NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2020
Long-time NHL broadcaster Doc Emrick retires, the latest notable contract signings and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.
NBC SPORTS: Mike “Doc” Emrick yesterday announced his retirement after 47 years as an NHL broadcaster. He was the lead play-by-play man for NBC Sports’ NHL coverage for the past 15 years.
Mike “Doc” Emrick announced his retirement (NHL.com).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Emrick was the voice of NHL hockey in the United States for many years. He belongs among the all-time greats with Foster Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Bob Cole and Dan Kelly.
ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes signed forward Christian Fischer to a two-year, one-way contract worth an annual average value of $1 million.
THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed center Adam Gaudette to a one-year, $950K contract and free-agent Jayce Hawryluk to a one-year, two-way deal worth $800K at the NHL level.
CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed former Boston Bruins winger Joakim Nordstrom to a one-year, $700K contract.
TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs and Ilya Mikheyev have submitted their paperwork in the latter’s upcoming arbitration case. Mikheyev seeks a one-year, $2.7 million contract while the Leafs countered with a two-year, $2 million offer. His hearing is slated for Wednesday but the two sides can continue to negotiate.
ICETHETICS.COM: Photos of what appears to be the “reverse retro” alternate sweaters for the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins have apparently been leaked.
IIHF.COM: The schedule for the 2021 World Junior Championships has been announced, with the tournament starting on Christmas Day 2020.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Bob McKenzie has a lengthy Twitter thread regarding which junior players (including those selected in the 2020 NHL Draft) might be eligible or allowed to play for Team Canada by their respective NHL clubs.
Thank GOD we get to watch Hockey again in just a couple of months.
Thank you Doc for so many wonderful memories. You will be missed.
Hi Cousin Vinny (still envious of you getting Mona Lisa Vito 😭)
Can’t see an NHL start until late Jan earliest
Next hockey is WJCs… which I always love watching
Re World Jrs
If as I suspect, NHL training camps don’t start until Jan…. then teams should let the young players play in WJCs (if they wish to)
I would expect NHL would know by 1/12 wether they are moving their current 1/1 dates
This then gives Laffrennierre, Kakko, Dach, Hughes , etc etc, enough time to join their national teams in prep for tournament
Of course my bias would love to have Laffrennierre and Dach available for Team Canada
Question to Lyle…. U’m sure CBA grants NHL teams full rights to refuse permission for a player to participate if the season (training camp) has started; if their is no conflict/overlap (season not started)…. do teams still hold right of refusal (to allow player to participate)?
It’s my understanding if the prospect has signed his entry-level contract with his NHL team that the team must grant permission for the player to participate regardless of the status of the NHL season.
Whether or not the NHL teams should allow players like that to participate will depend on exactly when the NHL season gets under way. If it’s Jan 1 (highly unlikely the way the virus is picking up steam all around the world) I doubt you’ll see Lafreniere or Hughes or Kakko participating. But if it’s to be pushed ahead to Feb 1 or even March 1, why not? Almost all teams are giving high-end prospects permission to play now across Europe – why not in a major tournament like that if the season is 1 or 2 months away?
Thanks Lyle
George
With you…. I’d love to see them play in the WCJs
I do realize there is a risk to the teams… injury… but I would hope that if NHL says (as I suspect) that season start is 1/2 instead of 1/1…. let the lads play!!!!
I don’t think Stutzle will be healed in time anyway right?
Laffrennierre , Byfield, Drysdale, Dach , Byram , Poulin, Cozens, Krebs, Harley, Suzuki, Newhook, Quinn, Perfetti, Guhle and Scneider…. on Team 🇨🇦, yes please and thank you
Stuetzle – depends. They say “6 to 8 weeks” – the extra 2 weeks in those sorts of predictions are always tacked on to account for some who are “slow healers.” He’s already close to a week into the healing process – a full 6 weeks takes him to Nov 26 while a full 8 weeks is up by December 10.
Barring unforeseen complications, that would give him a full 2 weeks plus practice time (he’s already skating apparently) so he could be available to Germany.
For the sake of fairness, another often overlooked all-time great NHL broadcaster was on Radio Canada – French CBC –
Rene Lecavalier. His fluid and melodic tone matched the intensity, or lack thereof, of all Habs games at the Forum.