NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2021
Canadiens fire head coach Claude Julien, recaps of Tuesday’s games, the latest on Artemi Panarin, injury updates and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines
**UPDATE**
The Montreal Canadiens have fired head coach Claude Julien and assistant coach Kirk Muller. Assistant coach Dominique Ducharme has become interim head coach while Alex Burrows has joined the coaching staff.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: After bursting from the gate with a 7-1-2 record the Canadiens were 2-6-2 and in danger of falling out of playoff contention in the North Division. General manager Marc Bergevin was busy in the offseason improving the roster. A coaching change was the next step. It’ll be interesting to see how the Habs respond to this move.
Ducharme spent eight seasons coaching in the QMJHL, guiding the Halifax Mooseheads to the Memorial Cup in 2013. He was also a two-time bench boss of Canada’s World Junior team, coaching them to a gold medal in 2018. He joined the Habs’ coaching staff as an assistant later that year. Following his NHL career, Burrows joined the Canadiens’ farm team in Laval as an assistant coach.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark made 41 saves in a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils, handing the latter their third straight loss. Buffalo winger Sam Reinhart collected two assists. Earlier in the day, the Sabres announced defenseman William Borgen will be sidelined up to two months following surgery on Tuesday to repair a broken right forearm.
The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their third straight win by edging the Washington Capitals 3-2. Kasperi Kapanen tallied the winner in overtime as he and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist. It was a costly win for the Penguins as Jason Zucker and Kris Letang left the game with injuries.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zucker’s injury looked serious as he had to be helped off the ice after crashing awkwardly into the boards. An update on both players could be made later today.
Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
Patrick Kane scored his 398th career goal and collected three assists as the Chicago Blackhawks nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-5. Alex DeBrincat tallied the game-winner in a shootout while Carl Soderberg had three points for the Hawks. Patrik Laine and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored twice for the Jackets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane is playing his way into the Hart Memorial Trophy conversation. He’s the engine driving a Blackhawks team that wasn’t expected to be a playoff contender this season. They’re third in the Discover Central Division with 24 points, two behind the first-place Florida Panthers.
Shootout goals by Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris gave the Ottawa Senators a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, handing the latter their sixth loss in their last eight games. Brady Tkachuk tallied twice for the Senators, including the game-tying goal after the Canadiens overcame a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead. Shea Weber tallied twice for the Habs. Senators center Derek Stepan left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher wasn’t happy after his apparent game-winning goal in the dying seconds of regulation was overturned by what he considered a questionable goaltender interference call. Regardless of the validity of Gallagher’s complaint, the Canadiens once again struggled against the worst team in the league. The loss led to today’s firing of Claude Julien as head coach.
Pekka Rinne had a 24-save shutout as the Nashville Predators blanked the Detroit Red Wings 2-0. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist as both goals came in the third period.
The Edmonton Oilers scored four unanswered goals (three in the third period) to beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Dominik Kahun tallied twice and Leon Draisaitl collected three assists for the Oilers. Canucks center Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist.
HEADLINES
NEW YORK POST: Four of Artemi Panarin’s former KHL teammates dispute their former coach’s claim the New York Rangers winger assaulted a young woman in Riga, Latvia in 2011. The allegation by former Vityaz coach Andrei Nazarov forced Panarin to take a leave of absence from the Rangers. Nazarov, a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has publicly criticized Panarin in the past for his outspoken views of the Putin regime.
Larry Brooks reports there’s been no corroboration thus far of Nazarov’s account. Sources say the NHL hasn’t opened an independent investigation and has no intention of doing so due to the lack of credible evidence. There’s no timeline for Panarin’s absence. A source refuted a report the winger sought and was granted two weeks. He remains at his Connecticut home.
Brooks cites a source claiming Nazarov didn’t have a good relationship with Panarin when the winger played for him. Another suggested Nazarov was trying to curry favor with the Russian Ice Hockey Federation in hope of being rewarded with a coaching job.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some have wondered why Panarin needs to take time away from the Rangers after claiming Nazarov’s accusation is baseless. He still has family in Russia and is apparently concerned about the effect of this story on them.
