SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/29/2021 Arizona Coyotes Minnesota Wild 1216608 Defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning pile on against 1216634 Wild and Blues to play at Target Field in Winter Classic on Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 New Year's Day 1216635 Winter Classic rescheduled: Wild vs. Blues at Target Field Boston Bruins on New Year’s Day 1216609 Bruins great Zdeno Chara is accorded state honors in his 1216636 Wild fan survey 3.0: Tell us what you think heading into a native Slovakia challenging offseason 1216610 Bruins star David Pastrnak announces death of 6-day-old 1216637 LeBrun: Eric Staal’s whirlwind season, from blindside son: ‘You will be loved forever’ trade to Stanley Cup Final, was still a family affair 1216611 David Pastrnak announces death of infant son 1216612 Cup finalists reinforce the work Bruins must do Montreal Canadiens 1216613 Bean: Nightmare Cup Final should have B's fans leaning 1216638 Lightning jump on Montreal Canadiens, take Game 1 one way 1216639 Canadiens forward Joel Armia heading to Tampa as he 1216614 BHN Daily: NHL Trade Rumors; Stanley Cup Final; awaits word on status for Game 1 Thinking Of ‘Pasta’ 1216640 In the Habs' Room: 'We know we can get better,' Luke 1216615 OTR: NHL Trade Chatter On Seth Jones, Phil Kessel, Richardson says Blackhawks 1216641 Offensive-zone turnovers burn Canadiens in Game 1 loss 1216616 Heartbreaking; David Pastrnak Announces Death Of His to Lightning Newborn Son 1216642 Canadiens' mix of young and old comes together under Shea Weber Carolina Hurricanes 1216643 Cowan: As Marc Bergevin envisioned, Shea Weber a 1216617 Hurricanes will have to wait longer for outdoor game at perfect fit for Habs Carter-Finley Stadium 1216644 Opinion: The enduring covenant between the Habs and 1216618 Hurricanes fan survey results: Cup confidence, Dougie their fans Hamilton anxiety and so much Rod Brind’Amour love 1216645 Canadiens Game Day: Searching for some positives after Game 1 loss? Chicago Blackhawks 1216646 Feels like '93? It's not exactly déjà vu for the Canadiens 1216619 Chicago Blackhawks hire a former federal prosecutor to 1216647 What the Puck: No one, not even Habs fans, expected this launch an independent investigation of 2010 sexual assa magical playoff ride 1216620 Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup glory appears to have come with 1216648 5 things Tampa fans need to know about the Montreal steep price Canadiens 1216621 Blackhawks hire law firm to investigate sexual-assault 1216649 Canadiens at Lightning, Game 1: Five things you should allegations know 1216622 Wirtz memo: Blackhawks hire firm to investigate sex 1216650 Brownstein: Never a dull moment in the P.K. Subban assault allegations universe 1216623 Blackhawks hire outside firm to investigate sex abuse 1216651 The Canadiens need to win the battles they can win and claims not let the Lightning use their own strengths against t 1216624 Blackhawks hire firm to investigate sexual assault 1216652 Tyler Toffoli, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield throttled by allegations Lightning in Game 1 loss: Playoff plus/minus 1216625 Greenberg: In 2010, the Blackhawks won a Stanley Cup 1216653 The Richardsons are headed to the Stanley Cup Final. and lost something more important And as always, Daron is along for the ride 1216654 ‘Something big to belong to’: Canadiens fans from Dallas Stars Nunavut to Sweden share stories of their connection to the 1216626 How the salary cap will impact Stars’ offseason, plus ways t Dallas can improve its roster 1216655 Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Carey Price: Who is the best goalie in the world? Detroit Red Wings 1216656 Down Goes Brown: Canadiens or Lightning? A Stanley 1216627 Detroit Red Wings await 2021-22 schedule: Will it include Cup Final rooting guide for every other fan base 2022 Beijing Olympics? 1216657 Conn Smythe WATCH: Tracking the MVP favourites 1216628 Red Wings hope odd year leads to better mid-to-late throughout the Stanley Cup Final round draft options Nashville Predators Edmonton Oilers 1216658 Nashville Predators to play Tampa Bay Lightning next 1216629 Five offseason scenarios that could upend the Oilers’ season at Nissan Stadium in NHL Stadium Series best-laid plans 1216659 Could the Predators protect 5 defensemen? Why it's not entirely crazy Florida Panthers 1216630 Florida Panthers, Seattle Kraken to share AHL team New Jersey Devils 1216631 Gary Bettman: Vegas gets 2022 All-Star Game, not 1216660 Canadiens Are Still Out to Prove They Belong Florida Panthers 1216632 OTR: NHL Trade Chatter On Seth Jones, Phil Kessel, Blackhawks Los Angeles Kings 1216633 What would a dream offseason look like for the Kings? New York Islanders Tampa Bay Lightning 1216661 Lou Lamoriello thanks Islanders fans for their passionate 1216685 Lightning-Canadiens Game 1 report card: Tilting the ice support 1216686 Lightning’s Alex Killorn ‘couldn’t go down the stretch’ 1216662 Mathew Barzal is Islanders' offensive leader and pushing 1216687 Lightning strike first against Canadiens in Stanley Cup for more final 1216663 Barry Trotz explains why Oliver Wahlstrom was a 1216688 Warning label: It’s only one game. But man, what a spectator during Lightning series beatdown 1216664 New York's championship drought reaches longest mark 1216689 Lightning’s Erik Cernak scores first career postseason in a century goal in Stanley Cup final 1216665 Trotz Doesn’t Regret Sitting Oliver Wahlstrom, but Where 1216690 Stanley Cup final: Lightning-Canadiens Game 1 live Does That Leave Him Next Year? updates 1216666 Playoff Effort from Semyon Varlamov Should Give Isles 1216691 Flashback to early pandemic protocols for Stanley Cup Optimism for Next Season final 1216667 OTR: NHL Trade Chatter On Seth Jones, Phil Kessel, 1216692 Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy builds a resume Blackhawks comparable to the greats 1216668 NYHN Daily: Islanders Identity Line May Be No More, 1216693 Lightning-Predators will play outdoor game next season Pageau Injury, & 1216694 Lightning’s Victor Hedman set the standard for defensemen New York Rangers 1216695 Lightning know winning Stanley Cup opener isn’t 1216669 Rangers look into Jack Eichel’s condition in preliminary everything Sabres talks 1216696 Sit out the Lightning’s Cup run last year? A primer for new 1216670 Adam Fox’s path to being a Norris finalist: How he fans became the Rangers’ most valuable, most untouchable 1216697 Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Carey Price is the matchup Lord player Stanley’s Cup deserves 1216698 From ‘beast’ to a bloodied face: What we learned from the Philadelphia Flyers Lightning’s 5-1 win in Game 1 1216671 Dave Hakstol gets a shot with the Seattle Kraken to prove 1216699 Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Carey Price: Who is the best goalie he wasn’t the problem with the Flyers in the world? 1216672 Poised beyond his 20 years, Flyers prospect Cam York is 1216700 Conn Smythe WATCH: Tracking the MVP favourites getting ready to push for a roster spot throughout the Stanley Cup Final Pittsburgh Penguins Toronto Maple Leafs 1216673 Penguins A to Z: Where does P.O Joseph fit in? 1216701 Maple Leafs reportedly in talks to re-sign Wayne 1216674 Blackhawks hire outside firm to investigate sex-abuse Simmonds claims 1216702 What should the Maple Leafs do with Morgan Rielly: 1216675 Former Penguins goalie Frank Pietrangelo joins federal Re-sign him, trade him or stand pat? lawsuit alleging sexual abuse at Minnesota 1216676 Penguins offseason preview: What’s the right price for an Vancouver Canucks Evgeni Malkin deal? 1216714 Canucks: Ryan Johnson ‘waiting’ on Abbotsford name, 1216677 NHL Players at Olympics in Doubt, League Announces welcomes fame of Sedins in developing AHL talent Important Dates 1216715 What a perfect conservative offseason could look like for 1216678 Goalies to Prospects; Questions & Answers for Penguins the Vancouver Canucks San Jose Sharks Vegas Golden Knights 1216679 Evander Kane, Sharks offer condolences to David 1216703 Here’s what to expect at NHL All-Star weekend in Las Pastrnak after son’s tragic death Vegas 1216680 Sharks president Becher doubles down on disinterest in 1216704 Golden Knights, Las Vegas awarded 2022 NHL All-Star rebuild Game 1216681 Sharks forward Hertl at Euro 2020 supporting Czech 1216705 Golden Knights co-favorites to win 2022 Stanley Cup Republic 1216706 NHL All-Star Game coming to Las Vegas next season 1216682 Can the Sharks follow the Canadiens’ model for a 1216707 Three key questions facing Golden Knights headed into successful ‘reset’? the offseason 1216708 Exploring the Golden Knights’ offseason scenarios, from Seattle Kraken Jack Eichel to keeping the band together 1216683 Seattle Kraken announce temporary AHL affiliation 1216709 NHL All-Star Game Scheduled for Las Vegas in 2022 agreement 1216710 Alec Martinez Deal Should Be a Top Priority for Vegas Golden Knights St Louis Blues 1216711 Jack Eichel Trade: Should Any Vegas Golden Knights Be 1216684 Blues fan survey results: Trade for Matthew Tkachuk? Untouchable? Re-sign Jaden Schwartz? Protect Vladimir Tarasenko? Washington Capitals 1216712 Bettman claims NHL has the best officials of every sport Websites 1216716 The Athletic / Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Carey Price: Who is the best goalie in the world? 1216717 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Canadiens or Lightning? A Stanley Cup Final rooting guide for every other fan 1216718 The Athletic / Conn Smythe WATCH: Tracking the MVP favourites throughout the Stanley Cup Final 1216719 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ mistakes, atypical puck management give Lightning Game 1 win 1216720 Sportsnet.ca / Kucherov’s elite playoff production proving effective against Canadiens 1216721 Sportsnet.ca / NHL to await results of independent investigation into Blackhawks 1216722 Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Why Blackhawks must publicly address sexual assault allegations 1216723 Sportsnet.ca / Conn Smythe Power Rankings: Price, Vasilevskiy clear favourites ahead of Cup Final 1216724 TSN.CA / Former Blackhawks player describes struggle as abuse allegations come to light 1216725 USA TODAY / Defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning pile on against Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 1216726 USA TODAY / Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak announces death of newborn son 1216727 USA TODAY / Stanley Cup 2021 picks: Here's how Lightning-Canadiens series will play out Winnipeg Jets 1216713 Approval ratings for Cheveldayoff and Maurice slip in latest You Be The Boss survey about Jets SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1216608 Arizona Coyotes "I was just trying to throw it at the net and see what happened, and fortunately it was a lucky bounce," Kucherov said.
Gallagher bloodied, Killorn hurt Defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning pile on against Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher was bloodied when his helmet came off as he was wrestled to the ice by Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev during the third period.
Mike Brehm Lightning forward Alex Killorn played only one shift after blocking a shot in the second period.
The Tampa Bay Lightning answered several questions Monday night in “Obviously he couldn’t go down the stretch there,” Lightning coach Jon their quest for a Stanley Cup repeat. Cooper said. “Hopefully we’ll see tomorrow.”
How effective would leading scorer Nikita Kucherov be after missing all Country vs. country but one shift of Game 6 in the last round? The 2021 Stanley Cup Final is the first between teams from the USA and Could their spectacular power play connect against the Montreal Canada since the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Canadiens' even more impressive penalty killing unit and could they seven games in 2011. solve goalie Carey Price? Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau challenged U.S. President Joe Kucherov scored twice and Steven Stamkos connected on the power Biden to a friendly wager, and it was accepted. play in the third period as the defending champion Lightning piled on for No word on what's at stake. a 5-1 win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Canadiens They got the puck past Price with deflections and screens. defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 1993.
Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde (37) celebrates with Lineup change teammates after scoring a goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period. Canadiens forward Jake Evans (concussion) returned to the lineup for the first time since he left the ice on a stretcher in Game 1 of the second "I think that's the key, going on the inside, driving the net and taking his round. eyes away," said Yanni Gourde, who got his stick on a Blake Coleman shot to deflect the puck past Price in the second period. Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele was suspended four games for bowling over Evans after he scored an empty net goal. Game 2 will be Wednesday night in Tampa. "A brain injury is a serious thing to not rush back, and I just wanted to The Lightning are looking to become the first team to repeat as take my time with it," Evans said. champions since the 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins. Evans replaced Joel Armia, who cleared COVID-19 protocol and flew on A look at Game 1: a private jet to Tampa. He took part in warmups but the Canadiens Lightning's top line thrives coaching scratched him because he had been at home for several days.
Kucherov's first goal was on a Montreal own goal, but he wristed a shot Interim coach Luke Richardson liked what he saw from Evans. past Price for a 4-1 lead after a Tampa Bay faceoff win. "We thought he played very heads-up hockey," he said.
Kucherov, who was held off the scoreboard in Game 7 against the Contributing: The Associated Press. Islanders, finished with two goals and an assist. Brayden Point, who had a nine-game goal streak during the second and third rounds, had three Arizona Republic LOADED: 06.29.2021 assists.
Kucherov has 30 points after sitting out all of the regular season with a hip surgery.
"We just stick to our game plan," he said. "Coaches tell us what to do and we're doing a hell of a job listening to them."
Kucherov and Point assisted on Stamkos' power-play goal, which put Tampa Bay up 5-1. The Canadiens had gone 13 games without allowing a power-play goal.
"We know what we have with our power play group and we know the plays that we can make," Stamkos said. "And when we're confident and when we're making those plays, we go out there and execute and we did that at the end. So maybe a little confidence for our (power play) going forward."
Rare goals
Two defensemen picked up their first career playoff goal during the game.
Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak deflected an Ondrej Palat pass past Price in the first period for a 1-0 lead.
It was his first playoff goal in 46 postseason games.
Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot ended an even longer playoff drought with a goal in his 52nd postseason game.
His shot deflected off two Lightning players to pull Montreal to within 2-1.
Chiarot had bad luck later when he knocked the puck past his own goalie as Tampa Bay took a 3-1 lead. 1216609 Boston Bruins
Bruins great Zdeno Chara is accorded state honors in his native Slovakia
By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated June 28, 2021, 2:35 p.m.
After 14 years as a Bruin, Zdeno Chara played this past season with the Washington Capitals.
Former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was presented with state honors from his native Slovakia.
President Zuzana Čaputová awarded him the Order of Ľudovít Štúr, Second Class.
The country, which broke from Czechoslovakia in 1993, confers several kinds of awards on notable citizens and figures. Štúr, a revolutionary writer and politician from the mid-1800s, is considered one of the most important figures in Slovak history, known for codifying the Slovak language.
Twenty-four personalities were recognized at a state ceremony Sunday, according to SME Slovakia. Chara was honored for extraordinary merits in sport and for spreading the good name of his country abroad.
“Hard to find words to describe my feelings of how proud, honored and grateful I am,” Chara wrote on his social media accounts. “I have chills and at the same time it warms my heart. The memories of this important event will stay with me for rest of my life. Thank you so much.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Zdeno Chara (@zeechara33)
Chara, 44, was the flag-bearer for Slovakia at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He represented his homeland at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 Games, at the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 and 2016 (the latter as part of Team Europe), and eight times at the World Championships.
Peter Janosik, media relations director for Hockey Slovakia, wrote in an email last October that Chara has been a “great inspiration” for young hockey players in the country.
“He has done a lot for Slovak hockey and he is doing great advertising abroad for our country,” Janosik wrote. “We are very proud we have such a great player and we hope he will extend his NHL career in a few more seasons.”
According to his agent, Wellesley-based Matt Keator, Chara has not decided whether to play a 24th season in the NHL. After 14 years as Bruins captain, the sure-shot future Hall of Famer spent last season with the Capitals. He is a free agent.
Boston Globe LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216610 Boston Bruins
Bruins star David Pastrnak announces death of 6-day-old son: ‘You will be loved forever’
By Matt Porter Globe Staff, Updated June 28, 2021, 10:35 a.m.
David Pastrnak and his girlfriend announced in January they were having a boy.
Bruins winger David Pastrnak and his girlfriend, Rebecca Rohlsson, on Monday shared the news of the loss of their infant son.
Viggo Rohl Pastrnak, born June 17, was 6 days old.
“We have an Angel watching over us and we call him SON. You will be loved forever,” both Pastrnak and Rohlsson posted to their Instagram accounts.
“Please respect our privacy as we are going through these heartbreaking times.”
Pastrnak, 25, told NHL.com in early May about his excitement over being a first-time father.
“You come home and you don’t think about hockey at all, you obviously have other priorities,” Pastrnak said. “You’re getting ready for the baby and we couldn’t be more excited. So, hockey’s not been talked much lately at home and sometimes that’s good, you know?”
In late May, between the first and second rounds, Pastrnak told reporters his girlfriend was “doing fine, thank you ... It’s coming up. June 9 is our due date.”
Pastrnak, from Havirov, Czechia, played his junior hockey in Sweden, where Rohlsson is from. They announced Jan. 9 they were having a boy.
“We are heartbroken by the passing of David and Rebecca’s son, Viggo,” the Bruins said in a statement released Monday. “David and Rebecca are a part of our family and we share in their loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy during this very difficult time.”
The NHL’s communications department sent “prayers and deepest condolences” to the family on behalf of the league.
Boston Globe LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216611 Boston Bruins
David Pastrnak announces death of infant son
By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: June 28, 2021 at 8:58 a.m. | UPDATED: June 28, 2021 at 6:45 p.m.
The Bruins’ David Pastrnak announced the unimaginably heartbreaking news that his and his girlfriend Rebecca Rohlsson’s infant son has died.
Pastrnak wrote on Instagram early Monday morning that Viggo Rohl Pastrnak died on June 23, just six days after he was born.
“We have an angel watching over us and we call him SON. You will be loved forever,” Pastrnak wrote. “Please respect our privacy as we are going through these heartbreaking times.”
A statement from the Boston Bruins Players and organization read: “We are heartbroken by the passing of David and Rebecca’s son Viggo. David and Rebecca are a part of our family and we share in their loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy during this very difficult time.”
The couple had announced in January that they were expecting a child. Pastrnak, whose talent and effervescent personality have made him a huge fan favorite in Boston, had spoken several times after that about how overjoyed and eager he was about becoming a father. In an NHL.com story, he spoke about balancing hockey and family.
“You come home and you don’t think about hockey at all, you obviously have other priorities. You’re getting ready for the baby and we couldn’t be more excited. So, hockey’s not been talked much lately at home and sometimes that’s good, you know?” said Pastrnak.
“When things are going well, it’s good, and when things are not going well, sometimes you just need to think about other stuff. For me it’s been definitely something new, but I’m so excited. Family is always going to be No. 1 and at the end of the day; I’m grateful that I can live and work with a job that I love, but at the end of the day it’s just a game. [My family] is always going to be No. 1.”
Pastrnak, the 25-year-old one-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner, has become one of the NHL’s most recognizable faces and the tragic news reverberated throughout the league.
“The entire National Hockey League family sends our prayers and deepest condolences to David Pastrnak and Rebecca Rohlsson on the heartbreaking passing of their newborn son Viggo,” read a statement from the league.
Boston Herald LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216612 Boston Bruins difference-makers in their win over the B’s. In turn, that line was outperformed by the Bolts’ third line of Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow. Any real Cup contender has to have an effective Cup finalists reinforce the work Bruins must do third line and the B’s did not. Both Coleman and Goodrow are UFAs and Coleman, a left shot but who can play his off wing, could be a good fit Defense, bottom six need repairs with Coyle.
All of this, of course, is contingent on Taylor Hall and David Krejci coming back, and the murky goaltending situation being figured out. The B’s are By STEVE CONROY | June 28, 2021 at 4:02 a.m. at a precarious crossroad. They are on the edge of a cliff looking into the abyss of mediocrity or worse.
We all knew that, once the New York Islanders bounced the Bruins in the But they must try to put off a total rebuild as long as they can. Another second round, the aging local team had some roster-fixing to do if it was year or two could give them a chance to draft the next David Pastrnak or going to compete for a Stanley Cup next season. Charlie McAvoy instead of the next … well, take your pick of misses. Another year or two could also get them to a point where the salary cap Now it appears they’ll be hard-pressed to get out of their division. grows.
That’s right, folks. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens But rebuild or not, the B’s have a lot of work in front of them this summer. not only begin a seven-game series for the Cup on Monday, they are also playing for bragging rights of the old, soon-to-be-new-again Atlantic Boston Herald LOADED: 06.29.2021 Division in which the B’s will once again be a part. Throw in the much- improved Florida Panthers and regular season behemoths Toronto Maple Leafs and the division looks stacked.
Returning his team to elite status, even for just one more kick at the can, will not be an easy task for GM Don Sweeney.
Since they’ve been bounced — and even in the process of being knocked out — it has become clear that the B’s were missing some key elements that both the Islanders and Habs used to get as far as they did — more size and a little bit of nastiness on defense.
The B’s were victimized again by some bad luck on the injury front with first the loss of Kevan Miller and then Brandon Carlo. If they remained healthy, then the B’s very well may have earned the right to lose to the Bolts in the East Finals. Regardless of that fact, the B’s need to add some beef on the back end.
The Islanders’ big boys — Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, Ryan Pulock — helped get that team within a goal of beating the Bolts, which was an amazing feat considering Tampa is a super-team that ran a Mack truck through the NHL’s salary cap loophole to keep their power-laden squad together. And as much dizzying firepower that the Lightning have up front, it was their stifling defense led by Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman that proved to be the difference.
As much of an uphill climb that the Islanders had against Tampa, even fewer people picked the Canadiens to beat Vegas. While goalie Carey Price is the Habs’ leading Conn Smythe candidate, they would not be where they are today without the work of their back-end bruisers. Shea Weber is close to the player he was in Nashville before injuries derailed his availability and effectiveness in Montreal. Joel Edmundson, whose injury with Carolina was a major factor in the B’s beating the Hurricanes in five games in the bubble playoffs last year, has been a terrific pick up. Both Ben Chiarot and Jeff Petry have been very good. All are 6-foot-3 or bigger.
Where do the Bruins turn for improvement? There’s the free agent market, always dangerous but even more so in the flat cap world. Still, it might be money well spent. At the head of the class, at least for the B’s needs, would have to be 6-foot-7, 255-pound Jamie Oleksiak, who had a good run to the Cup final with Dallas last year. The former Northeastern Husky, 28, is at the sweet spot of his career and will no doubt garner a lot of interest. A cheaper option might be 6-foot-3 Jon Merrill, who played well for a bad Detroit team before being picked up by Montreal at the deadline.
Then there’s the trade market. The B’s best chip would be Jake DeBrusk, but they would be selling low on him after a brutal season. DeBrusk is better than what he showed this year, but if it’s determined there’s no place for him on the left side (we happen to think it fit well on the Charlie Coyle’s left, given an extended chance), he’s a chip that should be played.
And that brings us to another issue — the rebuild of the bottom six. We’d be content to see the fourth line built around Curtis Lazar (provided he’s not snatched up in the expansion draft) via in-house competition with Trent Frederic, Cameron Hughes, Chris Wagner, Oskar Steen, Jack Studnicka and Karson Kuhlman.
