Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips April 4-6, 2020

Columbus Blue Jackets

PAGE 02 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen playing a different tune PAGE 04 The Athletic: How ’s rare NHL feat was forgotten on a memorable night in Detroit

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

PAGE 08 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets camp invitee Egor Sokolov delivers goals, smiles and groceries PAGE 10 The Athletic: Blue Jackets have big plans for young Russians Kirill Marchenko, Dmitry Voronkov

NHL/Websites PAGE 12 The Athletic: The 3 improvements viewers want to see in their NHL broadcasts PAGE 16 The Athletic: Bourne: The key to coaching success? Giving assistants ‘leeway to run things’ PAGE 19 Sportsnet.ca: Could North Dakota be an NHL location if 2019-20 season resumes?

The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen playing a different tune

By Michael Arace – April 3, 2020

Two years ago, Jarmo Kekalainen bought a second-hand piano from Otterbein University. Maybe it wasn’t as good a deal as Seth Jones-for-Ryan Johansen, but, suffice, Kekalainen didn’t get taken. He got a veteran free agent at a below-market price and with a lot of years left on its contract. So to speak. The beautiful, ebony Kawai piano sat, largely neglected, at Koti Kekalainen, until last month when the NHL paused its season in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The Blue Jackets general manager, like everyone else, began sheltering in place. His life took on a different rhythm. Kekalainen rises early, checks his email, calls his lieutenants associate GM Bill Zito, the other bald guy, and assistant GM Josh Flynn, the analytics guy to talk about any developments in the league. They’re constantly watching video of potential free agents, trade targets and prospects. They’re also casting and recasting their roster under different salary-cap scenarios through 2027. And so on. "I try to get some exercise every day," he said. "I go for a run, walk the dogs, take bike rides. I try to make contributions here, making lunch, cooking dinner; I’m not a very good cook, but I try. We watch some movies or TV shows in the evening. "And I’ve gotten back to playing piano." That’s right. Kekalainen, a former hockey player and current sports executive who is famous for his bald pate, steel-blue eyes and monotonic semi-growl, tickles the ivories. The man who would be the Jean Sibelius of NHL GMs is, as they say, classically trained. He spent most of his teenage years studying at the Kuopio Conservatory and took a music degree when he was 18. Somewhere in there was a fleeting thought of flipping tux tails over a piano bench. Instead, he wound up coming over the boards in the old Boston Garden. "My piano teacher wanted me to quit hockey and quit weight training because it stiffened the fingers, or something like that," Kekalainen said. "That’s where my career as a pianist, if you want to call it that I wouldn’t ended. I stayed the six years to complete the degree. It basically allows me to teach. And I did tutor some kids and made some pretty good pocket change." If you have a bass in the basement, a clarinet in the closet or an alto sax in the attic, you’ve had pangs to pick up that ax over the years. Same thing here. Kekalainen has had the Kawai (he doesn’t call it "Leonard") as a lovely piece of furniture for two years. Now, he has the time. "I’ve been practicing about an hour a day," he said. "There’s a lot of classical pieces I’m trying to get back to that I used to play, and I can tell you: It’s not like riding a bike. You’ve got to practice." A piano method by the French Impressionist composer Claude Debussy which Kekalainen had to play as part of an exam is currently on the music stand. "It’s a digital piano, so I can put my headset on and nobody can hear me except for a little tapping of the keyboard," he said. "It feels like a normal piano and I get practicing. And sometimes, when I get good enough at a piece, I unplug and let them hear some. "I don’t know if they’re interested or not; my wife for a long time didn’t believe I could play." Kekalainen’s wife, Tiina, and their two daughters, Emilia and Sofia, are good listeners. At least that’s the story being told here. Domestic tranquility is everything these days. Kekalainen’s shelter-in-place playlist includes Beethoven’s "Fur Elise" "Everyone plays the first part; I want to be able to play the middle part." and "Moonlight Sonata." He’s also a "big fan" of German composer/pianist Florian Christl, the Connor McDavid of modern classical music. Christl has a playoff beard and everything. "Everyone wants to get back to playing," Kekalainen said, referring to hockey. "So, what’s the (playoff) format? I think everyone’s trying to figure it out. I think for the league it would be good to involve more teams. There’s talk about playing for the first overall pick which I think would be great. Imagine the interest it would create within the markets where they didn’t think they’d have any playoffs, playing for the first pick. "Maybe it’s in August (when play resumes). Maybe it’s in September. I don’t know. But if you don’t start the 2020-21 season until November and some teams haven’t played since March that’s not going to be very good preparation to have great hockey next year. Why can’t we start in August and finish off the regular season, and push 2020-21 into November?" NHL hype video theme: Vivaldi’s "The Four Seasons."

