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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 5/10/2020 Flyers 1184269 50 years later, remains gracious, humble, and 1184295 Former Flyer knows NHL is trying to stay incomparable 'open-minded' about 2019-20 1184270 Childhood memories of the Bruins are still fresh — even if 1184296 2020 NHL draft profile: Hendrix Lapierre could be a steal it was a half-century ago for Flyers if injuries cause him to drop 1184271 NHL focused on getting the game back up and running 1184272 Paul Kenney got a sneak peek at Bruins history 50 years ago today 1184297 Penguins A to Z: Jake Guentzel could get a second 1184273 NHL owners, players have will to return to play, but is chance there a way? 1184298 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Ben Sexton 1184274 This Date in Bruins History: powers retires B's sweep of Canadiens 1184299 Ron Cook: With every step forward, a reminder of how far 1184275 The Big, Bad Bruins are once again must-see TV, this away we are from normal sports time in NHL documentary 1184300 Evander Kane reveals secret behind Joe Thornton's 1184276 Looking for a good book? The News' sports staff has massive on-ice legs some suggestions 1184301 Sharks' Evander Kane pushing NHL players to show more 1184277 Sabres Mailbag: Will a salary-cap crunch prevent roster personality improvements? 1184302 Sharks' Brent Burns reveals hilarious stories on family RV 1184278 Vote on the semifinals to decide best Sabres team in adventures franchise history Maple Leafs Flames 1184303 Mixed feelings around hockey about holding NHL draft 1184279 Flames' Monahan hopes to spend dog days of summer on early quest 1184304 Marc-Andre Fleury featured again in NHL’s Greatest 1184280 Chambers: Nashville comes in No. 1 in my top NHL cities Moment bracket 1184305 11 players who weren’t quite Golden Knights 1184306 Golden Knights roster review: 1184281 NHL faces plenty of issues in planning return to games Websites 1184308 The Athletic / Wheeler: Why Jan Mysak is one of the 2020 1184282 Former Star ranked among best right wings in NHL Draft’s top forward prospects the NHL’s expansion era 1184309 .ca / ‘The big boys came to play’: How Oilers secured the 1987 Stanley Cup Red Wings 1184310 Sportsnet.ca / Michael Buble on being a Canucks fan: 'I've 1184283 Griffins goalie Pat Nagle comes 'full circle' with GM Steve been in love my whole life' Yzerman 1184311 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Luongo unsung hero of 2011 vanquishing of Blackhawks Oilers 1184284 Not much room for Oilers to Jets sign players 1184307 The Athletic’s 2.0 ‘Best Play’ tournament: The final round 1184285 Minnesota team owners will lead way as sports start to World Leagues News return 1184312 President Trump congratulates UFC for restarting sports 1184286 Could NHL hold draft before Stanley Cup Final is played? 1184313 Revitalised Hamilton reveals problem with closed-door F1 races Canadiens 1184314 Kevin Love's first workout back at Cavs' facility during 1184287 Video analysis of what the Canadiens can expect from coronavirus hiatus was 'odd' but 'uplifting' Alexander Romanov 1184315 NFL prepared to adjust 2020 schedule based on how coronavirus develops 1184316 Report: MLB Eyeing Early July for Start of 2020 Season 1184288 became unlikely conduit to my Islanders 1184317 Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wants NFL to reopen all team fandom facilities at the same time 1184289 Return of was a big lift for , his 1184318 Is it wise for sports leagues to return this soon from the younger brother coronavirus shutdown? 1184290 NHL return-to-play plans have been narrowed to two 1184319 What if college football returns from coronavirus, but not scenarios, source says every school joins in? The situation could just get 1184291 passed the 'C' to Denis Potvin before SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 Islanders' first Stanley Cup triumph 1184292 Tom Webster, former Rangers and Kings coach, dies at 71 1184293 Catching up with Rangers’ superstar Artemi Panarin 1184294 NHL return-to-play plans have been narrowed to two scenarios, source says 1184269 Boston Bruins Orr, 18 when he arrived, roomed for years with Frosty, the two sharing apartments in Nahant, Lynnfield, Peabody, and the Prudential Center, prior to Orr getting married and finally telling his good pal he would have 50 years later, Bobby Orr remains gracious, humble, and incomparable to find his own digs.

“He sued me for that,” Orr said. "He said, ‘You’re throwing me out!’ I said, ‘C’mon, Frost, I’m getting married, for crying out loud!' ’’ Kevin Paul The breakup didn’t last forever. In the months before he died, too ill to May 9, 2020, 12:31 p.m. live on his own, Frosty moved back in with the Orrs.

It was the morning of May 11, 1970, after awakening at the team- designated playoff hotel in Lynnfield, when Orr first saw the famous Ray It will be a quiet Mother’s Day for Bobby Orr and wife Peggy. Fifty years Lussier picture that captured him flying through the air after knocking the after shaking down the thunder on Causeway Street with his Stanley puck between ’s pads. Cup-winning in , the great Bruins defenseman will be at his winter home in Florida, heeding the social restrictions necessitated by the “My dad was there, and he had a copy of the [Record American] when I coronavirus pandemic. came down for breakfast,” Orr recalled, noting that he met Lussier later. "That was the first time I saw it. I never thought I’d see the picture so Orr frequently conjured up magic on the ice during his Hall of Fame many times.” career, but some things are beyond even the great No. 4’s vast, unworldly powers. A photo in the next day’s Globe captured Orr, amid a swarm of players and fans on the Garden ice after the game, hugging the legendary Hall, “I wish we could do a lot more, but it’s pretty quiet down here,” said Orr, who was then age 38 and a true netminding warrior, a three-time Vezina who lives in Jupiter. “When this all started, we decided to stay in Florida Trophy winner. to sit it out down here. There isn’t a lot going on. Hall, 88, still owns the NHL record of having played 502 consecutive "Maybe I’ll go outside, hit a couple of golf balls, and walk around the games in net, a mark that Orr continues to marvel over. neighborhood. We’re just trying to be very careful.” “Glenn Hall played [502] consecutive games . . . won Stanley Cups . . . I Orr, 72, chatted for some 40 minutes in a Zoom session Wednesday mean, he’s one of the great, great of all time,” said Orr, morning with a small of media members who cover the Bruins on chuckling. “Poor Glenn, this is now what they want to ask him about, a a regular basis. Typical of Orr, he only briefly, yet politely, touched on goal? questions that focused directly on his play, accomplishments, and legacy. "I mean, it’s terrible. Glenn was one of the greatest. Imagine, without a As in his playing days, he treated praise like a puck, moving it quickly off mask, and playing [all those] games in the NHL. Amazing! And they want the end of his stick. to talk about me and the goal. That’s just wrong.” Exhibits A and B: the two statues of Orr, one in wood and the other in The puck that Orr put in the net, along with the stick that banged it home, bronze, to be found in and around the Garden. Most players end careers are arguably the greatest sports heirlooms in the city’s history. Both with merely their names recorded on team rosters and stat sheets. remain in Orr’s possession, the puck coming his way as a gift from the Orr, who won two Cups in Boston (1970, ’72) and redefined how wife of former club owner . defensemen factored into offense in the NHL, has the twin life-size pillars The rest of his gear from that game, noted Orr, was ruined in the days of praise destined to stand in the Hub in perpetuity. after his retirement. The family’s then-live-in babysitter owned a cat that, “To see them is very nice,” said Orr, who arrived in Boston in the fall of unbeknownst to anyone in the house, fashioned a litter box out of Orr’s 1966 as a ballyhooed rookie from Parry Sound, . “I can assure equipment bag. you, growing up, I didn’t think one day I would have a statue in front of “All of it, gone,” he said. . I can assure you that didn’t happen. The Bruins of that era remain one of the city’s cherished memories. They "I did dream about being on a Stanley Cup team and skating around were joyful, brash, bold, and talented, with Orr the biggest name of the Boston Garden, following the Chief [John Bucyk] around with the Cup bunch. They were rock stars, unique in personality and skill, yet still fun, high over head. So I am honored to have those. Never thought it would welcoming, and approachable on the street. happen. I thank everyone who was involved in getting that done.” “We didn’t hide away,” said Orr. "We were out there in the public. And we He said life is OK, albeit not absent the residual aches and pains to be had a lot of characters. A lot of fun. expected after an array of surgeries the last two years, including a pair of knee replacements, one hip replacement, and a shoulder rebuild. "We played hard. Fans knew when they came to a game they were going to get an honest effort from everybody. That’s what they expected. So The worn-out knees and hip were direct costs of playing the game that that’s what we gave them.’’ made him famous. The shoulder was the consequence of a trip over a “welcome” mat at home. Age and gravity, forever unrelenting A half-century later, and for who knows how much longer, they remain coconspirators. the gift that keeps on giving.

“I have some aches, I creak a little bit," he said. "I play a little golf. I try to Boston Globe LOADED: 05.10.2020 walk 4-5 times a week. I feel fine.

“When I get up in the morning, I certainly have to stretch and so on. But, hey, I played a tough game. I played a different style, so it’s to be expected. You see a lot of hockey players that are having issues in later life.

"But good surgeons put me back together and I am enjoying my grandkids and playing a little golf, a little fishing, a little exercising. Everything is good.”

Orr made a of remembering an array of Bruins, including ex- teammates and club managers, who have died over the years and therefore aren’t part of the ongoing tribute to the ’70 Cup team. He repeatedly mentioned “Uncle Milt” — former center, coach, and general manager — and , the former defenseman, coach, and GM. Ex-players Gary Doak, Ace Bailey, , and Billy Speer were in Orr’s thoughts, along with the lovable Dan Canney and John “Frosty” Forristall on the training staff. 1184270 Boston Bruins Walter Cronkite ended every nightly broadcast with, "And that’s the way it is …''

That's the way it was. Childhood memories of the Bruins are still fresh — even if it was a half- century ago Fifty years ago.

Boston Globe LOADED: 05.10.2020

Dan Shaughnessy

May 9, 2020, 1:11 p.m.

Fifty years ago . . .

Did I just say that? Did I actually just start a sentence with fifty years ago?

You never think it will happen to you. It’s something your dad would say. Or maybe an uncle. Or a granddad.

On May 10, 1970, a Mother’s Day Sunday just like this year, if somebody started a sentence with “50 years ago," they would have been talking about May 10, 1920, when 100 women took ill with ptomaine poisoning after a church breakfast in Melrose.

When you are 16 years old in 1970, you are never thinking about the past. You are thinking only about today and tomorrow. You have a baseball game Monday and you could use a couple of hits to boost your batting average.

You are working a nine-hour shift scooping ice cream because you’re going to need $25 for the junior prom ($10 for the ticket, $10 for the tux, and $5 for the corsage for Joanie McGovern). You wish you already had your driver’s license and you’d maybe like to boost that first set of SAT scores.

Oh, and in 1970, if you live in New England, you think about the Boston Bruins and Bobby Orr. All the time.

The vaunted Celtics just got through winning 11 championships in 13 seasons. The Red Sox made it to the in 1967, but Yaz hasn't been the same, and Lonnie blew out his knee skiing, and whiz kid manager Dick Williams didn't even make it through 1969.

The Patriots just went 4-10 and have a coach (Clive Rush) who was almost electrocuted by a live microphone at his introductory press conference. The Patriots will be moving their games from Boston College to Harvard Stadium this year, but they still stink. (This is 1970, and you get a week in the cooler if you say they “suck.”)

So on May 10, 1970, it’s all Bruins. You know everything there is to know about the 1969-70 Bruins. You will grow up to be a sports columnist for and you will fly to three times in two weeks in 2011 and you will get to walk on the cold ice and touch the Stanley Cup when the Bruins win Game 7.

But you will know almost nothing about that team compared with what you know about the 1970 Bruins. In 2011, you struggle to spell “Krejci.” In 1970, you know that and are two of ’s fourth-liners. You know Gary Doak and Bill Speer.

It is because of the Bruins that you discover the UHF loop antenna on that tiny black-and-white TV in the den. It’s decidedly low-definition. It’s difficult to pick up the puck on that 12-inch screen with the snowy reception, but you don’t care because it’s Bobby Orr and the Big Bad Bruins. You find yourself humming that Channel 38 pregame ditty, “The Nutty,” not even knowing it is rooted in Tchaikovsky.

The Bruins are skilled, tough, rowdy, and most of all, they are fun. They score tons of goals. They win almost every fight. Pie McKenzie is always hurling himself into the boards, Espo parks his big butt in front of the net, and Cheesy keeps adding stitches to his fancy facemask.

Derek Sanderson is the epitome of cool with his Nehru jackets and sweep checks, but Orr is the biggest deal of all. The high school girls love Bobby Orr and the boys want to be him. Orr is before there is Tom Brady, and in storybook fashion, he scores the winning goal in the Stanley Cup Final, in overtime, at the Garden — flying through the air with arms and stick raised after potting the puck. On Mother’s Day.

The moment is downright statuesque — the single greatest Boston sports play — unfolding in a long-ago America when trusted news anchor 1184271 Boston Bruins Canadiens in the East; Canucks, Wild, Coyotes, and Blackhawks in the West.

Make of all that what you will. For your faithful puck chronicler, it remains NHL focused on getting the game back up and running a Goose Gosselin-like stretch to the far post to think that a minimum 500 players could report for work, get in shape for three weeks, and then battle as many as 8-10 more weeks while in what would have to feel like Kevin Paul a military-boot-camp situation. Oh, and avoid getting sick.

May 9, 2020, 9:28 a.m. All of it, mind you, against the backdrop of some 78,000 COVID-19- related deaths in the US and another 4,500 in Canada as the weekend

approached. It’s one great sport, hockey, but it’s not impervious to the Nearly two months after the NHL went dark because of the coronavirus reality that there’s a killer on the road and many players have sweet pandemic, the Bruins last week finally announced plans to refund money, families at home to consider and protect. or offer credit toward the 2020-21 season, to fans holding tickets for the Nonetheless, at league headquarters in New York, the work goes on, the final six scheduled games at TD Garden (March 14 through April 4). cause endures, the hope still lives, and the Zambonis stand ready to roll That was mighty good news. Fans, some with their wallets thin because if there’s a clear path to return. It may sound like a dream to some of us, of virus-related furloughs and job losses, had grown impatient, if not but for now, the business of hockey focuses on one thing: the business of desperate. It may take a few weeks for the books to get settled on hockey. Causeway Street, but everyone who wants their dough will get it. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE On a broader scale, the league has yet to make public how it intends to Garden workers to get relief move forward, be it with the remainder of the regular season, the 2020 , or the start of 2020-21. The virus, and the absence of a vaccine With ticket refunds and credits now being issued on Causeway Street, to treat it, remains in control of an open-ended schedule. look for upward of 1,500 affected idled workers (a.k.a. associates) at TD Garden to start drawing down any day now from the $1.5 million pot that As of Sunday, the league has been in mothballs for 60 days. If we were Bruins ownership finally agreed to set aside in the weeks following the all living the standard NHL lifecycle with the Stanley Cup awarded on, start of the lockdown. say, June 15, we’ve now reached the equivalent of approximately Aug. 15 on the players’ rest-and-recovery timeline. Mid-August is when all Three separate groups of associates will receive checks from Delaware hands eagerly anticipate the start of September training camp in a mere North, including the concessionaires (Sportservice), as well as 3-4 weeks. Dandy. At the moment, no one’s got a clue when we’ll see employees of the Garden and the Bruins. hockey next. The hot dog-and-beverage folks make up nearly two-thirds of the 1,500 Murmurings around the league late in the week indicated the NHL soon, associates, with the remaining positions spread across the Garden and quite possibly this coming week, will take at least the first big step and Bruins, that latter group with the fewest drawing from the relief package. determine how to treat the remaining games of 2019-20, what amounts to roughly 15 percent of the regular-season schedule. It could bite the If all 1,500 workers drew evenly from the pot, it would work out to roughly bullet and render the games lost (i.e. canceled), but it’s more likely the $1,000 per employee. It’s expected, however, that everyone will receive first step will be to announce that the games, if in fact ever played, will be a reduced base payment, while select others are awarded substantially held with no fans in the stands. more, based on such factors as length of service and number of events worked. The first “tell” here in the Hub was the announcement regarding the Bruins’ refunds. Club owner , chairman of the NHL’s As noted here weeks ago, not all event-related workers will be Board of Governors, didn’t decide to hand back money without guidance compensated. Specifically, security and cleaning employees will be from the league. excluded because they work for companies not owned by Delaware North. With the decision to leave the stands empty, Step 2 is the final disposition of those regular-season games. Headed into the weekend, Security guards and cleaners can seek recourse, if any, with their the league still was orchestrating plans to set up four large quarantine companies, which have contracted with Delaware North as vendors. shops to play games at NHL rinks around — ideally two PARADE OF STARS buildings in Canada and two more in the . Boston went Cup crazy Originally, the working concept had all 31 teams reporting for duty and then playing out the schedule, each of the league’s four divisions staging Late morning on May 11, 1970, Bobby Orr stopped at the Garden before games at the assigned arena. Each rink would hold three games a day heading across town to join his teammates for the joyous Cup parade over the course of three weeks, ultimately leaving all teams with their 82- that would snake its way down Washington Street for the grand finale at game season completed. Voila. City Hall.

And then, on to the playoffs, possibly with the same four rinks still The convertible carrying Orr, by the way, also included teammates John employed for the first round or two of postseason play. Adams, Don Marcotte, and Billy Speer.

As the weekend approached, however, another rumored scenario had it Prior to the parade, Orr that morning on Causeway Street was awarded that the league indeed would acquiesce and abandon the remainder of the as the playoff MVP. Teammates , the regular season and head directly to the playoffs. Keeping in mind, of John Bucyk, and were in contention, but Orr’s “Flying course, that any return-to-play scenario first would include upward of Bobby” Cup-winner 40 seconds into overtime of Game 4 sealed the three weeks for a “preseason” training camp. Smythe.

Given that it’s now Mother’s Day, the earliest we would see a real game The MVP award, which came with $1,500 cash, lifted Orr’s trophy would be the first week of June, some 90 days post-lockdown. earnings to $6,500 for the season, and completed the only trophy grand slam in league history, a feat that has not been repeated 50 years later. In the let’s-get-right-to-the-playoffs scenario — again, this is all spitballing He also received the Hart Trophy as league MVP, the Norris Trophy as — the postseason would open with 24 teams, rather than 16, chasing the the game’s top defenseman, and the Ross Trophy as the season’s Cup. The seven teams holding the worst records through games of leading scorer (33-87—120). March 11 would be finished for the season. Today, the same four-trophy motherlode would bring the recipient $1 The clubs missing out, working from the bottom of the standings up: million — $250,000 per trophy. If you are doing the math at home, that’s Detroit, , San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, , and 154 times as much as Orr pocketed. Buffalo. The handsome Orr, 22 and single, shared an apartment in those days The eight “added” playoff teams, those who were out of the playoff mix with trainer Frosty Forristall. A constant array of young women in the as of the morning of March 12: Islanders, Rangers, Panthers, and crowd of 100,000-plus jumped into Orr’s car. The lead photo in the May 12 morning Globe captured a seemingly startled Orr getting a huge hug liners to adapt their game and actions around Orr’s forays. Sounds basic, from one of the female admirers who scrambled into the car. right? If only we saw more cohesive brilliance in today’s game.

Diane White, who later became one of the Globe’s most popular Hockey is best when the five-man unit plays, well, like a unit — on both columnists, filed the May 12 news report on all the doings, including defense and offense, the individual and intricate parts meshing in Johnny “Pie” McKenzie pouring a pitcher of beer over the head of Mayor harmony. Kevin White. Coaches at all levels have lost that mind-set over the decades, driven by “They touched them as their cars inched along Stuart and Washington the belief that it’s better (read: easier) to get everyone to play the same Streets,” she wrote. “They grabbed at them and kissed them and tore off way. Players are afraid to play outside the box, and therefore stop pieces of their clothing for souvenirs.” thinking outside the box, a mind-set established from the time they first strap in the blades as mites. Orr, wrote White, smiled upon occasion, but was for the most part subdued, to the point of looking scared. Orr was an artist, the singular greatest force the game had ever seen to that point. His play was a Michelangeloian blend of skill, instinct, “Most of the Bruins,” added White, “looked a little frightened by the creativity, courage, and intelligence. enthusiastic but sometimes out-of-control crowd. A few of them looked frightened by the fact it was the morning after.” We have yet to see another Orr. Maybe there won’t be another. But we are left to wonder, how many brilliant little candidates have walked into ETC. rinks around the world over the last 50 years and been told to shape their Time to try something new? games around the safest, least imaginable game plan?

One of the NHL’s major incentives to get the game back on the ice, Hockey a thinking man’s game. At least until the man is told there’s no ideally at the four designated arenas, is to provide programming for its room for think in the rink. TV rights-holders, including NBC and NBC Sports Network here in the Loose pucks United States. The NHL’s Board of Governors met last Monday to chew over the idea of The longer people must sit home during the pandemic, the greater their still staging its amateur entry draft in June, despite the fact that it earlier appetite for live sports programming. The league very much would like to announced it scrapped the draft scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal. feed a starved audience and perhaps pick up new viewers for the Expect to hear more about it in the coming week and expect the league Original 31. to push hard for owners and managers to OK it to be held as a virtual As Bruins president Cam Neely pointed out during his recent virtual town event — similar to the recent NFL Draft. Ideal? No. One bugaboo, just for hall meeting with season ticket-holders, empty arenas would provide the an example, would be how to resolve conditional trades that are NHL and its TV partners the ability to try some new broadcast twists to contingent on how teams finish in the playoffs. At this point, it’s quite present the game. possible the playoffs won’t even have started in June. More debate necessary, but it’s likely held in June . . . Provided the league remains Specifically, the absence of fans in the stands would allow cameras to be committed to restarting play in June or July, there is no way free agency mounted just a few rows off the ice in the lower-bowl seats, and perhaps can keep its standard July 1 start. Ditto for the annual two-week June along the top of the glass that surrounds the boards. In both cases, buyout that normally triggers two weeks prior to the start of UFA . . . cameras in those locations typically would obstruct fan view. , the best Boston bench boss since Sinden, was about to turn 5 years old when Orr potted the big goal. “It may have been on Even closer to the action, league broadcast executives also have toyed television,’ recalled Cassidy, who grew up in Ottawa and became a huge with the idea of embedding cameras directly into the boards, or perhaps Bruins fan. “So I could have seen it, but I don’t recall watching it or what I mounting them directly behind the boards with lenses shooting the action was doing at the time.” Cassidy did clip the picture of Flying Bobby out of through small portals drilled into the boards. the Ottawa Journal and stick it on his bedroom wall, and had it there for The famous picture of Bobby Orr potting the OT winner in the 1970 Cup years . . . Your faithful puck chronicler asked Orr this past week if he had Final had Record American photographer Ray Lussier shooting in a any pictures of his hockey heroes hanging on his walls as a kid growing corner at the west end of the building, his lens peeking out through holes up in Ontario. “I am sorry to say this, but I was a Toronto Maple Leaf fan,” drilled into the plexiglass specifically for the use of news photographers. he said. “We lived in a small town, Parry Sound, and every Saturday Most NHL arenas today still employ the method of placing holes in the night I would go with my grandpa Orr and watch the Maple Leafs play. I glass to facilitate cameras. was a and Allan Stanley [fan], you know, defensemen. I was a big fan of theirs.” The Leafs last won the Cup in the spring of ’67, the Another option, one that would necessitate the rank and file to sign off, end of Orr’s rookie year. How different the landscape of the NHL, and the would be to have small Go-Pro-like cameras attached to the players’ fortunes of the Leafs, would have been if the Leafs, and not the Bruins, helmets. The players have worn cameras during recent All-Star events been the first to sponsor Parry Sound and thus claim playing rights to Orr and some of the shots have been dynamic, particularly in conveying the in 1962. speed and force of the game. Boston Globe LOADED: 05.10.2020 Westfall had Orr covered

Bruins winger Eddie Westfall, on the ice May 10 for Orr’s game-winner, will turn 80 in September and still regularly pilots his six-passenger plane around the country from his “home” airports in southern Florida and .

“Just not right now,” explained steady Eddie, reached the other day at his winter home near Naples, Fla. “It’s in for a heart transplant — new engine. A couple of weak cylinders.”

Harry Sinden, coach of the ’70 squad, made a point during his conference call this past week that the reliable Westfall dutifully covered the right point as Orr pinched down to combine on the winner with — thus refuting the long-held narrative that Orr’s gamble left the Bruins vulnerable to a breakout.

“I always remind Orr,” said the ever-gregarious Westfall, “ ’Hey, Bobby, if it wasn’t for guys like me protecting your ass all the time, you wouldn’t have had the chance to run the net.’”

All meant in good humor. But it’s worth remembering, Sinden not only prompted Orr to attack, he coached his forwards and his other back 1184272 Boston Bruins There was a mosh-pit scrum in the middle of the ice, so I figured if anyone was ever going to notice me, I’d go down to the corner at the opposite side of the Channel 38 camera.

Paul Kenney got a sneak peek at Bruins history 50 years ago today The next morning, there I stood, adorned in my long Derek Sanderson- Proof of being there in black and white on Page 1 like sideburns, beaming high, wide, and handsome in glowing illegality with me and Bucyk forever frozen in a black and white ink-dotted pose.

My regular route walking to school always took me past the “legendary” PAUL KENNEY | Dorchester bakery, The Avenue aka The Sudan, and as I walked by one of the neighborhood mothers, Mary Nee, who worked at the store, May 9, 2020 at 8:36 p.m. beckoned me in.

She said, “Paul, I want to shake your hand. The only people I know on Paul Kenney, 67, describes himself as “OFD” — Originally From the front page are either dead, or they’re murderers!” Dorchester — and for the last 34 years has lived in Milton with his wife I remember her words like they were uttered yesterday. Carol and daughter Alex. He works for Mass DOT as a Program Coordinator in District 6. Kenney says every May 10, a smile crosses his My 15 minutes of Warholian fame didn’t end there. About six weeks later face at the memory of one of the greatest moments in Hub history, Bobby Sears and Roebuck issued a 16-inch commemorative ceramic mug with Orr’s 1970 “flying goal” against St. Louis that broke a 29-year Stanley the front page photo stenciled on. I currently own five. Cup drought for the Bruins. Here is his recollection of that day and its aftermath. And now, a half-century later, I am happy to report that I am in good health, and still smile whenever the thought of that May 10, 1970, I’m the kid. Mother’s Day pops into my head.

The photo that appeared a half-century ago on the front page of the May As Paul Harvey used to say; “Now you know the rest of the story. 11, 1970, Monday morning edition of the Boston Herald Traveler shows a picture of Bruins slowly skating around the Boston Boston Herald LOADED: 05.10.2020 Garden ice with “Lord Stanley,” the Stanley Cup trophy, cradled in his arms resting against his right shoulder.