But the third line will require some outside help. The Isles’ third trio of Kyle Palmieri, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Travis Zajac were key 1216613 Boston Bruins
Bean: Nightmare Cup Final should have B's fans leaning one way
BY DJ BEAN
If you weren’t pulling for the Canadiens, you kind of have to be now.
Montreal-Tampa is a Bruins fan’s nightmare Stanley Cup Final. It’s the worst-case scenario. Longest rival and arguably most hated franchise by Bostonians vs. the Bruins’ ultimate modern-day foil. B’s fans were probably too busy envisioning the Bruins in the Final that they never considered what the worst-case scenario would be. It’s this.
But (understandably) unwilling as B’s fans were to enjoy Montreal’s fun, underdog, feel-good run this postseason, the Canadiens should have their support in this Cup Final matchup.
I get not wanting to root for Montreal, but this is more about rooting against the Lightning.
Would Patrice Bergeron go first overall in a 2003 NHL re-draft?
Boston fans have probably considered the B’s to somewhat be the class of the Eastern Conference over the last decade or so. That’s unfortunately incorrect: The Penguins have three titles since 2009, but more recently the Lightning have been both dominant (like the Bruins at times) and (unlike the Bruins) successful. They’ve got one Cup since Boston won in 2011. A second would make the Bruins the third-most impressive team in their conference during this era.
Have the Canadiens embarrassed the Bruins recently? When was the last time? The Winter Classic in 2016? Who freaking cares?
The Lightning, meanwhile, have eliminated the Bruins in five games in each of their last two playoff meetings. I’d call them gentlemen’s sweeps, but they were anything but gentlemanly. We all remember that 7-1 drubbing in Game 3 during bubble play.
And oh yeah, they did it en route to winning the Cup last year. Bruins fans would really rather Tampa win back-to-back Cups than have Montreal win one? You can hate either team after they win, but a Habs win you could at least attribute to a funny year, a wild run and a whole lot of flukiness -- mainly the division and playoff structure -- plus playing teams without their star players.
If Tampa wins, for as badly as fans will cry about them circumventing the salary cap (Tampa put Nikita Kucherov and others on long-term IR for the regular season, spending those cap dollars elsewhere, then brought Kucherov back for the playoffs, to which the salary cap does not apply -- a legal action, everyone), they’ll know deep down that Tampa was the best team. You can cry “fluke,” but it will only go so far.
They’ve been the best team. They’ve been clearly better than the Bruins, who we should be coming to realize we’ve overestimated at points. The Lightning can solidify themselves as being in another class by winning a second Cup.
Another reason? The Lightning are going to be a threat whether they win or not. If cross-border restrictions are lifted, the Habs could rejoin the Atlantic next year and be looked at as the third or fourth team in the division. If they win the Cup, though, they can’t be ignored. Don Sweeney will spend this offseason not only having to account for the buzzsaw that is the Lightning, but also the defending Cup champion, who also happen to be the team’s biggest rival. A repeat of last offseason (let guys go, hope for the best!) would be out of the question.
Some Bruins fans have genuinely enjoyed this Canadiens run. Others just can’t go there. You can get why, but rooting for the Canadiens this postseason was never an anti-Bruins thing. Rooting for the Lightning right now would be.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216614 Boston Bruins What does the future hold for former Boston College star Oliver Wahlstrom with the New York Islanders? Will we see his name in NHL trade rumors soon? (NYI Hockey Now)
BHN Daily: NHL Trade Rumors; Stanley Cup Final; Thinking Of ‘Pasta’ Some cool NHL Draft history of the Detroit Red Wings. (Detroit Hockey Now)
By Jimmy Murphy What can the San Jose Sharks expect from captain Logan Couture going forward? (San Jose Hockey Now)
Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.29.2021 We’ve got tons of NHL trade rumors, but before we begin the latest edition of the Boston Hockey Now Daily links, we once again want to extend our deepest condolences to Boston Bruins star forward David Pastrnak on the passing of his baby boy Viggo. We’re thinking of you Pasta!
Speaking of the Boston Bruins, earlier this month, team President Cam Neely made it very clear what the Bruins’ main target is this offseason. Could the Chicago Blackhawks be a dance partner for the B’s on the NHL trade market?
So who do you like in the Stanley Cup Final? The Montreal Canadiens or the Tampa Bay Lightning? My prediction is below!
Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is a National hero in Slovakia.
Cam Neely and the Bruins want a big and mobile left-shot defenseman on the NHL trade market. In my latest ‘Off The Record’ for the National Hockey Now, I have a league source that tells me that 6-foot-6, 235- pound left-shot Blackhawks rearguard Nikita Zadorov is available. The only problem is the RFA is asking for a lot in his next contract. Are the Bruins a match? (Boston Hockey Now)
My partner-in-crime, Joe Haggerty, answers plenty of burning Boston Bruins questions for the offseason in his latest ‘Hagg Bag’! (Boston Hockey Now)
A little late posting this but a great montage of Trent Frederic and what a verbal and physical presence he can be on the ice.
Stanley Cup Final
Did you know Montreal Canadiens budding star Nick Suzuki idolized Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron growing up? An old piece on Suzuki from my friend Arpon Basu. (The Athletic)
This run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final is uniting generations of Habs fans in Montreal (Sportsnet)
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More on that from the lads on Melnick In The Afternoon. (TSN 690)
For the best insight and breaking news on the Tampa Bay Lightning during the final, it’s worth a subscription to my friend Erik Erlendsson’s site. (Lightning Insider)
Is the 2021 Stanley Cup Final the best goaltending matchup we’ve ever had in the Final? (Tampa Bay Times)
Cool contest from the Hockey Hall of Fame and the NHL that allows fans tweets to be engraved in a plaque that will hang in the Hall. (TSN)
My Stanley Cup Final prediction: Habs in 6
National Hockey Now
Slovakia president Zuzana Čaputová honored Zdeno Chara and 23 others at a ceremony celebrating the 28th anniversary of the country’s independence. According to SME, the award honored Chara “for extraordinary merits in the field of sports and for extraordinary dissemination of the good name of the Slovak Republic abroad.” (Washington Hockey Now)
Our man Tom Callahan really thinks the Vegas Golden Knights should and can get Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel on the NHL Trade market. (Vegas Hockey Now)
What will the Pittsburgh Penguins do on the NHL trade and free agency market? (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)
Can the Philadelphia Flyers snag Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones on the NHL trade market? (Philly Hockey Now) 1216615 Boston Bruins
OTR: NHL Trade Chatter On Seth Jones, Phil Kessel, Blackhawks
By Jimmy Murphy
NHL trade chatter has picked up significantly over the last two weeks. That chatter will only grow louder as we approach July 17, the deadline for NHL teams to submit their NHL Expansion Draft protection lists for the draft four days later.
“Once teams see the list of who Seattle can select from, I think that that’s when you start to see the trade market really open up, and I’m sure they will be involved,” a prominent NHL scout told “Off The Record” on Sunday. “There is plenty of chatter right now, though. Obviously, Jack [Eichel] is the big name, but I think Seth Jones is just as big. That’s a cornerstone defenseman on the market, and that hardly ever happens.”
There’s a long list of suitors for Jones on the NHL trade market, and this week we’ll look into the ones that may be pushing hardest to acquire the Columbus Blue Jackets rearguard.
Speaking of defensemen on the NHL Trade market, could two Chicago Blackhawks defensemen be on the move this summer?
Ever since the Arizona Coyotes and Rick Tocchet mutually parted ways, Coyotes forward Phil Kessel has been a constant name on the NHL trade rumor circuit. His $6.8 million cap hit for the 2021-22 season (Toronto is still on the hook for 15% via the Penguins trade) is hefty, but teams are interested., including one surprise.
Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.29.2021 1216616 Boston Bruins
Heartbreaking; David Pastrnak Announces Death Of His Newborn Son
By Jimmy Murphy
Boston Bruins star forward David Pastrnak announced early Monday morning on Instagram that his newborn son Viggo, who was born on June 17, had passed away six days later.
“We have an Angel watching over us and we call him SON. You will be loved FOREVER. Please respect our privacy as we are going through these heartbreaking times,” Pastrnak wrote around 2 AM ET Monday.
The always affable David Pastrnak and his girlfriend announced that they were expecting a baby boy back in January and as any expecting Dad would be, Pastrnak beamed with excitement and joy every time the media asked how he and his girlfriend were doing as they prepared for the arrival of Viggo. As Pastrnak struggled down the stretch run of the regular season and just prior to the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he drew on family and the expected arrival of Viggo to power through.
“You come home and you don’t think about hockey at all, you obviously have other priorities,” David Pastrnak told NHL.com back on May 9. “You’re getting ready for the baby and we couldn’t be more excited. So, hockey’s not been talked much lately at home and sometimes that’s good, you know?
When things are going well, it’s good, and when things are not going well, sometimes you just need to think about other stuff. For me it’s been definitely something new, but I’m so excited. Family is always going to be No. 1 and at the end of the day. I’m grateful that I can live and work with a job that I love, but at the end of the day it’s just a game. [My family] is always going to be No. 1.”
David Pastrnak has always been a source of positivity and laughs for his teammates, the media that covers him, fans, and anyone that knows him. We at Boston Hockey Now send our deepest condolences to him and his family in this tragic time. May the sunshine he always provides for others shine brightly on them and help them through this. May flights of angels carry thee, Viggo.
Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 06.29.2021 1216617 Carolina Hurricanes
Hurricanes will have to wait longer for outdoor game at Carter-Finley Stadium
BY CHIP ALEXANDER JUNE 28, 2021 07:11 PM,
Carter-Finley Stadium is seen in this iPhone panorama in February 2019. The cones on the field mark an approximate location for an outdoor hockey rink.
Carolina Hurricanes fans will have to wait longer than expected to see an outdoor hockey game in Raleigh.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, in a news conference Monday, said that an NHL Stadium Series game would be held in Nashville, Tennessee, and hosted by the Predators in the 2021-22 season. The Tampa Bay Lightning will be the Preds’ opponent in the Feb. 26 game at Nissan Stadium, the first outdoor hockey game in Nashville.
The Winter Classic will be in Minnesota on Jan. 1, 2022, matching the Wild and St. Louis Blues. A Heritage Classic game also will be played in March in Canada, at a site to be determined.
The league initially had plans to schedule an outdoor game in Raleigh in the 2021-22 season. The game was postponed, Bettman saying, “We’ll be back at some point. It’s just a question of timing, stadium logistics and the like. We are very much looking forward to having an outdoor game in Carolina and we will schedule another one at some point.”
Canes president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement Monday that the decision to postpone the game for a year was a mutual agreement “to assure a safe environment in front of a packed house at Carter-Finley Stadium.”
After years of negotiations with the NHL and N.C. State, the Hurricanes were selected for their first outdoor game experience in February 2020. At the time, Bettman said Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon was “relentless” in his pursuit of the event and added, “It’s a testament to the great fan base that we’ve always known has been in the Triangle.”
But the NHL announced in December 2020 that the outdoor game scheduled for Feb. 20, 2021, at Carter-Finley Stadium was being postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Canes’ game at Carter-Finley was scheduled to be the 12th NHL Stadium Series game and the 32nd NHL regular-season outdoor game overall. Carter-Finley would have been the sixth college football facility to host an outdoor hockey game, joining Michigan Stadium, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium, Notre Dame Stadium and Air Force’s Falcon Stadium.
News Observer LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216618 Carolina Hurricanes • “Can’t they just leave us alone?”
• “Aren’t John Forslund and Ron Francis enough?”
Hurricanes fan survey results: Cup confidence, Dougie Hamilton anxiety • “Hopefully me” and so much Rod Brind’Amour love • “bro i’ve completely forgotten what the expansion rules even are”
• “Take a Jake, any Jake (No Jaccobs)” By Sara Civian Jun 28, 2021 An overwhelming amount of the serious responses were either Jake Bean or Jake Gardiner, and many of you responded “one of the Jakes.” Warren Foegele and Brady Skjei were next most popular, with a few At the start of the weekend, we asked subscribers to participate in The stray votes for Nino Niederreiter. Of course, there were hopes that the Athletic’s annual Hurricanes fan survey. Kraken will take some AHLer, but let’s be real.
Nearly 900 of you responded with your thoughts on everything from the How should the Hurricanes proceed with RFA Warren Foegele? general state of the franchise to the goaltending to hanging conference championship banners. This exercise is always interesting to me, so I Speaking of Foegele, reports that he is seeking more ice time have wanted to thank you for your participation — without your engagement, surfaced, and he could probably find that elsewhere around the league. this doesn’t work. More than 60 percent of you think the Canes should either trade the restricted free agent forward or expose him in the expansion draft. Here are the results: Which of these UFAs is it most important for the Hurricanes to re-sign? Which best describes your feelings about the current state of the Hurricanes franchise? After Hamilton, your unrestricted free agent priority is Brock McGinn. More than two-thirds of you think he’s the most important to re-sign out of Well, that’s a good sign: More than 97 percent of you are at least a bit McGinn, Jordan Martinook, Cedric Paquette and Petr Mrazek. optimistic about the Canes, with 17.5 percent thinking they’re going to win the Cup next season. It’d be interesting to revisit this after the Is Alex Nedeljkovic the guy? offseason and see if anything has changed based on the moves the Canes make — or the moves they don’t make. For now, though, the And if the Canes don’t sign Mrazek, what’s their plan? A whopping 93.5 Hurricanes have established themselves as a perennial playoff team, and percent of you believe that Alex Nedeljkovic is ready to be the fans expect them to win. Hurricanes’ No. 1 goalie.
How should the Hurricanes approach this offseason? Generally, how confident are you in the Hurricanes’ current front office?
In my perfect world, the Hurricanes would sign Dougie Hamilton this *Smiles in mock turtleneck* offseason for less than $8.5 million average annual value over eight What do the Hurricanes need to do to take the “next step”? seasons, and that’s what the overwhelming majority (70.9 percent) of you think, too. After that, it’s close, but the next most popular option is signing There’s been so much talk of the “next step” for the Hurricanes. What him at all costs, then going for a big name that isn’t him, then staying the does that mean to you? course. Most of you agree, though, that it’ll be a disappointment if For 54.2 percent of you, it means one more big-name forward, and that Hamilton isn’t signed and nothing else happens. makes sense because scoring depth has been an issue during the On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, how confident are you that postseason. A significant, 30.4 percent of you believe that extra gear is the Hurricanes will win the Stanley Cup in the next five years? already here, and the young core just needs to keep getting its reps in. If you ask me, it’s a little Column A, a little Column B. Only six of you seriously doubt the Hurricanes will win the Cup in the next five years, and only 32 of you give it a 2 out of 5. The majority give it at After that, some of you still want to see a proven, veteran netminder, and least a 4 out of 5 chance, and 858 of 896 at least a 3. then write-in responses (the missing chunk of the pie chart) are all over the place, from “Get tougher” to “Acquire (Connor) McDavid for a What do you think about Tom Dundon’s approach to owning the team? conditional 3rd.”
Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is at it again with the unconventional Now, time for the best question of the survey: business (in the hockey world) this offseason, granting Hamilton the permission to speak to other teams ahead of the free-agency period to How much do you love Rod Brind’Amour? establish his market value. It truly made my day reading through 896 of these responses. Opinion on this approach is only slightly divided among fans, with 67.7 • “The only things I love more are my mom and Tripp Tracy.” percent of you liking it, 24.1 percent indifferent and only 8.1 percent disliking it. Coach Rod Brind’Amour re-iterated his own faith in Dundon • “I don’t love Rod the Bod. I fear him.” when he signed a three-year extension with the Canes: • “More than is appropriate.” “The commitment that we have from (owner Tom Dundon), a lot gets said, but I know he wants to win,” he said. “And that’s the kind of guy you • “He IS the Canes.” want to work for.” • “Whatever he deadlifts x 100.” How important is it for the Hurricanes to sign UFA Dougie Hamilton? • “As much as my tomato plants love the sun.” The majority of you think it’s anywhere from somewhat important to very • “More than my own father.” important to get a contract with Hamilton done. Only 8.1 percent of you view this as “not important.” That would explain the anxiety looming • “Does he want one of my kids?” around this offseason. • “Yes.” Should they hang a Central Division Champions banner? • “Slightly behind wife and first born. SLIGHTLY.” In normal times, this might have been a “No,” and I’ve joked about it before. But hey, this was an incredibly tough year and everything is worth • “I have a poster of him on the ceiling. My wife thinks it’s weird.” celebrating. It has never been harder to win in the NHL. Discover Central • “Brick wall repair services across the Triangle have increased 500%” Division Champions for life. • “He gave my kid a signed stick with an uplifting message written on it in Which player are you hoping the Kraken take in the expansion draft? the middle of my kid’s chemo. One of the two times I saw him smile that This question was a write-in. year. Point me at the effing brick wall.”
First, the funny answers: • “Would take a bullet for him (leg or arm).” • “I would let him kill me.”
• “I named my car after him.”
• “If I could give him everything I own it would not feel like enough.”
• “I’m sorry I ever doubted.”
The Athletic LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216619 Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks hire a former federal prosecutor to launch an independent investigation of 2010 sexual assault allegations
By PHIL THOMPSON
The Chicago Blackhawks hired a former federal prosecutor to conduct an “independent review” of 2010 sexual assault allegations that are the basis of a former player’s lawsuit against the team, according to an internal memo CEO Danny Wirtz sent to employees.
The memo, obtained by the Chicago Tribune, comes amid escalating scrutiny of the Hawks’ handling of complaints about former video coach Bradley Aldrich by at least two players in May 2010.
Aldrich was convicted of sexually assaulting a high school hockey player in Michigan in 2013 and was required to register as a sex offender.
When a former Hawks player, identified as “John Doe,” first filed a negligence suit in Cook County Circuit Court on May 7, the team said his allegations “lacked merit.”
An anonymous source told TSN’s Rick Westhead that then-skills coach Paul Vincent allegedly asked Hawks executives in a meeting to report the complaints to Chicago police, but his request was denied.
On May 26, “John Doe 2,” the former high school player, also sued the Hawks for negligence.
In the last week, several former Hawks players and staff said others on the team knew about Aldrich’s alleged assaults in 2010 and that management likely had knowledge as well.
Wirtz addressed the lawsuits Monday morning in an internal memo to staff.
“To our Blackhawks family, much has recently been said and written regarding the two lawsuits filed against the organization stemming from alleged events that occurred in 2010. We want to reiterate to you that we take the allegations described in these lawsuits very seriously. They in no way reflect this organization’s culture or values.”
Wirtz said the Hawks hired a “team of professionals” led by Jenner and Block LLP attorney Reid Schar, a former federal prosecutor, to investigate the allegations.
“Mr. Schar and his firm have significant experience conducting independent investigative reviews, have no previous ties to the Blackhawks organization, and have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead,” Wirtz said in the memo.
The Hawks said they would refrain from further public comment until the independent legal team completes its investigation.
“We appreciate your trust and patience as we continue the review,” Wirtz said, adding that employees could direct any questions to Marcus LeBeouf, vice president and general counsel.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216620 Chicago Blackhawks The late Joe Paterno, Penn State’s legendary football coach, casually dismissed for years the hideously rampant pedophilia of his top assistant, Jerry Sandusky, at what proved to be a devastating price to him, the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup glory appears to have come with steep price school and the victims.
The Hawks allegedly did nothing about complaints of sexual assault in The harm disgraced Dr. Larry Nassar did at Michigan State and as the 2010. Now it looks as though that failure is coming back to haunt them. head physician for USA Gymnastics to hundreds of athletes — including Olympic champions — is mountainous, simply because those in charge looked away.
By Rick Telander Jun 28, 2021, 8:24pm CDT As punishment, Michigan State alone has been ordered to pay $500 million in damages to victims. Nassar himself got 175 years in prison.
I don’t know if there’s something about Michigan, but famous University he Blackhawks stand at the blue line during the national anthem before of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, who died in 2006, is now Game 5 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final at the United Center. Sun-Times under attack by many former players who claim he disregarded the You know what the problem with sexual assault is? decades of sexual assaults then-team doctor Robert E. Anderson perpetrated on his athlete victims. Their charges are backed up by a 240- It’s a gift that keeps on giving. page report commissioned by the university.
The damage to victims lasts a lifetime, like a tumor that keeps growing or One former Michigan player, Daniel Kwiatkowski, says he was told by a virus that eats you up from the inside. Schembechler to ‘‘toughen up’’ and ignore the abuse. Matt Schembechler, one of Bo’s sons, claims that when he told his dad that Then there’s the damage from the inevitable cover-up, the attempt by Anderson had abused him during a physical at age 10, Bo punched him higher-ups — be they coaches, managers, parents, heads of churches or and ‘‘went into a rage, hitting, screaming, spitting.’’ organizations — to keep the crime from becoming known. Yeah, you can kick the can down the road, but the can doesn’t go away. This part usually doesn’t end well, either. Sometimes the abused plaintiffs are stiffed for lack of evidence and/or the expensive legal The Hawks are staring at that little beauty right now. maneuvering of the defendants, or they win their court cases and are ‘‘rewarded’’ years later with money, which is something but does little to Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.29.2021 assuage the wounded soul.
Sometimes the perpetrator of the sexual assault is sent off to prison, which is good. Justice helps, but it cures nothing. Because, as stated earlier, this thing just keeps on giving.
Enter the Blackhawks.
They have a mess on their hands.
According to a lawsuit filed by a former player, known at this point only as ‘‘John Doe,’’ the Hawks had a video coach on staff named Bradley Aldrich, who allegedly sexually assaulted the plaintiff and another player in 2010, just weeks before the team won its first Stanley Cup title in 49 years.
Other players have come forward and said that Aldrich was well-known on the team as a sexual deviant and that the lawsuit, in essence, is justified. Former skills coach Paul Vincent told the Canadian network TSN that he informed the Hawks’ top brass about the alleged assault in a meeting and that nobody did a thing.
My own questioning got a former employee, who doesn’t want to be named, to say of the Hawks’ knowledge of Aldrich’s alleged assaults: ‘‘They all knew. Big-time.’’
So now the lawyers come in like a herd of elephants. The Hawks have the high-billing Chicago firm Jenner & Block doing an ‘‘independent review’’ of the charges, even though the Hawks are paying the bill. If that’s how ‘‘independent’’ works, it’s interesting.
The accusers have their own legal team, of course.
Compounding matters is that the Hawks also are being sued by a man who was sexually assaulted at age 16 by Aldrich in 2013 in Houghton, Michigan. The man claims the Hawks gave Aldrich a glowing performance review upon his leaving the organization, thus sending an alleged pedophile on to further employment governing young men, this time as a volunteer high school coach.
This last bit of hand-washing, giving Aldrich a greased path to somewhere else, is reminiscent of the Catholic Church’s habit of quietly sending on pedophile priests to distant parishes, like small-town sheriffs kicking drunks into the next county.
But, see, this stuff doesn’t go away. Not with a kick, not with a shrug, not with a cover-up.
The Hawks might have cleared the runway for their wondrous and magical five-year run to three Cup championships by 2015, but at what cost? Executives John McDonough (now retired), Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac and skills coach James Gary — all of whom allegedly were told of the alleged assaults — might be asking themselves that question this very moment. 1216621 Chicago Blackhawks The Hawks previously had denied all wrongdoing in a statement shortly after the lawsuit was filed. They have moved to dismiss the former player’s lawsuit, arguing in court documents that the statute of limitations Blackhawks hire law firm to investigate sexual-assault allegations has expired.