The Athletic: How Rick Nash’s rare NHL feat was forgotten on a memorable night in Detroit

By Tom Reed – April 4, 2020

COLUMBUS — When Rick Nash intercepted a Pavel Datsyuk pass and beat Ty Conklin for his third of the game on March 7, 2009, the Blue Jackets captain never lifted his stick in celebration. There were no fist pumps or shouts of joy from Nash on the Joe Louis Arena ice. The group hug, the kind that follows every goal, was also muted. Look at the photo above the headline. Have you ever seen a more subdued group of victorious players skating to the bench to accept congratulations after a goal? Not a single smile. The show of restraint was mainly out of respect for the game and the opponent. It was the Blue Jackets’ eighth tally of an extraordinary night, extending their lead to six goals over the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings. “The score was shocking,” former Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson said. “I remember people coming up to me in the days after saying, ‘Did you really win 8-2 in Detroit?’ Nobody could believe it.” As the final horn sounded, Columbus fans in attendance were spotted taking selfies with the scoreboard as the backdrop. Their team had established new franchise marks for most goals in a game and largest margin of victory at the expense of the hated Red Wings. What fans didn’t realize in that moment is that they had just witnessed NHL history. All three of Nash’s goals were unassisted. In the league’s modern era, dating to the 1943-44 season, only one other player, Maurice “Rocket” Richard in 1948, has been credited with an unassisted hat trick, per the Elias Sports Bureau. Think about all the prolific scorers who have filled the nets over the years. Wayne Gretzky. Gordie Howe. Jaromir Jagr. . Alex Ovechkin. Think about the orgy of goal scoring from the 1980-81 season through the 1995-96 season. Sixty players recorded at least one 50-goal campaign in that dizzying span with Gretzky hitting the mark seven times. Think about all the hat tricks. Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy and Hull combined for 162 three-goal games in regular-season play. Yet in the last 72 years, it’s only Nash who has scored three unassisted goals in a single game — two of them off turnovers from Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, future Hall of Famers. “The longer we’re talking about it, it’s almost more impressive than almost anything I’ve done,” said Nash, who finished his 15-year career with 437 goals and six All-Star appearances. But Nash’s low-key reaction to his third-period goal at The Joe that night set the tone for how the achievement has been remembered. Or, should we say forgotten. It remains one of hockey’s most obscure feats. It’s only fitting Nash is linked to an NHL accomplishment involving no help. He spent the majority of his career playing for the Blue Jackets when they were bereft of high-end talent. His one playoff appearance in Columbus, during the 2008-09 season, came with Manny Malhotra as his primary center. The Blue Jackets in that era were among the most anonymous franchises in professional sports. “The best forward I ever played with is Rick Nash,” said former defenseman Mike Commodore, who played for seven organizations from 2000 through 2012 and won a Stanley Cup title with the Hurricanes. “The things he could do on the ice were incredible. He could dominate on his own. He was big. He could skate. He had great hands.” “He’s a player who doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Part of it is he’s quiet and part of it is he played in a smaller market for so many years.” Nash’s unassuming nature and lack of team success early in his career helped bury his individual brilliance. If Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby had notched an unassisted hat trick, it likely would have earned more exposure. “It’s never really brought up,” Nash said. “I haven’t thought about it in years.” Almost every longtime Blue Jackets fan recalls the game. How could they not? It ranks among the most memorable highlights in a season in which they reached the postseason for the first time. Joe Louis Arena had been a den of doom for the Blue Jackets since they entered the league in 2000. They won just five times in their first 24 trips to the building, with so many losses in the final minutes against a star-studded lineup. It’s why neither Howson nor coach Ken Hitchcock felt particularly comfortable as the Blue Jackets took a 4-1 lead into the third period. “I never felt like that game was in control until it was 6-2 or 7-2 with under 10 minutes to play,” said Howson on a night the Blue Jackets were outshot 46-28. “The Red Wings were so dangerous and they were getting a lot of good chances. (Goaltender) played a great game.” The contest is best remembered by Blue Jackets faithful for its collective effort. R.J. Umberger had a pair of goals. Twelve players registered at least one point. “No lead was safe (and Detroit) always had you on edge,” Hitchcock said. “But on that night, we checked so well and we really frustrated them and they started taking chances.” The victory sparked a 6-1-0 run that propelled the Blue Jackets to the postseason. Among the ironies in Nash’s historic performance is that it’s not even his most memorable hat trick against the Red Wings that season. On Jan. 27, 2009, the winger scored all three goals in a 3-2 overtime victory at Nationwide Arena. “That’s the one I