Standing within three feet of that scene, making sure not to impede his progress, was yours truly applauding in wide-eyed tribute for the B’s first hockey title since 1941.

It was Mother’s Day, May 10, and outside Boston was a sweltering 91 degrees. But in the air condition-less, old smoke-filled barn, lovingly known from Lenox to P-town as “The Garden,” it was a sultry cauldron filled with high anticipation for the Cup clincher against the St. Louis Blues.

To highlight how different things were in the pre-cellphone era of 50 years ago, the No. 1 song in America was “American Woman” by the Guess Who, President Richard Nixon was halfway through his first term, the median price of a house in Boston was $23,600, and the Woodstock Festival had happened just eight months prior.

I was a 17-year-old high school senior, living on the top floor of a Dorchester three-decker, who attended all the Stanley Cup games at the Garden.

How, you ask? Simple.

The routine began in the cigarette-littered Garden lobby where, like in the TV show “Cheers,” everyone knew the scalpers, and that included the cops, and these ticket entrepreneurs were also wired into the ushers who manned the Garden entrances.

It worked this way: you forked over $2.50 to one of these “ticket expediters” and in return he handed over a ticket stub from a previous game. Then you marched up to the third level, stopping at the usher on the far left who was guarding the turnstile. You handed him your stub saying simply, “This is from Jimmy” and voila, you were another addition to the announced capacity of 13,909.

There was no assigned seat mind you, but that was merely a minor inconvenience to watch a team that 50 years on is still revered as the greatest cast of characters to ever grace the Boston sports landscape.

You either sat at the top of the stadium steps behind one of the nets, or stood behind the last row on the sides of the stadium, watching with a permanent stoop in order to see the part of the ice that was partially obstructed by the balcony overhang.

Occasionally, an usher would venture by and broom us away, but we simply moved to another location in a caravan of puck-worshiping nomads.

For the Cup clincher, the scalpers really cleaned up, doubling the price to an astronomical $5.

When Bobby Orr scored his iconic cup-clinching overtime goal, I and hundreds of others swarmed out onto the Garden ice for a closer look at our beloved “Big Bad Bruins.” 1184273 Boston Bruins Who will feed them? Someone will have to wash their clothes, not just their uniforms, but the clothes they wear when not at the arena.

If is up and running at the same time, how will NHL owners, players have will to return to play, but is there a way? regional TV scheduling conflicts be addressed?

Can it be done is a the real question That shouldn’t be a problem for national TV if the are taking place from July 24 through Aug. 9. NBC was supposed to be televising the then, so there should be plenty of TOM KEEGAN programming slots available. Despite the strange vibe that comes with no fans in the stands, ratings likely would be great. Even sports fans new to May 9, 2020 at 5:27 a.m. hockey might tune in and get hooked.

Unlike in baseball, where the owners and players would have to Nobody questions the will of both the players and owners to award a renegotiate contracts in a way that motivates both sides to want to return, Stanley Cup at some point this summer, but is there a way? that’s not a problem with hockey. The players and owners work under a salary cap with what’s known as a “true-up of revenues.” That’s a far tougher puzzle to solve. Still, the NHL’s “Return to Play” committee continues to meet by phone and Zoom and whatever means So they’re joined at the hip. necessary to attempt to tackle forever-in-flux issues, a task not unlike Say a player has a $1 million salary. If the revenues fall short of trying to catch the wind. anticipated, after all the salaries are combined together, the player might The discussions start with basic questions: Can we resume play? How? end up only getting $850,000. Or, if revenues end up being more than When? Where? And they discuss the problems with each. anticipated against the dollar level that’s in a player’s contract, he would get a check for more money than his salary. In the early years of the Can they resume play? Not yet. salary cap the latter scenario tended to happen, but for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the weakening of the Canadian dollar, How? By skipping the remaining regular-season games and having 24 that hasn’t been the case in recent years. teams in a playoff tournament, with the bottom teams among them playing their way into the field, according to Larry Brooks of the New York So it’s good that the two sides don’t have to argue over how the money Post. will be divided. Normally, that would be considered a big hurdle, but these are not normal circumstances. When? Too early to say, but getting later by the day. That brings us right back to where we started. There’s a shared, strong Where? I’ve been told that the most recent flavor of the day has centered will to return to play NHL games, all right, but is there a way? on having the games played at anywhere from two to four host cities. Boston Herald LOADED: 05.10.2020 The first problem: How to transport players from all over the globe to the host cities. What travel restrictions must be overcome? At the moment, anyone entering Canada from another country, including the United States, must quarantine for 14 days. So if training camp is 10 days, don’t you actually need to block off 24 days before playing a game? The quarantine rule could be lifted soon, but what does “soon” mean, and does it mean permanently lifted?

And then there is the issue of testing the players, referees, stadium- operations staff, club officials, etc., for the coronavirus. Which tests will they use? Do we even know if there are any reliable tests on the market? Anecdotal evidence makes me ask that question: Facebook friend and former USA Today baseball writer Mel Antonen, battling COVID-19 for weeks, posted Sunday, two days before he was taken to the emergency room: “Getting negative and positive tests, but the way I feel, the negatives feel more accurate. I’m going to be fine, but there are glitches.”

New disease, new tests, new possible treatments, a lot of learning as we go. What applies today might not tomorrow.

In the early stages of the virus invading the United States, NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci, said during a video interview with USA Today: “You don’t need to be walking around with a mask right now. Masks, quite frankly, are more important for people who are infected to prevent them from infecting someone else.”

That thinking has changed, and to go out in public without one now in some places is to put oneself at risk of getting fined, not to mention being on the receiving end of dirty looks. I went for a walk Friday and was carrying a mask, ready to put it on if I came within 10 feet of another walker. A masked man from across the street spotted me, stopped dead in his tracks, made an exaggerated sign of the cross and said a prayer for me. Since his lips were covered with a mask, I couldn’t read them, so I’ll have to guess: “Dear Lord, please give this ignorant slug the courage to table all common sense and take his every marching order from the authorities. If there is one thing we don’t need at this time, it’s people thinking for themselves.”

Hockey players won’t be required to wear masks on the ice, but will they have to wear them when walking from their hotel to the arena? What might someone who recognizes have to say to him that he could use as fuel for that day’s game? If the hotel is too far, surely gathering in the close quarters of a team bus wouldn’t be allowed, right? Will each player rent his own car and get to and from his workplace that way? And after the game is played in an empty arena, where several teams per day will play, is showering out of the question? Will they have to walk or drive back to the hotel in uniform to shower there? 1184274 Boston Bruins

This Date in Bruins History: Andy Moog shutout powers B's sweep of Canadiens

Erin Walsh

May 09, 2020 12:01 PM

There are few things better than watching the Boston Bruins shut out the in the Stanley Cup playoffs - and doing it to cap a four-game sweep to boot.

In fact, Andy Moog's shutout of the Habs in Game 4 of the Finals on May 9, 1992, may be one of the most satisfying B's victories over their archrivals. The battle in goal between Moog and Montreal's was one for the ages, but Moog and Boston's offense prevailed in a 2-0 shutout of the Canadiens.

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This was the first time the B's had swept the Canadiens in a best-of- seven playoff series and it couldn't have ended any better. Moog stopped 26 shots in the finale and posted a .922 save percentage in the series.

Of course, this wasn't the last time the Bruins shut out the Canadiens in the playoffs. A four-game B's sweep happened again in the 2009 East quarterfinals. Boston has actually seemed to have Montreal's number the past few seasons.

Although the B's swept the Habs in the division finals, the Pittsburgh Penguins swept Boston in the conference finals to move on to the . Moog was... not great in that series, posting a .830 save percentage.

Even though they lost in the conference finals, the sweep of the Canadiens will never be forgotten.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184275 Boston Bruins “take care of” Quinn. Orr declined the offer, saying: “We’ll get him on the ice.” The Bruins swept the Maple Leafs in four games.

• Hodge had a great way of describing that Bruins team: “Cocky, arrogant The Big, Bad Bruins are once again must-see TV, this time in NHL and we backed it up.” documentary • I miss the Boston Garden. MacMullen explains her experiences as a child going to a few Bruins games each season and how she loved it. My Joe McDonald parents would get the family tickets for one game each season after Christmas. My sister, brother and I knew we would get tickets, but each May 9, 2020 year the opponent was the big surprise. We had incredible seats every year that were right on the glass in the Bruins’ end.

• Something crazy to thing about: Orr was only 22 years old when the It never gets old. Bruins won the Cup in 1970. He also won his third consecutive Norris Bobby Orr flying through the air after he scored the Stanley Cup-clinching Trophy. overtime goal against the St. Louis Blues at the Boston Garden is one of • In the 1970 semifinals against the Blackhawks, Esposito registered nine the most iconic moments in all of professional sports. points against his younger brother, Tony, who was a rookie goalie for Sunday marks the 50thanniversary of that incredible moment from May . 10, 1970, and the Bruins celebrated the event over the past week with • After 50 years, Sinden finally explains why he started the third line of Orr, Harry Sinden, Derek Sanderson, Johnny Bucyk and Gerry Cheevers , Sanderson and Eddie Westfall. Let’s just say Esposito sharing memories. was not happy. Either way, it took only 40 seconds for Sanderson to The stories were incredible. Many of them have been told in the past, assist on Orr’s game-winner. The rest is history. while a few new ones surfaced from that legendary team. Well, thanks to The Athletic LOADED: 05.10.2020 NHL Network Originals, fans can relive that magical season with the debut of “The 1970 Bruins: Big, Bad & Bobby,” which premieres at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on the NHL Network.

We saw a sneak preview of the documentary, and it does not disappoint. The footage and interviews are well done and exciting and will certainly bring back memories for fans.

Dropkick Murphys founder Ken Casey, a longtime Bruins fan, serves as the narrator and adds an authentic voiceover. Other notable locals, including , Jackie MacMullen, Denis Leary, Kevin Paul Dupont and Howie Long provide their memories of the 1970 Bruins.

That band of hockey brothers was considered must-see TV back in the day, and after watching the documentary more than once, it’s easy to understand why the Big, Bad Bruins electrified the city and its fans.

Without spoiling it, here are a few of my favorite highlights from the documentary:

• When Orr arrived as an 18-year-old rookie in 1966, coach Harry Sinden described the player’s arrival in Boston as a “sense of new hope” for as once-struggling organization that had gone 29 years since its last Stanley Cup.

• Orr is as humble a superstar you’ll ever meet. He always likes to point out that the Bruins finished in fifth place the season before his arrival, then in sixth place during his rookie season.

• The Bruins lacked an identity before they acquired Phil Esposito, and Fred from the for , and on May 15, 1967. Along with the newcomers, it didn’t take long for the Bruins to finally find their Boston- themed, blue-collared identity.

• Then there’s Derek Sanderson, the 21-year-old rookie best known as “Turk” to his teammates and fans. On the ice, he was the original rat — long before Brad Marchand. Off the ice, the brash Sanderson was popular everywhere he went. He won the Calder Trophy in 1967-68 as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. There are some cool photos in the documentary of Sanderson bartending at the old Daisy Buchanan’s, the bar he owned on Newbury Street.

• Orr suffered his first of many knee injuries during the 1967-68 season and was forced to miss 17 games after surgery. He returned but the Bruins lost in the quarterfinals to the Canadiens. Orr won the Norris Trophy or the first of eight times.

• Esposito scored 35 goals and added 49 assists for 84 points in 74 games during 1967-68, but Sinden wanted more and challenged the alternate captain to increase his production. No. 7 responded in a big way. He scored 49 goals and added 77 assists for 126 points in 1968-69 and became the first player in history to surpass the 100-point mark in a season. He won the Hart Trophy that season.

• It’s hard to forget the Maple Leafs’ knocking out Orr with a thunderous body check in Game 1 of the quarterfinal series in 1969. As Orr later described, a few “sketchy men” asked him if he wanted them to 1184276 Buffalo Sabres "The Match" by Mark Frost. Historical retelling of the big-money match in 1956 between two of golf’s top pros – Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan – against top amateurs Harvie Ward and .

Looking for a good book? The News' sports staff has some suggestions "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach. Fictional novel that follows the fortunes of Henry Skrimshander and his career playing college baseball with the fictional Westish College Harpooners. Staff Writer • • • Sun, May 10, 2020 Rachel Lenzi

"A Civil War: Army vs. Navy" by John Feinstein. As a child of Annapolis, I As the coronavirus pandemic continues and Western New Yorkers are dust off this book every year during the week of the Army-Navy football forced to stay home with only so much Netflix that you can possibly game. It doesn’t just recall the 1993 game, but also what leads up to one watch, The Buffalo News' sports department has created a virtual book of the most heralded traditions in college football and the stories of some club. of its key players, coaches and administrators. It also examines one of the most tumultuous times in the history of the United States Naval Here are the favorites sports books from our club and why we Academy: the school was rocked by a cheating scandal; three recommend them: midshipmen were killed in a car accident less than a mile from campus; Mark Gaughan and midshipmen were involved in a major drug sting in the Baltimore suburbs. “The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics” by David Wallechinsky. This book can be widely found on the resale market, with 2000, 2004, "Tropic of Hockey" by Dave Bidini. Author literally goes around the world 2008 and 2012 editions. It is an amazing almanac of the Games, with to find hockey. Each stop in each region brings a new discovery. He finds short passages about each major event. The author packs amazing facts a hockey rink on the eighth floor of a mall in China; he finds first-time into each passage. Hitler made a pass at the U.S. winner of the 100 players enthralled with the sport on the Arabian Peninsula; and he scours meters at the ’36 Games. The first female 100 meters winner was newspapers to find some sort of NHL coverage while he’s abroad – in “discovered” running for a train. And on and on. fact, he finds a story on Buffalo’s 3-2 win against the Rangers in March of 1999 in the International Herald Tribune. He even finds a photo of a 15- “The Other League. The Fabulous Story of the American Football year-old Jaromir Jagr in a rink in Transylvania. League” by Jack Horrigan. This coffee table book was written by the late, great, former PR chief of the Bills. I practically memorized it when it came "Journeyman" by Sean Pronger. For every and Mario out in 1970. It’s not a comprehensive history. It’s out of print, and hard to Lemieux in the NHL (and there aren’t a lot of them), there’s plenty of find. As a substitute, I recommend “Going Long” by Jeff Miller, a well- players like Sean Pronger. He tells the story of being a hockey researched, straightforward oral history of the AFL. journeyman: fourth-liners and role-players who bounce from team to team, from league to league and sometimes from country to country to “Golf is Not a Game of Perfect” by Bob Rotella. This is the gold standard pursue a pro career. Pronger, the brother of former NHL defenseman book on the psychology of golf, published in 1995. There are so many , shares stories that will make you laugh out loud and also great ideas in it. Have a conservative strategy but a cocky swing. Short make you understand why some continue to chase a living in the game. game practice should take up 70% of your time. Allow yourself seven mistakes a round. Keep a “hot streak mentality.” Have an improvement • • • plan and stick to it. And on and on. Mike Harrington • • • "Emperors and Idiots: The Hundred Year Rivalry Between the Yankees Jason Wolf and Red Sox, from the Very Beginning to the End of the Curse" by Mike Vaccaro. From Babe Ruth and Harry Frazee to Zimmer-Pedro and ARod- "Not A Game" by Kent Babb. Terrific biography on Allen Iverson by my Varitek, the longtime New York Post columnist and St. Bonaventure buddy at The Washington Post, who traces the path of the former 76ers graduate puts a century of baseball's greatest modern-day rivalry under star from Virginia to Philadelphia to Turkey. Iverson never agreed to an the microscope. Lots of stories around the epic confrontations of 2003 interview for this book, and that somehow ends up making it even better. and 2004 that I was lucky enough to cover for The News.

"Undisputed Truth" by Mike Tyson and Larry Sloman. Brutally honest and "The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College entertaining autobiography of the youngest heavyweight champion in the Basketball" by John Feinstein. A winter in the Patriot League is quite a bit history of boxing. different than a season in a conference the likes of the ACC. Dating to the classic "A Season on the Brink" that followed Bob Knight and "The Best American Sports Writing." This anthology has been published Indiana, Feinstein made this genre his own. This one has lots of local every year for three decades. They’re all exceptional. ties: Holy Cross' Chris Spitler, a St. Joe's grad, is a central character and • • • the league season ends at the 2000 NCAA Tournament in Buffalo, as Lafayette practices in the Koessler Center and coach Fran O'Hanlon is Lance Lysowski then frustrated on gameday by HSBC Arena security demanding to see his court credential while not bothering big-name coaches like Temple's "The Good Son" by Mark Kriegel. A fast-paced biography on former John Chaney. lightweight champion boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. After Mancini defended his title with a TKO, his opponent, Duk Koo Kim, suffered a • • • subdural hematoma, and died four days later. Vic Carucci "The Game" by . An incredible look at life in the , centering around the Montreal Canadiens in the "When Pride Still Mattered" by David Maraniss. There are many books by the Hockey Hall of Famer . A must-read for anyone about Vince Lombardi, but this is one of the better ones. Really good interested in the sport. insights and stories about what made him tick.

"Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of " by John Branch. "Namath" by Mark Kriegel. A good look at the life and career of one of You’ll never look at fighting in hockey the same after reading this the more fascinating figures in sports. compelling tale about Boogaard, who played six seasons in the NHL "Belichick" by Ian O’Connor. As strong and detailed a look at the life and before he died at 28 years old from an accidental drug and alcohol career of the smartest and most successful coach in NFL history. It does overdose while recovering from a concussion. an excellent job of explaining what shaped his thinking and approach to • • • the job, and it accounts for all of the scandals with which he has been involved. Jay Skurski "Collision Low Crossers" by Nicholas Dawidoff. Inside look at the Rex player and broadcaster. Among the many entertaining passages is his Ryan Jets coaching staff. You can roll your eyes, but there’s plenty of take on the "play-by-play" he did on that Meat Loaf record. interesting behind-the-scenes material of how NFL coaches do their jobs. • • • • • • Miguel Rodriguez Milt Northrop "Summer of 49" by David Halberstam. Baseball fan. Yankee fan. Enjoy "The Last Pass: Cousy, Russell, the Celtics and What Matters in the reading history and loved behind the scenes glimpse of Yanks-Sox rivalry End" by Gary M. Pomerantz. Cousy and Holy Cross basketball was huge and players who made it tick during that thrilling pennant race. Like the in New England when I was a kid, especially after Crusaders won 1947 anecdotes. Learned of ' disdain for soft-throwing lefty Eddie NCAA championship in his freshman season. How he got to Holy Cross, Lopat by reading that book. after his career at Andrew Jackson High in NYC and his remembrances of his college career got my interest. I was not a Celtics fan in his years "Pinstripe Destiny: Story of the 1996 " video. Loved there, but in encounters with him after with the Royals and behind the scenes of the Yankee team that ended the long World Series Boston College, I found him to be real decent guy. Book addressed drought and the stuff going on with Joe Torre off the field with his ill Cousy's "racial guilt" over his dealings with Russell, but Russell was a brother, etc. complicated person. Nonsports. "Batman Superman Enemies and Allies" by Kevin J. "Hang Time: My Life in Basketball" by Elgin Baylor and Alan Eisenstock. Anderson. Two iconic comic book heroes. Two of my favorites. Loved the Saw Baylor play against in MSG when I was in college. It fact author reworked a couple comic/cartoon stories (think World's was in the old Holiday Festival when it was eight-team tournament. Finest) into a period piece (World War II) with Russians somehow having Baylor was amazing for a 6-foot-5-inch center. Seattle won the game, kryptonite to keep Superman prisoner and Batman basically doing what and UConn went on to beat NYU and Pittsburgh in the consolation round. Batman does, saves him and ends up teaming with him to save the day. Interesting was his background as a high school star in Washington, • • • D.C., when schools there were segregated. Saw him play in NBA in person only one or two times after injuries had taken their toll. First game Steve Trosky Randy Smith started for Buffalo in 1971-72, he was lined up as a small "Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream" by H.G. Bissinger. forward against Elgin. Don't think that's in the book. A nonfiction book that follows the story of the 1988 Permian High School "Play by Play: Calling the Wildest Games in Sports – From SEC Football Panthers football team from Odessa, Texas, as they made a run towards to College Basketball, The Masters, and More" by Verne Lundquist. the Texas state championship. It was later adapted for television and Interesting insight into a career of veteran and very professional sports film. broadcaster. He was easy to listen to and a great partner with a guy I got "When the Game Stands Tall" by Neil Hayes. De La Salle High School in to know a little, Bill Raftery, on NCAA basketball. My favorite broadcaster Concord, Calif., is home to perhaps the greatest dynasty in sports of all time was Marty Glickman, though. "Good like Nedick's." history. Coach Bob Ladouceur launched a legend, "The Streak," and his • • • teams amassed the highest winning percentage in football history with 151 consecutive victories. This book takes readers behind the scenes, Mike Pesarchick closely following individual players, including former St. Joe's football “Imperfect: an Improbable Life” by Jim Abbott. Uplifting story of the coach Derek Landri, in the 2002 season. former major league pitcher's life and his famous no-hitter in 1993. "Heart of the Order" by Thomas Boswell. Boswell of The Washington “First Down and a Billion” by Gene Klein (former owner of the Chargers) Post hits a grand slam with this classic collection of heartfelt and and David Fisher. It’s a look at the humorous side of owning a football humorous pieces on our nation’s pastime. Boswell showcases those team before Klein sold to the Spanos family and retired. players, past and present, who deserve a spot on the All-Star team for their talent and their “governing passion for excellence.” • • • Buffalo News LOADED: 05.10.2020 Adam Duke

"Basketball (And Other Things)" by Shea Serrano. A light-hearted series of bizarre questions about basketball, answered by Serrano in detailed arguments, with fantastic illustrations throughout.

"The Crazy Game" by Clint Malarchuk. Malarchuk’s memoir reflects on his time in hockey, but more importantly, his struggles with mental health and stress.

"The Little Red Book of Baseball Wisdom" by Wayne Stewart. The Little Red Book is a compilation of great quotes from prevalent figures in baseball history with a quote that can be related to nearly any situation.

• • •

Jim Wojtanik

"Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig" by Jonathan Eig. The story of one of the team's most iconic players been told many times but not with this much stunning detail, from replacing Wally Pipp to his sad demise. And that's what makes this stand out from other literary works about him.

"If These Walls Could Talk: New York Yankees, Stories from the Dugout, Locker Room and Press Box" by Jim Kaat with Greg Jennings. Kaat pitched in the majors for 25 years, including very briefly with the Yankees, and served as the team's TV analyst for more than a decade. He spins many tales here of players and principals in the Steinbrenner- Martin era.

"Scooter: The Autobiography of Phil Rizzuto" by Carlo DeVito. Local boy makes good. The Brooklyn native is arguably the most colorful man to ever be affiliated with the team. He spent parts of seven decades as a 1184277 Buffalo Sabres the issue, though. Hutton had a .887 save percentage in 25 games following that impressive start to the season.

Save percentage can be a deceiving stat because it doesn't take into Sabres Mailbag: Will a salary-cap crunch prevent roster improvements? account the quality of chances faced or bad luck. Hutton hinted to the media that something was going on "behind the scenes" that affected his play, although he would not elaborate. Lance Lysowski It's fair to wonder if a change in scenery would help Hutton, particularly to Sat, May 9, 2020 a team that plays a more structured defensive game. Teams will be interested. He's a respected leader in the room and is capable of being

an outstanding No. 2 goalie. The tricky part is Hutton's $2.75 million cap In a surprising turn of events, the National Hockey League has reportedly hit for next season, and who replaces him? discussed a return-to-play scenario in which the Buffalo Sabres would Jonas Johansson isn't ready for a full-time NHL job and Botterill might not compete in a 24-team playoff to determine the Stanley Cup champion. be able to spend much in free agency. Sportsnet's wrote Thursday in his '31 Thoughts' column @KT_Rogue: What is the worst approach the Sabres could take to the that one NHL executive called such a format "unfair." The criticism is draft? merited since the Sabres are tied with the for the sixth-fewest points through 69 regular-season games. LL: Drafting another defenseman in the first round. Jamie Drysdale and/or are two outstanding prospects at the position and Although it's unlikely the Sabres would be part of any playoff format this could be available when the Sabres are on the clock, but it's time to add summer, General Manager Jason Botterill has to prepare for every another elite forward prospect with goal-scoring potential. The possible scenario. The uncertainty, specifically with the league calendar, organization is well-stocked on the blue line in the short and long term, can disrupt long-term planning. especially now that Mattias Samuelsson signed his entry-level contract It's also unclear if Botterill will be the one running the Sabres when the and Ryan Johnson completed a strong freshman year at the University of offseason begins, although it's difficult to imagine Terry and Kim Pegula Minnesota. making a change amid the coronavirus pandemic. Cole Perfetti, Marco Rossi, Jack Quinn, Alexander Holtz, Lucas If Botterill returns, there is significant work to be done and no one is sure Raymond and Anton Lundell are among the forwards who should be what the salary cap will be next season or when free agency will begin. considered with the Sabres' first pick. Raymond is particularly intriguing Let's start there with my latest mailbag, which features questions because he played with Frolunda, the same Swedish program that submitted by readers. developed Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Portillo and Victor Olofsson.

Rob Gregoretti: Do you think the roster will be overhauled this summer Ed Helinski: What moves do the Sabres need to make to get out of this and will there be a change on the coaching staff? funk?

LL: The overhaul happened with the Evander Kane, Ryan O'Reilly and LL: Add possibly two top-six forwards with elite speed and retain key free trades. Botterill and his staff have their core in place now. agents, specifically Larsson. Botterill needs to plan for the possibility that The goal now is to develop prospects – arguably none is more important neither Cozens nor Casey Mittelstadt will be able to contribute much in than Dylan Cozens – and supplement the core through trades, such as 2020-21. Such a scenario would be troubling for a number of reasons, the one that landed defenseman Henri Jokiharju last July. but a contingency plan is needed.

It's likely the Sabres will move a defenseman this summer. It's time to Trades are the most realistic option, and the Sabres need to get faster on balance the roster and acquire a potential top-six forward, especially now the second and third lines. Curtis Lazar was an excellent signing last that Jokiharju exceeded expectations during his first season in Buffalo. July, but this team has too many checking-line players. There aren't Unfortunately for the Sabres, neither Rasmus Ristolainen nor Brandon enough talented forwards in the prospect pipeline, particularly in Montour played well enough to increase his respective trade value. Rochester.

