guaranteed, Whitecloud now knows he’ll make $1.45 million over the next two years instead of $971,250 next season and no guarantee beyond that. He didn’t qualify for an offer sheet or arbitration so his options were to sign the Golden Knights’ offered extension, wait for a qualifying offer, or if the qualifying offer never came, reach UFA, where he might only be offered minor-league deals. This time around, it boiled down to cost certainty for Whitecloud, as it often does for players in his situation. He’ll have more tools at disposal when he’s an RFA again in the summer of 2022. Do the Golden Knights have any other RFAs this summer? Three are on the roster — Chandler Stephenson, Nick Cousins and Nicolas Roy. Like Whitecloud, Roy doesn’t have many options. He’s in the same situation. Stephenson and Cousins are slightly more interesting cases because they have accumulated enough service time in the league for offer sheets and arbitration rights. What are offer sheets? 1172904 Washington Capitals

NHL 20 Capitals simulation: Backstrom's hat trick sparks Caps to win over defending champion Blues

By J.J. Regan March 24, 2020 8:19 PM

Nicklas Backstrom scored the game's first two goals and Brenden Dillon scored the game-winner over the St. Louis Blues in a key third period for the Capitals in the latest EA Sports NHL 20 simulation. This was the first simulated Caps game broadcast on NBC Sports Washington. Result: Caps 5, Blues 3 How the Caps won 1. Nicklas Backstrom Washington was able to put up four goals on St. Louis plus one empty netter, but don't let that fool you. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington was on his game. He had the answer for almost everything the Caps threw at him, but he didn't have an answer for Backstrom. Backstrom scored the first two goals of the game as he beat Binnington twice in the first period. He would finish off the hat trick, and the game, in the third period with an empty-netter. .@tarynbray joined the man of the hour, @backstrom19, postgame after his stellar hatty performance tonight. #CapsBlues | @MedStarHealth pic.twitter.com/aBT5pz3Wdw — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 25, 2020 2. The third period St. Louis battled back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 and the game was tied heading into the third period. After seeing the Blues dominate the second, Washington dominated the third to take back control of the game. Dillon fired a blistering slap shot to beat Binnington after three St. Louis players got caught chasing the puck in the defensive zone leaving Dillon wide open on the point. That goal would prove to be the game- winner. Backstrom would add the empty-netter soon after. 3. Special teams Washington got the edge in special teams play as the team gave up only three power plays, killed off all three and scored two power play tallies of their own. The key penalty kill game in the third period when Richard Panik was called for hooking but Washington was able to kill it off to maintain control in a dominant third period. Next game The Caps were scheduled to play the New York Rangers at home on Thursday. The game will be simmed with NHL 20 on NBC Sports Washington at 7 p.m. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172905 Washington Capitals

That time Capitals' Jakub Vrana was laughed at for eating a sundae before one of his 1st NHL games

By Caroline Brandt March 24, 2020 11:47 AM

As one of the youngest guys on the team, Capitals' winger Jakub Vrana knows what it's like to be picked on, even if it's all in good fun. Vrana, who made his NHL debut with the Caps on Dec. 6, 2016 at just 20 years old, told teammate Radko Gudas one of his craziest NHL memories on Monumental Sports' "Level With Me" series, when he recalled eating some dessert at a pregame meal before his fifth-ever NHL game. “We finished a pregame meal and I went to take some ice cream," Vrana said. "I had like four scoops of vanilla ice cream with all this chocolate sauce on it. Came back to the table and sit down and I was sitting next to Brooks Orpik and I just look at him and he was like staring at me and I didn’t know what he wants so I’m like…you know I was pretty nervous at that time so I’m like asking him if he want some ice cream and he goes, 'Nah. No, V. I’ve got a game to play today.'" Vrana said the whole team erupted with laughter. “We had a really good laugh about it later on," Vrana said. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172906 Washington Capitals there won't be any risk, it will be that he is 100-percent cleared, ready to go and ready to play. He's been in situations that are game-like and he's ready to go continue how his season was going last year. It's not going to be perfect, he hasn't had a training camp, it's going to take a little while. In their own words: A timeline of Kempny’s struggles through the 2019-20 Don't expect him to play 25 minutes with John Carlson Game one. But it'll season be nice to have a left shot back in there and allow us to sort things out that way a little bit on our back end. He's someone that as I alluded to in the past is a guy that gets back for pucks quickly, moves it quickly and By J.J. Regan March 24, 2020 6:00 AM supports the rush. There's not a lot of end and play for Michael Kempny in terms of handling the puck. He gets, it moves it, gives it to our high- skilled forwards and supports the rush. When he gets the puck on the blue line he creates a shot lane and he's able to deliver it. He's gotten The addition of Michal Kempny at the trade deadline in 2018 is one of the some points that way. That's what he does and that's an element that we major reasons the Capitals would go on to win the Stanley Cup. The loss need to continue to find back there and it'll be nice to have him back of Kempny to injury in 2019 is one of the major reasons the team lost in doing that. the first round of the playoffs. With that in mind, given his struggles in 2019-20 it is no surprise to see the rest of the defense struggle as well. At this point, however, it is fair to wonder if something had gone wrong. The talk at the start of training camp was all hopeful that Kempny would But where did things go wrong? be back for the start of the season. Now halfway through October, no one When retracing Kempny’s season, you see a season of hope for a seemed sure when he would be back. speedy recovery over time turn into one of struggle. His return initially Reirden, however, denied Kempny had suffered any sort of setback. brought an immediate positive impact, but soon after the blue line struggled and suddenly Kempny went from a top-pair defenseman to a “There's nothing to be concerned about," he said. "If there was a setback player struggling to keep his spot in the lineup. I would let you know. There isn't one. He's going on the path he's supposed to be going on and many other people would have this as a Here is a timeline of Kempny’s season showing where things turned from longer-term injury than it already has been so he's doing great. He's hopeful optimism to clear frustration. working extremely hard, our trainers are doing and doctors are doing an June 20 excellent job with him. He helps us in so many ways. His practices, his practice habits, how he how he competes, how he battles and always Kempny’s 2018-19 season ended on March 20 when he suffered a torn helps everybody improve. It'll be good to get him back when we do, but I left hamstring in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The injury can tell you that it will be at the right time, regardless of how our team kept him out of the postseason, but was not expected to keep him out of does.” training camp as general manager Brian MacLellan indicated in the conference call prior to the 2019 draft. October 18 “It's wait and see, but we're expecting him to be available for camp," Kempny made his season debut against the New York Rangers. He MacLellan said. "He's progressing well. I haven't got an update over the played 14:24, the lowest among the team’s defensemen. But in limited last week or so, but before that he's on target to play in training camp.” minutes, Kempny scored a goal. September 12 “I felt pretty good, actually,” he said following the game. “My legs felt good. Obviously not an easy situation for me. But I got to say just thank At media day at the start of training camp, Kempny was asked if he felt you to all of the staff, whole organization, my teammates, my family, my he needed to play in the preseason to be ready for the season. friends who were supporting me all the way through here and help me. It means a lot to me.” “I can play game when I'm not 100-percent so when I feel that I'm ready to go, I'm going to play. But if it's going to be like during the training “I was very pleased with his game,” Reirden said. “Just for seeing exactly camp, I don't know yet.” where he ended up minutes wise, we had some target thoughts of some minutes. They weren't easy minutes on him, obviously. ... I think this was MacLellan was also asked about Kempny’s status heading into training exactly a perfect game for Michal to get back into.” camp. December 31 “He’s progressing well,” MacLellan said. “I think the training staff is going to be cautious with him. I think the most important thing with him is that A flu bug hit the team coming out of the Christmas break forcing Kempny he’s healthy going into the year.” to miss two games. He returned on Dec. 31 in a loss to the New York Islanders. Not surprisingly, his minutes were limited to just 12:59, but October 14 Reirden had an interesting comment afterward about the Kempny, John Carlson pair. Despite all the early optimism, Kempny was not ready for the start of the season and it soon became clear how badly the team missed him. “I hope once [Kempny] gets healthy we'll start putting him back in that Washington jumped out to a 3-2-2 start and was allowing 3.29 goals per situation with John and going into the All-Star Game and moving past game. there, we get that pair up and running to where they had been in the past.” Following a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, head coach Todd Reirden was asked about what the team was missing without Kempny in Together this season, Kempny and Carlson have a Corsi-For percentage the lineup. of 48.77 and an expected goals-for percentage of 48.79 despite Carlson being on pace for 89 points. No defenseman has scored that many points “The one thing that Michal was able to grow right from day one with us since the 1993-94 season. Last season, Kempny and Carlson managed was just understanding how we want to play, how our team needs to a Corsi-For percentage of 52.18 and expected goals-for percentage of play,” Reirden said. “I think he moves the puck quick when it's on his 48.95. stick and it gets in our forwards hands as quick as possible. He does it first by skating by going back quick for pucks and then delivering it February 11 quickly. And then supporting the rush when he has chances and being active on the blue line in terms of getting pucks through. Those are some Washington suffered arguably its worst two-game stretch of the season things we're looking forward to having back.” on Feb. 8 and 10 in lopsided losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Islanders. In the practice following the loss to New York, Kempny took October 15 responsibility for two of the Islanders’ five goals. The hole left by Kempny’s absence on the blue line was evident, but the “Two goals was mine last night,” he said. “I was late with the squeeze day following the loss to Colorado Reirden said at practice that Kempny first goal. If I'd done those two situations differently, we might win the would not play in the team’s next game against the Toronto Maple Leafs game. There's lot of mistakes we've got to clear out and we've got to get and made clear he would not be rushed back into the lineup. through this. We have great team full of talent, full of skills, we just got to do something more through it and we will. We will do and we'll get It's making the choice that's the right thing for our organization and for through it.” Michal. I think that we've been really happy with the development of this player since we got him and saw the strides he made last year and then February 19 we were able to realize how big of a loss he would be when we didn't have him. I think that doing anything now to set him up for anything less Right defense was a major weakness for the Caps all season long. than success is not worth it. We have to view the risk versus reward and Despite that, however, MacLellan traded for left defenseman Brenden Dillon on Feb. 18. Whether this had more to do with MacLellan not liking the market for right defenseman or a reflection of Kempny’s play is a matter of debate. When MacLellan was asked if Kempny or Jensen would get pushed out of the lineup with the addition of Dillon, however, his answer said a lot about how far Kempny had fallen this season. “I think they both at times have been good players and then I think probably like the rest of our group it’s been inconsistent,” MacLellan said. “I think that’s the struggle for us is to get some consistency back there and I think now that we have seven [defensemen] you can hold guys a little more accountable. If you’re not playing well, you’re out.” March 3 At practice, Kempny skated as an extra defenseman when the team went through its defensive pairs. He ended up being a healthy scratch in the March 4 game against Philadelphia. With it clear that Kempny was not going to play in the next game, Reirden was asked about his struggles. “[Kempny’s] an excellent player, was a big part of us winning the Cup two years ago,” Reirden said. “I think gone through a serious injury and his game isn't where he would like it right now and probably us either. For me, it's about trying to find the right combination of guys that give us the best chance to have six defensemen that play well together that can give us the best chance to win. We've got super important points here, important games coming up this week so we'll go with the guys that give us the best chance to win tomorrow night.” Without trading for Kempny in 2018, the Caps don’t win the Cup. From playing on the top pair in the Stanley Cup Final to being a healthy scratch because he was not among the six defensemen that gave the team “the best chance to win,” that marks a precipitous fall. In the first eight games without Kempny, the Caps allowed 3.25 goals per game. From when he came into the lineup on Oct. 18 to Dec. 23, that number improved to 2.77. Since Kempny returned after a brief absence due to illness on Dec. 31, however, the defense allowed a whopping 3.31 goals per game which ranks 27th in the league over that time. The team’s defensive struggles since December can hardly be all placed on Kempny’s shoulders -- no one has played particularly well defensively -- but his play has continued to decline through the season to the point that he was a healthy scratch and MacLellan was willing to trade for Dillon who has been playing in Kempny’s spot on the top pair almost the entire time since he arrived in Washington. Looking back at this, it seems the root of the problem goes back to training camp where Kempny's return continued to get pushed back. Kempny knows this has been a rough season for him as he has said as much. The question is why? Whether the injury, how it affected his training over the summer and the lack of training camp and preseason have contributed to Kempny's poor season and, if so, how much is a question that can only be answered by Kempny. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172907 Washington Capitals The most intriguing number of the night was potential starts for yet-to-be- seen Ilya Samsonov. Grant put the number at 22.5 and he thought that was probably a few games too high. Brent Johnson was convinced he’d hit the over, saying on Overtime Live With NHL season paused, a ranking of Capitals' best wins of 2019-20: No. 14 “You want to see this guy play, you want to see what he can do. Maybe what he’s going to do for next season if he’s your number one guy. And it can’t just be the easy throwaway games.” Johnson even thought there might be a time mid-season that he’s getting as many starts as Holtby. By Mark Zaner March 23, 2020 7:49 PM At the time of the NHL’s pause, Samsonov had made 22 starts. In January and February, Samsonov was starting almost every other game. While we wait for the NHL to hopefully resume its season, NBC Sports Johnson nailed the developing goalie situation right on the head on Washington is looking back at the 20 best wins of the Capitals' season so opening night. far. Mark Zaner, producer for Caps Faceoff Live and Caps Overtime Live, Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.25.2020 has watched every game. His rankings continue with No. 14, a 3-2 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues that featured a spoiled banner raising and the first of 48 goals from Alex Ovechkin. WHAT HAPPENED It was an Opening Night meeting between the past two Stanley Cup champions. The Caps had to wait through St. Louis’ pregame banner raising, then quickly gave up two goals in the first eight minutes. The odds of Washington coming away with two points seemed slim. Alex Ovechkin settled the Capitals down late in the first period. After John Carlson brought the puck over the blue line, he dropped it off for Ovechkin. With two Blues defenders around him, Ovechkin pulled off a curl-and-drag to buy some space and beat Jordan Binnington top corner. Ovi 2019-20 season goal count: 1#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/UcWaaJ6M5d — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) October 3, 2019 Ovechkin’s Russian compatriot tied the game in the second. In the waning moments of a power play, Lars Eller came up with a clean faceoff win. The puck cycled to Dmitry Orlov near the top of the zone and his one-timer seemed to surprise Binnington.