think everyone kind of remembers,” Nash said. Nash woke up in Dallas on the morning of Jan. 18, 2008, and was informed by the Blue Jackets’ media relations staff that he had five requests for television and radio interviews. Hours earlier, he had scored one of the most spectacular goals of the season against the Coyotes, stickhandling the puck around two defensemen like he was Curly Neal on skates. The highlight created a sensation. was in its infancy and the video of Nash twisting and turning past poor Derek Morris and Keith Ballard went viral. It was vintage Nash, scoring a goal with a ridiculous degree of difficulty. It’s how most fans think of him when conjuring his career in their mind’s eye. Which brings us back to March 7, 2009, in Detroit. “I’ll be honest, I had to go on YouTube and look at those goals again,” Nash said. “I remember the Phoenix goal and the one between the legs (against the Blues) and some of the ones in the Olympics and world championships.” If Nash had delivered one of his signature goals in the 8-2 rout, the story of his unassisted hat trick is probably framed in a different light. “I knew he had a monster game, but I didn’t remember it was an unassisted hat trick,” Howson said. The first goal came late in the second period as he deflected a pass by Zetterberg and beat Chris Osgood on a short-handed breakaway to make it 4-0. The second goal calmed Howson’s nerves early in the third period. An errant Red Wings pass in the defensive zone went right to Nash, who whipped a low shot past Osgood to make it 5-1. The third goal closed the scoring and was aided by an unpenalized trip by Malhotra on Datsyuk, creating a turnover in the defensive zone. Nash rarely scored on slap shots, but his drive glanced off a Red Wings player’s stick and eluded Conklin. Many Red Wings fans already had left the building. Only one hat was tossed to the ice by a delirious Blue Jackets supporter, who could not believe how badly his team was drubbing the Red Wings. “After the game, I can remember people asking me if they thought there should have been a penalty called,” Nash said. “I really didn’t care. I just knew it was a big win that ended up giving us a lot of momentum.” Retirement brings time for reflection, especially for a father of three young children. Nash, 35, can tell them stories about his playing days in Columbus, New York and Boston. The kids can hold the international medals that he’s won in their tiny hands. Among his most prized possessions is a trading card purchased by his dad and presented to him as a gift a decade ago. It features the autographs of Nash and Richard. In 2003-04, his second season, Nash scored 41 times, earning him the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, given annually to the NHL’s top goal scorer. (He shared the honor with Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk.) “Every so often I will look at the card and show it to my son (McLaren),” Nash said. “It’s pretty special to be mentioned with Rocket Richard.” In 2009, Nash and Richard were yoked again by history. But six years later, an article published in The Hockey News made a case for that bond to be severed. According to the periodical’s research, Richard unwittingly collected his unassisted hat trick in the Canadiens’ 6-3 win over the Rangers through dubious circumstances. The game, on March 14, 1948, was played at Madison Square Garden, and the only thing at stake was the league’s scoring title. Richard’s teammate Elmer Lach and Rangers forward Buddy O’Connor were locked in a tight race, separated by only one point, with three games remaining in the regular season. Trailing by a goal in the closing minutes, the Rangers pulled netminder “Sugar” Jim Henry for an extra attacker. Lach twice won faceoffs and moved the puck to Richard, who scored two goals into an empty net. Instead of giving Lach a pair of helpers, the official scorer listed Richard’s goals as unassisted, allowing O’Connor to retain his slim lead in the points chase. To this day, Richard is credited with the first unassisted hat trick which, according to The Hockey News, came courtesy of some creative New York bookkeeping. “That’s pretty funny,” Nash said. “I’m not sure I ever heard that story.” Nash gladly would trade his share of the distinction for a happier ending to the 2008-09 season. The Red Wings avenged their embarrassing defeat by sweeping Columbus in the first round of the playoffs. The Blue Jackets’ records for goals in a game and margin of victory have since been broken thanks in part to an outrageous 10-0 win over the Canadiens at Nationwide Arena on Nov. 4, 2016. By then, Nash’s illustrious career was beginning to wind down in New York because of a series of concussions. Last year, he rejoined the Blue Jackets family, and he now works in the front office as a special assistant to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. At some point, his familiar No. 61 is likely to be raised to the arena rafters. Nash still holds all the franchise’s meaningful scoring records. His contributions won’t soon be forgotten. Well, except for maybe one. “When you think of all the great players in league history, and how good Crosby and Ovechkin and (Connor) McDavid continue to be, it’s really amazing (an unassisted hat trick) hasn’t happened more often,” Nash said. “It’s neat to have done it, but it’s really not a big deal if people don’t remember.” Eleven years later, Nash still won’t raise his stick in celebration.