Botterill needs to bring back Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson, Tage Thompson's season-ending injury was a significant blow to the and the Sabres need to bring in more skill for the second and third lines. organization. Now it's unclear when Thompson can be expected to contribute for the Sabres. A significant trade is in order. The Sabres are Any change on the coaching staff would require an early termination. not in a position yet to trade high draft picks, but Botterill should put Assistant coach Steve Smith is under contract for one more year. Botterill together a package of players to acquire someone with 25-30-goal must decide who was responsible for the Sabres' horrible special teams. potential. Remember, Smith coached a kill in 2018-19 that ranked eighth in the league through 50 games, and he's helped some of the team's Mike McGorry: Is Sam Reinhart capable of producing on a line without defensemen improve over the past two seasons, despite a system that Jack Eichel? places significant restraints on those players in the offensive zone. LL: The Sabres haven't given Reinhart a chance to show he can drive Stefan: Will Botterill make all of the decisions on draft day or will Ralph play on his own line, despite Botterill telling the media last June that the Krueger have a larger role in the process? former second overall draft pick is capable of producing away from Eichel. LL: Coaches have little impact on the predraft process, aside from offering an opinion on certain prospects or greeting each selection. The Sabres have experimented with the look at times, only to abort the Short-term positional need is only a small piece of the puzzle because plan because no one on the roster can replicate the chemistry Reinhart development isn't linear. Even a high first-round draft pick might require has with Eichel. The roster should be strong enough to try it now. As the multiple seasons at a lower level of competition. You might think you're roster stands, Kruger can piece together a top six with Eichel, Reinhart, set at one position and suddenly a former draft pick has a disappointing Skinner, Olofsson, Dominik Kahun, Jimmy Vesey and Wayne Simmonds. season or suffers a long-term injury. Now, the Sabres must decide how much they're willing to pay Reinhart in The Sabres typically have their regional scouts submit reports and the restricted free agency this summer. His production will merit a significant amateur scouting staff pieces together the final draft rankings. However, raise, but how do you determine his value when you aren't sure if he can Botterill makes the final decision with feedback from assistant general produce at that rate without Eichel? It's one of many burning questions as managers and Steve Greeley. we wait for the offseason to begin.

Matt Koeppel: Is it worth keeping Carter Hutton as a backup goalie or Rick: How do you see the Sabres navigating their salary-cap situation should the Sabres acquire one this offseason? while re-signing key players and adding difference-makers?

LL: It's difficult to analyze Hutton's season. He won each of his first six LL: All the salary cap talk is overblown. We don't know what the cap will starts, including consecutive , and five of six in February to be next season and a cancellation of the regular season will impact entice Botterill to shift his plan for the trade deadline. Consistency was performance bonuses for players on entry-level contracts. The overage might be smaller than expected. No one can paint the entire picture until we know about the future of this season.

While the Sabres are likely to commit to Reinhart long-term, it's uncertain Montour has a future on the roster. Evolving Hockey projects him to receive a three-year deal worth $4.98 million per season, a high price for a defenseman who doesn't fit Krueger's system. Will Borgen and Lawrence Pilut are ready to push for a full-time spot.

The Sabres were never going to be a major player in free agency. Botterill has said on the record that it's difficult to sign those players, which explains why he prefers to acquire a player on an expiring contract. The Sabres then use that trial period to try to convince the player to stay.

Larsson and Girgensons will be affordable. Botterill could also move salary off the current roster – Ristolainen is again the most likely candidate – to address the team's needs.

Buffalo News LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184278 Buffalo Sabres Although Andreychuk was traded to Toronto in February 1993, please consider the best version of each team in this bracket. Personally, I'd take Andreychuk over , who took over as the Sabres' starting Vote on the semifinals to decide best Sabres team in franchise history goalie after arriving in the trade from the Maple Leafs.

2006-07 defeats 1996-97, 89.4% of the vote.

Lance Lysowski These two teams were at different stages of their development. Aside from Hasek, the 1996-97 group had only two players 30 years or older: Sat, May 9, 2020 and Randy Burridge. It was a young roster that finished first in the Northeast Division with eight more points than the Pittsburgh

Penguins, who were led by and Jaromir Jagr. Buffalo was We asked you to use your imagination to determine the winners of shutout a league-high 10 times during the regular season and had the hypothetical hockey games between former Sabres teams, some of 26th-best power play. which were separated by three decades. One of the more beloved teams in Sabres history, the 2006-07 group Our readers considered how Dominik Hasek would fare in goal against won the first 10 games and captured the franchise's first Presidents' the French Connection and whether the 1974-75 Sabres had a strong Trophy, which is awarded to the team with the best regular-season enough defense to slow down and Daniel Briere. Would the record. These Sabres were ready to compete for the Stanley Cup and style of play in the 1970s translate to success in the era of trap hockey reached the Eastern Conference Finals for a second consecutive two decades later? season.

With your help, our 16-team bracket of past Sabres teams is down to Here's a look at the semifinals: four, and there are two rounds remaining in our tournament to determine The two Sabres teams to reach the Stanley Cup Final square off in our the best team in franchise history. Voting for the semifinals is now conference finals. The physicality in this one would be a joy to watch. available and polls will close at 2 p.m. May 12. The finals will be May 13- Dudley, Lorentz and McNab taking runs at Hasek. Who does Ruff send 15 and the winner will be announced May 17. out there to stop the French Connection? The edge in goal goes to Below, you'll find results from our quarterfinals, followed by the semifinal Hasek, but which team is more talented? polls that will require your vote: Sure, the 1992-93 Sabres have only one series win on their resume, 1974-75 defeats 2005-06, 61.8% of the vote. which came on the iconic "May Day" goal by . But this team was built to win a Stanley Cup and had a legitimate at a long playoff It's unfortunate that these two teams met in the quarterfinals because this run had Mogilny and LaFontaine stayed healthy. Would forward depth be had the potential to be a championship matchup. Good luck taking down an issue against the 2006-07 team? the '74-75 Sabres, though. Despite my directive to not make this a popularity contest, it's natural for some fans to feel a strong bond with Ruff was able to roll four lines in 2006-07 and he had a strong group of this team. It was the first in franchise history to reach the Stanley Cup defensemen. I'm giving the edge in goal to Ryan Miller. Fuhr was in net Final and each player was beloved in the community. These Sabres were for the Sabres' eight playoff games in 1992-93, registering a .875 save immensely talented, led by the French Connection: , percentage during that span. and Rene Robert. Buffalo News LOADED: 05.10.2020 Martin had 52 goals for a second consecutive season, Perreault chipped in 39 and Robert had a team-high 100 points, including 40 goals. Don Luce, Craig Ramsay and – the group that matched up with the opponent's top line – combined for 90 goals. Jim Lorentz, Rick Dudley and Peter McNab combined for 78. The Sabres had six players score 30 or more goals, setting an NHL record that has been matched only by the 1977-78 New York Islanders and the 1984-85 Winnipeg Jets.

Buffalo's 354 regular-season goals in '74-75 stand as the franchise record and helped the team earn 113 points, good enough for first place in the Adams Division.

1998-99 defeats 1979-80, 68.4% of the vote.

It's unlikely that the 1998-99 Sabres were the most talented in franchise history. Their 37-28-17 regular-season record earned them the Eastern Conference's No. 7 seed. However, it became clear during a first-round series against Ottawa that this group was peaking at the right time. Hasek stole Game One and Miroslav Satan's overtime goal in Game Two gave the Sabres a 2-0 series lead

The previous playoff run taught this group how to win in the postseason, and these Sabres outworked every opponent they came across during their run to the Stanley Cup Final. Each player embraced his respective role, an important ingredient to winning in the playoffs. These Sabres weren't flashy, but their heavy forechecking frustrated opponents, most notably the during the Eastern Conference Finals.

1992-93 defeats 1997-98, 65.1% of the vote.

The 1997-98 season introduced important lessons to a group of players who went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final one year later. The roster was ripe with promising young talent, including Satan, Michael Peca, Jason Dawe, Alexei Zhitnik and Brian Holzinger. It's possible they would have struggled against the 1992-93 Sabres, though.

How would game plan to stop , Dave Andreychuk, Pat LaFontaine and ? Hasek was much better in 1997-98 than he was in 1992-93, but the latter team was deeper up front. 1184279 it to work. So I trained really hard to be ready for that not to happen and to help this team go on a push and obviously fight for the Stanley Cup.”

Monahan remains hopeful that they’ll get that chance. Flames' Monahan hopes to spend dog days of summer on Stanley Cup quest An alternate captain for the Flames, the 25-year-old stressed the importance of trying to be a positive role model during these strange and unnerving times, of making sure he checks in often with family and Wes Gilbertson friends.

May 9, 2020 3:51 PM MDT As soon as NHLers are green-lighted to return to their facilities, even if they’re restricted to skating in small groups, he’ll hustle back to Calgary.

Winston might want to enjoy all that attention while it lasts. Sean Monahan misses his buddies. “Whether it’s getting bag-skated or doing conditioning skates and stuff When the Calgary Flames’ first-line can finally return to the rink, like that, guys just want to get back,” Monahan said. “You’re going to be his buddy will miss him. doing it together, and I think that’s the guys’ mindset right now. Everybody is just looking forward to get back with one another and push “My dog loves this,” Monahan said of his four-legged pal, a Goldendoodle each other to get to that end goal.” named Winston. “I don’t know what he’s going to do when it goes back to normal. He’s been getting spoiled — two or three walks a day, lots of Calgary Sun: LOADED: 05.10.2020 time outside, always someone around. He’s loving it.”

The NHL’s pandemic pause is now nearing two full months.

There hasn’t been action at the Scotiabank Saddledome — or any other rink — since March 11, the same night that Utah Jazz big-man Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 and the NBA responded by immediately suspending its season.

“That next day, we were supposed to play the Islanders,” Monahan recalled. “The NBA was cancelled, and I was trying to get to bed and get ready for the game the next day. But at that point, you’re thinking the NHL is probably gonna be cancelled, too. Obviously they followed suit, and we’re still here today waiting.”

The waiting, for both the skating stars and the fans too, has been mixed with a whole lot of wondering.

Wondering if a summer restart is a realistic possibility or more of a pipe dream.

Wondering, if they are able to resume, what the NHL’s playoff format might look like.

Wondering how strange it will feel to be competing in empty arenas, chirps echoing.

“I love hockey, so whenever you’re away from the game, that can eat at you a little bit,” Monahan said. “And for me, I miss being around the guys the most. I talk to them basically every day, but that’s what is tough — you’re in the stretch drive trying to get into the post-season and accomplish a goal together, and then you’re suddenly taken away from each other.

“You go through an 82-game schedule to have a chance to fight for the Stanley Cup. So to go 70 games … you want to finish that off and obviously try to achieve those goals that you have as a team.”

A year ago, remember, Monahan and his teammates — after cruising to the second-highest win total in franchise history — were digesting the sting of a first-round humbling.

No. 23, by all accounts, took it hard.

He’s not picking corners at the same clip — prior to the pause, he was on pace for a 26-goal campaign after posting a career-high 34 in 2018-19 — but Monahan has been praised for adding some edge to his game.

He has become the Flames’ top faceoff option. Despite his minus-16 rating, he has earned more trust in the defensive zone.

“My main goal is to be able to help the team more throughout the stretch and through the post-season, and we haven’t really got to that stage yet,” Monahan said during a phone interview from back home in Ontario. “But I think as a team this year, we battled through a lot of different things. Looking back at this season, as a team, I believe we’re more ready at this point right now where we were this season than we were all of last year, even with us being in first and winning a ton of games with blowout scores. I think this year, as a team, we’re more ready to get into the post- season and do some damage there than any other season I’ve been with Calgary.

“Last year, to go through a season where you finish first and then you go into playoffs and you lose out in five … that’s definitely not how you want 1184280 Colorado Avalanche Denver Post: LOADED: 05.10.2020

Chambers: Nashville comes in No. 1 in my top NHL cities

Montreal, Boston, Tampa and Vegas complete the top-five; Denver was not considered

MIKE CHAMBERS

May 9, 2020 at 8:00 a.m.

In normal times, life without hockey is barely tolerable during the quiet months of July and August — from the time free agency dries up to the start of rookie camp in early September.

So I’m not used to the sports being shut down.

I’m a rink rat. I love being at the rink, even if it’s a morning skate. I especially like gamedays when the Avalanche is on the road. The morning skates are an hour later and I’m usually working in a fabulous environment. There are no “bad” NHL markets. Only great ones and good ones.

I’ve often been asked to name my favorite NHL cities, and currently, that’s something I think about often because I miss them. This week I present my top 10 NHL cities (outside Denver):

1. Nashville. In 2017-18, I made four trips to Nashville and Bridgestone Arena, which sits on the corner of Broadway and 5th Avenue in the heart of “Music City.” Worked both regular-season games and Games 1, 2 and 5 of the playoffs. It never gets old. The arena’s main entrance looks onto Legend’s Corner and Tooties Orchid Lounge — the western-most honkey tonks on a strip that features the world’s best live country music. You don’t have to be a country music fan to love this place. You just have to appreciate music and really nice people who love hockey. At Bridgestone, the fans are extremely friendly and a live band plays pregame and during intermissions at one end of the arena. This place rocks.

2. Montreal. Overlooking the city from the Marriott Chateau Champlain’s 25th floor is stunning. The beautiful hotel is a block away from the (Centre Bell) and every word from the public-address announcer is in English and repeated in French, or vice versa. Magnificant hockey history and the legendary hot dogs on toasted bread during intermissions are a real treat.

3. Boston. My grandfather was born across from the historic Old North Church in the North End and there are more than 280 eateries in that Italian part of town and walking distance to TD Garden. Try Bella Vista in the North End, just up from Mike’s Pastries on Hanover Street. Just a great sports city with a tremendous history.

4. Tampa. Amalie Arena is a 9-iron from the Tampa Marriott Water Street, which backs into a stunning inter-coastal area where I’ve observed dolphins while eating on the patio of Jackson’s Bistro and Sushi Bar. Good bet you’ll run into an Avalanche player here — at the restaurant or the hotel’s outdoor bar overlooking luxurious boats on the hotel-operated slips.

5. Vegas. T-Mobile Arena sits just behind New York-New York Hotel & Casino and support for the Golden Knights is massive. The NHL struck it rich with this expansion franchise.

6. Vancouver. Flying into Vancouver feels like you’re flying into a Hawaiian island. From the airport, take the train (Canada Line) downtown and walk towards the water, where you’ll spot .

7. Chicago. The national anthem gives you goosebumps, and this town loves their Blackhawks.

8. Pittsburgh. Highly underrated city. The drive to downtown over the river is beautiful and PPG Paints Arena is about as nice as they come.

9. Arizona. A close second in this region is Anaheim, but the Coyotes play in a beautiful entertainment hub next to the football stadium. Everything you do is within walking distance.

10. New York Rangers. I’m not a big fan of New York but Madison Square Garden and how it sits on top of Penn Station should be on your bucket list. 1184281 Columbus Blue Jackets The players

It behooves both sides, financially, to finish the season, but at what cost to players and their families? NHL faces plenty of issues in planning return to games Those whose teams play for the Stanley Cup would likely live in isolation, away from their families, for up to four months. A number of players Brian Hedger already have said that’s not feasible, but they might have a different opinion when shown the effects of the league losing an estimated $1 May 10, 2020 at 5:03 AM billion in revenue by canceling the season.

The league’s $81.5 million salary cap might not grow a cent if that happens — and might not anyway — and their take-home salaries could The only certainty about the NHL’s return remains uncertainty. take a major hit via escrow, the league’s method of ensuring a 50/50 split The league appears to be making progress in its plan to restart the 2019- of hockey-related revenue. 20 season, which was halted on March 12 because of the COVID-19 There also are a number of players waiting out the pandemic overseas. pandemic, but nothing is finalized. Getting them back to their NHL cities without international travel issues Ideas are being kicked around, hypotheticals have leaked for public could be a stumbling block. consumption and there is even an official “Return to Play” committee that The draft and free agency includes the league’s brass and representatives of the player’s association. The NHL draft was supposed to be held in Montreal on June 26-27. It was postponed not long after the league’s shutdown and a new date Definitive solutions, however, are absent. hasn’t been set. “We’re just gathering information just like everybody right now,” Blue The league, however, is gauging response from teams about a possible Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said on April 20. “The safety June 5 start date for a remote draft conducted online, a possibility that of the people comes first, and once it’s safe and there’s a protocol in has been met with skepticism and anger by some league executives. place and we can come back safely, we’re going to do that.” The NFL held its draft remotely in April and drew high TV ratings with a Not much has changed in the 20 days since Kekalainen said those captive audience starved for live sports of any kind, so it’s not surprising words, but information has come out in drips and drabs. It’s clear the to see the NHL looking to follow suit. If it happens, the lottery would likely NHL wants to finish the season without canceling it, but there are no be conducted using point percentage and no team would be allowed to certainties about how to clear the obvious hurdles ahead: move up more than four spots. Location, location, location But there are many unanswered questions with this scenario, as well. Among the first mentions of a return included an idea to use a top-notch How can a draft order be determined when all games weren’t played? collegiate facility in a remote locale, perhaps North Dakota, to stage a And what of conditional draft picks from previous trades? How would short training camp and play multiple games per day, televised, without those be hashed out if they’re contingent upon the results of a season fans in attendance. that wouldn’t be completed until months after the draft? That idea, however, was squashed by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman “I have not talked to one GM who likes it, and I talk to almost all of them,” in an interview with Sportsnet in late April, citing concerns about a veteran agent Allan Walsh told the Associated Press. collegiate arena not offering NHL-caliber “back of the house” amenities. General managers reportedly have asked for a one-month notice before What has since emerged is a plan to use four NHL cities as “hubs” for a holding a draft. return that would include training sessions, exhibition games and enough nearby hotels to isolate players, coaches and others essential to Likewise, the first day of free agency is still set for July 1, which is difficult operations. to see happening under a restart plan that would, theoretically, include playoff games played later the same month. It’s likely the start of free This seems like the most likely scenario the league chooses, and agency will be pushed back, perhaps to the fall, after the Stanley Cup is Kekalainen is pitching for Columbus to be one of the hubs. awarded. Regardless of which plan, if any, the NHL settles on, it’s not likely fans That, however, is like everything else related to the NHL right now: will be allowed to attend games, which probably would be televised. Nothing is certain. Format Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 05.10.2020 Once the NHL gets location hammered out, the next item is figuring out the best way to resume. When the season paused, teams had played unequal numbers of games and both conferences had tight playoff races.

The Blue Jackets, for example, have 81 points in 70 games and were in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The New York Islanders were one point back but had played two fewer games, and thus have a better points percentage.

So which team makes the playoffs if there is no completion of the regular season?

This is one of the best-kept secrets about the NHL’s return plans. If the league knows, it hasn’t shared the answer publicly and it hasn’t leaked.

There are, however, plenty of questions: Will the NHL go straight to the usual 16-team playoff format using the standings as they were on March 12? Will points percentage be used to cut down to 16 teams? Will there be an expanded playoff field? Will they somehow finish the regular season?

These questions have no answers, but they have generated plenty of opinions.

“I’m not so sure that there’s a fair way to cut to 16 teams right away,” Kekalainen said in April. “That’s why I’m saying that if the play continues right from the playoffs, I think it should be expanded.” 1184282 Dallas Stars

Former Star Brett Hull ranked among best right wings in the NHL’s expansion era

SportsDay Staff

11:28 PM on May 9, 2020

This week, NHL.com’s staff writers published their “Super 16” rankings of the best right wings to play in the league since the expansion era began in 1967.

Two former Dallas Stars ranked in the top five.

Brett Hull ranked fourth overall on the list. While many of his better individual seasons came with the St. Louis Blues before his time in Dallas, he did win his first Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999, scoring the controversial, series-winning goal.

SportsDay’s staffers recently voted Hull’s No. 22 among the best numbers in Dallas sports history. Hull also wore No. 16 with the Stars. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

NHL.com wrote:

“Hull is third among right wings and fourth in NHL history with 741 goals. He is first among right wings and second overall with 265 power-play goals. He is also sixth in points (1,391) and ninth in assists (650) among right wings. He won the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and with the in 2002, and won the Hart Trophy with the St. Louis Blues in 1990-91. Hull was named to the NHL First All-Star Team three times with the Blues (1989-92).”

Former Stars right winger Jaromir Jagr also made the list and was ranked No. 1.

His time in Dallas was exceptionally brief, playing only 34 games for the Stars during the lockout shortened 2012-2013 season. He was traded to the Boston Bruins, who reached the Stanley Cup, before the playoffs began.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184283 Detroit Red Wings puck and situationally, he's a very wise goaltender with some of the best hands I've ever seen. One game, he made 15 glove saves.

"He also gave the team a little bit of a jolt and some energy which led to Griffins goalie Pat Nagle comes 'full circle' with GM some offense. He knows he can play at this level and now he's saying, 'Why not me?' and 'Why can't I get it done at this level?' I would've liked to have seen if we didn't have this outbreak what he would've done later Mark Falkner in the season and in the playoffs."

5:08 a.m. ET May 10, 2020 For now, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Nagle is at home and working out during the COVID-19 pandemic in preparation for a possible return to the

AHL season. He and his wife Monica are also taking care of their 4- Nine years ago, general manager Steve Yzerman month-old son Bryson. signed Ferris State goaltender Pat Nagle of Bloomfield Hills to a two- He says his dream to play in the NHL is "absolutely" alive after playing year, $1.125-million contract. 328 regular-season ECHL games in Florida, Idaho, Fort Wayne and Although the Lightning had just made the playoffs for the first time in four Toledo and 28 regular-season AHL games in Grand Rapids, Syracuse, years in 2011 and lost in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in the Rochester and Utica. Eastern Conference final, the goaltending situation was unsettled with (Thirty-one of the 56 goalies who played at least 20 games in the NHL 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson and unproven Mike Smith sharing the this year were at least 30 years of age, including Detroit's Jimmy Howard, duties during Yzerman's first year in Tampa Bay. 36, and , 31). Nagle, an undrafted free agent after setting career highs in college with "I don't think that (NHL dream) ever goes away," Nagle said. "It's 18 wins, a 2.02 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage, was something you think about since you were five years old playing mini- a first-team All-American and a candidate to make their American sticks in your basement or street hockey or whatever it may be. You start Hockey League team, who were coached by Jon Cooper, his coach with to realize as your career goes on what may or may not happen but it's the St. Louis Bandits of the North . always been a privilege to play and put your best foot forward." The next two years though couldn't have gone any worse for Nagle and Pat Nagle profile the Lightning. ►Born: Bloomfield Hills In 2012, Tampa Bay allowed more goals than any other team (281), Nagle was relegated to the Florida Everblades of the East Coast Hockey ►Position: Goaltender League and the Lightning missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons after Yzerman had made the postseason for 19 straight seasons in ►Age: 32 Detroit as captain and in the front office. ►Height: 6-foot-2

"I dropped the ball," said Nagle, who led the Everblades to the Kelly Cup ►Weight: 195 title in his first year but only played two games in two years with Norfolk/Syracuse in the AHL. "I wasn't ready to be a pro on the ice or off ►Stats: Posted a 9-8-1 record with a 2.32 goals-against average and a the ice. I didn't have a good first camp down in Tampa Bay and didn't .920 save percentage with Grand Rapids this year. Also had a 9-4-2 really recover in that system. record with a 2.77 GAA and a .910 save percentage.

"In my mind, I let them down. He (Yzerman) signed me out of school and NHL goalies over 30 I struggled and was not re-signed. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way of how hard it is to climb the ladder in an organization. I had some bad (56 goalies played at least 20 games this year) games in preseason and in Florida and in Syracuse. That's all it takes. If ►39 Ryan Miller (Anaheim) you don't earn your spot, it can be taken pretty quickly." ►38 Craig Anderson (Ottawa) The last two years couldn't have gone any better for Nagle. ►38 Mike Smith (Edmonton) Last year, the former Tampa Bay free-agent reunited with Yzerman, who re-signed Nagle to a one-year, minor-league deal with the Red Wings. ►38 (Rangers)

The 32-year-old goalie, who had played only eight AHL games in eight ►37 (Nashville) years and was fifth in all-time ECHL wins with 191, helped save the ►36 Jimmy Howard (Detroit) Griffins' season with a 9-8-1 record down the stretch, a 2.32 goals- against average and a .920 save percentage. ►35 (Chicago)

Last week, Yzerman re-signed Nagle to another AHL contract for one ►35 Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas) season. Terms of the deal weren't released but salaries on a standard AHL players' contract can range from $50,000 to approximately $700,000 ►35 Brian Elliott (Philadelphia) per season. ►34 (Los Angeles) "We've come full circle," Nagle said. "There's absolutely no hard feelings ►34 Jaroslav Halak (Boston) about what happened in Tampa Bay. It's part of the business. It's great that he's seen me work my way out of those struggles and given me a ►34 Thomas Greiss (Islanders) second chance. He's always been good to me. Hopefully, we can continue to be successful moving forward." ►33 Anton Khudobin (Dallas)

Red Wings goaltender development coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson says ►33 Ben Bishop (Dallas) Nagle "stabilized the fort" in Grand Rapids after Calvin Pickard was ►33 (Minnesota) called up by Detroit and Filip Larsson was injured and sent down to the . ►33 Tuuka Rask (Boston)

The grandson of Larry Wilson, a member of the Red Wings' Stanley Cup ►32 (Islanders) championship team in 1950 and the grandnephew of Johnny Wilson, a four-time Cup champion in Detroit (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955), Mahoney- ►32 (Montreal) Wilson has worked with Nagle for nearly three years and has seen a lot ►32 James Reimer (Carolina) of progress on and off the ice. ►32 Alex Stalock (Minnesota) "He took his game to another level with his nutrition, workouts, strength and flexibility," Mahoney-Wilson said. "He made a commitment to all ►32 Cam Talbot (Calgary) those little details. He narrowed his stance, he's more in tune with the ►31 Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida)

►31 Jonathan Bernier (Detroit)

►31 Mikko Koskinen (Edmonton)

►30 Antti Raanta (Arizona)

►30 Jacob Markstrom (Vancouver)

►30 (Toronto)

►30 Martin Jones (San Jose)

►30 Aaron Dell (San Jose)

►30 (Washington)

►30 Anders Nilsson (Ottawa)

Detroit News LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184284 Puljujarvi’s rights at the 2020 draft unless it’s for a first-rounder because he’s has played 139 NHL games and he was the fourth overall pick in 2016 … Ex Oiler/NHLer ’s son Jake, who Not much room for Oilers general manager Ken Holland to sign players is going in the top 15 in the draft, played minor hockey in St. Albert on teams against Mike Benning. Jake was born in Whitefish, Montana and that’s where he lives now … Most intriguing name on the board as possible first-round pick, Ridly Greig, son of former NHLer Mark, a centre Jim Matheson from who also had 60 points (26 goals, 83 PIMS) May 9, 2020 5:14 PM MDT in 54 games this season. He’s got grease to his game…Food and drink news: Wayne Gretzky has new winery in Vernon … The Oilers might let UFA winger Patrick Russell, who has played 45 games this season, walk. Lots of energy and sound defensively but five points (no goals) … The With the NHL salary cap likely staying at $81.5 million next season, Oilers want to resign UFA winger Josh Currie because he’s a proven there’s not a lot of wiggle room for Ken Holland, which is why the scorer for their AHL franchise but Currie will get lots of interest from other Edmonton Oilers general manager can only nibble around the edges with NHL clubs. If Oilers want him back, he’ll cost them at least double the the signings of Gaetan Haas and Swedish free-agent defenceman $160,000 he made last year to play in Bakersfield … Mike Benning has Theodor Lennstrom. decided to attend Denver U this fall rather than 2021, along with Holland would like to resign UFA winger Tyler Ennis because he’s Sherwood Park Crusaders buddy Carter Savoie. “There’s the possibility portable and can move up and down the lineup, if he can sign him for, of there being no or delayed junior league schedules. They will play in say, $1 million. Denver even if it’s with no fans in the stands,” said Mike’s dad Brian.