There's just something about those Russian one-timers #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/WaIl6N7CmI — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) October 3, 2019 The game remained even into overtime. Jakub Vrana did the honors for Washington. Binnington got a piece of the puck with his left pad, but it wasn’t enough to keep the game-winning goal out of the net.

V w/ the OTGWG #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/XIUA8XlQmp — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) October 3, 2019 MEMORABLE MOMENTS only had to make 20 saves on the night. But most of the saves he was forced to make were high-danger chances. The biggest save came about 100 seconds into the second period. The Blues still led 2-1 and had a great chance to get the momentum back. Robert Thomas got behind Martin Fehervary and the Caps defense. Holtby was able to flash his right blocker and keep control of the rebound. The beast is back pic.twitter.com/tGUYoYxE2O — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) October 3, 2019 WHY IT WAS SIGNIFICANT This is what you would normally call a “schedule loss”. Opening night. On the road. Blues raising their banner. Then the Caps falling behind 2-0. Time to worry about the next 81 games. But Ovechkin’s goal seemed to get Washington back on track. After the first eight minutes, the Capitals controlled the game. They forced St. Louis into 11 giveaways. They had more scoring chances. Binnington played very well apart from Orlov’s goal. It didn’t matter as the Caps found a way to get two points. Opening night was the first of many times Washington would come back from a multi-goal deficit. The Capitals are currently 17-16-3 when allowing the first goal. They’re 11-12-3 when trailing after one period. They’ve won 14 games when tied or trailing after two. We just got the first taste of what was to come on October 2. WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT On Caps Overtime Live, we focused on potential season-long projections. Grant Paulsen set the over/under for Ovechkin goals at 45.5. He has 48 through 69 games. Wilson’s goal number was set at 24.5. He has 21 goals so far, so he would have been on pace for the over as well. 1172908 Washington Capitals tighter when the league emerges from the stoppage. And, of course, there’s also a stud on a rookie contract waiting in the wings.

Ilya Kovalchuk, right wing Capitals’ offseason: What to expect with the pending free agents? Stats (with the Caps): 7 games, 1 goal, 3 assists, even plus/minus Kovalchuk was acquired at the deadline to inject more offense into the By Tarik El-Bashir Mar 24, 2020 14 bottom six. And after a slow start (one point in his first four games), he’d begun to establish some chemistry with linemates Carl Hagelin and Lars Eller just as the season was suspended. The sample size is small but Kovalchuk, who’ll turn 37 next month, appears to be a good fit in D.C. The NHL is on pause and, at the moment, there’s no way of knowing He’s got a good relationship with fellow Russians Evgeny Kuznetsov, when the games will resume as the COVID-19 crisis worsens. Ovechkin, Orlov and Samsonov. Kovalchuk also intends to continue But at some point – whether it’s after the plug is pulled on the 2019-20 playing and he likes it here. Might he turn into more than a rental, a la season or an abbreviated campaign is completed – there will be business Sergei Fedorov? Perhaps. But it depends on a couple of things: his to conduct, including a handful of tough personnel decisions for Capitals performance the rest of the way (assuming there is one), as well as the general manager Brian MacLellan to make. salary cap and whether the Caps can afford him. Before we take a look at Washington’s pending free agents, though, Restricted free agents there are a couple of caveats to consider. First, we don’t know what Travis Boyd, forward effect the pandemic is going to have on the league’s bottom line and, thus, next year’s salary cap. We also can’t take into account how a Stats: 24 games, 3 goals, 7 assists, plus-9 pending free agent’s postseason performance might influence the conversation since, you know, we can’t be sure there will be a The Caps have invested a lot of time in developing Boyd, a 2011 sixth- tournament. round pick. When a December cap crunch forced MacLellan to choose between Boyd and Chandler Stephenson, the team dealt Stephenson to That’s a lot of uncertainty. But that’s the reality front offices are grappling Las Vegas. Boyd has been used primarily as a spare this season and with as they plan next season’s roster. would seem to be a good candidate to fill a similar role next year. He’s got arbitration rights, according to CapFriendly.com Let’s take a look at the decisions MacLellan and Co. will be weighing: Brendan Leipsic, left wing Unrestricted free agents Stats: 61 games, 3 goals, 8 assists, plus-3 Brenden Dillon, defenseman The well-traveled winger plays with energy and edge, and early on this Stats (with the Caps): 10 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, minus-2, 21 PIMs season helped the fourth line establish the hard-to-play-against identity Acquired at the trade deadline to bolster a blue line that needed to get Reirden hoped they’d forge. But he averaged just 9:10 of ice per game tougher around the net, the 6-foot-4, 225 pound veteran helped in that (the least among the full-time players), and when Kovalchuk arrived area. He became a mainstay on the penalty kill, seamlessly fit into the Leipsic was pushed out of the lineup entirely, spending the final seven room and added even more heft to a team that fancies itself as a games prior to the pause as a healthy scratch. He’s played for five teams heavyweight. Sure, Dillon takes too many penalties (his 32 minors led the already; will he skate for No. 6 next season? Like Boyd, Leipsic is league) and doesn’t add much in the way of offense. These next two arbitration-eligible. numbers, however, are the important ones to consider when discussing Jonas Siegenthaler, defenseman Dillon’s future in D.C.: He averages 20:02 of ice per night, which ranks fourth on the team behind John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov and Alex Stats: 64 games, 2 goals, 7 assists, plus-11 Ovechkin. His cap hit this season is $3.270 million (San Jose retained 50 percent as part of last month’s trade). Assuming the 29-year-old finishes Siegenthaler, 22, enjoyed a solid first full season in the NHL. He proved strong and his ask isn’t outrageous, it’s easy to envision the Caps signing that he can play up and down the lineup, and he leads Washington in him to a multi-year extension. shorthanded time on ice (3:11). He’s also second on the Caps in blocked shots (105). Siegenthaler sat out three consecutive games in late Radko Gudas, defenseman February as Reirden tried some different looks on the back end. But since being reinserted, he hasn’t looked back, suiting up for each of the Stats: 63 games, 2 goals, 13 assists, plus-15 final five games before the hiatus. He would seem to be a prime Gudas was acquired in the offseason to boost the blue line’s toughness, candidate for a bridge deal. eat hard minutes on the penalty kill and add a measure of leadership to a The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 back end that had just lost Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen. And the rugged veteran got off to a solid start. But as the team’s defensive game cratered in the second half, Gudas’ hold on a spot in the lineup became tenuous. The 29-year-old was scratched six times in the Caps’ final 14 games prior to the pause, including each of the last three. (It also did not seem as though Gudas was going to suit up against the Red Wings, the first game to be postponed by the pandemic.) Indeed, the expected D- pairs for the Detroit game were Michal Kempny-Carlson, Dillon-Orlov, Jonas Siegenthaler-Nick Jensen. With 13 games remaining and coach Todd Reirden desperate to find some semblance of continuity, it appeared as though Gudas was the odd man out, which does not bode well for his chances of returning. Braden Holtby, goalie Stats: 25-14-6, .897 save percentage, 3.11 goals-against average, .468 quality starts percentage Holtby appeared to be on the verge of salvaging his season just as the coronavirus put the league on hiatus. The turning point, strangely enough, came in a relief appearance against the Islanders on Feb. 10. The Caps lost the game, 5-3, but Holtby stopped all 12 shots he faced. From that moment on, Holtby amassed a record of 5-3-2 with a .911 save percentage and 2.75 goals against-average – respectable numbers given his up-and-down play over the first four months of the season. The late season surge pushed him past 23-year-old standout Ilya Samsonov and cemented Holtby’s status as the Caps’ unquestioned No. 1 for the stretch run, and likely as the Game 1 postseason starter. Despite the turnaround, Holtby’s days in D.C. are probably numbered. He’s due a significant payday, and the Caps’ salary cap situation figures to be even 1172909 Winnipeg Jets Josh Morrissey is about to begin his eight-year, $50 million deal that carries an AAV of $6.25 million, while Neal Pionk has already proven his worth in his first season with the Jets – though he will be due for a raise next summer from his two-year bridge deal that was worth $6 million Who could the Jets lose to Seattle in the 2021 expansion draft? total. The third guy on the protected list is likely to come from this summer via trade or free agency. By Ken Wiebe Mar 24, 2020 35 Keeping Dylan DeMelo is a priority for the Jets and it would probably take a deal in the neighbourhood of four years and $11-12 million for that to It’s not as far away as you think. happen. Should the Jets try to add two top-four blueliners this summer, then the decision gets interesting. Before the novel coronavirus wreaked havoc on the NHL season, teams around the league were reviewing their lists and checking them twice, On this list, Sami Niku fills the third spot on D — but you should mark that knowing that the 2021 Seattle expansion draft is now less than 15 down in pencil, not permanent ink. Should Niku not be protected, he has months away. the type of package and upside that could be attractive to an — giving the fluidity of his skating, his vision and puck-moving Yes, it remains down the road and a lot can change between now and ability. then, but the potential to lose an important player and how that relates to roster composition is going to be a factor as early as this summer when it Up front, the first five spots are easy: captain Blake Wheeler, centre Mark comes to the opening of free agency and making trades. Scheifele and high-scoring wingers Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Vegas Golden Knights set the bar incredibly high, orchestrating a number of trades prior to the expansion draft in 2017, one of which For me, Andrew Copp’s versatility and ability give him the sixth spot. produced two-thirds of the top line in Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly This is where things get a tad complicated and the picture could be a tad Smith and another that brought in point-producing blueliner Shea cloudy, depending on the future of veteran centre Bryan Little. Little was Theodore. limited to seven games this season and his season was shortened by The widespread belief is that many of the general managers who have undergoing surgery to repair a perforated eardrum. He also suffered a regrets from how the last expansion draft went down will have learned concussion as a result of a hit from Minnesota Wild forward Luke Kunin from that experience. Time will tell if that is in fact the case. during the final preseason game. Colleague Eric Duhatschek provided his 3.0 version of the Seattle mock The goal for Little is to return to game action in the fall and he’s battled draft back in January and that was part of the inspiration for this local back from serious injuries before, but it’s impossible to know what level look. For those looking for a refresher on the expansion rules that are in he’s going to play at next season — provided he’s able to get back to full place, the folks at CapFriendly have you covered. health. It’s important to remember Little’s no-movement clause moves to a modified no-trade clause for the 2020-21 season and he would not The Winnipeg Jets were active in the days leading into the Vegas need to be protected. expansion draft, including the somewhat controversial decision to ask veteran defenceman Toby Enstrom to waive his no-movement clause, With that in mind, the seventh spot will likely be up for grabs between which allowed him to be exposed. Jack Roslovic and Mason Appleton. That unselfish move by Enstrom allowed the Jets to protect one goalie, Roslovic, chosen 25th overall in 2015, has more offensive upside and seven forwards and three blueliners instead of eight skaters and the would appear to have the inside track given that he’s coming off career netminder. highs in goals (12), assists (17) and points (29 in 71 games). He had a lengthy stint on the second line this season and could still be an option The Jets weren’t done there, orchestrating a side deal with the Golden for the centre position on that unit. But Roslovic also needs a new deal Knights so that they would select pending unrestricted free agent forward as a restricted free agent this summer. He won’t break the bank, though Chris Thorburn instead of Enstrom or any other player. he will be looking for a raise. That move came at a cost, as the Jets moved down 11 spots in the 2017 How those negotiations go could also play a role regarding Roslovic’s NHL Draft and also shipped a 2019 third-rounder to Vegas. The Jets future with the Jets. I still believe Roslovic has the potential to become a originally had the 13th overall pick, which was used by Vegas to select 20-plus goal scorer in the NHL and he remains valued by the Nick Suzuki – who was eventually shipped to the Montreal Canadiens as organization. He’s also the type of player other NHL teams are going to part of the deal for Max Pacioretty. be calling about this summer, especially with another expansion draft on the horizon. Winnipeg chose Finnish forward Kristian Vesalainen with the 24th pick and he remains a solid prospect, but given the trades made during the Appleton is enjoying an excellent second half, is a valued member of the past several years, it’s interesting to project what type of impact Suzuki penalty kill and also has the skill set to grow into a double-digit goal could be having as the Jets second-line centre (the role he currently scorer. holds with Montreal). Another player who could be on the radar for Seattle, depending on how But I digress. next season goes, is forward Jansen Harkins. This isn’t about revisionist history, it’s about trying to learn how the past Harkins emerged as a legitimate NHLer this season, suiting up in his first expansion draft could impact the Jets decision-making process this time 29 games with the Jets after an excellent start with the around. resulted in a selection to the AHL All-Star Classic. With that in mind, let’s start under the assumption the Jets will once Because Vesalainen went back to the KHL last season and didn’t burn again protect one goalie, seven forwards and three defencemen. the first year of his entry-level deal, he is among those players who will be exempt from the expansion draft process. The same goes for When it comes to the locks, the goalie position remains the safest bet. defencemen Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg and centre David Connor Hellebuyck is having a Vezina-worthy season and he will have Gustafsson. three more years left on his deal by the time June 2021 arrives. You can The Jets would also like to find a way to keep centre Adam Lowry be certain Hellebuyck is protected. around, but he’s a pending unrestricted free agent in the summer of It will be interesting to see what the Jets do with the backup job this 2021. Do the Jets risk not extending him until after the expansion draft? If summer. Will Laurent Brossoit, a pending UFA, decide to give it another the two sides come together on a new deal before the time, obviously go or might another option be pursued on a one-year deal? Eric Comrie another forward would need to be exposed by the Jets. is under contract for one more season, on a one-way deal worth Yes, the Jets are probably going to lose a solid player, but that’s the point $700,000, and he will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021. of the expansion rules — to help the new clubs avoid the lean years that So he would satisfy the rules on exposing a goalie with NHL experience. the Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, and San Mikhail Berdin would be at the end of his entry-level deal and be exposed Jose Sharks had to endure back in the day. as well. The Athletic’s preliminary expansion draft protection list for Jets On defence, the first two selections are easy. Goalie (1) Connor Hellebuyck Defence (3) Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Sami Niku Forwards (7) Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrew Copp, Jack Roslovic Players who will be exempt D Ville Heinola, D Dylan Samberg, C David Gustafsson, LW Kristian Vesalainen Unrestricted free agents (with contracts expiring on July 1 2020 or 2021) G Laurent Brossoit (2020), D Dylan DeMelo (2020), D Nathan Beaulieu (2020), D Dmitry Kulikov (2020), D Tucker Poolman (2021), D Luca Sbisa (2020), D Anthony Bitetto (2020), C Adam Lowry (2021), C Cody Eakin (2020), LW Mathieu Perreault (2021), C Nick Shore (2020), RW Logan Shaw (2020), C Mark Letestu (2020), LW Gabriel Bourque (2020) Other Seattle expansion predictions: The Jets are likely to expose Little, though a side deal could be worked out – which would be similar to what happened with Enstrom. The Jets will sign Lowry to an extension after the expansion draft and before free agency officially opens. The player most likely to be lost to Seattle as of today is Harkins. The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172910 Vancouver Canucks The last joke was what happened at the Heritage Classic. The Canucks now claim they thought this trade was possible so they held him out as their starting goalie. Of course, that makes liars of John Tortorella and Laurence Gilman, who both said it was because they believed Lack gave Canucks at 50: The Luongo era ends, as do the almost-great Canucks them a chance to win. It also runs counter to Florida GM Dale Tallon’s revelation that trade talks with the Canucks kicked up Monday afternoon for the first time in a long, STAFF REPORTER long time. Maybe Luongo should send a Christmas card to Tortorella after all. Everyone knows what this is. An era that ends without a Stanley Cup, Because after getting benched, Luongo‘s agent contacted and it ends in a blink. Actually, half a blink, wrote the late Jason the Canucks, igniting the talks that led directly to the trade which was two Botchford years in the making. In many ways Roberto Luongo’s peak in Vancouver reaching the 2011 Ryan Kesler could be the next. Stanley Cup Final was also the facilitator for him leaving town. The Whether a Kesler deal happens before the deadline hardly matters. It’s meltdowns in Boston, the much ballyhooed walk on the seawall and the going to happen. Just like Luongo before him, it’s inevitable. “I don’t look collapse in Game 7 paved the way for the following playoff at it like a complete rebuild,” Gillis said. disappointments and the team looking to netminding partner Cory Schneider to help spark the team. It was acknowledged one of them had “With all these injuries, we realized we don’t have the depth and balance to go and when Schneider went first it was a shock. Perhaps then even to be competitive. more of a shock was Luongo leaving as well in 2014 as the tattered relationship with the team was completely severed when coach John “We need to do things to get more balance, to get more depth in our Tortorella left him out of Heritage Classic. On March 4, 2014, Luongo lineup. was traded back to Florida. Jason Botchford wrote: “And to try to get younger.” This is Lack’s team now. It could be for years General manager Mike Gillis stopped short of calling it a “complete” or it could be until July 1. That’s when, if Lack struggles during the next rebuild, but he didn’t need to. six weeks, the Canucks can try to find a starter in free agency. Everyone knows what this is. The Roberto Luongo era is over, and so too What no one can know yet is whether Lack is ready for this. are the almost-great Canucks. The era ends without a Stanley Cup, and When Schneider was taking over for Luongo, he presented himself as a it ends in a blink. Actually, half a blink. well-adjusted man who was ready to be a No. 1 goalie. The 2010-11 team, the greatest in Canucks’ history, looks just as Lack has been more goofy sidekick than man. He’s 26, but a young 26. weathered and distant as the group of players from 1994 who were How will he handle one of the toughest goalie markets in the NHL? He honoured at the Heritage Classic Sunday. was in an ideal position playing behind Luongo. And, really, if those two teams were to play a seven-game series this Does Gillis really think he’s ready? “Yeah, I do,” Gillis said. “I think he’s spring, you have to believe 1994 old-timers would score more goals. had a great mentor in Roberto. The face of the almost-great Canucks will always be Luongo. “But the free agent market is not strong this summer except for the For better and worse, he was their emotional core and the expensive goaltending position. If we feel we need more experience it will be showpiece. He was the most loved at times. He was the most criticized at available.” others. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.25.2020 Nothing will ever describe the bipolar nature of Canucks fans better than their relationship with the best goalie who ever played in Vancouver. Looking over starting goalie Eddie Lack’s shoulder in practice before the Canucks-Ottawa Senators ‘outdoor’ game at the Heritage Classic at B.C. Place Stadium is backup Roberto Luongo. This was it for Luongo’s time in Vancouver as days later he was traded back to the in March 2014. Ric Ernst / PNG files Luongo will be most remembered for the way he endured a long string of controversies, more so than the fact he was one game away from greatness. That should make you sad. We probably all should have known where this was going when Luongo asked out in 2012. Turns out, he knew where this was heading before anyone else. And that’s directly into a brick wall. Luongo‘s heart was always in Florida. Not long ago, it seemed impossible. But on Tuesday the Canucks proved dreams do come true. You can point to Florida’s changed ownership but things changed the most when the Canucks expressed a willingness to retain salary, something they refused to do for the Leafs when Toronto offered a couple of draft picks and Ben Scrivens. What the Canucks got Tuesday beats that deal, by the way. But if Vancouver had done the Toronto deal, they’d still have Cory Schneider. The Canucks are all-in on their rebuild now. Luongo and Schneider have been replaced by Eddie Lack and Bo Horvat. Hopes the team can make it to the Stanley Cup finals have been replaced by hopes the team can make it to the playoffs. Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo mixes with some young fans at a weekend team practice prior to their Heritage Classic game against the Ottawa Senators at B.C. Place Stadium in March 2014. Not starting in net for that game was likely the final straw for Luongo in his tenure with the team. Ric Ernst / PNG files The infamous summit meeting between Francesco Aquilini and Luongo in Florida during the draft now becomes yet another punchline in the Luongo era. You’re our guy, Aquilini told him. Yeah, right. 1172911 Vancouver Canucks In the interim, Benning can address nine unrestricted free agents (UFA) and 13 restricted free agents in the organization. The most pressing are new deals for UFAs Jacob Markstrom, Tyler Toffoli and Chris Tanev. Ben Kuzma: Canucks physician plays 'stay-at-home' card as COVID-19 And while there are obvious concerns about what becomes of player cases mount escrow, the salary cap, scheduling, the draft lottery, pre-draft combine, draft and free agency, conversations now are moot. They really don’t mean anything today because all those needs will eventually be met. Ben Kuzma What’s needed now is perspective. “In an unfortunate reality, I work on the North Shore and have patients at the Lynn Valley Care Centre, so I’ve been intimately involved in this right "The message has got lost in everybody trying to project what tomorrow from the beginning,” summed up Bovard. “We’ve been ahead of the is going to look like or next week or next month. My focus is today ... " curve in managing this and it’s given me knowledge to take along with “This whole situation is unprecedented. The one measure that is league directives to create a local solution. consistent is physical distancing and staying at home as much as “This reflects our habits up to 14 days ago and represents a rolling possible, and right now, there’s no end date on that.” timeline, and we’ll see in 14 days how this all impacts us.” That was the rigid and reasoned response by Dr. Jim Bovard when the Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.25.2020 team physician for the Vancouver Canucks and the Vancouver Whitecaps was asked Tuesday about an ambitious NHL timeline to eventually salvage the regular season and playoffs amid a rapid North American rise in positive coronavirus tests. On Tuesday afternoon, B.C. health officials announced 145 new cases over a 48-hour span in the province, bringing the total positive cases to 617. There are 58 patients hospitalized and 23 in intensive care. Of the 13 people who have died in the province, 10 are from the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver. And, on an encouraging note, 173 people have fully recovered from the virus, which amounts to 28 per cent of total cases. “Everyone is trying to figure it out on the fly and from my perspective, I want to make sure my athletes are safe and healthy, and that’s my primary concern,” added Bovard. “There are other concerns that need to be dealt with later on, but a full pandemic is first and foremost a medical one. “As long as there are measures in place to help us worry about today, I’m not worried about tomorrow or next week — they (NHL) will sort that out. They’re speaking to experts as well and they’re going to make the best decisions at the time. “We’ve put into place in both leagues (NHL, MSL) the same distancing message to stay home as much as possible. The leagues will work through it and we’ll get out guidelines from them. And at the local level, we’re just following the best practices and making sure the players adhere to them.” No member of the Caps roster has tested positive. The Canucks had one full-time staff member in the office tower, who had no exposure to Rogers Arena, test positive and recover through the 14-day quarantine period. As for the public, those mass gatherings of people at the beach or the park or neighbourhood paths are sending the wrong message. “In my office practice, a lot of the time I see people with a lot of anxiety because they’ve got a lot of information,” said Bovard. “Most of the time it’s pretty straight forward — what’s at the core of the illness, how it spreads and how you can protect yourself and others. “The message has got lost in everybody trying to project what tomorrow is going to look like or next week or next month. My focus is today because we’re not doing it well enough and we have to do it better.” When the NHL hit the pause button March 12 and instituted a 14-day quarantine period the following day, there was optimism. By end of the isolation Friday it was first thought that players could return to club facilities to work out or skate in small and voluntary groups. In that perfect world there would then be a training camp April 27 in advance of the season resuming. What the Canucks have learned is how imperfect the world is in a worldwide health crisis. The NHL Board and Governors and general managers held conference calls Monday and Tuesday, respectively, and the NHL Players Association has been in regular contact with its members. Canucks GM said Tuesday that the league is expected to extend the quarantine period by at least seven to 10 days to see how much the spike in coronavirus cases has flattened, and go from there. “There’s really nothing much new from a couple of weeks ago and we’re in a holding pattern,” said Benning. “We’re listening to government and health officials, and we really don’t know what it’s going to be like two weeks from now or three months from now. “They (NHL) asked for dates in our building for later in the summer, but it’s just looking at a lot of plans.” 1172912 Websites rules.” Which would also include agreement on the salary cap and a host of other items.