The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets camp invitee Egor Sokolov delivers goals, smiles and groceries

By Brian Hedger – April 3, 2020

Everybody who meets the "Russian Bear" falls for the guy instantly, but especially kids. Those whose families he’s delivering groceries to in Cape Breton, , think it’s the greatest thing in the world, taping signs to their front doors that say, "Thank you, Egor!" or placing his Cape Breton jersey in their windows. This was supposed to be Egor Sokolov’s moment to shine, a time when he would lead the Cape Breton Eagles on a long playoff run in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and boost his draft stock. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic has hockey on hold, and Cape Breton’s "Russian Bear" is delivering for the people in his adopted hometown a different way. Sokolov, a 6-foot-4, 231-pound power forward, is now delivering groceries. "I really wanted to give back to my billet family and the whole Cape Breton community," said Sokolov, 19, who co-led the Blue Jackets’ team in goals as a free-agent invitee during the NHL prospects tournament in September in Traverse City, Michigan. "My billet family owns a (grocery) store here, and they came up with an idea to do that." His billet family includes Ashley and Kyle Ryan plus their 7-year-old daughter, Neico, who has become "a little sister" to Sokolov. Along with Sokolov’s teammates, the Ryans helped their towering Russian "son" learn how to speak English and navigate life in North America. Now, they’re helping him give back by making home deliveries from their store, Foodland. Ashley Ryan has a network set up through Facebook of people who can’t leave their homes because of immune-system disorders. They place orders with her, the food is gathered and Sokolov heads to the store after his daily workouts to get a list of addresses. "I just drop them off on the steps," he said of the groceries. "I’ve seen lots of people waving at me from the window, lots of smiles. Some of the people, I know. They’re some of the billet families of my teammates and they have kids with immune-system problems, so they’re waving to me and I’m waving back." Some are children, similar in ages to his "sister" Neico or Bren Dube, the 6-year-old son of his agent, Bryan Dube, another child who loves Sokolov. Everybody who meets the "Russian Bear" falls for the guy instantly, but especially kids. Those whose families he’s delivering groceries to think it’s the greatest thing in the world, taping signs to their front doors that say, "Thank you, Egor!" or placing his Cape Breton jersey in their windows. Imagine Cam Atkinson or Seth Jones doing the same here. "It just makes me want to give back even more to everyone, basically, for everything Cape Breton’s done for me in the past three years," Sokolov said. "It’s a chance for me right now to give back to everyone, so that’s what I’m trying to do." He’s also trying to get drafted. The QMJHL season was canceled last month, including the playoffs, and the NHL has postponed its draft that was supposed to be held mid-June in Montreal. After going through two drafts unselected, Sokolov has reason to believe the third time may be the charm. Despite turning 20 on June 7, a relatively old age for the draft, Sokolov had a season that could prompt an NHL team to pick him. Groceries aren’t the only things he delivers. Sokolov led the QMJHL with 46 goals in 52 games, adding 46 assists during an impressive 92-point effort. He also had three goals and one assist to help Russia win a silver medal at the world junior championship in the Czech Republic. After earning an invitation to Blue Jackets training camp based on his performance in Traverse City, Sokolov got into one preseason game and had an assist before heading back to Nova Scotia without a contract. The Jackets could have signed him as a free agent but took a more conservative approach. Now, they might have to draft him in order to get him back in the fold. "They just said they were impressed by my performance," Sokolov said. "They just told me they wanted me to get more experience back in the Q this season, playing more games, and I might be drafted by them this year." Skating is the holdup, and it applies to all teams that have scouted him. Quick turns and powerful starts can be difficult for bigger guys, which is why Sokolov decided to return to Nova Scotia last summer to work with skating coach Jill Plandowski in Halifax. Sokolov benefited from it and earned another fan in Plandowski, whose husband, Darryl, is the head amateur scout for the and whose 16-year-old son, Oscar, is a defenseman for the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders. "He made huge gains, but to be honest … whoever drafts him, I’d love to chat with them because a lot of the stuff he’d just never been shown before," Jill Plandowski said. "So there’s upside because of that. I work with a ton of NHL guys, so I know there’s going to be even more upside once he gets drafted, just because there’s so much he hasn’t done yet." Off-ice training to add explosiveness to his starts, for instance, plus more skating work to improve his posture. Those are things Sokolov can improve. One thing that won’t change, however, is his easygoing approach to life. "He’s just that kind of person," said Plandowski, who grew accustomed to the sight of Sokolov’s smiling face and booming voice. "If he’s met you, he’s your friend." Maybe your grocery delivery guy, too.

The Athletic: Blue Jackets have big plans for young Russians Kirill Marchenko, Dmitry Voronkov