Nazarov reportedly claimed Panarin was detained by local police officials and there were a criminal case and trial. That should be easily verified by local records but nothing has been produced thus far to back up that claim.
SPORTSNET: Henrik Lundqvist is back on the ice less than two months after undergoing open-heart surgery. He was in full gear taking shots.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No indication if this means a return to action for Lundqvist is in the near future. Nevertheless, it’s great to see him back on the ice again as he continues his recovery.
NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers captain Claude Giroux returned to practice yesterday for the first time after testing positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago. The Flyers will evaluate him in practice today to determine if he’ll face the Rangers tonight. Teammates Jakub Voracek, Travis Konecny, Oskar Lindblom, Scott Laughton and Justin Braun remain on the COVID protocol list.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen has been sidelined indefinitely by a concussion. He suffered the injury during last Friday’s game against the Blackhawks.
STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson suffered a season-ending knee injury during Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings. It could also end his tenure with the Blues as he’s an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
NHL.COM: The league released another update to its schedule to account for games previously postponed by COVID-19 protocols and recent winter storms in Texas.
Wow
Another head scratcher of a review call
As a Leafs fan of course you want the call to go against Habs but…. WTF??
Yes contact…. but Zaitzev battle with Gallagher causes that… @ 6.8 S left
Murray spins, sets, faces the shooter, looks at the shooter; shot beats him at 2.1 S left
Even Noodles (a goalie) was saying it should be a goal
I like the result (as a Leaf fan)
I hate the result (as a hockey fan)
Pens… Gino starting to click 👍👍👍
I know I was calling for Zucker to be traded or demoted down the line but I certainly was never hoping for that… that knee/leg twist looked awful…. wishing him a speedy and full recovery
Great to see Hank workout
Glad to see Breadman’s former teammates come to his support
Hoping his fam is OK back in Russia
Pengy, you know that controversial calls and “we wuz robbed” have been around since You-Know-Who was a corporal. Long ago I put it down to “s*&t happens” and never dwell on it. What’s the point?
What I did take away from that game is that, after mistakingly thinking they needed to sprinkle the line-up with veterans of varying “meh” qualities, they are starting to let the kids play, and as Ken Warren points out in an article this morning, their last 8 goals have been scored by players 22 and under. That’s encouraging. Now, with Stepan out, bring up Logan Brown and let him play a regular shift at C.
They’re not going to start surging up in the standings – but those so-called “easy pickings” won’t be so easy as the younger talent start to gel as a team and learn the importance of being responsible in their own end.
It’s going to be interesting with the two Tkachuks going head-to-head the next 3 games
Hi George
Sorry if I came across detracting from the great push and efforts by the Sens youth
They did play great; and I stand by my previous assertion that Sens have a bright future
I was just agog at the review then overturning the goal
It was called a goal on ice; so the review needs to show definitive proof to overturn
4 and 1/2 seconds after contact; with Murray truly re-set and facing shooter…. and then review committee says he didn’t have enough time to re-set ….. that was my bugaboo
I see your point re “ Long ago I put it down to “s*&t happens”
I Amon board if there is an iffy call… could go either way
As a Leaf fan; I am definitely pleased and therefore I am “on board” with the end result
As a hockey fan…. that review and result left a very bad taste in my mouth
What goes around comes around and in the end all should balance out …. but… I still state WTF
Just ornery this morning; sitting in office ; big client coming this aft; not had my Tim’s yet
Absolutely. I was saying this the other day when we were chatting about Eichel. The less ice-time the veterans get, the better the Sens are getting. I’d love to see Logan Brown up on the team with a real shot!
It’s time to do something about this Paul – White – Dadnov second line! Stuetzle – Brown – Batherson, second line! Let’s the young guys take over!
I agree George, it’s a good young team thats got a lot of bite. Like I said it seems to be built to beat Leafs and Habs. If anyone why not them? That’s how I’ll rebuild them with no rush nor expectations except to beat or beat up on the Leafs and Habs, period.
I figure while we go through the pains of a rebuild, if we can give anything back to the fans in the meanwhile, let’s give them this as we slowly build our team that will give us our share of pain and heartache.
Realistically, Ron, that’s all that any fan can hope for when you consider the depth to which they’d fallen. The Leafs went through that process the season before and the first season of Babcock. You draft and keep your fingers crossed.