In the meantime, the conversations over potential scheduling/format The Athletic / LeBrun: NHL assessing logistics for playing games through options will continue. One team executive I spoke with on Tuesday was August the very first front office person since the season was paused to suggest to me that he wanted the regular season played out if the season can be resumed and didn’t want to just jump to the playoffs like pretty much every other team executive believes should be the case. By Pierre LeBrun Mar 24, 2020 51 Get all the regular season revenue in all 31 markets including sponsorships and suites, he argued. Get every market back involved and The NHL’s conference call with GMs wasn’t overrun with news but not have some teams off six months and other teams off one month Tuesday did provide two notable nuggets of interest, according to when the 2020-21 season starts. Even play a shortened playoff format if sources: need be. Why? Playing out the regular season, as he puts it, allows every owner to bring in some cash (assuming fans are in the building). It The league on the call with GMs relayed that the current self-quarantine allows all 31 markets to reconnect with their fan base. And it also makes of clubs, which was originally scheduled to run through Friday, March 27, it fair as to who ends up making the playoffs if 82 games are played. No would be expanded by another 10 days; need to reinvent the playoff format, just 16 teams as always after a full regular season. Plus it gives players games to get themselves up to The NHL asked teams for building availabilities through the month of speed before the craziness of the playoffs. August (as also reported Tuesday evening by colleague Bob McKenzie on Insider Trading). OK, I get his argument here. But there are two flaws in it. First, I think the calendar itself won’t allow enough time to squeeze in regular season On the first point, it’s hardly surprising the self-quarantine of clubs will hockey plus playoffs even if the playoffs as he suggested get shortened. continue past Friday. That was always a possibility even in the original Secondly, I’ve already heard from some who feel it makes no sense to memo that went out to teams and players back on March 13. But what it have players on teams who are clearly out of the playoff picture to go means is that Phase 2 — when players can start skating in small groups three-plus months without playing and then return for a dozen or so at team facilities — will have to wait. And frankly, probably a lot longer meaningless games before shutting it down again. What’s their than another 10 days but we’ll see. motivation (other than it’s their job to play)? Regarding the second point, the NHL had previously asked for building While I understand this team executive’s argument, I think it’s way more availabilities through July. Now with the August ask the picture becomes likely that if there’s hockey again this season it’s straight to the playoffs in somewhat clearer as far as potential options if indeed there’s a season whatever format the league decides on: 16 teams, 20 teams, 22 teams, resumption. 24 teams, etc. It comes on the same day Olympic officials announced a postponement Meanwhile, things are just as busy at the NHLPA offices. There was an of the July 24-Aug. 9 Tokyo Games. You better believe NHL TV partner executive board call last week (player reps on the 31 teams) followed by NBC would no doubt be hungry to fill some of that empty Olympic individual calls by team with players late last week. Overall, the NHLPA programming with some NHL playoff hockey if at all possible. spoke with hundreds of players over the past week trying to answer the At the very least, the postponement of the Olympics gives the NHL more most pressing questions. Another executive board call is scheduled for flexibility in eventually determining what a timeline for summer playoff this week. hockey could look like. Lots of questions on both sides, very few answers. That’s if there is any hockey at all again this season. Again, let’s The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 understand that we may not have NHL hockey until next season. We just don’t know yet as the COVID-19 crisis remains in its infancy. But for now, the NHL will continue to plan as if a season resumption is possible, which means the potential for summer hockey. One question: Can NHL buildings handle July/August ice conditions? The simple answer is yes, according to one source on Tuesday. But it’s not a simple answer, of course. There would be extra utility cost both on refrigeration and the air conditioning for the buildings. It would certainly require extra diligence in terms of daily operations of those buildings and no doubt closer supervision from the NHL’s hockey operations staff. But the sense is that it’s doable. After all, most buildings plan on June ice in case their teams make it all the way to the Stanley Cup final. June is summer weather. It might require changing the routine of arena staff. Maybe the ice maintenance is completed at night on off days instead, for example. In any case, the belief is that NHL rinks can handle the ice requirements in July/August. As for Tuesday’s GMs conference call, there were more questions than answers, which was expected. The GMs I spoke with understand that the league can’t answer their most pressing questions right now, things having to do with the draft combine, the draft, the scheduling, the playoff format, the draft lottery, etc. The league reiterated on the call Tuesday that it just doesn’t have answers to any of that just yet. As one GM pointed out to me Tuesday, there are just so many different things that eventually will need to get ironed out if the normal critical dates calendar is affected and obviously it would if there’s summer playoff hockey. For example, the GM said, what about player contracts expiring on June 30? What do you do with a player whose contract technically expired June 30 but is playing playoff hockey in July/August? That’s really just the tip of the iceberg and much of it will be negotiated between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association as part of the “transition 1172913 Websites — NHL (@NHL) MARCH 20, 2020 St. Louis said for players, the stress is not just physical, but mental.