Considering Ennis has made close to $30 million in his career and he’s a Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.10.2020 hometown kid, maybe he doesn’t even look around. He had four points in nine games before the NHL pause on March 12.

Holland would like to bring back UFA centre Riley Sheahan because he and Josh Archibald were a big part of the second best penalty-killing unit in the NHL, plus Sheahan took 834 face-offs, second to Leon Draisaitl and he won 49 per cent of them. But, Holland wants to pay Sheahan as a fourth-line centre (15 points), not a third-line centre, even if that’s what he’s been for a good chunk of this season.

Holland signed centre Haas, in part as a safety net, in case Sheahan’s agent Ritch Winter wants third-line centre money, something the Oilers don’t have.

The trickiest negotiation will be , of course.

They may want to get him signed to a team-friendly six-year deal at Oscar Klefbom money ($4.1 million) because they see Bear as a top 4 defenceman, but the Oilers don’t have $4 million to play with next season.

So, it’s a bridge deal, somewhere between, say, the $2.2 million Esa Lindell was playing on with Dallas before rewarding him with $5.8 million for six years and the $3 million for two years that Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk got to start the 2019-2020 season.

“We haven’t seen the best of Ethan. Last year when I saw Ethan for the alumni golf tournament I looked over at Ethan and said, ‘is that Bear?’ He looked hungry, lean … I mean he wasn’t even a thought coming into camp (last fall),” said .

“I had conversations with Ethan a couple of years ago and I said, ‘Ethan, I don’t want to put the fear of god into you but 20 turns into 24 (years old) really fast. And when you get to 24, they don’t looking at you but they forget about you.’

“I told Ethan he had to make a decision on what he wanted to do. It was diet, the whole bit. He just really committed. I think Ethan’s good enough to play against the other team’s best players and one thing they don’t want to do is back-check unless you’re a who works hard. So, if you can shut them down and then get up the ice … you have to demand more of players.”

The other contract to look at: RFA Matt Benning.

He’s maybe overpaid at $1.95 million if he’s in your third pairing because NHL clubs are going younger and cheaper there, but Benning has far too many detractors. Plus/minus ratings are hardly the end-all but he’s plus- 8, best on the team. He’s plus-32 in his 248 NHL games. He plays aggressively, and he could easily be used on the second power play because he’s a righty. His shots get through to the net.

Benning’s a proven NHL player who can play 13-14 minutes a night.

But, are the Oilers looking at fellow righty Evan Bouchard taking his spot at $894,000?

This ’n that: In a perfect world, Holland would like to trade Jesse Pujujarvi’s rights to, say, Florida for another right-winger and first-round draft like Owen Tippett, more of a goal-scorer than the Finn. But, that’s a trade for the 2020-2021 season. And it’s unlikely Holland would deal 1184285 Minnesota Wild He had also made an immediate promise to pay all part-time arena workers through April after games shutdown in March.

Dye talks Barr Minnesota team owners will lead way as sports start to return The Vikings drafted linebacker Troy Dye out of Oregon in the fourth The Pohlad family with the Twins, the Wilf family with the Vikings, Glen round. Dye is just the kind of player this team has targeted for years Taylor with the Timberwolves and Craig Leipold with the Wild are all under Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer — he is an intelligent player who among the wealthiest owners in sports and some of the smartest was a four-year starter and led the Ducks in tackles every season, business minds around. something that had never been accomplished at the school.

Dye said that one of his favorite players in the NFL is Vikings linebacker MAY 9, 2020 — 11:02PM Anthony Barr.

SID HARTMAN “Now that I’m his teammate I am going to pick his brain and really get to know what he does and how he does it,” Dye said. “But the thing that really stands out to me is that he’s a big, long athletic guy that is able to cover space really well. He understands the game and you can see in his There is a lot of discussion happening right now about how major reads and in his keys that he flows really well.”a professional sports leagues will reopen, with Major League Baseball looking like it will be the first operation to really put together a plan for Twins depth could be key getting games played in the next month or two. One thing to keep an eye on as baseball considers an attempt to start the As these discussions keep happening, one area where Minnesota clubs season in June or July is that rosters could easily be expanded past the will have an advantage is in the local ownership groups. 26-man limit so that teams can rest players if they’re playing a lot of games without off days to make up for missed contests. The Pohlad family with the Twins, the Wilf family with the Vikings, Glen Taylor with the Timberwolves and Craig Leipold with the Wild are all The Twins could benefit in one big way, which is that their farm system is among the wealthiest owners in sports and some of the smartest rated as one of the best in baseball while the big-league club won the AL business minds around. They are all going to have to help lead their Central last year by going 101-61. teams back into action. General Manager Thad Levine said earlier this year that there’s no And on top of that, they all are looked to for their financial contributions to question having that kind of balance is unique in baseball. help charities, medical staffs and other people around the state who are affected by the shutdown. “I think we’re in a very fortuitous spot as a franchise right now where we have what we feel is one of the five to six best teams in the major The fact is that their franchises have all gone up in value dramatically leagues, but we’re also blessed to have one of the top-10 farm systems,” under their regimes because of smart ownership decisions. Levine said.

Taylor paid $88 million for the Wolves in 1994 and the latest valuation by JOTTINGS Forbes had the team worth $1.375 billion. • The Vikings are tied for the 10th-hardest 2020 NFL schedule based on The late Carl Pohlad spent $32 million to take over majority control of the 2019 winning percentages. Their 2020 opponents went 131-123-2 (.516) Twins from Calvin Griffith in 1984. The team, now owned by his three in 2019. The Lions have the NFC North’s toughest schedule, tied for fifth sons, was estimated to be worth $1.3 billion heading into this season. overall, at 134-121-1 (.525).

The Wilf family spent $792 million to get the Vikings from Red McCombs • Gophers defensive coordinator Joe Rossi on the recruiting trail: “It’s in 2005 and now the team is worth $2.7 billion, the most valuable definitely exciting. I think it has been different and you have to adapt. franchise in the state. Coach [P.J.] Fleck has put together an elite plan, and then obviously the recruiting staff, we’re following it. Working the phones, working the video And Leipold spent $260 million to buy the Wild and the lease on Xcel chats, the FaceTimes and the Zooms, everything we’re allowed to do. Energy Center from Bob Naegele Jr. in 2008. The team has an estimated We’ve had some real positive results.” value of $510 million now. • , naming the Twins’ best draft picks of the past Charity key right now decade, called a tie between two Puerto Ricans, Jose Berrios The Vikings ownership group, led by Zygi Wilf, has donated more than $5 (supplemental first round pick in 2011) and Eddie Rosario (fourth round million to various causes around the coronavirus — both in New York in 2010). and New Jersey, where the Wilfs began their business careers, and in • Former Twins slugger Byung-Ho Park is off to a great start for the Minnesota. in South Korea, hitting .375 with two homers, five RBI They made a lot of big donations to places such as the University of and four runs scored in four games. Teammate Taylor Motter, another Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Second Harvest Heartland and ex-Twin, is hitting .200 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund. four games.

Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, said in March he had been • The Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review reported Minnehaha paying close attention to the coronavirus since January because the Academy standout Jalen Suggs will now headline the highest ranked Taylor Corporation has business interests in China where the virus first recruiting class in Gonzaga basketball history, at No. 11 in the nation, appeared. according to 247 Sports. Suggs is also the highest-rated recruit that Gonzaga coach Mark Few has ever signed. He also made a donation of $1 million to a relief fund for part-time gameday staff who work at Target Center in March when NBA games • Former Gophers football coach Jerry Kill told SB Nation that it wasn’t were initially shut down. easy to leave Virginia Tech to become the offensive coordinator at Texas Christian, but his friendship with Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson Meanwhile, Twins President Dave St. Peter said recently that the front made the difference, saying: “It gives me the chance to finish out my office and staff has gotten nothing but support from chairman Jim Pohlad career with my best friend. I know him better than anybody does — he in recent weeks. “Jim Pohlad has been a rock. He has certainly been knows my positives and negatives and I know his.” incredibly supportive of our people and yes we regularly communicate with Jim Pohlad as well as other members of the Pohlad companies,” St. Star Tribune LOADED: 05.10.2020 Peter said.

Leipold told last month that he has been in close contact with Wild employees as the NHL continues to monitor when it might be safe to start team activities again. 1184286 Minnesota Wild

Could NHL hold draft before Stanley Cup Final is played?

STEPHEN WHYNO

MAY 9, 2020 — 12:55PM

The NFL's successful virtual draft and uncertainty surrounding the resumption of hockey this season have raised the possibility of an NHL draft held before the Stanley Cup Final.

After postponing its draft scheduled for June 26-27 in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL is considering having it earlier in June with the season in an indefinite suspension. There are mixed feelings among executives about the idea, ranging from frustration to begrudging acceptance.

“We’re just going to try to prepare as though it’s going to happen,” Toronto Maple Leafs general manager said. “It’s not going to be normal regardless of what it is, so we’re fine with whatever is decided.”

Unlike the NFL, which held its draft as usual in the middle of its offseason, the NHL would face several wrinkles going forward with a draft held before the season is complete: Teams would not be able to trade players, there would be a lack of clarity over next year's salary cap and the draft order could be determined before all games are played.

It would put hockey back in the spotlight for a couple of days. It would also create plenty of headaches for those involved.

“I have not talked to one GM who likes it, and I talk to almost all of them,” agent Allan Walsh said Thursday.

A week after the league sent a memo to teams outlining its proposal, Deputy NHL Commissioner Bill Daly on Friday said a decision has not made on the timing of the draft. GMs have asked for a month's notice before holding a draft.

“My thought is: Why would you do that? Why do you need to do that?" Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said on Fox Sports Detroit. "I haven’t heard a good reason why we should do it prior to the end of the season if we do conclude the season over the course of the summer.”

Yzerman's Red Wings could actually benefit from an adjusted draft lottery that gives him better odds at the top pick, likely Alexis Lafreniere. But Yzerman pointed to a litany of unknowns, including who's in and out of the playoffs and how the draft order is determined.

There's also the matter of the 2020-21 salary cap, which was initially projected at $84 million but is now expected to be set at the current $81.5 million or less.

“The draft serves a lot of different purposes in giving GMs the tools to build their roster for the next year apart from just drafting seven rounds of players,” Walsh said. “The cap teams — the Torontos, the Tampas — are going to have to move at least one big contract to make it work. And the time to do it is at the draft. But you can’t do it under a first week or second week of June scenario when you don’t know if the season is canceled or whether we are really going to come back and play.”

Daly said the NHL still hasn't decided when to allow players to return to team training facilities for small group workouts, which would be the first step toward a return. The league continues to work internally and with the NHL Players' Association on various scenarios, including resuming at three or four empty NHL arenas and pushing the start of next season back to December.

With that in mind, Los Angeles GM said the Kings are “quite comfortable with either scenario” of the draft happening in June or later. Many of his colleagues are in the same boat.

“We’ll have to work with it, obviously,” Blake said. “The one thing we know for sure is nothing will be status quo, so whether it’s prior in June or later, you’re going to have to make the necessary adjustments."

Star Tribune LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184287 Montreal Canadiens The tape

The hallmark of Romanov’s game has always been his skating. It’s probably the reason he progressed up levels as fast as he did. And Video analysis of what the Canadiens can expect from Alexander though I wouldn’t say he generates a ton of power moving forward Romanov through his stride (his straight line speed is probably average, or maybe slightly above), his footwork is A-level and makes him an excellent backwards skater, as well as an agile, mobile player moving east-west. Scott Wheeler Defensively, that edge work helps him play a tight gap, stay with fast May 9, 2020 players, and force play to the outside defensively. Watch how he (No. 26 in all clips) stays with his man, disrupts him all the way up the ice, and

then engages on a bump to use his feet to gain body positioning here: The Alexander Romanov debate has become an interesting case study Before his skate blade literally pops out of his boot, that’s impressive in scouting and player evaluation over the last couple of years. rush defending. Three years ago, when the Canadiens took him in the second round of It’s also a skill that translates well on smaller ice, because he will be able the 2018 draft, he was a good prospect, but the hype hadn’t reached to use his feet to close on opposing carriers, take away space, and fever pitch yet. He played well at the under-18 worlds and the World Jr. A remain disruptive while on his heels. Challenge, but he didn’t light the MHL on fire relative to his peers. That season, his 14 points in 37 games ranked eighth among the under-18 Watch the way he forces the opposing forward wide below, adjusting his MHL defencemen, behind six players you’ve never heard of and tempo as the carrier does: Lightning third-round pick Dmitri Semykin. He’s also got an active stick, which complements his feet in transition His status only really began to change the following season, in 2018- and helps him use his footwork to get to seam passes and break up 2019, when Romanov appeared in more KHL games (43) than any other plays in the defensive zone. under-19 player, stepping into a regular role on CSKA, arguably the top professional hockey team outside of the NHL. By season’s end, a Both of those impacts are noticeable below, first in the way he swipes the breakout performance at the world juniors – where he was named the puck off the carrier shortly after the entry, and then in his pass tournament’s top defenceman en route to a bronze medal – and a run to interception at the top of the crease moments later: the Gagarin Cup title had the hockey world talking about Romanov. More than anything, though, his feet help him cover a lot of ground.

This season, as he continued to play regular minutes for CSKA and When the play slows down in the defensive zone, and some defenders returned to play well yet again at the world juniors (this time en route to a start puck-watching and standing around because they’re a little heavy silver medal), it became a matter of when, not if, Romanov would sign set in their strides, Romanov remains active, rotating between with the Canadiens. assignments to apply pressure or block a shot, like he does here:

At various points along the way, some scouts have argued that Romanov Or here: was the top drafted defence prospect on the planet. The argument is simple: Whenever he has played against his peers, he has looked There, notice how Romanov starts the clip at the bottom of the frame dominant. And though it’s been a slower burn at the KHL level, just his before being the first defenceman to the top of the frame to block that presence on a top program speaks to his ability as a prospect. shot. It happens out of frame, but Romanov is covering territory for his partner before he actually blocks the resulting shot. If you’ve followed my work over the years, you’ll know I never really fell in love with Romanov the way others did. Last summer, when I released the Even when his team is hemmed in, his skating also makes plays to the 2019 edition of my top-50 drafted prospects, Romanov wasn’t on it. slot for high-danger chances tough on the other team. His feet and four- way mobility force them into moving the puck quickly, rather than But that doesn’t mean I’m not fond of his game. He was third on my meticulously. Canadiens prospects ranking in February, as part of my second-ranked prospect pool league wide. He’s a legitimate prospect. That’s true in the offensive zone when he doesn’t have the puck too. Romanov can start a rush with his feet and then as soon as control is His signing prompts some natural questions, though. handed over to the other team, he has the ability to get back defensively How close is he? How will his tools translate on the smaller ice surface, or continue to apply pressure on a pinch, like he does at the tail end of against tougher NHL competition? And what should the Canadiens this sequence: expect from his first year in North America? He also always has his head on a swivel to survey the ice, so you rarely To answer those questions, I reviewed his final nine games of the season catch Romanov looking confused or caught off guard. He never really with CSKA, spanning four playoff games, his final five regular season has those mental lapses that many other defenders suffer from when games, 134 shifts, and an average ice-time of 10:18 per game. they’re not playing offence. He’s always dialed in.

Before I dive into the video, though, here’s what those nine games That helps him anticipate the play, because he’s identifying threats all looked like on paper: over the ice, rather than focusing strictly on the puck carrier.

You’ll notice a couple of things at a glance there. He’s often one step ahead of the play, so that when pucks are flipped out, or coverage breaks down, he’s in a position to get it back. The first is that though he played a regular shift in the regular season, Romanov played a very limited role in the postseason, even as CSKA’s Notice, below, how he’s exactly where the puck lands. That’s because he series with Torpedo played to a 4-0 sweep. In fact, in Games 2, 3 and 4, identified a second before his partner did that the pinch along the boards he didn’t play a single shift in the third period. could result in a clear. So he gets back, the puck lands in his lap, and he’s ready to move it back the other way again, instead of having to The second is that in the games I reviewed, he wasn’t scored against a chase back to it and reset: single time at even-strength, but he was on the ice for nine goals for. This is obviously impressive. It’s part of a larger trend on the season too. Because of that footwork I talked about, he also never gets caught CSKA outscored the opposition 31-10 (76 percent) with Romanov on the flatfooted on dumps or chips into his own zone whenever he does have ice at even-strength in 2019-20. If you’re wondering if that has something to turn back and chase. to do with being on the best team in the league by a wide margin, you’d As today’s game becomes more and more of a track meet, that ability to be right to be cautious. CSKA outscored the opposition 213-102 as a maintain speed without stumbling on some of those pivots is increasingly team this season, losing just 13 of 66 games in regulation. That was valuable. reflected in my review of those nine pluses, too. Though Romanov was on the ice for those nine goals for, he didn’t touch the puck or influence When this puck is chipped in, he’s behind his man. But Romanov keeps the play in any way on six of them. The zero goals against is more his feet moving backwards, tracks the flip, and pivots back onto it to impressive than the nine goals for, in the context of the nine games I make a smart little play along the wall to his partner: reviewed. His east-west movement on crossovers also helps him problem-solve He can use his skating to escape the zone and then put a shot through under pressure in the defensive zone. Instead of having to rely on speed traffic in the other zone, like he did on this assist: and power, he can outmaneuver opposing players laterally. And his outlets eventually result in goals (I don’t know why this wasn’t Watch the way he pushes off against the grain to rotate left-to-right into credited as a secondary assist but this is the third of those nine pluses the corner and headman the puck here: that he was a factor in):

Or the way he goes right-to-left to left with his head up the whole way to But I want to see him attack across the line and use that footwork to be outlet the puck here: more aggressive, like he does here:

You’re never going to catch Romanov standing still or flatfooted because And I want to see him go at teams off the rush more, like he does here: he’s always leveraging weight or power against his edges to remain in motion. That may come in time as he takes on increased minutes and he’s asked to do more in the NHL someday than he was in the KHL the last two If I have a complaint about Romanov’s defensive play, it’s that there are years. moments where I wish he were a little heavier on the puck. Romanov isn’t shy physically and you’ll occasionally see him step up into a head, or But it’s never likely to be a prominent factor in Romanov’s game. His lead with his body along the cycle, but I think his physicality has often game is about an active stick defensively, a heads-up approach with and been overstated (he’s not as mean as some will lead you to believe). without the puck, footwork, and a cerebral calm with the puck on his stick that helps him move it in the right direction. Sequences like this happen a couple of times a game with Romanov: When all of those things come together, he can impact play in a variety of There, he leads with one hand on his stick along the wall early on in the ways across an entire shift. sequence (rarely a good idea), and then he doesn’t engage his man physically back to the front of the net. When the goal is scored (yes, he This shift was one of the best examples of that. He makes a cautious gave up a goal, even if it didn’t end up counting as a minus), it’s his man play at the offensive zone blue line instead of an aggressive one, he who makes the pass. pivots back on a dump to control possession with his feet, and then he executes a simple outlet: Otherwise, there’s very little to dislike about his play without the puck. For a 20-year-old, there’s a refinement and polish to Romanov’s game that is The following shift is also a good example: pretty rare. He’s a mature defender for his age and I expect he’ll be able There, three things happen again: to hold his own at the NHL level almost immediately. He wraps the puck back below the goal line instead of trying to create for Offensively, there’s a little more work to be done. himself.

Because his head is always up whether he has the puck or not, he’s a He activates for a shot when it’s available to him. good north-south outlet passer, which blends well with his skating to help transition play in the right direction. And he gets back to support the play defensively and outlets the puck.

Watch the way he stays moving until a lane opens up here: These are all positive plays that help drive results. And that, in essence, is what Romanov’s game is all about. (Yes, that ends in icing and yes, it’s the forward’s fault. That pass slides right under his recipient’s stick.) He’s the kind of defenceman who will play on the second units on special teams, instead of the first ones. He’s the kind of player who will play on a He’s also confident in his decision making, which is half the battle. So second pairing, instead of a first one. you’ll rarely see him hesitate himself into trouble. As soon as he gets the puck, he’s looking to move it up ice: If you approach his evaluation with that in mind, you’ll be happy with what he offers at the NHL level, maybe as early as this year. There’s also just a comfort level to his game with the puck that many players his age lack. You can see it in the way he picks pucks out of feet, Just don’t expect him to cut to the slot to score, or throw a spin pass or in the way he navigates pressure: through a seam to set up a goal.

He always looks at ease. The Athletic LOADED: 05.10.2020

Oftentimes, that active stick I talked about and that poise can come together so that Romanov is the player to take back possession and continue it up ice.

Watch for that active stick’s disruption at the start of this sequence, and that patience at the end as he waits for his forwards to swing low and get open:

When we talk about the balance between pressure and poise in hockey, he’s one of those players who walks that line effectively.

There’s just no rush to his game, even when someone is on top of him. He just looks up ice, rotates into space, and makes the available play:

These aren’t always simple headman plays either. Because he never has to look down at the puck, Romanov is able to mix in fakes and deception with his eyes.

You can see that in a no-look bump pass like the one below. He’s looking up ice as he makes a smart little lateral play:

The problem with Romanov’s game is that those plays are few and far between. There’s a simplicity and efficiency to his game that makes him a darn good, versatile player.

But part of the reason he has never been one of my top defence prospects in the league is because he lacks a dynamic quality to his game.

He will take a shot when it’s given to him, like he did on this assist:

He can execute a tough saucer pass when he has to: 1184288 New York Islanders Vac’s Whacks

How’s your pandemic TV binge-viewing going? Mine is much better, thanks, now that I’m full-blown addicted to “Mindhunters” on Netflix. Chico Resch became unlikely conduit to my Islanders fandom I trust podcasting has become more and more of your daily existence, too. Here are two I can recommend heartily: “Daddy Issues,” co-hosted Mike Vaccaro by Joe Buck and Oliver Hudson; and ex-Met Art Shamsky’s new podcast, which will debut next week, with as his first guest. May 9, 2020 | 4:07pm After a week of checking in with the ’69 World Series every night, I think I can state one thing with absolute confidence: Tony Kubek might have been the greatest sideline reporter of all time. Talk about hustle. We pick our favorite teams for a variety of reasons: family, friends, team colors. A good friend of mine became a Cowboys fan when he was 6 Three books to occupy your hours, as well: “Gotham Baseball: New years old for the simple reason that he liked the star on the helmet; it was York’s All-Time Team” by Mark Healey; “Mr. Met,” by the inimitable Jay simply a nice bonus that he enjoyed many subsequent years rooting for Horwitz; and “The Big 50: New York Yankees” by our pal, Peter Botte. the stars in the helmet — Staubach, Dorsett, Aikman, Irvin. Whack Back at Vac Sometimes, it’s as simple as this: an athlete steals your heart. Dennis Daly: Mike, what was better than Friday night? Game 7 Knicks It doesn’t always have to be a star, either. The first athlete I rooted for vs. Lakers on MSG, Game 5 Mets vs. Orioles on SNY! was Felix Millan: nice player, All-Star, but I loved how he choked up on his bat. I had an early fondness for Joe Namath, too, but in retrospect Vac: Maybe if NFL Network could’ve found it in its heart to air Super Bowl that was as much a hopping-on-the-zeitgeist as anything. By the time I III and make it the toggle night of all time? started paying attention, around 1974 or so, Namath was a shell of Paul Sciortino: With all the various federal government bailout programs, himself, and the Jets weren’t selling out at home anymore so half their perhaps Chuck Schumer should create a bill for eminent domain and games were blacked out. have the federal government buy out the Knicks and Mets?

So it would be Chico who led the way for me. Vac: The Yankees are forever exempt from such, and because they are, It was 45 years ago this month. I was 8. That, of course, is the perfect and have proven to be, Too Big to Fail. time for heroes of all form or fashion to make an impact on you. That was @adamholdwn68: NFL watching is a group exercise. Tailgating at the the year I started to realize who the Beatles were. “Happy Days” was game, watching at a friend’s house or going to a bar. No one watches finding its legs in 1975, so of course everyone wanted to be Fonzie. alone — and until we can get together … ixnay.

But in that spring of 1975, life for an Island kid like me was all about the @MikeVacc: In theory this is absolutely correct. But I’ll be stunned if the Islanders. In April they’d stunned the Rangers in the first round of the NFL doesn’t explore every option — including empty stadiums — before playoffs, then spotted the Penguins a 3-0 lead in the conference throwing up its hands. semifinals before winning four games in a row — first team since the ’42 Maple Leafs to do that in American sports (and last team until the ’04 Peter Drago: There is absolutely no silver lining to this pandemic, but Red Sox). And in May, they did the same with the Flyers in the with the virtual Mets in third place at 18-19, I just saved myself over a conference finals, dropping the first three. month’s worth of agita.

Forty-five years ago Monday, they tied that series at 3-3, too, thanks to a Vac: Always look on the bright side of life, Peter! 2-1 win over the Flyers. And the reason for so much of this was a 26- year-old goalie from , , named Glenn “Chico” New York Post LOADED: 05.10.2020 Resch, who’d replaced future Hall of Famer when the Isles were way down to Pittsburgh and commenced standing on his head.

And that was it. I was gone. I was 8, so they weren’t terribly sophisticated reasons why I fell so hard for Resch and the Islanders; I liked the nickname. I liked Moose Jaw. I liked that Chico was doing all of these things a few miles up the street from my house at the . But Chico was the conduit. Chico was the vessel. After that spring of ’75, I would never see sports passively again; I was all-in.