By Aaron Portzline – April 3, 2020

COLUMBUS, Ohio — From the red line back, the future already is the present for the Blue Jackets. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski will need new contracts in 2022, but they should be the bedrock of the blue line for many years to come. The Jackets will need to decide between goaltenders Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins, but there’s no hurry. It’s the forward ranks that are in the early stages of metamorphosis. “The speed of the game, and the skill level required at that speed, is increasing every year,” Jarmo Kekalainen said. “We have a lot of guys who work hard, but just looking at the offensive numbers … we have to produce more offense, so we’re not in these 2-1 games every single night.” The Blue Jackets brought Alexandre Texier and Emil Bemstrom to Columbus for their first taste of the NHL this season, and speedy Eric Robinson became a fixture for the first time. That’s three rookies or 25 percent of the forwards. Liam Foudy is expected to be a lineup regular next season. He was plucked out of the junior ranks to play two NHL games this season and did not look out of place. The Blue Jackets already have two other big arrivals scheduled, both from Russia. Arrival 2021-22: Dmitry Voronkov Voronkov is a ramrod center. He’s expected to fill out at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, but he already plays a physical, relentless game. The most frequent NHL comparison from scouts is none other than Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner, whom Voronkov may one day supplant as a third-line center in Columbus. “He’s an overwhelming presence against his peers right now,” one NHL scout said. “The next step, obviously, is to do it against grown men.” Voronkov plays like an old-school third- or fourth-line NHL player, but he could play as high a second- line role on the right team. In the IIHF World Junior Championships this year, he had 3-4-7 (with 16 penalty minutes) seven games. He was named as one of Russia’s three best players on the team that won a silver medal. “If you look ahead four or five years,” one scout told The Athletic. “You can see (Pierre-Luc) Dubois, Texier, and Voronkov down the middle, in some order, in Columbus. Pretty good.” Voronkov’s contract with Kazan Ak-Bars of the KHL runs through next season, and the Blue Jackets believe he’s headed to Columbus after that. “Voronkov is a power forward, plays physical and aggressive, finishes every check,” Kekalainen said. “You can’t miss him.” Arrival 2022-23: Kirill Marchenko Marchenko slid to the second round (No. 49 overall) in 2018 because of uncertainty about his NHL future. Most teams believed he had first-round talent. “We probably wouldn’t have drafted him if we didn’t think he wanted to come,” Kekalainen said. “We didn’t know at that time if he wanted to come right away or take his time, but we knew he wanted to come to North America eventually.” The Blue Jackets got an answer earlier this season. Not the ideal answer, perhaps, but at least some clarity. Marchenko signed a two-year contract extension with the KHL, hoping he’d mature enough in Russia to make a seamless jump to the NHL, avoiding the minor leagues. “He’s going to play two more years in the KHL,” agent Mark Gandler said, “and then he’s coming to Columbus. “You will enjoy him in Columbus, big time.” Marchenko is a bona fide, first-line talent. He’s 6-3, 190 pounds, but the next two years should only help his musculature. NHL comparison: Filip Forsberg. “He was a string bean when we drafted him,” Kekalainen said. “He still needs to fill out, but he’s got that frame. He’s tall. He’s got the big mitts. He’s going to be a pretty big man once he fills out. He’s a pure finesse player, with size and reach.” Marchenko was a KHL regular for the first time this season, earning “rookie of the week” honors three times. In 31 games with SKA St. Petersburg, Marchenko had 7-9-16 and six penalty minutes and a plus- 16 rating. He’s expected to play a bigger role next season. “He’s the type of player that literally every NHL team can use,” Gandler said. “He has size, speed, hands, great IQ. He can shoot, defend, block shots, play defense … he’s a great all-around player. “He’ll develop nicely in Russia the next two years. There are two other NHL draft picks (Vasili Podkolzin of and Ivan Morozov of Vegas) who were on his line this season, and they should be playing higher next season.” The Blue Jackets rely on European development coach Jarkko Ruutu to stay in touch with Voronkov and Marchenko, but another Blue Jackets’ staffer will start preparing Marchenko to make the adjustment from KHL to NHL. Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov was a teammate of Marchenko’s on SKA St. Petersburg before he came to Columbus last spring. Gavrikov said he’ll see Marchenko frequently this summer, provided the global coronavirus pandemic allows for much interaction this summer. “Kirill made a good decision, I think, to take two more years,” Gavrikov said. “He’s smart. He’s so fast. He’s a really good player, lots of skill. But he needs more experience, and this is better for him (to stay in Russia). For sure it will help him. “But I’m sure we’ll talk about Columbus. I know how to answer his questions now. For sure I will help him.”