You’re juggling taking care of your families, small children, naturally The Athletic / NHL stars offer insights on being ‘creative’ during COVID- worrying how loved ones in other states and countries are handling it. 19 quarantine workouts And the hyper-competitive side that made you an elite player is insatiable.

After St. Louis led the Lightning to the 2004 Stanley Cup, winning the By Joe Smith Mar 24, 2020 8 Hart Trophy and scoring the franchise’s biggest goal, he had to anxiously wait until the league finally canceled the next season in February.

“You don’t know when you’re starting again, (and) you’re counted on to By now, you’ve seen the videos. do great things, right?” St. Louis said. “The top guys have so much There was Devils defenseman P.K. Subban, lying on his back, pressing pressure on what they’re doing with the uncertainty, how they stay off the his fiancee Lindsey Vonn above his head. There was Kings center Anze ice. For me, anxiety builds. I was scared I wasn’t doing enough because Kopitar participating in the viral pushup challenge with his two young kids as soon as we hit the ground running, I had to be ready. on his back. Montreal’s Tomas Tatar juggled toilet paper rolls. The “It has to be tough. And it seems like everything is changing every day. Panthers’ Sasha Barkov shot some rolls into a net in his garage. Some So it’s hard to plan. I always have to have a plan, so I would find it did pull-ups from the ceiling in their kitchen. Others are doing squats extremely difficult.” while holding their dogs. Former NHLer Brooks Laich is posting daily home-gym workouts on Twitter. Lecavalier said maintaining cardio will be key, doing sprints, lifting weights, hoping not to lose the muscle mass you had built. When players The Lightning’s Mikhail Sergachev has been rollerblading around Tampa, get back on the ice, likely for an abbreviated training camp, that might not including along Bayshore Blvd. You can bet winger is even be enough. wearing out the synthetic ice in his garage by now, taking countless shots. “It’s not like you can just put on your skates and in a week or so feel like you were after 50 games,” Lecavalier said. “I remember it’d take me 10- When it comes to NHL players trying to stay in shape during this 15 games to start to feel good. To stop like that and then start again? It’ll coronavirus-sparked self-quarantine, you have to get creative. And try be tough for a player to get at the same level. Players know if you don’t not to go crazy. skate for two days, you feel terrible on the ice.” “I’d be dying if I had to stay home,” said Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis. “I Both St. Louis and Lecavalier said that it’s not only about workouts and have a tough time believing Kucherov is not skating right now. I would be cardio, but maintaining your hands, making sure you have a stick in your going crazy, probably put up a shooting room in my garage. You don’t hands as many days as you can. Hence guys like Tatar juggling toilet know when the start is going to be.” paper on his stick or the Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov with a ball. St. Louis said this reminded him of the NHL lockout in 2004-05. “I’d be following a regimen of a trainer that I trust and try to keep the Obviously, there are many differences, with this being a worldwide cardio going with some sprints,” St. Louis said. “But you can’t duplicate pandemic as opposed to a work stoppage. Back then, players could still that stuff on the ice. I would make sure I had a stick in my hand not every rent their own ice or play overseas if need be. But the uncertainty of day, but every other day, an hour here, an hour there. when (or if) your season will start and how to remain in hockey shape are significant challenges. “Just to feel the puck,” Lecavalier said. “It takes three, four, five weeks in the summertime to get your legs feeling better, and (using your hands) The NHL’s self-quarantine was initially supposed to last until this Friday, gives you an idea of what you can do with the puck with guys coming at when they would consider figuring out options for small, voluntary you. A lot of guys can slow plays down, like Kuch and (Steven Stamkos). workout groups. But that depends a lot on what health agencies like the When you haven’t played in a while, that’s tougher to do.” CDC recommend. Whether there’s a season or not — even if it resumes in July with the playoffs in August and September — remains up in the Lecavalier played in Russia during the lockout, which ended the air. Lightning’s chance of trying to repeat at Stanley Cup champions. It was heartbreaking for the team and their fans, not only the fact they couldn’t In the meantime, players are taking cues from their team’s strength and fittingly celebrate their title together but that they then had to watch the conditioning coaches and trainers (in the Lightning’s case, it’s Mark team break up a bit due to free agency and the new salary cap Lambert). Their offseason personal trainers help provide tips, too. (goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin left for Chicago as a free agent, for Judging from the strong-man circuit workout Lambert put me through example). It took seven years for the Lightning to win another playoff back in October, Tampa Bay players are in good hands, though Lambert series. wasn’t made available for this story. “It definitely hurt for closure, to not have that chance,” St. Louis said. “Most guys don’t have much of a home gym, so it’s been bodyweight stuff, bands, stretching, breathing,” said longtime hockey trainer Ben “We could have made another run,” said Lecavalier. Prentiss, who has worked with the likes of St. Louis, Max Pacioretty and current Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. “You have to be The current Lightning team, which is heading into its toughest salary-cap creative. I have some guys pushing their trucks. We have one guy crunch in years, hopes it won’t be facing another lost season in its squatting his patio furniture. Some guys have been ordering stuff, so we championship window. “Right now, the main thing is making sure add it as it comes. everything is handled properly,” said wing Alex Killorn. “There are more important things. The safety and lives of people in this country are more “It’s basically giving them something every day, whether it’s strength, important than that.” energy system work, stretching, breathing, etc. Obviously, there’s a ton of unknown, so we just try to keep them busy.” For now, the players will have to wait and see. They hope they’ll have a chance to finish the season. Players have been told to do workouts at home or, if they’re outside, to stay six feet away from other people. As much as they’re making do with “The only thing I can relate to was the World Cup after we won the Cup what they have, there’s nothing that can replicate what they’d been doing (in ’04),” Lecavalier said. “It took like a month and a half off, and then we for the last five months during the season. had the World Cup. I had only been skating for a month — or not even three weeks — and you’re right at it. For me, it was the adrenaline that “I don’t know how you can be ready if the season got back going in a got me through it. month,” said former Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier. “Not a lot of guys have a full gym at their house. And even if you do, it’s not like “Maybe it’s going to be the way guys come back, like, ‘We have no skating on the ice. It’s going to be really tough for them to stay in shape choice.’ You do a 12-15 game season, sprint to the end and then go with like they were two, three weeks ago. adrenaline and go to the playoffs. In the playoffs, your adrenaline is through the roof. You’re definitely not going to be in the same shape as “You’ve got to do as much as you can as a player to be physically ready. what they were, but they’ll just have to go through that adrenaline.” There’s nothing like skating if you don’t skate. It’s hard to stay in that hockey shape.” The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020

NOTHING BEATS A HIPT WORKOUT! #HOCKEYATHOME (HIGH-INTENSITY PUPPY TRAINING) PIC.TWITTER.COM/FRH9KMIM8L 1172914 Websites Last year, I did explore that option in greater detail, trying to imagine that the NHL might look like in 2067. Logically, by then, the NHL will be a worldwide brand and there could be three separate but linked entities operating under the NHL brand – NHL North America, NHL Europe and The Athletic / Duhatschek: If you started from scratch, which 32 cities NHL Asia. Each could play mostly within its own geographic region, but would get NHL teams? every year, make a swing through a different continent – in much the same way as teams play exhibition games in China or regular season games in selected European markets. Globalization is probably coming By Eric Duhatschek Mar 24, 2020 249 to the NHL eventually but in 2020? No. The complications would be far too great.

