SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/10/2020 1187491 The Ducks’ best free-agent signings in team history 1187517 Wild interim coach eager for Monday's start of camp Bruins 1187518 Wild, NHL donate $100,000 to Matt Dumba's fundraiser to 1187492 What you need to know about the Bruins before NHL help rebuild Lake Street training camps open 1187519 Wild names Judd Brackett director of amateur scouting 1187493 In Bruins’ radio booth, preparing to call games remotely 1187520 Wild interim coach Dean Evason living in moment despite requires big adjustment coaching for his life 1187521 Wild hire draft guru Judd Brackett as director of amateur scouting 1187494 CBA will reportedly have Sabres begin season in 1187522 Wild hire former Canucks draft guru Judd Brackett to lead December amateur scouting 1187495 What the Devils are getting in based on his coaching past Canadiens 1187496 How the Sabres got creative in the cost-efficient 1187523 Positive COVID-19 cases should be of great concern to construction of Keybank NHL Flames 1187497 One year after joining Flames, Lucic anxious to see how 1187524 Predators by the numbers: Best player to wear each 2019-20 season ends jersey number in franchise history 1187498 Flames prospect Philp plays waiting game with positive 1187525 How will a flat NHL salary cap affect the 2020-21 attitude Predators? 1187499 How a flat cap affects the Flames — and how their 2020-21 roster could shake out 1187526 Reeling Devils Hire Lindy Ruff to Coach 1187527 Devils hire Lindy Ruff as coach, keep Tom Fitzgerald as 1187500 Is a flat cap poorly timed for the now-contending GM | 5 takeaways from unusual unveiling Hurricanes? 1187528 Devils hiring Lindy Ruff: 15 things to know about the new Blackhawks 1187529 Devils commended for retaining GM Tom Fitzgerald 1187501 Is the name and logo as offensive as (minus the interim tag) | ‘He deserves a chance’ the Washington NFL team’s nickname? It’s complicated. 1187530 What are Devils getting in Lindy Ruff? Ex-Sabres Rob 1187502 Could Seabrook be ready in time to face Oilers? Ray, Marty Biron have strong opinions 1187503 Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook practices for first 1187531 Devils’ decision to hire Lindy Ruff, keep Tom Fitzgerald time since surgeries has Kyle Palmieri ‘excited’ 1187504 Former Blackhawk asks for context with 1187532 Lindy Ruff’s ‘exciting’ Devils chance forces Rangers to racial team names pick replacement 1187505 Blackhawks restructure hockey operations department, 1187533 What the Devils are getting in Lindy Ruff based on his remove eight from roles coaching past 1187506 How will long layoff affect goalies in NHL's 24-team postseason? 1187507 Greenberg: If I were president of the Blackhawks, this is 1187534 Rangers, Islanders will go to for NHL restart what I’d write 1187535 Oak View expresses interest in running , 1187508 Powers Points: Blackhawks make hockey operations staff sources say changes 1187536 The many decisions facing the cap-strapped Islanders under the new CBA 1187509 Ballin’ on a budget? How a flat salary cap could brighten or dim the Avs’ future 1187537 Henrik Lundqvist is back working out with the Rangers 1187538 Lindy Ruff’s ‘exciting’ Devils chance forces Rangers to pick replacement 1187510 What the Devils are getting in Lindy Ruff based on his 1187539 Rangers, Islanders will go to Toronto for NHL restart coaching past 1187540 Devils introduce Lindy Ruff as their new head coach Red Wings 1187511 ' next season: Circle these dates on the 1187541 named Flyers’ best defenseman for second calendar (maybe) time 1187512 The Red Wings’ No. 4 draft pick: Making the case for 1187542 Ivan Provorov earns Flyers' 2019-20 Barry Ashbee Trophy Jamie Drysdale 1187543 2019-20 Flyers season grades: Matt Niskanen 1187544 Is Claude Giroux's playoff history telling of what's to come Oilers for the ? 1187513 pipeline: could be steal of 1187545 Which Flyers rookie was the better forechecker — Joel 2018 NHL Draft class Farabee or Morgan Frost? 1187514 Lowetide: ’s postseason strategy against the Blackhawks 1187515 Q&A: Chris Pronger explains why he’s leaving Panthers to build travel company Kings 1187516 IGINLA THE LATEST KING TO ENTER THE HALL OF FAME Websites 1187546 Double Team: Patric Hornqvist found his place in front of 1187576 The Athletic / How a sports book gets made: Authors from the net for Predators, Penguins The Athletic break down the process 1187547 Can Edmonton support being an NHL hub city? Will it be 1187577 The Athletic / By the Numbers: Identifying the NHL’s best jeopardized by recent coronavirus cases? puck-moving defensemen 1187548 Iron City beer and Russian Army hockey? That's just the 1187578 The Athletic / The legacy of ‘Lucy Tries,’ ‘Brady Brady’ and start for new 'Red Penguins' documentary the key to writing books for kids 1187549 Penguins camp primer: How will veterans respond after a 1187579 .ca / Why NHL's return to play will take incredible long layoff? stamina — from fans 1187580 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Horvat focused on deep Stanley Cup playoff run after birth of child 1187550 After heartbreak last year, Sharks’ Evander Kane shares 1187581 Sportsnet.ca / Phase 3 Training Camp Preview: How far joyous news can Price take the Canadiens? 1187551 Sharks' Evander Kane announces daughter's birth after 1187582 Sportsnet.ca / Phase 3 Training Camp Preview: Can Jets' 'tough journey' Hellebuyck recapture Vezina form? 1187552 A.J. Pierzysnki, and more: The Bay 1187583 TSN.CA / Restructured NHL postseason will showcase top Area’s 20 worst trades forward combos 1187584 TSN.CA / Cole Perfetti would welcome chance to play in St Louis Blues Battle of 1187553 Want comebacks for Cardinals and Blues to work? Wear a mask in public, says local COVID-19 expert 1187566 Scheifele fires back at chef's lawsuit 1187567 Jets refuse to say who participated in first Phase 2 skate 1187554 ‘Mighty Ducks’ alum Kenan Thompson to appear on Alex 1187568 Jets' Scheifele takes on the chef in food fight, Round 2 Killorn’s ‘Dock Talk' 1187569 Jets prospect Kovacevic draws confidence from his 1187555 NHL will conduct more than 40,000 coronavirus tests unusual journey to the pros 1187556 NHL Players Association executive board approves new 1187570 Fun with long odds: What if the Jets won the draft lottery? labor deal 1187557 What if the NHL has a coronavirus outbreak within the World Leagues News bubble? 1187585 The Latest: California CCAA moving all sports to the 1187558 What will life look like in the NHL bubble? spring 1187586 Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham rolls back reopening, limits fall sports 1187559 LEAFS PIPELINE: Elynuik looking ahead after overall 1187587 CMU cancels fall sports due to COVID-19 concerns improvement with Marlies 1187588 As sports ease back into action, concerns over COVID-19 1187560 Mirtle: Do the Maple Leafs need a new plan given the remain at the forefront NHL’s new CBA and flat cap? 1187589 MLB umpires union distances from Joe West following coronavirus comments Canucks 1187590 Is playing Texas high school sports even possible in 1187571 Patrick Johnston: Horvat happy to be a new dad, Canuck 2020? wants added to summer thrills 1187591 ASU cancels all fall 2020 sports amid COVID-19 1187572 Ben Kuzma: Canucks prospect DiPietro measures up in pandemic net to career challenges 1187592 CIAA is the latest college conference to suspend fall 1187573 Ex-Canucks scouting director Judd Brackett hired by sports due to the coronavirus Minnesota Wild 1187593 Joe West, MLB's coronavirus conspiracy theory umpire, 1187574 Canucks return to play nears, Jack Rathbone’s status and should sit out 2020 season the Judd Brackett thing 1187594 COVID testing priority a potential issue for NBA 1187575 Wild hire former Canucks draft guru Judd Brackett to lead 1187595 Big Ten to play conference-only football schedule for 2020 amateur scouting season amid COVID-19 pandemic 1187596 World's Oldest Sporting Event Delayed Due to COVID-19 Concerns 1187561 Golden Knights to rebroadcast 8 wins on radio 1187597 Dartmouth to eliminate five Division 1 sports due to 1187562 Five potential Seattle expansion position players Vegas coronavirus pandemic could target via 1187598 Sports world rips NFL for absurd COVID-19 safety guidelines 1187599 Arizona State professor advocates canceling college 1187563 Alex Ovechkin selling ‘We Will Skate Again’ t-shirts and football season for more than COVID-19 masks to help local community 1187600 Tokyo Games Face Skeptics, 1-Day COVID-19 Infection 1187564 How a flat cap could affect the Capitals' approach to the Record Seattle expansion draft 1187601 MLS rushed to be first U.S. men's league back. If it 1187565 Key questions as the Capitals prepare to open summer exacerbates Florida's coronavirus spike, it made the wron training camp SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1187491 Anaheim Ducks as a stabilizing presence for Buffalo. Lydman had a great 2010-11 season, posting a plus-32 to lead the Ducks and rank among the NHL’s best. His following two seasons weren’t as good, but he was still a quality The Ducks’ best free-agent signings in team history piece for the 2012-13 playoff team. Unfortunately, a vicious hit by Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader put an end to his career.

7. Fredrik Olausson By Eric Stephens The Ducks were well aware of Olausson, having claimed him off waivers Jul 9, 2020 from Edmonton within the 1995-96 season and keeping him into the next season. Then-GM Jack Ferreira traded him to Pittsburgh but never lost

interest in the right- defenseman and his successor, Pierre Gauthier, To some hockey fans, July 1 is their Christmas. The free-agency market brought the 31-year-old back to Anaheim on a two-year deal worth $2 is open, and their teams head in with their baskets to do some serious million. Olausson had regained some of his stature with the Penguins shopping. Hope is filled with what presents they might bring back home. during the Dead Puck Era after some highly productive years with And the only cost is cold, hard cash. Winnipeg over his first seven-plus seasons. “I do believe Anaheim is serious about making a commitment to winning. At my age, that’s what I Unfortunately, Christmas did not come in early July. But the reality is not want,” Olausson told the Los Angeles Times. The smooth Swede had every team goes on a spree every year. And if you’ve come to follow the quite the comeback in 1998-99 with 16 goals and 56 points, his biggest Ducks, you’ll readily know that their history of spending on free agents is season in six years. He’d sign on again for a third turn in 2002 before … well, let’s go with the word judicious. Big names and big dollars aren’t ending his long pro career with four more years back home. often associated with Anaheim when it comes to the NHL’s annual summer bonanza. 6.

When we get to the 10 worst free-agent signings in Ducks history, you The Ducks had a goaltending dilemma of the highest order in the second might understand a reason why. But there have been some notable half of the 2010-11 season. Jonas Hiller experienced vertigo symptoms players over their 26 seasons who signed on to play in Orange County that dramatically impacted his play and rendered him unable to suit up who became difference makers in a good way. Today, we’re going to after getting drilled in the head with a shot during the All-Star Game. focus on the best. Backup Curtis McElhinney struggled badly after getting pressed into regular duty. Emery, whom Anaheim would beat in its Cup triumph over First, a few ground rules. We are talking true free-agent signings of , was recovering from major hip surgery after a degenerative players already in the professional ranks. College free agents do not condition developed during his time with Philadelphia. The Ducks’ issues count so apologies to the Andy McDonald and Chris Kunitz fan clubs. We in net paved the way for Emery’s comeback. He won his first six starts are also not talking about the return value of second (or more) contracts with Anaheim and finished with a 7-2-0 record, 2.28 goals-against by players who have re-signed with the team. Some of that factors in, but average and .926 save percentage as he and Dan Ellis steadied their the focus is on the initial deal. goaltending enough to reach the postseason. A two-way contract that paid Emery a prorated $500,000 in the NHL turned into a massive return This is about players in other pro organizations whom the Ducks brought on investment. on with hope and promise. And those players would deliver on both — in some cases more than the club ever dreamed. Feel free to add your own 5. Saku Koivu thoughts or rankings below. Murray brought a 34-year-old Koivu aboard after the Canadiens were 10. Viktor Fasth ready to part ways with him after 13 seasons. For one year and $3.25 million, the competitive center responded with 19 goals and 52 points in The Ducks signed a 29-year-old Fasth to a one-year deal worth $1 2009-10 as he settled into a middle-six role. The Ducks re-signed the million after winning top goalie honors in the Swedish Elite League for a veteran on three more occasions, and he adjusted to a role emphasizing second consecutive season. They were in dire need of a backup for his defense, faceoff ability and killing over his five seasons. Koivu Jones Hiller, who played in a league-high 73 games during their poor not only got to play those years with his good friend and Finnish national 2011-12 season. In the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Fasth won team linemate Teemu Selanne, but he appeared in three more his first eight starts and pushed Hiller for No. 1 status. Fasth’s numbers postseasons and improved Anaheim’s depth down the middle. He played — 15-6-2, 2.18 goals-against average, .921 save percentage, four in all 13 playoff games with the Ducks in 2014, the most in any single shutouts — were actually better. His performance earned him a more postseason over his 19-year career. lucrative two-year extension, but an injury early in 2013-14 doomed his follow-up and he quickly became expendable with Frederik Andersen 4. Adam Oates breaking through and hot prospect John Gibson not far off. Imagine the signing of a 40-year-old center in this day and age. Chances 9. Joe DiPenta are that criticism and even ridicule would accompany it. Even then, the Ducks had no luck bringing in “well-past-his-prime” forwards. But the late DiPenta was the definition of a low-risk, unexpectedly high-reward Bryan Murray had no problem recruiting Oates over the summer of 2002 addition when the Ducks signed him in August 2005. The native of to re-shape an offensively challenged Anaheim team that had only 69 Halifax had played five years in the and broke points the season before. Oates signed a one-year deal that could have through for only three NHL games with the . But the paid him as much as $7 million. “He may be on the downside, but he will shutdown defender earned the trust of first-year coach Randy Carlyle in be one of the big -getters on the team,” Murray told the Los Angeles that year’s training camp, and he suited up as a third-pairing presence in Times. “He is still a capable player and a smart player. … I have no 148 regular-season games and 32 more in the postseason as Anaheim problems with his age.” Though he didn’t come close to the 78 points that won six playoff series and captured the 2007 Stanley Cup. He’d play in he had with Washington and Philadelphia in the season before, the Hall only 32 more games with the Ducks and logged three more seasons of Fame playmaker boosted an awful power play and assisted the Mighty between and the AHL before finding his calling with the Ducks’ charge into the postseason and magical run to the Stanley Cup Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. Final. 8. Toni Lydman 3. Jonas Hiller The Ducks were not in good shape with their blue line when the 2009-10 A talented young goalie who backstopped HC Davos to 76 wins in 129 season ended. Star captain and guiding force Scott Niedermayer called it games over three seasons and National League A championships in quits for good. They had already traded Chris Pronger the year before 2005 and 2007, Hiller made the jump to North America as GM Brian and though they made a quality late-season swap of Ryan Whitney for Burke pursued him during the Ducks’ playoff push of their championship Lubomir Visnovsky, the rest of the defense corps was a collection of season. Just a few months later, the 25-year-old was starting Anaheim’s James Wisniewski, Steve Eminger, , Nick Boynton second game of the season — at ’s O2 Arena against the rival and Brett Festerling. Holes needed to be filled as Wisniewski was dealt Kings. He won that game and 161 more over seven seasons, supplanting and Aaron Ward retired while Eminger and Boynton were not retained. beloved goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere as the No. 1. There were low Bob Murray dove into the market and signed Lydman points but the highs were notable such as throwing a .957 save to a three-year, $9 million deal after the Finn spent the past five seasons percentage and two shutouts of San Jose in a stunning 2009 first-round upset of the top-seeded Sharks and the Vezina Trophy level he was at in 2011 before his ill-fated All-Star appearance. Hiller also became known for his inventive goalie mask designs that set him apart from the airbrushed workings that most wore.

2. Scott Niedermayer

Lou Lamoriello offered Niedermayer more money to keep him in New Jersey, where the star defenseman and then-captain of the Devils had won the Norris Trophy for the first time. But there had been prior contract snags over his 13 seasons and also a sincere wish to look elsewhere after he gained unrestricted free agency. San Jose also made a strong push and was under consideration. But Burke had the card of Niedermayer’s brother, Rob, at his disposal. The two had dreamed of being teammates at some point in their NHL careers, and Burke’s signing of Rob to a four-year deal became the decisive factor in Scott taking on a new challenge in Anaheim in 2005. He did everything, becoming the Ducks’ captain and posting career-high offensive numbers. He deserved more Hart Trophy consideration in his first season. He scored some of the franchise’s biggest goals and lifted its only Cup. His No. 27 was retired for good in February 2019. Scott Niedermayer’s first contract with the Ducks was for a total of $27 million. Well spent indeed.

1. Teemu Selanne

So what could possibly top what many might argue is the most impactful free-agent signing in franchise history? Try getting 40 goals and 50 assists in one season for just $1 million. The conditions aligned perfectly for the team. You had a proud star hoping to re-ignite his career after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery. You had him coming out of a season-long lockout, where a salary cap that started at $39 million per team came out of it. You had him wanting to do this in his self-described “happy place” where he and became the franchise’s dynamic duo. Selanne bet on himself at a time when the NHL followed through with its desire to free its offensive performers of the clutching and grabbing they were subjected to for years. He scored 18 times on power plays that kept coming in that 2005-06 season. And the Ducks kept reaping the benefits for years after, starting with a 48-, 94-point explosion in the Cup season at age 36.

Honorable mention

Initially signing for two years and $4 million, has been a quality backup for Gibson since Day 1 with his greatest impact coming in his first season. Sheldon Souray (three years, $11 million) soaked up minutes and provided a booming slap shot from the point for a playoff club during his first season before injuries brought his career to a premature end. Derek Grant (one year, $650,000) established career highs of 12 points and 24 points in 2017-18. Peter Douris (three years, $1.025 million) had 30 goals and 70 points over 151 games as a depth winger in the club’s first three seasons. (three years, $900,000) established himself as an NHL center from 1993-96 with Anaheim, ultimately playing in 794 games.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187492 Jaroslav Halak and Rask. Joakim Nordstrom had arrived back from Sweden and was expected to join the Black and Gold on the ice once he’d done the necessary quarantining and testing. At this point, most of What you need to know about the Bruins before NHL training camps the Bruins should be back in Boston considering that many will have to open quarantine for a substantial period of time if they flew back into the country.

Looking ahead: What’s next for the Bruins? By Joe Haggerty Once the Return to Play plan is approved by the NHLPA at the end of July 09, 2020 8:57 PM this week, expect announcements to come fast and furiously from NHL teams. The Bruins are expected to start a two-week camp on Monday

and will head to their Toronto hub city in the last week of July. With training camps expected to open around the NHL next week, it feels Haggerty: One more payday for Tuukka Rask? like a good time for a Bruins refresher as everybody gets back up to speed with the hope that the league will return to play games next month. Qualifying round games and round-robin games are expected to start on Aug. 1, with the Stanley Cup set to begin around Aug. 9 or so. The Bruins were at 100 points when the regular season went on pause in The teams will play two rounds of playoffs in their respective hub cities, mid-March and would have been the No. 1 seed in the entire Stanley Toronto and Edmonton, with the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final Cup playoff field given the commanding lead they had on everybody else expected to be played in one city, which is expected to be Edmonton in the league. As it was, they were awarded the President’s Trophy as provided the COVID-19 numbers stay steady out in . the points leader in the regular season and won the Jennings Trophy as the team with the lowest goals against average in the league as well. The Bruins will play one game apiece against the Lightning, Capitals and Flyers in the round-robin after playing one exhibition game in Toronto, David Pastrnak became the first Bruins player since to lead and then the Eastern Conference teams will be re-seeded to determine the NHL with 48 goals scored in a tie with Washington’s Alexander first round playoff matchups. If the Bruins retain their top seed then they Ovechkin, and Tuukka Rask finished as the NHL leader with a 2.12 goals would play the lowest seed still alive in the Eastern Conference after the against average. The Bruins finished ninth in the NHL with 3.24 goals per qualifying rounds as the NHL format has all teams re-seeding after each game, tops in the NHL with 2.39 goals allowed per game and had the round. second-best (25.2 percent) power play and third-best penalty kill (84.2 percent) in the league this year.

Haggerty: Why did NHL choose Edmonton for Cup Final? Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 All of that combined with last season’s run to the Stanley Cup Final has the Bruins looked at as favorites headed into August’s 24-team postseason tournament that will kick off the . So here’s a quick run-down on the Black and Gold. It’s been a while since we checked in on them with any actual games to play in the near future. A two-week training camp is expected to kick off for the B’s starting Monday at Warrior Ice Arena.

Where B's stood when NHL season was paused

The Bruins had won 16 of their last 20 games dating back to the All-Star weekend and their bye week, and they were rolling after picking up Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie from Anaheim at the trade deadline. B's head coach had begun doing some tinkering with his forwards while slotting Kase and Ritchie on either side of David Krejci while dropping Jake DeBrusk to the third line with Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork/Sean Kuraly.

Haggerty: NHL has aced the Return to Play challenge

In the final game ahead of the break, Rask had made 36 saves for a 2-0 shutout win over the Flyers, while Matt Grzelcyk (power play) and provided the offense. Brad Marchand, Torey Krug and David Pastrnak were each point-per-game players in March. Charlie McAvoy was averaging over 26 minutes of ice time per game and Bergeron had two goals in four games during the month of March. Meanwhile, Rask was rolling with a 1.67 GAA and a .938 save percentage in the second- to-last month of the regular season.

Who was injured for the Bruins on March 10?

Both Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo sat out the March 10 game against the Flyers with upper body injuries. Krug had suffered his after an awkward tumble into the boards, while Carlo had missed a couple of games with a suspected concussion after taking an elbow to the face from Florida Panthers forward Evgenii Dadonov. The injuries led to Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton playing his first game since December, so when play resumes, Clifton will have played a grand total of one NHL game in the last eight months. Both Krug and Carlo are 100 percent healthy for the Bruins after sitting out the last few months. The only Bruins player still injured is defenseman Kevan Miller (knee), who has already been ruled out for this summer’s playoffs after missing the entire 2019-20 regular season.

Who's already in town skating at Warrior Ice Arena?

Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara have led the voluntary Phase 2 skating practices at Warrior with appearances by John Moore, Par Lindholm, Kuraly, Grzelcyk and Krug, along with goaltenders 1187493 Boston Bruins the ice. How often do you have the puck on your stick during the game? The best players have it on their stick more than others. But what are you doing when you don’t have the puck? To me, that’s as important as puck In Bruins’ radio booth, preparing to call games remotely requires big skill.” adjustment The solution could be multiple feeds. In addition to the standard center- ice shot, the NHL could provide announcers with overhead and end-zone views. If Sirott had his wish, he’d like two large monitors to replicate, as By Fluto Shinzawa closely as possible, his usual surroundings in Toronto.

Jul 9, 2020 Monitor A would show television’s primary feed. Monitor B would provide an alternate look — perhaps the previously mentioned views, a fixed shot

of the benches or replays. Howie Sylvester, executive producer of Bruins broadcasts on 98.5 The “My goal, whether it’s pandemic or not, is to try and do simple well,” Sirott Sports Hub, has one specific concern among the many questions he is said. “With those two monitors, describing those looks as best as weighing regarding pandemic postseason coverage. possible, that gives us the best chance.” It’s probably no surprise it has to do with Brad Marchand, a hot What will be new for Sirott and Beers is matching what they see on the microphone and naughty language. screen to what they describe. This wasn’t always the pre-pandemic case. Radio has a safety net for swearing on talk shows: a delay and the dump If, for example, a television viewer muted his or her set and turned up button. A quick-thinking producer can hit the button and keep listeners’ 98.5, the video and audio didn’t always align. ears curse-free. “We need to talk, primarily, about what’s on the monitor,” Sirott said. “For It’s a different story during game coverage. Dumping out could have people watching at home, if Announcer X is talking about Brad Marchand disastrous consequences. and they’ve got a picture of on the screen, you’re not serving your audience the way it should be. I’m going to call what I see “That eliminates the next eight seconds of audio,” Sylvester explained. “If on the monitor to the best of my abilities. I can’t be worried about what I somebody scores within eight seconds of it being edited out, then we don’t see.” miss it.” Whether The Sports Hub receives the NHL’s direct feeds remains to be Such questions are among the unanswered as the Bruins’ radio network seen. If it doesn’t, 98.5 might have to collaborate with NESN or NBC prepares for something entirely new: the likelihood of not being on-site Sports Boston locally, which would not be ideal. If, for example, NBC for the postseason. Sylvester, who has worked Bruins games since 1988, Sports airs a full-screen interview before a puck drop, Sirott and Beers has never been involved in a remote call in the playoffs. would not know how the players are lining up if a game feed is unavailable. Sylvester, play-by-play announcer Judd Sirott and analyst Bob Beers will most likely settle into a studio in Dorchester at The Sports Hub’s “Asking us to turn our TVs to NESN, turn down the sound and watch it, headquarters. They are hoping for access to the NHL’s television feeds, that’s really not the way it should be done,” Sylvester said. “It has to be which will allow Sirott and Beers to call the game in real time. Their calls some sort of feed that’s not them doing player profiles that we have to will probably be accompanied by enhanced effects, such as players’ talk over. We can’t just take their program feed. We need a game camera voices and microphones near the ice to capture the thuds of bodychecks plus a program feed. It’s asking a lot. But they’re asking a lot of us to do and the claps of slap shots. this.”

The most critical concession they must make is the absence of their Video is only one of the broadcasters’ needs. Audio, naturally, is the panoramic sightlines. Sirott might not be able to see if Charlie McAvoy, other. for example, limps down the tunnel when he’s struck by a puck. Beers’ analysis of a three-on-two situation might be muted if he cannot spot “I’m in the sound business. I need as much sound as possible,” Sirott Torey Krug joining the rush behind the play and out of the camera’s shot. said. “I want miked players, miked boards, miked glass. All the natural sound you can provide me. All of it.” This is a quaking compromise for announcers, whose job is to describe what they see to listeners who cannot. The clatter of the game, however, will sound odd in empty arenas.

“If someone’s driving in their car listening to the game, I want them to be Sylvester likes watching Australian football on Fox Sports. The network able to picture what’s happening,” Beers said. “That was always drilled includes simulated crowd noise in its coverage. into my head when I first started doing this job. It’s up to us to paint the “They juice it up a little bit more when something exciting happens. I think picture. If you’re listening in your car, the job of Judd and myself is that it sounds a little fake,” Sylvester said. “But having that low din of the you’re able to picture exactly what’s going on.” crowd — it’s not excited or disappointed, just people making noise — it Before the pandemic, Sirott and Beers were on-site for every game, really works. You can’t tell it’s fake. It’s there, and you get used to it. If TV home and away. Compared to how they previously worked, the radio does that, I don’t have a problem with that. I’m sure they’re having team will be describing a limited view. discussions at NBC daily on how to handle that. If they asked me, I’d tell them I don’t mind having you guys running a little bit of fake rink noise In relative terms, they will be flying blind. under everything. With the noise effects, sticks and pucks and skates, if they wanted to do a fake track of a crowd — not one going crazy, but Sirott has never called a hockey game off a monitor. Beers did it once. normal noise — I’d have no problems with that. I’d be happy to carry that. In 1997, when he was auditioning for his current job, Beers sat alongside We’re at their mercy. We’re not in a position to generate that ourselves.” former play-by-play announcer Bob Neumeier in an empty studio at the At times, the crowd is as much of a storyteller as Sirott and Beers. The WBZ office on Soldiers Field Road. Together, they called a Bruins game announcers modulate their voices — Sirott lifts his higher and louder — from the previous season. to match the din. “Hopefully,” Beers recalled, laughing, “this will be a little better setup.” There are times when fans’ joy captures the moment just as well as an The trick will be negotiating a television feed that will probably not display announcer. Before the pandemic, Sirott sometimes handed over the keys the announcers’ usual in-person, 200-by-85 view. For Sirott, whose call by staying silent. He and Beers will not be able to do that next month. usually centers on the puck, it’s a problem within reason. It’s a different “Something has to be looked at. You can’t just have zero noise,” Beers story for Beers. said. “It takes away from a lot of it. Hopefully, they have some kind of “Anybody can watch the puck and tell you what’s happening with the plan in place to have some noise. You’d want that for sure. You’d be player with the puck,” Beers said of his job as an analyst. “I want to talk missing something if there was no crowd noise.” not only about what’s happening with the puck — Judd does a great job Fake noise or not, Sirott and Beers will have to create their own energy in describing that — but what’s going on beyond the puck carrier. How are Dorchester, far removed from the rink. They will not attend the morning guys making themselves available with passing lanes, creating those? I skate, where they and Sylvester monitor that night’s lineup and conduct always tell kids in hockey school there’s only one puck and 10 guys on in-person interviews. They will probably not see the little things they regularly glimpse from their booth, like when Bruce Cassidy leans over to Krug before a power play. Hard-hit companies that usually purchase advertising time in the playoffs might have to sit this out.

Things will be different. But with the pandemic requiring everyone to keep their distance, Sirott and Beers hope they can bring Bruins fans virtually closer.

“The advantage of radio, in particular, is we’ve always been a great companion,” Sirott said. “You can bring us in the car. You can do the dishes with us. Clean out your garage. You can do all those things with us. That’s the advantage of radio. Without question, we’re living in different times. But we can be with you. As long as you have a smartphone, smart speaker, radio, you can do it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187494 Buffalo Sabres Among the Sabres’ pending restricted free agents, Reinhart is the player most likely to receive a long-term contract. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Reinhart's 165 points are 65th among all NHL forwards – more CBA will reportedly have Sabres begin season in December than Nashville's Filip Forsberg, Vancouver's , San Jose's Evander Kane and Winnipeg's Nikolaj Ehlers. Reinhart, 24, finished the season with 22 goals, three short of the career-high 25 he scored in 2017-18, and his 50 points through 69 games were 15 shy of his 65 in Lance Lysowski 2018-19. Jul 9, 2020 Updated 11 hrs ago Reinhart could opt for arbitration twice before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

Amid a pandemic and civil unrest across the globe, the National Hockey Adams has yet to share with reporters his thoughts on specific players, League and NHL Players' Association found common ground on a format although he noted the Sabres need to improve on the road. This is to hold the Stanley Cup Playoffs next month and both sides another offseason in which Buffalo will need to add scoring help for compromised to ensure labor stability through 2025-26. Reinhart and .

According to multiple reports, the NHL and NHLPA are finalizing details The Sabres ranked 20th in goals scored and their power play was 29th on a tentative league calendar for the remainder of 2020 and a modified from Nov. 1 through the end of the season. collective bargaining agreement that’s designed to soften the financial It’s also unclear if owners Terry and will allow Adams to blow caused by the cancellation of regular-season games. Details were spend to the salary cap ceiling. Following Jason Botterill’s firing and first reported by TSN and ratification of the CBA will require a majority Adams’ promotion June 16, told reporters on a Zoom vote by the players this week. conference call the Sabres’ hockey operations department would The return-to-play protocols do not impact the Buffalo Sabres, who become “leaner.” finished 25th overall to extend their playoff drought to nine seasons. The Botterill was one of 22 employees fired – others included both assistant playoff teams will travel to the two hub cities – Edmonton and Toronto – general managers and Ryan Jankowski, director of amateur scouting – July 24 with the qualifying round beginning July 30. The Stanley Cup and Adams has yet to reveal how he plans to construct his staff. Only Final will tentatively start Sept. 20 and Oct. 2 is the series’ latest end four amateur scouts and one pro scout remain. date. Jeremiah Crowe, formerly a pro scout, was promoted to director of However, there are several reported changes to the CBA that will impact scouting and Jason Nightingale, director of analytics, added the title the Sabres in the short term and long term. A flat salary cap will be assistant director of scouting. The Sabres plan to supplement their in- implemented over the next three seasons and again will be tied to person scouting with video and analytics. revenue in 2023-24. The figure will stand at $81.5 million over the next two seasons and will increase to $82.5 million in 2022-23. This model could impact the type of players the Sabres try to acquire or retain. Additionally, Adams told reporters he will consult with coach Ralph Tentatively, the entry draft, in which the Sabres will hold the first round’s Krueger when building the roster. eighth pick, will be held Oct. 6, free agency will open Oct. 9, or seven days following the end of the Stanley Cup Final, training camps will begin Nov. 17 and the first puck drop of the 2020-21 season will occur Dec. 1. Buffalo News LOADED: 07.10.2020 The NHL will tentatively hold its Phase 2 draft lottery sometime between July 31 and Aug. 8 to determine which of the eight losing teams from the qualifying round receive the No. 1 overall pick.

Once the CBA is ratified, the seven nonplayoff teams, including Buffalo, can sign players for the 2020-21 season. Additionally, players on teams that are not participating in the return-to-play format are eligible to sign contracts outside of North America and would be able to return next season if offered a deal by an NHL club.

Perhaps most significant for Buffalo, players on contracts that expire following next season can be signed to extensions. The Sabres’ top candidate for such a deal is defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the 2020-21 season. Dahlin, a 20-year-old drafted first overall in 2018, has totaled 13 goals, 71 assists and 84 points across two seasons with the Sabres.

New Sabres General Manager also received significant financial relief during a difficult offseason. The modified CBA reportedly will allow teams with a 2019-20 salary cap overage from performance bonuses to evenly distribute that financial hit over the next two seasons.

According to CapFriendly.com, the Sabres are projected to have a salary overage of $1.275 million because of bonuses due to Dahlin ($825,000) and Henri Jokiharju ($425,000).

The team is currently projected to have $34.4 million in salary cap space, though the figure does not account for the overage.

The following Sabres will become unrestricted free agents if they aren’t signed before the start of free agency: Wayne Simmonds, Michael Frolik, Jimmy Vesey, Johan Larsson, Zemgus Girgensons and Vladimir Sobotka, among others. The team also has the following pending restricted free agents: Sam Reinhart, Dominik Kahun, Victor Olofsson, Curtis Lazar, and Linus Ullmark.

Former Sabres defenseman Lawrence Pilut left the organization last month to sign a two-year contract with Traktor , a Russian team in the Kontinental Hockey League. Pilut, a pending restricted free agent, had a contract through October, but the Sabres will retain his NHL rights until he turns 27 years old in 2022. 1187495 Buffalo Sabres got shelled. Miller made the next 34 starts, got mentally and physically fatigued, and Buffalo missed the playoffs by four points.

Shapiro: The problem and the weakness was the Stars didn’t have strong What the Devils are getting in Lindy Ruff based on his coaching past enough goaltending for the system to win the whole thing. It failed them in 2016 after they had the best record in the Western Conference. There were some flaws evident in the defensive structure: On 2-on-1s, Ruff told By Corey Masisak, John Vogl and more defensemen to slide at the puck carrier, leading to way too many easy tap-ins after saucer passes over a sliding defender. But the biggest flaw Jul 9, 2020 with the system was not having a goalie who could bail his team out when needed.

The Devils made the hiring of Lindy Ruff as the 19th head coach in What do you think was the biggest reason(s) for his tenure coming to an franchise history official Thursday, nearly four months after New Jersey’s end? season ended because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Vogl: After 15 seasons, it was simply time. His final game was a Ruff replaces interim coach , who took over for the lackluster 2-1 loss in February 2013, and the normally loquacious coach dismissed in early December. Ruff has the sixth-most wins admitted he had no answers. When he opened the door to then-GM and games coached in league history, having guided the Sabres for 14- the next day, he said, “I know.” plus seasons (1997-2013) and the Stars for four (2013-17). He’s spent At that time, players were beginning to favor “kinder, gentler” coaching the past three seasons as an assistant coach for the Rangers, working styles. Ruff always had his whipping boys, so he changed a bit. While it for and then . may have been a real transformation, the group of players who’d grown The Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 and the conference up around him sensed it wasn’t genuine. It was just time for a change. finals three times (1999, 2006, 2007) with Ruff in charge. The Stars Shapiro: The goaltending and injuries in his final season helped end his made the playoffs in two of Ruff’s four years, reaching the second round tenure in Dallas, but the seeds were planted after the 2015-16 season in 2016. when Ruff didn’t get the contract extension and the dollar amount he was Ruff takes over a team that has missed the playoffs in each of the past looking for after Dallas had the best record in the Western Conference. two seasons, and seven of the past eight seasons overall. He will have Ruff wasn’t exactly lame-duck coaching during the 2016-17 season, but two young forwards with franchise player potential ( and when he had looked for a high dollar amount in 2016 and then followed it Jack Hughes) to work with. That makes the situation similar to when he up with a playoff miss, it was time for the Stars to move on when his arrived in Dallas before the 2013-14 season and the Stars traded for contract expired. Tyler Seguin to pair with Jamie Benn. The Devils are likely to be a very young team. How do you think Ruff Given Ruff’s extensive experience as a head coach with two other handled the youngest players on the roster? franchises, we reached out to a pair of The Athletic writers who have Vogl: Tyler Myers won the Calder Trophy in 2010. scored covered the coach in Buffalo (John Vogl) and Dallas (Sean Shapiro). We 25 goals as a rookie, then added 43, 36 and 40 during the next three discussed Ruff’s strengths, weaknesses, reasons for the end of his seasons. If the young players had the skill to perform, Ruff put them in tenure, development of young players and more. position to succeed. What do you think were each of the team’s biggest strengths when Lindy It’s been seven years, so I don’t recall how he handled young guys on a Ruff was the head coach, and how much influence did he have on it? day-to-day basis in terms of walking them through video or having chats Vogl: Looking back at his 15 seasons in Buffalo, Ruff’s ability to mold the on the ice, but Ruff definitely mellowed out near the end of his tenure. He team’s style to its strengths stands out. was personable and had a sharp sense of humor.

He arrived in 1997, when Dominik Hasek was atop the goalie world. The Shapiro: It was a bit of a mixed bag. The Stars struggled to develop Sabres played a more conservative defensive system, knowing full well some younger players during his time, and at one point Valeri Nichushkin that The Dominator would give them an edge. They advanced to the publicly blamed his return to the KHL over differences with Ruff. Those conference finals in Ruff’s first season and lost the Stanley Cup to Dallas claims are a bit overblown and Ruff was an easy punching bag for in 1999. They were a goal away from another conference finals Nichushkin. Ruff will give young players a chance and he’ll expect them appearance in 2001. to earn more opportunities after that initial chance.

Coming out of the lockout in 2005, speed thrilled. Ruff took the reins off Did you think the team’s top offensive players reached their potential with his young playmakers and guided the Sabres to back-to-back conference Ruff in charge? finals. Buffalo won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2007 while leading the NHL Vogl: The stars always had room to shine. and Daniel Briere in scoring by 12 goals over the No. 2 team (Ottawa) and 31 goals over enjoyed their most productive seasons in Buffalo. Vanek and Miroslav the No. 3 squads (Pittsburgh and Colorado). Satan filled the net and were put in position to do so. When Ryan Miller hit his prime with a Vezina Trophy win in 2010, Ruff blossomed into a 30-goal scorer. again transitioned to a more conservative style. The coach knew what There were ups and downs for some guys — Drew Stafford, for example, would work for his personnel. was usually on a roller coaster from 14 goals to 31 and back to 16 — but Shapiro: The Stars were a run-and-gun team during the Lindy Ruff era — the scorers scored. Don’t expect any power-play miracles, though. they were fun to watch. Defensemen were asked to act like a fourth During Ruff’s 14 full seasons, the Sabres finished above 14th just three forward whenever possible and the Stars swarmed opponents in the times. offensive zone. While in Dallas, Ruff once told me how he enjoyed Big 12 Shapiro: The Stars’ top offensive players thrived; they loved playing in football, flashy and offensive, and it fit the description for how his team Ruff’s system. It was the final years of Jamie Benn’s and ’s played hockey in a football-mad state. The Stars had lots of chances, but prime and Tyler Seguin was still one of the best centers in the NHL. gave up many as well, and in the good times they were able to outscore any of their problems. What, if anything, went wrong in the postseason that prevented them from advancing further? What were the biggest weaknesses? Vogl: Well, Buffalo will always start with ’s foot in the crease in Vogl: There were really no surprises. If the Sabres had a good team, they 1999. In 2001, with the Sabres seconds away from advancing to the made the playoffs. If they had a bad or mediocre roster, they didn’t. While conference finals, a puck floated high in the air and landed on the stick of Ruff found styles that worked, he didn’t seem to coax more out of a club Mario Lemieux, of all people. than could be expected. But the playoffs were where Ruff shined. He was a good motivator. He He also lost trust in goalies quickly. Mika Noronen was a minor-league knew how to get under the skin of the opposition, with star, but he ran afoul of the coach early and ended up making just 28 infamously saying, “Tell Lindy to fuck off,” during their 2006 series. Peter appearances through his first three seasons. In January 2008, backup Laviolette said he wished the NHL would put a gag order on Ruff. The coach made the postseason fun.

Shapiro: Two key things that we need to remember with Ruff and the Stars about 2016. The goaltending fell apart in the playoffs, the two- headed monster of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi struggled mightily and, many people forget this, Tyler Seguin missed all but one game of the 2016 postseason with an Achilles injury. He wasn’t available in the second round against the St. Louis Blues, and if Seguin had been healthy and if the goalies were competent, the Stars likely march to at least the Western Conference final and maybe meet the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187496 Buffalo Sabres Florida

$212

How the Sabres got creative in the cost-efficient construction of Keybank 1998 Center Chicago

$175 By John Vogl 1994 Jul 9, 2020 Ottawa

$170 The phone rang in ’s New York office. An architect at his firm landed a job in Buffalo and wondered if Quinn would fly to his old home 1996 and show him around. Quinn gladly accepted. St. Louis

Their first stop in the fall of 1992 was the Sabres’ offices. The architect’s $170 gig was to develop Buffalo’s waterfront, and the hockey team was planning a new arena that would become the area’s centerpiece. Sabres 1994 co-founder Northrup Knox escorted the visitors upstairs and watched as San Jose designers lifted the cloth from their arena model. $162.5 “All I said was, ‘I think you can do better,’” Quinn recalls. “It was just like a bigger Aud. It didn’t have any windows. It was a big square box and a 1993 big, giant sea of surface parking lots. Boston “A few weeks later, I got a call from Seymour Knox, who wanted to talk about it.” $160

That call led to KeyBank Center, which is set to celebrate its 25th 1995 anniversary next year. While the arena could use a good cleaning and Vancouver modern upgrades, most of the thoughts that went into its cost-efficient design still hold up today. $160

“The thing that we did more than anything else,” said Quinn, who ran the 1995 development and financing of the arena, “was we really understood what the average Joe Fan wanted and needed, and we delivered on it.” Colorado

It wasn’t easy. $160

“We were operating on a pretty tight budget on the building, even 1999 compared to other facilities that were being done at the time,” arena Carolina architect Carl Yaeger said. “We just tried to really give a lot of thought to all the decisions going into the building and make sure we were getting $158 the best value we could on everything.” 1999 The arena had a steadfast budget of $127.5 million and the builders hit it — because they had to. Nashville

“There was no other choice,” Quinn said. “There really wasn’t.” $144

While $127.5 million is a huge pile of money in the real world, it’s a 1996 pittance when it comes to sports architecture. The 1990s were a golden Tampa Bay era for NHL arenas with the arrival of 18 new buildings. The only one that cost less than Buffalo’s was Anaheim’s , which arrived $139 three years earlier at $123 million, according to Ballparks.com. 1996 Los Angeles Buffalo $400 $127.5 1999 1996 Montreal Anaheim $400 $123 1996 1993 Toronto So, how’d they do it? How did Quinn, Yaeger and project manager Rick $265 DeJean control costs and still construct an arena with features that have been copied by others? 1999 “We looked at everything,” Quinn said. Washington Their big decisions aren’t obvious even to people who’ve frequented the $260 arena for two decades. It starts with the fact KeyBank Center is actually 1997 three separate buildings rolled into one.

Philadelphia “We built the arena bowl, which is a completely separate building from the arena atrium, and it’s a completely separate building from the Harbor $217.5 Club and the offices,” Quinn said. “If we had to put all the space inside an actual arena structure, the arena roof’s got to be bigger. The big 1996 structural steel has to be expanded. It would have been way more the building when it’s empty. When there’s a lot of people in the place, expensive.” you can’t even see the terrazzo floors.”

“In a typical building in the architecture world, structural cost of a building Few people see the east and south sides of the arena, which are may be 20, 25 percent of what a finished product costs,” Yaeger said. “In concealed by a parking ramp and back up to the Buffalo River, an arena, that number can be 35 percent or more because of the long- respectively. Rather than dress up those exterior walls, the designers span roof structures. So, one of the things we tried to do was make sure saved on façade costs. we made the structural system of the seating bowl as simple as we can, and that led to this kind of multiple-building concept.” “There’s really not going be any pedestrian activity or many people in those areas, so we tried to keep those two facades of the building pretty The marquee feature for KeyBank Center is the atrium, which serves as simple and judiciously apply money where people would be,” Yaeger the main entrance, exit and gathering point. said.

“We felt we should have one place where the whole community They trimmed construction costs through their use of materials, too, congregates to go to a game and to leave a game,” Quinn said. “It was including a lightweight roof. unique at the time. Most buildings had major entrances in four corners. I think we were one of the first — if not the first — to do it all in one place. “The building is actually an insulated precast panel — concrete panel on the inside, the insulation concrete panel on the outside — so you get the “We wanted everybody to congregate in the same place so when you win exterior and the interior finish all in one shot, so we’re not in there putting a big game, it’s a lot of fun. It’s not people streaming out four corners and in our finish on the inside of the building,” Yaeger said. “That worked well you don’t see each other. I think it’s really one of the things that makes because we use that in the stairwells. that building work.” “One thing we did in the building was instead of using masonry on the The atrium celebrations are legendary. After Daniel Briere scored in upper levels, we used impact resistant drywall or chipboard, which I think to force Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals, the was the first time I had really used that product. That reduced a lot of fans made a seismic impact with their concrete-piercing revelry. weight of the building, which again allowed us to save some money on the structure of the building.” “I remember it vividly,” retired defenseman said. “We were all in the change room and you’re just like, ‘What is that sound The savings allowed them to put money toward the 200 Level. Like the going on?’ It was amazing. We all stood around and were just quiet for a main concourses of newly designed arenas, fans can walk nearly the second. ‘What is that?’ Then we figured out it’s the fans in the atrium entire space without losing sight of the ice or stage. There’s also a dining going crazy. area where fans can mingle while maintaining a view of the action.

“It’s one of those stop-in-time things.” “I’ve been in a lot of arenas and, boy, you’d be hard-pressed to find better seats to watch a hockey game,” Quinn said of the 200 Level. The glass-filled atrium features escalators on both sides that take fans up “There’s only seven rows and it’s easy to get around. Back then, we were to the arena bowl. trying to create something that was a premium. It had been tried in other “There were a couple of things interesting with that site,” Yaeger said. “A areas, but there was a question of, would people in Buffalo embrace the lot of arenas, when you’re doing them, the building is actually pushed into idea of paying a premium to see? It was really the basis for the financing the ground so you enter at the main concourse level. But with the soil of the arena, which was a gamble. conditions and the water level in that area, we were not able to do that, “Those seats are in demand even when there’s a low demand for tickets. so we ended up with the event level at grade, which meant we had to It’s proved itself to be a good thing.” take all of the patrons, all of the spectators up at least one level in the building to get to the main concourse. There is one budget cut Quinn notices every time he walks the suite level. “We knew we were having a big concentration of people there. And obviously with Buffalo wintertime, we thought it was really important to try “I hate to admit it, but you’ll notice the doors stick out a bit,” Quinn said. and create a space for people rather than have them queuing up outside, “They were designed not to stick into the hallway at all, but we were over waiting to get into the building. We wanted to have a big enough area to budget so we basically took 2 feet off the building all the way around. It get as many fans in there as we can, and I think it worked really well in saved us a couple million dollars.” creating some great pre- and postgame opportunities.” The arena is not perfect, of course. There was an advantage to having the event floor at ground level. “What would I have done differently?” Quinn said. “If we had the money, I “Being so close to the water created some issues for spectator flow,” would have had more elevators, for sure. I guess upstairs, the 300 Level Yaeger said, “but one thing it also did was it really simplified the ability to needs more space. Maybe I’d build on the roof of the office space (which load in and load out shows. Rather than trying to get trucks down ramps sits above the Harbor Club) and give it more room to breathe. Again, if — because normally the event floor would be 20 or 24 feet below grade we had the money I would have done that, but not much else.” — we’re at grade, so it makes it really easy to load shows in and out.” There was one dream project. They thought of shifting the atrium toward The fans watching those shows and games are in a no-nonsense Main Street rather than Perry Street and having the building back up to cylindrical structure, which also cut significant costs. the old DL&W Terminal, which serves as the Metro Rail hub.

“Every column in the seating bowl goes from the roof to the ground,” “We would actually have a train come right into the building,” Quinn said. Yaeger said. “In a lot of buildings when you’re trying to work out how you “We couldn’t afford that, but that was the idea.” get trucks in and do other things, you end up having to do what we call transfer beams. Columns gets shifted off of column lines, and that gets The ideas they implemented worked. The arena is more open and really expensive. spectator friendly than Memorial Auditorium and significantly better than the big-box replacement that was originally planned. “We tried to keep that structure of the bowl as simple and as repetitive as we could, then locate those amenities — the atrium building, the “I remember the night it opened,” said Quinn, referring to the Sabres restaurant building — outside that structure.” hosting the Maple Leafs on Sept. 21, 1996. “It was a crazy night for me. It was an exhibition game and I got a call on the radio that Norty (Knox) Other cost-cutting measures are visible as soon as spectators set foot in wanted to see me right away. I assumed something was wrong. He was the arena. standing on the 100 Level where the escalators came up and I got up to him — and he was in tears. “I don’t think we sacrificed anything important,” Quinn said, “but the floors are concrete and we painted them instead of doing a terrazzo. The walls “He was so happy. If you knew him, he was an emotional man, and he are heavy sheet rock instead of insulated . I think all those things was just overwhelmed by the response of the community and the people were good changes, though. coming in. He was just standing at the top watching people come up the escalator. It was a pretty cool thing. “Those arenas with make it look like public elementary schools. The terrazzo floors, I guess they’re nice. But in Buffalo, they’re really “We made it work.” slippery. They may look nice when the building’s empty, but you’re not in

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187497 “It’ll definitely go down as one of the craziest calendar years for me, personally,” said the married father of three kids. “That’s why I want the playoffs to happen — so there’s a final chapter to the crazy novel that One year after joining Flames, Lucic anxious to see how 2019-20 season this season has turned into. I mean, ups, downs … it was just kind of all ends over the place as far as things have gone this season. Then, it’s been a crazy four months, not just for me but for everyone.”

Which is why Lucic is looking forward to the start of Phase 3. For the Kristen Anderson, Postmedia Flames, it begins on Monday with training camp at . July 9, 2020 8:51 PM MDT While other players had different levels of restrictions during the height of

the coronavirus outbreak, Lucic was able to skate on the West Coast, Flames prospect Zavgorodniy on Lafreniere: ‘I’m really thankful that I where he worked out with Ian Gallagher’s Delta Hockey Academy. That played with him’ gave him an opportunity to be around NHL players for five weeks, and stay in shape before returning to Calgary when Phase 2 began. Nearly one year after joining the Calgary Flames, can safely say everything happens for a reason. The Flames are currently split into a half-dozen groups based on different stages of quarantine. Lucic has been skating with Sean Monahan, You’ve heard his story before. Andrew Mangiapane, Sam Bennett, TJ Brodie, Michael Stone, Mark Giordano, and Alexander Yelesin. Their netminders are Nick Schneider A year ago, Milan Lucic had been struggling as an Edmonton Oilers and Artyom Zagadulin. forward. The 2018-19 season saw the veteran rough-and-tumble forward look like a shadow of his former self, his lack Lucic couldn’t be happier to be back in Calgary — a chapter in his life of production magnified by a seven-year, $42-million contract inked on which began nearly 365 days ago on July 19, 2019. July 1, 2016. “I’ve really enjoyed everyone here,” he said. “I was finding it fun again, I Similarly, James Neal’s first campaign had been a bust with the Flames was having fun going to the arena and being around my teammates. It after joining the team as a free agent in 2018. was fun going to practice. It’s always been fun playing games. But for me personally, I think the positives of everything have outweighed the So, a trade between the fierce Alberta rivals was laid on the table. negatives. That’s why I would love nothing more to see how the final And almost 365 days later, Lucic can safely say everything happens for a chapter ends. That’s why I have my fingers crossed.” reason.

“You know what, I believe in that,” the 32-year-old said earlier this week, Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.10.2020 as the Flames continued their optional skates at Scotiabank Saddledome prior to kicking off Phase 3 of the ‘Return to Play’ plan. “To be perfectly honest with you, I had never struggled before I got to Edmonton. I didn’t struggle too badly for the first year and a half until after the calendar change went into 2018. That was kind of the first time in my career where I really felt like I’d experienced a struggle. Say what you want, I feel like that happened for a reason, too. There was a life lesson to be learned in that, too.”

Of course, it didn’t feel that way at the time for Lucic, who was in limbo in terms of where he stood with the Oilers and new general manager . He’d heard the rumours and whispers. Add in the fact he hadn’t had a conversation about the upcoming season with Holland, Lucic could sense something was brewing.

So, there was no bigger life-altering moment for Lucic than a call last summer from Flames GM , advertising a fresh start with a young team that had just come off a 50-win, 107-point regular season.

“I was like, ‘OK, really, come on. Am I going to really accept a trade to the rival team?’ Like, let’s be honest here,” Lucic said. “But, I just kind of went with my gut feeling and all that type of stuff. I felt like that was the next chapter of my life and fate or whatnot was going to take me there. And I’ve really enjoyed it since I’ve been here.”

Lucic can also safely admit that 2019-20 stands to be one of the most interesting seasons of his NHL career, which has seen him hoist the Stanley Cup and log 958 regular-season games with the Boston Bruins — who drafted him 50th overall in 2006 — , Oilers and Flames.

While Lucic had a slow start on the ice, he quickly became a dressing room favourite and enjoyed the hoopla surrounding the Heritage Classic game against the Winnipeg Jets at Mosaic Stadium in Regina last October. Drama ensued as the Flames began a downward spiral and frustrating losing skid, and dealt with the collapse of TJ Brodie at practice, Bill Peters’ removal as head coach due to racial slurs he’d hurled at former NHLer Akim Aliu during their time together in the AHL, the appointment of Geoff Ward as interim head coach, and a hamstring injury to captain Mark Giordano.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause to the NHL season on March 12 and an abrupt end to the 2019-20 regular season.

It was unfortunate for Lucic, considering he had just begun to feel like himself again and embrace his identity as a Calgary Flame. 1187498 Calgary Flames His main focus this off-season is increasing his foot speed, no doubt an asset as the pace continues to amp up year after year.

“You can see it at the NHL level, you can see it at the AHL level,” said Flames prospect Philp plays waiting game with positive attitude Philp, who starred for the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles and the WHL’s Kootenay Ice and Red Deer Rebels as a junior player. “The game is trending to be faster and faster. When you compare it to U Sports, it was Kristen Anderson, Postmedia definitely an adjustment.

July 9, 2020 7:06 PM MDT “But I think I like to play that style of game and it’s going to be up my alley moving forward.”

Along with off-season training, Philp has been chasing his degree at U of Flames prospect Zavgorodniy on Lafreniere: ‘I’m really thankful that I A. He enrolled in spring courses online during the main part of quarantine played with him’ — which was spent at his family home in Canmore — and is currently A positive attitude has helped Philp transition from the Alberta Junior chipping away at some summer courses. Hockey League to the to three years of U With the NHL’s ‘Return to Play’ plan in place, the Flames’ annual Sports hockey, and all the way to his first professional contract with the summer prospects camp was cancelled. The camp would normally Calgary Flames. feature a player such as Philp. Of course Luke Philp was hoping for the call. And there has been little insight on when the AHL will start up again. With the National Hockey League’s Phase 3 just around the corner, and Meaning that Philp’s plans — like many other hockey players like him — the Calgary Flames opening their ‘Return to Play’ training camp on are up in the air. Monday, the 24-year-old Canmore native and Flames prospect had been waiting for the opportunity to join in on the action as part of the team’s “It’s different,” he said. “I was told to be ready for a potential training reserve squad. camp that you might be joining, or you might not, but to be ready. Things always change and there have been no set dates. But understandably However, he’s not letting it deter his professional hockey dreams. After so. They’re doing the best they can to save the NHL season. There are all, the former University of Alberta Golden Bear has been defying the lot of things they have to do first, before they start things up again.” odds his entire career. THE FILE ON PHILP “It was a little disappointing,” said Philp, calling from his off-season post in Kelowna, B.C., where he has been training. “Ultimately, it’s not my Age: 24 (Born Nov. 6, 1995) decision to make. It’s not something I can control right now. But I did feel like I had a good year, so I definitely can’t be disappointed about it. Hometown: Canmore, Alta.

“It’s not the first time I have been told I haven’t made something or Height: 5-foot-10. Weight: 180 lbs. haven’t been a part of something. You can’t really let it be the be-all, end- Position: Right Winger. Shoots: Right all.” Drafted: Undrafted It’s this kind of positive attitude that has seen Philp transition from the Alberta Junior Hockey League to the Western Hockey League to three The skinny: Philp’s path to professional hockey hasn’t been easy — or years of U Sports hockey — while studying business economics and quick. The former Canmore Eagle, Kootenay Ice/Red Deer Rebels business law — all the way to his first professional contract last summer forward took the long way, and has gained some university experience with the Calgary Flames. along the way. After three years with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, the Calgary Flames inked Philp to a two-year contract despite the His path is not unlike that of Flames forward and U of A alumnus Derek forward suffering a high ankle sprain during the 2019 U Sports Ryan, who didn’t log his first NHL game until the age of 29. championship game. He saw his first professional season cut short, but And there’s no need for Philp to get down on himself. He has only 52 tied captain Byron Froese in team goals with 19 to finish American Hockey League games under his belt, logged in his first the 2019-20 campaign with 31 points in 52 games. campaign with the Stockton Heat, which was cut short due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.10.2020 “I kind of had to take a longer route to pro hockey and you look at someone like Derek Ryan,” Philp said. “He did as well. I can definitely look up to him and see what he’s done and what he’s been doing.

“It was a little discouraging to be told right now that you’re not going to be part of Phase 3 or 4 or whatever. You’re always told that could change though, you could still be expected to join them if something happens. But, for me, I’m not going to let it discourage me, either.”

This spring’s abrupt ending to the AHL campaign was the second time in as many years that Philp has seen a premature end to his season. Ten minutes into the 2019 U Sports University Cup, the speedy forward suffered a high-ankle sprain, but had impressed enough to earn a two- year contract with the Flames a few days later.

That meant a good summer of regaining strength and dipping his toe into the professional game.

“The transition was a little rough at first,” Philp admitted. “It was obviously upgraded hockey, the American League to the U Sport level I was playing for the past three seasons. Everything wasn’t smooth off the bat. I had to fight for ice time and earn more minutes as the season went on.”

It took the five-foot-10, 180-pounder almost a dozen outings before he logged his first points, scoring two goals and an assist in his 11th AHL game against San Diego.

From there, he was off and running and finished the year with 19 goals and 12 assists in 52 games. Philp’s tallies had him tied with Heat captain Bryon Froese for the team lead. 1187499 Calgary Flames That gives them 16 players — and a shade under $13 million to work with.

OK, time to fill out the rest of the roster. How a flat cap affects the Flames — and how their 2020-21 roster could shake out For starters, let’s promote Gawdin for full-time work, which isn’t a stretch. The 23-year-old, on behalf of the Stockton Heat, participated in the AHL’s all-star weekend. His services, as a restricted free agent, can be retained By Scott Cruickshank for less than $800,000. He’s versatile, defensively sound, faceoff strong.

Jul 9, 2020 Useful, too, have been forwards Tobias Rieder and , a pair of PTO survivors. If they’ll again agree to single-season (two-way) deals for the league minimum — now $750,000 — it’s a worthwhile venture.

In a hockey landscape fraught with uncertainty, there is one thing NHL On the blue line, there are decisions — their own five unrestricted free general managers can apparently bank on. agents.

A salary cap of $81.5 million — a familiar-looking total that, in the Can the Flames afford to keep Travis Hamonic and T.J. Brodie, both of aftermath of the leaguewide pause, may not budge for a year or two. whom turn 30 this summer? Nope.

A flat cap? Oh, dear, cry the game’s power brokers. So which one tops the list?

For the 2020-21 season, Calgary Flames boss Brad Treliving needs to Go with Brodie, because of his righty-lefty versatility and the way he cram 22 or 23 players under the ceiling — and he will. He and his peers performed last season. After five seasons at $4.65 million, Evolving- have little choice in the matter. Hockey rounds him up to $4.909 million for three years. As for Hamonic — whom the website, by the way, projects at $5.2 million with a five-year Let’s take a crack at the challenging exercise right now. term — the Flames can shift his rights at the NHL Draft for a pick. With appreciative nods to the sharp-pencilled keeners at CapFriendly Too, it is unlikely that the team will decide to re-up both trade deadline and Evolving-Hockey, here are our three stages in the construction of a day acquisitions, Derek Forbort and Erik Gustafsson. The latter — a cap-compliant roster for the Flames — incumbents, plus restricted free power play specialist and someone who can play either side at full agents, plus unrestricted free agents and prospects. strength — will be looking for a massive upgrade on his $1.2 million Here are the 14 players who are signed and ready to go for next season. salary. (Evolving-Hockey sees him at a gaspingly prohibitive $6 million.)

Nine forwards, four defencemen, one goalie — who, combined, leave Forbort would stay for much cheaper than Gustafsson— but is he less than $17 million of cap space. Buyout residue, $2.67 million owed significantly better Kylington or any of the newcomers (all of whom are on Troy Brouwer and Michael Stone, is factored. fixed-price entry-level deals)? Let’s assume, for budgeting purposes, that one of the fresh faces has enough game to stick around and share third Included, too, is Rasmus Andersson’s hefty raise, jacking his cap hit from pairing platoon duty with Kylington. $755,333 to $4.55 million. In goal, with unrestricted free agent Cam Talbot probably on the lookout But it’s a strong group — a decent enough core, if a tad light on the blue for a starter’s gig elsewhere — and with prospects Artyom Zagidulin, 24, line — which now requires eight or nine more bodies. and Tyler Parsons, 22, not yet ready for primetime deployment — the Flames will need to invest in a low-cost goalie to work the gate behind Here goes, starting with the in-house to-do list: restricted free agents. David Rittich. The priority here, of course, is retaining the services of Andrew Budget $1.1 million to haul in someone such as Anton Forsberg, a 27- Mangiapane, whose emergence was one of this season’s best stories. A year-old who’s tended the nets of Columbus, Chicago and Carolina. year ago, the news had been about the young winger’s late-summer contract stalemate. He eventually played on a one-year (two-way) deal There it is. The above array gives the Flames a roster of 22 players at a for $715,000. A marvellous bargain for his employers. cost of $77.83 million.

Now, however, the Flames will pay. Remaining space is $3.67 million. Not a pile of wiggle room.

Mangiapane, operating on the right side of the second line with Mikael But can one or two prospects challenge for everyday spots and, in the Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk, rustled up 13 points, including seven process, create valuable cap room? tallies, in the final dozen dates. All told, it was a 17-goal season — without a single marker on the power play — for the puck-winning Gawdin, we’ve talked about — and they’ve raved about. So slot him. forward. Staying with the forwards, how about Jakob Pelletier ($925,000), whose For points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, Mangiapane, at 1.99, led his team. rights were traded from Moncton to Val-d’Or in an offseason QMJHL In 2018-19, he paced the group in goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. deal. Or Matthew Phillips ($733,333)? The Calgary kid, like Gawdin, had also been invited to the 2020 AHL’s all-star game. (A broken kneecap To put a dollar figure on that? Evolving-Hockey projects a $3.036-million prevented him from participating.) cap hit for four years. Fair enough. On defence, where there happens to be an opening for a 6/7 rearguard in Also in need of a contract is Oliver Kylington, who has served as a useful our model, hard-hitting Alexander Yelesin ($925,000) showed nicely in third pairing presence. Post-trade deadline, he’s been relegated to the four games this season with Calgary. And you know the team is keen to press box the past two seasons, which, if you’re him, smarts. The Swede get long looks at the threesome of Carl-Johan Lerby ($925,000), Connor has still managed to make 86 appearances. Mackey ($925,000) and Colton Poolman ($842,500). Mackey, even though he isn’t eligible to play in the upcoming postseason, has been To keep Kylington, who has no arbitration rights, the Flames must tender invited to the Flames’ camp next week — that tells you something. a qualifying offer of $787,500. Evolving-Hockey pegs for him a two-year salary with a cap hit of $967,800. Should one of the aforementioned gents appear capable of handling NHL minutes on the blue line, it would allow the Flames to avoid hiring a free For another restricted free agent, Mark Jankowski, the qualifying offer agent veteran. needs to equal his 2019-20 salary — $1.75 million. For a fourth-line centre, especially coming off a substandard winter, this feels pricey. Building out this roster, there is little room left for the free agent bonanza. Especially with someone younger and cheaper (by half) — Glenn Gawdin — on the premises. That notion shouldn’t be discounted — if Treliving is ready for some heavy lifting. Options include trading Jankowski’s rights — or not tendering a qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, then Should the Flames’ interest in star be legitimate, could they encouraging him to take a healthy haircut to stay in Calgary. make it work? Not without dynamiting out a sizeable portion of committed salary — Noah Hanifin’s $4.95 million and Sam Bennett’s $2.55 million For now, let’s say the Flames keep around Mangiapane and Kylington. and then some. Evolving-Hockey’s best bet for a contract for Hall? Seven years at $8.543 million. In other words, something that would represent the biggest contractual bite in franchise history. It means taking an axe to the payroll — and wondering what you have left to put on the ice.

A tier down from Hall on the splash-meter is Josh Anderson of the Blue Jackets. If the Flames are indeed keen, it’s understandable — this is a player who ticks a lot of their boxes. Young (26). Big (6-foot-3, 222 pounds). Productive (27 goals in 2018-19). Truculent (10 fights since joining NHL in 2016). Position (right-handed winger).

Lessening the appeal? The fact that the Burlington, Ont., native hurt his shoulder in a December 2019 scrap and has not played since. He had surgery in March and may not even participate in the upcoming play-in series against the Maple Leafs.

On top of which, Anderson, on an expiring contract with a $1.85 million cap hit, is a pending restricted free agent — with arbitration rights.

So adding him to the group would cost the Flames twice — outgoing commodities to acquire his rights, outgoing dollars to compensate him when he gets here. Plus, whatever salary cap headaches complicate his arrival.

Those are the kinds of machinations we’ll leave to the experts in the upstairs office at the Saddledome.

But since we’re here …

Things, as you might expect, tighten up considerably for 2021-22, with the $81.5-million ceiling still firmly in place.

Michael Stone comes off the (buyout) books, but Troy Brouwer is owed one final hit of $1.5 million. Gone from the payroll are Derek Ryan and Bennett, who is Seattle-bound.

However, what remains is a lot of work, all of it cap-cramping. Healthy hikes go to Rittich, Valimaki, Dubé, while Rieder, Mackey, Phillips receive more modest bumps.

Even with an underpaid Gawdin and an inexpensive and mostly green fourth line, what’s the wiggle room?

Barely $200,000.

It’s an unthinkably skinny bit of money (thanks, in part, to a blue line that has five of its members drawing salaries of at least $4.5 million).

But as the Flames’ deciders reach for another vat of Tylenol tablets, they can be confident in at least one thing — a flat-capping future will be pounding the temples of nearly every NHL general manager.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187500 Carolina Hurricanes Even before the flat cap was a foregone conclusion, it was unlikely the Hurricanes would re-sign any of their defensemen hitting the market AKA Trevor van Riemsdyk, Joel Edmundson and Sami Vatanen. With cutting Is a flat cap poorly timed for the now-contending Hurricanes? it close to the cap as it is, an already NHL-caliber blue line assembled after signing Fleury and enticing prospects like Jake Bean and Joey Keane waiting for a chance, it just seems silly to spend here.

By Sara Civian Then we have Justin Williams. I would never try to guess what’s going on in that man’s mind, but at least from what he has said it seems this Jul 9, 2020 season could really be it for him. I wouldn’t budget him in for 2020-21.

In-house prospects The NHL and the NHLPA are working toward an agreement that would We joke around about the NHL’s leader in points per game, but at this extend the current CBA through the 2025-26 season. The Athletic’s point if I’m the Canes, I’m seriously adding Morgan Geekie to the roster. Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside learned last week that pending approval, a flat cap set at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 season will stay Ryan Suzuki’s presumed invitation to pre-playoff training camp also that way until NHL revenues reach $4.8 billion. This will likely take years. intrigues me. Let’s assume he crushes it in the playoffs and slap him onto the NHL roster. The ramifications of a longer-term flat cap obviously affect every team in a unique way, especially when it was expected to rise in the coming Let’s also finally give Jake Bean a chance. years. Boston’s notoriously team-friendly top line pays off yet again, Toronto and Tampa Bay’s existing problems are exacerbated, Ottawa This leaves the Hurricanes with $2,347,668 million in cap space. So even has a real chance to weaponize its situation. The Athletic’s James Mirtle if this roster features a little wishful thinking that prospects will pan out, wrote an excellent overview here. there’s potential wiggle room for a trade.

Hurricanes fans are still getting used to the tingly sensation of their team spending big money via free agency and trades, and as a relative The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 newcomer to your lives I always get a kick out of it. This is probably one of the few times in Hurricanes history a flat cap might actually influence roster decisions, since the Hurricanes were generally not near the cap. That’s what happens when you contend by design.

As foreign as this feeling might be, the Canes aren’t actually in trouble if they play it right. I can’t anticipate GM making a splash in free agency with Dougie Hamilton and Andrei Svechnikov’s contract negotiations coming up, but next season’s team is pretty much already assembled.

Here is the Hurricanes’ cap-committed 2020-21 roster as of July 8. Mind you, this is before any free agents, UFA or RFA, are accounted for. I’ve also left off any Checkers or other prospects who might make the roster. We will add as we go.

Shout out to CapFriendly’s Armchair GM tool. Admittedly, this article would have been done hours ago if I didn’t go on a power trip offer sheeting every notable RFA.

(Please don’t panic, I will fix the lines shortly)

So, the Hurricanes have already committed to a 17-man roster of 10 forwards, five defensemen and two goalies in 2020-21. With the infamous Alexander Semin buyout of 2015 still on the books, this leaves them at a $72,350,666 cap hit, $9,149,334 of cap space to play with (or save) and six roster spots to fill.

Not completely ideal, but considering their fringe contender status it’s not too shabby. The Canes won’t have to trade an asset or let a key free agent walk to achieve cap compliancy in 2020-21, and in some sense they’re lucky the Sebastian Aho offer sheet ordeal was done before this. But big-time contract negotiations with Hamilton, Svechnikov (RFA) and a goalie (whether it’s Petr Mrazek, James Reimer, Alex Nedeljkovic or a new face) are two years away. The cap isn’t expected to change by then.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the Hurricanes’ 2020-21 salary cap situation.

Restricted free agents

The Canes need to take care of Warren Foegele and Haydn Fleury in the realm of upcoming restricted free agency, but I can’t see these negotiations getting too crazy. Especially under these new circumstances, I’d expect bridge deal situations for Foegele and Fleury. We’ll go long on both of these contracts eventually, but a ballpark of $2 million AAV for Foegele and $2-3 million AAV for Fleury seems doable, right? So let’s do the math with their cap space minus how I see the total of their deals playing out.