A lot of my friends were similarly smitten. My pal Jim McCartney — now the owner of Prost, a terrific German bar and restaurant in Garden City — became a Chico man and an Islanders fan at exactly the same time.

“Loved him,” Jim remembered this week. “I got to meet him when I was 10 years old, he spoke with my cousin and I for an hour while ignoring the adults!”

That’s the best part, of course, when you learn your hero is actually a good guy, too, worthy of those innocent devotions. I grew up to know Chico well when I spent a lot of time covering the Devils 20 years ago. I’ve called him here and there in the years since, whenever a goalie does for his team what Chico did for the Islanders 45 years ago (at least until intervened and the Flyers won Game 7).

“I can close my eyes,” he told me once, “and feel it all over again. It’s a good feeling.”

I did tell him that he is one of the big reasons sports became so important to me. He got a kick out of that, and also the fact that my buddy, Jim, instantly switched his team devotion to the Devils in 1982 because Chico was there by then (a legit boss move if you consider the Isles were in the middle of a dynasty).

“That stuff? It never fails to make me smile,” he said.

That only seems fair. 1184289 New York Islanders

Return of Jean Potvin was a big lift for Denis Potvin, his younger brother

Andrew Gross

May 9, 2020 7:59 PM

Denis Potvin still remembers the shock of walking into the Islanders’ dressing room at Nassau Coliseum in January 1978 and seeing his brother Jean’s locker stall empty.

“My brother would sit directly across the room from me,” Potvin told Newsday recently. “His stall was empty. I couldn’t believe this. I didn’t get a call or a warning or anything. That’s the way it was in those days. It was a tremendous blow.”

Yet when the Islanders and first-year captain Denis Potvin won their first of four straight Stanley Cups 40 years ago this month, Jean Potvin was back in the organization.

And even if his on-ice contributions were diminished compared with his first tenure with the Islanders, Jean Potvin’s presence was extremely beneficial to both the team and his younger brother.

“It was a brilliant move by [general manager] to bring Jean back because it certainly settled things down with Denis,” told Newsday last month. “Denis and Jean are as close as brothers can be. To have him on the team certainly makes life a little more fun for Denis.”

Jean Potvin was traded to the lowly Cleveland Barons — soon to be merged with the — on Jan. 10, 1978. Torrey re- signed the defenseman as a free agent on June 10, 1979, and less than four months later, Denis Potvin was named the Islanders’ new captain.

The right-shooting Jean Potvin, the older brother by 4 1/2 years, often had been the left-shooting Denis Potvin’s defense partner both five-on- five and on the power play after the latter joined the Islanders as the first overall pick in 1973,

Jean Potvin also had eased his younger brother’s transition to junior hockey as Denis Potvin’s teammate with their hometown Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey Association.

“He made that transition a lot easier for a kid coming out of Ottawa to be in New York,” Denis Potvin said. “When he was traded away, it was very, very tough.”

Which made Jean Potvin’s reacquisition that much sweeter.

“I was named captain of the team in training camp in 1979, which meant a lot to me, and my brother was back,” Denis Potvin said. “Those two things personally for the Potvin clan meant a lot.

“I think anybody you talk to on the team will always go back to Jean’s personality and the maturity,” Denis added. “One of the problems we faced as a team was we were a very young team and, maybe, a little too uptight, knowing we were better but not being able to prove it in critical times.”

Jean Potvin played in only 32 games in 1979-80, with two goals and 13 assists, and did not dress for any of the 21 playoff games, though his name still was engraved on the Cup.

“Jean was just a fun guy to have,” Glenn “Chico” Resch told Newsday last month. “He could laugh at himself. I think he taught Denis to laugh at himself, to be a little more self-deprecating. I think that’s what helped Denis, too.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184290 New York Islanders

NHL return-to-play plans have been narrowed to two scenarios, source says

Andrew Gross

May 9, 2020 11:48 PM

The NHL may be down to its final two.

The league halted play on March 12 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and myriad options have been considered since about how play might resume if health and governmental officials give the green light.

But a source told Newsday on Saturday that the return-to-play scenarios have been narrowed to two and that the timing of when games can resume — if they do — likely will determine which format is used.

The first scenario includes 24 teams. Under this plan, the top four teams would play for playoff seeding and the bottom teams would have postseason play-in games.

The second plan would include only 16 teams heading straight into the playoffs, with no regular-season games salvaged.

It’s not clear how the standings for the returning teams in either scenario would be determined or where the games would be played.

“I think, as of now, every option we have considered remains on the table,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said via email. “Obviously, some may be being explored more extensively than others. But no decisions have been made.”

The 31 NHL teams all had played between 68 and 71 games of their 82- game schedule when the season was halted.

The league has acknowledged considering a plan that would include groups of teams sequestering at four locations to resume play. There has been pushback from some players at the thought of being away from their families for an extended stretch.

“Guys with kids at home aren’t interested in [living] somewhere for four months and being away from them,” Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk said on Thursday in a Zoom conference call with the local media. “I know myself personally, I’m not interested in packing up and going away for that length of time away from my family. I can’t imagine that anybody else would, and I think it sounds like the NHL is sensitive to that and understands that, so we’re just going to have to wait and see how everything unfolds here.”

Of course, the speculation on how the NHL would resume play if it is possible to do so has shifted almost weekly.

On Thursday, two sources said the league was looking at heading straight into the playoffs, most likely a 24-team postseason.

“It’s not a fact, yet,” one source said. “It’s where the sides are leaning as of this week.”

The same source noted that two weeks ago, the NHL was “hell-bent” on including regular-season games if play resumed.

Myriad health and logistics issues confront any of the NHL’s efforts to restart play. The league’s players and personnel still are under a self- quarantine recommendation issued when play was halted. There still are international travel restrictions, and any player returning to North America, or even crossing the border from the United States to Canada or vice versa, might be required to self-quarantine for an additional two weeks.

The players likely will need up to three weeks of a second training camp to safely be able to participate in an NHL game, postseason or otherwise.

The NHL hopes to be able to reopen its practice facilities to small-group workouts by the end of this month if officials say it’s safe to do so.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184291 New York Islanders being one of the most skilled defensemen you’ve ever seen. He had that mean streak far and above what any of the other guys had and it really set him apart from the other talented defensemen.”

Clark Gillies passed the 'C' to Denis Potvin before Islanders' first Stanley Neither Potvin nor Gillies flourished as the Islanders, who had won the Cup triumph Presidents’ Trophy with the most points in the NHL in 1978-79, struggled through much of the 1979-80 regular season.

Andrew Gross Potvin, beset by injuries, had eight goals and 41 points in 31 games, all career lows, after compiling career highs with 70 assists and 101 points May 9, 2020 3:28 PM the previous season. Gillies had 19 goals and 35 assists in 73 games after notching 35 goals and 56 assists in 75 games in 1978-79.

But both had strong postseasons, and the Islanders won 10 of their first The upset playoff losses to the Maple Leafs in 1978 and the Rangers the 12 playoff games en route to a six-game win over the Flyers in the following year shook an Islanders organization that believed it was Stanley Cup Final. poised for greatness. Gillies had six goals and 10 assists in the 21 playoff games. Potvin had In particular, the fun-loving Clark Gillies felt the doubt. The “C” he wore six goals and 13 assists. That included two goals — one the overtime as captain those seasons began to hang heavy in his thoughts. winner — and an assist in the Islanders’ 4-3 victory over the Flyers in “You kind of say, ‘Am I doing the right job? How much am I to blame for Philadelphia in Game 1 of the Cup Final. He also had two goals and two this? Did I not motivate the guys? Did I not do what I could while I was assists in the Islanders’ 6-2 win in Game 3, the first-ever Cup Final game wearing the ‘C?’ ” Gillies recalled to Newsday last month. “Maybe it was at Nassau Coliseum. more of a superstitious thing than anything else. We haven’t won. Maybe Potvin added a power-play goal in the 5-4 overtime win in Game 6 at the we’ve got to give it a try with somebody else.” Coliseum on May 24, 1980, then was handed the Cup after the Islanders So 40 years ago this month, it was the brasher, more outspoken Denis clinched their first title. Potvin who was handed the Stanley Cup first to cap his first season as Gillies joked that “I did say, after we won the Cup, maybe I should have the Islanders’ captain. He wore the “C” until 1987, through five straight waited one year” to relinquish the captaincy. berths in the Stanley Cup Final and four Cup wins. Potvin’s eight seasons wearing the “C” still is the longest tenure of the Islanders’ 15 He added, somewhat jokingly, that being the captain was costing him too captains. much. He organized the team parties and fronted the money, though he was not always repaid by his teammates. “We all recognized Denis as a leader, let alone the captain,” recently told Newsday. “But Denis embraced the captain’s role. In contrast, Potvin said he just went to Arbour to pay for the parties. He really embraced it. An ‘A’ or a ‘C,’ when you embrace it, it doesn’t feel heavy on your jersey.” “It was a good transition,” Trottier said. “For Clark, it took a lot of courage. It didn’t change how the team felt about him. It probably empowered him After the two playoff upsets, Gillies approached coach about even more.” his concerns. Arbour went to general manager Bill Torrey. There was a long list of viable candidates, including Trottier, , Bobby Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.10.2020 Nystrom and .

But just before the start of the regular season, management named Potvin, who turned 27 in the season’s first month, as the Islanders’ third captain after (1972-77) and Gillies (1977-79).

“Clarkie is the one who announced he was going to give up the captaincy,” Potvin told Newsday in April. “We knew there was going to be another captain that was going to be chosen. Clarkie had been voted by the players, so he was a very popular guy in the dressing room. The next time around, it became a management decision. Accepting the captaincy to me was just fine. I looked forward to wearing the ‘C.’ ”

Potvin, one of the best defensemen in NHL history, and Gillies, a prototypical power forward, are Hall of Famers, blessed with superior skills, physicality and strength. Both are revered by their former teammates. But they had disparate personalities.

Gillies was happy to be Joe Long Island, away from the glitz that offered. Potvin was comfortable with the spotlight.

“Clark is a fun-loving, happy, joking tough guy and he liked all the players. He has compassion,” Nystrom, Gillies’ longtime road roommate, told Newsday in April. “Denis is a little more aloof and wouldn’t get bothered by certain things that maybe Clark would. I thought it was a real good move. Clark, listen, I love the guy, but he wanted to be liked by everybody. So I don’t think he had the ability to go to someone and say, ‘You haven’t been playing all that well.’ Denis would have a little bit more of an ability to deal with a situation like that.”

“Denis Potvin came in and he thought he was as good as Bobby Orr,” Glenn “Chico” Resch told Newsday last month. “A lot of his stats showed if he wasn’t the best, he was certainly a close second to Orr. But Denis had a confidence that would step over into a little bit of arrogance. It was an era where Joe Namath and all the New York guys were outspoken. It wasn’t the same 'everybody stay humble and keep your mouth shut.' ”

Potvin certainly played with an edge.

“Denis was vicious,” Gillies said. “One of the best hip checks I’d seen. If you weren’t careful, you were going to the orthopedic surgeon the next day. Denis was out there to hit and, if it happened and the guy got hurt, it didn’t bother him one bit. I don’t think it did, anyway. This is all on top of 1184292 New York Rangers

Tom Webster, former Rangers and Kings coach, dies at 71

Staff Writer

APR 10, 2020 | 10:08 PM

Tom Webster, the former NHL and WHA forward who went on to coach the Rangers and , died Friday. He was 71.

The announced Webster's death. Webster scored 53 goals and helped the franchise — then the New England Whalers — win the 's first title in 1972-73. He also was an assistant coach in Carolina, and son-in-law L.J. Scarpace was the team's video coach.

“Tommy was down here a lot, over the past couple of years, just visiting,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “He talked to our group a lot, just telling old stories. He was a great man, that’s the best way to describe him.”

From Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Webster had 33 goals and 42 assists in 102 career NHL games with Boston, Detroit and . He had 30 goals and 37 assists in 78 games for Detroit in 1970-71, then played only 12 games for the Red Wings and Golden Seals the following season.

Webster then jumped to the WHA, where he had 220 goals and 205 assists in 352 WHA games in six seasons with the Whalers. He was inducted into the World Hockey Association’s Hall of Fame in 2012.

Webster was hired in 1986 to coach the Rangers, but developed an inner-ear infection that left him unable to fly. He resigned in April 1987.

He took over the Kings in 1989, and led them to their first division title — topping the Smythe in 1991. He was 115-94-31 in three seasons with the team.

“It is very sad news for our organization,” Kings President Luc Robitaille said. “Coach Webster was a great man and my head coach for three seasons. He was also a tremendous part of a lot of the success our team enjoyed when Wayne Gretzky was playing in Los Angeles in particular.”

Webster also was known for his temper. In November 1991, he was suspended 12 games and fined $10,000 for throwing his stick and hitting referee in the foot, drawing the largest suspension ever for an NHL coach.

Webster coached three minor league or junior teams titles, co-coaching Adirondack in the American Hockey league in 1980-81, then directing Tulsa to the Central Hockey League crown in 1983-84 and Windsor to the junior championship in 1987-88 He also was an assistant coach with Philadelphia and worked an amateur scout for Calgary.

“Webby was one of the best hockey men that our game has ever seen and I am honored to have known him,” Flames general manager said. “More importantly, Webby was even a better man.”

New York Daily News LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184293 New York Rangers creative, always different and exciting. I much prefer these types of players to the more predictable less creative players.

Q: Why does your grandfather Vladimir mean so much to you? Catching up with Rangers’ superstar Artemi Panarin A: My grandfather played a huge part in my life. You could say he gave me the ticket to life, because of him I was able to make it in hockey and Steve Serby earn a living, have a warm place and a good meal. This is all because of him. Through many challenges, he continued to drive me to practice May 9, 2020 | 5:14PM despite lack of money or exhaustion. He was a grown man and worked nights, yet he drove me to practice in the mornings. I am very grateful to

him and to all my family. He played a huge part in my life. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin takes a shot at some Q&A with Post Q: Who are your favorite players to watch? columnist Steve Serby. A: Nikita Kucherov. During the season I don’t watch a lot of hockey. I’ll Q: What would you say to the coaches who thought — at 5-foot-10 and check out highlights: goals and assists, but rarely watch games. Patrick now 168 pounds — you were too small to play? Kane and Evgeny Kuznetsov — great player. But again, during the A: I don’t want to say anything negative. It was a different time and a season I don’t have a lot of time to watch since we have games every different hockey, and those coaches, not all but many, were coming from other day. a different time and couldn’t see the future and how hockey would evolve Q: Why do you miss ? to value skilled, thinking players. But now I can call on the next generation of coaches and say to them that you can always bulk up the A: Because we had a great time together and we played exhilarating muscle, but developing the mind is a different challenge. hockey. For me it’s very important to show thrilling hockey. That’s what we did and I enjoyed it. I only have good memories from my time in Q: Being from Russia, how difficult has the language barrier been for Chicago and with Patrick. you? How many English words do you know? Can you order off a menu? Q: Describe the best play you ever made at any level. A: It’s not that easy, let’s say, but probably because of my personality. I know English is important, but hockey takes priority during the season A: There have been many moments, it’s difficult to pick just one. Off the where we play every other day. I prepare for each game and don’t focus top of my head, the [2011] Junior World Championship in Buffalo when I on learning the language on the off days. I want to enjoy a film or read an scored two goals in the final game was a memorable one. But again, article, clear my head so I can focus for the game next day and have a there have been many and it’s just one I thought of right now. good performance. And in the summer during offseason, I think few people would choose to study rather than enjoy their vacation, and I am Q: Who first called you the “Bread Man” and how do you feel about the no exception. After about a month off I start training, plus there are things nickname? that need to be taken care of at home and travel. But when I’m at a party A: [former Blackhawks coach] came up with it first. The with the guys, I speak perfect English! Of course, I can order off a menu. guys picked it up and the nickname stuck. I like it, I think it’s good- I’m not that much of an ox! natured.

Q: What makes Igor Shesterkin a good goaltender? Q: Describe your worst hockey moment so far.

A: He lets in very few pucks. A: Worst moment was probably when I first made the KHL team and Q: What impresses you about Kaapo Kakko’s game? went on the ice. During my first shift, the other team scored because of my play. I thought it was the end of my career and that hockey isn’t for A: Skilled young player with great potential and good shot. me. Had there been a side exit off the ice, not requiring going by the bench, I would have left the arena. But when I got to the bench, [coach] Q: What impresses you about ’s game? Sergei Gomolyako told me to adjust from kids hockey already and didn’t A: Great speed. Great acceleration. Good shot. Good play in the crease. put a lot of pressure on me. Later in the same game I had a primary He does a great job of taking away goalie’s eyes. Takes away pucks and assist and everything went much better. But in that moment when we let great defensive player. the goal in, I thought that was the end of hockey for me.

Q: What impresses you about Mika Zibanejad’s game? Q: Why did you sign with the Rangers?

A: Great all-around player with speed, skill, hockey IQ and everything A: I liked Rangers for a long time. I don’t know, I’ve talked about this else. I’m very glad he is part of our team and is a huge part of the team. before, I just felt it in my heart and I’m the type of person who wouldn’t go against his heart and intuition because of money or something else. I Q: What are your impressions of coach David Quinn? made a decision from the heart, but also the terms, let’s just say, weren’t bad. A: I don’t want to get in between father-son relationship, so it’s best to ask Mika about Coach Quinn. But all jokes aside, he’s a great coach on Q: What do you like best about this Rangers team? If you make the and off ice. playoffs, can the Rangers be a dangerous team?

Q: Superstitions? A: Yes, 100 percent the Rangers can be a dangerous team! We have a great team. A lot of guys with advanced hockey IQ, which is very A: I don’t have many, and I don’t really believe in the superstitions. But important in today’s game. We have a good organization, good coaching when I lived with Grandma and Grandpa, I saw how they dealt with staff and just an excellent camaraderie within the team without some those. For example, if we left home and had to return to get something rotten issues. We’re all honest and open with each other and, I think, it’s we forgot — this was considered a bad omen. And since I’ve lived with it very important in challenging for the Cup. for so long, it’s tough for me to change. If I forget something and have to come back, I understand it’s silly, but at the same time it doesn’t take Q: How did you become so good in table tennis? Are you the best player much to take a look at the mirror. Just in case. on the team?

Q: Who were your boyhood idols, and why were they your boyhood A: I don’t think I’m the best player on the team. I think the Swedes are the idols? best, but I’m not far behind! I learned to play when I lived in the boarding school. We had table tennis and played to pass time. A: I don’t have many boyhood idols, only one comes to mind. Not many because we didn’t have a TV for a long time and then my interests were Q: Hobbies? different — I preferred to play outside, play soccer and other games, instead of watching somebody on TV. Later I enjoyed watching Pavel A: I’m the type of person who has seven Fridays in a week, so things are Datsyuk play. First of all, as a person, he was someone I looked up to for always changing. I like cars, watches, nature. I used to go camping in the some time, and also as a player. I liked his game because it’s very mountains for a week or two every year. Last year was the first time I didn’t go. I enjoy being out in nature. Q: What do you like best about New York and playing at the Garden?

A: I like the huge number of people in New York, and at the same time I have a house in Greenwich, so I can find balance. I can spend time downtown with all the restaurants and whatever else you might want, and then I can stay in the suburbs and enjoy relative quiet. This balance is great for me. … I like everything about MSG. I like people that come to hockey games, I like the atmosphere and the energy. Everything is great!

Q: What do you hope Rangers fans say about you?

A: From what I understand, it’s not too bad. I get many direct messages, see many signs. It’s great to see homemade signs in the stands that are addressed to me. Huge thank you to all the fans for support! I’m glad that now I am one family with these people.

New York Post LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184294 New York Rangers

NHL return-to-play plans have been narrowed to two scenarios, source says

Andrew Gross

May 9, 2020 11:48 PM

The NHL may be down to its final two.

The league halted play on March 12 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and myriad options have been considered since about how play might resume if health and governmental officials give the green light.

But a source told Newsday on Saturday that the return-to-play scenarios have been narrowed to two and that the timing of when games can resume — if they do — likely will determine which format is used.

The first scenario includes 24 teams. Under this plan, the top four teams would play for playoff seeding and the bottom teams would have postseason play-in games.

The second plan would include only 16 teams heading straight into the playoffs, with no regular-season games salvaged.

It’s not clear how the standings for the returning teams in either scenario would be determined or where the games would be played.

“I think, as of now, every option we have considered remains on the table,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said via email. “Obviously, some may be being explored more extensively than others. But no decisions have been made.”

The 31 NHL teams all had played between 68 and 71 games of their 82- game schedule when the season was halted.

The league has acknowledged considering a plan that would include groups of teams sequestering at four locations to resume play. There has been pushback from some players at the thought of being away from their families for an extended stretch.

“Guys with kids at home aren’t interested in [living] somewhere for four months and being away from them,” Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk said on Thursday in a Zoom conference call with the local media. “I know myself personally, I’m not interested in packing up and going away for that length of time away from my family. I can’t imagine that anybody else would, and I think it sounds like the NHL is sensitive to that and understands that, so we’re just going to have to wait and see how everything unfolds here.”

Of course, the speculation on how the NHL would resume play if it is possible to do so has shifted almost weekly.

On Thursday, two sources said the league was looking at heading straight into the playoffs, most likely a 24-team postseason.

“It’s not a fact, yet,” one source said. “It’s where the sides are leaning as of this week.”

The same source noted that two weeks ago, the NHL was “hell-bent” on including regular-season games if play resumed.

Myriad health and logistics issues confront any of the NHL’s efforts to restart play. The league’s players and personnel still are under a self- quarantine recommendation issued when play was halted. There still are international travel restrictions, and any player returning to North America, or even crossing the border from the United States to Canada or vice versa, might be required to self-quarantine for an additional two weeks.

The players likely will need up to three weeks of a second training camp to safely be able to participate in an NHL game, postseason or otherwise.

The NHL hopes to be able to reopen its practice facilities to small-group workouts by the end of this month if officials say it’s safe to do so.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.10.2020

1184295

Former Flyer Mark Howe knows NHL is trying to stay 'open-minded' about 2019-20 season

By Joe Fordyce

May 09, 2020 9:00 AM

With perspective from the players and head coach, let's take an inside look at how the Flyers have built their 2019-20 turnaround. By Jordan Hall

The sports world continues to be on hold as the United States and the world try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. With each passing day, there are more and more discussions that start with, “When (fill in sport here) returns ... "

Now whether that’s growing optimism or stir crazy, wishful thinking remains to be seen. The leagues themselves, however, don’t have the luxury of waiting to figure things out. They need to be ready for anything and everything.

In the NHL, there have been countless scenarios discussed and a few that the league itself has even acknowledged as possibilities. Hockey Hall of Famer and former Flyers defenseman Mark Howe is now a scout for the Detroit Red Wings and said despite being a member of a front office, the future plans for the league remain cloudy at best.

“We’ve had a couple of conference calls with Steve Yzerman in Detroit, scouting related, and he filled us in on a little bit of what’s going on. What’s going on is there are plans all across the globe about what’s going to maybe happen,” Howe said this week in a video interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia hockey analyst and former Flyer . “I think they're trying to get everyone to stay open-minded.”

Being open-minded seems to be key with the resumption of any sports play. The reality, though, is that the likelihood of the NHL playing games in teams' home arenas with fans grows grimmer by the week. No matter how or when play resumes, there will most certainly be health and safety protocols in place. This may include no fan attendance at all, but Howe knows the league is motivated to see the 2019-20 season to the finish, regardless of the residual effect on the league going forward.

“I do know, and I’ve heard, they do want to finish the season," Howe said. "They want to have a Stanley Cup champion, then worry about next year I guess after that.”

There have been only rumors about what could happen with next season. If the current season resumes, it would almost certainly go deep into the summer months for a team to finally hoist the Stanley Cup. While NHL training camps normally begin in September and a new season beginning in early October, under these unique circumstances, it seems like any and all scenarios are on the table.

“I think a lot of that just depends on what scientists come up with," Howe said. "I think it’s going to be hard to accomplish if things don’t improve.”

So while Howe waits for the call from his GM Yzerman in Detroit, the rest of us wait for some light at the end of the tunnel and for the game we love to return to the ice.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184296 Philadelphia Flyers In an April 25 phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said, "Obviously you’d want the big, scoring, playmaking center, anybody does. We’re in a position where we’ll likely be taking the best player available.” 2020 NHL draft profile: Hendrix Lapierre could be a steal for Flyers if injuries cause him to drop If Lapierre drops to the back of the first round and the Flyers have a chance to take him, there’s a real chance he’d be the best player available. The team would, of course, need to feel comfortable with his injury situation — his most recent medical reports have been submitted By Noah Levick to NHL Central Scouting, according to Wheeler — but he could be a May 09, 2020 9:00 AM good value pick, perhaps even a steal.

2020 NHL DRAFT PROFILES Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.10.2020

Playmaking center could be a steal for Flyers if injuries cause him to drop

Keep an eye on a center with 200-foot bite and Flyers in the family

Could another Wheat Kings defenseman be on the horizon for Flyers?

The next Zamula? A package of size and skill could be there for Flyers

Will Flyers go defense in the 1st round for second consecutive draft?

Will Flyers get a shot at 'talented' winger coming off 98-point year in WHL?

Curious case for this center might intrigue Flyers in draft

A center with 'the quickness, the skill and vision' to entice Flyers in draft

This month and into June, we'll break down NHL draft options for the Flyers, who have seven selections this year and would currently pick 26th in the first round.

Today, we’ll look at an impressive center who could fall into the Flyers’ range because of injury concerns.

Hendrix Lapierre

Position: Center

Height: 6-0

Weight: 181

Shoots: Left

Team: Chicoutimi Saguenéens

Scouting report

Lapierre was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in the QMJHL for the 2018-19 season, posting 13 goals and 32 assists for Chicoutimi.

He had a difficult year in 2019-20, both on and off the ice, and was limited to 19 games (two goals, 15 assists). The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler chronicled Lapierre’s injuries, which included worrisome cervical issues initially thought to be concussions. The good news is that, before the QMJHL season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Lapierre was making progress in rehab and the tentative plan was for him to play in the Saguenéens’ final two or three regular-season games.

The 18-year-old is a highly skilled two-way player who controls the puck very well and has plenty of poise and patience. Lapierre, who manned the right half wall on the Saguenéens’ power play, is an excellent passer, the kind that can lead his teammates into open space and create scoring chances from nothing. As a 16-year-old playing in the QMJHL, Lapierre quickly learned the importance of playing hard on both ends.

Lapierre isn’t renowned for his scoring, although he told TSN’s Mark Masters that his shot has “gotten a lot better” while he’s been sidelined. The Gatineau, , native is also not especially physical or explosive.