One final caveat before we get underway: Back around 1983 or ’84, when Bob Johnson was coaching the Calgary Flames, he had a fascination with the city of Phoenix. He liked it for the The longer I weighed the pros and cons of every current NHL market, the climate, the warmth and the geography. Once or twice a year, Badger more I realized that the process of natural selection hasn’t done too bad Bob would come up to me and George Johnson, my writing counterpart a job with the current incarnation of the league. Once I dismissed the at the Calgary Sun – and in that big, booming theatrical voice of his, European option and started to dig more deeply into NHL markets that would loudly predict that one day, there’d be an NHL team in Phoenix. would be workable options for the ones that are floundering today, I Badger would then lean in close and – in a much lower voice – predict made fewer changes than I originally anticipated. that he would coach the team and that he intended to bring George and Let’s begin at an unexpected point, with a team – the Seattle something- me along as his writers. Usually, that would be our cue. The three of us or-others – that won’t even begin play until the start of the 2021-22 would howl like the witches at the start of Macbeth, before collectively season. Officially, Seattle was added as an NHL expansion franchise in bursting out in laughter at the absurdity of the notion. December 2018, after agreeing to pay a record $650 million fee to join as An NHL team in Phoenix? Dream on. And then we’d go back to our franchise No. 32. regularly scheduled business, trudging through a cold northern winter in When season tickets went on sale, they were snapped up instantly. a traditional hockey city. Seattle’s going into a new building, has a long history with hockey and Well, you know the rest of the story. Five years after Johnson’s death in looks as if the new team will instantly become one of the strongest 1991, Barry Shenkarow sold the Winnipeg Jets and – against all odds – franchises in the league. So, Seattle stays. The same holds true for they did relocate to Arizona. Vegas. The Golden Knights are only three years into their incarnation and even the naysayers who thought they had no shot at being a viable For better, but mostly for worse, there has now been an NHL team in franchise must realize the error of their ways. Phoenix for going on 25 years. Instead, the Knights have been spectacular at the box office, they are A handful of times during their stay in the Valley of The Sun, it looked as well-financed and have been an overwhelming success story – finding if the Coyotes might disappear – either into bankruptcy or via relocation traction in the community, in addition to becoming a popular vacation to another market. So far, that hasn’t happened. In recent years, they’ve destination for hockey fans around North America. become far better capitalized and although attendance still isn’t what they need it to be to sustain the franchise long term, the hope is that an Overall, I estimate roughly three-quarters of the league is solid and stable improving team operating in a new arena eventually might make the in the markets they’re in. Coyotes a more viable franchise than they are today. The Original Six would naturally stay. Because, right now, if you were to rank NHL franchises from 1-to-32 in Every Canadian market except Ottawa is strong, year after year. Several terms of financial feasibility, the Coyotes would be near the bottom – one teams that went into non-traditional markets have done an excellent job of the teams that rely on revenue sharing from the stronger teams to of becoming part of the fabric of their communities – Nashville and survive. Tampa Bay are two that really stand out. Accordingly, with the actual NHL on pause at the moment as a result of But there are also problem spots. If you review attendance data over the the coronavirus – and all of us diving down the rabbit hole of “what if” past 10 years or so, a handful of teams are perpetually in the bottom scenarios – the question came up here at The Athletic: third. Now, over time, teams have become far less reliant on box-office What if the NHL were to start from scratch right here and right now? receipts than they once were, but ticket sales still make up a big part of the revenue stream that teams rely upon. Softness at the box office is Where would you place the franchises to make the league as strong – one red flag. Perpetually siphoning dollars out of the revenue-sharing pot and sound – as possible? is another. Once I weighed the pros and cons of each team individually, I identified eight that I considered on the bubble. They were: Ottawa, It’s an intriguing exercise, even if it means you’re going to become public Arizona, Florida, the New York Islanders, New Jersey, Anaheim, Carolina enemy No. 1 in all markets that are – hypothetically – about to lose their and Columbus. franchises. Please remember, before you scroll down to the bottom and “meh” the story, this is a dream sequence only. Over the years, what you find when parsing attendance data is that often, in the struggling markets, a team’s popularity tends to ebb and flow, Real-world economics will ultimately decide which teams survive and depending upon results. which don’t, and as long as there is a well-heeled owner with a good financial plan who is willing to take advantage of the rules and Carolina, for example, was having a decent year at the box office in regulations that support the so-called smaller markets, any team can 2019-20 because the so-called “bunch of jerks” had captured everyone’s survive. imagination the season before, first, by qualifying for the playoffs and then by advancing to the conference final. Carolina’s been able to slowly And by the way, all of you soon-to-be-unhappy fans in Phoenix and rebuild its fan base in the community, largely because of that result. A Ottawa and New Jersey and Anaheim are going to have an unlikely ally deeper look back paints a different picture – and also explains why, for to help you vent your collective displeasure at me: NHL commissioner the longest time, Peter Karmanos Jr. was looking for an investor in his Gary Bettman. franchise. Then Tom Dundon came along and things are improving. But Let’s face it: No one has fought longer or harder than Bettman to sustain are they solved? The jury’s out. NHL businesses in their current markets – even if it’s meant a lot of Perhaps not coincidentally, three of the eight bubble teams are in investors have poured a lot of dollars down the drain, trying to make the markets where a more established team dominates. For example, the numbers work in cities that annually feature too many empty seats. Rangers are bulletproof in New York, while the Islanders and Devils can Watch to see if Gary B. offers a comment below (or if he doesn’t, try to see their attendance figures wax and wane. Both teams do have small guess which of the negative responses came from Bettman’s The and extremely loyal fan bases, but it hasn’t translated into full houses in Athletic burner account). either of their locations – and things have been far more complicated with Before we go any further, I also want to first address – and then dismiss the Islanders recently, as they’ve shuttled back and forth between a – the idea that if you could pick 32 cities to build an NHL, they wouldn’t building in Brooklyn and one on Long Island. all necessarily have to be in Canada and the United States. It’s a similar story in the greater Los Angeles area, where the Kings are a Or to put it another way, if it’s a blue-sky exercise anyway, is this the time well-established franchise operating out of while the to ruthlessly pare down the North American content of the league and put Ducks are out in Anaheim, playing to a smaller core group of fans in half-a-dozen teams in some of the great cities of Europe or Asia? Orange County. In terms of performance in the standings, the Ducks have been surprisingly consistent – the No. 1 team in the Pacific for five consecutive seasons, beginning in 2012-13 and ending in 2016-17. Last year was the first year they missed the playoffs since the 2011-12 its previous NHL and WHA incarnations. If Quebec had been able to land season. It wasn’t Detroit’s incredible streak of postseason appearances, a franchise via relocation at the same price and at the same time as or even San Jose’s, but it was pretty good. However, you have started to Winnipeg did, it could easily have been just as successful. In my model, see more empty seats as the Ducks start down a rebuilding path. Quebec is back in. One of the great conundrums in the current composition of the NHL is: Next step: Other than Seattle, which is on its way, is there another city or Why does the metropolitan New York area have three teams, the two in the United States where you’d put a franchise if you could? metropolitan Los Angeles area have two teams and the metropolitan is the easy obvious first answer. The fourth-largest city in the Toronto area just one? It makes no sense. And longtime readers will U.S., a major television market, with a history of minor-league hockey soon notice me jumping aboard a familiar soapbox here. Wikipedia will and a natural regional rival for Dallas. Minor hockey has had a tell you that the urban area in southern Ontario known as the Golden remarkably successful run in tiny enclaves in Texas, so there is a Horseshoe (which circles the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario) has a reasonable argument to be made for giving Houston a franchise. The fact core population of 7.8 million people and a total of 9.2 million people in its is, a lot of us believe if Arizona doesn’t get its building issue resolved, greater area. That’s a little more than 21 percent of the entire population that’s where the Coyotes might end up anyway. For this model, rather of Canada. than wait, let’s move them now. People sometimes mockingly call Toronto the centre of the hockey Just four places down from Houston on the list of most populous U.S. universe, but there is no disputing the fact the city and its immediate cities, you find , home to the Ducks’ main minor-league environs boast the largest concentration of population in a hockey-mad affiliate, the Gulls of the AHL. The Gulls play at the , with country. Toronto has suffered through lots more bad times than good on a capacity of 12,920 for hockey. If we could wave a magic wand and the ice since last winning the Stanley Cup in 1967, but the Maple Leafs solve the building issue, wouldn’t it make sense to flip the two? Put the brand is extremely strong – and in terms of financial strength, the NHL team in San Diego, which also has a rich minor-hockey history, and franchise is one of, if not the best, in the NHL. put the farm team in Orange County. It would certainly help fill in Bettman’s geographic footprint and there’s an opportunity for growth with In short, this is a market that’s vastly underserved and could easily the recent departure of the NFL from the market. Again – all you sustain a second team. suspicious types – if you think I’m a fan of San Diego just because I want Now, here’s the age-old question: Are people in the Greater Toronto to sample the lobster roll at Tidal, you are mistaken! Area hockey fans? Or simply Leafs fans? Asking that question always OK, let’s pause here to do the arithmetic so far: We’ve moved Ottawa to gets me in trouble – but it really would be the ultimate litmus test of Quebec, Arizona to Houston, Anaheim to San Diego and we’ve put the whether a second team in the market would struggle or take off. second team in Toronto, which means someone else is losing their I believe it would take off – for a few different reasons. One: Not franchise. But who? If you had to vote among the five remaining bubble everybody in the Toronto area loves the Leafs. Some actually find their teams – Devils, Islanders, Panthers, Blue Jackets and Hurricanes – arrogance a little hard to swallow. In the same way that not every New which one draws the short straw? Yorker is a fan of the Yankees – and that the Mets have built a pretty It’s time now to think of it as “Survivor” in reverse and I’m awarding the good brand as an option or alternative – the same could happen in Islanders a win in the first immunity challenge. They’re on their way back, Toronto. Now, where does this proposed second team play? In an arena I believe, and once they get the arena sorted out, they’ll be fine. on the edges of town – Mississauga or in Vaughan, which is west and Columbus? The Blue Jackets fans proved during last year’s playoff run – north? No: Put them in Scotiabank Arena as a shared tenant with the and the patience they’ve demonstrated with this year’s no-name, hard- Leafs, in the same way multiple professional teams (the NHL’s Kings, working bunch – that hockey has a home in Columbus. They’re safe too. NBA’s Clippers and Lakers and the WNBA’s Sparks) operate successfully out of Staples Center in Los Angeles. It leaves three: Devils, Panthers and Hurricanes. The location is too perfect to waste – downtown and great access via I briefly considered the possibility of putting one of the three in Kansas public transportation. And as busy as Scotiabank Arena is, 45 extra dates City because there is a building there, needing a tenant. Right at the to go alongside the Leafs and NBA’s Raptors would be doable. Now I moment, the hockey option in Kansas City is an ECHL team, the Kansas briefly considered putting that second Toronto team in Hamilton, which City Mavericks. Kansas City had a brief life as NHL franchise, joining the was an option back in the early 1990s, when Ottawa was originally league in 1973-74, alongside the Washington Capitals. admitted to the league. But while the Caps survived, Kansas City moved to Denver to become In theory, Hamilton could draw from a variety of bedroom communities in the Colorado Rockies and then subsequently shifted to New Jersey to the general area. But I wonder if a team there might also cannibalize become the Devils. It’s been a rough ride for the Devils at the box office some of the support that Buffalo as a border city enjoys, drawing ever since. Can they survive? Any team, properly funded, can. But Canadian supporters from the other side of the Peace Bridge. I’d be should they survive, at the expense of either Florida or Carolina? reluctant to damage a viable franchise in Buffalo and I cannot see putting four franchises – two in Toronto, one in Hamilton and one in Buffalo – in Whenever there was talk of the Panthers possibly pulling up stakes – and such a concentrated area. Instead, what I would do is shift Ottawa to maybe moving to Quebec – people would remind you that there’s a Quebec and relocate one of the weaker U.S. franchises to Toronto. That favourable lease deal in place in Sunrise, which helps mitigate some of would give Canada eight of the 32 teams. the losses. For the purposes of this exercise, lease deals don’t matter. Some of you suspicious sorts might believe that I’m making the case for But what I do believe is that if the Panthers were operating out of a Quebec only because I want to start dining at La Maison de Serge downtown , it would be a different story. I was actually in the Bruyere again. You are so mistaken! building the day the ‘rat craze’ started – Oct. 8, 1995, a game in which Florida defeated the Calgary Flames 4-3 in their opening game of the Remember, when the NHL started soliciting expansion bids in July 2015, 1995-96 season. That day, Panthers forward killed a rat it received 16 expressions of interest, but only two bona fide applications: with his stick prior to the game and then used the same stick to score two One from Vegas and the other from Quebec City. The league accepted goals in the win. After the game, goaltender dubbed Vegas and rejected Quebec City. Officially, there was all kinds of blather it a “rat trick” – which started the tradition of plastic rats raining down on about why they said no, but really it came down to money. Deep down, the ice whenever a Panthers player would score during their unexpected they didn’t think a franchise in Quebec City could be financially run to the 1996 Stanley Cup final. sustainable based on what the league was charging for entry – $500 million U.S., which translated into almost $700 million Canadian, with the The franchise hasn’t been able to duplicate that success since then, but currency exchange. the memory of that partisan fan support makes me believe that if the team was operating out of downtown again, it would have a far wider The Jets paid a fraction of that to get into the NHL after True North appeal than being stranded out in Sunrise. Sports & Entertainment purchased and then relocated the failing Thrashers from Atlanta to Winnipeg. The fan support has been So, Florida survives, but in Miami, not Sunrise. And I’m going to give remarkable – the Jets finally had a game this season which didn’t sell Dundon the benefit of the doubt in Carolina because he is a disrupter and out. The building is small but it still fills up. By maximizing revenues, the the world seems to favour that brand of entrepreneurship these days. Jets can provide a reasonable return on the investment there. But they Initially, when I started this exercise, I probably had Carolina losing its are doing just OK on the ledger sheet – not wowing anyone. team. But once I started shuffling the pieces around, I ultimately decided to give them a reprieve. That means New Jersey moves north to become If Quebec had to pay twice as much or more to get in, logically, they the second team in the Toronto area. might struggle to operate in the black – even if the bidder, Quebecor Inc., was a media giant that spun off a lot of cash flow. Otherwise, though, What the exercise demonstrated to me is that the NHL franchise base Quebec checks all the same boxes as Winnipeg did. It probably has a doesn’t actually need major surgery, even if you could start over from better building and a similar history of fervent fan support, dating back to scratch – and that natural selection has mostly put the teams in the markets where they belong. The one thing that I would change for sure is the division names. In our new NHL world, we would either go back to historical names of the past (Adams, Patrick, Norris, Smythe) or switch to iconic names of a more recent era, in which case the Adams would become the Orr (for Bobby) the Patrick the Lemieux (for Mario) the Smythe the Gretzky (for Wayne) and the Norris the Howe (for Gordie – and as a nod to our new entry from Houston, where Howe played for the WHA Aeros). I could also be coaxed into renaming the Norris for the Hull (because Bobby was the face of the Blackhawks franchise for so long and Brett was the face of the Blues. Ultimately, here’s what the 32-team NHL might look like it if started over today: The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172915 Websites announced it was merely placing its games on “pause,” with hopes of restarting once the worst of the pandemic had passed.

“The word ‘pause’ is one we were thinking of using,” said Ken Wolff, a The Athletic / Canadian minor hockey faces uncertain start, shorter member of the GTHL’s board of directors. “That was where we went at season in face of COVID-19 the very beginning.” He said it did not make sense for long, though. Hockey Canada cancelled the season the same day the provincial government in Ontario By Sean Fitz-Gerald Mar 24, 2020 3 announced all public schools would remain closed for another two weeks after March Break.