The Athletic: The 3 improvements viewers want to see in their NHL broadcasts

By Jonathan Willis – April 3, 2020

On Wednesday, we unveiled the results of our NHL TV survey, a ranking of the 31 local broadcasts. It was only possible because of the thousands of you who took the time to give us your specific thoughts on every market in the majors. What breaking the survey down on a team-by-team basis misses, though, are the general improvements fans want to see across the industry. In reviewing every submitted ballot, three key trends stood out. Greater diversity There’s a comment which consistently showed up in virtually every market: a complaint about the lack of significant roles available to female and minority broadcasters. “I don’t like how some male broadcaster teams treat women broadcasters,” wrote one Wild fan. “These women are not stupid they don’t need men to explain to them how the game works or interrupt them while they are trying to speak. A lot of these women are Olympians … “Just this week I heard a male broadcaster joke that women don’t watch NHL games unless they find the players attractive. It’s just blatant sexism that goes unchecked because the sports world is unbelievably white and male. Newsflash women are a growing demographic not only watching hockey but attending games and buying merchandise! One sure-fire way to combat the misogyny in sports broadcasting is to HIRE MORE WOMEN!” The league’s television rights holders have been moving slowly in that direction for years. In 2006, Cassie Campbell-Pascall became the first woman to do colour commentary on “Hockey Night in Canada.” This year, for International Women’s Day, both NBC Sports and Sportsnet covered an NHL game with all- female crews. Women and persons of colour still make up a tiny fraction of the in-game voices around the league, but several broadcasters have had success by raiding the top ranks of international women’s hockey. The Islanders’ use of A.J. Mleczko and was well-received locally, as was San Jose’s decision to occasionally run a three-person booth with active player . The really critical thing for viewers is that whoever is calling the game or offering commentary be able to do the job. Across the league women in hosting, studio and rink-side roles have shown that they should get a chance at more significant posts, especially given how many underperformers there are across television broadcasts. After heaping praise on the work of former Colorado and Vegas rink-side reporters Lauren Gardner and Alyson Lozoff, a Golden Knights fan offered their opinion. “Don’t diversify to check the diversity box,” they said. “Do it because the people truly know the game.” Lozoff, who moved to the same role in Anaheim over the summer, was also praised by Ducks fans. One, after adding to that chorus, wondered how it was possible for so many women to be doing good work in the studio or in rink-side roles with so few handling in-game play-by-play or colour. “Why are there so few women in hockey broadcasting?” this fan asked. “How long until a woman does play-by-play or color commentary? So many washed-up NHLers with no personality doing ‘commentary’ — there has to be at least one retired female player with more charisma out there.” While our Ducks voter overlooks people like Campbell-Pascall and Coyne Schofield, they’re right in pointing out the comparative lack of women in either of the two regular in-game roles. In compiling the survey, I listed the regular play-by-play and colour voices on each local broadcast (along with two national ones); 98 percent of those voices were male. That number would have improved if it included studio analysts and rink-side reporters, but nevertheless, it’s so lopsided that it’s hard to reconcile with the notion that the league is finding the best possible broadcast talent in every market. The NHL is full of retirement-age play-by-play men, and no matter how beloved those institutions might be, when there’s a slip in the accuracy of the call fans notice. On the colour side, some commentators earn wide dislike in their home markets, being perceived as badly biased even locally, or worse just out of their depth as analysts. As broadcasts look to refresh those positions, they’re going to reach into the ranks of young up-and- coming broadcasters. A significant share of our respondents want to see that effort include the kinds of voices who’ve rarely been given a chance at hockey’s highest level. Show all the on-ice action This might seem obvious: the hockey game being played is the raison d’etre for the entire production. Somehow many broadcasts around the NHL manage to occasionally forget this fact. A common complaint across the NHL: cutting to the live action only after the faceoff. “Get people in the broadcast truck who know the game,” suggested a respondent from Columbus. “So many times something is going on and the broadcast is showing some generic shot and they miss many faceoffs.” It’s not remotely unique to Blue Jackets games. Viewers across Canada and in the United States grumbled about their specific broadcasts going so long on the replays that they ended up cutting in after the faceoff. Many seeming to believe it was