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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/24/2020 1181462 NHL says no decisions made on resumption of regular 1181489 How Detroit Red Wings fared in 50 simulations of 2020 season or playoff format NHL draft lottery 1181490 Red Wings pleased with prospects' late-season flourish 1181491 Red Wings prospects might be done for season, so here’s 1181463 Departures: Charles Barkley, Anquan Boldin and more, we how they fared rank the Valley’s pain 1181492 Q&A with Ken Holland as Edmonton Oilers scouts trying to 1181464 ‘A major loss’: Zdeno Chara bids farewell to Tom Brady on stay busy before NHL draft Instagram 1181493 Does Filip Berglund’s new SHL contract mean he’s done 1181465 Boston’s top 10 athletes, No. 10: No. 77 Ray Bourque with the Oilers? 1181466 Tuukka Rask referencing retirement actually isn't all that 1181494 Evolution of a star: Why Leon Draisaitl was our Hart pick surprising 1181467 Watch amazing Bruins vs. Leafs 2013 Game 7 on NBC Sports Network 1181495 The five biggest moments of the season (so far?) for the 1181468 Why the Bruins finished where they did in The Athletic Florida Panthers NHL awards voting 1181496 NHL says no decisions made on resumption of regular 1181469 Ralph Krueger keeping hopes up, but it's clear he knows season or playoff format Sabres' season could be over 1181497 Kings prospect Alex Turcotte, idled but still learning, waits 1181470 Sabres agree to terms with college free agent Dawson out his chance DiPietro 1181471 Ralph Krueger remains hopeful Sabres will finish season 1181472 MSG, NBC Sports Network start rolling out classic Sabres, 1181498 NHL doesn't anticipate need to abbreviate 2020-21 NHL games today season 1181473 Three takeaways from Ralph Krueger’s latest conference 1181499 Wild's Matt Dumba donates to families impacted by call with the media coronavirus 1181500 Wild signs prospects Adam Beckman, Damien Giroux Calgary Flames 1181501 Wild sign a pair of high-scoring prospects to entry-level 1181474 ‘Ghost towns’ and no traffic: Inside the journey minor- contracts leaguers are making home 1181502 Q&A: Wild’s Brad Bombardir breaks down their suddenly deep prospect pool 1181475 PNC Arena is holding a blood drive, but Hurricanes are closing their offices there 1181503 Why Jonathan Drouin’s decision to reinvent himself should inspire Max Domi 1181476 A closer look at Chicago Blackhawks' defensemen, goalies 1181504 Predators sign goalie Connor Ingram to three-year 1181477 Summer games may be difficult for NHL ice makers once contract games resume 1181505 Roman Josi vs. John Carlson: Who deserves the Norris 1181478 10 Blackhawks games from this season to re-watch Trophy? 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NHL says no decisions made on resumption of regular season or playoff format

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: March 23, 2020 at 3:57 p.m. | UPDATED: March 23, 2020 at 4:11 p.m.

The NHL couldn’t say Monday whether the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season would be played or what form the Stanley Cup playoffs might take when it’s safe enough to resume play, after the league suspended its season March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The form and format of resumption of play scenarios will depend entirely on what transpires between now and when we are permitted and able to resume – and, ultimately, on timing and taking into account logistical constraints,” the NHL said. “We are going to have to be flexible and react to events and they as unfold as well as the best medical advice available.”

The league posted an updated question-and-answer page on its website, but it was unable to provide definitive answers to many of its questions, including whether play would resume. It also said players should continue to follow local guidelines about social distancing and self- isolation.

For the Ducks, Kings and – the NHL’s three California teams – that means they must continue to self-quarantine in accordance with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order issued last week. The league’s self-isolation mandate was set to expire Friday, but it could be extended.

“At the end of the self-quarantine period – and depending on developments regarding COVID-19 between now and then – consideration will be given to allowing the opening of club facilities in scheduled and coordinated small groups for voluntary training and club care,” the league said.

The Ducks and Kings each closed their practice facilities to the public last week in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Local authorities have also closed beaches, hiking trails, parks and other recreational spots in recent days after overcrowding over the weekend.

Monday, the league said it had no plans to test each of its players for COVID-19 and would not do so when play resumes. So far, two unnamed members of the Ottawa Senators are the only NHL players to have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Senators played against the Sharks on March 7 at San Jose’s SAP Center, then the Ducks on March 10 at Honda Center and the Kings on March 11 at Staples Center. The Sharks, Ducks and Sharks have each said none of their players have had COVID-19 symptoms.

“Our medical experts do not recommend mass-testing for all NHL players,” the league said.

In addition, the NHL could not say whether games would be played in empty arenas, but said it would follow the advice of local medical authorities. The league also said the resumption of play would not cause it to shorten the 2020-21 season, which it hoped to play in full.

There have been no decisions made on postponing or altering the format of the NHL draft, which is scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, the league said. Furthermore, no decisions have been made regarding the opening of free agency, which is set for July 1.

“We will continue to monitor developments during the 60-day window prescribed by the CDC,” the league said. “Assuming events are tracking positively, we would hope to be able to begin providing high-level guidance on the potential of opening a club training camp period roughly 45 days into the period covered by the CDC’s recommendation.”

The Ducks had 11 regular-season games remaining when the league suspended play on the morning after their March 11 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Kings had 12 games left before the end of the season, which was set for April 4. Neither team was in a playoff position, however.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181463 Arizona Coyotes toughness. Less than two years before the deal, he was the victim of a vicious hit by Jets safety Eric Smith. Boldin, who was knocked out, suffered two facial fractures that needed eight plates and 40 screws to Departures: Charles Barkley, Anquan Boldin and more, we rank the repair, and his jaw had to be wired. Valley’s pain Less than a month later, he was back on the field. The subsequent trade, while understandable given how the relationship had deteriorated, still didn’t sit well with fans. Boldin had been an integral part of the Cardinals By The Athletic Arizona Staff Mar 23, 2020 team that played in Super Bowl XLIII.

The impact: Boldin got what he wanted; a three-year deal worth $25 million from the Ravens. He also won a Super Bowl in 2012 with Tom Brady’s decision to leave the New Patriots to sign as a free Baltimore. The Cardinals, on the other hand, immediately missed his agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sent shockwaves across the presence and production. Boldin had been a 1,000-yard receiver in 2008 sports landscape. In 20 seasons with the Patriots, Brady played in 14 Pro and 2009. In 2010, his replacement, Steve Breaston, caught 47 passes Bowls, nine Super Bowls and won six Super Bowl titles. He is on the for 718 yards and just one touchdown. Arizona finished 5-11 that season, short list of most accomplished pro athletes in the four major North making his departure even harder for fans to accept. American sports, and his departure is perhaps the most stunning in sports history, even at the age of 42. Jake Plummer

The announcement of Brady’s departure — on St. Patrick’s Day, no less The departure: Plummer once had been one of the Valley’s most popular — left the sports-spoiled city of Boston in mourning. athletes. He became a legend — Jake the Snake — at ASU, leading the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl in the 1996 season and within 100 seconds Phoenix does not have a departure that compares in magnitude to this of a national championship. Two years later, in 1998, he guided the Brady’s — few cities do — but it got us wondering which pro athletes’ Cardinals to their first playoff appearance in a non-strike year since 1975. departures had the greatest impact on the Valley’s sports psyche, due to But emotion has little place in pro sports. After throwing more that player’s ability, his accomplishments, his connection to the fans and interceptions than touchdowns in 2002, Plummer was allowed to test the the manner of his departure. market as a free agent, and Plummer signed a seven-year $40 million The staff writers at The Athletic Arizona who cover the four major pro contract with the Denver Broncos. teams in town put their heads together and compiled a list. Here are the The nuance: By the 2000 season, Plummer no longer was viewed top choices from Scott Bordow (Cardinals), Craig Morgan (Coyotes), through the lens of his past glory. From 2000 through 2002, the Cardinals Zach Buchanan (Diamondbacks) and Gina Mizell (Suns), along with a list had a combined record of 15-31 in games Plummer started, and he had of players for each team that did not make the cut and the rationale 55 interceptions compared to 49 touchdown passes. His 53.6 completion behind our thinking. percentage in ’02 ranked 26th in the league. Simply put, his stay in Cardinals Arizona had worn out its welcome.

Pat Tillman The impact: Plummer had a successful four-year run in Denver, going 39-15 as a starter and leading the Broncos to three straight playoff The departure: In May 2002 Tillman was about to strike it rich. Four years appearances, including the 2005 AFC Championship game. The earlier, the Cardinals had drafted him in the seventh round, more a nod Cardinals, meanwhile, struggled in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, running to his Arizona State legacy than any belief he would turn into a through Jeff Blake, Josh McCown and Shaun King before they signed productive NFL player. But, as he had with the Sun Devils, Tillman’s Kurt Warner as a free agent. passion, smarts and toughness were more important than his 5-foot-11, 202-pound stature. In 2000, he finished with 155 tackles, 1½ sacks, two Missed the cut forced fumbles, nine pass deflections and one interception. Following the Darnell Dockett: Dockett was one of the Cardinals’ best and most colorful 2001 season, the Cardinals offered Tillman a three-year, $3.6 million defensive players during his 10-year run (2004-13) with Arizona, but he deal. Instead of signing the deal, Tillman and his brother Kevin, spurred tore his ACL before the 2014 season, and the Cardinals released him the by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, enlisted with the Army Rangers. following February. “Sports embodied many of the qualities I deem meaningful,” Tillman said Tyrann Mathieu: Arizona signed Mathieu to a five-year, $62.5 million in 2002. “However, these last few years, and especially after recent contract extension in the summer of 2016 even though he still hadn’t fully events, I’ve come to appreciate just how shallow and insignificant my role recovered from a second ACL surgery. But Mathieu wasn’t the same is. … It’s no longer important.” player in 2016 and the first half of 2017, and when he couldn’t agree on a The nuance: While no one saw Tillman’s decision coming, those who contract restructuring before the 2018 season — he would have received knew him weren’t completely surprised. Tillman always had interests and a guaranteed $18.75 million if he was on the roster at the start of the passions beyond football. He was an intelligent, curious man with an league season — the Cardinals released him. acute sense of right and wrong. “This is very serious with Pat,” then- Aeneas Williams: Williams, a six-time Pro Bowl cornerback with the Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis said at the time. “It’s not just a snap Cardinals, had grown tired of the franchise’s losing ways and asked the decision. You’re not dealing with a guy who’s real shallow. You’re dealing team to trade him after the 2000 season. Arizona obliged, dealing with a guy whose waters run pretty deep.” Williams to the St. Louis Rams for two draft picks. The impact: Tillman’s tragic death in 2004 from friendly fire brought the Calais Campbell: In eight seasons as a Cardinals starter, Campbell had Valley to its knees. But after the tears dried, his legacy lived on through 358 tackles and 56 ½ sacks. But the defensive end became a free agent the Pat Tillman Foundation and its signature event, Pat’s Run, a 4.2 mile before the 2017 season, and when Arizona offered him $9 million per walk/run — he wore the No. 42 at ASU — held once a year. It’s a year on a new deal, he was gone and eventually signed a four-year, $60 remembrance of who Tillman was, the sacrifice he made and the million deal with Jacksonville. emotional hold he still has on fans all over the country. Coyotes Anquan Boldin Shane Doan The departure: The Cardinals traded Boldin to the Baltimore Ravens in March 2010 for third- and fourth-round draft picks in the 2010 draft, The departure: On June, 17, 2017, Coyotes GM John Chayka invited ending a relationship that had become acrimonious. Boldin had been Doan to breakfast at First Watch in Scottsdale. Doan thought the meeting seeking a new contract with the Cardinals commensurate with the four- was to discuss a new contract to extend his 21-year playing career. year $40 million contract extension teammate Larry Fitzgerald signed Chayka told him there would be no more contracts with the Coyotes. “I before the 2009 season. But the Cardinals refused to rip up Boldin’s deal, was being corporately fired,” said Doan, who retired two months later. and his continued criticism of the organization got to the that when the trade was consummated, coach Ken Whisenhunt said, “It was time.” The nuance: There is a fair argument to be made that it was time for Doan to step aside. His role was reduced in 2016-17, his lack of speed The nuance: As great as Fitzgerald was, Boldin had been the heart and was more pronounced and his production slipped to six goals and 27 soul of the Cardinals, a locker room leader admired for his passion and points, his lowest output for a full season since 1998-99. The previous ownership group had also discussed walking away from the face of the Nikolai Khabibulin: Khabibulin’s acrimonious contract holdout and his franchise during protracted contract talks the previous summer. When short time in Phoenix (three seasons) limited his impact, but he led Doan finally signed a one-year contract after scoring a team-high 28 Tampa Bay to goals-against in 2004 with 1.71 goals-against average, a goals, the deal (AAV of $4,839,572) felt like a golden parachute as he .933 save percentage and five shutouts in the postseason. approached his 40th birthday. The Coyotes wanted to go young, so signing Doan felt like an unnecessary pause on a much-needed rebuild. Teppo Numminen: By the time the Coyotes traded Numminen to Dallas in the summer of 2003, he was 35 years old, he had played 15 NHL The impact: A segment of the Coyotes fan base understood the logic of seasons and his game had diminished. He played four more seasons letting Doan go. Some thought he should have stuck around to continue and had 40 points with Buffalo in 2005-06, but the trade of their quiet, mentoring the young players. Virtually no one understood the manner in lead-by-example captain did not shock Coyotes fans. which he was cut loose. Doan deserved a better fate than this clumsy dismissal under previous majority owner Andrew Barroway — a faux pas Blake Wheeler: Wheeler never got the chance to endear himself to for which Barroway later apologized. Like Fitzgerald with the Cardinals, Coyotes fans. In fact, he did the opposite, refusing to sign with the Doan was the face of the franchise and a Valley icon who did everything Coyotes after they drafted him in 2004 out of the University of Minnesota. imaginable to support a franchise that enjoyed little success and The Coyotes could have used him. After three decent seasons with engendered little respect during his tenure. As one league source put it: Boston, Wheeler emerged as a star in Winnipeg, where he has 207 goals “This guy takes every bullet for this team for a decade, then gets tossed and 634 points in 687 games. out like a piece of trash.” That was the part of Doan’s departure that Diamondbacks stung Valley fans the most. Paul Goldschmidt Keith Tkachuk The departure: In December 2018, the Diamondbacks traded The departure: On March 13, 2001, the Coyotes traded Tkachuk to the Goldschmidt to the Cardinals for catcher Carson Kelly, right-hander Luke St. Louis Blues for center Michael Handzus, right wing Ladislav Nagy and Weaver, infielder Andy Young and a draft pick. Jeff Taffe, the Blues’ first-round pick in the 2000 NHL Draft. The nuance: Goldschmidt had one year to go on the contract he signed The nuance: Trade rumors swirled around Tkachuk after he signed a prior to the 2012 season, which had been underpaying him for his MVP- three-year contract extension for an average of $8.3 million per season type performance for years. With the Diamondbacks missing the playoffs through 2002-03. The Coyotes hadn’t escaped the first round of the in 2018 and expecting other free-agent departures, general manager playoffs in any of Tkachuk’s previous four seasons in the Valley, they Mike Hazen traded his homegrown star in what the GM still calls the were losing a lot of money and it was clear that new owners Steve toughest decision of his career. Hazen said that, with his team seemingly Ellman and Wayne Gretzky were looking to shed payroll. One week on the downswing, he didn’t want to risk Goldschmidt walking in free earlier, the Coyotes had sent goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and defenseman agency and getting nothing but a compensatory draft pick for him. Stan Neckar to the for defenseman Paul Mara, forwards Mike Johnson and Ruslan Zaynullin and a draft choice. The impact: Things looked bad early on for the Diamondbacks when Goldschmidt signed a five-year extension with the Cardinals in spring The impact: Tkachuk clearly wasn’t happy with the new ownership group. training before he’d even set foot in St. Louis. That called into question “I knew it was coming,” he said. “They told me this deal was obviously the team’s off-the-record justification that Goldschmidt wasn’t willing to financial. I really, really wanted to stay here and try to win a Cup, but I’m sign another extension. But since, the trade has looked pretty good. going to a better situation. This team, the St. Louis Blues, is committed to Goldschmidt had a mediocre year by his standards, perhaps starting to winning. They have some great players there, and I’m looking forward to show his 32 years. Meanwhile, Kelly enjoyed a breakout, Weaver was a getting out of the first round.” stud until he got hurt and Christian Walker, Goldschmidt’s replacement at Tkachuk’s departure was almost a curse. The Coyotes missed the first, pretty much matched his predecessor’s 2019 production. playoffs that spring, made the playoffs the following season, but fell again Randy Johnson in the first round again, and then didn’t make the playoffs again until Tkachuk’s final season in St. Louis, 2009-2010. In nine seasons in St. The departure: Johnson signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Louis, Tkachuk scored 208 goals (he topped 30 in his first three full Giants prior to the 2009 season, ending his second stint in Arizona. seasons there) and had 427 points. In 321 games with the Coyotes, The nuance: Johnson’s first departure from the Valley, traded to the Nagy had 92 goals and 249 points. In 89 games with the Coyotes, Yankees following the 2004 season, was hard enough. But there was a Handzus had 19 goals and 53 points. In 98 games with the Coyotes, logic to it. The Diamondbacks were terrible in 2004 and Johnson had a Taffe had 15 goals and 28 points. In the 19 years since his departure, the year to go on his contract. And anyway, Johnson wound up back in Coyotes haven’t had an elite goal scorer. Tkachuk is the only Coyote with Arizona in 2007 when the Yankees flipped him right back. But letting him a significant amount of games played to have averaged at least a point walk after 2008 was tough. He’d made 30 starts and posted a 3.91 ERA per game in Arizona (334 points in 332 games). He is still the best player the year before. He told the team he’d take a 50 percent pay cut on his in franchise history. $15 million salary from 2008 to come back. He was at 295 career wins and wanted No. 300 to come in a Diamondbacks jersey.

The departure: On July 1, 2001, Roenick, an unrestricted free agent, The impact: Johnson took that pay cut, but with the Giants (other signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with the , performance bonuses were built into the deal). He didn’t pitch particularly ending his six-season tenure in the Valley with 152 goals and 379 points well, posting a 4.88 ERA, and managed fewer than 100 innings while he in 454 games. dealt with a rotator cuff issue. He finished the season in the bullpen. But he did get that 300th win in early June against the Nationals. His The nuance: Roenick’s departure was the continuation of a money- relationship with the Diamondbacks remained frosty for several more saving, forward-thinking process the Coyotes had already begun with the years, thawing only in 2013 when he visited with Arizona pitchers during trades of Tkachuk and Khabibulin. Roenick became available early spring training. Johnson joined the organization as a special assistant in because general manager Cliff Fletcher gave a handful of teams 2015. permission to negotiate with his agent, Neil Abbott, before the July 1 deadline. Justin Upton

The impact: Like Tkachuk’s departure on the wing, Roenick’s departure The departure: Traded along with Chris Johnson to the Braves for Nick left a gaping hole in the middle of the ice. Since Roenick left town the first Ahmed, Martín Prado, Randall Delgado, Brandon Drury and Zeke Spruill time, the Coyotes have not had a bona fide No.1 center. Roenick had 67 prior to the 2013 season. goals and 173 points in three seasons in Philadelphia before the Flyers The nuance: Fans never quite warmed to Upton the way they did to traded him to Los Angeles where he played one season. Following the Goldschmidt and Johnson, but perhaps they should have. He was the canceled lockout season of 2004-05, Roenick returned to Phoenix for No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, and his production largely lived up to one unremarkable season before playing the final two years of his career that billing. In five-plus seasons in Arizona, he posted an .832 OPS and in San Jose. hit 108 homers. He was worth 13.7 WAR, according to - Missed the cut Reference, and finished fourth in MVP voting for the National League in 2011. But during a somewhat-down 2012 season for Upton, managing general partner Ken Kendrick criticized the outfielder publicly, saying, “It’s profile) and viewed as one of the best players in franchise history. time for him to be a consistent performer, and he’s not been that.” That Phoenix has not returned to the NBA Finals since Barkley was its star. signaled his likely exit from Arizona despite the fact that he had three years remaining on the extension he signed with the Diamondbacks prior Steve Nash to the 2010 season. The departure: After two consecutive non-playoff seasons, Nash was The impact: Prado didn’t work out, Delgado wound up a reliever, Drury acquired by the Lakers in a July 2012 sign-and-trade. Nash was an All- got flipped and has yet to perform and Spruill was a throw-in. The only Star his final season in Phoenix, averaging 12.5 points and 10.7 assists part of that trade that has worked out has been Ahmed, who has been a while shooting 53.2 percent from the floor. terrific defender at short while steadily improving as a hitter. Over the The nuance: It became clear prior to the opening of free agency that the three years the Diamondbacks could have controlled him, Upton was Suns would not compete with Nash’s free-agency offers from other consistent. He hit 82 homers and had an .814 OPS those years — two teams. The sign-and-trade allowed Nash to pick his desired destination, with the Braves and one with the Padres — and was worth 10.1 WAR. and for Phoenix to receive draft-pick compensation in return. At the time, He continues to be a strong hitter, for the Tigers and now the Angels, and the situation in Los Angeles — where he would play alongside Kobe will have made $200 million in his career by the time his current contract Bryant and Dwight Howard — appeared to be a last opportunity for Nash wraps up three years from now. to win a title. More importantly, it allowed Nash to stay close to his Missed the cut children in Phoenix. The Suns eventually agreed to the deal, even though seeing Nash in the jersey of the rival Lakers was painful to those inside Luis Gonzalez: The Diamondbacks had a $10 million option on Gonzalez and outside the organization. for the 2007 season, but they declined it. He ended up signing a one- year deal with the Dodgers at 39, and played just two more seasons. He “I couldn’t be more grateful to the organization and Robert (Sarver) in joined the Diamondbacks front office as a special assistant almost particular,” Nash told ESPN.com at the time. “I know how hard this was immediately upon retirement. for him and that fact that he was able to help me and my family in this way … it means a lot and says a lot about his character. I will never Max Scherzer: Fans didn’t have a chance to get used to seeing the forget this gesture. Above and beyond.” former 11th-overall pick in a Diamondbacks jersey, but they’ve certainly come to regret the three-team deal that sent him to Detroit and netted the The impact: Nash’s departure was truly the end of an era, the unofficial Diamondbacks Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson. Scherzer is a shoo-in start of the Suns’ tumble to the NBA’s cellar. Even though he was Hall-of-Famer now. Kennedy and Jackson? They are not. nearing the end of his career, Nash leaving instead of retiring as a Sun was rough on fans. The Suns have not had a superstar like Nash since, Curt Schilling: Schilling leveraged his no-trade clause to get a three-year though Devin Booker is certainly a rising talent. Phoenix has not made deal out of the Red Sox before approving a trade to Boston following the the playoffs in a decade and finished with 25 or fewer wins five times 2003 season. The Diamondbacks didn’t get much value in return, but during that span. they also might have been wasting the last years of Schilling’s career on bad teams in the Valley. Given that Schilling helped the Sox to their first The Nash-Bryant-Howard trio, of course, was an epic failure in Los win since 1918, Diamondbacks fans might be better off Angeles — even following the reunion between Nash and former Suns appreciating the role the Diamondbacks played in making baseball coach Mike D’Antoni. Nash struggled with injuries during his three history. seasons with the Lakers, including reccurring back problems that kept him out for all of 2014-15. He officially retired in March 2015. Still, the Suns two-time MVP is widely regarded as the best Suns player of all-time. He helped revolutionize the game with the “Seven Seconds or Less” playing Charles Barkley style. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. He is a The departure: The August following the 1995-96 season, which included Phoenix sports icon. a 41-41 record and first-round playoff exit, the Suns traded Barkley to Dan Majerle Houston for , , Mark Bryant and . That final season in Phoenix, Barkley averaged 23.2 points, 11.6 The departure: After the 1994-95 season, the Suns traded Majerle, rebounds and 1.6 steals per game and made his 10th All-Star game. Antonio Lang and a first-round draft pick to Cleveland for John “Hot Rod” Williams. Majerle made his third (and final) All-Star appearance his last The nuance: The relationship between Barkley and the Suns had season with Phoenix, averaging 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 deteriorated, with Barkley declaring he would retire if not traded to a assists per game while shooting 36.3 percent on 6.7 3-point attempts per contender. In an interview with NBC during the NBA Finals, Barkley said game. Houston was on his list of desired destinations. The Rockets, who had won the 1994 and 1995 championships, still had future Hall of Famers The nuance: Majerle, though a wildly popular player, was perhaps the and on the roster. “I’m excited because most attractive trade asset for a Suns team trying to remain a contender … I called the shots,” Barkley said at the time. “When push comes to in the Western Conference. Phoenix had other wings in Wesley Person shove, I think you have to stand up to the system.” and A.C. Green but no formidable center — a deficiency publicly scrutinized by Barkley. The Suns were also concerned about Majerle’s Following the trade, Jerry Colangelo said he had become “disturbed” with long-term health, as he had a history of back issues that he managed the Suns’ plodding style. Barkley had also begun to battle injuries during throughout his career. his Phoenix tenure, including back pain, a small quadriceps tendon tear that kept him out of the 1994 All-Star Game and a groin injury suffered in Yet this particular deal surely contributed to the unrest between the Suns the 1994 playoffs. Those health struggles continued in Houston. and Barkley, who expressed his displeasure about the trade. “I think I’ve said on occasion that Majerle, (Joe) Kleine and (Danny) Manning were The impact: Barkley gave Phoenix a bona fide superstar, winning the the three guys I wanted on this team no matter what, and one of them’s 1993 MVP and leading the Suns to the NBA Finals. That naturally comes gone,” Barkley told the Associated Press. “You can’t have it both ways,” with fan attachment. The Barkley trade was just the start of big changes Colangelo responded. in Phoenix. Legendary coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, who returned after Paul Westphal was fired during the 1995-96 season, stepped down early The impact: Phoenix went 41-41 with a first-round playoff exit in its first and turned the reins over to Danny Ainge. The day after Christmas, the season without Majerle — and then traded Barkley the ensuing summer. Suns traded for Jason Kidd. Though an injury-plagued, transitional Since then, Majerle has had two returns — and departures — from the season was often frustrating, it did feature a jolt of excitement when Rex organization. He came back as a player in 2001, leading the team in 3- Chapman hit “The ” to force overtime in a first-round playoff game pointers (79) before retiring. He was the lead assistant coach under Terry against Seattle. Porter and Alvin Gentry from 2008-13, but left when Gentry was fired and Lindsey Hunter took over the top post. For Barkley, a 1997 Western Conference finals appearance was the furthest he ever advanced in the playoffs as a Rocket. He retired after the Majerle remains synonymous with Phoenix sports. He is a Ring of Honor 1999-2000 season without an NBA title — a gruesome ruptured member. His sports bars are dispersed throughout the Valley. He was quadriceps tendon in his left knee suffered in a December 1999 game in the head coach at Grand Canyon until his firing earlier this month. Philadelphia all but ending his final season prematurely. Though Barkley was in Phoenix for only four seasons, he is widely beloved in the Valley Paul Westphal (his visibility on TNT’s studio programming certainly helps his post-career The departure: Westphal and the Suns had two notable breakups. As a Each of four writers ranked the top five departures in terms of their player following the 1979-80 season, the Suns traded Westphal for emotional toll on the Valley. Dennis Johnson. As a coach, Westphal was fired early in his fourth season in 1995-96, which started 14-19. Scott Bordow

The nuance: Westphal the player asked to be traded, due to an 1. Pat Tillman unfavorable opinion of coach John MacLeod’s system. The Suns also 2. Steve Nash needed rebounding and defensive toughness, two traits Johnson provided. At the time, the deal was viewed as one that would help both 3. Paul Goldschmidt teams. 4. Randy Johnson Westphal the coach was managing a Suns team that, before the season, 5. Charles Barkley had just traded fan favorite Dan Majerle. Phoenix was also hampered by numerous injuries to “Hot Rod” Williams (whom it had acquired in the Zach Buchanan Majerle trade), Manning, Kevin Johnson and Barkley. Barkley, of course, continued to be outspoken about his team’s moves: 1. Pat Tillman

“It’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business,” Barkley said at the 2. Steve Nash time, according to the Chicago Tribune. “Now, I’m going home to tell 3. Charles Barkley (wife) Maureen, ‘I’m accepting calls.'” Cotton Fitzsimmons returned as coach for the remainder of the season but resigned early in 1996-97. 4. Paul Goldschmidt Ainge took over as head coach. 5. Randy Johnson The impact: Johnson in his first season helped Phoenix clinch the franchise’s first division title and No. 1 playoff seed, before getting upset Gina Mizell by Kansas City in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals. 1. Pat Tillman Seattle, meanwhile, went a stunning 34-48 as Westphal battled a stress fracture in his leg. ”It hasn’t been fun,” Westphal told the New York 2. Steve Nash Times. ”Although it’s been a frustrating several months, I’m not sorry I asked to be traded. Bad luck can happy anywhere.” 3. Randy Johnson

After firing Westphal the coach, the Suns made their eighth consecutive 4. Paul Goldschmidt playoff appearance but failed to win 50 games for the first time since 5. Charles Barkley 1987-88. Westphal retired as a Suns player after returning to Phoenix for the 1983-84 season. No coach has guided Phoenix to the Finals since Craig Morgan Westphal. He was a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 2019. 1. Pat Tillman Amar’e Stoudemire 2. Steve Nash The departure: Following the 2009-10 season, Stoudemire opted out of his contract and signed with New York as a free agent. “The Knicks are 3. Charles Barkley back,” Stoudemire proclaimed when introduced in the Big Apple. 4. Paul Goldschmidt

The nuance: The “Seven Seconds or Less” era was already dimming in 5. Shane Doan Phoenix after D’Antoni left for the Knicks and Shawn Marion was traded to Miami for Shaquille O’Neal, but Stoudemire was the homegrown kid, Your turn the lottery draft pick out of high school who morphed into an All-Star and dominant post partner for Nash. Use our comments section to rank the 14 players on our list in terms of the emotional toll their departure had on you and the Valley. Feel free to By 2010, however, Stoudemire had already struggled with knee problems include write-in candidates. for years (and a detached retina). The Suns offered Stoudemire a max contract following the 2010 season but did not want to guarantee all of it Pat Tillman because of those knee troubles. Earlier that year, Phoenix had also Anquan Boldin reportedly discussed a trade-deadline deal with Cleveland, which would have sent Stoudemire to the LeBron James-led Cavaliers in exchange for Jake Plummer JJ Hickson. Charles Barkley The impact: Stoudemire was an All-Star his first season in New York. But Steve Nash he was never the same after that, as his injury troubles continued. His last NBA season was with Miami in 2015-16, before playing overseas Dan Majerle and with the Big3. The Suns have not been the same, either. Nash stuck around for two more seasons, before joining the Lakers in a sign-and- Paul Westphal trade, but Phoenix has not made the playoffs since Nash and Stoudemire Amar’e Stoudemire shared the floor together. Paul Goldschmidt Missed the cut Randy Johnson Shawn Marion: The 2008 midseason blockbuster that sent Marion to Miami in exchange for O’Neal signaled the Suns’ change in style and the Justin Upton end of an 8 1/2-year relationship with a four-time All-Star. But Marion was unhappy being the third wheel behind Nash and Stoudemire, and had Keith Tkachuk requested a trade before the season. Jeremy Roenick

Jason Kidd: When the Suns traded Kidd to New Jersey for Stephon Shane Doan Marbury, he was the NBA’s assists leader. But earlier that year, Kidd was arrested and pleaded guilty to a domestic assault charge for hitting then- The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 wife, Joumana, during an argument.

Charlie Scott: Scott, a future Hall of Famer, had made three consecutive All-Star appearances with Phoenix when traded to Boston for Paul Westphal in 1975. The ensuing season, the two played against each other in the NBA Finals.

Writer rankings 1181464 Boston Bruins

‘A major loss’: Zdeno Chara bids farewell to Tom Brady on Instagram

By Jenna Ciccotelli March 23, 2020, 10:43 a.m.

Zdeno Chara became the latest local star to say goodbye to Tom Brady when the 14-year Bruins veteran posted a photo to Instagram Sunday.

“It’s with sadness and joy I find myself reflecting on the news of my friend and sports legend @TomBrady moving on from the @Patriots,” Chara wrote, sharing a photo of the pair from the September grand opening of Brady’s TB12 store in Boston.

When the photo was taken, the pair, who were two of Boston’s longest- tenured active athletes, shared it to their own social media channels with quips about sticking together as athletes over the age of 40.

Read Chara’s full goodbye:

"It’s with sadness and joy I find myself reflecting on the news of my friend and sports legend @TomBrady moving on from the @Patriots.

"For New England and it’s fan base, Tom’s departure is a major loss to the role he plays in leading the incredible Patriots. His 20 years have brought us all some of the most memorable moments in sports history. His departure leaves us with mixed feelings. We feel a loss but we also hope that he continues to have an outstanding career.

“Thank you Tom for the best 20 years of New England sports memories. Your leadership, athletic achievements and your contributions to Boston will forever be remembered by many generations. I wish you all the best. We will be watching and cheering you on!”

Chara, 43, signed with Boston in 2006 and is now the third-longest tenured athlete in the city, behind teammate Patrice Bergeron, and Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

Boston Globe LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181465 Boston Bruins “They had so much momentum,” Bourque said. “That’ll be tough to get back. Really good team. It’s just too bad. And (coach) Bruce Cassidy, he’s awesome. My son Chris had him in Providence and really enjoyed Boston’s top 10 athletes, No. 10: No. 77 Ray Bourque him. He does a great job of keeping them accountable, giving them freedom and at the same time making sure they’re all really responsible Bruins great stayed elite his entire career and went out on top playing both at both ends of the ice. They have such great chemistry.”

The veteran status of the Bruins’ core group makes every remaining opportunity a precious one. Then again, as Bourque proved, age can be By TOM KEEGAN | Boston Herald March 23, 2020 at 6:15 a.m. overrated for special athletes.

“You come in hoping to play 10, 12 years,” Bourque said. “Next thing you By the time Ray Bourque earned the right to do with the Stanley Cup as know, 10, 15, 20 and still thinking about playing. Pretty scary. Looking he pleased, his trophy case already beamed with shiny objects: a Calder back, you dream about playing in the NHL. You never dream about being Trophy (rookie of the year), five Norris Trophies (NHL’s top defenseman), that successful.” two Wales Trophy replicas (Eastern Conference champions), and a Boston Herald LOADED: 03.24.2020 Cambpell Bowl (Western Conference).

Members of his family, his wife Christianne’s family, and close friends were on hand to witness what they knew would be the finale of Bourque’s 22-year NHL career, Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Final, a 3-1 Avalanche victory over the Devils. As their host, Bourque needed a big vehicle to cart them around town.

“After the game, I had a 15-passenger van, driving everyone around with the Cup in the front seat,” said Bourque, who lived in Littleton, Col. at the time. “When we went home at 2:30, 3 in the morning, we set the Cup and a cooler down in the street, and stayed out until about 5 a.m. with about 20 neighbors joining us.”

Remarkably, at age 40, Bourque finished his career not only by winning the ultimate team trophy, but also was named first-team NHL All-Star. He finished second to the Red Wings’ Niklas Lidstrom in Norris voting and averaged 26:06 of ice time.

Still at top form, Bourque walked away from the $6 million his Avalanche contract guaranteed him had he decided to play one more year.

“I wasn’t sure I would have what it took to get mentally prepared for a long offseason of getting myself ready to play another season,” Bourque said. “And playing at that point, it was hard body-wise.”

He went out on top in every sense of the word and did so with Bruins fans adopting the Avalanche as if the players sported spoked B’s on their sweaters.

Bourque, 59, said he initially resisted when his agent told him that Mayor Thomas Menino’s office had contacted him about holding a day to honor him for winning the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche. He wasn’t sure how the Bruins would feel about that. Once the B’s gave their blessing, the day became a reality on June 12, 2001. Some reports said as many as 20,000 people roared in approval as Bourque held the Stanley Cup above his head.

“It was more like 10,000,” Bourque said modestly. “It was incredible. Even the year before, I came back (to Boston) after losing the seventh game to Dallas (in the Western Conference final), I ran into people who supported me and told me they were following me trying to win the Cup with the Avalanche. Then the next year, everyone I ran into, whether they were hockey fans or not, told me where they were watching when I won the Cup.”

Bourque played all but one year and change of his career in Boston and was named first-team NHL All-Star 13 times, second-team six times. He won the NHL All-Star Game shot accuracy competition eight times and retired with the most goals and assists among NHL defensemen. He twice finished second in voting for the Hart Trophy, given to the league’s Most Valuable Player.

No. 77, who changed his number from 7 on Night at the Garden to honor the Bruins great, remains a prominent figure in the area and owns Tresca, a North End restaurant that during the COVID-19 shutdown is open nightly from 4-to-8 for takeout orders.

“That’s the only option we have,” Bourque said. “So hopefully we get some support that way and there are enough people living in North End who get sick of cooking for themselves. A lot of people will have a hard time coming out of this.”

Bourque also wonders how well his favorite hockey team can return to the form it had been showing before the NHL shut down operations until further notice. 1181466 Boston Bruins selected, of course. Some of that was about taking full advantage of a mental and physical break after spending so much time at the rink over the previous five months.

Tuukka Rask referencing retirement actually isn't all that surprising But some of that was also about a guy in Rask who has plenty of other things going on in his life and isn’t afraid of what awaits him once he’s played his last game for the Bruins. At this point, the best thing the Bruins By Joe Haggerty March 23, 2020 6:00 PM can do is come up with a contingency plan for their goaltending situation a couple of years down the road.

Because it sure feels like banking on Rask sticking around long-term Bruins Tuukka Rask made some ripples this week with some might not be in the cards. interesting comments he made last month about his long-term NHL future in an interview with . SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 “I have one year left in the contract, so we’ll see if I even play,” said the 33-year-old Rask to the Globe on his future beyond next season. “We’ll see. [Retirement is] always a possibility.”

It might seem head-scratching given that NHL are smack dab in the middle of their career primes in their mid-30s. It’s a position where the good ones can play until they are 40 years old and keep on racking up big-money contracts.

It’s doubly confounding given that Rask is in the middle of a Vezina Trophy-level season this year with a 26-8-6 record, a 2.12 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. Rask has been as good this season as he’s been over the last five-plus years, and he’s been headlining a Bruins team that’s been the NHL’s best for long stretches this season.

But the quixotic comments actually aren’t the first time the Bruins goaltender has hinted that retirement might not be too far away for him. After winning last year’s Winter Classic against the Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium, Rask hinted that it might have been his last time playing in an outdoor game at the NHL level.

"This might be my last outdoor game, you never know," said Rask when asked about the experience of playing in the Winter Classic. "It's a great experience to get the result. The next one, when it happens, maybe I'll be sitting up in the press box drinking beer, who knows?”

It was largely fluffed off at the time given that there were so many things going on with the Bruins, but that’s a couple of times now Rask has intimated he might ride off into the sunset at the end of his current contract. For a guy like Rask, it actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

Rask has already made $55 million in his NHL career at this point and will bank another $6.5 million next season. At that point he’ll be approaching 35 years of age. He’s had concussions in each of the last three seasons that have knocked him out of commission for a period of time.

Beyond that, Rask is also an interesting guy who has varied interests outside of hockey. He loves other sports like tennis as much, or perhaps more, than he likes hockey, and he’s been a drummer-in-training with a big-time interest in music since he was an up-and-coming goalie prospect. That love of music played into the Bruins giving him a custom- made Metallica drum kit in celebration of his 500th NHL game played.

The point is that Rask isn’t a die-hard hockey guy who is going to have a difficult time filling the void when his NHL playing career is over. Certainly, Rask would like to win a Stanley Cup as the No. 1 guy and cap off his legacy in Boston with the Bruins, and this season could have been a golden opportunity to do just that.

Haggerty: Ranking the best centers in Bruins history

But it doesn’t feel like that is going to keep him hanging around if it doesn’t happen over the next two seasons.

Rask is famous for pretty much disappearing with his family for a period of time when he returns to Finland at the end of each NHL regular season. He doesn’t want to be reached and he certainly doesn’t want to play in the IIHF World Championships when his regular-season work is done at this point in his career.

Rask laughed when asked a couple of months ago if he skated at all during the 10-day NHL All-Star break and bye in the middle of the regular season, as if stepping foot on the ice would have been the furthest thing from his mind.

Some of that was about recovering from the concussion he suffered prior to NHL All-Star Weekend; he had no intention of attending after being 1181467 Boston Bruins

Watch amazing Bruins vs. Leafs 2013 Game 7 on NBC Sports Network

By Nick Goss March 23, 2020 10:33 AM

Looking for some great NHL action? NBC Sports Network has you covered.

The outbreak of the coronavirus has resulted in the suspension of many sports league across the world, including the NHL.

NBC Sports Network will be showing replays of some of the best NHL games in recent memory as part of Hockey Week in America, and Boston Bruins fans are in for a treat Monday night with one of the most thrilling matchups in franchise history.

We're talking about Game 7 of the 2013 first-round series versus the Maple Leafs.

The Bruins pulled off one of the greatest comebacks of all-time to shock the Leafs and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 5-4 win in overtime. It looked the Leafs were finally going to win their first playoff series since 2004 when they led the B's 4-1 in the third period.

What happened next was a total meltdown.

Boston scored three times over the last 10:42 of regulation, including twice in the final two minutes, to force overtime. Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, who scored the game-tying goal late in the third period, also found the back of the net in overtime to send TD Garden into a frenzy. The Bruins became the first team ever to win a Game 7 when trailing by three or more goals in the third period.

Here's how to watch this epic Game 7 on Monday night.

When: Monday, March 23 at 7 p.m. ET

TV: NBC Sports Network

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181468 Boston Bruins Bergeron’s numbers are good too. With Bergeron on the ice, the Bruins are allowing 1.86 expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, according to Natural Stat Trick. It is the second-lowest mark among Why the Bruins finished where they did in The Athletic NHL awards regular team forwards after Anders Bjork (1.82 xGA/60). Opponents are voting averaging 48.95 shot attempts per 60 with Bergeron on the ice. Only Brad Marchand (48.8 CA/60) has a lower number among Bruins forwards.

By Fluto Shinzawa Mar 23, 2020 That said, Bergeron’s defensive excellence was even more amplified in previous seasons. Consider, for example, the 1.58 xGA/60 Bergeron

recorded in 2011-12 while playing for Claude Julien. Or the 41.59 CA/60 With the balance of the NHL season uncertain, The Athletic has polled its beside his name in 2013-14. Or the career-high 16.42 defensive-zone hockey writers to hand out hardware for the season to date. No Bruins starts/60 he posted in 2014-15. Bergeron won the Selke in all three of won any of the awards, but general manager Don Sweeney, forward those seasons. Patrice Bergeron and goaltender Tuukka Rask finished high in the voting. The truth of it is that for the last four seasons, Bruce Cassidy has Don Sweeney — 2nd among GMs optimized Bergeron for offense. This year, Bergeron is averaging a career-low 8.48 defensive-zone starts/60. Cassidy is relieving Bergeron Sweeney brought the band back together to start the season. He had no of some of his hardest shifts while feeding him work at the other end reason not to. between Marchand and David Pastrnak.

The Bruins general manager was overseeing a roster that fell one win Bergeron will usually deliver when Cassidy deploys him in defensive short of the Stanley Cup. Expiring contracts belonged to complementary situations. But at this point of his career, the 34-year-old is counted on players such as Noel Acciari and Marcus Johansson. Sweeney had more for his offense. internal replacements such as Anders Bjork, Karson Kuhlman and Anton Blidh at the ready. Tuukka Rask — T-2nd in Vezina voting

Financially, Sweeney made short-term investments in Brett Ritchie and This has been Rask’s best season since 2013-14, when he won his only Par Lindholm. He minimized the initial preseason no-shows of Charlie Vezina. This year, Rask has a .941 5-on-5 save percentage, best of any McAvoy and Brandon Carlo by signing the right-side defensemen to goalie who has started at least half of his team’s games. It is just a tick respective extensions of three years/$14.7 million and two years/$5.7 off his .942 Vezina-winning standard. million. By Nov. 27, Sweeney had seen enough of Charlie Coyle, his That year, Rask saved 25.59 goals above average. This season, Rask primary acquisition the year before, to sign the Weymouth native to a six- has a 19.69 GSAA, highest of any regular goalie. year, $31.5 million extension. Normally, such performance would make Rask a slam dunk to swipe his On the ice, the Bruins started well. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and second Vezina. The 33-year-old, however, enjoys the perks of playing David Pastrnak did not need much time to signal to the rest of the league behind a firewall. that they had few peers among first lines. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak stopped everything aimed their way. The power play, At 5-on-5, the Bruins are allowing 1.98 expected goals per 60. It is the quarterbacked by Torey Krug, made opponents pay for compromised second-lowest xGA/60 in the league. They’re ceding 28.68 shots per 60, discipline. third-lowest in the NHL. Only Minnesota and Columbus allow fewer high- danger attempts per 60 than the Bruins (8.97). By Jan. 15, the Bruins had banked an Atlantic Division-leading 66 points, six more than Tampa. But the Bruins were slogging through a 7-6-7 It’s not Rask’s fault that his teammates smother pucks and people. But stretch. They were still weighed down by the physical and mental fatigue Rask’s relatively light lifting and tolerable workload are slight compared to of playing until June — and losing. The scant roster turnover did not some of his peers. promote robust competition for ice time. The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 They were easy to play against, with a painful reminder taking place on Jan. 14 against Columbus. They lost that night, 3-0. Emil Bemstrom’s sideswipe of Tuukka Rask went unanswered, despite attempts by Brandon Carlo and Joakim Nordstrom to engage the Columbus forward.

A day later, Sweeney acknowledged the shortcomings of the Ritchie signing by placing the right wing on waivers. It was the first of six transactions in seven days. The others: recalling Kuhlman from Providence, waiving David Backes, activating Blidh, promoting Jeremy Lauzon and demoting Steve Kampfer.

The moves helped to incorporate more speed into the lineup. Blidh and Lauzon added elements of confrontation.

More importantly, they sent shockwaves — the dismissal of Backes being the biggest one — through the dressing room. Sweeney’s moves and coach Bruce Cassidy’s tone-setting delivered the message that playing time was not guaranteed. The Bruins would have to earn every shift.

After Jan. 15, the Bruins ticked off a 17-5-0 run. It included Sweeney’s acquisitions of Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie from Anaheim, sending Backes, Danton Heinen, their 2020 first-rounder and prospect Axel Andersson the other way.

The Bruins lead the league with 100 points. They were roaring toward the playoffs before the world turned upside down.

Patrice Bergeron — 3rd in Selke voting

By now, Bergeron’s strengths on defense have become so baked into his identity that Selke votes take place by habit. They are not without merit. The eye test confirms that the No. 1 center is almost always in the right place at the right time: assisting in down-low coverage, occupying a passing lane, lifting a stick on the backcheck. 1181469 Buffalo Sabres "The predominant pain that I would be feeling right now is for all the people suffering around the planet and all the people in fear. You can only hope that we as a group of people around the planet can get Ralph Krueger keeping hopes up, but it's clear he knows Sabres' season together and solve this. Hockey does take a secondary position at the could be over moment."

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.24.2020

By Mike Harrington

Ralph Krueger is trying to keep his hope tank full. But it was obvious from listening to him Monday that he's started to process the reality for the Buffalo Sabres as well.

There are three possible outcomes to this NHL season that's officially on pause. Two of them, outright cancellation or a resumption directly in the playoffs, have the Sabres not playing another game until next season.

Krueger didn't want to go deep down that road yet when it was brought up on a media conference call. He's still processing the sudden stop to his team's schedule less than two weeks ago in Montreal.

He seemed downright shaken when asked if he had a final message to his team after the club was told by General Manager Jason Botterill that the league was pausing the season.

"If anyone would have told me the meeting we had in the hotel in the afternoon of the Montreal game was going to be the last time we would be together as a group, I wouldn't have believed you at that time," Krueger said. "We thought we were heading towards practicing together in a short period of time. It went from that meeting, which was purely organizational, to us dispersing at the airport and that was it. There was no opportunity. We all know what happened then, how quickly things changed from not only day to day but hour by hour."

As it is right now, the Sabres are 30-31-8 and that might be their record for the 2019-20 season in perpetuity. They had 13 games left and at least nine of them were going to have impact on opponents in the playoff race. They had snapped their frustrating six-game losing streak with a shootout win March 9 against Washington and then play stopped.

"We felt there was a big opportunity of growth in the 13 games ahead," Krueger said. "I did not feel any quit in the team. ... They were getting the importance of challenging multiple playoff teams through the rest of the season and being able to show we belong on the ice with them and can come out with wins. If that opportunity doesn't occur, there will be a lesson lost and a phase missed."

But that was really as far as Krueger was willing to go about the season being over.

"It's too early to do a season-end because I'm just trying not to let my brain go there until that plug is actually pulled on us," Krueger said.

Krueger talked about coaches meeting remotely regularly on return-to- play plans. About conversations with Botterill and his assistants about college free agents, and the Sabres have signed two to date (Penn State's Brandon Biro and Western Michigan's Dawson DiPietro). About his webinar planned for later this week for coaches in Europe.

But Krueger made sure to put sports in perspective when talking about the game in the face of a global pandemic. He talked about being concerned for his players in Europe, where "there's certain locations where you're really frowned upon to even go out to ride a bike or go for a run right now." The coach is home in , where "the fear factor is in the air" because of all that's happening in nearby countries like Italy, Germany, France and Spain.

Krueger said the Sabres' schedule is in his home office and he's been doing the where-would-we-be thing lots of us involved in the hockey world have been doing. The Sabres would have had a home back-to- back over the weekend against Chicago – featuring WNYers Patrick Kane and Dennis Gilbert – and the New York Rangers. Tuesday night, they were slated to be back in Montreal.

"For sure, we're all going through a (hockey) withdrawal but the health of the world and the health of the people we all care about that are dear to us has certainly taken a priority in a shape and way and form that we have never seen in our lifetime," he said. "And it's got to be a focus on that right now. That's got to dominate. 1181470 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres agree to terms with college free agent Dawson DiPietro

By Lance Lysowski Published Mon, Mar 23, 2020|Updated Mon, Mar 23, 2020

The Buffalo Sabres landed another college free agent forward Monday following the abrupt end of the NCAA hockey season.

Dawson DiPietro agreed to terms with the Sabres on a one-year, entry- level contract after scoring 12 goals with 17 assists in 35 games as a senior this season at Western Michigan. The 24-year-old attended Buffalo's prospect development camp last June and was a college teammate of Sabres second-round draft pick Mattias Samuelsson.

DiPietro had 34 goals with 54 points over his four college seasons, though he appeared in only one game as a freshman. He was named team co-MVP as a sophomore after posting team highs in goals (13), assists (22) and points (35).

DiPietro then helped Western Michigan to a 21-win season in 2018-19, which ended with a quarterfinal loss in the NCHC Tournament. The Broncos were scheduled to play St. Cloud State in the conference quarterfinals before the season was canceled as the result of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Dream come true!" DiPietro said on Twitter. "I am extremely grateful to have this amazing opportunity to sign an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres organization! Thank you. Let’s work!

DiPietro is the second college free agent to agree to terms with the Sabres over the past week, joining forward Brandon Biro, who scored 41 goals over his four seasons at Penn State. DiPietro, like Biro, impressed Sabres management with a strong performance at a development camp.

"Dawson was excellent at our development camp last summer, where he was able to showcase his speed and skill," Sabres General Manager Jason Botterill said in a statement. "His high-energy, up-tempo style was an important asset for Western Michigan, and we're excited to add his skill set to our group."

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181471 Buffalo Sabres play those 13 games to date, and hopefully something still pops up here and we’re still hanging on to that hope. The day itself was shocking."

The NHL and NHL Players' Association initially planned to have team Ralph Krueger remains hopeful Sabres will finish season facilities re-open to players following a mandatory six-day self- quarantining period. However, the severity of the public health crisis caused the league to alter its plan, and players were permitted to return By Lance Lysowski Published Mon, Mar 23, 2020|Updated Mon, Mar 23, to the city in which they permanently reside, including outside North 2020 America.

Bettman expressed hope that a training-camp period can be held after 45 days with a plan to resume the season shortly thereafter. Two Ottawa Life in Switzerland for Ralph Krueger is similar to what his assistant Senators players have since tested positive for the coronavirus, raising coaches and players are experiencing across the globe. further questions about how long the NHL will be on hiatus. Krueger has practiced social distancing since returning home last week Krueger is working with his staff to plan for how they can best prepare amid the coronavirus pandemic. His days are spent making phone calls the Sabres to regain their form in the event their season can resume. in his home office or exercising, and he described there being a "fear Players are currently limited to off-ice workouts and some European factor in the air" around Switzerland. nations are discouraging citizens from going outdoors. There are conversations with General Manager Jason Botterill about "As we all know, it’s an extremely challenging situation," Krueger said. possible college or international free-agent signings, and Krueger held a "At the moment, the pause is the best word. We’re only just over a week conference call with his assistant coaches Monday to discuss how they into this, and we’ve kind of left the players alone for now. The coaches, can best prepare their players if the Sabres resume their regular season we’re in a ready mode – if for some reason we get a chance to play some with 13 games remaining. games, we’ll be able to take the guys quickly into a minicamp and Krueger is also preparing for the possibility that his first season as reactivate them. The players are well aware they need to stay physically Sabres' coach is over, though he expressed hope that they will have the fit, and the contact that I’m having with individuals players is clear that opportunity to finish what they started. Typically jovial even in the they’re doing their best under the circumstances to train." aftermath of defeat, the 60-year-old's voice carried a solemn tone when Krueger acknowledged he has "withdrawal" from hockey. The abrupt he spoke to the media during a conference call Monday morning. suspension of the season prevented the Sabres from improving their 30- "We’re people that are used to clear destinations; we know exactly where 31-8 record and young players might not experience valuable lessons we’re going," said Krueger. "Whether it’s in a good time or bad, whether that presented in the final weeks. One of his next tasks is to lead a it’s comfortable or uncomfortable, we know where we’re going and we’re webinar with more than 400 coaches from nine European in control of our reaction and, at the moment, all of us feel out of control federations as part of the NHL Coaches' Association Mentorship and we all feel uncertainty and we all feel discomfort." Program, an online initiative that began Friday.

There is a heightened sense of anxiety in Switzerland, Krueger said. While planning for hockey's return has kept Krueger preoccupied, he Health care systems of neighboring nations are overwhelmed by explained the only "pain" he's experiencing is for those affected by the coronavirus cases, causing border closures and stay-at-home directives coronavirus. similar to those that have been levied in the United States. "It’s one of those where sports will be very important out the other end of The situation weighed on Krueger days before the Sabres' season was this; I know that," said Krueger. "We just have to be ready when that call officially suspended March 12. His son, Justin, plays professionally in comes, that we do our part to get the world in motion in the right direction Switzerland, where games were held in empty arenas before the season again. Not only is the NHL on pause right now, most of the countries in was canceled. Krueger developed friendships across Europe while the western world are on pause or in the world, period." playing and coaching on the continent. He also served as chairman of Buffalo News LOADED: 03.24.2020 Southampton FC, in the English Premier League and worked with the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on New Models of Leadership.

Public speaking engagements introduced Krueger to the corporate world in Europe, which, along with the global economy, has been decimated since the pandemic began.

Yet a possible pause on the Sabres' season did not become a reality for Sabres players until March 11, when they learned during a team dinner in Montreal that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus. The NBA promptly suspended its season, forcing the NHL to take steps to do the same.

"Everything kind of started unraveling from there," said Krueger. "We weren’t sure where that would take us."

The Sabres' coaching staff boarded a team bus the following morning to continue preparing for the night's game against the Canadiens. Krueger and his assistants were told to return to the team hotel shortly before they arrived at Bell Centre.

The players, coaches and management then awaited word on whether they would play that night or return to Buffalo. They learned their fate that afternoon, when the NHL announced it suspended its regular season. Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed hope the schedule would resume at a later date with the goal of awarding the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile, the Sabres quickly boarded a plane and monitored how ongoing global developments related to the coronavirus could affect their family and friends.

"Jason Botterill spoke to the team and we found out the reality of our situation, and it was shocking at the time," added Krueger. "We were high intensity into the season, and suddenly the ground just fell out from underneath us. We’re extremely disappointed that we weren’t able to 1181472 Buffalo Sabres Los Angeles vs. Chicago (2014 Western Conf. Final) 5 p.m.

Toronto vs. Boston (2013 Eastern Conf. Quarterfinals) 7 p.m.

MSG, NBC Sports Network start rolling out classic Sabres, NHL games Vegas vs. San Jose (2019 First Round) 9 p.m. today Toronto vs. Boston (2013 Eastern Conf. Quarterfinals) 11 p.m.

Los Angeles vs. Chicago (2014 Western Conf. Final) 1 a.m. By Mike Harrington Published Mon, Mar 23, 2020|Updated Mon, Mar 23, 2020 Buffalo News LOADED: 03.24.2020

There's no real hockey games going on, of course, but fans of the Buffalo Sabres and NHL needing their fix have a full menu to choose from starting today.

As previously announced by the club, "Sabres Classics" will air each night at 8 p.m. on MSG. Once the initial airing takes place, the games will be available on multiple repeats as well as the MSG Go app. They will also be available on the Sabres YouTube channel at noon the following day.

Monday's debut episode is a doozy – the four-overtime win over the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of the first round on April 27, 1994, in Memorial Auditorium. Dominik Hasek made 70 saves, a record that still stands for a playoff shutout, and Dave Hannan scored the only goal as the Sabres evened the series with a 1-0 victory. The rebroadcast will start in the third period and continue through the overtimes.

The schedule for the rest of the week looks like this:

Tuesday – The Aud finale: The 4-1 win over the on April 14, 1996.

Wednesday – The 10-0 start: The 3-0 win at the on Oct. 26, 2006, that allowed the Sabres to tie the NHL record for the best record from the season's opening faceoff with the 1993 .

Thursday – The 9/11 game: The 5-4 overtime loss against the New York Rangers on Oct. 7, 2001, in Madison Square Garden, the first regular- season game in New York after the 9/11 attacks.

Friday – The 'Who Else' game: The 2-1 overtime victory over the Rangers on May 4, 2007. It was a Game 5 thriller from the second round that produced another classic call on Chris Drury's tying goal with 7.7 seconds left in regulation.

Meanwhile, NBC Sports Network is starting 12-hour presentations of great NHL playoff games and Winter Classics today at 3 p.m. in what the network is dubbing "Hockey Week in America." Programming will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

From Monday through Thursday, games will run from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. focusing on a specific theme of the last 10 years. From Friday through Sunday, the games will run from 8 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The themes are as follows:

Monday, March 23: Game 7 overtime thrillers

Tuesday, March 24: Notable playoff rivalry games

Wednesday, March 25: NHL outdoor games

Thursday, March 26: Stanley Cup clinching games

Friday, March 27: Top Olympic moments

Saturday, March 28: Sidney Crosby-Alex Ovechkin playoff showdowns

Sunday, March 29: Game 7 overtime thrillers

The Sabres are featured in only one of these groupings. At 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the network will air the 2008 Winter Classic against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the at Ralph Wilson Stadium. On Friday night at 8, former Sabres goalie Ryan Miller is one of the featured performers during a re-airing of the 2010 Olympic gold medal game between Team USA and Team Canada. Of course, Miller was beaten for the winning goal in both games by Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby.

Monday's schedule of Game 7 thrillers looks like this:

COVERAGE TIME (ET)

Washington vs. New York Rangers (2015 Second Round) 3 p.m. 1181473 Buffalo Sabres “There’s just text messages flying around right now,” Krueger said. “We’ll build on the communication as we know what goes on here, but all we’re hearing is guys are staying fit and they’re communicating in a positive Three takeaways from Ralph Krueger’s latest conference call with the way (and) that they also are exercising as much as possible. It’s difficult media to get on the ice anywhere; nobody can get on the ice. So (in) that part of our game, we’d be playing catch up if we play again. But they’re trying to help where they can in their communities and everybody’s doing the same thing, taking care of family, taking care of friends, taking care of By Joe Yerdon Mar 23, 2020 their immediate circles at the moment.”

Hockey is probably the furthest thing from most of our minds at this time, It’s been a little while since we’ve heard Ralph Krueger discuss the but players have workouts they like to keep to as well. Maybe not Sabres. Monday’s conference call with reporters from his home in everyone can be like Rasmus Ristolainen and head into the woods and Switzerland was a welcome (needed?) distraction from the COVID-19 flip tractor tires, but a lot of guys may not have personal gyms or rinks to pandemic that’s changed just about everything around us. work on either. If this season does start up again, those first few games might be a real slog even if they take a week or two for minicamp to get After reading Kruger’s recent interview with John Vogl about how the ready. pandemic would affect the world and Pierre LeBrun’s column on his upcoming webinar for hockey coaches across Europe, we know he’s as As it is, everyone is in a wait-and-see mode. That even comes across in well-rounded a human as you’ll find. the NHL’s latest Q-and-A regarding the COVID-19 pause. All we do know is everyone is on high alert to do what they can to limit the spread. As for Still, coaching the Sabres is Krueger’s main job, even if he hasn’t been the Sabres, whether they’ve played their last game or not, their attention able to do it as usual lately. Here are a few takeaways from what he had on the upcoming offseason, whenever that begins, is at least partially to say Monday. under way.

The season is paused, but not over (even if it’s basically over) The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 It only seems like an eternity ago the NHL put the season on hold. The Sabres had 13 games remaining on the schedule and while they’re not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, that race is pretty much over. Still, Krueger wasn’t eager to start thinking about the offseason just yet until the NHL says the regular season is officially done.

“We felt there was a big opportunity of growth in the 13 games ahead,” Krueger said. “I did not feel any quit in the team. We went through a painful losing streak where the good hockey wasn’t good enough because we didn’t get the win.

“But there were things that we felt we needed to build on off the tail end of the Washington game. I felt some kind of a release in the group where we’re getting the importance of challenging multiple playoff teams through the rest of the season and being able to show that we belong on the ice with them and can come out with wins. And if that opportunity doesn’t occur there will be a lesson lost and a phase missed.”

Finding a different way of doing things

Hockey people are creatures of routine. Going from a fully planned schedule with meetings, practices, and games to returning home and hunkering down to prevent the spread of an infectious virus is as much a shock to Krueger as it is for the rest of us.

“It’s not easy, as we all can feel, but I’m definitely trying to exercise in an extreme way to kind of clear the withdrawal that I’m feeling on a day to day basis,” Krueger said. “Bouncing information back and forth with the coaching staff, trying to use this time to work on where we want to step in with the players. If we still have games, what do we do? If we don’t have games, what do we do? How do we get at them? How do we accept the lessons of this season and help them to take another step moving forward whenever that re-entry is?”

Krueger mentioned keeping up with Jason Botterill, Steve Greeley, and Randy Sexton. They’ve kept some of the wheels moving hockey-wise. The Sabres announced the signings of two college free agents recently: Penn State forward Brandon Biro signed a two-year entry level deal on March 18 and Western Michigan forward Dawson DiPietro signed a one- year entry-level contract on Monday afternoon. The organization needs forward depth terribly and they have familiarity with both players because they’ve participated at Sabres development camps in recent years.