If the children were not in school, it did not make sense to think they There was not enough time for Jason Nobili to read the whole note should be inside a hockey rink. before the game, so he skimmed it on his way to the bench. He read it more thoroughly at intermission, which is when it became clear he was “It’s kind of hard to describe, because sitting here today with what’s coaching in one of the last minor hockey games that would be played happening around the world, it seems like it should have been anywhere in Canada. straightforward,” said Wolff. “If you look back on it, ‘Well, of course you shouldn’t be gathering in groups of people.’ The coaches told the team captain, who suggested they not tell the rest of the players. It was a playoff game between two under-18 teams in the “It looks now like, ‘Why didn’t you think about it immediately?’ But it Greater Toronto Hockey League, and it was the day Hockey Canada certainly was harder at that moment to try to figure out what we should cancelled all sanctioned activities — every practice, every game — do.” because of COVID-19. It was the right decision, he said, adding the GTHL received minimal They told the players in the third period. They spoke with the other protest. team’s coaching staff. For some of the players, that night in Mississauga, Ont., would be the final game of their minor hockey careers. So the two Nobili did not protest, either. He is the coach of the AAA Toronto Titans, teams, filled with students in Grade 11 and Grade 12, hatched an the U18 team that was en route to a 4-1 win over the Toronto Young unusual postgame plan. Nationals the night the season reached its sudden finale. “This is kind of a surreal moment here: Let’s do a big group picture,” It had been a good series with the Young Nationals. Too good to end Nobili said with a chuckle. “All the boys were climbing around each other with a simple handshake. Before social distancing became a part of at centre ice. We took pictures. Sort of made the best of it.” everyday life, they gathered together in a common embrace at centre ice for a picture. Arenas across the country have shuttered in reaction to a pandemic that has gripped the world, and the organizations in charge are not sure when “It just felt right,” Nobili said. “The boys, they just sort of inter-mixed they might re-open. They are developing contingency plans, determining among each other. They seemed to have a little fun with it, too.” the fate of postseason banquets and high-performance camps, new try- The Athletic LOADED: 03.25.2020 out schedules and the financial fallout from an unfolding global catastrophe. At this point, it is not clear whether next season will begin on time. “It’s really, really difficult to say, ‘This is what we’re going to do, and this is when we’re going to do it,’” said Glen McCurdie, senior vice-president, insurance and risk management at Hockey Canada. “Because the reality is: We have no idea.” The most optimistic estimates begin at eight weeks. Others go deeper into the summer and beyond. “We’re the same as everybody else,” McCurdie said. “It’s really tough to put a contingency in place when you don’t know when it’s going to start.” Hockey Canada has been holding three calls a week with its members — on Monday, Wednesday and Friday — to exchange real-time information about the challenges at the grassroots level. (Questions at the national level will also have to be answered, with the possibility of delaying annual camps.) Scott Oakman is executive director at the GTHL, the largest minor hockey league in the world, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 players. For now, he suggested the ideal plan would be for things to be up and running again by mid-to-late August. “Even with that, I think it would require us to do some season modification,” he said. “Maybe a shorter season — not significantly shorter, but we’re trying to map that out now.” Spring tryouts have been cancelled in Ontario, which means the entire, cascading system would have to be moved to the fall. The change in the rhythm of hockey’s schedule will likely be felt before then, with clubs and associations not able to collect registration fees like they normally would in the spring. Many of those organizations have to place deposits on ice for the fall, Oakman said, and without those registration fees, some may experience serious cash flow issues. He said the GTHL would look at ways it might be able to help ease some of those challenges. In the meantime, the GTHL has closed its offices, with all staff working from home. “I’ve said to people along the way: Hopefully people judge this as over- reacting,” Oakman said. “Because that will determine the steps we took had an impact on how this played out, and I’d rather be guilty of that in this day and age, in what we’re facing.” The NHL announced it was suspending play the same day the GTHL held its final games. But unlike its minor hockey counterpart, the NHL 1172916 Websites How can you not go back to the best pairing in Oilers history — the Hall of Fame scorer who broke a couple of Bobby Orr’s records, and the guy who freed up Coffey’s skills by blocking the shots, retrieving the pucks and doing the dirty work that allowed former to roam. Sportsnet.ca / Oilers all-time Dream Team for Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final Second pairing: Chris Pronger, This pairing has it all: Skill, size and more toughness than should be allowed. Pronger was only an Oiler for one season on 2005-06, but had Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec March 24, 2020, 4:22 PM they won that Game 7 at Carolina, he would have carried home the Conn Smythe Trophy. Smith was a true leader, one of the all-time hardest Oilers to play against and the perfect defensive-minded partner for EDMONTON — When you are picking a team to take into a Game 7 from Pronger. the Edmonton Oilers’ all-time roster, it’s not the same as if you were Third pairing: Kevin Lowe, Reijo Ruotsalainen choosing on behalf of 95 per cent of National Hockey League organizations. This was tough, with players like Steve Smith, Oscar Klefbom, Igor Kravchuk, (all left shots) and righties Jeff Beukeboom and Lee Fogolin Because 95 per cent of the other organizations can’t count eight Hockey available for selection. Lowe has to be on this team — period. So we Hall of Fame players that have laced them up in their uniforms since paired the hard-rock, defensive specialist with an offensive righty in 1987, a list that includes short-term Oilers Chris Pronger and Adam Ruotsalainen — only the second right-shot D-man in this group. We Oates. And very few have a pair of players on their current roster with hated to leave Steve Smith out, and we’re not sure he shouldn’t be on his chops like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — a Hart Trophy winner wrong side with Lowe. and another who stood as the Hart favourite and Art Ross leader when the 2019-20 season was paused, not to mention another Hart winner in Goalies Taylor Hall. Grant Fuhr, Bill Ranford So when we took on this assignment of building a team to take into a Stanley Cup Final Game 7, with instructions to construct a “team,” and Honourable mention for Curtis Joseph here, but our starter is a no- not just a bunch of good players, it reminds of how Canada’s Olympic brainer: the Hall of Famer and star Fuhr. No one played roster is built every four years — or whenever the NHLers are better behind an offensive machine that left him alone on so many nights participants. than Fuhr. Someone has to kill a penalty, right? Ranford, meanwhile, won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1990. He gets the nod over CuJo — by a toe save. With the Oilers team, as with a Team Canada, there are too many qualified top-six forwards to simply leave some at home in favour of a Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.25.2020 prototypical third-line role player. Take the centre ice position: You have Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and , who have 10 Stanley Cups between them. You have Doug Weight, a three-time U.S. Olympian. You have Oates, a 1,420-point Hall of Famer. You have McDavid and Draisaitl — and none of the above fill the penalty-killing, draw-winning skates of a Craig MacTavish, the kind of centreman vital to a good playoff team. So we’ve moved some centres to the wing, just the way Team Canada does. The rest fall into place. Here’s a look at how: Forwards First line: Leon Draisaitl, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri This is a scoring line with the NHL’s all-time leading scorer — and all- time assists man — between two players who combined to achieve nine 40-goal seasons in 15 seasons with Edmonton. If your No. 1 line is about creating offence, how would this line function — especially when you consider that Draisaitl is equal parts passer and shooter? Yikes! Second line: Mark Messier, Connor McDavid, Glenn Anderson Sorry — this is another flat-out offensive juggernaut. We’ve kept Anderson and Messier together because they were so deadly back in the ‘80s, and if you consider that duo was one of the fastest offensive pairings of their day, throwing McDavid in between No. 11 and No. 9 would make this quite possibly the greatest combination of skill and speed the game has ever seen. Third line: Ryan Smyth, Doug Weight, Bill Guerin So now we mix some grit into the lineup, with the ultimate gamer Ryan Smyth slotting in with two pillars of the U.S. Olympic team over the years. Guerin was tough, gritty and had six 30-goal seasons (pro-rated), while Weight was an underrated player due to his time on some poor Oilers clubs, yet was one of the game’s top passers in the seasons surrounding the turn of the century. Fourth line: Kelly Buchberger, Craig MacTavish, Esa Tikkanen Here are your penalty killers, your top faceoff man to protect that late lead and a world-class who can go after the other team’s top players. We flirted with having Hall on this team, but he could not beat the top three left-wingers, and although he is more skilled than Buchberger, championship teams have players like Bucky on the fourth line. Hall is a heck of a player, just not a fourth-liner, that’s all. Defence First pairing: , Charlie Huddy 1172917 Websites They’d have even more flexibility if they were to move Domi for… say… Minnesota Wild defenceman Jonas Brodin ($4.16-million AAV through 2021), as a move of that nature has been widely speculated since Bergevin told La Presse in February he’d consider trading a forward this Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens well-positioned to deal with salary-cap realities summer for some help on defence. in 2020-21 What the Canadiens would do with their space is the big question. We don’t expect they’ll be big players in unrestricted free agency, with Bergevin saying in the above interview that, “More and more, July 1 has Eric Engels | @EricEngels March 24, 2020, 2:17 PM become a waste of time.” That’s not to say the GM won’t turn to the market to make a value Imagine the Montreal Canadiens being the envy of National Hockey addition or two, like he did in signing Ben Chiarot to a three-year, $10.5- League teams for being as well as or better positioned than just about million contract last summer. As we reported on Monday, it’s all but anyone to deal with a flat salary cap for next season. assured Ilya Kovalchuk will be back with the Canadiens will be back in Montreal on a bonus-laden contract next season. Andit’s a strong They used to be the envy of the league for winning the Stanley Cup on likelihood the team will attempt to add one of the 51 impending the regular, but now there’s this. unrestricted-free-agent goaltenders not named Kinkaid to serve as a backup to Carey Price. Consider it the consolation for three consecutive playoff whiffs — barring a crazy format that allows Montreal to participate in the 2020 playoffs — But if the Canadiens are going to improve considerably, they can’t strike for a Canadiens team that hasn’t spent to the cap since 2017. the possibility of going down the offer-sheet road again. Though, it’s a given they’d be wasting their time going after a premiere player like New Le sigh. York Islanders centre Matt Barzal if they weren’t willing to put in a max Having space has had its benefits over the last few years (looking at you, offer. Joel Armia, who came to Montreal in 2018 and has since produced As for teams Bergevin can take advantage of through trade — provided consecutive career seasons with the Canadiens in exchange for a D- compliance buyouts, which offer cap relief, are only permitted if the cap level prospect and goaltender ’s expiring $4.1-million cap hit for the 2020-21 season goes down versus just remaining flat — a few from the Winnipeg Jets). But it would be a stretch to say general come to mind. The Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, seem dead set on manager Marc Bergevin has been able to weaponize it (looking at you, keeping Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander Sebastian Aho, who still plays for the Carolina Hurricanes after in place, but they’re tight against the cap and still have holes to fill on Montreal’s meekly structured 2019 offer sheet was laughed at by the their roster. That might incite them (or actually force them) to sell cheap Hurricanes front office— and everyone else — and then promptly on a player or two to clear up some room, which is a subject that was matched). well-covered by Sportsnet’s Luke Fox here. John Tavares wouldn’t even take the Canadiens’ call in the summer of The Tampa Bay Lightning would be in a particularly precarious position, 2018, and Matt Duchene left them as bridesmaids when he married with just over $76 million tied up in 15 players and restricted free agents himself to the Nashville Predators with a seven-year, $56-million contract Anthony Cirelli, Eric Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev due substantial in the summer of 2019. raises. And the Vegas Golden Knights have close to $73 million invested But that’s all in the past now, and the opportunity to add looms for a team in 14 players for next season. that desperately needs some help. Though new contracts for Ryan Reaves and Deryk Engelland (should Before we consider how the Canadiens might do that, there are pieces of they choose to re-sign them) aren’t likely to break the bank, Golden internal business that must first be settled once the COVID-19 pandemic Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon won’t be left with much wiggle room to fill (hopefully goes away and never comes back) dissipates, and once upper out — and improve — the roster. and lower limits of the cap get set and the off-season and 2020-21 That could make for a ripe opportunity for Bergevin to pounce on. And season get scheduled: surely there are other scenarios for him and his associates to entertain. · A new contract for Max Domi. The good news is the Canadiens don’t have much to worry about on the · A new contract for Victor Mete. home front if the salary cap remains flat next season. · Decisions on whether or not to qualify restricted free agents Charles Not that the fact should be celebrated with a parade down Saint Hudon and Xavier Ouellet. Catherine Street. · Decisions on whether or not to make offers to unrestricted free agents Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.25.2020 Dale Weise and Christian Folin (we’re just going to take for granted that Keith Kinkaid won’t be back). We’re not exactly looking at a conundrum here. The Canadiens already have 16 players locked into their NHL roster for a total of $63.14 million, and there’s little of the business outlined above that will end up having a considerable impact on the heavy lifting that Bergevin and capologist John Sedgwick need to do in the summer of 2021, when Armia’s, Tomas Tatar’s, Brendan Gallagher’s, Phillip Danault’s, Jeff Petry’s, Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s and Ryan Poehling’s contracts are set to expire. Domi’s new deal represents the only complex bit of business, if we can even call it that. After all, when our Elliotte Friedman asked Bergevin if he foresaw any difficulty getting the 25-year-old restricted free agent signed, he responded with an authoritative “No.” It’s just that there is potential for negotiations to be contentious, assuming Domi isn’t traded before they happen. The Winnipeg native’s status as an arbitration-eligible free agent who can become unrestricted as of July, 2022, combined with the considerable variance in production between his first season (28 goals and 72 points in 82 games) and his second season (17 goals and 44 points in 71 games) with the Canadiens, could throw a wrench into things. That said, you could see it being advantageous for both sides to agree to a one-year deal, if the plan is to keep Domi in the fold. Assuming that is in fact the plan, and that it would cost the Canadiens upwards of $7 million to do it (it’ll likely be less), they’d still have roughly $10 million to play with before hitting the $81.5-million upper limit of the salary cap. 1172918 Websites sophomore leader at highly ranked ND — first-unit power play, first-unit PK.

He evolved into a major role on Team Canada’s gold-medal world-junior Sportsnet.ca / Five intriguing Senators prospects to WATCH: Josh Norris roster, moving up to the top pairing. As the tournament wore on, head developing fast coach Dale Hunter increasingly relied on Bernard-Docker in all situations, including late in the final, preserving a one-goal lead.