$9,149,334 – $4,250,000 = $4,899,334.

You could roll that blue line out without an issue, so now the Canes can make saving up for upcoming blockbusters, scoping out the prospect talent and/or offense a priority with the last $4,899,334. 1187501 Chicago Blackhawks what Black Lives Matter is about. … What everyone is striving for is stopping all this bad stuff that’s been happening and building over the years.”

Is the Chicago Blackhawks name and logo as offensive as the Native American advocates, however, don’t all agree about the Washington NFL team’s nickname? It’s complicated. Blackhawks name, saying their case is more nuanced.

Some credit the team for granting money and access to indigenous By PHIL THOMPSON groups to raise awareness about ’s history and cultural issues faced by Native Americans. CHICAGO TRIBUNE Sac and Fox tribal ambassador Juaquin Hamilton said, “When we’re in JUL 09, 2020 AT 6:30 AM town, the Blackhawks allow us a booth in the concourse (of the ) to pass out pamphlets and share history about our war leader

(Black Hawk), our Olympian Jim Thorpe and our tribe.” Joe Podlasek, CEO of the Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg, has Detractors say it’s cultural appropriation and that such measures are a worked with Blackhawks management for 10 years on a program of way to “kick the can down the road” on dealing with pressure to change cultural education. The center has an exhibit of photographs of Native the name as well as a means to pacify audiences to make their brand American veterans who have been featured on the ice during the national seem more benign or even flattering to Native Americans. anthem at Hawks games. “I would say it’s a pretense more than anything,” said the NAJA’s Pollard, Joe Podlasek is a longtime Chicago Blackhawks fan, but he didn’t like whose organization appeals to media colleagues to stop printing and them as much 15 or 20 years ago. airing what they consider offensive team names. “Teams have a vested Podlasek, who is Ojibwe and Polish, remembers being offended at the interest in supporting their brand. Many of these brands are decades old. sight of fans at the United Center mimicking Native American dress and So they’re going to do whatever they need to do to perpetuate the war chants while cheering on the home team. brand.”

“They had pink and white headdresses and faces painted in black and Joe Podlasek, CEO of the Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg, on red,” said Podlasek, who runs the Trickster Cultural Center in Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Schaumburg. “Some were looking pretty silly.” Stephanie Fryberg, an associate professor for American Indian Studies Podlasek began working with Blackhawks management 10 years ago on and Psychology at the University of Washington, said the names and a program of cultural education, and through his interactions with fans Images create a slippery slope toward using a group of people as tokens over the years, he said the number of fans who dress as a Native and symbols. American stereotype at each game “went from 300 to two.” “I just put into Google ‘Chicago Blackhawks fans’ and hit ‘Images,’ ” she Bryan Pollard, associate director of the Native American Journalists said during an interview with the Tribune. “Right there you can see how Association, takes a different tack. they are discriminating against native people. You see non-native people with feathered headdresses. You can find Images of people whose faces “I can see how you might chalk that up as a victory,” he said, “but are painted red. People who are jumping around. imagine the kind of impact that you might have had if you had just not used that (name) to begin with.” “This is not the behavior of an organization that is honoring native people. They are giving non-natives license to discriminate against native The Blackhawks name, logo and imagery, which Native American people by engaging in actions that stereotype and limit (their) potential.” advocates have challenged for decades, have come under increased scrutiny again this month because other sports teams, such as the NFL’s Fryberg, who hails from the Tulalip tribe, has conducted several studies Washington Redskins and Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians, on the psychological effects of racialized logos and names and was a have started reviews into possibly changing their names. lead contributor on an amicus brief in Harjo’s pioneering lawsuit against the Washington NFL team. The Blackhawks, who are named after Sac and Fox Nation warrior Black Hawk, issued a statement late Tuesday addressing their stance on “Frankly, the research is very clear,” she said. “Across numerous changing the name. scientific studies, there are no positive benefits to using native people as mascots. It leads to discrimination (against all people of color), increased “The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and depression, suicide, increased suicide ideation (and) lowered historic person, Black Hawk of ’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose achievement in school.” leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,” the statement read. “We celebrate Black She said studies have shown the presence of such mascots and Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American nicknames also has a psychological impact on white children, culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine subconsciously encouraging bullying and discrimination. dialogue with local and national Native American groups. As the team’s “I appreciate the (Blackhawks) organization’s effort to hold up indigenous popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work people and indigenous culture, but the truth is you cannot do it in a sports with these important organizations. domain,” Fryberg said. “We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and A painful history we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation. Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even In 1926, coffee mogul Frederic McLaughlin purchased Chicago’s NHL higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important expansion franchise and named it the Black Hawks after a World War I contributions of all Native American people. We will continue to serve as unit he commanded known as the “Blackhawk Division.” His wife, famed stewards of our name and identity, and will do so with a commitment to dancer and actress Irene Castle, designed the original Indian head logo. evolve. Our endeavors in this area have been sincere and multifaceted, and the path forward will draw on that experience to grow as an The battalion’s namesake was Black Hawk, who was a military leader for organization and expand our efforts.” the Sauk Nation in the 1800s.

Column: The Blackhawks are keeping their nickname. The decision His name, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, translates to English as “black big walks — in the team’s own words — ‘a fine line between respect and sparrow hawk,” said Hamilton, the Sac and Fox Nation ambassador. disrespect.’ » In 1830, Black Hawk’s Sauk tribe moved from present-day Rock Island, The Blackhawks, however, will likely continue to face pressure from tribal Illinois, west of the Mississippi River into what is now Iowa as party of a groups and social justice advocates, said Suzan Shown Harjo, the lead treaty with the U.S. government on the condition that the Sauk would plaintiff in a landmark lawsuit against the Washington NFL team. receive food and shelter.

“They have to look around and see that society has changed,” she said. “And the food and the shelter never came,” Hamilton said. “Our people “It’s changing. This is what the social justice movement is about. This is were starving, so Black Hawk and some of his followers went back to Saukenuk, which is one of the largest Indian villages of that time” in “We have changed more than two-thirds of these stereotypes and 1832. cultural appropriations in American sports since the first one fell in 1970 at the University of Oklahoma — Little Red — and we moved steadily That set off what’s known as the Black Hawk War. through over 2,000 of them,” she said. “We have 900 more to go. Among “It wasn’t a war,” Hamilton said. “When we crossed back into Illinois, the them are the Washington team and the Blackhawks. Illinois militia and the government took it as an armed invasion, but we “People ask us a lot of times, ‘Why do you care so much about getting rid were just trying to go eat, get back to our crops. of these (names)?‘ The question really is, ‘Why do you care so much “Most of our people were wiped out. They call it the Battle of Bad Axe, about holding on to them?‘ We want to get rid of them because they’re but it wasn’t really a battle. Most of our members (at the time) were doing harm and injury to our kids.” elderly, women and children.” For at least one local fan who is Cherokee, the Blackhawks shouldn’t Afterward, Black Hawk was taken into custody and showcased on a tour necessarily be lumped in with the Washington NFL team, whose name of East Coast cities, “like, ‘Hey, look what we got. We got the biggest, harks back to a time when local governments paid bounty hunters to kill baddest war leader in the country,’ ” Hamilton said. American Indians — with rewards based on whether they produced a scalp belonging to an adult male, an adult female or a child. Hamilton and others said it’s a painful history that often gets overlooked or misrepresented in school curricula. He appreciates the partnership “Redskins, I don’t agree with,” said Tina Garrity, a dental assistant with with the Blackhawks to promote education about the Sac (an alternative Hines VA Hospital. “Blackhawks, it’s like you’re naming a school after a spelling of Sauk) and Fox people. prominent African American. Why would you not name a sports team after a prominent Native American Indian?” The team reached out to him in October 2015, and since then Hamilton has brought pow wow dancers to the United Center and helped provide The 48-year-old Broadview resident grew up on the South Side admiring cultural education every November for Native American Heritage Month. the physicality of hockey and took pride in the team name’s association with her heritage. Melodi Serna, a Native American U.S. Navy veteran, holds the Williams family Eagle Staff, which dates from World War I, during the singing of “I love the fact that they highlight Native Americans in a positive light and the national anthem before a Blackhawks-Jets game April 1, 2019. they’re called after a tribal leader that in my book was a badass,” she said. “That’s something I never knew in history books.” Podlasek’s relationship with the team goes back a decade. Whether fellow Native Americans or other people agree with her stance, “Probably 12 to 15 years ago (when he directed the Chicago-based she appreciates that there’s at least a dialogue. American Indian Center), I had a problem with the Hawks because they wouldn’t engage with the native community,” he said. “Then we had the “It’s kind of refreshing. It’s an area nobody ever asks how we feel,” she switch over to ” as chairman. said. “I hope they don’t change their name. I love the Blackhawks.”

The AIC’s leaders first met with marketing vice president Pete Hassen, then executive vice president Jay Blunk and then-President and CEO Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.10.2020 John McDonough before getting a sit-down with Wirtz, Podlasek said.

“I’ve worked with them for 10 years now, and it’s been a great relationship about cultural understanding, having our Native veterans as part of their veterans on the ice. … They’ve been doing so much behind the scenes,” said Podlasek, whose Trickster Cultural Center has received $45,000 annually through the team’s foundation. “For a Native organization to work with a professional sports team that is understanding our cultural values and importance, they just haven’t made a big splash out of it.”

‘We’re not flattered by this’

That doesn’t negate the problematic nature of the team’s name, however, said Heather Miller, the current executive director of the American Indian Center.

“What we’re really talking about here is the structural racism and the ongoing history of genocide this country is founded on,” she said.

“You have to understand that when Indian mascots were created for sports teams, what was happening in this country is that American Indians were (not) allowed to practice our culture, our traditions, our heritage. We were forbade from wearing things like headdresses, we were forbade from wearing feathers. It was illegal; we would get arrested if we did that.

But “we had these teams feeding these (same) Images to ‘honor’ us because they thought that Indians were going to go extinct. It’s not honoring. We’re not flattered by this. We want changes.”

She also takes issue with team traditions, such as not walking on the Indian head logo in the locker room, that are touted as a sign of reverence.

“All of that is so cute. Good for you,” Miller said. “You’re creating this narrative, this story that says, ‘Yes, it’s so worshiped, we’re so revering it, we don’t even walk on it.‘ … This could be somebody’s middle finger (as a logo), but because they’re saying, ‘We revere this so much, it’s so amazing, it’s so beautiful, we don’t even walk on it,’ of course fans are going to be like, ‘Oh, yes, so beautiful.’ ”

A Blackhawks fan wears a fake Native American headdress before Game 2 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at the United Center.

Harjo, president of the Washington-based Morning Star Institute, likened such symbols to “toys of racism.” 1187502 Chicago Blackhawks Of all the things to watch over the next two weeks, this could be the biggest one.

So buckle up and stay tuned. Could Seabrook be ready in time to face Oilers?

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.10.2020 John Dietz

Follow @johndietzdh

Updated

7/9/2020 9:38 PM

We are just days away from the Blackhawks beginning their quest for a fourth Stanley Cup in the last 11 years.

Yes, the odds are long. Astronomically long, really.

But they are certainly better than when the season came to a screeching halt less than 24 hours after the Hawks defeated San Jose 6-2 at the United Center on March 11.

On Monday, the Hawks will begin training for their best-of-five play-in series against Edmonton. After the two-week camp, coach 's squad will leave for Edmonton on July 26.

The series against Connor McDavid and the Oilers will likely begin Aug. 1.

(This should all become official after a Board of Governors meeting that is scheduled for Friday afternoon, according to Pierre LeBrun).

Because four months have passed, the Hawks figure to look quite a bit different from they did during that victory over the Sharks.

That could especially be the case on defense with the possible return of both Calvin de Haan (shoulder) and Brent Seabrook (shoulder, hips). De Haan suffered a separated shoulder in a loss to Vegas on Dec. 10, while Seabrook was shut down in late December and underwent three surgeries over the course of five weeks.

Adding de Haan would obviously be a huge boost. The 29-year-old averaged 2.52 blocked shots and nearly 20 minutes of ice time in 29 appearances this season.

As for Seabrook, he took part in voluntary on-ice workouts at Fifth Third Arena on Thursday -- the first time he has been on the ice since the surgeries. If he's ready to go, it will be up to Colliton and his staff to decide if they want to slot him into a D corps that includes Duncan Keith, Connor Murphy, Olli Maatta and Adam Boqvist.

If they do and de Haan is ready, that would make Slater Koekkoek the seventh defenseman.

"He's the ultimate team guy," Duncan Keith said shortly after the Hawks announced Seabrook was out for the season. "Nobody wants to see the team succeed more than him.

"I know (this is) tough on him. It's frustrating that he can't be a part of it and he wants to be at his best, so I understand that. I think it's going to be good. He's going to be able to get these things taken care of and it's going to be a process for him, but he knows that and he's going to come back and he'll be feeling good and ready to compete."

Seabrook played in 32 games, scoring 1 goal and notching 3 assists while averaging a career-low ice time of 18:09. (He was at 20:12 two years ago and 21:54 three years ago).

Colliton also healthy scratched Seabrook three times, the third one coming against Colorado in Game 35. One day later, the Hawks announced Seabrook did not travel to Winnipeg and that he was undergoing medical testing.

Seabrook, a veteran of 123 postseason games, would certainly add a veteran presence and be a strong voice for a group that has nothing to lose while facing one of the league's most talented teams.

Still, Koekkoek played in the final 26 games and carved out a significant role skating next to Maatta.

"He and Maatta (do) a really good job together and helped stabilize our group," Colliton said. 1187503 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook practices for first time since surgeries

By Scott King

July 09, 2020 4:28 PM

On Thursday, Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook joined the team for voluntary small-group workouts — under the NHL's Return To Play plan guidelines — at Fifth Third Arena.

The Hawks are scheduled to begin their training camp for the league's 24-team playoffs at Fifth Third, their practice facility, on Monday before taking on the Oilers in Edmonton beginning Aug. 1 in a best-of-five play- in series.

Related: If Seabrook returns, where does he fit in Blackhawks' postseason lineup?

The three-time Stanley Cup champion had surgeries on his right shoulder in December, left hip in January and right hip February. Thursday marked his first practice with the team since the surgeries.

On Saturday, The Athletic reported the blueliner wanted to suit up for this year's camp and postseason.

Seabrook last played December 15 in a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187504 Chicago Blackhawks been sincere and multi-faceted, and the path forward will draw on that experience to grow as an organization and expand our efforts.”

Former Blackhawk Jordin Tootoo asks for context with racial team names Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020

By Alex Shapiro

July 09, 2020 10:36 AM

Former Blackhawks forward Jordin Tootoo shared a personal statement regarding the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos team name.

The statement comes in the middle of a national debate about whether sports teams should change offensive team names, like the Washington Redskins.

When sharing his thoughts as an Indigenous Canadian, Tootoo said that context for these team names is critical.

“We should all understand what the term (Eskimo) means to the Inuk people,” Tootoo said. “My father’s generation connects with this term to describe who they are. He would refer to himself as Eskimo. My generation refers to itself as Inuk.

“What is important to me is that people understand this. And, when referring to the people, they respect that we refer to ourselves today as Inuk.”

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

But Tootoo goes on to explain he is only one person, that other Inuit people may think differently, and their thoughts and feelings should be considered as well.

“I understand there are names of sports teams that bring back feelings of oppression for people and I can see why those names should be changed.

“So, this makes me ask the question, does the term Eskimo for the Edmonton franchise bring back feelings of oppression for Inuk people? For me, it does not. That is NOT a reason to keep the name. There could be others for whom it does create those feelings. But for me, it does not.”

For Tootoo the history of how the team landed on the name “Eskimos” makes all the difference.

“I encourage the Franchise to explain why they chose the name Eskimos in the first place. Was it racially charged, or, was it because of admiration for the ability of the Eskmos to thrive in cold climates, for their mental and physical toughness and for their resilience?

“My point is that context really does matter. And, they need to be honest with themselves and with the public. Truth goes a long way.”

In the end, Tootoo again emphasizes he is only one person, and cannot speak for all Inuk people.

"I think the discussion should be around how the Inuk people feel about it. Some might feel pride. Some might feel hurt. Either way, that is the group that should be consulted."

Tootoo was applauded on Twitter for his measured response, with some calling for this to be a template of future discourse.

On Wednesday, the Blackhawks provided the exact context Tootoo asked for in regards to their team name and mascot.

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

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

“We will continue to serve as stewards of our name and identity, and will do so with a commitment to evolve. Our endeavors in this area have 1187505 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks restructure hockey operations department, remove eight from roles

By Charlie Roumeliotis

July 09, 2020 10:45 AM

The Blackhawks restructured their hockey operations department by changing the titles of nine staff members and removing eight others from their respective roles, according to the team's website. The Athletic's Scott Powers first pointed out the news.

Most notably, Norm Maciver was demoted from assistant general manager to vice president of player personnel. He had been in the assistant GM role for eight seasons and previously served as the director of player personnel for one and director of player development for three.

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

The Blackhawks also made five promotions: Kyle Davidson's title went from assistant to the GM to assistant GM of hockey administration, Mark Eaton went from director of player development to assistant GM of player development, Ryan Stewart went from vice president of pro scouting to assistant GM of pro scouting, Mike Doneghey went from head USA scout to director of player evaluation and recruitment and Rob Facca went from amateur scout to head USA scout.

In addition, it appears three others were moved into part-times roles: Barry Smith, who previously served as the director of player evaluation, and Pierre Gauthier, who previously served as the director of player personnel, are now senior advisors of player personnel while Ron Anderson, who previously served as the director of player recruitment, is now the senior advisor of player recruitment.

The eight members who were removed from the team's website included pro scouts Derek Booth, Greg Hawgood, Steve Leach, Michael Mottau, Allan Power and Tom Younghans, player development coach Derek Plante and Rockford IceHogs/European strength and conditioning coach Kristian Skarphagen.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187506 Chicago Blackhawks

How will long layoff affect goalies in NHL's 24-team postseason?

By Scott King

July 08, 2020 10:07 PM

Goalies are creatures of habit. Their daily routines are more sacred than those of the players at other positions. They prepare more extensively and they have to be the most dialed-in on the ice.

Throw in a global pandemic that's greatly diminished their reps and thrown off their rhythm ahead of the NHL's 24-team playoff format set to begin August 1 and what happens?

NHL Network analyst and former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes is here to tell us.

"As a goalie, the challenge of that is it's such a feel-intuitive sport and it's almost like golf: you have to play and play often, even your practice rounds, just to be able to have your touch, your timing, your reads, your spacing, your positioning, your instincts, all those things," Weekes told NBC Sports Chicago over the phone on Wednesday.

"So the challenge with being a tender is when that's limited or when that's compromised, it certainly impacts you. But right now, I think for those guys, pending their bodies and what they can handle, I think at least one way to counteract that is see as many pucks as possible right now."

The league's netminders will at least have the opportunity to see pucks for two weeks with their team starting on Monday when formal training camps leading up to the postseason at hub cities Edmonton and Toronto begin.

Weekes — who tended goal in the show for 11 years and helped lead the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Final in 2002 — says a number of goalies, depending on where they've been on the grid, have been able to keep some of their skills sharp during the NHL pause that began on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He mentioned goalies like Henrik Lundqvist, who went back home to Europe, have been able to skate almost the entire duration of the pause.

"Then, there are other guys who, let's say are in Florida, I know (Sergei) Bobrovsky started skating a while back, Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tampa has been skating for quite some time," Weekes added. "So, depending on where you're situated, where you're located geographically, that kind of had a big impact on whether or not you were able to get to a rink."

But what about goalies who weren't able to get on the ice or see shots?

According to Kevin, they've had to come up with ways to stay fresh and ready at home beyond throwing a tennis ball against the wall like you see them do in the tunnel before games.

A lot of goalies had already upgraded from ball-on-the-wall to tennis ball machine prior to the pause. Others have been doing online vision training and vision exercises according to Weekes

"It's literally been all over the map," he said. "Some guys have been able to play tennis and feel like that's helped them with their footwork and their conditioning and just tracking, having something directed at them.

"So it's literally been all over the map for different guys that I've spoken with but nothing can fully simulate it, guys are just trying to do the best that they could. What was challenging for some guys is some guys were stuck in situations where that's all that they had available to them and then they go on Instagram and for example see Henrik skating, which he should be, which is awesome."

Come the start of the tournament, it may be obvious who was able to keep their last line of defense weapons sharp. You can only cram so much into two weeks.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187507 Chicago Blackhawks As The Athletic’s Scott Powers recently wrote, given the league’s precarious finances right now, our future salary-cap situation is nightmarish. Our coach is … not . has … Greenberg: If I were president of the Blackhawks, this is what I’d write had better days.

We’re basically going to be living off our recent past for the near future. That’s fine. We won three Stanley Cups and satiated the demands of a By Jon Greenberg hockey-starved fanbase over the last decade-plus. We’re in the middle of a pandemic. Jul 9, 2020 161 The Blackhawks name isn’t overtly offensive, though it is, we admit,

appropriation. If we were the locus of this movement, we’d consider It’s tough to write your own introduction, but as the new president of the changing it. But we’re not, so we won’t. Blackhawks, I felt I owed it to the fans to write these words myself. Even our detractors, like Heather Miller, the executive director of the First, I’d like to thank Danny Wirtz for his work as interim president of his American Indian Center in Chicago, have to admit we’re not as bad as father’s team following his resounding foot-in-the-keister firing of John the Washington football team, which uses a name even racists can’t McDonough. I look forward to working with you to shepherd this defend anymore. Cleveland’s baseball team retired its offensive mascot organization to greener pastures. gradually and is now searching for a new name.

After a tireless search for a new president to lead the Blackhawks, the But under my leadership, I believe we can do something more than Wirtzes settled on a puckish sportswriter who, like McDonough back in making some vague promises about education. 2007, doesn’t really know that much about hockey. In my case, I don’t What we will do, effective the next time fans are allowed in the United really know much about sports marketing either. But as the founding Center, is ban Native American garb in the arena unless it is being worn editor of The Athletic, I knew a few things about telling the truth. by an actual Native American as part of ceremony or performance. We On Monday, just before I signed my contract, the Blackhawks released a have never done that overtly, and anecdotally you can tell that that kind statement about our organization’s logo and name. It was the kind of of behavior has lessened over the last 10 years. statement that gets Blackhawks fans and media types tripping over Joe Podlasek, a local Native American leader who has worked with the themselves to call us classy. But it was mostly a dodge, an obfuscation Blackhawks for the last 10 years, told Scott Powers how the team was full of buzz words and vague promises to get us through this rocky time amenable to discourage that kind of behavior. of national reflection on Native American appropriation in sports. “When we started working with the Hawks, there was probably 200, 300 That statement said we’re keeping our logo and name because it honors people who used to dress up at the game, painted faces, colored Black Hawk, a real person and a Native American war leader. But again, feathers. So we’re like, that’s really crazy, inappropriate for us,” he told I’m here to be honest, it’s just PR pablum. Powers. Here’s the new statement. “It’s going to be hard to educate someone as long as that is happening. To the fans of our hockey team, They can’t tell people how to dress at a public venue. But then we started setting up at their conventions every year and we’d see these 60-foot As you might have heard, we’re not changing our name or our logo. posters they print out and put all over they always had someone dressed up like that in the background. It was like, can you shoot that same player Here’s why: Our fans like our name and love our logo and we don’t want in the same way without them in the background? They said we can do to offend them. We sell out our games and we sell a lot of jerseys. one better, we can do that and we can advise the camera crew in the Protestors aren’t lining Madison St. No one is rallying against us. stadium during the games not to zoom in on them during the game. Truth be told, a hockey team doesn’t represent the real Black Hawk or There’s like two now. That’s impact.” the millions of indigenous people who have been stolen from and killed in So maybe the soft approach worked under McDonough, but in my what is now America. administration, we also need to make a statement, so if you wear a The Blackhawks name and logo represent a professional hockey team headdress, facepaint or anything NA related and you’re a white dork in and the city of Chicago, in that order. cargo shorts, you will be kicked out of the arena. We are changing our fan code of conduct to clarify this point. As a professional hockey team, we’re obligated, more than ever before, to pen carefully constructed public-relations statements about “the times As for the logo, The Athletic’s Scott Powers wrote an excellent story we live in.” To be honest, from a PR standpoint, we’re just trying to stay about the debate in Native American circles about its existence. out of stories about the Washington football team. Six years ago, I also wrote a story about it, and while it wasn’t as deeply Our owner Rocky Wirtz is not an idiot like Dan Snyder in Washington. He researched as Powers’ recent one, it did include this powerful quote from and John McDonough were very astute to form relationships with local Anthony Roy, an Ojibwe and a member of the M’Chigeeng First Nation Native American groups and provide them with money and exposure who loved hockey but hated going to Blackhawks games. more than a decade ago as the team became popular again. While few “Being a Native American here, it’s a trigger,” Roy said. “It’s a sea of were protesting our brand, those two were ahead of the game. floating dead Indian heads.” In an earlier statement, we gave you the usual PR speak about the In Powers’ story, he quoted Native American activists who are against historical significance of Black Hawk and how “we celebrate Black the logo, who are neutral and who are positive about it. Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions …” You get the picture. I would like to phase out the old logo with a new one, but it’s going to be tough. There could come a time when our logo becomes unfashionable, But anyone with a working brain understands we’re keeping the name even in Chicago. It might be sooner than you think. and logo because they’re popular and our mostly white fan base loves them. (I don’t blame them, the colors are striking and our brand is It’s clear that even if we change the logo — which we won’t do because currently associated with winning.) It’s not to say we don’t care about it’s bad business for us — it won’t erase it from our gameday experience. Native American history or aren’t respectful of it. We are, just not as Fans will simply wear the old logos to games. We can’t ban those fans much as we respect our fans’ money and devotion. for wearing clothing we sold them.

Listen, our hockey team isn’t very good right now. At least not by our But what we can do is introduce a new alternate logo and market the hell recent standards. Sure, we’re in this makeshift playoff situation, but it’s a out of it. win-win for us. If we lose our first-round series to Edmonton, that gives us a fighting chance to get the No. 1 pick in the draft. If we win, our fans are To be clear, this is also good business. We will be holding a contest to interested in us in a time where they can’t pay us money to watch us get suggestions for a logo that does not include any Native American play. imagery. After all, Frederic McLaughlin’s famed World War I battalion which inspired our name had a bird logo. His inspiration for an “Indian head” logo likely came from his Lake Forest athletic club, as Powers wrote.

A powerful, fierce bird logo (like that one you see on the Internet) will not only show our Native American friends that we are evolving but more importantly to us, it will make us a lot of money in merchandising. The sweater, which we’ll wear around 30 times a season, will be cool as hell. You will want five of them and 10 hats.

I probably shouldn’t say this as the new president of the Blackhawks, but in the last six years, I have refused to buy my kids Blackhawks clothes because of the logo. It changed my thinking.

While we try to pass off our logo as being inspired by and honoring Black Hawk, in the days when sports owners and colleges were creating mascots like Chiefs and Braves and Redmen, they weren’t honoring Native Americans, they were appropriating them to represent the violent and savage nature of athletic competition. No matter how we spin it now, these mascots are relics of those days.

As for the educational aspect, Loyola professor Theodore Karamanski made a good point in Powers’ story, noting, “The idea the Blackhawks are somehow honoring (Black Hawk’s) memory or that the Blackhawks are educating people, I’ve been to Hawks’ games, I’ve been to the stadium, I didn’t get any sense of the history of Black Hawk at all.”

I believe the organization in years past has acted honorably in inviting Native Americans to games and partnering with them on projects. I believe that fans do care about Native Americans. We could create a permanent exhibit honoring Black Hawk and really teach people some history, but let’s be honest, what will it really be for besides a cover to keep the status quo?

The team is only named after Black Hawk because McLaughlin’s U.S. Army unit and even that probably wasn’t named after him specifically. According to the U.S. Army Center of Military History, “The insignia is a tribute to the pioneers of this sector, and in recognition of their prowess in battles with the Indians. The bird symbolizes keenness, cunning, and tenacity.”

We’re just trying to grasp on this connection to quell the tides of discontent. This is a hockey team, not the local American Indian Center, which incidentally doesn’t want anything to do with us.

I understand that some Native Americans are fine with the logo. Many are not. I’d like to keep an honest dialogue with both sides of the debate as the situation evolves.

I have other bold ideas for changes, like making sing “This Land is Your Land” before Sunday home games, but we’ll save that for another statement.

Sincerely,

Jon Greenberg

President, Chicago Blackhawks

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187508 Chicago Blackhawks 4. You know I can’t go a column without referencing Blackhawks prospect Max Shalunov. I actually do have some news on that front.

Shalunov’s agent, Shumi Babaev, said Wednesday the likely plan was Powers Points: Blackhawks make hockey operations staff changes for Shalunov to sign in Switzerland to begin the 2020-21 season. Their hope is the Blackhawks will eventually sign him to an entry-level contract once the 2019-20 season officially ends. He would then move from his By Scott Powers Swiss team to the Blackhawks whenever the NHL’s 2020-21 season begins. Jul 9, 2020 5. Babaev also said Blackhawks goalie prospect Ivan Nalimov could play

somewhere in Europe to begin the 2020-21 season and see whether the The Blackhawks rarely announce contract extensions, title changes or Blackhawks might want to sign him and have him play for the Rockford people coming or going from their hockey operations. All of those things IceHogs. Nalimov was on a player tryout agreement with the IceHogs happened recently, and none of them were announced. before play was paused in March.

The Blackhawks did update their website to reflect those changes: 6. With the 2019-20 NHL regular season officially over, we can estimate what the Blackhawks’ bonus overage will be. Norm Maciver went from assistant general manager to vice president of player personnel. It appears Dylan Strome will hit a $212,500 bonus for ice time, and Dominik Kubalik will have three $212,500 bonuses for 20 goals, plus- Kyle Davidson went from assistant to the general manager to assistant minus rating among forwards and ice time among forwards. Kubalik will general manager of hockey administration. also likely be voted to the NHL’s all-rookie team, which would trigger another $212,500 bonus. If that’s the case, the Blackhawks would be at Mark Eaton went from director of player development to assistant general $1,062,500 for bonuses, which will carry over to next season because manager of player development. the Blackhawks ended the season at the cap ceiling. Ryan Stewart went from vice president of pro scouting to assistant Alex DeBrincat may also get $32,500 for a games played bonus. The general manager of pro scouting. bonus was tied to him playing all 82 games. Whether him playing in Mike Doneghey went from head USA scout to director of player every regular-season game before the pause will count is unknown as of evaluation and recruitment. now.

Pierre Gauthier went from director of player personnel to senior advisor 7. Defenseman prospect Alec Regula was an unexpected addition to the of player personnel. Blackhawks’ workouts during Phase 2.

Barry Smith went from director of player evaluation to senior advisor of Regula, who was acquired for Brendan Perlini, played this season with player personnel. the London Knights in the OHL, but his contract technically began this season when he signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in Ron Anderson went from director of player recruitment to senior advisor November. Because of that, he’s able to be among the additional players of player recruitment. the Blackhawks can invite for their taxi squad.

Rob Facca went from amateur scout to head USA scout. A source said the Blackhawks had an open spot and thought the experience would be invaluable for Regula’s development. So, what to make of those changes? It appears to be a demotion for Maciver. He was previously listed as one of six people in the Blackhawks 8. I watched a bunch of clips of defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk, who Mark ownership and executives section and is now the sixth person under Lazerus recently reported will sign with the Blackhawks. Kalynuk has hockey operations and scouting. It looks like Davidson, Eaton, Stewart, good length and some definite NHL tools. Doneghey and Facca got promotions. Gauthier, Smith and Anderson appear to have more part-time roles. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote more about Kalynuk here.

The Blackhawks also removed eight people from their hockey operations, Here are a few highlights from Kalynuk: scouting and coaching sections. The people removed were pro scouts 9. With Kalynuk coming aboard, we have a pretty good look at what the Derek Booth, Greg Hawgood, Steve Leach, Michael Mottau, Allan Power IceHogs’ defense could look like next season. and Tom Younghans, development coach Derek Plante and Rockford IceHogs/European strength and coniditioning coach Kristian Skarphagen. Depending on what the Blackhawks’ roster looks like, the IceHogs’ roster pool could include Kalynuk, Regula, Lucas Carlsson, Dennis Gilbert, 1. The Blackhawks also removed nine other people from other divisions Nicolas Beaudin and Chad Krys. Ian Mitchell and are on their website. At least a few of them were known to be among the possibilities, too. Seeler is under contract for next season and would Blackhawks’ recent layoffs. have to go through waivers. Joni Tuulola and Ian McCoshen, who both 2. Blackhawks interim president Danny Wirtz did announce one addition played for the IceHogs this past season, are restricted free agents in the to the staff in June. He sent an email to the company’s employees offseason, and the Blackhawks may decide to not qualify them announcing Matt Murphy was joining the Blackhawks as a business considering who else they have signed. strategy partner, reporting directly to Wirtz. Murphy was previously a 10. An interesting aspect of researching the Blackhawks logo story was business analyst at McKinsey and Company. learning about the team’s past, especially the original owner, Frederic 3. I’ve yet to speak to Wirtz since he’s taken over as interim president. McLaughlin. He sounded like a complicated and troubled person. He’s been requested multiple times and has yet to agree to an interview. Irene Castle, who was his wife for 14 years before they divorced, wrote I’m hopeful at some point that changes. about his temper in her book, “Castles in the Air.” Castle was a famous I have been asking people in the organization about their thoughts and actress and dancer of the time. She may have also designed the experiences with him so far. The questions were just on background and Blackhawks’ logo. no one was being quoted directly, but everyone had positive responses The following incident allegedly occurred on their honeymoon. about Wirtz. They believed he has a vision for the present and future of the organization. They weren’t sure whether Wirtz would remain in the Castle wrote, “I walked over in his general direction and the next thing I role of president, but they expected him to see the Blackhawks through knew, I was lying on the floor with my legs sprawled out in front of me. I this transitional stage and continue to be involved in some capacity in the hadn’t fallen. I had been felled with a neat right cross. … It was my first future. acquaintance with his ungovernable temper.”

One person said Wirtz was cognizant that the Blackhawks weren’t very She also wrote, “He was his own worst enemy and he took offense so diverse from an organizational staff standpoint and that needed to very easily. Figuratively speaking, the hair rose on the back of his neck, change. It sounds like steps are being taken behind closed doors to and, without thinking, he struck out. Once he had punched somebody, he address that. The source said he was encouraged so far by what Wirtz was dreadfully embarrassed and this only made him madder.” has said and done. 11. McLaughlin made emotional decisions with the Blackhawks, too. In January 1937, with the Blackhawks in last place, he announced he was going to change the team name to the Chicago Yankees and put together a team of only Americans.

The Chicago Tribune wrote that McLaughlin “seemed to be distressed about the unwillingness of Canadian hockey players to follow with zest, dumbbell, pulley and bending exercises which have been prescribed to make the fellows more adept at stickhandling, poke checking and goal shooting.”

McLaughlin said he was developing a “hockey factory” and sought to “make hockey players out of American athletes rather than athletes out of Canadian hockey players.”

The Blackhawks had five Americans in the 1936-37 season, and the plan was to rotate more in and rotate Canadian players out.

Reality eventually found McLaughlin’s plan. He couldn’t find and/or produce enough talented Americans, and he never went through with changing the name.

12. McLaughlin made some curious decisions as owner. One that did pay off for a bit was hiring Bill Stewart, who had been a baseball umpire and hockey referee, to coach the Blackhawks.

While the Blackhawks went 14-25-9 in the regular season in Stewart’s first season as coach during the 1937-38 season, the Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Stewart was fired 21 games into the following season and never coached in the NHL again. He would go on to umpire in a number of World Series after that.

13. I do want to eventually write more about Charlie Gardiner, who was the Blackhawks’ goalie during their first Stanley Cup. His story is fascinating and sad. I recently bought a book about him and hope to write a story after completing it and doing some more research.

14. One European free agent I’m still curious about this summer is forward Pius Suter.

Suter, 24, led the NLA, Switzerland’s top league, with 30 goals and 53 points in 50 games this past season. He was teammates with Marcus Kruger in Zurich. Kubalik led the same league with 25 goals and 57 points in 50 games last season.

Suter is signed in the NLA for next season, but he’s able to opt out for an NHL contract. I traded emails with his agent recently, and Suter’s intent is still to sign with an NHL team this summer. I haven’t heard anything specifically on the Blackhawks, but I’d be surprised if they weren’t interested.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187509 Colorado Avalanche around $4.1 million while Nieto, who checks in at $1.975 million, could earn $3.547 million annually on his contract. Meanwhile, Wilson had a shortened campaign when he suffered a long-term lower-body injury in Ballin’ on a budget? How a flat salary cap could brighten or dim the Avs’ October that has kept him sidelined for several months after signing a future one-year deal worth $2.6 million.

Colorado’s six RFAs also come with their own set of considerations led by Burakovsky, Graves and Nichushkin. Burakovsky turned into the By Ryan S. Clark legitimate second-line scoring winger the Avalanche hoped for when they acquired him last summer from the Capitals. His surging production led Jul 9, 2020 to questions about what he could command in his next deal. And then the pandemic came. He is now projected by Evolving Hockey to go from making $3.25 million in 2019-20 to earning a four-year pact carrying a Knowing two items can be true at once might be the most direct way to $4.436 million annual cap hit. Graves, who made $735,000 this season, summarize what Colorado Avalanche general manager and could earn $3.759 million over four years. Nichushkin was signed for his front office staff might face in the coming years. $850,000 in what was initially viewed as a depth move only to become a consistent top-nine forward. Evolving Hockey’s model dictates he could The Avalanche have built a roster that is expected to challenge for – if sign a two-year contract worth $2.515 million each season. not win – a Stanley Cup in the near future. However, this all comes with the idea that many of those players who have helped the Avalanche Then it becomes a matter of what to do with Jost, Kamenev and Zadorov. reach this stage are due for new contracts all while the salary cap Jost, who is in the last season of his entry-level contract, is projected to potentially remains at $81.5 million for what could be the next three sign a three-year deal carrying a $2.139 million cap hit. Kamenev could seasons. go from making $750,00 to $838,400 in his next deal, per Evolving Hockey. The Avs have one year of team control left before Zadorov The new proposed collective bargaining agreement has the salary cap becomes a UFA in the same offseason as the expansion draft. He ceiling remaining at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 campaign. It would stay currently makes $3.2 million with the projection calling for him to sign a there until hockey-related revenue reaches $4.8 billion. From there, a three-year pact carrying a $3.375 million cap hit in each season. Still, formula for defining the cap could be implemented using hockey-related Zadorov’s future with the organization had come into question before the revenues from the last two seasons. In other words? It is plausible the NHL went on pause. 2022-23 salary cap would be determined by using hockey-related revenue figures from the 2020-21 campaign. Conclusion: The Avalanche could re-sign Burakovsky, Graves, Jost, Kamenev and Nichushkin to those projected amounts. But they also add Exercising financial responsibility has become a foundational premise for prospects such as Martin Kaut, Logan O’Connor and Conor Timmins to the Sakic administration. Why take such a prudent approach? Because replace Namestnikov, Nieto and Zadorov in this particular hypothetical. the front office knows any attempt at maintaining long-term success O’Connor, who is an RFA, could sign a one-year deal worth $770,500 comes with a cost. Look no further than whenever the 2020-21 offseason based off what Evolving Hockey projects in its model. arrives. Captain and star left winger Gabriel Landeskog becomes an unrestricted free agent in need of what will be his third contract with the Doing this leaves the Avalanche with $5.344 million in cap space while club. Meanwhile, star defenseman Cale Makar will be a restricted free also having a roster with four full lines, two reserve forwards and a agent who the organization will seek to sign to a pact knowing it must seventh defenseman. balance paying his worth while keeping an eye on the future. It is enough money to be an active player in free agency should they CapFriendly projects the Avalanche have $5.432 million in final cap deem it necessary. Even then? Sakic and the front office could stash that space. That was the fourth-highest total in the NHL behind lottery teams money for a trade later during the following season. But they could also such as the Kings, Devils and Senators. Sakic and his staff are projected use it as a reserve to prepare for what lies ahead in the upcoming to have $22.364 million in available cap space for the 2020-21 season offseason when they must make a few more important decisions that with the idea they have six RFAs and as many UFAs they must evaluate could have a significant impact in the interim and beyond. when it comes to making another investment or going in a different direction. The 2021-22 season

Here is a hypothetical glance at what the next three offseasons could UFAs: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Matt Calvert, Ian Cole, Philipp look like for an organization that must juggle the bottom line and its Grubauer and Gabriel Landeskog. championship aspirations. RFAs: Anton Lindholm, Logan O’Connor, Cale Makar and Conor The 2020-21 season Timmins.

UFAs: Mark Barberio, Kevin Connauton, Michael Hutchinson, Vladislav Outlook: So. The Seattle expansion draft has arrived and that Namestnikov, Matt Nieto and Colin Wilson. organization has decided to take Jost. Doing so would free up $2.139 million in what would be viewed as potentially welcomed cap space RFAs: Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Graves, Tyson Jost, Vladislav Kamenev, considering this is an offseason when getting new deals done for Valeri Nichushkin and Nikita Zadorov. Grubauer, Landeskog and Makar are priorities. It also helps that the 2020-21 season has allowed the Avalanche’s front office enough time to Outlook: Weighing items like financial feasibility, long-term projections in determine if prospects like Shane Bowers, Bowen Byram and Alex certain roles and the eventual Seattle expansion draft could potentially Newhook are ready to contribute. serve as a compass in how the front office navigates the upcoming offseason. It goes back to why an argument could be made the front Relying upon extra cap space and youth could prove vital given the office was proactive in signing Samuel Girard to a long-term deal last landscape. Bellemare will be 36 years old when his contract expires. It is summer while also getting a two-year contract completed for Pavel possible he could return on a cheap, one-year deal or the Avalanche Francouz. decide to go in another direction. Calvert and Cole are each 31 as well with uncertain futures. Grubauer, by this stage, could foreseeably be in a Let’s start with the UFA class. Essentially, the Avalanche have to dynamic where he and Francouz become a tandem in net while the 28- determine what they want to pay for depth in certain positions. Is it worth year-old Landeskog continues operating as a first-line left winger next to keeping Barberio or Connauton? Or are the Avs better served by seeking MacKinnon and Rantanen. out a cheaper replacement in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles? Barberio is earning $1.45 million while Connauton makes $1.375 million. Lindholm and O’Connor could earn relatively inexpensive deals The Avs could hedge on the fact one of them is willing to take less compared to Makar and Timmins. Makar could plausibly become one of money or determine players like Anton Lindholm and Jacob MacDonald the highest, if not the highest, earners on the Avalanche’s roster. As for are better options given they cost half as a much. Timmins? It becomes a difficult exercise to predict how it will all work out for a player who has one fictitious season of NHL experience to his Hutchinson is a third goalie who only costs $700,000. Namestnikov and name. Then again? What is stopping Timmins from using the same Nieto are the players who hypothetically present the most questions teachings Graves employed en route to him becoming one of the club’s when it comes to their futures. Namestnikov carried a $4 million cap hit unexpected breakout players in what was his first full NHL season? the last two seasons with Evolving Hockey projecting he could command Evolving Hockey does not appear to offer contract projections for future an experienced second-line center with a Stanley Cup on his resume deals. Thus, it creates another theoretical regarding what new deals could allow Kadri to cash in on a sizable payday that could hypothetically would look like under a salary cap that could realistically remain at $81.5 place the Avs in a difficult position. million. As for Bowers, Byram and Kaut? The Avalanche will have club control Conclusion: It appears moving on from Bellemare and Cole could be and the time needed to possibly move around pieces in order to clear necessary for a few reasons. For one? There are financial implications. cap space if such an idea needs to be explored. Perhaps the front office Letting them depart in free agency saves the Avalanche a combined negotiates a lower figure with players than what Evolving Hockey has $6.05 million. Another plausible factor for these roster moves goes back projected? Maybe there are players in this dynamic who were offered a to youth. The front office could determine that Bowers, Byram and new contract that might be elsewhere in real life when the time comes? Newhook are all NHL ready in this scenario. Meaning, the club must Or could the Avs make a trade with the sole purpose of clearing up cap create space for them. space?

And that is what makes Calvert’s future even more interesting. Moving on Either way? It comes back to two principles co-existing. The Avalanche from him would amount to another $2.85 million in salary-cap space. But have built a roster expected to challenge for a Stanley Cup. But for how it could possibly create a bizarre bottom-six dynamic where players like much? And for how long? Kaut are on the fourth line. One solution the Avalanche could seek is looking to trade winger Joonas Donskoi and his $3.9 million cap hit. That allows them to sign Calvert at a lower figure while also accommodating The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 for more minutes and extra cap space.

Sakic and the front office, however, elect to retain Calvert and trade Donskoi elsewhere. Separating from Bellemare, Cole and Donskoi gives the club a total savings of $9.95 million compared to the $8.9 million they would have recouped by trading away Calvert instead. Remember, the Avalanche still have the $5.34 million in cap space they did not touch from the prior season coupled with the $2.139 million that became available with Jost going to Seattle in the expansion draft. It all amounts to $17.42 million and that does not include the funds hypothetically vacated by Grubauer and Landeskog along with what the RFA class is earning.

The Avalanche decide to keep Grubauer and Landeskog. Grubauer goes from making $3.3 million to a two-year deal carrying a $3.9 million cap hit while Landeskog will go from earning $5.571 million to now making $6.5 million over four years. Doing so leaves the Avs with $15.9 million. Sakic signs Lindholm to a two-year deal that checks in at $1 million annually with O’Connor getting a two-year pact carrying a $1.8 million cap hit. He then signs Timmins to a two-year contract worth $2.5 million annually, leaving $10.6 million available to sign Makar.

Makar agrees to a long-term deal with the club worth $9.5 million annually and it leaves the Avalanche with $1.1 million remaining in cap space ahead of what should be another economic decathlon of a season.

Outlook: Yeah. It really never ends when it comes to maintaining a Stanley Cup contender all while working within the confines of a salary cap that has now increased to an $82.5 million limit.

Francouz will be 32 by this point and coming off his two-year deal. The hypothetical decision to re-sign Grubauer is one factor that plays into why the Avalanche could see Francouz become a cap casualty. Another could be Justus Annunen. By this point, Annunen will have played one full season in North America and it could give the organization more insight into him being ready. If so? Then, it could be time for Francouz to leave Denver. If not? Getting him to agree to a team-friendly deal will be paramount.

Kadri will be 31 when his deal expires and a number of scenarios could play out. Both sides could come to an agreement that sees him remain in Denver for less money. Or it is possible the Avs believe Newhook is ready to become the club’s second-line center in place of Kadri.

What happens with Bowers, Byram and Kaut at this point is possibly the most difficult item to fully examine. Bowers went from center to wing with the Eagles during the 2019-20 season and it has yet to be determined if he will stay there or revert to his natural position. Byram comes with the promise of being a lottery pick and the top defense prospect in his class. Kaut is on course to challenge for a bottom-six role ahead of next year’s training camp.

Conclusion: How Annunen develops with the Eagles could play a significant role in Francouz’s future with the club. If Annunen proves he is ready, then, it is another player on an entry-level contract the Avalanche must lean upon. If he needs more time, it leaves the front office needing to re-sign Francouz in a market where his services will be presumably wanted by others. All while knowing the Avs could be limited in cap limbo.

The same applies to Kadri. Retaining him at a figure close or even slightly less than his current salary would be a benefit for Sakic and Co. But what if the club has won a Stanley Cup by this point? The market for 1187510 Dallas Stars Jocelyn Thibault got shelled. Miller made the next 34 starts, got mentally and physically fatigued, and Buffalo missed the playoffs by four points.

Shapiro: The problem and the weakness was the Stars didn’t have strong What the Devils are getting in Lindy Ruff based on his coaching past enough goaltending for the system to win the whole thing. It failed them in 2016 after they had the best record in the Western Conference. There were some flaws evident in the defensive structure: On 2-on-1s, Ruff told By Corey Masisak, John Vogl and more defensemen to slide at the puck carrier, leading to way too many easy tap-ins after saucer passes over a sliding defender. But the biggest flaw Jul 9, 2020 with the system was not having a goalie who could bail his team out when needed.

The Devils made the hiring of Lindy Ruff as the 19th head coach in What do you think was the biggest reason(s) for his tenure coming to an franchise history official Thursday, nearly four months after New Jersey’s end? season ended because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Vogl: After 15 seasons, it was simply time. His final game was a Ruff replaces interim coach Alain Nasreddine, who took over for the lackluster 2-1 loss in February 2013, and the normally loquacious coach dismissed John Hynes in early December. Ruff has the sixth-most wins admitted he had no answers. When he opened the door to then-GM and games coached in league history, having guided the Sabres for 14- Darcy Regier the next day, he said, “I know.” plus seasons (1997-2013) and the Stars for four (2013-17). He’s spent At that time, players were beginning to favor “kinder, gentler” coaching the past three seasons as an assistant coach for the Rangers, working styles. Ruff always had his whipping boys, so he changed a bit. While it for Alain Vigneault and then David Quinn. may have been a real transformation, the group of players who’d grown The Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 and the conference up around him sensed it wasn’t genuine. It was just time for a change. finals three times (1999, 2006, 2007) with Ruff in charge. The Stars Shapiro: The goaltending and injuries in his final season helped end his made the playoffs in two of Ruff’s four years, reaching the second round tenure in Dallas, but the seeds were planted after the 2015-16 season in 2016. when Ruff didn’t get the contract extension and the dollar amount he was Ruff takes over a team that has missed the playoffs in each of the past looking for after Dallas had the best record in the Western Conference. two seasons, and seven of the past eight seasons overall. He will have Ruff wasn’t exactly lame-duck coaching during the 2016-17 season, but two young forwards with franchise player potential (Nico Hischier and when he had looked for a high dollar amount in 2016 and then followed it Jack Hughes) to work with. That makes the situation similar to when he up with a playoff miss, it was time for the Stars to move on when his arrived in Dallas before the 2013-14 season and the Stars traded for contract expired. Tyler Seguin to pair with Jamie Benn. The Devils are likely to be a very young team. How do you think Ruff Given Ruff’s extensive experience as a head coach with two other handled the youngest players on the roster? franchises, we reached out to a pair of The Athletic writers who have Vogl: Tyler Myers won the Calder Trophy in 2010. Thomas Vanek scored covered the coach in Buffalo (John Vogl) and Dallas (Sean Shapiro). We 25 goals as a rookie, then added 43, 36 and 40 during the next three discussed Ruff’s strengths, weaknesses, reasons for the end of his seasons. If the young players had the skill to perform, Ruff put them in tenure, development of young players and more. position to succeed. What do you think were each of the team’s biggest strengths when Lindy It’s been seven years, so I don’t recall how he handled young guys on a Ruff was the head coach, and how much influence did he have on it? day-to-day basis in terms of walking them through video or having chats Vogl: Looking back at his 15 seasons in Buffalo, Ruff’s ability to mold the on the ice, but Ruff definitely mellowed out near the end of his tenure. He team’s style to its strengths stands out. was personable and had a sharp sense of humor.

He arrived in 1997, when Dominik Hasek was atop the goalie world. The Shapiro: It was a bit of a mixed bag. The Stars struggled to develop Sabres played a more conservative defensive system, knowing full well some younger players during his time, and at one point Valeri Nichushkin that The Dominator would give them an edge. They advanced to the publicly blamed his return to the KHL over differences with Ruff. Those conference finals in Ruff’s first season and lost the Stanley Cup to Dallas claims are a bit overblown and Ruff was an easy punching bag for in 1999. They were a goal away from another conference finals Nichushkin. Ruff will give young players a chance and he’ll expect them appearance in 2001. to earn more opportunities after that initial chance.

Coming out of the lockout in 2005, speed thrilled. Ruff took the reins off Did you think the team’s top offensive players reached their potential with his young playmakers and guided the Sabres to back-to-back conference Ruff in charge? finals. Buffalo won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2007 while leading the NHL Vogl: The stars always had room to shine. Chris Drury and Daniel Briere in scoring by 12 goals over the No. 2 team (Ottawa) and 31 goals over enjoyed their most productive seasons in Buffalo. Vanek and Miroslav the No. 3 squads (Pittsburgh and Colorado). Satan filled the net and were put in position to do so. Jason Pominville When Ryan Miller hit his prime with a Vezina Trophy win in 2010, Ruff blossomed into a 30-goal scorer. again transitioned to a more conservative style. The coach knew what There were ups and downs for some guys — Drew Stafford, for example, would work for his personnel. was usually on a roller coaster from 14 goals to 31 and back to 16 — but Shapiro: The Stars were a run-and-gun team during the Lindy Ruff era — the scorers scored. Don’t expect any power-play miracles, though. they were fun to watch. Defensemen were asked to act like a fourth During Ruff’s 14 full seasons, the Sabres finished above 14th just three forward whenever possible and the Stars swarmed opponents in the times. offensive zone. While in Dallas, Ruff once told me how he enjoyed Big 12 Shapiro: The Stars’ top offensive players thrived; they loved playing in football, flashy and offensive, and it fit the description for how his team Ruff’s system. It was the final years of Jamie Benn’s and Jason Spezza’s played hockey in a football-mad state. The Stars had lots of chances, but prime and Tyler Seguin was still one of the best centers in the NHL. gave up many as well, and in the good times they were able to outscore any of their problems. What, if anything, went wrong in the postseason that prevented them from advancing further? What were the biggest weaknesses? Vogl: Well, Buffalo will always start with Brett Hull’s foot in the crease in Vogl: There were really no surprises. If the Sabres had a good team, they 1999. In 2001, with the Sabres seconds away from advancing to the made the playoffs. If they had a bad or mediocre roster, they didn’t. While conference finals, a puck floated high in the air and landed on the stick of Ruff found styles that worked, he didn’t seem to coax more out of a club Mario Lemieux, of all people. than could be expected. But the playoffs were where Ruff shined. He was a good motivator. He He also lost trust in goalies quickly. Mika Noronen was a minor-league knew how to get under the skin of the opposition, with Ken Hitchcock star, but he ran afoul of the coach early and ended up making just 28 infamously saying, “Tell Lindy to fuck off,” during their 2006 series. Peter appearances through his first three seasons. In January 2008, backup Laviolette said he wished the NHL would put a gag order on Ruff. The coach made the postseason fun.

Shapiro: Two key things that we need to remember with Ruff and the Stars about 2016. The goaltending fell apart in the playoffs, the two- headed monster of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi struggled mightily and, many people forget this, Tyler Seguin missed all but one game of the 2016 postseason with an Achilles injury. He wasn’t available in the second round against the St. Louis Blues, and if Seguin had been healthy and if the goalies were competent, the Stars likely march to at least the Western Conference final and maybe meet the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187511 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings' next season: Circle these dates on the calendar (maybe)

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 1:51 p.m. ET July 9, 2020

They knew it was coming, but being eliminated from the playoffs this early stings for the Detroit Red Wings. Filmed Feb. 21, 2020 in Uniondale, N.Y. Detroit Free Press

Circle Dec. 1 on the calendar with a pencil: It’s when the Detroit Red Wings might be back in action.

The NHL has sorted out new dates for the events postponed or disrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, including the start of 2020-21. That would begin in December, almost two months later than usual.

All the dates from the NHL and NHL Players' Association CBA memorandum of understanding are tentative, of course, as is the league’s proposed staging of the playoffs this summer in Edmonton and Toronto. The Wings won’t be a part of that 24-team bubble, having already been eliminated by the time the NHL halted the 2019-20 season on March 12.

The first few weeks of October look to be busy: The draft, in which the Wings hold the fourth overall pick, is scheduled for Oct. 6. (Oct. 2 is supposed to be the last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final.)

Free agency — which will not include an interview period — is slated to open Oct. 9. General manager is expected to at the very least add a to replace Jimmy Howard.

Training camps open Nov. 17. In the case of the seven teams (Detroit, Ottawa, Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Buffalo and New Jersey) that did not make the playoffs, that means those players will not have been part of an on-ice team activity in nine months.

The Wings already have announced they will not be holding their camp in Traverse City this fall, but plan to return there in 2021.

The season would begin Dec. 1, with a full 82-game schedule. Even with the usual breaks — Christmas, All-Star, winter — eliminated, the season is expected to last until the end of May.

[ Predicting a big 2020-21 season for Detroit Red Wings' Tyler Bertuzzi ]

The Wings finished 2019-20 with a 17-49-5 record, worst in the NHL. They were hampered by injuries (especially to defenseman Danny DeKeyser and forward Anthony Mantha) that further exposed their lack of depth, and by Howard’s poor goaltending (he did not win a game after October, and was pulled his last two starts).

Yzerman unloaded underachieving forward Andreas Athanasiou at the deadline, creating an opening up front that likely will be claimed by Filip Zadina, who looked good after being called up in December but got hurt at the end of January.

The defense could have a new young face in Moritz Seider, who had an encouraging first year of hockey in North America.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187512 Detroit Red Wings player with his passes, and make creative plays by using his brain and skating.”

“Outside of his skating I think that’s his biggest asset,” Hartsburg said of The Red Wings’ No. 4 draft pick: Making the case for Jamie Drysdale Drysdale’s hockey sense. “And it might even be bigger than his skating.”

If Drysdale can be a highly intelligent, highly mobile blueliner who can both make and end plays with his smarts and skates, while excelling in By Max Bultman transition, then that’s a multi-dimensional game worthy of consideration around the top five. Jul 9, 2020 Drysdale would join Seider at the top of the Red Wings’ defensive

pipeline, and could turn the blue line into an organizational strength. At This is the fourth in a series examining the Red Wings’ options with the 22, Filip Hronek is already leading the team in minutes, and several other fourth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Today, we lay out the case for interesting young defense prospects are at various levels of the OHL defenseman Jamie Drysdale. organization.

Chris Hartsburg had never seen Jamie Drysdale play at the time the Erie With as many compelling tools as there are to Drysdale’s game, it’s fair Otters selected Drysdale fourth overall in the 2018 OHL Draft. But when to want a defenseman in consideration for a pick this high to have a more Drysdale took the ice at the team’s development camp, the Otters coach dynamic offensive track record. The Red Wings, in particular, don’t have had a pronounced reaction to seeing the freewheeling defenseman an obvious first power-play quarterback of the future, albeit with several skate. defensemen capable of playing on the power play in some capacity.

“Oh boy.” That matter of ultimate upside will be a key question for any team considering him with a high pick. But Pronman nonetheless wrote he Two years later, Drysdale is one of the top defensemen in the league, “could see (Drysdale) become a top-pairing defenseman who plays a ton and the same skating that stood out to Hartsburg from Day 1 is a big of minutes,” and it’s also worth noting that Hartsburg still feels there is reason why. He’s in consideration to be the top blueliner picked in the still “a whole other gear” to Drysdale’s game. 2020 draft, sitting squarely in the range the Red Wings will be picking at fourth overall. “I think he’s such a great team player, that he’s so focused on helping the team win, that he’s not taking as many risks as he possibly can,” The basics Hartsburg said. “And as a coach, it’s not a bad thing, but I think for him and where he wants to be and what he’s going to end up being, he’s Drysdale is a 5-foot-11, 175-pound defenseman who plays for Erie in the going to have to push himself in those areas a little bit more.” OHL. He scored nearly a point per game this season (47 points in 49 games), which he played at age 17. With his skating, it’s not hard to envision Drysdale being able to take risks and getting away with them, partly because of how well he’ll be able Corey Pronman did an in-depth video breakdown of Drysdale’s game last to recover. But both creating offense, and recovering from any missed month, in which Pronman gave Drysdale’s skating and hockey sense attempts at doing so, will only get harder the higher he climbs. very high grades of 65 (on the 20-80 scouting scale) and his defending a strong grade of 60. Drysdale ranks No. 7 on Pronman’s draft board, while It is worth mentioning, though, that he was able to make a respectable Scott Wheeler has him eighth overall. impact as a 17-year-old at the world juniors, with 3 points in 7 games from the blue line despite playing less than 10 minutes in four of those Unsurprisingly, considering those strong marks from Pronman, the case games. All three of his points came in the quarterfinal and semifinal; he for Drysdale comes down to his feet and his brain. In the modern game, played more than 20 minutes in that semifinal against Finland. Hartsburg those are two highly desirable traits in a defenseman. theorized that Drysdale was able to transition well to that stage because And while the Red Wings already invested high draft picks in Moritz of his hockey sense and because other players were thinking the game Seider and Antti Tuomisto last summer, Drysdale’s profile would project at his same high level. him as the kind of top-end skater Detroit does not currently have on its That’s important evidence as to what Drysdale can do with and against blue line. the very best of his peer group, and arguably could serve to underscore His offensive outputs, while certainly good, are not so overwhelming as Hartsburg’s point about the extra gear in Drysdale’s game yet to be to project him as a clear offensive dynamo at the next level (more on that tapped. Again, though, it’s something the team that drafts him will want to shortly). The positive reviews for his defensive capability mitigates that, be sure of before using such a high pick on him. though, and allows him to project as a more well-rounded defenseman. And then, of course, there’s the physical side. Five-foot-11 is not so small When asked where Drysdale’s game grew the most this season, as to be a major physical concern in itself (Hronek is 6 feet), but Drysdale Hartsburg pointed to a growing ability to take over games on both ends of will still need to bulk up, as is the case for nearly every draft prospect. the ice, which speaks to the true two-way ability. Ultimately, though, the case for Drysdale is fairly simple. He may not “Not just when he had the puck on his stick, but I thought when he was project as an offensive wizard, but he has the physical and mental tools defending,” Hartsburg said. “I thought he was able to really kill plays and to still be an impactful player from the blue line, and one who could transition for us. And certainly when he’s on the ice, we tend to have the establish the position as a real area of strength in the Red Wings’ rebuild. puck more, and we tend to generate more opportunities. And I think that “Just an A-plus human being, and a kid that’s going to be a three-zone really, for me, was a big telltale sign of the steps he took.” defenseman,” Hartsburg said. “He’s going to be able to help a team in all Drysdale’s skating plays a big part in that. three areas of the ice, and he’s certainly going to create excitement as he goes throughout his career.” “His ability to defend in the neutral zone is certainly where his skating comes into play,” Hartsburg said. “But even in the defensive zone, he’s so quick that if you do beat him, you’ve gotta beat him again because he The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 recovers so quickly. And the one thing that I liked out of him this year, especially, was he was a lot more assertive physically.”

He said Drysdale “took some healthy runs at guys this year,” which is important to see from a player who was still just 17 in the OHL. It also fits with a compete level his coach described as “really high,” an important trait as Drysdale battles with players who will inevitably often be larger than him.

But just as important to that will be Drysdale’s hockey sense, which ultimately will go a long way toward determining his eventual projection in both ends. Pronman wrote that while Drysdale isn’t going to create offense in the fashion of Quinn Hughes, Drysdale “can be a very efficient 1187513 Edmonton Oilers really helped me throughout the last couple of years, staying in touch with me and being that connection to Edmonton.

“I talked to (assistant GM) Keith Gretzky a few weeks ago too, just about Edmonton Oilers pipeline: Defenceman could be steal of 2018 NHL Draft my workout plan and where I’m skating, he was just checking in and class things like that. I know Scott Howson, before he left, was telling me how much my game has improved in the last few years and where he thinks my game can go. It’s been good having him come watch the last couple of years and getting feedback and trying to grow from that advice.” Derek Van Diest Kesselring adjusted well from junior to NCAA hockey where opponents July 9, 2020 7:16 PM MDT can be four or five years older. He hopes to continue his progression through to the professional level.

Michael Kesselring could be a diamond in the rough for the Edmonton Kesselring is committed to Northeastern for at least another year, but Oilers. beyond that will depend on how well the Oilers believe he has developed and whether he’s ready to take the next step. The six-foot-five, 209-pound defenceman from New Hampton, N.H., was surprisingly still available to Edmonton in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL “I’m really hoping that, personally, after next year we’re having a Entry Draft and subsequently taken by the club 164th overall. He could conversation with the organization about the possibility of having me turn out to be a steal. going pro,” Kesselring said. “Then definitely after my junior (third) year I hope I’d be ready to make the jump to the AHL at least. Hopefully with “To be completely honest, I thought I was going to go a lot earlier in the the way I progress, I might be able to shock a few people and get there draft, so I was starting to get a little bit nervous wondering what was quicker than people think. going on,” Kesselring said. “I went to the combine and did pretty well, I had a lot of good interviews. “I’m really excited for this upcoming season and hopefully everything starts on time, because I think I can make a big jump in college this “I knew the Oilers were definitely very interested and I think it was a big year.” sigh of relief when I was selected. My dad grew up just outside of Toronto and he watched (Wayne) Gretzky growing up so he couldn’t have been happier to see me go to a Canadian team.” Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 07.10.2020 A big bodied, right-shot defenceman, the Oilers are hoping Kesselring, 20, develops into a premier shutdown blueliner. He’s coming off a strong freshman season at Northeastern University after two seasons in junior in the USHL.

“Our school is really competitive, we were ranked one of the top-15 teams in the country pretty much all year,” Kesselring said. “Fortunately, I walked into a really good situation and played pretty much in the top four pairings pretty much all years. We had a few injuries throughout the year, but this year was big for me, it really grew my defensive side of the game.”

Kesselring had two goals and five points in 34 games with Northeastern. He had seven goals and 22 points in 33 games with Fargo the previous season.

“Coming out of Fargo, I was kind of the top offensive guy on our team and then at Northeastern being a freshman, we had talented older guys, so I had to learn to play a shutdown role,” Kesselring said. “That went really well and I really grew a lot defensively. I still created a lot of chances offensively, but I became a really well-rounded, two-way defenceman this year.”

The NCAA season was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak and Kesselring returned to New Hampshire where he’s been working out and preparing for this upcoming season. Kesselring has been to a pair of Oilers summer orientation camps and is considered an excellent skater for his size.

“That’s definitely the thing that I’ve worked on most throughout the years and that’s definitely the thing that’s gotten me to higher and higher levels,” Kesselring said. “If you can move as a big guy and have that longer reach, that’s such a big advantage defending. That’s something that I can continue to work on and hopefully get a little bit smoother .

“But the speed is definitely getting better, which is exciting, because if I can get half a step on a guy then I should be able to get the puck off my stick with my reach.”

Having been sent home from school early due to the outbreak, Kesselring was fortunate to have access to an arena where he was able to keep skating. The outbreak in New Hampshire has not been as severe as other parts of the .

There is still some uncertainty when NCAA sports will return considering a second wave is hitting the United States hard at the moment. Regardless, Kesselring has received positive feedback from the Oilers in regards to his development.

“Scott Howson came out probably about three or four times,” Kesselring said. “I know he’s gone now and not with the team anymore, but he’s 1187514 Edmonton Oilers Bottom-six forward Riley Sheahan put Edmonton ahead with a nice goal off a Kassian shot after a fine backpass from Josh Archibald.

Lowetide: Dave Tippett’s postseason strategy against the Blackhawks Smith (38 stops on 41 shots) and the brilliant new line of Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins and Yamamoto were the highlights. The trio combined for eight points and appeared unstoppable.

By Allan Mitchell That kind of firepower without McDavid in the game has been rare since 2015. Jul 9, 2020 I looked at the matchups in the game and didn’t see much beyond rolling

lines, although Tippett played the Draisaitl and Sheahan (Archibald, Oilers head coach Dave Tippett rolled into Chicago with his team sitting Kassian) line heavily and faded the other two lines. at 5-0-0 to start this season. The team’s opening homestand against the Chicago broke up Keith (new partner Adam Boqvist) and Murphy (who and Los Angeles Kings was both high octane (nine played with Erik Gustafsson), and that was its most significant change Oilers goals in the two games) and a little too loose for the coaching staff from the first game. (seven goals against, six during five-on-five play). The third game against Chicago The four-game road trip that followed began with victories over the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. This was the most interesting game against the Blackhawks, who beat the Oilers 4-3 in Chicago. McDavid had returned from injury and caught Individually, James Neal had seven goals in the first five games. The line fire, scoring two goals and 14 points in six games since coming back. of Connor McDavid with Leon Draisaitl and totaled 11 goals through five games and was electrifying. Chicago shut him out.

The first game against Chicago In the six games in which McDavid was spectacular, he worked five-on- five with a variety of wingers. , Alex Chiasson, Andreas The Oilers’ first meeting this season against the Blackhawks was Oct. 14. Athanasiou, and Josh Archibald played with the captain The visiting Oilers were unbeaten and the Blackhawks hadn’t won, but during those games, indicating the coach was looking for answers. Chicago got some bounces, and a strange goal from Alex Nylander proved to be the difference. The shots favoured the home team. Oilers In this game, McDavid spent time with Athanasiou and Neal (that line goalie Mike Smith, despite playing well, incorrectly judged a puck and was outshot 6-1) and Neal and Ennis (that line was outshot 7-1) on what couldn’t recover in time to get set for the winner by Nylander. was clearly an off night for all.

Chicago coach Jeremy Colliton sent defencemen Duncan Keith and Keith was a hard matchup at home against the McDavid line and Connor Murphy, and the line of Brandon Saad, David Kampf and outscored Edmonton 2-0 in over eight minutes. Keith played 27:48 and Dominik Kubalik, to match a five-man group headed by the Draisaitl- Murphy played 26 minutes. McDavid-Kassian line. McDavid’s trio lost the possession battle (9-2 shots against Kampf, 11-5 against Keith) and was unable to score. The Draisaitl line was set, and Athanasiou looked comfortable with Sheahan and Archibald. Smith struggled. I didn’t like his tracking on the In the minutes the McDavid line played against Chicago’s top line Kane goal, and he was badly out of position on the Toews goal. You (Patrick Kane with Dylan Strome and Andrew Shaw), Edmonton crushed could make a case that at least one of the Alex DeBrincat goals should the Blackhawks, outshooting them 7-1. have been stopped as well. Mikko Koskinen came in to mop up.