“We’re pleased with the signings last week and continuing to look at ways to possibly access more talent for the future,” Krueger said. “So there’s different times of day to do different things and, yeah, just keeping the day full from morning to night. It’s feeling like the best thing to do at the moment.”

Hockey hardships and how to deal with them

Krueger’s been known to be a brilliant communicator. That applies while the sport is on hold, too. Although it would seem unlikely it’ll happen, the players and coaches need to be ready at a moment’s notice to get back to action if the time comes. It can be tough for a coach to keep up with players when they’re scattered around the world, but he’s trying. 1181474 Calgary Flames For Wacey Rabbit, the plan had been to hang out in Jacksonville, Fla., for a few weeks following the unexpected conclusion to his season with the ECHL Icemen.

‘Ghost towns’ and no traffic: Inside the journey minor-leaguers are But after a couple of days of self-isolation with girlfriend Ashley making home Callingbull and their Boston Terrier–pug Papa, it became evident that not everyone was taking proper measures.

By Scott Cruickshank Mar 23, 2020 Convincing them to begin the 40-hour trek, too, was pressure from family members back in Alberta. A member of the Blackfoot Nation, Rabbit grew up on the Blood Reserve near Lethbridge. Callingbull is a member of the Enoch Cree Nation. A couple of thousand kilometres behind him, more than a thousand kilometres still in front of him, Matthew Marcinew manages to sound “We had the conversation that it was probably for the best just to come upbeat. home,” said Rabbit, 33. “Everyone sees the beaches here. There’s the video — everyone’s out spring-breaking. I feel like it’s going to be Having just checked into a hotel a half-hour west of Fargo, N.D., the impacted really bad here. So they’re concerned about that the most. Calgarian isn’t sure he’ll get home the next day. “We’ve been keeping to ourselves since the end of the season. We But that’s OK. haven’t gone out, other than to the grocery store, getting gas. We’ve With hockey shut down — minor leagues included — Marcinew is like been taking it pretty serious, so we don’t have to worry about anything.” most players from Canada. He’s making a patched-together push for the HOCKEY HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE SEASON BUT AT LEAST border. WE GOT OUR FAMILY PHOTO AT THE LAST GAME Travel itineraries, given the pandemic and subsequent measures, are #PUCKSANDPAWS PIC.TWITTER.COM/VRG5ODKDDK unprecedentedly hectic. But for Marcinew? Recent weeks have been — ASHLEY CALLINGBULL (@ASHCALLINGBULL) MARCH 13, 2020 madness. Prior to departure in their loaded-up Jeep, Rabbit had been keeping tabs Hence his mellow approach to this final road trip, despite its length. on teammates who already started their journeys home to Canada. “There’s no rush to get anywhere,” explained Marcinew. “Because once we get home we’re going to have to do the social distancing and self- “New York and Philadelphia, guys are going home through that area and quarantining anyways. they say it’s rush hour and there’s absolutely no traffic,” Rabbit said. “So it’s kind of eerie. But it’s good — people aren’t out. We just want to be “It’s kind of nice not to have a timeline or a schedule — and just hit cruise safe. control.” “We’re going to try to travel when the sun’s up.” Understandably. The first leg of their daylight journey took them to Nashville. The second Because March has been a blur for the 26-year-old. to Omaha, Neb. The month opens with his AHL rights being traded for future Then, after a night in Sheridan, Wyo., they made it to the Carway border considerations from the Springfield (Mass.) Thunderbirds to the Stockton crossing, 40 kilometres north of Babb, Mont., and carried on into Alberta. (Calif.) Heat — while he’s skating for the ECHL Greenville (S.C.) Swamp Rabbits. “Definitely not expected,” Marcinew said, “but that’s part of the WE PULLED INTO MONTANA AND IT SLOWLY STARTED TO job, right?” SNOW… THEN OUT OF NOWHERE A BALD EAGLE FLEW RIGHT OVER US. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE. WE STOPPED AND PUT A couple of days later, after playing against the home-ice Orlando (Fla.) DOWN TOBACCO TO GIVE THANKS FOR KEEPING US SAFE ON Solar Bears, he’s called up to the Heat. Which requires an immediate cross-continent flight — with only the clothes he’s packed for a two-day THE JOURNEY HOME. road trip. — ASHLEY CALLINGBULL (@ASHCALLINGBULL) MARCH 22, 2020 The day after arriving in Stockton, he makes his debut — in Bakersfield, MADE IT BACK TO  … TRAVELLING ACROSS ALL THOSE STATES Calif. It’s the only time he’ll skate for the Heat because the AHL soon AND NOT LEAVING THE VEHICLE WAS SPOOKY. PRAYING FOR suspends play. EVERYONE RIGHT NOW. PLEASE DO YOUR PART STAY HOME So, from Stockton, Marcinew flies back to Greenville to collect his AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR MIND BODY AND FAMILIES. WE WILL belongings and fetch his vehicle. (In the meantime, too, he’s had to sell GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER. QUARANTINE FOR 14. all the stuff he left in Springfield — which is where he’d started the — WACEY RABBIT (@WACEYRABBIT20) MARCH 23, 2020 season — to his roommate. Meaning Chris Driedger got one sweet deal on a bed, bedding, towels. “Next year, wherever I play,” said Marcinew, If the drive felt long, the events leading up to the ECHL’s cancellation “I’ll have to buy more pots and pans.”) happened in a blink.

Before packing up in Greenville, he squeezes in an early morning MRI on Players first heard Saturday, March 14, that their season was his shoulder, then hatches a plan with his pal, Tariq Hammond, a fellow suspended. Monday, via the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, Calgarian and a former teammate at the University of Denver. came official news that it was over — no more games, no more pay. Rabbit had participated in the conference call. Hammond has just finished his own season with the ECHL in Charleston, which is three hours away. Afterward, at the apartment complex that houses all the players, he and a couple of the other veterans gathered the rest of the crew. The buddies convene in Greenville. Then? “We started driving northwest,” said Hammond. The idea being to convoy all the way home, “We had a meeting by the pool, and you could tell there was a lot of Hammond’s Chevy SUV followed by Marcinew’s Chevy SUV. uncertainty in their eyes, a little bit of panic. It was tough to tell them,” said Rabbit, noting that first-year players earn only $500 US per week. The first day sees them reach Chicago. The next day they make it to the “Guys were pretty upset. I’m fine (financially) — I’ve played hockey for a other side of Fargo, where they check into a highway hotel and gamely while, so I’m OK. I’m more concerned for the younger guys. There’s a lot field a phone call from a reporter. of kids that just came out of college and it’s their first year and they’re not “I’m a little tired right now, to be honest,” said Hammond, 26. “It’s just exactly making the big bucks in the East Coast Hockey League.” kind of a weird time to be around things. But I’m doing all right.” Rabbit and Ashley, meanwhile, have other issues to consider, including The following day, crossing the border at Portal, N.D., the pals arrive in the fact that their offseason home in Edmonton may not be ready. After Calgary by 10:45 p.m. all, they’re back more than a month ahead of schedule. But, in the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing to worry about, When COVID-19 shuttered the ECHL, Hammond had been planning to according to Rabbit, who has played hockey all over the world — in eight remain for a few days in Charleston and just chill. Then he would mosey countries to be exact. over to Denver, where he went to college, where he still spends his summers. “These are uncertain times,” he said. “Nothing has ever happened like this since I’ve been alive, since my parents have been alive. The biggest That all changed. thing is just making sure everyone is safe and healthy and, if there is hockey, we’re able to come back in the fall. That’s the biggest thing for “I was thinking positively,” Hammond said. “After more talk with my family us.” — and everything you see in the news — the wise decision was to make it back into Canada and just be with my family and make sure everyone Taking a break from unpacking his (financed) 2019 Mazda CX-3, Logan is safe and healthy.” Thompson answers his phone. He says, of course, everyone he knows is practising self-isolation. “But Yes, the Calgarian reports, he is safe and sound. it’s kind of a culture shock for everyone.”

Thompson, a teammate of Hammond’s with ECHL South Carolina, Marcinew, after his wild month, had no idea what awaits him in Calgary. powered through his drive in two days. More than 13 hours of seat time, twice. Well, except for one thing.

Rushing out of Charleston, he managed to reach Rockford, Ill. “Got in at “My girlfriend works at a hospital — she’s a nurse — so once I get home I midnight. Grabbed a quick hotel. Got up around seven. Took off.” can’t see her for 14 days,” he said. “It’s wild. Craziness. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I don’t expect to see anything like this again. He describes traffic as “very light,” which allowed him the following day to Hopefully not. hit the Peace Garden border crossing — just south of Boissevain, Man. — by 11 p.m. There, Thompson had no issues. “Honestly, it was pretty “It’s so unknown as to the circumstances going forward.” quick. And very calm. They just said, ‘Make sure you quarantine for 14 The last time Rabbit practised, March 12 in Jacksonville, he had been days.’ It was pretty simple. Just like every other border (crossing in the chatting with teammate Mike Hedden, a 35-year-old winger. past).” “He was talking about how this was his last season,” said Rabbit. “We’re After that, it was a short drive up to Brandon, where his girlfriend lives couple points out of a playoff push and he didn’t even know if that was (and where he played four years for the WHL Wheat Kings). “Till his last skate as a professional hockey player. everything blows over,” said Thompson. “I’m going to stay in Brandon.” “So it was all pretty raw there. I’m pretty close to Mike. We were talking Like everyone else, he remains stunned by the pace of developments. about how we were going to have a good playoff push for him. He was “It was definitely unexpected. Obviously, you hear about the virus, but it’s playing unreal. not close to you, it’s not affecting you,” said Thompson, 23. “I remember “Then, just like that, it was over. Something you couldn’t control.” we were in Orlando playing (March 11) and finished the game and looked at our phones and saw that the NBA season was cancelled. It definitely Elsewhere in the South Division, the 44-14-4 Stingrays were earning a surprised us. We kind of figured the NHL would be next, just following the reputation as one of the ECHL’s powerhouses. No squad had produced footsteps. more points than their 92.

“Then everything, day by day, got a lot faster. I ended up leaving And Thompson, a first-year pro, was boasting terrific numbers — 23-8-3, Charleston right away. Kind of a domino effect.” 2.25 GAA, .929 — in the Stingrays’ net.

Packing, he made choices, choosing to leave his television and bedding, THANK YOU CHARLESTON @SCSTINGRAYS but grabbing all of the toilet paper. PIC.TWITTER.COM/USN1QMNTQM

“I took the essentials — the stuff I left I can definitely live without,” he — LOGAN THOMPSON (@THOMMY_31) MARCH 16, 2020 said. “The most important thing was just getting back to Canada and “Being on that team was a privilege,” he said. “Lot of veteran guys, guys staying safe. It’s definitely more comfortable (here). Just happy being that have played a lot of years of pro. A special group of guys. It’s a back. Definitely way less stress than there was in the U.S., for sure.” shame that we couldn’t do more and bring a to Charleston. It’s Any indecision he had harboured was put to rest by his dad, Mark, who definitely frustrating not being able to do more with that team and that works in Fort McMurray, Alta. group of guys.”

“He’s seen all these videos of people going out and partying, so he was Thompson, however, understands what’s at stake. As does Hammond, on me pretty hard about just staying safe and not doing anything dumb,” his teammate, who says “it sucks” that their 2019-20 accomplishments said Thompson. “He definitely was concerned with it getting worse and go up in smoke. “But it’s the big picture,” he said. “The health of everyone worse every day. He wanted me to get back to Canada as soon as I you know and are close with — and, obviously, right now the world — is could and just stay inside.” way more important than a hockey playoff.”

No doubt, there is a certain comfort in travelling together, even if it’s in As they whizzed homeward in recent days, there had been plenty of time separate vehicles. to think.

“Thank god Tariq was with me,” said Marcinew, “because it would’ve Still, the hockey players are left wondering. sucked to do it by myself.” “You come back and now what? Where do we go from here?” said While the pals blasted down the freeways, they stayed in contact on Thompson. “Everything in the whole world is pretty much on pause right speaker phone. Marcinew laughs. “So we’re like, ‘Look at this idiot to our now. Hopefully this passes over and the world can get back on track.” left …'” In Hammond’s mind, at least one element of the what-now scenario is Although, truth be told, there was not a lot of traffic out there. pretty straightforward.

“The funny thing is, we did see a lot of Canadian plates — , a “You’ve got to do your part to not make things worse.” couple Manitobas,” said Hammond. “You look when they’re passing you The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 or when you’re passing them and they give you a wave. Everyone’s kind of in the same boat.

“The traffic, mainly just semi trucks and Canadian drivers, to be honest.”

The vibe checking into hotels, too, had been different. Hammond describes them as “absolute ghost towns. People look at us weird when we’re walking in with our luggage. In these times right now, it’s not normal for people to be staying in hotels.” 1181475 Carolina Hurricanes

PNC Arena is holding a blood drive, but Hurricanes are closing their offices there

BY CHIP ALEXANDER MARCH 23, 2020 03:46 PM

RALEIGH-The Carolina Hurricanes said Monday the team will temporarily close its PNC Arena offices on Tuesday and have hockey and business employees work remotely because of the coronavirus crisis.

“As the situation with coronavirus continues to escalate, it is clear that social distancing is the best way to protect our employees and help to flatten the curve,” Don Waddell, the Canes’ president and general manager, said in a statement. “We will continue to operate our business on the hockey and arena sides as normally as possible given the circumstances.”

The NHL on March 12 suspended the 2019-20 season. Gale Force Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Hurricanes, handles operations of the arena.

The PNC Arena box office and The Eye, the team merchandise store, will be closed.

Hurricanes season-ticket members were asked to contact ticket reps via email, and individual-game purchasers were told to call the PNC Box Office Information line (919-861-2323) from Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m.–3 p.m. or consult Ticketmaster.com.

The Hurricanes’ official online shop, CarolinaProShop.com, will remain open, but delivery times may be delayed, the team said.

PNC Arena will be partnering with UNC REX, WakeMed and The Blood Connection (TBC) to host a blood drive on Thursday, in an effort to help alleviate a blood shortage. The blood drive will be held 10 a.m.–6 p.m. at PNC Arena, and will prioritize social distancing to ensure the health and wellness of all donors and staff involved.

Blood centers and hospitals are asking for additional blood donations and special precautions will be taken to limit exposure. The measures include:

Donors will be asked to wait in their cars to eliminate the need for people to gather in the same area before their donation.

Donors will be contacted via call or text when TBC is ready to start the donation process.

Donor chairs will be spaced as far apart as possible.

Donors are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to control social distancing.

Donors can make an appointment online at thebloodconnection.org or by calling 800-392-6551.

News Observer LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181476 Chicago Blackhawks Stats: 4G, 9A in 41 games

Contract status: Two years remaining with an $894,167 cap hit

A closer look at Chicago Blackhawks' defensemen, goalies The skinny: All things considered, Boqvist had a very successful rookie season. What was truly impressive was how the 19-year-old admitted he was struggling a few weeks ag o, then told us what he was doing to John Dietz improve. Watch for Boqvist to take a significant step next season and a quantum leap in 2-3 years.

Slater Koekkoek: Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman will have some difficult decisions when the NHL off-season arrives. Stats: 1G, 9A in 42 games

Chief among them will be determining the fate of forwards Dominik Contract status: Restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights Kubalik and Dylan Strome, both of whom are restricted free agents. The skinny: Koekkoek hasn't lived up to his lofty draft status (10th overall But Bowman and coach Jeremy Colliton must also figure out how they in 2012), but he did finally carve out a consistent role this season want the back end to look. There are myriad options, and we'll attempt to alongside Olli Maatta during the last 26 games. The guess here is the lay out as many as we can in Part II of our player-by-player lookahead. Hawks re-sign him to a one- or two-year deal and he's given the chance to compete for a job amid a crowded 'D' corps. Duncan Keith: Others: Nicolas Beaudin, Lucas Carlsson, Ian Mitchell, Dennis Gilbert, Stats: 3 goals, 24 assists, 24:23 average time on ice in 61 games Ian McCoshen

Contract status: Three years remaining with a $5.538 million cap hit • Skating with Keith in the Hawks' final game, Beaudin looked fantastic. Ideally, he gets another half season in Rockford to grow his game. The skinny: Keith will be 37 next season, but he's hardly slowing down. He'd be a fantastic second-pairing, second power-play unit D-man on a • Carlsson was solid in his six NHL games. He'll likely start in Rockford true title contender, so maybe Bowman asks Keith to waive his no- next season. movement clause. Obviously it would be better for the Hawks if Keith could be in that role in 2-3 three years, so it's probably better to stand pat • Mitchell scored 10 goals in 36 games for the University of Denver. with the hope he can make one more run with the team that drafted him Assuming he signs, Mitchell could easily be on the opening-night roster. 18 years ago. • Gilbert is a hard-nosed D-man who isn't afraid to drop the gloves, but he Brent Seabrook: needs more seasoning.

Stats: 3G, 1A in 32 games • A bit of a wild card, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound McCoshen could give the Hawks some much-needed size. He was acquired from the Panthers and Contract status: Four years remaining with a $6.875 million cap hit was the 31st overall pick in 2013.

The skinny: Seabrook is a proud man. A true pro and a true leader Goalies behind the scenes. The feeling here is that -- despite undergoing three surgeries in about two months -- he will definitely want to play again. The Corey Crawford: Hawks will likely give him that shot, but my guess is he begins next Stats: 16-20-3 with a .917 save percentage and .277 goals-against season on long-term injured reserve and they'll reevaluate as the weeks average go on. Contract status: Unrestricted free agent Connor Murphy: The skinny: Crawford was sensational during the final two months, Stats: 5G, 14A, career-high 21:15 ATOI in 58 games posting a .930 save percentage and 2.35 GAA. One concussion could Contract status: Two years remaining with a $3.85 million cap hit end his career, however, so it will be interesting to see what happens. A one-year deal for $5 million seems to make sense, but it also wouldn't The skinny: Murphy has really developed into a better overall shock me to see Bowman thank Crawford for his contributions and sign a defenseman the past three seasons. Known as a stay-at-home D-man different free agent. when he arrived in 2017, Murphy has averaged 7.5 goals per 82 games the past two seasons -- with no power-play time. It's not inconceivable to Malcolm Subban: think he could be in Chicago for the next 6-8 years. Stats: 9-7-3 with a .890 save percentage and 3.17 GAA

Calvin de Haan: Contract status: RFA with arbitration rights

Stats: 1G, 5A in 29 games The skinny: Acquired in the Robin Lehner deal, Subban has been a Contract status: Two years remaining with a $4.55 million cap hit backup for three straight seasons. The Hawks could let him go, but it seems to make more sense to give him a short-term deal with the plan to The skinny: Losing de Haan to a shoulder injury in December was a big keep him in that role. blow. At the time, the veteran was third in the league with 2.5 blocks per game and was starting to step up his offensive game with Keith (groin) Others: sidelined. Having de Haan around for 82 games would be a huge coup Colin Delia (.912, 2.66 in Rockford) and Kevin Lankinen (.909, 3.03 in for the Hawks, but how likely is that considering he has dislocated a Rockford) could compete for the backup job. With Lankinen out 4-5 shoulder three times in three seasons? months after shoulder surgery, the 25-year-old Delia figures to have the Olli Maatta: upper hand. The Hawks also could have Matt Tompkins and 6-foot-4, 213-pound Ivan Nalimov in camp. Nalimov, 26-year-old Russian, signed Stats: 4G, 13A in 65 games a professional tryout to play the rest of the season in Rockford on March 7. Contract status: Two years remaining with a $4.083 million cap hit Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.24.2020 The skinny: Maatta had an uneven, up-and-down campaign. He certainly helped stabilize the kill but also was a liability in his own end far too often for a seven-year veteran. Part of me thinks he's a buyout candidate, especially considering it would only cost the Hawks about $680,000 against the cap for the next four seasons. He played decently down the stretch, however, and figures to be on the third pairing again next season.

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Summer games may be difficult for NHL ice makers once games resume

By Kelly Twardziak March 23, 2020 5:48 PM

The NHL season has been paused since March 12 due to COVID-19, with the fate of the rest of the season uncertain as society continues to grapple with the pandemic. League officials and fans would like the season to continue once it is safe, but that time may not come until late spring/early summer, which will pose some unforeseen challenges for many teams around the NHL.

TSN recently interviewed Jared Dupre, an ice technician for the Carolina Hurricanes for the past eight years. The Hurricanes were the first wild card spot for Eastern Conference, hoping to make another deep run in the playoffs, which this season would most likely entail hosting games in July and August.

"That would probably be one of the bigger challenges we would ever have to deal with in this building," Dupre told TSN.

North Carolina gets incredibly hot and humid during those months, as do many other cities who’d be hosting NHL matches this summer, and while PNC Arena (home of Hurricanes) is equipped to handle some humidity, playing in July would add an extra level of difficulty.

"Our building has desiccant dehumidifiers on the roof and we try and pull the temperature down and the humidity out of the building, but once the doors open it's basically null and void . Because once the doors are open and all that hot, humid air starts coming in , we can't pull it back out with the people in here. You get 15,000-plus people in the building for a game, you're adding to the humidity with people talking and yelling and screaming and the general body heat warming the air,” Dupre explained.

Dupre said this wouldn’t just be a problem for the Hurricanes, but any NHL team across the eastern seaboard. This would include teams such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars.

Dupre explained it's impossible to tell how much this will affect the quality ice during games, since it is still unknown when these games will even be able to be played, but it will be something the NHL will have to take into consideration once games resume.

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10 Blackhawks games from this season to re-watch

By Slavko Bekovic March 23, 2020 5:28 PM

In case you missed it, the NHL announced last week that it will help fans get their hockey fix through the COVID-19 pandemic by making games available to stream on-demand on NHL.com and the NHL app. There are a number of classic games available, as well as some other fun features, but the entire 2019-20 schedule is open for your viewing pleasure.

When you're not watching re-airs of the Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup run on NBC Sports Chicago, we've crafted a list of the top 10 Blackhawks games of the season for you to enjoy.

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Alex Iafallo sends Jeff Carter toilet paper via drone

By Scott King March 23, 2020 3:53 PM

Special roof top delivery from Alex Iaffalo.... Thanks #LockdownCalifornia #HermosaBeach #SOS #StayHome @JeffCarter_77 pic.twitter.com/UkKPjAffZA

— Megan Carter (@Megan_Carter_) March 23, 2020

On Sunday, Megan Carter, LA Kings center Jeff Carter's wife, posted a video to Twitter of a unique toilet paper delivery from Carter's teammate Alex Iafallo via a drone.

The mission was successful as you can see Carter receive the toilet paper on the roof of his Hermosa Beach home before it heads back.

The spreading of COVID-19 has caused a shortage of items like toilet paper and paper towels in many stores.

The NHL is currently paused due to concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Brent Seabrook showing signs of recovery in push-up challenge

By Slavko Bekovic March 23, 2020 4:03 PM

It turns out NHL players are not immune to social media crazes.

Among the things spreading throughout Instagram right now, such as "see a pup, send a pup" in which people share pictures of their dogs on National Puppy Day, is the push-up challenge.

People are recording themselves doing push-ups and then nominating others to take part and get a workout in, too. Usually, 10 push-ups and then 10 nominations to hand out, but some athletes are taking it a step further.

Looks like Brent Seabrook’s recovery is going well, as he’s out here dishing the #PushUpChallenge to @kdach77

( : @kdach77 /IG) pic.twitter.com/ZyNGKZCRyz

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 23, 2020

Brent Seabrook was nominated and apparently went on to do 50 push- ups before nominating teammates Kirby Dach, Andrew Shaw and Adam Boqvist, among others. Dach completed the challenge himself and nominated Dylan Strome.

This is notable considering Seabrook underwent three surgeries in the span of about five weeks and seems to be on the road to recovery. Seabrook underwent surgery on his right shoulder in December before getting both hips operated on as well. His timetable for recovery should have him ready to go by training camp, but it's unknown at this point just when that might be.

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Blackhawks-Kings Game 7 of 2014 Western Conference Final re-airing today

By Scott King March 22, 2020 8:51 PM

Today on NBC Sports at 4 p.m. CT/ 5 p.m. ET:

For Blackhawks fans: the sorest of sore spots. A game that with the right bounce, would have likely sent Chicago on their way to a second consecutive Stanley Cup title and a possible three-peat that would have served as an inimitable achievement in the salary cap era.

For Kings fans: A crowning achievement that put a thorn in the Hawks' side during their golden reign. An exclamation point to cap off a glorious individual postseason that would bring them their second Stanley Cup in three years.

For hockey fans without a dog in the fight: Arguably the greatest single hockey game of the decade.

The Kings had held a 3-1 series lead over the Blackhawks, who crept back in to even things up.

The Game 7 winner was slated to play the New York Rangers in what would be a brisk walk towards hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Things were looking up for the Hawks on home ice at the United Center.

Chicago was leading 2-0 late in the first period off of a Brandon Saad goal and a power-play marker from Jonathan Toews. Then, Jeff Carter scored at 16:31 of the opening frame to get the Kings on the board.

Justin Williams struck less than a minute later to tie it 2-2 and would give the Hawks a 3-2 lead just 12 seconds after Williams' goal to see the Blackhawks exit the first ahead by one.

The game turned into a tighter contest in the second period with just a goal apiece for the opposing teams.

Tyler Toffoli tied it 3-3 at 10:31 of the second and Sharp again scored late in the period to have the Hawks exit the frame ahead, this time off a power-play goal.

It was even tighter in the third. By the final regulation period, the game had culminated into an intense, highly-skilled chess match with everything on the line for both squads.

Marian Gaborik scored at 12:43 of the third to tie it 4-4 and the Hawks couldn't answer back through the end of regulation. To overtime it went.

In overtime, nail-biting, edge-of-your seat suspense filled the arena with a sellout crowd of 22,315.

The home crowd would sink into their seats in despair and the Kings would triumphantly leap into each other's arms after Alec Martinez scored 5:47 into OT with the puck bouncing off Hawks defenseman Nick Leddy's sweater and past Corey Crawford to win the game 5-4.

Jonathan Quick made 37 saves for the Kings and Crawford stopped 27 shots for the Blackhawks.

The Kings became the only team in NHL playoff history to play three straight Game 7s on the road leading to the Stanley Cup Final, winning each of them.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181482 Chicago Blackhawks As for the Blackhawks, the fans seem to be conflicted about the immediate direction of the team. “Build around core” beat out “Tear it down” 42-40 percent, which surprised me. I’m sure if I did it again since Cubs, Blackhawks, White Sox, Tom Waddle all winners in our sports fan NBC Sports Chicago has been airing old playoff games, that divide would survey grow even more on the optimists’ side.

Bulls fans are less loyal to their current team. “Change everything” took 56 percent of the votes. Sorry Thibs, you only got 5.3 percent. By Jon Greenberg Mar 23, 2020 But Bulls fans have way more confidence in the return of Thibs than they do in the reality of John Paxson and Gar Forman running the show.

Whenever we talk about the fans of a team, we typecast them. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer predictably won the next poll, “Which local sports executive(s) do you trust the most to build a competitive team,” White Sox fans only want … with 68 percent. That Stan Bowman, who has three Stanley Cup rings as Bears fans care about … the GM of the Blackhawks, got just 7 percent shows how dissatisfied the fans are with the current playoff drought. Cubs fans really think … While it’s not a surprise, it was jarring to see Paxson and Forman get But really, aren’t most baseball fans in Chicago also Bears fans? Aren’t zero votes for much of the first day this survey was up. In the end, they Blackhawks fans also fans of another team? finished with nine votes out of 1,765 in the sports executive category. Combining the two is probably an outdated way to discuss the Bulls and But if they had to choose, which team would be their favorite? That’s an upon further reflection, I would’ve replaced Forman, who is known to individual question, of course, but it was the impetus behind the first have less responsibility these days, with president Michael Reinsdorf, question in my 20-question survey I sent out last week. who is tasked with fixing this mess of his making. The easy winner is the Cubs, who took 35 percent of the nearly 1,800 I’m not sure it would’ve dramatically changed the voting, but Michael, votes cast. Some might be surprised to see the Blackhawks inching past along with his father Jerry, should be taking more of the fans’ ire than the Bears, with 16 more votes for Chicago’s disappointing hockey team. Gar. After all, Forman didn’t hire himself and none of the unsuccessful The White Sox are pretty close to both teams, which speaks to a surge in decisions pinned to him are made in a vacuum. fan interest around the team going into what was supposed to be a breakout season. The Bulls finished well behind the other teams, which The next question is like a Zen koan. Who is the best professional was a trend that was impossible to miss as I sorted through the answers manager or coach in Chicago sports? to a few questions. The Sky’s James Wade is the only here who should be miffed he didn’t Last year at this time, when sports were being played and optimism for get more votes. (I could’ve included him in the previous question as well, the Bears was high, I put out a sports radio survey. This time, I wanted to as he’s also GM of the Sky.) expand it with some general fan questions, along with TV and sportswriter questions. (I already have an idea for the next iteration.) Matt Nagy “wins” this question with 34 percent of the vote, beating out Rick Renteria (28 percent), who has a career .423 winning percentage It’s only been a little over a week since sports have shut down, and to over four seasons with the Cubs and the White Sox. David Ross, who me, the first part of this open-ended quarantine really just felt like a light has yet to manage a regular-season game, finished third at 20 percent. week in February, albeit one in which my family was home and we At least Jeremy Colliton (4.3 percent) can say he beat out Jim Boylen, couldn’t really go anywhere and we were all faced with an existential who still managed to get 1.5 percent of the vote. dread far scarier than the winter blues. Forty-nine percent of fans are most tired of the Bears’ never-ending QB I’m trying not to think too far in the future or think about the demise of search, but most of these people responded before Ryan Pace traded for everyday life, let alone the lack of live sports in our daily schedule. The Nick Foles. I’m guessing that addition didn’t assuage their irritation. The constant rehashing of old games on TV feels like a sports funeral. Cubs’ budget narrative is another annoying one, it seems.

With the current state of the world in mind, I’m trying not to overdose on The fill-in-the-blank answers were a little messy because a lot of people negativity when it comes to Chicago’s teams. Or at least not to imbue voted with last names or first names, along with full names, misspelled unnecessary criticism at the moment. But I don’t like to tell other people names or refused to pick one person and wrote in noisy stuff like, “Khalil how to feel, so feel free to chuckle at the Bulls’ vote totals for these Mack/Javy Báez.” questions. It’s sufficient to note that consumer confidence in the Bulls is very, very low. After digging into the variations, I’m ready to name Patrick Kane as your favorite Chicago athlete, edging out Anthony Rizzo, 16.3 to 14.8 percent For instance, in the second question of this survey, “Which team is most (a 24-vote divide). Javy Báez was third at 11.6 percent. Those numbers likely to win a championship next?”, the Bulls don’t even show up in the make sense considering the strong Blackhawks readership we have, chart. Now, that makes sense in that they are nowhere near winning a and, you know, Kane’s three Cups. Check out this word cloud from the championship, but there is no contract to be truthful. You’re allowed to voting. vote with your heart. And yet, the Bulls got four votes out of 1,784 votes cast. Four. Going into the sports media questions, I asked which of the two sports radio stations are your favorite, and 62 percent picked The Score over The White Sox, who haven’t been to the postseason since 2008, are the ESPN 1000. That’s down about 5 percent from when I asked this favorites with 47.3 percent of the vote, which is akin, I suppose, to question last year, but Mitch Rosen’s crew still has a commanding lead winning the offseason. But it’s proof that Sox fans are enthused about the over Mike Thomas’ gang, at least according to this sample size. rebuild that should bear fruit, whenever the season resumes. I imagine if I did this survey last year, the Bears would’ve been the commanding Next up, I did four questions about sports radio hosts. Overkill? Probably. winner. Last season’s fade and the reality of Mitch Trubisky have But people love their sports radio. dampened their outlook among Chicago fans considerably. Dan Bernstein, who won the “best driver” category last year, won the Given the previous question, I was surprised the Sox didn’t take the next best interviewer (identified by me as the person who is best at asking the one as well, but I guess few Sox fans have really watched Luis Robert tough questions) category with 158 votes, edging out teammates play yet. The Cubs, despite their problems last season, are still a Laurence Holmes (115) and Danny Parkins (94). satisfactory watch most days. According to 33 percent, the most Bernstein finished second (125 votes) in the “favorite sports radio host” enjoyable. Even if a good portion of Chicagoland still has a Comcast category to ESPN 1000’s Tom Waddle (133), who won best co-host last subscription, which, as of now, doesn’t have a deal with the Marquee year. Sports Network when those games eventually air. Waddle also won the “most knowledgable about the Bears” question in The Blackhawks, which got strong support throughout this survey, dominating fashion, beating out The Score contributor Hub Arkush, 240- finished second with 23 percent, edging out the Bears and the White 95. Waddle got more than 22 percent of the vote as fans obviously Sox, which finished within eight votes of each other. respect his Bears knowledge. I asked the same question about baseball, and The Score contributor Matt Spiegel beat out ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan, 182-139 in this category. After the expiration of his hosting contract, signed right before he was demoted from host of the mid-day show by then-boss Jimmy deCastro in 2018, Spiegel is working regularly on a per-show basis, doing fill-ins during the week while co-hosting Bruce Levine’s show Saturday and hosting his own “Hit and Run” baseball show on Sunday.

Kaplan, the inked-up king of Chicago sports media, also finished second as favorite TV sports anchor to ABC 7’s Godfather of sports, Mark Giangreco.

I was curious about how many people are still watching local news for their sports highlights. It feels like TV sports news gets less and less time these days and my friends in the industry lament the limited access they get from teams. I’m guessing if I asked this question about the weather, it would get more positive responses.

But when they are watching the TV news, WGN is the winner with 38 percent of the vote. Good thing the station, which lost its broadcasting partner in CLTV, launched a new sports show “GN Sports” with Dan Roan, Jarrett Payton, Josh Frydman and Lauren Magiera. (The Athletic’s Matt Fortuna has also guest-hosted, which I credit for WGN’s win.)

Now onto the category that I was personally dreading the most: favorite sportswriter. Mostly, because I wanted to get a respectable amount of votes. I did, so thank you to everyone who voted me into sixth place. First, I’d like to thank my family and … Oh, you want to know who actually won?

Some guy named Mark Lazerus won it with 13.3 percent (160 votes), though I wonder if some of those votes were for his daughter. Second place was our longest-tenured Cubs writer Sahadev Sharma with 97 votes and third was our White Sox beat writer James Fegan with 95. Sahadev is currently trying to get James to drop out to get his delegates to run against Laz.

The Tribune’s Paul Sullivan finished fourth with 76 votes, just three more than our other Blackhawks writer Scott Powers. And then came me with 61 votes, just ahead of the Trib’s Brad Biggs (57).

Sahadev and James’ popularity isn’t a surprise to me — I honestly get more compliments about James than anyone else on staff — and it’s been obvious from the beginning our subscribers love baseball. Chicago sports fans love talking baseball and they definitely love reading about it, as the question below shows. It might surprise people that hockey finished second, edging out football by 15 votes. But at The Athletic, we know how hungry hockey fans are for the written word.

The 20th and final question was something I was curious about, as I’m always being told what we should be covering. “Which team that isn’t being covered regularly should The Athletic Chicago focus on?” According to our respondents, we’re doing pretty good as almost half of them skipped this question and then 8.1 percent more of those who did answer it, voted “None.” The Fire, which we cover, seems to have won with 8.4 percent of the vote, while Illinois sports (namely men’s basketball) and the Red Stars were right behind with 7.2 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively.

If you have any thoughts about future surveys, let me know in the comments. Thanks to everyone who participated.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181483 Chicago Blackhawks own in the comments. The trick here is that, unlike in Star Wars, there are so many evil characters in the Wizarding World, and there are only so many to go around. But I did my best:

#HeyLaz mailbag, quarantine edition: The Blackhawks as Harry Potter Patrick Kane: Harry Potter. All skill and nerve and offensive aggression, characters and the guy you want with the Elder Wand when the game/fate of the world is on the line. How many times has a teammate watched him dance through defenders and gone full Hagrid: “Yer a wizard, Patty!” By Mark Lazerus Mar 23, 2020 Jonathan Toews: Hermione Granger. The brains behind the operation, the one who’s really in charge, and the one without whom nothing gets done. Clutch as clutch gets. I’m bored and my kids are driving me nuts. Let’s do a #HeyLaz mailbag. Brent Seabrook: Ron Weasley. Overlooked and often dismissed, but the With (Robin) Lehner in Vegas, what do you anticipate the goaltending heartbeat of the core group. It’s just not the same team without him (see situation being next season? — Gabriella S. the second half of this Blackhawks season, and much of the “Deathly A couple of weeks ago, I would have said for sure that the Blackhawks Hallows” book). would re-sign Corey Crawford to a two-year deal worth around $4 million Duncan Keith: Sirius Black. Wildly talented, a little reckless, fiercely loyal a year (Crawford could probably get a little more on the open market, but and a mentor to the next generation. I spoke with him about this a few times this year and I’m convinced he’d take a little less to stay with the only organization he’s ever known). A Joel Quenneville: Albus Dumbledore. Wise, cryptic, weirdly playful. Crawford-Collin Delia combination would work, with Kevin Lankinen third Facial-hair enthusiast. Winks a lot. on the depth chart. Niklas Hjalmarsson: Mad-Eye Moody. Tough, scarred, bruised, but never But everything’s different now. With the rest of the season very much in broken. As old-school as they get. doubt — honestly, I don’t expect we’ll see NHL hockey again until the 2020-21 season begins, whenever that is — and the salary cap likely to Corey Crawford: Rubeus Hagrid. The safety net, always there to back remain flat at best, Stan Bowman is going to have some difficult you up. decisions to make. Can he re-sign Crawford, Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Marian Hossa: Molly Weasley. The glue holding the whole damn team Strome and stay under an $81.5-million cap? Maybe if compliance together. Supremely talented, but never fully appreciated for how buyouts are negotiated into the post-COVID-19 hockey world. At 35 important they really were. years old, Crawford would be the easiest of those three to let go, even though he plays the most important position and was terrific for most of Patrick Sharp and Adam Burish: Fred and George Weasley. Injecting this season. But can you win in the NHL with a Delia-Lankinen duo? some desperately needed levity into a too-serious hockey/wizarding Especially considering how difficult winning was even with Crawford and world. The Weasley twins were also phenomenally talented wizards, but Lehner? were overshadowed by their more famous brother and classmates. That’s Sharp in a nutshell. Ideally, it’s Crawford-Delia. But the current situation is anything but ideal. Alex DeBrincat: Dobby. Undersized but won’t back down to anyone. You can’t cover hockey. Or sports. Ever. Ever again. But you can set up Unusually gifted. your dream job scenario and pursue it. What is it? — Kevin F. Brandon Saad: Remus Lupin. Ever reliable, particularly strong on Easy. Play Javert on Broadway. If I could sing “Stars” on a Broadway defense. But cursed to turn into a werewolf every month/hit the post stage before a full theater just one time in my life, I’d be forever content. every game. I’d settle for Aaron Burr, because “Wait For It” is a close second. I’ll just be sitting here waiting for my big break, rehearsing in the shower, just Kirby Dach: Ginny Weasley. Skilled beyond their years, with just the right like I’ve been doing for 25 years. touch of cockiness.

Talk about what you have seen with Dach’s development this season. — Robin Lehner: Seamus Finnigan, movie version. I don’t always know Carter S. what the hell he’s talking about, but I find him compelling all the same.

“Talk about!” I got a “talk about!” I feel just like a real athlete now. Artemi Panarin: Neville Longbottom. A late-bloomer who developed into an MVP-caliber talent. What impressed me the most about Kirby Dach this season wasn’t the occasional flash of jaw-dropping offensive talent, the dangling through Antti Raanta: Luna Lovegood. A little loopy, but a formidable talent and a traffic or the deft no-look pass. It was all the little things he does so well. wonderful teammate. The way he crashed the net. The way he worked in the corners. The way he defended. Typically, when a teenaged phenom forward breaks into Dave Bolland: Peter Pettigrew. I mean, he’s The Rat, after all. the league, he’s an offensive wizard who either can’t or won’t play Denis Savard: James Potter. Kane/Harry Version 1.0 and a spiritual defense. Dach is different. Not only is he not a liability in his own end, mentor. he’s an asset. He’s 19 years old and is already a well-rounded player. Daniel Carcillo: Severus Snape. You hated him for so long and never The offense will come. The defensive progression we’ve seen means he believed he could be fundamentally decent until he showed his true could have a Jonathan Toews- or Brandon Saad-like impact on every colors late in the game. game. Ryan Kesler: Draco Malfoy. The hated rival who never won anything, and That’s how Jeremy Colliton saw it, too. who never could measure up in the end.

“I think below the hashmarks, below the top of the circles, he’s as good Alex Burrows and Kevin Bieksa: Crabbe and Goyle. (Yeah, yeah, I know, as anyone defensively right now,” he said a few weeks ago. “And that’s a you want this to be the Sedin twins. But the Sedins are two of the nicest, huge compliment that I can give to him. He (makes) very good reads, he most universally beloved people in hockey. It just doesn’t work.) comes up with a lot of pucks, he’s heavy on the puck and he’s able, once he does get it, to make a play to get us out of the D-zone. Those are Raffi Torres: Bellatrix Lestrange. Reckless, dangerous, a threat to every things that make you a good defensive player. When you can be put in living soul everywhere they go. those situations, then typically when you do win the puck back, you got a Jeff Skinner: Cho Chang. Lusted after seemingly every year, but an ill- chance to create offense going the other way. The improvement that fated match in the end. we’ve seen as the year’s gone on has been really fun to watch, and it’s been a pleasure.” The Detroit Red Wings: The Death Eaters.

Which Harry Potter characters would Blackhawks players be? — Grace John McDonough: Dolores Umbridge. Educational Decree No. 37: All W. players must wear hats and their teeth during interviews.

Well, I already did Star Wars, might as well do Harry, too. I regret that I : Lee Jordan, the voice of Hogwarts. couldn’t find a good analog for Minerva McGonagall, so please offer your Scott Powers: Rita Skeeter. Pure yellow journalism. Unscrupulous. Can’t But as for Blackhawks players with pure talent who never could put it all believe a word they write. together, there are a few that come to mind. Players such as Viktor Stalberg, Anthony Duclair and Brendan Perlini could skate like the wind, The Salary Cap: Lord Voldemort, destroyer of all things good. but always struggled to finish (it was nice to see Duclair break through in Teuvo Teravainen: Cedric Diggory. Remember what happened to a boy Ottawa this season). David Rundblad has become a punchline among who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path the Blackhawks fan base, but I remember chatting with a Swedish of Lord Salary Cap. reporter who said he was basically the best player he’d ever seen before coming to North America. I think it’s reasonable to believe that Seabrook will be much more of a on- ice contributor when he is back to hockey. His criticisms have seemed But I think I’ll go with Bryan Bickell here. We saw what he could do when unjust for what he has played through. It’s hard to not appreciate what a he put it all together during that 2013 Stanley Cup run. He wasn’t just big competitor he is. Can you speculate on how you think he will be when and strong, he could skate a bit and had one of the best, heaviest wrist cleared from what he was playing injured? — Chris P. shots on the team. He was the prototypical power forward. But confidence issues tripped him up, and then obviously physical issues This is the $6.875-million question. I’ve talked to a lot of people around prevented him from finding it again. I always feel like Bickell’s a guy who the hockey world — scouts, executives, teammates, rivals, other could have been a star power forward for a long time. It’s a shame he reporters — about Seabrook over the last few months, and everyone has never got to prove it. a different theory. There are those who are convinced he’ll never play in the NHL again, that he’ll spend the next four years on long-term injured Will hockey (and other sports) be bad when they come back because of reserve, Hossa-style. There are those who think he’ll come back a shell so much time off, and so little time for skills and conditioning to return? of his old self, barely able to skate after undergoing major surgeries on Players missing passes, getting gassed after short shifts, strikeouts and both hips and a shoulder. There are those who think he’ll be rejuvenated walks increasing. Will we recognize the games? — Cliff D. after more than nine months off, with three serious nagging injuries finally October hockey is messy, sloppy and unpredictable. If by some miracle repaired. There are those who have absolutely no idea. the NHL is able to restart the 2019-20 season for a summer stretch run What do I think? Well, few players in the NHL have logged as many and postseason, you can expect it to look a lot like October hockey. All heavy miles as Seabrook has. Few players were as durable as he was. the scenarios being dreamed up include about a one-week “training This is one tough, proud SOB, who has been playing through pain for camp” to get everybody back into midseason form. That was fine for the who knows how many years. I fully expect him to be back on the ice at lockout-delayed 2013 season because so many players spent the lockout some point next season. What will he look like? That, I don’t know. No playing in Europe or the AHL. There are no such options this time one does. But I know every single guy in that dressing room will be around. So everyone will be rusty and everyone will be off their usual ecstatic once he does. Well, except for the one who gets sent down to rhythms (June and July are vacation months for so many NHL players, Rockford to make room for him, I suppose. not workout months). Most likely, it’ll be lousy hockey, with goalies stealing series and upsets happening left and right. It’ll be a total mess. While there’s no hockey, can we talk about the really important stats? A lot of players seem to use “You know” a lot. So, who’s the leader in you- And, oh lord, I hope we get to see it. knows-per-60? And what other fillers do you notice most (Kane seems to (Narrator: We won’t. Sigh.) *really* care about being honest with people)? — Lisa S. The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 We all have verbal crutches we use while we’re trying to process our thoughts. If you were watching a TV interview of me and you took a drink every time I said “at some point,” you’d be dead before they threw to commercial. Hell, I just realized I used one in the last answer. I also say, “I’m curious…” before starting nearly every dressing-room interview I do. I mean, if I’m asking a question, the “I’m curious” part is kind of redundant, no? I’m a schmuck, is what I’m saying.

Here are the ones I’ve always noticed around the room:

Duncan Keith: “At the end of the day.” (Jonathan Toews uses this one a lot, too.)

Jonathan Toews: “Like I said.” (This is very common in sports. I once witnessed a Valparaiso University basketball player open his very first answer in his very first media session with “Like I said…”)

Patrick Kane: “To be honest with you…” (Which Lisa here clearly has picked up on.)

Brent Seabrook: “And whatnot.” (It’s his way of saying “This sentence has ended.”)

Marian Hossa: “Definitely.”

Every Finnish player ever: “Of course.”

Every hockey player ever: “Obviously.”

Also, no matter what question you ask Kane, Alex DeBrincat or Brandon Saad, they will start their answers with “Yeah” 75 percent of the time, often before pivoting to “no.”

We all do it. Most of us just don’t have microphones and recorders and cameras shoved in our faces every day to document it.

In your time covering the Blackhawks, which player wins the Alexei Kovalev award for unrealized talent/potential? — Marc C.

First of all, Alexei Kovalev scored 430 goals and posted 1,029 points. I covered him his last three years in Pittsburgh, when he scored 93 goals, so I don’t know if he’s exactly the poster child for unrealized potential. From that Penguins team, Aleksey Morozov was the guy everybody expected to be a star but never was, the so-called “Best player not in North America” at the time. 1181484 Colorado Avalanche Back in December, when I handicapped the race and noted that Makar’s sublime first two months of the 2019-20 season had muted any Calder buzz around Hughes, I suggested the race would tighten. That Hughes’ The Athletic voted Cale Makar for Calder over Quinn Hughes. Did we get underlying profile indicated that his production was built of more it right? sustainable stuff and that his two-way impact had been greater by a considerable margin.

That mostly held true, but I think the shortened season tips the balance By Thomas Drance and Ryan S. Clark Mar 23, 2020 back in Makar’s favour, particularly because Makar’s final impression on voters — a dominant three-point outing against the New York Rangers in

one of the final games before the NHL suspended play — was a This season we witnessed hockey history. definitive one.

What Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar accomplished as rookie defenders, To close the gap that Makar opened in the first couple of months (and in the sheer quality of their respective performances as first-year players, last year’s playoffs), I think Hughes needed to lead all rookies in scoring was nothing short of unprecedented. and get into that Ray Bourque/Chris Chelios stratosphere in terms of point production by a rookie defenseman and that the Canucks needed It’s been a generation since a defender led all NHL rookies in scoring, as to qualify for the postseason to add narrative heft to his campaign. Hughes will, assuming the 2019-20 regular season doesn’t resume. It’s Without that, I don’t think he gets over the line, as the voting of our been 90 years since two defensemen finished one and two in the rookie colleagues reflects. scoring race, as Hughes and Makar likely will, albeit over the course of a campaign likely to be abbreviated by the public health threat posed by Nonetheless, I think Hughes’ overall two-way impact on his team and the the COVID-19 pandemic. value he provided to a club that lacks the overwhelming weaponry that the Colorado Avalanche have patiently and impressively assembled over You have to go back to 1993 to find a season in which a rookie the past few years was greater. It’s why he was my vote. defenseman surpassed 50 points. This year, two rookie defenders broke through that barrier over the course of 68 games or fewer. I summarized that impact while writing about some notable Canucks “what ifs” last week: If they’d had the opportunity to finish the season and been able to maintain their points-per-game rates, Hughes would have had an outside “Hughes should still win for the simple reason that he’s had a much shot at finishing in the top five in scoring by a rookie NHL defenseman larger two-way impact than Makar has. Unfortunately, it is not clear if all-time, and both would’ve surely cracked the top 10. PHWA voters, who decide the award, will be moved by this, even if they should be. There isn’t much to choose between with these two historic rookie defenders. But The Athletic staff has voted and decided that Makar is the “Makar has the better plus-minus by a wide margin (plus-12 for Makar, deserving winner of the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s most minus-10 for Hughes), but obviously, plus-minus does a bad job of really proficient first-year player. Hughes finished second. capturing a player’s two-way value or abilities. This case is illustrative of why, so we’ll get into it. Hughes’ plus/minus is minus-10, but his five-on- In a tight contest that’s been hotly debated in recent months, we figured five goal differential is 58 goals for and 54 goals against, or plus-four. we’d turn the mic over to The Athletic Vancouver’s Thomas Drance and Shoot plus/minus into the sun. The Athletic Denver’s Ryan S. Clark to sift through a hard-fought trophy race. “Makar’s plus-12 underrates him too, actually. Plus-12 seems good, but because plus/minus makes no sense and doesn’t distinguish fairly Thomas Drance: It goes without saying that I disagree with the collective between game states, it dings him for absurd things like short-handed choice of our colleagues here at The Athletic, but obviously it was a tight goals against and empty-net goals against too (Makar’s actual on-ice race. Hughes and Makar are absolutely ridiculous. They’re fun to watch five-on-five goal differential is 57 goals for, 36 against, or plus-21). and they’re both playing major roles on teams that were in playoff spots by point percentage at the time the season was suspended. “Now before you conclude that Hughes’ plus-four five-on-five goal differential indicates that Makar has been better, you have to take into They’re also perfectly suited, with their speed and their skill, to take account context. The Avalanche have outscored their opponents in five- advantage of the evolution of the NHL game. That’s a big part of the on-five situations by 47 goals this season, their goals for percentage at story here. If Hughes and Makar haven’t done so already, then you can evens leads all teams in the NHL. Or, even without Makar, Colorado has rest assured they’re going to break the template for what NHL defenders outscored opponents by 27 goals. can contribute offensively and reconstitute it in their image. “The Canucks are in a different category in terms of the overall quality of It’s going to be fun to watch over the ensuing decade. their team. Vancouver scored 20 fewer goals at five-on-five than Colorado has and allowed 31 goals more. In fact, the Canucks have Unfortunately, there’s no sharing the Calder Trophy. It’s a unique award, been outscored by three overall. Formulated a different way, with Hughes one that a player only ever has one chance to win. on the ice, Vancouver has outscored its opponents by four and in all Hughes and Makar, these are competitive athletes. You don’t become as other minutes has been outscored by seven. With Makar on the ice, the skilled as they are without passion, work and a desire to win every day at Avalanche have outscored their opponents by a wider margin without everything you do — especially your chosen sporting vocation. Makar than they have with him.”

Having covered Hughes nearly every day over the past seven months, For me, I weigh that heavily. For the PHWA, though, I think Hughes he is extremely patient and laid-back. There’s not a hint of arrogance needed more time and for a couple of things to break his way — mainly about him, but there’s certainly a steel core of confidence. I say that to that he needed to break into truly rarified air in terms of scoring by a provide context to the comments he made a couple of weeks ago in rookie defender and lead the Canucks to the playoff spot — to fully close Toronto when he made no secret of the fact he’s been tracking Makar’s the gap. He didn’t get that opportunity and so Makar will go into actual season and that the Calder Trophy is an award he wants. award voting, whenever that takes place, as the apparent front-runner.

QUINN HUGHES SAYS HE’D BE LYING IF HE SAID HE ISN’T Incredible, historic seasons from both of these young defensemen. FOLLOWING CALE MAKAR’S SEASON. “I’M A COMPETITIVE GUY.” Ultimately, there’s no “wrong” decision, really. #CANUCKS Ryan S. Clark: Visibility might have played a bigger part in this particular — JOSHUA CLIPPERTON (@JCLIPPERTON_CP) FEBRUARY 29, Calder race than most realize. Anyone who watched college hockey 2020 along with those following the Avalanche and Canucks knew about the promise both players showed. Hughes left the University of Michigan “Yeah, for sure I think so,” Hughes told Ken Campbell of The Hockey after his sophomore season and signed with the Canucks. He scored News when asked if he thought he made a good case for the Calder. “I’m three points in five games, but the challenge he faced from an exposure not the one making the call, but especially the last 30 games, I don’t standpoint was that the Canucks were out of playoff contention by that know if anyone has been better than me.” point. Makar, however, was in a different situation. His star surged after winning One of the topics often raised about puck-moving defensemen like the Hobey Baker Award and getting the University of Massachusetts to Hughes and Makar is their defending ability. The high-danger goals per the national title game, where it lost to the University of Minnesota- game provide a close enough comparable, while the high-danger Duluth. Then, he made his NHL debut in the playoffs for an Avalanche chances have a bit more separation. An argument could be made that team that just barely qualified, but he did so in an exciting manner for the those numbers work within a larger discussion about the defensive roles casual observer. Now throw in the fact Makar played his first game they each play in their respective team’s overall success. Colorado is against his hometown Calgary Flames and scored what was the game- sixth in high-danger chances allowed and high-danger goals allowed in winning goal. He was one of the reasons the Avs advanced and pushed five-on-five sequences, per Natural Stat Trick. That has played a part in the San Jose Sharks to seven games in the second round. why they have become one of the NHL’s best defensive units. Vancouver is 16th in high-danger chances allowed and ranks 21st in high-danger Look at what Colorado did last offseason. General manager Joe Sakic goals allowed this season. and his front-office staff felt they could trade a fixture in Tyson Barrie. What Makar did in the playoffs and the fact he was on an entry-level “I like the quickness of (Makar’s defensive approach),” Avalanche coach contract were among the reasons for the decision. Makar has since Jared Bednar said of Makar’s defensive abilities. “He skates to check, worked to become a first-pairing defenseman in tandem with Ryan and he doesn’t ease off on guys when he gets a chance to lay a lick on Graves. Sakic made it clear youth was a priority. But who would have someone. He does it. Real good stick, and there’s no rest in his game. believed two first-year defensemen would hold such an important role on Once he finishes off the play, he’s looking to join (in transition). So I really a potential Stanley Cup contender? But it’s more than that. Makar has think it’s the quick movement, jumping into checks and separating guys had the sort of performances that have either allowed his team to win or from pucks and using his legs as a solution to get us in and out of our at least be in position. zone. That’s where the game is going.”

There was the two-goal, second-period display that saw the Avalanche Reviewing hypotheticals about what could have been might become the go from being down a goal to claiming a 4-2 win against the Columbus trait that shadows the Hughes-Makar debate. Makar returned from an Blue Jackets. He had that jaw-dropping goal when literally bringing a upper-body injury to finish with three points — all assists — in a 3-2 win man to his knees in a 4-0 game over the Winnipeg Jets in a contest that over the Rangers, which was one of the last NHL games played. That began with goaltender Pavel Francouz sustaining a concussion within the performance helped close the gap between him and Hughes to three first 31 seconds. There were the four assists — three of them being points with 12 games remaining. It added more anticipation to what primary — including the game-winning overtime feed to Nathan would have been the final regular-season meeting remaining between MacKinnon in an emotionally charged win versus the Canucks that was the Canucks and Avalanche, which was slated to happen that Friday. remembered for what happened to Matt Calvert after he inadvertently blocked a puck with the back of his head. Makar has even had the Maybe that game will still take place this year. Maybe it won’t. But games when the Avs did not win but he did all he could — the prime attempting to pick between Hughes and Makar is going to be a debate for example being a 3-2 late-November loss to the Minnesota Wild when the several years to come. Avs trailed by two goals but Makar had a brace in the second period to The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 tie the game going into the final frame.

In fact, those efforts against the Canucks, Jets and Wild all came on the same five-game trip.

But it is not like Hughes didn’t have those sorts of moments himself.

Going through that backstory provides context as to why more people might have known about Makar. It plays a part in why he had more attention. But this season has seen Hughes receive acclaim in his own right by playing for a team that is challenging for a playoff spot. Then again, it’s not like Makar is playing for a lottery team. He’s one of the reasons the Avalanche are a Stanley Cup contender during a season that has been more about managing injuries than anything.

Makar is one of the quieter personalities on the Avalanche roster. But he did talk about the Calder race between himself and Hughes before the league was shut down.

“I haven’t really followed it much. I met him for the first time this summer, and he seems like a great guy,” Makar said. “It’s not something I’m focused on. I think for us as a team, we’re all focused on just being in the playoffs and hopefully finishing in first place. I tell this to everybody, but individual accolades will come with team success, and I think that’s where everybody’s heads are at with the team right now.”

An argument could be made that picking between the two is harder should the league not resume play. On one hand, Makar has found a way to become the second-best player behind MacKinnon on a team that could have made, or still can make, a case for winning the Stanley Cup. Then again, Hughes has the same responsibilities for a Canucks team that was a point away from being able to outright claim a wild-card spot when the season halted.

Even determining what criteria voters or the public at large would use to pick a winner has the potential to be fascinating unto itself. Some might use team success as the tiebreaker. Others could turn to their individual statistics and believe that is the answer. There are goals, assists and points, but there are also advanced metrics. Hughes was on the ice for 29 high-danger goals and 208 high-danger chances against in five-on- five sequences over 68 games, according to Natural Stat Trick. Makar has been present for 25 high-danger goals and 141 high-danger chances for 57 games. It’s a difference of Hughes playing 11 more times because Makar was injured at times this season. Perhaps a fairer way of examining it is opponents are averaging 0.43 high-danger goals and 3.05 high-danger chances against Hughes, while teams are averaging 0.44 high-danger goals and 2.47 high-danger chances versus Makar. 1181485 Columbus Blue Jackets

John Forslund emerges from bunker, having done his part in coronavirus prevention

Michael Arace The Columbus Dispatch Mar 23, 2020 at 11:09 AM

On March 8, John Forslund, the television voice of the Carolina Hurricanes, checked into the Detroit hotel room that was vacated by Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert patient zero in American professional sports. Forslund self-quarantined for two weeks in the finished basement of his Apex, North Carolina,, home. He has displayed no symptoms of COVID- 19, known as novel coronavirus. The Dispatch made daily checks on Forslund, a featured play-by-play telecaster for NHL games on NBC Sports. His quarantine was lifted at 8 p.m. Sunday night. Here’s the final installment of Johnny’s Bunker Report:

At midday Sunday, some five hours before his quarantine was lifted, we asked Forslund about his pending exit.

"The exit strategy is I’m going to open the door," Forslund said. "I hear it’s locked.

"I’m going to up the staircase like Spot from the old Munsters TV show. Remember Spot? People will stay away from me."

Forslund and his wife, Natalie, have three children, Erika, a college graduate student; Matt, a college sophomore, and Kara, a high school sophomore. It is a witty bunch. You can tell.

"I’d like to think we practiced pretty good social distancing before this," Forslund said, "but we’re going to take it to a new level."

Monday morning, Forslund talked about what actually happened at 8 p.m. the night previous.

"I went up the stairs and the door was locked," Forslund said. "That’s right, I tried to reenter the family zone and they had the door locked. So, I knocked and said, ‘I want to come out.’ Luckily, they released me.

"It felt great. It felt a little weird, too. I hadn’t been in that environment in a long time. My wife’s travel and my travel overlapped (prior to the quarantine), and we really hadn’t seen each other for three weeks. We had a late dinner. We planned it that way. It was nice."

Forslund was isolated for 14 days, the last 12 in his basement. He cracked a book. He listened to music. He spent time on the phone with family, friends and interviewers.

He tried not to cough. He sneezed once. He wondered.

Forslund became a heavy consumer of "deplorable" cable news because he was concerned for his family, his community, his country and, well, mankind. That’s all. At first he missed hockey, but then he began to wonder, why even try to salvage this season? Isn’t it better to make a definitive call, deal with the existential threat in front of us and worry about trivial things later? And he stopped thinking about the game altogether.

Forslund was among the first people in America to be asked to self- quarantine during this pandemic. He will not be the last.

"All I say is this:

"Because of what I do, because I have something of a public face, people had some interest in what was going on. Hopefully, I’ve helped provide an opportunity to grasp what this is all about, and what you’re supposed to do. It’s not hard.

"I’m no hero, no martyr and I’m not sick, thank God. I still hear people say this is crazy, that it isn’t that serious, and they scoff at it. Well, it’s not crazy. Wake up.

"I did what I was supposed to do. It was the right thing to do. I believe that. I think we have to all stick together on this. We all have to do our bit for the greater good."

With that and a hearty farewell, Forslund signed off.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181486 Columbus Blue Jackets “Yep, wearing a full suit and dress shoes,” Gerbe said. “And he’d be behind me, driving slowly with the lights on when it was dark out. It was all back roads, too, like dirt roads.”

How original Blue Jackets veteran Kevin Dineen shaped Nathan Gerbe’s Dineen heard these stories straight from Gerbe. He was taken aback by career them, certainly, but he also learned from them that Gerbe could be pushed hard without breaking. That factored into the meeting, too.

By Aaron Portzline Mar 23, 2020 “You can’t have that conversation with everybody, you know?” Dineen said. “That’s something you learn on the coaching side. Some guys can’t handle it when you’re that … direct. They want to see their shifts, but they think you’re only going to show them the glamorous side of things, COLUMBUS, Ohio — One was a legendary NHL player who peaked in the scoring plays, etc. the late 1980s and made a lasting impact as a grizzled veteran in the early 2000s with the expansion Blue Jackets. “My thing with Gerbs was … there’s only a certain amount of time you have as a prospect, and most of the time the player can’t recognize that. The other played his way into Blue Jackets’ lore this season — the The earlier you can get to these guys and tell them what they need to smallest skater in NHL history with one of the biggest hearts the game hear — it might be a little bit of a shock — but they’d rather hear it at this has ever seen, driving an injury-depleted team into a playoff spot. age than later, when it’s too late to do anything about.” The hockey world is notoriously small and interwoven, but Kevin Dineen Gerbe was “such a stubborn prick,” Dineen said, intending that as the and Nathan Gerbe did so much more than simply cross paths in 2008-09. highest compliment. There was no push-back in the exit meeting, though, Gerbe, who was a rookie pro that season, credits Dineen, the coach, for both agreed. lighting the fire that still burns in him today. It was a rude awakening It helped that Dineen had a career that puts him in rare air among hockey delivered in an end-of-season exit meeting that startled and motivated players: 1,188 games played, 355-405-760, 2,229 penalty minutes. He’s Gerbe. one of only 10 players to have more than 750 points and more than “I was feeling pretty good about myself, absolutely,” said Gerbe, who had 2,000 penalty minutes. 56 points in 57 AHL games that season. It also helped, Gerbe said, that Dineen was himself on the small side. He Dineen was in his fourth year as coach of the ’s was 5-10 in an era when most NHL players, especially defensemen, , top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. were huge.