The Hawks announced in an internal memo Monday that Jenner & Block Jenner & Block, which is headquartered in Chicago and claims to employ will conduct an “independent review” of the allegations that former video more than 500 lawyers globally, is known for its successful antitrust coach Bradley Aldrich sexually assaulted two players in 2010. lawsuit against AT&T in 1985 and its investigation into Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy in 2009.
The firm also is representing USA Gymnastics in its bankruptcy By Ben Pope Updated Jun 28, 2021, 7:01pm CDT proceedings and has been criticized heavily in recent years for collecting high fees — nearly $5.8 million and counting, according to a Bloomberg
report last month — while the many victims suing the organization for The Blackhawks have initiated an investigation into the sexual-assault sexual assault have yet to receive money. allegations against former video coach Bradley Aldrich and into the Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.29.2021 internal handling of those allegations.
After weeks of silence, the team — via an internal memo from CEO Danny Wirtz obtained by the Sun-Times — announced Monday it had hired the law firm Jenner & Block to lead an ‘‘independent review’’ of the allegations. Reid Schar, a former assistant U.S. attorney and now the co- chair of Jenner & Block’s litigation department, will lead the investigation. He prosecuted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich during his 12 years in the U.S. attorney’s office.
‘‘We want to reiterate to you that we take the allegations described in these lawsuits very seriously,’’ Wirtz said in the memo. ‘‘They in no way reflect this organization’s culture or values.
‘‘Mr. Schar and his firm have significant experience conducting independent investigative reviews, have no previous ties to the Blackhawks organization, and have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead.’’
The Hawks are facing a lawsuit from a former player — identified under the pseudonym ‘‘John Doe’’ — who claims he and another player were sexually assaulted by Aldrich in May 2010, a month before the team won the Stanley Cup.
Aldrich ‘‘sent . . . inappropriate text messages,’’ ‘‘turned on porn and began to masturbate in front of [Doe] . . . without his consent’’ and ‘‘threatened to injure [Doe] . . . physically, financially and emotionally if [Doe] . . . did not engage in sexual activity,’’ according to the lawsuit filed May 7.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman discussed the allegations for the first time Monday before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, saying the league will wait for the results of the investigation before determining next steps.
‘‘We’ll await the results of the investigation and then decide what, if anything, needs to be done from our standpoint,’’ Bettman said. ‘‘All options are available if there’s something that warrants punishment. . . . What we know is based on what’s public. That’s why we’re going to be interested to see what the investigation reveals and doesn’t reveal.’’
Bettman said he found the allegations ‘‘concerning’’ but repeatedly emphasized a patient approach, saying it might take ‘‘a little bit of time to piece things together.’’
‘‘Everybody is jumping too far, too fast,’’ he said. ‘‘This is going to be handled appropriately and professionally and done right.’’
Three players from the 2010 team — including defensemen Brent Sopel and Nick Boynton — came forth last week, saying Aldrich’s alleged assaults were widely known among the team.
Former skills coach Paul Vincent told TSN that he informed then- president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, executive Al MacIsaac and skills coach James Gary about Aldrich’s alleged assault at a meeting in 2010, but that the group rejected his request to report the incident to the police. Former assistant coach John Torchetti recently confirmed Vincent’s account to TSN.
After his tenure with the Hawks, Aldrich sexually assaulted a 16-year-old Michigan boy while volunteering for a high school team in 2013. That victim has filed a separate lawsuit against the Hawks, claiming they provided ‘‘positive references to future employers for Bradley Aldrich despite having knowledge of his sexual assaults.’’
In the memo Monday, Wirtz said the Hawks won’t comment further on the allegations — ‘‘out of respect for the ongoing legal proceedings and the independent review’’ — until both processes have ended. 1216622 Chicago Blackhawks Daily Herald Times LOADED: 06.29.2021
Wirtz memo: Blackhawks hire firm to investigate sex assault allegations
John Dietz
The Blackhawks have hired an independent firm to investigate the sexual assault allegations against former video coach Brad Aldrich. The news came to light in an internal memo sent Monday by Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz.
The suit, brought by an unidentified Hawks player who said he and another player were assaulted in 2010, is seeking more than $150,000 in damages.
"Much has recently been said and written regarding the two lawsuits filed against the organization stemming from alleged events that occurred in 2010," Wirtz wrote. "We want to reiterate to you that we take the allegations described in these lawsuits very seriously. They in no way reflect this organization's culture or values."
Wirtz went on to say the review will be led by former federal prosecutor Reid Schar of the law firm of Jenner & Block LLP. He said the firm has no previous ties to the Hawks and that the organization will make no further comments until the review is over.
The player sent an email to TSN through his attorney Monday morning. The comments came before Wirtz's internal email was first reported by The Athletic.
"Every day is a work in progress," the player wrote. "It comes when I wake up and much worse when trying to fall asleep, especially in light of all the activity now. I have not come to terms with it. It is ongoing. I don't think I will every fully come to terms with it."
The player also had a message to other players who have been victims: "I would tell them that it's very hard to deal with the pain of coming out with what happened. But the minute you come out, the healing begins. It's very uplifting to know how much support I'm getting from the public and other players."
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was repeatedly asked about the situation during Monday's news conference before the Stanley Cup Final began in Tampa. He said the league learned about the allegations "relatively recently."
"The reaction is, whenever you hear allegations like that, are concerning," Bettman said. "My first reaction is tell me the facts. And once we know what the facts are we're in a better position to evaluate what may or may not be need to be done."
Bettman also said "all options are available if there's something that warrants punishment."
The commissioner indicated he doesn't know anything more than what is currently public. He won't jump to any conclusions and asked for patience as the law firm conducts its investigation.
Bettman would not say if the firm's findings would be made public.
"I think everybody needs to not get ahead of themselves," Bettman said. "These are allegations that relate to a period of time that's quite some time ago and sometimes it takes a little bit of time to piece things together. When we get all the information we will do what is necessary and appropriate."
Aldrich was convicted in Michigan of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a high school student in 2013. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and five years of probation. A suit filed May 26 by the former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting alleges that inaction by the Hawks enabled Aldrich to go on and assault him.
According to a report by TSN, skills coach Paul Vincent told then-team president and CEO John McDonough, GM Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and mental skills coach James Gray about the incident. Vincent, the story said, wanted it reported to police, but that didn't occur.
The Hawks have asked a court to dismiss the cases because they weren't filed within the appropriate time period. 1216623 Chicago Blackhawks After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a student and is now on that state's registry of sex offenders.
Blackhawks hire outside firm to investigate sex abuse claims The former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting filed a separate lawsuit against the Black hawks on May 26, saying the Blackhawks provided positive references to future employers of Aldrich By JAY COHEN Associated Press despite allegations from at least one player and took no action to report the matter.
That suit says the student was a hockey player at Houghton High School CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks have hired a former federal near Hancock in 2013 when Aldrich sexually assaulted him at an end-of- prosecutor to conduct an independent review of allegations that a former season gathering. player was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010. Houghton police records say an investigator reached out to the CEO Danny Wirtz announced the move in an internal memo Monday that Blackhawks about Aldrich, but human resources executive Marie Sutera was confirmed by a person familiar with the decision who spoke to The would confirm only that he was once an employee. She requested a Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of search warrant or subpoena for any further information regarding Aldrich. the situation. Susan Loggans, an attorney who represents the former player and 'œAn experienced team of professionals, led by former federal student, said she welcomed the decision by the Blackhawks to launch an prosecutor Reid Schar of the law firm of Jenner & Block LLP, has been independent review. retained and is currently conducting an independent review of these allegations,' Wirtz said in the memo obtained by the AP after it was first 'œThey've denied this all along, including to me before I ever filed suit, so reported by The Athletic. 'œMr. Schar and his firm have significant I'm happy that they're at least going this far,' she said. experience conducting independent investigative reviews, have no previous ties to the Blackhawks organization, and have been directed to Miami University in Ohio also has opened an investigation. Aldrich was follow the facts wherever they lead.' director of hockey operations at the school after leaving the Blackhawks, but he resigned in 2012 'œunder suspicion of unwanted touching of a Speaking before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, NHL Commissioner male adult,' the university's attorney told police. Gary Bettman said the league learned 'œrelatively recently' of the allegations. It was informed of the accusations by the team's general Daily Herald Times LOADED: 06.29.2021 counsel.
'œWe'll await the results of the investigation and then decide what if anything needs to be done from our standpoint,' Bettman said.
Bettman declined to say whether the result of the firm's investigation should be made public, preferring to wait for its completion to address that issue. Asked about possible punishment handed down by the league, Bettman said all options are available.
"I think we need to wait and see what the result of the investigation and the litigation that seems to be pending as well,' he said.
The investigation into one of the NHL's most high-profile franchises comes after the filing of two lawsuits against the team. The first alleges sexual assault by former assistant coach Bradley Aldrich during the team's run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, and the second was filed by a former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting in Michigan.
'œWe take the allegations described in these lawsuits very seriously,' Wirtz said in his memo. 'œThey in no way reflect this organization's culture or values.'
A former player said Aldrich assaulted him, and that the team did nothing after he informed an employee. The lawsuit, filed on May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges Aldrich also assaulted another unidentified Blackhawks player. The former player who sued and is seeking more than $150,000 in damages is referred in the document as 'œJohn Doe.'
The eight-page lawsuit says Aldrich, then a video coach for the Blackhawks, 'œturned on porn and began to masturbate in front of' the player without his consent. It says Aldrich also threatened to 'œphysically, financially and emotionally' hurt the player if he 'œdid not engage in sexual activity' with him.
According to TSN, two Blackhawks players told then-skills coach Paul Vincent in May 2010 of inappropriate behavior by Aldrich. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with the players and management.
Vincent was called into a meeting with then-team President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey executive Al MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said he asked the team to report the allegations to Chicago police, and the request was denied.
In an email to the AP, Vincent said he stands by everything he said to TSN. An attorney for Aldrich told Chicago public radio station WBEZ that his client denies the allegations in the lawsuit. In a May statement to the radio station, the Blackhawks said the allegations directed at it were groundless. 1216624 Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks hire firm to investigate sexual assault allegations
BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS
The Blackhawks have launched an investigation into sexual assault allegations against former video coach Brad Alrich, team CEO Danny Wirtz told staffers in an internal memo on Monday.
The law firm Jenner & Block LLP, led by former federal prosecutor Reid Schar, will conduct an "independent review" of the allegations.
Chicago radio station WBEZ first reported in May on the lawsuit, where an unidentified former player from the 2010 team alleged Aldrich sexually assaulted him and another player during their Stanley Cup run. Former skills coach Paul Vincent told TSN last week that he called a meeting before the 2010 Western Conference Final to inform the management group of the allegations and to advise the executives to report the incident to police, but they never did.
"Much has recently been said and written regarding the two lawsuits filed against the organization stemming from alleged events that occurred in 2010," Wirtz wrote in the memo, which was first reported by The Athletic. "We want to reiterate to you that we take the allegations described in these lawsuits very seriously. They in no way reflect this organization’s culture or values.
"Mr. Schar and his firm have significant experience conducting independent investigative reviews, have no previous ties to the Blackhawks organization, and have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead."
Wirtz also wrote in Monday's memo that the Blackhawks will not comment further on the situation "out of the respect of the legal proceedings and independent review" until each process has "reached its respective conclusion."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the allegations on Monday evening during his Stanley Cup Final media availability.
"We learned relatively recently considering that the allegations, I think, at least from what we know publicly are 10 years old or thereabouts," Bettman said. "And we believed that it was appropriate in the first instance for there to be an independent investigation, which has been commissioned previously by the Blackhawks and is underway.
"This is obviously a matter of litigation. We'll await the findings from the independent investigation, which is being conducted by Jenner & Block, which has no connection to the Blackhawks or the league, and it's being spearheaded by a former federal prosecutor. So we'll await the results of the investigation and then decide what, if anything, needs to be done from our standpoint."
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216625 Chicago Blackhawks McDonough is gone from the Blackhawks, fired during the early days of the pandemic as the owner’s son Danny Wirtz staked his claim to his family’s team.
Greenberg: In 2010, the Blackhawks won a Stanley Cup and lost Wirtz wanted to be in charge and now he’s the CEO and alternate something more important governor of the team. He hired Jaime Faulkner to be the president of business operations and promoted Stan Bowman to president of hockey operations. By Jon Greenberg Jun 28, 2021 While the lawyers argue their case against a civil trial, which would obviously require testimony, the younger Wirtz and Faulkner need to hire outside investigators and fire anyone who was involved and didn’t report As president of the Blackhawks, John McDonough was always this case to the police. If the allegations are true, that means Bowman, Al concerned about appearances. MacIsaac, James Gary and anyone else who didn’t do their jobs as How people dressed, what the media wrote, what the players were human beings. saying. McDonough needs to come out and talk about what happened. Rocky In his years running Chicago’s most successful team since the Jordan Wirtz can’t be fired as the team’s owner but he needs to explain himself. era, McDonough’s visage — sometimes scowling, sometimes smiling — What did he know? was as much the symbol of the organization as the actual logo. Joel Joel Quenneville, now coaching in Florida, needs to talk. The Hawks Quenneville ran the hockey and Rocky Wirtz owned the team, but should make the players who were around then, Jonathan Toews, Kane McDonough was in charge of everything else. and Duncan Keith, available to the media to answer questions, not So there’s a certain kind of twisted logic that a Blackhawks front office led because they’re at fault. But this can’t be swept under the rug anymore. by McDonough would not have made public the reasons that video They owe it to every kid who idolized them to let them know that silence coordinator Brad Aldrich left the team after the Stanley Cup Final in 2010. isn’t a virtue and that there’s no shame in the truth. Faulkner, a billet mom to junior hockey players, should be the right person to lead the But it does not excuse why they didn’t report him to the police when the Hawks down this path. team’s skills coach Paul Vincent allegedly told the front office, including McDonough, that two players had accused Aldrich of sexually assaulting Because this is about more than Stanley Cups and a tarnished legacy. them. It’s about young players getting taken advantage of by adults and the culture of secrecy that permeates this sport. According to a story in The Athletic, and reporting from outlets like TSN in Canada and WBEZ in Chicago, two Blackhawks players reported The Blackhawks are credited for a hockey boom in Illinois over the last Aldrich had sexually assaulted them during the 2009-10 season. During decade, which they gladly took credit for. Their Stanley Cup run revived the 2010 playoffs, they confided in Vincent, who told the coaches and an Original Six fanbase that had fallen into decades-long malaise and then the front office they should report this to the Chicago police. Vincent inspired even more kids to pick up sticks and lace up skates. confirmed to The Athletic that he did this. But the leaders of the Stanley Cup champions failed, miserably, when During the 2010 Western Conference finals in San Jose, word spread they were confronted with a moral and legal choice. They failed all of the through the team about what the two players were alleging. youth hockey players in Chicagoland who are vulnerable to this type of abuse. The Blackhawks were supposed to set an example and I suppose “Every guy on the team knew about it,” one player on the 2010 team told they did. To them, winning and saving face was more important than The Athletic. “Every single guy on the team knew.” morality and decency.
In a TSN story, former Blackhawks associate coach John Torchetti Hockey, as a sport, has been dealing with sexual assaults from coaches confirmed that Vincent told the Blackhawks front office and that they for years and in the past couple of decades, a culture that prides itself on didn’t report anything to the police. humility and selflessness has been unmasked. The downside of that sporting subjugation is what happens when coaches take advantage of One former Blackhawks player is now suing the team, one of two civil their power. Unfortunately, we have too many examples. lawsuits filed against the team. The Blackhawks are trying to throw those suits out because the statute of limitations has passed. When I think about this story, my mind travels to The Athletic’s Katie Strang’s series of stories about former youth coach “Chico” Adrahtas. Aldrich kept working and the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in And then I get really angry. Strang’s stories showed what could happen Philadelphia on a Patrick Kane goal. They were the sporting kings of the when sex offenders in coaching run unchecked. Victims have to fight to city, the hottest team in the NHL, and one of the top brands in all of be heard. Lives are ruined. Adrahtas bounced from team to team, state sports. Aldrich took pictures with the Cup, celebrated the team’s good to state, and destroyed people. No one in power did anything until it was fortune, even after the team’s leaders and seemingly all of the players too late. His horrific crimes were an open secret in Chicago youth and knew what he was being accused of. junior hockey circles for far too long. What happened to Aldrich? In 2010, as the city celebrated their greatness, the Blackhawks washed In December 2013, after his second stint as a volunteer assistant coach their hands of Aldrich and they moved on. Unfortunately, so did he. in Houghton, Mich., he pleaded guilty to charges of criminal sexual In the end, appearances are superficial. Stanley Cups are just trophies. conduct with a teenager. Aldrich was sentenced to nine months in a The Blackhawks celebrated their victories with parades and praise, but at Houghton County jail and is now registered as a sex offender. A second that moment where they could have done the right thing, they cowered lawsuit was filed last month by Aldrich’s victim in Houghton, alleging the and they lost. Hawks failed to report the allegations of abuse from 2010. (Editor’s note: Shortly after this column was published, The Athletic’s Aldrich, now 38, also abruptly left a position at Miami (Ohio) University in Mark Lazerus learned the Blackhawks have hired a former federal 2012 after only about four months working with its hockey program. The prosecutor to lead an “independent review” of these allegations.) school is now investigating Aldrich’s time in Oxford. The Athletic LOADED: 06.29.2021 The Hawks, so worried about their brand and their reputation and their standing, let Aldrich walk out of the United Center with his reputation intact after taking pictures with the Stanley Cup.
“That doesn’t bother me, that they let him take pictures with the Cup,” a Blackhawks player at the time told The Athletic. “What bothers me is they fired him, but they didn’t take it to the cops. … They let him get a job with a U-18 team. They let him go work with minors. They let this happen.”
How many lives were affected by the Blackhawks’ failures to do the right thing? How do the people in that room live with themselves? 1216626 Dallas Stars and Jason Dickinson are also both bottom-six RFAs, with two seasons left before they become unrestricted free agents.
Kiviranta’s projection is a tough one since he missed so much of the last How the salary cap will impact Stars’ offseason, plus ways Dallas can two seasons (whether in the AHL or injured) and has actually only played improve its roster 37 career NHL games. He’s been moved up and down the lineup, but Dallas will be tight to the $81.5 million salary cap, but it does have some doesn’t profile as a scorer that demands to be paid like one. Of course, wiggle room for upgrades next month there was Game 7 against Colorado, but teams can’t pay players based on one game a season ago.
Dickinson’s contract may or may not be the Stars’ issue to solve. He lost By Matthew DeFranks some negotiating leverage when Comeau signed last week, since the Stars no longer needed to re-sign a forward to satisfy expansion draft
requirements. With the expansion draft in mind, Dickinson could wait until When free agency opens in a month, the Stars will have cap space to after it to either negotiate with Seattle or Dallas. His cap hit was $1.5 work with. It may not be a ton, but there will be money to play with. million each of the last two years, and his qualifying offer must be at least $1.6 million. How much depends on a number of factors — which player is lost to Seattle in the expansion draft, what contract Miro Heiskanen signs and Here are some potential ballpark figures the Stars could end up at with how the Stars handle their goaltending — but let’s try to estimate what their RFAs. Dallas could do on July 28 underneath the $81.5 million cap. Player Years Cap hit Players under contract Miro Heiskanen 3 $6,250,000 As it stands now, the Stars have nine forwards, five defensemen and two Jason Dickinson 2 $2,000,000 goaltenders under contract for next season who should be NHL contributors. Joel Kiviranta 2 $1,000,000
For purposes of simplicity with this exercise, there were two assumptions With the assumption that Seattle selects Dickinson, that leaves Dallas made: with $9,460,833 in cap space.
— The Stars keep Anton Khudobin in the organization to back up Ben Performance bonus overage Bishop while Jake Oettinger starts in the AHL. If the Stars end up trading Khudobin (or Seattle selects him), they would lose his $3.333 million cap As a result of Bishop and Stephen Johns on LTIR last season, the cap- hip and add Oettinger’s $925,000 hit. strapped Stars must absorb any performance bonuses the following season. The Stars are expecting $927,072 in performance bonus — Thomas Harley is ready for the NHL and occupies the team’s third overages. pairing while Joel Hanley serves as the seventh defenseman. That includes $580,488 to Heiskanen for hitting four Schedule “A” Forwards Cap hit Defensemen Cap hit Goaltenders bonuses (top-four Stars defenseman in ice time, goals, assists and points Cap hit per game), $290,244 to Oettinger for hitting two “A” bonuses (minutes played and goals against average), and $56,340 to Jason Robertson as Tyler Seguin $9,850,000 Esa Lindell a games played bonus. $5,800,000 Ben Bishop $4,917,667 Performance bonuses were prorated for the 56-game season, both in Jamie Benn $9,500,000 John Klingberg terms of the statistics needed and the bonuses paid out. Ordinarily, $4,250,000 Anton Khudobin $3,333,333 Schedule “A” bonuses could cost as much as $850,000 instead of the Joe Pavelski $7,000,000 Andrej Sekera maximum $580,488. $1,500,000 With current contracts, pending RFAs and the bonus overage, this is Alexander Radulov $6,250,000 Thomas Harley what the Stars have left. $894,167 Category Amount Radek Faksa $3,250,000 Joel Hanley Players under contract $64,789,167 $750,000 Restricted free agents (Heiskanen and Kiviranta) $7,250,000 Roope Hintz $3,150,000 Performance bonus overage $927,072
Denis Gurianov $2,550,000 Cap space remaining $8,533,761
Filling out the roster Blake Comeau $1,000,000 At this point, the Stars have pretty well-defined needs in free agency: a top-nine winger and a top-four defenseman, along with another spot filled Jason Robertson $795,000 up front by a prospect like Ty Dellandrea, Riley Damiani, Rhett Gardner, Adam Mascherin or Nick Caamano. Forward total $43,345,000 Defenseman total $13,194,167 Goaltenders total $8,250,000 The Stars want to bring back Jamie Oleksiak as the second-pairing partner to Heiskanen given how much Dallas liked that pair the last two TOTAL $64,789,167 seasons. Oleksiak is a free agent that will be exposed in the expansion In theory, the Stars could shed some of those other contracts (outside draft but can be re-signed by Dallas before July 28, and here’s a Khudobin), but these players are either cornerstones that will be breakdown of what his deal could look like. protected in the expansion draft, high-ceiling youngsters exempt from If the Stars bring back Oleksiak on a contract worth $3.5 million annually, Seattle or veterans on cheap contracts that would do little to help their that leaves them with a little more than $5 million for a rookie forward and cap situation. one on the market. Even if they let Oleksiak walk, there are other UFA That leaves three or four spots for forwards and two for defensemen. defensemen available: Ryan Murray, Derek Forbort, Cody Ceci, Erik Gustafsson and Mike Reilly. Restricted free agents This leads us to the most pressing question on most Stars fans’ minds The Stars have three main restricted free agents, and their markets are entering the summer: Can Dallas afford Blake Coleman? very different from each other. Last week, we looked at what Miro Heiskanen could be paid on a three-year bridge contract. Joel Kiviranta Coleman is the Plano-born, hard-nosed, skilled winger that currently occupies the Lightning’s third line and is an option for the Stars to create a deeper group of forwards behind players returning from injuries like Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov and Roope Hintz. Over the past three seasons, Coleman has averaged 40.7 points per 82 games, while providing a snarl at even-strength and also killing penalties.