I wrote in my game notes that McDavid and Draisaitl looked exhausted at The third game was missing an ideal line for McDavid, and Smith was not times, but they were also getting fantastic chances to score. Draisaitl himself. The coach was still tinkering, and there were many games to go, played 26:58 and McDavid 26:21 of ice time. Keith played 24:22 to lead or so we all thought. Chicago, with 14 of those minutes at five-on-five lined up against the Oilers’ captain. The three games between the two teams offer us some clues about Tippett’s challenges and possible solutions. It begins with the deployment At this point of the season, a loss in the final game of a road trip that of his two impact centres and his plan to suppress Kane. Let’s look at began 3-0-0 wouldn’t bring a great deal of reaction, but it was also true each player and what happened in the regular season. that the Oilers didn’t have much secondary scoring. The McDavid numbers The Oilers’ second line was less than dynamic (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with James Neal and Tomas Jurco), managing just four shots in eight How did Chicago handle McDavid? Extremely well in his two games minutes of five-on-five. Even in the early days of the season, it was against the Blackhawks this season. He didn’t score and was in the red obvious Tippett and general manager Ken Holland needed to beef up the in five-on-five goal differential. Here are the players who did the heavy offence on the bottom three lines. work, via Natural Stat Trick (the numbers reflect McDavid’s five-on-five performance against each defenceman): The second game against Chicago McDavid and his line are a hard matchup for Chicago. Keith and Murphy After their unbeaten start, the Oilers spent the rest of the fall and early played the lion’s share of minutes against elite opponents (via Puck IQ) winter playing so-so hockey (24-20-6) with a few overtime and shootout and did a fine job against Edmonton’s captain in the two road games this losses to keep pace in the Pacific Division. On Feb. 11, the day of the season. It is interesting to see the two goals against McDavid were with second game against Chicago, Edmonton’s 29-20-6 record was good Boqvist on the ice, and that’s something to keep in mind as the series enough for second place in the division. approaches. Those players had help, and from sources who would have been considered unexpected not long ago. Here are the forwards who Chicago started the season 0-2-1 but had recovered some and entered chased McDavid: the game at Edmonton with a 25-22-8 record. The line that featured centre Kampf and wingers Saad and Kubalik was The Oilers were without McDavid, who had been hurt in a game three splendid against McDavid in the two games. The two wingers were no days earlier against the Nashville Predators. He was expected to miss a surprise, considering they play the toughest opposition, but Kampf, couple of weeks with a left quad injury. though effective, is not yet famous. Before the game, Draisaitl told the media that the Oilers had to be There is a bright side for the Oilers: Kane head-to-head against precise on their defensive details and solid on their checking. The Oilers McDavid’s line did not fare well, as the Oilers had 72 percent of the shot were a tight team looking to cover defensively and then take advantage share on the road. Look for Tippett to test the Kane line with high octane of the one or two offensive chances they might be gifted. from McDavid on home ice (all stats pertaining to McDavid come from Draisaitl proceeded to dominate from the beginning, posting four points road games). with his line delivering four goals (two from Kailer Yamamoto, one each The Draisaitl numbers from Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins) as the Oilers won to even the series. It’s a little tricky because Draisaitl’s first game was as a winger on Third pair: Kris Russell-Mike Green McDavid’s line and his next two games against the Blackhawks saw the big man at centre. For our purposes, we’re going to exclude the first Goalie: Mike Smith (Mikko Koskinen) game and deal with the stats from the second and third contests, with Edmonton has depth in important spots. Chicago has goaltending, Draisaitl at centre. Here’s how Chicago ran the defence against the experience and a fantastic offensive player in Kane. Tippett needs scoring champion: goaltending and some clean air for his giants (McDavid and Draisaitl), The Chicago defence was challenged with two elite centres, and it was and if that happens, the Oilers will be moving on. the Draisaitl line that did most of the damage. Murphy and Keith were unable to suppress the line and the second and third pairings were also struggling. Let’s check out the forwards who played against Draisaitl: The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020

Such a different view than the McDavid numbers and a lot of that comes from Chicago using the top available options against the captain. The Blackhawks could switch it up, but McDavid is capable of hammering midlevel competition no matter his wingers.

One of the major changes between the first and second half this season is on display. The emergence of a fearsome second scoring line flattened teams that had no answer. Despite Edmonton losing two of three, you have to like the Oilers’ chances if Draisaitl’s line can get the same clean air these numbers suggest he saw as a centre in the regular season.

The Kane numbers

How did Tippett handle Kane’s ice time? Due to injuries and two road games, it was more difficult to hard match, or perhaps the coach was confident in his troops. Looking at the defence, it’s clear all three pairings were winning the possession battle while also getting scored on at five- on-five against a very dangerous opponent.

The Nurse-Bear pairing won the possession battle handily, but Kane found a way (which should be familiar to Oilers fans as McDavid often has similar stats). Kris Russell and Matt Benning played more than the average third pair. Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson played less than expected due to missed games and final change for Chicago’s coach. Let’s see about the Oilers forwards versus Kane:

There are some encouraging numbers as the Sheahan line and the Draisaitl line either won the possession battle or broke even. Edmonton did not get overwhelmed in shots against when Kane was on the ice. The problem? He’s an elite player and needs only a sliver of daylight to make the opponent pay.

The goalies

Smith started all three games for Edmonton. He was brilliant in spurts and had some costly vapor-lock moments. His numbers against Chicago (three games, .906 save percentage and 3.56 save percentage) are at best pedestrian, but he’s a veteran with experience. Koskinen had a better season, and the stats suggest he should start against the Blackhawks, but playoff tradition has the veteran get the start.

No such concern for Chicago. In Corey Crawford’s two starts, he had a 2.01 save percentage and a pristine .923 save percentage against Edmonton.

Tippett’s strategy

In the Oilers’ home contests, I think Tippett will try to get McDavid into open space. That means time away from Keith and the impressive line that features one of Kampf or Toews at centre with Saad and Kubalik on the wings. He can do that by double shifting the captain and perhaps that’s a tell in regard to the fourth-line wingers who will dress for Edmonton.

The coach also has the option of playing two big wingers with McDavid (Athanasiou and Kassian), and those two players might be able to punish Keith and Murphy early and often.

Elsewhere, he should put veterans on defence and in goal, and run the daylights out of that Draisaitl trio. Here’s a guess at what we might see opening night against the Blackhawks:

Line 1: Andreas Athanasiou-Connor McDavid-Zack Kassian

Line 2: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Leon Draisaitl-Kailer Yamamoto

Line 3: James Neal-Jujhar Khaira-Alex Chiasson

Line 4: Tyler Ennis-Riley Sheahan-Josh Archibald

Top pair: Oscar Klefbom-Adam Larsson

Second pair: Darnell Nurse- 1187515 Florida Panthers have a 12.5 percent chance of drafting consensus No. 1 pick Alexis Lafrenière. What did you think of the way the NHL Draft Lottery unfolded, and with the chance to build around Lafrenière, are you sure you want to make this move? Q&A: Chris Pronger explains why he’s leaving Panthers to build travel company (Laughs) That means we lose! You know that, right? We may win a lottery selection, but we lose in the playoffs. It was certainly a different way of seeing it unfold, but now, for those that are disappointed about losing in the playoffs, they will get a 12.5 percent chance of getting the By Jeremy Rutherford first pick. I think had they been given that option early on, they all would Jul 9, 2020 have taken it.

During your playing days, a lot of people agreed that you would wind up in management. Is that what you thought, too, and if so, what was it like As Hall of Famer Chris Pronger described his afternoon activity joining the Panthers in 2017 and what did you learn? Wednesday, there was a better understanding of why he was leaving the Florida Panthers to focus on his family’s travel company. Yeah, I always wanted to be a general manager. I was very intrigued in putting teams together and the dynamic, why some work and some don’t. The 45-year-old was in Park City, Utah, with his wife, Lauren, sons Jack What is the overarching factor between winning and losing? I was very (18) and George (16), and daughter Lilah (12), and they were clay excited. shooting. My first year, I did a lot of pro stuff, the different ways that go into “Yeah, a little family vacation, checking out a new property,” Pronger managing the hockey side of it and being immersed in the day-to-day said. “It was pretty cool. Some of the other places we’ve been to, they decisions. I spent most of last year amateur scouting and immersing had shooting, but not quite to this extent. You’re in the mountains, and myself in the amateur draft. Just having access to (Panthers president they’ve got 4,200 acres here, so basically, a whole mountainside to shoot and GM ) and picking his brain on some things … he’s a on. It was pretty fun.” wealth of knowledge and has been around the game a long time, so being able to learn from him and understand when he makes a decision, So who won? what the angle is. When you start talking about a trade and you think a “I don’t think we did too bad,” Pronger said. “I guess you could say Jack, trade proposal that you’re conjuring up makes sense and then he says, but George finished up strong. The boys were into it and having fun and “Well, if you were on the other side of that, would you want to do that?” It Lilah even shot a clay, so it was perfect. Get them out of their comfort makes you think, “OK, most of the time a good trade is a win-win for both zone. We’ve got axe throwing (Thursday), so it’s pretty cool.” sides.” There’s all kinds of little things like that.

The Prongers have a passion for traveling and organizing luxury trips for The biggest thing is, and I knew it somewhat, but more so now … the others, which is what their company — Well Inspired Travels — patience factor. When you look at the teams that do very well, that are specializes in. Lauren has been the lead, but now her husband will be well-run, you have to be patient. Especially in a cap world, you’ve got to lending a full-time hand. develop your talent. You can make trades, but you still have to have the talent coming up through your system to fill holes. I learned a great deal The Panthers announced Wednesday that Pronger was stepping down from Dale. He’s a pleasure to work with. It was a great learning after three years as senior VP of hockey operations. The Athletic spoke experience for me. You can either say, “Well, it didn’t work out,” or you with him shortly after; the conversation has been edited for clarity. can say, “He is able to build a business and do something he’s The Panthers will open training camp soon and then head to Toronto for passionate about.” While you are doing that somewhat as a GM, I’m not their play-in series against the No. 7 seeded New York Islanders. I’m told a GM — I’m not the GM. This provides me the opportunity to do that, and your decision has been months in the making, so tell me about the be part of the inception and grow it organically and make it a success. timing. What was the most satisfying moment for you? Maybe you pushed hard It’s been much longer than that. I’ve always wanted to own a business for a certain player who eventually performed well, or a decision you and be my own boss and be a part of building a company, as has my made paid off for the Panthers. wife. She came up with the concept 10 years ago. When she was 6 years That’s a good question. There are draft picks that I was involved in old, her father was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. He was given a scouting, but they’re still a ways away. Those are the things that you get 10 percent chance to live and he wanted to see the world with his family excited about when you’re in that role. You like something about the way while he could. They went off to Europe for a couple of months, and she someone plays, and you’re paying attention to that. You say, “OK, this is got to see her father happy and adventurous and full of life, and then he the type of player we want and ultimately develop into the player we think would come home and get pounded with chemotherapy. I think seeing he can be.” But you’re getting kids who are late 17, early 18, and there’s that and learning about the healing powers of travel really left a mark and so much more room for growth there that it’s just the beginning, and at resonated early on in her life. the end of the day, you’re projecting. But when you draft a player in the Now, fast-forward to us meeting. I’m playing and I would get a little third and fourth round, and you see that player really start to get it, you unglued when I couldn’t find vacation spots where I could train and where see that one trait in him that was outstanding, that’s very gratifying. I could eat properly. You feel like you’re falling behind when you’re not You’re a guy who had a Hall of Fame career and was in the playoffs able to do what you normally do, whether it be in the summer or the All- every year from age 21 to 37. The Panthers didn’t make the postseason Star break. We looked into the health and wellness industry about 15-20 in any of your three seasons with the organization. They’re in the play-in years ago, and it was really in its infancy, especially in hospitality. Then tournament this year, but what in your mind is keeping them from getting about 10 years ago, I’m in Philly and I get hurt, her father has a stroke to the next level? and his whole right side is paralyzed and her mother has breast cancer. So it wasn’t the right time, but in the back of her mind, she said, “There’s Well, first off, it’s so much different. When you are playing, you have a something here.” hand in it. You are able to steer and guide the ship. When you’re in the front office, there’s only so much you can do. Once you put the players in Athletes and celebrities who followed her on social media were always place, then there’s a coaching staff that’s immersed in it daily. So a lot of asking, “Hey, where did you go on vacation? How did you find that that goes on the coaches, and then ultimately the players — how good place?” Again, it wasn’t the right time, but that planted the seed: “It just they want to become and what they’re willing to sacrifice to be the best needs to be the right time.” Our kids were young, but now our oldest they can be. (Jack) is starting to drive, and I told her, “Yeah, I’ll help. I’d be more than happy to help.” Traveling has always been a passion of mine, and if I think for (Florida), it’s finding in that marketplace that drive to be willing anything, we certainly know athletes. We know first-hand the demands … whether it’s not go out for dinner, but stay in and focus on the on their time and the pressures of their job. That’s where I became very upcoming game or whatever the case may be. The teams that are in the interested and wanted to be part of the company. South that have access to so much more and are immersed in so much more outside of the game, and don’t necessarily have the pressures of We’ll get back to the company in a moment. But first, are you sure you the teams in the northern U.S. and obviously Canada — having that want to do this? You know if the Panthers lose to the Islanders, they pressure changes the way you look at the sport, and obviously, from a fan perspective, changes the way your interactions are with the fans and But it is hard to imagine you being done with hockey. You mentioned whatnot. earlier that you wanted to be a GM. Could you see yourself back in the game someday? I think the pressures of playing in Florida need to be a little greater because you need to hold players accountable. You need to hold I’ve learned a long time ago, you never say never. Right now, I’m happy yourselves accountable, and it starts from management to ownership to building this business. This is a long-term play. Having a travel company fans. You have to expect to be in the playoffs, but expectations are only in the midst of COVID-19, and everything that’s going on, it’s not exactly just that — they’re expectations. You also have to go out and put the ideal. But I think for us, this is a long-term play. This is not short term. work in and perform at the highest level. There are some great players This is not six months, or a year, and then we’re going to be off to doing down there that just need to find that little edge. something else. This is what we’re passionate about. This is what we love. It’s a fine line between winning and losing. It’s not enough just to be a good player. It’s not. In order to be a great team, so much has to go right Either way, how much are you going to miss being around? and you all have to be invested in the same thing at the same time. To win in this league, you can’t have 16 or 17 players playing. You have to Well, let’s get this straight: Being in management and being up in the have all 20. There’s no nights off. That’s the difference now between 15, press box is nothing — nothing! — like being on the ice. You have no 20 years ago. There’s no nights off. There’s no easy games. I don’t care real say in the outcome, other than putting the players together. You if it’s a last-place team, they’re still going to skate fast and they’re still really don’t have a say in how they go on the ice because that’s a going to play hard. They might not have as much talent, but hard work coach’s job. Will I miss sitting around and talking through a team? I can beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. do that on my own and I do do that on my own. I talk to myself all the time. Will I miss it? Yeah. It’s no different than when I missed playing Did your decision to move on have anything to do with not believing in when I got hurt. Sure you miss it, but as time passes … that’s just the the future of the organization, or it not being the right spot for you? nature of being a human and being real.

No, not at all. I think that’s looking at something in a negative light, and if there’s one thing that I’ve tried to do over the last number of years, it’s try to look at something in a positive light. For me, in my life, I need to look The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 out for myself, and right now, for me, I am very passionate about this company. I’m very passionate about growing this business and working with my wife and our staff and building this business up. Florida, really, to be honest with you, didn’t really play a factor in it. It’s something that I wanted to be involved in, and you know what, could I have kept the job with Florida? Yeah, sure, but was that fair to them? You can’t be part time in professional sports. You’re in either in or you’re out.

For me, I would have been part time (in Florida), and it wouldn’t have been fair to them, and it wouldn’t have been fair to me because you’re not invested in it. You have to be invested in it. Everybody’s got to be invested in the end game, and if you’re not invested … that’s why we’re at where we’re at because I wanted to (work with the travel company). It’s not like something happened in Florida, and they said, “You’ve got to do this or that,” and I said, “You know what? I’m going to start this over here.” That’s negatively looking at something. I’m positively looking at the fact that I get to build a business from the ground up, and that’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life.

I went to the website — wellinspiredtravels.com — and it says you specialize in VIP amenities, insider access, global assistance, private charters, luggage assistance, etc. For somebody who’s traveled his whole life, it seems like you would have a lot to offer.

I certainly traveled a great deal and know what the healing properties of travel can do for the mind, body and spirit, and we understand what our niche market is. We are luxury travel. We’re not for the “everyday Joe.” We’re focused on making connections with athletes, agents, CEOs, presidents and business executives. Some of them are already working with somebody, but really it’s just a matter of explaining to them what we do. When you’re successful in business, you understand what you do, who you’re doing it for, and then exceeding expectations from there, and that’s what we plan on doing.

I love putting together fishing trips and golf trips and the rest of that stuff. I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they catch fish, or when they play a super-cool golf course. You’re taking people to Ireland and Scotland, and it’s finding out what people’s goals and dreams are, bucket lists and likes and dislikes. Having been an elite athlete myself, I know the mindset and the make-up and exactly what they’re going through. We have a unique ability to understand that and have a comfort level of trust because we’ve been in their exact shoes and gone through virtually everything they’re going through right now.

You probably knew this reaction was coming, but some fans are a little skeptical that you’re leaving the NHL to help run a travel company during a pandemic. It’s seen as maybe an opportunity to part ways with the Panthers and then return to the league somewhere else later. Do you care to respond to that?

Why would it matter to me what somebody else thinks? They don’t live in my shoes. They don’t know what I’m doing. If you’re talking about somebody on Twitter, or somebody that randomly typed something in, if they don’t know me and they don’t have my phone number, then … c’est la vie! 1187516 Los Angeles Kings scoring goals, he could do it setting up plays, he could do it with his skill, he could do it with his power, he could do it with an edge. He was always able to keep opponents off balance, because he was so good at taking you and tipping you out of your strengths and tilting it towards his IGINLA THE LATEST KING TO ENTER THE HALL OF FAME strengths. Very few players are capable of doing that, and Jarome was able to do it in every significant way.”

On the backstretch of his illustrious career, Iginla skated with Pittsburgh, BY ZACH DOOLEY FOR LAKINGSINSIDER.COM Boston, Colorado and Los Angeles, in search of that elusive JULY 9, 2020 championship. Despite reaching the Conference Final with the Penguins in 2013, Iginla was unable to add a Cup to his overflowing trophy cabinet that included gold medals from the World Juniors, Olympics, World Championships and World Cup of Hockey, along with individual honors Make some room, Toronto. There’s another King coming through. such as the Art Ross Trophy, Rocket Richard Trophy and a Though his 19 games with the LA Kings aren’t what he’ll be most Award as the NHL MVP as selected by the NHLPA. remembered for, Jarome Iginla joins a large contingent of Kings alums to The legendary winger’s time with the Kings organization wasn’t the earn the call to the . storybook ending that he probably deserved. Wearing #88 on his back, “This selection is hard to believe and makes me reflect and look back on Iginla collected six goals and nine points down the stretch, as he and his my career,” Iginla told reporters following the big announcement. “I was teammates fell short of a playoff berth in 2017. always just trying to make the NHL and this recognition means a lot to His final game was in an LA Kings uniform. me and my family.” While the Kings were unable to give Iginla one last shot at a title, Kings Iginla skated for five teams, including the Kings, throughout a career that forward Dustin Brown spoke about his impact on the room, and on the spanned NHL 20 seasons and more than 1,500 games played. The ice, after he was acquired from Colorado. bruising forward scored 30 goals in a season 12 times, as a part of more than 600 tallies in his NHL career, which makes him one of just 20 “He’s one of those guys that everybody in the room looks up to, players all time to exceed the 600-goal mark. considering what he’s done in his career,” Brown said during Iginla’s time with the team in 2017. “He’s come in and had a really good attitude and “It’s a no brainer, when you get more than 600 goals and you play the really helped us both on and off the ice. I think he’s shown a lot of fight way that Jarome Iginla played,” Kings President and Hockey Hall of for a guy in the situation he’s coming in to. Coming from the team he Famer Luc Robitaille said of Iginla’s induction. “He was a captain, he did was, maybe those first few games he was a little uneasy, and then he everything right, the history he had with Team Canada, he’s one of those really settled in and you saw him start to play like he can.” guys that you’ve heard his name for the past seven, eight years and everyone would say he’s going to be in the Hall of Fame. He was a no Button believes that Iginla could use that impact in the future somewhere brainer to get into the Hall of Fame, he’s that special and that how good in management, with his strategic approach to a lot of areas serving him of a career he had.” well.

As a fellow member of the 600-goal club, Robitaille squared off against For now, however, it’s a celebration of a fantastic career that has Iginla several times throughout their respective Hall of Fame careers. rightfully ended up enshrined amongst the best to ever play the game. While his goal-scoring and offensive abilities alone made Iginla a Whenever Iginla’s induction occurs, it will be a celebration of a player standout performer, it was the physical element that he was also able to who met and exceeded every challenge he faced on the ice. bring to the table that made him an even more unique player. “I compare Jarome’s trajectory to climbing mountains with different “What made Jarome so good was that he could skate, he could beat you plateaus, and the ultimate plateau is the Hockey Hall of Fame, and he 1-on-1, and then he could run you over,” Robitaille said. “He had a little reached that, but it was all those plateaus along the way,” Button said. bit of that old-time hockey. He could fight too, like the best of them, but “Coming in as an undrafted WHL player, two he could just run you over and he reminded me a lot of Cam Neely, in championships, best player in the , best player that they could do it all. He could make good plays, he was a special at the World Junior Tournament, best on best, steps into the NHL and player and you had to keep you head up when you played against him.” he’s All-Rookie. Then, he finds his way to the next plateau which is the Olympic team, one of the best in Canada, helps that team win gold. He It wasn’t always that way, however, for Iginla. scored 50 goals and wins the Art Ross. 2004, epic, epic performance in If you can believe it, Iginla initially came onto the radar as an undersized the Stanley Cup Playoffs, falling one win short, scores 50 goals again. player, according to current TSN Analyst, and former Director of Scouting The consistency of Jarome over a period of time, and he just kept hitting for the Dallas Stars . those plateaus at the different peaks along the way.”

“He was never drafted in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft, he The LA Kings are well represented at the Hockey Hall of Fame in was too small……too small, believe it or not,” Button told Toronto. These players, broadcasters and staff members played or LAKingsInsider.com. worked for the Kings during their Hall of Fame careers:

Button held the position at the time that the Stars drafted Iginla in 1995, and eventually traded him as the centerpiece of a deal, alongside former LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 07.10.2020 Kings forward Corey Millen, that brought center Joe Nieuwendyk to Texas.

The deal worked out for both sides. Nieuwendyk, a Hall of Famer in his own right (an inductee in 2011), formed a stout 1-2 punch at center with Mike Modano, and the duo helped lead Dallas to its first Stanley Cup in 1999, as he picked up the Trophy in the process. In return, Calgary got the future face of its franchise in Iginla, who would spend the prime seasons of his career as the heart of the Flames.

From 1998 through 2011, a span of 13 NHL seasons, Iginla averaged just over 37 goals per season. No NHL player was within 50 goals of Iginla during that span, with just recording more points than Iginla’s 991. Included in that run was a terrific playoff performance in 2004, as the Flames came one game short of winning a Stanley Cup of their own.

“The thing about Jarome is that he’s very unique,” Button, who also worked with Iginla in Calgary as the team’s General Manager, said. “He could swing the game in his favor any number of ways. He could do it 1187517 Minnesota Wild been impressed with how professional players have been as they prepare for a challenge unlike any they’ve ever experienced.

“They’re not fooling around out there,” Evason said. “They’re having fun, Wild interim coach Dean Evason eager for Monday's start of camp but they’re working. So that’s exciting for us as a coaching staff.”

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune Star Tribune LOADED: 07.10.2020

JULY 9, 2020 — 11:39PM

Practice plans are set, and the video clips are ready to roll.

Wild interim coach Dean Evason also has a message teed up for players, who could report for training camp Monday at Tria Rink in St. Paul.

“The puck’s dropped, you play,” Evason said Thursday during a video conference call. “Growing up, whatever, whenever, even now, wherever you play, you play the same way.”

That edict seems especially appropriate considering the circumstances.

Assuming players sign off on a return-to-play plan and an extension for the collective bargaining agreement by Friday, the NHL will be attempting to restart a season in the middle of its normal offseason. And it will do so in a bubblelike atmosphere from two hub cities without fans in attendance.

The reason why the NHL was initially paused in March, the coronavirus pandemic, is ongoing — a reality made clear by the testing, social distancing and mask protocols already implemented by the league since it opened its doors for players to voluntary work out at team facilities last month.

These policies will also accompany players through camp and the resumption of games.

Focusing on what is familiar, such as the team’s strategy on the ice, is one way to cope with the change.

“We want to slip hopefully right back into where we were when we stopped play,” Evason said.

The Wild was rolling back then, winning eight of its previous 11 games leading up to the break in action to land within a point of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Winger Kevin Fiala was a lightning rod for offense, and backup Alex Stalock was on a tear to seize control of the crease.

Since the team will have to get by the Vancouver Canucks in a best-of- five series to advance in the 24-team tournament the NHL adopted to award this year’s Stanley Cup, there will be urgency to quickly rediscover a rhythm.

Aside from preparing for the Canucks, Evason will rehash the Wild’s structure while being mindful of rest and not overloading players with instruction. Teams are expected to travel to hub cities July 26, with games starting Aug. 1.

“The camp, it’s unique, obviously,” said Evason, who was promoted from an assistant after was fired Feb. 14. “We’ve got a lot of time to get the guys to the point where we feel that they’ll be ready to play games. No rush to get out there that first skate and get on the ice for two hours and skate them. We’re definitely going to ease into things and hopefully to do the right things to ramp up to be prepared to play when we do get to Edmonton.”

What could jeopardize those games is players getting sick.

Guidelines for camp advise players to avoid unnecessary interactions with nonfamily members during camp while they’re still at home and to stay there as much as possible, and Evason said he believes Wild players are doing what it takes to remain safe.

“They’re not going out in the community and being in big crowds,” Evason said. “… It’s wearing masks going to stores and [keeping] distance and trying to do all the things that society is doing now to try to [flatten] the curve.”

Already, players are getting used to these new expectations during their training sessions at Tria Rink. From what Evason has observed, he’s 1187518 Minnesota Wild

Wild, NHL donate $100,000 to Matt Dumba's fundraiser to help rebuild Lake Street

By Sarah McLellan

JULY 9, 2020 — 2:57PM

Wild defenseman Matt Dumba’s fundraiser to help rebuild Lake Street in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death received a $100,000 donation from the NHL and Wild, with each contributing $50,000 to the cause.

"We are extremely proud to support Matt's efforts in rebuilding our community," Wild owner said in a statement. "His passion and commitment to providing a voice and resources to people in need is remarkable and we are grateful for the positive impact he makes in the State of Hockey and beyond."

Last month, Dumba partnered with the Lake Street Council to make sure small businesses and non-profits in the community get the help they need. He also pledged to match donations up to $100,000.

The first 1,000 donors receive a custom George Floyd tribute T-shirt, and everyone will be entered for a chance to win a pair of custom Air Jordan’s. Dumba will also choose one donor at random from the United States and one from Canada to spend an afternoon with him on the ice and have dinner.

The 25-year-old said he’s also fighting for Canadians facing discrimination. More information is available at rebuildminnesota.com.

"As brilliant as he is on the ice, Matt's devotion to the game and his community off the ice are truly outstanding," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "The NHL is honored to join the Minnesota Wild in supporting Matt's initiative to Rebuild Lake Street and we admire his dedication to the great fans of the Wild and to everyone who lives and works in the Twin Cities."

In June, Dumba also helped create the Hockey Diversity Alliance to eliminate racism and intolerance in hockey.

Star Tribune LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187519 Minnesota Wild

Wild names Judd Brackett director of amateur scouting

By Sarah McLellan

JULY 9, 2020 — 12:38PM

When the 2020 NHL draft takes place, the Wild will have someone new in charge of its picks.

The team appointed Judd Brackett its director of amateur scouting on Thursday, bringing in the longtime scout after his departure from the Canucks organization earlier this year.

“We are excited to add Judd to this role and oversee our amateur scouting efforts," General Manager said in a statement.

Not only will Brackett run the Wild’s draft, but he’ll also oversee an amateur scouting staff that continues to evolve.

In May, the team confirmed it wasn’t renewing the contracts of co-director of amateur scouting Darren Yopyk and amateur scout Ernie Vargas. Last year, Yopyk ran the draft with PJ Fenton, the team’s other co-director of amateur scouting at the time.

Brackett, 43, spent the previous 12 seasons with the Canucks, serving as an amateur scout for seven seasons before being named their director of amateur scouting in 2015. During that tenure, Vancouver drafted an impressive stable of young players – including NHLers Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes and Burnsville native Brock Boeser.

Before joining the Canucks, Brackett was the head scout and vice president of player personnel for the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League where he helped the team win two Clark Cups.

A native of Cape Cod, Mass., Brackett started his scouting career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and is a former goalie who played one season at Northeastern University and three seasons at Connecticut College. He also played one season professionally for CG Puigcerda in the Liga Nacional League.

This year’s draft, which was postponed in March amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, is expected to be held after the current season finishes – potentially in October.

The Wild is set to face off against the Canucks in a best-of-five qualifying matchup as part of the 24-team tournament to resume the season. If the team loses that series, it will have a 1-in-8 chance to snag the No.1 pick after the draft lottery last month awarded the top selection to a team that will be eliminated in the qualifying round.

That drawing will happen between the qualifying round and the first round of the playoffs.

Forward Alexis Lafreniere out of the QMJHL is the consensus top pick.

Star Tribune LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187520 Minnesota Wild

Wild interim coach Dean Evason living in moment despite coaching for his life

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

PUBLISHED: July 9, 2020 at 2:14 p.m. | UPDATED: July 9, 2020 at 2:15 p.m.

While trying to prove to general manager Bill Guerin that he’s the right guy for the job, Evason watched helplessly a few months ago as a once- in-a-life pandemic shut the league down completely.

He had put together an 8-4-0 record in 12 games after taking over for the fired Bruce Boudreau, found a way to unlock another dimension in budding superstar Kevin Fiala’s game and, most importantly, had the Wild well on their way to chasing down the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Not that Evason is feeling sorry for himself as the Wild prepare to take on the Vancouver Canucks in the qualifying round. He knows everything he wants to accomplish — and everything the Wild want to accomplish — is still there for the taking.

“My feeling is I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world,” Evason said Thursday. “I actually say that a lot to the guys when I walk in the room and they ask how I’m doing. What would I have to complain about? I’m coaching in the NHL. It’s a pretty unique situation and a pretty special job. I don’t take any of that for granted. I know that I’m very fortunate to be in this spot.”

That said, Evason is well aware of what’s at stake as the postseason begins. The Wild begin a few weeks of training Monday at TRIA Rink before starting a best-of-five series with the Vancouver Canucks on Aug. 1. If Evason leads the Wild on a playoff run, it would be almost impossible for Guerin not to give him the job.

“I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about what possibly can happen,” Evason said. “It’s completely out of my control. I’m going about my business as the interim head coach, just leading our coaching staff into putting practice plans and game plans together to provide the players with the ability to go out and play the game.”

Evason said the plan next week is to start slow, so that everyone get get their legs back under them, and then eventually ramp up to live scrimmages. As wacky as these past few months have been, Evason expects it to feel somewhat normal when the Wild and the Canucks drop the puck at a site to be determined.

“There’s a Stanley Cup at the end here,” Evason said. “If somebody 20 years down the line says, ‘Who won the Stanly Cup in 2020?’ it’s not going to be, ‘Oh that was the COVID year.’ It’s just going to be, ‘The Minnesota Wild won the Stanley Cup.’ That’s it. You’re going to win the Stanley Cup.”

“‘If we can win that Stanley Cup, I assume that when we pick it up it’ll feel the exact same way,” he added. “Our goal is always ultimately to win the Stanley Cup. We had to get in to get there. We are there. We are in. We have that phenomenal opportunity in front of us.”

Likewise, Evason has a phenomenal opportunity in front of him.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187521 Minnesota Wild

Wild hire draft guru Judd Brackett as director of amateur scouting

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

PUBLISHED: July 9, 2020 at 12:58 p.m. | UPDATED: July 9, 2020 at 12:59 p.m.

As the Wild continue to retool their farm system — Russian sniper Kirill Kaprizov can’t get to the Twin Cities soon enough — general manager Bill Guerin took a big step forward on Thursday by hiring Judd Brackett as the new director of amateur scouting.

While this type of hiring doesn’t typically move the needle, there’s reason for optimism considering Brackett’s track record. He spent the last decade-plus with the Vancouver Canucks, ultimately named director of amateur scouting in August 2015.

Ironically, the Wild play the Canucks in the qualifying round, which is scheduled to start on Aug. 1.

“We are excited to add Judd to this role and oversee our amateur scouting efforts,” Guerin said in a statement.

A couple of months ago, the Wild cut ties with Darren Yopyk, who ran last year’s draft board alongside P.J. Fenton, son of former general manager Paul Fenton. That responsibility now falls solely on Brackett’s shoulders, and he appears to be up to the challenge.

In his time as the man in charge of the Canucks draft board, Bracket, 43, hit on a myriad of draft picks, most notably rising superstar Elias Pettersson in the 2017 NHL Draft and the Calder Trophy frontrunner Quinn Hughes in the 2018 NHL Draft.

It wouldn’t shock anyone if both players went down as the top player in their respective draft classes when everything is said and done, impressive considering the Canucks selected Pettersson with the No. 5 overall pick and Hughes with the No. 7 overall pick.

That’s a testament to Brackett’s chops as a talent evaluator, which is further exemplified by the fact that the Canucks are viewed as up-and- comers thanks in large part to their talented farm system.

No doubt Guerin is hoping Brackett can do something similar with the Wild starting with the 2020 NHL Draft, which has been tentatively scheduled to take place on Oct. 6.

Before finding his niche at the NHL level, Brackett served as head scout and vice president of player personnel for the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He began his scouting career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Gatineau Olympiques during the 2005-06 season.

Originally a goaltender, Bracket played one season at Northeastern University (1996-97) and three seasons at Connecticut College (1997- 2000).

Pioneer Press LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187522 Minnesota Wild That would have been appropriate for somebody in Brackett’s position because one can assume he has a lot of propriety information as to the Canucks’ plans, likes and dislikes for the upcoming draft.

Wild hire former Canucks draft guru Judd Brackett to lead amateur But instead, the two sides decided to part ways. scouting In late May, Brackett issued a statement saying “an agreement on the level of input going forward with regard to staff personnel and process could not be reached.” By Michael Russo Benning said, “I come from a scouting background, I believe in Jul 9, 2020 collaboration and the chain of command where the director of scouting either reports to the director of player personnel, the assistant GM or GM.

I don’t know too many places where the teams are going to give the head On Thursday, Bill Guerin made his first significant front-office addition scouting total autonomy without collaborating higher up the chain of since becoming the Wild’s general manager 10 1/2 months ago by command than he is.” bringing in the well-regarded Judd Brackett to oversee Minnesota’s Brackett, married and a father of four, came up through a non-traditional amateur scouting department. path to become director of amateur scouting and developed a reputation The 43-year-old Brackett comes to the Twin Cities fresh off a 12-year as an innovative super-scout with impressive work ethic. stint with the Vancouver Canucks, the past five as their director of The Cape Cod native, who owns a couple restaurants in the area, is a amateur scouting during a span in which the team gobbled up such gems former goaltender that coincidentally played for Guerin’s old junior team, as Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. After a very public and unusual though the two have no history together. Brackett played one year at breakup with the Canucks allowed him to become a “free agent” on July Northeastern University and three for Connecticut College. 1 despite never getting to work his final draft with the club, Brackett ended up unemployed barely a week and will hold the same title with the He’d go on to write NHL prospect content and scouting reports for Wild. McKeen’s for a few years and began his scouting career with the Quebec League’s Gatineau Olympiques in 2005-06. While there, Gatineau won Back in early May, Guerin let go a couple longtime scouts, including the Presidents Cup in 2008. Brackett would then become head scout and Darren Yopyk, who co-ran the draft table last summer with P.J. Fenton. vice president of player personnel for the now-defunct Indiana Ice in the There had been rumblings throughout the National Hockey League ever USHL. He captured two Clark Cups while with the team and concurrently since that Guerin intended to eventually hire an executive to direct the began his NHL scouting career as an area scout for the Canucks scouting department. Such names suddenly available included Brackett, responsible for the northeast and USHL. Carolina’s , Los Angeles’ Mike Futa and Buffalo’s . Brackett served seven years as an amateur scout with the Canucks before being promoted to head honcho on the amateur side before the Originally, the NHL hoped to conduct the 2020 Draft in early June well 2015-16 season. before this summer’s resumption of the 2019-20 season. So after firing Yopyk, Guerin planned for assistant GM Tom Kurvers to oversee the The elevation came two months after Brackett reportedly pushed for the draft operation with Fenton and director of European scouting Ricard Canucks to draft eventual Calder Trophy finalist Brock Boeser (75 goals Persson co-running the Wild’s remote draft table. and 161 points in 197 NHL games) out of Burnsville in the first round and center Adam Gaudette in the fifth round. Gaudette, 23, went on to a But with this summer’s draft now pushed until after the Stanley Cup Final terrific career at Northeastern University and is in his third season with and tentatively set for Oct. 6, Guerin contacted Brackett as soon as his the Canucks. contract expired June 30. It’s believed expansion Seattle was one other team in hot pursuit. The respected Brackett has worked hard to help restock the cupboards in Vancouver. You can go through each of the drafts in the past five years Persson will continue on as the Wild’s director of European scouting, and find a lot of high-end talent. But what likely also intrigued Guerin was while Fenton, the son of former Wild GM Paul Fenton, will remain with Vancouver’s late-round success during Brackett’s tenure. It gave the club as an amateur scout, sources say. Vancouver a ton of surplus value either as players it could use or The 34-year-old P.J. Fenton co-ran a 2019 draft that hit a number of eventual trade assets. talented players, including first-round pick Matt Boldy, second-round As far as specific drafts, the 2019 draft could end up being a home run picks Hunter Jones and Vladislav Firstov and third-round pick Adam for the Canucks. They took uber-talented Vasily Podkolzin 10th overall, Beckman, the Western Hockey League’s leading scorer, goal scorer and Nils Hoglander in the second round and Brackett really campaigned for Player of the Year. seventh-round pick Aidan McDonough, who had a solid freshman year at Judd Brackett Northeastern.

Brackett (last suit on the right) was a big proponent of drafting Elias In 2018, the Canucks pilfered the Calder Trophy contending Hughes at Pettersson fifth overall in 2017. Pettersson has 55 goals and 132 points seventh overall. Brackett also snagged another Northeastern product, in 139 NHL games. (David Banks / USA Today) Tyler Madden, in the third round. Madden is the son of former Wild center and played youth hockey in Edina. Tyler Madden was The hiring of Brackett in Minnesota comes ironically three weeks before traded to the Kings in this season’s Tyler Toffoli trade. the Wild will take on his old team and a number of players he’s responsible for drafting in a qualifying round to make the 2020 playoffs. But maybe the most impressive selection in the Brackett era was grabbing Pettersson fifth overall in 2017. Pettersson was not touted that Brackett’s arrival in Minnesota will surely be big news in Vancouver high in the draft, but Brackett was a big proponent and the kid has because his departure there certainly made juicy headlines. All season emerged into a bona fide star up the middle for the Canucks. Vancouver long, it became clear that front-office friction grew between Brackett and also selected a number of other talented players in a draft class regarded Canucks GM . as the organization’s best since the turn of the century.

Benning revealed to the media that Brackett turned down a two-year Guerin will be looking for more of the same in Minnesota. contract offer from the Canucks and the two parties were never able to come to terms on a new deal.

In an unusual step that rarely happens for somebody in a director of The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 amateur scouting role, the Canucks issued a press release and held a conference call in late May announcing that Brackett would be leaving the franchise once his contract expired June 30. A lot of staffers in the NHL who had expiring contracts on June 30 had their contracts effectively extended through the end of this hockey season or even the calendar year. 1187523

Positive COVID-19 cases should be of great concern to NHL

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:Jul 10, 2020

The NHL has devoted a lot of time and money to ensure that its players, coaches and staff remain healthy after they are placed in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton on July 24 in preparation for a return to play on July 30.

But the key to a successful relaunch may be how teams and individual players navigate the time leading up to the bubble in the two hub cities for the 24-team postseason tournament.

The Canadiens and the 23 other teams will begin training camp Monday, and while there will be attempts to isolate the players there won’t be a bubble. Some players will be staying in their homes and others will be in hotels. They may be eating in restaurants and some Canadiens might even be tempted to wander up the road from the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard to the Quartier DIX30 and have a post-practice beer at Mile Public House, the site of a COVID-19 outbreak last week.

You would hope the players will be smart and do everything they can to avoid being infected. But there’s evidence some players haven’t been careful enough.

The NHL began testing for COVID-19 on June 8 when players were allowed to gather for small-group training at team facilities. As of Tuesday, the NHL reported 23 players had tested positive. The NHL, which doesn’t identify the players or the teams involved, said another 12 players had tested positive in tests outside the training regimen.

When the NHL first announced its return to play protocol, deputy commissioner Bill Daly was asked what would happen if a player tested positive and he said that wouldn’t halt play. The question now becomes: What does the league do if a significant number of players are infected?

You could argue that the NHL is on the cusp of reaching that number. The 35 positive tests indicate that close to 6 per cent of the players in the NHL have contracted COVID-19. For comparison’s sake, the infection rate in the United Stares, which is at the epicentre of the pandemic, is less than one per cent.

If the NHL doesn’t get a handle on this problem before heading to the hub cities, they run the danger of dealing with the same chaos that has disrupted the MLS return to play. The soccer league has seen its bubble burst at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando and the result is that two teams — FC Dallas and Nashville SC — have been pulled out of the MLS Is Back Tournament after experiencing outbreaks.

New arrivals in Brossard: Joel Armia, Artturi Lehkonen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi skated for the first time Thursday in Brossard since the NHL season was shut down on March 12 because of COVID-19. That brings the number of players skating in Brossard up to 22. They are participating in the voluntary small-group workouts as part of Phase 2 of the NHL’s Return to Play Plan.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187524 Nashville Predators The red-bearded defenseman has worn it the longest (since 2013) and the best, by far. He has 70 goals, 182 assists in 527 games wearing the digit. He also has five goals, 25 assists in 64 postseason games.

Predators by the numbers: Best player to wear each jersey number in Notable: Mark Eaton had 15 goals, 30 assists in 286 games wearing the franchise history number for Nashville.

5

Paul Skrbina Andy Delmore

Nashville Tennessean Number of players who have worn it: 10.

Delmore played just two seasons with the Predators, but had 34 goals and 38 assists in 144 games. His 18 goals in 2002-03 tied for best in the What do the numbers 60, 61, 62, 66, 68, 69, 70, 77, 78, 79, 80, 82, 85, league among defensemen, and his 14 power-play scores put him 10th. 86, 87, 88, 93, 96, 97, 98 and 99 have in common? Notable: Two players – Brad Bombardir and Tomas Kloucek – wore the Of all the players who have worn Predators sweaters since the team number in 2004. began play in the 1998-99 season, no one has worn those 21 numbers. 6 Also, 17 other numbers have been worn by just one player. Shea Weber In our undertaking to identify the best to have worn each number, fittingly, Jordin Tootoo, who wore No. 22, was one of a few who was Number of players who have won it: 3. chosen as the best to wear two different numbers. Viktor Arvidsson, The former captain spent 11 years in Nashville before he was traded for Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm and Shea Weber also appear more than P.K. Subban in 2016. A four-time All-Star for the Predators, he had 166 once. goals, 277 assists and twice finished second in the Norris Trophy race. The numbers 14 and 16 are the most-worn numbers in team history, Notable: , only because his nickname was "The having been donned by 11 different players. Boogieman." Something to keep in mind: Players were selected based on their 7 performance with the Predators while wearing a particular number, not on their career achievements. Cliff Ronning

1 Number of players who have worn it: 8.

Mike Dunham Ronning led the Predators in scoring all four seasons he played with the franchise and topped 60 points twice. He finished his Nashville career

with 81 goals, 145 assists. Number of players who have worn it: 2. Notable: Jeff Nelson was the first player to wear the number for the The loneliest number was worn by two goalies: Mike Dunham (1998- Predators. 2003) and Juuse Saros (during his rookie year in 2016). Dunham, who 8 was 81-104-24 with a .910 save percentage and 2.74 goals-against in five seasons with the Predators, wins by default. He was second in the Kyle Turris league in save percentage (.923) in 2000-01. Number of players who have worn it: 6. Notable: Saros wore No. 1 for one game, a loss against the Sabres in his NHL debut. Turris has 29 goals and 67 assists in 182 regular-season games. Defenseman Kevin Klein wore it longer, but had 16 goals, 66 assists in 2 403 games with Nashville.

Dan Hamhuis Notable: is the biggest name to wear it, which he did for his one season with the Predators in 2001-02. Number of players who have worn it: 5. 9 Hamhuis, who wears No. 5 now, sported a No. 2 on his back longer than any player in team history. He had 32 goals, 129 assists in 483 regular- Filip Forsberg season games wearing the number. Every player to wear the number has been a defenseman. Number of players who have worn it: 6.

Notable: Anthony Bitetto is the only player other than Hamhuis to score a Forsberg has 166 goals, 187 assists in 458 games and five times has goal for the Predators while wearing No. 2. He scored two. topped 25 goals during his eight years with the team.

3 Notable: Hall of Famer Paul Kariya is the best to wear it, and holds the franchise record for points in a season (85), but his 55 goals, 106 assists Marek Zidlicky in two seasons with the Predators just weren't enough longevity for this exercise. Number of players who have worn it: 6. 10 Acquired in a trade with the Rangers for Mike Dunham, Zidlicky managed 35 goals, 140 assists over 307 games in four seasons while wearing the Martin Erat number. He was the first Predator to play all 82 games during his first season in the league. Number of players who have worn it: 5.

Notable: Seth Jones, whom the Predators picked fourth overall in 2013, One of the easier picks, Erat had 163 goals, 318 assists in 11 regular had 15 goals, 48 assists while wearing No. 3 for three seasons before he seasons with the Predators. He was traded to the Capitals in 2013 in a was traded to the Blue Jackets in the Ryan Johansen deal. deal that brought Filip Forsberg to Nashville.

4 Notable: Patric Kjellberg was the first to wear it. Had 49 goals, 77 assists in 246 games. Ryan Ellis 11 Number of players who have worn it: 7. Number of players who have worn it: 6. plus-27 in 2015-16. He was selected by the Golden Knights in 2017 expansion draft. Another no-brainer. Legwand was the first player ever drafted by the franchise, second overall in 1998. His 210 goals, 356 assists, 566 points, Notable: Adam Hall had 43 goals, 42 assists in four seasons. 41 winning goals and 956 games in 15 seasons all are franchise records 19 Notable: Every other player to wear it wore it for just one season. Jason Arnott 12 Number of players who have worn it: 8. The former Predators captain had 107 goals, 122 assists in four seasons Number of players who have worn it: 7. in Nashville. Two of his eight career hat tricks happened here.

Carrie Underwood's husband became Predators captain after Shea Notable: Martin Erat also wore it for two seasons. Weber was traded. He had 111 goals, 130 assists in parts of eight seasons. Winner of the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2012, he 20 scored the winner in triple-overtime of a playoff game against the Sharks Ryan Suter in the 2016 Western Conference semifinal. Number of players who have worn it: 9. Notable: Predators director of player development Scott Nichol wore it for four seasons. The seventh overall pick by the Predators in 2003, the defenseman had 38 goals, 200 assists in 542 games before signing as a free agent with 13 the Wild in 2012.

Nick Bonino Notable: Jamie Heward was first to wear it.

Number of players who have worn it: 4. 21

Bonino has 47 goals, 48 assists in three seasons with Nashville after Tom Fitzgerald helping the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories. Number of players who have worn it: 8. Notable: Olli Jokinen had 321 goals, 429 assists in his career, but just three and three in one year with the Predators. The first captain in team history, Fitzgerald had 42 goals, 46 assists in 307 games with Nashville, which selected him in the 1998 expansion 14 draft.

Mattias Ekholm Notable: Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg wore it during his 17-game stint Number of players who have worn it: 11. with the Predators in 2006-07.

Ekholm has emerged as one of the best defensemen in franchise history. 22 He has 45 goals, 151 assists in 538 regular-season games. Jordin Tootoo

Notable: Two all-time name-team players – Radek Bonk and Jordin Number of players who have worn it: 5. Tootoo – have worn it. Like anyone else was going to be the best Tootoo to wear No. 22. He 15 might not have had the stats (46 goals, 79 assists), but he remains a fan Craig Smith favorite in Nashville. Besides, he's the franchise's all-time leader in penalty minutes (725). Number of players who have worn it: 7. Notable: Greg Johnson was the most productive to wear the number, Smith has worn it longest – nine seasons – and best. He has 162 goals, with 93 goals, 145 assists in seven years with Nashville. 168 assists during his career, all with Nashville. Twice he has played 82 regular-season games. 23

Notable: Drake Berehowsky was first to wear it. Rocco Grimaldi

16 Number of players who have worn it: 8.

Cal O'Reilly No recency bias here: Grimaldi is the franchise's leader in goals (15) while wearing this jersey – not including a team-best three postseason Number of players who have worn it: 11. scores last season – and is tied with Bill Houlder for the lead in points (44) for players who have worn the number. A who's who of who is that? O'Reilly had 11 goals and 24 assists in 85 games with Nashville. Notable: Grimaldi wears the number in honor of Michael Jordan.

Notable: He's the younger brother of the Blues' Ryan O'Reilly. 24

17 Scott Walker

Scott Hartnell Number of players who have worn it: 7.

Number of players who have worn it: 7. This one's not really close. Walker was the first to wear it, recording 96 goals, 151 assists and two hat tricks in 410 games after being claimed The sixth overall pick by the Predators in 2000 had 106 goals, 129 from Vancouver in the expansion draft. assists in two stints with the franchise. At 18, he was youngest to play for the Predators. Hartnell also was known for his hairdo. Notable: Walker scored a team-high 25 goals in 2000-01.

Notable: Patrick Cote was the first to wear it. 25

18 Denis Arkhipov

James Neal Number of players who have worn it: 7.

Number of players who have worn it: 7. Arkhipov had 46 goals, 65 assists in four seasons with the Predators and led the team in goals (20) and game-winning goals (6) in 2000-01, when He had 77 goals, 59 assists in 219 games and helped lead Nashville to he became the youngest player in team history to score 20 goals. its first Cup final in 2017. Neal set the franchise plus-minus record at Notable: Jerred Smithson recorded 86 of his 96 career points while Notable: In 2017, Frederick Gaudreau became the first player since 1944 wearing the number over seven seasons and 497 games with Nashville. to score his first three goals in a Stanley Cup Final. Two of them were game-winners. 26 33 Steve Sullivan Viktor Arvidsson Number of players who have worn it: 8. Number of players who have worn it: 4. Sullivan scored the first of his four hat tricks with the team in his first game as a Predator after being traded from the Blackhawks in 2004. He Arvidsson set the franchise's single-season record for goals with 34 in had 100 goals, 163 assists in 317 regular-season games and won the 2018-19 and has 117 to go with 97 assists in 335 regular-season games, Masterson in 2008-09. though 39 of those goals and 38 of those assists came while he wore No. 38. He switched to No. 33 after the 2016-17 season. Notable: Sullivan is the Coyotes' assistant general manager. Notable: Arvidsson made his NHL debut when replacing the injured Colin 27 Wilson, who also wore No. 33, in 2015. Wilson had 95 goals, 142 assists Patric Hornqvist in 502 games with Nashville.

Number of players who have worn it: 7. 34

Hornqvist had 106 goals, 110 assists in six seasons with the Predators. Adam Hall His 30 goals led the team in 2009-10, when he also tied for the team lead Number of players who have worn it: 4. with 51 points. He was traded to Pittsburgh in the deal that brought James Neal to Nashville. No player has scored a goal while wearing the number for Nashville. Hall had an assist in his only game wearing the number in 2001-02 before Notable: He scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Penguins switching to No. 18, in which he had 43 goals and 41 assists. against the Predators in Game 6 in 2017. Notable: Goalie Wade Flaherty recorded an assist while wearing No. 34 28 in his only game with the Predators.

Paul Gaustad 35

Number of players who have worn it: 10.

He had 18 goals, 32 assists in 248 games with Nashville and was an Number of players who have worn it: 3. alternate captain in 2014-15. Nobody is likely to wear it again after Rinne retires. He holds just about Notable: He was acquired in a trade with the Sabres that also netted the every franchise record for goalies. The three-time All-Star won the Predators a fourth-round pick, which they used to select Juuse Saros. Vezina in 2017-18 and has started every playoff game since 2009.

29 Notable: Jan Lasak and Eric Fichaud, both goalies, were the two others Tomas Vokoun to wear it. They put it on a combined 15 times and won a combined zero games before Rinne took it over. Number of players who have worn it: 3. 36 Vokoun was 161-159-46 with a .913 save percentage and 2.55 goals- against average in eight years with the Predators. He was an All-Star in J.J. Daigneault 2003-04. Number of players who have worn it: 5.

Notable: He recorded the first postseason shutout in franchise history, One of two players to score a goal while wearing the number, his two against the Red Wings in 2004. doubled Zac Rinaldo's one.

30 Notable: Daigneault was an assistant coach with the Canadiens from Chris Mason 2012-18.

Number of players who have worn it: 2. 37

His fashion choices are loud, but the Predators' color analyst did the Rich Peverley team proud, going 59-50-13 with a .910 save percentage and a 2.68 Number of players who have worn it: 4. goals-against with 12 shutouts in 146 games with Nashville. Peverley had seven goals, 13 assists in 73 games with Nashville. Notable: Carter Hutton was 33-23-12 in three seasons with the Predators. Notable: He had four goals, eight assists in the postseason in 2011 when the Bruins won the Cup. 31 38 Brian Finley Viktor Arvidsson Number of players who have worn it: 2. Number of players who have worn it: 8. Finley, picked sixth overall in 1999 by the Predators, won the with the Admirals in 2004. He allowed 10 goals in two career games with Arvidsson had 39 goals and 38 assists before changing to No. 33 before Nashville. the 2017-18 season.

Notable: Mark Dekanich wore it for the only game of his NHL career on Notable: Vern Fiddler had 46 goals, 48 assists in 325 games with the Dec. 18, 2010. He allowed three goals and made 22 saves in 50 minutes Predators. of relief in a loss to the Kings. 39 32 Dan Ellis Cody Franson Number of players who have worn it: 5. Number of players who have worn it: 7. Ellis was 49-42-8 with 10 shutouts, a .912 save percentage and a 2.64 Franson had 15 goals, including five game-winners, and 39 assists in goals-against average in three regular seasons with Nashville from 2007- 164 regular-season games in two stints with Nashville. 10 Notable: Ellis is the last goalie before Pekka Rinne to start a playoff Notable: He scored his first career goal on his first career shot on Oct. game for the Predators. 26, 2006, against the Sharks.

40 48

Karlis Skrastins Shea Weber

Number of players who have worn it: 5. Number of players who have worn it: 3.

He had 13 goals, 41 assists in 307 regular-season games with the The former Predators captain wore the number for a spell during the Predators. He died in a plane crash in 2011. 2005-06 season.

Notable: Devan Dubnyk wore the number for two games he played with Notable: Cal O'Reilly, named the best to wear No. 16, also wore No. 48. Nashville in 2013-14. 49 41 Ryan Ellis Richard Lintner Number of players who have worn it: 4. Number of players who have worn it: 5. Another two-time selection, Ellis wore the number in 2011-12, when he Lintner had four goals, 10 assists in 83 games with the Predators. had three goals and eight assists in 32 games of his rookie season.

Notable: He was acquired in a trade along with Cliff Ronning from Notable: Kevin Klein also wore the number. Arizona in 1998. 50 42 Daniel Bang Mattias Ekholm Number of players who have worn it: 3. Number of players who have worn it: 9. Bang's two career assists top the list among players who wore this Ekholm had a goal and eight assists while wearing it in 65 games during number. his first three seasons. Notable: No player ever has scored a goal wearing No. 50 for the Notable: He scored his first career goal wearing the number Jan. 7, 2014, Predators. In fact, the three players combined to play in 12 games. against Antti Niemi of the Sharks. 51 43 Vitali Yachmenev Number of players who have worn it: 2 Number of players who have worn it: 1. Watson has 35 goals, 41 assists in 300 games wearing No. 51. He had a He had 54 goals, 76 assists in five seasons with the Predators. goal in six games wearing No. 52 his first season.

Notable: He was traded to the Predators from the Kings before Notable: Watson had his only career hat trick, against the Ducks, while Nashville's inaugural season. wearing No. 51 on Nov. 25, 2018.

44 52

Kimmo Timonen Matt Irwin

Number of players who have worn it: 3. Number of players who have worn it: 3.

A four-time All-Star defenseman (twice with Nashville), Timonen had 79 Irwin produced six goals, 25 assists in 195 regular-season games for goals, 222 assists in 573 games spanning eight seasons with the Nashville. Predators. Notable: Austin Watson wore it for six games in 2012-13. Notable: He was named team captain in 2006 when he had career-highs in goals (13) and assists (42). 53

45 Chris Mueller

Jason Morgan Number of players who have worn it: 2.

Number of players who have worn it: 3. Mueller had two goals, six assists in 37 games with the Predators.

Morgan's two assists in six games with the Predators was enough to Notable: He was an AHL All-Star in 2012 with the Admirals. Mike clinch his spot. Santorelli also wore it in 2009.

Notable: Magnus Hellberg also wore it. 54

46 Darren Haydar

Andrei Kostitsyn Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Number of players who have worn it: 5. Two games have been played while a Predator was wearing this number. Haydar played them both in 2002-03, recording zero points. He produced four goals, eight assists in 19 games with the Predators. Notable: He won two Calder Cups in the AHL, including one with the Notable: He played in Nashville with his brother, Sergei, who is a notable Admirals, and is the league's all-time leader in playoff goals (63) and Predators player to have worn 74. assists (80).

47 55

Alexander Radulov Jordin Tootoo

Number of players who have worn it: 4. Number of players who have worn it: 4.

Predators fans love to hate Radulov, but he had 47 goals, 55 assists in 154 regular-season games with the team. Tootoo makes his second appearance. He wore it in 2003-04, his rookie Notable: He was chosen in the third round of the 2007 draft by the season, when captain Greg Johnson wore No. 22. Tootoo had four goals, Predators. four assists in his only season wearing it. 67 Notable: Cody McLeod, a noted fighter like Tootoo, also wore No. 55 for the Predators. Miikka Salomaki

56 Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Kevin Fiala The number has been worn for one game – for a total of 10 minutes, 49 seconds – in 2014-15. Salomaki scored the first of his career 12 goals in Number of players who have worn it: 3. that game.

Fiala wore it during his first three years with the Predators and had 12 Notable: Salomaki switched to No. 20 the next season. goals, five assists before changing to No. 22. 71 Notable: Taylor Beck and are the others to wear it. J.P. Dumont 57 Number of players who have worn it: 2. Gabriel Bourque Jean-Pierre had 93 goals, 174 assists in 388 regular-season games with Number of players who have worn it: 2. the Predators.

Bourque played his first five seasons with the Predators, amassing 31 Notable: He was picked third overall by the Islanders in 1996. He was goals, 47 assists in 242 regular-season games. GM and an assistant coach with the Junior Predators after he retired.

Notable: He finished second in shooting percentage (22%) in the NHL in 72 2012-13. Dante Fabbro currently wears No. 57. Joonas Rask 58 Number of players who have worn it: 1. Linus Klasen The number has been worn for 8 minutes, 1 second. Rask managed an Number of players who have worn it: 1. assist in one of the two career games he played with Nashville in 2012- 13, which was the extent of his NHL career. Klasen had no goals or assists in his four career NHL games, all with the Predators, who signed him as a free agent in 2010. Notable: He is the younger brother of Bruins Vezina-winning goalie Tuukka Rask. Notable: He had 22 goals, 23 assists with the Admirals in 2010-11. 73 59 Alexandre Carrier Roman Josi Number of players who have worn it: 1. Number of players who have worn it: 1. The number has been worn for two games, both by Carrier, for scoreless Josi, who signed an eight-year, $72.472 million extension before this games in 2016-17, for a total of 21 minutes. season, probably will be the only Predator ever to wear the number. The three-time All-Star and team captain set career highs in goals and assists Notable: He was an AHL All-Star in his first season with the Admirals. He this season (16 and 49). switched to No. 45 for the three games he played with Nashville last season. Notable: Josi scored his first career goal against former Predator Dan Ellis in 2011. 74

63 Juuse Saros

Mike Ribeiro Number of players who have worn it: 4.

Number of players who have worn it: 2. Saros was emerging as the team's starting goalie in place of Pekka Rinne when COVID-19 paused the 2019-20 season. He is 55-36-16 over Ribeiro's 62 points (15 goals, 47 assists) in 2014-15 was good enough parts of five seasons with the team. He wore No. 1 for his first NHL for second in points on the team. He finished with 26 goals, 111 assists game. in 209 regular-season games with Nashville. Notable: Sergei Kostitsyn had 43 goals, 65 assists wearing the number Notable: Josef Vasicek is the only other player to don the number, which for three seasons with the Predators, including a 50-point season in he did for 38 games in 2006-07. 2010-11.

64 75

Mikael Granlund Hal Gill

Number of players who have worn it: 2. Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Granlund, acquired at the trade deadline in 2019 from the Wild for Kevin The second Predators broadcaster to make the list, along with Chris Fiala, struggled at the onset in Nashville with a goal and four assists in Mason, Gill played 55 games over two of his 16 NHL seasons in 16 games last season but rebounded late this season and has 17 goals, Nashville, recording zero goals and five assists. 13 assists. Notable: He won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009. Notable: Defenseman Victor Bartley had a goal and 22 assists in 112 games with the Predators. 76

65 P.K. Subban

Ryan Thang Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Number of players who have worn it: 1. Pernell-Karl Subban won a Norris Trophy in 2012-13 while with Montreal, which traded him to the Predators before the 2016-17 season for Shea Thang played 8 minutes, 32 seconds and was scoreless in his only NHL Weber. Subban had 35 goals, 95 assists in three seasons with Nashville appearance on Halloween 2011 against the Blackhawks. and helped lead it to its first Cup final in his first season with the team. Notable: Subban was dealt to the Devils before the 2019-20 season. Yanic Perreault

81 Number of players who have worn it: 2.

Mike Sillinger He recorded 22 of his 247 career goals and 35 of 269 career assists in one season with the Predators to finish third on the team in points. Number of players who have worn it: 1. Perreault scored at least 21 goals seven times in his career.

Sillinger had 10 goals, 12 assists in his lone season with the Predators in Notable: He became the Kings' top center late in the 1995-96 season 2005-06 and scored a career-best 63 points between the Predators and after was traded to the Blues. Samuel Girard is the only Blues that season. other Predator to wear No. 94.

Notable: Sillinger played for 12 teams and was traded nine times during 95 his 17-year career, both NHL records. Matt Duchene 83 Number of players who have worn it: 1. Vernon Fiddler Duchene. That's it. He's the only one to wear the number for the Number of players who have worn it: 2. Predators. He has 13 goals and 29 assists in one season with the team.

Fiddler wore No. 38 during his first stint with the Predators during the first Notable: While he has worn the number for most of his career, he also six years of his career. He had one goal in his final season, with wore No. 9 while with the Avalanche. Nashville in 2016-17.

Notable: Anthony Bitetto wore it during his first year with the Predators in 2014-15, when he appeared in seven games. Tennessean LOADED: 07.10.2020

84

Colton Sissons

Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Sissons wore it for 17 games during his first season in 2013-14, when he had one goal and three assists in 181 minutes of ice time.

Notable: He switched to No. 10 when he returned to the NHL in 2015-16.

89

Frederick Gaudreau

Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Gaudreau wore it for one season, in 2018-19, when he had three goals and one assist in a career-best 55 games.

Notable: Gaudreau wore No. 32 while scoring his first three goals of his career in the Cup final in 2017.

90

Anthony Richard

Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Richard has appeared in two games – one in each of the past two seasons – for a total of 12 minutes. He was picked 100th overall (fourth round) by the Predators in 2015.

Notable: He had 24 goals, 23 assists for Milwaukee in 2018-19.

91

Vladislav Kamenev

Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Another member of the only-one-to-wear-it club, Kamenev was scoreless, with one shot, one block and one hit in 20 minutes of ice time spanning two games with Nashville.

Notable: He was traded to Colorado in the three-way deal that sent Kyle Turris to Nashville and Matt Duchene to Ottawa.

92

Ryan Johansen

Number of players who have worn it: 1.

Acquired from the Blue Jackets for defenseman Seth Jones, Johansen was instrumental in the team's run to the 2017 Cup final. He has 65 goals, 184 assists in 351 regular-season games with Nashville to go with 13 goals, 24 assists in 47 postseason games with the Predators.

Notable: He was named MVP of his only All-Star appearance in 2015, when he was with the Blue Jackets.

94 1187525 Nashville Predators manager pulling off a big trade to clear space. Poile has never retained salary in a trade.

Turris being removed from the roster would give 2019 first-round draft How will a flat NHL salary cap affect the 2020-21 Predators? pick Philip Tomasino a better opportunity to make the team, which would further satisfy the need for more cost-efficient players.

By swapping Turris for Tomasino, this 23-man roster is around $4.4 By Adam Vingan million under the cap:

Jul 9, 2020 After next season, the Seattle expansion draft will alleviate more cap pressure, and Pekka Rinne will be a free agent and contemplating

retirement. But the path forward for the 2020-21 Predators is not terribly Days before the coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension of the NHL complicated. season in March, it was announced that the 2020-21 salary cap was projected to be between $84 million and $88.2 million. The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 But with the league losing revenue, the cap is will stay at $81.5 million next season and remain there until that revenue rebounds. That will make things interesting for the Predators, who will have limited funds and multiple holes to fill.

Seventeen players on the active roster are under contract for next season, and the Predators will have slightly under $9.3 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

The Predators’ notable pending unrestricted free agents are Mikael Granlund, Craig Smith, Colin Blackwell, , Yannick Weber and Korbinian Holzer. Yakov Trenin is set to become a restricted free agent. Rem Pitlick is a “10.2(c)” player, which basically means he must re-sign with the Predators.

One player agent said there could be an increase in “bridge-type deals” among UFAs, depending on their age. A 26-year-old player, he said, might be willing to sign for two years, while older free agents could still seek term.

“The play would be to come back to the table in a couple years as the cap (hopefully) increases,” another agent said.

Granlund, 28, fits the first description, and Smith, who turns 31 in September, fits the second. As previously discussed, it seems unlikely the Predators will have enough room to retain both players.

At his age, Smith, who has a $4.25 million cap hit, is more likely to accept a pay cut than Granlund, especially if it means receiving more term. Even if Granlund, who has a $5.75 million cap hit, was willing to take less money on a bridge-style contract, he would probably still cost more than Smith, who is the more consistent performer.

For this exercise, the Predators move on from Granlund and re-sign Smith to a three-year contract with a $4.117 million cap hit, which is his projected value, according to Evolving Hockey. (All cap hits for re-signed players will be based on Evolving Hockey’s projections, with the exception of Pitlick, who was not listed.)

There is a need for contributors on entry-level or league-minimum contracts. Blackwell ($747,800), Trenin ($834,000) and Pitlick ($700,000) are signed to team-friendly deals. The Predators let go of Hamhuis and Holzer, keep Weber ($792,300) for veteran depth and call up Alexandre Carrier.

Here is what that lineup, which is roughly $1.34 million under the cap, looks like:

The prospects are interchangeable. Instead of Pitlick, for example, Eeli Tolvanen could be on the roster. The point is the Predators will need the young, cost-controlled players in their system to graduate to the NHL and fill important roles.

One way for the Predators to cut costs is to buy out Kyle Turris, who has a $6 million cap hit for four more years.

Amnesty buyouts are not expected to be part of the new CBA, so the Predators would have to carry a $2 million cap hit through 2028. But that would represent a savings of $4 million through 2024, which is not insignificant when considering the circumstances. (The first buyout period is scheduled to open on the later of Sept. 25 or the beginning of the Stanley Cup Final.)

The Predators could use the extra money to sign a mid-tier free-agent forward or pocket it for future use. Also, with so many teams in the same financial predicament as the Predators, it is hard to imagine general 1187526 New Jersey Devils “We have such a young team,” Brodeur said, in a video interview. “We wanted to get kind of a father figure a little bit, a guy who’s been around the league.”

Reeling Devils Hire Lindy Ruff to Coach The Dallas Stars fired Ruff after they failed to make the playoffs in the 2016-17 season, but Alain Vigneault, the Rangers’ former head coach, added him to his staff to focus on the team’s young defensive corps. Ruff knew he wanted to be a head coach again after just one year. By Dave Caldwell He said that his Devils teams won’t ignore playing defense, but he still July 9, 2020 largely believes in a “superfast, possession-type game,” a style that should particularly help to develop Hughes, who had only seven goals and 14 assists in 61 games this season. Lindy Ruff, the Devils’ new head coach, has 736 career wins over 19 seasons but he still concedes that what worked for him in the past may Blitzer did not want to say how he thought the Devils would fare as they not apply in today’s N.H.L. regrouped under Ruff, saying of the process, “The players will tell us that.” The average age of the Devils’ roster when this season opened was 26.5 years old — the ninth youngest in the league — and the team counts among its stars the N.H.L.’s youngest player, Jack Hughes, 19, whom it New York Times LOADED: 07.10.2020 drafted No. 1 over all in the 2019 draft. In a season in which the sport has confronted hazing and abuse scandals with new initiatives, Ruff acknowledged that the old days of barking orders at players is long gone.

“They want to know the ‘why’ part — why do we need to do it that way?” Ruff, 60, said of players during a conference call Thursday.

Ruff, a former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres and the Dallas Stars who spent the last three years as an assistant coach for the Rangers, was hired as the Devils simultaneously made Tom Fitzgerald their permanent general manager after six months in an interim role.

The duo takes the helm of a Devils team recovering from an organizational demolition, having traded Taylor Hall, the league’s 2018 most valuable player, and fired Coach John Hynes and General Manager Ray Shero by January of this year. After drafting Hughes and acquiring the star defensemen P.K. Subban in a trade over the off-season, the Devils had expected to both contend and entertain. Instead they started with a 9-14-4 record, fell to 15th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference in the season’s first two months and abandoned Shero’s blueprint for the future.

The Devils are one of only seven N.H.L. teams that will not resume play on Aug. 1, when the league is set to begin its expanded, 24-team playoff. The Devils, who had a 28-29-12 record when play was suspended in March, have qualified for the postseason just once in the last eight seasons, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in 2018. The losing seasons have netted them the No. 1 overall draft pick twice in the last four years, which the team has used to take Hughes and forward Nico Hischier.

Fitzgerald and Ruff will preside over this year’s draft process, when the team will have the seventh pick and two undetermined picks from potential play-in losers, Arizona and Vancouver. The position of those picks will be determined in a second draft lottery held between the play-in and first rounds of the postseason.

“My negative on Tom was that he didn’t win the lottery,” David Blitzer, one of the team’s owners, said jokingly.

The Devils will also be more than $30 million under the salary cap heading into the 2020-21 season, which will enable them to sign a few top veteran free agents to supplement a young core of players that Blitzer said is going to be “very exciting for a very long period of time.”

Fitzgerald ran the coaching search that landed Ruff, after having assumed the interim role when Shero was fired. Ruff coached Fitzgerald as an assistant for the Florida Panthers in the 1990s, including during the team’s run to the final in 1996.

Fitzgerald said Thursday that Ruff, who played 12 seasons in the N.H.L. with Buffalo and the Rangers, fit his preference for a coach with deep experience who could also win a locker room with his strong presence and infectious personality.

“The more we kept digging, the more Lindy kept rising,” Fitzgerald said.

Martin Brodeur, the Hall of Fame goaltender who is now an executive vice president and an adviser with the Devils, compared Ruff with former Devils coaches and Claude Julien, who were considered teachers. 1187527 New Jersey Devils 2. RUFF’S STYLE FOR DEVILS Ruff had a few powerhouse teams during his 15 seasons coaching the

Buffalo Sabres, and some of them stressed defense while others were Devils hire Lindy Ruff as coach, keep Tom Fitzgerald as GM | 5 high-scoring clubs. During his four seasons coaching the Dallas Stars, takeaways from unusual unveiling his teams were known for offense.

His plans for the 2020-21 Devils?