Pengy doesn’t matter, he made contact and Murray was not able to pick up the puck again.
Simple solution call it interference or tripping and send him to the box.
Agree Caper. Not sure how you allow that one.
Plus it is Gallagher, who gets paid, in part, to accidentally interfere with goaltenders.
His left foot hooks Murray’s right leg/pad as he battles with the D.
Intentional or not, it happened.
If it was Marchand the goal wouldn’t count either.
Hi Caper and Ray
I certainly wasn’t challenging that there was contact
Certainly not Goaltender interference as he as pushed in
My bugaboo is about why the refs over-turned the goal….they said he didn’t have time to re-set
That is just not true
In more than 4 1/2 seconds from contact
Murray spins, sets, faces the shooter, looks at the shooter; shot beats him at 2.1 S left
He was SET and facing the shooter
Even Noodles thought it should be a goal
I’ve seen goals stand with less than 2 seconds from spin to shot and goalie not set
Consistency is needed
So I watched it again Pengy, and still don’t think he was set because his stick wasn’t down or in front of him. The normal set position.
When he spots the puck and pushes off his right leg, it slips back vs him sliding across. So I don’t think his feet were set either.
To Capers point he was still finding the puck. I think they got it right as that was all caused by the accidental, on purpose contact by Gallagher.
Agree to disagree I guess.
Will Gunnarsson’s injury quell the Dunn trade rumors?
Hi Slick
To me… yep, that should quell them
Same old habs…again.
What I find frustrating int the Habs game is the lack of effort of older players. I watched Danault play last night and he was attrocious! Price seems complacent in net and seems to don’t care. The 4th goal was by all standards the worst I saw go in this season.
I’m getting tired of watching Julien have no idea behind the bench, on how to fix the matchups or generate something with his roster. We are seeing less and less on the young kids play like the should and make them play an ultra conservative style of play.
Something must happen before the season gets out of hands and I see a change of coach … he will be unsigned next year and it is time to see someone with fresh ideas and strategies take a shot. Muller out, Julien out and keep Ducharme in.
It’s starting to be like every other season where they start hot and can’t handle their own heat after 10-12 games.
Anywy frustrated Habs fan … Just wishing we really made a change that helps this team sooner rater than later.
Claude Julian didn’t deserve to get fired. Not his fault MB assembled a chit team.
I agree . I hate we only hire French speaking coaches . I understand the media driving this but really narrows the choices . Hope Ducharme is the right guy for the job
That’s a primary reason why Quebec will not get another franchise. Narrowing your field of choice for GM and coaching staff over linguistic issues seriously hampers any franchise. Add to that the fact that most prominent Anglophone UFAs would not want to go there and the preponderance of large to medium-sized U.S. sites still without a franchise (Houston, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Hartford, Portland …) and it’ll be a real long-shot to see a return of Les Nordiques.
Swany, the guy they should be looking at is the Ottawa 67s coach André Tourigny who’s been a winner everywhere he’s been.
Swany and George—Will the Senators be the last NHL team to ever have been coached by Guy Boucher, or would he be a likely candidate for the Habs coaching job? He’s impressed me ever since I heard a Senators pundit refer to him as the most cerebral coach in the league. Was that a suitable label?
Francis S., I recall when he was hired by the Sens that Stamkos said something exactly along those lines. Maybe his problem was that he “thought” too much at critical times in a game.
Should be illegal to hire only French speaking coaches. Can’t get more discriminatory than that lol but it helps keep great coaches out of Montreal so I’m happy lol in all seriousness it’s dumb this isn’t 1950
Agree FD
The firing is a shocker to me
We’ll see how this plays out
Ya Pengy it is surprising, but on the other hand there is no patience after you spend a bunch of $$ in the off season when revenues are way down. You best deliver, or as a GM, you f***ed up with the owners money.
Usually there is a short term bump with a new coach, but long term there isn’t much practice time available this season to implement significant changes.
We will see.
Are you trolling FD? Did you post anything panning the signings MB made at the beginning of the season? I said here they were the most improved team, and I don’t recall you posting anything to the contrary. Perhaps you weren’t around then? This team should be way better than their recent play because the talent is there and comments to the contrary are mere petulance.