He would be a prime candidate to fill out a third scoring line if the Stars choose to bump Radek Faksa and Comeau’s usage down.
On the open market, Coleman is probably worth $4 million a season, if Los Angeles’ Alex Iafallo is the best comparable. Iafallo put up 42.0 points per 82 games in the last three seasons, though he received more power play time than Coleman.
The Stars could have that cap space available (given the assumptions made on RFA contracts and the expansion draft). They could fit a $4 million player onto their roster, but the question is would they be willing to offer term to a player like Coleman?
On top of Heiskanen’s new contract, Hintz, Robertson and Denis Gurianov will be due new deals soon. John Klingberg will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, and the Stars could be saving room for him. A two- or three-year contract to Coleman would allow the Stars some more flexibility, but Coleman may not want to hit UFA so soon again.
The complicating factor is the expansion draft. If Seattle selects a Stars prospect like Adam Mascherin, Ben Gleason or Joel L’Esperance, Dallas may be on the hook for Dickinson’s contract as well, handcuffing its ability to do much in free agency at all. Alternatively, it could opt to just not re-sign Dickinson since qualifying offers are due after the expansion draft.
Under the guidelines provided above, here’s a look at a potential budget for the Stars front office this summer.
Category Amount
Players under contract $64,789,167
Restricted free agents (Heiskanen and Kiviranta) $7,250,000
Performance bonus overage $927,072
Top-four defenseman $3,500,000
Top-nine forward $4,000,000
Entry-level contract forward $925,000
Cap space remaining $108,761
Things can obviously change (and probably will) in the next month, whether it’s Seattle’s selection, Heiskanen’s contract, Khudobin’s situation or Oleksiak and Coleman’s value on the open market, but the Stars enter the summer in a position to fit everything under the cap for one last healthy run with this core group of players.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216627 Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings await 2021-22 schedule: Will it include 2022 Beijing Olympics?
Helene St. James
Whether the Detroit Red Wings’ 2021-22 schedule will include a break for the Winter Olympics remains uncertain. But it will include helmet advertisements.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday evening that “we have real concerns about whether it’s sensible for us to participate,” for the league to break for the Beijing Games — and with the event only seven months away, that’s causing problems.
“We don’t know as of right now, and that is causing us, in addition to consternation, a fair number of issues relative to getting next season up and running,” Bettman said. “It’s reaching the point that we are getting concerned about the impact on the season, because of the uncertainty.”
Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly addressed the topic during their annual availability with media prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final. Daly touched on the role of COVID-19, saying that, “with the continued uncertainty with the virus and the games being halfway around the world — not necessarily an ideal Games to elect to go to.”
Daly said the NHL is negotiating “in good faith” with the Players Association and the International Olympic Committee regarding participation. Both men alluded to time running short. The NHL expects to release the 2021-22 schedule within a few weeks.
A LOOK AHEAD:Two options for Steve Yzerman to fill goaltending hole in NHL draft
“We’re already past the time the we hoped this would be resolved,” Bettman said. “We’ll deal with it, just as we’ve managed to be agile and flexible over the last 15 months. But we’re getting to be on a rather short time frame. This can’t go on indefinitely.”
In other topics, Bettman said the NHL does not plan to allow for any compliance buyouts this offseason, even though the flat salary cap has caused issues for some teams. The Wings have a prime buyout candidate in veteran Frans Nielsen, and without a compliance buyout, he will count against the salary cap.
Bettman also said the NHL plans to keep the helmet sponsors that teams took to using this past season as a source of revenue to offset the impact of not having fans in the stands when the season began. The Wings wore a decal advertising United Wholesale Mortgage on their helmets, a move endorsed by general manager Steve Yzerman.
“We have to be creative,” he said in January. “Our revenues have taken a significant hit and you’re always, regardless, looking at ways to grow revenue.
[ Here are the players the Red Wings can't afford to lose to expansion draft ]
“You see it in Europe, you see it at international events. I don’t really have too big of an issue with it. I think it’s a good opportunity to see if we can’t generate revenue from it. It’s the norm outside of North America.”
There are no plans to change the NHL’s longstanding policy not to disclose injuries. Wings coach Jeff Blashill limits information to lower- or upper-body, and rarely discloses a definitive time frame unless a player has suffered a season-ending injury.
“We have to have policies that facilitate the game on the ice, because the game on the ice is what’s most important,” Daly said.
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216628 Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings hope odd year leads to better mid-to-late round draft options
By Ansar Khan
It was an unusual season with some amateur leagues not operating due to COVID-19 and others playing a reduced schedule. Scouting opportunities for NHL clubs were reduced.
Teams still have a handle on the top players available in this year’s draft but did not get as many views on others.
This might lead to more quality players slipping through the cracks into the later rounds of the draft.
This would suit the Detroit Red Wings.
“You can look it at two ways -- it’s potentially tougher to find people, or you might find a gem later on that didn’t play much, that maybe one of your scouts saw a year ago and said, ‘I’d really like to pick this player,’ " Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said earlier this month. “I do think there will be some really good players that for whatever reason are picked later in the draft. Maybe they didn’t play at all, maybe they played a little bit or maybe they played in a men’s league in Europe and hardly got on the ice and you’re going to wake up in three years and say, ‘Wow, I had no idea this guy was going to be this good.’ "
This is the third year in a row the Red Wings have three second-round selections. They will pick 38th (their own), 48th (from the Rangers) and 52nd (from Edmonton).
They also have two picks in each of the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
As important as it is for the Red Wings to land an impact player at No. 6 and at least a solid contributor at No. 23 (Washington’s pick via the Anthony Mantha-Jakub Vrana trade), they also need to find NHL players beyond the first round.
That is where they found Tyler Bertuzzi (58th in 2013) and Filip Hronek (53rd in 2016) among current Red Wings and players like Jiri Hudler (58th in 2002), Valtteri Filppula (95th in 2002), Jimmy Howard (64th in 2003), Johan Franzen (97th in 2004), Justin Abdelkader (42nd in 2005), Darren Helm (132nd in 2005), Gustav Nyquist (121st in 2008), Tomas Tatar (60th in 2009) and Andreas Athanasiou (110th in 2012) in the past.
“In a normal year our scouts would see these kids play a lot in every single league,” Yzerman said. “This year, the Ontario (League) kids haven’t played, a lot of the leagues shut down early. I think there’s going to be kids that go much later in the draft than normally would have (gone late) if they got a chance to play all year and the same way kids will go a lot higher just basically because teams got to see them a lot.”
The draft takes place virtually on July 23 (first round) and July 24 (second through seventh rounds).
The Red Wings currently have 12 picks. Since starting their rebuild four years ago, Detroit has made 11 selections in 2017, 10 in 2018, 11 in 2019 and 12 in 2020.
Michigan Live LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216629 Edmonton Oilers Nugent-Hopkins can still centre a second line when needed — allowing coach Dave Tippett to put Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together — and he’s an important part of both special teams. Simply put, he’d be Five offseason scenarios that could upend the Oilers’ best-laid plans a tough player to replace.
That said, they have to be willing to walk away if the price gets too high.
By Daniel Nugent-Bowman Jun 28, 2021 Nugent-Hopkins had just seven goals and seven assists — only two of which were the primary variety — at five-on-five in 52 games. That’s with McDavid and Jesse Puljujarvi as his most common linemates, and Kailer Yamamoto and Draisaitl next. It might have just been a blip on the radar. The dream scenario has been presented. But Nugent-Hopkins just turned 28, too, so he’s also quickly approaching Now for the nightmare. the back half of his career if he isn’t there already after 10 NHL seasons.
The Edmonton Oilers have the NHL’s top two scorers, a defenceman Our resident stats expert Dom Luszczyszyn projects Nugent-Hopkins to being mentioned in the Norris Trophy conversation, cap space, roster provide second-line value for the next four seasons before being third- flexibility and even a few prospects coming. There’s a lot to be hopeful line quality. about if you’re an Oilers fan. “Over five years, he likely drops down to a $4 million player based on a All it takes, though, is a bad decision or two to completely upset the typical age curve, with an average value at around $5.2 million,” he applecart. wrote.
Here are five moves Oilers management has to guard against this This lines up with an idea for RNH’s next contract. Here’s what I wrote summer. earlier this month:
Ethan Bear and Derek Forbort (Perry Nelson / USA Today) “The contract former Oilers forward Jordan Eberle signed with the Islanders in June 2019 — five years, $5.5 million average annual value 1. Selling low on Ethan Bear (AAV) — could be a good template for a new deal for RNH, representing a $500,000 per year drop in pay. Ideally, the Oilers knock off a year, too.” There’s a perception out there that Bear’s 2021 season wasn’t very good. There’s an ideal range in terms of cap hit and length of a new deal for He lost his spot to Tyson Barrie on the top pair next to Darnell Nurse. His Nugent-Hopkins. Go too far north and the Oilers could be asking for ice time was reduced by four minutes a game. And a lasting image is the trouble. turnover he made in the third period of Game 4 against the Jets. It was a mistake that got him benched in an eventual season-ending loss. Tyson Barrie (Sergei Belski / USA Today)
Look closer, though, and Bear’s season wasn’t nearly so bad. 3. Re-signing Tyson Barrie to a long-term deal
Nurse was still Bear’s most common partner at five-on-five — although If Oscar Klefbom can’t or doesn’t resume his NHL career in Edmonton, just 40 percent of Bear’s ice time compared to 88 percent the previous Barrie’s donning an Oilers jersey again has some merit. season — and their underlying numbers together were very good: 54 percent Corsi For, 52.8 percent shots for, 51.9 percent goals for, 59.2 He led all defencemen in scoring and often quarterbacked the league’s percent expected goals for. All of Nurse’s numbers took a turn for the top power play, occasionally relinquishing the position to Nurse. Some of worse away from Bear except the goal differential. his underlying numbers were reasonable. He managed a 50.1 Corsi For percentage and 52.4 goals for percentage while mostly playing alongside The Oilers were out-attempted 305-279, outshot 149-145 and outscored Nurse and with McDavid on the ice. 14-9 when Bear was on the ice without Nurse at five-on-five. Bear’s partners for these 393 minutes were almost exclusively Caleb Jones and Perhaps the Oilers could consider having Barrie back on a short deal Kris Russell, one player who was scratched 23 times and another whose without Klefbom around. Even that seems like a stretch. Barrie is on puck-moving abilities aren’t considered a strength. Still, Bear suffered record saying he wants a longer-term contract and I’m told his wishes from plenty of bad luck considering he had a 51.3 percent expected goals aren’t expected to change. rate in those minutes. Barrie is an elite offensive defenceman, but his counting stats were sure Despite being paired less often with Nurse, Bear still played a third of his benefitted by secondary assists — 27 out of 40 total in all strengths. minutes against elite competition and managed a 53.6 Corsi For Nurse has proven he can be the lone defender on the power play. Of percentage. That’s compared to 36 percent TOI and 44.4 percent rate course, Evan Bouchard — a younger, cheaper blueliner, who has a against elites in 2019-20. similar skill set to Barrie and is a fellow right-hander — is projected to do that job, too. The Oilers can no longer block his progress and aren’t Bear had his struggles to start the season and then nearly missed a planning to do so. month due to a concussion. The rest of the regular season was mostly solid. The understanding is Adam Larsson is expected to re-sign. Bear is on a cheap deal and shouldn’t be moved unless the return warrants it. There’s a lot to like about the 24-year-old defenceman, and I don’t get Retaining Barrie would likely give the Oilers the same four right-handers, the sense management is eager to trade him — nor should they be. He which proved to be a problem this past season. could easily step back into his old role with Nurse on a full-time basis and play well if Barrie doesn’t return. Perhaps someone can move over to the left side for a couple of years. Anything too long — if at all — could create major headaches. However, Bear shouldn’t be untouchable since he’s one of the few tradeable assets of value on the roster. Being right-handed, having a $2 4. Leaving Oscar Klefbom unprotected in the expansion draft – and then million cap hit for next season, and still three years away from watching him excel in Seattle unrestricted free agency could make him coveted by other teams. This could all be moot. It’s probable it will be moot. Being blown away by an offer is the only scenario where the Oilers Oilers GM Ken Holland didn’t exactly provide an optimistic near-term should trade him. Selling low has the makings of a big mistake. projection for Klefbom’s future with the team at his season-ending press 2. Bringing back Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at all costs conference a month ago. There’s been nothing said publicly by anyone so far to change the discourse. It makes a ton of sense for the Oilers to re-sign Nugent-Hopkins, their longest-serving player. There are a few reasons. At the very least, it appears Klefbom’s chances of starting the 2021-22 season aren’t great. A return to action also remains murky. It’s looking The Oilers need at least one more top-six forward with him on the roster, doubtful the Oilers will project him in the expansion draft as a result, and perhaps even two. Lose him in free agency and they’ll have to go which makes sense given the circumstances. searching for another player. That’s not ideal since they don’t have a lot of assets to trade to acquire top talent and trying to lure multiple impact But what if something drastically changed with Klefbom’s status in free agents in one offseason isn’t easy. August or September — after the Kraken had selected him? Well, that would arguably be the worst scenario for the Oilers when it comes to the expansion draft.
Klefbom’s absence was sorely missed on the blue line this past season. His usual spot next to Larsson was a revolving door. The Oilers need to find an adequate replacement there if he can’t play again. The issue is there’s a good chance that the player is both costly and less effective than Klefbom. He has two more years on a contract at $4.167 million AAV, a team-friendly rate when healthy.
The Oilers simply can’t afford for Klefbom to star for the division-rival Kraken.
5. Losing another game of goaltending musical chairs
We all remember what happened last offseason with the goaltending situation, right?
Holland wanted to upgrade the position but swung and missed on Day 1 of free agency. He was left to circle back to Mike Smith the next day. It ended up working out just fine as Smith had one of the best seasons of his NHL career.
Now, Holland has said he wants to re-sign the 39-year-old. If that happens, the way to improve between the pipes involves ditching Mikko Koskinen for another netminder either via trade or free agency. Koskinen could be bought out or dealt away within a month.
The doom-and-gloom outlook is they re-sign the aging Smith, punt out Koskinen, but then miss out on their top goalie choices and end up with an expensive or unproven Plan F — or worse.
That has the potential to be catastrophic for a team trying to vault closer to contender status next season.
The Athletic LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216630 Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers, Seattle Kraken to share AHL team
By MALLORY SCHNELL
From one corner of the country to the other, the Florida Panthers and the expansion Seattle Kraken will both place their prospects with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League, the teams announced Monday.
The Panthers, as the main affiliate, will provide the head coach, Geordie Kinnear, while the Kraken will provide an assistant coach.
“We are looking forward to welcoming Seattle to the NHL and utilizing this partnership to create an ideal environment for our prospects to train and compete in Charlotte,” Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito said in a news release. “We can’t wait for the puck to drop in Charlotte for the upcoming season.”
The joint agreement will last one season, while the Kraken finish building their new arena in Palm Springs, California, that will eventually host their AHL expansion franchise. The Checkers’ existing multi-year affiliation agreement with the Panthers will continue beyond the 2021-22 season.
“Our conversations with Bill and Florida were great right from the start,” Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis said in a video conference Monday. “Them going through that process last year with Syracuse, they understood kind of how it could work. The conversations went real smoothly and real quickly. We are just thrilled to be partnered up with them and have this opportunity next season.”
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No other NHL teams currently share an AHL affiliate with another team. Florida did last year with the Tampa Bay Lightning, both sending their prospects to the Syracuse Crunch.
“We had a real great experience this year with Tampa,” Zito said. “The interaction and learning different ways of doing things, just day-to-day learning from each other is probably the biggest benefit that we get.”
As Seattle prepares to take one player from each NHL team in the expansion draft on July 21, this partnership creates an advantage for Florida. The Panthers have to submit a list of players they would like to protect from the expansion draft by July 17.
“Like with all GMs, we have conversations all the time in regards to expansion,” Francis said. “I’m sure Bill and I will have a lot more conversations in the next few weeks ahead of the actual date when the list gets submitted.”
The Kraken begin play this upcoming season.
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216631 Florida Panthers
Gary Bettman: Vegas gets 2022 All-Star Game, not Florida Panthers
By George Richards
Speaking before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed that Las Vegas would be getting the 2022 All- Star Game instead of the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers had been announced as the host of the 2021 game but that was canceled due to the compressed schedule.
Florida team president Matt Caldwell had told Florida Hockey Now on a few occasions that he was under the impression that the NHL would return to Sunrise — as it will go to Target Field in Minneapolis for a 2022 outdoor game that had been cancelled in 2021 — but that is not the case.
“I am pretty certain when we do an All-Star Game, we’re going to get it back,’’ Caldwell told FHN in October. “It may be postponed a year or whatever.”
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It is not known if Sunrise remains in the rotation for a potential All-Star Game down the road although Bettman did say a scheduled outdoor game in Raleigh — which is not on this year’s schedule — will be made up in the future.
Nashville will play host to Tampa Bay at the Titans’ football stadium instead of the NC State football stadium.
When the NHL initially cancelled 2021 special events, it said it “intends to return to both Minnesota and Florida for these signature events in the near future.”
So, one would think South Florida remains in the mix for a future All-Star Weekend.
As far as why Florida would be skipped in the All-Star rotation this coming season, Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL and its players could participate in the 2022 Winter Games although that does not sound likely.
But if the players were to be traveling to Beijing, having a good number of them flying out from Nevada would make for a little bit of a shorter than if they were leaving from Florida.
I was in the queue for the Bettman press conference but did not get the opportunity to ask a question about it.
I have also left a message for Caldwell and will update this story if I hear back from him.
Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216632 Florida Panthers So why would the Coyotes, who will have a projected $31.4 million in cap space this offseason, want to trade a veteran who can still score from a young team that could use more vets?
OTR: NHL Trade Chatter On Seth Jones, Phil Kessel, Blackhawks Well, it’s no secret that one of the main reasons Kessel ended up in the desert was now-former head coach Rick Tocchet, whom Kessel played for and won two Stanley Cups with in Pittsburgh, but Tocchet is gone, By Jimmy Murphy and Arizona is making changes.
Off the record:
NHL trade chatter has picked up significantly over the last two weeks. “I can tell you that the Kings and Panthers have poked around on That chatter will only grow louder as we approach July 17, the deadline Kessel,” an NHL Executive told OTR recently. “The Panthers would for NHL teams to submit their NHL Expansion Draft protection lists for the definitely need the Coyotes to eat some of that cap hit for sure, but–from draft four days later. what I know–both those teams are interested.”
“Once teams see the list of who Seattle can select from, I think that that’s Note: The Florida Panthers have $12.2 million in cap space, and the when you start to see the trade market really open up, and I’m sure they Kings have $18.8 million. will be involved,” a prominent NHL scout told “Off The Record” on Sunday. 3. Call The Blackhawks For Rugged D-Men
“There is plenty of chatter right now, though. Obviously, Jack [Eichel] is After watching the Tampa Bay Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Final the big name, but I think Seth Jones is just as big. That’s a cornerstone again, thanks in large part to a rugged defense that can also move the defenseman on the market, and that hardly ever happens.” puck and create offense, plenty of NHL teams are looking to emulate the Bolts with their blue line on the NHL trade and free-agent market. There’s a long list of suitors for Jones on the NHL trade market, and this week we’ll look into the ones that may be pushing hardest to acquire the Boston Bruins team President Cam Neely made no qualms about a Columbus Blue Jackets rearguard. physical left-shot defenseman with such attributes being the top trade target for the Bruins this offseason. Speaking of defensemen on the NHL trade market, could two Chicago Blackhawks defensemen be on the move this summer? The other team the New York Islanders ousted, the Pittsburgh Penguins, would also like to add more size and grit to their blue line. Could the Ever since the Arizona Coyotes and Rick Tocchet mutually parted ways, Chicago Blackhawks be listening on two left-shot defensemen that Coyotes forward Phil Kessel has been a constant name on the NHL trade definitely bring that snarl so many teams are lacking at playoff time? rumor circuit. Off the record: His $6.8 million cap hit for the 2021-22 season (Toronto is still on the hook for 15% via the Penguins trade) is hefty, but teams are interested., “I’m hearing Zadorov really wants to break the bank,” an NHL agent said including one surprise. of 26-year-old, Nikita Zadorov who is a restricted free agent. “I’m not sure how that affects trade talks, but if a team like say the Bruins could make Find out that and more in the latest ‘Off The Record.’ it work, I’m sure. Bringing in a guy that’s 6-foot-6, 235-pounds could definitely bring back some of that size they lost with Chara. The 1. Seth Jones Suitors Lined Up Blackhawks are looking to do some other big things, and they want to As mentioned above, Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones is easily one free up some cap space.” of, if not the biggest fish on the NHL trade market right now. Who’s the other Blackhawks defenseman that could be on the move? We’ve kept you up-to-date on the Jack Eichel situation, but for whatever “Calvin de Hann. He was available at the deadline, too,” the agent said of reason, there was less chatter regarding the future of the Buffalo Sabres the 30-year-old, 6-foot-1, 195-pound, gritty rearguard. captain last week. de Hann has one year left on his contract that carries a $4.5 million cap There was, however, increased chatter and speculation on where the hit. Blue Jackets may trade Jones. Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 06.29.2021 So, we asked one of our regular and more dependable sources to list the top 5 potential destinations – in no particular order – for Jones based on what he’s heard over the last couple of weeks. He did kind of emphasize two teams more than the other three, though.
Off the record:
“Off the top of my head, I can tell you for a while now, I’ve heard the Leafs and the Avs a lot,” a high-ranking player personnel exec told OTR. “They’ve been in it from the beginning. I don’t know how they plan on doing it cap-wise when he becomes a UFA next summer, but they’re pushing. I’d also really watch the Kings, Flyers, and the Red Wings. Stevie Y is up to something, I think.”
Interestingly enough, this past week, colleague and hall of fame puck scribe Kevin Allen wrote about the $27 million the Wings have and how they may spend it over at Detriot Hockey Now.
2. Kessel Could Be Destined For Sunshine Again
At age 33, Coyotes winger Phil Kessel had a resurgence this past season. He scored 20 goals with 23 assists. Kessel is in the final season of an 8-year, $64 million contract extension, which he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs just before the 2013-14 season.
Kessel spent two seasons of that contract with the Leafs before they dealt him to the Penguins for Kasperi Kapanen, picks, and more on July 1, 2015.