unique to their market. The complaints about missing action weren’t solely limited to replays, either. “One general complaint I have that may seem small but really bugs me is having the camera focus on the goalie skating to the bench when being pulled and the play is going on,” wrote a viewer. “Just tell us, or include a graphic saying goalie pulled for anyone who’s hard of hearing. Don’t miss the play. It’s also annoying when we miss faceoffs because we’re still watching replays, especially offensive zone ones. I know I’ve missed the odd goal off the faceoff because of it.” Cities like Boston and Colorado, where the screen was frequently shrunk in favour of a ticker or bulletin, finished near the bottom of the rankings in part because of the diminished product. Showing the game is an elementary first step, but viewers also expect the commentators to stay focused on it throughout. Finding the balance between friendly banter and off-topic digressions isn’t easy, but it’s certain that television viewers notice when a broadcast team veers too far in one direction. A voter in Detroit broke down the balance nicely, noting that a quality commentator can either describe the action in its totality, as a radio announcer, or take a minimalist approach based on the notion that the people listening are also watching the game. “I can appreciate either style of announcing, but it seems like half the time the broadcasters are telling anecdotes while the game is in play!” they concluded. “Someone will be skating through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick and we’ll get: “Larsen first started peewee when his grandma bought him Bugs Bunny skates blah, blah, blah …” This is distracting. Actively degrades my experience. Worse than nothing.” The television experience can certainly be elevated by cheerful banter, interesting stories, imaginative graphics and both well-selected and frequent replays, but they shouldn’t overshadow the primary obligation of any production: showing the game being played. Offer real insight into what’s happening in the game The job of providing colour commentary is more difficult than it might seem. An analyst not only has to breakdown key plays on the spot, but needs to do so accurately, while providing context or insight that the fan at home watching the play doesn’t have. Largely viewers want to see two types of explanation take on a larger role in modern broadcasts: analytics and detailed tactical explanations. “More actual breakdown analysis, less-personality driven commentary,” said a Boston viewer, describing what they wanted to see a broadcaster do. “Actual statistics used, not plus-minus.” Statistical suggestions tend to take one of a pair of forms. The use of more complicated analytics to support narratives was encouraged by many readers, reflecting the shift in traditional print hockey coverage that we’ve seen over the last decade. Yet simple descriptive statistics are part of the puzzle, too. “A shift duration counter for an individual player or prolonged offensive zone time by a team would be nice,” wrote a reader in Vancouver, offering some practical suggestions. “A shot speed counter/radar gun that is attached to the score bug would be nice if a shot registers above a certain speed.” “Some more analytic stats would be nice,” suggested a respondent in . “Not making fun of analytics would also be nice.” Numeracy isn’t necessarily a skill that every TV tandem has. Nor is it the only way to explain the game. Many hockey fans would happily settle for analysis that simply does a better job of answering the question of why the thing that just happened, happened. “I think there needs to be more statistical analysis and play breakdowns by professionals,” wrote a viewer in Edmonton, offering a general comment on broadcasts around the league. “When coverage shifts because a pass goes cross-seam and that means the backdoor opens, I think both hockey and non- hockey players would appreciate it. “Also, instead of pointing out how hard a defenceman battles in his zone, maybe also bring up the point that they can’t make an outlet pass and tend to get ruined by elite lines? Calling someone a hard-nosed D-man is often just a way of saying that they have no puck skills.” The general tone of the comments suggested that the method any given commentator used didn’t matter very much. The key thing was that the lifelong expert sitting in the analyst chair made use of that long experience to provide insight. It’s what the best in-game analysts in the business manage to accomplish. “ is great at pointing things out but also gives the why and how and the details behind it,” said an Oilers fan, explaining with appealing simplicity why so many viewers appreciate TSN’s lead colour commentator. Taken together, the three commonly suggested improvements work arm-in-arm. Fans want broadcasters and teams to give opportunities to the best people, regardless of what they look like. They want those people to delve beyond superficial analysis, explaining not what just happened but why and how it transpired. Most of all, they want a product dedicated to its primary function: showing and calling everything that happens on the ice.