Updated Jul 09, 2020; Posted Jul 09, 2020 “If we go back to 2006-07 with Buffalo when we were young team, we progressed and became one of the better teams in the league,” Ruff said. By Randy Miller “We played a super-fast possession type of game, which is the same type of game I’d like to bring to this Devils team with a lot of puck

pressure using the skills we have to own the puck. And I want a team Almost everything about the Devils’ long and tedious spring-into-summer that can dominate with speed and possession, but at the same time general manager and head coach searches was very different from what knowing that defending is a passion that we’re going to have.” any professional sports franchise ever had conducted. Buy Jack Hughes Devils gear: Fanatics, NHL.com, Lids, Dick's Sporting Co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer spent almost four months Goods interviewing GM candidates while letting Tom Fitzgerald, their interim 3. THE COACHING STAFF GM, handle the coaching situation, which also wasn’t really a vacancy because Alain Nasreddine was still there on an interim basis. First up on the Fitzgerald/Ruff agenda is picking a coaching staff, and they want to interview Nasreddine plus all of the Devils’ 2019-20 All the while, the global pandemic led to no face-to-face meetings, and on assistants - Mike Grier, Rick Kowalsky and . Thursday the Devils had a first-of-its-kind unveiling announcing Lindy Ruff as their new coach and Fitzgerald is staying as GM in a media video “Our current staff will have an opportunity to speak with Lindy and get to call. know him, and vice versa him getting to know them,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a process that I think is only fair to them and to Lindy. “I’m probably the first coach to be introduced by Zoom,” Ruff said with a smile. “So I’ll have that on my mark, too!” “As far as Alain is concerned, Alain is under contract with us and he’s still part of our staff (for the time being). He’s a coach that has proven to be His resume is impressive. Although Ruff never won a Stanley Cup in 10 one of the best penalty-kill coaches in the league, things that we need seasons as a player, seven as an assistant coach and 19 as a head still. First things first, I would like Lindy and Nas to sit down, coach, his 736 coaching wins rank sixth all-time. He’s also won an communicate with each other, get to know each other.” Eastern Conference championship as a head coach and assistant. 4. WHY FITZGERALD? Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers Blitzer represented Devils ownership in the Zoom call, and he tackled this question. Now 60, Ruff is back as a head honcho again to take more runs at chasing that elusive championship after spending the last three seasons “I was lucky enough to work with Tom for four-plus years as our assistant on the New York side of the Hudson River as an assistant with the general manager, and then for the past six months watching Tom in the Rangers. role of general manager. It was a fantastic experience for me, and it was evident that Tom was the right person for this job. “Super excited to become part of the Devils family,” Ruff said. “Going through this process, it just seemed like a perfect fit for me.” “His work with the hockey operations staff, his worked with ownership, the work he did navigating the trade deadline, the work he did with our Here are 5 takeaways from the Devils’ video call: team over that period of time, the ideas that he has moving forward, his 1. WHY RUFF? plans for the team across all levels of the organization just made it clear to us that he’s deserving.” Fitzgerald wouldn’t name names, but he reportedly interviewed most of the biggest available coaches before deciding on Ruff … Peter 5. HOW BRODEUR IMPACTED DECISIONS Laviolette, and John Stevens. Nasreddine was regarded Hall of Fame goalie and Devils great Martin Brodeur is on the payroll as a serious candidate, too, because the Devils showed improvement in these days as an advisor, and he was used by ownership to help settle the second half of the 2019-20 season after he replaced John Hynes. on Fitzgerald, and he was relied upon by Fitzgerald to help with the What put Ruff over the top? He checked all of Fitzgerald’s boxes. coaching decision.

“The process that we went through for the coaching search was “Marty is fantastic and has been a huge value to Josh and myself,” Blitzer extensive,” Fitzgerald said. “It was long. I personally had conversations said. “I would like to think that Marty will stay in that role. We need to sit with a bunch of candidates - great candidates – from anywhere between down and spend some much time on it, but I think he’s enjoyed it and it’s three and five hours on Zoom at one time, and then doing deep dives been a huge value add and we’ve really appreciated it and enjoyed it as with systemic play, how we want to play, how these people wanted to well.” play the game, how I feel the game should be played. Added Fitzgerald, “The more Lindy kept rising, and I felt that it was very “As the process continued to move forward, Lindy just continued to step important to put Lindy Ruff in front of Marty Brodeur to get Marty’s take to the forefront. One, I was looking for NHL head coaching experience. on Lindy.” Two, a presence … someone who’s been there, done that and could walk into a room and actually grab the attention of the team with the experience that they’ve gained over multiple years of a head coach. Star Ledger LOADED: 07.10.2020 Personality … the group needs a teacher, someone who’s going to come in and teach, and the message is going to be extremely clear; No gray at all in the messaging.

“As we kept going deeper into that process, the infectious personality that Lindy Ruff has is a big part of who he is. He’s a light-hearted person. He’s played the game. He’s coached young talent, another criteria. Being able to coach young talent and watch them develop into budding stars like he did with the core young players in Buffalo and core performers right now in Dallas. … As the process continued, Lindy continued to grow and grow and grow to the point where I felt relationship wise, which is a big thing for a manager, it was there already. So as far as teamwork, I felt Lindy Ruff was the best person for this job.” 1187528 New Jersey Devils 11. Ruff was known as a tough defenseman/left winger during his 10- year NHL playing career with the Sabres (1979-80 to 1988-89) and Rangers (1988-89 to 1990-91). He scored 105 goals and 300 points in 691 games while racking up 1,266 penalty minutes. He scored a career- Devils hiring Lindy Ruff: 15 things to know about the new head coach best 20 goals in 1985-86 and a personal high 48 points in 1981-82.

12. Ruff was the Sabres’ first teenager to make their season-opening roster out of training camp and play a full season as a 19-year-old in Updated Jul 09, 2020; Posted Jul 09, 2020 1979-80. By Randy Miller 13. Ruff was the Sabres captain from Nov. 24, 1986 to Feb. 13, 1989.

14. Ruff’s younger brother, Brent, was one of four Although Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has been working with an interim tag players killed in a bus crash on Dec .30, 1986. The team was on its way in front of his job title, he was allowed to lead an extensive head coach to a WHL game in Regina, when its bus crashed after search when the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the NHL season in hitting a patch of black ice. March. 15. Ruff resides 20 miles northeast of Buffalo in Clarence, N.Y. He has a Fitzgerald brought in most of the available big names for interviews in the wife and four children. ensuing months … , Gerard Gallant, John Stevens and

Lindy Ruff. He also considered keeping Alain Nasreddine, who by all accounts did a pretty decent job working as the Devils’ interim head Star Ledger LOADED: 07.10.2020 coach in the second half of the 2019-20 season.

Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

A final decision finally has been made, as the Devils announced Thursday that Fitzgerald is staying on as GM and Ruff has been hired as their head coach.

Fitzgerald keeping his job was expected.

Ruff getting the coaching job isn’t a big surprise, either, considering his resume as NHL head coach is 19 seasons long, the first 15 with the Buffalo Sabres (1997-98 to 2012-13) and the last four with the Dallas Stars (2013-14 to 2016-17).

Here are 15 things to know about Ruff:

1. Ruff ranks sixth on the NHL’s career coaching victory list with 736, trailing (1,244), Joel Quenneville (925), Ken Hitchcock (849), (845) and (782).

2. Ruff won the as NHL Coach of the Year in 2006 and was a finalist in 2007.

3. Ruff was fined $10,000 by the NHL for instigating a 10-player brawl during a Feb. 22, 2007 Sabres-Senators game after Ottawa tough guy wasn’t penalized for a shoulder-to-the-head hit on Buffalo star forward Chris Drury. Ruff sent out a line filled with tough guys, Sabres winger punched Senators center Jason Spezza as soon as the puck was dropped, and a brawl that included the goalies throwing punches was on. “I said, ‘Let’s get after them',” Ruff told the Buffalo News in 2017. “I said that (to the media) right after the game. I didn’t deny it.”

4. Before Ruff was fired by the Sabres on Feb. 20, 2013, he was the second-longest tenured head coach/manager among North America’s four major sports behind Gregg Popovich, who has been head coach of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs since 1996-97.

5. Ruff coached the Sabres to the 1999 , which were won by the Stars 4-games-to-2 on a Game 6 triple-overtime goal by Brett Hull.

6. Ruff was hired as the Stars head coach on June 20, 2013, the 14th anniversary of Dallas beating the Sabres in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals.

7. Ruff won a goal medal as an assistant coach for Canada in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Alain Vigneault was head coach.

8. Ruff began his coaching career in 1993-94 as an assistant for the expansion Florida Panthers. He was with the Panthers for four seasons, the third of which Florida advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

9. Ruff spent the last three seasons as a New York Rangers assistant coach, the first under Vigneault and the last two on David Quinn’s staff.

Buy Jack Hughes Devils gear: Fanatics, NHL.com, Lids, Dick's Sporting Goods

10. Ruff was drafted by the Sabres in the second round of the 1979 draft, 32nd overall. He would have gone a lot earlier if his final junior season with the WHL’s hadn’t cut short by a broken thigh that scouts thought might be career ending. 1187529 New Jersey Devils

Devils commended for retaining GM Tom Fitzgerald (minus the interim tag) | ‘He deserves a chance’

Updated Jul 09, 2020; Posted Jul 09, 2020

By Randy Miller

There’s a lot to like about the Devils’ future, NBC and NBCSN hockey analyst opined Wednesday night after doing a quick study of their roster.

The former Flyers goaltender is high on the Devils’ two recent draft- lottery prizes, centers Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. He likes young wingers Jesper Blatt and Nikita Gusev. He’s a fan of top goal scorer Kyle Palmieri. He sees and Will Butcher having top-4 defensemen potential. He thinks Mackenzie Blackwood has the size and skills to be a “legit No 1” goalie.

Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

Oh, and Boucher believes the Devils are in good hands being run by Tom Fitzgerald, who reportedly will keep his general manager post after serving as the club’s interim GM for the second half of the 2019-20 season.

“I think that’s a good play,” Boucher told NJ Advance Media.

Boucher weighed in after the NHL’s Network’s Kevin Weekes reported the Devils will retain Fitzgerald and hire Lindy Ruff as their head coach.

“I never played for Lindy, so I don’t want to comment on the Devils’ coaching situation, but I watched what Fitzgerald did this year after replacing Ray Shero as GM and I think he did a hell of a job in an interim role.

“Fitzgerald did everything that has been asked of him to do in a tough situation.”

Boucher gave Fitzgerald high grades for late-season deals that sent defenseman Andy Greene to the New York Islanders for a second-round pick and winger Blake Coleman to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2020 or 2021 first rounder plus touted prospect left wing prospect Nolan Foote, who was a No. 1 pick in 2019. The Devils also acquired draft picks in the Wayne Simmonds and Sami Vatanen deals.

“I thought his trades were good,” Boucher said. “I think he set that team up pretty good. He deserves a chance of being the Devils’ general manager.

Boucher’s advice for Fitzgerald going forward would be to keep developing the organization’s young talent and keep adding pieces through the draft, which could amount to three first rounders this year counting the Taylor Hall trade, which was made by Shero in December.

“The Devils have a ton of picks,” Boucher said. “What does Fitzgerald want to do with them? You could trade them and get players, but I would stay the course and build with the young kids. Why wouldn’t you?

“I don’t think the Devils are ready to win next season even if they add a couple good players. They’re not there yet. But they do have some good young pieces and they could be getting more in the future from those trades that Fitzgerald made this year.”

Boucher has followed Fitzgerald’s post-playing career path … director of player development and then assistant GM for the Pittsburgh Penguins to Devils assistant GM to Devils interim GM to ... He thinks Fitzgerald has the qualifications to succeed in his new role, Devils GM minus the interim.

“I have no doubt with the experience that he’s gone through in Pittsburgh and the same thing in Jersey that Tom Fitzgerald can step in and be the top guy with the Devils,” Boucher said. “That’s my opinion.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187530 New Jersey Devils “I just had a conversation a couple of months ago with , who scored an overtime game-winner against the Rangers in Game 5 (of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals). In Game 4, Max was a healthy scratch even though he had played in the league for a little bit. I What are Devils getting in Lindy Ruff? Ex-Sabres , Marty Biron asked Max, ‘Were you mad?’ He goes, ‘I was mad at the time, but it have strong opinions worked.’

“Lindy doesn’t just do something for the now. He does things for the now and the future, and for me that’s the sign of a quality head coach.” Updated Jul 09, 2020; Posted Jul 09, 2020 Ray thinks that Ruff will bring out the best from the Devils’ young By Randy Miller nucleus, especially centers Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.

“He’ll let those skilled offensive guys play, but he’ll demand responsibility Legendary NHL tough guy Rob Ray recently got together with a group of out of them,” Ray said. “It’s not just, ‘Go do your thing and we’ll cover his former Buffalo Sabres teammates to watch games from their 1998-99 you.’ That’s not the way Lindy Ruff works. He makes sure everybody Stanley Cup Finals run. What stood out was a lot more than Dominik worries about the defensive zone, and I think that’s a big part of what Hasek, their superstar goalie, living up to his Dominator nickname. young kids need to learn at this level.”

“Everybody kept commenting on how prepared we were going into every Ray and Biron wish their old coach well in his new venture. game and every series,” Ray said Wednesday night after hearing the “He’s a really good guy,” Ray said. “Lindy’s got a funny side to him, but NHL Network report that Lindy Ruff, his former Sabres coach, will be he’s got a real serious side, too. It’s almost two different people … Lindy hired as Devils head coach. at the rink and Lindy having a couple beers having some fun. Ray was elated for Ruff, who is sixth all-time with 736 coaching victories, “What I appreciate the most is Lindy realized that he needed to tinker is getting another shot at age 60 after spending the last three seasons as things a little bit dealing with the younger players. Now he’s got a chance a New York Rangers assistant coach. to see if it works.” “I’m really glad to see it,” said Ray, a former Sabres right wing who now is part of their broadcast team. Star Ledger LOADED: 07.10.2020 Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

During their six seasons together, Ray says that Ruff lived up to his reputation of being tough on players, especially young ones. He was known for being this way throughout his 19 seasons as an NHL head coach, the first 15 with the Sabres and the last four with the Dallas Stars.

That’s not the Ruff that the Devils will be getting, Ray predicts.

“Lindy was an old-school old type coach for a long time, but I think when he stepped into an assistant position that he realized that he needed to learn to communicate with the younger guys,” Ray said. “He realized the day and age of hard-nosed, in-your-face coaches is over.

“I talked to him multiple times over the last few years and he kept talking about reading this and watching that and trying to understand the younger kid. So he’s gone above and beyond to learn to communicate with them, and I think that’s awesome because a lot of guys wouldn’t give into that.”

Ruff has had a lot of success being a tough-guy coach, as his teams – which didn’t always have superior talent - made the playoffs 10 times and won 11 series.

“I had Lindy for the better part of eight years and he definitely evolved over those eight years,” said former Sabres goalie Marty Biron, who also works as a team broadcaster. “Earlier on, we had a team that didn’t score a lot of goals, that needed to play really strong defensively, and Lindy had some really good systems. We could stay patient. We could trap it up just like back in the Jacques Lemaire Devils days a little bit, because that’s what we had to do.

“And then when we got a little bit more offense and a little bit more speed, he opened it up. He’s a student of the game. Players have to be able to play one, two, three different systems and adjust within a game, and Lindy did a lot of that. His practices were high tempo with a lot of pace, a lot of transition, a lot of quick north-south type things, and it was really good.”

Biron remembers Ruff being demanding to young players, but he says those tactics were best for the player and the team.

“Lindy and I had our moments because I was young, naive and just wanted to play, and he wanted much more for myself. Listen, he did a fantastic job with young players coming into the league … Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville and . These guys all really thrived under Lindy. He was able to give them a role and teach them the game.

“Vanek was really talented in his very first year, but down the stretch and in the playoffs, he was a healthy scratch because he needed to learn. The next year he came through with 40 goals. 1187531 New Jersey Devils

Devils’ decision to hire Lindy Ruff, keep Tom Fitzgerald has Kyle Palmieri ‘excited’

Updated Jul 09, 2020; Posted Jul 09, 2020

By Randy Miller

Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri’s mind raced through a range of emotions early Wednesday evening as he soaked in the big hockey news of the day when first hearing of it during a phone conversation with NJ Advance Media.

He was fired up over the report that the Devils’ spring- and summer-long coaching search ended with a decision to hire New York Rangers assistant Lindy Ruff, who 736 coaching wins during 19 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars rank sixth all-time.

Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

Palmieri also was very happy hearing that Tom Fitzgerald is keeping his general manager job, minus the dreaded interim tag.

All the while, the Devils’ scoring leader feels for Alain Nasreddine, who was passed over for head coach after earning praise from players for his work as interim coach during the second half of the 2019-20 campaign.

All of this was reported by Kevin Weekes of the NHL Network, and the Devils made their coaching and GM decisions official on Thursday.

“This is the first I’m hearing of it, but it’s very exciting,” Palmieri said. “It gives our team a little direction in our offseason. It gets you excited for whenever it may be that we get back out there and start competing.”

Ruff, 60, will be taking over a Devils club that has missed the playoffs seven times in the last eight years, this season with a 28-29-12 record.

“I really don’t know much about Lindy, but I do know he’s got a great track record,” Palmieri said.

Ruff coached his teams to a 736-554-162 record and 10 postseason berths. His teams won 11 playoff series, and his 1998-99 Sabres club advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Dallas Stars in six games.

During his four seasons coaching the Stars, Dallas had a 109-point season in 2015-16.

“I’m looking forward to whenever that time comes that I’ll be able to meet Lindy and talk to him in person,” Palmieri said. “I’m looking forward to getting know Lindy as a person, then whenever our season starts, getting to know him a lot better as our coach.”

Palmieri is expecting progress next season from the rebuilding Devils, who improved during the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 campaign after Nasreddine was promoted from assistant coach to interim head coach following John Hynes’ firing in December. The Devils even made a late run at a postseason berth after trading off a host of their top veteran players for prospects and draft picks.

“Nas did a great job and I really appreciate everything that he did for the team when he took over,” Palmieri said.

Palmieri feels the same about Fitzgerald, who acquired a first-round pick and top prospect for winger Blake Coleman plus a second-round pick for defenseman Andy Greene after being elevated from assistant GM due to Ray Shero’s firing in January.

“I have a great relationship with Fitzy and I’ve gotten to know him very well over the last couple of years,” Palmieri said. “I’m excited to work with him moving forward and I think he’s been more than deserving of the GM job.

“I’m looking forward to being a piece of this team and supporting these guys moving forward to make our team the best we can make it.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187532 New Jersey Devils

Lindy Ruff’s ‘exciting’ Devils chance forces Rangers to pick replacement

By Mollie Walker

July 9, 2020 | 3:05pm | Updated

The New Jersey Devils officially announced Thursday that Lindy Ruff, a three-year assistant coach for the Rangers, will serve as the club’s new head coach.

In addition, the organization revealed that the interim tag has been removed from general manager Tom Fitzgerald, making him the fifth GM in franchise history.

“I am excited to get back in the lead chair and guide the future of this team,” Ruff said via the Devils’ release. “This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a group of great young talent and strong leadership to the next level.

“Tom and I will sit down together and build a plan for the coaching staff and I will start to get to work on familiarizing myself with the players and staff. I look forward to bringing this core together, developing our players and putting us on a trajectory that can lead to sustained success in a timely manner. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Devils’ organization, and I have the desire and fire to get us on the road towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs and beyond.”

The Rangers confirmed that assistant coach Gord Murphy would join the Rangers in Toronto for the NHL’s ‘Return to Play’ tournament, temporarily filling the assistant position left vacant by Ruff’s departure.

Ruff, 60, ends his tenure with the Rangers after three years as an assistant coach. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Ruff beat out interim coach Alain Nasreddine, former Islanders coach Peter Laviolette, ex-Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant and former Kings coach John Stevens for the job.

This will be Ruff’s third stint as a head coach in the NHL after gigs with the Sabres and Stars. Ruff compiled a 571-432-78-84 record with the Sabres – the team that drafted him in 1979 – and made eight playoff appearances, including a Coach of Year nod in the 2005-06 season. In four seasons with the Stars, Ruff went 165-122-41 with two playoff seasons.

“We are proud and excited to have Lindy Ruff join our organization as Head Coach,” Fitzgerald said in the team statement. “He is one of the most successful and respected coaches in the NHL, not only today, but in League history. His personality, experience, knowledge, work-ethic and focus will provide a calm presence in our locker room. He is the right coach at the right time for our organization.”

New York Post LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187533 New Jersey Devils Jocelyn Thibault got shelled. Miller made the next 34 starts, got mentally and physically fatigued, and Buffalo missed the playoffs by four points.

Shapiro: The problem and the weakness was the Stars didn’t have strong What the Devils are getting in Lindy Ruff based on his coaching past enough goaltending for the system to win the whole thing. It failed them in 2016 after they had the best record in the Western Conference. There were some flaws evident in the defensive structure: On 2-on-1s, Ruff told defensemen to slide at the puck carrier, leading to way too many easy By Corey Masisak, John Vogl and more tap-ins after saucer passes over a sliding defender. But the biggest flaw Jul 9, 2020 with the system was not having a goalie who could bail his team out when needed.

What do you think was the biggest reason(s) for his tenure coming to an The Devils made the hiring of Lindy Ruff as the 19th head coach in end? franchise history official Thursday, nearly four months after New Jersey’s season ended because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Vogl: After 15 seasons, it was simply time. His final game was a lackluster 2-1 loss in February 2013, and the normally loquacious coach Ruff replaces interim coach Alain Nasreddine, who took over for the admitted he had no answers. When he opened the door to then-GM dismissed John Hynes in early December. Ruff has the sixth-most wins Darcy Regier the next day, he said, “I know.” and games coached in league history, having guided the Sabres for 14- plus seasons (1997-2013) and the Stars for four (2013-17). He’s spent At that time, players were beginning to favor “kinder, gentler” coaching the past three seasons as an assistant coach for the Rangers, working styles. Ruff always had his whipping boys, so he changed a bit. While it for Alain Vigneault and then David Quinn. may have been a real transformation, the group of players who’d grown up around him sensed it wasn’t genuine. It was just time for a change. The Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 and the conference finals three times (1999, 2006, 2007) with Ruff in charge. The Stars Shapiro: The goaltending and injuries in his final season helped end his made the playoffs in two of Ruff’s four years, reaching the second round tenure in Dallas, but the seeds were planted after the 2015-16 season in 2016. when Ruff didn’t get the contract extension and the dollar amount he was looking for after Dallas had the best record in the Western Conference. Ruff takes over a team that has missed the playoffs in each of the past Ruff wasn’t exactly lame-duck coaching during the 2016-17 season, but two seasons, and seven of the past eight seasons overall. He will have when he had looked for a high dollar amount in 2016 and then followed it two young forwards with franchise player potential (Nico Hischier and up with a playoff miss, it was time for the Stars to move on when his Jack Hughes) to work with. That makes the situation similar to when he contract expired. arrived in Dallas before the 2013-14 season and the Stars traded for Tyler Seguin to pair with Jamie Benn. The Devils are likely to be a very young team. How do you think Ruff handled the youngest players on the roster? Given Ruff’s extensive experience as a head coach with two other franchises, we reached out to a pair of The Athletic writers who have Vogl: Tyler Myers won the Calder Trophy in 2010. Thomas Vanek scored covered the coach in Buffalo (John Vogl) and Dallas (Sean Shapiro). We 25 goals as a rookie, then added 43, 36 and 40 during the next three discussed Ruff’s strengths, weaknesses, reasons for the end of his seasons. If the young players had the skill to perform, Ruff put them in tenure, development of young players and more. position to succeed.

What do you think were each of the team’s biggest strengths when Lindy It’s been seven years, so I don’t recall how he handled young guys on a Ruff was the head coach, and how much influence did he have on it? day-to-day basis in terms of walking them through video or having chats on the ice, but Ruff definitely mellowed out near the end of his tenure. He Vogl: Looking back at his 15 seasons in Buffalo, Ruff’s ability to mold the was personable and had a sharp sense of humor. team’s style to its strengths stands out. Shapiro: It was a bit of a mixed bag. The Stars struggled to develop He arrived in 1997, when Dominik Hasek was atop the goalie world. The some younger players during his time, and at one point Valeri Nichushkin Sabres played a more conservative defensive system, knowing full well publicly blamed his return to the KHL over differences with Ruff. Those that The Dominator would give them an edge. They advanced to the claims are a bit overblown and Ruff was an easy punching bag for conference finals in Ruff’s first season and lost the Stanley Cup to Dallas Nichushkin. Ruff will give young players a chance and he’ll expect them in 1999. They were a goal away from another conference finals to earn more opportunities after that initial chance. appearance in 2001. Did you think the team’s top offensive players reached their potential with Coming out of the lockout in 2005, speed thrilled. Ruff took the reins off Ruff in charge? his young playmakers and guided the Sabres to back-to-back conference finals. Buffalo won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2007 while leading the NHL Vogl: The stars always had room to shine. Chris Drury and Daniel Briere in scoring by 12 goals over the No. 2 team (Ottawa) and 31 goals over enjoyed their most productive seasons in Buffalo. Vanek and Miroslav the No. 3 squads (Pittsburgh and Colorado). Satan filled the net and were put in position to do so. Jason Pominville blossomed into a 30-goal scorer. When Ryan Miller hit his prime with a Vezina Trophy win in 2010, Ruff again transitioned to a more conservative style. The coach knew what There were ups and downs for some guys — Drew Stafford, for example, would work for his personnel. was usually on a roller coaster from 14 goals to 31 and back to 16 — but the scorers scored. Don’t expect any power-play miracles, though. Shapiro: The Stars were a run-and-gun team during the Lindy Ruff era — During Ruff’s 14 full seasons, the Sabres finished above 14th just three they were fun to watch. Defensemen were asked to act like a fourth times. forward whenever possible and the Stars swarmed opponents in the offensive zone. While in Dallas, Ruff once told me how he enjoyed Big 12 Shapiro: The Stars’ top offensive players thrived; they loved playing in football, flashy and offensive, and it fit the description for how his team Ruff’s system. It was the final years of Jamie Benn’s and Jason Spezza’s played hockey in a football-mad state. The Stars had lots of chances, but prime and Tyler Seguin was still one of the best centers in the NHL. gave up many as well, and in the good times they were able to outscore What, if anything, went wrong in the postseason that prevented them any of their problems. from advancing further? What were the biggest weaknesses? Vogl: Well, Buffalo will always start with Brett Hull’s foot in the crease in Vogl: There were really no surprises. If the Sabres had a good team, they 1999. In 2001, with the Sabres seconds away from advancing to the made the playoffs. If they had a bad or mediocre roster, they didn’t. While conference finals, a puck floated high in the air and landed on the stick of Ruff found styles that worked, he didn’t seem to coax more out of a club Mario Lemieux, of all people. than could be expected. But the playoffs were where Ruff shined. He was a good motivator. He He also lost trust in goalies quickly. Mika Noronen was a minor-league knew how to get under the skin of the opposition, with Ken Hitchcock star, but he ran afoul of the coach early and ended up making just 28 infamously saying, “Tell Lindy to fuck off,” during their 2006 series. Peter appearances through his first three seasons. In January 2008, backup Laviolette said he wished the NHL would put a gag order on Ruff. The coach made the postseason fun.

Shapiro: Two key things that we need to remember with Ruff and the Stars about 2016. The goaltending fell apart in the playoffs, the two- headed monster of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi struggled mightily and, many people forget this, Tyler Seguin missed all but one game of the 2016 postseason with an Achilles injury. He wasn’t available in the second round against the St. Louis Blues, and if Seguin had been healthy and if the goalies were competent, the Stars likely march to at least the Western Conference final and maybe meet the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final.

The Athletic LOADED: 1187534 New York Islanders

Rangers, Islanders will go to Toronto for NHL restart

By Mollie Walker

July 9, 2020 | 2:29am

The NHL and NHL Players Association’s memorandum of understanding for a new collective bargaining agreement confirms Toronto and Edmonton were selected as hub cities for the return-to-play tournament, with Eastern teams, including the Rangers and Islanders, competing in Toronto and Western teams in Edmonton, according to TSN.

The conference finals and Stanley Cup finals, per the report, will be in Edmonton — but is subject to change.

TSN also reports that the league is aiming to have teams travel to their respective hub cities on July 24, with exhibition games beginning the next day. The qualifying round is tentatively scheduled for July 30 and the first round for Aug. 9.

The second round is supposed to begin on Aug. 23, with the conference finals starting Sept. 6 and Stanley Cup finals on Sept. 20, per TSN. The report also said the league decreed that Oct. 2 is the last possible date for the finals.

In addition, TSN reports the CBA memo says NHL players will be permitted to return to the Winter Olympics in 2022 and 2026, pending an agreement with the International Federation and the International Olympic Committee.

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down the 2019-20 season in March and forced the league to put together the 24-team playoff tournament, there was a sudden uncertainty about the 2020-21 season. Considering the start of next season has yet to be determined, players will receive one paycheck in the fall, per TSN.

The report also says the beginning of free agency is set to begin after Oct. 9, or seven days after the Cup finals end. Barring any changes, the opening of training camps for the 2020-21 season is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 17, with the start of next season set for Dec. 1.

The CBA is reportedly a four-year extension, running through the 2025- 26 season.

With Phase 3, the start of training camp, set to begin on July 13, two of the Rangers’ three goaltenders had participated in the NHL’s Phase 2 voluntary small-group workouts as of Wednesday, the team confirmed to The Post.

Veteran Henrik Lundqvist is the odd goalie out — he is among a handful of players who traveled from Europe to New York in the past week or so who are still waiting to be cleared. Alexandar Georgiev was included in the latest group of players to take part in Phase 2, in which rookie Igor Shesterkin has been participating since he returned from Florida at the end of June.

Additionally, Ryan Strome, Brett Howden and prospect Vitali Kravtsov also began skating at the team’s practice facility this week.

New York Post LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187535 New York Islanders

Oak View expresses interest in running Nassau Coliseum, sources say

By Jim Baumbach and Candice Ferrette [email protected], [email protected] @jimbaumbach

Updated July 9, 2020 5:56 PM

The company that will operate the Islanders’ new arena at Belmont Park has expressed interest to Nassau County officials in potentially running NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The arena development company is willing to run the Coliseum either on a short-term or long-term basis in an effort to help Nassau as it determines the future of the 14,500-seat, county-owned arena, sources said.

Oak View Group, which operates nearly two dozen arenas nationwide, has partnered with the Islanders and Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon on the $1.3 billion sports-and-entertainment project at Belmont. Their interest in the Coliseum also is spurred by a desire to keep the Islanders on Long Island for one more season before their Belmont arena is scheduled to open in 2021.

A county spokesperson declined to confirm whether there has been interest from Oak View Group, but said the company “would certainly bring substantial benefits to Coliseum operations.”

A spokesman for New York Arena Partners, the Islanders’ Belmont partnership that includes Oak View Group, declined to comment.

The Coliseum is closed indefinitely after Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov announced last month his company, Onexim Sports & Entertainment, is seeking investors to take over the arena lease and assume the remaining $100 million in debt.

Nassau officials sent Onexim a notice of default Tuesday that threatens to terminate its Coliseum lease if more than $2 million in unpaid rent and utilities isn’t paid in two weeks. The notice of default, the county said, also is a mechanism to bring Onexim and its lender — Nick Mastroianni II of Jupiter, Florida-based Allied Capital & Development — to the negotiating table.

Several significant obstacles remain in the way of Oak View Group’s interest in the Coliseum, the sources said, beginning with the $100 million debt that remains after Onexim’s $180-million renovation of the Coliseum. Oak View Group is not interested in taking on such debt, the sources said.

Get the Breaking News newsletter!

Get the latest breaking news as it happens.

It’s also not clear whether the county would require a new request for proposals or what the impact would be on the makeup of the Nassau Hub development team. Onexim, as the Coliseum leaseholder, is partners with RXR Realty on the development plans there.

In a statement Wednesday, Onexim said, “We are hopeful that we will soon be able to announce a resolution that will satisfy the needs of the community while taking into account the new realities that we are all facing in light of the pandemic.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187536 New York Islanders If we aim for conservative projections on Pulock (five years, $5.5 million AAV), Toews (three years, $2.75 million) and Sorokin (two years, $2.5 million), you have a roster that looks like this:

The many decisions facing the cap-strapped Islanders under the new It’s one player over the 23-player limit, but there are easy remedies for CBA that. Not as easy will be Lamoriello getting his team under the cap.

Here are some solutions to get the Islanders under the 2020-21 cap with a still-functioning roster: By Arthur Staple Trades: We’ve brought this up before and been emphatically shot down Jul 9, 2020 62 by anyone associated with the team, but the changed era likely means Nick Leddy would be on the block. He has two seasons left at a $5.5

million cap hit and, with Adam Pelech and Toews as well as Noah Now that we know what the NHL’s salary-cap structure will look like the Dobson in the fold, Leddy’s role won’t be as prominent as it was. This is next several years, pending approval by the NHL’s Board of Governors not a “trade him because he stinks” idea — it’s pure cap economics and and the players, it’s time to explore what it means for the Islanders Johnny Boychuk, who turns 37 next year, likely won’t draw much trade beyond this season. interest.

Here’s the power summary: Thomas Hickey, who has two seasons at $2.5 million remaining, is another trade candidate. He didn’t have a role on the team in 2019-20 Woof. and suffered through injuries and personal tragedy. But he could still be a viable player and is more affordable than Leddy. would have had his work cut out for him this coming offseason even with a modest cap increase. Now that the CBA extension Given the cap crunch almost everywhere around the league, it’s hard to awaiting approval has ensured the cap will stay at $81.5 million until NHL imagine even a desirable player like Leddy getting much of a trade revenues return to their pre-pandemic levels, Lamoriello’s job is return. The teams with cap space will have the cap-strapped teams over exponentially harder. Outside of losing in the qualifying round to the a barrel this coming offseason. It’s not even farfetched to think that the Panthers and winning the Phase 2 draft lottery for the right to select a Islanders might have to sweeten a trade with a prospect or a draft pick to potential franchise forward in Alexis Lafreniere, Lamoriello and the Isles get a team to pick up Leddy or Hickey. have many profound decisions to make regarding the next few years. Among the forwards, Andrew Ladd (three years remaining, $5.5 million Here’s a breakdown of their contract commitments over the next two AAV) and Leo Komarov (two years, $3 million) are the most likely trade seasons, when that $81.5 million number is almost sure to stay the options for the Isles. But there will be no takers for either unless same: Lamoriello is willing to surrender his 2021 first-rounder or a prized prospect. 2020-21 Buyouts: Without compliance buyouts in the new CBA, many teams are Restricted free agents: Mathew Barzal, Ryan Pulock, Devon Toews, Ilya in the same boat as the Isles, needing to shed bad contracts without Sorokin* giving up assets. Komarov is the likeliest candidate for a regular buyout, Unrestricted free agents: Matt Martin, Derick Brassard, Tom Kuhnhackl, which would save the Islanders $916,667 in cap space for 2020-21, then Andy Greene, Thomas Greiss $1.417 million in cap space for 2021-22, with modest ($584K) cap hits the following two seasons. Every dollar counts now, so this may be a Below, via the invaluable CapFriendly site, is a handy graphic of the path to take, even for a player as well-liked as Komarov. Isles’ current 2020-21 commitments. Ladd’s contract consists mainly of signing bonuses, so it’s essentially As you can see, that’s a) not a very impressive or complete roster and b) buyout-proof. Using CapFriendly’s buyout calculator, you see that the it’s already expensive. savings each of the next three seasons is a paltry $117K or so.

It’s possible, even likely, that all five UFAs for next season do not return. Robidas Island: What is this, you ask? When Lamoriello was GM in Martin, a beloved Islander and effective role player, is probably the most Toronto, he managed to gain some cap space via long-term injured likely to be back if Lamoriello can get out from under a couple of other reserve. He sent the questionably injured Stephane Robidas to the contracts, especially among his forwards. But this 20-man roster above is aforementioned “island” for the final two seasons of Robidas’ deal. not lacking for cheap depth up front and that’s without Kieffer Bellows or Oliver Wahlstrom, both still on their entry-level contracts. Greene and Lamoriello has already showed a bit of this handiwork with the Isles, Greiss would have value to the Isles, but only if other options don’t pan exiling Ladd for the bulk of his time as Isles GM due to Ladd’s knee out. issues. The Islanders save $1.075 million on each contract that’s buried in the AHL, so they have options with that or the LTIR exile — the latter The RFAs are clearly where the focus lies. Barzal, Pulock and Toews are of which opens up the full value of a contract. If Ladd were to start next three key components to the team’s future and all are 26 or younger. season on LTIR, the Isles would be able to go above the cap by $5.5 Sorokin would be in that core group, as well; the asterisk next to his million. That seems like the most likely course for Ladd and possibly name underscores the fact that his ongoing signing saga is, well, still Komarov, too. He missed an extended period last season with neck ongoing, with a resolution on him burning his entry-level year coming issues, which could reappear before next season begins. soon. If Ladd and Komarov were to start next season on LTIR, the Islanders Should that happen, Sorokin becomes the fourth crucial RFA for the Isles would have room to maneuver on the free-agent market. Keeping Leddy heading into next season. It doesn’t appear that there have been any would mean the Isles are full on D, but they could certainly use a top-nine substantive talks between Lamoriello and the reps for Barzal, Pulock and winger to play alongside J-G Pageau. There should be a host of cheaper Toews on new deals, which makes sense since the parameters for next talent on the free-agent market this fall. season weren’t outlined until recently. But all three are due large raises from what they are making now. So what’s a more intriguing 2020-21 roster? Perhaps something like this:

How big? Barzal is obviously the marquee name among RFAs coming off They’ll have decent options to fill a LW spot. In this scenario, maybe the of their entry-level deals. The pandemic has changed the landscape from Isles can afford Mike Hoffman to add to their limited offense; maybe they last summer, when Auston Matthews (five years, $11.634 million AAV), can aim even higher and sign Taylor Hall. But this group, which includes Mitch Marner (six years, $10.893 million AAV) and a host of other young a couple of prospects in Bellows and Wahlstrom, looks younger and players cashed in. Barzal could still be in line for a long-term deal that’s deeper. heavily backloaded in terms of cash, but that won’t mean much for the 2021-22 Islanders’ cap woes right now. Even a bridge deal on the order of two years and $6.5 million per is going to be costly. UFAs: Casey Cizikas

RFAs: Adam Pelech, Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Dal Colle, Otto Koivula, Kieffer Bellows If you think next season looks tight, think about 2021-22, with eight forwards under contract for between $3-7 million AAV and only one, Pageau, under 30 (Brock Nelson turns 30 on Oct. 15, right around the projected start of that season).

It’s why, when Lamoriello is looking for ways to make room for his prized RFAs for 2020-21, he might consider shopping a surprise player — someone like Jordan Eberle or Josh Bailey, with some decent hockey still left to be played and more moderate cap hits than a few other Islanders. It would weaken the team on the wings, but also free up roster space for Wahlstrom, Bellows and perhaps Koivula, while allowing Lamoriello to be more aggressive on the FA market.

There’s also the Seattle expansion draft before this season begins. We recently outlined our protection picks, and esteemed colleague Eric Duhatschek selected Bailey on Seattle’s behalf. That would give the Isles some cap breathing room without having to engineer a trade.

On defense, should nothing change in 2020-21 (highly unlikely), Leddy and Boychuk will be in the final years of their deals and perhaps more moveable along with an asset to sweeten a deal. Prospects Bode Wilde or Samuel Bolduc could push for NHL time by 2020-21, further changing the corps. Pelech will also need a new deal, and if he stays healthy next season, that contract will bring a hefty raise over the $1.6 million AAV he’s currently earning.

Given all the work Lamoriello will have to do to keep this aging roster from getting bloated, the simplest path forward might be the one we mentioned at the start: Lose the qualifying round, win the lottery and draft Lafreniere. A cheap, young superstar would solve a lot of problems.

The Athletic LOADED: 1187537 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist is back working out with the Rangers

By Mollie Walker

July 9, 2020 | 8:34PM

Henrik Lundqvist took the ice for the first time in New York on Thursday after traveling back from Europe.

The Rangers goaltender posted a photo to Instagram of himself in net during the team’s Phase 2 voluntary small-group workouts, writing, “Feels good to be back on the ice at the training center again.”

“A lot of unknown right now but hockey is fun, I know that!” he added.

Lundqvist, 38, had been waiting to be cleared to participate in Phase 2 after arriving from Europe last week, along with a handful of other European players who spent the coronavirus pandemic quarantine overseas. According to the Rangers’ official Instagram account, Mika Zibanejad also was at Thursday’s voluntary workout.

Rookie goalie Igor Shesterkin has been skating with the team since he returned from Florida at the end of June, while Alexandar Georgiev first joined the voluntary workouts this week.

The Post reported last week that all of the Rangers’ European-based players were officially back in New York.

With just a handful of days until Phase 3, the start of training camp on July 13, it appears a majority of the Rangers’ roster is back in the New York area. All NHL teams have been holding Phase 2 workouts since June 8.

New York Post LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187538 New York Rangers

Lindy Ruff’s ‘exciting’ Devils chance forces Rangers to pick replacement

By Mollie Walker

July 9, 2020 | 3:05pm | Updated

The New Jersey Devils officially announced Thursday that Lindy Ruff, a three-year assistant coach for the Rangers, will serve as the club’s new head coach.

In addition, the organization revealed that the interim tag has been removed from general manager Tom Fitzgerald, making him the fifth GM in franchise history.

“I am excited to get back in the lead chair and guide the future of this team,” Ruff said via the Devils’ release. “This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a group of great young talent and strong leadership to the next level.

“Tom and I will sit down together and build a plan for the coaching staff and I will start to get to work on familiarizing myself with the players and staff. I look forward to bringing this core together, developing our players and putting us on a trajectory that can lead to sustained success in a timely manner. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Devils’ organization, and I have the desire and fire to get us on the road towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs and beyond.”

The Rangers confirmed that Hartford Wolf Pack assistant coach Gord Murphy would join the Rangers in Toronto for the NHL’s ‘Return to Play’ tournament, temporarily filling the assistant position left vacant by Ruff’s departure.

Ruff, 60, ends his tenure with the Rangers after three years as an assistant coach. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Ruff beat out interim coach Alain Nasreddine, former Islanders coach Peter Laviolette, ex-Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant and former Kings coach John Stevens for the job.

This will be Ruff’s third stint as a head coach in the NHL after gigs with the Sabres and Stars. Ruff compiled a 571-432-78-84 record with the Sabres – the team that drafted him in 1979 – and made eight playoff appearances, including a Coach of Year nod in the 2005-06 season. In four seasons with the Stars, Ruff went 165-122-41 with two playoff seasons.

“We are proud and excited to have Lindy Ruff join our organization as Head Coach,” Fitzgerald said in the team statement. “He is one of the most successful and respected coaches in the NHL, not only today, but in League history. His personality, experience, knowledge, work-ethic and focus will provide a calm presence in our locker room. He is the right coach at the right time for our organization.”

New York Post LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187539 New York Rangers

Rangers, Islanders will go to Toronto for NHL restart

By Mollie Walker

July 9, 2020 | 2:29am

The NHL and NHL Players Association’s memorandum of understanding for a new collective bargaining agreement confirms Toronto and Edmonton were selected as hub cities for the return-to-play tournament, with Eastern teams, including the Rangers and Islanders, competing in Toronto and Western teams in Edmonton, according to TSN.

The conference finals and Stanley Cup finals, per the report, will be in Edmonton — but is subject to change.

TSN also reports that the league is aiming to have teams travel to their respective hub cities on July 24, with exhibition games beginning the next day. The qualifying round is tentatively scheduled for July 30 and the first round for Aug. 9.

The second round is supposed to begin on Aug. 23, with the conference finals starting Sept. 6 and Stanley Cup finals on Sept. 20, per TSN. The report also said the league decreed that Oct. 2 is the last possible date for the finals.

In addition, TSN reports the CBA memo says NHL players will be permitted to return to the Winter Olympics in 2022 and 2026, pending an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee.

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down the 2019-20 season in March and forced the league to put together the 24-team playoff tournament, there was a sudden uncertainty about the 2020-21 season. Considering the start of next season has yet to be determined, players will receive one paycheck in the fall, per TSN.

The report also says the beginning of free agency is set to begin after Oct. 9, or seven days after the Cup finals end. Barring any changes, the opening of training camps for the 2020-21 season is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 17, with the start of next season set for Dec. 1.

The CBA is reportedly a four-year extension, running through the 2025- 26 season.

With Phase 3, the start of training camp, set to begin on July 13, two of the Rangers’ three goaltenders had participated in the NHL’s Phase 2 voluntary small-group workouts as of Wednesday, the team confirmed to The Post.

Veteran Henrik Lundqvist is the odd goalie out — he is among a handful of players who traveled from Europe to New York in the past week or so who are still waiting to be cleared. Alexandar Georgiev was included in the latest group of players to take part in Phase 2, in which rookie Igor Shesterkin has been participating since he returned from Florida at the end of June.

Additionally, Ryan Strome, Brett Howden and prospect Vitali Kravtsov also began skating at the team’s practice facility this week.

New York Post LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187540 New York Rangers

Devils introduce Lindy Ruff as their new head coach

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated July 9, 2020 5:41 PM

Former Rangers assistant coach Lindy Ruff was introduced by the Devils as their new head coach Thursday, in a Zoom teleconference in which the Devils also removed the interim tag from Tom Fitzgerald and named him their permanent general manager.

Devils co-owner David Blitzer said Fitzgerald, who took over as interim GM after Ray Shero was fired in January, performed well in that role and was allowed to take the lead in selecting the new coach to replace John Hynes, who had been fired in December. Fitzgerald said Ruff, an assistant since 2017 with the Rangers, was the choice because he was looking for someone who had NHL head coaching experience and would be a good teacher for a young Devils team.

“Someone who’s been there, done that, and could walk into a room and actually grab the attention of our young team,’’ Fitzgerald said.

Ruff, 60, coached the Buffalo Sabres for 15 years, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in his second season at the helm in the 1998-99 season. He won Coach of the Year honors in 2005-06.

He coached the Dallas Stars for four seasons before he was let go in 2017. After he was fired he joined Alain Vigneault’s staff with the Rangers as an assistant, and after Vigneault was fired a year later, he stayed on as an assistant for David Quinn the last two seasons.

Ruff thanked the Rangers for the opportunity to be part of the organization, and called his time with the team “a rebuild.’’ He said he enjoyed being able to work individually with the young Rangers defensemen in a way he couldn’t when he was a head coach. He said during his time as an assistant he learned better how to communicate with young players.

“I think when I went to New York, my first thought was, ‘This may be a year, and I’ll get back behind the bench’ [as a head coach],’’ he said. “I think sometimes you need a break. I looked at this as a break; I looked at this as an opportunity to get better; to challenge myself to communicate better with younger players . . . to really have fun as an assistant coach.’’

The Rangers, who open training camp Monday and will be among the 12 teams going to Toronto for the NHL’s 2019-20 restart, will bring up Hartford Wolf Pack assistant coach Gord Murphy to take over Ruff’s responsibilities.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.10.2020

1187541 Philadelphia Flyers

Ivan Provorov named Flyers’ best defenseman for second time

by Ed Barkowitz

When you think of Ivan Provorov’s 2019-20 season, the primary highlight has to be his dazzling overtime goal to beat Montreal in November. Poor Max Domi is probably still looking for his jockstrap.

Provorov led Flyers defensemen this season in goals (13), points (36) and ice time (24:51) to win his second Barry Ashbee Trophy as the club’s best blueliner in voting done by local media.

Provorov also led all NHL defensemen with seven power-play goals, the first time ever a Flyer had done that outright. He won the award in 2016- 17, and said he was humbled to be honored again.

“There are a lot of great defensemen that have played for the Flyers and have won this in the past,” Provorov said.

The Flyers’ goal differential was plus-36 (after being minus-37 in 2018- 19). They were 29th in goals against last season, but 10th in 2019-20.

“I think overall this year, our defense is a lot better,” Provorov said. “We’re defending as a five-man unit; the forwards are back-checking so it allows us to step up and get the puck back faster.”

Provorov is one of just three defensemen to come through the Flyers system to win the Ashbee Trophy in the last 30 years. Joni Pitkanen (2005-06) and Shayne Gostisbehere (2015-16; 2017-18) are the others. The other winners, such as Eric Desjardins and Kimmo Timonen, were acquired either via trade or through free agency.

Radko Gudas was last season’s winner.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187542 Philadelphia Flyers

Ivan Provorov earns Flyers' 2019-20 Barry Ashbee Trophy

By Jordan Hall

July 09, 2020 3:00 PM

Following a down season in 2018-19, Ivan Provorov was a restricted free agent and up for a new deal. After the entire offseason, Provorov and the Flyers agreed to a six-year, $40.5 million contract the night before training camp, making the 2015 first-round pick the club's highest-paid blueliner.

Provorov, a work-till-you-drop player, was clearly determined to rebound in 2019-20 and prove his worth.

He did and added to the credence Thursday as the winner of the Flyers' 2019-20 Barry Ashbee Trophy, given to the team's "most outstanding defenseman," an honor voted on by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters. It marks the second time Provorov has won the award in four years with the Flyers as he took home the trophy his rookie 2016-17 season.

"It's just a great honor," Provorov said in a statement released by the Flyers. "There are a lot of great defensemen that have played for the Flyers and have won this in the past. I think overall this year, our defense is a lot better. We're defending as a five-man unit, the forwards are backchecking, so it allows us to step up and get the puck back faster."

Provorov, who has never missed a game in his NHL career, playing 315 straight, did it all for the Flyers during the regular season. He played the league's eighth-most minutes per game at 24:51, led all NHL defensemen in power play goals with seven, and led Flyers blueliners in goals (13), points (36), blocked shots (111), shorthanded ice time (189:30) and man advantage ice time (210:05).

In 13 fewer games this season, Provorov put up six more goals, four more assists (23) and 10 more points than he did last season, while going from a minus-16 to a plus-11. Over his first three seasons, Provorov had 12 power play points (two goals, 10 assists). This season, Provorov put up 16 man advantage points (seven goals, nine assists). He has become a bona-fide do-it-all blueliner for the Flyers at 23 years old.

"I think he's one of the best young defensemen in the league," Coyotes head coach said in December.

"He plays with an edge in a sense that he doesn’t play safe. He’s up the ice, he makes plays, he’s not scared the way he plays. Not so much scared physically, just the way he plays, he’s trying to win the game. As a young guy, he wants to be in those spots. When I watch him, he wants the puck. I love young kids like that, they’re not scared.”

On the blue line, the Flyers are built around Provorov — and for at least five more seasons.

The Flyers have handed out their annual team awards throughout the week. Kevin Hayes was the recipient of the Gene Hart Memorial Award, while Scott Laughton earned the Yanick Dupre Class Guy Award and Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy.

On Friday, the winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy (Flyers most valuable player) will be announced.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187543 Philadelphia Flyers What an acquisition by Fletcher. In the Gudas-Niskanen swap, the only other hit for the Flyers was salary related — obviously taking on Niskanen's $5.75 million cap hit as well as retaining 30 percent of Gudas' $3.35 million cap hit. 2019-20 Flyers season grades: Matt Niskanen Niskanen made the trade unquestionably worth it for his new club.

Not only did the 33-year-old Stanley Cup champion significantly improve By Brooke Destra, Katie Emmer, Joe Fordyce, Jordan Hall the Flyers at 5-on-5, on the power play and the penalty kill, but he also did wonders for the rebound of Provorov, a 23-year-old who had far too July 09, 2020 6:30 PM much on his shoulders last season.

Niskanen's winning pedigree has rubbed off on everyone. With eight The 2019-20 NHL regular season has concluded and the next time the goals and 25 assists, he also had a chance to crack 40 points for the puck drops will officially kick off the race to the Stanley Cup. The Flyers second time in his well-established career before the regular season was are hungry and ready to battle it out, but that is thanks to the hard work cut short because of the coronavirus outbreak. from back in October. A well-deserved A for Niskanen. In an End to End series, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Brooke Destra, Katie

Emmer, Joe Fordyce and Jordan Hall will be grading players based on individual performances. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 Today we will be looking at Matt Niskanen.

Destra

I’m not going to lie — I fell under the category of not fully understanding the trade for Niskanen during the offseason in a one-for-one deal, sending former Flyer Radko Gudas to the Capitals. At the time, the most appealing aspects about the deal were recognizing the level of veteran experience Niskanen was going to bring to the blue line and his extensive résumé when it came to the playoffs.

Now, with his first regular season as a Flyer officially at an end, it’s safe to say he was an absolute steal. Way to win a trade, .

Not only did he post 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists), making him the second-best defenseman in points on the team, but he elevated his partner Ivan Provorov to new heights in his career as well. The duo built such powerful chemistry on the ice and Niskanen provided the skill set needed to help Provorov hone in on his talent.

There couldn’t have been a better fit for the Flyers and Provorov. Whatever Niskanen’s next steps are in the NHL, let’s hope he wants to stay in Philadelphia for a little while longer.

A+ for Niskanen — not bad for his 13th season in the league.

Emmer

The Flyers went from averaging the third-most goals against per game (3.41) and a minus-37 goal differential in 2018-19 to then tying for the seventh-fewest goals against in the league and drawing a plus-36 goal differential this season. A major key for that success was Niskanen.

Niskanen had a lasting impact throughout the regular season on special teams. Most notably, the penalty kill, which he helped improve from 78.5 percent in 2018-19 (26th in NHL) to 81.8 percent (11th in NHL). His power play minutes were also impressive as the four goals scored on the man advantage were the highest in his career.

He brought leadership to the blue line and the dressing room and was a steady presence the Flyers and his defensive partner Provorov depended on throughout the regular season.

I give Niskanen an A.

Fordyce

Niskanen, an experienced Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, came to the Flyers via trade for Gudas from the Capitals last offseason. His addition to the team added a veteran leader to the roster as well as a possible mentor for some of the Flyers' young defensemen. In his first season with the Flyers, he did both admirably.

Niskanen’s presence on that top defense pair with Provorov allowed Provorov to open up his game more and become a better overall player. Niskanen is a smart defenseman who is rarely out of position, and this allows Provorov as his defensive partner to freelance a bit more, which is one of the strengths of his game. Niskanen also has great puck skills from the point, getting pucks toward the net by pass or shot and creating opportunities.

No-brainer, Niskanen gets an A.

Hall 1187544 Philadelphia Flyers

Is Claude Giroux's playoff history telling of what's to come for the captain?

By Joe Fordyce

July 09, 2020 9:00 AM

As the NHL playoffs get closer and closer (which sounds weird to say during this time of year), the analysis of potential playoff matchups and the key factors for the Flyers is well underway. Regardless of the matchup, a few things are certain for the Flyers. One of those is that they need their captain to be on top of his game when the playoffs begin to have success.

Claude Giroux’s playoff history can best be described as a long and winding road. We’ve seen examples in all sports where young players reach the pinnacle of their sport early in their career and never getting back to that peak again. In the NFL, Dan Marino reached the Super Bowl in his rookie season and never made it back. In somewhat similar fashion, Giroux in his first full season in the NHL reached the Stanley Cup Final for a Flyers team with a leadership group that included Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Chris Pronger. Giroux was dynamic in those playoffs with 21 points in 23 games — that included 10 goals, 11 assists and an overtime winner in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The two years following that Cup Final run, Giroux continued to be a great player in the playoffs. In 2011, Giroux had 12 points in 11 playoff games. Then, in the 2012 playoffs, Giroux was perhaps his most dominant. Giroux had 17 points in 10 playoff games and was a force in the opening round against the Penguins. In Game 1 of that series, Giroux told his teammates, “Watch my first shift.”

What his teammates saw was the captain put a huge hit on Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and then score a goal to give the Flyers the lead. They never looked back, dispatching their cross-state rival in six games. That playoff run ended with a 4-1 series loss to the Devils in the second round, a series in which Giroux was suspended a game after a hit on Dainus Zubrus in Game 4.

Since 2011-12, the playoffs haven’t been exactly kind to No. 28, with first-round losses in 2014, 2016 and 2018. In those years combined, in 19 playoff games, Giroux scored just three goals and registered only seven assists for a total of 10 points. In the Flyers' last playoff appearance against the Penguins in 2018, Giroux had a minus-10 rating in six games.

The past few seasons have been a little different for Giroux with moving to the wing, while still assuming some of the center’s defensive responsibilities at times. Could that change in position allow Giroux to be that dominant force on the offensive end again? Possibly. Of course, playing with Sean Couturier in the middle is never a bad thing and that’s likely where Giroux will find himself when this year’s playoffs begin and the captain looks to regain his early career offensive playoff magic.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187545 Philadelphia Flyers numbers, just as Frost did. Even if Frost’s numbers were a little lucky in comparison to his peers — and there’s no proof that’s the case — even with adjustment, they’re extremely impressive.

Which Flyers rookie was the better forechecker — Joel Farabee or In his brief time with the Flyers, Frost has done an excellent job as a first- Morgan Frost? man-in forechecker.

Scouting Frost

By Charlie O'Connor In such a small sample, past results aren’t necessarily predictive of future prowess. Frost, 21, may have done well, but perhaps these were Jul 9, 2020 particularly effective shifts. Maybe he’s not the true-talent stellar forechecker our results hint he might be.

This is where tape study can be a massive help in identifying the specific When the Philadelphia Flyers began training camp in September 2019, ways Frost put up his results. If certain strengths recurred across his two forward prospects who had legitimate chances of making the roster forechecks, perhaps he does have talent that can hold up in larger stood above the rest of the youngsters at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, samples. N.J.: 2017 first-round pick Morgan Frost and 2018 first-rounder Joel Farabee. In Frost’s case, three main strengths popped up the most upon further review: pokechecking ability, skating explosiveness, and an ability to Neither made the club out of camp, but both would make their NHL anticipate passes and routes. debuts during the season. And when each debuted, he came with a distinct reputation: Farabee, called up just weeks into the season, was a It’s no secret that a quick stick is one of the hallmarks of Frost’s game. high-hockey IQ, play-driving winger, known for relentless pursuit of the He showcased it on his first NHL goal, and continued to flash a lightning- puck; Frost was a flashy, offensively oriented center whose style leaned quick release on his shots and creativity with his passes and dangles. more toward finesse and skill. Reviewing his forechecking, it appears that quick stick proves useful without the puck, too. Frost generally shied away from hitting on the So despite the fact that Farabee is one year younger than Frost, it wasn’t forecheck (10.64 percent Hit Percentage), instead leaning heavily on a major shock to see the former end up with more NHL games in 2019- pokechecks and deflections to disrupt possession. It worked. 20 than the latter. After all, Farabee is a “do-the-little-things-right” type of forward who can play anywhere in the lineup, and Frost is a scorer who Frost’s skating ability has long been a divisive topic among scouts and still needs to learn what he can and can’t get away with at the pro level, prospect watchers. Many observers have made the case Frost’s game right? lacks “pace,” meaning that he doesn’t play fast, particularly with the puck on his stick. Defenders argue he won “Fastest Skater” at a pre-draft top On some level, those perceptions are true. Farabee’s versatility and prospects game, and that he can turn on the jets when needed. slightly more gritty style make him a better fourth-line fit, at least in terms of the consensus view of what the role entails. And Frost graded out Both sides have points. Frost does have a tendency to slow the game poorly by advanced defensive metrics such as RAPM and RelTM, so down when he moves up ice, as he looks to make a creative play or feed there’s some basis to the idea that he needs to clean up elements of his a teammate the puck. It’s a fair critique: Frost will need to have more game. urgency with the puck through the middle of the ice if he wants to avoid being stripped from behind by backcheckers. But Frost is absolutely a But what about their forechecking, as measured by our 2019-20 tracking plus skater, and it shows up regularly when he’s chasing down loose project? The results of Frost and Farabee might surprise you, especially pucks. Suddenly, Frost has no incentive to “slow it down.” He’s simply considering their respective preseason reputations. trying to get to the puck or the opposing defenseman as quickly as By the numbers possible. And at least this season, his ability to rapidly do so seemed to often catch opponents off guard. Frost gets in on the forecheck very fast. As we learned in Part 1 of the project’s findings, Farabee surprisingly did not grade out well by the metrics that measured forechecking In the above clips, pay attention to how quickly Frost closes the distance effectiveness as the “first man in,” the F1. Frost’s results, due to the small — and often overtakes entirely — the defenseman he is chasing down. It sample — he participated in just 47 tracked reps as the F1 — were left may not look high-effort, but make no mistake: He’s using plus speed to out of that article, which focused on lineup regulars. increase the effectiveness of his forechecking.

But small sample or not, Frost’s forechecking results were flat-out But Frost’s potential as a forechecker goes far beyond his physical fantastic. He didn’t just leave his fellow rookie far behind. He left every attributes. His forechecking instincts appear to be high-end as well. Look other Flyer in the dust. No matter the category — Recovery Percentage, closely at his actions on this play from November: Shots per Entry, Failed Exits Forced, Average Time Spent in Zone per It doesn’t seem like much at first glance. But it would have been very Entry — Frost led the way. easy for Frost to just follow the Vancouver defenseman around the net Even the stats in which the regulars tended to regress to a common and try to provide back pressure. Instead, Frost alertly anticipates that average — 10 of the 12 fit into a tight 12.50-to-13.30 window in average the defenseman is going to circle the net, so he crosses in front of the zone time per entry, for example — Frost’s results stand as extreme goalie and puts himself right in between the puck carrier and his easiest outliers. During his limited reps as the F1, the Flyers took apart the potential outlet — the center low in the zone. Then, Frost attacks, putting opposition. just enough pressure on the defenseman with his stick to force an ill- advised clear that results in a Flyers recovery. That’s efficient So is Frost quietly an incredible forechecker at 20? Let’s dive deeper into forechecking in a nutshell. the numbers and tape to find out. Frost was overpowered at times when trying to gain physical leverage — Evaluating Frost’s forechecking for example, by veteran top-pair defensemen such as Ryan Suter on this play — and his heavy reliance on the pokecheck sometimes worked With such a small sample, it’s possible Frost’s metrics could have been against him. But the early returns hint that Frost has a knack for inflated because of good luck. Maybe opponents made a few extra surprisingly effective forechecking. unforced passes, and his work as F1 had little to do with it. Or maybe the second wave of forecheckers did the heavy lifting on his shifts. What about Farabee?

To prove or disprove these theories, I reviewed each of the 47 Frost’s pre-NHL reputation didn’t appear to fit the mold of a plus forechecks that Frost led and subjectively determined whether he played forechecker, but it seems like he might be just that. One of the key a major contributing role in the 27 retrievals. The verdict: On 19 of them, strengths of Farabee’s game was supposed to be forechecking, but if 70.37 percent, Frost was a driving force behind the forecheck’s success. anything, it was a weakness in 2019-20. What exactly is going on here?

That might seem low. But crediting him with “just” 19 retrievals out of 47 Farabee, 20, is an interesting case, especially because he showed would still give Frost a 40.43 percent Recovery Percentage, which tops flashes of forechecking brilliance as a rookie. On two occasions, he the full-sample rates of Scott Laughton and Kevin Hayes. And there’s directly engineered a Flyers goal through his relentless, always-in-attack- little doubt that both benefited from “lucky” forechecks in their overall mode style of straight-ahead puck pressure. The raw potential to be an he tried to chase down loose pucks. It’s reasonable to expect he will absolute demon as the F1 is there. improve in both areas as he gets older, which could help him blossom into the forechecker the Flyers believe he can become. In reviewing tape of Farabee’s forechecks, two main issues appear to be keeping him from making plays like the above on a regular basis. Fortunately for Farabee and the Flyers, both are seemingly fixable (or at least addressable) over the long term. The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020

For starters, Farabee’s skating stride lacks the kind of explosiveness that puts real pressure on defensemen looking to retrieve pucks in the corner. Frost already possesses the ability to pick up speed rapidly and close gaps with ease. Farabee can fly once he really gets going, but he can struggle to quickly reach the kind of extra gear that Frost can.

In the above video, even before Farabee takes a less-than-perfect route, he’s not picking up nearly enough ground on Florida defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. And when Farabee does have the theoretical angle to cut off Weegar behind the net, he’s just not quick enough and ends up having to trail Weegar in a doomed attempt to annoy him into turning over the puck.

The issue rears its head again in the above sequence, which is a simple “race to the spot” play that Farabee loses. It’s not by much, but it’s the difference between a recovery or at least a tie-up along the boards, and the worst possible forecheck outcome — a no-recovery, controlled-exit- to-controlled-entry transition for the other team.

Of course, Farabee could have salvaged the situation by tying up the Columbus defender after losing the race, which leads us to Farabee’s second forechecking weakness: He’s not yet strong enough to avoid being knocked around on the ice as he tries to chase down loose pucks.

The lack of burst and Farabee’s physical immaturity go hand in hand here. If he were a bit quicker, defensemen wouldn’t find it so easy to cut off his routes and knock him off his spot. But if he were more physically mature, he’d be able to more easily overcome the acceleration “weakness” by simply going right through opponents. Because he’s lacking a bit in both areas as an under-21-year-old forward, he can struggle to exert his authority on forechecks.

The good news is that the raw tools remain for Farabee to eventually become not just a good forechecker, but a great one. Oskar Lindblom showed that a player can improve his skating explosiveness through hard work and proper training, and everyone expects the rail-thin Farabee to continue to fill out and become stronger as he ages. Whether he ultimately improves in both areas remains to be seen, but the potential is there for his forechecking “issues” to be resolved, and possibly soon.

Final observations

So what did we learn from the third round of tracking project findings?

1. Frost might be a really, really good forechecker

No Flyers forward graded out better as an F1 in 2019-20 than Frost, small sample notwithstanding. In every category, from Recovery Percentage to Combined Forecheck Success rate to Failed Exits forced, Frost led the pack.

2. Frost wasn’t just “lucky”

Even after removing all the forechecks in which he wasn’t a primary driver of the eventual recovery of the puck, Frost still had a higher Recovery Percentage than Laughton and Hayes. He was objectively quite good at this whole forechecking thing in 2019-20.

3. Frost’s pokechecking ability and deceptively explosive stride helped him most

Frost’s quick hands were immediately apparent when he had the puck on the attack. But those hands also allowed him to put constant pressure on opposing defensemen while on the forecheck, disrupting exit attempts without having to resort to physicality. Frost’s plus skating ability also helped him effectively close gaps and rapidly take away the time and space of puck carriers, often forcing them into difficult decisions.

4. Farabee’s weak points as a forechecker appear to be explosiveness and physical immaturity

Farabee’s forechecking ability has long been a strength of his game as he’s moved up the developmental ladder, but he didn’t grade out well in this project. Why? Even though he proved capable of the occasional “splash” play — hinting at his long-term upside in this area — his lack of standout quickness and his physical immaturity regularly hurt him when 1187546 Pittsburgh Penguins Thankfully for the Penguins, his first postseason in Pittsburgh was nothing short of remarkable.

As the center of the jury-rigged but dynamic “HBK Line” with Carl Hagelin Double Team: Patric Hornqvist found his place in front of the net for and , Bonino helped the Penguins dart their way past all Predators, Penguins opposition en route to the franchise’s third Stanley Cup title. In 24 postseason games, Bonino had 18 points.

Primarily used as a third-line center, Bonino’s second season with the SETH RORABAUGH Penguins saw him remain healthy for the most part and, in 80 games, he posted a solid 18 goals and 37 assists. And while the HBK Line was no Thursday, July 9, 2020 11:37 a.m. longer utilized as it was the year before, he appeared in 21 playoff games and scored seven points, helping the Penguins defeat the Predators for the Stanley Cup. While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer the Double Team project, an examination of A few weeks following that triumph, Bonino signed with the Predators the five best players who have contributed substantially to the Penguins and, since then, has been a steady contributor during the ensuing three and another franchise. For consideration, a player must have played at seasons which have included Central Division titles in 2018 and ‘19. least the equivalent of a full season for each franchise. (Sorry, Jarome A steady double-digit goal scorer who also kills penalties for the Iginla fans.) Predators, Bonino was in line to break the 20-goal barrier before this Today, a look at the Nashville Predators. After the city of Nashville made season was halted in mid-March. In 67 games this season, Bonino had unsuccessful attempts to lure the New Jersey Devils and the NBA’s 17 goals and 35 points. Sacramento Kings into relocating, the NHL granted an expansion 4. Mark Eaton, defenseman franchise in 1998. In 31 all-time games against the Predators, the Penguins have a 16-11-4 record. Eaton has a unique but highly obscure place in NHL history as the league’s only player born in Delaware. And much like the northern 1. Patric Hornqvist, right winger portion of the Delmarva Peninsula, Eaton mostly existed in an The Predators certainly didn’t expect big things out of Hornqvist when underappreciated fashion during his 13-year career as a shot-blocking they drafted him in 2005. After all, he was selected with the 230th pick, defensive defenseman. last overall. The Predators acquired Eaton in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers just And Hornqvist certainly took his time in reaching the NHL. The native of prior to the start of the 2000-01 season. Finding a role as a bottom- Sweden remained in his home country until 2008-09 when he made his pairing defenseman, Eaton was a somewhat infrequent presence in the NHL debut, appearing in 28 games and collecting seven points. lineup during his first three seasons in Nashville, never playing more than 58 games. By his second season, Hornqvist showed exactly what kind of player was as a relentless net-front presence. In 2009-10, Hornqvist appeared in 80 But by 2003-04, Eaton was a staple on the Predators’ blue line, games and led the Predators with 30 goals and 51 points. appearing in 75 games while averaging 20:56 of ice time and helped the franchise reach the postseason for the first time. Following the 2004-05 Hornqvist remained a reliable 20-goal threat for the next two seasons, lockout, Eaton appeared in 69 games in 2005-06 and led the team with helping the Predators reach the postseason on each occasion. But 170 blocked shots, aiding the team’s return to the postseason. during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, Hornqvist struggled with injuries and was limited to 24 games. After former Predators assistant general manager Ray Shero was hired as Penguins general manager in May of 2006, his first signing in July The Predators missed the 2013 and 2014 postseason and needed to was a familiar face in Eaton. make changes. That involved dealing Hornqvist and reserve forward Nick Spaling to the Penguins for forward James Neal during the 2014 draft Because of his style of play, Eaton was limited to 71 games and six assists during his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, but by the 2008-09 Playing the same exact game he offered in Nashville, Hornqvist found a campaign, Eaton settled into a third pairing with rookie defenseman Kris home on a line with franchise center Sidney Crosby as well as the top Letang. Appearing in 68 games, he had nine points as well as 148 power-play unit. A 20-goal scorer in his first five seasons with the blocked shots. In the postseason, his offense perked up a bit with seven Penguins, Hornqvist was a vital component of their 2016 and 2017 points in 24 games as he helped the Penguins claim the Stanley Cup for Stanley Cup championships, scoring the Cup-clinching goal during Game the third time. 6 of the 2017 Final against the Predators. Eaton’s best season, by his modest individual standards, was 2009-10 2. James Neal, left winger when he set career highs with 79 games and 16 points. After joining the New York Islanders as a free agent during the ensuing offseason, Eaton The man Hornqvist was traded for meshed well with his new team returned to the Penguins as a free agent signing early in the shortened following the transaction, as well. 2012-13 campaign. In his final NHL season, Eaton played in 23 games In 2014-15, Neal appeared in 67 games with the Predators and scored during the regular season and eight contests in the postseason, helping 23 goals, helping the team return to the playoffs. In total, Neal reached the Penguins claim the Atlantic Division and reach the Eastern the 20-goal barrier all three seasons he played in Nashville while also Conference final. He retired following the season. earning a selection to the 2016 All-Star Game event. Additionally, he was 5. Steve Sullivan, right winger a key component to the franchise reaching its only Stanley Cup Final in 2017. Sullivan was a major reason the Predators graduated from expansion team to playoff team in the mid-2000s. One of the first big trade A few weeks following that success, Neal was selected by the Vegas acquisitions in franchise history, Sullivan came from the Chicago Golden Knights in the expansion draft. Blackhawks in February of 2004 and put up 30 points in 24 games with Neal’s greatest individual success came in Pittsburgh, most notably his the Predators, helping them reach the postseason for the first time. signature 2011-12 season which saw him establish career highs with 40 After the 2004-05 lockout, the Predators returned to the 2006 postseason goals and 81 points while also earning a selection to the All-Star Game. thanks in part to Sullivan’s team-leading 31 goals as well as 68 overall Acquired from the Dallas Stars via trade in February of 2011, Neal spent points in 69 games. He was in the midst of another outstanding season in parts of four seasons in Pittsburgh, primarily as a linemate with franchise 2006-07 with 60 points in 57 games but a debilitating back injury suffered center Evgeni Malkin, and reached the 20-goal mark four times. in February appeared to put his career in jeopardy.