After four seasons in Pittsburgh, the Penguins shipped Kessel to the desert and spent the last two seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. 1216633 Los Angeles Kings Add a top left defenseman
Dillman: Who should play alongside Doughty? The Kings first tried Olli Maatta as Doughty’s partner last season and then landed upon rookie What would a dream offseason look like for the Kings? Mikey Anderson and, at times, another rookie, Tobias Bjornfot. The focus has been on adding scoring up front — as it should be — but one of the important priorities should be bolstering the left side. By Lisa Dillman and Rich Hammond Jun 28, 2021 Not only would it help Doughty but it would aid the career development of Anderson and Bjornfot if they were slotted further down the lineup at this time. All hockey rebuilds are not created equal but there are some lessons to be learned from past efforts by the Kings. At the top of my shopping list: Pursuing a trade for Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets. A template for the “perfect” offseason — or close to one — was put down in the summer of 2008. The Kings didn’t win their first Stanley Cup until Hammond: This is where general manager Rob Blake is going to have to 2012, but a series of moves that offseason helped bolster their be very shrewd and, frankly, show the acumen he hasn’t shown to date foundation. That’s when they did the following: during his tenure. I’m not just talking about a left defenseman, either, but let’s start there. Doughty is 31 and if the Kings hope to have him play for • Signed prospect Alec Martinez to a three-year entry-level contract on the Cup again in L.A., he’s going to need a partner he can thrive next to. April 29. Martinez, who had just finished his junior year at Miami Werenski, who turns 24 next month, isn’t a grizzled veteran in that way University (Ohio), was a fourth-round pick (No. 95) in 2007. but he has already played 335 regular-season games. That seems like a • Drafted defensemen Drew Doughty (No. 2) and Slava Voynov (No. 32) great fit. in Ottawa in June. I wouldn’t stop there, though, and I’d take a look at the right side and see • Brought in accountability by acquiring defenseman Matt Greene and if there’s a veteran available. Maybe it doesn’t happen this offseason. I center Jarret Stoll in a trade with Edmonton, sending defenseman wouldn’t reach or overpay right now, but these young guys on the left Lubomir Visnovsky to the Oilers on June 29. side might benefit from another steady veteran. No two rebuilds are the same, and it’s not fair to compare Blake to former GM Dean Lombardi, So, as the Kings attempt to get closer to contending during this rebuild, but part of Lombardi’s genius was bringing in veteran left-side what would a dream offseason look like in 2021? We have a few ideas defensemen Rob Scuderi (2009) and Willie Mitchell (2010) to pair with for the to-do list in July, August and September. the young Doughty and Voynov. As Lisa noted, a young defenseman will benefit greatly from a blue line security blanket. Add at least one top-line winger Perhaps eventually, either Anderson or Bjornfot could “graduate” and Dillman: The assignment of trying to find a skillful winger to complement partner with Doughty, while the defenseman in the Werenski role could Anze Kopitar feels more like a five-part miniseries. Who is available via partner with the other, but for now, another veteran wouldn’t hurt, free agency and who is out there via trade? perhaps similar to the way the Kings utilized Sean O’Donnell from 2008 Let’s look at free agency and mention some names we did not discuss in to 2010. And hey, as I recall, Alec Martinez can play on the right side … last week’s mailbag, starting with forward Zach Hyman of the Toronto Alec Martinez (John Locher / USA Today) Maple Leafs. Trade the first-round pick It would likely take a long-term deal to win the Zach Derby, and colleague James Mirtle recently noted that the price could get close to $6 million a Dillman: The Kings could do one of two things with the No. 8 pick. They season, according to sources around the league. could either trade the pick for a player or use it to move back in the draft. The specific suggestion about trading the pick shouldn’t be taken in The appealing versatility of the Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins should not isolation. First-round picks, especially ones in the top 10, are valuable be overlooked. What makes Nugent-Hopkins attractive is that he has the currency. But this one could be used as a piece in a larger deal to obtain same sort of flexibility that made Jeff Carter so valuable at his best. He a difference-maker. could be the No. 2 center and also be the player who could move up and play alongside Kopitar. Plus, Kings coach Todd McLellan knows his There are only a certain number of prospects you can pump into the strengths from having coached him in Edmonton. pipeline. Ideally, you want a steady stream coming through the system. You don’t want them all arriving at the same time and then none for a few Then there’s Brandon Saad of the Colorado Avalanche. Saad’s season years. But you can afford to miss a year or two if you’ve drafted as many was sprinkled by stretches in which he looked really good and other young players as the Kings have. More still are coming, and as is the times in which he seemed inconsistent. But he’s a proven NHL scorer on case with all prospects, some pan out and some don’t. The more tickets an expiring contract and had a decent playoff run this year, with seven you have in SuperLotto, the better odds are of pulling a winning number. goals in 10 games. In this particular year and with the uncertainty of the draft, if that’s the Hammond: There’s a sweet spot the Kings need to hit here. They need to piece you need to get a player who can help you in the present, then you acquire a scorer who can help get them going in the right direction now, have to seriously consider it. but who also will remain productive when they (hopefully) are in a position to make deep playoff runs. Depending on how things go, that Hammond: I’m endorsing Lisa for the NHL’s next GM opening! That’s as might not be for another two or three years. good of a well-rounded analysis of the Kings’ current situation as you’re going to see. The Kings absolutely should trade this pick, and not for Nugent-Hopkins and Saad are 28 and Hyman just turned 29, so they fit more picks, but perhaps for one of those two areas we just discussed. here. While things like injuries can never be predicted, it’s fair to say that Had the Kings landed the No. 1 pick, sure, keep it. But this is the No. 8 if the Kings signed one of these players to, say, a four-year contract, they pick in what might be the most random draft ever, given the pandemic- shouldn’t expect much drop-off. That was important when the Kings related challenges of the past 15 months. traded for Justin Williams in 2009. Williams was a “high-mileage” 27- year-old at that point, with a lot of NHL games and injuries behind him, A GM’s job isn’t just to stockpile prospects. The Kings, understandably, but he was a massive top-six contributor during his time with the Kings. seem enamored with their stellar pool, but if they think they can just wait for their prospects to blossom into NHL stars and carry them to the Saad is an interesting candidate. Lisa noted his inconsistency, which is a Stanley Cup, well, please allow me to point you in the direction of the little scary because he played on an offensive superteam in Colorado, Edmonton Oilers. It almost never works like that. At some point, Blake is but he has consistently scored approximately 20 goals per season going to have to turn some of these young players and/or picks into throughout this career. Perhaps most importantly, Saad has two Stanley established NHLers who can lead the way, the same way Lombardi once Cup rings, both with Chicago. He has been in 91 NHL playoff games. turned a combination of Jack Johnson, Brayden Schenn, Wayne That’s important because, by the time the Kings are in a position to Simmonds, Patrick O’Sullivan and a first-round pick into a combination of contend again, guys like Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick almost Mike Richards, Carter and Williams. certainly aren’t going to be there. Doughty and Kopitar likely will be, but the Kings’ young talent needs to be complemented by veteran winners. Quick returns to better health and balances Petersen Dillman: A healthier Jonathan Quick, who had shoulder surgery after the regular season, would aid the Kings’ cause on multiple levels. First off, it would take some of the weight off the shoulders of Cal Petersen as Petersen transitions from heir apparent to The Guy. The Kings were far better this past season the starting duties were split down the middle with Petersen and Quick.
Secondly, the competitive fire Quick brings to the workplace on a daily basis can’t be overlooked. A healthy competition between Quick and Petersen is better for both of them.
Hammond: This is an interesting one. Petersen will turn 27 just before the start of next season and he has yet to play more than 60 percent of the games in a season, which he did this year. I guess I’m just wondering when the hand off is going to take place. When Quick turned 27, he already had become a Stanley Cup champion and a Conn Smythe Trophy winner. That’s not a fair standard for Petersen, of course, but I’m just wondering when he’s going to grab hold of this job.
That said, there’s no question that a healthy Quick benefits the Kings in any way they might choose to use him. One might even start to draw some parallels with another all-time great American goalie, Ryan Miller, who in his NHL sunset years backed up John Gibson in Anaheim. From the Kings’ perspective, I’d like to see Petersen prove that they don’t need Quick for more than 20 games per season.
Signs of growth, starting with Vilardi
Dillman: There must be internal growth and improvement in addition to adding external pieces. Gabriel Vilardi is at something of a crossroads. Thankfully, for Vilardi and the Kings, the long saga of his injured back seems to be over. Now he needs to fully establish himself in the NHL.
Factoring in the things Vilardi learned this past season, processing them and coming back focused and as fit as he can be will help him take the next step. There has been a bit of a kid-glove treatment so far with him, which was prudent. Now the perfect offseason involves Vilardi becoming readier than he has ever been, on every level: physical, mental, spiritual and tactical. That’s the next phase, because the Kings need to find out what they have in him over a standard NHL season. At the end of the season, Vilardi could be well-established as an NHL player and some of the current questions could be answered.
Hammond: I completely agree when it comes to Vilardi. It’s been four years since the Kings drafted him at No. 11, and while some things — most notably his back injuries — have been out of his control, it’s time for him to get out of the squishy middle and show that he can thrive as a regular in the Kings’ lineup.
Here’s another name that Lisa has been tracking for a while: Alex Turcotte. I think it’s a little too early to panic over Turcotte, who made his pro debut in the middle of a pandemic season and played 32 games for the AHL Ontario Reign, but he needs to start showing more. The forwards drafted in his range in 2019 — Chicago’s Kirby Dach, Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens and Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras — already are off and running in the NHL.
In general, this speaks to a theme that has run throughout this article. The Kings certainly have a lot of potential, but what is it going to turn into?
The Athletic LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216634 Minnesota Wild
Wild and Blues to play at Target Field in Winter Classic on New Year's Day
The league's spotlight regular season event was postponed last season.
By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune JUNE 28, 2021 — 5:07PM
The Winter Classic at Target Field is back on.
After getting scrapped last year, the NHL's signature event will return on New Year's Day 2022 with the Wild taking on the St. Louis Blues. The teams were supposed to face off last Jan. 1 before the season was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was just a matter of time," Wild president Matt Majka said. "I never had any doubts."
Ticket and broadcast information for the event will be announced at a later date, but season-ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase seats. Capacity at Target Field is expected to be around 39,000, although Twins president Dave St. Peter hopes that number could grow.
Earlier this year, the NHL and Turner Sports signed a seven-year rights agreement beginning next season that includes the Winter Classic. The two sides will determine when puck drop is for the game, which is still under discussion. If weather delays the action, the game could be bumped to Jan.2, Majka said.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the rescheduled Winter Classic from Tampa Bay, where Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Lightning and Canadiens was played Monday. All-Star Weekend in the NHL next season will be in Las Vegas, with a date yet to be determined, and the league also said the Stadium Series game will feature Nashville vs. Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
In its only other outdoor NHL game, the Wild edged the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1 in the NHL Stadium Series at TCF Bank Stadium on Feb. 21, 2016. The Winter Classic started in 2008 with a game in Buffalo.
"We've had a great run of really showcase events here in the Twin Cities, and this is the next big one," St. Peter said. "I can't tell you how important that is for the Twin Cities based on everything we've been through on so many different fronts over the past year-plus.
"It'll be a great day for the city of Minneapolis, the Twin Cities in general [and] state of Minnesota to put on another great show."
Star Tribune LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216635 Minnesota Wild
Winter Classic rescheduled: Wild vs. Blues at Target Field on New Year’s Day
It will be the first time in franchise history that the Wild have hosted the annual spectacle.
By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: June 28, 2021 at 5:11 p.m. | UPDATED: June 28, 2021 at 8:43 p.m.
After a year-long pandemic delay, the Wild will officially play host to the rival St. Louis Blues in the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day 2022. The game will take place at Target Field as originally planned.
It’s welcome news for the Wild after the annual spectacle scheduled for New Year’s Day 2021 was postponed because the NHL season was not yet underway. The condensed 56-game season did not start until mid- January, and thus, the Winter Classic had to be delayed.
Wild president Matt Majka said he always had faith the Winter Classic would be rescheduled. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman provided a formal announcement on Monday afternoon before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.
“I never had a doubt and that was based on the conversations that we were having with the NHL,” Majka said. “There was no indication ever that they had a different idea about going somewhere else or anything like that. That gave me great comfort that it was just a matter of time.”
This will be the first time in franchise history that the Wild have hosted the annual spectacle. They hosted a Stadium Series game at TCF Bank Stadium on Feb. 21, 2016, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1.
More information regarding tickets will be released at a later date with season-ticket holders getting top priority. The capacity at Target Field is expected to be around 40,000 fans.
Asked about the potential for a packed house at Target Field — after playing in an empty Xcel Energy Center for most of this past season — Majka got a little bit choked up. He noted the Winter Classic itself could provide yet another step in a return to normalcy.
“It’ll be emotional to get there and see that building full,” Majka said. “I want to respect that there are people still getting back to a comfort level of being in larger crowds. But we are starting to see it throughout the country, and when I see that, I think about Target Field on New Year’s Day, and how great that will be for all of us. I’m really, really excited about the possibility that represents.”
That’s exactly how Twins president Dave St. Peter feels as well.
“We have had a great run of really showcase events here in the Twin Cities, and this is the next big one,” St. Peter said. “I can’t tell you how important that is for the Twin Cities based on everything we’ve been through on so many different fronts over the past year-plus. It will be a great day for the city of Minneapolis, the Twin Cities in general, and state of Minnesota, to put on another great show.”
Pioneer Press LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216636 Minnesota Wild
Wild fan survey 3.0: Tell us what you think heading into a challenging offseason
By Michael Russo Jun 28, 2021
So, this is one challenging offseason for the Minnesota Wild to navigate.
They’ve got roughly $22 million in cap space to re-sign restricted free agents Kirill Kaprizov (he’s expected to win the Calder Trophy during the NHL’s awards show Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. CT), Kevin Fiala and Joel Eriksson Ek; they’ve got only 14 players under contract, so they’ve got to save enough salary-cap room to fill out the rest of the roster; they’ve got to deal with the Zach Parise situation; they’d like to upgrade at the center position; and they’re once again one of the teams that have significant decisions to make when it comes to the upcoming Seattle expansion draft.
So, we want to know how you’d proceed if you were lucky enough to sit in general manager Bill Guerin’s chair.
Below, is the third version of The Athletic’s Wild fan survey. If you want to check out the first two, here’s the first from April 2020 and the one that ran just after Thanksgiving.
Have fun filling out the survey, and feel free to take advantage of the comment section because we may pull a few of your quotes to run with the results.
Enjoy!
(NOTE: Readers who are using our app on an Android device may need to use two fingers to scroll through the survey. Still unable to get to the survey, though? Try this direct link.)
The Athletic LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216637 Minnesota Wild Said Jordan, the Hurricanes captain: “We’re watching the games and got some banter going on throughout the game. Everyone has their opinions on what’s going on.”
LeBrun: Eric Staal’s whirlwind season, from blindside trade to Stanley Marc Staal said the comments in the chat are mostly about a penalty or a Cup Final, was still a family affair certain play.
“It’s fun,” Marc said Sunday. “Because we couldn’t be together to watch it so we try to at least feel like we’re together and experience it together.” By Pierre LeBrun Jun 28, 2021 Eric Staal
Back after 15 years No doubt a compelling debate will rage on throughout the Stanley Cup Final regarding the Conn Smythe Trophy but there’s zero confusion as to Eric Staal won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in his second NHL season the MVP in Eric Staal’s world. in 2005-06. He’s finally back in the final after a 15-year wait that didn’t feature all that many playoff games, either. His wife Tanya has been holding down the fort in Minnesota with their three hockey-playing sons while dad went away this season. The genuine excitement for Eric is palpable in the Staal clan.
“It’s been a crazy, crazy year,” Tanya Staal said over the phone, the tone “He’s getting a shot at it again and it’s awesome to see especially for a in her voice saying it all. guy like him who cares and wants it so badly,” Jared said. “I’m just really excited for him.” “But we’re getting through it and we’re just super excited,” she added. “We’re at that point now where we’re like, ‘it was all worth it!'” Marc was the last Staal to play in a Stanley Cup Final in 2014 with the Rangers. So it’s been a while for any of them to be there again. Their world was turned upside down in September when Eric was traded from the Minnesota Wild to the Buffalo Sabres, a deal that completely “It’s pretty cool,” said Marc. “Not that it’s hard to believe, because blindsided them. obviously you just get on a run, we’ve all been on those and we know how special they are and how rare they are. It’s very cool to see Eric get “You always think you’re going to have an idea but we just really had no another chance. It’s been a long time for him since he’s been to the clue,” said Tanya. “We know it’s part of the business. You know it’s dance. He’s super pumped and it’s been fun to watch.” possible at any time, but that one shocked me. We were just going about our day, normal day, I was inside making dinner and Eric was outside in Jordan hasn’t been in the final since he won it all with Pittsburgh in 2009. the driveway I think with the kids; he came inside and just had this look Like Eric winning the Cup as a rookie in 2006, Jordan acknowledged that on his face. He said, ‘Tanya, we just got traded.’ I was like, ‘You’re as a young player sometimes you take that for granted and then realize kidding, what?’ We had no idea. We were both just shocked.” just how hard it is to get there.
With the kids already in school in Minnesota and the realities of COVID- “Oh yeah, 100 percent,” Jordan said Saturday. “My second year we went 19 protocols and empty arenas in the NHL to start the 2020-21 season, to the finals and the next year did it again. You expect to do it every year. the decision was sound although not easy: Eric would go off to Buffalo on Me and my mom were adding up all the years that myself, Marc and Eric his own while Tanya and the boys stayed back in Minnesota. played and how many years one of us made it to the finals which is really not a ton, you know five times or something like that. It’s really hard to “With all the unknowns with COVID and everything, it just didn’t make do. To be on the top two teams left in the league is just not easy, no sense to pull the kids out of school and move to Buffalo,” said Tanya. matter how long you play there’s some guys that never get there at all. “We figured we wouldn’t be allowed to go to games in Buffalo anyway, at least at the beginning. So we’d just be sitting there in an apartment. At “So it’s obviously a great opportunity for Eric. It’s exciting. It’s awesome least here we could go about life and feel somehow normal even though seeing him get rewarded right now.” it was hard being apart.” Henry reached out to Eric the other night after the Habs eliminated the As you might imagine, the boys, aged 11, 9 and 6, ached for their dad. Golden Knights to congratulate his son on being back in the Cup after a 15-year wait. “They’re at the age where they just miss dad,” said Tanya. “We got spoiled having him around during COVID at first, and then all of a sudden “I texted Eric after the game the other night and said, ‘Does that feel like he’s gone. It was definitely … it had its moments.” a long time ago?’ And he goes, ‘It kind of does, and it kind of doesn’t.’ I know what he means,” said Henry. Nine months after that trade to Buffalo, dad is in the Stanley Cup Final with the Montreal Canadiens. Last time around, Eric wasn’t a father and wasn’t married yet. A lot has changed. Worth it indeed. “We were dating at the time,” said Tanya. “We got engaged that Staal group chat September. The kids weren’t born yet. It’s just so fun now. It’s just a whole other thing now with kids being part of it, watching the games; for Habs games have been must-see TV for Eric’s parents Henry and Linda Eric, it’s just so awesome to make these memories with them now.” Staal as well as his brothers Marc, Jordan and Jared. Grinding it out In fact, the brothers and dad have a group text going during Eric’s games. As Tanya put it, it has indeed been worth it now that her husband has another shot at the Cup. “It’s fun to get insight from Jordan and Marc and now Jared’s coaching. So I pick their brains. It’s neat,” Henry Staal said on the phone this But it was hard. weekend from the family’s native Thunder Bay, Ontario. “We have a lot of fun with it.” Missing his family and enduring the disaster that was the Sabres’ season, the grind was real. Jared Staal is an assistant coach with Orlando in the ECHL. He’s definitely got the coach-speak going in the group chat. “The shock of going to Buffalo obviously, it wasn’t expected,” said Jared. “He was obviously very happy in Minnesota at the time. Not being able to “I say some funny coach lines just to get under their nerves a little bit,” be with his family all year, he’s a big family guy. He has an unbelievable laughed Jared. “Like, ‘Should have kept it out of the middle’ kind of stuff. wife and the kids … just to be away from them was the hardest part for But you know with COVID, our group chat has been a lot busier with him I think. And making those decisions knowing it’s going to extend your Marc and Eric not being around their wife and kids as much. There’s time away from your family even more. I think that was probably the been more action in the group chat and that’s been a lot of fun. I love hardest part for him.” bouncing ideas off of them. A tough year that has paid off, though. “Just talking hockey. It’s what we love to do.” “That’s exactly right,” said Jordan. “It just goes to show his perseverance, his character and what he brings day to day. He could have just as easily folded it up this year with all the stuff going on, not being with his family is we thought, ‘Carolina could really win this.’ That’s the crazy part. Not that probably the No. 1 thing. And when you’re not with your family on the last we ever doubted Montreal. It’s just crazy how it all worked out. It’s just so year of your deal, near the end of your career, losing games, you start exciting now.” questioning, I’m sure, what you’re doing. Agreeing to a trade also meant extending his season and his time away “He kept at it, kept working, he doesn’t quit,” added Jordan. “It’s from home. Marc remembers talking to Eric about a potential trade. awesome to see the turnaround for him this year and being able to be part of a great team and win some huge games and contribute the way “We talked about his options,” said Marc. “He was kind of hemming and he has. It’s been so cool to watch. So rewarding I’m sure for him.” hawing. But then I think he just decided he wanted to play. He wasn’t having a good year in Buffalo and everything that was going on with the Marc could certainly empathize earlier this season. He was living it, too. team. So he just wanted to give himself a shot. It couldn’t have worked out any better. He got on to a good group of guys and just a good team. “I was in the same boat in Detroit, my family stayed back in Connecticut,” It’s good to see. Because he was grinding there for a bit no doubt.” said Marc. “So actually Eric and I talked almost every other day because we were by ourselves and we (would) just FaceTime and chat. We ended Eric agreed to the trade two weeks before the deadline. No doubt he was up talking a lot about it, we were in the same boat. We’d vent about the wondering if maybe he should wait and see if Carolina made a pitch. But same things. But he’s still doing it, which is incredible. I did four months what if it never happens? He took his shot when Habs GM Marc Bergevin and I couldn’t wait to get back to my family. I’m sure he’s missing them. made him feel wanted via a conversation with veteran agent Rick Curran. It’s tough on his boys and his wife. But it’s a cool experience for him and obviously excited where he is now. Hopefully all that sacrifice by him and “It went pretty quick,” Henry recalled. “Ricky talked to me and I talked to his family comes with a big prize at the end.” Eric a bit about it. I think things were going so badly for him in Buffalo that it was an opportunity. He jumped at the chance they gave him. If Henry Staal said his son never wanted to leave Minnesota. you’re wanted, it’s a good thing. Bergevin wanted him, so that’s why he went in a lot of ways I think.” “That trade caught him off guard,” said his dad. “He never really got going until finally he got to Montreal and started to come around a little bit But that Habs uniform? and got the mind going in the right direction I think. That was a big part of it.” The Staals aren’t going to lie.
Tanya says her husband tried to keep a good frame of mind despite what Watching Eric don the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge took a moment of was happening in Buffalo, but she and the boys tried to keep his spirits adjustment. up over the phone. “We grew up Leafs all the time,” said Henry. “I’m a Dave Keon/Darryl “Eric was so positive about it, he was really hoping things would turn Sittler guy. I remember watching the Leafs win the Cup in ’67. So around and make the best of it,” she said. “We just tried to be there for growing up it was either love the Leafs and hate Montreal or you loved him and support him and keeping positive. We kept saying, ‘There’s a Montreal and hated the Leafs. So it was weird at first (watching his son reason why you’re there, it will all hopefully work out.'” put on that Habs sweater). But once it’s your kid out there, it’s not hard to start cheering for that team.” It didn’t. But Tanya made sure to point out that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams and his wife Stacey are good friends who did all they could to make Jared echoed his dad’s comment. He needed just a second to watch his things better for Eric. brother in that famous uniform.