Gerbe’s career was on a major upswing. A year earlier, he won an NCAA “I took what he was saying to heart,” Gerbe said. “I’m a ‘heart’ player, title with Boston College, was MVP of the Frozen Four and a Hobey and honestly, Dineen was a big reason I was excited to be in the AHL Baker finalist. In his first pro season, playing under Dineen, he was that year. I wanted to be like him a little bit, even though I’m not nearly as named AHL rookie of the year. tough as that guy.

Then came the meeting. “Dino is one of those guys you’ll play for, absolutely. I’ve always looked at his career, too, and, God, that guy did everything. He was as tough as “(Dineen) started right in on it,” Gerbe remembered. “It was ‘I need you to they come and could score goals and do whatever he needed to do.” bring a little more fight to your game, a little more edge. I need more of the agitating, more of the fighting, more of the hitting.’ Gerbe showed up for camp the next fall with an edge — not just in practices, either. “I remember thinking, ‘Wait. What? I’m a skill guy. I just won rookie of the year.’ We didn’t have these meetings in college, so I wasn’t sure how “It helped mold me into who I am in pro hockey,” Gerbe said. “I fed off of they usually went. But I was not expecting this, no.” that and fed off what he was telling me. I would try to make a huge hit early in every game. If there was a scrum in front of the net, I made sure I Dineen, now coach of AHL San Diego in the Anaheim organization, has was in it. been coaching for 15 seasons. He’s had, what, 300 exit meetings? But he still remembers his have-a-nice-summer chat with Gerbe. “I just shifted, and I’ve never really changed. Being physical and being hard to play against has been a big part of my game ever since.” The meeting wasn’t contentious, though Dineen suggested that Gerbe’s telling of it was likely cleaned up for a family audience. It was blunt, Dineen can flip on any NHL game and find a player he once coached in Dineen said. It packed a punch. the past 15 years spent in the Anaheim, Buffalo and Chicago organizations. But Gerbe is the source of enormous pride, he said. “Gerbs would get pissed off at guys in practice and he’d really get going,” Dineen said. “Somebody else would get called up (to Buffalo) and he’d “He came back that next year (2009-10), and oh, God, he would be piss be fucking nasty for three days, so I knew he had that in his personality. guys off,” Dineen said. “We’d play Lowell (affiliate for New Jersey) and It just wasn’t transferring to the games. they’d get so angry they literally couldn’t even function.

“My point to him was, why not use that to your advantage and play that “I’ve watched Gerbs throughout his career. He’s squeezed everything he way?” could out of his body, and he’s not done yet. It’s been great watching him this season, how he’s really helped that Columbus team and really re- There was more. Dineen went through some of the previous AHL rookies established himself. of the year to prove another point. Shane Willis, Ryan Kraft, Brett Sterling and Darren Haydar could all have been on this list, players whose “We’re in the entertainment business, and, let’s be honest, it’s pretty careers peaked in the AHL. damn entertaining watching a guy who’s not of great stature, go into the corner and coming out with the puck against a much bigger, stronger Dineen was asked to recreate this part of his message to Gerbe. man.”

“‘Way to go, you’re rookie of the year! Congratulations! That’s great. Gerbe was coached by Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay), David Quinn (New Heck of an honor. Let’s go back and take a look at the last 10 guys in the York Rangers) and John Hynes (Nashville) during his youth, before he American League who were rookies of the year. Let’s see how many of even made it to Boston College to learn from the legendary Jerry York. those guys went on to have long, successful careers. Yeah! Way to go! So what? What are you going to do now?’ Then he stepped into the pros where he’s worked with Dineen, , … “It would have been along those lines.” “I’ve been incredibly fortunate,” Gerbe said. “I mean, that’s quite a list.” Gerbe grew up with a hard-ass father, Joe, whose motivational tactics were legendary, if not worrisome. Joe Gerbe would make him run the Dineen, Tortorella and Hynes all ranked above the others for their level of final few miles home if he didn’t think he played hard enough in that intensity. Hynes was his own special kind of crazy, he said. night’s game. “When I played for the (U.S. National Team Development Program in 2003-04), we finished second place at some tournament,” Gerbe said. “And we skated the next day, goal line to goal line, with him smashing the second-place trophy at center ice. Just destroying it. He was an intense guy.

“I feel like Torts and I see things pretty similarly. I have been so thankful to be coached by him and be around him. The passion he brings, but also the respect he has to talk with people and be honest. He can be confrontational, but why not get it out in the open now instead of letting it fester. I really admire Torts.”

But Dineen was Gerbe’s first pro coach … and his first pro coach to really make an impact. The way he plays has made him a fan favorite wherever he’s played … Buffalo, Carolina, and now Columbus.

Gerbe has brought Nationwide Arena to its feet several times this season with chants of “Gerbe! Gerbe! Gerbe!”

“I feel like I’ve learned something at every stop,” Gerbe said. “My ears are always listening, because there’s just so much you can learn from some of the people I’ve been around. But Kevin Dineen is a big one for me.

“His coaching — and, yeah, that meeting — is something I’ll always remember.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181487 Dallas Stars successfully killed five penalties, and Gurianov led forwards in 5 on 5 ice time.

At the time, that would hardly qualify as a footnote in Gurianov’s story. Stars’ Best of the Season: Denis Gurianov flies by Montreal in precursor But that was under coach Jim Montgomery, before Gurianov’s ice time to rest of year became a topic of conversation with interim head coach Rick Bowness.

A list of the season’s best performances would be incomplete without an In this game, the fact that Gurianov only scored two goals is actually appearance from the Stars’ breakout star of the season and the team’s pretty surprising. Look at how many chances he had to score before he leading goal-scorer. even scored one goal that night. There’s enough to make a full 92- second montage of Gurianov either creating a scoring chance or trying to by zoomng through the neutral zone. By Matthew DeFranks 7:54 PM on Mar 23, 2020 That’s five rush chances and a couple other ones that didn’t connect. Looking back at the game, it was a harbinger of things to come for Gurianov. He’s always dangerous on the rush, even if he doesn’t score, Things get nostalgic pretty quickly without sports. and his speed cannot often be matched by opposing defensemen. That Games from weeks ago feel years ago, performances from months ago was obvious in this game, and it became more obvious across the rest of feel decades ago. For the Stars, as the NHL’s pause due to the COVID- the season. 19 pandemic reaches its second week, standout performances feel even In addition to scoring twice, Gurianov helped the Stars draw three longer, having endured a season-long, six-game losing streak prior to the penalties (either directly or indirectly). He was slashed on a breakaway season’s suspension. that led to his penalty shot. He drew this tripping call on Jordan Weal in And so the nostalgia has intensified. the third period.

In an attempt to quell the bubbling desire for Stars hockey, The News will His forecheck here helped the Stars retain possession and later led to a look back on the top five individual performances of the regular season, cross checking penalty by Ben Chiarot on Jason Dickinson after one that is potentially over due to the coronavirus pandemic. In doing so, Gurianov exited the ice. circumstances were taken into account in addition to the performance: Is Here’s another play likely lost in a stellar game, when Gurianov decides the game’s outcome different without that player’s performance? What at the top of his own circles to race Shea Weber to the opposite happened leading into the game? How does this game fit into the entire hashmarks and battle for a loose puck. The Stars don’t end up winning season’s worth of data? possession, but Gurianov’s speed and forecheck created a mucky exit for The list is subjective, obviously, and there will surely be games not listed Montreal and forced the Canadiens to spend unnecessary time in their here that perhaps should be. Or maybe there are performances here that own end. have been forgotten otherwise. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.24.2020 Before “Good Riddance” or “Graduation (Friends Forever)” play me out, here is No. 5 on the list.

5. Denis Gurianov vs. Montreal (Nov. 2)

Stat line: 2 goals, 7 shots on goal, 8 shot attempts, 2 hits, 1 blocked shot, 14:08 total time on ice.

Game result: Stars 4, Canadiens 1, Stars record moves to 7-8-1.

A list of the season’s best performances would be incomplete without an appearance from the Stars’ breakout star of the season and the team’s leading goal-scorer. While Denis Gurianov has scattered standout games across the 69-game regular season, this one stands out.

In his game against Montreal, Gurianov scored on a penalty shot and again on the power play (on a deft feed from Roope Hintz). It was his second two-goal game of the season and seemed to provide some legitimacy to the thought that Gurianov would become a major contributor to the organization.

Remember, at the time in November, Gurianov was less than a month removed from not being on the power play to open the season, being a healthy scratch after three games and then sent down to AHL affiliate Texas. So the player we now see as a 20-goal scorer was not a guaranteed thing in the 16th game of the regular season.

Add in that this game was the second half of a back-to-back with an earlier 6 p.m. start time (after traveling back from Colorado the night before), and Gurianov’s game looks even better.

If we start with the stat line itself, it’s pretty impressive on its own. The seven shots on goal signal heavy involvement in the offense. The two goals obviously display finishing ability. Independently, those are noteworthy. But together?

In Stars franchise history, here is the list of rookies with two goals and seven shots on goal in the same game: Dino Ciccarelli, Jamie Benn, Miro Heiskanen and Gurianov. A Hall of Famer, the current Stars captain, a certain future Norris Trophy candidate and Gurianov. Not bad company to be in.

The time on ice is also intriguing and not because Gurianov played 14:08. It’s intriguing because the Stars were on the penalty kill for 8:49 against Montreal (and went a perfect 5 for 5), and Gurianov led all Stars forwards with 12:46 of 5 on 5 ice time. Yes, that is correct. The Stars 1181488 Dallas Stars out his junior career. The timing would have worked, and Jamie would have been a freshman with him. It would have worked perfectly that way.”

How school got in the way of Jamie Benn becoming an all-time great in It’s a fascinating what-if for the Nanooks, who ended up not getting either Alaska Benn brother on campus.

During the 2006-07 season, Jamie and Jordie were teammates on the By Sean Shapiro Mar 23, 2020 Victoria Grizzlies in the British Columbia Hockey League, a Junior “A” league, and the younger Benn had 65 points in 53 regular-season games as one of the youngest players on the team. That put Benn further on the radar for NHL scouts. The Stars took him in the fifth round in 2007, which The page is still live on the University of Alaska Fairbanks website. led to a hard push from the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets to get him to follow On Nov. 9, 2006, 17-year-old Jamie Benn signed a national letter of that path. intent to play for the Nanooks. The WHL option afforded Benn the flexibility to jump to a higher level That story, with an awkwardly cropped and grainy photo at the top, is a right away without educational hurdles, and Jamie Benn was sold on digital reminder of how the Dallas Stars captain could have been one of Kelowna as the more-direct path to playing in the NHL. the greatest players in program history. “We were finishing up school together because we didn’t have the best “It’s been a long time now, wow,” Tavis MacMillan, Alaska’s head coach grades in high school,” Jordie Benn said. “He came into our study hall or at the time, said last week. “With the type of player he was and is, he whatever you want to call it and came in one morning, and he looked at would have been great (at Alaska) for sure. No doubt about it, his goal- me and I said, ‘Where are your books?’ And he said, I don’t have ’em, I’m scoring alone would have been a force (in college hockey).” going to the WHL, I can’t do this schooling stuff anymore.”

Most NHL players have at least considered playing college hockey. Tyler When asked about college vs the junior route earlier this season, Jamie Seguin, for example, has said that he would have heavily considered simply said, “the WHL was just going to be a much better path for me.” attending the University of Michigan if he went the NCAA route. “He would have been one of the best,” MacMillan said of Jamie Benn. But few players get as far as actually committing and signing a letter of “We had had a pretty good run of players from Victoria at that time, but intent before de-committing like Benn did. obviously he was a special player. Just his goal-scoring ability alone and his ability to shoot the puck.” If you are building an all-time de-commit line, Benn fills in nicely on the left wing next to Eric Lindros (Michigan) and Patrick Kane (Boston Jordie never de-committed from Alaska, but he signed an ECHL contract University). Jeremy Roenick spent four days at Boston College but never with the Victoria Salmon Kings at the end of his junior eligibility, a move played a game. that put him on a pro patch to navigate AA-level hockey before eventually working his way up to a respectable NHL career. MacMillan was the head coach who secured Benn’s commitment, and it was a family push that got the younger Benn brother to commit to Alaska. “School is very important, I know that now. And being a stubborn kid like most kids are, they don’t see the benefit of school,” Jordie Benn said. The Nanooks had been working on recruiting Jordie Benn when a friend “And that’s what I saw when I was young. in the junior hockey community told MacMillan, “You know, the little brother is going to be better, you should probably also talk to him.” This “Now that I look back I wish that I did go to school and got my education, put the wheels in motion for MacMillan in his attempt to recruit the then- but it’s worked out so far for us. So we’ll be alright.” 16-year-old forward, who was playing for the Peninsula Panthers in the The Athletic’s Thomas Drance contributed to this story Vancouver Island Junior “B” Hockey League. The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 On Feb. 11, 2006, MacMillan took a red-eye flight from Fairbanks to Seattle after his team defeated Bowling Green 3-1 to complete a series sweep. The next morning, he met with Jordie, Randy and Heather Benn in Victoria and then drove three hours north to watch Jamie play in person for the Panthers in Campbell River, BC.

“I drove through a rainstorm, and I think he had a hat trick in the first two periods,” MacMillan said. “He was big-time. He was dynamite. This was a no-brainer, and I phoned one of our assistant (coaches) that we have to go after both brothers, not just Jordie.”

MacMillan was back in Fairbanks on Monday, Feb. 13 and running practice.

“That was a whirlwind trip, I’ll always remember that about when we were trying to recruit the Benn brothers,” MacMillan said.

MacMillan also remembers it wasn’t just a question of recruiting Jamie Benn, but whether Benn would end up pursuing a future in hockey or baseball.

“Jamie was still a pretty big baseball player,” MacMillan said. “His passion at that time was still in baseball, and he wasn’t sure the direction he wanted to go.”

But Alaska would have offered Benn the chance to be a two-sport athlete, at least initially. He would have been able to play college hockey during the school year and planned to compete in the Alaskan Summer League, an amateur college summer league that allowed players to retain NCAA eligibility.

Soon after watching Jamie play in person, MacMillan was able to secure Jordie’s NCAA commitment. Roughly eight months later, Jamie signed his letter of intent.

“There was some factor there, and the brothers certainly liked playing together,” MacMillan said. “I remember Jordie asked us if he could play out his junior career and come to college when he was 21 and finished 1181489 Detroit Red Wings

How Detroit Red Wings fared in 50 simulations of 2020 NHL draft lottery

Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free PressPublished 6:02 a.m. ET March 23, 2020

A look at Detroit Red Wings recent first-round draft picks. Wochit

It has been a terrible season for the Detroit Red Wings.

They clinched last place in the NHL — just before the novel coronavirus pandemic put the season on hold — with 11 games to go and a record of 17-49-5 for 39 points. Ottawa is 30th with 62 points.

The Red Wings' goal differential of minus-122 is 70 goals worse than the next-worst team.

But here's the good news: With the worst record in the league comes the No. 1 spot heading into the 2020 NHL draft lottery.

That gives the Wings an 18.5% chance of landing the top pick, and guarantees they'll be picking in the top four.

The Red Wings selected Moritz Seider with the No. 6 overall pick in 2019.

The lottery is for the 15-non playoff teams, and uses a weighted system that gives better odds to the worst teams. A machine spits out lottery balls to determine which teams get the top three picks in the upcoming NHL draft, then the remaining picks are ordered in reverse of the standings. Find the pick odds here.

Alexis Lafreniere, an 18-year-old forward who plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, which was scheduled for June 26-27.

Alexis Lafreniere of the Rimouski Oceanic skates during a QMJHL game Oct. 18, 2019 in Quebec City.

Who knows when we'll have the draft lottery, as it would have to come after the conclusion of the regular season. It had been tentatively set for April 9, but that's postponed, of course.

If the season were to continue, NHL teams have between 11-14 games remaining on the schedule (crosses fingers).

But with plenty of time to kill, we headed to tankathon.com, and simulated the lottery 50 times as if the season was finished. Here's what happened:

Our lottery winners

The Senators won the lottery the most, thanks to having the No. 2 and 3 overall picks. If the season ended today, they'd have a 25% chance to win the lottery, thanks to the Erik Karlsson trade in 2018 with San Jose.

Where Red Wings finished

*Hover over results — click for mobile — with mouse/finger for more info

The Wings won the lottery on simulations: 1, 5, 8, 34, 41, 43, 44.

In our experiment, the Wings underperformed their odds at winning the No. 1 pick — they were expected to win 9.25 times in 50 spins. But as expected, they landed most often at No. 4.

What does it all mean? Set low expectations for whenever the lottery begins.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181490 Detroit Red Wings points (13 assists) in 25 games for Moncton, who acquired McIsaac at the trade deadline.

“It’s unfortunate for Jared because his Moncton team was one of the best Red Wings pleased with prospects' late-season flourish in (Canada) and they had a chance to win the (Memorial Cup),” Horcoff said. “He’s going to get another summer of conditioning and training and get stronger.” Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 4:16 p.m. ET March 23, 2020 | Updated 4:31 p.m. ET March 23, 2020 ► Gustav Berglund, defenseman, Frolunda (Sweden): A sixth-round pick last June, Berglund progressed steadily and gave the Wings plenty of optimism, given his size (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and mobility.

Detroit — This hockey season might or might not be done in terms of the “Being drafted in the later rounds, you never know what to expect from NHL. There’s still a glimmer of hope the Red Wings could be returning at those guys,” Horcoff said. “He’s a bigger defenseman, skates and some point, but that glimmer grows more faint each passing day. defends well, and has a bit of grit to his game.

But the junior and college ranks are done, and the Red Wings’ prospects “He’s raw, and it’s going to take time, but he does have potential.” are sitting tight and looking toward the future. Detroit center Chase Pearson had eight points in his final 12 games with Red Wings defenseman prospect Moritz Seider collected 22 points in 49 the . games with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. ► Chase Pearson, center, Grand Rapids: In his rookie pro season, The promising thing for the Wings’ organization is the strong finish by Pearson had eight points in the Griffins’ last 12 games and playing his some of the young players. best all-around hockey.

There will be plenty of time ahead to analyze more of the Wings’ recent At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Pearson has the size and versatility to become draft picks. But it’s interesting to note right now, a handful of players were a solid top-9 NHL forward if he continues to develop. playing some of their best hockey of this season — putting exclamation points on fine seasons — when the coronavirus pandemic ended “One thing he learned is it’s hard to create offense in the AHL, you don’t everyone’s hockey schedule. get the same amount of touches you did or the quality of chances you did in college,” Horcoff said. “For him, it’s just a matter of we are working on Shawn Horcoff, the Red Wings’ director of player development, identified his offensive game and trying to get him into situations where he can some of the organization’s late-season risers. create more chances for him.”

► Albert Johansson, defenseman, Farjestad (Sweden): The 2019 ► Moritz Seider, defenseman, Grand Rapids: June’s first-round pick was second-round pick played for one of the Sweden’s best teams and was impressive for the majority of the season, and after returning from a mid- getting plenty of ice time, ending things with five points in his final four body injury for the final two games the Griffins played, Seider averaged games. 25 minutes and had a pair of assists.

The speculation that the Wings might be getting a steal with Johansson, “He played every situation and had become our go-to defenseman in the considering where they selected him, appears to be correct. AHL,” Horcoff said. “He has a real bright future. We’re real happy with how his first year (in pro) went.” “He really did (have a good season),” Horcoff said. “We’re very happy to get him where we did in the draft. He’s such a great, elite skater. As the Detroit News LOADED: 03.24.2020 season went on, he flourished with more ice time.”

Johansson is 6 feet, 160 pounds, only about an inch taller and five pounds heavier since the Wings drafted him, but there’s no rush. Johansson has time to develop.

“The growing is the key thing,” Horcoff said. “He’s adding weight.”

Joe Veleno was a first-round pick by the Red Wings in 2018.

► Joe Veleno, center, Grand Rapids (AHL): The Wings’ second first- round pick in 2018, Veleno was in the process of his completing his first pro season and was looking like a different player from the first half of the season.

Veleno’s overall game took off after he returned from a stellar performance during the holidays at the world junior championships for Canada.

The confidence and assertiveness in Veleno’s game was more evident, Horcoff said.

“The kid played really well the second half,” Horcoff said. “His game was starting to come on since he came from from world juniors. We really put a lot of focus on his defensive game. By the time Christmas hit, he was real comfortable and didn’t focus or think about it so much. Things were coming naturally to him.

“I’m happy with how his game came along. It’s not easy for a 19-year-old to play in the AHL, and he was playing in all situations.”

► Antti Tuomisto, defenseman, Assat (Finland): Tuomisto had 49 points in 48 games and was voted his league’s best defenseman and player in Finland. The Wings’ second-round pick last June (35th overall) is 6-foot- 4, 194-pounds, and will play college hockey at Denver next autumn.

“He had a fantastic year; going to Denver next year, which is perennially one of the best programs in the nation, he’s in a real good spot,” Horcoff said.

► Jared McIsaac, defenseman, Moncton (Quebec junior league): The 2018 second-round pick was returning from shoulder surgery and had 17 1181491 Detroit Red Wings “Up and down season,” Horcoff said. “At times good, other times struggled. Maturity is an issue. Needs to get in the gym. He plays a North American style, , in your face, brings a lot of different elements.”

Red Wings prospects might be done for season, so here’s how they Taro Hirose, RW, Grand Rapids (AHL) fared Drafted: Free agent (2019)

Detroit -- GP: 23 G: 2 A: 5 PT: 7 By Ansar Khan Grand Rapids -- GP: 35 G: 5 A: 22 PT: 27

He was tied for third in points with the Griffins after struggling the first For Detroit Red Wings prospects in the junior ranks, college, the AHL part of the season in Detroit. and Europe, their seasons have either been paused or are done due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hirose continued to display good hands and an ability to make teammates better with his vision, hockey sense and playmaking ability. All of these young players might have played their final game this He needs to add strength and develop a little more of a shooting season. mentality to work his way back into the NHL.

“Certainly, there’s some potential for development to have been stalled,” Albert Johansson, D, Farjestads Jr. (Sweden) Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "There was in (Grand Rapids) a potential playoff run, and there’s development involved in that. When you Drafted: 2019 (60th) go through experiences in life, you have the opportunity to grow. You don’t always, it’s up to you a little bit, but you have the opportunity to GP: 42 G: 2 A: 11 PT: 13 grow, both from good and bad experiences. He is described as being an elite skater with offensive potential, "Right now there’s no day to day experience. So for kids in college, for someone who sees the ice well. He surprised many by earning a spot in kids in pro, there isn’t that developmental opportunity." the men’s league after starting the season with the junior team.

Making matters worse, their training regimens are disrupted due to “He had a great year, finished with five points in four games,” Horcoff closures of team and exercise facilities. said. “He was starting to play his best hockey, able to get into a nice offensive groove.” “It’s a difficult situation that’s fluid, dealing with prospects in different countries with different regulations,” Shawn Horcoff, Red Wings director Kasper Kotkansalo, D. Boston University () of player development, said. “The main thing is staying safe and following Drafted: 2017 (71st) the guidelines that government is putting together.” GP: 34 G: 0 A: 8 PT: 8 Horcoff provided an update recently on how some of the organization’s top prospects fared this season: A big, stay-at-home defender (6-3, 205) who’s relied upon as a shutdown guy and penalty killer. He will be a senior next year at BU, along with Jonatan Berggren, C, Skelleftea (Sweden) fellow Red Wings prospects Robert Mastrosimone and Ethan Phillips.

Drafted: 2018 (33rd) “Solid season,” Horcoff said. “He’s a defensive defenseman, a great GP: 24 G: 2 A: 10 PT: 12 team player, good leader.”

A skilled center with slick moves, Berggren’s past two seasons have Filip Larsson, G, Grand Rapid (AHL)/Toledo (ECHL) been cut short due to major injuries – his back in 2018-19 and shoulder Drafted: 2016 (167th) surgery this season. He is expected to be ready for the start of next season in Sweden. Grand Rapids -- GP: 7 W-L-OTL: 2-5-0 GAA: 4.01 SV PCT: .843

“He was playing some of his best hockey before the injury,” Horcoff said. Toledo -- GP: 10 W-L-OTL: 4-6-0 GAA: 2.72 SV PCT: .910 “He’ll get healthy and get back.” After outstanding seasons in the USHL (Tri-City) and college (Denver), Dennis Cholowski, D, Grand Rapids (AHL) Larsson had a rough transition to the pros. Hampered by an injury, he got off to a bad start in Grand Rapids and was demoted to Toledo. Drafted: 2016 (20th) Goaltenders generally take longer to develop, so the Red Wings will Grand Rapids -- GP: 30 G: 3 A: 10 PT: 13 continue to be patient with him.

Detroit -- GP: 36 G: 2 A: 6 PT: 8 “It’s been a little bit of a struggle. That doesn’t surprise us much,” Horcoff said. “The jump from college to pros is a tough one.” He has started well the past two seasons, earning an NHL roster spot with a strong training camp. But his defensive struggles prompted a Robert Mastrosimone, LW, Boston University (Hockey East) demotion to Grand Rapids several weeks into the season both years. Drafted: 2019 (54th)

He was up and down multiple times this season. He hasn’t shown GP: 34 G: 7 A: 10 PT: 17 improvement defensively (he was a combined minus-41 in 66 games between Detroit and Grand Rapids). He realizes he needs to be more The Red Wings were pleased with his first year of college. He was one of assertive and play with more intensity but hasn’t been able to show it on the final cuts from the U.S. World Junior team. At 5-10 and 170, he a consistent basis. needs to mature physically to complement what is described as a good hockey mind, compete level and skill-set. He has offensive ability and can play the point on the power play, elements the organization lacks on the blue line. But will the organization “College is not an easy step for a true freshman, having to play against continue to be patient with him or package him in a trade this summer? men,” Horcoff said. “It’s a tough step physically. He needs to have a big summer in the gym and put on strength and go from there.” Albin Grewe, LW, Djurgardens (Sweden) Jared McIsaac, D, Moncton (QMJHL) Drafted: 2019 (66th) Drafted: 2018 (36th) GP: 19 G: 1 A: 0 PT: 1 GP: 28 G: 4 A: 15 PT: 19 A gritty player who forechecks hard, plays physical and gets under the opposition’s skin, his season was split between the men’s league and the He missed the first half of the season due to a shoulder injury but junior club. returned for the World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal with Canada, which boosted his confidence. A two-way defenseman who moves the puck well, competes hard and Givani Smith, RW, Grand Rapids (AHL) plays physical, McIsaac was playing his best hockey after a mid-season trade from Halifax to Moncton. Drafted: 2017 (71st)

“Took a little bit to get his feet under him and get comfortable,” Horcoff Grand Rapids -- GP: 37 G: 9 A: 10 PT: 19 said. “He’s a big-minutes guy -- power play, penalty kill, plays against top Detroit -- GP: 21 G: 2 A: 1 PT: 3 lines.” A big, abrasive forward who goes to the net consistently, Smith showed Chase Pearson, C, Grand Rapids (AHL) positive signs during his stint with the Red Wings.

Drafted: 2015 (140th) “He had a great start (in Grand Rapids); the first half he was probably our GP: 59 G: 8 A: 14 PT: 22 best, most consistent forward,” Horcoff said. “We got a glimpse of the type of NHL player he can be – a pest, brings energy, a good net-front A decent-sized checking-line center (6-2, 200) who brings energy and is guy, can chip in some goals.” hard to play against, he’s solid defensively and a good penalty killer. His biggest task in his first pro season was learning to bring energy and Evgeny Svechnikov, RW, Grand Rapids (AHL) intensity on a nightly basis. Drafted: 2016 (19th)

“Character person, a guy you can trust out there,” Horcoff said. “Has to Grand Rapids -- GP: 51 G: 11 A: 14 PT: 25 work on getting more offensive chances.” Detroit -- GP: 4 G: 0 A: 0 PT: 0 Keith Petruzelli, G, Quinnipiac (ECAC) The club’s top pick in 2016 experienced what Horcoff described as a Drafted: 2017 (88th) “roller coaster year,” after missing all of 2018-19 due to ACL surgery.

GP: 34 W-L-OTL: 21-10-2 GAA: 2.01 SV PCT: .920 Svechnikov had five goals and eight points in a five-game stretch in mid- A big, lanky goaltender (6-5, 185) who blossomed during his third year of February but recorded only two assists in the final 10 games before the college. That’s important for an organization that lacks goaltending depth shutdown. in its pipeline. “Very difficult, took time to get up to speed, had a good stretch then let “He has matured physically and mentally since being drafted,” Horcoff frustration get into his game,” Horcoff said. “He cares, he’s done said. “He understands what kind of commitment it takes. He’s putting in everything we’ve asked of him. The first year coming back from a major the work and getting the results.” injury is difficult. He’ll train in the summer and be back to his normal self next season.” Ethan Phillips, C, Boston University (Hockey East) Svechnikov won’t be exempt from waivers next season, requiring the Drafted: 2019 (97th) Red Wings to keep him on the NHL roster or trade him.

GP: 31 G: 2 A: 8 PT: 10 Antti Tuomisto, D, Assat-Under 20 (Finland Juniors)

He is only 5-9 and 154 pounds, so he obviously needs to add strength, Drafted: 2019 (35th) but he has good hands and a decent shot. He was injured at the end of the season. GP: 48 G: 15 A: 34 PT: 49

“He has a good skill-set, just physically immature, not able to fight A big, two-way right-shooting defenseman (6-4, 194) who plays in all through traffic, 50-50 battles are tough for him,” Horcoff said. situations, he improved his skating and added strength since being drafted. He’ll play at the University of Denver next season. Michael Rasmussen, C, Grand Rapids (AHL) “His season went fantastic,” Horcoff said. “He was the MVP of the J-20 Drafted: 2017 (ninth) league in Finland, voted the best defenseman. He needs a big off-season to work on physical maturity.” GP: 35 G: 7 A: 15 PT: 22 Joe Veleno, C, Grand Rapids (AHL) His first full season in the AHL was hindered by a back injury. After playing mostly on the wing last season with the Red Wings (when he Drafted: 2018 (30th) wasn’t able to play in the AHL due to remaining junior eligibility), he played exclusively at center this season with the Griffins. He projects as GP: 54 G: 11 A: 12 PT: 23 a power-play guy and net-front presence at the NHL level. He got of to a slow start in his first pro season, but winning the gold “Up and down season,” Horcoff said. “Good start, got injured and didn’t medal with Canada at the World Juniors helped his confidence. He have the legs or the confidence he had before. The coaching staff showed signs the second half of the season of becoming the two-way worked hard with him. We worked hard with him. The last 4-5 games he player the Red Wings want to see after being mainly an offensive player started to find his rhythm. He’s young (20), he’s only going to get better. in juniors. He’s really big (6-6, 220) but not physically mature. He needs to improve “He had a good second half after he came back from the World Juniors, his lower-body strength.” had a different confidence about him after winning the gold,” Horcoff said. Moritz Seider, D, Grand Rapids (AHL) “His defensive game has improved; he was more physical. He’s not a light guy, but he’s not a strong guy. He needs to strengthen his upper Drafted: 2019 (sixth) and lower body. He showed great growth his first season.”

GP: 49 G: 2 A: 20 PT: 22 Michigan Live LOADED: 03.24.2020

The club’s top pick in 2019 made a smooth transition from Europe (German League) to North America, raising the organization’s optimism that he’ll be the anchor of their defense corps in the near future.

Seider missed a few games while in concussion protocol in late February/early March but didn’t miss a beat when he returned, playing in three games before the shutdown. The Red Wings were debating whether to get a look at him this season.

“Obviously, he’s had a great year,” Horcoff said. “He’s averaging 23-24 minutes a game the second half of the year, playing in all situations. He’s our No. 1 defenseman down there, someone we lean on big-time. We’re real happy with his development.” 1181492 Edmonton Oilers their cities. They phone the team, they come up with the pick and the commissioner announces it.”

PM: The Oilers have a few drafted players who would have been in the Q&A with Ken Holland as Edmonton Oilers scouts trying to stay busy NCAA Final 16 tournament they could have scouted to see if they wanted before NHL draft to sign them, such as junior centre Aepeli Rasanen and senior winger Graham McPhee, the son of former NHL player George McPhee, at Boston College. Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal KH: “If you’ve drafted a player in the first round or the top 15, you kind of know what you’ve got, but not with players you drafted in the fifth, sixth, seventh rounds, and if he’s a junior or a senior. February and March was Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland is holed up at his the time when we’re getting out to make decisions on whether or not to summer place in Vernon, B.C., while nobody knows when or if the NHL offer a contract. But it’s the same for everybody right now. I’ve talked to will be back up and running the rest of the regular season games or only some agents of (college) players we’ve drafted. Seems like every day the playoffs. there’s a college player or two signing somewhere.” He’s working the phones, talking to his scouts and agents and trying to PM: What are your pro scouts doing? Normally, they would be watching stay safe and well, as the coronavirus grips Europe and North America games, scouting teams the Oilers might play in the playoffs. right now. KH: “We’ve asked them to do video scouting of teams not in their “Hopefully, we can stop the spread and we can get our world back,” said territory. Every Monday we have a conference call and we go over what Holland. “We’re just waiting for direction from health officials, from the the guys have seen (head pro scout Archie Henderson, team pro scouts league, from the world we live in.” Paul Messier, Chris Cichocki and Brad Holland, video coach Jeremy In the meantime, he took the opportunity for a Q&A about how scouting Coupal and manager of analytics Justin Mahe) and the scouts put in their and signing players works at the moment. reports. They’re watching a game or two every day on their TVs for two to three hours. I’m not expecting them to Watch video 10 hours a day, Postmedia: Can the Oilers sign a college free agent already at the 50- because your eyes get bleary and you make stuff up (in the reports).” player maximum signed list? Calgary just signed defencemen Connor Mackey from Minnesota State and Winnipeg Jets’ Tucker Poolman’s Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.24.2020 brother, Colton, from North Dakota.

Ken Holland: “If it was business as normal, where some of the college free-agents come out and they play three or four games right away and run a year off their NHL contract, we couldn’t do that. We’re at our limit for the 2019-20 season. We’re not in that game. But if we want to sign a college player or a European free-agent for the 2020-21 season, we’re fine. As you’ve talked to Brinson Pasichnuk, you know he’s not coming to us.”

PM: What’s the story with Russian winger Anton Slepyshev as to signing him? After a strong season in the KHL, he has been offered a contract, a one-year deal most likely, but the team and the player reportedly aren’t close on the dollars because they’re probably looking at his NHL history: 10 goals in 102 games with the Oilers.

KH: “We still have Slepyshev’s NHL rights and he’s on our (90 player) reserve list, but not signed. We can’t sign him now, not until after this season is done.”

PM: How are you approaching scouting for the June draft, which might be later? How did the cancellation of the world under-18 championships in Michigan and the NCAA tournament hurt things?

KH: “Our plan was to have our European guys come over to Plymouth, (Mich.), and scout that event and (head of amateur scouting) Tyler Wright was going to sit down for three days with those scouts and go over all the European lists. in May, we’d have our meetings with the North American scouts. That plan is very old news now. We crumpled up that plan and threw it in the garbage. Now we’re just waiting.”

PM: The world under-18 championships is the final look scouts get at players going against their peer group, Canada vs. USA, the European teams. It is an excellent tool that’s now gone, though.

KH: “It’s that last opportunity for many players to be on the same stage. Not every Canadian plays because the team is of players on teams out of the playoffs in the CHL, but I went over to Europe last year and saw Dylan Cozens on the same sheet of ice with Europeans. Every scout and team knows who the best players are and how they’re dialled in by January, but it’s one final chance to see kids against their age group. Sometimes you can see a player who’s been hurt during the season, Hendrix Lapierre, (concussion), or a player who’s worked his way up the draft board. The world under-18s is another evaluation for us. Scouting is not an exact science; we’re trying to predict the future of an 18-year-old.”

PM: There will be a draft though, right?

KH: “We’ll have to see what the world’s like in four, six, 10, 12 weeks. Right now we’re all in our own houses but in time certainly there could be a video or phone draft. We could run it like the NFL draft where they hold it someplace but the decision makers are in a team war room back in 1181493 Edmonton Oilers Khaira and 6-foot-4 Daniil Zharkov. Once the Oilers passed on Gustafsson it became clear that the gesture had been an empty one.

Berglund, in contrast, has NHL size, coming in at 6-foot-2 and 209 Does Filip Berglund’s new SHL contract mean he’s done with the Oilers? pounds. In my intermittent viewings, I’ve been impressed by his strength, his ability to win puck battles and his passing game. The knock against him in the games I’ve seen has been mediocre skating, in particular By Jonathan Willis Mar 23, 2020 below average acceleration.

“Berglund’s a big guy,” Oilers executive Bob Green said after the team drafted him in 2016. “He missed part of last year and went through the The Oilers have until June 1 to sign Filip Berglund or they will lose their draft. He’s a big right-hand shot defenceman, can really move the puck, rights to the 2016 third-rounder. What then does the news late last week good hockey sense and put up good numbers this year in the Swedish that he has signed a two-year contract with Linkoping of the SHL mean junior league. (We) just really like his upside and the puck-moving ability for his future in Edmonton? he has.” The first and most important point is that the contract doesn’t mark the Given the shift in how defence is played in the NHL, it’s more difficult definite end of the relationship between Berglund and the Oilers. than ever for a slower prospect to get by with size. Berglund has the Irritatingly, the texts of the player transfer agreements between the NHL advantage of being a reasonably skilled puck possession player, which and other leagues are not in the public domain, which means it’s makes it easier. He also benefits — though perhaps less with the Oilers necessary to try and find precedents for any given situation. In than he might elsewhere — from being a right shot. Berglund’s case there are a few, including one Edmonton fans know well: The most illuminating public comments from Edmonton on Berglund’s Joakim Nygard. development since draft day have come from Scott Howson. Howson has In January 2019, Nygard signed a three-year extension with his SHL since been elected the president of the AHL, but prior to that he was team, Farjestad. In the official team press release, Nygard stated that it responsible for keeping tabs on players drafted by the Oilers outside of was still his goal to play in the NHL, something which would have been their farm system. hard to accomplish had he stayed in Sweden through the age of 29. The “(Berglund is) in a good spot,” he told Bob Stauffer in December 2018. next day, Swedish journalist Uffe Bodin included him on a list of players “His game grows every year. Last year he took on more of a defensive potentially ready to sign with NHL teams. role, which was sort of surprising to us because when he was drafted we “As it stands of now, the agreement between the Swedish Hockey saw this puck-moving offensive defenceman … Federation and the NHL gives SHL players the opportunity to get out of “They’re giving him some power play time as well as the penalty killing. their SHL deals if they sign an NHL deal,” Bodin wrote. “So there’s that.” He’s clearly top-four. He plays 18, 19, 20 minutes a night, which is good Sure enough, Nygard signed with the Oilers that summer, three-year there because they really spread the ice time around. He’s signed there Swedish contract notwithstanding. for another year after this one. We would have the option to sign him and bring him over if we wanted to. We haven’t decided what we’re going to Thus Berglund’s new two-year deal, which appears set to reunite him do. He hasn’t decided what he wants to do. Whatever happens it’s a with former youth coach (and Edmonton defenceman) Bert Robertsson, good place, if he stays there it’s a good place for him.” does not necessarily mean he won’t sign an entry-level deal with the Oilers. It also doesn’t preclude him from signing with another NHL team Berglund’s ice time dipped slightly this year compared to last season, but after June 1. It simply means that if he stays in Europe, he’ll be playing his point totals nearly doubled from 11 to 20, more in line with for Linkoping. Edmonton’s projection of him as a puck-moving defenceman. When Howson spoke to Stauffer again in January of this year, he was asked He certainly appears to be a good fit for a role in the Oilers organization, whether Berglund was on the radar to be signed and his answer was even if only at the AHL level to start. revealing.

It’s intriguing to compare him to former Oilers prospect Erik Gustafsson, “Definitely he is. We’ve got a decision to make on him. If we don’t sign drafted four years prior to Berglund at almost the same spot and also as him by May we lose his rights, or June 1 (it is June 1) I think. His game an overage defenceman. has really grown, Bob. He’s now an all-situations defenceman with Skellefta. He plays on the power play, he kills penalties. He’s clearly a Gustafsson, who the Oilers declined to sign, eventually joined the top-four if not a top-two on the team. He’s playing with (Oilers first- Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. He spent most of two years in the minors, rounder) Philip Broberg. They’re partners right now as we speak today; graduated to the NHL in 2017-18 and had a 60-point season on their blue they’ve gone on and off being partners. line last year. A pending free agent this summer, Chicago flipped him to Calgary for a third-round pick at the trade deadline. “He’s a guy that has improved his skating. That was the big issue with him coming out of his draft year, could he skate? He’s improved his It was a costly and unforced error. It tends to get overlooked in Oilers skating, it’s more than adequate now at that level and he’s a guy we’re history. After all, by the time the error was inarguable, the GM who had going to have to decide on. He’s certainly put himself in a position to get made it (Craig MacTavish) was no longer calling the shots and his strong consideration.” replacement was offering up more recent mistakes of even greater magnitude. That’s something less than a commitment but suggests the Oilers have interest in a guy who has developed into a quality prospect. Yet it’s not Statistically, Berglund and Gustafsson look more similar than different. In solely their decision; Berglund too will have a choice to make. his 22-year-old season, Gustafsson averaged 19:15 per game and recorded 29 points in 55 contests. Berglund trails that only slightly: he Berglund, wherever he signs, will almost certainly be looking at a year on had 20 points in 52 games and averaged 18:20 per contest. the farm, and Bakersfield has a few things to recommend it.

Skating is the key skill that separates the two. Outside of a demonstrated ability to develop defencemen, the Condors offer a lot of opportunity on the right side. Joel Persson is gone. Ethan Gustafsson’s mobility distinguished him from others when he attended Bear has graduated and Evan Bouchard appears set to follow him. That Edmonton’s summer prospects camp. Quick moving and quick thinking, leaves Logan Day as the only right-shot defenceman on the team with an the knock against him was size (he’s listed today at 6-foot and 197 NHL contract, and it’s far from certain that Day will be re-signed when his pounds) and strength. That assessment by the Oilers failed to deal ends this summer. acknowledge his innate competitiveness and failed to foresee the direction of the modern game. The Oilers could use a plug-and-play prospect for the farm, and Berglund’s established level of ability in Sweden makes him the best Gustafsson had been a gesture to skill in a brawn-heavy 2012 class. candidate within the system. Whether that actually happens is still an Between consensus first overall pick Nail Yakupov —⁠ and amid open question. June 1 remains the key date for Edmonton to get him persistent rumours that 6-foot-4, 212-pound defender Griffin Reinhart signed. was favoured by some of the team’s scouts —⁠ and Gustafsson the Oilers had loaded up on size and strength: 6-foot-3 Mitch Moroz, 6-foot-4 Jujhar The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181494 Edmonton Oilers The numbers from last season indicated how much better Draisaitl was with McDavid than without him.

In almost 806 minutes together at 5-on-5, the pair managed a 50.7 CF%, Evolution of a star: Why Leon Draisaitl was our Hart pick 56.4 GF% and 50.3 xGF%. Sans McDavid, Draisaitl fell to a 44.6 CF%, 37 GF% and 45 xGF% in just over 572 minutes. Just as notably, McDavid was only slightly better away from Draisaitl – 48.8 CF%, 39.2 By Daniel Nugent-Bowman Mar 23, 2020 GF% and 45.8 xGF% in 557 minutes.

A below-average lineup made driving a line without the support of the other player a Herculean task. Tippett hoped his new boss, GM Ken After a breakout 2018-19 campaign – which saw him finish as the NHL’s Holland, would strengthen the team enough to make splitting them at only 50-goal, 100-point player – Leon Draisaitl set a high standard for times possible – especially as the season moved along. himself to surpass entering this season. Draisaitl played 89 percent of his 5-on-5 ice time with McDavid for the But the man who coached him then with the Oilers had no doubt he’d first two months of the season. The duo excelled offensively, with reach another level. Draisaitl bettering the Oilers captain in goals (12), primary assists (14) “You could see it coming. You could really see it coming,” Ken Hitchcock and points (29). They outscored the opposition 30-20 in almost 410 said, who is currently a consultant with the team. “I don’t think there was minutes together even if their underlying numbers – 47.9 CF%, 50 xGF% any question that he was going to get there. – were far from exceptional.

“He’s too dynamic. He’s too strong. He’s too determined.” They further padded their stats thanks in part to one of the NHL’s all-time best power plays. McDavid held the edge through the end of November Draisaitl is The Athletic’s 2019-20 Hart Trophy winner, receiving 39 in goals (19-16) and points (49-48) in all situations, although Draisaitl had percent of the votes from 41 writers and finishing just ahead of five more primary assists (23-18). Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon (32 percent). With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (wrist) and Zack Kassian (back) out of the The Rangers’ Artemi Panarin (17 percent), the Bruins’ David Pastrnak lineup, Tippett decided to have Draisaitl centre his own line more often in (seven percent) and the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck (five percent) were the December. others receiving votes (only one player could appear on each ballot cast). The initial results weren’t promising. Draisaitl almost identically split his While last season was exceptional for Draisaitl, this season was a cut 216 minutes at 5-on-5 away from and with McDavid. The Oilers were above. outscored in that situation 9-1 with them apart and 14-2 when they were together. Although Draisaitl recorded seven goals and 14 points in as Draisaitl was leading the NHL in scoring with 110 points when the season many games, the Oilers endured their worst month of the season (5-8-1). was suspended on March 12 due to concerns over COVID-19. He was 13 points ahead of teammate Connor McDavid, 15 points clear of “We got to December and we were struggling, and Draisaitl was Pastrnak and Panarin and 17 points up on MacKinnon in the Art Ross struggling a little bit. You’re trying to find solutions,” Tippett said. “It gave Trophy race. He was also fourth in goals with 43. us the avenue to split them up and see what we could do.”

The impressive offensive totals were one thing. But there was more to it As the calendar flipped to 2020, Tippett put Draisaitl between Nugent- than that as Draisaitl took the next step in his burgeoning career. Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto – the latter a 2017 first-round pick fresh off a call-up. “The comment from (Oilers coach) Dave Tippett (was) … ‘When there’s a job to be done on the ice and I’m looking down the bench, more often The members of the trio played together almost exclusively over the last than not that’s the guy I’m kicking in the butt to go out there and do the 29 games. The exceptions were due to a three-game ankle injury job,’” Sportsnet’s Oilers colour analyst Louie DeBrusk said last Friday on absence from Yamamoto and Tippett moving Nugent-Hopkins onto The Athletic Edmonton’s The Oil Can podcast. McDavid’s line for March 7 and 11 games.

“That, to me, is a complete player.” The line was one of the NHL’s most productive during that span. Draisaitl had nine goals and 25 points at 5-on-5. Nugent-Hopkins scored 11 goals No NHL forward was on the ice more than Draisaitl in 2019-20. He and matched Draisaitl’s point output, whereas Yamamoto had 25 points averaged 22:37 – or 45 seconds more per game than McDavid – while in 26 games. suiting up in all 71 of his team’s contests. “Nuge struggled with the wrist injury most of the year,” Tippett said. “It While Tippett decreased his short-handed ice time, Draisaitl still played was something that just wasn’t allowing him to dig in on faceoffs as much 69 minutes on the penalty kill – good for fifth on the Oilers among as he would like. forwards. (He played 95 minutes on the PK last season.) “Once Yamamoto came up, it gave us a little more balance there and Because of his team-leading 52.1 faceoff percentage, Tippett relied on somebody that Draisaitl could really click with. The two of them have him more than any other forward when Edmonton was outnumbered by taken off and Nuge was a part of that, too. two skaters. “It gave Leon the confidence that he could drive his own line.” The Oilers’ penalty kill has improved to second overall from second-last, a large reason why the team was tracking toward a playoff berth before Without McDavid in 2020, Draisaitl had a 51.6 CF% and a 59.3 xGF% at the league’s hiatus. 5-on-5. The Oilers outscored the opposition 31-14 in almost 451 minutes.

Draisaitl also led the Oilers to a respectable 3-2-2 record when McDavid Draisaitl and McDavid have spent less than 37 minutes together at 5-on- was sidelined due to injury and illness in February and March, helping 5 since Jan. 1. That ice time has mostly been reserved for a shift after an the team collect eight of a possible 14 points. Draisaitl had four goals and Edmonton penalty expires, late in a period or if the Oilers are pressing for 12 points in those seven games. a goal in the third period.

“Leon wants to have an impact on the game however he can,” Tippett “When Leon and Connor are together, they have a tendency to look for said. “He stepped out into not just a good player with a lot of points – but each other a lot. There’s a dependency on each other,” Tippett said. a good player with a lot of points who helps the team win.” “When you take one of those away, now that option isn’t there. So, they look for other options, which can be a benefit. Hired in May, Tippett entered the season planning to keep Draisaitl with McDavid – just as Hitchcock did for most of his 62 games behind the “Both of those players are top players that have the ability to make other bench. people around them better. The benefit is our team ended up being better with them apart than it did with them together.” Tippett was an assistant coach on Team North America at the 2016 and compared putting Draisaitl, a natural The Oilers have gone 16-8-5 in 2020 with Draisaitl’s line leading the way. centreman, next to McDavid to the trying the same thing with Auston Matthews. Draisaitl had 48 points over those 29 games. Nugent-Hopkins had 37 points. Yamamoto put up 25 points in three fewer contests. McDavid recorded 33 points in 22 games. However, just 17 of those points came at 5-on-5 as he was asked to rotate through a cast of wingers. McDavid was on the ice for 18 goals for and against and managed a 47.8 CF% and a 47.6 xGF% at full strength with inferior wingers while still facing tough matchups.

“Him and Connor together are almost unstoppable. That’s pretty dynamic,” Hitchcock said referring to Draisaitl. “But I think his emergence coincides with his play, plus Connor getting all the attention as far as the other team goes.

“You can’t check two lines. A lot of teams make the decision that Connor gets the hard match. Leon has been able to really take advantage of that mostly with his work. Leon’s line has been able to pin the opposition in the defensive zone.”

A comment like that makes it seem like Draisaitl is a beneficiary of McDavid, but Hitchcock insists that’s not the case. “That’s not realistic at all,” he said. “They can both carry their own weight easily.”

Draisaitl isn’t playing second fiddle in Edmonton, Tippett said. McDavid’s offensive ability is obvious; the way opponents worry about him is “immeasurable.” Draisaitl certainly has offensive chops, too, but also impacts more areas of the ice.

“He’s drafted third overall for a reason. He’s a top, top player. To say he is where he is because of Connor is 100 percent false,” Tippett said. “He’s an outstanding player in his own right.

“Two of them have the same will to win and understand there’s different things you have to do to win. Putting up points together is sometimes not the solution. It’s winning together. That might mean they have to be apart.”

The Oilers are a deeper team up front both since 2018-19 and as this season as progressed, Tippett said, which has helped facilitate splitting up McDavid and Draisaitl.

What’s also helped – and what’s helped make him the league’s best player in the eyes of The Athletic’s voters – is Draisaitl has made improvements as a player.

Hitchcock notices it whenever he watches him.

“He doesn’t allow the little things to bother him. He stays diligent in his work. He’s able to play at a high level for an extended period of time,” he said. “You saw signs of that the last 40 games last year. He really turned up the volume. He’s not discouraged physically. He’s not discouraged mentally anymore.

“He has kind of balanced the combination between skill and work – and it’s very impressive to see.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181495 Florida Panthers The Panthers went to Dallas riding a wave of momentum, ready to pick up some more land in the playoff race. The day after the win, the Panthers practiced in north Dallas before taking Wednesday off.

The five biggest moments of the season (so far?) for the Florida Panthers It has turned into a vacation no one wanted.

CHRIS DRIEDGER, PANTHERS NOTCH WIN OF THE SEASON IN ST. By George Richards Mar 23, 2020 LOUIS! #NHL FINAL SCOREBOARD: #FLAPANTHERS 2 AT #STLBLUES 1@FLAPANTHERS IS LIVE ON

FLORIDA & FOX SPORTS GO. HTTPS://T.CO/FY4NBGWCLM SUNRISE, Fla. — Two weeks ago, the Florida Panthers celebrated one PIC.TWITTER.COM/GMVNWYZ02Z of their biggest victories of the season. — FOX SPORTS FLORIDA & SUN (@FOXSPORTSFL) MARCH 10, Trailing 1-0 in the second period to the reigning Stanley Cup champion 2020 Blues, Florida tied the score on a goal from Mike Hoffman then took the The day after beating the Blues, the Panthers were filled with hope. They lead in the third on Brett Connolly’s shot and held on for a huge 2-1 looked like a winning team again. The had a spirited practice with coach victory. Joel Quenneville joking around with his players and snapping shots The Panthers played as complete a game as they had all season, around the ice. blocking 23 shots from the Blues as they bottled up the St. Louis offense The Panthers looked happy to be back in the hunt. and shut down passing lanes, helping clear pucks out of harm’s way in front of goalie Chris Driedger. “It has been fun to watch,” said Driedger, who returned from a rehab stint in the minors after being out with a groin injury since Jan. 16 just a few Little did anyone know, it would be Florida’s last win for quite some time. days before. And maybe the final victory of the season. “I think the guys really built off that Boston game in which we played a The NHL hopes to resume the 2019-20 season at some point, but great game against a really good team. It was a hard game, felt like a because of the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus crisis that has put playoff game, and really carried the momentum forward. … The guys the sports world (and much more) on hold, no one knows what will have been doing everything it takes to win these games, playing the right happen. way.” If the league does pick up where it left off, Florida has 13 games The Return of Q remaining. Perhaps their biggest was scheduled for Monday night in Toronto. Perhaps the highlight of the entire season came in Chicago. Quenneville returned to the city in which he celebrated three Stanley Cup Florida sits just three points back of the Maple Leafs for third in the championships with the Blackhawks, and the Panthers looked like a team Atlantic Division (and the playoff spot which comes with it) as well as headed to the playoffs. three points away from a wild-card position. The demand to speak with Quenneville was so high, the Blackhawks There are a number of contingency plans floating around, including the held a news conference in the NBA visitors’ locker room — a first for a NHL trying to finish the season to perhaps having a playoff play-in which, returning former employee. one would think, would include the Panthers as well as other teams just on the cusp on a playoff spot. The sold-out crowd at United Center roared when Quenneville headed to the bench before the anthem and gave him a rousing ovation when an Of Florida’s remaining games, 10 are against Eastern Conference emotional tribute video was shown during a break in the first period. opponents. “When I left here, the bitterness you thought you would have … there If the NHL can jam in some games to close out the season, travel will be were no such feelings,” Quenneville said afterward. “The memories are an issue. Don’t be surprised if teams only play within their conference in too special.” a condensed end to the regular season.

The NHL could decide, if things clear up later than hoped, that enough CHICAGO GIVES JOEL QUENNEVILLE A VIDEO TRIBUTE SET TO regular-season games have been played and those in the playoffs when "BEHIND BLUE EYES" BY THE WHO; THE CROWD THEN ERUPTS things were put on pause is good enough. WITH A STANDING O! #FLAPANTHERS #ONETERRITORY #NHL PIC.TWITTER.COM/AZAFMB4UL2 Obviously, that would not be good news for the Panthers. — FOX SPORTS FLORIDA & SUN (@FOXSPORTSFL) JANUARY 22, Florida hopes it still has some games left to be played. 2020

Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, out with a lower-body injury since getting hurt On the ice, the Panthers lived up to their hype. in warmups before the Calgary game March 1, posted his own backyard workout regimen through social media. Florida held a 1-0 lead going into the second, and Frank Vatrano scored three goals in the period for his first career hat trick and a 4-1 lead going SERGEI BOBROVSKY: THE MASTER OF THE HOME WORKOUT into the third.

( IG/OLYABOBROVSKY)PIC.TWITTER.COM/KLVYEOLAMG The Panthers held on for a 4-3 victory to extend their season-long winning streak to six games and went into a 10-day break not only — (@HOCKEYNIGHT) MARCH 16, 2020 holding a playoff spot by being in third in the Atlantic, but they also had a We shall see. four-point cushion.

It probably is too early to look back on the Panthers’ season — which is Things went south upon their return, but this night in Chicago, the still incomplete — but what else is going on? Panthers had not looked this good nor were in this fine of shape since they won the Atlantic in 2016. Here are the top five moments of a hopefully still-to-be-decided 2019-20 season for the Panthers: “We have found the recipe for playing the right way and we have been rewarded,” defenseman Anton Stralman said in the emptying United Singing the Blues Center locker room. “We have shown some character. The team has been putting in the work and everyone is fighting for each other. We need The Panthers snapped a franchise-record eight-game home losing streak to carry that over when we come back.” (0-7-1) by beating the Canadiens 4-1 on March 7 and flew to St. Louis the following day. They did not. That is a story for another day.

After getting a point in a hard-fought, 2-1 overtime loss to the division- A grand Sunrise welcome leading Bruins, the Panthers beat the Canadiens and then won in St. Louis, putting them right back in the thick of the playoff race. The season did not start the way the Panthers hoped as host Tampa Bay When the season began, Driedger lost the battle to be Bobrovsky’s scored three in the third period to pull away to a 5-2 victory. backup to Sam Montembeault. By Thanksgiving, Montembeault was sent to the minors and Driedger (who had been lighting it up for the Springfield Two days later, the teams met again in Sunrise for the Panthers’ home Thunderbirds) was brought up. opener and they turned things around. On the night before Thanksgiving, the Panthers played a strong game in Hoffman scored three goals as baseball caps and silicon LED bracelets Washington but lost 4-3 to the Capitals. Quenneville said Bobrovsky the team handed out rained down onto the ice as the Panthers needed to “make timely saves,” and, when the team returned, had celebrated a 4-3 victory. Driedger starting against Nashville on Nov. 30.

“Everything seemed to be working,” Hoffman said. “It is fun to play when Driedger, 25, had spent a few years in the Ottawa organization before everything is going your way. You lick your chops when you get those being cut loose and signed to a minor-league deal by Florida in 2018. opportunities.” Although Driedger had played in three NHL games with the Senators, It was the second career hat trick for Hoffman and the first of five (so this game against Nashville would be his first big-league start. far?) for the Panthers this season as Noel Acciari (twice in consecutive Not a bad way to start. games), Mark Pysyk and Vatrano also joined the club. As Jordan Binnington did the year before for St. Louis, Driedger was in MIKE HOFFMAN (@MHOFFY68) BROUGHT HIS A-GAME WITH THIS complete control in his first outing and earned a 3-0 shutout against the @ENTERPRISE HAT TRICK. #NHLFACEOFF Predators. PIC.TWITTER.COM/MUP2OUYTIB “Honestly, I am speechless at this point,” Driedger said then. “It has been — NHL (@NHL) OCTOBER 6, 2019 a long time coming.”

Milestone nights Driedger lost his next start to Minnesota and Bobrovsky took his net The Panthers had two big nights in which individuals were honored: back, but Driedger played well in just about all of his limited starts and Earlier this month when Roberto Luongo was the first player to have his went into the forced break 7-2-1 with a team-leading 2.05 GAA with number retired by the team, and in January, when Jonathan Huberdeau saves on 94 percent of shots faced. became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. If the Panthers return, Bobrovsky should be ready to get back in, but with Huberdeau, the third pick by the Panthers in the 2011 NHL Draft, made wins in his past two games, Driedger could be the guy who gets the first his debut with the team in the lockout-shortened 2013 season and ended start. up becoming the team’s first winner of the Calder Trophy, which goes to We’ll see what happens. the top rookie. “All of a sudden, there’s an opportunity that he has been put in and we’re Last season, Huberdeau set a career high with 92 points as he and a team fighting to get into the playoffs,” Quenneville said of Driedger the Sasha Barkov became the first players in Panthers history to eclipse the Tuesday before the games were stopped. 90-point mark in the same season. “We know the importance of the goaltending position and that goes to By the time the season was paused, he was on pace for 93. another level when it comes to the playoffs. He is very calm and cool in On Jan. 12, Huberdeau assisted on a goal by Hoffman to pass Olli the net, he’s approaching the challenge and doesn’t flinch. We like the Jokinen with his 420th point as a member of the Panthers. Huberdeau composure he brings.” had a goal and an assist in an 8-4 rout of the Maple Leafs, so he was The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 able to enjoy his special night with a room full of happy teammates.

“I don’t think our team could have played any better,” Huberdeau said. “This was cool.”

Said Jokinen: “When I see him on TV, I do not change the channel. He is an exciting player .. and now you have to look at him as one of the best in the league.”

For Luongo, it was always a “when” and not “if” the Panthers would send his No. 1 to the rafters. After he retired last season (and later joined the team’s front office as an advisor), the Panthers announced he would be feted when his hometown Canadiens came to town in March.

With his family and a host of former teammates on the ice, Luongo shared some laughs and some tears as his number was raised from the ice to the top of the BB&T Center.

It was the last time the Panthers played at home.

“It is fitting he is the first player to have his number retired here,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “He has been a great ambassador for the game and has been great on the ice as well.’’

A smashing debut for Driedger

The Panthers had not only the most exciting offseason in their history, but it could be argued few teams have ever brought in as many key pieces at one time as Florida did.

Not only did the team write a big check to get Quenneville behind its bench, but the Panthers signed two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky to man their net for the biggest contract the team has ever offered at $10 million a season.

Bobrovsky was the headliner in a free-agent class that included Stralman, Acciari, Connolly and, later, Brian Boyle. Bobrovsky was the undisputed starting goalie. There was to be no more goalie controversies in South Florida.

Or so we thought. 1181496 Los Angeles Kings Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.24.2020

NHL says no decisions made on resumption of regular season or playoff format

League's self-isolation mandate was set to expire Friday, but it could be extended

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: March 23, 2020 at 3:57 p.m. | UPDATED: March 23, 2020 at 4:11 p.m.

The NHL couldn’t say Monday whether the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season would be played or what form the Stanley Cup playoffs might take when it’s safe enough to resume play, after the league suspended its season March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The form and format of resumption of play scenarios will depend entirely on what transpires between now and when we are permitted and able to resume – and, ultimately, on timing and taking into account logistical constraints,” the NHL said. “We are going to have to be flexible and react to events and they as unfold as well as the best medical advice available.”

The league posted an updated question-and-answer page on its website, but it was unable to provide definitive answers to many of its questions, including whether play would resume. It also said players should continue to follow local guidelines about social distancing and self- isolation.