3. Nick Bonino, center Missing the remaining balance of that season, as well as all of 2007-08 and the first half of 2008-09, Sullivan rehabbed his injury and made a Acquired via trade with the Vancouver Canucks in July of 2015, Bonino’s triumphant comeback to the lineup in January of 2009 following a 23- first regular season with the Penguins in 2015-16 was underwhelming. month layoff. Sullivan recorded 32 points in 41 games that season at the Injuries limited him to 63 games and 29 points. age of 34 and won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy which recognizes dedication to the sport.

After two more solid but hardly spectacular seasons in Nashville, Sullivan left as a free agent, joining the Penguins as a free agent in July of 2011. He spent one season with the Penguins in 2011-12. Primarily used as a third liner who got ample time on the power play, Sullivan recorded 48 points in 79 games.

After the season, he was on the move again, signing with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Honorable mention: Bob Boughner, defenseman; , center; Randy Robitaille, center; Spaling; Tomas Vokoun, goaltender.

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187547 Pittsburgh Penguins

Can Edmonton support being an NHL hub city? Will it be jeopardized by recent coronavirus cases?

TIM BENZ

Thursday, July 9, 2020 6:42 a.m.

As Penguins fans ready themselves for the playoffs in the coronavirus era, the presumptive hub cities for the NHL’s return to play are Edmonton and Toronto.

Part of the reason Edmonton was chosen is because Canada has contained its covid-19 outbreak much better than America. And — the previous favorite — had a recent spike.

Unfortunately, Edmonton is suddenly going through a rise in cases, too.

So will that cost Edmonton its hub city status?

It doesn’t appear that way. The train may be too far down the tracks for the NHL to reverse course now. Also, for as bad of a pop as that may be by Edmonton’s standard, at least it’s localized.

And, at this point, where else is the league going to go if they plan on starting games on Aug. 1?

Plus, as Sportsnet’s Mark Spector tells us in Thursday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast, the city is already crawling with NHL officials trying to get the city “red up” for Western Conference action.

Spector gives us some great insight as to how “the bubble” is going to be built in Alberta and how it may mirror plans for the Penguins in Toronto.

Edmonton is one of the smaller metropolitan areas in North American sports. It ranks 43rd overall. But that could aid the cause of getting the Stanley Cup playoffs completed. Spector explains how.

Spector has also spent a lot of time covering hockey games in Pittsburgh. He explains — in remarkably precise Pittsburgh geographical terms — how the bubble map is going to be laid out so as to protect the players from infection.

We also get into how Edmonton is going to great lengths to make sure the Oilers don’t enjoy any home ice advantage, if, in fact, the NHL has the Western teams play in the west and the Eastern teams play in the east, as is anticipated at this point.

Also, extreme efforts are being made to see that the players have safe, outdoor recreational activities within the bubble, so they don’t feel the need to stray outside of it in their free time.

We get into all that, the potential for an NCAA Tournament-style TV schedule for the NHL, and what the arrival of the playoffs could mean for Edmonton’s economy.

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187548 Pittsburgh Penguins

Iron City beer and Russian Army hockey? That's just the start for new 'Red Penguins' documentary

This must be seen to be believed.

Director Gabe Polsky’s “Red Penguins” dropped its trailer this week, a film in which the Pittsburgh Penguins bought into the early-1990s commercialization of the former CSKA Moscow Red Army hockey team.

If you can only watch one crazy documentary about an NHL team venturing into the turbulent waters of post-USSR breakup, this is it. Distributed by Universal, it’s available digitally Aug. 4 via iTunes and Amazon, as well as cable on demand.

Among the promotions thought up by Pittsburgh Penguins marketing whiz Steve Warshaw: Iron City beer-drinking bears on the ice and strippers dressed as cheerleaders. The “Russian Penguins” became a hit among young Muscovites, and it was mostly fun and games until the Russian mob moved in.

Warshaw is the protagonist of Polsky’s film, with former Penguins owner Howard Baldwin playing his part, as well. Legendary Red Army coach Viktor Tikhonov and general manager Valery Gushin are featured.

The film, which earned praise at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, was to be shown as a Pittsburgh special event in March. Obviously, that wasn’t possible. Polsky is the filmmaker behind the acclaimed 2015 documentary, “Red Army.”

Maria Sciullo

Post Gazette LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187549 Pittsburgh Penguins Post Gazette LOADED: 07.10.2020

Penguins camp primer: How will veterans respond after a long layoff?

With the NHL targeting July 13 for the start of full-squad training camps in Phase 3 of its return-to-play plan, Penguins beat reporters Matt Vensel and Mike DeFabo are counting down the days until Penguins Camp Part Deux by examining some of the key questions that will be waiting when the team hits the ice:

Trying to define and quantify the Penguins “championship window” was a popular pastime when the club opened training camp in September.

At 32, Sid is hardly a kid anymore — even if he is still very much in his prime. And he’s not the only Penguin on the other side of 30. Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Patric Hornqvist and Jack Johnson are all 33.

At the trade deadline, the Penguins increased their median age even more and added another graying beard to the bench in 40-year-old , who has been in the NHL for as long (22 seasons) as rookie defenseman John Marino has been on this earth.

“They’re older, but they’re certainly not old,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said before the season. “That’s a big difference.”

Now, as the Penguins prepare for their second training camp of the season, no one knows exactly what to expect when teams jump directly into high-stakes hockey. But with the Penguins, there’s an added variable: What impact will the layoff have on a veteran-laden group?

In theory, there are two ways to look at it. On one hand, a team with younger, fresher legs might be better equipped to bounce directly into postseason competition after sitting on their couch for four months watching “Tiger King.” Old legs could take a little longer to restart. That’s the way the majority of people are thinking and talking.

On the other hand, there’s an argument to be made that the layoff could actually help the Penguins and their veteran core. Crosby, who’ll turn 33 on Aug. 7, played through a sports hernia for the early part of the season and then had to rehab from the most significant in-season surgery of his career. He was healthy enough to play, but was he ever really 100%? The extra time off should help him get closer to that, if not all the way there.

Malkin, who missed the first month of the season with an injury of his own, carried the club through November and December. Yet, when the Penguins made a number of moves on deadline day, general manager Jim Rutherford said he thought the stars were a bit overtaxed. A couple months to rest tired legs and mend the natural nicks and bruises that come with hockey could pay off. It’s also worth noting that his teammates marvel at the way Malkin can step onto the ice and look close to midseason form while everyone else is still breaking in new equipment. He’s a natural. That won’t change due to the layoff.

It certainly helps the Penguins that the NHL is giving teams plenty of time to ramp back up. Yes, the training camp will be brief — about two weeks. But players have been in Pittsburgh skating as a part of Phase 2 of the NHL’s return-to-play plan since June 8. By the time the NHL drops the puck for the qualifying round, the Penguins will have been on the ice for about seven weeks.

Finally, while so much focus has been on the physical toll of the layoff, the mental side shouldn’t be overlooked. The Penguins core acknowledged at the beginning of the season they only have so many chances to hoist the Cup again. No one knows for sure how the pause will affect them physically but expect a focused group when the puck finally drops.

“These guys have been through a lot in their careers,” Sullivan said. “Because of that, they have the benefit of perspective. I think it serves them well in uncertain times like this. I know in the discussions I’ve had with our guys — and in particular our leadership group — these guys look at what’s in front of us as a great opportunity. They’re trying to do everything in their power to make themselves ready and prepare themselves for that opportunity.”

Mike DeFabo 1187550 San Jose Sharks

After heartbreak last year, Sharks’ Evander Kane shares joyous news

By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group

PUBLISHED: July 9, 2020 at 11:13 a.m. | UPDATED: July 9, 2020 at 11:36 a.m.

Evander Kane shared on his Twitter account Thursday that his wife, Anna, gave birth to a baby girl earlier this month.

“My wife and I are proud to announce the birth of our beautiful baby girl Kensington Ava Kane,” Kane wrote. “Although it has been a tough journey for our family, we’re thrilled to have added Kensington to our family.”

In March 2019, Kane shared a heartbreaking message on social media that he and his wife had lost a child, Eva, in the 26th week of pregnancy. Kane missed two games to be wife his wife, writing at the time that, “As expecting parents, this past week has broken us.”

Thursday, Kane shared a picture of himself holding Kensington with Anna inside their home.

“My wife Anna is a rockstar, the strength and love she has displayed over the last 18 months is unmatched,” Kane’s message continued. “We want to thank everyone who has reached out during this period in support of our family and appreciate the kind messages we’ve received throughout this journey.

“I’m so proud of my daughter, it tough to put into words how much she means to me. To my Family, Friends, the Sharks organization and Fans, I thank you again for the overwhelming love. This has truly humbled me. 07/03/2020 is a day I will never forget.”

Kane figures to have plenty of time to efficiently learn how to change diapers. According to multiple reports, a Collective Bargaining Agreement Memorandum of Understanding between players and owners would have training camps for the 2020-21 season tentatively scheduled to open Nov. 17, with Dec. 1 as a possible start date.

If that holds true, the Sharks, who are not part of the NHL’s postseason, will go 264 without playing a regular season game. Their last game of the 2019-20 season was March 11. The following day, the NHL paused its season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The NHL is hoping to enter Phase three of its Return to Play plan next week with the start of training camps. As of now, teams are scheduled to travel to the hub cities, Toronto and Edmonton, on July 24 and begin the qualification round July 30.

In June, Kane and other minority hockey players announced the formation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, which seeks to bring awareness of racism and discrimination in the game and lasting change to the sport.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187551 San Jose Sharks

Sharks' Evander Kane announces daughter's birth after 'tough journey'

By Marcus White

July 09, 2020 2:07 PM

Just over a year after losing their daughter during pregnancy, Sharks forward Evander Kane and his wife, Anna, welcomed another daughter into the world.

The Kanes announced the birth of their daughter, Kensington Ava, on Thursday on social media. Evander Kane said his daughter was born on July 3.

"My wife Anna is a rockstar, the strength and love she has displayed over the last 18 months," Kane wrote on Twitter. "We want to thank everyone who has reached out during this period in support of our family and (we) appreciate the kind words throughout this journey. I'm so proud of my daughter, it's tough to put into words how much she means to me."

Kane thanked the Sharks, their fans, his friends and family "for their overwhelming love" during a difficult time. Last March, Kane announced that their daughter, Eva, passed away 26 weeks into Anna's pregnancy.

"You gave us all, especially your mom and I, something to be excited about," Kane wrote of Eva on Twitter on March 14, 2019. "And though we are devastated that you couldn't stay with us longer, your mom and I will always cherish the time we had with your beautiful soul. Your spirit will give us strength, your love will give us comfort. We will love you forever."

The Sharks, San Jose teammate Mario Ferraro and Hockey Diversity Alliance co-founder Akim Aliu all commented on Kane's Instagram post on Thursday.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187552 San Jose Sharks season, while shooting 37 percent from the floor (double yikes). Mills stuck around with the Warriors for five nondescript (at least on the court) seasons and Cummings retired after 1999-2000. Sprewell was never quite as explosive with the Knicks as he was with the Warriors at his A.J. Pierzysnki, Joe Barry Carroll and more: The Bay Area’s 20 worst peak (though he helped lead them on a surprising run to the 1999 NBA trades Finals, where they lost to the Spurs), but still managed to average nearly 18 points per game over five seasons in New York before spending his

last two seasons with the Timberwolves. By Steve Berman Jul 9, 2020 18. 49ers acquire O.J. Simpson (March 1978)

49ers get: O.J. Simpson Now that we’ve covered the 20 best trades, it’s time to tackle the deals Bills get: 1978 second-round and third-round picks, 1979 first- and fourth- that probably linger a little longer in our collective memory. A bad trade round picks and 1980 second-round pick can come in many forms. It can be a short-term rental that doesn’t result in postseason success. Or a move made with the intention of shaking “The 49ers are taking a chance on Simpson, who will be 31 on July 9 and things up that ultimately makes things worse. Sometimes, it’s a cost- who had knee surgery last year. He also was forced to leave the Bills’ cutting measure in which a frugal team doesn’t get back anything close to training camp last July after suffering blurred vision in his left eye from a market value in return for a player who’s either making a considerable blow to the head he suffered in 1976,” wrote Dave Brady of the amount or expects to in the near future. Washington Post at the time. No one would dare surrender so many draft choices in today’s NFL for a running back with the mileage Simpson had, Usually, though, the absolute worst trades are ones that seem even if he arrived with a clean bill of health (he rushed for 1,053 yards questionable from the moment they’re announced. When something and 3.7 yards per carry in two seasons with the 49ers). The only good doesn’t seem right from the beginning and then ends up looking even that came out of this trade for the 49ers was that it helped convince worse in hindsight. This “I told you so” element works well for sports talk Eddie DeBartolo Jr. to fire general manager Joe Thomas, which ushered radio, but not for personnel executives. in the Bill Walsh era. Since reactions to trades are often fueled by emotion, some can seem 17. Warriors acquire Antawn Jamison (June 1998) much worse than they actually were from an objective (read: statistical) standpoint. Two semi-recent baseball trades fit the bill here. First, the A’s Warriors get: Antawn Jamison acquisition of Jon Lester (and Jonny Gomes) for Yoenis Céspedes and a 2015 Competitive Balance Round B pick. True, it seemed like the A’s Raptors get: Vince Carter and cash suffered a major blow to clubhouse chemistry. And Céspedes’ game After disappointing fans with uninspired first-round picks in the several overflowed with swagger and charisma, which, along with his raw power years prior (Clifford Rozier, Joe Smith, Todd Fuller and Adonal Foyle), and arm strength, made him a fan favorite. Lester’s final start for the A’s, the Warriors played it safe again by going with Jamison, who was their when he allowed six runs over 7 1/3 innings in the A’s 9-8 wild-card loss first choice all along. So then-Raptors GM Glen Grunwald, who thought to the Royals, didn’t leave a great final impression. But Lester also had a Carter was the best player in that draft, was able to land both Carter and 2.35 ERA during his time in Oakland and the A’s went 7-4 in his regular- some extra bucks. That’s because the Warriors thought another team — season starts. like the Mavericks — might move ahead of them to grab Jamison. “We The Giants trading Zack Wheeler for Carlos Beltrán still seems like a got a tip,” St. Jean said. Carlesimo even compared Jamison to another travesty to many, because Beltrán got hurt about a week after the trade former Tar Heel, James Worthy. Jamison was a solid offensive player and never seemed all that happy in . But Beltran also and eventually made two All-Star teams with the Wizards. But as a pro, slashed .323/.369/.551 with seven homers in 44 games, hardly a he never matched Worthy or Carter, who won rookie of the year, played disappointing overall performance. It would’ve looked much better if the in eight All-Star Games and put on one of the most memorable dunk Giants made the postseason or were successful in re-signing him. But contest shows ever in 2000 … on the Warriors’ home court. these are the kinds of trade-deadline risks teams sometimes have to 16. A’s trade Tim Hudson (December 2004) take. A’s get: Juan Cruz, Dan Meyer and Charles Thomas The local squads have made several trades that were far worse than the additions of Lester to the A’s or Beltrán to the Giants, so let’s take a Braves get: Tim Hudson (somewhat painful) trip down memory lane. Billy Beane easily won the Mark Mulder trade, which brought Dan Haren, 20. A’s trade Reggie Jackson and Ken Holtzman (April 1976) Daric Barton and Kiko Calero from the Cardinals to the A’s. Beane was also smart to let Barry Zito sign elsewhere a couple of years later. But A’s get: Don Baylor, Paul Mitchell and Mike Torrez trading Hudson hurt, and not just because he went on to make 243 starts Orioles get: Reggie Jackson, Ken Holtzman and Bill VanBommel with the Braves and 53 with the Giants. Cruz (7.44 ERA in one season), Meyer (7.98 ERA over two seasons) and Thomas (.363 OPS in 55 plate Neither Jackson nor Holtzman would sign a contract for the 1976 season, appearances) were all worse than replacement level for the A’s. so A’s owner Charlie Finley shipped them both to Baltimore. “I feel Baylor is the equal of Reggie Jackson,” Finley said at the time. “I don’t mean this 15. Raiders acquire Carson Palmer (October 2011) out of disrespect to Jackson. I think Baylor is outstanding and will be Raiders get: Carson Palmer even more outstanding in the next few years.” Finley was partly right, because Baylor won a league MVP in 1979 — except it was with the Bengals get: 2012 first-round pick and 2013 second-round pick Angels, with whom Baylor signed as a free agent after the 1976 season. Jackson went on to hit 294 home runs after leaving the A’s in a trade that Shortly after Al Davis died in 2011, Jason Campbell broke his collarbone helped symbolize the end of their championship run, which ended in a 24-17 win over the Browns that improved the Raiders’ record to 4-2. abruptly after they got swept by the Red Sox in the 1975 ALCS. So Hue Jackson engineered a trade for Palmer, who came off the bench in his first game with the Raiders after Kyle Boller threw three 19. Warriors trade Latrell Sprewell (January 1999) interceptions. Palmer completed 8 of 21 passes for 112 yards and tossed three picks of his own, and the Raiders lost, 28-0, to the Chiefs. Palmer Warriors get: Terry Cummings, Chris Mills and John Starks started the final nine games of that season, throwing 13 touchdowns and Knicks get: Latrell Sprewell 16 interceptions. The Raiders finished 8-8, losing the season-finale to the Chargers to cost themselves the AFC West title. Jackson was fired after To be fair to then-Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean, he didn’t the season, the Raiders went 4-12 in 2012 and Palmer was traded to the have much choice after Sprewell choked coach P.J. Carlesimo during Cardinals with a 2013 seventh-round pick in April 2013 for a 2013 sixth- practice. This led to Sprewell serving a suspension for the final 68 games rounder and a 2014 seventh-rounder. Palmer proceeded to go 29-9 as a of the 1997-98 season and his trade value around the league. In starter over the next three seasons with Arizona. return for Sprewell, the Warriors got three players who weren’t much more than roster fillers. Starks scored 13.8 points per game, which led 14. Sharks trade (March 2003) the Warriors in scoring (yikes) during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 Sharks get: Alyn McCauley, Brad Boyes and 2003 first-round pick Maple Leafs get: Owen Nolan in return can handle the pressure of replacing someone as popular as “The Baby Bull.” Sadecki showed some potential during his time with the This turned out to be a pretty bad deal for both teams, as the Sharks got Cardinals, but he also gave up a lot of home runs for a pitcher in that era one decent season out of McCauley, Boyes played one game in teal (but and was coming off a pretty awful 1965 season. But he started out fairly went on to play 11 seasons for six other teams) and the Sharks used to well in 1966, and the Giants made what remains one of their most the pick to move up five spots in the first round to draft Steve Bernier. unpopular trades. Sadecki pitched poorly for the Giants in 1966 at a time Nolan was a captain and fan favorite in San Jose, but a combination of when they couldn’t afford it; the Giants finished 93-68, a game and a half injuries, the 2004-05 lockout and a contract dispute with the Maple Leafs behind the pennant-winning Dodgers. Sadecki pitched pretty well in 1967 led to him missing the 2005-06 season. and 1968, but was demoted to long relief during the 1969 season and 13. Warriors trade (January 1965) traded to the Mets in December of that year. Cepeda was named NL MVP and won a World Series with the Cardinals in 1967. Warriors get: Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer and cash. 8. Warriors break up Run-TMC (November 1991) 76ers get: Wilt Chamberlain Warriors get: Billy Owens The Warriors struggled mightily during the 1964-65 season, both on the court and at the gate. But Chamberlain averaged 41.5 points and 25.1 Kings get: Mitch Richmond, Les Jepsen and 1995 second-round pick rebounds per game for them (three seasons while they were based in Everyone knew where was going with this trade, but how do Philadelphia, two-plus after they moved to San Francisco). Granted, you break up that nickname (and that Richmond//Hardaway there were only nine NBA teams at the time and one (the Celtics) had trio)? If Nelson had to trade Richmond to add some size and open up a little need for a center. But surely the Warriors could’ve done a little few more minutes for Šarūnas Marčiulionis, couldn’t he have found a guy better than this for one of the best players of all time. named Matt or Mike to keep it rolling? Jokes aside, this trade is a weird 12. A’s trade Josh Donaldson (November 2014) one to assess almost 30 years later. Owens really did seem like a perfect fit for what Nelson wanted to accomplish and, especially for that era, he A’s get: Franklin Barreto, Kendall Graveman, Brett Lawrie and Sean had a pretty nice handle for someone that big. So I asked Tom Tolbert, Nolin who was on the Warriors during Owens’ rookie season, about Owens. “He couldn’t shoot,” Tolbert said via text. “(The team) had really good Blue Jays get: Josh Donaldson athletic players, but other than Mully it wasn’t a great shooting team.” The A’s got a lot of production in three seasons from Donaldson, Richmond came into the league as a very capable 3-point shooter, especially considering they paid him a little less than $1.5 million over although he never took more than 1.5 per game during his three seasons that span. They figured they’d strike gold with at least one, and perhaps with the Warriors. Owens actually made 39.7 percent of his 3s as a junior even two or more of the players they got from Toronto. But it’s not at Syracuse, but that wasn’t a part of his game with the Warriors (he looking good (the jury’s still out on Barreto, but it’s almost done made just 7 of 42 in three seasons). deliberating). Donaldson won an MVP in 2015, finished fourth in the MVP 7. Giants trade Gaylord Perry (November 1971) voting a year later and was named NL Comeback Player of the Year in 2019. Giants get: Sam McDowell

11. Warriors trade Tim Hardaway and Chris Gatling (February 1996) Indians get: Gaylord Perry and Frank Duffy

Warriors get: Kevin Willis and Bimbo Coles This was not a banner year for owner Horace Stoneham, even though the Giants made it to the postseason for the first time in nine years. If a Heat get: Tim Hardaway and Chris Gatling certain trade he made during the season (which we’ll get to in a bit) Hardaway wanted out after losing his starting job to B.J. Armstrong, so wasn’t questionable enough, try parting ways with Perry one year the Warriors obliged and made this stinker of a deal. Willis played 28 removed from finishing second in the NL Cy Young voting. Stoneham games with the Warriors and Coles was the epitome of average over four perhaps thought Perry was done, heading into his age-33 season after seasons with the Warriors. Hardaway and Gatling saw their numbers five straight seasons with at least 280 innings. Well, Perry won his first improve in Miami and both were named All-Stars the following season Cy Young in 1972 with Cleveland and pitched over 300 innings in each of (Hardaway with the Heat, Gatling with the Mavericks). Warriors fans the next four seasons. Perry won another Cy Young with the Padres at could do nothing but shake their heads yet again after another deal gone 39 and went on to pitch with reasonable effectiveness until he retired at wrong. 44. McDowell was a below-average starter in 1972, the Giants only won 69 games and Stoneham sold McDowell to the Yankees in June 1973. 10. Warriors trade Jason Richardson (June 2007) Oh, and Duffy actually became a moderately valuable defense-first shortstop for the Indians. Warriors get: Brandan Wright and $10 million trade exception 6. Warriors trade Chris Webber (November 1994) Bobcats get: Jason Richardson and Jermareo Davidson Warriors get: Tom Gugliotta, 1996 first-round pick, 1998 first-round pick The headline on SFGate’s story about this draft-night trade read “THE and 2000 first-round pick WRIGHT MOVE.” Technically, it was — Wright stayed with the Warriors and was a very athletic and polite, but not effective or durable, power Bullets get: Chris Webber forward for them for parts of three seasons. But the unspoken promise of the deal, that it could be a precursor to a trade for Kevin Garnett, never Whatever you think of Webber — and clearly opinions are all over the came to be. Garnett balked at a move to the Bay Area on the night this place, since it’s pretty hard to find a guy with his numbers and collegiate trade was consummated, worried that the Warriors were giving up too impact who isn’t yet in the Hall of Fame — he was simply electric during much to get him. The Warriors — focused on moving Richardson’s his rookie season with the Warriors. Not only was he scoring (17.5 points contract — were left with Wright and a large trade exception. What made per game) and rebounding (9.1 rebounds per), but he averaged a career- this trade so bad, other than Wright’s production, is that they never used high 2.2 blocks per game, too. Then he averaged 9.0 assists per game in the exception. Richardson’s legacy as a high-flying, hard-working fan the Warriors’ first-round playoff series against the Suns. Sure, Charles favorite, and the sudden end to the “We Believe” run, made it all the Barkley was on a rampage and the Warriors got swept, but Warriors fans more painful. envisioned Webber playing in Oakland for well over a decade. That is, until he made it clear that he didn’t want to play for Nelson, who at times 9. Giants trade Orlando Cepeda (May 1966) wanted Webber to play center and traded away Webber’s friend, Owens. It seemed like an untenable situation and then-owner Chris Cohan clearly Giants get: Ray Sadecki wasn’t going to treat Webber like Magic Johnson, when Lakers owner Cardinals get: Orlando Cepeda Jerry Buss picked Magic over coach Paul Westhead. While it’s not totally clear where to place all of the blame for what happened with this If you’re going to trade a 28-year-old first baseman with Hall of Fame- Warriors situation, this was an awful trade that set the Warriors back caliber talent, you’d better be sure. You’d better be sure that his knee multiple years. The 1996 pick was used on Fuller, which didn’t help. issues will continue. You’d better be sure there’s no possible way you can find a way to play him with your other Hall of Fame-caliber first 5. Giants acquire A.J. Pierzynski (November 2003) baseman. And you’d better be damn sure that the pitcher you’re getting Giants get: A.J. Pierzynski but that’s beside the point. Poor Warriors fans had to sit through 13 seasons of watching Parish and McHale play together, as the Celtics Twins get: Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, Boof Bonser were frequently on national TV. Then, when the Warriors decided to This one blew up in Brian Sabean’s face in every possible way. package Carroll and Floyd together in a trade in 1987, it was for a past- Pierzynski, who had established himself as a .300 hitter for the Twins, his-prime Ralph Sampson. All of these moves, along with the Warriors turned into a double-play machine (he hit into 27 of them in his only trades listed earlier and some we didn’t even mention, show why season with the Giants). He also kneed trainer Stan Conte in the groin, Warriors fans felt cursed for three decades. It’s also why the fans who’ve had his work ethic questioned by Giants pitchers and was released after followed this team the longest had the hardest time believing their eyes the season. Nathan went on to save 377 games after the trade and made when they went on their recent, Steph Curry-led run. six All-Star teams. Liriano, one of the Giants’ top prospects at the time of the trade, became an All-Star in 2006 at age 22 and is still pitching today. The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 4. Raiders trade Jon Gruden (February 2002)

Raiders get: 2002 first-round and second-round picks, 2003 first-round pick, 2004 second-round pick and $8 million

Buccaneers get: Jon Gruden

Coaching trades weren’t all that uncommon in the early 2000s and the Raiders certainly got quite a lot for Gruden. So much, that the trade might not have looked so awful had the Raiders not gotten dismantled by the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl a year later. After Raiders center Adam Treu and quarterback Rich Gannon hypothesized that Gruden knew what was coming when the Raiders called certain audibles, the trade looked even worse. Then the Raiders won five games or fewer in each of their next seven seasons.

3. Giants trade George Foster (May 1971)

Giants get: Frank Duffy and Vern Geishert

Reds get: George Foster

Foster, who was 22 when the Giants decided to move him, played for two World Series-winning teams, won an MVP in 1977 when he hit 52 homers and made five All-Star teams during his time with the Reds. He finished his career with 348 home runs. Geishert never made it back to the majors after the trade, with his only big-league appearances coming with the Angels in 1969. Duffy hit .179 in 28 plate appearances for the Giants before they sent him to Cleveland.

2. 49ers trade Charles Haley (August 1992)

49ers get: 1993 second-round pick and 1994 third-round pick

Cowboys get: Charles Haley

So much intrigue here. What did Haley do to get traded? Did he upset George Seifert, who in recent years has stated that he feels sincere regret over making the deal? Did he antagonize Jerry Rice, as Dexter Carter described a few years ago? Whatever it was, it must’ve been really bad for the 49ers to not only part ways with perhaps the most talented pass rusher they’ve ever had but send him to the league’s other top team. The 49ers must have figured that by sending Haley to Dallas, he’d submarine the entire Cowboys franchise. Instead, we all know what happened. The Cowboys’ pass defense improved from the bottom third in the league in 1991 to a top-five unit in 1992, and after Dallas recorded just 23 sacks in 1991, the Cowboys had 44 in 1992. Haley only had six sacks in his first year with the Cowboys and his numbers were never quite as good as they were during his peak with the 49ers, but that didn’t tell the entire story. Haley’s presence turned the Cowboys’ greatest weakness into a strength, propelling them to consecutive Super Bowl wins. Whoops.

1. Warriors trade Robert Parish (June 1980)

Warriors get: Two 1980 first-round picks

Celtics get: Robert Parish and 1980 first-round pick

This trade is widely known as the one where the Warriors essentially seeded the Celtics’ 1980s three-title run by trading Parish and Kevin McHale for Joe Barry Carroll. Technically the Warriors traded Parish and the No. 3 overall pick to the Celtics, who took McHale out of Minnesota. In return, the Celtics sent the Warriors the No. 1 overall pick (with which they selected Carroll) and the No. 13 pick, which the Warriors used to draft another center, Rickey Brown out of Mississippi State. The Warriors traded for Bernard King a few months later, which means that if they had just held onto Parish and drafted McHale, they could’ve had the best frontcourt in the NBA for the next several years.

The Warriors ended up traded King in 1982 for 33 games of Michael Ray Richardson, who was later dealt for and Mickey Johnson, 1187553 St Louis Blues decreases your chance of transmission than if you are indoors, because of those reasons."

Q.: What’s the latest information available about how the virus is Want comebacks for Cardinals and Blues to work? Wear a mask in impacting the young, health population that is most likely to include public, says local COVID-19 expert college and professional athletes?

Dr. Garza: "The virus can affect different people differently. By and large, though, young and otherwise healthy athletes, healthy people, there is a Ben Frederickson lower risk of having a poor outcome. Now, that doesn’t mean everybody is going to have an easy course. Clearly, there have been athletes that

have had a lot of problems with COVID. It affects everybody individually. As the commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, Older people, people with chronic health conditions like diabetes and Dr. Alexander Garza doesn’t encounter too many questions that can be high blood pressure, are going to be more affected on a population basis, answered with one word. but it’s really tough to boil down what we see broadly in the population to an individual’s risk, because it affects individuals differently. Typically, The chief medical officer for SSM Health who has become our local go-to younger, healthy people have a mild illness, they recover well and go expert on all things COVID-19 discusses things in a matter-of-fact and about their lives. But we still haven’t figured out what the long-term thorough manner that is both comforting and expansive, whether he's issues are for COVID. There are different things in the literature about expressing his disappointment about the climbing number of positive long-term effects, but it’s going to be a little while before we figure out cases in our area, or explaining why he's encouraged by the fast work what all of those are, and how that impacts performance, or an ability of a the medical community has done to get a better understanding of how to person to play a professional sport.” help COVID-positive patients. Q.: Do you have an opinion on if sports are going to be able to pull off So, it was a bit of a surprise when Dr. Garza answered one question so these comeback attempts? bluntly. Dr. Garza: “I think it’s going to be an interesting year. Being able to Could the simple act of wearing face coverings in public really help this contain against a virus is really, really hard despite all of the things you sports comeback work? can potentially do to prevent viral spread. And that’s just because, particularly this virus, is easily transmissible. It’s more and more “Absolutely,” Garza said. penetrating into the environment. It makes it extremely difficult. The Dr. Garza was kind enough to phone in for Wednesday night’s broadcast teams have pretty rigid structures around them when it comes to of the KTRS Big Sports Show. housing, where they eat, testing and isolation and all of those things. The leagues will do a really good job of protecting the players. It’s when the Co-host Brendan Wiese and I peppered the good doctor with sports- players go home, or off campus, things like that, where they risk getting related virus questions. exposed. Don’t forget there’s staff that interacts with them as well that is My biggest takeaway? always at risk of getting exposed. There’s never a zero-risk game in all of this. You can reduce that risk as much as possible, but it will never get to Cardinals and Blues fans who have all kinds of jerseys in their closets zero. The other thing that still remains to be figured out is the fan side. and decals on their cars can show their support in an incredibly easy and I’ve spoken with a couple people about this before, but I find it cost efficient way right now, and it might actually help those teams play challenging whether we will be able to have in-person spectators or not, again in 2020. Do your best Yadier Molina and/or Jordan Binnington at least for the rest of this year, just because of all of the issues trying to impression, and wear a mask in public places. Here are some more contain the virus.” highlights from the chat with Dr. Garza. Q.: When it comes to the topic of crowds, is there a consensus on a safe Q.: Whether a sports league is trying a strict bubble (NHL and NBA) or a number of people who can get together — like, for a baseball game — if more permeable bubble (MLB), one of the keys is making sure the virus everyone is wearing a face covering? does not get inside the bubble. With that in mind, what is the range of time between when an athlete could be introduced to the virus, and then Dr. Garza: “That number is hard to figure out. Really, those numbers, for test positive for the virus? gatherings, they are just best guesses. There’s really no mathematical formula that says, hey, if you are greater than this size, then you are at Dr. Garza: “That’s a highly variable timeline. It’s different for every increased risk. The way that I think about it is, any time you are individual. Typically, it is within the first two to five, or seven days. But increasing the size of the gathering, you are always increasing the there are cases where it can last up to two weeks before someone would probability of transmission, just from sheer numbers. And then you add in turn positive. It’s really individually dependent, which is why you see there the probability of somebody being infected, and how close people some of those instances where someone can be negative one day, and are to each other. By and large, masks do a very good job of mitigating positive the next. It’s just highly variable. Typically, we will test about the risk of transmission. But if you are multiplying even that small risk seven days after the exposure, because we believe that is an appropriate multiple times, by hundreds of people, after a while, it accumulates. It amount of time where we would be able to pick up the virus, but clearly becomes probable that you’re going to spread.” there are some outliers there, too. It’s difficult to predict. And then, the other thing is the person doing the test as well. Somebody has to be Q.: Considering what we know about how face coverings can help, is it trained to do the test. They have to do it appropriately. There are a lot of accurate to say that sports fans who want to see the Cardinals and Blues things that go into testing that can give you some problems with the finish their seasons might actually help the chances of that happening by results." wearing masks when they are in public?

Q.: Is it correct that outdoor activities and sports are less likely to spread Dr. Garza: “Absolutely. Yes. We’ve gotta make promotions about that the virus than indoor ones? now.”

Dr. Garza: "There are a lot of variables at play with how transmission occurs. Outdoors is more safe than indoors. The wind. You are able to St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.10.2020 disperse aerosol droplets more quickly, so it diffuses, rather than a closed environment, where it hangs around and gets concentrated. So you have that going for you. During the day time, and in humidity, those are environmental factors. UV light does impact the virus. Humidity will sort of weigh those droplets down so they fall to the ground quicker. There are multiple different environmental things at play there that can influence how easy it is to get transmission. And there are the interpersonal things as well. How close are you standing to a person? How infected is the other person? Are they coughing, sneezing? How much of a viral load is in their cough? But by and large, being outdoors 1187554 Tampa Bay Lightning

‘Mighty Ducks’ alum Kenan Thompson to appear on Alex Killorn’s ‘Dock Talk'

Diana C. Nearhos Lightning Reporter

Kenan Thompson is best known for his sketch comedy, but he got his acting start in hockey, and the comedian has been returning to his roots recently.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch. But before Saturday Night Live, Kenan & Kel or even All That, Thompson played Russ, the trash-talking Californian who introduced the world to the knuckle puck in D2: The Mighty Ducks.

Lightning wing Alex Killorn parodied the opening of D2 in the only scripted video of his recent Dock Talk series on social media, gathering teammates on water scooters (instead of inline skates) and mimicking the movie’s famous flying V formation.

The video caught Thompson’s eye. He posted on Twitter: “Put me in the sequel bros!!!!

And now he’s in.

Thompson will appear along with Killorn’s Lightning teammates Kevin Shattenkirk and Anthony Cirelli in a live Instagram stream at 6 p.m. today on Killorn’s account, akillorn17. Killorn also will present a check for $50,000 to the Hillsborough Education Fund, the proceeds from sales of his Dock Talk T-shirt.

In D2, Russ starts out in the stands chirping the Ducks, finally saying, “I’m getting sick of seeing the USA represented by a bunch of whining babies” and challenging them to a game of roller hockey. He shocks them with the knuckle puck — standing the puck on its side and ripping a slap shot that flips and moves up and down before hitting the can they use as a net. (1:40 in the video below).

That earns Russ a spot on the team when another player gets hurt, and he helps the Ducks to the championship of the Junior Goodwill Games in one of the most absurd scenes of a series full of wonderfully unrealistic plays.

Thompson makes an interesting guest for Killorn given his roast of the Lightning as host of last year’s NHL awards show.

“They tied the record for the most wins in the regular season with 62,” Thompson said. “And then they followed it up by tying the least wins in the playoffs with zero. (Pause for laughter and for the camera to pan to Lightning players unamused by the reference to being swept in the first round by the Blue Jackets.) But hey, hey. I mean, that’s what I like about them. Win or lose, they set records.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187555 Tampa Bay Lightning tested before they enter the arena for the first time and every other day after that.

That’s more than 500 tests for Lightning players coaches, medical and NHL will conduct more than 40,000 coronavirus tests equipment staff alone.

Diana C. Nearhos Lightning Reporter Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.10.2020

The NHL is going to need a lot of coronavirus tests. Just taking team personnel into account, the league would run more than 40,000 tests by the time the Stanley Cup is awarded if the season resumption plays out as planned.

And that’s not including officials on and off the ice, and staffs from the NHL (league and event), arena, hotel and testing company.

The 24 teams set to resume the season this month for the playoffs can bring 51 people each (including players) to the two hub cities where games are to be played initially, a total of 1,224 that covers the majority of the people who would be in what the NHL is calling its secure zones. But those 1,224 make up just two of the 30 categories of people the NHL says it would test daily.

The league’s Phase 4 return-to-play protocol outlines five levels of access, starting at the “core playing group” and “persons essential to (their) support” and moving out to “persons with no exposure to other groups” (such as third-party vendors and media).

Once you add everyone who doesn’t work for a team, the number of tests for the playoffs’ qualifying round alone — which would have 16 teams — easily would surpass 20,000.

After the qualifying round, the eight losing teams would leave the secure zone, taking with them a third of the total team employees. But this is a large undertaking, and testing is a key component of the NHL’s attempts to keep the virus from spreading in either hub.

The protocol specifies that anyone, including players, who refuses to be tested would be “prohibited from participating in their job functions” and could be removed permanently from the secure zone.

What if one of these many people tests positive?

He or she would immediately isolate in a hotel room or specific designated location. If the person was asymptomatic, a confirmation test would be given and the person would remain in isolation until producing two negative tests 24 hours apart, or for 10 days.

For anyone with symptoms, two negative tests would be necessary to leave isolation, or they would have to show no symptoms for more than 72 hours after 10 days in isolation.

Players would also have a cardiac screening after exiting isolation. They either would have to refrain from exercise for 14 more days or have testing to compare cardiac activity to their pre-participation medical screening, which each player is to have before training camp.

Where are these tests coming from?

The NHL will engage testing companies in each hub city. They will use RT-PCR testing, which can produce results in 15 minutes or up to 24 hours, depending on the specific test.

What about training camp?

Teams are responsible for gathering their own tests for training camp, which is scheduled to start Monday. They are to contract with private companies to purchase the tests.

The testing “must be done in the context of excess testing capacity so as not to deprive health care workers, vulnerable populations and symptomatic individuals from necessary diagnostic tests,” the league’s protocol says.

The idea behind purchasing tests from private companies is to avoid taking from those available to the general public. The testing provided by Hillsborough and Pinellas counties comes from a different source. Neither county provides the rapid-response tests.

All players and anyone who comes in contact with them — coaches, team staff, ice and building maintenance staff and security — are to be 1187556 Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL Players Association executive board approves new labor deal

Staff Report

The executive board of the NHL Players Association on Wednesday approved a proposed new collective bargaining agreement with the NHL and referred the tentative agreement to its full membership for a vote, with approval expected to be announced Friday.

The deal, which would extend labor peace through the 2025-26 season and allow players to represent their countries at the 2022 and 2026 Olympics also is expected to gain approval from the NHL’s board of governors.

In addition, the NHL’s return-to-play plan would have teams opening training camp in their respective home cities Monday, the season resume Aug. 1 with playoff qualifying games in two hub cities, and the Stanley Cup awarded as late as Oct. 2, Canadian media reported.

Free agency would begin a week after the Stanley Cup is awarded, without the free-agent interview period that was built in to recent seasons. The draft would take place Oct. 6, Canada’s Sportsnet TV network reported.

Subject to minor changes, training camp for the 2020-21 season is scheduled to start Nov. 17 and the season would begin Dec. 1. Commissioner Gary Bettman has said teams will play a full 82-game schedule next season, which could be accomplished by eliminating bye weeks and the All-Star break.

The new collective bargaining agreement would include a flat salary cap of $81.5 million for the 2020-21 season because of revenue losses the NHL has been facing since it put its season on hold March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Players would defer 10 percent of their salary next season but would be repaid over the course of the next three seasons as hockey-related revenues resume flowing.

The new collective bargaining agreement also would cap escrow at 20 percent next season. The escrow system, a mechanism by which money is withheld from players’ paychecks in order to ensure a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue between players and clubs, has been a point of contention for players. The maximum escrow percentage for the 2021-22 season could be as high as 18 percent, depending on the level of hockey-related revenue.

The minimum NHL salary would be set at $700,000 and rise to $775,000 in the last three years of the new labor deal.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187557 Tampa Bay Lightning (which includes hotel staff living outside of the bubble) to keep it from spreading.

What if the NHL has a coronavirus outbreak within the bubble? Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.10.2020

Diana C. Nearhos Lightning Reporter

The NHL’s return-to-play protocol has been hammered out and the collective bargaining agreement tentatively agreed to. There’s one big question remaining: What if there’s a COVID-19 outbreak?

Okay, there are a lot of questions, but that is the big one. It’s not directly answered in the 47 pages of protocol for training camps and game play the league released.

In both documents, the league acknowledges that “postponement, delay, or cancellation” is possible. The wording is vague, however, and does not lay out specific circumstances that would call for any of the above.

The Phase 4 version says that if the NHL or the players association believes that conditions create a “material risk to player health and safety and/or jeopardize the integrity of the competition,” including an outbreak, they should bring it to the attention of the other group. Commissioner Gary Bettman will then consult with NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr about postponing, delaying, moving or canceling any games. The passage goes on to say the NHLPA can “contest the matter in the form of an expedited arbitration of a grievance.”

It’s 243 words of legalese around who will talk to whom, without any line in the sand addressing under what circumstances they will have to take action.

This is a document that specifies that teams’ dress codes will not be in effect (meaning players and other team personnel don’t have to wear suits to travel or for games), but does not determine what qualifies as an outbreak.

The league issued its latest COVID-19 testing update on Monday: With 396 players participating in the voluntary workouts under Phase 2 (roughly half of the full number for game play), 23 have tested positive. That’s about 5 percent. (For reference, the state of Florida’s positivity rate was 19.3 on Monday.)

The idea is that living in a bubble or “secure zone,” as the NHL is calling it, will lower the positivity rate. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas reported that the Blues outbreak (four players and a coach) may have traced back to several players meeting at a bar.

What if the bubble doesn’t work and players are still infected?

First, that’s why the NHL has expanded rosters to 31 players. Having a few players unavailable does not automatically make a team unable to play.

If the Lightning are without Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy, they can still field a full lineup of 23 given a roster of 31. But does that impact the “integrity of the competition?”

Since the NHL has not outlined what it will do in this circumstance, look to other leagues. MLS’ tournament starts on Wednesday. Already, one team has left the tournament, and another’s opening game has been postponed.

Within a few days of FC Dallas’ arrival at the Orlando bubble, 10 players and a member of the technical staff had tested positive. Independent reporter Grant Wahl reported that other teams wanted FC Dallas removed for not doing what was necessary to be virus-free and ready to play. Nashville has had five players test positive and will not play on Wednesday as originally planned.

That’s not the same as an outbreak within the hub, but is an example of what could happen if NHL teams do not take the precautions outlined in the protocol before reporting (mostly strict social distancing).

As for what happens once they all get to Edmonton and Toronto, the NHL is putting a lot of faith in rules like wiping down takeout containers from outside the bubble (which also must be delivered to a specific location) to keep the coronavirus from penetrating and daily testing 1187558 Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.10.2020

What will life look like in the NHL bubble?

Diana C. Nearhos Lightning Reporter

Being locked in a hotel for two months, only allowed to leave for work, doesn’t sound like much fun at face value.

That changes, though, depending on if you’re talking about a Holiday Inn (basic, no frills), a Sheraton (nicer accommodations, more options) or a luxury J.W. Marriott or St. Regis set up specifically for your group.

Unlike the NBA (manicures, barbers, DJ sets), the NHL’s hub city protocol does not outline all of the amenities that will be available to players, but the league still is focused on providing entertainment.

Hotel pools are fair game, if they’re open, given social distancing. Spas and saunas are not.

Expect a lot of video games. They’ve already been a part of playoff runs — the Capitals and Golden Knights made good use of Mario Kart on Nintendo 64 during the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. And some players bring their systems on road trips that last fewer than two months.

Whether in a players’ lounge (like the NBA has set up) or from their own hotel rooms (maybe across the two hubs), the NHL could see some major gaming tournaments. Fortnite, Call of Duty, Madden NFL — they’re all on the table.

Hotel bars will be open (and bartenders will be tested for the coronavirus daily), though servers are recommended to use carts rather than hand over drinks directly.

Those staying inside the bubble (a long list of players, team personnel, NHL staff, on-ice officials and more) will have a few dining options. Hotel restaurants will be open, each team will have a designated conference room with catered meals, room service will be contactless and there’s always outside delivery.

The protocol also refers to “restaurants outside the Phase 4 Secure Zone hotel(s) that are dedicated for NHL use only,” but it’s not clear how many of those there will be or how often they will be available.

It could be one of the “social excursions” the NHL will arrange in recognition of “the importance of mental health and the psychological benefit of variation in activity” — nothing like legal language to make field trips sound like schoolwork.

Edmonton’s pitch to be a hub city included secure golf courses and a video highlighting the mountains and lakes in the region. The NHL probably isn’t taking players on a hiking trip hours outside the city, but golfing is a definite possibility.

The idea of NHL-only golf courses was brought up early and often around the talk of hub cities. Maybe someone could bring a camera crew, or at least a Go-Pro, and give fans an inside look — a la Tiger Woods/Peyton Manning and Phil Mickelson/Tom Brady in “The Match.”

Outdoor movie screenings, in or outside the bubble, are an option. Though since the league isn’t putting the hubs on a campus owned by a major media and entertainment conglomerate (Disney), the NHL probably won’t have early access to movies like Black Widow.

Anyone heading into the bubble would do well to bring the stacks of books sitting on their bedside tables. Seems like a great time catch up on a literary bucket list.

The NHL has some rules, too. The 28-page document is mostly rules.

No one is allowed inside another’s room. Each team will have its own floor. Everyone is supposed to wear a face mask at all times, unless exercising or alone. There will be a strict schedule for the fitness center — for players, NHL staff and others living in the secure zone. The protocol has a whole section on the elevators (no talking, no using fingers to press buttons, no lingering, stand on the marked spaces).

It’s not all fun and games — except for the literal games.

1187559 Toronto Maple Leafs Elynuik’s determination during the 2019-20 season ended with a deserving result, as the 22-year-old signed a one-year AHL contract with the Marlies in June. And with the salary cap issues the Leafs are going to have to meet head-on in the coming seasons, Elynuik realizes that LEAFS PIPELINE: Elynuik looking ahead after overall improvement with further progress could lead to a better shot with the Leafs at some point. Marlies “I’m really excited for next year and to just keep moving forward with my development,” Elynuik said. “I’m going to do what I can to get an entry- level deal this upcoming season and I’m working really hard this summer. Terry Koshan I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen. July 9, 2020 10:34 PM EDT “Trying to fill out my (6-foot-5) frame, put some weight on — that will help me with strength around the whole rink. You can always work on everything — quickness, my shot, I want to put the puck more in the net Greg Moore’s summation of Hudson Elynuik as it pertained to hockey in the next season. was rather uncomplicated. “I want to be a a two-way centre who can play a big role, that contributes Moore took over as coach of the on Dec. 1 after Sheldon putting the puck in the net or creating offensive opportunities and at the Keefe was promoted to the Maple Leafs in November, and by the time same time being reliable defensively and keeping the puck out of our the American Hockey League was put on pause in March because of the net.” coronavirus global pandemic, Moore had come to a conclusion regarding Elynuik.

“He was our most improved forward,” Moore said during a recent Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.10.2020 interview with the Toronto Sun. “He had a lot of growth in the sense of the work he put in, in the weight room.

“You could tell before the pause that he was much stronger on his feet, had a little more power in his step and that allowed him to have a little more of a dominant role in the offensive zone.”

It wasn’t as though Elynuik arrived on the doorstep of the Marlies last fall with a difficult road ahead to becoming an impactful player in the AHL.

In 2018-19, Elynuik helped the Newfoundland Growlers win the ECHL championship, contributing 15 points in 16 games in the march to the Kelly Cup. Also that season, Elynuik dipped his toe into the AHL, scoring once in 10 games with the Marlies.

While representing the Leafs at the Detroit Red Wings rookie tournament in Traverse City, Mich., last September, Elynuik told us his objective for the coming season was to make his mark with the Marlies.

It took some time for the centre for that goal to be realized, but by the time play was halted, Elynuik had accomplished as much.

“It just goes back to getting more confident throughout the season,” Elynuik said from Calgary, where he has been training since the AHL season was halted and later cancelled. “At first, I wouldn’t say I was nearly as confident as I was going down the last stretch of the season. I think that showed.

“Getting more comfortable with my game, I showed my skills a lot more, it was about getting confidence.”

Elynuik had five goals and eight assists in 53 games when the season came to a sudden end, and had grown into an effective penalty killer for the Marlies.

From Moore’s viewpoint, the improvement in Elynuik’s performance was a testament to the player’s outlook.

“It was just the work he did,” Moore said. “We laid it out there in front of him, and he was willing to buy into the game plan and the schedule and the workouts. He definitely found a way to better himself and got rewarded for it.

“I would not say it was a survival instinct, but when you’re trying to earn more ice time and more responsibility from the coaching staff, any extra responsibility you can gain on special teams, on the penalty kill, different areas, any player should be looking to add that to their game.”

A couple of factors that few players have at their fingertips were put to use by Elynuik. One was the experience of winning a championship with the Growlers, and the other a regular opportunity, if he desired, to lean on his dad Pat, who played in 506 National Hockey League games with Winnipeg, Washington, Tampa Bay and Ottawa in a pro career that ended in 1997.

“Not everyone has a dad who has been through the exact path I want to go,” Elynuik said. “He knows what it takes and the commitment and the work ethic that has to go into it.

“He went through ups and downs and adversity throughout his career. Same process, so he has a lot of experience and input on the journey.” 1187560 Toronto Maple Leafs Especially if young players like Nick Robertson and Rasmus Sandin take the next step and can play 82 games on the NHL roster.

This 21-player group, for example, is cap compliant, with an additional $2 Mirtle: Do the Maple Leafs need a new plan given the NHL’s new CBA million to spend on additional depth: and flat cap? Put simply: A flat cap is not a calamity for the 2020-21 Leafs. Yes, they’ll lose Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci, but that was inevitable in any cap environment. Re-signing is also a luxury they won’t be able By James Mirtle to afford.

Jul 9, 2020 But other than Johnsson and Barrie, they will not be losing anyone of consequence. And there’s a logical argument to be made that some of

the low-salaried newcomers will be able to largely fill that void. The news that the NHL is on the verge of a long-term CBA extension has I expect the Leafs will squeeze their RFAs like Dermott and Mikheyev been met with high praise, from fans and media alike, the past two into bargain second contracts, too, given the cap climate. (That’s weeks. something that will happen across the league with non-elite RFAs.) But as it becomes clearer under what terms, exactly, the league has How good the likes of Robertson, Barabanov and Lehtonen are will be a settled with players until at least 2026, the agreement presents multiple big factor in adequately replacing the players lost. And the Leafs will new questions and issues. have to find another bargain or two in free agency, at a discount, to fill in Particularly for a team like the Maple Leafs, which had obviously been around the edges. betting on a rising salary cap given their roster construction. But Toronto is in fine shape for next season. They should be able to, Here are the relevant details of the new agreement, as they pertain to again, hit the 100-point plateau and make the playoffs. Toronto’s cap issues: How about the 2021-22 Leafs? “The cap will stay at $81.5 million until revenues reach $4.8 billion. After Here is where things get far more complicated. And where a flat cap that, a formula for establishing the cap will be employed that uses starts to get painful. hockey-related revenues from two seasons prior. For instance, the 2022- 23 cap would be calculated using hockey-related revenue numbers from No. 1 netminder Frederik Andersen will be a UFA in 2021. So, too, will 2020-21.” heart-and-soul winger Zach Hyman. Also up for contracts in summer 2021 in this scenario would likely be Mikheyev, Dermott, Barabanov and I’ve written at length in the past few months about the ramifications of the Lehtonen, among others. Leafs dealing with a flat cap for next year (Exhibit A is here). But what we haven’t fully contemplated is: What happens to Toronto’s roster-building All six players could, theoretically, be due raises, depending on the plans if we’re locked at $81.5 million for quite some time? seasons they have next year. Raises are a problem.

The short answer? It’s complicated. And it may necessitate the Leafs Making the pieces fit under the same $81.5 million salary cap is difficult if front office pivoting from any previous notions about how their roster you have to pay someone like Hyman $4 million-plus instead of $2.25 would be constructed over the medium term. million. Or Mikheyev $3 million instead of $2 million.

Here’s why. Where exactly do you find that money? Who do you subtract? (And if your answer is Hyman or Mikheyev, well, you’re a weaker club up front The concern as a result.) Let’s start here: If the NHL’s cap is going to be flat until revenues top Here’s a rough outline of where the Leafs 2021-22 roster could be before $4.8 billion, that may take a while. signing any of those likely free agents mentioned above: Hockey-related revenue for last season, 2018-19, was approximately The Leafs are $15 million under the frozen cap in this scenario but look $5.09 billion. I was told it was tracking to be similar for 2019-20, until at all the holes. They need to sign, at minimum, another four forwards, a COVID-19 shut things down. Now, the best case scenario will see that top-four defenceman and a goaltender with that cash. figure fall to around $4.5 billion (or less), assuming the NHL’s return-to- play plans can go forward in full. And that’s before they potentially lose someone like Holl or Engvall in the expansion draft to Seattle. The complicating factor is that it’s highly unlikely that fans will be permitted in NHL arenas en masse next season. That will make it almost At best, it feels like they could return only one of Hyman or Andersen in impossible for 2020-21 revenues to surpass $4.8 billion, which means this situation, unless they decide to move out a Kerfoot or Kapanen-like the following season’s (2021-22) salary cap would, again, be at $81.5 salary. Bringing back Mikheyev and Dermott, meanwhile, could be more million. difficult, given they’ll have arbitration rights and will be much harder to squeeze on third contracts compared to seconds. If the subsequent cap calculations are then based on two years prior, meanwhile, that low revenue figure could freeze the NHL’s upper limit for You have leverage over RFAs in the NHL, but it’s not total. And it lessens many years. According to one well-placed source on Wednesday, $81.5 the closer they get to UFA status. million may remain the salary cap for the next three or four years. The best-case scenario here for Toronto is Campbell establishes himself The NHL needs fans back in buildings, and revenues back to 2019-level as a No. 1 next season and the Leafs can go cheap in goal the following normal, in order to have a salary cap that’s any significant degree higher. year. Having players like Robertson and Sandin greatly outperform their This is largely because players have focused heavily on lowering escrow cap hits will also be huge in 2021-22. They need some of these younger in these CBA negotiations. The primary way to accomplish that is to halt players to evolve into difference makers, not just depth players. salary growth. Continuing to draft well will be key.

Halting the cap for years at a time is a blunt instrument to do so. And In addition to that, the Leafs will have to become expert bargain buyers in they’re going to use it. (Every indication at this point is players intend to free agency, finding useful players on league minimum contracts to fill in vote overwhelmingly in favour of this CBA extension, with an the cracks. announcement expected Friday by the league.) But the Leafs path forward gets a lot murkier at this point. And it might be Will this hurt the 2020-21 Leafs? here that the front office has to think about deviating from such a top- heavy salary structure, given the cap will be far more stagnant than I dug deep into next season’s roster here, and I think the answer is, anyone could have anticipated, pre-pandemic. frankly, no. The Leafs will need to ship out a middling forward salary – like Andreas Johnsson’s $3.4 million a season – and they’ll be a bit more Paying three players in the $11 million range makes less sense in an inexperienced on defence, but they’ll still be able to ice a strong roster. environment where good players across the league are going to be forced to accept less than their value in the coming years. Toronto could be shut out from playing in that bargain market if they’re capped out for years – and that could really burn them.

This is going to be a debate about opportunity cost, in some respects, as teams like Ottawa and Detroit, with tons of cap space, may reap the benefits of a flattened cap while the Leafs are forced to shed talent every year.

What about 2022-23 and beyond?

Assuming Johnsson is traded after the season, the Leafs are on track to have only seven players signed by the summer of 2022: the big four forwards up front, Alex Kerfoot, Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl. (And Holl, as mentioned, may be lost to expansion.)

Kasperi Kapanen will be RFA by 2022. So, too, will Sandin and Liljegren. Even Robertson could need a second contract by this summer, if he plays enough games this year to burn the first year of his ELC.

But the bigger issue will be Morgan Rielly heading to unrestricted free agency at 28 years old. Anything you commit over $5 million will be money you have to subtract from elsewhere, assuming the cap remains still remains flat for a fourth consecutive season.

By this point, Tavares will be 32 and have only three years left on his contract. Matthews and Nylander will have two years left until they become UFAs, and Marner will have three.

If that core group is still together, two years from now, that may well be when the hardest decisions are forced on and the front office.

If the NHL had a salary cap in the high 80s or even low 90s by that point – which was considered plausible up until the shutdown – they could contemplate keeping the gang together longer term. But I don’t think that’s even going to be an option, by 2022.

Maybe by that point, a lot of this is more clear. Perhaps the Leafs have emerged as a perennial contender and the core has established it can get the job done. Or it becomes obvious that the roster construction is flawed, and they can’t compete with some of their rivals with a more nimble cap situation.

This isn’t the same situation, but it’s been interesting the past few months as our staff has written more stories about the Leafs of yesteryear. It’s put into focus how well-managed those Cliff Fletcher and Pat Quinn teams of the 1990s and early 2000s were – and how poorly prepared subsequent management teams were for the salary cap when it arrived in 2005.

This new CBA isn’t quite as drastic a change, but we’ve also never had a situation where the NHL’s upper limit has been frozen for a half decade. What that might mean for the league’s salary structure, across all age and talent brackets, is very difficult to forecast sitting here in July of 2020.

It feels likely, however, that a lot of players, young and old, are going to have to accept less money than they’ve been accustomed to. And, at the moment, it’s hard to see the Leafs being well-positioned to take advantage of that shift.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020

1187561 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights to rebroadcast 8 wins on radio

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal July 9, 2020 - 4:40 PM

The Golden Knights will rebroadcast several of their wins from this season on the radio.

Fox KKGK (98.9 FM, 1340 AM), the team’s station, will rebroadcast eight victories starting Monday. Each broadcast will start at 6 p.m. and feature the entire game.

The highlighted games are among the team’s most memorable this season. Three of the eight made the Review-Journal’s top-five list.

The full schedule (original air date in parentheses):

Monday — Golden Knights 4, San Jose Sharks 1 (Oct. 2)

Wednesday — Golden Knights 4, Nashville Predators 3 (OT) (Nov. 27)

July 17 — Golden Knights 5, St. Louis Blues 4 (OT) (Jan. 4)

July 19— Golden Knights 4, 2 (Jan. 16)

July 21 — Golden Knights 6, St. Louis Blues 5 (OT) (Feb. 13)

July 23 — Golden Knights 6, Anaheim Ducks 5 (OT) (Feb. 23)

July 25 — Golden Knights 5, Calgary Flames 3 (March 8)

July 27 — Golden Knights 3, Edmonton Oilers 2 (OT) (March 9)

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187562 Vegas Golden Knights would fit perfectly into Peter DeBoer’s system, which favors defensemen who can activate into the offensive rush. It also helps that the 21-year-old is still on his entry-level contract, making only $863,333, and is slated to be a restricted free agent in 2021-22. Five potential Seattle expansion position players Vegas could target via trade Bean is almost too perfect of a fit for Vegas. The biggest issue with working out a trade may be that Carolina doesn’t want to lose two good defenders. If Bean was the only one it could lose, it would be a slam- dunk scenario for Vegas, but even after trading Bean, the Hurricanes By Jesse Granger Jul 9, 2020 could still lose a player as good as Brady Skjei or Haydn Fleury. That could lead to Carolina deciding to stand pat and let Seattle take its pick.

Last week at The Athletic, beat writers for NHL teams attempted to 2. Kieffer Bellows (LW) predict what protection lists will look like for the Seattle Expansion Draft The Islanders are another team with a glut of forward depth, which in summer 2021, then Eric Duhatschek conducted a mock expansion means plenty of talent will be left exposed. Seattle could have its pick of draft. Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck and Johnny Boychuk, as well as youngsters Seattle will make only 30 selections because the Vegas Golden Knights Michael Dal Colle, Otto Koivula and Kieffer Bellows. are exempt from the expansion draft. When they entered the league, and Of them, the most appealing option is undoubtedly Bellows. The 22-year- owner Bill Foley paid the $500 million expansion fee, part of the old was selected with 19th in 2016 by the Islanders and plays a heavy, agreement was they would be exempt from the draft and Foley would physical game with just enough skill to finish plays. Bellows is a forgo his percentage of Seattle’s expansion fee. nightmare for the opposition on the forecheck, where he pressures That is great news for the Golden Knights for obvious reasons. They defenders into turnovers, and has the hands and shot to turn them into won’t have to surrender a player to Seattle, but the draft could also goals. He fits Vegas’ mold for power forwards and would be an instant provide Vegas with even further benefits. Because teams are setting up upgrade. their rosters to lessen the impact of losing a player to expansion, Vegas He won’t be cheap in terms of trade return, but his salary of only could use its exempt status to acquire a player or two before the 2020-21 $894,166 could make him a prime target for the cap-strapped Golden trade deadline. Knights. I already highlighted five goaltenders the Golden Knights could acquire 3. Nick Ritchie (LW) via trade next season to help teams out of an expansion jam while bolstering Vegas’ goalie depth. But goalie isn’t the only position the As one of the most talented teams, it’s no surprise Boston stands to lose Golden Knights could look to improve using that tactic. Teams will a very good player in expansion. Ritchie is a bit older than the others I’m choose to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie or highlighting but he’s still young — and cheap — enough to be eight skaters and a goalie. considered.

As we saw with Vegas’ expansion draft, that leaves plenty of talented Anaheim traded Ritchie to the Bruins just before February’s trade skaters available, players some teams would rather trade than lose for deadline in exchange for forward Danton Heinen. Ritchie plays a hard- nothing to Seattle. nosed game but hasn’t shown the offensive output the Ducks hoped for when they drafted him 10th in 2014. But at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds, In this exercise, I focused more on younger players for two reasons. The Ritchie is a physical force on the ice. During their expansion draft, the Golden Knights don’t exactly have much cap room to work with, and that Golden Knights were able to work out a trade that involved an will only be exacerbated by the potential flat cap moving forward. underwhelming Ducks draft pick and it worked out all right for Vegas. According to CapFriendly, Vegas already has $75.125 million allocated to Perhaps Ritchie can be another William Karlsson. next season, leaving only $6.375 million to spend with pending unrestricted free agents like Robin Lehner and Jon Merrill and restricted Nick Ritchie Boston Bruins free agents like Chandler Stephenson and Nick Cousins still to be signed. 4. Alex Nylander (LW)

For that reason, some players Vegas would otherwise be interested in The Blackhawks could be faced with a tough decision between two trading for aren’t going to be options. One example is in Tampa Bay, promising young players next summer. Chicago will likely be debating where the stacked Lightning will almost certainly lose a talented player to between protecting 22-year-old forward Alex Nylander and 22-year-old Seattle. Alex Killorn, Yanni Gourde, Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson defenseman Lucas Carlsson. Both appear to have a very bright future, could all be available, but they all carry a cap hit of around $5 million per and even The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers couldn’t decide year, so they simply don’t fit into Vegas’ salary cap without the Golden which direction to go. Knights moving a significant contract to make room. The players I’ll If Chicago can’t find a way to protect them both and opt to protect the highlight are much cheaper options and could improve Vegas without a defender, Vegas should be running to the phone to call about Nylander. major cap hit. The brother of the Leafs’ William Nylander, he is a skillful young forward The second reason I focused on younger players is the Golden Knights with phenomenal touch around the net. He would be an instant injection have an age gap they’ve been attempting to fill since the expansion draft. of youth and skill to a stellar — but aging — group of Golden Knights Vegas has only four players under 25 — Shea Theodore, Alex Tuch, forwards. Zach Whitecloud and Nic Roy. Adding another talented player in that age 5. Brandon Montour (D) range could help down the road when players like Paul Stastny, Max Pacioretty and Alec Martinez fade. During the Golden Knights’ expansion draft, the Ducks traded Theodore to Vegas in order to avoid losing other players — most likely Montour. Without further ado, here are five players potentially destined for Seattle Now Theodore is the best defender on the Golden Knights, and there’s a whom Vegas could target via trade: chance they could end up with Montour as well. 1. Jake Bean (D) Anaheim traded Montour to the Sabres at the 2019 trade deadline, The Hurricanes are extremely deep, and while that’s usually a good recouping a first-round pick and prospect Brendan Guhle. He’s an thing, it hurts them during expansion. Whether they opt to protect eight offensively gifted defenseman who is also solid in his own end. Unlike total skaters or seven forwards and three defensemen, they are likely many on this list, he is not on an entry-level deal, and the contract he going to lose a quality blueliner. The Athletic’s Sara Civian opted to gets as a restricted free agent this offseason will certainly impact his protect seven forwards, leaving only three spots for defensemen — and appeal. she protected Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce. Bonus player: Another defender Buffalo could leave exposed, according That would leave Jake Bean — one of the brightest young defensive to The Athletic’s John Vogl, is Colin Miller. Vegas inked Miller to a four- prospects — exposed to expansion. Bean was spectacular in the AHL year contract in 2018 before trading him to the Sabres. It would be this past season for the Charlotte Checkers, leading all defensemen with interesting to see if George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon still have 48 points. The smooth-skating blueliner was the 13th pick in 2016 and interest in Miller, who is a right-side defenseman with a howitzer shot on the power play.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187563 Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin selling ‘We Will Skate Again’ t-shirts and masks to help local community

By Ryan Homler July 09, 2020 5:21 PM

Alex Ovechkin will be selling custom "We Will Skate Again" t-shirts, face masks and neck gaiters with all proceeds going toward foundations in the DMV community, the Capitals announced in a press release Thursday.

The products, which can be purchased at the Ovechkin's online store, feature his signature logo. The shirts also have the phrase "We Will Skate Again" written across the front. Here's a look at some of the designs from the press release: t-shirt.png

Money raised from t-shirt sales will be donated to the Tucker Road Ducks and The Tucker Road Parent Hockey Organization. The youth hockey team from Prince George’s County, Md., tragically lost their ice rink in 2017 due to a fire. The organization is working to rebuild it, while also striving to make hockey available for kids of any economic background.

Proceeds from the masks and neck gaiters will go to the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation's “Feeding the Frontlines” fund, which was created as a way to help those in the community who are dealing with the negative impact of COVID-19.

Ovechkin and the rest of the Capitals are gearing up for the beginning of training camp on July 13 as the NHL gets closer to a return.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187564 Washington Capitals room. Losing Oshie would mean losing that spark in the locker room, however, and MacLellan will have to decide whether that is a fair trade- off.

How a flat cap could affect the Capitals' approach to the Seattle Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.10.2020 expansion draft

By J.J. Regan July 09, 2020 6:00 AM

The NHL salary cap is going to remain at $81.5 million for next two years at least. That is going to make life difficult for Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan. With the team already tight against the cap ceiling, he won't even get the annual relief of the cap rising. One way in which the team could find a modicum of relief, however, is through the 2021 expansion draft. Every team in the NHL will lose a player to Seattle which means taking a contract off the books. Given the team's cap situation, there is one player specifically to keep in mind when it comes to the expansion draft: T.J. Oshie.

For the expansion, each team will be able to protect eight skaters and a goalie or seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie. It seems safe to assume Washington will choose the latter. Here are the forwards that will still be under contract after the 2020-21 season: Nicklas Backstrom, Nic Dowd, Lars Eller, Carl Hagelin, , Evgeny Kuznetsov, Oshie, Richard Panik and . The contracts for both Alex Ovechkin and Jakub Vrana expire at the end of the 2020-21 season, but both will almost certainly be re-signed so we can add them to the list.

Of the forwards the team would want to protect, the most obvious choices are Backstrom, Eller, Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, Vrana and Wilson. Most would assume that the seventh spot should go to Oshie, but should it?

As I wrote yesterday, one of the issues for Washington is that the team has several long-term deals on the books. For a team with little room under the cap, MacLellan had to offer longer-term deals instead of big money ones to remain competitive in the gree agent market. The risk is that it ties you to a player for longer, but even if a player is not living up to his contract, the percentage of his cap hit would decrease every year with a steadily rising salary cap. Well, now the cap is no longer rising and that means players on long deals, like Oshie, are not getting better as the players age.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to Oshie. First, he will be 34 at the time of the expansion draft and will only be halfway through an eight-year contract that carries a cap hit of $5.75 million. Obviously, the chances that Oshie would be living up to that cap hit when he was 37 or 38 were low when Oshie first signed the deal, but that's OK because with a steadily rising cap, the percentage would probably be low enough at that point that it would not be a significant issue. But now the salary cap is flat which means MacLellan is going to have to take a hard look at all of the team's long-term deals and project out what the team can expect from those players towards the end of their contracts.

Oshie is having a great season with 26 goals and 23 assists. He was on pace for 58 points which would have been his best in Washington. He is a leader on the team and a real boost to the locker room. No one could question his value to Washington now, but the question is what will his value be in the second half of his contract?

RELATED: WHY A FLAT SALARY CAP IS BAD NEWS FOR THE CAPS

Granted, Seattle knows all of this, but there are three reasons why Oshie would still be an attractive acquisition. First, Oshie's cap hit is essentially a non-factor for a team starting from scratch. The Caps have very little room to work with under the cap while Seattle has all of the room to work with. A cap hit of $5.75 million would hardly be a deterrent. Second, Oshie is actually from Washington state. While most fans remember Oshie taking the Cup to his hometown of Warroad, Minn., Oshie was born in Washington and lived there until moving to Minnesota in 2002. Third, when building a team, you need players like Oshie who are personable and charismatic. He is the life of the locker room and a natural leader. He would be Washington's native son, returning to lead the team in its inaugural season.