“Kevyn and Stacey, obviously we knew them from Carolina,” said Tanya. “Not going to lie, we watched the Leafs growing up,” chuckled Jared. “I can’t say enough good things about them. We love them and they were “Never really crossed your mind rooting for Montreal. But after a game or so great in how they handled things.” two, you get used to it and you’re pulling for them as hard as you can.”
Traded again Four more wins …
Well, the best thing Kevyn Adams did was get his pal out of Buffalo. They’ll all pulling so hard for four more Habs wins.
Before Eric waived his no-trade clause to accept a deal to the Habs in Heck, Jordan was ready to hand Eric a Tampa Bay scouting report if late March, there had been trade chatter linking him to other teams. need be.
Including Carolina. And as I reported at the time, the Hurricanes did “I was just telling my wife that, ‘I wonder if Eric will give me a shout,'” indeed have a chat with the Sabres about him but it wasn’t a front-burner laughed the Canes captain, whose club lost to Tampa Bay in the second issue. I suspect Carolina would have circled back to Buffalo if Eric was round. “But clearly, I was going to tell him what not to do since we still sitting there on deadline day on April 12. couldn’t figure them out. Obviously, Tampa is a very good team and it’s going to be a pretty good final. Two good teams. The way Montreal has And well, you can imagine Jordan and Eric had a little chat about stepped up and put it all together and a Lightning team that’s very deep potentially being reunited. and has played well throughout this playoff, too. It’ll be fun to watch.”
“Yeah, there was some discussion,” says Jordan. “I don’t know what the Tanya shared the story of how the youngest of her three boys couldn’t rules are what’s allowed but we’re brothers and we talked. You know, it stay awake for the clinching game last week over Vegas so he asked would have been awesome for him to come to Carolina. I know it wasn’t mom to give him the update as soon as he woke up. exactly what our group was looking for at the time but like you said, if it came right to the end and he was still there, maybe Carolina would have “I told him in the morning that they won and he said, ‘Oh, they’re going to found a way to get him here. And we could have used him, obviously. win the whole thing. (I) just know it.’ It was so cute when he said that. I He’s a great addition to Montreal. But it didn’t work out. told him I had the same feeling.”
“It was unfortunate,” added Jordan. “I would have loved to battle it out Jared said watching his oldest brother winning another Cup would be with him again. Maybe he would have been a difference-maker for our unreal. team but it still worked out great for him and where he’s at right now. I’m “It would be just so special,” said Jared. “Already we’re just so proud of just happy he’s got a chance at the Cup.” him. We know he deserves it. He works so hard. When he won the Cup Said Jared: “It’s funny how it all works out. I didn’t even know Montreal in 2006, I was 16 years old. It would be a different experience for me was on the radar at the time and you’re hearing rumours of a couple of even now, because at 16 you don’t really know what’s going on, you’re different teams, Carolina and you heard Colorado. So you’re kind of just excited. I think in general our whole family is just more appreciative pulling in that direction. Suddenly it’s Montreal and you’re interested in of what’s going on. We’ll see. They’ve got a good test in Tampa. But seeing how that’s going to work out. And here we are. Four more away. they’ve got a good group and they’re playing well.” Let’s see if they can do it.” Why not, wondered Tanya?
The Carolina rumour certainly intrigued Tanya, too. “It’s just crazy that here we are 15 years later from the last time he was in “When there was that short time when there was talk of maybe Carolina the finals. It would just be amazing,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about, working out, it was so exciting to think about,” she said. “And at that time, right? That’s what you play for. So we’re so hoping. And we have a good feeling.” The Athletic LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216638 Montreal Canadiens Vasilevskiy, who posted shutouts in Games 5 and 7 at home against the Islanders, made a big save on Shea Weber on a hard wrist shot on a 2- on-1 with Brendan Gallagher that could have trimmed the lead.
Lightning jump on Montreal Canadiens, take Game 1 Price kept the Canadiens close with a beautiful glove save on Stamkos, the Tampa Bay captain.
Chiarot then scored on a play where the puck was deflected twice 2:20 MARTY KLINKENBERG before the teams went to their dressing rooms for the second intermission.
The Canadiens were within striking distance then, but the Lightning wore The Canadiens got off to a rocky start in the Stanley Cup final on them down and lit them up in the final period. Kucherov scored on a Monday, losing to the Lightning 5-1 at Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa. backhand only two minutes in, and then scored another with 8:35 left. He The defending Stanley Cup champions got two goals from Nikita leads all scorers during the postseason with seven goals and 23 assists. Kucherov and one each from Eric Cernak, Yanni Gourde and Steven Stamkos closed out the scoring with 1:10 remaining. Stamkos to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that determines The game was preceded by a 50-minute news conference from Amalie the champion of the National Hockey League. Game 2 will be played on Arena presided over by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy Wednesday night, again on Tampa Bay’s home ice. commissioner Bill Daly. Defenceman Ben Chiarot, who had not scored in 17 games this Bettman said the league plans to resume a normal schedule during the postseason, gave Montreal life late in the second period when he 2021-22 season beginning in the first two weeks of October. The whacked a slap shot at the net from 42 feet away and had it pinball commissioner said it remains unknown whether NHL players will around and bounce off an opposing player into the net. participate in the Winter Olympics. The opportunistic Lightning capitalized on the Canadiens mistakes and “We don’t know, and that is causing us a fair number of issues getting pulled away with three goals in the third. next season up and running,” Bettman said. If the players went to Beijing “We have to limit our mistakes and we’ll be fine,” Montreal’s acting head in February, it would necessitate a stoppage in play for several weeks. coach, Luke Richardson, said. He took over behind the bench during the “We have real concerns whether our players should be participating.” semi-finals when interim head coach Dominique Ducharme tested Daly said there are concerns about COVID-19, and travelling halfway positive for COVID-19. “We have to clean up our puck management. We around the world. were just sloppy. “It is still a work in progress,” Daly said. “Time is running very short.” “We know we can play better. That’s the point we are going to key on Bettman also defended the league’s referees and linesmen, who have and look forward to the next game.” come under intense criticism for poor calls and missed calls during the Tampa Bay has reached the final three times over the last seven years. If playoffs. it wins, it will follow Pittsburgh Penguins as the last team to win the “Our officials are not only the best in the world, they are the best in Stanley Cup back to back. The Penguins won in 2016 and 2017. sports,” he said. “They occasionally miss calls, but not as often as people The Canadiens finished 18th in the regular season in winning percentage suggest. Overwhelmingly our officials get it right. (.527) but mowed down the Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Vegas “Would we prefer perfection is achieved? Yes. Is it possible? Of course Golden Knights in previous playoff rounds. This is their first appearance not.” in the final since they won in 1993. They are the last Canadian team to hoist the iconic trophy. Montreal was without forward Joel Armia, who was placed on the NHL’s COVID list on Sunday. Armia tested negative on Monday morning and They looked out of sorts at the start on Monday night, settled down for a flew to Tampa on a private jet but did not dress for the game. bit in the second period, and then had the wheels fall off over the last 20 minutes. In his place, the Canadiens inserted forward Jake Evans. Evans hadn’t played since he sustained a concussion on a hit from Winnipeg’s Mark “It is the first game of a seven-game series,” Josh Anderson, a right wing Scheifele in Game 1 of the second round. for Montreal said. The Canadiens lost the opener against the Golden Knights but closed out the series in six games. “We have to use what we “I just focused on not rushing back,” Evans said. “I wanted to take my did in Vegas and bounce back in Game 2. time with it.”
“Our effort is there, but we can do a lot more.” Evans said Scheifele, who was suspended for the rest of the series, reached out to him. If Game 1 is any indication, it looks like a tall task. Carey Price, who came into the game with a 12-5 record and a .934 save percentage “I want to look forward and not talk about the hit,” Evans said. “Maybe during the postseason, was shelled for five goals on 26 shots. Andrei once the season ends.” Vasilevskiy, the fellow Vezina Trophy-winner in Tampa, had to make only 18 saves. Bad blood boiled over late in the contest. Gallagher left bleeding profusely from the forehead after being driven into the ice head-first by In a fast-paced first period, it was the Lightning that jumped out in front. Blake Coleman. There was plenty of scrapping back and forth as time Cernak, a defencerman who had not scored in 46 postseason games, wound down. deflected a shot by Brayden Point past Carey Price a little more than six minutes after the puck drop. The game ended with the Lightning in command and the Canadiens a bit frustrated, mostly at themselves. The Canadiens entered the night 11-2 in games where they scored first during the playoffs but only 1-3 when their opponent gets out in front. The line of rookie Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli had an Tampa Bay, meanwhile, improved to 13-2 when it plays with the lead. especially tough night. All three players were on the ice for three of Tampa Bay’s goals. Montreal got a power play 4 minutes 39 seconds before the first intermission but was unable to even register a shot. The period ended “I think we had chances when the game was close and if we had buried with Tampa Bay on a power play after Chiarot was called for them it might have changed things,” Montreal defenceman Jeff Petry crosschecking Kucherov. said. “When they got their third and fourth goals we started to push things and they took advantage of it. The Lightning started the second with a man-advantage for 1 minute 14 seconds but failed to capitalize. It was an NHL-record 31st consecutive “I don’t think it was a blowout by any means.” penalty kill during the playoffs for Montreal. Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.29.2021 Tampa Bay increased the lead to 2-0 when Gourde tipped in a shot by Blake Coleman with 14:13 left in the second. 1216639 Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens forward Joel Armia heading to Tampa as he awaits word on status for Game 1
JAMES MCCARTEN
Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia is winging his way to Florida to await a game-time decision on whether he’ll take part in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.
Assistant coach Luke Richardson says Armia, bumped from the lineup over the weekend due to COVID-19 protocols, is flying to Tampa via private jet.
If he doesn’t play, Jake Evans – levelled by Mark Scheifele in Game 1 of Montreal’s second-round series with the Winnipeg Jets – is expected back in the lineup.
The Habs’ unlikely campaign to reclaim the Stanley Cup resumes tonight against the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Montreal came from 3-1 down in their opening-round series to stun the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games, then swept the Jets and downed the favoured Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
The Lightning will represent the Canadiens’ toughest test in their quest for their 25th Stanley Cup – which would be the first for any Canadian team since Montreal won in 1993.
“Joel is on his way down here right now on a private jet,” Richardson said today following the team’s pre-game skate.
“We’re excited to have him join us.”
The Lightning are the defending Cup champions with a deep team and an elite goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy to match up against Montreal superstar Carey Price.
The first two games are in Tampa before switching to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday, but Richardson is confident that a stellar road record in the playoffs for the Habs will hold them in good stead.
“I think it’s the way that we forecheck and backcheck,” he said when asked about the team’s 7-2 road record so far in the post-season.
“We really clog up the middle of the ice, and do a good job of it consistently, so that’s frustrating for home teams.”
That frustration, he added, “works right into our game plan.”
Montreal head coach Dominique Ducharme, who has been isolating since Game 2 of the semi-finals due to a positive COVID-19 test, is scheduled to return to the Habs bench for Game 3.
Richardson wouldn’t elaborate on why Armia could be back in the lineup so quickly, although the rapid timelines would suggest a false positive COVID-19 test result.
The timing couldn’t be better: Armia is a central component of Montreal’s penalty-kill unit, which hasn’t allowed a goal in 13 playoff games.
Tampa’s power play, meanwhile, is one of the best in the business, scoring on 45.5 per cent of its chances at home and 37.7 per cent overall so far in the post-season.
“He’s been a big piece of our team and in these playoffs, especially on our penalty kill,” said Habs winger Josh Anderson.
“We know how lethal their power play is – it’s pretty dangerous and it can cost you games.”
Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216640 Montreal Canadiens
In the Habs' Room: 'We know we can get better,' Luke Richardson says
Montreal did a poor job of managing the puck in its 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final Monday night.
Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette
Canadiens goaltender Carey Price robs Lightning centre Tyler Johnson of a goal during second-period action at Amalie Arena Monday night.
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Josh Anderson says the Canadiens will have to learn from their mistakes if they hope to win Game 2 of their best-of-seven Stanley Cup final against the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I think you got to move on from this game but also I think you got to watch the video and see the mistakes that you know cost us tonight, especially in the third period there,” Anderson said after the Lightning beat the Canadiens 5-1 in Game 1 Monday night at Amalie Arena.
Montreal turnovers in the offensive zone led to three Tampa Bay goals and Anderson said the Canadiens have to be more careful with the puck.
“Especially against their top two lines, you know, they feed off that, that’s what they’re looking for,” Anderson said. “They’re so dangerous and they’ve been doing that this whole year and capitalizing, so I think we just got to be careful. Heading into Game 2, like I said, watch some video and learn from our mistakes and go back out there and win Game 2.”
The Canadiens made life easy for Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who faced only 19 shots on goal and didn’t have to deal with a lot of traffic in front of his net.
“Obviously, they got some big defencemen back there and it’s not easy to get into the front, but we’ve got to make it hard on them in some sort of way.” Anderson said. “I thought two turnovers on our part just increased their offence and they had a lot more confidence when we give them those opportunities.”
Acting coach Luke Richardson gave credit to the Tampa defence.
“They had good gaps tonight,” Richardson said. “They back-pressured hard. So they’re always known as an offensive team or we refer them to that. But they do that by coming back hard and capitalizing on turnovers and forcing you to turn pucks over in tough areas like they did on the first three goals. That’s where they create their offence from that. So it’s a credit to their defence to translate into offence for themselves.
“The positive is we didn’t play our best game,” Richardson said. “We know we can get better. I think they’re always a team that plays well and definitely creates off mistakes that you make. So by us playing better, and managing the puck better and maybe limiting those mistakes and creating a little bit more ourselves, I think we have a good way to go up and that’s going to be the positive out of it.
Nick Suzuki and his linemates struggled in this game. They were involved in two of the key turnovers and finished minus-3 on the night. Suzuki failed to get a shot on goal and won only four of his 14 faceoffs. Cole Caufield had two shots on goal and Tyler Toffoli had one.
They found themselves out against the Brayden Point line for most of the night as Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper took advantage of having the last change at home and kept his top line away from Phil Danault’s shutdown line.
The Canadiens’ penalty-killers saw their NHL playoff record streaks come to an end when Steven Stamkos scored a power-play goal late in the third period. Prior to Stamkos’s goal, the Canadiens had killed 32 consecutive power plays and had gone 13 playoff games without allowing a power-play goal.
Game 2 goes Wednesday (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, SN-690 Radio, 98.5 FM).
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216641 Montreal Canadiens
Offensive-zone turnovers burn Canadiens in Game 1 loss to Lightning
The defending Cup champions turn three Montreal mistakes into goals in a tight-checking game that was blown open late.
Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette
A failure to control the puck in the offensive zone proved costly for the Canadiens as they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup final Monday night at Amalie Arena.
The defending Cup champions turned three Montreal turnovers into goals in a tight-checking game.
The Lightning took advantage of an errant pass by rookie Cole Caufield to open the scoring at 6:19 of the first period. Brayden Point intercepted Caufield’s pass for Jeff Petry in the Tampa Bay zone and sent defenceman Erik Cernak off on a rush. Cernak passed to Ondrej Palat on the left wing and then went to the net to redirect Palat’s pass for his first NHL playoff goal.
The transition game paid off for the Lightning again in the second period as Ryan McDonagh, a former first-round draft choice of the Canadiens, had a takeaway in the defensive zone. On the ensuing rush, Ben Chiarot blocked a shot by Barclay Goodrow, but Blake Coleman picked up the loose puck and fired into the traffic in front of the net. Carey Price had no chance when Yanni Gourde tipped the puck in.
Chiarot, who hit a post early in the second period, cut the Tampa Bay lead in half when he got two bounces to score his first NHL playoff goal at 17:40 of the second period. Andrei Vasilevskiy was unable to adjust after Chiarot’s shot from the point went off Anthony Cirelli and then hit McDonagh’s skate at the side of the net.
Nikita Kucherov, the leading scorer in the playoffs, put the game out of reach with two goals in the third period. Chiarot had some bad luck on the first goal as Kucherov threw a backhander at the net from the corner. Chiarot tried to bat the puck away but he deflected it into the net. Steven Stamkos completed the scoring with a power-play goal, ending Montreal’s penalty-killing streak at 32.
If the first game is any indication, this will be a physical series. The Canadiens have thrown their weight around throughout the playoffs and they sent a message to the Lightning that they plan to continue that strategy as they outhit Tampa 26-19 in the first period. But the Lightning have some heavyweights and they hit back. At game’s end, Montreal had delivered a playoff-high 58 hits and Tampa Bay responded with 57.
Joel Armia was cleared from the NHL’s COVID protocol Monday, but he was a healthy scratch after arriving in Tampa on a private flight earlier in the day.
Armia’s place on the fourth line was taken by Jake Evans, who was making his first appearance since Game 1 of the Winnipeg series when he was hit by the Jets’ Mark Scheifele after scoring his first NHL playoff goal. Evans suffered a concussion and had missed the last nine games.
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216642 Montreal Canadiens Perry never made it back to the Cup final again until last season when he was with the Dallas Stars and lost to the Lightning. He has been telling his young Canadiens teammates to “live the moment” and enjoy this ride.
Canadiens' mix of young and old comes together under Shea Weber That’s the same message they’re getting from Weber.
"He’s Dad to the young guys and he’s buddies with all the older guys," “I don’t think you look at anything being where you want to be,” the teammate Ben Chiarot says. "So he connects with everybody." captain said. “We’re in the position we want to be, but we’re not at the end result. So I think we got to live in that moment and stay focused and just keep in the grind.”
Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette Publishing date:Jun 28, 2021 Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021
Canadiens' Cole Caufield, centre, celebrates with teammates Nick Suzuki, Brendan Gallagher and Shea Weber, right, after beating the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 to advance to the Stanley Cup final.
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Canadiens captain Shea Weber is a man of few words when it comes to dealing with the media and he really doesn’t like to talk about himself.
So here’s what teammate Jeff Petry had to say about Weber ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against the Lightning Monday night in Tampa:
“I think from Day 1 he’s stepped in and been the leader for this team. Obviously, he’s been around the league for a long time. We want to win for everybody in our room, everybody in the organization. But the guys, especially like him, Staalsy (Eric Staal), Pears (Corey Perry), Pricer (Carey Price), those are all guys that have been around for a long time.”
Here’s what teammate Ben Chiarot had to say about Weber:
“Once we hit the ice it’s all business. There’s no messing around. He wants everything done exactly the way the coaches said it’s done. I think that’s a big reason why he’s been so successful as a player is his attention to details and his seriousness once we hit the ice. Off the ice, he’s got a relationship with everybody in the room. He’s Dad to the young guys and he’s buddies with all the older guys. So he connects with everybody and I think that’s why he’s considered one of the best captains in the league.”
One of the keys to this remarkable playoff run by the Canadiens has been their mix of experience and youth with Weber the leader of the pack.
Perry and Staal are both 36, Weber is 35 and Price is 33. Nick Suzuki is 21, while Cole Caufield and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are both 20. They have all made huge contributions during the playoffs.
“It’s been a pretty crazy ride,” Suzuki said. “This season has been unbelievable. You just want to cap it off winning that championship. Being my second year some of the guys haven’t even been to the final yet and they’ve been playing for many years. So we want to take full advantage of that.”
While Perry and Staal both have Stanley Cup rings from their days in Anaheim and Carolina, respectively, this is the first trip to the final for Weber and Price.
“I think us young guys just want to bring a lot of energy to the group,” Suzuki said about his young teammates. “I think we’ve been playing some pretty good hockey. Just helping the team out as much as we can. There’s that youthful energy that we bring. I don’t know … maybe we don’t really know what to expect, but that might be a good thing, too. We’re just going to play our game and help the team out as much as we can.
“I always thought that the first round of the playoffs is the hardest to win and then making it to the final, obviously, you need to win a huge four games,” Suzuki added. “Kind of when you get in that rhythm, you’re almost playing every other day. You know what to expect each and every day. As a team I think we’ve gotten into that rhythm and we’ve been playing great hockey and we just have to keep that going against Tampa.”
Caufield, the youngest player on the Canadiens (born six months after Kotkaniemi), was 2 when the Anaheim Ducks selected Perry in the first round (28th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft. Caufield was 6 when Perry won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim. 1216643 Montreal Canadiens “I know there’s a lot of people that were guessing or second-guessing this transaction (for Weber) and, again, to get something that’s special you have to give a good player,” Bergevin added. “So I’m not taking anything away from P.K., but to get Shea Weber here in Montreal and Cowan: As Marc Bergevin envisioned, Shea Weber a perfect fit for Habs what he brings on and off the ice, for me it’s special and that we’re four wins away from winning a championship will be ultra-special. So that’s “I’ve really enjoyed my time here," Habs captain says. "I’ve been where this relationship is for these two gentlemen.” fortunate to be traded to a great city and organization." After the Canadiens eliminated the Vegas Golden Knights in the
semifinals, Bergevin had big hugs for Weber and Price at ice level. Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette “We’ve gone through a lot together during his tenure,” Price said about Bergevin. “We’ve gone through a lot of great times and a lot of hard times and I was just happy to share a joyful moment with him. He’s really This is Shea Weber's 16th season in the NHL and his first trip to the earned it.” Stanley Cup final. This is Weber’s 16th season in the NHL and it’s the 14th for Price. This is Article content their first trip to the Stanley Cup final.
Canadien GM Marc Bergevin sent a shockwave through Montreal when “Obviously, (Bergevin) did a lot of good things to plug some holes for us he traded P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Shea this offseason and it’s paying off right now,” Weber said. “We got a lot of Weber on June 29, 2016. work left to do, but definitely excited to get going.
It was one of those “Where Were You?” when it happened moments. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” he added. “I’ve been fortunate to be traded to a great city and organization. Yeah, there’s been some hard I was in the media room at Wimbledon waiting to interview Eugenie times, there’s been some good times. It’s a part of the journey and a part Bouchard following her first-round tennis win over Slovakia’s Magdalena of the story. It’s been a good ride so far and hope to keep it going here.” Rybarikova. When reports of the Subban trade started to circulate on social media, Canadian reporters at Wimbledon at first thought it was a Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 joke.
At the NHL Draft only a few days earlier, Bergevin had insisted he wasn’t shopping Subban and simply had to answer the phone when other GMs called. When Predators GM David Poile called and offered Weber, Bergevin made the trade.
Weber had just won the Mark Messier Leadership Award as captain of the Predators, but Nashville was trading his contract as much (if not more) than they were trading the player. The Predators were forced to match a ridiculous 14-year, US$110-million offer sheet the Philadelphia Flyers gave Weber following the 2011-12 season when he became a restricted free agent. That contract, with an annual salary-cap hit of $7.857 million, runs through the 2025-26 season when Weber will be 40. Subban had just completed the second season of his eight-year, US$72- million contract and a no-movement clause was going to kick in two days after Bergevin made the trade.
Bergevin thought Subban’s personality had become too big for the locker room and also believed Weber would be a perfect fit, so the trade was made.
You couldn’t have two personalities more different from Subban and Weber. Subban never met a TV camera he didn’t like and works hard to promote his own brand. Weber would rather block a slapshot than talk with the media and always refuses to speak about himself.