For the Ducks, Kings and San Jose Sharks – the NHL’s three California teams – that means they must continue to self-quarantine in accordance with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order issued last week. The league’s self-isolation mandate was set to expire Friday, but it could be extended.

“At the end of the self-quarantine period – and depending on developments regarding COVID-19 between now and then – consideration will be given to allowing the opening of club facilities in scheduled and coordinated small groups for voluntary training and club care,” the league said.

The Ducks and Kings each closed their practice facilities to the public last week in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Local authorities have also closed beaches, hiking trails, parks and other recreational spots in recent days after overcrowding over the weekend.

Monday, the league said it had no plans to test each of its players for COVID-19 and would not do so when play resumes. So far, two unnamed members of the Ottawa Senators are the only NHL players to have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Senators played against the Sharks on March 7 at San Jose’s SAP Center, then the Ducks on March 10 at Honda Center and the Kings on March 11 at Staples Center. The Sharks, Ducks and Sharks have each said none of their players have had COVID-19 symptoms.

“Our medical experts do not recommend mass-testing for all NHL players,” the league said.

In addition, the NHL could not say whether games would be played in empty arenas, but said it would follow the advice of local medical authorities. The league also said the resumption of play would not cause it to shorten the 2020-21 season, which it hoped to play in full.

There have been no decisions made on postponing or altering the format of the NHL draft, which is scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, the league said. Furthermore, no decisions have been made regarding the opening of free agency, which is set for July 1.

“We will continue to monitor developments during the 60-day window prescribed by the CDC,” the league said. “Assuming events are tracking positively, we would hope to be able to begin providing high-level guidance on the potential of opening a club training camp period roughly 45 days into the period covered by the CDC’s recommendation.”

The Ducks had 11 regular-season games remaining when the league suspended play on the morning after their March 11 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Kings had 12 games left before the end of the season, which was set for April 4. Neither team was in a playoff position, however. 1181497 Los Angeles Kings drafted by Montreal in the first round last year, opted to return for a sophomore season.

“A situation like that is never going to be easy,” Turcotte said. “I built so Kings prospect Alex Turcotte, idled but still learning, waits out his chance many friendships at school. Those guys are my brothers, and you get really close with them when you’re with them every day.

By Lisa Dillman Mar 23, 2020 “As far as hockey goes, it was the right choice for me. I felt ready to become a pro and wanted to put myself in a situation to play in the NHL next year and develop the way I want to. It was ultimately up to me. I thought that was the best choice for me.” The advanced education of Alex Turcotte didn’t stop after his departure from the University of Wisconsin or when the professional hockey got put Wisconsin coach Tony Granato knows what Turcotte could mean to the on pause. rebuilding Kings organization. His understanding of their current roster situation runs deeper than most, considering that Granato was a Kings Turcotte is spending time at home watching videos — not at the school of teammate of team president Luc Robitaille and general manager Rob rock but the school of YouTube.com. On Monday, the self-imposed Blake and a linemate of scout Mike Donnelly. coursework happened to be the artistry of New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal. “I’m excited for him,” Granato said. “It’s something he dreamed of doing, and he’s getting his opportunity and he’s fully motivated, and he always “I watched a whole 40-minute highlight tape of Mat Barzal and his rookie has been, to get there and be a part of the L.A. Kings. He’s going to a season and I didn’t get bored once,” Turcotte said in a telephone great organization with great people that know him well and are doing a interview with The Athletic from suburban Chicago. phenomenal job at developing.” “I felt like I watched for five minutes, but 40 minutes went by like nothing. It was an up-and-down season for Turcotte and the Badgers. Turcotte He’s such a good skater, so smart and good on his edges and creates so was slowed by the flu in October and later suffered a knee injury. In 29 much time for himself, and it allows him to make high-level plays and be games, Turcotte had 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists), ranking third so dominant out there. among the Badgers. “That was fun to watch. It was his rookie season highlights. He’s just so “First of all, we didn’t have a perfect year, no question about that,” good. To see what he does so much better than everyone else. I always Granato said. “He didn’t have a perfect year. All the hopes going into the like to break it down and rewatch stuff if I see something I like. That can World Juniors, that the U.S. was going to win a gold medal (but lost in the help me in the future and help implement some stuff to my game.” quarterfinals), that was a difficult period for him to go through. While the works of Barzal are undoubtedly helpful, the first two weeks of “Our team had some great moments and some real down moments. His Turcotte’s professional hockey career weren’t supposed to take place in performance was a little bit like that. At times he was dominant, and at relative isolation with his family in Island Lake, Ill. other times it was a struggle for him to battle through guys leaning all If all had gone according to plan, Turcotte, the Kings’ first-round draft pick over him, checking him, 24-year-old guys that had an assignment to shut (No. 5 overall) last June, would have played his first two professional him down. That’s part of what growth is as a player, dealing with it and games with Ontario of the AHL, and the next assignment would have learning from it.” been a contest against the Stockton Heat on Wednesday. In a recent interview, Mark Yannetti, the Kings’ director of amateur Turcotte played one season for Wisconsin, signed an entry-level contract scouting, took note of the adversity Turcotte faced in the middle of the on March 11 that kicks in next season with the Kings, and flew to Los season but was encouraged he started and how he finished. Angeles expecting to practice with the Reign the next day. “That’s a really good description of the season,” Turcotte said. “There That practice never took place. were a lot of ups and downs, a learning curve. I thought I started strong and was dominating, obviously a rough patch there for the second and The NHL suspended its season March 12, a day after the NBA did the third parts of the season. same after it was reported that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. “There were a lot of things I could have been better at. You learn, and I think I learned a lot. There are some things I can take from this season Turcotte had been monitoring the rapidly changing series of events on and apply to my career that will help me out in the future. his flight to Los Angeles. “Life lessons like that are invaluable.” “I was on my phone during the flight and I had the WiFi,” Turcotte said. “So I saw the NBA postponed; I saw it happening. With the NBA doing During a visit to campus in October, I asked Turcotte what he needed to that, it was bound to happen (with the NHL). I was expecting it. do to take his game to the next level, the NHL.

“It was weird — my first day as a pro — being told that everything is Less than five months later, the question was worth posing again. postponed for now. I couldn’t shake anyone’s hand. That was one of the Turcotte believes goal-scoring is one area where improvement is weirdest things I’ve ever seen in my life. It probably will be — that’s what needed. I’ll remember.” “I only had nine goals, which for me wasn’t good enough,” Turcotte said. Turcotte stayed in a hotel for a few days — “I had a kitchen and a fridge “I know I missed a lot of games. But I still think I can learn from that. I and everything, not that I’d use it” — and he was on a plane back to have a pretty good idea of what I need to work on with my shot, as far as Chicago on March 15. changing the angle and getting the goalie moving more. “I’m just hanging out with my parents,” he said. “I haven’t been home “The biggest thing for me is the willingness to shoot more. I’m a since August. I’m playing a lot of video games, watching a lot of Netflix, playmaker. I like to make those pretty passes a lot of times. Taking a just going outside to stickhandle. shot is more selfish sometimes, but you’ve got to be able to do both. “I’ve had a stickhandling setup I’ve been using, messing around with that “The best players in the world are dual threats. I watch a lot of videos of and working out to keep active and in shape. Just for sanity. It snowed certain players in the NHL — (Artemi) Panarin, (Patrick) Kane, (Sidney here yesterday. Crosby), these guys that can do everything. They can do it all. Then “We’re all isolated in our homes. This is uncharted territory in the world. you’ve got to put in the work, and I’ve been doing that. We’re going to look back someday and talk about how weird it is. This is “It’s not going to show right away. The whole point is that — in the long crazy. It’s worse than a lot of people thought. Hopefully, people start run — it will pay off.” taking it more seriously.” The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 Turcotte decided to turn pro four days after Wisconsin’s season ended at the hands of Ohio State, having discussed the pros and cons with his agent, Pat Brisson, and family. His friend and teammate Cole Caufield, 1181498 Minnesota Wild

NHL doesn't anticipate need to abbreviate 2020-21 season

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune MARCH 23, 2020 — 10:33PM

While it remains unclear whether the NHL will restart after pausing amid the coronavirus pandemic, next season won’t be cut short if action does resume.

In an updated Q&A issued Monday, the league said it doesn’t expect any scenario to “endanger or interfere with” the NHL’s ability to play a full season in 2020-21.

No decisions, however, have been made about finishing the current season, the format of the playoffs or the timing/format of the draft and combine. The league still is hoping to potentially open training camps at the end of April.

The NHL is aware of only two players testing positive for COVID-19. Both players are on the Ottawa Senators, presented mild symptoms and are currently in isolation.

Players have been instructed to self-quarantine through Friday unless a longer period is required by local mandates that could be related to recent travel.

Depending on the developments regarding COVID-19, the NHL will consider opening team facilities for players to participate in scheduled and coordinated small groups for voluntary training after this self- quarantine period. The NHL doesn’t anticipate needing to conduct leaguewide testing for all players before they return to team facilities.

Wild signs draft picks

The Wild locked up a pair of prospects Monday, signing forwards Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux to three-year, entry-level contracts.

Beckman, who was drafted 75th overall in the third round last year, was the scoring champion after racking up 107 points in 63 games with the Spokane Chiefs. He also led the WHL in goals (48) and shots on goals (316) and ranked second in power-play goals (16) and game-winning goals (nine). His 59 assists tied for third.

A 6-1, 174-pound native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Beckman had 32 multipoint games and recorded a point in 33 of his last 36 games.

Giroux registered 44 goals and 31 assists in 61 games as team captain for the Saginaw Spirit in the . His 10 game- winning goals were tied for the most in the OHL, and the 20-year-old led Saginaw in goals, tied for first in power-play goals (11) and ended up third in scoring.

Giroux wrapped the season on a nine-game point streak. The 5-foot-10, 179-pound native of Sudbury, Ontario, was drafted in the fifth round (155th overall) in 2018.

No Memorial Cup

The Canadian Hockey League, which oversees the WHL, OHL and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, canceled the playoffs and the Memorial Cup.

The Memorial Cup, set for May 22-31 in Kelowna, British Columbia, started in 1919. Rouyn-Noranda of the QMJHL won last year’s title.

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Wild's Matt Dumba donates to families impacted by coronavirus

By Sarah McLellan MARCH 23, 2020 — 2:22PM

Wild defenseman Matt Dumba is helping others during the coronavirus pandemic, making a donation on Monday to support ACES families impacted by COVID-19 with immediate and basic needs.

Athletes Committed to Educating Students (ACES) is an academic after- school program that engages urban youth in learning and provides opportunities to build the skills necessary to succeed academically, develop personally, and become responsible, contributing members of the community. Dumba has been an ACES ambassador for four seasons, serving as an e-mentor to youth and providing Wild suites for ACES students and families to attend games.

“As this pandemic continues to grow and draw concerns, our students and their families remain a priority,” the release said. “We are grateful for our unique and special relationship with the professional Minnesota Sports teams and Athletes. These partnerships allow ACES to focus on our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) objectives: teamwork, perseverance, goal setting, confidence, problem solving and more.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181500 Minnesota Wild

Wild signs prospects Adam Beckman, Damien Giroux

By Sarah McLellan MARCH 23, 2020 — 11:24AM

The Wild locked up a pair of prospects Monday, signing forwards Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux to three-year, entry-level contracts.

Beckman, who was drafted 75th overall in the third round last year, finished 2019-20 as the Western Hockey League scoring champion after racking up 107 points in 63 games with the Spokane Chiefs. He also led the WHL in goals (48) and shots on goals (316) and ranked second in power play goals (16) and game-winning goals (nine). His 59 assists tied for third.

A 6-foot-1, 174-pound native of Saskatoon, Sask., Beckman had 32 multi-point games and recorded a point in 33 of his last 36 games. The 18-year-old tallied a season-high five points in a game three times, went on a season-best 18-game point streak and tied Spokane’s franchise record with a 10-game goal streak.

As for Giroux, he registered 44 goals and 31 assists in 61 games as team captain for the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League. His 10 game-winning goals were tied for the most in the OHL, and the 20-year- old led Saginaw in goals, tied for first in power play goals (11) and ended up third in scoring.

Giroux wrapped the season on a nine-game point streak. The 5-foot-10, 179-pound native of Sudbury, Ont., was drafted in the fifth round (155th overall) in 2018.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181501 Minnesota Wild

Wild sign a pair of high-scoring prospects to entry-level contracts

By DANE MIZUTANI | Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: March 23, 2020 at 11:23 a.m. | UPDATED: March 23, 2020 at 11:23 a.m.

With the NHL suspended indefinitely, Wild general manager Bill Guerin kept himself busy Monday by signing young forwards Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux to three-year, entry-level contracts.

Beckman, 18, recorded 107 points (48 goals, 59 assists) in 63 games with the Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League this season. He was selected by the Wild in the third round of the 2019 draft, and while he certainly looks ready to make the jump to the professional level after leading the WHL in scoring, he is still young enough to play and pick up experience in the American Hockey League.

Giroux, 20, had 75 points (44 goals, 31 assists) in 61 games serving as team captain for the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was selected by the Wild in the fifth round of the 2018 draft and is eligible to turn pro next season if he chooses to do so.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181502 Minnesota Wild With the picks and with the opportunity to make those selections, they’ve gone out and they’ve done their homework and found some really good players for us. Really good character guys, to be honest with you. Really, Q&A: Wild’s Brad Bombardir breaks down their suddenly deep prospect just good people to start with. And, then some good players. The credit pool goes to them. They’ve done the work, and I think all of us, it’s nice to have some players right now playing and playing well and producing and have the opportunity to play at the next level. It’s fun.

By Michael Russo Mar 23, 2020 Let’s dive right into the players, and let’s start off with Kirill Kaprizov (the KHL’s leading goal scorer the past two seasons vying for a second

championship). We were just talking to Ilya Kovalchuk about him. It just Better late than never, eh? seems like this guy has the ability to come here and be an impact player right off the hop. As many Wild fans know because I’ve mentioned it on my podcasts a number of times, I conducted an expansive Q&A last month with longtime Yeah, you would think so. He’s proven himself at all the other levels, Wild director of player development and former Wild defenseman Brad right? In the KHL, he’s proven it on the international stage. So, we’re Bombardir about the Wild’s deepening prospect pool. excited about him. We remain hopeful and excited that we will see him in a Wild jersey because he appears to be a special player. He competes, We picked a good day to finally run the gargantuan piece: the Wild which is huge, and he’s got all the other assets and attributes offensively. signed prospects Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux to their three-year, Quick hands. Quick head. Strong, wide base to him and the agility to entry-level contracts Monday. create space for himself in the offensive zone. You see the plays he makes and how he gets pucks to the nets, he’s been an outstanding Beckman, 18, won the Bob Clarke Trophy as the Western Hockey player. League’s scoring champion this past season by amassing 107 points in 63 games for Spokane. He also led the WHL with 48 goals and 316 shots He’s turning 23. Do you expect that he’ll be able to be impactful right on goal. He ranked second with 16 power-play goals and nine game- away or will it take time? winning goals, tied for third with 59 assists and finished fifth with a plus- 44 rating. The forward recorded 32 multi-point games and had at least a That’s the thing. You just hope that people are a little patient with him point in 33 of his last 36 games (35 goals, 69 points). He had three five- because the NHL’s a monster, too. I mean, the NHL is a tough league to point games, recorded an 18-game point streak and tied Spokane’s play in. But from what he’s proven with the players that he’s played with, franchise record with a 10-game goal streak. and he’s played with NHL players on some of the teams that he’s played with, he’s performed very well. All things look great for him, and we’ll be Beckman is expected to return to Spokane next season; he’s too young excited to see him. We’ll be excited to see him in a Wild jersey and for to play in the AHL, so Beckman is only eligible to play in the NHL or him to play for us. He’s the type of player we need, you know that. WHL. At last year’s draft, former GM Paul Fenton traded the Wild’s 2020 third-round pick to Nashville for the 2019 third-round pick he used to draft How about Alex Khovanov (finished second in the QMJHL with 99 points Beckman. and 67 assists to potential 2020 No. 1 overall pick Alex Lafrenière)? For all the adversity he’s gone through the last couple of years, from hepatitis Giroux, 20, captained the Saginaw Spirit last season and tied for sixth in A to having the benign tumor taken out of his leg before last year’s the OHL with 44 goals and tied for first with 10 game-winning goals. He training camp, to see him lighting it up in the Q has to be incredible. tied for first on the Spirit with 11 power-play goals and finished third with 75 points. The 2018 fifth-round pick is eligible to turn pro or return to Yeah, it’s unbelievable, isn’t it? I don’t think you could make some of that junior, but GM Bill Guerin told The Athletic it has been decided that he stuff up, the stuff that he’s gone through. This summer, we found out that will turn pro. he wasn’t feeling too well and then had the opportunity to take care of him and then make sure he got healthy. He wasn’t feeling very good the NEWS: #MNWILD GENERAL MANAGER BILL GUERIN TODAY second half of the year last year, right? ANNOUNCED THE CLUB HAS SIGNED FORWARDS ADAM BECKMAN AND DAMIEN GIROUX TO THREE-YEAR, ENTRY-LEVEL Yeah, it sounds like everybody thought he had a back injury and then CONTRACTS. after further examination, this was discovered?

MORE INFORMATION: HTTPS://T.CO/96QQOLBNTC Yeah, yeah. It turned out to be that leg. It was an osteoid osteoma, and PIC.TWITTER.COM/R6DDBX0NBY he never really complained about it that much. What happened with him is every time he would just kind of let it rest for a while, it felt good. It — MINNESOTA WILD (@MNWILD) MARCH 23, 2020 would go away. But now he’s healthy. He’s, offensively, very gifted. Sees the ice really well. He’s really good on the power play. At the level he’s From 2013-17, in an attempt to “win-now,” the Wild traded 11 draft picks, playing at right now, he’s two steps ahead a lot of nights, especially including two first-round picks, four seconds and two thirds. Add in the offensively with the puck. Very creative offensively. Competitive. Really fact that they lost first-round pick Alex Tuch in an expansion draft trade, competitive, actually. The one thing with him, he just needs to find the and the Wild’s prospect depth took a big hit. higher pace to play at times. He’s a smart enough player, and I think at One of the best things Fenton did in his two drafts and 14 months as GM that level he tries to buy some time and space, in delaying. At the next was resist the temptation to further trade picks. The Wild selected 16 level, he’ll be getting pushed a little bit more from the back end coming players in the past two drafts and signed college free agents Nico Sturm up the ice, right? But he’s smart enough. He’s a quick enough thinker to and Mat Robson. pick up on that. He’s another type of offensive, creative, competitive player that we need. So, with more bullets in the chamber, the Wild had a better chance of hitting the target and suddenly the Wild’s prospect pool is starting to He’s going to have to start in Iowa most likely, right? climb the charts. Yeah. It’s really hard for most guys to come over and just walk into the Add in prospects from the -Brent Flahr regime like Kirill . You’ve got to remember, I mean, he’s still 19 Kaprizov, Ivan Lodnia, Brandon Duhaime and Nick Swaney and the fact years old, right? He still has things to learn. Still, just his fitness level and Guerin acquired a second first-round pick in the 2020 draft and prospect pace of play can improve. I don’t see anything bad about playing in the Calen Addison, suddenly there’s a lot to like coming down the pike. American Hockey League and doing the work. The American Hockey League is a frickin’ heck of a good league. It’s a really good league, and You’ve waited long enough to hear from Bomber, so here we go (one it’s tough to play in. So, absolutely. All these guys, they have to learn thing to note, this interview took place Feb. 6, so prior to the Jason how to play and play the right way. Zucker trade, which is why Addison is not talked about in here). Have you guys communicated that to him? Because the one thing, I had Just by pure numbers, is it fair to say this is about as deep a pool as John Torchetti on my podcast and he kinda scared some Wild fans into you’ve had in your 10 years as director of player development? thinking this could be Kaprizov all over again, saying that when he coached him in Moncton, Khovanov kinda threatened to go to the KHL Yeah. It really is. I’m not going to sit here and say anything different because coincidentally CSKA Moscow — Kaprizov’s team — owns his probably. The more numbers you have, the better your chances are as well. But I give our scouting staff credit. Those guys work hard, man. rights. So, now maybe there’s this fallacy that he’d bail if you tried to put right? Strength before size, I always say. I think it’s important. If you have him in Iowa. strength, it’s good, and if a little bit of size comes along, then great.

I’m not worried. I think Alex wants to play in the National Hockey League. For us, he needs to just improve upon his strength a little bit more. And Alex wants to play in the National Hockey League and he’s competitive he plays a ton there, too, as well. There can be some loose moments in enough. He’s a competitive enough person. He’s a good, quality person. this game, in the D-zone and even offensively. But those kids, you see I’ve gotten to know him over the last couple of years. He wants to try to that a lot in junior. They’re just trying to create offense for the team, and find a way to play in the NHL. I think he’s willing to do the work and to be they play a lot, so sometimes they have to try to find ways to preserve in the right spot in order to improve on his game to play. their energy. But he’s having a heck of a year, man. He’s skating well and producing offense. He’s got confidence. … Yeah, that’s a great job By the way, Kaprizov can play left or right wing. Khovanov, do you see by our scouting staff there. him solely as a center? RECORDING 107 POINTS, @MNWILD PROSPECT Kovo can be a center. He can play center in the National Hockey @ADAMBECKMAN9 OF THE @SPOKANECHIEFS IS THE 2019-20 League. WHL SCORING CHAMPION! Is it definitely Kovo? Because, Torchetti pronounces it “Hovanov,” with DETAILS | HTTPS://T.CO/2CHDHRCEWM that funny New England accent. PIC.TWITTER.COM/KXIKXMIDLN I don’t know (laughing). I call him Kovo. That’s what I call him. But some — THE WHL (@THEWHL) MARCH 20, 2020 guys call him … Torch calls him Havi, right? Kovo. Hovo. Havi. The poor kid probably doesn’t know who the hell is talking to him or how to How have you seen Nico Sturm’s development this year in Iowa? pronounce his own name anymore. Nico is very close. He’s already played games in the NHL. I think he’s Alexander Khovanov proven that he can play the NHL game. I mean, you know him, you’ve talked to him, right? He’s about as pro-ready as you can find. He’s got a How about Matt Boldy? At least statistically, he’s had a tough year, pro mentality. He’s always prepared. He’s a student of the game. And although he’s started to heat up lately. (Note: He really, really started to he’s always working to get better. He’s always working to try to find a heat up after this interview, finishing with seven goals and 10 assists in way to get better every day with the coaches down there, and he works. his final 11 games). And you’ve seen him on the ice, he gets in on pucks and he’s got good Yeah, yeah. He has. Statistically, it’s been tough for him. He’s probably a speed, good legs, which we need. He’s done everything well. little snakebit. I will be honest with you, it’s amazing — it really is — the Do you see him at this level being a point-getter or do you see him being amount of opportunities that he’s had to even score or set up plays that a third-line guy? I mean, he has a frame like Mikko Koivu, but Mikko was just haven’t gone his way. He probably should have more points. If you a special point producer early in his career and a first-round pick. Nico is want to look at points, he probably should have more points than he an undrafted college free agent, so I’m not sure I see that ability in him, really does, to be quite honest with you. But he is playing really well. He’s although Mikko had to bide his time his rookie year as fourth-line center. just an 18-year-old kid coming right into college hockey and playing in Hockey East, playing in Boston College, that’s a good league. The pace Yeah, it’s tough. You see Nico starting, probably as a 4 (fourth-liner) as of play and then how they have to play is a little bit different than where well. You bring him in, you let him play as a 4, a 3, back to a 4, in that he came from. spot and then just see how he grows. It’s funny how we try to figure out how these guys are and how they’re going to respond, but I see it all the When you watch him play, he’s a high-level, quick thinker with a puck. time where you got guys that you sign that you’re not sure about and all The puck comes on a stick and it’s off, he can read plays quickly of a sudden they turn pro and they’ve just got it. There’s a switch that offensively and find lanes to find sticks and produce scoring goes off where they’re just really good pro players, and there’s other opportunities. His game is puck protection. Creating offense along the guys that you think will be a really good pro player or that can excel and offensive wall down below the circles, he’s really good. Really good. A they end up being good players, but they’re not able to excel their game high-end thinker down there. He just has to find the middle of the ice a at the NHL level or enough to get to the NHL. At a minimum, Nico should little bit more … with himself, too, at times because you know what it’s play at the next level. What he is from there, we’ll see. If Nico, you bring like in the NHL. A lot of those goals are scored from the top of the circles him in there and if he can find a way into the 4 spot and work his way and inside the dots and down, right? He’s just got to find that area a little from there, let’s see what happens with him. … bit more to find that success, and points will come for him, for sure. He’s learning. He’s starting to manage his timing and space a little bit Hardworking kid, though. Love his attitude and his willingness to get better too. Because he’s such a worker that sometimes early in the year better. But yeah, that’s an area that he needs to improve upon, like most he was taking his own space away from him, but even now up in the NHL other guys, to be honest with you. there and even down there in the AHL, he’s really improved upon that as Boldy, you project where, because it seems like he has bounced around well. at BC? How about Kaapo Kahkonen? What a year. Boldy. Boldy, for me? You’re asking me? (laughing). Boldy, he would He is, man. We drafted him and he’s 23 years old, a frickin’ fourth-round project as a winger, right now. He’s wing now. He started at center. We draft pick. I remember him from the first development camp. He probably have no problem. Put the kid at center, let him play center. I think it’s wasn’t in the best shape and a little slow off the bat, but I give him all the always advantageous if you can have guys play center. Learn to play that credit, man. That kid came back every year in better shape, worked on position, because it’s a tough position to play. Not many guys can his feet and worked on his craft and he kept improving his game and now actually play center when they get to the National Hockey League. he’s even done it at this level. I think we’ve seen improvements just on You’ve seen it. It’s tough to find centers. Ultimately, he’s probably a the way he is on ice. Just his positioning is much better, his winger, which is fine. Let him do his work down in the offensive zone, competitiveness is there. along the walls, create plays, protect pucks and hold on to pucks and extend offensive opportunities. That’s what he’s good at. He just keeps continuing to grow and get better. Those goalies take a little bit longer, right? You just got to give them a little bit longer of a This Adam Beckman kid. Man, what a year he’s having, huh? Leading leash. But I think he’s proven his worth down here. He gives the team the WHL in it feels like everything. down here an opportunity to win every night. And, so we like him. I think Yeah. He’s a heck of a find by our scouting staff. Really quick off the he’s played pretty well up there in the NHL when he’s come up and walls in the O-zone. Has the ability to come out of there and create shots played, so yeah, we’re excited about him. and scoring opportunities coming off the walls. And he’s got a really Kaapo Kahkonen good, quick shot. Really, just good overall hockey sense. Good instincts, I guess, would probably be the best way to put it. Good instincts with This may be more of a Bill Guerin question, but when do you give him the vision and good hands. I mean, he’s doing everything right now. He just next step when you have Devan Dubnyk with another year on his deal needs to get a little more quickness in his skating. But I think that’ll come. and Alex Stalock with another two? He’s a pretty thin guy right now. He’s not a big body, which is good. It’s fine. He can grow into it as long as he starts gaining some strength first, That would be a Billy question. I’ll let him deal with that. But, goalies, for me personally, they just take a while, right? And you have to be patient with them and they have to be patient with the process of getting better pro player. We feel just with some patience and if he just continues to because they need to play. That’s the thing, they need to play games. work and just patience on his end and our end, we feel that he can still So, I think that’s the most important thing, especially when you’re still improve and become a good player for us. It’s just going to take time. young. I mean, a 23-year-old goalie still needs to play games. He needs And you got to remember, he’s just 19, right? (Note: He turned 20 on to get his reps and feeling the puck a lot. Monday). I mean, he’s a young kid. He’s European, so we have four years after his draft year to sign him. A undrafted find by you guys in Fletcher’s last year, Brennan Menell — why has he had such a good year? Is there going to be a point though where you’re going to want to sign him and get him over here to just get your eyes and hands on him? Yeah, you know what, the kid frickin’ just continues to show well. He made the All-Star Game down here, and he continues to put up points. Yeah, there will come a point. This isn’t a decision that can be made So poised with the puck, really good offensively, really good on the today, but it is a decision that we’ll obviously have to make here in the power play on the blue line. Just shows a great feel for moving the puck future. For us, it’s all about opportunity for him and reps and working on and finding lanes and creating little lanes in order to find scoring his game that way. That would be the deciding factor for us to see when opportunities. And even just poised with the puck down in the defensive he comes over or if he stays over there (in Sweden). That’s the No. 1 zone and making little outlet plays to get pucks up and moving and thing for us, is if he’s in a good situation where he’s going to be able to getting them out of our own end. He does that really well. improve and get his reps both in practice and games and do it that way. So, there’s really not a huge timeline on him quite yet, just because we And for him, he just needs to really find a stronger base to his game, have the opportunity with time right now to let things play out. But that will physically. Not a tough game or anything like that, but just stronger to definitely be something that we have to tackle in the future here and just kind of end plays probably a little bit more and then probably just be make sure that he’s got every opportunity to continue to improve. stronger in holding his positioning and holding his ice and working on just physical battles and just keeping bodies outside the front of the net a little You still consider Mason Shaw a top prospect even after all the adversity bit longer. I think that’s where he needs to just find that. He still has a the poor guy has gone through? ways to go in that area, but for being 22 years old and having his third year pro already, he’s turned himself into a good player and a prospect. I Absolutely. I know he’s just coming back right now from that third knee think he came up there to the NHL and performed quite well up there, injury, but he’s a good, little player … and, man, so competitive. I love the too. guy. I love him. He’s just a little engine. So hopefully, he can just stay healthy. He needs just to stay healthy for a couple of years, right? He can So just little bits and pieces here as he goes, but he’s getting better and play. some of the things that he does you just can’t teach. With the puck and poise, I don’t know if you can teach poise. I haven’t figured that out yet, Suddenly, for the first time in a long time, you’ve got a bunch of goalies in but certainly I’m not the one to teach it. the system — Kahkonen, Mat Robson and now Hunter Jones. We wrote a lot about Robson last season after you got him from the University of BRENNAN MENELL’S SOLO LAP BEFORE HIS NHL DEBUT FOR THE Minnesota. Tell me about Jones. Alex Stalock was telling me how blown #MNWILD PIC.TWITTER.COM/KIVFJPV1VO away he was by watching the kid in training camp.

— MICHAEL RUSSO (@RUSSOHOCKEY) DECEMBER 11, 2019 Jonesy, unbelievable, great start to his season up there (with Peterborough in the OHL). I think we all just like his size (6-foot-4), We hear about so many of your college guys, but this Vladislav Firstov obviously. Really good poise — he’s got a really calm demeanor. Sees kid from Russia seems to have had a real good first year UConn. the play really well. You rarely ever see him have to make big, acrobatic He cracks me up, the kid’s always smiling, eh? He just cracks me up. He saves, and that’s mainly because he anticipates the play very well. He doesn’t have a bad day. He just smiles all the time. He’s an awesome can make reads quickly and get across, and stay big and challenge, and kid. I love the kid. He has just kind of taken off here. It took a little bit of plays that way. Sometimes you fall in love with guys that make all these feeling-out process for him. He’s young, 18 years old, coming out of the acrobatic saves, but you wonder why they have to make those acrobatics USHL, playing in Hockey East, gaining the trust of your coaches a little saves sometimes. And he’s one of those guys that really sees the play bit to put you out there in certain opportunities, obviously defensively, well, and anticipates it, and can get big. right? And he had a really raw game early and he still does, but the We like him. He’s still young, but we’re happy with where he’s at because second half here, he’s found a little confidence in his game and he’s he plays a lot. He plays a lot of minutes, and like other goalies, you have actually starting to play with his feet now. He wanted to try to make a lot to be patient with them, and they need their games and their reps and of plays with his hands … without some speed and without moving his he’s getting it there in Peterborough, for sure. feet and trying to create some space for himself. He just had those USHL skilled player habits. It’s not easy. You just can’t all of a sudden get up Louie Belpedio the next day and be done with it. When it works for ya, it works for ya. That’s what he was able to do at his previous level. What other guys down in Iowa have really impressed you?

But now he’s starting to move, and the coaches have shown a lot of trust I like Louie Belpedio. Louie’s a good player. These freaking two kids in him and the coaching staff has done an outstanding job with him, and down here: Connor Dewar and Brandon Duhaime. They’re good. they’re playing them a lot now. They really like him, and I think just his Duhaime, he’s just a power forward, good skating, competitive, tough, confidence has come and now he’s starting to learn to play a little faster little sneaky skill to his game. And then Dewar … great skater, very and move with the puck and trying to work to be a difference-maker in smart, intelligent, team’s best killer down there probably, already. And, the games. … offensively, he dominated last year. I think he had (81) points last year in the WHL. He’s showing very well, too, down here. Now, it’s all about the feet with him. … He’s a smart enough player and he’s got good hands and good skill and he can make plays when he’s Belpedio is strong, and he’s competitive, too. It’s just with him, it’s just moving. He can be an effective player and he’s turned out to be that right being confident, and finding confidence in the simplicity of the game now. sometimes. And just defending, and getting pucks up the ice. But when he came out of Miami (University), when we brought him out, like a lot of Let’s talk Filip Johansson. Last year’s first-round pick has been other guys, he was playing. I was there for a weekend, he played 35 scrutinized but he impressively came to Iowa during last year’s playoffs minutes on the one Friday night, and he almost played 40 minutes the just for a week or so to see what it was all about. You can tell he wants to Saturday night. So, just think of finding a way to survive and playing that be an NHLer. On social media you can tell how much he follows you kind of hockey, like the type of habits that you end up introducing into guys and follows things I write about the team, which is a good sign that your game just for survival. Just gaps, and all this kind of stuff. But we he wants to make it. Where is he with his development? have full confidence in him. He can go up and give you games in the NHL, and perform well. He’s done it already. He’s proven. He just needs some time. I know it’s been an interesting journey for him so far, but we still believe in him. We still think he’s a good player. You Lastly, let me ask you about three other guys — Robson, Ivan Lodnia feel that he can play. The things he does well, he does well. He’s got and this Damien Giroux who’s lighting it up in the OHL. Do you look at all really good feet. He moves well. And his first pass coming out of the three as top prospects? (defensive) end is a strength of his as well. So, if you have all those three things, there’s a base there to his game. Now he’s got things to work on Well, Robson for sure. Robson is absolutely. He was a big signing for us obviously, but for those three things, and the base, you look at him as a last year. He’s come in here, and in games, he’s played very well on most nights. Now, he’s had some young nights where things don’t go as Chilliwack’s Nikita Nesterenko, Boston College’s Jack McBain and well for him. But to go from college, and to go to here, and play as well as Marshall Warren and University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Nick Swaney. All he has for most nights, I think he’s done quite well. For him, it’s just the had strong to respectable seasons and could someday sign contracts everyday, pro mentality of being ready to work in practice and being on with the Wild. top of your game in practice. That’s the biggest thing for him to continue to work on. … But he’s done well. I was in Chicago in January, and we The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 ended up winning the game in Chicago. I counted five Grade-A chances in the third period, and he stopped all of them. So, he’s a gamer. …

Lodnia’s having a good year up in the OHL. Skill, he’s a skilled player. We like him. He can produce offense. He’s just going to have to learn how to play just a little bit more pro-style game. … I know it’s kind of boring, but just puck management will be the area that he needs to learn the most at. But like a lot of typical junior hockey players, skilled junior hockey players that come out of junior hockey, they’ve been able to make plays, and not at will, but there’s a lot more opportunity for them to be successful offensively there and to be able to take advantage of the competition there than it is here. It’s a little tougher at this level. …

Giroux, unreal character, a great leader. Honestly, you can play him with anybody. You can play him with your team’s best players, you can play him with other guys, and he’ll perform really well. And really, really smart two-way player — can play the defensive side of the puck really well, smart, and can also play offensively, produce offensively, as long as he’s moving. He’s not a big guy. He’s not overly big. If he’s moving, then he can create offensively. He’s got really good net habits. For a guy his size, he goes to the net a lot and sticks around the front of the net, and has good habits that way, and has better skill than what most people probably think. Now the thing for him, he just needs to continuously work on the skating. His quickness is good. It’s just probably the glide. But it’s gotten a lot better over the last two years. He’s a worker. Yeah, I like him. Honestly, he’s the type of person you want in your organization.

How much of your job is sometimes being a psychologist? I think you mentioned before that with even Kahkonen you have had to talk to him about patience in the process. I’m sure even though they’re not considered “prospects” because of their age, you’ve had to talk to guys like Gerry Mayhew and Sam Anas. How much do you have to settle these guys down at times when they feel it’s about time they’re playing in the NHL?

Well, you always are having conversations with your guys, and guys in junior, the younger guys especially, you just need to talk to them. And you try to talk to them through experience, I think, is important because you can gain their trust and be there. I’ve been through it. You end up starting to play junior hockey, and you end up going to college for four years, and playing in the minors for three full years — never, not one call up, not ever. And my fourth-year pro, you end up making the NHL, and you have a hard time just hanging on. You try to just talk to them about your experience, and just the patience of it.

The world we live in right now is a little different. These guys are, I think, challenged by it, and the expectations that they’re surrounded by. It’s just everything moves so quickly now. I think it’s just a part of their lives. I mean, I’ve got a 21-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter and a 15- year-old daughter, so I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it. I see it every day where they expect everything should just come to them so quickly now. I think the best thing for them is they just have to understand and learn that they do have the opportunity to get better every day. And it might not be very much, but there’s an opportunity there. Now, if you don’t do the work, there’s also an opportunity to get worse. You just have to find patience in it, and patience in the fact to find what you can do today to just get a little bit better in your game, or your off-ice preparation. It’s not easy.

Everyone wants to play in the NHL right now and today. But if you do the work slowly and you continue to get better every day, your chance usually comes if you’ve done the work. Now, when the chance comes, what do you do with it?

How good is this Iowa team? You probably have a legit chance to win it all down there?

Yeah, it’s a good club. They’re playing hard, man. It’s fun to watch. Really, they’re just a good group of guys, and they play hard, man. That’s what I love the most. We’ve got some good players, and the power play and the PK are excellent, but they just play hard for each other. I just love seeing that. It means a lot. It makes a difference. It really does. These guys care about one another here. It’s fun to be around. It’s good energy.

Note: The Wild have a number of other prospects The Athletic did not address with Bombardir, including Addison, St. Cloud State’s Sam Hentges, Cape Breton’s Shawn Boudrias, Guelph’s Fedor Gordeev, 1181503 MontrealCanadiens pressure the puck carrier, does not close the passing lane and, as soon as the pass to Connor Murphy in the slot is released, Drouin starts turning up ice toward the offensive zone.

Why Jonathan Drouin’s decision to reinvent himself should inspire Max Then there was his general carelessness with the puck, such as here in a Domi game at Madison Square Garden, a 5-2 loss to the Rangers where Drouin finished the night a minus-4.

By Arpon Basu Mar 23, 2020 Drouin deciding this needed to stop is therefore significant. Him reaching out to Canadiens assistant coach Dominique Ducharme to Watch video together over the summer is significant. The changes this produced in his game are significant. It is difficult to pinpoint the moment it happened, but this might have been it, or at least the start of it. “I just fixed my game,” Drouin said on March 11. “I don’t know, there’s some stuff where there’s effort, there’s a lot of stuff that goes into, for me, This goal snapped a 17-game drought for Jonathan Drouin last season. It the positioning of the game; I was not at the right spots at the right times came with eight games left in the regular season and the Canadiens in some areas. I think I looked at that with Dom that summer and just scratching and clawing for a playoff spot. fixed that. We just made it a more simple game for me to play. You look It was Drouin’s last goal of the 2018-19 season. at those top players, (Mitch) Marner, those guys, they’re simple, they’re on the puck. Those are the guys I looked at. Drouin would get one more point, an assist in the meaningless final game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Over his final 26 games, “When I’m at my best, I’m around the puck. The biggest thing for me is Drouin registered points in three of them. I’m around the puck, chasing it and not waiting for the game to happen in front of me. That’s when I’m at my best and I think that’s what we looked The moment probably came over the course of those final eight games, at. It went well for the first 20 games before my injury.” or perhaps even before, or maybe it didn’t come until the season was over. But at some point, this performance led Drouin to realize his career Here is Drouin in game one of this season. Just look at how he pursues was at a crossroads. the puck, once in his own end and again in the offensive zone leading to Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s first road goal of his career. He made a decision. Or how he turned defence into offence in an instant against the Toronto He decided something in his game needed to change. Maple Leafs on Oct. 26.

As the Canadiens prepare for their offseason – whether the NHL decides Or how he simply played defence to prevent Ilya Mikheyev from getting a to play regular season games upon the resumption of activities is decent scoring chance in that same game. irrelevant to that reality – this decision looms large in the team’s planning. Drouin didn’t look anything like this player when he returned from his It is not only the decision itself and how commendable it appears to be, wrist injury. Then he injured his ankle and tried to play through that as but it is all the possibilities that decision represented that is of the utmost well. This is why those final 11 games mattered to Drouin, and to the importance to the Canadiens. The decision sparked a change in a player Canadiens. that seemed unchangeable, whose actions on the ice were a constant source of wonder and frustration, all at once. “Teams are at a point where hockey has taken a step up since November,” Drouin said. “It was a bit difficult for me to get into it with that So, if Drouin can do it – and because of how the season played out with kind of hockey being played. But it doesn’t matter, there are nine games injuries and a league-wide shutdown, that remains a rather large if at this left – or whatever number of games I’m going to play – and I’m going to point – maybe others can too. play them the right way.

The day the NHL shut its doors, Drouin was preparing to return to game “Like the rest of the team, we’re not throwing those games in the trash, action. The Buffalo Sabres were in town, and though Drouin couldn’t we want to improve. We still have a chance to improve and take a step confirm he would play, it certainly looked that way. This was significant. forward for next year.” He was relatively healthy, but not quite at 100 percent. Still, these 11 games would have been an opportunity for Drouin to prove in some small The Canadiens are left to hope they will begin next season with the same way that what we saw from him over the first six weeks of the season Drouin they had at the beginning of this season, one that was engaged was not a mirage, some sort of short-lived aberration. It was a chance to with and without the puck, one initiating action instead of simply avoiding show it was real, a tangible result of that decision he made at some point it altogether. If he does that, they will have a very dynamic player on their around this time a year ago. hands.

“When the injury happened, over the three years or four years I’ve been But they should also be hoping that some of Drouin’s teammates see here, that was the best I’ve played in a long time,” Drouin said on March what last offseason’s work produced and become inspired to do the 11. “So, it’s definitely devastating to get hurt at that moment. We were same thing themselves. Or, at least one teammate. playing well as a team too. It sucked, but I think it’s part of the process, Many of the issues that limited Drouin’s effectiveness in the past are also part of injuries.” present in Max Domi’s game. The similarities are frankly quite striking. First, let us look at where Drouin came from, in case you’ve forgotten. He often looks less than interested when the puck is not on his stick, This is from a game in Anaheim on March 8 of last season. We are watching his teammates defend instead of attacking the puck himself in definitely cherry-picking here because this sequence is probably a gross order to get it back and do what he does best. He often makes poor exaggeration of some of the uninspired play Drouin exhibited last decisions with the puck, attempting high risk plays that result in far more season. He wasn’t usually this bad. But this is a real thing that happened. turnovers and transition opportunities for his opponent than they do in We didn’t make it up. scoring chances for himself or a teammate. Domi also sprinkles in the odd needless penalty here and there at terrible moments in the game, an Follow Drouin through the neutral zone, into his own end, rarely more area where he did show some improvement as this season progressed. than one hand on his stick and then, the cherry on top, just standing straight up along the boards while his man, Adam Henrique, is wide Here is a bit of a microcosm of Domi’s issues from a game against the open. Henrique eventually gets the puck and scores as Drouin reaches Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 28, with the sequence beginning with an with one hand on his stick, barely appearing to care about what was overly ambitious pass by Domi in the offensive zone resulting in a going on. It is an ugly sequence. turnover, Domi hustling to get back in the play but not doing a whole lot of anything once he got there. It is not, however, a fair indication of what typically plagued Drouin without the puck last season. This sequence, from a game eight days The same issues with transition defence popped up here, three nights later against the Chicago Blackhawks, is probably a better illustration of later in Carolina. it. Or here, Jan. 27 against the Washington Capitals when Domi simply It is not as egregiously lazy as the other one, but it is problematic loses Evgeni Kuznetsov in the neutral zone, opening a clear path to the nonetheless. Watch the replay of the goal, how Drouin is barely trying to Canadiens’ net. Finally, there was this instance against the Nashville Predators on March 10, the last game the Canadiens played.

Wait, doesn’t that look incredibly familiar? Haven’t we seen a play just like that somewhere? Oh yeah, just scroll up and you’ll find it. Never mind, here it is again.

Drouin watched video like this last summer and decided to do something about it. We’ll see if the results stick, but that decision was an important step toward him becoming a complete player. Can Domi do the same? Can he make a decision to eradicate moments like this from his repertoire? Again, we’ll see.

Right now, it’s not difficult to imagine a scenario where Marc Bergevin decides having both Drouin and Domi on his team represents an excess of the same type of forward. They are both highly skilled, offensively dynamic, undersized and prone to egregious defensive lapses. Bergevin might therefore choose one of them to use in a trade to address an area where his team is deficient.

Though we can’t say with any certainty whether the changes Drouin made to his game at the beginning of the season will hold, we can at least say he recognized something needed to change and displayed a willingness to do what is necessary to make it happen. If Bergevin feels he needs to make a decision of his own between these two similar forwards, that demonstrated willingness might very well make that decision a little easier than it would have been otherwise.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181504 Nashville Predators

Predators sign goalie Connor Ingram to three-year contract

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 1:24 p.m. CT March 23, 2020 | Updated 2:31 p.m. CT March 23, 2020

The Predators added to their goalie depth Monday by signing Connor Ingram to a three-year deal.

The 22-year-old was 21-5-5 with a .933 save percentage and a 1.92 goals-against average – both career bests and both third in the American Hockey League – with the last season.

The 6-foot-1 goalie was an AHL All-Star selection last season for the second time. He was to be a restricted free agent after this season.

.@CBIngram1 is excited to be back!

Peep his newest family member. pic.twitter.com/WsNVmXc5Dn

— Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) March 23, 2020

Ingram was acquired by the Predators last summer from the Lightning for a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. There were some undisclosed issues between Ingram and the Lightning after they sent him to the ECHL.

Ingram participated in the Predators prospect camp last summer, where he impressed Director of Player Personnel Scott Nichol.

"As a young kid maybe you get stuck in a rut, or the maturity part of it," Nichol said. "Maybe you say something you can't get back. ... Everybody needs sometimes a second chance. He didn’t have to come to development camp. He wanted to show what he had. I'm excited for him. It was a really good, off-the-radar trade for us.

"He’s got great pedigree. … He’s a young goalie to help in our stable of goalies."

With Juuse Saros emerging as the starter and Pekka Rinne having one year left on his contract after this season, Ingram could well fit into the team's goalie plans of the future.

Ingram's NHL contract is worth $700,000, and his AHL contract is worth $120,000 in 2020-21. That jumps to $750,000 and $125,000 in 2021-22 and $750,000 in 2022-23.

Ingram is 55-23-7 with a 2.16 goals-against, 11 shutouts and a .923 save percentage in 90 career AHL games with the Admirals and Syracuse.

He was 2-1 with a 2.57 goals-against while playing for Canada in the 2017 World Junior Championships.

Ingram is the team's third recent signing. Last week they signed forwards Patrick Harper and Cole Smith.

Tennessean LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181505 Nashville Predators AV: Those are legitimate points, though Josi is third among all skaters in average ice time, having played at least 25 minutes in 41 of his 69 games this season. (Carlson has done so 31 times in the same number Roman Josi vs. John Carlson: Who deserves the Norris Trophy? Let’s of games.) discuss This is going to sound more like an argument for the Hart Trophy than the Norris Trophy, but the Predators would not have been in a playoff spot when the league paused the season if not for Josi. By Adam Vingan and Tarik El Bashir Mar 23, 2020 This has been — or was — a terribly frustrating season for the Predators, who spent more than three months outside the playoff picture and fired coach in January. On Monday, we at The Athletic released the results of our NHL awards poll. In the vote for the Norris Trophy, Nashville Predators captain Roman Most of the team’s top players have underperformed, but Josi, who will Josi was the decisive winner over Washington Capitals defenseman be the third-highest paid defenseman in the league next season, has John Carlson, who spent most of the regular season as the favorite. been great on both ends of the ice. (It is also worth noting that he maintained that consistency as partner Ryan Ellis, one of the most Was that the right choice? Predators reporter Adam Vingan and Capitals valuable skaters in the league based on Evolving Hockey’s wins above reporter Tarik El-Bashir decided to have a conversation. replacement model, recovered from a concussion that sidelined him for Adam Vingan: On Feb. 5, I published a story titled, “Is John Carlson the seven weeks.) clear favorite over Roman Josi for the Norris Trophy? Not so fast.” Tarik, Josi does not have as many points as Carlson, but he arguably is the I am delighted that most of our colleagues agreed with me. league’s most impactful defenseman in terms of driving play. Only one My argument was that when you look below the surface, Josi is a more player — Thomas Chabot — has had the puck on his stick more on a complete defenseman than Carlson. I understand the temptation to per-game basis this season than Josi, according to The Point, and few anoint Carlson as the best defenseman in the league because of his skaters come close to matching his ability to transport the puck from the point total, but that does not tell the entire story. defensive zone to the offensive zone.

Tarik El-Bashir: Is Josi a more complete defenseman? That’s debatable. I can only imagine how much worse the Predators would have been this What you cannot debate is this: From a points perspective, Carlson is season without Josi’s contributions. To me, that should give him the edge having one of the most dominant seasons that a defenseman has had in in Norris Trophy voting. a long time. He’s got 75 points, 10 more than Josi, and his 60 assists are TEB: As you’ve laid out, Josi has been the Predators’ best player in a fourth in the league, ranking behind dynamic forwards Leon Draisaitl, season fraught with challenges. But we cannot dismiss the impact that Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin. Also, it’s not like Carlson is just Carlson has made on a Capitals team that sits atop the toughest division feasting on the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin-led power play. In fact, Carlson is in the league. 11th in power-play points. Carlson inherited Brooks Orpik’s alternate captain role and the Look, Josi is having a nice season, but Carlson, who was on pace for 89 responsibilities that go along with it. He plays heavy minutes in all points when the season was suspended, is having a historic one. The situations and rarely misses a game. He has eight more points than last defensemen to have at least 89 points in a season were Ray Ovechkin, who is the franchise leader in that category, and 18 more Bourque and Sergei Zubov in 1993-94. assists than Nicklas Backstrom, who is the franchise leader in that John Carlson was on pace for 89 points when the season was department. suspended. (Geoff Burke / USA Today) On top of that, Carlson was on the verge of a historic offensive season, AV: In regards to my assertion that Josi is a better all-around one that could have put him in the company of legends such as Bourque, defenseman than Carlson, our colleague Dom Luszczyszyn explained it Paul Coffey, Brian Leetch and Al MacInnis. Unfortunately, we’ll never well as part of his recent analysis on the NHL awards: know if the regular season doesn’t continue. But after finishing a career- best fourth in Norris voting last year, this should be Carlson’s year to take The big difference, though, remains on defense, where Josi has had a home the hardware. very strong positive impact, while Carlson has not only been negative but among the league’s worst. What good are all those points if he gives The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 them right back? Carlson’s season has been strong, and he still lands in the top 10 among top-pairing defensemen, but he’s a long way from the value that Josi and others have provided due to his one-dimensional play this season.

You watch Carlson on a nightly basis, so how would you evaluate his defensive play this season?

TEB: Here’s how I see it from my seat in the press box: Carlson, like his team, was very good before Christmas. He was a goal-scoring machine and very reliable defensively. Since the bye week, however, there’s been some slippage in his game, and it has mirrored his team’s downturn.

One bad game turned into two or three, and Carlson’s confidence took a bit of a hit. He began second-guessing his decisions and sagging back instead of gapping up. He got beat a couple of more times, and it snowballed from there.

That’s not to say that Carlson has been a complete liability as of late, either. He isn’t getting toe-dragged by fourth-liners or tossing the puck around like it’s a grenade. He’s just not executing at the same level or playing with the same swagger that he did from October to December. In his last interview before the stoppage, Carlson acknowledged as much, telling me, “I’m trying to find the perfect level of aggression and defensiveness. It’s something I’m battling right now. ”

I realize the advanced statistics don’t paint a rosy picture, but they’ve got their limitations, too. Let me counter with this: Carlson is the ice-time leader by more than two minutes on the best team in the . Let’s not forget that. 1181506 New Jersey Devils

NJ Devils and 76ers temporarily reducing staff salaries due to coronavirus

Abbey Mastracco, NHL Writer Published 9:26 p.m. ET March 23, 2020 | Updated 11:07 p.m. ET March 23, 2020

The group that owns the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia 76ers, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, will temporarily be reducing some staff salaries. A source confirmed a report by Marc Stein of on Monday night, saying at-will employees making $50,000 a or more will be subjected to a 20 percent reduction from April 15 through June.

An earlier version of the story stated that the company intended to repay the difference. However, the a Devils' spokesperson said the company did not make that promise.

Sixers and Devils at-will employees were informed today that temporary salary reductions of up to 20 percent will be instituted for employees making more than $50,000 starting April 15 through the end of June, @NYTSports has learned

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 23, 2020

The team presidents of both teams, Jake Reynolds of the Devils and Chris Heck of the 76ers, as well as Philadelphia general manager Elton Brand and HBSE CEO Scott O’Neil agreed to participate in the program.

O'Neil addressed the news in a statement.

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

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

The NHL and NBA have suspended operations indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic and all events at , which is owned and operated by HBSE, have been canceled through March.

Owners and managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer have been paying hourly and event staff at Prudential Center during the unprecedented shutdown and pledged to do so for all postponed games and concerts.

This salary reduction program is a way to prevent layoffs. Health benefits and 401K plans were not affected.

All arenas and large-scale entertainment venues are in the same situation right now, losing money without the ability to bring in revenue from tickets, concessions, parking and corporate events. An HBSE staffer who asked to remain anonymous said employees were made aware in a meeting Monday and were told it was a unanimous decision and management cited a desire to keep each staff member in place during this time period.

An at-will employee is classified as one that can be fired at any time, for any reason, with the exception of some legality.

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181507 New Jersey Devils fans is to stay home and help do their part to get the NHL and every other restarted.

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.24.2020 Where does NHL stand 12 days into coronavirus shutdown? Updates on draft, playoffs, more

Abbey Mastracco, NHL Writer Published 6:16 p.m. ET March 23, 2020 | Updated 6:19 p.m. ET March 23, 2020

The NHL has no plans to delay the 2020-21 season and no plans to delay the 2020 NHL Draft Combine or the draft itself.

So what is the state of hockey right now as we hit day 12 without NHL action? Well, it’s status quo.

The league attempted to address some of the more pressing questions surrounding the shutdown Monday, releasing a Q&A on NHL.com. NHL brass promised to update the post as necessary, as we head closer and closer to the 60-day mark. The board of governors also had a conference call Monday afternoon to discuss ongoing issues posed during this unprecedented shutdown.

Here are some of the key takeaways.

Player testing

Two unnamed players from the Ottawa Senators tested positive for the novel coronavirus last week, which puts the initial timeline the league released in doubt. Both players exhibited minor symptoms and are in isolation, while every other player in the league has been asked to remain in quarantine until Friday. The organization’s medical experts acknowledged additional time may be needed depending on where players are located. They were allowed to leave the cities of their home clubs last Monday.

Medical experts did not recommend testing each player in the league. Players and team personnel have been asked to report any symptoms to team doctors and a determination will then be made whether or not to administer a test.

STAPLETON: Loss of sports world hurts now, and it should, but there's a win in our future

A return to action

Jun 12, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Blues center Ryan O'Reilly (90) kisses the Stanley Cup after defeating the Boston Bruins in game seven of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden.

While the league is still hopeful to resume action with a training camp in April, the rest of the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs soon thereafter, it’s impossible to know if that’s even possible at this time.

A player who has had an active infection or been exposed to an active infection of COVID-19 has to remain isolated for at least 14 days. Most states are imposing lockdown restrictions to keep citizens from leaving their houses and encourage significant social distancing in an attempt to flatten the curve. The number of cases is still rapidly increasing and the curve has not yet reached its peak in the United States.

The status of next season

The International Ice Hockey Federation canceled its signature event, the men’s World Championships, on Saturday and there remains a chance the NHL season could be canceled as well. One issue addressed in the Monday piece was the start of the 2020-21 season. As of now, there are no plans to push back the start of next season.

The draft

The 2020 NHL Draft is slated for June 26-27 in Montreal. The combine is still tentatively scheduled for late May in Buffalo. However, if the Stanley Cup Playoffs are being staged in June then it may not be feasible to hold these events at their stated times. Last week, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league has not discussed a scenario in which the draft is held before the Stanley Cup Final.

The league is attempting to keep fans informed as decisions are made, but until the number of cases is brought down, all involved will still be left with more questions than answers. Until then, the message for hockey 1181508 New Jersey Devils Like most kids in Saint-Leonard, Alain and Samy quickly fell for the sport. The two arenas in the neighborhood had different names when the Nasreddine boys played in them, but now they’re Arena Martin Brodeur A ‘real hustler,’ Alain Nasreddine earned his chance with the Devils and Arena Roberto Luongo.

While their father logged long hours at work, their mother was in charge of getting both of them to practices and running the household. By Corey Masisak Mar 23, 2020 “I never skate,” Akram said. “Here I have two boys who are successful hockey players. My wife, she was there all the time. The success of the kids, she has so much to do with that.” Akram Nasreddine is a fantastic storyteller. Alain spent most of his youth career playing at the AA level. Even though Grab a slice of pizza — all dressed, of course — a drink and a chair at he was cut from his AAA midget team, Drummondville took him in the Pizza Madonna, and get ready for the owner of the place to reminisce. third round of the 1991 QMJHL draft. There’s the story about the unfortunate meeting between a beer delivery After two years there, Alain was selected by the Florida Panthers in the guy and a patch of ice that led to the spiderweb of cracked glass in Pizza sixth round of the 1993 NHL draft. He scored one goal in his first two Madonna’s front window. The one about a youth hockey coach wanting junior seasons, but his defensive aptitude and toughness made him a pro to cut Akram’s youngest son, Samy, and moving him from defense to prospect. Samy’s success came at the lower levels. He won a Memorial forward for a game, only for Samy to pile up five points and force his way Cup, played 200 games in the ECHL and won three league titles in four onto the team. The one about Sidney Crosby not wanting to make him years while playing in Denmark and England. wait for a photo. The one about driving Georges Laraque from practices to the Nasreddine family home, a few years before the heavyweight “My brother always worked very, very hard, but I didn’t see that,” Samy knocked his older son, Alain, out cold in a QMJHL game. said. “For me, I went to the rink, I had fun and I came home. I didn’t see the work you had to put in. He did, especially at the gym. He was The best story the eldest Nasreddine can tell is his own. It’s what influenced by (Flyers assistant coach) Ian Lapierre and (Laval Rocket explains how Alain Nasreddine became the man he is today, the proud coach) Joel Bouchard. They were tight together and they worked out son of a Lebanese Arab Muslim father and French Canadian Catholic together. mother who worked his way from Saint-Leonard to the NHL as a player and now as interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils. “He was disappointed that he was drafted in the sixth round. He thought it was going to be end of the second or maybe the third round, so he lost “He is a real hustler,” Akram said of Alain. “Every place, wherever he his patience for a while.” goes, he succeeds. He has a big heart and he’s a good boy.” Alain, a rugged, stay-at-home defenseman, didn’t have an easy road to Akram Nasreddine was born and raised in Kmatieh, Lebanon. He had a the NHL. He racked up 775 penalty minutes in four years in the Q, good job in his mid-20s, not making a lot of money, but enough to be including 342 in his final season. Five of those came after a fight with comfortable. He also had two friends with adventurous spirits. Laraque that he hasn’t forgotten. Akram’s friends were in the process of filling out immigration papers to When they were younger, Laraque played on a team with Samy. He leave Lebanon for new beginnings. One ended up in Australia, the other would sling his hockey bag over his shoulder and ride his bike to in Canada. Both countries accepted Akram, but he chose Canada practices. The Nasreddines offered to drive him and he became a regular because it was closer to home, meaning it would be easier to return if he at their house in Saint-Leonard. didn’t like it. That relationship didn’t matter when a line brawl erupted during Alain’s He landed in Montreal in 1970 with one bag. He spoke three languages final QMJHL season with Chicoutimi in 1994-95. Akram says his son at the time, but could read only French. His first job at a factory paid him always fought bigger opponents, but Laraque was the only one to “beat $1.25 an hour. him good.” “A dirty job,” he said. “Georges was the only guy who destroyed me,” Alain said. “I told him Akram switched jobs 13 times within the year before settling at another later that I put him on the map with that knockout.” factory, where he made $3 an hour. A year into the role, he was Alain became a longtime AHL player. He had a few short trips to the NHL managing 85 employees and beginning to save money to start his own — eight games with the Blackhawks, eight with the hometown business. Canadiens, three with the Islanders and six with the Penguins at 30 Akram’s father and grandfather were business owners in Lebanon. In years old. The following year, he broke through and spent nearly the 1973, he married Francine, whose father was also a businessman. entire 2006-07 season in the best league in the world. Akram quit working at the factory and purchased a Dépanneur, the After he scored his first and only NHL goal, off a pass from Crosby, one Montreal equivalent of a bodega. of the Penguins’ coaches told him to “get a place” — code for “you’re He worked from 6 a.m. to midnight, six days a week. His nephew, who going to be here for a while.” came over from Lebanon to work for him, ran the store on Sundays. The seeds of his coaching career were being sown before that. When Francine gave birth to Alain in 1975, and Samy arrived 13 months later. Alain was captain of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2004-05, Akram eventually grew tired of the long hours. He sold the Dépanneur assistant coach Mike Yeo gave him a book of practice drills that he has and opened two restaurants in the Dominion Square building in kept as a coach. When Michel Therrien took over coaching duties in downtown Montreal. Alain and Samy learned the value of working for Pittsburgh, then assistant GM Jason Botterill asked Nasreddine to your money by handling deliveries. organize some practices and become an extension of the coaching staff.