The bottom line, though, is that Lapierre is widely considered one of the most talented players in the draft. He told Masters he sees himself as being similar to Evgeny Kuznetsov and is looking to model his game after , too.

“Lapierre is the wild card of this draft. … I think he’s a top-five player if he can return to full health,” TSN’s said in March. “He’s the best two-way player in the draft.”

Fit with Flyers 1184297 Pittsburgh Penguins Finally, what about the salary cap? With Guentzel on long-term injured reserve, his salary cap hit was off the books and it granted Rutherford the freedom to add Zucker as well as forwards Patrick Marleau, Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary before the trade deadline. If the NHL tries Penguins A to Z: Jake Guentzel could get a second chance to play any portion of the remaining regular season with Guentzel, that would push them over the salary cap ceiling under the existing rules.

But given how unprecedented this pause is for the NHL, the league could SETH RORABAUGH return with a temporary set of regulations for the salary cap and roster Saturday, May 9, 2020 5:15 p.m. limits to complete this season.

Regardless of the questions that exist, Guentzel could get a second chance to complete his season. While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 55 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid- Tribune Review LOADED: 05.10.2020 level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Player: Jake Guentzel

Position: Left winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 25

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 180 pounds

2019-20 NHL statistics: 39 games, 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists)

Contract: First year of a five-year contract with a salary cap hit of $6 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2024. (Note: Guentzel was on long-term injured reserve by the time the NHL season was halted, and the Penguins were relieved of his entire salary cap hit.)

Acquired: Third-round draft pick (No. 77 overall), June 30, 2013

This season: Guentzel was kind of ahead of his time.

Before everyone had their season interrupted, he had his season interrupted.

The 2019-20 campaign was shaping up to be the signature season of Guentzel’s career. With franchise centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin sidelined throughout the first three months because of injuries, and starting goaltender Matt Murray working through inconsistency, Guentzel was the Penguins MVP through the first half of the season.

And considering his success this season was largely done with Crosby absent, Guentzel dispelled the notion he was a product of playing with the Penguins captain.

It wasn’t so much that Guentzel was just collecting goals at a voracious pace. It was that he was scoring important goals.

All of that success led to Guentzel being selected for an All-Star Game for the first time. Having established a career high with 40 goals in 2018- 19, Guentzel appeared set to shatter that mark.

Everything came to a halt Dec. 30, when Guentzel was tripped and crashed violently into the end boards, suffering a right shoulder injury that required surgery and a time frame of four to six months for recovery.

The future: Quite a few things have change since Guentzel was last in the lineup, especially because of his absence.

Namely, Jason Zucker is wearing a Penguins jersey.

General manager Jim Rutherford did what he could by filling the void Guentzel’s absence created on the wings in acquiring Zucker, who has been a near immedate fit on Crosby’ flank.

If the season resumes, a potential return for Guentzel creates quite a few questions.

First, does he go back on Crosby’s left wing? Or should he play with Malkin, as was the case throughout November and December?

Additionally, where will Guentzel’s game be at if he returns? Shoulders can be notoriously difficult for hockey players to completely heal. Just ask former Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta and forward Maxime Talbot, who had significant portions of their careers interrupted or hindered by shoulder woes. 1184298 Pittsburgh Penguins

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Ben Sexton retires

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, May 9, 2020 3:28 p.m.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Ben Sexton announced his retirement via Twitter on Saturday.

Sexton, 28, was signed to a one-year AHL contract but did not play at all in 2019-20 because of concussion issues. In 26 games with Wilkes- Barre/Scranton during the 2018-19 season, Sexton scored 10 points (seven goals, three assists).

He previously signed a two-way NHL contract with the Penguins, who had acquired him in a trade with the on Dec. 5, 2018.

Sexton’s NHL career was limited to two games and no points with the Senators in 2017-18.

In a message posted to his Twitter account, Sexton wrote:

“It’s with a heavy heart that I’m announcing my retirement from playing professional hockey. After missing the 2019-2020 season due to a concussion, and having a prior history of the injury, for my long term healthy and growing family it is in our best interest for me to step away from the game. I’d like to thank my family, friends, teammates, coaches and organizations I played for, for helping me pursue my dream of playing in the NHL. I look forward to starting this next chapter in my life and giving back to the game I dearly love and has given me so much.”

Sexton’s father is Randy Sexton, formerly the Penguins’ director of amateur scouting.

Tribune Review LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184299 Pittsburgh Penguins America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said any players coming into the country would have to be quarantined as long as the Canadian border is closed because of the pandemic.

Ron Cook: With every step forward, a reminder of how far away we are I wonder how many players are going to refuse to play out of fear for their from normal sports and their family’s health. “I just think for us it doesn’t make sense to play any games unless it is completely, 100% safe for us to go out there,” Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson told the Denver media in a Zoom call. “If there is any threat to us being able to contract COVID in One of our best national holidays came and went Thursday night. There any way and spread it to our families or anybody else that we’re around, aren’t many better days on the sports calendar than the release date of it just doesn’t make sense.” the NFL schedule. Steelers-Giants on Sept. 14 at MetLife Stadium? On Monday night? Ben Roethlisberger’s comeback game? I’m already Is Jackson the exception, or are there other athletes thinking the same counting the minutes. Steelers-Browns on Jan. 3 in Cleveland? What a thing? wonderful way to end the regular season. I won’t even complain about Steelers-Ravens on Thanksgiving night at Heinz Field. Not this season. Good luck with that 100% safety thing, by the way. Not in these pandemic times. What about 19-time grand slam tennis champion Rafael Nadal? “I see It was an especially good sports week in the South. Eight Southeastern 2020 as practically lost,” he told the Spanish newspaper El Pais Conference schools announced they will open their campus to students Tuesday. “Unfortunately, I would sign up to be ready for 2021 — in August. Fox Sports Radio national host Clay Travis, based in hopefully.” Nashville, couldn’t contain his glee on Twitter: “SEC is playing football Hopefully? this fall, y’all.” In 2021? Can you blame Travis for his enthusiasm? Is the thought of this pandemic carrying over into next year frightening or It was terrific to get lost in thoughts, even for just a few moments, of what? Steelers-Ravens and Alabama-Auburn. It almost made me forget about, you know ... Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby has those fears. Warning: What he told SiriusXM Big 12 radio late last month is about as depressing as it That damn COVID-19 keeps bringing me back to reality. gets when it comes to sports. I imagine you can appreciate that awful feeling. “I worry more about the end of the [football] season and the postseason I’m trying really hard to be encouraged about the possible resumption of than I do the beginning parts of the season. We will be very, very lucky to sports. Some good things are starting to happen. At least baby steps are start on Labor Day weekend and get through a football season without being taken in the right direction. disruptions. If the virus comes roaring back in the traditional flu and virus season in November, December, through March, I wonder if we’re going There is talk of MLB starting 2.0 in mid-June with the to get basketball season in. I wonder if we’re going to get the [College season starting in early-July. How cool would it be if they’re playing ball Football Playoff] in. I wonder if we’re going to get the NCAA tournament on the Fourth? Even without fans in the stands? in.”

There already is baseball in Korea and Taiwan. The Taiwanese even Then, there was this last week from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the most famous planned to allow 1,000 fans into its stadiums for games beginning Friday. immunologist on the planet, on CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time about the rush The fans will wear masks and practice social-distancing, of course. to get our world back to normal:

Soccer players in Spain returned to their training headquarters “If you start to leap frog [social distancing recommendations], you’re Wednesday. Three NBA teams opened their training facilities for players inviting rebound and rebound is going to give you spikes. ... If you pull Friday. Germany’s Bundesliga is even further down that road and is back prematurely, you’re going to get a rebound of cases. It is tempting planning on restarting its season Saturday. rebound when you do something prematurely.”

NASCAR is scheduled to resume racing next Sunday at Darlington I don’t know how many more of these emotional swings I can take. Raceway. The PGA Tour is scheduled to return June 11-14 with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, This pandemic thing hit me really hard for the first time last week during a Texas. A charity two-man team skins game, featuring Rory McIlroy and trip to Giant Eagle. I walked in with my mask and saw everyone else in a Dustin Johnson against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff, is scheduled mask. It was like a scene from Walking Dead, as if we all were zombies for next Sunday at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla. walking around in slow motion. I looked at the sad faces behind the masks and saw the same thing in all of them. Progress, right? Disbelief. Who doesn’t love to see progress? This can’t be real, right? I’m so desperate for live sports that I’ll probably watch the Champions for Charity golf event May 24 at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. How can it possibly be real? Normally, I would laugh at the idea of and taking on Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson. But now? I’ll be in front of my television with my pizza and beer. Ron Cook

Baby steps. Post Gazette LOADED: 05.10.2020 Unfortunately, it seems, at least to me, that every time we take a step forward, we take one or two back.

The latest blow came Thursday when Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced large gatherings in the state for sporting events and concerts “should either be canceled or significantly modified” through September. They might be playing ball in the fall in the SEC, but the start of the Pac- 12 season would appear to be in jeopardy.

I want hockey to return as much as anyone and would love to see Sidney Crosby and the Penguins compete for another Stanley Cup. But the NHL faces the biggest challenge of all the North American sports leagues. Part of it is that its players already haven’t been able to skate for two months and will need every bit of a month to get back into playing shape. An even bigger part might be getting its European players back to North 1184300 San Jose Sharks

Evander Kane reveals secret behind Joe Thornton's massive on-ice legs

By Ali Thanawalla

May 09, 2020 8:46 PM

Joe Thornton is a massive human being, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 220 pounds.

But according to Sharks teammate Evander Kane, Thornton's size isn't quite what it appears to be.

"I remember when I first came into the room and I had met him a bunch of times before, but on the ice, he has massive legs," Kane said during the NHL Player Gaming Challenge. "Tt looked like his lower legs were huge, but I realized it was knee braces. I was like 'It's a brace.' "

Kane revealed the factoid about Thornton while playing defenseman Cam Fowler in EA Sports NHL 20 on Saturday.

Thornton has good reason for wearing the knee braces. On April 2, 2017, Thornton suffered a torn left ACL and MCL, and played through the injuries. He sustained the same injury to his right leg in 2018.

So those knee braces are well-earned for the soon-to-be 41-year-old.

Thornton and Kane have been teammates since a Feb. 26, 2018 trade with the Buffalo Sabres brought to latter to the Sharks.

Both Sharks players are in a holding pattern while the world combats the coronavirus pandemic. No one knows when, or if, the 2019-20 NHL season will resume.

But one thing is for sure: Thornton still will be rocking the bulky knee braces.

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Sharks' Evander Kane pushing NHL players to show more personality

By Ali Thanawalla

May 09, 2020 6:57 PM

The NHL is an old-school sports league.

Injuries aren't fully disclosed, and players don't usually draw attention to themselves off the ice.

Personality isn't on display in the NHL like it is in the NBA, a league that thrives on off-the-court drama and comments.

But Sharks forward Evander Kane is pushing for that to change in his sport, and he's already seeing some positive movement.

"I think it's important," Kane said while taking part in the NHL Player Gaming Challenge. "I think the reason we're starting to understand the importance of it is because we're seeing other leagues and other players do it a lot more, and the success that's transpiring in those leagues with engaging with their fans and showing that personality, so I think it's a great way to promote the game and get our faces out there a little bit more because at the end of the day, that's what sells the game of hockey, is the players.

"And you look at any other sport, it's no different. So for us, I think it's great we're starting that process of wanting to showcase our personality because at the end of the day, it's also up to us as players to want to do things like this and be part of different events and causes outside of hockey, so I think it's great."

Kane made the comment while playing Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler in EA Sports NHL 20 on Saturday.

Kane's 11th NHL season is on hold while the world deals with the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

When the NHL does return, they likely won't have trouble attracting fans because everyone misses sports so much.

But Kane is right. The NHL is an incredibly fun sport to watch, and a good way to draw new fans is by showing off the personalities of the sports' stars.

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Sharks' Brent Burns reveals hilarious stories on family RV adventures

By Alex Didion

May 09, 2020 1:39 PM

All the workout gear for an NHL player is one thing, but Brent Burns likely never has worked harder to get the smell out of something.

The Sharks star recently was asked about his family vacations using an RV, and Burns revealed that he had a ghastly scenario play out during one particular outing.

"I go out there and put the sewage in the pipe at the RV camp," Burns told The Athletic. "And then I open up the black tanks first. You rinse it out with the gray. I put the black and it’s making noise but it’s not emptying. I’m like, ‘What is going on? This is a nightmare.’ I close it and open it again and still, nothing is happening.

"I can hear it but still, the tanks aren’t emptying. Then I do it again, now it’s been open for 40 seconds but it’s not emptying the tank at all. I’m like, oh boy. Then I realize I did not open up the bottom lid on the hose. And it’s in the ground. And the tank has been open."

Burns quite literally had opened up the floodgates.

"There is s--t everywhere. I have to open up that bottom lid and I’m like, ‘Holy bananas.’ I’m going to be covered in s--t from head to toe. Thank God I’ve got the KUIU raingear. I stick it in the ground as fast as I can, I was like, holy s--t. I was covered. It was insane."

That doesn't sound like an ideal evening on vacation. Luckily Burns hustled and tidied everything up to avoid drawing the ire of more experienced campers nearby.

"I go on those RV forums," Burns added. "There’s always that big section of like, ‘Hey we just had this newbie come in the campsite and screw this up. What an idiot.’ That’s all I could think about. I’m that idiot spraying crap all over. I spent 40 minutes, late at night, pitch black with a headlamp on, cleaning and disinfecting everything so there was no smell. Just in case one person saw it at least I cleaned it up. Oh man, it was insane."

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Mixed feelings around hockey about holding NHL draft early

By Stephen WhynoThe Associated Press

Sat., May 9, 2020

The NFL’s successful virtual draft and uncertainty surrounding the resumption of hockey this season have raised the possibility of an NHL draft held before the Stanley Cup final.

After postponing its draft scheduled for June 26-27 in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL is considering having it earlier in June with the season in an indefinite suspension. There are mixed feelings among executives about the idea, ranging from frustration to begrudging acceptance.

“We’re just going to try to prepare as though it’s going to happen,” Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said. “It’s not going to be normal regardless of what it is, so we’re fine with whatever is decided.”

Unlike the NFL, which held its draft as usual in the middle of its off- season, the NHL would face several wrinkles going forward with a draft held before the season is complete: Teams would not be able to trade players, there would be a lack of clarity over next year’s salary cap and the draft order could be determined before all games are played.

It would put hockey back in the spotlight for a couple of days. It would also create plenty of headaches for those involved.

“I have not talked to one GM who likes it, and I talk to almost all of them,” agent Allan Walsh said Thursday.

A week after the league sent a memo to teams outlining its proposal, deputy NHL commissioner Bill Daly on Friday said a decision has not been made on the timing of the draft. GMs have asked for a month’s notice before holding a draft.

“My thought is: Why would you do that? Why do you need to do that?” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said on Fox Sports Detroit. “I haven’t heard a good reason why we should do it prior to the end of the season if we do conclude the season over the course of the summer.”

Yzerman’s Red Wings could actually benefit from an adjusted draft lottery that gives him better odds at the top pick, likely Alexis Lafreniere. But Yzerman pointed to a litany of unknowns, including who’s in and out of the playoffs and how the draft order is determined.

There’s also the matter of the 2020-21 salary cap, which was initially projected at $84 million but is now expected to be set at the current $81.5 million or less.

“The draft serves a lot of different purposes in giving GMs the tools to build their roster for the next year apart from just drafting seven rounds of players,” Walsh said. “The cap teams — the Torontos, the Tampas — are going to have to move at least one big contract to make it work. And the time to do it is at the draft. But you can’t do it under a first week or second week of June scenario when you don’t know if the season is cancelled or whether we are really going to come back and play.”

Daly said the NHL still hasn’t decided when to allow players to return to team training facilities for small group workouts, which would be the first step toward a return. The league continues to work internally and with the NHL Players’ Association on various scenarios, including resuming at three or four empty NHL arenas and pushing the start of next season back to December.

With that in mind, Los Angeles GM Rob Blake said the Kings are “quite comfortable with either scenario” of the draft happening in June or later. Many of his colleagues are in the same boat.

“We’ll have to work with it, obviously,” Blake said. “The one thing we know for sure is nothing will be status quo, so whether it’s prior in June or later, you’re going to have to make the necessary adjustments.”

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Marc-Andre Fleury featured again in NHL’s Greatest Moment bracket

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

May 9, 2020 - 10:20 am

Can Marc-Andre Fleury have two plays reach the third round of the NHL’s “Greatest Moment of the Season … So Far” bracket?

The Golden Knights goaltender is up again Saturday, as Fleury moving into fifth place on the NHL wins list is pitted against the Winnipeg Jets’ victory over the Calgary Flames in the NHL Heritage Classic.

Fleury reached 460 wins on Feb. 6 when the Knights defeated Florida 7- 2 and passed Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers for fifth on the NHL all-time list.

Fleury’s “Superman Save” advanced to the third round of the tournament with 52 percent of the vote over Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl becoming the first player to 100 points this season.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184305 Vegas Golden Knights David Schlemko Like Van Riemsdyk, the solid defenseman was with Vegas for about a

day. The Golden Knights picked him away from the Sharks, then shipped 11 players who weren’t quite Golden Knights him the following day to Montreal for a 2019 fifth-round pick. He split time between Montreal and AHL Laval, Quebec, before being traded ahead of the 2019 deadline to Philadelphia, who assigned him to AHL Lehigh Valley. He is a free agent. By John Hornberg Las Vegas Review-Journal Marc Methot May 9, 2020 - 8:30 am The strong, stay-at-home defenseman was picked from Ottawa,and

lasted five days on the Golden Knights roster before being traded to The Golden Knights roster has just nine players left from its 2017 Dallas for goalie prospect Dylan Ferguson and a second-round pick. expansion draft — Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Will Carrier, Methot missed large chunks of each of his two seasons with the Stars Nate Schmidt, Brayden McNabb, Jon Merrill, Deryk Engelland, Tomas with knee injuries, opting to retire at the end of last season. Ferguson, Nosek and Marc-Andre Fleury. now 21, joined the Golden Knights ECHL affiliate in Fort Wayne, Ind., this season. Of the 30 players picked, 11 never suited up in a regular-season game for the team. In some cases, their tenure with the NHL’s newest franchise Jean-Francois Berube was less than 24 hours. The Golden Knights accepted a 2017 first-round pick (which they used to Here’s who they are and where they are now. get Erik Brannstrom), a 2019 second-round pick (which was sent to Detroit for Tomas Tatar), the injured Mikhail Grabovski and prospect Calvin Pickard was the first player officially selected by the Golden Jake Bischoff to take the goalie’s expiring contract. He became a free Knights in the 2017 Expan ... agent that July and signed with Chicago for 2017-18, playing 13 games. He spent last year in Columbus’ minor-league system. Berube was with Calvin Pickard AHL Hartford, Conn., (N.Y. Rangers) when the season was paused. The first name called in the 2017 expansion draft, the former Avalanche Carolina sent a fifth-round pick to Vegas to coax the Golden Knights to goalie was set to be the team’s backup behind Marc-Andre Fleury. On pick Brickley and his expiring contract. He split 2017-18 between Florida the eve of the season opener in Dallas, Pickard was traded to Toronto and AHL and split the next season between the New York after Vegas claimed Malcolm Subban off waivers. Since then, he has Rangers and their AHL affiliate in Hartford, Conn. He was playing for EC played for Toronto, Philadelphia and Arizona and been waived multiple Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Hockey League this winter. times. He signed with Detroit in the offseason and spent much of the year at AHL Grand Rapids. Winnipeg coaxed Vegas to select , whose contract was expiring, in the expansion d ... Griffin Reinhart Chris Thorburn A former top prospect for the Islanders, Reinhart was traded to Edmonton for the pick that became star winger Mathew Barzal. The In an effort to protect their numerous young players and prospects, Knights picked him up in the expansion draft from Edmonton, but he Winnipeg sent a first-round pick (Nick Suzuki), a 2019 third-round pick could never crack the Golden Knights roster in either of his two seasons (eventually sent to New Jersey) for a first-round pick that was received with the franchise, spending both in the organization at AHL Chicago. He from Columbus and selecting Thorburn’s expiring contract. The veteran played 33 games this season for the Kontinental Hockey League’s forward signed a two-year, two-way contract with St. Louis that Kunlun Red Star in Beijing. offseason. Despite playing one game for St. Louis last season and no playoff games, he was the third person to hoist the Stanley Cup after the Teemu Pulkkinen Blues beat Boston in Game 7 in June. He retired after the Stanley Cup The Finnish forward appeared for the Golden Knights in the 2017-18 Finals. preseason after being picked from the Coyotes, but was sent to AHL

Chicago. After scoring 29 goals and 36 assists in 75 games for the Wolves, Pulkkinen bolted for the Kontinental Hockey League, signing LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.10.2020 with Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) on a one-year contract. He led Minsk in goals and points in the 2018-19 season and re-signed. He scored what ended up being a team-leading 17 goals before being traded for cash to Dynamo Moscow in December.

Clayton Stoner

The Anaheim Ducks sent Shea Theodore to the Golden Knights to select Stoner, who was entering the final year of a four-year, $13 million contract. He had spent most of the 2016-17 season injured. Stoner appeared in camp, but suffered an abdominal injury and never played again. He recently rejoined the Golden Knights organization as coach of team’s 12AA youth system team.

Alexei Emelin

The Russian defenseman was picked by Vegas after six seasons with Montreal. He spent 10 days as a member of the Golden Knights before he was swapped to Nashville for a third-round pick in 2019. After 76 unremarkable games with the Predators, Emelin left for the KHL, signing on with Avangard Omsk (Russia), where he is under contract.

Trevor van Riemsdyk

The defenseman was a member of the Golden Knights for less than 24 hours. Selected from Chicago in the expansion draft, he was traded to Carolina the next day along with a seventh-round pick for a second-round pick in 2017 (the Golden Knights used that pick to get Jake Leschyshyn). Van Riemsdyk was a consistent part of the Hurricanes’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season and remains with Carolina. He will be a free agent this offseason. 1184306 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights roster review: Ryan Reaves

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

May 9, 2020 - 6:00 am

The Review-Journal presents its “Roster Review” series, which will examine in alphabetical order each Golden Knights player’s production and outlook. Sunday: Right wing Ryan Reaves.

There are certain skills that stand out on the Knights.

Max Pacioretty’s wrist shot. Marc-Andre Fleury’s flexibility. Shea Theodore’s skating.

Reaves’ fighting belongs in that conversation. The Knights’ chief intimidator takes pleasure in pummeling opponents as T-Mobile Arena roars behind him. He never hesitates to drop the gloves. He even memorably did it right after the opening faceoff of a game against the New York Islanders in February.

Reaves, though, is just as much brain as brawn. He practiced boxing for two summers earlier in his career. He studies opponents before games.

Reaves is far from out of control, hitting and fighting everything in his path. In fact, his cerebral approach is what makes him extra valuable.

Reaves knows what he’s doing when he steps out onto the ice.

He’s aware his role is to play physical, wear down opponents and prevent anyone from taking extra liberties with the Knights’ top players. So that’s exactly what he does.

Reaves led the NHL in hits last season and ranks first again this year with 316. He chips in offensively when needed (his eight goals and 15 points are the second-highest totals of his career) and agitates opponents when he can.

Reaves, however, makes sure his -like tendencies don’t hurt his team. He picks and chooses his spots to prevent his team from being on the penalty kill all the time.

Reaves’ 47 penalty minutes, while the most on the Knights, are tied for the 59th-most in the league. He’s taken just two more penalties (17) than he’s drawn (15). He’s physical, but not reckless.

That style has earned him plenty of admirers during his time with the Knights, including one coach who didn’t like having to face Reaves two straight postseasons.

“I love the fourth-line identity of this team and what those guys in particular bring down there,” coach Pete DeBoer, who led the San Jose Sharks in two playoff series against the Knights, said in January. “Every year, they have gotten better. Ryan is a very good player. Underrated.

“That’s playoff hockey. You have to have depth that can beat (opponents) a bunch of different ways, with a goal or to set the table physically for the next line going over the boards. It’s a great option for me to have as coach.”

Future

Reaves is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but it’s far from certain he’ll leave Las Vegas.

Few can perform Reaves’ role as well as he can. And after the team did him a solid with his last contract — then-general manager George McPhee said they gave him the money ($5.5 million) he would have received in a three-year deal over two years — he might be willing to return the favor.

Reaves has said he wants to retire in Las Vegas. His brewing company (7Five Brewing Co., named after his jersey number) is based locally. He might be willing to compromise to come back to the Knights.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184307 Winnipeg Jets How it got here: In the quarterfinals, Jacob Trouba’s Game 3 goal blew the roof off of Bell MTS Place and beat the four-seed, Byfuglien’s destruction of , by a score of 185-144. Then, in the semi- finals, Trouba took down Byfuglien for the second straight time, beating The Athletic’s Winnipeg Jets 2.0 ‘Best Play’ tournament: The final round the big guy’s first shift in Winnipeg 182-155.

Nashville stormed out to a 3-0 lead, silencing the crowd in Winnipeg’s first home game of the series, but Winnipeg had other ideas. By Murat Ates First, it was with a lucky redirection off his foot. Then it was May 9, 2020 Byfuglien scoring on a rocket to send the arena into a frenzy.

Just 18 seconds later, Jacob Trouba did this and Bell MTS Place got Dustin Byfuglien was unstoppable for eight seasons as a Winnipeg Jet louder than it had ever been before: and three rounds of The Athletic’s “Best Play” tournament.

Up until this week, he even had a shot at becoming both finalists, The Athletic LOADED: 05.10.2020 crushing the field like he destroyed Mark Stone, rag-dolled Roman Josi and and bulldozed his way through the entire Blue Jackets roster on his infamous first shift.

Today, Byfuglien’s quest for the Best Play championship stops short.

It’s not that you didn’t love the big, gap-toothed, happy-go-lucky, point producing ice-fisherman from Roseau, Minn. Half of your write-in votes were for Byfuglien alone. It’s just that there are two moments in Jets 2.0 history you loved even more.

Exactly one month after Byfuglien famously levelled Stone in the neutral zone, the Jets won big at the NHL draft lottery, moving from sixth overall all the way up to two. Their prize was a brash talking teenager from Tampere, Finland, who had the endearing temerity to do his lottery-night media availability from his bed. After Toronto took Auston Matthews with the top pick, Winnipeg chose Patrik Laine and their off-ice rivalry in pursuit of becoming the NHL’s top draft choice soon turned to ice level.

Laine took round one so emphatically on Oct. 19, 2016, that it carried him right on through Byfuglien’s rag-dolling of Josi and Watson in our first semifinal.