To me, it is not a stretch to think that if Oshie is indeed selected, he would be in the running to be Seattle's first captain. His departure would also provide some cap relief to a Washington team in need of the extra 1187565 Washington Capitals and, ultimately, the thing we have to do is put our team in the best situation where we can have success.”

4. Where do things stand with the forwards? Key questions as the Capitals prepare to open summer training camp There doesn’t figure to be much drama here.

Brendan Leipsic is gone and Travis Boyd, who saw action only By Tarik El-Bashir Jul 9, 2020 sporadically in the second half, figures to reprise his role as the 13th forward.

So the 12 forwards who suited up in Buffalo on March 9 will probably be When the Capitals hit the ice Monday morning at MedStar Capitals the 12 forwards who dress for the opening game of the round robin. And Iceplex for training camp, it’ll mark the team’s first practice with a full they’ll likely line up in the same order. Indeed, once, Ilya Kovalchuk found complement of players and coaches in 124 days. a home on the right side of the third line and Richard Panik discovered his fit on the left side of the fourth line, Reirden finally had the mix he was Not that anyone has been counting. seeking up front. Seriously, though, if all goes according to plan, coach will The presence of McMichael, the team’s 2019 first-round pick, might put Alex Ovechkin and his teammates through their paces with an eye on generate some hype given his 102-point season with OHL’s London Phase 4 — the return to game action, which is slated to begin early next Knights and breakout performance at the world junior tournament. But month. the plan — for now, anyway — is to let the 19-year-old soak up the But before the Caps head to Toronto for the resumption of play, they’ll experience, not put pressure on him to challenge for playing time. need to slog through two weeks of practices and intrasquad scrimmages. 5. What’s up with the defense? And they’ll need to answer some key questions in the process. Unlike the forward corps, this group bears watching. Among them: Prior to the pause, Reirden was still tinkering with it. If you recall, he 1. Who’ll be at camp? changed up the pairs against the Sabres, helping spark a third-period The Caps’ training camp roster will feature the 22 players who were on rally from two goals down, though the Caps ended up losing 3-2 in the the team when the season was halted, plus a mixture of prospects (like shootout. Connor McMichael) and farmhands (like Tyler Lewington). Among the questions that (still) need answering four months later: We recently published a projected roster that you can read here. Of Has Michal Kempny returned to full health and regained confidence in his course, things can and do change frequently in an environment that’s as surgically repaired hamstring? If so, can he and Norris Trophy candidate uncertain as this one. But with just five days remaining until the first John Carlson rediscover their chemistry? It could be the key to a long practice, we feel pretty good about our picks. and successful run. That said, two more players need to be added to our list: forwards Brian Will rookie Martin Fehervary perform well enough in camp to put serious Pinho and Philippe Maillet were spotted practicing Tuesday in Arlington pressure on anyone in front of him? The coaching staff is very high on (via B-roll distributed by the team). Both spent all of last season with AHL the slick-skating 20-year-old Slovak, and he did appear in six games Hershey. Pinho, 25, posted a career-high 20 goals and 37 points in 62 during the regular season. If anyone slips up, watch out. games, while Maillet, 27, was the Bears’ leading scorer with 44 points (17 goals and 27 assists) in 61 games. Neither has appeared in an NHL Remember Radko Gudas? He was good at the start of the year but faded game. as the year wore on. By the end, the hard-hitting veteran was out of the lineup altogether, scratched for the final three games. Don’t write him off An official roster will be announced closer to camp. just yet, though. The 30-year-old is an unrestricted free agent at season’s 2. Will anyone opt out? end and has many millions of reasons to perform as well as possible.

There have been no rumblings of any Caps choosing to sit out. Alex Alexeyev, the Caps’ 2018 first-round pick, is also expected to be in camp. Like McMichael, however, he’ll be along for the experience, not to Under the terms of the return to play plan, though, players have up to 72 suit up. hours after the ratification of the package to decide whether they want to play or opt out of this summer’s tournament. They do not have to give a 6. Any injuries to monitor? reason, nor must they produce medical documents supporting their While a handful of the 24 teams returning to play will be getting key decision. (Read Scott Burnside’s excellent piece on the issues players players back from long term injuries, the Caps had no such issues will be weighing here.) heading into the break and figure to be at full strength coming out of it. In As of Wednesday evening, almost every player who is expected to fact, the Caps lost only 53 man games due to injury all season and six participate in Washington’s camp was either already skating at the players — Carlson, Brenden Dillon, Lars Eller, Dmitry Orlov, T.J. Oshie facility, in town and awaiting clearance to join their teammates or was and Jakub Vrana — played in all 69 regular-season contests. (Dillon expected to arrive soon. played his first 59 games as a member of the Sharks.)

3. What’s the battle to watch? 7. Will fans have access to the Capitals’ side of MedStar Capitals Iceplex? Braden Holtby vs. Ilya Samsonov. No, fans will not be permitted to watch training camp practices. It’s Holtby’s net to lose, Reirden said last month. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any pressure on the incumbent starter. And, yes, that’s going to be weird.

Holtby was, no doubt, the better goalie in the two months prior to the The ramp up to the postseason is typically one of the best times to catch pause. In fact, he went 4-1-2 with .901 save percentage and 3.07 goals- a practice at the rink on the roof, particularly on a Saturday morning with against average in his final seven starts. Samsonov, on the other hand, the stands (and parking lot) completely full. But, for obvious reasons, flamed out after a hot start, going 0-4-1 with an .869 save percentage that’s not possible now. The Caps rink has actually been cordoned off and 4.34 goals-against average in February and March. and it will remain that way until the team departs to its designated hub city on July 26. Will there be any carryover after four months off? Unclear. But we can probably assume this much: If fatigue had indeed become a factor for 8. How is media coverage going work? Samsonov in his first NHL season, he should be plenty fresh now. Don’t worry, the camp scrimmages will be live-tweeted by the scribes. “Going in it’s Braden Holtby’s job to lose and I feel confident in him,” Stories will be posted at The Athletic on a regular basis as well. Reirden said last month. “I felt confident with where things were going The plan, at the moment, is for a small group of reporters to be permitted right before the pause in terms of how his game was coming around and to observe the camp practices from a distance. Details haven’t been I think he’ll get the first crack at it. But we’re going to be evaluating … announced yet, but we suspect it’ll be from the bleachers while wearing a mask and sitting/standing six feet from others.

The biggest difference will be in how reporters interact with the players and coaches. Instead of conducting interviews in the locker room or at the podium, they’ll be virtual, via a program like Zoom, just as they’ve been done throughout the stoppage.

It’s not ideal but, hey, what is ideal anymore?

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187566 Winnipeg Jets

Scheifele fires back at chef's lawsuit

Ryan Thorpe

Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele says he fired his personal chef because he was incompetent and failed to prepare meals fit for an elite athlete.

The hockey star filed a statement of defence this week in response to a wrongful dismissal lawsuit launched by Jeremy Senaris in February. The Winnipeg chef was a finalist on the popular TV culinary competition MasterChef in 2016, and later became Scheifele’s personal chef.

Senaris alleges breach of contract and is seeking $75,000 in damages.

Scheifele fired back by asking the court to throw out the lawsuit with costs.

"Scheifele denies that the plaintiff performed his duties competently, faithfully and diligently," the statement of defence reads.

"(Senaris left) meals uncooked, partly cooked, or cold on the kitchen stovetop, and otherwise (failed) to adequately prepare meals in a manner commensurate with the nutritional and dietary requirements of an elite athlete."

In addition, the document contends Senaris failed to consistently and properly perform his duties while Scheifele was on road trips with the Jets, which included having meals delivered or informing Scheifele where he could get meals in a given city.

In the statement of claim, Senaris said he had repeatedly been given good performance reviews by Scheifele while on the job. The statement of defence contests that. "Scheifele states, and the facts are, that the plaintiff was frequently advised that his performance was sub-par, inadequate and in breach of his contractual obligations," the document reads.

The statement of defence further alleges Senaris failed to devote adequate time to his work as Scheifele’s personal chef, and instead seemed preoccupied with other business ventures, including multiple pop-up restaurants in Winnipeg.

Senaris's suit claims he was hired through Scheifele’s agent corporation to be his personal chef for the 2017-18 NHL hockey season at a salary of $50,000. The contract reportedly included a health and benefits plan.

Senaris’s statement of claim alleges he was not paid or reimbursed for expenses in a "timely manner," and that he was not provided with a health and benefits plan.

None of the allegations has been proven in court.

Scheifele, 26, has played seven seasons with the Jets, the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2011. In 2016, he signed an eight-year, US$49-million contract that runs until 2023-24.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.10.2020 1187567 Winnipeg Jets The Stanley Cup is expected to be handed out no later than Oct. 2, kicking off an abbreviated off-season that will include the draft around Oct. 6 and free agency on Oct. 9.

Jets refuse to say who participated in first Phase 2 skate Following a very short pause, camps are expected to begin around Nov. 17 in advance of a Dec. 1 start to the 2020-21 season.

The NHL is planning on a full 82-game calendar, which is expected to run Mike McIntyre into the summer once again given the late start. Whether games will be played in front of fans remains to be seen, but the current infection

numbers in the United States aren't encouraging. The Winnipeg Jets finally took flight on Thursday, opening Phase 2 of the Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.10.2020 NHL's return-to-play protocol behind closed doors and under a shroud of secrecy.

Players were permitted to skate at Bell MTS Iceplex for the first time since a global pandemic shut down the season in mid-March. However, the club refused to say who participated or even how many players showed up.

No reason was given for keeping everything so hush-hush. Per NHL regulations, no media or fans were allowed on site and the Jets didn't provide any photos or videos of the action, which might have offered clues, the way many other teams have done over the past month.

The Jets are the last team to open their doors for this stage, as the majority of players left the city for their off-season homes and only returned in the past couple weeks. The mandatory 14-day quarantine required for those returning from outside Canada has been waived for NHL players, replaced by a shorter stay in isolation (believed to be one week) as long as multiple COVID-19 tests are negative.

"The Government of Canada has issued an exemption to the mandatory isolation order under national interest grounds for team members and staff of the NHL. As ongoing conditions of the exemption, players and staff must comply with the NHL’s public health plan, and (the Public Health Agency of Canada) must approve any changes to that plan. This gradual and measured resumption of professional sports is another step towards safely restarting many of the activities that were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic," a federal government spokeswoman told the Free Press.

The Jets have declined to offer specifics about the quarantine protocol, but it's likely some late-arriving players who only got back to the city in recent days are still locked down.

Phase 2 attendance is voluntary, with everyone required to abide by extensive health and safety regulations including mandatory testing. As of Monday, the NHL said 396 players had reported to club facilities around the league, with 23 testing positive. Another 12 players who were skating independently have also tested positive.

Fans weren't allowed in the Iceplex and Jets management wouldn't say who skated. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Fans weren't allowed in the Iceplex and Jets management wouldn't say who skated. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The NHL and NHLPA struck a tentative agreement earlier this week outlining both the short and long-term future of the league, including how a 24-team Stanley Cup tournament will be held later this summer in hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto. There is also an extension of the collective bargaining agreement through 2025-26, which includes Olympic participation in 2022 and 2026.

Players began voting on Wednesday, and results are expected Friday.

As long as a majority give it the thumbs up, Phase 2 around here will be short-lived. The Jets will begin Phase 3 on Monday in the form of a mandatory summer training camp that is expected to run for a couple weeks before the team heads to Alberta to begin life inside the bubble environment. The Jets can carry an expanded roster of 31 skaters.

They will play an exhibition game or two the week of July 27, then begin a best-of-five qualifying series around Aug. 1 against the Calgary Flames. The winner will advance to the traditional round of 16, facing either St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas or Dallas in a best-of-seven series. The loser will have a one-in-eight chance at the No. 1 overall draft pick, expected to be teenage phenom Alexis Lafreniere, based on the results of the NHL draft lottery last month.

Media will be allowed inside the empty rinks to cover training camp and playoff games under strict regulations, including COVID-19 testing. 1187568 Winnipeg Jets Senaris had also claimed that Scheifele used media interviews to repeatedly praise his chef as a key factor in his athletic success and never reprimanded him personally.

Jets' Scheifele takes on the chef in food fight, Round 2 No. 55’s lawyer poured cold water on that, too.

The statement of defence says “…the Plaintiff was frequently advised that his performance was sub-par, inadequate and in breach of his Paul Friesen contractual obligations.”

Senaris claimed they’d agreed to a contract for a second season, only to have Scheifele add a teammate’s meals (likely roommate Andrew Copp), It’s time for the other side of a story that had mouths watering from but not much additional cash, to the deal. He says he was unfairly Tuxedo to Transcona earlier this hockey season. terminated after that. A legal scrap between Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele and his Scheifele’s lawyer says during negotiations for a second season, Senaris personal chef provided more than a few juicy scraps for ravenous made unreasonable demands and the two sides never broke bread on a readers back in February. new agreement. Scheifele, you may recall, was hit with a lawsuit accusing him of reneging Not only did the Jets star compensate the chef fairly, he adds, he paid on his commitment to Winnipeg super-chef Jeremy Senaris, not paying him for an extra three weeks even after the cook shut off his stove for him on time, not covering his benefits and then unfairly kicking him out of good. his kitchen for good. The two sides even disagree on who, exactly, Senaris was dealing with. The allegations came in a statement of claim filed in Court of Queen’s Bench in February, in which Senaris, a former finalist in TV’s Scheifele’s lawyer says the agreement with the meal guru was actually MasterChef Canada, wants $75,000, plus costs. through a numbered Ontario company, and not with Scheifele himself.

The claim described Scheifele’s behaviour as “callous” and The numbered company is also named in the original claim. “unprofessional.” Keep in mind, none of these allegations have been tested in court. Five months later, with the Jets preparing for Monday’s opening of training camp and a resumption to the pandemic-interrupted season, we Scheifele’s defence does acknowledge one item the plaintiff and get Scheifele’s side in a statement of defence filed this week. defendant are in agreement on.

The gist of the response: Scheifele, through his lawyer, denies virtually “The Defendant Mark Scheifele admits the allegations contained in everything the lawsuit says and invites Senaris to prove his allegations, paragraph 3 of the Statement of Claim,” the statement reads. presumably in court. Paragraph 3? As for the $75,000, not only is Scheifele refusing to pay it, he wants the It reads as follows: “The Defendant, MARK SCHEIFELE, is a lawsuit dismissed and says Senaris should pay his costs. professional hockey player… resides in the City of Winnipeg during the A little background might help set the table for this food fight. NHL Hockey Season.”

A few years ago, after consulting with ageless NFL quarterback Tom It’s not much. Brady’s former personal chef, Scheifele hired one of his own. But perhaps these opponents have something to build on as they work Not one to leave any stone unturned in his quest to be the best player he towards a settlement. can be, he hired Senaris to design his meal plans, prepare the meals at Winnipeg Sun LOADED 07.10.2020 home and make sure they got delivered when Scheifele and the Jets were on the road during the 2017-18 NHL season.

The chef’s salary would be $50,000.

The Jets had quite a season, finishing second in the NHL’s Central Division with a 52-20-10 record.

Scheifele was tied for third in team scoring with 60 points in just 60 games, then went on a tear in the playoffs, scoring 14 goals in 17 games as the Jets reached the Western Conference Final.

By contrast, Scheifele, in his statement of defence, says Senaris’s work in the kitchen was far from top-drawer. Half-baked, even.

The chef was “leaving meals uncooked, partly cooked, or cold on the kitchen stovetop, and otherwise failing to adequately prepare meals in a manner commensurate with the nutritional and dietary requirements of an elite athlete,” the statement says.

On road trips, Scheifele says he often didn’t get meals delivered as promised, while text messages from Senaris telling him where he could potentially get his grub often came too late.

While Senaris was to accompany Scheifele on the road during the playoffs, his work wasn’t adequate, the defence claims.

This dispute goes beyond the breakfast, lunch and dinner tables, even touching on the all-important daily snack.

The chef also failed to prepare between-meals snacks on a consistent and timely basis, Scheifele’s lawyer says, taking as much as two to three days to respond to snack requests.

The defence says Senaris was too focused on other endeavors, like his various pop-up restaurants, to devote sufficient time and attention to his duties. 1187569 Winnipeg Jets “He was my guy,” Kovacevic said. “He was a centre and I was trying to be exactly like him.”

One day when he was 10 or 11 years old, he got a chance to meet Jets prospect Kovacevic draws confidence from his unusual journey to Spezza at the opening of a new gym, and he still has the picture to this the pros day.

“I was a huge fan so I showed up an hour early,” Kovacevic said. “There was only like five people that ended up showing up, so I got to meet him. Ted Wyman It’s pretty crazy to think that he’s still in the league now.

“I still have that picture of me meeting him so that would be hilarious to get a chance to play against him. That would be a childhood dream come Johnny Kovacevic admits it was a crushing blow. true.” He was 17 and after completing his second training camp with the Spezza, 37, is playing this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Niagara IceDogs of the , he was cut. Kovacevic long ago switched to defence and has managed to find some The defenceman had been drafted by the IceDogs in 2013 and success despite being a big man in a game that is getting smaller and expectations were high. faster. “I just didn’t make it to be quite honest,” Kovacevic said. “When I was 17, “It has definitely changed the way I train,” he said. “The game is getting I was still growing and I was a little bit overweight too, filling into my body. so much faster, so much more skilled. As a big guy, naturally speed is A couple months into my 17-year-old season, I was playing Tier II junior the No. 1 thing you have to work on — agility, speed, keeping up with A.” those little guys in the corner. It’s a bit of an odd route to professional hockey, but Kovacevic is proof “For sure the game is trending toward a lot more small, smooth-skating that getting there is more important than how you get there. defencemen, but I still have to use my strength as my strength. I am big His play with the Ottawa Junior Senators and Hawkesbury Hawks of the and that can work against you if you’re lethargic and slow, but as long as Central Canada Hockey League drew the attention of the coaching staff you’re working to stay fast and keeping up with the game, you can use it at Merrimack College in and once he arrived in the to your advantage. If you’re in the corners, using your reach, you can be NCAA, he surprised even himself with his quick development. successful. I definitely don’t think it’s a dying position or anything. There’s definitely still a lot of room for bigger guys as long as they know how to “I’d say I was a bit of a late bloomer but everyone has their own path,” use their body.” Kovacevic said. “There’s not one way you have to make it.” The good news for Kovacevic and Jets fans is he has proven to be a When he started at Merrimack, Kovacevic was hoping to play four years battler and that will continue as he tries to make his way into the NHL and prove himself enough to earn a free-agent contract with an NHL team’s lineup. team. “I can look back and draw confidence from the fact that it’s been a It didn’t take anywhere near that long. journey just to make it here,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I keep moving forward?” The 6-foot-4, 208-pound right-shooting defenceman was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the third round of the 2017 NHL draft after playing just THE FILE ON KOVACEVIC one season of college hockey. He was 19 at the time and it was two years after he first became eligible for the draft. AGE: 22 (July 12, 1997)

“I don’t think I’ve ever been one to dwell on disappointments so HOMETOWN: Grimsby, Ont. sometimes it’s nice to look back and see how far I’ve come,” the 22-year- HEIGHT: 6-foot-4, WEIGHT: 208 pounds, old from Grimsby, Ont., said. POSITION: Right defence, SHOOTS: Right “It was disappointing not making the OHL but my goal was just to develop. I don’t think I’d be here without going the college route. It has DRAFTED: Third round, 74th overall by Jets in 2017 done so much for me.” THE SKINNY: After three years at Merrimack College, Kovacevic signed Kovacevic just completed his first full season with the of a two-year entry-level deal with the Jets in 2019 … Scored four goals and the AHL. He played three seasons at Merrimack before that and entered had 12 points as a rookie with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL in 2019- Jets/Moose training camp last season at the very bottom of the depth 20 … In his pro debut — a one-game tryout with the Moose late in the chart. 2018-19 season, scored a goal and added an assist.

Again, it didn’t take long for him to make a strong impression. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 07.10.2020 At the beginning of the season, he was part of a bottom pairing rotation and was sitting out every third game. By the end of the year, he was seeing plenty of top-pairing minutes.

He wound up scoring four goals and 12 points in 45 games.

“It’s nice when you get a chance to prove yourself and then, as things go on, you find your stride,” Kovacevic said. “I definitely feel good about the way my game trended.”

Though he didn’t grow up in a hockey family — his parents never even skated — Kovacevic was drawn to the game because he was a Canadian kid in a small town.

“All my friends played hockey, so it’s just something I really wanted to do,” he said. “I played road hockey every single day, I played in my basement and I fell in love with it then. And I really found a passion for the game when I started playing on a team.”

At first, all he wanted to do was play centre and score goals.

He was a huge Ottawa Senators fan and slick centre Jason Spezza was his idol. 1187570 Winnipeg Jets Take a moment to imagine it: Connor/Scheifele/Laine on the top line. Lafrenière/Wheeler/Ehlers on line two. Or whichever combination of forwards you enjoy most.

Fun with long odds: What if the Jets won the draft lottery? If you’ll entertain some math: The total odds of one of the placeholder teams winning the first overall pick in the first draft lottery were 24.5 percent. Winnipeg’s current odds are roughly 6.25 percent, meaning the odds of a placeholder winning and then Winnipeg becoming that By Murat Ates Jul 9, 2020 placeholder are (.245 * 0.0625) or just 1.5 percent.

I’ll let you decide for yourself how spectacular that would be but let me The Winnipeg Jets have much better odds of winning the draft lottery and say this: If the odds of rain on any given day are 1.5 percent I’m sure as choosing Alexis Lafrenière first overall than they have of winning the puck not reaching for an umbrella on my way out the door. Stanley Cup. Step 2: Draft Lafrenière and run It’s outlandish but it’s true — at least, according to a whole host of Taken from Corey Pronman’s scouting report, consider the following Vegas-based sports betting sites. praise from scouts. A quick Google will tell you the Vegas odds of Winnipeg walking away NHL scout: “He’s a guy who has continued to raise his game over time. with Lord Stanley’s mug are roughly 50:1 — that is, two percent. Our He’s elite and has separated himself from his peers.” resident oddsmaker, Dom Luszczyszyn, is even less optimistic: His model does not like the Jets’ season-long underlying numbers and NHL scout: “He’s exceptional in nearly every regard. His straight-line lowers Winnipeg’s odds to a paltry 0.1 percent. speed is average, but his edges, balance and work in traffic is excellent. He gets to the hard areas without fear and makes high-end plays in Compare that to Winnipeg’s odds of winning the second draft lottery after traffic.” the play-in rounds are completed — 6.25 percent, if you assume the Jets are 50/50 to beat Calgary — and all of a sudden the thought of Lafrenière NHL scout: “He’s a really competitive kid, he brings it every night. He’s a starring at Bell MTS Place for the next decade are awfully appealing. natural goal-scorer. He can play a physical game, he goes to the scoring areas out of natural instincts. He has the skill, he has a great brain. He’s No, there isn’t an NHL player alive who would tank a play-in series for produced from such a young age.” better odds at a draft pick. That’s not what this story is about. As soon as the puck is dropped on August 1, you can count on the Jets doing Pronman himself describes Lafrenière’s puck skills as elite and his everything in their power to stay in the playoff fight and march through hockey sense as top-line calibre while comparing his offence favourably the Western Conference. Their goaltender is as good as it gets, their to Nathan MacKinnon’s at the same age. scoring talent is deep and brilliant, and their defensive foibles have been dulled in our memories by the passing of time. As June comes to a close, That’s not to say Lafrenière projects to be a perennial Hart Trophy Winnipeg has the same wing and a prayer — or chip and a chair, if you candidate as MacKinnon has become, dominating play from the middle prefer gambling terms — as any other team in the league. of the ice — as a wing, his impact will always be muted and he doesn’t possess MacKinnon’s speed. But Lafrenière does project well even when But at the back of the mind, a question still burns. What if Winnipeg loses compared to other recent first overall picks. to Calgary, raising those lottery odds all the way to 12.5 percent? One in eight isn’t half-bad. And with Lafrenière as the long term prize for short To get a sense of just how good Lafrenière is compared to other top draft term failure, there has to be some part of a fan’s mind that fantasizes picks, Craig Custance recently gave NHL executives a chance to draft about Winnipeg’s lottery-winning future. (Note: if COVID-19 means the any one of the last ten top picks or take Lafrenière instead. They rated play-ins don’t happen, Winnipeg will be one of eight teams with 12.5 him fifth, choosing Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, MacKinnon, and percent odds at drafting first overall. This is based on regular-season Rasmus Dahlin before Lafrenière but taking him above Taylor Hall, Jack points percentage.) Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

With the math out of the way, could you imagine a playmaker like With all due respect to Quinton Byfield, Tim Stutzle, and the rest of the Lafrenière, whose puck skills and vision scream Art Ross candidate 2020 draft class, no one else comes close. during the peak of his career, lining up across the ice from a shooter like Step 3: Run an overpowered offence Patrik Laine? That elite vision sending pucks through seams to one of the best young scorers in the game? Projected Jets lines

It’s a tempting thought. Let’s see it through. Kyle Connor

What if the Jets won the lottery? What would Lafrenière mean to the Mark Scheifele franchise next season, through the Seattle expansion draft, and well into the future? Could he become the scorer that pushes Winnipeg back over Patrik Laine the top, offensively, or even make room for the Jets to trade another Nikolaj Ehlers young star for help at centre? Andrew Copp Without further ado, here are the five steps the Jets should take if they win the right to draft first overall. Blake Wheeler

Step 1: Celebrate Alexis Lafrenière

If Winnipeg goes from ninth seed in the West to first overall, it will be an Bryan Little absolute coup for an already very good offensive team. Jack Roslovic For as long as Blake Wheeler is a top-six player, Winnipeg’s crop of forwards will be the envy of most NHL teams. Mark Scheifele is a point Mathieu Perreault per game offensive machine, Laine has scored at a 30 goal pace or Adam Lowry better every season and is just 22 years old, Nik Ehlers can drive play as a skater while pushing 60 points year in and year out, and Kyle Connor Mason Appleton just dropped 38 goals in 71 games. Maybe you liked the idea of Wheeler at center. Maybe you miss the Add Lafrenière, whose obsession with all facets of hockey runs so deep Copp/Lowry based checking line. And sure, you might like a little more he once penalized himself for hitting an imaginary Saku Koivu during a balance between pure scorers and two-way stalwarts. game played all by himself in the family basement, and Winnipeg gets better in an awful hurry. But arrange the names as you see fit — you can’t lose (unless you are Jansen Harkins, who deserves an NHL job.) You can safely project Lafrenière to make the opening night lineup. A It may even be that Lafrenière himself becomes the trade chip in this blue quick consultation with Dom’s Game Score model shows roughly wins sky, lottery winning scenario, but for reasons of cap hit I think a bigger added by recent No. 1 forwards like Hischier and Hughes. contract than his would need to go out.

That’s encouraging — Lafrenière should already be the equivalent of a Finally, Laine isn’t automatically exempt from trade in this thought good top-six forward as a rookie and might well contribute at a first-line experiment — especially with less cost certainty on his contract — but rate. Add that to Connor, Scheifele, Wheeler, Laine, and Ehlers and the idea is to keep two elite wingers on each side of the ice. Winnipeg’s top six becomes the envy of any team outside of Tampa Bay. If the Jets can run that group of forwards with Josh Morrissey, Dylan Step 5: Achieve balance? DeMelo, and Neal Pionk on defence, they likely compete for the 2020-21 Let me propose two imaginary lineups. Central Division crown. The first is based on a swap of 2015 first rounders — Kyle Connor and One little problem, however. This forward group isn’t balanced. Jack Roslovic, plus a first round draft pick, for Jack Eichel. The price is all It’s missing a centre. kinds of dear but the money works and the balance is incredible:

Step 4: Trade a star forward The blockbuster

Here’s where the thought experiment gets interesting. Nik Ehlers

Lafrenière would be exempt from Seattle expansion, meaning Winnipeg Mark Scheifele could still protect seven forwards, three defencemen, and Connor Blake Wheeler Hellebuyck without risking additional losses. That’s obviously a relief, given Eric Duhatschek’s most recent mock draft saw the Seattle Alexis Lafrenière franchise choose a good player in Adam Lowry. Morrissey and Pionk are Jack Eichel locks to be protected on defence, while DeMelo will also be retained if he is re-signed this offseason. Patrik Laine

Still, it’s hard to imagine Winnipeg having a lot of success without help in Andrew Copp the middle. The Jets have traded for a centre at three consecutive trade deadlines — Paul Stastny, Kevin Hayes and Cody Eakin — and clearly Adam Lowry see it as a place to upgrade. Bryan Little We’ve already explored 16 second line centre options for next year’s Jets Mathieu Perreault without Lafrenière starring on the wing. But what if Winnipeg gets to add him to Laine, Connor, Ehlers, and Wheeler? Jansen Harkins

One of those wingers would become expendable. Mason Appleton

Simple math suggests it would be a left wing — Connor or Ehlers — The second is based on a trade for a lesser but still offensively gifted given that’s also Lafrenière’s natural position, although I’m sure creative centre from Montreal. fans could make the case to trade Laine or even Wheeler instead. The trade is one-for-one The case to trade Connor is that he’s the most productive offensive player and therefore the most appealing asset. His 73 points in 71 Kyle Connor games, including 38 goals, tie him with Scheifele for 15th in league Mark Scheifele scoring. Combine that with cost certainty — six more seasons at $7.14 million AAV — and you can forget about his poor defensive analytics: It’s Blake Wheeler tough to imagine a more desirable asset. It’s a bit of a fantasy but if you’re looking to pry a disgruntled Jack Eichel away from the Buffalo Alexis Lafrenière Sabres, a package that begins with Connor is probably Winnipeg’s most Max Domi realistic play. Patrik Laine Of course, those are exactly the same reasons why Winnipeg would likely want to keep Connor in the fold. He has scored more and more Andrew Copp each season, has the trust of his coaching staff in all three game states, and is still only 23 years old. From the hashmarks in, the Jets have no Bryan Little better offensive threat than Connor. Jack Roslovic

Eichel is obviously the dream scenario — a franchise centre who would Mathieu Perreault be the first overall draft pick in almost any non-McDavid year. And, while Buffalo should be loathe to trade him, they also traded Ryan O’Reilly, a Adam Lowry centre so good at both ends of the ice that he won the Conn Smythe Trophy — and the Stanley Cup — in his first season in St. Louis. Mason Appleton

The case to trade Ehlers is that, despite his play-driving zone entry Once again, the money works — but is the balance worth the price? prowess, he’s likely seen as more expendable by the Jets than Connor Which version do you prefer? What else would you suggest? We’re is. He plays fewer minutes, gets less power play time, doesn’t kill already living in a 6.25 percent chance, early-July fantasy-land so be penalties, and Connor has outscored him by 41 points over the last two sure to have your say in the comments. seasons. That said, one imagines that opposing teams measure Ehlers by offence, not opportunity, and won’t part with a premium asset just The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 because Ehlers led all Jets in 5-on-5 points per minute this year. There is also that matter of the trade rumours at last summer’s draft.

The case not to trade Ehlers is two-fold: First, one suspects Connor’s superior offensive game make him the better candidate to land a true difference-maker at centre. Second, based on the difference in minutes between the two players — Connor has played nearly a minute more than Ehlers at 5-on-5 and two more minutes on the power play — it’s likelier that Connor has reached his offensive ceiling. It’s harder to imagine Connor increasing his elite offensive totals because it’s tough to squeeze more minutes into his nightly workload. 1187571 Vancouver Canucks He is in a weird spot right now. He’s hopeful his team can go on a long run this summer. If that happens, it could be months before he sees his family in person again. (The NHL has said Oct. 2 is the latest the Stanley Cup Final could be played.) Patrick Johnston: Horvat happy to be a new dad, Canuck wants Stanley Cup added to summer thrills “At the beginning of the year we set out a goal to make the playoffs and have a chance at the Stanley Cup,” he said. “If I’m going to be away from my family and put my time and effort into coming back and playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, I want to go all the way. Patrick Johnston “I want to try to win this thing so it’s not just a waste of time and be away

from my family for no reason.” Bo and Holly Horvat have joined the COVID-19 Baby Club, albeit dad is Of course, now that he’s away from his family, he’s getting proper sleep. trying to join the Stanley Cup Club while mom stays home to look after the infant “My wife curses me out pretty much every day,” he said with a laugh.

If Bo Horvat needs advice on how to be both a hockey player and a Horvat is now a father on a team that has more than a handful of parents, father, he’ll have plenty of experience to lean on. so he’ll have plenty of faces to turn to for advice about how to handle life as a hockey player/parent. The Vancouver Canucks’ captain is a new dad. His wife, Holly, gave birth to a son last week. “That’s a good question, I should probably ask,” he said of whether he’s discussed parenting with any of his teammates. He’s excited about the With NHL training camps set to open Monday, Horvat was facing a reality there won’t be any days off anymore. He has taken note how his predicament — Holly was originally scheduled to give birth by caesarean teammates with kids tell him that off days are actually days on when it section on Tuesday. Alas, baby Gunnar had different plans and was born comes to your family. June 28. And as for how Gus is coping with new roommate, Horvat said it’s proven On video chat with reporters Thursday afternoon, Horvat admitted he to be an adjustment for the dog, too. struggled with the decision of leaving his young family in Ontario to get ready for training camp in Vancouver. “Gus was pretty upset when Gunnar came home for the first time.”

Two Sundays ago Holly started feeling “off,” the new dad recalled. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.10.2020 Eventually it was clear she was having contractions but still went to the hospital thinking she might, at worst, be in the early stages of labour. Braxton-Hicks contractions perhaps.

An hour later he received a call telling him he needed to get back to the hospital. Two hours after Holly was first dropped off, she gave birth to Gunnar.

The name, he said, was one he and Holly really liked. They have a big extended family so finding one that was “unique” was a bit of challenge.

“We wanted him to have a strong name,” the Canucks captain said. “The best week of my life hands down.”

And while the timing was a surprise, three weeks early in fact, Horvat was delighted to be there for the birth.

View this post on Instagram

Baby Horvat is already rockin’ #Canucks gear! : @BoHorvat A post shared by Vancouver #Canucks (@canucks) on Jul 2, 2020 at 12:04pm PDT

With the NHL telling players who travelled across Canada via commercial flights to self-isolate in their home-team city for eight days, Horvat flew to Vancouver last Sunday, leaving Holly and Gunnar — and the family’s French bulldog Gus — behind with family.

While it was a tough decision, he never had any doubts about playing in the post-season. So instead of changing diapers and helping his wife manage their new reality, he’s living at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver for now and skating with a group of other quarantined Canada-based skaters.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s not going to be easy,” he said. “But I wanted to be there for my teammates.”

Just about every moment he’s not on the ice or working out at — most of the Canucks’ roster is living in cohort quarantine conditions at the team hotel, divided into tight training bubbles — he’s on the phone with his family, using FaceTime to get as much video time as possible with wife and son.

“They’re probably getting sick of me,” he said with a laugh. “I miss them, you want to be there in those early stages … to help out the best you can. But in the circumstances what can you do?”

View this post on Instagram

Best day of my life ! Welcome to the family Gunnar John Horvat we are so lucky to have you in our lives A post shared by Bo Horvat (@bohorvat) on Jul 1, 2020 at 9:24am PDT 1187572 Vancouver Canucks “It has been very valuable to me and I’m very grateful for that because he has helped me learn how to attack and we’re of similar stature.”

Ah, yes. The never-ending height question. Ben Kuzma: Canucks prospect DiPietro measures up in net to career THE DIPIETRO FILE challenges Age: 21

Hometown: Amherstburg, Ont. Ben Kuzma Height/Weight: Six-foot, 201 pounds

Position: Goal Mike DiPietro has learned to improve his game and ignore his doubters. Drafted: 2017, 64th overall "If people want to continue asking me about my height, they’re just wasting their breath — I’m not paying attention to it. The last thing I need The skinny: “Even in practice, he doesn’t like to get scored on. is to have that cloud in my mind — I’ve got pucks whizzing by my head at Sometimes, you have to work goalies in slowly at the AHL level, but he 95 miles per hour." — Canucks goalie prospect Mike DiPietro hit the ground running. He wanted the net and has been good.” — Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning Mike DiPietro isn’t wired to be a bubble boy. DiPietro is asked about his six-foot frame as much as Calder Trophy The Vancouver Canucks’ goaltending prospect is instinctively gregarious, candidate Quinn Hughes of the Canucks is queried about his 5-10 but his energetic, engaging and self-deprecating deportment is being stature. The top 13 NHL goalies this season in goals-against average tested amid the constraints of the novel coronavirus pandemic. were all well above six feet. Pavel Francourz of the Colorado Avalanche As the Canucks prepare to open training camp on Monday at Rogers was 14th and is a six-footer. Arena, the NHL organization’s latest goalie of the future lives very much So, what does that mean? Bigger goalies cover more net. But the in the moment. argument is moot to DiPietro. He can stand up or dive across the crease It’s Netflix binging in his downtown hotel room, FaceTime calls with his to negate scoring chances. grandmother and long-distance card games with her on the iPad. And it’s After all, the 5-11, unorthodox Tim Thomas won the 2011 Stanley Cup physical distancing at every turn as a 21-year-old, mask-wearing and Conn Smythe Trophy with the Boston Bruins. asthmatic, to make the most of Phase 2 voluntary skates in the NHL’s Return To Play plan. “If people want to continue asking me about my height, they’re just wasting their breath — I’m not paying attention to it,” said DiPietro. “The Following a shortened rookie season with the AHL affiliate , last thing I need is to have that cloud in my mind — I’ve got pucks in which the Windsor, Ont. native sported a 21-11-1 record, 2.79 goals- whizzing by my head at 95 miles per hour. against average, .908 saves percentage and transitioned into a starting role, the learning curve will only get steeper on and off the ice. Even for a “And I never focus on stats. The only ones I care about are wins and guy who has won a Memorial Cup (2017) and World Junior Hockey losses and are we in a playoff spot and how can I help my team get Championship praise (2019). there? There are so many stats and analytics that people harp on that sometimes it takes away from what hockey is — it’s a team game.” On the ice, DiPietro knows the crease pecking order is commanded by Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko. And even though the real work The unfinished AHL season, and uncertainty about when next season will starts at camp with goalie coach Ian Clark, any ice is good ice. For now, start, has DiPietro in an odd spot. He made gains in his game, but the DiPietro is refining his game as much as possible because drills are true measurement wasn’t there. The Comets finished 34-22-3-2 in the mostly skill based for defencemen and forwards. North Division and were primed for a post-season run.

Off the ice, it has been adjusting to the new reality of training in a COVID- “When it initially shut down, we had that blind hope that it would resume 19 world, especially in hard hit southern Ontario. DiPietro’s off-season and pick up where we left off, so it was hard and it hurt,” admitted home is the tiny town of Amherstburg, a 35-minute drive from Windsor. DiPietro.

“Everything was locked down tight in my area because we have a lot of “Usually, at the end of a year, you can have some closure and that was migrants working in the greenhouses of Leamington (Ont.), DiPietro said probably the worst part. It left us with a lot of unanswered questions and Thursday. “Our arenas weren’t open, so one of my goalie coaches from a lot of things are up in the air.” back home had access to a puck-shooting machine. I found some synthetic ice and I would go out in my gear in my driveway and he took What wasn’t surprising is how DiPietro has dealt with COVID-19 shots at me in March and April. It helped me see pucks better. awareness. His grandparents reside in the family home in Ontario and his diligence is about protecting himself, others and especially aging “You can only bounce the (tennis) ball against the wall so many times to family members. help with that. I got access to a squat rack and ran outside — anything to think out of the box. And in June, I did a two-hour drive to London to “I wasn’t really leery of getting it (virus), it was just more about being skate with Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson four times a week. Those were conscientious of the people around me. You have to be smart about it. some long days.” You can’t be ignorant of the facts, but I’m also a big believer that you can’t live your life in fear. What DiPietro doesn’t have is a long memory. “You just do the right things as instructed by health officials. I’m not going He has appeared in two NHL games. This season, there was a third- to go and hide inside. I’m more of an action-taker — abiding by rules and period relief appearance in a 6-3 loss at Las Vegas on Dec. 15. And finding a way to live life the best I can.” there was the mind-numbing, confidence-zapping, circus-like 7-2 drubbing by the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 11, 2019 because Markstrom Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.10.2020 and Demko were injured — although Markstrom did act as the backup.

DiPietro took ownership and chalked up his first full outing to inexperience. He knew veteran teammate Richard Bachman, 32, had been through his own career hell — including an Achilles injury that ended his 2018-19 season in December — and the unrestricted free agent was the perfect sounding board.

“He was a great resource for me, especially being in another country,” stressed DiPietro. “The first year of pro, there are a lot of hoops you have to jump through and I fed off him — whether it was goalie or life related — and how he rolled with the punches of what was dealt to him. 1187573 Vancouver Canucks a “cross-checker” role, a scout who moves beyond their assigned territory to give alternative looks on players.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.10.2020 Ex-Canucks scouting director Judd Brackett hired by Minnesota Wild

Patrick Johnston

The well-regarded ex-Canucks scout has landed on his feet with the Minnesota Wild.

Former Vancouver Canucks director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett didn’t stay unemployed for long.

The Minnesota Wild have scooped up the Massachusetts-based scout, nine days after his contract with the Canucks officially expired.

The Wild, who the Canucks are preparing to face in next month’s Stanley Cup playoffs qualifying round, announced Thursday that Brackett will lead the NHL team’s amateur scouting department.

He’ll get to put his reputation to the test right off the bat, as the Wild have three picks in the first 45 of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, which is expected to take place sometime in October. He’s known to be a scout who places a lot of value on a player’s character and desire on top of their obvious skill sets.

Brackett’s work in Vancouver was very well regarded in scouting circles. He was promoted to director of amateur scouting in 2015, after Eric Crawford was fired and Canucks then-president Trevor Linden and general manager Jim Benning began to reshuffle their scouting department.

He had been working for the Canucks as a United States Hockey League-focused scout since 2008. A former collegiate goalie, he’d previously worked for the Indiana Ice of the USHL and the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Brackett was the scout who lobbied for Adam Gaudette in 2015, for instance.

Once he was put in charge of amateur scouting, his work drew the notice of Linden and by the 2017 draft, Brackett’s voice had become very influential in how the team built their draft list.

Canucks’ drafts in 2017, 2018 and 2019, under Linden and Benning, are considered to be very strong and many in the industry pointed to the standards Brackett and his top lieutenants had put in place, collecting information in a coherent fashion and getting as many views in on players as possible.

But after Linden left the club in 2018, Brackett and Benning grew more at odds over the team’s scouting approach, to the point where this season Brackett was offered a two-year extension by Benning but without guarantees over his role, especially in how he could direct scouts and staff his department.

In the end, Brackett didn’t sign the extension and Benning announced in late May that Brackett wouldn’t be returning. The two essentially hadn’t spoken for months at that point.

Benning, whose scouting reputation was a big factor in his original hiring in 2014, indicated after it was announced that Brackett would be leaving that he saw himself taking on more duties in directing the department.

It is expected assistant general manager John Weisbrod’s voice will grow in influence as well. Weisbrod was very involved in building the draft list for the 2016 draft and has long been a key advisor to Benning. The two first worked together for the Boston Bruins, where Weisbrod was the director of collegiate scouting and Benning was the assistant general manager.

Also, Ron Delorme, who ran the Canucks’ scouting operations from 2000 to 2012 before being reassigned back to scouting the WHL by Mike Gillis, seems likely to regain prominence in the Canucks’ drafting focus.

Delorme’s voice is one that Benning is also understood to appreciate — the GM’s highlighting of Delorme’s voice in the decision to draft Elias Pettersson was notable, given that Delorme was really just one of a chorus who were calling for ‘The Alien’ to be drafted. Delorme and Todd Harvey, who has been scouting for just two years, are currently assigned 1187574 Vancouver Canucks From a Canucks perspective, that’s suboptimal, especially considering how many players the club has signed to contracts that rather precisely match that description.

Canucks return to play nears, Jack Rathbone’s status and the Judd The bridge contract thing Brackett thing The MOU doesn’t fundamentally alter much in the realm of player control matters, but one area it does reform is qualifying offers.

By Thomas Drance Jul 9, 2020 We’ve seen the big platform year valuation become an industry standard in recent seasons, particularly with the wash of second contract guys last summer — most notably Timo Meier, but Charlie McAvoy and Brock Boeser as well. The NHL has pulled off the seemingly impossible. This is a bit technical, so bear with me. The idea of a higher platform year Two hub cities — or “Phase 4 Secure Zones” — located in Canadian valuation is that it offers some security to restricted players signing bridge markets with relatively low levels of community transmission. A CBA deals. The back diving structure of the contract guarantees these players extension without a work stoppage. Phase 3 and Phase 4 health and a significant qualifying offer. safety guidelines that legitimately make sense. In practice, this is how it works. In order for the Canucks to retain their It all feels rather adult and intelligent. Wise and calculated, particularly in “rights of first refusal” for Boeser when he becomes a restricted free comparison with what’s occurring with the other professional sports agent in the 2022 offseason, the Canucks will have to tender him a leagues in North America. qualifying offer that’s equivalent to a one-year, $7.5 million contract. If the New Jersey Devils hadn’t opted to chart such an uninspiring future This is an area that’s going to be reformed in the next CBA, although not course for their franchise, you’d be justified in remarking that this version in a way that will impact Boeser and his second contract cohort directly. of the NHL is just about unrecognizable. Boeser’s qualifying offer mechanics are unchanged, but on all There’s still a ratification process to work through, though. Players can subsequent bridge contracts, however, the cost of the qualifying offer will still withdraw from the competition. The outbreaks in Phase 2 facilities in now be based on the average annual value of the bridge contract and not St. Louis and Tampa Bay are a useful reminder that as the NHL looks to on an outsized salary valuation in the final year. So Boeser’s qualifying conduct a grand experiment — hosting an indoor competition in a offer — if his contract had been signed in the new system — would’ve collision sport in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic — we’re still been at $7.05 million, as opposed to at $7.50. far from the finish line. I’m calling it “the Timo Meier rule,” anyway. Actually, we’re still not in the opening gates. That’s a fun, CBA geek detail but the bigger bridge contract fallout to look But in moving toward return to play, this has all unfolded about as well as at from a Canucks perspective is the increased likelihood that players like it could’ve to this point. In fact, it’s arguably an uncharacteristic example Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson will opt to go a bit shorter with their of the NHL seizing a leadership mantle among the North American second contracts than we might’ve otherwise expected. professional sports leagues. This one will be fascinating to watch and not just because it’s the biggest As for the Canucks, The Athletic can confirm the entire roster has already long-term Canucks story to track, or because Hughes and Pettersson will reported to Vancouver. Thirty-four Canucks skaters, presented and become eligible to sign second contract extensions beginning on the third accounted for. day following the ratification of the MOU by the NHL and the NHLPA. Nothing is final until it is, but the club is expected to have its full arsenal Certainly there’s a school of thought that players of Pettersson and of roster players available when it hits the ice for a classic Hughes’ calibre and their representatives will simply tell teams “hey, the bag skate at Rogers Arena on Monday. flat cap isn’t my problem. This is market value.” MOU scorecard That might work for some players, but you have to remember what we’re Reading a 70-page NHL/NHLPA labour document might not sound talking about with the second contracts for Hughes and Pettersson. interesting, but for me, it was a sign of normalcy. Nature is healing. We’re not talking about players that slot in at a high level of performance Most of the agents, team executives and league sources I’ve reached out but with a large coterie of comparables that give us a rough handle on to on the matter think it’s a fair deal, but there’s still some mixed reaction where their market value will land. The second contracts for Hughes and to the memo of understanding (MOU) document. Pettersson have an opportunity to detonate the existing market.

Some believe that the teams have taken a bath here. Certainly the Consider this: of the inflated second contract forward class of the past owners were unable to procure a variety of player control issues — from few years — a group that includes Leon Draisaitl, Jack Eichel, Auston fixing arbitration to making signing bonuses subject to buyouts — that Matthews, Mitch Marner and Connor McDavid — only McDavid they would’ve prioritized in normal times. outscored Pettersson on a point per game basis in his first two NHL seasons. There’s also very little short term relief in the document for some of the league’s lower revenue teams. They’ll be looking at a tough slog for a Then consider this: Thomas Chabot, who signed the largest second year or two. contract for a defenceman in the salary cap era this past fall, had 55 points in 70 games as a 22-year-old in the year before he signed his Others, however, argue that while the players did well on the whole, the extension. As a 20-year-old, Hughes had 53 points in 68 games. continued priority of limiting escrow — based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the “guaranteed money” concept — caused the For players like Pettersson and Hughes who have an opportunity to Players’ Association to extract fewer concessions than they otherwise fundamentally alter the market paradigm for second contract players, a could’ve considering their leverage in return to play. bridge-type second contract is now a more likely outcome. Just trying to empathize with their representatives, the big question I have is: “How do I Meanwhile, there’s a sense that while teams conceded on a variety of get fair market value for my client in a flat cap world, where teams won’t player control details, that owners should come out ahead over the life of factor growth of the upper limit into their valuation of this player?” the CBA assuming the world returns to something more closely approximating “normalcy” by the midpoint of the extension. If revenues It’s going to be an awful lot harder for teams to consider doing a return to pre-pandemic levels while the cap remains restrained by things Matthews-type unprecedented second contract. like the “Lag formula,” that could be a win for the teams, restraining My guess, and we’ll see how this plays out in the practical application of salary expenses to a greater extent than the previous system would’ve. this new CBA, is that there won’t be enough incentive — cost certainty is Finally, there’s a relatively widespread sense that the group of players great, but it’s a secondary motivator — for teams to bet big on market most likely to get hollowed out in the new system are mid-level veterans. setting long-term second contracts becoming highly efficient toward the In a flat cap world, it’s not the star second contract guys most likely to back end of that player’s prime seasons. take a haircut. It’s the late-20s, $2.5-$3.5 million supporting piece. There’s second contract players that will still go long and get theirs, I’m The Canucks’ primary focus is on safely returning to play and on winning sure. their qualifying round series.

For those rare players — players like Pettersson and Hughes — with a Excluding the entry-level contract window for unsigned draft choices, the strong case to break the market, I’d bet that bridge deals become more most interesting potential signing to watch out of the gate is Tryamkin. commonplace in the early years of this new CBA. Tryamkin is motivated to return to the NHL. He’s actually very Jack Rathbone and the three day window comfortable returning to Vancouver and regards the opportunity to restart his NHL career in a place that he has some familiarity with as a plus. Upon ratification of the MOU, teams will have a three day window (from the beginning of the third day following ratification, until the close of The Canucks have put some time into bringing him back to the fold. He’s business on the fifth day following ratification — a lot of the MOU reads had lengthy telephone conversations with head coach Travis Green, like an inelegant version of a passage from “Genesis”) in which they’re among other organizational leaders. able to sign their “Unsigned Draft Choices” to entry-level contracts that burn the first year of the deal. There’s a soft deadline to be aware of here, though, as KHL training camps open on July 15. Tryamkin hasn’t signed in the KHL yet because Those contracts won’t include a signing bonus for the 2019-20 season, his priority is clearly the NHL and it’s not as if the Russian defender and but it’s a fascinating wrinkle and one that strengthens the Canucks’ hand his agent Todd Diamond are looking at July 15 as some kind of drop in regard to their pursuit of Harvard blueliner Jack Rathbone. dead date.

Rathbone is, in our estimation, really, really good. He’s also playing for a They’d certainly prefer to have some certainty, though. school that won’t resume play again until the winter at the very earliest. He’s in a pretty tough spot. There’s an understanding among all sides that Tryamkin will be signing a “prove it” type contract, with a one year term. As such, and because he’s Rick Dhaliwal has reported that we may get some clarity soon out of the got options in the KHL, he’s going to want a decent salary. Rathbone camp. If the Canucks do get Tryamkin done, it seems unlikely to be on a deal There’s been whispers out of the Boston area for a long time that with a bargain bin type cap hit. Rathbone was a Justin Schultz-route flight risk — though most Harvard players are, based on the recent history of Jimmy Vesey, Adam Fox and A curious broadcast note Alexander Kerfoot — but the combination of Harvard cancelling fall We don’t know exactly what the NHL return to play broadcast will look sports and the NHL providing this three day window for teams to sign like on television, but we know it’s going to look nothing like the game their draft picks and burn the first entry-level year, theoretically tilts things broadcasts we’re familiar with. in the Canucks’ favour. Pandemic is going to be an entirely new I can tell you that of all the details in the new MOU that caught the experience. attention of the Canucks front office, this three day window was at the very top of the list. To wit, here’s an interesting note I learned this week: when the Canucks and the NHL were moving forward confidently on return to play with The flip side of this, of course, is that if Rathbone were to decline to sign Vancouver as a “Phase 4 Secure Zone”, the league made it apparent with the Canucks in these circumstances, that would certainly speak that carpentry teams would require access to the building well in advance volumes. of games being played.

The Brackett thing Why? To construct platforms for television cameras.

Judd Brackett has landed. The idea: capture broadcast angles that would never be remotely He’s now a member of the Minnesota Wild and will serve as the possible to capture in a world where fans are in the seats and gate organization’s amateur scouting director, as first reported by The revenue matters. Athletic’s Michael Russo. We now know that the first week of August will feature a unique, high A month ago, people close to Brackett were insisting that the Seattle volume smorgasbord of NHL content. There will be a game starting every expansion franchise was the clubhouse leader to procure Brackett’s two hours in two hubs throughout the qualifying round of games. services on his departure from Vancouver. It sounds like a lot, but it also sounds fantastic.

I looked into it a couple of weeks back, and the sense I got was that the Beyond a feast of plenty, though, with the way the NHL seems to be interest from Seattle was real, but a bit distant. preparing to shoot these games, it could also be a feast for the eyes.

Brackett was definitely on their list and there may have been some Count me among those fascinated to see how it all looks. superficial conversations between the two sides, but ultimately I think Seattle wanted to wait and see a bit. They’re more likely to begin ramping Bonus points up their staffing efforts on the amateur side in September. The Canucks have long been expected to have a roughly $1.7 million It’s been a bit of an open secret around the industry that Minnesota was bonus over penalty, salary cap fallout from Hughes and Pettersson likely to replace P.J. Fenton as the director of amateur scouting — maxing out their Schedule A bonuses during the 2019-20 season. though he will remain with the organization. Wild general manager Bill However, the new transition rules provide an opportunity for teams like Guerin moved fast, making an offer to Brackett despite his club being the Canucks to cut that penalty in half and spread it out over multiple officially considered to be in a hiring freeze. seasons. So instead of having a roughly $1.7 million cap penalty from That just goes to show you how highly regarded Brackett’s work in these bonus overages during the 2020-21 season, the Canucks could opt Vancouver has been in the industry. to have a roughly $850,000 bonus penalty in each of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. One is left to wonder, as the dust settles, if the Canucks’ newest geographical rival down the I-5 may regret being passive in this particular That additional $850,000 in cap space could be very high leverage for a pursuit. Canucks team facing some very difficult choices cap-wise this offseason.

Waiting game on Tryamkin Pettersson’s contract carries $850,000 in Schedule A bonuses that we now expect him to hit with relative ease based on his superstar level of Whether it’s Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, Tyler Toffoli or Nikita play in his first two NHL seasons. His contract also carries an additional Tryamkin, I’m not expecting the ratification process to set off a big wave $2 million in Schedule B bonuses that are also attainable. of Canucks business on the contract extensions front. Forget the obvious areas — a major NHL award, for example — because Obviously things can change quickly. Conversations between the of his jet fuel draft-plus-one performance with the Vaxjo Lakers, organization and various representatives are ongoing, but the sense I get Pettersson has the standard Schedule B bonus language of a first-overall from conversations with the club and with various agents is that these pick in his entry-level contract. He’ll earn a $2 million bonus if he’s in the negotiations will take some time. top 10 in the NHL at seasons end by goals, assists, points or points per game.

This season Pettersson was off the pace by seven goals, 12 assists, 12 points and 0.28 points per game. That seems like a bit of a gulf, but Pettersson was 21. It’s very much conceivable that he could take a step of that size — or more — between this season and next.

Or think about it this way: Pettersson was seven goals away from earning an additional $2 million bonus this past season, and he hit the post or crossbar with 13 shots in 68 games (only Draisaitl hit iron more often).

Considering the Canucks’ cap situation, you’d think they’d have to take the risk and defer half of their overage penalty. It’s a decision that comes with significant risks, though.

After all, if you think about it, Pettersson was like five combined inches away from being a top-10 goal scorer this season.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187575 Vancouver Canucks That would have been appropriate for somebody in Brackett’s position because one can assume he has a lot of propriety information as to the Canucks’ plans, likes and dislikes for the upcoming draft.

Wild hire former Canucks draft guru Judd Brackett to lead amateur But instead, the two sides decided to part ways. scouting In late May, Brackett issued a statement saying “an agreement on the level of input going forward with regard to staff personnel and process could not be reached.” By Michael Russo Jul 9, 2020 Benning said, “I come from a scouting background, I believe in collaboration and the chain of command where the director of scouting either reports to the director of player personnel, the assistant GM or GM. On Thursday, Bill Guerin made his first significant front-office addition I don’t know too many places where the teams are going to give the head since becoming the Wild’s general manager 10 1/2 months ago by scouting total autonomy without collaborating higher up the chain of bringing in the well-regarded Judd Brackett to oversee Minnesota’s command than he is.” amateur scouting department. Brackett, married and a father of four, came up through a non-traditional The 43-year-old Brackett comes to the Twin Cities fresh off a 12-year path to become director of amateur scouting and developed a reputation stint with the Vancouver Canucks, the past five as their director of as an innovative super-scout with impressive work ethic. amateur scouting during a span in which the team gobbled up such gems as Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. After a very public and unusual The Cape Cod native, who owns a couple restaurants in the area, is a breakup with the Canucks allowed him to become a “free agent” on July former goaltender that coincidentally played for Guerin’s old junior team, 1 despite never getting to work his final draft with the club, Brackett though the two have no history together. Brackett played one year at ended up unemployed barely a week and will hold the same title with the Northeastern University and three for Connecticut College. Wild. He’d go on to write NHL prospect content and scouting reports for Back in early May, Guerin let go a couple longtime scouts, including McKeen’s for a few years and began his scouting career with the Quebec Darren Yopyk, who co-ran the draft table last summer with P.J. Fenton. League’s Gatineau Olympiques in 2005-06. While there, Gatineau won There had been rumblings throughout the National Hockey League ever the Presidents Cup in 2008. Brackett would then become head scout and since that Guerin intended to eventually hire an executive to direct the vice president of player personnel for the now-defunct Indiana Ice in the scouting department. Such names suddenly available included Brackett, USHL. He captured two Clark Cups while with the team and concurrently Carolina’s Rick Dudley, Los Angeles’ Mike Futa and Buffalo’s Randy began his NHL scouting career as an area scout for the Canucks Sexton. responsible for the northeast and USHL.

Originally, the NHL hoped to conduct the 2020 Draft in early June well Brackett served seven years as an amateur scout with the Canucks before this summer’s resumption of the 2019-20 season. So after firing before being promoted to head honcho on the amateur side before the Yopyk, Guerin planned for assistant GM Tom Kurvers to oversee the 2015-16 season. draft operation with Fenton and director of European scouting Ricard Persson co-running the Wild’s remote draft table. The elevation came two months after Brackett reportedly pushed for the Canucks to draft eventual Calder Trophy finalist Brock Boeser (75 goals But with this summer’s draft now pushed until after the Stanley Cup Final and 161 points in 197 NHL games) out of Burnsville in the first round and and tentatively set for Oct. 6, Guerin contacted Brackett as soon as his center Adam Gaudette in the fifth round. Gaudette, 23, went on to a contract expired June 30. It’s believed expansion Seattle was one other terrific career at Northeastern University and is in his third season with team in hot pursuit. the Canucks.

Persson will continue on as the Wild’s director of European scouting, The respected Brackett has worked hard to help restock the cupboards in while Fenton, the son of former Wild GM Paul Fenton, will remain with Vancouver. You can go through each of the drafts in the past five years the club as an amateur scout, sources say. and find a lot of high-end talent. But what likely also intrigued Guerin was Vancouver’s late-round success during Brackett’s tenure. It gave The 34-year-old P.J. Fenton co-ran a 2019 draft that hit a number of Vancouver a ton of surplus value either as players it could use or talented players, including first-round pick Matt Boldy, second-round eventual trade assets. picks Hunter Jones and Vladislav Firstov and third-round pick Adam Beckman, the Western Hockey League’s leading scorer, goal scorer and As far as specific drafts, the 2019 draft could end up being a home run Player of the Year. for the Canucks. They took uber-talented Vasily Podkolzin 10th overall, Nils Hoglander in the second round and Brackett really campaigned for Judd Brackett seventh-round pick Aidan McDonough, who had a solid freshman year at Brackett (last suit on the right) was a big proponent of drafting Elias Northeastern. Pettersson fifth overall in 2017. Pettersson has 55 goals and 132 points In 2018, the Canucks pilfered the Calder Trophy contending Hughes at in 139 NHL games. (David Banks / USA Today) seventh overall. Brackett also snagged another Northeastern product, The hiring of Brackett in Minnesota comes ironically three weeks before Tyler Madden, in the third round. Madden is the son of former Wild center the Wild will take on his old team and a number of players he’s John Madden and played youth hockey in Edina. Tyler Madden was responsible for drafting in a qualifying round to make the 2020 playoffs. traded to the Kings in this season’s Tyler Toffoli trade.

Brackett’s arrival in Minnesota will surely be big news in Vancouver But maybe the most impressive selection in the Brackett era was because his departure there certainly made juicy headlines. All season grabbing Pettersson fifth overall in 2017. Pettersson was not touted that long, it became clear that front-office friction grew between Brackett and high in the draft, but Brackett was a big proponent and the kid has Canucks GM Jim Benning. emerged into a bona fide star up the middle for the Canucks. Vancouver also selected a number of other talented players in a draft class regarded Benning revealed to the media that Brackett turned down a two-year as the organization’s best since the turn of the century. contract offer from the Canucks and the two parties were never able to come to terms on a new deal. Guerin will be looking for more of the same in Minnesota.

In an unusual step that rarely happens for somebody in a director of The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 amateur scouting role, the Canucks issued a press release and held a conference call in late May announcing that Brackett would be leaving the franchise once his contract expired June 30. A lot of staffers in the NHL who had expiring contracts on June 30 had their contracts effectively extended through the end of this hockey season or even the calendar year. 1187576 Websites my curiosity about the man, and a quick scan of the many books written about him (mostly by, with or for him) revealed that there had never been a traditional, full-scale biography.

The Athletic / How a sports book gets made: Authors from The Athletic I knew enough about Wooden to believe there was a much deeper story break down the process to tell, especially with regard to Sam Gilbert, the program’s infamous rogue booster. I love reading full-length biographies and always aspired to write one. College basketball was my specialty, and if you are going to write a biography in this sport, there is no greater subject in my opinion The Athletic Staff Jul 9, 2020 than John Wooden.

Dohrmann: The first book I wrote, “Play Their Hearts Out,” was about the Book writing can be excruciating. It can also turn into an obsession since world of AAU basketball. I did a series of articles in the L.A. Times about that’s often the only way to get it done. There are no promises on how that topic, and I knew that I wanted to do something deep about that the book will be received or how it will sell. If it sells at all. And yet, there world, but it wasn’t until three years later I found the right team/coach are few things as gratifying as hitting send on that manuscript once the while reporting on a story for Sports Illustrated. My idea: Follow a group final page is written. of kids from the start (age 9) until they graduated from high school. It was, in my view, the only way to show the damage that the AAU system To help celebrate Sports Books Week at The Athletic, we asked a few of did to kids. our authors to take us through the process. The ideas. The reporting. The shameless self-promotion. Writers at The Athletic have written more Linehan: The publisher, Skyhorse Publishing, actually reached out to me than 85 books, and you can find their work listed at the bottom of this after a friend suggested my name. They have an entire series called story. For this project, we asked seven to take us through the process: “Women in Power” and the folks over there had been watching the 2019 World Cup and were immediately on board with getting Megan Rapinoe Craig Custance into the mix as part of this series, even though most of the other profiles were political in nature (Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Alexandria Ocasio- “Behind the Bench: Inside the Minds of Hockey’s Greatest Coaches” Cortez, for instance). I still had to send over a pitch with a general sense Kavitha Davidson of how I would tackle writing about Rapinoe, but being able to consider both her actions on and off the field was something I have become very “Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back: Dilemmas of the accustomed to writing about over the years. Modern Fan” (publication scheduled for September) Law: “Smart Baseball,” my first book, was the direct result of readers Seth Davis asking me to recommend a book that did what I eventually did in that “Getting to Us: How Great Coaches Make Great Teams” book: provide a primer for anyone interested in advanced baseball stats that explained which stats were useful or less useful in plain English. “Wooden: A Coach’s Life” “The Inside Game,” my second book, was my own idea. I was looking for a subject that interested me, leveraged my baseball knowledge, but also “When March Went Mad: The Game that Transformed Basketball” would let me expand into a non-sports area and make use of my ability to George Dohrmann explain abstruse concepts in ways that lay readers could understand easily. “Superfans: Into the Heart of Obsessive Sports Fandom” Custance: I was in Columbus covering a Blue Jackets practice when Ken “Play Their Hearts Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Hitchcock was still the coach there. He chatted with a group of writers for Basketball Machine” a good 20 minutes off the record, just sharing hockey knowledge. Aaron Portzline casually mentioned that Hitchcock would sometimes invite Keith Law writers in to watch film and help writers get a better understanding of the “Smart Baseball: The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are Ruining the game. I thought watching game film with a number of coaches to get their Game, the New Ones That Are Running It, and the Right Way to Think insight and stories would be a blast. A book was a good excuse to About Baseball” convince them to do it.

“The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange Moves, and What Baseball Making the pitch to agents and publishers Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves” Thompson: My first pitch was probably the most fun part of the process. Meg Linehan Everything was so exciting, so fresh. I had no idea what I was doing — completely clueless — so the experience was dripping with novelty. “The Megan Rapinoe Way: Secrets of Success of a World-Class Soccer Fortunately, I had an agent who was very helpful and prepared for my Star” (publication scheduled for November) unpreparedness. So I’d write a pitch and send it. He’d tell me how to tweak it, what to add and how to write it. Our relationship was new at the Marcus Thompson time, too, so I could tell he was prepping. Of course, all of this was “Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry” happening while the Warriors were taking over the world. They started the 2015-16 season 24-0 and began a run to 73 wins. The Bay Area was “KD: Kevin Durant’s Relentless Pursuit to be the Greatest” going insane.

Coming up with the concept Davis: I knew that having a good agent was paramount. David Black has a great reputation, and one of my friends, Ian O’Connor, who was a client Davidson: My co-author, Jessica Luther, and I noticed all of these of his, was nice enough to make the intro. I mentioned my Wooden idea condescending “how-to” guides for women to understand sports, to talk to David in our very first meeting in his office, and he really liked it. I had sports with their boyfriend, to throw a proper Super Bowl party, that sort planned to work on a proposal, but before I could get started I got a call of thing — and as women who not only grew up huge sports fans, but from Paul Golob, who had edited one of my father’s books. Paul asked if have dedicated our careers to covering sports, we were tired of seeing I would be interested in writing a book for Times Books about the 1979 the same tropes thrown out there. We first conceived the book as a NCAA championship game featuring Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. He satirical “how-to” guide for women who have to deal with these constant said we would publish it in 2009 to coincide with the 30-year anniversary. indignities just to exist as sports fans, but it evolved into a much more I thought it was a brilliant idea, and I liked that I was starting out with an serious exploration of the dilemmas sports fans of all stripes face while interested editor — a (Larry) bird in the hand, if you will. I thought writing maintaining their love of the game. that book would be a good experience for me and would serve as a Davis: I met John Wooden in the summer of 2003. Ben Howland had just springboard to my Wooden idea. That’s exactly what happened. gotten hired at UCLA and I arranged to meet him and Wooden at Custance: I had no idea how any of this worked. I did have access to Wooden’s favorite breakfast spot in Encino. Wooden ate there every other writers, though, and they were kind enough to help out. I remember morning and ordered the same thing. After breakfast we went to grabbing TSN’s Bob McKenzie at the World Junior Championships when Wooden’s apartment. Howland left and I ended up staying another two we were there to see this kid Connor McDavid and pulling Bob aside to hours sitting with Wooden in his den while he read me poetry. It started ask what my first step should be. He shared the email of his agent Brian Wood and helped with an introduction. Brian smartly recommended I get Custance: Because I needed so much time with each coach, I was confirmation from 10 high-profile coaches that they’d actually sit down limited to doing most of these interviews in one single offseason. And a and spend a day watching games before he pitched to the publishers. It lot of coaches completely disappear in August, which squeezed my time ended up being a smart approach. even more. So the summer of 2016 was a whirlwind of travel from South Carolina to St. Louis to British Columbia. Dohrmann: At first, I didn’t make any pitch. I just worked on the book. I didn’t take it to an agent until I was six, seven years into the project. It There’s nothing more stressful than flying from Detroit to Vancouver, was a passion project. I was going to do it even if it didn’t have a home. driving to Kelowna and then texting a coach to confirm the plan to meet The better story is from the book I am working on now, which is about the the next day and not getting an immediate response, which happened. soccer development system in America. My publisher, Random House, Turns out Todd McLellan was just out on his boat when I was trying to turned down the idea twice. Then the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 get a hold of him, but that uncertainty and fear of not being able to pull it World Cup and CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin tweeted: “How could a off never goes away until the reporting is done. I remember flying to country with 330M people not make the World Cup?” I sent that tweet to South Carolina to meet with Ron Wilson in his home, ringing his doorbell my editor at Random House and said the book was going to answer that and waiting on the porch with my heart pounding. In that brief moment, question and more. We got a deal done in a week. I’m convinced nobody is going to answer.

Davis: As soon as I finished the Magic-Bird book, I wrote a proposal for Thompson: I started off like, “I can do this.” Got halfway through and was the Wooden book. The proposal ended up being about 60 pages single- like, “Why did I torture myself like this?” When the postseason came, it spaced. David helped me craft it, we showed it to Paul, and once again I was easier because I got to go on the road. I spent all day writing. I’d get was off and writing. to the coffee shop early, work on the book until media access. I’d do my piece for the newspaper. Then I’d go back to writing the book. I’d sleep Law: I had a literary agent through my talent agency, and he helped me for four to five hours, then wake up and do it again. I found a groove and craft the proposal for “Smart Baseball,” which included an outline, a was doing pretty well. I was late, my body was feeling the beatdown and sample chapter, some additional sample content and a description of my bandwidth was draining. But it was happening. And then the Warriors myself with notes on how I could help promote the book once published. lost and I had to cut thousands of words of detail that no longer mattered. The hardest part I ended up getting a month extension when they signed KD. But that was rough. Davidson: For me, it was working with a co-author — purely because of my own limitations there. Writing is such a personal thing, and having Dohrmann: For my first book, the hard part was spending 10 freakin’ someone else depend on my ability to get the work done and meet years reporting. Organizing all that information. Then trying to get it down deadlines was daunting at times. I also went through a pretty serious to a length that wasn’t a tome that no one would read. My second book phase of Imposter Syndrome, where I doubted every word I wrote, every (“Superfans,” about obsessed sports fans) and the current book are interview I conducted, and whether anything I was contributing to this cakewalks by comparison. project was actually worthwhile. Having an extremely patient and You never know where the reporting of a book is going to take you. Kings understanding co-author and supportive publisher and agent was so coach Todd McLellan picked Craig Custance up from a hotel in his boat important in this process. before sitting down to be interviewed. (Craig Custance / The Athletic)

Law: The hardest part of any long writing project for me is starting it. The reporting process Once I get started, I’m usually fine. That was true for both of my books. Davis: Once I had the contract and was committed, I knew I would need Linehan: The challenge of this book is — the whole thing is in and has to spend a lot of time in L.A. So I rented a house for the summer and been through a round of edits, and then, basically, the entire sports world brought my family with me. On June 4, 2010, I took my wife out to dinner has changed since then! Obviously, there’s significant time spent for her birthday. I got a call during the meal that Wooden had died. I considering Rapinoe’s choice to kneel for the anthem in 2016, following knew he was in failing health, but it was still a poignant moment. A lot of the lead of Colin Kaepernick. By the time I sent in the draft, it was kind of my friends were concerned that it had happened a few days after we got unimaginable that the rule U.S. Soccer had put in place around the to L.A., but I reminded them that the man was nearly 100 years old so it anthem would be taken off the books, and we’d see the kind of athlete wasn’t exactly a shock. I did not receive any cooperation from Wooden’s activism we’re seeing from players during the NWSL Challenge Cup. I family, specifically his two children, but to their credit they never told still think all of the lessons of Rapinoe’s actions are good ones, but it’s anyone not to talk to me. To be honest, the reporting was a little easier been hard to not be able to update the manuscript on a day-to-day basis, for me with Wooden gone because people felt more free to speak openly the way the world is changing around us. about him.