“My dad earned every penny he made, so you can only imagine growing Botterill also told Nasreddine that when his playing career was over, a up we knew the value of money,” Alain said. coaching job would be waiting for him in the organization. Nasreddine played two more seasons in Germany before returning home to retire in Eventually Akram had to close the restaurants downtown. That’s when 2010. he, with a friend, opened the first Pizza Madonna, which became a successful chain. “He said, ‘I don’t know what to do,’” Akram said. “And I said, ‘Go to Pittsburgh. Go and ask them.’” At the peak of the business venture, Akram owned seven or eight pizza shops, but it’s down to three now that he’s in his mid-70s. He still visits Botterill kept his word. The Penguins had just hired a young man from the stores regularly and will fill in when one of his managers needs a the USA Hockey National Team Development Program named John vacation. Hynes to be their head coach in Wilkes-Barre. They were looking for someone to be his assistant. The boys’ love for hockey came from the other side of the family. Their grandfather was a big Canadiens fan and an early influence. “Hynesy helped him a lot,” Akram said. “He showed him everything, but Alain was good for John too. Alain played the game (in the AHL and NHL) and John didn’t. So when John wanted to go too much, Alain would The NHL could not confirm if Nasreddine is the league’s first head coach say, ‘Take it easy here.’” of Arab or Middle Eastern descent, but he’s on a short list of players. Nazem Kadri, Mika Zibanejad, Brandon Saad and Justin Abdelkader Alain spent five seasons with Hynes in Wilkes-Barre and four in New represent Middle Eastern players currently in the NHL. Jersey, forging a partnership that helped the Devils return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2018 for the first time in six years. Then the losses “It’s something for me that I’m very proud of,” Alain said. “I remember mounted, and after an active offseason with high expectations turned into reading a couple articles about players of Middle Eastern descent and a dreadful start to 2019, the Devils shook things up. seeing my name on the list and I was proud. I am very proud of my heritage. I consider myself Canadian and I’m proud of it, but I’m also New Jersey fired Hynes on Dec. 3 and replaced him with Alain in the proud of my dad, just everything he’s done and where he came from.” interim. Suddenly, he was an NHL head coach, elated for the opportunity but saddened for a close friend. It was a confusing way to land the job of The NHL is facing a great unknown. The league, like the rest of the your dreams. sporting world, is on hold amid a global pandemic.

“Obviously, it’s a lot of emotions. A lot of mixed emotions,” Alain said. “A Alain Nasreddine is dealing with uncertainty of his own. Becoming an lot goes through your mind. You can’t help but think of John and the NHL head coach for the first time on Dec. 3, he didn’t have time to make relationship we’ve had the last 10 years.” drastic changes. He did have a few confidants in the Devils organization he turned to for advice. “I’m very proud of him,” Samy said. “Just to think that he’s one of the 31 coaches in the NHL, like in the whole world. It’s still today … I’m like, ‘Oh, One was Peter Horachek, who moved from a scouting role to join my god, there’s only 31 NHL coaches,’ so it’s nice. I get approached a lot Nasreddine’s staff. Horachek has been an interim NHL coach himself. now, like, ‘Oh, Nasreddine … is that your brother?’ Another was Claude Noel, interim coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2009-10 and currently a Devils scout. “I’m sure there’s a lot of fans who are disappointed about the season, but I think he’s doing a tremendous job with what he’s got.” “We were on a road trip and I met up with Claude and (interim GM Tom Fitzgerald) for a drink. I ended up grabbing Claude and we talked for like The Nasreddine boys share more than a passion for hockey. Once they an hour and a half,” Alain said. “I felt bad for Fitzy because he was just hit their 20s, Alain and Samy started navigating the real estate world. sitting there, but Claude was a great sounding board.” Both were motivated by their family’s history of owning businesses, and the path their father forged before them. The Devils have been more successful with Nasreddine in charge than they were with Hynes. New Jersey was 9-13-4 before the change and is The brothers purchased their first apartment building when Alain was 23 19-16-8 since, despite trading Taylor Hall days into Nasreddine’s tenure years old, an eight-plex in Montreal. and Blake Coleman, Andy Greene, Sami Vatanen and Wayne Simmonds “My brother and I never made a lot of money playing hockey, but enough before the deadline. cash down to buy our first one,” Alain said. “We loved it. My dad loved Much of the team’s improvement stems from Mackenzie Blackwood’s real estate too, but never had the guts to invest the money to buy. But rise as a Calder Trophy candidate. Since losing the first five games (0-4- after we had some money, he was really pushing us to do it. We were 1) with Nasreddine in charge, the Devils have played at a 95-point pace young, maybe a little fearless, so I was like, ‘OK, let’s go.’” for 38 games.

Samy was playing hockey in San Diego when the real estate market Is the progress enough for Devils ownership to trust him with the team boomed. He and Alain continued to add to their portfolio at home. full-time? They’ll likely name a general manager first, after the Devils Samy became a real estate agent after his playing career was over and fired Ray Shero in January. Nasreddine may have had his last the brothers now have 39 units spread across four buildings. They’ve opportunity to pad his resume. It’s possible the NHL moves right into the also started a loan business and are investors in a project that will build playoffs when the league returns to action, and that wouldn’t include the close to 30 homes on a plot of land in Hudson, Quebec, which is just Devils unless there is an expanded format. west of Montreal. At 44 years old, Nasreddine is young enough to spend more time “My brother will be like, ‘OK, let’s buy more!’ But I have to be like, ‘Well, I apprenticing, either as an AHL head coach or as an assistant in the NHL, need to work too.’ I take care of it and my parents help,” Samy said. “He and get another opportunity to be an NHL head coach in the future. Noel is more like a silent investor. He’s always like, ‘Expansion! Expansion!’ did not get the job in Columbus, but did become Winnipeg’s head coach But I only have 24 hours in a day. after one season leading an AHL club.

“(Being a landlord) comes with some work, but can you make money Nasreddine doesn’t want to wait, though. He had to grind his way through without working? I don’t think so. It takes some time from my schedule, a long professional career, and both the work ethic and passion for but in the end the rewards are going to be very positive. I like it. It’s not hockey that were instilled him at a young age still drive him. for everybody.” “I don’t know what is next for him, but his path is just following the fast For years, while they were building their business and growing their lane, like the expressway,” Samy said. “I don’t know what is next, but he families, Alain and Samy wanted to travel with their father to Lebanon. has the talent to be a coach in the NHL. Hopefully a team will see that. If They were curious to see where their father grew up, the country that is it’s not New Jersey, someone else will. If New Jersey could keep him, it part of their heritage. would be a lot easier for his family and he wants to be there.

For years, Akram delayed the trip, unsure about the instability in the “I think he opened some eyes with how the team is playing with what he’s region. Finally, two summers ago, they went together. got on hand. I’m sure he’s doing something right and other teams are seeing that too. I think the players can relate to him. I think he gets the Alain and Samy Nasreddine during their trip to Lebanon. (Courtesy of respect of the players anywhere he goes.” Alain Nasreddine) The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 “It was an unreal experience,” Alain said. “Once you are there, you forget all about the trouble that was there. It’s such a beautiful country. You have the sea. The downtown, it was amazing. People don’t realize, but in Beirut, they had stuff you don’t even see here. It was pretty amazing. My dad’s chest was puffed out. He was very proud of his country.”

They met one of Akram’s sisters and visited with more than a dozen cousins, most of whom Alain and Samy had never met. Only a few of the Lebanese members of the family had ever come to Montreal.

They had dinner on the beach. They took a small boat into Jeita Grotto, a famous water-filled cave. They saw the home where their father grew up. They ate Kibbeh, Alain’s favorite Lebanese food. 1181509 New York Islanders

NHL hopeful teams can resume training by end of 60-day quarantine by CDC

By Andrew Gross

The NHL is still hopeful its teams can resume training by the end of the 60-day period the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended on March 15 limiting gatherings to 50 people or fewer.

But no decisions have been made regarding the regular season’s status, a playoff format or whether there will be fans in the stands if games do resume.

The league on Monday released a question-and-answer update in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that paused the season on March 12.

"The form and format of resumption of play scenarios will depend entirely on what transpires between now and when we are permitted and able to resume and, ultimately, on timing and taking into account logistical constraints,” the NHL said. “We are going to have to be flexible and react to events as they unfold as well as the best medical advice available.”

The NHL repeated that regardless of what happens to the rest of this season, even if playoffs are put on hold until July or August, it will not impact the 2020-21 season.

“We do not anticipate a scenario in our resumption of play format that would endanger or interfere with the League’s ability to stage and execute the 2020-21 NHL season in its entirety.”

The NHL added no decisions have been made regarding “the timing or format” of the NHL Draft or scouting combine, both scheduled in June.

Also, any rescheduling of the free agency period – which typically opens on July 1 – will be made in conjunction with the NHL Players’ Association.

The players’ self-quarantine period runs through Friday and two Ottawa Senators have tested positive. The NHL said mass testing of its players is not recommended, in part because of insufficient resources.

But once the self-quarantine period ends, “consideration will be given to allowing the opening of Club facilities to Players in scheduled and coordinated small groups for voluntary training and Club care.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181510 New York Islanders look for ways to start things during warmups, even though he probably sits closer to the red line to stretch than any of his teammates.

“As soon as the rules got tougher, where if you crossed that red line or The pregame ‘secrets’ of the Islanders who stretch near the red line your stick did then you were getting games, there’s a delicate balance now,” he said. “In the old days, you’d see guys cross over to stir the pot and it usually would stir the pot. Can’t get away with that anymore. That’s By Arthur Staple Mar 23, 2020 more of the old-school mentality, but I try not to have too many conversations when I’m up there unless I have to, but that barely

happens. Sometimes there’s a few jabs between friends, but I’m usually Matt Martin knows where this is going. just doing my own thing.”

You see, he’s one of four Islanders who stretch just beside the red line Johnston said this on Feb. 15, after a morning skate in Las Vegas. That during pregame warmups. Every hockey player on every hockey team night, he lined up for the opening draw across from Golden Knights from bantam to the NHL has a routine during warmups, the 15-20 minute heavyweight Ryan Reaves. The puck dropped and so did their gloves, a ritual of shooting pucks on your own goalie, running through basic line huge tilt just two seconds into the game. So, was he lying about never and defense pair drills. That includes who retrieves the gaggle of pucks making reservations during warmups? from the net to start each segment (on the Islanders, it’s Martin), who sits Asked about it the next week, he gave a sly smile. “I honestly don’t think I down in the middle of all of this to do a quick stretch and where they do it. said anything to him while I was stretching,” he said. “But when the game Long ago in the NHL, the guys who stretched by the red line — the was about to start, I asked him. He said no. I said, ‘Come on, borderline of warmups; cross it at your own peril — were exclusively the (heavyweight boxer) Tyson Fury’s here. Let’s put on a show.’ So we ones who were looking for trouble in the ensuing game. Martin, a 10-year went. NHL veteran, said it’s been a while since players from opposing teams “Can’t give away all my secrets.” sat down on either side of the red line during warmups and made reservations for a fight later that evening. The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 “People see you talking to someone now and they assume that’s the case,” Martin said. “In the past, it was more, ‘You want to go tonight?’ But it’s been five years at least since that’s happened. There’s almost always someone stretching there beside me. Sometimes there’s a conversation, sometimes it’s quiet.”

Last season, before an Islanders-Hurricanes game, Martin got on all fours to stretch and saw Canes captain Justin Williams a few feet away. The broadcast caught the two chatting.

“He was congratulating me on my (upcoming) wedding,” Martin said. “Asked where we were going on the honeymoon.”

The funny thing is that, in the current NHL age of decreased fighting and sideshow behavior, the four Islanders who stretch by the red line are those who are more than willing to engage in the throwing of hands. Martin, Johnny Boychuk, Scott Mayfield and Ross Johnston all give similar reasons for congregating there.

“That’s probably everyone’s first inkling that they think of, and Marty’s right behind me too,” Johnston said. “But honestly, it’s out of the way. Guys are slinging pucks everywhere in our zone, so it’s beneficial to be up on the line, out of the way of all that.”

“I’ve always done it since junior — no one’s gonna hit you (with a puck) there,” Boychuk said. “Sometimes, you’re watching their goalie, maybe their players.”

When Boychuk played for Hershey in the AHL during the 2004-05 lockout, his first pro season, the game was closer to Slap Shot than the modern-day NHL. “There were guys in that league, they’d sit right on the red line to stretch in warmups and wouldn’t even face their own end,” Boychuk said. “Some teams just had three or four guys lined up, like guard dogs. You knew something was going to happen in the game when you saw that.”

Like Martin, Boychuk’s been around. If you see him make eye contact or chat with someone across the red line, it’s almost certain to be an old teammate or friend rather than a potential dance partner.

Mayfield said his routine hasn’t changed since his youth hockey days in St. Louis. “Skate, stretch, skate, stretch,” he said. “It’s warmups, you don’t think about that other stuff before a game. Once you’ve played a bit in the league, you know who they have.

“The American League, there was some stuff, but mostly before I got there. College, there’s always refs there for warmups. American League, especially when we had Justin Johnson, Brett Gallant, you’d get some exchanges. I’ve heard stories of JJ from the coast that were pretty crazy. And when he had his two games with us at the end of the (2013-14) season, I did see him stretch right next to John Scott in Buffalo. And they went that night. But that’s probably the last time I remember that happening.”

Well, perhaps not the last. Johnston, who led the Isles this season with six fighting majors when the league went on pause, said he’s not one to 1181511 New York Rangers (Interlude: Listen to this: in 2005-06, Ilya Kovalchuk was on for 8:11 per game on the power play for the Thrashers, the highest total since the NHL began recording such matters in 1997-98. Ovechkin might have Pavel Buchnevich making it hard for Rangers to even ponder trade passed Wayne Gretzky by now with 8:11 of power-play time per game.)

Of Buchnevich’s 46 points, 32 came at five-on-five, with 14 primary assists of his total 21, per Natural Stat Trick. He tracks well in By Larry Brooks March 23, 2020 | 8:21PM meaningful, publicly available underlying numbers. If his goal number was somewhat down, that traces to a 10.8 shooting percentage that was

below the 13.9 career mark he brought into the season. Part II of a series analyzing the New York Rangers It is not necessarily about that, though. It is about doing the work off the Pavel Buchnevich was selected 75th overall in 2013 by the Rangers, and puck and minimizing the pouty, slumped-shoulder body language that far ranks 14th in goals and 15th in points among the players drafted that too often accompanies a missed scoring chance. It is about being year, and yet there is the expectation — if not demand — that No. 89 consistently engaged and forcing himself to do the little things that might should produce more. not be in his nature.

Or, if not necessarily produce more, then at least to be more visible and Still, this was a season of progress. And Josh Anderson wouldn’t fit as more involved on a more consistent basis, and hang on a second, I think well, anyway, with Zibanejad and Kreider. I will need to copy and paste this sentence into Chris Kreider’s New York Post LOADED: 03.24.2020 evaluation.

But that was exactly what Buchnevich did after Kreider went down with a broken foot in Philadelphia on Feb. 28 and was replaced on the team’s highest scoring line by Phil Di Giuseppe on Mika Zibanejad’s left side.

And not only did Buchnevich record two goals and six assists in six games without No. 20, he was more engaged in the battle areas on the boards, in the corners and in front of the net while also playing a more direct north-south game.

Indeed, he scored the tying goal with 13 seconds remaining in regulation in the Rangers’ last game, a 3-2 overtime defeat in Colorado on March 11, by going to the net on a give-and-go exchange with Artemi Panarin and beating big, strong Nikita Zadorov to the spot for a midair redirect that gave his team its 79th point of the season.

Josh Anderson couldn’t have done it any better.

The reference to the Columbus winger applies because in a league of styles, the Rangers have more finesse-oriented, creative-type forwards than straight-line, combative power wingers who can both turn defensemen on the rush and force defensemen to turn their heads against the forecheck.

And so, yes, there has been some discussion within the front office — how serious is unclear — about whether the team would be better off with a prototypical north-south forward rather than one with Buchnevich’s skill set.

But the team has never come close to dealing the winger, who already had established personal bests with 30 assists and 46 points during the completed portion of the schedule, with his 16 goals five shy of the 21 he recorded in 2018-19.

And one of the primary reasons is Buchnevich’s compatibility both on and off the ice with Zibanejad and Kreider. These guys like each other, they really like each other, they like playing as a unit, and they give David Quinn the ability to carve those first-line numbers of 20, 93 and 89 into the coach’s wall.

So much is uncertain, but when hockey and the Rangers return, this is not: Igor Shesterkin as the No. 1 in goal, Kreider-Zibanejad-Buchnevich as the first line and Ryan Lindgren-Adam Fox as the top defensive pair. Artemi Panarin is rather certain, too.

Buchnevich is more of a distributer than a sniper. That’s what everyone says and that’s the way he plays the game, though I have to say that my enduring image of Buchnevich is him firing darts from the circles as a rookie, notably the one he scored in Boston for his first career goal on Nov. 5, 2016. Seems like if he had the inclination, he could be a Shooter.

To that end, he did shoot at a higher rate this year, getting 2.2 shots on net per game after coming into the season averaging 1.86 per. His attempt rate increased, too, to 3.7 per from 3.3. Perhaps imperceptible, but a step.

The thing, too, is that Buchnevich was the fifth option on the four-forward, first power-play unit, getting an average of 2:18 per on the man- advantage while Panarin averaged 3:44; Zibanejad 3:40; Kreider 3:28; and Ryan Strome, 2:57. The league leader in average power-play time was, predictably, Alex Ovechkin at 4:53 per. 1181512 New York Rangers

NHL hopeful teams can resume training by end of 60-day quarantine by CDC

By Andrew Gross

The NHL is still hopeful its teams can resume training by the end of the 60-day period the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended on March 15 limiting gatherings to 50 people or fewer.

But no decisions have been made regarding the regular season’s status, a playoff format or whether there will be fans in the stands if games do resume.

The league on Monday released a question-and-answer update in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that paused the season on March 12.

"The form and format of resumption of play scenarios will depend entirely on what transpires between now and when we are permitted and able to resume and, ultimately, on timing and taking into account logistical constraints,” the NHL said. “We are going to have to be flexible and react to events as they unfold as well as the best medical advice available.”

The NHL repeated that regardless of what happens to the rest of this season, even if playoffs are put on hold until July or August, it will not impact the 2020-21 season.

“We do not anticipate a scenario in our resumption of play format that would endanger or interfere with the League’s ability to stage and execute the 2020-21 NHL season in its entirety.”

The NHL added no decisions have been made regarding “the timing or format” of the NHL Draft or scouting combine, both scheduled in June.

Also, any rescheduling of the free agency period – which typically opens on July 1 – will be made in conjunction with the NHL Players’ Association.

The players’ self-quarantine period runs through Friday and two Ottawa Senators have tested positive. The NHL said mass testing of its players is not recommended, in part because of insufficient resources.

But once the self-quarantine period ends, “consideration will be given to allowing the opening of Club facilities to Players in scheduled and coordinated small groups for voluntary training and Club care.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181513 New York Rangers power play, ranked seventh in the NHL at 22.9 percent and leading the NHL with 29 PPGs and 30-percent efficiency since Dec. 27.

Panarin would have certainly have reached 100 points and joined some Carpiniello: The NHL awards case for Artemi Panarin and Jeff Gorton pretty select company in franchise history. Those who have hit 90 in a season were: Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, Vic Hadfield, Mike Rogers, , Brian Leetch, Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr. By Rick Carpiniello Mar 23, 2020 More importantly, Panarin has proved to be a better player than you might know – I sure didn’t – in terms of his work in all three zones and – perhaps most surprising when you watch him every game – his ability to If the NHL season is over – and we will continue to type that qualifier – pick-pocket opponents in order to get pucks back. Plus he’s proven to be then there is stock to be taken for every team and every performer. a Grade A person and teammate and an invaluable guy in the locker And if the NHL season had ended normally, well, the Rangers’ Artemi room, especially one that includes several young Russian players, some Panarin and Jeff Gorton would have to make plans to be in Las Vegas for of them learning a new language. the NHL awards ceremony. “Every game something special happens,” goalie Alexandar Georgiev Not that such a show is any more likely to happen than any further said. “Every game he helps us.” games in the 2019-20 season. The case for Jeff Gorton as GM of the Year: So we at The Athletic – a band of hockey writers that accounts for a great Two words: Mika Zibanejad. portion of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, which votes for most of the major post-season awards – did our own balloting. Certainly the heist Gorton pulled for Zibanejad in July 2016 is the gold standard. He could have been arrested. Derick Brassard and a seventh- Gorton tied for third for GM of the Year (behind Colorado’s Joe Sakic and round pick to Ottawa for Zibanejad and a second-round pick. Boston’s Don Sweeney and tied with Tampa Bay’s Julien BriseBois) and Panarin finished third in the Hart Trophy balloting for league MVP, behind Just as certainly, it’s difficult to break down a GM’s job by season, when Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. his roster and his record at any point is the result of multiple, if not many, years of work. This season alone, Gorton acquired Panarin, Jacob The case for Artemi Panarin for the Hart Trophy Trouba and Adam Fox – the latter with a good chance of being another Certainly through 70 games you could make the argument that not only is robbery. Panarin one of the true MVPs of the league, but also one of the great all- But Gorton gets the votes here, and the accolades, for having the onions time free-agent signings, one (dare we say?) worth the pile of money to rebuild in New York, getting James Dolan firmly aboard, for laying out ($81.5 million over seven years) Gorton handed him to come to New and publicly stating the plan, and then carrying it out with patience … York City last July. even as it still remains very much ongoing. In fact, other than the Yankees of the 1970s – Catfish Hunter, Reggie Here the Rangers were when the season halted, on the periphery of the Jackson, Goose Gossage – you’d be hard-pressed to find a better free- playoff hunt (and actually with the 16th-best record in the NHL) with the agent signee on the New York sports scene than Panarin. youngest roster in the league and truly about halfway through the rebuild Again, it’s a 70-game sample, and we’re not raising No. 10 to the rafters with so many new pieces yet to arrive. yet. But … In the last three seasons, Gorton had the courage to trade or buy out Just looking purely at numbers, Panarin had career-highs in goals (32), Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash, assists (63) and points (95) with 12 games still on the schedule until the J.T. Miller, Michael Grabner, Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes, Jimmy NHL paused the season. His previous highs were 31 goals in 82 games Vesey, Kevin Shattenkirk and Brady Skjei to acquire five first-round in 2016-17 with Chicago and 59 assists and 87 points in 79 games in ’18- picks, three seconds, three thirds, two fourths and Tony DeAngelo, Yegor 19 with Columbus. His previous career high, by the way, in Hart Trophy Rykov, Ryan Spooner (turned into Ryan Strome), Ryan Lindgren, Vlad voting was 14th in ’17-18 with Columbus. Namestnikov (turned into another fourth), Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, Brendan Lemieux and flip one of the firsts and Neal Pionk for Trouba. He Panarin was tied for second in the NHL in assists and tied for third in the also traded a second and a third for Fox. NHL in points when the music stopped. The Panarin-Trouba moves accelerated the rebuild, but still few expected He led the NHL in even strength points (71), even strength assists (46), this young team to be in the hunt this late. 5-on-5 points (60), and 5-on-5 assists (39). Panarin had at least one point in 34 of the Rangers’ 37 wins. He had points in 54 of his 69 games Mistakes, sure, Gorton’s made a few. Perhaps he drafted Lias Andersson (including 16 of his last 18) and at least one shot on goal in 68 of 69. too high (seventh overall), and you could say he didn’t need to sign Shattenkirk in the early stage of the rebuild nor should he have signed Panarin wanted the big stage, got it, and then performed in a huge way Brendan Smith or Skjei to the contracts they received. But when you’re upon it. rebuilding and re-stocking an empty cupboard of prospects, there are going to be swings-and-misses, and you hope to hit some homers. For “Right when you think you’ve seen it all, he does so many great things the actual tally we will need to wait to see what prospects Vitali Kravtsov out there for us,” Rangers coach David Quinn said. “We talked about it and Morgan Barron, to name two among the forwards, and defensemen when we signed him over the summer: Everybody stands a little bit taller, Nils Lundkvist, K’Andre Miller, Hajek, Rykov, Tarmo Reunanen, Matthew and they put the chest out a little further, and they have a little bit more Robertson, Zachary Jones, and others, become. Not to mention the ones swagger. But I think he’s given us a lot more than that.” who are here, starting with Kaapo Kakko, selected second overall after Indeed, he has popped eyeballs at times, particularly with his passing, Gorton hit the draft lottery less than a year ago. such as the two recent game-winning overtime passes to Mika Zibanejad There’s even a little bit of irony in Gorton finishing behind Sweeney in against the Islanders and Washington. The Athletic’s voting. Sweeney runs the best team in the league, the only “He reads the game so well,” Zibanejad said. “His hockey IQ is through 100-point team, in Boston. But he also has a core of players acquired by the roof.” Gorton, as interim Bruins GM in 2006, including Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand and Tuukka Rask. You could argue that, especially with the surge he had just before the pause, that Zibanejad could be in the MVP conversation himself with 41 The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 goals and 75 points in just 57 games after missing 13 with a neck injury. Not to mention the plethora of all-situation, three-zone responsibilities to which Zibanejad is entrusted.

Consider too that, other than power plays and late in games when trailing, Panarin and Zibanejad rarely play together. But the two of them together have given the Rangers – for a rare change – a dangerous 1181514 Ottawa Senators But all of it, given the considerably lower historical production Hailey highlighted, does raise some questions about the legitimacy of his NHL upside, particularly offensively.

Why Russian defenceman Artyom Zub is on the Ottawa Senators’ radar To truly put his game to the test, I wanted my takeaways to feel real — to feel like they came from a large enough sample size. The goal was to give you a complete picture of where his game stands today (the good and the bad). By Scott Wheeler and Hailey Salvian Mar 23, 2020 In order to do that, I reviewed all 77 of his shifts from his last four games,

spanning 59:38 in ice-time. And before you crunch the numbers on his With the remainder of the Ottawa Senators’ 2019-20 season in jeopardy, average ice-time across those four games, it’s important to note that he attention begins to shift to the offseason. was injured on his fourth shift of that fourth game as SKA took on Vityaz in their first playoff game (he has missed the three games since). Here’s And one name fans might start hearing more frequently in the coming the video of the injury, where he takes a shot off of his helmet and heads months is Arytom Zub. straight to the dressing room:

Zub, 24, first made headlines in Ottawa when TSN’s He averaged 19:06 in the three games prior, playing a leading role on reported the Senators were one of three finalists to land the Russian free one of the better teams in the KHL. In Saint Petersburg’s final regular agent. That was in late January after general manager Pierre Dorion was season game of the year on Feb. 25, Zub led all SKA players in ice time scouting overseas and saw Zub play in the KHL. with 20:03, playing crucial all-situations minutes in a big 4-1 win over CSKA Moscow. A source close to the situation told The Athletic last week that Ottawa was still in the mix. It is believed Zub won’t make any decisions until his Stylistically, the first thing you should know about the way Zub plays is KHL contract ended on April 30. With the KHL season on hold, that that he’s aggressive. That’s true without the puck, where he consistently timeline gets fuzzy. steps up on players off the rush or pinches in the offensive zone, and it’s true with the puck, where he looks to attack to create those Any contract signed at this time would be dated July 1 and begin next aforementioned goals. season, so there’s not rush. That approach to defence is both a blessing and a curse. While we can’t speculate on if or when he will sign in Ottawa, we can analyze what Zub brings to the table, and why he might be a good fit with On sequences like this, you see both at play in a positive sense. It’s Zub the Senators. (No. 2 in all clips) stepping up along the right-wing wall, that keeps the play alive — and then it’s nice to see him looking to make something Zub has been a top-four defenceman for SKA St. Petersburg for the last happen by attacking into the slot without the puck in an effort to get open, few years, and played a prominent role for Russia in international even if the puck never gets there: competition. He won bronze at two world championships with Russia (2017 and 2019) and was a part of the team that won gold at the 2018 Below, that aggressiveness shows itself in an open-ice hit as he gaps up, Pyeongchang Olympics. plays the carrier tight, and then removes him from the puck before jumping back into the play to receive a pass and create an entry for Listed at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, Zub is a mobile, reliable defenceman himself at the other end: who saw a spike in his offensive production during the 2019-2020 season. His 13 goals in 57 games this year is more than double the total Zub is consistent that way and regularly uses his 6-foot-2 frame to play a number of goals (six) he scored in his first 199 KHL games. His 22 points tight gap and take out his man. is also a career high. Watch for it again, here: Although he appears to be rounding out his game, he likely won’t produce much offensively in the NHL. But that won’t be his role. It can create some problems for him, though. Wherever Zub lands in the NHL, his teammates, his coach, and fans will quickly learn that he often His closest comparable might be to Nikita Zaitsev, who put up numbers gets caught out of position playing a little too aggressively at times. in his rookie NHL season but has mostly been tapped for his defensive game. The good news is that he’s a plus-level skater, so he’s often able to recover from those mistakes. I would say his footwork and side-to-side If he joins the Senators, it’s arguable Zub could be more comparable to edge work are stronger skills than his straightaway speed though, so he’ll Dylan DeMelo. He’s safe in his own zone. He will jump into the play if the get burned the odd time (more on his skating later). But by-and-large he opportunity presents itself, but he won’t tally a lot of points. And he’s a does a nice job tracking back when he gets caught up ice and the play smart player with two-way instincts who can play a variety of roles. goes the other way.

He seems like someone D.J. Smith could take a liking to, especially This is one of several sequences across the four games I tracked where considering his fondness for both DeMelo and Zaitsev. And there’s an Zub has to play behind the opposing team as he works his way back into opening on the right side of the defence, too. the zone. Still, though, he does a nice job picking up his man, leading with stick-on-puck, and then closing out the wall so that SKA can take The Senators currently have four right-shot defenceman signed for next back possession: season — Zaitsev, Erik Brannstrom, Christian Jaros and Lassi Thomson. Realistically, Zaitsev is the only reliable NHL option right now. The It can burn him, though. organization has said they want Brannstrom on the left side, Jaros didn’t exactly steal a job in his 13 NHL games this season, and Thomson is In the sequence below, after he doesn’t do a good job staying between only 19 years old and might need more time. the dots and he fails to pick up on the players cutting through the middle of the ice, Zub (who you can barely see glued to his man at the top of the Pending UFA Ron Hainsey is an option to return, and the organization frame) comes back into the play late after giving up a 2-on-1. Then, after has reportedly shown interest in bringing the long-time veteran back. SKA exit the zone, he gets caught cheating up ice a second time and has Jacob Bernard-Docker could also be an option, though he has yet to sign to spin back when the play goes the other way once more: an ELC. That’s just the give and take that comes with his game. There’s some risk Clearly, the Senators are in need of some depth on the right side, and involved with the way he plays. And honestly, sequences like that were Zub could provide that for them. uncommon in my latest viewings (Zub wasn’t on for a single even- strength goal against and was plus-four in the four games). For a closer look at Zub’s game, Scott Wheeler broke down the video. Here, after taking a hit along the wall, Zub’s got his head up all the way The Tape back, he picks up the loose puck, and he makes the necessary play on From the outside looking in, Zub’s 2019-2020 production is pretty the outlet to create an exit. impressive. He finished second among all KHL defencemen in goals. In Offensively, he takes two approaches. In the offensive half of the ice, he fact, he led all SKA players in goals for much of the year before finishing plays largely positionless. There, he often switches sides with his just two shy of Jori Lehtera’s team-high 15. defence partner and plays a fluid, in-motion game that spreads him out careful outlet passer. And though he’s a volume shooter, his offensive across the offensive zone. game is a little one-dimensional, all of his goals this season were at even strength, and he’s not going to be a power play option. You’ll sometimes find him on the forecheck: I see NHL tools in a young player who played big minutes on one of the You’ll sometimes find him in front of the net, like he does at the tail end of best teams outside the NHL. You’ll just have to live with the odd mistake this sequence (after pinching up the boards early on in it): and maybe scratch your head with some of the shot selection.

He will regularly try to hold the blue line when he’s the last man, too (a The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 risky play).

Look for that in the choices he makes in the sequence below, first to pressure the opposing player at the top of the zone instead of backing off — and then to attack down the wall with the puck:

You’ll notice he took two low-percentage shots there as well. Get used to that. He’s a volume shooter who is net-focussed in the offensive zone.

Sometimes, those shots get blocked and he has to use his feet to match the speed of the opposing team back in transition:

Other times, they find their way through for a goal, like one of his shots in my viewings did here:

In the defensive zone with the puck, Zub takes a more calculated, heads- up, efficient approach. While some players who are as aggressive as he is elsewhere tend to try to do too much with the puck in the defensive zone, Zub isn’t one of them.

He’ll sometimes make the more difficult play instead of the easy, safe one. But when he does, it’s because he knows he can make it. The following play is a perfect example of that. Below, a lot of players go D- to-D with a bank pass off of the boards behind the net in the same scenario. Instead, Zub recognizes the attacking forward is attempting to cut off that play and he makes a slick little play back into the middle of the ice instead:

Despite the fact that he’s not a great seam passer in the offensive zone because he looks to shoot more often than not, Zub’s outlet passing at the other end of the ice is actually one of his better skills.

He can lead teammates through the neutral zone with a pass through opposing bodies:

He routinely does a nice job advancing the puck (pay close attention to that footwork I talked about on the pivot into the pass here too):

In the three games before he went down with his injury, Zub’s lone assist was a three-zone stretch pass:

And when the pass isn’t immediately available to him, he’s comfortable enough with the puck on his stick (I wouldn’t say he’s got great hands so he’s not going to break someone down one-on-one but he’ll carry the puck when he needs to) to escape pressure and look for it a few seconds later.

Watch the way he spins back against the grain before moving the puck up ice here, for example:

And watch the way he uses his footwork to crossover and create an exit below, before spinning off of pressure at the point to keep the play alive at the other end:

Or the way he cuts behind the net (staying tight to the net in order to shorten his route) before making the short pass up ice here:

He’s also strong, which helps him absorb contact when he does have to fight away from an opposing checker with his feet to make a play.

That’s evident on sequences like the one below where it’s the forechecker, not Zub, who is pushed off balance in the engagement (he does a nice job sticking with it when the play comes back the other way, too):

But when an opportunity is there to be more aggressive, you can count on Zub to take it, like he does on this entry:

Ultimately, Zub has also earned the trust of his coaches defensively at a relatively young age. He regularly appears on both special teams and was the go-to defender for late-game situations with the lead in all of my viewings, including a double shift ahead of SKA’s empty-net goal against CSKA.

At the end of the day, you can expect an aggressive, mobile two-way defender who isn’t afraid to take a chance on a puck, step up off the rush defensively, or join it offensively. But you can also expect a heads-up, 1181515 Philadelphia Flyers

Tanner Laczynski signs with Flyers, becomes sixth member of 2016 draft class to join organization

by Sam Carchidi,

The Flyers signed forward Tanner Laczynski on Monday to a two-year, entry-level contract that will start in the 2020-21 season.

The contract pays $925,000 per season, according to capfriendly.com.

A sixth-round draft selection in 2016, Laczynski played four seasons at Ohio State, collecting 48 goals and 143 points in 138 games. The NCAA has canceled the rest of its season because of the coronavirus.

Used as both a center and a winger, Laczynski, 22, was an alternate captain for the Buckeyes (20-11-5), who finished No. 10 in the nation. Playing in all 36 games this season, he led Ohio State with 34 points and a plus-9 rating.

“He plays a mature two-way game,” assistant general manager Brent Flahr said. “He’s a proven leader and we see him as a versatile forward.”

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Illinois native was a member of Team USA’s gold-medal team in the 2017 World Junior Championships.

Laczynski became the sixth member of the Flyers’ deep 2016 draft class to sign with the organization, joining German Rubtsov (first round), Pascal Laberge (second round), Carter Hart (second round), Carsen Twarynski (third round), and Connor Bunnaman

Laczynski could have been an unrestricted free agent Aug. 15 if he didn’t sign.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181516 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers sign 2016 sixth-round pick Tanner Laczynski

By Dave Isaac

Posted Mar 23, 2020 at 7:50 PM

If things had gone according to plan, Tanner Laczynski would still be playing hockey for Ohio State University.

The Buckeyes were supposed to have played Michigan in the Big Ten semifinals on March 15, but before that could happen the sports world came to a halt. The NCAA canceled the rest of the winter season amid concerns of the COVID-19 coronavirus and Laczynski couldn’t do what he aimed to by staying in school a fourth year and win a national title.

His consolation came Monday, when he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. He could have become an unrestricted free agent on August 15 if he hadn’t signed. He certainly would have had options after his collegiate career in which he had 48 goals and 143 points in 138 games.

“Tanner has completed an excellent college career at Ohio State University and we are very excited to have him under contract,” assistant general manager Brent Flahr said in a press release. “He plays a mature two-way game. He’s a proven leader and we see him as a versatile forward for the Flyers organization going forward.”

Laczynski, 22, is a natural center but played wing at times for the Buckeyes. He is known for his ability in winning battles along the boards and for one of the better shots in NCAA hockey.

The Flyers tried to sign Laczynski last year, but he wanted to go back to school and try again after the Buckeyes were eliminated in the first round of the Frozen Four bracket by Denver.

The Philadelphia Flyers announced today they have signed center Tanner Laczynski, the club's sixth-round pick (169th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

“If you did a poll of wrist shots in the Big Ten, he’d have to be among the top three,” Fred Pletch, hockey analyst for the , said earlier this month. “His strengths continue to be puck protection, grinding out along the wall. I would think he would project as a winger as a pro but that’s up to the team, I guess. Kind of a quiet leader on the team. It’s a team with eight seniors. He’s worn a letter as an alternate captain.

“Kind of a soft-spoken individual but you can just tell he has a very serious approach to the game as you’d expect from someone who stayed and wanted to get his degree and make sure he’s got that before he moves to the next level. I see more and more of that now. In this age of instant gratification everybody wants to get to the next level as soon as they can, but the guys that are staying, they seem to have longer-term success and if they don’t they’re still in good shape.”

Laczynski’s contract won’t start until next season. Because the NHL is “paused” due to coronavirus concerns, there is no option for players signing out of the NCAA to “burn” the first year of their contract without playing a game like the Flyers did when they signed Alex Lyon out of Yale in 2016.

Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181517 Philadelphia Flyers Depending on how long this unexpected offseason lasts, there will be some level of financial impact both on the NHL and its players.

“I think it’s a little too early to start guessing about different schedules James van Riemsdyk has important role for Flyers that might happen,” van Riemsdyk said. “I’m sure there’s people high up in the league thinking about those sorts of things. We’ll leave that to them for now.

By Dave Isaac “When it gets to a point where things are deemed a little more under control and things are deemed a little bit safer, that’s when everyone else Posted Mar 23, 2020 at 1:19 PM will think about things a little more seriously.”

Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.24.2020 If things were normal, there would still be seven regular-season games left for the Flyers before they started growing playoff beards instead of survival beards. Coach would be cracking postgame jokes about drinking martinis instead of the quarantinis he may be sipping just to stay sane these days.

James van Riemsdyk would be concerned about keeping fit and rehabbing his broken right index finger that was supposed to keep him out of the lineup until at least next Wednesday. Injury timelines are way on the back burner.

Instead, he’s the lead communicator for a Flyers team wondering if the COVID-19 coronavirus has merely paused the season or will eventually lead to an outright cancellation. That healing finger is on the pulse of information surrounding the league as it relates to what comes next.

“At a time like this, you almost welcome that busy-ness because there’s not a ton going on at home when you’re hanging out and stuff like that so it’s a welcomed thing to be a part of,” said van Riemsdyk, the team’s representative for the NHL Players’ Association.

“The updates are kind of sporadic. Some days are busier than others trying to communicate with guys and keep guys in the loop as far as what’s going on. You have not only things going on within the league but it’s also things from the United States and Canadian governments and stuff like that as far as traveling and guys going back over to Europe.

“There’s lots of different balls that are in the air and obviously communicating the different things that are being recommended as far as quarantine and what that’s supposed to look like. First and foremost, all anyone’s worried about is the health and safety of all the players, all their families and society.”

Players were told last week to go home, wherever that may be. That means that some have left South Jersey or Philadelphia and gone to a more permanent residence. Van Riemsdyk made a 17-hour drive over the weekend to his house in Minnesota.

That’s home base until the murky picture of the future becomes clearer.

The Flyers were supposed to play the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 12, but the NHL “paused” its season before the game could be played. A night prior, a member of the NBA’s Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID- 19 and the league quickly postponed its season. The NHL and most other leagues followed suit, but the virus has already had some effect. Over the weekend, the Ottawa Senators announced that a second player on its roster has tested positive as well.

“When you start hearing stuff like that, obviously you stared by hearing about the NBA guys and then some guys in our league, it’s almost a surreal sort of thing,” van Riemsdyk said. “The leagues were smart and being proactive in shutting things down before it got to a point where it could start spreading out of control. You think about the close contact that athletes have with each other in their respective sports as far as competing against each other. As a league and as all sports leagues have done, I think they did a smart thing by postponing things and taking a step back and trying to keep everyone healthy and safe and making decisions as more information comes out.

“Obviously this is an issue much bigger than just sports. First and foremost, just the health and safety of everyone and taking it as seriously as they can in respect of quarantining and social distancing and stuff like that. That’s where everybody’s attention is at this point. There will be a time where we’ll gather our thoughts about the hockey stuff but at this point everyone just realizes that this is the right decision as far as suspending things for now.”

There have already been some proposals laid out for how it would look if the NHL is able to resume its season, but van Riemsdyk said there is no official stance on the NHLPA’s part as to how that might look. 1181518 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers Talk podcast: Special guest Chris Therien talks NHL hiatus, epic memories, more

By NBC Sports March 23, 2020 7:25 PM

On the latest Flyers Talk podcast, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Katie Emmer and Jordan Hall are joined by special guest Chris Therien, the former Flyer and current analyst.

From Therien's thoughts on the NHL hiatus to his epic Flyers memories, let's dive in:

• 0:43 — Therien's impressive franchise record

• 1:30 — How Therien is staying busy during the NHL hiatus

• 2:00 — Trying to comprehend the magnitude of the coronavirus outbreak

• 4:00 — Therien on the concerns and unknowns of this stoppage

• 8:00 — The timing is not good for the NHL season

• 9:30 — Does the league have a deadline date?

• 11:50 — The NHL faces issues across the board

• 14:45 — Thoughts on the players' reported proposal to salvage 2019- 20

• 16:00 — The origin of Therien's nickname "Bundy"

• 17:25 — Therien's epic stories from the five-overtime game

• 23:50 — Impressions of the 2019-20 Flyers, what's left to be accomplished

• 27:00 — Therien has two movie suggestions

• 28:00 — What we miss most about working Flyers games

• 29:30 — The Therien family has some athletes!

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181519 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers sign prospect Tanner Laczynski to entry-level contract; Wade Allison next?

By Jordan Hall March 23, 2020 5:35 PM

Like every season, the Flyers will want to become deeper in 2020-21.

Tanner Laczynski is ready to be in the depth picture after the Flyers signed the prospect to his two-year entry-level contract Monday.

Laczynski, a center who turns 23 years old in June, finished an impressive collegiate career at Ohio State. In four years with the Buckeyes, Laczynski was over a point-per-game player, putting up 48 goals and 95 assists in 138 contests. As a senior this season, the 2016 sixth-round draft pick had 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) through 36 games and finished tied for fourth in the country with 20 primary helpers.

“Tanner has completed an excellent college career at Ohio State University and we are very excited to have him under contract,” Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said in a statement released by the team. “He plays a mature two-way game, he’s a proven leader and we see him as a versatile forward for the Flyers organization going forward.”

Laczynski brings an impressive shot, good instincts and a pro build at 6- foot-1, 205 pounds. While Laczynski is likely to open 2020-21 with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, he'll be in the conversation to join the Flyers at some point next season because of his seasoned makeup and versatile game. He is well-groomed and works hard.

People might see him play games, I get to see him practice every day," Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik said in a May phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. "That's the biggest piece that people don't get to see is what he brings every day in practice, how hard he practices, how hard he's focused on becoming a better player every day. Those are the things that I think separate him from a lot of guys and I think that's what's going to help him continue to develop, that's what's going to help him at the next level. Just his attitude toward showing up every day and being the best he can be.

The Flyers have another college player to sign in Wade Allison, whose rights expire Aug. 15. The Western Michigan product has battled injuries throughout his four years with the Broncos but the 2016 second-round draft pick has strong size (6-2/205) and scoring potential along the wing.

The rights to prospects Linus Hogberg and David Bernhardt, two Swedish blueliners in the Flyers' system, expire June 1.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181520 Philadelphia Flyers Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020

Sports fans are using Animal Crossing to show off their team pride during coronavirus pandemic

By Adam Hermann March 23, 2020 12:40 PM

Sports are on pause and sports fans are staying home - no throwing on a jersey and meeting up with other fans - so those sports fans are taking sports online. Video games are suddenly every sports fan's favorite hobby, but sports simulations like Madden and NBA 2K aren't the only answers.

Over the weekend, Nintendo released "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" for the Nintendo Switch. It's a cutesy life simulator set on a deserted island, and it features one tool that has proven very pertinent to sports fans' interests: a clothing designer.

Players all over the country, including here in Philly, have left their Hawaiian shirts behind in favor of custom-made jerseys and uniforms.

Here's a homemade Phillies hat and uniform:

Here's a Flyers sweater, from Reddit user u/trashb4gs:

And here's a hilarious Sixers jersey, featuring Joel Embiid's latest nickname, from Reddit user u/MolangNeoi: u/trashb4gs has only been a Flyers fan for a few years after growing up watching the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins, but they spent the last two years watching every Flyers game, which makes the NHL's season suspension feel particularly abrupt.

"In the week or so since (the season) has been postponed, I just kind of sadly glance at my Couturier jersey that’s hanging in my closet every so often," u/trashb4gs said, "so I felt like this was a small way to make myself better." u/MolangNeoi, a Toronto native and Raptors fan, noticed Animal Crossing players uploading their own designs, and decided jerseys seemed simple enough to try one out... and then another, and another. The Embiid jersey was the second in an abmitious project to design all 30 NBA jerseys.

Their boyfriend, a Sixers fan, suggested using Embiid's Do-A-180 nickname.

An English major, u/MolangNeoi said they're not normally artistically inclined "at all", but the game's design tools made the project doable - as does the time in quarantine.

"I'm lucky to be quarantined at home with pay," u/MolangNeoi said, "so it's a great way to keep myself busy.

"It's nice to have tranquility when the world is going into panic mode."

The game itself, set on a deserted island, tasks players with creating a new community in real-time, and allows players to visit each other's personal islands, almost like putting on a Sixers jersey and heading to your friend's house.

"It kind of sucks you in and makes you feel like you’re living a carefree life outside hanging out with your neighbors," u/trashb4gs said, "even though in actuality we are all on day 5 of sitting inside in our sweatpants.

"Also it’s a good way to communicate with your actual friends who have the game while still keeping socially distant, because you can also visit their little islands using the internet! It’s really helped in keeping me zen during this weird time in our lives."

Unsurprisingly, the trend has caught on with fans from all over.

Here are some NHL sweaters:

A few NFL uniforms:

The game is largely based on gardening, scavenging, and crafting - not exactly an obvious entry point for sports fans. But they've managed to put their fandoms into their tiny islands while they wait for their favorite athletes and teams to return to the real world. 1181521 Philadelphia Flyers There’s no doubt here the turnaround is a combination of the pieces Fletcher brought in during the offseason and the leadership of Vigneault’s staff.

Biggest impact on Flyers' 2019-20 turnaround: New staff, roster additions Fletcher said during a midseason interview that we conducted in or both? January, guys like Hayes, Niskanen and Braun have lived up to exactly what he’d hope they’d be for this team. And Pitlick has had an impact beyond what he expected.

By Brooke Destra, Katie Emmer, Taryn Hatcher, Jordan Hall March 23, But, Vigneault has overhauled that dressing room in an entirely different 2020 2:30 PM way. He and his staff have established a sense of accountability through the ranks, from rookies to veterans, that sets a high standard for every

player. It’s challenged players to be their best, and in recent weeks and Going End to End today are NBC Sports Philadelphia's Brooke Destra, months we’ve seen exactly that from guys like Jakub Voracek, James Katie Emmer, Taryn Hatcher and Jordan Hall. van Riemsdyk (while he was heathly), as well as young guys like Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The topic: When analyzing the Flyers' 2019-20 turnaround, which has made the biggest impact — the new staff, roster additions or both? Hall

Destra In just one year, the Flyers went from a bottom-tier club to a top-tier club. Last season, they finished 22nd in the NHL with 82 points. This season, One of the biggest impacts of this turnaround is the significant amount of they're currently sixth in the league with 89 points and still have 13 depth throughout the roster. When evaluating general manager Chuck games left on their regular-season schedule. Fletcher’s job in his first offseason with the Flyers, he knew exactly what this team needed from top to bottom. You don't make that kind of jump in one season without big-time coaching. The decisions to bring on Vigneault, Therrien and Yeo — a He did not need to go out and get a huge sniper or the top names to hit combined 2,581 games of head coaching experience — have ultimately the market. Instead, he found depth down the center with Kevin Hayes, a driven the Flyers to another level. solid addition to the bottom six in Tyler Pitlick and balanced out the blue line with Justin Braun and Matt Niskanen. During the offseason, Fletcher did an excellent job improving the roster in the areas of need. The acquisitions of Hayes, Niskanen, Braun and There was already talent on this team but now it had the opportunity to Pitlick were all difference-making moves. But, in many ways, the Flyers flourish. From core veterans to the young talent with another year under still had the same core, same foundation. its belt to a legitimate goaltender … Fletcher was simply able to add those few extra puzzle pieces to complete the picture. It looks like everyone still had a lot left as the coaching has gotten the best out of this group. And boy has it worked out beautifully. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 Emmer

The staff has made the biggest impact this season and helped most with the turnaround.

When Alain Vigneault was announced as head coach of the Flyers in April 2019, you had a feeling the orange and black were in good hands if you just glanced at his résumé: four years in Montreal, seven years in Vancouver where he won the Jack Adams Award in his first season and five years with the Rangers.

It was clear he had the experience needed to lead this team.

How many times do you see an NHL team full of former NHL head coaches behind its bench, though? After Vigneault’s hiring, the Flyers added two assistants in Michel Therrien and Mike Yeo to join in forces with Ian Laperriere, Kim Dillabaugh and Adam Patterson.

Therrien and Yeo have 20 years of coaching experience between them. With Vigneault, the three have 37 years of experience. That’s hard to come by.

The way these three have been able to execute in their roles, Therrien on the forwards and power play, Yeo on penalty kill and defensemen and Vigneualt leading the charge of it all, it was an advantage from the start.

The improvements from 2018-19 to 2019-20 in the numbers:

• Power play — 17.1 percent (23rd in NHL) to 20.8 percent (14th in NHL)

• Penalty kill — 78.5 percent (26th in NHL) to 81.8 percent (11th in NHL)

• Goals per game — 2.94 (18th in NHL) to 3.29 (seventh in NHL)

• Goals against per game — 3.41 (third most in NHL) to 2.77 (tied for seventh fewest in NHL)

• Goal differential — minus-37 to plus-36

While I have seen the staff make the biggest impact, of course you have to give credit to the offseason moves, as well. Without guys like Hayes and Niskanen, it’d be hard to believe the Flyers would be where they are at this point of the season.

When you look at the staff and the offseason moves, though, I think all the credit should go to Fletcher.

Hatcher 1181522 Philadelphia Flyers Couturier's sake. But it also added a new Flyers name to the NHL Awards scrum: Carter Hart.

Hart received a nomination for the Vezina in the USA TODAY awards, Flyers could be well-represented in NHL Awards if 2019-20 regular published last week, losing the award to Tuukka Rask, who will receive season is cut short no argument after his dominating performance against the Flyers earlier this month.

Vigneault also received his second nod for the Jack Adams, but lost to By Adam Hermann March 23, 2020 9:55 AM the Blue Jackets' John Tortorella.

It's possible these awards might look entirely different when they come together, but while we all collectively wait for hockey to return, these It's unclear when the NHL Awards show — originally scheduled for June results aren't too bad. 17 — will be held, or how the awards will be decided, as the league remains suspended amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 The NHL's Board of Governors is set to hold a conference call Monday afternoon to discuss league-related financial issues created by the season's suspension, so we could see more information on the 2019-20 season's future at some point.

But a number of hockey minds from around the country have started wondering what the awards would look like if, upon resuming the season, the league moved directly to the playoffs.

We poked around the internet to see how the Flyers would fare in that hypothetical scenario. Here's what we found.

The Athletic

Flyers fans should feel pretty good about The Athletic's awards choices, which it published Monday.

In what will become a recurring theme — as NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall predicted it would back in January — Sean Couturier wins the publication's Selke Trophy in a runaway contest. Here's what they had to say about Coots' 2019-20 season to date:

Sean Couturier’s case for the Selke did not rest on reputation. He had another fantastic two-way season by the numbers to give him the edge over Anthony Cirelli and Patrice Bergeron, who has won the award four times since 2012.

But that's not all: the site also handed the Jack Adams to Alain Vigneault in his first season with the Flyers. Here's its rationale for tapping Vigneault:

When the NHL paused its season, the Flyers were inarguably the hottest team in hockey. With nine wins in their last 10 games, the Flyers had stormed up the Metropolitan Division standings and were embarking on an unlikely late-season charge for divisional supremacy. A big reason for that? Coach Alain Vigneault.

You can read right here why NBC Sports Philadelphia's Brooke Destra thinks Vigneault for Jack Adams is the right call.

NESN

Over at NESN — which, yes, is a Boston-area site — the Couturier love fest continues. He's the only Flyer who gets a nomination, but he also wins the Selke in its awards, published Saturday, making him two for two.

Here's its explanation:

Couturier has been a defensive menace for the Flyers this season, and his league-leading face-off percentage out of qualified forwards certainly doesn’t hurt. Look at pretty much any metric that matters to you: shots against, high danger chances against, the eye test — it doesn’t matter. He’s right in the thick of the conversation every time and deserves to win this season.

Detroit Free Press

The Free Press handed out its hypothetical NHL Awards on Sunday, and while the paper didn't have any Flyers winning, it at least nominated two of Philly's finest.

Couturier once again got a nod as a Selke nominee, losing to Boston's Patrice Bergeron, and James van Riemsdyk was named as a Lady Byng nominee, which would be pretty neat recognition for the 30-year-old.

USA TODAY

The USA TODAY selections shook things up a bit, in unexpected ways. For one, it somehow ignored the Selke, which is unfortunate for 1181523 Philadelphia Flyers

Thanks to Flyers fans, this NHL classic re-air felt just like the real thing

By Brooke Destra March 23, 2020 12:50 PM

It has been rough lately for Flyers fans. With the NHL officially suspending the season just hours before the puck was supposed drop on March 12 in Tampa Bay for Flyers vs. Lightning, everyone was left with an empty feeling … especially given how well the team had been playing until that point.

Last night, things felt different.

NBC Sports Philadelphia re-aired a classic — Game 7 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Flyers were in Boston, on the verge of making NHL history if they won this series. While we already knew how the game played out, it didn’t take away from the magic of watching it once more.

Lots of fans took the traditional approach by tweeting as if it were a re-air.

There were also fans who were treating it as if they were watching it for the first time. It definitely added a level of excitement to the timeline.

To say the least, it was a fun night where the fans and organization came together and were able to enjoy a night of hockey. Let’s hope this continues during the re-airs throughout this drought of live games.

It helped my sanity, that’s for sure.

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Flyers sign 2016 sixth-round pick Tanner Laczynski to two-year entry- level contract

Dave Isaac, NHL WriterPublished 3:52 p.m. ET March 23, 2020 | Updated 7:10 p.m. ET March 23, 2020

If things had gone according to plan, Tanner Laczynski would still be playing hockey for Ohio State University.

The Buckeyes were supposed to have played Michigan in the Big Ten semifinals on March 15, but before that could happen the sports world came to a halt. The NCAA canceled the rest of the winter season amid concerns of the COVID-19 coronavirus and Laczynski couldn’t do what he aimed to by staying in school a fourth year and win a national title.

His consolation came Monday, when he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers, who drafted him in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. According to a league source, the deal is worth $925,000 per season. He could have become an unrestricted free agent on August 15 if he hadn’t signed. He certainly would have had options after his collegiate career in which he had 48 goals and 143 points in 138 games.

“Tanner has completed an excellent college career at Ohio State University and we are very excited to have him under contract,” assistant general manager Brent Flahr said in a press release. “He plays a mature two-way game, he's a proven leader, and we see him as a versatile forward for the Flyers organization going forward.”

Laczynski, 22, plays center naturally but played wing at times for the Buckeyes. He is known for his ability in winning battles along the boards and for one of the better shots in NCAA hockey.

The Flyers tried to sign Laczynski last year, but he wanted to go back to school and try again after the Buckeyes were eliminated in the first round of the Frozen Four bracket by Denver.

“If you did a poll of wrist shots in the Big Ten, he’d have to be among the top three,” Fred Pletch, hockey analyst for the Big Ten Network, told the Courier Post earlier this month. “His strengths continue to be puck protection, grinding out along the wall. I would think he would project as a winger as a pro but that’s up to the team, I guess. Kind of a quiet leader on the team. It’s a team with eight seniors. He’s worn a letter as an alternate captain. Kind of a soft-spoken individual but you can just tell he has a very serious approach to the game as you’d expect from someone who stayed and wanted to get his degree and make sure he’s got that before he moves to the next level. I see more and more of that now. In this age of instant gratification everybody wants to get to the next level as soon as they can, but the guys that are staying, they seem to have longer-term success and if they don’t they’re still in good shape.”

Laczynski’s contract won’t start until next season. Because the NHL is “paused” due to coronavirus concerns, there is no option for players signing out of the NCAA to “burn” the first year of their contract without playing a game like the Flyers did when they signed Alex Lyon out of Yale in 2016.

Courier-Post LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181525 Philadelphia Flyers There have already been some proposals laid out for how it would look if the NHL is able to resume its season, but van Riemsdyk said there is no official stance on the NHLPA’s part as to how that might look.

James van Riemsdyk has important role as Flyers hunker down at home Depending on how long this unexpected offseason lasts, there will be some level of financial impact both on the NHL and its players.

“I think it’s a little too early to start guessing about different schedules Dave Isaac, NHL WriterPublished 12:26 p.m. ET March 23, 2020 that might happen,” van Riemsdyk said. “I’m sure there’s people high up in the league thinking about those sorts of things. We’ll leave that to them

for now. When it gets to a point where things are deemed a little more Flyers left wing James van Riemsdyk, a Middletown, Monmouth County under control and things are deemed a little bit safer, that’s when native, is the team's NHLPA representative and tasked with keeping his everyone else will think about things a little more seriously.” teammates updated on the effects of the stoppage caused by the Courier-Post LOADED: 03.24.2020 COVID-19 coronavirus.

If things were normal, there would still be seven regular-season games left for the Flyers before they started growing playoff beards instead of survival beards. Coach Alain Vigneault would be cracking postgame jokes about drinking martinis instead of the quarantinis he may be sipping just to stay sane these days.

James van Riemsdyk would be concerned about keeping fit and rehabbing his broken right index finger that was supposed to keep him out of the lineup until at least next Wednesday. Injury timelines are way on the back burner.

Instead, he’s the lead communicator for a Flyers team wondering if the COVID-19 coronavirus has merely paused the season or will eventually lead to an outright cancelation. That healing finger is on the pulse of information surrounding the league as it relates to what comes next.

“At a time like this, you almost welcome that busyness because there’s not a ton going on at home when you’re hanging out and stuff like that so it’s a welcomed thing to be a part of,” said van Riemsdyk, the team’s representative for the NHL Players’ Association.

“The updates are kind of sporadic. Some days are busier than others trying to communicate with guys and keep guys and keep guys in the loop as far as what’s going on. You have not only things going on within the league but it’s also things from the United States and Canadian governments and stuff like that as far as traveling and guys going back over to Europe. There’s lots of different balls that are in the air and obviously communicating the different things that are being recommended as far as quarantine and what that’s supposed to look like. First and foremost, all anyone’s worried about is the health and safety of all the players, all their families and society.”

Players were told last week to go home, wherever that may be. That means that some have left South Jersey or Philadelphia and gone to a more permeant residence. Van Riemsdyk made a 17-hour drive over the weekend to his house in Minnesota.

That’s home base until the murky picture of the future becomes clearer.

The Flyers were supposed to play the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 12, but the NHL “paused” its season before the game could be played. A night prior, a member of the NBA’s Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID- 19 and the league quickly postponed its season. The NHL and most other leagues followed suit, but the virus has already had some effect. Over the weekend, the Ottawa Senators announced that a second player on its roster has tested positive as well.

“When you start hearing stuff like that, obviously you stared by hearing about the NBA guys and then some guys in our league, it’s almost a surreal sort of thing,” van Riemsdyk said. “The leagues were smart and being proactive in shutting things down before it got to a point where it could start spreading out of control. You think about the close contact that athletes have with each other in their respective sports as far as competing against each other. As a league and as all sports leagues have done, I think they did a smart thing by postponing things and taking a step back and trying to keep everyone healthy and safe and making decisions as more information comes out.

“Obviously this is an issue much bigger than just sports. First and foremost, just the health and safety of everyone and taking it as seriously as they can in respect of quarantining and social distancing and stuff like that. That’s where everybody’s attention is at this point. There will be a time where we’ll gather our thoughts about the hockey stuff but at this point everyone just realizes that this is the right decision as far as suspending things for now.” 1181526 Philadelphia Flyers Brad Marchand (Boston) Ryan O’Reilly (St. Louis)

Mark Stone (Vegas) Sean Couturier is our Selke Trophy pick. Evaluating his case vs. top contenders Teuvo Teräväinen (Carolina)

Now that we have our candidates, let’s put them under the statistical microscope. By Charlie O'Connor Mar 23, 2020 Games/minutes played

The Selke Trophy may not be a “value added” award, but it’s inherently This could be the year Sean Couturier finally takes home the Selke more impressive to maintain an excellent level of play as the sample size Trophy — if, of course, awards are distributed. grows. In fact, one must go back 15 years to find the last winner (Kris While the NHL season remains paused and in a state of total uncertainty, Draper) who missed more than four games in a season. So let’s take a it’s fair to assume voters will eventually select winners for each of the look at which of our candidates played the most games, and also, who major awards. After all, even if it never resumes, a season did happen, was saddled with the heaviest workload in those games. and standout players and coaches deserve to be recognized. O’Reilly and Couturier are the big winners here — both were trusted to It looks like Couturier is on track to receive that recognition. In January, take on about 20 minutes per night, heavy workloads that ranked 17th he won the Professional Hockey Writers Association’s Selke midseason and 25th in the league, respectively, in ice time per night among forwards poll over yearly contenders Patrice Bergeron and Ryan O’Reilly, and with at least 300 minutes played. Marchand, Stone and Teräväinen aren’t today, in a survey of 41 The Athletic writers on the NHL awards, he again far behind. came out on top. Since the PHWA votes for the Selke Trophy and writers It’s Danault, Cirelli and (especially) Bergeron who take the biggest hits from The Athletic make up the single largest PHWA voting block, here. They all check in somewhere between one and two minutes per Couturier is the clear favorite for the award. night behind O’Reilly and Couturier, and that adds up over a 65-plus But does he deserve to win his first Selke after two consecutive years of game season. Bergeron, in particular, is way behind the others in total coming up short? Do the numbers support his case? And who stands out minutes played, due to an injury that cost him nine games in late as his closest competition? November and early December; he also sits second-to-last in ice time per game, ahead of only Cirelli. Bergeron skated over 200 fewer minutes The philosophical Selke debate and our parameters than Couturier, and 300 fewer than O’Reilly.