Meanwhile, in our other semifinal, Jacob Trouba’s series-shifting, roof- raising, decibel-delivering goal against Nashville won yet again. Despite its spot as the fifth seed, Trouba’s 4-on-4 goal which tied Game 3 as the Jets stormed back to beat Nashville has been a giant killer all tournament long. Trouba had already dispatched Byfuglien’s Stone-crushing in the quarterfinal; in the semis, he squeaked past Byfuglien’s infamous first shift against Columbus to cement his spot in the final.

But which play do you love most?

Is it the brash young Laine’s hat-trick goal to cap off an incredible comeback in his first-ever head-to-head match-up with Auston Matthews — and right after Matthews was stuffed on a breakaway, at that?

Or will Trouba’s biggest goal on the Jets’ biggest stage — their electrifying seven-game series against Nashville in 2018 — get your hearts racing once again?

The championship is in your hands.

No 1: Patrik Laine calls game after Auston Matthews misses — nominated by Sara Orlesky

How it got here: In the quarterfinals, Laine’s one-upping of Auston Matthews defeated the eight-seed, Connor’s dangling of Subban by a landslide: 255-74. In the semi-finals, Laine kept on destroying the elites, beating Byfuglien’s Predator-rag-dolling by a score of 228-107.

Four games into Patrik Laine’s career, he went go toe-to-toe with Auston Matthews, the man who got picked before him in the 2016 draft. The comparisons were inevitable, but they came with added hyperbole: Matthews scored four goals in his NHL debut and it seemed as though the centre-of-the-universe Leafs had finally found their saviour. Would Laine be up to the challenge?

After the Jets went down 4-0 early, it looked as though those hopes were spent. Even after Laine’s first two goals helped the Jets force overtime, Matthews got a breakaway pass and it looked like it was all over.

Not so, Toronto.

No. 5: Jacob Trouba ties Game 3 and Bell MTS Place erupts — nominated by Christian Aumell 1184308 Websites Part of the reason it has proven hard to contextualize him is that he has played himself out of the context of his peers. In the history of the Extraliga, Mysak’s under-17 and under-18 seasons put him with – and ahead – of some pretty special company. The Athletic / Wheeler: Why Jan Mysak is one of the 2020 NHL Draft’s top forward prospects Here’s where he sits among the who’s who of Czech hockey players who’ve stayed home to play one or both of the U17 and/or U18 seasons:

You’ve got to go back a long way to find better seasons than the ones By Scott Wheeler Mysak put together. He had the most productive U17 season in nearly two decades. And that’s without accounting for his astonishing nine May 9, 2020 points in six playoff games, which would have propped up his U17 production to a remarkable 0.43 points per game in Extraliga a year ago.

I can’t lie, it’s hard to evaluate Czech born-and-developed talents these And before he left for Hamilton, he was neck-and-neck with Martin Necas days. (a 12th-overall pick) and Milan Michalek (a sixth-overall pick who played more than 800 NHL games) for the best U18 season of those two While second-tier hockey countries like Germany and Switzerland have decades, too. begun to produce more talent, the Czechs, once one of the hockey’s world’s giants and a regular contender for medals at international events, After the move to Hamilton, we’re able to gauge him against his peers in have plateaued and stagnated. a more present-day context. In the back half of the season, after making the move in the New Year, Mysak racked up 15 goals and 25 points in The level of play in the ’s U16, U18, U19 and U20 levels his first 22 OHL games. is, to put it nicely, nowhere near its equivalents in Russian, and Finland. Extraliga, the country’s top professional level, isn’t what it once But relative to his draft-eligible peers in the OHL, Mysak’s numbers don’t was either. Today, it’s probably the world’s eighth- or ninth-best have the same jaw-dropping quality as his Czech track record does. professional league, surpassed by the NLA and the DEL. Evaluating Here’s where he ranks across some important predictive categories players in its Tier II professional ranks is even murkier. relative to the 19 OHL forwards listed in my final top 100 rankings: And still, every draft class boasts a handful of worthwhile Czech players There, you’ll notice a pretty clear divide between the eight prospects who spend their draft year, or the year preceding it, playing domestically. ranked in the top 50, and the 11 who fell into the 53-98 range. You’ll also In fact, in the last three drafts, 27 Czech players have been selected. notice that he ranks closer to the bottom of that group of eight than he Outside of Filip Zadina, who played his draft year in Halifax, all of the top does to where I have him ranked overall (fourth). picks, from 2018’s Martin Kaut and Jan Jenik to 2017’s Martin Necas and Filip Chytil, played their draft years at home. When you consider his smaller, more volatile sample size and his age, though, he certainly fits in, statistically, somewhere near the top of the Anecdotally, I would argue that the play of those players relative to where players not named Byfield, Rossi and Perfetti. they were selected has also proven to be more unpredictable than their peers across Europe and North America. You have to wonder, at the Take, for example, that his 1.14 points per game ranked tied for second very least, if there has emerged some kind of boom or bust element to among OHL rookies and tied for sixth among all under-18 players. Or, selecting players out of the Czech Republic. Skills-based evaluation is consider that the one statistical category where he doesn’t look quite as skills-based evaluation no matter what league you play in, but context impressive – his even-strength primary points rate – doesn’t account for matters and it’s hard to contextualize Extraliga prospects against both the the three shorthanded goals he scored in 22 games. Those three level of their competition and a large enough sample size of their peers. shorties tied Jack Quinn for first among draft year OHLers … in 40 fewer In hindsight, Jenik was taken too low in 2018, while Kaut was taken too games. high, as just two examples. No matter how you slice it, after challenging for peerless territory in Therefore, it’s no surprise that scouts, in the public and private spheres, Extraliga’s recent memory, Mysak stepped into the OHL and had an varied so widely on Jan Mysak, the top Czech prospect available in the immediate impact relative to his peers, while playing on one of the 2020 class, before he made the mid-season switch from his HC Litvinov league’s weakest teams. to the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Even after the move, a consensus never developed on Mysak. It’s not easy to contextualize a player in 22 OHL But the true testament of Mysak’s game, his projection for the next level games, on a smaller ice surface, in new systems, with new linemates, and his status as one of the draft’s top forward prospects, rests in an either. After an excellent tournament-opening game at the world juniors, evaluation of his skill. his quiet play the rest of the way didn’t help to bridge the gap between The first thing you need to know about Mysak is that he wants the puck. his believers and doubters, either. And then he didn’t get his under-18 And when he gets it, he wants to be the guy to make the big play. worlds stage to make that statement That can sometimes be hard to identify in a player. We can infer, but it’s Here, through a review of tape in the first half of the season in Extraliga, difficult to know for sure. as well as most of his games in the OHL, I’ll detail why I believe Mysak is one of the top forward prospects in the 2020 draft. Still, in some players you can see it in the way they pursue loose pucks or forecheck. And in others, more rarely, you can see it in the things they Before I jump into the video, I think it’s important to contextualize Mysak try when they’re on the ice – in their unwillingness to settle for the low as best I can. percentage play. The truth is his domestic junior and pro career stand above and beyond Mysak fits into the latter group. most of his highly-picked countrymen. A year ago, as a 16-year-old playing in the Czech Republic’s under-19 junior league, Mysak racked up He’s not a huge puck pursuit guy when he doesn’t have the puck. Part of 21 points in just nine games to lead the league’s under-17 players in the divide on his game in the scouting world stems from his perceived points per game by a wide margin. His 2.33 points per game were well lack of defensive commitment. And while I think he’s a fine defensive clear of fellow top 2020 prospect J.J. Peterka’s 1.96 points per game rate player (in my review of his game for this piece, he was pretty consistently in second place (Peterka ended up leading the U19 league in scoring above the puck and low in the defensive zone to provide support), and because Mysak was promoted). that he’ll be able to stay at his natural centre position at NHL level someday, he’s not the kind of player who constantly buzzes around the And though it’s important to take that sample with a grain of salt, it is ice when he doesn’t have the puck. illustrative of just how dominant Mysak was and just how quickly he progressed to the professional level. But you can see it in the things Mysak tries when he’s on the ice. You can see it in the way he works to get to the slot and the front of the net. Mysak’s late-June birthday makes him one of the younger top prospects You can see it in the way he pushes tempo up ice to force defenders in the 2020 class, too. It also means that when he played 31 games in his onto their heels with his speed. And you can see out in all of the different country’s top professional league in 2018-2019, he played them all as a ways he goes about trying to beat opposing players 1-on-1. 16-year-old. Some of those qualities aren’t always a positive in a player. If a player And though his game off of the rush is probably his biggest strength, lacks high-end skating ability, sometimes they ought to slow down, Mysak has begun to layer some other impressive tools into his skill set, conserve their energy and find ways of creating offence that doesn’t especially from the offensive zone blue line in. require they burn their energy trying to push the envelope when they don’t have the pace needed to do that. You don’t want a player without I wouldn’t say his shot is overwhelmingly powerful for goalies, but he superb puck skill trying to do too much 1-on-1, either. uses a deceptive release to surprise them and he’s extremely accurate.

Those qualities are exactly what makes Mysak special though. The more He can adjust his shot under pressure and in motion to change his you watch him and the more he tries things, the more you come to release point and catch a goalie off guard: understand just how badly he wants to score – and just how capable he He has a quick, smooth catch-and-release motion: is doing it. He can score short side from a set stance off of the flank with his It would show up in flashes in Extraliga. accuracy:

You could see it in his confidence with the puck on cuts like this: He can play the point on the power play and remain a shot threat from You could see it in his willingness to go right at defenders who were distance by getting low to leverage his one-timer: sometimes twice his age: But he also has excellent touch around the net, which helps him play the You could see it on his net drive with the puck in sequences like this: slot. This is just the softest little flip shot around two bodies:

Or in his net drive without the puck on sequences like this: That versatility doesn’t just make him useful in three different roles on the power play, it makes him dangerous in a split second at even strength in He never played with the caution most 16- and 17-year-olds first play the offensive zone, too. with early on at the pro level. He played like he knew he belonged, like he was unafraid. He’s also willing to fight for those pucks and offensive opportunities when they’re not immediately available. But once he got to the OHL, that confidence turned into something else. Right from the beginning, he looked like he’d gone from feeling as though Here, off of a faceoff, that fight helps him create a chance that leads to a he belonged to feeling like he was the most talented player on the ice rebound goal for linemate Arthur Kaliyev: and everyone else had to play to his level rather than the reverse. When you combine that soft touch with his rush skill and his net drive, The first thing that stands out about Mysak is his ability to play in you get a player who can impact play in a variety of ways across a shift. transition. There are some phenomenal transition players in this draft. This might be the best example of that: Tim Stützle’s probably the best skater, while Cole Perfetti is probably the most dangerous of the group. And while Mysak doesn’t have the world- There, he’s corralling the puck off of the boards and through bodies to class speed of Stützle or the problem-solving skill of Perfetti, he also start the rush, he’s pushing the pace in the middle section and he’s doesn’t have to rely on one skill to make things happen off the rush. taking a defender with him to the net to free up Kaliyev’s shot (which just so happens to be the best shot in junior hockey). He makes that little play If Stützle and Perfetti grade out at A-plus in one of those skills and B in along the wall to pick up the loose puck in motion look easy, but it’s not. the other, Mysak’s probably an A-minus in both. And though A-plus tools are ultimately the markings of potential superstar-level players at the In terms of mindset and approach, he’s also got a creative element to his NHL level, the right combination of high-level tools can breed a star. game that keeps defenders guessing. Mysak’s always going to make plays more for himself than others. That’s part of his DNA, and of wanting And Mysak has that. He’s an extremely impressive skater and he’s to score. inventive. Watch him burst up the ice to catch a chipped puck and create a rush chance for himself here: But I’ve seen some impressive flashes of his ability to find his teammates use some of those problem-solving skills I talked about as well. There are dimensions to his skating, and his acceleration, too. There, he’s pushing himself up ice with powerful, straight-line pushes, without When he’s trapped, he does a nice job making plays out of it. dragging his feet or stomping. Here, as two players collapse to him and he’s standing still, he hits the But Mysak’s skating can help him attack and build speed through his east-to-west seam quickly, helping to set up a goal in the process: crossovers, too (check out that back check at the tail end of this He’s not always net-focussed either. sequence!). Watch him use that transition skill of his to pull up and hit a seam with a Now translate that onto a smaller ice surface, against similarly-aged hard pass here: players. Or project where it will be when he’s 21 or 22, and you begin to understand why I’m so excited about him. Or drift to the outside when he recognizes he has numbers before setting up this goal: Once he got to the OHL, he was creating a breakaway – or two, or three – per game for himself. And then every once in a while, he’ll really pull a rabbit out of his hat as a passer. Watch the separation he’s able to build on this shorthanded goal: Like he does with not one but two spin passes on this assist: And watch for that separation again, below, as he picks up a puck from the bottom of the defensive zone faceoff circle and pushes the pace. This But the best of Mysak is always going to be his ability and willingness to is some impressive power for a player his age: put his skills to use 1-on-1 and make something happen in a big moment. Which also happens to be something you can’t say about many players He scores at the tail end of that sequence with a lot of luck, but it’s the in any draft, this one included. start of it that’s impressive (it’s also his foot that blocks the initial shot in the defensive zone). I’m of the mind that you swing on talent throughout the draft. And there’s no better place to start than in the first round. He’s just too quick from a standstill for most players his age. If you’re on the ice when he is, a loose puck lands in his lap and you’re flat-footed, You can probably count on one hand the number of players in the 2020 you don’t stand a chance. draft that can dance their way to the net, or make defenders look bad, as Mysak does here: He’s going to score more often than not on those breakaways as well: Most of them won’t even try. It takes a special kind of confidence and If the following rush sequence looks familiar, that’s because I already skill. A couple of seconds earlier, most players have already taken a showed you a nearly identical sequence in Extraliga where he used his shot. Or they’ve pulled up and looked for the trailer. speed on his crossovers to attack to his backhand for a chance. Only this time, he’s shorthanded and it goes in off of an opposing player: But then again, most players aren’t corralling this puck out of mid-air to attack past a defender and cut to the far post to score, either:

The ones who do will be picked in the top 10. Mysak shouldn’t be far behind.

The kicker is that it feels like he’s just getting started. Like he’s ready to explode. So watch out.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184309 Websites I asked , who would play one more Game 7 in a Final series in ’94 for the New York Rangers, if it unfolded the way he’d always dreamed that it would.

Sportsnet.ca / ‘The big boys came to play’: How Oilers secured the 1987 “The best thing about it was, we’d had enough experiences not to expect Stanley Cup anything. Just let the game unravel,” he said. “We wanted to focus in on the details of the game, and not fight the game. At times in Game 5 and 6 we’d been fighting the game a bit. We wanted to get back to getting into our comfort zone. Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec “For me, and for the guys who been around a bit, it’s about not May 9, 2020, 10:09 AM anticipating anything. Don’t expect the game to go a certain way. Let the game unravel, and react to it.”

It was never supposed to get this far. After that opening flurry, the Oilers got their feet underneath them. Messier scored at 7:45 of the first period, and despite the opening blitz The Edmonton Oilers were a team in the midst of a dynasty, and they the Flyers had executed, by the first intermission the shots were 18–12 had taken a 3–1 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. Sure, the for Edmonton. The Oilers would outshoot Philly 25-8 the rest of the way, Flyers had received a few days of clemency by winning Game 5 against allowing six and then just two Flyers shots respectively in the final two an over-confident Oilers team. But c’mon… periods.

Even the Philadelphia players look back now and have a hard time Surmised Flyers head coach : “They got ahold of the puck believing how long it took that Oilers team to put them away. and they weren’t going to give it back to us.”

“We’d cruised through the playoffs. We got up 3–1,” said , “That’s as good as I’ve ever seen a team play,” said defenceman Mark paraphrasing the unspoken words of he and his teammates. “‘All right, Howe, who played 929 NHL games and another 426 in the World Hockey this is going to be over soon enough.’ Then, when the Flyers scored that Association. “They just came at us — wave after wave after wave. It was winning goal in Game 6 — J.J. Daignault — that is as loud as I’d ever just relentless. heard a building. The place went crazy. “We couldn’t do (bleep). They proved how good they were.” “That game could have been 5–0, but for (Ron) Hextall. We were up 2–0, and it was men and boys there for 25 minutes or so. We’d obviously Said Mellanby: “I just think that the greatest players turned it up to realized we’d made mistake in Game 5, and we had our ‘A’ game on. another level. By the end of it they were rag-dollin’ us. We were still in it, When they tied it and went ahead, I remember thinking, ‘Holy, cow…. Are but it was wave after wave, the way they were comin’ at us.” we gonna lose this thing?’ They really seemed to have it going.” Ironically, the decade’s best offensive team may have had its finest PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch Game 7 the 1987 Stanley Cup final defensive performance that night. between the Oilers and Flyers Saturday, May 9, at 7:00 ET on Sportsnet “For a team that wasn’t known as a great defensive team, if you look and Sportsnet NOW. back at that Game 7, defensively that was probably as well as a team Wayne Gretzky walked into the post-game visiting dressing room at The has ever played defensively in a Game 7,” Gretzky said. in disbelief, after outshooting Philly 32–23 and losing 3–2. “It was a solid performance,” agreed Kevin Lowe. “A veteran team that “The one thing about our team — we were a great front-running team,” had two kicks at it previously, and we weren’t letting this one get out of Gretzky remembers. “When we got ahead of a team in a series, we never our grasp. We had the scare early, but you’ve got to fight through those let ’em off the hook, over the years. For a team to come back from 3–1 moments in a game. Methodically, we began to take that game over.” on us was unheard of. Almost impossible. The Flyers had always suspected that they were overmatched in this “So when we walked into that locker room at 3–3, I remember thinking, series, especially with leading scorer injured and unable to play ‘Oh my God. What did we just do here?’ We should have won this series even a game. But like all successful athletes they had effectively pushed five days ago, and all of a sudden we’re going back to Edmonton for a those negative thoughts out of their minds until now. As the tide of the Game 7.” game continued to flow Edmonton’s way, however — scored late in the second period and even later in the third — it The Oilers had, in fact, never lost a series that they had led at any point. became clear: The next thing they knew, there they were: Just 1:13 into Game 7, facing a 1:19 five-on-three with Mark Messier and Paul Coffey in the box. Philly was a good team. But Edmonton was better.

“We got off to a bit of a slow start, took a couple of penalties,” said Grant “They were the best team in hockey,” said Mellanby. “We scared the Fuhr. “Then I gave up a crappy goal — to make things exciting.” (bleep) out of them, but in Game 7, the big boys came to play.”

Murray Craven scored from the goal line, and Fuhr managed to poke check before he deposited the puck into the empty net. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.10.2020 The Flyers had a couple more chances to make it 2–0, but Fuhr did what became his calling card, never giving up the goal that allowed the other team to believe.

“If we got that second goal, it could have been different,” said Flyers winger . “One of the early penalties was Messier (34 seconds into Game 7). I think he tried to rip someone’s head off. They were there to win — I just remember the look in his eyes.”

Hockey lore is full of teams that refused to lose. Or players who metaphorically put their teammates up on their shoulders and said, ‘Let’s go.”

Well, among their 18 skaters that night — May 31, 1987 — the Edmonton Oilers had five Hall of Fame players, and two more who would play over 1,000 games. So they didn’t need one man to carry the team.

“I’ll give you three names: Messier, Kurri, Anderson,” Mellanby said. “Who scored those goals in Game 7? All three are in the Hall of Fame — great players.” 1184310 Websites “There were a few years where it just hurts and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Buble said. “And then all of a sudden… you start to see this core again.

Sportsnet.ca / Michael Buble on being a Canucks fan: 'I've been in love “It’s great because once again as a fan, I can live on that. I can live on my whole life' that hope. And even if we lose and even if it takes a few years, that’s better than not having that light at the end of the tunnel.”

Staff Report Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.10.2020 Sportsnet Staff | @Sportsnet

May 9, 2020, 11:43 PM

Michael Buble has everything. Except a Stanley Cup.

“75 million records, Junos, Grammys, no Stanley Cups,” the super fan said with a sigh during Sportsnet’s NHL Rewind Watch Party Saturday, which replayed Game 7 of the 2011 Western Conference quarterfinals between the Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks.

The four-time Grammy winner said he was in Italy on his honeymoon the night of this game, which saw the Canucks dispatch the team that eliminated them in each of the previous two playoffs.

“This game in particular, I was wasted,” Buble said of that night. “It would have been really quite early in the morning in Italy. I was on a balcony with a bottle of vodka or something. My wife had gone to sleep and I was terrified. I was terrified.”

The Watch Party was hosted by , Caroline Cameron and Steve Dangle, and Buble and Dangle bonded over the collective misery they’ve experienced as hockey fans.

“I’ve been in love my whole life and my heart has been broken so many times,” Buble said. “But I’ll never leave. I will stay loyal and be by their side.”

“We’re going to start calling you Dangle West,” Amber said with a laugh.

Dangle, a big collector, asked Buble if he has any pieces of hockey memorabilia that hold a special place for him. Buble said as he’s travelled around the world performing shows, he’s collected pucks from local teams.

“I’m a Canucks fan but I love hockey, I really do,” Buble said. “I’ve got thousands of pucks from places that you’d never think. From South Africa, little towns in Spain or England that have little teams. I have them all.”

Being a Canucks super fan has some perks and for Buble, one of those perks was a chance to practice with the Canucks.

On the ice with full gear, Buble skated down on a breakaway against future Hall of Famer and almost scored. Almost.

“I shot the puck, it hit the post and then wiped out into the boards. Like a huge loser,” Buble recalled with a laugh. “I remember I came in, and Roberto is a big dude, and I was hoping he would go down early and I saw the room and yeah, it went off the post.”

Kevin Bieksa, who was on the ice for that practice, filled in more details later in the broadcast.

“He went headfirst into the boards, I thought he broke his neck,” Bieksa said. “We all made the gauntlet and we were tapping our sticks on the ice as he went down. You could see the adrenaline kick in and he started winding it up and building some speed. He went to go backhand deke Luongo… and Louie went to poke check him and he missed him and he caught his foot. Buble is going full speed and he goes past the goalie headfirst into the boards.

“We all just fall down laughing. We were worried at first but once we saw he wasn’t hurt it was the funniest thing I ever saw in a practice.”

You can watch the blooper in this video from the Canucks’ Youtube page.

The Canucks bounced back in a big way this season before the shutdown and seemed poised to return to the playoffs after four seasons on the outside. Buble was asked about the current group of players and said he’s really excited to see what they can do. 1184311 Websites Toews swatted the rebound from Marian Hossa’s shot past Luongo to tie it 1-1 with 1:56 remaining after Burrows’ turnover in the neutral zone allowed the Blackhawks to attack 2-on-4.

Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Luongo unsung hero of 2011 vanquishing of “Toews skated by our bench with the puck and he just had this look in his Blackhawks eyes,” former Canucks associate coach Rick Bowness said. “You just knew this guy was not going to be denied. It was unreal. Of all the memories of my career, that’s one of the most vivid. It was an amazing goal, an amazing individual effort by an incredible hockey player.” Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet Hamhuis and Bieksa were caught on their opposite sides and although May 9, 2020, 8:06 AM Hamhuis upended Toews with his hip, the Blackhawk still got the puck to Hossa behind Bieksa.

VANCOUVER – The second most famous goal in Vancouver Canucks “I know Burr kind of fumbled it, but it didn’t really seem like we were in history is nearly as famous as the first, which tells you just how danger,” winger Chris Higgins said. “But they score and it’s like: S–t. . . memorable it was when Alex Burrows scored in overtime of Game 7 to are you freaking kidding me? What the hell just happened?” slay the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2011. “It was surreal,” Hansen said. “We played an almost perfect game. We’d The only goal any bigger for the Canucks in the last 50 years was Pavel gotten the lead, we played safe for the second half of the game. We get a Bure’s opening-round overtime winner in Game 7 against the Calgary late power play. Just keep it safe and just let the clock run out. Lou’s Flames at precisely the same stage of the Stanley Cup tournament in playing a helluva game. We just have to get this thing to the end. And 1994. then somehow they find a way to score a short-handed goal and you wonder, ‘How did we end up in this situation? We’re up 3-0 in the series, But while people who watched that game more than a quarter-century and we’re up in Game 7 and we find a way to throw that away as well.’” ago can’t talk about Bure deking Mike Vernon without also mentioning Canucks goalie Kirk McLean stacking his pads against Robert Reichel in Just 24 seconds into overtime, Burrows took a holding penalty on Keith. OT — by far the most famous save by a Vancouver netminder — not Chicago’s power play had helped bring the Blackhawks back in the enough gets said about Roberto Luongo’s stunner against Blackhawks series, scoring six times in Games 3-5. And it seemed it was going to win forward about four-and-a-half minutes before Burrows stole Game 7 when Toews passed the puck around Bieksa, who had gone to the puck from Chris Campoli and slapped a knuckleball past Corey the ice, leaving Sharp with a glorious back-door chance in the low slot Crawford. and half the net open. And had neither that save nor that marker occurred, people on the West “I’ve watched that play over and over again and part of it was my fault, Coast would still be lamenting Vancouver’s inability to prevent a tying part of it was a really good play by Toews,” Bieksa said. “All of our pre- goal by Blackhawks captain in the dying minutes of scout video showed that when (Patrick) Kane got the puck on the half- regulation time – “WHILE THE CANUCKS WERE ON THE POWER wall on the power play and throws it down to Toews, he whips the puck PLAY!” on net (from a sharp angle). And sometimes he catches the goalie off- Truly, there was never a more incredible eight minutes of running time for guard and it goes in low, sometimes it creates a rebound for the guy the Canucks than the events that ended arguably the greatest playoff going back door. We knew that. So the first time they go down to Toews, series Vancouver has encountered when it finally finished off the I slide. He tries to throw it hard at Lou’s feet, but I block it. Then they get Blackhawks in 2011. reset, moving it to Kane, down to Toews again. Now I’m down too early. He sees me down and holds it, holds it, then goes around me and That incomparable Game 7 is being rebroadcast by Sportsnet on passes to Sharp back door. And I think f—-, he just played me. All I’m Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. thinking is: Please Lou, please Lou.”