Thompson: Time. It is so hard to write a book as a second job while Dohrmann: With “Play Their Hearts Out,” I got in so deep with the under the gun. I remember when the agent first called me, and the cynic players/coach/parents that I was in on meetings with shoe company in me was already like, “This is a scam!” He asked me if I was able to executives and on calls with college coaches and once in the corner take a sabbatical. I was almost done in that moment. YOU WANT ME TO when LeBron James and his teammates were being courted by Adidas at NOT COVER THE TEAM IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS? I thought he was a dance party in a hotel ballroom. I was deep into the AAU world. for sure nuts. A sabbatical? Plus, did he know I’m Black? If he didn’t, his research was shoddy. But he should know Black people don’t take Law: I spent a lot of time reading research papers in academic journals sabbaticals. What the hell you mean not work? I remember thinking all of for “The Inside Game” so I could explain the various cognitive biases to that in the car after I hung up with him. Later, as I started writing the readers as they were first defined by experts, using the same examples book, I apologized to him in my head. I was covering what was shaping and giving the history of each bias as we know it, so readers would have up as the greatest season ever while also writing a book. It was more context and understand when and where the biases came from. ridiculous. And I had six months to finish the book. Custance: My biggest failure during the reporting process was not getting Davis: I once saw a great quote that compared writing a book to driving pinned down after he won two Stanley Cups with the Kings. at night: You can only see as far as your headlights, but if you keep He initially agreed to do it when I pitched him the idea, but when it came going, you’ll reach your destination. All told, it took me about four-and-a- time to actually spend a day with him in the summer, he disappeared. half years. Some people I wanted to interview were harder to find than Emails and calls went unreturned. was the Kings GM at others, but I got more than enough of them to flesh out the story. The the time and I ran into him in a hotel lobby in Minneapolis one afternoon. bulk of my work was devoted to collecting books and articles, reading I complained to Dean about Sutter disappearing and he said, “Don’t feel them, and then organizing the information. The hardest part really is just bad, I can’t find him either.” keeping your foot on the gas. I would do all this work to have everything in place to begin writing a chapter. Then I’d write it, rewrite it, rewrite the Davis: The one guy who made me work hardest for the interview — and rewriting, and then finally print it out. I had a folder in my desk titled this might surprise you — was Bill Walton. He didn’t want to do it but was “Chapters.” I’d put the chapter inside, smile as I noted how the folder was too nice to say so. I think he just thought he had better ways to spend his growing … and then take a deep breath and start one. It is hard, lonely time. When I got to the Final Four in New Orleans in 2012, I sent Bill a work, which is why I’ve said if you are going to write a book, you better text message warning I was stalking him. A buddy of mine had tipped me be really interested in your subject. off that he was going to be at radio row that Sunday. I said hello to him as he was going inside, and he warned me he would be a while. I said that was OK, waited for a few hours, then walked next to him as he rode down the escalator and made my pitch. He was apologetic and said he pulled his hamstring but refused to stop, so his dad ran out of the stands wasn’t interested, but I begged him and tried to appeal to him as a fellow to help him finish the race. Writing your first book is such a sense of lover of reading history. He caved and said he would do it. We met in a accomplishment, and to do it in the way I did it, I was actually content hotel courtyard on Tuesday morning after the championship game. He with the knowledge of what I did. So I didn’t want any feedback. But the noticed I was straining to put my tape recorder close to his mouth, so he best I got actually came a year later. I was in my daughter’s school and good-naturedly took it from me and held it the entire interview. He’s a headed to the attendance office. The steps were lined with posters, each lovely man and a great talker — when you can get him. of them an adult who works at the school reading a book. It included their explanation. I’m walking to the stairs and I see a math teacher Sitting down and writing reading “Golden.” I stopped and read her explanation. She said she Linehan: Originally, the turnaround time was very quick, before the book chose “Golden” because her student recommended she read it because got pushed back with the postponement of the Olympics. The contract her father wrote it. My daughter was proud. It was the feedback I didn’t was in place by August 2019, and they were hoping for early 2020 for the know I needed. draft. We also set a timeline which required the full draft to be submitted Law: Hearing from business executives who said they were telling people the same week as the 2020 NWSL College Draft, so I sent it off from my who worked for them to read “The Inside Game” — that’s really what I hotel room in Baltimore, and then turned around and embedded with Sky was hoping to achieve with the book, to write something people would Blue FC for the rest of the week. But the timeline was really a matter of find useful beyond the world of baseball. months, and trying to fit it into the NWSL offseason as much as I could. There were definitely a couple of days of just trying to lay out an entire Custance: After the book was published, the NHL Coaches Association chapter and then going back to fine-tune. liked it enough to invite me to speak at their annual conference at the draft, attended by hundreds of coaches, including most of the coaches Custance: I finished nearly all the reporting and game watching with the featured in the book. It was actually pretty terrifying in retrospect. But coaches in the summer of 2016. At the time, I worked at ESPN and we mostly it was amazing to look out and see everyone in the audience with were televising the World Cup of Hockey that basically kept us on the a copy of the book sitting in front of them. I didn’t stick around long road and working for the entire month of September. My manuscript was enough to see how many of those books were left behind at the end of due on Jan. 1 and I didn’t start writing until October. I basically had three the conference for the cleanup crew. months to write. I was covering the World Cup with the fantastic writer/author Chris Jones and shared my stress about the tight timeline Davis: Mick Cronin, who just completed his first year as the UCLA coach, with him. After that, I’d get an email from him every couple weeks that recently read the book and we talked about it for a while. Rick Pitino just said, “you’ve got this.” He’s a huge sweetheart, even if later on he called me and had a bunch of really smart questions. These guys are all admitted that he didn’t actually believe any of the encouragement and compared to Wooden as if he was perfect, never made mistakes, never thought there was no chance I’d get it done. had a bad day and never got criticized, when of course none of that was true. Coaching is not an easy profession, and so I think those guys take Law: “Smart Baseball” took me nine months to complete, start to finish; comfort knowing that the GOAT had many of the same problems they do. “The Inside Game” took about seven months, although I wrote half of the Only he wasn’t nearly as well-paid. book in a single month (September 2019) as I realized where I was in the calendar and essentially panic-wrote for four weeks to get to a point Davidson: A lot of our fan sources said after the interviews that from the where I thought I could finish the book on time. I tend to write best in questions we asked, this is a book they wish they had growing up, to bursts — I clear a few hours and can get into the flow state for a long know that other fans experienced similar dilemmas. That was the whole period of time, writing 1,500-4,000 words in one shot. purpose of writing the book, and has been extremely rewarding to hear.

Dohrmann: Very different for each book. But, generally, I write very, very Life on the promotion trail late at night and on Saturday mornings. Often at coffee shops. I give myself a deadline — even if it is just finishing a scene — and try to meet Davis: I don’t travel to do signings anymore. I did that for my first book it. With “Play Their Hearts Out,” it was such a bear to organize that I went and most of them were duds. On one occasion I showed up at a and got an MFA in creative writing (taking classes at night) and used the bookstore in St. Louis and there were literally two people there. The three book as my master’s project. Doing that forced me to stay on task even of us had a nice chat! though the book was years from being done, and it got me feedback from Davidson: We haven’t done a ton of promotion yet, but we did get a non-sports folks. feature in Publishers Weekly that was the first time we’d publicly talked Custance: I figured I needed 80,000 words or so in three months so if I about the finished book. One of the most exciting promotional moments wrote a couple thousand a day, I could get there. Every day, I went to the came a few months ago when wrote a blurb for us. Clinton Township Public Library and wrote each day’s quota listening to Dohrmann: A month or so after “Play Their Hearts Out” was published, I the same exact Regina Spektor playlist on Spotify that signaled to my did a signing on a football Saturday at the bookstore at Notre Dame (my brain I needed to focus and write. On New Year’s Eve, the manuscript alma mater). My table was on one side of the lobby and on the other side was turned in and a lot of champagne was consumed. was a table where Gerry Faust sat. Faust is a very nice man, who never Davis: This took me about four-and-a-half years. The first half was won more than seven games in five seasons at ND, and his book had heavily weighted toward researching, collecting and organizing. The come out 13 YEARS earlier. THIRTEEN YEARS! He had a line out the second half was mostly writing, but when you’re writing you’re always door. I sold one book … to a guy I knew in college. Gerry Faust, man. going to want to do more research — if only as a way to procrastinate He’s big time and I am not. having to write. One of the hard parts about doing a book is you’re never Custance: I did a book signing on a Saturday afternoon on the day of a really “off.” That deadline is always looming. So if I wanted to take a day massive Michigan snowstorm around Christmas. I was hoping it would be off or go play a round of golf, I knew those were hours that I had just canceled but I arrived and the overly optimistic manager had a giant tacked on to the back end of the project. You really do start to wonder stack of the books piled up on the table. And very few customers. I sat whether the thing will ever be done. And then one day, just like that, poof! there quietly by myself, which is pretty tough on the ego. At one point, You’re done. someone asked if I was a gift-wrapping station. Then a kid walked up and The feedback asked if I would sign. I said absolutely and reached for the stack of books. He stopped me and said he didn’t actually want to buy one of the Dohrmann: My book got into the Obama White House via Arne Duncan, books but asked if I’d sign his box of gummy worms instead. That’s the the former Secretary of Education, who I was told read it and liked it. I only box of candy I’ve signed. know he and an Obama speechwriter and a few others read it. Not sure if Obama did, but still very cool. I also was told that a couple of NBA teams Davis: Publishing a book does give you the chance to go on some cool gave the book to their coaches so they could better understand the talk shows. It had always been a dream of mine to be a guest on “The players entering the NBA and what they’d gone through. Charlie Rose Show,” and I was thrilled when I got booked. (Although if we knew then what we know now about Charlie, I wouldn’t have felt that Thompson: I have never been more sensitive about feedback. So much way.) The taping was in , so I invited my mom to drive up so, I avoided it. I didn’t want to hear any of it. I wrote a book in six months from Virginia and watch it from the studio. That afternoon, I got word they as a second job. It felt like I came close sometimes, but didn’t lose my might cancel my spot because they were trying to book the Russian punk family in the process. It was quite literally the first time in my life I actually rock band Pussy Riot. So I had to call my mom and tell her I might be believed that success was simply finishing. I felt like the Olympian who bumped for Pussy Riot. Well, the band couldn’t make it, so I went through with the interview. As Stewart Mandel: “Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos we were sitting in the green room and waiting to go into the studio, who is and Controversy That Reign Over College Football,” “The Thinking Fan’s Charlie interviewing but George Clooney! When that segment was done, Guide to the College Football Playoff” I brought my mom into the studio. I was excited to meet Clooney and introduce him to my mom, but before I got a chance he spotted me and Zack Meisel: “If These Walls Could Talk: Ohio State Buckeyes: Stories came across the studio to say hello. Turns out he was a huge college from the Ohio State Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box” (with Paul basketball fan. I don’t think he knew my name, but he knew I was a Keels) college basketball guy. I handed him a copy of my Wooden book, and he Joe Rexrode: “Stadium Stories: Michigan State Spartans,” “The Perfect asked me to sign it for him. As if! He couldn’t have been nicer to my :10” (with Jack Ebling) mom, and then we posed for pictures with her and Charlie Rose. As the photographer was snapping pictures, Clooney opened my book, pointed Daniel Shirley: “Hatch Attack” to the pages and made faces like he was amazed at what he was Jesse Temple: “100 Things Wisconsin Fans Should Know & Do Before reading. He was such a mensch. Charlie was cool, too, and the segment They Die” went well. My mom watched the interview and drove back to Virginia with a cool story to tell her friends. NBA

Sometimes when you’re out promoting your book you run into George John Hollinger: “Pro Basketball Forecast” (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) Clooney. (Courtesy of Seth Davis / The Athletic) Jason Lloyd: “The Blueprint: LeBron James, Cleveland’s Deliverance and What’s next? the Making of the Modern NBA”

Dohrmann: A deep dive into the U.S. soccer development system. No Blake Murphy: “Chasing a Dream: The Carl English Story” title yet. Coming out just before the 2022 World Cup (if I can finish it on time). Eric Nehm: “100 Things Bucks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die” Custance: I have an idea, I’m not sure I want to share it. I’m really just working up the courage to start the entire process again. Marcus Thompson II: “Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry,” “KD: Kevin Durant’s Relentless Pursuit To Be The Greatest” Law: We’ll see. After writing two, I’m done with baseball books for the moment. I’ll write fiction, or I’ll write something else non-fiction if the right MLB idea shows up. Either way, I would like to write something narrative. Andrew Baggarly: “A Band of Misfits: Tales of the 2010 San Francisco Davis: I am currently writing a book with Tareq Azim, an NFL and MMA Giants,” “Giant Splash: Bondsian Blasts, World Series Parades, and trainer with a fascinating story. But the project I’m most excited about is a Other Thrilling Moments by the Bay” young adult novel I recently completed called “The Soccer Prince.” I am Daniel Brown: “The San Francisco Giants Big 50” really pleased with how it came out, and my agent is shopping it as I write this. I’ve gotten a few early rejections, and while that is never Dan Connolly: “100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They pleasant, it comes with the territory when you are an author. So if there Die” are any YA editors out there who want to publish a really cool book by a first-time novelist, you know where to find me! Jon Greenberg: “If These Walls Could Talk: Chicago Cubs”

Davidson: Publication! The book comes out Sept. 1, and I’m giddy and Bob Kravitz: “Mile High Madness: A Year With the Colorado Rockies” nervous for it to be widely out in the world. It also feels strange to be Keith Law: “Smart Baseball: The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are promoting a book about sports given everything that’s going on in the Ruining the Game, the New Ones That Are Running It, and the Right world, but in many ways, the pandemic has only highlighted the issues Way to Think About Baseball,” “The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange we discuss in the book, especially when it comes to our emotional Moves, and What Baseball Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves” connection to sports and how we reconcile larger social and cultural discussions with these games and athletes we love. And given this Zack Meisel: “Cleveland Rocked: The Personalities, Sluggers & Magic of moment of reckoning we’re in, with conversations about civil rights and the 1995 Indians,” “100 Things Cleveland Indians Fans Should Know & diversity in industries like sports media being brought to the forefront, the Do Before They Die” book feels as relevant as ever. Emma Span: “90% of the Game is Half Mental: And Other Tales From Books written by The Athletic staffers (grouped by sport) the Edge of Baseball Fandom”

College Basketball Jayson Stark: “Wild Pitches: Rumblings, Grumblings, and Reflections on the Game I Love,” “The Stark Truth,” “Worth the Wait: Tales of the 2008 Seth Davis: “Wooden: A Coach’s Life,” “When March Went Mad: The Phillies” Game that Transformed Basketball” NFL Mark Godich: “Tigers vs. Jayhawks: From the Civil War to the Battle for No. 1” Zach Berman: “Underdogs: The Philadelphia Eagles’ Emotional Road to Super Bowl Victory” Dana O’Neil: “Longshots: Jay Wright, Villanova and College Basketball’s Most Unlikely Champion,” book on Big East Conference (to be published) Ed Bouchette: “Dawn of a New Steel Age”

Daniel Shirley: “Mercer’s Moment” Daniel Brown: “100 Things 49ers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die” C.J. Moore: “Beyond The Streak: Untold Stories from Kansas Basketball’s Unrivaled Big 12 Reign” (with Jason King) Jeff Duncan: “From Bags to Riches: How the Saints and the People of New Orleans Rose from the Depths Together,” “Tales from the New College Football Orleans Saints Sideline,” “Payton and Brees: The Men Who Built the Andy Bitter: “100 Things Virginia Tech Fans Should Know & Do Before Greatest Offense in NFL History” They Die” Jeff Howe: “If These Walls Could Talk: : Stories Bruce Feldman: “Cane Mutiny,” “Meat Market,” “Swing Your Sword” (with from the New England Patriots Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box” Mike Leach), “The QB: The Making of the Modern Quarterback,” “Flip the Zac Jackson: “100 Things Browns Fans Should Know & Do Before They Script” (to be published) Die” Mike Harris: “Game of My Life: Virginia Tech” Dan Pompei: “Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook” (with Don Pierson), Josh Kendall: “100 Things South Carolina Fans Should Know & Do “Fearless: How an Underdog Becomes a Champion” (with Doug Before They Die” Pederson) Jeff Schultz: “The San Francisco 49ers: Team of the Decade: The Inside Story of How They Came From Nowhere to Win Three Super Bowls” NHL

Rick Carpiniello: “Messier: Hockey’s Dragonslayer,” “Nightmare on 33rd Street: A Long Season with the New York Rangers”

Craig Custance: “Behind the Bench: Inside the Minds of Hockey’s Greatest Coaches”

Arpon Basu: “Hockey’s Hottest Players: The On- & Off-ice Stories of the Superstars,” “NHL Enforcers: The Rough and Tough Guys of Hockey”

Eric Duhatschek: “King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League” (with ), “On Fire: The Dramatic Rise of the Calgary Flames” (with Steve Simmons), “One Hundred Years Of Hockey: The Chronicle of a Century on Ice” (edited by Al Strachan), “Starforce Hockey: The Greatest Players of Today and Tomorrow,” “Hockey Chronicles: An Insider History of National Hockey League Teams”

Sean Fitz-Gerald: “Before the Lights Go Out: A Season Inside a Game on the Brink”

Mark Lazerus: “If These Walls Could Talk: Chicago Blackhawks”

Sean McIndoe: “The Down Goes Brown History of the NHL: The World’s Most Beautiful Sport, the World’s Most Ridiculous League,” “The Best Of Down Goes Brown: Greatest Hits and Brand New Classics-to-Be from Hockey’s Most Hilarious Blog,” “The 100 Greatest Players In NHL History (And Other Stuff): An Arbitrary Collection of Arbitrary Lists”

Dan Robson: “Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend,” “Bower: A Legendary Life,” “The Crazy Game: How I Survived in the Crease and Beyond,” (with Clint Malarchuk), “Killer: My Life in Hockey” (with Doug Gilmour)

Jeremy Rutherford: “100 Things Blues Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” “Bernie Federko: My Blues Note” (with Bernie Federko)

Sean Shapiro: “100 Things Dallas Stars Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die”

Fluto Shinzawa: “The Big 50: Boston Bruins: The Men and Moments that Made the Boston Bruins”

Soccer

Adam Hurrey: “Football Clichés”

Meg Linehan: “The Megan Rapinoe Way: Secrets of Success of a World- Class Soccer Star” (to be published)

Others

Daniel Barbarisi: “Dueling with Kings: High Stakes, Killer Sharks, and the Get-Rich Promise of Daily Fantasy Sports”

Scott Burnside: “Deadly Innocence”

Kavitha A. Davidson: “Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back: Dilemmas of the Modern Fan” (with Jessica Luther)

Seth Davis: “Getting to Us: How Great Coaches Make Great Teams”

George Dohrmann: “Superfans: Into the Heart of Obsessive Sports Fandom,” “Play Their Hearts Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine”

Craig Lancaster: “600 Hours of Edward,” “The Summer Son,” “The Art of Departure,” “Edward Adrift,” “The Fallow Season of Hugo Hunter,” “This Is What I Want,” “Edward Unspooled,” “Julep Street,” “You, Me & Mr. Blue Sky” (with Elisa Lorello)

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187577 Websites Possession exits are situations where a player moves the puck out of the zone while the team keeps control of the puck. This counts carry-outs and passes while excluding dump outs where the team has to relinquish puck control. The Athletic / By the Numbers: Identifying the NHL’s best puck-moving defensemen Our second metric, therefore, is possession exit efficiency (Possession Exit %).

This means that if a defenseman had eight successful exits — three of By Harman Dayal Jul 9, 2020 which were with possession — out of 10 attempts, the player would have a possession exit efficiency of 30 percent and a general exit efficiency of

80 percent. In this case, we can imagine they might have had, say, three Fun fact: 42 percent of all 5-on-5 goals occur within five seconds of the carry-outs, five dump outs and two turnovers on their 10 attempts to attacking team entering the offensive zone. That was a key takeaway move the puck out. when Hockey-Graphs contributor Adam Stringham analyzed every goal In almost all cases, possession exits are far more valuable to evaluate from the 2013-14 season. puck-moving ability than general exit percentage. What does that tell us? It’s more evidence that transitional play — how With this in mind, here’s the criteria I used to find the cream of the crop swiftly teams switch from defense to offense and vice versa — is crucial puck movers. in a contemporary NHL that’s trending toward speed and skill. Increasingly, you notice that clubs lacking defensemen who can Possession exit %: Top 10 percent of defensemen proficiently advance play up the ice struggle to get out of their own zone. Possession exits per 60 minutes: Top 20 percent of defensemen Naturally, this makes us wonder — who are the league’s best puck- moving defensemen? Exit %: Top 50 percent of defensemen

Analyzing data that covers defensive exits can help us answer that. Minimum 400 minutes of 5v5 time-on-ice Clubs around the league access this data through private companies like I looked for defensemen in the 90th percentile or higher in possession Sportlogiq — we’ll instead use Corey Sznajder’s dataset as that’s what is exit efficiency, in the 80th percentile or higher in how often they created publicly available. them per 60 minutes and then to ensure we didn’t have players who turn What data are we using? the puck over too often, I ensured they were at least league average or better at general exit efficiency. For those who aren’t familiar, Sznajder independently tracks transition data (referred to as microstats) such as defensive zone exits, offensive Exits are the most important part of being a good puck mover, but zone entries and much more. He’s tracked thousands of games going because we’re looking for the elite ones, I included a bonus requirement back more than five years when he went through all 1,230 games of the of needing to be among the league’s top quarter of defensemen in zone 2013-14 regular season. entries with possession per 60 minutes.

A crucial caveat to keep in mind, however, is that while Sznajder has a Here’s the list of 10 blueliners that fit these requirements. solid sample for every team, he hasn’t tracked every game. The good Erik Karlsson (SJ) news is that analysis of this dataset has revealed that it only takes 20 games worth of tracking for the zone exit data to normalize. In other Samuel Girard (COL) words, the numbers stabilize and reflect a defenseman’s true puck- moving talent level after about 20 games worth of data. Roman Josi (NSH)

Furthermore, I’ll be including results from the past three years (going Zach Werenski (CBJ) back to the 2016-17 season) to expand our sample size. This left many Jaccob Slavin (CAR) defensemen with at least 1,000 5-on-5 minutes tracked — or the equivalent of about 55-65 games. Charlie McAvoy (BOS)

The only situations where the sample size could be prohibitive is when Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI) the margins are really slim. You won’t see any wild results, but it’s possible that the defenseman ranked 13th best, for example, is slightly Nick Leddy (NYI) higher or lower if we had stats for every game. Thus, the goal of this Rasmus Andersson (CGY) analysis isn’t to definitively rank these puck movers in a particular order but to simply highlight which ones are posting elite numbers in the data Dmitry Orlov (WSH) available to us. Before we dive into the individual numbers keep in mind there were Explaining puck-moving metrics defensemen that just narrowly missed joining this group. It’s possible to not be in this cohort and still be an elite puck-mover (we’ll go over which A zone exit is calculated when a player moves the puck out of the defensemen just missed out later). Also, because of the time-on-ice defensive zone. requirements, the high-profile rookies (Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Adam It doesn’t matter whether this is a clearance off the glass, skating it out or Fox, etc) just missed out from the cohort and we’ll analyze them in a passing to a teammate, as long as the puck leaves the zone it counts as separate section as well. a successful exit (unless it’s called for icing). When a defenseman has Without further ado, let’s break down the numbers for this group of 10. eight zone exits in a game, for example, it means they got the puck out of the defensive end on eight occasions. Possession exit efficiency

The first metric we use for this is called zone exit efficiency (Exit %). 50th percentile (average): 33.7 percent

If a defenseman tries to get the puck out 10 times in a game and is Possession Exit % successful on eight of those attempts, their zone exit efficiency would be 80 percent. A player who has a low zone exit percentage keeps the team Samuel Girard hemmed in the defensive end because they commit turnovers or can’t 50.6% get the puck out on clearances consistently enough. Charlie McAvoy While this is useful in measuring puck management, it doesn’t tell us how valuable the successful exits are. It treats a glass and out clearance the 48.5% same as a carry out of the zone when we know that the latter is usually Rasmus Andersson more helpful. To account for this, we also want to categorize whether the team retained possession on the exit or not. 48.4% Erik Karlsson Charlie McAvoy

47.0% 15.3

Shayne Gostisbehere Jaccob Slavin

46.2% 14.9

Zach Werenski Shayne Gostisbehere

45.6% 14.4

Roman Josi Nick Leddy

45.3% 13.9

Nick Leddy Rasmus Andersson

45.2% 13.7

Jaccob Slavin Dmitry Orlov

44.8% 13.4

Dmitry Orlov Roman Josi

44.6% 13.3

Starting at the top, you have Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard Zach Werenski leading the charge with a possession exit efficiency just north of 50 percent. The 22-year-old is incredibly smooth and cerebral in both his 13.1 skating and puckhandling ability. Girard isn’t a high-end point producer From a volume perspective, Karlsson has been the king of controlled but he and Makar are integral to getting the puck into the hands of guys breakouts over the past three seasons. One can’t help but notice the like Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen in the neutral zone to power downward trend in his results, however. Karlsson led all defensemen in Colorado’s high-octane transition offense. possession exits per hour last year and was third in 2017-18, but he It may be surprising for some out of market fans to see Girard rank this slipped to 30th in Sznajder’s tracking this year. More concerningly, his impressively, but he’s unquestionably an elite transporter — according to possession exit efficiency fell quite drastically, ranking in just the 42nd Sportlogiq, no NHL defenseman dumped the puck out of their zone less percentile. than Girard in 2018-19. Viz courtesy CJ Turtoro

Charlie McAvoy might not get as much attention as flashy young Karlsson’s offensive zone entry numbers remain dominant, but you can defensemen like Hughes and Makar, but he’s every bit as valuable when see that his efficiency on breakouts wasn’t quite as prolific. This suggests you couple his excellent puck-moving profile with the stout defensive play that while he continued to take on a massive role in facilitating San he offers. He’s the perfect complement to carry the transition load for Jose’s transition play, he relied on quite a few more dump outs than he Zdeno Chara. And with Torey Krug questionable to return as a UFA, did in years past. I’m still inclined to believe Karlsson’s an excellent puck McAvoy might finally get the power-play time to boost his point totals. If mover because the sample of minutes tracked in 2019-20 isn’t large that happens, he’ll be a perennial contender for the Norris. enough to make conclusions with certainty, but it’s still interesting to note Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list is Flames defenseman Rasmus that he wasn’t a cut above everyone else like he has been over the Andersson. The 2015 second-round pick doesn’t play against top years. competition, but if you look under the hood he’s been a strong play driver Elsewhere, Girard and McAvoy grade very highly in this category again. according to his shot and expected goal metrics over the last two years. Expect him to assume a greater role moving forward with Travis Hamonic Werenski lags in this group a little bit, but part of the reason for that is set for unrestricted free agency. because he’s shared nearly 3,000 5-on-5 minutes with Seth Jones over the last three seasons. Jones is a top-notch puck mover in his own right Shayne Gostisbehere’s presence, meanwhile, is a reminder that being and that means Werenski doesn’t have to take on a massive share of the skilled in transition is just one responsibility for defensemen. The Flyers exits from a volume perspective. back has battled defensive inconsistency and puck management issues over the past little while and has found himself in and out of the General exit efficiency doghouse. Even his underlying numbers have taken a hit over the last 50th percentile (average): 73.6 percent two seasons. This isn’t an indictment on Gostisbehere — he can clearly be much better than he’s shown recently — but he seems to be battling a Exit % lack of confidence. This is a reminder that a) he’s still an elite puck mover and b) you need to do more than just excel in transition to be an upper- Jaccob Slavin echelon defenseman. 83.3% A similar sentiment can be expressed with Nick Leddy. He’s such a gifted 0.94 skater and does well to get play going in the right direction, but he’s had a decisively negative impact on the Islanders’ ability to control shot Erik Karlsson attempts and scoring chances. 81.1% Aside from that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see names like Erik Karlsson, Zach Werenski, Roman Josi, Jaccob Slavin and Dmitry Orlov. 0.93

Possession exit volume Roman Josi

50th percentile (average): 9.6 per 60 minutes 81.0%

Possession Exits Per 60 Minutes 0.92

Erik Karlsson Shayne Gostisbehere

17.7 80.0%

Samuel Girard 0.91

17.1 Rasmus Andersson 79.7% Rasmus Andersson

0.89 4.6

Zach Werenski Shayne Gostisbehere

79.2% 4.6

0.87 Zach Werenski

Samuel Girard 4.4

78.5% Charlie McAvoy

0.85 4.2

Nick Leddy Jaccob Slavin

77.2% 4.0

0.78 Upon first glance, I was convinced there was a tabulation issue — how could Josi create double the possession entries than many of his elite Charlie McAvoy peers?

76.7% I’m sure the margins are much closer in a larger sample, but even the 0.76 private data reveals that Josi is in a class of his own when it comes to creating offence in transition. Sportlogiq’s numbers show that Josi’s led Dmitry Orlov NHL defensemen in entries and rush scoring chances for at least the past two years. In fact, their data also says that he’s created more end- 76.0% to-end rushes this year than Connor McDavid. 0.71 THERE AREN'T MANY PLAYERS, LET ALONE DEFENSEMEN, WHO I knew we’d be filtering out to only include league average or better puck CAN GIVE CONNOR MCDAVID A RUN FOR HIS MONEY WHEN IT managers, but I was still pleasantly surprised to see how well some of COMES TO SKATING THE PUCK THROUGH THE NEUTRAL ZONE. these defensemen are able to manage risk. It’s remarkable to me, for THEN AGAIN, THERE AREN'T MANY DEFENSEMEN LIKE ROMAN example, that Roman Josi can drive Nashville’s offence so aggressively JOSI. TWO GREAT PUCK MOVERS FACE-OFF TONIGHT IN and still be in the 91st percentile in cutting down defensive turnovers and NASHVILLE. PIC.TWITTER.COM/PUC2ZZMW7J ensuring the puck gets out of the zone period. — THE POINT (@THEPOINTHOCKEY) MARCH 2, 2020 Obviously, you’ll still see many of these top puck movers make egregious Josi’s obviously in a unique situation with the Predators where they’ve mistakes when you watch them play, but that’s largely because they completely taken off his leash and given him full autonomy to roam as he have the puck on their stick so often. Someone like Karlsson has been pleases. One would imagine part of that is because the Predators don’t objectively good at managing the puck once you account for the have many dynamic game-breakers in their forward group. transition workload he’s handling. Nevertheless, I think once you factor in just how much more dominant In this category, it’s Slavin that leaps off the page. I find him similar to he’s been in the entries department relative to this cohort on top of his McAvoy in that the fact that he doesn’t score a ton of points means that already stellar zone exit numbers, Josi probably has the strongest case he can fly under the radar a little bit when people discuss who some of as the NHL’s best puck mover. the league’s top defensemen are. All told, Josi, Karlsson, Slavin, Girard and McAvoy are the five On the opposite side of the spectrum, you have Orlov who does tend to defensemen among this top-10 that finished in the 90th percentile or make the odd mistake. The 28-year-old Russian has been a pillar on higher in three of the four metrics we covered. Washington’s middle pair for years and while his two-way impact isn’t as prodigious as his puck-moving impact, he’s a high-quality second pair The next ones have arrived defenseman. The rookie class of defensemen we’ve seen this year is among the best Offensive Zone Entries with Possession in NHL history.

50th percentile (average): 1.82 per 60 minutes Makar, Hughes and Fox will be the household names. It would have been interesting to include them in the analysis above, but each one was While backs are active in leading exits, it makes intuitive sense that just short of the 20 game mark in sample size. This means that while they’re far less active than forwards in engineering controlled entries into their numbers will still be useful and reflective of their talent, there’s not the offensive zone. enough information to know exactly how they stack up among the game’s In examining the zone entry results, it becomes quickly apparent that Josi best puck movers yet. is levels ahead of every one of his peers in this department. Obviously, the data is still interesting so I figured I’d share the results in a Offensive Zone Entries Per 60 Minutes separate section and man, are they ever impressive. For reference, I’ve included in brackets where they’d rank in each category league-wide. Roman Josi Top Rookie Puck Movers 12.8 Quinn Hughes Dmitry Orlov 51.3% (1st) 6.3 16.6 (5th) Nick Leddy 83.5% (1st) 5.9 3.7 (40th) Erik Karlsson Adam Fox 5.5 48.7% (3rd) Samuel Girard 14.9 (16th) 5.1 81.6% (4th) 3.5 (45th)

Cale Makar

46.4% (8th)

15.0 (15th)

80% (10th)

6.0 (4th)

All three of these rookie phenoms have a case for being top-10 puck movers this season.

Hughes grades out as the NHL’s leader in both general and possession exit efficiency and finds himself behind only Karlsson and Girard for possession exit volume. His emergence is a huge reason why Vancouver’s team breakout numbers have improved drastically.

Fox might not have the elite counting stats that Hughes and Makar do (he still managed 42 points in 70 games), but he’s been just as valuable in transition. In any other year, he’d be a prime Calder candidate.

Last, but certainly not least we find Makar. His zone exit numbers are slightly lower relative to the first two, but he’s been a lot more aggressive rushing the puck through the neutral zone — manufacturing almost double the possession entries per hour in our limited sample.

All this shouldn’t discount from what Penguins rookie John Marino has accomplished either. The 23-year-old right-shot defenseman isn’t as dynamic as his peers, but plays an extremely sturdy two-way game and was skilled at advancing play up the ice in his own right.

Viz via CJ Turtoro

Other outstanding pucks movers

As I mentioned earlier in the piece, with the margins being so fine at the top, it’s inevitable that some elite puck-movers would be underrated and just miss the cut because of our sample size. Remember, our goal in this piece was to identify the league’s best transition defensemen, not to definitively rank them in a top-10. In fact, I’m sure that in a bigger sample, some of the names in the honourable mentions would bump other players out of the main cohort of 10 we analyzed.

Because of that, it’s crucial to share the results and provide some context for other excellent backs.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187578 Websites Shaw was a history and English major who originally planned to teach high school. Their first year together after they were married, Brad Shaw played a season in Italy, so teaching wasn’t an option for Mary.

The Athletic / The legacy of ‘Lucy Tries,’ ‘Brady Brady’ and the key to When they returned and started their family, Mary Shaw turned her writing books for kids attention to writing. In order to do so, she enrolled in a course that specifically focused on the challenges of telling a children’s story. Originally, Shaw stuck to hockey books, but over time realized she needed to broaden her reach. By Eric Duhatschek Jul 9, 2020 “When Brad went to coach the baby Ducks in Cincinnati (the Anaheim

Ducks’ farm team), I did a school visit and ended up in the library, About seven years ago, or back when Brady Shaw was a freshman at reading to the kids,” she said. “Whenever I did a similar school visit in the University of Vermont, his mother – Mary Shaw – received a phone Canada, I’d say, ‘OK, who in here plays hockey?’ and every hand would call one night from a bar. No, Brady wasn’t in trouble and didn’t need a go up – boys and girls. ride home. But he did need his mom to, once again, confirm a fact for his “But when you go to a school in Cincinnati, Ohio, and say, ‘who here new college hockey teammates: That he was, indeed, the central figure plays hockey?’ one hand goes up in the back of the room – and it’s my in a series of children’s books that they had all read growing up. son. So, I figured, if I’m in Ohio, I better write a ‘Brady Brady’ football The series is called “Brady Brady” and features a young boy so obsessed book. Two years later, we were in St. Louis and the Cardinals had just by hockey that everyone had to call his name twice – “Brady! BRADY!” – won the World Series and I did a school visit and the same thing in order to get his attention. happened. There were a few more kids that played hockey, but not many, so then I did a ‘Brady Brady’ baseball book.” Brady and his faithful pup, Hattrick, have been entertaining readers since 2001 when Mary Shaw launched the series in an effort to get her young The books are targeted to early readers – ages 3-8 – and over the years, son reading. have been endorsed by any number of well-known athletes, from Steve Yzerman and Hayley Wickenheiser for hockey to and But back to the bar and a scene that had, by now, become familiar to Chris Carpenter for the football and baseball books. Mary Shaw. The current edition includes an endorsement from Bobby Orr. “When (Brady) went to the University of Vermont, his teammates were from all over Canada and the U.S.,” Mary Shaw said. “One time, it came Orr was an advisor to the when Brad Shaw played up in a conversation and they were all like, ‘Wait. You’re Brady Brady?’ there, so the family got to know both him and Gordie Howe pretty well. Over the years, Mary Shaw has frequently heard from parents who faced “So, he called me from the bar and said, ‘Can you tell Malcolm and a similar dilemma – trying to get their sports-oriented children to put their Kenny and Kevin that I really am Brady Brady?’ Then he hands them the noses in a book. phone and now I’m talking to his friends in the bar, assuring them that ‘yes, he is THAT Brady Brady.’” But back in March, she received an email unlike any other. It was from Toby Boulet, father of Logan Boulet, one of the teenage players who died Brady Shaw now plays hockey professionally and last year, playing for in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in April 2018. Less than a year before the ECHL’s , managed an impressive 62 points in 48 his death, Logan Boulet had registered as an organ donor. Ultimately, six games. But all the way through the ranks, on just about every team he of his organs and tissues were successfully transplanted into patients played for, the “Brady Brady” books would eventually come up in a awaiting donors. Green Shirt Day occurs annually on the anniversary of dressing room or other social setting – and he had to ruefully admit, the Humboldt tragedy, to encourage people to register as organ donors. yes, that happy-go-lucky cartoon character that made his debut in “Brady The spike in registrations has become known as the Logan Boulet Effect. Brady and The Great Rink” was written by his mother and modelled after him. Logan’s parents, Toby and Bernadine, have committed to putting on three charity golf tournaments in their son’s memory to raise funds for the “In elementary school, you could get teased for anything, so yeah, I’d get cause. As part of the fundraising efforts associated with the tournament, teased about it a little,” said Brady, “but a lot of the kids thought it was Mary Shaw donated a number of signed books for the 2019 charity pretty cool too. When I went to play junior hockey in the BCHL out in auction. Coquitlam, one day we went to do a school reading and the books we brought were pretty much all ‘Brady Bradys.’ “After Toby Boulet got them, he sent me an email, saying how much Logan loved the books and how they read them to him every night,” said “When I told the guys on the team that I was Brady Brady, they didn’t Mary Shaw. “The parents were allowed to leave some things by the believe me at first – so I had to call my mom for clarification that time too. memorial that’s set up at the highway where the crash occurred – and In high school, playing in St. Louis, you’d go into the store at the rink and the Boulets had ‘Brady Brady and The Great Rink’ propped up against they were selling the ‘Brady Brady’ books there. When she partnered up his cross. When Toby Boulet sent me that picture, I’m like ‘oh my God.’ It with USA Hockey, the ‘Brady Brady’ books were featured in the USA was heartbreaking. Hockey magazines – and there’d be pictures in there. I think the guys on my team thought it was pretty cool.” “But he said Logan loved to read and was all set to go the University of Lethbridge and they never had any other thought about what book to The Shaws are a hockey family: Mary’s husband is Brad Shaw, who leave at his cross.” played 377 NHL games for four teams before retiring in 1999 to embark on a coaching career. After stops in Tampa, Detroit (Vipers), Springfield, (Courtesy Mary Shaw) Cincinnati, Long Island and St. Louis, Brad Shaw is currently an assistant According to Shaw, “Brady Brady and The Great Rink” remains her coach with the . favourite title because it was also her first. In addition to her hockey titles, and depending on where the Shaws “I remember saying to Brad and the kids when it came out, ‘Get in the happened to be living at the time, Mary also produced a handful of car, we gotta go to Chapters.’ It’s so cool. We walked into the store and “Brady Brady” books for other sports. Over the years, the series has Brady’s 9 then – and just watching his face, and his eyes growing big.” been handled by a number of different publishing houses, but they’ve currently landed at Scholastic, a major distributor of children’s titles, with The latest in the series was released this past fall and Chuck Temple, offices in Canada, the United States, England, Australia and New who illustrates the series, is putting the finishing touches on the first-ever Zealand. “Brady Brady” Christmas book.

According to Mary Shaw, she began writing children’s stories to get her Now that her children are older, Shaw says it’s become a bit more hockey-obsessed son interested in reading. difficult writing the dialogue because she isn’t listening in on children’s conversations the way she once did, back when she was taking Brady to “My Brady, when he was 7, 8 or 9, didn’t want to read about bear families his practices, games and tournaments. or Bugs Bunny,” she said. “He only wanted to read about sports and particularly about hockey. He was obsessed with the game.” For her Christmas book, Shaw said she took her manuscript to a family that lives across the street and read it to three neighbour children. They acted as a de facto focus group to help her determine the title. The “Children do not see gender,” said Bowes. “So, the biggest response editors wanted the word Christmas in the title, on the grounds that it from me, which I try to reinforce, is how little boys love these books. would come up in Google searches whenever people were seeking out Because it’s a girl on the front cover, we initially think it’s a book just for Christmas titles to buy. Shaw preferred the idea of getting Santa in the girls. But It’s empowering for all kids. Every child can see themselves in a title instead – and her focus group sided with her. Lucy book.”

Hence, the title of the next installment is tentatively going to be “Brady Bowes has a sixth book on baseball ready to go, and says she would Brady and The Santa Search.” ultimately like to write “Lucy’s big book of sports – because there are almost 200 sports in the world that children can try.” “It’s so much easier when you have kids around – because you hear the lingo and you get ideas from them,” Shaw said. “Just sitting in the stands, Bowes’ daughter Rachel is now 13. you’d listen to what the kids were saying, or what the parents were yelling. Now that they’re older, it’s much harder – and I’m really only “It’s kind of a hoot for me because she’s lived her mom’s passion putting out one every two years. You’d think with all this downtime we project,” said Bowes. “I had her trying everything but she’s settled on – have now, I’d be sitting down and writing, but I really haven’t been.” and really enjoys – track and field.

(Courtesy Lisa Bowes) “It’s unbelievable when I go on the school visits and children actually create their own Lucy books. School principals have told me: ‘There’s a Similar to Mary Shaw, Lisa Bowes – the former TSN host and lot of power in that.’ One principal said: ‘Lucy became a common friend broadcaster – began writing her own children’s stories soon after her to us. She helped unite my school.’ daughter Rachel was born. That’s how the “Lucy Tries …” series came to be. “This was a French immersion school and the higher grades wrote and illustrated a ‘Lucy Tries Biathlon’ book. They drew the pictures and wrote “I was actually looking for books for my 2-year-old that were related to the story. sport in the picture-book format – while at the same time covering the women’s Olympic hockey in Vancouver,” said Bowes. “That sort of feedback is the thing that keeps me going.”

“Initially, the series began because I wanted to educate young families on The Athletic LOADED: 07.10.2020 different types of sports, so that’s why I began with Olympic sports – luge and short track speed skating. As I did my research, I realized we had a pending children’s health crisis and how both our physical and our literacy rates were in decline. I realized we had an opportunity to use this inspiring figure – Lucy – to engage our kids in the benefits of sport.”

According to Bowes, Lucy is a composite character that includes a dash of her own daughter, “but also, of every Olympian, elite athlete and pro athlete I’ve spoken to about their stories of resilience – and how they worked to get to where they are. ‘Try’ is a really key word in all of this. We really want to build up perseverance in our kids. Lucy is an example to everyone who has shown the ability to overcome obstacles – and benefited from sports in their lives.

“We know if a child has an active start, then chances are, they will have an active life. So, really – in the end – it’s about promoting children’s health.”

Bowes has five books in the series where Lucy tries hockey, basketball, soccer, plus short-track speed-skating and luge. “Lucy Tries …” is now a multimedia project, complete with an app that encourages children to participate in sport and a digital web series. The books have been translated into multiple languages, including Mandarin.

Back in February, on the same weekend that CBC and NBC did a full broadcast with an all-female cast, Bowes’ series was featured on the U.S. telecast, with A.J. Mleczko giving the books a ringing endorsement.

Bowes, of course, paved the way for many of the current generation of female broadcasters.

She started her career as an editorial assistant in 1989 at TSN and was featured on the station’s flagship show SportsDesk (now SportsCentre) between 1997 and 1999. She did play-by-play of the National Women’s Hockey League as early as 2000 and in 2010, was the host and reporter for CTV’s women’s Olympic hockey tournament.

According to Bowes, the economy of words needed to produce a book for small children drew heavily on her television writing career. In the same way that Bowes has only a few sentences per page to advance the story in the Lucy series, she only had a few sentences to make a point in a TV script as well.

Television, said Bowes, teaches (and forces) you to write concisely.

“In television, we’re writing to pictures,” said Bowes. “Here, I’ve just adapted that ability. When James (Hearne, who illustrates the stories) and I are working collaboratively on these books, I’m almost directing him in the same way that I’d be producing a television news story – but in a children’s book format. Rhyming the lines creates its own challenges. We need to include encouraging coaches, friends, outdoor play – and all those strands have to be woven into a 32-page book.”

Bowes says what’s struck her the most is that all children, irrespective of gender, are reading and enjoying the Lucy books. 1187579 Websites Buffalo 9-2-1 8 19 Boston 6-1-2 6 14

Toronto 6-4-2 6 14 Sportsnet.ca / Why NHL's return to play will take incredible stamina — from fans Florida 4-2-4 3 12

Tampa Bay 5-3-1 4 11

Justin Bourne | July 9, 2020, 1:16 PM Montreal 4-4-2 3 10

The Sabres!

Each week, Justin Bourne’s column will cover three different topics in All that said, however, there’s fair pushback to be made to the “nothing varying depths. Think of it as a three-course meal with an appetizer, main really matters” case, which primarily comes in two forms. One is that course, and dessert… most teams are fully healthy, which is insanely rare at this time of year. And two is that they actually have their lineups crystallized. It’s rare that Appetizer: The NHL’s zero-to-100 play-in schedule is gonna be a rush those two items overlap for one NHL team in a season, let alone all for all Imagine being told you’re not allowed to have sugar anymore, for some of them at once. indefinite period. At first you’d miss certain treats. Some food would taste The first point is the most important one. Every year entering the playoffs, more bland than you’d prefer, but you’d get used to it. In time it would teams are missing a number of key players who would’ve made real become normal, even if you preferred it didn’t. differences, and accounting for their absences can be really hard when To some extent that’s been all of us with hockey. The deprivation hasn’t assessing legitimate team quality. It’s tough to fairly gauge a goaltender been straight-up “You can’t have food at all” bad — just more like when great defencemen are missing; it’s tough to gauge a skill player something we regularly enjoyed was taken away. We noticed it a lot when he doesn’t have a regular skill player to play off of. And since initially, and we wondered what we could even consume in its absence. teams are built as cohesive machines, injured parts unfairly punish teams But we eventually settled on halfway-decent substitutes and found a way at what seems to be random. to move on. Further to that, we’re often unsure which guys are playing hurt. It makes Now consider August of 2020, when all of us are now going to be asked it tough to assess who’s getting slowed by a nagging injury, and who’s to snort Fun-Dips through Pixie Stix from noon ’til night, day upon day. just having an off-week. For the first time ever, we’re pretty confident The NHL is serving cookie dough for lunch. everyone dressed in a playoff-like series feels capable of ably playing hockey, save for maybe needing shorter shifts. Have you seen the planned schedule for the NHL’s return to play? We’ve been dying for even just a single sweet taste of hockey — now we’re The second thing I mentioned, that lineups are crystallized, speaks to about to be shoved in the chocolate river at Willy Wonka’s Factory like what happens in the early going for teams. There’s a lot of internal Augustus Gloop. tryouts and guessing-and-testing that happens. In months one and two, a right winger is often competing against other right wingers on the team There will be games starting at 12:00, 4:00, and 8:00 p.m. in Toronto. for the best linemates, more minutes, and special-teams time. Coaches There will be games starting at 12:00, 4:00, and 8:00 p.m. in Edmonton. experiment with guys to see what they have. There are games where the Which means that if you’re on the east coast, games — essentially outcome isn’t all a coaching staff is concerned with. By the second half of playoff games, mind you — will begin at 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, the year that mostly stops (except by way of necessity or abject failure to and 10:00 p.m. (shift that whole timeline three hours earlier out west, that point), and teams finally roll with what they’ve found works best. which is even better). That won’t be the case in the coming weeks. Even though everyone is We’re looking at a month of six games a day, all day, everyday. God coming in like they would after a summer off, most players know exactly forbid there’s any number of significant overtimes, or we could be talking where they stand, who they’ll be playing with, and what sort of usage to about midnight (or later) puck drops some days, which will almost expect. It’s about winning here as a team, not jockeying for internal definitely happen because as Brian Burke explained, “It’s 2020 — of position. An uncommon addition to all this, is that coaches have time to course it will.” figure out how to best optimize their lineups. That’s a luxury they don’t have most years. Here, maybe wash all that sugar down with some Kool-Aid, as served by the NHL: So I can see how these games might truly show us something of value, where teams are in their proper units, everyone is in the lineup and I don’t think my family is prepared for this. I don’t think I’m prepared for nagging injuries aren’t yet a thing. this. It may not be healthy, but I’m still gonna try to take in as much as I can. I joked earlier here by clipping the standings three weeks into the NHL season (Oct. 25) to highlight the Sabres start, which doesn’t jibe with the Main course: Can we learn anything about the teams involved from these rest of their season. But guess what? If I zoom out to look at the entire initial five-game series? Eastern Conference on that same date, look what happens. Start by Heading into the play-in round of NHL action, I feel like I could argue looking at the bottom of the table. either side of the debate “Will we actually learn anything from these W-L-OT ROW Pts games?” Specifically, I’m wondering whether we’ll learn anything about who these teams are, or whether all bad showings will be chalked up to Buffalo 9-2-1 8 19 “Well, they haven’t played in four months” or “small sample.” Washington 8-2-3 7 19 How much will a team’s play when they first step on the ice reflect on what that team actually is? Boston 6-1-2 6 14

As implied above, you can already hear the excuses for those who fail — NY Islanders 7-3-0 6 14 a few of which would of course be legitimate. How can you judge a team Toronto 6-4-2 6 14 in a sport where one breakdown kills a defensive structure when nobody’s played real hockey in over four months? You’re only as strong Carolina 6-3-1 5 13 as your weakest link, and you know at least one guy per team will have been aversely affected by this weird hiatus. Columbus 5-3-2 5 12

Combine that with the reality that anything can happen over five games Florida 4-2-4 3 12 in the NHL, and it can be easy to take the nihilistic view that no result Pittsburgh 6-5-0 6 12 from this August will really matter. Hell, here’s the top of the Atlantic Division standings three weeks into this NHL season: Tampa Bay 5-3-1 4 11

W-L-OT ROW Pts Montreal 4-4-2 3 10 Philadelphia 4-3-1 4 9

NY Rangers 3-4-1 3 7

Detroit 3-8-0 3 6

New Jersey 2-5-2 2 6

Ottawa 2-7-1 2 5

Three of the four teams that ended up missing the play-in round had already weeded themselves out, and it was just Buffalo who was way out of whack. Washington and Boston were in the top three at that point, just as they were when the season abruptly ended in mid-March. While there will always be some outliers who just get a bad short-term shake, it generally doesn’t take that many games for teams to show who they really are.

Given what I mentioned above – we’ll see fully healthy teams not worried about anything but wins – you can expect those small samples to be even more telling about a team’s true ability.

So when these opening series get under way, there will certainly be randomness, and it’ll be dicey to draw any hard conclusions from the first wave of results. But I’d caution against assuming these series are just coin flips. In some ways, we’re going to get a better look at what these teams really are than we’ve ever seen before.

Dessert: The players aren’t going to have a dress code, and it’s going to be a delight

I don’t really understand why players won’t have a dress code anymore in the hub — not because I think they should, but because basically nobody ever sees the guys in their suits heading to the rink at 3:30 anyway. I don’t see what’s changed. The only time they do get seen is when there’s a camera crew there looking for some b-roll, and I don’t imagine the presence of the cameras at that time of day is going to be any less frequent than it would’ve been during the regular season. Hell, there’s three games a day at a single rink — there’s probably more cause for there to be cameras around before the games.

Regardless, there’s going to be no dress code, which will be an absolute delight. Here in Toronto there’s no shortage of names off the top of my head ready to vie for the title of “NHL Russell Westbrook” (Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Kapanen and Dermott come to mind — maybe Andersen, too). The NBA has brought some wild looks over the years, and while I don’t expect the NHL to quite get to that level, don’t sell some of these young kids short. I bet there’s a lotta shopping going on right now among players who care about style as an extension of personality. Stay tuned.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187580 Websites travellers quarantined together this week. Players are staying in a hotel and keeping apart from other Canucks training groups: players who flew into Canada and are subject to our country’s 14-day quarantine, and players who either never left Vancouver or were close enough to drive Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Horvat focused on deep Stanley Cup playoff run back for training camp. after birth of child Camp starts Monday. The Canucks will open a five-game preliminary- round series against the Minnesota Wild on or about Aug. 1 in Edmonton.

Iain MacIntyre | July 9, 2020, 6:28 PM “It’s not going to be easy,” Horvat said of the separation from Holly and Gunnar. “At the same time, at the beginning of the year, we set out a

goal to make the playoffs and have a chance at the Stanley Cup, and we VANCOUVER – The greatest week of his life ended with one of his most have that. If I’m going to be away from my family and put my time and anguishing days when Bo Horvat said goodbye to his wife, Holly, and effort into coming back and playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, I want to their new son and returned to the Vancouver Canucks seven days after go all the way. I want to try to win this thing so it’s not just a waste of time baby Gunnar was born. and being away from my family for no reason.”

Due to the National Hockey League’s open-ended playoff schedule and Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.10.2020 strict isolation guidelines in the summer of COVID-19, the 25-year-old Horvat doesn’t know when he will hold his first child again.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” Horvat said Wednesday in a conference call, three days after leaving his family to prepare for training camp at Rogers Arena. “But you don’t know until it actually happens. Leaving Sunday was one of the toughest days I’ve ever had to go through, leaving your family behind. I think just the not knowing when you’re going to see them again is the biggest thing. Hopefully, by the end of this, I’ll be putting him in the Stanley Cup and everything will be alright.”

Every parent understands how quickly newborns grow and change. If you blink, you may miss something. A day is like a week, a week like a month, and being away for up to three months, well, that length of separation is almost unbearable.

If the Canucks are successful this summer and keep playing, Horvat will feel like a stranger to Gunnar when he returns home to London, Ont.

“I’m not sure when I’ll be able to see them next,” Horvat said. “I’m trying to FaceTime them pretty much every second of the day. Just trying to keep in touch that way, see him as much as I can over my phone. Hopefully, he doesn’t forget about me.

“I miss him, obviously. You want to be there at those early (days). . . to bond with him and help out as best you can. But under these circumstances, what can you do right? We’ve just got to live with it and think of the positives.”

That first week – from Gunnar’s birth on June 28 to Horvat’s departure on July 5 – was like a gift for the Horvat family.

Holly Horvat was scheduled to deliver by C-section on July 14, a due date that caused Bo sleepless nights trying to figure how he could be there for his wife and baby and still serve as the Canucks’ captain amid coronavirus complications and the NHL’s unprecedented summer Stanley Cup tournament. Holly and Gunnar took matters into their own hands.

“She ended up going into labour on Sunday, the 28th,” Horvat said. “She just said she didn’t feel right. We took her to the hospital. I can’t go in, so I just dropped her off. She just said: ‘Go home, relax, it’s probably nothing.’ Dropped her off at 530 pm and we had the baby at 730 pm. She was having contractions. Next thing you know it was 30 seconds apart and she was like: ‘Boy, you got to get down here right now, we’re having the baby.’ I got there at 7 pm and we had the baby at 730 pm.

“It was the best week of my life, hands down. Holl and I are really happy to have the little man in our life. He’s been a blessing for us, for sure.”

As the Canucks’ representative in the NHL Players’ Association, Horvat was close to the negotiations that ended with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with owners and strict return-to-play guidelines. He knew he could opt out of summer hockey.

“Not one time have I ever thought about opting out,” he said. “I want to be there for my teammates. I want to be there when the season gets going and be a part of winning here. Being there for the birth and trying to figure out when to join the camp. . . I was still trying to figure all that out all the way up until the day he was born. I’m happy he came a little earlier and he’s healthy and doing well and I got to spend a week with him and Holl before I came out here.”

After passing his coronavirus screening, Horvat began skating in Vancouver on Tuesday with a group of eight players – all domestic air 1187581 Websites Second, here’s a player whose feisty attitude and ferocious playing style would lend well to playoff hockey. We know it has in the past, with Domi scoring 60 points in 58 playoff games over his OHL career with the London Knights and notching 10 points in seven games as part of a gold Sportsnet.ca / Phase 3 Training Camp Preview: How far can Price take medal run with the Canadian world junior team in 2015. It’s time to see the Canadiens? what he can do now, if he’s permitted to show us.

One interesting stat:

Eric Engels | July 9, 2020, 8:19 AM A team that had the most shot attempts, the most shots on net and the second-most high-danger scoring chances in the NHL at 5-on-5,

according to naturalstattrick.com, would have been considerably better MONTREAL — When you think of the Montreal Canadiens, the number had it scored on more than 7.49 per cent of its shots at 5-on-5. 24 and the Stanley Cup, this isn’t exactly it. That the Canadiens ranked 25th in the NHL in 5-on-5 shooting But here we are. A Canadiens team that cobbled together the 24th-best percentage wasn’t the only reason they tumbled down the standings — record in the NHL this season is being given a chance to play summer subpar goaltending for parts of the season, and horrifically bad special hockey after failing to earn a right to play it in the spring. A chance to win teams for most of it, were big chunks of the problem — but it’s hard to the Cup. see anything else as a more relevant factor in their foibles.

Do you believe in miracles? This team lost 22 games by a single goal and allowed an empty-net goal in 11 other games that otherwise would have been lost by a single goal. Me neither… Scoring on just one per cent more of their shots at 5-on-5 likely would have changed that in a significant way. But I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if the Canadiens were able to steal a three-to-five-game series away from the Pittsburgh Penguins and go on a Of the 12 teams in the NHL that scored on at least 8.49 per cent of their healthy run from there. shots at 5-on-5 this season, only the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks were sitting outside of a playoff spot It wouldn’t be the best thing for the reset Montreal general manager Marc when the season was paused. And by outside a playoff spot, we mean Bergevin started in 2018 — cashing in on a 12.5 per cent chance to draft that the Rangers were two points out and surging, the Panthers were Alexis Lafreniere first overall or picking ninth would, though — but it three points out with a game in hand on the Columbus Blue Jackets in would hardly be a bad thing. You know, valuable experience for young wildcard spot No. 2, and the Canucks were only out because of a players gained in a winning environment and all that jazz… tiebreaker with the Nashville Predators. Before the Canadiens travel to Toronto for that opportunity, they have a Possible line combinations: 12-day training camp scheduled to start in Brossard, Que., this coming Monday. So let’s freshen up on where they left off in March and take an Forwards (16): in-depth look at their team. Tomas Tatar-Phillip Danault-Brendan Gallagher Regular season record: 31-31-9 (24th in points percentage in NHL) Jonathan Drouin-Nick Suzuki-Joel Armia Goals for: 208 (19th in NHL) Paul Byron-Max Domi-Artturi Lehkonen Goals against: 220 (ninth-most in NHL) Jordan Weal-Jake Evans-Dale Weise Leading goal scorer: Tomas Tatar/Brendan Gallagher (22) Extra: Charles Hudon, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ryan Poehling, Alex Belzile, Leading point scorer: Tomas Tatar (61) Laurent Dauphin

Injury updates: Defence (11):

Jonathan Drouin: An ankle sprain kept him out of Montreal’s last game, Ben Chiarot-Shea Weber but he’s healthy and fit to play. Brett Kulak-Jeff Petry Victor Mete: A broken ankle in late February left Mete in a walking boot throughout the first few weeks of quarantine, but he’s healed and ready Victor Mete-Noah Juulsen to go. Extra: Cale Fleury, Xavier Ouellet, Karl Alzner, Christian Folin Tomas Tatar: Last played on Mar. 3, and was on his way back to being Goaltending (4): rehabilitated from a minor upper-body injury when the season was paused. He’s been cleared to play.

Shea Weber: Was playing on a serious ankle injury that is now healed. Charlie Lindgren The captain said a few weeks ago that he’s feeling refreshed and prepared. Cayden Primeau

Jesperi Kotkaniemi: A spleen injury suffered in March was expected to Michael McNiven end his season, but he’s fully rehabilitated and prepared to fight for a The biggest question facing the team: spot on the Canadiens’ roster. Is the Carey Price factor real? Player to WATCH: Not that I have any doubts about what Price is capable of — consider me Max Domi. in agreement with the majority of players who, when surveyed by the Ironic, isn’t it? I know there’s a chance Domi might be deemed unfit to NHLPA, said they consider him to be the best goaltender in the NHL — play by doctors who might be too concerned about his pre-existing but I am curious as to which Price the Canadiens will get when the puck condition of Type 1 diabetes, which means we might not get to watch him drops. at all. But I believe he intends to play and, given how well he manages Will he be the Price who started off the last two seasons with a .915 save that condition, I’m sure he’s hopeful doctors will grant him permission. percentage? The Price who was sub-.900 over the last two Novembers? If they do, they’re giving all of us an opportunity to see what Domi looks Or the Price who is typically dominant in December and January? like in a playoff-style game for the first time in his NHL career. And that’s What if he’s the Price who put up a 1.40 goals-against average and a most compelling for a couple of reasons. .957 save percentage the last time he played hockey in August — as the First off, the 25-year-old is up for a contract and, after following up a 72- starting goaltender for the world cup-winning edition of Team Canada in point season in 2018-19 with just 44 points over his 71 games in 2019- 2016? 20, this is a golden opportunity for him to prove his worth. Last time Price was in the playoffs, back in 2017, he posted a .933 save percentage and a 1.86 goals-against average. If he can do that again — and if the Canadiens can manage to score slightly more than the 1.8 goals per game they managed against the Rangers in that six-game loss — it could propel his team further than anyone assumes it’ll get this summer.

I’m not sure how to interpret the fact that Price hadn’t faced a single shot from an NHL-calibre player in the time between the NHL paused its season and him stepping back on the ice in Brossard earlier this week. On one hand, you really have to wonder if three weeks of practising can undo months of rust.

On the other hand, rest and health have to be considered major benefits — especially for a goaltender who appeared in an NHL-high 58 games this season.

Any way you slice it, Price owns the key to Montreal’s success. He can’t win a series or the Cup on his own, but the team has virtually no chance without being able to depend on him at the height of his abilities.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187582 Websites After a slow start (eight points in 16 games) by Blake Wheeler‘s lofty standards coming off consecutive 91-point seasons, the Jets captain was one of the most productive players in the NHL during the final 55 games, chipping in 17 goals and 57 points. That pace had him 16th in the NHL Sportsnet.ca / Phase 3 Training Camp Preview: Can Jets' Hellebuyck during that span. recapture Vezina form? But will Wheeler start the play-in series alongside familiar linemates Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor? Or might he move back to the second-line centre role he enjoyed for much of the season after Little went down with Ken Wiebe | July 9, 2020, 10:42 AM the injury? That’s a storyline to monitor during the coming weeks.

One interesting stat: 25 At the time of the pause, the Winnipeg Jets were playing some of their The number of power-play points produced by defenceman Neal Pionk best hockey and had put together their longest winning streak of the during his first season with the Jets after the blockbuster trade with the season (four games), while establishing a template for how they needed New York Rangers. The 25-point total left him tops on the Jets and 12th to play in order to be successful. in the NHL, tied with Auston Matthews, Nikita Kucherov, Quinn Hughes Those qualities were on display in a 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers in and J.T. Miller. As a point of reference, Leon Draisaitl had 44 power-play the final game before the lengthy break. Jets general manager Kevin points to lead the league. Cheveldayoff made a couple of astute deals prior to the NHL trade Possible line combinations deadline without sacrificing much of the future and both paid immediate dividends. The arrival of Dylan DeMelo from the Ottawa Senators Forwards stabilized an overhauled defence corps and provided a steady partner for Josh Morrissey on the top pairing, while the addition of Cody Eakin from Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Blake Wheeler the Vegas Golden Knights brought experience and bolstered a talented Nikolaj Ehlers – Cody Eakin – Patrik Laine forward group. Andrew Copp – Adam Lowry – Jack Roslovic With camp set to open on Monday, July 13, can the Jets advance past the Calgary Flames and qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a third Mathieu Perreault – Nicholas Shore – Mason Appleton consecutive season, or will they be in the mix for the first overall pick in the draft lottery? Defence

Regular season record: 38-27-6 (ninth in West by points percentage) Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo

Goals for: 216 (16th in NHL) Dmitry Kulikov – Neal Pionk

Goals against: 203 (12h in NHL) – Tucker Poolman

Leading goal scorer: Kyle Connor (38) Connor Hellebuyck

Leading point scorer: Connor, Mark Scheifele (73) Laurent Brossoit

Sign up for NHL newsletters The biggest question facing the Jets is…

Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to How quickly can Connor Hellebuyck get back to Vezina candidate form? your inbox! The Jets have a goalie who is the front-runner to win the Vezina Trophy Injury updates and nobody faced more high-danger scoring chances than Hellebuyck this season. Having a hot goalie is of critical importance at any time, but Bryan Little: The status of the veteran forward remains unknown, as he especially so during a best-of-five series. Hellebuyck is looking to build missed the final 54 games of the season with a perforated eardrum that on his 2018 Stanley Cup playoff experience, when he led the Jets to the has since been surgically repaired. Little also suffered a pair of Western Conference final. concussions this season (including one in the final pre-season game against the Minnesota Wild on Sept. 29 and another on Nov. 5 against Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.10.2020 the New Jersey Devils), so the Jets will be cautious when it comes to his prospective return to game action.

Can he get back to speed in time to make a contribution? If he gets medical clearance and plays at the level he was at prior to the injury (five points in seven games), it would be a boost for the Jets forward group.

Luca Sbisa: After blocking 71 shots and recording 91 hits in 44 games this season, Sbisa missed the final 10 games of the regular season with an upper-body ailment. He’s in the mix to compete for time on the third pairing with Nathan Beaulieu and Tucker Poolman.

Sbisa, who was claimed off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks in late October, has 32 games of playoff experience (including 12 with Vegas in 2018) on his resume and brings a physical element to the table when his number is called.

Sami Niku: In a season filled with freak injuries — including a car accident with Kristian Vesalainen on the first day of training camp — the Finnish blue-liner sustained a lower-body issue prior to the pre-game warm-up on Feb. 25 before a game against the Washington Capitals — forcing him to miss the final six games of the regular season. He’s likely to start the series on the sidelines, but has the mobility and puck-moving ability to make a contribution if an opportunity presents itself.

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.

Player To Watch 1187583 Websites The opposite end of the spectrum saw explosive offensive outbursts offsetting defensive breakdowns and poor goaltending.

Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust gave up 32 goals on the ice TSN.CA / Restructured NHL postseason will showcase top forward this season, or 2.9 goals against per 60 minutes of play. But offensively, combos no five-man unit was capable of slowing them down, scoring 48 goals (a whopping 4.3 goals per 60 minutes) when paired up at even strength. They may have been defensively challenged, but at the end of the day their offensive productivity was unparalleled. Travis Yost It’s worth mentioning that there is at least one play-in series where we

will see a couple of elite even-strength lines go head-to-head, and it’s One of the most intriguing parts about the National Hockey League’s surprisingly the No. 5 versus No. 12 matchup in the East. Return to Play plan is that it comes on the heels of a four-month hiatus The Malkin-Rust combination was outstanding in Pittsburgh but so, too, from hockey. was the top unit in Montreal, which features the likes of Philip Danault, Such a long break – an unprecedented one, where organizations Tomas Tatar, and Brendan Gallagher. The current version of the shuttered, and players shuffled into their local stay-at-home orders – Canadiens is quite flawed, but the team outscored their opponents at certainly complicates our understanding of the league landscape. even strength all season, predominantly on the back of the team’s first line. Which players and teams will return to game shape quickly? How long will it take teams to shake off the considerable amount of rust It may not be the best series of the play-in round, but the chess match accumulated over the past four months? Who will fail to reach the level between Claude Julien and Mike Sullivan to maximize opportunities for they were playing at before the pause? For those who had such their premier forwards should provide high entertainment value. unquestionably strong seasons, will there be an opportunity to recapture TSN.CA LOADED: 07.10.2020 the magic of a shortened 2019-20 regular season?

It’s something I’ve been thinking about this week, particularly in light of the raging Hart Trophy discussion. One of the interesting wrinkles of that award – one that I think will come down to New York’s Artemi Panarin, and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl – is that they were able to build an exceptional degree of chemistry with one or more of their forward teammates.

Both players were indisputably the drivers of their line’s play, but there is no doubt that each had a linemate with a beneficial complementary skill set.

In Edmonton, Draisaitl was a scoring dynamo who leaned on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ creativity and defensive game for support. In New York, Panarin immediately gelled with another capable playmaker in Ryan Strome.

It’s hard to find a superstar in the midst of a season as productive as the ones Draisaitl and Panarin were having who didn’t benefit in some way from the play of their linemates.

Heading into the playoffs, it made me curious as to who were the most effective forward combinations we saw over the course of the regular season and how they stack up against one another.

The Draisaitl-Nugent-Hopkins and Panarin-Strome tandems were near the top of the scoring combination leaderboard, but neither held the top spot.

That honour belonged to Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, who outscored their opponents by 28 goals in 981 minutes of ice time. Even when unitizing for usage – the pair played a whopping 981 minutes together – the Tampa Bay tandem outscored their opponents by 2.2 goals for every 60 minutes of hockey played.

On a per-minute basis, this superstar duo still ranks near the top of the league, though Nashville’s Nick Bonino and Craig Smith (+2.7 goals per 60 minutes) are tops there.

Perhaps more interesting: the league’s best combinations will all be featured in the NHL’s Return to Play plan. In fact, the only forward combo that drove a materially positive goal differential at even strength that won’t be featured come August is in Los Angeles (Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo were +9 at evens this year).

Every other group is in:

One of the fascinating parts of this leaderboard is that each combination is a little bit different than the next, though their overall productivity is relatively comparable.

Some of the combinations did it through stifling defensive work.