It’s a necessary debate every time Selke Trophy discussion begins: What Offensive production is the award actually honoring? Point totals don’t make a Selke case, but they can derail one. A forward There are two sides to this debate. Side No. 1 is the consensus in the doesn’t need to sit at the top of the scoring charts to remain in the race, industry among writers, players and coaches — the Selke should but just as it’s been 15 years since a winner missed a non-insubstantial recognize the best two-way forward in hockey. A competing view holds number of games, it’s also been 15 seasons since a winner posted a that the definition of the award states it should go to the forward “who point per game rate lower than 0.66 (two points every three games). demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game.” As a result, many statistically inclined fans argue that offensive production The message? Underwhelming point totals might knock a player out of such as shot and chance creation shouldn’t factor into the discussion — the running. So which players are swimming against the current this only defensive results. season?

I fall on the side of the “two-way forward” interpretation. The days of John Marchand runs away with the scoring race, but that’s not a requirement Madden and Jere Lehtinen winning the Selke are long past, with for victory. Stone, Teräväinen, O’Reilly, Couturier and Bergeron are all in forwards who excel at both ends of the rink now the consensus viable acceptable Selke ranges. candidates rather than defensive specialists. The voting matches this It’s Danault and Cirelli whose point totals underwhelm compared to the new perception of the Selke as a two-way award, and while I’d prefer the competition. Danault can at least argue that his 5-on-5 scoring efficiency technical definition be changed to match the consensus, it’s foolish to is in line with his peers, and he mostly suffers due to an inability to break ignore how the hockey world views the Selke. That said, if someone through on the power play. Cirelli, on the other hand, just isn’t the scorer wants to follow the definition to the letter of the law when picking a that the other Selke contenders are — at least not yet. candidate, that’s a viable stance. It’s just not one this column will follow. 5-on-5 on-ice differentials But what qualifies a player as a candidate worthy of consideration as a top two-way forward this season? For the purposes of this exercise, I Great two-way forwards ensure that their teams control the pace and used six criteria to whittle down hundreds of forwards to eight plausible direction of play, due to their tenacity and attention-to-detail in all three candidates, with the goal of finding players who were both deployed in a zones. In the days before advanced metrics such as Corsi and expected “two-way” role by their coaches and thrived in those minutes. goals, play-driving ability could be judged only by the eye test or flawed stats like plus/minus. Now, we can accurately measure a team’s shot and Forwards who appeared in at least 60 games in 2019-20 chance share with a specific player on the ice. Forwards who consistently faced opposing top lines at a higher than Unsurprisingly, all of our Selke candidates qualify as monster play-drivers league average rate (via HockeyViz’s Teammates and Competition tool) at 5-on-5 this season. Forwards who drive play at 5-on-5, holding over a 50 percent share of (All metrics courtesy of Evolving Hockey.) on-ice shot attempts (Corsi) and expected goals (per Evolving Hockey) Some grade out better than others — Danault, in particular, helped That leaves eight forwards who appeared in the vast majority of games, Montreal to ridiculous shot and chance edges, and Stone wasn’t far were entrusted with “tough” 5-on-5 minutes, were regulars on their behind for Vegas. But all these numbers tell us is that all eight candidates respective teams’ PKs, qualified as regular offensive threats, helped to have fantastic advanced metrics. To better understand which players ensure their teams were not outshot or outchanced at 5-on-5, and graded provided the most positive impact to their clubs, it helps to strip out out well by advanced defensive metrics. The resulting list passes the confounding factors such as the quality of a player’s linemates, which smell test and features a combination of usual Selke contenders and new can have a massive effect on results. faces with strong defensive reputations. In other words, we’ll use a comprehensive play-driving model, like Patrice Bergeron (Boston) Evolving Hockey’s Regularized-Adjusted Plus/Minus. RAPM calculates Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay) the positive (or negative) impact a player would have on his team’s Corsi or expected goals differential, assuming all other factors were equal. So Sean Couturier (Philadelphia) in this apples-to-apples comparison, who grades out best? Phillip Danault (Montreal) Now, there’s some separation. Couturier is in a league of his own in Teräväinen’s inclusion on the list was likely a surprise for most readers, helping his team win the raw shot-attempts battle, though Marchand and but he’s turned himself into an elite defensive winger for Carolina. That Danault grade out fantastically as well. As for impact on expected goals, said, it’s hard to see what makes his case compelling in comparison to Danault again is at the top of the list, this time joined by Stone. Of the such lofty competition. He’s middle of the pack in basically every eight candidates, only Teräväinen is in “OK” territory in one of the two category — from ice time to play-driving to defensive impact. And stats. That doesn’t mean he was an underwhelming play-driver — it just considering that he plays wing, a middle-of-the-road résumé against speaks to the strong play of the other Selke contenders. these peers just isn’t cutting it. Great season, but a cut below the rest.

5-on-5 defensive results Fellow winger Stone overcame positional stigma to finish second in last season’s voting, but this doesn’t feel like his year. He’s been a fantastic But what about just the defensive half of the equation? RAPM can be play-driver as usual — particularly in expected goal differential — but it split into offense and defense components, so let’s look at our mostly came as a result of exceptional offensive impact, not shot and candidates’ respective impact on shot and chance suppression. chance suppression. Despite another strong season, he’s out. Remember, for defensive impact, a player wants to be in the negatives, since that means fewer shots and chances happen on his watch. The two Bruins come up short as well. Bergeron’s fewer minutes hurt his case, as does his poor penalty differential. Marchand has an In terms of defensive résumé, O’Reilly reigns supreme, leading all exceptionally strong statistical résumé, but it’s hard to overlook that he candidates in impact on shot- and expected-goal suppression. Danault spends almost all of his ice time beside Bergeron, a four-time Selke and Cirelli aren’t far behind. Couturier excels by raw shot-attempt winner who’s viewed as one of the best two-way forwards of all time. suppression, but merely grades out as good, not otherworldly, in impact Marchand surely is a strong defensive player in his own right, but you’d on xG; Bergeron is the opposite; Marchand and Teräväinen look like be hard-pressed to find anyone who’d argue that he’s the driver of that junior varsity versions of Couturier. line.

Then there’s Stone, who’s easily the least impressive by defensive Cirelli and Danault are hurt by the same weakness — point totals. It’s results. His fantastic play-driving work appears to be largely driven by little surprise that the stat community has rallied behind them, given its offense creation, not defense. His candidacy takes a minor hit as a result. contention that the Selke is a defensive award, first and foremost. And Penalty differential both players have extremely strong cases if one adheres to that philosophy. Danault has a claim to be viewed as the best play-driving The ability to draw penalties while avoiding taking minors is an forward in hockey this year, period, and Cirelli has become the tough- underrated aspect of two-way play. If a forward can manufacture minutes center in Tampa who allows the Lightning’s more high-profile additional power plays for his club, he’s providing a serious under-the- offensive talents to feast on easier matchups. Underwhelming scoring radar service. On the flip side, if a forward is prone to minor penalties, it totals not withstanding, both deserve to be in the mix for the award. starts to eat away at the value he adds in other areas such as point production and even-strength play-driving. But for those who ascribe to the “Selke as a trophy for the best two-way forward” belief, this looks like a two-man race between O’Reilly and Cirelli blows the doors off everyone here. In fact, his plus-20 penalty Couturier. differential ranks third in the league for 2019-20, behind only Jack Eichel (+23) and Elias Pettersson (+21). Marchand and O’Reilly’s cases get a Among our candidates, their coaches leaned on them the most. Their boost as well, while Couturier, Teräväinen, Stone and Danault are neither point totals are essentially identical. Couturier grades out a bit better as hurt nor helped dramatically. It’s Bergeron, continuing a long-standing an overall play-driver at 5-on-5, particularly by raw shot differential; trend, who takes the biggest hit. He hasn’t finished with a positive O’Reilly, who won last year’s award, has better defensive metrics and penalties drawn/taken differential since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 received 44 seconds more per game to work his magic. In terms of value season. added to their respective clubs, they’re close to carbon copies of each other. Usage and positional factors Sean Couturier and Ryan O’Reilly appear to lead the pack of Selke That about does it for the most important categories, but there are a few contenders. (Jeff Curry / USA Today) others that move the needle a bit. As a Flyers writer, I unsurprisingly lean toward Couturier. His ability to Three of our contenders — Stone, Marchand and Teräväinen — play revitalize struggling teammates the second they’re placed on his line is wing. Conventional wisdom holds that center is a more demanding stunning to watch in real time; it’s earned him the nickname “Dr. Coots” position in terms of two-way responsibilities as compared to wing, and from head coach Alain Vigneault. In addition, Couturier found a way to while modern systems allow for in-shift positional swaps, there’s truth to elevate his game every time he matched up against a star this season, the belief that centers have more duties, particularly in the defensive and public metrics hint that wasn’t mere perception — per Puck IQ’s zone, where they usually provide support to their defensemen down low Quality of Competition stat, Couturier drove play better against “Elite” while wings sit higher up. competition (58.00 percent Corsi For) than normal opponents, and helped the Flyers to a massive 19-6 goal advantage versus elites. That That’s not to say a winger shouldn’t be considered for the Selke. But it’s lines up with my view of his work on a nightly basis. probably fair to say that wings should at least lose tiebreakers to centers when evaluating two-way prowess. That said, O’Reilly is a worthy choice, and those who watched him up close this season likely can chronicle tales of his excellence, too. Then, there’s even-strength usage, particularly in the form of zone starts. Sometimes, there are multiple correct answers to a question. While statistical models like RAPM account for the impact of extra defensive (or offensive) zone draws on results, some believe that Selke However, in assessing two-way dominance, it’s tough to deny that contenders should not be “sheltered” in faceoff usage — that they should Couturier again delivered a season that ranks at the top of the list. He be taking more defensive zone draws than offensive zone ones. would be a deserving Selke Trophy winner. Maybe this is the year he earns his first. Only four of our candidates fit the “not-sheltered” bill — O’Reilly, Couturier, Danault and Cirelli. Consider that a slight advantage for them, All statistics courtesy of Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick unless since their coaches view them as preferred option to take the toughest otherwise noted. draws. The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 Speaking of draws, of our centers, it’s Couturier who leads the way in faceoff percentage. His 59.6 percent success rate easily tops the group, with Bergeron (57.9%) second, O’Reilly (56.6%) third and Danault (54.5%) fourth. Cirelli, the only candidate with a legitimately poor rate (47.5%), is last.

How our contenders stack up overall

Now that we’ve laid out the eight contenders’ résumés, it’s time to subjectively determine which cases have the most holes. 1181527 Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL: Length of 2020-21 season won’t be impacted regardless of how late this season goes

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Monday, March 23, 2020 1:51 p.m.

The 2020-21 NHL season will not be shortened, even in the event the currently paused season extends deep into the summer, the league said Monday.

During an update posted in Q&A format on its official website, the NHL answered a hypothetical question about the effects on next season that a 2020 postseason extending into July or August might have. The league answered by saying it does “not anticipate a scenario in our resumption of play format that would endanger or interfere with the League’s ability to stage and execute the 2020-21 NHL season in its entirety.”

Along with the rest of the sports world, the NHL is on hiatus during the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. When the league first announced it was “pausing” its season, it gave no timetable for a return.

Monday, though, the league reiterated its statement from last week that indicates its best-case scenario is to ramp up for a return to play after a 60-day pause. That timeline is in reference to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation against gatherings with 50 people or more for a period of eight weeks. The league wrote Monday that if that time frame holds, it would look to have a 15-day de facto training camp to allow its players to get back into game shape.

“We will continue to monitor developments during the 60-day window prescribed by the CDC,” the NHL’s post read. “Assuming events are tracking positively, we would hope to be able to begin providing high- level guidance on the potential of opening a (team) training camp period roughly 45 days into the period covered by the CDC’s recommendation.”

The league confirmed it is aware of two Ottawa Senators players testing positive for covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Those are the only players it is aware of who have tested positive, and the league said there are no plans to test all players.

“Our medical experts do not recommend mass-testing for all NHL Players,” the league wrote. “Besides the fact that there would be insufficient testing resources to accommodate such a direction, the medical community does not believe that such testing is medically indicated, or in accordance with the parameters issued by applicable health authorities.”

Players were advised to self-quarantine until this coming Friday, and they were permitted to return to their home cities if they so chose. The league said after the end of the self-quarantine period, “consideration will be given to allowing the opening of (team) facilities to (p)layers in scheduled and coordinated small groups for voluntary training and (team) care.”

In light of the ever-evolving realities of life during the crisis, the NHL could offer no details on a possible playoff format or how any remaining regular-season games would be played — if any — or if fans would be permitted in the buildings for them.

“It is premature to say what the circumstances would be for resumption of play,” the NHL’s statement read, “but we are prepared to follow the direction of relevant health authorities.”

The NHL similarly said it would need to wait until the end of the crisis to offer details on modifications to the draft, combine or player-contract structure.

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Classic Penguins games, content to air on AT&T SportsNet, NHL Network

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Monday, March 23, 2020 12:01 p.m.

Broadcasters continue to churn out reruns of memorable games and other content as a way of keeping jilted sports fans engaged. AT&T SportsNet is making sure there’s plenty for Pittsburgh Penguins to view.

Starting Monday and over the next two weeks, the Penguins rightsholders will broadcast documentaries and other Penguins content — highlighted by replays of each of the four Penguins victories during the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.

March 30 and 31 and April 6 and 8 at 7 p.m. each day will be Games 3, 4, 6 and 7, respectively, of the Penguins games against the Detroit Red Wings. The latter of which is the game in which the Penguins claimed the Stanley Cup for the first time in 17 years with a 2-1 victory highlighted by Max Talbot’s two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury’s last-second save.

Coincidentally or not, April 8 was the scheduled start of the Stanley Cup playoffs before the NHL’s season was “paused” amid fears of the coronavirus spread.

Also part of the AT&TSN programming scheduled in regards to the Penguins during this spring absence of hockey are several airings of “In The Room,” “Pens Pulse” and “Inside Penguins Hockey.”

You asked for it. You got it.

The NHL Network also has planned for an informal “Penguins day” Wednesday. According to the network’s listings, episodes of “Pens Pulse” and “In The Room” will run most of the afternoon that day. That evening at 8, a simulcast of the Penguins’ 50th anniversary documentary of 2018, “Pittsburgh is Home — The Story of the Penguins,” will air on both AT&T SportsNet and NHL Network, in addition to on the Penguins’ official YouTube channel.

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181529 Pittsburgh Penguins Forget about the salivating fans, though. Don’t worry about the privileged pro athletes or the billionaire owners, greedy leagues and conferences.

We get it. There are life-and-death matters afoot. Sports need to take a Tim Benz: Importance of sports is being downplayed, but their absence back seat. No one is debating that. has never been more painful But shaming those who miss the events can take a back seat as well. In fact, take those opinions and lock them in the trunk, never to be revisited.

TIM BENZ | Monday, March 23, 2020 6:31 a.m. Go ahead. Tell arena workers displaced by a calendar full of cancellations that sports don’t matter.

Tell that to the NCAA and high school athletes who lost their final years Here’s a message for the “sports don’t matter at a time like this” crowd. of eligibility before their careers properly culminated.

After this weekend, don’t ever say such a thing again. Give that refrain to officials and game day support staff who have been frozen out by the cancellations. During NCAA basketball conference championship week, at the dawn of the coronavirus epidemic, The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach tried to sing And tell that to my colleagues at TribLive — and other sports media that song as the ensuing wave of sports cancellations pulled the plug on outlets — who have been laid off due to the scourge of the virus and all athletic competitions. what it has done to our nation’s economy as well as our nation’s health.

In a tweet that has since been deleted, she told us that sports aren’t all Those guys would kill for a game to cover. Because sports aren’t just that important and that we should all just go “read a book” while we were their lives. Sports are their livelihoods. locked inside without an NCAA basketball tournament. As is the case for many others. High school coaches. The guy who runs OK. Maybe I’ll read a Dickens classic instead of her college football the Zamboni at PPG Paints Arena. The guy who runs cable for AT&T coverage this fall in “The Athle…” SportsNet during Pirates games.

Uh, the “It’s Not All That Important.” By the way, how about all those bartenders and restaurant workers near stadiums across America? How do you think they are making out right Well, that’s if football is allowed to be played in the fall. about now? Back on March 16, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times tweeted this Personally, sports are my passion. And my business. about the start of NFL free agency. But I’d never try to tell you anything sports related is more important than Yet, over the next week he sent dozens of tweets about NFL free what’s happening across the globe right now. agency. In return, just don’t tell me I’m not allowed to miss them. Or that they Maybe it was him that was deaf, and he eventually heard the call of his don’t matter. readers and social media followers that any distraction regarding sports is a welcomed oasis for fans in this arid covid-19 landscape. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.24.2020 On Friday, TribLive had more page views than any single day in the history of this website. Given the news content of late, that may not be a surprise.

Yet, amid a sea of stories surrounding the pandemic that day, the most read story online was a sports item posted on this page about Antonio Brown working out with Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, the notion of Jameis Winston signing with the Steelers, and Mike Sullivan’s quotes about Sidney Crosby potentially coaching someday.

You can bemoan that fact as a flaw in our ability to maintain perspective. Or you can see it as a commentary on our passion for the sports world even during a time when it has gone dormant.

I’m going to go with the latter.

Want further evidence? Did you scan through your cable TV guide this weekend? It was a myriad of old sports movies, repeated classic games and reruns of sports documentaries.

There was even a televised NASCAR race on FS1 that wasn’t a NASCAR race. It was a broadcast of a NASCAR virtual reality experience.

And people watched it. With their actual eyeballs.

Not only that, but it got some good reviews.

We clicked on these shows. We treated them like they were genuinely taking place. We tweeted about them as if they were in real time. We argued about them again. We debated the bad calls and coaching decisions. And we suspended our disbelief as if we didn’t know the outcomes.

Social media was littered with fake brackets of old NCAA moments, and teams, and games as if to cauterize the wound of not having real NCAA basketball during “March Madness.”

Nope. It didn’t work for me either. I was still depressed. I still missed all the wild college basketball action, crucial NHL and NBA regular-season games, and the ascent of spring training toward the MLB regular season.

Thank goodness for all of those “tone deaf” NFL free-agent signings. At least that was something real. 1181530 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights continue to wait on prospect Peter DiLiberatore

By David Schoen

March 23, 2020 - 5:41 PM

Of the eight players selected by the Golden Knights in the 2018 NHL draft, one plays in Russia, one was traded, one was a member of the , one completed his junior year of college and three remain unsigned from junior hockey.

And then there’s defenseman Peter DiLiberatore.

The former sixth-round pick who recently completed his sophomore season at Quinnipiac University elevated his stock more than anyone else from his draft class over the past year and continues to climb the organization’s overall depth chart.

“He’s just shown tremendous improvement. He gets better and better,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “We expect he’s going to be a real good player in our organization. The only thing that we still have some back and forth with the player would just be with respect to the timing and what the player feels is the best timing. Those are discussions that we’ll have.”

DiLiberatore, who was raised in Bedford, Nova Scotia, was an unheralded prospect when he was selected by the Knights after his senior season at Salisbury School in Connecticut.

At Quinnipiac, he was named to the ECAC Hockey all-rookie team after posting 19 points (three goals, 16 assists), and his plus-22 rating ranked fourth in the nation.

DiLiberatore’s puck-moving skills on the breakout caught the eye of officials for the first time, and he earned an invitation to his country’s world junior team development camp last summer in his final year of eligibility.

“It was pretty surreal when I got the invitation I was going to the first camp, and for the second camp, too, it was obviously a confidence booster,” DiLiberatore said in a phone interview last week. “For me, I just tried to take as much as I could, and playing with such high-level players just kind of compare myself and see where I’m at.”

The 6-foot, 175-pound DiLiberatore was one of 10 defensemen to attend Canada’s final selection camp in December but was cut on the final day. Canada went on to win the gold medal.

That experience helped DiLiberatore during his sophomore season with Quinnipiac, and he was named a third-team All-ECAC selection after posting 21 points (six goals, 15 points).

“Not making the team definitely hurt, but just getting the opportunity was a blessing and I took everything from it,” DiLiberatore said. “Getting back into college, I was able to just slow everything down. It helped me see the ice a lot better.”

DiLiberatore drove home to Nova Scotia from Hamden, Connecticut, after Quinnipiac’s season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic and has been in quarantine since arriving Tuesday evening.

That gives him plenty of time to weigh his future.

DiLiberatore, who turns 20 on March 31, said in a text message Sunday he planned to return to Quinnipiac for his junior season rather than sign a pro contract with the Knights.

The Bobcats are expected to contend for the ECAC title and a NCAA tournament berth with DiLiberatore leading the blue line. The Knights retain DiLiberatore’s rights and can sign him after his junior season when he is closer to pushing for an NHL roster spot.

“I think the route of college hockey just helps me develop because I was undersized,” DiLiberatore said. “The last two development camps (with the Knights), I’ve had nothing but positive feedback, and they’ve really helped me in my development and gaining confidence.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181531 Vegas Golden Knights

NBCSN to replay Golden Knights-Sharks Game 7 on Monday

By Ben Gotz

March 23, 2020 - 10:15 am

Golden Knights fans, avert your eyes. NBC Sports Network is showing a replay of Game 7 of the Knights’ first-round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

NBCSN is playing six “Game 7 overtime thrillers” to kick off its “Hockey Week in America” coverage, reliving the top NHL games and moments of the past 10-plus years. That includes the most infamous game in the Knights’ brief history: Its 5-4 overtime loss to the Sharks that ended last season.

The game, of course, featured the Knights taking a 3-0 lead 3:36 into the first period before center Cody Eakin was given a controversial major penalty. The Sharks scored four power-play goals afterwards to take the lead, before left wing Jonathan Marchessault forced OT with 47 seconds left in regulation.

Barclay Goodrow won the game in OT for the Sharks. The NHL subsequently apologized for the call on Eakin, and the league expanded its video review policy in the wake of the controversy that followed.

All that drama means the game definitely earned its place on NBCSN’s list. Just not for reasons Knights fans like.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181532 Washington Capitals Many NASCAR drivers already owned the expensive rigs; some used computer simulations to start training as racers before they were old enough to get their driver’s licenses. Hamlin was first discovered by Earnhardt in “iRacing” long before he made it to NASCAR. For Wizards, Capitals and NASCAR, gaming comes to fill the sports void NASCAR has suspended racing until at least May 9, and with nothing else to do, series executives and “iRacing” put together the inaugural race in roughly one week. More events are expected to come. By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Monday, March 23, 2020 Video games and social distancing seem to go hand in hand, as recent

reports indicate that the esports world is experiencing a boom while and have done their usual preparation to call major sports have been suspended due to the pandemic. Tuesday’s Washington Capitals game against the St. Louis Blues: But for those sports fans who don’t already game competitively and don’t studying up on individual St. Louis players, preparing a flip card or, in want to try to learn how to follow an online battle arena game like Laughlin’s case, long pages of notes on legal pad paper. “League of Legends,” there’s now the comfort of settling in on a But Tuesday’s broadcast will mark a first for both of them. NBC Sports weeknight and watching a virtual version of basketball or hockey — in the Washington will air an “NHL 20” simulation of Capitals-Blues at 7 p.m., Capitals’ case, complete with the bona fide broadcast voices. the same time those teams would have faced off in the District had the “At 7 o’clock on game nights I’m exactly where I want to be. That’s one of NHL season not been suspended. my favorite places to be,” Beninati said. “And if I can’t be there now for The Capitals and the are believed to be the first however long it takes, this gives us a little bit of a distraction. This gives teams in the four major sports leagues to air video game simulations of us a little bit of a supplement that will hopefully keep people interested. previously scheduled games on their regional sports network. It’s one of And it’s going to sound really authentic.” two primary efforts coming out of Monumental Sports and Entertainment Washington Times LOADED: 03.24.2020 to provide fans a respite of entertainment amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus crisis approaches tipping point: 'Can't have the cure be worse than the problem'

“We know that fans are as disappointed as we are not to be able to watch our favorite teams on a nightly basis,” Zach Leonsis, Monumental senior vice president of strategic initiatives, said in a statement. “We hope that these fun and engaging video game simulations will entertain our fans and help provide a greater sense of normalcy during these challenging times. We hope that when people tune in and watch these simulated games, they will be able to enjoy some friendly competitive play from the comforts of their own home.”

The Leonsises, who are big believers in esports, are also using their hockey esports brand, Caps Gaming, in a similar way. Caps Gaming’s John Casagranda, known by the gamertag “JohnWaynee90,” is competing with other pro “NHL 20” gamers in a series of games mirroring the Capitals’ would-be schedule. Caps Gaming is livestreaming those competitions for fans on Twitch.

The NBC Sports Washington broadcasts, meanwhile, are simulated games and don’t involve live game play. The project rolled out Saturday with an “NBA 2K20” sim of the Wizards and the . Much like the game probably would have gone down in real life, Giannis Antetokounmpo dunked all over Washington and the East-leading Bucks won by 19.

That broadcast used the video game’s own commentary, and NBC Sports Washington interspliced it with Chris Miller, one of its Wizards analysts, providing analysis before the game and between quarters. For hockey, though, NBC will rely on its longtime broadcast team of Beninati on play-by-play and Laughlin doing color commentary.

“While we are all stuck in quarantine, the best that we can do to help bring the sports fan some entertainment, I’m all for it,” Beninati said in an interview. “As much as I can help in any different way, in any different type of capacity. This is allowing me to do what I love the best.”

Beninati and Laughlin will record commentary for these games from their homes, but that won’t throw them off much. Beninati pointed out that they’ve called some of the Capitals’ road preseason games from NBC Sports Washington’s studio in Bethesda, Maryland.

They won’t pretend like a Capitals win will mean something for the playoff race.

“We’re not counting them as wins in the regular season,” Beninati said. “If Alex (Ovechkin) gets two goals, it’s not gonna be called like it’s his 50th (of the season). We’re trying to live in that moment.”

The idea of substituting video games in for the real thing has also caught on in NASCAR. On Sunday, 35 NASCAR drivers competed with advanced driving simulation rigs in “iRacing,” and Denny Hamlin edged out Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a virtual stock car race set at Homestead-Miami Speedway, broadcast nationally on . 1181533 Washington Capitals

D.C. sportscasters team up to help raise money for charity amid coronavirus outbreak

By Matthew Paras - The Washington Times - Monday, March 23, 2020

Local broadcasters from the Washington Nationals, Capitals, Wizards, Redskins and D.C. United announced Monday that they’ve formed “Voices of D.C.: Helping to feed the city,” a cause that will donate money to three local charities.

Fans can purchase a personalized video message from play-by-play men like the Capitals’ John Walton and the Redskins’ Larry Michael for a minimum $25 through the website, Cameo.

All proceeds will go to Capital Area Food Bank, DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table — charities that help provide meals to local residents.

Fourteen broadcasters are participating:

Washington Capitals:

Joe Beninati, NBC Sports Washington Capitals play-by-play announcer.

Al Koken, NBC Sports Washington Capitals reporter and host.

Craig Laughlin, NBC Sports Washington Capitals analyst.

Alan May, NBC Sports Washington Capitals studio analyst.

John Walton, Capitals Radio play-by-play announcer.

Washington Nationals:

Dave Jageler, Nationals Radio play-by-play announcer.

FP Santangelo, MASN Nationals color analyst.

Charlie Slowes, Nationals Radio, play-by-play announcer.

Washington Redskins:

Larry Michael, Washington Redskins play-by-play announcer.

Washington Wizards:

Caron Butler, NBC Sports Washington Wizards analyst.

Glenn Consor, NBC Sports Washington and Wizards Radio analyst.

Drew Gooden — NBC Sports Washington Wizards color analyst.

Dave Johnson, Wizards Radio play-by-play broadcaster and D.C. United play-by-play announcer.

Justin Kutcher, NBC Sports Washington Wizards play-by-play announcer.

Fans can also make a donation by texting DCSPORTS to 44321.

Washington Times LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181534 Washington Capitals

Local sports broadcasters launch 'Voices of D.C. Sports' to help combat hunger

By Raichele Privette March 23, 2020 3:35 PM

With the sports world on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, a group of D.C. sports broadcasters have teamed up for a good cause.

Fourteen local sports broadcasters from the Washington Capitals, Washington Nationals, Washington Redskins, Washington Wizards and D.C. United will be helping to feed the district.

The initiative will help benefit the Capital Arena Food Bank, DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table.

For a donation of $25 or more fans are encouraged to request personalized video messages from the broadcasters through Cameo. Cameo is a video sharing platform that allows celebrities to interact with users via video. Users can pay public figures from celebrities to NHL play-by-play announcers to record personalized video messages. Fans can also make donations to the charities by texting DCSPORTS to 44321.

Some of the broadcasters participating include NBC Sports Washington’s very own Capitals reporter and host Al Koken, Capitals analyst Alan May, Capitals play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati, Capitals color analyst Craig Laughlin, Nationals Radio play-by-play announcer Dave Jageler, Washington Redskins play-by-play announcer Larry Michael, NBC Sports Washington Wizards analyst Caron Butler, Wizards Radio play-by-play broadcaster and D.C. United play-by-play announcer Dave Johnson and NBC Sports Washington Wizards play-by-play announcer Justin Kutcher.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181535 Washington Capitals

Capitals pup Captain shares his favorite puppy moments on National Puppy Day

By Raichele Privette March 23, 2020 2:40 PM

In honor of National Puppy Day on Monday, Captain took a trip down memory lane on Twitter to share some of his favorite moments as the Washington Capitals' official pup.

Now if this cuteness overload doesn’t bring a smile to your face, then I don’t know what will.

Here are some of his favorite moments.

We hope you enjoyed Captain's journey down memory lane as much as we did. He's been a great fit for the Caps.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181536 Washington Capitals

How to watch Caps vs. Blues NHL 20 simulation and Alex Ovechkin’s 600th career goal

By Raichele Privette March 23, 2020 12:28 PM

The Capitals were scheduled to host the St. Louis Blues at Capital One Arena on Tuesday. However with the NHL season on pause, we’ve found a new fun way to deliver the Caps’ games to you.

The simulation for the game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington at 7 p.m.

In partnership with Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Washington will be airing all Wizards and Capitals games in simulated NBA 2K20 and NHL 2K20 games, taking place on the dates and times according to each team's regular season schedule with commentary from NBCSW's experts surrounding the coverage.

In the simulation game on Sunday Washington fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-0.

After the simulation game, you don’t want to miss a replay of Alex Ovechkin’s 600th career goal against the Jets from March 12, 2018. Ovi became the 20th player to reach such a huge milestone.

Here’s how to tune in.

When: Tuesday, March 24th at 7 PM ET

Where:

NBC Sports Washington (channel finder)

Any of our 24/7 authenticated streaming platforms

Monumental Sports Network via its website www.monumentalsportsnetwork.com or via any of its available apps on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Xbox.

Broadcast Schedule:

6:00 PM: Think Pink: Stay in the Loop

7:00 PM: NHL 20 Simulation: St. Louis Blues at Washington Capitals

8:00 PM: NHL Classics: Winnepeg Jets at Washington Capitals

10:00 PM: NHL 20 Simulation: St. Louis Blues at Washington Capitals (replay)

Starting lineups:

Capitals: TBD

Blues: TBD

Trust me, you’re not the only one missing the NHL action but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Tune into NBC Sports Washington on Tuesday night at 7p.m. for some Caps action and a chance to relive Ovi’s historic moment.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181537 Washington Capitals was whistled for charging. Frederik Gauthier tried to start a fight with Wilson that the Caps forward wisely ignored. Gauthier and Wilson were both called for roughing anyway. Matthews scored on the ensuing power play. With NHL season paused, a ranking of Capitals' best wins of 2019-20: No. 15 Also — Ovi, you're drinking water wrong.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020

By Mark Zaner March 23, 2020 6:00 AM

While we wait for the NHL to hopefully resume its season, NBC Sports Washington is looking back at the 20 best wins of the Capitals' season so far. Mark Zaner, producer for Caps Faceoff Live and Caps Overtime Live, has watched every game. His rankings continue with No. 15, a 4-3 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 29 that featured superstar performances, the birth of a hashtag and an inspirational game from Alex Ovechkin.

WHAT HAPPENED

A battle of two of the top offenses in the NHL didn't disappoint. The Caps started the game with a couple of turnovers behind their own net which led to an Andreas Johnsson goal just 40 seconds into it. John Carlson answered midway through the first period. He found himself wide open at the right faceoff circle and blasted a one-timer past Frederik Andersen to tie it.

Carlson was back at it eight minutes into the second period. Washington earned a 5-on-3 power play and Carlson was able to drop down from the blue line and unleash a slapper for his seventh of the season.

Then the superstars took over. The Caps defense did a great job for the first 39 minutes against the Leafs attack. They blocked 11 shots and only allowed 19 shots on goal. But in the waning seconds of the second period, Auston Matthews was able to post up Jonas Siegenthaler in front of the net. He had an easy tip past Braden Holtby to tie the game again.

The see-saw continued in the third. William Nylander slithered a pass through the slot to an open Matthews as Toronto regained the lead. Moments later, T.J. Oshie danced and slashed his way through three Leafs defenders to the net. His shot was blocked, but it bounced right to Alex Ovechkin for the tap-in.

Finally, it was Ovechkin again in overtime. With the man-advantage, Dmitry Orlov fed Ovi in his office. His 11th of the season wrapped up October with two more points in the standings.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Ovechkin had a little extra motivation in this one. Before the game he spent some time with Alex Luey. Luey first met Ovechkin and the Capitals in after a game in Toronto. Luey was fighting osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that resides inside the bone. Luey initially went into remission after chemotherapy and surgery.

Unfortunately, Luey's cancer returned in 2019 and was diagnosed as non-treatable. After reading the starting lineup pregame in the Caps locker room, Luey watched his favorite players score two goals. Ovechkin said after the game that he dedicated his performance to Luey.

Luey passed away on December 22 after a three-year battle with cancer.

WHY IT WAS SIGNIFICANT

Carlson was having a terrific season before this game. But his performance in the hockey Mecca of Toronto got the #JohnnyforNorris hashtag trending. This was the game that Carlson went from nice local story to front-runner for the Norris Trophy. Carlson ended the night with 25 points, which temporarily gave him the NHL lead in the category.

This game also marked the end of a five-game road trip through Chicago and Western Canada. Washington grinded out two wins against the Blackhawks and Flames. They had an amazing comeback in Vancouver (which will come up much later on the countdown). And instead of settling for one point in Toronto, they rallied twice to win. The Capitals grabbed nine of a possible ten points on the trip and finished October 9- 2-3 for a franchise record 21 points.

WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT

Tom Wilson earned a reputation penalty in the third period. Wilson lined up Tyson Barrie on the boards well after Barrie had passed the puck and 1181538 Washington Capitals struggle you can't afford to lose that many faceoffs. It only exacerbates the problem.

3. Every poke check is a penalty NHL 20 Caps simulation: Penguins play keep away as Washington gets Apparently the refs in this one have never seen a poke check or knew shut out what it is because every one of them was a penalty. Since starting NHL 20, this became evident early on so I try not to use it much anymore despite the fact that it a poke check is a legitimate defensive move in By J.J. Regan March 23, 2020 6:00 AM hockey. I tried only a handful of times and, what do you know? Three tripping penalties against the Caps. Kris Letang would score on the third

power play opportunity. He received the puck in the high slot and took The Capitals just didn't have it on Sunday as the Pittsburgh Penguins advantage of a screen from, guess who, Hornqvist. Holtby went down in dominated in a 2-0 win in the latest EA Sports NHL 20 simulation. anticipation of the shot and Letang showed enough patience to skate around the screen and backhand the puck into the opening Holtby had Lines left by going down.

The only change from Friday's game is Braden Holtby back in as the Meanwhile, Pittsburgh got zero penalties because the refs are totally on starter. the Penguins' side and are always biased against the Caps!

Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Tom Wilson OK, not in real life and people need to get over that. But in this game it sure felt like it. Jakub Vrana - Nicklas Backstrom - T.J. Oshie Other notes Carl Hagelin - Lars Eller - Ilya Kovalchuk Holtby was awesome Richard Panik - Nic Dowd - Garnet Hathaway The only reason this game was not a complete and utter blowout -- Jonas Siegenthaler - John Carlson because it should have been -- was Holtby. He kept the team in it for the Dmitry Orlov - Brenden Dillon whole 60 minutes. And believe me, this wasn't a game where it was even for one or two periods or the Caps played well in the first and Pittsburgh Michal Kempny - Nick Jensen took over after that. No, Washington was on its heels all game long and Braden Holtby starts Holtby did his best to keep it close.

Ilya Samsonov Check out this acrobatic save Holtby made to get over just in time to deny Sheary on the one-timer. Pittsburgh's lineup comes from Rob Rossi of The Athletic. Crosby injury Jason Zucker - Sidney Crosby - Conor Sheary Boy would there have been headlines after this one. Patrick Marleau - Evgeni Malkin - Bryan Rust Crosby left the game in the third period with an apparent leg injury (or Dominik Simon - Jared McCann - Patric Hornqvist what is more commonly referred to as a "lower-body injury" in hockey) after taking a hit from Michal Kempny. Sam Lafferty - Teddy Blueger - Brandon Tanev The hit was completely clean. Here's a look. Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang Crosby has the puck and Kempny goes in for a shoulder check through Marcus Pettersson - John Marino the body. Textbook. Even so, you know the conspiracy theorists would Jack Johnson - Justin Schultz have been out saying Washington intentionally tried to hurt Crosby after he failed to get up. Matt Murray starts It would have been the 2017 playoffs all over again. Tristan Jarry Next game Result: Penguins 2, Caps 0 The Caps were scheduled to play the St. Louis Blues at home on 1st period Tuesday. The simulation for the game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington at 7 p.m. No goals Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.24.2020 2nd period

0-1 Penguins goal: Brian Dumoulin from Kris Letang and Jason Zucker

3rd period

0-2 Penguins goal (power play): Kris Letang from Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby

How the Caps lost

1. No possession

It's hard to score when you can't get the puck. The Penguins ran a clinic in puck possession in this one as Washington barely had the puck on its stick at all. Every shift turned into a long offensive-zone shift for Pittsburgh, every counter from the Caps was, at best, one shot and then out of the zone. Most of the time, however, the puck was stolen away before Washington could generate any offense at all, either off an errant pass or just a steal. The final shot total of 35-15 reflects just how one- sided this game ultimately was.

2. Faceoffs

Can I interest you in 16.7 faceoff percentage? No, of course not because it's garbage. When maintaining possession of the puck is already a 1181539 Winnipeg Jets “He taught me how the body should move and react,” Hellebuyck said of Francilia at the time. “I’m way more in control and look the same when I’m moving as when I’m set. My hands aren’t flopping around, I’m not diving for pucks because I know I’m going to get there to make the save. Why Connor Hellebuyck deserves his first Vezina Trophy I’m just waiting for the play to happen.”

His transformation was about rewiring the way he perceives movement altogether – and putting in work while training so his biggest saves look By Murat Ates Mar 23, 2020 like less work on the ice. I’ll confess to wondering if his position-heavy, acrobatics-light approach to goaltending works against him in terms of garnering accolades from media around the league. Connor Hellebuyck likes studying secrets. He’d just prefer not to give them away. Not so.

It’s been widely publicized that the source of Hellebuyck’s sometimes The Athletic has selected Hellebuyck as its 2020 Vezina Trophy winner in earned, sometimes jarring expressions of self-confidence is “The Secret,” a 38-3 landslide over every other goaltender. the rare self-help movie-turned-bestselling-book by Rhonda Byrne. The On top of his ability to stop shots, both in frequency and quality, no goalie premise of “The Secret” is that a law of attraction brings positive or has delivered more quality starts. No one has more shutouts. And no negative experiences into a person’s life in accordance with their positive goaltender has maintained his excellence over as big of a workload as or negative thought processes. Hellebuyck has played. Hellebuyck has seen the movie; he’s read the book. He has embodied its Tuuka Rask is the only starting goaltender with a better save percentage principles in press conferences all season long, starting from the first (.929 to Hellebuyck’s .922) but, used in rotation with Jaroslav Halak as game of the year against the New York Rangers. It isn’t a secret that if Rask has been, he’s played 17 fewer games. Darcy Kuemper (.928 Sv%) you ask Hellebuyck about his game, he’ll tell you that he liked it – and Elvis Merzlikins (.923 Sv%) also edge Hellebuyck out but neither has whatever the score may have been. stayed healthy, playing 62 games between them. Hellebuyck has played The other parts of Hellebuyck’s process – the constant tooling and 58 on his own, facing more shot quality, and saving more goals above retooling of his game, the mechanics he works on with Wade Flaherty expectation per game. Andrei Vasilevskiy has more wins but he plays for and Adam Francilia, his self-talk during games, the “triggers” he talks the Tampa Bay Lightning. about – are perhaps more important, yet less talked about than Goals saved above expectation Hellebuyck’s penchant for postgame bravado. Connor Hellebuyck Honestly, I think he likes it that way. WPG Certainly, I’ve been part of enough Hellebuyck scrums to have heard “I don’t want to give away my secrets” a time or few. I’m sure that quote 58 has made its way into print and, let’s be real: if Hellebuyck were ever asked a question whose answer could reveal a hidden truth to his game, 92.13 it would be in his best interests to keep quiet. 21.04 One of the statistical storylines of Hellebuyck’s Vezina-calibre 2019-20 is 19.86 that he not only stops a ton of shots (1656 now; the most in the NHL) but he also stops a ton of shot quality (19.9 goals saved above expectation, 0.34 as per Evolving Hockey – the most in the NHL by far.) I’ve heard Hellebuyck talk about “advanced” metrics before – always in passing, Darcy Kuemper never in detail – and I’m convinced by his phrasing that Hellebuyck is ARI more fluent in analytics than he’d prefer to let on. 29 Getting him to open up about that topic has proven to be a little more difficult. 92.77

I think of one January conversation wherein Hellebuyck was so 16.11 uninterested in talking about cross-slot passes, tracking low-to-high and handling rebounds that Laurent Brossoit eventually took pity on me and 8.71 chimed in with, “One thing we like is when traffic gets handled so we can 0.30 see.” It is a simple truth but at the time, it was a lifeline (and led to an expanded conversation with Brossoit) Hellebuyck just smiled and let his James Reimer partner open up instead. CAR In a way, it was a reflection of him at his best. Hellebuyck’s finest on-ice moments are when he stays calm, playing a sound positional game. He’s 25 capable of withstanding a barrage of pucks – certainly, we’ve seen it in 91.44 Winnipeg as he’s played behind a game but outmatched defense corps wherein eight of 11 defencemen to dress this season earn $1,000,000 or 3.32 less in raw salary. And certainly, he has the bravado to stare down a 7.63 camera in the dressing room or a shooter after making a big save. Hellebuyck is not above holding his glove hand high, puck contained 0.31 therein, just to let the world know he’s on his game. He has no quit; Hellebuyck puts his pregame eye-muscle warm-ups to great use as he Corey Crawford fights through traffic and keeps pushing until the play is finished. CHI But he’s not a highlight reel goaltender in an old-school sense, with a flair 40 for dramatic acrobatics. And when he ventures from his net to play the puck, I am sure more than one fan’s heart starts to race in the worst 91.68 possible way. 9.23 He’s at his best when he makes it look much easier than it really is. Consider his movement work with Francilia, which he spoke to The 7.44 Athletic about back in 2017 – at the beginning of his ascent toward his 0.19 current standing as one of the league’s best netminders. Tuukka Rask BOS I see myself improving still. I can feel it, I can see it and I’m just having so much fun getting better. Maybe I can make a push for being the best." 41 He's been that – and then some – and deserves his first Vezina Trophy. 92.79 The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 21.5

7.31

0.18

Carter Hart

PHI

43

91.48

5.7

7.25

0.17

Jake Allen

STL

24

92.68

11.04

7.03

0.29

Anton Khudobin

DAL

30

93.06

18.28

6.15

0.21

Ben Bishop

DAL

44

92

13.56

5.71

0.13

Even when you adjust for games played, no one can match Hellebuyck's saves per game or goals saved above expectation per game.

I don't expect every general manager to be looking at the Vezina vote through this lens – some may be swayed by Rask's save percentage or Vasilevskiy's win total – but three things work in Hellebuyck's favour.

First, his save percentage (.922) is still great – top-10 in the league, second among season-long starters. Second, his win total (31) is still great – second only to Vasilevskiy. And third, it doesn't take expected goals, expected saves or any amount of chart-making to watch the 2019- 20 Jets and conclude that they depend on their goaltender more than any other team.

He's been the Jets' MVP for the full season, the reason for their playoff spot and quite simply the best goaltender in the league whether you look at quantity or quality.

Put plainly, no goaltender has meant more to the success of his team in 2019-20 than Connor Hellebuyck has.

"Everything is really coming together and I’m seeing a lot of the potential I have," Hellebuyck told Ken Wiebe earlier this season. "Not only that, but 1181540 Vancouver Canucks Ben Hankinson said Monday. “And the NHLPA will be pushing to protect their players because it’s hard right now.

“Nobody is skating and you can’t go to a gym. The workouts are different Ben Kuzma: Coronavirus concerns keep NHL governors in holding and your entire training program is different. They’re training right now pattern just to stay in shape if they come back, because it’s not a sure thing, what’s the motivation? It’s a little different.”

For Boeser, the motivation is to obviously stay healthy and contribute, BEN KUZMA and this pause might help his cause.

Published:March 23, 2020 “Everyone knows if you’re playing, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re 100 per cent,” added Hankinson. “This will probably help him to get stronger Updated:March 23, 2020 5:00 PM PDT and getting back was more of a pain (management) thing with him too.”

Like his peers, there’s uncertainty for Hankinson about where the Should the season resume, biggest concern for players will be injuries as business side of the NHL is going and how it’s going to affect escrow and games ramp up. free agency.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed, probably for one year, “Who knows what the cap is going to be and there are so many moving because of the coronavirus pandemic. parts,” added Hankinson. “We’re busy with college guys whose seasons are ending and do they turn pro or go back to school? We’ve done a Will the NHL regular season and playoffs, currently on pause because of couple of college deals and an NHL contract extension for a depth the worldwide health crisis, also be pushed back further or even player, so that has kind of been my day today. cancelled? “A lot of these days are going to be sorting through the what-happens- That’s what the league’s board of governors wrestled with in a next scenario. Do guys leave their towns, and what about guys with conference call Monday. injuries?”

The governors obviously realize health concerns should far outweigh lost On March 16, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) in revenue or a lost season. However, there is still an appetite for a wait- the U.S. recommended cancellation or postponement of events with 50 and-see approach to possibly saving the season. or more people for eight weeks.

The league continues to consider scheduling for all scenarios that could The following day, the NHL revealed plans to possibly hold training eventually play out — depending on how coronavirus concerns evolve — camps in roughly 45 days into the CDCP’s 60-day caution period — that but uncertainty made for little conference-call progress. would be April 27 — as a prelude to completing the regular season and implementing a playoff plan that could feature the current or altered post- An infectious disease consultant reportedly took questions during the call season format. because testing of players — two Ottawa Senators have tested positive — is one of a myriad of issues. The NHL responded in this manner: A 24-team playoff has resonated with some owners. It would comprise a dozen representatives from each conference, expanding the number of “Our medical experts do not recommend mass testing for all NHL wild-card teams and a play-out round to reduce participants to the players. Besides the fact there would be insufficient testing resources to customary 16 teams. accommodate such a direction, the medical community does not believe that such testing is medically indicated or in accordance with the All that was feasible before stronger coronavirus initiatives to restrict non- parameters issued by applicable health authorities.” essential services and stronger calls for social-distancing, and even staying at home, became the message. Continuing the season seems somewhat stunning with the number of positive coronavirus tests, mounting death tolls, closures or reduction of Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.24.2020 services for non-essential businesses and the possibility of a complete shutdown of non-essential services in Vancouver.

And with health-care warnings to maintain strict social-distancing and even stay home, how can the NHL consider just pumping the brakes on the season? Why not fully engage the parking brake?

On Monday, B.C. health officials announced 48 new coronavirus cases in the province and three additional deaths. Confirmed cases have risen to 472, the death toll is at 13 and 33 people are hospitalized, of which 14 are in intensive care.

Health officials also said 100 people have now recovered from the coronavirus.

Still, on a global scale, more than 337,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus and over 14,600 have died in a pandemic that the WHO said is still accelerating.

Should the NHL season resume in some fashion, the biggest competitive concern for players is getting hurt.

As much as the Canucks would be buoyed by the return of Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev and Jay Beagle from injury — and Brock Boeser having more time to get up to speed after missing 12 games with a fractured rib cartilage and returning March 10 — there are obvious concerns.

Resumption of the regular season and ramping up play in the faster- paced, heavier hitting post-season — no matter what format that takes — is going to tax conditioning. And it’s hard to maintain now without practices, games or even working out in small groups because of the coronavirus social-distancing edict.

“It’s no surprise that will be addressed for sure — especially teams and owners because they don’t want their guys getting hurt,” Boeser’s agent 1181541 Vancouver Canucks That mostly held true, but I think the shortened season tips the balance back in Makar’s favour, particularly because Makar’s final impression on voters — a dominant three-point outing against the New York Rangers in one of the final games before the NHL suspended play — was a The Athletic voted Cale Makar for Calder over Quinn Hughes. Did we get definitive one. it right? To close the gap that Makar opened in the first couple of months (and in last year’s playoffs), I think Hughes needed to lead all rookies in scoring and get into that Ray Bourque/Chris Chelios stratosphere in terms of By Thomas Drance and Ryan S. Clark Mar 23, 2020 point production by a rookie defenseman and that the Canucks needed to qualify for the postseason to add narrative heft to his campaign. Without that, I don’t think he gets over the line, as the voting of our This season we witnessed hockey history. colleagues reflects.

What Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar accomplished as rookie defenders, Nonetheless, I think Hughes’ overall two-way impact on his team and the the sheer quality of their respective performances as first-year players, value he provided to a club that lacks the overwhelming weaponry that was nothing short of unprecedented. the Colorado Avalanche have patiently and impressively assembled over the past few years was greater. It’s why he was my vote. It’s been a generation since a defender led all NHL rookies in scoring, as Hughes will, assuming the 2019-20 regular season doesn’t resume. It’s I summarized that impact while writing about some notable Canucks been 90 years since two defensemen finished one and two in the rookie “what ifs” last week: scoring race, as Hughes and Makar likely will, albeit over the course of a campaign likely to be abbreviated by the public health threat posed by “Hughes should still win for the simple reason that he’s had a much the COVID-19 pandemic. larger two-way impact than Makar has. Unfortunately, it is not clear if PHWA voters, who decide the award, will be moved by this, even if they You have to go back to 1993 to find a season in which a rookie should be. defenseman surpassed 50 points. This year, two rookie defenders broke through that barrier over the course of 68 games or fewer. “Makar has the better plus-minus by a wide margin (plus-12 for Makar, minus-10 for Hughes), but obviously, plus-minus does a bad job of really If they’d had the opportunity to finish the season and been able to capturing a player’s two-way value or abilities. This case is illustrative of maintain their points-per-game rates, Hughes would have had an outside why, so we’ll get into it. Hughes’ plus/minus is minus-10, but his five-on- shot at finishing in the top five in scoring by a rookie NHL defenseman five goal differential is 58 goals for and 54 goals against, or plus-four. all-time, and both would’ve surely cracked the top 10. Shoot plus/minus into the sun.

There isn’t much to choose between with these two historic rookie “Makar’s plus-12 underrates him too, actually. Plus-12 seems good, but defenders. But The Athletic staff has voted and decided that Makar is the because plus/minus makes no sense and doesn’t distinguish fairly deserving winner of the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s most between game states, it dings him for absurd things like short-handed proficient first-year player. Hughes finished second. goals against and empty-net goals against too (Makar’s actual on-ice five-on-five goal differential is 57 goals for, 36 against, or plus-21). In a tight contest that’s been hotly debated in recent months, we figured we’d turn the mic over to The Athletic Vancouver’s Thomas Drance and “Now before you conclude that Hughes’ plus-four five-on-five goal The Athletic Denver’s Ryan S. Clark to sift through a hard-fought trophy differential indicates that Makar has been better, you have to take into race. account context. The Avalanche have outscored their opponents in five- on-five situations by 47 goals this season, their goals for percentage at Thomas Drance: It goes without saying that I disagree with the collective evens leads all teams in the NHL. Or, even without Makar, Colorado has choice of our colleagues here at The Athletic, but obviously it was a tight outscored opponents by 27 goals. race. Hughes and Makar are absolutely ridiculous. They’re fun to watch and they’re both playing major roles on teams that were in playoff spots “The Canucks are in a different category in terms of the overall quality of by point percentage at the time the season was suspended. their team. Vancouver scored 20 fewer goals at five-on-five than Colorado has and allowed 31 goals more. In fact, the Canucks have They’re also perfectly suited, with their speed and their skill, to take been outscored by three overall. Formulated a different way, with Hughes advantage of the evolution of the NHL game. That’s a big part of the on the ice, Vancouver has outscored its opponents by four and in all story here. If Hughes and Makar haven’t done so already, then you can other minutes has been outscored by seven. With Makar on the ice, the rest assured they’re going to break the template for what NHL defenders Avalanche have outscored their opponents by a wider margin without can contribute offensively and reconstitute it in their image. Makar than they have with him.” It’s going to be fun to watch over the ensuing decade. For me, I weigh that heavily. For the PHWA, though, I think Hughes Unfortunately, there’s no sharing the Calder Trophy. It’s a unique award, needed more time and for a couple of things to break his way — mainly one that a player only ever has one chance to win. that he needed to break into truly rarified air in terms of scoring by a rookie defender and lead the Canucks to the playoff spot — to fully close Hughes and Makar, these are competitive athletes. You don’t become as the gap. He didn’t get that opportunity and so Makar will go into actual skilled as they are without passion, work and a desire to win every day at award voting, whenever that takes place, as the apparent front-runner. everything you do — especially your chosen sporting vocation. Incredible, historic seasons from both of these young defensemen. Having covered Hughes nearly every day over the past seven months, Ultimately, there’s no “wrong” decision, really. he is extremely patient and laid-back. There’s not a hint of arrogance about him, but there’s certainly a steel core of confidence. I say that to Ryan S. Clark: Visibility might have played a bigger part in this particular provide context to the comments he made a couple of weeks ago in Calder race than most realize. Anyone who watched college hockey Toronto when he made no secret of the fact he’s been tracking Makar’s along with those following the Avalanche and Canucks knew about the season and that the Calder Trophy is an award he wants. promise both players showed. Hughes left the University of Michigan after his sophomore season and signed with the Canucks. He scored “Yeah, for sure I think so,” Hughes told Ken Campbell of The Hockey three points in five games, but the challenge he faced from an exposure News when asked if he thought he made a good case for the Calder. “I’m standpoint was that the Canucks were out of playoff contention by that not the one making the call, but especially the last 30 games, I don’t point. know if anyone has been better than me.” Makar, however, was in a different situation. His star surged after winning Back in December, when I handicapped the race and noted that Makar’s the Hobey Baker Award and getting the University of Massachusetts to sublime first two months of the 2019-20 season had muted any Calder the national title game, where it lost to the University of Minnesota- buzz around Hughes, I suggested the race would tighten. That Hughes’ Duluth. Then, he made his NHL debut in the playoffs for an Avalanche underlying profile indicated that his production was built of more team that just barely qualified, but he did so in an exciting manner for the sustainable stuff and that his two-way impact had been greater by a casual observer. Now throw in the fact Makar played his first game considerable margin. against his hometown Calgary Flames and scored what was the game- winning goal. He was one of the reasons the Avs advanced and pushed five-on-five sequences, per Natural Stat Trick. That has played a part in the San Jose Sharks to seven games in the second round. why they have become one of the NHL’s best defensive units. Vancouver is 16th in high-danger chances allowed and ranks 21st in high-danger Look at what Colorado did last offseason. General manager Joe Sakic goals allowed this season. and his front-office staff felt they could trade a fixture in Tyson Barrie. What Makar did in the playoffs and the fact he was on an entry-level “I like the quickness of (Makar’s defensive approach),” Avalanche coach contract were among the reasons for the decision. Makar has since Jared Bednar said of Makar’s defensive abilities. “He skates to check, worked to become a first-pairing defenseman in tandem with Ryan and he doesn’t ease off on guys when he gets a chance to lay a lick on Graves. Sakic made it clear youth was a priority. But who would have someone. He does it. Real good stick, and there’s no rest in his game. believed two first-year defensemen would hold such an important role on Once he finishes off the play, he’s looking to join (in transition). So I really a potential Stanley Cup contender? But it’s more than that. Makar has think it’s the quick movement, jumping into checks and separating guys had the sort of performances that have either allowed his team to win or from pucks and using his legs as a solution to get us in and out of our at least be in position. zone. That’s where the game is going.”

There was the two-goal, second-period display that saw the Avalanche Reviewing hypotheticals about what could have been might become the go from being down a goal to claiming a 4-2 win against the Columbus trait that shadows the Hughes-Makar debate. Makar returned from an Blue Jackets. He had that jaw-dropping goal when literally bringing a upper-body injury to finish with three points — all assists — in a 3-2 win man to his knees in a 4-0 game over the Winnipeg Jets in a contest that over the Rangers, which was one of the last NHL games played. That began with goaltender Pavel Francouz sustaining a concussion within the performance helped close the gap between him and Hughes to three first 31 seconds. There were the four assists — three of them being points with 12 games remaining. It added more anticipation to what primary — including the game-winning overtime feed to Nathan would have been the final regular-season meeting remaining between MacKinnon in an emotionally charged win versus the Canucks that was the Canucks and Avalanche, which was slated to happen that Friday. remembered for what happened to Matt Calvert after he inadvertently blocked a puck with the back of his head. Makar has even had the Maybe that game will still take place this year. Maybe it won’t. But games when the Avs did not win but he did all he could — the prime attempting to pick between Hughes and Makar is going to be a debate for example being a 3-2 late-November loss to the Minnesota Wild when the several years to come. Avs trailed by two goals but Makar had a brace in the second period to The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 tie the game going into the final frame.

In fact, those efforts against the Canucks, Jets and Wild all came on the same five-game trip.

But it is not like Hughes didn’t have those sorts of moments himself.

Going through that backstory provides context as to why more people might have known about Makar. It plays a part in why he had more attention. But this season has seen Hughes receive acclaim in his own right by playing for a team that is challenging for a playoff spot. Then again, it’s not like Makar is playing for a lottery team. He’s one of the reasons the Avalanche are a Stanley Cup contender during a season that has been more about managing injuries than anything.

Makar is one of the quieter personalities on the Avalanche roster. But he did talk about the Calder race between himself and Hughes before the league was shut down.

“I haven’t really followed it much. I met him for the first time this summer, and he seems like a great guy,” Makar said. “It’s not something I’m focused on. I think for us as a team, we’re all focused on just being in the playoffs and hopefully finishing in first place. I tell this to everybody, but individual accolades will come with team success, and I think that’s where everybody’s heads are at with the team right now.”

An argument could be made that picking between the two is harder should the league not resume play. On one hand, Makar has found a way to become the second-best player behind MacKinnon on a team that could have made, or still can make, a case for winning the Stanley Cup. Then again, Hughes has the same responsibilities for a Canucks team that was a point away from being able to outright claim a wild-card spot when the season halted.

Even determining what criteria voters or the public at large would use to pick a winner has the potential to be fascinating unto itself. Some might use team success as the tiebreaker. Others could turn to their individual statistics and believe that is the answer. There are goals, assists and points, but there are also advanced metrics. Hughes was on the ice for 29 high-danger goals and 208 high-danger chances against in five-on- five sequences over 68 games, according to Natural Stat Trick. Makar has been present for 25 high-danger goals and 141 high-danger chances for 57 games. It’s a difference of Hughes playing 11 more times because Makar was injured at times this season. Perhaps a fairer way of examining it is opponents are averaging 0.43 high-danger goals and 3.05 high-danger chances against Hughes, while teams are averaging 0.44 high-danger goals and 2.47 high-danger chances versus Makar.

One of the topics often raised about puck-moving defensemen like Hughes and Makar is their defending ability. The high-danger goals per game provide a close enough comparable, while the high-danger chances have a bit more separation. An argument could be made that those numbers work within a larger discussion about the defensive roles they each play in their respective team’s overall success. Colorado is sixth in high-danger chances allowed and high-danger goals allowed in 1181542 Websites In fact, in my 25 years of covering the NHL — which includes day-to-day coverage of both the 2004-05 and 2012-13 lockouts — I can’t recall a higher level of cooperation that I’m sensing right now between the NHL and NHLPA. They have been aligned in a number of quick, important The Athletic / LeBrun: As it considers every scenario, NHL’s goal remains decisions since this crisis first broke. So that’s a real positive in this dire to salvage season time.

But that relationship is going to be seriously tested as time goes on because there will be some rather difficult financial decisions which affect By Pierre LeBrun Mar 23, 2020 both players and owners. Everyone is going to take a hit as hockey- related revenue is affected by the season disruption. The salary cap, escrow, it’s all tied to the fact players and owners share a 50-50 split of The NHL had its infectious disease consultant on Monday’s call with the HRR, which is going to take a beating. Board of Governors, a reminder of the times we are living in. I do sense a willingness from the league to do what’s fair as they But I would say, a wise move by the league to have the expert on. navigate those difficult waters with the NHLPA, but at the end of the day, let’s not sugarcoat it, it’s not going to be pretty. “That was really most of the call, and it was educational for all of us,” one NHL governor, who requested anonymity, told The Athletic. Including the fact that if/when there is playoff hockey this year, I can’t imagine we can count on sellout crowds every single night. Yes, the And a sobering view of the reality at hand with the COVID-19 crisis. return of sports will have a healing aspect as society eventually takes Governors were invited to ask questions on the call. These days, there baby steps back to normalcy, but the financial hardship on everyday are a lot of questions, not nearly enough answers. people already being felt in job losses will make paying for tickets to sporting events a low priority in many North American households. Monday’s call with governors (which consisted of a blend of owners and team executives) was mostly an update, but the first official Board call Which everyone on that call Monday already knows. nonetheless since the group last gathered over the phone March 12 The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 when the NHL season was paused.

The call also had a discussion about the two positive player tests for COVID-19 in Ottawa as well as a business update from the league, among a few other matters.

The question most governors want to know is what the league is thinking as far as a potential timeline for a season resumption. But the reality is that the NHL can’t answer that now. The league told governors Monday on the call that there is no set plan yet. It remains too early for that.

However, the league, as sources reiterated Monday, has investigated scenarios for all kinds of possibilities. The NHL continues to work on different format/schedule scenarios trying to prepare for all possible contingencies.

What governors heard Monday was that whatever the NHL ends up deciding will be “fair” and must have “integrity.”

The league is essentially considering every scenario which gives it maximum flexibility.

In the meantime, you’ve got bubble playoff teams who sources say have been in Gary Bettman’s ear, of course, regarding the potential playoff field. Will it be 16 teams? Or does it expand to 20, 22 or 24?

Some team executives I’ve spoken with prefer the 16-team route; others like the expanded field. It’s going to be impossible for Bettman to appease everyone and he no doubt already realizes that.

Another question with no answer yet: how do they deal with draft lottery if the playoff field is expanded? That’s another hot potato the league office has discussed internally in case the NHL does expand the playoff field.