Watching JBD deliver a massive open-ice hit on Russia’s Kirill Wayne Scanlan March 24, 2020, 12:37 PM Marchenko reminded us that Okotoks is a Siksikáí’powahsin word meaning “rock.” And that fairly describes Bernard-Docker, a reliable, two- way defenceman who is going to get an opportunity to develop as a pro, We have reached that time in the sports impasse when we need to find perhaps as early as next fall with the B-Sens. topics that serve as a distraction to daily pandemic news as well as a C – Shane Pinto, 19 reminder that there will be brighter days ahead. GP: 33 | G: 16 | A: 12 | 28 Sports will matter again at some point. North Dakota Fighting Hawks Teams, rosters and prospects will strive to pick up where they left off, even if the normal ebbs and flows of every season is off kilter. Draft: Ottawa, 32nd, 2019 The best players will still be the best. 6-3, 195 lbs And prospects in the pipeline will continue to stimulate fan bases with This isn’t the first time the Senators have had multiple prospects at the what the future might hold. More than ever, we all long for that future same school. Think back to Ohio State University six and seven years when such simple pleasures as development camps and rookie training ago when teammates Ryan Dzingel and Max McMormick caught the eye sessions are underway again. of Ottawa scouts as late-round picks in 2011. With that in mind, we take a look at five of the most interesting Ottawa Though Bernard-Docker and Shane Pinto were drafted one year apart, Senators prospects. Not the top five, not the five most imminent NHLers they have quickly developed a chemistry, often combining to score goals, (that would start with Drake Batherson and run through several other especially on the power play, with JBD as quarterback and Pinto the AHL teammates). shooter. As a freshman in 2019-20, Pinto led North Dakota with five power-play goals, and was tied for the team lead in goals with 16. That What we are listing here, in a highly subjective way, are five prospects helped earn the right-hand centre a place among the NCHC rookie-of- we find intriguing. In some cases, we haven’t seen as much of them the-year finalists. because they are not as far advanced in the development process. There is one AHL player on the list because he has progressed at a rate no one The Senators went off the board to draft Pinto early in the second round, could have foreseen after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery based on his USHL play. Pinto loves to shoot the puck (91 shots, third on just a little more than a year ago. his team) is physical (second in penalty minutes, with 46) and leads his team in major penalties, with two. His faceoff numbers are remarkable for C – Josh Norris, 20 a college freshman — 61.1 per cent as regular-season play ended, and GP: 59 | G: 31 | A: 30 | Pts: 61 ultimately the season. Belleville Senators (AHL) Like Bernard-Docker, Pinto had a strong world-junior tournament, but with a different nation: USA. He finished with four goals and seven points Draft: San Jose, 19th, 2017 in five games. 6-2,192 lbs Considering he doesn’t turn 20 until November, Pinto could use another strong college season, although he already has pro size and instincts. With the picks and players acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the massive trade for Erik Karlsson on Sept. 13, 2018, Norris got a chance to D – Lassi Thomson, 19 fly under the radar. There were no outsized expectations for the young centre because he had played so little hockey in 2019. GP: 39 | G: 7 | A: 6 | Pts: 13 Consider that, just last June, Norris was kept out of contact drills at Ilves Loan, Liiga Ottawa’s development camp. In September, he was cleared to play in the Draft: Ottawa, 19th, 2019 Senators’ rookie tournament, which marked his first game of any kind since playing for Team USA in the World Junior Championships the 6-0, 182 lbs previous winter. After just one-and-a-half seasons of experience at the University of Michigan and a lost half-season, all Norris did as an AHL After drafting a ‘Lassi(e)’ and a ‘Pinto’ in rather quick succession last rookie was finish third in the AHL scoring race in goals and points (tied). June, the Senators were bombarded with animal jokes on social media. Nobody is laughing anymore as these prospects continue to develop. The B-Sens’ scoring leader is intriguing for a number of reasons. Unlike many of his teammates — Drake Batherson, Logan Brown, Vitaly After a strong 2018-19 season (17 goals, 41 points) with the WHL Abramov, Rudolf Balcers, Erik Brannstrom etc. — Norris didn’t get much , Thomson returned to Finland in 2019-20 to play of a look in the NHL this season, with just three games played. Yet, head against grown men, except for his sojourn to the WJC. Thomson was coach DJ Smith gave him front-line minutes in those games, nearly 18 named captain of the Finnish juniors and played seven games, recording minutes per night, and there were flashes of his play-making vision and one assist, for a persistent Finnish team. sneaky-dangerous shot on display. A smooth skater, Thomson provides another right-hand shot out of the Can the 20-year-old thrive at the NHL level as he has as a rookie pro? defence position, and what a shot it is — a boomer from the point that Can he step in as soon as next season? The former Sharks first-rounder belies Thomson’s slight build. is going to be an interesting player to watch. Thomson himself didn’t expect to get drafted this high, but the Senators D – Jacob Bernard-Docker, 19 scouts liked the way he adapted quickly to the North American game as an 18-year-old in junior, and is the type of skating, puck-moving D-man GP: 32 | G: 7 | A: 18 | Pts: 25 that every pairing in the NHL must have to be competitive. North Dakota Fighting Hawks (NCAA) It’s early in the going, Thomson still has to prove himself as a North American pro, but with his skill set and shot, he looks like he could be Draft: Ottawa, 28th, 2018 part of a young future D-corps that includes Thomas Chabot, Erik 6-1, 195 lbs. Brannstrom and Bernard-Docker. Bernard-Docker, drafted 26th overall (Ottawa’s second first-round pick, G – Mads Sogaard, 19 2018), is a great example of how a player can excel without playing GP: 31 | W: 21 | L: 13 | OT: 2 | GAA: 2.53 | SV%: .908 major junior. ‘JBD,’ as he is known, became the best defenceman in Alberta provincial junior hockey with the AJHL Okotoks Oilers and rode Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) that to a Division 1 scholarship at North Dakota. As a freshman in 2018- 19, this right-shot defenceman became a key starter and then a Draft: Ottawa, 37th, 2019 6-7, 200 lbs We started this exercise talking about intriguing prospects in the Senators organization. While they are deep in goaltenders at the NHL and AHL level, few are as intriguing as Sogaard, by virtue of his size. With 6-6 Anders Nilsson likely starting next season as Ottawa’s No. 1 goalie, this even larger specimen looms in the system. Because of their less predictable development, goalies tend to go lower in the draft. Last June, American Spencer Knight became just the seventh goaltender to be chosen in the first round over the past decade. The Senators wasted no time getting the second-rated goalie available, Sogaard, in round two. As a Medicine Hat rookie in 2018-19, Sogaard was sensational, 19-8-2 with a .921 save percentage. This season, he has been slightly less consistent, but was coming on strong. As recently as March 2, Sogaard was named WHL goaltender of the week with a 2-0-0 performance, 1.00 goals-against and .947 save percentage. Scouts love Sogaard’s net presence, rebound control and his agility for a big man. Comparisons have been made to Nashville’s Pekka Rinne. Organizationally, the Senators are deep at this vital position: with Nilsson and Craig Anderson (a pending UFA considering retirement), plus Marcus Hogberg, Joey Daccord and Filip Gustavsson close to readiness. In junior, Kevin Mandolese had a sensational season with Cape Breton of the QMJHL — 26 wins and a .925 save percentage. The internal goalie competition will be fascinating to watch over the next few years. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172919 Websites While many will debate the merits of having Tkachuk on this roster with just four years of service, no one can argue the fact it would instantly be considered one of the most hated trios in hockey history. Sportsnet.ca / Flames all-time Dream Team for Game 7 of Stanley Cup All three can create offence as easily as they can infuriate the opposition Final with an endless array of tactics aimed to throw opponents off their game and into a tizzy.

Every coach would relish having a shutdown line as talented and Eric Francis | @EricFrancis March 24, 2020, 11:55 AM versatile as this. Surely as a group, they’d be able to draw a big penalty or two in the big game that could be the difference. Few hated to lose more than any of It’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and you, as coach of the Calgary these three. Flames Dream Team, can ice a lineup of players from any era you want. Fourth line: , Joel Otto, Joe Mullen With the score tied late in the second period of an intense 2-2 game, you tap the backs of a trio you’ve silently considered your secret weapon. A nice balance of grit, scoring ability and defensive responsibility. The fans, well, they’ll have other names for them. As a Hall of Famer and 50-goal scorer who potted 16 goals in the Flames’ 21 playoff games en route to the 1989 Stanley Cup, Mullen likely Third-line centre Doug Gilmour jumps over the boards, followed by Theo deserves higher billing than the fourth line. Alas, it’s obviously a deep Fleury and Matthew Tkachuk, making up one of the most hated lines in group that has the luxury of pairing the Hall of Famer with Otto, the the history of hockey. organization’s answer to Mark Messier and every other top centre in the Shockingly, a post-whistle scrum gets all three involved before an league. Peplinski, a tough-as-nails Flames captain who scored 30 one opponent is singled out for crossing the line. Suckered again. year while amassing 1,400 career penalty minutes, was the only one drafted in the trio. The Flames vaunted power play hits the ice with three Hall of Famers upfront — Jarome Iginla, Joe Nieuwendyk and Lanny McDonald. At the Healthy scratches: Kent Nilsson, Martin Gelinas back, Norris Trophy winners Al MacInnis and Mark Giordano. Things are Nilsson’s 49 goals and 131 points in his second NHL season led Wayne looking good. Gretzky to famously say, “Skills-wise, he might have been the most At a time when all we can do is dream about hockey, the exercise is skilled hockey player I ever saw in my entire career.” Alas, Nilsson’s work simple: summon anyone from the list of the more than 600 gentlemen ethic and mindset frustrated teammates, who knew they couldn’t count who’ve suited up for the Flames over the last 40 years. on him when the chips were down. Pick each player based on their prime years as a Flame, and be mindful Thus, he’ll watch this dream matchup from the press box alongside of the fact this isn’t simply an all-star squad or a list compiled by looking Martin Gelinas. at the franchise’s all-time scoring leaders. You are in search of the best No teammate ever questioned the way Gelinas approached the game, team, meaning various roles need to be filled, such as checkers, penalty- giving it everything he had every shift. That hard work paid off in 2004 killers and heart-and-soul fellas who will lay it all on the line for the big when he scored the series clincher in each of the first three upsets before game. appearing to score a goal in Game 6 of the Final that should have been Although the Flames only have one Stanley Cup win in their history, my reviewed and very well have counted as the Cup-winner. lineup features eight 50-goal scorers, five Hall of Famers, a pair of Norris The Eliminator would be a great add to this lineup if an injury occurred. Trophy winners and one of the most dominant netminders of his era: Defence Forwards First pairing: Gary Suter, Al MacInnis First line: Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, Jarome Iginla These lads played together for the better part of nine seasons, so they Three 50-goal scorers on one line, with the added bonus of having three have a bit of chemistry, not to mention one of the most feared shots in of the most competitive players the organization has ever seen. hockey history, even with a wooden stick. Interestingly, Iginla was traded to Calgary from Dallas for Nieuwendyk in 1995 in a swap of Hall of Famers that served everyone involved Second pairing: Mark Giordano, Paul Reinhart brilliantly. Nieuwendyk won Cups with three organizations, including Calgary where he did it alongside Roberts in 1989 as a youngster. Iginla, Two offensively gifted, yet complete defenders who care as much as the franchise points leader, carried the Flames on his back in 2004 when anyone. his squad fell one game short of the Stanley Cup. If given one more shot Third pairing: Robyn Regehr, Jamie Macoun at a Game 7, you can bet he’d rise to the occasion again like he did in overtime of the Olympic gold medal game at the 2010 Vancouver This is one punishing duo that will make life hell for the opposition. Games. Healthy scratch: Brad McCrimmon This fierce, talented line could dominate in so many ways. No one would have wanted to be the one to tell McCrimmon, the ultimate Second Line: Johnny Gaudreau, Hakan Loob, Lanny McDonald competitor, he was sitting this one out. A dream assignment for former 66-goal scorer McDonald, who will line Beloved in the room, Beast was a monster who terrorized opponents and up alongside two of the most skilled playmakers in Flames lore. would do anything for the team. It’s not without controversy though. Goalies Noticeably absent from the line — and the starting lineup — is Kent Miikka Kiprusoff, Nilsson, who is widely considered the most skilled player ever to play for the Flames. However, the man they call The Magic Man also had a Vernon backstopped the Flames and Red Wings to Stanley Cups, but will knack for disappearing in big games. More on that later. watch from the bench as Kiprusoff gets the start. Loob is a 50-goal scorer who came with some jam and endless skill No one in Flames silks has ever dominated more than the fantastic Finn worthy of a second-line assignment. did over a decade of service in Calgary. Gaudreau is another controversial piece on the second line. Despite Forever calm and in control, few goalies of his era stole games with as being one of the most exciting and skilled players in Flames history, the much regularity as he did, making him the easy decision in goal. jury is still out on whether he can be counted on to excel when the games Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.25.2020 matter most. Lanny’s leadership, goal-scoring ability and experience in big NHL and international games makes him a no-brainer on the second unit. Third line: Matthew Tkachuk, Doug Gilmour, Theo Fleury 1172920 Websites First, a caveat: Injured players are ineligible for buyouts. Yet Seabrook, 34, seems to be recovering nicely from his three shoulder surgeries, judging by his push-up challenge video (Watch below). Sportsnet.ca / Top 11 (purely hypothetical) NHL compliance buyout In addition to Alex DeBrincat’s monster raise kicking in for 2020-21, cap- candidates tight Chicago has a few young players in need of a pay bump this summer: Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome and Drake Caggiula.