As for Julien (and Muller) deserving to be desired, mixed feelings. Price made some great saves last night but let in two weak Tkachuk goals. He has been sub par all season. That isn’t a coaching issue.
At the same time the Habs PP and PK are a mess and have been for too long. That is a coaching issue as the Habs have enough talent on O and D to be better.
Ducharme was hired to be the heir apparent and as I understand it Julien was in the last year of his contract. Duscharme did well with young players and KK, Romanov and Suzuki can use some help.
Easy comment with no basis except starting an unecessary argument. Next person please!
HOLY CRAZY IT HAPPEND! JULEIN MULLER OUT!
The goal reversal was dubious at best for the reasons mentioned above by Pengy.
Gallagher, gets bumped, cross checked with impunity and frequently limps back to the bench.
While some may say he deserves it, he doesn’t complain or point fingers. He doesn’t complain about the refs, he forces a smile and takes his next shift.
This time he complained, this time he mentioned lack of consistency.
As for Habs coach, I’d like Gallant to come back home to Montreal where he was always well liked.
I’d like Gallant as coach as well. He’s not a Quebecer. Was born in PEI and I’m not sure his French is fluent. But I think his history in Quebec would make him acceptable. Aside from coaching the Habs, he played in the Q. The problem now is quarantine. Were he to be named coach, he’d have to quarantine for 14 days. That would make it difficult. The job is likely Ducharmes till the end of the season. If he does well, he’ll be kept. If not, someone else will be brought in. If they miss the playoffs, Bergevin May be gone too.
Gallant is a graet coach but he doesn’t speak french at all.
Doesnt matter who you get, as long as Price is belwo his standards the Habs are going nowhere
Prices standard from 4 years ago or where he’s been the last 3 years?
The CJ firing doesn’t have it’s own page…what gives?
Didn’t Babcock get one when he was canned? I seem to remember he did. I wonder what the difference is?
Oh well.
Thanks for the update Lyle.
I’d love to know when MB is going to be held responsible. You trade a young player who’s shown to be capable of an over 70 point season for a player who’s best season was 45 points. You make a laughable contract to AHO where there was no possible way Carolina would turn down that bargain. You draft according to position instead of drafting the best player available throwing away 2 3rd overall picks. You had can flexibility on a time where almost every team was looking to dump salary, giving you a huge advantage in free agency and even trades. All non Montreal fans kept asking how the team got better and all we heard was size and balance like this is the 90’s New Jersey team going to play the neutral zone trap. Not to mention who sings a declining goalie to a 10.5 million dollar contract. Montreal is also now against the cap. How are they supposed to get that player to actually help them. I really believe they are one high end first line center away but how do you get them? Montreal should have went for the rebuild and changed MB for a GM who understands the concept of drafting the best player available. It sucks because as a hockey fan there’s nothing I want to see more than Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa fighting each other on the playoffs. I think Ottawa is going to get there while the Leafs are still there but Montreal is just going to continue sticking in the middle. Just missing the playoffs and never showing any direction. They need top end players not all of these second tier guys. Imagine Tampa last year without Point, Kucherov, Hedman and the list goes on. Montreal does not have even 1 player close to that caliber.
Just because you think with your toes Roger, doesn’t mean you have to type with them. Reading your posts is like reading something written in Latin, translated by someone who only speaks Greek. Not sure whether this is a literacy issue or just the hazy maze of your thinking.
At the beginning of the year the consensus amongst pundits was the MB had done a great job of signings. Anderson, Toffoli and Allen have been great. If that isn’t an example of using cap space to good advantage, what exactly is? That’s a rhetorical question, as I can only tolerate so much of your “analysis.”
To say all non Habs fans kept asking how the team got better is just you thrashing about trying to create gravitas for your opinion.
There are so many flaws in your post it is hard to know which to pick out. How about one: If MB has done such a poor job of trades, drafts and signings, how is it that the Habs are just one premier center away? Hoisted by your own petard, Roger.
I will give you your sole valid point: signing Price to the extension looks like a huge mistake. I won’t justify it but I understand why. At the time Price was musing about signing elsewhere. It would have been a huge PR problem for the Habs to lose Price at that point. Now it is so obviously a mistake even you can see it.