“I think that series had just about everything you could ask for: emotional “Cross-crease, Chicago has done that so many times,” Hansen said. “It’s highs and lows, adversity, momentum changes,” Canucks winger Jannik over.” Hansen told Sportsnet. “Whenever a series goes to seven games and it gets decided in overtime … well, when you’re little and are playing street It wasn’t. Luongo pushed off his post so powerfully, moving left to right, hockey with your friends or whatever, you never win a playoff series in that he was square to Sharp when the puck arrived on the sniper’s stick. five games and take the deciding game 6-2. You win it in Game 7 “First of all, you know Chicago’s power play and Sharpie was always on overtime. It’s what everybody dreams about.” that side for the one-timer,” Luongo told Elliotte Friedman in Sportsnet’s “Unreal,” Canucks star said. “We won that series, and oral history of the 2010-11 Canucks. “As Toews passed, I tried to everyone just relaxed because we couldn’t go through anything more intercept it with my stick, but missed. It was a little too far from me. So in nerve-wracking than what we just went through.” a situation like that, I always practise what Francois Allaire taught me as a kid. When you’re sliding, always slide to your posts. I didn’t want to The Canucks went 11-5 in their next 16 playoff games that spring before slide toward the top of the crease. You always want to slide toward your losing the last two games of the Final against the Boston Bruins. That post, and that was just instinct. Technically I was in good position, and he Game 7 win against the Blackhawks turned out to be the happiest shot where my body was.” moment of the best National Hockey League season Vancouver ever had. Sharp recently told The Athletic, “I really didn’t feel like I had the game on my stick, to be honest. I just shot it short side as hard as I could, and When workhorse Chicago defenceman Duncan Keith took a hooking Luongo got his blocker on it. It was a big save.” penalty on Burrows at 16:43 of the third period with Vancouver leading 1- 0, the Canucks looked on their way to the second round. They’d blown a There hasn’t been a bigger one since by a Canuck. 3-0 series lead against their nemesis Blackhawks, but were finally going “Patrick Sharp had pretty much an empty net in overtime on the power to put down the Stanley Cup champions. play, and Lou saved it,” Sedin said, still sounding a little in disbelief nine Up a goal in Game 7 with 3:17 remaining, on home ice at Rogers Arena years later. “Sharp puts that in nine times out of 10. When that and going on the power play, what could go wrong? happened, I think, ‘OK, let’s win this for Lou and for ourselves.’”

“The coaches decided not to put out the regular power-play unit,” Hansen said, “All those games are kind of a blur. From that game, I don’t Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis recalled. “Kevin (Bieksa) and I were recall Burr’s first goal, don’t recall Chicago’s goal that much. But I out there just to be a little bit more responsible defensively. Toews came remember Lou’s save. And I remember Burr’s second goal.” down and there’s a reason he was known as ‘Captain Clutch.’ He came Four minutes and 33 seconds after Luongo saved the Canucks, Burrows down on me, on my offside, and I hip-checked him, took him down to the buried the Blackhawks at 5:22 with the famous goal we recently wrote ice, and he still managed to pop a goal in from his stomach. It was a sick- about here. to-your-stomach feeling once they scored.” “That’s one of the greatest moments of my career — the elation you felt, and the relief,” Bowness said. “Alain (coach Vigneault) and I are looking at each other walking out for that overtime and we both knew: We lose this, and we’re done. He said, ‘OK, we better pull this off or we’re done.’ Oh my god, we did it.”

“I was quick out of the gate for Burr,” Higgins said. “It was just pure emotion. It was years of frustration. Years. To just be beaten down by the same team? Guys have a lot of pride. Guys train all summer with that thought in their mind. When fans are at the beach, guys are in the weight room with that one focus. Those losses in the past are fuel. For the pain and suffering we went through to have a moment like that, it was pure emotion. It was awesome.”

“Now that they’ve had a couple of tough years there, you look back and see how good we had it — with people and with talent,” Bowness said. “It’s the people that make it. We didn’t get the job done (against Boston), but, my God, we had a great team with great people.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.10.2020 1184312 World Leagues News “I don’t like people anyway,” said Ryan “Superman” Spann, who got a victory in the opening bout. “It’s fine. It was nothing. The world is my audience.”

President Trump congratulates UFC for restarting sports Also on the undercard:

—Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (23-10) beat Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (36- Staff Report 15) in a wild welterweight fight that included a flurry of exchanges, even one kick after the final bell. Pettis and Cerrone last fought in 2013. Pettis May 9, 2020 won that one as well. Cerrone has dropped four in a row, including losses to Conor McGregor, Gaethje and Ferguson.

—Aleksei “The Boa Constrictor” Oleinik (59-13-1) beat Fabricio Werdum JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — President Trump congratulated UFC for (23-9-1) in a heavyweight bout featuring a pair of 42-year-olds. It was a restarting the sports world Saturday night after a nearly two-month split decision that included more toe-to-toe blows than ground grappling. hiatus. —Carla Esparza (16-6) edged Michelle “Karate Hottie” Waterson (17-8) Trump’s taped message was played during ESPN’s broadcast of the in a split decision. It was Esparza’s third straight victory in the straw- UFC 249 undercard from a fan-free arena in Jacksonville. weight division. “I want to congratulate (UFC President) and the UFC,” — (18-7-1) won for the seventh time in eight fights when Trump said. “They’re going to have a big match. We love it. We think it’s he beat Niko Price (14-4) in a bloodbath. The fight was ruled a TKO in important. Get the sports leagues back. Let’s play. Do the social the third round after Price developed a nasty cut above his right eye. distancing and whatever else you have to do. We need sports. We want Luque was ahead on all three cards when it was called. our sports back. Congratulations to Dana White and UFC.” —Featherweight Bryce Mitchell (13-1) defeated fellow grappler Charles UFC 249 served as the first major sporting event to take place since the Rosa (12-4) in a unanimous decision. global pandemic shut down much of the country nearly eight weeks ago. It was originally scheduled for April 18 in New York, but was postponed in —Spann (18-5) extended his winning streak to eight by beating veteran hopes of helping slow the spread of COVID-19. Sam Alvey (33-14) in a split decision.

The mixed martial arts behemoth is holding three shows in eight days in Jacksonville, where state officials deemed professional sports with a national audience exempt from a stay-at-home order as long as “the .boston.com/LOADED: 05.10.2020 location is closed to the general public.”

The UFC came up with a 25-page document to address health and safety protocols, procedures that led to Jacaré Souza testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday. His middleweight bout against Uriah Hall was canceled late Friday. Souza’s two cornermen also tested as positive, the UFC said in a statement.

“All three men have left the host hotel and will be self-isolating off premises, where UFC’s medical team will monitor their conditions remotely and will provide assistance with any necessary treatment,” the UFC said.

The positive results surely increased the focus on the event. Every other sport is watching closely to see how it plays out. White previously said Trump wants the event to serve as a blueprint for the return of live sports.

White didn’t want to postpone any fights. He tried to host the event on tribal land in California and still hopes to create a “Fight Island” for future cards.

He settled for Jacksonville for at least a week — with no fans and social- distancing rules in place.

Judges and broadcasters were separated. Fighters, trainers, referees, judges, UFC staff and even outside media had to undergo COVID-19 testing to get inside Veterans Memorial Arena.

But not everyone followed the rules. White mingled and bumped fists with nearly every fighter during official weigh-ins held inside a hotel ballroom Friday.

Souza arrived wearing gloves and a mask while he awaited his test results. But he had alerted UFC officials that a family member in Orlando, where he was testing, might have tested positive for the coronavirus. His opponent, Hall, wore a mask and kept his distance. White stood between them without a mask.

Many of those in attendance Saturday wore masks and gloves, although several were seemingly exempt from the mandate. Referees, ring announcer Bruce Buffer, other officials inside the octagon and the ring girl were unmasked.

The cage floor was disinfected between bouts, and the padded parts of the octagon were wiped down between rounds.

Without fans, sounds that usually would be muted or completely drowned out filled the empty arena. Every kick, punch, grunt and step inside the octagon echoed. Commentators and camera clicks could be heard across the way. Coaching tips and exchanges were prevalent, often R- rated and even comical at times. 1184313 World Leagues News "But we've been handed a part-sabbatical which I'm enjoying - and I feel fresher and healthier than I've ever been and the struggle is for everyone to keep your mind clear.

Revitalised Hamilton reveals problem with closed-door F1 races "Some days you're sluggish and other days you're positive. The key is to remain centred, find things you enjoy doing. Don't waste this time."

JOHN SKILBECK

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Lewis Hamilton fears Formula One races without fans will feel "worse than a test day" but he feels rejuvenated after an unexpected break and is raring to drive again.

The six-time world champion has yet to compete this year, with the season having been effectively suspended in the week leading up to the Australian Grand Prix.

Given the prevalence of the coronavirus pandemic, there appears little prospect of fans being allowed into circuits this season, meaning any race weekend that can happen may lack a familiar crowd buzz.

The current plan is for the season to begin in Austria on July 5, with Hamilton's home British Grand Prix scheduled for a fortnight later.

Driving at Silverstone in front of empty stands leaves Hamilton, a six-time winner of the race, rather cold.

"It gave me a really empty feeling because the fans really make that race," Hamilton said.

"Around the world, all the races we go to, the more fans there, the more atmosphere you have.

"It's going to be very empty. But what's great is I'm getting messages from people around the world who are struggling because they're not getting to watch sports, and it just shows how significant sport is in people's lives.

"It brings us all together and it's so exciting and captivating. I don't know how exciting it's going to be for people watching it on TV, but it's going to be better than nothing."

In a video interview released by Mercedes on Saturday, Hamilton said: "For us, it's going to be like a test day - probably even worse than a test day in the sense where on a test day there's not many people that come to Barcelona to watch, but there are still some.

"Whereas here, you're going to have nobody in the crowd and you're just going to see empty seats as you're driving down.

"But racing is racing and I've not really had - any of us have had - the chance to unleash the potential of our cars, so I'm excited to get back in."

Training hard

Future planning

Learning a new language

Attempting his own Gran Turismo lap record challenge!

Hamilton spoke of finding time to catch up with friends on video calls, learning a little French, and working on aspects of his fitness that might otherwise have been neglected.

He makes no secret of the fact he believes he has benefited from a break from the sport.

"It's been nice not to be bothered so much, to have a bit of that time, but I miss seeing my team, I miss seeing my friends as everyone does," he said.

"But in some ways I looked at it at the beginning and thought there have been times in the past five years or so when I thought to myself it'll be good for my mind and my body to take a rest for a year.

"But you can't step away. I don't think that for an athlete that's in their prime that is ever a good thing, to step away for a year and then come back.

"Technology moves so fast, at such a rate, you need to stay on top of this car and what is the development - to take a sabbatical is not on the cards. 1184314 World Leagues News Yahoo Sports:LOADED: 05.10.2020

Kevin Love's first workout back at Cavs' facility during coronavirus hiatus was 'odd' but 'uplifting'

Ryan Young Writer

While it was far from normal, Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love was just happy to be playing basketball again.

Love showed up at the Cavaliers’ practice facility on Friday to workout, the first day that the NBA allowed teams to reopen practice facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Cleveland was one of just two teams that actually opened on Friday, along with the Portland Trail Blazers.

“It was the longest I’ve ever gone without shooting a basketball,” Love said, via ESPN. “So I didn’t care. I just wanted to get some shots up.”

A modified workout

The league did implement several restrictions when allowing teams to open their facilities. Love said he was screened at the door before he was allowed to enter the Cavaliers’ practice facility through a side entrance, and had his temperature taken and logged.

“[They] asked us a few questions,” Love said, via ESPN. “How we’re feeling, if anybody has been sick in the house, if we’ve been sick if we’ve basically adhered to all the guidelines that are put in place, not only by the NBA but state to state.”

Once inside, Love was given his own half court to practice on with one assistant coach allowed to help him. Love worked with assistant coach Dan Geriot, who had to wear gloves and a mask. Only four players were allowed in the building at a time — Love was joined by Larry Nance Jr., Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic — and they all had to keep at least 12 feet apart.

Only parts of the facility were open, too. The locker rooms, Love said, were still closed.

“I changed my clothes and got out of there and showered at home,” Love said, via ESPN. “Which doesn’t bode well for a guy like me who sweats a lot.”

The Cavaliers were one of the first teams in the league to reopen their practice facility on Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Cavaliers were one of the first teams in the league to reopen their practice facility on Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP/Tony Dejak)

It was ‘pretty uplifting’

The NBA still has no set plans to resume play after suspending it on March 11 due to the coronavirus. Several other teams will open their facilities next week, too, though others — like the Dallas Mavericks — will not despite stay-at-home orders ending in their markets.

There were more than 1.2 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of Friday night, according to The New York Times, and more than 77,000 confirmed deaths attributed to the virus.

Teams are still not allowed to hold mandatory group workouts yet. Love, though, saw his workout on Friday as a dry run of sorts for what that can look like when the time does come.

And even though he admitted it was very weird, the break from the pandemic, he said, was just what he needed.

"I feel like anybody who needs an escape or in everyday life is looking for any type of normalcy back doing something they love," Love said, via ESPN. "For me, I played 25-ish years of organized basketball and this is the longest I've ever gone without touching [a basketball]. And it's something I really, really enjoy doing.

"So for me, it definitely was a big dopamine hit, and it just felt great to get in there and sweat outside of doing my workouts at home or getting on a treadmill. Going out there and having some sense of normalcy and getting on the court and actually shooting was pretty uplifting."

1184315 World Leagues News

NFL prepared to adjust 2020 schedule based on how coronavirus develops

By Tim Stebbins

May 09, 2020 2:37 PM

The NFL released its 2020 schedule on Thursday, but what the season will look like come September is anything but official.

Due to the uncertain circumstances surrounding the coronavirus, the NFL is prepared to make adjustments to the 2020 season, commissioner Roger Goodell said this week.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes all NFL teams have two home and two away games the first four weeks next season. Maske adds there are no divisional games scheduled in Weeks 3 and 4.

Should the NFL need to alter, perhaps shorten the upcoming season, they could cut Weeks 3 and 4 without removing divisional matchups, all while leaving each team with seven home and seven away games.

The NFL hasn't said specifically how they'd adjust the schedule. Unlike other American professional leagues, time is on their side; they don't need to make any big decisions in the foreseeable future. The NBA and NHL are hoping to finish their 2019-20 seasons, while MLB is looking for a way to start theirs.

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Report: MLB Eyeing Early July for Start of 2020 Season

Nick Selbe

While no plans have been finalized, Major League Baseball is working toward finishing up its proposal to the players' union for when to start the 2020 season. According to a report from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the proposal will be discussed by team owners on Monday and presented to the players' union on Tuesday.

Rosenthal reports several key components of the league's proposal regarding the length of the season, scheduling, playoff format and host cities. Each of these is contingent on receiving the go-ahead from health experts and assurance that coronavirus testing will be adequately available.

The regular season would begin in early July and consist of approximately 80 games, per Rosenthal. Teams would play regionalized schedules, only facing other teams in their own division, or the corresponding division in the other league. For example, American League West teams would only face other AL West teams and National League West teams. Schedules would feature more matchups between teams that are in the same division.

Games would be played in as many home cities as possible. Teams that are not able to play at home would have to relocate, either to their spring training sites or other major-league parks in different cities, Rosenthal reports. A second "spring" training would take place either in teams' home parks, or in Arizona or Florida.

This season would feature an expanded playoff field, with seven teams per league, according to Rosenthal. The expanded-playoff format would be similar to the one first reported in February by The New York Post. The teams with the best record in each league would receive a first- round bye to the Division Series. The remaining six teams in each league would face off in a best-of-three series in the wild-card round, with the remaining two division winners plus the wild card team with the best record facing the bottom three wild card teams.

Games will be played without fans, at least initially. A potentially contentious point of this proposal is the players being asked to take a further pay cut to help offset the loss of revenue that comes with having no fans in attendance, according to Rosenthal. The players agreed in March to take prorated salaries for 2020, but that only covers the regular season. Playoff bonuses are based on gate receipts, a payment structure that would have to be altered should fans remain out of the picture for the entirety of the season.

Other aspects of the proposal include a roster size of as many as 50 players, Rosenthal reports. Further details on medical protocols also need to be finalized, particularly for what would happen if a player tests positive for coronavirus.

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Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wants NFL to reopen all team facilities at the same time

Ryan Young Writer

The NFL is slowly preparing to reopen team practice facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, something NFL commissioner Roger Goodell informed teams of in a memo this week.

At this point, however, only some states and regions in the country are beginning to lift stay-at-home orders and other coronavirus-related restrictions. If the NFL were to allow teams to open facilities back up, but a state order would prohibit certain teams from doing so, it could create a significant disadvantage.

So, in the spirit of “competitive fairness,” Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wants to make sure that all teams reopen their practice facilities at the same time.

“I prescribe to the approach of competitive fairness within our game, and that is everybody gets an opportunity,” Tomlin said Saturday, via ESPN. “Our game is extremely competitive. It’s one of the things that make football at this level so attractive to our fans. I’m committed to preserving and protecting that, and so all teams getting an opportunity to start on the same footing is a core element of that.”

Reopening protocols

Goodell laid out protocols every team must have in place to gradually reopen their respective facilities in the memo, the first phase of which he wants in place by May 15. That phase is a soft opening, allowing just a small number of non-player personnel back in team facilities ahead of when they can formally reopen them. Only players who were rehabbing injuries before the team facilities closed would be allowed back in at this time, and social distancing practices will be implemented.

There was no specific date for when teams can expect to reopen their respective practice facilities in that memo, nor was there any mention of a rule that would prohibit teams from doing so until all 32 teams were allowed to do so — something that was previously included in NFL policy.

There were more than 1.3 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of Saturday afternoon, according to The New York Times, and more than 78,000 deaths attributed to the virus.

In the spirit of “competitive fairness,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wants the league to reopen all facilities at the same time amid the coronavirus pandemic.

‘We’re in a wait-and-see mindset’

More protocols are expected to come later this month after team owners have their virtual league meeting. The NFL, though, is in no rush to make any decisions like its baseball and basketball counterparts are, as the season isn’t set to start until September.

The NBA allowed teams in markets where stay-at-home orders had been lifted to open their facilities Friday, though only two did so. More are planning to open next week, but some have opted to remain closed even with local stay-at-home restrictions lifted. It still has no set plan to resume its season, which was suspended on March 11.

At this point, Tomlin said, teams will have to just wait and see how best to move forward.

He wants to make sure, though, that all 32 teams take those steps together.

“There’s a couple things that we’re committed to adhering to, and that’s the global approach of the National Football League in regards to football ops and how important competitive fairness is in our game,” Tomlin said, via ESPN. “We all got to get started on the same footing in that regard. Then, also, respecting our local government and the guidelines they prescribe individually in terms of workplace safety.

“Those are the two key components for us. We’re in a wait-and-see mindset, and we’ll be ready to go when both boxes are checked.” 1184318 World Leagues News addressed. It must be decided what would happen if sports do return and a player tests positive. In South Korea, the protocol in such an instance will be to instantly pause the season for at least three weeks. Even if our Is it wise for sports leagues to return this soon from the coronavirus sports indeed came back, that doesn’t mean there won’t be stops and shutdown? starts as unforeseen circumstances and possible coronavirus outbreaks occurred.

In other words, it’s worth having an open, honest national debate about May 9, 2020 at 3:07 pm Updated May 9, 2020 at 3:21 PM whether the inherent risks of opening sports back up supersede the undeniable economic and psychological benefits of doing so. One more Larry Stone oft-recited quote from Fauci seems especially pertinent: “The virus decides how quickly you’re going to return to normal.”

Our expectations for the return of live sports have been in a state of Let’s all hope for a scenario that allows teams and players to safely roll gradual downward adjustment. They’ve gone from grandiose hopes of a out very soon, and give us the games and matches we long for. But let’s full return after a short break, to the current cabin-fever mode of, “We’ll also be realistic about how problematic that remains. take anything!”

But this virus is so stubborn, and so insidious, and so maddeningly Larry Stone unknowable, that I think all these hopeful stories of re-launch strategies should come with an asterisk. Just like the hypothetical statistics from Seattle Times LOADED: 05.10.2020 truncated seasons that are the best-case-scenarios after commissioners decide what to do next.

I’m not here to be a killjoy. I want games just as much as everyone else, with or without fans in the stands (but unfortunately I can’t see the former happening for quite awhile, which puts a major damper on college football starting on time).

I’ll just attempt to be a mild voice of reason to remind people that there’s a huge step from MLB offering a return-to-play proposal to its union within a week, as ESPN and others have reported, to, well, an actual return to play.

That goes for all the other sports as well, save perhaps the pro golf tours, auto racing and maybe tennis, in which the athletes are uniquely isolated.

But it’s not just the athletes that have to be factored in — it’s the huge infrastructure that supports the staging of pro sports. The Bundesliga, Germany’s top soccer league, estimated that about 240 people are needed to stage a game even with an empty stadium – players, staff, officials, and broadcast personnel. I’d imagine it’s similar for American sports, and that’s a lot of people to worry about contracting, or spreading, the virus.

When it comes to baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer and football, in particular, the logistics and safety concerns are vast and complex. It’s one thing to outline a plan, and another to implement it at a time when new cases of COVID-19, and the resulting death toll, are still holding steady, with projections for a sharp rise in June. The New York Times last week cited an internal Trump administration report that expects about 200,000 daily cases, and 3,000 daily deaths, by June.

Through Friday, there have been 1,248,040 cases in the U.S., and 75,477 deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s a staggering, and sobering, number.

Just today I see a story headlined, “Is the coronavirus mutating and becoming more contagious?” I hear the recent words of Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the federal government’s leading expert on infectious diseases, to the New York Times echoing in my head:

“Safety, for the players and for the fans, trumps everything. If you can’t guarantee safety, then unfortunately you’re going to have to bite the bullet and say, ‘We may have to go without this sport for the season.’”

In that interview, Fauci said the necessary requirements for leagues to re-open are quick and accurate testing for all essential players and staff. That is one of the big reasons that pro baseball has re-launched in South Korea — but it doesn’t yet seem to be a feasible reality here. Nor has the U.S. had anywhere near as much success as South Korea in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

Fauci did say in April that sports could return in summer — without fans — if leagues took precautions to minimize the amount of exposure to players and officials. And he subsequently told the New York Times, on April 28, that quarantining players in some form would still be required when sports return. Players like Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw have already balked at this notion.

The athletes themselves, who will be on the front lines, need to be heard from in far more detail, and their apprehensions assuaged. Concerns about older and more vulnerable coaches and managers need to be 1184319 World Leagues News Conceivably, all it would take is one positive test by someone who had contact with a team.

Safety for athletes who aren’t paid to compete — unlike the NFL — will What if college football returns from coronavirus, but not every school have to be paramount. joins in? The situation could just get messier. “I’m pretty sure that they’re going to handle it the right way that it needs to be handled to make sure that we’re safe as well and not contaminated By Chuck Carlton by it and making it worse,” Texas junior safety Caden Sterns said this week. 3:00 PM on May 9, 2020 SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey noted that “power-five” conferences made decisions about their basketball tournaments individually and the same may happen with football season. Plenty of time and oxygen have been consumed working through all the scenarios for when college football could return. “If that’s the template, there is room for different conferences to make different decisions,” Sankey told WJXL-AM (1010) in Jacksonville, Fla. “If Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor outlined seven possible Big there’s a couple of programs that aren’t able, does that stop everyone? 12 options and timetables to The Wichita Eagle recently. I’m not sure it does, but the ability of us to stay connected will remain For all their due diligence, college football’s power brokers face a far important.” more complex issue than when the sport comes back … sometime: College sports have faced interruptions before but usually on a local or What if college football returns from COVID-19 but not everybody is on regional basis, with hurricanes having interrupted football schedules in board? the recent past as did the California wildfires in 2018.

Given the different pandemic responses of individual conferences, states “God forbid when those do occur, those particular programs are typically and universities, the piecemeal approach could leave some schools impacted and the rest of college sports moves on,” Texas A&M athletic waiting to resume when others have long begun. director Ross Bjork said. “And so, if certain regions or certain states, or even a certain university is not quite ready, we have to answer the “All the various [NCAA] member committees and the conferences are all question at some point, does the rest of college athletics have to be at a talking right now about what does it mean if we have that sort of scenario standstill? We don’t have that answer, quite yet.” where we’ve got different opening times or different opening models,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said Friday on the NCAA’s official Twitter Expect that conversation to unfold in May, June and July. Can everyone site. start at the same time? If not, what will the numbers look like with 130 FBS programs, not counting the FCS level programs? “What does it mean if … you look at a conference, for example. If a conference has some schools open and some not? You can’t run a “And we just don’t quite have clarity on that but we hope there’s regular schedule. What does it mean if you’ve got that scenario? How do uniformity,” Bjork said. “But if there’s not and we’re all ready to move you adjust all the rules to provide as much flexibility as you possibly can forward, I think we need to have the ability to pivot on that and move, if to let students-athletes have a good experience in that season?” we can.”

For now, all 10 members of the Big 12 say they expect to be open for fall Imagine some schools playing nine- or 10-game schedules because of classes, viewed as a key step forward for football’s return. And 13 of the the virus while others play a full 12. 14 SEC schools have expressed similar sentiments, with the exception of Good luck, College Football Playoff selection committee. Vanderbilt, according to The Associated Press. What happens if a school doesn’t play football this fall? Does it get a On the opposite end of the spectrum, the large majority of Big Ten reduced revenue share from its conference? schools have not yet said they are definitely returning to fall classes, according to AP reports and school announcements. Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades noted there are already competitive balance concerns with some schools opening up weight When the NFL schedule was released Thursday, California Gov. Gavin room facilities for voluntary workouts. Newsom expressed skepticism for all fall sports. “I think we’re going to have to find a way to make it work,” Rhoades said. “It’s difficult to imagine a stadium that’s filled until we have immunity and “I just don’t know we’ll be able to mandate 100% equality across the until we have a vaccine,” Newsom said. “There are conditions that persist board. Otherwise we end up being our worst enemy. We make it harder in this state and this nation that make reopening very, very challenging.” for us to get to the main goal. The ripple effects across the country from even one state would be big. “And the main goal for all of us is to play a football season and do that in For example, TCU is scheduled to open the season at Cal, and Texas a healthy and safe way for our student-athletes, first and foremost, for A&M hosts Fresno State later in the season. Southern Cal is supposed to our campuses and for our fans.” open the season against Alabama at AT&T Stadium.

“There are so many unknowns,” Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said. “Different regions of the country will probably be in different places. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 05.10.2020 It very well could be an unusual fall.

“It may not be a normal — as we come to define normal — football season in front of us.”

While Hocutt was optimistic about finding solutions, this is largely uncharted territory for conferences that have grown much, much bigger geographically in the last decade. The Big Ten covers 11 states, from Nebraska to New Jersey.

During an appearance on Sirius XM Big 12 Radio, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby outlined problems schools may face.

“A more difficult circumstance,” he said, “is where the virus comes back and you get a hot spot on a campus or you get a positive test in a locker room or you find that you have people go through a training room where there was a staff member that tested positive.

“Those are the kinds of things that are going to be very difficult to deal with.”