Be it this off-season or next, buying out Seabrook could be an option. Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox March 24, 2020, 2:38 PM Looks like Brent Seabrook’s recovery is going well, as he’s out here dishing the #PushUpChallenge to @kdach77 The last time the National Hockey League endured such a severe (: @kdach77 /IG) pic.twitter.com/ZyNGKZCRyz interruption of action — and the inevitable economic sucker-punch that goes with it — the general managers were granted a get-out-of-jail-free — Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 23, 2020 card. Two of them, in fact. Milan Lucic, four years at a $6-million cap hit In the summer that followed the 2012-13 lockout and truncated season, The underwhelming Lucic has a full no-movement clause until June 1, the players and governors agreed that each club would be permitted two 2021, at which point it becomes modified. And while last summer’s compliance buyouts to help free up salary-cap space in the face of a change of scenery has done both he and James Neal some good, the stagnant cap ceiling. These could be used in the summer of 2013 and/or power forward is nowhere near the $6-million threat he’s getting paid to the summer of 2014, as the cap ceiling waited two seasons to resume its be. upward trajectory. Lucic, 31, totalled 20 points in 68 games with Calgary and, after a six- With aid of this handy buyout tool, a whopping 28 overpaid players were year run as a plus, has been a minus player four seasons running. granted early free agency — on the condition they didn’t re-sign with the same team that bought them out within a full calendar year. Considering the Flames’ urgency to contend and GM Brad Treliving’s willingness to buy out mistakes (Troy Brouwer, Michael Stone), Lucic Household names like Martin Havlat, Daniel Briere, Brad Richards, Scott would rank high on a candidates list should the NHL grant compliance Gomez, Tomas Kaberle, Ilya Bryzgalov and Christian Ehrhoff were buyouts. among those who had to find new employment. #StayAtHomeChallenge thanks @ToreyKrug … @justinbieber in the Is there anything more wonderful than a mulligan? background (daughter has ‘Never Say Never’ on repeat) With the 2020-21 cap expected to take a COVID-19 hit, there are pic.twitter.com/6BdhsLpBww rumblings the league may consider implementing a similar option in the — Milan Lucic (@27MilanLucic) March 21, 2020 near future — with the NHLPA’s blessing, of course. Karl Alzner, two years at a $4.625-million cap hit And while a throwback to the compliance buyout is purely hypothetical at this stage, we found ourselves with enough time on our hands to sift Although Alzner did work his way back to the NHL for four games this through the rosters and drum up a list of potential candidates. winter, there is no mistaking the defenceman has been a supreme bust, a classic July 1 overpay. In the summer of 2019, he ranked second to Here is a breakdown of 11 players who might be considered for an Lucic among CapFriendly.com’s most-searched buyouts. amnesty buyout, and the pros and cons of pulling the trigger on arguably the most uncomfortable tool at a GM’s disposal. After eight years of perfect NHL attendance, Alzner was scratched on opening night of the 2018-19 season and appeared in just nine big- (For all the nitty-gritty details on buyouts and a handy buyout calculator, league games for the organization before being demoted to Laval, where head over to the excellent CapFriendly.com.) he’s quietly put in solid if overcompensated work for two seasons. Loui Eriksson, two years at a $6-million cap hit , three years at a $5.5-million cap hit In the summer of 2016, Vancouver signed a 30-goal, 63-point stud out of That Ladd was nearly dealt to Minnesota at the trade deadline in a Boston. In four runs as a Canuck, Eriksson has never scored more than complicated transaction for Zach Parise is a strong indication of how the 11 goals or 29 points. His slowing feet have also led to an increase in organization views the veteran. minor penalties and occasional benchings. Ladd, 34, is just 50 games away from joining the NHL’s 1,000-game club. That Eriksson’s actual annual salary drops to $4 million in 2020-21 and He did score 11 goals in 34 appearances with AHL Bridgeport this 2021-22 makes him slightly more tradeable, but the 34-year-old winger is season, and once in his four Islanders games. Perhaps, at a reasonable long past his prime — and an exciting Vancouver core is starting to come cap hit, he could play a valuable bottom-six role. into its own. But the Maple Ridge, B.C., native is still making money in line with his Jim Benning is a spender, and he’s up against it with Roberto Luongo’s 20-goal, 60-point Winnipeg days of 2014-15. And in the coming months, cap-recapture penalty and his highest-priced forward under-delivering. GM Lou Lamoriello is going to add about three zeros to Mathew Barzal’s With Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, Josh Leivo, Tyler Toffoli and Jake salary. Virtanen all heading toward free agency, its arguable that a compliance Kyle Okposo, three years at a $6-million cap hit buyout window could help Vancouver more than any other club. A scan of the Sabres’ recent buyout history — Christian Ehrhoff, Ville Justin Abdelkader, three years at a $4.25-million cap hit Leino and Cody Hodgson all had line items this season — is a reminder Because the rebuilding Red Wings are in no rush to spend to the cap and of the franchise’s love for a good overpay. assemble an immediate contender, and because they’ll also have a God bless Okposo, but the injury-plagued pro has fallen into the same bunch of expensive contracts coming off the books this summer (Jimmy pattern as Matt Moulson: great years next to John Tavares on Long Howard, Jonathan Ericsson, Trevor Daley), they can still absorb overpaid Island, followed by an inability to live up to his contract in Buffalo. veterans like Abdelkader and Frans Nielsen (two more years at a $5.25- million hit) with ease. Okposo, 31, is making top-line dollars but put up nine goals and 10 assists in 52 games this season, the fourth consecutive year his point Here’s the question: Does still want a 36-year-old total has dropped. Abdelkader taking up cap space in 2023? The Pegulas could also consider a do-over on the Jeff Skinner contract It’s easy to look at Abdelkader’s 2019-20 numbers — zero goals, three (seven more seasons at a $9-million hit), but the underwhelming winger assists, minus-14 rating — and start dreading another three declining (14 goals) is only 27 and has a history of up-and-down production. years of overpaying a depth winger. Sergei Bobrovsky, six years at a $10-million cap hit There could be sentiment at play here, with Abdelkader being a loyal, career-long Wing and a respected leader. But remember this: Yzerman Buying out the remaining six (!) years of Bobrovsky’s mega-deal would used a compliance buyout on local hero Vincent Lecavalier when he save the cash-conscious Panthers $11 million over the course of the served as Tampa’s GM. payments. More important: it could correct 2019’s free agency wrong. Brent Seabrook, four years at a $6.875-million cap hit No goalie – not even a two-time Vezina champ – should eat up an eight- figure chunk of a team’s salary cap in this era. The position is too unpredictable and too injury- and slump-prone, and the cap space is too valuable. That Bobrovsky’s 2019-20 record and save percentage (23-19-6, .900) paled next to those his backup, recent ECHLer Chris Driedger (7-2-1, .938), has underscored the danger of betting so big on the position. leafs-john-tavares-shoots-on-panthers-sergei-bobrovsky Toronto Maple Leafs centre John Tavares (91) moves in on Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) as Panthers defenceman Anton Stralman (6) ties up Maple Leafs left wing Pierre Engvall (47) during second period action in Toronto, Monday, Feb.3, 2020. (Frank Gunn/CP) Henrik Lundqvist, one year at a $8.5-million cap hit This one is more about carving out space than saving money. When the virus hit pause on the 2019-20 campaign, the Rangers were surging out of their rebuild while awkwardly carrying three NHL-calibre goaltenders. An affordable young duo of Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev could set the Blueshirts’ crease up well for years to come. Buying out the King would bring an unceremonious — and potentially friction-sparking — end to a Hall of Fame career, but it could also be coldly chalked up to the business of sport. James Neal, three years at a $5.75-million cap hit No stranger to the buyout as a means to cap comfort, the Oilers are currently paying five players to not be in Edmonton: buyouts Benoit Pouliot, Eric Gryba and Andrej Sekera, plus retained-salary trades Lucic and Sam Gagner. No doubt, Neal bounced back nicely with 19 goals in 2019-20, but he’s a dash-20 winger on the books until age 35. There are better ways than a power-play specialist to allot that salary during Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s prime. Note: Then GM of the Red Wings, Ken Holland used both his amnesty buyouts in 2013 and ’14. David Backes, one year at a $6-million cap hit The urgency to buy out Backes, previously a strain on the Bruins’ cap structure, is not as severe as you might imagine. The Ducks have a room full of young forwards who could benefit from Backes’s mentorship, work ethic and experience. Further, the guy only has one more season left on his deal, and Anaheim is not expected to be a contender/spender in 2020-21. Absolutely, Backes is overpaid. He scored once and played a scant 22 games in 2019-20. But he’ll “only” make $4 million in real money next season. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172921 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Wayne Gretzky concerned for father during COVID-19 pandemic

Sportsnet Staff | @Sportsnet March 24, 2020, 4:50 PM

Monday marked the 26th anniversary of Wayne Gretzky breaking Gordie Howe’s record for most goals in NHL history, however, there are other things on The Great One’s mind these days as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s kind of an eerie feeling. Obviously, it’s something that nobody saw coming and this is something that our generation has never seen anything like,” Gretzky told Writers Bloc on Tuesday. Gretzky said he has been doing the responsible thing and is holed up at his home in California. “We’re all trying to do our part,” Gretzky said. “Our community is pretty much in a lockdown other than getting things that you have to have, but everything is closed and it’s kind of eerie right now. We’ve all got to do a small piece and, hopefully, all those small pieces add up to getting rid of this pandemic and we can go back to somewhat of a normal life. Hopefully, like everyone, we all stay safe and stay healthy.” Gretzky added that his biggest concern is the health of his father, Walter, the most famous hockey parent in Canada, who is 81 and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012. “That’s our biggest concern, obviously, like anybody else who’s got elderly parents and elderly parents who are battling some sort of scenario,” Gretzky said of his father who resides north of the border in Ontario. “My sister’s got an eye on him, my brothers have got an eye on him. They’ve pretty much locked him down and locked out the house and we’re trying to keep him, like every other elderly person in the world and in Canada, safe and hopefully we can get through this because it is trying times for everyone.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172922 Websites "We will never know. We will never know if Player A would've scored 25 goals in the playoffs, it will have for sure improved his value and if Player B scored zero goals in the playoffs and had not done the job then that, for sure, would decrease his value, but we'll never know. I guess it's even TSN.CA / Pain and perspective: Andre Tourigny talks lost 67's season, for everybody. We'll have to go from what we know. But it's a great Rossi's potential and 2021 WJC experience. A player who gets to live a Game 7 or a long run or a victory in the playoffs when they arrive at the World Junior the following year and they're in a do-or-die game, that's really important experience, but we will Mark Masters all be on the same page, I guess." Will it put a greater emphasis on the start of next season assuming it is able to start on time? Andre Tourigny is feeling pain, but also keeping perspective as he continues to process the events of this month. "It was going to be important (anyway). The chance we have in Canada, the opportunity we have is we have a lot of depth so between the No. 9 The Ottawa 67's head coach had been gearing up to lead his juggernaut forward and forward No. 20 is about the same. The difference between squad on a championship quest. The team racked up 50 wins , tying a those 11, 12, 15 players is so thin so to make a difference between all of franchise record before their OHL regular season was halted six games them, it's always tough, it's always a lot of viewing and a lot of feeling and early due to the coronavirus outbreak. A chance at history was washed you ask a lot of people their opinion and from there you make your away, but at least there was still the possibility to avenge last year's loss opinion. So, that will still be the case, it'll be tough to know the final roster in the league championship series. Then on Monday that dream died as but, at the end of the day, that's a good problem to have." well with the CHL announcing the cancellation of its playoffs and, for the first time ever, the Memorial Cup. What did you learn from serving as an assistant coach during the run to gold in Ostrava this year? — CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) March 23, 2020 "Well, I learned to stay level. I think it's not stuff we didn't know, but it "It was heartbreaking," Tourigny said. "My thoughts were with our proved that if you stay the course and you keep playing the way you graduating players, players who have played their last game in the should and you stay level I think good things can happen. When we were barber pole jersey, it's heartbreaking. We have really good people, down 3-1 (in the gold-medal game) we stayed level and when we went people who worked really hard for years to help us to build a good up 4-3 as well we stayed level. Nobody panicked, nobody was too high or program ... I feel for the guys who ... it was their last kick at the can. It's too low on the bench, we just stayed level so that's the biggest take for tough." me." There's a lot of time for Tourigny to play the what-if game amid the What was it like working with head coach Dale Hunter? physical distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic. "It was great. He's not the guy who talked the most on the bench, but "I guess, it's like everybody," he said of his new reality. "My wife works a he's really fun to be around every day. He likes to chirp, he likes to have lot, but for my boys, my daughter and myself we're in the house and fun, he has no ego, he's a really down-to-earth guy so it was fun to be doing a lot of reading, a lot of Netflix, a lot of gaming so a lot of nothing with him." happening in the house, but that's what’s needed right now." The Great Quebec Hope: Alexis Lafreniere Tourigny understands this all too well, because h is wife is a nurse at a hospital in Gatineau, Que. There is no player in the World Junior Championship who faces more scrutiny than Alexis Lafreniere. Not only is the prospective 2020 No. 1 "She has a lot of courage with this job and being on the frontlines," he draft choice being watched closely by NHL scouts. Lafreniere is The said. "We're behind her and it's not that easy to work that many hours. Great Quebec Hope. She has a lot of courage." What did you enjoy about coaching Alexis Lafreniere? With all this weighing on his mind, Tourigny took some time to speak with TSN on Tuesday. He shared his insight on a magical season that ended "I've had the chance to coach him twice and what I like about Laff is he's prematurely while offering a scouting report on two draft-eligible a money player, he's a clutch player. At key moments, that's when he prospects in Marco Rossi and Jack Quinn. Plus, Tourigny looked ahead shined the most. I really liked his resilience this year after his injury, the to the 2021 World Juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer where he will way he came back, he gave a lot of energy to the team, not just that he coach Team Canada. came back, but the way he did it. The way he played the first shift and the physicality. I like a lot of things about Laff, but if there's one thing it's The following is an edited transcript of the phone interview. his enthusiasm every day, his smile every day and he loves to play hockey, has a passion for the game and that is what makes him so The Ottawa 67's did a video conference with the team yesterday. What special to be around." was the message? TSN.CA LOADED: 03.25.2020 "It was really short, because not much can be said. We're really fortunate because our owners said they want to bring everybody back to Ottawa when it's possible to have a celebration of our season so that was a relief for the players. They will have a chance to see each other, but at the same time it's not the same thing, it's the best we can do under the circumstance so that was one of the messages. The other message was about exit meetings and we will do it by video conference and we will send them a few things to prepare for that. As for the rest, I gave them a message about how bad I felt about it and how proud I was of them all season with the way they worked. That was it." Jack Quinn, another draft-eligible forward, went from scoring 12 goals last season to 52 this season, second in the OHL, where did he grow the most? "He got inside more. He always had the skill, he always had that hockey sense, but now he's getting inside, he's getting to the dirty area, he has a more complete game. Back then he was a skilled player, who was really smart, but now he's a skilled player, who's really smart, who's getting dirty every day. That's where his game grew the most. Alexis Lafreniere takes top spot in Bob McKenzie's mid-season draft rankings, he explains why his performance at the World Juniors helped separate himself from Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle in the top three. You spoke about how playoff experience is so important so with that in mind, how will the cancellation impact the evaluation process for the World Junior team? 1172923 Websites

USA TODAY / Sixers, Devils back down on temporary salary cuts for employees

Steve Gardner

Bowing to public pressure Tuesday afternoon, the parent company of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils reversed a planned 20% pay cut for the teams' salaried employees announced earlier in the day. "Our commitment has been to do our best to keep all of our employees working through this very difficult situation," Josh Harris, founder of Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, said in a statement. "After listening to our staff and players, it’s clear that was the wrong decision. We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries. This is an extraordinary time in our world - unlike any most of us have ever lived through before - and ordinary business decisions are not enough to meet the moment. To our staff and fans, I apologize for getting this wrong." Upon learning of the planned salary cuts, Sixers star Joel Embiid -- who had already pledged $500,000 to coronavirus medical relief -- committed to helping team employees who would have suffered financial hardships. After the announcement, Embiid was one of the first to praise the team for "doing a 180." The NHL and NBA have suspended operations indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and all events at Prudential Center, which is owned and operated by HBSE, have been canceled or postponed through March. As part of an effort to do that we asked salaried employees to take a temporary 20% pay cut while preserving everyone’s full benefits -- and keeping our 1500 hourly workers paid throughout the regular season. USA TODAY LOADED: 03.25.2020 1172924 Websites

USA TODAY / Report: NHL is slashing salaries of league office employees

Chris Bumbaca

The NHL is temporarily slashing the salaries of league office employees by 25 percent, according to ESPN. With regular-season games suspended since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league is taking the measure to hopefully prevent layoffs, per ESPN, beginning April 1. While the NHL has not yet punted on finishing the 2019-20 season in some capacity, it has placed a priority on maintaining a full 82-game schedule in 2020-21. The ramifications of the suspended season will not only be felt in the league office. On Monday, it was revealed the New Jersey Devils (and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, which operate under the same ownership group) were temporarily reducing pay by 20 percent for its “at-will” employees – those making $50,000 or more – from April 15 through June. However a few hours later, 76ers managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement: "After listening to our staff and players, it’s clear that was the wrong decision. We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries." CORONAVIRUS & SPORTS:Get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here. So far, two NHL players – both unnamed members of the Ottawa Senators – have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. USA TODAY LOADED: 03.25.2020