The Athletic: Bourne: The key to coaching success? Giving assistants ‘leeway to run things’

By Justin Bourne – April 4, 2020

I get the impression that to the average fan, an assistant coach is a coach who hasn’t yet reached head coaching status. That they kinda scuttle alongside the boss, weighing in on decisions when that coach can’t make up his mind. It definitely feels like the general public would see assistant coaches as sort of interchangeable, as they don’t have a visible effect on a team’s win/loss total at the end of the season. If nothing else, we certainly wouldn’t know where to begin quantifying who’s a good one and who’s a bad one. The answer there is that certain guys with certain skill sets only suit certain coaches. A good assistant to one coach might be a bad one to another. There’s a reason head coaches want to hire their own guys. To pull it back to the big picture of coaching staffs in general, a coaching staff is not, in fact, a head coach, then two or three other guys who sometimes get asked for their opinions. The jobs are very dissimilar. Some guys are better suited to do one job than the other, though surely they all aspire to be head coaches (because, hey, money). It’s actually surprising we aren’t aware of at least a few assistant coaches who don’t even aspire to be head coaches. The jobs are that different, and I think were the titles not as they are, we might not see one as a step on the ladder to become the other; rather, as part of a different ladder entirely. In most cases, assistant coaches are very much “boots on the ground.” When there’s an issue with a player’s play, they’ll stay out after practice and work on that one detail with that one player, mano a mano. They’ll bring their laptop from the coaches office into the dressing room to sit with individuals to point out little fixes. Many of them spend more time in and around the room, sipping coffee and chatting, talking with the guys and learning what they need to know from them on a more personal level. You don’t see head coaches do that as much because it would be a mostly futile endeavor. Most players just clam up and put on their shiniest team-first faces for the head coach, like a lot of people do for their bosses. Assistants can at least claim middle-man status, which makes them safer. Head coaches have to make bigger, top-down decisions about the lineup and address the bigger concept of how they want the team to play (and, in-season, how they want the team to change). They’re also in much more of a position to ask for more out of players they think have more to give. It’s not necessarily good cop/bad cop with head coaches and assistants, but players are definitely handled differently by the two. I’d say assistants tend to offer more specific in-game tweaks, whereas head coaches are able to address heavier topics like effort or commitment. Furthermore, the workload is often divided so the head coach can focus on those big-picture things like structure or the body of work of specific individuals, as opposed to the day-to-day minutia. Almost every team has an assistant focus on the execution of one side of the special-teams battle, though the head coach would have the ultimate say and would generally make the call on what the actual personnel on each unit would be. The trick for a head coach is to trust his assistants to do all the work that goes into coaching a team each day. I’m talking about … • helping that rookie work on that offhand one-timer he keeps fanning on. • helping that new call-up get up to speed on the systems in all zones. • sorting out the line that doesn’t like playing with one another. • taking the time to explain the day’s drills to the player whose English isn’t great. • doing scout work on the opposing PK if they run their team’s power play. • talking to the player who hasn’t smiled in a week about what’s going on. • encouraging certain players to try something different on their zone entries. As I said, they’re boots on the ground, in the dressing room and gym, focusing on special teams, in the video room and on the ice. There are few days when a good assistant coach isn’t busy as hell at the rink. It obviously varies team to team and person to person, but the more effective assistants I’ve seen have been busy. So the more head coaches allow their assistants to handle (even when those things aren’t going well), the more they can focus on the bigger-picture things that really matter. Those who want to control everything end up having control of very little because they can’t really commit themselves to any one thing. I thought it was interesting to hear directly from the league’s most recent Stanley Cup champion head coach (who’s also been fired before, so he’s seen both sides) on the role, on how he views the division of labor. On Monday’s “Hockey Central,” I was able to ask Craig Berube about coaching staff roles, and he perfectly highlighted his views and how they’ve changed over the years. “Every coach is different. … This is how I do things, and I’ll just give you how I view things. I never did this my first couple years with the Flyers — I probably didn’t do enough of this: I didn’t give my assistants enough leeway to run things, to do things for me. I probably should’ve given them more, I probably should’ve let them handle more stuff than myself, and I could’ve focused. … I think as a head coach, for me, focusing on players individually and their play and their compete level and work ethic is probably, for me, the most important thing as a head coach. You gotta get your players to compete at a high level and play hard at a high level. If you don’t, you will not win in this league — there’s no way. And you can go back — (Brian) Burkie can tell you when they won in Anaheim how hard they played, how competitive that team was. So, my assistant coaches run everything, all the tech packs and the special teams and things like that. They do a magnificent job, these guys. I’m very fortunate to have three guys that work for me that played a long time in the NHL that really understand the game. As a head coach, I really focus on, one, my leadership group and, two, individual players — what they need to do better to get better, get young guys to compete harder to play harder, all those things like that. I focus on those things, so there’s a lot of meetings that I have with players, a lot of communication that I have with players on a daily basis about their game and things like that. And then, obviously, I oversee the team game and how we’re playing as a team, making sure we’re putting the team first, putting the team ahead of the individuals and things like that. So that’s how I do things. Everything’s handed out to my assistant coaches. They do all that work, you know; I handle players, personnel, that kinda thing.” Things that stand out in that answer to me: • He wishes he handed out more responsibility to his coaches in Philadelphia. You can understand how that would happen as a first-time head coach. • He wants to be the guy who directly addresses players when he wants more out of them. • His assistants do, in fact, handle a lot. You can see how important good assistant coaches would be to a head coach. More specifically, you can see how a head coach would want assistant coaches who do things the way they like, given they can only spread themselves so thin. That reality is why I am curious to see what happens with Sheldon Keefe’s staff in Toronto. In my experience as a part of his staff with the Marlies, I saw how heavily he leaned on A.J. MacLean and how effective they were in establishing a program together that helped them reach their league’s pinnacle. By all accounts, the Leafs are happy with all of their coaching staff, but they’re more open to creative solutions than most teams, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they made an effort to get Sheldon a guy who was an integral part of how he ran things in the minors. That thought just comes from knowing how the best coaches have to know that to properly oversee the bigger machine, you have to trust others to handle many of the individual parts. You can see how some people would be better suited to one role — that of the head or that of the assistant coach — than the other. Some people are better with bigger concepts, some people are better being more hands-on with the day-to-day minor fixes. It’s not surprising to me that the defending Stanley Cup champion has found success with a group of guys to whom he’s comfortable farming out important parts of the work. And while one or more of those assistants might one day be a very good head coach (Mike Van Ryn stands out in that regard), some of the best and most important coaches in the league are best suited just one step to the side of the direct spotlight.

Sportsnet.ca: Could North Dakota be an NHL location if 2019-20 season resumes?

By Elliotte Friedman – April 5, 2020

Let’s preface this with the fact that, at this time, we’re all just guessing at return-to-play timelines — but the NHL and NHLPA are beginning to spitball scenarios as to where remaining 2019-20 regular- season/playoff games could be held. One location that’s been mentioned: North Dakota. Several sites would be necessary, but Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D., makes sense. Host of the 2005 World Junior Championships, the 2016 World Under-18s and the NCAA’s Fighting Hawks, it is an impressive facility that is definitely more suitable than many other available non-NHL options in the United States. Obviously, nothing is imminent. Hotel availability in Grand Forks would be a challenge. We also don’t know about travel scenarios, necessary logistics, or if the state itself would be willing to host such an event. But the area makes sense because of the arena, the likelihood of games being played without fans and North Dakota’s relatively low population density (only Montana, Wyoming and Alaska have fewer people per square mile). It is expected that the NHL and NHLPA will discuss other locales this week. It’s never wrong to explore your options, regardless of what eventually happens. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported Friday that the NBA was considering putting all of its playoff games in Las Vegas. The Mirror reported Sunday there is a “tentative agreement” for the Premier League to return in June, with games played behind closed doors. The league and players must agree on any return-to-play scenarios. The players are very concerned about the potential of 35 per cent escrow on future paycheques, and whether or not the NHL will consider allowing that to be paid over multiple years. (CBA discussions are believed to be taking place.) Now, however, there is nothing but time to work on these issues.