When I wrote about the idea of August-September NHL playoffs last Tuesday, most of our readers seemed down on the idea, I think mostly because they found the idea far-reaching and jarring.

At this point, given the likely postponement of the July 24-Aug. 9 Tokyo Olympics, that August window for an NHL season resumption might be the only window left that’s even realistic. That’s just my own two cents (mind you if the Tokyo Olympics are indeed postponed, that gives the NHL more flexibility if late July becomes at all an option).

And that’s if there’s a season resumption at all.

For now, that’s the NHL’s goal, to salvage a season at some point in time even if it means late summer hockey.

Yes, having a full season next year is of paramount importance to the NHL, but that doesn’t mean a full 82-game season couldn’t slide into November, another source suggested again to me Monday. Cancel the All-Star Game and bye weeks and play the playoffs deep into June in 2021; you can still plan for a full season. Obviously the players would have to be on board for those type of schedule changes but the NHLPA’s sole focus for next season is it being a full 82-game schedule as well. The two sides share that common desire. 1181543 Websites For Wacey Rabbit, the plan had been to hang out in Jacksonville, Fla., for a few weeks following the unexpected conclusion to his season with the ECHL Icemen.

The Athletic / ‘Ghost towns’ and no traffic: Inside the journey minor- But after a couple of days of self-isolation with girlfriend Ashley leaguers are making home Callingbull and their Boston Terrier–pug Papa, it became evident that not everyone was taking proper measures.

Convincing them to begin the 40-hour trek, too, was pressure from family By Scott Cruickshank Mar 23, 2020 members back in Alberta. A member of the Blackfoot Nation, Rabbit grew up on the Blood Reserve near Lethbridge. Callingbull is a member of the

Enoch Cree Nation. A couple of thousand kilometres behind him, more than a thousand “We had the conversation that it was probably for the best just to come kilometres still in front of him, Matthew Marcinew manages to sound home,” said Rabbit, 33. “Everyone sees the beaches here. There’s the upbeat. video — everyone’s out spring-breaking. I feel like it’s going to be Having just checked into a hotel a half-hour west of Fargo, N.D., the impacted really bad here. So they’re concerned about that the most. Calgarian isn’t sure he’ll get home the next day. “We’ve been keeping to ourselves since the end of the season. We But that’s OK. haven’t gone out, other than to the grocery store, getting gas. We’ve been taking it pretty serious, so we don’t have to worry about anything.” With hockey shut down — minor leagues included — Marcinew is like most players from Canada. He’s making a patched-together push for the Prior to departure in their loaded-up Jeep, Rabbit had been keeping tabs border. on teammates who already started their journeys home to Canada.

Travel itineraries, given the pandemic and subsequent measures, are “New York and Philadelphia, guys are going home through that area and unprecedentedly hectic. But for Marcinew? Recent weeks have been they say it’s rush hour and there’s absolutely no traffic,” Rabbit said. “So madness. it’s kind of eerie. But it’s good — people aren’t out. We just want to be safe. Hence his mellow approach to this final road trip, despite its length. “There’s no rush to get anywhere,” explained Marcinew. “Because once “We’re going to try to travel when the sun’s up.” we get home we’re going to have to do the social distancing and self- The first leg of their daylight journey took them to Nashville. The second quarantining anyways. to Omaha, Neb. “It’s kind of nice not to have a timeline or a schedule — and just hit cruise Then, after a night in Sheridan, Wyo., they made it to the Carway border control.” crossing, 40 kilometres north of Babb, Mont., and carried on into Alberta. Understandably. If the drive felt long, the events leading up to the ECHL’s cancellation Because March has been a blur for the 26-year-old. happened in a blink.

The month opens with his AHL rights being traded for future Players first heard Saturday, March 14, that their season was considerations from the Springfield (Mass.) Thunderbirds to the Stockton suspended. Monday, via the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, (Calif.) Heat — while he’s skating for the ECHL Greenville (S.C.) Swamp came official news that it was over — no more games, no more pay. Rabbits. “Definitely not expected,” Marcinew said, “but that’s part of the Rabbit had participated in the conference call. job, right?” Afterward, at the apartment complex that houses all the players, he and a A couple of days later, after playing against the home-ice Orlando (Fla.) couple of the other veterans gathered the rest of the crew. Solar Bears, he’s called up to the Heat. Which requires an immediate “We had a meeting by the pool, and you could tell there was a lot of cross-continent flight — with only the clothes he’s packed for a two-day uncertainty in their eyes, a little bit of panic. It was tough to tell them,” road trip. said Rabbit, noting that first-year players earn only $500 US per week. The day after arriving in Stockton, he makes his debut — in Bakersfield, “Guys were pretty upset. I’m fine (financially) — I’ve played hockey for a Calif. It’s the only time he’ll skate for the Heat because the AHL soon while, so I’m OK. I’m more concerned for the younger guys. There’s a lot suspends play. of kids that just came out of college and it’s their first year and they’re not exactly making the big bucks in the East Coast Hockey League.” So, from Stockton, Marcinew flies back to Greenville to collect his belongings and fetch his vehicle. (In the meantime, too, he’s had to sell Rabbit and Ashley, meanwhile, have other issues to consider, including all the stuff he left in Springfield — which is where he’d started the the fact that their offseason home in Edmonton may not be ready. After season — to his roommate. Meaning Chris Driedger got one sweet deal all, they’re back more than a month ahead of schedule. on a bed, bedding, towels. “Next year, wherever I play,” said Marcinew, But, in the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing to worry about, “I’ll have to buy more pots and pans.”) according to Rabbit, who has played hockey all over the world — in eight Before packing up in Greenville, he squeezes in an early morning MRI on countries to be exact. his shoulder, then hatches a plan with his pal, Tariq Hammond, a fellow “These are uncertain times,” he said. “Nothing has ever happened like Calgarian and a former teammate at the University of Denver. this since I’ve been alive, since my parents have been alive. The biggest Hammond has just finished his own season with the ECHL South thing is just making sure everyone is safe and healthy and, if there is Carolina Stingrays in Charleston, which is three hours away. hockey, we’re able to come back in the fall. That’s the biggest thing for us.” The buddies convene in Greenville. Then? “We started driving northwest,” said Hammond. The idea being to convoy all the way home, Taking a break from unpacking his (financed) 2019 Mazda CX-3, Logan Hammond’s Chevy SUV followed by Marcinew’s Chevy SUV. Thompson answers his phone.

The first day sees them reach Chicago. The next day they make it to the Yes, the Calgarian reports, he is safe and sound. other side of Fargo, where they check into a highway hotel and gamely Thompson, a teammate of Hammond’s with ECHL South Carolina, field a phone call from a reporter. powered through his drive in two days. More than 13 hours of seat time, “I’m a little tired right now, to be honest,” said Hammond, 26. “It’s just twice. kind of a weird time to be around things. But I’m doing all right.” Rushing out of Charleston, he managed to reach Rockford, Ill. “Got in at The following day, crossing the border at Portal, N.D., the pals arrive in midnight. Grabbed a quick hotel. Got up around seven. Took off.” Calgary by 10:45 p.m. He describes traffic as “very light,” which allowed him the following day to hit the Peace Garden border crossing — just south of Boissevain, Man. — by 11 p.m. There, Thompson had no issues. “Honestly, it was pretty quick. And very calm. They just said, ‘Make sure you quarantine for 14 The last time Rabbit practised, March 12 in Jacksonville, he had been days.’ It was pretty simple. Just like every other border (crossing in the chatting with teammate Mike Hedden, a 35-year-old winger. past).” “He was talking about how this was his last season,” said Rabbit. “We’re After that, it was a short drive up to Brandon, where his girlfriend lives couple points out of a playoff push and he didn’t even know if that was (and where he played four years for the WHL Wheat Kings). “Till his last skate as a professional hockey player. everything blows over,” said Thompson. “I’m going to stay in Brandon.” “So it was all pretty raw there. I’m pretty close to Mike. We were talking Like everyone else, he remains stunned by the pace of developments. about how we were going to have a good playoff push for him. He was playing unreal. “It was definitely unexpected. Obviously, you hear about the virus, but it’s not close to you, it’s not affecting you,” said Thompson, 23. “I remember “Then, just like that, it was over. Something you couldn’t control.” we were in Orlando playing (March 11) and finished the game and looked at our phones and saw that the NBA season was cancelled. It definitely Elsewhere in the South Division, the 44-14-4 Stingrays were earning a surprised us. We kind of figured the NHL would be next, just following the reputation as one of the ECHL’s powerhouses. No squad had produced footsteps. more points than their 92.

“Then everything, day by day, got a lot faster. I ended up leaving And Thompson, a first-year pro, was boasting terrific numbers — 23-8-3, Charleston right away. Kind of a domino effect.” 2.25 GAA, .929 — in the Stingrays’ net.

Packing, he made choices, choosing to leave his television and bedding, “Being on that team was a privilege,” he said. “Lot of veteran guys, guys but grabbing all of the toilet paper. that have played a lot of years of pro. A special group of guys. It’s a shame that we couldn’t do more and bring a Kelly Cup to Charleston. It’s “I took the essentials — the stuff I left I can definitely live without,” he definitely frustrating not being able to do more with that team and that said. “The most important thing was just getting back to Canada and group of guys.” staying safe. It’s definitely more comfortable (here). Just happy being back. Definitely way less stress than there was in the U.S., for sure.” Thompson, however, understands what’s at stake. As does Hammond, his teammate, who says “it sucks” that their 2019-20 accomplishments Any indecision he had harboured was put to rest by his dad, Mark, who go up in smoke. “But it’s the big picture,” he said. “The health of everyone works in Fort McMurray, Alta. you know and are close with — and, obviously, right now the world — is way more important than a hockey playoff.” “He’s seen all these videos of people going out and partying, so he was on me pretty hard about just staying safe and not doing anything dumb,” As they whizzed homeward in recent days, there had been plenty of time said Thompson. “He definitely was concerned with it getting worse and to think. worse every day. He wanted me to get back to Canada as soon as I could and just stay inside.” Still, the hockey players are left wondering.

No doubt, there is a certain comfort in travelling together, even if it’s in “You come back and now what? Where do we go from here?” said separate vehicles. Thompson. “Everything in the whole world is pretty much on pause right now. Hopefully this passes over and the world can get back on track.” “Thank god Tariq was with me,” said Marcinew, “because it would’ve sucked to do it by myself.” In Hammond’s mind, at least one element of the what-now scenario is pretty straightforward. While the pals blasted down the freeways, they stayed in contact on speaker phone. Marcinew laughs. “So we’re like, ‘Look at this idiot to our “You’ve got to do your part to not make things worse.” left …'” The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 Although, truth be told, there was not a lot of traffic out there.

“The funny thing is, we did see a lot of Canadian plates — Ontario, a couple Manitobas,” said Hammond. “You look when they’re passing you or when you’re passing them and they give you a wave. Everyone’s kind of in the same boat.

“The traffic, mainly just semi trucks and Canadian drivers, to be honest.”

The vibe checking into hotels, too, had been different. Hammond describes them as “absolute ghost towns. People look at us weird when we’re walking in with our luggage. In these times right now, it’s not normal for people to be staying in hotels.”

When COVID-19 shuttered the ECHL, Hammond had been planning to remain for a few days in Charleston and just chill. Then he would mosey over to Denver, where he went to college, where he still spends his summers.

That all changed.

“I was thinking positively,” Hammond said. “After more talk with my family — and everything you see in the news — the wise decision was to make it back into Canada and just be with my family and make sure everyone is safe and healthy.”

He says, of course, everyone he knows is practising self-isolation. “But it’s kind of a culture shock for everyone.”

Marcinew, after his wild month, had no idea what awaits him in Calgary.

Well, except for one thing.

“My girlfriend works at a hospital — she’s a nurse — so once I get home I can’t see her for 14 days,” he said. “It’s wild. Craziness. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I don’t expect to see anything like this again. Hopefully not.

“It’s so unknown as to the circumstances going forward.” 1181544 Websites By the way, how about that Dale Hunter? Three points against the Sharks and he’s closing in on the team scoring lead. Don’t turn your back on this guy, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

The Athletic / DGB weekend power rankings: Dipping into the archives 4. Boston Bruins (41-25-7, +38) – They remain one of the most for this rerun from 1993 consistent teams in the league, with last night’s comeback win over the Whalers meaning they still haven’t lost consecutive games since early January. While they haven’t caught the Habs for top spot in the Adams yet, that feels all but inevitable right now. Will they have a long playoff By Sean McIndoe Mar 23, 2020 run? Nothing’s ever guaranteed, but let’s just say I’m feeling pretty confident that May is going to be memorable.

Editor’s note: The DGB Power Rankings would normally appear in this 3. Detroit Red Wings (40-27-9, +72) – They’re loaded pretty much space today. However, due to the current shutdown, there is no NHL everywhere in the lineup, especially down the middle where Steve action to write about. So for this week’s rankings, we’ll do what our Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov give them one of the best one-two combos friends in the TV industry have been doing: Dip into the archives and air in the league. I really liked their midseason move to add Paul Coffey, a rerun. who gives them some depth on the blue line that they’ll probably need with 22-year-old Nicklas Lidstrom looking like a one-hit-wonder after last The following Weekend Rankings column originally ran exactly 27 years year’s strong rookie season. The only question is whether Tim ago today, on March 23, 1993. Cheveldae is enough in goal. He’ll probably be fine.

Let’s dive right in with the big news of the day: Yesterday’s trade 2. Chicago Blackhawks (40-23-10, +42) – They’re neck-and-neck with deadline. As expected, it was a frantic day of wheeling and dealing, with the Red Wings for top spot in the Norris, and that’s an important race. a ton of action to sort through. Second place probably gets a winnable matchup with the Maple Leafs, but first gets a virtual bye against either the North Stars or Blues. We at Nine trades, to be exact. Involving fourteen different players. Whew. Nine least know the North Stars can pull off an upset or two after their 1991 trades! Where do you even begin? run, but the Blues? That series would probably end in a sweep. The Penguins loaded up for their run at a three-peat, adding defensemen 1. Pittsburgh Penguins (45-21-6, +64) – Not even a tough call for top Mike Ramsey and Peter Taglianetti. That’s not quite up there with the spot, because this team looks pretty close to unbeatable. They’ve won Ron Francis deal from two years ago, but it’s a pair of nice adds that six straight, and a look at the upcoming schedule makes you wonder if cement the Pens as the favorites heading into the stretch run. anyone will be able to beat them for the rest of the season. The Kings added veteran blueliner Mark Hardy from the Rangers, while That sounds crazy, but they’re so loaded that this year’s playoffs are the Caps and Jets pulled off a goalie-for-goalie swap involving Jim going to feel like a formality. The Penguins have won back-to-back Cups, Hrivnak and Rick Tabaracci. Murray Craven went to the Canucks for but neither of those teams topped 90 points. This one already has, and Robert Kron. And Chicago added Craig Muni from Edmonton; the will go down as one of the great teams in NHL history. Mario Lemieux is veteran will be going from a bottom-feeder to a Cup contender, and will back and has already banked 20 points in just eight games, meaning he no doubt be thrilled to report to the Hawks. still has a shot at winning the Art Ross despite missing two months to The big loser in all of this might be the Rangers, who whiffed in their well- cancer. Ron Francis, Rick Tocchet and Kevin Stevens should all hit 100 publicized efforts to add a big-name defenseman. They did pick up Esa points too, and Jaromir Jagr might get close. They’ve got goaltending, a Tikkanen from Edmonton a few days ago, for the low cost of marginal solid blue line, toughness … they’re just the total package. prospect Doug Weight. And they’re still holding down third in the Patrick, Could somebody beat them in the playoffs? You never say never. so unless they collapse, they won’t become the first Presidents’ Trophy Miracles happen. Maybe this unstoppable Goliath will run into a David. winner to miss the playoffs. It’s not all bad. But if they’re ever going to But at this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone saying that there will be a break their 53-year-and-counting Cup drought in New York, you’d think new Stanley Cup champion in 1993. will have to learn how to get aggressive at the deadline. *True goals differential, which is just goals differential. I’m not sure why Will any of those trades impact this week’s power rankings? Let’s find out we even have an asterisk here, I mean, how could you screw up goals … differential? Road to the Cup Not ranked: The Canadian teams – Sorry, Canada. It just may not be our The five teams that look like they’re headed towards a summer of year. We already know that Ottawa and Edmonton won’t be in the respectfully celebrating a hard-earned victory in a quiet and dignified playoffs, which leaves us with six hopes for a Cup. I’m not sold on any of fashion. them.

Last night’s Canucks/Blues game was a real snoozer, eh? Just four goals The three Smythe teams will each have a shot. The Flames and Canucks total in a 3-1 Blues win, one that turned into a goaltending battle between are good teams, and the Jets have been all sorts of fun with this record- Curtis Joseph and Kirk McLean. Here’s hoping they offered a partial breaking Teemu kid. But the reality is that the top Norris teams are just refund to any fans who paid to see that dud. Luckily, these sorts of too good, so whoever comes out of the Smythe will just get rolled by the defensive struggles remain rare; there’s only been one other game all Wings or Hawks. week that featured fewer than five goals, compared to an even dozen What about the Leafs? They’re at least intriguing, as Pat Burns has them that featured eight or more. looking like a contender. But I’m on the fence about last month’s big Offense isn’t quite back up to 1980s levels, but it’s rebounded nicely after trade with the Sabres. Sure, Dave Andreychuk can score, but do you a two-year dip that saw league scoring drop all the way down to seven really want to go into the playoffs with an unproven rookie in goal? goals-per-game. With a league full of in-their-prime legends and young Veteran experience matters, especially in net. The Sabres understood up-and-coming stars, good luck to any defensive-minded coaches out that, which is why they made the deal for a proven winner like Grant Fuhr there looking to stem the coming tide of fan-friendly offense; they’ll no rather than hang their hopes on some Czech weirdo who can barely stay doubt have a devil of a time. upright and probably won’t even be in the league next year. The Leafs are gambling on Felix Potvin. We’ll see if it pays off. 5. Washington Capitals (36-28-7, +24 true goals differential*) – They’ve cooled off since last month’s impressive seven-game win streak, but they (Oh, and speaking of the Leafs, I know Oiler fans are still complaining remain well-positioned for home ice in the playoffs. Their path out of the about that recent loss in Toronto where they gave up three powerplay division goes through Pittsburgh, which is a concern, but they’re pretty goals and had to kill four different high-sticking penalties. Guys, get over much the only Patrick team that has any chance of beating the Penguins. it. It’s been three days now. High-sticking calls are tricky, and you don’t And besides, they’ve lost to the Pens in each of Pittsburgh’s two Cup- want to be the fan base that can’t stop crying about them.) winning years. If I know the law of averages, there’s no way that keeps The Adams Division at least offers a little hope, since the Nordiques look happening. like they could be on the verge of something. Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin are both breaking out, and there’s solid depth up and down the lineup thanks to the Eric Lindros trade. Ron Hextall has been OK in goal, although you wonder if they’ll look for an upgrade there someday. Bottom Yes, they’ve got star power, especially now that Wayne Gretzky has line, I really think this team has a Cup or two in them, but I’m not sure if returned to action after missing half a season. He had eight points over this is their year or whether they’ll need to make a big move first. that four-game streak, running his season total to an even 50 points in 33 games. That’s great, but the Kings are just 14-17-2 over that stretch, so And that leaves us with the team that the standings say is Canada’s best: it’s not like Gretzky’s offense is translating to wins. And that’s just in the the Montreal Canadiens. Yeah, sorry Habs fans, I’m just not seeing it. regular season – what’s going to happen when they get to the They were great early in the year, winning eight straight in November. postseason and everything tightens up? Here’s hoping Kings fans enjoy But they’ve been pretty pedestrian ever since, and last night they got all those regular-season points when Gretzky’s disappearing in a Game 7 pumped 8-3 by the Sabres. Patrick Roy looked awful in that one, and in May. that’s been par for the course in what’s shaping up to be one of the worst years of his career. The Canadiens’ playoff hopes will go as far as Roy That’s if the Kings get that far, which they almost certainly won’t. This is a will take them, and right now I don’t see that being far. Will Montreal’s top-heavy team that scores a ton but can’t keep the puck out of their own Cup chances flatline almost immediately? Let’s just say I think their fans net. They’re too old, too inconsistent, take too many penalties and have should get used to hearing the phrase “sudden death.” an overwhelmed rookie coach who looks like he’d be better suited in some broadcast booth than behind a bench. So no, a Canadian team probably isn’t winning the Cup this year. But don’t worry, Canada – we’ll just get one next year, or the year after. Our They’ll make the playoffs in an unusually weak Smythe, and maybe even country has owned the Stanley Cup for seven of the last nine years, it’s win a round, but that’s about it. For a team that was built to make a run at OK if we let the United States keep it warm for another season or two. the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, that’s not enough. And for a team that’s not guaranteed to even make the playoffs next year or beyond, it calls The bottom five into question just when – or if – this deep run will finally happen.

The five teams that are battling for the right to use the top pick on can’t (Also, am I crazy or has Marty McSorley started using a more miss phenom Alexandre Daigle. pronounced curve on his stick? It seems like too much. You know what, Hey, what do you all think of this Gary Bettman guy so far? The new don’t worry about it, it’s probably not important.) commissioner has been officially on the job for almost two months after The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 being hired in December, and I’d say it’s been so far, so good. He’s saying all the right things, and while we’ll need a new CBA soon, he seems like the kind of guy who can get that deal done without any major disruptions. Yeah, it’s a little weird to have an American from the NBA in charge, but maybe Bettman is exactly the sort of fresh set of eyes we need to lead this league into the next century. Call me an optimist, but I think the hockey world is going to warm to this guy. Pretty soon, I’m betting fans will be giving him a loud reaction every time they see him.

5. Edmonton Oilers (25-42-8, -88) – While they won’t be mathematically eliminated until later this week, the Oilers are going to miss the playoffs for the first time in the franchise’s NHL history. That’s pretty stunning, especially after watching them go to at least the conference finals in eight of the last ten seasons. I mean, just look at the sentence: “The Oilers miss the playoffs.” It just looks weird, right? That’s going to take some getting used to.

4. Hartford Whalers (21-45-5, -77) – They’re going to miss the playoffs by a mile, but may not even get to draft in the top five thanks to the incoming Ducks and Panthers. You wonder if rookie GM Brian Burke might try to swing a deal to move up; he’s not much of a talker, so we don’t know what his plans are. But if he does try, here’s some free advice: You might as well aim high and try to move all the way up to the top pick to grab a sure thing in Daigle, because in this draft, nobody is going to remember No. 2.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning (21-47-5, -62) – As has been the case all season long, our bottom three teams are all recent expansion franchises. That’s unavoidable, of course, because an expansion team can’t be good right away. They’ve lost seven straight heading into tonight’s matchup in New Jersey, but at least they’ve been competitive, giving the Hawks a tough one-goal game and also playing teams like the Leafs, Habs and Jets pretty tough. That’s progress, I guess, but this is still the NHL: You don’t get pity points for losing by just a little bit.

2. Ottawa Senators (9-59-4, -167) – They’re very bad, they’re losing money, they need a new arena and they’re plagued by questionable leadership, internal dysfunction and a distinct lack of fan confidence. The good news is that these are all short-term problems.

1. San Jose Sharks (10-61-2, -170) – This certainly seems like it will be the end of the road for veteran captain Doug Wilson. You hate to see it end this way, but at least he’s probably happy to know that his days of leading the Sharks to embarrassing last-place finishes are finally done for good.

Not ranked: Los Angeles Kings – Yes, they’ve finally put together a winning streak, racking up four straight victories to claw their way back over the .500 mark after that brutal midseason stretch that saw them win just five times in 28 games. You’ll forgive me if I’m not especially impressed with that streak, one that came against a batch of mediocre teams including the Blues, Sabres and Islanders, all teams that won’t scare anyone in the playoffs. You can only play who the schedule gives you, but the Kings still look like a flawed team. 1181545 Websites Winner: Sean Couturier, Flyers 1. Sean Couturier, Flyers

48.78 percent The Athletic / The Athletic’s NHL awards for the 2019-20 season 2. Anthony Cirelli, Lightning

29.27 percent By The Athletic NHL Staff Mar 23, 2020 3. Patrice Bergeron, Bruins

12.2 percent One of the many things in question about the rest of the NHL season is what will be done with the major awards traditionally handed out in June. Sean Couturier’s case for the Selke did not rest on reputation. He had another fantastic two-way season by the numbers to give him the edge While we can’t answer when or if the hardware will be handed out, we over Anthony Cirelli and Patrice Bergeron, who has won the award four can answer who would likely win the awards if our sizeable roster of NHL times since 2012. More from Charlie O'Connor beat writers and columnists – mostly members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, which votes for a number of the awards – Why the Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli should win the Selke had its say. Patrice Bergeron’s defensive excellence was more amplified in previous Our panel was made up of 41 writers: 17 cover Eastern Conference seasons teams, 19 cover Western Conference teams and five national writers. Vezina Trophy And if you’d like to look back at what we predicted in October before the season began, check it out here. Given to the goalkeeper selected to be the best at the position.

Luszczyszyn: The Awards race by the numbers Winner: Connor Hellebuyck, Jets

Hart Trophy 1. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets

Given to the player selected to be the most valuable to his team. 92.68 percent

Winner: Leon Draisaitl, Oilers T-2. Tuukka Rask, Bruins

1. Leon Draisaitl, Oilers 2.44 percent

39.02 percent T-2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning

2. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche 2.44 percent

31.71 percent T-2. Ben Bishop, Stars

3. Artemi Panarin, Rangers 2.44 percent

17.07 percent No one dominated the voting more than Connor Hellebuyck, who also received two votes from our panel for the Hart Trophy. The Jets were The league leader in points with 110 through 71 games, Leon Draisaitl fighting for a playoff spot behind Hellebuyck, who led the league in shots can sometimes go unheralded playing in the same lineup as Connor against and saves in 58 games (also tied for the league lead). More from McDavid. But with McDavid temporarily out with what the Oilers called a Murat Ates. quad injury, Draisaitl had a chance to get more recognition league-wide. And our voters took notice. More from Daniel Nugent-Bowman The perfectionist: How the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck took an unconventional path to NHL stardom The people who know him best tell the story of how Leon Draisaitl took the NHL by storm Tuukka Rask’s best season since 2013-14

Keep it 100? Yeah, Nathan MacKinnon does that and then some Calder Trophy

The case for Artemi Panarin Given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL. Norris Trophy Winner: Cale Makar, Avalanche Given to the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position. 1. Cale Makar, Avalanche

Winner: Roman Josi, Predators 53.66 percent

1. Roman Josi, Predators 2. Quinn Hughes, Canucks

63.41 percent 43.9 percent

2. John Carlson, Capitals 3. MacKenzie Blackwood, Devils

24.39 percent 2.44 percent

3. Victor Hedman, Lightning An argument could be made that picking between Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes is harder should the league not resume play. On one hand, 7.32 percent Makar found a way to become the second-best player behind Nathan MacKinnon on a team that could have or still can make a case for Nashville captain Roman Josi was the decisive winner over Washington winning the Stanley Cup. Then again? Hughes had the same defenseman John Carlson, who spent most of the regular season as the responsibilities for a Canucks team that was a point away from being favorite. Was that the right choice? Adam Vingan and Tarik El-Bashir able to outright claim a wild-card spot when the season halted. Thomas debate the winner. Drance and Ryan S. Clark debate the winner. How the Capitals’ John Carlson became the best defenseman in the NHL How Mackenzie Blackwood became a bright light in a season of Devils Selke Trophy darkness

Given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the Jack Adams Award game. Given to the coach selected to have contributed the most to his team's success.

Winner: Alain Vigneault, Flyers

1. Alain Vigneault

Flyers

31.71 percent

2. John Tortorella

Blue Jackets

24.39 percent

3. Mike Sullivan

Penguins

17.07 percent

When the NHL paused its season, the Flyers were inarguably the hottest team in hockey. With nine wins in their last 10 games, the Flyers had stormed up the Metropolitan Division standings and were embarking on an unlikely late-season charge for divisional supremacy. A big reason for that? Coach Alain Vigneault. More from Charlie O'Connor.

Behind the scenes with the Flyers’ stacked coaching staff

John Tortorella, his volatile, confrontational style

General Manager of the Year

Presented to recognize the work of the league's GMs.

Winner: Joe Sakic, Avalanche

1. Joe Sakic

Avalanche

39.02 percent

2. Don Sweeney

Bruins

12.2 percent

T-3. Julien BriseBois

Lightning

9.76 percent

T-3. Jeff Gorton

Rangers

9.76 percent

Two Stanley Cups, a Hart Memorial Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Lester B. Pearson Award, an Olympic gold medal and a street named after him. Joe Sakic could add GM of the Year to his list of accolades as he navigated making moves to help his team both now and in the future with Stanley Cup hopes on the line.

LeBrun: Q&A with Avs GM Joe Sakic

LeBrun: Q&A with Julien BriseBois

The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181546 Websites AV: Those are legitimate points, though Josi is third among all skaters in average ice time, having played at least 25 minutes in 41 of his 69 games this season. (Carlson has done so 31 times in the same number of games.) The Athletic / Roman Josi vs. John Carlson: Who deserves the Norris Trophy? Let’s discuss This is going to sound more like an argument for the Hart Trophy than the Norris Trophy, but the Predators would not have been in a playoff spot when the league paused the season if not for Josi.

By Adam Vingan and Tarik El Bashir Mar 23, 2020 This has been — or was — a terribly frustrating season for the Predators, who spent more than three months outside the playoff picture and fired

coach Peter Laviolette in January. On Monday, we at The Athletic released the results of our NHL awards Most of the team’s top players have underperformed, but Josi, who will poll. In the vote for the Norris Trophy, Nashville Predators captain Roman be the third-highest paid defenseman in the league next season, has Josi was the decisive winner over Washington Capitals defenseman been great on both ends of the ice. (It is also worth noting that he John Carlson, who spent most of the regular season as the favorite. maintained that consistency as partner Ryan Ellis, one of the most Was that the right choice? Predators reporter Adam Vingan and Capitals valuable skaters in the league based on Evolving Hockey’s wins above reporter Tarik El-Bashir decided to have a conversation. replacement model, recovered from a concussion that sidelined him for seven weeks.) Adam Vingan: On Feb. 5, I published a story titled, “Is John Carlson the clear favorite over Roman Josi for the Norris Trophy? Not so fast.” Tarik, Josi does not have as many points as Carlson, but he arguably is the I am delighted that most of our colleagues agreed with me. league’s most impactful defenseman in terms of driving play. Only one player — Thomas Chabot — has had the puck on his stick more on a My argument was that when you look below the surface, Josi is a more per-game basis this season than Josi, according to The Point, and few complete defenseman than Carlson. I understand the temptation to skaters come close to matching his ability to transport the puck from the anoint Carlson as the best defenseman in the league because of his defensive zone to the offensive zone. point total, but that does not tell the entire story. I can only imagine how much worse the Predators would have been this Tarik El-Bashir: Is Josi a more complete defenseman? That’s debatable. season without Josi’s contributions. To me, that should give him the edge What you cannot debate is this: From a points perspective, Carlson is in Norris Trophy voting. having one of the most dominant seasons that a defenseman has had in a long time. He’s got 75 points, 10 more than Josi, and his 60 assists are TEB: As you’ve laid out, Josi has been the Predators’ best player in a fourth in the league, ranking behind dynamic forwards Leon Draisaitl, season fraught with challenges. But we cannot dismiss the impact that Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin. Also, it’s not like Carlson is just Carlson has made on a Capitals team that sits atop the toughest division feasting on the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin-led power play. In fact, Carlson is in the league. 11th in power-play points. Carlson inherited Brooks Orpik’s alternate captain role and the Look, Josi is having a nice season, but Carlson, who was on pace for 89 responsibilities that go along with it. He plays heavy minutes in all points when the season was suspended, is having a historic one. The situations and rarely misses a game. He has eight more points than last defensemen to have at least 89 points in a season were Ray Ovechkin, who is the franchise leader in that category, and 18 more Bourque and Sergei Zubov in 1993-94. assists than Nicklas Backstrom, who is the franchise leader in that department. John Carlson was on pace for 89 points when the season was suspended. (Geoff Burke / USA Today) On top of that, Carlson was on the verge of a historic offensive season, one that could have put him in the company of legends such as Bourque, AV: In regards to my assertion that Josi is a better all-around Paul Coffey, Brian Leetch and Al MacInnis. Unfortunately, we’ll never defenseman than Carlson, our colleague Dom Luszczyszyn explained it know if the regular season doesn’t continue. But after finishing a career- well as part of his recent analysis on the NHL awards: best fourth in Norris voting last year, this should be Carlson’s year to take home the hardware. The big difference, though, remains on defense, where Josi has had a very strong positive impact, while Carlson has not only been negative but The Athletic LOADED: 03.24.2020 among the league’s worst. What good are all those points if he gives them right back? Carlson’s season has been strong, and he still lands in the top 10 among top-pairing defensemen, but he’s a long way from the value that Josi and others have provided due to his one-dimensional play this season.

You watch Carlson on a nightly basis, so how would you evaluate his defensive play this season?

TEB: Here’s how I see it from my seat in the press box: Carlson, like his team, was very good before Christmas. He was a goal-scoring machine and very reliable defensively. Since the bye week, however, there’s been some slippage in his game, and it has mirrored his team’s downturn.

One bad game turned into two or three, and Carlson’s confidence took a bit of a hit. He began second-guessing his decisions and sagging back instead of gapping up. He got beat a couple of more times, and it snowballed from there.

That’s not to say that Carlson has been a complete liability as of late, either. He isn’t getting toe-dragged by fourth-liners or tossing the puck around like it’s a grenade. He’s just not executing at the same level or playing with the same swagger that he did from October to December. In his last interview before the stoppage, Carlson acknowledged as much, telling me, “I’m trying to find the perfect level of aggression and defensiveness. It’s something I’m battling right now. ”

I realize the advanced statistics don’t paint a rosy picture, but they’ve got their limitations, too. Let me counter with this: Carlson is the ice-time leader by more than two minutes on the best team in the Metropolitan Division. Let’s not forget that. 1181547 Websites Surrendering 2019’s first-round pick as part of the Jake Muzzin trade has increasingly felt like less of a sacrifice.

For one, Muzzin re-signed for four more years a month ago, alleviating Sportsnet.ca / Nine biggest off-season questions facing the Maple Leafs fears that the blueliner would be just a year-and-a-half rental.

Secondly, Dubas appears to have knocked 2019’s second-round draft pick out of the park. Nick Robertson (53rd overall) led the OHL with 55 Luke Fox March 23, 2020, 1:18 PM goals this season at age 18.

A steeper challenge will be hitting on a similar pick in the top-heavy 2020 draft. Dubas, you’ll recall, dealt away his 2020 first-rounder to the Kyle Dubas does not shirk responsibility. Carolina Hurricanes last summer in order to clear Patrick Marleau off the “The buck does stop with me, and if our team doesn’t reach its potential, books. He also forfeited his 2020 third-round pick to the Colorado it is on me,” the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager reminded last Avalanche as part of the Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot week, as he answered questions from fans via the Toronto Star’s Kevin acquisitions. McGran. As a result, the pressure to turn 2020’s second-rounder into a real player “Whatever the economic landscape is, we will have to adapt and find a (or find a way back into Round 1 via trade) has intensified. way to put the best team possible on the ice as we continue to grow Where will the Leafs’ leadership and experience injection come from? toward our goal of being a perennial contender for the Stanley Cup,” he continued. During the last week we had hockey, Sheldon Keefe confessed his dressing room was thin on strong vocal leaders. “We have a long ways to go, but how we overcome the obstacles along the way will likely be the biggest determinant of whether we get there.” “At times, it has to be the coach, and the coach is the guy that’s got to kind of bring the energy and get the team going,” Keefe said. “Sometimes As the 2020 off-season feels more and more like the present, let’s dive the coach has to do a little bit too much, (and I’d) like the players to do into those obstacles towering before Dubas and his Leafs before the their thing. At times, that stands out to me as a problem for our team, puck drops on 2020-21. Here are nine compelling questions that will something we’d like to do a better job of.” need answers. We’d anticipate an element of that maturity and ownership to evolve How do they improve the blue line? organically, as a young, letter-wearing core ages. To the haters, Dubas will point out a positive defensive trend. When But we’re also a firm believer that surrounding the young stars with a few Sheldon Keefe stepped behind the bench, the Leafs ranked 25th in goals of the right thirtysomethings is essential. (Hey, there’s a reason Dubas against per game (3.44). Under Keefe, they’ve chopped that figure to kicked tires on Justin Williams midway through the season.) 3.04, but the GM hopes to whittle that down to 2.5. Kyle Clifford and Jason Spezza have been fine fits on the bottom six. Dubas believes part of achieving that is the team’s mindset. Can those impending UFAs be retained at a reasonable rate? Spezza, “We have shown at times that we can really give an excellent defensive who turns 37 in June, is on record saying he wants to keep playing. effort against some of the best offensive teams in hockey and then other On paper, the Leafs’ already inexperienced back end is scheduled to get nights leave our entire organization and fans feeling frustrated,” he wrote even younger, with veterans Cody Ceci and Barrie both heading to the last week. open market. This would leave Muzzin and Morgan Rielly as the only Part of that is personnel. In addition to ranking bottom-six in goals Leafs defencemen with at least 250 NHL games under their belt. Who allowed, the Leafs rank bottom-10 in shots allowed (30.5 per night). They else can fill that void of wisdom? are crying out for a reliable defender on the right side and a greater What kind of agreement can be reached with the RFAs? portion of their salary allotment to the back end. While Toronto’s upcoming wave of RFA negotiations feels like a ripple to Landing a dependable, right-shot defenceman in free agency is a long the Nylander-Matthews-Marner-Johnsson-Kapanen tsunami that shot. So, if Dubas can’t find a way to sign Alex Pietrangelo, Chris Tanev, preceded it, some compelling decisions await nonetheless. Travis Hamonic, Justin Schultz, or Radkos Gudas, he’ll be exploring trades for righties with term. We feel confident that head-turning rookie Ilya Mikheyev ($925,000 cap hit) and defenceman Travis Dermott ($863,333) will be retained. Due to Candidates such as Matt Dumba, Rasmus Ristolainen, Colin Miller and injury plagued seasons, neither should command overwhelming raises, Josh Manson fit that bill. and the smart path for both sides would be short-term extensions that How can Toronto get its penalty kill trending in the right direction? give the players a shot to excel and management time to better evaluate their ceiling. Die-hard Maple Leafs fans (as if there are another type) will recall Dubas standing at the podium when 2019’s season concluded in misery and More compelling will be the fates Denis Malgin, who’s been just OK in his assuming the blame for the club’s porous PK. The GM said he’d set out eight Leafs games, and fourth-line centre Frederik Gauthier, who enjoyed to cut down on the goals against with a man down. more lineup security under former coach Mike Babcock than Keefe.

The defensive assistant coach was changed (exit D.J. Smith, enter Dave The lovable Goat is wrapping a bridge deal over which he’s shown Hakstol), the personnel was tweaked and the kill only got worse. steady improvement and is eligible for arbitration. He needs a $700,000 qualifying offer, and considering the organization’s lack of centre options, Toronto’s special teams are a microcosm of the team as a whole. The he’d be easy to keep in the fold — but a reasonable area to look at Leafs’ expensive, star-studded power play ranked sixth-overall (23.1 per upgrading. cent) in 2019-20, as it should. Without the need to rely on LTIR, how can Toronto fit everyone under the But for the third consecutive season, Toronto’s penalty killing got worse, salary cap? settling in at disappointing 21st overall (77.7 per cent). The 2019-20 Maple Leafs took full advantage of the salary relief provided It’s a problem. And one that rings back to the roster’s need for more by a crowded long-term injured reserve. experienced, determined stay-at-home defenders and a reliable face-off man on the PK unit. In 2020-21, the contracts of Nathan Horton and David Clarkson will finally come off the books, and Johnsson and Mikheyev should be healed, Consider this glaring discrepancy: This season, Toronto ranked third lessening the need for LTIR. overall in face-off wins (52.5 per cent) but 25th in short-handed face-off wins (43.1 per cent). If you don’t start with the puck, you can’t clear the Subtract that payroll cushion and factor in a potentially flattened salary puck. cap (a subject we explored here), and Dubas may be pushed to trade from his forward group and will lean heavily on entry-level talent and free Can Dubas sit out Round 1 of the draft and still find gold? agents willing to skate for close to the league minimum. Who gets traded?

As was the case in the 2019 off-season, the only way we can see Toronto continuing to cut cheques for the Big 4 — Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, William Nylander — is by taking a bite out of the middle class.

It’s not personal. It’s math.

How does that impact the future of Kasperi Kapanen and/or Andreas Johnsson and/or Kerfoot, none of whom have trade protection?

And which of those middle-six calibre forwards can yield the best return?

Which prospects get their shot to stick?

The 2020 call-ups of defencemen Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren indicate the prospects are likely staples of the 2020-21 blue line, ready or not. They will need to train for more minutes and tougher assignments.

Upfront, does the inevitable roster turnover open opportunity for bubble guys like Egor Korshkov and Nic Petan, who are already under contract for less than $1 million each?

And where does the organization go with Marlies Jeremy Bracco, Adam Brooks and Max Veronneau? All three forwards need new contracts. All three are getting anxious for a true big-league shot after two or three years in the minors.

The two big important extension decisions must be delayed, right?

On the horizon await the contract expirations and near-certain pay raises for two integral Maple Leafs.

While Zach Hyman and Frederik Andersen, both headed toward UFA status in 2021, can re-sign as early as July 1, we anticipate player agents and team execs will push such significant negotiations down the road.

Hopefully, there will be more clarity on the salary cap, the Canadian dollar, the impact of the U.S. broadcast deal and Seattle expansion, and the global economy by this time next year.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181548 Websites Burke’s famous series of moves ahead of the draft allowed the Canucks to sweep the Sedin twins second- and third-overall. Henrik and Daniel Sedin became the best players, and two of the most respected figures, in Canucks history. By the time they retired after 17 seasons in Vancouver, Sportsnet.ca / Breaking down the 6 best and worst drafts in Canucks the Swedish brothers had combined for 2,636 games and 2,111 points. history The totals of the other six players Burke drafted that day: 0 and 0. But who cares?

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it Iain MacIntyre | March 23, 2020, 8:36 PM 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game. VANCOUVER — We don’t know if there will be Stanley Cup playoffs this season, but there will be a National Hockey League entry draft. The Worst Drafts Remarkably, given the franchise’s mostly dismal history at the draft table, 2007 this has become a good thing for the Vancouver Canucks. Usually, when you look at a team’s draft list from a certain year and see It’s too early to tell, but 2019, 2018 and 2017 could all turn out to be no NHL games-played, it is because that draft occurred recently and the among the top 10 drafts for the Canucks in their 50-year history in the players selected are still hopeful and churning their way towards the big NHL. Of course, 2016, may also be one of their worst — and Jim league. But unless Patrick White comes out of retirement having spent Benning was the general manager for all of those. the last several years bathing in the holy water at Lourdes, we’re pretty Canucks drafting has been much better since Benning and former sure the Canucks are never getting anything out of this black hole of a president Trevor Linden took charge in 2014 and promoted amateur draft. scout Judd Brackett, who became director of amateur scouting in 2015. Nonis, who homered in his first draft after replacing Burke in 2004, struck For a decade before that, the draft was a wasteland for the Canucks, out completely in 2007 by choosing six players who never saw a minute who between 2005 and 2012 did not produce a single NHL regular in in the NHL. Now, only two of the picks were in the first four rounds. But Vancouver, unless you count the brief, unhappy time on the West Coast White at 25th overall (ahead of David Perron) and defenceman Taylor for Cody Hodgson. In fairness to previous GMs, Mike Gillis, Dave Nonis Ellington at 33rd (ahead of P.K. Subban)? At least Gillis eventually and Brian Burke oversaw some very good Canuck teams that were trying packaged White in a trade for San Jose defenceman Christian Ehrhoff. to win, not rebuild, and the number of draft picks they surrendered in 2010 trades reflected that. While we’re on the subject of Gillis, a couple of his drafts were Three months out from the 2020 draft — we all hope — here are candidates for worst-ever, but we’re going with 2010 for the “totality” of Sportnet’s best and worst draft classes in Canucks history. the former GM’s work at and before that draft. Gillis picked only five The Best Drafts players that day and it wasn’t a complete whiff because undersized centre Alex Friesen, a sixth-rounder, did play one game for the Canucks 2004 in 2015-16 before taking his career to Europe.

The Canucks didn’t get a ton of quantity out of this draft but excellent But Gillis’ first selection wasn’t until the fourth round (defenceman Patrick quality: four players out of seven picks who logged at least 400 NHL McNally’s most notable hockey achievement was getting thrown out of games. First-round pick Cory Schneider was chosen 26th by Nonis and Harvard in an exam cheating scandal) because he’d traded away his first outplayed most of the players taken ahead of him. And at Gillis’ final draft three picks. The worst move was giving up his first-rounder, and prospect in 2013, Schneider was parlayed into Canucks captain Bo Horvat in a Michael Grabner, to get defenceman Keith Ballard from Florida to replace trade with New Jersey, so that pick continues to pay dividends. defenceman Willie Mitchell, who was soon invited to leave Vancouver as a free agent. It turned out OK for Mitchell because he was able to help Third-round pick Alex Edler is still on the Canucks 16 years later and the Los Angeles Kings win two Cups. It wasn’t a strong draft in 2010 and became the franchise’s career scoring leader among defencemen. (Note the incompetent Panthers, who would waive Grabner so he could score to readers: check back with us when Quinn Hughes has played four of 34 goals for the Islanders the next season, selected Quinton Howden at five more seasons). And Jannik Hansen, selected 287th in the ninth 25th — just before the Washington Capitals took a Russian named round, played 626 NHL games and is one of the best bargain picks in Evgeny Kuznetsov. Canucks history. A fourth player, wrecking-ball depth forward Mike Brown, played 407 games for six NHL teams after getting drafted in the 2002 fifth round. Three years after his heist of the Sedins, Burke went to the 2002 draft 1981 without a first-round pick, but nobody was complaining because the GM had repatriated Trevor Linden in a trade with Washington. But the Despite how poor their teams were, the Canucks actually had a solid Canucks still had volume, 11 picks, including two in the second round four-year run at the draft starting in 1978 (Curt Fraser, second round; and two in the third. The first four players they selected: Kirill Koltsov, Stan Smyl, third round) during which the majority of their selections Denis Grot, Brett Skinner and Lukas Mensator. The draft didn’t get any played in the NHL — nearly 10,000 games combined. In 1981, general better for Vancouver after that. manager Jake Milford chose nine players and six of them logged at least 100 games in the league. The pick of the litter of these mutts turned out to be Skinner, who played all 11 of his NHL games for the Islanders in 2008-09, in the middle of a Sure, he chose Garth Butcher in the first round, 10th overall, ahead of Al career that saw the defenceman play for 10 different American League MacInnis (15th), but the combative defenceman played most of his 897 teams. The Canucks’ other 10 draft picks combined for one NHL game: a NHL games for the Canucks and outperformed several players chosen three-minute appearance by goalie Rob McVicar during 2005-06. At least ahead of him. The Canucks picked backup goalie Wendell Young in the it was for the Canucks. fourth round and he played 187 games, winning Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and ’92, and stole Petri Skriko in the eighth Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 round (373 points in 472 games for Vancouver). Ninth-round pick Frank Caprice was the Canucks’ backup for parts of five seasons.

1999

Vancouver has had several awful drafts that were saved by one great player: Horvat in 2013, Ryan Kesler in 2003, Pavel Bure in 1989. But in 1999, the two players chosen by Burke near the top of the draft not only made up for the stiffs taken later, but turned that draft into one of the franchise’s greatest days. 1181549 Websites As first-line staples, both absorb the lion’s share of criticism when the team is losing, as it did far too often this year. They’ve come to understand that as their reality in Calgary.

Sportsnet.ca / Four biggest off-season questions facing the Flames Gaudreau had been playing his best hockey of the season over the last month, and Monahan still managed to score 22 goals, eclipsing the 20- goal mark for the seventh time in his seven-year career.

Eric Francis | March 23, 2020, 1:36 PM Both were far from posting the numbers they had a year earlier, but were likely good enough to warrant a longer stay, allowing Treliving to avoid

the horrors of swapping out the faces of the franchise. CALGARY – There are some holes to fill on the blue line, one hotshot Then again, if the right deal came along… youngster to re-sign up front and a backup goaltending situation that needs to be addressed. Do they re-sign Cam Talbot?

If the NHL season is indeed over, what are the biggest questions facing Following a horrific pair of campaigns that had many questioning his NHL the Calgary Flames? future, Cam Talbot’s career is certainly back on track.

Is this a summer to spur significant change for the team, or is the signing The 32-year-old’s progression got to the point where he deserved to take of a defenceman or two the extent of general manager Brad Treliving’s over as the Flames starter the second half of the season. While David heavy lifting? Rittich’s third-straight second-half stumble had plenty to do with that, Talbot did exactly what Treliving hoped he would when the GM took a Signing Andrew Mangiapane won’t be a significant hurdle, as the 23- chance by signing him last summer for $2.75 million — the exact sum year-old winger is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent on the verge Rittich makes. of cracking the $2 million barrier on a one-year deal after scoring 17 goals on the team’s second line. Popular with teammates and fans, Talbot sure seems to have found the perfect landing spot in Calgary. The Flames could also opt to try signing the sixth-round revelation to a longer deal, which would make for interesting debate around town. Rittich has one year left on his deal. If he falters again next season, then Talbot — if he re-signs in Calgary — could be in prime position to solidify Either way, it’s the kind of business that should take care of itself. a starting gig. As should the decision to take the interim tag off of Geoff Ward due to However, Talbot’s stock is on the rise, which could make him an the solid job he did in relief of Bill Peters. attractive option for a team looking for someone to hold the fort while a Here’s a quick look at the four biggest questions facing the Flames if, in young hotshot gets more seasoning in the minors or as a backup. fact, we’ve seen our last game: Talbot would certainly cherish the chance to play somewhere that offers Who will play defence? more playing time than he received in Calgary, where he made just 26 appearances this season, posting a .919 save percentage and 2.63 goals Five of the Flames’ nine rostered defencemen are pending unrestricted against average. free agents this summer, including mainstays Travis Hamonic and TJ Brodie, as well as Michael Stone and deadline deal acquisitions Erik Do they get compensation from the Oilers? Gustafsson and Derek Forbort. The oh-so-intriguing James Neal-for-Milan Lucic swap last summer The team will undoubtedly be looking to re-sign one or two of them, included a provision that the Flames would also get a 2020 third-round depending on cost. pick from the Oilers if:

You can bet the chief goal is to keep Hamonic in the fold, but it wouldn’t Neal scores at least 21 goals in 2019-20 and Lucic scores at least ten be surprising if Brodie is the one who stays long term. fewer goals than Neal.

On the left side, the team still has Mark Giordano, Noah Hanifin and After a torrid start to the season, Neal came back down to earth and then Juuso Valimaki under contract. Lefty Oliver Kylington is a restricted free suffered an injury that has him stalled out at 19 goals. Lucic has eight. agent who will also be re-upped. The Flames have 12 games remaining and the Oilers have 11. Rasmus Andersson is the only righty signed for next year, making it clear Although Neal clearly didn’t reach the 21 needed to kickstart possible the Flames will push hard to ensure Hamonic or Brodie return. compensation, an incomplete season will have the Flames urging is a Calgary resident who could once again be added for the league to rule on this. league minimum as a solid insurance policy on the right side. If the league simply pro-rated their stats over the full season, the Flames The signings of highly-touted U.S. collegians Connor Mackey and Colton would get the pick. Poolman on Friday give the team significant depth, as at least one of These are uncharted waters, however, which means both teams will them is expected to push for a regular roster spot as early as next likely have strong opinions on how – or if – the league should intervene. season. There’s a chance the league won’t intervene at all, meaning the Flames’ Is this the summer to shake up the core? string of bad luck surrounding everything James Neal continues. When we say core, we mean Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Trade conditions like these have been brought up with the league, which This was supposed to be the season in which the duo would have a has informed clubs they will have answers in due time. chance to atone for last spring’s disappearance and prove they can step Arbitration hearings have long included a focus on stats based on a per- up their game when it matters most. game basis, adjusting for games lost to injury. If so, the Flames would Had they failed to get the team into the playoffs, or lost again in the first land that pick. round, it might have been clear management would need to trade one or At the rate each player scored at this season, Lucic would have scored both. nine goals over an 82 game season and Neal, who only played 55 Assuming we won’t get to see how they’ll finish this season, it’s now games, was on a pace to score 28. likely they’ll get another shot at it here next year on a roster which has The change of scenery served both players and their new teams well, but nine of the team’s 12 forwards inked next season. the Flames still hope to gain even more. Gaudreau has two more seasons left on his six-year contract at $6.75 Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 AAV, which includes a $3.5 million signing bonus this summer.

Monahan is here an additional season after that. 1181550 Websites cancelled, his next stop will be Bakersfield of the American Hockey League.

“Guys are a lot bigger,” said Lavoie. “It’s a lot more physical, and a lot Sportsnet.ca / Oilers' Lavoie working to prove he can adapt, thrive among more tough than junior. Those are big parts of the adjustments I will have pro ranks to make.”

The book on Lavoie is that he needs to work on his skating, a line in the scouting reports that gets over-used in today’s game, where everyone Mark Spector | March 23, 2020, 7:20 PM skates so fast at the NHL level. As such, Lavoie has been working with Oilers skating coach David Pelletier, the former three-time Canadian

champion and Olympic gold-medal figure skater. EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers have run the gamut of “Leg strength, core strength, power,” began Howson. “He’s a good skater experiences with their draft picks at the World Junior tournament. in junior — there’s nothing wrong with his stride. It’s just power and From Darnell Nurse, a top D-man in Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who strength. He’s got to get a little more powerful off the mark. He’s got to was called upon to become a shutdown defenceman in 2015 and walked separate from people, because when you’re a pro it’s all about getting away with one assist and a gold medal. To Jesse Puljujarvi, whom they the time and space for you to make plays or get a shot off. His separation drafted a few months after he was named tournament MVP with 17 isn’t what it’s going to need to be once he gets to the NHL.” points in seven games. What does Pelletier stress when he gets on the ice with Lavoie? They’ve won some and they’ve (so far) lost some. “Edges, cross-overs, strides, starts… There is room for improvement So when second-round pick Raphael Lavoie found himself as a depth pretty much everywhere,” smiles Lavoie. “I skate well for junior. I can go forward last December in the Czech Republic, Oilers director of player around guys, I can outskate guys. But I want to be able to bring my development Scott Howson just sat back like a good scout does, and skating to a pro level. Everything needs to get better, because next year I observed. won’t be playing against guys who are 16-19 years old. I’ll be playing against guys who are 20 and older. “Raphael got to the World Juniors, and he had a different role. But he seemed to embrace the role, and earned the coach’s trust,” said “Everything just needs to be better.” Howson, who is scheduled to leave the Oilers and begin his new job as Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 commissioner of the American Hockey League this spring. “He could have been one of those guys who kind of gets lost in the shuffle, and doesn’t play very much, but he played right down to the end. I know he didn’t score or produce as much as maybe he wanted to (just two assists in seven games), but we were happy with what we saw.”

We’ve heard the tale at every level when it comes to Canada’s national teams. Literally every invited player is the star on his club team. They’re all first-liners, top pairing defencemen and No. 1 goalies — but when they pull on that red maple leaf, they’re just members of Team Canada.

“My end goal was to win, so I didn’t mind taking on a defensive role if, in the end, it could mean we would have a gold medal,” said Lavoie from his home in Chambly, Que. “I think I did the right choice. I wasn’t the only one to have a more defensive role. Everyone put their ego aside, and I think that’s why we won the tournament.”

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.

Lavoie is a big centre/right-winger with a wicked shot, who fancies himself in the Ryan Getzlaf mould. “I haven’t scored a goal in the NHL yet,” he laughs when compared, but he’d like to pattern his game after the big Anaheim centre. In the Czech Republic however, he found himself on the fourth line with Connor McMichael (Washington) and Akil Thomas (Los Angeles), tasked with playing a defensive game and chipping in where they could — which Thomas did tremendously when he potted the game-winner in the gold-medal game.

“He’s going to have to learn how to do all those things on a consistent basis in order to pay in the NHL,” Howson said of Lavoie, who at age 19 is six-foot-four and 198 pounds. He signed his entry-level deal with the Oilers over the weekend — a three-year deal with an average annual value of $925,000 — after being a second-round pick (38th overall) in the 2019 draft.

“He’s going to have to check hard, be reliable,” Howson continued. “He’s got a great shot. He’s a one-shot scorer who only needs one chance. His pace of play isn’t always terrific, as it is with a lot of the top players in junior because they play so much that they rest on the ice a lot of the time. And there was no resting on the ice at the World Juniors.

“I think it did educate us. Now we know he can do those things when he turns pro.”

“It shows a different aspect on how I can play hockey,” added Lavoie. “That’s good for me.”

Lavoie was dealt from Halifax to Chicoutimi as the Sagueneens anticipated a Memorial Cup run this spring, but with Monday’s news that the rest of the Canadian Hockey League season has been officially 1181551 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Olympics postponement extends window to stage Stanley Cup Playoffs

Chris Johnston | March 23, 2020, 8:43 PM

The impending postponement of the Tokyo Olympics will extend the potential window for the Stanley Cup Playoffs to be held this summer, the NHL told its teams on Monday.

That news came as part of a question-and-answer sheet circulated along with a league memo, according to a source.

The NHL also conducted a teleconference with its Board of Governors for the first time since putting its season on pause March 12. Monday afternoon’s session with governors included updates on the COVID-19 outbreak, financial projections on how the league could be affected by the pandemic and a discussion about some of the contingency options under consideration for a potential resumption of play.

That now includes the possibility of extending the playoffs beyond July 24, when the Olympics in Tokyo were originally set to get underway. It only seems like a matter of time before those Games are officially put off until 2021, with the Canadian Olympic Committee already having withdrawn its athletes and IOC member Dick Pound telling The Canadian Press on Monday: “You’re looking at a postponement. I think that’s out there now.”

For the NHL, it extends the window to meet its stated goal of crowning a champion this season. The league shares a U.S. broadcast partner with the Olympics in NBC and had previously believed the playoffs had to be wrapped up before the cauldron was lit during the Opening Ceremonies.

That extra time could be valuable with the coronavirus still spreading rapidly in North America — although at this stage there’s only so much the league can even tell team owners about where things are headed.

It remains a huge unknown for both the wider population and the sports leagues that operate within them.

While it’s believed the NHL has already engaged in a fair amount of dialogue on contingency plans — what does the playoff format look like if games can resume May 15? Or June 1? Or June 8? How is the start of next season impacted if the Stanley Cup isn’t awarded until Aug. 15 or Aug. 30? — the league is essentially in a holding pattern when it comes to making actual decisions.

Those will ultimately depend heavily on recommendations from the governments and leading authorities like the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a question-and-answer document published by the NHL’s public relations department on Monday afternoon, the league indicated that it isn’t sure if any part of the regular season might still be played or what a reimagined playoff format will look like.

“The form and format of resumption of play scenarios will depend entirely on what transpires between now and when we are permitted and able to resume — and, ultimately, on timing and taking into account logistical constraints,” said the NHL’s release. “We are going to have to be flexible and react to events as they unfold as well as the best medical advice available.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181552 Websites Renaghan is taking part in a webinar initiative called “Coaches versus COVID-19,” which will see pro trainers like himself instructing anyone interested on techniques to stay in top shape or start to try and get there. The series, hosted by a handful of groups and people, runs April 3 and 4 Sportsnet.ca / NHL strength coaches give tips on staying fit in self- and while there’s no sign-up fee, donations are being accepted to help isolation those in the service industry who’ve lost their money-making means. Even on an everyday basis, our ability to connect online has the power to

create some positive energy as both athletes and Average Jane’s and Ryan Dixon | March 23, 2020, 3:22 PM Joe’s alike take to social media with their domestic routines.

“There’s a ton of people putting home workouts on Instagram and Twitter,” says Renaghan, who also stressed the heightened importance Matt Nichol doesn’t really present like a person who has a problem with of watching calories and healthy eating right now. “People can go on self-starting. But Nichol’s toned body belies the fact he, like so many of there and see all the different ideas and I think there are so many us, is still capable of making the wrong decision when it comes to resources to just say like, ‘Oh, I didn’t think about doing pushups and working out — especially under the unique circumstances we all find doing 10 sets of 10; I always do three sets of five.’ There’s tons of stuff ourselves in. out there right now that’s going to be useful.”

“I live so much of my life in a very regimented routine,” says the founding It may even provide a little much-needed levity. Nichol certainly chuckled partner and chief formulator of BioSteel Sports Supplements. “Whether while theorizing what might be caught on video when bathroom pullups I’m training athletes at my gym or consulting, I’m usually busy all day or kitchen chair lifts go wrong. long with a bunch of places I have to be at very specific times. So right now — when I can go to bed when I want and I can sleep in as late as I “I mean, I think there’s probably going to be some pretty good gym fail want — I could tell myself, ‘I’ll do my workout later.’ Personally, I know videos that come out of this when people start destroying furniture doing that I’m an inherently lazy procrastinator, so I have to kind of set up that exercises,” he says with a laugh. full schedule for myself.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 People like Nichol and St. Louis Blues strength and conditioning coach Eric Renaghan are usually occupied working with those whose profession demands they be in peak form. Later this week, Sportsnet.ca will publish a piece about how those athletes are staying strong without access to their typical training equipment. In the meantime, both Nichol and Renaghan offered some advice on what those of us who usually cheer for those pros can do to clear a much lower bar. For Nichol, Step 1 is avoiding that “I’ll do it later” mindset and making sure you prioritize some form of exercise early in the day.

“I just make a point of getting to bed on time, getting up on time and doing my exercise right away — that way at least I get it done,” he says.

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.

Our current situation, where COVID-19 has forced so many people to work from home or not at all, could even present a chance to kickstart some good behavior.

“People who are very busy often find it tough to balance that work/life scenario,” says Renaghan. “This is an opportunity to add in the window for self-care. My goal is to get [my entire family] active. The kids are downstairs playing [Nintendo Wii] or doing yoga with my wife, so we’re trying to make it an experience we can all try to engage in.”

Nichol — who used to work as a trainer with the Toronto Maple Leafs — notes that his gym is so small it used to be a storage closet in an arena. He’s used to making the most of his space and stressed that by no means do you need a sprawling setup to get the blood pumping and muscles twitching.

“I believe that if you have [any] space and creativity, you can accomplish anything you want with training,” he says. “It’s been an opportunity for me to try a bunch of different stuff that I hadn’t done before. I’ve done more yoga in the last week than I have in a while and I’m exploring new, different bodyweight exercises. It’s probably going to make me a better coach and a better trainer.”

Among the simple things Renaghan suggests is opening the fridge and grabbing a milk jug for some added squat weight or even picking up one of those squirrely kids you have and holding them while you do some lunges. Beyond that, both Nichol and Renaghan stressed that wellness needs to be a more rounded experience than dropping down and doing 20 pushups. Mental health often goes hand-in-hand with activity and while we’re all required to keep some space these days, do everything you can to get some fresh air.