The aforementioned Bonino and Smith (+22) pairing in Nashville gave up just 14 even-strength goals this season to offset more middling offensive productivity, and the combination of Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn (+19) gave up just nine even-strength goals on a base of 574 minutes for the Lightning. 1187584 Websites But Perfetti insists he's not getting caught up in draft guessing games. He's not obsessing over every mock draft.

"You'll see guys going at No. 3 or No. 4 that could also go at No. 8 or No. TSN.CA / Cole Perfetti would welcome chance to play in 9 and it would totally make sense," he said. "That's how deep this draft is and how good these players are, so it's hard to think about it and plan."

Wherever he ends up, Perfetti is hoping to lay down roots. Last summer, Mark Masters he created a charitable initiative, Fetts' Friends, in Saginaw to support the pediatric centre in the community.

"We sold game-used jerseys, sticks and auctioned off a bunch of stuff," Cole Perfetti aced tests on and off the ice this season. The Saginaw he said. "A lot of the money went towards a new gaming table that we put Spirit forward finished second in Ontario Hockey League scoring and was in for the kids at the hospital. Essentially, it's just a giant iPad and kids also named the Canadian Hockey League's scholastic player of the year can play with it. The goal was to allow the kids to get their minds off of thanks to a 93 per cent average. being in the hospital and have some kind of fun while they're there and "Ever since I was little I was told academics come first and if I wasn't be kids for a bit, because they’re going through a lot." excelling in school it would be hard to excel in anything else in life," he Cole Perfetti (@ColePerfetti91) spent the afternoon meeting new said. "But, also, I feel like it's just my competitiveness and the kind of friends at @CovenantSaginaw's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Thank you person I am. I want to excel in everything I do. So, that’s just who I am and why I've had success in school." for letting us visit #FettsFriends | #SoarWithUs pic.twitter.com/Gup8v2vuZV Perfetti, who plans to become an agent after his playing days, is an analytical kind of guy and his ability to think the game has helped — Saginaw Spirit (@SpiritHockey) January 20, 2020 separate him in this year's draft class. Perfetti is a student of the game, but isn't one of those players who is TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button gives Perfetti a grade of six out of focused only on hockey. His favourite course in school this year was five for hockey sense. After phase one of the National Hockey League World Issues with a lot of talk about the COVID-19 pandemic. And draft lottery, Perfetti sensed that the Detroit Red Wings, who own the Perfetti has done his part to help the front-line workers in Saginaw by fourth-overall pick, may be a likely landing spot. raising money to buy them meals.

"It'd be awesome going to such an historic franchise and putting on the "It's something I'll carry with me wherever I go," Perfetti says of his winged wheel," the 18-year-old said. "People are talking about that and charity work. "My entire life I've always wanted to make a difference." things are being said about me going to Detroit and that'd be pretty cool if — Saginaw Spirit (@SpiritHockey) May 1, 2020 it happened." TSN.CA LOADED: 07.10.2020 Detroit's senior vice-president and alternate governor Jimmy Devellano is a minority partner of the Spirit and former Red Wings goalie is also part of the ownership group. No NHL team knows Perfetti better than the Wings, who had a front-row seat for his 111-points-in-61- games campaign.

"There's a Red Wing scout at every one of our home games," Perfetti pointed out. "They use our home games as a base to see every other team play. I had an opportunity to make my mark and prove to them I should be their pick."

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 9, 2020

Perfetti has done multiple Zoom sessions with the Wings since the season ended and the comfort level is high, considering the team's director of amateur scouting, Kris Draper, is a family friend. Perfetti played with Draper's son, Kienan, in spring hockey growing up and the Drapers are also tight with the billet family Perfetti has been living with in Saginaw.

"They were actually at my billets' cottage for the Fourth of July weekend, so they're really close and I've been able to grow closer with the Draper family that way. I've been to some dinners with them and been able to grow that relationship. It's easier when you have someone you're comfortable with running the interview."

Perfetti, of course, isn't taking anything for granted. Last year, Detroit surprised many by taking German defenceman Moritz Seider sixth overall, so general manager Steve Yzerman isn't afraid to go off the board.

In Button's latest mock draft, he had Perfetti going to the Anaheim Ducks at No. 6. Meanwhile, TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie had Perfetti at No. 5 in his final prospects list, and it's the Ottawa Senators who will be picking in that slot.

"To be part of the Leafs-Ottawa rivalry that I've been a fan of for so many years would be cool," Perfetti, a native of Whitby, Ont., said. "When they play each other it feels hectic and it's a good rivalry. Playing in the nation's capital would be an honour."

With Phase 1 of the #NHL Lottery in the books, @CraigJButton projects the top eight picks in his first 2020 Mock Draft: https://t.co/zVogaiY2gG#TSNHockey #DraftCentre pic.twitter.com/cgjYvXw7HY

— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 27, 2020 1187585 World Leagues News Cleveland Indians outfielder Franmil Reyes apologized for putting himself and his teammates at risk by not wearing a mask or practicing social distancing at a weekend holiday party.

The Latest: California CCAA moving all sports to the spring The club kept Reyes away from its training camp after he was spotted on social media attending a Fourth of July get-together. Reyes had to be re- tested for the new coronavirus and cleared by Indians medical personnel before he was allowed to practice. Staff Report “I really apologize, because I was not protecting myself and my THE ASSOCIATED PRESS teammates,” Reyes said on a Zoom call from Progressive Field. “I JULY 09, 2020 11:31 PM learned from it and it won’t happen again. I really don’t want to stop practicing. I really apologize and I swear it won’t happen again.”

This will be his first full season with the Indians, who acquired him last The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around year in a trade with the San Diego Padres. The 25-year-old slugger hit a the world: combined 37 homers last year for San Diego and Cleveland and may get some playing time in right field. The California Community College Athletic Association is moving all sports, even football, to the spring. The Seattle Seahawks are allowing season ticket holders the option to pause their season tickets and receive a refund for the upcoming NFL The decision announced Thursday was one of three potential scenarios season or keep a credit in their account for the 2021 season. approved by the CCCAA Board of Directors last month. In a letter to season ticket holders on Thursday, the team said choosing “I know I speak for the entire CCCAA Board that moving Fall athletics to to pause a season ticket will release the seats for the 2020 season only, Spring 2021 is a huge disappointment,” said Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Board and the ticket holder will be able to purchase the same seat again in Chair and President of Pasadena City College. “However, the need to 2021. keep our student-athletes and the amazing coaches and athletic trainers who work with them safe was simply the only option available with the Fans who choose to keep their tickets for the 2020 upcoming season will virus spiraling out of control across the state.” have priority if there are schedule changes or changes in stadium capacity. Sports will have a 30% decrease in the maximum number of contests and postseason events will be regional. The Seahawks did not say how many fans would be allowed inside CenturyLink Field. Earlier this week, the Baltimore Ravens said they’ll The CCCAA has 110-member colleges and approximately 24,000 seat fewer than 14,000 fans at M&T Bank Stadium. athletes. Dartmouth is eliminating five varsity sports teams and several staff The Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Southern positions. Intercollegiate Athletic Conference have suspended fall sports and championship events due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Ivy League school announced Thursday that men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s lightweight The leagues announced the move Thursday and issued a joint rowing, have been cut, effective immediately. That drops to 30 the statement, saying that “the welfare of our student-athletes is sacrosanct number of varsity teams and will reduce the number of recruited athletes and must preempt all other considerations when evaluating any return to in incoming classes by 10%. A total of about 110 student-athletes are competition efforts.” affected. Jobs for 15 staff, including eight coaching positions, also will In its release, the CIAA said it would explore a possible modified end. competition schedule for football, volleyball and cross country for the The change in the number of teams does not alter the college's spring. There is no time frame for making that decision. The league, compliance with federal Title IX regulations, which require equal based in Charlotte, North Carolina, said it would discuss plans for winter opportunities for women and men in varsity athletics, Dartmouth and spring sports. President Philip J. Hanlon said in an email to faculty, students, staff, and Atlanta-based SIAC said it would also look at moving some fall sports undergraduate families. such as football into the spring. Dartmouth also is permanently closing its Hanover Country Club, which Memphis is cutting 14% from its administrative and sports operation has deficits expected to swell to $1 million a year. budgets. The cuts are projected to save more than $2 million as the school The Tigers finished 17th in the country after a loss in the Cotton Bowl addresses a projected $150 million deficit caused by the COVID-19 and had a game at Purdue scheduled for Sept. 12 cut by the Big Ten’s pandemic. decision to play only conference games this fall. Planning for a season they acknowledge will be “very different,” the Athletic director Laird Veatch also will be donating 10% of his salary for Cleveland Browns told their season-ticket holders they can opt out of the six months to Tiger Scholarship Fund and said men’s basketball coach 2020 season without penalty and other plans related to the COVID-19 Penny Hardaway, football coach Ryan Silverfield and women’s virus and its impact on the NFL. basketball coach Melissa McFerrin are giving back nearly $200,000 to The Browns sent a letter to their fans on Thursday that outlined some Memphis athletics. new policies due to the pandemic. Anyone attending a game at Veach said in a release Thursday that he appreciates the flexibility and FirstEnergy Stadium will have to follow physical-distancing guidelines sacrifices from his coaches and staff during what he called “arguably and wear “mandated facial coverings.” never been a more uncertain financial period in our history.” The team did not say how many fans will be allowed in the 67,000-seat Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior has tested negative for the new stadium, which has been the Browns’ lakefront home since 1999. coronavirus and has joined the squad for the Spanish league game Earlier this week, the Baltimore Ravens said they’ll seat fewer than against Alavés on Friday. 14,000 fans at M&T Bank Stadium. The Browns are scheduled to open Coach Zinedine Zidane had said earlier Thursday that the Brazilian the season there on Sept. 13. forward needed to have another coronavirus test after an initial result If Cleveland season-ticket holders decide not to attend games in 2020, came out inconclusive. they can retain their same seat location in 2021. Madrid needs a win to regain a four-point lead over second-place Brazil’s soccer confederation said Thursday its main national Barcelona with three rounds to go. The Catalan club defeated Espanyol championship will be played between Aug.9 and Feb.21. 1-0 on Wednesday. The Brasileirāo tournament usually starts in May and ends in December Spanish league players have undergone regular testing since the but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. competition resumed last month. The confederation also said it expected World Cup qualifiers to be played in the same dates decided by FIFA. The earliest fixtures are scheduled for September.

More than 68,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, and another 1.7 million are confirmed to have the disease.

The plan to have fans at the World Golf Championships event in Memphis has been scrapped.

Officials announced Thursday that the FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind will not have any spectators due to what they call “an abundance of caution.”

Tournament officials have been talking extensively with both the PGA Tour and local and state health officials. Executive director Darrell Smith says they had a safety plan for limited spectators but ultimately felt it was best to host without any fans. Ticket purchases will be refunded automatically.

The PGA Tour and the Memorial announced Monday a reversal of their plan for a limited amount of spectators next week in Dublin, Ohio, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that every PGA Tour event through at least July will be held without fans since play resumed June 11 in Texas.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is putting fall competitions on hold until at least Sept. 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic, a move that won’t affect football as of now.

The league announced the decision Thursday impacting non-revenue sports such as soccer, volleyball, field hockey and cross country. North Carolina State and Louisville meet on Sept. 2 in the first football game involving any league teams.

Schools won’t be able to hold exhibitions or regular-season competition before that date, and it will be up to the schools to determine whether to reschedule any affected events. But the ACC isn’t barring teams from holding workouts and preseason practices “in anticipation of a fall season.”

North Carolina State says five people tied to Wolfpack sports have tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Athletics spokesman Fred Demarest said Thursday those positives came after the school tested 315 athletes, coaches and staff starting May 29. That’s a positive rate of roughly 1.6%.

N.C. State athletic director Boo Corrigan had announced in early June that the school had begun a schedule of allowing athletes to return in phases to campus.

That plan started with testing of members of the football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball programs who live locally. Athletes who were cleared were then allowed to participate in voluntary workouts in small groups.

On Wednesday, rival North Carolina said it was pausing football workouts for at least a week. That came after 37 positive results among 429 tests administered to UNC athletes, coaches and staff as they returned to campus in phases starting in June.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says forward Vinícius Júnior will need to have another coronavirus test after an initial test result came out “wrong.”

Zidane says “the doctor informed me that the test had come out wrong and we were going to repeat it.”

Zidane says the Brazilian's test was not positive. He says “sometimes there are errors. It wasn’t negative or positive.”

Spanish league players have undergone regular testing since the competition resumed last month.

Some players and staff members at Valencia and Alavés tested positive in March. They have all recovered. No player has tested positive since the competition resumed in empty stadiums.

Madrid leads the Spanish league with four games left.

islandpacket.com/LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187586 World Leagues News the worse because many residents had resumed normal activities too soon, and repeatedly called the situation "untenable."

Meanwhile, 6,118 COVID-19 cases have been designated as having Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham rolls back reopening, limits fall sports recovered by the DOH, comprising 43 percent of the known cases.

State Human Services Secretary David Scrase presented data showing that the total number of cases per day increased by 79 percent over 16 Algernon D'Ammassa, Las Cruces Sun-News days, which he said indicated "the pandemic is out of control."

Published 5:20 p.m. MT July 9, 2020 | Updated 6:02 p.m. MT July 9, He also said the state was not on track to reopen businesses or public 2020 schools.

Aside from a slight downtown in the northwestern corner of the state, transmission was shown increasing statewide, with Bernalillo and Doña SANTA FE - Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday that Ana counties presenting half of the state's new cases over the past week. under amended public health orders pertaining to COVID-19, indoor Scrase also warned that mortality was increasing and that younger age seating at restaurants and breweries would again be restricted, effective groups were vulnerable, with an 18 percent increase in cases in Monday. individuals under the age of 19 over the past week. Patio and outdoor seating is permitted to continue at 50 percent "This is a disease that affects all ages," Scrase warned. maximum legal occupancy with "COVID-safe practices," and restaurants may continue with carry-out and delivery services. Breweries may As far as the gating criteria used to assess the state's readiness to continue to provide curbside pickup service as well. reopen businesses, Scrase showed that the rate of transmission is far more rapid than the criteria call for, with four out of five regions higher It was a step backward in the process of reopening businesses, with the than targets. Scrase also reported that 261 Intensive Care Unit beds governor and health officials finding that resuming too much normal were in use, which exceeds the state's baseline capacity, and several activity too soon, particularly in younger adults, had sent the state in the counties in the southeastern corner presented alarming daily growth wrong direction. rates over the past week. State parks will close to out-of-state residents, and visitors would need to Scrase also pointed to alarming conditions in the neighboring states of show proof of residency to visit. All camping at state parks remains Arizona and Texas. prohibited, with state parks open for day-use only. In about two weeks, Scrase said supplies of personal protective The governor did not rule out rolling back reopening further if conditions equipment used by healthcare personnel were expected to be stressed, drifted further from reopening criteria, and held out the possibility of more and said providers were working with the nonprofit Battelle corporation to rapid adjustments to business restrictions. decontaminate and reuse some gear. The governor also announced a delay to some high school sports in the Asked about the resistance by some law enforcement agencies to fall, along with prohibitions against contact sports such as football and enforce her administration's mandates, such as the face mask soccer. requirement, Lujan Grisham noted it taken years to modify behaviors She warned that the "hybrid" plan for reopening schools at half capacity concerning safety features that are now familiar, such as seatbelts in per day may be endangered if the spread of COVID-19 does not recede. cars.

She held out the possibility that fall sports might not happen this year, if “I don’t have a decade to get New Mexicans and Americans comfortable schools are unable to reopen. In any event, she announced no contact with wearing masks,” she said, and predicted that the faster Americans sports — such as football or soccer — will be permitted in the fall, while get comfortable with new customs such as wearing masks, the more non-contact sports are under review and may need to begin their lives would be saved in this and future pandemics. seasons late. “We’re shifting human behaviors not just for COVID-19 but potentially The overriding theme of the conference was an appeal to New Mexicans forever,” she said. to modify their behaviors for the sake of public health, and to adopt "a Asked about the role of political protests that took place around the state zero-tolerance policy for risks and risky behavior," and to stay home as in June in recent spread of COVID-19, Lujan Grisham said that contact much as possible while wearing masks for essential outings, avoiding tracing data available had not linked new cases to the protests but that social gatherings and frequently washing hands. this did not change the risks inherent in gathering in groups, even 238 new cases confirmed Thursday outdoors.

Lujan Grisham opened the briefing with an update on cases statewide “People should not be doing these protests with COVID-19,” she stated and said the trends "are going in the wrong direction." flatly, while also encouraging safe engagement in civic activity in line with public health guidance. While acknowledging the risks of gathering, she Given the state's data, at this rate New Mexico would have 639 potential praised efforts by many protesters to maintain physical distance and new deaths in next five weeks. wear masks.

The state Department of Health announced 238 new positive tests for New Mexico Medical Society President Nancy Wright, a pediatrician COVID-19, bringing the total to 14,251 positive results out of 395,881 based in Las Vegas, N.M., endorsed face masks in public, saying that tests administered statewide. tens of thousands of lives could be saved over the next few months if a majority of Americans wore them whenever out in public. There were 154 hospitalized in New Mexico Thursday, with 32 on ventilators. The governor toughened health orders requiring cloth face coverings in public a week ago, announcing that violators could be fined $100 for The DOH also announced six new deaths, bringing the total death toll in failing to wear them in public spaces. New Mexico to 533. "Physicians ask for behavior change when it's the right thing to do," Lujan Grisham noted that two of the latest deaths were of individuals in Wright said, noting changing norms about smoking in public and securing their 30s, warning that many people "have come to a place where it children in cars with seatbelts and car seats. Because "we're still in that doesn't feel like you can be really sick and you could lose your life if time where we don't have great medications and we're still looking for a you're in that younger age group category — and it's just not true." vaccine," Wright urged New Mexicans to wear a mask over their noses Data showed that 45 percent of the 1,736 new cases over the past week and mouths at all times, and avoid handshakes and other social contact. were among people aged between 20 and 40. "If you care about others, if you care about the suffering of others ... if Lujan Grisham remarked that the state's early progress in slowing you care about our economy, if you care about life, then wearing a mask community spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus had taken a turn for is the right thing to do. Don't do it because the governor tells you to do it ... you really should do it because it's just the right thing to do," she said.

Las Cruces Sun-News LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187587 World Leagues News

CMU cancels fall sports due to COVID-19 concerns

Carnegie Mellon made a tough decision Wednesday, opting to cancel its slate of fall sports due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision affects multiple Tartan athletics programs, including football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s tennis. No decision has been made yet regarding the status of winter sports.

“Over the past few months, we have explored every possible avenue for a safe return to play,” CMU athletic director Josh Centor wrote in an email to athletes that was also shared in a press release. “In the message that I wrote to you last month, I noted that the health and safety of our students, staff and community members are at the forefront of every decision we make. With that as our guiding principle, we cannot appropriately return to sport at this time.”

The Tartans’ move came on the same day the Ivy League also decided to forgo fall sports in 2020, according to reports.

Additionally, the University Athletic Association — the Division III conference in which CMU competes — also announced its intention to “move away from a conference-adopted schedule” for fall athletic competitions.

“While it is heartbreaking to contemplate a fall semester without UAA competition, our commitment to student health and safety is at odds with a conference schedule that would require travel at significant distances,” said Farnam Jahanian, CMU president and chair of the UAA Presidents Council.

“We look forward to a return to play within the UAA as soon as we can, and I am confident that we will be stronger than ever when we can once again compete.”

Joshua Axelrod

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187588 World Leagues News Doesn’t that sound a lot like football and basketball? Linemen going face- to-face for three hours, or basketball players making physical contact nearly every time down the floor, in an indoor setting, no less. Besides games, you’ve got daily practices and crowded locker rooms to contend As sports ease back into action, concerns over COVID-19 remain at the with. Baseball seems safer with its spread out nature and being outdoors forefront while hockey players can wear face shields.

I get the feeling that most sports are proceeding full-speed ahead and are determined to get their seasons in. They may not say it, but loss of By Mike Sorensen revenue could be a main reason. Jul 3, 2020, 12:11pm MDT At least NBA commissioner Adam Silver says his league won’t play “no matter what” if circumstances warrant.

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s the first week of July and we should be long “If we were to see a large number of cases and see spread in our past this coronavirus stuff by now, right? We should be going to minor community, that would of course be a cause to stop,” Silver said. league baseball games, watching our kids or grandkids play soccer, or Some folks have the attitude that we should just play everything as usual out playing golf. and if a few people get sick, then so be it. After all, many people, Well, at least we can do the latter. including athletes, get the flu every winter and life and sports go on.

Instead, things are looking as bad as they’ve been on the COVID-19 A couple of things. front. All those maps of red and orange we see on TV and reports of This virus is much more contagious than the flu and because it’s new, no record high cases in places like California, Arizona, Texas and Florida. one has built up a resistance to it and also there’s no vaccine, which the We still don’t have a baseball season, although it is scheduled to start up majority of people are given every year for the regular flu. again in three weeks. The NBA season is also restarting a week after baseball begins with all games in a “bubble” in Orlando, Florida. We also don’t know the long-term effects of this virus yet. Some experts say it may cause permanent damage to a person’s lungs that may not be The month after that, pro football and college football are both supposed seen for years. So saying it’s not a big deal for younger people who don’t to start up and be played even if there is a limited number of fans allowed have serious symptoms, to catch the virus, well, it may be a big deal in stadiums, and most people will have to watch on TV. down the line. Besides NASCAR and women’s soccer, another sport that is in full swing I think the proverbial horse is out of the barn and sports are going to be these days is professional golf, although no fans are allowed on course played this summer and fall. Like other sports fans, I will be happy to see for at least another week. something besides golf, NASCAR, soccer and motocross after all these I recently finished spending several days covering the Korn Ferry Tour’s months, but still wonder if it might be best to wait a few more months until Utah Championship, an annual golf tournament played in our state, the virus is more under control and we have a vaccine. featuring some of the best golfers in the world (it’s like the Triple-A to the I just hope we don’t see a repeat of what happened back in 1919. PGA Tour). In March of that year, after much of society had been shut down in Like the PGA Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour was playing its third tournament previous months because of the Spanish flu, the NHL Stanley Cup finals since starting up again in mid-June. Aside from the lack of fans, it was a was played in Seattle between the hometown Metropolitans and the regular tournament with caddies pulling flagsticks and raking bunkers, Montreal Canadiens. After a double-overtime in Game 4, many players although they were wiping down the sticks and bunker rakes with fell ill, but Game 5 was played and also went into overtime. Following the disinfectant wipes after every use. It’s easy to keep 6-foot distances in game, several players went to the hospital with high fevers and four days golf, although sometimes golfers could be seen walking side by side later, Montreal’s Joe Hall died. The series was canceled and called a tie down fairways, engaged in conversation. The close interactions between after five games. golfers and caddies were the same as usual. In March it took one athlete, Rudy Gobert, catching the virus, to shut One big difference came after the rounds with none of the usual take- everything down. This time it may take nothing short of one athlete dying your-hat-off-and-shake-hands with your caddie, your playing partners, of the virus to shut it down again. your playing partners’ caddies and the scorekeeper.

After rounds last week, golfers found a variety of ways to replace the usual post-round handshakes. Some would take off their hats and wave, Deseret News LOADED: 07.10.2020 others would reach out and tap hats. Some would hold out their hand and literally shake it as if they were trying to get water off it. Some bumped elbows. Sometimes it was a simple nod. I never saw a handshake or high-five all week.

Masks weren’t required for golfers or caddies, but pretty much everyone else wore them, especially all of the crew working for the Golf Channel, who must have been under strict instructions, even outside.

We media folk were all compliant about keeping our masks on while working in the large media room, but were able to take them off out on the course as we followed golfers. Each time we came to the golf course, we had to have our temperatures checked, but never had a swab shoved up our noses, thank goodness.

For interviews, we were kept back behind a rope more than 6 feet from the golfer with taped X’s on the concrete to keep us 6 feet apart.

Golf seems to have it figured out, although I don’t know how they’re going to handle galleries, when they’re supposed to be allowed later this month.

It brings up the logical question of how other sports will cope when they reopen.

It’s common knowledge that the main way to transmit the virus is through close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods of time. 1187589 World Leagues News

MLB umpires union distances from Joe West following coronavirus comments

By Katherine Acquavella

Jul 9, 2020 at 3:11 pm ET

As Major League Baseball gears up for its return to play in an abbreviated 60-game season, longtime umpire Joe West recently declared that he will be participating in the 2020 season despite the league classifying the 67-year-old West as a high-risk individual.

"If this game hasn't gotten me by now, no virus is going to get me," West told The Athletic on Monday. "I've weathered a bunch of storms in my life. I'll weather another one."

High-risk would include people who have heart disease, lung disease, cancer, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Coronavirus is commonly considered a respiratory illness, but many of those who have tested positive can experience a wide range of different symptoms, including possible effects on the heart.

West, who is 65 games short of breaking Bill Klem's record of 5,375 for the most regular-season games by an umpire, went on to say he does not "believe" that the reported coronavirus death totals (now more than 130,000 in the U.S.) were not all caused by the virus. Here's more of what West told The Athletic:

"He said, 'According to our doctors, you're high-risk,'" recalled West, who lives in Clermont, Fl., about 22 miles west of Orlando. "I said, 'Look, most of these people that they're reporting are dying are not healthy to begin with. I've lost 25 pounds over the winter. I'm playing golf every day in the heat. I'm fine. I'm not going to back down now.'

"I don't believe in my heart that all these deaths have been from the coronavirus. I believe it may have contributed to some of the deaths. I said, 'I'm not going to opt out. I'm going to work. And I'm going to work until you take me off the field or I get hurt, whatever. I'm working.'"

West doubled down on the comments to USA Today later in the week.

In response to West's comments (which were not backed up with evidence), the MLB Umpires Association (MLBUA) released a statement on Thursday, condemning his remarks.

"Recent public comments about the current Coronavirus pandemic do not in any way reflect the positions of the Major League Baseball Umpires Association," the union wrote in the statement. "Our nation, and the world, has suffered greatly from this deadly virus. In the midst of continued suffering umpires are attempting to do our part to bring the great game of baseball back onto the field and into the homes of fans everyone."

In May, MLB and the MLBUA reached an agreement where the umpires would reportedly take a 30 percent reduction in pay for the 2020 season.

CBS Sports LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187590 World Leagues News that there’s going to be the potential for a whole lot of respiratory spread amongst players.”

While the NBA, NHL and MLB attempt to resume play this summer under Is playing Texas high school sports even possible in 2020? strict quarantine or distancing guidelines, creating an isolated option for high school sports likely isn’t possible.

Players live with their families, some in multi-generational households, By Callie Caplan and many will have the option for in-person or all-virtual schooling in the upcoming school year. 2:31 PM on Jul 9, 2020 CDT El Paso County issued an updated order Thursday to prohibit face-to-

face instruction at local schools until after Sept. 7 — with sports and As professional sports leagues take measures to mitigate the threat of activities also suspended until campuses re-open. the coronavirus pandemic while returning to play and college In neighboring New Mexico, the state’s governing body for high school conferences consider changes to the fall sports calendar, a question activities has pushed fall contact sports, including football and soccer, to lingers in Texas: the spring. What’s the viability of a high school fall sports season? School districts likely won’t have testing capacity — both financially and The Dallas Morning News interviewed four health experts in Texas and quantitatively — similar to college or professional sports leagues, experts throughout the country — involved in epidemiology or infectious disease said, especially in a state where symptomatic individuals are often departments with backgrounds in sports — to evaluate the safety and waiting in lines for daily access. likelihood of football and volleyball teams starting play in early August. Dallas County has reported more than 1,000 positive COVID-19 cases in Each warned of significant risk to participant and community health as each of the last seven days, while hospitals in major Texas cities, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise in Texas including Dallas and Houston, have been inundated with COVID-19 and each discussed the myriad changes to on- and off-court functions patients. Texas reported a single-day record of 98 COVID-19-related likely necessary if the UIL, TAPPS and other state leagues proceed with deaths on July 8. on-time starts. “From a high school standpoint, a lowering number of infections in the “If you had asked me two months ago — Did I think Texas could have area or in the state, coupled with pretty darn good surveillance and high school sports? — I would have given you a more equivocal answer,” enforcing the need for kids to report symptoms, is kind of the new said Dr. Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman, an infectious disease expert at concussion,” Koester said. “We have to have everybody report what their Wayne State University who ran track and played rugby as an athlete. symptoms are so we can take care of them.”

“With the way that Texas is right now, I would be very concerned about Should Texas governing bodies proceed with high school sports this fall, any fall season sport. Full stop.” experts offered several suggestions for mitigation.

In a Thursday interview with MSNBC, Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Most notable: No fan attendance or a small group of parents staying as Hinojosa caused a stir on Twitter when a quote attributed to him said he distant as possible. was “pretty sure” there would be no high school football in Texas in 2020. They also recommended football players wear full face shields on their When contacted by The News, Hinojosa said Dallas ISD is grappling with helmets; teams shortened their seasons or limit the pool of opponents to issues related to reopening campuses in Texas’ second-largest school decrease crowding on buses and inter-community contamination; district, but said the UIL will have sports discretion. referees officiate without whistles; and leaders consider a season of flag, rather than tackle, football. “I just said I didn’t see how there is any way we could have football this fall for high school sports. But that is out of our control. That is a UIL call,” “If you have ongoing community transmission with that many people he said. “I said they could delay it to the spring, but we’ll see. It was just congregating together, it’s going to be a problem,” said Dr. Jill kind of an off the cuff comment. I don’t have any inside knowledge. Weatherhead, an assistant professor of tropical medicine and infectious [MSNBC’s Garrett Haake] asked me for my opinion. That’s what my diseases at Baylor College of Medicine and a former high school and opinion is.” college athlete.

The UIL offers four fall sports at most member schools: football, “It really has to be the community uniting together to take the steps now if volleyball, cross country and team tennis. they want to play safely come fall.”

Because cross country and tennis are outdoor activities with individual To expect all high school sports participants to remain healthy is unwise, competition that can be spaced — with staggered race starts, for experts said. example — they’re considered lower risk by the National Federation of After all, since the UIL allowed summer workouts to start June 8, at least State High School Associations. 215 schools suspended their operations at one point due to positive That volleyball occurs indoors, often with participants shouting, and COVID-19 tests among participants or because of rapid spread around requires players on the same team and across the net to frequently come the state. in close proximity of one another prompted the NFHS to label it moderate It’s unclear what the benchmark a mid-season suspension or shutdown risk. for team or statewide activity should be. NFHS has tabbed football as higher risk. Weatherhead said a cluster of two or more positive COVID-19 cases on The size of football teams — from players to coaches to trainers to a single team would be a “red flag.” equipment managers — contrasts nationwide calls to limit gatherings of Koester suggested state associations track regional distribution and large groups. assess whether spread across weeks-long increments appears related to Though play happens outdoors, where experts have said the coronavirus competition. is less likely to spread, players’ close contact on the field — particularly Dr. Zachary Binney — an epidemiologist at Oxford College at Emory with linemen working shoulder-to-shoulder with teammates and face-to- University and a sports injury consultant — has advocated for officials to face against opponents — increases the likelihood of shedding evaluate how many participants likely would have contracted COVID-19 respiratory droplets. without a return to sports and then to operate so long as the number of So does tackling and pile-ups after each play. people who contract COVID-19 remains at or below the baseline level.

“Football’s the difficult one,” said Dr. Michael Koester, chair of the NFHS What is more clear: If and when high school sports resume, organizers Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. “The biggest issue with this virus should include several contingency plans into their protocol. appears to be that respiratory spread, and it’s hard to not be convinced “Somebody at some point, unless you’re testing everybody regularly, is going to get on that field with COVID-19,” Binney said. “You need to have a plan in place to live with yourself for what happens after that.”

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187591 World Leagues News

ASU cancels all fall 2020 sports amid COVID-19 pandemic

By WALB News Team

July 9, 2020 at 6:25 PM EDT - Updated July 9 at 6:25 PM

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Albany State University is canceling all fall 2020 sports programs, according to a release from the school.

“Suspending fall sports was a very tough decision. After many days of deliberation, we determined that we would support the SIAC’s decision,” said Marion Ross Fedrick, the president of ASU. “We are committed to the health and safety of our students, coaches and the campus community. This decision helps maintain a safe campus for our students, fans and supporters during this time. We know that our student-athletes were looking forward to competing this fall, and we share in their disappointment. It is critical to continue evaluating these types of decisions that ultimately ensure our campus community’s safety.”

In the release, the university said it “will continue to strongly advocate to maintain NCAA championship opportunities for student-athletes, including fall sports during the 2020-21 academic year, and to recommend competition resume when it is safe and appropriate to do so for all.”

“Albany State University has been deliberate in our evaluation whether or not the Golden Rams can safely compete during the fall. In the end, our student-athletes’ health and well-being drove this collective decision to suspend our fall sports,” said Tony Duckworth, the ASU director of athletics. “I am disappointed for our student-athletes and coaches, especially given their commitment and love for their respective sport. I know our alumni, fans and community look forward to the Golden Rams returning to competition once health conditions improve. I encourage everyone to do your part in our battle with COVID-19 collectively.”

WALB.LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187592 World Leagues News

CIAA is the latest college conference to suspend fall sports due to the coronavirus

BY JONAS POPE IV

JULY 09, 2020 06:20 PM

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is the latest conference to suspend fall sports due to COVID-19.

In a Thursday press release, the league announced that due to safety concerns and a rise in coronavirus cases, all fall sports will be suspended. The CIAA Board of Directors and athletic directors voted to reach the decision.

According to the release, one major concern was that several CIAA institutions are located in states with high numbers of COVID-19 cases. There are eight CIAA schools in North Carolina. According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, 79,349 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic hit the state in early March.

“This was a difficult decision but remains consistent with our long- standing priority of always acting in the best interest of our student- athletes, coaches, and support staff,” CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams said in a press release. “While there will be no athletic competition in the fall, we will continue to support opportunities that enhance the experiences of our student-athletes, member institutions, and partners.”

The ACC on Thursday announced it’s postponing the start of fall Olympic sports until Sept. 1. The Ivy League announced on Wednesday that it is canceling fall sports for the year. UNC announced on Wednesday that 37 athletes and staff tested positive for the coronavirus. N.C. State announced on Thursday that five in the athletic department tested positive for the virus.

The CIAA will look into a modified schedule for football and volleyball, as well as men’s and women’s cross country during the spring of 2021, as well as honor athletic scholarships for fall sports athletes.

newsobserver.com/LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187593 World Leagues News A year later, seeing that same union distance itself from Joe West’s coronavirus rants should tell you everything you need to know.

West is free to believe what he wants, but this whole saga proves that Joe West, MLB's coronavirus conspiracy theory umpire, should sit out unless he starts to take things more seriously, he may not be fit to umpire 2020 season a season with stakes as high as this one.

Baseball’s plan for a safe and short season only works if everyone involved — literally EVERYONE — takes the threat of infection seriously. Mike Oz We’ve seen players opt out after teammates tested positive. We’ve seen Mike Trout running the bases in a mask and his mom trying to turn it into July 9, 2020, 1:52 PM a PSA about mask-wearing. We’ve seen Trout, Kris Bryant, Buster Posey and others express some doubt about whether the league will be safe enough for them to feel comfortable. If Joe West didn’t have to wear a mask to protect himself from a 100 mph fastball flying into his face, you have to wonder whether he’d wear one at Remember, baseball isn’t happening in a bubble. Teams are playing in all. their home parks and will travel from city to city (the schedule is more regional this year to make the travel easier) and they’ll have to count on West, one of MLB’s most well-known umpires, has outed himself as a everyone involved in that process. We’re talking bus drivers, hotel coronavirus conspiracy theorist this week, which is not exactly the best workers, luggage handlers, chefs, servers, clubhouse attendants and so look for a league trying to squeeze a 60-game season inside a pandemic on. with a safety plan that is 100 pages long. All it takes is one person not being responsible or saying “no virus is As players wear masks during workouts, reveal new positive tests on the going to get me” and the coronavirus could knock out an entire daily and opt out of the season because of fears for their safety and the clubhouse. That’s why players and the league have no room for failure. safety of their families, West has been making headlines this week for shrugging at the coronavirus, like “Naw, I’ll be fine.” And it’s why players deserve umpires who are going to take things just as seriously. In a move that was all too predictable based on his “Cowboy” Joe West persona, West told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that he doesn’t believe Where this debate often goes wrong, whether we’re talking about figures that say 130,000 people have died from coronavirus in the U.S.: baseball games, restaurants or any other industry, is when people make it a political issue. It’s not. It’s a matter of common decency. It’s about “Those statistics aren’t accurate, I don’t care who’s counting them,’’ West caring for your neighbors, for their safety and their families’ safety. said from his Florida home. “When [singer] Joe Diffie died, they said he died of the coronavirus. He had Stage 4 lung cancer. The If Joe West is selfishly going to shrug his shoulders at the gravity of the coronavirus may have accelerated his death, but let’s be realistic.” coronavirus, then he should opt out of the season. Or, he can look at the people around him, listen to the doctors and see how concerned players “Our system is so messed up they have emptied hospitals because are about this. there’s no elective surgery. The government has been giving these hospitals extra money if someone dies of the coronavirus. So everybody Maybe he’ll see that he should take the coronavirus as seriously as he that dies is because of coronavirus. I don’t care if you get hit by a car, it’s would a 100 mph fastball coming at his face. coronavirus.’’

(West’s claim about Diffie was erroneous and twisted — the singer’s Yahoo Sports: LOADED: 07.10.2020 father had lung cancer.)

This follows another story earlier in the week, where the 67-year-old West said that even though he’s considered high-risk, he won’t sit out the 2020 season.

“If this game hasn’t gotten me by now, no virus is going to get me,” West told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. “I’ve weathered a bunch of storms in my life. I’ll weather another one.”

West sounds like someone who has spent a lot of time on Facebook lately, looking at memes and rants from some guy he went to high school with who is definitely not a scientist or doctor.

West is not unique in this sense. Plenty of people are peddling coronavirus conspiracy theories these days. If anything, he represents the current divide in the country — people who are taking extra precautions even if they make them uncomfortable, and people who are causing public spectacles anytime someone at the local Costco tells them to wear a mask.

But West is unique in that his job relies on his judgment. An MLB umpire isn’t a Supreme Court justice, sure, but umpires do sit in a more exalted place than the heckling fan behind home plate. They should be leading by example.

This makes the next chapter in this saga even more surprising. The MLB Umpires Association released a statement Thursday re-assuring everyone that its members do take the coronavirus seriously, and that they plan to act professionally and follow all health and safety protocols. The statement didn’t call out West specifically, but it’s pretty clear the union had to go clean up West’s comments. The statement includes the phrase, “regardless of any umpire’s personal views.”

This is the same umpire’s union, you may remember, that had a social- media meltdown last season when Manny Machado got only a one-game suspension for “aggressively” arguing a called third strike with umpire Bill Welke. The union thought Machado deserved more, sent out a rant of a statement with an odd list of social media hashtags. The whole thing led to MLB saying the umpires union acted “inappropriately.” 1187594 World Leagues News group, with 4-6 day turnarounds, would lead to significant delays and could jeopardize the league’s entire testing operation.

“Let’s say you’re defending Stephen Curry,” Binney says. “If you take COVID testing priority a potential issue for NBA your eyes off Curry for one second, maybe you can still recover and stop him from scoring. But if you take your eyes off him for three seconds and you give him time to move around, he’s going to wreak havoc on you before you know what’s happened." By Tom Haberstroh The hope for the NBA is that BioReference would be able to facilitate July 09, 2020 4:40 PM their testing in quicker order. So far, it looks promising. The MLS, a league that has also formed a closed campus on the Disney World resort in Orlando, is also using BioReference Laboratories for processing its With teams making their way into the Orlando bubble this week, the NBA results, per the official MLS website. MLS is facing issues of their own is surely crossing its fingers, or perhaps even looking for some divine (more on that later), but it appears that testing delays aren’t one of them. assistance. For folks inside the bubble trying to resume a professional sports season, “There are no atheists in the league office right now,” one team executive that’s good news. told NBC Sports. But for those outside the bubble mired in a public health crisis, the swift Months of planning have led to this moment. All 22 teams have processing for MLS and NBA may be problematic. successfully arrived in Orlando. The early arrivers have started practicing and the others hope to follow shortly. Inter-squad scrimmages are set to BioReference is experiencing serious delays with the general public. As begin in less than two weeks. The season officially resumes by the end of Thursday morning, patients attempting to access test results on the of the month. It may be one of the most critical times in NBA history. BioReference website would be met with an alert that reads: “If you are looking for your COVID-19 PCR (swab) results please note that these If the coronavirus seeps into the Disney World campus and spreads may not be available in the patient portal for up to 5-7 days after throughout, the NBA will have no choice but to shut it down, collection. As always, we appreciate your business and thank you for commissioner Adam Silver confirmed on Tuesday. A shutdown could your patience during this unprecedented time.” activate a force majeure clause in the collective bargaining agreement, negating the current CBA and leading to a potential work stoppage. Yes, The local stories in Orlando involving BioReference are alarming. Last the 2020-21 season could be in danger as well if this doesn’t work. week, Central Florida’s CBS affiliate WKMG reported that a 74-year-old cancer survivor, along with several senior citizens at a nursing home, With so much riding on this resumption, I spoke to public health experts waited over a week for their results after being tested at the Orange and epidemiologists about the core issues at stake with the NBA going to County Convention Center (OCCC), one of the busiest testing sites in the the bubble. state of Florida. The OCCC’s testing provider: BioReference.

Said Dr. Zachary Binney, an epidemiologist at Oxford College of Emory In response to backlogs, the Florida Department of Health provided a University: “If I was Adam Silver, I’d be white-knuckling it this week.” statement confirming BioReference’s testing and that the state was informed by BioReference that the lab was experiencing serious Is the NBA being prioritized over the general population in a time of nationwide delays. The state made the decision to switch from crisis? BioReference to a lab called Genetworx “to prevent a further delay in The entire NBA operation sits on a foundation of daily testing and then individuals receiving their results.” processing results of those tests quickly. Early in the pandemic, the NBA A separate report from Orlando’s ABC affiliate WFTV9 confirmed the was concerned about having enough tests to administer that daily state chose to find reinforcements once BioReference saw widespread regimen. While supply issues appear to have been resolved, processing delays. those tests is not quite as simple. “In my professional opinion, and this is a personal opinion, a test that Unlike Major League Baseball, so far teams have not seen significant takes five days in infectious disease to come back, it becomes delays or problems receiving test results, according to sources that irrelevant,” Dr. Raul Pino, an Orange County health official, told WFTV9. spoke with NBC Sports. But there have been hiccups here and there. In the 24 hours before departure for Orlando, one NBA team had its tests Sports leagues looking to get games going need quick turnaround times, accidentally sent to the wrong lab, according to league sources. The much faster than a week. As of now, it appears that the MLS has jumped mistake forced the entire team to retake the coronavirus tests later in the to the front of the line without issue. day, delaying their trip to Orlando by several hours. “We are honored to be providing testing solutions to Major League “This is the new normal,” said one official of a team dealing with testing Soccer as it prepares to restart its season,” said Jon R. Cohen, M.D., blips. executive chairman of BioReference Laboratories said in a press release on Thursday. “The leadership of MLS worked diligently with us to develop This space can be tricky at a time when the demand for tests is a COVID-19 PCR and antibody testing strategy with the goal of providing skyrocketing around the country and delays are becoming prevalent. The the safest possible environment for the players, coaches and staff to testing provider is central to everything. The NBA began using begin to play again.” BioReference Laboratories to run their tests once they arrived in the bubble, sources told NBC Sports. That’s a different provider than their For Dr. Binney, prioritizing sports leagues over the public health at a time previous arrangement for in-market testing prior to the bubble. In the when the virus is “exploding” is a troubling development. 113-page Health and Safety Protocol handbook distributed to teams last month, the league listed only one provider, Quest Diagnostics, as a “We should be thinking very, very carefully about whether that's preferred vendor. The league used Quest for the bulk of its tests around something we want to be doing right now,” Binney said. “Diverting the country during Phases 2 and 3 of the resumption of the season. desperately needed testing capacity to support pro sports, which is what Phase 3, which is the transition into the bubble, concludes this Saturday, seems to be happening right now, is extremely questionable.” according to the document. The NBA has not officially announced their testing provider for the bubble The shift away from Quest is notable considering that on Monday, Quest and the Health and Safety Protocols document only mentions a provider Diagnostics issued a worrisome press release. Quest stated a recent (Quest) for Phases 2 and 3. For testing in Orlando, the document only surge in demand for coronavirus testing had caused delays in says “All testing (through the duration of the season) will be conducted processing, with 4-6 day average turnarounds on COVID-19 tests for through a program coordinated by the league.” populations that do not fall into their “Priority 1” group. That group It’s unclear if the NBA is being placed in a Priority 1 group or a similar includes “hospital patients, pre-operative patients in acute care settings class ahead of the general population. Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a Seattle- and symptomatic healthcare workers.” Average turnarounds for Priority 1 based virologist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Columbia would be one day, the lab company said. University Mailman School of Public Health, expressed caution about It’s difficult to see how the NBA and its personnel would be considered using testing capacities for sports leagues. Priority 1 in the Quest designation. Being put in the normal population “Certainly, we’re not in a good place (as a country), especially in the What happens if that clinic isn’t equipped to deal with a specific injury or hardest hit areas,” says Rasmussen, a season-ticket holder for the NFL’s illness inside the bubble? In the two weeks since Weiss’ remarks, the Seattle Seahawks. “And this is where, to me, the question of sports situation around the bubble has turned grave. becomes an issue. Dozens of hospitals across the state have maxed out their ICU capacity. “At what point does it become unethical to reserve tests that would be Locally in Orlando, it’s dire. As of Thursday morning, two local available to the public otherwise for professional sports players just to AdventHealth hospitals’ ICUs -- AdventHealth East Orlando and facilitate having an NBA season? In Florida right now, that’s an especially AdventHealth Winter Park -- have reached full capacity with 39 total beds relevant question.” filled, according to data from the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). To Rasmussen, the optics of the NBA and MLS using BioReference as its provider while the general population waits on the sidelines is The largest AdventHealth hospital in the area, AdventHealth Orlando, is troublesome. at 80 percent ICU capacity, with only 40 of its 191 beds open. Overall, Orange County hospitals are at 83 percent ICU capacity and 87 percent “You’re putting an additional burden on an already burdened testing hospital bed capacity. system,” Rasmussen says. “That’s probably not going to go over very well from a public relations standpoint, at the very least.” Just as NBA players are flying into Orlando, hospitals are being pushed to the brink, AdventHealth included. There are elements in the NBA’s resumption plans that could offer public health benefits. For one, the NBA and National Basketball Players If the on-site clinic can’t handle an NBA-related emergency, does the Association (NBPA) have partnered on a research study using Yale NBA feel comfortable about taking a bed from someone in the general University’s SalivaDirect test, which could have positive implications on public? the NBA’s future and the overall national public health. It is less invasive, less expensive and less taxing on healthcare workers, but the test needs “It’s not so much that everybody who gets COVID is going to die from it,” more validation from a research standpoint. Rasmussen says, “it’s that when the hospitals are overwhelmed and there’s no place for people to go, more people are going to die that The SalivaDirect test, which requires an individual to spit into a tube as wouldn't have necessarily died otherwise. opposed to using a nasal swab, would be secondary to the NBA’s testing protocol and it is not mandatory for players to participate. Rasmussen is If you have more people dying because they can’t get an ICU bed hopeful that NBA players opt in. because they were in a car accident, or they can’t get on a ventilator because they had a severe asthma attack or bacterial pneumonia, then “It has the potential to actually speed up the testing process and address you’re going to see a lot of other deaths not because of COVID but some of these backlogs but not all of them,” Rasmussen says. “In my because the hospital system being strained to the breaking point. That’s opinion, that’s what makes the NBA’s plan beneficial and kind of really, really scary.” overrides any ethical concerns I have over, ‘Why are using these tests for professional athletes that don’t need to play?” There’s another issue here. If AdventHealth has provided staffers, facilities and resources for the NBA and those resources are going In addition to the Yale study, the NBA is planning to offer community unused in the bubble, can the NBA allocate those resources to the testing, according to the Health and Safety Protocol handbook, but it’s public? unclear what form that takes. “The idea of having an on-site clinic with Advent Health is in theory a For Binney, the moral quandary around testing should give the NBA great one,” Binney says. “It limits the number of times that players and serious pause about its plan. staff can leave the bubble; You have everything they need inside the bubble. That’s admirable and that makes sense. The problem would be if “If BioReference or Quest is unable to return tests to the general public in you’re taking away resources from the community that are desperately less than 3-5 days, then I think the NBA (receiving priority) is causing a needed to care for COVID-19 patients.” problem,” Binney says. “The NBA has only two choices. One is to jump to the front of the line with sick people in the hospital or they have to wait an Binney says there could be a time when the league should not have an unsatisfactory amount of time to get their results that gives the virus on-campus clinic dedicated solely for NBA personnel. In April, nurses space to move throughout the bubble. Neither of those choices are and doctors were flown across the country to New York City to assist acceptable.” overwhelmed hospitals. That moment could be coming for Florida.

With the virus surging around the country and, more importantly for the “We’re not there yet,” Binney says. “They’re trending in a very concerning NBA, in the Orlando area, the league could outsource its own partnered direction, but they’re not there yet.” labs or own privatized lab for the general public. Is the NBA quarantine long enough? “If you’re setting up your own internal lab, then the only question you really have is could the testing capacity you’re using for NBA players be Putting aside the testing backlogs and dwindling hospital beds, there’s a more morally or ethically used elsewhere?” Binney asks. “Could you third concern that the NBA has on its hands. Is the league’s opening assist BioReference or Quest? Could you redirect all of that testing to the quarantine enough to prevent an outbreak? community rather than some of it? Is that something morally or ethically Transporting and isolating hundreds of players and staff on over 20 you have to do? I think that’s a value judgment. That’s a moral teams into the bubble is an enormous operation. This is a critical juncture judgment.” in the bubble’s efficacy. If one step isn’t done correctly along the way, an It remains to be seen where the NBA, which has at least $1 billion on the outbreak could sneak in. line, goes from here. The MLS found out the hard way that outbreaks are hard to keep out. On What about hospital and ICU beds in Orlando? Wednesday, the league kicked off its “MLS Is Back” tournament without one of its clubs, FC Dallas, who was forced to withdraw from the Beyond testing capacity, there is another critical issue in the NBA’s tournament after 10 players and one coach tested positive for resumption. Hospital beds are filling up in the areas immediately coronavirus. On Thursday, a second club, Nashville SC, was eliminated surrounding the NBA bubble. If a player or staffer gets seriously ill or after at least nine players on its squad tested positive. needs medical attention, where do they go? How did that happen? A reporter posed that question to Silver, the league office and the NBPA on a call late last month. The NBA’s lawyer, David Weiss, stepped in and MLS had been testing players since early June, when training began in answered that the league will have an on-site clinic through the league’s clubs’ home markets. The league then ramped up testing before partnership with AdventHealth. departure on June 28. Prior to going to the MLS bubble, all personnel were required to complete two tests 24 hours apart within a 72-hour time “If someone gets sick and needs to go to that clinic, and needs to go to period before traveling to Orlando. Upon arrival, another test was the hospital, they’ll be able to go to AdventHealth,” Weiss said. administered. Still, FC Dallas and Nashville SC brought infections to Orlando. Again, how did that happen? The incubation period for coronavirus can working in some way. That would be very concerning … Certainly, if we last somewhere between 3 to 5 days, meaning that a person could be had any sort of significant spread at all within our campus, we would be infected and not show enough virus load to test positive for several days. shut down again.”

Three weeks ago, in a correspondence for a different story, Binney As the situation unravels outside of the bubble, the NBA awaits its outlined potential problems in the current entry quarantine protocol being results. Amid a global pandemic and testing crisis, the NBA certainly used by the NBA and MLS. His thoughts turned out to be prescient. won’t be insulated from the environment around them. “If there’s any commissioner I trust to do the right thing,” Binney says. “It’s Adam “Consider a player on the Houston Rockets and let’s say Houston is Silver.” experiencing an explosive increase in cases,” Binney wrote in an email. “If Rockets players are living at home with their families, then you're relying on the honor system for both them and their families to really limit their time outside of the house. If they don't, there's a very real risk they nbcsports.com/LOADED: 07.10.2020 could get sick just before they leave; that infection may not be picked up by pre-travel tests but could reveal itself in Orlando.

Binney continued.

“To guard against this you could require players to move into a hotel in their home market and undergo daily testing a week before they leave to decrease the chance they pick up an infection right before traveling.”

Binney sent that email on June 16, a week before the NBA began testing players in-market (16 came back positive, with several more in the coming days). On June 16, Houston’s Harris County had seen a total of 17,282 cases in the prior three months since the first test, according to official state data. Three weeks later, the total is now 39,311, meaning that Houston cases doubled in that short amount of time. With Texas seeing a massive surge in cases, Binney’s example proved to be more applicable than he thought.

“I’m a scientist and so I try to be honest when I’m right and when I’m wrong,” Binney said over the phone this week. “When I wrote that email, I didn’t think (needing an airlock) was likely. I thought an airlock would be a nice addition, not a must-have.”

Binney has since changed his mind.

“But now, with the amount of virus circulating in so many places in the U.S. and we’re seeing twice now in MLS, how teams imported outbreaks into the bubble, that has made it clear to me that an airlock is far more important than I initially thought,” Binney said.

To protect against an outbreak being brought into the system, the NBA implemented a 36- to 48-hour quarantine in which the players and staff would have to return two negative tests spaced out by at least 24 hours. Then, they can resume practice and group workouts.

To Binney, that’s not enough time to ensure as much as possible that the virus is at bay. As the MLS example showed, multiple tests over a three- day span weren’t sufficient in preventing at least two clubs from bringing the virus into the bubble.

The NBA and NBPA did not agree to any sort of in-market airlock system for its players in their home markets. In the health and safety guidelines, players and staffers participating in team activities were required to undergo coronavirus testing every other day starting July 1 and both of the two days prior to travel.

“MLS has shown that the most delicate and tricky part is making sure everyone who's entering is uninfected,” Binney says. “We haven't seen any evidence of widespread within the MLS bubble yet, but we're not out of the danger zone at all. I'll be holding my breath for the first week or so after each NBA team enters the bubble.”

Binney’s colleague, Dr. Neel Gandhi -- an infectious disease expert and associate professor of Epidemiology at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health -- thinks the situation has worsened just as the NBA needed it to improve.

“We are pretty close to the worst-case scenario from the point of view of the surrounding community,” Gandhi says. “For me, we are getting close to as scary a place as we were in March. Back then, we didn’t know what we were fighting against. Now it worries me that we know, but many segments don't want to face up to that reality.”

The NBA shut down in March after one test, Utah’s Rudy Gobert, showed up positive. How much would it take before the NBA feels it needs to shut down operations again? In talking to Fortune, Silver would not say. But he did stress the importance of this quarantine period and right after it.

“It would be concerning if once (NBA players and staffers) sit through their quarantine period and then were to test positive, we would know that there is in essence a hole in our bubble. That our campus is not 1187595 World Leagues News

Big Ten to play conference-only football schedule for 2020 season amid COVID-19 pandemic

By Barrett Sallee

Jul 9, 2020 at 4:05 pm ET

The Big Ten announced Thursday that it will adopt a conference-only scheduling model for the 2020 college football season -- if the season is played at all -- stemming from concerns of playing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first Power Five conference to announce major alterations to its 2020 schedule.

"If the Conference is able to participate in fall sports (men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer, and women's volleyball) based on medical advice, it will move to Conference- only schedules in those sports," the Big Ten announced. "By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, the Conference will have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic."

The move to a conference-only scheduling model will eliminate several major nonconference Big Ten showdowns set for 2020, including Ohio State's trip to Oregon in Week 2, the annual rivalry game between Iowa and Iowa State, and Michigan's season opener at Washington.

It is unknown exactly how Big Ten programs will alter their schedules based on the league's decision. The conference currently plays nine league games each season but could fill out its schedule with at least one additional intraleague contest.

The specific conference-only schedule that the Big Ten intends to play this fall -- should sports be permitted to be played at all -- will be announced at a later date.

With coronavirus continuing to rage across the United States and showing few signs of slowing down, moving to a conference-only schedule helps alleviate many issues the pandemic creates. Not only will teams be able to reduce long-distance travel, conferences will have an easier time implementing universal coronavirus testing standards.

It is unknown how other conferences intend to format their fall schedules. Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk, said Thursday that the SEC's decision on a conference-only schedule could come at the end of July.

The Big Ten's decision comes one day after Ohio State paused voluntary workouts due to COVID-19 testing results and the Ivy League announced that it will not hold intercollegiate sports in the fall but will reevaluate playing sports beginning Jan. 1, 2021.

CBS Sports LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187596 World Leagues News

World's Oldest Sporting Event Delayed Due to COVID-19 Concerns

Jul. 9, 2020

Daniel Dawson

The world’s old­est sport­ing event has been post­poned due to the COVID-19 pan•demic, the Turk•ish daily, Hur•riyet, reported.

The 659th edi­tion of the Kırkpı­nar olive oil wrestling cham­pi­onship will not take place for at least two more months. The event was sched•uled for the first week of July.

“In line with the opin•ion of the sci•en•tific com•mit•tee [of the Min•istry of Health], we can plan the wrestling for Sep­tem­ber,” Recep Gürkan, the mayor of Erdine, the town in which the com•pe•ti•tion is held, said orga•niz•ers in a recent con•fer•ence call.

Like in much of the rest of the world, the pan•demic has dis•rupted nor•mal life in Turkey. While the spread of the virus is con•sid•er•ably lower than it was at its peak, the coun•try is still aver•ag•ing more than 1,000 new cases each day and has suf•fered a death toll of more than 5,000.

Kırkpınar’s orga­niz­ers also acknowl­edged that when the event returned, it would be quite dif•fer•ent.

“Wrestlers who will par­tic­i­pate in Kırkpı­nar will be tested,” Musa Aydın, the pres•i•dent of the Turk•ish Wrestling Fed•er•a•tion, said. “[After­wards] there will be no inter­fer­ence from out­side, there will be no entrance or exit. A few thou•sand peo•ple will be together in this camp.”

Aydın added that this could change depend­ing on the sit­u­a­tion, but all mea•sures being taken were in line with Min­istry of Health’s guide­lines.

The lack of spec•ta•tors will be dis•ap•point•ing for the event orga•niz•ers and wrestlers, as Kırkpınar’s pop­u­lar­ity had been grow­ing in recent years.

Record-break•ing crowds showed up to watch Ali Gür•büz claim his third title last year.

The 659th edi­tion of the Kırkpı­nar was also set to be a cel­e­bra­tory one: 10 years since the com­pe­ti­tion was rec­og­nized as a UNESCO Intan•gi•ble Cul•tural Her•itage event.

Each year, thou•sands of con•tes•tants show up in the north•west•ern city of Erdine to com­pete for the the title of başpehli­van — or head wrestler — and the nearly-$10,000 prize.

Wear­ing only a kıspet — the short, leather pants after which the event is named — and drenched in olive oil, par­tic­i­pants wres­tle in pairs for a week until only one man is left stand•ing.

It is esti•mated that about two tons of olive oil is used each year dur•ing the event.

LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187597 World Leagues News

Dartmouth to eliminate five Division 1 sports due to coronavirus pandemic

By Jenna Ciccotelli Globe Correspondent

Updated July 9, 2020, 2:25 p.m.

Dartmouth College is eliminating five varsity athletic programs, effective immediately, due to “a budget deficit made worse by the pandemic,” the school announced Thursday.

Men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s lightweight rowing have been cut, affecting 110 student-athletes and 15 staff members, including eight coaches.

The school is also closing the Hanover Country Club, which it owns and operates at its golf course. According to a release, these changes will save Dartmouth more than $2 million.

Dartmouth President Philip J. Hanlon announced the cuts in an email to the Dartmouth community.

“I can assure you that these decisions were made with great care and the long-term interests of the learning experience provided by Dartmouth Athletics front and center,” Hanlon wrote.

Dartmouth will continue to sponsor 30 Division 1 teams in the Ivy League and Eastern College Athletic Conferences.

The cuts at Dartmouth come one day after Stanford announced it would drop 11 sports due to financial difficulties caused by the pandemic. Brown also restructured its athletic offerings in May, with 11 programs transitioning to club status, but the school said those changes were unrelated to coronavirus.

On July 1, UMass Dartmouth announced it would discontinue eight programs, but said the changes at the Division 3 school were not a result of the pandemic.

Boston Globe LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187598 World Leagues News

Sports world rips NFL for absurd COVID-19 safety guidelines

By Matt Johnson

July 9, 2020

As uncertainty hangs over the 2020 NFL season, the league has come under rampant criticism from players, coaches and executives for the league’s COVID-19 safety guidelines.

The criticism turned into mockery on Thursday when the NFL revealed a series of new safety guidelines for the upcoming season, which included banning jersey swaps and handshakes after the game.

At a time when many coaches and NFL stars are worried about the dangers of the coronavirus spreading during the season, the league’s proposals seemed to miss the problem entirely.

Despite the risks of the virus spreading in a contact sport where players are hitting each other and grabbing one another’s jerseys for hours, the NFL focused on postgame interactions.

SPORTSNAUT LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187599 World Leagues News "College sports means calling something educational — when often it is not — in order not to classify athletes as employees so that their compensation can be artificially restricted. This is what is amateur about college sports." Arizona State professor advocates canceling college football season for more than COVID-19 Jackson, 38, understands the economic repercussions of no football on sports such as hers that depend on football revenue for their existence. Stanford became the latest Power 5 school to cut sports, announcing Wednesday that it will eliminate 11 including wrestling, men's rowing and Jeff Metcalfe men's volleyball after the 2020-21 school year. Arizona Republic "The financial model supporting 36 varsity sports is not sustainable," Stanford athletics said in explaining its decision, tied to a projected $12- million athletic deficit for fiscal year 2021. Robert Turner (L) and Victoria Jackson (center) talk with ASU professor Calvin Schermerhorn during a discussion the day before the Global ASU has 24 varsity sports (combining swimming and diving), with total Sports Summit at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. on March 28, operating revenue in 2018-19 of $105 million. Football brought in $43 2019. million during the 2019 fiscal year.

Arizona State professor Victoria Jackson believes there should be no "When you're saying cancel a season, that's pretty harsh," Jackson said. college football in 2020-21, and not just because of the coronavirus risks "A lot of people I care about work in college sports. The reality of what a for players and staff. cancellation could mean is job losses. But when you take a step back and think about it structurally and also historically, the responsible thing Jackson, the NCAA 10,000-meter track champion when she competed to do at this point is to have an intervention because too many people for ASU from 2004-06, believes the confluence of social rights protests, have been hurt by this system over the years." college athletes rights issues and the COVID-19 pandemic are an opportunity to examine football's position and role. She hasn't discussed her plan with ASU Vice President for Athletics Ray Anderson and football coach Herm Edwards, whom she doesn't expect to "We should take advantage of this moment to think about the place of be on her side. They might, though, be willing to entertain her idea of college football on our campuses and what higher education's spinning off football from the rest of the athletic department and relationship with the game should be going forward," Jackson said. privatizing it so, as she wrote, "players in a dangerous sport might finally get paid compensation and unionized labor rights." Jackson first proposed the idea of cancelling football for a year in an op- ed published in . She since has discussed the topic on Jackson appreciates the academic freedom at ASU, home to the Global various national outlets including in a podcast with ESPN's Sarah Spain, Sport Institute, that allows for open dialogue on issues as sensitive as who was a track teammate with Jackson at Lake Forest (Illinois) High cancelling a football season. School in the late 1990s. ASU athletics recently formed WE 22, a group of Black coaches and Unlike the Ivy League, which voted Wednesday to cancel all fall sports administrators committed to helping Sun Devil Black athletes navigate including football for health concerns, Jackson's arguments are more their college careers. centered on what she wrote is "a rotten model that takes advantage of young Black men and their talents. "This place is excellent because it's inclusive, not because it's exclusive," she said. "That's not just a shiny statement. It's an everyday lived "The myth is that college sports represent the American Dream. But the experience at the university and that goes to athletics too. We've had reality is that college sports are part of the American tragedy being open conversations about race going on for a very long time. I take pride protested in our streets." in doing this work at ASU."

Jackson said her op-ed evolved from her work at ASU — she is a sports historian and clinical assistant professor in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies — over the past five years and what Arizona Republic LOADED: 07.10.2020 she sees as a "rush to get back to business as usual and using the pandemic as justification for we've just got to get sports back. Let's put NIL (name, image, likeness reform) on the back burner to the point where it inevitably goes away.

"This athletes rights movement had been building such momentum and also the antitrust challenge to the whole enterprise. To see all of that potentially go away because of the coronavirus pandemic, I was concerned that was what was unfolding and needed a thought piece to point that out and also present it to university presidents that we do need this massive intervention for all of these reasons piling on us."

The NCAA is seeking federal NIL legislation to supersede numerous such state athlete compensation laws scheduled to go into effect as soon as 2021. High-profile football and men's basketball players are likely to benefit most from the ability to make money from their name, image and likeness.

Last week, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee met with NCAA and college athletic officials, including SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, about NIL legislation and whether the NCAA should receive antitrust protection from NIL lawsuits such as one recently filed with ASU swimmer Grant House as a lead plaintiff.

In her op-ed, Jackson argued that "schools should halt their quest for an antitrust exemption from Congress. This would entrench business as usual. Instead, they should own up to the fact that they have allowed college sports to creep too far away from the academic mission and should take on the responsibility to fix it."

She then goes into the money made and subsequently spent in college athletics (football in particular) and how "labor costs for the players on the field — the majority of whom are Black — have remained artificially low, capped at scholarships. 1187600 World Leagues News

Tokyo Games Face Skeptics, 1-Day COVID-19 Infection Record

BY STEPHEN WADE, AP Sports Writer

TOKYO (AP) — The spokesman for the Tokyo Olympics expects the postponed games to go ahead in 2021 despite a recent poll in Japan in which 77% of respondents said they did not believe the games could be held next year.

The poll by the Japan News Network said only 17% thought it could be held next year in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Masa Takaya, the spokesman, was speaking Thursday on remote hookup on a day of contentious news for the Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo's city government reported a single-day record of 224 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, surpassing a high of 204 in April. Though low by many standards, it marks a steady increase over the last week in the Japanese capital.

Japan has recorded about 1,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Takaya said the way the polls are constructed “may result in very different messages.” He said Tokyo’s only plan was to open the games on July 23, 2021.

Also, Takaya did not flatly deny a leaked report in almost all Japanese media that said organizers were on track to secure all venues for next year's Olympics.

“Tokyo 2020 is aware of these media reports," Takaya said. “I need to be very clear that this is not something that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government or the organizing committee has made a formal announcement on.”

Details of any progress are sure to be presented next week at scheduled meetings of the Swiss-based International Olympic Committee.

Organizers had previously said that 80% of the venues had been secured. Few expect local venue owners to defy the Japanese government, or the IOC, particularly if there are incentives in the new contracts.

Estimates in Japan put the cost of delay at $2 billion to $6 billion. The IOC and local organizers have not given any estimate.

A poll published last month by Japanese news agency Kyodo and a Tokyo television outlet found that 51.7% did not think the games should be held next year. But 46% wanted to see the rescheduled Olympics go forward.

Among those opposed, 27.7% said they should be canceled altogether, and 24% said they should be postponed again because of COVID-19.

The IOC and local organizers have ruled out another postponement and say they will be canceled if they don't happen in 2021.

Takaya also dismissed a recent comment attributed in Japanese media to Yoshiro Mori, the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee. Mori reportedly said April was the deadline for deciding to go ahead with the Olympics.

“We don't know in what kind of environment he might have made" such a comment, Takaya said. “In that respect, we don't even know if he made such a comment.”

Takaya added: “We do not have any such deadline.”

LOADED: 07.10.2020 1187601 World Leagues News Mexican star Carlos Vela, the reigning MVP and Golden Boot, is one of only two MLS players to opt out of the MLS is Back Tournament on account of his wife’s pregnancy. The other, last year’s top draft pick, Inter Miami forward Robbie Robinson, did so for unclear reasons. MLS rushed to be first U.S. men's league back. If it exacerbates Florida's coronavirus spike, it made the wrong choice. The league’s eagerness to return was certainly understandable, considering the financial implications of calling off any more of the season, and indeed the opportunity in being the first American men’s league back in action. But it returned at the wrong time, in the wrong Leander Schaerlaeckens place. July 8, 2020, 8:08 PM MLS is back, yes. MLS Is Back, even. But will it prove the right decision in the end? If a high-end soccer tournament winds up exacerbating Central Florida’s woes with this pandemic even marginally, the answer Major League Soccer is not a league prone to recklessness. Say what will be an empathic no. you will of the stateside soccer circuit celebrating its 25th season, but it has gotten here, far outlasting any other professional league in the United States, through remarkable discipline and long-term planning. Yahoo Sports: LOADED: 07.10.2020 Which is why its insistence on resuming play in Florida has jarred.

MLS became the first major American men’s league to return to playing on Wednesday with an Orlando City-Inter Miami game at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World outside of Orlando. It was the opener of the tautological MLS is Back Tournament — a 2-1 Orlando win.

Like other leagues plan to, MLS has inflated an imaginary bubble around its 26 teams, supposedly keeping the pandemic out, although one team has already been sent home (FC Dallas) and another (Nashville) may well follow for an excess of positive cases. Nashville’s first game, scheduled as the second event on Wednesday’s opening slate, had to be postponed.

Outside of those two teams, the positivity rate is apparently quite low, but that isn’t the point.

The league’s resolve in following the National Women’s Soccer League back out onto the field, a week and a half later, was misguided.

Call it a bubble if you must, and insist that your players will be protected and looked after and even coddled in return for the inarguable risk they’re taking. But word soon leaked out that the bubble wasn’t nearly as impermeable or as cushy as had been promised. Even if those accounts are anecdotal and likely emanate from a band of skeptical and nervous players — and it’s hard to say how many of those there are — the larger issue is that a bubble is illusory. You cannot put an entire soccer league on an island, in the middle of Florida, and just pretend the risk has been mitigated.

What’s more, COVID-19 cases in Florida surged in the month before Wednesday’s game. Its new cases jumped from 966 on June 8 to, now, 14 straight days with at least 5,000 new cases — three of those days rose above 10,000. More than 50 Florida hospitals have run out of ICU beds. And Central Florida, where MLS has installed itself, is a coronavirus hotbed. Meanwhile, test results are facing new delays and protective equipment has become scarce once again.

MLS isn’t to blame for any of these things. But it is making them worse. In a climate of test diagnostic shortages, MLS bubble dwellers are getting one every other day during their first 14 days in the bubble. From then on, they’re tested twice a week. Between 25 teams, coaching and medical staffs, front office members, referees and league officials, the league gobbles up around 1,300 tests, multiple times per week. If an outbreak should happen within the bubble that requires hospitalizations, the burden will fall on local medical facilities that are already stretched.

But it isn’t just unfair on Central Florida, which has had it hard enough under a governor who spent months either ignoring reality or in conscious denial of it, which now has even more people to look after. It’s also unfair to the players, brought together with these clusters of people from all over the country to do something that is inherently dangerous right now: playing a sport that requires constant physical contact and players spitting and shouting in close proximity.

“I think it’s a little bit stupid, if I’m being honest,” LAFC striker Bradley Wright-Phillips has said, per ESPN. But few of his peers have dared to speak out like that.

Unlike Major League Baseball, where a slew of players has already announced that they will be sitting out the season over health concerns, most MLS players don’t have that option. While salaries have certainly risen, few can afford not to make money for a year, nor do they have the leverage to sit out a season and expect to come back. Tellingly, LAFC’s