The trade certainly looked bad for Bergevin when Subban helped the Predators advance to the Stanley Cup final during his first season in Nashville, while the Canadiens were eliminated in the first round and then missed the playoffs the next two seasons.
Bergevin was convinced Weber and Carey Price were the two cornerstones he could build a Stanley Cup team around. It took five years after the Weber trade, but the Canadiens are now in the Stanley Cup final, while Subban was traded to New Jersey two years ago and is now working as a TV commentator for ESPN after the Devils missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
Despite being three years younger than Weber, Subban’s game has deteriorated quicker. In 44 games with the Devils this season, Subban had 5-14-19 totals and was minus-16, while Weber has been outstanding with the Canadiens during this playoff run.
It took a while, but if the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Bergevin can definitely say he won the trade.
“Those two gentlemen, Pricer and Weby, it is special because they’re the oldest of our players as far as the backbone of this team and they’ve been through a lot these two,” Bergevin said Sunday. “Pricer as a goaltender in Montreal, as we know it’s demanding. The expectations are high and, yeah, we do have a special relationship. But when I say special I care for the 23 or 28 players we have (in the locker room), so I’m not going to put anybody ahead of anybody else. 1216644 Montreal Canadiens It is our team and maybe this is our year. Go Habs Go.
Gavin MacFadyen is a writer and lawyer in Jamestown, N.Y. Opinion: The enduring covenant between the Habs and their fans Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 We change jobs, change cities or neighbourhoods, we experience the beginning and end of relationships, but through it all, the Habs remain.
Gavin MacFadyen Special to Montreal Gazette
Like all fans of the Montreal Canadiens, I am enjoying this improbable playoff run.
I¹m not sure what was more exciting:- seeing Artturi Lehkonen score the overtime winner against the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday night or the massive crowd outside the Bell Centre celebrate in unison as though they were a single, multi-celled organism.
The Habs have always been about so much more than hockey. So woven are they into the fabric of life in this city, it is impossible to imagine one without the other.
Some may call it a love affair. At times that love leads to heartbreak and a puddle of tears. Then there are those other times — these times —- where the intoxication of hope transcends daily life and become all- consuming.
Never has that been more true than this year as we emerge from the long, dark tunnel that was COVID. Montreal was hit hard and this celebratory renewal experienced through the prism of hockey seems fitting and deserved.
I now live in upstate New York. My longing for a permanent return to Montreal is only made more acute when I realize how much I miss the palpable energy with which the city vibrates during a Habs Cup run.
Ironically, for the last Stanley Cup in 1993, I was living in Los Angeles. I had packed up my McGill degree and was working at my first “real” job.
The difference between the two cities could not have been more stark. There was no buzz in the city. At work, no one cared about the games, which pitted the Habs against the Los Angeles Kings. Talk about being homesick.
Who among us can think of the Habs without also associating them with special people and places in our lives:- with home, with family, or with friends? Mostly, with times gone by.
We change jobs, we change the cities or neighbourhoods in which we live, we experience the beginning and end of relationships, we mourn the loss of loved ones and welcome new life. That is the natural ebb and flow of existence, the rhythm of what it means to be alive.
We grow from a child into full-fledged adulthood with all the joys and disappointments that go along with that. Even the world changes around us:- new technologies influencing how we live, work and communicate.
But through it all, the Habs remain. They endure as the one constant, the one touchstone that many of us have. The team provides markers along the path of our lives that can span decades and stay with us from cradle to grave.
In memory, hockey is crystallized into singular moments of achievement and victory. Depending on age, the names of the players will change: Béliveau or Richard, Lemaire or Lafleur, Roy or Price. It doesn’t matter:- the names change, but the feelings are the same for the 80-year-old and the eight-year-old, and therein lies the magic.
Like many, when I watch the Habs, I am not just living in the moment, but revisiting my past. I’m a child again watching HNIC on Saturday night, being allowed to stay up late to see the end. I’m a teenager revelling in adolescent ecstasy when the Habs raise their fourth Cup in a row in 1979. I’m a university student in my dorm room at McGill, away from home for the first time, lying in the dark and listening to Dick Irvin broadcast a game on the radio, and I suddenly feel safe and secure.
Of course, we all care whether the Habs win or lose, but, mostly, we should be grateful that they simply are. The covenant that exists between this team and its fans has endured for more than a century and will continue long into the next. 1216645 Montreal Canadiens treat next game like a must win. We got to go and steal one on the road and go back home 1-1.”
That’s what they did in Vegas. Canadiens Game Day: Searching for some positives after Game 1 loss? Cernak with the icebreaker in Game 1 of the #StanleyCup Final! The Habs also lost Game 1 of semifinal series against Vegas and lost pic.twitter.com/gz8NxuzhQH Game 1 in final the last three times they won the Stanley Cup. — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 29, 2021
Tough night for young guys Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield were minus-3 in Game 1 as was their veteran linemate Tyler Toffoli.
If you’re a Canadiens fan you might be searching for something positive Lightning head coach Jon Cooper had the last change and used it to put following a 5-1 loss to the Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final his top line of Brayden Point between Ondrej Palat and Kucherov on the Monday night in Tampa. ice as much as possible against Suzuki’s line.
Well, the Canadiens lost 4-1 to the Golden Knights in Game 1 of their “We have full confidence in our young players up front,” Chiarot said. semifinal series in Las Vegas before bouncing back to win the best-of- “We wouldn’t be at this point of the playoffs if we didn’t have full seven series in six games. confidence in them and what they can do in our own end. Of course there’s matchups we’d like to get, but that’s not a luxury you have when There’s also the fact that the last three times the Canadiens won the you’re on the road. Saying that, we still believe in the guys that are going Stanley Cup they lost Game 1. out there and that they can get the job done.”
In 1993, the Canadiens lost 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings before winning Richardson said there might also have been a case of nerves with his the series in five games. In 1986, the Canadiens lost 5-2 to the Calgary young players. Flames in Game 1 before winning the series in five games. In 1979, the Canadiens lost 4-1 to the New York Rangers in Game 1 before winning “The rink was buzzing and that’s something that we’ll get over and we’ll the series in five games. be a little bit more used to next game,” the coach said. “I think maybe just to strike early for us will be key next game to try and weather that storm It’s unlikely the Canadiens will win four straight now against the and quiet the building a little bit and let us get a rhythm going. Definitely defending Stanley Cup champs to take the Stanley Cup in five games it’s always a big stage and lots going on. I thought we started out OK but again, but this series isn’t over just because they lost Game 1 against the we just were a little bit sloppy with the puck tonight. So that’s something Lightning. we can clean up and get better at.”
“The positive is we didn’t play our best game,” Canadiens assistant #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/uPRBQF8kOS coach Luke Richardson said. “We know we can get better. I think they’re always a talented team that plays well and definitely creates off mistakes — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 29, 2021 that you make. So by us playing better and managing the puck better and Armia not in lineup maybe limiting those mistakes and creating a little bit more ourselves I think we have a good way to go up and that’s going to be the positive of The Canadiens didn’t have Joel Armia in the lineup for Game 1. it.” Armia did not fly with the Canadiens to Tampa on Sunday after being Another positive is that the Canadiens were only losing 2-1 heading into placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol. It must have been a false positive test the third period of Game 1 after Ben Chiarot scored at 17:40 of the because Armia did fly to Tampa on a private jet Monday and took part in second period following goals by Erik Cernak and Yanni Gourde for the pregame warmup, but was replaced in the lineup by Jake Evans. Tampa. But Nikita Kucherov scored twice in the third period and then Steven Stamkos added a power-play goal for the final dagger. The Evans hadn’t played since suffering a concussion in Game 1 of the Canadiens had killed off 32 straight opposition power plays, going back second-round series against the Winnipeg Jets. to Game 4 of the first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, “I think the decision (not to play Armia) was made with the organization before Stamkos scored. and the coaching staff that Joel’s been sitting at home for a few days The first three Tampa goals all came after the Canadiens turned over the without skating,” Richardson said. “I’m sure there’s lots of nerves going puck near the offensive blue line and the Lightning struck on the counter- on with what’s going on in the protocols with the testing and all that. So attack. we just felt that mind frame flying down today, this afternoon, that it would be better to get him on the ice for a warmup, get the blood flowing. Jake “The key for us is going to be the puck management, especially around has been cleared to play and that was our decision on that and Jake the offensive blue line for us where we turned a few pucks over tonight,” played well. We thought he played very head’s-up hockey. He Richardson said. “Especially when you got their big two lines out there. contributed on the PK and I thought he fit in well with that line with You can’t do that against that team. They’re going to counter quick like (Corey) Perry and (Eric) Staal and created some offensive cycling just they did tonight and make you pay. So we just got to just clean up puck like Joel would so I thought it worked out OK.” management, making sure we’re laying pucks in behind them and get back to the forecheck that we do well and create some more O-zone time Armia tested positive for COVID-19 in March and the NHL shut the for ourselves.” Canadiens down for more than a week as a result. He has been a key player for the Canadiens during this playoff run with 5-3-8 totals in 17 Defenceman Jeff Petry said he’s confident the Canadiens can bounce games and played a big role killing penalties. back like they did against Vegas. For the fifth straight game the Canadiens were without interim head “It’s one game of a seven-game series,” he said. “We have to use what coach Dominique Ducharme, who tested positive for COVID-19 before we did in Vegas, that experience, that mindset to rebound and bounce Game 3 of the semifinal series against the Golden Knights. Ducharme back for Game 2. We’re going to watch some clips on what we can do will be able to return for Game 3 of the Cup final after finishing 14 days of better. I think everybody knows that our effort’s there, but I think we can quarantine at home in Montreal. all bring a little bit more and I think that’s what we did in Vegas and that’s what we’re looking to do for Game 2.” The Canadiens now have a 3-2 record since Richardson took over the head-coaching duties from Ducharme. Josh Anderson noted that the Canadiens are still in a good position and they’re definitely in a position 29 other teams that aren’t playing now We have ourselves a one-goal game! #StanleyCup would love to be in. pic.twitter.com/SOdJfnW82P
“We’re in the finals,” Anderson said. “I think that there’s a lot of — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 29, 2021 confidence in our dressing room. So we’re going to take the positives out Evans won’t talk about hit of tonight’s game and, obviously, clean up some areas and just go in and Evans didn’t want to talk about the vicious, predatory hit he took from the Edmundson is one of six players GM Marc Bergevin added to the Jets’ Mark Scheifele after scoring an empty-net goal near the end of Canadiens roster this season who have already won the Stanley Cup Game 1 against Winnipeg. Evans was knocked out cold and taken off the with another team. ice on a stretcher, while Scheifele was suspended for four games by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Edmundson and backup goalie Jake Allen both won the Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. Toffoli won the Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in “I don’t really want to talk about the hit that much right now,” Evans said, 2014, Michael Frolik won it with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, Perry noting that Scheifele did reach out to him afterwards. I’d rather just focus won with Anaheim in 2007 and Staal won with Carolina in 2006. on what’s ahead of us. But I do want to thank our trainers. That whole process they helped me out a lot and they’ve been great for everyone so “Both runs are special in their own ways,” Edmundson said after the I do want to say that. morning skate when asked if there are comparisons this year to the Blues in 2019. “Just try to make our own story here. It’s been a great run “I was just focused on not rushing it,” Evans added about returning to the so far, but we’re in the final for a reason. We have a confident group and lineup. “Any brain injury is a serious thing to not rush back and I just excited to drop the puck tonight. It’s been fun so far, but the job’s not wanted to take my time with it. I obviously wanted to play, but the guys done. did a great job so it was easy to take my time.” “In these deep playoff runs you need health and you need a deep roster,” Evans logged 11:55 of ice time (including 1:06 short-handed) with one Edmundson added. “I think Berg did a great job of assembling this team. shot, three hits and was even in plus/minus. When one guy goes down we have a handful of guys to choose from that are ready to jump in. It’s just like you saw with Lehky or Jake, we have The goal belongs to @86Kucherov! #StanleyCup guys ready and they can jump into any position, any role. It’s nice to have pic.twitter.com/Sl0jbvZpRZ the depth like that. Adding the older guys like Staalsy and Pears working — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 29, 2021 that fourth line they’ve done a great job so far so it’s been good.”
Another goal for Gourde The @TBLightning grab a 1-0 series lead in the #StanleyCup Final! pic.twitter.com/vlAs5jt4na Gourde’s goal was his sixth in 19 playoff games this year, which isn’t bad for a player who was never selected at the NHL Draft. — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 29, 2021
The 5-foot-9, 173-pound centre from Saint-Narcisse was a teammate of Junior teammates the Canadiens’ Phillip Danault in junior with the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Edmundson and the Lightning’s Point were teammates for two seasons Tigres. During his final season of junior in 2011-12, Gourde led the in junior with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Tigres in scoring with 37-87-124 totals in 68 games, while Danault had 18-53-71 totals in 62 games. Point joined the Warriors late in the 2011-12 season as a 16-year-old after posting 19-22-41 totals in 32 games with the midget Triple-A The Chicago Blackhawks selected Danault in the first round (26th Calgary Buffaloes. In the playoffs, Point had 7-3-10 totals in 14 games as overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft, while Gourde signed with the Lightning as the Warriors advanced to the Eastern Conference final before losing to a free agent in 2014 after posting 15-19-34 totals in 30 games with the the Edmonton Oil Kings, who would go on to beat the Portland ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. Winterhawks for the WHL championship.
The four leading scorers in the NHL playoffs are all Lightning players. “We had a good playoff run that year and I think he led our team in Kucherov leads the way with 7-23-30 totals, followed by Point (14-9-23), points,” Edmundson recalled. “From that moment on, all of us on the Stamkos (8-10-18) and Alex Killorn (8-9-17). The Lightning’s Victor team kind of knew he was going to be an all-star player so there’s no Hedman leads NHL defencemen in playoff scoring with 1-15-16 totals. surprise to see his success in the NHL. It’s good to see because he’s a Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy now has a 13-6 record in the playoffs great guy. Honoured to be playing with him back in Moose Jaw, but with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. The looking forward to shutting him down in this series.” Canadiens’ Carey Price has a 12-6 record with a 2.18 GAA and a .928 By BOTH goalies! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/HGQjuA1iKu save percentage. — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 29, 2021 .@86Kucherov strikes a second time ⚡⚡ #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Q7SdyrTFJJ Still only, 3,500 fans at Bell Centre
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 29, 2021 The Canadiens issued a statement Monday saying they will not be increasing the number of fans who can attend games at the Bell Centre Some stats for the Stanley Cup final from 3,500.
The Lightning outshot the Canadiens 27-19 and the faceoffs were split “Regarding the increase in the number of spectators at the Bell Centre 50/50. The Canadiens outhit the Lightning 58-57. Tampa blocked 15 for the Stanley Cup final, the Montreal Canadiens organization is shots and the Canadiens blocked five. The Canadiens went 0-for-2 on continuing discussions with the authorities, and does not in any way the power play and the Lightning were 1-for-3. confirm the rumours currently circulating on social media of an agreement between the two parties,” the statement said. Shea Weber led the Canadiens defencemen in ice time with 25:20, followed by Petry (25:01), Chiarot (23:41) and Joel Edmundson (23:37). Radio station 91.9 Sports reported Monday morning that 10,500 fans Jon Merrill played 10:30 and Erik Gustafsson played 9:48, including 2:51 would be allowed at the Bell Centre for games during the Cup final. on the power play. Suzuki led the forwards in ice time with 17:45, Premier François Legault and health minister Christian Dubé both later followed by Danault (17:13) and Toffoli (16:37). denied that was the case.
Weber had a team-leading five shots and Brendan Gallagher had three. Game 2 is Wednesday night in Tampa before the series shifts to Forwards Suzuki, Danault, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Paul Byron and Perry all Montreal for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and next Monday. failed to get a single shot on goal. Canadiens players celebrate after beating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 Anderson led the Canadiens with eight hits, while Artturi Lehkonen, in overtime in Game 6 of semifinal series Thursday night at the Bell Edmundson and Chiarot had seven each. Centre, earning a spot in the Stanley Cup final.
Danault went 14-8 on faceoffs (64 per cent), Staal went 2-2 (50 per cent), Todd: The Stanley Cup won't come easy, but these Habs are resilient Kotkaniemi went 3-5 (38 per cent) and Suzuki went 4-10 (29 per cent). Sign up for HI/O newsletter .@RealStamkos91 hammers home a 5-1 lead. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/TwmPFsT66B For all the latest on the Canadiens’ quest for their 25th Stanley Cup, sign up for our special time-limited newsletter, HI/O: Montreal’s Road to the — NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 29, 2021 Cup, at https://montrealgazette.com/newsletters.
Edmundson chasing second Cup The schedule Here’s the rest of the schedule for the Stanley Cup final:
Wednesday, June 30 (Game 2): at Tampa, 8 p.m.
Friday, July 2: (Game 3): at Montreal, 8 p.m.
Monday, July 5 (Game 4): at Montreal, 8 p.m. x-Wednesday, July 7: at Tampa, 8 p.m. x-Friday, July 9: at Montreal, 8 p.m. x-Sunday, July 11: at Tampa, 7 p.m. x-if necessary
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216646 Montreal Canadiens current Canadiens, but they have won five of their six overtime games. Five players from three lines have provided the overtime goals.
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 Feels like '93? It's not exactly déjà vu for the Canadiens
Here's where the two playoff runs are similar and where they are different.
Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette
Patrick Roy and Carey Price are hot goaltenders who have carried the Canadiens deep into the playoffs.
The Canadiens’ improbable run to the Stanley Cup final has resulted in comparisons to the team’s last Cup victory in 1993 and, while there are similarities, it’s not quite déjà vu.
Here’s a look at some of the areas in which the two runs are similar and others where they are different.
Goaltenders stand out: The most obvious similarity is the goaltending. In 1993, the Canadiens rode Patrick Roy, who was coming into the prime of his Hall of Fame career. Roy was an unknown when he led the Canadiens to the Cup in 1986, but he went into the 1993 playoffs with two Stanley Cup final appearances and three Vézina Trophies under his belt. Carey Price has taken longer to get to his first Cup final, but he has been among the league’s elite goaltenders for the past decade and has an Olympic gold medal on his resumé. If the Canadiens win the Cup, he’d the odds-on favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player.
Path was easier in 1993: The Canadiens are facing the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the final and, for the fourth consecutive series, they will be the underdogs. Montreal was the last team to qualify for this year’s playoffs and weren’t expected to survive the first round against Toronto, the team that was given the best chance to end the 28-year U.S. stranglehold on the Cup. After falling behind 3-1 in the series, the Canadiens rallied to win the next three games and then swept the Winnipeg Jets. They then eliminated the Vegas Golden Knights, who had tied for the most points in the league this season and were making their third appearance in the Cup semifinals in four years.
There was a two-time defending champion in 1993, but the Canadiens didn’t have to worry about the Pittsburgh Penguins led by Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis and Kevin Stevens because they were eliminated in the second round by the New York Islanders in a hard- fought seven-game series. The Islanders were physically and emotionally drained after the Penguins series and lost in five games against the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference final. The Islanders weren’t the only team to give the Canadiens a hand. The Boston Bruins finished atop the Adams Division, but were upset by Buffalo in the first round and the Canadiens then swept Buffalo. Montreal’s toughest series was the first round against rival Quebec. The Nordiques finished two points ahead of Montreal in the regular season and won the first two games in Le Colisée. Montreal rebounded with a 2-1 overtime victory in Game 3 at the Montreal Forum to begin a playoff record-tying 11-game win streak.
There was a series of upsets in the Western Conference, beginning with St. Louis’s sweep of the regular-season leader Chicago in the first round. The conference final matched a couple of No. 3 seeds and Los Angeles deprived fans of an all-Canadian final when it eliminated Toronto in seven games. The Kings won the first game of the final at the Bell Centre and were leading 2-1 in Game 2 when Montreal coach Jacques Demers pulled a rabbit out of his hat and asked for a measurement on Marty McSorley’s stick, which was found to be illegal. Eric Desjardins scored on the subsequent power play and completed a hat trick with the overtime winner. The Canadiens won the next two games in L.A. in overtime and the dispirited Kings put up only token resistance in Game 5 at the Forum and lost 4-1. Wayne Gretzky, who was the leading scorer in the playoffs, had a goal and three assists in Game 1 but a strong defensive effort led by Guy Carbonneau held him to one goal and two assists over the final four games.
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Winning in overtime: The 1993 Canadiens lost 3-2 in overtime in Game 1 against Quebec but set a record that may never be broken when they won 10 of their 16 games in overtime. That record is out of reach for the 1216647 Montreal Canadiens guys paired with three over-achieving youngsters: Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Cole Caufield. It’s such a beautiful story.
I was sitting in a good pal’s backyard watching that win over the Golden What the Puck: No one, not even Habs fans, expected this magical Knights on Thursday and joyous screams and cheers rang out in the playoff ride normally quiet Notre-Dame-de-Grâce night. It’s an evening I’ll never forget (and neither will my daughter, who had to flee a Crescent St. bar Unless your name is Marc Bergevin. He was the one who saw this thing filled with tear gas). coming. It’s just what the doc ordered for the province after more than a year of confinement, illness and death, and yes, it does feel like 1993, the last year Montreal won the Cup. Let’s savour every moment of this. But Brendan Kelly Montreal Gazette please don’t claim you knew it was coming.
Habs in seven. If you say today you always expected your Montreal Canadiens to be in Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 the Stanley Cup final, you’re lying.
Unless your name is Marc Bergevin. He was the only dude who saw this thing coming.
The rest of us didn’t believe it for a second. Admit it. After Game 4 of the Habs-Leafs series, with the Bad Guys up 3-1, no one thought we were about to embark on the most magical playoff ride in 28 years. No one. The day after Game 4’s embarrassing 4-zip loss to the Maple Leafs, the entire Habs Nation was in a funk, led by a certain mercurial radio host from LaSalle who was ready that morning to fire everyone before he checked himself into the nearest hospital to recover from a bad case of Habs hysteria.
That was a month ago. Then came Game 5, a stunning overtime goal from Nick Suzuki, and all of a sudden there was a glimmer of hope. The next game another young lad, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, was the hero in overtime and before you could say “man do the Leafs suck in the playoffs,” this team was on one of the great rolls of the modern National Hockey League era.
Since that 4-nuffin loss to the Leafs, Montreal has won 11 of the 13 playoff games it has played. It’s unreal. They swept the Winnipeg Jets, who looked like a peewee A team, and then shut down the big boys on the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Did I mention Vegas was the second-best team in the league this year and that they had just handily dispatched the best team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche? Now they’re set to face the defending Cup champs — the Tampa Bay Lightning — in the final.
Who saw all this coming? Precisely no one. Maybe Berg saw this in his crystal ball. I know, as my colleague Stu Cowan pointed out the other day, Bergevin talked a good talk coming into this season, saying this team could play any kind of team and was built for the playoffs.
But during the season, there was little reason to share the general manager’s optimism. The Habs were beyond inconsistent and they just scraped into the post-season. Along the way, a bunch of coaches were fired, a new interim coach came in — Dominique Ducharme — and he appeared to be worse than the guy he replaced.
Then the magic started happening. And our heads are spinning, mine maybe more than anyone’s. I have once or twice criticized Bergevin (haha) and of course everyone is laughing about how I’m eating crow these days. It tastes simply amazing.