Yes LJ insults are usually where people go when they realize they are wrong. I won’t result to that and just stick to the facts of what I clearly said over and over again at the beginning if the year. Toffoli, Anderson and Allen have all played pretty much as expected. Montreal has a bunch of these 40 – 50 point guys. Toffoli loves Vancouver to bad they won’t be in the playoffs. I say one big center away because that 90 point center would give them just enough more points to make the playoffs in my opinion of course. Once you make the playoffs then who knows. They need top end talent surely you can see that. The best way to get that talent is to draft properly and draft high. They’ve had to top 3 draft picks so that’s not the issue. I don’t think there’s a GM in the league who needs to go after Eichel the MB. Just curious if the Habs end up at the same place They’ve ended up the last few years which is just outside looking in do you finally get it. Covid might not get them in the playoffs this time. I know when you’re pationate about your team you put blinders on I sure know I do but come on.
Quit whining, Roger. I am responsible for my posts and you are responsible for yours. You think my comments are insults. I think yours are incoherent. Why? How about this from above:
“You trade a young player who’s shown to be capable of an over 70 point season for a player who’s best season was 45 points.”
Who are you talking about? Rocket Richard and Ralph Backstrom? Elmer Fudd for Daffy Duck? Your comments so often are ill conceived and confusing.
I acknowledge when you make a fair point. It doesn’t happen often because you so often don’t. If you want praise, write and think clearly. Your problems are not my responsibility.
Gee LJ I don’t know which Montreal player who had an over 70 point season was just traded for a player that has never had a 50 point season. I’m sure everyone else in the planet can figure it out why are you so confused. Just like yesterday when I say they were lucky enough tobhave played Vancouver and Ottawa and you’re take is me stating they are just lucky as apposed to me saying that it is because they played the bottom 2 teams that there stats are inflated. Bet you everyone else but you understands that. I mean read the sentence instead of just taking what you want out of it
Well, Roger you used the word potential as opposed to actual delivery, but let’s let that slide for now.
If you are talking about trading Domi for Anderson, Domi has 3 goals and 4 assists in 20 games. Anderson has 9 goals and 3 assists in 18 games. That you see this is a bad trade only reinforces my opinion of your judgement.
So much anger LJ. You would be the only person who doesn’t know who I’m talking about I mean seriously get a clue. Sounds like yesterday when you picked only the word luck from my sentence when I clearly stated lucky enough to play Vancouver and Ottawa for half there games. I mean seriously how do you not get that. You state everything based on your unknowledgeable opinion or the opinion of someone else. You have never used an actual number or anything to back your statements. Everything I said is true based on facts. Sorry if facts don’t work with your team biased. In the future simply read the sentence and you should easily be able to figure out who I’m referencing. You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes. If you need help ask a friend they’ll know.
“You have never used an actual number or anything to back your statements.”
I just gave you the stats for Domi and Anderson, the trade you criticized MB for. I can’t make the font into flashing neon for you.
Another embarrassing post, Roger. Oh dear.
LJ Please re-read all if my posts where I put Prices and KK stats. I get tha a whole 18 games in Anderson is doing quite well while Domi is struggling really not the point I was making. I was stating that Anderson has never had a season compared to Domi’s season. I always placed the numbers when making statements. Nothing I hate more than in my opinion, Tsn said, This player said ect.. . The numbers on Price, KK and Montreal are pretty clear. In fact the numbers on the new habs players are pretty clear. We know who these players are. Doesn’t mean they don’t have career years or anything like that. Numbers don’t lie it’s why I’ve won the hockey pool 6 years in a row. I look at more than just goals and assists. I use full analytics when deciding my pics.
Roger, I give you high marks for persistence, but I have spent the day rebutting your “facts.” You criticized the trade of Domi for Anderson; there is only this season to judge your comment. Anderson is having a far better season so far. There is nothing else relevant on that point, and every time I have pointed out the flaw in your statements you move to something else. It is like whack a mole and I don’t want to play any more. Go enjoy your hockey pools.
FD: Babcock’s firing came on a late-afternoon, which is why it got its own post. Julien was fired early enough this morning to be a late inclusion into today’s morning coffee headlines. I trust that clears it up for you.