“I think it’s really important for people to get outside,” says Nichol, while acknowledging the crucial need to social distance. “Whether you choose to do your exercise outside or not — some people are not into jogging or they’re not into outdoor fitness activity — that’s fine. But I think it’s really important for people to get outside. If you live in a condo, go stand on the balcony; if you can get outside that’s hugely important for health.” 1181553 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Remember When? Gretzky talks Goal 802, breaking Howe's record

Emily Sadler | March 23, 2020, 1:06 PM

On this day 26 years ago, hockey history was made.

March 23, 1994 saw Wayne Gretzky pass his idol, Gordie Howe, to claim the record for all-time goals scored when he registered No. 802.

That historic marker came on home ice before a sellout crowd against the Vancouver Canucks, with Howe himself in attendance.

In 2016, Gretzky talked to NHL.com about the milestone moment, sharing some of his favourite memories from that time.

“One of the greatest parts of 802 was I got to spend a lot of time with Gordie and his wife Colleen because Gordie was following me around,” Gretzky said. “A lot of times when you meet your idol, you’re somewhat taken aback or disappointed. For me, when I met Gordie, he was bigger and better than I thought.

“When I had an opportunity to be around his record and break his record, I found it really fascinating to be around him, ask him questions and talk about stories.”

Gretzky also broke down the give-and-go goal, which came at 14:47 of the second period of the game, highlighting the roles that teammates Marty McSorley and Luc Robitaille played:

“Luc made a nice play to Marty and Marty made a really nice play to me to get me the puck and I basically had an empty net to throw it into,” Gretzky said. “If you look at the play, [McSorley] made such a good play that everybody, defense and the goalie [Kirk McLean], were over this way. I don’t think Marty could have drawn it up better.”

McSorely also recounted the goal, over two decades later.

“People always say to me, ‘You were responsible for the record.’ No. I feel zero responsibility because Wayne is going to break the record,” McSorely told NHL.com. “Somebody is going to assist on it and it was a real pleasure that it was me that got that honour.”

It took Gretzky 15 seasons to reach the record, compared to Howe’s 26 campaigns to set the 801-goal mark. Gretzky would, of course, go on to score 92 more times before retiring with 894 goals to his name and 2,857 career points. Both records still stand.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181554 Websites This last group of players have all had great seasons but now that we’re in a pause, they are long shots to challenge for the Norris.

Provorov has been the best defenceman on one of the NHL’s biggest Sportsnet.ca / Norris Trophy Tier List: Carlson, Josi in a league of their surprise teams and is having a big bounceback season after a own disappointing contract year. The Flyers are a Cup contender in part because Provorov has been among the league leaders in ice time (24:50), goals (13) and Corsi For percentage (51.79). Still only 23, Provorov will only get better and the Flyers’ window to win is opening Josh Beneteau | March 23, 2020, 9:52 AM because of it.

Theodore’s season has been extra special when you factor in he spent It’s been a two-horse race for the Norris Trophy all season long but in the the off-season recovering from testicular cancer. Despite that, he hasn’t final weeks before the shutdown, some challengers had emerged. missed a game and has been one of the most productive defencemen in the league. The 24-year-old has set career-highs with 13 goals and 46 While John Carlson is still a favourite to win, this year has seen plenty of points, and has seen his average ice time increase to over 22 minutes a other defencemen put up strong performances, making his lock on the night. On top of that, he leads all defencemen (minimum 1,000 minutes, award not as sure now as it was earlier in the campaign. according to Natural Stat Trick) in plenty of advanced stats, including Corsi For (58.50), Fenwick For (57.86) and on-ice shooting percentage With the season stopped and no return in sight, here is where things (58.36). The Golden Knights have been looking for an elite defenceman stand in the race to be the NHL’s top defenceman. for basically their entire team history and in Theodore they may have The Favourites found it.

John Carlson, Roman Josi Weber has incredibly never won this award but has finished top four in voting five times. After injuries limited him to only 84 games over the past With just over 10 games to go for most teams, Carlson and Josi have two seasons, the 34-year-old bounced back in a big way this year with 15 separated themselves as co-favourites for the Norris. goals, more than 24 minutes of ice time and an overall return to his Carlson grabbed the lead in this race with a historic 23 points in his dominant play from his prime with the Nashville Predators. Even his team’s 15 October games. He hasn’t relinquished the defence scoring recovery from an ankle injury — which only took six games — shows lead since, currently leading all others by 10 with 75 points, and before Weber has found the fountain of youth this season. the shutdown had an outside chance at hitting 90 points, which hasn’t Werenski doesn’t make the same headlines his teammate Seth Jones been done by a blueliner since Ray Bourque in 1993-94. Of course, this does but he’s had a very productive season for the surprising Blue award is about more than just points — Carlson led blueliners in scoring Jackets. Werenski is the only defenceman who’s scored 20 goals this in 2017-18 but finished fifth in Norris voting that year — but his season, but he’s also seen his role on the team grow, with a career-high possession stats show Carlson has positive impacts for the Capitals in all 1:59 on the penalty kill and his overall ice time rise to 23:59 a game. In three zones. He’s also a regular penalty killer for the Capitals and leads the 14 games since Jones had ankle surgery in early February, Werenski the team in ice time by almost two minutes a game. has risen as a leader on his team even more, skating nearly 25 minutes a Josi’s season has evolved like Carlson’s in a lot of ways. On a Nashville game and potting eight points, tied for the team lead. team that struggles on offence Josi excels, leading the team in scoring by Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 17 points. Josi also leads the Predators in expected goals and scoring chances (according to Natural Stat Trick), and is third among all defencemen with 25:47 of ice time per game.

Had A Chance

Victor Hedman, Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Alex Pietrangelo

The Norris gets three finalists and the runner-up to Carlson and Josi will likely come from this group.

Hedman got off to a strong start this season but quieted down in the second half. He’s only posted 18 points since the calendar flipped to 2020 but still averages over 24 minutes of ice time, plays in all situations and is among the league leaders with a plus-27 rating.

Hughes is a favourite to win rookie of the year but could also be considered among the best defencemen. Still only 20, Hughes is one of seven defencemen to crack 50 points so far and is third among blueliners with 45 assists. With quick skating and patient play, Hughes has given the Canucks a star on the blue line to replace the ageing Alex Edler. And he’s just getting started.

Makar and Hughes have been battling for rookie of the year but injuries have seen the Avalanche blueliner fall slightly behind his Vancouver counterpart in that race. But despite missing 13 Avalanche games, Makar is still among the league-leaders in defence scoring with 50 points (in only 57 games), has a plus-12 rating and positive possession numbers. His 0.88 points per game is third behind only Carlson and Josi among defencemen.

Pietrangelo, the captain of the reigning Stanley Cup champions, was in the midst of another impressive season. He crossed the 50-point mark for the fourth-straight season, was on pace to set a new career-high in goals and carries a 53 per cent Corsi rate. The 30-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and can expect a big pay raise from the Blues or elsewhere this off-season.

The Long Shots

Ivan Provorov, Shea Theodore, Shea Weber, Zachary Werenski 1181555 Websites If Gallagher didn’t immediately understand the benefit of spending extra time at the junior level, he certainly did after he made his professional debut with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs and then made an immediate impact in 44 games with the Canadiens during the lockout-abridged Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' Caufield staying in Wisconsin could open spot 2012-13 season. for Ylonen “I remember going back after that season and talking with my dad (his father, Ian, is his personal trainer) about summer training, and we could both see that even in a shortened season — and yeah, I played 36 AHL Eric Engels March 23, 2020, 2:47 PM games before — we could see my body got worn down and deteriorated,” Gallagher said. “You just have to be that much more — and it comes with maturity, and it comes with age — but you have to be I’d have paid more than a penny for Jesse Ylönen’s thoughts on last that much more prepared and aware in order to deal with that reality. week’s announcement from the Montreal Canadiens that star prospect Cole Caufield is staying at the University of Wisconsin for at least one “There’s things you need to do throughout the year just to maintain, but more season. there’s also things that, until you get that base and you’re able to put in that time and that work, your body won’t be able to handle the full 82- Of the thousands of people waiting on that decision to become official, no game season plus whatever you get to play beyond that. one should have been more compelled by the outcome than the Finn who made the (surprise) jump overseas to the AHL’s Laval Rocket from “The opportunity for Cole to play a lighter schedule is an opportunity to ’s Lahti Pelicans at the beginning of this month, before the COVID- create that muscle base you can rely on for when you go through a tough 19 pandemic brought sports (and daily life as we knew it) to a screeching schedule and your body starts to break down. That base allows you to halt. maintain.”

Boy, if I were Ylönen, I’d be doing two-a-day workouts in quarantine right Caufield will work on building it up now, but he won’t have a full about now. appreciation of what’s required until he spends a full season at the pro level. I’m not saying the 20-year-old, who’s listed at 6-foot-1 and a meager 172 pounds, is suddenly going to be ready to jump into the role that might That’s what makes Ylönen’s arrival at this juncture so interesting. Here’s have been designated for Caufield on next season’s Canadiens. I’m a player who has 103 games of pro experience over two seasons with merely suggesting that the opportunity to do exactly that became much the Pelicans under his belt. more tangible for him the minute Caufield’s absence from the next The 2018 second-rounder’s production of 25 goals and 49 points, against Canadiens training camp was confirmed. men and in a notoriously strong defensive league, is a sign of his Granted, Ylönen will likely be best served honing his craft and adapting potential. to the small ice surface in Laval as of next (fall?), but he must see what Others are the speed at which Ylönen plays at, the agility and skill he the rest of us see when we look at the Canadiens’ depth chart at right displays regularly, and the offensive instincts he has. wing — that the opportunity is right there for the taking. There you have Brendan Gallagher locked into a top line role, with Joel Armia (who And, as we saw at the 2019 World Junior Championship, the kid can scored a career-high 16 goals in 58 games this season) and depth shoot. players Jordan Weal and Dale Weise behind him. It remains to be seen if Ylönen will be doing it all in Montreal next With respect to the group, we’re not exactly looking at a murderer’s row season, but the possibility that he could became a lot more real with of snipers. Caufield’s commitment to a sophomore season at Wisconsin.

And yes, even considering the likelihood of soon-to-be 37-year-old Ilya Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 Kovalchuk returning in the off-season — if you weren’t fully convinced of it after Kovalchuk told reporters his February trade to the Washington Capitals was “not goodbye, for sure,” I’m told it’s all but a slam dunk the big right-hander will be back in Montreal on a bonus-laden contract — this is as good of a chance as Ylönen could have hoped for to show he can immediately fill a scoring role.

Meanwhile, I would think it’s consensus at this point that Caufield not being made available to do so was the right decision.

Even if some detractors want to argue that continuing to play for a Badgers team that underperformed this past season and just lost key players Alex Turcotte and K’Andre Miller to NHL teams isn’t optimal, it’s doubtful it’s going to hurt Caufield’s development to have a chance to dominate at that level after authoring a remarkable campaign that saw him tie Boston College’s Alex Newhook for most goals by a freshman (19) and finish third among NCAA rookies in points (36).

If Caufield’s coach, Tony Granato, thinks it’ll be good for him to continue to develop his all-around game, who are we to argue?

Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it.

Plus, the college schedule — teams practise on weekdays and play games on Fridays and Saturdays — allows the 5-foot-7 sharpshooter to spend more time in the gym and add significant weight and muscle to that 162-pound frame of his.

As Gallagher told us in an interview last week, that’s an essential process for any young player, but specifically for an undersized under-ager.

The 2010 fifth-round pick would know. Gallagher, who’s generously listed at 5-foot-9, followed up his selection by playing two more seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants. 1181556 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy on David Pastrnak's passion for game

Emily Sadler March 23, 2020, 3:23 PM

When the NHL suspended its season on March 12, few teams were rolling down the stretch as well as the Boston Bruins.

Last year’s Stanley Cup Final runners-up are the leagues leaders by a six-point margin and are a Cup favourite should they resume playing this season. (The team that beat them, the St. Louis Blues, are sitting second.)

While credit for the club’s success goes to its excellent depth — we saw that in spades throughout last year’s playoff run — there’s one player in particular who’s shining the brightest: David Pastrnak.

The 2019-20 campaign has been the best season of Pastrnak’s career. Through 70 games, he’d already tallied personal-bests across the board: 48 goals, 47 assists and 95 points.

Few people have witnessed Pastrnak’s power and progression like Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, who coached the Czech forward in the AHL before they both eventually made the jump to the NHL.

During an appearance on on Monday, Cassidy shared some of his perspective on what makes Pastrnak so good — and a lot of it has to do with his mindset and self-starting nature — with an anecdote from his early days coaching him with their AHL affiliate:

“David Pastrnak’s playing for us in Providence, I believe he’s 19 at the time. He goes to the world junior championship the year it was in Toronto and Montreal (in 2015),” Cassidy explained. “I think they lost out on Friday night, he travels all day Saturday to get back to Providence, comes in (Sunday) morning, and I always write the lineup on the board. So he walks in … and goes, ‘where’s my number on the board?’”

Cassidy told his young forward management wanted him to rest up after the tournament.

“He says, ‘No, I want to play. I’m here to play, that’s what I do.’ So he’s playing the world junior championships one night, flies to Boston, drives into Providence and the kid wants to play. Tells you all you need to know about him in terms of his commitment to being a hockey player,” Cassidy said.

The head coach said when it comes to coaching the forward over the past few years, “I kind of let him be with the skill part of it.” He said team leaders and linemates like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand played crucial roles in his development, too.

“He’s a great kid, comes to work every day, there’s not a lot of coaching that needs to be done with him,” he said.

As for Pastrnak’s infamously sparse tape job on his stick…

“Yeah, I don’t know where that comes from, but all the little kids want it now,” said Cassidy, laughing, adding that his son’s teammates all try to mimic it with their sticks. “Anyway, he’s left his mark. It works for him.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181557 Websites The NHL recommendation is for ambient air to be between 60 and 64 degrees at 40 to 44 per cent humidity. How close could you get to that in the summer?

TSN.CA / If NHL returns in summer, ice makers face daunting task "I couldn't tell you, off the top of my head, what it would be for that time of year. Obviously, the last time we were that deep into the playoffs and it was that warm outside was 2006 when we won the Cup and (chuckle) I wasn't the person in charge of worrying about those things at that time." Mark Masters How did the ice hold up last year when the team played until May 16?

"We didn't have any issues come up. We did our best to try and control Jared Dupre moved from Long Island, New York, to Hillsborough, N.C., the arena environment to the best of our abilities with the equipment we in 1993 after his father took a job with the University of North Carolina's have on hand. I mean, I didn't hear any negative feedback, but I also hospital system. didn't hear any positive feedback. It was never really that warm outside. "I had just finished high school and decided to make the move with him We were kind of lucky in that aspect so we never really had a whole lot of and glad I did it," said Dupre, who grew up a big Rangers fan. "Found out issues." there was an ice rink within bicycle-riding distance of my house and I got So, would there be a dramatic drop in the ice quality between May last to know the manager of the building and I got a part-time job and I just year and July this year? got lucky and got to know the right people in the area down here that kind of steered me in the right path." "It's kind of anybody's guess, because of the uncertainty of what the weather's going to do. But, definitely the humidity's going to affect the That path led to PNC Arena, home of the Carolina Hurricanes, where surface." Dupre has worked since 2001. He has served as the ice technician for the last eight years. With the NHL season on pause, players and some governors alike believe that an August-to-September finish could make sense, assuming "Just fell into something I love doing on a daily basis," he said. "I like the the global pandemic subsides. But as our Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun camaraderie, the atmosphere of the building, the people I work with, I’ve and Frank Seravalli explain, that is only one of many ideas being thrown always been someone who's liked the cold so it's kind of fitting. I've around in such a unique situation. always been a hockey fan." What happens to the ice now? When the NHL season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12, the Hurricanes held the first wild -card spot in the Eastern "We actually made the decision to take our ice surface out of the building Conference with hopes of making another long playoff run after reaching last Wednesday. The higher-ups weighed the options and the smarter the final four a year ago. If the season resumes and Carolina recaptures option was to take it out and put it back in if needed." that magic it likely means games being played in July and perhaps even August. What went into that decision?

"That would probably be one of the bigger challenges we would ever "The thought process was it's going to be more cost effective to take it have to deal with in this building," Dupre readily admits. out and not leave it covered with the compressors running or leave it uncovered and have to groom the ice from time to time. It was just a TSN spoke with Dupre by phone on Monday. The following is an edited cost-effective decision and we weren't the only ones in the league, there transcript of the interview. were several other teams that made the same decision or are making that decision this week." What's the biggest issue if games are played in the summer? How long does it take to get the ice back in if you get the green light? "Our biggest problem here in North Carolina is the humidity we face at that time of year. Typically in July and August we can have temperatures "Typically, it would take us a day to get the compressors back on and get anywhere from 90 degrees (Fahrenheit) to 115 with 65 per cent humidity the system to start cooling the floor. It will take roughly 24 hours to pull outside. We all like to joke about the fact that, 'Hot and humid, plenty of the floor back down to (the right) temperature before we can start making sunshine, chance of afternoon thundershowers,' is pretty much the ice and then you're looking at a minimum of 24 to 36 hours before the weather forecast from about the end of May to the beginning of sheet is able to be skated on." September on a daily basis." Are ice makers around the NHL close? What can you do to combat that humidity? "Without a doubt. The ice makers and the operations departments in the "Our building has desiccant dehumidifiers on the roof and we try and pull buildings, we all stay in touch with each other, everyone's friends on the temperature down and the humidity out of the building, but once the Instagram and Facebook. Our facility operation managers association doors open it's basically null and void . Because once the doors are open normally gets together right at the end of the season in different locations and all that hot, humid air starts coming in , we can't pull it back out with across the country to meet, strategize and brainstorm." the people in here. You get 15,000-plus people in the building for a game, you're adding to the humidity with people talking and yelling and Is there a lot of talk among ice makers about the challenge of hockey in screaming and the general body heat warming the air." the summer months?

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie joins Andi Petrillo and Dave Feschuk "Yeah, I mean, everybody's kind of in that uncertainty area right now, not to discuss the message the NHL is giving the players regarding travel, if sure what's going to happen and what the next steps are going to be, but and how they should be staying active and if there is any kind of deadline we're all hoping we get back up and running at some point here sooner on when the NHL needs to be cleared to resume play. rather than later."

And this isn't just a problem in North Carolina, right? TSN.CA LOADED: 03.24.2020

"Any of the southern teams on the Eastern Seaboard here are dealing with the same issues this time of year."

If the NHL returns, but there are no fans at the game, how much would that help?

"It would probably help, because we wouldn't have that hour when we have our exterior doors open for the fans to ingress into the building. I couldn't judge how significant it would be, but it would definitely help us, because we wouldn't be increasing the temperature in the building, we'd be better able to regulate the temperature." 1181558 Websites

TSN.CA / Yost: In appreciation of some memorable goaltending duels

Travis Yost

Yes, scoring is up in recent years in the National Hockey League and it has become a more offensively prolific league, relatively speaking. But the last decade has still offered its fair share of incredible goaltender duels – a few of which are already part of hockey lore.

With hockey paused for a presumably extended period of time, I went back and dusted off nearly 12,000 regular-season games from the start of the 2010-11 season through March 11, 2020. Every game was scored through three criteria – the number of shots (or, workload) respective goaltenders faced, the stop rates of the goaltenders cumulatively, and the goals saved above expectations (expected goals net actual goals) to capture shot quality.

The two most compelling games based on these criteria both came, coincidentally enough, from the 2013-14 regular season – the first involving a duel between Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist, the second involving Ryan Miller and Craig Anderson. But there was plenty of competition from other years:

The winner, by the narrowest of margins, was the aforementioned Jan. 16, 2014 game between the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers. A third-period goal by Mats Zuccarello – the only goal scored in the game – gave the Rangers the regulation victory, but the performances of Howard (stopping 47 of 48 shots) and Lundqvist (a 38-save shutout) stole the show.

That game was really about the sheer volume of shots that both goalies had to turn away, and how effective they were in doing so. But if you were curious about the game that saw the biggest swing between actual goals scored and expected goals, that honour belongs to Nashville’s Pekka Rinne and Chicago’s Corey Crawford from this season. The Feb. 21 game saw Rinne and Crawford concede three goals – the game winner going to Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat in overtime – but on a base of far more difficult shots.

I went back and pulled the heat maps of where shots were emanating from between the likes of Nashville and Chicago. This is, in one word, insane – and this is just an even-strength sampling (via HockeyViz).

It’s not surprising to see Chicago involved in a game where a fantastic goaltender performance erased an otherwise distressing defensive performance – that has been, after all, Chicago’s calling card for the past few seasons.

But that wasn’t the only game that registered for the Blackhawks this season. Three months prior, Robin Lehner – prior to his trade to Vegas – battled with Dallas’ Anton Khudobin in an eerily similar “defence optional” type of game.

More generally: as you start thumbing through the games, you are reminded of how flush the NHL has been with elite goaltending over the past decade. Goaltenders like Miller (four), Crawford (four), Lundqvist (three), Marc-Andre Fleury (three) and Sergei Bobrovsky (three) have been household names for quite some time, and each has participated in a number of exceptional performances over the past 10 seasons.

And with a stroke of luck, we may get a few more memorable goaltending duels before this season truly comes to a close.

TSN.CA LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181559 Websites

USA TODAY / NHL on NBC play-by-play announcer calls windshield wiper replacement

Jace Evans

The absence of live sports due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic means there's not a ton for sports play-by-play announcers to do.

Joe Buck, Fox Sports' top play-by-play man, put out a request to people to send him personal videos that he will call. A -based rugby announcer has gone viral for doing a similar thing.

On Monday, "The NHL on NBC Sports" released a video that should brighten every hockey fan's day in the absence of actual games: Mike Emrick calling a trip to the auto shop.

In the undated video, Emrick – affectionately known as "Doc" and the No. 1 man calling the NHL for NBC – did play-by-play for the replacement of a windshield wiper.

The 73-year-old Emrick narrated the action with the stately flair that has become his trademark.

"This is like having Gordon Ramsay come to your house and having make microwave popcorn," Emrick said of the technician he said had 34 years of experience replacing the windshield wiper.

It was a small bit of fun from the legendary announcer – who in 2008 was honored by the with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award – that should help in what has been a trying time for everyone.

Should the NHL season resume, Emrick's voice should be front-and- center on NBC's coverage. We hope to hear it more soon.

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181560 World Leagues News But there is at least a sense our games are capable of providing something beyond mere entertainment and distraction; that they provide a greater public good.

Playing AFL, NRL and other professional sporting matches has not This time, for a couple of deluded weeks, we got it badly wrong even if it helped our coronavirus crisis was for the right reason — the survival of professional sport as we know it.

Sport is among the most expendable commodities in a time of crisis, By Richard Hinds which in turn makes it tempting to consider it unimportant.

Posted March 24, 2020 06:02:42 Patently this is not true given the vast industry professional sports have created, but as importantly because of the emotional investment of those

who follow them. Parramatta Eels NRL player Blake Ferguson in yellow is tackled by two Your questions on coronavirus answered: Gold Coast players ins dark blue. What are the symptoms of coronavirus? MAP: Australia How do I get tested for coronavirus? There are many reasons Australia missed the jump in the Coronavirus Stakes by six lengths and is now desperately trying to lengthen its stride How long can coronavirus survive on a surface? and somehow catch up. Those two factors, protecting the industry and providing a welcome Our geographical isolation created a false sense of immunity; authorities distraction for those entering a frightening time of social isolation, were failed to heed warnings from abroad and even those of their own experts; used to justify the continuation of sport in Australia. leaders blithely announced they were off to the footy compounding the "she'll be right" attitude; the fake news era left many sceptical about the Yet, again, it was the imposition of the harshest isolation measures that magnitude of the threat they faced. made it obvious that, no matter how well-meaning the motives, sport was too slow to shut the gates for participants as well as fans; that the sight of And so the mistakes of this fatal period of self-denial were compounded. footballers wrestling each other to the ground as leaders and public health officials were trying to raise awareness and enforce social But sport hasn't helped. distancing was absurdly counterintuitive. In fact, we have let you down. As ever the NRL's -infested tail wagged the dog. I say "we" in this case because I include myself among those in the The club warlords who had failed to future-proof the game failed to grasp sports media who did not thump our pulpits hard enough about the sheer that the reputational damage caused by defying public expectation could stupidity of continuing to play sport when this created a mixed message be as great as the financial damage caused by an overdue about the need for social isolation. postponement. But on Sunday the cartoon anvil descended upon our collective heads Right up until its postponement the NRL's ever-more desperate attempts and belatedly knocked some sense into us. to keep the game alive betrayed the mindset of a competition not merely The sobering moment of realisation was not the AFL's announcement the in denial, but oblivious to the state of the world around it. season had been suspended but the desultory sight of games continuing Meanwhile, the stuffed blazers of the International Olympic Committee even as various governments effectively shut our world down. merely confirmed their hard-won reputation for stubborn isolationism and As we learned restaurants and pubs, and in some states schools, would self-interest by refusing to even countenance the idea of postponement. be closed and social isolation became an order enforceable by law, not There have been many unprecedented and life-changing events in the merely a sensible request, it was not the impending absence of footy that past few weeks but an organisation that has, among its many sins, was jarring. tolerated the presence of despots and dopers again thumbing its nose at It was the thought that for a couple of weeks we had played various the rest of the world is among the least surprising. games without fully grasping, or even wilfully ignoring, the threat we But then, we have ourselves sent equivocal messages and watched faced. games that almost certainly contributed to the dangerous impression life On Sunday morning on the ABC's Offsiders, host Kelli Underwood asked had not changed. my opinion about playing on while the virus spread. Much of Australian sport was too late to understand, too late to warn and, I stammered an equivocal response about understanding the commercial particularly, too late to act. imperatives of the leagues whose current operating model was imperilled The best we can hope is that we learned the first lesson of what will no while thinking the time had come to stop. doubt be very many. But later, watching picnickers tumbling over each other in parks and Sport can never again pretend to be played, literally or figuratively, in a driving past pubs filled with revellers having "last drinks", I felt annoyed, protective bubble. even humiliated, that I had failed to strongly emphasise that the continuation of sport was contributing to the life-threatening normalisation ABC Online LOADED: 03.24.2020 of society.

What I should have said: Those who understood the severity of the pandemic could not possibly be heartened by the sight of games continuing, and those who did not understand were being given false assurance.

Sport did not act alone in going on too long. If anything, it continued with a wink and a nod from authority rather than in defiance of it.

But also sport flatters itself that it can lead, inspire and motivate and even change.

An AFL executive in a suit speaks at a press conference.

Perhaps, a bit too often, it now does so for commercial benefit or to gain government grants rather than for altruistic motives. 1181561 World Leagues News

Coronavirus: Mark Cuban sets over-under date for NBA return at June 1, but expects games to resume before then

Sam Quinn

Mar 23, 2020 at 11:03 pm ET

The prognosis for the NBA season has grown grimmer and grimmer ever since the league suspended games in mid-March due to the coronavirus outbreak. As more of the country takes social distancing measures and the CDC recommends fewer people gathering for events such as NBA games, the possibility of a season being canceled altogether has felt particularly possible in recent days.

However, one of the league's most ambitious owners disagrees. Mark Cuban not only expects the season to pick back up, but has a far more aggressive timeline for that to happen than most others around the NBA. While Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that mid-to-late June was viewed as the best-case scenario around the league, Cuban beat that figure by a full month in an interview with WFAA in Dallas.

"Hopefully by the middle of May, we're starting to get back to normal and the NBA is playing games," Cuban said. "Maybe not with fans, but we're playing it because sports plays such an important role. You know, people want something to cheer for, people want something to rally around, people want something to be excited about."

So what would it take to make that happen? In an ideal world, there would be a vaccine, but most experts say that could possibly be 12-18 months away. If there were a form of palliative treatment, though, Cuban thinks that could help get the NBA started again.

"Really, one thing we've got to get to a point where our scientists have come up with, not a cure, but a therapy that we know minimizes the impact of the virus," Cuban said, "so that if we get this into a person quickly enough that they are not going to die and be hopefully they won't be scarred or damaged for life.

"Once we do that, then we have a path out. And I think we're not there yet, but we're getting closer and closer. Once we have a medical light at the end of the tunnel, where we know what the worst case is, then we can start venturing outside and being in groups of 10 and instead of being by ourselves right and then groups of 25 and then 50 and go from there. So I think that that's the first step. And I think that's gonna happen a little bit faster than we originally expected."

If the world has successfully managed the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic well enough to resume basketball games in two months, measures taken by both governments and the private sector will have to be viewed as a major success. There just isn't any way of knowing how possible that will be at this point.

Hopefully the social distancing measures being put in place by more and more cities and states will slow the virus down enough for the sort of treatment Cuban is describing to be found. However, there is no set timeline for that sort of research, nor can we say for certain that the steps we are taking now will be enough to stop the spread. Hopefully, Cuban's prediction comes to pass, but for now, it's just far too early to tell if it will be possible at all, let alone so early.

CBS Sports LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181562 World Leagues News

Former Fox 11 sports director Drew Smith battling coronavirus

Scott Venci, Green Bay Press-GazettePublished 4:13 p.m. CT March 23, 2020

Former longtime Fox 11 (WLUK-TV) sports director Drew Smith remains in the intensive care unit at Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan, Kansas, after being diagnosed with coronavirus this past weekend.

Smith, who left Green Bay in September 2016 after accepting a teaching position at Kansas State University, arrived home last week from a visit to the United Kingdom.

He eventually was admitted to the hospital and had a fever, chest pains and fatigue.

In a video posted Sunday on Facebook, Smith thanked everyone for the outpouring of “concern, love, prayers, thoughts and good vibes.”

He said that along with coronavirus, he is battling bilateral pneumonia.

Smith was overseas with his family and some students at KSU.

Smith’s wife, Jennifer, wrote on Facebook that she thinks she and the couple’s two daughters, Abby and Aubri, have COVID-19 as well, but that they are doing fine.

“While abroad we took the same precautions as everyone,” she said. “We engaged with as few people as possible during our travel home. We landed in Kansas City where our dear friend had left our car at the curb. We got in and drove directly home without stopping. The only place we have been is the E.R. with medical professionals in full protective gear. We acted as responsibly as we could.”

Jennifer also urged people to take the virus seriously and to follow guidelines.

“I want to tell everybody that fear and anxiety is real,” Drew Smith said. “It’s OK to feel it, but understand that we are all in this together. We are a community. The things I like to do in the community, whether it’s feeding meals to people that need them or working in the plays or teaching K- State, it’s all about community.

“It’s important that we all look out for each other. That we are kind to each other. … We are going to be cooped up and stuck with each other, and as they say it’s OK to feel a little worried, but don’t let it dominate you.”

Smith said his prognosis is ongoing and the goal is to get out of ICU before taking the next steps.

“I’m fighting hard,” said Smith, who arrived in Green Bay from Las Vegas in 1999 and spent almost 25 years in media. “I’m a fighter and so is my wife, Jen, and my two kids are fighting through as well.

“Thank you so much for all your support.”

Green Bay Press-Gazette LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181563 World Leagues News In addition to concerns about further spreading the bug, the coronavirus has caused major disruptions to athlete training regiments and preliminary qualifying events. The USA Track and Field and USA Swimming federations both called for the postponement of the Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed because of coronavirus USA Swimming chief executive Tim Hinchey requested that the Olympics pandemic, IOC member says be pushed back one year in order to minimize risk and cater to the needs of the athletes involved.

"As this global pandemic has grown, we have watched our athletes' Pete Blackburn worlds be turned upside down and watched them struggle to find ways to Shanna McCarriston continue to prepare and train -- many for the biggest competitive opportunity of their lives," wrote Hinchey. "Our world class swimmers are Mar 23, 2020 at 10:10 pm ET always willing to race anyone, anytime and anywhere; however, pressing forward amidst the global health crisis this summer is not the answer."

A number of other major sports organizations have postponed their The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will have to wait. According to USA Today, the seasons amid concerns of the outbreak, including the NBA, NHL, MLS Summer Games have become the latest major sporting event to be and MLB. CBS News has the latest updates about the virus. postponed/canceled as a result of the global COVID-19 outbreak. International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told USA Today CBS INTERACTIVE LOADED: 03.24.2020 that the games will likely be pushed to 2021, and that a plan will be put in place on how to proceed in the next four weeks.

"On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided," Pound said. "The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know... We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense."

Despite Pound's statements, International Olympic Committee vice president Anita DeFrantz says she has not heard anything about the games being postponed.

"If that is the case, then you know more than a vice-president of the International Olympic Committee," she said, referencing Pound's announcement. "It would be news to me."

Following the comments from Pound and DeFrantz, the USOPC issued a formal statement on Monday night officially requesting that the IOC postpone the scheduled for July after the committee surveyed its 1,780 athletes.

"We are thankful to the 1,780 Team USA athletes for sharing their voice and honest input with us as we address the issues related to COVID-19 and the Tokyo Games, and make good on our promise to put athletes first. We are now confident that we have heard a wide range of viewpoints and understand the diversity of challenges our athletes face. We regret that there is no outcome that can solve all the concerns we face. Our most important conclusion from this broad athlete response is that even if the current significant health concerns could be alleviated by late summer, the enormous disruptions to the training environment, doping controls and qualification process can't be overcome in a satisfactory manner. To that end, it's more clear than ever that the path toward postponement is the most promising, and we encourage the IOC to take all needed steps to ensure the Games can be conducted under safe and fair conditions for all competitors. We look forward to their feedback and direction, and stand ready to work in support of Team USA and in full cooperation with the global community."

The IOC executive board reportedly spoke Sunday, but allegedly did not rule out starting the Olympics on time, the only thing not on the table was canceling the games completely. While they did discuss potentially postponing it, DeFrantz says no decision has been made.

The announcement from Pound comes just days after both Canada and Australia said they would not be sending athletes to the 2020 Games in Tokyo. There has been rising concern and debate over the start date of the 2020 Games over the past few months amid the coronavirus pandemic. With the CDC placing restrictions on large gatherings and the virus continuing to spread worldwide, speculation over a possible delay or outright cancellation of the Games had begun picking up steam in recent weeks.

Organizers began planning for a potential delay in mid-March when the IOC released a statement saying they were looking into the scenario and conducting full assessments of the outbreak.

"The IOC will, in full coordination and partnership with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Japanese authorities and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, start detailed discussions to complete its assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the scenario of postponement," read the IOC's statement. 1181564 World Leagues News next two rounds of matches” as a result of the quarantine in place at Real.

– Barcelona suspended all first-team activity after taking advice from their Sport-by-sport look at the impact of the coronavirus outbreak medical staff.

– All domestic sporting action in Italy – including Serie A matches – was suspended until April 3. By PA Sport Staff – Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, the top two divisions in France, are suspended PA Media: SportMar 16, 2020, 10:48 PM until further notice.

– The German Football League suspended games in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga until at least April 3, with a review to be undertaken on The coronavirus outbreak has decimated the sporting schedule and left March 30. major doubts over some of 2020’s biggest events. – Major League Soccer announced the suspension of matches for 30 A range of sports have had to take action to prevent the spread of the days with immediate effect. virus, with postponements hitting the Premier League and EFL until early April and all football in Scotland postponed with immediate effect. – The South American (CONMEBOL) World Cup qualifiers scheduled for March 23-31 were postponed to a later date. The Guinness Six Nations, London Marathon and Formula One have also been affected, as has golf after The Masters was postponed. – The Northern Premier League announced all fixtures have been suspended until further notice. With Euro 2020 and the Olympics on the horizon, the PA news agency takes a sport-by-sport look at the impact of the coronavirus. – The Scottish Professional Football League postponed all games ‘pending any Government order and/or further direction from the Scottish Football FA’. – The Premier League was suspended until April 4 and the EFL until – The Football Association announced it was “advising that all grassroots April 3 at the earliest. football in England is postponed for the foreseeable future”. – All Scottish football was suspended with immediate effect and the Irish – The Professional Footballers’ Association announced it had postponed Football Association suspended the current season in Northern Ireland this year’s awards ceremony, which had been due to take place on April until at least April 4. The Football Association of Ireland announced all 26. football activity under its jurisdiction was suspended until March 29. Olympics and Paralympics – England’s two friendlies later this month at Wembley, the Women’s and FA Women’s Championship were also postponed by – The International Olympic Committee remains fully committed to the FA. Wales’ international matches with Austria and the United States staging the Tokyo 2020 Games as scheduled this summer, despite at the end of March were also called off. Japan’s Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto suggesting it could be postponed until later in the year. – UEFA announced all Champions League and Europa League fixtures scheduled for next week were postponed, as well as the quarter-final – The British Olympic Association still plans to send a delegation of draws for both competitions. UEFA called an emergency meeting for around 55 people to Tokyo this month for a “detailed operational recce”. Tuesday to discuss the rest of the season and whether Euro 2020 can go ahead as scheduled. – The Greek leg of the Olympic Torch Relay was cancelled the day after the first flame-lighting ceremony since 1984 to take place without – FIFA relaxed rules on clubs having to release players for forthcoming spectators. international fixtures and also recommended that “all international matches previously scheduled to take place in March and April should – The Olympic boxing qualifier in London was cancelled having initially now be postponed until such time that they can take place in a safe and moved the tournament behind closed doors. secure environment”. – Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson- – The Six Nations game between Wales and Scotland in Cardiff Odoi tested positive for coronavirus. scheduled for Saturday was postponed on Friday, joining the games – Everton’s entire first-team squad and coaching staff undertook a period between France and Ireland and Italy against England. of self-isolation after a first-team player reported symptoms consistent – The Gallagher Premiership was suspended for five weeks on Monday. with coronavirus while three Leicester players showed symptoms and were kept away from the rest of the squad. – The Guinness PRO14 was suspended indefinitely.

– Bournemouth announced five of their employees, including goalkeeper – Sunday’s Cup final between Sale and Harlequins Artur Boruc, were self-isolating having displayed symptoms consistent was originally given the go-ahead on Friday, only to be postponed with the virus. following an individual on staff developing symptoms consistent with coronavirus. – Half of the Vanarama National League was postponed on March 14, despite the league insisting that it would be played as normal. Games – The season was suspended after the decision of the New between Harrogate and Solihull Moors, Boreham Wood – who share Zealand government to quarantine people entering the country for 14 facilities with Arsenal – and Torquay, Barrow and Wrexham, Woking and days. Dagenham, Bromley and Chorley and Yeovil and Barnet were postponed along with five games in the National League North, though the South – Rugby Australia closed its Sydney headquarters for an “intensive division went ahead unaffected. The Vanarama National League clean” after two members of its Australian Sevens program showed signs suspended all fixtures until at least April 3 on March 16. and symptoms associated with coronavirus.

– Juventus defender Daniele Rugani tested positive, as did Fiorentina – South Africa Rugby suspended all competitive matches until April 25 at striker Patrick Cutrone, on loan from Wolves, and team-mate German the earliest and calls off all national team training camps and business Pezzella and club physio Stefano Danielli. travel.

– Ezequiel Garay became the first LaLiga player to announce that he has – The Heineken Champions Cup and quarter-finals were tested positive for coronavirus, with Valencia later confirming five positive postponed. tests among players and staff. Motor sport

– Real Madrid players were told to go into quarantine after a member of 2020 season now expected to start at end of May the club’s basketball team tested positive. LaLiga suspended “at least the – The season-opening Australian Grand Prix was called off along with – The NBA season was suspended “until further notice” after Utah Jazz the races in Bahrain, Vietnam, China and Holland. Formula One hopes to player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus. start the season at the end of May. Cycling – McLaren had already withdrawn from the Australian race earlier on Thursday after a member of staff tested positive for the illness. It is – The Giro d’Italia, cycling’s first Grand Tour of the season which was understood the team member reported symptoms associated with the due to start on May 9 in Budapest, was postponed. The Strade Bianchi, virus in the Albert Park paddock on Wednesday morning. Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo and the Giro di Sicilia races in Italy have been called off. – Formula E temporarily suspended its season. – Fears of two cases of coronavirus at the UAE Tour saw the race – Nascar postponed its race events in Atlanta (March 15) and Miami cancelled with two stages left. (March 22). All races were postponed until May 3. – Team INEOS are among a host of teams who withdrew from all racing Motorcycling until the Volta a Catalunya on March 23.

– The opening four races of the MotoGP season in Qatar, Thailand, the – Cycling’s Women’s Tour, the UK’s WorldTour stage race, was United States and Argentina were called off. The Qatar race was postponed almost three months before it was scheduled to begin in cancelled, while the other three have been moved to later in the season, Oxfordshire on June 8. which is now due to get under way in Spain on May 3. – On Sunday, the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) announced the Golf suspension of its calendar until at least April 3.

Statement from Chairman Ridley: – The Tour De Romandie – scheduled to take place from April 27 to May 3 – was cancelled outright. – The Masters at Augusta, traditionally regarded as the sport’s blue riband event, became the first golf major to be postponed. Tennis

– The Players Championship was cancelled along with all PGA Tour WTA Statement on upcoming clay court swing: events for the next three weeks. Due to the ongoing global coronavirus outbreak, the WTA – Five European Tour tournaments have been postponed. Next week’s tournaments in Stuttgart, Istanbul and Prague will not be held as Hero Indian Open and August’s Czech Masters have joined this week’s scheduled. Kenya Open and April’s Maybank Championship and China Open in being called off. – The high-profile BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, where the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were due to compete, was called off. – The Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Saudi Ladies International was postponed with a view to it being rescheduled later in the year. – The ATP announced a six-week suspension of the men’s professional tennis tour due to “escalating health and safety issues”. – Africa’s Sunshine Tour has suspended all activities and will review the situation on April 20 “or as the situation demands”. – The Miami Open tennis tournament, due to start on March 23, was cancelled after a ban on mass gatherings in Miami-Dade County. Cricket – The Volvo Car Open in Charleston (April 4-12) was also been called – England’s Test series against Sri Lanka was postponed with the touring off. Next month’s Fed Cup finals in Budapest and Fed Cup play-offs, due players returning home. to be held in eight different locations, were postponed, while China’s Xi’an Open (April 13-19) and Kunming Open (April 27-May 3) were – The start of the Indian Premier League was postponed from March 29 cancelled. to April 15 as a precautionary measure. – The WTA announces the suspension of its tour until May 2, with the – The annual Champion County match, regarded as the curtain-raiser to clay events in Stuttgart, Istanbul and Prague postponed. the domestic season, due to be played between the MCC and Essex between March 24-27 at Galle was called off, as was the MCC World Racing Cricket Committee meeting in Colombo scheduled for March 28 and 29. – Racing in Ireland is closed to the public until March 29. – Surrey, , Worcestershire, Hampshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Yorkshire, Somerset, Sussex, Derbyshire, – The British Horseracing Authority confirms all meetings will be staged Durham and Warwickshire have cancelled or decided to return early from behind closed doors from Tuesday March 17, starting at Wetherby and pre-season trips. Taunton. Racing in France is suspended until April 15.

– The final two one-day internationals between India and South Africa will – The Grand National, due to take place on April 4, was cancelled. be rescheduled following an agreement between the countries’ governing Athletics bodies, while the remaining two ODIs between Australia and New Zealand were called off. – The London Marathon was postponed. The 40th edition of the race, due to take place on April 26, will be held on October 4. British Athletics – Australia Women’s limited-overs tour of South Africa, consisting of will stage an Olympic trial at a closed location in April. three ODIs and as many T20s and due to start on March 22, will not take place. – The Manchester Marathon, due to take place on April 5 with 26,000 runners, was postponed with a new date to be set in due course. – New Zealand Cricket cancelled the last two rounds of its domestic first- class competition after taking advice from medical experts. Wellington – The Paris Marathon, which was due to take place on April 5, was Firebirds, who finished the truncated season 26 points ahead of Central postponed until October 18 and the Rome Marathon, scheduled for Stags, were awarded the 2019-20 Plunket Shield. March 29, as well as the Boston Marathon, slated for April 20, were cancelled. – Pakistan announced the third leg of Bangladesh’s visit, comprising of one Test and a one-day international, next month will be put back to a – The World Indoor Championships, which had been due to take place in later date. Nanjing in China this month, were rearranged for March 2021.

– Cricket South Africa has cancelled all forms of cricket for the next 60 – The International Triathlon Union moved the 2020 ITU Paratriathlon days. World Championships, planned for May 2, from Milan to Montreal. It later announced that all activities would be suspended until April 30. – Ireland’s limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe next month was postponed. – Surrey sent six players home from training to self-isolate. Not all six reported symptoms but had been in close proximity to others who had. – The Betfred Super League match between and in Perpignan on Saturday was postponed after one of the Rhinos’ Basketball players was put into self-isolation after showing symptoms of coronavirus.

– The Coral Challenge Cup fixture between and Rochdale Hornets was switched to the Millennium Stadium in Featherstone after York City cancelled the availability of .

– Canadian club Toronto Wolfpack stood down their entire UK-based playing staff after four players presented with “mild possible” coronavirus symptoms and were put into self-isolation.

– Dewsbury Rams say their Betfred Championship match against Toulouse has been postponed.

– All rugby league fixtures, from the Betfred Super League to “the community game”, were suspended until at least April 3.

Boxing

– Top Rank announced the postponement of its shows at Madison Square Garden on March 14 and 17. Belfast featherweight Michael Conlan’s bout against Colombian fighter Belmar Preciado at the Hulu Theater on St Patrick’s Day has therefore been scrapped.

– All events scheduled for March in Japan were cancelled.

Snooker

– The £1million China Open, scheduled to start in Beijing at the end of March, was cancelled. The Gibraltar Open was played behind closed doors, with some players forced to referee their own games.

Ice skating

– The World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, scheduled for March 13-15, were called off. The World Figure Skating Championships in Quebec, planned for March 16-22, were also cancelled.

Judo

– The International Judo Federation cancelled all Olympic qualification events on the calendar until April 30.

Darts

The Premier League double-header @rotterdamahoy planned for March 25-26 has been postponed following restrictions put in place in the Netherlands.

– The Professional Darts Corporation cancelled the Premier League double-header in Rotterdam, the European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen and the European Darts Open in Leverkusen, which were all scheduled for later this month, plus next month’s German Darts Grand Prix in Munich.

– Night seven of the Premier League in Newcastle, slated for March 19, was postponed and rescheduled for Thursday, October 1.

Ice hockey

– The NHL was paused with 189 regular-season games remaining. The Stanley Cup play-offs were due to start the week of April 6. Britain’s Elite League cancelled the rest of its season.

Netball

– The Superleague announced that its competition would be postponed with immediate effect and the future of the 2020 season would be discussed at a board meeting on Tuesday.

American football

– Public events around the NFL Draft were cancelled, with the league saying it is working on a new format for the event which takes place in April.

Rowing

– The Boat Race, scheduled to take place on March 29, was cancelled.

Baseball

– announced the start of the 2020 season would be delayed for eight weeks.

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Uefa postpones European club finals

By Simon Stone

23 Mar

Uefa could authorise one-legged knockout matches for some Champions League and Europa League ties after postponing the finals of all this season's major competitions.

With European football suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, there was no possibility of the competitions reaching their scheduled conclusion at the end of May.

It is still hoped to play the respective finals on 27 June and 24 June, potentially at the end of mini tournaments to be played in Istanbul and Gdansk.

The Women's Champions League final - originally scheduled for 24 May - has also been postponed.

There is no guarantee of these matches taking place though and work is now being undertaken to try to work out a formula that would allow the competitions to reach a conclusion.

One obvious difficulty is that matches in the men's competitions are at different stages and countries may be allowed to restart professional football at different times.

In the Champions League, four last-16 ties have been concluded, while the second legs of the other four are still to take place. In the Europa League, six first-leg ties have been played but two remain outstanding.

While it is hard to see Uefa ruling out the second legs of ties that have already started, they may be willing to let the ones that have not - both involving Spanish sides playing Italian ones - be decided by a single game, with the venue to be decided by the toss of a coin.

Quarter-finals and semi-finals could also be played over a single game.

It has already been agreed that European club matches could be played on a weekend and it is also understood there is no longer any imperative for the Champions League to be the last club game of the season, raising the possibility of the qualifying rounds for the 2020-21 tournament beginning before the major leagues have concluded.

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No alternative to closed-doors football games, says PFA chief executive

23 Mar

Goodison Park

Players accept that matches will have to be held behind closed doors when the football season resumes, says Professional Footballers' Association deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes.

Football in England is suspended until at least 30 April because of the coronavirus pandemic, although the Football Association, Premier League and EFL want the season to be finished.

"In an ideal world we'd be playing in front of crowds but I think it's more a case of there being no alternative," Barnes told The Athletic.

"Players are realistic. We're not in an ideal world and the players I've spoken to accept that's what it will have to be.

"I've been speaking to players on a daily basis and the conversations were based around not wanting to play behind closed doors if at all possible.

"Football is about fans. But the reality for the vast majority of the players, particularly at the highest level, is their income is funded by television money and there are contracts that have to be adhered to.

"In order for us [the PFA] to be able to protect those players in terms of securing their salaries, if that's the only offer we have on the table to complete the season, then that is what it will be."

Too soon to consider games behind closed doors - Neville

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, whose side are 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League, said he would be "gutted" for the club's fans if they were absent when the Premier League title was secured.

But Barnes believes players are coming round to the idea of playing matches in empty stadiums.

"If we're going to get the season finished in a timely fashion so we can even consider starting next season, we've got to be open to all options," added Barnes.

BBC Sport LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181567 World Leagues News independent restaurants. With two players, Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell, pitching in, Cuban last Friday donated $500,000 to pay child-care expenses for healthcare workers at two local medical centers.

How NBA has led sports world in assists during coronavirus pandemic And now the Mavericks, following Cuban’s lead, are providing meals to workers often unappreciated.

Seth Curry might hold a slight lead on his big brother in 3-point shooting By Monte Poole March 23, 2020 7:28 AM accuracy, but he can’t be expected to match Steph’s philanthropic efforts. That’s OK, as feeding those dedicated helping society in a time of crisis

is bigger than any shot he’ll ever take. The man who leads all active NBA players in career 3-point-shooting NBC LOADED: 03.24.2020 percentage spent a portion of his weekend making a generous, unsolicited contribution to society.

Not Steph Curry, who is No. 3 on the list.

His brother, Seth, is No. 1.

With dozens of first responders addressing the COVID-19 coronavirus by staffing mobile testing sites and the emergency operations center in greater Dallas, Seth Curry fed them. Dug into his pocket on Saturday and paid for 115 meals from a local Italian restaurant. It was a wonderful gesture toward workers on the front line of the fight against this global pandemic.

Moreover, it was a humanitarian act by a sports team pitching in to fill a void that that otherwise might remain empty. Every member of the Dallas Mavericks has, according to Dallas Morning News beat writer Brad Townsend, pledged to participate in this daily commitment. Kristaps Porzingis was scheduled to buy meals on Sunday.

Furthermore, it’s another effort from the NBA, the first American professional sports league unanimous in voluntarily extending various means of support to arena workers and others needing assistance as the coronavirus ravages the economy while raging through the country and the world beyond.

The NBA isn’t alone in its desire to reach out.

Each of the 30 MLB teams has, in an organized gesture, pledged $1 million in assistance to event workers certain to lose pay when Opening Day, originally scheduled for Thursday, was postponed indefinitely.

The NHL entered the weekend with 30 of its 31 teams, including the Sharks, committed to providing aid to those losing wages with the absence of games. The last holdout, the Boston Bruins, bowed to public and governmental pressure and on Saturday pledged $1.5 million.

With the NFL preseason still more than four months away, it’s premature to announce a plan for games that might be played as scheduled. Several players and team owners, however, have made individual pledges to donate financial aid in the fight against the coronavirus.

The NBA, however, was the first to crack open its safes and start pulling out funds. The league where players and owners have been criticized for being selfish, sometimes rightfully so, is setting the sports pace in this beautiful outbreak of selflessness.

Zion Williamson, the dynamic 19-year-old New Orleans Pelicans rookie, grabbed the baton from Mavs owner Mark Cuban, pledging to pay the salaries of all Smoothie King Center workers through the end of the regular season. One after another, players and teams joined the cause.

If you’re looking for a sports-world catalyst, someone particularly determined to help in comprehensive ways, you’d probably start with Cuban.

Since March 11, when Cuban promised to offer aid shortly after the NBA announced it was suspending the season -- the last game was played that night in Dallas -- all 30 teams have fallen in line, making pledges to aid those directly affected or afflicted by this global pandemic.

"I reached out to the folks at the arena and our folks at the Mavs to find out what it would cost to support, financially support, people who aren't going to be able to come to work," Cuban said. "They get paid by the hour, and this was their source of income. So, we'll do some things there. We may ask them to go do some volunteer work in exchange, but we've already started the process of having a program in place.

"I don't have any details to give, but it's certainly something that's important to me."

What’s most impressive is that Cuban didn’t stop there. He also vowed to reimburse all team employees for lunches and coffees purchased at local 1181568 World Leagues News

RFL chief executive 100% confident sport will emerge again after coronavirus

23 Mar

Rugby league

Rugby league is resilient enough to bounce back from coronavirus but needs backing from the government and key partners, says RFL chief Ralph Rimmer.

Rimmer confirmed the RFL has asked the government for financial support as part of its business rescue package.

The sport is currently suspended until at least 3 April, leaving clubs without essential funds from matchday revenue.

"I don't have the doomsday scenario on the back of support from our major sponsors," Rimmer said.

"By that I mean broadcast and commercial partners. We have shown how resilient this sport is over the past 125 years.

"Naturally it will be affected by what's gone on and however long this lasts, but if we all pull together I have no doubt we will emerge from this, I'm 100% confident we will."

Ralph Rimmer on the 5 Live Rugby League Podcast

What next for rugby league?

The NRL finally suspends amid pandemic fears

Super League, the Championship and League One, along with all tiers of men's, women's and the community game, were stopped on 16 March.

Rimmer says there has been an encouraging dialogue with the government, and there is hope of tapping into the UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak's salary support package, which offers cover for up to 80% of wages up to a £2,500-a-month ceiling.

However, he also concedes that it may be a different landscape for the sport in the short-term at least in the aftermath of the pandemic.

"It does demonstrate there is support there," he told the 5 Live Rugby League Podcast. "This government in particular, and we submitted some work to them on Friday, are very much aware of the importance of this sport in the communities and there's a great sympathy with it.

"We're in a position where we can work with all our clubs and stakeholders that are affected and hopefully piece together a jigsaw which enables us to determine what we're going to look like when we come out the other side.

"That's clearly affected by how long the lockdown lasts. There is a way through it, we've done a great deal of scenario planning with all the clubs and we'll continue to support them.

"We cannot realistically give ourselves a date but work on scenarios. The way the sport emerges will be determined by the length of that period of lockdown. We've done a great deal of planning and worked out the different permutations to consider all eventualities going forward.

"Hopefully that work will help them [the government] to support us a little bit further."

BBC Sport LOADED: 03.24.2020 1181569 World Leagues News The decision to postpone, when finalized and announced by the IOC, will mark a significant milestone. It would the first time the Olympics have been suspended, though the games have been canceled in times of war.

IOC member says 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed because of The 1916 Summer Games were canceled because of World War I, as coronavirus pandemic were the Summer and Winter Games in 1940 and 1944 because of World War II. Boycotts also caused serious complications for the games in 1976, 1980 and 1984. But in each case, the event itself went on as scheduled. Christine Brennan "I’ve had so many calls with athletes who have been in tears trying to

train for their ultimate dream but not wanting to jeopardize their health," Veteran International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told USA American hurdler Lolo Jones wrote on Twitter after Pound's comments. TODAY Sports on Monday afternoon that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic "This was the right thing to do. May the world heal." Games are going to be postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Contributing: Nancy Armour and Tom Schad “On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been USA TODAY LOADED: 03.24.2020 decided,” Pound said in a phone interview. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”

Pound, a Canadian who has been one of the most influential members of the IOC for decades, said the games will likely be moved to 2021, with the details to be worked out in the next four weeks. He said he expects the IOC to announce its next steps soon.

“It will come in stages,” said Pound, 78, the longest-serving IOC member. “We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense.”

Neither the IOC nor the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee had announced a decision to postpone as of Monday afternoon.

When informed of Pound's comments and asked for an IOC response, spokesman Mark Adams said, "It is the right of every IOC member to interpret the decision of the IOC executive board which was announced (Sunday)."

In that announcement Sunday, IOC president Thomas Bach indicated, for the first time, that postponing the Tokyo Games would be a possibility.

In a letter to the athlete community, he wrote that the IOC would begin exploring alternate ways to stage the games, including postponement, and plan to reach a decision within the next four weeks. He emphasized that the IOC has ruled out canceling the games, a stance that was reiterated by key Japanese officials – including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – on Monday.

Representatives of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee did not immediately reply to an email from USA TODAY Sports seeking a response to Pound's comments.

The Olympics would be the latest – and, by far, most significant – sporting event to date to fall victim to the coronavirus, which was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December. Also known as COVID-19, the disease rapidly spread throughout China and across the world in subsequent months, infecting hundreds of thousands of people and causing major disruptions to daily life in numerous countries.

The spread of the coronavirus also has interrupted Olympic qualification procedures and severely affected training regimens, prompting athletes and sports governing bodies around the world to call for the games' postponement.

"I would have real moral objections, if the situation was the same as it was today, to competing,” swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist Nathan Adrian told USA TODAY Sports on Friday.

Pressure mounted over the weekend as World Athletics, the international federation that oversees track and field, publicly called for the games to be postponed. The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees then took matters to another level Sunday night by announcing they will not send a delegation of athletes to the Tokyo Games unless they were postponed.

Within the next 12 hours, Australia's Olympic Committee released a similar but more ambiguous statement, explaining that its executive board had agreed that "an Australian team could not be assembled in the changing circumstances at home and abroad." And the German Olympic Committee joined its counterparts in Brazil and Norway, among other countries, in publicly urging the IOC to postpone the games. 1181570 World Leagues News There’s been no word yet what Major League Baseball will do. Who else might be affected by force majeure?

Advertisers. Digiday has an extended look about how agencies can use What is 'force majeure' and why might sports leagues invoke it during the the clause to get back money that they might have spent on campaigns: coronavirus pandemic? A force majeure clause isn’t a right to terminate a campaign because

coronavirus fears have canceled a sporting event. Rather, it’s an Charles Curtis agreement that if the virus prevents a campaign from running then terms of the contract can’t be fulfilled and the media dollars go back to the March 23, 2020 9:55 am advertiser. In other words, an unforeseeable circumstance like the coronavirus won’t always prevent an advertiser’s campaign from running,

particularly on TV or online where people can still see it. Welcome to FTW Explains: a guide to catching up on and better This sounds like it could get messy. understanding stuff going on in the world. It’s possible, and with so much up in the air about when/if these leagues There was a recent report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that stated will resume play in 2020, it’s possible we won’t hear about “force the NBA “plans” to keep paying player salaries through April 1 as the majeure” being invoked for a little while. coronavirus pandemic continues and the league is suspended during social distancing. FOR THE WIN LOADED: 03.24.2020 But in there, Wojnarowski mentions that the league “left open the possibility of recouping future salaries for canceled games on April 15,” per a memo.

That would be due to “force majeure.” If you’re wondering what that’s all about, we’re here to explain what it means, and what it could mean for sports leagues.

What does “force majeure” mean?

Per a definition from Merriam Webster: “an event or effect that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled.” In French, it literally means “superior force.”

Seems like this is an event that wasn’t anticipated or controlled.

You got it.

So what does that have to do with leagues like the NBA and NHL?

Actually, “force majeure” is a pretty standard clause in many contracts. From the National Law Review

A Force Majeure Clause is a contract provision present in most commercial contracts that excuses a party’s performance of its obligations under the contract when certain circumstances arise beyond the party’s control making performance inadvisable, commercially impracticable, illegal, or impossible. Force Majeure Clauses provide a list of extreme events (generally called force majeure events) that, if they occur, can excuse a party’s performance under the contract. Force Majeure Clauses can vary greatly in language and length; however, many include events like epidemics or pandemics, along with war, terrorist attacks, “acts of God,” famine, strikes, and fire in the list of events excusing overall performance or delay in performance.

What does that mean for sports leagues like the NBA and NHL, who have suspended their seasons?

It could mean they can withhold player salaries. From Wojnarowski’s story:

Force majeure allows for the withholding of 1/92.6 of a player’s seasonal salary per canceled game based upon catastrophic circumstances. …

Players on a payment schedule of 12 installments that began Nov. 15 will have been paid 90% of their salary after the April 1 payments, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. For the players who chose to be paid over the entire calendar year starting on Nov. 15, a projected 60% of their salary will still be owed.

If the NBA exercised the force majeure to reflect missed games now, the league could pay the players later if those games were made up during a later resumption of play.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN earlier this month that players will be paid all three of their final paychecks:

This wasn’t guaranteed for the players when the season was officially put on hold this week. The collective bargaining agreement gives NHL owners the ability to negotiate a different salary level for players in the event that the league “suspends, ceases or reduces operations” in its season due to “a state of war or other cause beyond the control of the League or of the Club.” 1181571 World Leagues News

NASCAR leads the virtual sports charge amid coronavirus outbreak

Kendall Baker

FS1 broadcast a NASCAR race Sunday, and a lot of things felt familiar, from the pre-race prayer and national anthem to camera shots of the leaders and a racetrack lined with billboards.

One big difference: It was a video game. Real NASCAR drivers were behind the wheels, but they were racing on a digital track from the comfort of their living rooms using a platform called iRacing.

How it worked: iRacing is a simulation platform used by everyone from game enthusiasts to professional drivers looking to get extra practice. There's even the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, where the world's best simulation drivers compete in a season for more than $300,000.

The winner: Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. off the final corner to win the race at virtual Homestead- Miami Speedway.

Fun fact: This was Hamlin's 31st victory in iRacing, which is where he was first discovered by Earnhardt long before he became one of NASCAR's highest-paid drivers.

Equipment: Truck Series driver Ty Majeski, ranked one of the best iRacers in the world, competed from a computer propped on a wooden desk with a steering wheel attached, while Hamlin raced barefoot in a $40,000 rig.

The big picture: With "real" sports on hiatus, virtual sports are having a moment, as leagues and media partners get creative in how to reach fans.

Soccer: The top teams in La Liga held a FIFA tournament, with one player from each club controlling their respective team. (Real Madrid, controlled by winger Marco Asensio, ultimately won.)

Basketball: NBC Sports Washington is broadcasting hour-long simulations of the Wizards' and Celtics' previously scheduled regular season games using NBA 2K20 and NHL 20.

Baseball: The simulation-heavy game Outside of the Park Baseball 21 is out this week and is setting records for number of purchases.

Yes, but: While NBA 2K is super realistic (LeBron plays it like its "real basketball" and uses it to test out lineups) and FIFA, NHL and OOTP offer believable simulations, virtual racing comes closer to the real thing than any other sport.

The bottom line: NASCAR, which hopes to do this every week until racing returns, has a golden opportunity to engage sports fans with what very well might be the closest thing to real sports that we have for the foreseeable future.

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