Does the run prove that Bergevin’s a genius? Probably not. But it does mean he is a much better GM than many of us gave him credit for. He mucked up big time in the first six years on the job but since the summer of 2018, it’s fair to say he’s done good. And if the Canadiens end up winning the Stanley Cup, which I think they will, I won’t say he’s a genius, but I’ll concede he’s a real smart fellow.
You need to build your team around a core of A-list players in their prime, say between 24 and 27, and that’s why I didn’t get Berg’s reset on the fly. How did oldsters Carey Price and Shea Weber fit into The Plan? It didn’t seem to make sense.
But then COVID happened, the COVID bubble tournament happened, and the most rock’n’roll of GMs saw something in this team. He added a bunch of great pieces in Jake Allen, Joel Edmundson, Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson and especially Corey Perry and suddenly they’re four games away from hoisting the most difficult trophy to win in professional sports.
Bergevin and his team got lucky, but give this passionate guy credit for seeing a world where his team could win it all with a bunch of ancient 1216648 Montreal Canadiens
5 things Tampa fans need to know about the Montreal Canadiens
Pizza, the Curse and a high-flying Wisconsin Badger are all key to understanding what fires this winning team.
Erik Leijon Special to Montreal Gazette
Marc Bergevin in a red suit? It’s probably too late for you.
The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning have been duking it out for Atlantic Division supremacy since 2013, so hockey fans in both cities know a thing or two about their respective opponent in the Stanley Cup Finals. But this year, COVID realignment kept the Habs and Bolts separate, so Tampa Bay fans might be unfamiliar with this particular iteration of hockey’s most storied franchise.
Here are five things Lightning fans ought to know about the Habs before the puck drops at Amalie Arena Monday night.
1.Beware the red suit and pizza slice. If you’re a Lightning fan and you see Habs general manager Marc Bergevin in a red suit (think: Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker) or centre Phillip Danault eating pizza in the postgame, it’s probably too late for you. Bergevin has a perfect record in elimination games when he wears the suit, while Danault has celebrated clinching victories over the Maple Leafs, Jets and Golden Knights with a little carb jolt afterward. When you’re playing for a team that’s won 24 Stanley Cups over 112 years, you’ll adopt a few superstitions to appease your forebears.
2. These Habs are tough. In the past, the Canadiens have been known for being on the small, speedy side. Not the 2021 Habs. Jeff Petry played Game 2 against Vegas with eyes so bloodshot it became a meme. In the following game, Corey Perry got a bloody nose from a high-stick. The wound didn’t stop him from coming out to celebrate with his teammates, blood still all over his face and neck, after they sealed the win. Captain Shea Weber and team leader Brendan Gallagher are fighting through hand/thumb injuries. The Canadiens have added size and depth for their run, and did it without exceeding the cap by US $18 million.
3.The hottest new Hab is a Wisconsin Badger. Sniper Cole Caufield has had a remarkable season. The 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft scored 30 goals in 31 games for Wisconsin, winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award for best NCAA player in the country. Following stints with the U.S. under-20 junior team and the minor league Laval Rocket, Caufield has had an immediate impact in Montreal, scoring four times in 10 regular season games, and then another four in the Vegas series alone. Keep an eye out for the college standout. This would be more of a flex on Florida Panthers fans, but the Badgers football team defeated the Miami Hurricanes in bowl games in 2017 and 2018.
4.Forgive the coaching carousel. During last season’s playoffs, Coach Claude Julien had a stent placed in one of his coronary arteries and was replaced by associate coach Kirk Muller. This season in the playoffs, Coach Dominique Ducharme was replaced by assistant Luke Richardson after receiving a positive COVID-19 test. Richardson coached the last four games of the Vegas series and will be behind the bench in Tampa Bay for Games 1 and 2.
5.The Canadiens may have lifted a curse, thanks to Uber Eats. Seriously. The last two times the Habs won the Cup, Hall of Famer Patrick Roy was in goal. On December 2, 1995, Roy started against the Detroit Red Wings. At this point, Roy’s relationship with head coach Mario Tremblay had soured. Roy allowed nine goals, and after getting pulled, told Canadiens president Ronald Corey behind the bench it was his last game in Montreal. Roy was traded days later and the Habs haven’t reached a final since. Fast forward to 2021, and in the middle of the Toronto series, Roy and Tremblay buried the hatchet in an Uber Eats commercial. The Habs have only lost two games (to Vegas) since it first aired. Coincidence?
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216649 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021
Canadiens at Lightning, Game 1: Five things you should know
This is the fourth playoff meeting between these teams, with the Canadiens' only series victory having come in 2014.
Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette
Here are five things you should know about Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final between the Canadiens and the Lightning at Amalie Arena Monday (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).
The match: This is the fourth playoff meeting between these teams which are, in normal times, division rivals. The Lightning, looking for a third Stanley Cup, swept the Canadiens in 2004 en route to the their first. The Canadiens swept the Lightning in 2014 but Tampa Bay turned the tables in 2015 with a six-game series win. In their most recent regular-season action, Tampa Bay swept a four-game season series in 2019-20, outscoring the Canadiens 14-6.
Goaltending is the key: Goaltending becomes crucial as teams tighten their defences in the playoffs, and this series offers two of the best. Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 1.99 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage after shutting out the Islanders 1-0 in Game 7 of their semifinal series, while Carey Price has a 2.02 GAA a a .934 save percentage. The Lightning has given Price trouble over the years. He has an 8-8 playoff record against Tampa Bay and a 14-19-6 regular-season record with a 2.64 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Vasilevskiy has never faced the Canadiens in the playoffs but he has an excellent regular-season record of 11-1-2 with a 1.98 GAA and a .938 save percentage.
COVID-19 sidelines Armia again: The Canadiens flew to Florida Sunday without forward Joel Armia, who is in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol for the second time this season. Armia had a positive test in March and had received his second dose of vaccine two weeks ago. The Finn will be tested again Monday and, if he tests negative, he could rejoin the team. The setback will give Jake Evans another chance to rejoin the lineup. He was injured in the first game of the opening series against Toronto and missed four games. He has been sidelined since the Winnipeg Jets’ Mark Scheifele hit him in Game 1 of their series, giving Evans a concussion.
Strength against strength: Corey Perry said the Canadiens have to stay out of the penalty box against the Lightning, which feasts on the power play, scoring 20 power-play goals on 53 opportunities for a 37.7-per-cent success rate. Nikita Kucherov has scored 17 of his playoff-best 27 points on the power play while Brayden Point has seven of his playoff-leading 14 goals on the power play. The Canadiens counter with the best penalty-kill in the playoffs. Montreal has killed off a record 30 consecutive penalties over their last 13 games.
Here’s the offence: Kucherov, who missed the entire regular season after hip surgery, leads the playoff scoring race with 27 points and Tampa has the five top scorers in the playoffs. Point, who had a goal in nine consecutive games, has 20 points including a playoff-best 14 goals. He is followed by former Lac St-Louis star Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos with 17 each and defenceman Victor Hedman with 16. Tyler Toffoli leads the Canadiens with 14 points, one more than Nick Suzuki. Toffoli, Suzuki, Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each have five goals. Cole Caufield leads all rookies in points (nine) and goals (four).
Prediction: Canadiens in seven.
Game 1: Monday, 8 p.m., at Tampa, CBC, SN, TVA Sports
Game 2: Wednesday, 8 p.m., at Tampa, CBC, SN, TVA Sports
Game 3: Friday, 8 p.m., at Montreal, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports
Game 4: July 5, 8 p.m., at Montreal, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, OMNI
*Game 5: July 7, 8 p.m., at Tampa, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, OMNI
*Game 6: July 9, 8 p.m., at Montreal, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, OMNI
*Game 7: July 11, 7 p.m., at Tampa, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, OMNI
*If necessary 1216650 Montreal Canadiens Since his days with the Canadiens, there are few he played with who still remain on the team. Carey Price is one, and the two have maintained contact over the ensuing years.
Brownstein: Never a dull moment in the P.K. Subban universe “I’m happy for Carey. I know how tough it is to play in Montreal. But if there’s anybody who deserves an opportunity to get to the Stanley Cup final, it’s him.
Bill Brownstein Montreal Gazette “I’ve been there before. I got that opportunity. Still think of it today about how close we were to winning it. It’s tough. But it’s one thing to get there.
It’s another to lift the Cup. Haven’t done that yet, but I look forward to Count P.K. Subban among those wowed by the performance of the having another opportunity.” Canadiens in pursuit of the team’s first Stanley Cup in 28 years. Subban remains heavily involved with the Montreal Children’s Hospital It’s been five years since Subban was traded to the Nashville Predators Foundation, both on a personal and financial level. He still returns here to for Shea Weber in what was then viewed as one of the most touch base with patients, and continues to pursue his pledge in helping to controversial exchanges in Habs history, but it’s evident the Toronto raise $10 million for the hospital. native’s heart still somewhat bleeds for his former team — as well as for “This is a lifetime thing for me. I’m going to be connected to the hospital this city. for the rest of my life. My goal is to raise $30 million. If we continue to The Habs were, after all, Subban and his educator dad Karl’s favourite partner with different programs and keep getting support, there’s no team growing up. And Subban — who as a Canadien in 2013 won the question we’re going to blow this thing out of the water and get to a place Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman — was undeniably among where we can help as many kids as possible.” the top fan favourites during his time here. Subban’s $10-million pledge in 2015 was reputed to be the largest “The Canadiens deserve to be (in the Stanley Cup final),” said the ever- philanthropic commitment to date by a professional athlete in Canada. grinning Subban in a Zoom interview. “They competed harder in the first “My connection to Montreal (remains strong). What I’ve seen since I left round (against Toronto) and deserved to win. Same with the second has been more than flattering. It’s beyond anything I could have ever round (against Winnipeg). And in the series with Vegas, I watched every imagined, almost more than it was when I was playing there. I’m so game and they’ve been the better team. They have been more grateful for that support. I’m trying to stay true to my word in continuing to disciplined in their system … Their compete level has been unmatched in support the hospital.” every game.” Last year, Subban donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe fundraising page But he notes that the club’s opponent in the Stanley Cup final and set up for then-six-year-old Gianna Floyd, daughter of the murdered defending champion, the Tampa Bay Lightning, has also exhibited an George Floyd. The NHL followed suit, upon being requested to do so by impressive compete level during the playoffs. The series begins Monday Subban. night in Tampa. In making his donation, Subban put this video message out on Twitter: Subban has been struck by the goaltending of Carey Price as well as the “What does ‘Change the Game’ mean? ‘Change the Game’ means play of the team’s vets. However, the younger players have also really change the narrative. The narrative has been the same: No justice. There blown him away. needs to be justice. Justice has to happen, change needs to come.” “(Nick) Suzuki is playing well beyond his years. And that Cole Caufield is Additionally, the Blueline Buddies program, which Subban launched in a natural goal scorer, and you know how tough it is to score in this Nashville to bring under-privileged kids and cops together, has since league. I think these players have come in and really infused some been initiated in New Jersey. energy into that team.” Speaking of partnerships, Subban is hooking up with energy-bar-maker Clearly, no sour grapes here. Clif Bar & Company and its “Let’s Move the World” campaign. This past year has not always gone so great for Subban. “(The campaign) is about inspiring people to do more, to get moving. He contracted COVID-19 and missed the last 12 games of the season When we think about this pandemic and what it’s done to people, with the New Jersey Devils, the team he was traded to two years ago by everybody’s been so stagnant,” Subban said. “Those are the partners the Predators. (He has since fully recovered.) This had been a sub- you want, who understand the importance of doing more than just playing standard season for the blue-liner, who had posted 19 points in 44 hockey and selling product.” games and a minus-16 rating. The company will also be supporting the P.K. Subban Foundation and Nor did it help that his relationship with his fiancée, Olympic ski champ upcoming Subban Defence League hockey camps. Lindsey Vonn, ended seemingly abruptly six months ago. Subban’s breakup with Vonn, his partner of three years, was tough. They But Subban, ever a glass half-full guy, does point out he was hired by had been slated to marry after she had popped the question. ESPN to provide insights during the NHL playoffs. No surprise that he “I’m single now. I had lots of great experiences with Lindsey, and I know has risen to the occasion there. He’s certainly charismatic and articulate she’s going to do extremely well. We’re still friends, which is great. We’re enough. And then there’s that confidence thing. moving forward, just focusing on the things we can control, like “In the off-season, some guys like to golf. And, by the way, I’m a decent everybody having dealt with the pandemic. I’m trying to keep my golfer,” he stressed, in case there were any doubts. “But not everybody personal life pretty private, although a lot of that was public. But I’m has the opportunity to sit on a desk at ESPN. I’ve had that opportunity, happy now to be in a place where I can focus on the things I’m doing.” and it’s been great and fun so far. I also like to try new things. This is Subban credits his dad Karl for showing him the way and always takes something that’s outside the scope for me. It’s flattering to hear that a lot heart in his words: “An open mind is a gold mine.” of people think this is something I can do after my career.” Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.29.2021 Yet he has no plans to put down his elbow pads any time soon.
“My focus is to try to win a Stanley Cup by playing as long as I can. I hope to play another eight years.”
He’ll be 40 by then.
“I feel that good. My body feels that great. I spend probably 12 hours a day working out and taking care of my body before I go on ESPN.”
Subban did make it to the Stanley Cup finals in his first year with the Predators, but the team ended up losing that series to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 1216651 Montreal Canadiens “If we can’t make a play with speed on the rush, we’ve got to put pucks in behind those Ds and go to work there,” Richardson said.
Except on both those plays, but more so the one with Caufield and Petry, The Canadiens need to win the battles they can win and not let the they were cases of the Canadiens trying to create offence off a controlled Lightning use their own strengths against them entry, which is what you want to do.
What made those plays stand out is the Canadiens were rarely able to do the same thing at their own blue line, create turnovers that ignited their By Arpon Basu Jun 29, 2021 own transition game and created opportunities off the rush. They didn’t often have the back pressure combined with the good gap from a
defenceman that creates those situations. When you reach the Stanley Cup Final, it means you should have That is something the Canadiens do well. The Lightning did it better than confidence in the things you do well as a team, that you have proven they did. through three gruelling rounds of playoffs against increasingly strong teams that what you do well produces results. “I thought two turnovers on our part just increased their offense, and they had a lot more confidence when we give them those opportunities,” Josh It’s what allows you to say simple, straightforward, confident things like Anderson said. this. Controlling the net front “We just stick to our plan and try to play the same way for a full 60 minutes and we don’t think about them. We have a system and a plan The one Canadiens goal in the game came off a Ben Chiarot shot from and we stick to it.” the blue line that banked off two Lightning players’ skates and past Andrei Vasilevskiy. But the reason those Lightning skates were there to That was Nikita Kucherov after his two goals and an assist in the third begin with was because Anderson and Paul Byron were in front of the period blew a 2-1 game wide open, giving the Tampa Bay Lightning a 5-1 net. win and a 1-0 lead in the Final. It wasn’t something that happened very often. The Canadiens think very much the same way as Kucherov, that sticking to their plan and the things they do well will produce results. It didn’t A big reason why the Canadiens are here was that they were able to win happen in Game 1 largely because they didn’t stick to what they do well. the battles in front of either net. Opposing forwards didn’t get near Carey They didn’t forecheck all that effectively, they didn’t create turnovers and Price and their own forwards were able to penetrate the layers of defence counter the way they normally do, they didn’t get to the net the way they to get in front of the net. normally do, they didn’t win the forward depth battle the way they normally do. The Canadiens weren’t necessarily poor in defending their own net front, that didn’t change, but their ability to get to the opposing net front was not And maybe that’s because what the Canadiens do well aligns perfectly nearly as easy as it might have been leading up until now. with what the Lightning did so well in Game 1 in not only preventing them from doing all those things, but doing those things better than they did. The image of Brendan Gallagher’s bloody face after a post-whistle scrum that originated because he was trying to get to that area of the ice could Puck management not have been a better indication of how much more difficult this objective will be against this team. The focus from the Canadiens was that they turned the puck over in dangerous areas of the ice on the Lightning’s first three goals, and that’s “They’ve got some big defencemen back there, and it’s not easy getting true. to the front of the net,” Anderson said. “But we’ve got to make it hard on them in some sort of way.” But let’s focus on the first one of those turnovers. It really sounded in that moment that Anderson didn’t quite know how The play began with Tyler Toffoli doing a nifty bit of work in the neutral that could happen, and you can’t really blame him. zone, attracting some attention to create some space before slipping the puck to Nick Suzuki, who had an easy zone entry as a result. Suzuki The Lightning defence is not changing. It is what it is, and this task is not dropped the puck to Cole Caufield, who saw that Jeff Petry was entering likely to get much easier. If anything, it will probably only get harder as the zone and was in the middle of the ice, so he immediately passed it to the physical toll of the series increases. him. Good idea, frankly. “Dude, to be honest, we’ve got good players. They make coaches look What Caufield didn’t see was that Brayden Point, one of the most gifted good,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of his defence’s ability to keep offensive players on earth, was tracking back hard into his own zone, their net front clean. which put him in a position to break up that pass to Petry. “We’ve got some savvy vets back there in (Ryan McDonagh) and (Victor Honestly, the Canadiens had gotten through the neutral zone so Hedman) and (David Savard) and then up-and-comers in (Mikhail) efficiently, it would be reasonable for Caufield to believe that there was Sergachev, who’s grown immensely. (Erik Cernak), he’s a man back little threat of Point being there in time, that the passing lane he had there and (Rutta) has been around this league for a bit, so we’ve got identified before he even got the puck from Suzuki would still be there. some guys that know the league. We’ve got some size. They’re gamers. Except it wasn’t. Because Point made an exceptional play. They’re willing. None of them shy away. Being on the inside is not foreign to them, and so when you have that big and heavy (defence), it helps us The idea of the play was not necessarily bad, it was just nullified by Point in the trenches.” making an even better play by tracking back into his own end. Which, it should be mentioned, is one of the Canadiens’ calling cards. In fact, their The Canadiens also have good players. But keeping their own net front entire system is predicated on their forwards tracking back and creating clean was a more difficult task. Their first power-play goal allowed in 14 turnovers in exactly the same way Point created this one. games came because Joel Edmundson was called for punching Yanni Gourde in the face, and the reason he did that was because Gourde was On the second turnover, Brendan Gallagher crossed the Lightning blue able to get to an area of the ice Edmundson didn’t want him in. The line, stopped and wanted to hit Jesperi Kotkaniemi with a pass in the Canadiens, in some sort of way, will need to force the Lightning middle, but Barclay Goodrow was on him so quickly he blocked the pass. defencemen to have similar reactions in this series. The reason Gallagher had to stop, and the reason Goodrow was able to close on him quickly, was because Jan Rutta had a good gap on The forward depth battle Gallagher, and the reason Rutta was able to do that was because Goodrow was tracking back so hard. You never want to allow the opposing team to dictate your own player deployment. This is something Dominique Ducharme has preached often Canadiens assistant coach Luke Richardson said on the lateral plays his since taking over as Canadiens coach. team attempted to make at or near the offensive blue line they were too static, that they weren’t moving and in those situations they need to But it’s a known fact that Cooper likes to start games with his Identity simply get the puck deep and get on the forecheck instead of trying a Line — Blake Coleman, Gourde and Barclay Goodrow — and therefore, play that can lead to what those two plays led to. if the Canadiens wanted Phillip Danault’s line with Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen to face the Lightning’s big line of Kuckerov, Point and Ondrej Palat, then having them start the game was not the way to do that.
Ducharme was likely a part of that decision to start the game with that Danault line even if he is not behind the bench, but as the first period rolled along, it’s difficult to imagine he would not have done something to try and get the matchup he wanted on the fly. Instead, the Point line’s first three shifts came against the line of Toffoli, Suzuki and Caufield, and on the third shift those two lines were facing each other, the Lightning opened the scoring.
Point’s line faced Suzuki’s line the most often, the line of Anthony Cirelli, Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn faced Kotkaniemi’s line the most often, and Gourde’s most frequent opponent was Danault.
This is not at all what the Canadiens want, and it suited Cooper just fine.
“I liked the way things were going for us and so we stuck with it,” Cooper said. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to keep sticking with it. Who knows? I don’t know what they’re looking to do on the other side, but we’ve got a little bit more control of things tonight and in Game 2.”
Richardson needs to find a way to take some control back in Game 2. Ducharme did an excellent job on the road through the first three rounds of getting Danault out against the opposing top forwards. A big reason for that was neither Sheldon Keefe nor Paul Maurice nor Pete DeBoer wanted Ducharme to dictate who they were using by throwing Danault out there.
The difference here is that Cooper loves that Gourde line. So maintaining that matchup is much easier when the coach doesn’t feel like the opposing coach is dictating his player deployment. Cooper doesn’t have any misgivings about tapping Gourde on the back and sending him out for an offensive zone faceoff or just about any situation.
“They’re a good line,” Richardson said. “They skate well. They’re tenacious. They finish their checks. So they’re going to be a hard line to play against. You’d probably maybe compare it to Phil’s line, you know Phil, Lehky and Gally. They’re hard. They’re hard to play against.
“Tonight maybe wasn’t our best game overall as a team. But I think it’s going to be a challenge because they’re a deep team. That is a good line. They have their first two lines and then their fourth line has got speed, they’ve got size. They’ve got a little bit of everything out there. So we’ve just got to be better. We know we can play better. And that’s a good point we’re going to key on and move forward to next game.”
That last bit from Richardson — that the Canadiens know they can play better — is what is important. Despite the score, they were not blown out in this game. They were in the game through 40 minutes and had some opportunities to be in the lead but, like so many things, the Lightning’s goaltending is a strength for them just like it’s a strength for the Canadiens.
But aside from that, the Canadiens are conceding a lot to the Lightning in this series, namely star talent. There is no one that quite compares to Hedman, or Kucherov, or Point, or Stamkos on the Canadiens.
The Lightning can do certain things the Canadiens can’t. To win this series, they can’t have the Lightning also do the things the Canadiens can do better than them.
The Athletic LOADED: 06.29.2021 1216652 Montreal Canadiens netminder. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Price played like the Canadiens’ best player on the ice. If the Canadiens adjust their game plan for Game 2, he could be in a much better position to steal a game if necessary. Tyler Toffoli, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield throttled by Lightning in Game 1 loss: Playoff plus/minus Josh Anderson: It’s going to be fun seeing him go toe-to-toe with Patrick Maroon throughout the series if Game 1 was any indication. Physical, By Julian McKenzie Jun 29, 2021 9 quick and unafraid. One of the Canadiens’ few bright spots in the series opener. An honourable mention goes to his linemate, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Canadiens fans are used to Brendan Gallagher trying to cause mischief for being the only forward to pick up a point. But his late, third-period in front of the net and being unafraid of taking on anyone. So it wasn’t a penalty cancels out his plus. surprise to see him push Victor Hedman while in front of Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Canadiens are the smaller, scrappy underdog playing Brendan Gallagher: What a rough night for Gallagher. But despite the with nothing to lose. If it means having to push back against bigger bleeding forehead and the gang-up courtesy of the Lightning players, I opponents, so be it. felt his efforts warranted a plus. He led all Canadiens forwards in shots on goal and was willing to go into the dirty areas. He played his game Just be prepared to get pushed back. tonight, probably better than a number of other games throughout this BRENDAN GALLAGHER: 5' 9'', 183LB postseason.