Boom.
Excellent Lyle, thank you.
wow. You’re upset over something you think Toronto got that Montreal didn’t and you remember this from years ago. Good for you. BTW, I think Lyle is a Montreal fan no? Though I guess this is a statement on his impartiality on this site.
Q: what has 20 legs and an IQ of 5?
A: 10 NHL referees.
I’m sorry but that call last night was absolute garbage. Firstly, Gallagher was pushed into Murray by Zaitsev. Secondly, Murray had certainly reestablished position. Had the shot not been deflected, he would have stopped it. Every close call goes against the Habs. Penalties too. Have for many years now. I don’t believe it’s by accident. NHL refereeing has been wildly inconsistent for years and nothing is done about it. Neither the league nor the media ever hold the refs accountable. Until that changes, we’ll be stuck with the same crap. It’s an embarrassment to the league and to fans everywhere.
As to Julien, it was time for a change. He should have been fired last year. Bergevin too. Had the pandemic not affected the season, resulting in some playoff success, Julien would have been fired then. Every coach has a shelf life. However, Muller should have been kept around at least till the end of the season. The team has a rookie head coach now and an experienced assistant would be very useful.
Well it looks like my pre season prediction of Julien being first coach fired was on the money. That team is devoid of talent. Will be well out of playoffs as also predicted. They are a decade away from any possible contention as it will take half that time to tear down the contract mess to start. Bergevin will be drinking pints in a pub by St Paddy’s day as a former GM.
Wendel nice to hear from you. Also your prediction of Matthews winning the Rocket Richard award is well on its way.
Is it nice Caper?
Kidding, gotta give you credit Wendel on the CJ call.
Matthews, had to be one of the favorites so whatever.
Thoughts on Freddie and what the Leafs do in the off season with him based on what you have seen so far?
Ray, Andersen cannot win a critical game (elimination either way) so the leafs would have to win every series in a maximum of 4 or 5 games with him. This is very possible to get out of North, but no further. An injury to him or trade or Keefe going with Campbell and the Leafs can go all the way. IMO they have best roster along with Colorado omitting goalies, but TB and Vegas jump ahead with the goalies. If no changes then TB v Vegas for cup. If Col or TO upgrade goalies they leapfrog.
I think u r Bruins fan right? I know they r showing well so far but can’t see much of anything behind the best line in hockey and MacAvoy, plus Rask is beyond his “use before” date so same goal issue as Col and Tor as well.
Wendel, would I pick the Bruins to win? No.
Their 5 on 5 play is a saw off and they win on special teams.
Great at suppressing chances, average at generating. Need to have both to win it all.
Pick to come out of the division? Sure. And who knows after that, so have hope, just wouldn’t make a large bet on it.
I know I keep hyping the Oil, but watch out for the Oil. Playing great and confident, even their young guys. Nurse and Larsson have both stepped up this year on D. Problem is their tenders may actually be worse than TOR’s.
It was a tough call to make. I don’t envy the refs. In the end, it likely came down to the fact that Murray hadn’t totally recovered from being spun around by Gallagher. The incident left him too deep in the crease, to have a fair chance to make the save.
Gallagher did make contact with him and threw him off balance a bit but Murray spun around on his own.
Lol Howard as a Bruin fan from the late 60;s I can’t tell you without hesitation that I believe the Habs have gotten every call and all calls go against the Boston Bruins. Must be a homer thing.
Yeah. And Leon Stickle personally skated over to the B’s bench and dragged that seventh player onto the ice back in 1979.
Let the Patty Roy as GM in Montreal chatter BEGIN!!!!
Something to consider. I’d hire him as team president and face of the franchise while hiring Mark Hunter to be GM. Sort of like situation with Shanny in Toronto.
Yes please Uwey. Roy is the perfect candidate.
FD, based on what, Joe Sakic’s recommendation?
BCLeafFan…no, mine.
PR would set them back further.
On a side note, it didn’t take long for Alex Burrows to make his way into an NHL coaching position. He is an very intelligent person who has an incredible understanding of the game.
He is going to be a fixture in the NHL for a very long time, I think.
He bites fingers.